1. Harvey Fierstein.
Andrew Holleran. Cal
Yeomans.
What? You recog-
nize the first two names,
but you’ve never heard
of the third?
This is exactly
the point and the true
tragedy revealed by
Robert A. Schanke’s
new book Queer Theatre
and the Legacy of Cal
Yeomans.
Yeomans was legiti-
mately one of the found-
ers of “gay theatre”—a
gay playwright who was very likely on the verge of becom-
ing a well known name in gay theatre in the late 1970s
Page 22Page 4 Page 14 Page 23 Page 34
TheMisfitsofSissy’sSircus
TT page 11
What’sInside:Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates 3
QC Pride,Inc.Equality 5K Run/Walk 3
25thAnnual Iowa LeatherWeekend Des Moines,IA 3
WhoAreThese People In Crowns? By Matthew Millard 4
SusieWeinacht byA Geno-Stumme 4
From the Heartland by Donna RedWing 5
Remarkables by JonathanWilson 5
IowanAdvocacy byTami Haught 6
Northwest Iowa by D.RaymondWetherell 6
Shrink Rap by LorenA Olson MD 7
Warren’sWords byWarren J.Blumenfeld 7
Relating to Discomfort byTony Dillon-Hansen 8
Minor Details by Robert Minor 9
In the Name of Religion by Rev.Irene Monroe 10
Section 2:Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for the Month 11
The Misfits of Sissy’s Sircus byAngela Geno-Stumme 11
SongWhisperer by Ellen Krug 12
New GOglbt Business Referral Group 12
WiredThisWay by Rachel Eliason 13
HonorYour Body,HonorYou by DaveyWavey 13
Just Sayin’ by Beau Fodor 14
Iowa’s GayWeddings by Scott Stevens 16
National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDSAwareness DayAd 21
The Bookworm Sez byTerri Schlichenmeyer 22
NKOBAnniversary 23
Comics and Crossword Puzzle 22-23
Section 3:Community
FFBC:Quinn and Food forThought by Bruce Carr 25
PrimeTimers of Central Iowa 25
LGBTQ Patient & Family Education and Support Groups 25
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev.Jonathan Page 26
Ask Lambda Legal By BeverlyTillery 26
Business Directory 28-29
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland by Penny Dickey 31
Plymouth CelebratesTwentyYears of Open & Affirming 32
The Project of the Quad Cities 32
PITCH Calendar 2013 32
Bibliotherapy Project by Diane Peterson 33
Obituary: Rex Carl & Carolyn Marie Jones 34
TT LARAMIE continued page 27
TT YEOMANS continued page 8
Heartland NewsHealing with
The Laramie Project
InterviewbyAngelaGeno-Stumme
IowaWomen’s
MusicFestival
20thAnniversary
byAngelaGeno-Stumme
InterviewbyAngelaGeno-Stumme
TT NEWS continued on page 34
TT IWMF continued on page 15
Queer Theatre and
the Legacy of Cal
Yeomans byArthurBreur
The death of Matthew Shepard has touched our
community like others across the nation, and continues
to through performances of The Laramie Project. David
Kelli Hamlow as Marge Murray and Jason Rainwater as
Greg Pierotti in The Laramie Project. Photo courtesy of
Leila Subasic.
Grimes wedding venue
turns away same-sex couple
DickandBettyOdgaard,proprietorsoftheGortzHaus
inGrimes,declinedtoaccommodateagaycouple’supcom-
ing wedding earlier this week. Mr. and Mrs. Odgaard said
that their decision came from their deeply held religious
beliefs. The Iowa Civil Rights Act, specifically Iowa Code
section 216.7(1), states that it is “unfair or discrimina-
tory” to deny services of public accommodations because
of sexual orientation.
Minnesota Supreme Court Refuses
to Prosecute HIV-Positive Man
The Supreme Court of Minnesota today upheld a
lower court’s ruling that an HIV-positive man cannot be
held criminally responsible for engaging in consensual
sex after disclosing his HIV-status to his partner. The
court’s decision affirms that the government must respect
the personal and private decisions of consenting adults
regarding sexual intimacy and procreation.
TheIowaWomen’sMusicFestivalreachesits20thanni-
versary this September and celebrates with an exciting new
lineupofperformersandanewlocation.Thefestivalreturns
totheJohnsonCountyFairgrounds,wheretheIowaWomen’s
Music Festival started in 1993, in acknowledgement of the
20th
anniversary but also to handle unpredictable autumn
weather. Performers include Andrea Gibson, Zoe Lewis, and
Julie Goldman. These artists took the time to discuss their
excitement in performing at Iowa Women’s Music Festival,
their personal styles, and what inspires them.
ZoeLewis
Zoe Lewis returns to the Iowa Women’s Music Festival
with her Gypsy jazz, jump jive, Latin grooves, swing, interna-
tional folk, and funk originals. Considered a “band in a body”
Lewisplaysonanythingfromthepianotothespoons.Witha
4. With two At Large seats available on
the Cedar Rapids City Council, Susie Wein-
acht has stepped forward as a candidate.
Susie is Executive Director of the Iowa
PTA, as well as Manager for the RWDSU-
UFCW Local 110 in Cedar Rapids, which
represents Quaker Oats and Cole’s Quality
Foods, Inc. Her most recent involvement
spans Community Corrections Improve-
ment Association (CCIA), United Way
Education Solutions Team and Ready by
21 Stakeholders committee, Blue Zones
Advisory Council, Parks and Recreation
Commission (elected secretary by fellow
commissioners), Board of Ethics, city
referendum campaigns, local, city and
state-level PTA, Junior
League and a host of
other organizations.
She talks about what
influenced her run for
City Council, her expe-
rience, and her beliefs
in community and diversity.
What influenced you to run for City
Council?
As a pro-active and involved resident
of Cedar Rapids I was approached and
asked about stepping forward as a candi-
date for an At Large seat on the Cedar
Rapids City Council. Our community and
leaders know me as never one to procras-
tinate and hope for things to get done,
but rather as an active solution-oriented
advocate bringing individuals and groups
together to meet challenges and engage
opportunities to enhance our community
progress and well-being.
A paramount objective for me is
working as a member of a team to estab-
lish a shared vision for the future of Cedar
Rapids, formulating plans to realize that
future, and working with the community
to define and enact policies and laws that
will ultimately lead to accomplishment. I
have the proven passion, drive and experi-
ence that is solution focused, that’s why
I’m running for a seat on Cedar Rapids City
Council. The ‘ah ha’ moment that spoke to
meduringmycontemplationwasonefrom
about a year ago. I had an opportunity to
participate in a leadership training that
spurred unique thoughts about bringing
positive change into our neighborhoods
and community. That training energized
me to move from being an involved
community advocate to an elected official.
A recent example of my solution-
driven community leadership with proven
results: Our community, through our
Parks & Recreation Department, recently
hosted an event, Hard Charge at Seminole
Valley Park—4.2 miles of obstacles, mud
and mayhem. As a member of the Parks
& Rec commission, we were brain storm-
ing ideas to generate funding to provide
scholarships for community members
in need. Through my connections and
interactions, I knew tough mudders to be
a popular trend and was able to bring the
resources together for the Department
to make this happen—school, city, busi-
nesses, several sectors of our community.
This first-time event netted economic
impact of over $384,000 in direct visitor
spending in our community, while 1,100
participants were cheered on by 2,000
spectators. Also notable is that 19% of
the participants joined us from outside
our state. While providing a fun quality
of life experience for our community,
Hard Charge also resulted in $10,000 in
recreational scholarships for those who
cannot necessarily afford swim passes,
sports leagues, music classes and swim-
ming lessons for their families.
As a woman, how do you feel you
will contribute to the Council?
I look to the future of all children,
includingmyown,and
believe that together
we will move forward
to see future leaders
as leaders rather than
genders. I’m an advo-
cate in every sense of
the word. I am focused on bringing the
voice of the people to the City Council, and
as a leader representing all residents of
Cedar Rapids, making sure that the basic
rights of all communities are protected
for basic services including housing, jobs,
and transportation. I will actively look for
avenues of opportunity for members of
minority communities to serve on boards,
committees and commissions.
What issues do you feel are impor-
tant to the citizens of CR?
Residents continue to be interested
in seeing Cedar Rapids as a dynamic and
vibrant community that offers job stabil-
ity, new job opportunities that provide a
living wage, great schools, neighborhood
revitalization and drive-able streets.
Enjoyable family-friendly activities,
cultural, and recreational opportunities
that enhance our quality of life, as well
as attract people and business to our
community are also important to Cedar
Rapidians.
How will you address the needs of
the LGBT community if elected to the
council?
Fully understanding that whether
advocating or governing, finding common
So there’s this group of people that
get together, put on shows, run beer bust,
sometimeshostBINGOs,andwanderaround
Iowa in Crowns and Fancy Clothes. What’s
up with that?
They are members of an organization
called the Imperial Court of Iowa (ICIA). The
ICIAisoneofmorethan65chaptersofamuch
largerorganizationcalledtheImperialCourt
System (ICS). The ICS has been in existence
for 45 years throughout the United States,
Canada,andMexicoandisthe2nd
largestLGBT
Organizationintheworldandcollectivelyhas
raised millions of dollars for many different
charities including different AIDS related
charities, the Matthew Shepard Scholarship
Fund, and the Trevor Project.
It all started in 1965 when a drag
queen in San Francisco, “Mama” Jose Sarria,
proclaimed herself the Empress of San Fran-
cisco to bring awareness to gay rights and to
raise money for those less fortunate and it
blossomed from there. Jose was a pioneer in
the gay rights movement in during the 60s
and70sandwasthefirstopenlygaycandidate
forapublicofficeintheUnitedStates. Heran
fortheSanFranciscoBoardofSupervisorsin
1961.Unfortunatelywelostthisgreatmanat
the age of 90 on August 19, 2013. One of my
favorite quotes of his is, “United we stand,
divided they will pick us off one by one.”
The Imperial Court of Iowa began in
1992 when Mongo of the Blazing Saddle and
Naomi del Rey were crowned as Absolute
Emperor I and Absolute Empress I at the old
Chances bar in Des Moines, Iowa. After that
first year if anyone wanted to have the titles
of Emperor and Empress and wanted to be
the figure heads of the fundraising for that
year they had to “run” and be elected into
that position by the membership of the ICIA.
This is not a pageant, so those Aspirants to
the Thrown must present themselves to the
membership during about a six-week-long
campaigning process across Iowa and then
are voted on by those who have chosen to
become members. The winners are then
announced and crowned during Coronation,
aBalltocelebratetheaccomplishmentsofthe
currentReignandtowelcomethebeginningof
thenext.TheReigningMonarchsthenchoose
a Royal Family to stand by their side and
help in the fundraising efforts. So kinda like
RussianMonarchy,theywillbestowtitleslike
PrinceandPrincessRoyal,DukeandDuchess,
Barron and Baroness…and every member of
theorganizationisbestowedaCampTitlefor
thatyearrelatedtothethemeoftheReign.It’s
all very Silly and Fun.
This past year alongside my Empress
MuffyRosenberg,wecelebratedthe20th
Reign
of the Imperial Court of Iowa and have spent
the last 11 months raising money for our
chosencharitiesofYouthEmergencyServices
and Shelter (YESS) and the Reputable AIDS
Charities of Iowa as well as other charities
chosen by some of our membership includ-
ing the Matthew Shepard Scholarship Fund,
Shoes that Fit, the Trevor Project, and the
NationalKidneyFoundationandasoftheend
ofAugustwehaveraisedover$35,000forthe
differentcharitiesputtingusatover$250,000
of fundraising in our 20 year existence.
On September, 21st
the ICIA will be
hosting Coronation XXI: A Mardi Gras
Masquerade Ball at the Voodoo Speakeasy
in Downtown Des Moines which will include
a Cocktail Hour from 5 pm until 6 pm with
free Hors d’oeuvre and a cash bar and then
the Show will start at 6 pm with some of the
mostamazingentertainmentfromacrossthe
United States and you get to see everyone
dressedintheirfinestgowns,tuxes,costumes
and of course masks. There will also be a sit-
down served dinner! All this for a $40 ticket
price and the event is open to the public. At
theendoftheeveningyouwillgettoseewho
is crowned as the Emperor and Empress for
Reign XXI.
We have a candidate for Emperor, Deric
St. Jonn III, and a candidate for Empress,
Shelby Anne Baker. They’ve spent the last
few weeks traveling across Iowa explaining
their plans of how they plan to grow the
organization and how they plan on raising
money for their chosen charities. All of their
hard campaigning work is leading to Voting
Day, September 14th
. There will be voting
locationsinSiouxCity,DesMoines,Waterloo,
andmaybeCedarRapids. Checkourwebsite
at ImperialCourtofIowa.org for voting loca-
tions and times.
WhoAreThesePeopleInCrowns?
ByMatthewMillardakaMatthewWait-For-
ItAspireJackson,ReigningEmperorofthe
ImperialCourtofIowa
Susie Weinacht for Cedar
Rapids City Council
interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Susie Weinacht
TT WEINACHT cont’d page 33
Together we will move
forwardtoseefutureleaders
as leaders rather than
genders.
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 4
Section 1: News & Politics
5. Two Iowa Narratives:
Family Leader and Iowa
Women’s Hall of Fame
I attended two events in August that
couldnothavebeenmoredifferentinstyle,
tone or spirit. Each represented a part of
Iowa, a part of the Midwest.
The first was the Family Leadership
Summit in Ames, an event designed to
educate and mobilize the conservative
base on marriage, immigration and abor-
tion.PresidentialcandidateRickSantorum
urged the assembled
to stop giving money
to colleges if they
“pervert the minds of
our children.” David
Nobel,formerdirector
of Summit Ministries,
referred to the former Assistant Deputy
Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-
Free Schools at the U.S. Department of
Education as Kevin “Queering Education”
Jennings. Evangelical Del Tackett, former
president of the Focus on the Family Insti-
tute, spoke of the “horrific consequences
for those who defy God’s designs,” and
conservative columnistDougNapierofthe
legal group Alliance Defending Freedom
claimed that we should condemn “danger-
ous social experiments” brought on by
“our friends who have made destructive
sexual choices.” The Family Leader CEO
and president Bob Vander Plaats declared,
“Absolute tolerance is absolute chaos.”
The speakers included: Governor
Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor
Kim Reynolds; Iowa’s Senior Senator
Chuck Grassley; Texas Senator Ted Cruz
and his father Reverend Rafael Cruz;
Brian Brown of the National Organization
for Marriage, a group currently under
investigation by the Iowa ethics board for
violations of state law during the judicial
retention campaign; and, conservative
talk show host Jan Mickelson, who in 2010
made the outrageous claim that AIDS and
HIV was God’s “invention” to punish the
LGBT community. Even Donald Trump
took the stage long enough to clarify his
position on marriage equality, among
other things: “I am a conservative Repub-
lican, I am pro-life, I support ‘traditional
marriage’ and the second amendment 100
percent.” When “the
Donald” spoke about
protecting traditional
marriage I wanted to
ask him if he meant his
first, his second or his
third marriage.
I also made it a point to meet with Mr.
Vander Plaats for a few minutes during
the summit. That is a conversation for
another time.
The second event, two weeks later,
was the 2013 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame
Ceremony at the State Historical Building
in Des Moines. Four extraordinary women
were inducted.
According to Phyliss Peters, chair of
the Iowa Commission on the Status of
Women, these four inductees “symbol-
ize the diversity of Iowa, demonstrating
outstanding achievements in the fields of
health care, higher education, agriculture,
media and law. Generations of Iowans
look to these remarkable individuals as
role models.”
Dr. Mary Louise Sconiers Chapman’s
story was one of community leadership.
The first woman to serve as Dean of Des
Moines Community College, Dr. Conier
Chapman’s life has been one of commit-
ment to housing, economic advancement
and education.
PattyJeanPooleJudgewasIowa’sfirst
female Secretary of Agriculture and later
served as Governor Culver’s Lieutenant
Governor. Her work, however, spanned
across farming, health and wellness, racial
disparity in our prisons and much, much,
more. Dr. Deborah Ann Turner was the
first African-American woman to inte-
grate a sorority at Iowa State University.
She was also the first African American
woman to be certified by the American
Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in
the specialty of gynecologic oncology.
While maintaining her medical practice
she studied nights for her law degree.
She serves as a clinical professor at Des
Moines University Medical School and as
adjunct clinical faculty at the University of
Iowa and, in her spare time, offers medical
mission work in Tanzania.
And Barbara Marie Mack, whose
husband posthumously accepted her
award, was simultaneously the highest-
ranking woman in the Des Moines Regis-
ter corporate history and its youngest
executive. With a degree in journalism
and a law degree, she went on to become
a beloved teacher and mentor at Iowa
State University.
The Cristine Wilson Medal for Equal-
ity and Justice was awarded to Sharon
Malheiro, the iconic “equality” attor-
ney. Malheiro has been at the forefront
of Iowa’s struggle for LGBT justice for
decades; most recently in the marriage
ruling and the birth and death certificate
cases. It was her acceptance speech that
became a clarion call for LGBT equality. In
a room filled with mostly women ranging
from the conservative to the progressive,
Malheiro called for an Iowa that was inclu-
sive, an Iowa that respected its diversity.
She used the words: gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender again and again. And
everyone in the room heard her.
Each of these women spoke of their
lives, the challenges and the joys of their
achievements. They talked about those
whomentoredthem,whostoodwiththem.
They spoke of diversity, of justice and
equality. They talked about their families,
their values and their faith. Each of these
Off-Putting Churches
Despite Good Intentions
To say that the church, in the universal
sense, is making progress with respect to
the issue of LGBT children of God would
be a blessed understatement. Among
recent developments comes a remarkably
enlightened open letter from the presiding
Bishop of the United Methodist Church in
Florida, making a gentle but compelling
case for inclusion. Add to that the Pope
himself, the official representative of Jesus
Christ on earth, saying that he declines
to condemn LGBT people of good will—
mighty nice of him. And add to that the
statement of Bishop Tutu of South Africa
whosaidrecentlythathewouldnotworship
a homophobic God and would prefer Hell
to a homophobic Heaven. These are posi-
tive developments as the church universal
is dragged kicking and screaming into the
21st Century—a phenomenon that’s by no
means unprecedented in the history of the
church and civil rights.
That said, and despite not wanting
to seem unappreciative, I have to say that
the very fact there’s continuing dialogue
within the church on the subject of gay
and lesbian children of God is extremely
off-puttingtousasgaypeople,orshouldbe.
The premise that homosexuality is incom-
patible with Christianity, which remains
the official stance of the United Methodist
Church and countless others: (1) defines
a Christianity that is
anathema to gays and
lesbiansand(2)implic-
itly teaches this as a
“moral lesson:” if gay
people are in commit-
ted same-sex relation-
ships for a lifetime or
utterly promiscuous
with persons of the
same sex until they
drop dead from exhaustion or worse, it’s
a moral equivalent—it’s the same thing,
sinful, incompatible with Christianity, and
you go to hell in either case. Preposterous,
of course, but that’s the implicit “moral
lesson” coming from such a church (the
supposed repository of moral teaching).
Why is the dialogue itself off-putting?
Thinkabouthowitfeelstobeexpectedtobe
“in” the church while your fellow worship-
ers debate about your sinfulness as if you
weren’t in the room. That might be most
easily understood if we imagined a church
where there was continuing, “loving”
dialogue over the equal worth of women
as if it were a legitimate, Christian-based
matter of differing opinions. Imagine such
a church having sermons and sponsoring
seminars and adult Sunday School lessons
designed to enlighten congregants about
the supposed equality of women, and
takingcommentsfrom
those who read the
Bible and easily draw
a contrary conclusion.
How would that make
self-respectingwomen
(or those struggling
to be self-respecting)
feel? Not good, I’d
venture to say. It
would be, or should
be, off-putting to them without exception.
Or, as another example of clinging to a
First Century view of things that we KNOW
todaytobeuntrue,supposethatthechurch
today were having a lively, “continuing
dialogue” (as if it were a legitimate differ-
ence of opinion within the Christian faith)
over whether or not the earth is flat or the
centerofthecreatedUniverse(asobviously
believed by the Biblical writers no matter
howGod-inspiredtheirwriting). Howlong
does any post-1492 enlightened person, in
touch with reality, feel comfortable in that
church environment? Are you kidding
me?! Not long.
As far as I’m concerned, the debate is
over. My Bible says that God so loved the
TT REMARKABLES cont’d page 32
TheFamilyLeaderCEOand
president Bob Vander Plaats
declared,“Absolutetolerance
is absolute chaos.”
From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing, Executive Director One Iowa
Donna Red Wing is the Executive Director of
One Iowa. She served as Executive Director
of Grassroots Leadership, as Chief of Staff at
Interfaith Alliance, she was a member of the
Obama’s kitchen cabinet on LGBT concerns,
and was Howard Dean’s outreach liaison to
the LGBT communities. Red Wing was the
first recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award
for Faith & Freedom. Red Wing serves on
the national board of the Velvet Foundation,
which is building the national LGBT museum
in Washington, DC. Contact Donna at
OneIowa.org or donna@oneiowa.org.
Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the
Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines,
and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club
(ffbciowa.org), an educational, non-profit
corporation for gay men in Iowa who
gather on the first Friday of every month to
provide mutual support, to be educated on
community affairs, and to further educate
community opinion leaders with more
positive images of gay men.
It is the largest breakfast club in the
state of Iowa. He can be contacted at
JonathanWilson@DavisBrownLaw.com.
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson
I have to say that the
very fact there’s continuing
dialoguewithinthechurchon
thesubjectofgayandlesbian
children of God is extremely
off-putting to us as gay
people, or should be.
TT RED WING cont’d page 32
ACCESSline Page 5SEPTEMBER 2013
Section 1: News & Politics
6. I have to admit that it seems a bit
difficult to believe that it has already been
a month since I sent in my last article. But
obviously it has and frankly what a month
it has been. It seemed
like every day I went
online I was reading
news even in main-
stream publications
about issues of interest
to the LGBT commu-
nity. There is, of course,
the ongoing Olympic
controversy. This is in
the news very regularly
soIwon’tdiscussithere.
And there is the sad
news mentioned in last
month’s issue of ACCESSline, with another
LGBTteencommittingsuicideafterenduring
bullying. I can simply not think of any single
event that reminds us that despite the great
progress we have made, we still have a long
waytogo. WiththatinmindI’llmoveonbut
I hope we all take a moment to remember
this poor, young man and others like him as
we go about our daily lives.
The first other area of interest that
caught my eye was the continued evolution
within the Department of Defense and the
Armed Forces as they adapt to both the
repeal of DADT and the Supreme Court
rulingonDOMA. I’lladmittobeingskeptical
that even if changes were ordered that they
would be done in a timely manner. Just a
few days ago I read an article though that
outlined the benefit proposal being made
for same-sex couples.
Essentiallyifapproved
it would offer same-
sex couples the same
healthcare, housing
and other benefits as
their straight counter-
parts. Call me a
skepticbutthisfrankly
amazed me. To see the
governmentmovingso
quicklydefiesbelief. As
I continued to read the
article something else
stopped me dead. In addition to the other
benefits, LGBT military personnel who do
not live in a jurisdiction which allows same-
sex marriage will be granted leave to travel
somewherewhereitislegal. AllIhavetosay
is thank you to everyone whose hard work
made something like this come about.
In this case though, like so many, the
subject is not quite so cut and dry. I refer
of course to the transgendered who are still
barred by military regulation from serving
openly in the Armed Forces. To tell you
the truth when I mentioned this in my July
column while I was sympathetic I did not
imaginetherewouldbeagreatdealofimpact.
That was until of course that our efficient
andhelpfuleditorAngelaGeno-Stummesent
me a study by the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force and the Williams Institute about
transgendered personnel and the military.
According to their study twenty percent of
the nearly 6,500 transgendered and gender
nonconforming individuals surveyed had
once or are presently serving in the military.
Twentypercent! Justthinkofthat. Compare
ittothe9%ifthegeneralpopulationthathas
served. This is my mea culpa. I had been
ambivalenttothesubjectthinkingthatitwas
arelativelyinsignificantissue. Ihavetoadmit
that I am a bit ashamed and disappointed
in myself because I remember times when
I have felt alone and abandoned. Then as
things start to improve for me I do the same
to another portion of the LGBT community.
BethatasitmayIpromisenottoforgetagain
and maybe more importantly to remember
that even when you are talking about a
smaller group the impact on them of things
like this is no less significant—particularly
as an individual.
That’s all from my corner of Iowa this
month. Look forward to seeing you all back
here soon.
Kris Davis,
Healing Angel
On September 20, 2013, Iowa’s HIV
positive community will say a fond good-
bye to one of our greatest allies, support-
ers, healers, and friends. Kris has been
an integral part of the HIV Community for
years,somepatientscallhertheir“Healing
Angel” and she will be missed greatly by
everyone. Even as she retires she contin-
ues to give back to the community, with
a fundraiser for Positive Iowans Taking
Charge (PITCH).
Kris Davis, ARNP, will be retiring in
September after serving 25 years in the
University of Iowa HIV Program. Kris was
hired to serve as the nurse coordinator for
the new HIV/AIDS clinic (The Virology
Clinic) in1988, a few weeks before the offi-
cial opening of the clinic. She established
methods in the clinic to optimize patient
care and to monitor HIV disease progres-
sion, and wrote much of the successful
Ryan White Early Intervention Services
grant application in 1998. Kris served
as the Program Coordinator of this Ryan
White program until recently turning
it over to Tricia Kroll in anticipation of
retirement.
In addition to patient care and
HIV-related research projects, Kris has
been the primary administrator for our
grant until very recently, and has led
the program through the large and often
unwieldy bureaucracy of this federal
program. Without
Kris’s efforts and her
management of the
Ryan White grant,
life would have been
much more difficult
for countless patients.
While these facts are
noteworthy, what
truly sets Kris apart
hasbeenherselflessservicetoherpatients
and to the HIV/AIDS community in Iowa
City, Cedar Rapids, and the State. She is a
true patient advocate who has provided
rides to patients stranded in clinic, orga-
nized fundraisers, set up support groups,
served on various community based
program boards, brought medications to
patients in her hometown of Cedar Rapids
when they could not find transportation to
Iowa City, served on numerous statewide
HIV/AIDS committees, and traveled to
AfricatoprovidetrainingforlocalHIVcare
providers. Her patient advocacy for our
clinic patients began on day one (June 15,
1988), and her legacy will be remembered
by innumerable patients, family, and all of
us at the University of Iowa HIV Program.
While we are very sad
that she will not be
here to work with us
after September, we
wish her all the best
for her retirement.
PITCH will be
hosting the retire-
ment party/fund-
raiser at Belle’s Basix,
3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
52402, on September 20, 2013 from 5
to 8 pm with a show starting at 8:30 pm.
Light refreshments will be provided
along with raffle prizes, candy/condom
bouquets for the first 10 people who buy
20 raffle tickets, and a champagne toast.
One patient wrote: “Kris Davis is my
angel. To say she will be missed, is a gross
understatement. Kris you are LOVED”.
Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught
Tami Haught has been living with HIV
for almost 20 years. She is the CHAIN
Community Organizer, President for
PITCH, and new member of the SERO
Project Board of Directors. Tami started
speaking out about her HIV status when
her son started school hoping that
providing education and facts would
make life easier for her son, by fighting
the stigma, discrimination, isolation,
and criminalization people living with
HIV/AIDS face daily. Contact info: tami.
haught2012@gmail.com website:
www.pitchiowa.com
One patient wrote:
“Kris Davis is my angel.
To say she will be missed,
isagrossunderstatement.
Kris you are LOVED”.
NorthwestIowa:MylittlecorneroftheworldbyD.RaymondWetherell
In addition to the other
benefits, LGBT military
personnel who do not live
in a jurisdiction which
allows same-sex marriage
will be granted leave to
travel somewhere where it
is legal.
The author after a decade and a half
away for college, work and the military
moved him back to the rural northwest
Iowa community where he was born and
raised. Originally slated to write about
military issues he now pretty much writes
about whatever catches his interest. Please
feel free to contact him with questions,
comments or story suggestions at
nwiowan@gmail.com.
The Des Moines Chapter of Parents
& Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
will meet at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian
Universalist Church, 1800 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50315 on the third
Tuesday of every month.
The meeting begins with a short
business meeting followed by an educa-
tional presentation, and a social and
support session. All are welcome!
Made up of parents, families,
friends, and straight allies uniting with
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) people, PFLAG is committed to
advancing equality through its mission
of support, education and advocacy.
PFLAG-DesMoinesChapterMeeting
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
7. OrgasmandErectile
Dysfunction
Dr. Olson,
MypartnerisseveralyearsolderthanIam.
SometimesIfeellikehemightnotbeattracted
tomebecausehedoesn’tgetanerectionevery
time we are intimate.
Unsure
Dear Unsure,
Unless your fifteen years old most men
won’t get an erection every time they are
touched, no matter how much we enjoy it,
the older you get, the less likely it is.
All men are going to have difficulty from
time to time getting erect, but most erectile
dysfunction is psychological. Once a man
has had some difficulty, he begins to become
an observer rather than a participant in
sexual activity. Instead of enjoying sex for
its pleasure, he begins to worry about losing
his capacity to function sexually. “Will I get
it up? Will I maintain it if I do get it up? Will
I be able to get off?” All of this destroys the
pleasure of the event.
Through the years I have treated many
men with this problem, but most of the
problemscouldbeeliminatedifmen—young
and old—just had a better understanding of
normal male sexual functioning.
Masters and Johnson wrote Human
Sexual Response following about ten years
of laboratory work and building upon the
work of Kinsey before them. They described
the stages of human sexual function that
revolutionized our understanding of sexual
response and erased years of thinking in
Freudian terms about “neurosis.” The stages
for men and women are parallel:
Stage 1 – Arousal
Stage 2 – Plateau (Commonly referred
to as “edging”)
Stage3–Ejaculatoryinevitably(Apoint
of no return)
Stage 4 – Refractory period/Recovery
(The time before one can begin to become
aroused and erect again).
Masters and Johnson made what at the
time was an astonish-
ing discovery: Women
are capable of multiple
orgasms while men
typically are not. The
discovery empowered
women to take charge
of their own sexuality.
Very young men can progress through
these stages very quickly and the recovery
time is very short. As one ages, the stages
become drawn out. Older men may be
distracted during the “arousal stage,” and it
isn’t uncommon for them to lose their erec-
tions. Anditusuallytakesmoretogettherein
thefirstplace,oftennotonlyasexualthought,
but also direct physical stimulation.
What often happens is that a man who
loses his erection during the arousal phase
beginstoworry,andworrybecomesatremen-
dousanti-aphrodisiac. Sometimesthepartner
recognizes the loss of erection and begins to
workhardertoforceitback,puttingpressure
on the flaccid man and further complicating
theproblem. Ifamanbeginstothink,“Ireally
needtobecomeerectagain,”youcanbefairly
certain he won’t.
Masters and Johnson’s revolutionary
finding was what was described as “sensate
focusexercises.”Theyfoundan80%curerate
for sexual dysfunction using this technique.
NowwejumpimmediatelytoViagraorCialis
(at$30apill)fora“guarantee’thatthiswon’t
happen,whenwhatreallyneedstohappenis
better communication between the couple.
Sensatefocusexer-
cisesbasicallysay,“Back
off. Go back to playful-
ness in love-making.
Makeloveinslowtime.”
Intheprocesswhatthey
are doing is to try to get
the man out of his state of worrying to focus-
ing just on the pleasure of touch.
Men who understand male sexual func-
tioningcanactuallyseethisasanopportunity
that comes with aging. Those who success-
fully understand this can appreciate sex in a
much broader context of romance; cuddling,
kissing,andslowsex. Fartoomanymenthink
that sex is just about chasing ejaculation but
sex can be pleasurable without erections
and without ejaculation when seen in this
broader context.
It is also important to recognize that
while older men may have diminished sex
drive, erectile function, and ejaculatory
volume, studies show that sexual satisfaction
can remain high. In other words a satisfac-
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD
Loren A. Olson MD is a board certified
psychiatrist in the clinical practice of
psychiatry for over 35 years. Dr. Olson has
conducted research on mature gay and
bisexual men for his book, Finally Out:
Letting Go of Living Straight, a Psychiatrist’s
Own Story. He has presented on this subject
at conferences across the United States and
Internationally. His blog, MagneticFire.
com, has a strong following among mature
gay and bisexual men. He established Prime
Timers of Central Iowa, a social organization
for mature gay/bisexual men. For more
information go to FinallyOutBook.com or
contact him on Facebook.com.
Sex can be pleasurable
withouterectionsandwithout
ejaculation when seen in a
broader context.
Distinguishing
“Morality” from “Ethics”
in the Wedding Debates
Picture this: The scene is Gresham,
Oregon, January 17, 2013. A woman walks
into Sweet Cakes Bakery and cheerfully
exclaimstotheowner,AaronKlein,thatshe
is about to marry and would like to order a
wedding cake. This is a return order from
a satisfied customer since the woman’s
spouse-to-be ordered a cake not very long
ago for her mother’s wedding.
When Klein learns that this cake is
meant for a same-sex wedding, however,
he refuses the order, and tells the woman
that he must first live in accordance with
his religious beliefs protected by his First
Amendment rights granted by the U.S.
Constitution. According to reports from
local station KATU, Klein argued that he
would rather close down his business than
“be forced to do something that violates
my conscience…I’d rather have my kids
see their dad stand up for what he believes
in than to see him bow down because one
person complained.”
Sweet Cakes has certainly left a bitter
taste for this couple, who have lodged a
formal complaint, since the Oregon Equal-
ity Act of 2007 protects residents from
discrimination on the basis of sexual orien-
tation and gender identity.
Thetraditionoftheweddingcakedates
back centuries. It symbolizes the antici-
pation of a sweet life
together. The couple
cut the confectionary
delight hand-in-hand
representingtheirfirst
of many combined and
cooperative undertak-
ings in marriage. They
feed each other a piece
to show their joint commitment.
Now picture this: The scene is Des
Moines, Iowa, 2011. A joyous and excited
engaged couple, in preparation for their
upcoming nuptials, entered Victoria Chil-
dress’s home bake shop for a taste testing
appointment for their wedding cake.
When the couple entered Victoria
Childress’s shop, she inquired who was
getting married? A member of the couple,
Janelle Sievers, told the baker that they
were, she and her partner Tina Vodraska.
Upon hearing this, Childress informed the
couple, according to published accounts:
“I’ll tell you I’m a Christian, and I do have
convictions.I’msorrytotellyou,butI’mnot
going to be able to do your cake.”
Later, according to
Janelle, “I don’t think
either one of us knew
what to say. We were
just shocked.”
Interviewed by a
reporter for local TV
station KCCI, Childress
gave her reasons: “I
didn’t do the cake because of my convic-
tions for their lifestyle. It is my right as a
business owner….[I]t’s to do with me and
my walk with God and what I will answer
[to] him for.”
The Iowa State Supreme Court in 2009
voted unanimously to uphold a lower court
ruling legalizing marriage for same-sex
couples, preceded by the Iowa Legislature,
which amended Iowa’s Civil Rights Act in
2007 to include “sexual orientation” and
“gender identity” in the areas of employ-
ment,housing,education,andpublicaccom-
modations. Janelle and Tina have yet to
decidewhethertheywillfileacivillawsuit.
Nowpicturethis:Thesceneisthesmall
Virginia town of Central Point in Caroline
County in 1958, when childhood friends
fall in love and marry across the Potomac
RiverinWashington,DC.Virtuallytheentire
townattendsthereceptionfestivitiesinthe
Central Point home of one of the partners,
whose family invited the young couple to
live with them until they could afford a
home of their own.
Soon afterwards, as the couple sleeps
peacefully embracing in their bed, local
policeofficerscrackthesilencebyabruptly
storming the room, guns poised, flash light
beamstemporarilyblindingthecouplewho
suddenly find themselves shacked in hand-
cuffsastheymarchterrifiedtothetownjail.
“Richard,”askedMildred,“whatdidwe
do wrong?” Richard could only shake his
head in bewildered astonishment, though
theybothknowwhytheyhadbeenbrought
there. Richard Loving, a man of European
descent,andMildredJetterLoving,awoman
Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld
Warren J. Blumenfeld is author of
Warren’s Words: Smart Commentary on
Social Justice (Purple Press); editor of
Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price
(Beacon Press), and co-editor of Readings
for Diversity and Social Justice (Routledge)
and Investigating Christian Privilege and
Religious Oppression in the United States
(Sense). www.warrenblumenfeld.com
The tradition of the
wedding cake dates back
centuries. It symbolizes the
anticipation of a sweet life
together.
TT WARREN’S WORDS cont’d page 10
TT SHRINK RAP cont’d page 10
TheNationalOrganizationforMarriagehasviolatednocampaignfinancerulesinIowa,
and we decry the decision by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board to open an
investigation. This inquiry is a witch hunt spawned by a delusional homosexual activist
who fancies himself becoming the president of the United States and who is a serial filer
of frivolous allegations against us whenever we stand up for traditional marriage. The
complaintisanotherattempttoshutdowncriticismofactivistjudgesandpoliticianswho
wish to redefine marriage. We are concerned about the continual use of the legal system
byKargerandotherhomosexualmarriageadvocateswhoareintentondenyingusandthe
people of Iowa their civil rights to defend marriage as God created it.
~Hate group leader Brian Brown, quivering with rage against Fred Karger.
ACCESSline Page 7SEPTEMBER 2013
Section 1: News & Politics
8. and early1980s,butwhoseworksuddenly
went out of fashion when HIV and AIDS
changed global—and personal—perspec-
tives on gay sexuality.
Had events happened differently,
Yeomans might now be remembered and
compared to, perhaps, Andy Warhol or
Robert Mapplethorpe. His work, while
very personal and thoughtful, was also
unflinchingly graphic and even shocking.
He strove to be a gay playwright unapolo-
getically targeting a gay audience.
But for his having funded a profes-
sorship at the University of Florida, Cal
Yeomans might have been completely
forgotten—yet another treasure lost to
the dark ages that followed
theAIDSepidemic. However,
in addition to the profes-
sorship, his legacy to the
University of Florida includ-
ed a “truckload” of photos,
letters, journals, and other
documents. A colleague of
Robert Shanke’s brought all
of this to his attention, and
started what would be a six-
year journey of rediscovery.
The rewarding result of
Shanke’s work is a biography that is both
engagingandscholarly,andwhichincludes
a level of detail that is seldom available in
such writing. (The book includes 16 full
pages of end notes.) Due to Yeoman’s life
and personality, this book is also unflinch-
inginitsuseoftheYeoman’sownlanguage,
descriptions of his life, and even selects
photographs (which include full frontal
male nudity). From the perspective of this
reviewer (who is a gay man) this facet of
the book was both surprising and refresh-
ing—probably a feeling very similar to
what gay audiences would have experi-
enced attending one of Yeoman’s plays.
Queer Theatre and the Legacy of Cal
Yeomans is not a long book, but it is dense
with both details and drama. By its final
In dreams and fantasies, we would like
toliveinluxurioussettingsandlazybeaches
or tending to our favorite hobbies every day
ofourwakingexistence.We,all,wouldloveto
havenoproblemsandnoworries.Wewould
lovetolove,tobelieve,toact,totalkortothink
withoutdistressorpain.Rev.Barrremarked
in sermon, “It’s not love at all if it’s so plain
andsimpleandnicethat
thetruthisn’twelcome.”
The challenge is not
that we want peaceful
existence or how we
may characterize good
love. The challenge is
not to avoid fear, anger,
or uncertainty but also
howwe“relatetodiscomfort”becausethere
is something to learn in discomfort.
Things left unsaid, undone, half-done,
or avoided can be destructive to our own
being. If we are constantly avoiding chal-
lenges to our lives, we may miss great
opportunitiestolearnwhatcanbeimproved
in ourselves. Uncomfortable things do not
have to be always confrontational, but we
can choose the manner in which things are
questioned. Perhaps, we, ourselves, were
subjecting incorrect assumptions upon a
situation. Perhaps, what was unfamiliar to
us was frightening but something worth
more research. By avoiding the questions
around the event(s), we would never learn
theintricatedetailsofthinkingdifferently.We
can challenge our own viewpoints without
sacrificing the essence of who we are, and
we might just improve how we interpret
the world.
Thingsleftunsaidmightneedtoconsid-
er if we are taking ourselves too seriously
overmatters.ThatiswhyIlikethecharacter
Goofy from Disney to remind me that things
I do and say are as well goofy. That recogni-
tion should also come with a willingness to
temperoneselfandacceptwhenIamwrong.
We may consider that our words may
be harmful to the person(s) causing our
current discomfort. We may think that our
thoughtsmaybeconsideredcontroversialor
may“rufflefeathers”thatwethinkshouldnot
be. We know many examples of this when
working as part of teams. We may observe
patterns that are causing issues (may even
choose only to reveal
our concerns to select
people),butthenwedo
notsharethemwiththe
people that can help to
makeapositiveimpact.
When we do this, we
robpeople,orthewhole
team, of their potential
growth. A project can easily get sidetracked
or worse if the team loses focus or if team
leaders focus upon bad targets. Would the
Titanic have arrived in New York if officers
questioned the Captain’s decisions?
We could see a spouse or significant-
other doing or saying something troubling
to us. Communication is important here
because you could go down the long path
of regret and anger over a simple misun-
derstanding while nothing changes during
silence. Also, such matters could get worse.
In some cases, things left unsaid can
result in someone else’s pain, injustice or
misery. Maybe, we do not think our place is
tosayanything.Perhaps,weshouldspeakup
when great injustices are before us. Maybe,
we did not believe we had the authority to
challenge someone. This can happen when
someone with supposed authority or supe-
riorityisdoingtheinjustice,andwestruggle
to find our proper place in the discussion.
Yet, we know too well what happens when
someone is being abused and no one is
there to help. If you have the opportunity to
correct an injustice—time will see that you
are vindicated. Clever sounding rhetoric or
showofmusclebybulliesisnomatchforthe
truth that true justice and love brings.
Maybe, we should just quietly live
without instigating anything. There are, of
course,remediesforforgettingpainthrough
drugs, alcohol, and dangerous behaviors
(even conducting our own version of the
pain to someone else). Then, we may find
ourselves painfully attached to yet another
grievance. With these, the path of fear and
violence is that of more fear and more
violence whether we internalize such or we
allow the environment to continue around
us. Further, we remove ourselves from the
world both in mind and body through the
supposed escapes while maintaining our
anxiety and angers because none of these
techniques results in quieting of the mind.
I, like Minister Barr and most everyone,
want people to like me and that throwing a
concern into the open may seem to jeop-
ardize those kind views. Yet, maybe that is
not what we should want; that to act only
in accordance with other peoples’ wishes.
When we do not speak out, we could
find ourselves building walls with mirrors
aroundourselvesbecausewetaketoomuch
stock in what we currently think. Our ability
tolearnandtogrowdiminisheswhenwedo
not challenge our own comfort zones.
We do not have to judge others for not
alsotrying,butwecanbeanexampleofhow
this can work as revealed within ourselves
to ourselves. Karma has a way of showing
these traits to others.
Whoweareiswhatwedo,notjustwhat
wesay(butwordscangoalongwaytohelp.)
Wemaylikepleasantriesofnice,profession-
alismexhibited,orsimplytoliveinpeace.Yet,
when moments arrive that demand justice,
we cannot be in peace if we let them go on
without rebuke. We do not need and should
not justify our existence or the rights of
anyone else, but sometimes we must. Again,
we do not have to be confrontational; we
shouldbewillingtoremindpeoplethevalue
and worth of every soul. Justice deserves its
day before the collective good, and anyone
not willing to recognize that also does not
understand love or justice.
If we decide to be silent about injustice,
we help no one increase their being. That
is the absence of justice or love if not utter
selfishness. Yet love is sometimes an act of
discomfort.
TT YEOMANS cont’d page 16
RelatingtoDiscomfortbyTonyDillon-Hansen
Clever sounding
rhetoricorshowofmuscle
by bullies is no match for
the truth that true justice
and love brings. Tony E Dillon-Hansen is a web developer,
organizer, researcher, writer, martial artist,
and vocalist from Des Moines. For more
information go to tigersnapdragons.com.
SS continued from page 1
YEOMANS
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
9. Will You Boycott the
Russian Olympics?
Boycotting sponsors is as Capitalist an
act as any. It’s about consumers voting with
their feet and pocketbooks.
It’s not about free speech even if the
planistoboycottsponsorsofsomeoffensive
radio talker. It’s about not paying to have
them spew their vitriol
because corporations
are buying their ability
to do it in the media.
Crying interfer-
ence with freedom of
speechisalaugh.Spon-
sored speech isn’t free;
it’s bought and paid
for, it’s about provid-
ing their speech with a
microphone.
But boycotts have
to be carefully thought
out if they’re going to
do any good, even symbolically. They have
totargetwhatreallymatterstotheirtarget:
its income stream.
It’s hardly possible today to boycott a
nation by refusing to buy an internation-
ally distributed product identified with it.
Internationalcorporationshavelittleloyalty
to any country they’re in beyond making
money off of them.
Coors and Miller are owned by a South
African company, Budweiser by a Belgian/
Brazilian company, and Stoli Vodka by a
Latvian company that’s currently fighting
with the Russian government.
So when columnist Dan Savage called
for a boycott of Stoli in response to anti-
LGBT legislation passed in Russia in June,
it seemed like a good idea, but turned
out to be controversial. Something clearly
had to be done, because the new Russian
law against “gay propaganda” was only
the latest in Russian anti-LGBT brutality
that marked violence
towardandprohibition
of Gay Pride demon-
strations as well as a
proliferation of right-
wingtorturingofLGBT
people.
ThiscomingFebru-
ary we are supposed to
appreciate the Winter
Olympics in Sochi as
if Russia deserved to
get worldwide acco-
lades for hosting an
event that claims to
celebrate worldwide togetherness, inclu-
sion, and acceptance. Yet on June 30th
Russian President, Vladimir Putin signed
theanti-gaylaw,reflectingnotonlyhisusual
arrogance toward world opinion, but his
need to pander for votes to those outside
the major cities and for money from his
wealthy elite backers to bolster his chances
in the next election.
In 2010, the European Court of Human
RightshadalreadyruledthatRussiaviolated
theConventionfortheProtectionofHuman
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms when
Russia prevented gay pride parades in
Moscow in 2007, 2008, and 2009. But the
anti-gay crackdown continued, and in May
2013 authorities in Moscow refused to
allow a pride parade because, according to
an official, it’s imperative to, “work clearly
and consistently on maintaining morality,
oriented toward the teaching of patriotism
in the growing generation, and not toward
incomprehensible aspirations.”
And if Republicans in the US could
get the religious right-wing to vote against
theirowneconomicinterestsbyplayingthe
fear-the-gay card to protect children, why
not Putin? After all, he needed the Russian
Orthodox Church on his side as well as the
rural vote to solidify his political future.
The anti-gay “propaganda” legislation,
after all, had begun out in the provinces in
2006 with similar local laws. In that year
the Ryazan region banned “propaganda
of homosexuality among minors,” making
“promotinghomosexualityamongjuveniles”
punishable by fines of up to 20000 rubles
($608).
Asifthatweren’tenough,inJulyPutin
eagerly signed a law banning the adoption
of Russian children by same-sex married
couples and single people who live in coun-
tries where same-sex marriage is legal. At
the end of the month the Chairman of the
St. Petersburg legislature’s committee for
legislationandtheauthorofthatcity’santi-
propagandabillsaidthelawswillbeapplied
to foreign athletes and visitors during the
Winter Olympics in Sochi.
But who is responsible, and who
should be boycotted if something effective
is to be accomplished? Well, according to
the Director of Global Initiatives of Human
Rights Watch in an interview with Michel-
angeloSignorile:“TheInternationalOlympic
Committee, the United States Olympic
Committee, the so-called top corporate
sponsors—Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Procter
& Gamble—these companies all, as [HRW]
did, tracked the progress of this law.”
“If any of the Olympic stakeholders,
the sponsors who are literally paying for
the Games, or the International Olympic
Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee
or the other Olympic committees, if they
weighed in on this, I don’t think this law
would have been signed by Putin or passed
by the Duma. If they had leaned on [Russia]
beforethelawwassigned,itwouldnothave
been signed. That is absolutely true.”
Individual athletes are courageously
standingupdailytoprotest,butLGBTinsti-
tutionsandtheirsupporterswhodistribute,
sell and use sponsors’ products can do it
most effectively. How about refusing to buy
from Coca Cola until this is settled? What
about all the gay bars refusing?
What about emailing McDonald’s,
Procter and Gamble, and NBC Univer-
sal. That would be protesting that really
matters—targeting the real sponsors of
the events.
AndtheInternationalOlympicCommit-
tee and US Olympic Committee could end
this at any time.
In July, the IOC responded: “The Inter-
national Olympic Committee is clear that
sport is a human right and should be avail-
able to all regardless of race, sex or sexual
orientation. The Games themselves should
be open to all, free of discrimination, and
that applies to spectators, officials, media
and of course athletes. We would oppose
in the strongest terms any move that would
jeopardize this principle.”
If it were committed to international
human rights, the IOC could ban Russia
from its own Olympics. And the US Olympic
Committee could put heavy pressure on
Russia as they have in other cases.
Butontopofboycottingthosesponsors
who are paying for this showcase in Russia,
any of us can write both Committees telling
them not only that we will not attend, but
will refuse to watch unless an open and
proud LGBT athlete is in the event. It’s the
leastwecandoifwethinkitmatters.It’sthe
least we can do to support our sisters and
brothers who are suffering in Russia today.
Minor Details by Robert Minor
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at
the University of Kansas, is author of When
Religion Is an Addiction;
Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to
Accept Gay People and Why It’s So
Hard to Be Human and Gay & Healthy
in a Sick Society. Contact him at
www.FairnessProject.org.
This coming February we
are supposed to appreciate
theWinterOlympicsinSochi
as if Russia deserved to get
worldwide accolades for
hosting an event that claims
to celebrate worldwide
togetherness,inclusion,and
acceptance.
Jose Sarria, founder of the International Court System showed us how to turn a night
intoagrandoccasionandagrandoccasionintoameansofprovidingsupport. Thatsupport
led so many who did not “fit in” to actually proudly stand out, together, creating a local
senseofcommunityandaninternationalnetworkthatwouldraisehundredsofthousands
of dollars for local and major charities. He paved the way for my uncle Harvey Milk to
run for public office by being the first openly gay man to put his name on the 1961 ballot
and was right there to support Harvey’s first campaign in 1973. José’s extraordinary life
on this earth has come to an end. And the extraordinary good that he did lives on. For the
InternationalCourtSystemhewasaguardianandaninspiration. Foranyonewhofeltlike
they were different he was a defender of our dreams. He taught us how to turn an idea
into action, how to wear a tiara and how to laugh and ultimately he taught us how to lift
up and nourish a marginalized community. We will forever keep Jose in our history books
and in our hearts.
~Stuart Milk of the Harvey Milk Foundation on the passing of Jose Sarria.
ACCESSline Page 9SEPTEMBER 2013
Section 1: News & Politics
10. The queer politics of
writing on race
WhenSueO’Connell,thepublisherand
editor of the Boston-based LGBTQ news-
paper Bay Windows, which I also write for,
pennedherpiece“Sharingourexperience:
White gay men and black men have more
in common than they think” a firestorm
erupted.Evidenceoftheconflagrationwas
not only seen on the
paper’s website but it
was also buzzed about
around town.
Responses to
the piece created a
deluge of criticism
ranging from thought-
ful advice to damning
personal attacks. The
fury O’Connell’s piece
ignited raised for me
this query: “Can white
LGBTQs suggest or give
advice to communities of color from their
own experiences of discrimination?”
It’s a polemic that has been avoided
because of the politics of political correct-
ness as well as how any discussion on
race, no matter who’s stirring the conver-
sation—a rabid racist, the president or
Attorney General Eric Holder—invariably
inflame our emotions more that inform
our faculties.
Many communities of color contest
that white people—straight or LGBTQ—
show no real vested interest in engaging
in this country’s needed dialogue on race.
And many whites have confessed their
aversion to such a dialogue, stating that
while a cultural defense of “white guilt”
plays a role in their reticence so too does
their cultural fear of “black rage” for inad-
vertently saying the wrong thing.
Whatfurthercomplicatesthedialogue
on race is a perceived, as well as, a real
avalanche of attacks coming from commu-
nities of color, spewing how whites are as
unconsciously racist as they are incurably
so. This, too, leaves the needed dialogue
on race in the balance.
ButwiththedominantLGBTQcommu-
nity’s continued indelicate dance of white
privilege and single-issue platforms
thwartingeffortsforcoalitionbuildingwith
communities of color the notion, for some
peopleofcolor,thatwhitemarginalizedand
struggling groups (white women, LGBTQ,
the poor, to name a few) in this country
mighthavesomethingtooffercommunities
of color in terms of advice and/ or shared
(notsame)experiencesappearsabsolutely
preposterous.
And it is also equally absurd to think
that they don’t.
But how, then, do we, as an entire
LGBTQ community, broach our needed
dialogue on race?
My answer: past harms need to be
redressed.
For example, civil rights struggles in
this country, unfortu-
nately, have primar-
ily been understood
and demonstrated
as tribal and uncon-
nected rather than
intersectional and
interdependent.
As for our queer
community one way
to broach our needed
dialogue on race is to
addresswhiteLGBTQs
appropriating from
people of color’s history of struggle and
then whitewashing it as solely their own.
Case-in-point, the inspiration and
source of an LGBTQ movement post-
Stonewall is an appropriation of a black,
brown, Trans, and queer liberation narra-
tive and struggle. The Stonewall Riot of
June 27 to 29, 1969 in Greenwich Village
started on the backs of working-class
African-American and Latino queers who
patronized that bar. Those brown and
black LGBTQ people are not only absent
from the photos of those nights but they
also have been bleached from its written
history. Many LGBTQ blacks and Latinos
continue to argue that one of the reasons
forthegulfbetweenwhitesandthemselves
isthefactthatthedominantqueercommu-
nity rewrote and continues to control the
narrative of Stonewall.
For many years I taught a college-
level course titled “Power and Privilege,”
exploring how many of our stereotypes
about people whom we perceive as being
different invades our lives without much
conscious deliberation on our part. Issues
of race, gender, social class, sexual orienta-
tion, age and ability, among others, were
considered, and how such distinctions
often lead to an inequitable distribution of
political power, social well-being, and the
resourcesavailabletoindividualmembers
of society.
On the syllabus I laid out the rules
regarding classroom interaction:
1. We will address our colleagues in
our classroom by name.
2. We will listen to one another—
patiently, carefully—assuming that each
one of us is always doing the best that s/
he can. We will speak thoughtfully. We will
speak in the first person.
3. Although our disagreements may
be vigorous, they will not be conducted in
a win-lose manner. We will take care that
all participants are given the opportunity
to engage in the conversation.
4. We will own our assumptions, our
conclusions,andtheirimplications.Wewill
be open to another’s intellectual growth
and change.
5. We cannot be blamed for misin-
formation we have been taught and have
absorbedfromourU.S.societyandculture,
but we will be held responsible for repeat-
ing misinformation after we have learned
otherwise.
6. We each have an obligation to
activelycombat stereotypes so that we can
begintoeradicatethebiaseswhichprevent
usfromenvisioningthewellbeingofusall.
O’Connell blundered in her piece—
some on facts and the other thinking the
communitycouldhavea civil conversation
on race.
of African descent, married in a state that
passedandretaineditsanti-miscegenation
statute, the so-called “Racial Integrity Act”
of 1924, making it unlawful for a White
person and a Person of Color to engage in
sexual relations.
At the trial, the judge, Leon Bazile,
convicted and sentenced them both to
one-year imprisonment with a suspended
sentence on the condition that the couple
leaves the state of Virginia for a period of
25 years. Staring at Richard and Mildred
during the sentencing, Bazile invoked
Biblical justifications to convict the couple:
“Almighty God created the races—white,
black,yellow,Malayandred—andHeplaced
themonseparatecontinents.Andbutforthe
interference with His arrangement, there
would be no cause for such marriages. The
fact that He separated the races shows that
He did not intend for the races to mix.”
Mildred and Richard filed a number
of law suits taking their case all the way
to the highest court in the land. In the case
of Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), the
SupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesdeclared
the state of Virginia’s anti-miscegenation
statuteunconstitutional,therebyoverturn-
ing Pace v. Alabama (1883), and ending
all race-based legal restrictions on adult
consensual sexual activity and marriage
throughout the U.S.
I mention these three cases in an
attempt to distinguish two vital concepts.
The first is the issue of
morality, which I see based
on our values and our
set of beliefs derived by
some from religious faith
traditions, and by others
from secular humanist
principles. We live in a
country that protects all of
our moral belief systems,
which no one has the right
to take from us. Our beliefs
areourowntocherishandtolivebyaslong
as we deem fitting. Some people may refer
to“morality”asthe“GoldenRule,”whereby
we treat others how we want to be treated.
A closely aligned but also somewhat
distinct notion is the concept of ethics. For
me,thisappliestowhatsomerefertoasthe
“Platinum Rule,” whereby we treat others
how they want to be treated. We consider
theirneeds,theirbestinterests,theirvalues
and beliefs, even if these do not necessarily
connect or bond with our own.
Asauniversityprofessorofpre-service
teacher education students, I raise the
distinction between moral convictions and
professional ethics when we discuss issues
ofcontroversywithinthefieldofeducation.
Forexample,Idiscusshowasteachers,they
mayfindtheirmoralteachingsinopposition
to the beliefs or lived experiences of their
students. For example, their students may
“comeout”tothemaslesbian,gay,bisexual,
ortransgender, or they may live with same-
sex parents or guardians. Or some of their
students’ parent(s) or care givers may be
undocumented workers. Or students may
be followers of faith traditions they may
neither understand nor approve. As teach-
ers, however, they have ethical obligations
to serve all their students with the highest
degreeofprofessionalismandtotreatthem
equitably.
With this backdrop, then, I ask us, how
would the Oregon couple, Janelle and Tina,
andMildredandRichardwishtobetreated,
and what would be in their best interests?
You be the judge.
SS continued from page 7
WARREN’S WORDS
Rev. Irene Monroe is a graduate from
Wellesley College and Union Theological
Seminary at Columbia University, and
she has served as a pastor at an African-
American church before coming to Harvard
Divinity School for her doctorate as Ford
Fellow. She is a syndicated queer religion
columnist who tries to inform the public
of the role religion plays in discrimination
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer people. Her website is
irenemonroe.com.
In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe
The Stonewall Riot
of June 27 to 29, 1969
in Greenwich Village
started on the backs of
working-classAfrican-
American and Latino
queers who patronized
that bar.
torysexlifeforanoldermanisnotcontingent
upon successful sexual functioning in those
first three domains.
So here are my recommendations:
Don’t use your partner’s penis as a
measureofyourself-esteem. Findmorereli-
able and dependable ways to do that.
If he fails to show arousal or loses his
erection, don’t push it. Keep your hands off
hispenis! Findotherwaystogivehimphysical
pleasure. Usesomegoodlotionandtouchhim
on non-genital areas of his body.
Recognize that he may be completely
satisfied with your love-making but never
be able to “prove” it to you by having a fully
erect penis.
You can learn from him that slow love-
making is ultimately often more gratifying
than slam-bam sex.
Searchtheinternetfor“SensualMassage
and Sensate Focus Exercises”.
Talk to each other about sex. What do
you like? What don’t you like? What do you
want more/less of? Sex should be about
communicating your feelings to one another
bothphysicallyandverbally,andnotacontest
to prove you love each other.
Don’t depend on a pill to solve the
problem.
SS continued from page 7
SHRINK RAP
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 10
Section 1: News & Politics
11. When the “normal” label didn’t seem
to fit, a group of fabulous individuals got
together and started a burlesque group.
Sissy’s Sircus is a neo-burlesque and drag
troupe based in Cedar Falls, Iowa that
strives to create an all-inclusive envi-
ronment. Sissy’s Sircus offers a creative
outlet for young artists who seek to build
a supportive community and pushes the
limit of sexuality in performance. Director
Laura A. Neill talks about the inspiration
of Sissy’s Sircus, its
beginnings, and how it
continues to question
and challenge societal
boundaries.
What was the
inspiration for
Sissy’s Sircus?
In 2007 there
was a small burlesque
showputonbyagroup
ofstudentsatUNI.LauraNeillwasasopho-
moreandattendedtheshowbychance,but
was intrigued by this self-produced fun
filled evening. Sissy Allen made her Cedar
Falls debut during that show. In 2008,
Laura joined the underground cast and
Sissycontinuedtobeafeaturedperformer.
At the end of that project, Sissy and Laura
decided to form a new burlesque group.
Sissy’sSircusformedoutofacollaboration
between a group of friends and a desire to
put on an independent burlesque show.
Who were the individuals that
brought about Sissy’s Sircus?
Bryan “Sissy” Allen-White, Co-found-
er, Diva, Artistic Visionary
Thomas Allen-White, Co-founder,
Technical Coordinator, Director
Laura A. Neill,
Co-founder, Director,
Company Manager
Tori Rezek,
Co-founder, Produc-
tionManager,Costume
Designer
What were some
of the boundaries
and norms you ques-
tioned in the first
Sissy’s Sircus production: Burlesqui
Benefit?
As we have continued creating work,
our mission has become more focused.
The first boundary we had to break
throughwassimply existing. Wewantedto
produce an independent burlesque show
on a bigger scale, which requires money,
time, space, and people. We spent months
searching for a venue that was avail-
able, convincing friends to perform, and
raising money. We held a banquet in our
living room and most of the guests were
companymembers.Aftermanymonthswe
found a space at The Oster Regent, but the
only weekend was the week before finals.
Looking back on the whole process, I’m
really glad the show came together. The
product turned out pretty well and about
100 people came each night, but we had a
lot of fun and decided to do another show.
Once the boundary of existence was
broken, we were able to use our perfor-
mance to present issues that are present
in our lives. We all have a common ground
with questions regarding gender and
sexuality, so we have focused our mission
OurPicksforSeptember
9/6, Waterloo Community Playhouse, Waterloo,
Iowa, Leading Ladies, WCPBHCT.org
9/7, Broad View Wildflower Seed Garden,
Grinnell, Iowa, Wildflower Tour,
BroadViewWildflowerSeed.com
9/6-29, Des Moines Playhouse, Des Moines, Iowa,
Fiddler on the Roof, DMPlayhouse.com
9/12, Des Moines, IA, The Garden Nightclub, I.C.
Kings at The Garden, GRDN.com
9/13, Des Moines, IA, The Blazing Saddle,
The Friday the 13th Show,
TheBlazingSaddle.com
9/13, Iowa City, IA, Iowa Soul Festival Stage,
Buddy Guy, Hancher.UIowa.edu
9/15, Des Moines, IA, The Blazing Saddle,
Last Beer Bust of Reign XX,
TheBlazingSaddle.com
9/18, Des Moines, IA, Des Moines Performing Arts,
Chris Mann, DesMoinesPerformingArts.com
9/21, Des Moines, IA, The Blazing Saddle,
Coronation XXI, ImperialCourtofIowa.org
9/21, Sioux Falls, SD, Pasley Park, Sioux Falls
AIDS Walk, AidsWalkSiouxFalls.org
9/21-22, Davenport, IA, Lindsay Park,
Riverssance Festival of Fine Art,
MidCoast.org/Riverssance.htm
9/27, Iowa City, IA, Johnson County Fairgrounds,
20th Anniversary Iowa Women’s
Music Festival, PrairieVoices.net
9/27-28, Des Moines, IA, Des Moines
Performing Arts, Sleeping Beauty,
DesMoinesPerformingArts.com
9/28, Iowa City, IA, The Englert,
Suzanne Vega, Englert.org
9/29, Des Moines, IA, Le Boi Bar,
Miss Le Boi, LeBoi.com
...and October
10/3, Iowa City, IA, The Mill, Martha Redbone
Roots Project, Hancher.UIowa.org
10/4-6, Des Moines, IA, The Blazing Saddle, Iowa
Leather Weekend, TheBlazingSaddle.com
10/5, Iowa City, IA, Englert,
Mason Jennings, Englert.com
ACCESSline’s fun guide
TT SIRCUS cont’d page 31
The Misfits of Sissy’s Sircus
Interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Sissy’s Sircus performance of BurlesQUI Benefit, May 2010. Courtesy of Sissy’s Sircus.
We all have a common
ground with questions
regarding gender and
sexuality,sowehavefocused
our mission to represent the
group.
Sissy’s Sircus 2013 Pride Tour.
12. My daughter Emily communicates to
me through songs.
She’s done that for close to ten years,
which just happens to coincide with how
long it’s been since I moved out of the
family home to start what became a very
lengthy gender journey.
Some music is by artists I didn’t
know—The Dresden Dolls, Maria Digby,
The Hush Sound. Others are familiar:
Aretha Franklin and Adam Lambert.
Usually,thesongscomeonasingleCD,
Emily’s annual Christmas present. Some-
times, I have requests (I’m partial to Elvis
Costello and The Cure), but Emily never
includeseverysongonmylist.Instead,she
adds her fillers, music that I didn’t know
even existed and for
which my old ears can
barelymakeoutlyrics.
It took a few years
to figure out that
Emily’s music was
more—way more—
than a teenage girl’s
passing hobby.
My first clue was
withAretha.Her“(You
Make Me Feel Like)
A Natural Woman,”
showed up in the middle of a CD populated
with a bunch of unknown artists. It caught
me off guard.
Why is this here, I asked myself.
If you’re in the midst of transition-
ing from man to woman, it’s impossible
not to be touched—wait, shaken is more
accurate—by the authenticity of Aretha’s
words. And voice.
Which I eventually surmised was
Emily’s point, exactly.
OrtakeAniDiFranco,anotherfamiliar
name. Her “In or Out,” is flush with gender
queer attitude. It’s a hymnal for anyone
who subscribes to being different, their
own person, regardless of what society
thinks.
Once more, the lyrics went to my
heart.
What is Emily trying to tell me?
Gentle readers, let me step back to
add context: I have two children, both
daughters. In early 2004, when I left their
mother, Lydia, to begin my gender journey,
Emily was fourteen and Lily was twelve.
As LGBT people know all too well,
coming out sometimes throws loved
ones into real tilt—some are anything
but supportive. For Trans people, coming
out can be particularly difficult; after all,
moving from “Dad” to “Ellen” with the
clothes, hair and make-up can really chal-
lenge any child.
Just about every Trans person I know
has “lost” someone important—like a
son or daughter—as they transitioned
genders. Some have lost their entire
family—they become Trans persona non
grata.
I often joke that “I’m batting .500” in
comingoutwithmydaughters.Theyoung-
est, Lily, now a college senior, couldn’t be
prouder of me. She’s never wavered as I
confusedly figured out that I was Trans
and needed to surgically transition to
womanhood. Eventually, Lily even stood
up to Lydia and insisted that she call me
“Ellen” instead of my male name.
Emily, the other half of my coming out
batting average, has had a more difficult
time accepting my transition. She’s a
perfectionist, some-
thing that was obvious
even when she was a
toddler. Emily has also
always worried about
what others think of
her and those around
her.
Translated to my
world as a Trans
person, Emily simply
can’t bring herself to
be with me in public.
I get it that Emily’s afraid she’d run into
someone she knows while she and I sat
for lunch at a restaurant, necessitating
that Emily either introduce me or come
up with a good explanation about that
tall blonde who speaks with a way-too-
masculine voice.
In other words, Emily’s scared to
death of being judged for being my daugh-
ter.
There’s far more to Emily than shame,
of course. Much has to do with errone-
ously believing that she’s lost her father,
her protector, and now not knowing what
to make of the new substitute, a female
imposter.
While I can’t understand everything
about Emily’s pain, I do know that she’s
never given up on me, as her Christmas
CDswillattest.Emilylives1000milesfrom
Minneapolis, yet she makes sure we talk
by telephone every Sunday. Since my voice
hasn’t changed all that much—to my utter
frustration—I’vebecome“telephoneDad.”
Myvoiceissomething,maybetheonly
thing, for Emily to hold onto.
Which gets us back to Emily’s music
and her way of connecting.
Two months ago, there was an email
from Emily in my in-box. It contained
nothing more than a link. At first, I was
suspicious, so I emailed Emily.
Did you send me an email with a link?
Yes. It’s safe to open.
A few minutes later, I clicked on the
link. It opened to a music video featur-
ing Jillette Johnson—another unknown
to me—at a piano. The title of the music
video?
“Cameron.”
Song and video about a young trans-
gender boy to girl poured forth for 4.11
minutes. I froze as Jillette lovingly belted
out the story of young Cameron who
wasn’t an “alien,” but instead, a “real, life
human.”
Jillette’spowerfullyricsarefilledwith
emotion and sheer guts.
So powerful that I bawled for a good
ten minutes.
Just like I bawl now writing this
column, thinking of the video.
Why in the world would a daughter
who doesn’t accept me send a video about
society’s need to accept little transgirls?
Unless, of course, I was wrong about
Emily.
Maybe she does understand after all.
Or at least desperately wants to.
I’ve written and spoken extensively—
as if I’m some damn expert—about living
authentically and being true to one’s self
wherever it takes you.
Even if it means hurting someone you
love so incredibly much.
Like a beloved daughter.
It’s easy for me to say. After all, I took
the journey and got the accolade, “You’re
such a brave person,” time and again.
I’m not the one who’s stuck, left
behind with nothing more than memories
of someone masculine and comforting.
Someone who no longer exists.
So here’s a nod to resiliency and
strength, to not giving up, and to making
what you can out of a bad situation.
Here’s a nod to Emily, my personal
song-whisperer.
Thank you for loving me, Emily.
Daddy
Song Whisperer by Ellen Krug
Ellie Krug is a columnist
and the author of Getting to
Ellen: A Memoir about Love,
Honesty and Gender Change.
She resides in Minneapolis
and welcomes your comments
at ellenkrugwriter@gmail.
com. Visit her blog at
GettingToEllen.com.
If you’re in the midst
oftransitioningfromman
to woman, it’s impossible
not to be touched—wait,
shaken is more accurate—
by the authenticity of
Aretha’s words.
GOglbt is starting a new group
of GLBT business owners or business
professionals to meet twice monthly
to support each other’s businesses by
providing referrals.
They will meet every other Thurs-
dayfrom7:30am-8:30amataTBDWells
Fargosponsoredlocation.Refreshments
will be provided. Once they secure the
locationthemeetingswillstart.Member-
shipFeeis$50.00andwillincludeabusi-
ness listing on the GOglbt.com website.
To sign up to be a part of
this group please call Tom Luke
at 402-650-2917, or email him
at tom@lukedirectmarketing.com.
NewGOglbtBusinessReferralGroup
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 12
The Fun Guide
13. All across the nation LGBT watering
holes are dumping out vodka. No it’s not
sacrilege, it’s a political protest. Russian
President Vladimir Putin has signed into
effect some of the toughest anti-gay laws
outside of Africa. The “anti-propaganda
law” labels virtually any acknowledge-
ment of LGBT people as both propaganda
and a crime.
These laws in and of themselves are
only the tip of the iceberg. Russian police
are turning a blind eye as Neo-Nazi groups
single out, entrap homosexual men and
torture them. Several gruesome videos
have been posted on the internet. To say
that the LGBT popula-
tion of Russia is suffer-
ing from some of the
most severe repression
and oppression would
not be an understate-
ment.
Noted activist and
writer Dan Savage
has spearheaded the
#dumpstoli campaign,
a boycott against the
popular vodka brand
Stoli. The boycott has picked up steam in a
matter of weeks and many watering holes
have dumped all Russian vodka.
Noteveryonehasjumpedontheband-
wagon. Huffington post writer Ryan Davis
is probably one of Dan Savage’s harshest
critics.Hehascalled#dumpstoli“Bullsh*t”
and “fake activism”.
Critics of the boycott often point out
that the Stoli vodka that is shipped to the
U.S. is produced in Latvia, not Russia and
the owner Yuri Sheffler has been exiled
fromRussiaforseveralyears.Thecompany
itself SPI group has a relatively liberal
nondiscrimination policy.
Ryan Davis however cuts right to
the chase of the boycott mentality. Putin
doesn’tcare.Thisisnotawesternconsum-
er nation we are talking about. Corpora-
tionsdon’thavethesamecloutinRussiaas
they do in the United States. Boycotting a
company that the Russian government has
been trying to drive out of business won’t
bother Putin.
Personally I am torn on the whole
boycott. I tend to agree with the friend
who said, “If I saw Russian vodka being
sold in a gay bar it would leave a bad taste
in my mouth.” Still the boycott smacks of
clicktivism, a quick easy thing to do that
won’t really help our LGBT brothers and
sisters in Russia.
Roose Laakon-
sen of the Russian
LGBT Network is also
on the fence about
boycotts. I spoke with
the Russian activist
via email. She reiter-
ated Ryan’s point
that the company that
produces Stoli vodka
is based in Luxem-
burg, not Russia.
Some companies do have a lot of clout in
Russia, companies like Gazprom. However
boycotts on fuel, iron and fertilizer aren’t
as media friendly as vodka she says.
The upcoming Winter Olympics in
Sochi Russia have been another target of
boycott talks. A petition has been started
to ask the International Olympic Commis-
sion to pull out of Russia. Another petition
is asking the Obama administration to pull
America out of the games. Neither petition
has much hope of succeeding however.
Asaninterestingaside,inthecourseof
researchingthemovementtobantheSochi
games I came across another organization
that had already been working to ban the
games for an entirely different reason.
Nosochi2014.com has been working to
boycott the game because of the genocide
of native Circassian tribes in the region.
Assuming there is no official action on
either petition, LGBT athletes and specta-
tors are put in a difficult position. Will
the draconian laws be applied to foreign
athletes and tourist attending the games?
The answer appears to be yes. Gay or gay
friendly athletes and visitors will have to
stay silent about homosexuality through-
out their trip or face imprisonment. It’s a
scary proposition.
The same friend I quoted earlier
pointed out that even Hitler made excep-
tions for foreign born Jewish and Black
athletes at the 1936 Olympics. “And when
you are being compared to Hitler unfavor-
ably,” she went on about Putin, “you really
are not a good person.”
What can we do about Russia’s draco-
nian anti-gay laws and sweeping anti--gay
sentiment?Thegoodthingabouttheinter-
net is that it brings us news from around
theworldalmostinstantly.Thebadthingis
we are so helpless in the face of that news.
Butinthiscaseyouarenot completely
helpless. Make the dollars you save by not
buying Russian Vodka or other Russian
products count twice by donating that
money directly to the Russian LGBT
network.Theycanbefollowedonfacebook
and information about bank transfers (the
only way to get money to them) can be had
by emailing roosa@lgbtnet.ru.
Several human rights organizations
and LGBT rights organizations work inter-
nationally.All Out isan international advo-
cacy group for LGBT people. Groups like
amnesty international have long histories
of working towards LGBT rights and they
are active in places like Russia. You could
consider a monetary donation to either.
Protests and flash mobs are being orga-
nized outside more Russian Consulates.
I am a big fan of the old saying, think
global, act local. There is a place for local
political activism in this fight. The biggest
reason the Olympic Boycott isn’t likely to
go anywhere is that we have too many
conservative politicians have either failed
to speak out against what is happening in
Russiaorhaveimpliedthattheywouldlike
to see it here.
Iowa congressman Steve King (R) has
yet to make an idiotic sound bite about the
crackdown. Perhaps he is currently too
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
T h e b i g g e s t
reason the Olympic
Boycott isn’t likely
to go anywhere is
that we have too
many conservative
politicians…
Rachel Eliason is a forty two year old
Transsexual woman. She was given her
first computer, a Commodore Vic-20 when
she was twelve and she has been fascinated
by technology ever since. In the thirty years
since that first computer she has watched
in awe as the Internet has transformed
the LGBT community. In addition to her
column, Rachel has published a collection
of short stories, Tales the Wind Told Me
and is currently working on her debut
novel, Run, Clarissa, Run. Rachel can
be found all over the web, including on
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads.
Eating Healthy is more
Affordable Than You
Think.
Acommonexcuseforeatingunhealthy
foods is that the more nutritious options
are too expensive.
As I’ve said before, the excuse is
untrue; it’s a myth. It’s totally possible
to eat healthy without
spending a lot of money.
In fact, I even made a
video about it.
A new study by the
Center for Science in
the Public Interest takes things a step
further. According to the study, fruits and
vegetables are not only more nutritious
than packaged snacks and side dishes, but
also more affordable.
For the study, 20 snacks and 19 side
dishes were analyzed. After the numbers
were crunched, the study found that the
average price per fruit or vegetable snack
was $0.34. The price per unhealthy pack-
agedsnackwasnearlydoubleat$0.67.The
nutritious vegetable side dishes averaged
$0.27 while packaged side dishes aver-
aged $0.31.
Some examples from the study:
Half-cup of apple: $0.26 / One Fruit
by the Foot: $0.45
Half-cup of grapes: $0.46 / Package
of M&M candies: $0.75
Half-cup of sweet potato: $0.31 /
Stovetop stuffing: $0.38
Half-cup of sliced cucumber: $0.14
/ An ounce of Lay’s Potato Chips: $0.27
In other words, this study chal-
lenges the notion
that eating healthy
is expensive. In fact,
the opposite is often
true. And since most
Americans aren’t
getting their recommended servings of
fruits or vegetables, all of us would be well
served—in the waistline and the wallet—
to replace some unhealthy packaged foods
with healthier alternatives.
Unhealthy foods also come with a
hidden, long-term cost. For instance,
medical expenses. Obesity accounts for
21% of U.S. healthcare costs. In fact, obese
people incur annual medical costs that
are $2,741 higher than non-obese people.
Of course, to be fair, fruits and
vegetables often have a shorter shelf life
than packaged options like M&M candies
or potato chips. But remember that
frozen fruits and vegetables are a great
option—and are often cheaper and even
more nutrient dense (as they’re picked
and frozen at the peak of freshness). If
you want the fruits and veggies to last
longer, buy frozen!
People Eat Larger
Portions of “Healthy”
Food.
If a food is labeled healthy, do you
give yourself a free pass to overindulge?
According to a recent study, you’re not
alone.
The study, commissioned by Ireland’s
Safefood agency, examined the relation-
ship between consumer eating habits
and product packaging/marketing.
When participants were asked to serve
themselves appropriate-sized portions
of “healthy” and regular food brands, the
participants both served larger portions
of the so-called healthy foods and under-
estimated the caloric content.
Of course, this study brings to light
what food marketers already know.
According to Dr. Cliodhna Foley Nolan, the
director of Human Health and Nutrition
at Safefood:
“Foods are marketed as being health-
ier for a reason, because food producers
believe, and they correctly believe, that
those labels will influence us to eat their
products and perhaps eat more of their
products.
Marketing a food product with health
claims will not only get consumers to buy
The bottom line:
“Healthy” isn’t a license
to overeat.
HonorYourBody,HonorYoubyDaveyWavey
Davey Wavey is an AFPA certified
personal trainer shares his passion for
and knowledge of fitness, exercise, health
and nutrition with the world. For more
information go to DaveyWaveyFitness.com.
TT WIRED continued page 24
TT HONOR continued page 14
ACCESSline Page 13SEPTEMBER 2013
The Fun Guide
14. that product—but it will also get consum-
ers to eat more of the product. In other
words, it means more money and bigger
profits for the companies producing these
foods.”
The moral of the story is two-fold.
First and foremost, don’t believe
claims on product packaging. Instead,
review the nutrition information and
ingredients for real insight.
Second, review your portion size
against the product’s serving size. Even
if a product is truly healthy, it’s still not
an excuse to overeat. If your body takes
in more calories than it needs, then those
excess calories will be stored as body
fat—regardless of where they came from.
The bottom line: “Healthy” isn’t a
license to overeat.
SS continued from page 13
HONOR
A Grand River
Wedding in Dubuque
KimandJo-JopickedbeautifulDubuque
to celebrate their inspiring relationship and
theircommitmenttoeachother.Anunbeliev-
ably “architectural” space with a pioneering
young couple, Kim and Jo-Jo had a breath-
taking ceremony at the waters’ edge. With
a reception that truly sparkled and dazzled
over the Mississippi. Four days spent at the
Grand Harbor Resort on the banks of the
Mississippi River, well.... I will never forget
this for sure!
I’m truly exhausted, and will try not to
do this all by myself ever again! But I’m also
soincrediblygratefulfortheexperienceand
to have been part of this joining. Joining of
family, with a true community that traveled
through Wisconsin to Dubuque.
From the rehearsal dinner on, where
I had my first alligator bites, it was about
family, friendship, and unconditional love.
The bi-lingual (Spanish), minimalistic,
elegant, candle-lit sand ceremony left me in
awe. And the handsome ring bearers almost
out-shined the trio of musicians from the
Dubuque Symphony. The chic reception
venue, Grand River Center, was a fairy-tale-
likespacetoworkin,evenin90degreetemps,
but by 4 p.m. it was like a movie—picture
perfect.
It cooled to a comfortable 72 degrees
andtheguestssaidtheywereinawefromthe
moment they walked in. With the signature
drink of “Peach Hibiscus” for the cocktail
hour, conversations began immediately
around the tables with water-based 7-foot
elevatedcenterpieces,allwhilethewedding
partywasphotographedalongthegorgeous
River walk.
I’malsoverygratefultohave witnessed
the toasts, filled with raw emotions and
some heart-wrenching tears, because no
parents were in attendance. But hearing the
forgiveness, seeing and feeling the genuine
love these two young women shared for the
past several years makes me believe they
will live happily-ever-after. Especially the
gratitude expressed during the toasts—it
was extremely humbling. Both women are
role models to a brand new generation.
Just Sayin’ by Beau Fodor
Beau Fodor is the owner of PANACHE, an
Iowa event and wedding planner who
focuses specifically on weddings for the
LGBT community. He can be reached at his
blog www.panachepoints.com.
Photo courtesy of Blake Staake
Photography.
Kim and Jo-Jo
Kim and Jo-Jo’s Wedding Topper.
SEPTEMBER 2013ACCESSline Page 14
The Fun Guide
