The Betty Pages April 2013 by Betty Desire

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The Betty Pages - April 2013 Betty’s Corner

By Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

Providence Acquisition of Seattle area Swedish Medical The Playbook Deconstructed

1 3

In The Mix

Back To Bangalore

By Bridget Adams By Bishoo Vrischik

Poetic Encounters With Gender

Community Events

Bellingham Alternative Library

Astrology

Something New

By Jake

By Marcy

The Comics!

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. 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. 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. Naomi 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. “Don’t Dream It, Be It”

The Bellingham Alternative Library is an educational cooperative and lending library which is run by and for its members. We work to support any manifestation of a counter-culture and maintain a space free of oppression. Open Tuesday-Saturday: Noon-5:00pm www.altlib.org & www.bhamaltlib.tumblr.com 306 Flora St. Bellingham, WA 98225

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Betty’s Corner Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

Betty Desire

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As I write this in the background I hear news reports about the oral arguments before the Supreme Court regarding the Constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, the 2008 vote in California which removed the right of same sex marriage from California law. The United States Supreme Court will make their decision on this challenge by the middle or end of June. They could decide as they did in the case of interracial marriage in 1967, that marrying the one you love is a constitutional right for all US citizens, and strike down anti same sex marriage laws in all states where they still exist. They could make what is being referred to as a “8 state decision” referring to the 8 states that have civil unions, ruling that “everything but marriage” laws are discriminatory and those laws would roll over into marriage in those states. They could side with Prop 8 proponents, and allow the vote of the majority that removed California’s equal marriage law to stand. They could declare that prop 8 proponents “lacked standing to bring this issue to the Supreme Court” since the Governor and State of California refused to appeal the 9th circuit Court’s ruling. That decision would legalize same sex marriage in the States within the 9th Circuit’s jurisdiction. Whatever they decide most people my age never in their wildest dreams thought they would live to see this moment in history. Tomorrow they are scheduled to hear arguments for and against the 1996 law that forbade the Federal Government from recognizing same sex marriages in States that had granted that right to their gay and lesbian citizens. That case is “the big enchilada” for same sex couples who reside in States where marriage equality is law. If the justices side with equality that would direct the Federal Government to bestow the upward of 1200 Federal rights and privileges that heterosexual married couples enjoy to same sex couples living in States where same sex marriage is recognized. We live in amazing times! This could be a major watershed moment for civil rights in this country for this century. We could be witnessing the dragging of the United States Government into the family of civilized Nations that treat all their citizens with dignity, respect, and equality. According to the latest National polls the people have already made that move, our government, due to district gerrymandering after the 2010 census by Republican controlled legislatures, and misguided pulpit orators from conservative Churches, and the American Catholic Bishops, (the majority of Catholics in the pews brake with their Bishops on this issue) is playing catch up. Whatever happens public opinion is on the side of equality. Those 30 and younger support marriage equality by over 80% nationally. Most political observers believe that by the time my 7 year old granddaughter Taylor reaches voting age people will be looking back at this bruising social/political battle in wonderment, totally baffled as to the reason it took so long to make such a simple stand for fairness. For those who have fought valiantly since the riots at the Stonewall Inn and earlier, for our allies then and now, this Bud’s for you! Drink it quick! Rights won can be rights lost unless they are stridently defended in the public square, at the ballot box, and in the courts. That is the tiring demand of living in a Representative Democracy.

Providence Acquisition of Seattle area Swedish Medical The Playbook Deconstructed

Across the nation and here in Washington State people are coming together to educate themselves and inform others about important changes in healthcare. It has been said for several decades that eventually all of the health care in this nation will be in as few as five or six systems. What was not always clear is that half or more might end up religion-based. I have been watching this process for over 40 years and living it as a resident of Whatcom and now Skagit County. I call it the great gobble-up. There are grave concerns about who will make decisions about our care that are not just financially driven but also based on the personal beliefs of decision-makers over whom we have no control or contact. I would invite you to read the information below written by Monica Harrington and then do your own research. Our PFLAG chapter has formed an ad hoc group to make sure that TLGB concerns and that of our families are included in the discussions and decisions. We have collected resources at our website... http://www.healthcare-freedom.net/ You will find a place on the site to sign up to received notifications. We have been working with other groups and have found MergerWatch to be particularly helpful. Kathy Reim President PFLAG Skagit/Stanwood

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It’s been just over a year since Providence took over Swedish Medical, the largest nonprofit hospital system in the Seattle area. What’s the result? Swedish is now operated as a brand within Providence, and reports up through the Providence system, with oversight from the Catholic bishops. Prayers are held before management meetings. And abortions are no longer allowed, although Providence officials say they have been done when a woman’s life is in danger. Over time, insiders predict that the Swedish brand will completely disappear and all medical staff will be subject to the Catholic bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives. Before the deal was finalized and subject to regulatory approval and criticism from local advocates, Swedish was very careful to say that the deal was an “affiliation” and it insisted that its “secular” identity would be maintained. However, as The Seattle Times reports, once the deal was complete, Swedish was completely absorbed into Providence. Within months, legal staffs were completely intermingled, the ethical director and the communications director were working for both “brands,” and eventually, CEO Rod Hochman, who had been running Swedish prior to the deal’s completion, became the CEO of Providence. Where Swedish patients once could be assured that the physicians who handle high-risk pregnancies would always put a woman’s life and health first, now patients are coming to realize that the ultimate decision about when or whether an abortion is “elective” or necessary is now subject to the approval of Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, the Seattle-based cleric tasked by the Vatican with making sure the nuns adhere to Catholic doctrine. In February 2013, Seattle’s The Stranger published an article that outlined the story of “Mary,” a Swedish patient who said, “I was past 24 weeks when doctors at Swedish told me I was miscarrying…they said they couldn’t save the fetus but it still had a heartbeat, so there was nothing they could do. They had to wait for the heartbeat to stop.” Mary told The Stranger she demanded an abortion but was basically told her options were to “wait for nature to take its course” or unhook herself, crawl out of bed, and find another hospital. “It was a nightmare,” she says. “It still is.” The Swedish case demonstrates a brilliant execution of the Catholic hierar-

chy’s strategy to take over secular health care institutions and impose Catholic religious doctrine on the health care all of us pay for. Here’s the playbook as deconstructed from the evidence now available. 1) Always minimize the nature of the planned transaction. Deny that a takeover is what’s happening, e.g., call it “an affiliation” even when internally the plan is to merge the entities completely into a Catholic organization overseen by the Catholic bishops. 2) Meet with advocates ahead of time and manage them aggressively to ensure they don’t speak out in ways that attract media attention. If possible, divide and conquer by offering time-limited concessions to advocates most likely to voice opposition. In the second half of 2011, as the deal was moving toward completion, Swedish brilliantly reached out to Planned Parenthood NW and offered to site a Planned Parenthood Clinic adjacent to the Providence/Swedish facility prior to the merger’s completion and to seed it with a seven-figure grant. When meeting with other health care advocates late in 2011, the Vice President of External Relations for Swedish invited the head of Planned Parenthood to also attend. By doing a deal with Planned Parenthood in ultra-liberal Seattle, Swedish brilliantly managed the “PR problem” of too many health care advocates who were unsettled by the Catholic “affiliation.” If advocates criticized the deal, Planned Parenthood was used as a defense tactic/smoke screen. After ten years, the timeline for working cooperatively with Planned Parenthood runs out. 3) Continue to position the acquired entity as a secular brand externally until all potential for criticism of the new business deal is gone. Assure donors that “Swedish hasn’t changed,” while internally you start changing policies to reflect Catholic ownership and control. Maximize donor contributions by underplaying the Catholic identity for as long as possible. Communicate to donors that funds will be used to underwrite charity care to minimize any concerns that funds will be used to advance religious doctrine. BTW, doing this also protects against “donor intent” legal challenges that may focus on whether donor dollars were impermissibly diverted for religious purposes against the wishes of a donor. 4) Start changing the hiring practices for key positions to reflect the Catholic ownership/control. Make sure that legal, communications, and ethics positions are filled by people who know they will be reporting up through a Catholic management chain; make “a thorough understanding of Catholic theology” a core requirement for these positions. 5) Reward the CEO of the formerly secular institution with a high-paying, high-visibility role within the Catholic parent’s structure to ensure that he/ she prioritizes the new relationship over any previously made commitments to donors and/or patients. Demonstrate through example that executives who embrace the new Catholic identity will be well compensated. 6) Be careful not to put any of the new religiously-based medical policies into writing where they can be studied and evaluated until AFTER all news of the deal has been fully absorbed. This can take years. In the meantime, ask staff to consult with “ethics” experts internally for any questions they may have so that the policies don’t have to be in black and white while they’re in transition. Instead of posting religiously-directed policies directly on the website, cite internal ethics experts. A reasonable timeframe for putting the complete “takeover” strategy into effect, phasing out previously secular brands, and committing to full adherence to the bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care is approximately five years from start to finish.

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In The Mix Bridget Adams

Like many people, Poppets, I have a love-hate relationship with labels. On the one hand, life is a lot easier when we can use a word or two and be on the same page. On the other hand, too often labels are used to pigeonhole us, to confine us. To label us. Yes, I am a rubenesque, Pagan, cis-sexual, non-gender binary conforming, liberal-leaning, Southern, married, Bostonian brunette who dyes her hair red. But I’m also just…me. See the issue? That first paragraph tells you far more about me than the second one, but the second one is far more complete. Which brings us to the issue I have with talking about “the LGBTQ community.” What exactly do we mean when we talk about that? Sure, we mean lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals, transgendered people, and queers. However, anyone who knows much about sociological spectrums knows that there are far more than five points on any scale. Thus, I have come to appreciate the word “queer.” Now, I know for many people, queer is an insult. This is not to invalidate or negate that. It was for me for a long time as well. I considered it a word we could not reclaim, regardless of our best intentions, akin to the n-word for black people or “girl” for women. A word that was too derogatory for too long – still currently, even – for us to ever be able to adopt it without the stigma hanging over it. If you still feel that way, I get it and you have my respect around it. However, my feelings on this have changed. For me, the word queer has come to include every point on the spectrum, not just the four LGBT points. You can be a gay man, or a nontransitioning, lesbian, transgendered woman and both be “queer.” I have written here before about the prejudices bisexuals often face, and the biases against bi-gendered people. Non-transitioning transgendered people struggle for acceptance and validation. I have friends who, while they are indeed gay men, reject the implications of the word gay. I have lesbian friends who have been called out for identifying themselves as gay when they “are really lesbians.” The label we adopted in order to include us all has become something we use to exclude each other instead. If we don’t fit neatly into our label, our specific alphabet soup, we can be more easily outcast. More easily judged. And really, isn’t that what we were trying to end in the first place? So I have come to embrace “queer.” Queer includes the whole non-hetero standard spectrum, regardless of sexual identity, regardless of gender identity, regardless of comfy settling into accepted alphabet soup. Queer says enough. It labels enough. We can be on the same page, without pigeonholing ourselves or each other. It works the way labels are supposed to work, by making us freer instead of holding us back. And that’s a label I can live with. Until next month, Poppets, take care of you.

Bishoo Vrischik

Several years ago my dad and I decided to visit our relatives in the Tri-City area and booked a flight from Seattle, about a week before Christmas. But, the weather was so bad in Seattle that we had to spend a night in a motel before our flight could take off. I was proud of myself for being able to identify the Sikh behind the airline counter by his turban, and to introduce myself with the usual Sikh greeting, “Sat Sri Kal.” When we got into the van that drove us to the motel, I correctly identified the driver as Hindu, and greeted him, “Namaste.” The motel, like the majority of motels in the U.S. at that time, was owned by Indian Gujaratis, and I again greeted the desk clerk with “Namaste.” The waiter in the motel restaurant was also East Indian. So imagine my chagrin when, the next morning, we got back in a van to return to the airport, the driver did not respond to any of my Indian greetings and I finally had to ask in front of the other passengers, “Where are you from?” “Guadalajara,” came the answer. I could tell an East Indian when I saw one, but I couldn’t tell one from some Latinos. I felt so embarrassed, in front of the other passengers, that I thought my embarrassment would last all my life. Recently in Trivandrum however, I hired a tuk-tuk (auto-rickshaw), and the driver told me in English: “I worked with the U.S. military for six years in Iraq, at the Army-Navy Exchange. My name is Joseph. But the Americans called me Jose.” So now I didn’t feel so embarrassed. If the military can’t tell the difference, how should I be expected to? And now, at the 2013 Bangalore Queer Film Festival, Sahil Farooqi, a stand-up comedian who lives in Brooklyn, presented a short film in which he passes as a lightskinned Latino in gay New York hot spots. So I feel better than ever, knowing that immigrants of Indian origin can play that same game, backwards, and on YouTube. But what is even more weird is flying from Seattle to Bangalore and almost the first film you see is shot on Seattle’s University of Washington campus. Not the best film in the festival, nor even the best American one, J.T. Tepnapa’s JUDAS KISS (2011), a queer time-travel film director’s tale (or tail), features Charlie David (of the LGBT TV series DANTE’S COVE, THE L WORD and UGLY BETTY) as failed filmmaker Zach Wells, who is asked to take over the jury duty of his paramour or mentor Topher Shadoe (Troy Fischaller) at the fictitious Keystone University (University of Washington) film school. On Zach’s first night back at Keystone, his own alma mater, he is seduced by Danny Reyes (Richard Harmon, looking like Ashton Kutcher), who the next day is revealed as one of the film students Zach has to judge. Continued on Page 7

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Back To Bangalore

Back To Bangalore continued

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And then things get complicated. Danny’s short film, JUDAS KISS, has the same script as the identically titled film that won Zach the same contest years ago, when Zach himself was known as Danny Reyes. A campus guard, old man Welds (Dale Bower), knowing far more than he should, may act as the original Danny/Zach’s conscience. The new Danny’s father also mysteriously appears, asking junior not to show his film as it involves father-on-son child abuse. Danny Jr. must decide not only whether or not to show the film, but between two lovers, neither of them Zach, but the rich and manipulative Shane Lyons (Tino Descamps) and the more sincere Chris Wachowsky (Sean Paul Lockhart, better known as the underage gay porn star Brent Corrigan, who has previously worked with the Cobra (EVERY POOL BOY’S DREAM), Pink Bird (VELVET MAFIA 1&2), Active Duty (DRAFTED 3), Jet Set Men (GETTING LEVI’S JOHNSON), and (as Fox Ryder) Falcon (THE PORNE ULTIMATUM) studios: there is a book on Lockhart’s role in the murder of Cobra owner Bryan Kocis, Andrew E Stoner and Peter A. Conway’s COBRA KILLER: GAY PORN MURDER (Magnus, 2012). Two rival porn producers eventually received life sentences, having failed in their attempt to free Lockhart from Kocis and make their own use of his talents on screen.) As the final evening of the film competition arrives, the new Danny must make his decisions and the old Danny has to decide whether or not to let the younger win with his plagiarized film. Or, are the two Dannys the same person, separated by time? After the resolution (I hate spoilers, so I won’t spill it) the old Danny returns to Topher Shadoe (i.e., Shadow?), to be told that he, Danny, used to have sex with himself. So the whole film may be a literary or filmic conceit. There are some bare backs in simulated sex scenes; if you want to know that spoiler, you can order JUDAS KISS from Wolfe Video, purveyors of much soft-core gaydom. There were actually sixteen U.S. films at this year’s BQFF, eleven shorts, five documentaries, and two more fiction features. The best feature, Ira Sachs’ KEEP THE LIGHTS ON (2012), already available at Film Is Truth, homages bits of gay film history (Jack Hazan’s 1974 A BIGGER SPLASH, Bill Sherwood’s 1986 PARTING GLANCES) into the writer-director’s semi-autobiographical account of his dysfunctional relationship with a literary agent (now lawyer), ending like Woody Allen’s 1972 ANNIE HALL. The other fiction feature from the U.S., Cary Cronenwett’s MAGGOTS AND MEN (2009) re-configures Sergei Eisenstein’s BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (1925) as a temporary homosocial utopia, its leader in love with another sailor. Casting “female-to-male transgender actors,” Cronenwett attempts to illuminate “the gender revolution taking place in our society.” The two most impressive feature-length documentaries from the U.S were Mark Freeman and Nathaniel Walter-Koh’s TRANSGENDER TUESDAYS (2012), on the first Public Health clinic for transgenders in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district (opened in 1993, it now serves over 1500 patients) and David France’s HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012), two hours of archival material, much of it previously unseen, on the creation and achievements of ACT UP and its splinter group TAG (Treatment Action Group) during the 1990s. HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE was shown on the final afternoon of BQFF, the day before it was up for an Oscar in Hollywood as the Best Documentary Feature of 2012. It lost to Malik Benjelloul’s SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN; none of these three documentaries are available as of this writing from Film Is Truth, but I assume they may be soon. * * * BQFF 2013 also presented nine Indian films, including Oliver Husain’s 16-minute ITEM NUMBER, a satirical song-and-dance by one man and three women in pastel green dresses with matching umbrellas, and six films from neighboring countries(qv), including the 2-hour documentary on Chinese drag queen Madame Bi Langda, Qiu Jiongiong’s MADAME (2010). From it I learned that even in China enormous wigs will make a large face look smaller, but that then 20-centimeter heels are needed to keep the performer from looking like a midget. Also, smoking on stage can add to a drag queen’s melancholy mood. There were also two documentaries from Africa, Chris Belloni’s I AM GAY AND MUSLIM from Morocco, and Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s CALL ME KUCHU (2012), on the fight to keep homosexuality from being a capital offense in Uganda. David Kato, an avowed ‘kucho’ (homosexual) fought against this bill in this heavily Americanized evangelical Christian country until he was murdered, before the film was complete. (More recently, a Ugandan evangelical has accused Barack Obama of being gay, following Obama’s positive comments on gay marriage.) But the centerpiece, or at least the closing film of BQFF, was a seedy yet surprisingly hopeful fantasy of filth from the Philippines, Khavn De La Cruz’s MONDOMANILA (2010). Coke is snorted, money is stolen, young boys sell themselves, roasted rats are eaten, lesbian twins “the Cute Cunties” are voyeurized and a one-armed pimp dwarf does handstands, while a pederistic Dr. Pepper plays a Liberaced piano and drums on plastic bottles before he is shot to death in flagrante in a shower by his underage lover’s elder brother -- all followed by a happy song-and-dance featuring the entire cast, including the murdered pederast in the shower, covered in blood, one eye out of its socket, with umbrellas (unlike those in the Indian ITEM NUMBER turned inside out) until the central family takes a dip in the ocean and disappears, cleansing us all. This is De La Cruz’s thirty-second digital feature, a co-production (like several of these films), this one with the German company Rapid Eye Movies. Film Is Truth doesn’t have any De Le Cruz films yet, but I’m going to e-mail them as soon as I figure out their complicated e-mail format. You can phone them and ask for any film by an obscure director that you would like.

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Bellingham Alternative Library Presents: Poetic Encounters with Gender By Jasmine Chang

queer identity is rejecting assimilation and norms. it’s reclaiming space, building community celebrating our diversity and surviving on the margins, it’s healing. it means smashing patriarchy and white supremacy, acknowledging privilege and power, dismantling the systems that hurt us and helping each othersolidarity. it means genderfucking, finding fellow freaks being a total weirdo and absolutely loving it.

you and me this system injects us with shame that dominates our brains like a king, like a dictatorwe’ve lost our minds and our souls, we’re afraid to expose ourselves.

mal timid virgin straight whore dragonlady pet, exotic foreign hypersexual.

disconnected from the earth and our bodies we hover, hesitant, uncertain of ourselves and of our worlds, of our wants.

summed up in slant eyes, boxed up in white lies.

our feet don’t touch the ground. a feral spirit resides in our ribcage collecting dust, (collecting dust) dying down like budding blossoms choked out in winter frost. but, my dear, the answer is here, and the answer is queer (so hear).

we’ll tear down these crumbling systems and build something wonderful, you and me. Color Coded they look at me, they see yellow. for some people, color’s all they need to know: cute little asiangirl, shy nice lotusflower pure young chaste naive, nor-

Warrior paint your face fierce each morning and put on your coat of thorns, clenched fist and hard hearthard like a diamond. your only medal is your survival at the end of the day, the world wishes freaks like you would just go away. but you don’t. i see your armor glisten and your eyes shine like pointed swords, your rebellion steals my breath and i wish i could be like you. you are a spark flickering in the heart of deep December, smoldering bold and beautiful you ignite a roaring fire. Other Noteworthy New Arrivals: Problematic: Sketchbook Drawings 20042012 -Jim Woodring Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents – Nicholas Ganz Chorus – Saul Williams This Changes Everything: Occupy Wall Street and the 99% Movement – Sarah van Gelder Unsinkable: How to Build Plywood Pontoons & Longtail Boat Motors Out of Scrap - Robnoxious

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queer liberates you from domestication. gender’s trap doors of spring open and you’re free to run in the woods naked, you’re free to be free.

color says it all: there they got it, my story.

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About Monica Drake: Monica Drake’s new novel, The Stud Book, is about the mating habits of a group of Portland friends. She is the author of the indie hit, Clown Girl, winner of an Eric Hoffer Award and an "IPPY" (Independent Publishers Award). Her essays and short stories have appeared in a variety of journals, and she is a regular contributor to The Oregonian, The Portland Mercury, and the Stranger (Seattle). Monica has an MFA from the University of Arizona and is currently faculty at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Read her blog at monicadrake.com/blog.

About Chuck Palahniuk: Chuck Palahniuk is the author of a dozen novels including the bestselling Fight Club, which was made into a hit film by David Fincher; Survivor; Invisible Monsters; Choke, which was made into a film by director Clark Gregg; Lullaby; Diary; Haunted; Rant; Snuff; and Pygmy. We are grateful that Chelsea Cain has talked him into visiting her ancestral homeland. His official website is ChuckPalahniuk.net.

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Palahniuk, Chelsea Cain and Monica Drake on Wed., April 24, 2013, 6-10pm at The Wild Buffalo, 208 West Holly Street in downtown Bellingham. These three friends have cooked up a wild and entertaining evening that promises to be epic. Attendees are asked to wear sleepover attire, and bring pillows, flashlights, sleeping bags and/or blankets. (It will make the floor more comfortable.) Prizes. Cocktails. Dirty stories. PJs. Music. And whatever other thing Chuck decides to do at the last minute. This show will sell out. WHAT: Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups WHERE: The Wild Buffalo, 208 West Holly Street, Bellingham, WA WHEN: Wednesday, April 24th, 6-10 PM PRICE: $30.00 (includes one (1) complimentary beverage ticket and a signed hardcover of Monica Drake’s new novel, The Stud Book.) ON-SALE DATE: Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 6, at 10 AM at Village Books and on BrownPaperTickets.com (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/366954). AGES: This is a 21+ event. Kids get enough bedtime stories. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:This event is limited to 200 guests. Attendees will get their copy of The Stud Book and one (1) complimentary beverage ticket upon admission to the event. 200 tickets will go on sale on April 6. 100 tickets will be available on BrownPaperTickets.com, and another 100 tickets will be available at Village Books. Tickets can be purchased at Village Books in person or over the phone at 360-671-2626. Tickets cannot be placed on hold. Limit: 3 tickets per customer. No refunds. Online ticket purchasers will automatically be on a will-call list, or can choose to have BrownPaperTickets send a physical ticket. Doors will open at 6pm on Wed., April 24th, and the event will begin promptly at 7pm. Village Books will have copies of the authors’ books for sale at the venue. Authors will be signing prior to, and after, their reading that night. We will limit signing to 2 books per author at the event. The first 50 people through the door will receive a devilish keepsake, presented by Mr. Palahniuk. For more information, visit VillageBooks.com or call the store at 360-671-2626.

About Chelsea Cain: Chelsea Cain is the author of The New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan thriller series, including Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, The Night Season, Kill You Twice, and Let Me Go (coming Aug 2013). The series has been published in more than 30 languages, recommended on The Today Show, appeared in episodes of HBO's True Blood and ABC's Castle. Stephen King included two of her books in his top ten favorite books of the year, and NPR named Heartsick one of the best 100 thrillers ever written. She was raised in Bellingham, Washington, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. She's a perennial favorite at Village Books. Visit her at chelseacain.com.

Astrology By Jake

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Easter is a reminder that there is life after death. Indeed, the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen. The Sun and Moon enter into a brilliant fire of harmony symbolizing the phoenix rising from the ashes. On April 10, the new moon in Aries indicates the best time of the month to lay the groundwork to launch new endeavors (like projects, relationships, or new ventures.) Communications can get heated starting on the 13th so be wary of the impulse to speak first and think later. The third week marks a great time for creativity and focused production as the Sun moves into Taurus.

Aries: You can actually reach for the stars this month. Venus and Mars open the doors through love and financial obstacles that have left you feeling stuck. This conjunction provides you the power and ambition to get the job done. If you feel amidst hard times just hang on, your gifts are just around the next corner. The new moon on the 10th of April signifies a time for new beginnings, like business ventures and relationships. Pluto is still vibrating in your tenth house of career indicating transformation is unavoidable. Just practice acceptance of what is and keep moving forward--it will get better! Taurus: This month is all about soul searching. It is time to take inventory of where you have been and where you are heading. The new moon is the perfect time to plan for day to day activities. Don’t be surprised by sudden shocks to your system, just trust your senses and

evolve into your higher, spiritual self. Your financial situation improves so long as you keep in mind the laws of attraction. The Full Moon eclipse in Scorpio is a time for you to eliminate patterns that are not working in your marriage or other significant relationships. Gemini: You will make new social connections that will provide you some surprising benefits. Your creative endeavors will be realized if you utilize the tools that are at your disposal all around you. You may recognize a potential love in someone in your social group that you have previously dismissed. Saturn in your sixth house gives you the potential to form new bonds to your associates. The Lunar Eclipse towards the end of the month is a terrific time to abandon the negative patterns that block your personal growth. Listen to your hopes and dreams and let them guide you in personal expansion.

As Venus moves into opposition with Saturn a tendency to be selfish with material and emotional wealth is upon us. The Full Moon in Scorpio provides a chance to balance your life, giving way to long term security. This is due to the abundant energy of the first Lunar eclipse of the season allowing us to purify and detoxify the spirit. On Sunday the 28th Saturn opposes the Sun, making us feel bogged down by rules and structure, until the Moon harmonizes with the Sun allowing a free flow of energy to rationally clear a path through the obstacles of Saturn. If you just can’t get enough about your astrological forecast, please contact me at astrologbyjake@gmail.com

Cancer: This is a time to trust your gut and dive in (or out of your shell as the case may be.) The universe is giving you a chance to leap into new beginnings, perhaps a career. What you initiate now will be with you for years to come. Last month your homework was to turn inward and now is the time to move outward and take the risk, because it will pay off. A friend lends you a promising networking opportunity around the 13th which culminates near the 24th providing a fortunate emotional or financial contract. The Lunar Eclipse on April 25 is a time for you to transform into the best version of yourself in your relationships, clearing out any emotional clutter of the past. Leo: As you move out of the emotional turmoil that seems to have been plaguing you, now is the time to look forward and plan for your brilliant future. As the Sun, Venus and Mars move into your 9th house you feel the

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warm, benevolent vibration of Jupiter. This is a great time to plot your course. Your success comes from having your heart in it, so do what you love! If your heart is not in it, this will only lead to disappointment and resentment. Your finances will pick up considerably after the 17th of April. Venus and Pluto vibrate on April 24 to bring about a new love interest, or project so remain open. Utilize the the Lunar eclipse to rid negative behaviors. Virgo: You are still trying to figure out what is at the core of your tumultuous emotions. It is time to evaluate your relationships. You have an abundance of intense, strong emotions this month. Mercury’s retrograde status last month afforded you time to think on these issues, now is the time make good on any ultimatums you made last month. You will thrive as long as you don’t over-think or become too critical. The lunar eclipse on the 25th provides you an opportunity to let go of

negative holding patterns. Libra: Last month was all about work or day to day activities and this month is all about the romance. This month the focus is directed toward your relationships. Finding balance and mutual ground through communication is key. As Mars transits your 7th house you may find more initiative to do things you have been procrastinatin, especially in your relationship. Good news is expected on or around the 23rd. The Lunar eclipse in Scorpio is on the 25th which is transiting your 2nd house which means sources of income may change. Scorpio: This month is a good time to focus on your priorities. Restructure and revamp the clutter of your life. You may still be recovering from issues communicating with your children as Mercury transits your 5th house. The new moon in Aries is a good time to plant the seeds of change. Taking the time

to nurture your relationships will pay off for you in the long run. You may feel overwhelmed as the Lunar eclipse approaches, remain in control and utilize direct communication to heal the past. Cease the opportunity of the Lunar eclipse to let go of grudges from the past.

Capricorn: The areas of focus this month are your home, and your roots (where you come from.) This month you will have

Aquarius: The new moon on April 10th represents a good time to firm up contracts and negotiations that will be with you throughout the next year. This is the month that you will be spreading your wings to fly from the nest, figuratively speaking. Also finalize any financial contracts that have been lingering in the third week of April. Use the power of the Lunar eclipse on the 25th to get rid of that old bag of rocks that has been holding you back. This also may bring about a new job or relocation from an unexpected but welcome place.

Pisces: March was a great time for dreaming big, so April is a time for action. The new moon on April 10 is the perfect time to plant those mustard seeds which will grow into gigantic trees of wisdom in the seasons to come. The beginning of the month is a good time for your finances and energy to get the job done. You will feel everything falling into place-finally! However, you canâ€™t escape the Lunar eclipse on the 25th which may heighten your emotional or psychic qualities. Use this time to clear out emotional noise that you have been obliviously clinging to. Just ride the tidal wives like you are a surfing champion on the Pipeline and you will fare well. Mars and Venus dance together this month to give you the energy to beautify your surroundings.

The Stone Moon Physical Elements For Your Spiritual Journey ! !

Prayer Flags Ritual Supplies f$ f o $ Oils Tarot Cards 10% tire$ n Amulets Candles $e your ase$ Journals/Planners h Pendulums r p u c h is $ t $ Almanacs Gemstones h t wi !$! $$ ! n Books Incense o coup Singing Bowls Altar Decorations Jewelry Statuary 1304 Cornwall Avenue Bellingham WA 98225 360.393.4390 www.thestonemoon.com - Like us on Facebook! Shop Hours: Tuesâ€“Sat from around 11am â€“ about 5:30pm Tarot readings every Tuesday & Friday from 3-5:30pm!

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Sagittarius: This month is about new love and lots of fun! You may feel more dramatic this month so just go with it and be the fire-starter that everyone adores. The career advances you make this month will last for the next year. Many of the creative projects you started in the last several months will pay off, so go ahead and take a break and then start the next level of projects. Emotions may be extreme during the Lunar eclipse on the 25th so let go of the emotional baggage that is bogging you down.

an abundance of energy to do home improvements or remodeling. The Full Moon Eclipse is a time to weed out behavior that has been weighing you down. The intense energy of Pluto has been vibrating in your house for some time now, and it finally moves through your house making this a good time for leisurely activities...like shopping!

Something New Marcymark

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You ever find yourself trying something new just because it looks interesting, exciting, or just plain fun? Or maybe you’re trying something new to meet new people. And while trying these new and exciting, interesting fun things you do meet new people. And maybe these people you meet turn out to be interesting, exciting, or just plain fun. I’ve had this experience just recently.

I’ve seen people hoola hoop before many times but I’ve never seen any one look so cute spinning a hoop as I’ve seen Reggie do her tricks. Her cute smile and her curly hair put a new name in my thoughts for cuteness spinning a hoop. Don levitating his Ball to a most erythematic expertise. (No gutter thoughts here plz. lol) Della’s smile can brighten any ones day. And her laugh. Just as bright as her smile. Makes me smile myself every time I hear it. Graig had me fooled when I first saw him thinking he was quiet and reserved but then I found out how fun and enthusiastic he really is. He even encouraged me to spin fire. Now that is fun. Maybe one day I’ll spin fire as well as Graig. Hopefully without catching my pants on fire. And watching Chelsie do her rope swing is astonishing. And Chip, Might he be as wild as they come. Dressed up like a bear and growling and pretending to nash at victims as they pass. Yet another side of him I’ve seen as gentle as a kitty when he teaches you how to juggle. Oh and Strangley with his beard as wild and crazy as a wilderness beast. Yet again seeing him calm and collective sitting with the company of friends drinking…..I think it was tea. And of course Jules….…Yes Jules…….there must be something special about Jules…… Just kidding Jules. If it wasn’t for you and your and your trusty followers then Bellingham Circus Guild would not be here and I would be writing about something else. I thank you for making this happen. I tried something new and I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful new people. And my inspiration to try the circus wasn’t because I wanted to learn how to juggle. Or spin fire. Or really do any of the spectacular things you see at the circus. I was intrigued by the fascination of the people. The enthusiasm, the interesting, exciting and just plain fun people. The Bellingham Circus Guild. And all these people I just mentioned have talent that you just gotta see. And for those of you who didn’t get the chance to read my last article in March here in the Betty Pages this is a continuation from that article cause there was so much I wanted to say.

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The following names are connections online to some of the many talented people that wish to share their talent with you. Strangley and Friends (Strangley) One Fine Fool ( Jules) Justincredible shideshow (Justin) Jason Quick (Jason) Calliopie Arts (Dream&Anneka) Sh’dynasty Production (Kai) Once again I’d like to say if you haven’t been to see the Bellingham Circus Guild’s production of “Vaudevillingham” every month on the 15th at 1401 6th st. Fairhaven with two shows. 7pm & 9pm (changed from last month) I encourage you to come on down and have a sit. Thank you for reading, Marcy P.S. Don’t sweat the petty things. And don’t pet the sweaty things. Oh and BTW, I’m truly sorry if I had spelled your names wrong. Plz forgive me

The Comics!

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. www.triskeli.org Queries—triskeli@ triskeli.org Evergreen AIDS Foundation Evergreen AIDS Foundation provides support services for people living with

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. Sean Humphrey House A housing unit for people who need assistance living with HIV/AIDS in Bellingham. For more information call 360-733-9357 PFLAG of Skagit County Support meetings for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and GLBT individuals are held at Central United Methodist Church, 1013 Polte Rd, Sedro-Woolley 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 online 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. Meets every Saturday at Noon at Trapeze in the Bellingham Market on Cornwall h t t p : / / g r o u p s . y a h o o. c o m / g r o u p / BellinghamRadicalFaeries/ Cascade Rainbow Community Cntr is a community of LBGQT people that enjoy each other’s company. We gather every Friday @ 6:30 PM for community, sharing of food, conversation, ideas, and current events. Each Friday is either game or movie night. The group has a lending library, Pride participation, and educational support. We are located at The Center for Spiritual Living @ 1508

N 18th St., Mount Vernon, WA. For information call (360) 840-8499 and for additional information checkout and subscribe to our Facebook Page. 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 WCC’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. 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! WWU 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 360-6506120. 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 on-line! http://www.mbpp.org Bellingham Clinic: (360)734-9095 Mount Vernon Clinic: (360)848-1744

Support Education Healing Advocacy counseling Safety planning Legal assistance Support groups Trainings and Workshops 24-hour helpline: 360.715.1563/877.715.1563 Talk to us in-person: 1407 Commercial St. Bellingham, WA

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

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

Throw Back

MONDAY Karaoke

4 Jim Beam $ 2.75 Micros $

TUESDAY

9-11 $ 1 Wells 2.25 $

PBR

11-CL

Pitchers

1 HighLife

WEDNESDAY

1.25 PBR Pints $ 3.75 FireBall $

2 wells 9 - 11

DJ Postal

THURSDAY 80’s & 90’s $

1 Wells $ 2.25 Rainier 11-1 $ 2 Wells

9-11

Pitchers

FRIDAY

9-12 3 Long Island $

Short-wave &

Postal

SATURDAY DJ Mike

Tolleson