The Betty Pages Sept 2016 by Betty Desire

About our Contributors...

The Betty Pages - Sept 2016 Betty’s Corner

By Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

Betty On The Loose - Cabo By Betty Desire

In The Mix

By Bridget Adams

By Kevin Walder

The Hanged Man

A Bibliography of Gay Film

Miss Betty Desire has been entertaining anyone who would listen in Bellingham for over 20 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.

By Lyle Pearson

ECS Basics

By Sandy Soderberg

The Comics!

Queer Film Historian Lyle Pearson has published in FILM QUARTERLY, SIGHT AND SOUND, INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE, FILMFARE, YOUTH TIMES, MANSHOTS, THE BETTY PAGES and ASIAN CINEMA. With a BA from Pacific Lutheran College (1959) and a MA from San Francisco State College (1968), he has taught at Western Washington University in Bellingham WA. His main interest is Indian cinema.

Astrology

Staff Photographer John Phillip after 40+ years of television

By Matt Keller

GLBT Organizations (Whatcom & Skagit)

production engineering work John has settled down in Bellingham to semi retirement and is now 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” Naomi graduated Whatcom Community College with an Associates in Visual Communications - Graphic Design but prefers more hands on tinkering & random projects (of which she always has many still to finish).

É.F.K. O’Conghaile is a transgender organizer with particular focus on youth empowerment, transgender spaces, and homelessness issues. They are a facilitator for the Washington Gender Alliance support group in Bellingham Matt Keller lives in a time traveling ambulance where he’s constantly harassing ghosts, space aliens, and the U.S. federal government. He considers himself the most natural talent since Nostradamus and claims to be the Ken Griffey Jr. of astrology. Sandy Soderberg A steward for the honor of cannabis. From activism in legislature and Farm Bureau to education in schools and public forum, Sandy speaks of common sense for the common good of the people and the plant.

Betty’s Corner

Betty Desire

Betty On The Loose - The Grand Faro, San Jose Del Cabo Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

I had the incredible pleasure of staying at then all inclusive Grand Faro Resort in San Jose Del Cabo for 5 wonderful days to celebrate and enjoy my son's wedding. Here is an account of my stay and watch out Cabo! I will return! My travel day to Cabo was quite an adventure! The journey began at 3am at Bellingham International Airport as we went through security. All went well, because of the steel used in my bypass surgery I went through a different machine than the metal detector. It found metal near my hip? So I got a pat down. I was hoping for a strip search I even put on clean underwear! Alas no such luck. I found out later when I was in my hotel room after the 13 hour trip that a dime had stuck to my hip! Weird! From Bellingham we flew to Seattle and that is when things got crazy. We had to make a connecting flight at an N gate. That involved running to an underground train and then jogging from N15 to N2. We made it but we were the last to board and they closed the door to the plane before I could get my seat belt fastened. All this happened in less than 25 minutes. I was both proud and exhausted. Our flight to Cabo on Alaska Airlines stopped in Anaheim and we disembarked so they could clear the plane for the international flight to Cabo. When we reboarded it was a short 2 hours and we arrived at the airport. Starla and Brandon had rented an SUV for the trip so that we would have transportation to the hotel and beyond. I recommend this if you are willing to drive in Mexico. If I had been on my own I would have found a different solution. My Father nicknamed me Mr Magoo for a reason! When we arrived at the Resort check in went smoothly but next time I will remember to print out the confirmation email before I leave. I couldn't retrieve it from my Gmail account. The staff was quick to fix that and I was in my room in no time. I had to change rooms however because neither the safe or refrigerator worked in the first one. Again the staff was very nice and helpful. We went to town on the first full day of our stay and I scored a Seattle Seahawk Sombrero and Pancho! Also a bit of heat exhaustion. I am finding out that humidity is much more important than temperature, at least in my case. Odd that I would travel this far for Seattle Seahawk stuff but I am convinced that it is original.

We stopped at a roadside Coconut Water stand on the way back to the hotel. That was a refreshing treat. Right out of the raw Coconut with a straw Wedding day was full of preparation I found and adapted what I felt for the kids was a short but touching ceremony. I was very concerned about losing it

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As much as I have enjoyed Summer, Betty Desire, The Betty Pages I have to admit I am a true Western Washington boy. I miss the gray skies of Autumn. Too much sun makes me red like a lobster and pant like a dog. Gray days however are cool and energizing to me. The soft mist of what we locals call rain refreshes like a damp breeze. The normally green leafed trees turn a myriad of colors, and up here near the mountain the foliage of fall is a thing of legend. So breathe deep fellow ‘Hamsters! Summer is over the schools are in session and all the mothers with children are kid free for 6 hours a day. No more slow passing days it will be run run run from morning through the night. Speaking of run,run,run, I was able to attend my son’s wedding in Mexico. You can read about it in this issue (Look over to the right of this page!) . This was my first time out of the Country other than to Canada, which is so close to home that it shouldn’t count. I was a bit nervous using a passport for the very first time. Yes Miss Betty has avoided getting her passport until the ripe age of 61! It can be done, I just proved it. But everything was very simple. Next time I am buying some slip ons for air travel. You still have to take your shoes off for security. Untie and tie, untie and tie. Not next time. Take a moment to check out the story on Cabo. You will love the trip. In two months time we will find out who are President will be. I have to say my first pick didn’t make it and I am not excited about either of the choices left. I think that everyone should just vote however they choose. Third Party candidates are there for a reason. Maybe it’s time to check them out. Whether you do that or vote for Hillary or vote for Trump, just vote and don’t let anyone shame you into one Candidate or the other. Vote for me because the other guy will “Fiddle while the Republic burns” is no way to will an election. We’ve had plenty of poor Presidents in our Countries 240 year history, so vote how you will and it will harm none. Remember the State and local races they are closer to you and effect your lives sooner and deeper. As we start the Fall remember, as the weather gets colder there are friends and neighbors and homeless around us who may need a bit more care consider helping by participating in a food drive this fall. The more we can depend on each other the less we will be dependent on getting assistance from those who couldnt find Bellingham on Google Maps!

Betty On The Loose Continued Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

during the ceremony, but after hours of reading it over and over and picturing the audience in various forms of attire, or lack thereof, I felt ready. Thank you to those who sent encouragement. As it turned out I made it through without a tear. Until right after, when I collapsed in a chair and cried like a infant. After the ceremony we had dinner reservations in one of the Resorts fine dining restaurants. Italian, which is fitting for the Endrizzi Clan. I am very impressed with the food here and the friendliness of the staff.

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Their attention to detail extends to the grounds itself. I actually watched members of the hotel staff pick up leaves that had inadvertently strayed from where they should be and dispose of them promptly so that the guests would see nothing but well groomed gardens. The resort has everything you could ask for including entertainment. I was able to catch a glimpse of a tribute to Michael Jackson that was very well presented and professional. It is a resort for the whole family so keep that in mind when you book your reservation. There is a hot tub that is adults only but children are ever present and one must remember to keep public outbursts PG 13. The Sky Bar which is located at the highest point of the hotel, has a 365 degree view of the area and is a great place to get an overview of the neighborhood and watch a Seattle Seahawk preseason game! 12s are everywhere! Go Hawks! If you are thinking about excursions around the area I would suggest booking through the hotel itself. You can venture out on your own and book tours from the docks at Cabo San Lucas but there are plenty of less than reputable guides who will take your money and not give what the pictures on the slick pamphlet show. The hotel has already done research for you,it's best to avail yourself to their experience. Overall the trip was great. The most grueling part was the travel to and from. Alaska and all the other airlines are cutting back on perks like hot food so if you are diabetic keep in mind you will be traveling for at least 12 hours without anything available but snack food and pack your carry-on according. Gone are the days of breakfast lunch and dinner in the airline industry. Will I go back? You bet! Will I stay at an all inclusive resort? Absolutely! The Grand Faro has won me over

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Get it where you want it! The Betty Pages is available on-line at www.issuu.com/thebettypages and in print at these fine local establishments. *Indicates our advertisers!

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In The Mix

•

Bridget Adams

Need something to do? Check out these great local places for upcoming events http://www.bellingham.org/event-calendar/ http://www.whatcomtalk.com/bellingham-events-calendar/ http://bellinghamexplorer.com/search/event/whatcom-county/ http://www.pickfordfilmcenter.org/category/programs/ http://www.theupfront.com/# http://www.mountbakertheatre.com/shows/ http://www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com/playbill/ http://www.idiomtheater.com/ http://whatcommuseum.org/events/month/

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If you’re like me, you’re hearing a lot of people talking about third party candidates. About write-in candidates. About boycotting the election entirely. Believe me, I get it. I felt the Bern. And, while I don’t dislike Hillary Clinton as much as many people do, she doesn’t represent the great leap forward that our country was poised to make. But that’s my opinion. Those are my feelings. And while I can be as heart-based as the next person, it’s vital that this election be decided on facts. Facts like these: Fact 1: There are only three presidential candidates who are going to be on the ballot in all 50 states: Donald Trump, Gary Johnson, and Hillary Clinton. However you may feel about Jill Stein, she is not going to be on the ballot in all 50 states. She cannot win the presidency. Fact 2: Gary Johnson is a Libertarian. Now, an aside and full disclosure - in my deepest heart of hearts, so am I. I love the Libertarian ideals. The idea of small government. Of leaving major decisions up to the states and the people. I don’t want to live in a world that has to have government control, oversight, and regulation. I would dearly love for businesses to police themselves, employers to always do what’s right, states to consider their entire population as opposed to just the wealthy, and medical care to be affordable. All that and more. I believe deeply in personal responsibility and accountability. I also recognize that this is not who we are as a people. When left to our own devices, we screw it up. HOWEVER! That’s an opinion and we are looking at facts. So here are the facts* that come with Gary Johnson: • He wants government out of marriage. He supports marriage equality. But before the government got involved in marriage equality, it didn’t exist. It took the government to make our marriages legal – and Johnson is against that kind of intervention.

He wants to leave educating our children to the states, with no federal oversight. Which means children from different states will be taught different curricula. Nevermind what’s real, what’s belief, what’s science, what’s not, what’s historically accurate, what’s not. Put that aside for a moment. Children who come from the same country will be taught different information because their states got to choose what to teach them. • He believes in unlimited campaign contributions from corporations to politicians. Hillary Clinton is being raked over the coals because she’s “in Wall Street’s pocket.” Think about what unlimited campaign contributions from corporations would do. • He cut his state’s Medicaid and Medicare budgets by 43%. So, the federal government isn’t responsible for the country’s most vulnerable – but the states can slice budgets by nearly half. • He’s against a federal minimum wage. Enough said. • He wants to privatize social security and raise the retirement to age 70 or even 72. Social security is our money. We made it. We gave it over. We had an agreement. Now, he wants to change that agreement. And here’s the final piece, folks – Stein nor Johnson nor any other third party candidate or write in candidate is going to win this year. It would be lovely if Bernie could get enough write-ins to win. But he couldn’t get enough actual votes to even secure the nomination. He’s not going to get the win. Fact 3: It’s a race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. No matter who’s on the ballot, that’s the fact. You’ve got two months to participate or not in this election, however you see fit. You get out and knock on doors, make phone calls, or sit quietly and do nothing. You can stomp and rage and protest, or just quietly seethe that your candidate didn’t win. Argue it, or shut it down with silence. Engage or ignore. I do not care. But come November, vote. You must. This is not the year to not vote. Or to try to take a stand by voting for a third party. Look at the facts. Look at what’s at stake. And whatever you do over the next two months, come November, vote. *http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary_Johnson.htm

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transgender medical services now available locally We offer hormone treatments for transgender persons and provide people of all genders high quality, preventive care, testing, and treatment. 1.800.230.PLAN mbpp.org Bellingham Âˇ Mount Vernon Friday Harbor

The Hierophant

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By Kevin Walder

Have a favorite edibile receipe you want to share? Send it our way and you may get to see it in The Betty Pages! Email to: inthebettypages@gmail.com

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One of my very favorite cards in the major arcana is the Hanged Man. The artwork in this card varies somewhat from deck to deck but most commonly shows a man hanging from one ankle from a tree and it will often show runes scattered on the ground beneath him but he is obviously looking at the world from a new perspective. I look at the Hanged Man and I contemplate the new perspectives that are thrust upon us at times. There really isn’t any situation that cannot be looked at from a number of directions. There really isn’t any situation that cannot have its meaning adjusted or corrected by looking at it from a number of perspectives. In recent months we’ve begun to analyze directions and what we will do in the future and how what we are doing is maturing and it has caused us to turn things upside down a bit to look at things from a new perspective. Life is such that we are always given a choice, we can either choose to turn our own world upside down and look at it from a new perspective, or we can accept that someone else will be there to force us to see it from a new perspective. We always have the choice of being proactive in analyzing a situation or just accepting it as it comes to us. Neither way is inherently wrong but being proactive can at least put us in a new position with new capabilities of directing what is needed and wanted for the future. For example have you ever considered the possibility that something you have thought of as one of your greatest mistakes might actually have produced one of your greatest triumphs? Sometimes a little slip up can look like it will cause a huge problem but in the final analysis actually only serve to clean up the situation without direct intervention. We are all faced with dozens of choices every day some will be menial and some will be quite momentous but each of them needs to be considered on their own merits and the Hanged Man reminds us that each decision we undertake can produce both positive and negative results and we must be prepared and willing to accept both. The Hanged Man is a perfect example for us because it also can represent sacrifice and compromise. This card reminds us that in order to gain a new insight or in order to gain a new perspective sometimes we give up a bit of control or even a bit of freedom. There are times when we are called upon to let go of something very important to us in order to gain something which is for the greater good and this card reminds us to look at it in a way that is constructive, it reminds us to change our focus from what we lose to what we gain. Personally the Hanged Man reminds me to step back from every situation and look at it with new eyes to do everything within my power to remove ego from the process of decision-making. This card reminds me to be more open to new ideas and concepts, and much less quick to judge or to accept negative viewpoints as fact. This card reminds me to approach every day as a new venture. What is passed no longer rules and poor choices in the past can be corrected with better choices in the future. This card also reminds me to enjoy the process, that it should never become such “work” that we lose the joy of gaining that new perspective. The whole point of the Hanged Man is that we never stop learning we never stop growing there will always be new ideas there will always be course adjustments and we are only cheating ourselves if we are not willing to do that work ourselves. So as 2013 progresses and the abundant changes that we began in 2012 continue we will find the journey much easier if we keep looking for the joy of making decisions based on new ideas and new perspectives.

India’s Queer Cinema: Not Many Sinners

By Lyle Pearson

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A devotee of A.S. Bhaktivedabta Swami Prabhupada, Amara Das Wilhelm writes from the ‘Hare Krishna’ faith in TRITIYA-PRAKRITI: PEOPLE OF THE THIRD SEX: UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY, TRANSGENDER IDENTITY AND INTERSEX CONDITIONS THROUGH HINDUISM, (GALVA (the Gay and Lesbian Vishnava Association) Xlibris, “in the service of Sri Caitanya and the Vishnavas,” that trtiya-prakriti, or men who “have a female side,” are considered by the VEDAs, the oldest of the so-called ‘Hindu’ scriptures, as “semi-divine,” who “kept their own societies, bestowed blessings, and were well known as dancers and performers ... barbers or hairstylists, masseurs, and house servants.” “You see,” says Wilhelm, “in addition to having joined the Hare Krishna” movement, at seventeen, “I was also gay [and] excelled in ...cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. while witnessing [other gay] Hare Krishnas” suffer from emotional isolation, depression and even suicide.” Yet “Hinduism,” he continues, “has much to say” on homosexuality, “more so, I believe, than any other religion”--not only in the VEDAs, but in the many RAMAYANAs, MAHABHARATAs, PURANAs and folk mythology. Today itself, somewhere in India, “formal recognition of same-sex partnership” may be “celebrated as a Gandharva [celestial folk] marriage or friendship ceremony.” An immense literature, mythological, folk and modern, has been harvested by Ruth Vanita and Salem Kidwai in their SAME-SEX LOVE IN INDIA: READINGS IN LITERATURE AND HISTORY (Palgrave, 2001). At least one play from it, Vijay Tendulkar’s 1982 Marathi MITRACHI GOSHTA (MITRA’S STORY) has been made into a short Marathi film, MITRAA, (2014) by Ravi Jadhav. The play ends with the suicide of the lesbian protagonist, but the film, protesting homosexuality’s current illegality, sends her in search of her former lover in Kolkata: “India may have independence, she concludes, “but I do not.” This in a land famous for its homoerotic sculpture at temples in Khajuraho and Chhappri. “In the Vedic system” priests and government officials were “held in high standards of conduct. Merchants and farmers were given more leniency, and ordinary workers and artisans ... more leniency still,” including in sexuality. But “Muslim migrants” in the seventh century, to Wilhelm, “introduced the Middle Eastern practice of castration among homosexual slaves and servants,” today common in the North, less so in the South. In 1526 the Mughal Empire punished homosexuality with “flagellation, or death ... burning the victims alive, stoning them, collapsing walls on them, impaling their rectums with hot iron rods. But fortunately the Mughal Empire to Wilhelm, “declined when new advances in ...ocean shipping rob[bed] them of their ...monopoly on India’s trade.” In 1757, England outlawed “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal,” a law implanted by Henry VIII so that he could take control of Roman Catholic monasteries and remarry. The East India Company, “the dominant trading company in India,” was only a trading company. In 1860 British new rule implanted Henry’s buggery law. The law prevailed throughout the British Empire. Castration and cross-dressing in India now made their practitioners outcastes. To Rikki Arundel’s website GENDER SHIFT, “So to a large extent we have Henry VIII to blame for the persecution of LGBT people throughout the world.” For “During the nineteenth century” to GENDER SHIFT “homosexuality was considered a sin so horrific it was not even to be mentioned. Therefore “confusion was very common among British translators,” with their “two-gender system” and tritiya-prakriti was lost in translation. Today a term for tritiya-prakriti is hidjra, or ‘hijra,’ from Arabic, “departing,” a word fraught with difficulties. Hidjra to Oxford (1993) is “eunuch...impotent man” or pejoratively “masculine-looking woman,” or more currently, an asexual or gay cross-dresser. Castration, called nirvana, among other things by the initiated, is estimated at 60% to 70%. That is, 70% is the percentage of hijras who have “reached nirvana.” In India’s very first feature film, Dada Phalke’s RAJA HARISCHANDRA (KING HARISCHANDRA, 1913), men in mythological bathing drag cavort around a pool, “hot stuff in 1913” to Amrit Gangar, an Indian film historian. Gandhi, “educated in England,” upon independence in 1947 “ordered his disciples to smash the erotic representations on the ancient temples of Khajuraho and Chappri.” Only the poet Rabindranath Tagore managed to stop them. Pandit Nehru attempted to halt the publishing of photographs of homosexual sculptures. Ardhanarisvara, the form of Shiva and Parvati together, male on the right and female on the left side, was depicted in a documentary by Aravindan, a Malayalam director, but the Indian ambassador at a Moscow Interna-

tional Film Festival refused to let it be shown. The film then disappeared. There is no copy at the government’s National Films Division Corporation (NFDC), its producer, although a copy may rest with Moscow’s Delhi Embassy; this is a research project that must be done. Until 1974 seen only as comic relief at filmi weddings, real hijras finally danced in Mahmood’s KUNWARA BAAP (UNMARRIED FATHER, 1974), to the lyric Saj rahi gali mere ma, sun hare gote (The Streets Are Bright With Tinsel). In Manmohan Desai’s 1977 AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY gaudy hijras sing backup for the Muslim hero, Akbar, in the qawwali (couplet song) “Tayyab Ali pyar ka dushman” (Tayyab Ali, the Enemy of Love). Considered by contemporary Indians as a bad omen or nuisance, socially marginalized, yet ritually sanctioned as truth-tellers, hijra street performers here are enlisted by bohemian Akbar to help win his love from her father. Hijras resemble poets, “the hijra speciality ... put on full” display here the “calling out of shameful truths,” (101) for the “backup dancers and chorus” flush the father “into the street.” (232). AAA, as it’s often referred to, is one of Bollywood’s signature films, one might say the son of Mehboob’s 1957 MOTHER INDIA AND K. Asif ’s 1960 MUGHAL-E-AZAM (THE GREAT MOGHUL KING). The three authors of the film’s third critical study, AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY: BOLLYWOOD, BROTHERHOOD, AND THE NATION (Harvard University Press, 2016) remain undefined one from another: which one wrote on Hindu Amar, Muslim Akbar or Christian Anthony purposely remains a mystery. One might make a case for a gay villain in Biren Nag’s 1964 KOHRAA (MIST), an adaptation of Daphane Du Maurier’s REBECCA that is, to Avijit Ghosh in his 40 RETAKES: BOLLYWOOD CLSSICS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (Tranquebar, 2013) “sometimes, rather strangely, it feels like a triangle between Dai Ma [the housekeeper, played by Lalita Pawar, known for her portrayals of nasty mother-in-laws, in the Agnes Moorehead role], Rajashree [Waheeda Rehman, in the Joan Fontaine role] and Amit (Biswajeet, in the Laurence Olivier role]. (27) Only two years before homosexual acts were legalized in India (temporarily), in 1991 the first two hijra, or queer, villains appeared, eunuch Maharani (‘Queen,’ Sadashiv Amrapurkar), a ‘madam’ who, in Mahesh Bhatt’s SADAK (THE ROAD) is finally thrown into his own burning brothel; the second, mincing, rainbow-attired Pinku (‘Pinky,’ Anupam Kher), adam-teasing fellow villain Prem Chopra, ends up with Prem in the same jail cell. Amrapurkar’s performance is one of serious, controlled anger, Anuam Kher’s is High Camp--higher than his performance in Rohit Dhawan’s DESI BOYZ, (2011), whom we’ll get to later. For the last seven years Kher’s Actor Prepares acting studio has given a Rs.30,000 ($450) award to the Best Narrative Feature, Indian or international, at Mumbai’s Kashish (Pleasure) Queer Film Festival, the largest of at least five queer film festivals in India. The other queer film festivals are in Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Pune. At least one, somewhat clandestinely, has taken place in Hyderabad. There are now, in addition, Queer Azaadi (Freedom, or ‘Pride’ Weeks) in almost every major Indian city. A hijra in Mani Ratnam’s BOMBAY (1995) shelters twins of mixed religious parentage during a Hindu-Muslim riot; in Mahesh Bhatt’s TAAMAANA (WISH, 1997) a hijra raises a hijra orphan. In Deepa Mehta’s WATER (2005) a hijra introduces widows in Varanasi (shot in Sri Lanka because controversial) to prostitution. A driver is a drag queen in Mehta’s BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD (2002), sometimes ‘Rocky,’ sometimes ‘Rokini.’ In Gurinder Chadha’s BRIDE AND PREJUDICE (2004) hijras serenade the brides; in Karan Malhotra’s 2011 AGNEEPATH (STREETS OF FIRE), hijras die fighting for the hero in a mafia war. But let’s return to Bengal, in the northeast. Contemporary with Columbus’ failure to find India, Lord Chaitanya (1486-1534), in reaction to Muslim patriarchal rule, accepted “the mood of the supreme goddess Radihika.” Chaitanya is believed to be Krishna and Radha in one, Krishna on the outside and Radha inside. Chaitanya, or Krishna/Radha’s, gopas (cowherd boyfriends) and gopis (cowherd girlfriends) dressed in drag in love-play. Krishna himself dressed in drag to trick his gopas and gopis into false gay and lesbian relationships. At Lord Chaitanya’s Jagannath, or Nilachal, temple in Orissa, “a young man dressed in female attire seduces Baladeva, the elder brother of Lord Krishna,” annually. Kartik Chattopadhyay’s 1957 Bengali film NILACHALEY MAHAPRABHU (GREAT LORD OF NILACHAL) remains a popular Bengali biopic on Chaitanya, who began a reform in the bhakti (devotional) movement, commonly known as the “Hare Krishnas.” But now we’re back to Amara Das Wilhelm, the ‘Hare Krishna’ devotee of Swami Prabhupada.

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Blame it on the Mitochondrial DNA By Sandy Soderberg

The Comics!

Corporations were scared. Here was a plant that grew like a weed, and had thousands of uses, including being essential for our survival. They needed to control it. Enter Prohibition. A couple of men decided they needed to “protect” themselves from the “threat” that this plant posed, so they called in some family and friends to help them. Dupont was just getting started with nylon. Hearst had his money wrapped up in paper mills and could reach masses through publishing. Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of Treasury. Harry Anslinger, U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics. This foursome created the prohibition by guiding the pen on the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act and creating a smear campaign known as “Reefer Madness” to destroy the reputation of cannabis. Another pivotal point in this recount of history, is the role of WWII. Cannabis prohibition was halted momentarily for the war effort. In our haste to rid our country of hemp, we failed to maintain the ties of peace with the countries that were now importing hemp to the US from…and we needed it, because we were cut off. Rope, canvas for sails, material for uniforms, tents and parachutes…we

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Many people don’t realize that the first system developed in utero is the EndoCannabinoid System (ECS). Your mother’s placenta creates a compound called Anandamide which is present in utero and in breastmilk (remember this… BREASTMILK). This compound mimics THC and is the most important thing our bodies create. The ECS is a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors located in the mammalian brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, consisting of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors. Known as “the body’s own cannabinoid system”, the ECS is involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory, and in mediating the psychoactive effects of cannabis. The developing embryo expresses cannabinoid receptors early in development that are responsive to anandamide secreted in the uterus. This signaling is important in regulating the timing of embryonic implantation and uterine receptivity. In mice, it has been shown that anandamide modulates the probability of implantation to the uterine wall. For example, in humans, the likelihood of miscarriage increases if uterine anandamide levels are too high or low. These results suggest that intake of exogenous cannabinoids (e.g. marijuana) can decrease the likelihood for pregnancy for women with high anandamide levels, and alternatively, it can increase the likelihood for pregnancy in women whose anandamide levels were too low. When cannabinoid receptors are stimulated, a variety of physiologic processes ensue. Researchers have identified two cannabinoid receptors: CB1, predominantly present in the nervous system, connective tissues, gonads, glands, and organs; and CB2, predominantly found in the immune system, and its associated structures. Sounds pretty important, right? I would venture to say that considering we share mitochondrial DNA with this plant, it is probably one of the most important things we have available to use. And this is one of the most valuable things you should be researching. We need to go back in time to get a full understanding of what comes next. Up until 1937, Cannabis was a staple in all aspects of our lives, from our country, our health, our environment and of course, our economy. The first Europeans to come to America were mandated to grow hemp and send it back to the Kings and Queens of the times. Hemp was grown by our founding fathers, it could be used to pay taxes; in fact, the term “Green Backs” comes from the Federal Reserve bills being printed on hemp…oh, and let’s not forget the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution being printed on hemp paper. Betsy Ross stitched hemp fiber together to bring us our country’s first flag. The farmers were growing cannabis. The animals were eating it, the people were eating it, it was in medication. Again, sounds pretty important, right?

needed HEMP FOR VICTORY!!! But the damage to our health and environment was already being done to the future generations. Women were now in the factories. They were in the fields; agricultural and baseball. They were needed and empowered to help keep our country alive during the battles that ensued. So, in walks Dupont with another way to capitalize on the backs and health of Americans. Baby Formula. It was “needed” so the women could work. I can understand and appreciate the sentiment at the time. But what I recognize now, is that baby formula doesn’t feed the ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM. Only breastmilk can do this. Since WWII, the rise of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, autism, ADHD, Autoimmune Disorders, Alzheimers, food allergies…the list goes on and on…have all increased exponentially. The American diet has been depleted of the most important compound needed for healthy development. There is a piece of legislation I had introduced a couple years ago, which became law in July 2015, Industrial Hemp for Livestock Feed, and it will help to feed the ECS. It is my hope that reintroducing cannabis to the diets of our diets, we can reap the benefits. If the cannabinoids will transfer to the milk, we can create a baby formula for those infants not able to suckle on their mother’s breast, an alternative that will still help to stimulate the neurotransmitters in their developing brain, protect their digestive track and boost their immune system. It is something that can be taken in stages throughout life, and should be. Look at it this way, if you go out on Friday night and smoke a joint, drink a bunch of booze and snort some cocaine, the only thing left in my system come Monday morning is the pot. Your body is going to piss, shit, sweat, puke to get rid of the toxins… except the cannabis…why??? BECAUSE YOUR BODY IS DESIGNED FOR IT!!! We need decriminalization. We will talk about that next month. Stay tuned. SS Got questions? Write the Betty Pages and I will see if I can answer them for you.

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

Astrology By Matt Keller

Mercury/Jupiter September 2nd Today, the Moon, Jupiter, and a retrograde Mercury align themselves exactly. Luckily catch the crescent and the two closest stars will be planets. Expect wonderful conversation’s from random people if today‘s your birthday. An argument is forecasted for Sagittarius and Gemini. Keep your mouth shut if your birthday is December 20th or June 19th. Earth signs Capricorn and Taurus should focus on long term work ahead. New job’s may be in store for birthdays May and January 19th. Neptune equals magic, visit dreamland Pisces born March 18th. Lucky numbers: 10,28,4,15,10,24,12

Saturn Sept. 8th Like it or not, every month Saturn gives a reality dose which is often hard to take. Those getting shafted most are Virgo’s born September 2nd and Pisces born February 28th. Cousins Aries and Leo are gaining fire and spirit, with March 30th and August 2nd being the “special” birthday’s. Bipolar Gemini’s born May 31st will lose things usual, while Sagittarius with a December 2nd birthday is closely behind. Work sucks today, no matter when your birthday is. Lucky numbers: 16,10,24,12,18,29,23,12 Mars Sept. 9 Fightin’ and f*#ckin’ are what Mars does best. Aggression always runs high when the emotional Moon and fiery red planet align. Most likely to smack up some chump is the Sagittarius born December 10th. Avoid belligerent Pisces or malicious Virgo’s. Birthdays March 8th and September 10th are swinging blindly. Cancer’s born June 9th are pissed as well, they just don’t know who to hold accountable. Good things will happen for Aries and Leo. If your birthday

Pluto Sept. 11th Expect intensity any time the Moon transits Pluto. More like gasoline than fire, this monthly transit is meant to motivate you into gear. Sometimes only psychologically, these passionate influences are especially felt by Capricorns born January 5th and crabs born July 6th. March, April, May, and June 4th are the birthday’s Pluto is especially trying to contact. Taurus and Pisces feel wonderful, but Virgo is luckiest of all. Especially if September 6th is your birthday. Lucky numbers: 19,14,21,15,20,0,10,23,12 Neptune Sept. 15th Together the Moon and Neptune inspire magnificent imagination. Progressing through Pisces since 2011 this magician has been positioned in water for a while now. Especially aroused are obviously the fish, and if your birthday is February 28th pick up something and create. Water signs Scorpio and Cancer feel subtly strange. Your psyche is changing in a difficult way if your birthday is May 31st or December 2nd. Opposing forces seem to be restricting life, especially for Virgo’s born September 2nd. All Earth signs should just think about something they want more beautiful. Lucky numbers: 23,10,17,20,22,1,14,12 Uranus Sept. 18th Once a month Uranus gets a tickling for something wild or unusual, and tonight the Moon instigates some crazy in us all. Arian fire rams are the biggest @$$holes today, especially if you’re born April 13th. Birthday’s of July 15th, January 14th and October 16th, are also on the F.B.I watch list, but just for infiltration and spy purposes. Unfortunately I’ve noticed significant overseas terrorist attacks during the Aries Moon transit. If something big explodes or gets shot up, you can say I predicted it. Lucky numbers: 26,23,15,24,2,10,14,12

September 10th, and Pisces born March 8th. Bad thoughts stimulate bad actions for Sagittarius and Gemini, don‘t spend all your money on drugs. Give someone born December or June 10th a straight jacket and Valium. November and July 10th birthdays will feel smart, but remember sometimes dumb people occasionally have good ideas. Lucky numbers: 6,18,7,1,4,11,23,9,14,12 Monthly overview. September stars aren’t as interesting as the August skyscape was, but it does reign in with a solar eclipse on the 1st, and a partial lunar eclipse on the 16th. . If either the 1st or 16th is your birthday the up coming year is going to be monumental. Eclipse energies can be felt for months when they occur on your birthday. The 30th we get a new Moon blue Moon. The opposite of the well known blue Moon, this is when we get two new Moon’s in a calendar month instead of full ones. The Autumnal equinox may be on the 22nd but the actual equinox is the 25th. Mercury has come out of retrograde and now becomes a morning star, best visible from the 24th to the 30th. On the 29th you can spot it above the waning crescent Moon in the early morning twilight. All you photographers can catch it peaking above the East shortly after 5:47am. If it’s rising behind the mountains this is a grand photo opportunity which shouldn’t be missed. Hit the horizon no later than 6:30 if you want to photograph it. Once the Sun comes up they won’t be visible until the following morning, and then it will only be Mercury. Contrary to popular belief, the square Moon’s are when Bigfoot is out most. Those will be on the 9th and 23rd for all you Sasquatch hunters. Outdoor pot crops should be picked next month close to October 14th, and adjusting your lighting schedule now will yield best results. Regular gardeners should prepare for their harvest as well. Anything growing above ground should be picked on the 16th while underground crops should be picked on either the 1st or the 30th this month. Depending which cycle they decided to ripen under.

Mercury Sept 29 All alone the conjunction of the Moon and Mercury instills emotion into our everyday thinking. Meditation and personal reflection’s are significantly more meaningful when you can feel your thoughts. Feeling their thinking the most will be Virgo’s born

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Venus Sept. 3rd Venus inspires love, and any Libra born September 28th is falling head over heels. Again, and again, and again. So are airheads with birthdays of January or May 26th. Aries is most reluctant when admitting true feelings, and likely to go floozing around. Rams born on March 25 need to be especially careful where they end up sleeping tonight. Walk o’ shame also predicted for December 27 and June 26th birthdays. Lucky numbers: 11,5,28,15,10,24,12

is April 8th or August 10th chances are you win your fight. Happy 126th birthday Colonel Sanders. I sure love your fried chicken Lucky numbers: 17,18,24,12,0,10,23,12

GLBT Organizations in Whatcom and Skagit Counties 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 transgender services, 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 Transgender Services now available!

-Evergreen Wellness Advocates Evergreen Wellness Advocates 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

-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.

-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. -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

-PFLAG of Whatcom County Whatcom County Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meet at the Connections Room at the downtown Food Co-op the first Sunday of the month, beginning at 5 p.m. For more information and events visit www.whatcompflag.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

-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. -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 360-650-6120. -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! -Gay Bellingham Wednesday Dinner Wednesday dinner gathering. Open to all, but mostly attended by gay men. Tends to be older men. Usually around 10 to 15. New people find it on the web and come meet Bellingham area folks. Rotates to different restaurant locations each week as announced in the Yahoo Group. www.gaybellingham.org/ https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ alternativebellingham/info

Group leaders If we need to update our list because a group is no longer meeting please contact us!

If you are a member of or know of another LGBT group that would like to be listed please send us an email!

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-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.