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The Blazing Saddle Heartland News
Are
Filming Reality Show Women
Watching Electoral Campaign
interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Mike Kieler filming Blazing Saddle Reality Show.
Reality television has come to Iowa with Shawn June’s
new project. In the works since August of 2013, filming began
at the Blazing Saddle in October. The project has involved
customers and employees, with the primary focus being on
the staff. Shawn is a graduate from Ottumwa High School in
2007, from Indian Hills Community College in 2009, and from
TTBLAZING SADDLE continued page 4
Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa PAC, the advocacy
and political arm of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, announced its 2014 Women are Watching (WAW)
campaign to educate voters about candidates’ positions
on women’s health. The WAW campaign in Iowa builds
off the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s strategy that
propelled President Obama to victory in 2012 and Terry
McAuliffe to the governorship in Virginia last fall.
Over the last several years, Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations have become a powerful
and effective force by educating voters about where their
candidates stand on women’s health issues.
Polling from the 2012 election shows that access to
safe and legal abortion, affordable birth control, and basic
health care access are motivating voting issues for women,
who view them as core economic issues for their families.
An overwhelming majority of women voters trust Planned
Parenthood political and advocacy organizations when
they speak out about issues affecting the health of women.
TTNEWS continued on page 3
Derby Started by Des Moines’s Sexy
Women, for Women World of Boylesque
interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Cedar Valley Derby Divas
Morgan Combs fell in love with derby and dared to
inspire others by starting her own roller derby team.
Morgan explains flat track roller derby, how derby
inspired her, derby’s benefits to women, and how diversity is important for the CVDD. Based out of the Cedar
Valley, the mission of CVDD is to further the sport of
women’s flat track roller derby; while promoting the
personal growth and development of each derby sister.
For the uninitiated, how would you explain what
women’s Flat Track Roller Derby is?
Roller derby is a game played by 2 teams, each
putting 5 skaters on the track at a time; 4 blockers (the
pack) and 1 jammer (point scorer) per team. When the
whistle blows a 2 minute jam begins and all skaters begin
to skate. Jammers must make it through the pack once
and on each subsequent pass through the pack they get
one point for each opposing player they pass legally. The
first jammer through the pack is the lead jammer and has
TTDERBY continued on page 26
Page 4
Page 6
interview by Arthur Breur
Molly Ringwald
Interview by Arthur Breur
TT page 11
What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Letter from the Editor
Letter to the Editor
Sexuality, Sensuality and Comedy by Sarah Headrick
From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld
Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught
Minor Details by Robert Minor Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson
Ask Lambda Legal by Karen Loewy
What is Joy (Part II) by Tony Dillon-Hansen
In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe
Section 2: Fun Guide
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
8
8
9
10
Entertainment Picks for the Month
11
Molly Ringwald by Arthur Breur
11
Skirting the Issues by Ellen Krug
12
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
13
Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey
13
National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 15
I.C. Kings present: Tranniversary 4 Iowa City, Iowa
20
NWGHA Advocacy Ad
21
The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer
22
Comics and Crossword Puzzle
22-23
ALPHAs23
Community Billboard: Classifieds
24
Section 3: Community
The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Robert Whicker.
The Saddle Boys
How did the Saddle Boys come to be?
The Saddle Boys were once upon a time a group of
sexily clad young shot boys, go-go dancers and back up
TTBOYLESQUE continued page 14
Page 15
FFBC: Iowa’s Point Man Fighting Ignorance by Bruce Carr25
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page
25
LGBTQ Patient & Family Education & Support Groups 25
Our Stories reviewed by Sarah Hoskins
26
Times are Changing by Rev. Royal D. Bush
27
The Project of the Quad Cities
27
Prime Timers of Central Iowa
27
Business Directory 28-29
Le Boi Bar 4th Anniversary Des Moines, IA
30
Iowa’s Gay Weddings by Scott Stevens
33
Page 22
Page 30
MARCH 2014
PUBLICATION
INFORMATION
Copyright © 2014, All rights reserved.
ACCESSline
P.O. Box 396
Des Moines, IA 50302-0396
(712) 560-1807
www.ACCESSlineAMERICA.com
editor@ACCESSlineAMERICA.com
ACCESSline is a monthly publication by
FIRESPIKE LLC. The paper was founded in
1986 by the non-profit organization ACCESS
(A Concerned
Community for Education,
Safer-sex and Support) in Northeast Iowa.
Angela Geno-Stumme,
Editor in Chief
Sarah Headrick, Advertising Sales/
Online Media
Arthur Breur, Publisher
Publication of the name, photograph or
likeness of any person, business or organiza-
tion in ACCESSline is not to be construed as
any indication of sexual orientation. Opinions
expressed by columnists do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of ACCESSline or the
LGBT+ community. Letters to the editor may
be published. We cannot be responsible for
errors in advertising copy.
We welcome the submission of origi-
nal materials, including line drawings and
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should be clearly labeled with author/artist
name, address, and phone number. We
reserve the right to edit letters and other
material for reasons of profanity, space, or
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writer’s guide is available for those wishing
to submit original work.
Advertising rates and deadlines are
available at ACCESSlineAMERICA.com. All
ads must be approved by ACCESSline’s
editorial board.
ACCESSline Page 3
Letter from the Editor
For awhile now ACCESSline has been
contemplating a big change, one that would
take it into the 21st century and beyond. This
March, we at ACCESSline decided to take the
first big step towards that change by making
ACCESSline a digital newspaper.
This March is our first fully digital
ACCESSline Issue, free and available to view
and download off of our website, ACCESSlineAmerica.com. The change is abrupt, and we
apologize for that, but we are committed to
our readers, advertisers, and the community and feel that this change will make
ACCESSline better.
Over the next month we at ACCESSline
will begin a complete overhaul of our website,
ACCESSlineAmerica.com, which will include
more community news coverage, membership perks, exciting new advertising options,
and much, much more. We will be contacting
our subscribers and advertisers to discuss
the changes, and how the change-over will
occur. We will also be contacting members
of the community for feedback and input
into our new changes. We will continue our
news coverage, our interaction with the
community, and ACCESSline will continue
on as a digital newspaper within the new
ACCESSlineAmerica.com community.
Our April Issue will be the Anniversary of ACCESSline’s incorporation into the
Firespike LLC family. We feel this is also a
good time to introduce the new ACCESSlineAmerica.com, with ACCESSline’s publica-
tion date Friday, April 4th. We hope to have
the community’s continued support for this
exciting new enterprise.
back at work in a month on limited duty
for a while. The others on the line could
not believe that I donated to someone not
a relative. They would Google my name in
front of me. They found some things such
as helping to run the Raccoon River Resort
and that I was a member of the GLBVA. They
then went onto asking about the Saddle, and
a bar in Burlington named Steve’s. They
would hold a shaft between their legs and
ask if I wanted it.
It never got better, even though I
reported all this to my boss and to an
instructor of a training class on the very
subject. No one did anything, and actually
my boss participated. Little did I know that
the plant manager was very homophobic.
He would create things that were just not
true.
I finally decided it was time to go to HR
in person, but made the mistake of telling
one of my coworkers, and then I was fired.
I had a great evaluation 3 weeks before, but
he was not keeping a gay person around.
We are in federal court, and they have
been dragging their feet for 2 years. They
spent 2 years stating, I only said I was gay
to get unemployment—18 years with the
same man. Go figure, the big guilty notice
is always dragging something out. We are
scheduled for court in June and want this
out in the open so this doesn’t happen to
anyone else. Let them know that we are
people and we are equal.
So please beware that just because we
can get married, doesn’t mean we are equal.
There is always some group, company out
there that doesn’t think we are equal, and
never will.
Douglas Schilling
2297 (SF2297) passed the Iowa Senate
unanimously with bipartisan support and
now moves to the House. The proposed
bill would reform and modernize Iowa’s
discriminatory 709c law, legislation based
on outdated science and beliefs that actually discourages testing and disclosure
because of the severe penalties associated
with simply knowing one’s status. SF2297
would change the law so that it is no longer
HIV specific, and converts sentencing into
a tiered system instead of the “one size
fits all” approach used by the current law.
The bill unanimously passed out of Senate
Judiciary Committee last week.
(SSA) paid Robina Asti, a 92-year-old
transgender woman, the survivor benefits she was denied after her husband’s
death. The agency erroneously denied
her benefits after it determined that she
was “legally male” at the time of their
marriage despite all the legal documents
to the contrary.
In a 2004 ceremony in an airplane
hangar in Orange County, NY, Robina, a
World War II veteran and pilot, married
her longtime sweetheart, Norwood Patton.
In June 2012, Norwood passed away at 97
years old. On July 27, 2012, Robina applied
in person for survivor benefits through
the SSA. Though Robina already receives
Letter
to
the
Editor
Beware, equal is
not always equal
I am writing this because the whole
gay community needs to be informed on all
antigay activities in our great state.
I started working at SauerDanfoss in
Ames, Iowa through a temp service. Approximately a month into my new job, I found out
that my partner, who needed a kidney, and
I were a perfect match. I let SauerDanfoss
know that a really good friend, and someone
who was very important to me and I were
a match. They approved the time off to be
a donor. That seems very good and all, but
that was the start of a horrendous period
of time. I was brought on full time after
the initial time period and things started
deteriorating quickly.
I donated a kidney, recovered and was
Editor-in-Chief Angela Geno-Stumme
Historic HIV bill passes Social Security to Give
unanimously in Iowa
Survivor Benefits to
HEARTLAND NEWS
A gay Iowa man fired for Senate
Transgender Widow
his “feminine” behavior
Senator Rob Hogg’s bill Senate File
The Social Security Administration
SScontinued from page 1
22-year-old Wayne Shimer filed a
lawsuit against Casey’s General Store,
located just north of Des Moines’ city
limits, for sexual orientation discrimination after being fired in September 2013.
At the time he was fired, Shimer’s boss
told him that he had been “inappropriate in a confrontation with a co-worker,”
according to the report, but the lawsuit
alleges a “pattern of bigoted comments
and discrimination” against the former
employee. Attorney Andrew LeGrant
reported that the supervisor learned that
Shimer was gay after about a month, and
allegedly warned him not to act “feminine”
in the store shortly thereafter.
TTNEWS cont’d page 33
ACCESSline Wants To Hear From You!
Send in photos and stories about your events... especially benefits, pageants. and conferences!
Please send us information on any of the following:
Corrections to articles • Stories of LGBT or HIV+ interest • Letters to the editor
Editorials or opinion pieces • Engagement and wedding ceremony announcements or photos
Questions on any topic we print • Photos and writeups about shows, events, pageants, and fundraisers
Please email us at Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. You may also contact us at our regular address,
ACCESSline, P.O. Box 396, Des Moines, IA 50302-0396
ACCESSline reserves the right to print letters to the editor and other feedback at the editor’s discretion.
ACCESSline Page 4
MARCH 2014
Sexuality, Sensuality and Comedy Interview by Sarah Headrick
Iowa School of Burlesque
Iowa School of Burlesque 2013.
Burlesque is a form of entertainment and
also a hobby, and for Phoenix L’Amour it is her
life. Iowa School of Burlesque is full of uniquely
talented people. Phoenix L’Amour shares what
makes Burlesque so great, how she started
her school, and what Burlesque is all about.
What is Burlesque?
Burlesque literally means “to poke fun at”
or “to mock”. Many people believe burlesque
to be a ‘thing’, but it’s not—it is an action word!
Dating back to 17th century Victorian theater,
it can include; literary, dramatic, or musical
elements that are intended to cause laughter.
The striptease element of burlesque was introduced in American burlesque during the mid
19th century. It was discovered that sexuality,
sensuality and comedy can soften the blow of
a personal or controversial message of an act.
How did you get started in Burlesque?
In 2008, after going through rough
breakups, my roommate and I decided we
wanted to start a burlesque troupe. We held
auditions and the group St. Vitus and the Taxi
Dancers were born. We performed for about
two years throughout the Des Moines area. As
with many groups, people graduated, started
families, and moved away. I decided to keep
at it because it wasn’t just a hobby for me—it
became my life and still is.
How long has the school been open
and what are your plans going forward
into the future?
I founded the school in 2011 and began
the apprentice program in 2012. Going into the
future, I hope to continue to add more classes
into the curriculum include more fitness
oriented classes and broaden our spectrum
of education by attending more conventions
and festivals. This would also include adding
more instructors and growing our student
community.
How did the idea and decision for the
school come about?
The idea for the school came about gradually. I was receiving emails about if and when
there were going to have regular classes. I then
sat down and decided it was time to figure
out a way to pass on my knowledge. The Des
Moines Social Club was the first place I considered my home as a burlesque artist so I went
back to them with my idea. I’ve grown with
them and the school is an entity of the club.
We are very lucky to be a part of something
so positive for the community.
What does one do at a school of
Burlesque?
Grow. We focus much of our attention on
body positivity, confidence and owning your
sensuality/sexuality. Our classes are taught
in layers and the content was formulated to
translate from classroom to daily life. One can
expect to learn stage techniques, burlesque
movement, musicality, confidence building
and, of course, tassel twirling, among other
things.
How does one come up with a stage
name? What are some stage names of your
students/performers?
Creating a stage name is more of a complicated process than one would think. While I
don’t want to divulge ALL of the secrets behind
our method, I will mention that you need to
do your homework before settling or falling
in love with a name. You want to be unique,
one-of-a-kind, and true to the character of
your stage persona. Some of our performers’
names are: Gin Appropriate, Mae the Force,
Lady Hyde and Foxy the Wolf.
Do performers need a certain look,
specific talents?
No way! Burlesque is for anyone. One
of the most spectacular things about our
community is that there is space for everyone.
You don’t have to have a theater background,
be a certain height or fit into some preposterous weight category. We welcome all and are
excited to learn what they have to offer—now
that is special!
What types of music is used in performances?
All! Any genre of music can be used. I
have seen acts performed to jazz or blues...and
have also seen things done to rock and rap!
How often and what type of venues do
you typically perform in?
We all perform regularly. This means
BLAZING SADDLE
Drake University in 2012 with a double major
in writing and film—the first ever graduate
from Drake with a major in film. Shawn is
a producer and director, known for Cherish
(2012), Claddagh (2011) and Masks (2013).
He talks about the inspiration for the reality
show, how people can be a part of it, and what
he hopes the show accomplishes.
Where did the idea for a reality show
come from?
The idea for the project came from me
working freelance photography at The Blazing
Saddle. I was always hearing comments from
The Blazing Saddle patrons and employees,
“If Honey Boo Boo or Duck Dynasty can have
a show then why not The Blazing Saddle?” I
decided to act on that.
What do you hope the reality show
accomplishes?
I hope the project does numerous
things. I hope for it to help and promote The
Blazing Saddle along with Des Moines and
Iowa, to really show what the Midwest has to
offer. I hope that it helps the LGBT community
by giving perspective and understanding to
people outside the community. I hope this
project helps all the individuals working on
the film side to further establish themselves
in the filming industry.
How can people be a part of it?
People can be a part of it by being a
customer, supporting this project and bar,
spreading the word, and people who donate
to this project will automatically get an interview. You can find this project on Kickstarter
or Like us on Facebook, and watch and share
the trailer.
Stinky (left) and Shawn June. (right) first night filming at The Blazing Saddle.
Are you doing anything special and/
or unique for the reality show?
We are doing a few things special and
unique for the project. We are taking stylistic
elements of reality TV and documentary filmmaking, and combining them together. We are
also using social media like Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and Vimeo to hear and see what
people are saying about the project. Then
anywhere from 2-5 times per month! We
normally perform in theaters and bars, but
have also performed in ballrooms, restaurants,
living rooms and even a few backyards. We
are a versatile group and can make most any
room our stage.
How is the school funded?
Our school is funded from ticket sales at
our shows, workshops and classes, merchandise sales and from our very own pockets.
What is the cost for attendance?
Our workshops are $30 for 2-hours.
We also have an annual, by-application-only
apprentice program for students interested in
performance and a profession in the burlesque
world.
What are some of your upcoming
events?
Underbusted: Attack of the Boob Tube,
March 28 and 29, doors open at 8pm and the
show starts at 9pm at the Des Moines Social
Club/ Kum and Go Theater, 900 Mulberry
Street/Downtown Des Moines, Iowa.
For more information go to
IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com or search for
them on Facebook.com.
Iowa School of Burlesque 2013.
when we do interviews we bounce off from
the social media to make it more personalized and connected with the community and
demographics. What work goes into a reality show
that people wouldn’t normally think of?
The work that goes into this project that
people wouldn’t normally think of is always
accurately portraying The Blazing Saddle in
the correct light so that it doesn’t receive a
backlash. It is very important that this legendary bar be shown for its character, worth,
and value. Outside of that…making sure that
the cast, crew, and customers are happy and
informed of being filmed so there are no problems. We film in a live environment (nothing
is staged, it’s all real), but our focus point is in
the eye of the storm, the staff at The Blazing
TTBLAZING SADDLE cont’d page 24
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 5
From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing, Executive Director One Iowa
Bigotry as Religious
Freedom in Arizona
Arizona is a wild and often wonderful
place. Years ago, many years ago, on my
first trek across the country; Route 66 took
me to Arizona. For this girl from cramped
and crabby New England, the breathtaking
vistas, mountains and valleys were almost
more than I could take in. Back then it still
seemed like the rough and tumble west. I
bought cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat.
Folks were friendly, open. I thought that
Arizona was a place where a person could
be herself, a place that embraced both
diversity and freedom. A place of exquisite
beauty and challenges I had never experienced including rattlesnakes, scorpions
and mountain lions. It was different and it
was dangerous. It was the place of Wyatt
Earp and Doc Holliday and Chief Cochise
and Geronimo.
Over the years I have come to love
Tucson; from the Saguaro National Park
to Old Tucson. To my New England palate
(think chowdah and codfish) the food was
miraculous: stuffed squash blossoms, cactus
buds, mesquite, agave syrup and tortilla
soup.
I appreciate the diversity of its people.
Of the 6.6 million who live in Arizona, more
than 30% are Hispanic or Latino. More
than 5% are Native American, 4.5% Black
or African American, 3.4% Asian, Hawai-
ian or Pacific Islander and 2.5% mixed
race. The culture of the state is clearly
influenced by its Native American roots,
and the immigrant populations who came
from the south (Mexico) and the north (the
Midwest). I used to think that Arizona was
a place people moved to with big dreams.
Whether a family headed north from Sonora
or southwest from Iowa, they came for
jobs and land and the
opportunity to make
a better life for themselves. Add to this mix
the snowbirds and the
military people who
returned after World
War II. Motorola chose
Arizona for its military
operations in 1948 and
began what would be a high-technology
influx that continues with Intel and others.
Into this subtropical desert came a mix
of people and politics, ideas and cultures,
foods and feelings and somehow that rich
diversity roiled and boiled and bubbled into
the Arizona we know today.
With about 2% of the nation’s population, Arizona has more federal prosecutions than any other federal district in the
country. According to a recent “Grassroots
Leadership” report, almost one out of every
five federal prosecutions filed in the nation
were in Arizona. And, because of SB 1070,
the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe
Neighborhoods Act, the controversial antiillegal immigration measure, 84.5% were
for immigrant violations.
Private prisons and for profit detention centers seem to be an Arizona growth
industry: the buying and selling of human
beings. Pinal County has been dubbed
Penal County because of the proliferation
of for-profit incarceration, a place where
prison busses are
more commonly seen
than school busses on
that stretch of desert
highway.
Recently Maricopa County Sheriff
Joe Arpaio and his staff
were found to have
violated the constitutional rights of Latinos by targeting them in
raids and traffic stops. Arpaio has become
the symbol of Arizona’s ‘get tough’ law
enforcement. Over the years, he has been
found to have engaged in misconduct and
racial profiling. That would be profiling
against a population that is more than 30%
Hispanic or Latino.
The conservative factions of Arizona
are so conservative that in January the
Republican Party of that state formally
censured Senator John McCain saying that
his record was “disastrous and harmful” to
the state and nation. A Party spokesman
went on to say: “Only in times of great
futuristic science fiction, I loved Spike Jonze’s
movie, “Her.” About fifteen minutes into the
movie I realized that it wasn’t fiction and
not all that futuristic. Joaquin Phoenix plays
Theodore Twombly, described by Daniel
Jones as a man who sometimes resembles
a machine whose default setting is isolation. People are plugged in to machines, not
people.
Theodore falls in love with his computer’s operating system. It is a classic boymeets-girl romance except for the fact that
one of them doesn’t have a body. Theodore
created the “body in
his mind’s eye; he now
has the perfect lover.
In one powerful scene,
“Samantha” responds to Theodore ever
more slowly. She seems distracted. When
Theodore confronts her, she confesses that
she’s having similar “intimate” conversations
simultaneously with over 8000 other men.
Theodore feels betrayed. Samantha—like
some people—is nothing more than an operating system expressing her undying love to
the multitudes.
In on-line relationships, men bare
themselves emotionally (and
sometimes physically) making
themselves vulnerable in ways
they would rarely risk face-toface. Real relationships can be
messy and demanding. You
can share every secret with
your e-lover. You’re one click
away from safety, close your
laptop and then walk away.
Your e-lover never asks why
you didn’t pay the electric bill.
On-line every man has a
penis as big as a beer can, and he works out
at least five times a week. Profile photos are
often from an earlier decade in one’s life, or
perhaps an earlier decade in someone else’s
life. If you don’t lie in your profile, you can’t
compete with all the others who do.
Many of the men on-line are either
married “heterosexual” men or in same-sex
relationships. They speak of passionless love
lives, failing to recognize that sex in all long
term relationships becomes a bit repetitious.
They go on-line to create same-sex romantic
novellas preferring their “laptop” to communicating directly with
their spouses.
Whether gay or
straight, beginning to
date again in mid-life returns one to emotional adolescence. Dating in real time puts one
out there to be judged and often rejected. If
you’re newly out you may be unsure of how
to dress, what language to speak, what to
speak about, and ultimately, how to make
love “correctly.”
When you hide behind a computer
screen you don’t have to worry about bad
breath or spinach stuck to a front tooth; it
allows you to control and edit your thoughts.
It is turbo-charged speed dating and you
never have to pay for dinner. No worries
about first date sex if you have the option of
putting your operating system on “hibernate.”
Your “Soul Mate in a Box,” as Jones calls it,
demands and gets your best.
Social media has expanded our worlds in
ways I could never have imagined. A concert
pianist from Eastern Europe read my book
on his smart phone and we chatted several
times about it. For many of the LGBT men
and women in oppressed societies, it remains
And now the Arizona state
legislature has become the
first in the nation to pass a bill
that would protect discrimination based on religious
belief.
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD
Dr. Olson,
I am a 45 year old man, recently divorced,
and have begun to come out. I really want to
find a long term relationship. I have met many
interesting men on-line, but why are all the
perfect men always so far away?
Seeker
Dear Seeker,
Your question reminds me of the safety
warnings on our rear view mirrors: objects
in (the) mirror are closer than they appear.
Whether it’s green grass or men, objects at
a distance seem more tempting than those
near to us.
While researching for my book, Finally
Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, I spoke
on-line with hundreds of men; perhaps
because I was at a distance, they told me some
of their most secret thoughts. This provided
me with a panoramic, multi-cultural view of
mature gay men. Your question was asked
by men from all over the world. I always
responded, “I know there are good men
where you are.” I began to ask myself, “Why
aren’t good men able to find other good men
in their own neighborhoods?”
Although I am not usually drawn to
People are plugged into
machines, not people.
Donna Red Wing is the Executive Director of
One Iowa. She served as Executive Director
of Grassroots Leadership, as Chief of Staff at
Interfaith Alliance, she was a member of the
Obama’s kitchen cabinet on LGBT concerns,
and was Howard Dean’s outreach liaison to
the LGBT communities. Red Wing was the
first recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award
for Faith & Freedom. Red Wing serves on
the national board of the Velvet Foundation,
which is building the national LGBT museum
in Washington, DC. Contact Donna at
OneIowa.org or donna@oneiowa.org.
crisis or betrayal is it necessary to publicly
censure our leaders. Today we are faced with
both. For too long we have waited, hoping
Senator McCain would return to our Party’s
values on his own. That has not happened.”
In this mix of conservative politics
TTRED WING cont’d page 31
Loren A. Olson MD is a board certified
psychiatrist in the clinical practice of
psychiatry for over 35 years. Dr. Olson has
conducted research on mature gay and
bisexual men for his book, Finally Out:
Letting Go of Living Straight, a Psychiatrist’s
Own Story. He has presented on this subject
at conferences across the United States and
Internationally. His blog, MagneticFire.
com, has a strong following among mature
gay and bisexual men. He established Prime
Timers of Central Iowa, a social organization
for mature gay/bisexual men. For more
information go to FinallyOutBook.com or
contact him on Facebook.com.
their only access to a tolerant and accepting
world. I have met many people who were
rescued from a life of loneliness and have
loving and committed relationships that
began with a teasing text message. But there
is a downside.
Social media can be an escape, a way of
avoiding confronting conflict in a real relationship. It can be a hard habit to break and
TTSHRINK RAP cont’d page 31
ACCESSline Page 6
MARCH 2014
Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld
Kansas Hits New Low
I believe one of the litmus tests by
which a society can be judged is the ways
it treats its young people, for this opens a
window projecting how that society operates generally.
If a Kansas lawmaker has her way,
parents and other adults of the parents’
choosing could legally whack a child with
up to 10 blows of the
hand that could leave
redness or bruising.
Current Kansas law
allows spanking that
does not leave marks.
State Rep. Gail Finney,
a Democrat from
Wichita, says she wants to restore parents’
rights to discipline unruly youth.
The proposed law raises many critical
questions we as a society must address.
First, should parents and adults generally
have rights to physically punish young
people, or even more basically, should
adults have rights to aggressively enter
young people’s bodily spaces? Also, what
are the long-term and lasting impacts on
young people who have been forced to
endure corporeal punishments? And a
point often overlooked or dismissed, what
are the inherent rights of young people?
Adultism, as defined by John Bell
includes “behaviors and attitudes based
on the assumption that adults are better
than young people, and entitled to act upon
young people without their agreement.
This mistreatment is reinforced by social
institutions, laws, customs, and attitudes.”
(http://www.freechild.org/bell.htm)
Even the terminology our society
employs to refer to the young betrays a
hierarchal power dynamic. For example,
we refer to youth
as “kids,” a term
originally applying
to young goats. By
referring to young
people as farm animals
provides adults cover
in controlling and
maintaining unlimited power over human
beings. (We must treat and respect animals
more than we do as well.) Even the term
“child” implies an imbalance of power.
When people refer to an individual of any
age as “the child of,” that individual is
automatically seen in a diminutive form.
Of course, parents and other adults
have the inherent responsibility of protecting young people from harming themselves
and being harmed by others, and of teaching them how to live and function in society
within our ever changing global community. In Freudian terms, we must develop
a balance between the individual’s unre-
strained instinctual drives and restraints
(repression) on these drives in the service
of maintaining society (civilization).
We as a society, nonetheless, must set
a line demarcating protection from control,
teaching from oppression, minimal
and fundamental repression from what
Herbert Marcuse terms “surplus-repression” (that which goes over and beyond
what is necessary for the protection of
the individual and the smooth functioning
of society, and entering into the realm of
domination).
Within an adultist society, adults
construct the rules, with little or no input
from youth, which they force the young
people to follow.
Watching the first installment in
The Hunger Games series of young adult
novels by Suzanne Collins released in 2008
recently made into a series of movies, I was
quite fascinated by what I interpreted as a
commentary on our oppressive (surplusrepressive) society. The story is presented
through the perspective of 16-year-old
Katniss Everdeen, and takes place in
Panem, the post-apocalyptic nation where
once the countries of North America
existed. The Capitol (as it is named), a
technologically advanced metropolis,
exerts total political control over the entire
nation. The Hunger Games denotes an
annual event in which one young woman
follow up after a health care provider or
peace officer is exposed to them occupationally (HIV, viral hepatitis, meningococcal disease, and
tuberculosis).
Stages penalties
according to whether
there was intent to
harm and whether
harm occurred:
Class B felony
when there is intent to transmit and
disease transmission takes place.
Class D felony when there is intent to
transmit but no transmission takes place.
Class D felony when a person exposes
another to an infectious or contagious
disease with reckless disregard and transmission takes place.
Serious misdemeanor when a person
exposes another to an infectious or contagious disease with reckless disregard, but
there is no transmission.
The Iowa Department of Public Health
has recommended
assuring consistency
in controls and penalties across comparable
contagious diseases.
In a fact sheet released
last year, it suggests:
Criminal disease statutes should avoid
stigmatizing or singling out a specific
disease, such as HIV, especially when there
is currently very good evidence that HIVspecific statutes do not change a person’s
risk or disclosure behaviors (Burris, 2007).
Penalties should reflect the actual risk
of causing harm– those behaviors that are
unlikely to result in transmission should
not be criminalized;
Felonies should be reserved for intentional and/or documented transmission;
Statutes should reflect the fact that
new treatment therapies exist that render
HIV less dangerous than was the case in
1998 when many HIV statutes were passed
(Nakagawa, 2011).
IOWA: we had an incredible victory
last week; we need to build on it in the
coming weeks. I am asking for your help
THIS WEEK. PLEASE contact your state
Representative; we need to talk to everyone in the Iowa House. I am attaching the
newest fact sheet for Senate File 2297,
please read through it, share your personal
story, the facts and CONTACT your legislator ASAP. Also, ask them to talk with House
leadership to usher this bill through the
House. THIS IS OUR YEAR, let’s continue
I know, too well, what
it is like to sit and to stare
aimlessly and wonder if
anyone cares or if anything
matters
Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught
Senate File 2297 passes
through Iowa Senate
UNANIMOUSLY 48 – 0
On February 27th the Iowa Senate
passed Senate File 2279 unanimously with
a vote of 48 to 0. SF2297 repeals Iowa Code
709C, Iowa’s HIV specific criminalization
law, and creates the “Contagious or Infectious Disease Transmission Act”.
If passed, the new law would no longer
be HIV specific and would rely on a tiered
sentencing system rather than the “one size
fits all” approach in the current 709c law.
Senate File 2297
Defines “contagious or infectious
diseases” as those conditions that the
public health department has designated
in Iowa Code 139A as deserving of special
Warren J. Blumenfeld is author of
Warren’s Words: Smart Commentary on
Social Justice (Purple Press); editor of
Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price
(Beacon Press), and co-editor of Readings
for Diversity and Social Justice (Routledge)
and Investigating Christian Privilege and
Religious Oppression in the United States
(Sense). www.warrenblumenfeld.com
and one young man aged 12–18 from each
of the twelve districts surrounding the
Capitol are selected by lottery to compete
in a televised battle to the death. Of the 24
contestants, only one will survive.
Think about this next time you are
about to strike a young person. Think about
this during the legislative debate in Kansas,
for if Representative Finney’s proposed bill
passes the full state legislature, metaphorically law makers will have dipped blue
litmus paper into the mix turning it a deep
red signifying a toxic and corrosive acid.
Felonies should be
reserved for intentional
and/or documented
transmission.
Pictured L to R: Matty Smith One Iowa Communication Director, Jordan Selha Co-Chair
for the Iowa HIV Community Planning Group, Senator Charles Schneider, Tami Haught
CHAIN Community Organizer, Keenan Crow One Iowa Community Outreach Coordinator,
Becky Smith One Iowa Intern. Senator Charles Schneider spent a considerable amount of
time negotiating and compromising with us to reach UNANIMOUS bi-partisan support in
the Iowa Senate. Photo courtesy of Matty Smith, One Iowa.
Tami Haught has been living with HIV
for almost 20 years. She is the CHAIN
Community Organizer, President for
PITCH, and new member of the SERO
Project Board of Directors. Tami started
speaking out about her HIV status when
her son started school hoping that
providing education and facts would
make life easier for her son, by fighting
the stigma, discrimination, isolation,
and criminalization people living with
HIV/AIDS face daily. Contact info: tami.
haught2012@gmail.com website:
www.pitchiowa.com
to build on our momentum and get SF2297
through the House and to the Governor’s
desk for signature.
Thank you so much, please this week
is VERY important make the call, send that
email.
Not sure who your legislator is, click
on this link and put in your zip code, it will
list your legislator and contact information:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislatorslegis.iowa.gov/legislators.
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 7
Minor Details by Robert Minor
Fantasize with Me: Men
Comfortable in their Skin
This past month an All-American defensive lineman named by the Associated Press
as the South East Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year told an interviewer
from ESPN that he’s gay. Michael Sam from
the University of Missouri announced to the
world what teammates and coaches already
knew: “I am an openly, proud gay man.”
Media speculation began as to how
this would affect his chances in the upcoming National Football League draft. But his
University of Missouri coach expressed
unambiguous pride.
“We’re really happy for Michael that
he’s made the decision to announce this,
and we’re proud of him and how he represents Mizzou,” Gary Pinkel said. “Michael is
a great example of just how important it is
to be respectful of others, he’s taught a lot of
people here first-hand that it doesn’t matter
what your background is, or your personal
orientation, we’re all on the same team and
we all support each other.”
The NFL also released a statement of
support:
“We admire Michael Sam’s honesty
and courage,” NFL senior vice president of
communications Greg Aiello said. “Michael is
a football player. Any player with ability and
determination can succeed in the NFL. We
look forward to welcoming and supporting
Michael Sam in 2014.”
There were critical responses, some
laughable if they weren’t coming out of
still deeply entrenched homophobia and
anti-gay bias. Most repeated was the anonymous comment of an NFL player personnel
assistant worried about chemistry: “ It’d
chemically imbalance an NFL locker room
and meeting room.”
The majority echoed the positive
support of Missouri’s coach. Some went so
far as to challenge any
of Sam’s critics to see
if they’d be willing to
denigrate the 6’2, 260
pound defensive end to
his face.
The assumption
must be that this big,
strong, manly, man’s
presence would scare
his critics into fear that
they’d get their comeuppance in some manly violent sort of way. Don’t
mess with a real man.
On the one hand we have another
example of someone coming out who “does
not fit the stereotypes of gay men.” That’s
still a lesson society hasn’t learned—there’s
no “the gay lifestyle” any more than there’s
the heterosexual lifestyle.
Men who fit our culture’s masculine role
can walk past someone, work with them,
play along side them, and even be members
of their families, without someone assuming
they’re gay. “Straight-acting” men and women
are less suspicious to most of us.
But though someone like Michael Sam
might challenge our gay stereotypes, they do
not challenge our straight masculine ones.
They do not allow any man to take off his
“straight-acting” mask, no matter what his
sexual orientation might be without assumptions about his manhood and, therefore still,
his queerness.
Even parents who advocate for their gay
children can buy into the belief that if a little
boy is somehow supersensitive, creative,
nurturing, caring, and
gentle, he must be gay.
It’s as if we are to write
off heterosexuality as
somehow hopelessly
gendered, and heterosexual men as naturally
the opposite sex of the
(also stereotypical)
feminine one.
Grown heterosexual males know they’re
assumed to actually be gay and closeted if they
don’t live the manly role because they’re too
neat, nice, gentle, kind, and culture-oriented.
One would hope that these men have gotten to
the place where the assumption that they’re
really gay doesn’t matter and won’t force
them to “prove” that they’re actually real men.
We already have too many men who
in fear of being thought of as gay respond
by showing violently or otherwise in their
treatment of women and gay men that
they’re on the straight team. Insecurity in
one’s sexual orientation, but even more so in
one’s manhood, breeds hyper-masculinity in
its stereotypical forms.
To assume that boys who don’t fit the
“boys will be boys” stereotype must be gay is
to somehow lose hope in heterosexual men.
It’s to stop expecting heterosexual men to also
be kind, nurturing, sensitive, and creative. It’s
to give up on males.
And the result is the societal encouragement of boys to be, well, boys. It’s then
to criticize them later for being out of touch
with all that gets labeled their “feminine
side” as if these suspect characteristics aren’t
masculine.
And the ultimate giving up is to treat the
male role as innate. All that’s left to do with
men when they act too manly is to send them
to anger management, drug them, or throw
them in prison.
Football is a dangerous sport neatly
fitting male stereotypes. Meanwhile, the news
reports that chronic and traumatic brain inju-
Men who fit our culture’s
masculine role can walk past
someone, work with them,
play along side them, and
even be members of their
families, without someone
assuming they’re gay.
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at
the University of Kansas, is author of When
Religion Is an Addiction;
Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to
Accept Gay People and Why It’s So
Hard to Be Human and Gay & Healthy
in a Sick Society. Contact him at
www.FairnessProject.org.
ries and resulting mental disease, concussion
syndromes, and even suicide are the price
paid by athletes so that money can be made
and people can enjoy an “All American” sport.
And gay people have as much a right
to all of the healthy and sick institutions
a society gives to straight people, with all
their consequences. That includes football,
marriage, and the military.
But somewhere, somehow I’d like to
fantasize that maybe even Michael Sam isn’t
buying into the stereotype of masculinity
that lingers behind so many discussions of
his coming out. I’d like to think that unlike
many gay men, he’s secure enough to let
manhood be even more diverse than sexual
orientations. And in an even wilder fantasy,
I’d like to believe we’d celebrate masculine
diversity without any limits.
I’m hoping that after breaking gay male
stereotypes, Michael Sam and his generation
can also reject masculine ones. I’m cheering
for the day when no one assumes anything
about what it is to be a real man, and that
men can be comfortable embracing the whole
range of human experience, especially the
parts they’ve been told aren’t manly.
“I’m not afraid to tell the world who I am,”
Michael Sam told ESPN. “ I’m Michael Sam:
I’m a college graduate. I’m African American,
TTMINOR DETAILS cont’d page 15
ACCESSline Page 8
MARCH 2014
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson
A Little History to
Track Our Progress
Lawrence case correctly predicted that the
decision would lead inevitably to the legalization of gay marriage. And so it is.
The reason for that prediction was that
In case after case in the federal courts,
we are seeing state constitutional bans on gay there is essentially only one exception to the
marriage struck down as unconstitutional. requirement under the Full Faith and Credit
The most recent has been the state of Virginia, Clause that all states recognize the lawful
the state that gave us Loving v. Virginia where acts of the sister states. States don’t have to
do it if doing so would
the Supreme Court
violate the public policy
struck down all remainof the state as expressed
ing misogyny laws and
in its criminal laws. So,
legalized interracial
for example, prostitution
marriages throughout
is legal in Nevada. It’s a
the United States.
crime in Iowa. If a pimp
The recent rash of
and prostitute are on a
pro-gay marriage cases
road trip across Iowa
is relatively easy for
from Nevada and get
even non-legal scholars
into a dispute over the
to comprehend; all it
takes is a basic understanding that “equal” division of proceeds, they cannot resort to
probably does mean “equal” (as in equal the Iowa courts to resolve the matter. Their
= equal) and, in order to have a “unified” underlying contract violates Iowa’s crimiUnited States of America, the various states nal laws, making it unenforceable in Iowa
must respect the lawful enactments of sister no matter what effect it would be given in
states. Both of those principles are enshrined Nevada. The same would be true of a lawful
in the United States Constitution thanks to the marriage of first cousins in Alabama; Iowa
Equal Protection Clause and the Full Faith and wouldn’t have to recognize that marriage
Credit Clause. This is 5th grade government because it would violate Iowa’s criminal laws
against incest.
class stuff.
Once sodomy was decriminalized in all
It’s interesting to reflect upon how we
have gotten here from where we were forty- states thanks to Lawrence, the die was cast.
two years ago when I was 27 and same-gender No longer could a state rely upon its crimiintimacy was considered a mental illness nal laws as a basis for refusing to recognize
and was a crime in every state in the Union. lawful gay marriages taking place in sister
Among the advances since then, perhaps the states. At the time of Lawrence, of course,
most important was the case of Lawrence v. there were no lawful gay marriages in any
Texas ten years ago, in which the United States state, so test cases were delayed until some
Supreme Court struck down all remaining state legalized gay marriage. The imminent
laws criminalizing sodomy—an act suppos- prospect that Hawaii would be the first state
edly unique to gay relationships (even though to do so was the impetus for passage of the
we all know that’s not true—which may have so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
that purported, by Congressional enactment,
contributed to the outcome of the case).
One of the dissenting justices in the to give states permission to ignore the Full
Faith and Credit Clause of the US Constitution.
Again, 5th grade government stuff; Congress
cannot amend the Constitution or carve out
exemptions from its guarantees.
Against the backdrop of multiple state
courts recognizing gay marriages, multiple
state legislatures legalizing gay marriages,
and state-level ballot initiatives supporting
gay marriage from sea to shining sea, the US
Supreme Court took up the Windsor case challenging DOMA. In that case, two women, citizens of New York whose Canadian marriage
was recognized by the state of New York,
were faced with huge tax liability when one
of them died and the IRS refused to recognize
their New York recognized marriage because
of DOMA. The US Supreme Court held that
DOMA was a federal infringement upon the
right of the state of New York to decide who
was and wasn’t married among its citizens—a
deference historically given to the individual
states by the federal government. It also held
that DOMA infringed upon the equal protection guarantees of the US Constitution. It did
not decide how that ruling would play out in
the context of Full Faith and Credit among
the several states because that particular
issue was not before the Court; the case did
not involve any dispute between states or a
refusal of any state to recognize the laws or
lawful marriages of another state.
But the rationale in the Windsor case has
proven to be inescapable when it has been
tested in subsequent cases that do properly
raise the Full Faith and Credit constitutional
guarantee coupled with the guarantee of
equal protection. Eighteen court decisions
have since addressed the issue of equality
based on sexual orientation and equality has
won every time. It has been 5th grade government class, revisited. The Full faith and Credit
Clause is still in the Constitution, and so is the
guarantee of equality.
The interesting thing: Justice Kennedy
wrote the decision in Lawrence that Justice
Scalia, in dissent, predicted would lead to
legalization of gay marriage, and Justice
Kennedy also wrote the decision in Windsor
that is making Scalia’s prediction come
true. Justice Scalia can take comfort that his
prediction was right; Justice Kennedy can
take comfort that he has been on the right
side of history and also right on the cherished
Constitutional principles of equal protection
under the law for all law-abiding citizens.
tied to whether the government recognizes
you as spouses.
The demise of DOMA marks a turning
point in of the ability of married same-sex
couples to access Social Security retirement
and survivor’s benefits. Although the Social
Security Administration (SSA) is still working
out the full scope of protections available
to claimants with same-sex spouses, some
protections are clear. For example, SSA is
already processing claims for retirement
benefits, lump sum death benefits, and spousal
survivor benefits for couples who were validly
married and who live in a state that respects
their marriage.
SSA continues to work with the Department of Justice to determine how it will treat
claims by married claimants who live in a
state that does not respect their marriage
or by claimants who have a civil union or
registered domestic partnership, among other
issues. In the meantime, SSA strongly encourages anyone who thinks they might meet the
eligibility requirements for spousal benefits
to go ahead and apply regardless of where
they live. There is no penalty for applying,
even if SSA later determines that you are not
eligible, and applying now starts the clock
from which potential benefits will begin if they
are granted. SSA has set up a special section of
its website to address post-DOMA questions,
which you can find here.
For transgender spouses, SSA has an
unfortunate policy of referring all claims
for spousal benefits to its regional counsel
offices for review. This policy often results in
unnecessary delays and errors as the counsel’s
office evaluates the validity of the marriage.
Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Project
filed suit on behalf of Robina Asti, a 92-yearold transgender woman who was denied
survivor benefits by SSA after her husband’s
death. The agency denied her benefits after
it determined that she was “legally male” at
the time of their marriage despite her three
decades of living as a woman and all the legal
documents to the contrary.
If you feel you have been discriminated
against based on your age, sexual orientation,
gender identity or HIV status, or have questions about your ability to seek Social Security
spousal benefits, please contact our Legal Help
Desk http://www.lambdalegal.org/help.
If a pimp and prostitute
are on a road trip across Iowa
from Nevada and get into a
dispute over the division of
proceeds, they cannot resort
to the Iowa courts to resolve
the matter.
Ask Lambda Legal by Karen Loewy
Lambda Legal Senior Attorney and
Seniors Program Strategist for Lambda
Legal.
LGBT Seniors
Q: My partner and I have been together
for more than 30 years, and as we advance in
age, we’re wondering: will we be able to get
each other’s Social Security benefits if one of us
lives longer than the other?
As our community ages, additional
concerns may arise with regards to discrimination because we are gay, lesbian, bisexual
or transgender. Historically, LGBT senior citizens have been particularly vulnerable when
it comes to exercising their right to federal
benefits like Social Security, which are partly
Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the
Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines,
and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club
(ffbciowa.org), an educational, non-profit
corporation for gay men in Iowa who
gather on the first Friday of every month to
provide mutual support, to be educated on
community affairs, and to further educate
community opinion leaders with more
positive images of gay men.
It is the largest breakfast club in the
state of Iowa. He can be contacted at
JonathanWilson@DavisBrownLaw.com.
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 9
What is Joy (Part II) by Tony Dillon-Hansen
With mental Illness and depression,
people wonder what you do when you are
depressed. Some wonder how to alleviate
the affliction that no one sees. Part II of this
exploratory means to discuss how depression
can impact someone. Again, I am speaking
from my own experience, but hopefully, this
dialogue will help others afflicted by depression to find opportunities.
We know that
depression affects
people of all stripes,
stages, ages and opportunities. Yet, we compel
ourselves to think of
depression as dark,
lonely corners and pin-striped, pajama attire
with blank walls and motionless. This is
an image of the social stigma attached to
depression.
Depression is often accompanied by the
person withdrawing from activities, friends
and family. In severe cases, this can lead to
total isolation and sometimes suicide. Some
may consider this condition to be their “lot
in life” as a result of poverty or some other
tragedy in life and yet, do nothing to treat
this. For many, these tragic experiences seem
to come in multiples rather than as singular
events. Yet, in these moments, some of the
world’s greatest minds have found unique,
perhaps utterly artistic or genius, explorations of science, mind and body as a result
(sometimes directly).
Aside from treatments, some believe
that altering these feelings (specifically
medicinally) as altering ones’ very being
into some anatomic state of “normalcy”. Yet
with this idea, we can wonder if the goal of
treatment is to rid the world of ideas that
could transform the society into merely
something different. Artistic expression and
apparently un-orthodox ideas may provoke
others to improve society when the person
holding the ideas could
not understand the
value of oneself. When
you can hear your mind
debating the merit of
basic activities, complex
ideas of physics, social
behavior, or political
systems may seem easy
to comprehend in ways that some have never
considered.
For these reasons, among many, we may
be willing to speak out about some things
that should be said because there seems to
be nothing to lose. The result could mean
measurable progress and improvements
when we correct problems rather than ignoring the issues (if only we could translate that
to personal improvement.)
Depression may be a chemical or psychological condition, but there are emotional and
spiritual elements that do not want to let go
of the pain. I am also conscience of the idea
that some of these professional “treatments”
are destructive beyond the bad feelings to
some people.
The path of realizing one’s own pain
journey may find many others also wounded
as well because they happen to be in the path
I know, too well, what
it is like to sit and to stare
aimlessly and wonder
if anyone cares or if
anything matters.
of the depression when the suffering person
does not realize the pain they are pushing onto
others. I know that I inflicted pain upon people
when they appeared to “attack” at the core of
my wounds instead of relieving them. Illusions
can give someone many wrong emotions
and impressions of what people are doing.
Nevertheless, I cannot apologize enough to
those whom I have injured regardless of how
wrong or right I was.
I know, too well, what it is like to sit and to
stare aimlessly and wonder if anyone cares or
if anything matters. I know that most people
go about their business in life and do not worry
themselves about these things. Worthlessness
is powerful feeling that bleeds enthusiasm
away from your soul and into despair. Whitman’s words:
“The question, O me! so sad, recurringWhat good amid these, O me, O life?”
These poetic words for some yield no
answer. Yet, depression seems as a way, if
anything for those able to tolerate the impacts,
to have become somewhat “resilient” regardless of how much we hide from it.
I agree with Andrew Solomon in a
TED talk where he states, “Depression is so
exhausting. It takes up so much of your time
and energy, and silence about it, it really does
make the depression worse”. Without intervention or treatment, that time consumed by
depression is more exhausting and extensive.
In his same address, he talks about how
amazing that depression can be alleviated by
people in most ridiculous ways “standing on
your head” and only depressed people would
understand or try just to alleviate their own
Tony E Dillon-Hansen is a web developer,
organizer, researcher, writer, martial artist,
and vocalist from Des Moines. For more
information go to tigersnapdragons.com.
affliction (that no matter how goofy the idea,
you would be willing to give it a try). Even
an atheist may be willing to ask for divine
intervention to escape from the torments, the
horrors or from just being miserable.
I, like Mr. Solomon, agree to be grateful
to be alive and that we live in the right time
for figuring out depression. For me, I can see
pictures of family and can see the pain in the
eyes and wished I would have been able to
help. Maybe, I could have understood more
about my own situation.
Depression has been here and is here.
Depression is more than occasional bad feelings but is a perpetual perception of being
TTDILLON-HANSEN cont’d page 15
ACCESSline Page 10
MARCH 2014
In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe
Nigeria’s
LGBTQ-cleansing law
When Nigeria’s “yan dandu” population no longer walked freely and publicly
in their communities it was a clear and
ominous sign to everyone of what was
legislatively coming down the pike—a
new draconian anti-LGBTQ law.
For more than a century, the “yan
dandu,” (shorthand for “men who act
like women” or cross-dressers) population was an accepted Hausa subculture
in the Muslim north. As a Muslim Bori
practice the yan dandu’s religious ritual
is traditionally practiced and celebrated
among its most marginalized populations,
like sex workers, and gay, bisexual and
transgender men.
Since January, however, the group
that was surprisingly driven underground
is now being unearthed and actively
pursued for punishment and persecution
by murderous marauding gangs of their
fellow Muslim brothers.
On January 7th Nigeria’s president,
Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, enthusiastically
signed into law the Same Sex Marriage
(Prohibition) Act. Nigeria already had
in place harsh laws against its LGBTQ
population, but Mr. Jonathan’s recent edict
eerily hints of “queer-cleansing” with its
violent and systematic eradication of any
expressions of LGBTQ people, their livelihood and culture.
The act, which was unanimously
passed in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, not only prohibits people from
entering into same-sex marriages, but the
law also prescribes a 14 year jail sentence
to go with it.
And, if you’re straight and think
you’re safe you need to know this: it also
prescribes a guilty by association 10 year
jail sentence to LGBTQ friends and allies
“who administers, witnesses, abets or
aids” any form of gender non-conforming
and homosexual activities.
The law states, “any person who registers, operates (supports) or participates
in gay clubs, societies and organizations
directly or indirectly, makes a public
show of a same-sex amorous relationship
commits an offence and shall be liable to
a term of 10 years imprisonment.”
In a religiously conservative country
contentiously split between a predomi-
nately Muslim north and Christian south
the passing of the country’s recent
federal Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition)
Act seems sadly to be the one thing both
warring sides can agree on as a sign of a
unified front of both nationalist pride and
religious moral unity.
While clearly Shari’a law in the
Muslim north dominates and mandates
that sex-gender sexual
activity punishment is
meted out by the cruel
and torturous act of
death by stoning, in
the Christian south
sex-gender sexual
activity punishment
is meted out not only
by draconian laws
but also by vigilante
mobs wielding nail-studded clubs, iron
bars, whips, and wires shouting “We are
working for Jonathan” or we are “cleansing the community.”
“The government has given a
go-ahead authority to mob jungle justice,”
Mr. Orazulike of the International Center
for Advocacy on the Right to Health told
the “International Times.” “This is unacceptable. You can’t attack people violently
because of whom they choose to love.”
The international community has
denounced Nigeria’s recent act and has
criticized the country’s democracy. But
Nigerian lawmakers have pushed back
saying their country’s stance on criminalizing homosexuality is true evident
of a proud and participatory “democracy
in action.” And they have the numbers to
prove it. According to the Pew Research
Center survey conducted in March 2013,
98 percent of the country disapproves of
homosexuality.
In praising Jonathan’s law, former
Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo
told the “New York Times” that, “Every
culture has what they regard as sacrosanct
or important to them, and I don’t believe
what our president and lawmakers have
done in that respect is contrary to our
culture.”
While the international community
continues to denounce Nigeria’s recent
act, the country’s traditionalists and religious conservatives—both Muslims and
Christians—have made it clear they do
not like the world’s interference in their
business. They continue to contend that
homosexuality is anathema to African
identity and cultural and family values,
and that it’s one of the many ills that white
Europeans brought to the Motherland.
(A similar homophobic polemic is still
argued among religiously conservative
African Americans.)
But, truth be told,
the criminalization
of homosexuality in
Nigeria and other
African countries is a
byproduct of European colonialism. Nonetheless, the debate
over what’s “authentically African” and
what’s a vestige of
Western colonial influence always finds a way to deny the reality
of black LGBTQ existence. And Nigeria is
not alone: Thirty-six of fifty-four countries in the African continent criminalize
consensual sexual activity with people of
the same gender.
Pressure from the international
community has strongly expressed withholding developmental aid to Nigeria. But
economic sanctions against Nigeria that
were successfully used against Malawi
and Uganda would only serve as a slap
on the wrist because Nigeria is a major
oil producer where the U.S. purchases 70
percent of their oil.
With Nigeria’s passing of the Same
They continue to
contend that homosexuality is anathema to African
identity and cultural and
family values, and that it’s
one of the many ills that
white Europeans brought
to the Motherland.
Rev. Irene Monroe is a graduate from
Wellesley College and Union Theological
Seminary at Columbia University, and
she has served as a pastor at an AfricanAmerican church before coming to Harvard
Divinity School for her doctorate as Ford
Fellow. She is a syndicated queer religion
columnist who tries to inform the public
of the role religion plays in discrimination
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer people. Her website is
irenemonroe.com.
Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act murderous marauding homophobic gangs in the
Christian south will continue to chase
LGBTQ citizens from their homes leaving
their signature message, “Homosexuals,
pack and leave!” And in the Muslim north
the century-old small and marginalized
yan daudu subculture will simply over
time become extinct.
ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for March
3/8-9, Des Moines, Iowa, Civic Center, Ballet Des
Moines-Cinderella, DesMoinesPerformingArts.org
3/8, Des Moines, Iowa, Blazing Saddle, Iowa School
of Burlesque, IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com
3/9, Des Moines, Iowa, The Garden Nightclub,
Molly Ringwald: Inspired by
the Great American Songbook
interview by Arthur Breur
INK’D: Miss Gay Teen Iowa Unlimited
2014, GRDN.com
3/11, Urbandale, Iowa, Blank Park Zoo,
Gay Wedding Institute Certification
Course, IowasGayWeddingPlanner.com
3/13, Ames, Iowa, Stephens Auditorium, The TEN
Tenors on Broadway, Center. IAState.edu
3/14, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Club CO2,
319 Drag Kings: March Mystery
Madness, Club-CO2.com
3/15, Sioux City, Iowa, Orpheum Theatre,
Sioux City Symphony, SiouxCitySymphony.org
3/16, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, CSPS,
Pearl and the Beard, LegionArts.org
3/21, Des Moines, Iowa, Civic Center,
An Evening with Molly Ringwald,
DesMoinesPerformingArts.org
3/21-4/13, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Community
Playhouse, Les Miserables, DMPlayhouse.com
3/21, Iowa City, Iowa, Blue Moose,
Leslie & The LY’s, LeslieAndTheLYs.com
3/21-29, Waterloo, Iowa, Waterloo Center for the Arts,
Garage Sale, WCPBHCT.com
3/22, Waterloo, Iowa, McElroy Auditorium, CV Derby
Divas Double Header, CVDerbyDivas.com
3/22, Des Moines, Iowa, Sheslow Auditorium,
DMGMC: Sounds Without Bounds,
DMGMC.org
3/28-29, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Social Club,
Underbusted: Attack of the Boob Tube,
IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com
3/30, Des Moines, Iowa, The Blazing Saddle, Mr. & Ms.
Iowa Leather Beer Bust, TheBlazingSaddle.com
...and April
4/3, Mason City, Iowa, North Iowa Auditorium,
The Hit Men, TheHitMenSite.com
4/1, Des Moines, Iowa, The Temple for Performing Arts,
One Iowa Party for Equality, OneIowaGala.org
Molly Ringwald.
Audiences have embraced her on
Broadway as well as Off-Broadway. Molly
Ringwald spoke with ACCESSline about
growing in the spotlight, bullying, and her
LGBT following. She’s a novelist and she’s
fluent in French. You know her best from
1980’s movies such as Sixteen Candles, The
Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. But what
many people may not realize is that Molly
Ringwald, Broadway leading lady and icon
of the 1980‘s, has an authentic classic jazz
background. She grew up singing tunes
from the Great American Songbook with
her father, jazz pianist Bob Ringwald.
This March 21st, enjoy an intimate
evening with Molly Ringwald with Des
Moines Performing Arts, as she interprets
jazz standards from her brand new album,
Except Sometimes.
You are a jazz singer and will be
performing at Des Moines Performing
Arts on March 21st. Wall Street Journal
used the phrase “jazz chanteuse” for
you—does that go against peoples’
expectations?
People who have followed my career
closely know that I grew up with jazz, so
it’s not completely out of left field. It’s
something that I did before I did anything
else. But for people who just know me
from movies, it can be a bit surprising. But
I think it’s good to be surprising.
Our culture has trouble respecting
people who have more than one talent.
Especially someone who is famous
for one particular medium. Has that
affected you?
You know, I think that it’s true: we
live in a very specialized society and we
also like to put people in boxes. I think
people feel more comfortable when they
can define what somebody or something
is. And if somebody sort of defies those
expectations I think for a lot of people that
can be troubling. None of that really affects
what I do. I have to stay focused on what
is interesting to me.
Your style of performing style is
very comfortable and personable, like
you’re having a conversation with the
audience—even while you’re singing.
TTRINGWALD continued page 16
ACCESSline Page 12
The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
Skirting the Issues by Ellen Krug
Dear Janet
Editor’s Note: Ellen Krug’s monthly
column has now been syndicated as ‘Skirting the Issues. An open letter to Janet Mock,
transgender writer-activist and emerging
leader.
Dear Janet:
Thank you for going forth as a
proud transwoman of color speaking out
about the violence, marginalization, and
discrimination that trans people face daily.
Your work is incredibly important, and as
a transwoman myself, I applaud you.
However, with great respect Janet,
please don’t assume that you speak for
everyone. In fact, I’d like to speak for
myself.
I watched your recent interviews with
Piers Morgan. As you’ll recall, the first
interview was a love fest—Piers gushed
about your femininity and magnificent
cheekbones and even suggested that
you look like beautiful Janet Jackson.
(I agree!) In turn, you related that Ms.
Jackson inspired you to take the name
you now carry.
I also listened as you spoke of your
journey toward womanhood—from life in
Hawaii as a teenage boy who wore girl’s
clothes, to gender reassignment surgery at
age eighteen, and then to landing in New
York City to start in the magazine industry.
You mentioned your just-released memoir,
which Piers happily plugged.
I heard Piers repeatedly reference
how you’d been “born a boy” and I watched
as you never flinched—not even once—
in response. Actually, it was quite the
contrary; that contagious smile never left
your face and you appeared completely
unfazed by the “boy” word.
But Janet, I absolutely didn’t expect
what happened next. No, I wouldn’t have
predicted that just after the interview,
you’d take to Twitter to attack Piers for
sensationalism because of television
crawl lines about your birth gender. You
tweeted, “’Was a boy until 18’…get it the
f **k together.” You even posted a photo of
you and transgender actress Laverne Cox
glaring into the camera, signaling your
collective aghast.
How unfortunate that your tweets
inspired many in the trans community,
along with their allies, to attack Piers for
insensitivity, stoking a
critical firestorm.
You’ll recall the
firestorm garnered
you a second interview with Piers. On
Round Two, there was a completely different Janet Mock. Gone were the incredible
smile and wonderful girlishness; instead,
I saw you on the attack. You didn’t relent
when Piers lamented how it could be
that in the span of twenty-four hours, he
went from a champion of the transgender
community to its worst villain.
For me, the most telling point of that
second interview occurred when Piers
reminded that you came out as transgender in a May 2011 Marie Claire article
entitled, “I Was Born a Boy.” His question:
why would you take offense to his “boy”
references when you repeatedly spoke of
being a young boy in that article?
I had the same question. For any trans
person, talking about the past can always
be tricky. Yet, who we were and how we
got to live as our “true” selves are what
make our stories so compelling, so rich.
Putting that aside, what resonated
most about the entire Piers saga was
that you seemed to forget an incredibly
important element of the human condition: intent.
Yes, intent. It was obvious that Piers
intended well; certainly, he sought to
portray you positively and not negatively.
Sure, he may have asked some awkward
questions, but he was in your camp 110
percent.
In return, you kicked Piers in the
teeth. As with anything negative, there
was fallout—the kind that turns off people
who otherwise may be supportive of trans
folks.
This gets us to why I respectfully ask
that you not speak for me.
You see, Janet, I believe that intent
matters. Just like you, I’ve encountered
some troubling questions. And like you,
I’ve wondered whether those questions
marginalize me.
Still, I’ve always
recognized the special
power of intent. If the
person inquiring of me has good intent,
she or he gets a pass. After all, don’t we
want to help non-transgender (cisgender)
people understand us?
We’ll never get there by beating up
our friends.
And frankly, you and I and other trans
people in the media are notable because
of one incredibly important thing: each
of us was born into a different gender. Of
course, you’re free to say you were born
a “baby” and not a “boy.”
It’s a great tag line.
But isn’t it a fact that we have our
public platforms because our birth bodies
didn’t match our birth brains? Haven’t
you and I each written books about that
uniqueness? We speak about it in crowded
rooms and it’s the reason why people want
to hear from us.
Consequently, I won’t criticize those
who good naturedly ask about what makes
me unique or different. I think Laverne Cox
and Candis Cayne demonstrated similar
restraint vis-à-vis Katie Couric.
We’ll never get there
by beating up our friends.
I’ve often been asked why issues of equality are so important to
me. Frankly, I don’t know why they ask that question. This is about the
premise and promise of our country. (It’s) always marching forward
to a more perfect union. I was raised in a family where inertia is not
an option.
~Chelsea Clinton speaking on gay rights.
Ellie Krug is the author of Getting to Ellen:
A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender
Change. She welcomes your comments at
ellenkrugwriter@gmail.com.
There’s one more word I’d like to
respectfully offer before I end: compassion.
As I see it, the road to acceptance and
inclusion is not paved with anger-fueled
demands, but instead with compassion—
we must gain it from others and we desperately need to give it to ourselves. If you’re
going to lead, I simply ask that you do it
with compassion and attendant kindness.
Doing so will get all of us much farther.
Just a thought.
Ellie
The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 13
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
Coke’s PR Nightmare
Never fight a two front war. If you
know anything of twentieth century
history you should know this much.
Germany lost two world wars trying to
fight on two fronts.
Coca-Cola is currently stuck in the PR
equivalent of a two front war. They have
had not one, but three big public PR disasters, two with the left and one with the
right. I almost feel sorry for them, almost.
The first row was over the Sochi Olympics. Coke was one of the major sponsors.
As the Russian parliamentary started its
witch hunt on the LGBT community, there
were many voices calling for a boycott
of the Olympics. Neither the Olympic
committee, the U.S. government or Coca
Cola heeded those calls. According to the
Huffington post, they were warned long
before the Olympics. They ignored those
warnings and have offered only tepid
support for human rights.
Then came the whole fiasco with the
can. Coca Cola had a website that allowed
you to share a virtual coke with a friend.
You could add whatever personal message
you wanted on the can, well almost any
message. The website did not allow the
word gay or lesbian.
Coke blamed its South African
branch, who ran the promotion. They
took down the website and apologized.
Again, they affirmed their support of the
LGBT community. But for many activist it
was hollow words in light of the ongoing
Sochi scandal.
Queer Nation NY fought back, releasing a YouTube video showing the violent
protests in Russia intermixed with Coke’s
classic 1971, “I’d like to teach the world
to sing.” The video is both haunting and
not so subtle jab at Coke.
McDonald’s, another Sochi sponsor,
created the hashtag #CheersToSochi.
The hashtag was taken over by LGBT
activist on Twitter and
Tumblr, highlighting
the abuses.
How much lasting
damage was caused by
these scandals remain
to be seen. The Sochi
Olympics have come
and gone. There is
little doubt that it
was a PR disaster for
Russia. Western visitors arrived to find
hotels unfinished, the water yellow and
undrinkable, and packs of stray dogs
everywhere. One of the rings failed to
light at the opening ceremony. Protests
marred the games. Pussy Riot, the
recently released feminist punk band,
was re-arrested. Coke and other corporate
sponsors are no doubt hoping to distance
themselves from the games.
At least Coke still had their Super
Bowl commercial to fall back on. That is
always a crowd pleaser. This years was
particularly gorgeous. It could go down
alongside their, “I’d like to teach the world
to sing” almost. But, man, did it rile up the
right wing.
The commercial featured a diverse
set of people singing America the Beautiful in multiple languages. It was a great
testament to this diverse and wonderful
world. Which is apparently what angered
the right wing observers.
Conservatives took to Twitter to voice
the sentiment, “if you are going to think
America is beautiful, you had better dang
well do so in English!” This country, built
by so many Irish, German, Dutch and
Norwegian speaking immigrants can,
apparently, only be appreciated once you
have fully assimilated English language
and culture. How dare Coke imply that a
country built on immigration might still be
a warm welcoming
place for immigrants.
Science fiction
writer Isaac Asimov
was once quoted as
saying that there was
a thread of anti-intellectualism in America
that believed, “my
ignorance is just as
good as your knowledge.” This thread showed itself in the
reaction on Twitter. The English only
crowd reared its head in ugly racist rants,
referring to the Arab Americans as terrorist and using racial slurs.
To prove the point about anti-intellectualism, many were angered about the
National Anthem being used in this way
and about the ad featuring a gay couple.
The ironic truth is that America the Beautiful is not only not the National Anthem, it
was written by a lesbian.
That’s right Katherine Lee Bates was a
lesbian. She was also a republican. She left
the Republican party over concern about
their rising xenophobia. That was 1924.
It seems that some things don’t change.
What does this mean for Coke? That’s
hard to say. There have been calls to
boycott from both sides of the political
spectrum. But boycotts have not had much
proven impact lately. In the polarized
political atmosphere we live in, they can
backfire. Remember the Chick-fil-A fiasco?
The LGBT community called for a boycott,
which only angered the right and caused a
counter protest. Any effect either protest
had on the company’s bottom line was
Shrug upwards and backwards as
though you were trying to simultaneously
touch both shoulders to your ears. When
you get to the top of the movement, try to
pull your shoulders backwards an extra
inch.
Slowly return
to the starting position in a controlled
manner. Don’t bounce
or let momentum
help you into the next
repetition.
Repeat.
Lastly, make sure you increase the
amount of resistance you use over time.
If you start with 40 pound dumbbells, go
up to 45 and then 50. You need to progressively overload your muscles to increase
their size and strength.
Shrugs are great at training your
trapezius muscle. It’s the large muscle that
spans your neck, shoulders and top of your
back. As it gets bigger and more developed,
the girth of your neck will increase.
In addition, an exercise called neck
curls can be beneficial. To perform neck
curls, lie down on a bench. Face upwards,
let your neck and head overhang the edge
of the bench. Hold a weight plate against
your forehead, and curl your neck upward.
It’s like performing a crunch with your
neck. Go slowly, be gentle and don’t overdo
it. It’s not worth risking an injury.
They affirmed their
support of the LGBT
community. But for
many activist it was
hollow words in light
of the ongoing Sochi
scandal.
Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey
How to Get a Thick Neck
Sure, a strong, thick neck can look
great. But it’s also a great way to help
guard against injury and enhance performance.
First, it’s worth
noting that proper
form and supervision is an absolute
must. If your neck
becomes overstressed
and strained, the training can be counterproductive or even
dangerous. It’s important to work with a
professional and to consult your physician.
If a bigger, thicker and stronger neck
is one of your fitness goals, then I recommend shrugs. Though it’s a classic, timetested exercise, many people cheat their
way through it. Here’s how you perform
a proper shrug:
Select a pair of dumbbells that will
allow you to do around 8 shrugs. If you can
do 15 shrugs, it’s too light to build muscle.
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Stand
in an athletic stance with a slight bend in
your knees. Your back should be straight
and your abs should be engaged. Keep
your shoulders back.
And thus, one of the
weaknesses of this diet is
exposed; it’s unsustainable.
Rachel Eliason is a forty two year old
Transsexual woman. She was given her
first computer, a Commodore Vic-20 when
she was twelve and she has been fascinated
by technology ever since. In the thirty years
since that first computer she has watched
in awe as the Internet has transformed
the LGBT community. In addition to her
column, Rachel has published a collection
of short stories, Tales the Wind Told Me
and is currently working on her debut
novel, Run, Clarissa, Run. Rachel can
be found all over the web, including on
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads.
minimal at best.
Maybe that was part of Coke’s master
plan. Maybe they hoped angering conservatives would bring some of the LGBT
fans back.
Chances are all three scandals will
quickly blow over as activist on both
sides other corporations to be angry
with. These days it is almost impossible
to keep track of which corporations we
are supposed to hate and which ones we
love. It shifts constantly. So many corporations own such a diverse set of properties
that even if we do boycott, how can we be
TTWIRED continued page 23
Is The Paleo Diet
Healthy?
Does eating like a caveman really do
a body good? According to the Paleo Diet,
yes. According to experts, no.
By eating like our distant, huntergatherer ancestors, the Paleo Diet promises a healthier lifestyle, leaner bodies
and fewer health problems. But can the
Paleo Diet really deliver on that promise?
To go Paleo, it means eating lean
meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats
and olive oil, eggs, nuts and seeds. It’s basically those foods to which our ancestors
had access. Not on the diet would be dairy,
refined sugar, beans, potatoes, salt, refined
oils and other foods that weren’t readily
available or are otherwise manufactured.
It also means no bread, including whole
wheat. Peanuts are also not on the list.
For a lot of people, the idea of giving
up cheese, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, peanut
butter, bread, hummus, soy, sweet pota-
Davey Wavey is an AFPA certified
personal trainer shares his passion for
and knowledge of fitness, exercise, health
and nutrition with the world. For more
information go to DaveyWaveyFitness.com.
toes or alcohol is unimaginable. And
thus, one of the weaknesses of this diet is
exposed; it’s unsustainable. Even though
some “open meals” of cheating are allowed
depending on your stage with the diet, it’s
truly a dramatic dietary change—and one
that most people will find unsustainable.
Of course, just because a diet is unsustainable for most people doesn’t make it
TTHONOR continued page 23
ACCESSline Page 14
The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
BOYLESQUE
performers for drag queens at Des Moines’
original gay bar, The Blazing Saddle. After
members of the group moved away and
stopped performing, the idea of the Saddle
Boys died out. In 2013, Saddle co-owner
Bryan Smith and Miss Gay Iowa USofA
Kata Klysmic, determined to revamp the
entertainment scene in Des Moines. They
recreated the Saddle Boys as a group of
male artists, dancers and choreographers
to compliment the already predominant
presence of drag entertainment in the Des
Moines gay scene.
What’s your favorite “move”?
Aaron: Anything Shakira has ever
done—ever!
Drew: Twerking.
Jerri: Probably the “Heel Click”. I feel
like Willy Wonka or a leprechaun when I
do it.
Jim: That’s definitely a tough one as I’m
one of the choreographers in the group, but
I do love me a good body roll.
Tony: Twerking.
There is a song in the Broadway
musical “Gypsy” called “You gotta have a
gimmick!” Do you have a gimmick?
Aaron: I’m all about my leather jacket
and black bandana. I refuse to be without
them for at least one number every show.
Drew: My butt. The men love my butt, so
I tend to make good use of that in numbers.
Jerri: Stepping out of the box is easy
for me. My gimmick is whatever everyone
else isn’t doing.
Jim: What comes to mind is a song
we performed once, “Save a Horse, Ride
a Saddle Boy”. But although we are sexual
images, this gimmick can be misconstrued.
We’re not looking for sex. At least not ALL
of us, but we do love to put on a sexy show!
Tony: Umm....... no.
Does your audience ever get
“grabby” and if so, how do you, um,
handle it?
Aaron: Of course. You can’t ask a group
of guys in their twenties to get on stage, at
times nearly naked, in front of a bar full of
gay men who came to see a show, and expect
your patrons not to get handsy. Obviously
there are limits to how permissive I’ll be. I’ve
had to remove a few hands from the family
jewels, but I do it with a wink.
Drew: I’m all about getting manhandled. If I wasn’t okay with it, I wouldn’t do
what I do. Granted, I’ve had some creepers,
and then I’ll just play nice until I find an
The Saddle Boys, Billy and Aaron.
Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
The Saddle Boy Drew.
Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
excuse to excuse myself.
Jerri: Well, I’m on stage shaking my
tail feather, so it’s slightly expected to get
an audience member or a drunk who’s a bit
frisky. I roll with it. If it gets uncomfortable,
I simply grab their hand like I’m going to
serenade them—gracefully and smoothly.
Jim: Yes, but a lot of the time the handsy
people are the audience members I know
personally or are closer friends with. There
are some drunkies that get a little touchy,
but for me, the one time that happened, it
was a woman so I really had no concerns
about my blood pressure rising.
Tony: Sometimes, but I just laugh it off,
back away and grab that dollar!
What is your background in
performing?
Aaron: I did theatre throughout my
time in school, but what’s more important
to me is my own music. I’m a singer/songwriter on the piano, and I’ve played a few
places around Des Moines, Iowa City and
Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That’s my long term
goal. That’s my dream.
Drew: I did theatre in high school and
minored in theatre in college. Plus, I’m also
Des Moines’ premiere bearded lady drag
queen on occasion.
Jerri: Acting is all I have experience in.
I was once a collaborative YouTuber, too.
Jim: I’ve been involved in theatrical
productions since I was a junior in high
school. I was a musical theatre minor at
Drake University, and I teach a few dance
classes at a local studio in West Des Moines.
Tony: I was in plays and musicals in
high school.
What is your sexual orientation?
(Gay, bi, straight, or unlisted?)
Aaron: Gay
Drew: Gay
Jerri: As much as I’d like to say I’m
totally gay, there are some sexy ladies out
there.
Jim: Gay
Tony: 100% GAY
Do you have a stripper name?
Aaron: Well, the one time a dig drag
as a gag, I decided to take after my good
drag sister, Jupiter Phuckit. I deemed
myself Uranus Suckit. When the MC of the
drag show introduced my performance
by asking, “Is everyone ready to get their
anuses sucked?!”, the response from the
gays seemed delightfully positive, so yes...
as of this moment, my stripper name is also
Uranus Suckit!
Drew: I try to go by Duke LaSling when
I do boylesque.
Jerri: No, but everyone already thinks
my name is a stripper or porn star name.
Jim: No, but I’m also a drag queen,
and my drag name is Jupiter Phuckit (see
above). [Laughs]
Tony: Well, I don’t think of us as strippers. Many of us, Saddle Boys and others,
have taken a planetary nickname after our
ring leader, drag queen Kata Klysmic. In her
solar system, my nickname is Titan.
Where do you buy your outfits and
props?
Aaron: My closet. Oh yeah, and that one
time I minimally covered my body solely in
gaff tape and rhinestones... so yeah, I guess
Home Depot, too.
Drew: I’m a packrat. I never really
threw anything out from college and I went
to a lot of theme parties. I rarely have to
actually go out and buy an outfit. Between
that and being a leather man, I’m pretty
well stocked, but if I do need something…
it’s Goodwill.
Jerri: Everywhere from Goodwill to
fetish gear websites. A majority of the in
between is handmade or altered.
Jim: A variety of places; theatrical
shops, Amazon, eBay and some things that
I even pull from my own closet.
Tony: Walmart, Goodwill, Target, and
Ace Hardware.
Do you have a day job, and if so, do
they know you are also a Saddle Boy?
Aaron: Unfortunately for now, I spend
the better part of my day bashing my head
against a cubicle while pushing papers for
the man. To make that interesting in the
least, I tell everyone around the office about
upcoming shows. We often share pictures
and video clips afterwards.
Drew: I have a couple, and I’m super
open with both about my side gig as a Saddle
Boy. One job loves it and the other doesn’t
quite get it yet. I think that’s what you get
with corporate America.
Jerri: I mostly work for myself, but
my part time coffee shop management job
knows. I even had one of my twenty-one
year old straight, male baristas come to
my debut show which was so cool to me!
Jim: I’m a research associate at Pioneer
Hi-bred, and my coworkers don’t know I’m
a Saddle Boy. Some know I’m a drag queen,
though... hmmm.
Tony: Yes, I have a day job. No, they do
not know.
Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend
if so how do they feel about you being a
Saddle Boy?
Aaron: I’ve had a couple dates come
to our shows. They seem to be all about it.
Drew: No boyfriend at the moment, but
I was dating a boy for a few months and he
TTBOYLESQUE cont’d page 15
The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 15
National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
March 10th is National Woman and
Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, an annual
day of observance to recognize the impact
of HIV and AIDS on women and girls.
To be aware, to observe, to recognize—these things are all so important,
but what if you want to
make an impact in the
fight against HIV/AIDS?
What can you do to help
prevent the spread
of HIV to the 40,000
women and men in the
United States who will
contract the disease
this year?
Share Knowledge. Take Action.
You may already know that HIV is
the infection that causes AIDS. You may
know it affects the body’s immune system,
breaking down its ability to protect itself
against other diseases and infections.
You’ve also probably heard that HIV can
spread through some bodily fluids, such
as blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast
milk (it is NOT spread through saliva).
Always use latex condoms or dental
dams. Never share needles.
These are the cornerstones of
HIV/AIDS prevention and, along with
abstinence, are still the most effective
ways to prevent spreading the infection. Even if you’re in a committed
relationship, you know you should
practice safer sex— but when was
the last time you were tested for HIV?
1 out of 5 people living with HIV doesn’t
know they’re infected.
Symptoms can take up to 10 years to
develop. Early symptoms of HIV include
swollen glands in the throat, armpit or
groin; slight fever; headaches; fatigue and
muscle pain. These
symptoms may last
for a few weeks and
then may not resurface for many years
until a person has
reached the advanced
stages of the infection—and may now
be living with AIDS.
Once the infection
progresses into AIDS, the immune system
is severely damaged and symptoms are
increasingly aggressive and debilitating.
Diagnosing HIV in its earliest stages
is essential to managing the virus, living
a longer, healthier life and preventing the
spread of HIV to others. Many women are
afraid to get tested for HIV because they
are afraid of a positive result. Not knowing
you have HIV does not make the disease
go away—it only means that you are less
likely to get the care you need to stay
healthy and live longer. And not knowing
you have HIV means you could pass it to
a loved one.
It’s simple: You have to know your
status.
Knowing your status is critical to your
health and to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ask your health care provider for HIV
Even if you’re in a
committed relationship,
you know you should
practice safer sex— but
when was the last time
you were tested for HIV?
testing as part of your routine health care.
Know your partner’s status.
Ask potential partners when they
were last tested for HIV and other sexuallytransmitted diseases.
Testing is available at all Planned
Parenthood health centers and through
most physicians, hospitals and health
clinics. Health departments in many cities
and states offer free HIV testing.
To make an appointment at your
nearest Planned Parenthood of the Heartland health center, call 1.877.811.7526.
Please note: Planned Parenthood of the
Heartland accepts most insurance plans.
Share knowledge. Take action. Know
your status and encourage others to know
their status, too.
MINOR DETAILS
BOYLESQUE
and I’m gay…. I’m comfortable in my skin.”
Men are supposed to get real, not fantasize. But I’m still envisioning all humans
someday soon as comfortable in the skin
we’re in.
was totally cool with the Saddle Boy gig. It
didn’t really phase him at all.
Jerri: I was dating a really awesome guy
for over a year, up until I started with Saddle
Boys. We split for reasons unrelated to me
performing, but he still came to my debut
show and was blown away. He’s definitely
proud of me, and he’s excited to see what I
and the rest of the guys bring to the stage
from now on.
Jim: I’m single for now.... *wink, wink*
boys!
Tony: I’m single.
Do the Saddle Boys do private
parties?
If you’ve got a stage and a stereo, the
Saddle Boys will give you a show.
How can someone book the Saddle
Boys?
Get in contact with our ring leader, Kata
Klysmic! Send her a personal message on
Facebook.
For more information on The Saddle
Boys search for them on Facebook.com.
DILLON-HANSEN
lost and feeling like nothing you can do to
change direction. Everything seems to have
more negative effort, and events can provoke
awkward responses. Intoxicants can amplify
this impression, and people around the
depression, guilty or not, may be injured.
Again, if you feel you need help, do not
be afraid to seek help. If you know someone
who needs help, let them know who you
are in their life. Life is meant to be lived and
hopefully through the struggle that some of us
with depression have, we find dignity in the
simple work we conduct or simply that we
have meaning in this world for the people that
count upon us. Let your light shine!
The Fun Guide
ACCESSline Page 16
RINGWALD
Has that always been your style, or
have you had to cultivate your onstage
presence?
I feel like I’ve always been comfortable
singing because I’ve done it for so long. It’s
sort of like riding a bicycle; it’s one of those
things that you never forget how to do.
But I feel like I’m essentially a shy person,
think he’s really fun to sing. He’s more fun
than a lot of them because he’s so musically
complex. He’s great lyrically but also his
melodies are sort of difficult and complex
and challenging. He’s really fun. I love
Irving Berlin, I love Dorothy Fields. And
then I like a lot of contemporary songwriters. I’ve always been a fan of Elvis Costello.
Rufus Wainwright! I love his album “Poses”.
Who are your favorite singers who
are recording today?
I love Jane Monheit. Musically she’s
Molly Ringwald.
and I always have been—which is kind of just incredible. I love Cecile McLorin
surprising for people. It is something I’ve Salvant. She’s really amazing. (You know,
battled my whole life and it goes against it’s funny how when someone asks you
this idea of celebrity. I always feel like my a question like that your mind just goes
sister would have been a better celebrity blank, and you’re like, “What have I been
than I, because she loved all of that stuff, listening to!?”)
What would you like to tell people
all of the trappings that go with being a
celebrity, and it’s always kind of been my who are coming to see your show or
Achilles’ heel. So I think when I started thinking about it?
God, I never know how to answer
performing as an adult I didn’t want to
talk that much because I felt safer behind that… I feel it’s always a good night. Most
of the songs that I do are from the Great
a song or behind a character.
So it’s really something I’ve had to American Songbook, which I feel is one of
work on. Everybody kept saying, “They our national treasures and the songs are
want to hear you talk! They want to hear just lovely. They’re romantic, they’re about
your personality! They want to hear what love—and the musicians that I perform
you have to say!” I just felt like it was with are really great and fun and we have
babbling. But I found that the more that a good time together and I feel that’s really
I babbled, the more at ease and the more infectious. So I think it’ll be a really good
time!
receptive people are to
You’re looking
the music. I think I’ve
really good. How
gotten a lot better at it.
do you balance your
Do you have a
life—your work,
favorite song?
your health, your
I feel like I have
personal time, your
favorite songs of the
public time? How do
moment. There are
you balance all that?
songs that I love to
I think it is a daily negotiation. You
sing, and then there are new songs—the
new stuff that I’m working on is my favorite know? Sometimes I feel like it’s somewhat
just because it’s new and exciting for me. balanced, and most days I feel like… it’s
(Even though everything that I do is pretty not. [Laughs.] It’s hard. I have three kids,
much the Great American Songbook, so we just moved last week. Moving! They say
they’re not new songs, they’re just new for that it’s one of the most stressful things up
me!) There is a song that I sing that I really there with divorce and death. It’s incredlove called “It Never Entered My Mind” ibly stressful because I feel like I have lived
and I love that song lyrically and I love the a lot of lives now. I’ve moved a lot, I’ve
way that we’ve been doing it with my sax accumulated stuff. When you move it’s like
player. I love doing that right now. And you don’t just move, you kind of have to
also we do this really fast, upbeat version look at every object and say, “Why are you
of “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story and here? Why do I own you? Why do I have
you?” And you end up feeling as if you are
that one’s really fun to sing.
Do you have a favorite songwriter? owned by your stuff. I think that basically
Oh, my god, there are so many great every day is this negotiation: how much
songwriters. I love Stephen Sondheim. I
TTRINGWALD continued page 32
My kids have just grown
up with this idea that people
can marry who they love and
you can be who you want to
be and that’s okay.
MARCH 2014
MARCH 2014
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MARCH 2014
MARCH 2014
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The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
I.C. Kings present: Tranniversary 4 Iowa City, Iowa
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Herrera.
The I.C. Kings presented “Tranniversary 4”, Thursday, January 30th at Studio 13 in Iowa
City, Iowa. Performers included: Julius Fever, Joey D., Hugh Jindapants, Franky D. Lover,
Jack Rabbit, and sparkly special guests, Johnny Derp, Lady Jewel Bijou and the sultry
Midnight Roulette! Not to mention the hostess with the mostest, the lovely Miss Kitty as
emcee. The I.C. Kings are a drag king troupe in Iowa City, bending gender and performing
monthly for your voyeuristic delight since 2009. For more information you can find the I.C.
Kings on Facebook or go to ICKings.com.
MARCH 2014
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MARCH 2014
The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer
“Ham: Slices of a Life” by Sam Harris
c.2014, Gallery Books, $26.00 / $29.99
Canada, 304 pages
Okay, pay attention.
Sometimes, that’s all you need: just
someone to watch you, to hear what you’re
saying or understand your feelings. A little
attention can be a bad-mood squasher, a
good-mood enhancer, or just validation.
Yes, a minute in the spotlight can do
wonders. And as you’ll see in “Ham: Slices
of a Life” by Sam Harris, hogging that
spotlight can be even better.
From the time he was three years old,
growing up in Sand Springs , Oklahoma ,
Sam Harris embraced the dramatic.
For his third Christmas, he received a
special overcoat which made him dance.
By ten, he had talked his parents into
allowing him to be baptized, the afterapplause being more important than
receiving the Holy Ghost. He loved putting
on shows in his parents’ basement, doing
local community theatre, and acting in
school performances. He was unabashed
about his love of the limelight.
When he was just 15, his father lied
about Harris’ age so Harris could take a
summer stage job in St. Louis . A year later,
though he’d known for a long time that he
was “different,” and though it caused him
anguished guilt and family strife, Harris
fell in love with another boy on another
stage in Nashville .
A short time in college proved to
Harris that education wouldn’t make
his dream come true, so he “hunted out”
his stage presence in dark, colorless,
largely-empty clubs. Agents and producers “occasionally came slumming,” but
little happened until Harris finally found
Across
1 Soup from the Samurai’s land
5 Elton John Broadway musical
9 Regained consciousness
15 Q ___ queen
16 Circumcision sound
17 Key with all white notes
18 Start of Michael Sam’s 2013 SEC football
honor
20 Save from going down at sea, e.g.
21 Becomes involved with
22 Smokers at St. Mary’s
23 Stand next to Georgia O’Keefe
24 Cross-dresser Klinger’s hometown
26 Men on top, perhaps
29 Become familiar with
33 Popular fruit drink
36 They may be blowing in the wind
38 Area of Tennessee?
39 Hacker’s phrase
41 More of the honor
43 Treated a swollen member
44 Stick it to
46 It may be under the tongue
48 Bambi’s aunt
49 Place to hang dildos?
51 Enjoy a hot tub
53 Untimely end
55 Hard to penetrate
59 Cracks up over
62 Education
65 Like a drag queen’s bosom
66 End of the honor
67 Sit on, in a way
68 Gyro bread
someone who believed in him: his father
hired Jerry Blatt, who was Bette Midler’s
writer/director, as a gift. Skeptical Harris
figured it would be just another disappointment, but Blatt would “become the
single most important influence… and
the greatest gift my dad, or anyone, ever
gave me.”
In this memoir, Harris writes about
growing up, and how his family had the
misfortune to experience home-fires —
twice. He writes of falling in love with
Mr. Wrong, then meeting his husband,
falling in love again, and wanting a child
so badly that he couldn’t stand seeing
other children. He explains his career and
his almost-didn’thappen appearance
on Star Search.
He dishes stories
of famous friends,
on-stage nemeses,
alcoholism, being
“different ,” and
being gay.
I’m normally
not a fan of books
that scramble their
timelines, but in
“Ham: Slices of a
Life,” that bouncing
around works. It
works well.
Maybe that’s
because author Sam
Harris writes with
bouncing-on-yourtoes energy, rushing
from subject to
subject with the
occasional linger-
ing moment to ponder things that are
important to him. His is an eagerness
that’s endearing.
Some of the essays in this book are
funny. “Liver” will put a new metaphor
in your vocabulary. The story of Liza
Minelli’s wedding is hilarious, and Harris’
memories of his friend, Jerry, made me get
a little teary.
With humor, soul-baring, name-dropping, and just the right mix of vulnerability
and snarkiness, this book is a definite
pleasure to read. If you’re looking for a
memoir that you can enjoy, whole-hog,
“Ham: Slices of a Life” should get your
attention.
Q-PUZZLE: Michael Sam Comes Out
69 160 rods
70 Got the bottom line
71 Give the cold shoulder
72 Application for drag queens’ school?
Down
1 Kim Novak’s Picnic role
2 “___ little silhouetto of a man ...”
3 Examines carefully
4 “Keep your pants on!”
5 The A in GLARP
6 Pt. of B.D. Wong
7 Clod on the golf course
8 Ancestor of homo sapiens’
9 Go out of control
10 Changed a bill
11 Michael Sam played NCAA football at
this school
12 Suffix with prefer
13 Madonna’s Blonde Ambition, e.g.
14 Vein contents
19 David’s Frasier role
22 Proverbial gay hiding places
25 Heeds a master
27 Pos., to neg.
28 Approach for sex
30 How quickly one comes
31 Foreboding sign
32 Lorca’s zip
33 Branch of soc. studies
34 Online intro
35 “See you later”
37 Gay pride marchers close them
40 Michael Sam may be an early selection
in this
42 ___ Speedwagon
45 Track support
47 Hombre of the cloth
50 Blown away
52 Nairobi native
54 Like a leprechaun
56 Dorothy, to Em
57 Catch in a trap
58 White-plumed bird
59 Silence for Copland
60 “___ put it another way ...”
61 Words before were
63 Caesar’s last question
64 Moby Dick chaser
66 Army missions
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 23
MARCH 2014
The Fun Guide
ACCESSline Page 23
WIRED
sure we aren’t just switching to another product that is
a subsidiary of theirs? You need a Smartphone app to
keep track of it all.
Which, of course, there is. Boycott is available for
both the iphone and android. It will scan barcodes and
show you the social impact of that product. You can
join or create campaigns and know at a click if you are
supporting or boycotting the right companies.
Or you can use your activism in other ways. There
will likely be a lot of issues at stake in the next midterm
elections and political activism is always an option. You
can make a donation to your local LGBT community center
or organization. Or find someplace you can volunteer. The
choice is yours, but let’s all get out there and make the
world a better place, with or without Coke.
HONOR
intrinsically unhealthy.
However, a diet devoid of whole grains and legumes
can increase the risk for certain nutritional deficiencies
like B vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Because we know
that whole grains and legumes are nutritional and are
associated with health benefits, what’s the advantage in
removing them–especially if it makes a diet exponentially
more difficult to sustain long-term? Though it’s technically possible to make up the nutrients in other Paleofriendly foods, it’s certainly improbably for the average
dieter. And it results in lots of effort for no gain.
It’s for these reasons that the Paleo Diet was actually
ranked last on the “Best Diets Overall” list in 2014. Of
the 32 popular diets evaluated by nutrition experts, the
Paleo Diet came in…number 32.
Bottom line: While reducing salt, fatty meats, refined
sugars and processed foods is a great step in creating a
healthier lifestyle, there are easier and more sustainable
ways to do it without eliminating other healthy foods.
ALPHAs
ALPHAs have a meet and greet every third (3rd) Friday
of the month, held at Icon’s Martini Bar located at 124
18th Street in Rock Island. It’s a gathering for members of
the LGBT community, supporters and friends to socialize,
celebrate and get to know one another over martinis. Events
are posted on Facebook at alphaselitecrew@facebook.com
or for more information contact alphaselite@yahoo.com.
ACCESSline Page 24
BLAZING SADDLE
Saddle that make the bar what it is, family.
What will make the Blazing Saddle
show different from other reality shows?
First and foremost, what makes this
project at The Blazing Saddle different than
other projects is that it revolves around a
gay bar. No one, or nothing like this, has ever
gone to the magnitude to capture what we are
doing. Other than that, the way it is filmed
stylistically and it being in the Midwest are
unique. Who has been integral to making this
happen?
So many people have been an integral
part to making this happen—from the staff, to
the costumers dealing with us. This project
wouldn’t be possible without Mongo and
The Fun Guide
his creation of The Blazing Saddle. Stinky,
has helped so much and in so many ways by
helping me get everything together. A big
thank you to both of them! Chris helped by
allowing this to happen since he is one of the
three owners of The Blazing Saddle, alongside
Mongo and Stinky. I would be remiss to not
mention, and give thanks, to the people on
the crew who help capture these moments—
Trevor Zuck, Mike Kieler, Chris Wallace,
and Cody Osen. Michael Bullock has been
awesome by helping me with all the business
and finance work. What would you like the community
to know about this project?
The community should know that this
project is one of a kind. The Blazing Saddle
is not only legendary, but distinguishing—by
helping the LGBT community and people
outside of it. The project also gives the East
Village/Des Moines, Iowa, and the Midwest
the respect it deserves. This project helps
establish filming and promotes it. Most impor-
MARCH 2014
tantly, it allows all communities, demographics, races, ethnicities, and orientations who see
this to promote understanding and equality. Community Billboard:
Classifieds
Small advertisements for the LGBT Community related to housing, for sale, wanted
and personals. No profanity, no solicitation for illegal activities, no physical addresses.
Black & White ad sizes available: 1/32 page and 1/16 page, priced at $30 and $45.
TEXT ONLY. No photos and no graphics. Payment required prior to print, multiple cc/debit
card charges possible, no refunds, no stopped payments after charge set up.
For more details contact Sarah at ads@ACCESSlineAmerica.com.
ACCOUNTS, BOOKKEEPERS,
Payment Reps, Payable Clerk & Receivable
P/T positions open. Are you looking for job? Want to be part of a great team?
If you are interested in this Part Time JOB opportunity for advancement for
the right person please e-mail resumes to: smithdonald042@gmail.com.
The Customer Appreciation Party in December. First row: Michael Bullock. Second row:
Mike Kieler (left), Shawn June (center), Santa (right).
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 25
FFBC: Iowa’s Point Man Fighting Ignorance by Bruce Carr
Dr. Brad Buck
The First Friday Breakfast Club’s
guest speaker on February 7 was Dr. Brad
Buck, appointed last August to be director
of the Iowa Department of Education by
Gov. Branstad, who called him a visionary
leader with the right skills to implement
the landmark education reform package
passed by the 2013 Iowa Legislature.
Buck’s main message was that
employment and retention of the highestquality classroom teachers is fundamental
to the Department’s mission. Indeed, Gov.
Branstad had said in his announcement
that, “Dr. Buck’s passion for giving all
students a world-class education, and his
knowledge of how to better utilize teacher
leadership to accomplish that goal, played
a critical role in his selection.” Buck noted
the vital necessity of altering the current
standard career path which seems able to
reward good teachers only by promoting
them into administration—and right out
of the classroom.
Better utilizing teacher leadership is
the centerpiece of Iowa’s 2013 education
reform package, Buck said. Each of Iowa’s
346 school districts now has the option
to adopt a teacher leadership system that
From the Pastor’s Pen
by Rev. Jonathan Page
Is There Gay Culture
After Homophobia?
“And you should watch some good gay
movies,” I added. The college student across
from me nodded. He was in the early stages
of coming out, and we were grabbing some
food at a local restaurant.
“Ok. Do you have any movie suggestions?” he asked.
“What have you seen so far?”
“I saw some Queer As Folk.”
“That’s a good start.” I replied. “It
certainly has a lot of nice eye candy, which
doesn’t hurt.” The student smiled. “Here are
some other movies for your list: Beautiful
Thing, Get Real, Brokeback Mountain, and I
really like that Canadian movie C.R.A.Z.Y. Oh,
and Angels in America. Definitely take the time
to watch that.” The student dutifully typed
these into his phone.
“Wait, isn’t Angels in America about
AIDS?” he asked.
“Yes. It is a powerful play by Tony
Kushner that won a Tony Award. The film
version is excellent.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to see
a movie about AIDS. It
seems so depressing.”
Good point, I thought
to myself. Maybe an
intense film about AIDS
was a little too much for
someone in the early
stages of coming out.
“Well, begin with the
others.”
That brief exchange
got me thinking. In my head I went over those
titles and others—movies, shows, and plays
that I thought were important cultural and
personal expressions of what it meant to
come out and be gay. As I contemplated it
more, one realization kept coming back to
me; every film had as its main theme rejection or homophobia. That experience of
discrimination and the existential crisis that
will use the expertise of top teachers to
improve instruction and raise student
achievement. Districts began applying
for planning grants in September, and
the teacher leadership systems will be
phased in over the next several years.
Dr. Buck arrived at his new post with a
head start on understanding how to put
a teacher leadership system in place:
working closely with the Saydel Education
Association during the 2012-13 school
year, he helped secure a federal Teacher
Incentive Fund grant that has allowed the
Saydel District to start implementing its
own teacher leadership system starting
in the current year. Points raised by FFBC members in
Q&A included how effective the new
program might be in attracting the very
best teachers to serve as mentors, and how
the regent universities’ teacher-training
programs might play into the reform plans.
Dr. Buck emphasized the urgency of bringing the entire teacher-training system into
alignment, and he mentioned in particular
that the Area Education Associations are
no longer working independently, but are
cooperating within Department plans.
Brad Buck began his career in education in 1992 as a science teacher at
Parkview Middle School in Ankeny. He
taught for five years before taking on a
number of administrative roles in the
Waukee, Hudson, and North Mahaska
school districts in Iowa. From July 2011
he served as superintendent of the Saydel
Community School District in Des Moines.
Buck is a former president of School
Administrators of Iowa and has held positions on various state-level committees
and initiatives, including Collaborating
for Iowa’s Kids.
A native of Cedar Rapids, he earned
his bachelor’s degree in biology from
UNI, and his master’s and Ph.D. degrees
from Iowa State University. He lives in
Urbandale with his wife and six children.
Dr. Brad Buck can be reached at the Iowa
Department of Education at 515-2815294.
LGBTQ Patient & Family
Education and Support Groups
Come join the UI LGBTQ Clinic providers and other health professionals to learn about
various health and wellness topics and have the opportunity to meet new people!
Hours: Every Thursday evening 5:30-7:00pm
Location: University Capitol Center (UCC), Located in Old Capitol Mall
201 S. Clinton St., Iowa City IA RM 2520B
Contact: meagan-schorr@uiowa.edu or www.uihealthcare.org/lgbt/
FFBC member Jonathan Page is senior
pastor of the Ames United Church of
Christ, 217 6th Street, Ames, Iowa. Sunday
service is at 10:45. He can be reached at
jon@Amesucc.org.
ensues drove the plots of each “gay classic” I
had in my head. But what if this young man
did not have that same experience? What if
he grew up in a society that was not overtly
homophobic or at least heterosexist? Would
any of these movies
speak to him?
It has long been
noted by theorists of
the African American experience that
discrimination and
racism are defining
elements of what it
has meant to be black
in American society.
African American cultural expression has,
in large measure, been a response to that
racism and a celebration of life in spite of it.
There is a joy of living and spirit of defiance
that underlies much of black art, film, and
music. A similar thing could be said about gay
culture. The music, the films, and the art all
revolve around suffering and the joyful and
Some may never have
felt comfortable with the
gay culture of the time,
but they could at least
tell you what it was. What
about today?
TTPAGE cont’d page 31
ACCESSline Page 26
Our Stories reviewed by Sarah Hoskins
detract from the beauty of the tale that is
unfolding as you move through the years
and the lives of this amazing woman.
DERBY
the ability to call off the jam anytime she
wants to in those 2 minutes. Blockers are
trying to hold back the opposing jammer
to prevent scoring and also trying to get
their jammer through the pack. It is a fast
paced game of simultaneous offense and
defense, 2 thirty minute halves are played
and the most points wins!
How did you become interested in
Roller Derby?
I saw a poster for the Old Capitol City
Roller Girls hanging up
at Mohair Pear. I had
no clue what roller
derby was, but the
poster was fantastic so
I Googled it, watched
some videos and was
instantly hooked! I
roller skated a lot as
a kid, and knew I couldn’t possibly be
the only woman in the Cedar Valley who
would want to play. I saw my first bout in
Davenport about a month later and knew
I had to make it happen here.
Tell me how the Cedar Valley Derby
Divas was started?
After I caught the derby bug I made
a Facebook post about wanting to play if
anyone else was interested. Bruise Hound
(Jessica Pruitt) was my first taker and we
organized a meeting at her house and 6
girls showed up. From there we started
researching and practicing and it was
really the blind leading the blind that first
summer (2010).
The CVDD have more than one
name, can you tell me why that is?
CVDD is the league name. Push-Up
Brawlers is our charter (all-star) team
and the Ri-Ettes are our B team. We established a separate league name so that we
could have multiple teams playing as part
of one league in the cedar valley. Dreaming
big! Most leagues operate this way. For
example the Cedar Rapids Roller Girls are
the league in Cedar Rapids. Their charter
team is the Five Seasons Femme Fatales…
What type of training do the CVDD
have?
We practice 2 times a week for 3 hours
at a time. We have a head coach, Tim
Combs. We also have a training committee.
Between coach and the training committee, a lot of research is done off the track
to develop drills and strategies. We also
bring in guest coaches from bigger leagues
and attend training camps when we can.
How long have you been a blocker?
I’ve always been a blocker. I jam at
practice but have yet to have the guts to
jam in a bout.
What were some of your most
memorable games?
Our home opener in 2011 was pretty
epic. There were over 2300 people at our
first bout. It was insane to have the lights
come up and see that many people there to
watch us! Our home opener in 2013 was
pretty awesome too. We’d worked our
butts off all of our off season and really
played as a team on the track. Anytime
we can give our fans a win at home is a
good night!
What League is the CVDD part of ?
We are members of the Women’s Flat
Track Derby Association. WFTDA is the
governing board for women’s flat track
MARCH 2014
roller derby. Their rule set is the most
commonly played rule set right now.
What teams are a part of the
league?
WFTDA has hundreds of leagues
worldwide as well as leagues that are in
the apprentice program to become full
members. Old Capitol City Roller Girls,
Cedar Rapids Roller Girls, Des Moines
Derby Dames, Sioux City Roller Dames
and the Quad City Rollers are the WFTDA
leagues in the state of Iowa.
How long is the season?
We play at home (McElroy) JanuaryJune and bout once
a month. We travel
in July and August.
So January through
August is active (on)
season and September/October are our
off season.
How does Flat
Track Roller Derby benefit women?
Roller derby is a sport that was
started by women, for women. It has
seen a lot of growth over the years, and
now there are even men’s teams as well.
Roller derby is a competitive sport and
being slightly alternative in nature I think
it is more of a draw, or more appealing to
women that maybe weren’t competitive
athletes previously. I have an athletic
background, but a lot of the girls I skate
with —and some of them are some of our
best skaters—weren’t athletes before
derby. Being a newer sport I think it
is a little more approachable. It is fun,
it is aggressive, it is high energy, and it
is an amazing workout! And locally it
gives women an opportunity to be part
of a competitive sports league with high
aspirations!
Is diversity important to the CVDD?
Yes it is. We all have different backgrounds, careers, and hobbies. Though
derby will take over your life in the best
way possible, and that is something that
as diverse as we are, bonds us as a team!
We have moms, teachers, therapists,
waitresses…you name it. Some of us are
married, some single, some gay, some
Christian, some atheist, some future
zombie slayers…it does not matter. Our
only requirement (aside from being
female) of our skaters is that they be
committed to CVDD and what we stand for.
How has CVDD supported the
community?
Part of our ticket proceeds from each
bout go to a local non-profit agency that we
have partnered with. In the past we have
partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Big
Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club,
Girl Scouts, Red Cross, Relay for Life…We
also provide volunteers for local events
like Trekman Racing’s Fools 5k and Park2Park races. We have recently attended
the Magical Mix Kids Chili Cook-On at
Toads, and donated prize packages for
various fundraiser auctions. We are
Bowling for Kids Sake at the end of March
with a $1000 fundraising goal, walking at
the MDA walk at crossroads mall, participating in the Walk to End Alzheimers and
raffling off custom helmet covers in April
to benefit a local women’s shelter.
For more information and how to be a
part of the CVDD, go to: CVDerbyDivas.com
or find them on Facebook.com.
Some of us are married,
some single, some gay, some
Christian, some atheist, some
future zombie slayers…it does
not matter.
Jack and Jill…
Not an Easy Climb
By Brenda Sue
In a political and social current that
is rampaging in all directions, Brenda
Sue has found a way to touch on current
events in such a relevant and emotionally impactful way. Based on a true story,
going back decades and plunging into
the current turmoil, Jack and Jill finds
itself so very relevant to today’s ongoing
battle for Transgender rights. Transgender issues have been kept behind closed
doors with little to no coverage. Recently
that has started to change and this book
tells the tale from beginning to present
and though there are many issues still
to tackle, readers are shown how far the
world has come. This is the story of Tina
Mucka and the first transgender marriage
in New Hampshire, taking place in a very
close-minded 1972. It gives a moving
description of her life, her battles, and
her triumphs.
The story itself is beautiful, currently
relevant, and simply moving as a different
perspective of our world. That being said,
grammar police beware the story is rife
with grammatical errors and misspellings,
punctuation is missing and it can make
the reading slow. This, however, does not
Heal This Way:
A Love Story
By Little Monsters, Photos by Tracey B.
Wilson
This book is written by Little
Monsters, an eclectic group of people from
all walks of life brought together by similar
experiences and the need for acceptance
that Lady Gaga provides. The book began
as a collective get well card to Lady Gaga
after her hip injury late in her Born This
Way tour. It became a tribute to her and
the message her fans have found in her
music. In this book there is an abundance
of people finding acceptance, love, and
hope in being who you are and what you
are meant to be. Pride, being true to yourself, faith, art, and inspiration expressed
by Lady Gaga or found because of her. The
letters are testimonials from the many
people who are superfans and want Lady
Gaga to know of their gratitude and love.
The stories are very real, the pictures
a true to life representation of all kinds
of people who have all kinds of lives,
experiences. It is inspiring and emotionally gripping. The letters tell the stories
of the rejected, bullied masses that have
overcome and triumphed—all inspired by
the music of Lady Gaga.
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 27
The Project of the Quad Cities Times are Changing
Founded in 1986, The Project of the Quad Cities is a non-profit HIV/STI/AIDS
Service Organization that provides support to persons living with HIV/STI/AIDS
as well as their families and friends in Iowa and Illinois. www.apqc4life.org
Symptom Management Group—Every Wednesday from 1-2:30 pm
Life Skills Group—Every other Wednesday from 10-11:30 am
Coffee Hour—10-11:30 am on Wednesdays when the Life Skills Group does
not meet; A relaxed and casual atmosphere
Groups meet at our Moline office. We also offer free HIV testing Monday through
Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm.
For more information call Susie or Mollie at 309-762-5433
by Rev. Royal D. Bush
149 years ago, 1865, Slavery ended,
freedom was “given” to slaves. 144 years
ago, 1870, African Americans were “given”
the right to vote. 94 years ago, 1920,
Women were “given” the right to vote.
50 years ago, 1964, Racial segregation
was ended, “giving” the opportunity for
African Americans to have equal access.
47 year ago, 1967, The right to get
married was “given” for two consenting
adults to be married; if their skin was of
different colors.
Today people don’t own other human
beings, well, like they used to; corporations
and governments have taken over that role.
So many people are slaves to low wages
and little or no benefits, with no chance
of advancement.
It can be said that the United States is
a country of two things: a country made
up of immigrants, and a country of great
religious diversity. When we examine the
history of the rest of the world, there seems
to be much bloodshed and accounts of
wars. That bloodshed looks a bit different
in United States. Today we don’t see battlefields of people being slaughtered because
of religious fighting. What we DO see, are
people (especially youth) taking their lives
because they are told; God does not love
them, they will go to hell, and that they are
not right or welcomed. There is also a group
of youths who take their lives because they
are bullied. Some bullies are taught this
hate from fundamentalist homes, and yet
others from fundamentalist churches and
religious organizations.
Today we don’t see groups of kids
running through the streets begging and
steeling food from food vendors; we have
youth renting their bodies for money to
survive because their families have pushed
them out of the home, because home isn’t
safe anymore, or they are not welcomed.
Chelsea Clinton quoted HRC VicePresident Fred Sainz as saying, “2013 was
the gayest in gay history.” And he is right,
so much is changing so fast for so many.
Soon there will be a generation of human
beings who will think nothing of same-sex
marriages; just as today we have generations that can’t believe slavery was legal,
or that African Americans could not vote,
or women could not vote, or you could not
be married because the color of your skin.
At a recent HRC fundraiser Chelsea
Clinton reminded us all that victories do not
equal success, and that we have much work
to do. And she could not be more correct.
For those of you who have been fighting for those “given” rights that so many
enjoy, we need you now. Again. For those
of you who have LGBTQ family, friends,
co-workers, neighbors, we need you now.
For our allies, we need you now.
Times are a changing. Today, Kansas
and Tennessee are proposing state laws
that allow the legalization of discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation.
That could mean that police, fire and rescue
personal could refuse to provide services
to someone who is LGBTQ if it goes against
their religious belief (You can’t make stuff
like that up!).
I am concerned for our culture, our
future, our values, our beliefs, and our
humanity. Times are a changing. The question is; will we keep changing with the
times or will hold fast in the very values,
beliefs and humanity that seem to be slipping away?
Your resources are needed right now.
Yes, that means your money, your time,
your talents, you! You are the author of
your own life story, and collectively, we are
the authors of our countries history. What
will we write, together?
As the New Year begins, PTCI will be
looking at how we can improve the ways our
lives in the LGBT community end.
The newly-elected PTCI Board has
planned a full year of social activities for
mature gay/bi/questioning men. By request
PTCI has added a second morning coffee
group each month. A monthly game night
has also been added and may be increased
to twice a month.
The Board also added a dining out
group. The group will meet monthly in
locally-owned restaurants that are moderately priced but have been highly rated on
Urban Spoon.
Speakers on family law and using native
prairie flowers in the landscape are planned
for the future monthly general meetings/
potlucks.
Plans are underway for a “Spring Fling”
in May, a dance party featuring music that
mature men know how to dance to. Younger
men who enjoy the company of older men
are welcome, too.
PTCI’s goal is to be boldly inclusive and
our mission is to provide a variety of social
opportunities for a diverse group of mature
gay/bi/questioning men.
To volunteer to help or just to keep
informed of what is going on, send your email
address either to Pr ime T imersIowa@gmail.
co m or info@oneiowa.org.
Rev. Royal Bush serves as Chaplain at
Inclusive Life in Omaha, NE. Since 2009
Inclusive Life has provided religious and
nonreligious pastoral services and holistic
care to all without exception. Royal shares a
message that all living beings are beautiful,
loved and worthy-just as they are. www.
inclusivelife.org (402) 575-7006.
Prime Timers of Central Iowa
ACCESSline Page 28
DIRECTORY NOTICE
The ACCESSline community directory
is updated each issue. LISTINGS
ARE FREE but are limited by space.
Free online listings are available at
www.ACCESSlineAMERICA.com.
Information about new listings must
contain a phone number for publication and a contact (e-mail address,
land address, or website) for our
records. For more information or to
provide corrections, please contact
Editor@ACCESSlineAMERICA.com or
call (712) 560-1807.
The ACCESSline is
expanding our resource
directory to include
heartland resources
outside of Iowa. Please
bear with us as we
continue improving our
resource directory.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Breur Media Corporation : Website Consultation,
Design, Programming, and Hosting.
HIV and STD Testing Sites near You, including
places where you can get tested for free:
hivtest.org/
Crisis or Suicide National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Information on Mental Health National Alliance
on Mental Illness: nami.org
Counseling, Information and Resources about
Sexual Orientation GLBT National Help Center:
glnh.org or 1-888-843-4564
Information on Mental Health for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender nami.org
Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Health, cdc.gov
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350,
Washington, DC 20005, victoryfund.org
202-VICTORY [842-8679]
Human Rights Campaign,
National political organization, lobbies congress
for lesbian & gay issues, political training state
and local, hrc.org, 1-800-777-HRCF[4723]
Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
I I E. Adams, Suite 1008, Chicago, IL 60603
lambdalegal.org, 312-663-4413
Rivendell Media National Advertising
212-242-6863, sales@rivendellmedia.com
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) ngltf.org - taskforce.org
1325 Massachusetts Ave NW,
Ste 600, Washington, DC, 20005
National Organization for Women (NOW)
733 15th ST NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20005, now.org
202-628-8669
PFLAG National Offices
1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington,
DC 20005, info@pflag.org - pflag.org, 202-4678180
The Trevor Lifeline
|Crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
questioning youth. (866) 4-U-TREVOR - (866)
488-7386 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. All calls are toll-free and confidential thetrevorproject.org/
IOWA ORGANIZATIONS
Equality Iowa
P.O. Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125, equalityiowa.
org - 515-537-3126
Faithful Voices
Interfaith Alliance of Iowa’s marriage equality
project. faithfulvoices.org
Imperial Court of Iowa
Non-profit fundraising & social, statewide
organization with members from across the
State of Iowa.
PO Box 1491, Des Moines, IA 50306-1491
imperialcourtofiowa.org
Iowa Chapter of the National
Organization for Women (NOW)
Janis Bowden, President, IA NOW
janleebow@aol.com
PO Box 41114, Des Moines, IA 503111
Iowa Gay Rodeo Association (IAGRA)
921 Diagonal Rd, Malcom, IA 50157
polebender60@yahoo.com 641-990-1411
Iowa PFLAG
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and
Gay) State Council, PO Box 18, Indianola, IA
50125
http://community.pflag.org/Page.
aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
515-537-3126 or 641-583-2024
Iowa Pride Network
777 Third Street, Suite 312, Des Moines, Iowa
50309 - Iowapridenetwork.org,
Executive Director: 515-471-8062,
Outreach Coordinator: 515-471-8063
LGBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force
PO Box 1997, Des Moines, 50306
515-243-1221
One Iowa
500 East Locust St, Ste 300, Des Moines, IA
50309 - 515-288-4019 - OneIowa.org
PrimeTimers of Central Iowa. A social group
for mature gay/bi men and their admirers.
Several social events during each month. Find
us on Facebook: “PrimeTimers of Central Iowa”.
Email: PrimeTimersIowa@gmail.com.
The Quire
Eastern Iowa’s GLBT chorus, thequire.org
NEBRASKA ORGANIZATIONS
(LIST IN PROGRESS)
Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027
1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102.
cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org
The Imperial Court of Nebraska
Meets the third Monday of Every month at the
Rainbow Outreach Resource Center at 17th and
Leavenworth in Omaha, NE. Meetings start at
6pm and are open to the public.
PO Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103
Nebraska AIDS Project
Omaha Office (Home Office)
250 South 77th Street Suite A
Omaha, NE 68114
(402) 552-9260 - Email us: info@nap.org
(also serving Southwest Iowa)
AMES, IOWA
Collegiate United Methodist Church / Wesley
Foundation, 2622 Lincoln Way, 50014, School
Year worship Sunday 8:30am, 11:00 am and
5:30 pm followed by fellowship www.
cwames.org or find us on facebook.
First United Methodist Church
516 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010, Contemporary worship Sat 5:30; Sun 8:30 & 11am
acswebnetworks.com/firstunitedmcames/ 515232-2750
ISU LGBTA Alliance
GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter - 515-344-4478
L East Student Office Space,2229 Lincoln Way,
Ames, IA 50014-7163, alliance@iastate.edu
- alliance.stuorg.iastate.edu
Living with HIV Program, MICA
230 SE 16th Street, Ames, IA 50010, Ask for
Helen (Director), 515-956-3333 ext. 106 or
800-890-8230
Lord of Life Lutheran - 515-233-2350
2126 Gable Lane, Ames 50014, Services
Sundays at 9:00a.m.; Wed. 7:00pm.
PFLAG Ames at Youth and Shelter Services
Offices, 420 Kellogg Ave. 50010, 2nd Tuesday,
7 pm, pflagames@yahoo.com or find us on
facebook.
Romantics Pleasure Palace
117 Kellogg Street, Ames, IA 50010-3315
romantixonline.com 515-232-7717
United Church of Christ-Congregational
217 6th Street, Ames, Iowa, 50010, Sunday
Continental Breakfast, 9:00am; Sunday School,
9:30am; Worship 10:45am. office@amesucc.
org 515-232-9323
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames
1015 Hyland Ave. Summer services: 10:00 am,
Sunday. Services 10 a.m. for the rest of the
summer. Contact uufa@uufames.org and www.
uufames.org or call 515-231-8150.
Unity Church of Ames - unityofames.com
226 9th St, Ames, IA 50010-6210, Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am. Wednesday
mediation 6:30pm
Daily dial-a-blessing 515-233-1613
ARNOLDS PARK, OKOBOJI,
SPENCER, SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA
The Royal Wedding Chapel
504 Church Street, Royal, IA 51357
712-933-2223 TheRoyalWeddingChapel.com
Wilson Resource Center
An Iowa Great Lakes area gay-owned, nonprofit
community based organization. PO Box 486,
597 W. Okoboji Rd., Arnolds Park IA 513310486 - 712-332-5043
F.JosephWilson@aol.com. wilsonresource.org
BURLINGTON, IOWA
Arrowhead Motel - arrowheadia.com
2520 Mount Pleasant St, Burlington, IA 526012118 - 319-752-6353
Faith Lutheran Church E L C A
3109 Sunnyside Ave, Burlington, IA 52601
HIV/AIDS Screening @ Des Moines County
Health Department in Burlington, 522 N 3rd
By appointment between 8:00am to 4:30
319-753-8217 Confidential
PFLAG Burlington at Zion United Church of
Christ, 412 N. 5th St., 52601, (319)671-0332.
Meetings held the 3rd thursday at 7PM.
RISQUES IV (adult store)
421 Dry Creek Ave, West Burlington, IA 52601
(319) 753-5455, Sun - Wed 8am-Midnight
Thurs - Sat Open 24 Hours, LoversPlayground.
com
Steve’s Place, 852 Washington St, Burlington,
319-754-5868
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Services start at 10:30 am, 625 N 6th St,
Burlington, IA 52601-5032, (319) 753-1895 uuburlington.org
CEDAR FALLS - WATERLOO, IOWA
Adult Cinema
315 E 4th St, Waterloo, IA 50703-4703,
(319) 234-7459
Black Hawk Co. Health Department
Free HIV testing (donations accepted);
MW, 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Thurs, 1:00pm to
4:45pm
1407 Independence Ave. (5th fl), Waterloo
50703
319-291 -2413
Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS)
Service, support groups & trained volunteers for
persons with HIV/AIDS in Waterloo/CF
call Elizabeth or Karla, 319-272-AIDS(2437).
cvhospice@forbin.net
Cedar Valley Counseling Services
Promoting personal growth and development
in a strengths-based environment, Joan E.
Farstad, MA, Director. 319-240-4615, cvcounseling.com
farstd@cvcounseling.com.
Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry.
In Lutheran Center, 2616 College St, Cedar
Falls, IA - 319-415-5747, mcdinoiwa@aol.com,
episcopalcampus.org
Community AIDS Assistance Project (CAAP)
- PO Box 36, Waterloo, IA 50704
LGBTA Support Group at
Hawkeye Community College, Call Carol at
319-296-4014 or carol.hedberg@hawkeyecollege.edu
Iowa Legal Aid
Free civil legal service available to low income
persons who qualify under income/asset
guidelines.
607 Sycamore, #206, Waterloo, IA 50703
1-800-772-0039 or 319-235-7008
Kings & Queens
304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA, 319-232-3001
Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium)
1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702
319-234-9340, romantixonline.com
Stellas Guesthouse
324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA
Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for
adults only. 319-232-2122
St. Lukes Episcopal Church - 319-277-8520
2410 Melrose Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Services: Sunday 8:00 & 10:15, Thurs 11:30 st-lukes-episcopal.org
St. Timothys United Methodist Church
3220 Terrace Drive, Cedar Falls, 50613
sttims-umc.org, 319-266-0464, info@sttimsumc-org, “Welcome of all persons, including
those of all sexual orientations and gender
identities.”
Together For Youth
233 Vold Dr, Waterloo, IA 50703,
TogetherForYouth.net 319-274-6768
UNI-LGBTA
Alliance-Student Organization, Center/Maucker
Union, CM 0167, University of Northern Iowa,
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0167lgbta@uni.edu 319-222-0003
United Church of Christ Cedar Falls
9204 University Avenue, Cedar Falls
319-366-9686
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk
County - 319-266-5640
3912 Cedar Heights Dr, Cedar Falls, IA
CEDAR RAPIDS/MARION, IOWA
Adult Shop
630 66th Ave SW, 319-362-4939
Adult Shop North
5539 Crane Lane, 319-294-5360
CRPrideFest (formerly Cedar Rapids Unity)
Social activities, non-profit Pride festival organization. PO Box 1643 Cedar Rapids 52406-1643
- CRPrideFest.com
Christ Episcopal Church
“We have a place for you.” 220 40th Street
NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, 319-363-2029 ChristEpiscopal.org
Belle’s Basix - 319-363-3194
Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm-2am
3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids
Club CO2, A GLBTQA Nightclub, 616 2nd Ave
SE, 319-365-0225, Open 7 days a week 4PM2AM, Happy hour from 4-8 pm, club-co2.com
Coe Alliance
GLBTQ and straight students, staff and people
from the community. Coe College, 1220 First
Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. coealliance@
coe.edu
or Erica Geers, faculty advisor at 319-861-6025
Community Health Free Clinic
947 14th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319-363-0416 - communityhfc.org
Free Medical Services provided for the
uninsured and underserved patients of Cedar
Rapids, Marion and the surrounding areas in
Eastern Iowa.
CSPS Legion Arts Contemporary Arts Center
- 319-364-1580
1103 3rd St. SE, info@legionarts.org
Diversity Focus,
222 2nd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401,
319-363-3707, DiversityFocus.org, Lead in the
promotion of diversity, cultural awareness, and
inclusion in the Corridor community.
Eden United Church of Christ
351 8th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
(319) 362-7805
Sunday School 9am - Worship 10:15am
Foundation 2 Crisis Counseling
24-hour telephone crisis counseling.
f2crisis@aol.com or www.f2online.org
1540 2nd Ave. SE Cedar Rapids, IA
319-362-2174 or 800-332-4224
Linn County Public Health
501 13th NW, Free confidential HIV testing,
319-892-6000
Linn County Stonewall Democrats
For more info, contact linnstonewall@ gmail.com
People’s Church Unitarian Universalist
A welcoming congregation. 4980 Gordon Ave
NW, Cedar Rapids, IA. Worship starts at 10 AM
and Adult and Children Religious Education is
at 11:15 AM on Sundays.
319-362-9827 - peoplesuu.org
PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond
Support Group meets on the 2nd Thursday
at 7pm - call for details. 319-431-0673,
pflaglcb@gmail.com, www.pflagcr.com
The Linn County Stonewall Democrats
Meet 2nd Wednesdays, Blue Strawberry, 118
2nd St SE in Cedar Rapids, IA. Contact Harvey
S. Ross, HRoss007@aol.com.
Tri-ess, Iota Kappa Phi Chapter
P.O. Box 8605, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52408
We are a transgendered organization supporting
crossdressers, their families, and friends. - riess.org, 319-390-6376, georgia523@yahoo.
com
- marlenemarschel@yahoo.com
Unity Center of Cedar Rapids
“A center of positive, practical Christianity.”
4980 Gordon NE, Cedar Rapids
unitycr.org - (319) 393-5422
CLINTON, IOWA
18 and Beyond (aka ABC Books),
135 5th Ave South, 563-242-7687
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clinton
309 30th Avenue North, Clinton, IA 52732
(563) 242-4972 - uuclinton.org, Sunday services
at 10:30 (year-round), Where YOUR spiritual
and ethical journey is welcome! Rev. Ruby
Nancy, minister
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA
Council Bluffs Community Alliance
“…will promote the city of Council Bluffs as a
developing gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender
family community, & to assure the equality of all
Council Bluffs’ residents.”
CouncilBluffsCommunityAlliance.org
Council Bluffs NOW
PO Box 3325, Omaha, NE 68103-0325
Romantix Council Bluffs (North)
(Adult Emporium) 3216 1st Ave, Council Bluffs,
IA 51501-3353-romantixonline.com-515-9559756
Romantix Council Bluffs (South)
(Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council
Bluffs, IA 51503
romantixonline.com, 712-366-1764
DECORAH, IOWA
Decorah Human Rights Commission
Contact: City Clerk, 400 Clairborne Dr, Decorah,
563-382-3651, Meetings: First Tuesdays,
5:30pm
Luther College Student Congregation
Contact Office for College Ministry
700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, 563-3871040.
Luther College PRIDE-Diversity Center,
700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101
Contact Charles 563-210-6570
PFLAG Northeast IA (Waukon/Decorah)
Meets 4th Monday of the month at 7 PM in
Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, 119
Winnebago St., Decorah. Contact Ellen C. at
563-380-4626.
MARCH 2014
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah
Senior Center, 806 River St, Call Bill at 563382-3458.
DES MOINES, IOWA
AIDS Project of Central Iowa
Free HIV testing, prevention supplies, care
services, food pantry, information. 711 E. 2nd,
Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-284-0245
Blazing Saddle
416 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA
theblazingsaddle.com - 515-246-1299
Buddies Corral
418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-244-7140
Des Moines Diversity Chorus [A gay-friendly
mixed chorus] Rehearsals on Mondays at 7 p.m.
at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Beaver
Ave. at Franklin St., Des Moines.
All are
welcome, no auditions.
PO Box 65312, West Des Moines, IA 50265,
Julie Murphy, Artistic Director
jahmurphy@hotmail.com, 515-255-3576, desmoinesdiversitychorus.org
Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus
515-953-1540, 4126 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines
- administrator@dmgmc.org
Des Moines Pride Center
@ One Iowa (temporary location) 419 SW, 8th
St., Des Moines, IA 50309
Family Practice Center - 515-953-7560
Safe, supportive LGBT health care. 200 Army
Post Road, Ste 26, ppgi.org
First Friday Breakfast Club
Educational breakfast club for gay/bisexual
men. Meets first Friday of each month. Contact
Jonathan Wilson for meeting topic and place.
515-288-2500
info@ffbciowa.org ffbciowa.org
First Unitarian Church
1800 Bell Avenue, Services Sundays at 9:30 &
11am - 515-244-8603, ucdsm.org
Franklin Family Practice
Dr. Joe Freund, MD
4908 Franklin Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310
515-280-4930, ucsinformation@ucsdsm.org,
UCSOnline.org/FranklinFamilyPractice
The Gallery (adult store)
1000 Cherry St, Des Moines, IA 50309-4227
- (515) 244-2916 Open 24 Hrs, LoversPlayground.com
The Garden
112 SE 4th Des Moines, IA, 515-243-3965
Wed-Sun. 8pm-2am grdn.com
Gay & Lesbian AA & AI-Anonymous
Mon 7pm; Tue-Thu 6pm; Sat. 5:30pm, at Drake
Ministries in Ed. Bldg. 28th & University
Gay and Lesbian Issues Committee
4211 Grand Avenue, Level-3, Des Moines, IA
50312 - 515-277-1117
Lavender Victory Fund
Financial assistance for women in need for
medical emergencies. lavendervf@aol.com
Le Boi Bar
508 Indianola Rd, Des Moines, IA
Liberty Gifts
333 E. Grand Ave, Loft 105, Des Moines, IA
Gay owned specialty clothing, jewelry, home
decor. 515-508-0825
MINX Show Palace - 515-266-2744
1510 NE Broadway, Des Moines, IA 50313
MCC of Central Iowa
2500 University Ave, 2nd Floor Chapel,
Worship, Sunday at 11:00 am, Pastor’s Email:
MCCofCentralIowa@gmail.com, 515-393-7565
North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA,
Iowa Division of North Star, NSGRA@NSGRA.
org or 612-82-RODEO
Primary Health Care Inc., David Yurdin, 2353 SE
14th St., Des Moines, 503020, Works with GLBT
ages 16 to geriatric, 25 years of experience.
515-248-1427
Rainbow Union, Drake University
ru@drake.edu
PFLAG Des Moines - 515-243-0313
1300 Locust , Des Moines, IA 50312
Plymouth Congregational UCC
Church and the Plymouth GLBT Community
4126 Ingersoll Ave. 515-255-3149
Services at 9am & I lam Sunday. PlymouthGLBT.com
Polk County Health Department
Free STD, HIV, and Hepatitis B & C testing.
HIV. Rapid testing also offered. 1907 Carpenter,
Des Moines, IA, 515-286-3798.
Pride Alliance, AIB College of Business
Gay and straight students celebrating diversity.
Contact: Mike Smith, Advisor,
PrideAlliance@aib.edu - aib.edu/pride
Pride Bowling League for GLBT & Supporters
- Every Wednesday, 7 PM, Air Lanes Bowling
Center 4200 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 503212389. Email pridebowlingleague@gmail.com or
515-447-2977.
TTDIRECTORY cont’d page 29
MARCH 2014
DIRECTORY
Raccoon River Resort
Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in
campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses.
Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312
Ritual Café - ritualcafe.com
On 13th between Grand and Locust.
Gay owned, great music, awesome food
& coffee. 515-288-4872 ritualcafe@aol.com
Romantix North Des Moines Iowa
(Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E Euclid Ave, Des
Moines, IA 50317, romantixonline.com 515266-7992
Spouses of Lesbians & Gays
Support group for spouses of gays and lesbians.
515-277-7754
St. John’s Lutheran Church
600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.”
Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am.
See web page for other services.
515-243-7691 - StJohnsDSM.org
TransformationsIOWA
Meets every Wednesday at 7pm, 2nd saturday
of each month at 1pm at OneIowa, 419 SW 8th
St, Des Moines, IA. For more information email
sophia.transformations@gmail.com or call
515-288-4019 x200
Trinity United Methodist Church
1548 Eighth Street - 515-288-4056
Services Sundays 10am, trinityumcdm.org
Urbandale UCC - An open & affirming congregation. 3530 70th St., Urbandale, IA 50322,
515-276-0625, urbucc.org
Walnut Hills UMC
Join us at 9:30 am for Sunday worship. Sunday
classes & group studies at 10:45 am. 515270-9226, 12321 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA
50323, whumc.org
Westminster Presbyterian Church
4114 Allison Ave - WestPres.org
Sunday services 8:45 and 11am. Of note is
their GAY-LESBIAN-STRAIGHT AFFIRMATION
GROUP, GLSA 515-274-1534
Women’s Culture Collective (WCC)
A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA iowawcc.org
Word of God Ministries, Sunday service:
3:00pm, at 3120 E 24th Street, Des Moines,
Iowa 50317, Gay, lesbian & straight affirmation
515-707-5947.
Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure
Open daily. Gay-friendly, 515-244-7694
2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA
DUBUQUE, IOWA
920 Main
920 Main St., Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Tue - Sat:
8:00 pm - 2:00 am, (563) 583-2121 or dbq.
gaybar@hotmail.com
Adult Warehouse - 563-588-9814
975 Jackson St, Dubuque, IA
Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers)
Join us at an unprogrammed worship service
on Sunday at 10am. Welcoming and Affirming,
563-582-9388
St. Mark’s Community Center, 1201 White
Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Rainbow Pride support and
socialization group.
For members of the LGBT+ community who
want to expand their social circle, get support
for LGBT specific issues, & help with advocacy.
Meets Mondays at 1pm
Hillcrest Wellness Center
225 W 6th St., Dubuque, IA 563-690-1239
PFLAG Dubuque/Tri-State
Carnegie Stout Library, 3rd Floor Conference
Room, 360 W. 11th St. 3rd Tuesday, 7pm
563-581-4606
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque
- “The uncommon denomination.” general
services at 10am. 1699 Iowa St, Dubuque, IA
uuf-dbq.org 563-583-9910
ELKADER, IOWA
Bethany Church (ELCA) - 563-245-1856
307 3rd St. NE, Elkader, IA 52043
Inclusive. Welcoming. A ‘ReconcilingWorks’
congregation. www.bethanychurchelkader.org
bethanychurch@alpinecom.net
Schera’s Restaurant & Bar
107 S Main St, Elkader, IA 52043,
Scheras.com, E-mail: info@scheras.com
Fine dining featuring Algerian & American
Cuisine. 563-245-1992
FORT DODGE, IOWA
Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema)
Sun-Thu 10am-12am, Fri & Sat 10am-2am 15
N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801
RomantixOnline.com - 515-955-9756
GRINNELL, IOWA
Broad View Seed , BroadviewSeed.com, Manager/Owner: John C., chicoski7@yahoo.com
Saints Ephrem & Macrina
Sunday services at 10am. (Affiliated with the
Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.)Divine
Liturgy is served Sundays during the College
academic year 1:30 p.m., Herrick Chapel,
Grinnell College Campus, 1226 Broad Street,
Grinnell, IA, 641-236-0936
Stonewall Resource Center
Open 4:30pm to 11:30pm, Sun through Thurs
and by Appointment., Grinnell College, 1210
Park Street
PO Box B-1, Grinnell, IA, 50112, srcenter@
grinnell.edu 641-269-3327
United Church of Christ-Congregational,
‘An open and affirming church.’ 902 Broad St,
641-236-3111
INDIANOLA, IOWA
Crossroads United Church of Christ (UCC)
An Open & affirming congregation. Services:
Sunday 10:30am, Summer worship: June,
July, Aug, @ 9:30 am, worshiping in the Lounge
at Smith Chapel, Simpson College, corner of
Buxton and Clinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box
811, Indianola, IA 50125
515-961-9370. crossroadsucc.org
IOWA CITY, IOWA
AA (GLBT) 319-338-9111
Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist
Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info,
call IC Intergroup Answering Service,
Congregational Church UCC
An Open and Affirming Congregation, Sunday
Worship 10:15 a.m.
30 N Clinton St (across from Ul Pentacrest)
319-337-4301 - uiccic.org
Counseling Clinic 319-354-6238
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sensitive and supportive counseling for individuals,
couples, families and groups. Sliding Fee. 505
E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240
Counseling and Health Center
Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans
always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City,
IA - 319-337-1679
Crisis Center 319-351-0140
1121 Gilbert Ct, Iowa City, 52240
Emma Goldman Clinic
227 N. Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245
319-337-2111or 1-800-848-7684.
Faith United Church of Christ
An open and affirming congregation.
1609 Deforest Street, Iowa City, 52240
Sunday Worship 9:30 AM 319-338-5238
bob.faithucc@g.com, faithucciowacity.org
GLBTAU-U of lA
Student support system and resource center,
info, activism, events, and other community
involvements.
203 IMU, University of IA, Iowa City, IA 522421317 - 319-335-3251 (voice mail)
glbtau@uiowa.edu
Hope United Methodist Church
Worship Service at 9:30am. 2929 E. Court St.,
Iowa City, IA - Contact Rev. Sherry Lohman.
319-338-9865
Human Rights Commission
(City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission)
319-356-5022; 391-356-5015; 319-356-5014
Fax 319-887-6213
humanrights@iowa-city.org
ICARE (Iowa Center for AIDS Resources &
Education) Practical & emotional support, youth
programs, information, referrals and support
groups. 319-338-2135
3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic - 319-337-4459
Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440
Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment
Iowa City NOW
PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244
Iowa Women’s Music Festival
P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244
319-335-1486
Men Supporting Men 319-356-6038, Ext 2
HIV prevention program. Discussion Groups,
Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book
Club. Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@co.johnson.
ia.us
New Song Episcopal Church
912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA. Sunday services
at 10am.
Jennifer Masada, Jane Stewart, and John
Greve. 319-351-3577
Pride Committee
WRAC, 130 N Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242
Bridget Malone - 319-338-0512
Charles Howes - 319-335-1486
Romantix Iowa City - 319-351-9444
(Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa
City, IA 52240-4722 - romantixonline.com
Studio 13
13 S. Linn St. (in the Alley) Iowa City, IA
Open 7pm ‘til 2am, daily 319-338-7145
U of I Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Staff & Faculty
Association, c/o WRAC, 130 N Madison, Iowa
City, IA 52242, 319-335-1486
Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City
Inclusive & free religious community nurturing
intellectual & spiritual growth & fostering ethical
& social responsibility. uusic.org
10 S. Gilbert, Iowa City, IA Sunday services:
9:30am & 11:15am. 319-337-3443
United Action for Youth (UAY)
A GLBTQA youth group providing support and
counseling for teenagers and young adults processing sexual identity issues. Meets Mondays
7-9pm at UAY
410 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA. 319-338-7518 or
Teen Line, 319-338-0559.
The Ursine Group
Bear Events in the Midwest. PO Box 1143, Iowa
City, IA 52244-1143 - 319-338-5810
Women’s Resource Action Center (WRAC)
Leads & collaborates on projects that serve
U of l and the greater community, offers social
& support services, including LGBT Coming Out
Group.
University of Iowa, 130 N Madison,
Iowa City, IA 52242 - 319-335-1486
MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA
Adult Odyssey (Adult Video Store)
907 Iowa Ave E - 641-752-6550
Domestic Violence Alternatives/
Sexual Assault Center, Inc., 132 W Main St.
24 hour Crisis Line: 641-753-3513 or (instate
only) 800-779-3512
MASON CITY, IOWA
Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public Health
22 N. Georgia Ave, Ste 300 Mason City, IA
50401. Free confidential AIDS testing. 641-4219321
PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 641-583-2848,
pflagmcni@yahoo.com, Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe @ 7 p.m. Wed.
MOUNT VERNON, IOWA
Alliance Cornell College
810 Commons Cir # 2035 - alliance@cornellcollege.edu - orgs.cornellcollege.edu/alliance/
NEVADA, IOWA
Carleton Family Medicine PLLC, Accepting and
Affirming Health Care, Alison B. Carleton, MD,
1011 6th St. 50201, 515-231-3159
PELLA, IOWA
Common Ground (Central College)
Support group for GLBT students and allies.
Contact: Brandyn Woodard, Director of Intercultural Life
woodardb@central.edu 641-628-5134
QUAD CITIES, IOWA
AIDS Project Quad Cities
Info, education & support. Davenport, IA 52804,
www.apqc4life.org 319-762-LIFE
Black Hawk College Unity Alliance
Serving GLBT community at Black Hawk
College. 6600 34th Ave, Rock Island, IL 309716-0542.
Connections Nightclub 563-322-1121
822 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802
DeLaCerda House 309-786-7386
Provides housing & supportive services,
advocacy and referrals for people living with HIV/
AIDS. P.O. Box 4551, Rock Island, Il. 61201
Good Samaritan Free Clinic 309-797-4688
Provides free primary medical care to patients
age 16-64 who are working but have no medical
insurance. gsfc@mchsi.com
602 35th Ave, Moline, IL
GoodSamaritanFreeClinic.org
The Hole-In-The-Wall 309-289-2375
A Private Membership Men’s Club, Located 3
miles east of Galesburg, IL. just north of I-74 at
Exit 51. HoleInTheWallMensClub.org
Holy Spirit Catholic Faith Community
Meets one weekend a month for mass. Please
visit our web site:
www.transformationalcatholicchurch.com for
more information or call: 309-278-7909.
Lucky Shamrock
313 20th St, Rock Island, IL - 309-788-7426 An
Irish Pub open to all types.
Mary’s On 2nd 563-884-8014
832 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA
MCC Quad Cities - Svcs Sun 11am, Bible study
Wed 7pm 563-324-8281, 3019 N Harrison,
Davenport, IA 52803
Men’s Coming Out/Being Out Group
Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7pm. QCAD.
outforgood@gmail.com 309-786-2580
PFLAG Quad Cities 563-285-4173
Eldridge United Methodist Church
604 S.2nd St., Eldridge 1st Monday, 6:30 pm
Prism (Augustana College) 309-794-7406
Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance, Augustana
Library - 639 38th St, Rock Island, IL, Contact
Tom Bengston
Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD) Social
& support groups for lesbian, bi, trans, and gay
teens, adults, friends & families; newsletter.
309-786-2580 - Community Center located at
1608 2nd Ave, Rock Island.
Quad Cities Pride Chorus (Call Don at 563-3240215) At the MCC Church in D’port, 7pm Wed.
qcswede64@aol.com
Rainbow Gifts
www.rainbowgifts.net - 309-764-0559
T.R. Video
Adult books & video, 3727 Hickory Grove Rd,
Davenport, IA. 563-386-7914
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad
Cities, Rev Jay Wolin, Sunday Service 11am
- 563-359-0816
3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807
Venus News (Adult)
902 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA. 563-322-7576
RED OAK, IOWA
First Congregational United Church of Christ
(open and affirming) - 712-623-2794
608 E Reed St, Red Oak, IA 51566
Rev. Donald Morgan, Pastor
www.redoakucc.org, office@redoakucc.org
SHENANDOAH, IOWA
PFLAG Shenandoah
1002 South Elm Street - 712-246-2824
SIOUX CITY, IOWA
Am. Business & Professional Guild.
Gay Businessmen. Meets last Sat. of the month;
ABPG, P. O. BOX 72, Sioux City, 51102 abpguild@yahoo.com
Grace United Methodist Church
1735 Morningside Avenue - 712-276-3452.
Jones Street Station (Bar) 712-258-6922
412 Jones St., Nightly 6:00pm to 2:00am.
Mayflower Congregational Church
1407 West 18th St - 712-258-8278.
Morningside College
Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alliance
Contact Professor Gail Dooley, Advisor Morningside College GSA.
1501 Morningside Ave,
Sioux City, IA 51106-1717
dooley@morningside.edu - 712-274-5208
PFLAG Siouxland
PO Box 1311, Sioux City, IA 51102
siouxlandPFLAG@aol.com
Romantix Sioux City 712-277-8566
511 Pearl St, Sioux City, IA 51101-1217
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Service Sun 10:30am
406 12th St, Waverly, IA
Rev Mary Christopher - 712-258-0141
Western Iowa Tech. GSA
widemal@juno.com for info.
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
Center for Equality, PO box 2009 Sioux Falls,
SD 57101-2009, 605-331-1153,
centersforequalitysd.org
WAVERLY, IOWA
Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry.
717 W. Bremer, (St. Andrew’s Episcopal)
episcoplcampus.org - 319-415-5747
Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Student Alliance
Wartburg College, Waverly, IA 50677. Contact
Susan Vallem - 319-352-8250
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
717 W. Bremer. We welcome all to worship with
us on Sunday at 10:30am. Bible discussion
Wed. 6:45pm 319-352-1489
Rev. Maureen Doherty, Pastor
NEBRASKA
(CONTENT IN PROGRESS)
HASTINGS, NEBRASKA
PFLAG Hastings - pat@datacc.net
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
Diviner Lighters of God, PO Box 22881,
Support line for ex-Amish & ex-Mennonite. 402328-2339, evenings & afternoons.
Indigo Bridge Books
The Creamery Building, 701 P St, Ste 102,
Lincoln, NE 68508 - 402-477 7770
“Indigo Bridge Books strives to provide a solid,
relevant Gender Studies section with a focus on
LGBT titles. indigobridgebooks.com
Nebraska AIDS Project (Lincoln Office)
1921 South 17th Street, Lincoln, NE 68502
(402) 476-7000 - nap.org
OUTLinc - outlinc.org
Bringing Lincoln’s LGBT Community Together
Panic - 402-435-8764
200 S 18th St, Lincoln, NE 68508
PFLAG Cornhusker Chapter
PO Box 82034, Lincoln, NE 68501
Meetings 4th Tuesday, Unitarian Church of
Lincoln, 6300 A St, 7-9pm
pflagcornhusker.org
PFLAG Helpline: 402-434-9880 - Confidential
Support & Information - We’re Here For You !
ACCESSline Page 29
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland
Sexual and Reproductive Health Care,
Transgender Care - (402) 441-3302
2246 O St, Lincoln, NE 68510
The Rainbow Clinic in the UNL
Psychological Consultation Center
“…a specialty outreach service to the GLBTQ
community. Psychological services, including
individual, couples & family therapy, are provided within the UNL Psychological Consultation
Center by regular PCC staff…open year round;
day & evening appointments available. $10 for
intake & $25 for therapy sessions. Application
can be made for reduced fees based on federal
poverty guidelines.
325 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588
402-472-2351 unl.edu/psypage/pcc/
Star City Pride
starcitypride.org - info@starcitypride.org
The Unitarian Church of Lincoln
6300 A Street, Lincoln, NE 68510-5097
(402) 483-2213 - unitarianlincoln.org
Sunday from 10am to 11am
OMAHA, NEBRASKA
AIDS Interfaith Network
100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE
Call Br. Wm. Woeger, 402-558-3100
Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027
1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102.
cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org
Flixx Bar
1019 S. 10th Street www.flixxomaha.com
Front Runners/Front Walkers
Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha,
NE 68104, 402-804-8720,
frontrunners.org
Greater Omaha GLBT Network - goglbt.org
“…to advance growth & equality for its members,
businesses & allies by providing educational,
networking & community-building opportunities.
Meetings 1st Thursday every month locations
at a traveling location to see the community and
be seen. For more info or to be included on
the e-newsletter list, please email us at info@
goglbt.org.
Heartland Gay Rodeo Association (HGRA)
(Midwest Division of the International Gay
Rodeo Association) PO Box 3354, Omaha, NE
68103, hgra.net - 402-203-4680, Serves Iowa
and Nebraska
Heartland Pride
”…to develop a high impact and relevant cultural
festival & events annually that promotes equality
& unity for the LGBTQ & Allies Communities of
Western Iowa and Greater Nebraska. heartlandpride.org
Imperial Court of Nebraska 402-556-9907
P.O. Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103
Inclusive Life Pastoral Services
Holistic Health-Weddings-FuneralsCoaching-Essential Oils-Holistic Health www.
inclusivelife.org 402-575-7006
The Max
1417 Jackson at 15th, Omaha, NE 68102
6 bars in 1 - 402-346-4110
McLovin
1010 South 10 Street, Omaha, NE, 68108
info@mclovinstore.com, MclovingStore.com
402-915-4002, A store for men.
MCC Omaha
819 South 22nd, Omaha, NE 68103, Sun
9:30AM & 11:15 AM. Wednesday “ReCharge”
Worship, Wed 7pm - 402-345-2563
PFLAG Omaha
Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020
Cass St. (Omaha), 2nd Thursday, 7, 6:30 Social,
402-291-6781
Queer Nebraska Youth Network
https://sites.google.com/site/theqnyn The
QNYN is the only youth-focused, peer-led
group providing social activities, connections to
resources, and confidential online discussion
to lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer youth in
Nebraska
River City Gender Alliance Peer support,
friendship, and understanding for crossdressers,
transgenderists, and transsexuals. PO Box 4083
Omaha, NE 68104, 402-291-6781, info@rcga.
us - rcga.us
River City Mixed Chorus
Gay/lesbian chorus, PO Box 3267, Omaha, NE
68103, Call Stan Brown, 402-341-7464
Tri-ess Chapter, Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter,
Omaha, NE 68107, Transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families,
and friends. tri-ess.org, 402-960-9696, Judy
marlenemarschel@yahoo.com
Youth Support Group for GLBT
Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly. Omaha, NE
- 402-291- 6781
ACCESSline Page 30
Le Boi Bar 4th Anniversary Des Moines, IA
Le Boi Bar celebrated it’s 4th Anniversary Saturday, February 22nd. Performers
included Gina Belle, Destiny Dallas Belle, Natasha Cass, and Tyona Diamond.
Le Boi Bar was established in February 2010 by David Lewis. Le Boi Bar has an open
stage every Thursday with a winner every week and every month, and every Sunday is
Tyona’s Drag Race.
For more information look for Le Boi Bar on Facebook or go to LeBoiBar.com. Photos
courtesy of Photography by Blake Staake.
MARCH 2014
MARCH 2014
RED WING
and values what is the climate for LGBT
people? Arizona statute defines marriage
as the union between a man and a woman.
No other form of relationship for samegender couples is recognized and marriages
performed in other jurisdictions are not
recognized. Janet Napolitano, in a 2003
executive order banned employment
discrimination. Arizona’s hate crimes law
covers sexual orientation as a protected
group but gender identity is not included.
And now the Arizona state legislature
has become the first in the nation to pass
a bill that would protect discrimination
based on religious belief. The purpose of
SB 1062 “modifies the definition of exercise
of religion and allows a person to assert a
free exercise claim or defense in a judicial
proceeding regardless of whether the
government is a party to the proceeding.”
It reads: “Exercise of religion” means
the PRACTICE OR OBSERVANCE OF RELIGION, INCLUDING THE ability to act or
SHRINK RAP
it can become an alternative to the work of
a personal relationships. It can connect us
with people with new ideas and fresh ways
of looking at things but it can create the
illusion that there is a better life out there,
somewhere. It can result in unplugging
from the world of reality. It can create an
idealized image of a potential partner that
cannot possibly exist, a standard that no one
is capable of meeting.
A friend of mine had been chatting for
some time with a man on a gay dating chat
sight and arranged to meet him. When they
met he was about 40 pounds heavier and 10
years older than his on-line profile and photo.
PAGE
defiant response to it.
But what happens when things change?
Today, some young gays grow up in places
like New York City and come out in early high
school to warmth and overwhelming acceptance. Others are still routinely disowned
by their families for coming out. Levels of
acceptance and rejection vary widely based
on race, ethnicity, religious upbringing, and
geographic location. This cannot help but shift
what it means to be gay. Thirty years ago gay
culture was defined in New York City and San
Francisco and shaped by homophobia and,
tragically, the AIDS crisis. Some may never
have felt comfortable with the gay culture of
the time, but they could at least tell you what
it was. What about today?
It was with this in mind that I sat down
to watch the new HBO show Looking. Focused
on the lives of three gay men in San Francisco,
Looking attempts to show a realistic portrait
of gay life today for men from their late 20s
to early 40s, in other words, the post AIDScrisis generation. It is fascinating to compare
Looking to Queer As Folk, the Showtime series
about a group of gay men in Pittsburgh that
aired starting in 2000. In the first season of
Queer As Folk, every episode ends at Babylon,
the local gay dance club. That club, and its
celebration of dancing, the male body, and
sex, was a place of communal reaffirmation
in the face of discrimination and marginaliza-
refusal to act in a manner substantially
motivated by a religious belief whether or
not the exercise is compulsory or central to
a larger system of religious belief.
Provisions include:
Expands the definition of exercise of
religion to specifically include both the
practice and observance of religion.
Expands the definition of person to
include any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, estate, trust,
foundation or other legal entity.
Changes the terminology within the
prohibition of burdening a person’s exercise
of religion to apply to state action instead
of government.
Defines state action as any action by the
government or the implementation or application of any law, including state and local
laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and
policies, whether statutory or otherwise,
and whether the implementation or action
is made or attempted to be made by the
government or nongovernmental persons.
Specifies that a free exercise of religion
claim or defense may be asserted in a judi-
He was quite unexpectedly effeminate and
not at all appealing to my friend. What he
discovered was that he actually never knew
him at all other than in a two dimensional
way. He had created the man he wanted,
not the man that was. He panicked. There
was no escape route, no mouse to click and
get rid of him. Control has been taken away.
Many men who contact others on Craig’s List
fail to show up for their arranged meetings;
sometimes fantasies are best left as they are.
Many of us have experienced a sex drive
that clouds out our rational thought; after the
need is satisfied, the one you thought you
wanted is the one you can’t wait to escape.
Have you ever thought to yourself, “How can I
get this trick out of my bed?” That what-wasI-thinking experience is magnified through
tion. Looking could not be more different.
The series begins with a comical nod to the
old gay practice of picking up guys in public
parks. Its depiction of the Folsom Street Fair
in San Francisco strikes a similarly comical
tone. The focus on sex in Queer as Folk has
been replaced in Looking with an obsession
on gay relationships in the era of gay marriage
and OkCupid. Is Looking that much different
from Sex in the City?
It is hard to get a sense of what all
this means for the future of gay culture in
America. Clearly gay life is becoming more
fractured and diverse as gay communities thrive in places that would have been
unthinkable thirty years ago. The question
is, will the decline of homophobia also mean
the disappearance of a self-conscious gay
culture? Probably. Non-stock gay characters
are becoming more prevalent in mainstream
television and movies. In many places bars are
becoming less and less defined by being gay
or straight. Traditionally gay neighborhoods
are less like gay ghettos and more mixed. Gays
have even moved into that enclave of middle
class straight respectability—the suburbs.
Like all trends, these have good aspects as
well as bad. However, I do hope that in the
future, when someone struggles with coming
out, there will be some sense of gay identity,
support, and community. Most of us who have
gone through the process know how important those things can be. It would be tragic
if, amid the successes of the movement, that
was lost as gay culture fades away.
cial proceeding regardless of whether the
government is a party to the proceeding.
What does this mean? It means that
business owners can discriminate can turn
away customers just because they say they
are doing so based on their religious beliefs.
This distortion of our guarantees of religious
freedom may extend far beyond the LGBT
communities. It would allow religious based
discrimination against almost anyone. And
that discrimination could be based on many
factors including race, familial status, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.”
It would justify discrimination in the name
of religion.
It should be noted that Focus on the
Family, the Colorado Springs right-wing
Christian organization supports the bill.
Iowa’s own FAMiLY Leader has been talking
about religious freedom specifically around
Betty and Dick Odgaard and Görtz Haus
Gallery in Grimes. They speak to a growing
number of Christians who “are being targeted by homosexual activists who’s agenda
is clear: approve of my lifestyle or pay the
consequences.” They cite Barilla Pasta, a
the internet when prolonged cyber-intimacy
leads to confronting the reality of someone
who isn’t who you thought they were.
You may feel closer to that cyber-lover
than you’ve ever felt to anyone before, but
the honeymoon ends quickly when reality
sets in. Prostitutes get their money up front
because they know the value of their services
goes down immediately after the services
are delivered.
Daniel Jones closed his essay with this:
“In (the movie) ‘Her,’ the great question isn’t
whether machines can think, but whether
ACCESSline Page 31
baker in Colorado, a photographer in New
Mexico and others as examples of businesses that have been persecuted because
they discriminate based on their religious
beliefs. We’ll see where the FAMiLY Leader
takes its understanding of what has been
dubbed ‘a war on religion’.
As marriage equality moves into Middle
America, we know that we are winning.
Legislative votes, like Arizona’s SB 1062
are, I believe, merely the distractions and
distortions of those who know that they
are losing. Codifying discrimination based
on religious belief is one of the last gasps of
an out-of-touch constituency, a constituency
that is afraid of change, and a constituency
that will soon be irrelevant. We need to
fight this prejudice with everything we have.
But fight it knowing that we are winning.
And fight it knowing that the guarantee of
religious freedom in this nation is a fundamental human right. It was never meant to
be used as a tool of bigotry or intolerance.
At this writing we are waiting to see
if Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will sign
the bill.
human beings can still feel. Seeker, in order
to find love you have to be open to love and
that means allowing yourself to be vulnerable
in the presence of another real human being.
Send your questions for Dr. Olson courtesy of ACCESSline, PO Box 396, Des Moines,
IA 50302-0396.
http://www.nytimes.
com/2013/12/18/movies/her-directedby-spike-jonze.html
http://www.nytimes.
com/2014/02/09/sunday-review/romanceat-arms-length.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=1
ACCESSline Page 32
RINGWALD
time do I assign to this? How much time
do I spend practicing the music, learning
new songs? How much time do I spend
working on my new novel? How much time
do I spend just putting puzzles together
with my kids and running around? I just
try to do the best that I can, like… every…
working parent.
Many young celebrities have difficulty growing up in the public spotlight.
How did you deal with that?
I think that’s one of the reasons why
I wanted to move to Paris and to go somewhere, well; people knew me, but not the
way that I was known here. Actually, I
think it would be harder now because
the movies have sort of become cult classics throughout the world. But when I
moved there, which was in my twenties,
I felt like it was the one time that I could
really be somewhat anonymous. And I
really needed that. Some people really
thrive with the celebrity, but I feel like
I’ve always been more of a private and
shy person, who’s been more interested
in observing than being observed. It’s one
of the reasons why I write. But it’s hard
because there’s a part of me that really
loves acting and performing. It’s always
been challenging to figure out a way to,
again, “balance” that. I think it’s really
hard for everyone. I think that’s why so
many young actors burn out. Because it
really is hard to balance—I think a lot of
people don’t really understand how hard
it is—and they don’t figure out a way to
do it and it drives them crazy.
The movies you’re so famous for all
included moments and themes of bully-
ing—they’re about high school times
and that is something that happens
at that age. And you’ve said that you
yourself were bullied. Have you ever
done anything with a campaign like the
It Gets Better Project?
I did one bullying
PSA, but I’ve never
done anything with
It Gets Better. I love
that campaign.
I
really think it’s a great
message, and I think
it is really hard for
kids to see outside of
their concept of time.
They don’t have any
reference points, and
once you get older
you understand time
in a completely different way, and you
understand that time went by really fast.
But when you’re in the middle of it, it
feels just like its absolutely endless and
it’s never going to end, you know? It feels
like a life sentence. I think that the “It Gets
Better” campaign really helps to explain
that and hopefully kids can internalize
that message. Yeah, I would love to do
something with them. I would totally do
MARCH 2014
a video if they asked.
You were the Grand Marshall for
L.A. Pride in 2012. Do you have a particularly strong LGBT following—beyond
the fact that you seem to be sort of
universally loved as a celebrity?
[Laughs.]
You
know, I do! And I think
it’s a mutual love. I
obviously—well, not
obviously—I do have a
lot of friends who are
gay or lesbian or trans,
and it’s something I
feel I’ve been around
almost my whole life.
I became aware of that
when I was ten years
old and I was in Annie
in San Francisco, and
all the dressers were gay! And I remember
asking my mom, “What’s different?” You
know? “What is this?” And I do remember at that age sort of figuring out that
something was different—as opposed to
my kids, who have been raised from the
time that they were babies. They didn’t
have an age when their understanding
changed. Which I think is kind of lovely,
you know? Matilda’s godfather is my best
friend, Matt—we’ve been best friends
since I was ten—and he’s married to Greg
who is my son Roman’s godfather. They
were our witnesses at our wedding. My
kids have just grown up with this idea
that people can marry who they love and
you can be who you want to be and that’s
okay. And I really love that. It feels like a
victory. I know that there are still battles to
be fought, but I think that that’s progress.
Some people really
thrive with the celebrity,
but I feel like I’ve always
been more of a private
and shy person, who’s
been more interested
in observing than being
observed.
MARCH 2014
HEARTLAND NEWS
Social Security benefits, being able to
claim survivor benefits would increase her
monthly check by close to $600. On April
24, 2013, the SSA notified Robina that her
survivor benefits under Norwood’s Social
Security record were denied because “her
marriage does not meet the requirements
under Federal law for payment of Social
Security widow’s benefits,” stating that her
marriage was not valid because she was
“legally male” at the time of their wedding.
In June 2013, Lambda Legal filed a
request for reconsideration on Robina’s
behalf. After more than six months of
Lambda Legal advocacy on her behalf,
Robina received the owed back payments
from the Social Security Administration
on February 14.
Mistrial of Oregon hate
crime case
A federal jury deadlocked on whether
a man who beat a gay dog-owner with a
metal tool while yelling anti-gay slurs was
guilty of a hate crime.
The trial stemmed from a March 1,
2013, incident in which Beltier and his
partner, Jeremy Mark, were walking their
pink-dyed poodle in Hillsboro. Mason and
his wife were in their SUV at a stoplight
when Mason yelled at the gay couple,
saying their dog was “un-American.”
Mason then made a quick U-turn to
circle back to the couple in the crosswalk,
got out of his vehicle, and hit Beltier with
his fists and a metal tool, witnesses testified. He was yelling profanity and anti-gay
slurs before and during the attack, according to the victim, his boyfriend and an FBI
interview with Mason’s wife.
A new trial for George Allen Mason
Jr., 23, has been scheduled for April 28
on whether he willfully caused David
Beltier bodily injury because of his sexual
orientation.
Illinois couples to marry
A federal court ordered the Cook
County Clerk’s office to provide marriage
licenses immediately to same-sex couples
seeking the freedom to marry, rather than
require them to wait until June, the default
implementation date for the marriage
equality bill passed by the Illinois legislature last year. The decision in the case,
Lee v. Orr, filed on behalf of several Illinois
couples seeking to marry immediately by
Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois in
December, is the latest development in the
momentum for marriage in Illinois.
On Friday, December 6th, Lambda
Legal and the ACLU filed Lee v. Orr, a class
action lawsuit on behalf of all Illinois
same-sex couples who apply to marry in
Cook County prior to June 1, 2014. Lambda
Legal and the ACLU also filed an emergency
motion seeking immediate issuance of
marriage licenses to Elvie Jordan and
Challis Gibbs, and Ronald Dorfman and
Ken Ilio, and all other same-sex couples
facing terminal illness. The court granted
this emergency motion on Wednesday,
December 11th, permitting same-sex
couples facing a terminal illness to marry
immediately by presenting a doctor’s certification. On December 24th, the ACLU and
Lambda Legal filed a motion for summary
judgment asking the court to find unconstitutional Illinois laws that continue to
exclude same-sex couples and their children from marriage until June 1, 2014,
the default implementation date for the
marriage legislation that passed through
the Illinois General Assembly last fall.
Today’s decision, effective immediately,
allows any same-sex couple in Illinois who
meets the other requirements for marriage
to apply for and be issued a license allowing them to marry in Cook County.
Obama Addresses LGBT
Equality in Uganda and
the Gambia
President Obama released a statement in response to news that Ugandan
President Museveni bill to criminalize
homosexuality in Uganda:
As a country and a people, the United
States has consistently stood for the
protection of fundamental freedoms and
universal human rights. We believe that
people everywhere should be treated
equally, with dignity and respect, and that
they should have the opportunity to reach
their fullest potential, no matter who they
are or whom they love.
That is why I am so deeply disappointed that Uganda will shortly enact legislation that would criminalize homosexuality.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda,
once law, will be more than an affront and
a danger to the gay community in Uganda.
It will be a step backward for all Ugandans
and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its
people. It also will mark a serious setback
for all those around the world who share
a commitment to freedom, justice and
equal rights.
As we have conveyed to President
Museveni, enacting this legislation will
complicate our valued relationship with
Uganda. At a time when, tragically, we are
seeing an increase in reports of violence
and harassment targeting members of the
LGBT community from Russia to Nigeria, I
salute all those in Uganda and around the
world who remain committed to respecting the human rights and fundamental
human dignity of all persons.
This patchwork system of each state deciding for
themselves what constitutes a legal family and what
doesn’t—it has no place in today’s modern world where
people don’t stay in the same place. The dichotomy
between the states is so palpable.
~Dana Nessel, an attorney representing the Michigan couple fighting
for parenting rights.
ACCESSline Page 33
Iowa’s Gay Weddings
by Scott Stevens
Finding the Right Tux
When it comes to weddings, typically it’s
all about “the dress” that the bride is wearing.
What if I am a gay man, who really isn’t in the
mood to bust out the sequins in white (or if you
are channeling Blanche Devereaux—a nice
red number)?! Grooms need to be noticed
What if I am a gay man,
who really isn’t in the mood
to bust out the sequins in
white (or if you are channeling Blanche Devereaux—
a nice red number)?!
too, and not for dressing in your dads 1970’s
powder blue tuxedo, with a ruffled collared
shirt to match! We are all used to dressing
ourselves in everyday attire, but many have
no clue about formalwear.
Finding the right tux doesn’t need to be as
hard as you think. Let the tailor do what they
know best. Tell them what time of day you´re
getting married and how formal the wedding
will be. Simply describe the setting, time, and
place. The key to finding the perfect tux is to
see what looks and feels best, so it is important
to be open minded to their suggestions.
No two weddings are alike. Different
weddings call for different versions of formalwear. Here are a few guidelines to go by:
Semiformal, daytime
The groom and groomsmen wear suits
(navy or charcoal are great year-round;
reserve khaki or white for warm seasons)
with nice shirts and four-in-hand ties (like the
neckties worn with business suits). The groom
can sport a unique boutonniere. Fathers, the
ring bearer, and ushers also wear dark suits.
Semiformal, evening
The groom can choose a dark tuxedo
with a bow tie and a vest. His shirt should be
white with a wing-tipped or turned-down
collar. The groomsmen, fathers, and the ring
bearer should wear similar formalwear. For
summer weddings or tropical locales, white
dinner jackets are an acceptable alternative.
Scott Stevens co-owner/operator of Iowa’s
Gay Wedding Planner.com
Formal, daytime
Grooms have many choices for a formal
daytime wedding: tuxedos, tailcoats, or gray
strollers (less formal versions of the tuxedo
jacket, worn with pinstriped trousers) are
all appropriate.
Formal, evening
In the evening, formal usually means
black-tie. The groom and groomsmen wear
black or navy blue tuxedos with white, pleated
formal shirts and black bow ties, and vests.
Fathers and ring bearers should wear tuxes
identical to the groomsmen´s. If the wedding
takes place during the summer or in the
tropics, a white dinner jacket with formal
trousers offers a cooler option.
Ultra-formal, daytime
The groom traditionally wears a cutaway
coat, gray striped trousers, gray or black vest,
ascot or striped four-in-hand tie, and patent
leather shoes.
Ultra-formal, evening
Break out the white tie. The groom and
groomsmen should wear black tailcoats
with white pique waistcoats, white pique
wing-collared shirts, and bow ties. The guys
can also wear fancy studs and cufflinks, and
should stick with black patent leather shoes
(you can skip the top hats and canes!). The
groom distinguishes himself with different
shirt studs.
ACCESSline Page 34
MARCH 2014

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