Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012 qnotes

Transcription

Not for Reproduction
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
qnotes
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
inside
Feb. 18-March 2, 2012 Vol 26 No 21
news & features
6 News Notes: Regional Briefs
a&e / life&style
8
12
5 20 Questions: Dan Mauney
8 Prop 8: The Play
9 Black LGBT orgs
10 GayCharlotte Film Fest
10 On the Map Guide
11 Map: Fun, Fellowship, Faith
12 Talking to Joe Solmonese
12HRC Gala speakers,
entertainment
15 Out in Print: ‘Straight’
16 Drag Rag
17 On Being a Gay Parent
18 Tell Trinity
19 Out in the Stars
22 Fabulance
22 Jane’s World
23 Q events calendar
opinions & views
4 Editor’s Note
4 General Gayety
23 QPoll
connect
contributors this issue
twitter.com/qnotescarolinas
O’Neale Atkinson, Paige Braddock, Rosendo
Brown, Matt Comer, Kevin Grooms/Miss Della,
Charlene Lichtenstein, Lainey Millen, Leslie
Robinson, David Stout, Trinity, Brett Webb-Mitchell
facebook.com/qnotescarolinas
front page
Sign up for our weekly email
newsletter at goqnotes.com/subs.
Graphic Design by Lainey Millen
Photo Credit: Human Rights Campaign
goqnotes.com
Pride Publishing & Typesetting, Inc.
P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222, ph 704.531.9988 fx 704.531.1361 Editor: O’Neale Atkinson, x202 [email protected]
Publisher: Jim Yarbrough
Sales: x207 [email protected]
Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, 212.242.6863
Assoc. Ed.: David Stout, [email protected]
Production: Lainey Millen, x205 [email protected]
Printed on recycled paper.
Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2012 and may not be reproduced in any manner without
written consent of the editor or publisher. Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing
reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names
or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical
error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial
notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily
represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return.
Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
editor’s note
by o’neale atkinson
[email protected]
Speak out for equality!
SUBSCRIBE!
On May 8, 2012 the citizens of North
Carolina will have an opportunity to vote on an
issue that will make a statement to the rest of
the country about our views on what defines
a marriage. While other states are fighting
and working toward marriage equality, we are
struggling to keep North Carolina from taking
a huge step backward. Prop 8 in California
is being ruled unconstitutional and we are
considering repeating the same discriminatory ideology here.
In 2006, South Carolina faced this same
decision and chose to define marriage
between one man and one woman as the only
lawful domestic union to be recognized by the
state. I was a resident of South Carolina at the
time, and despite efforts to stop this ruling,
I was not surprised that the vote passed in
favor of banning gay marriage. But, this is
2012 and things are different now, right? I
certainly hope so, but I won’t deny that I have
my concerns.
I also have a lot of hope for this state to
do the right thing and not constitutionally limit
the rights of people based on their sexual
orientation. The climate in North Carolina is
not the same as South Carolina in 2006 and
there are organizations across the state
working to inform and advocate against this
amendment. Jen Jones of Equality NC, with a
host of campaign organizers and supporters,
is traveling across the state in a “race to the
ballot” to educate as many citizens as possible. Businesses and cities within the state
are standing up and stating their opposition to
Amendment 1.
I commend Jones, Equality NC and the
Coalition to Protect NC Families, as well as
other businesses and individuals, for all of
their hard work and dedication to this cause.
We can’t rest all of our hopes on their shoulders; change has to come from each and every one of us. When I lived in South Carolina,
I opposed the amendment in 2006, but in
hindsight I did not do enough to combat the
initiative. After the results of the vote, I spoke
with several of my friends and was appalled
to discover how many people I knew, some of
whom were LGBT themselves, did not go out
and vote. The responses I received when I
asked people why they did not vote were split
between apathy and ignorance. Apathy in that
they believed their vote would not make a difference in the decision and ignorance in that
people did not even know about the vote. How
could this be? I knew about it. I was informed.
Why wasn’t everyone else? Because I didn’t
speak up.
Talking about politics, even with friends
and loved ones, can be a major point of contention and easier left alone in most cases.
This is not one of those cases. We have to
speak up. We have to inform and educate
everyone we know about this issue and the
impact it will have, not only on the LGBT
community of North Carolina, but on everyone if it passes. We have a lot of work to do
and a lot of ground to cover in the next three
months. Unless we are all informed about the
impact of this amendment and are willing to
take personal responsibility in advocating for
our rights, then we will repeat the decision in
South Carolina.
Gov. Beverly Perdue’s recent decision not
to run for re-election could be a major gamechanger for this vote. With the addition of a
Democratic primary on the May 8 ballot, more
voters will be turning out and that could mean
more votes in opposition to the amendment.
However, we can’t just assume this to be the
case and become satisfied that this will be all
that is needed to oppose the amendment. I
encourage you to share your views on this issue with those close to you. I also encourage
you to support organizations such as Equality
NC and the Coalition to Protect NC Families
as they work to support equality. Follow these
organizations online and keep up with their
work. Attend their events and volunteer your
time when you can. Even if you can’t do these
things, you can talk to those around you and
make sure that they know the issues and what
is at stake when they vote on May 8.
While South Carolina was banning same
sex marriage in 2006, New Hampshire was
taking steps toward equality and civil unions.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with
Bishop Gene Robinson, ninth bishop of the
Diocese of New Hampshire and an advocate
for equality, as he was visiting Charlotte to
celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Regional
AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN). Bishop
Robinson was also the first openly gay priest
to be ordained a bishop and has worked
to bring about change within the church in
terms of its views on homosexuality. Since
a major argument in favor of the passage of
Amendment One is rooted in religious doctrine, I asked Robinson if he had any thoughts
to share with the people of North Carolina.
“Religious people have nothing to fear
from marriage equality. This is not any kind
of infringement on the freedom of religion.
Typically, we are worried the state will infringe
on the church; in this instance, we have the
VIEWS
VIEWS
by leslie robinson
qnotes contributor
You are invited
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Slater hold their noses
and invite you to join them as their son David
Riley Slater marries that man on Saturday,
the seventh of July, two thousand and twelve,
at five o’clock in the evening, Bellevue First
Congregational Church.
Dinesh and Chandra Gupta request the
honour of your presence and blessings on the
auspicious occasion of the wedding ceremony of our daughter Ahanti to…a man! Our girl
fooled us again.
Peter O’Malley and Mark Shaughnessy
invite you to their wedding on the steps of
St. James Cathedral in Seattle on Sunday,
June 10th, at 10:00 in the morning. Dress for
possible arrest.
Cynthia Simmons Bartlett and Moonstone
request that you get your butts over here to
our place on Lummi Island for the mother of all
union celebrations to take place on the summer solstice. Potluck.
Abigail Sage Hernandez-Martin invites you
to join her in celebrating the marriage of her
Daddy and her Papa at her house in Spokane.
She will look unbearably cute, so you should
bring your cameras.
The honor of your presence is requested
at the reaffirmation of wedding vows of Grace
Branson (formerly Herbert Branson) and
Melinda Branson on Saturday, September
8th, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. at their home in Olympia. Still going strong after 35 years and a few
twists and turns! : :
info:
[email protected] . generalgayety.com
Visit goqnotes.com/to/blog for daily insights, rants, raves and news tidbits
from qnotes staff and local and national voices from around the web.
Mailed 1st class from Charlotte, NC, in sealed envelope.
☐ 1 yr - 26 issues = $48 ☐ 1/2 yr - 13 issues = $34
Mail to: P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
name:
______________________________________________________
address:
state:
zip:
______________________________________________________
city:
☐ mastercard ☐ visa ☐ discover ☐ american express
______________________________________________________
credit card – check one:
exp. date:
______________________________________________________
card #:
signature:
qnotes
general gayety
I’m thinking of starting a new career. With
the state of Washington on a path to legalize
same-sex marriage, it’s the right time here in
the Evergreen State to get into the wedding
invitation business. For a modest fee, I plan to
offer specialized invitation text, suited just for
the couple.
I’ve knocked out some examples. Imagine
unsealing a hand-lettered envelope and withdrawing a regal invitation graced with one of
the following announcements:
Benjamin Paul Corday and Jack Simon
Mikkelsen request the pleasure of your
company in celebrating their union of marriage on Saturday, the nineteenth of May, two
thousand and twelve, at one o’clock in the
afternoon, at Tacoma Lutheran Church. Unless
the pastor changes his mind again.
Jim and Arlene Trent and Stu and Suzy
Levy invite you to the wedding of their daughters, Sarah Elizabeth Trent and Candace Opal
Levy, on Saturday, the eighteenth of August,
two thousand and twelve, at six o’clock at
Golden Gardens Park, Seattle. Dinner, dancing and writing thank-you notes to legislators
to follow.
Sally Ann Miller and Deborah Casey
Putnam request the honor of your presence
as we marry for a fourth time. No gifts, please.
We’re out of space.
Barry Edward Miller and Archibald Chi
Wong invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage in the card room of the
Westhaven Retirement Home ten minutes
after gay marriage becomes legal.
These rates only cover a portion of our true cost,
however, our goal is to serve our community
Subscription Rates:
church doing this on the state. The state is in
the business of equal protection under the law
and treating all citizens equally and, yet, we
have religious groups trying to impose their
views on the secular state,” says Robinson.
“We now have enough gay and lesbian
families, many with children, and we know
that those families are wonderful and deserve
support of the state because we need stable
families as the lynchpin of society. This is
about equal protection under the law.” : :
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
LIFE
20 Questions
by David Stout :: [email protected]
Dan Mauney, Charlotte
The HRC North Carolina Gala is fast
approaching (Saturday, Feb. 25 — visit hrccarolina.org for details), so we’re putting
event co-chair Dan
Mauney (who is serving
alongside Cherie Green
and Rich Hurley) in the
glaring spotlight of 20
Questions. Read on,
dear reader, to see what
the Titan of Takeover
had to say.
Do you find the Three
Stooges funny? Are
you calling the HRC
Carolinas Gala co-chairs
the Three Stooges? If
so, I will be Moe — as
in HOMOE!
What is your favorite
Chef Boyardee canned
food? I don’t eat
solids…only ice cubes
every other day and a
Tic Tac on the days
in between.
Who’d be monkey-in-the-middle of a threeway between Ricky Martin, Anderson Cooper
and Neil Patrick Harris? Kathy Griffin in drag.
Which deceased musical artist do you most
wish you had seen in concert? Michael
Jackson, before the surgeries.
How many sides of a Rubik’s Cube can
you complete? I can do the whole damn
thing…take it apart and redo it, that is. You
have to lube each part so that
it slides into the slot easier.
Wait, are we still talking
about Rubik’s Cube?
Do you consider yourself
hot-natured or cold-natured?
Lukewarm, with a splash
of vodka.
Which pair is most obviously
a couple: Bert and Ernie,
Peppermint Patty and Marcie,
SpongeBob and Patrick?
SpongeBob and Patrick…
once the amendment gets
voted down. (PSA: Get out the
VOTE on May 8th!)
What is your favorite classic
arcade game? Ms. Pac-Man. I
always loved her accessories.
Do you have any current
magazine subscriptions? HRC
Equality — in every language!
Which one of these films
have you seen the most times? “Back To The
Future,” “Gone With The Wind,” “Star Wars,”
“Steel Magnolias”? “Steel Magnolias.” Blush
and bashful are my favorite colors.
Which household chore do you dislike most?
All of them.
Growing up, what was your favorite Saturday
morning cartoon? “Super Friends.” I always
wanted to be Wonder Woman.
Do you own a football? I prefer pork with a
side of apple sauce.
Which decade produced the worst fashion? The ’70s — minus the original Charlie’s
Angels…they rocked it!
Which TV show cast would you most like to
be a member of? “Charlies Angels” — as one
of the crime fighting angels, of course.
Do you regularly wear a wristwatch? My
watch is called an iPhone…plus I have little
girl wrists and I am self conscious.
What is your favorite salad dressing? I don’t
toss salad, but I do like mine tossed.
Can you ride a pogo stick? Like a champ.
Do you like candy orange slices? When
they’re mixed with vodka.
Have you ever been to Graceland? No, but
I’ve been to me — the one hit wonder by
Charlene. : :
——————————
info:
We want you to be the subject of a future “20
Questions.” If you’re interested, send your
name, city and a few sentences about yourself to [email protected]. You’ll be asked
to supply a photo of yourself suitable for
publication later in the process. If you’d like to
see a particular person featured here or have
questions for us to use, drop us an email.
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
BRIEFS
news notes:
from the carolinas, nation and world
compiled by Lainey Millen :: [email protected] | David Stout :: [email protected] | O’Neale Atkinson :: [email protected]
Charlotte
Tweeting leads to social action
CHARLOTTE — What started out as a
Twitter conversation between roughly a dozen
concerned citizens over the increase in bullying and suicides of LGBT youth has turned
into an organized group looking to make a
difference.
On Jan. 25, a group of concerned individuals took their conversation from the internet
and met at Dilworth Billiards for their first
meeting. Since this meeting, group members
have been working on articulating their
mission and goals for the group, identifying
themselves as CLT Social Cares.
“Our first year vision is to be a bullhorn
for awareness and a source of manpower
for established resources in the local area,”
says David Boling (pictured), one of the initial
members of the group. “We will focus on
filling the needs of our community in regards
to preventing suicides resulting from bullying
and depression.”
The group is still
using social media to
communicate between
meetings and now
has a Facebook group
as well. On Feb. 7 the
group met again at The
LGBT Community Center
of Charlotte where
representatives from both the center and
Time Out Youth were present to discuss some
strategies on how the group can work within
existing organizations to support their work.
A major area of interest for CLT Social
Cares is to work with school systems and
parents of LGBT youth to educate them about
the seriousness of the issue. Time Out Youth
currently works to educate schools about
bullying and how to create Safe Zones within
schools where they can. Groups like CLT
Social Cares can help existing organizations
like Time Out Youth with manpower and support to help meet their goals.
The group is still in its developmental
stages, but the members are motivated by
their cause and will continue to meet actively
in order to establish their place alongside
existing organizations. The group is seeking
more people who are concerned about the
issues of LGBT related bullying and suicides
to work with.
For more information, email Boling at
[email protected].
— O.A.
the community. Coleman is the founder,
with Ross as co-founder. They have been
partners for 16 years. They said that 90
percent of those they serve come from the
LGBT community and membership comes
from across the country.
The event is open “all people,
regardless of their race, sex, age, sexual
orientation, disability, ethnic background
or religious affiliation.” Speakers and
professionals engaged in the conference
work extensively within the LGBT community. One component that follows through
the event is breaking down the divide
between straight and LGBT communities.
Their motto for the women’s conference is “When you Heal, I Heal, When you
get Better, I get Better, When you Succeed,
I Succeed ~ We Are 1.” It is their hope
that everyone who attends leaves the
conference renewed, with “dreams and
visions for the future taken back through
a life-changing experience.” Ross and
Coleman expressed that there is a need
for healing in the community, as well as
empowerment. It is a “rainbow of people,
who embrace diversity.” They encourage
everyone who participates to “get what
you need” and “get connected.”
Hill brings her drumming to the
conference on April 19 for a performance
at 6:45 p.m.
Bishop Yvette Flunder will present a
Master Class on April 20. She founded the
City of Refuge United Church of Christ in
San Francisco, Calif.
Enjoy “One Family’s AIDS” on April
20 at 9:30 p.m. This humorous play was
written by activist and writer J’son M.
Lee. He is a graduate of the University of
North Carolina.
Teresa Trull will perform on April 20
at 10 p.m. Trull is no stranger to North
Carolina. This Durham native has been engaged in songwriting and blues/rock-style
music and has performed with legendary
lesbian artist Cris Williamson, as well as
Joan Baez, David Sanborn, and others.
This “Celebration of the Arts” will also
be filled with singing, spoken word and
dance. Non-conference attendees can
purchase tickets for $20 at weare1specialevents.eventbrite.com.
The conference will be engaged in a
social action initiative to provide 100 new,
empty backpacks to Haven House for
homeless youth through the group’s street
outreach program. The packs should be
brought to the conference.
Products and services will be on hand
at the vendor area on April 18-19.
We Are 1 will also bring its health
expo to attendees on April 21 from 9:30
a.m.-1:30 p.m. This health and wellness
fair will focus on preventative healthcare,
health care providers, health screenings,
fitness and nutrition, organic and healthy
products. A grand prize giveaway, along
with a scavenger hunt, games and prizes,
will be available.
Conference sponsors and volunteers
are welcome. Contact the promoters
for details.
Registration is $229 and payable by
March 17. Seniors who are 62-years-old
and above may register for $149 until
April 18. Included are a welcome package, Hawaiian luau reception dance,
entertainment, breakfast rally with prizes
and giveaways, women’s moonlight rite
of passage ceremony, Emerald City masquerade ball (with dinner and dancing),
access to speaks and performances,
workshops, health expo, community
outreach and more.
Hotel reservations can be made
through the Sheraton Imperial by calling
919-941-5050. Deadline is March 19.
For a full list of programs, schedules,
speakers and bios and more information,
email [email protected],
[email protected] or visit
weare1conference.com.
— L.M.
Non-denominational
faith conference slated
DURHAM — The 4th Annual We Are 1
Conference 2012 has been scheduled for
April 18-21 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel
& Convention Center, 4700 Emperor Blvd.
The event is hosted by Infinity
Diamond Club’s Pricilla Coleman and
Annie Ross (pictured left to right).
The conference is comprised of a
women’s and men’s event, along with a
health expo, interfaith work, entertainment
and others.
The men’s conference will be held
from April 19-21. Featured speaker for
the men’s program is Ra’Shawn BarlowFlournoy who founded the Freedom
Community Center.
The women’s conference will be held
from April 18-21. Featured presenter for the
women’s program is Ubaka Hill, a songwriter, composer, motivational speaker and
hand drummer.
This interfaith event will focus on
five life principles which will be interwoven throughout: stillness (prayer/
meditation); forgiveness (fire); purification (water); grace (wind); and service
(earth). Presenters will be Rabbi Raachel
Jarvouis, Ruth King, Yaniyah Pearson,
Kathleen Hannan and Toddie Stewart. The
goal of this is to show similarities rather
than differences.
Infinity Diamond began in 2007 and
has worked to bring the conference to
qnotes
Superstars join efforts
CHARLOTTE — Campus Pride is hosting
two events targeted at raising awareness
for youth issues, as well as fundraising for its
initiatives.
On March 6 at 6:30 p.m., it will host a VIP
pep rally with NCAA wrestler Hudson Taylor at
a private home. Taylor is founder and executive
director of Athlete Ally, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the LGBT sports
community. This Olympic hopeful coaches at
Columbia University. A $50 minimum donation is
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
requested. Email [email protected] before
March 1 to secure a spot.
On April 7 at 5 p.m. at the Wells Fargo
Auditorium at Knight Theatre, 430 S. Tryon
St., Campus Pride joins forces with Time Out
Youth to bring the Third Annual Believe in
Youth Awareness event to the Queen City.
Zach Wahls, national LGBT youth advocate,
2011 Top Political Video YouTube sensation
and author of “My Two Moms,” will be the
guest speaker.
Admission is free, however contributions
to Campus Pride and Time Out Youth are
encouraged.
For more information, call 704-277-6710 or
visit campuspride.org.
— L.M.
Triangle
GCN seeks web guru
RALEIGH — The Gay Christian Network is
searching for a full-time PHP web developer
who can assist the non-profit in managing
and building a new, innovative, streamlined
version of its website., including overhauling
and expanding its social networking site.
This is a one-year position with the potential to be extended to a multi-year or permanent
position based upon project success, mutual
interest and availability of long-term funding.
Applicants should be conversant in technologies such as PHP, CSS, HTML5/AJAX,
etc., and have strong web experience.
Although the Network would prefer
candidates to work out of the home office,
consideration will be taken under advisement
for others who may not be able to reside in the
capital city on a regular basis once all other
options have been exhausted. Benefits include
a $50,000 salary, paid sick and vacation days,
medical, dental and vision coverage.
For more information or to apply, visit
gaychristian.net/jobs/.
— L.M.
South Carolina
OutLoud reading scheduled
SPARTANBURG — Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays Spartanburg, along with
HubCity Press, will hold an “OutLoud: The
Best of Rainbow Radio” reading on March 3
at The Showroom, 149 South Daniel Morgan
Ave., at 7 p.m.
Guests and authors will bring stories of
LGBT South Carolinians to life.
Cost is $7 and goes to support PFLAG
Spartanburg.
Cash bar and light refreshments will be
available. Books will be available for sale and
autographing.
For more information, visit
pflagupstatesc.org.
— L.M.
National/Global
HUD extends housing protections
BALTIMORE, Md. — The U. S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) will implement an
important new rule that greatly increases
protections against housing discrimination
for the LGBT community. HUD announced
the new rule at the 24th Annual Creating
Change conference, held here and hosted by
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The new rule, which was published in
early February and goes into effect 30 days
after that, makes several critical changes
to current housing and housing-related
programs including: prohibiting owners and
operators of HUD-assisted or HUD-insured
housing from discriminating against an applicant or occupant based on sexual orientation or gender identity; prohibiting all lenders
offering FHA-insured mortgages from
considering sexual orientation or gender
identity in determining a borrower’s eligibility; and clarifying the definition of “family” to
ensure that otherwise eligible participants
in any HUD programs will not be excluded
based on marital status, sexual orientation or
gender identity.
— D.S.
Marriage equality double bonus
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington
State House passed a bill Feb. 8 to approve
same-sex marriage on a bipartisan vote of
55-43.Gov. Chris Gregoire had already pledged
to sign the bill in advance of the vote. The law
is expected to take effect by early June of
this year. Opponents wishing to challenge the
new law have until that time to collect 120,557
valid signatures to place a referendum on the
November 2012 ballot.
The vote came one day after the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the August
2010 decision of the U.S. District Court in San
Francisco striking down Proposition 8, the
2008 measure that stripped same-sex couples
of the right to marry in California.
The Court affirmed the ruling of former
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker
that Prop 8 discriminates against same-sex
couples in violation of the Equal Protection
Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court also
rejected Prop 8 supporters’ offensive argument that Judge Walker should have refused
to preside over the case because he is gay
and in a relationship with a man.
The supporters of Prop 8 have 15 days
to ask the Ninth Circuit panel to reconsider
its decision or to ask for reconsideration
by a larger panel of judges on that court.
Alternatively, they have 90 days to request
that the Supreme Court of the United States
review the case. They had not revealed their
plans at press time.
— D.S.
Insurance finder gets upgrade
WASHINGTON, D.C. — LGBT Americans
are now able to use HealthCare.gov to search
specifically for insurance plans that include
coverage for domestic partners. “Last year,
as part of our commitment to work with the
LGBT community and be more responsive to
the needs of these populations, we promised
to improve the Health Plan Finder tool to give
these individuals the ability to search for health
plans that provide same-sex partner benefits,”
said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Today
we have delivered on that promise.”
Studies have shown that the LGBT community is disproportionately uninsured, including those without access to coverage through
a spouse, domestic partner or employer. This
new filter helps address that issue by linking
same-sex couples to carriers that provide
benefits for their partners.
— D.S.
CNN suspends analyst over tweets
ATLANTA, Ga. — CNN network brass suspended political analyst Roland Martin after
he posted a series of tweets during the Super
Bowl game that seemed to promote anti-gay
violence. Martin first tweeted: “If a dude at
your Super Bowl party is hyped about David
Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the
ish out of him! #superbowl.” He followed with:
“Who the hell was that New England Patriot
they just showed in a head to toe pink suit?
Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass.”
Bloggers, advocates and gay watchdog
group GLAAD called on the network to take action against Roland. CNN released the following statement regarding its decision: “Roland
Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive.
Language that demeans is inconsistent with
the values and culture of our organization, and
is not tolerated. We have been giving careful
consideration to this matter, and Roland will not
be appearing on our air for the time being.”
— D.S.
Groups rally around equality
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A robust coalition
of civil rights, labor, progressive, faith, student,
health, legal, women’s and LGBT organizations has declared support for the Respect
for Marriage Act — the bill to repeal the
discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act that
withholds from same-sex couples any of the
over 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities
of marriage.
The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R.1116
and S.598) enjoys broad support with a majority of Americans and has a record number
of Congressional cosponsors with 136 in the
House and 32 in the Senate.
Evan Wolfson, founder and president
of LGBT group Freedom to Marry, said,
“In America, we don’t have second-class
citizens, and shouldn’t have second-class
marriages, either.”
According to a March 2011 poll, 51
percent of voters oppose DOMA while only 34
percent favor it.
— D.S.
Bill is back, if less severe
KAMPALA, Uganda — A highly controversial anti-gay bill has been re-introduced
in the Ugandan Parliament by conservative
MP David Bahati. The new version drops the
death penalty for the “crime” of “aggravated
homosexuality,” but retains a provision that
requires citizens to report homosexuals to legal
authorities or face prosecution themselves.
When first proposed in 2009 and subsequently in 2010 and 2011, the bill caused a
massive outcry. In May of 2011 over 500,000
people around the world signed a petition
sponsored by rights group AllOut.org asking
President Yoweri Museveni to veto the bill.
The proposal was subsequently shelved, only
to be resurrected now.
Addressing the re-introduction, AllOut.org
Executive Director Andre Banks declared, “A
few politicians in Uganda have spent years
exploiting fear in a cynical attempt to score
political points. Today we see the sad result.
The bill is every bit as despicable now as it was
when first introduced two years ago. David
Bahati and his Parliament are focused on
attacking human and civil rights because it’s
easy and popular, rather than doing the hard
work that awaits in Uganda — cleaning up corruption, delivering education and opportunities
for more Ugandans to come out of poverty.”
— D.S
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
A&E
Prop. 8 play to be staged in N.C.
Chapel Hill, Raleigh performances two of more than 40 readings nationwide
by Matt Comer :: guest contributor
The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and
Broadway Impact announced in January a full slate of more
than 40 productions of Dustin Lance Black’s “8,” a play recounting the historic Perry v.
Schwarzenegger (now
Perry v. Brown), the
case filed by AFER to
overturn Proposition 8,
which stripped gay and
lesbian Californians
of the fundamental
freedom to marry.
Two of the productions will be staged in
North Carolina. Chapel
Hill’s Playmaker’s
Repertory Theatre will
present the play on
April 9, followed by
the Raleigh Ensemble
Players’ production on
April 21.
Tim Scales, the
Playmaker’s producer for “8,” said his
company’s decision to
stage the production came first as a suggestion from one of
their graduate acting students.
Scales said the play’s timing, as the state faces an antiLGBT state constitutional amendment, provides the perfect
opportunity for art to function as discussion tool.
“I think it’s a way of extending the reach of the discussion
qnotes
by presenting it in a different way,” Scales said. “You open the
doors for wider conversation.”
Scales said having a talkback following the performance
would be ideal.
Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film “Milk” and the new critically-acclaimed film “J.
Edgar,” based
“8” on the actual words of the
trial transcripts,
first-hand
observations of
the courtroom
drama and
interviews with
the plaintiffs and
their families.
The story for
“8” is framed
by the trial’s
historic closing
arguments in
Playwrite Dustin Lance Black
June 2010 and
Photo Credit: AFER
features the best
arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes
include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments
of trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more
American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than
we were on the day before.” In August that year, Proposition 8
was overturned by the district court and later appealed to the
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On Feb. 7, the court ruled
Proposition 8 unconstitutional.
The play’s 24 different roles will be filled with 24 different
actors, said Scales. They’ll include professional actors from
Playmaker’s, students from the University of North Carolina and
other local universities. Scales said some professional actors
from around the country will also be participating.
“8” is set to have its West Coast premiere at the Wilshire
Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, in Los Angeles. The onenight event will also serve as a fundraiser to benefit AFER and
will star Academy Award-winning actor, producer, screenwriter and director George Clooney.
The play made its Broadway world premiere on Sept. 19 to
a sold-out house at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. Over $1 million
was raised to benefit AFER.
AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free
to colleges and community theaters across the country.
Organizers hope they will inspire action and conversation. They
say most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast
and audience members can discuss the issues presented by
the California trial. : :
— Matt Comer is a former editor
of qnotes. This article compiled from
staff interviews and release.
Plan to go
Playmaker’s Repertory & UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC . April 9 . playmakersrep.org
Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company
Raleigh, NC . April 21 . realtheatre.org
LIFE
LGBT organizations
of color
Making a difference in the community
by O’Neale Atkinson :: [email protected]
BLACK
HISTORY
MONTH
February is recognized as Black History
Month to celebrate the accomplishments
and history of the African-American community. Despite their impact, many times the
accomplishments and efforts of black LGBT
people and the organizations that work within
this community go unnoticed or are underrepresented by the media. For the most part, it
seems that the LGBT community is portrayed
as one group and does not take into account
the diverse cultures within the community.
The truth is that we are a culture of people
who represent many subcultures and this is
reflected by the unique experiences faced by
different members of the LGBT community.
Locally, there are many black LGBT people
and organizations doing great things within
our own community that you may not even be
aware of. In honor of Black History Month and
the impact black members of the LGBT community are making, qnotes would like to highlight
some of the different types of local groups
and organizations that are working within the
black LGBT community. This list is far from
exhaustive, but as qnotes attempted to reach
out to many different organizations, there was
difficulty getting accurate and current information. This difficulty highlights the fact that many
of these organizations are under-represented.
Charlotte Black Gay Pride
In 2005, the first Charlotte Black Gay Pride
(CBGP) was underway with the theme of “A
New Day” to celebrate the dawn of a new
beginning for the LGBT community. Since then
the annual event has grown in size and has
even faced challenges as local black LGBT
promoters have begun putting on events
surrounding the CBGP festivities. According
to their website, the purpose of CBGP is to
“create a platform for all members of the
LGBT community to celebrate their sexual
orientation with pride.” Information for CBGP’s
2012 event are not currently available but will
be available on their website.
charlotteblackgaypride.com
Unity Fellowship
Church Charlotte
Led by Bishop Tonya Rawls, Unity
Fellowship Church Charlotte (UFCC) is a
young, predominately African-American
open and affirming congregation within the
Charlotte community. According to the mission of the church, “Unity Fellowship Church
Charlotte has been organized for the spiritual
growth of its members and the furtherance
of Christianity. We work from the platform of
Liberation Theology toward the eradication of
any form of oppression that rises through the
interpretation of Scripture and/or any other
religious writings. We are an affirming Church
and believe that God’s love is for everyone,
regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation,
ethnicity or previous religious affiliation.”
ufccharlottenc.org
Chi Psi Omega
Fraternity, Inc
Black LGBT fraternity and sorority groups
have become more engaged than ever with
the LGBT community in the past few years. Chi
Psi Omega was formed on June 25, 2011, and
has been actively working within the community since their incorporation. According to
their website, the fraternity “strives to make
a difference through community service outreach, promoting tolerance and understanding of the LGBTQ community, and ensuring
the continuing education of our neighbors.”
Recently, Chi Psi Omega has participated
in adopt-a-street programs and currently
works to care for streets around The LGBT
Community Center of Charlotte. The fraternity
has also fundraised to give back to local organizations such as RAIN, Second Harvest Food
Bank and Elon Homes of Charlotte.
chipsiomegafraternity.org
Beta Phi Omega
Sorority, Inc.
Established on June 27, 2000, in
Tallahassee, Fla., Beta Phi Omega has active
members in the Charlotte area. Beta Phi Omega
focuses on AIDS awareness, safe sex seminars, black lesbian Pride events and breast
cancer awareness. Although the organization
says that they cater to feminine lesbian women,
Beta Phi Omega states that they do not discriminate against bisexual or heterosexual women
of any race. According to their website, “Beta
Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. is strongly geared
towards awareness, pride, love, joy, prosperity,
community involvement and, last but certainly
not least, lesbian victory!”
betaphiomega.net
Meeting Date:
Program:
Time:
Cost:
Reservations:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Frank Warren, Local Economic Expert
The LGBT Community Center of Charlotte
820 Hamilton St.
North Carolina Music Factory
5:30-8:30 p.m.
$20
Includes dinner.
Cash bar
Advance reservations appreciated
email [email protected]
call 704.565.5075
www.charlottebusinessguild.org
The LezView Show
Hosted by a group of dynamic and diverse
women, The LezView Show seeks to give a
voice to the issues of today. According to their
website, “the cast creates a lively discussion
forum that is informative, motivational, cool,
current and humorous.” The show is available
to watch online and people are encouraged
to attend tapings as part of the audience.
Information about upcoming tapings can be
found on their website.
lezview.com
Beyond the Arts, Inc.
Working with youth in the Charlotte area,
Beyond The Arts has programs at Naomi
Drenan Recreational Center and Elon Homes
& Schools for Children. Currently a total of 217
youth are receiving services through the organization. The mission of the organization is
to “combine the arts, community services and
apprenticeship to help young people develop
self-esteem and self-sufficiency in order to
lead prosperous and productive lives.”
facebook.com/beyondthearts
If you have information on additional
organizations which focus to serve the needs
of black LGBT community members, please
contact the editor at [email protected]. : :
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
A&E
GayCharlotte Film
Festival returns!
Festival marks success of local screenwriters, filmmakers
The 4th Annual GayCharlotte Film Festival
is around the corner and already events leading up to the big week are in full effect. The
festival, scheduled to run from March 21-25,
brings thousands of movie-goers together
at various venues across Charlotte to witness and celebrate LGBT inspired films from
across the world. Leading up to the festival,
The GayCharlotte Film Series is hosting the
three-part series, “Getting Into Movies.” The
festival’s current form is the product of years
of advocacy and support from local LGBT
screenwriters and filmmakers.
In 2004 film festivals in Charlotte were few
and far between and for the most part LGBT
filmmakers worked exclusively on straight
projects. Lesbian filmmaker Victoria Eves
joined a local filmmaking organization called
Group 101: CLT, but with the exception of
Eves, the group’s members were all straight
men. Notwithstanding that the themes of the
group’s movies were straight-male dominated,
Victoria managed to make the short movie
“Inside Out.” A dance piece which contained
subtle hints of lesbianism, Eves’ movie won
top prize in one of Charlotte’s two only film
festivals in existence in 2005.
At the same time, various members of
Charlotte’s LGBT community were involved
with an LGBT film series which scheduled
gay-themed movies once a month at various
movie theaters. The film series was a huge
success, but Eves and other LGBT filmmakers yearned for a film festival where
Charlotte’s LGBT community could meet
for one long weekend every year to watch
a succession of LGBT-themed movies in a
more festival-type atmosphere.
As Group 101 disbanded, Charlotte’s two
film festivals disappeared. By 2006, Group
101’s leader had created the Charlotte Film
Festival, but Eves noted that the movie line-up
seemed extremely straight-male oriented and
was devoid of movies by local filmmakers. Finally, in 2008, she and a few other LGBT
filmmakers and film enthusiasts convinced
Charlotte’s LGBT Community Center that
Charlotte was ready for a weekend annual
film festival. As a result, Eves teamed with
LGBT Community Center Board Members
Teresa Davis and Frank Kalian, screenwriter
Rhonda Watlington and filmmaker Eric Scott
McPherson to launch the First Annual
GayCharlotte Film Festival in April 2009.
The first festival, held entirely at the
center, included a screenwriting competition
which proved overly ambitious. The second
year the script competition was dropped and
the festival committee added Park Terrace
Theater as a venue. Although one of the worst
snow and ice storms in Charlotte’s history
forced postponement of part of the festival, it
still succeeded. At that time, the five founding
festival organizers realized that they had consistently, for two years in a row, programmed
a festival of movies as diverse as any LGBT
film festival line-up in the country.
The GayCharlotte Film Festival’s movies
have continued to include LGBT movies about
Latinos, African-Americans, transgender
people and Asians. The festival’s programs
are an equal mix of movies of interest to gays,
lesbians, straight allies and straight kids
whose parents are gay. “We are committed
to providing movies for everyone. Our movies
are almost entirely PG-13 rated, and we pride
ourselves on showing movies that everyone
can enjoy,” explains Eves.
When the Third Annual GayCharlotte
Film Festival had to expand to eight days
in order to fulfill the demand for so many
diverse LGBT movies, the Festival secured
a grant from the Lesbian & Gay Fund to
launch a film series where LGBT movies
could be shown throughout the year. The
Lesbian & Gay Fund also expressed interest in filmmaking panel discussions which
could build bridges between our LGBT
community and straight allies.
As a result of the Lesbian & Gay Fund
grant, the Film Festival and its bi-monthly
series have hosted “Hollywood to Dollywood”
with gay-twin Goldsboro filmmakers Gary and
Larry Lane. It was such a hit in January that
they will rescreen their movie at the March
Film Festival. On Feb. 18, the Film Series will
hold two seminars with Hollywood screenwriter Ben Zook and partner/actor/director
Joe Dietl. Then on Feb. 21, the Charlotte
Business Guild teams with the Film Series to
showcase Charlotte’s LGBT moviemakers in a
free admission meeting at Wet Willie’s in the
NC Music Factory. Eves and Teresa Davis will
lead the panel which includes LGBT filmmakers from Dalliance, Indivision, Emulsion Arts
and the Art Institute of Charlotte.
Festival organizers promise that the lineup, to be released soon, will include the same
high-quality diverse LGBT movies that have
made the GayCharlotte Film Festival one of the
LGBT Community Center’s biggest programs.
“It’s thrilling to think that we’ve come so far
since 2005 and that Charlotte’s LGBT moviemakers are getting together for the February Film Series event before our Fourth Annual
Festival,” says Eves. “Charlotte has numerous film festivals now, but one aspect of the
GayCharlotte Film Festival that’s so important
is that when you attend a movie, you’re
supporting the LGBT Community Center and
you’re making Charlotte’s LGBT community
stronger and more visible.”
For more information about The
GayCharlotte Film Festival and upcoming
GayCharlotte Film Series events, visit
gaycharlottefilmfestival.com. : :
on the map
Regular Bar
and Club Events
Sunday
Woodshed Sundays, The Woodshed
Free dinner buffet served at 6:30 p.m.
Karaoke, 9 p.m.
House Cast Show, The Scorpio
11:30 p.m., DJ 4Real.
Barbeque & Bloody Marys, Bar at 316
Free BBQ from 3-6 p.m.
Super Sundays with Aiesha Paris, Nickel
Bar
Starts at 8 p.m.
Monday
Monday Madness, Chasers
Pool tournament at 11:30 p.m. with $25 cash
prize and $25 bar tab.
Boxing & Monday Night Football, Sidelines
Movie Night, Bar at 316
Starts at 9 p.m.
Free Pool, The Woodshed
All day.
Tuesday
Twisted Trivia with Tiffany Storm &
Brooklyn Dior, Chasers
Showtime at 12:30 a.m.
Midwood Madness, Petra’s
Half-price bottles of wine
Trivia Tuesdays hosted by Roxxy C.
Moorecox, Marigny
7 p.m. 21+
Karaoke with Metro Mike, Bar at 316
Starts at 9 p.m.
Pool Tournament, Central Station
Karaoke, The Woodshed
Starts at 9 p.m.
Wednesday
Team Trivia (upstairs) and Line Dancing
(downstairs), Hartigan’s
8 p.m.
Wicked and Wild Wednesdays with Tiffany
Storm, The Scorpio
11 p.m. featuring DJ 4Real.
Karaoke, Petra’s
The singing starts at 9 p.m.
Game Night, Bar at 316
Pool Tournament, The Woodshed
Starts at 10:30 p.m.
’90s music night, Nickel Bar
Thursday
Rockin’ Well Thursdays with
Valerie Rockwell, Chasers
Showtime starts at 12:30 a.m.
Team Boystown, Marigny
10 p.m. $10 cover after 11 p.m. Drink-ndrown.
Thursday Night House Party, Bar at 316
Pool Tournament, Central Station
Karaoke with Roxy C. Moorecox, Hartigan’s
The fun starts at 9 p.m.
Underwear Night, The Woodshed
Friday
Life’s a Drag with Tiffany Storm, The
Scorpio
Showtime at 11:30 p.m.
A-List Fridays, Marigny
10 p.m. Hosted by SugaWalls
10
qnotes
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
Entertainment.
House DJ and Dancing, Bar at 316
Live DJ, Nickel Bar
Live Performances, Petra’s
Saturday
Live DJ, Hartigan’s
Soul Music, Nickel Bar
Elaine Davis’s urban variety show,
The Scorpio
Midnight showtime.
House DJ and Dancing, Bar at 316
Krewe Saturdays, Marigny
The Angela Lopez Show, Chasers
Show starts at 12:30 a.m.
Live Performances, Petra’s
Congregations
New Life MCC
Worship service every Sunday, 7 p.m.
Monthly covered dish dinner and coffeehouse-style worship service on the first
Sunday of every month, 6 p.m.
MCC Charlotte
Worship service every Sunday, 10:45 a.m.
Bible study every Tuesday and Wednesday,
7 p.m.
Unity Fellowship Church of Charlotte
Worship service every Sunday, 10:45 a.m.
Bible 101: second and fourth Sunday of
every month, 9 a.m.
Wednesday night Bible study and discussion, 7 p.m.
Community
The LGBT Community Center of Charlotte
Promoting the diversity, acceptance and
visibility of the LGBT community through
programming and events.
gaycharlotte.com
White Rabbit
North Carolina’s LGBT everything store.
Complete line of Pride merchandise, plus
books, magazines, DVDs, T-shirts, underwear and more.
info: Don’t see your bar listed here?
Submit your regularly scheduled events to
[email protected]
t
t
o
l
r
Cha
e
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
11
LIFE
HRC’s Solmonese: Turnout the votes to
win in May, November
HRC Prez Joe Solmonese to make Carolinas Gala one of his last before stepping down in March
by Matt Comer :: guest contributor
On Saturday, Feb. 25, Human Rights Campaign
Collaboration is essential to social change. We know
(HRC) President Joe Solmonese will say goodbye. At
that from the work within our own community and
least, that is, to his Carolinas membership and comthrough the context of history. That includes the colmunity. In the fall, HRC announced that Solmonese
laboration we were a part of to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t
would be stepping down from his position. His last day
Tell,” which included other wonderful organizations
is March 31. As of press time, a successor had yet to
like Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and also
be announced, but the organization was working on
incredibly committed and brave soldiers across the
it, led by the talents of such people as the state’s own
nation. It was a very unique collaboration to pass that
Joni Madison, co-chair of the HRC Board of Director’s
landmark law. In state after state across the country, we
executive search committee.
need to be good collaborative partners, as well. In New
Our last Q&A with him occurred before the city’s
York, in passing marriage equality there, we had a good,
2008 Carolinas dinner. Much has changed in this
strong working collaboration with the governor, who
country and in this state since then — it only seemed
was the real champion of marriage. That also included
fitting to catch up with the national leader before he
collaborations with local organizations like the Empire
bows out.
State Pride Agenda and other national organizations like
In anticipation of this month’s dinner, qnotes had the
Freedom to Marry. Partnerships are critically important
opportunity to speak with Solmonese in January. (His
to our success at any level.
answers have been edited.)
You’ll be stepping down and won’t be at the organizaMatt Comer: You’ve been at the head of HRC for a little
tion in May when North Carolina’s anti-LGBT constiover six years now. What have you enjoyed most about
tutional amendment goes to the ballot. HRC has been
your experience?
very proactive in sending staff here and helping with
Joe Solmonese: Three things, really. The opportunity to
other resources during the legislative fight last year
work not just with HRC, but with the community across
and even now. This amendment comes in 2012 — the
the country to become what I really see as a more powlast amendments we saw were several years ago.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese has led the charge for equality and Do you think the nation has changed enough that this
erful force for change in this country, whether it’s for
has traveled the nation to speak out in support of civil rights for the LGBT community. amendment could be defeated in May?
really the first time in a very long time to be able to pass
Photo Credit: Alyssa Shukar
laws that help our community from the hate crimes law
I think it has. Some of that credit goes to HRC, but an
being down in North Carolina, is just huge, expansive, passionto the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to really having
awful lot of credit goes to members of the LGBT comate and committed about our work.
the opportunity to travel around the country and meet folks in a
munity who are on the ground in places like North Carolina
It seems HRC has done a lot of partnering with people and
diverse set of communities who are facing all sorts of chalwho are living their lives open and proud and, in doing that, are
other organizations during your tenure. Have you stressed that
lenges and to do the work that has been able to meet some of
changing people’s hearts and minds in more significant ways
from the top down, that this is not just a national organization,
those challenges. Mostly, to have the opportunity to work with
but one that also relies on grassroots support?
the members and volunteers of HRC who, as you all know from
see Successes on 20
HRC North Carolina Gala 2012
announces keynote speaker and entertainer
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services as keynote speaker and ‘American Idol’ performer to entertain
The Human Rights Campaign North
Carolina Gala has announced that they
will be the only one in the country to host
a Cabinet Member of President Barack
Obama’s administration as their keynote
speaker. Secretary of the Department
of Health and Human Services Kathleen
Sebelius will speak to Gala attendees with
a special message on behalf of the Obama
administration. The HRC North Carolina Gala
will be held Feb. 25.
Sebelius, who served as governor of
Kansas from 2003 until 2009, was sworn in as
the Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services in April 2009. Since
her appointment, Sebelius has worked on
improving the delivery of human services to
vulnerable populations, including the elderly,
individuals with disabilities and children.
Under Sebelius, the Department of Health and
Human Services has also made progressive
steps in dealing with LGBT health concerns
and inclusion in health studies.
In October of 2011, Sebelius spoke at
the National Coalition for LGBT Health,
where she highlighted her department’s
accomplishments in working within the LGBT
community. Among the accomplishments
of the Dept. of HHS since her appointment,
Sebelius acknowledged the development of
12
qnotes
an LGBT Data Progression Plan
to begin including
the variables of
sexual orientation
and gender identity into national
HHS surveys, as
well as requiring
hospitals to honor
visitation rights for same-sex
couples. Both of these accomplishments were changes highlighted in the HRC’s resource
Blueprint for Positive Change.
“Where once we failed to
study LGBT health at all, today
researchers engage LGBT
populations and are looking
to collect the data we need to
ground our work in science
and shape our vision for the
future,” said Sebelius during
her speech at the National
Coalition for LGBT Health. “We
have begun to push open doors
that seemed shut forever.
Looking ahead, the future gives
me real hope. And, I’m looking
forward to working with you to
make it as bright as possible.”
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
Kathleen Sebelius
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
As if that
wasn’t exciting enough, the
entertainment
for the evening
will be 2003
“American Idol”
finalist Kimberly
Locke. In the
past few years,
the Nashville
native has had
eight Top 20 Adult
Contemporary
hits, three number
one dance hits
and eight number
one’s across
various Billboard
“American Idol” alum charts. Locke has
Kimberly Locke been active with
many charities
with an emphasis on raising awareness of
HIV/AIDS and breast cancer. Locke is also
planning on recording a new dance album
with “Idol” judge Randy Jackson.
For more information about the Human
Rights Campaign, visit hrc.org. For information
about the 2012 HRC North Carolina Gala, visit
hrccarolinas.org. : :
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
13
Positive Postings
HIV and the media, goodbye to Robin Scorpio Drake
by Dale Pierce ~ Practice Manager/Ryan White Program Director
So, I was prompted to write this article due
to a guilty pleasure of mine, “General Hospital”
on ABC television. I will expand more on that
“ in a minute, but it also prompted me to look
at what the media on a mass scale was doing
to address HIV issues. It seems to me, and I
certainly could be wrong, but the HIV issue
got much more attention in the ’80s and ’90s
when it was “popular” for celebrities to be on
our band wagon. I remember sitting and crying
watching the “Designing Women” episode
called “Killing all the Right People.” An issue
where a gay designer asked the Sugarbaker
team to plan his funeral and then Mary Jo
had to become the “Queen of Condoms” with
the PTA at her child’s school. I remember also
crying (seems like I do that a lot) the first time
I heard Reba McEntire sing “She Thinks His
Name was John,” a song about a heterosexual
woman that contracted AIDS from an affair.
14
qnotes
So, back to “General Hospital.” My favorite
soap of all time has always done a great job
on the issue with Robin Scorpio Drake, who is
leaving the show this spring. It made me want to
reminisce with you on how a media outlet, even
a soap can get the story right.
Robin developed a crush on Stone. Stone
told Robin he had been tested for AIDS and that
he had tested negative. He never followed up
with the test six months later. When Robin and
Stone first became intimate, they used protection. However, over time, they did engage in
unprotected sex. It was eventually learned that
Stone had full-blown AIDS.
Stone was terrified to tell Robin about his diagnosis. However, when he was shot in the leg
when helping to break Frank Smith out of jail,
his blood got all over Robin; he freaked out and
ended up telling her that he had AIDS. Robin
loved Stone and taught him many things before
his death. Robin was tested for HIV, and the first
time, she was negative, however when she had
the follow-up test, she tested positive. She didn’t
want to tell Stone, as he was on his deathbed,
but decided there had never been any secrets
in life between them. So, somewhat reluctantly,
she told him.
In early 1998, she learned that her old
friend Tony Jones had kidnapped Jason’s son,
Michael. Tony kidnapped her, and, unable
to get her HIV medication, Robin nearly died
before Jason rescued her. She continued to
support Tony, even testifying for him at his
kidnapping trial; he and Alan were two of the
few people Robin shared warm goodbyes with
as she left town.
There was one colleague Robin had a difficult time with, a doctor named Patrick Drake.
His hot-shot attitude and playboy personality
clashed with Robin’s serious nature. Their backand-forth banter and flirtation took a serious
turn toward romance and understanding in
2006 when Patrick was accidentally exposed
to HIV.
In the meantime, Robin decided to become
a mother, and began asking friends, including Jasper Jax, Lucky Spencer, and Nikolas
Cassadine, to be a sperm donor. When they
all turned her down, Robin’s next move was to
look into using a donor from a sperm bank. In
her grieving, Robin turned to former boyfriend
Patrick for a night of comfort, and baby Emma
was conceived. Still not convinced Patrick could
ever settle down, Robin told Patrick a sperm
donor had fathered the baby.
Eventually Robin admitted that Patrick was
the father of their child, but claimed she would
raise the child on her own. Patrick had a change
of heart about becoming a parent and asked
Robin to marry him so they could be a family.
Robin turned down the proposal because she
believed Patrick would be bored with marriage
and fatherhood after the novelty wore off. She
remained adamant that Patrick did not truly want
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
to be a father even after he filed a petition for
joint custody of their unborn child. Prior to the
hearing, Robin changed her mind and agreed
to give Patrick a chance to be the father and
husband he claimed he could be.
Robin made plans to marry Patrick before
their daughter arrived, but she went into labor
during the ceremony. Robin gave birth to a
healthy baby girl and she and Patrick named
her Emma. Robin was relieved to learn that
Emma had not contracted HIV.
After all that, Robin has battled with
postpartum depression and a psycho stalker exgirlfriend of her husband. Now, as she ends her
tenure on “General Hospital,” they are exploring
the options that after being HIV positive for 20
years, the drugs are not working and she is
resistant. My hopes are that after this long and
well told story of HIV, “General Hospital” gives
this character a realistic, but happy ending.
As contrived as soaps are, and as boring
as this article may seem to some; the reason I
tell the story is that the media can get it right
if they try. As advocates, patients, and care
givers, we need to let the media outlets know
that truth in these story lines are what drives
the public awareness and understanding of this
dreaded disease.
Don’t forget to visit our website at
rosedaleid.com and friend us on Facebook
for community and clinical updates.
— Sponsored Content —
cal examples. These things are tempered by
Blank’s sharp-as-an-ax wit, but that doesn’t
lessen the fact that this book begs to be
pondered.
Still, if you’ve ever wondered how we got
to this point in our bedrooms, you really can’t
miss it. If you’re heterosexual (or know one),
reading “Straight” is a good decision. : :
____________________
out in print
by terri schlichenmeyer :: qnotes contributor
The straight of it?
For most of your life, people have been
making decisions without you.
When you were born, for instance, they
decided whether you were a boy or a girl
(admittedly, based on obvious visual clues).
Because of that, they hung a gender-specific moniker on you, dressed you in pink or
blue, cuddled you more or less and gave you
certain toys accordingly.
Consequently, people presumed
your sexuality before you were able to
confirm or deny it. But what is a heterosexual, anyhow? Or, for that matter, what’s
a homosexual? Find out in the new book
“Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of
Heterosexuality” by Hanne Blank.
For most of human history, people were
just people, un-pigeonholed. There were no
heterosexuals prior to about 150 years ago,
nor were there homosexuals. Love existed,
of course, as did various sexual desires and
behaviors, but terms and categories describing humans themselves did not.
In 1868, a Victorian-era writer coined
the word “heterosexual” and there we are.
Those Victorians, says Blank, were a randy
bunch who loved to be titillated, so we
shouldn’t be too surprised at their prurient
interests, especially that which concerned
the maintenance of “manly” virtues and
the defining of “deviant” behavior of the
lower class.
Those “degenerates” were the ones who
needed to be “weeded out.”
Suddenly, what others were doing in the
bedroom became a really big deal. Serious
names for every sexual activity, as well
as judgments for them, were topics
of hushed conversation and extreme
care had to be taken to remain on the
good side of gossip. Anything other
than “normal” sexual relationships
were considered immoral, though it
was extremely common for same-sex
couples to share a bed and nobody
gave it a thought.
Freud weighed in with his ideas.
Other “scientists” followed suit and by
the 1950s, “‘heterosexuals’ were everywhere,” many ushered into marriage
because it was expected of them. After
all, wedded bliss was the only respectable allowance for having sex and sex
was only for procreation.
And, then came The Pill…
But, all this history begs a modern question: because we know now
that there are way more than two
categories of human sexuality on the
spectrum, does anyone’s sexual identity really matter to anybody but that
individual? Who cares anymore?
Blank says that, of course, it depends on who asks.
“Straight” is…well, it’s pretty
straight and probably not the kind of book
you’d pick up on a lark, although author
Hanne Blank does occasionally employ a
sense of the absurd in her accounting of the
history of heterosexuality and everything that
it wasn’t.
For casual, time-starved readers, though,
that might not be enough. What Blank says
runs somewhat deep and semi-philosophical,
with solidly-based research and biographi-
info:
“Straight: The Surprisingly Short History
of Heterosexuality”
by Hanne Blank
© 2012, Beacon . $26.95
goqnotes.com
A&E
daily news,
blog posts
and lgbt
community
event
listings
Sign up for
our weekly
e-newsletter:
goqnotes.com/subs
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
15
A&E
drag rag
by miss della
qnotes contributor
From she to shining she — and even
some he — from coast to coast, oh, my!
Greetings, gentle readers — is that love
Miss Noche
in the air I sense, or just Latino sweat from
Latina.
the nearby soccer field? LOL! I hope this finds
While
everyone doing well in this second month of
on the
2012 (Leap Year, no less!) I’ll start by saying I
subject of
finally rounded up the photos that I mentioned
Continental,
the last time — our reigning Miss Continental
I can report
PLUS Chelsea Pearl and Miss Continental
winners of
Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, affectionately
the followknown as Gabby. Neat thing is
they are both former titleholders in the U.S.ofA. system, too.
So, they’re sisters twice over.
Maybe even more — I’d have
to ask. I will be seeing both
of them in just weeks when I
travel to Miami for the Carolina
Continental pageants and the
Miss Continental Elite
State of Florida Continental
Chelsea Pearl
Mr. and Miss the night before
in Ft. Lauderdale. I understand
ing prelims: Minnesota
Mr. Flint will be at both doing
PLUS Alexis Zadora, West
signings of his new book, “Jim
VA PLUS Adriana Fuentes,
Flint: The Boy from Peoria”
North Shore PLUS Regina
available on shelves and webAigner (an old friend from
sites now! I’ll be hosted by
St. Louis), Heart of America
my good friend of many years,
PLUS Kara Belle and runAlyson Thomas, who recently
Miss Continental ner-up Tatiana de la Rouge
won Miss Noche Latina Elite in
Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington and State of FL PLUS
Miami, and on the same night,
Ginger Minj and RU Sasha
Alexis Mateo from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won
Sommers (a former Carolina Cont. PLUS). For
the Elite queens, we have State of FL winner
Diva with RU Anjila Cavalier, Heart of America
Sherry Payne (yes, ma’am!) and Ashley Kruiz
and Miss North Shore Fantasya Dior.
I do know there won’t be any Miss America
prelims until next month, but that Kirby Kolby
has been travelling all over the place, most
recently to Arizona, which I hear she loved.
Kirby’s first prelim as Miss Gay America will
be in Memphis: the Mid-America contest. I
recently judged the Miss Don’t H8 contest (to
be covered in another write-up hopefully?) in
Winston-Salem. I must say, she was wonderful, complete with lovely frocks. That poor Jeff
Coble and other tailors may need a break after
a year with Coti and now Katherine.
I mentioned the “Drag Race” earlier. I’ve
not even seen it yet, but I understand Chad
Michaels of San Diego and Sharon Needles
of PA are stand-outs so far. I’ll have to check
in with our region’s only impersonator to make
the cut, Victoria Parker, to see if she has tea
from the season premiere. I know she was in
L.A. as she is planning on moving out there
(if she hasn’t already). I may have to do a
goodbye or “exit” interview with that thing!
She recently got 1st RU at the Miss’d America
pageant in Atlantic City, NJ, with Sabel Scities
being crowned. Chantel Reshae made the
Top 5 as well. I heard Porkchop had her Miss
Piggy swimsuit re-done and the kiddies are
still talking about it! Sorry I missed that one,
Sally! Congrats to Kitty Hiccups, a native of
NC, on her year!
I am trying to round up tea about the EOY
prelims…I sure wish I could lay eyes upon the
fierce national titleholder, Miss Aurora Sexton.
That is one more tuna straight out of the can,
damn! I do know one of her first prelims was
Ohio Valley which Karmen de la Rouge won
see Drag Rag on 22
16
qnotes
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
VIEWS
on being a
gay parent
by brett webb-mitchell
qnotes contributor
State envy
When my family first moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., from
Boston, Mass., in the 1980s, I distinctly remember attending worship at Church of Reconciliation (a Presbyterian
Church, USA), in which there was an “offering of letters.”
We were asked to consider writing letters in support of some
Democratic-supported federal legislation. The person announcing this call for letters was very straightforward about
whom we should write to in support of this legislation: “Since
we have Senators Helms (a.k.a., “Senator No”) and East as our
U.S. Senators, perhaps you can adopt another state’s senators
who would be more likely to support this important initiative.”
I fretted about what kind of state we had moved to, having
moved from a liberal state where Ted Kennedy was our senator
to a conservative state represented by Senator Helms. I envied
states in which there was a chance of arguing for the right,
good and just thing, regardless of one’s political party.
I experienced that similar bout of envy in the last few days
while driving on I-5 by the dome of the Washington state capitol
building in Olympia. The state senate was literally in the process of voting on their marriage equality bill, with all political
signs showing that the chances were good for passage by a
bipartisan majority, just like New York a few months earlier. The
next morning, splashed above the fold on the front page of the
local newspaper were pictures of LGBTQ couples and children
celebrating this legislative victory. There were stories of LGBTQ
parents rejoicing, looking forward to having access to state
laws that would protect their families from harm. Tears broken
by big smiles were captured on many people’s faces. As I was
flying back to North Carolina a few days later, the Washington
State House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead, with
Gov. Christine Gregoire promising to sign it into law. Granted,
Washington State has Rev. Kenneth Hutcherson, a conservative African-American pastor whose hate of LGBTQ civil rights
echoes the sentiments held by Rev. Patrick Wooden (Raleigh’s
Upper Room Church of God in Christ fame). Rev. Hutcherson
is vowing to raise enough signatures to let the people vote on
marriage equality in November 2012. But, even with this threat,
many people I talked with — conservative and liberal alike
— were hopeful that the people would be for marriage equality!
As I write this column, I am sitting in my mom’s house in
a suburb of Portland, Ore., feeling as if we were the creamy
center of an Oreo cookie, because to the south, the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a devastating blow against their
Proposition 8. Prop 8 prohibited marriage equality in California
after several months where the state allowed for marriage
among both people who are straight and LGBTQ people.
Sadly, Oregon —the squishy center — had amended its state
constitution, banning marriage equality in 2004 when former
President George W. Bush was re-elected. Bush’s campaign
manager Karl Rove was sure that placing amendments to
ban marriage equality on several state ballots would drive out
the conservative vote for Bush, which it did. Oregon’s LGBTQ
group, Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), chose not to pursue amending the constitution allowing for marriage equality. It is always a
costly uphill battle to amend constitutions. BRO’s leaders want
to be sure when they have a winning chance to amend the
constitution. For now, educating the public is their option.
My family lives in North Carolina. My partner and I are
about to pay state taxes again. We pay for services in a state
that already denies us the right to marry. But, because of
mythical “activist judges” who might deem equality among
all citizens a basic right, guaranteed by the Constitution, a
cabal of conservative legislators chose to further keep North
Carolina away from the 21st century. If passed, this constitutional amendment will impact our families’ health care,
retirement benefits, inheritance, hospital visitation and make
it impossible for LGBTQ couples to adopt children. It is up to
the voters to decide whether our constitution will keep LGBTQ
people permanent second class citizens or begin to work
toward marriage equality.
Once again, I’ve got a bad case of state envy. : :
Harms of the
Anti-Gay Amendment
Protect NC Families, vote against
the anti-gay amendment
• Gay Marriage is already illegal in North Carolina
The anti-gay amendment is redundant and a
distraction from real challenges we face.
• The anti-gay amendment is bad for business
Signals that our state is not welcoming of the diverse
workforce needed to compete in the global economy.
• The anti-gay amendment would negate benefits for
tens of thousands.
Would strip public entities of their authority to provide
benefits to same-sex domestic partners.
• The anti-gay amendment bans all legal
relationship recognitions.
Marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples would
be banned.
• The anti-gay amendment causes real harm to North
Carolina families.
Broad language could have consequences for
unmarried opposite-sex couples and their children.
For more information, email Charlotte Regional Field
Director Ashlei K. Blue at [email protected].
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
17
A&E
tell trinity
by trinity
qnotes contributor
How to get
around rejection
To Trinity,
I’m an attractive, fun, well-off gay man. I think I’m a catch, but I
can’t seem to get a catch. What’s wrong with me?
Catcher Without A Catch, Atlanta, GA
To Catcher Without A Catch,
The only two reasons you might
have troubles are, you don’t try
very hard or you get rejected
and stop trying. Many of us fear
rejection, which runs our dating
lives. If someone rejects you,
then simply go on to the next
possibility! Even if you fail over
and over, next! Rejection is only
a concept that lives in our head,
it’s not physically real. Meeting
and approaching men should be a
fun game, an exercise of rejection and acceptance, not the final
curtain. However, honey, if you’re
aggressive and rejection’s not the
problem, then ask friends to tell
you if you smell or have a nervous
twitch that frightens people.Next!
Dearest Trinity,
My father constantly says to me,
“You’re not man enough. Act like a
man. Be a man.” Trinity, what’s a man?”
Parent Trap, Seattle, WA
18
qnotes
Dearest Parent Trap,
Courageousness, assertiveness, acting with diplomacy and
walking with pride, no matter what the situations are, is what
makes you a man! Being real, honest and a good cook also
make a man. So, no matter what he says, if you have pride in
yourself while chasing after your dreams, then you’ll be the
man we all look up to. Parents are not easy, pumpkin, especially when they want us to fulfill the insecurities they inherited
from their parents. (I can sure show you how this plays out in
my cartoon.)
Hi there Miss Trinity,
My Valentine’s Day resolution is to start dating again. But, going
to bars or clubs is just not my scene. The drinking, smoking,
noise and oversexed atmosphere make it too difficult to meet
anyone worth dating. Any suggestions?
Bar-fly No More, Buffalo, NY
Dear Trinity,
My partner and I have a boy Friday. He’s a great worker, but
extremely slow. And, we love him. How do we get him to move
faster without losing him?
Boy Friday Troubles,
Reno, NV
Trinity’s Creative Tips For Capturing
A Date
1. Go to the beach and stay a while. (No big hats!)
2. Hang out in cafes or coffee shops. (No more than two cups
of coffee at one time!)
3. Throw a party or get invited to one and talk to everyone! (No
getting drunk!)
4. Join a gym or finally go to the one you joined last year! (No
high sox or bright yellow tank tops.)
5. Get onto or into the infinite internet chat rooms. (Beware of
false information.)
6. Answer some personal ads in the newspapers. (Beware of
prison addresses.)
7. Join a dating service. They are helpful and fun. (Don’t let the
questions scare you.)
8. Ask friends and relatives to set you up on some dates. (Don’t
let the bad dates scare you.)
9. Go to fundraisers or benefits. Guaranteed to work! (Don’t let
the pretension scare you.)
10. Lastly, hit some religious services! There are plenty of dates
there! (Don’t let the fanatics scare you!) : :
Dear Boy Friday Troubles,
Maybe something’s
slowing him down, like
old appliances or the order in which his chores
are laid out. If that
doesn’t work, give him a
salary instead of hourly.
Thus, if he gets sixty
bucks for four hours, just
offer him the sixty bucks
whether he’s done early
or not. If he knows that
he can finish early with
the same pay then he
may work faster. Later,
you can slowly up his
chores. And, if all else
fails, sweetie, always
have a fresh brewed cup
of strong java for the little turtle when he arrives and shove
it down his little, lazy throat.
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
Hi there Bar-fly No More,
Let’s see now, I know I have a list somewhere under my bed of
places to meet potential dates. Ah, yes, darling, here is:
— 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]
Sponsored by: Provincetown Business Guild
800-637-8696 . www.ptown.org
A&E
out in the stars
by charlene lichtenstein
qnotes contributor
February 18 - March 2
There is something mystical and mellow in the
air as the Sun moves into Pisces. But, that is
not all; suddenly all is right with the world. The
mechanisms flawlessly connect. Or, so it seems.
By all means, go with the cosmic flow. But, keep
both eyes open.
AQUARIUS (01.31-02.19) It may not be the best
time to financially invest in anything important
because you can be easily swayed by big
promises and downright lies. But, that doesn’t
mean that you can’t go out and enjoy life, treating yourself to special delicacies and rewards.
Just make sure that everything is in moderation,
except your enjoyment and enthusiasm.
PISCES (02.20-03.20) If there was ever a time to
take a leap of faith, this is the exact right time.
Guppies are in the epicenter of all the action and
seem to attract admirers effortlessly. You can almost do no wrong, so why not take a chance on
something that you have always wanted to do,
but never got around to doing. What is the worst
that can happen? Tomorrow is another day.
ARIES (03.21-04.20) Do you hear voices telling
you what to do or what will happen? If so, you
may be excused for going with your gut when
all other signs point in another direction. This is
a great time to test your creative ability and try
something totally new and futuristic. Proud Rams
suddenly feel prescient and all-knowing. Or, is it
“know-it-all?” I sometimes get the two confused.
TAURUS (04.21-05.21) Friends get into your
act…and not a moment too soon. They break
into your navel gazing and isolation and set you
on a more productive course. And, let’s face
it, queer Bulls are much happier running in the
herd than grazing in the field alone. Find any
excuse to gather the gang and get into rollicking
mischief. Mop it all up later.
GEMINI (05.22-06.21) As magnificant as you think
you are at work, there are probably a few new
tricks that you can try to get the powers-that-be
plugged into you and charged up. Thankfully you
get a rash of new ideas that are not only brilliant,
but also unexpected. Test your voltage and see
how brightly you can shine. And, tell your colleagues they better pack their sunglasses.
CANCER (06.22-07.23) Gay Crabs have itchy claws
and why not? This is a great time of year to get
out of your shell and experience new experiences
from across the world. If time and money are tight
and you can’t travel, find ways to refresh your old
skin and mindset in cheaper and faster ways. I am
thinking something relaxingly spa-like or strange
like performance art. But, please — no mime.
LEO (07.24-08.23) Proud Lions are regal beasts
who love to prowl the forest for new conquests.
Now, you can maximize your hungry animal
magnetism in the boudoir. Grrr. make the most
out of this sizzly, sexy time, lover. If you procrastinate because you are too choosy or shy, you will
waste your sensuality on “what ifs” instead of
what fors. Start hunting.
VIRGO (08.24-09.23) Strong relationships suddenly
become more romantic and sensual. Rocky relationships mellow as compromises can be made.
And, for those queer Virgos who are playing the
field, this is the time to see who lingers nearly.
There is someone whom you have completely
overlooked who could be the next love of your life,
or something like that. Take a good look now.
LIBRA (09.24-10.23) If nit-picky tasks are getting
you down and making you feel stale and bored,
this may be a good time to refresh your arsenal
of tricks at work. Or, maybe it is a good time to
check out new employment and see what new
and exciting opportunities are out there. You
need a blast of fresh air, gay Libra. Heck, make it
a windstorm. And, a raise couldn’t hurt either.
SCORPIO (10.24-11.22) Fun is the name of the
game, proud Scorp. So, don’t put off anything
that you consider creative and mind escaping.
You need a break from the humdrum to refresh
and revitalize. While you may feel lucky, there is
a tendency to over-estimate your pot of luck and
tolerancy of risk. Stick to cheap thrills. Plan some
parties, as long as they are not political.
SAGITTARIUS (11.23-12.22) This is the perfect
time to focus your efforts on your home life.
Whether that means an early spring cleaning,
redecorating, moving or gathering the relatives
together for a pow wow, it is totally up to you.
In fact, if you can combine all of these things,
you could get your mother ship in ship shape for
whatever you have in mind — moving, grooving
or schmoozing.
CAPRICORN (12.23-01.20) Your mind works in
mysterious ways, especially when it is charged
up with intuitive and refreshing ideas. Conjure up
a new approach to an old intractable problem.
Then say what you mean and mean what you
say. Your gift of gab will move populations to
your way of thinking. Maybe this will eventually
become a career move for you as despot? : :
© 2012 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.
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
19
Successes follow Solmonese on his tenure
continued from page 12
than any organization has the opportunity
to. As a community and as an organization
we have a responsibility to do everything in
our power to take advantage of these kinds
of changes and to do everything we can to
defeat the ballot measure in North Carolina.
What will you tell audiences at the Charlotte
dinner and how will you help to inspire and
motivate them to get out and work to defeat
the amendment?
They have a strong, committed and passionate partner in HRC. They have a wonderfully
committed and expansive organization in
North Carolina doing important work on the
ground. Public sentiment on this issue is
changing at lightning speed. The other thing
we have learned, and that I will remind people
of, is that ground troops and turnout and voting and participation are as significant as poll
numbers. We have to do everything and influ-
20
qnotes
ence that equation. Sometimes, we look way
down the road and things look hard. We base
that on poll numbers or public opinion we see
today, but we’ve been the victim of that in the
other direction. We’ve been ahead in some of
these states and our side hasn’t been able to
mobilize the ground troops like the other side
has and we lost. We’ve been ahead 52-to-48
going into things and lost things 48-to-52.
The need to get voters out to the polls — do
you see that as a general challenge, not only
to the LGBT community, but also to the entire
progressive movement? That, sometimes, we
fail to turn out our folks?
I do. We have the added challenge of turning
out LGBT people, not just to vote, but also
to work on what needs to be done, as well
as bringing in a broader coalition of people.
That becomes a challenge. How many of us
have friends or family members who love and
support us and are committed to us as LGBT
people and our families, but somehow that
love and support doesn’t translate into the
way in which they vote? How many have a
parent or an uncle who says, “I completely
support my gay nephew and his partner, but
I vote for this guy because I like his position
on taxes or I want to take home more money
in my paycheck at the end of every week?”
We’re doing better at that. We’re bringing homophobia to the level that racism or religious
intolerance has in this country. Slowly, but
surely, people are becoming unwilling to do
that anymore.
Turning now to what was a major, divisive
moment for HRC when the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA) was considered
and gender identity left out of the bill in
2007. Many people in the transgender community and their allies in the LGB commu-
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
nity felt a little stunned with HRC. I get the
sense here locally in Charlotte that the gap
has been bridged over the ensuing years.
Has that been your experience — that HRC
has worked to gain back the trust of the
transgender community?
We’ve certainly done that and we have wonderfully-committed members of the steering
committee and the volunteer infrastructure in
North Carolina who have stuck with us. And,
there have been real leaders in the community in the Carolinas who, right from the beginning in 2007, were willing to come to the table
and continue to be engaged in a dialogue. It
was a procedural decision we made. It was
not a decision that the bill should become
law, but that it should be voted on really as a
building block that should get us where we
should be. I understand and regret it created
a fair amount of pain within the community
and a degree of division. What I have is that
is we should be evaluated by our actions and
not by our words. We have done a great deal
of work, not just to reach out and engage in
dialogue, but to put our resources, money and
our actions where they count and to do work
especially around access to healthcare. The
only way we raised the bar for the Corporate
Equality Index this year was around healthcare access for transgender workers. We’ve
created a wonderful program here, Back
to Work, designed to improve employment
opportunities for unemployed or out-of-work
transgender people. I hope that if our relationship with the transgender community is
improving it is because we’re not just talking
the talk, we’re walking the walk.
At the 2009 Carolina Gala, you told a short
story about how good it felt, after the election
of Barack Obama, to get into a cab and tell
the driver to take you to the White House and
“step on it.” What has your experience with
the Obama Administration been like since
then and how does it compare to your work
with the Bush Administration?
We had virtually no working relationship with
the Bush Administration — none at all. It was
an absolutely adversarial relationship. The
work we were doing was trying to defeat
the Federal Marriage Amendment, which
the Bush Administration was pushing. That’s
what really defined it. I literally did that — I
jumped into the cab, I was late going to the
White House and I had this a-ha moment
where I realized I’ve never done this in all
the time I’ve lived in Washington. I’ve gone
to the White House on a fairly-regularly basis
over the past few years. I think we’ve had an
incredibly positive and collaborative working
relationship with the White House. It’s really
been almost a partnership. We’ve had almost
constant contact and dialogue with the White
House both on things we’ve worked together
on like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
and on some issues where, historically, we
really did not have common ground like the
administration’s position on the Defense of
Marriage Act and we’ve seen that change.
As you leave HRC and hand the reins over to
someone else, what do you see as opportunities and challenges for our movement?
Well, I think the greatest challenge for the
movement is the outcome of these elections.
I think it is vitally important we do everything
we can to reelect President Obama. If he is
not reelected, I think the consequences will be
dire. The challenge is to ensure, regardless of
the outcome, that there is a path forward for
every member of our community and that the
Human Rights Campaign and the person leading it is as visionary and creative as possible
in charting those paths forward. We go back
to something like the ENDA — we were able
to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and pass the
hate crimes law and, still, we are challenged
by the passage of ENDA. Yet, every day in a
number of creative ways we are finding ways
to safeguard and empower LGBT people in the
workplace. Building on that model is going to
be essential to the next leader.
Is the Charlotte dinner going to be one of your
last local or state dinners?
It will be one of my last dinners and it also
happens to be one of my favorite. Our friends
in the Carolinas just seem to know how to
celebrate and have a good time like nobody
else. It’s a real weekend experience, a real
destination dinner. I look forward to it every
year. Our volunteers in the Carolinas are just
extraordinary. It’s one of the things, actually,
I’m sad about. People say to me, “Gosh, you
work seven days a week and are on the road
three out of four weekends a month,” but I
enjoy that the most and it’s one of the things
I’ll miss the most. The Carolinas community
is so special to me and it is so special to HRC
— it’s actually very meaningful to me that it’ll
be one of the last few dinners I’ll attend.
Where do you see your life taking you now?
I’ve given some thought to what I’ll do next. I
haven’t decided how I’ll spend all of my time,
but I know I’ll spend a fair amount of time between now and November working to reelect
President Obama. : :
— Matt Comer is a former editor of qnotes..
16/5:653(>6--0*,
3HYY`>1VOUZVU
(;;695,@
7OVUL!
-H_! 76)V_
/PJRVY`5*
31VOUZVU'31VOUZVU3H^6MÄJLJVT
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
21
Drag Rag
continued from page 16
with RU Tatiana de la Rouge. Aurora makes an
appearance here in the Tarheel State the last
weekend of May when Miss NC is held at CO2
in Winston. Lord, they’ll be so many “pantysniffers” (admirers) there, you won’t be able
to get to the gal, probably. Ha!
On the U.S.ofA. scene, our Luscious is
racking up the frequent flier miles! Try this
for a schedule, along with winners of the
prelims: Miss NY Sunni Dee Lite and RU
Karen Covergirl; Oklahoma, Shanel Sterling;
SC, Kristina DeeVine with RU Alexis Mateo
(yep, ‘cause interview is a category, too, boys
and girls, and I thank you!); Arizona, Saellah
V; and South Central States, Nina DeAngelo
and Kylie Crawford. One more At-Large
prelim that the gorgeous Desiree DeMornay
has presided over, that of Supernova which
Rochelle Delight won. And, finally, the Classic
ones with Catia Lee Love reigning supremely
over. Miss Arizona, Onyx; Miss South Central
States, Dina Jacobs with RU Sharde’ Ross
(our former Miss NC America); Oklahoma,
22
qnotes
Kris Kohl with RU Shantel Mandalay; and
Arkansas, Britney Nicole.
I’ll finish up with things local, as I usually
do. A big congrats goes out to the gorgeous,
statuesque Eden Parque Divine who recently won Miss Scorpio. Her runners-up were
Valerie Rockwell and Angela Lopez. Many
formers were present, including two whom
I had not seen in some time — Tia Douglas
(gimme that rainbow jacket by Angelica, girl!)
and Beverly Iman Johnson, now living in
Atlanta, who was lovely. I heard from Ivy White
who could not make it to Charlotte to give her
title up. She sends love to her fans and supporters here. She makes her home in TN now.
It was my pleasure to judge in late January
what is called the Newest Entertainer of the
Year contest. This happens to be the only contest I ever did, and I won it in 1996 with the help
of “my village.” LOL! The dancer we admire
and know as Fudge actually sang and won.
His RU was Beth Ann Phetamine who did a
fantastic job on stilts. Incredible! I understand
a week or so before, I missed what was to be
Sierra Santana’s retirement show. I understand
they really carried on for ole girl. Sis, I’m glad
you went out with a bang!
Coming up around here — the Miss Don’t
H8 Diva contest in Winston-Salem at CO2; Nina
Flowers (a fierce Puerto Rican drag queen, DJ
and make-up “artiste” who makes her home in
Colorado, of all places) at the Rainbo In at Lake
Wylie; and the ’80s and ’90s gay icon Madonna
makes her way to Charlotte finally in November
at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
I almost forgot to mention — there’s a
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
new club down in Greenville, N.C., called the
Limelight. Mr. Glenn Haddock is back, along
with Jeremy Jordan and their team from the
old Paddock days in the Paddock location
there on Dickinson Avenue. Is the Harley shop
still up front? Well, we’ll see soon enough.
I do know they had an inaugural show with
the likes of Ebony Summers and Purina Chow
in da house! I’m missing someone, I know
— write me and read me, girl! I’ll get ya the
next time, I promise! : :
info: Drop me a line, OK?
[email protected]
The ‘Boys’ are back in the Queen City
Feb. 22-March 11 • Charlotte
‘Jersey Boys’
It’s the hit crowds go wild for and the New York Post raves is, “too good to be true!” “Jersey Boys” is the 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock
and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. “Jersey Boys” tells the phenomenal story of how four
blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million
records worldwide — all before they were 30! “Jersey Boys,” winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, features the many hits of the
Four Seasons, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and many more. Blumenthal Performing
Arts Center, Belk Theatre. 130 North Tryon St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit blumenthalarts.org.
Feb. 18 • Raleigh
Benefit Against NC Amendment One
Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus presents a benefit in support of Protect NC Families, a coalition to oppose the May 8 amendment. Guest
speakers include Rev. Jimmy Creech as well
as guest musicians. Suggested $7 donation.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
of Raleigh. 3313 Wade Ave. 8-10 p.m.
919-787-6378. uufr.org.
Feb. 18 • Charlotte
GayCharlotte Film Series presents:
Meet Ben Zook I
Learn how to sell your stories to Hollywood
execs from noted screenwriter Ben Zook in
this story pitching/screenwriting seminar.
McColl Center for Visual Art, 721 N. Tryon St.
$20 at door; $18 online; $10 for students/seniors. Ticket good for free admission to Meet
Ben Zook event (see below) at 7:30 p.m. at The
LGBT Community Center. Refreshments available. gaycharlottefilmfestival.com.
Meet Ben Zook II
The GayCharlotte Film Series presents a
meet-and-greet with Hollywood screenwriter
Ben Zook and his actor/director partner
Joe Dietl. They will tell all on making it in
Tinseltown. Beer/wine/snacks available.
The LGBT Community Center of Charlotte, 820
Hamilton St. 7:30 p.m. $5.
gaycharlottefilmfestival.com.
Charlotte’s Hometown Filmmakers
The GayCharlotte Film Series and Charlotte
Business Guild present a special panel
discussion with hometown LGBT filmmakers.
Wet Willie’s. 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.
(formerly Seaboard St.), Suite B. 5:30-8:30 p.m.
704-716-5650. gaycharlottefilmseries.com.
charlottebusinessguild.org.
Flight 2012: HRC Diner
Fasten your safety belts and make sure your
tray tables are in their upright position as you
fly first class with Captain Buff Faye and her
special guests Miley Virus, Jessica Raynes
and Kiana Layne. The $25 ticket will include
dinner, drag, DJ and annual HRC membership.
Dandelion Market, 118 W 5th St. Two shows.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Shows
start at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Takeover Welcome Party
Takeover Friday is returning to Suite at
Epicenter to get everyone in on the HRC Gala
action. Even if you aren’t able to attend the
HRC Gala, this free event is open to everyone,
so make sure to join in the fun. Don’t forget to
check out all of the Takeover afterparties,
which will be happening at The Scorpio,
Marigny, Bar at 316, Sidelines, Petra’s Piano
Bar, Woodshed, Sophisticated Lyfe and
Hartigan’s. Suite at Epicenter, 210 East Trade
St. 7 p.m. Free with a cash bar.
takeoverfriday.com.
Front Runner Front Run
After all that celebrating the night before with
Takeover Friday, get up and run. The morning of the the Gala there will be an approximately 5k casual course open for all levels.
Participants will want to meet at 9 a.m. in the
lobby of Aloft Charlotte Uptown hotel. Aloft
Charlotte Uptown, 210 East Trade St. 9 a.m.
hrccarolina.org.
we want your who/what/where
Submitting an event for inclusion in our calendar has never been easier:
visit goqnotes.com/qguide/events/submit
HRC North Carolina Gala 2012
More than 2,000 gay and straight allies will
come together at the 17th Annual Human
Rights Campaign Gala as it returns to Charlotte
after a two-year run in Raleigh. Annual blacktie fundraiser, Charlotte Convention Center,
scheduled for 6 p.m. The event will feature
HRC Visibility Award recipient CNN Anchor
Don Lemon, as well as HRC President Joe
Solmonese, Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
as the keynote speaker and live musical
entertainment from “American Idol” finalist
Kimberley Locke. hrccarolinas.org.
Amy Steinberg
Bombastic singer-songwriter Amy Steinberg
brings her one-woman show, “Oh My God
Don’t Stop,” a one-of-a-kind brand of musical
comedy to Petra’s. Steinberg plays several
characters, including a Jewish grandmother
exploring her sexuality, a reverend with a
penchant for innuendos and the Lord herself,
who sings songs celebrating the holy gift of
homosexuality. Both sacred and profane, Amy
explores the topics of spirituality and sexuality, exploring the many connections
that exist between the two. Petra’s Piano Bar,
1919 Commonwealth Ave. 7 p.m. doors/8 p.m.
show. $15 advance/$20 at the door.
petraspianobar.com. amysteinberg.net.
March 4 • Durham
Speaker Series I
Rev. Jimmy Creech, former United Methodist
Minister and author of “Adam’s Gift” and
Brent Childers, executive director of Faith in
America, will deliver keynote addresses at 3
p.m. at the kickoff of a speaker series through-
Q
events
qnotes
goqnotes.com/qguide/events
entertainment.
news.
views.
out Marcharts.
at Pilgrim
United Church
of Christ,
2011 Academy Rd. Child care will be provided.
919-489-1381.
March 6 • Durham
Speaker Series II
Sharon Thompson, family law attorney,
will speak about legal perspectives on
Amendment One. 6:30 p.m. Pilgrim United
Church of Christ, 2011 Academy Rd. Child care
will be provided. 919-489-1381.
March 13 • Durham
Speaker Series III
Mary McClintock Fulkerson, professor of
theology, Duke Divinity School, will speak
on Theological and Biblical Perspectives on
Amendment One. 6:30 p.m. Pilgrim United
Church of Christ, 2011 Academy Rd. Child care
will be provided. 919-489-1381.
March 20 • Durham
Speaker Series IV
Panel discussion on personal perspectives by
those affected by Amendment One. 6:30 p.m.
Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2011 Academy
Rd. Child care will be provided. 919-489-1381.
March 27 • Durham
Speaker Series V
What People of Faith Can Do to Oppose
Amendment One. Ryan Rowe, Director of
Faith Outreach for the Coalition to Protect All
North Carolina Families and Rev. Rollin
Russell, retired minister. 6:30 p.m. Pilgrim
United Church of Christ, 2011 Academy Rd.
Child care will be provided. 919-489-1381.
qpoll
In honor of Whitney Houston’s recent death, tell us
your favorite Whitney song.
See the options and vote: goqnotes.com/to/qpoll
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012
qnotes
23
24
qnotes
Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012

Feb. 18-March 2 . 2012 qnotes

Transcription

Similar documents

reshma johar

Stoke Newington`s School LGBT History Month Presentation 2008

Women and Sexism

VA Richard L. Roudebush Medical Center

APAIT Health Center, by Noel Alumit

The Power of Us - National Black Justice Coalition

Jan. 21-Feb. 3 . 2012 qnotes

Phillips Place - Regency Centers

Flyer - BVB Properties

1 Bud Lizht LASER - HoustonLGBTHistory.org