The Betty Pages March 2012

THE BETTY PAGES The region’s most inclusive alternative-lifestyle entertainment tabloid

It It is is Signed!

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Page 15

March 2012

a Desire Enterprises publication

The Betty Pages - March 2011 Betty’s Corner

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Page 3

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In The Mix

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Taelor Anne Warner

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By Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

By Bridget Adams

By Taelor Anne Warner

Community Notes

7, 9, 16, 18

The Comics!

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Gay Film Bibliography

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By Lara Beth Carter

By Bichoo Vrishchik

About our Contributors...

Miss Betty Desire has been entertaining anyone who would listen in Bellingham for nearly 10 years, and is proprietor of The Betty Pages, the monthly publication that you are reading at this very moment. It is her hope that your perusal of the Betty Pages will enrich your life one chuckle at a time.

Queer Film Historian Bichoo Vrishchik (Scorpio Scorpion) has published in Film Quarterly Sight and Sound, International Film Guide, Filmfare, Youth Times, and Manshots. With a BA from Pacific Lutheran College (1959) and a MA from San Francisco State College (1968), he has also taught film at Western Washington University.

Writer Bridget Adams currently resides in Washington State but that is always subject to change. Lucky enough to be a full-time, if poor, writer, she is most likely somewhere in front of her computer with a cup of coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

Taelor Anne Warner is a local performer and educator. She started making educational videos in 2009 to share more information about the transgender community. A former WWU student she was one of the driving forces behind TransPort, the transgender support group on campus, and makes occasional appearances at drag shows and events in the Bellingham area.

Naomi Steele graduated Whatcom Community College with an Associates in Visual Communications -Graphic Design but prefers more hands on tinkering such as wire craft & random projects (of which she has many still to finish). She believes that everyone has a right to pursue their happiness as long as it doesn’t harm others Staff Photographer John Phillip, after 40+ years of television production work John has settled down in B’ham to semi retirement. He now drives late night shuttle for WWU and has revised his love of photography. His education touched on Theology, pre-med, law enforcement, fire protection engineering and film production. John likes to keep broad horizons.

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Betty’s Corner

Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

Let them know Washington State does not have the luxury to discriminate. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Harvey Milk, the first gay man elected to public office, said “visibility saves lives” in this case if your friends, neighbors, and co-workers know you support Marriage Equality they may be more inclined to support it as well. Statistics show we are on the right side of history, recent polls show the highest support for Marriage Equality is in the 18 to 30 age group. 70% of those in that age group supports Marriage Equality. If you are not a registered voter please consider changing that. I will be bringing voter registration cards to every Betty Desire Show along with pens so you can fill out the form easily. Outside agitators like the National Organization for Marriage have already pledged millions of dollars to buy ads and pay

have transpired in the last few weeks. Washington

signature gatherers in their effort to change public

State has become the 7th State in the Nation to

opinion and bring down our Marriage Equality

allow all its citizens to Marry the person they love.

law. They have promised hundreds of thousands

Now the work begins. We must be vigilant and

more to punish Republican legislators like Walla

work as hard as we can to keep marriage Equality

Walla Representative Maureen Walsh who voted

the law in our State. Those who would have us roll

their conscience and supported marriage Equality,

back the clock are attempting by Referendum 74

with a primary challenge to replace them. (go on

to force a vote of the people on our civil right to

youtube and listen to her speech on the floor of

a civil marriage. Do not sign Referendum 74. You

the house) We have come this far in gaining equal

may think that would be an easy task but if you

treatment of our families and as Maureen Walsh

remember Referendum 71 there were accusations

said on the House floor “this is about equality”.

of the use of a tactic known as “bait and switch”

Don’t let well meaning but misguided others force

where you think you are signing one petition and

us backward. Washington States civil marriage

actually are signing a different one. As in the past,

license is issued by the State of Washington not

we will be dealing with paid signature gatherers

a church.

who can legally say anything to get your signature.

If you support Marriage Equality just do not sign, if they do not get enough signatures the Marriage Equality law will go into effect June 6th.no matter what a signature gatherer tries to tell you.

Have an amazing Month

Betty Desire

Remember these paid gatherers are just trying to

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As I write this I am still amazed at the events that

put food on their families tables so be kind but firm.

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In The Mix Bridget Adams

I love it when the articles write themselves, Poppets, I truly do.

And given what I wrote about last month, I bet you already know what I’m writing about this month. Yep, same-sex marriage is now the law in our great state of Washington. Thank you, state legislature and Governor Gregoire!

There are others we need to thank as well, though, specifically the Washington United for Marriage Business Coalition. When I first heard about them, my plan was to spell out everyone involved. The really great news, though, is that it is literally a three- page list. While Betty is amazingly patient with me, I’m not going to turn in a three-page list of businesses and call it an article.

What I will tell you is the range of businesses involved is impressive.

Massive, multinational corporations, such as Microsoft, Vulcan, Nike, and Starbucks are on board. Movers and shakers of the state, like the Elliott Bay Book Company, the Seattle Restaurant Alliance, and Spokane Wireless have signed up. Independent retailers and small restaurants and cafes, and even law firms…The list goes on and it’s inspiring.

Surely, you know what I want you to do now, don’t you? I want you to go to www.washingtonunitedformarriage.org, check out the list, and decide which ones you can support. Whatever your other politics are, somewhere in that three-page list is at least one company you can patronize. Because it isn’t easy or fiscally safe for businesses to support us – and they did.

Think about it, though: A major department store is getting grief for having a kind, polite, caring, funny,professional as a spokesperson, just because she’s a lesbian. How does this even make sense?

Yes, JC Penney is standing by Ellen – and us – by keeping her on. So, let’s say thank you. Assure them they made the right decision. Even if you don’t care for their clothing styles, everybody needs socks and underwear eventually.

Vote with your pocketbooks, Poppets. For a single issue and for the larger one of equality. As I’ve said before, stand with those who stand with us.

Until next month, Poppets, take care of you.

Taelor Anne Warner

When you see me on the street or at work or at Rumors you may notice a lot of things. I’m tall and thin, but curvy, shoulder-length hair that often changes colors (dark auburn at the moment). Some people say I’m attractive. Some people say I’m a good dancer. Hopefully you think I’m friendly. And hopefully you’ll notice that I’m always smiling.

That feature has always been with me. What’s noticeable to me is that my smile hasn’t always been a real smile. For the first 19 years of my life it was forced, confused, disingenuous, and a little bit sad. What most people don’t notice about me is that for the first 19 years of my life, I was living as a man.

I say “living” but I really should say “attempting to live”. Like so many other transgender and transsexual people out there I was living a lie. From as young as I can remember my internal monologue, the voice I heard when I talk, and in my thoughts, was female. When I was very little my sister and I played together and acted like sisters. We played with her barbies, her barrettes, and sometimes, if I was lucky, her dress-up clothes. When my mother took me to do a behavioral study when I was in pre-school she checked a box on a survey which said: “child desires to be of the opposite gender”. I remember a conversation I had with my mother when I was eight years old where I told her I wanted to be a girl. She said God made me a boy for a special reason, and I couldn’t be. As the well-behaved child I was I buried the thoughts. I spent the next 11 years denying my feelings and only acting on them when I knew my parents couldn’t find out.

Then we get to me, age 19. I was in a long-term relationship with a female-to-male trans man. I was learning so much about gender, and realizing that it was possible to transition from my birth sex to the gender I’d always known I was. The result was the end of our relationship, and the beginning of my life as the woman I am today. Almost 3 years later I am a newlywed in a heterosexual relationship with a (mostly) straight man. I have a body I only ever dreamed about and people see me as I truly am. And what about that smile, you might ask? It’s there.

And for the first time in my life I can say that it is real, genuine, and will light up a room! My life will never be perfect, and I will never be “finished” with my transition. But neither will anybody else. We’re all on a journey, all in transition, and all changing every day. My change was physical, yours may be something else. But that’s life. And I can finally say I’m enjoying mine!

Editor’s note: Stay tuned as Taelor will now be writing on transgender issues for us under her own article/column name next month.

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Which also means, yep, it’s time to start shopping at JC Penney. What does JC Penney have to do with same-sex marriage? Not a damn thing as far as I know, but same- sex marriage isn’t and shouldn’t be the only issue within our community that we care about. You’ve heard the kerfuffle over Penney’s choosing Ellen as their spokesperson. I won’t rehash it here.

Taelor Anne Warner

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Community Notes Worthy Fest-

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

I was very excited when Betty asked me to write an article about 2012 Worthy Fest. As some of you may remember Betty graciously came out and emceed last year’s festival and was fantastic, she really helped pull the festival together. For those who don’t know about Worthy Fest, let me tell you. My name is Grady and long story short, four years ago we started having parties named after my tortoise, Worthy, that party has since evolved from a one night event to a two day music festival. We have some phenomenal music this year I know this year will be the best yet!

New Local Series Makes Big Upgrade to Website.

In the past there were two stages, a main stage that runs from afternoon until 2 a.m.-ish and an electronic stage that runs until the wee hours of the morning. This year we are extremely excited to have DJ Einstein and the Sunday Cypher proudly bringing our third stage, a hip hop stage, complete with a live graffiti wall, breakdancing crew and all sorts of other goodies.

Einstein has also hooked us up with bringing the hip-hop to our main stage with My Dad Bruce and the Bad Tenants.

There truly is something for everyone. We would like to welcome back our friends in Black Beast Revival as well as some new friends, TripMadam and CootTerSkooT, for a Saturday ROCK BLOCK. There’s also going to be some Bowie rock and roll with the tribute band Scary Monsters and the Super Creeps, plus a chance to BE a rock star with the live karaoke band, the Uncanny Valley.

There’s so much awesome music this year in addition to all the Worthy Fest staples that I can’t come close to listing how great they all are without this article turning into a chapter book. This is the reason why we’re starting the music early Friday and playing all day Saturday. Come early and stay the whole weekend so you won’t miss any! My stellar team of volunteers and I have been working hard this year, so come out and bring your dancing shoes!

Tickets are limited and going fast! For a complete list of vendors, volunteer info, performers, sponsors, ticket sellers and more, check us out at facebook. com/Worthy.Fest. Worthy and I really hope to see you there!

“We are overjoyed that our site is finally live so we can share our vision and project with you all. Our city is so amazing.” says James Bauckman, Owner of Revolutionary Productions. “I am always so proud of the men and women in our community, the work they are doing, and their commitment to a fair and sustainable city. We want to show other communities around our country and world how they can work together to make things work, just like we are. It’s a long a difficult process but it takes our unification and the willingness to compromise to make lasting and meaningful change in our lifetime.”

The series will be filmed in Bellingham over the course of the coming year.

Initial release will be web-based; the organization is also working to air the series on a major television network.

Those who wish to contribute to the project with a donation or share our project with others can do so by finding us at www.beingthechange.net.

Inspirations, Struggles, Solutions Episodes will feature inspiring stories of individuals, families, and businesses making positive changes in our city who manage to prosper while having a positive impact on the community and/or the environment. We will also interview people and businesses who are struggling with solutions and help them find local resources and organizations that can help. Tools for joint projects will be available: downloadable instructional videos, documents, and organizational tools.

Being the Change will film discussions between locals with a wide variety of viewpoints on various topics at Speak Out sessions located around the city and work to have the best ideas implemented in our community.

If you are interested in attending a future Speak Out, or know of individuals, families or businesses that would be ideal film subjects, please contact: James Bauckman, Owner of Revolutionary Productions.

For More Information: James Bauckman (360) 201-5022 jamesbauckman@gmail.com w w w. t h e b e t t y p a g e s . c o m

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We really have nothing but headliners this year and every performer is bringing something unique. There’s lots of new-to-Worthy Fest locals like Polecat and Yogoman’s Wild Rumpus. The amazing Kytami (you may recall her as a violinist from Delhi to Dublin) will be performing with The Phonograff as Violin vs. Vinyl. Its high energy, bow-string breaking violin mixed with hip-hop and electro, you won’t want to miss it! We are very lucky to have Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground as well. I saw them not too long ago at the Wild Buffalo and the best way I can describe them is ‘The Beatles meets OK Go’, it’s really neat!

Revolutionary Productions, LLC, is pleased to announce the their new web site www.BeingtheChange.net has made major improvements.

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Community Notes - continued

Training for School Staff/Teachers

Cara Black will read from her new, Paris-based Aimee Leduc mystery, Murder at the Lanterne Rouge, March 19 at 7 p.m. at Bellingham’s Village Books. Free.

The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of Washington State is pleased to offer training to school staffs on how to make schools safe for all students and staff.

Info at villagebooks.com/village-books-carablack-03/19/12 or (360) 671-2626.

Topics of this three-hour training include:

Contact not for publication:Diane Duthweiler dduthweiler@comcast.net - (206) 375-0012 BookItNorthwest.com

Taking Your Temperature: Characteristics of a Safe School Exploring Personal Beliefs about LGBT Individuals How to be a Visible Supporter of LGBT Students How to Intervene in Anti-Bullying/Harassing Situations Learning About Resources for An Inclusive School Developing a School Action Plan Join us APRIL 14 at the Skagit College, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. We will be part of a GSA summit. Students will have workshops, too.

Coffee will be provided. Lunch is $10.00. CEUs are available.

For more information: Mike Travis Professional Development GLSEN WA State Cell: 907.441.6140

Chuck Dingee

Registration: www.glsenwa.org

Keaton Collective MAjor Sturm & Nick Hoag

A truly fun show with favorite songs, a few surprises and the infamous “Jitterbug” dance scene…Thursday night March 15th $10 SEATS!!!

Ron Hardesty Julianne Thoma Jazz Quartet

Design: MeganKPeterson@gmail.com

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mike@wagsa.org

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The Comics!

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After Fire: A Gay Film Bibliography

Bichoo Vrischik

with an article on FIRE, opening a world of discussion on alternative Indian sexualities.

Some articles and books had previously dealt with hijras (from Arabic hjr, “leaving one’s tribe,” or “outcastes,” such as Serena Nanda’s “The Hijras of India: Cultural and Individual Dimensions of an Institutionalized Third Gender Role,” in JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 11, 1986, yet mythological and contemporary Indian gay and lesbian literature had not been seriously examined until after FIRE, in for example Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwas’s compilation SAME-SEX LOVE IN INDIA (2000, q.v.).

“There is no word in our language for what we are,” FIRE’s Sita tells Radha, yet this is not exactly true: homosexual in Hindi, from Sanskrit, is samlengika (same-sexual), and idiomatic terms exist in all Indian languages for lesbianism and homosexuality. (In Arabic, a common term for anal intercourse is ‘niknik.) Some terms describing aspects of alternate sexual behaviors do come from the west: the term ‘MSM’ was coined by epidemiologists in 1990 in

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The nearest thing India had to New Queer Cinema began and ended with Deepa Mehta’s FIRE in 1996. (New Queer Cinema was usually crudely made - FIRE is not.) Although shot in India, FIRE in SIGHT AND SOUND (1/1999) was referred to as a Canadian film, as Mehta is Indo-Canadian and probably because of its controversial subject. The bride Sita, after a “sullen” honeymoon at the Taj Mahal, finds happiness not with her husband, yet with her sister-in-law Radha. While Sita is the name of the heroine of the older, if more urban of India’s two great epics, the RAMAYANA, Radha does not appear in the second epic, the MAHABHARATA, yet not until Jayadev’s second century GEET GOVIND (KRISHNA SONGS). Sita and Radha do not appear together in any traditional literature, yet here as modern sisters-inlaw Sita oils Radha’s hair, appears briefly in Indian drag, and they sing along with Hindi film songs together, compensating for their loveless marriages in loving each other. Their paralyzed mother-in-law observes their love, yet in a patriarchal society it cannot last, and as Sita did in the RAMAYANA now it is Radha who must pass through a trial by fire, before both are condemned to exile. Rachel Malik in SIGHT AND SOUND calls this exile not an “escape, but a political challenge.” It was political enough for the Shiv Sena, a right wing Hindu political party, to tear down the film’s posters, temporarily stop its showing in Mumbai, demand that Sita’s name be changed to Nita (a Muslim name), and have its members strip to their underwear for a sit-in in front of the home of Dilip Kumar, a Muslim film star who has changed his name from Muhammad Yusuf Khan. I phoned a friend in India, the former curator of the National Film Archives, shortly after FIRE opened, contemporary with ELLEN’s coming out on ABC-TV. “Perhaps you’ve heard of this new film about lesbians, FIRE?” he asked.

“Oh, we have the same thing on TV. It’s called ELLEN,” I answered “That’s the main thrust?”

“Yes.” “It’s part of globalization,” quipped my friend.

On my desk a few weeks before I returned to India last year were two almost identical, on the outside, books. Each had a black cover, and was 550 or so pages, the homophobic feminist Heidi Pauwels’ THE GODDESS AS ROLE MODEL: SITA AND RADHA IN SCRIPTURE AND ON SCREEN (Oxford University Press, 2009) ironically on my left and THE PHOBIC AND THE EROTIC: THE POLITICS OF SEXUALITIES IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA (Seagull, 2006), edited by Brinda Bose and Subhabrata Bhattacharyya, on my right. Pauwels traces the evolution of the mythological Sita from the first RAMAYANA through several scriptural and poetic revisions on into Ramanand Sagar’s 78 episode TV series RAMAYAN (1987-88) and of Radha from the GEET GOVIND, and both into several contemporary Hindi films. She ends with a brief mention of FIRE, referring to its director as not Indian, as if she couldn’t bear to deal with the film’s subject. THE PHOBIC AND THE EROTIC on the other hand begins

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Queer India - continued the fight against AIDS, and Gay Pride in Mumbai is ‘Queer Aazaadi’ (Queer Freedom).

It is a pity that Ms. Pauwels, after her exhaustive research in “scriptural,” or mythological, heterosexual Indian female role modeling cannot bring herself to more than infer that FIRE isn’t really Indian (Mehta, born in the Panjab, has a degree in philosophy form New Delhi University). More so when the film is joined to Pauwels’ own research: Sagar’s RAMAYAN is the paralyzed mother-in-law’s favorite videotape, and its scene of Sita’s trial by fire appears twice on a TV set in the film. It first appears when the family servant Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhry) quickly substitutes the tape for the pornographic one he has been pleasuring himself with in front of the mother-in-law as Sita (Shabana Azmi) enters the room. It appears again after the servant has been caught again pleasuring himself with another porno tape in front of the mother-in law, as he asks for forgiveness and his request is granted by the elder of the two brothers, Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), out of “compassion” - a compassion that the mythological Sita and the film’s Sita and Radha do not receive. A mythological flashback told by Radha to a pre-MAHABHARTA legend of the origin of Karwa Chauth, a holiday on which devout wives fast for their husbands, is met with disdain on the part of the modern Sita.

Finally, FIRE reverses the names of the two mythological women in its lead characters. In the RAMAYANA Sita is the dutiful, if suspect, wife, enduring the trial by fire to prove her innocence (she succeeds, but is rejected anyway).

Radha is one of many cowgirls, or milkmaids, farmers’ wives who leave their marital beds to dance to Krishna’s seductive, phallic flute in moonlit pastures.

Here however it is Sita (Nandita Das), the younger wife, who is the rebel, unconsciously bringing a cleansing chaos into a repressive household. Yet Mehta is an iconoclast and may have a reason for reversing these names. It is certainly with her film FIRE, even if she meant it only as political, that an open dialogue on homosexuality and lesbianism began in India that has lead to Queer Aazaadi.

Before hundreds of marriage equality advocates and supporters, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed historic legislation that makes Washington the 7th state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry.

“As governor for more than seven years, this is one of my proudest moments,” Gregoire said. “And most surely today is a proud day in the history of the Legislature and the state of Washington. It is a day historians will mark as a milestone for equal rights. A day when we did what was right, we did what was just, and we did what was fair. We stood up for equality and we did it together - Republicans and Democrats, gay and straight, young and old, and a variety of religious faiths. I’m proud of who and what we are in this state.”

Washington now joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York plus the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex marriages.

“I’m proud that our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate but equal,” Gregoire said. “They will be equal. I’m proud that children in our schools and neighborhoods will not have to wonder why their loving parents are considered different than other loving parents.

I’m proud of parents who have fought so fiercely for the rights of their much-loved gay and lesbian children. And I’m proud that children who discover they are gay and lesbian can feel good about themselves.”

“To Senator Murray and Representative Pedersen, thank you for your skilled leadership as prime sponsors of marriage equality legislation,” Gregoire continued. “We have been on this journey together. And the intelligence, care and patience you brought to this struggle over so many years defines what it means to be a great legislator.”

Gregoire’s signature on Senate Bill 6239 completes a state journey that began in 2006, when the governor signed legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and other areas. In 2007, Substitute Senate Bill 5336 created the state domestic partnership registry. Gregoire signed House Bill 3104 in 2008 which added additional rights and responsibilities relating to issues such as dissolutions, community property, estate planning, taxes, court process, conflicts of interest for public officials and guardianships. Legislation signed in 2009 requires state agencies to ensure that all privileges, immunities, rights, benefits, or responsibilities granted to married individuals are granted to an individual who is or was in a state registered domestic partnership.

“I thank the Legislature not only for making history, but in the way they did it,” Gregoire said. “Proponents and opponents were incredibly respectful. Marriage equality is a difficult issue, and feelings run high on both sides. Yet, our Legislature conducted itself professionally and respectfully throughout.”

The legislation passed the State Senate with a vote of 28 yes and 21 no and the State House with a vote of 55 yes and 43 no. Opponents of marriage Equality have filed Referendum 74 in an attempt to overturn the legislature's action, they have until June 6th to gather 120,577 signatures if they succeed, the measure will be on this November's ballot, should they fail to gather enough signatures Gay and Lesbian couples could wed as early as mid June.

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Ms. Pauwels’ book, despite her scholarship, has a few other caveats. The transliterations of her Sanskrit and Hindi texts occur as footnotes at the bottom of each page, in smaller print than her text, rather than being placed immediately after their translations, making them of little help to any student of Indian languages. Nor is FIRE a perfect film. Some feminists criticize the making of its loveless marriages the raison d’être of its lesbianism rather than natural passion. Mehta’s answer is that this is basically a political film, and not primarily about lesbianism. This answer is borne out in the film’s color scheme. Saffron, or orange is the signature color of the Shiv Sena, and the claustrophobic house seems to glow in orange sunlight. The video-shop run by the younger brother, Jatin (Javed Jaffrey) opens and closes with a rolling door featuring an ad for the soft drink Orange Crush, and when Ashok is defeated in his attempts to involve Radha in his Gandhian experiments in celibacy, he sits dejectedly in front of an Orange Crush dispensing machine.

Gov. Chris Gregoire Signs equality legislation

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Suicide Prevention: Creating safety in our corner of the world Suicide and self-harm continue to be a problem for young adults in our community and across the state and nation. On March 8, 2012, a free workshop from the Youth Suicide Prevention Programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OUTLoud Project will be available for area school personnel, family members, health care workers and individuals. The three-hour workshop will be from 4:00-7:00 pm at Central United Methodist Church, 1013 Polte Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284. It will include information about best practices to increase support for youth, heightened awareness of the warning signs for depression, steps for intervention, information from the latest research and strategies for courageous communication. The focus is on LGBTQ youth but applies to all young adults.

To register, go to https://yspp.wufoo.com/forms/safe-and-accepted-skagit-county/ or call Heather Carter at 206 297 5922 ext. 116.

Registrations need to be made by March 5. This program is sponsored by the YMCA, PFLAG Skagit and YSPP. Sandwiches and beverages will be provided.

We welcome people from throughout the area to join us. Typically we have to go to Seattle for this training. We need it closer to home and we need it now. Please pass this along to your contacts. Thanks so much.

GLBT Organizations in Whatcom and Skagit Counties ISCEE The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Evergreen Empire is affiliated with the International Court System and has been actively raising money for charity for over 30 years by sponsoring drag shows and pageants. The group is open to all regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, seeking to provide social activities and community service opportunities for gays, lesbians, and their friends and allies in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties.

Leather, Levi & Bear Social Monthly gathering of men who like Leather, Kink, and Unabashed Masculinity. Second Saturday of the month, Rumors Cabaret, 7:30 to 10:30. Info 360.380.6409 www.theslowlane.com This website includes a gay resource guide for Bellingham located at www. theslowlane.com/guide.html.

Triskeli Guild The Triskeli Guild is Bellingham’s BDSM group that promotes community and education for safe, sane and consensual play.

They encourage participation by all sexual preferences, race and age 18 and up people. They meet monthly every 2nd Tuesday, at Pandora’s Box at 314 W. Champion St. at 7 m. www.triskeli.org Queries—triskeli@triskeli.org

Whatcom County PFLAG Whatcom County Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meets the 2ND Thursday of each month, 7pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. For more information and events visit www.whatcompflag.com

Washington Gender Alliance A support and educational organization for anyone dealing with issues of gender identity or expression, and the people in our lives. We have weekly Open Support meetings in Bellingham and Everett. For more information, please write to us at info@ WashingtonGenderAlliance.com or call 360-445-2411, or visit our web site at www.WashingtonGenderAlliance. com.

Whatcom Community College’s Queer Straight Alliance is committed to supporting the GLBT community by promoting awareness of queer issues and entertaining and educating students and staff of WCC. We can be reached at wccqsa@gmail.com.

Sean Humphrey House A housing unit for people who need assistance living with HIV/AIDS in Bellingham. For more information call 360-733-9357 On Eagle’s Wings Counseling Sue Stackhouse offers counseling services to the GLBT community in Whatcom and Skagit County. For information call 360-599-2627 PFLAG of Skagit County Support meetings for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and GLBT individuals are held at the Skagit Valley Co-Op Bldg. at 202 S. 1st St. in room 309 (down town Mount Vernon) on the second Monday of every month at 7 PM. For directions and information all 360-856-4676 and for additional information and events check the website at www.pflagskagit.org.

Bellingham Radical Faeries Community of queerfolk interested in lifestyles celebrating queer sexuality, spirituality and sustainability of the natural world. 18+ recommended. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ BellinghamRadicalFaeries/

Whatcom County KINK is a group to help organize events, munches, help if you have items to sell, or just a way for people to get to know each other. Meetings are the 1st Tuesday of the month at Rumor’s Cabaret. Happy Spankings!

Western Washington University LGBTA The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance at Western Washington University is a student organization which supports lesbians, gays, bisexuals, people who identify as transgender, and their allies; in the various stages of their coming out process, in the creation and affirmation of positive self identities, and in the promotion and defense of their human and civil rights.

The LGBTA is located on Western’s Campus in Viking Union 515 and is open from the first day of Fall quarter until the last day of Spring quarter. For information call 360-650-6120.

Mount Baker Planned Parenthood Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood proudly demonstrates its commitment to the LGBTQ community in all of our educational and service areas, by partnering with LGBTQ service organizations and through sponsorship and participation in Bellingham Pride. Our goal is to ensure that every individual has the information, services, and freedom to make healthy, responsible decisions about sex, sexuality, and parenthood. We offer comprehensive reproductive care, affordable STD testing and treatment and annual exams. Sliding scale available. Make an appointment online! http://www.mbpp.org Bellingham Clinic: (360)734-9095 Mount Vernon Clinic: (360)848-1744

Counseling Education Programs Support Groups Children’s Services Parenting Classes Crisis Intervention Shelter Referrals Info and Referrals Legal Assistance 24-hour support There is NEVER an excuse for domestic violence or sexual assault.

We’re here to help.

Free, safe, and confidential.

24-Hour Support (360)715-1563 www.dvsas.org

The Betty Pages Copyright Notice While The Betty Pages and/or its contributors generally reserve all rights and privileges of copyright, several parts of this publication are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. For more information and permissions, contact The Betty Pages at thebettypages@gmail.com or send a letter to The Betty Pages, c/o Desire Enterprises, PO Box 2724, Bellingham, Washington, 98227-2724, USA.

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4th Corner Poly Polyamory is the practice or acceptance of having more than one loving, honest relationship at a time. We’re a friendly, welcoming group for people involved in or curious about polyamorous relationships. Our group consists of and welcomes diverse sexual and gender identities . This is a family, kid-friendly get-together for sharing experiences and desires—not a dating or swing scene. we meet every 4th Thursday evening at alternating locations. For more information: http://groups. yahoo.com/group/4thcornerpoly

Evergreen AIDS Foundation Evergreen AIDS Foundation provides support services for people living with HIV and AIDS who reside in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties. Bellingham: 115 Unity St. 360-671-0703, Everett: 2709 Wetmore Ave. 425-740-3000

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Throw Back

MONDAY Karaoke

THURSDAY 80’s & 90’s

3 Jim Beam $ 2.75 Micros $

1 Wells $ 2.25 Rainier 11-1 $ 2 Wells

9-11

Pitchers

TUESDAY

9-11 $ 1 Wells 2.25 $

PBR

11-CL

$

Pitchers

1 HighLife

WEDNESDAY Betty Desire $ PBR

1.25 $ 2.75

Fire

ow

Sh

@ 10

Pints

Ball

$

FRIDAY

9-12 3 Long Island $

DJ

Short-wave &

Postal

or

Q-BNZA

SATURDAY

DJ

Mike Tolleson 9-12 $ 5 Pinnacle Bombs