QSaltLake December 22, 2011 2011 In Review and Person of the Year

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salt lake Issue 196 December 22, 2011 DOUBLE ISSUE

2011 IN REVIEW and

PERSON OF THE YEAR

Sister Dottie S. Dixon Photo: David Daniels

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ISSUE 196

VIEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

from the editor

A year of bridges

By Seth Bracken

hile Time magazine crowned The Protestor as their person of the year, QSaltLake (whose person of the year has nearly the same import and impact) crowned Sister Dottie S. Dixon and the actor who portrays the Mormon mother from Spanish Fork (also pronounced Spanish Fark), Charles Frost, The Person of the Year. For many, 2011 marked an uprising of Occupy protests, unrest and revolution in the Middle East and rallies around the nation. Even Salt Lake City faced its own Occupy movements, with its members being evicted from the park where they were staying on a cold winter’s night.

Each year QSaltLake selects a person or group that has had the most impact on the queer scene in Utah.

Past selections include Larry Miller, formerSen. Chris Buttars, LDS Church president Thomas Monson, Equality Utah executive director Brandie Balken and Utah Pride Center executive director Valarie Larabee. Much like Time’s recognition, our Person of the Year has often focused on protests, rallies and other similar gatherings.

But this year was different.

Upon careful consideration, we realized there were no ‘kiss-in’ protests, no anti-Proposition 8 rallies, no angry crowds demanding equal rights this year. There were no bills passed that threatened the freedom of Utah queers. There were no rallies, demonstrations or gatherings that illustrate the influence and reaction of the local queer community when we feel

threatened.

There were, however, several gatherings that brought gay and straight to the same table. In June, the Pride Festival attracted more than 25,000 people and the grand marshal, actress Roseanne Barr, a straight woman, spoke to the crowds about the advancement of queer rights.

In October, hundreds of queers and allies gathered to form an enormous pink dot to show solidarity for human rights, specifically talking about treating gays with respect and the importance of bringing families together. With ambassadors ranging from queer-rights activist Eric Alva to local Fox 13 anchor Hope Woodside to Kurt Bestor, the Pink Dot event showed how the Utah queer and straight communities really are alike.

From bingo to plays, Sister Dottie and our honorable mentions of the Utah Cyber Sluts and the Matrons of Mayhem are perfect examples of how things should work with queer rights and progress. The collaboration and coalition of gay and straight this year show how important 2011 may prove to be in the grand scheme of gay Utah history, despite its lack of angry crowds and gatherings to protest infringements on our lives.

While there are sure to be battles that will need to be fought with new friends and new foes, hopefully we’ll be going forward with new allies. So here’s to 2011, a year of building bridges; of coming together and focusing more on what unites us, which is a hell of a lot more than what divides us. Q

There were, however, several gatherings that brought gay and straight to the same table

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4 NATIONAL NEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

staff

publisher Michael Aaron editor Seth Bracken arts & entertainment editor/ofc mgr Tony Hobday graphic designer Christian Allred sales Gus Garcia contributors Chris Azzopardi, Lynn

orientation. That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, “no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere,” Obama said in the memorandum.

The memo is the first attempt from any administration to combat human rights violations against gays and lesbians. It directs agencies to oppose the criminalization of homosexuality, protect vulnerable queer refugees, enhance foreign aid to countries with solid records supporting LGBT rights, respond quickly to complaints made by queer citizens abroad and

❝ ❝Newt Gingrich’s mind is in love with itself. It has persuaded

encourage international organizations to fight against discrimination.

Domestically, Obama advocated the repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay service members, which is now accomplished, and has ordered the administration to stop defending a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. However, Obama does not back gay marriage and has said his personal views on the matter are evolving.

Appeals court unlikely to dismiss Prop. 8 ruling A federal appeals court appears unlikely to toss out a ruling against Proposition 8 based on grounds that the judge was in a long-term, same-sex relationship. The three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also appeared reluctant to release the videotapes of the 12-day trial on Prop. 8’s constitutionality.

The court convened on Dec. 8 to hear issues in the fight over the 2008 California measure banning same-sex marriage. The court is deciding whether U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling striking down Prop. 8 should be nullified because he was in a gay relationship at the time of the ruling and whether the videotapes of the trial should be released.

Walker, a Republican appointee, ruled in August 2010 that Prop. 8 violated the federal constitution. The Appeals Court is now considering the same issue but first has to clear these peripheral cases. A ruling is expected in the next few weeks.

After appealing Walker’s ruling, ProtectMarriage, the sponsors of Prop. 8, made a separate case to invalidate his opinion based on his sexuality and being involved

Tony Hobday, Christopher Katis, Annalisa Millo, Petunia Pap Smear, Anthony Paull, Steven Petrow, Ruby Ridge, Ed Sikov, A.E. Storm, Ben Williams, D’Anne Witkowski distribution Ryan Benson, Peggy

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in a relationship. The appeals court appeared skeptical to accept this challenge.

“So a married judge could never hear a divorce?” Judge Michael Daly Hawkins asked.

“What about an unmarried heterosexual judge who wants to maintain the definition of marriage?” Judge N. Randy Smith asked. “Does he have to disclose that?”

Charles J. Cooper, who represented ProtectMarriage, said it would be “a dark day in American jurisprudence” if the court accepted that a gay judge could decide whether same-sex marriage should be permitted.

“There is no case anywhere in American jurisprudence that says a judge who is a minority, because he is a minority, can sit on his own case,” Cooper said.

Walker is openly gay but did not discuss his 10-year relationship until after his retirement earlier this year.

Gay rights groups want the original tapes of the first hearing released, saying the American public should have the option to see that the case was based on the evidence. ProtectMarriage has said videotapes will subject its witnesses to harassment.

Contact emails: general: info@qsaltlake.com editorial: editor@qsaltlake.com sales: sales@qsaltlake.com QSaltLake is a trademark of Salt Lick Publishing, LLC.

QSALTLAKE

Quips & Quotes

Hillary Clinton vows US support of gay rights abroad In a landmark speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bluntly warned the world against gay discrimination and announced the U.S. will use foreign aid and diplomacy to insist that gay rights are protected.

Clinton compared the struggle for gay rights with women’s rights and racial equality, and warned that cultural or religious discrimination is no excuse for violations.

“Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” she said.

The audience included members of African and Arab delegations where homosexuality is criminalized, and brutality against gays and lesbians is tolerated and even encouraged.

Clinton acknowledged her own country’s imperfect past concerning gay rights and noted that until 2003 many states still had laws criminalizing gay sex.

“Gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world,” Clinton said.

“Being gay is not a Western invention. It is a human reality.”

Clinton cited abuses such as the killings of gays, “corrective rape” of lesbians and forced hormone treatments. She said these abuses are similar to “honor killings” of women, widow-burning and female genital mutilation, all examples of practices the U.S. decries, but does not penalize allies for carrying out.

Her address, which was held in Geneva in front of the U.N.’s human rights body, came on the heels of a statement from President Barack Obama declaring that the U.S. would now consider gay rights when dolling out aid.

“The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights.

I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world — whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual

ISSUE 196

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itself that it is brilliant when it is merely promiscuous. This is not a serious mind. Gingrich is not, to put it mildly, a systematic thinker. His mind is a jumble, an amateurish mess lacking impulse control. He plays air guitar with ideas, producing air ideas. He ejaculates concepts, notions and theories that are as inconsistent as his behavior. He didn’t get whiplash being a serial adulterer while impeaching another serial adulterer, a lobbyist for Freddie Mac while attacking Freddie Mac, a selfprofessed fiscal conservative with a whopping Tiffany’s credit line, and an anti-Communist Army brat who supported the Vietnam War but dodged it.”

—New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd

❝❝

It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens.

I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people — like all human beings — are born equal in dignity and rights.”

—Actor George Clooney

❝❝

It is breathtaking (and not in a good way) when someone who aspires to be the Commander in Chief denigrates the soldiers he means to command. Just like all the other soldiers in our military, our gay and lesbian soldiers are dodging bullets and IEDs to preserve our rights as Americans. The right of all Americans to represent their country in our military is now the law of the land, a law that Gov. Perry apparently disagrees with and presumably would work to change if elected president.”

—Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson

❝❝

This is a historic event for Orlando, and it is a monumentally important event for our community. It will be the first time in our lives that our families are recognized by our government.”

—Attorney Mary Meeks, who advocated a new domestic registry in Orlando

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Fewer companies receive perfect score from HRC Equality Index After making the analysis of corporate equality stricter, fewer companies made a perfect grade on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index than last year. However, there are 190 companies, including 10 of the top 20-ranked Fortune 500 companies that received a perfect 100 percent score. In the first year, 2002, only 13 companies made the grade.

The HRC’s CEI grades companies on access to domestic partnership benefits, nondiscrimination policies for gender identity and sexual orientation; the addition this year included health care for transgender individuals.

More than half of the Fortune 500 companies now include transgender health

care issues, which is a growth rate of 1,567 percent since 2002. There are now 207 companies offering health care for trans issues, which is up from 85 last year and 49 in 2009. The number of Fortune 500 companies offering domestic partnership benefits has increased by 76 percent since 2002.

A total of 850 businesses were rated in the 2012 CEI, including the entire Fortune 500. There were 277 Fortune 500 companies that voluntarily submitted surveys; the remaining 214 were rated based on publicly available data. In addition, 65 Fortune 1000 companies, 134 law firms and 160 other companies voluntarily participated in the survey.

Huntsman defends DOMA Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said the Defense of Marriage Act “serves a useful purpose” and allows states to decide on marriage issues.

“It allows states to make their own decisions, to make their own way, and the Defense of Marriage Act, I think, is a safeguard for those states to make that decision,” Huntsman said.

The former Utah governor responded to a question from the Washington Blade at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8.

DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing gay marriage and allows states to ignore marriages performed in other states. DOMA prevents gay couples from receiving the same tax, health care and immigration benefits as their straight counterparts.

This isn’t the first time Huntsman has weighed in on the issue and told CNN’s Piers

NEWS

In spite of the wide-spread support for a federal non-discrimination act, there are no laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

A recent survey indicated 77 percent of the American public support such a law.

Americans can also still be terminated in 29 states on the basis of their sexual orientation, and in 34 states on the basis of their gender identity. According to a November 2011 HRC/Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll, 87 percent of the American public believes that it’s already illegal under federal law to fire someone for being gay and 78 percent believe that it’s illegal under state law.

“Corporate America is leading the charge for equality in the workplace,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We commend the businesses that participated in the CEI. They understand that LGBT-inclusive workplace policies are the right thing to do and good business practices.”

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Fortune 500 Top 20 HRC Corporate Equality Index Results 1. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 2. Exxon Mobil Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -25 3. Chevron Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 4. General Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 5. Bank of America Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . 100 6. ConocoPhillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 7. AT&T Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 8. Ford Motor Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 9. JPMorgan Chase & Co.. . . . . . . . . . . 100 10. Hewlett-Packard Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 11. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 15 12. Citigroup Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 13. Verizon Communications Inc. . . . . . . 20 14. McKesson Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 15. General Motors Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 16. AIG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 17. Cardinal Health Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 18. CVS Caremark Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 19. Wells Fargo & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 20. IBM Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Anti-gay group funded almost entirely by 2 people

Morgan that DOMA is a good “safeguard.”

Huntsman has been a favorite among gay Republicans based on his support for civil unions and employment and housing protection.

“I believe in civil unions — I know some might not always agree with that. I believe in equality under the law. I believe that, from this country, we can lead by example.

I believe that we are a shining light the rest of the world looks to. I found that to be the case living overseas four times. And when we do it right in this country, we exude values that the rest of the world seems to watch and emulate — values of individual dignity, liberty, democracy, human rights and open markets,” Huntsman said.

More than two-thirds of the funding for the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage comes from just two individual donors who contributed more than $6 million, according to recently released 2010 financial data. The report also shows that 92 percent of its funding comes from 22 people who made donations of $5,000 or more. No names were attached to the donation amounts.

While NOM claims to represent a Christian majority, the recent report is hauntingly contradictory. And the trend shows fewer and fewer small donations to the cause. In 2009, NOM’s contributors of $5,000 and more made up 78 percent of total donations. The nature of NOM’s structure has critics laughing at its self-description of a “grassroots organization.”

NOM has fought to keep hidden its financial donors, claiming gays and lesbians would seek to harm those who donate to their cause. Most recently, NOM has tried to defy campaign finance laws and hide donor identities to an anti-marriage equality

campaign in Minnesota.

NOM reported spending large portions of its budget on advertising and promotion ($3 million); employee wages, benefits, and taxes ($1.2 million); and on grants and assistance to other organizations ($600,000).

However, the largest portion — $4 million, about 38 percent of NOM’s expenditures, was classified on the tax form as “other.”

The form describes “Other Expenditures” this way: “The Organization developed and distributed via radio, television, mail, email, telephone, and the World Wide Web, a series of advertising and outreach promoting traditional marriage.”

The organization reported a 17-member staff and no volunteers. Only four are listed as being paid: president Brian Brown ($212,500), then-board chair Gallagher ($152,500), treasurer Corkery ($25,000) and Jennifer Morse ($116,667). Morse is the founder and president of the Ruth Institute, a project of NOM’s education fund.

In a July newsletter, NOM claimed to have more than 50,000 individual donors.

6 LOCAL NEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

Media, activists react to outing of Utah County gay student A Utah County school’s decision to tell a student’s parent that he is gay is causing concern among some queer-rights activists and prompting national news.

Alpine School District has received phone calls and emails after a Facebook page was created stating that the student was outed without his consent. The Gay,

Lesbian & Straight Education Network issued a statement denouncing the administrator’s decision, saying schools should not out students without their consent.

However, much of the protest comes from false reports that the 14-year-old student did not want his parents to be told he is gay, district spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley said.

The student was open about his sexuality in school, including posting an English assignment on the wall expressing his sexual orientation, Bromley said. However, after a teacher heard derogatory comments aimed at the student in the hall, the school’s administration became concerned about bullying, she said.

“The administrators called the student into the office and attempted to address any problems he might be having with bullying, and there were some problems,” Bromley said. “When he was asked if his parents knew he was gay, the student said no, but reluctantly agreed to let the principal tell his parents as long as he wasn’t in the room at the time. The parents weren’t surprised and said they had suspected for some time that he might be gay. The family left together and there appeared to be no real conflict.”

The parents are extremely supportive of their child and his safety is their first concern, she said.

Neither the student or his parents have returned phone calls about the incident and his parents have expressed a desire to keep the matter within the family.

The student’s father told ABCNews. com that his son is loved and supported at home.

“The administration handled everything just fine,” the boy’s father said. “We didn’t have any problems with what they did...

He’s got a great support system at school.

It’s about him being protected and his friends are all rallying around him.”

The student consented to having the principal tell his parents that he’s gay, and the administrator was motivated by a desire to protect the student, Bromley said.

“Our major concern is the safety of our students, in and out of the school. The parents were told so we could involve the family and help protect the student,” Bromley added. “This was not the first time we’ve had an openly gay student in school and it won’t be the last. We fully support our gay students and their safety is an enormous concern for us. We want to curb bullying and harassment and protect all of our students. We are very much aware of the problems many gay students face with bullying.

We want to be a part of the solution, not the problem.” Q

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American Fork City Council delays vote on anti-bias bills

By Seth Bracken

The American Fork City Council voted, Dec. 13, to table two bills that would protect against bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace and housing.

Despite voicing her support, councilwoman Heidi Rodeback moved that the ordinances be tabled and said that more public input would only benefit the process.

“I feel we can never go wrong with more public process,” she said. “I feel it would be best to table these ordinances until some future date when we achieve better consensus.”

Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah, agreed that the measures should be tabled to allow for more discussion.

“I wonder if it is time to step back, take a deep breath and have a civil dialogue in this season of compassion,” Balken said.

The vote was unanimous.

This was the first time the city council heard public input concerning the proposed measures; residents packed the council chambers voicing both support and opposition.

Rodeback, along with councilmembers Rick Storrs and Keith Blake, pushed to have the issues placed on the agenda after American Fork resident Mark Steele urged them to do so because he has a transgender daughter.

“Currently there is nothing to prevent me from firing you if I find out you are gay or from evicting you,” Steele said. “In fact, I just have to think you are gay based on whatever stereotypes I find convenient at

the moment.”

Opposition to the laws was launched by the conservative think-tank, the Sutherland Institute, which issued statements saying the proposed ordinances would infringe on religious liberty.

“The proposed nondiscrimination ordinances create an unnecessary imbalance of rights among residents of American Fork,” said Sutherland Institute’s Stan Rasmussen to the council. “Exempting various institutions from threatened claims of discrimination on one hand, while not exempting individual people of conscious in their sincerely held religious beliefs on the other.”

In addition to the strong opposition inside the meeting led by religious groups and individuals, many people left the meeting only to find fliers on the windshields of their cars calling for the death of gay people through a Joseph Smith translated Bible reference.

“Homosexuals not to have rights!” the flier stated. “‘If a man lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood be upon them.’ Leviticus 20:13 — Joseph Smith translation of the King James. Why do we have gay rights issues today? ‘As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the last days.’”

There are 13 other municipalities in Utah with similar laws; however, American Fork is the first in Utah County to consider the measures. The LDS Church supported the Salt Lake City ordinances and called them ‘fair and reasonable.’ Q

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

Alta High School GSA starts drive for homeless teens

Inspired by a presentation about the plight many homeless teens in Utah are facing, the Alta High School Gay-Straight Alliance decided to do something to make a difference. “ We just didn’t know about all the problems they face. I think most of us had never even thought a b o u t i t ,” said senior M a y l e n Ames, the Alta High GSA vice Alta High School GSA vice president president.

Maylen Ames “It was such a great presentation; we knew we had to do something to help.”

Ames, along with the other members of the group, started a fundraising drive for the Homeless Youth Resource Center. The teens are collecting backpacks and items -such as hats, gloves and hygiene products. s Homelessness hits queer youth even -harder than other demographics; approximately 42 percent of homeless teens in Utah identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to the Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

“We started with just the club raising -money and donating items, but then we decided to get the whole school involved if we could,” Ames said.

The GSA expanded the drive to include the entire school by having personal can-

not as I do -

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Another strike against Gingrich

Thrice-married and selfdescribed adulterer Newt Gingrich is rocketing up the Republican presidential polls. While volumes could be written on the hypocrisy of former Speaker of the House, his latest foray into marriage politics is shockingly brazen.

Gingrich wrote the anti-gay group The Family Leader and promised to “strengthen and defend” family by opposing abortion and gay marriage. He swore to oppose gay rights in the military and to defend the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. He promised to oppose

NEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

dy-grams delivered during class. Students were allowed to anonymously purchase a candy cane for their friends or those they admire and the GSA members would deliver them. The drive has raised approximately $100 and the students have also collected spare change and other financial contributions.

“The response has been really awesome,” Ames said. “The other kids have really shown their support.”

This is Alta High School’s first year with a GSA, with more than 10 students regularly attending the meetings.

“I’m so proud of the kids for stepping up and setting an example like they are,” said Ginger Phillips, one of the presenters on homeless youth and one of Ames’ mothers.

“I am so glad to see that they really took the message of the presentation to heart and did something about it.”

Although the club has just started, there is already widespread support around the school and other Alta students have been supportive since the beginning, Ames said.

“I don’t know of any problems from other students,” she said. “In fact, kids are really showing support for the GSA. We’re very accepted here by the administration and by the other students. I joined the GSA to show support for my two moms and because I am a lesbian myself. It was one of the best things I could have done with high school. I love it.”

The GSA will donate as many stuffed backpacks as possible and are still gathering donations and money.

“I’m not sure what our next project will be. We’re pretty focused right now, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something good,” Ames said. Q

any action that would make marriage anything other than a union between, ‘one man and one woman.’ How about one man and three women?

tive may need a lesson in how to practice what you preach.

A mayor’s major flub

Troy, Mich. Mayor Janice Daniels has made national headlines after a June Perry’s big porn problem Republican presidential hopeful Facebook status update was recently uncovered that said, “I and Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s think I am going to throw away latest ad slamming gays has my ‘I Love New York’ carrying sparked parodies and outrage bag now that queers can get nationwide. Perry’s supposed defense of the family stance is married there.” Furious city in stark contrast to investments councilmembers and citizens he made in 1995. Perry invested have lead to hours of public thousands of dollars into Movie comment and hundreds of Gallery, Inc., a porn distributing emails. Daniels was let go from her position at a realty company. As governor, Perry contributed to the laws passed firm because of her status. The elected representative of the that helped porn companies people is refusing to apologize avoid lawsuits for distributing or step down, despite numerporn across state lines into ous calls for her removal.

Texas. The religious conserva-

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8 NEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

Gay San Diego skiers visit Utah

Qmmunity

The annual Utah Gay Ski Safari attracts hundreds of gay and lesbian skiers and snowboarders and will be held Jan. 4–8.

The event, sponsored by SkiOUT Utah and SAGA San Diego, brings queers from around the country, not just Southern California.

“Excellent skiing and boarding, combined with affordability and convenience, are the primary reasons why SAGA SD has been organizing ski trips to Utah for so many years,” said Russ Fox, SAGA SD trip leader.

Utah also has a much higher, on average, early season with typically double the snowfall of many Colorado resorts.

The SAGA SD participants will be staying at the newly remodeled Sheraton in Salt Lake City. With most resorts a short 30-minute drive, the location is perfect.

The group provides buses to and from the resorts, parties, cocktail receptions, dinner and dance party at JAM. Participants will explore various resorts

Equality Utah Jazz Brunch

throughout the week, including Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Snowbasin. Those that fly in early enough can also ski The Canyons for free with a same-day airline ticket stub.

“We average about six trips every year,” Fox said. “While many of our trips visit just one resort, a trip to Utah is always a fresh alternative with so many resorts nearby.”

Tickets for the week are $499, which include hotel stay, bus passes, breakfast, mountain tours and group lessons. Utahns who want to participate in the festivities can purchase a la carte lift and bus tickets through SAGA SD. Also, to meet the sexy skiing visitors, check out JAM, which will host parties every night during the stay.

A 30-percent discount on ski and equipment rentals is available through AJ Motion Sports with the promo code SKIOUTUTAH on ajmotionsports.com/deals under referrals.

World class jazz music and Utah’s most discerning crowd will gather for the 11th annual Equality Utah Jazz Brunch, in support of a fair and just Utah. The fabulous silent-auction packages include food, wine, weekend getaways and unique gifts.

Entertainment will be provided by New York jazz vocalist Angela Bingham.

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 15, 11 a.m.

WHERE: Jewish Community Center, 2 N. Medical Dr. TICKETS: $50, EqualityUtah.org

Coming Soon...

Remodel Project for Utah Pride Center The Utah Pride Center is expanding its services and is in need of more space.

Volunteers are sought to complete a construction project to build two mini HIVconsolation rooms. People with construction experience are especially helpful.

WHEN: Starting Dec. 29 INFO: UtahPrideCenter.org

D R A

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to SAGASD.com.

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The Salt Lake City Lesbian Book Club typically meets the first Wednesday of each month, and the theme of the books may or may not be queer related, but are always interesting and thought-provoking.

WHERE: King’s English Bookshop, 1151 S. 1500 East INFO: KingsEnglish.com

Big Gay Fun Bus

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Salt Lake City Lesbian Book Club

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VIQ.ME

This seasonal events features QSaltLake‘s politically-incorrect Ruby Ridge and a rowdy busload of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and friendly straight gamblers looking for a great time. Take a shot every time someone says, “I can’t believe she just said that!” and you’ll be ready to hit the slots in West Wendover. We’ll throw $5, a complimentary drink ticket and a free buffet at you when you get there to get you started. This charity fundraiser has become a favorite event for gay and straight passengers alike. Find out what all the talk is about.

WHEN: Jan. 14, 12-9 p.m.

WHERE: Meet at Club Try-Angles parking lot, 251 W. 900 South INFO: BigGayFunBus.com

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QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

NEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

sanctity of marriage Marriage rate plummets

A lower percentage of American Smothering with love adults are married now than at any other point in the nation’s history. With barely more than half, 51 percent, of adults tying the knot, experts are speculating on why the sudden drop.

Some say it is the economy, others argue it’s an increased acceptance of cohabitation, and others say it is more young Americans putting an education and career before starting off the family life. To give contrast, in 1960, about three-

Country singer Rodney Atkins was arrested in Tennessee for domestic assault after he allegedly tried to smother his wife with a pillow. Atkins has since filed for divorce and insists his wife is making the situation up.

According to court documents, his wife, Tammy Atkins, called 911 and said the two had been arguing all evening when it turned violent. Tammy told police that the entire ordeal took place in front of their 10-year-

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old son. Rodney was booked into jail and later released on $2,500 bail.

Man stabs wife in Walmart, store stays open After a 46-year-old South Carolina man fatally stabbed his wife in the Walmart where she was employed, police roped off the bloody crime scene, but the store remained open. Avery Blandin, 46, is facing murder charges for brutally stabbing his wife, Lila Blandin, 38. Customers in the store told local news they were appalled at the amount of blood all around the bank area where the murder occurred.

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‘Playgirl’ names Utahn the Real Man of the Year When Salt Lake City resident Rich Rushton (a “stage” name) happened on an amateur model contest while browsing Playgirl’s website, he entered almost on a whim.

“I already had some professional shots I had done for myself, so I thought, ‘What the hell?’ and entered the contest,” Rushton said.

Rushton has been photographed by local photgraphers David Daniels, Studio 230 and Noplacia, among others.

Known by his friends to be on the shy side in person, he’s definitely not shy in front of a camera.

Playgirl readers voted on their favorite

fourth of American adults were married. This same trend is occurring in most post-industrial societies.

Studio 230

of 25 men posing for the Real Man of the Year Contest.

“They called to tell me I had won in August, I was so surprised. I never really expected to win,” Rushton said.

Part of his prize was a photo shoot in Denver, a feature spread in the magazine and he was chosen to be on the cover, which is on stands now. The spread features nudes of Rushton, who identifies as bisexual.

While this is his first professional model gig, he hopes it will open the doors to more opportunities.

Rushton is a hair stylist at the Sanctuary Day Spa and Salon in Salt Lake City.

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Thank you for being a friend. Facebook.com/ QSaltLake

10 VIEWS

letters Celebrate the season Editor, Human beings have always had myths.

Throughout civilization, myth systems have been one in the handful of constants of the human experience.

As religious scholar Joseph Campbell has explained, the term “myth” is not derogatory. Some may presume that there is a condescending implication when we refer to a story as a myth, particularly when the word is used to describe stories told by religious groups that are functioning today.

On the contrary, though, Joseph Campbell identified a vital, fourfold purpose for myth: it awakens a sense of awe, explains the shape of the universe, supports social order, and guides the individual through the stages of life. In this context, the myth of Jesus of Nazareth powerfully reflects our story as an LGBT community.

Consider the Christ narrative: divine, transcendent love enters a human body.

This love grows — it blesses, heals and changes those it touches. The religious leaders who wield the most political power do not accept the bearer of this love, nor do

DECEMBER 22, 2011

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

snaps & slaps

SLAP: Romney’s anti-gay marriage plan Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a three-tiered plan to prevent gay marriage from occurring and he shared it in great detail with the editorial board at the Boston Herald. His first step is to pass a Constitutional amendment banning anymore gay marriages occurring in any state. Second, he’ll make the marriages already performed stay legal, to avoid confusion. And third, he’ll define marriage as strictly for straight couples and permit them to have all the rights and privileges of a government-recognized union.

“Flip-flop” Romney was the governor of Massachusetts when the state legalized gay marriage.

SLAP: ‘Family-values’ Republican forced out of the closet

they approve of him. Instead, they persecute him, citing reasons from their books of scriptures to rationalize their own rejection of him and to assert an illegitimacy of his practices. Ultimately, they conspire to put this man to death. However, they misjudge his nature and power and the darkness of their own hearts cannot extinguish the light of his goodness. In fact, it only makes it stronger and enables it to spread further.

This is the story of our community. It is the story of love that awakens those who are touched by it, while simultaneously being persecuted by religious elitists. It could not have a more striking metaphor than the story of Jesus. Even as gay marriage, the ultimate symbol of love and devotion that society can offer, suffered a temporary death at the hands of religious conspirators hiding behind the thinly veiled mask of political necessity (Proposition 8 ), the death was only temporary. And it is the collective love emanating from our community that will empower it to live indefinitely.

The writers of the musical Les Miserables chose to poetically conclude the life of the main character, Jean Valjean, with this poignant message: “To love another person is to see the face of God.” However, more than simple poetics, the author of the letters of John in the New Testament crafts a rich theology of love, explicitly linking the relationship between human love and the

presence of divinity. He writes, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12) Many of us in the LGBT community have been burned by those who assert that we have no place in the religious communities of our upbringing. This Christmas season, whether we look to Jesus of Nazareth as the savior of humanity, as a good man and teacher of morals or as an archetype and a myth — may we each feel our own story celebrated, even as we celebrate the birth of the baby in Bethlehem. And may the resounding message be the one trumpeted by angels real or imagined: “And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Michael Adam Ferguson Salt Lake City

QSaltLake welcomes your letters to the editor.

Please send your letter of 300 words or less to letters@qsaltlake.com.

We reserve the right to edit for length or libel if a letter is chosen for publication.

Greg Davis, Republican mayor of Southaven, Miss., who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008 on a conservative, family-values platform, was forced out of the closet after an audit revealed purchases he made at a gay sex store. After the results of the audit were published, Davis, who is married and has three children, admitted to trying to keep that part of his life a secret. While running for Congress, and in his current mayoral position, Davis touted his conservative, pro-family, anti-gay marriage stance.

SNAP: Gay marriage means healthier gays A study of gay men, before and after the passage of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, showed a 13 percent drop in their visits to health clinics after gay marriage was legalized. The study, conducted by Columbia University, followed more than 1,100 gay men for 12 months before and after gay marriage was legalized and found a significant drop in clinical visits. The study suggests that a legalized union can provide a much-needed psychological benefit to gay men.

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

VIEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

the straight line

not just leave the religious piece of marriage in the purview of religion and leave the legal side in the realm of government?

Religious institutions and individuals are currently entitled to their bigotry. Allowing people to marry under law will in no way require that religious institutions participate in or even recognize that union - it’s strictly a legal measure.So again, I’m

By Bob Henline forced to ask: Where is the harm in allowhile Congress and the White they say, marriage is a religious institu- ing two people of the same gender who House continue to ignore the tion, ordained by God. If that is truly the love one another to enjoy the same legal repeal of the so-called Defense case, then under the separation of church status as two people of different genders? of Marriage Act, the GOP field of and state clause of the First Amendment, How does a loving homosexual couple bepresidential wannabes has done an admi- no marriage should be recognized by gov- ing married cause more damage to the institution of marriage than say Newt Ginrable job of keeping this issue in the mainernment and no benefits of such should be grich and his abuses of the institution, or stream media spotlight. For this week’s conferred under law. the philandering Herman Cain? fun, we turn the spotlight to Mitt “I’ll Say I sincerely doubt, however, that our sociMaybe I’m an idiot, but I just don’t unAnything To Win” Romney and his threederstand the dilemma here. What impact ety is ready to go to that extreme.

So, why tiered approach to marriage.

Romney is proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution that has three primary elements so simple and so stupid that perhaps Rick Perry could even remember them.

Reaffirm that marriage is between a man and a woman; Legally recognize all existing marriages, even same-sex ones; Ban any future same-sex marriages

By Ruby Ridge What I can’t wrap my head around here is how we have fallen so far from our stated arlings, as you prepare your to God, real, live human beings. First off is inevitable New Year’s resolutions; our winter activity. During the cold crappy you know, lose weight, stop having months of January and February we will be anonymous sex in airport bath- hosting our “Thigh-High, Sci-Fi Theater” rooms, yada, yada, yada, I want you to put at Club Try-Angles every Wednesday night one resolution high on your priority list: from 7-9 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and reStop spending so much time trolling around lax while we show campy sci-fi classics like in cyber-space! I know this is a sacrilege and Young Frankenstein, Flash Gordon, and the last few seasons of Dr. Who (you just know heresy to some of you, but hear me out.

As I look around our community I am any show that opens in Monument Valley mortified by the amount of time we spend with a Juab County school bus and a gay staring blankly at computer screens and Secret Service agent has to be epic!). cell phones. Sure, you can physically be at dinner or a concert or a party, but mentally you’re somewhere else, glued to your damned phone waiting for the next inane text, or unremarkable Facebook update.

It’s not healthy, petals, and it needs to stop! principles of life, liberty and the pursuit And don’t get me started about how much of happiness. Apparently, America’s GOP time we waste trolling on cruising sites. feels that those fundamental freedoms apI propose we make 2012 the year of goply only to those that think and act as they ing unplugged. Instead of spending hours do. on the Internet fixating on some outdated, How is it that we live in a nation that photoshopped picture of a guy and his facfeels the need to impose its version of free- tually inconsistent dating profile (which dom on other sovereign nations, but we never includes the things you really need to refuse to honor those very principles at know like ... oh, I don’t know ... has bipolar Of course we host Third Friday Bingo, home? People are entitled to equal treat- disorder, a psychotically jealous boyfriend, our family and hetero-friendly event held ment under law, yet we have laws that ex- a possible meth addiction, suffers from the third Friday of every month at First pressly separate people and create a sec- reoccurring STD infections, and collects Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, 777 S. 1300 ondary class of citizens.

Shrek Big Gulp cups), why not focus on the East. The show starts at 7 p.m., but doors Marriage is a simple issue, it isn’t a “gay” real world and the people that, believe it or open at 6 p.m. so you can socialize with friends and grab a hot dog, chili, nachos, issue, it isn’t a “straight” issue. It just is. not, are still in it?

Any two consenting adults that wish to In the spirit of 2012 Unplugged, I, Ruby or a niblet from the concession stand (run enter into this social contract with one an- Ridge, and my good friends the Matrons of by the adorable kids from the First Baptist other should have the legal right to do so. Mayhem, have devised some really enter- Girl’s Group). We encourage you to bring taining and affordable ways to get you out a table (seats 8-10) of co-workers, family End of story.

Enter the religious nutters. But Bob, of the house and interacting with honest members, or any group of friends to share

Let’s talk marriage

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mountain meadow mascara 2012 unplugged

Any two consenting adults that wish to enter into this social contract with one another should have the legal right to do so

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Stop spending so much time trolling around in cyber-space!

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does the marriage of two people have on the marriage of someone else? I’m a straight male, married to a straight female.

We have homosexual friends in various types of relationships, some married (in states that recognize such), some living together, some monogamous, some not. Exactly the same types of relationships that exist among our heterosexual friends and family. And none of that has any bearing on our relationship or commitment to one another.

So, to Mitt and the rest of this GOP field of pretentious hypocrites I give the following advice: if you truly wish to be president, perhaps you should spend your time addressing the real concerns of this nation: jobs, the economy, the end of war, etc. It’s time to put your obsession with other people’s relationships on a leash. Q

in the banter and fun.

Every six weeks or so we host the Big Gay Fun Bus to Wendover which is a quick nine-hour round-trip journey across the Salt Flats to enjoy a big ass buffet dinner, a cocktail or two, and a little bit of gambling. These fun, social trips for people of all types and persuasions leave from the parking lot of Club Try-Angles, 251 W. 900 South. They are affordable and popular, so book ahead on-line at biggayfunbus.com.

Dates for 2012 are: Jan. 14, Feb, 25, April 7, Oct. 20 and Nov. 24.

The event we are really, really excited about is our new Sunday afternoon Bingo & Dinner which is being held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, 5-8 p.m., at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 4565 W. 3500 South. This venue can hold a kabillion people easily, and the good folks at the F.O.E. will be cooking up a light dinner which is included with your $5 bingo card. Such a deal! Let’s face it, if you are like me, Sunday afternoons are just a “nap on the couch watching football” snooze-fest.

There is absolutely no excuse not to gather up the posse of family and friends, and enjoy some quality socializing and face-time.

And for the love of God unplug, and leave your cell phone in the car for a few hours!

You will feel much better about yourself and I won’t feel compelled to mock you relentlessly.

Happy New Year Cherubs! Q

3RD FRIDAY

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

guest editorial Dear Mrs. Bachmann, will you love me back?

By Nicholas Adelman

ear Mrs. Bachmann, At the molecular level, one could say that you and I are very similar.

Any general biology class will dictate that all animals are composed of cells sharing the same structure. These minute fragments of my body specialize to form organs, tissue and even blood. This same blood that courses through our veins eventually passes through the heart, the organ that so graciously provides life to all animals. After the heart pumps blood to the lungs, where it becomes saturated with oxygen, the blood makes its way to other parts of the body including the brain. The marvelous brain is capable of such a great range of thought and emotion. The only emotion that truly matters in our predicament, Mrs. Bachmann, is love. I love you as a brave woman and fellow human being.

Will you love me back?

Before you make this decision, allow me first to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas Adelman. I am a 16-year-old teenager living in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah.

Throughout the years, I have always been an exemplary student; in fact, I have not received a letter grade lower than an ‘A’ since fifth grade! At school I take a multitude of advanced placement and honors classes as well as advanced art classes. My artwork has received numerous awards and has even been published in Print Magazine. On top of all of this, I have excellent, loving relationships with my family and friends. Now, I can try to elevate myself onto a higher pedestal by feeding myself all of my positive qualities, but the fact still exists: I am not equal to you according to federal and even state laws. You possess certain rights and privileges that would allow me to lead a fulfilled life. I simply cannot fathom myself ever feeling completely happy in life knowing that I cannot marry the man that I love. Despite all of this, I still love you as a sister.

At the age of 11, it seems only natural that a boy would begin seeing girls in a new, different light. I began to notice that boys in my class had “girlfriends;” they would join hands and steal meaningless kisses from one another. From having seen such a vast amount of heterosexuality in my lifetime, I reckoned that it was time for me, Nick, to have a girlfriend too. Back in the day I would convince myself that girls such as Maddie and Meleesa were the girls that I needed to make myself fit in and be happy.

They were, and still are, beautiful girls, but no level of mutual attraction ever existed between those girls and I. I struggled to understand why I had no real interest in

pursuing relationships with girls, all the while I would catch myself stealing glances at other boys.

For a few years I unsuccessfully tried to convince myself that this was just a phase of my ongoing puberty, but I tried out the girlfriend idea quite a few times and always felt disconnected from girls in any physical and romantic respect. You must understand that when I saw Thomas’ face, my heart would flutter and I had to force myself to bottle-in this spontaneous feeling. Dylan’s smile was so charming, and his eyes were the hue similar to that of the clearest sea.

Do you remember these days as a teenage girl? Did you have a Connor or Sam that made you look forward to your math class every day? I cannot comprehend the notion that this feeling I had, and still have,

for other boys is learned; it is too immediate and severe to be something I would ever pick up from any propaganda or infomercial. Once I felt this feeling for a few boys at my school, I was certain of who I was and still continue to be. No gale force wind, electric shock therapy or prayer can change the way I feel when I see the face of any boy I have ever fancied, no matter how short the infatuation with said boy lasted.

This brings me to the final point of my loving letter to you: what about the moral implications of my sexual orientation?

Mrs. Bachmann, I deeply respect any religious choices you have made and I do not wish to question them. After all, this is the land of the free. As you are a woman serving her country, would it be correct to say that you fight for the best interests of the American public as a whole? As I said before, I respect your religious beliefs, but I am kindly asking you to consider that people practice different faiths than your own.

America prides itself in being a melting pot of diversity; it would only seem right to accommodate every American citizen under the law in a fair manner. I am not of any particular faith, so I do not believe that it is fair for Christian-centric laws to apply to me. Does this logic make sense?

guest editorial The time it takes to listen

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By Kevin Hull

s an accidental heterosexual and writer, I feel the necessity to speak on a subject uncomfortable to many. For silence is the great evil. In silence, negative energy circles the globe. The law may hush the mind, but the heart may transcend the law. I am speaking of love.

Love is love. It knows no gender. We may imagine God: surely neither male nor female — (He) must be the source of love.

Who can believe that the most profound and just emotion to be merely an invention of man? Even the atheist must keep an open mind when it comes to the magical and mysterious workings of love.

The secret is in acceptance. When we think we know the ‘right way’ everything becomes justified. After all, the truth is obvious; it is written — or so we are consoled.

But if we love we suffer; if not we promote suffering.

To deny love is to deny life. Those who would, by force, compel others to think and behave as they do are tacitly putting themselves above their sisters and brothers — in short they are overcome by ego. Ego dares not doubt. Love suffers all for the sake of

truth. When we separate ourselves from others — for any reason — we are turning our backs on truth; and even our ‘love’ is suspect. True love accepts and protects.

Of course there are cases for which we must stand firm – but this is in opposition to evil. Love is never evil. And who among us is qualified to judge the integrity of another’s love? Yes, we must oppose the child molester, the dead-beat dad, the thief and the murderer. But we can never oppose love. The sin of judging another has been clearly spoken, and the words “Judge not lest ye be judged” are sacred and should never be compromised. Taking an overview of sexuality, one must admit the possibility of true love — one’s behavior is for God to judge. Or, if one does not believe in God the axiom of ‘minding one’s own business’ applies.

I am a father and have known love; I have also known false love: lust and infatuation.

But in either case who is truly qualified to judge the difference? Given this important and very personal issue one must conclude that the right path is one of withholding judgment and wishing for the best. One’s personal opinion, in a general sense, is also

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

As a politician, I hold you to putting your personal biases aside and deciding what will benefit the masses. Denying happiness and equal treatment to countless American citizens is no way to benefit the masses; it provides an unfair privilege to those who can be married without questioning and consequence. The only outcome of same-sex marriage in America is that same-sex couples will become happily wed. No lifestyle will be forced upon children. No glamorization of sex will come from the homosexual community. One cannot blame poor choices of one person, or a small group, on something so trivial as sexual orientation. Heterosexual men are just as likely to commit crime as homosexual men, and the same applies to women.

It is time that you realize that I am a good person who deserves equality in love just as much as you do.

Mrs. Bachmann, I only ask you to try and understand where I am coming from. Set aside any prejudice or misconceptions you may have regarding the queer community and open your eyes to love. Love exists in heterosexual couples as well as homosexual couples. This is not some phony knockoff of love, but true love. Help me help you and spread the word of love. Q

subject to the same law: The right to think what you think, but not the right to judge any individual, who may very well be the exception to your own belief.

To listen and to see — perhaps we may glean the truth after all. And just maybe this truth will go against our beliefs; beliefs which may have calcified in one’s heart from legitimate sources: upbringing; religion; environment . . . In any case if we claim to love humanity perhaps we should give each individual the benefit of the doubt, and realize that regardless of everything else we ought to mind our own business and try to understand the feelings of others.

I am disheartened that the law of the land seems, in the case of sex, to be more enlightened than the inhabitants of the land: though not always, and in most cases only after a tremendous struggle.

I am just a writer (I too have my opinions) who asks that we learn to pause before concluding, and in the time it takes to listen to realize that if we are to judge, it should be ourselves that we judge, and see in this pause that all cases are of a different nature. Love is love. It knows no gender.

And we are only qualified to hope in the success of love. For without this nothing else will matter. Q

Kevin Hull is a writer and poet, whose work has won several poetry awards. He is the author of “Leaving Blue Mountains; Nameless Traveler” (memoir of an American poet) and “Sleepers in Translation” (selected poems).

“When the Song Left the Sea” — available as an e-book and print edition — can be purchased at White-Heron-Press.com.

QSALTLAKE.COM

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ISSUE 196

VIEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

who’s your daddy?

Lights, camera, action!

Certified Pet Stylist We provide a safe haven for your family member while away from home and take pride in how they look.

By Christopher Katis

’ve loved movies for as long as I can remember. It started when my mom would drop my older siblings and me off at the Murray Theater. It was there — when I was 4 or 5 — that I convinced my very amused big sister to sit through the original True Grit three consecutive times because Glen Campbell kept getting killed.

(I had a huge crush on Glen Campbell when I was little.) In those days you could pay for a movie once, and stay through it as many times as you liked.

And it was there that my brother John, his friend Andre and I saw our first “documentary,” sitting spellbound watching In Search of Bigfoot.

By the time I was in college the Murray had given way to multiscreen megaplex theaters. And my movies like In Search of Big Foot were replaced with Out of Africa and A Passage to India as my tastes matured.

Back then, my best friend, Greg, and I saw a lot of movies. We’d also drive to Park City every year for the Sundance Film Festival and sit through four or five movies in one day.

I guess it’s no surprise then that I’ve passed my love for cinema onto my kids.

More importantly, it’s something we enjoy together. I still like to tease Gus about the time he tried to grab a Swiss army knife that was floating right in front of his face during his first 3D movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

My sister shares my love for movies, so she usually takes the kids to all the first run films. That way they get to see a lot more movies than they would just with me. The poor dear; in just the past few weeks she’s seen everything from Arthur Christmas to The Muppets. But going to the movies is something she and the boys really enjoy doing together.

Plus, that allows me to see just those movies that I think are going to be really exceptional or that offer an important

learning experience for the boys. For example, the boys and I are all big fans of Kung Fu Panda. So when I heard Kung Fu Panda 2 had a pro-adoption theme, I knew we had to see it.

SPOILER ALERT: when Po (the kung fu panda) learns that his father, who is a goose, actually adopted him, I leaned into the boys and asked, “Who else is adopted?”

They nearly shouted, “we are!”

The boys and I have also declared every Friday night as Boys Movie Night at our house. We throw a DVD in, pop a big bowl of corn, and cuddle up on the couch. For me, it serves as both an opportunity to introduce my boys to some of the great kids’ classics of all time like The Jungle Book and The Rescuers, as well as a chance to enjoy newer films I’d otherwise not likely see.

It’s funny, and maybe I’m reading too much into this, but when each of the boys was very young — 2-3 years old, their favorite movies were Bambi, The Jungle Book and Finding Nemo — all of which involve a boy without a mom. Who knows? Maybe they could relate.

It’s been so much fun to watch their cinematic tastes mature: they’re now connoisseurs of Wallace and Gromit films, and very much appreciate the work of Tim Burton. But every now and then, I can still get them to watch Nemo.

Underneath it all, I’m hoping that by establishing this mutual interest in film while they’re young will help us stay connected when they become teenagers.

There are just way too many differences that arise between fathers and their teenage sons as they navigate that transitional time between being a boy and man. It’s still a few years off, but I’m trying to prepare us all for the inevitable showdown.

Who knows, maybe, just maybe, when that time comes, we’ll be able to put our differences aside, every now and then, and just watch a good movie together. Q

I had a huge crush on Glen Campbell when I was little.

GE T YOU R VIQ CAR D AT VIQCAR D.CO M

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

living in QUtah Freedom from religion

By John Hales

t’s got to be tough to be an elected official charged with balancing the wishes of the many and the rights of the few. Sometimes, however, they can’t be balanced, so elected officials must choose one over the other.

That was all too clear last week when the American Fork City Council postponed voting on two proposed city ordinances that would have provided civil-rights protections for homosexuals in matters of housing and employment.

Beginning a public hearing before the council’s decision, American Fork Mayor James Hadfield said, “We have all received reams of emails both for and against (the anti-discrimination ordinances) in the past week or 10 days. I think we have a pretty good idea of where the public stands.”

That’s all he had to say to those present to have a pretty good idea, too, and the public hearing confirmed it: By and large, the public was very much against the ordinances.

The whole matter exposes one of the great struggles in American society and politics. As a quasi-democracy, we’re supposed to be a majority-rules society. Yet we are also a society that seeks to protect the rights of the few when the majority would otherwise trample upon them.

It’s unclear when, or even if, the American Fork City Council will again take up the ordinances for a vote. When they do, however, they ought to look to the precedent set by our Founding Fathers, who took pains to ensure that the majority — or, “where the public stands” — would not rule in all cases.

As the Utah Legislature pointed out a short time ago, the United States is not a true democracy. We are a representative republic. One of the major reasons the Founding Fathers opted that way, rather than for strict democracy, was to prevent democracy from becoming mobocracy.

The public at large could be ignorant, biased and downright prejudiced — not the proper basis for sound decision-making.

The public — even a majority of the public — can sometimes be wrong. Indeed, there’s some evidence that suggests some of our Founding Fathers (Thomas Jefferson and James Madison among them) thought the majority of the common public could be wrong more often than right.

Decisions, therefore, were not to be based simply on majority public sentiment, but on fact and information. Our forefathers knew this, leading them to establish a representative republic, rather

nately still does) that the few needed to be protected from the many. Much of the time in early colonial America, such instances included a religious majority that persecuted a minority of another religion.

That’s why the freedom of religion was one of the first three freedoms to be guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

The majority-religion (whatever it is, wherever it is) usually doesn’t like to hear than a pure democracy. this, but freedom of religion requires freeAnd they also knew there must be pro- dom from religion, as well. tections, at times, for minorities.

That’s why it was ironic that the oppoThat is why they developed the Bill of nents of American Fork’s anti-discriminaRights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. tion propositions often cited freedom of reConstitution. Several states conditioned ligion as the reason why the council should their ratification of the Constitution on vote against the ordinances. the inclusion of those amendments. WithI cannot recall where, in LDS or Chrisout the Bill of Rights to protect the rights tian doctrine, God requires his followers of the few from the many or the powerful, to treat others badly who don’t follow God it’s likely the United States of America, as the same way, or who do things the followwe know it, would never have been estab- ers believe God would rather they not do. lished.

(Now, I suppose we could go to the Old Our history had shown (and unfortu- Testament for that, but I don’t think we

lipstick lesbian

A Christmas angel

S

By H. Rachelle Graham

ometimes people come into my life and make me feel alive. I sacrifice a lot to be in their presence. For example, I did the one thing I never do — I took on extra hours at work.

The reason I took extra shifts had to do with a pretty girl, who I’ll refer to as Anna.

She has cinnamon-colored hair and a personality so breathtakingly attractive, I had to know if she played for my team. She sometimes wore a pride bracelet, but that could mean one of two things: she’s a girl team player or she’s on the sidelines cheering for the lesbians and bisexuals.

She possessed a level of maturity that equaled my own even though I was five years her senior. I guess that doesn’t make me look good. She looked like a Christmas angel who could almost pass for a Victoria Secret angel, if she wasn’t so modest and humble.

Crush didn’t even begin to describe how I was beginning to feel about her.

I didn’t think I stood a chance. I was so shy, I rarely spoke to anyone at work unless I needed to use the broom and couldn’t for the life of me find it any other way.

Physically, I needed more hours at the gym than Anna and I was too shy to even hold a conversation with her. This never stopped her from saying hi and asking how I was doing. She’s he only one besides the bosses who ever bothered to make pleasantries with me. I couldn’t blame them.

A lot of it was me pushing people away. I

didn’t do it on purpose I was just so scared to open up. I remained locked away in my personal safe zone. Once again, I was back in the closet.

I wanted to be able to talk to her and get to know her better but it was like my lips were sewn shut.

Crush didn’t even begin to describe how I was beginning to feel about her.

I woke up one morning, sick of living in a second closest of my own making, determined I would break my shyness even if it was just to say hi to her.

I went to work and looked all around, but there was no sign of her. I started performing my daily cleaning tasks, trying to focus my attention on working rather than the conversations happening around me. I was never one to get involved. Work is a place to work, not make friends. With Anna, I wanted to make an exception.

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QSALTLAKE

want to get mired in the abductio ad absurdum argument which would necessarily follow — Do today’s Christians really intend to exterminate everyone who does not exactly follow God the way the “faithful” think they should?)

I believe it was Jesus — yes, that very same Jesus that LDS and other Christians claim to follow — who said, “Judge not,” and “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” and “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

That’s a freedom of religion that I wish today’s religious were freer about practicing.

But religion aside, our history — and the very form of government our forefathers chose — shows that courageous public officials must sometimes go against the flow of popular sentiment in order to make decisions that are just, informed, and fundamentally right.

I appeal to the American Fork City Council to do exactly that. Q

When the time came, my nerves were standing on end. But I pushed through them, and opened my mouth before I could change my mind.

“Hi Anna. How are you doing? Where did you get that pretty bracelet?” It took every ounce of courage I had to say that, more than I’ve spoken to her in one setting since I met her three months ago.

“My gay friend gave it to me. He got it at Pride,” she shook her cinnamon hair before adding. “My fiance wants to take me to Pride this year. I can’t wait to go, I’ve never gone. Even though its five months away, he mentioned it the other day.”

“That’s cool,” I said, relieved as one of the guys approached her, trying to get her attention.

I turned around, and picked up the broom. So she was an athletic supporter or the so-called cheerleader on the sidelines.

Unless she’s bi, but what bi girl has never been to pride by her late twenties, which is Anna’s age. I highly doubted that one.

Why would I be surprised that she was about to get hitched? All the men and I in the office had a crush on her. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bosses, male and female, also had an interest in her.

I realized it was never going to happen with Anna. She was about to walk down the straight aisle and never return to single land. The best I could hope for was a friendship, but that would require a real break in my shyness.

I worked my shift the best I could, trying to forget that Anna the Angel was nearby. I sometimes closed my eyes, imagining what things would be like if I was her fiancee.

Maybe a Christmas miracle would make it so, but until the impossible I settled for putting the Christmas angel on top of our tree and enjoying Christmas with the ones I love. Q

QSALTLAKE.COM

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A

u

ISSUE 196

VIEWS

DECEMBER 22, 2011

creep of the week T.I.

By D’Anne Witkowski

ttention gays: Recently paroled felon and rapper T.I. thinks you are h too sensitive.

And maybe he’s right. Maybe years of being treated like second-class ecitizens; being accused of, and equated s with, pedophilia and bestiality; being at risk of losing jobs or homes or family; and being bullied and beaten, and even killed, just for being gay has made gays a little sensitive.

- Combine all of that with a love for Barbra Streisand, Broadway, and Bette Midler and yeah, I can see where sensitivity overload might be an issue.

I mean, a person can’t even tell a little gay joke these days without the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation putting out a press release.

Thankfully, T.I. has an exceptionally insensitive sense of humor, which he shared in a recent interview with Vibe magazine.

“Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy [Morgan] say during a stand-up was, ‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive,’” T.I. said. “‘If you can take a dick, you can take a joke’ That shit was funny to me. And it’s kind of true.”

I know, right? It’s so true! I can’t stop LOL-ing at the hilariousness of it.

Actually, I don’t get it. How are taking “a dick” and taking “a joke” related? Maybe he’s saying that both dicks and jokes go in the same place? In this case he’s talking about the butt. And there certainly are a lot of butt-related jokes out there, not to mention dick jokes. So maybe T.I. is just saying he loves his dick jokes good and gay.

In the same interview T.I. accuses gays of being un-American for protesting antigay slurs.

“They’re like, ‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down,’” he said. “That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.”

Ah, there you go. If only anti-gay folks were left to be anti-gay in peace then things would be fine. Never mind the fact that the only reason gays can’t be “gay in peace” is because of the anti-gay folks who not only want to deprive gays of their rights, they also want to deny that gays are fully human and would prefer that they disappear. That, to me, seems like a difficult position to maintain “in peace.”

T.I.’s aforementioned favorite joke

comes from an anti-gay rant Tracy Morgan went on during a June 4, 2011, standup gig. Kevin Rogers, a gay man in the audience, detailed Morgan’s remarks on Facebook after the show.

Morgan made plenty of anti-gay remarks, including that lesbians just pretend to be lesbians because they hate men, kids learn to be gay from the media, and that being gay is a choice. However, all of this paled in comparison to what Morgan said about his son.

Rogers wrote, “[Morgan] said that if his son was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high-pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death.”

Got that? If Morgan’s son was an effeminate gay man, Morgan would murder him in a gruesome and violent way. This certainly goes against the T.I. claim that you should be anti-gay “in peace.” There’s really nothing peaceful about Morgan’s comments. Or funny, for that matter.

As far as gays being too sensitive, Rogers wrote, “I figured at some point the gay jokes would fly and I’m well prepared for a good ribbing of straight gay humor.

I have very thick skin when it comes to humor; I can dish and I can take.”

But threatening to stab your son to death for being gay? That’s not a joke.

And it’s not funny. Morgan has since apologized for the anti-gay rant. T.I., on the other hand, seems determined to keep this “joke” alive. Q

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

16 FEATURE

Person of the Year: Sister Dottie S. Dixon

By Seth Bracken

C

harles Lynn Frost is an exemplar of reaching across boundaries. The actor, who’s well-known for his incarnation of Sister Dottie S. Dixon, is an awardwinning thespian who describes himself as an unrepentant, liberal, queer-rights activist with a penchant for speaking his mind. He’s into leather, uniforms and staying well-informed through books and newspapers. Dottie, however, is on the opposite end of the scale; she’s more conservative, hyper-religious and she’s a woman. And she’s into big hair, homely dresses and Jell-O. “Dottie is the exact opposite of everything I am,” Frost said. “She is Mormon rural Utah and at the core, she’s based on my mama, with a few other inspirations.”

Developed as a part of a KRCL radio show called Now Queer This, Dottie is a Spanish Fork native who married after attending one year at Brigham Young University, and she has a gay son named Donnie.

The segment was eventually

canceled, but Frost was asked to participate as Sister Dottie in a video project for National Coming Out Day; the embodiment of the big hair, heavy makeup, buxom woman was born.

“Dottie embodies the love that Mormon mothers feel toward their sons. I wanted her to show that family comes first, no matter what,” Frost said. “I think there are other messages and goals, but Dottie’s main message is family unity above everything, and that’s something everyone can identify with.”

At first, no one knew who Dottie was, and many thought she was a real mother from Spanish Fork.

“Even my friends who saw the first video didn’t recognize me,” Frost said. “They were speculating about whether she was real or not. I think that allure is what draws people to her, in most cases.”

Mallory Donald still remembers the first time she saw Dottie perform.

“My brother had just come out to me the day before. I was still unsure of how to behave around him. I was trying to be understanding and accepting, but it was so difficult,” Donald said. “I wouldn’t say that seeing Sister Dottie’s play made me totally understand why my brother’s gay. But I would say that it helped me realize that it doesn’t matter why, he’s my brother and I’ll love him no matter what.”

Dottie served as the bridge between boundaries that Donald needed to love and accept her brother, she said.

“I think I was more intimidated by other things I saw on the news. It seems like whenever I see

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QSALTLAKE

gay people on TV or the news, it’s the craziest, most outspoken individuals. That was so intimidating to me. Dottie was relatable, I felt comfortable with her and her message,” Donald said.

Donald, who is an active member of the LDS Church, is not alone in her admiration for Dottie; and Frost estimates that many of her fans are straight and religious.

“Why wouldn’t Mormons like her? She is them! She is their ambassador. She is a collective messiness of everything they are as a religion and people, especially rural Utah Mormons,” Frost said.

Dottie’s message, radio spots and performances have launched her to local celebrity stardom, and in true Dottie fashion, she is a regular at worthy causes as a fundraising effort.

This year alone, Dottie has made appearances for fundraisers and drives at Moab Pride, The Ogden OUTReach Center along with co-host and X96 Radio from Hell’s Bill Allred, the Salt Lake Men’s Choir and the Youth Empowerment Summit. She also periodically appears on a segment called The Painful Circle hosted on X96’s morning show.

“We’re very careful to select worthwhile organizations and not to let people get tired of her,” Frost said. “But that’s tough, and I try to budget my time as best as I can.”

It’s fair to say that Dottie has taken on a life of her own and has even started to invade on Frost’s life. Half of his largest closet is dedicated to Dottie’s outfits and he estimates that she will soon be taking a hiatus so Frost can dedicate more time to his husband and grandchildren.

“My husband is very understanding. Not only does he support Dottie in all her many charitable outlets, he also supports me during the performances and helps with costume changes,” Frost said. “I just can’t believe how great he is and how lucky I am.”

The happy couple went to New York and was married on Sept. 15 and has been together for 10 years.

But before Dottie takes a break, she’s launching her latest installment, Dottie: The Sister Lives On. Dottie will be experiencing new highs and lows to push her into new territory in this latest installment.

“I’m not afraid to take Dottie into new territory that might be a little more contentious.

This time around, Dottie is going to be pushing for gay marriage,” Frost said. “Dottie’s also going to hit some new lows. It’s going to be tough for the audience, but it’s what has to happen for her to grow.”

The show, hosted by the Salt Lake Acting Company, runs Feb. 15-March 4. Tickets are selling fast and are available at saltlakeactingcompany.org.

“I’m so happy to see Dottie’s progression as a person. I hope that she continues to be a bridge and a conversation starter,” Frost said.

QSaltLake is proud to announce that the person of the year is Charles Lynn Frost, for his outstanding ambassadorship building connections between gay and straight, queer and family, and putting a smile on our faces while he does it.

As Sister Dottie would say, ‘We’re just sa proud of ya, sister!’ Q

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For tickets call 801-355-arts (2787) or visit utahsymphony.org. text ‘symphony’ to 53535 For special deals sent to your phone!

DECEMBER 22, 2011

18 FEATURE

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QSALTLAKE

Additional People of the Year: Other bridge builders in our community who raise funds for various charities — gay, straight and otherwise.

Ruby Ridge and the Matrons of Mayhem

F

or three years, the third Friday of each month has been marked with wigs, polyester and absurd amounts of clownish makeup at the First Baptist Church in Salt Lake City. Ruby Ridge and the Matrons of Mayhem bring bingo balls, party fouls and fabulous prizes to the church to raise money for a different charity each month. Like the costumes of the fabulous ladies, the charity changes month to month, but the insanity and hilarity that ensues never does.

Third Friday Bingo attracts hundreds of participants and serves as a bridge between the gay and straight communities, said Don Steward, the man behind the makeup of Ruby Ridge. The amount of attendees and the ratio of gay to straight vary each week, but it is usually about 65 percent gay

and 35 percent straight, he said. And the number of straight attendees has been growing, especially since the LDS Church voiced its support for antidiscrimination laws in Salt Lake City.

“We didn’t specifically target a straight audience. But our venue dictated we be a little more family friendly, which started to attract the straight audience and I think word of mouth made us a little more popular,” Steward said.

“We are that place where you can bring your coworker or LDS family member and they can still feel comfortable.”

The Matrons are spreading their camp-drag glory out far and wide and will be launching a new program on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at the West Valley City Fraternal Order of Eagles, where they expect to attract a

straight, blue-collar audience.

“The straight guys get us. They buy into our persona and they understand the joke. When they get a party foul, they work that wig and really get into it,” Steward said.

The Matrons are also expanding their programming to include a ‘Thigh-High Sci-Fi’ series at Club Try-Angles where they’ll be screening campy sci-fi movies, such as Young Frankenstein and Flash Gordon. The event will be held Wednesday nights through the end of February, from 7-9 p.m.

The drag troupe has aided dozens of charities and raise around $1,500 a month.

“We adopted our name almost as an accident.

It was a throw out name we came up with at the last minute. But I think it’s very appropriate,” Steward said. “We’re not trying to be anything but big hairy guys in a dress, but we are very matronly. We’re never mean-spirited and we try to bring support and love to the community.”

It was that support and love, both for the gay and straight communities that earned Ruby Ridge and the Matrons of Mayhem an honorable mention for the people of the year. Building bridges, one polyester event at a time, the Matrons embody the spirit of unity that our world so desperately needs.

The Utah Cyber Sluts

O

n the second Friday of each month, hundreds of Utah gays and allies gather for a raucous and rowdy night of bingo, hosted by the ever-so-fabulous Utah Cyber Sluts. This group of large, hairy men in dresses, wigs and absurd makeup raises thousands of dollars for different charities, participates in other fundraisers, and opens a venue for gays and their friends to enjoy themselves in a low-pressure atmosphere.

“We have some awesome prizes that we give away, but people aren’t really coming to bingo for that. The prizes are just a bonus, people come to bingo to have a good time and give to a good cause,” Fonda Dixx, a Cyber Slut, said.

In 2011, the Sluts raised more than $16,000 in the monthly bingo games. In addition to the worthy charities each month, the bingo has helped the Fraternal Order of Eagles, where the event is held, replace tables and will soon be replacing the chairs. Also, alcohol sales on the second Friday of each month has skyrocketed, and the queer group at the University of Utah Law School, the Outlaws, sells concessions to benefit their group. Hundreds of people attend bingo each month and it’s a terrific place to meet new people and make friends in an usual environment.

“We’re involved in so many causes and we love all the community getting involved with us,” said Ivonna Cox, another Cyber Slut. “We’re all volunteers and donate our own time and money. We need people to come to bingo and

we also need people to donate items to sponsor the event.

Anyone that wants to help should come and talk to us.”

Joining the Sluts is a huge commitment, but a worthwhile and rewarding venture, said Ida Slapter, another Cyber Slut.

“There are so many great causes we help, and having a place for people to come and socialize is really important,” Ida said.

While the crowd varies widely between gay and straight, there is usually a 60-40 ratio between straight and gay, the Sluts said.

“We don’t check at the door, but there are usually more straight people than gay people,” Fonda said. “We want the straight community to come and support us as well. We love having the mixture and we especially love our straight fans.”

It’s the bridging of the gap between gay and straight, offering a safe place to be queer, or not, and raising money for good causes that made the Utah Cyber Sluts receive an honorable mention for people of the year. Don’t let their pounds of makeup and thrift-store dresses fool you, these Sluts are some of the kindest, most charitable and helpful men in Salt Lake City.

Check them out every second Friday at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 7 p.m., 1104 W. 2100 South. Also, find the Utah Cyber Sluts on Facebook to stay up to date on other events and happenings.

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

FEATURE

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20 FEATURE

2011 in review

From protests to Pink Dot, and Pride to queer prom, 2011 was a momentous year for Utah. Here’s a recap of the most influential incidents of the year.

January February Activist website Change.org named Equality Utah as one of the top 10 “Gay Rights Heroes of 2010” for their work in helping 10 Utah municipalities in passing nondiscrimination ordinances in hous­ing and employment that include gay and transgender people.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Utah Lt. Gov. Greg Bell joined national leaders in a call for increased civility in the political process.

Following the assassination attempt of Arizona Rep. Gabriel Giffords, Utah leaders called for curtailing the political rhetoric.

Members of the virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church held protests at the Sundance Film Festival and at West High School in Salt Lake City. In Park City the protest was held against a film called Red State, which is loosely based on the church.

A bill that would have allowed second-parent adoptions for straight and gay couples was killed in a Senate committee. Democrat Pat Jones voted against the bill prompting gay activists to call her a traitor and petition for her ouster.

Gov. Gary Herbert received the annual United Families Utah award for his opposition to Rep. Pat Jones (D-Sandy) civil unions. The socalled “Champion of the Family” award is given each year to someone who supports a conservative viewpoint of fami-

lies and family structure.

After a last-ditch effort by Sen. Ben McAdams to move a statewide nondiscrimination bill onto the floor for debate failed, all gayrelated legislation was killed. This included three bills sponsored by Rep. LaVar Christensen which were seen as threatening to Utah queers.

Victims of sexual assault can request their alleged attackers be tested for HIV under a new bill that cleared the Utah Legislature and was signed by the governor. The request would happen before a conviction, based only

QSALTLAKE

state for the rest of his life. He has suffered from a variety of ailments, including diabetes.

April

The Utah Pride Center sponsored a Youth Empowerment Summit for all gay and al­lied youth, attracting dozens from around the state.

Hundreds of youth also attended Queer Prom.

For the second time in six months, the city council in Cedar City rejected two anti-bias ordinances that would protect against dis­ crimination based on gender identity and sexual

March

Jordon Corona

Ogden City Council

Westboro Church members protest Sundance A group of queer-rights protestors gathered on the steps inside the Utah State Capitol Building bringing attention to the need to pass statewide anti-discrimination legislation in a rally called ‘This is Our Voice.’ Protestors held signs recognizing the cities from which they hail to illustrate the need for equal protection around the state.

Utah polls dead last in support of gay marriage, only 22 percent, which is well below the national average. However, since 1994, that number nearly doubled.

on probable-cause evidence presented to a judge.

The Utah chapter of the Stonewall Democrats elected Todd Bennett as the new board chair.

The Utah Legislature passed Todd Bennett a bill changing liquor and beer service hours, increasing the number of restaurant liquor licenses and eliminating mini-kegs in Utah liquor stores, among a variety of other changes. The bill started a series of changes including re-establishing the ‘Zion Curtain,’ barring restaurants from visibly storing beer, wine and liquor.

ISSUE 196

The Ogden City Council unanimously passed two anti-bias ordinances to pro­tect against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in housing and the workplace.

It became the 12th mu­nicipality in Utah to pass similar bills.

A transgender woman said she was stared and laughed at by employees of the Utah Driver’s License Division, and she was asked to remove her makeup before renewing her driver’s license. Regina Audette tried to renew her license at a Salt Lake City DLD when she was subjected to the mistreatment. The incident led to the resignation of the directors of Transgender Education Advocates of Utah and a series of meetings to discuss possible actions.

South Jordan Republican delegates chose businessman Aaron Osmond as a replacement for outgoing Sen. Chris Buttars.

Buttars, who repeatedly placed himself in the lime­ light for his anti-gay and racist re­marks, Sen. Aaron Osmond announced his retirement at the end of the legislative session. He served in the Senate for 10 years, the minimum requirement to receive health coverage from the

orientation in the workplace and housing.

A 20-year-old gay Utah man was at­tacked after leav­ing Club Sound. Jordon Corona said the assault was a hate crime. Corona was treated for a concussion and had bruises and cuts on his face.

Utah’s largest AIDS and HIV-assistance program to help obtain medications and other services closed its services to new applicants, said Mike Lowe, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program administrator. The program, which is funded by the Ryan White Part B funds from the federal government, received less funding than expected, and in order to compensate for the budget shortfalls, no new applicants are being accepted, Lowe said.

Peter Vidmar, a Mormon, stepped down from his post as the chief of mission for the U.S. Olympic team in 2012 after reports of his opposition to gay marriage came to light.

Health insurance benefits Peter Vidmar were approved for domestic partners of employees of the Salt Lake City School District. The announcement came after the district changed the policy to prohibit discrimination against students and employees based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

FEATURE

recipients. The awards were presented at the HRC Utah “Be Part of Equality” Gala.

June

The 2011 Utah Pride Festival was the largest on record attracting approximately 28,000 people to Salt Lake City for the festival, according to the Utah Pride Center. With exactly 100

Ieti Mageo, Ietitaia Tavita Nuusila and Ricky Peace

May

Four people charged in connection with the beatings of DJ Bell-Fair and his partner, Dan, were sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and rioting charges. Three of the defendants, Ricky Ian Peace, 34; Ieti David Mageo, 33; and Ietitaia Tavita Nuusila, 27, were sentenced to serve zero to five years in prison on all three charges; however, they are allowed to serve all three sentences concurrently. The fourth person, Lulu Latu, was sentenced to serve 365 days in jail, but 180 days of the sentence was waived.

Utah’s Plan-B Theatre Company, and Utah Pride Center and Equality Utah co-founder Michelle Turpin, were selected as the Human Rights Campaign of Utah Equality Award

45

entries, the Pride Parade was one of the largest parades in Utah and the Best Float Award went to the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps.

After 30 years since AIDS was first detected, there are 33.4 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, 2.7 million new HIV infections per year and 2 million annual deaths due to AIDS. Infection rates are still alarmingly high, especially in the queer people of color communities.

Former Rep. Jackie Biskupski Utah’s first openly gay legislator Jackie Biskupski stepped down from her position representing House District 30. After purchasing a home outside her district, Biskupski was forced to step aside.

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July Jim Dabakis, co-founder of Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center, was elected to lead Utah’s Democratic Party, making him the first openly gay head of a major party Jim Dabakis in Utah.

Brian Doughty was selected to fill the House seat vacated by Jackie Biskupski, Utah’s first openly gay representative, at the Utah Democratic Convention.

Doughty is the only openly gay legislator currently serving, though he will lose his seat to redistricting.

In a letter Brian Doughty from Mayor Ralph Becker, the date July 5, 2011, was declared National Civil Rights March Across America Day in Salt Lake City. The day was named in honor of Richard Noble, who stopped in Salt Lake on his march across the United States wielding a rainbow flag.

Gay and lesbian couples, including some from Utah, began marrying in New York on July 24 — the first day the law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect.

The number of reported same-sex couples living together in Utah jumped 73 percent over the past decade, according to 2010 Census data. This came as the total number of Utah households grew by only 25 percent. The Census shows that the number of same-sex couples living together in Utah at 5,814, which is up from 3,360 in the year 2000.

attendees. Former San Fran­cisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was the keynote speaker,and the original founders of Equality Utah were honored.

A poll released by the Human Rights Campaign indicated that a large majority of Utahns support laws protecting members of Utah’s queer com­munity against bias in the workplace, housing and against bullying in schools. According to the poll, 77 percent of

HRC Road to Equality bus

August

The Human Rights Campaign kicked off its 17-city national bus tour in Salt Lake City. The tour, which was dubbed, ‘On the Road to Equality,’ focused on areas around the country where queer citizens do not have many protec­ tions and rights, such as protection against bias in housing and the workplace.

Equality Utah celebrated 10 years of being the premier political organization in Utah with an Allies Dinner attracting more than 1,200

QSaltLake Lagoon Day

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Utahns, and 73 percent of Mormon Utahns, want laws protecting against discrimina­tion in the workplace and housing.

More than 1,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender amusement-park lovers attended this year’s QSaltLake Lagoon Day. Utah’s queer community got a lot peppier with the introduction of the Salt Lake City branch of Pride Cheerleading. Valina Eckley, a veteran of the San Francisco branch of the PCA, started the local group.

After the brutal beating of a 20-yearold Salt Lake City resident outside Club Sound in Salt Lake City, Utah’s queer community was on high alert. Another attack in American Fork against a gay man inspired candlelight vigils and community meetings. Multiple fundraisers for Dane Hall were held around the state.

Dane Hall

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

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WENdY mAcLEod Set in the New York City hip-hop music industry (with a slight nod to Othello), Find and Sign takes us through the bumpy romance between an on-the-rise young record executive and an idealistic public school teacher.

One of the country’s most noted contemporary playwrights, Wendy MacLeod (House of Yes) has written a funny, touching and compelling romance for our time, and holds her world premiere at Pioneer Theatre Company.

Contains strong language and themes.

801.581.6961 PioneerTheatre.org

47

DECEMBER 22, 2011

September After nearly a decade of operation, Connexion.org, shut down its servers and closed down the site. Along with the dating service, Connexion included a community calendar and a section for queer-related news.

The murder investigation of a young, black, gay man in 1978 was reopened for investigation.

Tony Adams was stabbed to death in his Salt Lake City apartment and no arrests were made in the original case.

Daniel Sever was arrested after he hid in the thrift shop, Our Store, in Salt Lake City, staying past closing time.

From Dec. 21, 1993 to Sept.

20, 2011 the U.S. military banned Daniel Sever gay and lesbian service members from serving openly under “don’t ask don’t tell.” The repeal of the discriminatory policy was hailed by gay rights activists, however, transgender Americans still are not allowed to serve.

After more than three years, DJ Bell’s request to the Crime Victims Reparation to pay for injuries he sustained during an assault in his Salt Lake City home was granted.

The Evergreen International Conference held in Salt Lake City attracted hundreds of gays, lesbians and their friends and family. Evergreen strictly follows the traditions of the Mormon Church and teaches that homosexuality can be overcome and even reversed. The group is not officially condoned by the Mormon Church, yet one of its leading authorities, Elder Jay Jensen, was the keynote speaker and he gave Evergreen a stamp of approval.

Ricky Peace, Ieti Mageo, and Ieti­taia Tavita Nuusila, who were sentenced to zero to five

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years for the brutal beatings of David James “DJ” and Dan Bell-Fair, in 2008, had their first parole hearings. The three attackers were sen­tenced in May and their parole hear­ing was held Sept. 29. Peace has a tenta­tive parole date of Dec. 31, 2013; Mageo is scheduled for Dec. 16, 2014 and Nuusila is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2012.

These dates are dependent on good behavior and the completion of vari­ous evaluations and treatments.

David Daniels

48 FEATURE

Sean Oviatt at the Q Business Alliance Iron Florist Fundraiser for their Anti Violence Rewards Fund

October A gala fundraiser to benefit the anti-violence reward fund unlike any seen in Utah raised more than $5,000. The event, sponsored by the Q Business Alliance, featured an Iron Florist competition, with some of Salt Lake City’s top florists producing arrangements onsite in a 30-minute time period.

Queer-friendly businesses are at

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.com

David Newkirk

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

49

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Moab Pride Festival In honor of National Coming Out Day, hundreds of Utah queers and their allies gathered at the Spring Mobile Ballpark to form an enormous pink dot. The Pink Dot event, sponsored by the Support. Love. Courage. council, included celebrity ambassadors Kurt Bestor, Hope Woodside and The Anser.

Eric Alva, the first American injured in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, celebrated National Coming Out Day with a visit to Salt Lake City.

He spoke at Salt Lake Community College and at the Pink Dot event.

Utah’s redistricting efforts led to the com­ bination and elimination of several Salt Lake City districts, including House Dis­trict 30, which is represented by Utah’s only openly gay representative, Brian Doughty. HD 30 will be combined with House Districts 26 and 25.

With a history of community involvement, Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City, advo­ cates for inclusiveness, compassion in gov­ ernment and fiscal responsibility. Facing an impending redistricting that would pit him against a fellow Democrat, Romero said he reviewed his options and decided to make a bid for Salt Lake County Mayor.

The first annual Moab Pride Festival at­ tracted more than 200 people to an aware­ness march and more than 500 to the festi­val at the city park.

The first Utah Undie Run smashed the pre­ vious world record of a gathering of people in their underpants with 2,270 officially counted participants, although many more were in attendance dressed in costumes and other apparel.

The Guinness Book of World Record committee certified that the event was the largest recorded gather­ing of its kind. The previous record was 550 people, set in England.

ewkirk

FEATURE

A portal for all gay Utah entertainment, GaySaltLake.com was launched, quickly becoming a landing pad for queers looking for places to visit. The site includes an entertainment calendar, photo galleries and articles.

Bus Tour February 10–12

November Democratic state Sen. Ben McAdams an­nounced he will be running for Salt Lake County Mayor in 2012 on a platform of eco­nomic development, improving air quality and education. McAdams will be competing with Senate Minority Leader Ross Rome­ro for his party’s nomination.

Former U.S. Senate candidate and founder/ owner of XMission, Pete Ashdown, announced he will campaign to be the next U.S. Senator from Utah, a seat currently held by Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Hundreds of people participated in the ‘I am Equal’ photo project in Salt Lake City.

Participants had their photos taken after they were stamped with a temporary tattoo that reads, ‘I am Equal’ — a support for various causes.

December Dozens gathered on the steps of the Salt Lake City and County Building to commemorate World AIDS Day. The Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing Dec. 1 as the day for continuing education on prevention of HIV and AIDS, as well as to honor those who have died from the disease.

Saliva Sister and Utah Pride Festival staple Kristen Merrill passed away at the age of 60 from liver disease. To her many adoring queer fans she was known as Byla Saliva.

American Fork was the first city in Utah County to consider passing nondiscrimination ordinances. It would be Utah’s 14th municipality to protect against bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Q

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

50 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

ALLSTAR WEEKEND

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

See Jan. 17

gay agenda

Knowing your queer composers

By Tony Hobday

I’d like to take this time to wish you a happy holiday season — particularly in regard to New Year’s Eve. It’s not only the day when you realize the whole year has past you by without any accomplishments ... well, except for the new hair growth in your ears and other orifices. Wait a minute ... now that I think about it, my resolutions last year, for 2011, were to accomplish french-kissing Barry Manilow and flogging Dennis McCracken into submission ... both of which I did accomplish; however, the flogging of Dennis was by far the easiest. Good for me!

22

thursday — The Cathedral of the Madeleine

Choir performs gay composer Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. Britten, who died in 1976, is a renowned English composer. He composed this performance piece aboard a ship crossing the North Atlantic during World War II. It’s an unusual setting for treble voices and harp, and the “carols” are largely the product of 15th and 16th century writers. The work opens and closes with the choir processing to plainsong, and the carol settings, in between, deal with the traditional stories surrounding the birth of Christ.

12:15pm, Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 E. South Temple. Free, 801-3288941 or saltlakecathedral.org.

24 25

saturDAY — Hundreds of skiers and snow-

boarders will ride (if they’re gay, it’s more of a swish) down the mountain at Snowbird Ski Resort in a line carrying torches, with a special appearance from Santa Claus rappelling out of the Aerial Tram. The Snowbird Torchlight Parade & Fireworks begins at dusk. The evening will end with a candlelight service.

UPCOMING EVENTS Feb. 14 Lady Antebellum ESA

Mar. 20 Kelly Clarkson Maverik Ctr

Jul. 5 Foster The People Saltair

Dusk, Snowbird Ski Resort, somewhere up Little Cottonwood Canyon where the air is thin and your nipples stand at attention. Free, snowbird.com.

sundaY — First of all, merry Christmas,

joy to the world, may your yuletide be gay and all that other festive ... crap. Sorry, I’m really not a Scrooge, I’ve just been in a really bad mood for 20 years — Santa still hasn’t brought me a pair of socks with little pink bows, so I’m ornery. Anyhoo, enjoy the day with your immediate, or extended, family. BTW, Club Try-Angles and The Trapp will be serving their fabulous Christmas feasts, if you’re so inclined ... to get food poisoning. Hahaha! I really am a betch!

Club Try-Angles, 2pm, 251 W. 900 South, 801-364-3203. The Trapp, 5pm, 102 S. 600 West, 801-531-8727.

31

saturday — As you may have noticed, there

are no events between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve listed in this agenda because I understand “recovery time.” So, in hindsight, it only makes sense that there are no further events listed until the Pride Festival. JK, would I really do that to you? Anyhoo, partake in

the festivities at your favorite bar or club this New Year’s Eve as they host fabulous, fun and likely raunchy parties. From JAM to the Paper Moon, ring in the New Year in style and in someone else’s bed.

3

tuesday — Set on a tropical

island during World War II, South Pacific tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples — U.S. Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque, and Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young, local native girl Liat — and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. This Tony Awardwinning musical consists of some of the greatest music written by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Times vary, through Jan. 8, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South. Tickets $32.50–62.50, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.

4

wednesday — Beginning tonight, and running every Wednesday through Leap Year, is Ruby Ridge & the Mattress of Mayhem’s Thigh-High Sci-Fi Theater.

Join them for campy sci-fi flicks, Dr. Who episodes, raffles and prizes. Tonight’s flick is Young Frankenstein. Closing the nineweek run, from galaxies far, far away (and the planet Rubella — Ruby’s birthplace), is a fabulous Leap Year costume party on Feb. 29.

7–9pm, Wednesdays through Feb. 29, Club Try-Angles, 251 W. 900 South. For more info call 801-364-3203.

6

friday — The Utah Symphony presents Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. With Conrad Tao at the piano and guest conductor Andrey Boreyko, the pieces include “The Enchanted Lake” by Anatoly Liadov, Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5” and, of course, queer composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1”.

8pm, through Saturday, Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple. Tickets $17–65, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.

7

saturday — Plan-B Theatre

Company and Theatre Arts Conservatory present the 5th annual Student Slam — five 10-minute plays are created and rehearsed in 23 hours. The 24th hour, they hit the stage.

Local playwrights include Tobin Atkinson, Eric Samuelsen, Beth Bruner and others; directors include Jay Perry, Colleen Baum and Mark Fossen. Plus, 25 student actors, age 12 to 19, will participate — they hail from Judge Memorial, West, Skyline and Olympus (my alma mater) high schools, among others.

8pm, Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. Broadway. Tickets $12, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.

12

thursday — Wasatch

Theatre Company is taking on sexual and emotional abuse in their production of Neil LaBute’s In a Dark Dark House. The story takes place in, according to LaBute, “a blue-collar world; a vague Midwestern town you wouldn’t

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

want to stop in if you knew what was going on there.” Two grown brothers reunite and attempt to sort through their dysfunctional history that involves substance, emotional and sexual abuse.

8pm, through Jan. 28, Studio Theatre, Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. Broadway. Tickets $15, 801355-ARTS or arttix.org.

QQ Back by popular demand to the Desert Star stage is CSI: Provo, a parody on the several television series and on Utah. An absent-minded professor, who moonlights as a crime scene investigator finds himself wrapped up in the murder of a controversial filmmaker on the day of his wedding. Will his fiancee wait for him or run off with his evil nemesis, a BYU English professor?

Times vary, through Mar. 24, Desert Star Theatres, 4861 S. State St. Tickets $9.95–19.95, 801-2662600 or desertstar.biz.

13

friday — One of the greatest gay icons and most sought-after actresses, Meryl Streep, returns to the silver screen in what is likely yet another Oscar-winning performance. In The Iron Lady, Streep walks in the shoes of England’s first female prime minister. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Margaret Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a maledominated world. Lesbian director Phyllida Lloyd ... well, directs.

Times vary, Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. Broadway. Tickets $6.25–8.75, 801-746-0288 or saltlakefilmsociety.org.

QQ Last week the Utah Symphony was inspired by three renowned classical composers; this week the symphony is inspired by two classic film stars, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In Dancing and Romancing, Broadway and Hollywood mix it up with a night of song and dance featuring the music of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin. Jerry Steichen conducts.

8pm, through Saturday, Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple. Tickets $27–85, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.

save the Her HRC Utah date January 15

January 4–8

Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week communityvisions.org

7:30pm, Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City.

Tickets $18–65, 435-655-3114 or ecclescenter.org.

17

tuesday — The young

and fervent band Allstar Weekend is a trio of cute popsters, who gained accolades and popularity with performances on the Disney Channel — I know, but don’t dis ’em yet! Remember the Disney veterans Britney, Justin, Raven and those brothers who each look like a young Janeane Garafalo? Anyhoo, the band’s in town tonight promoting their sophomore release, All the Way. Ooooolala!

6pm, The Grand venue at The Complex, 536 W. 100 South. Tickets $16 adv/$18 day of show, 801-4678499 or smithstix.com.

February 26

UAF Oscar Night

August 5

QSaltLake Lagoon Day

March 8–9

August 5

sundance.org

utahpridecenter.org

Sundance Film Festival LGBTQ Youth Summit SAGE Garden Party QUAC Ski-N-Swim February 23–26

equalityutah.org

QQ MOMIX, a decades-old company of dancer-illusionists returns to Utah with Botanica. The company’s artistic director Moses Pendleton’s creative genius brings a new “earthly and otherworldly” multimedia performance. Using larger-than life props, remarkable grace and athleticism, outrageous costumes, projected imagery and an eclectic score (ranging from Vivaldi to birdsong), Botanica is a whimsical homage to nature that overflows with imagination.

January 19–29

Big Gay Fun Bus to Wendover

EU Jazz Brunch feat.

Angela Bingham

11:45am, Club Try-Angles parking lot, 251 W. 900 South. To buy tickets call 801-649-6663 or go to biggayfunbus.com.

qsaltlake.com

January 14

January 15

of you may be weary of taking another trip to Wendover on the Big Gay Brokedown Fun Bus, but I’m here to ease your hesitation. Michael and I have been taking classes in auto repair out at the prison ... shut up, it’s cheap! We already know how to unlock a car door with a tennis ball and take off all four tires in less than 90 seconds. So don’t be afraid, you’ve got two gay grease-monkeys on your side ... and one 300-lb., bald, burly, tattooed dude called Lil Pito — Michael’s his bitch!

utahaids.org

February 17–19

Elevation Park City Gay Ski Week

51

saturday — I know some

hrc.org

quacquac.org

biggayfunbus.com

14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

May 19

utahpridecenter.org August 26

Gay Day at Hogle Zoo

Pride Center Golf Classic

tinyurl.com/gayzooutah

utahpridecenter.org

June 1–3

September 22

Utah Pride Festival

utahgayski.com

utahpridefestival.org

February 25

July 13–15

Big Gay Fun Bus to Wendover

Damn These Heels Film Festival

biggayfunbus.com

damntheseheels.org

Pink Dot Utah pinkdotut.org September 26

EU Allies Dinner equalityutah.org Email arts@qsaltlake.com

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

52 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“

what should we do this weekend?

ISSUE 196

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”

I

o i a

l

w r n M

Gerardo Erazo

“

Local author takes on queer suicide, depression

i dunno. where should we look?

By Seth Bracken

F

” “

oh, oh, oh! there’s that new gaysaltlake.com!

”

gaysaltlake.com bar events, arts, restaurants, salt lake scene, fun pics BROUGHT TO YOU BY Q

or 20-year-old Royal, an openly gay Utah author, adversity is no stranger. At a young age, he loved writing. He wrote a story about adventures with Cat in the Hat at the park and swimming in his flooded bathroom that was published in a local paper.

Yet, despite his creativity and drive, he had to overcome a learning disability that would stop most writers in their tracks. Royal is dyslexic.

Despite the challenges, Royal’s second novel, Jitters, is set to be released Jan. 23, on National Reading Day. The story follows Jens, a man in pursuit of fame and fortune who stumbles into a coffee shop, not unlike Greenhouse Coffee on 3300 South and 900 East in Salt Lake City. While there he finds the solution to his problems, or so it appears.

“The book is really about facing and overcoming challenges,” Royal said. “I think it’s something everyone can relate to, especially LGBT youth and adults who faced difficulties while growing up a little different.”

The story follows Jens as he interacts with others searching for their inspiration, including sometimes-suicidal Lance, who is gay. Along with being attracted to members of the same sex, Lance stands out because he has a switch

v s y

m

on his chest that can be flipped, ending his life t - flip the switch back and Lance comes back to a life.

“Lance’s story is inspired by all the recent c viral project, ‘It Gets Better,’ videos. Sometimes s Lance just can’t take it anymore, but inevitably b someone comes along and flips his switch back t on and he sees that it really does get better.

T This battle symbolizes that suicide is never an option,” Royal said. “Lance embodies those e battles with depression and suicide that so t many people face today, especially within our T LGBT community. I think we need more positive m portrayals and role models in literature and a other media.” o The book, while dishing out metaphors by the t handful, also explores love and relationships.

And just when Jens thinks he has all he ever e wanted, he discovers his goals may not be what o he needs to achieve happiness. p Royal’s second novel is his first adult book.

Drawing on his life experiences growing up in s Magna, Utah, the book is designed to challenge h the reader in overcoming difficulties and pushing boundaries.

For more information and to purchase his works go to royalisinyourhead.com.

Last-Minute Christmas Idea:

Big Gay Fun Bus Tickets for January 14!

BigGayFunBus.com or 800-838-3006

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

fabulous person Rev. Barbara Coeyman

I

t was the accepting nature of people and the openness to ideas that first attracted Rev. Barbara Coeyman to the South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society.

Coeyman, formally a professor of musicology at West Virginia University, has been leading the flock at the SVUUS since September, and she enjoys every minute of it.

“I love it. I love it here and I love what I’ve learned,” Coeyman said.

The Unitarian Universalist has a storied and well-documented past of supporting queer rights and was one of the biggest proponents in pushing for marriage equality in Massachusetts.

“We are advocates of social justice and are very accepting of the LGBT community,” she said. “No one will try to change you or make you anything other than what you are.”

While some of the operations of the church meetings are similar to Christian gatherings, the Universalists are accepting of all paths and beliefs.

“We respect diversity and that diversity can come in the form of theological principles,” she said. “You might be at church sitting between a Buddhist and a Jew. But we respect the various paths that people are pursuing.

There are as many paths as there are people.”

Visitors to a typical Sunday service can expect to be greeted at the door, introduced to other attendees and shown the building.

The congregation begins the day with a large meeting where hymns are sung and sermons are given. After the main gathering, a breakout session ensues and children are entertained in a positive learning environment.

“We welcome diversity in its many forms, especially diversity of thought, and we’re open to each individual’s spiritual journey or path,” she said.

Coeyman’s experience as an educator and specialist in music has translated well into her ministry, she said.

“I heard a call to ministry and began my education. I finished in 2001 and then finished my fellowship in 2003. I’ve been involved since then,” she said.

The church is hosting a candlelight vigil on Dec. 24, 5 p.m., and the church will hold services Christmas Day and New Year’s Day at 10:30 a.m.

For more information about the church and services, go to svuus.org or visit the church at 6876 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City.

s

DecideToDrive.org

53

DECEMBER 22, 2011

54 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Denis the Menace

Getting down to earth with one of the scariest men on television

By Chris Azzopardi

M

eeting Denis O’Hare should be scary as hell. But today, in the back of homo-hotspot Saint Felix in West Hollywood on his day off, O’Hare doesn’t project the eeriness he does as a horny True Blood vamp and mysteriously deformed man who just suffocated a potential homebuyer on American Horror Story.

PHOTO: Warner Bros

So far in the debut season of the smash FX show, O’Hare, who plays Larry Harvey, has dosed a house in gasoline, killed the-man-ofthe-house’s mistress and fought fervently for a home that’s become a tough sell — and not just because the economy is sucking.

“Murder House,” as it’s called, is a freaky L.A. residence with a dark past and a new family: the

Harmons, a threesome hopeful for a new start.

But what’s up with the neighbors, including Jessica Lange’s crazy super-mom Constance?

And who’s this Larry guy and why is this house so important to him?

O’Hare leans back after taking a sip of his cranberry-orange seltzer water concoction — his “incredibly demanding diva drink” — and tells us.

“I don’t think he’s evil. He’s acting out of a particular desire for something. For me, all characters have a justification for their behavior; they always think that what they’re doing is necessary for a reason. Even Phantom of the Opera has a real reason: He was in love with someone, he was scarred, he wants love and revenge.”

O’Hare, at this very moment, just wants some food. He orders a smorgasbord of nibblers that he eats in between talk of Ryan Murphy’s AHS, the upcoming season of True Blood and the new foster child he’s caring for with husband Hugo Redwood, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Holding his phone up, O’Hare flips through photos of his family, looking for the one of the kid flashing his happy-as-can-be grin.

Like O’Hare’s partner, the actor’s nearly-1-year-old baby’s black, and when he comes upon one pic of the boy atop O’Hare’s lap and a friend’s child, who’s white, sitting on Redwood, he finally breaks into a maniacal smirk.

“We’re the right wing’s worst nightmare,” O’Hare says. “Wrong colored baby on the wrong person’s lap — oh my god!”

And you thought Larry was scary.

Before getting the call from Ryan Murphy desperately wanting O’Hare to take on Larry, the actor was already doing creepy on True Blood, as the ancient former vampire king of Mississippi, Russell Edgington.

Premiering this summer, season five sees the return of the Master of Nutcases, as the 2,800-year-old bloodsucker makes a return to the set after skipping out on the last go-around.

What’s to become of him after rising from the cement he was buried under?

“Nothing I can share,” O’Hare says, noting a

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recent lunch he had with True Blood mastermind Alan Ball, the creator of Six Feet Under. “We talked about what’s going to happen and I was definitely surprised. It’s good stuff. It’s always good stuff. With him, and with Ryan (Murphy), they don’t go to obvious places. They go where you wouldn’t expect them to go.”

And so does O’Hare. The actor, who’s actually so down-to-earth and non-creepy that he offers to share his food during our hour-long chat, is good at playing bad. He was relentless at getting Sandra Bullock kicked out of the country in the rom-com The Proposal, and played way against type in Milk as Sen. John Briggs, who proposes a California ballot initiative to outlaw gay and lesbian teachers. Recently, O’Hare had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene in the Hoover biopic J. Edgar, a chance to work again with Clint Eastwood (O’Hare starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Changeling as, what do you know, a psych ward bad guy).

O’Hare, who turns 50 in January, got his start where most actors do: on the stage. Growing up in Michigan, he was in choir and, in 1974, landed a chorus part in a community theater production of Show Boat. Then it was Broadway, where he played in Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins in 2004, scored a Tony Award for his performance in Take Me Out and was part of the revival of Sweet Charity.

In January, O’Hare heads back to New York, and back to the stage. He’ll be doing An Iliad off-Broadway through March, then he returns to L.A. for True Blood.

The best part of being back in N.Y.? Seeing the family. He married Redwood, an interior designer, over the summer, and the two have been caring for their foster child since April.

“I could’ve gone to my grave without having kids, but I came around to liking the idea,” O’Hare admits, noting he warmed up to the thought after seven years of talks with Redwood.

“As a gay man, I found my biggest stumbling block was my own homophobia, my own sense of feeling that gay people shouldn’t have kids. I felt pressure from society that we’re not supposed to have kids.” (Not to mention, he says, that once you do, it’s like wearing a gay yamaka.) “And I was also shy about being a spokesperson for gay adoption.”

And now he’s the gushing father who’s looking for just the right pic to show off the kid’s smile. His foster child laughs a lot, but how could he not? “I speak to him in bad French,” O’Hare says, “and he dies.”

O’Hare’s encounters with gay couples and their kids helped him shake his internalized homophobia, something he says is difficult to diagnose in ourselves, and he finally accepted the idea of having his own with Redwood. “It’s been normalized for me,” he says, deliberating.

“But it’s like being married.

“It’s so hard to say the word ‘husband’ at first.

I say ‘partner,’ and then suddenly realize if I say ‘husband,’ it might be aggressively political, but then it’s like, what the fuck? What else am I gonna say? He’s my husband. We are legally married.”

And how do other people react?

“People are a little shocked at first, but they’re gonna get the fuck over it and pretty soon

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ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

it’ll be normal, because it should be normal!”

Part of it, however, is that O’Hare doesn’t want everything about him to be “gay.” Especially not his acting.

“For me, an actor is an actor. Years ago someone said to me, ‘How do you feel about being a gay actor?’ I said, ‘I’m not a gay actor. I’m an actor. I’m Irish. I’m an atheist. And a bridge player.

I ride my bike. Oh, and I’m gay.’”

He fits right in on the set of American Horror Story, one of the gay-friendliest projects he’s ever worked on. No surprise there: This is a Ryan Murphy production, after all. “I’ve met more female lesbian gaffers on Ryan’s show than I’ve ever met anywhere else in my life!” O’Hare says.

Because Murphy’s schedule is nuts, with Glee now in its third season, he doesn’t come around the AHS set often. But when he does, “he’s a great spirit on the set. He’s the kind of guy who believes in a world of possibilities. He makes things happen.”

“Crazy” is what O’Hare calls the set, shot in the Paramount lot in L.A., directly behind the infamous Hollywood Cemetery (as if the show wasn’t creepy enough).

“We never really know what we’re doing until the day before,” he says. “Everyone’s cool with it.

The scenes, even when they’re intense, are fun.”

When O’Hare was sent the script directly from Murphy back in March, just a few weeks before shooting, he was immediately intrigued.

The show takes cues from many of his favorite horror classics and the legendary names behind them: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi and Martin Landau.

“What I think is great about the show is that Ryan’s kind of consciously quoting from great works,” he says. “‘Don’t go in the basement’ is one of the biggest horror tropes, or ‘don’t open the door’ — they’re all horror tropes, and he’s using all of them in a really cool way. And I hear some people say, ‘Well, it’s unrealistic. Who’d stay in the house?’ That’s just a given. Let’s just let them stay in the house.”

Now he’s starting to sound a lot like Larry, who’s so insistent that the Harmons stick around you wonder what the dude’s got up his sleeve.

“I think Larry has a very clear overarching goal, which is redemption and release,” O’Hare says, “and that is all tied up in the house.”

For O’Hare, the role requires three-and-a-half hours of makeup, transforming the actor’s face into the questionable burn victim and leaving O’Hare with half of his hearing and sight. On the first day of shooting, Murphy walked him through Larry’s limp and shriveled arm. “He’s got the vision in his head, so he had to be very clear about what we should to do,” O’Hare says, “and I like that about him, he’s a very clear director.”

That helps, but with True Blood, O’Hare knew what he wanted for Russell Edgington.

“I felt no need to make Russell act gay, because he is gay,” he says, adding that because the vamp’s so ancient, homosexuality didn’t even really exist then, “and I know as a gay man I don’t have to demonstrate that I’m gay. The fact that I’m sleeping with a man is the demonstration.”

And that’s gay?

O’Hare smiles big and non-creepy. “Not always, but for the most part.” Q

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56 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Helps

44 Lollobrigida of film 45 “Dr. K” of baseball Across 46 Kevin Bacon in 1 Dick under a Bush, Footloose e.g.

47 Awfully long time 5 Intense attraction, 48 Away from NNW with “the” 49 My Life on the D-List 9 Amelia Earhart, for star one 55 Vonda Shepard’s “It’s 14 Jason went cruising in ___ Kiss” this 56 Actually 15 Hairy twin 60 *Sharon of If These 16 ACT UP founder Walls Could Talk 2 Kramer 61 Baltic Sea tributary 17 Piece of Mary’s little 62 Pennsylvania city pet 63 One with an hourglass 19 Classic toothpaste figure brand 64 Bianchi and Hulce 20 GoldenEye actress 65 Pay for a pad 22 Bruins great Bobby Down 25 Breakfast on Pluto 1 Jim Morrison portrayer actor Stephen Kilmer 26 Versatile vehicle 2 Preposition that goes 27 Go over again either way 29 Helps, and a type 3 One that gets laid of activism for the 4 Gay guy, in Brit slang starred clues in this 5 Protection for your puzzle head 31 Retired speedster 34 Range of the Rockies 6 Japanese industrial center 35 Sweet opening?

7 Crack the whip at, e.g.

36 Angels in America 8 Hist. or sci. writer Kushner 9 Stones for starting 37 Butterfield 8 Oscar fires winner 10 Run out 40 Richard of And the 11 Gershwin and Levin Band Played On 41 Janet or niece Hunter 12 Sea flier 13 Phillippe, once of One 42 Hubert’s successor Life to Live 43 Fruity drink

18 Hot breakfast fare 21 Sit in on 22 Brand of Mexican food 23 Staggered 24 Go to bed 28 Sleep lightly 29 Allstate rival 30 Point of view intro, at Gay.com 31 They go well with plaids 32 Makes noise in bed 33 Power of old films 35 In view 36 “Equal justice under law,” to a gay basher 38 Cause to have an orgasm 39 Tone deafness 44 It regularly blows its top 45 Tammy Baldwin’s pages, e.g.

46 River of Cologne 47 The Deep Six actor Zimbalist 49 Star-___ tuna 50 Start to climax 51 McAn of shoes 52 Historic Stonewall event 53 Front end o’ China 54 Glenn Burke, formerly 57 Land of O. Wilde 58 Kind of man, in Oz 59 To now PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ARE ON PAGE 38

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase that can be made using the letters from another word or phrase. Rearrange the letters below to answer:

name QSaltlake’s person of 2011

fresh nancy trolls _______

____

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ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

NIGHTLIFE

57

Utah Rapper takes scene by storm

by Seth Bracken

H

ip-hop producer and local favorite Burnell Washburn is breaking barriers and showing the nation that Utah is no slouch in the scene. He’ll be performing with his new group The Mountain Ears at the Salt Lake City EVE celebration on Dec. 30 at the Salt Palace. He’ll also be at the Urban Lounge on Jan. 27 with People Under the Stairs and Sweatshop Union. His resume is increasingly impressive, with nationwide tours and local performances opening for the likes of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Grynch, DJ Sabzi and Geologic of Blue Scholars. He spoke with QSaltLake about the challenges he faced as a hip-hop artist in Utah and what the scene is like in the state.

clubs and open-mic nights to really get noticed and that’s when the real work started.

My skin color didn’t make much of a difference at all except when I first started rapping.

Everyone made fun of me and said I was trying to act like I was black. To this day I still experience somewhat of a racial thing when I perform certain states in The South, but my physical appearance is almost always overlooked once I start playing my music.

tive happy songs. I like it when a song relates with me and makes me feel better about the situation, so I try to deliver the same energy in my tracks. I just try to keep it real. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s sad and sometimes it’s angry, but for the most part it always comes back to the light and remains positive. I guess if we were to compare my music to other artists, it might read “John Denver meets Slug.”

rapper. As cliché as it sounds, that’s what you get classified as if you don’t rap about iced jewelry and fast women.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? I am currently working on several projects including an entirely self-produced album coming out in April. I am also in the process of routing more tour dates with some of my friends Ecid, Abstract Rude, Musab and more.

When did you start writing music and lyrics?

How did you know that’s what you wanted to do? I was in the sixth grade when I wrote my first song — I had no idea it was considered a rap. It was an excellent way to let out some aggression toward my school principal. After that I didn’t write anything again until 10th grade when I became inspired by a creative-writing teacher. Seeing live slam-poets and hip-hop artists such as Buddy Wakefield, Sage Francis and Jared Paul really moved me. For the first time in my life I realized the impact that words can have and I was hooked.

You’ve developed a large local following in Salt Lake City and are known as one of the premier hip-hop artists in the state. What’s the scene like in Salt Lake? Is it improving? The hip hop scene here is incredibly vibrant. Every day I meet another emcee, DJ or producer that blows me away with his or her craft. I am very proud to be part of the Utah hip-hop community. We are more than just friends or colleagues, we are family. We all come together to support each other, and together we are constantly pushing the boundaries of the art scene in general. The scene is growing more rapidly than I ever imagined and with all this fresh talent emerging, there is no question that Utah will be producing some of the games top artists in the coming years.

What were the biggest challenges becoming established? Did your skin color make a difference? The hardest part about getting established for me was just having a lack of experience and guidance. I had no idea how to record songs, perform, book shows or even count bars and format a song for that matter. On top of that, I didn’t know anybody who knew how to do those things. I was stuck learning it all from scratch. I found out about a few open-mic nights in town, so I started hitting those every week and eventually I bought a mic and recorded a little demo. I started giving out low-quality sample CDs like there was no tomorrow and built a little buzz around town. But that still didn’t prove to any venue owners or promoters that I was worthy of performing at their spots. It took a few years of rocking house parties, comedy

WASATCH RENAISSANCE 2011

Who are your biggest influences? Who’s on your iPod right now? Lately I’ve been jamming a lot of different types of music. Some favorites of mine include Brother Ali, John Denver, Common Market, Atmosphere, The Sounds, Living Legends, P-Funk, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Mac Lethal. My favorite local jams right now are Pat Maine’s latest project, The Nighttime Medicine EP and Learical Mindset and Sly’s new album, Love out Loud.

Your piano-laced tracks are reminiscent of a Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest-style hip hop. How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard of you? I don’t know, I’m bad with that. I usually just hand them a CD and tell them to listen for themselves or go download songs from my website, burnellwashburn.com.

I guess you could say that I’m on that positive tip. I don’t like dark sounding music too often, so I make it a habit to produce mostly posi-

On the track “Apartment 22” you talk about your goal of staying true to the art form. Is that your goal as an artist? I don’t necessarily see it as a goal; I see it more as a way of being.

Any real artist will stay true to themselves and the art form, no matter what. That lyric you are referring to applies to a time when I was offered a record deal, but I left the label because they wanted to control my content and tell me what I could and couldn’t talk about. That’s not how I will ever roll, so I bounced. No amount of money, fame or respect will ever be worth making something that isn’t you. People these days aren’t stupid; the masses are slowly becoming better at seeing through fake and appreciating the real.

One of my favorite songs of yours is “Rib Cage Birds.” You talk about God and love and you seem touch on these themes frequently in other songs as well. Would you describe yourself as a socially conscience rapper? Yes, I would consider myself a socially conscience

I recently started a live hip-hop band with two of my friends TSR and OptAmystical called The Mountain Ears. We’ll play classic Burnell songs along with tons of brand new genre-defying content that will explore all of our different musical backgrounds while staying rooted in hip hop.

Our first performance as a band will be Dec. 30 at The Salt Palace for the EVE Festival.

My next show in Utah after that will be Jan. 27 at Urban Lounge with People Under the Stairs and Sweatshop Union.

I’m constantly working on new music with tons of talented artists, so look forward to some new collaborations with Mac Lethal, Dumb Luck, Sly, Hip-E, Jnatural, Pat Maine and many more.

I also just recently started a company called Wasatch Renaissance. We offer many professional services including graphic design, photography, concert/tour promotion and booking, audio recording and mixing, apparel printing and much more. Friend us on Facebook to find out more. Q

DECEMBER 22, 2011

58 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Qhealth HIV: The road to zero

Qgiggles

By Lynn Beltran

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Now online! Anagram

gaysaltlake.com

bar events, arts, restaurants, salt lake scene

ere we are again, at the end of the year and preparing to embark on another, or in the words of John Lennon, “another year over and a new one just begun.” In my role within public health, I once again find myself sitting in my office and reflecting on our current status in the HIV epidemic — what we can celebrate and where we can we improve, and that reflection identifies both change and stasis and a continued need for prevention.

First and foremost, HIV is still around. Please, allow me to repeat myself, HIV is still out there.

We will likely diagnose around 80 new infections in Salt Lake County residents in 2011. There still is no cure for HIV. This year it was disclosed that an HIV-positive man from Berlin, who also suffered from Leukemia received a bone-marrow stem-cell transplant in 2007 from an individual who was likely immune to HIV. (It is hypothesized that up to 1 percent of the Caucasian population may have a natural immunity to HIV).

Nonetheless, this year, at the five-year mark, the “Berlin patient” is continuing to show no sign of HIV infection. He does show signs of neurological difficulties as a result of the surgery. What has occurred with the “Berlin patient” is not considered to be a plausible cure for HIV; although it does give many some reason for hope, it also gives a false sense of security that HIV will be a curable virus in the near future.

We continue to have HIV anti-retrovirals that are extremely effective in protecting those with HIV from advancing to AIDS. There seems to be increasing difficulty in distributing drugs to everyone in need because, in part, the funding for the drugs is being reduced. Federal and state-funded programs such as Ryan White and medicaid that are designed to help uninsured and under-insured HIV patients with medical and drug-related costs have received significant budgetary cuts in recent years. Making all of this feel worse to those who are already infected is the simple fact that new infections continue to

ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

occur at a consistent rate, this results in more people needing help.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the HIV epidemic, and Dec. 1 marked the 23rd annual observance of World AIDS Day, which is now the longest-running disease awareness and prevention initiative of its kind in the history of public health. I like to think that the negative stigma around HIV that was so common back in the 1980s and 1990s is becoming non-existent. I still hear stories from patients that it does occur, and I also hear stories of incredible compassion and support. I know that the fear of discrimination is real for those with HIV. This year in celebration of World AIDS Day, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department adopted the theme HIV: Forgotten But Not Gone. We realized that it is time to re-ignite the flame around HIV prevention, no pun intended, really! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out with some new initiatives in 2011 to better focus on HIV prevention. HIV prevention actually made it to the CDC’s priority list known as Healthy People 2020. The objectives include prevention education among men who have sex with men, which is incredible news! The prevention goal for the entire country is getting to zero new infections. Public health at the highest level is sending out the message to local and state health departments and the community at large that HIV and the well-being of the gay community is everyone’s priority. I can actually expect to sit around during planning meetings with other program staff and talk about health issues that affect the gay community and expect people to look me in the eye, to not look away from me.

My hope is that we can capitalize on this renewed and positive vigor around HIV in 2012 and beyond. My hope is that everyone is on board, that we work together to get to a year with zero new infections. During my reflection, I came to the realization that if we can get to zero new infections, if we can all step up to meet this goal, then we can all focus on helping those who are already impacted by this infection to be able to access the best care possible and to ensure a quality of life. Q

The Salt Lake Valley Health Department offers free HIV testing the first Monday of each month, 5–7 p.m., at Pride Counseling Center, 124 S. 400 East, Ste 230. For information, call 385-468-4185.

cryptogram A cryptogram is a puzzle where one letter in the puzzle is substituted with another. For example: ECOLVGNCYXW YCR EQYIIRZNBZN YZU PSZ! Has the solution: CRYPTOGRAMS ARE CHALLENGING AND FUN! In the above example Es are all replaced by Cs. The puzzle is solved by recognizing letter patterns in words and successively substituting letters until the solution is reached.

This week’s hint: K = L Theme: A quote by Hillary Clinton during an address at the United Nations in Geneva.

Ygoxn KNYD psgc xsd rvmg ast kgcc jtrvx. Vxp djvd oc lja nva zonjdc vzg jtrvx zonjdc vxp jtrvx zonjdc vzg nva zonjdc. _____ ____

____ ___ ____ ___

____ _____. ___ ____ __ ___ ___ ______ ___ _____ ______ ___ _____ ______ ___ ___ ______.

QSALTLAKE.COM

ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Qscopes

Be ready for anything, Taurus

By Jack Fertig

Just before the solstice when the Sun enters Capricorn, Venus will leave Cap for Aquarius. It makes a good combination for looking forward with good imagination and your feet solidly on the ground. Start making sensible plans for next year.

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ARIES (March 20–April 19) Get wild and creative. Explore and express new ideas. Just remember you are experimenting; keep it light and fun. Being too sure of yourself can make you look pompous and/or get you into trouble.

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TAURUS (April 20–May 20) New ideas have hidden value. Make every effort to be open-minded. Your ability to assimilate and gain insight from those ideas can prove very helpful at work. Opportunity will come soon and unexpectedly; be ready for anything.

t

GEMINI (May 21- June 20) Difficult issues need addressing. Be very considerate when telling your partner how you really feel. The middle ground between saying too much or too little can be hard to negotiate. Think ahead about what’s really important and how to say it kindly.

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CANCER (June 21- July 22) High hopes and expectations for the holidays are easily disappointed.

Reconciling between high ideals and realistic expectations is part of the bothersome business of growing up. Taking a longer view will help you keep a positive perspective.

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LEO (July 23–August 22) Christmas is supposed to be whose birthday? Not yours! You just want to make things fun and bright, but it’s too easy to overdo it. A quiet hug or a small, elegant ges-ture is often more effective than a big to-do. h VIRGO (August 23–September 22) , Holidays are about symbols and sympathy, not about getting historical facts

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Find it at PINQ pages .com

right, disturbing your family with uncomfortable revelations, or needing to prove something.

There’s a time for all that. For now think about what matters, and when and how best to tell them–later!

o

LIBRA (September 23–October 22) Shocking your partner can be a good thing, but not with a cattle prod. (Well… if it’s consensual...) When newfound exuberance and creative passions go overboard let your sweetie reel you in. Just let that be a further creative challenge.

p

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Support QSaltLake by buying our 2012 Calendars

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) Your critical eye on community affairs is not always appreciated at first. Getting the diplomacy right–being nice, but not wishywashy or obtuse–can be a challenge. Solicit a friend to help you get your point across.

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SAGITTARIUS (November 22–Dec 20) Being helpful at holiday parties can get you into a better job. Keep a clear head and your fun “appropriate.” The rest should fall into place. Recently missed opportunities could come knocking again. Don’t rule anything out!

]

CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19) While your intuitions about money are generally on the mark it helps to double-check the facts with someone whose job it is to know. Avoid dithering and secondguessing yourself. Being rigorous is good; beating yourself up isn’t.

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AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18) There is such a thing as being too nice– syrupy, cloying, manipulative–especially when you can’t hide the bitchy undertones.

There are no secrets. Whatever you say will slip out. If you can’t be truly nice, talk about celebrities and politicians.

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PISCES (February 19–March 19) Your intuition and advice are worth more than you realize. If you listened to yourself as your friends do, you’d be better off! Blurting out a secret could prove to your advantage if it’s your secret and nobody else’s. Q

Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is available for personal and business consultations. He can be reached at 415‑864‑8302, starjack.com, or QScopes@ qsyndicate.com.

Psychic Coach: a new 2012 Mennon this ad for a

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Our calendars feature a fun variety of photos holidays and MAJOR GAY COMMUNITY EVENTS Available at 801-649-6663, our offices at 1055 E 2100 S, Ste 206 or qsaltlake.com/calendars

DECEMBER 22, 2011

60 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Y

cocktail chatter The Union Square

By Ed Sikov

PINK PIG

ou can’t go to the Olive Garden without your server pushing “specialty cocktails” — a euphemism for toxic waste. These poisonous catch-alls are enough to make you hurl. “McSewer’s 12-year bourbon, chrysanthemum syrup, birch tea, peppermint drop.” Or “Pukey’s small-batch rye, rosemary, Barfington gin, Sambucca, house-made cola.” Who drinks these messes? I made the mistake of ordering one last week at an upscale Italian place. The interior was so tasteful that I assumed the cocktails would be too. Wrong! It was billed as “hand-crafted whiskey, mint syrup, lemon juice.” OK, but I didn’t want a lot of the mint syrup or the lemon.

“The drink will be off balance!” the waiter scolded.

“That’s the way I want it.”

“OK,” he huffed. “Then you’ll get an unbalanced drink.”

I was stunned. What was that ancient dictum about the customer always being right? That’s gone the way of the dodo and civil political discourse. He returned with a syrupy-sweet mess. The whiskey was lost in a wash of minty syrup and lemonade. Why drown a small-batch whiskey in lemon-mint Crystal Lite?

My pal Mike, the ex-priest, told me about a great cocktail he’d had at a restaurant called Print. So I made it at home — my way. Print calls the drink Bee’s Knees, and Mike used what Print’s bartender told him were the ingredients and portions. The ingredients were brilliant, the portions ghastly. I haven’t been to Print, so maybe their Bee’s Knees works. But I wanted it to taste good, so I changed the portions and renamed it.

The result was fabulous. To me.

Start by making lavender-infused gin. This is not difficult; you just have to find either loose lavender blossoms or herbal lavender tea bags. Try a health food store. Use good but not hideously expensive gin. It’s foolish to buy a super-premium brand if you’re going to flavor it yourself. Pour as much gin as you want to lavenderize into a clean, odor-free jar with a tight-fitting lid. (If the jar or lid still smells like pickles, use another jar.) Dump in a handful of lavender (or open some lavender tea bags and pour the contents into the jar). Don’t worry about portions, they don’t matter. Let it stand for two days; shake it whenever you pass by. Then use a tea strainer and a funnel to decant the infu-

sion into an attractive bottle with a tight-fitting lid or unblemished cork. The gin will not have turned purple. Miraculously, it will be the color of honey.

Make a small bottle of Really Simple Syrup, but instead of using sugar, use equal parts raw honey and water. Shake them together until the honey dissolves. Be sure to have a lemon on hand.

You could continue the theme by using honey produced by bees that collect lavender pollen, but I prefer honey made from tough, streetwise New York City bees. Yes, there are honey-

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ISSUE 196

QSALTLAKE

producing bees in the city, and I buy as locally as possible — honey made by my neighborhood bees. Hence the drink’s name.

This recipe is simply the way I like it. Make it taste good to you.

The Union Square 1 part lavender-infused Beefeater gin Lemon juice to taste Really Simple Honey Syrup to taste For a strong drink, pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake quickly, strain and serve. For a less potent drink, serve it on ice and let it water down. Q

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62 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

the climacteric A missed miracle

By A.E. Storm

T

he loft had felt small and empty for months, with an air of despondancy that wouldn’t dissipate, so I finally made the reluctant decision to sell it. I knew it was necessary if I was going to move on with my life. I was only forty-three years old and I hoped I would have many more good years ahead of me — my mother was more optimistic than I; she had been pounding the fact that I was only forty-three in my mind every chance she had, and though her intentions were good, I still wanted to scream to mind her own business.

My mother had never fully supported our relationship that abruptly ended nearly two years ago. She constantly voiced her opinion about our age difference, calling it a depravity.

I remember when I had first introduced her to Tommy, she venomously inquired about his history with men and his response was: “Well, Lovey! There was Geoff, not my first, but the one I believed I was going to marry. It didn’t work out, though. We’re still very good friends.

Now, my first, the one who popped my gaycherry ... see, I lost my actual virginity to a girl,

who I think is raising our bastard child ... anyway, my first was Daniel, but that only lasted a couple of months ... freshly out-of-the-closet homos are kind of slutty. The most recent was Billy; he slept with another friend of mine, Jesse, while I was out of town ... I found them in my bed. Before Billy it was Montgomery, a proclaimed bisexual ... I called him Mr. Fag Stag — Montgomery is just too gay of a name.

And, oh yeah, there was Vance who had an unusual obsession with his cock.”

As Tommy would say, my mother was not amused. In fact, she was horrified and never forgave him.

Granted, our relationship had suffered through some trials and tribulations — a lot in fact. Tommy’s thirteen years my senior and that difference in maturity sometimes caused problems. Tommy picked a fight at least once a week, usually over something insane like hanging the bath towels with the Polo emblem facing out or how we were going to being late to a movie. He once told me: “We have to get the seventh and eighth seat of the ninth row or else I won’t enjoy the movie.” I

usually chuckled at his many, many oddities, but it nearly always irritated him to no end.

I loved him with all my heart — and he loved me, as much as he possibly could, I had come to realize over time. He rarely was completely open with me or completely comfortable around me. I attributed these things to his upbringing; his mother and father are overbearing and intimidating — something I witnessed only a handful of times, and I’m disappointed in them to this day.

Tommy wanted to see the world. We had traveled all the time, more than we could actually afford, but it’s what brought him the most happiness. I think he liked the escape, to be someplace else ... to be someone else.

Over the years together we strolled endless beach and toured historic landmarks and ate exotic foods. On our travels he always had this wide, child-like grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes, but I could still feel his ache inside — an ache he was keeping from me, most likely for my benefit. Why I was okay with it, I guess now I’ll never know. If I had pried more maybe he wouldn’t have hurt me like he had.

Tommy had cheated on me — only once — during our fourteen years together, an indiscretion he had kept from me all of three days. He told me that the guilt of what he had done was eating away at him. Of course

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QSALTLAKE

I was angry beyond belief; however, I forgave him — almost immediately — but chose not to show it for several months.

Tommy Wylie had changed my life, for fourteen years, into an amazing adventure.

Since the day we met in the grocery store — I noticed him waist-deep in a shelf unburying the last bottle of soap-free, dye-free, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic Aveeno body wash — he had made me laugh and think and cry ... mostly laugh.

It was late October of 2024 when everything had changed, when my life began to fall apart. Tommy and I were sitting in the doctor’s office — it was as sterile as the examining room — waiting for Tommy’s test results.

I was holding his hand, cold and lifeless, as if he knew what was coming. After what felt like an eternity the doctor walked in and sat across from us at his mahogany desk. When he gave us the diagnosis, with little empathy I might add, Tommy’s first reaction was to spout a joke, “Well, at least it’s not menopause!”

Six months later, Tommy’s death, at the hands of pancreatic cancer, was the saddest moment of my life; yet, from that day on I have thought about the miracle that he was, and I will be happy and proud and grateful for being a part of it.

— Charlie Carmichael Q

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ISSUE 196

DECEMBER 22, 2011

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