Charlotte, Raleigh among top 10 `Gay Ghettos` Carolinas see black

Transcription

‘Senator No’ passes away
Pride Charlotte
Jesse Helms deat at 86
page 20
Special pull-out section
page 11
Noted . Notable . Noteworthy . LGBT News & Views
Time Out Youth
CEO resigns
Board will be ‘deliberate’ in search
for new agency head
by David Stout . Q-Notes staff
exQlusive
CHARLOTTE — Time Out Youth CEO
Janine K. Eustache resigned her position with
the support and advocacy organization for
LGBT and questioning youth on June 17.
Her departure came three days after a QNotes investigative article revealed serious
allegations by ex-interns and youth members
suggesting the agency’s leader was uncomfortable working with the LGBT community and
uninformed about its issues. There were also
concerns that she did not want to be publicly
associated with the organization.
Eustache, who is heterosexual, was formerly
the southeast regional director of Save the
Children, a global child relief organization; an
executive at LaFace Records in Atlanta, Ga.; and
the executive director of the Georgia Legislative
Black Caucus. Prior to TOY, she had no experience working with LGBT organizations or serving the unique needs of LGBTQ youth.
In the wake of her resignation, Eustache
see ceo on 10
Peter Paige to
appear at Pride
CHARLOTTE — The Queen City is readying for its annual booster shot of GAY.And as
Queer Charlotteans look toward their special
day at Gateway Village, they can also anticipate
the participation of one special queen — or at
least the guy who’s famous for playing him on
TV. Peter Paige is coming!
see qaf on 10
Volume 23 . Number 05
www.q-notes.com
July 12 . 2008
Charlotte, Raleigh among top 10 ‘Gay Ghettos’
N.C. cities were cited for their thriving arts and
business climate
by Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
CHARLOTTE — Two North Carolina cities have been named in an
annual list of the top 10 “Gay Ghettos” in the U.S.
Compiled by the owners of GayRealEstate.com, the list is topped
by a two-way tie between Atlanta, Ga., and Portland, Ore. Charlotte
comes in at third, with Raleigh ranked fourth in a tie with Tampa,
Fla. Charlotte and Raleigh scored high marks for their strong business climate and arts opportunities.
Jeff Hammerberg, founder and president of GayRealEstate.com,
told Q-Notes that the “Gay Ghetto” rankings are measured by how
many LGBT people are moving to a city, living there and requesting
information.
More than 50 Carolinas LGBT or friendly real estate agents show
up in a search of GayRealEstate.com. The site bills itself as the
nation’s “number one source representing the rights of gay and lesbian home buyers and sellers.”
“Each year we choose our Gay Ghetto Top 10 by cross-analyzing
demographics against real estate sales data to discover those especially prized metropolitan areas throughout the USA that are most in
vogue with the diverse GLBT community,” explained the
GayRealEstate.com release.
“When the number crunching is over, we usually have 10 distinct
winners, individually ranked by virtue of their popularity. But for
2008 we have some unique and special surprises — including three 2way ties and a 3-way tie. Our top 10 are so outstanding, in other
words, that they rate higher than ever.”
The list and the written summary for each city follows.
Charlotte placed third, followed by Raleigh in fourth on a
list of the top 10 LGBT cities in America. The North Carolina
cities’ arts and business appeal contributed to their high
rankings. Photo Credit: VisitCharlotte.com
The 2008 Gay Ghetto Top 10
Atlanta, Ga., and Portland, Ore.
Atlanta — The “Peach City”reigns as the South’s LGBT capital and
continues to attract record numbers of LGBT newcomers each year.
Combine Southern charm and hospitality with the exciting urban
sophistication and thriving economic base of a world-class cosmopolitan
city and you have the unique Hot ‘Lanta cocksee top on 19
tail. The midtown hosts a well-established gay
Carolinas see black rainbow
al, transgender or same-gender-loving.“It’s
all about community,” said Pride committee
by Gareth Fenley
chair Todd Shaw, an African-American studContributing Writer
ies professor at the University of South
Carolina.“We’re all part of a larger LGBT
COLUMBIA — As five
community, but it’s all right to have famidays of South Carolina Black
ly reunions.”
Pride came to an end with
Connecting to ethnic brothers and
an awards ceremony on
sisters is a way to feel valued and beautiJune 29, Ra’Shawn Flournoy
ful that can literally save lives, Shaw said
was glowing with exciteemphatically.
ment.“It was phenomenal,
Leaders in the “family” were recogseeing the love,” Flournoy
nized with honors as follows: Marjorie
said, as he tried to describe
Hammock, Lorde/Baldwin leadership
his feelings during the first
award; Stacey Smallwood, Trendsetter
Pride of his life, which he
award for youth; Sam Hunter and K.
attended with his male
Allen Campbell, Mother/Father awards
fiancee and an estimated
for veteran elders; Maurice Adair and
500 other people.“It’s been
Linda Scipio, Mganga (Healer) awards for
one big family here.Words
HIV/AIDS
care; and Rev. Bennie
2008 S.C. Black Pride Committee (from left): Todd Shaw,
can’t compare to it.”
chair; Donald Wood, treasurer; Steve Gaither, vice-chair; Nicky Coclough, Rafiki Award for an ally who is
Organizers were happy
Dixon, entertainment coordinator;Alvin McEwen, secretary;
see they’re on 16
and exhausted after staging Tina Torres and Tiffany Adams, members.
S.C. Black Pride ‘one big family’
the first 100 percent, locally hosted Pride celebration in the capital for people of African
descent who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexu-
Moller to serve 3 years
Queer music issue
School board votes for GSAs
page 17
page 25
page 15
2
JULY 12 . 2008 • Q-NOTES
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Front and center:
www.q-notes.com
Volume 23
Number 05
PO Box 221841 • Charlotte, NC 28222 • 704.531.9988 . 704.531.1361
July 12, 2008
FAX
Carolinas see black rainbow
Charlotte, Raleigh top gay ghettos
Peter Paige to appear at Pride Charlotte
Time Out Youth CEO resigns
Brian Viglione gets all dolled up
Jay Brannan: Self-made music man
01
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To find a copy, go to www.q-notes.com/distribution/index.html
Special Pride Charlotte Section:
Publisher: Jim Yarbrough
Pride Charlotte: Street Preachers 101
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Pride Charlotte: Emcee
Pride Charlotte: Entertainers
Pride Charlotte: Main Stage
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Pride Charlotte: Recycling
Pride Charlotte: Week Events
Pride Charlotte: Zuckerman back
Editor/New Media: Matt Comer
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Community Cards
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Crossword: Summer Fun
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Curbside
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Drag Rag
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Editor’s Note
04
General Gayety: Grandma
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Guest Commentary: Helms
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Health & Wellness: Medical Wellness
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Money Matters
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News Notes: Domestic
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News Notes: Global
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News Notes: NC
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Opinion: Gun Toting
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Out and About
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Out in the Stars
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Para Todos
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Tell Trinity
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The Small Screen
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Activism before Stonewall
Flashback: Elizabeth Edwards
Helms passes away
Moller to serve three years
N.C. bill upheld
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Features:
Massaging yourself to health
issue: 07-26 deadline: 07-16
Columns:
Anything But Straight: Ugly
Classifieds
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Editorial Contributors:
Ambiente Magazine, Wayne Besen, Will
Billings, Matt Comer, J. Lynn Davidson,
Gareth Fenley, Todd A. Heywood, Kevin
Grooms/Miss Della, Robert Kirby, Jack
Kirven, Samantha Korb, Charlene
Lichtenstein, Blaise Liffick, Lainey Millen,
Rev. Irene Monroe, John Polly, Kat M. Read,
Leslie Robinson, Paul Rodgers, StatePoint
Media, David Stout, Trinity
3
P E R S P E C T I V E
Editor’s Note
A truly beautiful tragedy
Hardcore. Metal. Punk. Emo. Indie.
I don’t know what the differences are
between these music styles — hell, I grew up
listening to Country and Southern Gospel.
But, I can say without the tiniest doubt that
some of the absolutely fabulous band members in these genres are among the hottest creations on God’s green earth.
This comes to mind because I was recently
searching high and low for a queer punk (or
whatever) band based in the Carolinas to profile
as part of this issue’s Q-Living featured topic —
which is music. Unfortunately, my search came
up empty. I couldn’t find a single one.
Despite the apparent lack of queer
punk/emo/screamo/whatever bands, I was
surprised by the scope of the overwhelmingly
active indie music scene in the two states.
Via DirtySouthBlog.com and
MySpace.com’s band profiles, I peeked into a
world I’ve never been too familiar with. To say
the least, there are some great sounding artists
around our parts.A good portion of them have
full concert schedules working small-to-midsized nightclubs spread across the Carolinas
and elsewhere.
After losing myself for a few hours drooling over the hot boys, I was brought back to
the harsh reality of what it means to be queer
in this area. The reminder came in the form of
an email response to my inquiry about a particular group’s sexual orientation.
I stumbled across the band’s MySpace page
and their photo — depicting the three members
in bed together with one member laying his
head on another one’s stomach — seemed
sorta…kinda…gay.I simply asked if any of
them were.
“I am a christian and so is my band,” wrote
the leader of the Greenville, S.C.-based outfit
A Beautiful Tragedy. [All spelling and grammar mistakes his.] “I will not support your
cause in any way or fashion. It is a sin for a
man and a man and a women and a women to
have sexual relations.”
Enough said, right? Oh, no, it doesn’t stop
there. This diatribe dwarfed my original
request for information about the guy’s band.
“These kind of people need help. They need
Jesus is exactly what they need. God has a law
and rules.You can’t just go do whatever you feel
like doing and being like. Just like the law of our
nation and government and police force —
there are rules and laws to abide by and if you
didn’t have that, you would have total anarchy
and people killing,stealing, and doing whatever
they feel like doing. If you want to be gay or
whatever, then nobody is stopping you. Go be
gay. This is a great free country we live in. But
you can’t and should not be allowed to be married. Marriage is a uniting of a man and a
women through God, and how dare anyone
who would pervert that and twist that.You
should be ashamed of yourself for supporting
and being apart of something like this.”
I get it.Are you done? Nope. It gets worse.
“A dick in the ass is a disgusting, twisted thing that
man has created out of burning lust for each other.”
I guess the leader of this
“christian”band has spent so
much time thinking about anal
sex that he’s forgotten the Bible clearly condemns filthy,shameful,lascivious and otherwise
profane speech (see Ephesians 5:41,Colossians
3:8,2 Peter 2:18 and Ephesians 4:29).
Just when you think there there couldn’t be
much else to say, our musician continues with
the usual religious right political crap about
“democracy” and “majority rules.” He must’ve
failed U.S. History class in high school. In
America, being in the majority is not the same
as being in tyranny over a minority.
“Here’s the next point.You are not the majority of this country! We the Christians are!!! This
country was founded under the priciples of God
and Christianity and every day, you stupid
Liberals are trying to take that away.”
This guy is so wrong on so many issues.
Clearly, our American education system has
failed him. First, I’m not a liberal and it is
extremely arrogant and ignorant to assume a
gay man is a liberal by virtue of his gayness.
Second, he needs to re-read the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution. If he can
show me where in either of those documents
the words “Jesus,” “Christ” or “Christianity”
appear, we’ll end this debate and I’ll say he’s
right. Of course, he can’t do such a thing.
Those words don’t appear in any founding
document of our federal republic.
And he still isn’t even done.
“I want you to know that I will fight against
you people with everything I have.And I will
also pray that God’s love will reach down and
touch you so that you may be changed and
understand the amazing power of God’s love
and what it’s like to serve the one true God, the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
Why do radical Christianists feel the need
to follow their calls for violent overthrow and
battle with talk of God’s love? Do they think it
moderates their extremism? Do they believe it
makes their “we’re gonna fight till the death”
sentiments any less troubling?
Finally, we come to the end of this communiqué, which closes like any good Southern,
anti-gay diatribe should:“God bless you Mr.
Comer. Get saved.”
Bless his heart; he’s so precious! For the
record,I’m already saved.I’ve been that way
since I was eight years old and knelt down at the
altar in my tiny,country Baptist church in
Winston-Salem.I actually feel quite blessed,too.
I don’t need some radical Christianist with the
intelligence level of less than a high schooler
telling me to get saved.My salvation is none of
his concern.
At the end of the day, this “beautiful
tragedy” is nothing more than pure, hilarious
irony. If Mr. Band Leader can’t stomach samesex intimacy, perhaps his group shouldn’t post
a profile pic that defines the term “men who
lie with men.” Maybe Preacher Bob at the
Temple of the Jones there in Greenville can
reprogram these guys to display more “normal” gender behaviors and roles. Q
Speak out!
Send your letter to the editor or any other thoughts to [email protected].
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your name, city and state and a phone number where you can be reached.
4
Anything But Straight
not saying the records
of the two men are
equivalent. Obama is
by Wayne Besen . Contributing Writer
an all you can eat
buffet, compared to
McCain, a stingy onecourse dish with a
For a brief moment, it looked as if the
soggy side of greens. Still, this would have
LGBT community might escape gratuitous
been a superior situation to a Republican
gay baiting in the 2008 presidential camnominee getting elected on the backs of gay
paign. Unlike the past few election cycles
and lesbian people.
where the strategy was to secure the base at
Unfortunately, McCain made a strategic
all costs, McCain and Obama were vigorousdecision last week that he could not win withly vying for moderate and Independent
out securing the party’s right wing base. My
swing voters.
guess is that the campaign’s internal polling
The pro-gay Obama was competing in all
suggested that Obama — aided by his bloated
50 states — thus tailoring his general election
bank account — was winning too many
message to the skeptical rather than the conIndependents, so McCain had no choice but to
verted. McCain, for his part, appeared on
make peace with social conservatives.
Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show and pointedly
Leaders from the Religious Right were
refused to exploit marriage as a wedge issue
reinforcing this reality by making it clear that
in California.
if McCain did not grovel, they wouldn’t help
The dream scenario playing out was
get out the vote.
almost too good to be true. If Obama won
“We told him that if he didn’t come out
with a firmly Democratic Congress in place, it
and share his pro-family stances on these
would likely lead to the advancement of LGBT
issues, then he can kiss Ohio goodbye,” said
issues on Capitol Hill. If McCain emerged as
influential anti-gay Ohio activist Phil Burress,
the victor without pandering to the Religious
according to The Los Angeles Times.
Right, he would be free to pursue a moderate
With his divisive new strategy in place,
agenda and not be beholden to extremists. It is
McCain met with prominent social conserdoubtful that this would lead to any advancevatives in Ohio and all but licked their boots.
ment on LGBT equality, but it would set the
At the meeting, he announced his support
GOP on a more moderate course and curtail
for an initiative in California to ban sametheir anti-gay obsession.
sex marriage. In his speech he said that
The beauty of this situation was that for
Californians ought to “recognize marriage as
the first time in memory, LGBT people were
a unique institution between a man and a
not forced to put all of their eggs in one basket
woman, just as we did in my home state of
and play feast or famine politics. I’m certainly
The ugly campaign phase begins
met last month with Rev. Franklin Graham,
Arizona. I do not believe judges should be
the son of Billy Graham, and endorsed a
making these decisions.” (Despite McCain’s
sweeping faith based initiative.
anti-gay campaigning, the Arizona amendIn my view, the faith-based initiative is a
ment failed)
nightmare in practice, if not principle. These
McCain’s efforts seemed to work and sugprograms are useless, a waste of taxpayer
gest there is time to rally the right to his side.
money and are nothing more than pork barrel
“It was obvious there were a lot of changed
prayer and thinly disguised preacher payoffs.
hearts in the room,” said Burress.“We realized
The Obama campaign should lose voters over
that he’s with us on the majority of the issues
this stunt, but it won’t, as McCain’s flirtation
we care about.”
with the fringe no longer leaves him as a
McCain also said that he hoped to meet
viable option.
with James Dobson, the virulently anti-gay
This past week will be remembered for
leader of Focus on the Family. Dobson has
McCain abandoning his efforts to win LGBT
said he would not vote for McCain and
votes, but it will also mark the moment the
claimed that neither candidate gives “a hoot
LGBT community
about the family.”
lost much of its
To convert a skeptileverage over the
cal Dobson, McCain
Obama campaign.
would have to make
The only way
extraordinary promises
Obama could now
and essentially sell his
lose significant
soul. Such a move
LGBT support is by
would signal that
selecting an antiMcCain has dropped all
gay Vice Presidential
pretenses of appealing
candidate, such as
to mainstream
Sam Nunn.
Americans and that his
A presidential
campaign has decided
race with the relito follow the Karl Rove
John McCain is expected to play to the gious right on the
playbook of using red
Religious
Right. Barack Obama should be sidelines was fun
meat to create red
a different story. Unfortunately, it’s not.
while it lasted, but
states. This incipient
too good to be true. Now, comes the ugly
strategy is depressing and ends hope of a
phase of the campaign, where the GOP lies
classy campaign that could have united
about our lives and our families become fodAmericans.
der to rile up conservatives in an effort to save
Obama, for his part, is going after religious
John McCain’s sluggish campaign. Q
voters who are dissatisfied with McCain. He
5
G L O B A L
Icelandic/Nordic gods, agrees.
“We have fought for this matter
for a long time, that is, to have
the right to marry gay couples.”
Still, there are complaints that the changes
won’t truly change anything.“The laws on
confirmed cohabitation are mostly an optical
illusion,” said Jörmundur Ingi Hansen, former
high chieftain of Ásatrúarfélagid.“They neither give gay people nor straight people any
rights to my best knowledge.Various people
have claimed they give the same rights as
marriage, but that is unfortunately not true.
They do not include a reversionary right and
do not provide the kind of safety that marriage is supposed to provide.”
He continued,“I think it is poor behavior
to make people believe that this is marriage
when it isn’t. If confirmed cohabitation is supposed to be such a good thing then why can’t
priests confirm the cohabitation of straight
couples? Until now I
have not had the right to
confirm the cohabitation of a man and a
woman. There is no law
that states that the
cohabitation of two individuals of the opposite
sex can be confirmed. I
just don’t understand what the legislature is
trying to achieve with this. It is like a band-aid
for an undefined wound,” he concluded.
International News Notes
by Jack Kirven . Q-Notes staff
City moves parade after threats
SOFIA, Bulgaria — A recent Pride event was
relocated to a different section of the city after
organizers and city officials were made aware of
threats. The Bulgarian
National Alliance (BNA),
a right-wing extremist
anti-gay hate group, had
declared it would be
present at the local Pride
parade scheduled to take
place on one of the largest boulevards in the
capital’s center. The mayor moved the event but
did not cancel it, saying that he intended to protect the marchers from the protestors.
Marchers criticized the mayor for capitulating to threats while protestors criticized the
mayor for showing preference to minorities.
The BNA complained that moving the Pride
rally from the main boulevard to the parks was
even more “inconvenient” and “inappropriate”
since the parks are heavily trafficked by pedestrians on weekends. The BNA (pictured)
attempted to get the Pride event cancelled by
citing the precedent of another LGBT event
that was disallowed in the major port city of
Varna due to the disruption it would cause.
Indian LGBTs making strides
NEW DELHI, India — Despite laws making same-sex activity illegal and a cultural climate that makes LGBT culture taboo, hundreds of demonstrators came together in three
cities to call for equality.Activists in Calcutta,
Bangalore and New Delhi assembled in the
streets and other public venues in order to
stage rallies demanding an end to discrimination.Alok Gupta, a lawyer from Mumbai, said
“This is a national coming-out party. This is a
simple thing: We are seeking the right to love.”
Calcutta has seen marches staged in the
past; however, the rallies are a first-time occurrence in New Delhi, a city known for its rampant homophobia. The demonstrations were
staged in order to bring attention to legal cases
that have been brought before the Delhi High
Court seeking to overturn the British Penal
Code’s regulation of homosexual sex. These
penal codes have remained in place, despite the
fact that India has not been under British rule
for over 50 years. The laws are rarely enforced
but can be used by those who wish to exclude
LGBT people in housing and employment.
Iceland OKs same-sex ‘marriage’
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — The island nation
became the latest in a string of European
countries to make moves toward marriage
equality; however, the cohabitation laws are
also being criticized because they are not identical for LGBT and heterosexual couples. Árni
Thór Arnthórsson and his American fiancé,
Paris Prince, will be the first LGBT couple to be
wed in a church once a new law concerning the
right of religious associations to confirm
cohabitation of gay couples is implemented.
Rev. Bjarni Karlsson, who will marry
Arnthórsson and Prince, said,“We live in a
society where we not just tolerate other people, but respect them and their lives.” Hilmar
Örn Hilmarsson (pictured), high chieftain of
Ásatrúarfélagid, a religious organization for
those who believe in the pagan
6
City’s first Pride march held
NEW DEHLI, India — Along with demonstrations that were organized in an attempt to
pressure the local judiciary to overturn outmoded sodomy laws, New Delhi Pride has also
organized its first march. Over 500 assembled
to celebrate the initial events and to bring visibility to LGBT Indians and the issues affecting
their lives. The turnout, while small by Western
standards, was considered “beyond belief.”
Marchers who had not yet come out were
provided with rainbow colored masks.LGBT
Indians walked nearly one mile through the
main street of the business district joined by
additional groups such as workers unions and
equality groups for women and other minorities.
“This is amazing,” said Ranjit Monga,a public
relations executive.“No one would’ve believed 10
years ago a gay parade was possible in Delhi.”
Army accused of gay bias
KATHMANDU, Nepal — As previously
reported by Q-Notes, recent elections included
a successful campaign by gay rights activist
Sunil Pant (pictured), director the Blue
Diamond Society.With
the strides being made
in LGBT visibility have
come greater scrutiny of
discrimination in government agencies.
Bahkti Shah, an
openly lesbian physical
trainer in the Nepalese
army, is one of two women recently expelled
after several weeks of incarceration related to
a charge of sexual misconduct.Although the
army denies Shah was barred because of her
lesbianism, an ongoing investigation and
court appeal are being pursued by the Blue
Diamond Society and another activist organization on her behalf. Shah also denies the
army’s claim that she took money from cadets
for personal use. Q
D O M E S T I C
amend the state constitution to ban gay
marriage. The measure passed the Arizona
House in May.
Arizona voters rejected a similar measure in 2006, making theirs the only state
where an anti-gay marriage amendment has
been defeated at the polls. Rep. Kyrsten
Sinema (pictured) of
Phoenix led the successful fight against the
amendment as chair of
the statewide advocacy
group Arizona Together.
Following the Senate
vote Sinema said,“I am
deeply disappointed
that this referendum will be on the ballot.
Arizonans have far more important issues to
deal with than adding a redundant ban on
marriage by same-sex couples to the state
constitution. This referendum is a distraction
from real priorities like education, health care,
and the economy.”
National News Notes
Equality for gay clergy advances
SAN JOSE,Calif.— The Presbyterian Church
(USA) capped its 218th biennial General
Assembly,held here the last week in June,with a
historic decision moving the church toward full
acceptance of lesbian and gay clergy.By a margin of 54 to 46 percent,the General Assembly
passed an ordination measure that could eliminate the church’s policy against gay,lesbian and
bisexual Presbyterians seeking ordination.
The new policy would abolish language
requiring “chastity in singleness” in favor of
equal requirements for all candidates regardless of whether they are in a committed relationship. The measure must be approved by a
majority of the nation’s 173 presbyteries to be
enacted. That process could take up to a year
and some resistance is expected.
The General Assembly rejected a measure
that would have opened the door to religious
marriages between same-sex couples. The
denomination already allows blessings of lesbian and gay unions.
Marriage amendment makes ballot
PHOENIX,Ariz. — In the final hours of
the legislative session on June 27,Arizona’s
State Senate narrowly approved a measure
that will place a constitutional ban on samesex marriage before voters this fall. Sixteen
senators, the bare minimum required to
advance the bill, voted in favor of it. Now, voters will decide in November whether to
Hospital sued for shocking bias
MIAMI, Fla. — In February 2007, Janice
Langbehn, 39, her partner of 18 years, Lisa
Pond, and their three children, then 9 to 13,
departed their home in Lacey,Wash., headed to
Miami for a gay and lesbian family cruise. Upon
their arrival, an unthinkable tragedy occurred:
Pond collapsed and was rushed to Miami’s
Jackson Memorial Hospital where she was diagnosed with a non-survivable aneurysm.
At the hospital, staff refused to take Pond’s
medical history from Langbehn. She and the
children were also refused visitation with
Pond for nearly eight hours. Langbehn was
told by a hospital social worker that she was
“in an anti-gay city and state,” and could
expect no information or acknowledgment as
family. Later, Langbehn was denied Pond’s
death certificate by the State of Florida and
the Dade County Medical Examiner, even
though it was needed for the children’s life
insurance and Social Security benefits.
Lambda Legal has filed a lawsuit against
Jackson Memorial Hospital, on behalf of
Janice Langbehn and her children.“There is
nothing that can make up for what my children and I endured that day,” Langbehn said.
“We only want the hospital to take responsibility for how they treated us and ensure that it
doesn’t happen to another family.”
Hearing on TG workplace bias
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The first-ever congressional hearing on transgender issues and
gender identity discrimination in the workplace was held June 26 by the House
Education and Labor Subcommittee on Heath,
Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP).
The hearing was coordinated by House allies
including Subcommittee Chairman Rob
Andrews (D-NJ), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (DWI) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) working
with a coalition of LGBT groups.
The intent of the hearing was to send a
strong message to lawmakers about the need
for inclusive federal workplace protections.
Testimony was given by multiple speakers
including retired Army Colonel Diane Schroer.
The ACLU is currently representing Schroer in
a lawsuit against the Library of Congress,
which withdrew a job offer from Schroer when
she told her future supervisor that she was in
the process of gender transition.
ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel
Christopher Anders said,“Colonel Schroer’s
testimony gets at core American values, those
of equality and fair play. Regardless of our
gender identity, we all deserve a fair shot at
job opportunities and advancement.”
Trevor honors Cumming, The N
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Award-winning, out
actor Alan Cumming and The N, the 24-hour
network for and about teens, were honored
June 30 at the eighth annual New York City
gala of The Trevor Project, the non-profit
organization that operates the nation’s only
around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline
for gay and questioning youth.
Cumming received The Trevor Hero
Award. The award honors an individual whose
example, support, volunteerism and/or occupation is an inspiration to gay and questioning youth.” The actor’s many film credits
include “The Anniversary Party,” “Eyes Wide
Shut” and “Circle of Friends.” He has also been
a series regular on Showtime’s hit lesbian
drama,“The L Word.”
The N, whose award-winning shows
including “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and
“South of Nowhere,” have broken new ground
in the positive depiction of gay and questioning youth, received The Trevor Commitment
Award, given annually to a deserving company
or organization.
For more information on The Trevor
Project, visit www.thetrevorproject.org. Q
7
N O R T H
C A R O L I N A
North Carolina News Notes
by Lainey Millen . Q-Notes staff
COASTAL
OutWilmington Center to
close building
WILMINGTON — The board of directors
of OutWilmington Community Center have
decided to move out of their building on Dock
St. and close their traditional physical location.
Citing a need to reach out more in the
community and to focus on community
events, the board has decided having a central
location diverts needed energy better used by
planning and coordinating events.
Board members said in an emailed statement to supporters that the decision better
aligns the organization's actions and financial
spending with their mission and purpose.
The statement read, in part,“We have
made a decision to close the building of the
community center and focus on doing more
out in the community and connecting with
other LGBT owned and friendly companies in
town in order to bring bigger and better
events and programming throughout the
community.We will continue to have the webpage and will have a P.O. Box in order to continue receiving mail.”
OutWilmington is currently in need of
cheap or free storage units to store items currently housed in the group's community center.
CHARLOTTE
Pride Charlotte needs volunteers
CHARLOTTE — On July 26,Pride Charlotte
will take place at Gateway Village in Uptown.In
order for it to be successful,volunteers are needed in many key positions throughout the day.
This year there will be a second stage, an
expanded kids’ area and more vendors.
Got some time to contribute? Then take a
look at the following list to see what works for
you.
• Set-up, 1 shift, 7-11 a.m., lifting required
• Stage Crew/Equipment Tent, shifts vary, 9
a.m.-7 p.m.
• Recycling Team, various shifts, 11 a.m.-6:30
p.m., lifting required
• Partners in Peace, 10 a.m.-noon, noon-2
p.m., 2-4 p.m., even temperament required
as well as comfort around protestors, email
[email protected] or
[email protected]
• First Aid/Medical Tent, 2 shifts, 1-3:30 p.m.,
3:30-6 p.m., medical certification required
(i.e., M.D., R.N., EMT) with documentation
presentation at check in
• Parking Attendant, 1 shift, 8-11 a.m., standing required
• Check In, various shifts, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., multitasking skills required
• Children’s Area, 2 shifts, 1-3 p.m., 3-5:30
p.m., must like to work with children
• Clean Up, 1 shift, 6-8 p.m., lifting required
For more information or to volunteer, email
Toryn Stark at [email protected]
or visit www.pridecharlotte.com.
TRIANGLE
Film fest on horizon
DURHAM — The 13th Annual North
Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will be
held Aug. 14-17 and is produced by the
8
Carolina Theatre of
Durham, Inc.
The second largest LGBT film fest in the
Southeast, it attracts thousands of patrons
yearly.
On Aug. 9, join festival promoters at their
fundraiser for the premier of “What Love
Means” at the Carolina Theatre. Ticket prices
include wine and cheese reception during an
intermission, as well as admission to an exclusive silent auction to benefit the annual event.
Check out the next issue of Q-Notes for a
full story along with a preview sampling of
films to be showcased.
To be a sponsor or donor to the festival
or for more information, visit festivals.carolina
theatre.org/ncglff.
STATEWIDE
ENCF seeks input
STATEWIDE — The Equality Conference
& Gala, produced by Equality NC Foundation
(ENCF), is the largest gathering of LGBT and
allied North Carolinians focused on securing
equal rights and justice in the state. The first
Conference & Gala, held in November 2007,
drew rave reviews from more than 300 participants from across the state.
ENCF wants to make sure that this year’s
conference to be held in Durham on Nov. 15 is
even more exciting and educating than its
inaugural event and wants to continue to
build an active LGBT and allied community
that will be critical in the struggle for equality
in North Carolina for years to come.
The purpose of the Conference is to provide attendees with the latest information
about key policy issues, build skills to effectively create positive change and strengthen
connections between leaders and activists
across the state.
They are seeking proposals for workshops
that educate participants on key issues or teach
important skills for advancing an agenda of
equality and justice. ENCF specifically encourage presenters from communities that have
been historically under-represented including,
but not limited to, persons of color, bisexuals,
physically challenged persons, veterans, transgender persons, intersex persons, allies, students and senior members of the community.
They encourage workshop proposals that focus
on today’s hot topics, as well as proven workshops that challenge and enlighten newcomers
to LGBT advocacy, policy and politics.
Workshop proposals are important to creating a successful conference. Deadline for
submission is July 25.
To download a copy of the Call for
Proposals and Application form, visit
equalitync.org/conference/2008rfp/view.
For more information, email Shawn Long
at [email protected].
The event is also in the midst of fundraising efforts. Co-chairs are ENC Development
Director Kay Flaminio and Volunteer Ronna
Dornsife. Four hundred participants are
expected to attend this year.
So far, sponsors are: ACLU of North
Carolina, Duke Center for LGBT Life, Duke
OUTlaw, Haas McNeil & Associates, P.A.,
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Pam’s House
Blend, Replacements, Ltd., Triad Health
Project and Triangle Out and Equal.
For more information, call Flaminio at
919-699-3501 or email [email protected].
see next page >
N O R T H
Community resources sought
STATEWIDE —Michael DiPenta and
Bobby Hilburn, financial planners with
Ameriprise Financial in Raleigh, are compiling a resource guide of professionals in an
effort to better serve the LGBT community.
It is their hope that this guide will act as a
conduit for connecting those who are familiar
with and dedicated to perpetuating the cause
of community building.
The list of categories include, but are not
limited to: attorneys, realtors, CPAs, property
and casualty agents, loan officers, mortgage
lenders, physicians, travel agents, consulting
firms and personal trainers.
Submissions should be emailed to
[email protected]. Be sure to
include contact information of the referral in
the correspondence.
Candidate wins run-off contest
STATEWIDE — Winston-Salem’s Mary
Fant Donnon secured the Democratic Party’s
nomination for Commissioner of Labor, winning 68 percent of the vote in the June 24 runoff against Raleigh’s John C. Brooks.
She will face incumbent, Cherie Berry, in
the November election.
Equality NC PAC endorsed Donnon.
Documentary shown on public TV
STATEWIDE — The In The Life program
“Leading the Way,” which celebrates people,
places and events that display the remarkable
courage and diversity found within the ranks
of the LGBT community, aired on University
of North Carolina Television on June 7. This
C A R O L I N A
program was shown as part of June Pride
observance.
In the Life shares documentary stories
from the LGBT experience.
This show is available for viewing online
at www.inthelife.org/html/episodes/60.html.
Additional titles include, but are limited to,“A
Conversation With Judy Shepard (Parts 1 and
2),” “Voice From Nepal,” “Saving Marriage”
and more.
The organization has been nominated
three times for an Emmy, a Lambda Legal
Liberty Award honoree, recipient of the New
York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence
Project Courage Award, honored with
GLAAD’s Barbara Gittings Award and the
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists
Association’s Seigenthaler Award.
To learn more about In the Life, visit
www.inthelifetv.org.
Shows slated
STATEWIDE — Singer-songwriter Crystal
“Crys” Matthews has announced her summer
show schedule.
She will be performing on July 26 at 8 p.m.
at Liaison’s, 316 Rensselear Ave., Charlotte;
Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at Whole Foods, Raleigh;
Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at Coffee House Talent Night,
West Jefferson; Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. at Southern
Exposure,Atlanta, Ga.; and Sept. 24 at 12 p.m.
at Appalachian State University, Cascades in
the Student Union, Boone.
Matthews offers an eclectic blend of funk,
blues and jazz. She was named 2007 Regional
Artist Project of Northwest North Carolina
Grant Winner.
A self-proclaimed old soul, the southeastern North Carolina native first popped onto
the local music scene in Boone in 1999 as a
vocalist/keyboardist with the band Half &
Half before breaking out with her own solo
career. Since then she has been a permanent
fixture at venues like Caribbean Cafe, Jimmy’s
Java, Cafe Portofino, and Higher Grounds.
For more information, visit
www.myspace.com/crysmatthews.
CAMPUS SCENE
Index released
CHARLOTTE — The “LGBT-Friendly
Campus Climate Index”is the most comprehensive national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to measure campus climate and to create safer, more welcoming environments for LGBT people. The American
College Personnel Association (ACPA), the leading international association for college administrators, educators and senior officers, recently
honored the “Index”with the “Innovative
Response to Social Justice”award through the
Commission for Social Justice Educators.
Described as “trailblazing, and a trusted,
insightful measure for colleges and universities
across the country,” the “Index”was recognized
at the annual conference of ACPA this past
April. The national award showcases an exemplary educational initiative that furthers the
progress of social justice and inclusion of all
people.Any college or university may participate by taking the online assessment and then
receive a free private confidential report for
improving the quality of LGBT life on campus.
Since its launch in September of 2007, the
“Index”has grown to include over 150 college
campuses and is the only online national tool of
its kind. The index, developed by Campus Pride
with a team of national researchers in the field
of higher education and LGBT issues, included
Susan R. Rankin, Brett Genny-Beemyn and
Shane L.Windmeyer. The “Index”is in response
to the increasing demand for tools and
resources to support campuses in assessing
LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices.
The “Index”not only provides a mechanism for
colleges to measure their LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices but also a way for
the public to learn more about campuses interested in supporting LGBT and ally students.
Free of charge, the “Index” allows college
campuses to showcase their positive, welcoming efforts and to continue improving their
LGBT campus climate. Public users may search
colleges and universities based on their LGBTfriendly campus life (academics, policies, student organizations activities, campus safety,
health services, housing residence life, recruitment retention efforts, etc). Individuals may
bookbag campuses to compare and request
referral information about LGBT campus life.
Colleges or universities who are interested
in participating in the “Index,” should address
queries by email to [email protected] or
go online to www.campusclimateindex.org/
getstarted.
For more information,call 704-277-6710,
email [email protected] or visit www.cam
puspride.org or www.campusclimateindex.org.Q
info: Announce your community event in NC News Notes.
email: [email protected] or fax 704-531-1361.
9
R E G I O N A L
QAF star to appear in Charlotte
from page 1
Best known for his five-season run as the
fabulous Emmett Honeycutt on Showtime’s
“Queer as Folk,” Paige will have a sit-down
session with Sabrina Love on her live “Queer
View” talk show the night before Pride
Charlotte. Then on the big day, he’ll be a featured speaker at the festival.
Paige has enjoyed a successful career in television, movies and theater since graduating
summa cum laude from Boston University
School of Theatre. His credits include TV
appearances on “Will & Grace,”“Girlfriends,”
“Caroline in the City,”“American Dad,”“Related,”
“Grey’s Anatomy”and “Without a Trace.”
But, of course, it’s Emmett from smalltown Hazlehurst, Miss., who we hold closest
to our hearts. For those who lived under a
rock during the QAF years, here’s some
Wikipedia to chew on:
“Emmett is notable for his wry witticisms
and flamboyant fashion sense. He has a wide
variety of jobs throughout the series: working
in a clothing store, becoming a porn star for
Ted’s website, running his own catering business and delivering television news segments
as the ‘Queer Guy.’
“Although at first glance Emmett seems to
be a gay stereotype, even a stock character,
throughout the five seasons his character
becomes quite dynamic and complex.”
Amen, sister!
Paige’s “Queer View” appearance will take
place at Liaisons, the show’s new home.
Tickets for “An Intimate Night with Peter
Paige” are available for $20 in advance at
www.queerview.com, or $35 at the club the
night of the show.VIP packages are also available at the website. Q
CEO resigns amidst scrutiny
from page 1
received praised from newly installed TOY
Board of Directors Chair Brandon Major, who
noted the ex-CEO’s commitment to the agency
and the expansion of its services.
In a written statement submitted to QNotes, Major said,“Janine Eustache served our
organization’s mission and our youth with
great dedication. She implemented four new
programs expanding the organization’s capacity to serve the needs of the area’s LGBT and
questioning youth and secured several new
sources of grant funding during her tenure.
We’re grateful for the work she did on behalf of
our critical mission and wish her the best of
luck in her new pursuits.”
Major also revealed that a search committee has already been formed to find TOY’s new
CEO. However, he assured that neither the
process nor the decision would be rushed.
“The organization is on solid financial
ground and with committed staff and board
leadership, we can afford the time to be
deliberate about the selection of our new
CEO,” he said.“An important factor in the
search process for a new CEO will be to
invite participation from the organization’s
key stakeholders.”
Until a new leader is named, Steve Bentley
is serving as TOY’s interim head. He is a retired
10
Wachovia executive who is active with the
Augustine Project, a literacy initiative focused
on low-income students, and the Regional
AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN). He has
served on the board of the United Way of
Central Carolinas and is a lay leader at St.
Peter’s Episcopal Church. He and his partner
recently celebrated 21 years together.
“This organization is a vital resource to the
LBTGQ youth of our region with a long history
of providing invaluable support to young people
at those times when it is needed most,” Bentley
said.“That work must continue. I am honored
to be a part of helping further the mission of
Time Out Youth during this transition.”
In his statement, Major seemed to
acknowledge the criticism the board received
for its lack of openness during the investigation of the allegations against Eustache.
“This transition is an important learning
experience for the whole organization,” he said.
“We see the continuing dialogue with our
stakeholders as a great opportunity to improve
and increase Time Out Youth’s effectiveness.”
He added,“We appreciate the outpouring
of support from friends and the entire LGBTQ
community for Time Out Youth’s mission and
are excited about the organization’s future.” Q
info: www.timeoutyouth.org
Pride Charlotte co-chairs lead the way
until I had to give,” he said with a laugh.
“I pushed hard for this pairing,” said
Saturday in August in its new home,
Hall grew up near Pensacola, Fla., and
Yarbrough, who heads up development
Gateway Village — a beautiful outdoor
moved to Charlotte a few years after
on the current Task Force. “I didn’t want
space that mixes green tracts with a
graduating college. He’s been involved in
to step down without being sure that
large, covered stage and seating area.
the LGBT community in a variety of
An estimated 6,000 people
ways over the years, but leading
came out for the event.
Pride Charlotte is easily his biggest,
Cole said the experience was
most visible community undertakhumbling. “When I realized just
ing.
how large the crowd was my
“I never would have guessed
first thought was ‘what have
how many aspects there are to
we done?’ But everyone was
planning a festival,” he said. “But,
having such a wonderful time.
it’s worth it to create an event that
People were happy. They were
allows the LGBT people of our
calling their friends from the
region to come together and
event and telling them to come
demonstrate to the public that we
on down. That was amazing.”
are part of our society in business,
Q-Notes publisher Jim
in culture and in social settings.”
Yarbrough served as co-chair of
Cole, a state certified paralegal
Pride Charlotte in 2006 and
Over 8,000 people are expected to attend Pride Charlotte.
who grew up in Northeast Charlotte,
again in 2007. He said Cole
agreed on both counts. “There is a
Pride Charlotte would be left in great
and Hall were “outstanding” in their
tremendous amount of work involved in
hands. Once Darryl — who took a bit of
respective positions, which is why he
planning an event this size. I don’t think a
coaxing — agreed to co-chair with
approached the former to be his colot of people realize that it takes about a
Raine, I had no worries.”
chair in ’07 and talked both into taking
year — and a lot of sleepless nights — to
Hall, an architect with Happy Box
the reins for ’08.
put together Pride Charlotte. Is it worth
Architecture, jokingly elaborated
on the form of Yarbrough’s persee co-chairs on 14
suasion. “Jim twisted my arm
July 26 festival will be Queen
City’s largest-ever LGBT event
In 2006, Raine Cole and Darryl Hall
were members of the committee that
rebooted Pride in the Queen City. The
group was formed in response to the
collapse of Charlotte Pride following its
turbulent 2005 event. As members of
the inaugural Pride Charlotte Task
Force, Cole and Hall helped make the
slightly renamed, substantially
revamped LGBT festival an unqualified
success.
As the Task Force’s volunteer coordinator, Cole skillfully commanded an
army of helpers. Hall was entrusted
with oversight of logistics, a detailed
job that included everything from
securing permits to working with local
government to ensuring that the signage was printed.
The festival was held the last
Josh Zuckerman back for
Pride Charlotte
Singer/songwriter has become a
mainstay at LGBT events
For the entertainment portion of its
event, Pride Charlotte brings in performers with regional, national and international exposure. One of the returning
performers who
has enjoyed the
broadest success
is award-winning
gay singer/songwriter Josh
Zuckerman.
Through
extensive touring
in the U.S. and
Europe,
Zuckerman’s work
has reached a
wide-ranging
audience. In fact,
his second album,
Josh Zuckerman has 2006’s “Out from
enjoyed international Under,” peaked at
success, with his sec- #1 on the nationond album reaching al album chart in
#1 in the U.K. the U.K.
INSIDE:
In addition, the singles from the collection, “Out from Under” and “Be Real,” garnered heavy airplay, with the title track
spending several weeks in the top spot on
Sirius radio’s singles chart. The music video
for “Out from Under” ranked as LOGO’s
fourth most popular clip of 2006.
Zuckerman grew up in St. Louis, a city
with a vibrant music scene, surrounded by
musicians representing a wide range of
styles. He became interested in music and
songwriting at an early age.
Initially trained on the violin, he gradually developed an interest in rock —
particularly influenced by the East Coast
sound. He moved to New Jersey to
immerse himself and his compositions in
the local flavors. Today, his lyrics often
center around the challenges he has
experienced and his quest for spiritual
growth.
In 1996, Zuckerman was one of the featured artists who performed for the
40,000-capacity audience at the Atlanta
Olympics. He has shared the stage with
such notables as the Indigo Girls, Melissa
Etheridge, Macy Gray, Joan Jett and B.B.
King. His music is also regularly featured on
the television series “Kathy Griffin: My Life
on the D-List.”
Pride goes green
and expands
Annual Charlotte festival
grows in size
by Will Billings
Contributing Writer
This year, visitors to the annual
Pride Charlotte festival in Uptown
Charlotte will notice two distinct
changes. With larger crowds and
more vendors, Pride organizers have
responded by expanding the physical festival grounds and putting into
place programs for recycling and
environmental protection.
Since 2006, the Pride Charlotte
festival has been held on the property of Gateway Village. The private
property allowed organizers to forget
about the interruptions and protests
made by radical Christian activists.
However, the festival has begun to
outgrow its home. This year, festivalgoers will find the party expanded to
portions of Trade St.
Organizers hope to make the
event cleaner and
more environmentally friendly
event because of a new commitment
to waste reduction and recycling.
“We believe that preserving our
environment is an issue of global
importance that starts at the local
level,” a recent press release read.
“In the past our waste, including
plastic bottles, was just sent to the
landfill. Beginning this year we are
encouraging recycling at our event
by festival-goers and vendors. It is
our goal that plastic bottles as well
as aluminum cans, paper and cardboard will be successfully recycled
because of this program.”
Recycling stations will be scattered throughout the festival area.
Volunteers will also be on hand to
help direct festival-goers to those
stations in order to dispose of their
bottles and cans. The Pride
Charlotte festival is partnering with
the City of Charlotte’s waste management and recycling divisions to
offer this program.
• Events • Stage Schedules • Entertainment Line-up
11
Pride Week Events
Wednesday, July 23
Documentary Film Viewing:
‘Southern Comfort’
“Southern Comfort” is the moving,
true story of Robert Eads, a transgender man living in
rural Georgia
dealing with
health care discrimination, but
also finding love
and support from
his close-knit
group of friends.
This unforgettable film won a
Grand Jury Prize
at the Sundance
Film Festival in
2001. Discussion
will follow the
film screening.
Admission is
free. Bag dinners
will be available to purchase for $5 per
person. Also, on-site childcare is offered
(free with purchase of dinner, otherwise
on a donation basis). To RSVP for dinners and/or childcare, email
[email protected].
Doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Movie starts at 6:30 p.m.
Piedmont UU Church
9704 Mallard Creek Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28262
12
www.puuc.org
Thursday July 24
Pre-Pride Potluck Dinner and
Game Night at the Center
Everyone is invited to enjoy a meal
and have some fun with
old and new friends at
the Community Center.
Bring a dish to share,
then stay for games. Feel
free to bring along your
favorite card or board
game. The suggested
dress code for the
evening? Pride, of course!
Come decked out in your
most festive Pridewear!
Dinner 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Games 7:30-9 p.m.
The Lesbian & Gay
Community Center
820 Hamilton St.
Suite B-11
Charlotte, NC 28206
www.gaycharlotte.com
Friday, July 25
Former Army Sgt. Darren
Manzella/”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Presented by Servicemembers Legal
Defense Network (SLDN)
Former Army Sgt. Darren Manzella,
the openly gay medic featured last
December on CBS News’ “60 Minutes,”
will speak at the Lesbian & Gay
Community Center about his experi-
ence serving under “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell,”? his recent discharge from the
Army and his work with
Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network (SLDN). Sgt.
Manzella will be
joined by
Former Air Force
Sgt. David Hall,
a litigant in the
court case Cook
v. Gates, which
is challenging
the constitutionality of the
“Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” policy. For more information,
call 704-258-7903.
Refreshments and Snacks, 7 p.m. Program
7:30 p.m.
The Lesbian & Gay
Community Center
820 Hamilton St. Suite B-11
Charlotte, NC 28206
Friday, July 25
‘An Intimate Night with
Peter Paige’
Presented by Sabrina Love’s Queer View
Join the one and only Sabrina Love
at Liaisons for the premiere of the new
“Queer View” season. Love will interview special guest Peter Paige. Paige
played Emmett Honeycutt on the hit
Showtime series “Queer as Folk.”
Paige’s other acting credits include
appearances on “Will &
Grace,” “Girlfriends,”
“Caroline in the City,”
“American Dad,”
“Related,” “Grey’s
Anatomy” and “Without
a Trace.” Tickets are $20
in advance at
www.queerview.com,
and $35 at the door.
Paige will make a special
appearance with Love
the following day at
Pride Charlotte.
10 p.m.-Midnight
Liaisons
316 Rensselaer Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-376-1617
Sunday, July 27th
Pride Recovery Brunch
Bring all your friends and family for a
special Pride Recovery Brunch hosted by
Hartigan’s. Brunch specials, limited grill
items and a bloody mary bar will be
featured.
Noon-4 p.m.
Hartigan’s
601 S. Cedar St,
Suite 217
Charlotte, NC
704-347-1841
www.hartigans.com
Emcee: Roxy C. Moorecox
Roxy C. Moorecox was created in the unbalanced
brain of Clay Smith. In 2001 Clay was exposed to
the world of Camp Drag when a friend of his took
him to see The Armorettes — “The Infamous Camp
Drag Queens of the South” — at Backstreets in
Atlanta, Ga. He realized that drag didn’t have to be
all about silicone implants and realistic female illusion. Drag, in turn, could just be fun!
The Armorettes, in their 28 years of existence, have
raised over $1.7 million for HIV/AIDS chairities by
dressing up as women despite their hairy chests, goatees, and rotten and deranged sense of humors!
Combining laughter and fundraising, the Armorettes
rubbed off on an impressionable young college student and thus Roxy C. Moorecox was born. It wasn’t
long before Roxy was competing in talent shows and
learning the art of drag from watching great entertainers like Mr. Charlie Brown corral an drunken audience of gays and straights, uniting the two through
laughter.
Roxy currently performs at various venues
in Charlotte. Recently,
she’s hosted “Hollywood
Squares” at the
Charlotte Eagle. Learn
more about Roxy C.
Moorecox at her
website: www.funny
dragqueen.com.
Entertainers
MAIN STAGE
Ira Levi
One of the first vocalists signed to
legendary mega-dance label Strictly
Rhythm/WEA in
the ’90s, singer
songwriter Ira Levi
is one of the first
Dance artists to
cross over and to
be signed by a
major label. His
Billboard singles
include “Free Your
Mind” and “We
Came To Work It Out.” In 2007, he
released an incredible cover of the
Eurythmics’ classic “Sweet Dreams” and
the smash “Let The Children Dance”
(First heard exclusively in Abercrombie
and Fitch stores woldwide).
Known for catchy hooks,inspirational
lyrics and powerful live performances,
Ira remains one of Dance/R&B’s most
sought- after festival and concert artists.
www.myspace.com/iralevi
Josh Zuckerman
Josh Zuckerman is not your typical
rock star. While
exemplifying the
perfect star quality,
he continues to
carry a message
about being true to
one’s self. He has
released two CDs
(“Out From
Under,” “A Totally
New Sensation”) to
great reviews. Having toured over 15
different countries including the United
States, Bermuda, Germany, France,
Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Japan, as
well as Thailand, Josh continues to
spread his music across the globe. He
has shared the stage with The Indigo
Girls, Rupaul, Macy Gray, Joan Jett, B.B
King, and many others. His music has
been selling across the United States,
Europe, and Asia and clips of his songs
“Karma,” “Spiritual,” and “Circle Of
Friends” appeared on Kathy Griffin’s
reality show “My Life On The D-List” on
Bravo. His song Out From Under was
the number one most requested song
on Sirius Out Q for four weeks in a row
and the video has consistently been
seen on LOGO TV’s “The Click List” and
“New Now Next.”
vocalist and guitar player whose style
ranges from driving rock & roll to a
funk and groove sound that lends itself
to a diverse repertoire of originals as
well as some occasional choice covers.
In 1999, Melissa won the Lilith Fair
Talent Search for the Charlotte area and
performed on the main stage at the festival with Sheryl Crow and Sarah
McLachlan. In January 2000, Melissa
was chosen to participate in a “Women
of the Millennium” showcase at the
MIDEM conference in Cannes, France
and toured in both England and France
including opening for Robert Plant of
Led Zepplin. melissareaves.com
The Queen City Outlaws
The Queen City Outlaws are the
country/western dance group of
Southern Country Charlotte. Their mission is to
support
local
charities
and
LGBT
events while promoting country and
western music and dance. The Outlaws
have are always a draw at Pride events
and we are excited to have them back
performing at Pride in Charlotte.
www.joshzuckerman.com
Sugarbeach
Sugarbeach, Canadian/Aussie out
lesbian duo (and couple) Marlee &
Tully, have been described as fresh,
provocative, positive and dynamic.
Their dance-pop EP CD “I Just Love
Girls” has been hitting the airwaves
Melissa Reaves
Melissa Reaves has been delighting
audiences throughout the United States
and Europe for more than a decade
with her rock, funk and rhythm &
blues-based sound. Reaves is a powerful
www.southerncountrycharlotte.com
Rodie Ray
Rodie Ray, a veteran to the
Southeastern Indie Rock scene, has
been writing and performing music
since her childhood in the rural South.
Years later, and a debut CD, which garnered her an invitation from Sarah
McLachlan to join
the Lilith Fair tour,
Rodie continues to
use her southern
wit and quizzical
girlish charms to
reel in large devoted audiences
around the
Southeast. She, along with her band
(which uses her name), have shared the
stage with Grammy award winners
Sarah McLachlan and Bonnie Raitt.
Rodie has also headlined with country
music legend Merle Haggard. She and
her band have also served as a support
band for Grammy award winner blues
legend Taj Mahal.
www.rodieray.com
and dance floors across Canada and
the U.S. and Outvoice listeners have
voted Sugarbeach into their LGBT top
40 Chart. They were featured in eight
Vancouver Pride events last year and
will be heavily showcased this year performing their new theme song for
Pride 2008.
No stranger to Pride events,
Marlee headlined on Sydney,
Australia’s Mardi Gras main stage for
3 years running. Her hit single “God
Bless the Woman” won first prize in
the Canadian Song Festival and was
on the Canadian ’A’ playlist for six
months. Marlee toured Canada and
Germany with crowds of 10,000 people eager to hear her smooth, sexy
and powerful voice. She was nominated for five BCCMA awards, and
won Best Vocalist in 1999.
www.myspace.com/sugarbeach
Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte,
through its artistic achievements,
endeavors to create a society which val-
ues and respects its gay and lesbian
members.
COMMUNITY STAGE
The new Community Stage will be
located on Trade St. near the Kids’ Area
and across from the Gateway fountain.
Main Stage schedule:
11:00
11:20
11:50
12:30
01:15
01:50
Pride Kickoff
Gay Mens Chorus of Charlotte
Spoken work artists
Rodie Ray
Drag Kings
Queen City Outlaws
02:20
03:00
03:45
04:15
05:00
Ira Levi
Melissa Reaves
Sugarbeach
Josh Zuckerman
Drag Queen Show
Community Stage
schedule:
12:30
01:20
01:40
02:15
One Voice Chorus
Transgender Adventures in
History
Beledi Beat Dancers
“Sabrina Love’s Queer View”
03:00
03:35
03:50
Seth Boulton & The Dream
Machine
Charlotte Roller Girls
Demonstration
PJ Brunson
Staying overnight?
Head to the official host hotel
of Pride Charlotte
Located in downtown
Charlotte’s business district, the Blake Hotel
offers 308 oversized
guestrooms with individual climate control, WIFI,
On Demand movies (diplayed on a
state-of-the-art 36-inch flat-screen TV)
and IPOD docking stations. They also
offer a complimentary continental
breakfast.
As the official accommodation of
Pride Charlotte 2008, the Blake Hotel is
offering a special room rate of $79 for
Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26
along with discounted parking of $5.
The hotel’s shuttle will also be available
to take you to and from the event at
Gateway Village.
To reserve your room, call
hotel reservations at 704-3724100 and give the Pride Charlotte special group rate code, 726.
info: The Blake Hotel
555 South McDowell Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
704-372-4100 (reservations)
13
Co-chairs take charge of the helm
from page 1
the effort? Definitely. Seeing people
enjoying themselves is well worth every
ounce of effort.”
Yarbrough praised Cole for her positive attitude and dependability. “Raine’s
a morale builder. You can always count
on her to help you any way she can.
She has stepped up to the plate with
this organization time and again.
There’s a sense of security in knowing
that she’s there to assist with whatever
you need her for.”
Due to the hard work of all the Task
Force and momentum gained from the
two prior festivals, the 2008 celebration
will be the largest yet in terms of scale.
“This year we have expanded the
size of our event to include the portion
of West Trade St. just outside Gateway
Village,” Cole said. “We will have two
stages of entertainment, more vendors
and a larger children’s area.”
The real estate increase was necessitated by the block-busting crowd of
8,000 that attended Pride Charlotte
2007. Asked for a prediction of this year’s
attendance, Hall said, “We expect a
strong turnout, but I wouldn’t venture a
guess on the exact number.”
Cole added, “I think our attendence
will be at least what it was last year.
Attendance in 2007 was about 30 percent more than in 2006. I would like to
see that growth pattern carry over to
this year.”
Since a similar increase is quite possible, the Task Force has been particularly
eco-conscious in its planning, looking
for ways to mitigate the negative environmental impact of a crowd that
might break 10,000.
They are working with Wipe Out
Waste, a program of Mecklenburg
County Solid Waste, to recycle water
bottles, beer bottles and soft drink
cans. Recycling stations will be placed
throughout the festival grounds for the
containers and volunteers will be on
hand to direct attendees to them.
Cole said organizers are also “asking
our vendors to recycle their cardboard
and other paper, and giving them the
opportunity to request a recycling station
near or at their locations. Also, we will be
encouraging people to use the light rail
and other forms of public transportation
instead of driving.”
In addition to partnering with the
County’s waste management department, the Task Force has again worked
closely with the City and with police
officials. Hall told Q-Notes these professional collaborations remained “very
good” throughout the process.
Yarbrough lauded Hall for his work in
this area. “For three years Darryl has
done a fanstastic job building relationships between Pride and the City, especially with the Special Projects
Department at the Charlotte Economic
Development Office, and also with the
police. They respect us and work well
with us and a great deal of the reason
why can be directly attributed to Darryl.”
Concerning the police, Hall said, “I
understand the immense challenge
they face, especially in dealing with
protestors, trying to find the balance
between the right to free speech and
the right for free assembly. We have
worked with them on an ongoing basis
to continue to improve our organization of the festival.”
With Pride Charlotte 2008 finally
upon us, Hall has started mulling the
lessons of the past year.
“I’ve learned that we are more
accepted than many my generation and
older may realize,” he said. “The cooperation and assistance we have received
from Cousins Properties, who manages
Gateway Village, and all the people with
the city and county organizations we
work with to set up the festival has
been amazing.
“I have also seen how hard it is to do
events or programs that target different
groups in the LGBT community and still
have a unified feel. It is a challenge that
will probably continue for some years to
come, but the Task Force will continue
to brainstorm over this year after year to
be as inclusive as possible.”
When asked about her hopes for the
festival, Cole gave a nod to the past and
the future while keying on the present.
“One of the goals of Pride Charlotte
is to provide the LGBT community with
the opportunity to just be themselves in
a relaxed and accepting environment. I
hope that our efforts will remind our
community that while we are able to
come together and celebrate Pride, we
still have a long way to go.
“Also, I hope that people will take a
moment to remember those who sacrificed everything and fought for the
rights we have now,” she continued,
“and that their example will be a
source of encouragement and inspiration for people to join the fight for our
equality.”
Given the same question, Hall
responded succinctly. “My hope is that
all the last minute organization falls in
place and the festival is the success it
deserves to be.”
info: Pride Charlotte 2008
Saturday, July 26, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Gateway Village, corner of West Trade
and Cedar Streets
www.pridecharlotte.org
(bullhorn, etc.) without a permit and,
even with a permit, cannot amplify
sound anywhere within the boundary of
the Pride festival. The protestors do
have the same right to be on public
property as festival-goers. (Public property at Pride Charlotte is limited to the
festival areas along Trade and Cedar
Streets.) Like any other American, they
have the right to approach people and
on the sidewalk, simply walk past them
without so much as a glance or a single
word. So, do yourselves, your friends
and the LGBT community a favor and
just ignore them. You just might put
them out of business.
Partners in Peace
Pride Charlotte’s Partners in Peace
provides visual support for the LGBT
community. At the festival, they seek to
diminish the effects of street preachers
and protesters to enable the LGBT community to have a peaceful and enjoyable
event. They are not counter-protesters,
but rather, first and foremost, peacekeepers. Partners in Peace provides a
non-violent, non-confrontational buffer
between Pride Charlotte participants,
protesters and counter-protesters, while
maintaining respect for the rights of all.
If Partners in Peace and their mission
sound like something you’d be interested
in joining, contact Hugh Hammond or
Su Cummings for more information
about volunteer opportunities on the day
of Pride Charlotte. Hugh can be reached
at [email protected]. Su can be
reached at [email protected].
— Blaise Liffick is the operations director
of Silent Witness PA of Harrisburg, Penn.,
a non-violent, non-confrontational group
that seeks to minimize the spiritual and
verbal violence caused by anti-LGBT
protest groups. Hugh Hammond contributed to this report.
Street Preachers 101
Pride Charlotte offers some
tips on dealing with the
protesters
by Blaise Liffick
As anyone who has ever attended
Pride festivals knows, such events tend to
attract protesters in the form of “street
preachers” who harangue folks as they
come and go about their “sinful” ways.
Who are these people who seem to have
nothing better to do than annoy those
trying to have a good time? Isn’t what
they are doing illegal? Why aren’t they
arrested for their aggressive behavior?
Isn’t it harassment or something? Why
isn’t anyone doing anything about them?
Here are the quick basics.
Who they are
They may be local zealots who work
by themselves or national extremists who
are well organized and financed. Many
of these people earn their living doing
this in two main ways: lawsuits, and contributions from supporters. For instance,
this past year a street preacher won
$87,000 from York, Penn., for infringement of his First Amendment right of
free speech — the city had arrested him
for protesting at various events. Such
preachers also use arrest as a reason to
inspire their supporters to send them
money. Supporters’ donations enable
them to pursue lawsuits as well as defend
themselves from charges. For a growing
number of these people, protesting is literally a full-time, paying job.
What they believe
Obviously, the number one belief
that creates the problem is that any
form of sexuality other than heterosexuality is a sin. Other beliefs of some of
the past Charlotte-area protestors have
been anti-choice/pro-life and anti-Islam.
Why they are like this
They take their own interpretations
of the Bible as literal truth from God.
They reject science when it is in conflict
with their beliefs. Significantly, they consider themselves modern-day prophets,
in the mold of Isaiah and Ezekiel or the
early New Testament Apostles, who
stood in the town square and admonished all to submit to God’s will. Some
protesters, especially those who are following their charismatic leaders, really
do believe what they say. Taking the
time to know that some of them sincerely believe that what they are doing
is right goes a long way to understanding, from a human perspective, why
they take such public stands.
What their rights are
As for everyone in America, they
have the right of free speech, even
when many consider that speech hateful. They have the right to carry obnoxious signs. Fortunately, in Charlotte,
they cannot use sound amplification
The best thing to do when being confronted by street preachers is to ignore
them. Photo Credit: Matt Comer/InterstateQ.com
offer to give them literature, and you
have the right to refuse.
What you should do
Three things: Ignore them, Ignore
them, Ignore them! The best strategy
for dealing with them is to pretend they
don’t exist. Ignoring them means you
avoid frustration or confrontation. If
there is no confrontation, you help to
weaken their efforts to make money
when they are arrested and when they
file lawsuits. If you are approached by
street preachers or when you see them
Get more information:
14
www.pridecharlotte.com
S O U T H
C A R O L I N A
Adopted policy deemed ‘dramatically
better’ than alternatives
IRMO, S.C. — South Carolina Equality
and 11 other organizations in the
Community United for All Youth coalition are
lauding a decision by the Lexington-Richland
District 5 School Board to allow gay-straight
student organizations in the schools under
its jurisdiction.
Commonly referred to as gay-straight
alliances, or GSAs, the organizations offer support to LGBT and straight ally students and
create a safe place where they can strive to
better understand themselves and others.
A firestorm of controversy ignited in May
when Irmo High School Principal Eddie
Walker announced his intention to resign
over the GSA forming in his school. The
school board told Walker he must allow the
group in accordance with the federal Equal
Access Act.
“The formation of this club conflicts with
my professional beliefs in that we do not have
other clubs at Irmo High school based on sexual orientation, sexual preference, or sexual
activity,” Walker wrote.“In fact our sex education curriculum is abstinence based. I feel the
formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at
Irmo High school implies that students joining the club will have chosen to or will choose
to engage in sexual activity with members of
the same sex, opposite sex, or members of
both sexes.”
In response to Walker’s decision and the
public flap that ensued, the school board
announced it would consider changing the
policy that regulates GSAs and other noncurricular clubs. Four options were proposed: abolishing the GSA entirely; classifying clubs as curricular and non-curricular
with severe restrictions on non-curricular
clubs; banning all non-curricular clubs
including the GSA; or requiring specific “opt
in” permission slips for any student to join
any club including the GSA.
In the end, the board voted unanimously
on June 23 to pass a policy allowing the GSA
that also included an opt-out provision,
requiring parents to return a form at the
beginning of each year outlining the various
clubs their children cannot join.
South Carolina Equality said the new policy isn’t perfect, but it is “dramatically better”
than the other options presented by the board.
South Carolina Equality Executive Director
Ray Drew said,“Without the thousands of
hours devoted to this issue by our community,
most certainly a bad policy would have been
passed that would have become the standard
for school districts across the state.
“That we were able to force the school district to pass a dramatically better policy is
cause for celebration, but our mood is dampened by the sure and certain knowledge that
some GLBT students will not have access to
this club at a critical point in their lives.”
Drew’s concerns over the parental opt-out
provision were echoed by Community United
for All Youth, through a statement from Elke
Kennedy of Sean’s Last Wish.
“While parents are not required to return
the ‘opt-out’ forms, this option still subjects
LGBT students and their straight allies who
wish to join the GSA to a level of monitoring
that will surely discourage participation by
those students who need the support of a GSA
the most,” the statement charged.
Member organizations of Community
United for All Youth include Alliance For Full
Acceptance, Faith In America, Harriet
Hancock Community Center, Palmetto Umoja,
PFLAG-Columbia, Sean’s Last Wish, the South
Carolina Pride Movement, South Carolina
Progressive Network and TransCarolina.
In full, the new policy requires students
creating non-curricular clubs to request permission to form them at the beginning of the
school year.After Sept. 15, no new clubs can
be established. The principal cannot deny the
formation of any group based on its purpose
or the content of its meeting, but can stop it
from forming if he or she feels the group will
“materially or substantially interfere with the
orderly conduct of educational activities within the school.”
“Our marching orders are clear,” Drew said.
“We have a moral imperative to work on this
issue until every GLBT student has access to a
safe environment for learning,” Q
15
S O U T H
C A R O L I N A
They’re ‘one big family’ at S.C. Black Pride
from page 1
not LGBT-identified.
Mingling amid a crowd of 40,000 queer
African-Americans at Atlanta Black Pride over
Labor Day weekend may be easier for some
who fear being seen by the wrong person close
to home. Earl Fowlkes, president and CEO of
the nine-year-old International Federation of
Black Prides, understands the attraction of the
big city.
Usually, Fowlkes heads from his home in
Washington, D.C., to New York to mark the
anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion.“New
York is always going to be there,” he said.“I
came here this year. I really want to support
the smaller Prides. South Carolina is so conservative, people are courageous to stand up
here. I have nothing but admiration for them. I
get built up coming here.”
Also in Columbia for the festival was
Jermaine Lee, founder and president of the
Carolinas Black Pride Movement, which is
based in Charlotte, N.C.“I feel like a proud
papa,” he said. Lee’s organization worked with
Palmetto Umoja in two previous years to
direct events in Columbia. This year, with
Shaw’s leadership and several generous sponsors, the home team took things over.
Mayor Bob Coble signed a city council
proclamation declaring the fourth Saturday in
June to be South Carolina Black Pride Day. He
also spoke in person at Black Pride’s welcoming reception on June 25. So did Carol Fowler,
the chair of the South Carolina Democratic
Party. Columbia city council members E.W.
Cromartie and Tameika Isaac Devine sent
their greetings to the attendees.
A town hall forum on homosexuality and the
Bible was held in the University of South
Carolina Law School auditorium on June 26.
USC religion professor Stephanie Mitchem discussed the topic with Bishop Tonyia Rawls of
Charlotte’s Unity Fellowship Church and
Columbia’s own Rev.Andy Sidden of Garden of
Grace United Church of Christ.WIS-TV Channel
10 newscaster Craig Melvin moderated.
Fowlkes, who is a pastor’s son, said,“That
was the best discourse on whether homosexuality is a sin that I have ever heard. I was just
riveted. It was 90 minutes of sitting on the
edge of your chair.”
Friday night, June 27, was devoted to the
arts.Authors Laurinda Brown and Terrance
Dean performed readings. The multi-talented
Lee offered the second act, directing an
excerpt from his musical “For the Love of
Harlem” featuring great same-gender-loving
artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Saturday touched all bases from serious to
fun with a community expo and dance entertainment. While vendors advised how to prevent or cope with various life-threatening illnesses, the Carolina Ballroom Council took
the floor in the auditorium of the Margarette
Miller Center, a black cosmetology facility.
Smiling black and white volunteers assisted
with tables and as part of the force assem-
South Carolina Professionals
16
bling Pride kits to hand out to hundreds of
black guests.
Shaw credited Ryan Wilson, who recently
assumed leadership of the South Carolina
Pride Movement, with changing attitudes to
help people of different races support one
another. Sometimes, that means creating separate spaces, Fowlkes said.“The urban gay
ghetto has been a safe space for the larger
community,” he said.“For this particular
weekend, this is a safe space for us.”
The Carolinas Black Pride Movement is
working on creating that special space next in
the Durham-Raleigh-Chapel Hill area of
North Carolina. The local group is known as
the Triangle Black Pride Committee. Sixty
people attended its first organizing meeting
four months ago. Lee said he expects that the
Triangle will hold its first Pride on the first
weekend in July 2010.
Then what? Lee didn’t miss a beat.
“Charleston has been calling us.” Q
S O U T H
C A R O L I N A
Moller to serve three years for killing
“There was no evidence whatsoever that it
was any kind of hatred toward Sean Kennedy
or any hatred toward gays,” Beasley told TV
station FOX Carolina.
However, that contention is disputed by
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Stephen Andrew
statements from some eyewitnesses who
Moller pleaded guilty to involuntary
said Moller used anti-gay slurs before the
manslaughter on June 11 in connection with
attack.
the death of Sean Kennedy last year. The 20Equally troubling is the phone call Moller
year-old defendant, a
made immediately after the incident to
native of Taylors, S.C., will
a woman who had been speaking with
serve just three years for
Kennedy. The transcript of the drunken
the slaying.
call was presented during sentencing.
Moller attacked Kennedy
“Hey, I was just wondering how
outside the bar formerly
your boyfriend’s feeling right about
named Brews on May 16,
now [laughter]. The fucking faggot
2007. He punched Kennedy
… Yeah boy, your boy is knocked
in the face and knocked him
out, man. The motherfucker. Tell him
to the ground. The victim,
he owes me $500 for breaking my
20 years old at the time, fell
goddamn hand on his teeth, that
backward and hit his head
fucking bitch.”
on the curb, sustaining a
Before sentencing, Moller apoloStephen Andrew
fatal brain injury.
gized to Kennedy’s family.“I have to
Thirteenth Circuit Judge Moller was sentenced live with it every day,” he said.“I wish it
to three years for
Ned Miller sentenced
killing Sean Kennedy. had never happened. I’m sorry.”
Moller to a five-year prison
Outside the courthouse, Kennedy’s
term of which he will be required to serve
mother, Elke Kennedy, called the sentence a
three years. Moller previously spent seven
“joke and a slap on the wrist.”
months in jail after he was arrested. The
“There was no justice for Sean today,”
judge also ordered Moller to undergo anger,
she said. “Once again it proves that in
substance abuse and alcohol
South Carolina
management classes. Upon
there is no justice
release from his incarceration,
for the victim
he will serve a three-year proand especially for
bation term with mandatory
a victim of a
drug and alcohol testing.
senseless, vioIn defense of his client,
lent, bias-motiattorney Ryan Beasley told the
vated crime.”
court that this case was not an
Elke Kennedy
anti-gay hate crime because
has maintained
Moller didn’t know Kennedy
throughout the
was gay when he hit him. He
investigation and
said the driver of the car Moller Sean Kennedy’s family felt there was criminal proceedno justice for his murder last year.
left in revealed that fact when
ings that her son’s
he saw a cut on Moller’s hand and said,“You
death was the result of a hate crime. Neither
know that dude is gay.What are you going to
South Carolina nor federal hate crimes laws
do if you have AIDS now?”
include protections on the basis of sexual
Elke Kennedy: ‘There was no justice
for Sean today’
orientation or gender identity.
In October, Circuit Solicitor Bob Ariail
reduced the original murder charge against
Moller to involuntary manslaughter, after
“realizing the possibility of no indictment on
the murder charge … would result in Moller’s
release.” There is a 25-year sentencing gap in
South Carolina between convictions for involuntary manslaughter and murder, accounting
for Judge Miller’s sentence.
The judge said his intent was to rehabilitate Moller, who has been working and supporting a 9-month-old daughter since his
November bond release. Miller added that
prison would “only hurt [Moller]” and that
“there are some bad people in that place,
and he’s going to be exposed to things he’s
never seen.”
In a statement published on the website of
her foundation, Sean’s Last Wish, Elke
Kennedy said,“My son was violently murdered because of hate and as his mother I
wanted justice. My family will never be the
same, a big part of our lives has been ripped
out of our hearts.” Q
— GayGreenville.net contributed to this report.
17
R E T R O S P E C T I V E
FLASHBACK: ELIZABETH EDWARDS
Our new series,“Flashback,” will profile one
or two articles from archived Q-Notes issues
once monthly. We start off with last year’s July
14 issue and one of its headline articles.
Elizabeth Edwards declares her
support for gay marriage
Wife of former N.C. Senator turned
presidential candidate ‘completely comfortable
with gay marriage’
Elizabeth Edwards,
wife of Democratic
presidential hopeful
and former N.C. Sen.
John Edwards, kicked
off San Francisco’s
annual gay Pride
parade by splitting
with her husband over
support for legalized
gay marriage.
“I don’t know why
someone else’s marriage has anything to
do with me,” Mrs.
Edwards said at a
news conference
before the parade
started.“I’m completely comfortable with
gay marriage.”
She made the
remark almost offhandedly in answering a
question from reporters after she delivered a
standard campaign stump speech during a
breakfast hosted by the Alice B. Toklas
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
Democratic Club, an influential San
Francisco political organization. California’s
presidential primary is Feb. 5, one of the earliest contests in the nation.
She conceded her support puts her at odds
with her husband, a former Senator from
North Carolina who has said that he supports
civil unions among gay couples — but not
same-sex marriages.
“John has been pretty clear about it, that
he is very conflicted,” she said.“He has a
deeply held belief against any form of discrimination, but that’s up against his being
raised in the 1950s in a rural southern town.”
To date, no serious presidential candidate
from either major political party has publicly
supported gay marriage, including John
Edwards. San Francisco area politicians and
18
activists hailed Elizabeth Edwards’ appearance as another step for gay civil rights.
“I think honestly he’s on a road that a lot of
people in this country are on. …They’re
struggling with this. Most of the gay and lesbian people I know … have seen their friends
and family walking down that same road.
“It’s frustrating, I know,” she added,“but
it’s a long distance from
where we are now to
the pews of a Southern
Baptist church. So,
John’s been as honest as
he can about that.”
Edwards said she
has come to the conclusion that the marriage
of another couple
“makes no difference to
me,” just as it would
make no difference in
her opinion of a neighbor if he painted his
house a different color.
“If he’s pleasant to
me on the street, if his
children don’t throw
things in my yard, then
I’m happy,” she said.“It
seems to me we’re
making issues of
things that honestly … don’t matter.”
Many at the breakfast where Edwards was
enthusiastically received noted the stark differences between Democratic and Republican
presidential candidates on issues that matter
to gay and lesbian voters.
All Democratic candidates support the
repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on
gay people in the military, while none of the
Republican candidates said they would support such a change.
All Democrats also support a measure
recently passed in New Hampshire that allows
civil unions. But the leading candidates —
Edwards, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama — remain
opposed to same sex marriage.
Only Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Ohio, and former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska support
same-sex marriage, but they are not considered to be capable of capturing the
Democratic nomination. Q
— compiled by Q-Notes staff
C O M M U N I T I E S
Top 10 ‘gay ghetto’ list names Raleigh, Charlotte
from page 1
enclave, but at least half a dozen other districts
are up-and-coming LGBT ghetto centers.
Portland — The “Rose City” boasts a thriving arts scene that ranks among America’s
best; and its Hawthorne District is home to
one of the most concentrated lesbian communities on the continent. Portland’s Burnside
Triangle is a triangular district that underwent
a complete renaissance and is now thoroughly
established as a LGBT enclave stretching over
several energetic city blocks. The influence of
Burnside spreads into nearby neighborhoods
including the Pearl District (a former industrial section of old Portland that now booms with
art and commerce) and the rather upscale and
upbeat Northwest neighborhood.
Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte is one of the largest banking centers in the world and is second only to NYC in
that respect. But the “Queen City” also benefits
from a powerfully funded arts community
and offers wonderful museums, entertainment
venues and an eclectic mix of 19th century
neighborhoods and sleek urban downtown
architecture. Neighborhoods like South End
and NODA (North Davidson Street) enjoy a
thriving LGBT presence and the city has other
desirable and affordable enclaves including
tree-lined Windsor Park.
Raleigh, N.C., and Tampa/St. Pete
Metro Area, Fla.
Raleigh — Raleigh is North Carolina’s capital city and occupies one section of the
Piedmont region’s Research Triangle. It benefits from an expanding arts and entertainment
scene and an overabundance of renowned
universities and high-tech industries. Raleigh
is also fast becoming a capital city for LGBT
communities. Housing is affordable; upside
economic and population growth potential is
strong, and it is centrally located between the
pristine Outer Banks coastal region and the
wildly popular Blue Ridge Mountains.
Tampa/St. Petersburg Metro — If 300 days
of sunshine each year along some 40 miles of
beachfront appeal to you, that might explain
why Tampa and St. Petersburg have experienced
a steady influx of like-minded LGBT residents
and business owners during the past decade.
Downtown’s Central Avenue underwent a complete revitalization and the city hosts Florida’s
biggest LGBT festival.Art enthusiasts appreciate
the fact that while this metro area is a great
place to buy a permanent or vacation home for
equity appreciation; it also serves as the proud
home to the most extensive collection of
Salvador Dali paintings outside of Spain.
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and Short
Hills/Metuchen, N.J.
Dallas/Fort Worth — Dallas has a relatively
young population, a steady economy, a low
cost of living, and one of the biggest commercial fashion and furniture districts in the U.S.
The “Big D” is also big in terms of LGBT communities that can be found throughout the
sprawling city with a high concentration along
Greenville Ave., Cedar Springs Rd., and Oak
Lawn Ave. The Dallas gay Mecca converges in
the gorgeous historic Turtle Creek area —
home to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
Dallas Theater Center. Neighboring Fort Worth
is a smaller city with big city LGBT amenities
including its own gay film festival and rodeo.
Short Hills/Metuchen Area — Natural and
historical beauty, vibrant downtown venues that
retain quaint charms but exceptionally innovative restaurants and shops, the nationally recognized Paper Mill Playhouse, a first-class school
system, and easy commutes into the Big Apple
all conspire to make this area a uniquely awesome place to live. These valuable features have
not been lost on the LGBT community that
thrives in this Victorian-era central New Jersey
enclave of restored antique homes and outstanding real estate investment opportunities.
Palm Springs, Calif., Chicago Metro
Area, Ill., and Austin, Texas
Austin — Austin has a long reputation for
gay-friendliness,and what was long ago a large
gay underground is now a tremendously creative
LGBT synergy that permeates the whole city in
full view of everyone.Austin is the state capital,
an important academic center,and the music
industry’s newest crown jewel.Plus the city has a
high-tech industry presence only rivaled by
Silicon Valley.Austin offers a wide range of LGBT
enclaves that are literally all over the map,and
Texas is famous for low taxes and high growth.
Chicago — “Chi-town” surprises many
newcomers who do not expect so much abundant and accessible green space — including
many miles of public lakefront parks — in
such a large American city. Better-known
assets include the entire range of big city
perks and activities — from major sports
teams and museums to world famous restaurants and a sizzling music scene. The local
LGBT celebration attracts half a million people for its annual parade, and scores of them
stay each year to become fulltime residents of
the numerous architecture-rich neighborhoods found in the wonderful Windy City.
Palm Springs — Ideally situated two hours
from Los Angeles and San Diego,Palm Springs
combines sunny days,breathtaking mountain
views,exotic nightlife,an historic downtown village,and an array of galleries,gardens,museums,shops,and restaurants.These days it also
offers rare affordability,as California’s housing
prices have fallen from their high perch to
become much more accessible.In 2008 the town
offers rare opportunities for upward equity
appreciation.Plus same-sex marriage is now
legal.No wonder Palm Springs has emerged as
one of the most dynamic and fast-growing
LGBT destinations in the U.S.Trace the social
migration of America’s LGBT population
through history.What emerges is a virtual blueprint for success in terms of smart growth,savvy
investment,vibrant arts and culture,robust economics,low crime,high property value,superior
schools and model communities.Q
19
F R O M
T H E
H I L L
Anti-gay ‘Senator No’ dies
Helms leaves legacy of hatred,
homophobia, says HRC prez
RALEIGH — At the age of 86, former Sen.
Jesse Helms (R-NC) passed away at 1:15 a.m.
on July 4, according to John Dodd, president of
the Jesse Helms Center.
During his three decades of service in the
U.S. Senate, Helms quickly attained
the moniker of “Senator No,” due to
his propensity of opposing almost
every proposal sent to him. Helms
was a staunch, anti-gay opponent of
LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS funding. He retired from the public service in 2003.
“I had sought election in 1972 to
try to derail the freight train of liberalism that
was gaining speed toward its destination of
government-run everything, paid for with big
tax bills and record debt,” wrote Helms, in his
2005 memoir,“Here’s Where I Stand.”
“My goal, when my wife, Dot, and I decided I would run, was to stick to my principles
and stand up for conservative ideals.”
Helms was raised in Monroe, N.C., near
Charlotte, in a conservative and traditional
Baptist, Southern family. He entered public life
in 1950, volunteering for the U.S. Senate campaign of segregationist Democratic candidate
Willis Smith against moderate Democrat
Franklin Porter Graham. In the 1960s he
became a conservative commentator for TV
station WRAL, once suggesting that a wall
should be built around the University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill. He switched his party
affiliation from Democrat to Republican two
years before his 1972 bid for the Senate.
“Jesse Helms’ legacy is one of hatred,
homophobia and racism.Although not its
intent, that legacy has made our community
stronger and more able to forcefully respond
to bigotry and prejudice.As a community, we
are more committed than ever to securing full
equality for all GLBT
people,” said Human
Rights Campaign
President Joe
Solmonese.
“Whether you
liked his politics or
not, he was a national
force able to deliver
for his constituents,” N.C. Gov. Michael Easley
said on July 4.“We last appeared together when
the Navy named a submarine after North
Carolina at his request. He certainly didn’t shy
from controversy and you always knew what
his positions were.Whether we were working
together to stop international drug trafficking
or opposing each other on the campaign trail,
he was always a gentleman to me.”
Helms joins the ranks of other legendary
U.S. politicians who died on the Fourth of July,
including Presidents John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson. Q
— Be sure to read Q-Notes in-depth coverage
of Sen. Jesse Helms’ life and legacy
in our July 26 issue.
Originally published at Q-Notes Online.
Anti-bullying bill upheld
N.C. House votes not to concur with
Senate version
RALEIGH — On Wednesday, July 2, the
N.C. House voted not to concur with the
Senate version of the School Violence
Prevention Act (HB 1366) by a vote of 60 to
56. The vote upholds the original House version of the anti-bullying bill passed in May
2007, including protections for LGBT students.
The Senate version, rejected by the House,
did not include protections based on sexual
orientation and gender-identity or expression.
The two versions of the bill now head to
conference committee where differences will
be ironed out by members of the two legislative bodies. Conferees had not yet been
appointed by press time.
Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), the primary sponsor of the bill, and LGBT advocates
are hoping to keep the original House version
alive and send it to Gov. Michael Easley for
approval.
On the House floor, Glazier said that while
this bill has always been about protecting
kids,“there are some who continue to argue
that it seems to have more than that in it …
We are going to be working with the Senate
and all parties to try to create wording that
everyone can live with.”
Glazier added that another category,
socioeconomic status, would also be added to
20
the list of enumerated protections.
Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam (R-Wake) stood to
oppose Glazier’s motion not to concur with
the Senate version.
“If you vote [not to concur] today you have
voted against a strong anti-bullying bill that
applies to every single student in the state of
North Carolina,” he said. Stam has been a
staunch opponent of including protections for
LGBT students.
During the original House debates on the
bill in May 2007, House Republicans moved to
defeat the bill.An amendment offered by Stam
then would have stripped out enumerated
protective categories including sexual orientation and gender-identity and expression. That
motion failed 46 to 45, with Speaker Joe
Hackney breaking the tie.
“Every child in every school is precious
and we cannot abdicate our responsibility
because we are afraid of a word or phrase,”
Glazier said during the May 24, 2007 debate.
All the child welfare and education organization in the state involved with the drafting
of the bill support keeping the enumerated
categories. Those groups include the N.C.
Association of Educators, the N.C.Association
of Social Workers, Covenant with North
Carolina’s Children, the Junior League of
North Carolina and others.
Equality North Carolina, the statewide
LGBT advocacy organization, has been a strong
supporter of the original House version. Q
— Originally published at Q-Notes Online
Guest Commentary
by Todd A. Heywood
Helms was no hero. He was vile creature who preyed on our basest fears. He
was the precursor to the era of Karl
Rove’s divide and conquer stratagem of
the last eight years.
I am ashamed to think that my
country held up as a great thinker and
a leader the likes of Jesse Helms who hated
the United Nations, accused every international diplomatic move an act of treason
against the U.S. and worked diligently to
make sure that some Americans were less
likely to achieve the promises of the
American Declaration of Independence.
Helms’ cynical attacks of the foundation
of our democracy are also painful to
remember. He was found on numerous
occassions to have broken federal election
law to win re-election by illegal fundraising.
He unleashed an ad in North Carolina that
made the Willie Horton affair in 1988 look
simple. In the ad, attacking affirmative
action, he said “You needed that job, but
they had to give it to a minority.”
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that
all men are created equal and endowed by their
creator with certain inalienable rights…”
The death of Sen. Helms on the anniversary of the release of the Declaration is a
reminder to all of us, that even in the darkest hours and with our worst leaders,
America can make it through. In spite of the
voices of division, we can rise up as one
voice, and shock and shame the voices of
hatred in our midst.
Helms’ legacy is not that of great statesman, but rather, history will remember him
as the mean-spirited, hateful little man he
was, and remember that America moved forward without him, to a better world and a
better nation.
When historians look back on this era,
they will be reminded of the parallels of
destruction wrought on America by Helms’
opinions and cynical policies and those of
George W. Bush. In the end, we will remember that America is stronger for having
risen above Bush and Helms, and found our
common humanity by rejecting the politics
of division. Q
— Todd A. Heywood is the capitol correspondent for Between the Lines, the statewide LGBT
newspaper of Michigan, as well as a Fellow for
the Center for Independent Media. His work
can be found regularly on
www.Pridesource.com and
www.MichiganMessenger.com.
Do not forget Helms’ real legacy
It was a bit stunning to wake on Friday,
July 4 and read that former North Carolina
Sen. Jesse Helms was dead. My first thought
was, finally. My second thought was, look at
the misery this one man caused in the course
of his 30 years in U.S. Senate.And, finally, I
cried. Not for Helms, but for those who died
due to Helms’ bigoted actions.
I cried for the thousands of men, women
and children Helms condemned to harassment and death here in our country because
they were infected with the virus that caused
AIDS. Helms, at every twist, turn and opportunity, actively sought to stop funding to find
treatments and cures for this disease. During
a debate in 1988 on funding for HIV — a bill
sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy of
Massachuesetts and Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah
— Helms said “There is not one single case of
AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in
origin to sodomy.” He opposed the bill on
those grounds.
And my tears were for artists whose
dreams were crushed by Helms’ war on the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). He
was personally offended by some of the art
which was produced, and, therefore, he
opposed funding all the art produced
through grants from the NEA. Whether you
like the NEA or not, the fact remains that it
funds some of the most important cultural
programming in our country. Without it, Big
Bird would not be a household name. But
Helms took issue with Robert
Mapplethorpe’s “self portrait.” It is important
to remember the name of the piece, because
it is a picture of a bullwhip in the anus of a
man, in this case Mapplethorpe. But Helms
launched an attack on Mapplethorpe’s work
which had Americans believing HIV positive
gay male artists were running around the
country, with money from tax dollars, and
shoving bull whips up the anuses of unsuspecting good, decent hard-working middle
class Americans.
My pain and anger were for the African
American youth who grew up in North
Carolina listening to Helms attack them as
less than human. For Americans who had to
suffer through his attempts to end school
busing, abortion, integration and more.
21
Para Todos: las noticias en español
de alrededor del mundo
Manhunt eligió al chico más guapo
para el Orgullo de Madrid
Pedro Campos es la nueva cara de
Manhunt.net para representar a la web en la
Gay Pride de Madrid.
Durante las últimas semanas el equipo de
Manhunt.net ha organizado el primer certamen de belleza “Mr. Manhunt Orgullo.”
La página
de contactos
gay lanzó una
cacería a nivel
nacional por
los 10 chicos
más guapos de
España, que
fueron seleccionados a
través
www.manhuntvotes.net
teniendo en
mente la diversidad de los
usuarios de
Manhunt.
¡Durante las últimas 2 semanas, mas de
17.000 personas votaron por su chico
preferido, y con más de 22% del total de los
votos, Pedro Campos ha sido elegido como
Mr. Manhunt Orgullo 2008!
¡No es difícil ver porqué este chico de
solo 23 años, capturo la atención de tantos
votantes!
Midiendo 1,81 m de alto, con un cuerpo increíble, y sin mencionar esos ojos
verdes y asombrosos, muchos lo encontraron irresistible.
¡Pedro es guapísimo, sí, pero además este
joven es completo! Pedro habla español,
inglés, francés y portugués, y es estudiante en
Administración de Negocios en la Université
Jean Moulin en Lyon, Francia. Durante su
tiempo libre, Pedro goza del cine, sus amistades, el gimnasio, le gusta viajar, y le encanta
“bailar solo frente al espejo”, tal confiesa él
mismo.
Pedro está muy contento y se sorprendió
de haber ganado. ¡“Cuando envié mi fotos
para ser parte de concurso estaba muy seguro
de mí mismo, pero una vez que vi a los otros 9
participantes, pensé que nunca podría ganar!”
— dice.
Pedro se lleva varios regalos por su triunfo, incluyendo un contrato de modelaje
con la firma ES Collection, además de una
exclusiva sesión de fotos con Joan Crisol y
ser la nueva cara publicitaria de
Manhunt.
“No teníamos ninguna idea quien
ganaría, ya que todos los participantes eran
igualmente guapos, pero sabíamos que
Pedro tenía algo especial, y le damos la bienvenida como Mr. Manhunt Orgullo”, indica
Juan Escobar,
coordinador de
comercialización de
Manhunt
España.
Pedro junto
con los 9 finalistas, representarán a Manhunt
durante el
Orgullo
madrileño el
próximo 5 de
Julio en la carroza oficial de
dicha pagina.
Y si te
estabas preguntando si es soltero, ¡Claro que lo
es! ¡Este guapetón todavía esta esperando a su
príncipe azul! Q
— Originalmente publicado en Ambiente.
Reimprimido con el permiso.
Support the companies and organizations
that rally for you!
They’re here in Q-Notes.
To advertise, call 704.531.9988 or email [email protected].
22
D O L L A R S
A N D
S E N S E
Money Matters
by J. Lynn Davidson, CFP, CLU . Contributing Writer
Keep your finances on track with a
mid-year review
It’s hard to believe that tax season has
come and gone and we’re almost halfway
through the year.With April 15 still fresh in
your mind, take the time now to perform a
quick mid-year financial review. Not only will
this simple practice help you get a grip on
your year-to-date spending, earnings and savings, it could also help you feel more confident
and in control of your financial destiny.
If you have a financial advisor, it is a good
idea to meet with him/her if you haven’t otherwise planned to do so. If you’re conducting
your mid-year financial checkup yourself,
begin by examining how much you spent in
the first six months of the year. Have you
stayed within your budget? Where did you
over spend? You may need to make adjustments for changing circumstances. For example, rising fuel and grocery costs are creating
havoc on households across America. If gas is
consuming too much of your budget, consider
car pooling, getting a more fuel-efficient car or
going out less to reduce your fuel consumption. Putting the brakes on runaway spending
now can help you steer your budget back into
the sane lane for the remainder of the year.
Once you have a handle on your 2008
expenses, look closely at your earnings.Are
you bringing in the income you expected or
have you experienced a layoff — an all-too-
common event as American businesses
respond to the tightening economy? As the
unemployment rate climbed to 5.1 percent in
April, many have felt the financial squeeze.You
may also consider adding a part-time job to
your calendar to bring in supplemental
income and help fund your short- and longterm goals. If you are self employed or rely on
commissions, it’s especially important to keep
an eye on your year-to-date earnings, to avoid
big surprises at tax time.
Next, take a look at your savings and investments. Have you set aside enough money since
Jan. 1 — either through payroll deductions or
in a savings account — to be on schedule to
satisfy the tax bill you expect at the end of the
year? Have you established or added to your
emergency fund? Are you contributing the maximum amount to your 401(k) at work and taking advantage of employer matching contributions? Are you on track with saving for the kids’
college? Don’t forget the fun stuff either. Even if
you can only spare a small amount each month,
make sure you save something for special purchases such as a vacation or new sporting
equipment for the kids.
To be sure, the questions you ask yourself
in a mid-year review can be best answered in
a conversation with a financial advisor to help
determine how to reach your financial goals.
Your finances are too important to leave to
chance and too much can happen over the
course of a year to allow your financial health
to go unattended for more than six months at
a time. Q
This information is provided for informational
purposes only and is intended to be generic in
nature and should not be applied or relied upon
in any particular situation without the advice
of your tax, legal and/or your financial advisor.
info: 704-987-9794 . email: [email protected]
Announcement
Q-Notes has unveiled a revamped website.As a part of our new online
presence, Q-Notes is searching for up to three online staff bloggers.
These volunteer writers would work with the editor to determine
their specific coverage area and topic.
Writers would be responsible for at least two submissions per week.
Persons of color, women, gender-variant people, seniors and students
are encouraged to apply.
For more information, email [email protected].
23
24
Gun-toting gays
Before Pride, hard work and direct action
page 28
Can it stop hate crimes?
page 39
Section 2 . Page 25
Noted . Notable . Noteworthy . LGBT News & Views
Volume 23 . Number 05
www.q-notes.com
July 12 . 2008
Brian Viglione gets all dolled up
Straight drummer flaunts his feminine side with The Dresden Dolls
Since forming in Boston in 2001, The
Dresden Dolls have continually blurred the
lines between rock and cabaret in their music,
and between concert performances and live
theater onstage.
The duo of Amanda Palmer (vocals, piano)
and Brian Viglione (drums, vocals) describe
their unusual style as “Brechtian punk
cabaret.” The music is dredged from the
depths by piano and drums and polished with
guitar, harmonica, ukelele and percussion. The
show is full of dress-up, defiance, fluid sexuality, loneliness, camaraderie and scorchedearth passion.
Following the release of their second
album, 2006’s “Yes,Virginia,” the band practically lived on the road, touring alone or with
the likes of Panic! At The Disco, Cyndi Lauper
and The Gossip.Along the way they assembled
the mischievously titled “No,Virginia,” an
album of new songs, old demos and b-sides
that hit stores back in May.
Later this year the Dolls will play select
shows in support of the new release. Concertgoers shouldn’t be surprised if ultra-gayaffirming Viglione is performing in a dress,
stockings and full make-up. He says he looks
hottest when he’s all dolled up, so why not?
In this empowering interview,Viglione
talks about the rush of looking fab in drag and
the importance of Gay Pride.
You’re not gay, but you have many
gay fans who look up to you for the
fearless way you live your life. Can
you tell them what Gay Pride means
to you?
It means living every day of your life with dignity, self-respect, compassion and courage in
the face of discrimination. It’s about celebrating love, regardless of gender.
Gay Pride is also a celebration of
individuality, isn’t it?
Yes.We’re all taught from a very young age lessons on how to conform and what is right and
wrong. Gay Pride to me is about celebrating
people loving each other and loving themselves for who they are, not what society or a
religion deems morally appropriate. Too often,
fear and shame keep people locked inside
themselves because they’re taught that how
they feel is wrong.
Pride is all about wiping that bullshit from
the mirror, so that when you stand there and
look at yourself, you feel good about what you
see. Then, when you can love and believe in
who you are, no one can take that from you.
What do you think about the recent
ruling in California that allows gays
and lesbians to marry?
I think its wonderful and long overdue.
Hopefully the rest of the country and the
world get the message and eventually catch
up. My hope is that people still take their time
to cultivate and nurture their relationships
and don’t rush into marriage just because they
and roll, sexuality, humor — all the things
can. The most important thing is that people
that seemed so vital. To me, Frankenfurter was
are taking care of each other, married or not.
Tell me
about
dressing in
drag. What
does that
mean to
you?
For me, it’s
about
expressing a
very uncomplicated side
of who I am
physically. I
was nine
years old
when I first
discovered I
had a feminine side. I
was with a
cousin in a
‘People are curious about the ways in which I’m able to uncover differpool, and I
ent parts of myself. I like what I like and I do what I want.’
had a mullet.
self-evolved and empowered, a model for indiWhen I got out of the pool, my hair was
vidualism. That was right in line with all the
wrapped around my head. He said I looked
things I wanted.
like a girl and I couldn’t deny it. I felt empowAnd how did your parents feel?
ered by it. I never possessed that brute masThey were supportive, but they urged me to be
culinity that a man’s supposed to have. I just
cautious. It was the kind of thing where I
decided to embrace my natural physique,
might have wanted to go out in a garter belt
which was sort of feminine.
When I was 14, I discovered “The Rocky
see drummer on 42
Horror Picture Show.” It had everything: rock
Jay Brannan: Self-made music man
on the soundtrack), calls on the phone to
introduce himself and to get one little point
across: He’s gay and has no interest in hiding
by John Polly . Special to Q-Notes
it, but please don’t call him a “gay singer.”
As
Brannan puts
Prepping to do an interview with
it,“It’s not
singer/songwriter Jay Brannan is easy.
that I’m
Anything you need to know about him, he
resistant to
puts right out there. His website offers his
being called a
bio, a blog and his homemade music
gay
videos that have made him a grassroots
singer/songYouTube success.
writer — it’s
As a musician, he’s self-taught and selfthat I hate it. I
made and his forthcoming debut album,
hate when
“goddamned” — a collection of melodic,
people stitch
sharply honest songs of love, longing and
my sexual
critical self-examination — is self-financed
orientation to
and will be self-released on July 15. He calls
my name as if
all the shots.And, that includes any discusit were a title
sion about his sexuality and how it relates
or a category,
to his music — or how it doesn’t.
or as if it
In fact, the 26-year-old Texas-born perwere printed
former, who many discovered acting,
Jay Brannan loves guys and
singing and baring all in the sexuallyhe’s forthright about it in his on my birth
explicit, hit indie movie “Shortbus” (his
songs — just please don’t call certificate. I
just want to
tune “Soda Shop” is featured in the film and him a ‘gay singer.’
‘Shortbus’ star releases his anticipated
debut album — on his own terms
be a musician like anyone else.
“When Lisa Loeb sings, she’s singing about
her life, her experiences, her relationships. No
one says she’s singing about ‘straight issues’ or
that she sings ‘straight songs.’ Why should it be
any different for me? I think it’s time that gay
people take their place as regular people in the
world, rather than continuing to be defined
and separated by their sexual orientation.”
Point taken. The thing is, when Brannan
takes the stage with guitar in hand for a sellout show in New York or Dallas or Cape Town
or London, or when he records a new video
that will invariably get blasted across the Web
and raved about on his popular MySpace and
Facebook pages, he’s not singing coming-out
songs, anyway. He’s just singing about life,
relationships or maybe religious hypocrisy.
“I never write about ‘being gay,’”Brannan
explains, talking from his little one-room New
York City apartment.“I find that to be an
incredibly tired and outdated issue. I dealt with
the fact that I was attracted to men when I was
a teenager. I don’t really find it interesting anymore.A lot of people ask the question about
pronouns in my lyrics, and the truth is I’ve
never once thought about it — including them,
excluding them, masking them or hiding them.”
If you’ve heard “Housewife,” the first single
from “goddamned,” or seen the video online,
you know Brannan’s right. The strummy song
begins,“Two bodies pressed together/Two
boys are falling hard” and then notes the joys
of fixing cars and grilling turkey burgers with
the man you love. It even goes so far as admitting “Don’t mind doing his laundry/What are
boyfriends for?”
It doesn’t get any more direct or sweeter
than that, so label-obsessed activists can rest
assured: Brannan’s doing his part just by being
the unapologetically honest musician that he
is.And with “goddamned” he is poised to take
his music to a wider audience than ever, as he
launches a cross-country 11-city tour that
includes stops in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and
San Francisco.
Brannan shares that he obsesses over the
songs he’s writing.“I’m never 100% satisfied
with every lyric in a song, but I just try to get
it to a place I can live with without driving
see star on 38
26
Q - L I V I N G
Health & Wellness: Medical Wellness
The biology of love
Emotions are powerful. They can even
change the physiological makeup of our bodies. The two most powerful emotional
responses, love and fear, are particularly adept
at creating physical responses within us that
have ramifications throughout all aspects of
our individual health and wellness and our
interpersonal relationships. Love is life and
that it is the focus here.
Love has three stages: lust, attraction and
attachment. Lust causes the release of sexual
hormones and creates the impetus for procreation. This stage of love has been shown
scientifically to last approximately as little as
two weeks and as long as three months. Only
rarely does unadulterated lust survive past
that cycle.
Attraction is the stage of love that allows
for a long-enough tolerance of one’s partner
to see offspring brought forth. It has a duration of anywhere from one to three years. It is
associated with the development of nerve
growth hormone (NGH) and is present only
in newly attracted individuals. This is because
it requires more time than lust allows for
development and the nerves and synapses
generated have a physical capacity to last
about one year. Residual structures of this
synaptic development can withstand another
two years at most before they physically break
down altogether.
Attachment, the final phase of love,
can last decades and gives rise to the ability
of individuals to create lasting relationships,
whereby stability can be created while children are raised to full maturity. In the attachment phase of love the hormones oxytocin
and vasopressin are at their peak levels.
These chemicals create a sensation of bonding and are released during sex. Oxytocin
and vasopressin also generate feelings of
generosity. They inhibit the action of hormones that create symptoms for dependence
on and withdrawal from addictive substances
(especially opiates).
Addicted to love
Love is bliss. Love conquers all. Love heals.
Love sooths. (Loss of) Love hurts. (Loss of)
Love kills. (Loss of) Love bleeds.All of these
clichés are repeated endlessly around the
world.Why? Because they are true. The collected feelings, thoughts, emotions and psycho-physiological responses grouped together
in this thing called “love” are a mammalian
response mechanism that ensures the preservation of the species.
Why are these universal perceptions in place?
Simply put: Because pheromones,dopamine,
norepinephrine,serotonin,and amphetamines
are released in a constant stream by the brain
while we are in love.These are the hormones
that directly affect sensations of euphoria,invin-
cibility,confidence,attentiveness,generosity and many other “positive”emotions.
Remember also that some of these hormones not only cause“happiness,” they
also block“sadness.”
As an aside, the cliché “love bleeds”
is also accurate: Love hormones thicken
the blood to a healthy consistency. Love is
good for your cardio-vascular system. Its hormones also cause the lungs to open further, so
love also facilitates breathing.
Note that many of these innate chemicals, when in too high or too low a concentration, cause the symptoms for depression.
Amphetamines are responsible for alertness, excitability, vigor, concentration and
well-being. Amphetamines are also addictive. If love is lost, then all the hormones
that create a tolerance or resistance to
addiction become imbalanced and the
chemicals that cause the symptoms of a
broken heart (panic, depression, distraction,
boredom, complacency, violence, anxiety,
suicide, psychosis, etc.) proliferate.
Many of these chemicals also affect
appetite and metabolism. Depression resulting
from withdrawal symptoms has another side
effect: If serotonin and amphetamines are
lowered, they can no longer control hunger. It’s
true: Breaking up does make you fat.
Shot through the heart
Why is the heart considered the source or
site of love? Because most of the hormones
concerned with this emotion are stored in
some level within, or transported by way of,
this organ. Many of them have a direct effect
on blood pressure and heart rate. The reac-
tions and sensations these chemicals stimulate are perceived in the chest and throat.
Thus, it’s only natural to literally feel your
emotions in your heart.
In summation, being in love, or experiencing a love for others, causes a biological waterfall of responses that maintains healthful
appetite, allows for better blood circulation
and respiration and aids stress management,
logical and rational thought processes and
stable moods. The chemicals released by love
protect us from the hormones that cause anxiety, depression, irrational thoughts as well as
emotional and physical diseases.
A loss or lack of love (or a perception of it)
can literally kill us. Babies who are not
touched and coddled are not stimulated, do
not release the chemicals that cause the development of nerves and do not produce the hormones required to maintain healthful biological systems.With so many necessary biological functions growing out of a response to
love, it is no wonder that many babies who are
not given attention actually die.
So, what we said at the beginning is
true: Love is life. People, pets and plants
thrive where there is love and care. Love
feels good because it promotes health and
wellness. We yearn for love, we need it, not
because society tells us to get married and
have a baby, but because without love we
are literally dying. Q
Jack Kirven holds an MFA in Dance from UCLA and a national
certification in personal fitness training through NASM.
— Q-Notes’“Health and Wellness” column
rotates between physical fitness, spirituality,
green living and medical wellness.
27
Q - L I V I N G
Early LGBT activists had their work
cut out for them
The time before the Stonewall Riots in
June 1969 are usually referred to as “PreStonewall,” a time when being “out” as a gay,
lesbian, bisexual or transgender person was
not only rare, but dangerous for many.
Early organizational activism
Perhaps one of the first LGBT rights and
activist organizations to form Pre-Stonewall
28
was the Mattachine Society. The organization
was founded in 1950 by Harry Hay and a
small group of friends.
The group first met in November 1950. In
attendance was Hay and four friends. Finally
incorporated in 1954, the group went on to
challenge discriminatory laws and practices.
Soon after the group’s official founding,
small affiliate groups and chapters were started in several major American cities, including
San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Chicago,
Denver, the District of Columbia and
Philadelphia. The group’s primary goal was to
was accused of “siding with” the Mattachine
create a public acceptance of LGBT people and
Society instead of allying themselves with
to integrate LGBT people into the “social
separatist feminist organizations formed in
progress of mankind.”
the 1970s.
The name “Mattachine” came from one of
An early hero
the many medieval Renaissance French sociSeeing openly LGBT people publicly chaleties. In 1976, Hay explained to a reporter,
lenge social institutions, organizations or
“One masque group was known as the
local, state and national
‘Société Mattachine.’
governments is nothing
These societies, lifenew to many people
long secret fraternities
today. In many locales
of unmarried townsacross the nation, people
men who never perknow of local LGBT
formed in public
activists and some know
unmasked, were dediof our national LGBT
cated to going out into
organization. If anything,
the countryside and
many folks have at least
conducting dances
seen the Human Rights
and rituals during the
Campaign’s equality logo
Feast of Fools, at the
bumper sticker.
Vernal Equinox.
In 1957, however,
Sometimes these
this was not the case. At
dance rituals, or
least it wasn’t until
masques, were peasant
Frank Kameny appeared
protests against
on the scene. Kameny
oppression — with
was born in 1925 to a
the maskers, in the
middle-class, Jewish
people’s name, receivfamily in New York. He
ing the brunt of a
entered college at the
given lord’s vicious
age of 15, but did not
retaliation. So we took
the name Mattachine Frank Kameny holds one of his street finish his education
until 1956 due to his
because we felt that we protest signs. Much of his personal
service in World War II.
1950s Gays were also a historical documents and collections
are now housed by the Smithsonian
Kameny went to work
masked people,
in civil service for the
unknown and anony- Institute in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Army Map Service in 1957 and soon
mous, who might become engaged in morale
thereafter was arrested on “morals charges”
building and helping ourselves and others,
in a local cruising area for gay men in
through struggle, to move toward total
Washington, D.C., although he was released
redress and change.”
and nothing ever came of it. Problems arose,
The Daughters of Bilitis, another early
however, when the incident was reported to
group, was the Mattachine Society’s counteran investigator in the Civil Service
part specifically for lesbians. The group was
Commission. Kameny was fired from his job
formed in San Francisco in 1955. Like the
and in 1958 learned that he was barred from
Mattachine Society, the Daughters of Bilitis
any and all future employment with the fedpublished a magazine geared toward the pareral government.
ticular community for which the organization
Kameny quickly turned to activism and
was formed.
attempted to get his job back.
By the 1960s and 1970s, however, both
“My dismissal amounted to a declaration
groups would fade away. Affilated groups
of war against me by the government,”
would split off and form their own independKameny said.“And I tend not to lose my wars.”
ent organizations. The Mattachine Society
Kameny held street protests and contactbecame a target of claims that they were too
traditional and not willing to go far enough to
see early on 31
advance LGBT rights. The Daughters of Bilitis
Q - L I V I N G
The Small Screen
from high school to college, from poms
poms to beer and from straight to gay.
by Samantha Korb . Contributing Writer My first female celebrity crush, Allyson
Hannigan, who plays Willow on the
show, found herself not only discovering her Wicca talents, but also her feelings for women — well, one woman in
When I was 10, the WB premiered a
the fourth season. Tara, played by Amber
new hit show, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Benson, is a young, Wicca, blonde and shy
As an avid fan of “Dawson’s Creek,” I
woman who not only kindles with Willow
thought I would give it a try and I soon
and her Wicca
became hooked. After
spirit, but her
watching the show
erotic and
through Season 2, I
sensual spirits
became disillusioned,
as well.
disinterested and
At age 16,
indifferent after the
when I was
death of my favorite
well aware
character, Angel.
that I liked
As I’d later find out,
women, Tara
Angel would make a
and Willow’s
reappearance in the
relationship
next season, but that
especially
didn’t stop me from
touched me.
turning off the TV and
Not only did I
turning on the radio
think they
dial (Britney Spears,
were
the
cutest
and
hottest
couple
on televiSpice Girls, and Backstreet Boys).Yes, I am a
sion (gay or straight), but I found that their
child of the ’90s. Can’t you tell?
relationship was seldom put in a box, a
Fast forward six years later.“Buffy the
stereotype or anything that “screamed” lesVampire Slayer” was about to go off the air
bian. They just happened to be two women
when I saw a commercial on FX that adverwho fell in love. Their friends’ reactions to
tised reruns for the show airing early in the
their relationship was real, accepting and
morning. I decided to tape the episodes and
refreshing to a ton of queer viewers who saw
watch them when I got home from school. It
their pairing as a beacon of hope and inspiwas a tradition that lasted for almost a year.
ration. I know it was for me.
It was during this time that I saw the
Willow and Tara’s relationship, still
“Scooby Gang” (Buffy and her friends) go
Slaying vampires and our hearts
today, is the longest lasting lesbian relationship on cable television.“The L Word” has
definitely reached out to many viewers, but
only those who can see Showtime. With
Buffy, Joss Whedon, the creator of the show,
was able to take Tara and Willow’s relationship to an entirely new viewer base. Not
only did he reach the queer audience, but
many straight viewers who might have otherwise seen lesbians as a stereotype and not
as people. With Tara and Willow, they were
able to see lesbians beyond the stereotypes
and see the qualities that make them equally human and unique.
For a show that has been off the air since
2003,“Buffy” has become even more a cult
classic among its avid viewers and continually
created new fans. It’s engendered a plethora of
scholarly studies on queers in the media and
on television, gay and lesbian studies, gender
studies and much more.
For those who think “Buffy” was just a
television show adapted from a cheesy
movie, it’s become so much more than that.
If you love more than just one genre of television, if you want a different kind of show,
if want to see the sweetest, most honest lesbian TV romance that ever existed, then
“Buffy” is your show. You’ve got 144
episodes over seven seasons to enjoy — so
eat some popcorn, enjoy soda (or pop) and
slay some vampires. Q
29
30
Q - L I V I N G
Early activists blazed trail
from page 28
ed members of Congress after founding the
Washington, D.C. chapter of the Mattachine
Society in 1961. Kameny and his group’s use
of direct action protests, borrowed from the
African-American Civil Rights Movement
thrust him into the media spotlight as he
continually challenged the federal status
quo. Kameny was eventually able to convince
the American Civil Liberties Union to take
up his cause.
The legal battle would lead to a U.S. Cout
of Appeals ruling that the rejection of
employment for “homosexual conduct” was
“too vague.” In 1975, the Civil Service
Commission finally amended its anti-gay
employment policies.
Kameny also coined the phrase, “Gay
is Good.”
In 2006, Kameny was honored by the
Human Rights Campaign at the National
Dinner in Washington, DC. He received the
National Capital Area Leadership Award. Q
— This article adapted from Part One of
InterstateQ.com’s Pride 2007 Series.
your quarterly visits to the uro).
Prostate massage is a healthy and pleasurable activity that can be enjoyed as part of
your intimate life. Prostate massage has long
been used as a means of maintaining prostate
health and to promote increased sexual
health.Prostate stimulation methods like
prostate milking and prostate massage with
prostate massager can result in deriving
prostate pleasure and sexual pleasure. Prostate
massage is considered a healthy activity for all
men who are not experiencing severe symptoms of a prostate condition and is once again
becoming more widely recommended as
researchers discover that prostate massage
complements and increases the effectiveness
of antibiotics, antimicrobials or herbal remedies by facilitating circulation to the prostate
gland. Prostacet is an outstanding formula
that supports prostate health with Serenoa
repens (saw palmetto) which works to nour-
ish this vital organ. The whole purpose of this
external prostate massage is to bring some
new fresh circulation to the area and keep it
fresh and healthy. In addition, many find that
prostate massage itself is successful where
other remedies have failed.
Prostate health is something that should
be treated with a balanced diet your whole life.
The only product we can really recommend
since it is the only product we know of that
actually has shown to reduce prostate size
while promoting prostate health is Prostacet.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, and keeping up your body’s health
through exercise and water will reduce your
risk of prostate cancer, tame the symptoms of
an enlarged prostate, and lead to better
prostate health. Q
— Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing
natural health and beauty products.
Learn more at mens-best-health.net.
Massaging yourself to health
Prostate health and massage
by Paul Rodgers
Prostate health has leapt to the forefront of
the public’s awareness recently, spurred on by
advertisements for prescription drugs to
reduce enlarged prostates. Natural prostate
health is the best choice that many men are
making today to ensure their health, since natural health is about taking care of your body
as a whole. Remember that a healthy body
means a healthy prostate, and the key to good
prostate health is to keep your body in tiptop
shape through exercise, proper drinking
habits, and vitamins and minerals.
Although changes in prostate health are
indefinitely part of every man’s life, the signs
and symptoms that are associated with this
condition often prove too embarrassing for
most men to even mention. The good news is,
there are things you can do naturally to
improve your prostate health and either reduce
your risk of prostate cancer or else prevent it
altogether. Daily exercise is crucial to good
health, and that includes good prostate health.
In the Orient, prostate massage has been
included in traditional medicine for centuries.
Prostate massage is once again becoming
more widely recommended as researchers discover that prostate massage complements and
increases the effectiveness of antibiotics,
antimicrobial or herbal remedies by facilitating circulation to the prostate gland. In recent
years, many medical articles have been published which advocate prostatic massage as a
treatment for chronic prostatitis, infertility,
and benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH).
Massages are intended to be done on a regular
basis (several times a week, or at least once a
week, or two weeks max, and certainly not
every three months as you indicated from
31
Q - L I V I N G
Drag Rag
by Miss Della . Contributing Writer
Those big, bold pageants keep bobbing along!
Well, just when you thought it would never
happen, as it does here, I’m thinking this is
not gonna be a very long Rag. Of course, you
know as soon as I say that, I usually take up
more room than ever before. But I really do
not feel that will be that case — the load is
kinda light this time!
We’ll start with news on the Continental
front — by the time you read this, tickets will
be almost sold out for what I call the Labor
Day weekend family reunion. This will be my
13th year in a row going. I’m always as excited
as I was the first time just to see a truly fierce
pageant and all the fierce formers I live for.
The most recent qualifiers include Mercedes
Alexander who won TN with runner-up Tulsi
and Sasha Colby won Miss West Virginia.
Windy City, here we come.
The movie “Pageant” which features,
among others, Raleigh entertainers Victoria
Parker and Coti Collins, is really racking up
the accolades! The movie just won Best
Feature Film at the NY GLBT Film Festival
and Best Documentary and the Audience
Award at the San Francisco International
LGBT Film Festival (which is reportedly the
oldest and largest in the world, thank you). It
screens here in the Tarheel State on Sat.,Aug.
18 at 2:30 p.m. in the Carolina Theater in
Durham, part of the North Carolina Gay and
Lesbian Film Festival. I feel a quick road trip
coming on, as I must see that movie!
Did anyone get to see Tasha Long on
“America’s Got Talent” a few weeks ago? That
sister was painted and doing some Dionne,
but I don’t think they were ready for all that
glamour. Her costume was exquisite. I need to
touch base with Alyssa Edwards again to see
how far her dance team made it in that competition as well.
Have any of you had the chance to check
out the dating game with post-op transsexual
Calpernia Adams on the LOGO channel? I
have a friend who is supposed to be recording
it for me. I certainly hope they are. I have fond
memories of the year I judged
Calpernia at the national EOY contest when
she made finals. Such a sweet, talented queen.
Of course, you know she went on to be the cosubject of the movie “Soldier Boy” and she
made a guest appearance in “Transamerica”
which starred Felicity Huffman. She was fiddling away, as usual.
I recently got some lovely news — Kerri
Nichols, our Miss Gay America 1996, is
doing the make-up for “Side Show” here in
town at the McGlohon Theater at Spirit
Square. This is the show that was on
Broadway for a while about the “original”
Hilton sisters (and conjoined twins) from
right here in Charlotte. You better paint,
bitch! We’ll see you at Miss NC America at
the end of August! I understand that Kymber
Raines will be making an appearance, along
with Todd (whom we loved and cherished as
Blair Williams) and maybe even a Diana Lee
Bishop. Oh, the hits just keep coming and
coming, boys and girls.
And speaking of prelims to Miss Gay
America, the two most recent include Miss
Mid-Atlantic which former Miss NC Miss D.
Meaner won with RU Sierra Leone (also an
NC queen) and Western States which China
Collins won with RU Jessica Deveraux. On the
EOY scene, Trinity Taylor is the new Miss
Alabama with RU Genesis; Miss Louisiana
Fleur de Lis is Bianca Nichole with RU Sy’ria
Sinclaire; and Miss Ohio is Amber Stone with
RU Bella Dolce.
Locally, we just have one contest that’s
taken place that I know about — another
Zodiac production over at Night Owls in
Gastonia. Orlando Chanel won Miss Gemini.
Her RU was Carmendy.
The next time we meet, I’ll tell you all
about my trip to Dallas, TX to see Layla LaRue
and Kelexis Davenport give up their TX FFI/at
Large titles. (And maybe a tale of a darkskinned muchacho, if I’m lucky). Q
info: Drop me a line, OK? . The [email protected]
In our next issue:
Back to School/Fall Fashion
To advertise, call 704.531.9988 or email [email protected].
32
Q - L I V I N G
General Gayety
endangering another
person and endangering the welfare of a
by Leslie Robinson . Contributing Writer
child.
I feel confident that
Beddell would say conJoyce Beddell will not be winning
cern for the child’s welGrandmother of the Year. Right now she’s just
fare was precisely why she beat the crap out of
trying to win her freedom.
her. If smacking her with a cane keeps her
The 61-year-old from Reading, Pa., was
from going gay, then she’s going to lay in a
arrested by police for beating the daylights out
supply of them. Raid all the drugstores in
of her granddaughter after finding the 16town. Knock them out from under old people.
year-old in bed with another girl.
It’s for her granddaughter’s own good. Better
Apparently Beddell has a strong opinion
crippled than a dyke!
about lesbianism and a strong arm to back
After arraignment before a judge, Beddell
it up.
wound up in Berks County Prison in lieu of
The Reading Eagle reported that Beddell’s
$10,000 bail. If she’s still firm in her belief that
granddaughter, whose name hasn’t been
she did nothing wrong, she must be furious at
released, and another female 16-year-old from
her granddaughter, whose perverted actions
the neighborhood shared some afternoon
were the reason her poor grandmother’s keisdelight one Thursday in mid-June.
ter landed in jail. Possibly Beddell is spending
I immediately wondered if that was their
a lot of her prison time mentally designing a
way of celebrating the end of the school year.
cane that won’t break.
They had just finished their activities
How would Joyce Beddell have reacted if
when Joyce Beddell walked into the upstairs
she’d found her granddaughter in bed with a
bedroom and found them.
16-year-old boy? Would she have beaten her
Beddell beat her granddaughter with a
just the same or giddily celebrated that, while
cane. The other girl fled to her house nearby.
the girl might get pregnant, at least she isn’t
Understandable, but not the most chivalrous
queer?
action.
If Beddell’s granddaughter was in the closBeddell’s fury must’ve been monumental;
et, she sure isn’t now. Everybody in Reading
she beat her granddaughter with her cane
knows what she was doing that afternoon and
until it broke.
how she paid for it. Out of the closet and into
Neighbors saw Beddell leave the house,
the hospital is a horrid teenage coming-out
accompanied by her granddaughter, who was
scenario. I hope she gets some help — from
limping. Come to think of it, Beddell might’ve
people who don’t wield canes. Q
been limping too, her cane having just met a
info: [email protected] . www.GeneralGayety.com
bad end.
The pair’s destination was the house of
the other girl. Grandma wanted to tell the
girl’s mother what the two teenagers had been
up to.
The newspaper didn’t say whether she got
her chance. Even without that scene, the
events read like a young adult novel. Teenage
lesbian love paying the ultimate price.
Even if we’re not talking about ardent
devotion but simply a case of ill-timed
teenage lust, the tale has a clear villain: a
Pennsylvania grandmother with a scary
anger-management problem and humungous
homophobia.
After Beddell and her granddaughter
returned from going visiting, Beddell resumed
beating her, this time with a belt. Police
arrived, thank God, investigating a report of
child abuse.
The police ferried the teenager to the hospital. She was in great pain, suffering from
serious bruises on her legs and buttocks. Her
afternoon certainly turned from pleasure to
pain faster than you can say “lesbian-intraining.”
Beddell told the cops that she hadn’t done
anything wrong and she should be allowed to
discipline her granddaughter as she wished.
The police begged to differ, charging her
with aggravated and simple assault, recklessly
The case of the raging grandma
ONLINE Q.POLL
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Will Sen. Jesse Helms’
legacy continue to
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33
Q - L I V I N G
Out and About . by Kat M. Read . Q-Notes staff
Events and happenings across the Carolinas
Community Centers &
Switchboards
Charlotte Lesbian & Gay
Community Center
704-333-0144
820 Hamilton St., Suite B11
Charlotte, NC 28206
Harriet Hancock Center
803-771-7713
1108 Woodrow St.
Columbia, SC 29205
www.scglpm.org
Jul. 14 • Charleston
Leslie Jordan In Concert
For such a diminutive frame, character actor Leslie
Jordan has a big propensity for scene-stealing. He
hails from the South, as his dead-giveaway drawl
makes obvious, and was raised in a highly conservative, deeply religious atmosphere in Chattanooga,
Tenn. He is best remembered for his hilarious roles as
“Brother Boy” in “Sordid Lives” and “Beverley Leslie”
in “Will & Grace.” Everyone who caught the Charlotte
show agreed that it was breathtakingly funny!
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St. 8 p.m. $27.5052.50. 843-853-2252. www.thelesliejordan.com.
Jul.17-20 • Charlotte
OutWilmington GLCC
Charlotte NC Black Gay Pride
910-762-4717
113 Dock St.
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.outwilmington.com
Come out and show your pride. There are several
events and parties, as well as workshops, meetings
and worship service.
Check out www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
The Center Project
Jul. 17 • Charlotte
843-626-4953
307 Highway 15
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578
www.thecenterproject.com
CNCBGP Town Hall Meeting
Triangle Community Works
Gay and Lesbian Helpline
Raleigh, N.C.
[email protected]
919-821-0055
Charlotte North Carolina Black Gay Pride and Time
Out Youth will co-host this annual town hall meeting.
This year’s topic is: Does racism exist in the gay community? The featured panelists are John W. Love,
Charlotte Damone, Connie Vetter,Alan Sendler,Angela
Lopez and Jackie Thomas. Holy Trinity Lutheren
Church, 1900 The Plaza. 7p.m.
www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
Jul. 17 • Greensboro
Alternative Resources of the Triad
Community resources and referrals
Greensboro, Winston-Salem & High Point, N.C.
OutTriad.org . OutGreensboro.com
Upcoming Events:
Jul. 12-19 • Charlotte
‘Side Show’
Queen City Theatre Company presents this story
about love, tolerance and acceptance of who we are.
“Side Show” spotlights two extraordinary women in
Charlotte history, the Hilton Sisters. These conjoined
twins, once a celebrated side show attraction, lived
their last years working in a local Queen City grocery
store. McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. 8 p.m. $28.
704-372-1000. www.queencitytheatre.com.
Jul. 12-13 • Charleston
‘Broadway Show Stoppers’
Two hours of unforgettable moments from Broadway’s
most loved musicals, spanning the entire history of
the Broadway stage. From “Ziegfeld Follies” up thru
the newest hits along the Great White Way. Five performances only. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.
Various times. $19.50-$31.50. 1-800-514-3849.
www.charlestonmusichall.com.
34
Michael McDonald In Concert
The acclaimed singer and former Doobie Brothers
frontman is touring behind his recently released
album of classic soul cover songs, titled “Soul Speak.”
The album includes three new songs by the five-time
Grammy-winner. Greensboro Colisuem, 1921 W. Lee
St. 8 p.m. $39.50-59.50. 336-373-7400.
www.greensborocoliseum.org.
Jul. 17 • Raleigh
Miss Bolinwood Pageant
This camp drag benefit supports the Crape Myrtle
Festival, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that
raises funds through donations and community events
for local HIV/AIDS and LGBT service agencies. Now in
it’s 28th year, CMF is one of the oldest HIV/AIDS
fundraising organizations in the country and has
donated over $750,000 to 38 HIV/AIDS and LGBT
agencies in the region. Flex, 2 S.West St. 12:30 a.m.
Jul. 18-19 • Raleigh
LGBT Helpline Training
Volunteers are needed to work one three-hour shift a
month at the Helpline. If you are interested in becoming
a telephone volunteer, you should attend this training
session. Friday’s session is 6:30-9 p.m. and Saturday’s
session is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch will be provided on
see next page >
Q - L I V I N G
Saturday. To register your attendance, call 919-821-0055
and leave a message or email [email protected]
trainer will contact you with more information.
in a smart, risque and downright entertaining way.
Belk Theatre, 130 N. Tryon St. Tue.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sat.Sun. matinees 2 p.m.; Sun. 7:30 p.m. Call box office for
tickets. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
Black Gay Pride Expo
Jul. 24 • Columbia
Come out and show your pride. This year’s event will
feature workshops, live entertainment, vendors and
more. Fran’s Boys and Girls Club, 2700 W. Trade St.
www.charlotteblackgaypride.com.
Film Screening: ‘Shelter’
Jul. 19 • Durham
‘Myrtle Beach Bingo’
The CC presents “Myrtle Beach Bingo.” Come join the
fun with Miss Mary K. Mart for a great show benefiting people living with HIV/AIDS in the Triangle.
Durham Armory, 220 Foster St. Doors open at 7 p.m.
$15 advance/$17 door. Tickets can be purchased at
White Rabbit, Regulator Book Shop and Cherry Pie.
www.dragbingo.com.
Don’t Miss This
Jul. 26 • Raleigh
The 28th Crape Myrtle Festival
In “Shelter,” Zach (Trevor Wright) has become accustomed to a life where he neglects his own needs in
favor of taking care of his older sister and her young
son.When his best friend’s older brother, Shaun (Brad
Rowe), returns home to cure a case of writer’s block,
Shaun and Zach develop a friendship that develops
into a true, intimate relationship.“Shelter” is a captivating film that, at its heart, is a beautiful love story about
family.” Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main St. 6 p.m. and 8
p.m. $6.50. 803-254-3433. www.nickelodeon.org.
Jul. 25 • Raleigh
Miss Prissy Patio
This camp drag benefit supports the Crape Myrtle
Festival, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that
raises funds through donations and community events
for local HIV/AIDS and LGBT service agencies. Now in
it’s 28th year, CMF is one of the oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising organizations in the country and has donated
over $750,000 to 38 HIV/AIDS and LGBT agencies in
the region. Legends, 330 W. Hargett St. 12:00 a.m. $10.
Jul. 26 • Charleston
Drag King Fundraiser
The Triangle’s biggest annual fundraiser is
back. Crape Myrtle is an all-volunteer nonprofit
organization that raises funds through donations and community events for local
HIV/AIDS and
LGBT service agencies. Now in it’s 28th year,
CMF is one of the oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising
organizations in the country and has donated
over $750,000 to 38 HIV/AIDS and LGBT agencies in the region. Progress Energy Center, 2 E.
South St. 7 p.m. Tickets available for purchase
at www.crapemyrtlefest.org.
Jul. 20 • Raleigh
CMF Gala Week Kick-off Party
This benefit supports the Crape Myrtle Festival, an
all-volunteer nonprofit organization that raises funds
through donations and community events for local
HIV/AIDS and LGBT service agencies. Now in it’s 28th
year, CMF is one of the oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising
organizations in the country and has donated over
$750,000 to 38 HIV/AIDS and LGBT agencies in the
region. The CC, 313 W. Hargett St. 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
$5 members, $7 Guests.
Jul. 22-27 • Charlotte
‘Avenue Q’
A hilarious musical full of heart and hummable
tunes,“Avenue Q” is about trying to make it in NYC
with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The show
employs a cast of people and puppets to tell the story
The First Annual Drag King Contest to benefit Alliance
For Full Acceptance will be held tonight.Prizes will be
awarded for Crowd Participation (so contestants should
bring their friends),Best Dressed and Best Overall (winner will receive a $150 bar tab).The Chart,1078-D East
Montague Ave.10 p.m.to midnight (contestants arrive by
9 p.m.).$10.843-225-9949.www.charlestonchart.com.
Pride Charlotte
Come out and see what’s new for 2008.A portion of W.
Trade St. will be used to expand the festival, with more
vendors and a larger kids’ section. Other highlights
include local and regional entertainers and a DJ tent.
The new community stage on W. Trade St. will feature
speakers and acoustic-style performers. The fountain
at Gateway Village will be turned on (depending on
drought conditions). Gateway Village, 800 W. Trade St.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.pridecharlotte.com.
Aug. 9 • Durham
Film Festival Fundraiser
“What Love Means” will screen at the Carolina
Theatre in its North Carolina premiere. Spanning 20
years over the course of two extended parts, the film
follows the lives, loves and tragedies of an extended
family beginning in the early 1980s. Ticket price
includes a wine and cheese reception (during a 30minute intermission), as well as admission to an
exclusive silent auction benefiting the 13th Annual
North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Carolina Theatre, 309 W. Morgan St. $20. Call
919-560-3030 for time. www.carolinatheatre.org. Q
info: Announce your community event in Out & About.
email: [email protected] or fax 704-531-1361.
35
Q - L I V I N G
Out in the Stars
by Charlene Lichtenstein
July 12-25
Mars squares Pluto setting off a rash of rash
actions. This may be a good thing if we are interested in changing the landscape and creating
potholes. Errant bulldozer anyone?
CANCER (06.22-07.23) If job related stresses
come to a head, try taking some time off and
avoiding any confrontation. Gay Crabs feel that
they have reached the breaking point at work.
While this may be true, you will also find that
Mars square Pluto makes matters worse. But
all is not lost. No decisions need to be made
now. Get lost. Even better, get lost with youknow-who.
LEO (07.24-08.23) You dream of artistic greatness and this may be the time that you achieve
it…with a price tag. Proud Lions revel in the
attention that Mars square Pluto provides. All
your efforts impress and delight as you continuously feed the press machine to keep the spotlight shining. I say that if your ego needs a
stroke, find a well endowed admirer and ask for
a handout.
VIRGO (08.24-09.23) Queer Virgos manage to
grab all the attention in any large group.Your personal stock gains in value and takes you to new
places to meet new, influential people. Good! But
keep half an eye on your domestic agenda. It is
too easy to lose sight of the basics while the stars
(and you) glitter. Balance is not only everything,
it is the only thing right now.
LIBRA (09.24-10.23) Proud Libras start off by
sounding wise and spiritual. But, it will soon
become apparent that your words can take on a
volatile and earth moving tone. This is not necessarily a bad thing.You hold some strong opinions
that are not always heard above the general static.
Sometimes you have to call it as you see it.Are you
wearing your glasses?
SCORPIO (10.24-11.22) A friend in need should
probably be avoided, unless you don’t mind picking up their bills. Queer Scorps feel tied down
by certain needy, greedy folks who can drain
not only the surrounding energies, but also the
resources. How much are you prepared to give,
give, give? Tough love is in order now. Does
that also mean leather and chains? It is up to
both of you.
SAGITTARIUS (11.23-12.22) Ill conceived and
emotional reactions in your career can alter your
“public face’ and how you are perceived in general. The temptation to ratchet the rhetoric may
be too much to resist. It is much safer for gay
Archers to hide into the background in any
major professional project or, even better, make
36
themselves scarce.
Mars squares Pluto
. Contributing Writer suggests a quick vacation. I agree.
CAPRICORN (12.23-01.20) While a getaway
seems to offer a deserved relaxing break,the opposite may be true when Mars squares Pluto. Pink
Caps with a need to recede and a yearning to make
their vibes more mellow are abruptly pulled back
into the action. As you boil on the front burners,
think of how successful you will be eventually.
There is no rest for the weary, but there is money
and status.
AQUARIUS (01.21-02.19) Suddenly everyone
wants a piece of you.Which section will you offer
friends and which one will you offer lovers? Try to
parse out your best qualities equally, Aqueerius,
unless you want to cut some strings. Mars
squares Pluto and can make either side dissatisfied and kvetchy. If diplomacy fails, try theatrics.
If that fails, take your show on the road.
PISCES (02.20-03.20) Relationships may conflict with your professional aspirations when
Mars squares Pluto. Guppies allow themselves to
be swayed by what they think partners want. But,
this would be a mistake since there is no way to
know the wants of others at this time. If you are
fishing for a catch, avoid dipping your pole into
the work pool. It is too full of sharks.
ARIES (03.21-04.20) Attend to the small details when Mars squares Pluto, proud Ram. Not
only will you avoid mistakes of global proportions, you may be able to capitalize on hidden
opportunities that often get lost in the back of
the file drawer. Of course, it will be easy to forget that the devil is in these same details.
Carefully consider your options lest you get
pitchforked. Yikes!
TAURUS (04.21-05.21) Fun leads to unmanageable games as Mars squares Pluto. But, queer
Bulls may be ready for an out-of-this world,
uncontrollable liaison or three. Tap into your creativity and see what (and who) spurts. The secret
to your success is to know when enough is
enough, when to turn off the bubble machine and
when to concentrate on the end product. But, you
know that!
GEMINI (05.22-06.21) Pink Twins avidly plan
and execute home projects now.But are partners in
agreement? There is a tendency to rush into various
works without the proper sign-off or notice. You
find that acceptance or even just acknowledgment
makes the process easier. Also, defer highly emotional conversations with relatives until you can
view things dispassionately. Maybe in August? Q
© 2008 Madam Lichtenstein, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Entertainment.
info: Visit www.TheStarryEye.com for e-greetings,
horoscopes and Pride jewelry. My book “HerScopes: A Guide
To Astrology For Lesbians” from Simon & Schuster is
available at bookstores and major booksites.
Q - L I V I N G
Tell Trinity
by Trinity . Contributing Writer
How to tell your best friend,
“You’re being cheated on?”
Dear Trinity,
Everyone accept my best friend knows he’s
being cheated on. Should I tell him or should I let
him find out on his own? Either way he’s in for a
big hurt!
Burning Both Ends, Flint, Mich.
Dear Burning,
The question is not do you tell him, but
rather, “How do you help him get hurt the
least?” He may become resentful towards
you for telling him, thus: a) have an
anonymous person tell him; b) suggest
something like, “What would you do
if…?”; c) make it possible for him to find
out on his own; or d) shut up and pray.
Unfortunately, being a friend, sweetie,
means learning to step forward at the
same time as stepping back!
C
U
R
B
S
I
D
E
B
Y
R
O
B
E
R
T
K
I
R
B
Y
Hey Trinity,
Lately, it’s been so hard
appreciating what I have
when I feel like my life has no
meaning and should have
been different or better.
Trinity, what do you do when
life doesn’t make sense?
A Better Life, Milwaukee, Wisc.
Hey A Better Life,
Every smart, healthy, growing adult
questions his or her life many times
throughout life. When my life stops having
deep meaning, I start going out more with
friends, watching comedies, taking a nice
vacation which includes some wild affairs
or adventures. But, most importantly,
pumpkin, I try to remember that life is a
banquet! (Check out the cartoon for some
uplifting tips.)
Hello Trinity,
With all the lies and deception I’ve been
experiencing around dating, do you think it’s
wrong to ask for a credit check, medical records,
job resume and a family genealogy chart before
getting serious with someone?
Get Smart, Wilmington, Del.
Hello Get Smart,
It may sound subversive and CIA-esque,
but in today’s world people are so desperate to
empress that special someone that morals and
wits can often get tossed into the wind and
blown right back into your face. In olden days
people lived in the same communities for
many generations so everyone knew each
other’s background. But, today, everyone’s a
stalker, I mean a stranger. Credit checks, job
resumes and the such may be too pushy, but,
honey, doing a little internet investigation
before falling head first may save you a lot of
headaches later on!
Dearest Trinity,
Blah, blah, blah…and for the first time in
my life I am having a tryst. I want it to last for as
long as it can. Advise?
Twists For Trysts, Chicago, Ill.
Dearest Tryst,
I have had my share of trysts, thank God.
Oh, and guess what I just found?
Trinity’s Tasteful Tips For Things
To Do Before A Tryst*
(*a secret meeting arranged by lovers)
1. Placing yourself into the perfect “frame of
mind” can be as simple as breathing, being
playful and leaving your troubles way
behind.
2. Atmosphere means candles, romantic
music, clean sheets and, oh yes, turn off
the damn cell phone.
3. Appearing “cleaned up” and perfumed
“down there,” promises that you’ll be all
smiles during this affair.
4. Temperature control, i.e., fans, air conditioners and heaters make for a comfortable, longer lasting soiree.
5. Contraceptives, massage lotion and a few
fun toys should be placed inside the
night table, not sitting open in an old
shoebox.
6. Bubbling champagne flutes and dark
chocolate truffles on a plate should be sitting on top of the nightstand, not far away
in the kitchen.
7. Pre-place extra champagne, chocolates and
a few cigarettes in a cool, close place.
8. If “time is of the essence” then, by all
means, be all hands, not all words.
9. Needing or wanting more and more means
sooner than later they’ll be running out the
door. Be patient.
10. Lastly, when you’re running back to work
or home (to your spouse), check for clothing stains, foreign perfume smells and
their message on your cell phone. Q
— With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity
was host of “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly
radio drama, and now performs globally.
info: www.telltrinity.com . [email protected]
Tell Trinity, 1617 Rue Champlain, Montreal, QC H2L2S5
Sponsored by: Provincetown Business Guild
800-637-8696 . www.ptown.org
37
Q - L I V I N G
Star releases debut album
from page 25
Boyfriend,” which reads like a letter to the boy
myself crazy. I’ll fixate on a particular verse or
who couldn’t commit (which might be for the
chorus while I shower or walk around the city.
best). But then, isn’t it all about love and findMaybe I need medication?”
ing someone?
The title track to the new album is a rumi“Love is hugely impornation on religious hypocrisy,
tant,” admits Brannan.“It’s
inspired by a trip to
probably more important to
Jerusalem.
me than anything else, sadly
“It was so surreal being in
enough. I haven’t dated anythe place whose legends have
one in a long time — like
ripped apart individuals and
six years. I’ve always been a
nations for thousands of years
loner. The truth is, I’m a
and seeing how manmade it
weird person that most peoall was,” Brannan explains.
ple don’t quite understand.
“Some of the architecture is
I’m neurotic and angsty and
full of history, but the deep
obsessive and anti-social.
discord that stems from all the
“People, and particularly
supernatural folklore attached
people I have just met, are
to it is truly baffling and
always telling me to change
heartbreaking to me.”
myself or the way I act or
Brannan adds that “the
song’s title also felt appropriate Jay Brannan’s ideal boyfriend: the things I say. It’s hard to
find people who truly get
for the way a lot of people have ‘I just want someone who I
responded to me and my life, can have sex with and laugh my sense of humor and my
cynicism.”
and the mistakes and choices with and order food with
and sit on the phone with
Still, he’s not ready to
I’ve made.”
late at night for hours.’
give up.“It would be really
Apart from the title song,
nice to find one person who I find to be smart
romantic choices loom large in Brannan’s new
and funny and interesting and reliable, who
tunes. It’s in the aforementioned “Housewife,”
accepts me for exactly the way I am and actuthe funnily sad “At First Sight” and “Half-
ally likes me as that person,” he says.“I just
want someone who I can have sex with and
laugh with and order food with and sit on the
phone with late at night for
hours. Someone who answers
my calls and actually calls me
back. I think, with the right
person, I would be a very
good boyfriend.”
Until then, Brannan is
happy to keep making his
music, staying close to his
good friend and “Shortbus”
director John Cameron
Mitchell (“a creative genius
and a truly wonderful human
being”) and even enjoying little things like
preparing guacamole (the one dish he can
make), wearing grey hoodies and maybe
exploring more acting possibilities.
“I’d love to do more film and even try some
TV,” Brannan says.“But I’m a gay guy in New
York City who sings — and I hate musicals and
that’s the first thing an agent thinks of when
they see me on paper. So, we’ll see. I know I’ll
never be cast as the football jock, but there are
sensitive straight-guy roles to be had, and I’d
like the chance to try one at some point.
“I have no problem with playing only gay
Around North Carolina
38
characters, but it would be nice if there were
more roles out there that weren’t either a coming-out story or the bitchy stylist stereotype.”
In the meantime, with a
bit of prodding Brannan
divulges what he’d do with a
real day off — no job commitments, no social obligations and no music to write.
“I’d like to say that I
would go running and then
read a book in the park
before volunteering for a
few hours at a soup kitchen,
followed by dinner on the
seaport with a sexy neurologist. But the truth is I want to spend all day
every day at home in bed, eating, jerking off,
taking periodic naps and watching ‘Buffy the
Vampire Slayer’ nonstop in the dark. That’s the
perfect day.” Q
info: www.jaybrannan.com
— Photo Credit: Photo: Karl Simon
Stylist: John Tan
Q - L I V I N G
Opinion
by Rev. Irene Monroe
ble than ever with
this recent Supreme
Court ruling,
Williams tell me he’s
going to start carrying a gun with him.
“Ain’t nothing
out here to protect you now. I don’t trust the
cops ‘cause they beat the shit out of you with
other officers watching,” he said, referring to
the news about the cop beat down of Duanna
Johnson, an African-American transwoman.
The assault in a Memphis booking room was
captured on surveillance video.“I’d be stupid
not to go packing now.”
Williams lives in Oakland, Calif., just outside of San Francisco, and he’s going to check
out the San Francisco chapter of Pink Pistols,
a national organization that encourages LGBT
to arm themselves to prevent hate crimes. The
Pink Pistols are also a social gun club. On the
San Francisco Pink Pistols website it invites
the community to learn how to shoot.
“We are a group of primarily gay shooters,
who are welcoming to all. One need not be an
experienced shooter, nor own a firearm. So if
you are interested in learning to shoot in a
non-threatening gay friendly environment
(one member is a certified firearm instructor)
then click on for the date of our next shoot.”
Pink Pistols brandishes the motto “Armed
gays don’t get bashed” and “Pick on someone
your own caliber.”
Can gun-toting solve gay-bashing?
In a 5-4 decision handed down June 26,
the Supreme Court ruled in the case of District
of Columbia v. Heller that the Second
Amendment protects an individual’s right to
own a gun for personal use.
While the debate will continue as to
whether the Second Amendment really means
that Americans only have the right to bear
arms in connection with service in a well-regulated militia, as referenced in the amendment, or if we indeed have the right to keep a
loaded handgun for self-defense, for now the
latter is the law of the land.
For those citizens who reside in congested,
crime-ridden urban areas riddled with drug
and gang warfare, as I do, this recent ruling
brings a heightened concern about personal
safety. It also brings a heightened concern
about personal safety for those of us who rely
on hate crimes laws to protect us from the bigoted actions of our fellow citizens.
“I can see some crazed fool come into a bar
where gays hang out — or my homies — and
shoot the hell out of us,” Adam Williams told
me.Williams is an African-American trans
male who has been a victim of both gay-bashing and racial violence. Feeling more vulnera-
Their message is a hot-button issue
swirling in the LGBTQ community: namely,
can gun-totting solve gay-bashing?
“They’re trying to get urban gays and lesbians to not be afraid of the one instrument
that, when used properly and legally, can save
their lives,” said Jeff Soyer, a Pistols member of
the Vermont chapter, to Alternate 101.
Libertarian activist Douglas Krick founded Pink Pistols in the anti-gun town of
Boston. Although Pink Pistols has 48 chapters
in 32 states and two countries, it is not well
received in its hometown, one of the
most gay-friendly, but crime-ridden
cities in the country.
“I don’t believe arming ourselves is
a sustainable response to a subculture
of hate towards homosexuality.We are
not going to settle our scores as a community by having a shoot-out at the
O.K. Corral,” Sue Hyde of the Boston
office of the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force told Southern Voice in 2002.
But Jonathan Rauch, the gay journalist whose headline article in the March 13,
2000, edition of Salon magazine prompted the
Pink Pistols name, thinks differently. He illustrates his point by reminding us of the 1998
killing of Matthew Shepard.
“Shepard was small, helpless and childlike.
He never had a chance. This made him a sympathetic figure of a sort that is comfortingly
familiar to straight Americans: the weak
homosexual,” Rauch told The Orange County
Weekly in 2003.
The Pink Pistols are considered the lunatic
fringe of the LGBTQ community and are often
compared to the Black Panthers and the
Jewish Defense League, movements founded
in response to hate crimes and discrimination
against their members. The Pink Pistols’ advocacy for guns is understandable.
Self-defense is a human right.Great spiritual
leaders have spoken clearly on the subject.For
example,the Dalai Lama said,“If someone has a
gun and is trying to kill
you,it would be reasonable to shoot back with
your own gun.” And Jesus
stated in Luke 22:36,“Let
him who hath no sword,
let him sell his tunic and
buy one.”
We feel most vulnerable when we have no
means to defend ourselves from attacks both
systematically and individually coming toward
us. Organizations like the Pink Pistols offer a
seemingly viable tool to stem gay violence.
However, guns will never be the great
equalizer for an embattled group. They may for
a fleeting moment deter our enemies, but they
will never permanently protect us from them.
But guns do, however, signal to us that we
might need to take another course of action. Q
Triangle Area
39
40
Q - L I V I N G
I t ’s a s u m m e r f u n c ro s s wo rd !
ACROSS
1. Pleases greatly
5. Member of
Shoshonean people of
Utah
8. Equals distance
divided by time
12. Homer’s “The
Odyssey,” e.g.
13. Done
14. Drink used in Vedic
ritual, pl.
15.“For” in Spanish
16.A beautiful and
graceful girl
17. *Popular summer
destinations for kids
18. *Filled with screams
20. Fusses
21. Lacking wit or
imagination
22.A in MoMA
23. Newton or Einstein,
e.g.
26. Insult
30. Uniform Resource
Identifier
31. Jimmy Carter was
perhaps its most famous
grower
34. Hipbones
35. Slow and apathetic
37. It’s increasingly
placed on smoking
38. Spews
39. Fur-dwelling
parasites
40. *Gotten at beach
42. Doctor Dolittle, e.g.
43. Recessed, as in eyes
45. To be logically
connected
47. Type of English
course
48. Capital of Egypt
50. Boast
52. *Green thumb’s
hobby
56. *Hot coastal spot
57.Against
58. Eagle’s foot
59.“Misery” Oscar
winner
60. Secular, not relating
to the clergy
61. Organic pigment
containing iron
62. It might burn during
squats
63. Type of brew
64. Traditionally used to
plow fields
DOWN
1. Cried
2. Popular seafood dish
that starts with O
3. Traitor’s device?
4. Shrimp dish
5. Part of eye containing
iris, pl.
6. Type of cloth used for
towels
7. Popular Scandinavian
name
8. *Not as popular with
high gas prices
9. Type of army dump
10. It means “lights out”
11. Denotes female
13. Not in favor
14. *Not typically worn
in summer
19. Etna could do this at
any moment
22. Toward the stern
23.A group with similar
interests
24. Bert’s TV buddy
25.A brother’s daughter
26.Your mom or dad’s
sister
27. Popeye’s sweetie
28. Used as fertilizer and
explosive
29. Flavor
32.Adjoin
33. Indian bread
36. Substituted
38. Saw logs
40. Put down
41. *Summer lemonade
has this biting taste
44. Sounds of relief
46. Boss or chief
48. Panama’s is among
the most famous
49. Howard Stern’s
infamous sidekick Lange
50. One of the Bridges
51. Pro ____, in
proportion
52. Type of ball
53. Genus that includes
hollies
54. One’s reputation
55. Singer Stefani
56. *Outdoor cooking Q
Crossword Answers
41
Q - L I V I N G
Drummer flaunts his feminine side
from page 25
for Halloween, but they didn’t want me to get
beat up. They said,“Don’t live in fear, but have
your head about you.”
I grew up in the mid ’90s, which was a pretty progressive era. I had grown up thinking
that high school was going to be like “The
Breakfast Club,” that people were going to beat
me up all the time. But when I was in high
school, it was cool to dress weird. Even before
high school, I went in drag to one of my eighth
grade dances, and the other kids were like,“Oh,
man, you look awesome.” They thought it was
cool. They knew I was having a good time.
It’s a stereotype that all men who
dress in drag are gay. Have you gotten that?
That happens to me all the time anyway.
Dressing in drag hasn’t increased the amount
of times that people have asked me if I’m gay.
Mostly, people are curious about the ways in
which I’m able to uncover different parts of
myself. People have said,“I thought you were a
punk rocker” or “I thought you were a transvestite freak.” I am! I’m both! I like what I like
and I do what I want.
You dress in drag onstage as well.
Yes, but I’m not a drag queen.When I get
dressed up for the band, it’s because I feel like
looking hot. I could wear a boring suit, but why
not dress in an awesome gown and stockings?
It’s what I look better in. Q
info: www.dresdendolls.com
— Publicist Peter Galvin contributed
to this piece.
Brian Viglione on Gay Pride:
‘It’s all about wiping the bullshit from
the mirror, so that when you stand
there and look at yourself, you feel
good about what you see.’
•
• • •
O u t
t o
E a t
• • •
42
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Charlotte, Raleigh among top 10 `Gay Ghettos` Carolinas see black

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