[2010] Metro Star Magazine, October 1, 2010; Volume 7, Issue 10

[2010] Metro Star Magazine, October 1, 2010; Volume 7, Issue 10

Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics

The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005).

This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit.

This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.

Star Media, Ltd

https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19

Star Media, Ltd

October 01, 2010

James Nimmo
Victor Gorin
Ronald Blake
Michael W. Sasser
Robin Dorner-Townsend
Romeo San Vicente
Andrew Collins
Jack Fertig
Lisa Keen
Ed Sikov
Steven Petrow
Rex Wockneer
D'Anne Witkowski
Keith Orr
Chris Azzopardi,

The Metro Star Magazine, September 1, 2010; Volume 7, Issue 9
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/197

The Metro Star Magazine, November 1, 2010; Volume 7, Issue 11
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/195

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Southwest Missouri
West Arkansas
Southeast Kansas
Eastern Oklahoma
The United States of America (50 states)

LOCAL NEWS NATIONAL NEWS N WORLD NEWS ~ LIFESTYLE ~ FITNESS ~ TRAVEL ~ AiDVICE N ENTERTAINMENT
THE PREMIER SOURCE FOR GLBT OKLAHOMA
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 10 Twitter.com/MetmStarNews ~ MetroStarNews.corn FREE I OCTOBER 1,2010
Tulsa School Board votes to include Sexual
Orientation in Nondiscrimination Policy
By Michael VZ Sasser
Metro Star Team
TULSA, OK __ At least for some of
the most vulnerable persons of the GLBT
community, our young people, some
places are hopefully going to be a little bit
safer.. On Monday September 20 the Tulsa
School Board voted unanimously to add
sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination
and anti-bullying/harassment policy for
staff members, students and parents. Tami
Marlin; a spokesperson for the Tulsa Public
Schools stated that the Board revised the
nondiscrimination clause of the district’s
anti-harassment and non-bullying policy in
accordance with recommendations from the
Civil Rights Office of the U.S. Department of
Education.
\gith this measure the Tulsa Public School
District joins the school districts of Norman
nondiscrimination policies. The Oklahoma
City School District also includes gender
identity.
Oklahoma GLBT and human rights
organizations hailed the decision. As
Kathy L. Williams Phd, President of the
Equality Network, an Oklahoma advocacy
organization for GLBT political and legal
rights puts it, "By adding sexual orientation
to the nondiscrimination policies, the board
better ensures that all teachers and students
will feel safe and secure in their working
and teaching environment. "Ka-is Wiles, the
Director ofAdvocacy for Oklahomans for
Equality had this to add, "This has been
a long time coming. We commend the
Tulsa Public Schools for doing what’s right
in leading the xvay to protect all students,
parents and teachers from discrimination and
bullying in our schools. Now they can focus
on what they are there to do---teach and
and Oklahoma City that already have sexual learn." ..............
O ahoma US ofA
By Victor Gorin
Metro Star Team
2010 M*: Gay US ofA Oklahoma Dillon Gri~n with Mya Mokka
Iman-Miss Gay Oklahoma US ofA 2009
U.S. Senate fails to move forward with
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal
Measure likely dead for this year
By Rex Wockner
Lady Gaga in Washington DC to support ofDADTrepeal. Rex Wockner photo
OICJ_AI-IOMA CITY, OK __ It was a
fun filled evening at the Copa as handsome
contestants vied to be the new Mr. Gay
Oklahoma US ofA. Passing on the title was
Warren G ( Joshua Warren Gately), who
has garnered renown as a choreographer
in various pageant systems. On hand
performingfor the occasion was the national
titleholder, Simba R. Hall of Georgia.
It was kept lively,
emceed by pageant
owners Jack Calcote,
Steve Davis and former
Miss Gay Oldahoma
Brigitte Lee.
The winner was
Dillon Griffin with
the first runnerup
Andrew BeShears. Both
gentlemen will compete
in the National Mr. Gay
US ofA Contest in San
Antonio this coming
November 10-12 at
the Saint, a well known
nightclub there.
For Mr. Calcote
and Mr. Davis, it has
been a busy year. Their
promotional firm,
Topfrog Productions,
puts on not only Mr. Gay
US ofA Oklahoma, but
also Miss Gay Oklahoma
US ofA at Large and Miss Gay Oldahoma
US ofA Newcomer, which debuted this year.
As Jack puts it, "It was a good year,
exhausting but gratifying. I’ve met a lot of
new performers, many who now are like sons
and daughters." Next year Topfrog will feature
the same pageants, with a new addition to be
announced.
WASHINGTON, DC __ The U.S.
Senate failed by four votes Sept. 21 to end
a filibuster by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,
and move on to consideration of this
year’s military funding bill that contains
congressional authorization to repeal the
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell gay ban.
The vote was 56 to 43. Sixty votes
were needed to halt the filibuster. The
measure already had passed the House of
Representatives. Although Congress may
opt to fund the military after the November
elections, the provision repealing Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell seems unlikely to survive now,
advocates predicted.
"Today’s Senate vote was a frustrating
blow," said Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.
"We lost because of the political maneuvering
dictated by the midterm elections. Let’s be
clear: Opponents to repealing Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell did not have the votes to strike
those provisions from the bill. Instead, they
had the votes for delay. Time is the enemy
here. We now have no choice but to look to
the lame-duck session where we’ll have a slim
shot."
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Executive Director Rea Carey accused
"politicians (of) playing politics with people’s
lives."
"Seventy-eight percent ofAmericans
support ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," she
said. "The senators who led and supported
the filibuster effort should be ashamed."
Servicemembers United Executive
Director Alexander Nicholson blamed Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for the
!oss.
"The votes to break the filibuster had
previously been lined up, but last week ...
Harry Reid decided to use an uncommon
procedural privilege on the bill that eroded
support for breaking the filibuster and
guaranteed the vote’s failure," Nicholson said.
"Intense lobbying and public pressure over
the past week proved not to be enough to
force either side to back down."
Courage Campaign Chairman Rick Jacobs
responded to the loss by saying the Justice
Department and President Barack Obama
should opt not to appeal the recent federal
court decision in Riverside, Calif., that struck
down DADT as unconstitutional.
"We applaud the Log Cabin Republicans
for initiating this case and we hope the Justice
Department recognizes that it’s time to
consign this discriminatory law to the dustbin
of history," Jacobs said.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe
Solmonese said the filibuster "was electionyear
politics at its worst."
HRC sent a letter to Attorney General
Eric Holder joining Courage in demanding
the government not appeal the district court
decision.
........Continued See DADT Page-5
os.e UoS. Marine Corps Veteran1 that
can get the job done and I am
to ask for y~r Vote ~n November 2!
November 2"
Friends of Wi|la
"At Centu~ 2I Gold Castle oa BEST
prope4ia are ourPEOK~’
METROPOLITAN
COiVfMUNITY CHURCHES
Rev ,Steve T. Urlle
Spirit ot: Christ iVICC
2902 E 20th Street
Joplin, MO 64804
417-529-8480
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Community IVleal Wednesdays at 6:00
www.socmcc.
Have a God filled and Blessed Day!
2 B~ocks West of the Habana
2 ~ October 1, 2010
OGLPC will be hosting
Ca didates’ Reception
sending Voter Guide-
October
Fellowship four years ago, their vision
for it was simple; a Bible study with the
goal of reaching people that came fi’om
a contemporary charismatic church
background. The idea has grown vastly into
what is now Expressions Community Center,
located on ’the strip’ in Oklahoma City.
OI~AHOMA CITY, OK (PR) For
many years t~he Oklahoma Gay & Lesbian
Political Caucus (OGLPC) has been sending
surveys on LGBT issues to candidates, and
reporting the results to their members in
a voter guide. ~his year the Voter Guide
will include results from 132 candidates for
state office, reporting their "Yes" or "No"
responses to 11 questions. Most of the
questions are not asked by the local media
or other organizations, and many of the
questions are not comfortable for candidates
-to answer since they assume the majority of
the population is not interested or will not
vote for a candidate who believes in equal
rights for all. Since only a few votes can
decide an election, OGLPC believes that
educating our community and registering
people to vote is veW iinportant towards
achieving the goal of equality.
OGLPC is the only LGBT organization
in Oklahoma to take on this task. With
a mailing list of almost 4000, the Voter
Guide is usefid information for the LGBT
voting public, PFLAG members, and others,
straight or gay. As a noprofit, non-partisan
group, OGLPC does not endorse candidates
elected officials.
On Tuesday, October 19, OGLPC will
host a Candidates’ Reception at the Belle Isle
LibraW in OKC f,om 6-8 pm. Candidates
will beOffered a time ~o speak briefly,
answer questions, distribute brochures,
and socialize over light refreshments. ~he
library is located at 5501 N. Villa. just north
of~~pressway,.berween Pennsylvania
and May Avenues. Those attending will be
able to register to vote, take a copy of the
Candidates’ Smwey 2010, and become a
member of OGLPC.
The reception is free and open to the
public. To become a member of OGLPC,
contact the Board of Directors at ok_glpc@
yahoo.corn, or attend a regular meeting
on the second Monday of each month.
Meetings are at 7 pro, and are held at the
Neighborhood Mliance building, a NrW
36th St and Classen Boulevard. Additional
information is available at www.oglpc.org
and on Facebook.
Expressions Community
Fellowship O treach
"Together, we can make a difference"
By Robin D-Town~end
Metro Star Team
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ gThen Pastor
Neill Spurgin and his partner/husband Dean
Coffman started Expressions Community
Chuck Longacre ,_fRed Rock Behavioral
Health Services in OKC, explains the testing
process. 77srough Red Rock, Longacre helps staff
Evpressions Community Outreach Center with
trainedpersonnel at their location on the strip.
Expressions has been through many a
metamorphosis since the Bible study days.
Their firs~ services were held at the OKC
Farmers Market. ~lhe fellowship movedto
Lansbrook Event Center and now the church
and c0inmunit~ ~entei: hav~ found a fi~in~ on
the strip. They are conveniently located iusr
south ofNW 39th on Youngs Blvd.
"As the Bible study started to grovv we saw
a need to start a church," said Spurgin. When
he met the current landlord Spurgin said,
"We started talldng and I shared my vision
on how I felt God wanted to bring His Love,
Grace and Healing to the hearts of the LGBT
community. I wanted the LGBT children of
God to knmv that He loves them and that it
was okay r. be gay and Christian."
Within months of being on the strip, this
church of 14 people had an 1800 square foot
sanctuary built and ~vas ready for their first
service, holding the inaugural service in June
2009.
"We had our first service the Sunday
after Pride 2009," said Spurgin. "By January
2010, we had outgrown our space. We then
started construction on a 3,000 square foot
addition to the property located in the same
warehouse."
By April 2010 they opened a new
sanctuary by the 2010 summer they were out
of room again and added 50 chairs to the
sanctuary just this September.
"We are now in planning phases for our
next expansion that will double our sanctuary,
prayerfully, by Valentine’s Day 2011," adds
Pastor NeiI1. "Our vision for the Center is
to expand into the entire property at the
corner ofNW 39th Street and Youngs Blvd,
so our community will have a true living and
thriving Community Center."
Spurgin also hoped he could bring HIV
testing back to the 39th Street strip and
through his persistence and the hard work of
.......Continued see CHURCH page - 6
New Report Shows
Serious Weaknesses
in Oklahoma’s Higher
Education Indusivity
Policies
82% ofOklahoma’s Colleges and Universities
do notprotect LGBTfaculty, staff, or students
TULSA, OK (PR) __ A new report
by the TEN Institute, the research arm of
The Equality Network (TEN), reveals that
many of Oklahoma’s institutions of higher
education have yet to embrace full inclusivity
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) students and employees.
While there are a few positive standouts,
82% of Oklahoma’s colleges and universities
have no policies in place to support and
prorecr LGBT faculty, staff, and students.
TEN Institute’s preliminary research shows
that out of the 66 statewide colleges and
universities:
° Only 11 have Compliance/EOE/
Affirmative Action Statements ~vhich include
sexual orientation.
o Zero include gender identity or
expression in Compliance/EOE/Affirmative
Action Statements.
* One provides domestic partner benefits
for employees.
* Onl~ 12 have an LGBT student group
or Gay/Straight Alliance on campus.
"When we first began this research, we
hoped that Oldahoma’s inclusivity protections
in the higher education community would
rival those of other states. While this is not
currently the case, we are vety pleased to
highlight those institutions who have taken
steps to embrace equality on thei~ campuses."
explains Kathy L. Williams, Ph.D., president
ofTEN Institute.
Those institutions with protections in
place include:
*Northeastern Oldahoma A&M (Miami),
Oklahoma City Community College,
Oklahoma City, University, Oldahoma State
University for Health Sciences (Tulsa),
Oklahoma State University Institute of
Technology (Olm~ulgee), Oklahoma State
University (Stillwater), Oklahoma State
University (Oldahoma City), Oklahoma
State University (Tulsa), Rose State College
(Midwest City), University of Phoenix
(Oklahoma City and Tulsa): all have nondiscrimination
policies including sexual
orientation.
°The University ofTulsa provides
domestic partner benefits.
*Cameron University (Lawton), East
Central University (Ada), Murray State
College (Tishomingo), Northeastern State
University (Tahlequah), Oklahoma City
Community College, Oklahoma State
University (Stillwater), Oldahoma State
University (Oklahoma City), Southwestern
Oklahoma State University (Weatherford),
Tile University ofTulsa, University of
Central Oklahoma (Edmond), University of
Oklahoma (Norman), University of Science
and Arts of Oklahoma (Chickas~ha): all have
LGBT student groups and/or Gay/Straight
Alliances.
Dennis Rudasill, President of Oklahoma
State University’s Sexual Orientation
Diversity Association (SODA), noted a
disjuncture between students’ increasing
acceptance of their LGBT classmates and
inequalities still embedded in university
policies.
"As a student, it’s easy to feel the attitudes
of my peers progressing in the direction of
open-mindedness and inclusion, but this
index shows that our institutions of higher
education are struggling to keep their policies
aligned with this generational progress.
Although I’ve never felt actively discriminated
against by any member of my university’s
administration, I ~vorry about passive forms
of discrimination like rny university’s lack of
domestic partner benefits." said Rudasill.
In early August Campus Pride, a national
organization for student leaders and campus
groups working to create a safer college
environment for LGBT students, released its
annual Campus Pride Climate Index. The
study awarded nineteen U.S. colleges and
universities its highest ranngs for LGBT
inclusivity - the largest number of institutions
to achieve this status since the inceprion of
the index in 2007.
"TEN Institute is pleased that more and
more colleges and universities across the
nation are willing to stand up for their LGBT
faculty, staff, and students, and provide a safe
and inclusive environment." said Williams.
"It is imperative that the Oklahoma
higher education community work to recruit
and retain the best and brightest amongst
its employees and students, while respecting
the diversity which comes with that effort.
We hope that with the release of our Higher
Education Fairness Index we can work with
Oldahoma’s colleges and universities r.
enhance those protections already in place,
as well as encourage institutions lacking
inclusivity language and programs to adopt
appropriate policies to protect their LGBT
employees and students." said Williams.
TEN Institute will continue to solicit
information on inclusivity practices and will
integrate additional findings into irs Higher
Education Fairness Index. Colleges and
universities wishing tO partner in efforts to
improve LGBT inclusivity- or to provide more
data may reach TEN Institute at (918) 906-
2134 or info@theequalitynetwork.org.
The entire TEN Institute Higher
Education Fairness Index may be accessed
at wwcc.scribd.com/doc/35962887/Higher-
Education-Fairness-Index-August-2010
FBI Agents in Oklahoma
to Hold Forums on Hate
Crimes
By Jeanne Flanigan and Victor Gorin
Metro Star Team
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Agents from
tile FBI ( Federal Bureau of Investigation)
specializing in civil rights have been assigned
to Oklahoma with tile purpose of educating
the public about hate crimes committed
against persons of the GLBT community.
The Matthew Shepard Act was passed
on October 22, 2009 to include crimes
committed against persons due to their sexual
orientation or gender identitT as hate crimes
under Federal law, as ~vell as adding the
categories of gender and disability’. However,
soon after this took effect legislation was
introduced in the Oklahoma State Senate
in early 2010 by Republican Senator Steve
Russell (SB 2165) that would have prevented
the state of Oldahoma from assisting Federal
authorities when a hate crime was committed
not covered by the Oklahoma state hate
crimes law, which does not cover sexual
orientation or gender identity. Although this
measure was stopped in the House by State
Representative Mike Shelton, it demonstrated
........Continued See FBI Page-19
October 1, 2010 ~ 3
Race is on for State
House 84, Brittany
Novotny v Sally Kern
By Victor Gorin
Metro Star Team
Brittany with AttorneyJackie Short. Gorin
OKI~HOMA CITY, OK __ The
smoke has finally cleared and the race is on.
Although the filing ended with 4 candidates
wing for the State House District 84 seat,
the two others will not be on the ballot.
Republican Garrick Voth was challenging
Sally Kern for her party’s nomination for
the General Election. Voth, a 34 year old
Oldahoma City resident who described
himself as a conservative Republican, also
described Ms. Kern as ignoring the needs of
her district. \Vhen publicity surfaced shortly
after the filing that he had been arrested in
Will Rogers Park last September, charged
with attempting an act of public lewdness
with another man ( the case is still pending),
he withdrew from the race.
The other candidate was Ray Pre~vitt,
aged 40 and a resident of Bethany running
as an Independent. Ms. Kern successfully
challenged his eligibility before the Oklahoma
State Election Board, and he was stricken
from the ballot as he had not been registered
as an Independent at least 6 months before
the filing period as the law requires to be
eligible.
Brittany faces a three time incumbent who
has for better or worse, undoubtedly attracted
national and even some international
notoriety. She replaced another conservative
Republican, Bill Graves who was likewise
famous for anti-gay sentiments when she
was first elected in 2004. She was re-elected
without opposition in 2006, and defeated
Ron Marlett to win a third term in 2008. She
is married to Steve Kern, the Pastor of Olivet
Baptist Church and has2 adult sons. She had
been a teacher at Oklahoma City’s Northwest
Classen High School, teaching American
Government and coaching the girl’s golf
team. She led opposition to the book "King
and King" being in the Childreffs Section of
Oklahoma County libraries, claiming that the
American Library Association is "trying to
sexualize your children." She has made public
statements stating that homosexuals are a
bigger threat to our nation than terrorism,
resulting in countless public demonstrations
and demands for an apology; even generating
a phone call from Ellen Degeneres placed
from her national TV talk show. During July
of 2009 she issued her "Oldahonaa Citizeffs
Proclamation for Morality" at the Oldahonaa
State Capitol in which she blamed
our nation’s troubled economy on "same
sex marriage, divorce, pornography, sex
trafficking and other forms of debauchery".
On economic issues she is likewise far to the
right, opposing a minimum wage increase
in Oklahoma in 2006 ~vhen it was $5.15 an
hour, even requesting that a study be done
to see how people living on that wage Could
better budget their money.
Although Brittany has already made history
by being the first transgendered person to
run for public office in Oklahoma, she isn’t
running for that reason. She has publicly
stated, " I understand that there are going
to be some folks who will try to make this
election about the fact that my medical
history includes a gender transition, but I’m
running for office because I believe I’m the
best candidate to fight for jobs, education and
transportation."
Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma,
Ms.Novomy graduated from Oklahoma
University and went on to get her law degree
from the University of California-Hastings
and is now a practicing attorney. She is an
active member of the Young Deraocrats, who
elected her as a national committeewoman
and also honored her as their 2010 Woman of
the Year.
Oklahoma House District 84 includes
parts of northwest Oklahoma City, Bethany
and Wart Acres. She’s ready for the fight and
feels "I think our chances are really great.
People are ready for a change."
Oklahomans for
Equality hires new
Executive Director
TobyJenkinsformer Board President ofOkEq is
new Executive Director
TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Board of
Directors of Oklahomans for Equality is
pleased to announce that they have hired
Toby Jenkins as the Executive Director of
the organization. He will begin his duties on
October 1st, 2010.
Toby Jenkins has served as the President
of the. Board of Directors of Oldahonaans
for Equality since October 2008. During his
term as President the organization has:
~ Developed over 50 new ~veekly
programs at the Dennis R. Neill Equality
Center
® Persuaded Tulsa City Council to add
sexual orientation to their employee non
discrimination policy
@ Grew the membership to an all time
high in the organizatioffs 30 year history
@ Strengthened the relationship with
Oklahoma City based Cimarron Alliance
Foundation
@ Expanded the volunteer staff from
43 in 2008 to over 150 in 2010 serving the
LGBT community
@ Implemented a Rapid Response Team
for the victims of hate crimes and domestic
violence
® Achieved record fundraising goals
during an economic downturn
Toby has a 13 year volunteer history with
Ok~q. He has an extensive background in
the legal community and has been employed
at the Tulsa County Courthouse for 18
years and for the past 11 years has served as
the Civil Appeals Clerk to the Oklahoma
Supreme Court. He holds a BS degree in
Criminal Justice and a BA degree in Biblical
Linguistics and Pastoral studies. He has
Masters in Theology and graduate work in
the Sociology" of Aging. He has 2 grown and
married children and 1 granddaughter.
"It is a great honor to gvork for an
organization that saves lives everyday. I
believe we must do more to address the needs
of our community and challenge them to step
up to volunteer service" said Jenkins. "I have
2 things that I say everyday: Gays are good
for Oklahoma and Everybody must serve.
When our neighbors come to appreciate the
helping hand we extend to them, they will
demand that we be treated equally:"
Largest LGBTQand
Mly Event to hit the four
state corners
JOPLIN, MO (PR) __ An event
sponsored by Spirit of Christ MCC; Kansas-
Missouri Network ofMCC Churches and the
Joplin Out & About 4 States Equality City a
Network Weekend concluding with an MCC
Homecoming Concert that will be the biggest
this year to hit the four state corners. The
worlcshops include "Communion Our Way;
Isn’t It About Time?" "Matching Music to
Worship," and "Liturgical Dance."
The concert features Deloris Berry,
Marsha Stevens-Pint, Susie Brenner & Linda
Be&stead, Sam Sampson and Shawn Thomas
with a special guest appearance of the MCC
Topeka Drumming Circle. From gospel to
contemporary Christian music there will be
something for everyone. ~ae concert is free
but a love offering will be collected to offset
the cost of travelling of the performers with
100% of the offering going to the artist many
ofwhom have traveled for years presenting
their music to the community of the greater
Joplin area. The concert starts at 6PM on
October 9, 2010.
All alliance groups, equality centers and
accepting churches are invited to attend and
have a display center during the day, free of
charge.
See www.socmcc.org for more details or
call 417-529-8480.
2010 Sooner State
Stampede
TULSA, OK (PR) __ Sooner State Stampede
Presented by the Sooner State Rodeo
Association, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oct 2nd - 3rd,
Bridle Creek Horse Ranch and Resort, 5811
Roper Rd, Sperry OK (10 minutes north of
downtown Tulsa). The 2010 Stampede will
be a full rodeo featuring 13 events including
Bull Riding, Bareback Bronc, Steer Wrestling,
and some not so traditional events like
Wild Drag and Goat Dressing. There will
be additional entertainment as well as great
food and cold beer. Tickets $15.00 single
day and $25.00 two day, kids under 15 free.
For more information visit: http:/£a~w.
soonerstaterodeo.com/
Cimarron A liance to
hold their Annual Gala
Awards Banquet
By Victor Gorin
Metro Star Team
Cimarron Alliance Foundation Executive
Director Scott Hamilton at his 50th birthday
celebration with well wisher Esther Baltie~’a
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ At the
Oklahoma History Center on Saturday
October 16 the Cimarron Mliance
Foundation will hold their Annual Gala
Awards Banquet. This year’s honorees
include Dr. David Macey who will receive
their Torch W-orld, Don Hawkins & Mick
Schirron who were awarded the Media
Award, the Legislator Award which will go
to 2 legislators, State Senator Judy Eason-
Mclntyre and State Representative Mike
Shelton, plus the Lifetime Achievement
Award which will go to Margaret Cox.
Featured as the guest speaker is Romaine
Patterson, a ~vell lmown lesbian activist,
author, OUT Qradio host, and a close
friend of the late Matthew ShepaM. She will
also host an after party- at Angles. For more
information check out the Cimarron Alliance
Foundation website at www.cimarronalliance.
Federa ge s r kes ,
down Don Ask, Don
Tell
U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips in
Riverside, Calif.. struck down the military’s
Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell ban on open gays in the
military Sept. 9.
Phillips found that the ban violates the
U.S. Constitution’sguarantees of free speech
and due process under the First and Fi~th
Amendments.
"The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act infiinges
the fundamental rights of United States
servicemembers in many ways," Phillips
wrote in her 86-page opinion. "The Act
denies homosexuals stowing in the Armed
Forces the right to enjoy ’intimate conduct’
in their personal relationships. The Act
denies them the right to speak about their
loved ones while sep¢ing their country in
uniform: it punishes them with discharge
for writing a personal letter, in a foreign
language, to a person of the same sex with
whom they shared an intimate relationship
before entering military service; it discharges
them for including information in a personal
communication from which an unauthorized
reader might discern their homosexuality. In
order to justify the encroachment on these
riFhts, Defendants faced the burden at trial
oi showing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act
was necessary to significantly further the
Government’s important interests in military
readiness and unit cohesion. De~ndants
failed to meet that burden."
Gay Saud d ploma
seeks U.S. asylum
The former first secretary of Saudi Arabia’s
consulate in Los Angeles has requested
asylum in the United States because he says
he’ll be executed for being gay if he returns
home.
"If I go back to Saudi Arabia. they will
kill me openly in broad daylight," Ali Abroad
Asseri e-mailed media outlets in mid-
September.
Asseri said Saudi ot~cials oi’dered him
home after finding out he’s gay and is friends
with a Jew. He apparently has been in hiding
since.
The U.S. does grant asyluna to foreign
gays if the U.S. is convinced they face
genuine harm in their native lands. ~e laws
treat gay asylum-seekers as members of"a
particular social group."
Saudi Arabigs entry in the United States’
2009 State Department Human Rights
Reports says: "Under Shari’a as interpreted
in the country, sexual activity between t~vo
persons of the same gender is punishable
by death or flogging. It is illegal for men
’to behave like women’ or to wear women’s
clothes and vice versa. There were few reports
of societal discrimination, physical violence,
or harassment based on sexual orientation.
There were no organizations of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender persons. There
was no official discrimination based on
Worried about such a determination.
conservative forces have been trying to
find some other route to assure that the
9tl~ Circuit hears the appeal -- including
pressuring defendants Brown and
Schwarzenegger and pushing to add Imperial
Count); located in the southeast California
desert, as an official defendant. ~e 9th
Circuit xvill inake the call on the county’s
long-shot effort, probably in December. when
it also will take up the question of whether
the pro-Prop 8 activists have standing. If they
do, the 9th Circuit xvill then move on to hear
the appeal ofWalker’s actual ruling.
If the activists do not have standing and
Imperial County can’t become a defendant.
the case is over and same-sex marriage is
legal again in California. unless the activists
arrempt to appeal the standing question to
the U.S. Supreme Court. ~at. too, would be
a long shot, many legal experts believe. They
say the Supreme Court would be unlikely to
conclude that displeased citizens can step into
a state government’s shoes to defend a state
law that the state government itself refuses to
defend and, indeed, believes violates the U.S.
Constitution.
tn rejecting the activists’ latest move, the
California Supreme Court denied reviexv
xvithout comment.
Phill.ips said the government~ contention sexual orientation in employ~en~ h~ugi!}.g, .... ,i .......
that letting gays be open in the military, statelessness, or access to education or health We expect the Justice Department
h~m~ its run’tidYing i~ fully undgi~min~ bY ~’S~x~al 6timideSt-ion CoUld d0nsti~Ute the to recognize th~ ovet~¢helming evidence
the fi~ct that the milita~T delays d~scharge of bas~s fbr harassment; blackmail, 0~ other that pr0ves DADT is unconstitutional,’
~ys and lesbians who viOlate:DAD~ Until acti’ons. No such cases.we.re.re.p.or.ted." Soln~:0nese said. .... :
they~retu.rn from c~o.mbat ~deploy.m.ent~, ~lne..e..nt~" conti¯nues..:.. ~av~~n j*unel~og;l’~~"yao~n ~~2etE%¢~UA~ resg~0nded b’."r cNlin- on
Ine.six~ea.r7oi.~.ca.se~.Droug~t D~ tlle~,g"y pd~ce ar~ste~67 men ftom the Phmpph,es O~am, to ~ssu~ an e~ecuti~ orde~ suspen#ing
group Log ~aDm ~epuDucans; w~ near~ , . ¯ .
¯ ~,, ~ ;, ,~ ~,, ),,1, for dnnk~ng and dressing m womens clotl~ng &scha~ges under DADT be~veen now and
........... ~*~ ,~, a~,,> at a private~ar~ Accord-ing to ~eir embassy[ the time that repeal is achieved Phillips said she will issue a permanent ¯ ,....; , .,
injunction pr@ibiting th~ military from police released the men to their employers eour.~onms.ago, we as~d the presment
enforcing Dont Ask, Dont %11. She gave while charges were being processed. In 2007 to stop military &scharges while the U.S.
LCR until Sept. 16 to submit proposed the newspaper Okaz reported the public Congress haggled over our rights," the group
language for the injunction and gave the
U.S. government until Sept. 23 to respond to
LCR’s submission.
"She could at that point stay the
injunction pending an appeal or, as Judge
(Vaughn) Walker did (in the federal Prop 8
case), she could deny such a stay but grant a
temporary stay to allow the government to
seek a stay pending an appe~i from the 9th
Circuit," said Jon Davidson, legal director of
Lambda Legal.
If no stay is issued, it is unclear whether
Phillips’ ruling would take effect nationwide
or just in California’s Central District of the
federal courts.
"This is an historic moment and
an historic ruling for the gay military
community," said Servicemembers United
Executive Director Alexander Nicholson, who
was ldcked out of the M’my under DADT.
"_As the only named injured party in this
Case, I am exceedingly proud to have been
a~ble to represent all who have been impacted
and had their lives ruined by this blatantly
unconstitutional polio/. ~,We are finally on our
way to vindication."
Gay activists responded to the ruling by
calling on President Barack Obama to cease
enforcement ofD~T immediately and
demanding that the U.S. Justice Department
decline to appeal Phillips’ decision.
flogging of two men in the city of Al-Bahah
after being found guilty of sodomy. N~e
sentence was 7,000 lashes."
California Supremes
rebuffProp 8 proponents
The forces that want to keep Proposition
8, the voter-passed constitutional amendment
that re-banned same-sex marriage in
California, cafft catch a break.
The state Supreme Court on Sept. 7
slapped down an effort by conservative
activists to force Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Attorney General Jerry Brown to defend
Prop 8 in the federal case that was appealed
to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
after U.S. District Judge Vaughn W;alker
found in August that Prop 8 violates the U.S.
Constitution.
None of the governmental entities that
were stied in the federal case is interested in
defending Prop 8, so the appeal to the 9th
Circuit w~ filed by the activists who put
Prop 8 on the ballot. It is unlikely; however,
that the activists have "standirlg" to mount
an appeal, since it’s not their job to defend
California’s constitution.
said. "He didn’t respond, and we’re now
seeing the result ofthis complete lack of
presidential leadership and courage. So we’re
taking the fight back to the White House."
"We need volunteers to help us hold the
president accountable and meet him headon
during this election season, asldng him at
each campaign stop and at each fundraising
part); ’\ghen will the discharges end?’" the
direct-action group said. "Now its time for
our ’fierce advocate’ to .step up to the plate
for us."
Nearly 80 percent ofAmericans support
repealing DADT, according to a recent CNN
poll
If the Senate had passed DADT repeal
and President Barack Obama signed it,
nothing would have happened right away.
That’s because oflanguage in the bill that
delays.repeal until three things take place:
the Pentagon completes a study by Dec. 1 on
how to implement DADT repeal; Obama,
Defense SecretalT Rdbert Gates and Joint
Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen
certify that the military wilt not be harmed by
implementing DADT repeal in accord ;with
the Pentagon’s plans; and 60 additional days
pass after the certification.
@
October 1, 2010 @ 5
Handicapping the Prop 8
Appeal: A Photo Finish
Horse Race
By James Nimmo
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ "Ihere
has been much constructive talk, as well as
arm-chair quarter-back style blogging and
blathering in conjunction with California’s
Prop 8 trial (Perry v. Sch,varzenegger,
http://tinyurl.com/2utbpsd ) as to whether
this is a good time for Ted Olson and
David Boles, worldng for the American
Foundation for Equal Rights (http://vcww.
equalrightsfoundation.org/), to bring
to the United States Supreme Court
(SCOTUS) a case that could, if lost; set a
precedent that ~vould allow the Religious
Right’s discriminatory dogma to remain
on the statute books as settled law. These
proscriptions would be enforced despite the
First Amendment’s first clause that denies a
legal haven for any particular religious belief.
Some of the squeamishness in presenting
a same-gender marriage case to SCOTUS
rotates around the center of the US Supreme
Court’s current composition, namely Justice
Anthony Kennedy, well known as the "swing
vote" in many of the single vote majority
decisions of the highest court in America.
SCOTUS is currently balanced with four
justices, each generally voting liberal or
conservative with Justice Kennedy being
the pivot. ( http://en.xvikipedia.org/wild/
Anthony_Kennedy )
Here is a golden nugget of gay equality
history from Justice Kennedy’s prior time
on the Ninth Circuit Court ofAppeals, the
position he held prior to his appointment to
SCOTUS.
"LeBlanc requested a restraining order in
Federal Court, and no less than now-Supreme
Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was one
of the woo Ninth Circuit Court ofAppeals
judges who, while not ruling the ban itself
was wrong [gays serving openly in the US
military], surprisingly ordered the Marines
either give him an honorable discharge or
retain him until his case could go to trial.
They chose the former." (http://tinyurl.
com/23ugk69 )
Justice Kennedy wrote the majority
opinion in the case Romer v. Evans, 6-3,
that turned back the Colorado voter-passed
Constitutional Amendment 2 that was the
mother of anti-gay discrimination bills.
Colorado’s Amendment 2 was even
more broad than the subsequent marriage
amendments in that it prevented any
governing body in the state to offer legal
protection to gay/lesbian citizens.
Again in a major victory for gay/lesbian
equality, Justice Kennedy delivered the
majority opinion, 6-3, in the Lawrence v.
Texas case striking down sodomy laws that
criminalized private, non-commercial, sexual
activity between consenting adults.
Contrary to what flat-earth groups
such as Focus on the Family or National
Organization for Marriage want their
followers to believe, having a voter-passed
amendment added to any state’s constitution
or civil code can and has been overturned by
a state or federal supreme court.
~Pais principle of justice in the American
legal system is vital to continued progress for
rights as outlined in the Constitution and
Bill of Rights can not be used as prizes in a
majority voter raffle aimed at installing any
particular religious or social view. Citizenship
with its attendant responsibilities, obligations,
and benefits should not be subject to partisan
popularity.
As Judge Walker wrote in his
unprecedented ruling overturning California’s
Prop 8 gay discrimination amendment, "In
the absence of a rational basis, what remains
of proponents’ case is an inference, amply
supported by evidence in the record, that
Proposition 8 was premised on the belief that
same-sex couples simply are not as good as
opposite-sex couples. W’hether that belief is
based on moral disapproval of homosexuality,
animus towards gays and lesbians or simply a
belief that a relationship between a man and a
woman is inherently better than a relationship
between two men or two women, this belief
is not a proper basis on which to legislate." (p.
132, http://tinyurl.com/2utbpsd )
Just as racists are at perfect liberty to
retain their moral disapproval of interracial
marriage, just as die-hard religious
fundamentalists can retain their belief that a
particular denomination should write laws of
the country, moral disapproval of gays and
lesbians, as ~vell as the content of our private
lives, can continue to occupy their every
waking moment as it has in the past.
The only thing that will change with the
full recognition of gay/lesbian citizenship
will be the diminution of diversity-deprived,
sexually immature adults to impose their
private thoughts and neuroses on the rest of
the country.
Whether Justice Kennedy will be the
deciding vote remains to be seen. His judicial
philosophy indicates he adheres to precedent.
His two opinions recognizing our gay/lesbian
equality are good indicators of how he might
vote in the inevitable appeal of Prop 8.
However, the health ofJustice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg is not strong. Considering
the outcome ofthe November, 2010
elections, the majority party of the Senate will
be vital to the appointment of a successor to
Ginsburg. In the two and-a-half years of the
Obama Administration, the President has
shown himself not able to muster the "fire
in the belly" needed to press for his court
appointees. ( http:l/tinyurl.com129xbhr4 )
The two ne~vest justices appointed
by Obama, Sotomayor and Kagan, have
not been on the Court long enough to
have a reasonable record of voting to draw
conclusions. Court appointees don’t always
adhere to the expectations of the appointing
president, Justice David Souter being a recent
example. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wild/
David_Souter )
I strongly think the Prop 8 appeal will be
decided not so much on the strong argument
presented by Olson and Boles as much as
on the accidents of health and political
expediency. In other words, a real race to the
finish.
Further reading--
You can read more about Colorado’s
Amendment 2 (Romer v. Evans) here:
general information http!//en.wikipedia.
org/wild/Romer v. Evans and the SCOTUS
decision http://tinyurl.com/24xa2oc
You can read about the overturning
sodomy laws (Lawrence v. Texas) here:
general information http://en.wildpedia.org/
wild/Lawrence v. Texas and the SCOTUS
decision http://tinyurl.comhmvu4ry
Tulsa AIDS Walk
Saturday ,October. 2nd:
9am
TULSA, OK (PR) __ Tulsa’s annual
AIDS Walk. The Walk is only 2 miles and
raises money for a great cause. The walk
route is .from 21st to 31st along Riverside
Drive Xgalldng Trail back to Veterans Park.
Suggested Donation: $20, but anyone can
walk without making a donation. You must
sign a registration form ifyou plan to walk.
The AIDS Walk helps mamy of the clients
served by The AIDS Coalition ofTulsa.
Visit the website and donate by using Pay
Pal. http://www.tulsaaidswalk.org/You and
your family and friends can form a walking
team, collect contributions and bring your
donations to AIDS Walk or send a check to
the Tulsa AIDS Walk at Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership, 16 East 16th, Suite 202,
Tulsa, OK 74119, Attention: Janice Nicklas.
If you have any further questions contact
Janice Nicklas at jnicklas@csctulsa.org or
918-949-0447. Proceeds from the Tulsa
AIDS Walk benefit Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership (TCAP), a program of
the Community Service Council. TCAP
provides funding for the National AIDS Fund
AmeriCorps Team Tulsa and local AIDS
service organizations.
T.U.L.S.A. to host
weekend ofeducation &
competition
TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Tulsa Uniform
and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
invites you to Tulsa, Oklahoma October 8-10
for a weekend of education competition,
and the Oklahomg Mr. Leather Contest.
Friday night October 8 starts out with a Bar
Crawl, leaving from Club Maverick at 8:00
pm traveling to local dubs and ending back
at Club Maverick for the introduction of
contestants and judges around midnight.
Saturday afternoon three educational
classes beginning at noon. The Oklahoma
Mr. Leather contest is at Club Maverick,
beginning at 9 pm. Leather Masters from
Dallas, Texas ,;viii serve as the vendor. .
Weekend registration is only $65 which
will include entry to all weekend events, the
hospitality suite located at the Days Inn, 1-
244 & Sheridan, the host hotel, and an OML
2011 tshirt and commemorative run pin. If
you’d like to compete, advertise, or register to
attend, head to http://v~,rw.tulsaleather.com/
and click on "OML"!
N
the congregation and supporters, that goal
has been accomplished. There are npw are
testing rooms, classrooms and a reception area
for the Center.
Through collaboration with other
agencies, the center provides HIV testing
and referrals 5 days a week, The Center
is operated utilizing volunteers from the
church and community, side by side with the
Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund, Oklahoma State
Department of Health, Red Rock Behavioral
Health Services, Latino Community
Development Agency and Guiding Right,
Inc.
"Expressions, as a church and a
community center has most recently
partnered with Other Options; Friends Food
Pantry and Be the Change which will allow
us to reach even deeper into the needs of the
HIV/AIDS community and the homeless
youth of Oklahoma City," adds Spurgin
proudly. "We plan to add more space for
HIV outreach and testing, as well as syphilis
testing. We are also hoping to bring in
an HIV/AIDS Case Manager here at the
Center."
They are currently in the fundraising
stage to expand our services to the
community. This will include building
additional offices and acquiring additional
square footage. Tnere are also a variety of
support groups and classes held at the Center.
"Our vision for the Center is to expand
into the entire property at the corner of
NW 39th Street and Youngs Bird, so our
community will have a true living and
thriving Community Center," Spurgin
concludes. "I believe as long as we keep our
heart focused on God’s love through relevant
messages and opening our arms up to the
community, through love and grace, we will
continue to see more collaboration through
the church and center so hearts can be
healed."
Located at 4010 N. Youngs Blvd, the
Center is open Monday through Thursday
from 10am to 9pm and on Friday afternoons
from lpm to 5pm. Expressions Church
services are Sunday mornings at 1 lam
and Thursday evenings at 7pm. For more
information please visit their website at www.
ExpressionsOKC.com or call their office at
(405) 528-2210.
No matter who
are on life’s
-Ilte~erend ~r. K~hy
3131 ~. Pennsylvania, 405.5~5.9555
October 1, 2010 @ 7
Lyric eatre announces
most ambitious
season to date
OI~AHOlvL~, OK (PR) __ Lyric
~l]~eatre, Oklahoma’s leading professional
theatre company; announces its 2011 Season,
incIuding Always... Patsy Cline (January 26-
February 5); Boeing Boeing (March 30- April
9); Oliver! (June 21-25); Hairspray 0uly 5-9);
Ragtime (July 19-23); A Chorus Line (August
2-6); Altar Boyz (October 12-22) and A
Christmas Carol (December 9-31).
Lyric Theatre’s new Artistic Directm;
Michael Baron, wants to make Lyric ~eatre’s
2011 Season full of fun and excitement with
eight great shows including Lyric Theatre’s
new" holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol.
During the 2011 Season, ~,ric Theatre will
perform on two separate stages. Four shows
will be performed at Lyric’s Plaza Theatre
on N\V 16th Street and the remaining four
shows will be performed during the summer
at the Civic Center Music Hall in downtown
Oldahoma City.
Starting Lyric’s 2011 Season is Always...
Patsy Cline. See countW music legend
Patsy Cline come to life this winter at Lyric
Theatre’s Plaza stage. This show introduces
27 musical renditions of her unforgettable
hits such as "Crazy", "I Fall to Pieces,, "Sweet
Dreams" and "Walldng After Midnight".
Share the power of friendship betvceen
Patsy and her number one fan, Louise Seger,
before Cline’s tragic death in 1963. ~xis
endearing true stoW combines humor, ,vith
sincerity and gives fans a chance to remember
the most acclaimed female countW vocalist of
the 20th century.
~-ric presents its only pla~, Boeing
Boeing, at the Plaza. ~xe Tony Awardwinning
comedy is a hilarious 1960’s romp,
immortalized by JerW Lewis and Ton~ Curtis
on film, has a handsome bachelor juggling
three international flight attendant fiancds.
Lyric will continue its 2011 Season with
Oliver! at the Civic Center Music Hall.
Based on the Dickens novel, Oliver ~B~cist,
this new production combines heartbreak
and triumph, while delighting audiences
with outstanding musical theatre gems like
~Food, Glorious Food", "I’d Do Bmything",
"Where is Love?" and "As Long As He Needs
Me". Dickens characters come alive once
again through music and dancing for a new
generation of theatre-goers to experience for
the first time.
The second show on the Civic Center
stage is the Tony Award-winning fun-loving
musical, Hairspray. ~atch Baltimore’s new
teen celebrit3~ TraW Turnblad, a girl with big
hair and an even bigger voice, as she dances
her way into everyone’s hearts. En.joy hit
tunes like ’~Mama, I’m a Big Gift Now" and
"Welcome to the ’60s" that take Tracy from
the crazy local TV dance show to d~e hippest
downtown rhythm and blues record shop.
In July, come to Civic Center and enjoy
the Tony Award-winning musical, Ragtime.
A show about a powerful portrait of life in
turn-of-the-century America and a moving,
relevant story for today: Based on E.L
Doctorow’s distinguished novel, the musical
intertwines the stories of three extraordinary
families, as they confront history’s timeless
contractions of wealth and poverty, freedom
and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it
means to live in America.
The ultimate "Singular Sensation", A
Chorus Line, will dance its way this summer
onto the Civic Center Music Hall stage. ~lt~is
timelessly stunning musical will astonish
those who have ever had a dream for the
Broadway stage. For 25 dancers, it’s the
one opportunity to do what they’ve always
wanted -- to have the chance to dance. With
its brilliantly complex fusion of dance, song
and compellingly authentic drama, you will
love this brand-new production as Lyric
Theatre re-invents a classic.
Back on the Plaza stage, Lyric Theatre will
perform its Oldahoma premier ofAttar Boyz.
Altar Boyz is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising,
musical comedy about a fictitious boy-band
on the last night of their national "Raise the
Praise" tour. The Boyz are five all-singing
all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew,;
Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham.
Lyric will close its 2011 Season with a
spectacular new Oklahoma holiday tradition
at the Plaza Theatre, Charles Dickens’ classic,
A Christmas Carol. Capture the magic and
joy of Christmas as the ghosts of Past, Present
and Future lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge
on a powerful journey of transformation and
redemption. With over 20 Christmas carols,
beautiful costumes, and lots of snow! This
timeless story ~vill get your family into
the holiday spirit with a production that’s
musically high-spirited and infectiously jolly.
Current season subscribers may renew
their season tickets now through October
29th. To become a season subscriber, ...........
tickets go on sale November 1st, 2010.
For the convenience of our loya! season
subscribers, Lyric Theatre is providing
three season subscription packages for the
2011 Season. Season tickets range from
$94-$322 depending on what musical
package you chose. Performances are on
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights at
7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday nights at
8:00 p.m. and Saturday afternoon at 2:00
p.m. For information abofit the 2011 Season
subscription packages or to purchase tickets
go to www.lyrictheatreokc.com, call (405)
524-9312, come by Lyri.c Theatre’s ticket
office located on 1727 NW 16 St., Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.
Single tickets are now available for the
remaining 2010 season shows ofThe Rocky
Horror Show, showing from October 14-31
and December Divas, showing December
16-18. Call the Lyric Box office at (405) 524-
9312 or go to wv~alyrictheatreokc.com.
Art Opening and E.xhibit
o£Origina1 Works. stained,
£t sed and cast glass £rom
G ass Star-ion"
TULSA, OK (PR) __ ~e October
Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) showcase
and exhibit oftocaI artists at the Dennis R;
Neill Equality Center (621 E. 4th Street in
Downtown ~alsa), will feature the art from
"The Glass Station". The show begins with a
reception on Thursda> October 7th from 6-
9pro and continues throughout the month.
The October Oklahomans for Equality
(Old,q) shmvcase and exhibit of local artists
at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center
(621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa), will
feature the Art from "The Glass Statioff’
with creations by Carole Odearno, Judy
Hopica, Angela Bland, Chris White, Valerie
Greenhaw, and Sue Underwood
The Glass Station is a place to come and
create a vision in stained, fused or cast glass.
People from all professions create their ideas
for stained glass or fused glass to be given
as gifts, added to their art collection or to
enhance their home decor. The owner Danna
Ozbun has been c~eating and teaching sta!ned
glass for 16 years and fused glass fo~ 10 9d~
Valerie Greenhaw has been working with
and teaching stained glass techniques for 10
years and fused glass techniques for 9 years.
Sid Clanton has been creating and teaching
stained glass techniques for 20 years.
The show begins with a reception on
~ursday, October 7th from 6-9pm and
continues throughout the month, w~vw.
theglassstationok.com 918.258.3651.
are
By Steven Petrow
&ez~e~ ..Pet~’o,# is tl~e g~thor of"7/3e E,sential
BooL, ofGay Manners &Etiq,ette. "Send
him your questioi~s at queeries@live.com.
Online relationships are just like offline ones.
Peeling back ~e layers of someone’s life and
person~aliv shouldhappen in a gradual way, as
you build up trust.
October 1,2010 ~ 9
By Ronald Blake
Contributing Writer
Ronald Blake, Certified Fitness Inswuctor
d~rou,gh [SSA b~t~rnational Sports &iences
A~ociation
How to begin!
So how do you begin a new fitness
t~’aining program? It starts with levity and
fun. The key to life is to enioy that very
thing...life. How to do that? Fun...fun with
moderate doses of responsibility. As a fitness
trainer, my iob is r. encourage you to take
responsibility for your life. Maybe not quite
to the degree of your friendly neighborhood
preacher who pounds the pulpit and
proclaims all homosexuals doomed to kiss
the conflagration of hell because of their evil
and irresponsible ways. I’m a kinder, gender
more compassionate kind of fitness trainer, at
least that’s what they taught me when I was
still a straight boy in college. Then I saw the
light when I ran into this self-absorbed fitness
enthusiast who converted me into a rainbow
flag-waving, Prada dressing extrovert and
taught me that I too could earn a free toaster
if I transmogrified three breeder boys to
the dark side. No more tangent thoughts or
digressions! This is a fitness column and I’ve
gotta save you heathens from your licentious
and hedonistic lifestyles!
So as I was saying.., any fitness program
you embrace should involve fun. Yeah,
working out does involve hard ,york and
dedication. We all know that. It should
also be something you look forward to and
get excited about. Otherwise, why do it?
But yes, there is hard work involved and I
would be remiss ifI didn’t mention that.
Afteg all I come from a corn-fed Midwestern
background that is engrained with a great
work ethic! Wily else do you think fellbw
Hoosiers like David Letterman, Orville
Redenbacher, Kurt Vonnegut, and Michael
Jackson would be so successful?
During my numerous years of training
dients and coaching high school athletes, I
have stressed one thing and that is for them
to simply enjoy the ride as each day passes. I
involve trivia contests, singing, motivational
handouts, music, vocabulary lessons, and
endless anecdotes about my life into my
training programs. In many ways I feel like
an entertainer who tries to regale my clients
with the lighter side of it all. Fitness trainin~
should be a method of escaping the harsh
realities of the daily grind. It makes a perfect
opportunity to channel any frustrations or
aggressmns in an appropriate manner.
I have informed my clients that they
might not have control over what goes on in
life but that they certainly have the power
to control what goes on in their lives. ~lis
control exists in workouts, training runs, bike
rides, yoga classes, and other exercise routines.
This control should be used when deciding
the "who" and "where" of your workout. First
who will you ~vorkout with? Choose someone
who will motivate you, make you laugh,
and validate the quality person that you are.
Choose someone who is reliable, trustworthy,
and goal-oriented. Choose someone who will
help you change your life for the better. Then
where will you work out? Choose someplace
that has pretty curtains, Tiffany lamps, and
leather recumbent sofas. What? It’s not really
my cup o’ tea but hey, if it works for you then
do it! You need to choose a place that fits your
style and personality and a l~lace that wil!
allow you to have fun during your workout
sessions. Find that place where you can adjust
the radio to any station and any volume.
Find that place where you can tak~ offyour
shirt and walk around flexing in front of the
mirrors like you would at your favorite gay
haunt on a Saturday night. Find someplace
that is relaxed and understanding.
We all want results when we begin a
fitness routine. It just doesn’t need to be
approached as a dreaded task. You have the
power! You have the control! You can have
fun! Two ofmy favorite motivational sayings
are from Victor Borge and Mary Pettibone
Poole respectively: "Laughter is the shortest
distance between two people" and "He who
laughs, lasts."
This
Creep ofthe Month
By D’Anne xYgitkowski
D’Anne Witkowski has beet, gayforpay since 2003.
She’s afi’eelance writer andpoet (believe it!). When she’s
not taking on thk creeps ofthe world,he reviews rock ),’
roll shows in Detroit with her twin sistrr
"ToW Perkins"
S_~: Brz~n Fleming claims thatgay soldie~" can’t be trusted becauseyou wouMn’t know ifthey had
’Tnapprop~v~te" motivesfbr wanting to beyourfiqenc£ 2Vever mind that DADTis a recipefbr
mistrust since it’s a poli~ based on dishonesl):
vmTbody loves a parade, don’t they?
Especially gays. Mad gay-loving militaries the
world over. I mean, with homos in the ranks.
they aren’t much for fighting, but the)) can
build a fabulous flotilla of floats.
Or so ToW Perkins of the Family Research
Council thinks. On Sept. 17, Perkins hosted
a "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" panel at the Values
Voters Summit, which is basically a circuit
party for social conservatives - except there’s
no dancing, since gyrations of any kind are
the devil’s movements.
Perkins claims "our military is under
immense attack from within our country"
because Obama has made it a priority r.
"force the military to embrace homosexuality"
regardless of "what the military thought."
And to explain what the military thinks,
Perkins was flanked by retired Lt. Col. Robert
Maginnis, a senior fellow for defense policy at
FRC, and Sgt. Brian Fleming, a young man
injured twice in Afghanistan.
Fleming claims that gay soldiers can’t be
trusted because you wouldn’t know if they
had "inappropriate" motives for wanting to
be your friend. Never mind that DADT is a
recipe for mistrust since it’s a policy based on
dishonesty.
Maginnis calls the U.S. military a "moralbased
organization" (because it’s moral for
a dude to kill another dude, so long as he
doesn’t kiss another dude).
And since no moral person would want to
be around a bunch of queers, Perkins claims
that ifwe let gays into the military ’’we will
see Bible-believing chaplains being forced out
of the military and not joining the military,
leaving a huge vacuum."
Letting gays serve openly would be to
"just stab (service members) in the heart" and
would be "suicide for an all-volunteer force,"
according to Maginnis.
"That’s ~vhy countries ... that have the 10
largest militaries in the world say, ’No, this
isn’t the thing to do,’" Maginnis says.
Perkins chimes in: "~Well, those that
do (let gays serve), they’re the ones that
participate in parades, they don’t fight wars to
keep the nation (and) the world free."
The crowd bursts into applause and
Maginnis responds, "Right."
Except, you know, not right. In fact, not
only are the countries that allow gays and
lesbians to serve openly more than glorified
color guards, several of them are actually U.S.
allies.
Take Israel, for example, where gay and
lesbian troops have been serving openly since
1993. And then there are countries that
have sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan,
including Australia, the United Kingdom,
Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Now, I’m not a military expert, but I
have a feeling these allied troops are doing
more than dressing up as clowns and riding
unicycles while throwing candy to smilirig
Iraqi and Afghan children lining the streets
(although I do admit I think soldiers dressed
as mimes would be an excellent psychological
warfare tactic. This responsibility would
obviously fall to the French).
Oh, by the wa3~ those countries "that have
the 10 largest militaries in the world" and
who also reject homos include China, Russia,
North Korea and Egypt. As Matt Gertz of
Media Matters says, "That’s generally not a
list you want your country to be on where
human rights issues are concerned."
But that would be a real bummer. So
Perkins makes a hilarious joke about tranny
soldiers trying r, figure out which uniform to
wear. And everybody laughs.
Ban ’uptc¥ * Civil Rights *Criminal
’ment * Family Law * Litigation
13th S ree
: CitV, OK 73103
the Nation’s Top
..............~~ October 1, 2010 ~ 11
i~ Hous~
How
~s Q r ~ncumb®nt David Dank
2 October 1, 2010
T CAND~
~S YOUR ~NDEPENDT
- A STRONG ENViRONMENTALiST
- PRO-CHOICE
¯,. A SUPPORTER OF EQUAU~ FOR ALL O~LAHOMANS
Lisa LarnpaneIli: One Mean Q,Eeen
Comedian on gay marriage, celebrity roasts and how
we screwed up~h~r life -
By Chris Azzopardi
There’s nothing like hearing a familiar voice on the other end
of the line, and Lisa Lampanelli’s is just as I remember it: loud and
mean, like she’s burping up Sue Sylvester.
"What’s up you big fag face?" she razzes in her bawdy blurt.
And I’d be shocked, like I admittedly was during our first interview
just over three years ago, had this not been our fourth chat
together. So how she’s doing now?
"Sick of straighties!" she says. Which is unusual for the selfdubbed
"Lovable Queen of Mean," who’s typically trashing the
minorities. But the insult comic’s bad-mouthing, like the greeting
she swooned me with, is just her way of sc0oping you up into a big
bear hug and gently placing a soft kiss on your forehead, like you’d
imagine ftom someone who looks as bingo grandma as she does.
Ridicule doesn’t exactly express a tender fondness, but
Lampanelli dishes it out fairly, so at least nobody feels left out.
Now that’s love.
She’s experiencing the real thing lately, falling for
a guy she wouldn’t typically, if you know Lampanelli,
go for: a white one. "I know - I’ve disappointed
everyone," she pouts. "But he’s Italian, so when I tour
the South he’s still looked at like a colored, so it all
works out."
The wedding is set for October at the historical
Friars’ Club in New York, and unlike most stars, the
Connecticut-born comedian’s hungry for any Idnd
of publicity. Her people even suggested it as a talking
point.
"I’m whoring out everything, are you kidding?"
Lampanelli admits. "Who wants to talk about their
wedding? Me! ’Cause I’m, like, fucking romantic,
okaaay?"
Will she hire a gay wedding planner? "Nooo! Screw
those dirty faggots. I’m not going to support you
and your gay lifestyle. You guys should’ve listened to
Howard (Stern) and heard my price because I’m not
telling you, because you fucking faggots are all jealous
of me and my $300,000 wedding ... oh, did I let that
slip out?!"
Then we logically jump into gay marriage, and in
her own lovingly backward way she wonders why it’s
such a big deal to us because "you have the best out in
the world."
She continues: "We should say yes to gay marriage
but outlaw gay divorce and see how you like it."
........Continued See LISA Page-19
October 1, 2010
By Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins cove,s gay m~velfor the New
Drk ~’mes-owned website Abou~;com and is
the a~thor ofFodor’s Gay Guide to the USA.
Travel in America’s Las
I recently returned from my second rrip
to Americgs largest and least populated (by
densiw) state, Alaska. ~ese facts aren’t a big
surprise to most people, but sometimes it’s
difficult to grasp the state’s sheer dimensions
- for example, Alaska is about 15 times bigger
than Pennsylvania, but Pennsylvania has
17 times the number of residents. Beyond
coming up with startling (and geographically
geeky) trivia facts like these, it’s difficult to
describe Alaska’s terrain and scenery without
resorting to trite superlatives.
It’s truly a land you need to visit to
even begin to comprehend. The leading
highlights for most visitors are up-close views
of massive glaciers (dozens of them in some
areas), a fascinating array ofwildlife, and
North America’s highest peak (20,320-foot
Mt. McKinley, in Denali National Park).
Alaska also offers some of the world’s most
exciting kayaking, fishing, rafting, hiking and
campir~g (not to menti0n’dog-sledding). This
An excellent general GLBT resource for
the state is BentAlaska.com, a website with
events, news, and organizations of interest
to the communitT, plus a list of gay-friendly
businesses.
Taking a Cruise in Maska
Even if you’re not especially enamored of
cruise vacations, traveling by boat is without
question the best way to see southeastern
Alaska’s scenery, including areas like Glacier
Bay National Park and College Fjord. Many
major cruise lines offer Alaska cruises,
with Holland America Line (http://www.
hollandamerica.com) and Princess Cruises
(http://www.princess.com) offering the
greatest variety of itineraries, along with the
exceptional line of smaller, upscale ships,
Cruise West (http://www.cruisewest.com).
These are all extremely gay-friendly and
gay-popular Cruise lines. Several GLBTis
{ state ric~:in his,tory- from indigenous oriented tour operators, notably RSVP
culture to tales of Russian trappers and U.S. Vacations (http://www.rsvpvacations.com),
gold-fortune seekers. And the abundance of Olivia (http://www.olivia.com), Atlantis
delicious fresh seafood makes this a terrific
dining destination. Alaskh is ideally suited
to outdoorsy travelers, but - thanks to cruise
ships and scenic railroads - it’s also relatively
easy .to enjoy the natural beauty from a comfy
and controlled environment.
Is "Ihere a Gay Scene in Alaska?
Let’s put it this way: I wouldn’t
recommend traveling to Alaska expressly to
partake of gay nightlife, or meeting other
"family." Anchorage is a large, modern city
with a couple of gay bars, induding the
extremely fun and friendly dance club Mad
Myrna’s (http:llwww.alaska.net!-madmyrna)
- you’ll also find some excellent museums and
many stellar restaurants in Anchorage. The
state’s second largest city, Fairbanks, has a
small but active GLBT scene, some of it tied
in Alaska’s oldest college, the University of
Alaska Fairbanks.
Juneau, with a population of about
30,000, is the state capital and is generally
considered the most progressive city in the
state - a fair number of gay folks live here,
and bars and restaurants are generally quite
friendly. Also noteworthy is tiny but funky
Talkeetna, midway between Bmchorage and
Denali National Park. This cool little village
is a great base for exploring Denali and a
haven of free-spirits (it was the inspiration
for TV’s Northern Exposure). Throughout
Alaska. and especially around Anchorage,
you’l! find many gay-owned and gay-friendly
inns and B&Bs. There’s a good list of these at
PurpleRoofs.com (http://www:purpleroofs.
co m!usa/alaska/alaskaregion.hmal).
(http://www.adantisevents.com) book all-gay
charter trips on some of the major lines that
ply Alaska waters, including Holland America
and Princess, as well as Carnival (http://
www.carnival.com), Celebrity (http://www.
celebritycruises.com), Norwegian (http://
wvw2.ncl.com), and Royal Caribbean
(http://www.royalcaribbean.com). Also note
that such ultra-luxurious lines as Silversea
(http://www.silverseaships.com) and Regent
Seven Seas (http://www.rssc.com) regularly
visit Alaska.
Even on cruises booked to the general
public, you’ll nearly always find gay and
lesbian passengers (and certainly some crew).
And on these cruises, there’s usually at least
one and sometimes several GLBT mixers or
meet-ups onboard during the week. If you’d
like to find other gay travelers booked on the
same cruise, or read other GLBT feedback
related to cruise travel, check out the gay/
lesbian cruising forum at Cruisemates.com
(http://www.cruisemates. tom/forum/gaylesbian-
cruising).
I can speak very positively about Alaska
cruises based on my recent sailing aboard
Holland America’s exceptionally well-outfitted
Statendarri. I traveled ~vith my family; seven
of us altogether, and we chose a particularly
glacier-intensive itinerary, through the Inside
Passage, with calls at Ketchikan, Juneau (my
favorite), and Skagway, plus a day each sailing
through Glacier Bay- and College Fjord. I’m
not, for the record, a general fan of cruise
vacations - iust a personal preference, as I’m
more partial to the freedom of road-tripping,
and traveling without a set itinerary. But this
Harvard Glacier is one ofthe highlights ofa cruise through Alaska’s breathtaking College Fjord.
Holland kanerica cruise was a wonderful
adventure from start (out of Vancouver) to
finish (in Seward). And if you are planning
a trip with a few friends or relatives, a cruise
can be ideal in terms of logistics, value and
the pure fun of sharing countless memorable
experiences together.
Alaska cruises range greatly in price,
starting for as little as $600 per person,
based on double-occupancy, with an inside
cabin on one of the less-fancy ships that visit
the region, such as the Carnival Spirit or
Norwegian Star - this is also assuming you
book during the shoulder months (May and
September). For a stateroom with balcony
on an upscale line like Holland America,
expect to pay $1,500 or more, depending on
the size of the cabin, the particular ship, and
the time ofskiling (June through August are
high season). And if there were ever a great
time to splurge for a balcony cabin, it’s an
Alaska cruise, as a huge part of the experience
is observing the magnificent scenery from
aboard the ship.
If yon’re averse to organized-group travel,
would like to combine driving your own car
with traveling by ship, or simply enjoy the
excitement and relative affordability of ferryboat
transportation, consider a do-it-yourself
version of an Alaska cruise: traveling the
Alaska Maritime Highway System (http://
www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml). You
can get around via this extensive network of
state-operated ferries, just as many Alaskans
get from town to town, either without a car
or - at considerably greater expense - with
one. This is an adventurous way to sail
through the Inside Passage, starting either
dmvn in Bellingham, Washington, or much
closer to Alaska in the Canadian port city of
Prince Rupert. The ferry stops at all the major
towns in southeast Alaska.
You can also sail via the ferry system
through Prince \Villiam Sound and to Kodiak
Island (with stops in Valdez, Cordova,
Whittier, Homer, and others), or through
southwestern Alaska’s remote Aleutian Chain,
from Chignik all the way to Unalaska/Dutch
Harbor. Again. traveling with a car and
sleeping onboard in cabins can make this a
fairly costly trip - figure on about $800 to
$900 for two passengers, a car. and a cabin for
a one-way trip from Port Rupert to Skagway.
But you can choose an itinerary that allo~vs
you to get on and offat a number of ports,
and it’s still cheaper and allows for greater
flexibility than a cruise.
Touring Maska on Land
Whether you reach Alaska by cruise ship,
plane or car (the 2,300-mile drive from Great
Falls, Montana to Fairbanks on the Alaska-
Canada Highway is quite a memorable
undertaking), it’s worth taking some time to
explore some parts of the state’s rugged and
largely unspoiled interior.
Many cruise lines offer one-way itineraries
(as opposed to "loop" itineraries, that return
you back to Vancouver, Seattle, or wherever
the cruise started). These begin or end in
Alaska, typically in a port that’s relatively
close to Anchorage, such as Whittier or
Seward. This latter community, home to the
superb Alaska SeaLife Center aquarium and
Kenai Fjords National Park, is where my
recent Holland America cruise ended.
From here my family and I rented
a couple of cars and explored the area,
continued on to Anchorage, and then spent
two nights up in Talkeema. Other notable
areas within relatively easy driving distance
ofAnchorage and the Kenai Peninsula
include the charming little vacation town of
Girdwood, which is home to upscale Alyeska
Resort; Homer, a popular fishing town; and
Whittier, which has kayaking and boating on
Prince William Sound plus access to several
stunning glaciers. Farther afield and also wellworth
investigating are Denali National Par.k
(4 to 5 hours north ofAnchorage), Fairbanks
(2 hours farther north of Denali), and Valdez
(6 to 7 hours east ofAnchorage).
One way to explore the interior without
a car, as far north as spectacular Denali
National Park and on up to Fairbanks, is
via the scenic Alaska Railroad (http://ww~v.
alaskarailroad.com). Many Alaska cruises offer
post- or pre-trip options that includes several
days on the railroad, or you can book a your
own railroad package, which includes riding
the railroad’s gleaming railcars past incredible
scenery, tours at different stops, and overnight
hotel accommodations. These packages range
.................Continued SeeALASKA Page-19
October 1, 2010 15


Photo’s by Victor G.
Out &About in Oklahoma
@ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa
@The Ledo, Oklahoma City
@ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa
OKC AIDS Walk and Run Double attendance from
2009
By Jeanne Flanigan
Metro Star Team
O~HOMLA CITX~ OK The 2010
OKC AIDS xTchlk and Run was held on a
beautiful Sunday September 19 in the heart
of Bricktown, this time at Sonic Headquarters
with double-the attendance from last year.
AIDS \Valk Board President John Greet
estimated that over 88 runners and over
1000 walkers participated this yeal; including
Teleflora and AAA. Volunteers fi’om Dell
Computers, \V-gaigreens, BancFirst, United
\Ygay, Sonic, the Red Cross and others signed
in participants, sold T-shirts, set up the
course, and also provided water and relief to
organizations that had booths surrounding the
Sonic building. .
The route for the \Valk was changed this
year due to renovations going on at the Myriad
Gardens where the festival had been held in the
past, so Sonic generously donated their space
for this event. Canopies for the booths were
provided by OKC Pride. ~e booths ran along
the north side of the Sonic building, facing the
Bricktown Canal with a DJ on the canal dock.
AIDS Walk OKC raises money for grants
to nonprofit organizations that provide services
for people living with HIV/AIDS. During
2010 AIDS Walk OKC has held fundraising
awareness of the need for the vital services
these organiz,~tions provide. An award was
given to Johnny Norris and the Friends of the
Hilo who have consistendy raised thousands
of dollars for AIDS Walk OKC for the past
18 years with their Turnabout Show, which
this year,raised over $4000. Other fundraisers
were organized by Sonja Martinez and Dee
Britt at Partners, Nick Post at the Copa, KJttT
Bob Aimes ar the Boom, and at the Pride
Festival as well as individual house parties.
Greer said these fundraisers would happen
again next year and into the future.
In 2009 eight organizations were awarded
grants to continue their work to help those
living with HIV. Earnings from the 2010
AIDS Walk will be announced on the AIDS
Walk OKC ,vebsite by October 1. Grants to
organizations will be given out after the yearly
World AIDS Day Remembrance Service at
Mayflower Congregational Church December
1. Organizations helping those living with
HIV with 501C3 IRS status can apply for a
grant online from October 1 through 31. To
apply for a grant or for more information go
to www.aids~valkokc.org.
@ The Copa, Oklahoma City
@ Finishline, Oklahoma City @ OKC AIDS WALK 2010
18 ~ October 1, 2010
@ OKC AIDS WALK 2010
By Ed Sikov
Ed Sikov is the author ofDark Victory; 7he Life ofBette
Davis and other books aboutf!_/ms andfilmmakers.
"Look, darling! A cocl ail just for us!"
The puppies were in residence that
weekend, which meant the rest of us gorged
on calorie-free eye candy, since the boys were
untouchable. The best we could do was smell
them.
Robbie had a distinct personal funk that
shifted a little from day to day: top notes of
salt water with middle notes of two rank men
- Robbie and the previous night’s trick. Kyle,
on the other hand, always smelled faintly
of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap, which
blended with his naturally sweet disposition
to create aromatically the ideal playmate,
soulmate, best friend, husband and ultimately
survivor, weeping over the grave even as he
inherits the fortune. I had a major crush on
him.
CNN’s prepster-geek reporter Jack Fogg
showed up, too, along with his glorious
boyfriend, Sammy. Dan came straight from
the airport (conference in Cleveland) in a
stressed, must-be-medicated state. And with
the angel of cocktail creation smiling upon
us, it was Craig’s weekend as well.
If you found yourself in a Tarantinodesigned
slaughterhouse with a large enough
beam balance, you could hang Craig on one
hook and the rest of us on the opposite end,
and Craig would still remain on the ground.
Not really, but in the Pines, Craig felt like
(and frankly looked like) a mastodon. But he
adored the beach and loved Our house, so he
braved the stares and not-even-stifled laughs
of skinny, giggling twinkles who didn’t have
a quarter of Craig’s wit. He dismissed them
Bugs Bunny-style as "maroons."
We were all in the living room late
on Saturday afternoon when Craig, as
though by instinct, launched into one of
his routines: a frightfully accurate imitation
of a certain glamorous 1950s song belter.
He ran through bits from _It’s Always Fair
Weather_ and _Kismet_, and even the song
she sings (uncredited) in Bette Davis’s -~Mr.
Skeffington. I was, as usual, enthralled and
applauded at the end; Dan grinned with joy.
Craig’s Dolores Gray was phenomenal. He
even claims to have coached Lypsinka.
Jack and Sammy were polite but dueless.
Kyle said, with wide-eyed wonder, "Wow!
You’re really good! Who was that? She’s
amazing!"
At which point Robbie Stood up,
stretched dramatically to show off his chilired
treasure trail, and announced, "Why do
bitter queens love clownish women from
old movies nobody else cares about? I’m too
young for this. I won’t be back for dinner."
And out the door he strolled.
’~sshole," said Kyle. Dan seethed. Jack
and Sammy kept their mouths shut; they
probably agreed with Robbie but were too
polite to say it. I was offended across the
board - for Craig, for old movies, for the
late Dolores Gray- and was paralyzed with
outrage. "Robbie’s hot," Sammy observed.
Jack threw a pillow at him.
"Eureka!" Craig declared. "I have just
invented a cocktail to celebrate the revelation
that Robbie is an agent of Satan. I always
thought there was something suspicious
about that flaming red hair. Gents? xX/-ho
would like a Bitter Queen?"
"What goes into a bitter queen?" Kyle
asked innocently.
"Nothing! That’s the problem!" Craig
batted back.
Here’s Craig’s incredibly simple and quite
delicious recipe. We collectively added the
descriptive details during a slightly sodden
dinner:
T~ne Bitter Queen
Take last night’s martini glass with the
dregs still in it, and toss the dregs in the sink.
Don’t rinse out the glass. Add a bit too much
Jameson Irish Whiskey and three or four
dashes ofAngostura Bitters. Plunk a single,
pathetic ice cube into the glass. Fo~ the full
effect, drink it alone.
Variation: "The Bitter Old Queen": use
Jameson 12-year Special Reserve.
N
clearly that not al! Oklahomans shared the
vision of the Federal legislation.
At a recent meeting of leaders ofLGBT
organizations held at the headquarters of
the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, the FBI
agents announced they will be presenting
three forums on hate crimes. The public
meetings will be held on October 5 in
Oklahoma City, October 6 in Tulsa and
October 7 in Muskogee, with the FBI
represented by Jim \Vindsor,/hny Koons and
Doug Straight.
The purpose of these forums is to assure
the LGBT communitT of the privacy- to be
expected when reporting crimes, the
interest the FBI has in bringing perpetrators
of hate crimes to justice, and to introduce
members of various legal and criminal
investigation agencies who want to eliminate
hate crimes.
For more information on the forums or
to report a hate crime, contact Cimarron
Alliance Foundation at intb@cimarronallince.
org, www.crimarronalliance.org, or the FBI at
James.straight@ic.fbi.gov.
Does that mean divorce is imminent for
~he soon-to-be newlyweds?
"I got my prenup all set," she says.
"Signed, sealed and delivered!"
Lampanelli’s always on top of it, always
getting the last laugh; she clobbers the hell
out of mankind (gay kind, bla& kind, old
kind, handicap kind) with a mouth that never
lets up - onstage, duringTV interviews,
during this interview. She toned her
dirtiness down for a recent _Chelsea Lately_
appearance, but that wasfft all that seemed
unusual: Viewers, myself included, sensed
awkwardness between the comedian and the
show’s host, Chelsea Handler.
Lampanelli settles that: "No, you read it
wrong, because when we came offwe were
like, ’Oh my god, wasn’t that so much fun?!’
like two giddy schoolgirls. You know what it
is? You faggots love to stir up trouble! Like,
’Hey, let’s make Kathy Griffin hate Lisa; hey,
let’s make Lisa hate Margaret Cho.’ Well,
guess what? You don’t have to make me hate
Margaret Cho ... because I already do!"
Lampanelli backpedals, slipping out a
light laugh that’s more sweet than sour, and
says she doesn’t really abhor Cho, a constant
among her targets. She doesn’t even know the
fellow queer-loved comedian, but "I always
have to make fun of her because she’s a dirty
Asian."
So there’s no rivalry among female
comedians?
"Not from where I sit, because I’m,
like, better than them all," she explains,
mentioning that Handler is actually
producing her upcoming reality show that’s
still in negotiations and can’t be discussed.
"There’s none between me and Kathy because
she’s tough, man. She doesn’t care whom she
fucks with; that’s beautiful! A lot of people
allude to celebrities, but she just says it, and
I’m like, that’s balls! I love that."
But Lampanelh"’s own saucy remarks
sweep up lots of attention, too, just as they
did after she opened the _Roast of David
Hasselhoff_ in August on Comedy Central,
where she’s also roasted Joan Rivers, Pamela
Anderson and William Shatner (next up, she
hopes: "The fat lesbian roast. I’d love to do
Rosie O’Donnell ... and Oprah Winfrey.’)
For Hasselho~s time in the hot seat,
Lampanelli said his black and bloated liver
could’re starred in _Precious_ and that his
career "has crumbled worse than downtown
Haiti." Even Perez Hilton thought it was too
much.
"Oh, she just had her period! She was just
a little annoyed, and I get it," Lampanelli
says. "But where’s the line? And who’s gonna
draw it, some arbitrary FCC or whatever? If
you can make it funny - which I obviously
did, because I’m, like, the best comedian who
ever lived! - then obviously it has not gone
too far."
When Lampanelli was on the receiving
end, the roasters went for the obvious - her
love for black men and her voluptuous size.
After opening up about her self-esteem
battle in her book _Chocolate, Please: My
Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks_,
recently out in paperback, you might wonder
if she was more affected than she looked. Not
this time, she says.
"If they’re funny, I don’t mind them. And
they were funny," Lampanelli says, naming
Gilbert Gottfried as her favorite that night.
"In the past there’s been .jokes that aren’t that
great and you’re just like, that kind of hurts.
But when the joke is really good, you almost
appreciate the comedy more than what they’re
saying. These were really clever and I said,
’OK, this is not affecting me.’"
Lampanelli breaks off for a bit, mulling
over her thoughts a little more until she
swings back in: "I mean, it hasn’t yet. Oh my
god, maybe now that you mention it I’ll go
and binge this afternoon. You faggot, leave it
to you to fuck up my life!"
Payback’s a bitch, Lisa.
from 5 to 12 nights and start around $1,800
per person.
Shorter day trips are also available on the
Alaska Railroad - among the most rewarding
itineraries are the ride from Anchorage to
Denali (starting around $150), and the
Glacier Discovery Trains to Grandview
(starting around $85).
Another great option is to book a trip
with a local outfitter. Based in Fairbanks, Out
in Alaska (http://www.outinalaska.com) is a
highly reputable, gay-owned tour operator
that offers exciting trips, both camping
(starting around $1,800 for six days) and
hotel-based (from $2,500 for seven days), to
some of the state’s mosvscenic areas. Out in
Alaska trips typically last a week to 10 days,
have 5 to 10 participants, and include meals,
transportation within the regions visited,
activities, and - in the case of camping - gear.
Some Out in Alaska trips are oriented
primarily toward sightseeing and might cover
major national parks (Denali, Kanai Fjords,
Wrangell-St. Elias) and the regions around
Fairbanks and Anchorage. The more activitydriven
trips - which can be themed around
glacier trekking, hiking, rafting, or kayaking
- venture into the state’s remote wilderness,
from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
the Yukon or Copper rivers. The company
also organizes small LGBT group adventures
on some Of the mainstream cruises offered
through the Inside Passage.
However you explore this majestic land,
it’s absolutely worth the time and effort to get
yourself up here - and to plan on spending a
minimum of seven days. When even seasoned
travelers talk about "trips of a lifetime"
and "most memorable travel experiences,"
they’re often referring to adventures they’ve
undertaken in Alaska.
Others also welcome this measure as
another sign of progress for Tulsa. Tulsa
Human Rights Commission Chairman
Tommy Chesbro stated, "It is exciting to
see Tulsa moving forward and being more
inclusive of all our citizens."
Others are not so optimistic. As Tulsan
m McGregor put ~t, On the student end I
th~nk theyre be,ng set up for failure because
school might be a relatively safe zone, but
when they get out into the real world in
Oklal~oma they will find that they can be
freely and openly discriminated against and
not only is it legal, but there will be plenty
of political leaders around to say that it is
perfectly acceptable too."
Oldal~omans for Equality is encouraging
members of the community to contact t~e
Tulsa Board of Education (www.tulsaschools.
org/district/admin.shm) to thank the board
members for this progressive and courageous
step to~vards providing Safety and a better
learning environment ~br all students and
teachers, especially those of the GLBT
community.
@
by Greg Fox
~ebsite- www.kylecomics.com E-MM1- KylesBnB@aol.eom
emaih bittergirl@qsyndicate,com
20 ~ October 1, 2010
Chuck 8reckenddge
88T
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I’ll work hard tbr you.
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For more InJb~ation visit:
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By Jack Fertig
October 2010
"Click those slippers, Cancer"
Venus retrograding across Mars in
Scorpio offers a chance to repeat or
correct romantic and erotic errors.
Stress from Jupiter and Uranus push
it toward errors of comic proportions.
Keep your sense of humor. A solar
aspect from Libra promises that with
small effort, grace and aplomb will get
you through anything.
ARIES (March 20-April 19): When
it comes to sexual activity and sexual
fulfillment, quality isn’t as easy to get
as quantity. Focus on the relationship
you have (or the one you want), and be
honest about where your sexual needs
aren’t being met.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your
plans with your friends may be farfetched,
even utterly impractical. Don’t
push too hard; be open to trimming your
sails to a steadier process and a more
reliable goal. Share your opinions, but
let others take the lead.
GE~’~NI (May 21- June 20): You will be
noticed; don’t worry about that! Trying
to get noticed will only make you look
like a grandstanding egoman~ac. Play
it cool; focus on your work. Innovative
approaches modestly advanced will get
you the attention you want.
CANCER (June 21- July 22): Hey,
Dorothy, click those slippers and take
care of business at home! Wanderlust
and the search for novelties are mostly
counterproductive distractions, but they
might inspire playful ways to pep up
your domestic life.
LEO (July 23 - August 22): Are you
out to your family? Raise issues that
need to be discussed with them. Still,
be careful not to spill too much info.
Meaningful relationships deserve
openness; tawdry adventures and
intimate details are nobody else’s
business.
WRGO (August 23 - September 22):
Don’t shy away from the tough issues
with your partner, but be careful not
to be too provocative, smug or selfrighteous.
It’s not about you. Keep the
focus on what’s really important.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22):
Retail therapy is just an enabling term
for "shopaholic." Step away from the
counter and get a realistic handle on
SAGITTARIUS (November 22
- December 20): Reaching for the
future may be more comfortable than
resolving erupting issues from the past,
but the latter is your foundation so
make sure you deal with that. Friends
offer perspective and distraction. Be
careful to distinguish between the two.
CAPRICORN (December 21 -
January 19): Two paths ahead of you:
One is bright and brilliant and offers
lots of amazing thrills at considerable
risk. The other is much duller and leads
through hard work toward success. You
know which road to take.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February
18): Your ability to collaborate and
bring together diverse ideas is what
will get you favorably noticed. Resist
the tern ptation to show off your sense
of economy and resourcefulness. That
will just blow up in your face.
PISCES (February 19 - March 19):
Being your own brilliantly spiritual
self will probably confuse people and
maybe even scare some. Whether you
actually win arguments, you may terrify
your opposition. Channel that energy
into quiet study. Cultivating an air of
serene mystery will convey powerful
sexiness.
Across
Story of Greeks that busted some Troians
Ml-night bash
0 She played ~vith Sherman on The
Jefl~)rsons
!5 Brando~ last one was in Paris
1 Simpson trial judge Lance
2 Avoid premature eiaculation
3 Nothing to brag about
4 Tutti-fi’utti ingredient
5 The Sound of MUsic song
6 Takes five
your accounts. Yes, you are entitled to a
birthday treat, but shouldn’t your friends
and family be covering that?
SCORPIO (October 23 - November
21): It’s not all about you. On the other
hand acting as if it were could unlock
creative potential. Still, there is a time
and a place for indulging in rampant
egomania. Keep it where it belongs,
and dig for those deep inner truths.
Community for
People iving
H V/A DS
501 c (3) Non P~o£t Organization
Our House, Too offers a variety of
activities for people who are HIV+ and
or living with AIDS to hel p combat the
social isolation that many of our
people live through each and everyday.
We provide a Toiletry and Household
Pantry for those who are HIV+
and or living with AIDS who cannot
afford to purchase these items for
themselves. We invite anyone who
would like to volunteer or provide financial
assistance to please contact
us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mai!
ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal.net
41 Jane Bowles novel of 1943
44 Mttscle Mary’s pride
45 Seafood?
46 Last inning, usually
page 22
YOU Chuck
and Larrv
12 Surre~ist Magritre
!3 Reclined .
14 Hom~ st~ 6fHarper ~e
22 C0 ger eatcher
23 Cart part~
25 Respondents to 911
26" lay me..2
27 Choice piece of meat
28 State with conviction
30 C!eans (up)
51 Samson et Dalila Composer
~2 Response to a joke, with "it"
53 Enjoy some ladyfingers, e.g.
~6 Winged goddess
57 the line (conformed)
~8 Queens do this
59 \V,?here to see sweaty athletes
12 ~ey have big mouths
13 She got her gun
50 Like a metrosexual
5 ! Type o~ queen
52 Nurses assistants
53 ’Went down on a body part
54 What a guy does nocturnally
55 Use y0ur’butt to demonstrate
58 Mien introduction
59 Nicky, in "Funny Girl"
60 See red
61 Shaft outpu~
64 SOldier cops
66 Ewe said it!
October 1, 2010 21
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22 October 1, 2010
October 1, 2010 ~ 23
DEMOCRATS
"We are at a moment now when liberalism is poised to have
its biggest impact since Roosevelt, because the conservative
movement has been thoroughly repudiated through reality."
"What matters, as always, is not what we can’t do,
it’s what we can and must do."
Stonewall Democrats is a recognized group d the
Oklahoma and national Democratic Par~.
Working to educate voters and politicians about issues d the GLUT
community, we are working to make change and shape history.
20
We meet the I st Tuesday ofevery month at the
OKLAHOMA STA DE~MOCRATIC PARTY H~ADQUART~RS
(405) 427-3366

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