Untitled

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GALA News & Reviews
THE
Halloween
Party
See page 7 to make
your reservation for “A
Night Under the Stars”
Page 3
September/October, 2012
Gala News & Reviews is a
publication of
1060 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805.541.4252
Web site: www.ccgala.org
Advertising: 805.541.4252
Email: galanews@yahoo.com
In This Issue
Page 2
Halloween Party
Page 4
In The Community - Morgan Bowen
Page 6
Notes from the Library - Jim Kunkler
Page 7
Barbara Strauss Remembered - Lorelei Monet
Page 7
Waiters’ Dinner Order Form
Editor: Lorelei Monet
Page 8
Remembering Clifford Chapman - Clayton Marsh
Proofreader: Gina Whitaker
Cover: Thomas Moxham
Page 8
Poem, Clifford - Mark Swack
Copyright © 2012 GALA
Page 9
Prop 8 Update - Lorelei Monet
GALA'S MISSION
Page 9
Senior Advocacy - Tauria Linala
Through education, support, recreation,
advocacy, and partnerships, we will
promote the well-being of our GLBT
community.
GALA brings people together.
VISION
Page 10 Calendar
Page 11 Gatherings
Page 12 Art at the Center - Paul LaRiviere
Page 14 “8” The Play - Kris Gottlieb
To have a healthy GLBT community that is
respected, embraced by, and of value to,
the broader Central Coast community.
2012 GALA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Will Russell, Bill Tomasini,
Adaire Salome
Fred Augsburger, David Burbank,
Chris Cothard, Jeff Edwards
Kim Hildreth, Sandy Schneider
Permission is granted to reproduce this
newsletter, provided the GALA copyright is
included. The opinions expressed are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of the GALA Board of Directors.
GALA does not endorse products, services, or
political candidates advertised within this
newsletter. The appearance of articles, ads,
announcements, etc., does not indicate the
sexual orientation of the author or the
advertiser.
Please submit articles and ads to
galanews@yahoo.com
GALA assumes First North American
Serial rights to all submissions. If GALA
fails to publish the submission within 4
months, those rights are returned to the
author.
For ad specifications and prices, call
the GALA Center at 805-541-4252.
Next Issue Deadline: October 6,
2012
Advertising in the News & Reviews is inexpensive, lets people know
that yours is an LGBT friendly business, and helps to support this
newsletter.
Ads should be formatted to the correct size and sent to
galanews@yahoo.com. Payment should be sent to GALA at 1060 Palm
Street, San Luis Obispo CA 93401
Page 4
In The Community
Getting Personal About Adrienne
Rich
By Morgan Bowen
March 27, 2012, the day I found
out Adrienne Rich died, was like
any ordinary day for me at work. I
took a break to check the news and
there was her obituary. A deep
sadness and weight in my stomach
indicated the loss I felt and the
importance of Rich in my life. She
was only 82, but died from
complications of rheumatoid
arthritis. Her career spanned seven
decades.
Rich will go down in history as a
master poet, with many
accomplishments and accolades;
just Google her to find out. The
New York Times’ Margalit Fox
summarized it this way: “(Rich was)
a poet of towering reputation and
towering rage, whose work—
distinguished by an unswerving
progressive vision and a dazzling,
empathic ferocity—brought the
oppression of women and lesbians
to the forefront of poetic discourse
and kept it there for nearly a halfcentury.”
I am here to witness the power of
Adrienne Rich in individual
women’s lives, in my life. That
motto: “the personal is political”
rings true here. Many of her works
are very personal and intimate,
speaking important truths. Rich will
forever be a part of my personal
coming out history. In college at
Cal Poly I had been struggling with
my own identity and feelings for
women which I began to expose
GALA News & Reviews
and explore in short stories in my
being a lesbian in our society. As
creative writing class. A friend in
these lines from poem “XIX”
that class came out to me as a
express:
bisexual and gave me the book The
If I could let you know—
Fact of a Doorframe by Adrienne
two women together is a
Rich. I devoured the book.
work
Needless to say Carla’s friendship,
nothing in civilization has
as well as Adrienne’s words,
made simple,
supported me through tough times.
two people together is a
Many of the lines in her poems
work
have such force. One favorite of
heroic in its ordinariness,
mine was a few stanzas from
Here are a few lines, from love
“Photograph of the Unmade Bed:”
poem “III” which I appreciate more
In a flash I understand
as I get older and as I say goodbye
how poems are unlike
to a beloved poet in my life:
photographs
At twenty, yes: we thought
(the one saying This could
we'd live forever.
be
At forty-five, I want to know
the other This was
even our limits.
I touch you knowing we
The image
weren't born tomorrow,
isn't responsible
and somehow, each of us
for our uses of it
will help the other live,
It is intentionless
and somewhere, each of us
must help the other die.
A long strand of dark hair
in the washbasin
And if reading her poems weren’t
enough, I was lucky to see and hear
is innocent and yet
such things have done harm Adrienne Rich twice in my life: first,
in my early-twenties, prior to
And still to this day, her “Twentycoming out, and later in my lateOne Love Poems” that are tucked in thirties. My first encounter with her
the middle of The Doorframe
was extremely significant because
collection, are some of my most
it was in the context of my process
cherished of her poems. In my
of coming out. In 1986, a lesbian
twenties, I found “The Floating
professor, whom I had admired and
Poem, Unnumbered” like you find
learned from, had invited me to sit
the inside of a woman and become with her and her partner at the
closer to yourself and your reality
reading. Petrified and exhilarated
as a lesbian:
simultaneously, I sat in a room
mostly filled with women and most
Whatever happens with us,
likely mostly lesbians and feminists.
your body
I couldn’t believe it. I had thought I
will haunt mine—tender,
was the only one struggling with
delicate
this and suddenly, I was among
[...]
sisters. After that night, I went
Many of these love poems express
home and wrote some 30 pages
the delight and the difficulty of
Page 5
September/October, 2012
double-sided of thoughts about
being gay and later showed it to
my professor. She looked up and
said to me, “What do you want to
know?” I quickly replied, “When did
you first know you were a lesbian?”
In this moment began a wonderful
and supportive friendship.
felt joy, comfort, and reverence
that evening.
I have gifted Rich’s The Fact of a
Doorframe to several lesbians over
the years when I thought perhaps,
her words might strike a chord with
them, as her words did in my life,
and “each of us will help the other
live.”
At Cal Poly in the 2001, I went to
hear Adrienne Rich read from her
Here are a few of my favorite
latest book, The Fox. She seemed a
collections of Rich’s poetry and
bit frailer, but just as powerful with
prose. Read one for yourself and
her words as I remembered. This
prepare to be challenged and
time my thrill was going to the
transformed.
after party at a professor friend’s
house and sitting next to Adrienne. The Fact of a Doorframe: Poems
Selected and New, 1950-1984,
We made some small talk, but
Norton (New York, NY), 1984.
mostly, I just sat there in her
presence silently listening as
Blood, Bread and Poetry: Selected
people approached her. It was
Prose, 1979-1986, Norton (New
enough to simply be with her. Her
York, NY), 1986.
partner asked me to get Adrienne a
Of Woman Born: Motherhood As
glass of wine, and I did. Really, I
Experience and Institution, Norton
had no words, nor questions for
(New
York, NY), 1976, 10th
her. She had been there for me,
anniversary
edition with a revised
and it was almost like I imagined it
introduction,
1986.
would be to meet the Dali Lama. I
On Lies, Secrets, and Silence:
Selected Prose, 1966-1978, Norton
(New York, NY), 1979.
GALA News & Reviews
Page 6
Library
because they did not have sex,
preferring to pay pretty, young
men for anonymous sexual
Notes from the Library
By Jim Kunkler
Gore Vidal, novelist, essayist, play
write, occasional actor and full time
provocateur, died yesterday (July
31, 2012) at his home in the
Hollywood hills, after a long bout
with pneumonia. He was 86. I am
not going to go into a long
obituary here, as I have written
about Vidal in a previous column. I
will say that I have had numerous
arguments with other gay men as
to Vidal’s significance in the
advancement of gay rights in this
country. While he always spoke in
favor of doing away with all laws
criminalizing homosexuality, he
detested the term “gay,”
maintaining that all persons are
inherently bi-sexual and that “sex
is not something you are, it is
something you do.” Vidal insisted
that his relationship with Howard
Austen lasted for over thirty years
encounters with no possibility of
emotional attachment. He
supported a person’s right to marry
anyone they wanted to, regardless
of their sex, but he had no use for
marriage personally. And while
his attitude regarding sex was
more in line with
Caesarian Rome than
contemporary America,
his writing always
reflected a
fearlessness and
sense of humor that
helped me to come to
terms with who I was
as a gay man and
learn to confront and
let go of the negativity
of others. He was an
American original and
I will miss his wise
(and often petulant)
comments on society
at large and his ability
to cut though the
crap…so to speak.
Rest in peace, Gore
Vidal.
Alan Shayne, (a friend
and contemporary of Vidal’s)
together with his partner, artist
Norman Sunshine, has written a
Page 7
September/October, 2012
memoir that reflects a very
different view of the gay
experience in America. Double
Life: A Love Story from Broadway
to Hollywood tells the remarkable
story of two gay men who fell in
love in the middle of Joseph
McCarthy’s paranoid 1950s. They
have maintained a monogamous,
committed relationship for over
fifty years now, recently taking
advantage of the new laws in
Massachusetts and actually getting
married. I could not put this book
down. In addition to talking about
the complexities of a long term gay
relationship in very candid detail, it
also introduces us to two
fascinating and talented men.
Shayne began work as an actor in
New York, and then moved behind
the scenes to become a casting
director for stage, screen and
television, and finally a producer.
Sunshine started out as a
commercial artist and had a very
successful career in advertising
before focusing on fine art as a
painter. Their lives together have
played out in and around various
arenas of the entertainment
industry, rubbing elbows with and
befriending a number of famous
persons, both in and out of the
closet. This book offers a look at
how gay men lived their lives from
1950’s, on through the millennium,
hiding in plain sight and dealing
with the charade of having female
escorts, when all of their close
friends knew of their commitment
to each other. They were witness to
the beginnings of post-Stonewall
gay rights movement, survived the
worst of the AIDS epidemic, and
watched opinions and attitudes
change, all the while staying
together, loving and supporting
each other.
In reviewing this book, Candace
Bushnell, author of Sex in the City,
called it “a fascinating, frank and
page-turning memoir about the
lifelong love affair of two
extraordinary men;” writer and gay
activist, Larry Kramer remarked
that “Alan Shayne and Norman
Sunshine have written a valuable
document to show the world that
yes, we can do it too.”
Double Life: A Love Story from
Broadway to Hollywood is now
available here at the Hatler Library,
along with various works of fiction
and non-fiction by the late Gore
Vidal. Come in and enjoy!
Barbara Strauss
By Lorelei Monet
Reverend Barbara Strauss, 68,
passed away Tuesday, July 31,
2012. She and her life partner of
35 years, Carroll Leslie, moved to
Los Osos 22 years ago where they
own the Volumes of Pleasure Books
and Gifts and have had an
incredible outreach to our
community.
Volumes of Pleasure has been a
supporter of this newsletter and
GALA for many years. They have
donated many books to GALA’s
Hatler Memorial Library as well as
their entire VHS collection.
We offer our condolences to Carroll.
Barbara’s passing leaves an empty
spot in our community. She will be
missed.
Waiters’ Dinner
To reserve your place at “A Night Under the Stars”, the annual
Waiters’ Dinner, please fill out the card below and mail with your
payment to GALA at 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
If you would prefer to make your reservation over phone, using your
credit card, just call the GALA Center at 805-541-4252
GALA News & Reviews
Page 8
Clifford Chapman
model to be followed in his civic
involvement.
There were only a couple of things
that Clifford disliked other people
The Clifford Chapman I Knew
doing, but he was too much of a
gentleman to ever take anyone to
By Clayton Marsh
task for having done them. One
was the use of his middle name -I was lucky enough to meet Clifford Wayne. The other was when people
and Don in 1999, during one of the addressed him as "Cliff" instead of
"Clifford." He knew that most people
charity events of that year held
were trying to use it as a term of
here on these grounds (Chapman
endearment rather than untoward
Estate). When I think of how to
describe Clifford, I'm overwhelmed familiarity. Clifford told me more
than once that he enjoyed having
by words that could be used to
parties and large gatherings, and
delineate the many facets of
how the house seemed to come
Clifford's personali ty: intelligent,
congenial, quick-witted, gregarious, alive when groups of people were
present. This generosity extended
humorous, spiritual,
to cooking and serving meals to
compassionate, curious, forgiving,
the homeless in San Luis Obispo.
wise, and loving. Like Will Rogers,
Also, he was known to take food to
Clifford never seemed to meet
his friends when they were ill.
anyone he did not like. However,
we must remember that Clifford
He liked and encouraged some
also possessed a temperament that traditions and ceremonies, such as
was inherited from his Spanish
the railroad chimes that would be
ancestors, and which, on occasion, sounded to call everyone into the
could reveal itself.
refectory, the singing of the "Amen"
To me, Clifford was a true
renaissance man: one with wideranging interests and talents. He
had a deep sense of propriety and
honor. Clifford was public in many
of his philanthropic interests, but
certain others were unique and
personal to him and Don. Having
served as a board member and in
several officer positions with GALA
in the past thirteen years, I can
readily affirm that the generosity
and encouragement extended to
the organization by Clifford and
Don is appreciated more than
words can say. Clifford was a role
before the meal, and the Buddhist
prayer bell that he would ring at
the dining table to obtain
everyone's attention. He loved the
chance to try out a new recipe on
us before serving it to the
prestigious executives and boards
of directors of the various
organizations in the area.
In the past thirteen years, I have
lost count of the wonderful meals
that Clifford cooked and shared
with us and our visiting out-of-town
friends and family.
Not only was Clifford a gracious
host and a marvelous cook, he also
mastered the art of baking
delicious breads.
Clifford disliked waste of any kind.
The fruit of his orchard and the
produce of his garden were canned
as delicious jams or marmalades
for later use. Both fresh produce
and canned goods were shared
with others. Clifford's
compassionate side was evident in
the manner in which he served as
executor for the estates of others
and the special bonds he built with
the survivors. He was a guiding
light upon which many depended.
Clifford enjoyed surprises,
although the invitations always
read: "No gifts." He really enjoyed
little gag gifts of no intrinsic value.
I recall the fun we had on the field
trips we took. Once we traveled to
a mountain top ranch west of Paso
Robles, another time we went to
see the desert wildflowers on the
Carrizo Plains, and on a trip to the
Piedras Blancas lighthouse and
Ragged Point for lunch. The
biggest surprise of all was in 2007,
when Clifford invited us to join him
in a mystery trip for his birthday.
We met here at the house, loaded
into stretch limos, proceeded by a
very circuitous route, and arrived at
a pier in Morro Bay where we
embarked on the Papagallo II for a
dinner cruise that was most
memorable and most enjoyable.
Clifford was always mindful of his
larger circle of friends that he had
made over the years in business in
San Luis Obispo County. He loved
to do the annual Fourth of July
barbeque, as well as the annual
Christmas cocktail party as a gift to
the community at large.
"Good night, sweet prince. And
flights of angels sing thee to thy
rest.”
To me Clifford was a legend
He touched the lives of many.
Known for his support of charity
Patron of the arts and symphony
The loss is deeply heartfelt
By his partner and family.
Missed by many dear friends
In fact a whole community.
So if a vision helps to heal
Picture this along with me
Clifford running on the beach
Running strong and forever free.
By Mark S. Swack
Page 9
September/October, 2012
Prop 8 Update
Prop 8 Update
By Lorelei Monet
On February 7, 2012, in a 2–1
decision, a Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals panel affirmed Judge
Walker's decision declaring the
Proposition 8 ban on same-sex
marriage to be unconstitutional.
The panel also unanimously
affirmed Judge Ware's holding that
Walker was not obligated to recuse
himself from the case because he is
gay. Still, the panel continued a
stay on the ruling, barring any
marriages from taking place
pending further appeals. On June 5,
2012, a majority of the full Ninth
Circuit denied a petition for
rehearing en banc, and stayed the
ruling pending appeal. The case
was appealed to the U.S. Supreme
Court on July 31, 2012.
If the Supreme Court decides to
hear the case, AFER attorneys
Theodore B. Olson and David Boies
will argue, once again, that
marriage is a fundamental right
guaranteed by the Constitution,
and that denying gay and lesbian
Americans that right is unfair and
unlawful. If the Court decides not
to hear the case, marriage equality
will be restored in California,
possibly as early as October 2012.
GALA-SA
Senior Advocacy Working to End
Discrimination
The Senior Advocacy Committee is
looking to add a member or two. If
you have a few hours a month and
would like to keep the LGBT senior
movement active, your
participation could be vital. After
the retirement of two key members
in the past year the current
committee is consists of Rusty
Cook, Sandy Schneider, Steve Click,
Don Shealy, and chairperson Tauria
Linala.
Monthly Socials are being held the
4th Wednesday of each month from
4-6 PM at the GALA Center.
Thank you to all who attend and
participate. Big hugs and thanks to
By Tauria Linala
GALA Senior Advocacy contributors.
Would you like to help LGBT seniors We enjoy seeing you at our events
and look forward to working to
in long-term care facilities to
further LGBT Senior Advocacy in
receive excellent care and avoid
the months and years ahead.
discrimination? GALA Senior
Advocacy needs your skills and
For information or to get involved,
input on our ongoing development contact GALA Senior Advocacy at
of cultural competency training for 805 541-4252.
care providers. The training
committee meets monthly and
could use your participation.
GALA News & Reviews
Page 10
Calendar
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
1
September
2
3
4
GALA Board
Meeting
Labor Day
5
6
10
Walt Whitman
Book Club
11
7 Art After Dark
8
14
15
GALA at Farmers’
Market
Move to Amend
9
Q Youth
12
13
Q Youth
GALA at Farmers’
Market
TranzCentral Coast
Supoport & Social
Athiests United
16
17
18
Q Youth
21
GALA at Farmers’ Lez Mingle
Market
TCC Steering Cmt
19
20
26 LGBT Senior
27
Move to Amend
23
24
Community of
John XXIII
25
Social
PFLAG
Walt Whitman
Movie Night
Q Youth
GALA at Farmers’
Market
28
22
29
Athiests United
30
Listings on this calendar represent activities by GALA and other organizations that take place at the
GALA Center as well as GALA events held anywhere.. There are many other activities on the Central
Coast. Check the Gatherings listing on the next page for details.
S
M
1
October
T
2
W
T
3
4
10
11 Q Youth
Q Youth
GALA at Farmers’
Market
GALA Board
Meeting
F
5
Art After Dark
S
6
Move to Amend
7
8 Walt Whitman
9
12
13
19
20
GALA at Farmers’
Market
Columbus Day
Book Club
Athiests United
14
15
16
17
18
Q Youth
GALA at Farmers’
Market
Move to Amend
Lez Mingle
TranzCentral Coast
Supoport & Social
TCC Steering Cmt
21
22
Walt Whitman
Movie Night
23
PFLAG
24
LGBT Senior
Social
Athiests United
28
Community of
John XXIII
29
30
31
Halloween
25
Q Youth
GALA at Farmers’
Market
26
27
Page 11
September/October, 2012
Gatherings
This is a local proect aimed at
building a supportive and positive
environment for young gay, bi, and
curios men, ages 18-29.
Athiests United
Atheists United of SLO is a positive Fusion Coffee Night Thursdays,
atheist community that fosters a
8:00 pm at Linnaea’s Café
supportive environment for
members and a welcoming attitude GALA Board Meeting
Start Time: 6:30 PM on the 1st
toward guests. Meets on the 2nd
Tuesday of the month. Monthly
and 4th Mondays of the month, at
meeting of the GALA Board of
5:30 PM at the GALA Center. All
Directors open to the public.
are welcome.
Cal Poly SPECTRUM
Spectrum strives to provide a
system of support for the SLO gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender,
intersex, questioning, queer, and
genderqueer communities, as well
as straight allies.
www.calpoly.edu/~glbclub/
GALA at SLO Farmer’s Market
Thursday evening’s from 6 - 9.
GALA’s booth at Downtown San
Luis Obispo’s Farmers Market
located in front of NOVO restaurant.
GALA Q Youth Group (SLO)
Start Time: 6:00 PM
This group serves Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender youth
between ages 13 and 20. They
meet downtown SLO at the GALA
Center, 1060 Palm Street. Call 5414252 for more information.
Camping Women
Camping Women, Inc. is a national
non-profit service organization and
has a local chapter with many ongoing events such as camping,
backpacking and hiking. All women
GALA SENIOR SOCIAL
are welcome. website:
Meets every 4th Wednesday of the
http://campingwomen.org
month from 4:00-6:00 PM at the
GALA Center This program is open
Central Coast Men's Dinner
to all lgbt seniors.
Group
6:00 PM This is an informal group
of gay men that meet for dinner, at GAY NIGHT at Vieni Vai Trattoria
Wednesdays 4pm- Close, any card
a different restaurant on the first
Wednesday of every month at 6 PM. holding member of GALA can
present their membership card and
We order from the standard menu,
and each person is responsible for receive 50% off any pasta dish.
his own check and gratuity. Please Offer valid Wednesday Nights only.
join us for dinner. You are always
9pm- Close, Vieni Vai will set aside
welcome!
its regular business routine and
Contact phone is 903-2111
become a place for the Gay and
Lesbian Community to gather.
Central Coast Men’s Potluck
Drink specials, a great new sound
For information, send an “add-mesystem, a beautiful back patio and
to-the-list” email to:
mailto:ccmenspotluck@pacbell.net a welcoming staff to serve you.
Cuesta Squares
Start Time: 7:00 PM.
This is a Central Coast gay square
dance club that has been around
for 6+ years. Beginners are always
welcome. Contact: CuestaSquaresowner@yahoogroups.com or call
Thom at 489-6687.
Fusion
GAY NIGHT at NOVO
Thursdays from 10PM-1AM
'Thursday Night's are for the Grown
and Sexy! in this weeks addition of
Novo After Dark at Novo Lounge!
Come hang OUT for the freshest
drink specials and dance your face
off! Come OUT and support LGBTQ
friendly nightlife! GLOW!'
GLBT AA Meeting
Start Time: 7:00 PM This gay AA
meeting occurs every Friday at
7:00 PM at 134 Nelson St in Arroyo
Grande.
GLBT AA Meeting
Start Time: 7:30 PM This gay AA
group meets on Wednesdays at St.
Stephens Episcopal Church, corner
of Pismo & Nipomo in SLO.
GLBT AA Meeting
Start Time: 7:00 PM This gay AA
group meets on Sundays at St.
Stephens Episcopal Church, corner
of Pismo & Nipomo in SLO.
GLBT AA Meeting
Start Time: 6:30 PM This gay AA
group meets on Tuesdays at the
Calvary Church, 480 Monterey, (at
the church office in back), in Morro
Bay.
Great Outdoors of Santa Barbara
This group meets on the 2nd
Wednesday of the month. Core
Group meets at 5:45 - 6:45 pm just
prior to the monthly meetings at
Rusty 's Pizza Lighthouse, at 15 E.
Cabrillo Boulevard, in downtown
Santa Barbara. Contact Brian Miller
at 805-407-9001 for more
information.
Hospice
544-2266 or 434-1164
Ladies' Second Saturday Club
Start Time: 5:00 PM.
This group meets on the 2nd
Saturday of each month at La
Mexicana Restaurant, 7495 El
Camino Real in Atascadero. For
information or to RSVP, contact
Bernie at 460-9163 or
bries@charter.net
Lez Mingle
Start Time: 6:30 PM. The third
Friday of every month. Location:
GALA Center, 1060 Palm St.,
SLO. Our mission is to provide a
safe and encouraging environment,
to meet new people, share in
discussions, films, and social
events, promoting a positive
acceptance of lesbians in all our
facets and forms. All ages
welcome
GALA News & Reviews
Page 12
Gatherings
cont.
Move to Amend
Move to Amend of SLO County is a
local affiliate of the national Move
to Amend organization. The goal is
to overturn the doctrine of
“corporate personhood.” They meet
at 7:00 pm on the 1st and 3rd
Tuesdays of the month at the GALA
Center.
TranzCentralCoast
Partners of Transgender
Individuals
This Support group meets monthly,
where each date is determined by
the current members availability.
Please call 805-762-4398. We do
need more members in order to
continue.
and September 7th from 6 to 9 PM.
Kate’s receptions will be on
October 5th and November 2nd from
6 to 9 pm. Refreshments will be
served.
These art exhibits reflect the
experiences, ethics, and
sensibilities of the community at
large and the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender
The Walt Whitman Gay Men’s
community of the Central Coast, a
Book Club
This club meets at the GALA Center unique population living in and
contributing to our society
on the 2nd Monday of each month
at 7:00 pm for discussion of books embracing diversity in all its forms.
The works in these shows embrace
PFLAG of SLO County
and on the 4th Monday of each
subtle and gentle artistic
PFLAG (Parents Families and
month for a movie. They read and
expressions through thoughtful
Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
study books and films chosen by
encaustic painting, fanciful Chinese
meets on the fourth Tuesday of the
the group which relate to their lives
style brushwork and skillful
month. Start Times: Board Meeting
as gay men. All are welcome.
interpretations of the human form
: 5:30- 7:00 PM / Support Group:
Please call 720-4528 for
though drawing techniques.
7:00 -8:30 PM at the GALA Center,
information.
1060 Palm Street, SLO. Cell Phone
Paul LaRiviere curates the exhibits
(10am-9pm) 805-801-2186. 549Help Wanted
at the GALA Center. Paul is a
8989 SLO Hotline.
Downtown San Luis Obispo’s
member of the GALA Pride
pflagcentralcoastchapter.net
committee and the Central Coast
Farmers’ Market
GALA’s booth at Farmers’ Market Printmakers of the SLO Art Museum.
The Closet
With the help of his husband, Jim
Start time: 8:30 pm, every
needs volunteers.
Lipsett, he has been organizing
Thursday. Meets at
Call Lorelei Monet At the GALA
and hanging the art shows at GALA
Blackhorse/Uptown Espresso, 1065
for over seven years.
Center
805-541-4252
Higuera Street, SLO. The Closet is
an informal organization
Bob Dodge
associated with the Cal Poly Pride
Art At The Center
Center that serves as a social
Bob has made art all his life,
networking group for (but not
studying with numerous artists
limited to) lesbian, bisexual,
starting with his father. He has
transgendered women ages 18-29
painted
mostly
landscapes,
GALA Art Show
in the San Luis Obispo area.
seascapes, and abstracts. His work
By Paul LaRiviere
has been selected for exhibition by
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the prominent jurors and exhibited in
TranzCentralCoast
Central Coast is proud to show
Transgender Support and Social
galleries and art centers up and
works by Bob Dodge, Michael
Group
down the Pacific coast, in Texas, and
Wenger (July 28-September 29) and in Illinois, and is held in private
Start Time: 7:00-9:00 PM TCC
Kate Moldauer (September 29Presentation & Social--presenter to
collections from Nice, France to
December 1). Artists’ receptions,
be announced--open to all TCC
Tokyo, Japan.
part of Art After Dark, for Bob and
members and SOFFA's It meets
His current work is encaustic
every 3rd Saturday of the month at Michael will be held August 3rd
painting, also known as hot wax
the GALA Center.
TranzCentralCoast
Therapist-led Support Group
Start Time: 5:30-7:30 on the 2nd
Friday of the month in the Library.
Support for all transgender
community members. A screening
interview is required before
participating in the group. Please
call 805-242-3821.
Page 13
September/October, 2012
painting. Encaustic painting involves “My art runs the gamut from
using heated beeswax and damar primitive cave paintings to the
resin to which colored pigments are post modern, influenced by
added. The liquid/paste is then traditional Asian brushwork,
applied to a prepared surface such modern painters and New Yorker
as wood or canvas. Because wax is cartoons, doodles to bizarre. Its
used as the pigment binder, subject matter is meditation,
encaustics can be sculpted as well sports, politics, social
as painted. Other materials can be conventions, puns, fashion—in
encased or collaged into the surface, short, everything that crosses my
or layered, using the encaustic brush/mind. My inkling-creations
medium to adhere it to the surface. are brought to life by ink, paper,
brush and thin air. The secret of
“My work is an abstract response to the work is in each stroke of the
the natural world, especially its brush.”
topography.
My
notion
of
topography includes not only Michael has published several
landforms, but also fluid movements books including 49 Fingers, a
and
architectural
forms
that collection of modern American
compliment nature. Much of my koans, one of the innovative
work reflects an Asian aesthetic, for expressions of Chinese
which I developed an affinity while Buddhism. They are collections
living and traveling in Japan, and of stories, statements and
during the study of Zen Buddhism.” interchanges, which illustrate
and embody some living truth.
Bob was raised in Illinois and now Koan literally means “public case,”
lives on the Central Coast of or precedent or example to be
California. He is a member of several studied. His brushwork at the
artist organizations, including the GALA Center certainly requires
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and more than just a casual
the International Encaustic Artists.
observation by the viewer.
Michael Wenger
Born in Brooklyn in the heart of
modernity, Michael was a loner
who kept his own counsel. He was
drawn to athletics, psychology,
artistic expression (writing,
painting, and music), and finally
meditation unlimited by concepts.
He has practiced Zen for 47 years,
40 of them at San Francisco Zen
Center. At the age of 64 he is
taking a big leap and starting his
own temple emphasizing Zazen,
brush painting and classes.
Courage, compassion and creativity
are his touchstones.
Dragons Leap, founded by
Michael, is a new center offering
zazen, brushworks and dharma
groups. It comes out of the
Buddhist Soto Zen tradition yet it
is not limited to it. It is a place
where creativity and compassion
are cultivated, where one will
deepen inherent connection to
each other and intimacy with
what is.
For more information visit the
website at www.dragonsleap.com
KATHERINE MOLDAUER
Katherine has spent a lifetime
pursuing the soul within
figurative art. Her passion for the
figure has taken her study to the
Academy of Art University, San
Francisco. Much in the timehonored tradition of Leonardo,
she worked with medical
cadavers to understand the
human forms on live models.
After Katherine’s studies and
degree, she was asked to teach
Anatomy for Artists at the
Academy of Art.
Katherine’s personal work has
included classical life-size
figurative sculpture and figurative
drawings. Now living on the Central
Coast, Katherine expresses her
passion for the figure using
numerous mediums. One of her
favorite mediums, charcoal and
pastels, blends what she describes
as “the spontaneity of drawing with
the buttery colors of pastel.”
“It’s exciting to see a drawing in
progress as each artist looks at
their subject and interprets how
line will convey form and meaning.
Drawing has been the artists’ most
direct route to creation and is often
the most rewarding. A well-drawn
piece not only catches our
attention, but also brings us into
the process of the artist.”
Katherine doesn’t see her
fascination or study into the human
figure ending anytime soon,
“Sunsets are lost on me, but a look
in someone’s eye, a hand gesture,
non-verbal body language, all
haunt me as I try to recreate the
essence of the human spirit, the
underlying form that allows us to
endure a lifetime, no matter how
hard or easy.
Katherine continues to teach
anatomy several times a year and
accepts private students.
GALA-SA
SENIOR SOCIAL
4th Wednesdays
4-6 PM at the GALA Center
GALA News & Reviews
Page 14
“8”
ONE NIGHT ONLY! A READING OF 8
THE PLAY BY DUSTIN LANCE BLACK
By Kris Gottlieb
reading on the Central Coast and
the only reading between Los
Angeles and San Francisco to date.
As an advocacy group, our greatest
hope is that this reading will help
to spur action, dialogue and
understanding in our community.
“People need to witness what
The Central Coast Chapter of PFLAG, happened in the Proposition 8 trial,
if for no other reason than to see
with license from the American
inequality and discrimination
Foundation for
unequivocally rejected in a court of
Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway
law where truth and facts matter,”
Impact, is proud to announce a
said AFER Founding Board Member
one-night-only
Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of 8
is to show the world that marriage
staged reading of 8, a play
equality is a basic constitutional
chronicling the historic trial in the
right. The facts are on our side and
federal constitutional challenge
truth always finds the light. AFER
to California’s Proposition 8,
and Broadway Impact are doing all
written by Academy Award-winning
we can to help speed that process
screenwriter and
along.”
AFER Founding Board Member
Throughout 2012, AFER and
Dustin Lance Black.
Broadway Impact are licensing 8 for
8 is an unprecedented account of
free to colleges and community
the Federal District Court trial in
theatres nationwide. Most
Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry productions will be followed by a
v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to talkback where cast and audience
overturn Proposition 8, which
members can discuss the issues
stripped gay and lesbian
presented in the Perry v.
Californians of the fundamental
Schwarzenegger trial.
freedom to marry.
Jessica Cresci, a PFLAG volunteer
Black, who penned the Academy
and assistant producer of the
Award-winning feature film Milk
reading, said that “Prop. 8 was
and the film J. Edgar, based 8 on
passed in San Luis Obispo county
the actual words of the trial
by less than 2% [according to the
transcripts, first-hand observations Tribune]. I feel like this community
of the courtroom drama and
deserves the chance to experience
interviews with the plaintiffs and
the trial on a more personal level.”
their families.
As an advocacy group, our greatest
PFLAG, in collaboration with the Cal hope is that this reading will help
to spur action, dialogue and
Poly Pride Center, is bringing 8 to
the Alex & Faye Spanos Theater on understanding in our community.
October 18th, at 7pm. It is the first We are thrilled to bring this
opportunity with the help of our
generous sponsors, including the
Central Coast’s Gay And Lesbian
Alliance (GALA) and the Liberal Arts
& Engineering Studies department
at Cal Poly.
The story for 8 is framed by the
trial’s historic closing arguments in
June 2010, and features the best
arguments and testimony from
both sides. Scenes include
flashbacks to some of the more
jaw-dropping moments of trial,
such as the admission by the
Proposition 8 supporters’ star
witness, David Blankenhorn, that
“we would be more American on the
day we permitted same-sex
marriage than we were on the day
before.”
To purchase tickets, go to
www.pacslo.org
For more information and the most
recent updates on the production,
please visit
www.pflagcentralcoastchapter.net.
For information on how your local
theater can produce 8, visit:
www.8theplay.com
Follow 8 on Twitter: @8theplay or
on Facebook.
GALA Q YOUTH
THURSDAYS, 6-8 pm at the
GALA Center
This group provides a fun, safe
environment for all LGBTQA
youth between the ages of 13-20
to interact with and learn with
peers in the community.
Page 15
September/October, 2012
Kate Moldaur
Bob Dodge
Michael Wenger
Kate Moldaur
Kate Moldaur
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