Camp Magazine April 2017

THE BLAQOUT PROJECT IN KANSAS CITY WANTS TO CONNECT AND SUPPORT YOUNG BLACK QUEER-IDENTIFIED MEN READ MORE ON PAGE 4

FREE

L TO R: D. RASHAAN GILMORE, ANTHONY WILLIAMS, TERRENCE MCDANIEL, DEVIN HURSEY, ZENDRIX BERNDT, LAWRENCE CRAWFORD

KANSAS CITY’S VOICE FOR THE LGBT & ALLIED COMMUNITIES APRIL 2017 • VOL. 14 • NO. 3 camp april 2017

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LGBT HEALTH INSURANCE

WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR STORY What’s your experience of accessing and using health insurance as a member of the LGBTQ community?

Four Convenient Times to Choose From!

Thurs, April 16-6pm Wed, April 26-6pm at LIKE ME Lighthouse 3911 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.

Sun, April 30-11am Sat, May 6-11am at AC Hotel 560 Westport Road Kansas City, Mo.

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Love or hate it, we want to hear your health insurance stories!

Please join the Kansas City Health Department for a guided conversation and focus group about private insurance, the Affordable Care Act, and the strengths and challenges that come with accessing care in the US.

Meals and incentives provided RSVP at www.kcmo.org/health/ACA or call (816) 513-6223 *Supported by a grant from the REACH Healthcare Foundation.

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Couresy P.S. Linden Photography

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By Bradley Osborn Project I Am, which recently ended, was a local effort that engaged and empowered young black/Latino MSM (men who have sex with men). It was funded by a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Now a new entity called BlaqOut (pronounced black out) is taking its place.

BlaqOut organizers plan to address holistically the psychosocial and environmental challenges faced by young black MSM (YBMSM) in greater Kansas City, building an organization that connects and supports these men while providing access to safe spaces and resources. BlaqOut will soon apply for 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

“When young black LGBTQ folks aren’t visible in the community, they have little reason to expect community acceptance,” said D. Rashaan Gilmore, BlaqOut’s project director and lead researcher.

Young black gay men are a demographic under siege. If current HIV diagnosis rates persist, about one in two black MSM will test positive in their lifetimes (based on 2016 CDC data).

YBMSM communities of origin are fighting the legacy of Jim Crow laws, the effects of historical redlining and poorly funded schools, the economic challenges of single-parent homes, the lack of affordable housing and health care, inequities in criminal justice and pervasive institutional racism. These social determinants of health go a long way toward creating disparities between these men and other demographic groups.

BlaqOut leaders pledge to make conscious efforts not to focus solely on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Instead, they want to develop solutions and realistic strategies to combat myriad health issues.

When asked about his motivation for involvement in the project, Gilmore said, “I care and I am invested. Not only have I been actively organizing for the past three-plus years in this community, but I am from it and a part of it.” He also sees developing future leaders as his duty.

A never-before-attempted community needs assessment will be a major part of BlaqOut’s 2017 agenda. Individual advocates, community activists and health-care professionals that make up the group’s leadership want a better-engaged, healthier and thriving target population.

The findings from the community needs assessment, Gilmore said, “can be used to develop a series of culturally tailored, multilevel health-promotion interventions.”

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When the end of Project I Am funding was near but the future political climate was still uncertain, the CDC extended the project for six months. During that time, Gilmore and his partners put together the proposal for BlaqOut. After securing local funding for the project, it was publicly debuted at last year’s Calvary Community Outreach Network World AIDS Day breakfast, sponsored

by Gilead Pharmaceuticals.

The BlaqOut research proposal addressed the need for the project: “Black MSM are in need of culturally competent, fully comprehensive, and out-of-the-box (innovative)

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BlaqOut Community Advisory Board Photo: J. Long

screening, prevention, and care programming that can increase The board is made up of young black queer-identified men engagement and retention of positives in HIV care and lead to from the Kansas City area. better overall health outcomes for black MSM.”

Two board members who show emerging leadership skills After developing his proposal, Gilmore was approached by will be named as Bayard Rustin Leadership Academy fellows. a community leader who tried to dissuade him from doing a The fellows will receive stipends and take part in a structured black-specific needs assessment, educational curriculum, an individual asking him instead to join a development plan, executive coaching, larger study. In that study, facilitated mentoring and peer learning.

YBMSM needs would probably IF CURRENT HIV DIAGNOSES have been obscured.

Tentatively titled the YBMSM 20/20 RATES PERSIST, ABOUT 1 IN “BlaqOut provides young Vision Survey, the community needs black LGBTQ folks a chance to 2 BLACK MEN WHO HAVE assessment is the main informationempower themselves to improve gathering piece of the BlaqOut project. The SEX WITH MEN (MSM) IN their lives, feel safe being who survey data will be folded together with they are, feel affirmed in their THE UNITED STATES WILL BE individual interviews, focus groups and identities, and grow to become observations for analysis.

DIAGNOSED WITH HIV happy, healthy, and productive

adults. But that’s not to say Some readers may remember The Pulse DURING THEIR LIFETIME. everybody is happy about it or and Check the Pulse surveys that were CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, 2016 supportive of our efforts. Some conducted in the mid-2000s. The Pulse view us as a threat to their legacies established a baseline of selected health and funding,” Gilmore said. and social factors relevant to the LGBT community of greater Kansas City. The Pulse and its follow-up The name “BlaqOut” was used previously during the Project study were undertaken through a groundbreaking partnership I Am period. BlaqOut Balls, based on ballroom culture, were between the Kansas City, Mo., Health Department and the Lesbian held as community outreach events. The “Blaq” portion of the WE ARE & Gay Community Center of Greater Kansas City. name derives from the professional name of local songwriter and music producer Jo Blaq.BLAQ OUT is a united community of individual advocates, The BlaqOut survey will question a population more specific

“

“

community activists and healthcare professionals who work to address the psychosocial and environmental challenges by than the faced one covered by the Pulse surveys — and more severely Black MSM in the Greater Kansas City Area. affected by many of the negative social and physical health

On a Saturday in early March, BlaqOut volunteers convened variables than the larger LGBTQ community. Since Pulse in a Midtown board room, devoting the afternoon to improving surveys were completed, the diversity of identity within the WE advisory BELIEVE their community. The community board had a training community has grown. retreat, with Gilmore handing facilitating toagainst Jermine Weover believe that to turnduties the tide the HIV epidemic, grassroots and indigenously-led from those most-affected Gilmore said, “There is a growing movement of young black D. Alberty, M.Div., and Tusday Dudley, M.Ed.efforts This originating was the first must be given the opportunity to succeed. gay, bisexual and trans* persons who are stepping forward to of many meetings where ideas for the survey instrument will be medical mistrust their rightactto have a seat at the table in Kansas City’s debated and crystallized. We recognize how stigma, discrimination andassert

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as tremendous barriers to good health for many Black gay men.

And we want to do something about it.

It is essential that we begin to deploy revolutionary, evidencedbased, and out-of-the-box models to effectively support young

continued on page 17

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editorial Tis the Season to Help Out

www.campkc.com The Only News Monthly Serving the Gay, Lesbian, and Allied Communities of Greater Kansas City. Publishing — and locally owned — since 2004.

No, I’m not talking about the holidays.

April is the kickoff month for many activities that are coming up in Kansas City’s LGBT community. And like most events, they need volunteers.

Publisher & Editorial Director John Long Editor Designer Juli Warren Terry Newell News Editor Webmaster Bradley Osborn Sarah Withee

By John Long

If you’ve been to AIDS Walk, you may remember seeing what appears to be hundreds of volunteers. The walk actually has many fewer than that, but it feels like that many because it works like a well-oiled machine. The credit for that goes to the management of Lintecum & Associates, the AIDS Service Foundation, the AIDS Walk steering committee, and the many people who volunteer.

But they can always use more people to help. AIDS Walk 2017 will be April 29.

For information, go to www. aidswalkkansascity.org.

Next up is the annual Kansas City PrideFest, which will be June 2-4 at Richard Berkley Riverfront Park. This biggest LGBTQ celebration of the year doesn’t happen without a lot of planning, and yes, volunteers.

With such a diverse weekend of activities, festival organizers need many different kinds of help. To find out where you can lend a hand, go to www.gaypridekc.org.

At the end of the summer, we’ll have the Show Me State Rodeo, hosted by the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association, over the Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1-3). You don’t have to be a cowboy or cowgirl to help them. Find out more at www.mgra.us.

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continued on next page

Contributors in this issue: Ron Blake, Leo Buck, Darin Challacombe, Jude LaClaire, Stuart Hinds, John Long, Bradley Osborn, Monica Soto, Mark Thomas, Susan K.Thomas.

On Facebook: Camp Kansas City Magazine

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P.O. Box 22601 Kansas City, MO 64113 Phone: (816) 221-0199 Fax: (816) 221-0199 www.campkc.com For Advertising Information contact: The Camp Business Office Phone: (816) 221-0199 E-Mail: jlong@campkc.com For National Advertising Information contact: Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 For Editorial & Business Office Information contact: John Long Phone: (816) 221-0199 E-Mail: jlong@campkc.com Camp™ is published every month, by CampOut LLC, P.O. Box 22601, Kansas City, MO 64113. (816) 221-0199. Camp is distributed free of charge in the greater Kansas City metro area with additional distribution sites in select cities of Kansas and Missouri. If interested in distributing Camp at your place of business please contact Publisher at addres above. Contributions of news tips, stories, fiction and photographs are welcomed.

Unsolicited material is accepted but cannot be returned. Camp reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any advertising or editorial that we deem to be sexually explicit, distasteful or otherwise offensive. Publication of the name or photograph of any person, organization, business or advertiser in articles or advertising does not imply or infer any indication of their sexual orientation. Opinions expressed in Camp are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Associate Publisher or Editorial Staff.

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Copyright© Camp, 2017 Newspaper and its contents may not be sold or reproduced in any form whatsoever without the expressed legal consent of the copyright owner. The Camp logo and CampOut LLC are registered trademarks of Camp newspaper.

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In this issue of Camp, we have stories about BlaqOut, the Heart of America Softball League, and the LIKEME Lighthouse in which individuals have stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) to make things happen in the LGBT community. We also feature a story about how the Gay & Lesbian Archive of Mid-America (GLAMA) helped with an LGBT history exhibit. GLAMA can always use donations of LGBT history-related items.

And the LIKEME Lighthouse will be hosting a Volunteer Meet and Greet on April 3. Look for more information about these in “CampBiz” or the other stories in this issue.

The Kansas City Health Department is looking for volunteers to participate in several focus groups on LGBT health and the Affordable Care Act. Look for their ads in this issue of Camp for all the information, and sign up for an easy focus group with food provided! RSVP at www.kcmo.org/health/ACA or call 816-513-6223.

Of course, these are only a few of the groups needing volunteers. Here are others to consider: Heartland Men’s Chorus, Mid-America Freedom Band, Pridefloat, Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, Human Rights Campaign, Equality Kansas, PROMO, SAVE Inc., KC Care, Good Samaritan Project, Hope Care Center and so many more great organizations. To explore more about these groups, your best resource is the LIKEME Lighthouse, 3911 Main St. (www.likemelighthouse.org)

RAISE MONEY ONLINE—IT’S EASY & FREE!

CREATE YOUR PAGE NOW!

AIDSWALKKC.ORG

I’d be remiss if I didn’t put in a plug for yours truly. Camp has benefited from an incredible team of volunteer writers over our 13 years of publishing.

Without volunteers, quite frankly, we would not have survived. Our volunteer writers have been heroes, and many have told me that writing for Camp is how they give back to the community. We also are looking for help archiving our 13 years of digital files for the Gay & Lesbian Archive of Mid-America history museum at UMKC. If you’re interested in joining our team, please let me know.

EVERY DOLLAR RAISED STAYS IN KANSAS CITY

We also can always use help with distribution. I’m looking for helpers to hand out copies of Camp to the AIDS Walk participants for about 30 minutes on April 29. Or if you know of a great distribution site for our magazines, let me know. We could add it to our distribution route or even bring issues by your home so you can help us deliver. Contact me at 816-221-0199 or jlong@campkc.com.

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campbiz

by John Long

We’ve got lots of events coming up in April, including AIDS Walk. June, when we celebrate the annual Pride festival, will be another big month of events. Please keep me posted on your news and events by sending me your information at jlong@ campkc.com.

Good Samaritan Project’s new CEO gets started

Caroline Huffman has been appointed as chief executive officer of the Good Samaritan Project, which supports people living with HIV/AIDS. She succeeds David Schlomer, who retired in January after 18 years of service with the organization. Huffman started work on March 20.

Huffman has worked at nonprofit organizations such as the Livestrong Foundation, Hospice Austin and Vitera Healthcare Solutions. She has master’s degrees in social work and education.

“Our board is deeply impressed with Ms. Huffman’s record with client-facing organizations and with her operations acumen,” said board president Christopher Leitch. “Her experience and skill will be instrumental in crafting our next generation of service to Kansas Citians living with HIV/AIDS.” Among Huffman’s priorities will be enhancing revenues and implementing the organization’s new strategic plan. GSP’s regular case management, testing and prevention services to more than 700 clients will continue unchanged.

LIKEME Lighthouse to host Equality Teen Prom

For the second year, LIKEME Lighthouse-KC will present the Equality Teen Prom, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on May 12. It will be in Founders’ Hall at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, 415 W 13th St., Kansas City, Mo. “The purpose of the Equality Teen Prom is to provide a safe, welcoming space for area teens,” LIKEME Lighthouse reports.

“Teens can feel free to be themselves at an event where personal privacy is respected. … The prom is keeping with the Lighthouse’s mission for inclusiveness — everyone 14 to 18 years old is welcome to attend, regardless of how the person identifies.”

Felicia Kyle, LIKEME Lighthouse’s executive director, said: “We have doubled our space offering from last year’s event: Founders’ Hall will hold from 200 to 250. This year’s event

planners took the advice of our past executive board members and current business sponsors.

We added the option of a Parents Room. We want those who drive someone to feel free to stay, mingle, and be comfortable to enjoy themselves as well.”

The Lighthouse is again partnering with Blessed Dress, Jennifer Maldonado, Episcopal Community Church, and other community members who donated funds, attire, baked goods, and other edible treats.

Equality Teen Prom is an alcohol- and tobacco-free event.

Samantha Kay, LIKEME Lighthouse executive assistant, collected half of the hall rental cost from the Troye Sivan concert in the fall. Kay and her team of volunteers gathered funds one dollar, one person at a time. “It was heartwarming to see the response from the concert-goers who donated. Their enthusiasm inspired and touched my heart.”

“Equality Teen Prom has many supporters,” said Bruce Winter (aka Melinda Ryder) who will be the emcee for the evening. Together, Bruce Winter and Kirk Nelson gained community support for the prom. They contributed a box of jewelry and two racks to hold donated prom clothing. Their friend Shannon Powers donated six dresses.

Entertainers will include KC Sunshine (Seto Herrera), whose talent for impersonating Michael Jackson is a Kansas City favorite, and a 17-year old newcomer, Edie. Musical artists will be IVØRY BLACK and Violet & the Undercurrents. The Lighthouse is also looking for a teen who would like to partner with a local professional to DJ this event.

Featured LIKEME Lighthouse events March 31

Clothing Drive for Equality Teen Prom

The Lighthouse is looking for donations of new or gently used formal attire and accessories. https://www.facebook.com/events/1827573794174784/

April 3 Volunteer Meet & Greet

Come meet Chris Draven, our new volunteer and outreach lead.

We are seeking a diverse group of passionate individuals to serve as volunteers! https://www.facebook.com/events/209387776209143/

April 5 & April 19

Beginner’s Improv Class Kansas City Improv Company.

Online registration required. Limit 10 students per class. https://www.likemelighthouse.org/event/improv-classes-170405/ https://www.likemelighthouse.org/event/improv-classes-170419/ cont. on next page

Calendar of Events March 30

Transgender Day of Visibility The Mid America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Human Rights Campaign-KC are presenting the third annual observance of International Transgender Day of Visibility from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at ej4, 1818 Wyandotte St, #200, Kansas City, Mo. Transgender Day of Visibility is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide. It is a day for transgender people to stand up and be counted, and for cis-gender people (people whose gender identity aligns with their sex at birth) to learn about and celebrate their transgender friends and family members.

A short program will take place at 6:30 p.m. Light appetizers, wine and beverages will be available. To register for this free event, go to www.maglcc.org.

March 30-April 9

Black Repertory Theatre presents ‘Five Guys Named Moe’ This musical by Clarke Peters features the greatest hits of Louis Jordan, the accomplished saxophonist and songwriter. It is directed by Damron Russel Armstrong, executive artistic director of the theatre. The assistant director is Shon Ruffin.

The story features Nomax (played by Armstrong), who is broke and whose girlfriend has left him. Nomax is aided back to sobriety by the band, Five Guys Named Moe (played

by Douglass Walker, Nathaniel Rasson, Rodney Thompson, Christopher Barksdale-Burns, and Francisco “Pancho” Villegas), who seem to emerge from his radio to take him on a comedic musical journey of self-awareness.

Armstrong writes that he chose this piece to close the inaugural season “because it speaks to exactly what the Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City is all about. It gives newcomers the opportunities not before afforded to them in the past. Building a bridge to work on the stage that did not previously exist. Producing shows that have never been produced locally. Shining a spotlight on contributions made by African Americans, this time in the world of music.”

The show has a limited two-week run, with Thursday through Sunday performances, at Arts Asylum, 1000 E. Ninth St., Kansas City, Mo. Tickets at www.brtkc.org. Special discounts are available for seniors (65+) and students. Group discounts available for 10 or more. cont. on page 23

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The Power of Teamwork An LGBT athletic institution in Kansas City celebrates 40 years of bringing people together through softball. The Heart of America league’s gala will be April 23. By John Long The Heart of America Softball League (HASL) is Kansas City’s oldest LGBT sports organization. Kris Dietz and Kathi “Kat” Finley play softball on HASL teams and met with me recently to talk about the league’s 40th Anniversary Gala, which will be April 23 at the Boulevard Brewing Co., 2501 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, Mo., and what it’s like to play softball with HASL. “We have a commemorative gala to celebrate the beginning of the 40th season,” said Finley, who is the 40th anniversary chair and a former HASL board member.

The event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. They’re hoping that alumni of HASL from over the years can come out and celebrate and enjoy food and beverages at the brewery.

Of HASL, Finley said, “We started small and have grown into an organization that’s hosted national tournaments, including the ASANA Women’s World Series in September of 2016. We are currently in the running to bring the NAGAAA Gay World Series to Kansas City in 2019.”

Dietz, who has played with HASL for 19 years and serves on the HASL board, said that this year, the Gay World Series will be in Portland, Oregon, and that next year, it will be in Tampa.

For 2019, she said, “there are no other bids on the table, so Kansas City has it alone. But there are certain requirements from NAGAAA, hoops we have to jump through, to ensure

that we sign, seal it and get it delivered.”

Finley said that it helped that the ASANA tournament was in Kansas City last year.

“We had women from all over the country here, and we hosted the tournament out at Mid-America [Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kan.]. So that has helped us springboard to a new committee, and they are going to try and make the bid for 2019 on the ‘open’ side.”

HASL has competed in open tournaments, which have both men and women on the teams, and in women’s tournaments.

“Open division is open to anyone who wants to play,” Dietz said. “So if you had a team of all males, that’s fine. All females, that’s fine. Two males, two females, that’s fine.

Whatever the variation is fine. The women’s division is all women or anyone who identifies as female. … For me, I play on two teams. I play for the Rabid Kittens, which is open, and I play for the Alley Katz, which is a women’s team. The Heart of America Softball League is still one of the few leagues left in the nation that still plays together, and we fight for that every year.”

Finley described the camaraderie of the gay softball leagues. “There are a lot of people out there who need a place to go and to belong. It’s nice to know that when you get done playing college ball and you want to play softball and you come into your own and you come out of the closet … you can come to the Heart of America Softball League and play ball.

You can start your own team if you want to.”

Dietz and Finley said that any Sunday during their season, people can go out to Mid America and watch the various women’s and men’s teams playing on adjoining fields, while in other areas of the same 70-acre complex, Little League and other teams are playing.

New members are always invited to join HASL. They also invite “non-players” or individuals and families to come out to the baseball fields, have a seat, grab a hot dog or burger and beer and watch their games.

Team KC Cocktails

Photo: Frank Meredith

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HASL’s opening day is April 30. They now have 12 women’s teams and 10 open teams. Team names are often humorous, such as Scissor Sisters, KC Sons of Pitches and Girls Who Like Bacon.

Finley and Dietz said that people play on HASL

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teams for lots of reasons, whether for competition, for exercise or simply for recreational time.

ASANA and NAGAAA have questions that help determine how players are rated for the various divisions of competition.

Kris Dietz and Kat Finley Dietz said the questions are Photo: J. Long “about how you throw the ball, how you catch the ball, how you field, how you hit, how you run. In order to go to the World Series, you do have to earn a berth. If you’re first or second place, you have the option to go to the World Series in Portland, and if you take third place, you don’t get to go.

ASANA is a little bit different, because they are building, so anyone has the option to put in the berth to go.”

Finley said, “But if you win all your games or win zero games, if you’re a women’s team who wants to go to any city that is hosting, you can go. And this year it’s Austin over the July Fourth weekend.”

Finley said that she worked with the Visit KC tourism bureau on the ASANA tournament.

“They’re very supportive,” she said. “I’m pretty sure they’re already talking about the NAGAA tournament. They were unbelievably helpful to us. They reached out to us.”

Dietz estimated that the World Series brings in 150 teams and said the number of people traveling with each team varies, from about 12 to 20.

Finley added: “Plus they have their spouses, partners, some people have their kids with them.”

“That’s another thing we see a lot of, too, now,” said Dietz. “Our Heart of America Softball League is not just about people going out there because there’s nothing to do or no bar

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open. We’re bringing our kids. My kids grew up going to our softball games. I have to get my 16-year-old daughter a jersey or she’s mad!”

The women said that since samesex marriage became legal, the league has more married couples, and many have children.

“So now we have to evolve in how we plan things,” said Dietz. “We used to always have our openings and closings in bars. We want to give back to our sponsors that are bars.

But now we have so many people who are bringing in babies and toddlers.”

Kris Dietz is married to Holly Dietz, and they have four children. Kat Finley is married to Erica Finley, and they have one son. Both couples live in Gladstone, Mo. Finley said, “I think at the end of the day, HASL is about family. I think of most of the people in the league as family – they are family to me.”

Dietz said she thought it was good for children of same-sex marriages to see other children who have two moms or two dads at the games.

“People that started this in 1977 could have never imagined the families that would come out with their children,” Dietz said.

“It’s more than the sport, it’s community,” Finley said.

If You Want to Go

For tickets to the HASL 40th Anniversary Gala, find that event page on Facebook.

Find out about playing for HASL teams or watching the games at www.haslkc.com.

To learn more about the Mid-America Sports Complex, go to jcprd.com/parks_facilities/mid_america.cfm.

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Jude LaClaire

He FoundDay: a Way to Day: Help Out Immigrants SEEING THE DIFFICULTIES THEY FACE, CHRISTOPHER WEBB LAUNCHED A CLOTHING DRIVE WITH THE LIKEME LIGHTHOUSE. THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY PITCHED IN.

By Darin Challacombe must feel,” Webb said.

“And I felt compelled to do something to show my support.”

Christopher Webb

Photo: Darin Challacombe

A few months back, real estate agent Christopher Webb, of Shawnee, Kansas, was showing one of his houses to potential buyers. They said they liked the house, just not the location. Why? Because the house was close to a local Islamic community center.

“I was shocked at the number of potential buyers who commented that they were not interested in the house because of the proximity to the Islamic Center,” Webb said. “Just kind of surprised that people are so afraid of others … just crazy.”

In late January, President Trump signed the first executive order temporarily banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

“As a white, American-born male, I have never felt the type of fear and discrimination that Muslim Americans

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Webb initially proposed the idea of helping immigrants and refugees in his small church group. Feeling supported by the other members, he reached out to a contact at the LIKEME LighthouseKC, the region’s LGBT community center.

Webb worked with Lighthouse staff members Felicia Kyle and Samantha Ruggles to get a plan together to host a clothing drive at the center. Over the first weekend in March, Webb and the Lighthouse collected clothing and other domestic items for Kansas City immigrants and refugees.

On March 5, Webb and his husband, Derrick Rieke, stopped by the Lighthouse to pick up the several boxes and bags of clothing donated over the weekend. They donated the items to Jewish Vocational Services, one of several Kansas City-based organizations that help immigrants.

“If I can even help a little or make a little bit of a difference, a family someplace will be better off because of it,” Webb said.

The Lighthouse has been pleased with the support the LGBTQIA community provided. They have received dozens of phone calls and emails from individuals interested in helping the community, including contributing to immigrant communities.

“We are excited at this and other grassroots movements,” Ruggles said.

“Our goal is always to give back to our community, and this is a very tangible way to do so.”

Kansas City is home to several organizations that work with immigrants and refugees. Although this is not an exhaustive list, here are some local organizations that accept donations and support immigrants and refugees: Catholic Charities (https://catholiccharitiesks.org/refugees/ donate-items-to-refugees) Della Lamb Community Services (http://www.dellalamb.org) Don Bosco Centers (http://donbosco.org/ways-to-give) Jewish Vocational Services (http://www.jvskc.org/householddonations) Darin Challacombe is vice president of the LIKEME Lighthouse board of directors.

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kc lesbian events

Bethany Cain

March, April & May Events Bethany Cain

Check these out: March 30: All About the T / Uptown Arts Bar, 3611 Broadway, KCMO / 21+

March 31

LGBT Self Defense Night / Inner Space Yoga, 514 E. 31st St., KCMO

April 6

Outloud! Feminist Open Mic / Uptown Arts Bar, 3611 Broadway, KCMO / 21+

April 21

SuicideGirls Blackhearts Burlesque / The Granada Theater, 1020 Massachusetts St., Lawrence

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April 28

Heart of America Softball League Opening Party / Sidestreet Bar, 413 E. 33rd St., KCMO / 21+

April 28

Ladies Night / Woody’s Classic Sports Pub, 3740 Broadway, KCMO / 21+

May 4

Erica Joy / recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., KCMO / Middle of the Map Fest

May 6

The Good Hearts / The Brick, 1727 McGee, KCMO / Middle of the Map Fest

May 27

Be Proud! Be Loud! LGBT Stage at the Westport Roots Festival / 21+

May 31

Chris Pureka / Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester Ave., KCMO / 21+

June 2-4

Kansas City PrideFest / Berkley Riverfront Park / All ages For full event details and more lesbian events, visit facebook.com/womenforwomenkansascity.

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minding your health

Jude LaClaire

A Psychiatrist Who Came Out at 40 Tells His Story Loren Olson’s book “Finally Out” shares lots of information about LGBT history, psychology and more to put his personal journey into context.

Historically, LGBT people have had to live lives in secret and often have had to lie about who they were, a lifestyle described as being in the closet. “Coming out” was stepping out of this dark, hidden place, openly declaring one’s true self. This often wasn’t safe, because one could lose a job or children and be harassed or bullied. There were no legal protections for individuals or couples.

Loren Olson, a psychiatrist and author of Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, chronicles his lifelong journey to gradually coming out to himself and others as a gay man.

Due out April 1, the second edition of his book combines the story of his personal trajectory with a great deal of information about LGBT history, psychology, culture and lifestyle.

His self-revelations are an invitation for the reader to remember similar experiences and times in their lives. I found it nearly impossible to turn off the memory machine that his stories activated for me. I’m only a few years older than Olson and have had a personal journey with many parallels. I imagine that people of any age would find themselves recalling their own paths and finding the accompanying information helpful.

Olson, after many years of his own struggle, discovered that there were many other gay men who had come out later in life.

His big life change came at age 40, when he was finally able to say that he was gay to himself and to the people in his life. He had been married for many years and was a father.

He began to look more deeply at why he, and others, had lived so many years of their lives before they came to terms with this part of their being. He writes: “To protect ourselves from unacceptable feelings, we instinctively erect barriers in

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Loren Olson

our brains so that we may hoodwink ourselves into absolute assurance that we are heterosexual.”

He explains the social, cultural and legal oppression from the 1940s to the 1970s. This was his, and my, time of growing up. His experience in a small Nebraska town provided no paradigm for any kind of alternative lifestyle. The prejudicial attitudes, values and laws explain why it was so difficult for anyone, male or female, to embrace their same-sex attraction.

Gay and lesbian people were considered to be perverted, immoral and a threat to the security and moral fiber of the culture. My upbringing in a strict Catholic culture was similar to Olson’s Lutheran roots in Nebraska. We learned to hide any hint that we might be different, much less perverted or immoral.

He conducted a survey of 132 men (ages 24-91; median age of 60) who acknowledged that they were men who had sex with men (MSM). His hypothesis “was that the coming-out process for men who come out in midlife or later is distinctly different from the coming-out process for young men as described in the literature.”

Certain factors confirmed the unique differences of this experience for the more mature MSM. Over half of the men had been married to a woman, and nearly half had children.

The journey for most was full of denial, secrets and lying to themselves. The good news is that 87 percent were currently comfortable with identifying as primarily homosexual.

Dealing with the youthful gay culture, deeply held religious beliefs, and an oppressive cultural, political and legal milieu

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were among the difficulties that made the journey perilous and challenging. For younger gay males, there is an expectation of good looks, a buff body and the ability to be sexually and personally free. A mid-life male, often with children, who is experiencing the natural aging process does not meet these criteria or fit into that mold. The challenge is for the older male to accept and love himself, as he is, open to being loved and loving another.

He wrote that: “Those who had resolved this conflict [attraction to men] successfully had done so by developing a moral integrity – an authentic relationship between who they want to be and who they think they are. They had let go of being preoccupied with trying to please others.”

The cultural climate has changed a lot in the last 40 years, and it’s evolved very quickly in the last decade. We have come from the Stonewall riots in 1969 to the Defense of Marriage Act being overturned in 2013 and the right to legal marriage being established in 2015.

Gaining civil rights in all areas and equal protection under the law are the next hurdles. Young people still struggle to come out as LGBT, embracing their true selves. Perhaps they can learn from Olson and all those who have paved the way for today’s victories. They will be carrying the torch another lap into the future.

The life journey to authenticity means overcoming difficulties. As Olson writes: “The transition from living straight to becoming gay began by unlearning things that I thought were true and discovering a new reality. I had to shed my old images of what it means to grow old to discover that this is the best time of my life.”

Jude LaClaire, Ph.D., LCPC, is a counselor, author and educator working with diverse people of all ages at the Kansas City Holistic Centre (www.kcholistic.com) in Mission, Kansas. She enjoys working with individuals, couples and families. She is a contributing member of the LGBT Affirming Therapists GuildKC.

LGBT HEALTH INSURANCE

WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR STORY What’s your experience of accessing and using health insurance as a member of the LGBTQ community?

Four Convenient Times to Choose From!

Thurs, April 16-6pm Wed, April 26-6pm at LIKE ME Lighthouse 3911 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.

Sun, April 30-11am Sat, May 6-11am at AC Hotel 560 Westport Road Kansas City, Mo.

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Love or hate it, we want to hear your health insurance stories!

Please join the Kansas City Health Department for a guided conversation and focus group about private insurance, the Affordable Care Act, and the strengths and challenges that come with accessing care in the US.

Meals and incentives provided RSVP at www.kcmo.org/health/ACA or call (816) 513-6223 *Supported by a grant from the REACH Healthcare Foundation.

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“Blaqout” con’t from page 5

The survey design, implementation and analysis will be subject to the academic scrutiny of the Core Research Team, whose members include principal investigator Jannette Berkley-Patton, Ph.D.; project director and lead researcher D. Rashaan Gilmore; and team members Marcie Berman, Natasha Aduloju-Ajijola and Rakeem Golden.

The study will assess the overall health and wellness needs of about 200 YBMSM ages 18-34 who live in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The survey will take an average of about 45 minutes to take, and it will be administered from June through August 2017, with analysis following through December.

Identifying prospective survey-takers can be a challenge in itself. Web presence, flyers, print ads, referrals, clinic drop-ins, tabling opportunities, hookup apps and various social media are all part of the toolkit.

Beyond recruiting survey participants, other outreach tools and events will help to spread awareness, including a block party + BlaqOut Ball, testing fair/condom distribution, an empowerment summit and an HIV+ support group.

The uniqueness of this study and the larger community-building effort should keep it on our radar for some time to come.

“Upon completion, the results of a study of this magnitude could have multiple significant applications,” Gilmore said, “among them: It will help to inform regional and statewide policymaking, provide data resource allocation, improving community understanding of health disparities and dismantling racial barriers within the LGBTQ community.

“healthy IF CURRENT HIV DIAGNOSESand mobilized black “A vibrant, RATES PERSIST, ABOUT 1 IN LGBT community 2 BLACK MEN WHO HAVE benefits everybody.

SEX WITH MEN (MSM) IN Understanding and addressing these issues THE UNITED STATES WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH HIV makes for a stronger and more cohesive DURING THEIR LIFETIME. community for us all.”

“

LGBTQ community. So far, dozens have signed on, and each week, more members are being added. For the first time in a very long time, there is genuine momentum toward organizing Kansas City’s black LGBTQ community.”

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, 2016

WE ARE Collaborative partners in the project are the Black Health Care Coalition, Calvary Community Outreach Network, Truman Medical CentersWE and the UMKC School of Medicine. Funding BELIEVE came from the Health Care Foundation and Truman Medical Centers.

BLAQ OUT is a united community of individual advocates, community activists and healthcare professionals who work to address the psychosocial and environmental challenges faced by Black MSM in the Greater Kansas City Area.

We believe that to turn the tide against the HIV epidemic, grassroots and indigenously-led efforts originating from those most-affected must be given the opportunity to succeed.

We recognize how stigma, discrimination and medical mistrust act as tremendous barriers to good health for many Black gay men.

And we want to do something about it.

It is essential that we begin to deploy revolutionary, evidencedbased, and out-of-the-box models to effectively support young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM), especially those living with HIV. BlaqOut’s logic model is designed to do just that.

D. Rashaan Gilmore can be reached at heyrashaan@ blaqout.org or 816-866-0355.

TO CREATE CHANGE, WE MUST COME TOGETHER.

WE ENVISION

Our vision is one of a community where young Black men who have sex with men are connected and supported, have access to safe spaces and sufficient resources that will help them thrive.

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CD review Leo Buck

Broadway Veteran

Susan Watson tells a Story

in song

Photos courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures

on her CD

If we can be the best of lovers Yet be the best of friends, If we can try with every day to make it better as it grows, With any luck then I suppose, The music never ends.

– From “How Do We Keep the Music Playing?”

Melodies have always played a particularly important part in Broadway actor and singer Susan Watson’s life.

“For me, songs are the best way of expressing love and bringing people together to celebrate life,” Watson says. “Now, with my five decades on the stage, I’m so glad I’m still able to light up life for audiences – and for myself – through song.”

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The native of Tulsa is perhaps best known for creating the role of the starstruck bobby-soxer Kim MacAfee in the landmark 1960 Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie. (Gay iconoclast and comedian Paul Lynde played her highstrung and harried father, a break-out

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role for him.) Her many starring roles over the years include the female lead in the 1971 revival of No, No, Nanette.

Playing Emily Whitman in the 2011 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies was her most recent Broadway role.

During Follies performances, she said, she could sometimes feel the effect the music was having on the audience.

“I often got the sense that during the performance, our audience changed and became genuinely alive,” she recalls.

“Their hearts beat faster, they laughed, or teared up, they understood, they empathized. Real life was compressed into 100 minutes of memorable musical storytelling – and in some magical way, 2,000 human beings would be touched by the wonder and truth of their exceptional humanity, and everyone was the better for it.”

The Music Never Ends offer a recounting in song of Watson’s life, loves, and artistic triumphs, she says.

“I see this CD as a musical autobiography of my romances over a lifetime,” she says, “from youthful flirtations, to getting serious, getting married, getting unmarried, rebounding, and somehow surviving all the prickly challenges of being in love.”

Watson selected Brourman and Stephan Oberhoff to produce and orchestrate the project. The resulting arrangements, she said, “are magical for me.”

The singer realized that during her childhood, her father had often played that song, and all the tender feelings connected with it came flooding back.

“They were all there – how much I loved my dad and those happy days with my family,” she says.

“Always soulfully supportive, Michele said if that song kindled such touching memories of paternal love, it must surely be one of the songs selected for the CD.”

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As the completed album opens, it greets listeners with “Old Friends,” from Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.

Then comes Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin’s “My Ship” from Lady in the Dark, featuring dulcet tones and a dreamy kind of flavor that make it a highlight of the CD:

Recently, she released a vibrant CD called The Music Never Ends.

“I hadn’t sung that song for a long while, and halfway through, I suddenly found myself weeping and unable to continue,” she remembers.

Finally, the fully orchestrated track would be mixed and completed, including the piano-only vocal that Watson had recorded earlier.

Next, Watson says, “Starting Here, Starting Now,” by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire, “really starts the CD’s story by examining the youthful search for love with lyrics defining that … as ‘the greatest journey heaven can allow.’”

Watson has also performed at noteworthy venues across the country, including Kansas City’s own Starlight Theatre.

As Watson worked with Michele Brourman, the CD’s co-producer and musical director, to determine which songs to include, the two tried out “Long Ago and Far Away,” by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin.

orchestrate and record their arrangement of the song, playing keyboards and strings themselves and adding in the performances of some acoustic musicians. These tracks would then be augmented with a more complete array of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

I do not care if that day arrives That dream need never be If the ship I sing doesn’t also bring my own true love to me.

Because of her popular producers’ sporadic availability, it took them all a full year to record the CD’s 14 songs.

Brourman is music director for cabaret composer-singer Amanda McBroom and Oberhoff is Melissa Manchester’s music director and leads a bossa nova jazz group, Heartbeat Brazil.

In creating this CD, Watson says, she and Brourman first tried out potential songs in the studio. If they chose a song, they would nail down its key, tempo and interpretive styling.

Next, they would go to Oberhoff’s studio, where he would record Watson singing the song with piano only.

Then Oberhoff and Brourman would

George Gershwin’s “A Foggy Day in London Town,” the next song, “calls up for me a lovely memory of my time in the London company of West Side Story,” Watson said.

After graduating from high school, she was accepted into Juilliard School of Music in New York. But after only a year there, she heard about the new show “West Side Story” and knew she wanted to be a part of it. She sent letters to the theater, asking when they were auditioning for cast replacements, and it wasn’t too long before her enterprising efforts paid off.

“I got a reply that they were planning to take the production to London and they were going to be auditioning cont. on page 23

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Ron Blake

health and fitness

What Day is it? We Have Plenty to Celebrate in April Dotting the April landscape, I have discovered, are numerous fun days that we can observe to make our healthy routine a little less boring.

Vitamin C Day is April 4. Popeye never had to worry about missing out on this essential for the body. Spinach is a great source of this vitamin, which helps repair and regenerate tissues. Other fruits and veggies that are chockfull include Brussels sprouts, oranges, strawberries, red and green bell peppers, kiwis, and broccoli. Yum – now that’s a day I can C us all getting a little excited about!

April 7 is Walk to Work Day. Lace up the sneakers, and give the 315 horsepower a rest in the garage. I’m sure that’s a tall order if you live 20 miles from your job, but shake the cobwebs from your creative side and find a way to make it happen on this day. Maybe you could have a gaggle of coworkers join you in parking a mile away from work and enjoying the weather as you trek together.

quiet. You’re hunting wabbits.

Did you remember how this fourth month of the year begins? I might have had some fun at your expense and created all of these days of observance as pure poppycock.

Laughing out loud!

But I didn’t do that to you. These interesting days are the perfect way to give your health and wellness a boost. Ready … set … April!

This article of whimsical wellness is brought to you by that offbeat guy following a divergent path, Ron Blake. He can be found at rblake5551@hotmail.com.

On April 11, dogs, ferrets, hamsters, cats, and parrots are all getting recognized. It’s National Pet Day. Research indicates that pets can help people live happier, healthier and longer lives. Make it an extra-special day for you and your animal friend. Consider getting a pet on this day of observance if you don’t have one in your life. And watch your health improve. And watch your health improve.

(That’s parrot humor.)

The vampires aren’t gonna fare well on April 19. Yes, it’s Garlic Day. This herb can help you improve your immune system. It is in the lily family with onion and chive. Grab a handful of garlic cloves and celebrate by making something delicious with them. Pasta, fish, and chicken are particularly enhanced by garlic. Keep some Altoids handy for dessert.

What’s up, Doc? I’ll tell you what’s up. Bugs Bunny Day on April 30. Maybe you could have a marathon showing of cartoons featuring this riotous rabbit to close out the month. Laughter can help you feel better, and some studies are showing it can effectively combat depression and stress, and lower blood pressure. Make it a loony day, munch some carrots, and tell everyone to be vewy vewy

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camp april 2017

New Exhibit Shows Role of K.C. in Early Battles for LGBT Rights

By Stuart Hinds

Kansas City’s surprisingly pivotal role in helping to launch the modern gay rights movement is the central story of a new exhibit built by faculty, students, and staff at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The exhibit, Making History: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights, opens with a reception at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at UMKC’s Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st St. It will be on view through Sept. 30.

Focusing on Kansas City’s role as host of the first national gathering of gay rights activists in 1966, the exhibit also tells the story of Kansas City’s first gay rights organization, the Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom. Items on display include self-published magazines documenting local and national struggles for LGBT civil rights, documents related to the Phoenix Society’s founding, and photographs and other ephemera related to Kansas City’s LGBT community.

The exhibit concludes a multi-year collaborative effort involving UMKC faculty, students, staff, and local community partners that aimed to promote and preserve Kansas City’s LGBT history. Built in part by students in professor Christopher D. Cantwell’s “Public History Theory and Method” class, the exhibit helps highlight a new historic marker commemorating the 1966 meeting. The marker was

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installed in the fall in Barney Allis Plaza by LGBT-KC, a local community volunteer committee.

“History is always more meaningful when you tell it with the communities that history touches,” Cantwell said. “These are exactly the kinds of partnerships UMKC’s public history program looks to build. It helps the city understand its own past, while also providing students important training with which to launch their own careers in history.”

In addition to being on display at Miller Nichols Library, the exhibit will have a traveling companion version that will be installed at museums, libraries, and LGBT centers throughout the Kansas City metro in the coming months.

Support for the exhibit’s travel comes from a Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area grant, which was written

by Cantwell and Stuart Hinds, assistant dean for special collections and archives.

Hinds is also one of the founders and current curator of the Gay & Lesbian Archive of Mid-America, whose rich collections about the region’s LGBT history provided the material for the exhibit. The exhibit was also curated and designed by Kathryn Carpenter, a graduate student in the history department’s public history program.

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Monica Soto

musicality

Todrick Hall, RuPaul, Billy Porter, Lorde Todrick Hall

Straight Outta Oz: Deluxe Version (Todrick Hall) Todrick Hall is probably one of the most creative YouTube personalities out there. On April 8, you’ll be able to see him for yourself when he comes to Yardley Hall in Overland Park. After he got his start on YouTube, Hall made it to the top 16 on American Idol’s ninth season. After that, his YouTube channel grew in popularity and MTV gave him his own docuseries, which aired in 2015. His third album, Straight Outta Oz, originally came out in the summer of 2016. His tour for the album was postponed due to his casting on Broadway as Lola in Kinky Boots: The Musical. Now his tour is back on, starting March 30, and he has re-released the album with extra songs. The tracks are well-written, and each one has a unique YouTube video. Everything Hall releases is high-quality and well-thought-out. This wonderful concept album really shows his talent. My favorites are “Proud” and “Home.”

RuPaul American (RuCo)

RuPaul has released a fun new album. Expect to dance, because he doesn’t want you to stand still with this one.

RuPaul has been an icon to the gay community since the ’90s, when he was a model for MAC cosmetics. He’s hosted RuPaul’s Drag Race, a TV show that has only grown in popularity, for nine seasons. The beginning of American, his 11th studio album, sounds like a celebration of dance and vogue. Most of the songs aren’t very serious lyrically, but the tone changes in “Broke Me Down” and “Getaway.” These two, which are more R&B than dance, really impressed me. Rap comes next on the album, and then it goes right back to dance. Altogether, RuPaul takes you on a real ride.

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Billy Porter

The Soul of Richard Rodgers (Sony) This album of classics is sophisticated, sexy and wellcomposed. Porter’s voice is like a saint just woke you up from a nightmare to tell you that everything will be all right.

He also employs several other artists to voice the songs, such as Cynthia Erivo, India.arie and Zaire Park. The album is more soulful than anything else, but it also includes R&B and jazz. Porter shows that John Legend isn’t the only one who can truly pull off soul music these days.

One of my favorite songs on the album is “If I Loved You.” The song that follows, “With a Song in My Heart,” is also soulful in the best way. The entire album is a treat, so be good to your ears and give this one a chance.

Lorde

Singles “Green Light” and “Liability” (Lava/Republic) The song “Green Light” took me a few listens to love. The first time I listened to it, I knew it was good but I was taken aback by how different it was from Lorde’s minimalist style in previous songs I’d heard.

The nonverbal parts of those songs are simple, effective and layered with more involved singing. This single, however, is a bit more complex in all areas. It shows some amount of growth stylistically. Even though it’s a bit different, it’s still impossible to mistake it as anything other than Lorde. Her voice is unique no matter the style of song. Her second release, “Liability,” couldn’t be more different from the first one. It brings back the simpler style known by Lorde fans, but it’s a little sadder and slower than most songs I’ve heard from the young artist. I can’t wait to hear what else the new album, Melodrama, brings when it’s released in June.

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“Story in Song” cont. from page 19 people in the fall,” she says. In 1958, she was cast as Velma and headed off to London.

Despite the excitement of being part of the show, being a stranger in a new city was undeniably, at times, a desolate experience.

“I was 19 years old, homesick, and feeling all alone on a foggy and gloomy day off from the show,” she says. “But what a delightful surprise when an old boyfriend suddenly arrived at my London doorstep to brighten my spirits, and suddenly, like the song says, “The sun was shining everywhere!”

Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s lilting “They Were You” from The Fantasticks inspires a memory for Watson of her brief stint as the original actress to play Louisa, the lead female character, right before being cast in Birdie.

She reprised the role for a TV version opposite John Davidson. “I originally sang ‘They Were You’ to John in the NBC-TV production of The Fantasticks,” Watson says. “Tom and Harvey, too, became dear friends of mine.”

Later on the album comes the classic “It Had to Be You,” including seldom-heard verses. Amid all the CD’s romantic confessions, she says, a marriage starts to unravel in the lyrics of Gus Kahn’s and Isham Jones’ song:

Many of the composers and writers now adding to this songbook are women, and they are refreshingly wellrepresented on this CD. “By sheer coincidence, six of the songwriters here are women,” Watson says.

“It’s ear-opening to hear that in my quest for song excellence, so many women are featured, like Marilyn Bergman, the co-lyricist of ‘How Do You Keep the Music Playing?’ as well as Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, the team who wrote ‘Old Friend.’ There’s also Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman with their song ‘Old Love,’ and Phyllis Molinary, lyricist of the 1992 Grammy-winning song ‘Here’s to Life.’”

Watson says the CD “holds a treasury of songs that illuminate both the warmth and perils of romance and love and concludes that in life we should all give it all we’ve got.

In that, all of us — straight or gay — are bound together in the shared experiences of falling in love (with all its ups and downs). I’m confident many out there, regardless of who they are, will surely find something to love themselves in The Music Never Ends.”

Watson’s website is www.susanwatsonmusic.com.

I’m thinking maybe, baby, I’ll go away Someday, some way, you’ll come and say It’s you I need And you’ll be pleading in vain.

“The CD’s closing chapter is like a final summary of a lifetime of loves in Artie Butler’s song ‘Here’s to Life,’” she says, with Phyllis Molinary’s lyric: No complaints and no regrets I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets For I have learned that all you give is all you get So give it all you’ve got.

This CD is one that you can happily lose yourself in. The songs have a soft-jazz or easy-listening feel that’s perfect for the background of a laid-back romantic evening.

Watson says that part of the special appeal of this music from the Great American Songbook lies in how it continues to grow with contemporary songwriters and performers. She cited Michael Feinstein as a prime example.

“His singing of the songs of Broadway musicals is luminous. He interprets the classic songs of pop and stage musicals with his own contemporary style, and his ability to turn his songs on an emotional dime makes for performances seamlessly soaring from the romantic to the humorous, from the melancholy to the joyous.”

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“Campbiz” cont. on page 25 Dress as creatively as you wish, KCAVP says, but most important is “simply coming as the star you are ... and enjoying the food and open bar!”

Tickets: http://bit.ly/KCAVPSM

Mark your calendars for June Pride Month events!

May 31-June 25: Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical, www.unicorntheatre.org.

June 2-4: Kansas City PrideFest, Richard Berkley Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Mo., www.gaypridekc.org.

June 8-12: Pridefloat camping trip. Reserve your spot at www. pridefloat.org.

June 10 & 11: Heartland Men’s Chorus Summer Concert, Show Tune Showdown, www.hmckc.org.

June 17: Heartland Men’s Chorus Garden Party, www.hmckc.org.

June 17: The Queen’s Garden Party, for Hope Care Center.

Facebook: The Queen’s Garden Party.

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“Campbiz” cont. from page 9

April 7

Mosaic tile exhibition and benefit This will be the 19th First Friday gallery opening of Mosaic in the Crossroads Arts District, with over 1,000 glazed ceramic tiles created by local youth, artists and volunteers. Each tile is an individual interpretation of the project’s theme, “A World Without AIDS.” Tiles are available for purchase, and all proceeds benefit AIDS Walk Kansas City. The event, from 5 to 8 p.m., is at the Chair Building, 2020 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Mo.

April 17

It Gets Better Project World Café This session will engage participants in a visioning dialogue about the climate for LGBT youth in our community. Members of the It Gets Better touring company will facilitate. World Café conversations give diverse groups an opportunity to share ideas and experiences toward a better understanding of this issue.

As the conversation progresses, participants move toward looking at future possibilities. Participants will include civic leaders, educators, students, members of law enforcement, university leaders, business owners, clergy members, artists, social service providers, LGBT leaders, and other interested stakeholders.

The event will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Johnson County Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, Kan. Please RSVP to TheSeries@jccc.edu or 913-469-4450.

For more information about the It Gets Better Project and touring production, go to www.itgetsbetter.org and https://goo.gl/CKtxMh.

April 22

‘It Gets Better’ performance at JCCC For this newest production of It Gets Better, stories were collected from communities across the nation, and 12 were dramatized for the stage. All performers speak the words of the real individuals they portray, including public figures such as NBA basketball star Jason Collins. Members of the Heartland Men’s Chorus and Kansas City Women’s Chorus will join the It Gets Better cast onstage in a collaborative public performance that is the culmination of a weeklong residency.

The project creates a safe space for critical conversations, allows connections to be developed and strengthened, provides

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motivation for community growth, and offers models of possibility to individuals in need of support.

The performance, at 8 p.m., will be at Yardley Hall, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, Kan. For tickets, go to https://goo.gl/oVBJ0a.

April 28

The Kinsey Sicks in ‘Things You Shouldn’t Say’ The Kinsey Sicks are back in town, and with this new show they’re saying that “if you like Donald Trump, you’ll hate this show.”

Kansas City’s own Daisy Buckët is part of the troupe, where she’s known as Trampolina. Here’s how they describe it: “The Kinsey Sicks fight back with a Dragapella® vengeance as they offer a unique, hilarious, bold, and at times deeply moving, theatrical experience – in glorious four-part harmony and over-the-top drag!

Join our four lovable heroines as they tackle taboo topics such as gender, race, sex, internalized anti-Semitism, AIDS, giraffes, oblong vegetables, and Steve Bannon’s dating life.”

The show, from 8 to 10 p.m., will be at Arts Asylum, 1000 E. Ninth St., Kansas City, Mo. Tickets are at http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/2887554. More information at www.kinseysicks.com.

April 29

AIDS Walk Kansas City AIDS Walk Kansas City is the primary fundraising event for the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City, whose board distributes the money to AIDS service organizations. The walk will be at Theis Park in Kansas City, Mo. Registration opens at 8 a.m., welcoming ceremonies commence at 9, and the walk begins at 10. Register to walk and support other walkers at www.aidswalkkansascity.org.

May 13

KCAVP PARTY: Come as the Star You Are Join the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project for its spring extravaganza.

Mingle, dance, and have a blast from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Service Management Group building, 1737 McGee St., Kansas City, Mo. The fun will be on the beautiful patio overlooking the Kansas City skyline.

This benefit cocktail party will raise funds for LGBTQIA+ victims of abuse at home and school. Proceeds will also be used to provide training, small support groups, and education to schools and businesses that want to create an accepting environment. cont. on page 23

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Jim Pitts

miscellany

After Making Strides, I’ve Hit I started writing for Camp nearly nine years ago, and I can’t believe how fast time goes by and how quickly things change.

In my neighborhood, east of Troost Avenue, my street and the park and lake that my house overlooks are quite pretty now after nearly a decade of weekly trash cleanup. Spring came early this year, catching me by surprise. I had to do a bunch of yard work so my daffodils could be seen. The hundreds of tulips we planted over the years are coming up fast.

Habitat for Humanity worked with me on getting trash trees and brush removed, and we had a “rock the block” party with nearly 200 volunteers who painted and repaired houses on the street. I restored and renovated two homes that very likely would have been demolished. They are both as shiny as new pennies.

My day job as a downtown leasing agent is over, but I do look back with pride at what I helped accomplish.

A whole bunch of Johnson County-tire kickers got their first look at a loft or condo downtown through me when occupancy was around 60 percent. The Second Saturday daytime Crossroads tours that my office launched gave newcomers a safe space to get a taste of the restaurants, shops and galleries without fear of an unruly first Friday crowd. Small efforts, yes, but what a great impact they made.

The stray kitten I found near death in my garage during a particularly hard winter has been with Steven and me for eight years, still a wee thing, and Steven’s “new car” has over 100,000 miles on it. We hope it gets him through till he retires at the end of this year, when we will celebrate 17 years together.

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Today I have health care coverage and a real, regular doctor. Steven and I are legally married, and for eight wonderful years, I slept well at night knowing Barack Obama was our commander-in-chief.

But along with all these positive changes, there is something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. The “vibe” is gone, or maybe it’s just me getting wanderlust again, the same wanderlust that brought me to Kansas City years ago.

I don’t wave at the beer trucks that used to honk as they pass by in the mornings. I rarely sit on my front porch. The man that would regularly drop by to collect cans I saved for him told me on one such visit that his vote for president was going to make him rich. I don’t see him anymore.

Steven’s sister and his stepmom also voted for Trump, and we don’t talk. Even the friends who didn’t support him, but couldn’t bring themselves to vote for our first woman president, have moved out of my life. It’s lonely here now.

But no worries – I still keep my sunny side up, no matter what happens.

Steven and I are ready to enjoy the “golden years” of retirement and hoped to do some regional exploring. My neighbor Ms. White once told me how impressed she was with a museum in Tennessee. After a bit of saving, we planned to make it our first stop – then canceled after learning about some anti-LGBT bills that Tennessee legislators are considering.

Then again, lots of states are considering this kind of bill (see goo.gl/HRLmCo for a national legislative tracker). Maybe it was always hostile there, or in Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri … or just

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the June 27, 2008 issue of Camp.

a Trump Slump about any place that we planned to explore. Maybe those feelings were hiding in plain sight and I just didn’t realize to what extent.

It’s given me a bad case of Trump Slump, a term the tourism industry is using to describe the diminishing interest that foreign tourists have in coming to our country. I never dreamed my local travel would be affected this way.

All those years of working for civil rights, equality and social justice – and in a few short months, it has turned on a dime. Prejudice, racism and bigotry are in vogue.

I look at my neighbors, regardless of color, in a different light. I wonder: What could make so many want such a setback?

I could be mischaracterizing all of this. It’s hard to know these days what’s likely and what’s unlikely.

But enough of that for a minute.

I’ve written in Camp more than once about my neighbor Ms. White, who passed away a few years back, (including the piece reprinted in the sidebar).

She would have been 101 years old this month – and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her and wish I could call her or drop by her house for a “hot cup” at her kitchen table and enjoy her wit again.

I imagine the conversations we would be having – and I suspect she would be dropping the “F bomb” as much as I do now, as we pore over the latest news regarding walls, bans, the rise of the “alt-right” and of course, the Twitter King himself.

I can hear her say “Obama better not leave the country – he might never be able to get back in,” causing me to spit-take my coffee.

She knew how to make me laugh when I needed it most. I hope I have done the same for you a time or two.

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FINDING CONNECTIONS ACROSS RACIAL LINES As a Boy Scout in 1971, I was among a group of white Mormon teenagers who traveled from our small Utah town to San Diego on a scuba-diving trip that we financed ourselves by mowing lawns. We traveled in an old bus retrofitted by our own hands with a kitchen and bathroom, with seats that converted to sleeping bunks. We spiced up the exterior in bold paints – giving it a “Latter Day” version of the Partridge Family’s creation, with our church affiliation proudly displayed.

On our first Southern California freeway, we witnessed something we had never seen before – black people. I was still not clearly aware of my now-former church’s racist rhetoric against those who carried “the mark of Cain,” namely, black skin. But the drivers apparently were familiar with it. As we waved wildly to passing cars and trucks, with all five fingers extended, we received in return only one-finger responses.

Fast forward to the present: As a middle-aged gay white man, I took a leap of faith and moved to Kansas City, Mo. from my Utah home – sight unseen – to a house purchased on the Internet – also sight unseen.

The neighborhood that I knowingly chose to live in is predominantly black.

I was concerned when taking this plunge that my neighbors would not accept me into their community.

Happily, my fears were unfounded, particularly with my next-door neighbor, a 92-year-old black woman.

Her life story includes accounts of racism and her tireless efforts to bring about civil change at critical times in my new city’s history.

We’ve shared many points of view around her kitchen table, as Barack Obama described in his inspiring speech about race — “A More Perfect Union” — on March 18. We connect to what we share in common, rather than dwell on what separates us.

Obama solidified the merits of our new friendship, and hopefully, his wisdom and understanding of what created the racial wounds, coupled with his insight into what we may do together to heal them, will lead us all to a brighter tomorrow when he becomes the next president of the United States.

Jim Pitts, Kansas City, Mo.

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the camp10 Susan K. Thomas

Spring is finally here, and we’ve had some perfect weather for taking a book outside to read. With my background in LGBT literature, I was really excited to have the opportunity this month to interview filmmaker Lisa Marie Evans, who is working on a documentary that examines the history of lesbian literature from the 1950s on. She hopes to have this groundbreaking project ready for distribution in 2018. I cannot wait!

Your latest project is a documentary titled Legacies of Lesbian Literature Project, which examines the history of lesbian literature. What led you to this project?

Sandra Moran was a native Kansan and author who died suddenly in 2015 after a diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer. I had met her just once and saw the outpouring of community support for her on Facebook after that diagnosis. I could see she was loved by the masses. She and Marianne K. Martin, one of the best-selling lesbian romance authors and a founding partner of Bywater Books, had laid this project out together before Sandra became sick.

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Cheryl Pletcher, Sandra Moran’s widow, and Marianne decided to move this project forward in the spirit of Sandra. They needed a filmmaker. About a year ago, Elizabeth Andersen and Jamie Rich introduced me to Cheryl over dinner at McCoy’s. We hit it off and communicated via email before having a FaceTime conference call with Marianne. That was the first official meeting between the three of us. The next meeting was in person at the Golden Crown Literary Society’s 2016 conference as we were setting up for our first interview with Lee Lynch.

Prior to this film, I wasn’t very familiar with lesbian literature. Now, it’s necessary to read quite a bit of lesbian fiction to prepare for the film. I am so happy to have entered the world of lesbian fiction.

Where are you at in the process of creating the documentary?

We are currently in production. We have interviewed Lee Lynch, Jewelle Gomez, Jenifer Levin, Ann Bannon and Dorothy Allison. We have quite a few more interviews left. I am working on a trailer for the project, so stay tuned.

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The scope of this project must be massive. How many authors do you expect to include, and how will you choose?

At first, Sandra Moran and Marianne K. Martin had a solid 10 authors that they chose from the 1950s to today.

I’ve heard it was a difficult choice for them. Marianne is in charge of whom we interview for the most part.

Cheryl and I give input, but truly we defer to her for that knowledge and expertise in literature. As an editor, I’m looking to tell the stories in a creative fashion and within the time allotted for our film. Right now, I’m taking everything in and processing the information.

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Lisa Marie Evans Photo: Todd Norris

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Do you hope to interview living authors included in the film? If so, which?

We have interviewed Lee Lynch (The Swashbuckler), Jewelle Gomez (The Gilda Stories), Jenifer Levin (The Sea of Light), Ann Bannon (Beebo Brinker) and Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of Carolina). We are scheduled to interview Katherine V. Forrest (Curious Wine), Emma Donoghue (Hood), Jeanette Winterson (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit), Rita Mae Brown (Rubyfruit Jungle). We are hoping to interview Alice Walker (The Color Purple).

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How big is this project in comparison to others that you have done?

This is a pretty large-scale project by nature.

I’m trying to learn this world of lesbian fiction as I’m working on the film. I’m traveling often for interviews, and I love that. For the most part, I work as the producer, director, videographer and editor for my films. I love working on a team for this film with Cheryl Pletcher as a producer and Marianne K. Martin as a director and producer. We are working together with these amazing authors to tell a huge piece of our LGBT history that has yet to be told. These are powerful histories and stories that need to be in out in the world. We hope to do that in the best way possible through this film..

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When do you hope to finish the documentary?

We hope to finish the film in 2018. Right now, we are in production. We will be fundraising to enter the post-production phase. You can keep up with us by signing up for our newsletter at www. projectlegacies.com. Making a film is wonderful and expensive journey. The more help we have, the better our film can be. We really want to engage our communities in this process. This is our history.

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Will you then market it to film festivals, and what is that process?

I’m hoping to work with a distribution consultant to create an innovative plan for distribution.

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That will help us develop a solid outline for festivals, screenings and distribution. You know, you finish a film and then you have this entire other life for the film.

There’s this whole world of distribution and festivals. I love film festivals. I curate festivals, I’ve been on the board for festivals, I go to festivals as a filmmaker. Festivals are expensive, so you do need to plan for them in the budget. Also, they need to align with your vision for the life of the film. If you haven’t been to a film festival, you should add that to your bucket list.

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Do you feel confident that this project can be marketed successfully to non-LGBT film festivals? Why or why not?

Sure. There are many festivals out there, so you do need to shop around and see if your film is a good fit. Recently, I went to True False Film Fest [in Columbia, Mo.]. I go just about every year. It’s an awesome festival. They could have used more LGBT films. I think all festivals need more LGBT films. I’d be happy to have ours in other festivals to spread the good word.

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In addition to documentaries, what other types of art do you create?

My work varies from feature-length documentary films to short animation and public art installation. I am drawn to combining animation within documentaries to enhance the storytelling process. I also use animation for installation videos. I love collaborations and often partner with other artists to expand my creativity. I learn by doing and trying.

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Which lesbian author would you most like to have lunch with, and why?

Sandra Moran. I’ve been fortunate to meet with these authors as we work through our interviews, and I’ve felt Sandra right along with us on this project. She touched the lives of so many, and she had this amazing smile.

You just knew she was good people. And her blogs were hilarious. So I’d love to have connected with her a bit more.

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Picking Up the Pieces

This gathering organized by Felicia Kyle and Tricia Smith included individuals who were involved in planning the candlelight vigil for victims of the Orlando Pulse bar tragedy. For several reasons, the vigil had to be canceled but the organizers wanted to show their appreciation for those who tried to make it happen. Photos: J. Long

Reserve your ad in the special AIDS Walk May 2017 issue! is April 30, and AIDS Walk 2016 Bachman and co-chairs Derrick ready!

Shaun Bryant are efforts, about Read about their more inside.

Team Erick, and

May Issue: Closing date for advertising: April 19 KANSAS

FOR CITY’S VOICE ALLIEDTHE LGBT COMMU & NIT M

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A Y VOL . 13 NO. 4 201 6

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Photo: Terry Newell

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To reserve advertising space contact: John Long (816) 221-0199 • jlong@campkc.com

camp april 2017

bars&restaurants where you can find Camp

kansas city 3911 Main St, KC, MO • 64111 • (816) 753-7770 Mar 28 The HIMM Project, 6-8 p.m.

Mar 29 Heroes of Grandalton: D&D for Trans & GNC, 5-9 p.m.

Mar 29 Legal Issues for LGBTQ Students, 7-9 p.m.

Mar 30 Rainbow Warriors, 7-9 p.m.

Mar 31 Clothing Drive for Equality Teen Prom, 1-5 p.m.

Apr 1 Listen & Talk: The Tenth Voice, 1-2 p.m.

Apr 2 SOS Squad of Siblings, 3-5 p.m.

Apr 3 Volunteer Meet & Greet, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Apr 4 SURJ KC LGBTQIA, 7-9 p.m.

Apr 5 Heroes of Grandalton: D&D for Trans & GNC, 5-9 p.m.

Apr 5 Beginner’s Improv Class, 7-9 p.m.

Apr 6 Rainbow Warriors, 7-9 p.m.

Apr 8 Hear Me Out Toastmasters, 9-11 a.m.

Apr 8 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Adult Support, 11-1 p.m.

Apr 8 Listen & Talk: The Tenth Voice, 1-2 p.m.

Apr 9 Parents of LGBT+ Youth, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Apr 9 SOS Squad of Siblings, 3-5 p.m.

Apr 10 Friends & Allies of Equal Trans Support Group, 6-8 p.m.

Apr 11 HRC Steering Committee, 6-8 p.m.

Apr 12 Heroes of Grandalton: D&D for Trans & GNC, 5-9 p.m.

Apr 13 Rainbow Warriors, 7-9 p.m.

Apr 15 Perform Out KC Workshop, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Apr 15 Authentically Me, 1-3 p.m.

Apr 15 Listen & Talk: The Tenth Voice, 1-2 p.m.

Apr 16 SOS Squad of Siblings, 3-5 p.m.

Apr 19 Beginner’s Improv Class, 7-9 p.m.

Apr 20 EQUAL Trans Support Group, 5-7:30 p.m.

Apr 20 Rainbow Warriors, 7:30-9 p.m.

Apr 21 GLSEN Break the Silence, 3-7 p.m.

Apr 22 Hear Me Out Toastmasters, 9-11 a.m.

Apr 22 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Multi-Group Support, 11-1 p.m.

Apr 22 Listen & Talk: The Tenth Voice, 1-2 p.m.

Apr 23 PFLAG Kansas City, 3-4 p.m.

Apr 24 LGBTQ+ Team of PSN-KC, 6:30-8 p.m.

Apr 25 The HIMM Project, 6-8 p.m.

Date and times are subject to change.

Visit www.likemelighthouse.org for more.

camp april 2017

bistro 303*

303 Westport Road 816.753.2303 bistro303.com

buddies

3715 Main 816.561.2600

cafe trio

4558 Main 816.756.3227 cafetriokc.com

cucina della ragazza* 301 Westport Road 816.960.4744 ragazzakc.com

hamburger mary’s* 3700 Broadway, Suite 110 816.842.1919 hamburgermarys.com/kc

missie b’s

805 W. 39th Street 816.561.0625 missiebskc.com

sidekicks saloon 3707 Main

816.931.1430

Want your business included? Call (816) 221-0199 or email jlong@campkc.com

APRIL 2017 CALENDAR

sidestreets bar 413 E. 33rd Street 816.531.1775

woody’s sports pub* 3740 Broadway 816.888.3340 woodysclassic.com

springfield martha’s vineyard

219 W. Olive St 417.864.4572

touché

424 N. Boonville 417.831.4700

*bar & restaurant

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camp april 2017