Liberty Press October 2017 by Liberty Press Kansas

PAGE 2 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Oct 7.......Rudy Love and

The Love Family

Oct 14....Making Movies

Oct 21....Spirit of the Stairs

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 3

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WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 5

Editor's Desk

Who rescued whom? On Oct. 7, hundreds of dogs and their people will converge on Sedgwick County Park for the Kansas Humane Society’s annual fundraiser, Woofstock. This is for them:

The newest love of my life, Skeeter. He loves doing laundry.

hen I was 16 my little brother and I went halvsies on a new dog. It was a Pomeranian, who my granddad named Grizzly, because he looked like a little bear. He wasn’t a very well-behaved dog. He chewed on everything in the house, carried stray socks everywhere, ate anything he could reach, and was sooo ornery. But oh, how I loved that dog. He was my constant companion who hung with me through college and several moves after. He bounced between my mom’s house and wherever I landed through my 20s. He was my roommate when I struggled to come out. One night I was getting ready to go to a movie and had just stepped out of the shower when I noticed Grizzly was choking. There was a piece of rawhide he had been chewing stuck in his throat. It was slimy, chewed down to the gooey white stuff that rawhide turns into, and I couldn’t get a grip on it. It seemed like forever before I could dislodge it from his throat and by that time he was limp. I started CPR. I know what you’re thinking, so let’s just start by saying, I don’t know how in the hell to give a dog CPR. But I had learned in high school gym class how to do CPR on a baby, so that’s what I did. I was home alone, and wanted to go to the emergency vet clinic, but I thought I couldn’t risk stopping until I got him to breathe. However, rigor mortis was setting in. Grizzly was bleeding out of his nose, his stomach was swelling/hardening, he had thrown up and he had peed all over. At this point, he had been without oxygen for 20 minutes. And I thought to myself, “Kristi, you are breathing into the mouth and nose of a dead dog, covered in puke and pee. You should probably just let him go. Even if you get him to breathe on his own, he’s going to be brain dead.” And then the most amazing thing happened. He coughed. I scooped him up, threw him in the car, and drove 90mph to the emergency vet. He laid limply in the passenger seat beside me, still bleeding out of his nose, but with his eyes open. I rushed into the vet’s, forgetting that I was still in boxer shorts, with no shoes, no bra, wet hair, and covered in all sorts of dog excrements. I sat in the lobby and bawled. When the doctor came out and said Grizzly was going to be okay, I couldn’t believe it. He kept him for an hour for observation and when I returned, Grizzly was sitting on the counter shaking. He was completely freaked out. I thanked the vet profusely. “You’re the one that saved him, not me,” he said. Grizzly spent the next week with a hoarse bark, never letting me out of his sight. Fast forward several months. I was going through a particularly rough time. Depression was getting the best of me as I struggled with my sexuality. Unhappy in my job, recently estranged from my dad, broke and broken, I stood in the bathroom with a bottle of pills in my hand. And there in the doorway stood Grizzly. “Hey! You wouldn’t let me die and now you’re going to leave me? What am I going to do without you?” he asked. Out of all of the people in this world that I love and care about, I just couldn’t leave my little buddy. Grizzly’s brush with death didn’t seem to have any lasting effects; he lived to the ripe old age of 17. AND he didn’t get any less ornery. Thank goodness. He died peacefully at home in my arms. This time I told him it was okay to go.

--Kristi

October 7th, 2017

9:30AM to 3:00PM

Sedgwick County Park

PAGE 6 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

Liberty Press

Volume 24, No. 2 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: Nolin Christensen, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Stephanie Mott • Staff Reporters: Grayson Barnes, Annette Billings, Ciara Reid, Jamie Rhodes • Cover Design: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: Liberty Press, LLC • Printer: Valley Offset Printing Subscriptions are $18/year

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Photos: Amy Guip

OCT 30 - NOV 1 CENTURY II CONCERT HALL 316.303.8100 Â&#x2022; BroadwayWichita.com

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PAGE 8 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Gay artist Diedrick Brackens to speak at Ulrich in conjunction with show

REVIEW By Grayson Barnes WICHITA - We bring to art what we are. The artist Diedrick Brackens brought his queer, black body and put it on exhibit at the Ulrich Museum at Wichita State University. Instead of his actual body, though, he’s used textiles in a slow reckoning, to translate his experience as well as that of others. Brackens’ work is designed to confront the “othering” experienced by queer and racialized bodies in public spaces. Our bodies are subject to scrutiny which is sometimes intrusive and cruel. It might even be violent. Combining textiles with mirrors also challenges the act of looking when one can see oneself reflected in the act. The beauty of the works is their subversiveness. They creep up on you. They’re not politically-charged photos or

paintings full of agenda-laden symbolism. They’re soft and beckoning, just like grandma’s quilt. The titles are gentle, too, rendered in e.e. cummings-esque lowercase letters. You can’t help but get closer. You notice wrinkles, an unmoored string, and there, behind a straining section of fabric, is a mirror. As you approach and peer beneath the weave, you are confronted by yourself. You’ve been caught examining something too closely. Brackens’ work is not pristine. It’s not meant to be. As an Assistant Professor of Fiber at California State University in Long Beach, he understands the “formal” presentation of “traditional” textile works that are stick-straight with neat edges and trimmed of stray threads. He chooses to challenge those ideals. The stretched parts, loose threads, and other process marks

make them look like they’ve EXPERIENCED something. Like skin. invisible life (2017) is an expanse of luscious bright green bordering on teal big enough to wrap up in. The surface is interspersed with soft, tufted knots. Hanging midway down on the left is an arm-length glove. Its partner dangles from the bottom, sac-like. With these additions, the work becomes both clinical and a reference to drag. A paired set of weavings titled always look away (2017) and never look away (2017) reference the song Dixie, which glorifies the American South while ignoring the history of slavery and racial injustice in continued on page 12 the region.

Brackens

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 9

“COME OUT” for An Evening of Coming Out Stories!

Join the Wichita Prime Timers for an evening of COMING OUT STORIES Celebrating National Coming Out day on October 21st. Listen to others recount their personal history of making that momentous decision--the Angst as well as the Joy of that decision. For many this was hard decision to make-one that changed their lives forever. Join us to celebrate and commemorate with movies about coming out as well. This is a pot luck, so we ask you to bring a dish to share.

7:00 PM Park City Library 2107 East 61st St N, Park City, KS 6721

Artist Talk: Diedrick Brackens you will look back on this and smile Based in Los Angeles, artist Diedrick Brackens explores issues of race, sexuality, and healing through the ways in which textiles communicate and bodily engage viewers. Brackens earned his MFA from California College of the Arts and BFA from the University of North Texas. His work has been exhibited at the Berkeley Art Museum, the 3rd Ghetto Biennale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and has recently been acquired by the Oakland Museum, California. He is currently Assistant Professor of Fiber at California State University, Long Beach. Presented in support of the Ulrich Underground exhibition Diedrick Brackens: a slow reckoning, on view September 9–December 10, 2017, and co-sponsored by the Offce of Diversity and Inclusion.

background, on

ncoated

Image: Diedrick Brackens, always look away, 2017. Hand woven cotton, mirrored acrylic. Courtesy of the Artist.

Thursday, October 12 5:30 p.m. Reception | 6 p.m. Program Free Admission | Public Welcome

@ulrichmuseum | ulrich.wichita.edu | Free Admission | 316.978.3664 | 1845 Fairmount Museum Hours Tuesday–Friday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday–Sunday: 1–5 p.m.

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PAGE 10 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

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Kansas News Heartland Men’s Chorus’ 2017-2018 season includes new fall performance in Leawood KANSAS CITY — Dustin S. Cates, Artistic Director of Heartland Men’s Chorus (HMC), announced recently that its 32nd year will commence for the first time in November by adding a fall performance, From the Heart, at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. A goal of Cates since he began in 2014 has been the expansion to a fourth concert to help raise awareness of the chorus with new audiences in southern Johnson County. Scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10, at 7:30pm, the performance will feature audience favorites from years past. The concert will also feature Kansas City musician Mark Hayes, an internationally known and award-winning composer, arranger, pianist and conductor. He’s composed more music for HMC than any other composer. In December, HMC will bring a blend of familiar carols and choral classics in Packages With Beaus. At the Folly Theater, Dec. 2-3, Well-Strung, all-male singing string quartet out of New York City, will be joining HMC. On Dec. 10 at Johnson County Community College’s Yardley Hall, the holiday concert features Broadway sensation, Claybourne Elder. 2018 concerts include ABBA-Cadabra in the spring and Indivisible in June. For information on where to get tickets including season packages, visit www.hmckc.org or call 816-816-931-3338.

Club Boomerang Dinner Theatre opened in September WICHITA - Local Wichita LGBT bar, Club Boomerang, opened its new dinner theatre with two shows in September. Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead and Murder at the Drag Show both debuted last month. Club owner, Brad Thomison, told the Wichita Eagle in July, that Alex Novotny approached him about starting the theatre.

A software developer for Koch Industries, Novotny has an undergraduate degree in theater. Shows are Friday and Saturday evenings with Sunday matinees at the club, located at the corner of First and Cleveland. All shows are interactive environmental theatrical performances, meaning the characters will be up close and personal with everyone in the audience. Club Boomerang will have its full made-from-scratch menu available starting at 5pm or 11am for brunch. Shows start at 7:30pm and 2pm respectively. Tickets are $20 and $15 and are available at clubboomerang. eventbrite.com.

Unmasking life in the aftermath of abuse WICHITA - Grab a carnival mask, put on your party clothes, and join Thrive ICT in a night of music, food, and community for a cabaret to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Thrive ICT partners with local providers to create a collective of services to serve survivors’ individual needs for trauma management, life management, and community support. Thrive ICT hosts three support groups: Thrive Together, Coffee, Tea, & Recovery from Abuse and Partners in PTSD. The cabaret-style event includes a silent auction, door prizes, survivor stories, icebreaker and awareness activities, and more. Eric Shumaker will provide jazz music and sweets, treats, and drinks are provided by Ecclesia. It all takes place Friday, Oct. 20 at Ecclesia, 7130 W. Maple, from 7-10pm. Tickets are $30 and are available at www. eventbrite.com. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact info@thriveict.org or visit www.thriveict.org.

Downtown Wichita launches new brand and website WICHITA – This summer t h e Wi c h i t a D o w n t o w n Development Corporation unveiled a new logo, brand and website. The new website, www. downtownwichita.org, is userfriendly, featuring enhanced

functionality and mobile first design. As part of the rebrand, t h e Wi c h i t a D o w n t o w n Development Corporation will be publicly known as

“Downtown Wichita.” The new logo, brand and website was designed by Howerton+White. “If Downtown Wichita is successful then we are succ e s s f u l . We w e r e ecstatic to lead this project and can’t wait to see the positive impact it has on our downtown,” said Nicole Howerton, Principal and Creative Director at Howerton+White. l

PAGE 12 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Positive Directions hires new prevention coordinator

By Kristi Parker WICHITA -Last year Positive Directions, a Wichita HIVservice organization, scaled back its services to focus solely on prevention and education. There have been a few changes in staff, an office move and various other things that come with such a change. The dust seems to have settled around executive director Brett Hogan and now there is a new prevention person, titled Targeted Outreach Coordinator. The intent is to expand the organization’s prevention services and better serve the community. “We want to be a stronger presence in the community so more manpower was needed,” explained Camille Gaddis, the new coordinator who started this month. “Having a second person allows us to be in multiple places during the day. One person can be in the office to answer phones and do testing while the other can be doing outreach or attend a meeting.”

A s Ta rg e t e d O u t r e a c h Coordinator, Gaddis’ duties are many. In order to connect with at-risk populations and provide education she intends to go to community events, support groups and health fairs. She also plans on forming partnerships with individuals and other organizations in order to collaborate on events or create new programs. And she will be certified to administer HIV tests and provide counseling. “Another part of the outreach I do is managing the social media accounts,” Gaddis said. “We just added Snapchat (pdikansas) so we can keep people updated on what’s new and they can ask questions without having to come in to the office.” Prior to working at Positive Directions Gaddis worked at a local hospital as a Registered Nurse for three years. “I am deeply passionate about public health, disease prevention and community education. Coming from a medical background, I have a different perspective and approach than most people,” she

said. “I have a natural desire to help others. My hope is for the entire city of Wichita to know who we are and be known as a place where people can feel safe.” Positive directions is located at 416 Commerce St. #108. It can be reached at 316263-2214 or through PDIKS. com. l Camille Gaddis is the new Positive Directions Targeted Outreach Coordinator. She started at the newly created position in September. Courtesy photo Brackens continued from page 8

In these works, Brackens uses the symbolism of the Confederate flag, such as stars and stripes, but reframes them by altering the composition and changing the colors. Pink, offwhite, and cyan replace the red, white, and blue. In always look away, the majority of stars float along the left side. Two dangling strings under the biggest cluster, make it appear as if one of the stars was jerked loose: an aggression rendered in textile.

never look away has stars arranged in a arrow, which points at sections of triangular fabric reminiscent of the “Flying Geese” pattern used as code on quilts to guide escaping slaves during the days of the Underground Railroad. What got me most was the color of these pieces. They’re contemporary – like the colors of ink in a printer, or, as a transman, I saw them as the colors of the transgender flag. I thought about how worried I am about MY skin. After all, you bring to art what you are. l

Diedrick Brackens Show: a slow reckoning will be on exhibit until Dec. 10 in the Grafly Gallery at the Ulrich Museum of Art on the WSU campus. Artist's Talk: Brackens will give an artist’s talk about his work on Oct. 12 at 5:30pm at the museum. Info: ulrich.wichita.edu or 316-978-3664.

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 13

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WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Tallgrass Film Festival to feature Alaska Is a Drag, other LGBTQ Films

Martin L. Washington, Jr. plays Leo DeClan in Alaska Is a Drag.

By Ciara Reid, staff reporter WICHITA - The 15 th annual Tallgrass Film Festival will take place Oct. 18-22 and will screen several LGBTQ films: Alaska Is a Drag, Woman on Fire, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, and The Feels. Alaska Is a Drag is director Shaz Bennett’s feature debut, and was born from her own dreams while working in a cannery in Salt Lake City. The film stars Martin L. Washington, Jr. as Leo, an aspiring drag superstar, who is stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. He and his twin sister are trapped in the monotony of fist fights and fish guts. Out of necessity, Leo learned to fight back, which catches the attention of the local boxing coach. When a new boy moves to town and wants to be his sparring partner, Leo has to face the real reason he’s stuck in Alaska. Matt Dallas, star of the show Kyle XY which aired for several seasons in the mid-2000s, plays the role of Declan, the new kid in town who becomes Leo’s boxing sparring partner. Dallas

became involved in the film after a call from his manager. “I immediately fell in love with the message,” Dallas said in an interview with Liberty Press. “The journey that the lead character goes through, to fight for his right to be himself. There is so much hope and beauty. I am thrilled to be a part of it.” Alaska Is a Drag was shot in three weeks. During filming, the main cast lived together in a beach house. Dallas says they would rehearse all day, then continue work into the night. This allowed the cast to truly gel as an ensemble.

The Feels

A native of Phoenix, Dallas currently lives in Los Angeles with his husband Blue Hamilton and their son, Crow, who they recently adopted through Arizona’s foster care system. For about a year, Dallas and his husband have been producing content for their YouTube channel, Matt and Blue, which currently has more than 177,000 subscribers. The idea for the channel stemmed from Dallas and Hamilton feeling creatively

disconnected. When Dallas worked on Alaska Is a Drag, his costars Maya Washington and Martin L. Washington, Jr. had YouTube channels. “After spending three weeks with them, and seeing their creative outlet, you have this platform where you can do anything you want,” Dallas says. Their videos showcase various elements of their daily life, and is incredibly relatable and hilarious. The most popular video is titled “Things Husbands Do” and includes scenes of Dallas and Hamilton accidentally wearing the same thing, being mistaken for twins by a stranger, and humorous confusion over which dad their son Crow is referring to when he calls for “dad.” “As we started doing it, we started realizing it was an opportunity to shed light on the foster/ adoption system, and what it means to be a gay family,” Dallas says. Their story has resonated with many people. Last fall, during a trip to Disneyland, Dallas and Hamilton noticed a teenager staring, seeming to recognize them. The boy and his mother came over and introduced themselves, and the boy told them how watching their videos helped him feel comfortable and to come out. His mother was crying. “Her son made her sit down and watch the videos with him,” Dallas says. “It was a moment of

realization for her, that he could have kids, that life. To me, that was one of the most powerful moments, hugging his mom and her kid.” Dallas and Hamilton are focusing on expanding their channel and content. “We’re excited to grow and evolve the channel and the brand,” Dallas says. In addition to their YouTube channel, Dallas has been working on a passion project for the last six years that he hopes will go into production soon. The script tells the story of two veterans who return from deployment and begin to reacclimate. “It’s really about post-traumatic growth,” Dallas says. Dallas has been serving as a producer of the film, and will play a role in the film as well. Another LGBTQ film that will be featured at the festival is continued on page 20

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 15

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PAGE 16 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

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attacks, we will prevail. It means everything in the world to people who are transgender - life, light, hope, peace, and love. I’m thinking this is just the way Gaea would have it be. l Gaea Goddess Gathering (GGG) was started in 1997 by the founding mothers, Carrie Moonstaf and Rosalie Vaught as a festival that welcomes all women. Since then, the festival

Trans in Woman Space: Speaking at the Gaea Goddess Gathering

was so honored to be a workshop presenter at the 2017 Gaea Goddess Gathering on Sept. 16. Of course, I am honored any time people ask me to help provide a better understanding of what it means to be transgender in Kansas. This one was truly special, as it was an opportunity to do so at a women’s festival. In a remarkable rural setting near Mclouth, Kansas, the 168-acre Gaea Retreat Center includes cabins and camping areas, walking trails and meeting spaces, a 12-acre lake, and so much more. It is a beautiful back-to-nature space that felt so much like the little 80-acre farm where I grew up. I am welcome there. I am comfortable there. I am at home there. It is more than a place for me to be. It is a place to belong. This is not the first time I have been honored as a woman among women. In 2013, I received the Pioneer Woman Award from the University of Kansas: Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity. In January of this year, I was honored to speak at the Women’s March on Kansas on the steps of the Kansas State Capitol. That said, being asked to share my story at a women’s festival means at least as much to me as any presentations or workshops I have done. Why? Because at many women’s festivals around the country, transgender women are not welcomed as women. At a time in America’s history when the administration is antiimmigrant, racist, misogynist, ableist, Christianist, classist, homophobic, and transphobic; the Gaea Goddess Gathering

sees transgender women as women. This, of all places, in rural Kansas. This is about more than just feeing like I am seen as a woman. It is about hope for the future. It is about still being able to believe that we will see the end of legalized discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States, in my lifetime. To tell the truth, I still get a little bit tickled when the server at a restaurant comes to the table and calls me ma’am that notwithstanding the binary presumptiveness of the common female/male greetings, labels, and pronouns. I did provide a workshop on this day. Several other women gathered around to hear what this woman, who happens to be transgender, had to say. I shared basically the same story that I have shared hundreds of times. As is more and more common, there were women in attendance who have people who are transgender in their lives. The thing I will always remember about this presentation, is the connection of womanhood - one woman talking to another about women’s issues - supporting your child, keeping them safe, just wanting them to be happy. I have long since left behind the need to find validation in the way other people see me. That statement is true. Also true, is the fact that such validation is helpful to receive. What does it mean to be seen as a woman among women? Personally, it is an opportunity for me to let down my shoulders and pay no attention to the everpresent, never-ending attacks that are a significant part of every day of my life. As an activist, it means simply this: In spite of those ever-present, never-ending

What’s New at

The Center of Wichita is working on a donation campaign

his month The Center is celebrating seven years!! It’s hard to believe that we have been here that long. And to celebrate, we are reaching out to everyone in the community to help support The Center of Wichita, our LGBT center. The Center is a charity organization that operates solely on donations. For the past several years, had it not been for the help of five individuals, we would not have been able to keep our doors open. The other day I read something that my third Great Grandmother wrote in the 1850’s: “We can all do a little. We can all become more united. A great many littles in time will amount to a great deal.” The Center board of directors is asking people to help keep the Center’s doors open. If a lot of people (100+) would give a little (as little as $5 or $10 per month) we could not only keep the doors open, but we could do even more. Because what is $5 or $10

has evolved into a wonderful fourday spirituality event focusing on the empowerment and celebration of the feminine divine in every woman - www. gaeagoddessgathering.org. Stephanie Mott is a transgender woman from Topeka. She is the executive director of the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, and a commissioner on the City of Topeka Human Relations Commission. Reach her at stephanieequality@yahoo.com.

a month? A lunch, a couple of coffees, about three gallons of gas? If each person would donate $10 a month and others would donate $10 a month, it all starts to add up. If we had 100+ people on board, we could add more programs for the community. Set it up with PayPal and do a reoccurring donation. $5, $10, $25, whatever. Or do a one-time donation. And visit our website to find out other ways to support The Center. Want to help even more? We are always looking for volunteers. We need people willing to help our youth group (background check required), help keep the building clean, help promoting The Center, help with social media, help with fundraising, and needing folks willing to serve on the board. It gets old and tiresome having the same people and we need new ideas for the Center. Our e-mail is thecenter ofwichita@gmail.com or you can contact our treasurer at tcowtreasurer@gmail.com. And visit our website at www. thecenterofwichita.org for more information about our various programs. l

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PAGE 18 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

Minor

Details By Bob Minor

What We Learn From AntiLGBTQ History Is That There's Nothing More to Say

ctober is historically LGBTQ History Month, but we’ll really learn a lot that’s useful every day from recent anti-LGBTQ history. Most importantly, when we look back we realize that there’s nothing new today that’s being said about LGBTQ people by their detractors. Yes, that’s nothing, nothing at all, because they have nothing new to say. If something sounds new to you in your experience, at least recognize that it’s been said before. It’s all been said for at least the last half-century. There are no new arguments that we haven’t heard for generations whether they’re religious, psychological, historical, gender-based, or those that cite “traditional” values or something else “traditional.” Let’s start with religious arguments. New? Nothing? All the Bible passages have been discussed now for multiple generations. And the reality is that each of the passages regurgitated again and again to argue against “homosexuality” (a concept not found in the Bible) have probably at least three to five different interpretations in Biblical scholarship. What’s quite striking is that only one of the multiple interpretations of these verses is anti-LGBTQ people. Why that one is popular among regressive religion reflects the fact that the most popular interpretation of any scripture of any kind in any culture will be the one that supports the culture’s current prejudices. As cultural prejudices change, other interpretations become more acceptable. And that’s been happening for over 50 years in terms of these passages. Take our culture’s changing view on slavery, which the Bible

supports and never says should be abolished. It was the rise of the abolitionist movement that began to question traditional pro-slavery interpretations of the Bible, pointing out that there are other ways to understand it. The largest U.S. Protestant denomination emerged in 1847 to protect pro-slavery Biblical interpretations that supported the economic system. 150 years later, they apologized. If religious people really want to study and understand these passages rather than just use the Bible to confirm their prejudices,

previous biases and assumptions. It arbitrarily ignores or declares heretical the vast history of alternatives to one’s preferred view of the “ism.” That also means that any claim that something is “traditional” either religiously, nationalistically, or otherwise is merely the picking and choosing of a viewpoint by ignoring all the historical alternatives to how one just wants things to be. And, remember, historians for generations now have already traced the history of the varieties within all these “isms.” N e w a r g u m e n t s f ro m psychology? None. All debunked. Back in the 1970s the mainstream professional psychological associations rejected the view that homosexuality was an illness to be treated. Since then their stands have not only strengthened, but they’ve rejected as unprofessional and harmful any attempts that rightwingers make - fortified mostly again by religious interpretations - to do what they call therapy to

“The historical fact is that in every one of the religions today, there have been times in their histories when they've accepted LGBTQ people and times when they haven't.” all the information has been available for over 50 years. And this applies to all religious traditions and all of their scriptures and histories. The historical fact is that in every one of the “isms” we identify as religions today (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.), there have been times in their histories when they’ve accepted LGBTQ people and times when they haven’t. All claims that one of the religions has always been or taught something are ahistorical. The varieties of so many of the beliefs and practices on any subject in each of these isms are great and dependent upon cultural influences. So there’s very little all members of each one have agreed upon. That means that choosing a position and saying that it’s what a religion or scripture teaches about LGBTQ people is a decision based upon one’s

change the sexual orientation of anyone. Since then, more professional organizations in the fields of medicine and education have agreed. So, to call these abusive attempts at the brainwashing of LGBTQ people “therapy” is worse than a joke – it’s enabling damage. As a result, stuck antiLGBTQ people have had to form their own little groups to push their long-debunked, outdated, prejudicial views. They can sound, thereby, scientific in their claims about LGBTQ people rather than just admitting that their position is only rooted in their personal unfounded beliefs and prejudices. Back in 1999, 11 of the major professional organizations worked together to issue a joint statement expressing their concerns about the harassment of LGBTQ youth, and condemning all the brainwashing techniques

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

falsely called “therapies” with words like “conversion” and “reparative” in front of them as harmful and ineffective. N e w a r g u m e n t s f ro m the other natural or social sciences? Nope. All the fields have rejected anti-LGBTQ claims and moved on. For more than the last 50 years, anthropologists and sociologists have noted that the wide varieties of acceptance and rejection of LGBTQ people vary across time and cultures. Homophobia and anti-LGBTQ views are not universal, inborn, or necessary for a society’s successful functioning. The actual long histories of the acceptance of same-sex activity, for example, in many cultures have been suppressed by buying into prejudices spread in the colonialism of European conquerors. The acceptance of gender-variant and other forms of transgender people - including, in many cultures, the fact that those who did not conform to male/female gender binaries were viewed as holding a higher, even sacred status – has been fully documented. And the claim that “traditional marriage” is the coupling of one man and one woman is historically just false, even laughable. Polygamy of various forms was more “traditionally” common, as evident, for example, even in Biblical texts. Observations of animal behavior have shown us examples in numerous species of the scientifically naturalness of same-sex behavior and coupling. It’s one of the variations of animal life. None of this means that we’ll hear the end of the regurgitation of all these old debunked arguments soon. They’re all just too conveniently useful as ways to cover up the underlying prejudices, sexual orientation and gender confusions and fears, and other motives of those who use them. But none of them, remember, not one of them, holds water. l 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.

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 19

Dear Mama, What do you think is going on with all this North Korea stuff, all the hurricanes, and now Russia showing off all its military equipment? Very concerned for the world

Mama, Have the politicians lost their minds in Washington? Not signed

I think anyone that does not consider all areas are just plain dumb. I think it is real and should be considered no matter

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What do you think of all these videos of the President and his wife and their awkwardness and tiffs? elebrate October with a robust, raucous roomful of rowdiness. Our social life goes into overdrive and becomes BOOtiful. So start revving your engines and see where your engine takes you.

Mrs. Harper, Do you think climate change is real or just made up? Deciding

what that guy with the very bad hair thinks. If you’re truly for the whole country you would look at it all and decide for the better of the whole not just for yourself. Someone call the hairdresser, it is a disgrace!! Oh by the way, this is not a fake column or news! That would be Fox News! Thanks for the questions everyone. I will start back up with recipes next month. Don’t forget to catch Mama hosting the Wichita Bears’ La Cage show “Anything Goes” on Oct. 14 at 8pm at Club Boomerang. l

Emporia

What minds? They never had any. They are going mad! Even my kids are not this bad and that is saying a lot coming from Mama’s lips. Welcome to the “me world!” No one cares anything about anyone only about themselves! I may have a beer if this keeps up.

Any man that treats a woman like Cheeto does is not fit to lead anything. He makes my skin crawl. He is so rude and not nice to her. I guess she puts up with it because of her title and all that money. Not worth it to me. I’d rather drink a beer than look at him. Bubba bring me that beer now!

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I think we are in very troubling times. North Korea’s leader is more unstable than Eunice. Russia is going to back-stab Darth Cheeto and that is going to be major trouble. All these hurricanes are from

up above; they are mad as hell at the U.S.A. for electing an idiot. All you can do is pray or do whatever you do and hope for the best. I am so concerned that I do not even want a beer. Did you hear that Harper Family!

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LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) No matter what you say, you will be Most of your time will be spent on considered smart and eloquent. Milk it forming and solidifying relationships for all it is worth, proud Lion. You’ve now. Proud Rams will learn what is been ruminating on some heavy stuff expected of them and if they are up to the and creative solutions. So express task. Those with a wandering eye could get it poked. Those with the desire to cocoon will nuzzle yourself, revealing tantalizing tidbits of your brilliant in the right position. Those who are on the prowl could get ideas. Who knows what can happen when it catches caught. See who and what you want and go, go, go for it. the imagination of a mover and shaker. It might just move and shake you in the right body parts. TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) If there are a few nit-picky tasks that need If you can concentrate on your dollars, it to get done, don’t procrastinate, queer might eventually all make sense. Queer Bull. Dive right in. You will be given a rare Virgos are practical souls, but they can opportunity to enlist the help you need and spend with abandon when they want to. will have the energy to see even the most onerous project started and completed. Once your work is And you may want to right now. If you can manage to done, you can focus your efforts on working on a certain save a few pennies for a rainy day, you will find that you will feel much more secure and confident in the you-know-who. Oh NOW the work begins! next few months. Oh, do I feel a raindrop? GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) Pink Twins are on everybody’s “to do” list This is your time to shine, proud Libra. now. So prepare for your social calendar You find that it is easy to get in front of to fill up quickly. The challenge here is the most important compadres in the to prioritize and attend only those events and parties that give you your added room and showcase your talents. Need I say, don’t be satisfaction. Don’t waste your time with those who do shy? Be sure that you get out and meet and greet. Any not have your best interests at heart. Affirmation is the door that has been previously closed to you suddenly opens. Stop peering into the window hoping for an keyword here. Search accordingly. opportunity. It is here. CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) Gimme shelter, gay Crab. Right now If things seem a bit too mysterious, you must concentrate on how you can just bide your time and observe how make your home environment more things unfold and manifest. You think comfortable and more in sync with how that some of these secrets can send you you want to live. You may consider on an entirely different life course. But moving or doing some renovation that’s totally new and different. But think twice before you paint maybe it is all sound and no fury. Maybe it is a red your house completely hot pink. Some ideas are worth herring designed to lead you astray. But your curiosity is definitely piqued. Surprise, queer Scorp! reconsidering for now . . .

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) There will be a lot of activities centered around friends and organized activities now, gay Archer. You will have to decide how much you want to be involved in the planning and launching. But you are all in or all out. If you decide to let others take charge, don’t complain about the choice of activity. A night of nude charades and bacon grease never hurt anyone. CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Pink Caps are fairly ambitious and now you can begin to see how your career path is unfolding. If you believe that your road needs paving or a detour, this is the time to plan it. Sometimes you need to take a step back and survey the landscape. Only then can you see the potholes. Ask advice from a wise advisor then make your big move. Stand back world! AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) If you have a hankering to travel, this is a great time to do so. Aqueerians are inquisitive folks and now your curiosity can be sated in exotic and unusual locales. If time and money are tight, try to find interesting things to do and see closer to home. Sometimes all we need is a walk into a new part of town, a foreign movie and a spicy dinner companion. PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) Sexy Guppies are ready for anything and anyone. You exude charm, panache and pure animal magnetism. Grr, use it to your advantage and see how you can cultivate a meaningful and loving relationship that will last well into the future. For those currently in a relationship, amp up the activity and show your partner that you care . . . a lot!

(c) 2017 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Lichtenstein’s blog www.thestarryeye.typepad.com covers everything new age. Her astrology book HerScopes is the best in sun sign astrology. Order now at tinyurl.com/herscopes.

PAGE 20 | LIBERTY PRESS |OCTOBER 2017

National News Harvey Milk Plaza redesign competition reveals three shortlisted designs SAN FRANCISCO - The Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza, in coordination with the American Institute of Architects San Francisco Chapter, are delighted to introduce the three finalists and their proposals for the Harvey Milk Plaza design competition. Three Bay Area design teams were shortlisted, led by Groundworks Office, Kuth | Ranieri Architects, and Perkins Eastman. The three designs can be seen at neighborland.com/ harveymilk. Initial funding of $500,000 from an anonymous donor supports the design competition and subsequent plaza development. Additional fundraising efforts are underway to secure the additional $10 million required for full funding of design, construction, and maintenance of the plaza. Georgia Tech studentactivist shot dead by campus police ATLANTA - An engineering student who was an LGBTQ activist was shot and killed by Georgia Tech campus police on Sept. 16. Scout Schultz, 21, a fourth-year engineering Tallgrass continued from page 14

Armistead Maupin and husband Christopher Turner

Woman on Fire, a documentary that focuses on Brooke Guinan, the first openly transgender firefighter in New York City. Guinan is a third generation fire fighter. The film documents all facets of her struggles as she transitions, both professionally and in her personal life. The Feels, directed by Jenee LaMarque, starring Constance Wu, Josh Fadem, as well as

student from Lilburn, GA, was president of Georgia Tech’s Pride Alliance. They identified as non-binary and intersex and preferred to be referred to with they/them gender pronouns. At a news conference, Schultz’s family’s attorney said the student was experiencing a “mental breakdown” on the night of the shooting. “What was Scout doing that day?” said the attorney, L. Chris Stewart. “Standing there disoriented, having a mental breakdown and was shot from 20 feet away.” Police made contact with Schultz outside a campus parking garage after they received a 911 call at 11:17pm, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The original call reported that Schultz was also carrying a gun, officials said. In a video taken by a witness, Schultz can be heard yelling “Shoot me!” at police, as they give orders to drop the knife. “Nobody wants to hurt you,” an officer says in the video. Stewart said that Schultz was holding a multipurpose tool, which contained pliers, a screwdriver and a “tiny, little knife.” He added that the knife was never exposed during the altercation. “We don’t understand why Georgia Tech won’t admit that,” Stewart said. The officer who pulled the trigger wasn’t identified, and it was unclear whether any disciplinary action would be continued on page 22

LaMarque, tells the story of a lesbian bachelorette weekend that goes awry when one of the brides admits she has never had an orgasm. The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, a documentary directed by Jennifer M. Kroot, examines the life and work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer, whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth, according to the synopsis on the film’s website, www.armisteadfilm.com. Kroot’s documentary about the creator of Tales Of The City moves nimbly between playful and poignant and laugh-outloud funny. With help from his friends (including Neil Gaiman,

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Leather Life By Nolin Christensen aka Master C

Editor’s note: This column may contain content that is offensive to some people.

Sensual Play

irst of all, my apologies to everyone for missing last month. I was traveling and didn’t get a chance to get an article done. My travels this summer had me in Omaha teaching a “Sensual Torture” class. So I thought it would be fun to explain this in an article. Although it’s called sensual torture, there is not so much torture as there is sensual overload. It’s the type of play that just about anyone can do and you don’t need any “toys” to do it. Just your fingers and mouth will work. The idea is to keep up the sensual pleasure until the person reaches sensual overload. Tickling, touching, running your fingers and hands over the body, biting, licking are all part of it. To get the person to overload, you need to do multiple things at the same time. Why? Well, because most people can control themselves when there is just a single item being done, such as caressing or touching. The intent here is to get the person to a point where they are no longer in

Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen and Amy Tan) Maupin offers a disarmingly frank look at the journey that took him from the jungles of Vietnam to the bathhouses of 70’s San Francisco to the front line of the American culture war. For showtimes, venues, and ticket information, visit www. tallgrassfilm.org. l

control of themselves. To do this you do multiple types of sensual play all at the same time. Having this done to them will cause them to not be able to focus and will cause them to lose that control. Once they have lost control, then the fun begins. Because everything you do to them will send them into an overload sensation. One of the most important key factors in this type of play is to NOT let up. You keep going and going, because when you let up in the play, it allows the person to regain control. This is the torture part, not allowing the person to ever get back in control of themselves. Some simple items you can use with this type of play are things you find around your house. A soft rag, a rough rag, an old toothbrush, something fuzzy (faux fur), feathers, emery boards, anything that you can think of. Another item I use is a spoon or butter knife kept in ice water (pull it out, use it, put it back in the ice; you need to keep it cold) and a spoon or butter knife kept in hot water. By swapping out the two, the person will eventually not know whether it’s the hot item or the cold item. O h , b y t h e w ay, d id I mention that this works really, REALLY well when the person is blindfolded? Suit ties work great for blindfolds. So do old handkerchiefs. Although it’s not totally necessary, it helps. Because then they can’t see what you’re about to do to them next and it makes it all the more fun to play. But I don’t always use a blindfold because I want to see the look in their eyes when they come off the bed or table with a “I’m going to kill you” look. TEEHEEHEEHEE. Just love that. So if you want to do sensual play, go for it. It’s fun and anyone can do it. And best of all, you don’t have to be kinky to enjoy it. If anyone would like to learn more, please contact me at MsterC69@gmail.com. l Master C is the current president of WOOLF, the local leather club. Contact him via www.woolfks.com or at MsterC69@gmail.com/

WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. OCTOBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 21

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WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

National continued from page 20

taken. William Schultz, Scout’s father, called his son “the greatest kid.” When asked what he would say to the officer who shot Scout, William Schultz said: “Why did you have to shoot? That’s the question. That’s the only question that matters now.” William Schultz added that his child had a 3.9 GPA and planned to graduate in December. The parents said Scout had gone through counseling in the past and suffered from depression, but they were unaware of any current issues. l

Schultz

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WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

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