FUSION spring 2015
THE COMING OUT ISSUE
F US IO N
from the editor
During research for this year’s issue, I was told by a reader that he was sick of coming out stories. “They’re all the same,” he said. “Every damn one of them. At this point in my life, I’ve already come out and so have all of my friends.” I sat on that thought awhile. A study done by Stonewall showed that millennials typically come out to friends and family at the age of 17. And yet plenty of media geared towards gender and sexual minority adults focus on coming out. My helpful reader returned to explain why this was. “I take it back,” he said. “Coming out stories are fine. But I’m sick of hearing about coming out to your family. We’ve all already done it. But what about other coming out stories? Tell me how to come out to my boss.” So that’s what we’ve done. We’ve dedicated
this entire issue to coming out to everyone but your parents. Together with PRIDE! Kent, we’ve come up with a list of tips for coming out in the workplace (pg ljajd). We’ve looked at corporations and how they’ve come out as GSM allies (pg askda). We’ve presented an entertainment section on GSM artists who’ve come out with new projects in 2014 (pg asd), and we’ve investigated JB’s in Kent, which came out early in 2014 as the town’s first gay bar and then crawled back in the closet by 2015 (pg ass). It’s my hope we were able to give you all something you haven’t seen before and that you learn something new from picking up this issue. From what makes a gay to dealing with hate speech at work, the topics we’ve covered show our dedication to educating and entertaining. With that, I present to you Fusion’s first coming out issue. –Brittany Rees
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meet our staff EDITORIAL STAFF BRITTANY REES editor-in-chief
GINA LEONE art director
DANI TAYLOR marketing director
KYANA MOJICA street team
DANA WOODS social media
BRUCE ZAKE adviser
writers
JULIA ADKINS KIANA DUNCAN KYANA MOJICA DANI TAYLOR DANA WOODS
photographers
ALLYSON FOUTTY EMILY THOENEN RAEVEN TIDWELL
BUSINESS STAFF
CONTACT US
TAMI BONGIORNI
205 Franklin Hall, KSU Kent, OH 44242 p. 330.672.2586 f. 330. 672.4880 brees3@kent.edu // ohiofusion.com
ad manager
KATIE BARNES media specialist
NORMA YOUNG business analyst
what’s inside
jb’s bar in downtown kent
all about andrew
same-sex advertising
Kent’s JB’s came out as a gay bar in 2014 before crawling back in the closet earlier this year. We examine what it takes to be a gay bar in a college town.
Julia Adkins sits down with trans* student Andrew Fife about documenting his transition.
As American culture becomes more accepting of the LGBT community, advertisers add more and more samesex couples in commercials and print ads.
10 16 22 pride! kent’s coming out tips
dressing for your body
We talked to PRIDE!Kent for their tips on coming out in the workplace.
Whether you’re in transition or just defying gender norms, we show you how you can find clothes that fit.
entertainment story We’ve reviewed the best and worst of what’s come out this year in LGBT media.
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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: STORY BY: DANI TAYLOR
KENT Star of the widely popular television show, “Orange is the New Black,” Laverne Cox visited Kent’s campus this past November to present “Ain’t I A Woman: My Journey to Womanhood”. This presentation reflects the struggles and hardships she faced when transitioning into a female.
OHIO “The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, if they’re treated like humans with valid feelings and human rights. Gender needs to be taught about in schools, the earlier the better. My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. Fix society. Please.” The above was written by Leelah Alcorn, a struggling
transgender teen who committed suicide this past January at the age of 17. The day of her suicide, Leelah scheduled for her suicide note to be posted on the popular social media site Tumblr; the note reached international audiences. The death of this young teen garnered support for the trans* community and sparked the petition for Leelah’s Law to put an end to the Christian conversion groups like the one Leelah was subjected to when she came out to her parents.
RELIGION “Who am I to judge?” Pope Francis said, rocking the LGBTQ community a few years back in regards to the subject of gay priests. Pope Francis made news again this year by insisting on visiting prisoners in Naples, including a ward that houses gay and transgender inmates. In the LGBTQ community, Pope Francis is breath of fresh air when it comes to the Christian religion and how it relates to our community.
In addition, in October of 2014, the Vatican completed a two-week synod on family life but did not come to a conclusion about homosexuality. The synod will act as a guide to make a decision in October of this year regarding the community.
POLITICS Thirty seven states and the District of Columbia currently have legalized same-sex marriage. By June 2015, the number may finally reach 50. At the end of April, the Supreme Court will listen to four cases that will help sway the federal stance on the issue of marriage equality.
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In Indiana, Governor Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a legislation that allows business owners to turn away customers that might infringe on the beliefs they hold. While nowhere in the legislation does it mention the LGBTQ community, it is primarily targeted towards it.
LGBTQ Center director Ken Ditlevson sits at his desk at the new student center location.
LGBTQ CENTER OFFERS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO COMMUNITY STORY BY: BRITTANY REES PHOTO BY: ALLYSON FOUTTY
T
he lower-level of the student center on Kent campus is known for its coffee, post office and pool tables. But now, students can find even more on the Hub’s first floor.
bathrooms. A map of the gender neutral restroom is available to be downloaded on the center’s website.
Kent State’s first LGBTQ Center recently opened its doors on the lower level, taking up an office beside the post office. Though tucked away downstairs, the Center is easy to spot with it’s large rainbow flags and safe space sticker.
As Ditlevson noted, the center has also made progress in allowing students to change their flashline names to their preferred names. This new policy will allow students to change their names on Flashline and Blackboard; however, it will not allow any changes to be made to official transcripts or government documents.
Center director Ken Ditlevson says the move to the student center is a good one for the center.
The third issue Ditlevson said is on the center’s agenda to better provide gender neutral and gender inclusive housing.
“The center is for all students. It’s a misconception that it’s only for gay students or lesbian students. But it’s really for anyone who’s an ally or has a friend or family member in the LGBT community,” Ditlevson said. “So moving to the student center, we’re where the students are. They have better access to us.”
“Right now there are 14 halls that are slated to be gender inclusive,” he said. “We’re also looking into providing a living learning community, linking education and community.”
Though the LGBTQ center has been around since 2010, its move to the student center has now made it possible for it to grow and help more students. “We’ve worked really collaboratively with PRIDE!, USG (Undergraduate Student Government) and Trans*Fusion,” Ditlevson said. “We’ve made significant headway with providing gender neutral restrooms. Another big thing we’re working on is creating a student’s preferred first name policy. That is coming together and will be ready to begin fall of 2015. Our third issue we’re working on is housing.” The center, along with affiliate groups have provided gender neutral
The LGBTQ center is also hosting 2015’s Lavender Graduation ceremony, which is a celebration of Kent State’s LGBT graduates. “We’re hopeful the event’s going to sell out,” Divletson said. “There’s research showing celebrating success and sharing community actually helps students stay on course and graduate, so I’m really excited.” The Lavender Graduation ceremony will be May 1, located in the Moulton Hall ballroom. Tickets, though free, do require registration as limited spots are available. The registration link is available through the center’s Facebook page. Participants in Lavender Graduation will receive a rainbow stole they can wear during Kent State’s official graduation ceremonies.
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SUGAR PLUM gay community endowment fund STORY BY: DANA WOODS ILLUSTRATION BY: GINA LEONE
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common thread that our homeowners have is “ The they love Christmas and they want to give back to the community.
O
ver the 2014 holiday season, the Gay Community Endowment Foundation in Akron hosted its 13th annual Sugar Plum Tour. The Sugar Plum tour is the only annual fundraiser for the Gay Community Endowment Fund, which is part of the Akron Community Foundation. This 3 ½ hour, guided tour takes guests into privates residences in efforts to raise money for the Foundation. According to its website, The Gay Community Endowment Fund has, “granted over 315 thousand dollars to organizations and agencies in the greater Akron area that support and positively impact LGBT people, and hope[s] to serve as a catalyst for full participation of LGBT people in our society.” The fund offers grants for programs, services and scholarships that benefit the local LGBT community. When planning each year’s tour, five homes of distinction are selected, plus an exclusive 6th house, the Patron Home, which host guests at the patron ticket level for a private party and silent auction filled with unique items. The homeowners prepare for Christmas with unique décor and themes. Guests buy tickets which includes entry to each of the homes along the tour route. The homeowners spend months in prep and take great care in their presentations. Each homeowner I spoke with considered it an honor to have their home selected for this wonderful fundraiser. This most recent tour featured distinct, and unique homes in West Akron, Bath and Richfield areas. According to Sugar Plum Tour Chairman, Steve Williams, “The common thread that our homeowners have is they love Christmas and they want to give
back to the community,” he said. “If they have a home that is tour-worthy, they want to help us make some money.” Over the last 13 years, the Sugarplum Tour has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for the Gay Community Endowment Fund, which has allowed the foundation to grant funds to projects such as, the Cleveland International Film Festival, for screenings of LGBT films during the Gay Games 9 celebrations, PFLAG Akron, to support the Teen Pride Network, and the Equality Ohio Education Fund to advance LGBT nondiscrimination education in the Northeast Ohio region, among many, many others. The 2014 one day event, raised $85,000! I was able to visit these homes a few days before the Tour. The experience was hands-down the best part of my holiday season, and I have never seen anything like it. I spoke with the homeowners, who not only were gracious enough to allow over 1000 people to explore their homes, but were grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community that they call home. I spoke with members of the Gay Community Endowment Fund advisory board and was amazed at the good things they are doing for the LGBT community and our allies. I intend to make the Sugar Plum Tour an annual tradition, and I so wish I had known about it sooner. They’re already planning the 2015 Tour, and I’m certain that as awareness of the fantastic event grows, so will the Fund itself, and that is a positive thing for our community.
CAPTION HERE:
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COLLEGE TOWN GAY BAR the story of kent’s first and short-lived rainbow room STORY BY: BRITTANY REES PHOTOS BY: ALLYSON FOUTTY & ABBY BURTON
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really just hired some hotter bartenders and “ They threw up some rainbow splattered paint.
W
hen I first decided to theme this issue as “The Coming Out Issue,” it was after reading an article on Kent State’s student-run news site, Kentwired. The writer, Kelsey Husnik, announced in September the reopening of less-than-popular college bar JB’s. “With fresh paint and a fresh vibe,” Husnik wrote, JB’s rebranded itself as Kent’s first ever gay bar. Before this past September, JB’s was invisible to the Kent State community. Skipping downtown at night, students had discussions of which bar to hit up next. “Let’s go to Ray’s,” one would exclaim. “Eh. It’s too crowded on Saturdays. What about Water Street?” a friend would respond. “I don’t know; it gets kind of fratty.”
freshman, even I knew that. For the rest of my partying career at Kent State until this point, JB’s wasn’t a thought. Teenagers still lined up every week, hopping against its chain link fence and glowing green and hot pink in the dark. But they had become a part of the scenery. It was like classic animation. The important characters and the object they interact with are active, ready to move. You know, animated. While the background figures and settings are posed, flat and plastic. JB’s was plastic, a stagnant part of my scenery I ignored because I knew it wasn’t going to move; it wasn’t going to interact with any characters. When school started up fall 2014, the first social media post popped up in my feed about the forgettable bar.
“So Zephyr?” They’d land.
“It’s about time,” a Facebook friend commented and shared Husnik’s article, outting JB’s as the town’s first gay bar.
In my four years at Kent campus, I’d never heard JB’s talked about or offered up as a venue until I asked directly about it. Walking past it at 11 p.m. my freshman year, I watched kids bounce around at its doors--actual kids--dripping in glowsticks and clunky plastic beads they called “candy.” They vibrated against each other against brisk winds and turned their faces to the red brick of JB’s’ building.
I was elated. As an ally, I was pumped for the events, the atmosphere and the people who’d be populating downtown when the hype hit. Husnik quotes JB’s manager saying that there isn’t a gay bar within 15 miles of Kent. That’s true; the closest LGBT bars worth going to are both in Akron, the Interbelt and Adams Street Bar. So it was high-time Kent delivered a comfortable yet exciting place for the LGBT community to dance and drink.
“What’s that place about?” I asked my friend and upperclassman Jackie Bergeron.
As the editor of Fusion, I was even more excited. My mind went into overdrive. We could partner on events. We could host our release party there. We could revive our bar review. We could profile JB’s, its owners, its bartenders, its patrons. The spring issue was decided. JB’s would be our cover story.
“It’s like the rave club, I guess. Not a lot of the actual college kids go there,” she said. “It’s all ages.” All ages meant uncool. As a first semester
JB’s sits at 244 North Water Street, next to its sister bar, the Brewhouse.
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don’t play different music or host any “ They different events.
In October, I began researching, still on a high that Fusion’s spring issue had fallen into my lap so easily. I found the site of its sister bar, the Brewhouse, easily. However, that was all that came up when completing a simple Google search of “jbs kent ohio.” I spent about an hour online the day I began researching, trying to follow a breadcrumb trail. A phone number was listed on this site, an old review on this one. I found some photos of the owners over here, and an address was listed over there. I called the number I found on JB’s Facebook page, a cemetery of posts with the most recent being from 2012. No answer. I called again the next day. No answer. I scoured the site for an email address and nothing. Its phone number and address were all that was available online. After a week of looking, I gave up and decided I’d wait for more publicity on the bar before I tried to craft my story. None came. I talked with patrons of the bar about it’s new vibe and reputation. Overwhelmingly, I was told nothing had changed. “They added stripper poles, I guess,” sophomore David said. He asked his last name be omitted. “But they really just hired some hotter bartenders
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and threw up some rainbow splattered paint. They don’t play different music or host any different events.” I spoke with members of the LGBT community as well, most of whom didn’t even know JB’s was known calling itself a gay bar. “The Interbelt’s a gay bar, you know,” senior advertising student Ashley Kathe told me. “It has drag pageants; it puts on a show of Mamma Mia!” Other gay bars in the area definitely do show off their identity more proudly. Adams Street provides free HIV testing on Tuesdays. The Interbelt is hosting its own drag race this spring, while Cleveland’s Vibe plays with the hypersexual stereotype gay men have tethered to them by offering free hot dogs and underwear nights. Each bar is drenched in PRIDE! flags and proudly displays affiliations to local LGBT groups, be it PRIDE!, PFLAG or CANAPI. Each has a small rainbow sticker on their window, subtle signals to the street, letting passersby know where the bars stand.
Just a short walk from downtown Kent, JBs can be seen from the Kent Hotel and Conference Center.
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“ Wait, is JB’s even a gay bar anymore? Now April 2015, I haven’t had any of my voicemails answered. I’ve gone to JB’s address on Water St. and read every review I could find on the place. The most recent was from mainstreetkent.org, calling JB’s a “legendary” rock venue and boasting about its newly painted walls. While shooting PRIDE!Kent for our business spread, I talked to PRIDE! president Brandon Stephens about this story. “Wait, is JB’s even a gay bar anymore?” He asked. “They announced they were months ago but they never did anything to prove it.” During the day. it’s easy to confuse JB’s for an abandoned building. Its red brick is crumbing, its once crisp edges now rounded and stippled. Its windows are cloudy with the tackiness left over from stickers scraped off. Its mailbox leans right, its address marker peels up around the edges. During the day, JB’s has its color sucked out by the sun, leaving me to wonder if it ever had any rainbow at all.
Founded in 1966, JB’s was originally named Fat Jimmy’s Bar. After closing down and renovating in 1999, JB’s reopened with the name it has today.
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ALL ABOUT
ANDREW STORY BY: DANA WOODS PHOTOS BY: GINA LEONE & RAEVEN TIDWELL
While many more people are publically documenting their transitions, the negativity that comes from those who don’t support them are becoming alarmingly present and affecting those transitioning immensely. Andrew Fife, 21 year old of Ravenna, knows this experience first-hand. The negative comments and constant reports for nudity took him to the point of deleting his Facebook. FUSION
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WHEN HE KNEW
A
ndrew knew from a young age that he was really a boy. While growing up, he was always dressed more like a young boy by both his father and his grandfather.
“My dad did it for jokes, but my grandpa, I was his little farm helper,” Andrew said.
HIS TRANSITION
As someone who felt different from the other girls he knew, Andrew realized at five years old that he was meant to be a boy, not a girl. “I was always different than all the other girls and I could wrap my head around it on why,” he said.
Even with the supportive parent behind him, Andrew said he was still shocked at how well his father handled it.
Growing up, most of the girls he was friends with saw him as their guy best friend, but Andrew said he didn’t mind.
The first step Andrew took for his transition was changing his name from Ashley to Andrew, which turned out to be a very hard part of his transition.
But as the years went on, the disconnect between what
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“[It] caused depression and self harm,” he said. “But I never knew exactly why I felt the way I did.”
“I first came out to my dad my junior year of high school,” said Andrew. “But after I did some research.” At first, his father’s reaction was very supportive. “He told me he supported me and would help me with everything.”
“I didn’t mind one bit because in my head that’s what I saw myself as. Even as a little kid, when I saw myself in the mirror, what I saw in the mirror never matched what I saw in my head.”
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Andrew saw in the mirror and what he felt inside started to take over his life.
“The first thing I did with my transition was change my name, that was the hardest part of my transition honestly.” After he officially changed his name, he began to see a therapist, which truly helped him to handle all the new aspects of his life.
“
I was always different than all the other girls and I could wrap my head around it on why.
Andrew started taking hormones on May 9, 2013, and then had his hysterectomy June 10, 2013. Andrew’s most recent surgery was top surgery, which was done on May 23, 2014.
look like a man and have a man’s chest? If that’s the case, they need to report every man out there that has a shirtless pic. I’m no different,” he said.
Andrew said that over the last two years, his life changing experience blew his mind.
Eventually Andrew decided that he was tired of dealing with the alerts from Facebook and deleted it, leaving his social media habits to a private Instagram account.
“I think it’s insane how one thing can change you so much to make you who you truly are meant to be,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” But while his change was good for him and finally allowed him to become who he was, he still managed to receive negativity from people who were important to him. “I had received negative feedback from my dad and some friends,” Andrew admitted. “Well, people who I thought were my friends.” While it was hard for him to handle all the negative comments at time, Andrew took this time to turn to his therapist. “I just talked to her about everything and she helped me work through it.” The hardest part of it all was when he received alerts from Facebook that he was reported for nudity for sharing pictures of his torso after his top surgery. “It honestly pissed me off. How is that nudity when I
HIS FUTURE Andrew had originally wanted to join the military, but knew that if he joined, it wouldn’t be easy. “I really wanted to be in the military, but being transgender in the military isn’t easy.” However, he did say that he’s noticing some changes that are happening recently to make it better for transgender individuals to be in the military. For now, Andrew works at Hattie Larlham, where he takes care of children and adults with disabilities. Even though it wasn’t his first choice, he loves his job and takes pride in his work. He said he could feel comfortable there and do something worthwhile. While Andrew remains happy and upbeat, his struggles aren’t over yet. “My home life sucks a great deal, so I’m hoping to move to Florida and start over.” Andrew says he loves his family, but too much is happening here that is taking
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“
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It’s going to be real hard. But you have to push through and remember why you are doing this.
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him back to his depression. Andrew knows, though, that he made the right choice when he decided to transition and is happy where his life is taking him. He attributes part of his success in getting over all the negativity he received to his therapist. And wants other people to know that there’s so many people out there to help them if they’re transitioning or even thinking about it. “For someone who wants to transition and become the person they are supposed to be, my advice to you is do not let anyone bring you down,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be real hard. But you have to push through and remember why you are doing this. You’ll be so much happier when it’s all finished, I promise you.” Despite all the help and positive reinforcement that many people who are transgender, in the process of transitioning or are gender nonconforming, there’s still the high statistics of self-harm, suicide attempts and suicides. According to a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 41 percent of 6,450 responding transgender and gender nonconforming people had attempted suicide. In December of 2014, the suicide of Leelah Alcorn took off on social media and news outlets across the country. While the story of Leelah and her fight to become who she truly was sparked an outcry against the mistreatment and negative feedback many transgender individuals receive on a regular basis. Andrew said the increase in suicide among transgender people is sickening to him and can only hope that people will find better ways to not only deal with this large problem but also help them find their true selves and become happy with who they are. “It upsets me greatly, mainly because the parents do not accept their child the way they are,” he said. “That’s your child. Help them, don’t ruin them.”
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AD IT UP
SAME-SEX COUPLES IN ADVERTISING STORY BY: KIANA DUNCAN
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PHOTO BY: TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Trans* model Carmen Carrera has been frequently petitioned to appear as one of Victoria’s Secret’s angels though the brand has yet to respond to the fans’ demand.
A
dvertising is everywhere. In movies, on billboards and especially on television. As politicians push for equal marriage rights, television has seemingly adapted.
Matt Gilkerson, Director of Brand Development of Kent State’s advertising club, said this is a recent trend the last few years. “A couple is a couple, I mean, that’s at least how I see it,” Gilkerson said. “And a consumer is a consumer,” added Elline Concepcione, Director of Member Engagement of the ad club. Gilkerson said he doesn’t believe companies do this to appeal to only an LGBTQ audience but instead to normalize it. It’s more about support than demographics; a company needs to evolve and change the same way people do. Although, he says either way companies take stand on an issue could be beneficial or harmful, using Chick-Fil-A’s stand on homosexuality as an example. Tiffany & Co., Banana Republic, AT&T, Nabisco, Nordstrom, Microsoft, Doritos, Taco Bell, AllState, Hot Wire, Coca-Cola and even the NFL have all put out commercials featuring same-sex couples. Concepcione said she believes the first couple ads may have shaken things up, but recently it’s become more normal. However, trans* issues may not be as normal as same-sex issues just yet.
For instance, there’s a petition for a transgender woman named Carmen Carrera to model for Victoria’s Secret. Although the petition has gotten over 40,000 signatures, Victoria’s Secret has not responded. “Trans* women are a part of the female population and I think that they deserve a respectful representation,” Carrera told CNN. “It would be pretty amazing for Victoria’s Secret to be that huge corporation that embraces trans* women.” In its NFL commercial, DirecTV features a same-sex couple tackling each other for a football in slow motion while one talks about having DirecTV for catching the game, until the end where he playfully adds that they “still fight sometimes.” One of the more recent ads was Gun Oil lubricant, in which a man waits for his husband to come home from the military. Gilkerson said that this was one of the more controversial ads. He said while an ad may be controversial, that doesn’t mean it will harm businesses, pointing out that people often remember the commercial and not the product. “I don’t think it will impact any of the businesses,” Gilkerson said. “Maybe [it will impact business] if it’s super dramatic or drastic or they put it in a very closed demographic that’s not open to it, maybe.”
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According to Concepcione, a goal with controversial advertising can be that it leads to discussion, and more people talking about the brand can lead to better business. She says advertising not only creates what people are talking about, but plays off of it, too. “There’s a lot of controversy that follows ads like that and as we know, when a company gets any sort of controversy, people are paying more attention to them and sales tend to rise,” Pride! President Brandon Stephens said, “so controversy isn’t always a bad thing for companies like that.” In some ads, they don’t bring to the attention of the viewer that the couple is same-sex, or even a couple until what appears to be the end. “A cool thing about advertising is that it generates ideas and elicits behaviors,” Gilkerson said. It’s a way to connect with the audience, especially with the youth who often turn to television as an example of ‘normal,’ he added.
PHOTO BY: TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE The 2015 Super Bowl featured several LGBT friendly commercials, including ads from Taco Bell, T-Mobile and the NFL itself.
Carleton Whitmore, a business major, said that also with the wide array of same-sex celebrity couples, this could be another reason same-sex advertising is in. “Society is different now,” Whitmore said. “People are more accepting of that.” “The millennial generation, they’re so lost at some points and seeing companies being okay with who they are could make them feel better about themselves and their decision to be who they are,” Gilkerson said. As for local advertising, Whitmore said he can see it happening on campus, but he is not too sure about the town of Kent. “I’ve not seen any same-sex couples in local advertisements,” Stephens said. Ad club said it is definitely something they would consider. “If it comes to it, and it fits the brand and it fits what we need, then yeah, of course, we’re not going to shy away from it,” Concepcione said.
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10 TIPS PRIDE! KENT’S
FOR COMING OUT IN THE WORKPLACE
and dealing with the fallout
C
oming out to an employer can be terrifying. There have been horror stories upon horror stories about employees getting fired, beaten or threatened for revealing their sexual or gender identity. However, if done cautiously and respectfully, coming out to your boss can be just what you need to settle into your new job. The PRIDE! Kent board has gathered ten tips for you on coming out and staying there in business.
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1. DO YOUR RESEARCH. We live in the digital age; there’s no excuse for not googling companies before applying to jobs. Often, companies will have their diversity statements available online. If not, you can always look to see if they’ve appeared in the news supporting equality. If you find a company’s made headlines for bashing the gender and sexual minority community, just don’t apply.
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2. HAVE A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR EMPLOYER. Whether it’s during the initial job interview or after you’ve been hired, coming out to an employer is typically best done in private and before you’ve come out to coworkers.
3. TRUST YOUR GUT. Keep your ear to the ground when waiting for the right time to come out in the workplace. Listen to water-cooler conversation and pay attention to any events or politicians your company may be supporting. Use that to decide the best way to reveal yourself to employers or coworkers. Only come out if you’re comfortable and secure.
4. TAKE EVERY MOMENT AS A TEACHING MOMENT. If after you’ve come out, you’ve been made uncomfortable by your coworkers or boss, don’t let yourself become aggressive or defeated. Use the opportunity to educate. Be patient with people unfamiliar with your identity and explain to them why their speech may be disrupting your work environment.
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5. STAY CALM. You may be presented with a lot of uncomfortable questions when you first come out at work. It’s often that those who misunderstand the community won’t have a sense of boundaries when they confront you about your identity. Stay calm. Whether the person confronting you is aggressive or not, it’s never a good idea to attack a coworker. Instead, try to be understanding and patient.
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6. LET YOUR WORK SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
7. IF CONFRONTED, WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS.
No matter how proud you are of your identity, you’re at work to work. Coming out should help you feel more comfortable in your environment. However, it shouldn’t distract yourself or others from completing tasks. Do a good job so you stand out at your company for the right reasons.
Even after you’ve researched your employers and tested the waters with your coworkers, it’s still possible you’ll be aggressed at work. If you encounter hate speech or bigotry, remember that there are always ways out. Decide for yourself what’s best to do in your situation. You can call human resources, calmly confront your aggressor, speak to your boss or leave your project. Use your best judgment to decide.
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8. BE READY TO MOVE ON.
9. BE APPROPRIATE.
If your company does little to deal with harassment and bigotry and you’ve found your work environment too hostile to stand, construct an exit strategy. If it seems your job may be less accepting than you’d hoped, start researching and applying elsewhere. Make sure that if you’re fired for your identity or forced to quit because of harassment, you can move on quickly and easily.
Whether it’s while you’re working or while you’re looking for a new job, always be appropriate when it comes to discussing your identity. Certain things don’t need to be discuss in the workplace, regardless of identity. Don’t let yourself stand out for being unprofessional.
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10. PICK YOUR BATTLES. This comes with being patient. Choose wisely when you want to calmly confront or bring an issue to light. When trying to create an accepting and equal environment, it’s best to exhibit self-control and let the small things slide. Be secure in yourself and your work so when you choose to bring up a GSM issue, you can do so with confidence.
MODELS: Brandon Stephens, Billy Gruszewski, Josh Trattner, Bobbie Szabo, Gabrielle Cooper, Brien Thompson, Drew Canfield, Lucas Lyons and Emily Risser
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DRESSING IN TRANSITION AND OUTSIDE THE GENDER NORM STORY BY: BRITTANY REES ILLUSTRATIONS BY: GINA LEONE
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nside our community, it’s frequent we express ourselves outside the gender binary. There are binding and tucker, crossing dressing, drag, butch or transitioning. Each is its own means of self-expression. Often, however, the community outside of PRIDE! or PFLAG doesn’t cater to expression that differs from the gender norm. You can’t find drag shoes at Forever 21 and you certainly can’t find a motorcycle jacket that will zip over breasts in the men’s section of H&M. We present Blank steps to help you find clothes to fit you, regardless of how you want to express yourself.
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1. MEASURE UP.
2. FIND A STYLE.
3. BE PATIENT.
Measuring your body can be uncomfortable and often an arduous task. However, it’s absolutely necessary if you want to find clothes that fit every time.
Certain clothes aren’t flattering for certain body types, even within the gender norm. If you’re looking to feminize your figure, avoid shirts and dresses that have wide, square-cut shoulders. This will emphasis masculine features and bring emphasis to your upper chest. In contrast, wide-bottomed slacks will make feet appear smaller. If you’re trying to make a look more masculine, look for less form-fitting clothes as they’ll emphasize feminine curves. Once you have a better idea of what you’re looking to do for your body, you’ll be able to weed out garments quickly.
When scouring the mall or a department store, you have to understand that finding the perfect garment won’t be easy. Unless shopping at a store specifically designed for cross-dressing, it will a long process in the dressing room to find something that fits well. It’s important to be patient, not only because frustration isn’t fun but because once you do find a style of clothing or a brand that fits you consistently, you’ll be able to shop more confidently.
Grab a tape measure and measure your body. You want to measure your bust by wrapping the measuring tape around your entire chest at nipple level. Then, measure your chest by wrapping the tape around the widest part of your torso, usually right under your armpits. Next, measure your waist, hips and midway. First wrap the measuring tape around the thinnest part of your torso. Note the measurement. Then wrap it around the widest part of your hips. Note the measurement. Finally, find the in-between, your midway, and measure that. It’s usually right around your navel.
Try on a lot of clothes from a lot of different brands. Eventually, at least one type or brand will stick out to you so when shopping in the future, you can beeline to it.
Now move on to your arms. Measure around your upper arm and forearm. Then measure from the top of your shoulder to your fingertips to get your arm length. Lastly, it’s time to measure your legs. Wrap around the thickest part of your thigh, the thickest part of your calf and above your knee and note the measurements of each. Lastly, drop the tape from your hip to the bottom of your feet to note your leg height. Write all of these measurements down. You’ll need them.
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4. LOOK FOR HELP ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
5. BUY IT CHEAP, THEN BRING 6. LEARN TO SEW. IT TO YOUR LAUNDROMAT. If you don’t want to spend any extra money
There are plenty of people in your same predicament across the globe. Many of them have taken to social media to offer help. Look up youtube videos on simple tailoring techniques or customizing shoes. Tumblr is also an incredible source of information of this topic and even offers some solutions. One of our favorite blogs is called the Tumblr Transgender Clothing Exchange and gives people the opportunity to trade clothes across the country for your specific body type.
Most laundromats have a tailors who can customize clothes for cheap. This is where your measurements begin to come in handy. Stop stressing about fitting in and buy the clothes you’d like to wear for cheap. Keep in mind step 2 and buy what you think could fit if there was just a little more room here or a little less room there. Stores like Forever 21 and H&M offer stylish clothes for cheap. Buy that 12 dollar dress, give your tailor your measurements and voila! You have a custom dress made for your body.
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on a hiring a tailor but you still want to wear mass market clothes, learn some simple sewing techniques. Again, youtube tutorials help immensely here. We recommend the Brass and Mortar Uniform Depot for your initial sewing tutorials. This channel also has a ton of videos on how to tailor a suit.
7. SHOP ONLINE.
FIVE MADE-TO-MEASURE ONLINE SHOPS:
This is probably the easiest yet most expensive ways to find clothes for your body type. Plenty of stores list measurements online. Actually almost every one of them does. Take out your measurements again and search through online stores for measurements that match up to yours.
DRAGON INSIDE CUSTOM SUITS BLANK LABEL MEN’S CLOTHING QUINCY BUSINESSWEAR ESHAKTI (WOMEN’S WEAR) SUMISURA (WOMEN’S WEAR)
There are also custom clothing sellers on Etsy, eBay and Bespoke. Those clothes can get pricey but if you’ve got the money to spend and lack the patience of trial and error, shopping at online specialty retailers may be best for you.
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FUSION REVIEWS KYANA MOJICA AND BRITTANY REES
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breaking the girls A FILM REVIEW
This 2014 thriller almost looked interesting. The synopsis given on Netflix framed the film to be about two college-aged lesbians seeking revenge on their classmate bullies. Seemingly different from their rom-com peers, Breaking the Girls looked to be breaking the mold of the stereotypical lesbian romance movie. You know, the one where the eccentric and outgoing lesbian coaxes the straight or bisexual girl into crossing over to the rainbow side. However, ten minutes deep into Jamie Babbit’s Breaking the Girls, it’s apparent no originality will come from this 90-minute long nightmare. The film’s writers overused cliches. Its actors delivered stilted dialogue. And worse yet, the film relied on moronic tropes to propel an unexciting and convoluted plot. The setup: Quiet, mousy and straight Sara (Agnes Bruckner), meets the mysterious and wealthy Alex (Madeline Zima) who seduces her and conspires to kill off the annoyances in their lives. Right away, Babbit plays off a plot device overused in lesbian film, that of the straight girl being seduced by an experienced and mysterious woman. In straight film, this is also a popular trope. A wealthy and eccentric man will seduce a mousy, uninteresting girl into his dark world, ala Twilight. Once the conflict of the movie is laid out, it gets worse. The film takes several unnatural twists and turns that chug the plot along awkwardly. Characters act uncharacteristically, confusing the entire film and building up to an unsatisfying conclusion. Though Breaking the Girls is one of only a dozen lesbian films in Netflix’s catalog, skip it. You’re much better off re-watching Friends.
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out late A FILM REVIEW
lilting A FILM REVIEW Though filmed in 2008, documentary Out Late remains one of the most surprising and engaging GSM films today. Not to mention, with its recent addition to the Netflix library, it’s become more relevant than ever. Out Late examines the lives of five senior citizens who all chose to stay in the closet into their golden years. For millennials, the average coming out age is 17. Each of these five came out well passed 50. Intriguing in its own right, the reasonings behind such late debuts are even more fascinating. For each quirk and cocktail party fun fact, Out Late presents a meaningful and educational experience that gives the film depth and raises its value beyond that of a TEDTalk or Inside: episode. Out Late helps viewers learn more about their current community and its history while entertaining and reminding you to call your grandmother.
Coming out to parents is often difficult. In 2014’s Lilting character Kai (Andrew Leung) simply didn’t. Lilting follows Kai’s Cambodian mother Junn (Pei-pei Cheng) and Kai’s partner Richard (Ben Whishaw) as they try to communicate and grieve together after the unexpected death of Kai. Major conflict arises once it is revealed to Junn her son was gay. She spends the film struggling to come to terms with her late son’s sexuality while grieving his passing, while Richard spends the film trying to understand his partner’s mother, although she doesn’t speak a word of English. Instead of relying on stereotypes or tropes, Lilting uses real issues the gender and sexual minority community face to construct a relatable yet cerebral drama rooted in reality. Lilting creates many parallels between themes and plot devices, the biggest being Junn’s misunderstanding of homosexuality parallelled by her actual inability to communicate in English. The dimension created by these parallels turns Lilting into more than just another gay movie Netflix throws up each month and instead forces viewers to listen and learn.
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american horror story A TELEVISION REVIEW
American Horror Story is a television show that has taken the world by storm. With it’s creepy storylines and regular but still surprising deaths, audiences are captivated. The show even has had its fair share of GSM characters, but have those characters always been represented well or are they just a caricature of the queer community? In Murder House we get Ryan Murphy’s first set of gay characters for the series with Chad and Patrick (Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears). But with stereotypical gay, white attributes, the couple seems like the same old, same old. They’re trying to live their version of the perfect heteronormative life by settling down and adopting a baby, but things go awry when Chad finds about about his husband cheating on him, giving into the stereotype that gay men are sex-crazed fiends who cheat on their significant others. In Asylum we have a little bit more accurate representation of gay culture in the 60s, when homosexuality is seen as a mental disorder. Zachary Quinto returns as Dr. Oliver Threadson, a straight doctor helping queer character Lana (Sarah Paulson) “overcome her disease.” While the portrayal of the characters isn’t exactly positive, it is still a more accurate representation of queer characters during this time. Most recently American Horror Story had its fourth season Freak Show, which featured new GSM characters. Stanley is one of the main antagonists of the show and hides his sexuality from everyone except his partner Maggie (Emma Roberts). Dell Toledo is also “in the closet” though he is married to the seemingly intersex Desiree Dupree (Angela Bassett). Throughout the season, Desiree is referred to in more discriminatory ways. She herself uses harsh phrases and names to refer to her genitalia and her body. We later find out that Desiree isn’t actually intersex at all and instead just has an enlarged clitoris (which she mistakes for a penis), and increased production of hormones (which explains her third breast), and is 100 percent biologically female. One of the few positively portrayed queer characters in AHS is Freak Show’s “Amazon Eve”, played by the real life transgender actress Erika Ervin. The show doesn’t portray her as being trans* and instead she is seemingly in the freakshow because of her amazing height (6’8”) and strength. Not only is a trans* woman playing a main role in a mainstream television show but she’s also playing a cis* woman.
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empire rupaul’s drag race A TELEVISION REVIEW
A TELEVISION REVIEW
The latest in queer representation of people of color is Fox’s new show Empire. Empire is about music mogul’s Lucious Lyon’s record label and the legacy he will leave behind. Early on, Lucious finds out that he has ALS and it is up to him within his given three years left to live to decide which one of his three sons will continue his company. Of the sons, there are Andre, the focused and manipulative eldest son, Hakeem, a stereotypical thug rapper who wants to party and rule the world and Jamal, the gay, quiet yet passionate R&B singer. Because Lucious grew up on hard times selling drugs, he believes that men should act a certain masculine way. Because of Jamal’s sexuality, he turns away from Jamal, constantly abusing him. It is only Jamal’s mother and Lucious’ ex-wife Cookie who supports her son. Though Cookie throws in the occasional quip about her son and his lover Michael being “queens”, “fairies” she has so much compassion and love for her son that it isn’t really viewed as offensive. Jamal certainly prefers it to being called a “bitch” by her homophobic father. Empire shows the reality that many queer men of color have to face when they come from a stereotypical household. Queer people of color often face abuse, just like Jamal has and experience hostility from one or both parents. Though the show focuses on his sexuality as a source of conflict, Jamal’s character is just another average guy. He has passion, drive and is willing to make his father see that he doesn’t need his approval to be happy, which is what makes him so relatable to GSM audiences. Not to mention, so far he’s been casted the community in a positive light which is exactly what queer representation needs in the media.
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LogoTV’s flagship show RuPaul’s Drag Race entered its seventh season this spring with the youngest cast in “her”story. With these fresh faces came some new one-liners and a lot of the same paint jobs. Though the majority of these new queens were pros at dressing for their bodies and beating their faces, too few of them could take a joke or deliver a line, and by the third episode, I had lost interest in all of their uniformly pretty faces. Even their non-scripted dialogue was tired. If we have to hear “Come on, season 7,” one more time, we’ll call up Logo’s casting department ourselves to ask them where it’s put all its missing charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. In defense of Drag Race, the show has been on for seven years, the amount of time most series exhaust before being inevitably cancelled. But after season 6’s holy trinity of a final three, Drag Race seemed better than ever. That was until they casted every Instagram drag queen north of Puerto Rico. There have been a few good moments in the season so far. Trixie Mattel delivered some clever punchlines before being booted, and Katya’s confessionals have provided some much needed perspective and humor to an otherwise jaded and tired season. If you have a laptop and a wifi connection, it’s worth the free watch on Logo’s website. But for dedicated Drag Race fans, season 7 is lackluster, despite all the rhinestones.
sam smith A MUSIC REVIEW
Sam Smith’s debut album had the most fitting title of any album dropped in 2014. In the Lonely Hour was haunting and more than anything, lonely. Though listening to an entire album of ballads, sad ones at that, can be an arduous task, it’s worth it to hear melancholy Smith croon. Smith gained recognition after the massive success of the album’s single “Stay With Me,” even earning him a few Grammys. It wasn’t until after this whirlwind success that Smith also made headlines for being one of the first openly gay men to top the charts. Though now openly gay Elton John and Barry Manilow gained plenty of attention during their days, they did so in the closet, choosing to sing about romantic relationships with women instead of being open about their sexual identities. Smith, instead, released his award-winning album out of the closet and was named Out’s most influential person of 2014. Though the album can drag and “Stay With Me” has gotten quite enough radio play by now, Sam Smith still gets Fusion’s applause for being so open about his lifestyle.
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adore delano A MUSIC REVIEW
After Adore Delano’s stellar performance on season 6 of Rupaul’s Drag Race, fans expected a lot from the former American Idol contestant. This past summer, she delivered. Her debut album dropped in June, along with several music videos for songs “DTF,” “Adore You,” “Hello, I Love You,” and “My Address is Hollywood.” With each single and video, Delano showed off her charmingly cheap drag aestethic paired with her impeccable vocal range versatility. While the majority of the album was dance-fueled, pairing pulsing beats with vibrating synths, Delano put forth a solid effort diversifying her sound with the heartbreaking “Adore You” and slowed down powerhouse “My Address is Hollywood.” With Til Death Do Us Party, Delano presented the best album to come out of Drag Race.
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STUDENTS SOUND OFF ON... indiana’s religious freedom act
Earlier this spring, Indiana passed a law allowing business owners to refuse service to patrons on the grounds of religious beliefs. This has most affected the gender and sexual minority community as it’s led to widespread profiling with stores and restaurants turning down customers for looking too gay. Kent State students share their opinions on the act.
“I have a tough time understanding that we are still experiencing discrimination in America in 2015. Even so, catering to a gay couple when you do not support homosexuality is not participating in their beliefs or threatening your own; you are literally making their food. You don’t have to listen to their life story if it makes you uncomfortable, and I promise you don’t have to become gay. All you have to do is treat that gay couple as the human beings they are and do your job.” Mallory Pfeifer, senior communications student
“It’s disappointing that discrimination can still be made legal after all we went through during the civil rights movement.” Dylan West, junior computer science student
“I guess I’d just say that it’s shameful that such close-mindedness is observable at such a high level of government. That it’s not just some backwater town, but a state-wide thing.” Philipp Wade, senior computer science student
“It’s all messed up but it helps me decide which companies I don’t want to give my money to.” Rachel Volchek, senior visual communication design student
“It’s bullocks.” David Johnston, junior advertising student
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upcoming events LAVENDER GRADUATION May 1 in Moulton Hall, Kent Campus MISS GAY AKRON AMERICA May 3 at the Interbelt Nite Club in Akron PRIDE!KENT every Thursday in the Kent State student center ADAMS STREET (AKRON) HOSTS FREE HIV TESTING every Tuesday from 5-7 PM BATTLE BALL: HEROES VS. VILLAINS PRIDE! KICKOFF SHOW Aura Ultra Lounge, Cleveland June 26 CLEVELAND PRIDE! PARADE AND CELEBRATION June 27
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FUSION 12 years of award-winning journalism
2015 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards Region 4 finalist
2012
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Student Magazine Contest honorable mention for best ongoing magazine first place for best ongoing magazine semi-finalist for adobe indesign achievement award
2011
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Student Magazine Contest third place for best article on people: brandi shaffer’s “a fox in boy’s clothing” honorable mention for best article on people: simon husted’s “jake nash: speaking for the transgender community” honorable mention for ongoing print magazine
Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Awards finalist: magazine pacemaker category
2010 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Awards winner of the magazine feature category honorable mention for feature story of the year: laura lofgren’s “the importance of being aaron”
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