24 20 644 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/3e7ee6532cc12ec1b943e47420111827.png 129be54cb7271c4b98360645aa51b950 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/70efd225c31c1f6d50556ea38ded3ce7.pdf d4b29fff182346941a27e44c23d5565b PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Pride Library Flier Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2001 Description An account of the resource Flier for Pride 2001 celebrations held in partnership with the Tulsa City County Library. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2-21, 2001 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2001 Diversity Celebration 2001 Tulsa City County Library Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa City County Library https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/e4c7f570e7e0560d60c5dfcc8fb27a5f.png de97b9c4c60c7b3434267f405e1df130 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/a4826528e0092d31ef3f6c3064a2b290.pdf dfa9ae76186ffc5412aeffeb598654c4 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2002] Diversity Celebration Preliminary Financial Report Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2002 Description An account of the resource Preliminary financial report from 2002's Diversity Celebration. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2-9, 2002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Diversity Celebration 2002 Pride 2002 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/12fc1e92b781da39110e8925d9fc9bc1.png 4f3abc4bf3503d57f4746e799fe157fc https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/83be072308b441adc1936f635fd3cc50.pdf 6e02fa7f1078a5f3bd5f90a7612278d1 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2002] Diversity Celebration 2002 Poster Draft Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2002 Description An account of the resource Template for poster advertising 2002's Pride festivities. Does not include partner logos. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 8, 2002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2002 Diversity Celebration 2002 Pride Parade 2002 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/9902276b6aeb490c561d16a52d1418d1.png b4542216b720132b08ff85d65a29a6cd https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/ae54391f00488b61301286c9eeca9326.pdf 455a658fc68d97d90789b6211411a368 PDF Text Text ���� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2002] Diversity Gala Invitation and RSVP Card Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Gala 2002 Description An account of the resource Invitation and RSVP card for 2002's Diversity Gala. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 7, 2002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2002 Diversity Celebration 2002 Diversity Gala 2002 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Collection] Oklahoma LGBT+ History Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br /><br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2004] Gay in Oklahoma - In the Bible Belt, Acceptance is Hard-Won, Washington Post, September 26, 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Michael Shackelford in Sand Springs, Oklahoma Description An account of the resource Series by Anne Hull, Washington Post Staff Writer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hull, Anne Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Washington Post Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Washington Post Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-9-26 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Washington Post Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Washington Post Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Article available to researchers for on-site viewing only due to copyright. Location:OkEq History Project/Ddatadrive/History-General (in Omeka)/WashingtonPostArticleonGayYouthMichaelShackelfordinSandSprings https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/2369812cb672f3db8d25aa0f25cb68f7.pdf a370e598d56933fb19ad9016b1c3a9e5 PDF Text Text History of TOHR 1980 to 2003 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) is Oklahoman’s oldest and largest GLBT organization. TOHR was founded in 1980 by a small group of people concerned about human rights and equality for GLBT persons in Tulsa, including Dennis Neill, Bob Inglish, Mike Green and Gary Durst. The Tulsa organization was originally a part of the Oklahoma City-based chapter. The organization was then known as Oklahomans for Human Rights (OHR). In 1985, as the Oklahoma City organization declined in activity, the Tulsa Chapter decided to form its own non-profit organization to be called the Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR). During that year, TOHR was incorporated to pursue its new mission of serving the residents of Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. Soon after its establishment, TOHR launched the Gay Information Line, or 743GAYS, which has been in operation ever since. For the first several months, the call volume was extremely high as several religious groups worked to overwhelm the line with harassing phone calls. The volunteers, however, persevered and the harassing calls slowly declined. Since it’s beginning, the Gay Information Line has been a critical link for many people needing help and support on GLBT and health issues. During its first year, TOHR also conducted voter registration and political surveys, sponsored a softball team and tournament, and conducted health clinics (venereal diseases were rampant in the gay community before AIDS.) In the 1980s, TOHR sponsored several high-profile social events for the GLBT community; provided a speaker’s bureau to help educate the community; launched the first gay pride picnic; and operated the popular Southwest Invitational, a sports event that attracted participants from across the nation. The organization’s monthly membership meetings routinely attracted from 50 to 150 participants as the community saw TOHR as the principal source of information and support. During this time, nationally known GLBT spokespersons who came to Tulsa at TOHR’S invitation included LGTF activists Virginia Apuzzo; Valerie Torino, Mayor of West Hollywood, Calif.; Troy Perry, founder of MCC; Lt. Leonard Matlovich, and others. The organization’s work in the community was awarded with two operating grants from the Chicago Resource Center, the first time an Oklahoma GLBT organization received out-of-state funding and recognition. With the advent of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, TOHR sent a medical professional to health conferences to advise the community on the transmission of the virus and other dangers. In addition, TOHR opened the first anonymous testing site in northeastern Oklahoma. The organization was responsible for acquiring state funding for �AIDS testing and education by establishing the Tulsa Chapter of the AIDS Support Program, or ASP. This effort was later assumed by another organization, known as HOPE (HIV Outreach, Prevention, and Education). In 1998, HOPE spun off from TOHR so both organizations could focus on their respective missions. Today, HOPE operates a testing and counseling site a 3503 East Admiral Place in Tulsa. TOHR opened Tulsa’s first Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community Center in October 1996 at 1338 East 38th Street in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa. The center quickly became a popular meeting spot for community groups, support groups, and those who wished to network with other members of the GLBT community. The center began to operate a book and video library, referral service, and pride retail store. TOHR organized Tulsa’s first gay pride march in 1997 with 60 participants. In 1998, the event grew to include approximately 150 marchers. In 1998, the march grew into a parade. Tulsa’s first Diversity Parade was held in 1999 on Peoria Avenue in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa and featured Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, as its first Grand Marshal. The parade culminated with the Diversity Festival at Tulsa’s Veteran’s Park. Both events drew large crowds and proved very successful, beginning a new tradition for Tulsa’s GLBT community. In 2000, TOHR received grants from the Collins Higgins Foundation and Gill Foundation of Denver, Colo., for expanding programs and operating support. Also, in 2000, TOHR was selected as a 2001 host site for the OutGiving InCommunity Project of the Gill Foundation. More than 25 local organizations (over half were non-GLBT groups) participated in the project held at the Community Center. This was considered an honor for TOHR to be selected as a national host site. Finally, in 2000, TOHR launched its first-ever capital fundraising campaign, the Pyramid Project. The goal of this major capital campaign is to raise a total of $1 million for a permanent and visible home for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center. Of the goal, $500,000 will be utilized to acquire a permanent facility for the center, and $500,000 will fund an endowment to sustain operation of the facility for future generations. In 2001, TOHR was selected to be one of three “Fast Track” programs in the nation by the Gill Foundation. Through this program, the Gill Foundation provides $40,000 of operating support over three years ($15,000 in 2001; $15,000 in 2002; and $10,000 in 2003). The intent of the operating grants is to help sustain the organization’s operating fund during the capital campaign. In addition, the Gill Foundation has provided TOHR technical assistance during the campaign. TOHR was selected by the Gill Foundation based on the quality and reputation of the organization, and the potential for Tulsa to become a more positive environment for members of its GLBT community. �Presently, TOHR is developing an annual operating plan for 2003 and a set of long-range goals to guide the organization through 2006. The organization also is preparing to move its capital campaign into the middle phase by seeking major corporate and foundation support. TOHR also has completed a major revision of its bylaws, taking the organization from an association to a corporate model. In addition, major restructuring of the organization will take TOHR to new heights in 2003 and beyond! � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Sub-Series] OKEQ > Organizational History > TOHR, OHR Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document History of TOHR 1980 to 2003 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) is Oklahoman’s oldest and largest GLBT organization. TOHR was founded in 1980 by a small group of people concerned about human rights and equality for GLBT persons in Tulsa, including Dennis Neill, Bob Inglish, Mike Green and Gary Durst. The Tulsa organization was originally a part of the Oklahoma City-based chapter. The organization was then known as Oklahomans for Human Rights (OHR). In 1985, as the Oklahoma City organization declined in activity, the Tulsa Chapter decided to form its own non-profit organization to be called the Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR). During that year, TOHR was incorporated to pursue its new mission of serving the residents of Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. Soon after its establishment, TOHR launched the Gay Information Line, or 743- GAYS, which has been in operation ever since. For the first several months, the call volume was extremely high as several religious groups worked to overwhelm the line with harassing phone calls. The volunteers, however, persevered and the harassing calls slowly declined. Since it’s beginning, the Gay Information Line has been a critical link for many people needing help and support on GLBT and health issues. During its first year, TOHR also conducted voter registration and political surveys, sponsored a softball team and tournament, and conducted health clinics (venereal diseases were rampant in the gay community before AIDS.) In the 1980s, TOHR sponsored several high-profile social events for the GLBT community; provided a speaker’s bureau to help educate the community; launched the first gay pride picnic; and operated the popular Southwest Invitational, a sports event that attracted participants from across the nation. The organization’s monthly membership meetings routinely attracted from 50 to 150 participants as the community saw TOHR as the principal source of information and support. During this time, nationally known GLBT spokespersons who came to Tulsa at TOHR’S invitation included LGTF activists Virginia Apuzzo; Valerie Torino, Mayor of West Hollywood, Calif.; Troy Perry, founder of MCC; Lt. Leonard Matlovich, and others. The organization’s work in the community was awarded with two operating grants from the Chicago Resource Center, the first time an Oklahoma GLBT organization received out-of-state funding and recognition. With the advent of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, TOHR sent a medical professional to health conferences to advise the community on the transmission of the virus and other dangers. In addition, TOHR opened the first anonymous testing site in northeastern Oklahoma. The organization was responsible for acquiring state funding for AIDS testing and education by establishing the Tulsa Chapter of the AIDS Support Program, or ASP. This effort was later assumed by another organization, known as HOPE (HIV Outreach, Prevention, and Education). In 1998, HOPE spun off from TOHR so both organizations could focus on their respective missions. Today, HOPE operates a testing and counseling site a 3503 East Admiral Place in Tulsa. TOHR opened Tulsa’s first Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community Center in October 1996 at 1338 East 38th Street in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa. The center quickly became a popular meeting spot for community groups, support groups, and those who wished to network with other members of the GLBT community. The center began to operate a book and video library, referral service, and pride retail store. TOHR organized Tulsa’s first gay pride march in 1997 with 60 participants. In 1998, the event grew to include approximately 150 marchers. In 1998, the march grew into a parade. Tulsa’s first Diversity Parade was held in 1999 on Peoria Avenue in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa and featured Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, as its first Grand Marshal. The parade culminated with the Diversity Festival at Tulsa’s Veteran’s Park. Both events drew large crowds and proved very successful, beginning a new tradition for Tulsa’s GLBT community. In 2000, TOHR received grants from the Collins Higgins Foundation and Gill Foundation of Denver, Colo., for expanding programs and operating support. Also, in 2000, TOHR was selected as a 2001 host site for the OutGiving InCommunity Project of the Gill Foundation. More than 25 local organizations (over half were non-GLBT groups) participated in the project held at the Community Center. This was considered an honor for TOHR to be selected as a national host site. Finally, in 2000, TOHR launched its first-ever capital fundraising campaign, the Pyramid Project. The goal of this major capital campaign is to raise a total of $1 million for a permanent and visible home for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center. Of the goal, $500,000 will be utilized to acquire a permanent facility for the center, and $500,000 will fund an endowment to sustain operation of the facility for future generations. In 2001, TOHR was selected to be one of three “Fast Track” programs in the nation by the Gill Foundation. Through this program, the Gill Foundation provides $40,000 of operating support over three years ($15,000 in 2001; $15,000 in 2002; and $10,000 in 2003). The intent of the operating grants is to help sustain the organization’s operating fund during the capital campaign. In addition, the Gill Foundation has provided TOHR technical assistance during the campaign. TOHR was selected by the Gill Foundation based on the quality and reputation of the organization, and the potential for Tulsa to become a more positive environment for members of its GLBT community. Presently, TOHR is developing an annual operating plan for 2003 and a set of long-range goals to guide the organization through 2006. The organization also is preparing to move its capital campaign into the middle phase by seeking major corporate and foundation support. TOHR also has completed a major revision of its bylaws, taking the organization from an association to a corporate model. In addition, major restructuring of the organization will take TOHR to new heights in 2003 and beyond! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [1980-2003] Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights History Subject The topic of the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights-History from 1980 to 2003 Description An account of the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights-History from 1980 to 2003 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2003 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/72587474f1b86d2d6ce9eb0f776ca5d4.pdf f82144a330a82ae9441df54bac8e467f PDF Text Text Oklahomans for Equality 2009 Review Oklahomans for Equality seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Serving LGBT Oklahomans and their allies since 1980, it is the oldest continuously operating LGBT advocacy organization in America’s heartland. The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, our headquarters is located at the corner of 4th and Kenosha in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in the vibrant east village and actively involved in the revitalization of the urban core of Tulsa County. The Equality Center has been recognized by the National Preservation Historic Trust as an excellent example of repurposing a historic structure. Originally a 1920’s oil refinery office with 18,000 square feet was purchased and renovated in 2005. It now serves as the epicenter of the vibrant LGBT community in Northeastern Oklahoma. In June 2009 the Equality Center was featured on the Preservation Trust website “This Place Matters”. From the earliest days of the founding of our organization, advocacy on behalf of the gay community has been front and center. We have found that speaking up for ourselves is the most effective route in addressing discrimination. Working closely with local and state legislative bodies and familiarizing elected officials about our issues is a continuous effort. Small businesses and larger companies and corporations can benefit from our diversity in the work place workshops. Occasionally, a confrontational response is required when an individual targets our community with hate speech. Our opponents have learned we will not be silent when persecuted. Most of the time, when insensitive comments are made towards a certain segment of a community it comes from a lack of education. We offer a speaker’s bureau that in 2009 spoke on 9 college campuses and 3 high schools and even a federal agency. We maintain an exhaustive lending library that is heavily utilized by our members and visitors to the Equality Center. Archiving our story in Oklahoma is critically important so we established the history project where hundreds of memorabilia, stories, and documented events are cataloged and added monthly to the substantial collection. Throughout the calendar year we have lectures that feature some of the top experts in LGBTQ studies. Our goal for our membership is to equip them to be the best citizens in our community. Oklahomans for Equality has created 38 different weekly programs that serve the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Grief recovery, mental health support, legal clinics, children’s events for those raising a family, health and fitness activities to help us comply with Oklahoma’s new vision for a healthier state are just few of those programs. Each program is volunteer led by trained and certified professionals. In 2009 Oklahomans for Equality partnered with 13 area non profits in special events or projects that served Tulsans. We have turned into the anchor city for the heartland region �in LGBTQ advocacy work. Visitors from bordering states come to study how we have created an effective outreach in one of the most conservative sections of the country. In 2009 14 cities sent teams to visit the Equality Center � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Oklahomans for Equality 2009 Review Oklahomans for Equality seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Serving LGBT Oklahomans and their allies since 1980, it is the oldest continuously operating LGBT advocacy organization in America’s heartland. The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, our headquarters is located at the corner of 4th and Kenosha in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in the vibrant east village and actively involved in the revitalization of the urban core of Tulsa County. The Equality Center has been recognized by the National Preservation Historic Trust as an excellent example of repurposing a historic structure. Originally a 1920’s oil refinery office with 18,000 square feet was purchased and renovated in 2005. It now serves as the epicenter of the vibrant LGBT community in Northeastern Oklahoma. In June 2009 the Equality Center was featured on the Preservation Trust website “This Place Matters”. From the earliest days of the founding of our organization, advocacy on behalf of the gay community has been front and center. We have found that speaking up for ourselves is the most effective route in addressing discrimination. Working closely with local and state legislative bodies and familiarizing elected officials about our issues is a continuous effort. Small businesses and larger companies and corporations can benefit from our diversity in the work place workshops. Occasionally, a confrontational response is required when an individual targets our community with hate speech. Our opponents have learned we will not be silent when persecuted. Most of the time, when insensitive comments are made towards a certain segment of a community it comes from a lack of education. We offer a speaker’s bureau that in 2009 spoke on 9 college campuses and 3 high schools and even a federal agency. We maintain an exhaustive lending library that is heavily utilized by our members and visitors to the Equality Center. Archiving our story in Oklahoma is critically important so we established the history project where hundreds of memorabilia, stories, and documented events are cataloged and added monthly to the substantial collection. Throughout the calendar year we have lectures that feature some of the top experts in LGBTQ studies. Our goal for our membership is to equip them to be the best citizens in our community. Oklahomans for Equality has created 38 different weekly programs that serve the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Grief recovery, mental health support, legal clinics, children’s events for those raising a family, health and fitness activities to help us comply with Oklahoma’s new vision for a healthier state are just few of those programs. Each program is volunteer led by trained and certified professionals. In 2009 Oklahomans for Equality partnered with 13 area non profits in special events or projects that served Tulsans. We have turned into the anchor city for the heartland region in LGBTQ advocacy work. Visitors from bordering states come to study how we have created an effective outreach in one of the most conservative sections of the country. In 2009 14 cities sent teams to visit the Equality Center Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2009] Review; Oklahomans for Equality Subject The topic of the resource 2009 Review - Oklahomans for Equality Description An account of the resource 2009 Review - Oklahomans for Equality Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oklahomans for Equality Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Oklahomans for Equality Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oklahomans for Equality Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Oklahomans for Equality https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/c9595acfdf635bd17f3530d01ce54e06.pdf 537c53efc893da073a9a55ec451d16cd PDF Text Text ____________________________________________________________ Flash From The Past by Tim Turner And help from others... When you look at some of the photos from the Playroom Club era, 1978 to 1986, it almost seems as though everyone was happy and gay during that period in time. From what I remember, we were. We worked hard and we played hard, like most Americans at that period in history. The end of the Free Love Era certainly was not evident in the gay club scene in the late 70's. AIDS was pretty much unknown, at least in our part of the world, life was good...spirits were high, there was uncharted territory. Around 1970, I got to hear great stories of the first known gay bars in the Tulsa area. Tropical Gardens, as far back as the Early 40s, operated by two sisters in an old filling station; The Blue Note Lounge located on North Denver during the 40s and 50s; The Blue Haven opened November, 1948 by the 'much loved' Producer, Activist and Entrepreneur, the late M.C. Parker. M.C. Parker and Tim Warren would later cultivate and produce the largest, most spectacular Oklahoma Gay Event in history, the Miss Gay Oklahoma Pageant at the Camelot Inn. (Tim Warren, his life partner forty years his younger, was later murdered and his body discovered in Mohawk Park. The murder was never solved, as well as most gay murders in our city as I recall. ) M.C. was a promoter, he contracted sponsorship by major brand names such as Phillip Morris and Halston and achieved an estimated attendance of over 2000, and that's not including the number of baptist protesters outside the hotel. The Camelot was sold out for this event for one of the few times in it's history, it was said, and was never the same afterwards. The entire event was, to say the least, amazing... especially for it's time in history. We could talk about it for hours over cocktails sometime. The Milwaukee Tavern, a 40s and 50s lesbian bar located at about 15th and Cincinnati; Bishops Bar, 40s and 50s located downtown with a mixed crowd, but a popular gay hangout; The St. Moritz 40's and 50s located on South Main which was THE place to go and was closed down after a move, in anticipation of Liquor by the Drink... which didn't pass. Little Mexico, late 50s, owned by Thurman Glynn. The Doghouse, owned by Bob Johnson. The famous Skoo-Bee-Do Club owned by Paul Scott who, rumor has it, met with a curious and untimely death in Hawaii. Then there were the clubs I have personal memories of. At 20 years old I actually had no idea there were nightspots that were frequented by crowds of gays. I actually thought that there might be at least ten other gay people in the whole State of Oklahoma. That was, until I ventured into Friends Lounge at 3rd and Utica, owned by Tracy McLaughlin, aka Tony. Tracy has always been somewhat of my mentor as far as the club business. He ran a tight ship and a good bar. He worked hard and loved giving the kids a safe place off the streets. Friends Lounge was famous for it's Friday night drag shows and was a coming out place for hundreds over the years. Unfortunately, much of the potential profits went for court costs and attorney fees over time. Frequent police raids and obvious, blatant incidents of harassment were much too �frequent and it was my first personal experience of bigotry, political and social intolerance. I was amazed to realize that at the same time I had discovered a multitude of others of the same sexual orientation, I was also unknowingly transcending from a safe, accepted majority into that of an often misunderstood and shunned minority. The battle, for me, had begun. Tracy did a lot toward gay acceptance in Tulsa and for Oklahoma. Most of which today's generation will never realize. But Tracy never wanted the spot light, he only wanted to be left alone and given an opportunity to make a living and provide a place for gay people to go. Equal treatment to straight bars. I will never forget, with amusement, one time when Tracy was to appear in court on a trumped up charge of some kind, I asked him if he had a good attorney and he told me he didn't need one. When I asked why not, he told me to show up in court and see for myself. Tracy showed up in court with five stunning, outlandish, drag queens and the case was thrown out before they had a chance to parade to the witness stand. The Judge didn't want his court room turned into a circus, although the police had already taken the first step towards that end. Friends lounge would later move West down third street to be called Tracy's, then The New Edition and later sold to Jimmy and Roy and became the new location for the Tool Box, which moved from downtown where Renegades is still located. Around the same era, things were hopping downtown. (The Fruit Loop as it was called.) Friends Lounge was less than 5 minutes from the famous pink pool table in the Zebra Lounge on Main Street, owned by Tom Oliver, which was just around the corner from the Taj Mahal, owned by Norma Peterson and later purchased by the late Pete Longenbaugh and Robert Kowalski (aka Sugar). Sugar was the victim of a brutal knifing inside the Taj Mahal after hours....also unsolved. The Fruit Loop was notorious for hustlers and parking lot parties for 'after clubbers' and those too young to make it past the I.D. check at the clubs. The police seemed to just allow it for a period of time then would randomly decide to clamp down... but the revelers would return and the cycle would continue. About the only dance club, The Gala at 11th and Lewis, (Just under the Meadow Gold Milk Sign), eventually to be re-opened as Tim's Playroom Club, (Yours Truely) had been closed for about 5 years, and that left Mary and Jody's The Club" on Memorial which had a very strict door policy and was a good distance from the downtown action. "The Club" was probably one of the most versatile gay/lesbian mixes next to the Gala of all times. We all partied together, both inside and out. I saw the vacancy for a dance club and had the itch to get into the gay club business myself. I eventually met a new acquaintance who's uncle (uh huh) purchased a huge brick 13,500 sq. ft. masonry building at 911 S. Main, which was very close to the action and would fill the void in the club scene. With a lot of ambition, sweat, learning experiences and a little borrowed money, Tulsa's grandest, most beautiful Art Deco Disco to date (one of the first) opened with a frenzy. I'm thinking that it was about 1974. Bright red walls and bar lined with metal flake padding, mirrors out the ying yang and a beautiful Art Deco stage with Silver Lamé curtains, The Queen of Hearts Club and Cafe would be short lived, but it introduced Tulsa to a new era of national advertising, dance clubs with professional sound and light shows, DJ's, pageants, national entertainers like the Laughing Kahunas from Hawaii and Sami Joe Cole known for her hits, "Tell me a Lie" and "It Could Have Been Me", and brought hundreds more out of the closet in Tulsa and OKC. It also began to draw more attention from the city fathers which meant more media coverage, more cops....more lawyers. �After the Queen of Hearts closed, it became New York, New York for a while and then was purchased by Evelyn White who named it The Fountain of Youth, then The 911 Club, then Papillon. After Evelyn sold it to Bill Oliver, who closed the Zebra after some 20 years, it became Caruso's. People loved the club, as did I, and didn't want to let it go. Carusso's was later demolished for parking space along with Mary's, our favorite wino bar which was snuggled between Queen of Hearts and the Tiffany Club at 915 S. Main, owned by the late Jim Smith, Robert Wilson and some other idiot. Anyway, at least my first 'dream club' became established in the minds of many. I then dabbled with Tim's Anything Goes Club, a plush conversation cocktail lounge at 58th and Peoria in the rear of the center and gave it up as "too quiet" after a short time for the opportunity to manage the New Plantation Club with some guys from Dallas, at 51st and Yale. Eventually, through trial and error and with a tip from a well known and much appreciated Tulsa Newspaper sports writer, I opened the type of bar that I was most comfortable in.(Trashy Classy, as some called it, very much like Tramps is today!) He pointed me to a location that had been a well known gay hang-out for close to twenty five years (Including the next seven) and had been closed for the previous five years. Thus, becoming one of Tulsa's most controversial yet fun, notorious and nationally known gay clubs ever, Tim's Playroom Club. Eventually we joined in with the OHR Blueboys and helped gay softball achieve fame in Oklahoma. We had national invitational tournaments in Tulsa as well as traveled to Houston, Dallas, Kansas City , OKC and Wichita. It really helped put Tulsa on the gay map. We once played in one of the nations largest invitational gay tournaments in Houston among a field of twenty two teams from places such as New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and won the Most Spirited Team (Miss congeniality) award. I still think it's because we had the best-looking team there and we made more friends in the bars. Team Photo Doubling in size in just a few years, The Playroom would offer a diverse crowd a variety of entertainment and events. From a Cruise Bar at noon to a wild, thumping Dance bar at night Tulsa got it's first feel of Cerwin Vega Earthquake speakers in a bar that pounded away at the fifty year old brick walls causing them to crumble. It also got a close up look at dozens of Tulsa's Police Officers who constantly toured with flashlights in their hands and disgust and smirks in their faces. It was an ongoing battle. We had it set up so that whichever of the staff went to jail for whatever trivial or trumped up reason, Team B would contact the attorney to bail out Team A and reopen immediately. During the seven years of operation there were more than fifty arrests of myself or staff members and resulted in NO CONVICTIONS. Imagine that. Eventually, with the help of KOTV Channel Six who did a thirty minute segment on Tulsa gays, most of which was filmed in my bar and called "Strangers In The Night" (of which they no longer recall or can find a copy of in their archives), and aired it during prime time, a face to face discussion with then Tulsa Police Chief Jack Purdy and a meeting with a nationally recognized attorney who could not represent us because of conflicting interests, but made a strong recommendation to the Police Department Internal Affairs that they cease the harassment and change their policy and treatment toward gays or face another Stonewall or worse, a lawsuit. Things got much better for a few years. Some policy changes were eventually made and the attitudes seems to have improved somewhat over time. Although there were still questions, such as the tragic and unbelievable unsolved multiple murder of manager Robert Kowalski (aka Sugar)and another, which inadvertently closed the downtown version of the Taj Mahal. There �were several other unsolved gay murders in Tulsa before and after that incident. (another story) Pete tried moving the Taj to 11th & Lewis behind the Playroom, in the old Zebra Club, but I don't recall that it lasted too long. It surprises most to hear that there were as many as thirteen active, open gay bars in Tulsa during this time frame and most were successful. Great clubs with another complete history behind them, such as Zippers at 33rd and Yale owned by the late John Willis and of course the legendary Bamboo Lounge on Pine Street which has reopened a couple of times since the infamous late Gene Curnigan.Tulsa Mining Company, Seekers Choice, Over the Rainbow and Dante's, just to name a few, but none bring back the memories of the early days like the old downtown scene as seen in many other larger cities. Due to the eventual adoption of the much misunderstood at the time, and misconstrued by the public, Liquor by the Drink, I realized that the end of the club business, as I knew it, had come. Gone were the back-door bottle club days. The bulk of the profits would now be re-directed from the owners and investors to the government coffuers, using a common method known as overtaxation and regulations.....or progress, as some would call it. But that is yet, another story all together. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Collection] Oklahoma LGBT+ History Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br /><br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document ____________________________________________________________ Flash From The Past by Tim Turner And help from others... When you look at some of the photos from the Playroom Club era, 1978 to 1986, it almost seems as though everyone was happy and gay during that period in time. From what I remember, we were. We worked hard and we played hard, like most Americans at that period in history. The end of the Free Love Era certainly was not evident in the gay club scene in the late 70's. AIDS was pretty much unknown, at least in our part of the world, life was good...spirits were high, there was uncharted territory. Around 1970, I got to hear great stories of the first known gay bars in the Tulsa area. Tropical Gardens, as far back as the Early 40s, operated by two sisters in an old filling station; The Blue Note Lounge located on North Denver during the 40s and 50s; The Blue Haven opened November, 1948 by the 'much loved' Producer, Activist and Entrepreneur, the late M.C. Parker. M.C. Parker and Tim Warren would later cultivate and produce the largest, most spectacular Oklahoma Gay Event in history, the Miss Gay Oklahoma Pageant at the Camelot Inn. (Tim Warren, his life partner forty years his younger, was later murdered and his body discovered in Mohawk Park. The murder was never solved, as well as most gay murders in our city as I recall. ) M.C. was a promoter, he contracted sponsorship by major brand names such as Phillip Morris and Halston and achieved an estimated attendance of over 2000, and that's not including the number of baptist protesters outside the hotel. The Camelot was sold out for this event for one of the few times in it's history, it was said, and was never the same afterwards. The entire event was, to say the least, amazing... especially for it's time in history. We could talk about it for hours over cocktails sometime. The Milwaukee Tavern, a 40s and 50s lesbian bar located at about 15th and Cincinnati; Bishops Bar, 40s and 50s located downtown with a mixed crowd, but a popular gay hangout; The St. Moritz 40's and 50s located on South Main which was THE place to go and was closed down after a move, in anticipation of Liquor by the Drink... which didn't pass. Little Mexico, late 50s, owned by Thurman Glynn. The Doghouse, owned by Bob Johnson. The famous Skoo-Bee-Do Club owned by Paul Scott who, rumor has it, met with a curious and untimely death in Hawaii. Then there were the clubs I have personal memories of. At 20 years old I actually had no idea there were nightspots that were frequented by crowds of gays. I actually thought that there might be at least ten other gay people in the whole State of Oklahoma. That was, until I ventured into Friends Lounge at 3rd and Utica, owned by Tracy McLaughlin, aka Tony. Tracy has always been somewhat of my mentor as far as the club business. He ran a tight ship and a good bar. He worked hard and loved giving the kids a safe place off the streets. Friends Lounge was famous for it's Friday night drag shows and was a coming out place for hundreds over the years. Unfortunately, much of the potential profits went for court costs and attorney fees over time. Frequent police raids and obvious, blatant incidents of harassment were much too frequent and it was my first personal experience of bigotry, political and social intolerance. I was amazed to realize that at the same time I had discovered a multitude of others of the same sexual orientation, I was also unknowingly transcending from a safe, accepted majority into that of an often misunderstood and shunned minority. The battle, for me, had begun. Tracy did a lot toward gay acceptance in Tulsa and for Oklahoma. Most of which today's generation will never realize. But Tracy never wanted the spot light, he only wanted to be left alone and given an opportunity to make a living and provide a place for gay people to go. Equal treatment to straight bars. I will never forget, with amusement, one time when Tracy was to appear in court on a trumped up charge of some kind, I asked him if he had a good attorney and he told me he didn't need one. When I asked why not, he told me to show up in court and see for myself. Tracy showed up in court with five stunning, outlandish, drag queens and the case was thrown out before they had a chance to parade to the witness stand. The Judge didn't want his court room turned into a circus, although the police had already taken the first step towards that end. Friends lounge would later move West down third street to be called Tracy's, then The New Edition and later sold to Jimmy and Roy and became the new location for the Tool Box, which moved from downtown where Renegades is still located. Around the same era, things were hopping downtown. (The Fruit Loop as it was called.) Friends Lounge was less than 5 minutes from the famous pink pool table in the Zebra Lounge on Main Street, owned by Tom Oliver, which was just around the corner from the Taj Mahal, owned by Norma Peterson and later purchased by the late Pete Longenbaugh and Robert Kowalski (aka Sugar). Sugar was the victim of a brutal knifing inside the Taj Mahal after hours....also unsolved. The Fruit Loop was notorious for hustlers and parking lot parties for 'after clubbers' and those too young to make it past the I.D. check at the clubs. The police seemed to just allow it for a period of time then would randomly decide to clamp down... but the revelers would return and the cycle would continue. About the only dance club, The Gala at 11th and Lewis, (Just under the Meadow Gold Milk Sign), eventually to be re-opened as Tim's Playroom Club, (Yours Truely) had been closed for about 5 years, and that left Mary and Jody's The Club" on Memorial which had a very strict door policy and was a good distance from the downtown action. "The Club" was probably one of the most versatile gay/lesbian mixes next to the Gala of all times. We all partied together, both inside and out. I saw the vacancy for a dance club and had the itch to get into the gay club business myself. I eventually met a new acquaintance who's uncle (uh huh) purchased a huge brick 13,500 sq. ft. masonry building at 911 S. Main, which was very close to the action and would fill the void in the club scene. With a lot of ambition, sweat, learning experiences and a little borrowed money, Tulsa's grandest, most beautiful Art Deco Disco to date (one of the first) opened with a frenzy. I'm thinking that it was about 1974. Bright red walls and bar lined with metal flake padding, mirrors out the ying yang and a beautiful Art Deco stage with Silver Lamé curtains, The Queen of Hearts Club and Cafe would be short lived, but it introduced Tulsa to a new era of national advertising, dance clubs with professional sound and light shows, DJ's, pageants, national entertainers like the Laughing Kahunas from Hawaii and Sami Joe Cole known for her hits, "Tell me a Lie" and "It Could Have Been Me", and brought hundreds more out of the closet in Tulsa and OKC. It also began to draw more attention from the city fathers which meant more media coverage, more cops....more lawyers. After the Queen of Hearts closed, it became New York, New York for a while and then was purchased by Evelyn White who named it The Fountain of Youth, then The 911 Club, then Papillon. After Evelyn sold it to Bill Oliver, who closed the Zebra after some 20 years, it became Caruso's. People loved the club, as did I, and didn't want to let it go. Carusso's was later demolished for parking space along with Mary's, our favorite wino bar which was snuggled between Queen of Hearts and the Tiffany Club at 915 S. Main, owned by the late Jim Smith, Robert Wilson and some other idiot. Anyway, at least my first 'dream club' became established in the minds of many. I then dabbled with Tim's Anything Goes Club, a plush conversation cocktail lounge at 58th and Peoria in the rear of the center and gave it up as "too quiet" after a short time for the opportunity to manage the New Plantation Club with some guys from Dallas, at 51st and Yale. Eventually, through trial and error and with a tip from a well known and much appreciated Tulsa Newspaper sports writer, I opened the type of bar that I was most comfortable in.(Trashy Classy, as some called it, very much like Tramps is today!) He pointed me to a location that had been a well known gay hang-out for close to twenty five years (Including the next seven) and had been closed for the previous five years. Thus, becoming one of Tulsa's most controversial yet fun, notorious and nationally known gay clubs ever, Tim's Playroom Club. Eventually we joined in with the OHR Blueboys and helped gay softball achieve fame in Oklahoma. We had national invitational tournaments in Tulsa as well as traveled to Houston, Dallas, Kansas City , OKC and Wichita. It really helped put Tulsa on the gay map. We once played in one of the nations largest invitational gay tournaments in Houston among a field of twenty two teams from places such as New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and won the Most Spirited Team (Miss congeniality) award. I still think it's because we had the best-looking team there and we made more friends in the bars. Team Photo Doubling in size in just a few years, The Playroom would offer a diverse crowd a variety of entertainment and events. From a Cruise Bar at noon to a wild, thumping Dance bar at night Tulsa got it's first feel of Cerwin Vega Earthquake speakers in a bar that pounded away at the fifty year old brick walls causing them to crumble. It also got a close up look at dozens of Tulsa's Police Officers who constantly toured with flashlights in their hands and disgust and smirks in their faces. It was an ongoing battle. We had it set up so that whichever of the staff went to jail for whatever trivial or trumped up reason, Team B would contact the attorney to bail out Team A and reopen immediately. During the seven years of operation there were more than fifty arrests of myself or staff members and resulted in NO CONVICTIONS. Imagine that. Eventually, with the help of KOTV Channel Six who did a thirty minute segment on Tulsa gays, most of which was filmed in my bar and called "Strangers In The Night" (of which they no longer recall or can find a copy of in their archives), and aired it during prime time, a face to face discussion with then Tulsa Police Chief Jack Purdy and a meeting with a nationally recognized attorney who could not represent us because of conflicting interests, but made a strong recommendation to the Police Department Internal Affairs that they cease the harassment and change their policy and treatment toward gays or face another Stonewall or worse, a lawsuit. Things got much better for a few years. Some policy changes were eventually made and the attitudes seems to have improved somewhat over time. Although there were still questions, such as the tragic and unbelievable unsolved multiple murder of manager Robert Kowalski (aka Sugar)and another, which inadvertently closed the downtown version of the Taj Mahal. There were several other unsolved gay murders in Tulsa before and after that incident. (another story) Pete tried moving the Taj to 11th & Lewis behind the Playroom, in the old Zebra Club, but I don't recall that it lasted too long. It surprises most to hear that there were as many as thirteen active, open gay bars in Tulsa during this time frame and most were successful. Great clubs with another complete history behind them, such as Zippers at 33rd and Yale owned by the late John Willis and of course the legendary Bamboo Lounge on Pine Street which has reopened a couple of times since the infamous late Gene Curnigan.Tulsa Mining Company, Seekers Choice, Over the Rainbow and Dante's, just to name a few, but none bring back the memories of the early days like the old downtown scene as seen in many other larger cities. Due to the eventual adoption of the much misunderstood at the time, and misconstrued by the public, Liquor by the Drink, I realized that the end of the club business, as I knew it, had come. Gone were the back-door bottle club days. The bulk of the profits would now be re-directed from the owners and investors to the government coffuers, using a common method known as overtaxation and regulations.....or progress, as some would call it. But that is yet, another story all together. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [c. 1990] Tulsa Gay Bar History by Tim Turner Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tim Turner Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tim Turner Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tim Turner Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource About 1990 911 Club Art Deco Disco Bamboo Louge Bishops Bar Blue Haven Blue Note Lounge Bob Johnson Camelot Inn Caruso's Dante's Doghouse Evelyn White Fountain of Youth Friends Lunge Fruit Loop gala Gene Curnigan Jack Purdy Jim Smith John Willis Little Mexico M.C. Parker Mary's Milwaukee Tavern Miss Gay Oklahoma Pageant Mohawk Park Morma Peterson Murder New Edition New Plantation lub New York OHR Blueboys Over the Rainbow Papillon Paul Scott Pete Longenbaugh Queen of Hearts Renegades Rober Kowalski Robers Wilson Seekers Choice Skoo-Bee-Do St. Moritz Strangers in the Night KOTV Sugar Taj Mahal The Club Thurman Glynn Tim Turner Tim Warren Tim's Anything Goes Club Tim's Playroom Tom Oliver Tool Bo Tracy McLaughlin Tramps Tropical Gardens Tuffany Tulsa Bar History Tulsa Mining Company Zebra Lounge Zippers https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/e6389bce01ace4a2dad1ea7ed3a04870.mp4 e55cb69f0f2fe2c337e7689b38ef47a7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Collection] Oklahoma LGBT+ History Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br /><br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data VHS Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 3 minutes Compression Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4) MP4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [1996] Video of the Pride Center on Brookside Subject The topic of the resource First video of the new pride center at 38th and Peoria, Tulsa Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Brookside Pride Center https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/b743306a27261d2e1233bb73867be57c.jpg 277e30d5de6f5bf61c934267bfda15bb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Collection] Oklahoma LGBT+ History Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br /><br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data VHS Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 0.30 Compression Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4) MP4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2006] Gay Pride Show with Ron Mangum, Channel 41 Tulsa - February 2006 Subject The topic of the resource Discussion with Laura Belmonte, President of Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights and guests Description An account of the resource Discussion of activities in the Tulsa area related to the LGBTQ community Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Channel 41, Tulsa Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sponsored by the Gay Guardian Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Channel 41, Tulsa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-02 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Channel 41, Tulsa Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Channel 41, Tulsa Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MP4 video available to researchers for on-site viewing only due to copyright. Location:OkEq History Project/Ddatadrive/History-General (in Omeka)/Gay Pride Show Channel 41 Feb 2006 Ron Mangum with Laura Belmonte sponsored by Gay GuardianEDITED Channel 41 Cherokee tribe Dawn McKinley Families First Gay Guardian Gay Pride Show Jim Scuder Kathy Reynolds Laura Belmonte Leslie Puncatello Open Arms Youth Project Ron Mangum same-sex marriage Tim Gillean Tulsa Uniform & Leather Seekers Association https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/11b1f1c31946dc5ff76f004175fa7498.png 9f57e7b696f00c805b0e37f9abc1afed https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/e7d76b118a02acb083398b9800353290.pdf 6803a8552a6c54c51f68c51e818f023b PDF Text Text � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2002] Interfaith Service Promotional Poster Subject The topic of the resource Interfaith Service Description An account of the resource Poster advertising 2002's Interfaith Service, part of the Diversity Celebration. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2, 2002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Poster Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Diversity Celebration 2002 Pride 2002 Interfaith Service Pride Worldwide: One Voice, One Family https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/6c3bed2765806f00d6ac0eb093f090e8.png e965a4094ddff1eb93c6f3c0aa410d33 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/6003c7767a31aec9f7a711f3ddfaafce.pdf e712b7038d9e604c832f7233ab51975f PDF Text Text � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2002] Jason Warner Promotional Poster Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2002 Description An account of the resource Poster advertising an appearance by Christian Singer Jason Warner. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 9, 2002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Poster advertisement Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Jason Warner Pride 2002 Diversity Celebration 2002 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/1e1ef3097cba2e4f983a60aea9ef4dc6.jpg 88bcfc762428e26d006728e617e4b715 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/affc5d7e22e58deb9b0c82cb9d52ab2b.pdf 9f4e2d73d5846d2379cfce9e202bff0f PDF Text Text ���� Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Diversity Gala Program Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Gala Description An account of the resource Program from 2003's Diversity Gala. Features introductions to speakers James Hormel, Jim Verraros, and the Council Oak Men's Chorale. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 13, 2003 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Event Program Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2002 Diversity Celebration 2002 Diversity Gala https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/975d64baa99657a7df7a0ea84639ded0.png c584adbc1ad0a07dba50ec54efbc31e1 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/8ca57c29402ffa930986a8617bad06bf.pdf 08cc5daf71f476eb7518f70256719bdf PDF Text Text � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Pride Schedule of Events Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2003 Description An account of the resource Schedule of events for 2003's Diversity Celebration. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 5-14, 2003 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2003 Diversity Celebration 2003 Kick-Off Spaghetti Dinner Paragraph 175 Interfaith Service Art Exhibit and Silent Auction Daddy and Papa Council Oak Men's Chorale Diversity Gala 2003 Tulsa Pride Parade 2003 Tulsa Pride Festival 2003 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/b12d5f3163e878a6f30d880cdcf01819.png da9090b1df5721c693b32e28727dcf5e https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/aeea6b9306e6a5a5efb955a11cc1407c.pdf 66d246c9981c9d5bc32886315ad7a1eb PDF Text Text � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Diversity Celebration Sponsor Ad Subject The topic of the resource Diversity Celebration 2003 Description An account of the resource Advertisement featuring some of Diversity Celebration 2003's sponsors. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 14, 2003 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Advertisement Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2003 Diversity Celebration 2003 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights The Tulsa Bus Plant TW's AFAB Council Oak Men's Chorale 106.9 KHITS PFLAG Outline Magazine Tim Scott Online Bud Light Coors Light Miller Lite Parish Church of St. Jerome https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/083ed3a6732d5b32d9fc719ed2c57f99.png 32214df36ce3b62b334b63e7dc9bfd29 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/1a2dedcd1216513a309c744e12bbb19b.pdf 8f48c6452bc46f57bd62e7141c5d021d PDF Text Text � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Pride Parade Street Closure Map Subject The topic of the resource Pride 2003 Description An account of the resource Map of street closures for 2003's Pride Parade. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2003 Diversity Celebration 2003 Pride Parade 2003 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/8ee8f00afba6ad498a4e855c5633ec7d.png c5b243b8d4b48bfb25298a655bff2fca https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/2c21d296bc00db7bfef7a957d41d2843.pdf d1f9358280880daa2cbc67f97855d089 PDF Text Text ��� Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Diversity Gala Invitations and RSVP Card Subject The topic of the resource Pride 2003 Description An account of the resource Invitations and RSVP card for 2003'd Diversity Gala. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 13, 2003 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource Englsih Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2003 Diversity Celebration 2003 Diversity Gala 2003 James Hormel https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/242677dd0dc05c389418f35116e3c74a.png 16d82ad55cc0537f7a033d66da245705 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/f8c23c8c0a3188419e0ba0c579e5f530.pdf c064b6097cb443c976b28e382517773d PDF Text Text �� Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2003] Pride Volunteer Badge Subject The topic of the resource Pride 2003 Description An account of the resource Volunteer Badge for 2003's Diversity Celebration. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2003 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Pride 2003 Diversity Celebration 2003 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/88073056f2827072b9870be931b101d0.jpg d8fdc9557c15ac479efc121424369e84 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/7c13f359888fb68a2427eb6a06bac2ad.pdf 37679881844b513e2d8f1434a2e90b8b PDF Text Text ESTABLISHED 2003 www.ozarksstar.com MAY 2008 An Exclusive Interview With OGRA’s 4 Term President, Klint Wieden One of the longest running and largest of Gay Rodeo Organizations in the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) system, Oklahoma’s Great Plains Rodeo will kick off it’s 23rd year. A fun filled weekend May 23 through May 25th 2008. The event will be held in Oklahoma City at State Fair Park, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd. Photo: Klint Wieden with his horse Cherokee. "I grew up in the small northwest Oklahoma town ofArnett. I rode horses and worked cattle my whole life, so that’s really who I am." Klint told the Star. PAGE-12 Newly revamped drag-free Tulsa Pride 2008 unveiled By Joey De OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ~The fun begins with the Great Plains Rodeo Kickoff Party hosted at the Finishline Thursday, May 22 featuring the current reigning OGRA Royalty. This is a great chance to meet and greet, dance and party, and ready yourself for the weekend to come. State Fairgrounds on Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25, beginning at 8 a.m. both days. To keep the weekend wild the Texas Gay Rodeo Association will host their Texas T Party on that Saturday in the Copa from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. featuring fantastic food and fun. The host hotel for the Rodeo is the Hilton Garden Inn, and there is a block of rooms available at a special rate from May 22-26 that will be available until May 16 or until they sell out, whichever comes first. Registration for the event happens Friday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Tickets are available from OGRA members for $10 or $15 at the gate. The Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association, Inc. (OGRA) is a nonprofit organization and member of the International Gay Rodeo Association, Inc. (IGRA) which is comprised of 28 state/provincial associations throughout the United States and Canada. OGRA is proud to be the first association seated at the first ever IGRA Convention in 1985 For more information check out the OGRA website at www.ogra.net. The Rodeo takes place at the Oklahoma TULSA, OK __ Organizers of this year’s Tulsa Pride Celebration are promising the public that this year’s events will be anything but boring. "We have made a lot of changes to the entire celebration," says Nate Black, one of the co-chairs. Black says the changes are intended to breathe a new sense of excitement into the pride observance and to help promote the revitalization of downtown. "People don’t kno,v downtown. They don’t know how to get here, they don’t know where to park, they don’t know how many things are down here and growing," Black says. "We have moved the events to ................ Continued Page 5 ��i 7 West 7th Street (corner 7th & ~3oulder Ave) e Tulsa, Ok 74ii9 www.ozarksstar.com �1:800o535oAtDS (2437) PROTECT YOURSELF PROTKOT YOUR PAR www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 3 �Join us for our biggest issue of the year! PRIDE 2008. Be a part of RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW Deadline Thursday l~ay t 5f.h Serving the Oklahoma GLBT community since 2003. �Mr OkAahoma Continentall Benefits OYP Tulsao By Judy G. Charles Frederick Mr Oklahoma Continental 2008 TULSA, OK __ March 28th, Singer and entertainer Chades Frederick, Mr. Oklahoma Continental, began one of the many benefits planned to support Openarms Youth Project in Tulsa to a standing room only crowd. Many parents and grandparents of the entertainers were in attendance. David Dees, owner of Club Majestic, 124 N. Boston, Tulsa, donated the use of the dub for this worthy benefit. ~he event raised $770 for OYE. Entertainers were Sabastyn Croft, Tazia Kennedy, Cort, Brooke Kennedy-Miss OK National Queen, Mindy Bartlett, KC Morgan, Kordylia Kennedy, Alex Kennedy, Iman Scott-Miss Goddess 2007, Daphne Rio and Nicole Poverty-Miss OYE. Donations to benefit the GLBT youth group, many who are or were homeless just because they are gay, can be made to Openarms Youth Project, 2015-B S. Lakewood, Tulsa, Ok. 74112, or contact Tim or Ken at 918838-7104. TULSA PRIDE: give people a reason to check it (downtown) out, but also to come enjoy our new center and see how many resources are available." The first big change this year that Black notes is the separation of the Pride Festival from the Pride Parade. This year, the parade will occur June 7 and the festival will occur June 14. For the latest updates on the Tulsa Pride Celebration, visit their web site at www. tulsapride.org. 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit OKC Following a national trend, the Pride Parade will be held in the evening, escaping the oppressive summer sun. The parade will fol!ow a new route, taking it from the Brady Arts District through downtown to the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Saturday, May 10, 9am-5pm, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City When the parade ends at 4th and Kenosha, the new Pride Block Party will kick off: "There will be 2 stages of entertainment, beer tents, vendors and all kinds of activities," says Black, who also notes that national music sensation Eric Himan will be performing. Black also says that for those with children, the second floor of the equality center will be open to provide licensed babysitters for a small fee. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Cimarron Alliance Foundation wil! host the 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit a one-day event with four sessions of workshops. This year’s summit features more extensive workshops about our state legislature - by far the most attended session last year - and programs appealing to college students and young adults. There will also be two community forums. A week later, the Diversity Festival will kick off in Centennial Park just west of6th & Peoria. Black says that the newly revamped festival will feature two stages of entertainment with a multi-ethnic array of performers, an international food court, children’s area, local vendors and more. The 2007 LGBT Leadership Summit was successful beyond expectations. LGBT and LGBT-friendly persons and organizations acquired tools and guidance to more effectively manage themselves and, more importantly, better collaborate with others to accomplish common goals. According to Black, including other faith and ethnic communities is not an attempt to "de-gay" Pride, but to help create community allies. "We have to realize our commitment to justice can not be for the gay community only. We have to speak out against racism and against bigotry. "The GLBT community is in every population," "By increasing our alliances we strengthen our own commitment for our people." Workshops The 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit is a one-day event with four sessions of up to five workshops per session. Workshops will address five topics: ’This is still a gay pride event," Black emphasizes. There will be a leather fashion show, there will be drag queens, and there xvill be rainbows. It’s still very gay, but it is also more professional and more inclusive." The final major change that Black says will be occurring is the moving of the www.ozarksstar.com Diversity Gala to the historic Cain’s Ballroom. Black says that not only does this help to create an emphasis on downtown, but it also provides much needed space for the event to grow. Leadership Development O Organization Development - non-profits, fundraising, etc. o Government- politics and the legislative process ® Personal Development - spirituality, equality, etc. o Anti-violence - anti-bullying, hate crimes, etc. For more information go to: wvcw.cimarronalliance.org the STAR 5 �Loving the Hater Wlaile Hating the Hate The writer gives some specific examples of public, peaceful protest that we can engage in to show that LGBTs are neither the doormats nor the monsters our enemies make us By James Nimmo to be. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ I found a link recently to a blog (vavw.bilerico.com) that contains a comment (http://tinyurl. com/4qdbph) written in reaction to reading the main story about the Oklahoma City chapter of PFLAG and their recording of Rep. Sally Kern (http://tinyurl.com/2zbpgn) that catches Kern in her spider web of hubris and cant. It’s odd that our suppressors are either afraid to be in the same room with us, fearing for their own bodily integrity, keeping their knees close together; or they, dismiss us as dippy airheads, frivolous and irresponsible. How can we be both at the same time? Like the author, I too am very disappointed with the approach of "loving the hater while hating the hate." Of course, I respect our supporters who use their close relationship with Jesus to try and gain support for LGBT citizens and other minorities who are used for verbal target practice in the ~var for suppression of civil rights. I’m delighted the Oklahoma City PFLAG chapter was able to document the duplicity of Sally Kern and record with her permission the lies she later reported as irresponsibility on the part of PFLAG. This single incident should show you the arrogance and madness that is being passed offas legislative Republican leadership. Not one elected official in Oklahoma from either major party has come strongly to the defense and support of the LGBT taxpayers living in Oklahoma. Had Kern used race, skin color, or ethnic origin as her subject I bet the rent she would be rene~ving her teaching certificate and looking for a school that would hire her. The First Amendment guarantees both sides the freedom to practice their respective religious viewpoints and the market place in which to talk about them. However, this same First Amendment does NOT give either side permission to encode their religious viewpoints into CIVIL law. I feel this is where we miss the boat in establishing our birthright to equal treatment under judicial law, and not the ten laws of Deuteronomy. There will always be a Bible verse to trump the opposing Bible verse resulting in a version of ping-pong skirmishes with Jesus as the referee. 6 the STAR Their response shows more about the fiction in their minds then about the truth of our lives. Until we get out of the religious justification business the more we’ll be dragged into its historical quagmire. Look at the present wars being fought around the world and you’ll see religious intolerance at the root. Our LGBT equality will have to be established in the legislatures and the courthouses in all fifty states without religious prejudice tipping the scales of justice. �www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 7 �e Comling o~ Age 8 the STAR w-ww.ozarksstar.com �©irecYed bs/Davd Geligan Oklahoma OiV June 8~ 2008 at 8pnq Brot~-~e~ Boy www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 9 �by Liz Highleyman What is the history o£GLAAD ?? For more than two decades, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has served as the queer community’s watchdog against biased portrayals of lesbian, ga); bisexual, and transgender people in the media. Up until the final decades of the 20th century, representations of LGBT people in l{lms, television, popular music, and mainstream publications - if present at all - typically focused on scandal or ridicule. The burst of gay activism and visibility in the late 1960s spurred a conservative backlash, and by the mid-1980s, the community was staggering under the weight of the AIDS epidemic, as people with HIV faced stigma exacerbated by media portrayals depicting them as a danger to the "general population." In 1985, the New York LGBT community was embroiled in a debate about closure of the .city’s gay bathhouses and grew- increasingly alarmed about sensationalistic AIDS coverage in the New York Post. That November, a group of long-time activists including Vito Russo, Arnie Kantrowitz, Jim Owles, and Darrell Yates Rist called a town meeting that drew more than 700 participants. Heeding the exhortation of author Jewetle Gomez to "take responsibility for what is being said about us," they formed the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The group began as a grassroots effort, using phone trees and monthly newsletters to issue alerts about offensive media portrayals of LGBT people. Among its earliest victories, in 1987 GLAAD persuaded the New York Times to finally use the word "gay" rather than "homosexual." Ti~e following year, the New York group hired its first full-time executive director, Craig Davidson. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Richard Jennings and others started a new chapter focused on the Hollywood entertainment industry. The bicoastal organization’s clout continued to grow, enabling it to secure an apology from comedian Johnny Carson for saying "fag" on the air, followed by the suspension ofAndy Rooney by CBS for homophobic and racist comments. In 1992, Entertainment Weekly named GLAAD one of the 100 most powerful entities in Hollywood. Before long, new GLAAD chapters arose in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. But in 1995, the local groups merged into a centralized national organization with a single board, and a staff based in New York and Los Angeles; two years later, former Showtime executive Joan Garry took the helm. Over the next decade, GLAAD initiated projects focusing on communities of color (including Spanish and Chinese language media), sports media, faith-based groups, and youth. GLAAD continued to exert insider pressure, and, when needed, to organize larger public protests against biased portrayals - like Sharon Stone’s murderous bisexual temptress in the film Basic Instinct (1992) - or the omission of queer content, such as excising 10 the STAR a male-male kiss from the television show Melrose Place. Homophobic song lyrics by rapper Eminem and Jamaican dancehall artists Beenie Man and Buju Banton were other targets. GLAAD also reacted to current events, such as the murders of Matthew Shepard and transgender teen Gwen Araujo, as well as homophobic outbursts by the likes of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. But in keeping with its mission of promoting "fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation," GLAAD also sought to shape positive portrayals. It consulted on television and movie scripts featuring LGBT characters and themes, pitched sympathetic stories to mainstream publications, provided spokespersons for talk shows, and trained queer individuals and groups in how to effectively use the media. In addition to wielding the "stick" of protest, the organization also dangled the "carrot" of praise, introducing the GLAAD Media Awards in 1990 to recognize favorable representations of the community and its issues. After considerable pressure from LGBT media, the organization agreed in 2007 to honor them along with nongay outlets. By 2005, when Garry turned over leadership to Neil Giuliano - the openly gay former Republican mayor of Tempe, Ariz. - the organization had a budget approaching $7.5 million and a staff of more than 40. Yet GLAAD’s explosive growth, insider strategy, and increased emphasis on star-studded events did not sit well with some activists who felt the organization had moved too far from its grassroots origins. Further, some were unhappy with tactics they regarded as censorship, such as the successful pressure campaign to cancel conservative commentator Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s television show. GLAAD has "a political agenda that is murky at best - at worst, it is dangerous to free speech, artistic expression, and the interests of LGBT people," wrote activist Michae! Bronski. "Judging the accuracy of a news report is much different than judging art. GLAAD can deal with these issues by getting out of show business and back into watchdog media commentary." Despite the criticism, GLAAD continues with its goal of"changing people’s hearts and minds through what they see in the media." According to the organization, "What people see at the movies or read in the newspaper shapes how they view and treat the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people around them, and we have a responsibility to make sure those images foster awareness, understanding and respect." For further reading: Bronski, Michael. 2005. ~Not So GLAAD Anymore." Z Magazine (May 1). Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. www.glaad.org. Gross, Larry: 2002. Up From Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men and the Media in America (Columbia University Press). www.ozarksstar.com �OkEq Announces Anrmat Equality Gala Saturday, May 3t, 6pm, Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main Ave TULSA, OK__ (ENEWS) Oklahomans for Equality is excited to announce its annual Equality Gala, held this year at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom. Benefiting OkEq, the Gala honors Lifetime Achievement Axvard xvinner Charles Faudree, Community Heroes George Kaiser Family Foundation and Carol Crawford, and Russ Bennett Spiritual Inclusion Award winner Nancy Day: The program features a champagne and hors d’oeuvre reception, live entertainment by Jared Tyler and Valerie Eskridge accompanied by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, dinner by Taste Catering and wine donated by Loring Wine Company. Don’t miss the black tie event of the season, celebrating Tulsa’s rich diversity. Sponsorship information and tickets are available at: wxvw.okeq.org Co ° munity for People iving with H P !iA1D 8 A 501 c (3) Non Profit O~:gan:izatlon Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of our people live through each and everyday. VVe provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail harrism mj r@yahoo.com. www.0zarksstar.c0m New exhibit featuring artist Ann Marie Distefano at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Emmy Award Winner Leslie Jordan (Brother Boy) In Oklahoma City. TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-9pm, Thursday, May 1, 2008, for the opening of it’s May exhibit, paintings by Ann Marie Distefano. Ann Marie’s paintings emerge from an aspiration to reclaim the spiritual dignity of art. "I want to make art that might open for the receptive viewer the window onto eternity," states Distefano. She continues, "My paintings are ’plugged into’ an inner source within myself that is very deep and sometimes unknown. What I seek to achieve is independence of artistic and philosophical fashions. My goal as an artist is to reveal an ineffable presence, the contemplation of which can lead the viewer towards an intuitive recognition of his or her own inherent radiance." OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Leslie Jordan famed "Sordid Lives" star, will bring his one man show, "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet" to OKC June 8th at the Tolbert Theater @ Stage Center. "In 1982, Leslie Jordan jumped offa Greyhound bus from the hills of Tennessee, said ’hello’ to Hollywood and has never looked back. With hundreds of television and film roles to his credit, he is probably best remembered for ’Kyle’ hapless ex-con on Muphey Brown, ’Resplendent Man’ entrepreneurial super hero on Lois and Clark, and can currently be seen recurring as ’Mr. Beverly Leslie’ on the hit series, \Vgill & Grace. Mr. Jordan just finished a stint on the two hit series, Ally McBeal and Boston Public as ’Dr. Benjamin Harris’ cloning expert turned new-age reverend turned science teacher turned drama coach. Mr. Jordan has also had a successful stage career. He played ’Brother Boy’ a Tammy Wynette fixated drag queen, in Del Shores hit play Sordid Lives and went on to star in the film adaptation of that play. He also has won every award for best supporting actor LA gives in theatre (Back Stage West Garlands, LA Weekly, LA Drama Critics Circle) for his portrayal of’Peanut Leroy’ a sodden aging homosexual in the runaway hit, Southern Baptist Sissies. Distefano, a native Bostonian, has been living in Tulsa for the past four years. She is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston. The reception will be generously catered by donation by Baxter’s Interurban Grill. The exhibit will remain up through the month of May, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located at 621 E. 4th St., in downtown Tulsa. More info can be found on the web at okeq. org. This monthly event is hosted by Oklahoman’s for Equality (OkEq)_. OkEq seeks the STAR 11 �By Victor Gorin ooking forward to the upcoming Great Plains Rodeo, O.G.R.A. President Klint Wieden shares his thoughts and hopes not only for this event but for OGRA and the gay cowboys and cowgirls of Oklahoma. Originally from the small Oklahoma community of Arnett, he grew up as a typical Oklahoma cowboy, belonging to both 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. He went on to OSU where he majored in animal science and business, and now resides in OFdahoma City with his current career of copier sales while enjoying being a cowboy on the side. We appreciate him sharing his time with us. Victor: How many years has the Great Plains Regional Rodeo been in Oklahoma City? Klint: This is our 23rd year, and it has been held for the last 15 years at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. It began with a group of people looking for an avenue where they could have friendly competition, socialize together and work together. It was a place for people who had something in common, a love of rodeo. They were gay cowboys who didn’t really feel that they fit into the gay scene at that time. The I.G.R.A. ( International Gay Rodeo Association) was formed, and O.G.R.A ( Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association) was among the first state organizations. At the same time, the founders felt that they could also help the community by being a major fundraiser for charities of the community. Victor: A tradition that continues to this day. Klint: Besides the competition and fun involved, fundraising is truly what the rodeo all over the country. It was also read by my parents, who I had not been out with, who accepted me for the gay cowboy I was. Victor: Gay just happens, but cowboys are made. So how did it happen that you are a cowboy? Photo: Klint Wieden President OGRA Klint: I grew in the small northwest Oklahoma town of Arnett, 18 people in my graduating class. Arnett is a farming and ranching community, I rode horses and worked cattle my whole life, so that’s really who I am. Like many straight people, I thought you had to be flamboyant and feminine to be gay, and that wasn’t me. Once I learned there were country gay bars with cowboys, and gay rodeos, I thought" wow!" I fit in. That was great to kno~v. is all about. \Ve raise money all year long to put it on, and then take the proceeds from that to give back to local charities. Victor: Is it still a regional rodeo? Klint: It had formerly been the Great Plains Regional Rodeo, representing other states as well. Today it is the Great Plains Rodeo, an event solely of OGRA. There is another organization in Tulsa, the Sooner State Rodeo Association, who also has their own rodeo. Victor: Of course the situation is much better than it was over 25 years ago. There were probably a lot of gay cowboys who felt they couldn’t be themselves and fit into what they perceived the gay community to be at that time. But even today straight people are astounded that there are gay cowboys, much less a rodeo. Klint: A couple a years ago the Daily Oklahoman wrote about our rodeo. \Vhat was to be a small paragraph turned into a front page story, hit the AP wires and was read Victor: Of course the movie Brokeback Mountain had an enormous impact on America as a whole. I’m sure it had a special effect for the gay rodeo scene. Klint: It made people aware, both gay and straight, that there were people in that lifestyle who happened to be gay. So many gay cowboys could really relate to it, felt we had to hide for fear of not being accepted by our families, friends, bosses, or even the gay communir): Victor: So how rewarding has your hard work been with OGRA? Klint: \Veil this is my 4th term as the President of OGRA, I’ve been the rodeo director. I’m very out and very proud of what I’m doing. I have no problem telling businesses, like my dry cleaners, my dentist, my veterinarian that I support them, I’m a gay cowboy, and I’d like their support for our ............ Continued PAGE 23 12 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com �Wockner News Service Foreman eaves Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman quit his job April 15 and moved to San Francisco to head up the Gay & Lesbian Rights Program at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. The fund provides more grant support to GLBT organizations than aW other nongay foundation in the U.S. Foreman was at the Task Force for five years and is credited with grmving the staff to 54 full-timers and doubling the organizanon’s budget to $10 million. "I’m incredibly privileged to have had this job for the last five years, and to have been paid to be gay for the last 18," Foreman said in an interview. "There are so many people who give their hearts and souls to our movement without any compensation or for ridiculously low salaries, and that certainly includes LGBT journalists. ’Tm also overwhelmed with pride in our people," he said. "One thing I hear a lot in my travels is: ’There’s no such thing as a gay community. No one’s on the same page. In a few years we’ll all be assimilated, etc., etc.’ I couldn’t disagree more. "Name me one community -- or family, for that matter -- where everyone agrees and everyone gets along. That’s not community, but banality.... No, there’s no monolithic gay community, but there are dozens and dozens of communities within our larger movement and they’re accomplishing amazing things every day. There’s community everywhere I go -- some purely social, others religious, others political, others professional. "While we do have a very, very long way to go, the fact that we’ve made so much progress while being such a tiny minority and against such mighty opponents is, to me, proof positive that we do indeed have a vibrant people and community." www.ozarksstar.com PlanetOut to selll Advocate, Out, Myson, porn mags PlanetOut Inc. is selling The Advocate and Out magazines -- as well as The Out Traveler, HIVPlus, three porn magazines and book publisher Alyson Publications -- to an affiliate of the gay TV network here! for $6 million. The sale price is far !ess than the $31.1 million PlanetOut Inc. paid for the magazines and book compaW when it bought LPI Media Inc. and SpecPub Inc. in 2005. PlanetOut Inc. reported a loss of $51.2 million last year. The company xvill continue to own and operate Gay.com and PlanetOut.com. In January, PlanetOut Inc. "retained Allen & Company, LLC to assist the company in evaluating strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company," a press release said. The corporation also announced in January "that it will no longer be providing quarterly or annual earnings guidance and will not hold quarterly earnings calls." The porn magazines included in the sale to Regent Releasing and Unzipped. A fourth SpecPub Inc. porn magazine, known as [2], has ceased publication, but the sale will include the trademark "[2]," PlanetOut Inc. CEO Karen Magee said via e-mail. Obama grants interview to Advocate Under fire for not speaking with local and regional gay cations, presidential candidate Barack Obama sat down for an interviexv with Advocate.corn on April 10. "The gay press may feel like I’m not giving them enough love. But basically, all press feels that xvay at times;’ Obama said. "Obviously, when you’ve got limited amount of time, you’ve got so many oudets. We tend not to do a whole bunch of specialized press .... But I haven’t been silent on gay issues. What’s happened is, I speak oftentimes to gay issues to a public general audience" Obama said he supports passage of a federal law protecting transgender people from discrimination but he’s not sure there’s support in Congress for the move. A bill outlawing job discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals has passed the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate. "I have been clear about my interest in including gender identity in legislation, but I’ve also been honest ~vith the groups that I’ve met with that it is a heavy lift through Congress," he said. "\Ve’ve got some Democrats who are willing to vote for a non-inclusive bill but we lose them on an inclusive bill, and we just may not be able to generate the votes" Obama said he understands gay people’s frustration with candidates such as himself(and Hillary Clinton) who support, civil-union but not marriage for same-sex couples,’ I strongly respect the right of samesex couples to insist that even if we got complete equality in benefits, it still wouldn’t be equal because the same ~vord, marriage, assigned to it; he said. "I understand that, 3ective is also the broader ,olitical and ’ historical context in which I’m opera ing" MORE PAGE 27 the STAR 13 �Rata Esparza Slays ’Era in 2518 Eventually, all the Broadway stars try their tuck in Hollywood. And it Was just ~ matter of time before Raul Esparza, the han&ome Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner (both for _Company_ and TabooL wandered west. Xhe bisexual actor has already fom~.d success on the small screen, cast m a recurring ro!e on A C s h,t Pushing Daisies. BUt n~w he ma.v be s,tepping wlay outside the feel-good box he ~ been in - hes in t~ to play a s~riaI killer in Wes Craven~ latest ~een-horror fihm, 2518. Concerning a group 0fkids being stalked by a killer believed to have died on the birthday they share in common, the film will co’star teenage collies Shareeka epps (Half-Nelson). No production or release dates yet, but the scary stuffis due to shoot soon. 0 pe ) and Cosby Gay Cast Populates C vas Shifting the Canvass. an indie drama due m rackJe the complicated lives of a group of BrooMyn friends aAer 9/11. has cast several ~:aces fan~iliar to queer audiences. notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyem~e Ja4k~on. t~t seen on film as rugby player M~k Bingha~n in United 93, and cur~endy on Broadway in the hit music~ 3~adu, Jackson will star as a heterosexuN W~ Srree~ executive involved with a group of gay ffien&. Rounding out the c~st is ~& in ~e HNI alum Scott "~,ompson, ~ well as John Paul Pimc (best remembered ~ the hotW go-go boy in N’icD and Gedde Watanabe (last seen reD,lart~ as a gay nurse on ER, but forever kmown as ’Long D~ Dong" from SNteen CanNes). ~le film rolls in June and promises ~meos ~- several ~-yevunn~ed New ~brk ni~tti~e personalties. Goes to Jail Moore kmows how hard it is for an ; a break from the business so lately she~ been a low-risk comeback? Get on indie-film bus. And that’s exacdy what he’s been doing, recently starring in the .’ist drama Flawless with Michael Caine. nd now set to shoot gay writer-director d~tchell Llchtenste~ns (Teeth) latest film. Happy Tears. She’s i~ good compan> ~oo, ~ih~e-fitm veteran P~ker Posey has signed ,n toplay lvloore’s youn get sibling. ~2ne kama focuses on the two estranged sisters me selfLaggrandizing, the other bitter and ~dn~) as they re-establish their relationlip and deal with their elderly father’s progressive dementia. Shooting now in i~hiiadelphia, look for the happiness sometim~ in 2009. who finds herself from a mate taste, 2010. Notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyenne Jack, on. Photo: By Ben Strothmann 14 the STAR wv~,.ozarksstar.com �Brief history from around the There is a lot to learn about this versatile wine. There are plenty of good Rieslings to taste. Let~ start with Australian offerings. They are noted fbr their oily- texture and citrus fruit flavors in their youth and a smooth balance of freshness and acid as they age. New Zealand Riesling was first planted in the 1970s and has flourished in the relatively cool climate of the Marlborough area. In comparison to Australian Riesting, New Zealand produces lighter and more delicate wines that range from sweet to dry. New York, particularly in ~e Finger Lakes region, was one of the eaMiest U.S, producers of Pdesling. Plantings started to appear in California by 1857 and fbllowed in xNSshington State in 1871. New ~tbrk Riesling generally has a characteristic effervescent light body with a similarly light, mellow flavor, The wine can be dynamic though rarely robust, and ranges from dry to sweet. New York is also a notable producer of Riesling based Ice Wine, although a large majority of New ~%rk ke Wine is made from Vidal Blanc and Vigno~es. In the Pacific Northwest there is a stark contrast in Riesling production. ~Ihe grape is currently on the rise in ~VZ~shington State but on the decline in neighboring Oregon. Pdesling from this area ranges from dr?" to sweet, m~d has a crisp lighmess that bodes well for e~sy drin~ng. Often there will be an easily detectable peach and mineral complex. Some Washington State winemakers, such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, are adapting Germau-style Rieslingproduction methods, and even parmering with well&~own German vinmers like Dr. Ernest Loosen to create specialty wines such as the Eroig~ Riesling, www.ozarksstar.com ][n Cati~brnia, Riesling lags far behind in popularity to Chardonnay ~d is not as commonly planted. A notable exception is opment of high quality Late Harvest So i]~r, the Late Harvest wines produced are in the Anderson Valleys (north of Santa Rosa) where is more likely to encourage dte needed botutis develop. ~ae Riesling that does ~ fornia tends to be softer, fuller, a diverse flavors than a "tTpical" ~ smoked meats, ofBonW Doon, F Mountain A~v~& with dedicated completely to With high acidity and peach has deveto area is re t facility . white sausages, crab cakes gouda & grwere~ :this wine can be paired as an cake, apples/pears, caramel/ wmilla ice creaan, [, citric, With German Riesling, ,nit of ~vin e Pr~dikat (QmP) PRAY-dee-kahq. It is the defined by the 1971. There are six subcategories categor?; ranked from determine various levels .are: K)~BINE~, SP/&TLESE BEEI?J);NAUSLESE, EISWEIN, ENBEERENAUSLESE. Each care fined by a minimum sugar content of the which varies {::rotn region to region. The focus sugar content embodies the theoW that grapes with bdgher sugar levels are riper and therefore yield richer wines with deep colors and intense flavors. Schm~ Sohne Relax ’06 Job JOS P~Urn/Spatlese ’04 Jakob Dem~er/Kabinett ’06 ~ ’06 Pacific Rim CaliforSeries Australia ’06 And as always, I say go to your favorite wine shop, ask questions and purchase a bottle or two. Share some food & wine with friends and check this out for yourself. Although Riesling is best known from GermaW’s Mosel-Saa>Rmver, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Rheingau m:eas, wines from Alsace and Austria attain equal greatness. France’ Alsace’s are coveted for their high sugar levels and endless aging abili9~. Food Paring Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food because of its balance of sugar and acidity: tt can ~ paired with Thai and Chinese cuisine and various . types of dishes prepared more on the spicy side. One can also enjoy this wine with spicy ham, pork with pineapple chutney, stir-fried snow peas with spicy shrimp, crab, turkey, barbequed or Vlr. D also hosts wine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. References include: the ABC’s of wine by James Laube/vcww.Win eS pectator.com ,#~,~v. FoodandWin e.co m www.Wikipedia.org the STAR 15 �HOST HOTEL OVER FLOW HOTEL 801 South Meridian Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73108 1511 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 ¯35-9~2-1400 ¯ 1-877-STAY-HGI 405-840-5557 ��by Donald Pile and Ray Williams Campbell Street, Springfield, MO Early 1900’s ~or many years, Springfield, Missouri has gotten a bad rap fi’om the gay and lesbian community all over the country. Even many of our straight friends have been hesitant about visiting Springfield. Like many cities in the "Bible Belt", Springfield has had in the past a reputation for being extremely conservative and even homophobic. Well, readers, things have CHANGED and for the better ! At the invitation of the Springfield, Missouri Convention & Visitors Bureau we visited Springfield last month. They showed us their beautiful city, their museums, attractions, galleries, dining options and we must admit that we are now in love with Springfield, Missouri and we lmow that all of our gay and lesbian readers from coast to coast will also be. Springfield, Mo. is a very "vibrant and alive" city and everybody is welcome. As our readers kmow, we are a "very out’ gay couple and we were shown the highest respect everywhere we went in Springfield. There are gays and lesbians working in every field of employment in Springfield and nearly all of them are "out". MaW of the large National companies at first were hesitant to move their offices and headquarters to Springfield but things have changed and for a variety of reasons. We want to thank so many of the younger gays and lesbians that we met while we were in Springfield for their honesty and hard work that to made this happen. Now with that being said, let us tell you about the "new and improved" Springfield, Missouri. With a population of over 420,000 for metropolitan Springfield, it is the third largest city in the State and offers an unbelievable array of surprises for any traveler. When so many cities in the country are down-sizing and doing nothing to improve their cities, the 18 theSTAR Springfield, Mo. community has grown in every ~vay imaginable in their arts, business, sports, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Their "new and improved" downtown area is something that most cities can only dream about. All within walking distance you can admire the works of local and regional artists in more than 15 galleries, artist’s studios and other venues where you can encounter sculpture, pottery, paintings, jewelry, photography and hand blown glass demonstrations. In addition you have a choice of wonderful restaurants, coffee shops and cafes to dine. In Springfield, they MADE it happen! Springfield has over 6,000 hotel/motel rooms and over 600 dining options. So whatever you are into, you will find it in Springfield! Metropolitan Springfield has so much to offer in the way of attractions, historical places to visit and things to see. FANTASTIC CAVERNS is a must see for any first time visitor to Springfield. They open daily at 8 AM until dusk. You ride thru this ancient underground cave that has massive formations. The tour is 50 minutes and your driver will explain the entire history of the cave to you. THE SPRINGFIELD ART MUSEUM is the permanent home for some 8,500 art objects representing thousands of years of culture. They are open Tuesday thru Sunday and are located at 111 E. Brookside Dr. The SPRINGFIELD LITTLE THEATRE at the historic Landers Theatre is Missouri’s oldest and largest civic theatre. This season includes Gypsy, A Tuna Christmas, the Miracle Worker and Seussical to name just a few of their productions. "WILD BILL" HICKOK SHOOTOUT SITE in Park Central Square, right downtown is the site of the nations first recorded shootout and helped solidify the reputation of Wild Bill. Look for the marker on www.ozarksstar.com �Stage coach terra cotta on Springfidd garage. East. Markers are also located in the street showing where each man stood during the shoot out. The RAILROAD HISTORICAL Museum, 1300 No. Grant Ave. is dedicated to the preservation of railroading and you can step into a locomotive, commuter car and caboose. The MISSOURI SPORTS HALL OF FAME, 3861 E. Stan Musial Drive includes thousands of sports memorabilia, exhibits and displays and of course the Springfield Cardinals Baseball team which is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and plays at Hammonds Field. Bass Pro has their big store at !935 South Campbell Ave with everything imaginable in the sports line. Tired of seeing everything yet? Well, Springfield offers a lot more things to see! The AIR AND MILITARY Museum of the Ozarks is a "hands-on" museum of military history. They are located at 2305 E. Kearney St. The Brown Derby Store at 2023 S. Glenstone offers a world-class wine selection unmatched in the Midwest. The Commercial Street Historical District (between \Vashington Ave. and Lyon Ave. is a self-guided tour which is a 6 block adventure. With a seasonal farmers market, chocolate factory, the city’s oldest tavern, new micro-brewery, antiques/art galleries, this is a great walking tour. DICKERSON PARK ZOO, 1401 W. Norton Road allows visitors to get up dose with hundreds of animals. DISCOVERY CENTER is an interactive hands-on science center and is located downtown at 438 E. St. Louis St. The TENT THEATRE is celebrating their 45th season this summer. www.ozarksstar.com This summer’s productions include Cyrano de Bergerac, June 11-14 and June 16-21, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, June 25-28, June 30-July 3, and our favorite, Anything Goes with lyrics and music by Cole Porter, July 9-12, July 14-20. The Theatre and Dance Department at Missouri State University in Sprinbffield offers a wide range of theatre and dance programs. The Gay and Lesbian Center of the Ozarks, 518 E. CommerciaI Street in Springfield supports the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the greater Springfield, Missouri region by organizing and sponso> ing community activities and by increasing public understanding and appreciation of LGBT citizens. Josh Comp is the President and is doing a magnificent job. Their phone number is 417-869-3978. They organize Pridefest and help organize the annual variety show, the Queen City Cabaret. They are close partners with FOCUS - LGBT professionals group and with APO, Blossom women’s group, the First Sunday Community Potluck. They provide free professional counseling through the Forest Institute. They have an Individual and Community Services Advocate who provides services to the community and have a youth group program for LGBT youth which meets once a week and every fourth Friday. They provide an outlet for many social and support groups. They have been operating since !996 and are one of the oldest Gay and Lesbian Centers in the State. Volunteers are always needed so give them a call and donate a couple hours a week. For nightlife, they have the new CLUB 821 that is getting a lot of attention throughout the entire Midwest. ~xey are located at 821 West College, just 8 blocks West of the downtown area and NEVER A COVER ! (vavw.club821.corn) and phone (417) 866-4821 Their hours are Monday thru Saturday, 4 PM to 1 AM. and happy hour is daily 4 PM to 7 PM. This bar just But the most important time we had in Springfield during our recent visit there was the "DOWNTOWN AREA". The "new:" dmvntmvn area is FABULOUS !!!!! Check out their wonderful website at www.itsalldowntown.corn \re particularly enjoyed having breakfast at Galley’s Breal’~ast Care downtown at 220 East Walnut. The setting is a wonderful old nostalgic care of the past but yet has new and innovative delicious food with service to match. The owners and staff are doing it EXACTLY RIGHT! This is the only place to have breakfast in Springfiel!! Nonna’s Italian American Care, 306 South Avenue is wonderful. Although they offer non-Italian choices, why bother? Their Italian menu is what it is all about. And it is GOOD! Our best dining experience for dinner was at the Kai Restaurant, 306 South Campbell. This new downtown Photo: Donald Pie, Rob Bel (owner Club 821) & restaurant is one of the finest in Ray Williams at Club 821, Springfield, ~Ossouri the country with great atmosphere, great service and extremely great food. Continued page 27 {HeSTAR 19 �of Town By Andrew Collins Bakimore, Maryland dozens of shops. Also che& out the Baltimore Maritime Museum, National Aquarium, and World Trade Center (which offers fine views from its 27th-floor observation decD. A regal grassy knoll south of the harbor, Federal Hill Park rises majestically above downtox~qa, and the Inner Harbor. It’s an ideal spot to laze under the sun on warm afternoons. The surrounding eponymous neighborhood has loads of inviting cafes and bars, and the neighborhood’s American Visionary Art Museum ingeniously blends two historic -warehouses within a striking contemporary structure. East of the Inner Harbor, Fells Point may be America’s best-preserved Cx3lonial waterfront, with its perfectly maintained Federa!-sryle town houses, Baltimore’s gay epicenter ties north of downtown in historic Mount Vernon, which you reach by strolling north from the Inner Harbor up the city’s backbone, Charles Street. The neighbothood is anchored by Mount Vernon Square and its 178-foot-high Washington /vlonument. Nearby are the outstanding Waiters Art Museum and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the oldest and one of the most prestigious classical music schools in the country. kbffll need to drive or take a bus up Charles Street to reach the leaf), 140-acre campus of Johns Hopkins University, which is ideal for strolling and is next to the state’s largest museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art. West of Johns Hopkins, Hampden is a good oldfashioned "Ba~vl’mer" neighborhood, a former mill-workers’ community that has more recently developed a bounty of hip boutiques, galleries, and cafes. (John Waters, who lives nearby, occasionally strolls these parts and set his movie _Pecker_ here.) Baltimore’s mostpopular lesbian bar, Sapphos, is ])art ofthe bustling Grand Central *lu~ in the heart ofthe Mount Vernon neighborhood. (Photo by Andrew Collins) If you haven’t been to Baltimore in a while, you owe yourself a visit. This friendly, unassuming city has experienced a virtual rebi,~h over the past 15 years, rehabilitating its handsome Inner Harbor by converting dilapidated piers and ,vharves into museums, shops, restaurants, hotels, and condominiums. Often featured in the movies of camp filmmaker and native son John \V-aters, Baltimore has also developed increased cachet as a welcoming gay and lesbian destination, with its many GLBT-ffiendly businesses. Fortunately, the ci.ty’s success hasn’t gone to its head. It’s hard to find a more genuine and down-to-earth breed of urbanites than the residents of Baltimore, who retain a special affection for their hometown. You may be lured to Baltirnore by the many highly publicized ’ Inner Harbo, r and indeed most attractions set around downtowns of these museums and entertainment centers live up to their billing. But be sure to save rime to explore the man), quirky- residential neighborhoods, a few of which - Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Fells Point - are within easy walking distance of downtown. The Inner Harbor thrived for years as a shipping crossroads before falling into a state of blight. Its conversion into an entertainment and museum district has made it one of the most engaging and picturesque harbors in America. Popular attractions include the glassenc!osed Harborplace pavilions, where you can browse through 20 t~®STAR \Vhen you’re craving a memorable meal, remember that Baltimore’s cooking is full of flavor - the city- even has its o,vn spice, Old Bay Seasoning, a feisty, concoction of 16 seasonings sprinkled mostly on shellfish but required by some locals on seemingly everything but ice cream. If you’re on the run, iust wander through the copious food stalls in the Harborplace pavilions. It may look like a zoo of tourists, but yoffd be surprised how many locals graze here. Many of these places offer top-notch local seafood - particularly oysters, clams, and Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. Walk a bit south ro Federal Hill, along South Charles or Light streets, and you’ll find dozens of appealing eateries, including one of the best little restaurants in the city~ the Bicycle Bistro, where you might dine on grilled rack of lamb with a pineapple-poblano-pepper chutney, or porcini-crusted sea scallops. East of the harbor, there’s superb dining in the city’s Little Italy (Boccaccio, with such seasonal delights as local clams and mussels in a pernod-tomato broth, is a particular standout), and in nearby Fells Point, talented chef Nancy Longo helms the kitchen at Pierpoint, which is known for such inventive contemporary regional fare as smoked crab cakes, and ftied Maryland chicken breast with parmesan grits. Mount Vernon has dozens of excellent, gay-popular restaurants. At nile high end, opulently decorated Ixia scores high marks for its wellchosen wine list and superbly rendered cuisine, including grilled baby octopus with lemon-fennel confit, and lobster-crab mac-andcheese with a creamy Fontina sauce. Across the street, Sacha’s is a great spot for toothsome grazing - the many "small plates" include crisp french fries in a cone with Old Bay-seasoned creme fraiche, www.ozarksstar.com �and fried green tomatoes topped vdth lump crab meat. Continue up Charles Street and yoff!l come to trendy Donna’s, a cheerful and modern space where an arts)- crowd mingles over light salads, roasted veggie sandwiches, fresh coffee, and fantastic tiramisu. %e Hdmand has become renowned }br its spics; well-prepared kd~han food (it’s owned by the brother of A~hanistan’s president, Harold Kharzai), and Motmt Vernon Stable and Saloon is a perfect late-night venue for chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, and similarly comforting pub standar~Is. Finally, don’t miss City Care. an airy and inviting iava joint that also serves food and wine. Make the trip a bit north toward Johns Hopkins to reach Ixia’s sister restaurant, the lovably kitschy Paper Moon Diner, which is open choice. Near here in the Hampden neighborhood is the notable for the massive pink flamingo dangling from the front of the btfilding (not to mention tasty comfort fare like Belgian wanes topped with fresh berries, and famously good meatlo~). There’s als0 great coffee to be sipped nearby at Common Ground coffeehouse, and delicious Mexican food served within the funky confines of Holy Frijoles. property" ~ns kudos ~br its helpful service, romantically decorated roo~s, ~d afternoon tea and refreshments. In Mount Vernon, the historic 1924 Clarion Peabody Court, with its 104 handsomely outfitted rooms, enthusiastically welcomes gay and lesbian travelers. You’ll ~e ~ town house bars. Other esteemed in DyCanton. This stunner appreciate one of the ci~’s Baltimore gay-bar-goers congregate mostly at a handful of mainstays. Yuppies and stand-and-model types flock almost religiously to Gr~d Ceiatral, a large, multi-level complex that consists of a video lounge, dance bar, billiards room, and outdoor deck. Also on-site is the s[vanky lesbian bar, Sapphos, with its comfy living-room-esque decor and soft lighting. ~£ other major club i~i the n’eighborhood is Club Hippo, whose r~putation for gr~at music draws a wide mix of revelers, ga34 straight, old, and young. It’s a great place to cut loose, especially on Thursday and Saturday nights. When it gets late, the party moves to Club 1722, an 18-and-over ~er-hours club open on Fridays and Saturdays into the ~ee- hours. The,tiki-themed Coconuts Caf~ is another Mr. Vernon hangout thats popular xvith lesbians, while Club Bunns caters heavil~ to Baltimore’s sizable African-kanerican gay community and has a legendary happy hour. Leather aficionados head a few blocks up Charles to the Eagle, which, though lacking any serious back-room action, nevertheless cultivates as racy, an atmosphere as any bar in town. A classic dive that’s been serving the gay community for more than 60 years (longer, say" some, than [my bar in America), Leon’s is especially popular late on weekend evenings. Nearby Jay’s on Read is ~ das~ i~ia~o bar, and Club Phoenix is a laid-back neighborhodd hangout with a small dance area and some highly entertaining drag sho~s. In Federal Hill, the Rowan Tree is a friendly neighbor~iood spot with an eclectic crowd, and over in the up-and-coming Canton section of Baltimore, The Quest caters to fans of go-go dancers. Baltimore hotels have become slightly more expensive over the years, as the city has become a serious tourist and convention destination, but rates are still much lower than in nearby Washington, D.C. Most visitors choose properties near the Inner Harbor, dose to great restaurants and attractions. An excellent option here is the Pier 5 Hotel, a hip and lively boutique property with whimsically decorated, spacious rooms, many directly facing the Inner Harbor. The same owners run the elegant, historic (and allegedly haunted) Admiral Fells Inn in nearby Fells Harbor - this charming old-world www.ozarksstar.com heSTAR 21 �KAI REffAURANT & AFTER DARK LOUNGE Missouri For an absolutely fabtflous dining experience we highly suggest you try the new KAI RESTAURANT. It is located in the new and revitalized downtown area at 306 South Campbell. From the moment you walk thru the front door you will KNOW that you are in for a very special treat. Downstairs they have the KAI After Dark Lounge which has a very eclectic modern decor. Xhey have terrific bartenders who know how to serve every kind of drink imaginable. But the real treat is going upstairs to the KAI Restaurant where they serve "Modern Japanese Cuisine" in an unbelievable setting. ~he restaurant is dark, sexy, exciting, exotic and absolutely spectacular! Go to their website’s gallery to see for yourself. We haven’t been anywhere in the Midwest that can possibly compare to our dining experience there. Our server was extremely knowledgeable as to what was on the menu and offered good suggestions. He was a true professional. We started offwith the "Hot Rock" which is one of the restaurant’s specialties. It came with thinly sliced rare top sirloin woked on a hot stone presentation. You put one slice at a time on the sizzling hot stone and it cooks in seconds. Dip it into the sauce and you have some of the finest appetizers that we have ever had. Other Kai specialities included their Kuslyaki Filet, Kobe Beef Carpaccio and their Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. ~hey offer a full range of soups and salads including their Kai salad, Ika Sansai Salad, Seaweed Salad, Tri Tuna Salad and their Honey Walnut Mango Chicken Salad. For their entrees they offer everything from Teriyaki to black cod, sea bass to New York Strip, Filet Mignon and Kai Surf and Turf. Other entrees included Seven Samurai with seven kinds of fish on top of a California Roll, Drunken Tiger which is spicy tuna with asparagus wrapped with grilled tuna, Fantastic Four, with shrimp tempura, crab, spice tuna with fried eel on top. For desserts they offer a wide choice for any pallet including Irish chocolate cake, banana chocolate spring rolls, creme brulee, tiramisu and cheesecake. Xhe table next to us had been coming back almost every week since they opened. They get a lot of diners who came back again and again and again just because this restaurant knows how to do things the right way! It is just that simple! Kai Restaurant is in an old downtown building that they completely remodeled to perfection. We know that with all their professionalism that they will be in business for many years. When traveling around the country we find that so many restaurants try to copy each other and the Kai Restaurant is itself and it’s own creation and that is what makes it so special. By the way, their prices are extremely reasonable. No trip to Springfield, Mo. would be complete if you don’t have a wonderful dining experience at the Kai Restaurant. Their hours are Monday thru Saturday, 5:00 PM to 1:15 AM. For reservations call 417-8320077 and check out their website, www.kaiafterdark.com. People go to a restaurant not only to dine but to have a fabtflous dining experience and trust us on this one, you will have a "beyond fabulous" dining experience. When you get the best and innovative decor, great food and great service, you know you have found the perfect place! Congratulations to the owners and stafffor making the KAI Restaurant so special. 22 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com �"While we beat our chests and proclaim ourselves the xvorld’s largest superpower, it is foolish to expect that we Americans, with only 6 percent of the world’s population, can automatically impose our xv~ll on everyone else." [p. 25] "... [~he...war in Iraq has led to a devastaring drop in world approval of the United States and sharp divisions between Muslim and Non-Muslim communities. It has provided more recruits for anti-American terrorist organizations, cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, and above all, caused loss of human life on a tragically large scale. A failure to understand the culture and history of other parts of the world has exacted a great price." ~. 28] "We cannot afford the toll that multiple Iraq-like mistakes would take on America, especially as we deal xvith emerging nations whose power and influence will become great as time passes." [p. 29] "Preemptive military engagements in the absence of an act of war against us have not proven successful. Vietnam and Iraq are dramatic examples." [p. 41] Source: David Boren, A Letter to America (2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla. Press. "Forty other countries now have a higher life expectancy than the United States, in no small part because 45 million Americans have no health insurance. When ~vill we act?" [p. 7] "... [I]t is morally imperative that we provide universal health coverage for all Ameficans...We must not rule out considering a new approach that moves away from the current rodeo. Very often they do. It’s a lot of hard work, it is very rewarding, but every year right after the Rodeo ends we start planning for the next one. Victor: Do straight people still sometimes get thrown by the idea of a gay cowboy? Klint: They don’t associate what they perceive to be a masculine lifestyle to be a part of how they perceive the gay lifestyle. So in part we are educating the public as a whole, and even still some parts of the gay community, that we come from every facet of life. Victor: So what’s in store for this year? Klint: We have a great reputation, one of the largest rodeos of the IGRA system. We have a new rodeo director from Florida, Jim Mitchell and Assistant directors Travis Parker ofOGRA & Michael Fontenot of Florida. We’re doing all kinds of promotions not only in Oklahoma but also surrounding states, and we expect people from all parts of the country. This year we are hosting the I.G.R.A.’s Board of Directors Meeting, so trustees from all of their rodeo associations throughout the United States and Canada will be here. As with tradition, all we donate stays in Oklahoma. This year we are helping out two major charities, Other Options and Rain Oklahoma. Victor: So who should join OGRA? Does one have to be a rancher or cowboy? Klint: We have many members who have never ridden a horse or worked with cattle. We welcome people who many walks of life who embrace cowboys and western heritage. As we raise money for our community, we need talented people who want to help us make a difference. employer-based system...Those who have health insurance are already paying the costs for the uninsured, who often end up in hospital emergency rooms...The uninsured wait to get help until they reach a medical crisis. This drives costs higher. There is no excuse for another presidential term to end without implementing universal health insurance." [p.p. 84-5] Source: David Boren, A Letter to America (2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla. Press. www.ozarksstar.com Victor: I think that’s an invitation. Thanks for all you and OGRA do for gay Oklahoroans, including our cowboys and cowgirls, and we can look forward to another great event. VOTER I~GISTRATION Voter registration applications may be submitted at any time. However, a valid application must be received at a motor license agency or a designated voter registration agency, or postmarked (if submitted by mail), more than 24 days prior to an election in order for the applicant to participate in that election. Deadlines for submitting valid voter registration applications prior to the 2008 statewide elections are as follows: Primary Election Friday, July 4 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, July 29 - Election Runoff Primary Election Friday, August 1 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, August 26 - Election General Election Friday, October 10 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, November 4 - Hection CHANGES IN POLITICAL AFFILIATION Changes in political affiliation may not be made during the period from June 1 through August 31, inclusive, in any even-numbered year. The last day on which a change in political affiliation can be made before the closed period is May 31; the first day on which a change in political affiliation can be made after the closed period is September 1. OTHER IMPORTANT DATES Last day to request absentee ballot for July 29 Primary Hection Wednesday, July 23 Vote early at your County Hection Board office Friday, July 25, 8 AM - 6 PM Saturday, July 26, 8 AM - 1 PM Monday, July 28, 8 AM - 6 PM Candidate Filing for federal, state, legislative and county offices June 2 - 4 wvcw.ok, gov/-elections/index.html theSTAR 23 �Photo’s by Victor G. & Judy G. @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ Steve’s Hideaway, Tulsa 24 @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ Angles, Oklahoma City @ Finishline, Oklahoma City �By Greg Steele on the prowl ~e 84 & Robin Dorner with The City S~Ni~i atthe fundraiser for State Senator Andrew Rice! Marlett is runn ng aga nst the nfamous sai ~ I(em. Democratic U£. senate candidate (currently State Senator) Andrew Rice with Richard Ogden Chairperson Cimarron Alliance Foundation at a fantastic fundraiser at Ogden’s home. victor G06~ ~e~nt~ O~l~h;ma C0rpora~ tion Commissioner Jim R6tha plaque with a 45 of one is his favodte inspirations, Dion’s "Abraham Martin & Johi~2 www.ozarksstar.com State Representative A! McAffrey with Oklahbrna County Democratic Party co-chair Elle~ Ste~SS at Oklahoma City fundraiser for McAffrey. : �By Ronald Blake ho wants to see you achieve health, fitness, and overall well-being? It seems like everyone wants to see you fit into that smaller size of pants or cut back on your smoking. We live in a soci.ety where it is horrible to think that people die. You need to take advantage of this munificence of the masses. Government agencies are always watching out for you. The FDA is monitoring what medications are safe for your consumption. The FAA will not let you fly with Joe Camel smoke swirling aimlessly around the cabin. The CDC monitors the incidences of West Nile virus outbreaks in all the 50 states. Your local agency on aging center will even see to it that you have a fan or air conditioner to place in your window if you can’t afford to buy one. Your taxes are ~vorking to help you after all. Restaurants and fast food establishments are even seeking to give you healthier food. Subway leads the pack of retailers by offering you groovy grinders and showcasing the slimmed down Jared as proof of eating right. Numerous restaurants are shrinking their portion sizes and now only offering enough to satisfy one hippopotamus’ appetite. Applebee’s is one example of this sensible change. They even charge a little less for this good idea. Gosh, even Hamburglar and Grimace are putting apple slices in Happy Meals. smoking cessation classes. The Cancer Society will tell you when you should get a pap smear, colorectal check, skin screening, and breast exam. There are support groups for autism, anger management, gambling addictions, mental illnesses, and many more. If you can Google it, it is out there waiting to be uncovered by you. Even money-hungry Hollywood types have your best interests in mind. "Supersize Me" was that documentary about McDonalds and the Big Mac that put the fast-food giant into a Dow Jones suicide watch. The behemoth hamburger franchiser changed their menu in response to this fat-laden epiphany. Michael Moore took on the health care industry and all the cigar-chomping politicos inside the Beltway in his documentary "Sicko". He exposed the Swiss cheese health coverage we have for the denizens of this great land. There have even been movies like a "Beautiful Mind" and "Rain Man" that have shown a superb story but have also given us a better understanding of health issues like mental illnesses. Finally, we even have philanthropists like Bill Gates, Oprah, Bono, and numerous others who are giving money to charities to improve the lives of others. These methods include education and training. Education is one of the greatest factors affecting poor health. More educated individuals are less likely to smoke, drink, or engage in drug activity than those individuals who lack a proper education. If you want to achieve it, you must seek it. It should not be difficult; there is assistance around every corner. Excuses are around every corner too. Choose your corner care- fully. This health and fitness coltunn is brought to you by that guy who has an analog mind in a digital world. That guy is Ron Blake and he can be shaken from his reverie at w~wv.goblakefitness.com. There are not-for-profit agencies out there that are a website away from accessing information for better health. The American Lung Association will tell you where to find 26 t~÷STAR w~vw.ozarksstar.com �SPRINGFIELD, MO. NATIONAL NEV S opened last October and has quickly become extremely popular. Why? Because of the owner and staff. Rob knows how to treat customers and has hired a very professional staff. Michelte, the bar manager is the kind of bartender that everybody wants. She is fun, funny, lively, interesting, professional and you can tell that she really enjoys her job. Why can’t all bartenders across the country be like this? The other bartenders there are great also. We found everybody in this bar to be extremely friendly. How many times have you walked into a bar only to be sitting at the bar all by yourself and no one talks to you. Trust us, it won’t happen in this bar! NoY. governor .snpports Another fun place is JR’s Nightclub, 504 E. Commercial, (417) 864-2823. This is the bar "where men are comfortable, but everyone is welcome". They are open Monday thru Saturday, 5 to 1:30 AM and Sunday, 2 PM to midnight. When you walk in, people either know you or they don’t and if they don’t know you, they will shortly. Everyone is friendly. The bartenders and owner are friendly. After a couple of drinks you will know everybody in the bar. And isn’t that the idea of going to a bar, to meet other people? JR’s is the only bar in Springfield that is open on Sundays. Other places to visit are Martha’s Vineyard and Latin Vibes which features special gay shows on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. If your needing to get around the city, contact Fisk Limousines, www.fisklimo.com or give them a call at 417.862.2900. They give the best service in the entire Midwest. Springfield, Missouri is indeed a city with a great future. They want EVERYONE to visit their beautiful city. We did and we certainly enjoyed our stay there as we know that all of our readers will. The Convention & Visitors Bureau has one of the best websites in the nation, www.springfieldadventures.com. Be sure and check it out. Our thanks to Susan Wade, Public Relations Manager, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is simply "the Best of the Best" and so professional, and to Mark Templeton of Springfield. same-sex marrmge New York Gov. David Patterson said April 7 that he supports legalization of same-sex marriage. Speaking by video link to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s awards dinner in Manhattan, Patterson said: "We xvill push on and bring full marriage equality to New York state. And when xve have done that, xve’re going to do more. We’re going to protect young people from bullies. We’re going to protect against the discrimination of people in the transgender community, and xve’re going to fight for decent and affordable health care for all citizens in this state." "If you xvill join with me, and if xve xvork hard enough, xve can change the face of Nexv York, which will be the catalyst to changing national policy," he said. Patterson had planned to attend the dinner but was stuck in Albany dealing with budget problems. Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! www.ozarksstar.com t~:~ {~.STAR 27 �by Jack Fertig May 2008 "Articulate conflicts, Cancer!" The Sun in Taurus offers the comforts and pleasantries of spring. Now, however, Sol is aspecting asteroid Chiron in Aquarius and new planet Eris, stirring up the question of where to settle down and with whom. Think beyond habits, and be open to surprises! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): Individualist though you are, you belong with some tribe - however awkwardly. A clash of values is inevitable, but not catastrophic. Give yourself room to be not at the center of the group, but at the edge - perhaps even the leading edge. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your own personality is both a key and an impediment to success. Meditate and talk with a confidante. Issues of fitting in and reconciling different communities in your world seem like complications, but actually point to a solution. GEMINi (May 21 - June 20): You’re too easily tempted into arguments with others.-Better to look within and resolve your own conflicts. Knocking those around with a friend and establishing a philosophical framework are important. Just know that the real debate is internal. SAG~TTAR~US (November 22 = December 20): Team sports or games - anything from charades to rugby - can help you understand your own thought processes, or perhaps learn how to keep your mouth from getting you into trouble. You’ll never get that one perfect, but you can make progress! CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Being a capricious Cappy could get expensive. Entertain members of your family or tribe at home or through some community event, staying ever mindful of your budget. Asking others to contribute can help strengthen your bonds. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Fitting in with your family can be a problem. Imagine that you are adopted and speak a different language. What would you try to say? You wouldn’t want to be just like everyone else, so celebrate your uniqueness, and they’ll love you as you are. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. You may expose a few secrets, but that will probably do some good for you and others concerned. Even if there is a price to pay, you will find greater value in speaking up. CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Time to review that famous "gay agenda." How do your goals and ideals fit in with your immediate queer community and your sense of the broader community? Articulating the conflicts and exploring the issues could put you into a position of leadership. LEO (July 23 -August 22): Your ambitions can easily lead to arguments. That’s OK, as long as the point of the argument is to better understand _what’s_ right, not _who’s_ right. To fix a relationship, try seeing it in a different light. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): New ideas, even those that seem to come way out of left field, can help solve problems at work and with your health. (Chiropractic?) Don’t underestimate possibilities, wacky as they may seem, offered by other GLBT folks. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Rethinking group allegiances and community identity should prove helpful in understanding your sexual potential - not just as a lover, but as an erotic healer. Explore new forms of erotic play and perception. You can do this actively and/or academically. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Some housecleaning, literally or metaphorically, is important to improve your relationship or to help you be ready for one. An eccentric older relative or community elder offers an inspirational role model METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Urie Spirit of Chdst MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC of the Living Spring 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! 28 t~eSTAR www.ozarksstar.com �Support those who support us. DOWNTO\~N PLea of TULSA 17 West 7th Street Tulsa, OK 918-585-5898 www.downtownplazatulsa.com HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSXWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK www.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com STEVES HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun- Sat 2pm to 2am THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESS\rAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE LEDO 2200 NV4 39TH EXPRESS\gAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 ~wv.habanainn.com www.ozarksstar.com DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CNTR 211 S. Garnett Tulsa, OK 74128 vavw.realacceptance.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GREAT PLAINS RODEO E O. BOX 12485 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 www.ogra.net GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM MCC of the LIVING SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn DALLAS CVB Dallas, TX www.winatrip.glbtdallas.com OKC PRIDE, INC PO BOX 60296 Oklahoma City, OK 73146 www.okcpride.org OKLAHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.org OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lake~vood Tulsa, OK 74112 918-838-7104 www. openarmsproject.org Want the STAR delivered to your home or business? 12 issues for $33.95 will be mailed in a sealed envelope the 1 st of each month. Complete the form below and send with a check or moneyorder to: The STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #133 Tulsa, OK 74145 OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 (Single Copies $3.00 per issue) NAME: KING OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-314-3898 Address: PHOTOGRAPHY." City: JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 St:__.Zip:. Phone: } CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com Check enclosed Money Order Start Date: theSTAR 29 �Keller Willia Chu~ Whether buying or selling I’11~ ............... work hard fo (d,efinitiqn - growing up GAY in OK is not easy) You can he~p our teens. Support Open Arms Youth Project. For more info: www. openarrnsproject.org e-mail: ~di~o~alCar~oon@q~;yndica~.co m 30 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com �34 Bourbon St. ~04~37!-5450 Torch �TW’s-AFAB Catering G L B T G A Z I N K P �� Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data magazine Text Any textual data included in the document ESTABLISHED 2003 www.ozarksstar.com MAY 2008 One of the longest running and largest of Gay Rodeo Organizations in the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) system, Oklahoma’s Great Plains Rodeo will kick off it’s 23rd year. A fun filled weekend May 23 through May 25th 2008. The event will be held in Oklahoma City at State Fair Park, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ~The fun begins with the Great Plains Rodeo Kickoff Party hosted at the Finishline Thursday, May 22 featuring the current reigning OGRA Royalty. This is a great chance to meet and greet, dance and party, and ready yourself for the weekend to come. The host hotel for the Rodeo is the Hilton Garden Inn, and there is a block of rooms available at a special rate from May 22-26 that will be available until May 16 or until they sell out, whichever comes first. Registration for the event happens Friday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Tickets are available from OGRA members for $10 or $15 at the gate. The Rodeo takes place at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds on Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25, beginning at 8 a.m. both days. To keep the weekend wild the Texas Gay Rodeo Association will host their Texas T Party on that Saturday in the Copa from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. featuring fantastic food and fun. The Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association, Inc. (OGRA) is a nonprofit organization and member of the International Gay Rodeo Association, Inc. (IGRA) which is comprised of 28 state/provincial associations throughout the United States and Canada. OGRA is proud to be the first association seated at the first ever IGRA Convention in 1985 For more information check out the OGRA website at www.ogra.net. An Exclusive Interview With OGRA’s 4 Term President, Klint Wieden Photo: Klint Wieden with his horse Cherokee. "I grew up in the small northwest Oklahoma town ofArnett. I rode horses and worked cattle my whole life, so that’s really who I am." Klint told the Star. PAGE-12 Newly revamped drag-free Tulsa Pride 2008 unveiled By Joey De TULSA, OK __ Organizers of this year’s Tulsa Pride Celebration are promising the public that this year’s events will be anything but boring. "We have made a lot of changes to the entire celebration," says Nate Black, one of the co-chairs. Black says the changes are intended to breathe a new sense of excitement into the pride observance and to help promote the revitalization of downtown. "People don’t kno,v downtown. They don’t know how to get here, they don’t know where to park, they don’t know how many things are down here and growing," Black says. "We have moved the events to ................ Continued Page 5 i 7 West 7th Street (corner 7th & ~3oulder Ave) e Tulsa, Ok 74ii9 www.ozarksstar.com 1:800o535oAtDS (2437) PROTECT YOURSELF PROTKOT YOUR PAR www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 3 Join us for our biggest issue of the year! PRIDE 2008. Be a part of RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW Deadline Thursday l~ay t 5f.h Serving the Oklahoma GLBT community since 2003. Mr OkAahoma Continentall Benefits OYP Tulsao By Judy G. Charles Frederick Mr Oklahoma Continental 2008 TULSA, OK __ March 28th, Singer and entertainer Chades Frederick, Mr. Oklahoma Continental, began one of the many benefits planned to support Openarms Youth Project in Tulsa to a standing room only crowd. Many parents and grandparents of the entertainers were in attendance. David Dees, owner of Club Majestic, 124 N. Boston, Tulsa, donated the use of the dub for this worthy benefit. ~he event raised $770 for OYE. Entertainers were Sabastyn Croft, Tazia Kennedy, Cort, Brooke Kennedy-Miss OK National Queen, Mindy Bartlett, KC Morgan, Kordylia Kennedy, Alex Kennedy, Iman Scott-Miss Goddess 2007, Daphne Rio and Nicole Poverty-Miss OYE. Donations to benefit the GLBT youth group, many who are or were homeless just because they are gay, can be made to Openarms Youth Project, 2015-B S. Lakewood, Tulsa, Ok. 74112, or contact Tim or Ken at 918- 838-7104. TULSA PRIDE: give people a reason to check it (downtown) out, but also to come enjoy our new center and see how many resources are available." The first big change this year that Black notes is the separation of the Pride Festival from the Pride Parade. This year, the parade will occur June 7 and the festival will occur June 14. Following a national trend, the Pride Parade will be held in the evening, escaping the oppressive summer sun. The parade will fol!ow a new route, taking it from the Brady Arts District through downtown to the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. When the parade ends at 4th and Kenosha, the new Pride Block Party will kick off: "There will be 2 stages of entertainment, beer tents, vendors and all kinds of activities," says Black, who also notes that national music sensation Eric Himan will be performing. Black also says that for those with children, the second floor of the equality center will be open to provide licensed babysitters for a small fee. A week later, the Diversity Festival will kick off in Centennial Park just west of6th & Peoria. Black says that the newly revamped festival will feature two stages of entertainment with a multi-ethnic array of performers, an international food court, children’s area, local vendors and more. According to Black, including other faith and ethnic communities is not an attempt to "de-gay" Pride, but to help create community allies. "We have to realize our commitment to justice can not be for the gay community only. We have to speak out against racism and against bigotry. "The GLBT community is in every population," "By increasing our alliances we strengthen our own commitment for our people." ’This is still a gay pride event," Black emphasizes. There will be a leather fashion show, there will be drag queens, and there xvill be rainbows. It’s still very gay, but it is also more professional and more inclusive." The final major change that Black says will be occurring is the moving of the Diversity Gala to the historic Cain’s Ballroom. Black says that not only does this help to create an emphasis on downtown, but it also provides much needed space for the event to grow. For the latest updates on the Tulsa Pride Celebration, visit their web site at www. tulsapride.org. 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit OKC Saturday, May 10, 9am-5pm, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Cimarron Alliance Foundation wil! host the 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit a one-day event with four sessions of workshops. This year’s summit features more extensive workshops about our state legislature - by far the most attended session last year - and programs appealing to college students and young adults. There will also be two community forums. The 2007 LGBT Leadership Summit was successful beyond expectations. LGBT and LGBT-friendly persons and organizations acquired tools and guidance to more effectively manage themselves and, more importantly, better collaborate with others to accomplish common goals. Workshops The 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit is a one-day event with four sessions of up to five workshops per session. Workshops will address five topics: Leadership Development O Organization Development - non-profits, fundraising, etc. o Government- politics and the legislative process ® Personal Development - spirituality, equality, etc. o Anti-violence - anti-bullying, hate crimes, etc. For more information go to: wvcw.cimarronalliance.org www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 5 Loving the Hater Wlaile Hating the Hate By James Nimmo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ I found a link recently to a blog (vavw.bilerico.com) that contains a comment (http://tinyurl. com/4qdbph) written in reaction to reading the main story about the Oklahoma City chapter of PFLAG and their recording of Rep. Sally Kern (http://tinyurl.com/2zbpgn) that catches Kern in her spider web of hubris and cant. Like the author, I too am very disappointed with the approach of "loving the hater while hating the hate." Ofcourse, I respect our supporters who use their close relationship with Jesus to try and gain support for LGBT citizens and other minorities who are used for verbal target practice in the ~var for suppression of civil rights. I’m delighted the Oklahoma City PFLAG chapter was able to document the duplicity of Sally Kern and record with her permission the lies she later reported as irresponsibility on the part of PFLAG. This single incident should show you the arrogance and madness that is being passed offas legislative Republican leadership. Not one elected official in Oklahoma from either major party has come strongly to the defense and support of the LGBT taxpayers living in Oklahoma. Had Kern used race, skin color, or ethnic origin as her subject I bet the rent she would be rene~ving her teaching certificate and looking for a school that would hire her. The First Amendment guarantees both sides the freedom to practice their respective religious viewpoints and the market place in which to talk about them. However, this same First Amendment does NOT give either side permission to encode their religious viewpoints into CIVIL law. I feel this is where we miss the boat in establishing our birthright to equal treatment under judicial law, and not the ten laws of Deuteronomy. There will always be a Bible verse to trump the opposing Bible verse resulting in a version of ping-pong skirmishes with Jesus as the referee. The writer gives some specific examples of public, peaceful protest that we can engage in to show that LGBTs are neither the doormats nor the monsters our enemies make us to be. It’s odd that our suppressors are either afraid to be in the same room with us, fearing for their own bodily integrity, keeping their knees close together; or they, dismiss us as dippy airheads, frivolous and irresponsible. How can we be both at the same time? Their response shows more about the fiction in their minds then about the truth of our lives. Until we get out of the religious justification business the more we’ll be dragged into its historical quagmire. Look at the present wars being fought around the world and you’ll see religious intolerance at the root. Our LGBT equality will have to be established in the legislatures and the courthouses in all fifty states without religious prejudice tipping the scales of justice. 6 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 7 Comling o~ eAge 8 the STAR w-ww.ozarksstar.com ©irecYed bs/Davd Geligan Oklahoma OiV June 8~ 2008 at 8pnq Brot~-~e~ Boy www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 9 by Liz Highleyman What is the history o£GLAAD ?? For more than two decades, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has served as the queer community’s watchdog against biased portrayals of lesbian, ga); bisexual, and transgender people in the media. Up until the final decades of the 20th century, representations of LGBT people in l{lms, television, popular music, and mainstream publications - if present at all - typically focused on scandal or ridicule. The burst of gay activism and visibility in the late 1960s spurred a conservative backlash, and by the mid-1980s, the community was staggering under the weight of the AIDS epidemic, as people with HIV faced stigma exacerbated by media portrayals depicting them as a danger to the "general population." In 1985, the New York LGBT community was embroiled in a debate about closure of the .city’s gay bathhouses and grew- increasingly alarmed about sensationalistic AIDS coverage in the New York Post. That November, a group of long-time activists including Vito Russo, Arnie Kantrowitz, Jim Owles, and Darrell Yates Rist called a town meeting that drew more than 700 participants. Heeding the exhortation of author Jewetle Gomez to "take responsibility for what is being said about us," they formed the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The group began as a grassroots effort, using phone trees and monthly newsletters to issue alerts about offensive media portrayals of LGBT people. Among its earliest victories, in 1987 GLAAD persuaded the New York Times to finally use the word "gay" rather than "homosexual." Ti~e following year, the New York group hired its first full-time executive director, Craig Davidson. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Richard Jennings and others started a new chapter focused on the Hollywood entertainment industry. The bicoastal organization’s clout continued to grow, enabling it to secure an apology from comedian Johnny Carson for saying "fag" on the air, followed by the suspension ofAndy Rooney by CBS for homophobic and racist comments. In 1992, Entertainment Weekly named GLAAD one of the 100 most powerful entities in Hollywood. Before long, new GLAAD chapters arose in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. But in 1995, the local groups merged into a centralized national organization with a single board, and a staff based in New York and Los Angeles; two years later, former Showtime executive Joan Garry took the helm. Over the next decade, GLAAD initiated projects focusing on communities of color (including Spanish and Chinese language media), sports media, faith-based groups, and youth. GLAAD continued to exert insider pressure, and, when needed, to organize larger public protests against biased portrayals - like Sharon Stone’s murderous bisexual temptress in the film Basic Instinct (1992) - or the omission of queer content, such as excising a male-male kiss from the television show Melrose Place. Homophobic song lyrics by rapper Eminem and Jamaican dancehall artists Beenie Man and Buju Banton were other targets. GLAAD also reacted to current events, such as the murders of Matthew Shepard and transgender teen Gwen Araujo, as well as homophobic outbursts by the likes of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. But in keeping with its mission of promoting "fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation," GLAAD also sought to shape positive portrayals. It consulted on television and movie scripts featuring LGBT characters and themes, pitched sympathetic stories to mainstream publications, provided spokespersons for talk shows, and trained queer individuals and groups in how to effectively use the media. In addition to wielding the "stick" of protest, the organization also dangled the "carrot" of praise, introducing the GLAAD Media Awards in 1990 to recognize favorable representations of the community and its issues. After considerable pressure from LGBT media, the organization agreed in 2007 to honor them along with nongay outlets. By 2005, when Garry turned over leadership to Neil Giuliano - the openly gay former Republican mayor ofTempe, Ariz. - the organization had a budget approaching $7.5 million and a staff of more than 40. Yet GLAAD’s explosive growth, insider strategy, and increased emphasis on star-studded events did not sit well with some activists who felt the organization had moved too far from its grassroots origins. Further, some were unhappy with tactics they regarded as censorship, such as the successful pressure campaign to cancel conservative commentator Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s television show. GLAAD has "a political agenda that is murky at best - at worst, it is dangerous to free speech, artistic expression, and the interests of LGBT people," wrote activist Michae! Bronski. "Judging the accuracy of a news report is much different than judging art. GLAAD can deal with these issues by getting out of show business and back into watchdog media commentary." Despite the criticism, GLAAD continues with its goal of"changing people’s hearts and minds through what they see in the media." According to the organization, "What people see at the movies or read in the newspaper shapes how they view and treat the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people around them, and we have a responsibility to make sure those images foster awareness, understanding and respect." For further reading: Bronski, Michael. 2005. ~Not So GLAAD Anymore." Z Magazine (May 1). Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. www.glaad.org. Gross, Larry: 2002. Up From Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men and the Media in America (Columbia University Press). 10 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com OkEq Announces Anrmat Equality Gala Saturday, May 3t, 6pm, Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main Ave TULSA, OK__ (ENEWS) Oklahomans for Equality is excited to announce its annual Equality Gala, held this year at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom. Benefiting OkEq, the Gala honors Lifetime Achievement Axvard xvinner Charles Faudree, Community Heroes George Kaiser Family Foundation and Carol Crawford, and Russ Bennett Spiritual Inclusion Award winner Nancy Day: The program features a champagne and hors d’oeuvre reception, live entertainment by Jared Tyler and Valerie Eskridge accompanied by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, dinner by Taste Catering and wine donated by Loring Wine Company. Don’t miss the black tie event of the season, celebrating Tulsa’s rich diversity. Sponsorship information and tickets are available at: wxvw.okeq.org Co ° munity for People iving with H P !iA1D8 A 501 c (3) Non Profit O~:gan:izatlon Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of our people live through each and everyday. VVe provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail harrismmjr@yahoo.com. www.0zarksstar.c0m New exhibit featuring artist Ann Marie Distefano at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-9pm, Thursday, May 1, 2008, for the opening of it’s May exhibit, paintings by Ann Marie Distefano. Ann Marie’s paintings emerge from an aspiration to reclaim the spiritual dignity of art. "I want to make art that might open for the receptive viewer the window onto eternity," states Distefano. She continues, "My paintings are ’plugged into’ an inner source within myself that is very deep and sometimes unknown. What I seek to achieve is independence of artistic and philosophical fashions. My goal as an artist is to reveal an ineffable presence, the contemplation of which can lead the viewer towards an intuitive recognition of his or her own inherent radiance." Distefano, a native Bostonian, has been living in Tulsa for the past four years. She is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston. The reception will be generously catered by donation by Baxter’s Interurban Grill. The exhibit will remain up through the month of May, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located at 621 E. 4th St., in downtown Tulsa. More info can be found on the web at okeq. org. This monthly event is hosted by Oklahoman’s for Equality (OkEq)_. OkEq seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Emmy Award Winner Leslie Jordan (Brother Boy) In Oklahoma City. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Leslie Jordan famed "Sordid Lives" star, will bring his one man show, "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet" to OKC June 8th at the Tolbert Theater @ Stage Center. "In 1982, Leslie Jordan jumped offa Greyhound bus from the hills ofTennessee, said ’hello’ to Hollywood and has never looked back. With hundreds of television and film roles to his credit, he is probably best remembered for ’Kyle’ hapless ex-con on Muphey Brown, ’Resplendent Man’ entrepreneurial super hero on Lois and Clark, and can currently be seen recurring as ’Mr. Beverly Leslie’ on the hit series, \Vgill & Grace. Mr. Jordan just finished a stint on the two hit series, Ally McBeal and Boston Public as ’Dr. Benjamin Harris’ cloning expert turned new-age reverend turned science teacher turned drama coach. Mr. Jordan has also had a successful stage career. He played ’Brother Boy’ a Tammy Wynette fixated drag queen, in Del Shores hit play Sordid Lives and went on to star in the film adaptation of that play. He also has won every award for best supporting actor LA gives in theatre (Back Stage West Garlands, LA Weekly, LA Drama Critics Circle) for his portrayal of’Peanut Leroy’ a sodden aging homosexual in the runaway hit, Southern Baptist Sissies. the STAR 11 By Victor Gorin ooking forward to the upcoming Great Plains Rodeo, O.G.R.A. President Klint Wieden shares his thoughts and hopes not only for this event but for OGRA and the gay cowboys and cowgirls of Oklahoma. Originally from the small Oklahoma community of Arnett, he grew up as a typical Oklahoma cowboy, belonging to both 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. He went on to OSU where he majored in animal science and business, and now resides in OFdahoma City with his current career of copier sales while enjoying being a cowboy on the side. We appreciate him sharing his time with us. Victor: How many years has the Great Plains Regional Rodeo been in Oklahoma City? Klint: This is our 23rd year, and it has been held for the last 15 years at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. It began with a group of people looking for an avenue where they could have friendly competition, socialize together and work together. It was a place for people who had something in common, a love of rodeo. They were gay cowboys who didn’t really feel that they fit into the gay scene at that time. The I.G.R.A. ( International Gay Rodeo Association) was formed, and O.G.R.A ( Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association) was among the first state organizations. At the same time, the founders felt that they could also help the community by being a major fundraiser for charities of the community. Victor: A tradition that continues to this day. Klint: Besides the competition and fun involved, fundraising is truly what the rodeo Photo: Klint Wieden President OGRA is all about. \Ve raise money all year long to put it on, and then take the proceeds from that to give back to local charities. Victor: Is it still a regional rodeo? Klint: It had formerly been the Great Plains Regional Rodeo, representing other states as well. Today it is the Great Plains Rodeo, an event solely of OGRA. There is another organization in Tulsa, the Sooner State Rodeo Association, who also has their own rodeo. Victor: Of course the situation is much better than it was over 25 years ago. There were probably a lot of gay cowboys who felt they couldn’t be themselves and fit into what they perceived the gay community to be at that time. But even today straight people are astounded that there are gay cowboys, much less a rodeo. Klint: A couple a years ago the Daily Oklahoman wrote about our rodeo. \Vhat was to be a small paragraph turned into a front page story, hit the AP wires and was read all over the country. It was also read by my parents, who I had not been out with, who accepted me for the gay cowboy I was. Victor: Gay just happens, but cowboys are made. So how did it happen that you are a cowboy? Klint: I grew in the small northwest Oklahoma town ofArnett, 18 people in my graduating class. Arnett is a farming and ranching community, I rode horses and worked cattle my whole life, so that’s really who I am. Like many straight people, I thought you had to be flamboyant and feminine to be gay, and that wasn’t me. Once I learned there were country gay bars with cowboys, and gay rodeos, I thought" wow!" I fit in. That was great to kno~v. Victor: Of course the movie Brokeback Mountain had an enormous impact on America as a whole. I’m sure it had a special effect for the gay rodeo scene. Klint: It made people aware, both gay and straight, that there were people in that lifestyle who happened to be gay. So many gay cowboys could really relate to it, felt we had to hide for fear of not being accepted by our families, friends, bosses, or even the gay communir): Victor: So how rewarding has your hard work been with OGRA? Klint: \Veil this is my 4th term as the President of OGRA, I’ve been the rodeo director. I’m very out and very proud of what I’m doing. I have no problem telling businesses, like my dry cleaners, my dentist, my veterinarian that I support them, I’m a gay cowboy, and I’d like their support for our ............ Continued PAGE 23 12 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com Foreman eaves Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman quit his job April 15 and moved to San Francisco to head up the Gay & Lesbian Rights Program at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. The fund provides more grant support to GLBT organizations than aW other nongay foundation in the U.S. Foreman was at the Task Force for five years and is credited with grmving the staff to 54 full-timers and doubling the organizanon’s budget to $10 million. "I’m incredibly privileged to have had this job for the last five years, and to have been paid to be gay for the last 18," Foreman said in an interview. "There are so many people who give their hearts and souls to our movement without any compensation or for ridiculously low salaries, and that certainly includes LGBT journalists. ’Tm also overwhelmed with pride in our people," he said. "One thing I hear a lot in my travels is: ’There’s no such thing as a gay community. No one’s on the same page. In a few years we’ll all be assimilated, etc., etc.’ I couldn’t disagree more. "Name me one community -- or family, for that matter -- where everyone agrees and everyone gets along. That’s not community, but banality.... No, there’s no monolithic gay community, but there are dozens and dozens of communities within our larger movement and they’re accomplishing amazing things every day. There’s community everywhere I go -- some purely social, others religious, others political, others professional. "While we do have a very, very long way to go, the fact that we’ve made so much progress while being such a tiny minority and against such mighty opponents is, to me, proof positive that we do indeed have a vibrant people and community." Wockner News Service PlanetOut to selll Advocate, Out, Myson, porn mags PlanetOut Inc. is selling The Advocate and Out magazines -- as well as The Out Traveler, HIVPlus, three porn magazines and book publisher Alyson Publications -- to an affiliate of the gay TV network here! for $6 million. The sale price is far !ess than the $31.1 million PlanetOut Inc. paid for the magazines and book compaW when it bought LPI Media Inc. and SpecPub Inc. in 2005. PlanetOut Inc. reported a loss of $51.2 million last year. The company xvill continue to own and operate Gay.com and PlanetOut.com. In January, PlanetOut Inc. "retained Allen & Company, LLC to assist the company in evaluating strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company," a press release said. The corporation also announced in January "that it will no longer be providing quarterly or annual earnings guidance and will not hold quarterly earnings calls." The porn magazines included in the sale to Regent Releasing and Unzipped. A fourth SpecPub Inc. porn magazine, known as [2], has ceased publication, but the sale will include the trademark "[2]," PlanetOut Inc. CEO Karen Magee said via e-mail. Obama grants interview to Advocate Under fire for not speaking with local and regional gay cations, presidential candidate Barack Obama sat down for an interviexv with Advocate.corn on April 10. "The gay press may feel like I’m not giving them enough love. But basically, all press feels that xvay at times;’ Obama said. "Obviously, when you’ve got limited amount of time, you’ve got so many oudets. We tend not to do a whole bunch of specialized press.... But I haven’t been silent on gay issues. What’s happened is, I speak oftentimes to gay issues to a public general audience" Obama said he supports passage of a federal law protecting transgender people from discrimination but he’s not sure there’s support in Congress for the move. A bill outlawing job discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals has passed the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate. "I have been clear about my interest in including gender identity in legislation, but I’ve also been honest ~vith the groups that I’ve met with that it is a heavy lift through Congress," he said. "\Ve’ve got some Democrats who are willing to vote for a non-inclusive bill but we lose them on an inclusive bill, and we just may not be able to generate the votes" Obama said he understands gay people’s frustration with candidates such as himself(and Hillary Clinton) who support, civil-union but not marriage for same-sex couples,’ I strongly respect the right ofsamesex couples to insist that even ifwe got complete equality in benefits, it still wouldn’t be equal because the same ~vord, marriage, assigned to it; he said. "I understand that, 3ective is also the broader ,olitical and ’ historical context in which I’m opera ing" MORE PAGE 27 www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 13 Rata Esparza Slays ’Era in 2518 Eventually, all the Broadway stars try their tuck in Hollywood. And it Was just ~ matter of time before Raul Esparza, the han&ome Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner (both for _Company_ and TabooL wandered west. Xhe bisexual actor has already fom~.d success on the small screen, cast m a recurring ro!e on A Cs h,t Pushing Daisies. BUt n~w he ma.v be s,tepping wlay outside the feel-good box he ~ been in - hes in t~ to play a s~riaI killer in Wes Craven~ latest ~een-horror fihm, 2518. Concerning a group 0fkids being stalked by a killer believed to have died on the birthday they share in common, the film will co’star teenage collies 0 pe ) and Shareeka epps (Half-Nelson). No production or release dates yet, but the scary stuffis due to shoot soon. Gay Cast Populates C vas Shifting the Canvass. an indie drama due m rackJe the complicated lives of a group of BrooMyn friends aAer 9/11. has cast several ~:aces fan~iliar to queer audiences. notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyem~e Ja4k~on. t~t seen on film as rugby player M~k Bingha~n in United 93, and cur~endy on Broadway in the hit music~ 3~adu, Jackson will star as a heterosexuN W~ Srree~ executive involved with a group of gay ffien&. Rounding out the c~st is ~& in ~e HNI alum Scott "~,ompson, ~ well as John Paul Pimc (best remembered ~ the hotW go-go boy in N’icD and Gedde Watanabe (last seen reD,lart~ as a gay nurse on ER, but forever kmown as ’Long D~ Dong" from SNteen CanNes). ~le film rolls in June and promises ~meos ~- several ~-yevunn~ed New ~brk ni~tti~e personalties. Cosby Goes to Jail Moore kmows how hard it is for an ; a break from the business so lately she~ been a low-risk comeback? Get on indie-film bus. And that’s exacdy what he’s been doing, recently starring in the .’ist drama Flawless with Michael Caine. nd now set to shoot gay writer-director from a d~tchell Llchtenste~ns (Teeth) latest film. mate Happy Tears. She’s i~ good compan> ~oo, ~ih~e-fitm veteran P~ker Posey has signed taste, ,n toplay lvloore’s younget sibling. ~2ne kama focuses on the two estranged sisters me selfLaggrandizing, the other bitter and ~dn~) as they re-establish their relationlip and deal with their elderly father’s progressive dementia. Shooting now in 2010. i~hiiadelphia, look for the happiness sometim~ in 2009. who finds herself Notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyenne Jack,on. Photo: By Ben Strothmann 14 the STAR wv~,.ozarksstar.com Brief history from around the There is a lot to learn about this versatile wine. There are plenty ofgood Rieslings to taste. Let~ start with Australian offerings. They are noted fbr their oily- texture and citrus fruit flavors in their youth and a smooth balance of freshness and acid as they age. New Zealand Riesling was first planted in the 1970s and has flourished in the relatively cool climate of the Marlborough area. In comparison to Australian Riesting, New Zealand produces lighter and more delicate wines that range from sweet to dry. ][n Cati~brnia, Riesling lags far behind in popularity to Chardonnay ~d is not as commonly planted. A notable exception is opment ofhigh quality Late Harvest So i]~r, the Late Harvest wines produced are in the Anderson Valleys (north of Santa Rosa) where is more likely to encourage dte needed botutis develop. ~ae Riesling that does ~ fornia tends to be softer, fuller, a diverse flavors than a "tTpical" ~ ofBonW Doon, F Mountain A~v~& with dedicated completely to With high acidity and peach has deveto area is re t facility [, citric, With German Riesling, of ~vine Pr~dikat (QmP) PRAY-dee-kahq. It is the defined by the 1971. ,nit New York, particularly in ~e Finger Lakes region, was one ofthe eaMiest U.S, producers ofPdesling. Plantings started to appear in California by 1857 and fbllowed in xNSshington State in 1871. New ~tbrk Riesling generally has a characteristic effervescent light body with a similarly light, mellow flavor, The wine can be dynamic though rarely robust, and ranges from dry to sweet. New York is also a notable producer ofRiesling based Ice Wine, although a large majority ofNew ~%rk ke Wine is made from Vidal Blanc and Vigno~es. In the Pacific Northwest there is a stark contrast in Riesling production. ~Ihe grape is currently on the rise in ~VZ~shington State but on the decline in neighboring Oregon. Pdesling from this area ranges from dr?" to sweet, m~d has a crisp lighmess that bodes well for e~sy drin~ng. Often there will be an easily detectable peach and mineral complex. Some Washington State winemakers, such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, are adapting Germau-style There are six subcategories categor?; ranked from determine various levels .are: K)~BINE~, SP/&TLESE BEEI?J);NAUSLESE, EISWEIN, ENBEERENAUSLESE. Each care fined by a minimum sugar content of the which varies {::rotn region to region. The focus sugar content embodies the theoW that grapes with bdgher sugar levels are riper and therefore yield richer wines with deep colors and intense flavors. Although Riesling is best known from Germa- W’s Mosel-Saa>Rmver, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Rheingau m:eas, wines from Alsace and Austria attain equal greatness. France’ Alsace’s are coveted for their high sugar levels and endless aging abili9~. Food Paring Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food because ofits balance ofsugar and acidity: tt can ~ paired with Thai and Chinese cuisine and various Rieslingproduction methods, and even parmering . types ofdishes prepared more on the spicy side. with well&~own German vinmers like Dr. Ernest One can also enjoy this wine with spicy ham, Loosen to create specialty wines such as the Eroig~ pork with pineapple chutney, stir-fried snow peas Riesling, with spicy shrimp, crab, turkey, barbequed or www.ozarksstar.com smoked meats, . white sausages, crab cakes gouda & grwere~ :this wine can be paired as an cake, apples/pears, caramel/ wmilla ice creaan, Schm~ Sohne Relax ’06 Job JOS P~Urn/Spatlese ’04 Jakob Dem~er/Kabinett ’06 ~ ’06 Pacific Rim Califor- Series Australia ’06 And as always, I say go to your favorite wine shop, ask questions and purchase a bottle or two. Share some food & wine with friends and check this out for yourself. Vlr. D also hosts wine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. References include: the ABC’s of wine by James Laube/vcww.WineSpectator.com ,#~,~v.FoodandWine.com www.Wikipedia.org the STAR 15 HOST HOTEL 801 South Meridian Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73108 ¯35-9~2-1400 ¯ 1-877-STAY-HGI OVER FLOW HOTEL 1511 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-840-5557 by Donald Pile and Ray Williams Campbell Street, Springfield, MO Early 1900’s ~ormany years, Springfield, Missouri has gotten a bad rap fi’om the gay and lesbian community all over the country. Even many of our straight friends have been hesitant about visiting Springfield. Like many cities in the "Bible Belt", Springfield has had in the past a reputation for being extremely conservative and even homophobic. Well, readers, things have CHANGED and for the better ! At the invitation of the Springfield, Missouri Convention & Visitors Bureau we visited Springfield last month. They showed us their beautiful city, their museums, attractions, galleries, dining options and we must admit that we are now in love with Springfield, Missouri and we lmow that all of our gay and lesbian readers from coast to coast will also be. Springfield, Mo. is a very "vibrant and alive" city and everybody is welcome. As our readers kmow, we are a "very out’ gay couple and we were shown the highest respect everywhere we went in Springfield. There are gays and lesbians working in every field of employment in Springfield and nearly all of them are "out". MaW of the large National companies at first were hesitant to move their offices and headquarters to Springfield but things have changed and for a variety of reasons. We want to thank so many of the younger gays and lesbians that we met while we were in Springfield for their honesty and hard work that to made this happen. Now with that being said, let us tell you about the "new and improved" Springfield, Missouri. With a population of over 420,000 for metropolitan Springfield, it is the third largest city in the State and offers an unbelievable array of surprises for any traveler. When so many cities in the country are down-sizing and doing nothing to improve their cities, the Springfield, Mo. community has grown in every ~vay imaginable in their arts, business, sports, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Their "new and improved" downtown area is something that most cities can only dream about. All within walking distance you can admire the works of local and regional artists in more than 15 galleries, artist’s studios and other venues where you can encounter sculpture, pottery, paintings, jewelry, photography and hand blown glass demonstrations. In addition you have a choice of wonderful restaurants, coffee shops and cafes to dine. In Springfield, they MADE it happen! Springfield has over 6,000 hotel/motel rooms and over 600 dining options. So whatever you are into, you will find it in Springfield! Metropolitan Springfield has so much to offer in the way of attractions, historical places to visit and things to see. FANTASTIC CAVERNS is a must see for any first time visitor to Springfield. They open daily at 8 AM until dusk. You ride thru this ancient underground cave that has massive formations. The tour is 50 minutes and your driver will explain the entire history of the cave to you. THE SPRINGFIELD ART MUSEUM is the permanent home for some 8,500 art objects representing thousands of years of culture. They are open Tuesday thru Sunday and are located at 111 E. Brookside Dr. The SPRINGFIELD LITTLE THEATRE at the historic Landers Theatre is Missouri’s oldest and largest civic theatre. This season includes Gypsy, ATuna Christmas, the Miracle Worker and Seussical to name just a few of their productions. "WILD BILL" HICKOK SHOOTOUT SITE in Park Central Square, right downtown is the site of the nations first recorded shootout and helped solidify the reputation ofWild Bill. Look for the marker on 18 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com Stage coach terra cotta on Springfidd garage. East. Markers are also located in the street showing where each man stood during the shoot out. The RAILROAD HISTORICAL Museum, 1300 No. Grant Ave. is dedicated to the preservation of railroading and you can step into a locomotive, commuter car and caboose. The MISSOURI SPORTS HALL OF FAME, 3861 E. Stan Musial Drive includes thousands of sports memorabilia, exhibits and displays and of course the Springfield Cardinals Baseball team which is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and plays at Hammonds Field. Bass Pro has their big store at !935 South Campbell Ave with everything imaginable in the sports line. Tired of seeing everything yet? Well, Springfield offers a lot more things to see! The AIRAND MILITARY Museum of the Ozarks is a "hands-on" museum of military history. They are located at 2305 E. Kearney St. The Brown Derby Store at 2023 S. Glenstone offers a world-class wine selection unmatched in the Midwest. The Commercial Street Historical District (between \Vashington Ave. and Lyon Ave. is a self-guided tour which is a 6 block adventure. With a seasonal farmers market, chocolate factory, the city’s oldest tavern, new micro-brewery, antiques/art galleries, this is a great walking tour. DICKERSON PARK ZOO, 1401 W. Norton Road allows visitors to get up dose with hundreds of animals. DISCOVERY CENTER is an interactive hands-on science center and is located downtown at 438 E. St. Louis St. The TENT THEATRE is celebrating their 45th season this summer. This summer’s productions include Cyrano de Bergerac, June 11-14 and June 16-21, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, June 25-28, June 30-July 3, and our favorite, Anything Goes with lyrics and music by Cole Porter, July 9-12, July 14-20. The Theatre and Dance Department at Missouri State University in Sprinbffield offers a wide range of theatre and dance programs. But the most important time we had in Springfield during our recent visit there was the "DOWNTOWN AREA". The "new:" dmvntmvn area is FABULOUS !!!!! Check out their wonderful website at www.itsalldowntown. corn \re particularly enjoyed having breakfast at Galley’s Breal’~ast Care downtown at 220 East Walnut. The setting is a wonderful old nostalgic care of the past but yet has new and innovative delicious food with service to match. The owners and staff are doing it EXACTLY RIGHT! This is the only place to have breakfast in Springfiel!! Nonna’s Italian American Care, 306 South Avenue is wonderful. Although they offer non-Italian choices, why bother? Their Italian menu is what it is all about. And it is GOOD! Our best dining experience for dinner was at the Kai Restaurant, 306 South Campbell. This new downtown restaurant is one of the finest in the country with great atmosphere, The Gay and Lesbian Center of the Ozarks, 518 E. CommerciaI Street in Springfield supports the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the greater Springfield, Missouri region by organizing and sponso> ing community activities and by increasing public understanding and appreciation of LGBT citizens. Josh Comp is the President and is doing a magnificent job. Their phone number is 417-869-3978. They organize Pridefest and help organize the annual variety show, the Queen City Cabaret. They are close partners with FOCUS - LGBT professionals group and with APO, Blossom women’s group, the First Sunday Community Potluck. They provide free professional counseling through the Forest Institute. They have an Individual and Community Services Advocate who provides services to the community and have a youth group program for LGBT youth which meets once a week and every fourth Friday. They provide an outlet for many social and support groups. They have been operating since !996 and are one of the oldest Gay and Lesbian Centers in the State. Volunteers are always needed so give them a call and donate a couple hours a week. For nightlife, they have the new CLUB 821 that is getting a lot of attention throughout the entire Midwest. ~xey are located at 821 West College, just 8 blocks West of the downtown area and NEVER A COVER ! (vavw.club821.corn) and phone (417) 866-4821 Their hours are Monday thru Saturday, 4 PM to 1 AM. and happy hour is daily 4 PM to 7 PM. This bar just Photo: Donald Pie, Rob Bel (owner Club 821) & Ray Williams at Club 821, Springfield, ~Ossouri great service and extremely great food. Continuedpage 27 www.ozarksstar.com {HeSTAR 19 of By Andrew Collins Town Bakimore, Maryland Baltimore’s mostpopular lesbian bar, Sapphos, is ])art ofthe bustling Grand Central €*lu~ in the heart ofthe Mount Vernon neighborhood. (Photo by Andrew Collins) If you haven’t been to Baltimore in a while, you owe yourself a visit. This friendly, unassuming city has experienced a virtual rebi,~h over the past 15 years, rehabilitating its handsome Inner Harbor by converting dilapidated piers and ,vharves into museums, shops, restaurants, hotels, and condominiums. Often featured in the movies ofcamp filmmaker and native son John \V-aters, Baltimore has also developed increased cachet as a welcoming gay and lesbian destination, with its many GLBT-ffiendly businesses. Fortunately, the ci.ty’s success hasn’t gone to its head. It’s hard to find a more genuine and down-to-earth breed of urbanites than the residents of Baltimore, who retain a special affection for their hometown. You may be lured to Baltirnore by the many highly publicized attractions set around downtown’s Inner Harbor, and indeed most of these museums and entertainment centers live up to their billing. But be sure to save rime to explore the man), quirky- residential neighborhoods, a few of which - Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Fells Point - are within easy walking distance of downtown. The Inner Harbor thrived for years as a shipping crossroads before falling into a state of blight. Its conversion into an entertainment and museum district has made it one of the most engaging and picturesque harbors in America. Popular attractions include the glassenc! osed Harborplace pavilions, where you can browse through dozens of shops. Also che& out the Baltimore Maritime Museum, National Aquarium, and World Trade Center (which offers fine views from its 27th-floor observation decD. A regal grassy knoll south of the harbor, Federal Hill Park rises majestically above downtox~qa, and the Inner Harbor. It’s an ideal spot to laze under the sun on warm afternoons. The surrounding eponymous neighborhood has loads of inviting cafes and bars, and the neighborhood’s American Visionary Art Museum ingeniously blends two historic -warehouses within a striking contemporary structure. East of the Inner Harbor, Fells Point may be America’s best-preserved Cx3lonial waterfront, with its perfectly maintained Federa!-sryle town houses, Baltimore’s gay epicenter ties north of downtown in historic Mount Vernon, which you reach by strolling north from the Inner Harbor up the city’s backbone, Charles Street. The neighbothood is anchored by Mount Vernon Square and its 178-foot-high Washington /vlonument. Nearby are the outstanding Waiters Art Museum and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the oldest and one of the most prestigious classical music schools in the country. kbffll need to drive or take a bus up Charles Street to reach the leaf), 140-acre campus ofJohns Hopkins University, which is ideal for strolling and is next to the state’s largest museum, the Baltimore Museum ofArt. West ofJohns Hopkins, Hampden is a good oldfashioned "Ba~vl’mer" neighborhood, a former mill-workers’ community that has more recently developed a bounty of hip boutiques, galleries, and cafes. (John Waters, who lives nearby, occasionally strolls these parts and set his movie _Pecker_ here.) \Vhen you’re craving a memorable meal, remember that Baltimore’s cooking is full of flavor - the city- even has its o,vn spice, Old Bay Seasoning, a feisty, concoction of 16 seasonings sprinkled mostly on shellfish but required by some locals on seemingly everything but ice cream. If you’re on the run, iust wander through the copious food stalls in the Harborplace pavilions. It may look like a zoo of tourists, but yoffd be surprised how many locals graze here. Many of these places offer top-notch local seafood - particularly oysters, clams, and Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. Walk a bit south ro Federal Hill, along South Charles or Light streets, and you’ll find dozens of appealing eateries, including one of the best little restaurants in the city~ the Bicycle Bistro, where you might dine on grilled rack of lamb with a pineapple-poblano-pepper chutney, or porcini-crusted sea scallops. East of the harbor, there’s superb dining in the city’s Little Italy (Boccaccio, with such seasonal delights as local clams and mussels in a pernod-tomato broth, is a particular standout), and in nearby Fells Point, talented chef Nancy Longo helms the kitchen at Pierpoint, which is known for such inventive contemporary regional fare as smoked crab cakes, and ftied Maryland chicken breast with parmesan grits. Mount Vernon has dozens of excellent, gay-popular restaurants. At nile high end, opulently decorated Ixia scores high marks for its wellchosen wine list and superbly rendered cuisine, including grilled baby octopus with lemon-fennel confit, and lobster-crab mac-andcheese with a creamy Fontina sauce. Across the street, Sacha’s is a great spot for toothsome grazing - the many "small plates" include crisp french fries in a cone with Old Bay-seasoned creme fraiche, 20 t~®STAR www.ozarksstar.com and fried green tomatoes topped vdth lump crab meat. Continue up Charles Street and yoff!l come to trendy Donna’s, a cheerful and modern space where an arts)- crowd mingles over light salads, roasted veggie sandwiches, fresh coffee, and fantastic tiramisu. %e Hdmand has become renowned }br its spics; well-prepared kd~han food (it’s owned by the brother ofA~hanistan’s president, Harold Kharzai), and Motmt Vernon Stable and Saloon is a perfect late-night venue for chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, and similarly comforting pub standar~Is. Finally, don’t miss City Care. an airy and inviting iava joint that also serves food and wine. property" ~ns kudos ~br its helpful service, romantically decorated roo~s, ~d afternoon tea and refreshments. In Mount Vernon, the historic 1924 Clarion Peabody Court, with its 104 handsomely outfitted rooms, enthusiastically welcomes gay and lesbian travelers. You’ll ~e ~ town house bars. Other esteemed in Dy- Canton. This stunner Make the trip a bit north toward Johns Hopkins to reach Ixia’s sister restaurant, the lovably kitschy Paper Moon Diner, which is open choice. Near here in the Hampden neighborhood is the notable for the massive pink flamingo dangling from the front of the btfilding (not to mention tasty comfort fare like Belgian wanes topped with fresh berries, and famously good meatlo~). There’s als0 great coffee to be sipped nearby at Common Ground coffeehouse, and delicious Mexican food served within the funky confines of Holy Frijoles. appreciate one of the ci~’s Baltimore gay-bar-goers congregate mostly at a handful of mainstays. Yuppies and stand-and-model types flock almost religiously to Gr~d Ceiatral, a large, multi-level complex that consists ofa video lounge, dance bar, billiards room, and outdoor deck. Also on-site is the s[vanky lesbian bar, Sapphos, with its comfy living-room-esque decor and soft lighting. ~£ other major club i~i the n’eighborhood is Club Hippo, whose r~putation for gr~at music draws a wide mix of revelers, ga34 straight, old, and young. It’s a great place to cut loose, especially on Thursday and Saturday nights. When it gets late, the party moves to Club 1722, an 18-and-over ~er-hours club open on Fridays and Saturdays into the ~ee- hours. The,tiki-themed Coconuts Caf~ is another Mr. Vernon hangout thats popular xvith lesbians, while Club Bunns caters heavil~ to Baltimore’s sizable African-kanerican gay community and has a legendary happy hour. Leather aficionados head a few blocks up Charles to the Eagle, which, though lacking any serious back-room action, nevertheless cultivates as racy, an atmosphere as any bar in town. A classic dive that’s been serving the gay community for more than 60 years (longer, say" some, than [my bar in America), Leon’s is especially popular late on weekend evenings. Nearby Jay’s on Read is ~ das~ i~ia~o bar, and Club Phoenix is a laid-back neighborhodd hangout with a small dance area and some highly entertaining drag sho~s. In Federal Hill, the Rowan Tree is a friendly neighbor~iood spot with an eclectic crowd, and over in the up-and-coming Canton section ofBaltimore, The Quest caters to fans of go-go dancers. Baltimore hotels have become slightly more expensive over the years, as the city has become a serious tourist and convention destination, but rates are still much lower than in nearby Washington, D.C. Most visitors choose properties near the Inner Harbor, dose to great restaurants and attractions. An excellent option here is the Pier 5 Hotel, a hip and lively boutique property with whimsically decorated, spacious rooms, many directly facing the Inner Harbor. The same owners run the elegant, historic (and allegedly haunted) Admiral Fells Inn in nearby Fells Harbor - this charming old-world www.ozarksstar.com heSTAR 21 KAI REffAURANT & AFTER DARK LOUNGE Missouri For an absolutely fabtflous dining experience we highly suggest you try the new KAI RESTAURANT. It is located in the new and revitalized downtown area at 306 South Campbell. From the moment you walk thru the front door you will KNOW that you are in for a very special treat. Downstairs they have the KAI After Dark Lounge which has a very eclectic modern decor. Xhey have terrific bartenders who know how to serve every kind of drink imaginable. But the real treat is going upstairs to the KAI Restaurant where they serve "Modern Japanese Cuisine" in an unbelievable setting. ~he restaurant is dark, sexy, exciting, exotic and absolutely spectacular! Go to their website’s gallery to see for yourself. We haven’t been anywhere in the Midwest that can possibly compare to our dining experience there. Our server was extremely knowledgeable as to what was on the menu and offered good suggestions. He was a true professional. We started offwith the "Hot Rock" which is one of the restaurant’s specialties. It came with thinly sliced rare top sirloin woked on a hot stone presentation. You put one slice at a time on the sizzling hot stone and it cooks in seconds. Dip it into the sauce and you have some of the finest appetizers that we have ever had. Other Kai specialities included their Kuslyaki Filet, Kobe Beef Carpaccio and their Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. ~hey offer a full range of soups and salads including their Kai salad, Ika Sansai Salad, Seaweed Salad, Tri Tuna Salad and their Honey Walnut Mango Chicken Salad. For their entrees they offer everything from Teriyaki to black cod, sea bass to New York Strip, Filet Mignon and Kai Surf and Turf. Other entrees included Seven Samurai with seven kinds of fish on top of a California Roll, Drunken Tiger which is spicy tuna with asparagus wrapped with grilled tuna, Fantastic Four, with shrimp tempura, crab, spice tuna with fried eel on top. For desserts they offer a wide choice for any pallet including Irish chocolate cake, banana chocolate spring rolls, creme brulee, tiramisu and cheesecake. Xhe table next to us had been coming back almost every week since they opened. They get a lot of diners who came back again and again and again just because this restaurant knows how to do things the right way! It is just that simple! Kai Restaurant is in an old downtown building that they completely remodeled to perfection. We know that with all their professionalism that they will be in business for many years. When traveling around the country we find that so many restaurants try to copy each other and the Kai Restaurant is itself and it’s own creation and that is what makes it so special. By the way, their prices are extremely reasonable. No trip to Springfield, Mo. would be complete if you don’t have a wonderful dining experience at the Kai Restaurant. Their hours are Monday thru Saturday, 5:00 PM to 1:15 AM. For reservations call 417-832- 0077 and check out their website, www.kaiafterdark.com. People go to a restaurant not only to dine but to have a fabtflous dining experience and trust us on this one, you will have a "beyond fabulous" dining experience. When you get the best and innovative decor, great food and great service, you know you have found the perfect place! Congratulations to the owners and stafffor making the KAI Restaurant so special. 22 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com "While we beat our chests and proclaim ourselves the xvorld’s largest superpower, it is foolish to expect that we Americans, with only 6 percent of the world’s population, can automatically impose our xv~ll on everyone else." [p. 25] "... [~he...war in Iraq has led to a devastaring drop in world approval of the United States and sharp divisions between Muslim and Non-Muslim communities. It has provided more recruits for anti-American terrorist organizations, cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, and above all, caused loss of human life on a tragically large scale. A failure to understand the culture and history of other parts of the world has exacted a great price." ~. 28] "We cannot afford the toll that multiple Iraq-like mistakes would take on America, especially as we deal xvith emerging nations whose power and influence will become great as time passes." [p. 29] "Preemptive military engagements in the absence of an act of war against us have not proven successful. Vietnam and Iraq are dramatic examples." [p. 41] Source: David Boren, A Letter to America (2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla. Press. "Forty other countries now have a higher life expectancy than the United States, in no small part because 45 million Americans have no health insurance. When ~vill we act?" [p. 7] "... [I]t is morally imperative that we provide universal health coverage for all Ameficans... We must not rule out considering a new approach that moves away from the current employer-based system...Those who have health insurance are already paying the costs for the uninsured, who often end up in hospital emergency rooms...The uninsured wait to get help until they reach a medical crisis. This drives costs higher. There is no excuse for another presidential term to end without implementing universal health insurance." [p.p. 84-5] Source: David Boren, A Letter to America (2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla. Press. rodeo. Very often they do. It’s a lot of hard work, it is very rewarding, but every year right after the Rodeo ends we start planning for the next one. Victor: Do straight people still sometimes get thrown by the idea of a gay cowboy? Klint: They don’t associate what they perceive to be a masculine lifestyle to be a part of how they perceive the gay lifestyle. So in part we are educating the public as a whole, and even still some parts of the gay community, that we come from every facet of life. Victor: So what’s in store for this year? Klint: We have a great reputation, one of the largest rodeos of the IGRA system. We have a new rodeo director from Florida, Jim Mitchell and Assistant directors Travis Parker ofOGRA & Michael Fontenot of Florida. We’re doing all kinds of promotions not only in Oklahoma but also surrounding states, and we expect people from all parts of the country. This year we are hosting the I.G.R.A.’s Board of Directors Meeting, so trustees from all of their rodeo associations throughout the United States and Canada will be here. As with tradition, all we donate stays in Oklahoma. This year we are helping out two major charities, Other Options and Rain Oklahoma. Victor: So who should join OGRA? Does one have to be a rancher or cowboy? Klint: We have many members who have never ridden a horse or worked with cattle. We welcome people who many walks of life who embrace cowboys and western heritage. As we raise money for our community, we need talented people who want to help us make a difference. Victor: I think that’s an invitation. Thanks for all you and OGRA do for gay Oklahoroans, including our cowboys and cowgirls, and we can look forward to another great event. VOTER I~GISTRATION Voter registration applications may be submitted at any time. However, a valid application must be received at a motor license agency or a designated voter registration agency, or postmarked (if submitted by mail), more than 24 days prior to an election in order for the applicant to participate in that election. Deadlines for submitting valid voter registration applications prior to the 2008 statewide elections are as follows: Primary Election Friday, July 4 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, July 29 - Election Runoff Primary Election Friday, August 1 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, August 26 - Election General Election Friday, October 10 - Registration Deadline Tuesday, November 4 - Hection CHANGES IN POLITICAL AFFILIATION Changes in political affiliation may not be made during the period from June 1 through August 31, inclusive, in any even-numbered year. The last day on which a change in political affiliation can be made before the closed period is May 31; the first day on which a change in political affiliation can be made after the closed period is September 1. OTHER IMPORTANT DATES Last day to request absentee ballot for July 29 Primary Hection Wednesday, July 23 Vote early at your County Hection Board office Friday, July 25, 8 AM - 6 PM Saturday, July 26, 8 AM - 1 PM Monday, July 28, 8 AM - 6 PM Candidate Filing for federal, state, legislative and county offices June 2 - 4 wvcw.ok, gov/-elections/index.html www.ozarksstar.com theSTAR 23 Photo’s by Victor G. & Judy G. @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ Steve’s Hideaway, Tulsa @Club Majestic, Tulsa 24 @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @Angles, Oklahoma City @ Finishline, Oklahoma City Democratic U£. senate candidate (currently State Senator) Andrew Rice with Richard Ogden Chairperson Cimarron Alliance Foundation at a fantastic fundraiser at Ogden’s home. By Greg Steele on the prowl victor G06~ ~e~nt~ O~l~h;ma C0rpora~ tion Commissioner Jim R6tha plaque with a 45 of one is his favodte inspirations, Dion’s "Abraham Martin & Johi~2 ~e 84 & Robin Dorner with The City S~Ni~i atthe fundraiser for State Senator Andrew Rice! Marlett is runn ng aga nst the nfamous sai ~ I(em. State Representative A! McAffrey with Oklahbrna County Democratic Party co-chair Elle~ Ste~SS : at Oklahoma City fundraiser for McAffrey. www.ozarksstar.com By Ronald Blake ho wants to see you achieve health, fitness, and overall well-being? It seems like everyone wants to see you fit into that smaller size of pants or cut back on your smoking. We live in a soci.ety where it is horrible to think that people die. You need to take advantage of this munificence of the masses. Government agencies are always watching out for you. The FDA is monitoring what medications are safe for your consumption. The FAA will not let you fly with Joe Camel smoke swirling aimlessly around the cabin. The CDC monitors the incidences ofWest Nile virus outbreaks in all the 50 states. Your local agency on aging center will even see to it that you have a fan or air conditioner to place in your window ifyou can’t afford to buy one. Your taxes are ~vorking to help you after all. Restaurants and fast food establishments are even seeking to give you healthier food. Subway leads the pack of retailers by offering you groovy grinders and showcasing the slimmed down Jared as proof of eating right. Numerous restaurants are shrinking their portion sizes and now only offering enough to satisfy one hippopotamus’ appetite. Applebee’s is one example of this sensible change. They even charge a little less for this good idea. Gosh, even Hamburglar and Grimace are putting apple slices in Happy Meals. There are not-for-profit agencies out there that are a website away from accessing information for better health. The American Lung Association will tell you where to find smoking cessation classes. The Cancer Society will tell you when you should get a pap smear, colorectal check, skin screening, and breast exam. There are support groups for autism, anger management, gambling addictions, mental illnesses, and many more. If you can Google it, it is out there waiting to be uncovered by you. Even money-hungry Hollywood types have your best interests in mind. "Supersize Me" was that documentary about McDonalds and the Big Mac that put the fast-food giant into a Dow Jones suicide watch. The behemoth hamburger franchiser changed their menu in response to this fat-laden epiphany. Michael Moore took on the health care industry and all the cigar-chomping politicos inside the Beltway in his documentary "Sicko". He exposed the Swiss cheese health coverage we have for the denizens of this great land. There have even been movies like a "Beautiful Mind" and "Rain Man" that have shown a superb story but have also given us a better understanding of health issues like mental illnesses. Finally, we even have philanthropists like Bill Gates, Oprah, Bono, and numerous others who are giving money to charities to improve the lives of others. These methods include education and training. Education is one of the greatest factors affecting poor health. More educated individuals are less likely to smoke, drink, or engage in drug activity than those individuals who lack a proper education. If you want to achieve it, you must seek it. It should not be difficult; there is assistance around every corner. Excuses are around every corner too. Choose your corner carefully. This health and fitness coltunn is brought to you by that guy who has an analog mind in a digital world. That guy is Ron Blake and he can be shaken from his reverie at w~wv.goblakefitness.com. 26 t~÷STAR w~vw.ozarksstar.com SPRINGFIELD, MO. opened last October and has quickly become extremely popular. Why? Because of the owner and staff. Rob knows how to treat customers and has hired a very professional staff. Michelte, the bar manager is the kind of bartender that everybody wants. She is fun, funny, lively, interesting, professional and you can tell that she really enjoys her job. Why can’t all bartenders across the country be like this? The other bartenders there are great also. We found everybody in this bar to be extremely friendly. How many times have you walked into a bar only to be sitting at the bar all by yourself and no one talks to you. Trust us, it won’t happen in this bar! Another fun place is JR’s Nightclub, 504 E. Commercial, (417) 864-2823. This is the bar "where men are comfortable, but everyone is welcome". They are open Monday thru Saturday, 5 to 1:30 AM and Sunday, 2 PM to midnight. When you walk in, people either know you or they don’t and if they don’t know you, they will shortly. Everyone is friendly. The bartenders and owner are friendly. After a couple of drinks you will know everybody in the bar. And isn’t that the idea of going to a bar, to meet other people? JR’s is the only bar in Springfield that is open on Sundays. Other places to visit are Martha’s Vineyard and Latin Vibes which features special gay shows on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. If your needing to get around the city, contact Fisk Limousines, www.fisklimo.com or give them a call at 417.862.2900. They give the best service in the entire Midwest. Springfield, Missouri is indeed a city with a great future. They want EVERYONE to visit their beautiful city. We did and we certainly enjoyed our stay there as we know that all of our readers will. The Convention & Visitors Bureau has one of the best websites in the nation, www.springfieldadventures. com. Be sure and check it out. Our thanks to Susan Wade, Public Relations Manager, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is simply "the Best of the Best" and so professional, and to Mark Templeton of Springfield. Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! NATIONAL NEV S NoY. governor .snpports same-sex marrmge New York Gov. David Patterson said April 7 that he supports legalization of same-sex marriage. Speaking by video link to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s awards dinner in Manhattan, Patterson said: "We xvill push on and bring full marriage equality to New York state. And when xve have done that, xve’re going to do more. We’re going to protect young people from bullies. We’re going to protect against the discrimination of people in the transgender community, and xve’re going to fight for decent and affordable health care for all citizens in this state." "If you xvill join with me, and if xve xvork hard enough, xve can change the face of Nexv York, which will be the catalyst to changing national policy," he said. Patterson had planned to attend the dinner but was stuck in Albany dealing with budget problems. www.ozarksstar.com t~:~{~.STAR 27 by Jack Fertig May 2008 "Articulate conflicts, Cancer!" The Sun in Taurus offers the comforts and pleasantries of spring. Now, however, Sol is aspecting asteroid Chiron in Aquarius and new planet Eris, stirring up the question of where to settle down and with whom. Think beyond habits, and be open to surprises! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): Individualist though you are, you belong with some tribe - however awkwardly. A clash of values is inevitable, but not catastrophic. Give yourself room to be not at the center of the group, but at the edge - perhaps even the leading edge. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your own personality is both a key and an impediment to success. Meditate and talk with a confidante. Issues of fitting in and reconciling different communities in your world seem like complications, but actually point to a solution. GEMINi (May 21 - June 20): You’re too easily tempted into arguments with others.-Better to look within and resolve your own conflicts. Knocking those around with a friend and establishing a philosophical framework are important. Just know that the real debate is internal. CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Time to review that famous "gay agenda." How do your goals and ideals fit in with your immediate queer community and your sense of the broader community? Articulating the conflicts and exploring the issues could put you into a position of leadership. LEO (July 23 -August 22): Your ambitions can easily lead to arguments. That’s OK, as long as the point of the argument is to better understand _what’s_ right, not _who’s_ right. To fix a relationship, try seeing it in a different light. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): New ideas, even those that seem to come way out of left field, can help solve problems at work and with your health. (Chiropractic?) Don’t underestimate possibilities, wacky as they may seem, offered by other GLBT folks. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Rethinking group allegiances and community identity should prove helpful in understanding your sexual potential - not just as a lover, but as an erotic healer. Explore new forms of erotic play and perception. You can do this actively and/or academically. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Some housecleaning, literally or metaphorically, is important to improve your relationship or to help you be ready for one. An eccentric older relative or community elder offers an inspirational role model 28 t~eSTAR SAG~TTAR~US (November 22 = December 20): Team sports or games - anything from charades to rugby - can help you understand your own thought processes, or perhaps learn how to keep your mouth from getting you into trouble. You’ll never get that one perfect, but you can make progress! CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Being a capricious Cappy could get expensive. Entertain members of your family or tribe at home or through some community event, staying ever mindful of your budget. Asking others to contribute can help strengthen your bonds. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Fitting in with your family can be a problem. Imagine that you are adopted and speak a different language. What would you try to say? You wouldn’t want to be just like everyone else, so celebrate your uniqueness, and they’ll love you as you are. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. You may expose a few secrets, but that will probably do some good for you and others concerned. Even if there is a price to pay, you will find greater value in speaking up. METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Urie Spirit of Chdst MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC of the Living Spring 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! www.ozarksstar.com Support those who support us. DOWNTO\~N PLea ofTULSA 17 West 7th Street Tulsa, OK 918-585-5898 www.downtownplazatulsa.com HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSXWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK www.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com STEVES HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun- Sat 2pm to 2am THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESS\rAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE LEDO 2200 NV4 39TH EXPRESS\gAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 ~wv.habanainn.com DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CNTR CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE 211 S. Garnett Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 74128 Tulsa, OK vavw.realacceptance.com 918-706-1887 GREAT PLAINS RODEO E O. BOX 12485 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 www.ogra.net GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM MCC of the LIVING SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm OKC PRIDE, INC PO BOX 60296 Oklahoma City, OK 73146 www.okcpride.org OKLAHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.org OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lake~vood Tulsa, OK 74112 918-838-7104 www. openarmsproject.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 KING OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-314-3898 PHOTOGRAPHY." JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 } CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn DALLAS CVB Dallas, TX www.winatrip.glbtdallas.com Want the STAR delivered to your home or business? 12 issues for $33.95 will be mailed in a sealed envelope the 1 st of each month. Complete the form below and send with a check or moneyorder to: The STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #133 Tulsa, OK 74145 (Single Copies $3.00 per issue) NAME: Address: City: St:__.Zip:. Phone: Check enclosed Money Order Start Date: www.ozarksstar.com theSTAR 29 Keller Willia Chu~ Whether buying or selling I’1.....1.....~..... work hard fo (d,efinitiqn - growing up GAYin OK is not easy) You can he~p our teens. Support Open Arms Youth Project. For more info: www. openarrnsproject.org e-mail: ~di~o~alCar~oon@q~;yndica~.com 30 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com ~34 Bourbon St. 04~37!-5450 Torch TW’s-AFAB Catering G L B T G A Z I N K P Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2008] The Star Magazine, May 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 5 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 01, 2008 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Online text PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource magazine Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwestern Missouri Western Arkansas Southeastern Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Star Magazine’s first issue began February of 2005. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004) and The Ozark Star (2004). Follows is The Metro Star (2008). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available star Media, Ltd Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Charles (Chaz) Ward Victor Gorin Greg Steele James Nimmo Joey D. Victor Gorin Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ronald Blake Ray Williams Jack Fertig Liz Higheyman Devre Jackson Judy G. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Star Magazine, April 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 5 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/244 The Star Magazine, June 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 6 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/248 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/250 After Dark Ann Marie Distefano art Bars David Patterson Deep Inside Hollywood dining Equality Gala fitness Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation GLAAD Great Plains Rodeo health horoscopes Leslie Jordan MCC church National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Night club Obama Our House Paparazzi on the Prowl Past Out PlanetOut Inc Q Scopes Quotable Quotes Star Advertisers Star classifieds Star Scene Too travel https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/154f2f2fcee03752682bfb546e5c68e8.jpg 2275d17c80c91478905eae575cff8c9a https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/bc2b1a7c707215dc99984815b45065a8.pdf b531b2d6733aa47abafe0147ac7624ea PDF Text Text ��2 the STAR wwvv.ozarksstar.com �By Victor Gorin Photo: Nate Borofiky, Doris Muramatsu, Blue Door owner Greg Johnson, & Ty Greenstein OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Valentine’s Day crowd at the Blue Door was trttly treated by the extraordinary innovation and harmonies of Girlyman, a gay band of 3 musicians, Nate Borofsky, Doris Muramatsu and Ty Greenstein, who wowed the house with their awesome harmonies & creative style. As Nate put it, their music has been influenced by "the Indigo Girls, Simon & Garfunkel, the Mamas and Papas, and Bach." Their style, if it could be labeled, is a blend of folk, pop and bluegrass best described by Ty as "alt folk" The full house audience consisted mostly of the Blue Door’s regular folk & innovative music fans, but also featured many "Blue Door virgins", and they were not disappointed. This trio, which has previously graced Oklahoma, once opened for the Indigo Girls here in 2004, and was ready to please a capacity crowd even though they admitted they didn’t know what to expect. Masterminded by their soundperson/tour manager Heather "Turtle" Brooks, they blend their talents and insight in a way that has to be heard to be believed. So far they have recorded 3 CD’s, the latest entitled "Joyful Signs." As for their clever name, it was not inspired by the famous California Governor Schwarzenegger who in fact made that "girlyman" expression famous 2 years after the band was formed, although they do welcome the publicity. As Muramutsu puts it, "It’s playful and fun. The name Girlyman puts that all out there and lets us play with it." That they did, and they’ll win over even more new fans xvhen they play Oklahoma again. www.ozarksstar.corn the STAR 3 �Art Show by Shawn Wilson.and Merry Schepers. Michael Buble’ in OKC; "It is the ideal portrayal of America," says Jed Resnick, who plays Mark in the touring production. ~ DEE[P INSIDE HO~-t-~OOD Deep Inside Hollywood, reports on new projects for Madonna and Ian Ziering. GLBT History, Past Out looks at the life of FTM pioneer Lou Sullivan. Devre Jackson reviews Australian Shiraz Bayou Crawfish Etouffee a feature at Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans ~ C~AO "~’R~VS~. Gay Travelers: Entertainers Out of Town: Chelsea, Manhattan Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans lvlen from all over the world converge on Palm Springs for spring break. Surprise performances happening all weekend long! F~T~ESS Introspection can lead you to better understand yourself and ultimately to achieve greater happiness. ON THE COVER: Cast of "RENT" 4 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com �LGBT Votes Sway Towards Hi11 Clinton Farrell to be best man £or brother’s gay wedding It was announced during the Sundance Film Festival that the Edward Norton/Colin Farrell cop drama "Pride and Glory" has been pushed back till 2009, even though it has been complete since last November. Farrell commented on this during the press junket for "In Bruges," trying to convince everyone that the delay has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. [via HollywoodElsewhere] All Gore Endorses Gay Marriage Photo by: David Gabber LOS ANGELES, CA __Not only is the Democratic presidential primary ticket a historic celebration of diversity, but exit polls from Super Tuesday celebrated history as well. Polling orga,xizations from around the country asked three questions never before found on exit poll surveys: Did voters pick a xvoman? Did voters pick a black man? Did voters identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender? We are part of histor): Resoundingly, voters answered two of the three questions similarly, picking Hillary Clinton as their candidate and identifying as LGBT. In California, of the gay voters (4% of total), 63% voted for Clinton, 29% for Obama and 1% stayed around for E&vards. In New York, 7% of voters identified as LGBT, and out of them 59% voted for Clinton, 36% for Obama and 3% for Edwards. In a recent survey conducted by Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), a leading LGBT market research compan); **tore than 90percent ofgays and lesbians vote in U.S. presidential elections, compared to 64percent ofstraight citizens. Queer folk are twice as likely as s~,’aightfolk to vote in midterm elections. DUBLIN, IRELAND __ Hollywood star Colin Farrell is preparing for his next big role - best man at his brother’s gay wedding. The actor will stand beside his sibling Eamonn when he marries long-term partner Steven Mannion in Provincetown, Massachusetts this spring. Farrell is dose to his brother and helped chose Mannion’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring, when Eamonn proposed last year. A family friend tells the National Enquirer: "Colin is a firm believer in gay rights and he is proud of his brother. "He took Eamonn shopping for rings and intends to pick up the tab for the wedding." "I think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women, to make contracts, to have hospital visiting rights, to join together in marriage," Gore said. ’~d I don’t understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians. Shouldn’t we be promoting that kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one’s partner regardless of sexual orientation? Gore hinted that he would come around to support same-sex marriage as early as 2006, when speaking to a group of gay-rights activists, but his latest comments represent Gore’s first formal endorsement of equal marriage rights. Recognized by Keller Williams gor out~anding achievement 2005 and 2006 RE&LTY Chuck Breckenridge 918-706-1887 REALTOi~ WbetherbuyingorsellingI’llworkhardfbryou, W~NW.ozarksstar.corn the STAR �Can Larry Craig be Found Guilty in the Court o£Public Opinion? OKI~AHOMA CITY, OK __ On the facts as argued by the ACLU in a friend of the court filing, and outlined in this story from ~wccw.Bloomberg.com ( http://tinyurl. com/2b7hew ), to me it looks as if the wily and cunning coyote, Larry Craig, will get off again, pardon the pun, by thumbing his nose at the decency he pretends to legislate from the floor of the United States Senate. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock since late last summer, Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, now in his last session of Congress since he’s promised to resign, but will change his mind if enough people beg him to stay was charged with disruptive behavior in the Minneapolis airport when observed by an undercover policeman engaging in what the cop says was sexual solicitation. ¯here is a 1970 precedent in Minnesota that private solicitation of sexual activity in a private place can not be found illegal, as spying by police in a public restroom is an unreasonable search and therefore unconstitutional. The Court has yet to rule on Craig’s appeal of his guilty plea to the charge. Craig has since stated that his guilty plea was entered into in haste and without legal advice as he wanted to keep the charge out of public notice. Craig’s peculiar pantomime with his hands and feet, though laughable, is not illegal which is a good thing for him since his coitus ~vas interrupted by a too-eager cop wanting to score another statistic. Diversity Business Association of Tulsa 6 the STAR Though there was no exposure of body parts or verbal utterances, it’s clear to me that Craig was after an airport quickie, and whether or not his appeal is accepted or rejected his action in the restroom stall refutes his claim that he isn’t gay. - .. Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wro9sg~ with being gay but there is something wrong with using your Senate vote to de~rive honest men and women their equality under the law even as they work to contribute to a decent American society. If you listened to the taped interview of the Idaho Senator and the cop you must have noticed that Craig certainly had his battle hardened defense at ful! bore, strengthened as if he had done a few practice runs before. Just how self-assured would YOU be in this situation if you were claiming innocence of the charges and the sign language described? However, in the public court of reasonable opinion, I think Larry Craig would be found guilty with forethought and conspiracy of multiple counts to commit hypocrisy. Unfortunately, this crime is not punished by any jail sentence or fine. Craig’s punishment will have to be the resignation of his office and a return to, can I say, private life as a civilian where he will no doubt write a book describing the pain he’s endured from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and his hounding from office by the Puritans of public decency, the very constituency he claimed to represent? SF~UALITY~VD SPIRITUALITY CONFERENCE ~mosexuality is Neither ness nor Sin ~ ~ Friday March 7, urday March 8 ersity of Central Oklahoma, Edmond Register online at www.PFLAGOKC.org or call Church of the Open Arms (405) 525 9555 www.ozarksstar.com �www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 7 �Proudly serving ~Asa & OKC’s GLBT communities since 1982 8 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com �Crooner Comes ByJoey De ~~e’s blonde, he’s beautiful and his new style of classic crooning will be coming to the stage of the Oklahoma City Ford Center Mar. 4. Michael Bubld, the international superstar who has earned himself a place in music history with such hits as "Feelin’ Good," is coming to Oklahoma City as part of his third major US concert tour. All of the shows on the first leg of his 2007-2008 tour sold out in record time. Buble’ brings an irrepressible spirit, engaging humor, and confident charisma to the concert stage, and will perform hits from his current CD "Call me Irresistible and many other classics. 621 E. 4th S~reet Tulsa, OK 74120 OI~NING RECEPTION THURSDAY, iV~RCH 6 6-9PM i%n-Sal 3-gpm through March 29 TULSA, OK__ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-9pm, Thursday, March 6, 2008, for the opening of it’s March exhibit "Now and Zen", featuring local artists Shawn Wilson and Merry Schepers. Shawn Wilson has been a professional artist for 25 years. A native Oklahoman, she moved to New York at 18 years old and within a short time was regularly selling her pen and -ink drawings to New Yorker magazine. She studied sculpture at New York’s famed Art Students’ League, and over the years has shown sculpture in galleries in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta. Shawn also paints-oil on canvas-and most notably, ’sumi-~’, 0apanese inkbrush painting). She studied this ancient art form with one of the few bona fide masters here in the U.S., Koho Yamamoto of NYC. Sumi-6 suits Shawn’s artistic abilities to a ’t’, as her work in all mediums concentrates on the essence of the subject rather than the details. Bubl& new CD, which he calls "my remark on the state of love," contains feeling that ,vill surprise and delight fans and impress those new to his music. "Irresponsible" contains more of Bubl& buoyant, modern interpretations and songs by such greats as Leonard Cohen, Eric Clapton and Cy Coleman. Michael won his first Grammy Award this year. The Grammy is for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for "Call Me Irresponsible", which shot to #1, topping the charts around the world. The album included the #1 hit single "Everything", and was the fastest trip to #1 in three years on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. To purchase concert tickets go to www.ticketmaster. corn or visit the Ford Center box office. Visit www. michaelbuble.com for concert schedule. .................. Continued page 27 www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 9 �By Joey De what can be said about "f~nt" that hasfft (and sometimes infamous) rock-opera that changed Br6adway forever ,,,ill be closing its doors on the great ~q~ite Way in Jtm~ but before it dora, the national tour will be making several stops in th~ Midwest. "Rent" is the story, of a colorful collectiot~ of frien& in Manhattan’s East End around the tiim end of the eighties. Surrounded by" povert.>; the onset of the MDS epi&mic and the rise of corporate commercialism, this group of artists defies the norm and redefines the boundaries of love. " says Jed Resnick, who plays Mark in promise ofAmerica is a country of tolerance harmony. just doesn’t l~appen in rea! life, there is so much hatred utopian and unreal ~ bom~daries." ’°Rent" are persona!. "This show was the first shame and that Resnick says he connected with privately as a him want was a major 998, the summer when I first characters rand connected. It became a dream m be in the sho~; and people joked with me in High School about it because I’m so close to Mark." According to the performer, taking on the role of the show’s filmmaking n~xrator was not too much of a srxetch. "Mark and Jed are both slightly neurotic, Jewish N ew Yorkers." he laughs. "I latched on to our surface similarities and then was able to discover this~gs I didn’t realize about b~n. Things like his passion for art and fl~e ~ower it has to affect change." Photo: Jed Resnick �Cathedral of Hope Donates Scarves to Wilson Schoo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ For the fourth year in a row members of the Cathedral of Hope made scarves for Wilson Elementary School; In 2004 the church "adopted" Wilson for a number of service projects, since Wilson was their neighborhood school and included children from homeless shelters and section eight housing. Annual projects include collecting schoo! supplies, donating tissues during cold season, and sewing scarves every winter. This year members worked over two nights creating over 60 scarves. One couple also donated gloves and hats. On Tuesday, February 5, church members delivered the goodies to the school. According to pastor, the Rev. Dr. Scott Jones, "The assistant principal told us that every year the kids look forward to the day the scarves are handed out and that they wear them every day a~er that." Nancy Sanders, who has helped with the project every year said, "It’s always a lot of fun for the kids and fun for us too." the STAR �Love on tb~e Nile Deep b~4de HolI)~ood, reports on n~projects for Madonna and Ian Zierine~ Madonna khad to happen. Madonna mous disdain fbr her acting the camera. The finished product is recently premiered at the Berli~ mttsement. It stars the band Gogol Bordello) in a loose, in common with Madonna’s with her later it a refreshing new path uphill cred mountain to climb, but almost a lock that distribution reinvention will be as an aut~ur. Ian Ziering Move~ from Stretch marks, bloated ankles, ous. At least, that’s xvhat the makers given the success of other new comedy stars as a mar (The Constant Gardener) looks like eyeliner - a good to be starring in a romance set jandro ~Am~ena bar (The will direct the film, about a slave (Oscar in love with his mistress at the dawn of the Christian era, Paradise Now) co-stars as a zea!her statuette for The Constant variety of roles in movies like ~nd Definitel> Maybe, and this a~s-yetStarts shooting this month - promises to eclectic. a!most unani- )..ueer Cinema" in the early of a small miracle when a gay indie movie rea! theaters outside Trevor is one of those movies. Goodman, of unknowns, about queer the suddenly deep waters of adult life, appreciation that the recent "new naturalist" films of upstart directors like Andrew getting from critics and when the fihn gets released in May. © STAR www.ozarksstar.com �Ragged Blade Cor cer City February 29 h Oklahoma Photo by Mike W/site: Ashley Saphian, Isaac Cherry, Jerry Rabushka, Zach Jett ST LOUIS, MO (P/R) __ They are faster! louder! more blues! and more country! Ragged Blade has made four theatrical excursions to the IAO in Oklahoma City and now they’re on tap for a concert of Music worth waiting for. An evening of original pop, country, blues, and ballads by songwriter & playwright Jerry Rabushka. You’ll hear songs from some of the plays that have come to the IAO last year, and some newly hatched music with Rabushka’s trademark deep emotion and beautiful harmonies. Hang out with us for co01 country songs. No Luck At Home, the bluesy and sexually charged, Wrong Side Of Town, and Jerry’s lonely ballad Diner 4 AM. The band: Zach Jett (vocals) has toured with Ragged Blade for over a year and has been to the IAO for Woofl. The Road Show and Love of Last Resort. Ashley Saphian (vocals) has performed in several RB plays and concerts. Isaac Cherry (drums) has toured nationally as a solo drummer and with such bands as Animal 13 on the east coast and the Malibu Minstrels on the west. Jerry Rabushka (keyboard and vocals) has written & produced several musicals, was nominated for a national award for outstanding Instrumental Recording by New York based Outmusic in 2003, and received an award from the St. Louis Arts For Life Foundations for his original score to the musical, The Soviet Tango. IAO Gallery, 811 N. Broadway Oklahoma City 405-232-6060 8:00 EM. $5.00 cover At that price you can bring LOTS of friends!! For more info please visit www.raggedblade.com or www.iaogallery. org March 2008 the STAR 13 �by Liz Highleyman~~ Past Out, which looks at the life 0fFTM pioneer L0u Sullivan. Who was Lou Sullivan ? ouis Graydon Sullivan was a pioneer of the transgender movement - not just as an organizer, but as perhaps the first female-to-male (FTM) transsexual to identify publicly as a gay man. Born in June 1951 and named Sheila Jean, Sullivan grew up in a working-class family in a suburb of Milwaukee, \Vgis. He was educated at Catholic schools and took a secretarial job at the University of Wisconsin after graduating from high school. Though Sullivan later recalled that he had enjoyed "playing boys" as a child, his issues around gender and sexuality came to the fore when he was a teenager. "I look in the mirror and say to myself, ’That’s you, Sheila. That girl over there is you.’ It seems so funny," he wrote in his diary at age 14. Before long he started wearing men’s-style white shirts and ties, eventually adding men’s slacks, shoes, and hairstyle. By the early 1970s, Sullivan self-identified as a "heterosexual female transvestite who was sexually attracted to gay men," and had embarked on a long-term relationship with an effeminate man. Sullivan was active in the nascent gay liberation movement, which embraced gender-bending and favored the androgynous aesthetic of the broader counterculture. He was involved with Milwaukee’s first gay rights group, the Gay People’s Union (GPU), and helped produce its newsletter. Jumping into the controversy over drag within the women’s movement, he wrote "A Transvestite Answers a Feminist" 14 the STAR for GPU News in 1973, followed a year later by "Looking Towards Transvestite Liberation," which was widely reprinted in other gay and lesbian publications. Over the next few years, Sullivan’s gender identity shifted from transvestite to transsexual. In 1975, he and his boyfriend moved to San Francisco; as a parting gift, his supportive family gave him a good suit and an heirloom pocket watch engraved "Go West Young Man." But even amid the city’s queer milieu, Sullivan had difficulty finding others like himselfi "I want to look like what I am," he once wrote, "but don’t know what someone like me looks like." Though still presenting as a woman in his job as a secretary for the Wilson Sporting Goods company, most of the rest of the time Sullivan fully cross-dressed and lived as a gay man, hanging out in gay bars and enjoying an adventurous sex life. Sullivan sought sex-reassignment surgery in the late 1970s, but was repeatedly denied because he openly identified as ~y at a time when people undergoing the procedure were expected to adopt stereotypical heterosexual opposite-sex gender roles. "They were invested in taking sissy gay boys and transforming them into straight women, and taking tomboy women who were socially unacceptable and changing them into straight men," according to fellow FTM Shadow Morton. Sullivan recalled that one gender clinic told him he could not possibly live as a gay man, since gay men were primarily interested in large penises. Sullivan’s frustration led him to campaign for the removal of homosexuality as a contraindication for sex reassignment - an effort that finally succeeded in the late 1980s. At a time when most gender services focused on male-to-female transsexuals, he volunteered as the first FTM peer counselor with San Francisco’s Janus Information Facility (a clearinghouse for information about transsexuality) and wrote the earliest informational booldet for transmen, _Information for the Female to Male Cross-Dresser and Transsexual_ (1980). He later authored a biography of early 20th-century "passing woman" Jack Bee Garland. Sullivan was a co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California (now the GLBT Historical Society), helping to ensure that it was inclusive of transgender lives. In 1979, after several refusals from established university-based gender dinics, Sullivan found sympathetic therapists and doctors and began taking testosterone. He had a double mastectomy and started a new technician job where co-workers had never known him as a woman. He finally underwent genital surgery in 1986, but experienced complications and never fully recovered; that same year, he was diagnosed as HIV positive. "I took a certain pleasure," he wrote, "in informing the gender clinic that even though their program told me I could not live as a gay man, it looks like I’m going to die like one." Sullivan devoted his final years to building the network of FTM contacts he had acquired over a decade into an organization, and eventually a visible movement. In 1986, he began holding peer-support get-togethers for people on the male transgender spectrum, which evolved into the present-day FTM International - today the largest and longest-running organization of its kind. Yet he continued to take the time to answer the many letters he received from transmen around the world, hoping to dispel the sense of isolation he had felt. Sullivan died of an AIDS-related illness in March 1991, after malting plans to ensure that the organization he created would continue. "Lou Sullivan left behind a mailing list of about 230 names, a roll of stamps, the model of inclusion in his support group, and the ethic of service to a community he hoped would someday exist," said de facto successor Jamison Green. "Now it almost does. In life and since his death, he has been an inspiration for many transmen, both gay and straight." w~,wv.ozarksstar.corn �1) Langmeil Three Gardens Barossa Valley ’05- Shiraz, Grenache and Mourv~dre. Smooth and round, with raspberry & plum most prominent/lean finish. 2) Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz ’06- Ripe and aromatic. The past 2 vintages have scored some high points with national wine critics/ worth checking out. 3) Yalumba Y Series Shiraz-Viognier 2006Spicy, but the mix of Viognier makes a presence of lychee and peach. 4) Molly Dooker The Boxer 2006 - Ripe and smoky. A mouthful of raspberry with white pepper. A state allocated wine/very hard to find bottle here in town so if ya see it, get it! 5) Marquis Phillips Sarah’s Blend 2005Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. Check out the Roogle on the label. It’s cross between an Eagle and a Kangaroo and signifies the friendship between the US and Australia. Great taste/recommended. 6) Lindemans Padthaway Reserve 2005Generous cherry and raspberry flavors. From the Hunter Valley about and hour and a half from Sydney. Also gets rave reviews. And as always, I say go to your favorite wine shop, ask questions and purchase a bottle or two. Share some food & wine with friends and check this out for yourself. Mr. D also hosts wine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. References include: the ABC’s of wine by James Laube/www.WineSpectator.com www.FoodandWine.com www.Wikipedia.org �By Joey De An Italian-Creole restaurant in New Orleans. Photo: David Barlo,~ a,~d A,,~a,~da Ba/on Copyright Joa*¢ Marcus 2007 TULSA, OK __ One of America’s most beloved musicals, "Annie" is celebrating its 30th anniversary tour, and giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic about never giving up hope. The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is coming to the Tulsa PAC March 4-9. With music by Charles Strouse and book by Thomas Meeban, ’%nhie" is again directed by lyricist Martin Charnin, who directed the original 1977 Broadxvay production. After xvinning seven Tony Axvards in 1977, including Best blusica!, Book and Score the shoxv ran for 2,377 performances and is one of the top 20 longest running shows in Broadxvay history. With one of Broadxvay’s most memorable scores, including t~ the Hard-Knock Life" and ’"~ tomorrow,""" ~(~n ni e, "is the feel-good shoxv to bring a smile to any, face. Tickets may be purchased at 596-7111, via the internet at wwxv. MyTicketOffice.com or by visiting the PAC box oft{ce. Get the STAR delivered to your home or office. 12 issues only $33.95. Send Check or Money Order to: The STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #153 Tulsa, OK 74145 Seepage 29for o,’der blank. the ~TA~ Bayou Crawfish Etouffee 1/4 pound butter 4 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped green peppers 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic 4 cups sliced mushrooms 1 1/2 teaspoons flour Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 4 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 cups whipping cream 1 cup half-and-half 1 3/4 cups tomato sauce Melt butter in large heavy-duty pot. Add onions, peppers, garlic and all seasonings. Saute, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent (15 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add flour and mix thoroughly for 1 minute, stirring often. Add whipping cream and half-and-half. Cook until cream thickens but does not boil, stirring often. Add tomato sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Add desired meat, seafood or crawfish. Stirring often, cook until meat or vegetables are done. The longer you let the sauce cook, the more flavorful it becomes. More on PASCAL’S MANALE Restaurant see page 22 www.ozarksstar.com �c ONOUES T Join our gay and Imbian group aboard Carnival Cow, quest© ~ we set sail from Galvesm~ and call o~ the beaurifhi ports in Monrego Ba); Grand Cayman and Cx~zumel. There is no better way to celebrate Halloween than aboard a funship with Gayribbean Cruises, We offer: Our fr~ntasdc Halloweml Costume Part),, Nighdy Mixers and SO MUCH MORE ! Book early and save. Ask how m receive $75 shipboard cre<~t! For information & Reservations www.GaydbbeanCruisesocom �by Donald Pile and Ray Williams One of the manygreat things about travelin~ .... is, besides meeting interestin,~,p eople and visitin g beautiful places, sometimes you also get to see FABULOUS ENTERTAINERS. The past few- )mars We were fortunate to be able to see these entertainers in action. They ernb0dy all that is good in a true entertainer. ...... fun, funny; sometimes elegant and they all put on a great show. THE COUNT.S, B&EXIS DEL LAGO of Paris, New York and HollDvood. one of the most remarkable, amazing and elegant pers0nalilties that we have,ever met in our travels. She was the most elegant drag queen ofthe 80 s New York City, she then moved to \Vest Hollywooa and 6pened a wonderful antiques b(~utique shop. She WAS Marlene Dietrich, afI day and every day[ Sh£ is the cla~;iest add best &essed of them all. She *~,-~as (~nd stil! is) a r~al star when everyone else was just pretending. She performed on stage, movies and tete~2ision. She was a bi~ hit at the famous Pyramid Club in New York and with the Andy Wathol group. Her latest "Countess Alexis with Ray Williams" Lypsinka Frank Marino 18 the STAR moade, SUPERSTAR IN A HOUSEDRESS, only proves how classy,she still iS. And always hers,d£ She believed in herself as most people don t. MOst people either dont have the, courage to be themselve~s,o,~ are s,o unsure about wh~ they are that they cant. As the Countess stares, It wasrft that I was so fabulous, it is just that the others were so stupid. \Ve have never seen her when she &dnt look hke a milhon dollars. She ALWAYS makes a grain entrance where ever she goes. And why not? She ~s N~e Countess : Check out http:lt~wv.youtube.com/watch?v=lG2DATQ_dlA to see a fabulous sm,en minute fihn clip. LYPSINKA, whose real name is John Epperson lives in New York City. We caught his act at the AI~ Theatre in San Francisco. His production is entitled "LYPSINKM THE BOX.ED SET" He is one of the most intelligent performers around. He does Gisele MacKenzie, Frances Faye, Conme Franos, Llbby Morns, Dorothy Sqmres and the 50 s musical ,con Delores Gray. He performs all over the United States and gets standing ovations where,)er he performs. It is remarkable the staging and entertaini~ag this entertainer does. You will be dazed by his performance. Unlike marli, performers he stretches the boundaries. ~e H~llDvood Reporter says L smka ~s hke nothing you ve seen before. Theamcat art,stry that ne er seems to slow down" The New York ~mes says "I.ypsinka is a fascinating, ftmny and disturbing spectacle." From the opening scene ro the finale this performer never lets down the audience. He is absolute dynamite. Audiences go back year after year to see him perform. And on top of everything else l~}m just happens to be a very nice person. For a listing of his performances and other information about him go to ww~:lypsinka.corn. FRANK MARINO, who performs at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas , is another performer who puts on a great show. He does his "_Joan River’s’ routine and has been wowing audiences for years and years in I.as Vegas. The straights in the audience really get into his show and why not? He and his cast and crmv put on a class act show. He emcees the’show and introduces the different performers who do Chef. Shirley MacLaine, Tina, and many others. Tlaeir show is sold out almost every night. It is basically a musicallcomedy revie~v with gorgeous gowns, feathers, glitter, etc. Frank changes cosrurnes between every set which gives a grear dimension to the show. When going to Las Vegas next time, be sure and catch the show. His web site is ~x~;frankmarino.com ............................. Continued next page v~w.ozarksstar.com �Creating Community for People ~ivin9 with H~V/AIDS .A 50~. c (3) Non P~ofit O~ganization Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of our people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HIM+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistanoe to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail harrism mjr@yahoo.oom. �)ff~rs little in the way of attractions, unless, of course, you count shopping as a form of sightseeing. If you wander along West 20th through West 27th streets in the block west of 10th Avenue, you’ll find storefront after storefront of cutting-edge art galleries - check out www.chelseaartga~leries.com for details on upcoming shows. Fans of dance should note two important neighborhood institutions: the art deco Joyce Theater, which hosts high-quality dance companies throughout the year, and the dramatic Dance Theater Workshop, around the corner, which also presents acclaimed concerts throughout the year. The neighborhood draws plenty of foodies to its Chelsea Market, a bustling concourse of gourmet food stalls in which you’ll find tantalizing Thai food, savory soups, fine wines, heavenly baked goods, and lots more. Neighborhood s recently as the mid-1990s, relatively few visitors spent time in Chelsea, the neighborhood on Manhattan’s west side between Midtown and Greenwich Village. Today, however, Chelsea abounds with gay bars, coo! restaurants, diverting shops, avant-garde galleries, and an increasing number of hotels. It’s become arguably the city’s hottest destination for gay visitors, and a wonderful neighborhood to spend a weekend or short vacation. This part of the city was developed in the 1830s by clergyman Clement Clark Moore, author of"A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("~B~vas the night before Christmas..."), whose family owned most of the area. Well into the mid-20th century, Chelsea was a drab, lower-income neighborhood where workers at nearby garment factories and river docks lived in cheap boardinghouses and rickety, airless tenements. But as gays began moving here in the ’70s and ’80s, gentrification gradually took hold. And in recent years, the neighborhood has developed cachet among both residents and visitors as one of the trendiest areas in the city as well as one of the nation’s most dynamic gay communities. Chelsea comprises roughly the blocks between 5th Avenue and the Hudson River, with 14th Street forming the neighborhood’s southern boundary. Most locals consider 23rd Street to be its northern edge, but others argue the border extends as far north as 28th or even 32nd Street. For all practical purposes - particularly in terms of retail, dining, and clubbing - you’ll find the most intriguing businesses between 14th and 23rd streets. And where gay-popular establishments are concerned, the main drag is 8th Avenue, with 7th Avenue a close runner-up. Additionally, 9th and 10th avenues have witnessed the tide of gentrification in recent years, particularly as top galleries have moved into the western reaches of Chelsea. 20 the STAR In fact, restaurants have become one of the neighborhood’s leading draws. There are the obvious bastions of gay social life, such as Viceroy and Food Bar for rather standard American chow, and campy VYNL, which is known for its eclectic Asian and international dishes, plus outstanding martinis. Gym buffs on high-protein diets favor Better Burger, with its menu of lean, char-grilled burgers and fresh-squeezed juices. Other hot spots include the funky Thai restaurant Room Service, known for such ldcky creations as Thai-spicy tuna salad and chile-rubbed salmon; and Suenos, which serves some of the most innovative regional Mexican fare in the city - be sure to try the duck-confit quesadillas with poached pears and ancho chileso For weekend brunch, don’t miss East of Eighth, which turns out first-rate contemporary American food and offers lively cabaret in the evenings. Few spots are more popular at lunchtime than Dish, a glorified diner of sorts, which is also known for its relaxing Saturday and Sunday brunch. Snackers and noshers will find plenty of toothsome options, including F&B Gudtfood for gourmet hot dogs and European-style street food, Murray’s for some of the city’s finest bagels, and Pinkberry, for the mysterious yogurt-esque frozen-dessert snacks that have taken the city by storm. On the west side of the neighborhood, you can count on the Red Cat for a terrific meal of creative American fare, such as a fantastic paprika-roasted cod with spicy escarole and an anchovy-almond sauce. At cozy Tia Pol, choose from a long list of outstanding Spanish tapas, while the much-hyped Craftsteak is your go-to for superb cuts of beef- it’s part of Tom Colicchio’s (ofTV’s Top Chef) growing restaurant empire. Chelsea has become the epicenter of gay nightlife in New York City (although it’s fair to say that the Hells Kitchen and East Village neighborhoods provide plenty of competition). There are the trendy spots, such as G Lounge, a sea of coiffed and smartly dressed men hobnobbing around a central bar or relaxing in mod lounge chairs; and the long-running Splash, a two-floor temple of chic gay clubbing known for its go-go dancers and throbbing music. Quirky Barracuda cultivates a mixed arty and cruisy bunch, while the bilevel Eagle caters to the usual set of bears, leather men, and ardent porn enthusiasts (old-fashioned blue movies play on the video screens). www.ozarksstar.com �Rawhide is an old-school neighborhood bar with an age-diverse following, and the friendly Gym Sportbar has become the darling of the post-workout crowd. Locals hangouts like View Bar and XES can seem empty or bustling depending on the night, and a couple of pulsing warehouse discos, Rush and Stereo, round out the scene. Chelsea has relatively few hotel rooms compared with other key Manhattan neighborhoods, but it’s a 10- to 20-minute walk (or a short cab or subway ride) from the scads of hotels in Midtown. What you will find in Chelsea, however, are several properties with reasonable rates, most catering heavily to the gay market. A favorite of history buffs is the raffish Hotel Chelsea, the city’s tallest building when it was built in the 1880s. This bohemian hostelry has been the home of all sorts of fascinating characters, from William Burroughs to Jasper Johns to Allen Ginsberg: Just up the street, the modern and rather basic Chelsea Savoy Hotel has a terrific location at the corner of West 23rd Street and 7th Avenue, and rooms here can run as low as $99 nightly. Among the big chains, there’s a Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea on West 25th Street, and the Hampton Inn Chelsea on West 24th Street. Both of these are clean, well-managed, and affordable. This hip neighborhood is rapidly developing, though, and within a few years you’ll find a number of additional hotels to choose from. For instance, the trendy hotel brand Indigo is planning a 122-room property for 127 West 28th Street, to open in early 2009. And, just a short walk east of Chelsea in a similarly vibrant area, you might consider the uber-cool W New York Union Square, a swank stunner that occupies the 1911 beaux-arts Guardian Life building and contains Todd English’s bustling Olives restaurant and Rande Gerber’s see-and-be-seen Underbar. Or check into Ian Schrager’s luxuriously re-imagined Gramercy Park Hotel, a glam boutique hotel overlooking the elegant park of the same name. Among smaller, gay-oriented properties, a reliable pick is the Chelsea Pines Inn, which occupies a charming 1850s town house in the heart of the neighborhood. Rooms with semiprivate bath (sink and shower are in your room, but the toilet is shared with several other rooms on same floor) start at $140, while rooms with private baths begin at $175. An even better value, with rates beginning around $130 for shared-bath units, the Chelsea Lodge is set along handsome West 22nd Street and contains 22 cozy, clean, and pleasantly furnished rooms. When you consider that generic, bland chain properties in Midtown can charge well over $400 per night, these two intimate and friendly Chelsea hideaways are a real bargain. And you can use the money you save to dine well in the neighborhood’s dozens of inviting eateries. 1- 800 - 535-AI DS (2437) Okllahoma’s H V/STD Hot ine PRO TECT YO F PROTECT YOUR PA ° F,¢ee. me~ HIV testify, t~ 20 H.O.P;~. Tes~:~ng C~inic ~ens Oetreach Pr~ram www.ozarksstar.com the STAR :)1 �~ 6, 2008 ItMian’Creole restaurant in New Orleans Fotmded in 1913, this family-run, ItaJian, Creole restaurant is 8) i New Orle~s at baxbecued shrimp. N~is . from the se~,ice to the decor. oyster bar ~nd on ~e hflf shel! and fll ~es of cocktails. We offer Sp~cialfies and delicio~ stea~, ~ i in traddtion; ir ~ s and ~hes it out daily in ~e ~tO lmltate~ !tiNe;Andwhenyou! We&esday thru Friday : thru Saturda); 5 PM to closing ~d cloSed 0h �WHITE PARTY SPRING BREAK 2008 PRESENTS THREE DAYS AND FOUR NIGHTS OF THE BEST PARTIES ON THE PLANET !’~"~ Men from all over the world converge on Palm Springs : April 17.21, 2008. Surprise performances happening aft weekend long! PALM SPRINGS, CA (PR) This is the event that attracts men from all over the world to the desert oasis of Palm Springs, CA ! Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party Spring Break happens at new date in 2008--April 17-21, with an action-packed weekend of non-stop parties, superstar performances and the hottest men from all over the globe. Totally new for 2008: the sexy Boxers and Briefs Underwear Party, happening Friday, will let it all hang out. Saturday’s main event: White Party - Boogie Fever celebrates 30 years of dance music. Not to mention Sunday’s Extreme T Dance, an over-the-top dance event taking the action farther than it’s ever been before. Weekend passes are on sale now at www.CircuitTicket.com. Express Weekend Passes ($350 until Feb. 15) include: Absolute priority access to all weekend events; Access to VIP lounge at the Saturday White Party and Sunday T Dance; Official White Party Spring Break Gift Bag and Unlimited complimentary bottled water at White Party and T Dance. Weekend Passes ($250 until Feb. 15) include: Express Entrance to White Party, T Dance & Closing Party; complementary admission to Thursday Welcome Party, plus a $25 add-on for admission to Boxers and Briefs Underwear Party. For additional information or to purchase passes in advance online, visit: www.jeffreysanker.com or vcww.circuiticket.com. For more information, call (310) 360-6100. The host hotel for White Party 2008 is the fabulous Wyndham Palm Springs, the center of all the poolside action, home to nighttime events and location of the official welcome center. For reservations, call: (760) 322-6000. Mention WP when making reservations to receive a special rate. Back by popular demand: The ultimate VIP treatment lets you experience White Party in the lap of luxury with a range of personalized services right at your fingertips. Again in 2008, White Party Spring Break offers a limited number of luxurious VIP packages to make your weekend truly unforgettable. Packages include a range of options such as premium accommodations, lavish amenities including a personal concierge, private cabanas, security escorts and special upgrades. All packages feature exclusive VIP bottle service at Saturday night’s White Party and the Sunday T Dance. Visit: www. jeffreysanker.com for more details. March 2008 The STAR 23 ��and the �By Ronald Blake esterday was my thirty-ninth birthday. I chose to wake with the roosters and run a five kilometer race to begin my fete of this event. I ruminated on my choice of a celebratory method be.fore, during, and after this competition. I discovered many reasons ~vhy I dragged my partner and our little canine companion along with me to this athletic spectacle. There is not much traffic on an early Saturday morning when you are headed to a physical challenge. I was able to really notice the mountains when I wasn’t beset by droves of angry, chafed, rush-hour motorists. I realized that the mountains were even more majestic with their verdant hue given the recent rains here in the desert. The rising sun added its paintbrush to this mountain landscape with its spangling of yellows and oranges. A good reason to get up and run. We drove past the Phoenix International Raceway on our journey to the starting line. I have lived in the Valley of the Sun for over three years and had never seen this imposing NASCAR edifice. It was quietly assuming its regnant place alongside its panoply of mountains. We also had never been to the location of this gala running affair. It too was nestled next to the mountains and was a magnificent oasis in the ribald desert landscape. I felt a contemporary thrill of a Louis and Clark moment as I gazed upon virgin ground. A good reason to get up and run. There were other people at the race site when I arrived. These people also had running shoes and were stretching. These people also brought friends, family members, and their little dogs too. These people also ran the course, sweated, and finished completely exhausted. I wasn’t the only one early to bed and early to rise. We shared camaraderie and a commonality that morning. A good reason to get up and run. I received a T-shirt, bananas, a medal, an olio of donated sundries, and some friendly discourse through out my experience. It did cost me twentyfive dollars to participate but I am not offering any regrets. I could just as easily have spent that money on a well-earned hangover but I already have plenty of those notched in my craw! of fame. I am pleased with my assortment of newly acquired memorabilia. A good reason to get up and run. There was live music after the race. It was provided by your quintessential three men and a lady cover band. The backdrop was a cupola adorned, ornate clubhouse and a lake begirded with palm trees. I would have settled for anything at that time. I had just felt the intrinsic satisfaction of completing an arduous task and the extrinsic reward of a salvo of cheers for my fait accompli. A very good reason to get up and run. I am thirty-nine today and I wil! be forty next year. I have no control over the passage of time. I will continue to enjoy my flight through the ages and I will continue to augment my reasoning for getting up and running...until the flight ends. ~sis health andfitness column is brought to you by that gvgy who noticed that sex act is followed by sexagenarian in the dictionary. ~at connect the dots guy is Ron Blake and he can be vivified at www.goblakefimess. co~n, www.ozarksstar.com �ART SHOW: Between sumi-d, drawings, oil paintings and sculpture, Shawn’s work has been shown and sold in dozens of one-woman and group showings and through commissioned work. Merry Schepers is also a native Otdahoman whose works in porcelain, clay and multimedia embrace a broad stylistic spectrum from flying porcelain vessels to shamanic, archetypal masks to functional stoneware. She earned her BA from Montclair State University (N.J.) and has worked in clay for over thirteen years. As a member of the Alternative Outsider artists, she participates in that group’s annual show. She also shows in galleries in Tulsa, Ok. and Fayetteville, AR. and participates in Tulsa’s Blue Dome Arts Festival. The exhibit will remain up through the month of March, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. Nae Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located at 621 E. 4th St., in downtown Tulsa. More info can be found on the web at okeq.org. 7his monthly event is hosted by Oklahoman’s for A1 McAffrey To Speak At OK County Democrats Medallion Dinner OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __M is the Representative for House District 88 and will be the Master of Ceremonies for our Medallion Dinner. The Oklahoma County Democrats Medallion Dinner, with Jim Roth and Al McAffrey, will be taking place on March 8, 2008 at the Regal Room (Ned’s Catering), 625 NW Grand Blvd, OKC, 73118. Visit the website for updated information, sponsor & ticket prices, and easy online ticket purchasing. www.okcountydemocrats.org Oklahoma Governor say’s NO to National Real ID Equality (OkEq). OkEq seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Ga); Bisexual & Tram’gender (LGBT) individuals andfamilies through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equali~y Center. Oklahoma City mayor challenges citizens to loose 1 million pounds OKLAHOMA CITY - With a button-popping spread of cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak and pecan pie designated as Oklahoma’s official state meal, it’s no surprise that Oklahoma City’s mayor wants to put the city on a diet. Mick Cornett has challenged the city to shed 1 million pounds as its New Year’s resolution. (PR) The federal effort to create a national identity card, called the Real ID card, would take us one step closer to a surveillance society, erode our right to privacy and put our personal information at risk. Luckily, governors in five states, including Oklahoma, courageously rejected this invasive law. Now we need these governors to stand their ground so that Congress will be forced to repeal this horrifying program! Real ID would force all states to connect their DMV databases to one single interlinked system -- facilitating government tracking of ordinary Americans. It would also expose our most sensitive personal information to criminal identity theft. Thanks to your Governor, this invasive law -- and the dramatic tax increases required to pay its massive price tag -- was courageously rejected in Oklahoma. Help make sure that no American is forced to use the costly "Big Brother" Real ID card. The national Real ID card will take away our privacy and treat all Americans like enemies of the state! www.ozarksstar.corn "The nature of the questions LGBT human rights defenders were asked, repeatedly trying to link homosexuality and pedophilia, simply shows how far our stubborn opposition is ready to go to put obstacles before LGBT groups on their way to recognition as members of civil society," the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) said in a statement. Just two of many reasons the right wing hates McCain. 1. Same-sex marriage. McCain refuses to support a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. 2. Stem-cell research. McCain would relax restrictions on federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, which critics consider tantamount to abortion. BERLIN (AP) __ A new Berlin memorial to the Nazis’ gay victims should be ready within months, officials said Thursday. The $890,000 memorial to gay victims will be located in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park, across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said. Homosexuality was banned under the Nazis. Tens of thousands of people, primarily men, were arrested, and many were sent to concentration camps. BEIJING (AFP) Chinas Ministry of Health is set to implement its first ever national programme to curb the spread of HIV/ AIDS among gay men. "The programme aims to strengthen measures to prevent and control the deadly disease among the homosexual community," the China Daily quoted Wang \greizhen, a senior official with the ministry’s HIWAIDS prevention department, as saying. "By learning more about gay people, we can better protect them against this incurable disease. Studies are under way in several cities to collect information on gay men, such as their.., behavioural patterns." The programme will also deliver special funding and technical support to gay men, Wang said, without giving further details. There are over 700 thousand gay men with HIV/AIDS in China. the STAR 27 �"Be cor~servative with money, Gemini!" As Mars enters Cancer, productive efforts are easily clouded by moods and misunderstandings. While he opposes Pluto, frustrations can gain exaggerated importance. You may feel like you need an oar to propel your craft forward, but what you may really need is a shovel to dig to the root of existing challenges. ARIES (March 20 -Apri~ 19): Yours is the sign of the lone wolf, but you are now aiming for the role of head of the household. The responsibilities and obligations really don’t suit you. Try for the position of "elder statesperson" or dowager instead. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Little domestic arguments can explode way too easily. Are you just being stubborn? How important are those details, anyway? Your arguments may be more aesthetic than logical, but they should still be explainable in a calm, friendly manner. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Your sexual appetite is surging, but so is your deeper desire for commitment. One is so much more easily satisfied than the other that you might find any effort frustrating. Try seeing the glass as half full. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Is your partner being too aggressive, or are you just being stubborn? You can do something about the latter. Fights come easily, but so does passion. You really need a struggle. Be nice, and you could get a good one! AQUARIUS (January 20 - February t8): Wanting too much can be a great spur to action, but acting impulsively on excessive desire is a sure path to accidents and illness. Meditate, think ahead, and confide in a friend with a cooler head before acting. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Acting on your playful urges will have far-reaching ramifications. Focus those desires responsibly and creatively. Infuriating people is not a mark of success per se, but be bold enough to risk pissing off the right people for the right reasons. GEMINI (May 21 - Jun~ 20): Be very careful and conservative with your money. Household and proper~ investments or any renegotiation of debt should be checked out very thoroughly. Sexual urges may take an emotional cost, challenging you to think more about your deeper needs. CANCER (June 21 -July 22): Acting on impulse can transform your relationship, and probably not for the better. Channel that energy into thinking ahead and talking about what you want, what your partner wants, and how you can deepen your connection. LEO (July 23 - August 22): Worrying about your health or work only makes problems - real or imagined - worse. Take positive steps, and check out anything that bears watching. Remember the difference between focus and obsession, and stick to the task at hand. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Your political aims are coming from somewhere deep in your gut, which is fine. But sensible strategy should come from your brilliant-butnow-vacationing brain. Artistic, creative expressions will give you the outlet you need. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Courtesy is usually your strongest conviction. Now other deep beliefs provoke you to speak up against authority. Think carefully about mouthing off to the police or your boss. If you want to raise hell, find a public demonstration that suits your politics. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Your urge for arguments seems to be coming out of nowhere. Try to focus that energy toward digging into topics that interest you. Take up a good challenge to keep your mind busy and your mouth out of trouble! 28 the STAR METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. UrJe Spirit of Chdst MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM CommUnity Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC of the Living Spring 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and Blessed Day! www.ozarksstar.com �DO\VNTOWN PLAZA of TULSA 17 West 7th Street Tulsa, OK 918-585-5898 wvw.downtownplazatulsa.com HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma Cig; OK 405-528-2221 wwv.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant RENT the Musical Tulsa PAC 918-596-7111 www.myticketoffice.com SUSAN HARTMAN Independent Broker Oklahoma and Arkansas 918-698-2977 susanlhartman@gmail.com ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK w~:anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 w~vw.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklaboma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Tulsa, OK j udygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CNTR 211 S. Garnett Tulsa, OK 74128 www.realacceptance.com CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREE~I; Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn GAYRIBBEAN CRUISES www.gayribbeancruises.com 877-560-8318 www.ozarksstar.com want the STAR delivered to your home or business? 12 issues for $33.95 will be mailed in a sealed envelope the 1st of each month. Complete the form below and send with a check or moneyorder to: ~he STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #153 Tulsa, OK 74145 (Single Copies $3.00 per issue) NAME: Address: MCC of the LIVING SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm City:. OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lakewood Tulsa, OK 74112 918-838-7104 www. openarmsproject.org Check enclosed Money Order Start Date: St: Zip: Phone: 29 �Keller Williams Realty \Vihether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. (ng~finitiqn easy) - growing up GAY in OK is You can help our teens. Support Open Arms Youth Project. For more Info: WWW. openarmsproject.org 30 the STAR www.ozarksstar, com ��drugs �� Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data magazine Text Any textual data included in the document 2 the STAR wwvv.ozarksstar.com By Victor Gorin Photo: Nate Borofiky, Doris Muramatsu,Blue Door owner Greg Johnson, & Ty Greenstein OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Valentine’s Day crowd at the Blue Door was trttly treated by the extraordinary innovation and harmonies of Girlyman, a gay band of 3 musicians, Nate Borofsky, Doris Muramatsu and Ty Greenstein, who wowed the house with their awesome harmonies & creative style. As Nate put it, their music has been influenced by "the Indigo Girls, Simon & Garfunkel, the Mamas and Papas, and Bach." Their style, if it could be labeled, is a blend of folk, pop and bluegrass best described by Ty as "alt folk" The full house audience consisted mostly of the Blue Door’s regular folk & innovative music fans, but also featured many "Blue Door virgins", and they were not disappointed. This trio, which has previously graced Oklahoma, once opened for the Indigo Girls here in 2004, and was ready to please a capacity crowd even though they admitted they didn’t know what to expect. Masterminded by their soundperson/tour manager Heather "Turtle" Brooks, they blend their talents and insight in a way that has to be heard to be believed. So far they have recorded 3 CD’s, the latest entitled "Joyful Signs." As for their clever name, it was not inspired by the famous California Governor Schwarzenegger who in fact made that "girlyman" expression famous 2 years after the band was formed, although they do welcome the publicity. As Muramutsu puts it, "It’s playful and fun. The name Girlyman puts that all out there and lets us play with it." That they did, and they’ll win over even more new fans xvhen they play Oklahoma again. www.ozarksstar.corn the STAR 3 Art Show by Shawn Wilson.and Merry Schepers. Michael Buble’ in OKC; "It is the ideal portrayal ofAmerica," says Jed Resnick, who plays Mark in the touring production. ~ DEE[P INSIDE HO~-t-~OOD Deep Inside Hollywood, reports on new projects for Madonna and Ian Ziering. GLBT History, Past Out looks at the life ofFTM pioneer Lou Sullivan. Devre Jackson reviews Australian Shiraz Bayou Crawfish Etouffee a feature at Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans ~C~AO "~’R~VS~. Gay Travelers: Entertainers Out of Town: Chelsea, Manhattan Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans lvlen from all over the world converge on Palm Springs for spring break. Surprise performances happening all weekend long! F~T~ESS Introspection can lead you to better understand yourself and ultimately to achieve greater happiness. ON THE COVER: Cast of "RENT" 4 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com LGBT Votes Sway Towards Hi11 Clinton LOS ANGELES, CA __Not only is the Democratic presidential primary ticket a historic celebration of diversity, but exit polls from Super Tuesday celebrated history as well. Polling orga,xizations from around the country asked three questions never before found on exit poll surveys: Did voters pick a xvoman? Did voters pick a black man? Did voters identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender? We are part of histor): Resoundingly, voters answered two of the three questions similarly, picking Hillary Clinton as their candidate and identifying as LGBT. In California, of the gay voters (4% of total), 63% voted for Clinton, 29% for Obama and 1% stayed around for E&vards. In New York, 7% of voters identified as LGBT, and out of them 59% voted for Clinton, 36% for Obama and 3% for Edwards. In a recent survey conducted by Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), a leading LGBTmarket research compan); **tore than 90percent ofgays and lesbians vote in U.S. presidential elections, compared to 64percent ofstraight citizens. Queerfolk are twice as likely as s~,’aightfolk to vote in midterm elections. Farrell to be best man £or brother’s gay wedding DUBLIN, IRELAND __ Hollywood star Colin Farrell is preparing for his next big role - best man at his brother’s gay wedding. The actor will stand beside his sibling Eamonn when he marries long-term partner Steven Mannion in Provincetown, Massachusetts this spring. Farrell is dose to his brother and helped chose Mannion’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring, when Eamonn proposed last year. A family friend tells the National Enquirer: "Colin is a firm believer in gay rights and he is proud of his brother. "He took Eamonn shopping for rings and intends to pick up the tab for the wedding." It was announced during the Sundance Film Festival that the Edward Norton/Colin Farrell cop drama "Pride and Glory" has been pushed back till 2009, even though it has been complete since last November. Farrell commented on this during the press junket for "In Bruges," trying to convince everyone that the delay has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. [via HollywoodElsewhere] All Gore Endorses Gay Marriage Photo by: David Gabber "I think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women, to make contracts, to have hospital visiting rights, to join together in marriage," Gore said. ’~d I don’t understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians. Shouldn’t we be promoting that kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one’s partner regardless of sexual orientation? Gore hinted that he would come around to support same-sex marriage as early as 2006, when speaking to a group of gay-rights activists, but his latest comments represent Gore’s first formal endorsement of equal marriage rights. Recognized by Keller Williams gor out~anding achievement 2005 and 2006 RE&LTY Chuck Breckenridge 918-706-1887 REALTOi~ WbetherbuyingorsellingI’llworkhardfbryou, W~NW.ozarksstar.corn the STAR 6 the STAR Diversity Business Association of Tulsa Can Larry Craig be Found Guilty in the Court o£Public Opinion? OKI~AHOMA CITY, OK __ On the facts as argued by the ACLU in a friend of the court filing, and outlined in this story from ~wccw.Bloomberg.com ( http://tinyurl. com/2b7hew ), to me it looks as if the wily and cunning coyote, Larry Craig, will get off again, pardon the pun, by thumbing his nose at the decency he pretends to legislate from the floor of the United States Senate. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock since late last summer, Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, now in his last session of Congress since he’s promised to resign, but will change his mind if enough people beg him to stay was charged with disruptive behavior in the Minneapolis airport when observed by an undercover policeman engaging in what the cop says was sexual solicitation. ¯here is a 1970 precedent in Minnesota that private solicitation of sexual activity in a private place can not be found illegal, as spying by police in a public restroom is an unreasonable search and therefore unconstitutional. The Court has yet to rule on Craig’s appeal of his guilty plea to the charge. Craig has since stated that his guilty plea was entered into in haste and without legal advice as he wanted to keep the charge out of public notice. Craig’s peculiar pantomime with his hands and feet, though laughable, is not illegal which is a good thing for him since his coitus ~vas interrupted by a too-eager cop wanting to score another statistic. Though there was no exposure of body parts or verbal utterances, it’s clear to me that Craig was after an airport quickie, and whether or not his appeal is accepted or rejected his action in the restroom stall refutes his claim that he isn’t gay. - .. Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wro9sg~ with being gay but there is something wrong with using your Senate vote to de~rive honest men and women their equality under the law even as they work to contribute to a decent American society. Ifyou listened to the taped interview of the Idaho Senator and the cop you must have noticed that Craig certainly had his battle hardened defense at ful! bore, strengthened as if he had done a few practice runs before. Just how self-assured would YOU be in this situation if you were claiming innocence of the charges and the sign language described? However, in the public court of reasonable opinion, I think Larry Craig would be found guilty with forethought and conspiracy of multiple counts to commit hypocrisy. Unfortunately, this crime is not punished by any jail sentence or fine. Craig’s punishment will have to be the resignation of his office and a return to, can I say, private life as a civilian where he will no doubt write a book describing the pain he’s endured from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and his hounding from office by the Puritans of public decency, the very constituency he claimed to represent? SF~UALITY~VD SPIRITUALITY CONFERENCE ~mosexuality is Neither ~ness nor Sin ~ Friday March 7, urday March 8 ersity of Central Oklahoma, Edmond Register online at www.PFLAGOKC.org or call Church of the Open Arms (405) 525 9555 www.ozarksstar.com www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 7 Proudly serving ~Asa & OKC’s GLBT communities since 1982 8 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com 621 E. 4th S~reet Tulsa, OK 74120 OI~NING RECEPTION THURSDAY, iV~RCH 6 6-9PM i%n-Sal 3-gpm through March 29 TULSA, OK__ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-9pm, Thursday, March 6, 2008, for the opening of it’s March exhibit "Now and Zen", featuring local artists Shawn Wilson and Merry Schepers. Shawn Wilson has been a professional artist for 25 years. A native Oklahoman, she moved to New York at 18 years old and within a short time was regularly selling her pen and -ink drawings to New Yorker magazine. She studied sculpture at New York’s famed Art Students’ League, and over the years has shown sculpture in galleries in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta. Shawn also paints-oil on canvas-and most notably, ’sumi-~’, 0apanese inkbrush painting). She studied this ancient art form with one of the few bona fide masters here in the U.S., Koho Yamamoto of NYC. Sumi-6 suits Shawn’s artistic abilities to a ’t’, as her work in all mediums concentrates on the essence of the subject rather than the details. ..................Continued page 27 Crooner Comes ByJoey De ~~e’s blonde, he’s beautiful and his new style of classic crooning will be coming to the stage of the Oklahoma City Ford Center Mar. 4. Michael Bubld, the international superstar who has earned himself a place in music history with such hits as "Feelin’ Good," is coming to Oklahoma City as part of his third major US concert tour. All of the shows on the first leg of his 2007-2008 tour sold out in record time. Buble’ brings an irrepressible spirit, engaging humor, and confident charisma to the concert stage, and will perform hits from his current CD "Call me Irresistible and many other classics. Bubl& new CD, which he calls "my remark on the state of love," contains feeling that ,vill surprise and delight fans and impress those new to his music. "Irresponsible" contains more of Bubl& buoyant, modern interpretations and songs by such greats as Leonard Cohen, Eric Clapton and Cy Coleman. Michael won his first Grammy Award this year. The Grammy is for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for "Call Me Irresponsible", which shot to #1, topping the charts around the world. The album included the #1 hit single "Everything", and was the fastest trip to #1 in three years on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. To purchase concert tickets go to www.ticketmaster. corn or visit the Ford Center box office. Visit www. michaelbuble.com for concert schedule. www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 9 By Joey De what can be said about "f~nt" that hasfft (and sometimes infamous) rock-opera that changed Br6adway forever ,,,ill be closing its doors on the great ~q~ite Way in Jtm~ but before it dora, the national tour will be making several stops in th~ Midwest. "Rent" is the story, of a colorful collectiot~ of frien& in Manhattan’s East End around the tiim end of the eighties. Surrounded by" povert.>; the onset of the MDS epi&mic and the rise of corporate commercialism, this group of artists defies the norm and redefines the boundaries oflove. " says Jed Resnick, who plays Mark in promise ofAmerica is a country of tolerance harmony. just doesn’t l~appen in rea! life, there is so much hatred utopian and unreal ~ bom~daries." ’°Rent" are persona!. "This show was the first shame and that Resnick says he connected with privately as a him want was a major 998, the summer when I first characters rand connected. It became a dream m be in the sho~; and people joked with me in High School about it because I’m so close to Mark." According to the performer, taking on the role of the show’s filmmaking n~xrator was not too much of a srxetch. "Mark and Jed are both slightly neurotic, Jewish N ew Yorkers." he laughs. "I latched on to our surface similarities and then was able to discover this~gs I didn’t realize about b~n. Things like his passion for art and fl~e ~ower it has to affect change." Photo: Jed Resnick Cathedral ofHope Donates Scarves to Wilson Schoo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ For the fourth year in a row members of the Cathedral of Hope made scarves for Wilson Elementary School; In 2004 the church "adopted" Wilson for a number of service projects, since Wilson was their neighborhood school and included children from homeless shelters and section eight housing. Annual projects include collecting schoo! supplies, donating tissues during cold season, and sewing scarves every winter. This year members worked over two nights creating over 60 scarves. One couple also donated gloves and hats. On Tuesday, February 5, church members delivered the goodies to the school. According to pastor, the Rev. Dr. Scott Jones, "The assistant principal told us that every year the kids look forward to the day the scarves are handed out and that they wear them every day a~er that." Nancy Sanders, who has helped with the project every year said, "It’s always a lot of fun for the kids and fun for us too." the STAR Deep b~4de HolI)~ood, reports on n~projectsfor Madonna and Ian Zierine~ Madonna khad to happen. Madonna mous disdain fbr her acting the camera. The finished product is recently premiered at the Berli~ mttsement. It stars the band Gogol Bordello) in a loose, in common with Madonna’s with her later it a refreshing new path uphill cred mountain to climb, but almost a lock that distribution reinvention will be as an aut~ur. a!most unani- Ian Ziering Move~ from Stretch marks, bloated ankles, ous. At least, that’s xvhat the makers given the success of other new comedy stars as a mar STAR Love on tb~e Nile (The Constant Gardener) looks like eyeliner - a good to be starring in a romance set jandro ~Am~ena bar (The will direct the film, about a slave (Oscar in love with his mistress at the dawn of the Christian era, Paradise Now) co-stars as a zea!- her statuette for The Constant variety of roles in movies like ~nd Definitel> Maybe, and this a~s-yet- Starts shooting this month - promises to eclectic. )..ueer Cinema" in the early ofa small miracle when a gay indie movie rea! theaters outside Trevor is one of those movies. Goodman, of unknowns, about queer the suddenly deep waters of adult life, appreciation that the recent "new naturalist" films of upstart directors like Andrew getting from critics and when the fihn gets released in May. © www.ozarksstar.com Ragged Blade Cor cer Oklahoma City February 29 h Photo by Mike W/site: Ashley Saphian, Isaac Cherry, Jerry Rabushka, ZachJett ST LOUIS, MO (P/R) __ They are faster! louder! more blues! and more country! Ragged Blade has made four theatrical excursions to the IAO in Oklahoma City and now they’re on tap for a concert of Music worth waiting for. An evening of original pop, country, blues, and ballads by songwriter & playwright Jerry Rabushka. You’ll hear songs from some of the plays that have come to the IAO last year, and some newly hatched music with Rabushka’s trademark deep emotion and beautiful harmonies. Hang out with us for co01 country songs. No Luck At Home, the bluesy and sexually charged, Wrong Side OfTown, and Jerry’s lonely ballad Diner 4 AM. The band: Zach Jett (vocals) has toured with Ragged Blade for over a year and has been to the IAO for Woofl. The Road Show and Love of Last Resort. Ashley Saphian (vocals) has performed in several RB plays and concerts. Isaac Cherry (drums) has toured nationally as a solo drummer and with such bands as Animal 13 on the east coast and the Malibu Minstrels on the west. Jerry Rabushka (keyboard and vocals) has written & produced several musicals, was nominated for a national award for outstanding Instrumental Recording by New York based Outmusic in 2003, and received an award from the St. Louis Arts For Life Foundations for his original score to the musical, The Soviet Tango. IAO Gallery, 811 N. Broadway Oklahoma City 405-232-6060 8:00 EM. $5.00 cover At that price you can bring LOTS of friends!! For more info please visit www.raggedblade.com or www.iaogallery. org March 2008 the STAR 13 by Liz Highleyman~~ Past Out, which looks at the life 0fFTM pioneer L0u Sullivan. Who was Lou Sullivan ? ouis Graydon Sullivan was a pioneer of the transgender movement - not just as an organizer, but as perhaps the first female-to-male (FTM) transsexual to identify publicly as a gay man. Born in June 1951 and named Sheila Jean, Sullivan grew up in a working-class family in a suburb of Milwaukee, \Vgis. He was educated at Catholic schools and took a secretarial job at the University ofWisconsin after graduating from high school. Though Sullivan later recalled that he had enjoyed "playing boys" as a child, his issues around gender and sexuality came to the fore when he was a teenager. "I look in the mirror and say to myself, ’That’s you, Sheila. That girl over there is you.’ It seems so funny," he wrote in his diary at age 14. Before long he started wearing men’s-style white shirts and ties, eventually adding men’s slacks, shoes, and hairstyle. By the early 1970s, Sullivan self-identified as a "heterosexual female transvestite who was sexually attracted to gay men," and had embarked on a long-term relationship with an effeminate man. Sullivan was active in the nascent gay liberation movement, which embraced gender-bending and favored the androgynous aesthetic of the broader counterculture. He was involved with Milwaukee’s first gay rights group, the Gay People’s Union (GPU), and helped produce its newsletter. Jumping into the controversy over drag within the women’s movement, he wrote "A Transvestite Answers a Feminist" 14 the STAR for GPU News in 1973, followed a year later by "Looking Towards Transvestite Liberation," which was widely reprinted in other gay and lesbian publications. Over the next few years, Sullivan’s gender identity shifted from transvestite to transsexual. In 1975, he and his boyfriend moved to San Francisco; as a parting gift, his supportive family gave him a good suit and an heirloom pocket watch engraved "Go West Young Man." But even amid the city’s queer milieu, Sullivan had difficulty finding others like himselfi "I want to look like what I am," he once wrote, "but don’t know what someone like me looks like." Though still presenting as a woman in his job as a secretary for the Wilson Sporting Goods company, most of the rest of the time Sullivan fully cross-dressed and lived as a gay man, hanging out in gay bars and enjoying an adventurous sex life. Sullivan sought sex-reassignment surgery in the late 1970s, but was repeatedly denied because he openly identified as ~y at a time when people undergoing the procedure were expected to adopt stereotypical heterosexual opposite-sex gender roles. "They were invested in taking sissy gay boys and transforming them into straight women, and taking tomboy women who were socially unacceptable and changing them into straight men," according to fellow FTM Shadow Morton. Sullivan recalled that one gender clinic told him he could not possibly live as a gay man, since gay men were primarily interested in large penises. Sullivan’s frustration led him to campaign for the removal of homosexuality as a contraindication for sex reassignment - an effort that finally succeeded in the late 1980s. At a time when most gender services focused on male-to-female transsexuals, he volunteered as the first FTM peer counselor with San Francisco’s Janus Information Facility (a clearinghouse for information about transsexuality) and wrote the earliest informational booldet for transmen, _Information for the Female to Male Cross-Dresser and Transsexual_ (1980). He later authored a biography of early 20th-century "passing woman" Jack Bee Garland. Sullivan was a co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California (now the GLBT Historical Society), helping to ensure that it was inclusive of transgender lives. In 1979, after several refusals from established university-based gender dinics, Sullivan found sympathetic therapists and doctors and began taking testosterone. He had a double mastectomy and started a new technician job where co-workers had never known him as a woman. He finally underwent genital surgery in 1986, but experienced complications and never fully recovered; that same year, he was diagnosed as HIV positive. "I took a certain pleasure," he wrote, "in informing the gender clinic that even though their program told me I could not live as a gay man, it looks like I’m going to die like one." Sullivan devoted his final years to building the network ofFTM contacts he had acquired over a decade into an organization, and eventually a visible movement. In 1986, he began holding peer-support get-togethers for people on the male transgender spectrum, which evolved into the present-day FTM International - today the largest and longest-running organization of its kind. Yet he continued to take the time to answer the many letters he received from transmen around the world, hoping to dispel the sense of isolation he had felt. Sullivan died of an AIDS-related illness in March 1991, after malting plans to ensure that the organization he created would continue. "Lou Sullivan left behind a mailing list of about 230 names, a roll of stamps, the model of inclusion in his support group, and the ethic of service to a community he hoped would someday exist," said de facto successor Jamison Green. "Now it almost does. In life and since his death, he has been an inspiration for many transmen, both gay and straight." w~,wv.ozarksstar.corn 1) Langmeil Three Gardens Barossa Valley ’05- Shiraz, Grenache and Mourv~dre. Smooth and round, with raspberry & plum most prominent/lean finish. 2) Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz ’06- Ripe and aromatic. The past 2 vintages have scored some high points with national wine critics/ worth checking out. 3) Yalumba Y Series Shiraz-Viognier 2006- Spicy, but the mix of Viognier makes a presence of lychee and peach. 4) Molly Dooker The Boxer 2006 - Ripe and smoky. A mouthful of raspberry with white pepper. A state allocated wine/very hard to find bottle here in town so if ya see it, get it! 5) Marquis Phillips Sarah’s Blend 2005- Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. Check out the Roogle on the label. It’s cross between an Eagle and a Kangaroo and signifies the friendship between the US and Australia. Great taste/recommended. 6) Lindemans Padthaway Reserve 2005- Generous cherry and raspberry flavors. From the Hunter Valley about and hour and a half from Sydney. Also gets rave reviews. And as always, I say go to your favorite wine shop, ask questions and purchase a bottle or two. Share some food & wine with friends and check this out for yourself. Mr. D also hosts wine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. References include: the ABC’s of wine by James Laube/www.WineSpectator.com www.FoodandWine.com www.Wikipedia.org By Joey De Photo: David Barlo,~ a,~d A,,~a,~da Ba/on CopyrightJoa*¢ Marcus 2007 TULSA, OK __ One of America’s most beloved musicals, "Annie" is celebrating its 30th anniversary tour, and giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic about never giving up hope. The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is coming to the Tulsa PAC March 4-9. With music by Charles Strouse and book by Thomas Meeban, ’%nhie" is again directed by lyricist Martin Charnin, who directed the original 1977 Broadxvay production. After xvinning seven Tony Axvards in 1977, including Best blusica!, Book and Score the shoxv ran for 2,377 performances and is one of the top 20 longest running shows in Broadxvay history. With one of Broadxvay’s most memorable scores, including t~ the Hard-Knock Life" and ’"~tomorrow,""~"(~nnie,"is the feel-good shoxv to bring a smile to any, face. Tickets may be purchased at 596-7111, via the internet at wwxv. MyTicketOffice.com or by visiting the PAC box oft{ce. Get the STAR delivered to your home or office. 12 issues only $33.95. Send Check or Money Order to: The STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #153 Tulsa, OK 74145 the ~TA~ Seepage 29for o,’der blank. An Italian-Creole restaurant in New Orleans. Bayou Crawfish Etouffee 1/4 pound butter 4 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped green peppers 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic 4 cups sliced mushrooms 1 1/2 teaspoons flour Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 4 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 cups whipping cream 1 cup half-and-half 1 3/4 cups tomato sauce Melt butter in large heavy-duty pot. Add onions, peppers, garlic and all seasonings. Saute, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent (15 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add flour and mix thoroughly for 1 minute, stirring often. Add whipping cream and half-and-half. Cook until cream thickens but does not boil, stirring often. Add tomato sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Add desired meat, seafood or crawfish. Stirring often, cook until meat or vegetables are done. The longer you let the sauce cook, the more flavorful it becomes. More on PASCAL’S MANALE Restaurant see page 22 www.ozarksstar.com cONOUES T Join our gay and Imbian group aboard Carnival Cow,quest© ~ we set sail from Galvesm~ and call o~ the beaurifhi ports in Monrego Ba); Grand Cayman and Cx~zumel. There is no better way to celebrate Halloween than aboard a funship with Gayribbean Cruises, We offer: Our fr~ntasdc Halloweml Costume Part),, Nighdy Mixers and SO MUCH MORE ! Book early and save. Ask how m receive $75 shipboard cre<~t! For information & Reservations www.GaydbbeanCruisesocom by Donald Pile and Ray Williams "Countess Alexis with Ray Williams" Lypsinka Frank Marino One of the manygreat things about travel.in~ is,.besid.es me.eting interestin,~,people and visiting beautiful places, sometimes you also get to see FABULOUS ENTERTAINERS. The past few- )mars We were fortunate to be able to see these entertainers in action. They ernb0dy all that is good in a true entertainer. ...... fun, funny; sometimes elegant and they all put on a great show. THE COUNT.S, B&EXIS DEL LAGO of Paris, New York and HollDvood. one of the most remarkable, amazing and elegant pers0nalilties that we have,ever met in our travels. She was the most elegant drag queen ofthe 80 s New York City, she then moved to \Vest Hollywooa and 6pened a wonderful antiques b(~utique shop. She WAS Marlene Dietrich, afI day and every day[ Sh£ is the cla~;iest add best &essed of them all. She *~,-~as (~nd stil! is) a r~al star when everyone else was just pretending. She performed on stage, movies and tete~2ision. She was a bi~ hit at the famous Pyramid Club in New York and with the Andy Wathol group. Her latest moade, SUPERSTAR IN A HOUSEDRESS, only proves how classy,she still iS. And always hers,d£ She believed in herself as most people don t. MOst people either dont have the, courage to be themselve~s,o,~ are s,o unsure about wh~ they are that they cant. As the Countess stares, It wasrft that I was so fabulous, it is just that the others were so stupid. \Ve have never seen her when she &dnt look hke a milhon dollars. She ALWAYS makes a grain entrance where ever she goes. And why not? She ~s N~e Countess : Check out http:lt~wv.youtube.com/watch?v=lG2DATQ_dlA to see a fabulous sm,en minute fihn clip. LYPSINKA, whose real name is John Epperson lives in New York City. We caught his act at theAI~ Theatre in San Francisco. His production is entitled "LYPSINKM THE BOX.ED SET" He is one of the most intelligent performers around. He does Gisele MacKenzie, Frances Faye, Conme Franos, Llbby Morns, Dorothy Sqmres and the 50 s musical ,con Delores Gray. He performs all over the United States and gets standing ovations where,)er he performs. It is remarkable the staging and entertaini~ag this entertainer does. You will be dazed by his performance. Unlike marli, performers he stretches the boundaries. ~e H~llDvood Reporter says L smka ~s hke nothing you ve seen before. Theamcat art,stry that ne er seems to slow down" The New York~mes says "I.ypsinka is a fascinating, ftmny and disturbing spectacle." From the opening scene ro the finale this performer never lets down the audience. He is absolute dynamite. Audiences go back year after year to see him perform. And on top of everything else l~}m just happens to be a very nice person. For a listing of his performances and other information about him go to ww~:lypsinka.corn. FRANK MARINO, who performs at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas , is another performer who puts on a great show. He does his "_Joan River’s’ routine and has been wowing audiences for years and years in I.as Vegas. The straights in the audience really get into his show and why not? He and his cast and crmv put on a class act show. He emcees the’show and introduces the different performers who do Chef. Shirley MacLaine, Tina, and many others. Tlaeir show is sold out almost every night. It is basically a musicallcomedy revie~v with gorgeous gowns, feathers, glitter, etc. Frank changes cosrurnes between every set which gives a grear dimension to the show. When going to Las Vegas next time, be sure and catch the show. His web site is ~x~;frankmarino.com .............................Continued next page 18 the STAR v~w.ozarksstar.com Creating Community for People ~ivin9 with H~V/AIDS .A 50~. c (3) Non P~ofit O~ganization Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of our people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HIM+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistanoe to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail harrismmjr@yahoo.oom. Neighborhood s recently as the mid-1990s, relatively few visitors spent time in Chelsea, the neighborhood on Manhattan’s west side between Midtown and Greenwich Village. Today, however, Chelsea abounds with gay bars, coo! restaurants, diverting shops, avant-garde galleries, and an increasing number of hotels. It’s become arguably the city’s hottest destination for gay visitors, and a wonderful neighborhood to spend a weekend or short vacation. This part of the city was developed in the 1830s by clergyman Clement Clark Moore, author of"A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("~B~vas the night before Christmas..."), whose family owned most of the area. Well into the mid-20th century, Chelsea was a drab, lower-income neighborhood where workers at nearby garment factories and river docks lived in cheap boardinghouses and rickety, airless tenements. But as gays began moving here in the ’70s and ’80s, gentrification gradually took hold. And in recent years, the neighborhood has developed cachet among both residents and visitors as one of the trendiest areas in the city as well as one of the nation’s most dynamic gay communities. Chelsea comprises roughly the blocks between 5th Avenue and the Hudson River, with 14th Street forming the neighborhood’s southern boundary. Most locals consider 23rd Street to be its northern edge, but others argue the border extends as far north as 28th or even 32nd Street. For all practical purposes - particularly in terms of retail, dining, and clubbing - you’ll find the most intriguing businesses between 14th and 23rd streets. And where gay-popular establishments are concerned, the main drag is 8th Avenue, with 7th Avenue a close runner-up. Additionally, 9th and 10th avenues have witnessed the tide of gentrification in recent years, particularly as top galleries have moved into the western reaches of Chelsea. 20 the STAR )ff~rs little in the way of attractions, unless, of course, you count shopping as a form of sightseeing. If you wander along West 20th through West 27th streets in the block west of 10th Avenue, you’ll find storefront after storefront of cutting-edge art galleries - check out www.chelseaartga~leries.com for details on upcoming shows. Fans of dance should note two important neighborhood institutions: the art deco Joyce Theater, which hosts high-quality dance companies throughout the year, and the dramatic Dance Theater Workshop, around the corner, which also presents acclaimed concerts throughout the year. The neighborhood draws plenty of foodies to its Chelsea Market, a bustling concourse of gourmet food stalls in which you’ll find tantalizing Thai food, savory soups, fine wines, heavenly baked goods, and lots more. In fact, restaurants have become one of the neighborhood’s leading draws. There are the obvious bastions of gay social life, such as Viceroy and Food Bar for rather standard American chow, and campy VYNL, which is known for its eclectic Asian and international dishes, plus outstanding martinis. Gym buffs on high-protein diets favor Better Burger, with its menu of lean, char-grilled burgers and fresh-squeezed juices. Other hot spots include the funky Thai restaurant Room Service, known for such ldcky creations as Thai-spicy tuna salad and chile-rubbed salmon; and Suenos, which serves some of the most innovative regional Mexican fare in the city - be sure to try the duck-confit quesadillas with poached pears and ancho chileso For weekend brunch, don’t miss East of Eighth, which turns out first-rate contemporary American food and offers lively cabaret in the evenings. Few spots are more popular at lunchtime than Dish, a glorified diner of sorts, which is also known for its relaxing Saturday and Sunday brunch. Snackers and noshers will find plenty of toothsome options, including F&B Gudtfood for gourmet hot dogs and European-style street food, Murray’s for some of the city’s finest bagels, and Pinkberry, for the mysterious yogurt-esque frozen-dessert snacks that have taken the city by storm. On the west side of the neighborhood, you can count on the Red Cat for a terrific meal of creative American fare, such as a fantastic paprika-roasted cod with spicy escarole and an anchovy-almond sauce. At cozy Tia Pol, choose from a long list of outstanding Spanish tapas, while the much-hyped Craftsteak is your go-to for superb cuts of beef- it’s part ofTom Colicchio’s (ofTV’s Top Chef) growing restaurant empire. Chelsea has become the epicenter of gay nightlife in New York City (although it’s fair to say that the Hells Kitchen and East Village neighborhoods provide plenty of competition). There are the trendy spots, such as G Lounge, a sea of coiffed and smartly dressed men hobnobbing around a central bar or relaxing in mod lounge chairs; and the long-running Splash, a two-floor temple of chic gay clubbing known for its go-go dancers and throbbing music. Quirky Barracuda cultivates a mixed arty and cruisy bunch, while the bilevel Eagle caters to the usual set of bears, leather men, and ardent porn enthusiasts (old-fashioned blue movies play on the video screens). www.ozarksstar.com Rawhide is an old-school neighborhood bar with an age-diverse following, and the friendly Gym Sportbar has become the darling of the post-workout crowd. Locals hangouts like View Bar and XES can seem empty or bustling depending on the night, and a couple of pulsing warehouse discos, Rush and Stereo, round out the scene. Chelsea has relatively few hotel rooms compared with other key Manhattan neighborhoods, but it’s a 10- to 20-minute walk (or a short cab or subway ride) from the scads of hotels in Midtown. What you will find in Chelsea, however, are several properties with reasonable rates, most catering heavily to the gay market. A favorite of history buffs is the raffish Hotel Chelsea, the city’s tallest building when it was built in the 1880s. This bohemian hostelry has been the home of all sorts of fascinating characters, from William Burroughs to Jasper Johns to Allen Ginsberg: Just up the street, the modern and rather basic Chelsea Savoy Hotel has a terrific location at the corner ofWest 23rd Street and 7th Avenue, and rooms here can run as low as $99 nightly. Among the big chains, there’s a Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea on West 25th Street, and the Hampton Inn Chelsea on West 24th Street. Both of these are clean, well-managed, and affordable. This hip neighborhood is rapidly developing, though, and within a few years you’ll find a number of additional hotels to choose from. For instance, the trendy hotel brand Indigo is planning a 122-room property for 127 West 28th Street, to open in early 2009. And, just a short walk east of Chelsea in a similarly vibrant area, you might consider the uber-coolWNew York Union Square, a swank stunner that occupies the 1911 beaux-arts Guardian Life building and contains Todd English’s bustling Olives restaurant and Rande Gerber’s see-and-be-seen Underbar. Or check into Ian Schrager’s luxuriously re-imagined Gramercy Park Hotel, a glam boutique hotel overlooking the elegant park of the same name. Among smaller, gay-oriented properties, a reliable pick is the Chelsea Pines Inn, which occupies a charming 1850s town house in the heart of the neighborhood. Rooms with semiprivate bath (sink and shower are in your room, but the toilet is shared with several other rooms on same floor) start at $140, while rooms with private baths begin at $175. An even better value, with rates beginning around $130 for shared-bath units, the Chelsea Lodge is set along handsome West 22nd Street and contains 22 cozy, clean, and pleasantly furnished rooms. When you consider that generic, bland chain properties in Midtown can charge well over $400 per night, these two intimate and friendly Chelsea hideaways are a real bargain. And you can use the money you save to dine well in the neighborhood’s dozens of inviting eateries. 1-800-535-AIDS (2437) Okllahoma’s H V/STD Hot ine PROTECT YO F PROTECT YOUR PA ° F,¢ee. me~HIV testify, t~ 20 H.O.P;~. Tes~:~ng C~inic ~ens Oetreach Pr~ram www.ozarksstar.com the STAR :)1 ~ 6, 2008 ItMian’Creole restaurant in New Orleans Fotmded in 1913, this family-run, ItaJian,Creole restaurant is 8) i New Orle~s at baxbecued shrimp. N~is . from the se~,ice to the decor. oyster bar ~nd on ~e hflf shel! and fll ~es of cocktails. We offer Sp~cialfies and delicio~ stea~, ~ i in traddtion; ir ~ s and ~hes it out daily in ~e ~tO lmltate~ !tiNe;Andwhenyou! We&esday thru Friday : thru Saturda); 5 PM to closing ~d cloSed 0h March 2008 WHITE PARTY SPRING BREAK 2008 PRESENTS THREE DAYS AND FOUR NIGHTS OF THE BEST PARTIES ON THE PLANET !’~"~ Men from all over the world converge on Palm Springs : April 17.21, 2008. Surprise performances happening aft weekend long! PALM SPRINGS, CA (PR) This is the event that attracts men from all over the world to the desert oasis of Palm Springs, CA ! Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party Spring Break happens at new date in 2008--April 17-21, with an action-packed weekend of non-stop parties, superstar performances and the hottest men from all over the globe. Totally new for 2008: the sexy Boxers and Briefs Underwear Party, happening Friday, will let it all hang out. Saturday’s main event: White Party - Boogie Fever celebrates 30 years of dance music. Not to mention Sunday’s Extreme T Dance, an over-the-top dance event taking the action farther than it’s ever been before. Weekend passes are on sale now at www.CircuitTicket.com. Express Weekend Passes ($350 until Feb. 15) include: Absolute priority access to all weekend events; Access to VIP lounge at the Saturday White Party and Sunday T Dance; Official White Party Spring Break Gift Bag and Unlimited complimentary bottled water at White Party and T Dance. Weekend Passes ($250 until Feb. 15) include: Express Entrance to White Party, T Dance & Closing Party; complementary admission to Thursday Welcome Party, plus a $25 add-on for admission to Boxers and Briefs Underwear Party. For additional information or to purchase passes in advance online, visit: www.jeffreysanker.com or vcww.circuiticket.com. For more information, call (310) 360-6100. The host hotel for White Party 2008 is the fabulous Wyndham Palm Springs, the center of all the poolside action, home to nighttime events and location of the official welcome center. For reservations, call: (760) 322-6000. Mention WP when making reservations to receive a special rate. Back by popular demand: The ultimate VIP treatment lets you experience White Party in the lap of luxury with a range of personalized services right at your fingertips. Again in 2008, White Party Spring Break offers a limited number of luxurious VIP packages to make your weekend truly unforgettable. Packages include a range of options such as premium accommodations, lavish amenities including a personal concierge, private cabanas, security escorts and special upgrades. All packages feature exclusive VIP bottle service at Saturday night’s White Party and the SundayT Dance. Visit: www. jeffreysanker.com for more details. The STAR 23 and the By Ronald Blake esterday was my thirty-ninth birthday. I chose to wake with the roosters and run a five kilometer race to begin my fete of this event. I ruminated on my choice of a celebratory method be.fore, during, and after this competition. I discovered many reasons ~vhy I dragged my partner and our little canine companion along with me to this athletic spectacle. There is not much traffic on an early Saturday morning when you are headed to a physical challenge. I was able to really notice the mountains when I wasn’t beset by droves of angry, chafed, rush-hour motorists. I realized that the mountains were even more majestic with their verdant hue given the recent rains here in the desert. The rising sun added its paintbrush to this mountain landscape with its spangling of yellows and oranges. A good reason to get up and run. We drove past the Phoenix International Raceway on our journey to the starting line. I have lived in the Valley of the Sun for over three years and had never seen this imposing NASCAR edifice. It was quietly assuming its regnant place alongside its panoply of mountains. We also had never been to the location of this gala running affair. It too was nestled next to the mountains and was a magnificent oasis in the ribald desert landscape. I felt a contemporary thrill of a Louis and Clark moment as I gazed upon virgin ground. A good reason to get up and run. There were other people at the race site when I arrived. These people also had running shoes and were stretching. These people also brought friends, family members, and their little dogs too. These people also ran the course, sweated, and finished completely exhausted. I wasn’t the only one early to bed and early to rise. We shared camaraderie and a commonality that morning. A good reason to get up and run. I received a T-shirt, bananas, a medal, an olio of donated sundries, and some friendly discourse through out my experience. It did cost me twentyfive dollars to participate but I am not offering any regrets. I could just as easily have spent that money on a well-earned hangover but I already have plenty of those notched in my craw! of fame. I am pleased with my assortment of newly acquired memorabilia. A good reason to get up and run. There was live music after the race. It was provided by your quintessential three men and a lady cover band. The backdrop was a cupola adorned, ornate clubhouse and a lake begirded with palm trees. I would have settled for anything at that time. I had just felt the intrinsic satisfaction of completing an arduous task and the extrinsic reward of a salvo of cheers for my fait accompli. A very good reason to get up and run. I am thirty-nine today and I wil! be forty next year. I have no control over the passage of time. I will continue to enjoy my flight through the ages and I will continue to augment my reasoning for getting up and running...until the flight ends. ~sis health andfitness column is brought to you by that gvgy who noticed that sex act is followed by sexagenarian in the dictionary. ~at connect the dots guy is Ron Blake and he can be vivified at www.goblakefimess. co~n, www.ozarksstar.com ART SHOW: Between sumi-d, drawings, oil paintings and sculpture, Shawn’s work has been shown and sold in dozens of one-woman and group showings and through commissioned work. Merry Schepers is also a native Otdahoman whose works in porcelain, clay and multimedia embrace a broad stylistic spectrum from flying porcelain vessels to shamanic, archetypal masks to functional stoneware. She earned her BA from Montclair State University (N.J.) and has worked in clay for over thirteen years. As a member of the Alternative Outsider artists, she participates in that group’s annual show. She also shows in galleries in Tulsa, Ok. and Fayetteville, AR. and participates in Tulsa’s Blue Dome Arts Festival. The exhibit will remain up through the month of March, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. Nae Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located at 621 E. 4th St., in downtown Tulsa. More info can be found on the web at okeq.org. 7his monthly event is hosted by Oklahoman’sfor Equality (OkEq). OkEq seeks equal rightsfor Lesbian, Ga); Bisexual & Tram’gender (LGBT) individuals andfamilies through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation ofthe Dennis R. Neill Equali~y Center. Oklahoma City mayor challenges citizens to loose 1 million pounds OKLAHOMA CITY - With a button-popping spread of cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak and pecan pie designated as Oklahoma’s official state meal, it’s no surprise that Oklahoma City’s mayor wants to put the city on a diet. Mick Cornett has challenged the city to shed 1 million pounds as its New Year’s resolution. A1 McAffrey To Speak At OK County Democrats Medallion Dinner OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __M is the Representative for House District 88 and will be the Master of Ceremonies for our Medallion Dinner. The Oklahoma County Democrats Medallion Dinner, with Jim Roth and Al McAffrey, will be taking place on March 8, 2008 at the Regal Room (Ned’s Catering), 625 NW Grand Blvd, OKC, 73118. Visit the website for updated information, sponsor & ticket prices, and easy online ticket purchasing. www.okcountydemocrats.org Oklahoma Governor say’s NO to National Real ID (PR) The federal effort to create a national identity card, called the Real ID card, would take us one step closer to a surveillance society, erode our right to privacy and put our personal information at risk. Luckily, governors in five states, including Oklahoma, courageously rejected this invasive law. Now we need these governors to stand their ground so that Congress will be forced to repeal this horrifying program! Real ID would force all states to connect their DMV databases to one single interlinked system -- facilitating government tracking of ordinary Americans. It would also expose our most sensitive personal information to criminal identity theft. Thanks to your Governor, this invasive law -- and the dramatic tax increases required to pay its massive price tag -- was courageously rejected in Oklahoma. Help make sure that no American is forced to use the costly "Big Brother" Real ID card. The national Real ID card will take away our privacy and treat all Americans like enemies of the state! "The nature of the questions LGBT human rights defenders were asked, repeatedly trying to link homosexuality and pedophilia, simply shows how far our stubborn opposition is ready to go to put obstacles before LGBT groups on their way to recognition as members of civil society," the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) said in a statement. Just two of many reasons the right wing hates McCain. 1. Same-sex marriage. McCain refuses to support a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. 2. Stem-cell research. McCain would relax restrictions on federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, which critics consider tantamount to abortion. BERLIN (AP) __ A new Berlin memorial to the Nazis’ gay victims should be ready within months, officials said Thursday. The $890,000 memorial to gay victims will be located in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park, across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said. Homosexuality was banned under the Nazis. Tens of thousands of people, primarily men, were arrested, and many were sent to concentration camps. BEIJING (AFP) Chinas Ministry of Health is set to implement its first ever national programme to curb the spread of HIV/ AIDS among gay men. "The programme aims to strengthen measures to prevent and control the deadly disease among the homosexual community," the China Daily quoted Wang \greizhen, a senior official with the ministry’s HIWAIDS prevention department, as saying. "By learning more about gay people, we can better protect them against this incurable disease. Studies are under way in several cities to collect information on gay men, such as their.., behavioural patterns." The programme will also deliver special funding and technical support to gay men, Wang said, without giving further details. There are over 700 thousand gay men with HIV/AIDS in China. www.ozarksstar.corn the STAR 27 "Be cor~servative with money, Gemini!" As Mars enters Cancer, productive efforts are easily clouded by moods and misunderstandings. While he opposes Pluto, frustrations can gain exaggerated importance. You may feel like you need an oar to propel your craft forward, but what you may really need is a shovel to dig to the root of existing challenges. ARIES (March 20 -Apri~ 19): Yours is the sign of the lone wolf, but you are now aiming for the role of head of the household. The responsibilities and obligations really don’t suit you. Try for the position of "elder statesperson" or dowager instead. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Little domestic arguments can explode way too easily. Are you just being stubborn? How important are those details, anyway? Your arguments may be more aesthetic than logical, but they should still be explainable in a calm, friendly manner. GEMINI (May 21 - Jun~ 20): Be very careful and conservative with your money. Household and proper~ investments or any renegotiation of debt should be checked out very thoroughly. Sexual urges may take an emotional cost, challenging you to think more about your deeper needs. CANCER (June 21 -July 22): Acting on impulse can transform your relationship, and probably not for the better. Channel that energy into thinking ahead and talking about what you want, what your partner wants, and how you can deepen your connection. LEO (July 23 - August 22): Worrying about your health or work only makes problems - real or imagined - worse. Take positive steps, and check out anything that bears watching. Remember the difference between focus and obsession, and stick to the task at hand. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Your political aims are coming from somewhere deep in your gut, which is fine. But sensible strategy should come from your brilliant-butnow- vacationing brain. Artistic, creative expressions will give you the outlet you need. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Courtesy is usually your strongest conviction. Now other deep beliefs provoke you to speak up against authority. Think carefully about mouthing off to the police or your boss. If you want to raise hell, find a public demonstration that suits your politics. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Your urge for arguments seems to be coming out of nowhere. Try to focus that energy toward digging into topics that interest you. Take up a good challenge to keep your mind busy and your mouth out of trouble! SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Your sexual appetite is surging, but so is your deeper desire for commitment. One is so much more easily satisfied than the other that you might find any effort frustrating. Try seeing the glass as half full. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Is your partner being too aggressive, or are you just being stubborn? You can do something about the latter. Fights come easily, but so does passion. You really need a struggle. Be nice, and you could get a good one! AQUARIUS (January 20 - February t8): Wanting too much can be a great spur to action, but acting impulsively on excessive desire is a sure path to accidents and illness. Meditate, think ahead, and confide in a friend with a cooler head before acting. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Acting on your playful urges will have far-reaching ramifications. Focus those desires responsibly and creatively. Infuriating people is not a mark of success per se, but be bold enough to risk pissing off the right people for the right reasons. METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. UrJe Spirit of Chdst MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM CommUnity Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC of the Living Spring 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and Blessed Day! 28 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com DO\VNTOWN PLAZA ofTULSA 17 West 7th Street Tulsa, OK 918-585-5898 wvw.downtownplazatulsa.com HABANA INN 2200 NW39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma Cig; OK 405-528-2221 wwv.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant RENT the Musical Tulsa PAC 918-596-7111 www.myticketoffice.com SUSAN HARTMAN Independent Broker Oklahoma and Arkansas 918-698-2977 susanlhartman@gmail.com ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK w~:anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 w~vw.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklaboma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn GAYRIBBEAN CRUISES www.gayribbeancruises.com 877-560-8318 DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CNTR 211 S. Garnett Tulsa, OK 74128 www.realacceptance.com OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREE~I; Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM MCC of the LIVING SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lakewood Tulsa, OK 74112 918-838-7104 www. openarmsproject.org want the STAR delivered to your home or business? 12 issues for $33.95 will be mailed in a sealed envelope the 1st of each month. Complete the form below and send with a check or moneyorder to: ~he STAR 5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #153 Tulsa, OK 74145 (Single Copies $3.00 per issue) NAME: Address: City:. St: Zip: Phone: Check enclosed Money Order Start Date: www.ozarksstar.com 29 Keller Williams Realty \Vihether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. (ng~efiansityiq)n - growing up GAY in OK is You can help our teens. Support Open Arms Youth Project. For more Info: WWW. openarmsproject.org 30 the STAR www.ozarksstar,com drugs Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2008] The Star Magazine, March 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 3 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 01, 2008 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Online text Image Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource magazine Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwestern Missouri Western Arkansas Southeastern Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Star Magazine’s first issue began February of 2005. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004) and The Ozark Star (2004). Follows is The Metro Star (2008). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media, Ltd Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Greg Steele James Nimmo Joey D. Victor Gorin Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ronald Blake Ray Williams Jack Fertig Liz Highleyman Devre Jackson Chaz Ward Victor Gorin Judy G. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Star Magazine, February 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 2 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/245 The Star Magazine, April 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 4 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/244 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/249 Al Gore Bars Blue Door cartoons Cathedral of Hope Deep Inside Hollywood entertainers entertainment fitness Gay marriage health Hillary Clinton HIV/AIDs HOPE horoscope Larry Craig MCC church Michael Buble Mick Cornett Night clubs Our House paparazzi Past Out Quotable Quotes Ragged Blade Real ID card recipes Star Advertisers Star classifieds Star Scene Too travel