The Letter November 2008

www.theletteronline.com
LETTER
t h e r e s p e c t e d s o u r c e f o r G l B t n e w s s i n c e J u n e 1 9 9 0
Who would have thought that in
south-central the infamous “gay agenda”
would advance by means of a weekly radio
broadcast? The program is carried by not
just one – but four – non-commercial radio
stations, as well as “podcasted” world-wide
via the Internet.
The one hour broadcast of BloomingOut
(which is offcially spelled, “bloomingOUT”)
can be heard every Thursday at 6:00pm
(Eastern) on 98.1fm: Bloomington,
91.3fm: South Central Indiana, 100.7fm:
Brown County and 106.3fm: Ellettsville. If
you live outside of south-central Indiana,
use your web browser software anytime
to listen to the podcast at www.wfhb.org/
bloomingout.
Originating from Bloomington,
BloomingOut is the only such radio
program originating within Indiana, and
one of the few in the Midwest and the
nation.
Hosted by long-time activist Helen
Harrell and attorney Sean Lemieux,
BloomingOut offers the latest local, national
and international GLBT news, a calendar of
local and statewide events, interviews with
community leaders, politicians, academics,
students, celebrities and entertainers from
around the world. “Everyday folks” and
queer-friendly music are also regularly
featured on the broadcast.
According to information posted on
the braodcast’s website, BloomingOut is
intended “To educate, entertain, and engage
listeners on issues and events affecting the
gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intesex,
and queer population of south central
Indiana” by facilitating communication both
within the queer community and between
the queer and straight communities.
Te
VOLUME 19, ISSUE 11 • nOVEMbEr 2008
Hoosier Radio Broadcast Advances Gay Agenda
THE LETTER
Organizing
Kentuckiana Radio
Show
Not to be outdone by our Hoosier
queer cousins, THE LETTER is
currently in the process of organizing
the frst GLBT-focused radio show
focused on Metro Louisville and
originated in the Commonwealth.
Persons who would like to volunteer
a few hours each month for this non-
commercial broadcast are encouraged
to contact Dave VanderPol at (502)
338-4153 or editor@theletteronline.
com.
VanderPol, who worked in radio
for over a decade before joining the
staff of THE LETTER, hopes the
radio show will lead to renewed
interest in the development of a
GLBT community center to serve
the greater Kentuckiana area.
In addition to being broadcast
initially on two radio stations in
the Bluegrass, KentuckyQ will be
podcast through the newspaper’s
websites: www.theletteronline.com
and theletter.win.net.
2 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 3
AROUND THE REGION
After several months of harassment, two
gay senior citizens were found violently
slain in their Indianapolis home on
October 20, 2008.
Milton Lindgren, age 70, and Eric
Hendricks, age 73, were partners in life, and
tragically in death. The double homicide
followed vandalism and harassment due to
their sexual orientation, including having
their cable lines cut and anti-gay statements
posted on the front door of their home.
Indiana Equality (IE) is seeking assurance
that, unlike some previous incidents, this
crime will be thoroughly investigated.
The fairness organization is demanding
that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Department and the Marion County
Prosecutor investigate this incident as a
possibly bias-motivated crime. According
to existing state law, if a crime appears to
be bias-related, the Prosecutor and police
department must report such fndings to
the Indiana State Police and to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
“Bias crimes are particularly heinous and
threatening to a community” commented
Jon Keep, IE President. “Two murdered
gays should warrant a bold response.”
Indiana tragically seems to be no
stranger to bias motivated crime. Just fve
months ago a group of Ball State University
students were violently beaten in Muncie
as anti-gay slurs were used against them by
their attackers.
Indiana Equality, in conjunction with
partners such as the Indiana NAACP State
Conference, Indiana AFL-CIO, American
Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, American
Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) Council 62, and
Lambda Legal, has worked with State
Representative Greg Porter and members
of the General Assembly to enact a state
bias crimes law. Indiana is one of only fve
states that lack bias crimes protections.
Indianapolis Murders
Appear To Be Hate Crimes
recession-proof Your Business:
Advertise in the letter!
[email protected]
World AIDS Day Service: Remembering & Celebrating Life
The international theme for this year’s World AIDS Day campaign is: “STOP
AIDS: Keep the Promise- Lead, Empower, Deliver.” Begun in 1988, World
AIDS Day is designed to focus attention on the critical issues of HIV/AIDS. It is
commemorated around the world on December 1st.
Twenty-seven years after the virus was frst diagnosed, World AIDS Day is a call
to action to support the nearly 33.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS across
the globe and an opportunity to honor the 25 million lives lost to this devastating
pandemic. One day a year we are asked to gather to raise public awareness, fght
discrimination and strengthen our commitment. This day we advocate for people
who are living with HIV/AIDS. This day we honor our sisters and brothers who
have died from the disease.
This year Metro Louisville residents are invited to observe World AIDS Day on
Monday, December 1st at 7:00pm at the Muhammad Ali Center’s View Pointe Hall.
The Ali Center is wheelchair accessible and accessible from several TARC routes.
Anyone wearing a red ribbon on World AIDS Day can ride TARC for free. The annual
service is sponsored by AIDS Services Center Coalition. The event is free open to
the public. A reception with light food and beverages will be served. For more
information, please call (502) 574-0161 or visit: www.asccinc.org/worldaidsday.
In addition to Louisville, World AIDS Day observances will also take place
in many of the major metropolitan areas served by THE LETTER. For more
information on events to be held in Indianapolis,
Cincinnati, Saint Louis, Columbus, Cleveland and Nashville, write editor@
theletteronline.com.
THANK YOU !!!
With your help, the 2008 Louisville AIDS Walk was able to raise $15,000
more than it did in 2007! This is amazing and inspiring, especially considering
our nation’s current economic situation! Thank you for making a difference!
Donations are still being accepted! You may contribute online at www.
louisvilleaidswalk.org or by mailing your tax-deductible gift to Louisville
AIDS Walk; Attention: Donations Coordinator; 810 Barret Avenue, Suite
305, Louisville, KY 40204.
4 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
www.theletteronline.com
Post Offce Box 7842
Louisville, KY 40257
Founded in June 1990 by
Humphrey Marshall & Jeffrey Goldsmith
EXECUTIVE EDITOR/WEBMASTER
ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION:
Dave VanderPol: (502) 338-4153
[email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Deanna Sullivan - Designs by Deanna
GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSISTANT
Bryn Marlow
HIV RESOURCES EDITOR
Brad Hampton
[email protected]
With an estimated readership of over 14,000,
THE LETTER is distributed throughout the seven state
region of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois,
Michigan & Missouri
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
Rivendell Media: (212) 242-6863
REGULAR CONTRIBUTERS
Publication of the name, photograph or
likeness of any person, organization, or business
in articles or advertising in THE LETTER or on
its companion website is not to be construed
as an indication of the sexual orientation of
such person, organization or business.
THE LETTER assumes no responsibility for
unsolicited materials submitted for publication.
THE LETTER reserves the right to edit or reject
any advertisement.
© 2008, The Letter News, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Brad Hampton
James Hensley
Bryn Marlow
Brandon Monson
Beth Ann Rubin
Brian Rzepczynski
Tina Storm
David Williams
LETTER
Te
December 2008 DEADLINES
Press releases, Regional Calendar
items and Community Groups listings
must be received no later than
Wednesday, November 12, 2008.
Advertising reservations must
be received no later than
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
All items should be sent to:
[email protected].
Thanks to three generous donors, the
size of the library at the Williams-Nichols
collection at the University of Louisville
has risen extensively.
After collecting gay and lesbian books
for several years, local gay pioneer Carl
Enoch reluctantly parted with his extensive
collection in October. Topics of the books
ranged from AIDS and spiritual matters,
to psychology, sociology and a few works
of fction.
Among his more important papers was a
bound copy of documents presented to the
old Louisville Board of Aldermen in 1986
in an initial attempt at getting a gay and
lesbian civil rights ordinance passed. That
effort failed, as would others in 1991, 1992,
1995, and 1997. The Fairness Amendment
was fnally approved in January 1999: the
frst such law in Kentucky. Louisville
remains one of the few major Southern
cities protecting citizens on the basis of their
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Enoch also presented bound copies of
the meeting minutes of Gays and Lesbians
United for Equality, a seminal organization
that led the fedgling Louisville GLBT
community through its birth pangs in the
1980s.
Another extensive donation came from
Jimmy Secat of Louisville, who gave the
archives 85 books, much of them works of
fction. Among the more notable was a frst
edition, frst print of Armistead Maupin’s
Tales of the City from 1978, and works by
such notable gay authors as David Leavitt,
Andrew Holleran, and Ethan Mordden.
Two books by John Preston added to the
archives near-complete collection of his
works.
Finally, Ronnie Doggett of Louisville
donated nearly two dozen issues of After
Dark, an early, 1970s entertainment
magazine with a large gay male readership.
Thanks to his donation, the archives has
nearly 95 percent of that magazine’s 17-
year run. It folded in 1983.
The Williams-Nichols Archive &
Library for GLBT Studies is constantly
adding to its collection, which is one of the
most utilized at the University of Louisville.
Any book or publication or any interest to
the GLBT community is welcomed. The
archives also accepts such ephemera as
posters, theater programs, t-shirts and ball
caps as well as gay bar matchbook covers,
rainbow-themed items, and even swizzle
sticks. One of its more unusual items is
a pink Frisbee from the early 1980s with a
gay lambda symbol on it.
The collection is a 501c(3) incorporated
as the Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc. All
donations are fully tax-deductible under
current law. The archive and library is
located in the Special Collections division
of Ekstrom Library on the main campus of
the University of Louisville. It’s one of the
ten largest GLBT libraries and archives in
the country.
For more information, and to make
donations of cash or materials, contact
David Williams at (502) 636-0935 or
Delinda Buie at (502) 852-6762.
Kentucky: Library & Archives Receive Major Donations
One year before it is expected to open,
a gay-friendly high school is already facing
a challenge of sorts: serve only vegetarian
food if you really care about the problem of
oppression.
After learning that Chicago's Social Justice
High School will open the gay-friendly Pride
Campus, Persons for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to a school
offcial urging that vegetarian-only meals be
served at the future school.
The Pride Campus of Social Justice High
School doesn't have a location set and is to
open in 2010. It will eventually serve 600
students by offering a safe and affrming
environment for GLBTQ students and
their allies.
"Oppression—regardless of the species
or sexual orientation of the victim—is dead
wrong," says PETA Director of Media
Relations Michael McGraw. "To truly
succeed in teaching tolerance and fghting
oppression, the Pride Campus needs to keep
prejudice out of its classrooms and off its
plates."
Claiming that killing animals and
eating their meat is “only because of
prejudice”, the PETA missive stated that
“Leaders of social justice movements have
historically recognized that the liberation
of one oppressed group is linked to the
liberation of other groups.”
Steven Simmons, a PETA staffer and
gay rights activist who died of AIDS many
years ago, wrote, "It's time for us to end
this hierarchy of who has the right to live,
who deserves not to suffer, who should be
respected, [the idea] that there's a limit to
the amount of compassion that we can have
for our fellow creatures."
PETA offered to “arrange for a
professional chef who has worked with
major corporations” to give the new
school’s cafeteria staff free consultations on
how to prepare tasty, healthy, and humane
vegetarian meals.”
As of press time their was no offcial
response from school offcials to PETA’s
demand.
Chicago Gay-Friendly High School
Challenged: Go Vegetarian
Martial Arts Group
Meeting At Various
Locations
Over the past several months, the
Triangle Martial Arts Association has
met on Tuesday evenings at Fuzion
bar on Story Avenue. However
with a recent reduction in bar
hours, the group is now meeting in
various locations throughout Metro
Louisville, including Seneca Park
and a facility near the University of
Louisville’s Belknap campus.
The gay-friendly group welcomes
beginners and experienced individuals.
For more information, including
upcoming meeting times and locations,
visit [email protected].
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 5
The Cincinnati Men’s Chorus has a new
recording with 16 selections to warm your
heart during the winter holiday season.
Safe and Warm, Together for the Holidays is
the latest CD from the 50-voice chorus of
gay and gay-supportive men.
"Safe and Warm captures the fun and
community of our live performances,"
stated Patrick Coyle, the chorus’ artistic
director.
The album can be purchased at the chorus’
website: www.cincinnatimenschorus.org,
for $15.00 each or 2 for $25.00.
New Social Group Forms by David Williams
Tired of the bar circuit but don’t know where else to turn to meet new friends?
While Louisville’s gays and lesbians have had an active private social scene going
back to the days of the very late Queen Victoria, oftentimes it’s devolved into
cliquish circles where it’s hard to gain entrée.
Enter the Louisville Pride Friends Network, a new venture for gays and
lesbians that offers a fun alternative to the usual drink and drown weekends.
“It's always been my contention that there is a group of us out there who
would love to be able to hang out, mingle, and to just generally socialize but isn't
into the bar scene,” founder Thomas Hicks tells The Letter. “I'm very excited
and optimistic that this is going to become one of the more popular groups of its
kind.” Several people, he says, have already shown interest via the internet.
As of October 25, nearly 1,400 visitors had checked out its Web site.
For now, while the group is busy spreading the word, it has no events planned.
Among activities contemplated are camping and hiking, theme park outings,
movie nights, potluck dinners, dining at various Louisville restaurants, and
whatever else members may propose. Need two more for cards? This might just
be the place to meet.
The group is open to anyone who’s interested in casual social activities and is
within driving distance of its various events.
For more information, go to www.freewebs.com/louisvillepridefriends or email
[email protected].
ONLY ON OUR WEBSITE
Be sure to visit TheLetterOnline.com to check out this
month’s COMMUNITY PHOTO GALLERY! You’ll fnd pictures
from a recent protest at a Louisville McDonald’s and BITCHES
WITH BALLS, a hugely successful fundraiser than benefted
central Indiana AIDS charities!
Men's Chorus Offers Holiday Album
6 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
Winterfair, a juried art and craft fair
featuring the work of nearly 200 artists
from across the country, will take place
across from downtown Cincinnati at the
Northern Kentucky Convention Center in
Covington on November 28, 29 & 30.
Featuring ceramics, glass, wearable
art, jewelry, sculpture, painting and
photography, Winterfair is an artists’
market where discerning shoppers will
find items that fit a range of budgets. Items
range in price from as little as $15.00 to
several thousand dollars.
This year’s fair hours cater to early-
bird shoppers: Friday, November 28 and
Saturday, November 29 from 10:00am
– 5:00pm, and Sunday, November 30,
11:00am – 4:00pm. Admission: $7.00 for
adults, children 12 and under free.
Winterfair is produced by Ohio Designer
Craftsmen, a nonprofit organization dedicated
to promoting awareness and appreciation
of fine craft, and helping artists develop
professional skills. Membership is open to
both artists and craft enthusiasts. For more
information visit www.ohiocraft.org.
ONE FOR ALL
1975 Douglass Boulevard
Louisville, Kentucky 40205 • (502) 451-1963
Quality Trift Items
Wednesday thru Saturday: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday: 12:00noon – 4:00pm
Store Proceeds Beneft Glade House & House of Ruth
Volunteers Always Welcome!
Space for this ad donated by Dr. Fred Schloemer
www.SchloemerServices.com
Holiday Shopping?
30th Annual Winterfair!
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 7
Items listed must be of interested to the GLBT community. Items are listed
for FREE from non-proft community organizations, support and social groups. We
also publicize events sponsored by businesses and professionals currently advertising
in THE LETTER.
Please send us information at least four to six weeks in advance of your
event. Contact: [email protected] and be careful to type “Regional
Calendar” in the subject line of your message.
Every Monday
7:00pm. Movie Mania at Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Cincinnati, 4119
Hamilton Avenue. Free. For movie titles click on the icon for the GLBT Calendar
page at www.glbtcentercincinnati.com.
Every Tuesday
2:45pm. GLBT Mental Health Issues Support Group at The Recovery Center, 2340
Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati. (513) 241-1411.
6:30 -8:00pm. Triangle Martial Arts Association: Tae Kwon Do training for GLBT
community. Beginners & experienced welcome. For location write:. Write:
[email protected].
7:30pm. Women’s Tuesday Night Coming Out Group at Off The Avenue, 1546
Knowlton Street, Cincinnati. (513) 535-2517.
Every Friday
9:15pm - Midnight. Derby City Kickers Country & Western Dancing at Q, 921 West
Main Street, Louisville. No cover before 10:00pm. $3.00 cover after 10:00pm.
1st & 3rd Thursdays
7:00pm. Gay Men’s Support Group meets at Metropolitan Community Church of
Louisville, 1432 Highland Avenue.
3rd Wednesdays
Louisville Gay Professionals. Group meets at a different bar each month. More
information: [email protected].
4th Wednesdays
6:00pm. Kentuckiana Rainbow Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting. For
location visit www.KentuckianaRainbowCoC.org or call (502) 815-7195.
==================================
Tuesday, November 11
7:00pm. Cincinnati Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meeting.
Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 William Howard Taft Road. For more
information call (513) 755-6150.
Sunday, November 16
3:30pm. Heartland Fairness, affliated with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, monthly
meeting at 326 West Dixie Avenue in Elizabethtown. Write: heartlandfairness@
starband.net.
Sunday, November 16
4:00pm. Cincinnati Women Out Front’s Spirituality & Alternative Health Group.
Sidewinder Café in Northside. Information: www.myspace.com/womenoutfront.
Wednesday, November 19
6:30pm. Indy Bi-Versity, confdential discussion group. For more information,
including the meeting location, write: [email protected].
Wednesday, December 3
7:00pm. Crossport Crossdresser Support Group, Cincinnati. (513) 919-4850.
Sunday, December 21
3:00pm. Community Holiday Party hosted by Metro Louisville Parents & Friends
of Lesbians and Gays. First Lutheran Church, 417 East Broadway. For more
information call (502) 329-0229 or write [email protected]. Confdentiality
respected.
regionalcalendar
sponsored by mark england
SAVE A TREE / BUY AN E-SUBSCRIPTION
Interested in downloading to your computer a full copy
of THE LETTER each month? E-Subscriptions are now
available and quite afordable.
1 year: $15.00 • 2 years: $27.50
3 years: $35.00
E-Subscriptions must be purchased online with a VISA
or MasterCard credit or debit card.
For more information write: [email protected] and type
“E-Subscription” in the subject line of your message.
8 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
INFORM
YOUR PARTNER
S t o p T h e S p r e a d O n l i n e . o r g
To stop the cycle of STD’s growing
in our community, sexual partners need
to be tested and if necessary treated.
KENNETH C. PLOTNIK
Attorney at Law
(502) 636-0361
Fax: (502) 634-0576
607 West Ormsby Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40203
clamourunderbridge.typepad.com
What Path Calls You?
George Stinson Appointed
To Civil Rights Commission
Governor Steven Beshear recently
appointed four new commissioners to the
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
(KCHR). They replace members whose
terms have expired.
George Stinson of Louisville, co-owner
of the Connection bar and real estate
developer, was among those appointed.
One of the largest gay bar complexes in the
region, the Connection celebrated it's 20th
anniversary on October 31.
KCHR is the state government agency
that enforces the Kentucky Civil Rights Act
and policies of federal civil rights laws.
In addition to Stinson, Samuel Coleman
Jr. of Middlesboro, Virginia Burton
of Lexington and Timothy Thomas of
Madisonville were also appointed to three
year terms.
Delicious Fundraising:
Dining Out For Life
On Wednesday, December 3, 55
of Louisville and Southern Indiana’s
fnest restaurants will join together to
support House of Ruth and Glade House.
Participating restaurants have agreed to
give a percentage of their gross sales to
help support HIV/AIDS services provided
by House of Ruth and Glade House. 100%
of the proceeds will be used to help the
people served by House of Ruth.
For a full list of participating restaurants,
and the meals in which they are participating,
please visit www.diningoutforlife.com , or
call JacQue at (502) 587-5080, extension
23.
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 9
SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
City of Refuge Worship Center
Come Worship Freely Our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ
1041 Goss Avenue, Suite 101,
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 762-8986 / (502) 495-2603
Rev. Randy Meadows, Pastor
Sunday Bible Study: 9:30am
Sunday Worship: 11:00am & 7:00pm
Wednesday Worship: 7:00pm
www.cityofrefugewc.org
Rev. Dee Dale, pastor of Metropolitan Community
Church of Louisville, is set to celebrate her 25th
anniversary at the helm of the church in December.
Before becoming pastor in 1983, Dale had worked
with the church for several years. She came to MCC
after studying at the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Louisville.
The festivities begin Friday, December, 5 with a
reception and music program at the church, located
at 1432 Highland Avenue in the Original Highlands.
A celebration banquet will be held the next night at
7:00 PM at the Ramada Inn at Zorn Avenue and
I-75. The weekend will conclude back at the church
on Sunday morning with a worship celebration.
MCC will hold a worship celebration the following
day starting at 10:30am.
The Friday and Sunday events are free and open
to the public. Cost of the banquet is just $25.00
per person. Deadline for reservations is November
6 GPT (gay people time).
For more information, and to make reservations,
call the church at (502) 587-6225 or email mcclville@
aol.com.
Louisville Pastor To
Celebrate 25 Years
Rev. Dee Dale
Clergy Gaydar:
Vatican Approves Testing
To Eliminate “Defective”
(Gay) Seminarians
The Vatican has acknowledged that
psychological tests should be used to identify
candidates for the Roman Catholic priesthood
who show homosexual tendencies. While
condoning the use of such tests by Catholic
seminaries, a document approved by Pope
Benedict XVI says such testing must be strictly
voluntary.
“Deep-seated homosexual tendencies” and
“uncertain sexual identity” are listed in the
document along with “excessive rigidity of
character” and “strong affective dependencies”
as traits that might make a candidate unsuitable
for the priesthood. The anti-gay hit piece, made
public by the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic
Education, requires that anti-gay testing must
always have the potential seminarian’s “previous,
explicit, informed, and free consent” before it
may be administered.
The Vatican document, titled Guidelines for
the Use of Psychology in the Admission and
Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood,
admits that “Errors in discerning of vocations
are not rare.” The authors caution that “in all
too many cases psychological defects, sometimes
of a pathological kind, reveal themselves only
after ordination to the priesthood. Detecting
defects earlier would help avoid many tragic
experiences.”
The document noted that, “Those who today
ask admittance to the seminary refect in a more
or less accentuated way the unease of an emerging
mentality characterized by consumerism,
instability in family and social relationships,
moral relativism, erroneous visions of sexuality...
and a systematic negation of values, especially by
the media.”
Progressive Pathways Fellowship
What Path Calls You?
Sunday Worship and Education: 5:30pm.
Tuesday Book Chat: 6:15pm.
#208 1/2 Mellwood Arts &
Entertainment Center,
1860 Mellwood Ave., Louisville, KY 40206
http://www.progressivepathways.org
Inclusive Faith
Communities listings are
an affordable way to let
the GLBT community know
about your fellowship! Pre-
paid listings cost $90.00
for six months or $150.00
for one year. For more
information write:
[email protected]
10 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 11
It’s the
Experience!
®
RE/MAX 100, Inc.
Voice: (502) 635-5936
FAX: (502) 637-8483
www.MarkEngland.com
Licensed in Kentucky and Indiana.
Offering worldwide relocation assistance.
Need Domestic Partner Coverage?
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered
trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and
symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
We now offer same sex domestic
partner coverage.
Solutions with choices are easy,
just call...
Mark Anderson
317-287-6598 or
1-800-863-0190
www.Mark-Andersoninsurance.com
[email protected]
November 14 - 16
Harvest Weekend Special
November 27 - 30
Tanksgiving Feast
Weekend
December 5 - 7
7th Annual Christmas
Open House Weekend
December 24
Christmas Holiday
Gathering
14 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
Romeo San Vicente can be reached at
[email protected].
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 15
Presented by:
December 3, 2008
and
For more information please visit www.diningoutforlife.com.
Wednesday, December 3rd
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 3, 2008 when you can enjoy dining at a
participating restaurant and thanks to the generous support of our area restaurateurs, a
portion of your check will beneft HIV/AIDS services provided by House of Ruth for
Glade House. Learn more at 502.587.5080, or for a list of participating restaurants and the
meals they are participating in, visit www.diningoutforlife.com.
Please lend your fork to a good cause!
Benefting:
OUR NATION
A California-based website designed especially for GLBT fans of science fction
entertainment (www.doorQ.Com) recently added an “online theater” that features
genre-specifc animation and flms with gay heroes.
“This has been a key dream of mine since we started the site” last year, said Jody
Wheeler, a founding partner in the website. “Gay people have always wanted to see
themselves as the main characters in stories set on alien worlds, in fantastic lands, or
threatened by horrible monsters. Now they can.”
The video theater, free on the website, provides a wide range of content, from short
flms to web serials to sneak peak clips, all featuring Gay heroes and themes. Trailers,
clips and sneaks from mainstream movies are also represented. “Because our fans are
part of the larger pop-culture landscape too,” Wheeler said.
To create the online theater, doorQ.compartnered with Twistage Inc., providers
of the white-label video platform that powers sites like FastCompany.tv, Mochila
and PerezHilton.Com. Twistage works behind the scenes, providing the software,
technology and technical expertise necessary to publish, play, and monetize video on
the web. They were instrumental in bringing the theater space to life.
Content for the theater comes from three different sources: partners, in-house
productions and user submissions.
Gay Sci-Fi Website Launches
Online Theater
16 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
A study conducted 13 months after same-sex marriage in
Massachusetts became legal found that obtaining legal protections
and making a public statement of commitment were the most
often mentioned motivations for same-sex marriage. It also found
that lack of family approval and diffculties planning and paying
for the wedding were the most noted obstacles to marriage. The
study, "Attractions and Obstacles While Considering Legally
Recognized Same-Sex Marriage," was conducted by Pamela J.
Lannutti, PhD, associate professor of communication at Boston
College and was published in the Journal of GLBT Family Studies,
Vol. 4(2), 2008.
"The arrival of same-sex marriage brings up many issues that
often lurk in the background in families. It forces same-sex couples
and their parents to confront their deepest feelings about same-sex
love," said Robert-Jay Green, PhD, executive director of Rockway
Institute, a national center for psychology research, education, and
public policy on sexual orientation and gender issues.
For this study, Lannutti's sample of 263 partners in same-sex
couples had an average relationship duration of 7.5 years. Seventy-
two percent had gotten legally married in the 13 months after
same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts, and 28 percent
planned to marry within 16 months. Attractions to marriage listed
by the respondents included legal protections (24 percent), making
a public statement of commitment (20 percent), feelings for
partner (15 percent), means to acknowledgement from family (14
percent), legal protection for help in having children (13 percent),
means to acknowledgement from friends (eight percent), political
reasons (four percent) and religious reasons (two percent).
The couples' comments converged around the theme that
security was an important motivation for marriage. One person
said "We thought we should get married so that we could take
better care of each other as we got older; or if someone got sick…
nobody could take our right to provide for each other away."
Another concern was raising children. One man who had adopted
a son with his partner said "It felt like maybe after that marriage,
nobody could threaten our family." Couples mentioned a desire to
declare their commitment publicly. They also mentioned the need
to make a public statement. "It seemed wrong to be a committed
couple with the right (to marry) and not use it," said one. Another
said "we want our presence felt when they try to take marriage
away from us in the future."
Obstacles to marriage included lack of family approval (41
percent), diffculties in funding and planning the ceremony and
reception (27 percent), philosophical or political objections to
marriage (14 percent), the legal limitations of same-sex marriage
in Massachusetts such as no federal recognition or benefts of
marriage (10 percent), lack of approval from friends (four percent),
or unresolved previous relationships (four percent). "Lack of family
approval" usually meant parents' approval, Lannutti reported.
"We almost didn't get married because my parents were so
angry and mean about it," said one female participant. "We almost
changed our minds about getting married," said a male participant,
"We thought our families were OK with us as a couple, but when
we wanted to send out wedding invitations, his parents freaked
out."
Couples reported their most frequent strategy for overcoming
these obstacles was to ignore them (58 percent). Other strategies
included discussing the obstacle with their partner (22 percent),
discussing the obstacle with the person causing it (eight percent),
or engaging in political action (12 percent), such as demonstrating,
donating money and volunteering in activist causes.
The above data gathered 13 months after same-sex marriage was
legal in Massachusetts complemented earlier data Lannutti had
gathered in 2003- 2004, before same-sex marriage was legal. The
earlier study titled "The Infuence of Same-Sex Marriage on the
Understanding of Same-Sex Relationships" was published in the
Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 53(3) 2007.
Two-thirds of the 288 participants in the earlier research were in
a relationship that had lasted 1-36 years. Approximately 59 percent
of the participants were women, 39 percent were men and two
percent (six individuals) did not report their gender. Participants
reported that the "possibility of legal marriage" made them feel
different about the place of their relationship in the larger society,
"making the relationship more real, serious or secure." Said one
participant: "[The prospect of same-sex marriage becoming legal]
not only makes me take my relationship more seriously, it's making
me take my country more seriously." After always feeling on the
outside of the law, "my relationship counts and I count, too."
Lannutti reported that the possibility of legal marriage had "the
potential to shift the way outsiders saw the relationship." Among
those outsiders were employers and family members who would
gain a clearer understanding of the relationship because it was now
called a marriage, rather than a "union" or "partnership."
The Rockway Institute brings together scientifc research and
professional expertise to counter antigay prejudice and inform
public policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
people.
How Same-Sex Marriage Affects Gay Couples:
A Tale Of Two Research Studies
Northwest U.S. Hate Crimes
On College Campuses On Rise
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) is urging media
outlets in Washington and Idaho to draw
attention to hate motivated harassment and
violence against gay and transgender students
at universities in these states. This follows a
series of incidents involving anti-gay and
anti-transgender harassment and violence
at Washington State University in Pullman,
Wash. and the University of Idaho in Moscow,
Idaho.
Between September 29 and October 20, fve
attacks have targeted the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender communities of Washington
State University and the University of Idaho:
• September 29: University of Idaho
student Korey Larabee fnds anti-gay
vandalism and a death threat written on his
door.
• October 12: A gay Washington State
University student returns to fnd his door
vandalized with anti-gay slurs.
• October 15: An openly gay student is
physically assaulted by another individual
while walking on Washington State
University's campus.
• October 18: An openly gay student is
physically assaulted by a group of three people
wearing Halloween masks at Washington
State University.
• October 20: A transgender student is
knocked to the ground and kicked while
attackers yell anti-transgender slurs in
a Washington State University parking
structure.
The attacks and intimidation of the last
few weeks are part of disturbing nationwide
trend of a rise in anti-gay and anti-
transgender motivated crimes. This month,
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
released 2007 Hate Crimes Statistics, which
revealed a 6 percent increase in anti-gay
violence from 2006 to 2007. Earlier this
year, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence
Programs (NCAVP) found that the number
of individuals that were harassed or assaulted
because they were perceived to be gay or
transgender rose by 24 percent from 2006.
"We urge media in Washington and Idaho
to report on these incidents of anti-gay and
anti-transgender violence," said Neil G.
Giuliano, President of GLAAD. "These media
outlets have the chance to play a vital role in
determining community and law enforcement
responses to these crimes and to advocate that
campus administration take steps to prevent
future incidents from occurring."
While investigations into these incidents
as possible hate crimes are still in process at
both campuses, GLAAD urges the media
to investigate the increase in anti-gay and
anti-transgender violence as well as the
community's response to it. The media can
play a vital role in determining community
and law enforcement response to hate crimes
as well as motivate local law enforcement and
campus administrators to more strongly and
transparently address these incidents.
Butt For You, an online retailer of padded underwear, is recognized throughout
the gay community for their ability to design and manufacture high-quality padded
briefs. The company’s body shaping, padded underwear are crafted using a unique
combination of materials, which create an enhanced yet realistic shape. The briefs
provide a discreet, but convincing solution for both women and men who are in
need of extra “rear padding”.
The padded briefs are meticulously tailored to accommodate the body shaping
pads, giving a healthy, youthful, natural and virile appearance. Undetectable under
the even the sleekest of pants, these briefs are not only conform to the body’s natural
shape, but provide continuous comfort. The smooth, durable, elastic waistband,
exceptional quality and the double material in both front and back panels, ensures
pad stability and wearer comfort. The briefs move with your body - not against it.
In addition to men’s briefs and swimsuits, the sexy undergarment comes in
women’s panties.
For more information or to purchase Butt For You products online, visit www.
buttforyou.com.
A Gift For Yourself: Padded Butt Underwear
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 17
COMMUNITY DIALOGUE
LIBERAL ON THE SAUCE
So here we are, 2008. As I write, the election is still 10 days away. By
the time this column sees print, I hope we’ll all be basking in the glow of a
tsunamic victory by Barack Obama. If we aren’t, ponder these four words:
see you in Mexico.
Having grown up in a Southern border town, I have many race-based
memories. Some are fond, others decidedly not. It’s almost patronizing
to expound how far we’ve come from the days of Jim Crow. Yes, we have,
but -- Obama’s very presence at the top of the Democratic ticket is tectonic
enough, but this country has many more miles to go before we can track
down the heart of racism and fnally drive a stake through it.
Recently I had our family’s old home movies transferred to DVD before
they disintegrated forever. One of the frst is from Christmas 1950: the
year I asked for—and got—a doll house. Shades of things to come. That’s
a topic for another column, though.
In one scene, suddenly a little black boy and girl appear among our toys.
They were the children of our housekeeper, Sadie. My Midwestern parents
weren’t all that socially liberal, but they thought nothing of what was then
called “race mixing.” We must have been the only white family in Louisville
to invite blacks to celebrate Christmas that year.
A couple of years, Sadie was replaced by Mary Lee. I remember mom
telling me about the frst day Mary Lee came to work. After she’d fxed
lunch for mom and herself, Mary Lee put mom’s plate on the dining room
table and returned to the kitchen to eat. My mom was puzzled and asked
Mary Lee to join her. Mary Lee had never eaten with whites before, so I’m
sure she was uncomfortable at frst, but they continued eating together until
mom died 13 years ago. (Mary Lee’s still going strong).
Through the late 1950s I have many memories—some of them
disconcerting—of interactions with African-Americans.
My mom taking Mary Lee home in Newburg, down a muddy road full
of potholes not a mile from our house. The community well in the middle
of the street. Mary Lee’s pot belly stove: the only source of heat. The lone
light bulb hanging from the ceiling without a shade. The time Mary Lee’s
daughter, Linda, got married. Mary Lee put our foral arrangement on top
of the stove.
If such interactions weren’t shocking enough to some of our neighbors, I’m
sure they must have held their children hostage behind closed doors when
they saw my brothers and I playing with black boys in our own backyard.
There are better memories. My dad taking me to hear Mahalia Jackson.
We were one of the few white faces in the audience. We may have heard
Marian Anderson another time.
Then there’s Louis. Louis Armstrong’s appearance at Memorial Auditorium
generated a local controversy because it was one of the frst times blacks and
whites were allowed to sit together on the main foor. Sadly, even though he
was the greatest musician of his time, the hall was only half-full.
After the show, I insisted we go to the stage door and see if we could meet
him. There he was, sitting on a stool with a white “mammy rag” on his
head (he sweated profusely). Being able to get his autograph was one of the
highlights of my teenage years. I’ll always remember my dad pointing to
Satchmo and exclaiming, “This is the man!”
Uglier memories, yes. The time the movie “Porgy and Bess” played at
the Brown Theatre, and Mr. Brown refused to allow integrated audiences.
When our family went to see it, we had to pass a picket line consisting of one
lone African-American holding a sign. I felt uneasy.
Another time I remember waiting for a bus on Eastern Parkway at Poplar
Level. Suddenly some young white boy on another bus waiting at the light
started calling a black pedestrian a “black bass,” not just once but many
times. It was like he was having a party with his own hatred. It strengthened
my resolve to do something, though I didn’t know what. I was only 14.
There’s the time a black girl, Brenda Smiley, gave me a Valentine at school.
For days after that I was the butt of a lot of teasing. I thought it was because
Brenda was a little goofy. It didn’t dawn on me till later what the teasing was
really about.
Then there’s a time around 1961 when my cousin and I happened upon a
white guy in the woods near my house. For some reason he started talking
about how the civil rights movement was destroying the South’s “way of
life.” My cousin, who lived in Toledo, stomped off but I stayed to listen in a
futile attempt to understand him. It didn’t work. He just made me sick. To
this day, I still don’t understand the workings of such minds.
Around 1959 I remember watching a Sunday afternoon television variety
program with mom. One part showed a man and woman performing a
ballet on a barge, but the camera was at some distance so you couldn’t see
their faces. The more I watched, the more I felt something was different.
Finally, I turned to mom and asked, “Is that guy a Negro?” (The woman was
obviously white). She replied, “Naw, they wouldn’t be able to do get away
with something like that.”
2009. Barack Obama is president thanks to the votes of whites and blacks
together. We’ve made a great deal of progress, but we’re still not done: not
yet. As Robert Frost once wrote:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
I’m not sleepy yet.
Long-time community activist David Williams is the former publisher of THE
LETTER and founder of the Kentucky Gay & Lesbian Library and Archives,
housed in the Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville.
Miles To Go by David Williams
18 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
HOOSIER VALUES
After several months of
harassment, two gay senior citizens
were found violently slain in their
Indianapolis home on Monday,
October 20, 2008.
Milton Lindgren, age 70, and Eric
Hendricks, age 73, were partners
in life, and tragically in death.
The double homicide followed
vandalism and harassment due to
their sexual orientation, including
having their cable lines cut and
anti-gay statements posted on the
front door of their home.
Indiana Equality seeks assurances
that, unlike some previous incidents,
this crime will be thoroughly
investigated. The Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department
and the Marion County Prosecutor
should investigate this incident as
a possible bias-motivated crime.
According to existing state law, if a
crime appears to be bias-related, the
Prosecutor and police department
must report such fndings to the
Indiana State Police and to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Bias crimes are particularly
heinous and threatening to a
community” commented Kathy
Sarris of Indiana Equality. “Two
murdered gays should warrant a
bold response.”
Indiana tragically seems to be no
stranger to bias-motivated crime.
Only fve months ago, a group of
Ball State University students were
violently beaten in Muncie as anti-
gay slurs were used against them by
their attackers.
Vivian Benge, Indiana Equality
board member, observed “The
death of these two elderly men
is nothing short of tragic and
heartbreaking. With bias motivated
crimes occurring regularly in our
state, the victims only stand to
suffer due to Indiana’s lack of bias
crime legislation.”
Indiana Equality, in conjunction
with partners such as the Indiana
NAACP State Conference, Indiana
AFL-CIO, American Civil Liberties
Union of Indiana, American
Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Council 62, and Lambda Legal, has
worked with State Representative
Greg Porter and members of the
General Assembly to enact a state
bias crimes law. Indiana is one of
only fve states that lack bias crimes
protections.
“All Hoosiers deserve to feel safe
regardless of their color, creed, race,
national origin, gender, religion,
sexual orientation, gender identity,
or disability,” commented Walter
Botich, Indiana Equality Legislative
Committee Chair. “We should all
take a hard look at why Indiana still
lacks such fundamental protections
and insist that our State Legislature
and Governor make them a
reality.”
What will you do to help stop
the violence?
Brandon Monson is the Communications Director for
Indiana Equality, the Hoosier State's premier fairness
organization.
Indianapolis Murders Deserve
Close Examination
by Brandon Monson
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 19
RAINBOW OF THOUGHT
Dear Coach:
I hired a contractor to do some work at
my house and we became friends (yes, he’s
gay!). Right from the start, we were very firty
with each other and spent a lot of time doing
recreational things. After fnally having an
open talk about “us”, we both admitted that
we were attracted to one another. However, he
gave me the big “I don’t want a relationship”
speech.
Since then, we’ve continued to hang out and
a couple times he’s felt compelled to remind me
that he doesn’t want a relationship. In the
meantime, we’ve spent a couple nights together
cuddling and making out, but no sex. He told
me that he can’t have sex with me because he
doesn’t want to mess up our friendship. I, of
course, take this as a big rejection and have
tried hard not to have all the negative thoughts
around what could be the problem with me.
He says it’s not a rejection and that I’m too
important and valuable to him. He told me he
doesn’t want all this talk to ruin our friendship
and he’d be upset if I stopped talking with him.
I have tried to approach this relationship with
the idea that we have fun together, let’s see
where it evolves. However, every time it seems
to start to go somewhere, he needs to have “the
talk” with me.
I keep trying to get through the heartbreak
in the hopes that I can get beyond this and just
be friends, but it makes it hard for me to deal
with it when I feel like I keep getting pulled
closer and then pushed away again. Am I
being a doormat by wanting to try and be
friends with him? -- Wanting More
Dear Wanting More:
It sounds like you’ve got it bad, my
friend! This guy seems to have made quite
an impact on you and you’d really like to
take things to the next level; unfortunately,
to his protest. It can be so frustrating and
torturous when you want one thing and
he wants another, particularly since you’ve
both acknowledged your mutual attraction
for each other. You like him, he likes you,
and you both fnd each other desirable—so
what’s the holdup, you must be thinking?
Not having a working psychology about
what makes your new love interest tick, it’s
diffcult to specify why exactly he’s set the
boundaries with you that he has. Maybe
he has intimacy issues and is scared of the
closeness he feels toward you. Maybe he’s
not ready or has no interest in a relationship
at this juncture of his life. Maybe he truly
just sees you as a friend and doesn’t want to
damage what you guys have by sexualizing it
since good friends are hard to fnd. Perhaps
your overt or covert behavior contributes to
his limit-setting. The reasons are endless,
but to theorize is only going to cause you
further angst with more preoccupation and
giving up your own emotional power.
Since he’s repeatedly reminded you of his
need for “friendship only”, you must respect
his boundary for fear of alienating him if
it’s continually tested. You have to protect
yourself by really listening to what he’s
saying---that he is not available to you in
the ways that you want him to be. Investing
your heart into something that has already
been denied is setting yourself up for pain.
You deserve someone who will love you
unconditionally and gladly reciprocate your
feelings.
My suggestion would be to work on
developing a mindset of this guy as a
good friend and discover healthy outlets
to channel your attractions for him. You
may fnd it diffcult “downshifting” from
“love interest” to “just friends”, and if this
remains too challenging over the long haul,
you may have to consider terminating the
relationship for your own well-being.
Additionally, it is cruel and inappropriate
for your friend to be sending you mixed
signals (cuddling, making out), especially
when he knows how much you desire more
from the relationship. “Just friends” don’t
typically engage in these intimate activities
together.
If you choose to remain friends with him,
you’ll need to set some boundaries with him
too, defning the parameters of what “just
friends” means---and this means he can’t
have his cake and eat it too. Kissing and
cuddling are off limits, unless he’s prepared
to begin dating you! And you must enforce
these limits should they be crossed, no
matter how tempting it may be! You might
want to have one more “talk” with him and
get some real closure on what exactly your
relationship is with him. If he maintains
his current stance, set your own boundaries
(with him and yourself ) and then determine
as time goes on if this is a situation you can
live with. He may come around once you’ve
taken back control of your life again…
but he may not, and it’s important not to
count on that. There are no guarantees in
relationships.
And then live your life to the max! And
it is not a rejection of you as a person; it
has everything to do with his own needs,
projections, and feelings stemming from
his life history and goals. One good catch
deserves another, and it’ll happen for you
when everything is in-sync with the most
compatible man! Good luck!
GAY LOVE COACH
"I Want Him, He Wants Me Not"
by Brian Rzepczynski, M.S.W.
©2008 Brian L. Rzepczynski, All
rights reserved. To sign up for the
FREE Gay Love Coach Newsletter
flled with dating and relationship
tips and skills for gay singles
and couples, as well as to check
out current coaching groups,
programs, and teleclasses, visit
www.TheGayLoveCoach.com.
20 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
OUTLOOK WITHIN
THE SIENNA FEATHER
Last month I went to see history in the
making and the man making it happen.
I attended a campaign rally at the state
fairgrounds in Indianapolis. I parked near a
double row of cement barricades that bisected
the entire feld—ubiquitous reminders of war
on terror. Grandstands on one side, parking
on the other.
I wanted to hear frst-hand this energetic,
thoughtful, intelligent politician who has
inspired people of all races and ages. I wanted
to see the black man who is poised to take
up residency in a house that has been all too
white all too long. As an openly gay man in
conservative rural Indiana, I value a leader
who knows what it is to be on the outside
looking in.
After the rally I waited over an hour for
traffc to clear. Walking about, I passed an
African-American woman who symbolized
for me a generation of people Martin Luther
King, Jr. once called the “disinherited
children of God."
Her face was wonderfully wrinkled,
reminded me of my grandmother. She wore
a red plastic rain hat, carried a cane and
an Obama-Biden poster. She had left the
meeting grounds by a back route, taken what
looked to be a short-cut to avoid the crowd,
the stairs, a tunnel. Now she stood between
the double row of concrete barriers, leaning
against the frst section, breathing heavily. I
wanted to greet her but she was looking into
the distance. I went on.
I spotted her red hat when I returned. She
was halfway down the long cement corridor.
An older man was near the far end, near
where my car was parked. “He’s checking
to see if there’s an opening in the wall,” a
bystander told me. “To see if that lady can get
out.” I hadn’t realized her predicament. The
cement sections abutted each other, formed a
solid barrier about three-and-a-half feet high.
I quickened my steps.
The man waved, called that there was an
opening on down a ways. I caught up with
the red hatter. She kept moving.
“He says there’s an opening down there,”
I said.
She stopped, looked over at me. A long
pause.
“I was getting ready to climb over this
wall,” she said. She sounded as if she meant
it. “I had made up my mind. I was going to
climb this wall if I had to.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to,” I said. “He
says there’s an opening down there where
you can get through.”
She resumed walking. She put the cane’s
tip down far out in front of her, leaned into
each step.
“This is only the second time I’ve been on
these grounds,” she said.
“Really? Me, too. When was the frst
time?”
She named the year I was born.
“1959. My husband died that year and my
baby wanted to come to the fair so I brought
her.”
“It’s quite an occasion that brings you
back.
“Yes, it is. Quite an occasion.”
We walked in silence. When we parted I
wished her good journeys.
“You, too,” she said.
I walked to my car, threw myself on the
seat, a dawning realization churning in my
gut. I'd come to see history in the making. To
watch this nation take a giant step forward
in living up to its ideals about equality and
the worth of all persons. To see unfolding
the “change we need” (slogan of the Obama
campaign) and the man who would help
make it happen.
Instead I saw how history is made and
on whose shoulders it rides. History moves
on old tired feet. It advances a few paces,
pauses, plods on. Making history requires
determination and courage, invincible spirit.
It is not the work of one man, one minute,
one month, one election year. It may take a
lifetime; it may take generations.
History is made by people whom no one
notices, whom no one cheers, by people who
know hard times, who experience loss, who
keep on going. History is made by people
who will not be stopped, who even in old
age fnd themselves still having to scale walls,
surmount barriers. Who somehow make up
their minds that if that’s what it takes, that’s
what they’re going to do.
On whose shoulders does history ride?
Mine. Yours. We can wait for no one else.
We are the change we need. Sure, it’s a heavy
burden. The walls thrown round about us are
long, hard, real. Time we got a move on.
On May 22, 2005, a twenty-two year old
transgender Louisville native was murdered,
and three years later, a family and community
continues to suffer the loss. Born Timothy
Blair, Jr., better known in the community as
Paris, was found dead with multiple gun shot
wounds while cross-dressed in the west end.
Like many of us, Paris had a long history
to validate an alternate gender identity. From
playing with dolls as a child to seeking work
on the stage as an adult, Paris was doing her
best to live her life, as life would allow.
Today, Roseland Blair continues to seek
justice for the child she can still picture in her
heart and her mind. Not only is the killer still
free, Roseland will not forget the eyewitness
accounts told to her of the police offcers’
behavior in working the crime scene; nor
will she forget the way the coroner refused to
allow her to see the body of her child or how
they acted like “the body was contaminated
by AIDS.”
In continuing to seek justice for her child,
Ms. Blair pushes for the police to continue
their investigation. The ACLU has had little
success in pushing the Blair investigation,
and attorneys are always willing to take the
family’s money, but little has been said or
done to gain justice for this homicide.
The Jefferson County Police Department
continues to refuse to provide any information
regarding this homicide or that of Nakhia
Williams. The coroners offce replied they
only follow state laws and the regulations
of the coroners offce, but admit releasing
information violates HIPPA privacy laws. In
the case of Nakhia Williams’s murder, Julie
Tam, of FOX 41, states she reported the
news as it was reported to her by the coroner’s
offce, even though she refuses to provide her
source of information.
If the deputy coroner violates the law,
shouldn‘t Julie Tam be better educated and
smarter than poorly reporting the murder of
a trans-woman the way she did? Low media
standards and fakey reporting have only
added insult to injury to the transgender
community and families who suffer the loss.
The very reason we gather together
every year for The Transgender Day of
Remembrance is to bring community
education in remembering those individuals
who lost their lives simply because they
were transgender or because of bias
against transgender people. The Day of
Remembrance (TDOR) allows people of the
trans community to gather with our friends,
families, and allies so we don’t forget the
danger our lives draw by remembering those
who are gone. Many people forget we are still
human and continue to think of us as “it.”
Many of the people who we will be
memorializing would otherwise be forgotten.
Last year, we memorialized eleven transgender
people, by calling each name and lighting
a candle in their honor, during the annual
service.
This year we will be observing the tenth
annual TDOR service, which is traditionally
hosted by the Women’s Center of the
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
(LPTS) in association with More Light.
LPTS is located at 1044 Alta Vista Road, the
candle light vigil and memorial service will
be held in the Caldwell Chapel November
20th, beginning at 7:00 PM, and followed by
a reception.
For a complete list of all local events
associated with the Tenth Annual Transgender
Day of Remembrance, visit the web at: http://
wimminwiselpts.wordpress.com or www.tg-
sienna.org.
During our October Sienna meeting, we
discussed transgender activism and the need
for members of our group and community
to fnd pride in themselves and learn how to
use their voice to educate the people around
us about being transgender. Our speaker,
transgender activist Dawn Wilson, discussed
how everyone in the transgender community
could take a stand and work toward the end
of trans-repression and begin liberation of
the transgender community from stuffng
envelopes to working with political parties
and through public speaking.
Not everyone is capable of taking on public
speaking, but every little thing each trans-
person can do will beneft the transgender
cause. The least each of us can do is make a
good impression with everyone we come in
contact with, keep a good attitude, and stay
out of trouble.
What you do today can bring about
change in the world tomorrow. Whether that
change is good or bad lies in your abilities
and ultimately your hand. Become better
educated, to learn more, plan to attend our
monthly Sienna group meetings.
More information about the International
Transgender Day of Remembrance can be
found at: www.remembringourdead.org and
please plan on attending the local TDOR
services November 20.
Tina Storm is the Outreach Coordinator
for Sienna. She works as a nurse, serves on the
Transgender Day of Remembrance Committee
and the advisory board of U of L’s Offce for
LGBT Services.
Tears of A Community, Part 2 by Tina Storm
Change We Need by Bryn Marlow
Bryn Marlow lives
in north-central
Indiana with his
husband Dave
and enjoys being
surrounded by the
beauty of nature.
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 21
TASTEFUL CULTURE
DINING OUT
Are you an adventurous sort, willing to try new foods and dining experiences? Does the
thought of spicy vegetable and meat dishes make your mouth water? Do you relish becoming
one with the food you eat? Then a visit to the Queen of Sheba is defnitely in order. The
Queen of Sheba is a restaurant that specializes in authentic Ethiopian cuisine, generally served
communal style at your table.
The owners relocated the eatery from its previous location on Bardstown Road next to the
expressway to the more visible spot on Taylorsville Road in the former Mazzoni’s. Although
I have enjoyed meals in both locations, their new digs seem more spacious and light. The
atmosphere emits an exoticism that places the diner in a Marrakesh café.
We were greeted at the restaurant by one of the owners who showed us to our table and
determined that we were, in fact, not newbies to the cuisine. After ordering our cocktails
(beer and wine are available), we relaxed with our menus and perused the list of appetizers and
entrees. Ethiopian food is distinguished by its liberal use of spices, mainly chilies and chili
powders and kibe, a spiced clarifed butter. Chicken, beef, lamb are the meat options with
some fsh choices as well and there are a number of vegetarian dishes available. “Wot” dishes
are basically stews and the “tip” dishes are sautéed entrees.
Your food is brought to your table on one large platter for all to share. Oh, and did I
mention that there is no silverware? Traditionally, the food is scooped up with pieces of
Injera, an Ethiopian fat bread that takes up to three days to cook and is characterized by its
spongy texture and slightly tangy favor. The bread comes rolled up on your platter and you
simply tear off pieces and pick up the food with your Injera utensil.
If you truly need a fork, your server will supply one. I was the wimp at the table who had
to eat her salad with a fork. But I got all down and dirty with the main courses and my bread
scooper!
We could not start the meal without a traditional Ethiopian appetizer. We selected the
Chicken Kosta wrap ($5.00) from a list of 8 options. The wrap consisted of chicken strips,
spinach, onions and garlic mixed with Aybe, a type of cottage cheese. The flling was wrapped
in Injera. We enjoyed the 4 pieces that evoked the favor of Greek cuisine with the spinach
and cheese playing off the piquancy of the bread. The wraps are also available with beef,
spinach or cooked vegetables. All are priced $5.00 or less with the exception of the platter at
$7.00.
Entrees are also very reasonably priced, ranging from $7.00 for most of the vegetarian
options to $12.00 for a combo platter for one. My one dining partner selected the Zilzil Tips
($10.00) which was prime beef cubes sautéed with the Ethiopian seasoned butter and spices.
My second companion opted for the Meat Combination for one ($12.00) which included
Doro wot, Segawot and Alicha sega wot. He was into stews that evening. I wanted something
on the spicy side so our server suggested the Lega Doro Tips ($10.00).
I chose the chicken which was sautéed with onions, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, garlic and
spices and served in a light tomato sauce. All dishes come with an ample amount of Injera,
salad and Kik Wot, a deliciously seasoned lentil stew.
Because we were sharing a platter, it was easy to sample everyone’s dinner choice. All of the
wot dishes were so tender, with the meat succulent due to slow cooking and the underlying
spiciness noticeable but not unbearable. My Lega Doro was more fery than the wots but it
still downplayed the heat with the vegetables and smooth tomato sauce. The Tilzil Tips were
the most simple of our entrees but the favor of the beef combined with the spiced butter was
melt in your mouth delicious.
The house salad provided the needed cooling effect with the greens lightly doused in a
lovely lemon dressing. And I cannot say enough about the lentil stew. On a previous visit,
I selected that as my entrée and it still is one of my favorites. The lentils are simmered in
berbere, a red chili used in stews, and the overall result is sheer legume heaven.
The Queen of Sheba is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and they offer a lunch
buffet throughout the week from 11:30 to 2:30. I would recommend the buffet for frst
timers since you have the option of trying several Ethiopian specialties during one visit and
then you can choose your favorite(s).
[Queen of Sheba 2804 Taylorsville Road; Louisville, KY 40205. (502)459-6301.]
Chicago native Beth Ann Rubin has been reviewing restaurants for THE LETTER for over
three years. A talented cook in her own right, her baked goods have won her many awards at the
Kentucky State Fair.
Johan
In this bizarre meta-story from French flmmaker
Philippe Valois, one never quite knows who’s who or
what’s what, but that’s okay, because even if you lose
the narrative thread, there’s plenty, and I mean plenty
of gorgeous footage of beautiful men in various states of
undress doing everything from dancing to playing cards
to making sweet, humpy love to each other.
Set in Paris, the plot concerns a flmmaker trying to
make a movie about his erstwhile lover, Johan, who is “the
kind of man you see once and never forget.” Trouble is,
none of the actors he auditions can quite get it right. For
that matter, the flmmaker can’t manage to cast himself
either, because two other men portray him during the
course of the flm.
As unhinged as the ‘70s gay scene itself, Johan paints a dizzying portrait of gay youth in
all its enthralling and often narcissistic glory. We’re shown gay cruising in public gardens,
awkward encounters with doting mothers, bravura dance performances and even glimpses
into that strange and wonderful relationship gay men have with raucous, free-spirited
straight women. All this plus forehead tattoos and bell-bottoms make Johan a wild retro
trip that is sure to tease, titillate and astound the viewer. (French with English subtitles)
Johan is available for rent at Wild & Woolly Video, 1021 Bardstown Road in
Louisville. For hours and more information on the region's gay-friendliest video store
call (502) 473-0969.
The Queen Of Sheba Reigns In Louisville
by Beth Ann Rubin
Ethiopian Beef and Peppers and Spicy Braised Chicken.
22 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008
Anarchists and
Homosexuality
Terence Kissack’s masterful new study
on early 20th century anarchists’ views
of homosexuality is a stunner. In my
30 years of reading everything I could
fnd about homosexuality, I had never
heard of its intersection with anarchism.
Kissack’s book—a reprint of his doctoral
thesis—is an eye-opener.
Anarchism isn’t all about bomb
throwing, an image that’s plagued it
ever since one of its followers brutally
assassinated Tsar Alexander II in
1881 by doing just that. It has more
in common with today’s much tamer
descendent: libertarianism. Anarchism
seeks to dismantle all government authority so that men and women may
be free to make their own compacts among themselves without any outside
interference: a sort of Garden of Eden approach to human interaction.
Because such a philosophy is totally impractical in real life, anarchists
have had to modify their philosophy through the years. The hippies of
the 60s and the Libertarians of today are much watered-down versions,
accepting some minimal form of government as necessary.
As part of their philosophy, anarchists saw little problem embracing
what we would now call gay liberation. To their thinking, all men and
women of whatever sexual orientation should be free to make—and
break—relationships of whatever kind whenever they see ft. (Never
mind the emotional toll). In their world view, free love, polygamy, and
homosexuality were all permissible. The government and the church had
no business in the private affairs of men and women.
Perhaps the most ardent supporter of gay rights in the early two decades
of the last century was Emma Goldman, who, though heterosexual, may
have had a fing or two with other women herself. For a time, Goldman
could talk of little else but gay liberation.
Another prominent anarchist was Alexander Berkman, whose Prison
Memoirs of an Anarchist is now a classic. Berkman—sentenced to 14
years for attempting to kill a corporate magnate—at frst found prison sex
repulsive. But after developing a close friendship with a young man who
later died, he changed his views. His 1912 memoir (an original copy of
which is at the Williams-Nichols Archive at the University of Louisville) is
one of the frst books to argue in favor of gay rights.
Kissack’s book is well-researched and heavy with footnotes, the type of
book any history buff would relish, so it’s not for everybody. But like Charles
Kaiser’s groundbreaking book about gay life in New York City during the
same era, Kissack’s book is an important addition to our understanding of
a period in gay and lesbian history that has long been overlooked because
of the frustrating diffculties entailed in uncovering it.

[Kissack, Terence. Free Comrades: Anarchism and
Homosexuality in the United States, 1895-1917. Oakland, CA:
AK Press, 2008. $17.95 paperback. ISBN 978-1904859116.]
10 YEARS GRAPHIC DESIGN
EXPERIENCE
WEDDING INVITATIONS
BUSINESS CARDS
PAGE LAYOUT
MARKETING DESIGNS
PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS
NEWSLETTERS
AND MORE
EMAIL: [email protected]
november 2008 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 23
24 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com november 2008