Project of Community Link, Inc. July 20, 2012

Transcription

NEWS LINK
Project of Community Link, Inc.
GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION
July 20, 2012
Issue XI, Volume XVII, Number 203
FREE monthly GLBT publication * Since 1995 * www.CommunityLinkFresno.com
In Memory
Paul Moore
(1940-2012)
by Terry Miller
AFL-CIO Backs
Marriage Equality in
DOMA Case Brief
Visalia's City Council Has Pride!
What is Wrong with Fresno’s City Council
& Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors?
By Crystal Gantt
June 18, 2012 The City Council of
Visalia formally declared June LGBT
Pride month, thanks to Jim Reeves who
made it all happen. The event took place
at City Hall West in downtown Visalia
at 7:00pm. The air was hot and the sun
was hanging low in the evening sky.
There were rainbows everywhere.
While I sat in the chambers, as reverently as I could, I noticed an occupancy
sign that read, “No more than 85 people.”
The seats were mostly full. I also
noticed more people attending the meeting from the door. I must say, as a new
valley dweller, and a new Pride Lion, I
was thrilled to see the turnout. I feel like
this solidifies our LGBT community in
Visalia.
It feels good to learn that the LGBT
folks, and our supporters, have such a
strong presence here in this bountiful
region of California.
The Visalia Pride Lions Club,
PFLAG, Gay Visalia, and others, all do
a fabulous job of serving and educating
the community, as well as providing a
base for those of us who are new to
town.
This proclamation merely acknowledges all their hard work. It is another
step forward for all of us and our allies
here in Visalia.
As a newcomer, I am delighted to see
that the LGBT groups here are so active.
In addition to serving the greater Visalia
area in all the ways they do, these strong
groups and leaders also act to serve for
those of us who are a bit more reclusive.
The more visible these groups can
become, the easier it will be for the hidden members of our community to find
us; and this proclamation increases our
visibility. It speaks to those of us who
have ever felt so out of place here, in
this isolated desert. It lets us know that
we are not alone. Congratulations to
Visalia for officially recognizing June
as LGBT Pride month!
Read more on page19
"The AFL-CIO today filed a “friend
of the court" brief asking the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to
uphold a lower court's ruling that the socalled Defense of Marriage Act is
unconstitutional. The 1996 law denies
federal benefits to same sex couples.
In the brief, filed along with Change
to Win (CTW) and the National
Education Association (NEA), the three
union groups say:
The Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), by intention and design,
ensures that workers with same-sex
spouses earn less money, are taxed more
on their wages and benefits, and have
available to them fewer valuable benefits and less economic security than
their counterparts with different-sex
spouses.
In February, U.S. District Judge
Jeffrey White ruled DOMA unconstitutional in a case filed by Karen Golinski,
a federal attorney who was seeking family insurance coverage for her wife. But
House and Senate Republicans and
other groups filed an appeal.
The three labor organizations outline
four key ways DOMA limits the rights
of workers married to persons of the
same sex:
First, DOMA prevents or significantly restricts access to spousal healthcare
benefits.
Second, DOMA denies to same-sex
couples benefits provided to other married couples when a worker suffers a
workplace injury, or otherwise becomes
ill or infirm.
Third, DOMA impinges on the ability of workers to plan for retirement by
mandating a complete denial of Social
Security benefits to same-sex spouses of
covered workers, and precludes samesex spouses from receiving the benefits
of tax provisions intended to incentivize
savings in private retirement accounts.
Fourth, DOMA unfairly circumscribes immigration and naturalization
laws for married same-sex couples
seeking to work and remain lawfully in
the United States.
Also today, more than 130 House
Democrats filed a similar brief with the
Court of Appeals. The case is expected
to be heard in September.
The last memorial for Paul Moore
will take place on July 22nd, at Terry
Miller's house, 2767 West Escalon in
Fresno, from 1PM to 5PM, with the ceremony at 3PM. All who knew Paul are
invited.
I wrote “the last memorial”, because
there already was a gala party at Paul's
house on June 9th with lots of song,
laughter and good times with friends.
He wanted a going-away party, not a
funeral wake. He was leaving us on
life's longest journey. He passed away
from complications of lung cancer in
the early morning of June 23rd. Less
than two months prior to that he was
informed that he had the cancer and that
it would be terminal in a very short period. We all know that we have to go
sometime, but it's troublesome when we
know it's eminent. Paul took the news as
well as anyone could, determined to
make the most of the time he had left.
So, similar to Tom Sawyer, he attended
his own “wake”. A few close friends
couldn't make the party but they were
able to visit Paul frequently prior to that
so Paul got to say good-bye to everyone.
Continued on page 6
Fresno Rainbow Pride
Theme 2013
Are you a creative individual? Do
you have artistic talent? If so, be an
instrumental part in this year's Pride
Parade and Festival by creating our
theme for 2013! Your idea could
become the theme that helps promote
our event to the thousands in the Central
Valley who attend each year.
Your idea would not only be what
brings so many together to celebrate
their Pride, but would be remembered
forever as the festive theme of 2013.
Continued on page 7
www.CommunityLinkFresno.com
Incompetence
By Dan Waterhouse
Incompetence reigns at Fresno
City Hall.
Instead of admitting they have
failed, city leaders blame city
employees and their pay and benefits
for the municipal financial meltdown.
I believe the mayor, city manager,
and city council are willing to seriously endanger residents for the sake
of making an ideological point.
Some of our city leaders' failures
are well-known to local residents: the
downtown baseball stadium, Granite
Park and the Met. Others aren't.
Let's start with the city fathers (and
mothers) making budget decisions
based upon a housing bubble that
sensible people knew couldn't last.
Personally, I was telling my friends
and acquaintances as early as 2003
that it was going to be really ugly
when the bubble burst. It did, and it's
been.
How about the $59 million of
unpaid debt the city's redevelopment
agency owes the general fund, that
won't be repaid due to the demise of
redevelopment
agencies
in
California?
What about the parking garage at
the Convention Center? A consultant
said it was desperately needed to support downtown revitalization, so the
city spent millions on it. Then an
examination of the city's parking
operation revealed among other
things (like the parking fund would
never be solvent) that the city had
been flimflammed by the consultant
into building something that wasn't
needed in the first place.
Speaking of the Convention
Center, it came out during recent budget hearings that the older portion of
the complex is falling apart (with no
money to adequately maintain it) and
the new Exhibit Hall can't attract
large events because of its odd shape.
Then there's Mayor Swearingen's
wish to reopen Fulton Mall to car
traffic, in pursuit of an economic
mirage. In order to even get off the
ground, the city needs $2 million of
federal transportation dollars. That's
necessary to then get the $16 million
the mayor estimates it'll cost to rip the
mall out and rebuild the street.
Even if the federal funds come
through, this insane idea should be
killed. No one cares about Fulton
Street, except for a few business
owners and speculators who bought
buildings along it. Even the downtown revitalization folks have quietly
admitted that what the Assemis and
others are doing with mixed use
development north of Fresno Street is
not enough to sustain the revitalization effort for the long term.
The history of the baseball stadium
has been long and ugly. Mired in politics for years (which led to business
bankruptcies in the area), overbuilt,
with the worst lease terms in minor
league baseball, the Chuk has been a
financial sinkhole. The outdoor
events envisioned for the stadium
never really materialized, evidently
due to ignorance at City Hall.
Jacky Parks of the Fresno Police
Officers Association is right this
time. For the record, I've disagreed
with Mr. Parks on most things. But I
agree with him on these:
City involvement in the downtown
revitalization effort should end. If the
private sector wants to continue
investing in downtown, that's wonderful. But no taxpayer money should
be invested in the effort, until the
economy improves.
It is not the place for the city to be
providing social “safety net” services. That is the province of the
county. Responsibility for homeless
services should be handed over to the
board of supervisors, along with the
senior hot meal program.
The office of independent reviewer should not be reinstated, unless it
is granted investigative powers.
Otherwise, it's a money pit. The
2010-11 county civil grand jury concluded the OIR was a “feel good”
political move by the mayor that was
pointless unless it had real authority
to independently interview witnesses
and involved parties.
The mayor, city manager, and city
council are attacking police officers
now. They have an idea that people
will line up to do policing for slightly
above minimum wage. All I can say
is “Rampart scandal.”
FRESNO GLBT CALENDAR OF EVENTS: JULY
NewsLink
20 Fri 5p
2
“It's A Queer Thang” Radio Show - KFCF 88.1 FM
www.communitylinkfresno.com and www.kfcf.org
20 Fri 5:30p Creative workshop & Potluck @ Fresno LGBT Center, 1055
N Van Ness Ave #A, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
20 Fri 6p
Men's Mixer @ TBA
www.sunapsis.org/lgbt/mixer
20 Fri 6:30p Mariposa Azul - Meeting @ call Gaby for location
(559) 266-5650 (Spanish), mariposa-azul-fresno.com
20 Fri 8p
The Group In Fresno - Beverage Bust @ The Phoenix
4538 E Belmont Ave, www.tgifresno.org
20 Fri 8p
Dark Knight Rises Premiere Party @ The North Tower Circle
2777 N Maroa Ave, northtowercircle.com
20 Fri 10p Meatball Magic @ the Red Lantern
4618 E Belmont, www.redlantern.info
21 Sat 1p
Golden State Bears - Members' Pool Party
www.goldenstatebears.org
21 Sat 5p
Another Voice Bible Study - Potluck @ Big Red Church,
Fireside Room, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, bigredchurch.org
21 Sat 7p
SAA - Meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center, 1055 N Van Ness
Ave #A, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
21 Sat 8p
Yosemite Knights - Beer Bust
@ The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont, www.fresnophoenix.com
21 Sat 9p
The Lair Fetish Party @ The North Tower Circle
21 Sat 11p Ladies of Seduction - Show @ The Phoenix
4538 E Belmont Ave, www.fresnophoenix.com
JULY
22 Sun 10a Community Link - Board Meeting @ private residence
Jeff (559) 486-3464, communitylinkfresno.com
25 Wed 9a Project: MALE - HIV Think Tank
@ 1584 N Van Ness Ave, (559) 287-7666
26 Thu 2p We C.A.R.E. - Grupo Educativo En Espanol @ Specialty
Health Clinic, 290 N Wyate Ln, (559) 459-5101, wecarefresno.org
26 Thur 5p Golden State Bears - Cubbuccino & McFurry Social
@ McDonald's, 5666 N Blackstone, www.goldenstatebears.org
26 Thur 7p The Group In Fresno - Munch
www.tgifresno.org
26 Thurs 9p Bare Chested Bear Night @ the Red Lantern
26 Thurs - 29 Sun The Group In Fresno - Camp Perv 2012
in the Sierras, see tgifresno.org and follow FetLife link
27 Fri 8p
Esme's VARIEtease Show & Club Revolucion @ The North Tower
Circle, 2777 N Maroa Ave, northtowercircle.com
27 Fri 8p
Imperial Dove Court - Sunset Blvd Cocktail Party & Beer Bust
@ The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont, www.fresnophoenix.com
27 Fri
Blackout Party @ the Express
708 N Blackstone Ave, thefresnoexpress.com
28 Sat 7:30p Imperial Dove Court - A Cabaret Under The Stars
1745 N. Cornelia Ave, www.idcfresno.org
28 Sat 11p Chad Michaels @ The North Tower Circle
29 Sun 11a Golden State Bears - Fundraising Brunch @ private residence
e-mail [email protected], www.goldenstatebears.org
29 Sun 2p Community Link's Gray Alliance - Games & Snacks
@ Big Red Church, Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd
Jerry (559) 261-9080, communitylinkfresno.com
29 Sun 5p LGBT Parents Social Group @ Fresno LGBT Center
1055 N Van Ness Ave #A, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
29 Sun 9p Mariposa Azul - Divas Night @ Los Amigos,
1752 W. Shaw Ave, mariposa-azul-fresno.com
29 Sun
A Night of a Rising Star featuring the Centerfolds
@ Club Legends, 3075 N Maroa Ave, fresnoclublegends.com
AUGUST
2 Thurs 7-8p Women's Coming Out Social & Support Group @ Fresno LGBT
Center, 1055 N. Van Ness Ave, #A, fresnolgbtcenter.org
2 Thurs 7p Another Voice Bible Study - LGBTQII Bible Discussion @ Big
Red Church Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, bigredchurch.org
3 Fri 6p
Men's Mixer @ TBA
3 Fri 6:30p Mariposa Azul - Meeting @ call Gaby for location
(559) 266-5650 (Spanish), mariposa-azul-fresno.com
3 Fri 7p
CMA / NA / AA - Meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center
3 Fri 7p
Trans-e-motion - Social Meeting @ Ming's, 1414 N Van Ness Ave,
(559) 646-5806, trans-e-motion.org
3 Fri 10p
Meatball Magic @ the Red Lantern
4 Sat 5p
Trans-e-motion - Support Meeting @ call for location
(559) 646-5806, trans-e-motion.org
4 Sat 8p
Golden State Bears - Beverage Bust
@ The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont, goldenstatebears.org
5 Sun 1p
Golden State Bears - Meeting
5 Sun 6p
Wesley Celebration GLBTQ service @ Wesley United Methodist
Church, John Wesley Hall, 1343 E. Barstow Ave, wesleyfresno.org
6 Mon 7p
Imperial Dove Court - Meeting @ Diana's Dance Studio
802 N. Fulton St., www.idcfresno.org
7 Tues 6p We C.A.R.E. - English Support Group for those infected & those
affected @ Community Regional Medical Center Sequoia Rm E or W,
2823 Fresno St., first-timers please call (559) 577-7109, wecarefresno.org
@ 1584 N Van Ness Ave, (559) 287-7666
8 Wed 6p Community Link's Gray Alliance - Dinner Night
8 Wed 6p Stonewall Democrats - Dinner & Meeting @ Carrows
4280 N. Blackstone Ave, www.fresnostonewall.com
9 Thurs 6p We C.A.R.E. - Member Meeting @ Community Regional
Med. Center Pacifica Rm, 2823 Fresno St, wecarefresno.org
9 Thurs 7-9p Coming Out Support & Social Group @ Fresno LGBT Community
Center, 1055 N. Van Ness Ave, suite A, fresnolgbtcenter.org
10 Fri 6:30p Golden State Bears - Game & Movie Night
10 Sat 9p Phi Phi O'Hara @ the Express
708 N Blackstone Ave, thefresnoexpress.com
12 Sun 2p PFLAG - Meeting @ Wesley United Methodist Church
1343 E. Barstow Ave, www.pflag.org, (559) 434-6540
12 Sun 8p Imperial Dove Court - Second Sunday ICP Show
@ the Red Lantern, 4618 E Belmont, www.idcfresno.org
15 Wed 6:30p Golden State Bears - Dinner Night
16 Thurs 7p Another Voice Bible Study - LGBTQII Bible Discussion @ Big
Red Church Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd, bigredchurch.org
17 Fri 5p
“It's A Queer Thang” Radio Show - KFCF 88.1 FM
www.communitylinkfresno.com and www.kfcf.org
Advertising Submission Information
Submission deadline:
1st day of the month
All submissions are to be sent via E-mail at
[email protected] All Ads must be sized to fit
our format.
Articles and Calendar infomation
All submissions should be Emailed to
[email protected] by the 1st day of the month
Letters to the Editor
Please keep letters brief and to the point; we
reserve the right to edit all letters as deemed necessary. Letters must include name and phone
number of the writer.
Advertising Rates
Once (One Month)
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$15.
1/8 page Ad..........................$30.
1/4 page Ad..........................$60.
1/2 page Ad........................$120.
Full page Ad.......................$240.
Staff
Editor........................................Jeff Robinson
Assistant Editor ....................................Kirk C
Proofreader...........................Dan Waterhouse
Research Editor...................Juan Bustamante
Accounts Receivable.............................Kirk C
Advertising Coordinator...........Jeff Robinson
Calendar Coordinator........................... Kirk C
Distribution..Lorraine Wing, Kevin Caldwell,
Daniel Corona, Tony O, Whitney W, Don
The rate for ad work is $25
Quarterly (Three Months)
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$13.
1/8 page Ad..........................$25.
1/4 page Ad..........................$50.
1/2 page Ad........................$110.
Full page Ad......................$215.
Six Months
For Each Ad
Business card.......................$10.
1/8 page Ad..........................$20.
1/4 page Ad..........................$40.
1/2 page Ad..........................$80.
Full page Ad......................$175.
Color advertising now available at an addition $100. to the above rates
Advertising Dimensions
Business card
Horizontal....................... 31/2”w x 2”h
1/8 page Ad
9 3/4”w x 1 15/16”h
2 5/16”w x 7 7/8” h
4 7/8”w x 3 7/8”h
Horizontal.......................
Vertical..........................
Box..............................
1/4 page Ad
9 3/4”w x 3 7/8”h
2 5/16”w x 16”h
4 7/8”w x 7 7/8”h
1/2 page Ad
Horizontal....................... 9 3/4”w x 7 7/8”h
Vertical.......................... 4 7/8”w x 16”h
Full page Ad
................................... 10 1/4”w x 16”h
Horizontal.......................
Vertical..........................
Box..............................
MEDIA SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
Community Link will consider media sponsorships of nonprofit events that are
open and free to the community or at reduced rate for advertising for fundraising
events that include a donation/addmission charge when a writen request has been
submitted to [email protected] no less then six weeks prior to the event.
Community Link must be listed on all promotional materials including digital and
electronic media sources as a MEDIA SPONSOR. Other terms and conditions to be
negoiated on an individaul basis. For further information go to www.comunitylinkfresno.com
Content and
Advertising Policy
The News Link reserves the
right to refuse any written content and graphics that are
explicitly sexual in nature.
Including logos and advertisements. No portrayal of genitalia
or real or simulated sexual
activities are appropriate for
publication in the News Link,
Pink Pages, Pride Program or
any other Community Link
publication.
We reserve the right to edit
content and ads without notification.
Board of Directors
Jeff Robinson
Male-Cochair & CEO
Lorraine Wing
Female-Cochair
Kevin Caldwell
Secretary
Juan Bustamante
Treasurer
Liz Brown & Lupe
Gray Alliance Representatives
Rachel Wilson
David Bergant
Youth Alliance Representatives
At-Large Members of the Board of Directors:
Renee Potik, Kay Taus,
Jerry & Ron,
Rich Howard, Kirk,
Mark McKay,
Andrew Strambi
Subscribe to News Link today!
Yes, I would like to become
a subscriber of
Get your News Link delivered directly to your address.
The News Link comes in a
plain envelope, respecting
your privacy. We never sell
or trade our subscription
lists.
A subscription is
$25.00 per year.
12 issues per year
plus any
special editions
News Link
___Individual - $25.
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Telephone#:
E-Mail Address:
Send your subscription application to:
Community Link
P. O. Box 4959,
Fresno, CA. 93744
WEEKLY GLBT & FRIENDLY EVENTS IN FRESNO
* Mondays 10pm: Unzipped, 18+ GLBT night @ Aldo's, 617 W. Belmont Ave,
facebook.com/gilbert.navarro777, (559) 473-9362
* Tuesdays 6:30pm: Clogging Classes @ The Dance Studio of Fresno, 7491 N.
Palm Bluff Ave., cagroundpounders.com, Barry (559) 259-9904
* Tuesdays 7-8pm: LGBT Alcoholics Anonymous meeting @ Fresno LGBT
Center, 1055 Van Ness Ave, suite A, [email protected]
* Wednesdays 6:30pm: United Student Pride @ CSUFresno, meets in USU 311,
listserv.csufresno.edu/archives/usp.html
* Wednesdays & Thursdays 8:30am-11am, 1pm-3:30pm: Confidential HIV testing;
Wednesdays 8:30am-11am: Anonymous HIV testing @ Fresno Co. Dept. of
Community Health, 1221 Fulton Mall,1st floor specialty clinic, (559) 445-3434
* Thursdays 6pm: Queer VolleyBall @ Quigley Park, W Dakota & N Teilman,
Juan (559) 486-3464, www.communitylinkfresno.com
* Thursdays 7:15pm: Community Link's Rainbow Bowling League @ AMF Sierra
Lanes,
6450
N
Blackstone
Ave;
Rich
(559)
824-1417,
www.communitylinkfresno.com
* Fridays 7p - 8:30p: LGBTQI Youth Alliance @ Big Red Church, 2131 N. Van
Ness Ave, www.communitylinkfresno.com
* Sundays 7:30pm: Fresbians coffee meet up at Revue Cafe, 620 E Olive Ave, facebook.com/fresbians
*
TBA:
Diversity
Fresno
City
College
GLBT
group,
h t t p : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a g e s / F r e s n o - C i t y - C o l l e g e - D i v e r s i t y Club/184646471583389
* GayCentralValley office / Fresno LGBT Community Center open Wed - Sat 125pm @1055 N. Van Ness Ave, suite A, (559) 325-4429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
* 1st Sundays 7:30pm, 2nd 3rd 4th Mondays 7pm: Fresno Gay Men's Chorus Signups & Practice @ Fresno LGBT Center, 1055 N Van Ness Ave #A, (559) 3254429, fresnolgbtcenter.org
* Sundays 6pm LGBT Crystal Meth Anonymous meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center,
1055 N Van Ness Ave #A, (559) 325-4429, www.fresnolgbtcenter.org
Corrections? E-mail: [email protected]
NewsLink
How to reach us by mail:
News Link c/o Community Link, Inc. P.O. Box 4959, Fresno, Ca. 93744
News Link's E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Community Link's E-Mail Address:[email protected]
By phone: (559) 486-3464
17 Fri 5:30p Creative workshop & Potluck @ Fresno LGBT Center
17 Fri 6p
Men's Mixer @ TBA
17 Fri 6:30p Mariposa Azul - Meeting @ call Gaby (559) 266-5650
for location (Spanish), mariposa-azul-fresno.com
17 Fri 8p
Golden State Bears - Bear Frenzy 18: Meet & Greet
@ The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont, goldenstatebears.org
17 Fri 10p Meatball Magic @ the Red Lantern
18 Sat 7p
SAA - Meeting @ Fresno LGBT Center
18 Sat 8p
Golden State Bears - Bear Frenzy 18: Mr. Golden State Bear & Cub
contest @ The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont, goldenstatebears.org
19 Sun 11a Golden State Bears - Bear Frenzy 18: Brunch @ Yosemite Falls Cafe
4278 W Ashlan Ave, goldenstatebears.org
19 Sun 6p Wesley Celebration GLBTQ service @ Wesley United Methodist
Church, John Wesley Hall, 1343 E. Barstow Ave, wesleyfresno.org
20 Mon 6:30p Yosemite Knights - Meeting & Dinner @ Carrows
4280 N Blackstone Ave, www.kofmfresno.com
21 Tues 6p We C.A.R.E. - English Support Group for those infected & those
affected @ Community Regional Medical Center Sequoia Rm E or W,
2823 Fresno St., first-timers please call (559) 577-7109, wecarefresno.org
@ 1584 N Van Ness Ave, (559) 287-7666
24 Fri - 26 Sun
The Group In Fresno - Anniversary Ball #14 @ Holiday Inn
Airport, 5090 E. Clinon, tgifresno.org (follow Fetlife link)
25 Sat 6p
Imperial Dove Court - A Luau in the South Pacific
@ 5415 E Washington Ave, www.idcfresno.org
25 Sat 7:30p Reading of "8" The Play by Fresno City College Theatre Arts &
Dance Department and The Diversity Club @ Fresno City College,
1101 E. University Ave, www.8theplay.com
26 Sun 2p Community Link's Gray Alliance - Games & Snacks @Big Red
Church, Fireside Rm, 2131 N Van Ness Blvd
26 Sun 2p We C.A.R.E. - Grupo Educativo En Espanol @ Specialty
Health Clinic, 290 N Wyate Ln, (559) 459-5101, wecarefresno.org
26 Sun 5p LGBT Parents Social Group @ Fresno LGBT Center
26 Sun 6p Our Stories Committee - Back to School BBQ & Fundraiser
@ O'Neill Park on CSU Fresno campus, E. Barstow Ave.,
gaycentralvalley.org
26 Sun 9p Mariposa Azul - Divas Night @ Los Amigos,
1752 W. Shaw Ave, mariposa-azul-fresno.com
26 Sun
A Night of a Rising Star featuring the Centerfolds @ Club Legends,
3075 N Maroa Ave, fresnoclublegends.com
27 Mon - 30 Thur Camping Women San Joaquin Valley Chapter - Annual
Campout @ Sunset Campground in Kings Canyon National Park,
campingwomen.org
30 Thur 5p Golden State Bears - Cubbuccino & McFurry Social
@ McDonald's, 5666 N Blackstone, www.goldenstatebears.org
30 Thur 7p The Group In Fresno - Munch
www.tgifresno.org
AUGUST CALENDAR, continued
3
dents of Fresno City College. The presentation is free, but limited to the first
420 guests at the theatre. After the
performance there will be a discussion
about the play and the issues it raises.
Get Tickets: Performance begins at
7:30 PM. Free admission. No reservations. Tickets are distributed on a firstcome-first-serve basis. For questions,
call the Fresno City College Box
Office at (559) 442-8221.
Saturday, August 25, 2012 at
Fresno City College, 1101 E.
University Ave.
http://www.8theplay.com/readings/fresno-city-college/
AIDS Walk Fresno
in the Planning Stages
WestCare's The Living Room is
proud to announce that we will be
having the AIDS walk this year.
Initial plans have begun and we are
confirming date, place and time. We
are shooting for Woodward Park on
October 27, 2012.
We need volunteers and of course
participants. Help us make this the
Central Valleys best AIDS walk ever,
show everyone we care about those
living with HIV/AIDS, and want to
halt the spread of the virus.
Please feel free to contact Toni
Harrison at 559 486-1469.
"8" The Play
NewsLink
Fresno City College Theatre Arts
and Dance Department in collaboration with The Diversity Club will present a reading of Dustin Lance Black's
play “8.” Using interviews and trial
transcripts, “8” details the federal lawsuit
to
overturn
California's
Proposition 8. Please join us for this
special event featuring the theatre stu-
4
predators are welcome. The posibilities are mammoth!
The dates for Kampout are
September 7-9, and as always, it will
be at Texas Flat Campground. The
price is still $25 per Kamper. This
includes
your
kampsite,
the
Progressive Kocktail Party, 2 beer
busts, dinner on Saturday, and 2
breakfasts. This year's dinner will be
beef
kabobs,
pilaf
and
salad....mmmm, can you say meat on
a stick? Don't forget all the fun and
games throughout the weekend and
the fabulous Kampstravaganza Show.
Kampout is still the best bargain for
your entertainment buck.
So, mark your calendars and join us
for A Stone Age Kampout, we'll have
a gay old time!
For more information, visit
www.KampoutFresno.com
Back To School BBQ
and Fundraiser
Kampout Report
By Janet
Well, summer is definitely here,
and I bet you are as anxious as I am to
get up the hill to Kampout. It's just a
little over a month away, and the
Kampout Committee has been busy
putting all the details together.
This year's theme is A Stone Age
Kampout. Travel back in time with us
to the days of pre-modern humans for
what we think will be a very fun
Kampout. Now, of course, we know
that dinosaurs weren't around in the
Stone Age, but we're allowing alot of
leeway with this theme. Do you want
to build a "Fred" car...do it. Giant
On August 26th, at 6:00 pm, the
Our Stories Committee in conjunction
with Fresno State's United Student
Pride, My LGBT Plus, The Fresno
City College Diversity Club, the local
Gay Straight Alliance, and Gay
Central Valley will be hosting a Back
To School BBQ and fundraiser.
The event, which will take place at
O'Neil Park near the university, will
feature the normal tabling and educational resources as well as park games
and food.
The Our Voices Anthology
Committee formed last summer as a
special project between United
Student Pride and Gay Central Valley.
The committee is made up of students
and community volunteers who wanted to create a compilation of stories,
poems, and art that would showcase
the variety of LGBT+ experiences in
the Central Valley.
The end result, which was published partly by a grant through the
Fresno Undergraduate Research
Program, is a glossy 50 page bound
anthology that contains poems, art
work, and personal stories from all
over the Central Valley and gives
voices to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender and Straight Ally communities.
Since its publication in October
2011, the Our Stories: Voices of the
LGBT+ Community Anthology has
become a common part of local youth
oriented outreach. There are copies
available to borrow and read at the
Fresno LGBT Community Center,
copies in the Arne Nixon Center (part
of the Henry Madden Library system
at Fresno State University), and perhaps most notably, seven copies in the
Fresno County Public Library circulation catalogue.
In the past four months, the committee has placed copies into six local
school libraries.
But six is just the starting point.
That is where the fundraising component comes in at the Back to School
BBQ. Entry is $2, which includes
give-a-ways by some of the tabling
groups, a BBQ dinner, prizes, games,
and an entry to win a copy of the
anthology. Proceeds will go to help
fund the printing and mailing costs of
getting the anthology into even more
schools, not just in Fresno County, but
all over the Central Valley.
For more information about this
event, contact Gay Central Valley at
559-325-4429.
by Terry Miller
I just got back home to Fresno
from AIDS Lifecycle, a grueling bicycle ride from the San Francisco Cow
Palace to the Veteran's Park in Los
Angeles (near the airport)... almost
600 miles! There were about 3,500
riders and 550 support people ("roadies"). I am not able to do the expense
and athletics of being a rider so I was
a roadie. It was not specifically athletic but did still include a lot of hard
work. I was on the pack-up crew (see
picture, I'm in top row, second from
left), which included packing up hundreds of chairs and long tables into
two large trucks. We also emptied and
packed up all the garbage cans and
related materials and placed them out
at the next camp. This also included
cleaning up all trash and garbage
(policing areas and emptying cans)
and disposing of full bags. It is surprising the amount of waste that is
generated by a group that includes
many naturalists, environmentalists,
etc. It hurt my Scottish heart to throw
away full containers of food (there
was no practical alternative for us at
the time of clean-up). Anyway, this
was 10-12 hours a day of hard work
including a lot of lifting.
All stops were camping at public
parks along the inner coast (like Paso
Robles). Most days were very windy
and cold at night. The time on
Ventura's beach was, surprisingly, the
best weather. Tuesday, out of Santa
Cruz, the riders experienced unseasonal rain and even hail. I decided I
no longer desire a home on the coast!
Reasons for doing the ride:
1) Many did it for the enjoyment of
the charities, the Los Angeles Gay &
Lesbian Center has multi-faceted
activities, including political ones,
that may or may not be 100% agreeable to all participants. But most of
these funds go directly to support for
persons with AIDS. They're the people that cannot get adequate support
from normal channels. They costs are
too high to be covered by ordinary
shelters or government aid. And these
are not the usual run of street people.
This disease knows no limits. Some
who have become destitute were
executives, small business owners, or
solid union workers who had to leave
their positions. Treatments are expensive and savings, pensions, insurance
limits, etc. are soon used up. Help is
definitely needed and organizations
such as these are a big benefit.
4) Those afflicted with AIDS. A
few people do this ride because of
feelings they have for those with
AIDS, perhaps they know someone
living with it or had a friend or relative pass away from AIDS-related
causes. Sometimes it is a combination
of any of the above. I think that is
why I did this. The black fedora you
see me wearing in the picture is not
exactly the ideal thing for this ride. It
gets caught in the wind and the black
color absorbs heat. It is a very expensive Stetson brand fedora and was in
danger of getting damaged. BUT it
belonged to Jerry Donofrio who died
from his AIDS complications on May
20, 2012, less than two weeks before
the ride. His previous partner wanted
me to wear it as a memorial to Jerry
and testament to other AIDS victims.
Jerry lived to age 76, in part due to
help he got from charities such as this.
And I have a couple other friends that
are living with this.
Continued on page 6
NewsLink
AIDS LifeCycle Ride
bicycling. It takes all year training to
do a ride as demanding as this. These
people are really dedicated to the
sport of cycling! One older straight
couple (without gay family, but with
gay friends) had also done Northwest
Lifecycle and (ugh!) Alaska Lifecycle
(I'm not clear on the exact names of
those rides). This is not a race. This is
a test of endurance for both riders and
roadies. Many are just trying to prove
a point: "I can do it!"
2) Many are "professional" fund
raisers. Each rider must raise $3,000
in donations to participate. They
raised more than $12.5 million! The
event cost millions to stage, but there
was still about $10 million left for the
charities! These people are not always
clear on the exact charity uses... the
fund raising activity is what they like.
This is their challenge, their "sport."
There is a heavy emphasis on fund
raising with this event, with lavish
praise for the top performers at each
meeting. Not surprisingly, it can get
competitive. This is not surprising for
most charities, including straight
ones, such as the Shriners.
A note about accusations of "elitism": yes, there is some, as with all
charities... but who do you think can
afford the bike equipment or the travel and hotel rooms needed at the start
and finish of these runs? Even just the
spandex pants alone can cost over
$100! Yes, some were actually discarded at the end of the race... These
are the people that can do it and/or
talk their friends into donating.
3) The charities. Some people actually have good knowledge of the specific charities and that is why they
support and participate. Many people
hear the word AIDS and assume it is
all for research. Not always the case,
and that is not the case here. One of
5
NewsLink
6
Paul Moore
Continued from page 1
Paul Bowtell Moore was born
September 9, 1940 in Saint Louis,
MO. He had the average normal childhood and graduated high school in St.
Louis. He had discovered his sexuality but did not have an interest in relationships at that time. He then went on
to graduate from Columbia College in
St. Louis with a BA in Chemistry.
He later entered the Navy (around
1967). He went to Officer's Training
School in 1968 and eventually became
a supplies officer on the USS
Sacramento in Viet Nam (he mentioned that his bunk area was below
the fog horn). After land duty at various stateside bases, he was released
from service in 1971.
Like many young men of that era,
he was confused about life and departed on a five year Walk Around The
World, starting in Washington.
Litterally walked... most of the time in
developed European and Asian countries. At one point, he discovered a gay
bar in New Orleans and fully came out
there.
Of course, he still spent a lot of
time in St. Louis and developed an
interest in motorcycles there. He
helped found the Blue Max Cycle
Club there in the '70s and has continued a strong relationship with motorcycle clubs ever since.
He stopped in San Francisco and
finally put his college degree to use
for the 7-Up Bottling Company. In
those days, soda companies made contracts with local bottlers. Paul went
from city to city as a Quality Control
manager. This included San Francisco
and Fresno.
While in San Francisco, Paul
roomed with a friend when he wasn't
on the road for 7-Up. Then in SF's
Brig Bar he met Gene Grimes. They
dated, but Paul lost Gene's address, so
it did not go farther. Much later,
around 2009, Gene became Paul's current partner! If he had not lost that
address, his life might have gone in a
very different direction.
Shortly thereafter (in the '70s), he
met Patrick Hipp in Fresno. It was
“Kismet” and Paul moved his base to
Fresno. Patrick was a divorced hair
dresser, still raising his children when
he and Paul became partners. They
remained together for almost 30 years
until Patrick passed away from complications of emphysema two years
ago. By chance, Gene Grimes rediscovered Paul, moved to Fresno and
has been his partner for the last few
years.
After ten or so years, Paul left 7-Up
to be a district representative for Rug
Doctor. That also lasted for almost ten
years before Paul retired. What to do
in retirement? First, open a custom
leather store in the Tower district, and
then open a gay bar. Patrick and Paul
bought the old Cave bar in Fresno and
renamed it The Den in 2001. Paul
managed the business and turned it
into a mainstay for Fresno's gay community. It was one of the few places in
Fresno that maintained the old style
neighborhood gay pub atmosphere.
After an ill-timed fire damaged the bar
in 2010, they sold it and it is now The
Phoenix.
Part of the Den's popularity was
Paul's long standing involvement in
gay community groups. As mentioned
before, Paul had early involvement
with the motorcycle clubs with his
membership in the Blue Max and
Gateway Motorcycle Club groups in
St. Louis. He also participated in the
famous Satyrs' Badger Flat runs since
the early 80's. More recently he was
involved with the Golden Gate Guards
and Rainbow MCs out in San
Francisco. In the early 80's Paul was
on the cover of Drummer Magazine,
which catered to the leather and MC
groups.
Locally, he was a long time member of the Golden State Bears and was
their Mr. Golden State Bear in 2006.
The Bears used the Den as their base
bar and held their popular pool party
fund raisers at Paul's house. He was
one of the founding members of the
Central Valley Motorcycle Club
(CVMC) in 1981. CVMC later turned
into the Knights of Malta Yosemite
Chapter (and is now the Yosemite
Knights KofM Fresno), of which Paul
was also a member; during his years in
the club he competed for the title of
Mr. Central California Cheeks 'N'
Chaps, performed BDSM demos and
was a judge at Central California
Leatherfest. He was also a member
and supporter of the Imperial Dove
Court de Fresno / Madera Inc. and
TGIF (The Group In Fresno). He
loved to sing and was a member of the
Fresno Gay Men's Chorus and would
always participate at the Den's
karaoke nights. His business supported and he participated in Kampout
Fresno for years. And as butch as he
was, he wasn't afraid to throw on a
wig and a dress for the Bears'
“Bearlesque Bearded Beauties”
shows; at the end of one of these
shows he lifted his dress to reveal
“The End” written with a marker on
his butt!
Paul is survived by his current partner, Gene Grimes and his adopted
brother, John Moore, cartoonist and
writer.
The biggest draw for the Den was
Paul's welcoming personality. The
patrons referred to him as "Papa." He
was loved by many and will be missed
but not forgotten.
AIDS Lifecycle
Continued from page 5
They are "healthy" and still doing
well in their jobs and living in decent
quarters thanks to progress that has
been made on this disease.
There is a group of Positive
Peddlers who do this ride despite their
affliction. One of the best reasons I
heard for being on this ride came from
a very healthy-looking man with
AIDS, who said he did it to prove a
point to his co-workers. If he showed
them he could do this difficult challenge, maybe they would stop bugging
him with their pity. Pride and self
esteem is part of our health.
You should do this too, for one of
the above reasons. Be a part of a good
cause and get good exercise. I am
happy I was able to do it once. I may
not be able to do it again for health
and money reasons, but at least I did it
once!
It was hot, it was dark and it sure
was ugly on the “stage” at The
Phoenix on the evening of Saturday,
June 30th. The Golden State Bears
and invited guests held a fundraising
event, “Burlesque Bearded Beauties”,
which raised approximately $400 for
the club's Charity Fund.
The evening started off with a
home-cooked dinner of pasta, meatballs, bread and salad, cooked and
served by current Mr. Golden State
Bear, Jason and Mr. Golden State
Cub, Alex. After the guests finished
with their food, several clips from
past BBB shows were shown on the
patio for their viewing pleasure. Soon,
the patio filled up and we started the
show. Most of the entertainers did
drag for the first or second time, and
we had fun on stage with that! We
aimed to hear “Ewww” or “Look at
that ugly one!” from the audience, and
boy, did we succeed!
We'd like to mention and thank all
of the performers that evening: GSB
members Kevin, Karl, Jules, Kirk,
Bryce, Jason, Alex, Andy; and guest
performers: Fresno Gay Men's
Chorus, John F. (Krystal McGuire),
Carol Lozano, Harry Valdez (Trixie
Delight), Marshall H. (Anna KneeCola) and Lazarus (Sister Charity
Caseoflove). Also thanks to The
contest at The Phoenix. Desserts will
be provided by the Yosemite Knights
K of M Fresno. Contestants from
Central Valley (roughly between
Stockton and Bakersfield) are wanted! See website for application and
details!
- Sunday, August 19th, 11am-1pm
Brunch at Yosemite Falls Cafe, 4278
W. Ashlan Ave. We have a semi-private room to ourselves!
For more details, last minute
changes, and pricing info, visit:
www.GoldenStateBears.org
2013 Theme Wanted
Coninued from the Front page
With themes of previous years
including Love is Greater Than Hate,
Out in the Valley, Legally Proud, and
last year's theme of One Nation Under
the Rainbow, our themes vary in
meaning but all resemble the same
message of hope and moving forward
in our movement toward equality.
So if you think you can contribute
your creative abilities to our event's
theme, please means submit your
artistic piece. This is a great way to
show your support for your community and show off your talent at the
same time. For more information
please visit www.fresnorainbowpride.com or call (559) 266- LINK.
You can also e-mail [email protected]
Remember your theme could help
make the best Pride this valley has
seen yet!
by Kevin & Kirk Caldwell
Girl, You Are Beautiful!”,
It will be a long time before you'll
see these (sometimes) butch bears in
dresses, so watch out for the DVD visit www.goldenstatebears.org.
Other upcoming GSB events:
- Saturday, July 21st, 1-7pm Members' Pool Party! This year, to
participate in the parties, you have to
become a member to find out where
they'll be held and to attend.
- Thursday, July 26th, 5-7pm Cubbuccino & McFurry coffee social
@ McDonalds, 5666 N Blackstone
Ave, all are welcome! Stop by &chat.
- Sunday, July 29th, 11am-1pm Fundraising Brunch @ private residence, $15; menu includes all-youcan-eat pancakes, plus egg benedict,
Polish deviled eggs, chicken kabob,
veggie kabob, grilled pineapple, hash
browns, OJ or milk, coffee or tea; ask
your friendly GSB member to be
invited!
- Saturday, August 4th - Hot
Diggity Dog beer bust at The
Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont Ave,
Fresno. Kick off to Bear Frenzy (see
below) and hot dog eating contest!
Bear Frenzy XVIII weekend:
This year, our annual Mr. Golden
State Bear & Cub contest weekend,
Bear Frenzy, has the theme” “Iron
Bear: The Search For The Next Great
Meat”. The weekend will be scaled
down, compared to past years, due to
the loss of Paul Moore, who'd host
Frenzy pool parties.
The events will include:
- Friday, August 17th, 8pm-12am
Meet & Greet and Beverage Bust at
The Phoenix, 4538 E Belmont Ave,
with food provided by the Imperial
Dove Court de Fresno / Madera, Inc.
- Saturday, August 18th, 8pm Mr.
Golden State Bear & Cub 2012-13
Open Daily From 2 pm to 2 am
Happy Hour
Daily from 2 pm to 8 pm
Karaoke
Every Wednesday and Sunday
at 9 pm
with $2.00 Domestic Draft
Bare Chest Party
Everty Other Thursday
at 9 pm
$2.00 Domestic Draft if Shirtless
Next Dates are
July 26 and August 12
Imperial Dove Court Second
Sunday Show
August 12 at 7:30 pm
Sunday Beer Bash Every Week
$2.00 Domestic Draft
from 2 pm to 2 am
Free Bar-B-Q at 6:00 pm
NewsLink
Bearded Beauties Behind,
Bear Frenzy Next!
Phoenix, and everyone who came out!
The songs “performed” on stage
were usually parodies of other songs
and none of us took ourselves seriously, even with our drag names. Kevin's
alias was Squirrely Bassey, and “she”
lipsynced to “Dildoes Are Forever”,
complete with rubber and plastic
props and Karl in an inflatable dildo
outfit; Kirk was a cheerleader named
Flexia Sphincter, and he did a parody
of “Mickey”, titled “Jesus”, with
Bryce starring in the title role; Jules
(aka Shirley DeHussy) convinced us
he was no “Side Dish”, even though
he had a plate of fake food glued to
his hair; Jason (aka Selena Kyle) was
pretending to be “Just A Girl”; Alex
(aka Alexis Isla-Vafista) nearly broke
his ankles, walking in high heels for
the first time during “God Made Me A
Drag Queen”; Bryce transformed
from a somewhat-feminine girl into a
butch lesbian during “I Wish I Was A
Lesbian”; Karl (aka The Queen Of
San Joaquin) felt very proud of
“Fresno, My Hometown”; Krystal
McGuire turned out to be a “White
Trash Girl”; Sister Charity Caseoflove
(of Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence)
recited slam poetry as Celine Dion;
Carol & Harry (aka Sugarlips C*nttoo-low
&
Honeybunny
Whiskerfinger) reversed gender to
show us we can all enjoy
“Heterosexual Sex”; Miss Anna
Knees nearly carried “Santa's Baby”
to term; and who can forget the opening number with “Fresno Gay Men's
(but we also welcome bisexuals, have
a token straight guy and there were a
couple of lesbians and a trans person
performing with us) Chorus” as
“Seven Little Girls Sitting In The
Backseat”, or the closing number with
Andy and all of the Beauties in “Big
7
NewsLink
8
GCV & LGBT Community
Center News
Chris Jarvis - Gay Central Valley
Gay Central Valley and the Fresno
LGBT Community Center websites
have been re-designed and are up and
running at www.gaycentralvalley.org
and www.fresnolgbtcenter.org . We
will soon be re-designing the site for
The Rainbow Delegation, which is
now a project of Gay Central Valley.
The current site is still up and running
at www.rainbowdelegation.org
Gay Central Valley has also established our own news and information
blog...Gay Central Valley Blog. You
can find it at www.gaycentralvalleyblog.com. Please contact us through
[email protected] if you are
interested in writing for us or to submit your articles, photos, etc.
Visit our sites to see our latest
photo uploads, including our most
recent event, the NOH8 Open Photo
Shoot...
Our library at the Community
Center is expanding and now much
more organized, thanks to Lisa White,
our new librarian and our new library
software. We've added more books
and made the system much easier.
Please visit us to check out our wide
selection of books, magazines and
DVDs, all available to borrow
through our library system for free.
The Community Center now hosts
LGBT MOVIE NIGHTS every
Wednesday evening, sponsored by
the Fresno Express. Austin Villa is
your host for movie nights and supplies fresh popcorn to enjoy while
watching on our new widescreen TV
and Blu-Ray DVD Player, generously
donated by the Fresno Express.
We have purchased a new air conditioner for use by all facilitators and
groups on the weekends. You can
continue to beat the heat at the
Community Center every weekend.
We have added several new LGBT
Groups to our calendar, including
LGBT Parenting, Recovery From
Religion, CoDA and Al-Anon groups.
More are in the works...please visit
www.fresnolgbtcenter.org for a calendar of groups and events. Another
Crazy Squirrel game day is also in the
works, stay tuned.
The Fresno LGBT Community
Center will host a Cancer Screening
Seminar on August 25th at the Center.
There will be two free seminars that
Saturday. Check our website for more
info as the event approaches.
Gay Central Valley now offers
Cultural Competency Training for
local businesses and organizations.
We had a very successful training
with the Marjaree Mason Center
recently and we are looking forward
to working with more businesses to
promote LGBT awareness. Visit
www.gaycentralvalley.org for more
information.
The Laramie Project - 10 Years
Later was a huge success and we've
already booked a date in 2013 to
bring the SF New Conservatory
Theater Center back to perform a new
play. The play will once again be
hosted by Gay Central Valley and will
take place at the Universalist
Unitarian Church in Fresno.
Thank you to all those who came
out to our LGBT Fireworks Stand this
year. We want to especially thank all
the great volunteers who gave their
time every day to make it a successful
experience. Look for us again next
year.
The first Fresno NOH8 Open
Photo Shoot was a massive success
(see related story in this issue of
NewsLink). We were so happy to
bring the NOH8 group to Fresno for
the first time and allow all 500 of
those who had their photos taken to
share their silent protest with the
world. Gay Central Valley will continue to work at bringing national
groups to Fresno.
Gay Central Valley has created
new pages on both the GCV site and
the Community Center site just for
volunteer opportunities. Check them
out to see how you can volunteer with
Gay Central Valley to make a difference in your community.
The Fresno LGBT Community
Center is open Wednesday through
Saturday, from Noon-5PM. We are
located at 1055 N Van Ness Avenue,
Suite A, Fresno, CA 93728. Our 24
hour phone number is 559-325-4429.
CORRECTION!
Oopps we groofed!Last month we
recieved permission to reprint some
fabulous photos of Fresno Rainbow
Pride The photographer credit should
have been J.T. Shaw. Sorry J.T.
Jacob Woods, GayFresno.com
Jamie Nabozny agreed to this interview shortly after testifying to the bullying task force established in
Minnesota by Governor Mark Dayton
in an executive order . Jamie Nabozny
won a Landmark Lawsuit in Federal
court which rocked the public education system with the message that no
child should be bullied. This does
include people who identify as
Lesbian,
Gay,
Bisexual,
or
Transgendered. The Governor's
Bullying Prevention Task Force aims
to have individuals and panels speak
in "listening sessions" about the issue
of bullying. Through listening, they
seek to gather information on effective
measures to stop bullying. But, the
question I find more curious, is how
did Jamie Nabozny go from bullied
teen, to a full time activist rockstar?
Q: What were the main points covered in your testimony to the task
force on bullying?
A: I spoke about the need to
involve students in the process of
Q: When did you start realizing that
speaking up/testifying and advocating
was something you could do full
time? Was the transition from being a
bullied teen to activist abrupt or gradual? And what was that change like?
Any defining moments?
A: Well I spent several years
speaking out after my case. I then
stopped abruptly because I no longer
wanted to be that kid from Wisconsin
that got beat up. That's how I saw
myself. Making the film "Bullied"
helped me to see things very differently and I could no longer continue
working my corporate job when so little had change and I knew I had more
to add to the conversation. So I left
Wells Fargo in the Summer of 2010
and started working full time as a Safe
School Advocate.
Q: In school, during the time you
were being bullied, did it occur to you
that you would consider being
involved in activism? Most people
don't expect a documentary to be
made about them nor a landmark case
to be brought through the courts, but,
did you ever consider being an outgoing and outspoken educator to any
extent?
A:Never. I was quiet and shy and
other aspiring activists who want to
make a powerful impact? Should the
topic be personal, and how much can
the little things like just calling people
out and educating friends, family,
peers help?
A: I think the most important thing
is to be yourself, connect with the
audience, and don't be afraid to ask
people to change their behavior and
thinking.
Q: Do you think you will continue
your career of changing lives for the
better? Or are there some "other fish
to fry" so to speak?
A: I don't know how long I will be
blessed enough to keep doing this but
I have no plans to stop. The students
need me and as long as I'm making a
difference, I will keep doing what I'm
doing.
Q: Has anyone from your school
back in Wisconsin apologized for
either bullying you or for being an
innocent bystander who never spoke
up? If so, what did they have to say?
A: Most of the apologies I've
received have been from the
bystanders. They say they wish they
had stood up or at least reached out to
be friends with me. I've also heard
from the step-son of a former bully
who told me that he is still a bully. He
now bullies his mother, his siblings
and himself.
Q: I see on your website you will be
getting married in September 2012!
(Congrats by the way! Is marriage
something you had long hoped for,
something you saw in your future
when you were still coping with the
traumas attached to being bullied?
What did you think of marriage then?
And now in terms of the Minnesota
amendment proposed?)
Continued on page13
Interview with Jamie
Nabozny: From Bullied
Teen to Full Time Activist
really only thought about surviving. I
thought very little about my future, I
just knew it wouldn't be in Ashland.
Q: When speaking to students and
educators on bullying, or preparing for
your next educational tour, do you get
at all anxious or fearful?
A: I don't get anxious or fearful. I
am constantly going over what I do
and making sure I'm as effective as
possible. I also have learned that students and educators are different
depending on the area of country and
if I'm in a rural, suburban, or inner
city. I do spend most of my time in
small towns and rural areas.
Q: (For me, as someone who also
grew up and attended high school in a
rural area, imagining overcoming the
fears and anxieties attached to going
to school in a toxic environment, and
the fears and anxieties in public speaking while approaching powerful policy makers, is terrifying. The gut fear
would be one in the same. Has that
feeling subsided with experience?)
A: Yeah. I am much more confident and less anxious now.
Q: As you are working to educate
and advocate, who motivates you and
what drives your activism? How did
the transformation from bullied to
activist really take shape in the context of your work?
A: What drives me is my contact
with youth on Facebook and my website. Hearing that my film or presentation made a difference for them,
helped them come out, or changed
their school to be more accepting. I
feel so inspired and ready to take on
my next challenge.
Q: Bullying in schools is a very
precise topic to address amongst all
the tribulations Queer identified folks
face. What advice do you have for
NewsLink
dealing with bullying. I explained that
students know who's being bullied,
who's doing it, where, when, how and
usually why. Most adults have very
limited information. I told them if students are not part of the solutions they
come up with they won't succeed. I
also talked about the need to teach
empathy in grade schools and felt it
should be mandated. I asked they not
advise criminalizing the behavior of
bullying and to avoid zero tolerance
approaches. That about covers it.
9
∏
∏
∏
∏
Enlighten Me!
By Mark Langenfeld,
special to News Link
BEING MORE
SELF-AWARE
Our feelings can serve us well-provided we keep in control of them
so our feelings do not control us. What
is important is that we learn from our
emotional reactions. Pay attention to
how you react to situations, threats,
complements, insults, assurances, etc.
As you develop a better awareness of
your feelings, you also develop a
greater awareness of what goes on
around you.
Far too often, we impulsively react
to things without conscious thought.
Another driver on the highway impolitely cuts us off, so without thinking,
we flip the driver off. A cashier is rude
to us, so we are automatically rude in
return. We do not give it any thought.
It is as though we are sleepwalking
through life.
But, we do not have to impulsively
reflect the negative energy that is
shown to us. There is another way. We
can be energy converters. That's right.
We can actually learn to return a smile
for a frown. People can train themselves to change their pessimistic
thoughts into optimistic ones. You are
only responsible for your own actions,
not the actions of the other person.
Therefore, you only need to concern
yourself with controlling your own
thoughts and feelings.
You can convert your own negative
Same location
for your vitamin
& food supplement needs
since 1955
237-8479
energy into positive by first consciously being aware of your
thoughts. Thoughts are what give us
our perspective, attitude and point of
view. Our thoughts lead to our interpretation of the situation. It is how we
give events positive or negative meaning. So you see, when you change
your thoughts, you literally change
your interpretation of things. And,
once your interpretation is optimistic,
your feelings naturally become positive as well.
Let's give a practical case in point.
Picture the scene. There you are at the
post office. The place is packed. You
were hoping to just run in and out-after all, you are on your lunch break,
right? Well, wouldn't you know it; the
line is practically a mile long. You can
feel the tension building within yourself already. You are sure that everyone else in there is feeling uncomfortable too because no one will look each
other in the eye. You look at your
watch and realize that you are already
late.
Well, by the time you get up to the
counter, you are so high strung the
anxiety radiates from you like heat.
You glare at the person on the other
side of the counter who is trying to
serve you and bluntly state that all you
want is a simple book of stamps.
(Heavy sigh.) The stress fills the
room.
After concluding your postal business, you race out the door, hop in
your vehicle and almost back into
another car in the parking lot in your
rush to get back to work. Why do people have to be so rude, you think?
And, that postal worker; what was her
problem? I can't believe how inconsiderate people are in this town. She
didn't even smile as she was giving me
Tower Health
& Diet Foods
1130 N. Fulton at Olive
In the Tower District
∏
NewsLink
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5:30 Sat 9-5 Sun 11-4 Closed Major Hoildays
10
my stamps.
Now, let's pause and reflect on the
situation for a moment. You were in
such a hurry that you didn't give yourself time to act consciously. Where
was your awareness? Were you conscious of your feelings? How could
you be? You were flying on automatic
pilot. And, your stressful energy
affected those around you. Since you
could not force the people in line to
move faster, you started stewing in
your own stress hormones. You started
projecting your own uncontrolled
emotions onto those around you and
saw your own reflection in their faces.
The person working the counter was
simply reacting to you.
So, how could things have been different? Well, you could start by owning your own shadow. Become more
aware of your thoughts and feelings.
Instead of thinking about how pressed
you are for time, you can let go of trying to force things. Instead of hating
the other people for being ahead of
you in line, you can empathize with
them because they are probably feeling stressed out. Instead of passing on
your tension to the person behind the
counter, you can be grateful that she is
serving you and thank her.
Look at it this way, as you are flowing down the river of life, stay in the
flow of the current. Don't get caught
up in the log jams and tree branches
that hang over the bank. Stay in flow.
As you picture this river in your head,
notice how the fallen leaves float
effortlessly on the water. They do not
struggle; they do not hurry. You can
see the tips of the leaves sticking up
above the surface, yet you know that
there is more to the leave that is
unseen underneath. There is always
more to life than what is on the sur-
face; there is always more to learn.
Remember, the appeal to feel is
real. Just make sure your thoughts are
constructive so your feelings can be
uplifting. Our lifelong teacher is the
current moment--and it never abandons us.
Today's Loving Suggestion: This
day, be aware of your thoughts, feelings and environment. As you go
through your day, notice if you are
flowing smoothly down the river of
life. Avoid the side distractions on the
banks that lure you away from the
positive flow of energy. Control your
thoughts and you will control your
emotions.
Community Link News
Our Lavender Youth Prom has
been postponed till September. Please
stay tuned for future updates, including a date and location.
Our Annual Bowl-a-thon is also
being postponed. We are currently
looking for a new venue since Cedar
Lanes has closed. We need a place that
will offer us a decent rate and has a
welcoming environment for our free
expression of GLBT selves.
The Gray Alliance organizing
team will be meeting in the next two
weeks to redesign the program. Look
for new facilitaters, activities and days
for events.
Fresno Rainbow Pride will be
hosting a meeting to address the
“State of the Community” in early
October.
News Link is looking for new writers, columnist and assistant editors.
contact us at [email protected]
“Deranged:
Twenty
Song
Parodies for Gay Cabaret” by
Murray Sexton; published by Lethe
Press, June 2012, 180 pages.
Poking fun at twenty of the best
songs ever, Murray Sexton's cabaretstyle song parodies (or “derangements”) are by turns hilarious, clever,
precise, gay, leathery, sentimental,
deep and whimsical.
Sexton leaves no sacred cow
unmilked as he takes unflinching aim
at love, jealousy, open relationships,
loan sharks, the Red Velvet Armadillo
Groom's Cake from Steel Magnolias,
and what folks call “beer goggles” (or
as he phrases it, the “Cosmopolitan
Eye”). Also: celebrities who died of
drug overdoses (provided their names
rhyme).
Enjoy such signature solos as “If I
Stalked You” and “For Me, Leather”
(to the tune of “Stormy Weather”). Reenact the greatest hit of the partnerchanging blues square-dance gay
cowboy octet genre: “Can't Help
Lovin' dat Man (of Yours).” Visit the
“Midtowne” Spa (to the tune of
“Downtown”), after which you will
never forget that “Texas Has a
Bathhouse in It.” Sympathize with
your friends who can justifiably sing
“My Boyfriend's Back (Is Cuter than
His Front is),” Mock the greedy Wall
Street loan sharks via “When You're a
Shark” and “You'll Never Walk
Again.” And catch up on important
films you may not have had time to
see, with “The Wizard of Oz Clef
Notes" and "Gone with the Wind Clef
Notes” which each purport to sing the
cleverly abbreviated tale of an iconic
movie in the short space of its theme
song. Not to mention a few other titles
that are not quite as catchy…
“Love, Christopher Street:
Reflections of New York City” edited by Thomas Keith; published by
Vantage Point, June 2012, 422
pages.
“Sappho's Fables, Volume 1:
Three Lesbian Fairy Tale Novellas”
by Elora Bishop and Jennifer
Diemer; published by CreateSpace,
June 2012, 236 pages.
The Sappho's Fables series takes
well-known, beloved fairy tales and
retells them from a lesbian perspective. Volume One contains the first
three novellas in the series: SEVEN
(Snow White), BRAIDED (Rapunzel)
and CRUMBS (Hansel and Gretel),
compiled together in an enchanting
omnibus edition. * SEVEN: A Lesbian
Snow White The strange witch girl
Neve has skin as white as snow, lips as
red as blood, and a dark secret. Her
father Lexander, an alchemist, harbors
an evil obsession, and Catalina, his
newest bride, made the grave mistake
of becoming his wife. When Catalina
finds herself falling in love with his
daughter, Neve, instead, the deepening bond between the women sets in
motion the final chapter of a story that
began long ago, with a desperate long-
“Hidden: Reflections on Gay
Life, AIDS, and Spiritual Desire” by
Richard Giannone; published by
Fordham University Press, June
2012, 224 pages.
“Hidden” - Richard Giannone's
searingly honest, richly insightful
memoir-eloquently captures the
author's transformation from a solitary
gay academic to a dedicated caregiver
as well as a sexually and spiritually
committed man. Always alone, always
fearful, he initially resisted the duty to
look after his dying female relatives.
But his mother's fall into dementia
changed all that. Her vulnerability
opened this middle-aged man to the
love of another man, a former priest
and Jersey boy like himself. Together
the two men saw the old woman to her
death and did the same for Giannone's
sister. In Hidden Giannone uncovers
how, ultimately, these experiences
moved him closer to participating in
the vitality he believed pulsed in the
world but had always eluded him.
The mothering life of this gay partnership evolved alongside the AIDS
crisis and within and against Italian
American culture that reflected the
Catholic Church's discountenancing
of homosexual love. Giannone vividly
weaves his reflections on gay life in
Greenwich Village and his spiritual
journey as a gay man and Catholic
into his experience of caring for the
women of his family.
In “Hidden” Giannone recounts a
gripping religious conversion, drawing on the wisdom of the ancient
desert mothers and fathers of Egypt
and Palestine. Because he was raised a
Catholic, the shift is not from nothing
to something. Rather, it is away from
the modeling power of institutional
Christianity to the tempering influence of homosexuality on the Gospel.
Gay or straight, so long as we remain
hidden from ourselves, the true God
remains hidden from us.
ing and a handful of apple seeds.
Together, Neve and Catalina must
venture into the Huntsman's haunted
forest to undo what has been done and
set themselves free. * BRAIDED: A
Lesbian Rapunzel Zelda is cursed to
spend her days on a platform in an
ancient, holy tree, growing her hair
long enough to touch the ground. But
it wasn't her curse to bear: Gray, the
witch's daughter, was meant for that
lonely fate. Gray visits Zelda each
day, mourning their switched fates,
and falling deeper in love with the
cursed girl, until one night, at the NotThere Fair, an extraordinary creature
outlines a magical plan that could set
both of them free. Will Gray's love for
Zelda be strong enough to survive the
strange dream world of Chimera, or
will Zelda remain a prisoner of the
curse forever? * CRUMBS: A Lesbian
Hansel and Gretel Greta's never ventured beyond the refuge of the Heap.
Outside, the Ragers lurk, ever hungry
and hunting. But Greta and her brother, half-starved and now alone, must
risk death for the dream of safety they
hope to find within the metal forest.
Once there, nothing is as it seems: in
the confines of a crumbling old candy
factory, the woman who rescues them
with sweet words and sweeter treats
harbors a dangerous secret.
Elora Bishop is a queer lady author
who happens to be addicted to tea (not
that you could tell from reading any of
her novels, surely), has pink hair, lots
of tattoos and a very silly sense of
humor.
She writes lesbian fantasy and fairy
tale retellings, and is most well known
for the collaborative project she creates with her wife, author Jennifer
Diemer: the Sappho's Fables series,
fairy tales retold from a lesbian perspective.
Elora also writes under the name
Sarah Diemer. Under this, she wrote
the YA, lesbian retelling of the Greek
myth of Persephone and Hades, The
Dark Wife, the 2012 Golden Crown
Literary Award winner for Speculative
Fiction.
“The Campaign Within: A
Mayor's Private Journey to Public
Leadership” by Neil Giuliano; published by Magnus Books, July 2012,
280 pages.
In The Campaign Within, Neil
Giuliano shares in candid and revealing detail his long private journey
from growing up a shy, self-doubting
kid with a secret in an ItalianAmerican Catholic family to making
history as the first openly gay mayor
of a U.S. city over 150,000 in population.
In addition to his deeply personal
story, Neil takes us behind the scenes
of local and national politics, including his elections and involvement with
Senator John McCain's 2000 presidential primary campaign, the anti-gay
mayoral recall vote that threatened to
oust him from office, Co-Chairing a
2004 Presidential Debate, his decision
to leave the Republican Party as it tilted further right, becoming a
Democrat, and his considering a
return to public office.
Neil also chronicles his national
social justice work and celebrity-filled
tenure as president of the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) and Executive Producer of
the GLAAD Media Awards on the
Bravo TV network with behind the
scenes stories that surprise and
inspire.
Brave and compelling, The
Campaign Within demonstrates that
the greatest campaigns are not the
ones taking place within the public
realms of electoral politics but the personal ones inside each and every one
of us.
Currently CEO at San Francisco
AIDS Foundation and a leadership
consultant, speaker and coach,
Giuliano resides in Tempe and San
Francisco.
NewsLink
Following are some of the many
new, interesting GLBT-themed
books. They are not reviews they’re book descriptions provided
by the publishers.
These twenty-six original essays by
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered writers include personal stories
that span forty years of LGBTQ life in
the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan,
Queens, and Staten Island, and together create a queer love letter to New
York City. Chapters in this volume
range from personal anecdote to memoir, reportage, history, herstory, and
daydream, as well as tributes to people, places, and events.
The essays: "Silence = Death: The
Education of a Comedian" by Bob
Smith, "An Old Queen's Tale" by
Penny Arcade, "The Isle Of Staten" by
Michele Karlsberg, "Finding Jesús on
Christopher Street" by Brendan Fay,
"Dis-membering Stonewall" by Rev.
Irene Monroe, "Before I Begin" by
David McConnell, "A Bite of the Big
Apple"
by
Val
McDermid,
"Irrespective of the Storm" by Mark
Ameen, "My Last Big Addiction" by
Martin Hyatt, "My Family Tree" by
Amos Mac, "The Opera Singer's
Pants, and How I Got In Them" by
Justine Saracen, "The Sum of Our
Parts" by Jewelle Gomez, "The Myths
of this Place" by Shaun Levin, "The
Voices" by Charlie Vázquez, "As I
Stood Frying..." by Fay Jacobs,
"Borders, Rivers and Time: Gay
Gotham Revisited" by Shawn Syms,
"White Angel/Pale Blue Eyes" by
Nicky Paraiso, "My Gay New York: A
Symphony in Four Acts" by Aaron
Hamburger, "The Place I Parked My
Car" by G. Winston James, "Bad Boy"
by Felice Picano, "Two Near Water-And One Very Quiet" by Thomas
Glave, "Goodnight, New York: A
Sermon on the Move" by Rabbi
Andrea Myers, "In the House of
Strangers" by Ocean Vuong, "A 1986
Bronx Story" by Charles RiceGonzález, "Perry Street Redux" by
Christopher Bram, "An Interview with
Michael Musto" by Kathleen
Warnock, and "Next Year at Sonny's"
by Eddie Sarfaty.
11
Trans-e-motion Seeking
New Leaders and
Motivated Team Members!
by Zoyer Zyndel, Trans-e-motion
Chair
Trans-E-Motion is a 501(c)(3)
organization offering education, advocacy, and support for the transgender
community and their allies. Trans-EMotion currently hosts a monthly
social, support group, and annual
transgender
events
like
The
Transgender Day of Remembrance
while supporting their community
coalitions faithfully.
As the largest Transgender advocacy organization in the Central Valley
the demand for resources and community support from the transgender
community is ever growing. Help
build our team to insure that help will
be there for our community. How can
you help?
Trans-E-Motion is currently seeking new leaders and motivated team
members to join their board.
Volunteer opportunities would include
but are not be limited to: keeping
important records, leading committees, recruiting volunteers, attending
board meetings, representing us at
local events, online networking and
social media interaction.
For more information please e-mail
[email protected] or call (559)
464-5806.
Note: You do NOT have to identify
as transgender to be part of the team!
Everyone is welcome.
A New Chapter in the Life
of Gay Fresno
by Jason Scott
If nothing ever changed, there'd be
no butterflies.-Author unknown
When I started Gay Fresno, back in
2004, I had no idea how quickly it
would grow. But, in five short years,
we went from a single website to several community service websites,
including a community center. I'm
happy to say that we now have our
independence back. On May 29th
2012, Gay Fresno and Gay Central
Valley, a spinoff and former partner of
Gay Fresno, decided to part ways.
Certain things will remain as they
have from the beginning: an all-volunteer staff working tirelessly to bring
the community together, community
events, such as the recent LGBT Skate
Night for Gay Visalia, and the website
itself-for the community, by the community.
So what will change for the flagship organization?
First off, it will be a “not for profit,” rather than a “nonprofit” group.
So, while that means you won't be
able to write off your donations, it
does mean that your donations will be
able to go farther-such as endorsing
pro-equality politicians (something
501(c)(3) nonprofit groups are forbidden from doing). Before you gasp at
the idea of us jumping into politics,
remember that politicians have the
power to change the rules. Change
NewsLink
The Fresno Youth Alliance
A
12
Meets every Friday Night @ 7 pm to 8:30 pm
The Big Red Church 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd
4 info call Banana: 473-7723 or Jeff: 486-3464
doesn't happen only because we will it
to happen. We also need to vote it into
office. Unfortunately, even good people don't get voted in these days.
Second, Gay Fresno is back to its
roots: information, availability and
community. When I first went out
looking for people and organizations
to connect with and get help from in
the early 2000's, I found nothing but
voicemail boxes that did not get calls
returned. The LGBT community
deserved better. Armed with a desire
to inform and connect the LBGT community, especially in a conservative
area that had little to no online options
available to them, I began Gay
Fresno, a website devoted to being the
cohesive structure around which a
community could grow and connect.
So, what will stay the same?
Gay Fresno, and its co-websites,
Gay Visalia, Gay Porterville, and Gay
Hanford, will continue to do what
they've been doing all along: working
for the community, by the community,
and within the community. The websites will continue to contribute to the
community with information and the
ability to bring people together
through events and activities. People
will still be able to write in and comment, and even contribute their opinions and thoughts (this is encouraged).
The organization will still promote
equality, but will be able to work
smarter by utilizing the political world
and understanding that if we do not
elect pro-equality politicians into
office, all the protesting in the world
will be for naught. In short, Gay
Fresno will have the same message as
always: pulling a community togeth-
er.
Unfortunately, Gay Fresno walked
away from this dissolution without the
funds it brought into it. The organization is choosing to look at this as an
opportunity to start fresh and to dream
big. After all, dreaming big is what
got Gay Fresno, the starting point for
so many other central valley LGBT
groups, so big to begin with. It is
what got people giving a dollar here,
and five dollars there. It is what got
people out and skating or bowling at
the community social events. And,
there is a fair amount of evidence, that
it is what kept more than one LGBT
person from feeling alone and hopeless.
Asking for money is never fun, it is
always awkward, and you risk alienating people. But, organizations need
funds to run. Gay Fresno has been
tirelessly serving this community for
eight years, contributing to its growth,
its knowledge, and its acceptance.
Gay Fresno has and will continue to
support community events like Fresno
Rainbow Pride, Reel Pride and many
other local organizations. We're
where you go to see what is going on
in the community, what the latest
news is, and even what churches are
gay friendly. But we cannot do it
without your support.
Please take a moment to visit
http://www.GayFresno.com/support
and see the ways you can make a difference.
So, there are the changes in store
for Gay Fresno. It is back on its own,
and back to its roots.
Change can be a good thing.
Help Spread the Love!
Interested in telling your family
and friends about A Note to My Kid?
Here are just a few ways you can help
make an impact:
- Encourage your parents, family
and friends to write notes, share
videos or submit captioned photo that
help communicate your unconditional
love for the LGBTQ people you love.
- If you're a member of the LGBTQ
community, write a note, share a
video or submit a captioned photo that
communicates your unconditional
love for the parent, family member or
friend you hold so dear to your heart.
- Email your note, video or photo to
aNoteToMyKid.com Co-Founder,
Patrick Wallace, at [email protected] and we'll post it at
aNoteToMyKid.com.
- "Like" aNoteToMyKid.com on
Facebook.
- Tweet about A Note to My Kid as
a resource for parents, family and
friends of LGBTQ community members.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about A
Note to My Kid, or would like to
know how you can help make a positive impact by contributing a note,
video or photo to the site, please don't
hesitate
to
contact
us
at
[email protected].
Nabozny Interview
Continiued from page 9
A: I never thought about getting
married either legally or otherwise. It
really wasn't on the radar when I was
growing up. I knew I wanted to have
a family some day but that even
seemed out of reach. I'm so grateful
we are having the debate in Minnesota
and I'm very optimistic that my fellow
Minnesotans will vote No. I hope
eventually I will be able to legally
marry here. I won't leave or get married anywhere else though. This is my
home and I will stay and fight for the
right to marry the person I love.
To sum up: any information that
helps to form the story from bullied to
activist is appreciated. That story is
very modest in your biography on
your website and that transition is a
huge part of who you are and what
inspires me the most. The documentary Bullied seemed to sort of skim
that transformation.
A: I believe I have a responsibility
to continue the work I'm doing. I
know what young people feel like
when they are targeted for who they
are. They feel so isolated and alone.
Knowing that, I can't sit back and say
it's up to someone else to help them. I
am that someone else. Many gay people don't get involved because they
want to forget about their painful
memories of their own childhood. I
am so much stronger and more whole
because of the work I do. The little
kid inside of me who felt worthless
and afraid gets a bit stronger every
time I speak out and help others. It's
truly both a calling and a blessing to
do the work that I do.
Thanks for taking the time to
answer Jamie,
It's both a pleasure and honor to
have the opportunity to hear from you.
Q: One last question. What's next
on your agenda of accomplishments?
A: I'm working to get corporate
sponsorship right now so I bring my
message full time to middle and high
schools all over this country who need
to hear it.
For more on Jamie Nabozny visit
his website.
Continuing its highly successful
multiplatform public service campaign to address social injustices and
bridge cultural divides, USA
Network, along with its distribution
partners, today announced the 2012
recipients of the Characters Unite
Awards. Ten winners were selected
from hundreds of nominees for their
extraordinary efforts in combating
prejudice and discrimination while
increasing tolerance and acceptance in
their communities.
"Congratulations to this year's
Characters Unite Award winners who
deserve to be recognized for their tireless work in fighting hate and discrimination and promoting acceptance
in their communities,_ said Bridget
Baker, President, NBCUniversal TV
Networks Distribution. Along with
our distribution partners, we salute
these winners on the incredible efforts
they lead."
This summer, each honoree will be
acknowledged during a hometown
award ceremony and will receive a
$5,000 grant from USA Network and
participating local MVPDs to support
his/her project or related nonprofit
organization. Additionally, honorees
will be featured on-air in a PSA and
online at charactersunite.com.
Nominations for the Characters
Unite Awards were submitted by the
public on charactersunite.com during
Characters Unite Month in February, a
time when the network leverages all
its platforms to shine a special spotlight on the importance of combating
hate and intolerance.
2012 Characters Unite Award
Recipients:
The USA Network named an
LGBTQ-focused organization as one
of the 10 winners of its national
"Characters Unite" award program. A
Note to My Kid (http://www.anotetomykid), a grassroots movement
designed to give the LGBTQ community, their parents, families and friends
the opportunity to share their unconditional love with one another, was recognized for "combating prejudice and
discrimination while increasing tolerance and acceptance."
For the past year the entire team at
A Note to My Kid has been striving to
create a safe place for people to
express some of the most raw and
often guarded emotions one experiences during a lifetime. To date more
than 160 brave and loving LGBTQ
community members, parents, siblings, family members and friends
have taken the time to express the
unconditional love they have for one
another on A Note to My Kid.
Together we are all changing the
world for the better.
About A Note to My Kid
A Note to My Kid gives the
LGBTQ community, their parents,
family and friends the opportunity to
share their unconditional love with
one another.
The site also serves as a resource
for people who may not know how to
broach the subject of sexuality with
the opportunity to learn from example.
We also hope A Note to My Kid
will remind members of the LGBTQ
community that there is a lot of love
and support out there; that we are not
alone.
∏
The Gray Alliance
The Gray Alliance is a group that
knows it may get a little harder as we
go along. Be we also know that We
Get Better With Age!
If you are a graying Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual or Transgender Individual
the Gray Alliance
could be the group for you.
Come join us in fun and companionship. Help us plan activities that we
would be enjoying.
At the Gray Alliance
we don’t just live life,
WE CELEBRATE IT!
Jerry Hendrix (559) 261-9080 between 5pm-8pm
NewsLink
LGBT Organization, A
Note to My Kid, is named
USA Network’s Character
Unite Awardee
13
∏
Censored
Matt Ponder, TheGayWord via
GayFresno.com
Ah, fairy tales… The sugar-spun stories of our childhood that made us
believe in so many things: happy endings, Prince Charmings, and the existence of trolls. They also made us think
about another important fact and I'm not
talking about the obvious problems with
wearing glass footwear. Fairy tales
made us believe that no matter what our
station in life, be it stable boy, farmhand, fisherman or pauper, we could
win the hand of our true love with nothing but devotion and a pure heart. So
answer me this question: if you met
someone that you felt a connection with
today and they told you they were a stable boy, how would you react? Are you
being honest? Because the truth is, even
in this day and age, when it comes to
dating and relationships we still reside
within the confines of the ancient caste
system when it comes to the subject of
employment. The truth of the matter is
we all work for a living. Whether you
are digging ditches or performing brain
surgery a job is a job. Even though
many people use their job as a way of
identifying themselves, a job doesn't
make you who you are. When you die
you will be remembered for the feelings
you stirred in those left behind.
Gravestones don't say: “Here lies John.
He was a great pharmacist”. The
inscriptions say the person was loved
and will be missed, that they were a
great father, a wonderful brother, an
amazing friend or a loving partner. We
are defined by our actions and our interactions with the other members of the
human race and your personality will
shine through whether you are holding a
scalpel or a shovel. But, even though we
shouldn't use our employment or unemployment as a factor, the question of
what you do for a living is usually
brought up in the first few sentences
when two people meet for the first time
- usually right after your name and the
place where you reside. So does the person's response to “What do you do?”
affect your decision on whether or not to
go any further? Because I can pretty
much guarantee someone's talent for
flipping burgers or dealing priceless art
is not going to make a difference once
you hit the sheets. Here's an example:
Years ago I met a guy and we hung out
for almost a week before I introduced
him to my friends. When they asked me
what he did for a living, I told them
straight up. He was an assistant manager at a Burger King. Yeah, I know what
you're thinking. Probably exactly what
they were thinking as they scoffed about
it for a couple days. Then they met him.
He was built like a wrestler and had a
face like Liam Hemsworth. Needless to
say, I didn't hear much more derision
after that. He was funny, sweet and he
kissed like he had invented it, and where
he worked meant absolutely nothing to
me. Since then, and even before then,
I've dated guys whose careers were all
over the map. Nurses and bartenders,
artists and chemists, corporate drones
and Starbucks baristas - and even
though I parted ways with all of them it
was never because of their jobs. So why
does it matter to some people and not
others? Is it because someone's job is a
direct reflection of their background and
education? Why should that matter? The
world is full of people who pulled themselves up from small towns and working
class roots to make something of themselves even though their family tree
might trace back to what some would
consider undesirable. There are also
jobs where someone might make a great
deal of money, but it's the job itself that
makes someone undesirable. It's common knowledge that a stripper makes
more than a schoolteacher, right? I
believe the measure of what someone
does for a living is in direct correlation
to your own materialism and self-consciousness. If money doesn't matter to
you and the janitor you just met makes
your heart skip a beat then who cares
about money? If what other people
think is unimportant then there's really
no problem bringing a mechanic to a
fancy party is there?
The sword cuts both ways, however.
Having a great job and a successful
career can intimidate people because
they don't feel like they are on the same
level. Someone who works at a convenience store might feel uncomfortable
mingling with the friends of the attorney
they are dating. Being unable to jump
on a plane to go to Puerto Vallarta at a
moment's notice because you have to
bartend until 4 a.M. All weekend to pay
your rent tends to make you feel poorer
than you actually are. Regardless of
these trivial things and the ones preceding them it all boils down to compatibility. Does the person you are with make
you happy? Are you interested in what
they have to say? Do they make you
laugh? Does the sex take your breath
away? If so, then everything else should
fall by the wayside whether you are the
one making a hundred grand a year or
the one working for tips. What about
being attracted to ambition? There are a
lot of people out there who believe that
someone's drive to make themselves a
better person is the same as having a full
head of hair or a nice ass or a sense of
humor - just another trait that makes
someone irresistible. People talk about
how it's okay to be a waiter or a bartender as long as you are working
toward something else. So it's not okay
to just be a bartender? An honest day's
work is an honest day's work and when
you clock out you're done. Ambition
just means you have a strong desire to
achieve something through determination and hard work, and sometimes just
getting through the day is an achievement in itself. Especially with some of
the jobs I've had. How many people out
there work mind-numbing, spirit-crushing, well-paying jobs but dream of
doing something else? I'm not negating
the achievement of going to college,
studying hard and earning a degree by
any means and I'm certainly not knocking ambition and drive, but I am saying
that to deny someone the chance to
sweep you off your feet because they
make pizza and you perform root canals
is foolhardy. Who knows what you
might be missing? You don't lie next to
a diploma at night, do you? When you
first wake up in the morning and you're
suspended in that moment between
dreaming and facing the day ahead,
that's when you are your true self. That
is the person you want to be when you
meet someone new. Cast off the caste
and open your heart. Maybe then you
will live happily ever after.
Sharing
HER
Story
But I love her...
Melissa M., GayFresno.com
When I first met Alyssa, I thought
she was my dreams made real. I could
see no one else in the room. Her feminine shape and delicate facial features,
her boyish haircut, lopsided smile, and
large doe-like brown eyes had me from
the moment I laid eyes on her. As I got
to know her, her sense of humor, her wit
and her willingness to help anyone completely charmed me. The fact that she
seemed just as interested in me was
astounding. I fell head over heels in love
with her. I was hopelessly gone within
the first few months, as she seemed to
be with me.
The first year I spent with her was
bliss. I wanted to be with her as much as
possible, unfortunately to the exclusion
of everything and everyone else. We
laughed, we learned about one another.
As the story of her rough past unfolded,
I loved her all the more. She was abused
and neglected as a child and teenager.
Her father was an alcoholic; her mother
had been in and out of her life since she
was five years old. Yet she had pulled
straight A's in high school and was
accepted into a competitive Social Work
program at the University I attended.
During that first year we were together,
she lived with her aunt while she attended college. She called me in close to
tears often telling me of arguments that
she and her aunt had gotten into. At the
time, I couldn't understand why her aunt
seemed to be treating her poorly. I hadn't realized I was only getting one side
of the story.
As that first year drew to a
close, I began to start seeing some warning signs that she wasn't as together as I
had thought she was. My twenty-first
birthday was approaching and we often
got into arguments about it. I have never
been a drinker. Ever. Neither had my
friends ever been terrible drinkers. The
plan was simple and innocent, dinner at
Applebee's with said friends, perhaps a
drink or two to celebrate. As my birthday drew closer, my casual reassurances
to her that I was not going to get crazy
or turn into an alcoholic like her father
began falling on deaf ears. Her gentle
protests turned into long punishing
silences and eventually into angry outbursts. To calm her, I finally gave in and
said, 'fine, I'll order one to appease my
friends, and just sip on it." However,
when the day came and I sat in the
Applebee's booth, Alyssa to my left, and
four of my closest friends since childhood to my right, whom I had shared
everything with, whom had been there
for me through thick and thin, I felt
extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to
have fun with them. I didn't want to go
nuts, I just wanted to have fun on my
birthday. Yet I felt an oppressive weight
where Alyssa sat beside me, stoic,
uncompromising, and rude to my
friends. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri
and drank none of it. After the whole
uncomfortable affair of my birthday
dinner was over, Alyssa informed me
that she didn't like my friends because
she felt they were pressuring me into
drinking. She wrote them off like they
were nothing, and expected me to do the
same. I fought her to an extent, but
somehow she always managed to con-
fuse me, to turn the situation around in a
way that I believed I was wrong.
Regardless of these warning signs,
when Alyssa asked me to marry her, I
accepted eagerly. Another year passed,
this one miserable. I was hopelessly in
love with her and my self-esteem and
self-image has always needed work. I
believed that if I could just somehow
love her enough, things would be ok.
When she put me down, I took it. When
I fought back and threatened to leave
just to see if she cared, she told me I was
worthless and asked who else could
possibly want me or love me or take
care of me the way she did. I began to
believe her. She began seeing a counselor for her anger issues. There were
moments where she was sweet and really seemed to try to show me she cared
and wanted to be with me. These
moments were few and far between and
I used them as excuses to stay with her.
At our two year mark, we went public
with our engagement.
My mother was horrified. There were
countless nights she came into my room
and stroked my forehead as I cried after
another terrible argument with Alyssa
where she made me feel worthless. My
mother tried talking to me. "Lissy Lou,"
she would say, "if she loved you, you
wouldn't feel this way. She wouldn't
make you beg for forgiveness for something you didn't do." But I would
protest, "I love her, mom," and then I
would make excuse after excuse for
Alyssa's behavior and treatment of me
and how she really was trying. Others
protested our engagement, my sister, my
friends who I had once been close with.
During this time, Alyssa monitored my
behavior, if she wasn't going with me, I
wasn't going anywhere.
Within the third year I spent with her,
I realized how angry I was at her, at how
much life I was missing out on. I still
loved her with all my heart and still
wanted to be with her, and yet I didn't
want to go on the way we were. Our end
was complicated and painful. It's been
almost a year since I managed to end it
with her. I was broken for a few months
afterwards. I had lost sight of who I was
in the relationship I had with Alyssa.
My identity was so tied up within her.
However, I've managed to mend broken
fences with old friends, with my sister,
with my mother (who grew tired of seeing me lie down and take the abuse). I
started painting again. I began building
a portfolio for attending grad school. I
started seeing a counselor to help deal
with the fall out and my insecurities. I
met someone new who treats me well
and while we argue now and then, she
never makes me feel like I'm worthless.
Abusive relationships are just as real
in LGBT relationships as they are in
heterosexual relationships. Emotional
abuse is often not taken as seriously as
physical abuse. However, emotional
abuse should be taken seriously. It can
often lead to physical abuse. If you
believe you are in an abusive relationship, don't brush it off. I know it's
painful to face, especially when you are
so in love with your partner, and are
made to feel as though you are worthless. But believe me, you are worth it.
Seek help. Get out. There's hope and
there's the kind of love that you deserve
out there waiting for you.
Additional information on abusive
relationships:
http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/educated/types-of-abuse/emotional-abuse/
http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/educated/warning-signs-of-abuse/
http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/educated/types-of-abuse/emotional-abuse/
∏
∏
∏
BAKERSFIELD
Queer Bowling for July
Air conditioning! Need we say
more? This is a great way to beat the
Bako heat and have a great time!
Look for the colorful tshirts, or ask for
us at the desk.
We arrive at 6pm, and that gives
everyone 30 minutes to get shoes,
food, drinks, etc. We start bowling
promptly at 6:30pm. If you want to
come & not bowl, that's OK, too. You
can be our cheering section!
You get two hours unlimited bowling plus shoes for $13. This goes for
all ages. If we have kids, we'll ask'em
to set up some bumpers on a lane!
Please RSVP especially if you're
bringing young'uns.
We encourage folks to wear rainbow/gay t-shirts, so we should be
pretty easy to spot if you're a newbie.
They know us pretty well at the desk,
too, so don't hesitate to just ask them
where we are!
They have food here: great fish &
chips, and a lot of greasy spoon
favorites. If you're a vegetarian, you
might wanna eat before you come.
There is a full service bar onsite. All
food & drink is dutch treat.
Saturday, July 21st, 6pm - 8:30pm
at AMF Southwest Lanes, 3610 Wible
Rd.
meetup.com/Bakersfield-LGBTQ
Women's Group Pool Party
It's HOT in Bako in July, so let's
cool off! Thanks to BJ, who has graciously offered her sparkling pool, we
can beat the heat!
What to bring: towels, sunscreen,
pot luck munchies, BYOB (alcohol
ok). Cost: Free. This event is free of
charge, and open to all who self-identify as female!
Address is on the website. See you
there!
Friday, July 27th, 7pm - 9pm at a
private residence, see website.
meetup.com/Bakersfield-LGBTQ
Spray Park day
Gay & Lesbian Center of
Bakersfield invites you to come on
out and have some fun in the sun!
Bring the towels and sun block and a
dish to share if you can we will have
sodas and water and ice. And lots of
fun!
Saturday, July 28th, 11:30am 4:00pm at Saunders Park, Palm St. &
Hwy 58.
facebook.com/groups/glcenterbakersfield/#!/events/325175977569267/
∏
NewsLink
Dinner OUT
16
It's time for another delicious night
OUT together! Pizza Hut on Auburn
has generously agreed to host us once
again, and so we're going OUT for
pizza!
Please print the flier found at:
meetup.com/Bakersfield-LGBTQ .
Bring the flier to Pizza Hut on July
31st, between 4 - 8pm, and they'll
donate 20% of what you spend back
to Bakersfield LGBTQ. Does not
include alcohol. Dine in or take out
only, no delivery. Members of the
board will be present to greet you
after 5pm, so if you'd like to join us,
please come on OUT!
Tuesday, July 31st, 4pm - 8pm at
Pizza Hut, 3701 Auburn St.
Bakersfield LGBTQ is a nonprofit,
social justice and service organization
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and questioning individuals, their
families and the community. We are
dedicated to creating positive change
in people's lives through advocacy,
education, social support and networking. You can reach us at
[email protected] or 661302-4266.
Mr. Gay Casablanca
First ever Mr. Gay Bakersfield
Casablanca contest! Come get yours
eats for the first male pageant in
Bakersfield. $5 cover before 10pm.
Seating is gonna be tight, so be early!
Support your guys! 5 contestants are
competing: Marcos, Eddie, David,
Tommy, Alex. Special performances
including Las Vegas recording artist
“Gio” Giovanni Aguayo and Miss
Casablanca 2012! Special thanks to
the event team: Mr. Lopez, Jessica
Orozco Cruz & Abel Perez for helping
out. Thanks to the Casablanca
Nightclub Bakersfield and everyone
who is taking part in this event!
Who will become the first ever Mr.
Gay Bakersfield Casablanca? You
don't want to miss this!
Saturday, August 4th, doors open at
8:30pm at Casablanca Nightclub,
1825 N St. 21+ only.
facebook.com/CASABLANCANIGHTCLUB661
“Drag! Is It In You?” II
If you've got what it takes, join us
for a one night only drag race inspired
competition. The winner will receive
the chance to perform with the city's
leading Divas at Bakersfield Pride
2012 * and a $100 cash prize!
Enjoy a first-round competitor's
choice performance, each followed by
Judges' critiques. Second round to be
the Judges' top 2 in a 'Lip Sync For
Your Life'.
Come and get a sneak peek at fresh,
new faces, and exciting entertainment.
Judges' panel will include some of
Bakersfield's leading Queens, and a
respected community member.
Free entry for competitors.
Competition is open to anyone 18 and
over. Deadline to join the competition
is August 3rd.
So... Is it in you???
Brought to you and hosted by:
Valerie Soleil & Vanessa Elektra. For
information on performing, or any
other questions, please contact De
Love @ [email protected],
or via facebook, @De Love.
Full No Host bar for 21+. $8 cover.
* All other Bakersfield Pride Drag
Performers have been confirmed. If
you were not asked, please feel free to
join the competition and win a spot!
Saturday, August 11th at 8:00pm at
Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931 Chester
Ave.
facebook.com/events/2561569344
99706/
leyball, bocce, board games, water
balloons, etc), dog park, children's
area, bring your own picnic, meet
people!
The first event will take place on
July 22nd, 12:30pm - 3:30pm at
Freedom Park, 2000 9 _ Ave.
Contact [email protected] for
more information
facebook.com/hanfordrainbow#!/e
vents/142330065904002/
MERCED
My LGBT plus
at PFLAG Merced
Justin Kamimoto and My Lgbt Plus
will be a guest speaker at next meeting of the Parents, Families & Friends
of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Merced Chapter. This new, safe, and
supportive environment allows members of the LGBT community to share
stories, post events and receive and
give support and advice.
In August, My Lgbt Plus will be
celebrating our 9 month anniversary.
Lots has developed since our
November 2011 unveiling - come
learn what all the "hype" is about!
Parents, families and youth are
encouraged to attend.
Tuesday, August 14th, 7:00pm 9:00pm at the Fireside Room, United
Methodist Church of Merced, 899
Yosemite Pkwy.
www.pflagmerced.org
Showgirl Showdown
The Owl Empire of Stanislaus
County, Inc. as well as the Emperor &
Empress 38, Jeff & Debra continue
with outstanding and exciting
fundraising events beyond Modesto!
Mark your calendars for Merced
County Hot August Nights: "Showgirl
Showdown". Adults $15, Students
with valid ID $10, 17 - 13 years old
$5, 12 years old and under FREE.
Saturday, August 25th at 6pm at
Merced Woman's Clubhouse, 707 W
22nd St. in Merced. More information
in the next issue.
groups.yahoo.com/group/Modesto
_Imperial
MODESTO
Vampires, Jesus, and
Homosexuality; Summer
Series on the Novels of
Michael Schiefelbein
Michael Schiefelbein is the Pastor
at College Avenue Congregational
United Church of Christ in Modesto
and author of several vampire-themed
books. In four sessions, Pastor
Michael will lead a discussion of his
vampire series, sharing details about
their composition and the controversy
they caused, and exploring their theological vision. You can purchase the
novels Vampire Vow, and Vampire
Thrall through any online bookstore,
or Pastor Michael can supply you with
a free photocopy of them. You can
receive a copy of the novels Vampire
Transgression and Vampire Maker
from Pastor Michael for a donation of
$30 to College Avenue Church, or you
can borrow a copy from Pastor
Michael.
Schedule: July 15: “Vampire Vow”
(this one will have happened by the
time you read this); July 22: “Vampire
Thrall”;
July
29:
“Vampire
Transgression”; August 5: “Vampire
Maker”.
Sundays at 5pm at the Queen Bean
Coffee House, 1126 14th St.
www.cacc-ucc.org
At the Bull
The Brave Bull, “the People's
Club”, presents Blackout Party on
Sunday, July 22nd! Lights out, drag
show featuring The Brave Bull-Ettes,
free light sticks while they last!
Ivana's Disney Birthday will take
place on Sunday, July 29th! Drink
specials, drag show with The Brave
Bull-Ettes performing as their favorite
Disney characters, hot male stripper
after the show!
No cover, 21+ with ID only.
At the Brave Bull, 701 S. 9th St.
facebook.com/TheBraveBull
Upcoming Court Events
County, Inc. as well as the Emperor &
Empress 38, Jeff & Debra continue
with outstanding and exciting
fundraising events during the 38th
Reign in Modesto, California. Mark
your calendars for:
- Bingo at the Brave Bull, 701 S.
9th St. $5 bingo cards. Tuesday, July
24th at 7pm.
- Imperial Crown Prince &
Princess (I.C.P.) Ball: "The Roaring
20's". Come in your best 1920's outfits
- no guns! Open entertainment (current and past Princes & Princesses
have priority), raffles, light finger
food, super-duper fun! Doors Open @
6pm - Dinner @ 7pm - Show @ 8pm.
Adults $15, Students with valid ID
$10, 17 - 13 years old $5, 12 years old
and under FREE. Saturday, July 21st,
6pm at Sylvan Club, 2445 Sylvan
Ave.
- 2nd Annual Murder Mystery
Dinner/Show. Tickets $25. Saturday,
August 11th at 5pm at Petersen Event
Center, 720 12th St.
HANFORD
A
Summer Fun
Gay Hanford & Hanford Rainbow
Pride invite everyone for Summer Fun
Monthly Get-Togethers. Games (vol-
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away is the
story of Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as gay. Over
three years, the filmmakers were
given extraordinary access to Chely's
struggle and her unfolding plan to
come out publicly. Using interviews
with Chely, her family, her pastor, and
key players in Nashville interwoven
with Chely's intimate private video
diaries, the film goes deep into her
back story as an established country
music star and then forward as she
steps into the national spotlight to
reveal her secret. Chronicling the
aftermath in her hometown of
Nashville and within the larger LGBT
community, Wish Me Away reveals
both the devastation of her own internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic
life. (NR) 1 Hr. 36 Min. In English
Showtimes: Saturday 7/28 at 7pm,
Monday 7/30 at 7pm, Wednesday 8/1
at 4pm, Thursday 8/2 at 4pm.
At The State Theatre of Modesto,
1307 J St.
www.thestate.org
Your Sister's Sister
The fourth feature from Sundance
award-winning filmmaker Lynn
Shelton, Your Sister's Sister is a tale of
grief, romance and sibling rivalry that
continues to showcase Shelton's extraordinary ability to portray human stories with remarkable humor, sensitivity and warmth. A year after his brother Tom's death, Jack (Duplass) is an
emotionally unstable slacker. When he
makes a scene at a memorial party,
Tom's ex-girlfriend Iris (Blunt) offers
up her family cabin on an island in the
Pacific Northwest so Jack can seek
catharsis in solitude. Once there, however, he runs into Iris' sister Hannah,
who is there after having left Pam, her
partner of seven-years who cheated on
her with a younger woman. Jack and
Hannah bond over a long night of
drinking. The blurry evening concludes with an awkward sexual incident made worse by Iris' sudden presence at the cabin the next morning
which sets into motion a twisted tale
Sundays at Tiki
Sunday, August 5th will be our last
Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar of
the year. You won't wanna miss it!
Amber is behind the bar & will open
at 11am, and BBQ around 1pm. The
last Sunday BBQ of the year will be
on August 12th. Bar opens & BBQ at
4pm, with Mick behind the bar.
At the Tiki Lounge, 932 McHenry
Ave.
facebook.com/TikiModesto
Crack 'n' Glo Nominations
Accepted
County, Inc. & The Pigskins, Sidelines
& Touchdowns Owl Court of the 38th
Reign based in Modesto presents The
38th Annual Crack 'n' Glo Awards
Show: “Salute to the American
Olympians”.
Doors Open @ 6pm, Dinner Buffet
Served @ 7pm, Awards Show Begins
@ 8pm PROMPTLY!
Fully Stocked No-Host Court Bar.
$15.00 Adult Cover Charge, $10.00
w/ Student ID, $ 5.00 17-13yo, FREE
under 12 yo.
Saturday, September 29th, 6pm at
Eagles' Hall, 126 Camellia Way.
The Original 'Gay' Academy
Awards that started it all, is back!
Founded by Emperor 9, Crackers &
Empress 10, Gloria of Modesto, the
Crack 'n' Glo Awards Show has been
one of the most talked about and one
of most successful functions, that
Modesto is proud to host, for all these
years.
The list has serious and humorous
categories that need your nominations.
The Crack 'n' Glo Awards Show is not
out to put people down or to hurt anybody's feelings. This event is meant to
be fun and humorous, for all communities, in and out of town. We have
narrowed it down to the top 70 categories. This won't take a couple of
minutes, so take your time, fill out
your nominations and have some fun
doing so. For each category, there are
3 spots to write in your nominations.
You may nominate as many individuals or cities as you wish. Please keep
all nominees fresh in others minds by
keeping all entries recognized from
January 1st, 2011 through July 31st,
2012. Please make sure to include
their full name, their title (if any), and
please include the city the nominee
resides in. All Female Categories can
be either Real Women or Female
Impersonators. Only the top 5 nominees will be placed on the final voting
ballot available after August 6th,
2012.
Your nominations ballot (see link at
end of article) must be turned in no
later than midnight July 31st, 2012. EMail your nominations back to
Emperor 20/28/33/38, Jeff at
[email protected]. You can also
print the nomination ballot and snail
mail it to: Emperor Jeff, 719 - 16th
Street #B, Modesto, California 95354.
All nominations and final voting ballots are held in strict confidence!
Any nomination ballots e-mailed or
postmarked after the July 31st, 2012
deadline or any photo-copied nomination ballots will be null and void. The
final voting ballots will be available
beginning August 6th, 2012 and will
only be available at the Modesto
Imperial Yahoo Group Polls Section
until September 10th, 2012. All
Nominations and Final Ballot Tallies
will be available, if requested, after
the 38th Annual Crack 'n' Glo Awards
Show.
Some of the categories are more
serious than others. We'll be selecting
Outstanding Male & Female
Entertainers of the Year, Male &
Female Humanitarian of the Year,
Non-Court Event of the Year, but also
The Most Annoying Laugh, The PigIn-A-Wig Award or The Richard
Simmons Award (for the “nelliest
queen”).
For
the
ballots,
go
to
groups.yahoo.com/group/Modesto_I
mperial ("Files" section).
MOUNTAINS
At the Movies with Inclusive
Church Ministry
As part of Inclusive Church
Ministry, the film “Two Spirits” will
be shown in the First Congregational
Church's sanctuary. Gathering at 6:30
pm, the film to be introduced prayerfully by Patty Caramagno at 6:45pm.
Apple slices and popcorn to be
served. The hour-long film is a disturbing, somber
documentary of the tragedy of
homophobia. It also introduces the
healthy American Indian attitude
toward those born to be homosexual
or transgender.
Thursday, August 9th at First
Congregational Church, Church &
Algiers St., Murphys.
www.fccmurph.org
Keshet LGBTQ Weekend
Keshet LGBTQ Family Camp at
Camp Tawonga (located on the
Tuolumne River just outside Yosemite
National Park) runs from Thursday,
August 23rd through Sunday, August
26th.
This program provides a strong
community for LGBTQ parents and
their children to learn, explore and
play in the beauty of the Sierra
Mountains. Judaism is infused into
daily life at camp. Through Tawonga's
focus on community and celebration,
campers discover their own identity,
questions, answers and spiritual
selves.
Adults spend the morning hiking,
creating arts and crafts, and partaking
in workshops (see examples below).
Meanwhile, our skilled counselors
plan age-appropriate activities for
kids, ranging from boating on the lake
for young children to facilitated dialogue about growing up with gay parents for teens. Families spend the
afternoon together, participating in
camp activities and exploring Camp
Tawonga, including the beautiful
Tuolumne River. And of course, no
Keshet Weekend is complete without
a Shabbat service, talent show, and
crazy dance party! Also, see the
schedule below for a special program
just for Keshet teens.
A typical day at a Tawonga weekend program:
7:30 Peet's Coffee is ready! Adults
have the option to wake up early for
yoga or a morning walk while
Tawonga staff take care of the kids.
8:00 Buffet Breakfast - arrive at the
time that's best for you. Eggs and
English muffins or bagels and cream
cheese as well as hot and cold cereal,
fresh fruit, and other delicious
favorites are on the menu.
9:30 Join everyone for a participatory, joyful Torah service at our beautiful outdoor amphitheater, Makom
Shalom. Whether you regularly attend
Torah services or never attend them,
our service is geared to all and
enjoyed by everyone!
10:30 Each morning, kids hang out
with Tawonga staff and with other
kids their age in day groups - playing
games, swimming, doing art projects,
and enjoying tons of other fun activities. Even newborns are taken care of
here, giving new parents time to relax
and enjoy camp.
Keshet Teen Leadership: for teens
who love Keshet, but want to take
their participation to the next level,
serving as role models for younger
Keshet campers and earning much
needed high school community service hours. For more information
about how to participate, contact
Jamie Simon at 415.543.2267 x134 or
[email protected].
Meanwhile, adults choose from:
oWorkshops with fabulous educators: Jewish learning, parenting, cooking, and more.
oSpending time at Arts & Crafts,
the lake, or the pool
oClimbing high into the trees on the
Tawonga challenge course high elements or participating in a groupbuilding challenge through low elements
oHiking through the beautiful forest to breathtaking locations on the
Tuolumne River
oJust lying in the shade to catch up
on some reading
12:30 Barbeque lunch (hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, and veggie
options, as well as delicious salads
and other sides) followed by rest hour
- after a busy morning, everyone gets
some down time.
2:30 Float time! Participate in an
organized activity or "float" through
camp at your own pace. Play softball,
prepare an act for the talent show, visit
Tawonga's organic garden, take a
leisurely stroll, or relax at the pool.
Also, for families needing an extra
hand with the kids, Tawonga staff are
available for childcare or "nap-sitting."
continued on page 18
Chely Wright:
Wish Me Away
of ever-complicated relationships.
With raw, funny and emotional performances from an all-star cast, Shelton
once again honestly explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships
while gently poking fun at her characters predicaments.
Showtimes: 7pm on Friday 8/3,
Saturday
8/4,
Monday
8/6,
Wednesday 8/8, Thursday
8/9;
3:30pm on Sunday 8/5 and Saturday
8/11; 1pm on Sunday 8/12; 4pm on
Monday 8/13.
At The State Theatre of Modesto,
1307 J St.
www.thestate.org
NewsLink
- Merced County Hot August
Nights: "Showgirl Showdown".
Adults $15, Students with valid ID
$10, 17 - 13 years old $5, 12 years old
and under FREE. Saturday, August
25th at 6pm at Merced Woman's
Clubhouse, 707 W 22nd St. in
Merced.
groups.yahoo.com/group/Modesto
_Imperial
17
∏
∏
∏
continued from page 17
6:00 Blessings and a delicious dinner - followed by songs and dancing!
7:30 Talent Show and Havdallah
8:45 Pre-bedtime snack for kids
followed by bedtime. Parents put kids
to bed; Tawonga staff watch over all
children's cabins until 11 p.m.
8:45 Teens hang out with Tawonga
staff until 10 p.m. for nighttime games
and other fun activities.
0:45 The Tawonga kitchen staff
prepares a fabulous spread for latenight adult snack. Sing or chat by the
campfire, play board games, participate in a night hike or workshop, or
shake it on the dance floor.
11:00 Good night! We'll see you
tomorrow morning . . .
Price for the weekend: $150 for
kids 2 years old and under, $350 for
everyone else. Register now!
https://register.tawonga.org
Worship Under The Trees
Two of the Central California's
United Church of Christ “where all are
welcome”
congregations,
First
Congregational Church of Murphys
and Union Congregational Church of
Angels Camp, will be joined by the
San Joaquin First Nations Church at
White Pines Lake for a truly spiritual
experience of worshipping and
singing under the trees.
Please join us! All are welcome!
Whoever you are, wherever you are
on life's journey, you are welcome
here.
Following worship, head over to
the Lion's Grove for our annual
Church Picnic with potluck taco bar,
salads, chips & salsa, and of course,
dessert. Beverages provided. Bring
your own plates and cutlery.
Sunday, August 26th, 10 am at
White Pines Lake in Calaveras Big
Trees State Park.
www.fccmurph.org
STOCKTON
Dunk And Dine
Join us at Valley Ministries MCC
on Sunday, July 22nd, for loads of fun
as our members meet at Pastor's house
for a time of festivities and great food
(potluck style). Also we will be offering baptism to those who desire it. It
will begin at 12:30pm, after worship
service.
Worship starts at 11am at Valley
Ministries, 4118 Coronado Ave.
Every Thursday between 4pm and
7pm the church is open to anyone who
wants to come to sit, pray, meditate, or
fellowship. This is also a good time to
help clean up our church. There is
always something to do and we will
provide directions if you are unsure
what needs to be done!
Also, Valley Ministries is growing!
Our present building has become
inadequate for all the ministries we
provide to the greater San Joaquin
Community and beyond. We are
excited about the opportunity to relocate to further God's call. Follow the
developments or see how you can help
at www.valleyministries.com
African Feast
Silent Auction, Handmade Quilt
Drawing & Ugandan Food! Dinner
donation of $10 or more per person
requested. All proceeds will be dedicated for the use of Holy Cross United
Methodist Church's September Work
Team to AIDS Orphans' Education
Trust (AOET) in Uganda. We're trying to raise $5,000 to enable AOET to
complete the science lab at Rehaboth
Secondary School. Cost of the dinner
has been underwritten by a supporter,
so everything you donate goes to the
project!
Reserve now - make checks out
(noting number of reservations) and
send to Holy Cross UMC, attn. Diane,
1200 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton, CA
95209. Questions? Contact Diane at
[email protected]
Sunday, July 29th, 5pm at Central
United Methodist Church, Fellowship
Hall, 3700 Pacific Ave.
www.cumcstockton.org
Southern Nights
A Cajun-style festive evening of
food, beverages and entertainment campaign fundraiser for Susan
Talamantes Eggman. Susan, who's
openly lesbian, was first elected to the
Stockton City Council in 2006 and
won re-election in November 2010.
She's known for making tough but fair
decisions, especially regarding the
city budget.
Susan has been an advocate for
Stockton to become a leader in green
energy, and also sits on a number of
committees which address housing,
public safety, budgeting, green energy
and education issues. Susan currently
serves District 5 and is a veteran of the
US Army. She now wants to put her
experience to work in the California
Assembly, and is running in Distr. 13.
"People ask me why I want to serve
at the state level where the news
seems to be always bad. My answer is
simple. Strong leaders can't turn their
backs just because times are hard; we
must work within our system of government and with the people we serve
to find solutions," Susan said.
Hosted by Dennis Merrill and
Byron Roberts, Wende Kashin-Obata
and Mrs. Daniel Sheehy. $45.00 per
person. RSVP by returning portion of
the flier (link below) by Monday,
August 12th, 2012,
Sponsor Opportunities: $150 (One
Ticket) $250 (Two Tickets) $500
(Four Tickets) and $1,000 (Eight
Tickets) All sponsor levels include
tiered listing in marketing materials
and tickets to the event.
Thursday, August 16th, 5:30pm 7:30pm at a private residence.
Download the flyer at http://cvstonewall.typepad.com/files/download-flyer.pdf
More information on Susan:
www.susaneggman.com
Brunch at the Mansion
& Leadership Awards
From President Obama coming out
in support of gay marriage to the CA
State Court's ruling to overturn Prop 8,
we have a lot to celebrate this year, so
why not do it over mimosas?
Central
Valley
Stonewall
Democrats will be hosting their 4th
Annual Leadership Awards at the
Magnolia Mansion in downtown
Stockton on Saturday, August 18th.
The event will include a mimosa bar,
European style brunch, the musical
stylings of Jesse C. Hendricks, and a
special opening address from CA
State Senator Mark Leno! Senator
Leno has represented California's 3rd
Senate District since 2008, which
encompasses areas of Marin, Sonoma,
and San Francisco Counties. He chairs
the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
Committee and has fought for better
education, environmental sustainability, single-payer universal health care,
and equal rights for all Californians.
Tickets are $35 in advance and $40
at the door, sponsorships are available
at multiple levels.
The CV Stonewall Leadership
Awards are a time to celebrate the
achievements of our standout community activists. Awards will be given to
four recipients in the areas of political,
business, community, and youth lead-
ership. The votes are in and this year's
Leadership Awards recipients are a
group to be proud of: Outstanding
Business Leader: Jonise Oliva From
“Deck the Walls”; Political Activism:
Renee Hall & Susan Talamantes
Eggman; Community & Inspirational:
Sara Cazares; Youth Activism: Nicole
Devencenzi.
Saturday, August 18th, 11:00am 2:00pm at Magnolia Mansion,
University Park, 500 E. Acacia St.
Visit www.cvstonewall.org to purchase tickets online.
Stockton Pride
Approaching
by Nicholas Hatten, San Joaquin
Pride Center
August 25th is fast approaching and
the members of Stockton's very first
Pride Festival Committee are working
overtime to make our area's first pride
festival a huge success. I am excited to
share that Rendezvous with Cool
Beans will be playing on the main
stage during our fabulous fest and we
are working on locking a couple other
performances for your entertainment;
including community cultural performances, DJs and some pretty exciting
divas who will work the stage and the
crowd.
We hope you will join us and make
this special occasion the success that
our community deserves. If you would
like to take part as a vendor or volunteer, please head over to our Pride
Festival website at http://stocktonpride.weebly.com. In addition, I am
proud
to
announce
a
new
"Community" Sponsor level at $500.
Community sponsors will receive
name recognition in all posters and
advertisement as long as you confirm
your participation by August 13th.
Email [email protected] or
call the Center at (209) 466-7572 to
sign up.
The Stockton Pride is still accepting applications to be a Vendor at our
event - the deadline is August 15th.
We are expecting to have a diverse
selection of vendors for our participants to shop from.
We are always looking for
Volunteers, to help this event run
smoothly. We need volunteers in many
areas of the festival!
The Festival will feature Children's
Area is a place where kids can be kids
and learn that love comes in many
shapes and sizes. This area is open
from 10am - 6pm and includes bounce
house and fun, and much more for
children 12 and under (with
parent/guardian supervision). This
family friendly area allows families of
Psychotherapy
Adult, Adolescent, Couples
Now serving Fresno & Visalia Areas
Melissa A. Cuneo, L.C.S.W.
#LCS13570
∏
NewsLink
(559) 901-5461
18
1416 W Center St
Visalia, CA 93291
21
TEHACHAPI
"A Road Trip: Route 66"
LOBOC MC (Long Beach Orange
County Motorcycle Club), a gay
motorcycle club established in 1972,
invites all to a weekend of fun in
Tehachapi Mountains!
Cozy Cabins, 5 meals, Run Show,
Guest Night, Bike & People Events,
and more! Only $166 per person.
Campsite: Tehnachapi Mountain
park is located in the high desert about
100 miles from LA. Click here for a
map. It's just a short distance off the
highway, and paved road all the way.
When: The event runs from Friday,
August 10th through Sunday, August
12th. You can arrive anytime Friday
and get settled, but the run doesn't
officially start until check-in, about 5
PM. We need to vacate the site by
noon on Sunday.
Accommodations: The campsite
features substantial group cabins with
VISALIA
Avenue Q - three shows left
The Fourth Wall Theatre Company
is proud to present the regional premiere of the Tony Award winning
musical comedy, AVENUE Q!!! This
hilarious, adult-themed spoof on
Sesame Street features both puppets
and human characters as it follows the
story of Princeton, an idealistic young
man who has just graduated from college with a B.A. in English. He moves
into an apartment in New York City in
the only neighborhood he can afford,
on Avenue Q. Along with an unforgettable assortment of zany neighbors,
Princeton is forced to cope with the
struggles of real life, learning that you
cannot necessarily count on things
turning out as you would like.
Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez
and Jeff Marx; Book by Jeff Whitty;
Based on an original concept by
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; Directed
& Choreographed by Chris Mangels;
Musical Direction by Charlotte Garcia
DaRosa. Featuring: Peter Allwine,
Zoe Anderson, Camille Gaston, Sarah
Gallegos, Danielle Jorn, John
Hampson, Terry Lewis, Antony
Lotenero, Ejay Malicsi, Sean
McMichael, Levi Padilla, Sarah
Peltzer, Adam Rodriguez, and Rod
Henzcel on Piano.
Please note: Production contains
adult content, adult language, and full
PUPPET nudity. Avenue Q is intended
for mature audiences only.
General admission: $18. Tickets
may be purchased online at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/e
vent/256223 and at the door (based on
availability).
Performance dates: Friday, July
20th at 7:30pm (audience members
who attend the Friday night performance on July 20th will be treated to
a late-night Musical Theatre Cabaret
following the performance. The
Cabaret will feature the stars of
Avenue Q and other special guests!);
Saturday, July 21st at 7:30pm (ASL
Interpretation provided by Vizual
Voices) and Sunday, July 22nd at
2:00pm at Main Street Theater, 307 E.
Main St.
Visalia Pride Lions Turn 2
by Brooke, gayvisalia.com
On Saturday, June 9th, the Visalia
Pride Lions Club (VPLC) celebrated
their second anniversary of being a
chartered Lions club. They have had
two wonderful years servicing the
community, our community. Some of
their accomplishments include; GayStraight Alliance Network (GSA) outreach and library creation, public
beautification projects, LGBT elder
education and outreach and I can't forget how instrumental they have
become in my holiday toy drive.
New this year, and definitely noteworthy, was their scholarship program. The VPLC was able to give out
3-$500.00 scholarships to local LGBT
individuals. One of those scholarships
was in memory of EricJames Borges
and was especially touching. The
monies for that scholarship were
donated by the individual members
themselves, as well as donations from
the public. I hope, we as a community,
can keep the EricJames Memorial
Scholarship Fund alive for future
years to come. Congratulations to this
years scholarship recipients; Jimmy
Ruiz, Juan Sanchez and Zachory
Bland. May you all have much success making a difference in our world.
As the Visalia Pride Lions head into
their third year of service, the sky is
truly the limit on what they can
accomplish. The only thing that can
enhance this club more, is your membership and involvement. To learn
more about VPLC, join them at
Mimi's in Visalia (4004 S Mooney
Blvd) on the first and third Mondays
of each month.
You can also find them at facebook.com/pages/Visalia-Pride-LionsClub/107104785976183
City of Visalia honors
the LGBTQ Community
by Brooke, gayvisalia.com
Tuesday - Friday:
7:00 to 11:30 a.m.
1:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
For the first time EVER, a city in
California's Central Valley declares
June LGBT Pride month. Which city?
Well, one might assume Fresno, but it
was actually Visalia. On June 18th,
almost 50 members of the Visalia area
LGBTQ community and their allies,
enjoyed this historic moment. This
event, spearheaded by Jim Reeves,
was a first of its kind and quite moving for the community in which it
honors. I can only speak for myself,
but, even though it is just a fancy
piece of paper mounted on a plaque,
the efforts behind it, the significance it
invokes and the sheer respect, recognition and dignity it incites, makes it
quite more than just that fancy piece
of paper. A community came together
tonight, with heads held a little higher.
And although we know this step is
FAR from where we need to be, I
think it gives us the push to forge
ahead with a hope of what IS possible
for this area we call home.
The proclamation is pictured below
and signed by all council members,
the mayor and vice mayor. It reads as
follows:
LGBT Pride Month
JUNE 2012
WHEREAS, June is LGBT Pride
Month across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Visalia has a diverse
LBGT community, which includes
individuals from all walks of life
including doctors, lawyers, police
officers, nurses, construction workers,
professionals of all types, teachers,
and religious leaders; and
WHEREAS, the LGBT community
in Visalia has organized workshops,
festivals, sporting events, dinners, and
other activities to celebrate Pride
throughout the year; and
WHEREAS, LGBT youth are four
times more likely to attempt suicide
than their straight peers, and more
than 1/3 of LGBT youths have
attempted suicide and nine out of ten
LGBT youths report harassment at
school, and three-fifths report feeling
unsafe at school; and
WHEREAS, High School students
in Visalia have organized GayStraight Alliances to fight bullying,
provide support, and encourage education to combat homophobia; and
WHEREAS, being “out” is the
most important action members of the
LGBT community can engage in to
provide role models, and support to
young people who may be struggling
with their sexual orientation.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City
Council of the City of Visalia does
hereby proclaim June 2012 as LGBT
Pride Month in the City of Visalia and
commend the LGBT Community for
helping to raise awareness in our community.
This story was even picked up by
the Fresno Bee. I'm not even sure if
our own newspaper (Visalia TimesDelta) bothered to cover the story.
See, with every step forward there is
sometimes a step sideways.
Thanks again to Jim Reeves for
making it possible. Thank you to the
City of Visalia Council members for
honoring my community tonight. And
thank you to my community for your
show of support and your smiling
faces. It is always such a great
reminder of why we do what we do
and why we need to keep on doing it!
I know this can and will all change
with the blink of an eye, but for now,
as I head to bed tonight, I am proud to
be a Visalian.
Hot Summer Nights
The Court of Restructure &
Strength and the Imperial San Joaquin
Delta Empire presents 2nd Hot
Summer Nights. Three empires of
reigning monarchs kicking up the heat
with hot sizzling entertainment:
Emperor Christopher St. James &
Empress Cseneca St. James of
Alameda,
Emperor
Clarmundo
Sullivan & Empress Jowanna Piece
St. James of Sacramento, and Empress
Uneke Chanel of Stockton! How hot
can you make it? Great food, fun and
raffle prizes to be won!
$7 door donation requested. Doors
open at 4pm, show starts at 5pm. The
ISJDE is a 501c(3) non-profit.
Sunday, August 26th, 5pm “until it
cools down” at Paradise Nightclub,
10114 Lower Sacramento Rd.
Also, come out to our monthly
Bingo on the first Thursday of every
month, 8pm at Paradise Nightclub!
electricity. But tents or RVs are welcome, too, if that's more your style.
The campsite is over a mile high, but
don't worry about the thin air, because
you're going to relax! There are free
hot showers and flush toilets. Just
bring bedding, a towel, and soap...
Food and Beverage: There is a
mess hall with indoor and outdoor
dining, and a real kitchen, so expect
some great Route 66 roadside diner
food! We provide dinner Friday;
breakfast, lunch, and formal dinner
Saturday; and Sunday breakfast.
There is a fully-stocked open bar,
snacks, etc., too.
Entertainment: There will be a
Guest Night event Friday, followed by
some group activity (Jeopardy, or
whatever). Saturday brings the Bike
Events, People Events, Cocktail Hour
and Campsite Presentation, and of
course, the Run Show. The campsite is
in a scenic area, with plenty of trails if
you want some outdoor recreation.
(And there's a playroom for those who
prefer that indoor recreation.)
Questions? E-mail Road Captain
Mark Malan at [email protected]
www.loboc.com
∏
VALLEYWIDE
Mr. Golden State Bear /
Cub contestants sought
If you self-identify as a bear or a
cub, and live in Central California,
roughly between Stockton and
Bakersfield, including the Valley and
the Mountains, you qualify to compete
in the Mr. Golden State Bear / Cub
2012-13 contest! You must be 21
years of age or older on August 17th,
2012 to enter. The contest is a part of
the Golden State Bears' annual Bear
Frenzy weekend in Fresno, this year
taking place between August 17th and
19th. See article in the Fresno section
and visit GoldenStateBears.org for
contestant requirements and duties.
NewsLink
all kinds to be able to have fun and
be proud to be who they are.
Stockton Pride also created Teens'
Area for young adults/teens from the
ages 13 - 20 to hang out and have fun.
This is an area dedicated to young
adults for their comfort and enjoyment. This area is run by the San
Joaquin Pride Center youth group.
Saturday, August 25th, 10am - 7pm
at Oak Grove Regional Park, 4520 W.
Eight Mile Rd.
Want to be involved in the planning
of The Pride Festival? If so come to
our next Committee Meeting, every
Monday at 4:30 pm at the San Joaquin
Pride Center, 109 N. Sutter St.
stocktonpride.weebly.com
19
∏
∏
Hot Burlesque) - DJ Rapid Fire (Stay
Gold) - DJ Jenny Hoyston - DJ Miss
Pop A short Film Exhibition by
QWOCMAP & Frameline
Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund Women's Pride
Brunch
7/21 in San Diego
Lesbian Events -July to
August 2012
By Pamela and Angela Brooks
Editor’s Note:This will be the last
Lesbian Events Column by Pamela
and Angela Brooks. It has been great
working with these two talented writers. News Link wishes them well and
much success in all of their new
adventures.
We are currently looking for new
staff to fill their positions. If you are
interested please contact us at
[email protected]
National OLOC
Conference:
Bridges to Justice: 21st
Century Activism
July 19-22 In Boston, MA
Thursday through Sunday at The
Hilton Hotel, Woburn, MA
Join Old Lesbians Organizing for
Change, a national network of Old
Lesbians over age 60 working to make
life better for Old Lesbians through
support networks and by confronting
ageism in our communities and our
country using education and public
discourse as primary tools. To register
or for more information, go to
regonline.com/oloc2012
Grrls Grrls Camp:
An Amazonian Womens
Weekend Event
7/20-7/22 in Angeles
National Forest
Friday beginning at 1pm through
Sunday
2012 marks the first year of Grrls
Grrls Camp, a weekend event celebrating women made for loving
women and nature in the same spirit
of the Girl Scouts for us grown-up
girls. Grrl Scout Camp is a unique
camping experience for women who
love women to meet and mingle in a
naturally relaxing atmosphere. It's
time to get out of the house, away
from our computers, the kids and the
other stresses of life in the city. Come
for the wild times; get wet and get
dirty so you can return home relaxed
and cleansed physically, mentally,
spiritually and emotionally. For info &
photos visit http://doitstrapped.com
NewsLink
5th Annual Fabulosa My Kind of Party!
7/20 in Petaluma
20
Friday 6pm - Sun, July 22, 7pm at
Walker Creek Ranch - Petaluma
El Rio Presents . . . Fabulosa - My
Kind of Party! Proceeds from
Fabulosa benefit Women's & LGBTQ
charities. Tickets start at $20 / day or
$180 / weekend, including meals! *
Featured Performers - - Azucar Con
Ache -Tru Bloo & Wanda Kruda Sistas in the Pit - Judea Eden Band The Patsy Chords - Out on a Clef Shake It! Booty Band - DJ Brown
Amy (Hard French) - Dottie Lux (Red
Saturday 9am-11am at The Range
Kitchen & Cocktails, 1263 University
Ave, San Diego,
The Victory Fund's annual San
Diego Women's Pride Brunch will
take place on Saturday, July 21, 2012
with featured speakers California
State Senator Christine Kehoe and
Maryland State Delegate Heather
Mizeur. Olivia Cruises has generously
donated a Deluxe Verandah Ocean
View stateroom on Olivia's 40th
Anniversary Caribbean Cruise, which
we will raffle off at the brunch.
Individual
tickets
are
$100.
Sponsorship opportunities still available. For information on becoming a
Sponsor or Host, contact Patrick
Cordova
at
202.567.3314
[email protected].
For event questions, contact
[email protected]
Suzanne Westenhoefer:
More Stuff You
Shouldn't Know
7/28 in Long Beach
Saturday 8pm at The Center
Theatre in the Long Beach
Convention Center, 300 E Ocean
Blvd, Long Beach
She's bad…and she knows it. She's
also rip-roaring hilarity wrapped up
with a silver bow and a gift tag that
says, “Just Try Me”. All we have to
say about that is…”Where do we sign
up?” Suzanne's new material is based
on her ever-changing view of life
after…well, everything. She's a brandnew woman around town with striking
insights based on a jilted year that has
finally - thankfully - ended. Stick with
her and she'll take you for a ride on the
wild side with plenty of Pinot to keep
it interesting. All aboard! OPENING
ACT: Rising star Fortune Feimster,
from “Chelsea Lately.” Tickets available online at womenonaroll.com or
phone:310-578-8888
Film Screening: I Am
7/29 in Artesia
Sunday 2pm-5pm at Artesia
Community Center, 18750 Clarkdale
Ave, Artesia, CA 90701. Satrang is
hosting a free screening of "I AM", a
film that documents the stories of gay
and lesbian Indians and what family
truly means, in a landscape where
being gay was until recently a criminal and punishable offense. Come
join us! There will be free snacks and
drinks!
Please
email
at
[email protected] to be guaranteed a seat.
Womyn's Music Festival
8/7-8/12 in Hart, MI
(I know it's not CA,
but this is a lesbian mecca!)
Tuesday through Sunday near Hart,
MI
Now in its 37th year, the “womyn's
Woodstock” is still going strong,
promising six days of woman-centered workshops, music, comedy and
spoken word, including appearances
by Dar Williams [3], Marga Gomez,
Cris Williamson, Staceyann Chinn,
Dorothy Allison and Mary Gauthier.
www.michfest.com
Elderflower Womenspirit
Festival™
8/9-8/12 in Mendocino
Thursday - Sunday at the
Mendocino Woodlands, Mendocino
Celebrating 24 Years of Women's
Community, Elderflower Womenspirit
is a women's spirituality festival that
takes place every August, in the
Mendocino Woodlands of Northern
California. Since 1988, women have
gathered together to create this festival, to create a time and space for
healing and growth, as well as a growing community of empowered
women. Elderflower Womenspirit
gives you four days of rest and relaxation, camping in cabins or tents by a
creek in a beautiful redwood forest.
Enjoy gourmet catered meals, with
vegetarian options. Camp amenities
include hot showers! Go online for
registration form and information.
Deadline for registration in 7/31. For
more information about registration
and fees, go to http://www.elderflower.org/Registration.html
month-long arts festival, a two day
LGBT event featuring musical performances by Lacy J. Dalton and
Billboard dance sensation Matt
Zarley, Rendesvous, and Cool Beans.
Events include a bar crawl sponsored
by Reno's Biggest Little Sisters,
SplashPool Party, The Ethel Merman
Experience, Reno Taiko Tsurunokai,
and the CommUNITY Pride Parade.
Check out http://www.renorainbowfest.com/ for times, hotels, and
event schedule.
EQCA Los Angeles
Equality Awards
8/18 in Beverly Hills
Saturday 6pm Reception, 7pm
Dinner at The Beverly Hilton, 9876
Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills
Join EQCA in honoring Children's
Hospital's Division of Adolescent
Medicine for their groundbreaking
and exemplary work supporting the
needs of Transgender Youth. Musical
guest is legendary, Grammy AwardWinning Recording Artist, Thelma
Houston, who will be performing
“Don't Leave Me This Way” along
with other hits, dance the night away
with after-party DJ Angus Wong,
famous for lifting his listeners to
exhilarating highs of audio dynamite.
Tickets $350 plus sponsorships available.
For more information
http://eqcaawards.org/los-angelesawards/
EQCA San Diego Equality
Awards and 4th Annual
Garden Party
8/25 in Rancho Santa Fe
SOMETHING 4 EVERYONE!
The Season for Gay Rights:
A Discussion of Emerging
Constitutional Law
7/24 in San Francisco
Tuesday, 12pm-1pm at The Legal
Aid Society Employment Law Center
180 Montgomery St, Suite 600, SF
NCLR Senior Staff Attorney Amy
Whelan will be speaking on a panel
addressing LGBT federal court cases
as part of the Employment Law
Center's Elizabeth J. Cabraser
Summer Brown Bag Lecture Series.
Federal courts across the country are
considering a wide range of challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act,
including spousal health benefits,
green card sponsorship, ERISA benefit plans, and IRS-regulated long-term
care. At the same time, the Proposition
8 case is winding its way through the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Amy
and panelists will review the judiciary's increasing recognition of the
rights of LGBT people and their families, and discuss what comes next.
The session is approved for 1.5
hours of MCLE credit and is free and
open to the public. For more information, visit www.LAS-ELC.org.
Reno Rainbow Festival
7/27-7/28 in Reno, NV
Friday and Saturday, event times
and places vary (see website)
ArTown presents as part of its
Saturday 4pm-7pm at the Lily
Award-Winning Home of Joyce
Rowland and Pamela Morgan in
Rancho Santa Fe California
Hosted by Wilson Cruz of My SoCalled Life and Noah's Arc. An openly gay actor of Afro-Puerto Rican
ancestry, Wilson Cruz has worked
tirelessly as an advocate for gay
youth, especially gay youth of color.
Musical guest is Leftover Cuties
whose music fits beside Billie
Holiday, but is current in its sex
appeal, its sophistication, its confidence. The event will honor
Superintendent Bill Kowba and the
San Diego Unified School District for
their Anti-Bullying Campaign. Tickets
$150 and sponsorships are available.
For info http://eqcaawards.org/sandiego-equality-awards/
2012 Humboldt Pride
Parade and Festival
9/8 in Eureka
Saturday Noon-5pm at Halvorsen
Park on Eureka's beautiful waterfront.
This year's theme is “20 Actions for
2012: Celebrating OurTwentieth
Year.” For two decades Humboldt has
celebrated its Pride by building a
stronger and more diverse community.
Humboldt Pride encourages all local
residents to go to our website and
commit to at least one of the 20
actions listed to continue this exceptional progress. At this year's Pride
festival week of events we will publically recognize the Actions people
have taken to make the North Coast a
better place for all its residents to live.
Before you praise him too much,
does anyone else smell a political
strategy rather than the sweet smell of
sincerity?! Obama's new-found
change of heart, that marriage equality
is the right thing to do in a supposed
free society, comes too little too late
for many. All-in-all, "better late than
never" always takes the cake, and
Obama will surely go down in history
over this issue, but my instinctive gut
reaction to his big news was disappointment and frustration, especially
on behalf of the North Carolina LGBT
community. May 6th, while listening
to NPR (National Public Radio), I hear
that V.P. Joe Biden is "absolutely comfortable" with gay couples who marry
getting the same civil rights and liberties as heterosexual couples." Great!
But what's been holding back the president? I suppose while the V.P. was
giving this interview, the President
was still working on his evolution.
Two days later on May 8th came the
crushing and discriminatory vote on
Amendment One in North Carolina,
banning same-sex marriage. Low and
behold, the very next day on May 9th
came Obama's interview with Robin
Roberts of ABC news, where his
"evolved" change of heart was finally
revealed. What a coincidence! Here
comes Obama, a day late and a dollar
short, riding in on a blazing rainbow
stallion of freedom now that the stage
has been set by Biden, after North
Carolina suffers a terrible loss, and
after everyone has been waiting and
waiting with extreme anticipation for
Obama to finally stand up and heroically swoop the LGBT community
off its feet, with votes in tow. Not so
fast. If Obama really cared, if he really wanted to make an actual difference, why wait util AFTER the North
Carolina vote? He could have and
should have "came out" in support of
equality long ago. He sure as heck
could have stood up for same-sex couples in North Carolina and made his
announcement BEFORE the discriminatory ballot initiative was even put
before the voters, which he darn well
LEGS
by Rachel B.
I have been reporting on the many
legislative advances for transgender
individuals. Now I would like to turn
some attention on the more practical
aspects of transitioning. This month
let's look at LEGS. Trans men seem to
have better luck in firming up more
masculine legs. The hormone quickly
supplies more hair and “filling out”.
To encourage the progress, it has been
suggested to me that consuming a soy
protein muscle builder herbal as well
as combining an effective exercise
routine can encourage a little quicker
result.
Trans females have a little more
“practice” to look forward to. First I
have learned from various sources and
some detailed observations that males
have more of a tendency to swing their
arms and shoulders when they walk.
Females have more of a tendency to
swing their hips and legs when walking (pre-teens can be seen “practicing”
this sometimes). It might be beneficial to be a little more consciences
about this when strolling down the
street. To practice put all of your
weight on one leg then shift all of your
weight to the other leg when taking a
step. Exaggerate this for a while until
you get used to it. Wearing heels (2 to
3 inches) will add to the “wiggle”. I
did come across an exercise to encourage the “hip wiggle” movements for
females. Put one of your feet up on a
stool (not really high) then lean and
rock forward about 10 times. Next
move/wiggle hips side to side for 10 to
20 and rotate 10 to 20 or so. Change
feet and do again. Another tip I
learned was to shorten my stride.
Some studies indicate the average
women's stride is about 26” or so.
Measure the distance from the toe of
one foot to the toe of the opposite foot
in a step. Higher heels may warrant
shorter steps. Wearing pencil skirts
will encourage shorter steps also.
There seems to be a consensus
among many of my acquaintances that
a great many trans females actually
make better looking females than the
genetically gifted do. They may try
harder (make a more concerted effort)
in paying attention to a lot of the “little details”. Someone once commented to me that the pre-teen and young
teen genetic females could spot a trans
female a mile away with their backs
turned and their eyes closed. The tiny
“little details” seem to be that important.
I have been subscribing to an “ezine” run by Lucille Sorella
(www.flat2fem.com) and have learned
a few tips on helping to cope with
some of those tiny “little details”. For
winter time a good pair of panty hose
or nylons is a must. Try the more tinted as they will hide more yet show off
your curves. For the summer I have
tried airbrush (aerosol) leg makeup
and it adds some color to my legs as
well as evens out the different shades
my legs have naturally. It also hides
some of the faint flaws. It does seem
to permanently stain some fabrics,
though; careful.
Shoes are a necessity, of course,
and keep in mind that a higher heel
will cause some contracting of the calf
muscles and add unwanted muscular
features. Be mindful that some pointy
toes can add inches to the feet and
square toes can add a “stumpy” look.
A round closed toe would work the
best for camouflaging those size 10
and above a little better.
Consideration should go to choosing the right length skirt. Calf length
for some may come across as a little
“dowdy”. Too short can also have its
own hazards. To find a good length
for your legs a fashion rule of thumb
may work best to your advantage.
Stand upright with arms to your sides.
The tips of your fingers should just
barely be able to feel the flesh of your
legs. This may be the symmetry you
are looking for.
Try to find fashion that shows the
color RED. This color seems to bring
interest to your legs.
Maybe next month I will do a column on VOICE. Meanwhile watch
with a detailed eye how others dress,
walk, and present themselves. Then
PRACTICE.
The author welcomes comments
and
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Gets It?
but for the rest of the world, but the
timing of it all speaks unsettling volumes. Understandably, people evolve
and change their viewpoints, but personal viewpoints are to be set aside
when you take public office and you
swear to uphold the constitution,
which guarantees equality to all of our
citizens. It should not take a president
nearly four years to get used to the
idea of equality. Now that he has spoken up, lets see what he'll actually do
about it. He has six more months, but
does he deserve four more years to
have another shot at some of the
things he should have been doing from
day one of his presidency? I'll be voting Libertarian.
∏
J. STANLEY TEIXEIRA
ATTORNEY AT LAW
1233 W. SHAW AVENUE, SUITE 100
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93711
TELEPHONE (559) 225-2510
FACSIMILE (559) 225-2389
NewsLink
.Obama Finally
by Caleb Robinson
knew about. Obama fans may rush to
his defense and say his views finally
"evolved". Really? Evolved the day
after the NC vote and 6 months before
the election? Some may rush to his
defense and say that he was in favor of
marriage equality all along, but that it
would be political suicide for him to
support gay rights. If that's the case,
weather it be him or someone else as
president, putting one's political career
before the rights, freedoms and liberties of our citizens is absolutely wrong
and unjust, and that person is unfit for
public office. When are these politicians going to start working for the
people instead of playing political
games of strategy?! How long have
we all been waiting for someone in his
position to stand up for equality? On
the campaign trail Obama seemed like
the champion the LGBT community
had been waiting for. For nearly four
years everyone has been sitting on the
edge of their seats waiting and waiting
for the Commander in Chief of this
land of liberty of ours to stand up,
speak out and take action for equality.
It seems to me that Obama has really
been taking his sweet time to get it
through his head that equality is the
right thing to do, despite his personal
beliefs, or strategies, or whatever they
may be. Ah, but not all hope has been
lost! There are in fact politicians who
do wield the courage of their convictions, who have been far ahead of the
rest of the political pack on progressive and provocative issues. However,
don't count on the mainstream press or
your nightly news to inform you!
Former Republican Governor of New
Mexico and former Republican presidential candidate, now Libertarian
candidate, Gary Johnson, has in fact
been a champion for marriage equality and other neglected liberties all
along, and has remained light-years
ahead
of
the
mainstream
Republican/Democrat aka Republicrat
political monopoly. Gary Johnson has
long said publicly that “marriage
equality is a matter of equal rights
under the Constitution." It's totally a
no-brainer if you understand and
uphold the constitution, yet so few
politicians have the backbone to do it.
We deserve far better than the same
old Republican vs Democrat tug-ofwar over our life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness. No one, especially a minority group, should be used as political
pawns in games of power and control,
but sure seems that its happening.
Obama may be a hero to some, and
speaking up for marriage equality will
most certainly be positive change in
the long run for not only our citizens
21
∏
∏
NewsLink
∏
22
Kevin also had a cute, tiny, tasty
cupful of Armenian coffee ($1.50),
which kept him well awake his driving assignment for the 3+ hour trip
back to Fresno late at night.
Value for the price, the service and
the food will definitely have us coming back whenever we're in town!
And check out their bathroom - painted teal, with granite halfway-up the
walls, and a designer vessel sink. Oh,
and yes, the chairs in the dining room
are painted gold, and there's a little
stage area with a keyboard and a
microphone. Makes one wonder what
goes on there on some nights!
Tonir Café, 3236 N San Fernando
Blvd, Burbank; open Mon - Sat 8am 10pm, (818) 563-6666, www.tonircafe.com
by Kirk & Kevin Caldwell
TONIR CAFÉ
On a recent (July 5th) day trip to
Los Angeles our party of three (the
writers plus our friend Houston)
found ourselves near the Burbank airport after 9pm with not many eat out
options. How lucky were we to find
Tonir Cafe on Yelp! We've eaten at
dozens and dozens of Armenian /
Middle-Eastern restaurants all over
California, plus we live in Fresno and
there're a lot of them here as well and Tonir is definitely in our top 3 of
ALL time.
We ordered Beef Kabob plate (with
the grilled tomato and pepper over
rice, $9.95), Chicken & Beef Lula
combo plate (with the grape leaves
and hummus with fries, only $6.75!)
and Chicken & Pork Kabob plate
(with the tomato and the eggplant
"ikra" with fries, $10.95). Every one
of the meats looked really appetizing
on the outside, seasoned very nicely
and cooked "to perfection" - moist
and juicy inside. Even when we were
full - and the portions were large for
the price, we think - we kept reaching
back for "just one more bite".
Whatever they put in their meat is
quite addictive! The sliced onions
over the meat provided another texture and a little bit of "bite".
The sides were great: the pepper
and the tomato were nicely charred in
a few spots, the skin soft but not
mushy; the hummus had slightly
lemony flavour, and had just the right
consistency (we don't like it when
restaurants put olive oil over the hummus, because usually it means it's too
thick to eat without mixing in the oil
yourself) and it was sprinkled with
paprika for extra flavour (we think...?
it was coarse, like crushed red peppers, but not as spicy); the eggplant
spread had a nice smoky finish; the
fries were on the right side of "seasoned, but not too salty". The pita
bread could have been both thicker
and warmer, though.
The service was prompt - we were
the only ones in the restaurant - and
we didn't feel either overly watched
or ignored: the server showed up a
few times to check in on us. Oh, and
they stayed open well past their closing just so we could finish dinner in
no hurry!
WILD CHICKEN
Just a few days later we had to take
a trip to the San Francisco Bay area,
but luckily it was an overnighter, so
we were able to visit several restaurants and write about them for your
(hopefully) enjoyment.
Once again we were visiting
Kevin's brother, Roger, and he
accompanied us to Wild Chicken, a
very highly-rated (on Yelp) rotisserie
with a very simple menu: four
flavours of chicken, and eight sides.
We were somewhat lucky that we got
there just before closing, and they
made one plate with two flavours, so
we got to taste all four of them among
the three of us!
Kirk ordered a quarter of Pepper
Chicken (marinated in orange juice
with lots of pepper and cumin on the
outside), a quarter of Wild Chicken
(marinated in orange juice, with
achiote for colour and hot peppers for
spice) with pesto macaroni salad and
potato / cucumber salad ($9.99,
including drink). The first one was
very peppery, the second just spicy
enough to get a tingling on our
tongues, the skin on both was crispy
and they were both very juicy inside!
The cold mac salad had elbow pasta
tossed with fresh, bright, slightly
acidic pesto, and the cubed potatoes
& sliced cucumbers were tossed in a
tangy oil and vinegar dressing.
Kevin had the Herb Chicken (with
dried herbs and a touch of lime on the
outside), with Corn & Bean Salad and
Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The yummy
salad consisted of sweet corn, lima
beans and sweet and tangy chunks of
pineapple in a fruity vinaigrette; and
the potatoes came with a side of
slightly-lemony white gravy the consistency of a marinade.
JAYAKARTA
The next day we were celebrating
our 13th anniversary (thank you,
thank you), and we decided to try
some cuisines we'd never had before.
For lunch, the fate (or rather, once
again, Yelp) sent us to Jayakarta, an
Indonesian & Singaporean place, with
an extensive, 120+ dish menu. It's
easy to get lost in it, so if you're
adventurous, you should go with
Rijstaffel ($23 per person), a kind of
buffet with a dozen dishes in it:
shrimp crackers; bean crackers; a soup
of vegetables with a beef ball & a
chicken wonton; grilled fish cake in a
banana leaf; spring roll (with chicken,
tofu, carrot, bamboo shoots, green
onions); a salad of veggies tossed with
tofu, eggs, shrimp crackers with
peanut dressing; chicken satay; BBQ
chicken marinated in palm sugar; yellow curry with shrimp, eggs and pota-
toes; beef curry with coconut milk;
jasmine rice; coconut or mango ice
cream. A feast that gives you an idea
of Indonesian cooking. We, however,
opted for something smaller: two
lunch boxes and two starters.
Kevin ordered Kari Udang (yellow
curry with peeled, sauteed tail-on
shrimp, chopped cabbage and cubed
potatoes, it was mild and on the sweet
side, the veggies were crisp-tender),
Sate Ayam (two skewers with chunks
of BBQ marinated, grilled chicken,
served with very-sweet-and-lightlyspicy peanut sauce for dipping),
Steamed Jasmine Rice (which was
perfectly cooked, but tasted even better with the leftover yellow curry
poured over it) and Vegetable Soup
(sweet and tangy, lightly spicy, with
large pieces of cabbage, carrots, potatoes and tofu). Unfortunately, both the
CAFÉ TIBET
Finally, the location of our anniversary dinner, Café Tibet, turned out to
be just two doors down from
Jayakarta, in the same building!
Again, thanks to Yelp for bringing it to
our attention as one of the highestrated restaurants that area. We already
love Indian food, and after a look at
their menu we figured out their
Himalayan & Tibetan cuisine was
similar yet different enough to warrant
a tasting.
We entered this world of the guttural voices of chanting Buddhist monks
coming from the speakers, temple
flags hanging on the walls, pictures of
the Dalai Lama and rotating prayer
wheels to find a very sweet lady
behind the counter (decorated with
fountains, lights, figurines, etc.) She
explained all of the dishes to us and
was very attentive. We felt really bad
that we were probably the only customers there for dinner - there was a
power outage in downtown Berkeley,
which affected the BART station so
trains weren't stopping there, and no
doubt that was the reason for empty
tables. Because food was amazing!
For a starter, we decided to share a
plate of Momos: beautiful wonton
dumpling discs, either steamed or
fried (we chose steamed) that come
with a variety of fillings. We elected
to go with Sha (minced chicken,
onion, ginger and spices over special
yellow “curry” sauce), Ngotsel
(spinach, feta, mozzarella with onion
and ginger, sitting on a mint “chutney” sauce) and Kar-sha (sautéed
mushrooms, mascarpone cheese, scallions and garlic, with a light yoghurt
sauce). You get three of each, for the
total of nice, for $12 - they're $1
cheaper if you select just one flavor.
The momos were mouth-watering: the
wontons were not greasy or doughy,
and the filling combos were warm,
savory and lightly spicy: think of
Polish pierogi with a lot more flavour!
Kevin's choice for the entrée that
evening was Sha-bhak-leb ($12.95),
four round deep-fried pastries (similar
to empanadas), filled with minced
beef, mixed with savory herbs and
drizzled with a yellow-orange currylike sauce. Delicious! A small, simple
salad of lettuce with sweet sesame
dressing was the perfect contrast to
the spiced pastries. Kirk chose Luksha She-dre ($11.95), boneless lamb
chunks in a mildly-sweet (he asked for
“medium hot” just in case, and he
thinks he could have handled hot) reddish-brown curry sauce, mixed with
still-crunchy broccoli (which he
promptly gave to Kevin) and sliced
carrots. The curry was lighter and less
oily than Indian ones, but apparently
similar in flavour to some Chinese
dishes. On the side, there was the
salad, and two rolls of Tingmo,
Himalayan yellow steamed bread,
with a hint of garlic. The server also
brought out a side of ground pure chili
paste (imagine a really thick, really
hot tabasco sauce), and warned us it
was hot, after which Kirk dipped his
bread in, tasted it, said “Ow”, and
went back for more. It was hot but
very addicting in a masochistic way.
We left the place very sated and satisfied, but not feeling heavy, which is
how we usually feel after eating
Indian food. We'll be back to try more
of this Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine!
Café Tibet, 2020 University Ave.,
Berkeley; open Mon - Sun for dinner
5pm -10pm, Mon - Fri for lunch
11:30am - 2:30pm; (510) 548-5553,
www.cafetibetberkeley.com
NewsLink
We didn't realize it was gravy
(instead thinking it was a dipping
sauce) and were dipping just about
everything on our forks in it, it was
that good! Roger opted for a quarter of
Peruvian Chicken ($7.99) with sweet
and spicy flavors of cumin and paprika, with the side of Garlic Mashed
Potatoes and Cole Slaw (which was
tasty, but not very memorable).
Strangely, each dish came with a piece
of bread we know from Moroccan and
Afghani eateries!
It's a simple family-owned restaurant, you order at the counter, there's
plasticware, the soda comes in cans,
but the place is clean, pleasant, and
the food is fantastic.
Wild Chicken Rotisserie, 1960
Concord Ave., Concord; open Mon Sat 11am - 10pm, Sun 11am - 8pm;
(925) 687-5000, no website.
soup and the peanut sauce were made
with shrimp paste, so Kirk couldn't
taste those due to allergies. So he
opted for Rendang (spicy beef curry,
the heat somewhat offset by coconut
milk), Kari Ayam (mildly sweet curry
with chicken, potatoes and carrots)
and Gado-Gado. It's a traditional
Indonesian salad, that according to
their menu is a “warm salad of fresh
vegetables tossed with slices of fried
tofu, hard-boiled eggs, and shrimp
crackers, topped with a layer of
peanut dressing”. What Kirk got was a
cold salad of some sort of green melon
(maybe cantaloupe?), bean sprouts
(the best part of the salad!), egg, and
not-really-fried tofu. Again, due to
allergies, he had to ask for no shrimp
crackers or peanut dressing, and there
wasn't another dressing option. He
unhappily pecked at the cold salad.
Next time, definitely a pass on that.
Both lunches come in a sort of a Bento
box, with three compartments (soup
or salad is served separately), and they
each cost $7.95. Not bad!
Because rice is the only starch
option included, Kirk also ordered an
appetizer of Perkedel ($5.50) - four
deep-fried ground potatoes with cabbage and carrots; they were nicely
sized discs, with lovely brown on the
outside and warm, fresh, savory
flavours (including green onions)
inside. We also enjoyed Otak-Otak
Panggang ($5.50) - four fish cakes
wrapped and grilled in banana leaves,
once again served with the ever-present peanut sauce, which Kevin raved
about. The fish cakes were very tasty,
not very fishy, with a tofu-like or
“chicken nugget”-like texture, which
some might find off-putting. Both
appetizers were great! In all, we were
glad we tried Indonesian cuisine, and
would likely go back there to find
more shrimp paste-free dishes!
Jayakarta
Restaurant,
2026
University Ave., Berkeley; open Tue Sun 11am - 10pm; (510) 841-0884,
jayakarta.bravehost.com
23
∏
∏
∏
∏
∏
Your Intellectual Whore
“An effervescently gay
advice columnist”
Disclaimer: Although the author
of this syndicated column holds a
doctorate in clinical psychology, the
tongue-in-cheek advice given is for
entertainment only and is not a substitute for therapy. Barbie responds to
all emails…whether you deserve it or
not. Send your questions to Uncle
Barbie at: [email protected]
SCREAM DREAM
Dear Uncle Barbie,
I have a reoccurring nightmare that
I just can't seem to get rid of. I don't
know if this is the sort of think that
you deal with or not, but I thought I
would write you and give it a shot. I
keep dreaming that I am having a sexual relationship with my husband's
best friend. I am terrified of getting
caught, but that doesn't seem to stop
me. Then, all of a sudden, my husband
walks into the room and starts shouting at us. I scream and run out of the
room, but I am not able to run. It is as
if my legs were made of lead. I
become so frightened I wake up with a
scream. It is so loud that I wake up my
husband. He asks me what my nightmare was about, but I lie and tell him
I don't remember. I have been having
this dream for over a year now, off and
on. What do I have to do to get rid of
it? There has to be something I can do.
I have tried drinking a glass of warm
milk before I go to bed, but it did not
stop the nightmares. Should I get a
new mattress or what?
Signed, J.M.
Hello J.M.,
Drinking warm milk and sleeping
on a different mattress is not likely to
take away your nightmares because
they are not rooted in your physical
comfort. I actually lecture on sleep
MFC37347
One other suggestion I have for
preparing your mind to do lucid
dreaming is to stimulate your vestibular system. (No, it's not what you
think.) Researchers have discovered
that when this system is activated, it
increases lucid dreaming. A person
can trigger their vestibular system by
simply sleeping while in a rocking
motion, like in a hammock, porch
swing, houseboat, waterbed, etc. So,
with a little bit of training and personal journaling, you can gain more control over your dreams, and your nightmares should naturally dissipate.
Pleasant Screams, Barbie
STRESS AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS
By Ron Blake
You're going to die before you want
to and there's nothing you can do
about it! Stop the presses; I've slapped
an injunction on that notion! That is
only true if you keep letting stress
bind you with manacles each day.
Stress can lead to alcohol and drug
abuse in addition to anxiety and
depression. It is also responsible for as
much as 70% of all illnesses. Enough
already! I found you in time and I can
get you to greener pastures.
Most stress is caused by inadequate
time management. Time in a day is
limited and you need to decide what
you will accomplish each day. Write it
all down on paper. You can't do everything so you will need to leave some
of the items on the editing floor.
There's your graduate school coursework, the crime scene TV shows, the
exercise routine, the workday, and
there are plenty of other things vying
for your attention. Prioritize and then
stick to your manageable schedule
like a dutiful liege
When you try to squeeze 48 hours
into a day the first item up for auction
is your sleep. The big cats in Africa
get about twenty hours of sleep each
day. You are chasing taxicabs and not
zebras so you can get by on much less
than that. Your forty winks only need
to be about seven to eight hours daily.
The suggestions for pleasant
dreams are as follows: 1) Go to bed at
the same time each night. 2) Don't
exercise right before bedtime. 3)
Avoid eating meals shortly before
lights out. A simple snack is fine. 4)
Don't watch TV in the bedroom. 5)
Sleep in a cooler than normal room. 6)
Avoid excessive alcohol. It causes
restless sleep.
All work and no play make Jack a
dull boy! Have some fun in life. It
really does not matter that you saved
millions of dollars and can retire at
fifty if you spent all those years with
your nose to the grindstone. The accumulation of stress from those years of
abundant toil might just give you a
one way ticket to your plot of land in
Boot Hill. Recreation and leisure
should be important components of
your daily schedule. Find time to read
a Harry Potter book or to run around
in a rainstorm. Have fun while you are
here!
There are several relaxation techniques that might help you show stress
to the nearest exit. The methods for
outstanding relief are the quick fix,
prayer, and positive thinking. The
quick fix means taking a five minute
timeout from the rat race. Go to a
quiet spot, loosen your clothing,
remove your shoes, and shut your
eyes. Inhale deeply for about five seconds and then exhale slowly for about
ten seconds. Repeat this several times.
Now mentally picture something
pleasant like a lake, a cloud, or a
waterfall. Keep relaxing and breathe
deeply. After five minutes, stretch
briefly and head back to the real world
with renewed vigor.
The next technique is prayer.
Studies have indicated that prayer can
decrease blood pressure and can be a
tremendous source of comfort. Prayer
can provide confidence to function
more effectively and thus reduce
stress from your difficulties of life.
Try embracing the power of prayer
with any religion you choose.
Finally there remains positive
thinking. Do whatever it takes to create a positive mood when you have
excessive stress. You do not want to
dwell on any negative feelings.
Always picture the positive side of
life. Those that do are those who prosper.
You use a lot of six letter words in
your life everyday; don't let stress be
one of them.
This health and fitness article is
brought to you by that guy with fluffy
finesse and peaceful panache. That
guy of relaxed rigor is Ron Blake and
he can be happily heard at
SmallTownBigCityRadio.com.
∏
disorder in my college classes. To best
answer your question, let me share
with you some of the most resent
research done on this subject. When
you are dreaming, you are in a state
known as rapid eye movement (REM)
sleep. What most people do not know
is that when a person is dreaming, the
motor skills in the brain are temporarily inactive, possibly to prevent harm
to yourself and others by thrashing
about while sleeping. This phenomena
is referred to as REM paralysis. That
may explain why you were not able to
move your legs and run in your nightmares. (By the way, when people are
sleepwalking, they are not dreaming.
They are in non-REM sleep.)
You might be surprised to know
that nightmares are actually considered a type of sleep disorder called
parasomnias which are characterized
by abnormal behavior during sleep,
such as nightmares and sleepwalking.
Nightmare disorder occurs during
REM sleep and is so distressful that it
interferes with daily life functioning
and interrupts sleep by awakening the
sleeper. It seems that this is what is
happening with you. Nightmare disorder is more common in children; however, in adults, it involves 5 to 10% of
the population. One way to minimize
reoccurring nightmares is to keep a
detailed journal of your nightmares.
Research shows that transferring the
thoughts of your nightmare from your
dreams to a written form brings the
issue from your subconscious to your
conscious where you can deal with it
in a logical manner.
Additionally, you can interrupt and
wake yourself from a nightmare by
training yourself to look up at the sky
while in the nightmare. Doing this will
cause your eyes, in real life, to brake
the normal pattern of rapid eye movement and should cause your eyelids to
open, thus waking you. (To test this,
try closing your eyelids now. Then,
quickly role your eyes upwards as if
you were trying to look at your eyebrows. If you are like most people,
your eyelids will naturally fly open on
their own. The same thing should happen when you suddenly look up at the
sky in the middle of a nightmare.)
Taking conscious control of your
dreams is called, lucid dreaming. You
can literally train your mind to be in
command of your dreams by learning
to program your mind before you
sleep. How? Try giving yourself a
visual signal to use in your dreams to
remind you that you are dreaming.
Some examples are: make a fist;
stomp your foot; bite your lip; etc.
1451 W Shaw Ave.
Fresno, CA 93711
Ph: (559) 243-1809
Fax: (559) 243-1807
Gina Keller PsyD, LMFT
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
H EA DQ UART E RS
NOW FEATURING
NewsLink
Psychotherapy for all ages
Alternative hair coloring, Cosmetics, W igs
Cynthia Stevens - proprietor/stylist
1236 N. Wishon
Fresno, CA 93728
559-498-8430
25
∏
HOROSCOPES by Eric Biglione
Aries
(Mar 21 - Apr 19)
You've probably
have had a falling out
with someone special.
Try to reach out and
smooth this over. There is also some
romance in the air. Go ahead you can
be a smooth talker now. Pay attention
to younger people.
Taurus
(Apr 20 - May 20)
A lot of miscommunication with family going on. This is a
time roll with the punches and avoid
showdowns. Put aside your feelings for
now and cater to other a little but don't
get bowled over.
Gemini
Libra
(Sep 23 - Oct 22)
You are probably
going to stir up some
family members here
for better or worse. This is unexpected.
Show your fair social side to smoother
over. The motto is if you haven't got
anything good to say don't say anything
at all. You have a lot of energy now.
Scorpio
(Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Some confusion at
work. Details need to
be reworked. For the
most part pretty smooth with a tendency to be laid back and let things take
care of themselves. You still can be
very creative if you apply yourself.
Intuition still strong.
Sagittarius
(Nov 22 - Dec 21)
(May 21 - June 20)
You should be feeling a sense of relief
and happiness during this period.
Opportunity is in your future and you
are ready for it. Make sure you keep
everything above board at work. No
games here.
Cancer
(June 21 - July 22)
Social change is
making you a little
more nervous then normal. Work on
security for yourself and no get rich
quick schemes. You have a lot of
behind scenes support for you. You can
handle this.
Leo
(July 23 - Aug 22)
Try not to be too
dramatic. You shine
naturally
now.
Expand your influence and be the generous person you can be. Hold off on
any major decisions for now. You have
the ball now so play fair.
Virgo
(Aug 23 - Sep 22)
You've had an
eventful past few
months. You may have to redo some of
what you've done here. Watch your
spending and get everything in black
and white from others. That means
keep everything above board. Tend to
those in need.
A lot of stress has
eased up and you are
ready for a break. Make future plans
and stick to them making sure you pay
attention to important issues. You find
younger people exhilarating now. New
ideas to move forward.
Capricorn
(Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Your temper may
be short now with the
nervous energy going
on around you. Exercise care in dealing with others and show discretion and
patience in dealing with others. You
may want to go over your finances to
make sure you are where you think you
are.
Aquarius
(Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Lots of stability
continues with Mars
making it easier to
accomplish goals in your life. You may
take others for granted. Learn to be
more sensitive to what they are doing.
Spending gets under more control for
you. Maybe an increase in your
income.
Pisces
(Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Others are move in
tune to work with you
instead of against
you. Now is a time to take care of
loved ones around you. Help but don't
take on their problems. You are going
to spend more now so budget for this.
July 20th
August 17th
Do you know a GLBT-friendly spot where we could
distribute NewsLink? Let us know!
Call (559) 486-3464 with your contact information!
o
sn
Counseling
Associates
g
e
Fr
in
v
er
Cynthia Callaghan
w
No
s
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
3134 Willow, Suite # 103
Clovis, CA 93612
ALL BREED PET SITTING
NewsLink
∏
Cell: 559/930-9327
E-mail: [email protected]
26
Quality Pet Care in Your Home
Caring For Your Pets Since 1988
3204 N. Van Ness Blvd, Fresno CA
559-222-ROSE
Fax 559-222-7693
Pet Care
• Feeding
• Exercising
• Medication
Home Care
• Plant Care
• Mail Pick-up
• Light Changes
Gail Gaston
Bus. 559-275-5092 Res. 559-325-0540
Bonded
Insured
I
Camping
Women
ARTEMIS
Recovery Club
CALIFORNIA RURAL
LEGAL ASSISTANCE
For women who
Proyecto Poderoso
1-800-242-2752
∏
artemisrecoveryclub.com
GayCentralValley
Fresno LGBT
Community Center
1055 N. Van Ness Ave. Suite
A
Fresno, CA 93728
559-325-4GAY
Community Link
Where we just don’t
tolerate diversity...
We celebrate it!
P.O. Box 4959, Fresno, CA 93744
(559) 266-LINK
[email protected]
Wed. - Sat. 12pm - 5pm
www.GayCentralValley.org
Imperial Dove
Court
2115 Kern St., Suite 370
Fresno, CA 93721
Diversity Club
at F.C.C.
Meetings:
Fridays 2-4pm
SO-208
Central Valley Alliance
of Atheists and Skeptics
WE DON’T BURN HERETICS
-
love the outdoors…
WE WELCOME THEM!
call 891-7725
www.cvaas.org
http://www.campingwomen.org
Fresno
Reel
Pride
The Central Valley
Annual GLBT Film Festival
559-268-2780
www.ReelPride.com
[email protected]
“You’ll just never know
what they’ll say next!”
You’ll have to tune in to find out!
KIDS LIKE US
IT'S A QUEER THANG
Social group
for bears, cubs & fans
GoldenStateBears.org
P.O. Box 4642,
Fresno, Ca. 93744
559-916-9299
www.idcfresno.org
P.O. Box 5561
Fresno CA 93755
Fraternal order raising funds
for groups who need help
NOW
Paris: 559-355-6163
P.O. Box 27382, Fresno, CA
93729-7382
(559) 434-6540
You are Welcome!
2:00 P.M. 2nd Sun
Wesley United
Methodist Church,
1343 E. Barstow, Fresno
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/gro
up.php?gid=107149747915
STRAIGHT ADVOCATES
FOR EQUALITY
Outreach Education
Support
www.safefresno.com
meetings:
first Fridays 7pm
first Saturdays 5pm
Robin (559) 287-9670
Your Gay Hosts:
Jeff & Kirk
1st & 3rd Fridays
at 6pm
∏
Gay parenting group
KFCF 88.1FM
3rd Friday of the month
at 5-6pm
Professional
Men’s Mixer
Fresno Area Resources
[email protected]
QVB
PROJECT: MALE
FIGHTING AIDS IN
FRESNO COUNTY
1584 N. Van Ness Ave.
Fresno,CA 93728
(559) 287-7666
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/project-male
Queer Volleyball
Frinedly Outdoor fun
Games are open to all
Meet new people!
No formalities!
Weekly Thurs. Games.
Season: March-Oct.
Info at 486-3464
Community Link’s
RAINBOW BOWLING
Thursdays 7:15pm
@ Cedar Lanes, 3131 N Cedar
Rich (559) 824-1417
The Fresno
GLBTQ
Youth Alliance
Date
TBA
19 years of Outrageous Fun
Every Friday
@ 7:00 - 8:30pm
@ 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd
@ The Big red Church
486-3464
w w w.StrideWithPrideForKids.com
(559) 285-2333
United Student
Pride
@ CSU Fresno
Join the Listserv at
csufresno.edu/StudentOrgs/LGBSA/
(559) 646-5806
Meetings: Wednesdays 12-2pm
www.trans-e-motion.org
www.wecarefresno.org
@ Women’s Resource Center
611 E. Belmont
Fresno, CA 93701
559-237-3420
Gay, Lesbian Bisexual & Transgender Resource - National, Sate, & Local
Freedom To Marry Coalition
116 West 23rd St, Suite 500
New York, NY 10011
212-851-8418
freedomtomarry.org
∏
Gender Public
Advocacy Coalition
1743 Connecticut Ave NW, 4th Fl.
Washington, DC 20009-1108
202-462-6610
gpac.org
Human Rights Campaign
1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW
Washington DC 20036-3278
800-777-4723 TTY: 202-216-1572
hrc.org
Gay Lesbian Straight
Education Network
90 Broad St, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10004
212-727-0135
glsen.org
Immigration Equality
350 West 31st Street, Suite 505
New York, NY 10001
212-714-2904
immigrationequality.org
Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation
5455 Wilshire Blvd, #1500
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-933-2240
glaad.org
Int'l Gay & Lesbian
Human Rights Commission
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 1505
New York, NY 10038
212-268-8040
iglhrc.org
Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund & Leadership Institute
PO Box 96308
202-VICTORY
victoryfund.org
Lambda Legal
120 Wall Street, Suite 1500
New York, NY 10005-3904
212-809-8585
lambdalegal.org
Log Cabin Republicans
1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, #902
Washington, DC 20006
202-347-5306
logcabin.org
National Center
For Transgender Equality
1325 Massachusetts Av NW # 700
202-903-0112
nctequality.org
National Coalition
For Lesbian Rights
870 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-392-6257
nclrights.org
National Gay & Lesbian
Task Force
8704 Santa Monica Blvd #200
Los Angeles, CA 90069
310-855-7380
thetaskforce.org
National Stonewall Democrats
1325 Massachusetts Av NW # 700
202-625-1382
stonewalldemocrats.org
Servicemembers Legal
Defense Network
PO Box 65301
Washington DC 20035-5301
202-328-3244
sldn.org
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Community United
Against Violence (San Francisco)
24 Hr. Hotline: (415) 333-HELP
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
STOP Domestic Violence:
1-800-373-2227
The Network / La Red (Boston)
Ending abuse in lesbian, bisexual
women's and TG communities
617-742-4911; TTY 617-227-4911
National Domestic Violence
Hotline (not GLBT-specific)
800-799-7233; TTY 800-787-3224
Rape, Abuse, Incest, National
Network 1-800-656-HOPE
Trevor Helpline (GLBT youth sui
cide prevention) 1-800-850-8078
NewsLink
Family Pride Coalition
PO Box 65327
202-331-5015
familypride.org
27
∏
∏
∏
∏
∏

Project of Community Link, Inc. July 20, 2012

Transcription

Similar documents

fresno`s biggest job fair fresno`s biggest job fair fresno`s biggest job fair

Fresno Association of REALTORS

HALL OF FAME--$2500+ - CLOVIS BABE RUTH LEAGUE

DUF 2014 Showcase flyer

View Property Brochure

puzzle - Dallas Voice

VA Richard L. Roudebush Medical Center

September entertainment guide poster

Get your girls together for a night of fun Ticket Package

55th Reunion - Fresno High School Alumni Association