9 20 644 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/3efb6e15174c08d957a6149c905607e1.png 8745a7b2f7540773234daecf5d9accb8 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/9efda14cfb237c57c74870def23ed44d.pdf cbc57a2dbd49df6cf2e55728aa927237 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 [ND] PFLAG Pamphlet Subject The topic of the resource Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Description An account of the resource Pamphlet informing about PFLAG. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays 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 Pamphlet Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays PFLAG Youth https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/2fa160ba8ff3b42bcda1d7eaf2ed4f88.png 65f4b0875940cba7cc9faeddbbbba6a0 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/0a67d5659c0318b6ae67195982ef3b14.mp4 d07285184026a1ec3c46c6fe15ffde11 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.) 23 minutes 38 seconds 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 [ND] PFLAG - Tulsa Chapter - Project Open Mind Press Conference Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource PFLAG - Tulsa Chapter Bill Hinkle Kathy Hinkle Nancy McDonald PFLAG Tulsa Chapter Project Open Mind https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/ace0de1d53bc5a9920e357173e24586e.png 4017a1cefac6aff0d793dc1529026028 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/9d06a23a8c14ee4dcfbd93b4d08a599b.mp4 2feef6690b670fe0c7d27d59b55abf8a 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] PFLAG Downtown Library Exhibit for Pride Month Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource PFLAG Tulsa Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tulsa City, County Library - Central Library Central Library Library Display PFLAG Pride Month https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/cb4e5b6c3a1dc9a1a170a2d8b430e331.png 22194643f130db2a772c277140c38c12 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] "Despite Victories, battles still rage on many fronts" Subject The topic of the resource Homophobia Description An account of the resource Newspaper article reviewing "Stories from the War on Homosexuality", a film series covering homophobia in various segments of society. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource R.J. Grubb Bay Windows ArtsPlus Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Bay Windows Artsplus Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Bay Windows ArtsPlus Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 6, 2003 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource R.J. Grubb Bay Windows ArtsPlus Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Film review Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bay Windows Artsplus, November 6, 2003 pg. 24 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Homophobia Arts Don't ask, don't tell Violence https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/10167565c2307d2fa491e1081b6322ea.pdf de6abdbb71ce4fef3866ab4284acb9ad 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 [1993] The Traditional Values Coalition Video Subject The topic of the resource 1993 The Traditional Values Coalition Video: Politics of Divisiveness & Hate (Summary of Discussion Points in "Gay Rights/Special Rights") Description An account of the resource A 24 page collection regarding the Traditional Values Coalition's (TVC) anti-gay propoganda video "Gay Rights/Special Rights", prepared by Renee DeLapp for the Western States Center Advanced Leadership/Mentorship Program, Fall 1993. Includes an analysis of the ideologies expressed and relevant articles from the National Black Lesbian and Gay News Magazine, the Boston Phoenix, the Traditional Values Foundation (TVF), the Oakland Tribute, the Coalition for Human Dignity's Dignity Report, and the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Renee DeLapp Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available National Black Lesbian and Gay News Magazine, Boston Phoenix, Traditional Values Foundation (TVF), Oakland Tribute, Coalition for Human Dignity Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 1, 1993 - March 1994 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Arlene Zarembka, Liz Galst, Suzanne Pharr, Scot Nakagawa, Cecil Prescod 1993 1993 March on Washington 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian Gay and Bi Equal RIghts and Liberation 1994 Advanced Leadership Mentorship Program Advanced Leadership Program Advanced Leadership/Mentorship Program Advanced Mentorship Program affirmative action anti gay Anti-Gay Bigotry Arlene Zarembka Boston Phoenix Cecil Prescod Christian Right civil rights Civil Rights Act civil rights movement Coalition for Human Dignity Congress conservative conservative politics Dignity Report discrimination equal rights Gay Rights Special Rights Gay Rights/Special Rights homophobia homosexual panic I Have a Dream Jeremiah Productions Liz Galst March on Washington March on Washington for Lesbian Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation Martin Luther King Jr. minority status MLK I Have a Dream National Black Lesbian and Gay News Magazine National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) NGLTF Oakland Tribune People of Faith Against Bigotry Renee DeLapp right wing Scot Nakagawa Suzanne Pharr Team 435 The Dignity Report Traditional Values Coalition Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) TVC Western States Center Western States Center Advanced Leadership Mentorship Program Western States Center Advanced Leadership Program Western States Center Advanced Leadership/Mentorship Program Western States Center Advanced Leadership/Mentorship Program Fall 1993 Western States Center Advanced Mentorship Program Women's Project 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 [Series] Oral Histories Project > Interviews Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br />Box 7, Folder 7 - Dr. Leisa Meyer Program<br />Box 7, Folder 8 - Interviewees Materials, Original Series 2003-2007<br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> 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] Rex Ball Interview Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 30, 2004 Description An account of the resource Video recording and transcript of oral history interview with Laura Belmonte on January 30, 2004. <strong>Video and Transcript available at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center for on-site research.</strong> Born in Oklahoma City in 1934, he attended Oklahoma State University and served as a commissioned officer with the Army Corps of Engineers. Married in 1960, he and his wife had four daughters. In 1986, they divorced and he became involved in the Tulsa LGBTQ+ community when he moved to Tulsa in 1986. As a gay man, he entered into a long-term relationship and continued his work as a well-regarded architect and urban designer. Subject The topic of the resource Rex Ball Oral History Project Interview from January 30, 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rex Ball, Laura Belmonte, Allison Richmond, Matthew D. Williams, Dennis Neill 2004 Allison Richmond available at Center interview Laura A. Belmonte Laura Belmonte Matthew D. 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Title A name given to the resource Robert (Bob) Odle Oral History Interview - Feb. 19, 2026 Transcript PDF Text Text Oklahomans for Equality Oral History Interview with Robert (Bob) Odle Interview Conducted by Toby Jenkins (and Dennis Neill) Date: February 19, 2026 Transcribed and Edited By: Dennis Neill using Reduct.Video AI, March 13, 2026 Restrictions: Interviewee requested: N/A Oklahomans for Equality History Project 621 E. 4th Street Tulsa, OK. 74120 918.743.4297 historyproject@okeq.org 1 �About Robert (Bob) Odle Summary This interview with Bob Odle offers a deep dive into his life as a gay man, theater professional, and community advocate. Covering his personal journey, the impact of historical events, and insights into Tulsa's cultural scene, it provides valuable lessons on resilience, identity, and activism. Keywords LGBTQ history, theater, Tulsa, activism, personal story, AIDS, gay community, cultural history Key Topics    Bob Odle's personal history and identity The impact of historical events like JFK's assassination and AIDS crisis The development of theater and LGBTQ community in Tulsa Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background of Bob Odle 02:57 Early Life and Education 05:59 College Experience and Sexual Orientation 08:58 Military Draft and Sexual Identity 2 �11:50 Teaching Career and Coming Out 14:47 Theater Involvement and Gay Community Connections 17:48 Reflections on the LGBTQ+ Experience 20:57 Teaching Philosophy and Curriculum Development 23:56 Theater Companies and Professional Acting 39:52 Theatre Roots and Early Involvement 41:12 Memorable Performances and Traditions 43:39 The Birth of World Action Singers 48:06 The Evolution of Theatre Spaces in Tulsa 53:00 Theater Community Support and Changes 56:39 The Lynn Riggs Theater and Community Engagement 01:02:33 Impact of the Pandemic on Theatre 01:05:27 Personal Loss and Community Involvement 01:08:20 Political Climate and Advocacy 01:10:58 Concerns for Arts and Rights 01:20:21 A Message for Future Generations Robert (Bob) Odle Oral History Interview Feb 19, 2026 Toby Jenkins: Today is February the 19th, 2026. We are at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the Joe and Nancy McDonald Rainbow Library, and we are doing archival work and interview today, and joining me for the interview is Amanda Thompson, our archivist and the founder of Oklahomans for Equality, Dennis Neill. This is Toby Jenkins. Today, viewers, we are very fortunate to have a very special guest. Tell us your name and your date of birth and your address. Bob Odle: Bob Odle, Robert Odle. Date of birth is May 15th, 1945. Bob Odle: My address is XXX in Tulsa. Toby Jenkins: Thank you so much. We're here today, and I want us to tell...you've had such an interesting life, and I want to make sure we get everything, and we appreciate our viewers' interest in this, and so this is...we're going to give you some history that you might have a little trouble finding, so we're going to put it in one place where our viewers can find this information. Do you want me to call you Bob or Robert? Bob Odle: Bob. Everybody calls me Bob, except my sixth-grade art teacher. Toby Jenkins: What are your pronouns? How do you identify your gender? Bob Odle: Mr. He. Toby Jenkins: So, you identify as male? Bob Odle: Yes. 3 �Toby Jenkins: Okay, and could you just, for our time together, we're gonna...how do you identify in your sexual orientation, your...how do you identify? Bob Odle: Well, I'm queer as a $3 bill. Toby Jenkins: Okay, good. So, it's good to know, and for our historical people, that was a phrase we used a lot when we were growing up as kids. Bob Odle: Well, I just heard about the origin of the $3 bill just within the past week. During this Civil War, some of the southern states, as I recall, didn't have really enough gold, and so they issued those $3 bills, or maybe it was the American Revolution. I don't remember, but it was some revolutionaries, and they issued worthless money, and it was $3 bills. Toby Jenkins: So, that's why we have it. That's why they always used it on us. Where were you born? Bob Odle: I was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Toby Jenkins: Okay. Bob Odle: Research Hospital. Toby Jenkins: Is your family from Kansas City, Missouri? Bob Odle: Most of my...the Bell side of the family is from Missouri. My four-times greatgrandmother came to Missouri with Daniel and Nathan Boone. Nathan Boone is buried not far from where she's buried, and so most of my relatives are there. The...and the Rileys are there, once they came to this country. The Odles are scattered around western part of Virginia. Toby Jenkins: Okay. Now, when you say she's buried up in Missouri, is she buried near Boone's Lick? (Editor’s note Boone's Lick is the historical site where Daniel Boone’s sons settled around Franklin Missouri.) Bob Odle: Oh, no, that's much farther north. Nathan Boone is much closer to Springfield, and it's a little country cemetery that is largely a family cemetery. I mean, I'm related by blood or marriage to most of the people who are in that cemetery, so she's buried there where the other Bells and the Rileys are. Toby Jenkins: And so you were...your family was in Kansas City at this time, or...? Bob Odle: Yes, they had moved...my grandmother and grandfather had moved to Kansas City, and I think most of my...all of my aunts and uncles were born in Kansas City, and my mother was born there, and...and so that's...that's where I was born. Toby Jenkins: Now, did you grow up there? I mean, was that what you spent your childhood? Bob Odle: Yes. I went to Munger Elementary School, which was named after a farmer who donated that land to the school district, and it was a little eight-room, four downstairs and four 4 �upstairs schoolhouse with a prefab outside for the 7th and 8th grades, and 6th and 7th grades. And so I went to Munger for the first three years, and then North Kansas City had a bond issue, and they built some new schools because that area of Kansas City was growing. They built right across the street from Munger, they built Oak Ridge and just a few blocks from us they built Maplewood. I went to Maplewood for the fourth and fifth grades and then my mother remarried and we moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I went to Luther Burbank for one year. TPS has recently sold that building. And then I went to Bell Junior High for two and a half years and then we moved over to 27th Street and I finished the ninth grade and went through high school at Nathan Hale and then got a scholarship to the University of Tulsa. I applied various places but TU gave me a scholarship that paid half of my tuition which was $600 a year. Toby Jenkins: And what year would that have been that you graduated? Bob Odle: I graduated from Nathan Hale in 63 and from TU in 67. Toby Jenkins: And how new was Nathan Hale? Was it a pretty new high school? Bob Odle: It was brand new that first year I went there. Toby Jenkins: Do you remember what your graduating class, how many were in your graduating class? Bob Odle: I contend there were 450 but some people, some members of my class say there were fewer than that. I don't know, I haven't counted the pictures in the yearbook. I keep thinking I must do that and I haven't. Toby Jenkins: Yeah, by the 70s it was up in the 2000s. Bob Odle: Yes, they added a wing. Toby Jenkins: But I think today Nathan Hale's graduating class is about 200. Bob Odle: Well, yeah, they added classrooms to the building. Quite a few classrooms after I graduated. Toby Jenkins: So was your family glad that you were going to school in Tulsa instead of getting accepted someplace else? Bob Odle: Well, they were glad I got a scholarship which was $300 which paid half of my tuition. And my books altogether, my books cost less than $100. Toby Jenkins: I don't think I ever paid $100. What did you study at TU? Bob Odle: I was a theater major. Toby Jenkins: And so this would have been in 1963 when you graduated. What was going on in our country at that time? I mean this was shortly after Kennedy had been assassinated. 5 �Bob Odle: No, it was when he was assassinated. That was a sad day that I remember that day. And the several days afterwards when we had no commercial TV. And Channel 2 played Handel's Largo during all of the station breaks. And we went until Monday after the funeral with no commercials on TV. And 24-hour coverage of the funeral and people visiting the White House and the Capitol. Toby Jenkins: Were you in school when y'all heard this news? Bob Odle: It was just my first time at the Baptist Student Union. They should have told me never to go back. My first time there and I went to class and a friend of mine who had a little portable radio said the president has been shot. And what's he talking about? He's crazy. And then it was during that class, I had humanities at 1 o'clock. It was during that class then that it was announced that the president was dead. I gave a friend a ride home and we listened to the radio. And the radio was covering the funeral and the death of the president. Toby Jenkins: And this would have been your freshman year? Bob Odle: It was my freshman year, yeah. It was a sad day. It was a sad several days. Couldn't believe that in the 20th century a president would be assassinated. I just couldn't believe that. Toby Jenkins: What were you studying at TU? Bob Odle: I was majoring in theater. I had a minor in English lit and a minor in education so I could get my teaching certificate. It was then, and I didn't know this until, I was so naive. I'm incredibly naive, even now. I heard after the first show that the person who played the lead and some other people were gay and, what? And so, later, I think the person who told me that had the hots for me for years. I think I later found out more and more people in the theater department, which is where I hung out, were gay and, oh, okay, I didn't know that. I had no idea. Toby Jenkins: Did you understand what that meant? Bob Odle: Oh yeah, I understood what it meant, but I just didn't know that they were gay and that there were so many. Toby Jenkins: So you were like in Gay Head Start, the theater department at TU. Did you, had you by that time, I mean, by then you're 18, adult, and you're a young male college student. Had you begin to realize about your own sexual orientation or was it? Bob Odle: Yeah, I went through a period, and I think it's not unusual, of denial. And, let's see, I was molested when I was like 12 years old, and I didn't know, I just, I didn't know anything about that. I just, it was when I was 15, I finally said, no, I don't want to do that anymore. Well, I didn't want to do it with somebody older, I wanted to do it with some of my classmates. And I remember when I was like in the seventh grade at Bell, the day we all suited up in our white tshirts and our white gym shorts and our white tennis shoes. And I walked, there were these other boys, and whoa, wow, I mean, this thrill went through me. Whoa, whoa. And so... 6 �Toby Jenkins: So you're in college, and you're in this program, and I guess it was gossip people were talking about people being gay. Bob Odle: Yeah. Toby Jenkins: Was it in college that you began to, I mean, did you have a relationship with another student, a person, or? Bob Odle: No, not really, but there was one person who was in my English class who I had seen go to the, it was the Baptist student union, that was the reason I went that one day, and I went back subsequently. I did have the hots for him, and it was, he dropped out of school, I think, after the first semester of our freshman year. And in the past year or so have found out, I suspect he was killed in Vietnam. I suspect he joined the army, that school wasn't really for him. And when he didn't show up at any of our classes, and he was no longer on campus, I did feel like my heart was broken. I mean, I really had a crush on him. Toby Jenkins: So when he left school, I mean, you didn't know where he went, and so did you quit going to the Baptist Student Union after that? Bob Odle: No, I continued to go because I knew some other people who were there. Toby Jenkins: What was TU like in those days, in the 60s? Bob Odle: We had to wear our freshman beanies for the first six weeks. I still have mine somewhere, I tried to find it for the 50th anniversary, that's when I, oh no, this was 50 years after graduation. It was red, alternate red and yellow panels with a red 67 in the front panel, and we had to wear those for the first six weeks, I mean, that was the rule. We had to go to orientation like once a week. We had to take six hours of religion. I took Old Testament history and origin and principles of Christianity. Bob Odle: Later, they reorganized and we didn't have to take any religion, and I'd already taken six hours, and so we had to go to chapel, I don't know, maybe once at least…. Toby Jenkins: A week, once a week, or once a semester? Bob Odle: No, I think once in the first six weeks. The class of 68 had blue beanies with yellow 68 on the front. That was the last class, I think, that had to wear beanies. Toby Jenkins: About how many students do you think were at TU at that time? Bob Odle: I think they've held steady at about 4,000 to 5,000. Toby Jenkins: And so that would have been at the time when Tulsa was the oil capital of the world and TU was known as the top geology, or what am I saying? Petroleum engineer. Yeah, petroleum engineer. 7 �Bob Odle: There was one guy in the theater department who was from Egypt and he was in theater, but he, I think, came for petroleum engineering, which is why a lot of people were there from other states. Toby Jenkins: So you talked about the military and the Vietnam War. Tell us about that. Were there lots of students who were leaving? Bob Odle: I was not aware of any at that time because I graduated in 67, so the buildup, I think, started in 65, but I was not... We had student deferments as long as we were in school. Toby Jenkins: Were you in the military? Bob Odle: No, never. They didn't want me because I was gay. Toby Jenkins: You remember your draft number? Were you subject to a potential call-up? Bob Odle: I don't remember that. That's been so long ago. Toby Jenkins: So they didn't want you because you were gay. Tell us about that. I mean, by then, you were acknowledging…? Bob Odle: Well, I remember they had me come in and talk. There was a sergeant who was in charge of all of the physical examination and whatnot and he had me talk to a captain who asked me if I was sure I was gay, if I was just saying that. He said, I've always remembered, he said, you know this will go on your permanent record. Toby Jenkins: So you actually had to fill out a form that said that? Bob Odle: Yes. That was when... It was like an alumni meeting. All the guys I knew from high school were on the same bus, and some friends from junior high who went to Will Rogers were on the same bus going to Oklahoma City. That was part of what we did that day, was we had to sit down and fill out these forms about what diseases we'd had and if we had homosexual tendencies. So we had to actually fill out a form. Toby Jenkins: You felt like you needed to be honest? Bob Odle: Well, yeah, because I was going to go to law school, and I did go to law school for a while. So I thought, well, I can't lie on this. I think there was a small print that said it was a federal crime or something, and so I didn't want to lie. Toby Jenkins: So the captain tried to talk you out of it, is what you're saying? Bob Odle: He wanted to make sure that I wasn't just... Because a friend of mine said, I remember a party and he was talking about how... He had a high lottery number, so he wasn't chosen, but he said he had the choice of going to Canada or he could queer out. So apparently there were other people who were signing, yeah, they were gay. They had homosexual tendencies or whatever the wording changed to, and so apparently they had encountered that before, people lying about being gay. 8 �Toby Jenkins: This is fascinating to me. I don't know that I've ever had anybody talk about this. I don't know if I've ever interviewed somebody and them talk about the details of that and the possibility that the military wanted to make sure you weren't just using something. So I'm just curious, were you in a room with several people when you were asked this, or was it more of a private discussion? Bob Odle: Well, there was a big classroom with student desks for us to fill out the form, but then the sergeant... I was in a room, an office with the sergeant and a couple other non-coms. He said it would be better to get rid of me then than to go ahead and have me sworn in and have me booted out of the military for being gay. But he decided for some odd reason to have me talk to this, I guess, doctor who was a captain. I mean, I have no idea. They just know he was a captain and they sent me into his office for him to question me about that. Toby Jenkins: So you were able to avoid military service. Do you remember, I mean, you were a college student during these days. I don't know necessarily when… Bob Odle: Well, this was after I graduated that I got that. And it was after I'd taught for a year, too. But teachers had deferments. I mean, I was originally taken after I graduated with this busload of alumni, people I'd known in high school. And then the school board, I got a job teaching and the school board appealed that. And they had just gotten this draft board… I went before these old men. Toby Jenkins: Where were you teaching? Bob Odle: At Central High School, which was downtown. Toby Jenkins: The major campus that's still down there today. Bob Odle: Yeah, PSO owns it now, and AEP. And they had gotten something from Washington that they should give teachers who were teaching deferments or something like that. But I was drafted in the meantime. And so the public schools protested. But it wasn't that I got out of the military. The military didn't want me. Toby Jenkins: Very, very interesting. So well said. Bob Odle: Well, I know of other gay people who've had military experience. Well, and I have one friend who used to live in Tulsa, who lives somewhere in Dallas, I think, now. He was booted out of the Navy and was not happy with being booted out. I mean, there are a lot of gays who want to serve their country and be in the military. But we were not allowed to. And those who were drafted—and I have a friend who was investigated by the Naval Intelligence for a while. They trailed him. And I don't know if he was court-martialed or not. He stayed in the Navy for years and retired as a lieutenant commander. Some of his friends at his funeral said he would have been a commander had there not been that investigation. But he would sometimes go into bathhouses in San Diego or San Francisco in order to have the people who were tailing him leave him alone. 9 �Toby Jenkins: To make them have to follow him in there? Bob Odle: They wouldn't follow him in there. Toby Jenkins: So you said you finished TU and then you started teaching. Bob Odle: Yeah. Toby Jenkins: And you had to get a teacher's certificate. Now, I'm just curious, you're teaching—what did you teach at Central High School? Bob Odle: Competitive speech and drama. Toby Jenkins: So you would have probably been my instructor because that's the kind of stuff I was in in high school. So you were teaching…This would have had you probably 21, 22? Bob Odle: I was just barely 22 when I started teaching. And I taught for four years. My goal was to teach for four years, save some money, and go to law school full-time. I went to law school part-time, but I quit to go full-time, and that was about the time we started doing theater. And I thought, well really, I'd rather be an actor than be an attorney. And so I dropped out of law school. My mother was not happy with it. She got over that eventually. Toby Jenkins: So you're a young adult. Had you begun to have romantic relationships with men, or had you connected to the gay community? I mean, you were teaching school. Bob Odle: Well, I had a lot of friends who, being in theater, I had a lot of friends who were gay, and pretty much openly gay. And so, you know, I would think about that, you know. And eventually, after I was doing theater, and eventually, after years went by, because I was in a state of denial. I mean, I lived with a woman for a while. And... But it was because I was in a state of denial, which is not uncommon, I think, and so eventually when we broke up, because it was not destined to be, she lives with her second husband in South Carolina, I think, and I contact her periodically, or she contacts me. But I didn't really have, I still was so closeted. A lot of people probably knew, but it was sometime then, sometime around 1980, I think, that is after we moved into the Brook Theater in 79, it was about 1980 that I decided to go to, well I had been to, I mentioned this at the breakfast the other day, I had been to Saddle Tramps in Oklahoma City years before. I had no idea it was a gay bar. I mean, when I was, I had done Tea House of the August Moon in Tulsa, and then I was asked to join the touring company in Oklahoma City. So I went down to Oklahoma City, and friends put me on a bus, and I went down there, and I saw this limousine parked across from the bus station, and I thought, well it'd be neat if that was for me. It was! The owner of the theater had a huge Cadillac limousine, and I mean the big, stretched thing, and so he took me to the theater, and there were a couple of people in that play, that were in that cast, that were gay. And then I did another tour, and I think some people were gay, and then a lot of people I knew from the theater were gay. 10 �And a friend moved back for a short time to help us open The Brook, I think, with his boyfriend from New York, and they lived together. And so all of this was like, you know, making an impression on me. And so finally in about 1980, well I was going to tell you about Saddle Tramps. The manager of the Gaslight, we were dark on Monday nights, and so one Monday night, and every other Monday we got paid. And so it was a Monday we got paid, and so we all decided to go to dinner, and we went to the Haunted House, which you have to have reservations before they will tell you the address. It's a fabulous old mansion somewhere in northeast Oklahoma City, and they had fabulous food. And so we went there, and those who didn't have cars, because some people had their own cars, but I'd left mine, I'd taken the bus to Oklahoma City. I was in the manager's limousine with some other people, who I think back, I think at least two of them were gay, maybe three of them were gay. And so we went to the manager's house for a little while, and he lived somewhere in northeast Oklahoma City, and not far from the theater as I recall. But anyway, then we went to a bar. He decided, let's go to a bar. So well, I know the bar we'll go to, and we'll go to this bar. Well, it was Saddle Tramps. I didn't know. And it was a Monday night, so nobody was there except us and maybe a couple other people and the bartender. And I went in to use the restroom at one point, and there was a toilet sitting right in the middle of the floor, and there was a bathtub also there. And this is strange. And so I went out and I told the others, you've got to see that restroom. And so that was the first time. Then later on, somehow a friend of a good friend of mine who had been a colleague in teaching and who'd lived just two doors down from when we first moved to Tulsa, her friend was doing drag for the first time at a place called, I think, the Stage Door on Main. And so a group of us went to see him do drag for the first time, and he was not very good, but there was this person in a mini skirt, a mini dress that had flowers on it, and a bouffant wig, who did Harper Valley PTA, was fabulous. And so that was my first time. So later then, I decided to go to a gay bar, and I went to one called, I think, Caruso's, also on Main, maybe a little bit south of where Stage Door had by that time, I think, become a parking lot, as much of downtown Tulsa is. I went to Caruso's, and I went there a few times, and then I decided to branch out and try some others. And I'd heard of people going to Oklahoma City and staying at what was then called the Pepper Tree, it was the Habana, and now it's a different name, and why it's not the Habana, because it's been Habana since it opened in the 1960s. Because I went there as a school teacher, we had our speech convention at the Habana when it was a Best Western. And little did I know that right next door was Saddle Tramps. And because I had, you know, it was dark, and I was being toted around in this limousine, had no idea where I was or what was going on. And so, I heard of people going there, and so I went down there, and I discovered all of the bars in the hotel and on the Strip. And... Toby Jenkins: So during this time, I know you were an actor in the theater companies, and obviously a professional actor, you were being paid. Were you still teaching at this time? 11 �Bob Odle: No, I went back to teaching after, in 1990, I believe. I worked in theater and doing workshops in schools all over the state. And I went back to teaching. A friend of mine, because the oil companies who had given us money had moved to Houston, so they could be hit by hurricanes and flooded by hurricanes. And so a friend of mine suggested, why don't you go back and get your teaching certificate? So at his urging, I did. And so I got a job teaching. I deducted my trips to Oklahoma City for our annual convention for my income tax, because the motel, I had to have a motel while I was down there. I deducted that for my income tax. I went down there and I would always stay at the Habana, and then there were all those bars right there. Toby Jenkins: So I know that was the gay district still, I guess, today is considered that. So during this time, had you ever come out as openly gay to your other theater friends and folks? I mean, had you pretty well, you said about 1979 was when you began to connect to the gay community. Had you told other people that you were gay? Bob Odle: No, not until the friend who'd come here for the opening of The Brook went back to New York, and he'd come back Christmas to be with his parents. And so after a show, I said, why don't we go to a bar? I know a bar at 18th and Main. So we went to Renegades. And then later we went to Tim's Playroom at 11th and Lewis. And that was the most fun. That was a fun bar. Then, later in the 80s, I went to New Orleans and discovered just about all the bars in the French Quarter and some in the Marigny, and met a person who had been a student at Central High School when I was a teacher there. We went to see a play over at the Marigny Theater, which is connected with a bar and around the corner from some other bars. He died, oh, it's been several years ago, and he had heart problems. He was very intelligent, talented, and so I started making sometimes four trips per year to New Orleans. Certainly, I've gone there every year for about 30 years. When the bathhouse closed down there, I went into mourning for two years. I thought about, should I leave a bouquet of condoms and lube outside the front door? Because people leave bouquets of things. I mean, I was like, I miss that. That was a fun bathhouse. After Katrina, it was a member of the club baths, and I had a club card, and they were good at the club baths all over the country. I went to some of the others, and they were not as good as the Club New Orleans. Toby Jenkins: Were you teaching during this time? Bob Odle: Yes. Toby Jenkins: Okay. Were you able to be openly gay? In the early days when you got the deferment, I know the school board was addressing their teacher's deferments. Did anybody at your school know that you had got a deferment because you told them you were gay? Bob Odle: No. 12 �Toby Jenkins: Okay. Then while you were teaching here in Oklahoma, were you openly gay? I mean, did your students know you were gay? Did your principal, your ... Bob Odle: No, not that I know of. I think some suspected, but nobody really cared. I was there to teach speech, and I was focused on that. That was my job, and I was focused on doing that, and I also had a humanities class, and I was focused on spreading this notion of the arts, all of the arts, through the ages. I put together a thing on humanities for the first two years myself until ... It took two years before I found a book that also covered Asia, because of my philosophy that we're too Eurocentric, and kids needed to know. I sandwiched into a short period of time 6,000 years of Chinese and Japanese and Indian Middle Eastern art, which is not doing it ... I mean, that should have been a separate class, but it wasn't, and so I wanted kids exposed to that. Toby Jenkins: So that was curriculum? You were writing curriculum for that? Bob Odle: Yes, I did. Toby Jenkins: Okay. What theater companies were you involved in? You talked about you were a paid actor. Bob Odle: Yeah, I worked with American Theater Company for years, and also during some down times when we didn't do many shows, I also worked with Gaslight. Toby Jenkins: Okay. How long were you involved with American Theater Company? Bob Odle: From its inception in 1970 until ... Well, I did a show 2006, 2008. For four years in a row, we did the Rocky Horror Show, the original stage musical, which is much better than the movie. I frequently think that is the case, that things on stage don't translate to film. Toby Jenkins: Live theater is better. Bob Odle: Yeah. Toby Jenkins: Okay. So how many years would that have been with American Theater Company? Forty? Bob Odle: Well, man. Bob Odle: 70 to almost, yeah, almost 40, 37 or so, I worked. I was on the board after that, for some time after that, but I was just too busy to do shows. And so, you know, but I was still affiliated with the theater, but I've not been on the board for like three years now. Toby Jenkins: What performances were you in, what shows? Bob Odle: Well, on my tombstone, which I have already bought, and it is, although I intend to be cremated and have my ashes scattered, my tombstone, which is next to my mother and stepfathers, and near my grandparents and great-grandparents and so on and so forth, yeah, that's Karl Krauss as Ebenezer Scrooge. And Karl has played that role for years and years. And 13 �so, you know, that's me as Brother Oral Love. That's one of the things on my tombstone. I had Robert, I think Robert Leonard Odle, because I'm named after both of my grandfathers. That was a thing in my family for a while after both grandfathers or grandmothers. And so I have Brother Love and Tartuffe, Captain Hook, and there's one other that I keep forgetting, but it's one of my favorite roles I ever played. But those are three of the ones. Toby Jenkins: So I know Christmas, Carol, is kind of like a Christmas tradition. Bob Odle: I know, I never, the second year we did it, one of the reviewers for one of the Tulsa papers said, this needs to be a tradition. And I thought, and well, it has become that. This is, I mean, this fall will be 50 years since Rick and I wrote that. Toby Jenkins: Well, I'll just let you know whether you are surprised that it became a tradition. In my family, I took my children to see it, and now I have grandchildren, and all of us have made it a part of our Christmas tradition. We don't go every year, but we've been multiple times. Bob Odle: I go every year. I mean, I love that story. It's a great story about giving. Dennis Neill: We spent a little more time talking about Joyce Martel and the Oral Action Singers, how that originated and your role in it and the longevity of that show. And did ATC actually own the Brook at that point in time? Bob Odle: No, we rented it or leased it, I don't remember which. But, well, Jerry Pope and Rick Averill and I, Rick always wrote the music. Jerry and I would, he would write one scene, I would write another scene and so on until we wrote the play. And it's about, it was essentially about balanced growth in Tulsa and the reason we didn't have balanced growth. And we did some stereotypical characters. And one was this religious figure, which we called in that musical, Seth Righteous. And so that sort of began it. Then a year later at Cain's, we opened and ran a month with Joyce Martel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Texas. I think that title was based on something that was on T, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris or something. Anyway, so, but we decided not to call it Seth Righteous, to call it Oral Love because of the combination of the double entendre there with Oral Roberts out South and, you know, and the act of sex. And so we did that at the Cain's for a month and then they decided we were too bawdy for Cain's. That was when the people who had Cain's at the time were having people do the alligator and people were actually having sex in the audience. But we were too bawdy for them. So we moved to the Inferno, which is now the location of a car wash on South Peoria. The Inferno had a big sign outside that said topless lunch from 11 until seven. It was a long lunch. You would eat a lot of food. And we went in there and, like the first day we went in there, one of the dancers named Snowball grabbed me by the crotch and led me into the bar. So we did it there for a couple of months. Then we moved to Captain's Cabin, which was at 41st and Memorial. It's where Richard De La Fonte, a hypnotist, was working most nights and he had the prime weekend nights. Then we closed the show because we were going on the first of our summer tours. 14 �We talked about it during that summer tour and we came back and performed on the roof of the Mayo parking garage for a month- the coldest September on record, I think, and then the hottest day in October- we moved to the ballroom inside upstairs and we had this huge box that was two 4x8 sheets of plywood with about that much wood in between the shelves and all of our props and some of our costumes, and it wouldn't fit in the elevator shaft. So we had to take it to the freight elevator and we had to ride up on top of the freight elevator. We had to take it down to the basement, move the thing in on top of the freight elevator, take the freight elevator up to the floor below the ballroom and open the doors and move the thing out. It was a nightmare. Dennis Neill: So, Bob, this is all in the early 80s, right? Bob Odle: This is 75. Dennis Neill: Oh, okay, so now, which show are you talking about right now? Bob Odle: Joyce Martel. Dennis Neill: I saw it when I moved to Tulsa and I moved here in 77. Bob Odle: That was, oh well, we did the best of Joyce Martel in 76. And then in 77 we were at the Crest Club at the Mayo. We did some shows in the crystal ballroom, some shows we did downstairs in theToby Jenkins : Do you remember where you saw it? Dennis Neill: I thought I saw it at the Brook, but I could be wrong about that, correct? Bob Odle: Yeah, we didn't open that. 61579, that was the code on the security, the security system. Dennis Neill: I remember you and the flaming Bible, right? Bob Odle: Yeah, well, I used that for a long time. Dennis Neill: Okay, maybe it was another show. Bob Odle: We did the best of Joyce Martel, and then we closed that. And then in 77, well, we did some shows in the Pompeian Room, which is an artificial room they put because it was a two-story lobby, but they put a floor in and had this large meeting room called the Pompeian Room and it had Roman murals all around. It was horrible. Dennis Neill: So any pushback from Oral Roberts and the university with regard to the action singers? Bob Odle: Well, not then so much. We moved to the Brook, we continued, we did the Crest Club- and I don't remember what that show was called- right offhand. Then we got this deal with the Brook and we moved in there and we converted it from a movie house to a legitimate 15 �theater and we opened in June of 79 with huge, gigantic those spotlights on Peoria and drew a lot of attention. We had the marquee out front and some friends who had seen the show were friends with a man who made all of Oral Roberts' trinkets that he gave away for a donation and he had a pretty large house out south and it was his 50th birthday and they had happy 50th birthday up on the roof in big letters, eight feet tall. I mean they were huge letters- and so they decided he had all this money and he had everything he wanted, so they would give him something he wouldn't normally get, and so they gave him Brother Oral Love as his birthday, as entertainment for his birthday party, and there was a big crowd there. Some of the provosts of ORU was there and there were some other ORU people there and there were some of the people in the audience who just loved what I was doing. There were some who stood stony faced. Then one year, I don't remember what we renamed the show, we did a new show every year, which was a nightmare to write. But we did a show and I thought, okay, I'm going to write this sermon this year. What would I do if I were totally corrupt? And, you know, so, you know, like Jesus spent time in the desert. Well, I owned a house in Palm Springs. And because that's in the desert. And I had a Mercedes-Benz because there's a Janis Joplin song, Oh Lord, won't you give me a Mercedes-Benz. So I always ended with that. And the thing is that summer, Shoals, Jerry Shoals, I think his name is, published his book about Oral Roberts, the time he had worked for Oral Roberts. And it turned out he did have a Mercedes. He did drive a Mercedes. And he did own a house in Palm Springs. I mean, the stuff, if I were totally corrupt, this is what I would write. This is what I would do. Well, it turned out that was real life. And so Shoals came to see the show at least once. And he was tailed. They had people watching his every movement. Whether Oral actually knew about it or not, I don't know. But some of the people at the university did know what I was doing. But I got paid, so who cares. Toby Jenkins: So during this time, all these years, I assume you were teaching also but still doing theater. Bob Odle: No, at that time I was just doing theater. I had no time. Toby Jenkins: Was the theater community, live theater in Tulsa, did people attend the performances? Did it have lots of support? Bob Odle: We seated 750. That was what the fire marshal would allow in the building. We had lines that went from the box office around the corner and back to the alley, which is where our stage door was. I mean, we could stand and talk before the show to people who were going to see the show, maybe if they got in. Because we only seated 750. Dennis Neill: Those were the good old days. Those were great shows. Bob Odle: They were. 16 �Toby Jenkins: So looking back during those days and presently, is there still a lot of support in Tulsa for live theater? Bob Odle: I think so. I think Theater Tulsa is having, some part of it is the rent at the PAC. And Theater Tulsa has opened their place where I'm going tomorrow night and Saturday night, 55th and Peoria. It's a converted Dollar General store. And there are a lot of little splinter groups that do stuff. American Theater Company, I don't know. I mean, we always did five shows and we did a summer show. And at times we had like two or three shows running simultaneously. When we had Joyce running at the Mayo and Christmas Carol running at the PAC or whatnot. And some other times we did multiple shows at the same time. Because we had 25 people on our staff, full-time, paid. And others working part-time. Toby Jenkins: Who were cast members or writers, producers? Bob Odle: Musicians, concessions, bar workers, so on. Sometimes people in plays. But we had a staff of technicians and actors of like 25. Toby Jenkins: So here at the Equality Center, when we did our renovation about eight years ago, we felt like in our community we were having lots of theater groups that were showing an interest. And especially in our gay community, the queer community, about their interest in theater. One of the passions of some of our folks was that we convert a space into a theater space that could be used for the community, especially to make it accessible for people who wanted to do productions that might not have, you know, they might be cutting edge and be kind of outside of the standard stories to make sure that certainly queer theater had access to those theaters. And of course, it's named after Lynn Riggs, who wrote the story that became the Broadway musical, Oklahoma. Your thoughts about the Lynn Riggs Theater here at the Equality Center and the space and things like that. Bob Odle: Well, I love it. I think it's great. In fact, I was urging American Theater Company, we eventually moved, the Harwells bought the building at 308 South Lansing. And I always said this is a better place because there are posts there and I just like the Lynn Riggs better. I've seen some plays here. I've been to a lot of the Thursday night things and I like this venue. I think it's real neat. American Theater Company went from five shows down to last year, they did four shows. This year, they originally promoted three shows, but they eventually cut that back to one, Christmas Carol. And they do stand up comedy one night. They do, I think they have some drag shows out there. Occasionally, I mean, you know, it's not like the five show season that we used to market and then sometimes a tour or something special during the summer, it's not like that. I think that Christmas Carol hasn't drawn the past couple of years what it used to draw because the people who are managing the theater now determined that Christmas Carol is a tradition. So it doesn't need to be marketed. Well, they still market the Nutcracker. They still market other traditions. It needs to be marketed, people need to know. It needs to not be a secret production. I'm getting off on to my axe to grind. 17 �Toby Jenkins: Where all have you taught school? Dennis Neill: Well, TCC West and TCC North. English, comp. Toby Jenkins: No theater production or? Bob Odle: Well, I did have an acting class one semester and then that got to be a fiasco. It had to do with the management. I don't want to say anything more about that. But I taught at Central High School when it was downtown and I taught competitive speech and I directed plays and then I, well, I taught at Schulter for one year. They needed to bring up their test scores and they hired like the whole new administration and a third of the faculty was new and we brought up the test scores. So they weren't going to close. I hated leaving there because everybody was so supportive but I had this job offer at Mounds. And so it was like half the distance because I'd passed 201st Street halfway to Schulter. And so I took the job at Mounds and I drove down to Schulter to turn in my letters of resignation and to talk to them about, you know, I really liked this. Sorry to be leaving. And so I taught at Mounds for about 30 years and directed some plays, directed competitive speech. We won the state championship three years in a row. I had numerous individual state champions, one of whom never debated, but she is an attorney in Tulsa now and has fabulous commercials on Saturday Night Live and on the evening news. But she never, she persuaded me that she shouldn't take debate to, although she was undefeated. Bob Odle: Now, I'd be better if I took this, Mr. Odle. And so, okay. I mean, she persuaded me. Toby Jenkins: Now, did you ever teach at TU's theater department? Bob Odle: No, I didn't. Toby Jenkins: Were you involved with the? Bob Odle: After I graduated, I did do a play at TU that they then took to some contest at what used to be that horrible theater facility downtown in Oklahoma City [Mummers Theatre]. It's that thing that had boxes going every which way that they finally have torn down. And this should never have been built in the first place. Toby Jenkins: So just for purposes of our interview, the curtains in the Lynn Riggs were donated by TU Theater Department and the risers are from the TU Theater Department right before they closed down. Bob Odle: I know, and they still send me letters asking for money having closed the department that I graduated from years ago. And I think they gave the costumes to the PAC and they gave various other things away. Dennis Neill: We had to replace the curtains because they were out of code. 18 �Dennis Neill: Yeah, I think they had like a 10 or 15 year life. And so we replaced them in about 2020, 2021, something like that. Toby Jenkins: Let's go to our, I was curious to understand the trajectory in Tulsa, the incredible community support for live theater and how things have changed. You've lived through an interesting period. We talked about your, you know, being in college when Kennedy was assassinated. And here we are in 2026. During the, just real quickly, during the pandemic, were you involved in live theater and how the pandemic impacted our theater companies? Bob Odle: No, theater just totally shut down all over the world, I think. Now I, for a year there, I didn't go, except to go to research, I put on my mask and I still have masks in the car. But theater just shut down. And there was money, there was money for businesses that had to shut down and the theater applied for some grants and got some grants. The theater, the theater actually made more money the year we were shut down. They did no shows than some of the years when we'd done shows. Toby Jenkins: Because you didn't have any expenses. Toby Jenkins: Right. So here, I know that you, your family are here. Have you stayed involved in their lives? I mean, have they? Bob Odle: Well, they're all, my stepfather died in 2009 and my mother died just about three months ago. Toby Jenkins: Okay, our condolences. And how old was she? Bob Odle: She was 99 years and eight months and something. Toby Jenkins: Amazing. Bob Odle: She was, she would be, March 15th, she would be 100. And she was, she was doing all of her own, handling all of her business and doing all of her stuff until the very end when she just suddenly, precipitously went downhill. Toby Jenkins: Did she live by herself? Bob Odle: Yes, after my stepfather died, she did. She depended on her neighbor a lot and on me. It wasn't till I had to deal with our, the attorney that deals with our trust, and I had to write down, because I keep my calendars for years, and I had to write down all the times I'd taken her to the doctor and the dentist and the podiatrist and dermatologist and whatnot and to Reasor’s. And I didn't realize the amount of time and the amount of miles I was driving to take care of her. Toby Jenkins: Hmm. Well, I'm glad that she had you, and I'm glad that you had her. Bob Odle: Yeah. Toby Jenkins: And our condolences. What do you keep, what keeps you busy now? 19 �Bob Odle: Dealing with her estate. And a good friend of mine, the one who persuaded me to go back and get my teaching certificate and get a master's degree, he died July 10th of 2024. And so I was named co-executor of his estate. And we had to go to court Tuesday. That's why I couldn't meet Tuesday to deal with, we had a hearing dealing with that estate. I'm hopeful that before the two-year time passes, that we will have this probate all aside, but we had a business, we had three houses, multiple vehicles, and other property to deal with, and it's just been, it's been a nightmare. That has kept me really busy, and dealing with my mother, and now dealing with her estate, and trying to keep my own life going. Toby Jenkins: Now, are you involved in, I know that you're involved here in the organization, you come to some of the programs for older adults. Bob Odle: Yeah. Toby Jenkins: And are you involved in any other advocacy work, or political work, or? Bob Odle: Well, Tuesday, Tuesday I had to drop off the king cake, because it was Mardi Gras at the senior citizen breakfast. Then I dashed to the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Retired Educators Association, because I'm a retired teacher, and I took some sausage rolls to that, and stayed for that meeting. We always have interesting speakers. And so I'm involved in that. Last Friday was the Democrats' monthly luncheon at Interurban, and we have fascinating, well, Cindy Munson, who's the candidate for governor, spoke. And we always have fascinating speakers there. And so I go to that, and then I think there was one night this past week, maybe Tuesday night, Tuesday was a busy day, I went to Connie Dodson's kickoff for her campaign for school board, and I don't live in her district, but the idiot who represents that district now, I would like to see defeated. Toby Jenkins: So you're politically active. Bob Odle: Yes. Toby Jenkins: And what is your present feelings about our, I mean, you've lived a long time, you've seen a lot of things. Bob Odle: Go back to the Truman, I remember when President Truman was reelected. Toby Jenkins: What's your present feelings about our political climate, and how you see, okay, yeah, yeah. Do you have some concerns? Bob Odle: Yes. I'm concerned about whether I've been contributing to a couple of the candidates for Congress, not the one who made a million millions while paying his employees minimum wage, but I've contributed to others, one of whom is my school board member, and I'm contributing, but I'm concerned about whether we're even going to have an election or any more elections. I'm concerned about what the Supreme Court might decide, whether they would give him free license to totally trample or burn or tear up the Constitution. 20 �I mean, a guy who was fired from, I saw a guy who was fired from ABC News on MSNow the other day. I don't remember his name, but I remember the interview where he talked to the president about the things in the Oval Office, or here's a copy of the Declaration of Independence. What does that stand for? Well, it's a declaration, and it deals with love. All of the he hases, that whole list of he hases deals with love, and yes, it's a declaration. That's in its title, the Declaration of Independence. Toby Jenkins: I mean, duh. Bob Odle: How stupid do you have to be? He is pretty stupid. Toby Jenkins: So you see our political climate, and you see the way, not just constitutional norms being eroded, but specifically the erasure of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer people, the blacks, American Indians, the arts being stripped of funding, the Kennedy Center, as a person who's fought and taught and been instrumental in keeping fine arts alive in our culture. What are your thoughts on that? Bob Odle: Well, it's not just gay rights. It's black rights. I mean, he complains that the National Museum of the Black Americans, or whatever that is, this Smithsonian institution, deals too much with slavery. And he has said there should be less emphasis on Martin Luther King Day, or Juneteenth. We should focus more on his birthday. He has insisted that that November 12th be called Columbus Day and not Indigenous Americans Day, which in the city of Tulsa and maybe Oklahoma, a lot of states have declared it to be Indigenous Americans Day. I mean, he and our governor, our governor waves his Cherokee citizenship card around, hate American Indians. He hates black people. I mean, is it any surprise that some of the generals that have been fired have been black? Toby Jenkins: And female. Bob Odle: And the two journalists, well, the commandant of the Coast Guard was female. And the two journalists who were arrested in church were both black. Two of them were black. And he, I mean, his racism goes back generations. He and his father were fined, what, two million dollars by the federal government for not renting to black people in their apartment buildings back in the 60s or 70s. I think that goes from his grandfather coming over here from Germany under suspicious circumstances whereby Germany, when he went back after World War I, Germany refused to have him and send him back here because he had avoided the draft. He'd avoided the draft by coming over here. He didn't tell them he had homosexual tendencies or anything like that. Apparently he didn't. But I don't know. The racism, and his grandfather grew up in Germany at a time when Wagner was heavily racist, when Adolf Hitler was being born and was growing up, when there was a lot of racism in Germany at that time. And so he brought that over here and instilled that in his son and his grandson. 21 �Toby Jenkins: So, as we come to the close of our interview, is there anything else you want us to talk about that we haven't talked about? Bob Odle: Not that I can think of, except I'm sad that there is only basically one gay bar in Tulsa. It doesn't give us much variety. That's why I like New Orleans. There's a lot of variety down there. A lot of cities have more variety than we have. Although they have gone to publishing a calendar and they have Latin Night, which starts at 10 o'clock on the last Friday. They have Leather Night. They have various nights. So they have opened it to various people. But I don't go there very often because it's boring. Hardly ever do I see anybody my age or anybody I know there, so I don't go. Dennis Neill: So, Bob, why do you think that in the early 80s we had like 19 bars. We're down to a handful. What do you think has caused that demise, even though our city is larger? Bob Odle: Well, I think from what I observe in Tulsa and in other cities, I think part of it is the AIDS crisis. I think there was a diminution of the audience after that. I think the pandemic that hit in 2020 is part of it. And I think also we're at an age when I think this is wonderful in a way, but in a way I think it's depressing. Young gay people can go to any bar, hold hands, kiss, hug, whatever, and nobody really cares. I see this in New Orleans a lot. I saw Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, which is where Lafitte's in Exile first started, except they've dropped the exile now. Until the owner of the building found out they were gay and they already moved them out and then they moved into a bigger place down the street. But I've seen people holding hands. I've seen, obviously, gay couples in there and in other bars here in Tulsa and in other places. And I think it's the acceptance of gay couples everywhere, in addition to those other things, but I think it's just an evolution. And I think it's a wonderful thing. Dennis Neill: You touched on AIDS. Can you talk a little bit more about your personal experience in the theatre, in the theatrical community, the impact both locally and anything you know. I am thinking about John Thomeyer who was so active and passed from AIDS. What has been your personal experience with AIDS? Bob Odle: Well, an actor who toured with Gaslight, who we then hired as part of our full-time staff, eventually quit and moved to New York. And there he began to exhibit all these different, you know, symptoms and died a number of years ago. A good friend who was in some of our first shows, our first season, moved to New York. He got cancer, some sort of colorectal thing, and he retired and he moved back to Tulsa. He eventually died, but essentially it was AIDS, you know, HIV. And then another friend who died in New York, he was from Tulsa, graduated from Will Rogers, was a student there when I did my student teaching at Will Rogers. And he did some shows with us early on, but then he moved to New York and he eventually died, I believe, of AIDS. And so I've known people who've died. I haven't known of anyone, oh, there's somebody, I can't think who it was, but there's somebody I do know who died….I didn't know him very well, but he died of AIDS. And I'm aware of numerous people who've died of AIDS, HIV. 22 �Dennis Neill: And were you ever involved in the 80s and 90s with some of the support groups around here or AIDS response within the Tulsa community? Bob Odle: I went to one meeting at Nancy McDonald's house of PFLAG, but I just didn't have time to get involved with that. And I was involved with you and three or four other people in reorganizing TOHR. That was in the 80s. But I really didn't have time because I was still doing theater at the time, and I was out of town doing tours and things, and I really didn't have time to get involved. And that's the thing about doing theater now, because I'm so involved in some of these social and political things. I hate to give up, because I gave those things up when I was doing theater, because almost every night I had to work. Now I hate to, I can't give up the political and social things I'm involved in. It's that time of my life for me. Toby Jenkins: So as we kind of come to the close, and just give you a minute to think about this, is there anything you would want to say to anybody who comes after us, or younger people today who will see this interview? Is there anything you would like to say, like, this is my message to you for the future? Bob Odle: Things will get better. I saw a person who has a shop on Greenwood talking about, he's an older person, talking about younger black people, thinking, why are you so bitter about stuff? Well, they had, young black people are enjoying the fruits of their labor. Young gay people are enjoying the fruits of our labor. But our labor shouldn't stop. It can't stop. Because we have seen from the past year that they can go back, these things can go backwards. Toby Jenkins: So don't stop. Bob Odle: No, we have to keep fighting for our rights. It was Hubert Humphrey who said, freedom has to be won every day. Toby Jenkins: Very good. Okay, if you'll give us your name one more time, and today's date. Bob Odle: Bob Odle, February 19th, 2026. Toby Jenkins: Thank you so much for your time with us today. Bob Odle: Well, thank you. Toby Jenkins: Thank you, Bob. Addendum: 23 �Robert "Bob" Odle dressed for the role of "Rev. Dr. Oral Love" for a production of "Joyce Martel," produced by the American Theatre Company of Tulsa, OK. The company performed this production at various venues from 1975 to 1985, some of which include the following: Cain's Ballroom, The Inferno, The Captain's Cabin, Mayo Hotel, and the Brook Theatre. The image shows Odle dressed in a church minister's robe while clutching a one dollar bill. Phot courtesy of the Museum of Tulsa History. 24 �Depicting five theater actors dressed as "Martels" in the finale of the production "Joyce Martel: They Say It's Your Birthday," produced in 1985 by the American Theatre Company at the Brook Theatre in Tulsa, OK. The actors and actress are as follows (left to right): Robert "Bob" Odle, Karl Krause, Melanie Fry (in the role of Joyce Martel), Greg Roach, and Tony Gates (kneeling). Photo courtesy of the Museum of Tulsa History. 25 � https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/92b7672f465b31469e90f256836e0487.mp4 4594a2c03a0488471c94cd800d12db1f 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 Robert (Bob) Odle Oral History Interview - Feb. 19, 2026 Video 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 [Series] Oral Histories Project > Interviews Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br />Box 7, Folder 7 - Dr. Leisa Meyer Program<br />Box 7, Folder 8 - Interviewees Materials, Original Series 2003-2007<br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> 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 [2026] Robert Odle Interview Subject The topic of the resource Robert (Bob) Odle Oral History Project Interview from February 19, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robert Odle, Toby Jenkins, Dennis Neill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 19, 2026 Description An account of the resource Video recording and transcript of oral history interview with Toby Jenkins on February 19, 2026. Bob was born on May 15, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri. His mom and stepdad moved to Tulsa when Bob was in the sixth grade. He graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1963 and finished his theatre degree from the University of Tulsa in 1967. He was required to go to Oklahoma City for a possible induction into the military as this was the height of the Vietnam War. After two interviews, it was clear that Bob was gay and not subject to military service due to the ban at that time on homosexuals in the military. He began a teaching career in competitive speech and drama at Central High School in Tulsa. He discussed his early involvement in theatre with Gaslight Theatre and the American Theatre Company with its early satirical takes on Tulsa, Oral Roberts University and co-wrote ATC’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” which continues to be performed each December for some 50 years. Bob created the Brother Oral Love role that became a fixture of ATC’s shows along with the Oral Action Singers. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2006] Pride Photos from Roger Francis Subject The topic of the resource 2006 Tulsa Pride Photos from Roger Francis Description An account of the resource 39 photos of the 2006 Tulsa Pride Parade and Festival contributed by Roger Francis. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Roger Francis Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006 2006 2006 Pride ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH Blockbuster Blockbuster Cares Club Maverick Club Renegade Diamonds drag drag queens Driller Bears Lambda Bowling League MetLife New Age Renegade Palace Cafe photos Pride Pride 2006 pride festival pride Parade Pride Parade and festival pride protestors protestors Renegade Roger Francis St. Paul's United Methodist Tulsa Lambda Bowling Tulsa Lambda Bowling League Tulsa Leather Tulsa Pride Tulsa Pride 2006 Tulsa Pride Events Tulsa Pride Festival https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/c1fbe5ab5f0233246a55755d0a693b99.pdf 09b9eda8ba412b2ffc86b548c78ac572 PDF Text Text Jack Wagoner III 1 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 Jack Wagoner III Aug 13, 1961 - Apr 23rd, 2024 Birth Date: Aug 13, 1961 Death Date: Apr 23, 2024 Funeral Date: Jun 15, 2024, 11:00 am Location: Murray Park, Pavilion 1, Little Rock, Arkansas Print this Obituary Biography: JACK WAGONER III passed away on April 23, 2024, at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM �Jack Wagoner III 2 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 62. Jack, had he awoken, would have been grateful to have spent his last moments in the same house where he once drank his morning coffee (which he took with two sugars and enough milk to nearly defeat the point), taught his baby daughters how to walk, and blasted the Grateful Dead on full volume (much to the dismay of his family). Jack was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew up in the house in which he caused regular mischief throughout his teenage years – pranking his sisters, skateboarding in a handstand down the neighborhood’s steep hill, and, in one event, taking advantage of his parents’ absence to throw a party that resulted in dozens of cars lined down the street and only minor property damage (but which was cleaned so thoroughly and efficiently that his parents only realized after a neighbor, upset by the noise, informed them upon their return). At 40, he later married his wife Joyce in the same house – the two of them wed in his parents’ living room, clad not in tux and gown, but rather blue jeans and t-shirts, their families packed in around them. Jack worked as an attorney for 34 years, during which time he always positioned himself firmly on the side of the underdog, and fought to improve the circumstances of those who didn’t have much of a fighting chance. Jack’s readiness to help those in need also manifested itself in the form of spasmodic acts of generosity enacted on the behalf of random strangers: such as the time he engaged a Waffle House employee in conversation during the breakfast rush of a Christmas morning, and tipped her a one hundred dollar bill. Jack’s job as an attorney also presented itself in the familial sphere, where he would engage in lively debates with his daughters over anything and everything (and, on occasion, lost). Jack’s family will remember him as a man who laughed a bit too loud and spoke a bit too much. More than that, though, they will remember him as a man who tried very hard, and who loved very much. In lieu of flowers, please consider playing to yourself “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead, and sing along if you know the words. It was his favorite song. All friends and family are welcome to a celebration of Jack’s life at Murray Park, Pavilion 1 on June 15, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. We will laugh, cry, hear from some folks whom Jack admired greatly, and of course have live music. Bring your folding chairs and sit awhile. We’ll all be there to send him off with joy and love. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com Condolences(18) Heather Jun 13th, 2024 8:17 pm # 18 My family and I were one of those “underdogs” Jack represented, fighting for us and winning against one of the most corrupt attorneys in Little Rock. I’m forever indebted for the kindness he showed toward me and my case. This news 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM �Jack Wagoner III 3 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 just shook me. We need more Jack Wagoners in the world. Rest in peace, awesome soul. Josh Coleman Jun 13th, 2024 4:58 pm # 17 We miss you Jack. “Would you hear my voice come through the music? Would you hold it near as it were your own?”. It’s been a tough few months without you here. I’ve thought about you many times along my adventures. I miss checking my phone to see enthusiastic texts or voicemails from you to keep me informed about something new and exciting going on. I kept feeling like I’d run into you at the sphere Vegas shows. I won’t be able to make it to the memorial, but you’ll live on in my memory forever. RIP Jack. Much love to you and your family. Bobby Hamilton May 29th, 2024 9:06 am # 16 I knew Jack for about 47years. We grew up not far from each other though never spent a lot of time together. He was someone I wanted to be around more as we shared an enthusiasm I can only describe as a zest for life and the need for inclusiveness. I would run into Jack from time to time as my family negotiated the foster care system. He was always doing what I thought a real lawyer would want to do, representing the less powerful. Thank you Jack, for fighting the good fight with a gleam in your eyes and a belief that it was working. I believe it too. Susan Jones Boe May 27th, 2024 9:39 am # 15 My brothers and I grew up with the Wagoner family and witnessed first hand the wonderful mischief of Jack! We are all so sorry for your loss. May his memory and the admiration of those who knew him bring you comfort in the years to come. Sandy Lewis Roberts May 20th, 2024 10:47 pm # 14 I’m so sorry to hear that Jack is gone. He was smart, witty, and absolutely one if a kind. He also had a huge and generous heart that he could not always hide. He was loved very much and will be missed by so many people, including me. My heart goes out to Joyce and his girls who I know, without a doubt, he loved so much. My prayers are with you and your daughters, Joyce. Please know I’m there for you on any day at anytime. Love you so much, Sandy Jean Blume May 16th, 2024 1:03 pm # 13 Jack my heart is broken, I love you! My thoughts and prayers to Joyce, Erin and Kylie, the ones you loved the most. 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM �Jack Wagoner III 4 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 You are now part of the Ripple in Gods Heavenly Kingdom. You will be greatly missed by all you have touched here on this earth. R.I.P. and love Jack. Trey Moore May 14th, 2024 1:29 pm # 12 Jack was a good man and a good friend and he is missed by many. Love you Jack, see ya on the flip side. Dave Wilson May 14th, 2024 12:45 pm # 11 Always moving to hear of your love for wife and daughters. Rest in peace, and God Bless your loved ones. Candice Murphy May 13th, 2024 8:36 pm # 10 I knew several of Jack’s family members from many great years at Trinity United Methodist Church. But I met Jack through our mutual friend Sean Harrison, who invited Jack over to see him perform at our first Home Concert in Leawood a year ago. It was such a special night and Jack let me know multiple times afterwards how much he enjoyed it. Sean’s performance was awesome, the weather was perfect, and I loved seeing those good friends spending time together. I’m so sorry he left too soon. Too many of the good ones do.Love to the family, Sean, and others who will miss him. — Candy Murphy Jill B May 13th, 2024 6:53 pm #9 May 13th, 2024 6:13 pm #8 Jack helped me and drove me crazy all at the same time. RIP Terry Barket My late husband, Gary, so enjoyed “Jack time”, both professionally and leisurely. Recently, I became reacquainted with Jack and he helped me with a legal problem…with a good result. I shall miss him deeply and remember him fondly. I hold Joyce and the twins close in my heart and prayers. Buzz Plumley May 13th, 2024 5:00 pm #7 May 13th, 2024 4:48 pm #6 Loved to hear Jack share his experience , strength and hope in AA meetings . Evans family Our thoughts and prayers are with your family Continue to rely on God and know that he hears your prayers, because he cares for you. Thinking of you all. 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM �Jack Wagoner III 5 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 Tom Kelly May 13th, 2024 1:51 pm #5 May 13th, 2024 1:42 pm #4 Gone too soon. Rest in peace Jack. Love to your family. Robin Mays So glad I got to spend some time with you, Jack and your girls in Charleston last year. Jack and I had such a good visit while you and girls were shopping. I know what a shock it was to you as well as to his friends and sisters. He will be missed by many, and I know his daughters will carry his memory in everything they do. Greg BRUCE May 13th, 2024 11:48 am #3 May 13th, 2024 9:59 am #2 May 12th, 2024 11:11 pm #1 Thank you for everything you for our community. Cathy Jones "Ripple" is my favorite as well. Rest in peace. Roger Amick Rest in peace. Leave your Condolence * Your Name * Your Email (will not be published) Condolence * Enter verification code = 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM �Jack Wagoner III 6 of 6 https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 SUBMIT 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM � 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 [Series] Oklahoma LGBT+ History > In Memoriam 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 Jack Wagoner III<br />Aug 13, 1961 - Apr 23rd, 2024<br /><br />Birth Date: Aug 13, 1961<br />Death Date: Apr 23, 2024<br />Funeral Date: Jun 15, 2024, 11:00 am<br />Location: Murray Park, Pavilion 1, Little Rock, Arkansas<br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Print this Obituary</span><br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />1 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM<br /><br /><strong>Biography:</strong> JACK WAGONER III passed away on April 23, 2024, at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 62. Jack, had he awoken, would have been grateful to have spent his last moments in the same house where he once drank his morning coffee (which he took with two sugars and enough milk to nearly defeat the point), taught his baby daughters how to walk, and blasted the Grateful Dead on full volume (much to the dismay of his family).<br />Jack was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew up in the house in which he caused regular mischief throughout his teenage years – pranking his sisters, skateboarding in a handstand down the neighborhood’s steep hill, and, in one event, taking advantage of his parents’ absence to throw a party that resulted in dozens of cars lined down the street and only minor property damage (but which was cleaned so thoroughly and efficiently that his parents only realized after a neighbor, upset by the noise, informed them upon their return). At 40, he later married his wife Joyce in the same house – the two of them wed in his parents’ living room, clad not in tux and gown, but rather blue jeans and t-shirts, their families packed in around them.<br />Jack worked as an attorney for 34 years, during which time he always positioned himself firmly on the side of the underdog, and fought to improve the circumstances of those who didn’t have much of a fighting chance. Jack’s readiness to help those in need also manifested itself in the form of spasmodic acts of generosity enacted on the behalf of random strangers: such as the time he engaged a Waffle House employee in conversation during the breakfast rush of a Christmas morning, and tipped her a one hundred dollar bill. Jack’s job as an attorney also presented itself in the familial sphere, where he would engage in lively debates with his daughters over anything and everything (and, on occasion, lost).<br />Jack’s family will remember him as a man who laughed a bit too loud and spoke a bit too much. More than that, though, they will remember him as a man who tried very hard, and who loved very much.<br />In lieu of flowers, please consider playing to yourself “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead, and sing along if you know the words. It was his favorite song.<br />All friends and family are welcome to a celebration of Jack’s life at Murray Park, Pavilion 1 on June 15, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. We will laugh, cry, hear from some folks whom Jack admired greatly, and of course have live music. Bring your folding chairs and sit awhile. We’ll all be there to send him off with joy and love. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com<br /><br />Condolences(18)<br /><strong>Heather </strong>Jun 13th, 2024 8:17 pm # 18<br />My family and I were one of those “underdogs” Jack represented, fighting for us and winning against one of the most corrupt attorneys in Little Rock. I’m forever indebted for the kindness he showed toward me and my case. This news just shook me. We need more Jack Wagoners in the world. Rest in peace, awesome soul.<br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />2 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM<br /><br /><strong>Josh Coleman</strong> Jun 13th, 2024 4:58 pm # 17<br />We miss you Jack.<br />“Would you hear my voice come through the music?<br />Would you hold it near as it were your own?”.<br />It’s been a tough few months without you here. I’ve thought about you many times along my adventures. I miss checking my phone to see enthusiastic texts or voicemails from you to keep me informed about something new and exciting going on. I kept feeling like I’d run into you at the sphere Vegas shows. I won’t be able to make it to the memorial, but you’ll live on in my memory forever. RIP Jack. Much love to you and your family.<br /><br /><strong>Bobby Hamilton</strong> May 29th, 2024 9:06 am # 16<br />I knew Jack for about 47years. We grew up not far from each other though never spent a lot of time together. He was someone I wanted to be around more as we shared an enthusiasm I can only describe as a zest for life and the need for inclusiveness. I would run into Jack from time to time as my family negotiated the foster care system. He was always doing what I thought a real lawyer would want to do, representing the less powerful.<br />Thank you Jack, for fighting the good fight with a gleam in your eyes and a belief that it was working. I believe it too.<br /><br /><strong>Susan Jones Boe</strong> May 27th, 2024 9:39 am # 15<br />My brothers and I grew up with the Wagoner family and witnessed first hand the wonderful mischief of Jack! We are all so sorry for your loss. May his memory and the admiration of those who knew him bring you comfort in the years to come.<br /><br /><strong>Sandy Lewis Roberts</strong> May 20th, 2024 10:47 pm # 14<br />I’m so sorry to hear that Jack is gone. He was smart, witty, and absolutely one if a kind. He also had a huge and generous heart that he could not always hide. He was loved very much and will be missed by so many people, including me.<br />My heart goes out to Joyce and his girls who I know, without a doubt, he loved so much. My prayers are with you and your daughters, Joyce. Please know I’m there for you on any day at anytime.<br />Love you so much, Sandy<br /><br /><strong>Jean Blume</strong> May 16th, 2024 1:03 pm # 13<br />Jack my heart is broken, I love you! My thoughts and prayers to Joyce, Erin and Kylie, the ones you loved the most.<br />You are now part of the Ripple in Gods Heavenly Kingdom. You will be greatly missed by all you have touched here on this earth. R.I.P. and love Jack.<br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />3 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM<br /><br /><strong>Trey Moore</strong> May 14th, 2024 1:29 pm # 12<br />Jack was a good man and a good friend and he is missed by many. Love you Jack, see ya on the flip side.<br /><br /><strong>Dave Wilson</strong> May 14th, 2024 12:45 pm # 11<br />Always moving to hear of your love for wife and daughters. Rest in peace, and God Bless your loved ones.<br /><br /><strong>Candice Murphy</strong> May 13th, 2024 8:36 pm # 10<br />I knew several of Jack’s family members from many great years at Trinity United Methodist Church. But I met Jack through our mutual friend Sean Harrison, who invited Jack over to see him perform at our first Home Concert in Leawood a year ago. It was such a special night and Jack let me know multiple times afterwards how much he enjoyed it. Sean’s performance was awesome, the weather was perfect, and I loved seeing those good friends spending time together. I’m so sorry he left too soon. Too many of the good ones do.Love to the family, Sean, and others who will miss him. — Candy Murphy<br /><br /><strong>Jill B</strong> May 13th, 2024 6:53 pm # 9<br />Jack helped me and drove me crazy all at the same time. RIP<br /><br /><strong>Terry Barket</strong> May 13th, 2024 6:13 pm # 8<br />My late husband, Gary, so enjoyed “Jack time”, both professionally and leisurely.<br />Recently, I became reacquainted with Jack and he helped me with a legal problem…with a good result.<br />I shall miss him deeply and remember him fondly.<br />I hold Joyce and the twins close in my heart and prayers.<br /><br /><strong>Buzz Plumley</strong> May 13th, 2024 5:00 pm # 7<br />Loved to hear Jack share his experience , strength and<br />hope in AA meetings .<br /><br /><strong>Evans family</strong> May 13th, 2024 4:48 pm # 6<br />Our thoughts and prayers are with your family<br />Continue to rely on God and know that he hears your prayers, because he cares for you. Thinking of you all.<br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />4 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM<br /><br /><strong>Tom Kelly</strong> May 13th, 2024 1:51 pm # 5<br />Gone too soon. Rest in peace Jack. Love to your family.<br /><br /><strong>Robin Mays</strong> May 13th, 2024 1:42 pm # 4<br />So glad I got to spend some time with you, Jack and your girls in Charleston last year. Jack and I had such a good visit while you and girls were shopping. I know what a shock it was to you as well as to his friends and sisters. He will be missed by many, and I know his daughters will carry his memory in everything they do.<br /><br /><strong>Greg BRUCE</strong> May 13th, 2024 11:48 am # 3<br />Thank you for everything you for our community.<br /><br /><strong>Cathy Jones</strong> May 13th, 2024 9:59 am # 2<br />"Ripple" is my favorite as well. Rest in peace.<br /><br /><strong>Roger Amick</strong> May 12th, 2024 11:11 pm # 1<br />Rest in peace.<br /><br />Leave your Condolence<br />* Your Name<br />* Your Email (will not be published)<br />Condolence<br />* Enter verification code<br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />5 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM<br /><br /><strong>SUBMIT</strong><br /><br />Jack Wagoner III https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388<br />6 of 6 2/21/2025, 3:11 PM 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 [2024] Jack Wagoner Obituary Subject The topic of the resource Jack Wagoner III, August 13, 1961 - April 23, 2024 Description An account of the resource Six pages of an obituary for Jack Wagoner III, who lived August 13, 1961 to April 23, 2024, published by Ruebel Funeral Home, including comments left by guests. A memorial service was planned for June 15, 2024 at Murray Park in Arkansas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ruebel Funeral Home Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 12, 2024 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://ruebelfuneralhome.com/obits/preview.php?id=3388 2024 Arkansas in memoriam Jack Wagoner Jack Wagoner III Little Rock memoriam Obituaries Obituary Ruebel Funeral Home https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/a39d53518c1845835937f96f7ea730f5.png 89e3d18c64acd216f1af4d0f16c8df8c https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/dd5b8f4d3a0e252cb8f00d32b35ad4bd.mp4 51b23431508457dbbb880d7c7c7ead64 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.) 2 hours 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 [ND] PFLAG Straight from the Heart Subject The topic of the resource A discussion with Parents and their children Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Santa Clarita CA chapter of PFLAG PFLAG Santa Clara Straight from the Heart https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/ba1cfeaff83471b5b273000d3b4e9648.pdf 5de482bde9f693c478d84a30b70a02b9 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 [Series] The Pyramid Project > Strategic Planning & Leadership Description An account of the resource <strong>Physical Media:</strong> <br />Box 5, Folder 5 - Meeting Materials<br />Box 5, Folder 8 - Strategic Planning &amp; Leadership<br /><br /><strong>Digital Media:</strong> 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] Schnake Turnbo Frank Memo Subject The topic of the resource 2001 Schnake Turnbo Frank, Inc. Memorandum Description An account of the resource 1 page of a memorandum sent on September 10, 2001, from Steve Turnbo and Russ Florence of Schnake Turnbo Frank, Inc. as Public Relations Consultants reviewing the Pyramid Project's marketing materials. They advise to make their marketing brochure more concise and offer to write the first draft with the assistance of Judy McHenry. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Schnake Turnbo Frank, Inc. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 10, 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Steve Turnbo and Russ Florence 2001 Greg Gatewood Judy McHenry Marcy Smith memorandum Nancy McDonald Pyramid Project Pyramid Project campaign Pyramid Project Capital Campaign Pyramid Project fundraising Pyramid Project planning Russ Florence Schnake Turnbo Frank Schnake Turnbo Frank Inc. Steve Turnbo Sue Welch https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/3c7d813ca9cf06feac45100d1bb5e79a.pdf 8a5ac041170ef40478355d2bfdba2fb2 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 [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] Tulsa Gay Bar List to 2004 Subject The topic of the resource A listing of Gay Bars gathered by the Silver Star Bar in 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Silver Star Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Sliver Star Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940s to 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Silver Star 8th Day 911 Bamboo Bishops Blue Haven Blue Note Carusso's Chasers Cherry Bomb Concessions Crash Landing CW's Dante's Doghouse Elite Fountain of Youth Friends gala Gay Bar List Heads or Tails Little Mexico Majestic Mavericks Milwaukee Tavern New Edition new Plantation New York New York Over the Rainbow Papillon Playmor Queen of Hearts Rainbow Rose Renegades Schutzi's Seekers Choice Silver Star Skook-Bee-Do Sparky's St. Moritz Taj Majal The Club Tim's Anything Goes Tim's Playroom TNT's Tool Box Tos/Max Tracks Tracy's Tulsa Mining Underground Yellow Brick Road Zebra Zippers https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/879e6769ffce548e6adcb49c5d4ae264.pdf f98082c2492507f057ce89a5a3ef0388 PDF Text Text Page 1 of7 Yf II =- From: "j; LS P-& £ Friday, April 29, 20051:30 PM Sent: fM( Ill, To: '-f::::t q ml .tf .] I J fJ vs u-· , . Cc: $ tg :.g::: @1.4 I tfo ill j ; il .... Subject:,I.Jll['lele1rtlls"': 111111111%1•] 30 years of anti-gay politics I Qi ]!'A Southern Poverty Law Center The Thirty Years War A timeline of the anti-gay movement 1977 Born-again singer Anita Bryant campaigns to overturn an anti-discrimination law protecting gay men and lesbians in Dade Co1mty, Fla. Inspired by her victory, Bryant founds the first national anti-gay group, Save Our Children, drawing unprecedented attention to gay issues and motivating gay groups to organize in response. James Dobson, author of 1969 pro-spanking book Dare To Discipline, founds Focus on the Family in Arcadia, Calif. Focus will move to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1991, become America's wealthiest fundamentalist ministry, and spearhead the campaign against gay marriage. 1978 Gay activist Harvey Milk, elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Nov. 7, is assassinated 20 days later (along with Mayor George Moscone) by right-wing religious zealot Dan White, a former city supervisor who had resigned in protest when the board passed a gay-rights ordinance. John Birch Society trainer and "family activist" Tim LaHaye publishes The Unhappy Gays (later retitled What Everyone Should Know About Homosexuality). Calling gay people "militant, organized" and "vile," LaHaye anticipates anti-gay arguments to come. California State Sen. John Briggs floats a ballot initiative allowing local school boards to ban gay teachers. "One third of San Francisco teachers are homosexual," Briggs says. "I assume most of them are seducing young boys in toilets." The initiative is defeated, but the campaign inspires anti-gay crusaders like the Rev. Lou Sheldon, who will fo1md the Traditional Values Coalition in 1981. 1979 5/19/2005 �,;z-":f -'!!:•�·. :·.:_:_�:.>';!���. --./::t:'.'-r.j•. '" •:.· ';;'i,<::�"...:��--:; ·� .: '':SG'�:::,\·;,-1::i�-�;::t ;;'� :.��-,�,u":• - �\,tt•� .. �Page2of7 The Rev. Jerry Falwell founds the Moral Majority, a national effort to stimulate the fundamentalist vote and elect Christian Right candidates. Early :fundraising appeals include a "Declaration of War" on homosexuality. 1980 Paul Cameron, former psychology instructor at University of Nebraska, begins publishing pseudo­ scientific pamphlets "proving" that gay people commit more serial murders, molest more children, and intentionally spread diseases. Expelled from the American Psychological Association in 1983 for ethics violations, Cameron will continue to produce bogus "studies" widely cited by anti-gay groups. 1981 Moral Majority allies in Congress propose the Family Protection Act, which would bar giving federal funds to "any organization that suggests that homosexuality can be an acceptable alternative lifestyle." Despite President Reagan's endorsement, the bill is defeated. The Council for National Policy, a highly secretive club of America's most powerful far-right religious activists, begins meeting quarterly at undisclosed locations. Among the members will be R.J. Rushdoony, who calls for death penalty for homosexuals, and anti-gay crusaders James Dobson, Beverly and Tim LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, Tony Perkins and Phyllis Schlafly. George W. Bush will meet with the Council during his first campaign for president. 1982 The U.S. Department of Defense issues a policy stating that homosexuality is "incompatible" with military service. Almost 17,000 gay soldiers will be discharged during the l 980s, though a 1989 Defense Deparbnent study will find gay recruits "just as good or better" than heterosexuals. 1983 Pat Buchanan, communications director for President Ronald Reag� calls AIDS, first identified in 1981, "nature's revenge on gay men." 1984 The Coalition on Revival is founded to promote "Christian government" in the U.S. and to agree on theological tenets - including anti-gay principles - that fundamentalists can rally around. Board members include Tim LaHaye, D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries and Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association. Founder Jay Grimstead later tells The Advocate, "Homosexuality makes God vomit." 1985 Addressing the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Paul Cameron uses the AIDS crisis 5/19/2005 �Page3 of7 to suggest that "the extermination of homosexuals" might become necessary. The following year, Colorado's Summit Ministries will publish Special Report: AIDS. Co-authored by Cameron, the popular pamphlet blames gay men for the epidemic and calls for a national crackdown on homosexuals. 1986 At the first Congressional hearings on anti-gay violence, Kathleen Sarris of Indianapolis tells of being stalked and assaulted by a "Christian soldier" who held her at gunpoint, beat and raped her for three hours, explaining that "he was acting for God; that what he was doing to me was God's revenge on me because I was a 'queer' and getting rid of me would save children." Anti-gay groups cheer the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick holding that state anti-sodomy statutes are constitutional. Four years later, Justice Lewis Powell, the swing vote, will tell New York University law students, "I probably made a mistake in that one." 1987 Boston's Gay Community News publishes a satire of anti-gay propaganda, beginning: "Tremble, Hetero Swine! We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lives. We will raise vast private annies ... to defeat ... the family unit." Anti-gay groups seize on the article as proof of a "secret homosexual agenda." 1988 After a ferocious campaign by the fundamentalist Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), Oregon voters overturn their governor's executive order banning anti-gay discrimination in state hiring. Led by anti­ gay crusader Lon Mabon, OCA claims "promiscuous sodomite activists" have called for "the closing of all churches that oppose them and the total destruction of the family." 1989 U.S. Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.) publishes a landmark anti-gay tome, Shadow in the Land: Homosexuality in America. Calling lesbians and gay men 11the ultimate enemy," Dannemeyer accuses straight people of "surrendering to this growing army without a shot," and predicts gay rights will "plunge our people, and indeed the entire West, into a dark night of the soul that could last hundreds of years." 1990 University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney founds Promise Keepers, which holds all-male stadium revivals promoting "traditional masculinity" throughout the l 990s. McCartney calls homosexuals "a group of people who don't reproduce, yet want to be compared with people who do reproduce," and says, "Homosexuality is an abomination of Almighty God." 1991 5/19/2005 �Page4 of7 Pat Robertson founds the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), run by Christian Right attorney Jay Sekulow. ACLJ will be instrumental in fighting gay marriage, calling it a cancerous "perversion" that "directly attacks the family, which is the most vital cell in society." 1992 Colorado voters approve Amendment 2, overturning municipal laws protecting lesbians and gay men from discrimination. One of the organizers, Tony Marco, hones a "special rights" argument, claiming that gay people are inordinately wealthy and politically powerful, and neither need nor deserve the rights they "demand." "The Gay Agenda," 20-minute video featuring racy scenes filmed at gay-pride marches, is released by Ty and Jeannette Beeson of the Antelope Valley Springs of Life church in Lancaster, Calif. Aired by Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club,0 it will become one of the most widely viewed pieces of anti-gay propaganda. At the Republican National Convention in Houston, Pat Buchanan famously declares in a prime time speech, "There is a culture war going on in our country for the soul ofAmerica." Cheering audience members wave signs reading "Family Rights Forever, 'Gay' Rights Never." 1993 The battle over gay marriage is ignited when the Hawaii Supreme Court rules that denying same-sex couples marriage licenses violates "basic human rights" guaranteed in the state constitution - unless the state legislature can show a "compelling reason" to prevent gay marriage. Anti-gay groups begin a campaign to "defend marriage," with legal challenges led by ACLJ's Jay Sekulow. President Clinton's proposal to lift the ban on openly gay military personnel sends anti-gay activists into action, shutting down phone lines to Congress with hundreds ofthousands of calls in protest. "Honestly," asks D. James Kennedy in a fundraising letter for Coral Ridge Ministries, "would you want your son, daughter, or grandchild sharing a shower, foxhole, or blood with a homosexual?" The Cobb County (Ga.) Commission passes a resolution calling homosexuality "incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes." Organizer Gordon Wysong declares, 0We should blame them for every social problem in America." Cobb County will be dropped as a host for 1996 Atlanta Olympic events because of its anti-gay stance. 1994 More than40 fundamentalist groups, led by Focus on the Family, hold a summit in Colorado to coordinate a "special rights" argument to oppose gay rights. This strategy is also promoted by the Traditional Values Coalition's "Gay Rights, Special Rights," a40-minute video claiming gay rights will erode the civil rights ofAfrican Americans. 1995 The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party, by fundamentalist activists Scott Lively and 5/19/2005 �Page 5 of7 Kevin Abrams, claims gays weren't victimized in the Holocaust, but instead helped mastermind the extermination of Jews (see stocy, p. 18). Repudiated by credible historians, the book is nevertheless praised by the Family Research Council and sold by several anti-gay organiz.ations. 1996 The National Pro-Family Forum, dedicated to "one man-one woman" marriage, holds its first secret meeting in a Memphis church cellar with representatives from more than 20 major anti-gay groups. Before the end of the year, forum members successfully push the Defense of Marriage Act, a symbolic measure defining marriage as between a man and a woman, through Congress. The Southern Baptist Convention announces a boycott of Disney parks and products because the company gives insurance benefits to partners of gay workers and allows "Gay Days" at its theme parks. "Beware of the Magic Kingdom," Focus on the Family advises parents. Gay Day protests become a staple of the anti-gay movement In Romer v. Evans, the U.S. Supreme Court rules Colorado's Amendment 2 (see 1992) unconstitutional by a 6-3 vote. The ruling puts an end to 20 years of state and local ballot initiatives aimed at stripping gays of anti-discrimination protections, leaving same-sex marriage as the main issue for anti-gay organizers. 1997 Ellen DeGeneres' character on the TV sitcom "Ellen" comes out as a lesbian, initiating protests and boycotts of sponsors led by Donald Wildmon and Jerry Falwell, who calls the actor "Ellen Degenerate." 1998 A coalition of fundamentalist groups led by Coral Ridge Ministries sponsors "Truth in Love," a million-dollar advertising campaign promoting "ex-gay ministries," which use discredited psychological methods to "cure" gay people. One day before a second round of "Truth in Love" ads is released, gay college student Matthew Shepard dies after being savagely beaten and left tied to a fence in Wyoming. The murder spurs a national debate about the connection between anti-gay rhetoric and hate crimes. In a TV interview, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) compares gay people to alcoholics and "kleptomaniacs," earning praise from anti-gay activists. "Leaders willing to be set apart and stand solidly in the truth are rare in today's permissive culture," says James Dobson. 1999 Vermont Democratic Gov. Howard Dean signs a law sanctioning same-sex civil unions, entitling gay couples to marital rights arid benefits. Anti-gay leader Gary Bauer calls it "an unmitigated disaster" that is "worse than terrorism." 2000 5/19/2005 �Page6of7 "Teletubbies" cartoon character Tinley Winley is "outed" as gay in a "Parents' Alert" in Jerry Falwell's Liberty Journal, which asserts, "He is purple - the gay-pride color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol." The U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 that the Boy Scouts of America can continue to ban gay scoutmasters. Anti-gay activists like Robert Knight ofthe Family Research Council use the scouting controversy to revive anti-gay "child molester" propaganda. After CBS morning-show host Bryant Gumbel interviews Knight, he is heard on air commenting, "What a fucking idiot." Anti-gay groups label CBS the "Christian Bashing System" and lobby unsuccessfully for Gumbel's firing. 2001 On "The 700 Cbib" two days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Jerry Falwell blames the tragedy on "the Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists and the gays and lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle." Host Pat Robertson responds: "Well, I totally concur." 2002 The Rev. Michael Bray, a convicted abortion clinic bomber and leading advocate ofmurdering abortion doctors, praises Saudi Arabia for beheading three gay men on New Year's Day. "Let us give thanks," Bray proclaims. "Let us welcome these tools of purification. Open the borders! Bring in some agents of cleansing." 2003 Alan Sears, head ofthe Alliance Defense Fund, co-authors The Homosexual Agenda, a book that asserts gay activists' ultimate goal is "silencing" conservative Christians. Sears also accuses cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants of being gay. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules 4-3 that gay and lesbian couples have a right to marry. In the Washington Dispatch, legendary fundamentalist organizer Paul Weyrich declares marriage "The Final Frontier for Civili2:ation as We Know It." The U.S. Supreme Court overturns state anti-sodomy statutes in Lawrence v. Texas, ruling that gay people are entitled to "an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct." Dissenting Justice Antonin Scalia complains that "the court has largely signed onto the so-called homosexual agenda." 2004 Constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage pass by wide margins in all 11 states, including Ohio and Oregon. Anti-gay groups meet in Washington, D.C., to plan for 10 more state initiatives in 2005. James Dobson's Focus on the Family Action organizes "Mayday for Marriage" rallies in six major cities to promote anti-gay marriage ballot initiatives in 11 states. An estimated 150,000 turn out for Oct. 15 protest in Washington, D.C., where Dobson declares, "[E)verytbing we care about is on the line. It's now or never." 5/19/2005 �Page 7 of? San Francisco officials begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in February, with a handful of other U.S. municipalities following suit. Later that month, President George W. Bush announces his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. 5/19/2005 � 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 [1977-2004] The Thirty Years War: A Timeline of the Anti-Gay Movement Subject The topic of the resource The Thirty Years War - A Timeline of the Anti-Gay Movement 1977-2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southern Poverty Law Center Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Southern Poverty Law Center Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Southern Poverty Law Center Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1977-2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Southern Poverty Law Center ACLF Amendment 2 Anita Bryant Anti-Gay Movement Bill McCartney Bowers v. Hardwick Donald Wildmon Focus on the Family Focus on the Family Action James Dobson Jerry Falwell John Briggs Moral Majority National Pro-Family Forum Pat Buchanan Pat Robertson Paul Cameron Promise Keepers Southern Poverty Law Center William Dannemeyer https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/3fb8c41a62ae84cb5481a62b96914dd0.pdf 2ce75f7fef49928ca38893b4c6fb7c75 PDF Text Text 2/6/25, 3:31 PM (/) Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service 3959 E 31st St Tulsa, OK 74135 918-743-6271 (tel:1-918-743-6271) Share this obituary  (mailto:?subject=Obituary for Nancy McDonald&body=Obituary%20for%20Nancy%20%20McDonald%0A%0AView%20details%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanleysfuneralhome.com%2Fobituary%2Fnanc mcdonald%0A%0ABrought%20to%20you%20by%20Stanleys%20Funeral%20%26%20Cremation%20Service%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanleysfuneralhome.com)  (tel:9187436271) https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald Privacy - Terms 1/4 �2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service SEND FLOWERS Order Flowers for the Family SEND A CARD Show Your Sympathy to the Family (https://www.st mcdonald/flowe campaign=obitu flowers-ctaleftside) (https://www.st mcdonald/cards campaign=obitu cards-ctaleftside)  Sign Guestbook  View Guestbook Entries (/guestbook/8721811)  Print Obituary (/obituaries/print?o_id=8721811) Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma June 4, 1936 - October 24, 2023 Nancy McDonald, a longtime Tulsa community volunteer and activist, died Tuesday. She was 87. A celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at All Souls Unitarian Church, with a reception to follow. Per McDonald’s wishes, her family invites everyone attending the reception to bring homemade cookies. Known for her vision and tenacity, McDonald was a force for change in Tulsa for well over 50 years, embracing a variety of causes including public school integration, the arts and LGBTQ rights. Notably with the latter, her influence extended throughout Oklahoma and beyond. McDonald and her husband, Joe, were the founders of the Tulsa chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the first in Oklahoma, and she later served as president of the national PFLAG organization. It was during her tenure as president, in 1998, that the organization extended its mission to include transgender people. McDonald was active on a state and national level in promoting legislation that advanced LGBTQ rights. And when a proposed law threatened that advancement, she was there to fight it. That included testifying before Congress in 1996 in opposition to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Toby Jenkins, former director of Oklahomans for Equality, said McDonald was a source of needed encouragement for her fellow LGBTQ rights advocates, assuring them that “incrementally, bit by bit, relationships would form and change would come.” “Nancy taught us to show respect and civility to everyone, even if they were hateful to you,” Jenkins said. “If they spoke that way, she believed it was just that their hearts and minds had not been opened or challenged. Eventually the change of heart would come. I will miss that most about her.” A Nebraska native and graduate of the University of Nebraska, McDonald moved to Tulsa with her family in 1966. She didn’t waste any time getting involved in her new community. As a parent of school-age children and PTA member, she joined a small group of Tulsa Public Schools parents in helping with voluntary integration, starting with Burroughs Elementary School. Then, in 1973, district officials turned to McDonald to help integrate Booker T. Washington High School. Chairing a committee for volunteer recruitment, McDonald led the successful effort to recruit white student volunteers to attend the previously all-Black school, holding a series of meetings with students and parents. Her volunteering led to a full-time job with TPS, coordinating volunteers and leading the further development of the magnet school concept. Motivating more community volunteers to get involved in their public schools was at the heart of McDonald’s love for the Partners in Education program. She participated in a related White House Symposium and wrote the guidelines for PIE groups that were published as a book. She remained involved with PIE through the end of her life. McDonald was also passionate about scouting. She was a former board member and president of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma. In that role, she helped guide the organization through the tumultuous time following the 1977 murders of three girls at summer camp. McDonald was recipient of a number of honors and awards. They included induction into the Tulsa Hall of Fame and the dedication of the Nancy & Joe McDonald Rainbow Library in her and her husband’s honor at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. McDonald’s commitment to the LGBTQ cause began in the 1980s when one of her daughters came out as a lesbian. The experience of supporting her daughter would shape McDonald, and later she became a mother figure to many LGBTQ people who found themselves facing alienation from friends and family. “We called her ‘everybody’s mother,’” Jenkins said. “She was a surrogate parent for so many whose families had rejected them or had not accepted or understood them. There are national LGBTQ leaders who came out of Oklahoma who Nancy mentored about family relationships.” And her motherly influence didn’t end with the LGBTQ community, Jenkins said. “If anyone was marginalized, it became her cause,” he said. Morva McDonald, McDonald’s daughter, said her mother was “just so good at seeing every individual.” “At her core, she was always trying her best to help people be seen, be recognized for who they were. And that’s what allowed her to reach across so many different (tel:9187436271) causes and arenas.”  https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 2/4 �2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service “The issue for her was always helping people be seen. It was a tremendous gift.” For her mother, part of valuing people as individuals included helping them find ways to participate, Morva added. “That’s why we’re asking people to bring homemade cookies to the reception. It was her idea. Baking was a favorite activity of Mom’s with her grandchildren. “Even at the end she was thinking about how everyone could share and participate.” McDonald’s survivors include her husband, Joe McDonald; four children, JoElyn Newcomb, Paul McDonald, Jason McDonald and Morva McDonald; eight grandchildren; a brother, Howard Nellor; and a sister, Sharlene Clatanoff. Memorial donations may be made to the Foundation for Tulsa Schools’ Partners in Education program. Services Celebration of Life Sunday, November 12, 2023 4:00 PM All Souls Unitarian Church 2952 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74114  Open Google Maps  Email Details (mailto:?subject=Celebration%20of%20Life for Nancy McDonald&body=Celebration%20of%20Life%20for%20Nancy%20%20McDonald%0A%0ASunday% Sign Guestbook Name:  Name (required) Location: Location Video: Link to Video (Youtube or Vimeo) Image: Choose File No file chosen Light A Candle Candle 1 Candle 2 Candle 3 Candle 4 Email:  Email (required) Personal Message:  Personal Message (required)  Confirm:  (tel:9187436271) https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 3/4 �2/6/25, 3:31 PM I'm not a robot Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms Submit Guestbook entry 3959 E 31st St Tulsa, OK 74135  918-743-6271 (tel:918-743-6271)  918-743-5790  Join our mailing list (/subscribe)  info@stanleysfuneralhome.com (mailto:info@stanleysfuneralhome.com) © Copyright 2019 - 25 Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service. All Rights Reserved. | Funeral Home Website by Batesville® (https://www.batesvilletechnology.com) | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources (https://www.batesville.com/for-families/) |Terms of Use (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/conditions) | Privacy Policy (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/privacy) Home (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/) | About Us (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/about-us) | Cremation (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/cremation) | Burial (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/burial) | Veterans (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/veterans) | Obituaries (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obits) | Contact & Location (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/contact-location) | Blog (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/blog) |  Admin (/admin)  (tel:9187436271) https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 4/4 � 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 [Series] Oklahoma LGBT+ History > In Memoriam 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 (/) 3959 E 31st St<br />Tulsa, OK 74135<br />918-743-6271 (tel:1-918-743-6271)<br />Share this obituary<br /> (mailto:?subject=Obituary for Nancy<br />McDonald&amp;body=Obituary%20for%20Nancy%20%20McDonald%0A%0AView%20details%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanleysfuneralhome.com%2Fobituary%2Fnancymcdonald%0A%0ABrought%20to%20you%20by%20Stanleys%20Funeral%20%26%20Cremation%20Service%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanleysfuneralhome.com)<br /><br />(tel:9187436271) Privacy - Terms<br />2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral &amp; Cremation Service<br />https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 1/4<br /> Sign Guestbook  View Guestbook Entries (/guestbook/8721811)<br /> Print Obituary (/obituaries/print?o_id=8721811)<br /><br /><strong>Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma</strong><br />June 4, 1936 - October 24, 2023<br />Nancy McDonald, a longtime Tulsa community volunteer and activist, died Tuesday. She was 87. A celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at All Souls Unitarian Church, with a reception to follow. Per McDonald’s wishes, her family invites everyone attending the reception to bring homemade cookies.<br />Known for her vision and tenacity, McDonald was a force for change in Tulsa for well over 50 years, embracing a variety of causes including public school integration, the arts and LGBTQ rights.<br />Notably with the latter, her inuence extended throughout Oklahoma and beyond.<br />McDonald and her husband, Joe, were the founders of the Tulsa chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the rst in Oklahoma, and she later served as president of the national PFLAG organization. It was during her tenure as president, in 1998, that the organization extended its mission to include transgender people.<br />McDonald was active on a state and national level in promoting legislation that advanced LGBTQ rights. And when a proposed law threatened that advancement, she was there to ght it. That included testifying before Congress in 1996 in opposition to the federal Defense of Marriage Act.<br />Toby Jenkins, former director of Oklahomans for Equality, said McDonald was a source of needed encouragement for her fellow LGBTQ rights advocates, assuring them that “incrementally, bit by bit, relationships would form and change would come.”<br />“Nancy taught us to show respect and civility to everyone, even if they were hateful to you,” Jenkins said. “If they spoke that way, she believed it was just that their hearts and minds had not been opened or challenged. Eventually the change of heart would come. I will miss that most about her.”<br />A Nebraska native and graduate of the University of Nebraska, McDonald moved to Tulsa with her family in 1966. She didn’t waste any time getting involved in her new community.<br />As a parent of school-age children and PTA member, she joined a small group of Tulsa Public Schools parents in helping with voluntary integration, starting with Burroughs Elementary School.<br />Then, in 1973, district ocials turned to McDonald to help integrate Booker T. Washington High School.<br />Chairing a committee for volunteer recruitment, McDonald led the successful eort to recruit white student volunteers to attend the previously all-Black school, holding a series of meetings with students and parents.<br />Her volunteering led to a full-time job with TPS, coordinating volunteers and leading the further development of the magnet school concept.<br />Motivating more community volunteers to get involved in their public schools was at the heart of McDonald’s love for the Partners in Education program. She participated in a related White House Symposium and wrote the guidelines for PIE groups that were published as a book. She remained involved with PIE through the end of her life.<br />McDonald was also passionate about scouting. She was a former board member and president of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma. In that role, she helped guide the organization through the tumultuous time following the 1977 murders of three girls at summer camp.<br />McDonald was recipient of a number of honors and awards. They included induction into the Tulsa Hall of Fame and the dedication of the Nancy &amp; Joe McDonald Rainbow Library in her and her husband’s honor at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.<br />McDonald’s commitment to the LGBTQ cause began in the 1980s when one of her daughters came out as a lesbian.<br />The experience of supporting her daughter would shape McDonald, and later she became a mother gure to many LGBTQ people who found themselves facing alienation from friends and family.<br />“We called her ‘everybody’s mother,’” Jenkins said. “She was a surrogate parent for so many whose families had rejected them or had not accepted or understood them. There are national LGBTQ leaders who came out of Oklahoma who Nancy mentored about family relationships.”<br />And her motherly inuence didn’t end with the LGBTQ community, Jenkins said.<br />“If anyone was marginalized, it became her cause,” he said.<br />Morva McDonald, McDonald’s daughter, said her mother was “just so good at seeing every individual.”<br />“At her core, she was always trying her best to help people be seen, be recognized for who they were. And that’s what allowed her to reach across so many different causes and arenas.”<br /><br />SEND A CARD<br />Show Your Sympathy to the Family<br />(https://www.stmcdonald/cardscampaign=obitucards-ctaleftside)<br /><br />SEND FLOWERS<br />Order Flowers for the Family<br />(https://www.stmcdonald/flowercampaign=obituowers-ctaleftside)<br /><br />(tel:9187436271)<br />2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral &amp; Cremation Service<br />https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 2/4<br /><br />“The issue for her was always helping people be seen. It was a tremendous gift.”<br />For her mother, part of valuing people as individuals included helping them nd ways to participate, Morva added.<br />“That’s why we’re asking people to bring homemade cookies to the reception. It was her idea. Baking was a favorite activity of Mom’s with her grandchildren.<br />“Even at the end she was thinking about how everyone could share and participate.”<br />McDonald’s survivors include her husband, Joe McDonald; four children, JoElyn Newcomb, Paul McDonald, Jason McDonald and Morva McDonald; eight sgrandchildren; a brother, Howard Nellor; and a sister, Sharlene Clatano.<br />Memorial donations may be made to the Foundation for Tulsa Schools’ Partners in Education program.<br /><br />Services<br />Celebration of Life<br />Sunday, November 12, 2023<br />4:00 PM<br />All Souls Unitarian Church<br />2952 S. Peoria Ave<br />Tulsa, OK 74114<br /> Open Google Maps<br /> Email Details (mailto:?subject=Celebration%20of%20Life for NancyMcDonald&amp;body=Celebration%20of%20Life%20for%20Nancy%20%20McDonald%0A%0ASunday%)<br /><br />Sign Guestbook<br />Name:  Name (required)<br />Location: Location<br />Video: Link to Video (Youtube or Vimeo)<br />Image: Choose File No File chosen<br />Light A Candle Candle 1 Candle 2 Candle 3 Candle 4<br />Email:  Email (required)<br />Personal Message:  Personal Message (required)<br />Confirm: <br />(tel:9187436271)<br /><br />2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral &amp; Cremation Service<br />https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 3/4<br />reCAPTCHA<br />I'm not a robot<br />Privacy - Terms<br />Submit Guestbook entry<br />3959 E 31st St Tulsa, OK 74135<br /> 918-743-6271 (tel:918-743-6271)  918-743-5790<br /> Join our mailing list (/subscribe)  info@stanleysfuneralhome.com (mailto:info@stanleysfuneralhome.com)<br />© Copyright 2019 - 25 Stanleys Funeral &amp; Cremation Service. All Rights Reserved. | Funeral Home Website by Batesville® (https://www.batesvilletechnology.com) |<br />Funeral Planning and Grief Resources (https://www.batesville.com/for-families/) |Terms of Use (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/conditions) | Privacy Policy<br />(https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/privacy)<br />Home (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/) | About Us (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/about-us) | Cremation<br />(https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/cremation) | Burial (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/burial) | Veterans<br />(https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/veterans) | Obituaries (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obits) | Contact &amp; Location<br />(https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/contact-location) | Blog (https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/section/blog) |  Admin (/admin)<br /><br />(tel:9187436271)<br />2/6/25, 3:31 PM Obituary | Nancy McDonald of Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stanleys Funeral &amp; Cremation Service<br />https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 4/4 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 [2023] Nancy McDonald Obituary Subject The topic of the resource Nancy McDonald, June 4, 1936 - October 24, 2023 Description An account of the resource Four pages of an obituary for Nancy McDonald, who lived June 4, 1936 to October 24, 2023, published by Stanleys Funeral and Cremation Service. A service was planned for November 12, 2023 at All Souls Unitarian Church. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stanleys Funeral and Cremation Service Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 12, 2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://www.stanleysfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-mcdonald 2023 ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH Booker T. Washington High School Burroughs Elementary School Defense of Marriage Act Dennis R. Neill Equality Center Equality Center Foundation for Tulsa Schools Partners in Education Program Girl Scouts Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma in memoriam Joe McDonald memoriam Morva McDonald Nancy and Dr. Joe McDonald Nancy and Joe McDonald Nancy McDonald Nancy McDonald Rainbow Library Obituaries Obituary OkEq Equality Center Oklahomans for Equality Oklahomans for Equality (OKEQ) Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Partners in Education Partners in Education (PIE) Partners in Education Program PFLAG PIE Rainbow Library Toby Jenkins TPS Tulsa Public Schools Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) Tulsa Schools Partners in Education University of Nebraska https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/7b2db3bb0141bb44a9712396e6267fae.jpg cf428210d5c928a7197cd7ae2588f6a3 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/eb719a5486d2266a7dcabd074e0595c6.pdf 27c2f0c690b852292e4c1f73a22efa73 PDF Text Text One million people, including Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, took part in London’s gay pride parade July 4. MORE on page 11 THE PREMIER SOURCE FOR G VOLUME 6 T OKLAHOMA MetroStarN÷ws.com iSSUE 8 AUGUST 1,2009 S 0KLAHOMAAGAIN! The crowd was about equally divided among those supporting her views and those opposed. Those in opposition began shouting Shame on you! repeatedly, alon~-with "Love-thy neighb6r!" - By Victor Gorin $ 0,000 By Victor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On Monday July 13 an emergency meeting and press conference of OKC Pride was hdd at Epworth Methodist Church to deal with the disappearance of a sum estimated to be within the $10,000 to $15,000 range. This cash, which was supposed to have been deposited in the OKC Pride bank account, was derived from contributions, T shirt sales and purchase tickets sold on behalf of vendors. Apparendy assumed to be deposited in OKC Pride’s Chase Bank account by Treasurer Christine Plante, OKC Pride Co-Chair Patti Thompson was surprised to receive word from the bank the following Wednesday after the Pride Weekend that the OKC Pride account was over $4,000 overdrawn, and thus learned that An emergency meeting about this was held by the Board of Directors Thursday July 9 at the Boom, and Ms. Plante was allegedly contacted and asked to be at this meeting, but she did not show up. Although offidally scheduled to be at the July 13 meeting as well Ms. Plante was again not present, and there was no information as to her wherabouts or situation, although a widely drculated rumor was that she had checked herself into a rehabilitation facility. In her place, OKC Press Liaison Nathan Thompson gave a report, stating that OKC Pride had met with the Oklahoma City police to report the incident July 10, but had no further information. Despite the losses, at the time of the meeting OKC Pride had paid all e cash money, which had been obtained om about 3 ago weeks up to and including the event~ hadn& be~n d~posiled ~er all J3y that time Christine Ptante had disappeared as well, leaving the community wondering what wen~ wrong and who was r~sponsible. their outstanding debts and had cash on hand of around $2500 in 2 separate bank accounts, through assis~ ~ byd~h0~ from the commtmity including John Gibbons (owner of the Boom), Dan Johnson, Jack Melisa, and Senate approves hatecrimes measure The measure, which passed on a voice vote, was attached to a defense-spending bill. A move to remove it from that bill failed 63-28. The House of Representatives already has passed a similar bill. "More than 60 senators support the Matthew Shepard Act, legislation that will provide police and sheriffs’ departments with the tools and resources they need to ensure that entire communities are not terrorized by hate violence," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. Both Oklahoma senators fel! for the radical right’s ploy and voted against the hate crimes bill failing to stand up for equali~ To contact both Oklahoma Senators call their Washington office, Sen. James ’Jim’ M. Inhofe (202) 224-4721 and Sen. Tom A. Coburn (202) 224-5754. ~ State Representative Sally Kern, Dis#qct 84 at the Oklahoma State Capitol, Gorin photo OYA~ktOMA CITY, OK__ Around 250 people gathered at the Oldahoma State Capitol for State Representative Sally Kern’s presentation of her Proclamation of Morality, about evenly divided between supporters and those in opposition. The prodamation, which does not have the force of law, blamed the economic problems of our nation due to America "forsaldng the rich Christian heritage upon which our nation was built" and because "our nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse and many other forms of debauchery." It also criticized President Obama for signing a proclamation recognizing June as Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month while not taking a more active role in the National Day of Prayer, although President Obama did issue a proclamation supporting that event as well on May 7. Ms.Kern, a Republican who represents District 84, has garnered international attention for her outspoken conservative views, particularly concerning the GLBT community. In a speech taped at a Republican gathering last year that later made Youtube, she stated that the gay community was a bigger threat "than Islam or terrorism," and compared gays to cancer in "one’s big toe" in their relationship to society, However, unlike similar gatherings in the past, the crowd was about equally divided among those supporting her views and those opposed. After she had given a short speech xWASHINGTON, DC (PR) The U.S. Senate approved a bill to add sexual orientation, gender identity and other categories to federal hate-crimes protections. The final vote came July 20. The bill will soon be on its way to President Obama’s desk, where he’ll get a chance to make good on his promise to sign it. This vote came on the heels of tremendous pressure from radical right-wing groups that used every trick in the book. They called the bill the "Pedophile Protection Act," among other outrageous claims. They dismissed the barbaric hate crime that took Matthew Shepard’s life as a "hoax." They flooded the Senate with hundreds of thousands of letters and calls. . ...... ContinUed See OKC PRIDE Page-4 ........... Continued See SALLY Page-4 Oklahoma Weather Forecast for August 2009 This year’s OKC Pride Grand Aug 1-4: Sunny, hot. Hurricane threat in Gulf Diversity Aug 5-10: T-storms north, hot south Aug 11-14: Scattered T-storms, ~ seasonable just love being with my friends in Oklahoma City," Aug 15-21: Sunny, very warm AUg 27-31: Scattered ~-storms, warm Over 150 unique Shops and galleries, and many parties for your entertainn{ent. Beating victim Chad Gibson, who now has a life-threatening blood clot on his brain goes home. Gibson xvants the officers to be prosecuted.. Avg. Temperature: 83.5° (avg. norda, 3° above south) Precipitation: 3.5" (1" above avg.) Page-6 N~YION L>> BILL (Lt" N"’tON= SJPPORTS~ /AYS Page 9 WO~ZLD >> ?R~DE 2009 I PLUS -~ LIFES";YLETR~ /EL ~ AR" ~ I Page 8 #INE / SCOPES �ease pa a rP Everyone who completes @e s#rvey by August 31, 2009 P~ease take the survey today, and te~ year Tremendous strides toward fa~ equality have been achieved by oar tenth, unities ever the past decade. There’s Power in ear Pride. Power te n~ake a difference: Gay and [esbiaa su~ey studies have opened doers (and minds) in ~ea~ing corporations aria organizations, which in turn have rec~gn~ze~ the va~ue of the~r LGBT employees through the es~b~shment of equa~ h~dng po~c~es an~ ~omest[c pa~ner benefits. Th~s has been a catalyst, ~ea~[ng to sweeping changes ~n pofft~cal an~ social ~nc~usJvi~. #e~egraph~c reports a~se ~nfluence ~arket~ng ~nvest~ent. V~ua~y absent unt~ recently, we now see a ~rowing variety ef p[eaacts an~ services represente~ ia gay ~edia, celebrating oar ai~ersity. Aas keep LGBT pubiications an~ websites ~a business, serving their co.manatees with [aaependent news and infermatbn. ~eyen~ s~p~y a@e~s~ng, though, these ce~panies support as ~n ~any ways, ~nc~a~ng sponsoring cow.unity events Community Marketi ~ @ 200g 8~a~uni~ ~arketing, ~nc., 584 Castro St. #834, San Francisco CA 9~114 L~SA ~.Cen~n~unity~arketing~nc.cen~ August 2009 �STATE REPRESENTATIVE AL MCAFF Y CALLS FORAN APOLOGY Tulsa Bowling Tournament a Success By Michael xyZ Sasser By Victor Gorin JOLT Bowling Tournament group at ~dsa Eagles reception party. Staffphoto State Rep. AI ~fcA~’ey and Metro Star re oorter Robin Dornet: Gorin photo OI~ObcLR CITY, OK __ "I complete identifi/with the cleep faith that many Oklahomans hold dear, but I’m appalled that MrS.Kern chose to use a state proclamation to attack the freedom of many Oklahomans xvho do not share her faith or vices." ..... ....... ...... state Reprdsentative A1 McAffrey State Representative Al McAffrey (Democrat SHD-88) is calling upon fellow legislator Sally Kern (Republican-SHD84) to rescind her proclamation and apologize for many discrepancies and misrepresentations of facts. "To blame our economic woes on a national moral crisis is ludicrous. Our economic woes are a direct result of bad financial practices and a lack of regulation on Wall Street." He pointed out that "Mrs.Kern uses her proclamation to accuse President Obama of not recognizing the National Day or Prayer, that is an absolute lie. On May 7~ 2009 President Obama proclaimed a National Day of Prayer and encouraged all Americans to ’come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer.’ " McAffrey stated that he found that vwo of the quotes used attributed tO James Madison ai~d Patrick Henry were f-abricated, appearing nowhere in the writings or records of either man. McAffrey pointed out that anyone knmvledgeable of American history would kamw that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were avid Supporters of religious freedom, and that it was Thomas Jefferson who coined the concept "separation of church and state" traced to a letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists. McA~}ey further stated " It’s pitiable that with all the major challenges facing our great state some of our state leaders are more concerned in mal~ng ne~vs headlines than making strides toward strengthening our economy, improving our public schools, and ensuring that all OHahomans have access to qualig; affordable and sustainable healthcare. She owes Oklahomans of all faiths a sincere apology:" www.rnetrostarnews.corn TULSA, OK__ GLBT sports are already on the minds of many in the community in anticipation of the Gay Games 2010 in Cologne. In Oklahoma, sporting gay men and women have numerous opportunities and it seems many are taking advantage of them. The Tulsa Lambda Bowling League’s second annual weekend-long July Oklahoma Lambda Tournament (JOLT) attracted some 120 participants from around the region to the tourney, at Andy B Riverlanes and ldcked things offwith a registration party at the Tulsa Eagle on July 17th. . "Most of the people xvere from Oklahoma and Texas, but we also had people from Kansas and Missouri," said Lambda League President Rich Blankenship. "We consider it a big success." Blankenship said that there were 88 participants in last year’s tournament and that it took most of the year to raise the funds necessary to host this year’s. Included in the fundraising was approximately $6,000 for charity. "gC’e really need sponsors for next year since we are growing so much," Blankenship said. The Lambda League’s regular season runs from Labor Day to April, with a 12-Week summer league also available, and the July tournament. As a member of the International Gay Bowling Organization (South Plains Region), the Lambda League schedules its annual national tournament so as to not conflict with other member’s tournaments. IGBO sponsors a national tournament every Memorial Day weekend. "Every city about Tulsa’s size or larger with a league has a tournament," Blankenship said. The success of JOLT would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, when, Blankenship said; the group had dwindled down to around two dozen members. Today there are around 67 members. Some teams rotate players so that more people can play in the Tuesday night league. Already there is a waiting list for next year, although Blankenship said the,,League is, trying to ne gotiate, for,, more. lanes.,, We dont want to be exclusive, he sa~d. We want everyone to get involved to be able to play." Blankenship attributes the growth of the Lambda Leagt,ie to the recruitment efforts of former president and this years JOLT Director, Rick Cox. Other sports oriented community groups are lively around the state also. Oklahoma City supports two bowling teams, the Sunday Twisters and Tuesday Twisters. Oklahoma City and Tulsa support GLBT softballs leagues. Both the Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) and the Oldahoma Gay Rodeo Association (OGRA) are members of the International Gay Rodeo Association (tGRA). The IGRA National Finals in Albuquerque, New Mexico are expected to draw’participation and large spectator support from OHahoma. For more information on the Tulsa Lambda Bowling League, visit w~w<lambdaleague.com. Dale Gross ~ Randy Winrow email: route66malf @ att.net 8.836.3838 METRO P O LITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Uric Spirit of Christ MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and Blessed DaV! #~>t~"oSTAR 3 �isolation of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Tulsa area. In addition to providing monthly activities and holiday celebrations. Our House Too offers food baskets, a toiletry and household pantry and weeldy lunches. Tickets for Drag Queen Bingo 2009 are $20 per person and can be purchased ar Reasor’s, Cain’s Ballroom, Ida Red and Starship Records. others not named at the meeting. Nathan stated that the investigation is still ongoing, and there is a possibility the money or parr of it may be recovered. It was also brought up that according to the bylaws. OKC Pride Board members could not be held liable for this type of loss. Inquiries as to why nobody knew why the cash had not been deposited, or why, the bank account had not had more oversight were not answered. Mr. Thompson did promise that information would be put on the OKC Pride website along with press releases as soon as it was available Guy Peters did suggest that in the future that background checks be obtained for those responsible for OKC Pride money. Male CoChair Paul Thompson had suggested in the By Victor Gorin past that these members be bonded, which would cover losses caused by dishonest acts. Mthough Chris Plante has not been charged with any crime related to this incident at this time. she was removed ftom her Treasurer position for dereliction of duty, the motion to do so made by Scott Jaggers and passed unanimously. Until there is a new Treasurer on duty- the duties of that oi~ce would be handled by the co-chairs, currently Paul Thompson and Latricia Olmstead. The next meeting xvould be August 3, the first Monday of August. During that meeting membership in OKC Pride. which is required to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election ~’or new o~cers and board members, could be begun or renewed. Co-Chairs Paul Thompson and Latricia Ohnstead announced that the7 Tom Guild with well wishingfi’iend Esther will not be seeking re-election, nor will Bahierra. Gorin photo Festival Coordinator T.J Mc~nsey. A press confbrence was held following the meeting attended by the Metro Star, OKLAHOMA CITY; OK__ Dr. Tom Oldahoma Gazette reporter Joe Wertz, Guild, a soon to be professor emeritus at the and Patricia Millel; the treasurer preceding Ms.Plante,Ms. Miller, who resigned in protest University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, was elected July 14 to be Oklahoma Count~fis at the May" 4 meeting over what she stated Democratic Party Secretary. This was a special were lax and dishonest financial practices election to fill that ot~ce which was vacated of OKC Pride had this to say," They are all with the resignation of the previous oI~ce fteaking out over this, which I can agree, they holder, Rosanne Jenny. A longtime human should be freaked out, but we slid the last ¯ rights activist, Tom was a professor at UCO one about Miles Tompkins* under the rug. I want to make sure this does not get slid under for 27 years, where he taught political science for 10 years and legal studies in the College the rug too. Whoever is responsible for this of Business for 17 years. He registered as should go to prison. My question is, will this aDemocrat 5 years ago, and has since been be treated like the last time?" very active in the part), by hosting the weekly Oklahoma County Democratic Party’s *Referring to a bounced check wdtten Speakers Lunch at the Boulevard Cafeteria, by Miles Tompkim to Lee Burrus for a Gala as well as other party activities. Along with Dinner on beha~%f OKC Pride in 200g. Mr Dr. Joan Luxemburg and Keith Smith, he Bu~us was reimbursed by OKC Pride and co-wrote a chapter in the book ’Hn Oklahoma M~ Tompkim, thru an agreement with OKC I’d Never seen Before: Alternative Views of Pride, made restitution. Oklahoma Histo~ "published in 1994. Their chapter was "Oklahoma’s Gay, Liberation Movement," the first academic publication in this area ever published. Working with the Democratic Party he Bingo like your mother never played... will work to achieve full collective bargaining rights and better wages and conditions for TULSA, OK (PRy __ This annual event Oklahoma’s workers, currently working on and fundraiser for Our House Too will be passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, held Friday, August 7th at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom. Female impersonators will welcome which ,#could make it easier for workers to unionize. He would also work for you aboard the USS DQB cruise ship GLBT rights and human rights in general, for this, the fifth year, beginning at 8p.m. working for passage of the Employment and ending at t 1. There will be glamorous Nondiscrimination Act ( proposed Federal costumes and prizes, a silent auction and, law prohibiting employment discrimination of course, bingo! Female impersonators will against GLBTs) and repeal for the "Don’t ask perform glittering numbers from cruise ship Don’t Tell" policy of the U.S. military. showrooms to entertain the crowd. W AT Gay Man E]ec ed Oklahoma County Democratic Par v Secretary’s O ce Drag een Bingo 2009 Our House Too is a nonprofit organization serving to elirainate the social 4 those in opposition began shouting "Shame on you!" repeatedly, along with "Love thy neighbor!’while the other side simultaneously began singing God Bless America, and later both sides sang the national anthem. As feelings ran high the event got very loud but stayed peaceful. Ms.Kern did express her view that "The people who preach tolerance are not willing ro extend the same thing to someone who disagrees with them. So ladies and gentlemen, we are seeing a wonderful illustration of intolerance." Among those signing the petition was Paul Blair of Edmond’s Fairview Baptist Church, who also spoke at the rally. In spite of the mention of divorce as being part of our moral decline, it was likewise signed by former State Representative Kevin Calvey, a conservative Christian who is divorced. It was also signed by Oklahoma City Councilman J. Brian Waiters ( Ward 5), the lone OKC City Council member who voted against a parade permit for the OKC Pride Parade. The constitutionality of the event was questionable. As activist attorney Brittany Novomy pointed out, "They used Capitol grounds for this and that is an advancement of a particular religious agenda that is not necessarily representative of al! the other religions or even al! the branches of Christianity in Oklahoma. q£he LGBT caucus of the Young Democrats canae out to stand side by side with the ACLU to uphold the Oklahoma Constitution (Article 2 Section 5) that clearly prohibits the use of public property towards any sect, denomination or system of religion." . Brittany also gave, her angle about the proclamation as well. q-his proclamation suggests that the problems of our society are bdfig caused somehow by GLBT people. Frankly as a Young Democrat I believe most of ourproblems are being caused by economic problems, people not able to have healthcare for their kids or themselves, people filing bankruptcy because they lack healthcare coverage. There are a host of prob!ems facing every day Oldahomans, and I dont believe demonizing a whole subset of Oklahomans really accomplishes the goals of real working Oldahomans who want to be able to feed their families, have good healthcare, who just want the opportunity to live their lives in peace, and who believe in loving their neighbor." C.S. Thornton of the ACLU lamented, "She ( Representative Kern) blames all these things upon a great moral crisis, yet nowhere does she mention greedy V&ll Street executives or government regulators who were asleep at the switch. The most alarming thing about this proclamation is the level of scapegoating that it promotes." However, the Republican speaker of the House, Chris Benge, does not plan to sign the document, and State Representative Ryan Keisel, a Democrat called the proclamation a "divisive political stunt." State Representative A1 McAffrey, the only openly gay member of the legislature ( Democrat-District 88) has asked for an apology. There were otl-mrs that disagreed with Ms. Kern as well. The Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards, associate pastor of the Church of the Open Arms UCC stated that she felt Sally Kern was "one of the most hateful and divisive persons in America. The right thing is to respect people regardless of who they choose to love. Homophobia is wrong, it’s unGodlike." 300 ATTEND ENID’S FIRST PRIDE CELEBRATION By Nate Bowen Enid held their first Pride event Saturday July 18, which was a fabtdous picnic & festival at Meadowlake Park. Drawing over 300 people, the number in attendance set a record for aW Oklahoma first time Pride event. Starting offwith the Reverend J.E Wickey of Crosswalk United Church (Enid’s only open and affirming church), he spoke about being gay and Christian followed by a Q&A session. The band Blackwings gave a great performance, followed by Stephen Dillard-Carroll. This was followed by an OKC speaker and activist from the Young Democrats, Brittany Novotny. Around 6:30 p.ra. the crowd was treated to a drag show starring Raven Angel, Nikki Star and Colby Richards. Booths and vendors at the park ranged from Fulton’s BBQ to the Garfield County Democrats. ......... Continued see ENID PRIDE page 6 August 2009 �HoOoPoEo to Host 8th A ual DIVAS Benefit Concert for people to learn their HIV status and can connect clients to a variety of medical and social support services. For more information about HIV or sexually transmitted infections, call 1-800-535-MDS (2437). Openarms 4th Annual Fashion Show By Judy Gabbard "First l ursday" Art Opening and ey ibit with Creations from Local Artist - Nicholas K. Clark TULSA, OK (PR) __ On Sept. !2-13, 2009, Health Outreach Prevention Education (H.O.E E.) will host DWAS 2009. at the Tulsa Zoo. This year’s theme is DIVAS Gone \.gild. Proceeds from the event will help support H.O.EE. programs, such as prevention education about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections, the only statewide 24-hour HIV/STD resource hotline, and the only free, anonymous testing and counseling facility in Oklahoma. This year’s concert is produced by Rebecca Ungerman, a popular Tulsa-based performer who has graced numerous venues and events in Tulsa, including the Oklal~oma Centennial Celebration and the Tulsa Perfornaing Art Center SummerStage series. The evening, celebrated in the new H.A. Chapman Event Lodge at the Tulsa Zoo, highlights Tulsds diverse musical talent with local artists covering dassic favorites. ~[hese acts come together for this annual "one time onl~# shm,~ and bring out their collective fans: This year S performei:S ind~id~ Pxeb~c~ ung~rman, Cindy Cain, Christy E. of The Red Alert, Pare Wan Dyke, ~nie Ellicotr. Fiawna Forte, John Sawyer, Darrell Christopher, Kelly Morrison. and Janet Rutland. N~e combined talent includes experience on Broadway, national and international cabaret tours, and !ocal Spot Music Awards. ~II~e evening will also include a live and silenvauction, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. The evening gala will take place on Saturday, September 12. 7:30pm and a no frills Sund~y matinee will take.place September ! 3 at 4pro. Tickets may be purchased, beginning August 1, by contacting H.O.RE. a 918-749-TEST (8378). Tickets are $25 and $40 for general admission seats and $100 for individual table seats. A table for ten is available for $1,000. Cabaret table seats include: priority seating, publicity, auction sneak preview, and private reception with the performers which includes complimentary wine and hors d’ oeuvres. The matinee -will include the same show and champagne, with tickets ranging from $15-$50. Emcee for the event will be Mia Fleming from Fox 23. Supporters of DIVAS 2009 include Williams, F & M Bank. The Metro Star and The Gay and Lesbian Fund for Tulsa. Raising awareness of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections remains vitally important. Young people and minorities are disproportionately affected, but HIV does not discriminate. By Imowing your status, you are better able to protect yourself and others. Prevention education and testing are keys to decreasing the stigma and infection rate of HIV. H.O.EE. provides a comfortable place www.metrostarnews.com TULSA, OK (PR) __ Continuing the monthly showcase of local artists at the Equality Center (621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa), Oldahomans for Equality (OkEq) will feature Tulsa Artist Nicholas K. Clark with an opening show and reception on Thursday, August 6th from 6-9pm and continuing throughout the month of August. Nicholas’ work is a direct reflection of his optimistic personality. From vivid oranges to metallic silvers highlighted by passionate reds, his art displays a mastery of color that cannot be taught. His mediums vary from acrylics to oils and focus on creating depth through layering and application of rich texture. Nic’s ~vorks fall into three categories: contemporary figure studies, pop art and expressionistic co!or studies. "I pull nay inspiration from fashion and music and I love working with figures because they are al~vays so challenging - the detail of a hand. the curves of a body and the. capturing of natural movement and expresslolt. 7~rn GilA.an Former Channd 23 Reporter Marianly Mendez and Miss OYP 2009: Alizay Kardashian Judy G. photo TULSA, OK Openarms Youth Project Center, located at 2015 Sm,th Lakewood Ave., Tulsa, OK, presented their 4th Annual fashion show fund raiser on July 10 and was a great success. Organizers Tim Gillean and Jerrid Horton reported that the proceeds will help continue the support of local GLBT youth of Tulsa and surrounding area. The nights title was ReFashionista. Sports and formal wear were purchased and redesigned for a splendid runway show. The evenings host, xvas Kristin Dickerson from KTUL, channel 8. Area talent added spice to the evening along with tasty hors d’oeuvres, wine and soft drinks. "Ihe silent auction ~vas an exciting array of items that were purchased by those in attendance. Funds are still needed to support the youth needs at Openarms. An), donation is appreciated. For more infbrmation call 918.838.7104. ~®t~’oSTAR 5 �France that we visited. These are affordable finds and the wines are in Oklahoma. Brief history of the grapes grown in these regions grmvn. The majority" of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays in the Languedoc. In the Rhone wine region, the grape is often blended with Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache blanc. OKC Pride 2009: You be the change By Robin Dorner OKLAHOMA CITY, OK The end of June brought proud celebration to Oklahoma City with the annual gay pride event. dark color and robust tannins. Long year’s event was a huge success with more Red Bicyclette Syrah/Granche Rose ’07 known as one of the six grapes allowed (Languedoc) than ! 5,000 people attending the festivities. in the blend of red Bordeaux wine, the The party began on Friday evening at the Black Beret Grenache/Syrah Rouge ’05 French plantations~ofMalbec are now NW 39th Street Strip near Penn with the (Languedoc) found primarily in Cahors where the first annual "Friday Night Block Part’);’. Coussergues Viognier ’08 (Languedoc) Appellation Control4e regulations for The festival began Saturday morning and Beauv~gnac Sauv, gnon Blanc 08 C~hors require a minimtiin content of continued through Sunday, the parade began (Languedoc) 70% It is increasin ly ~elebrated as an around 5 pm. Chateau Trocard Montrepos Merlot ’06 Argentine varietal wine and is being This year the OKC Pride Grand Marshal (Bordeaux) gr~vn around the world. was attthor and TV personality Ruby Ann Jean-Luc Colombo L~s Abeilles Cotes The northern part of the Rh6ne Boxcar. "I just love being with my friends du Rhone Blanc ’07/Viognier & Grenache Valley; in France, remains one of the in Oklahoma City," Boxcar told the Metro Blanc undisputed reference points for the Star. "Anywhere there is a trailer park I feel OdUction of wines made with the Clos la Coutale Malbec (Cahors) ’06 like I’ve got family!" Boxcar is known as the ah grape. ~-he best examples of At Jeanne Ma6e ~ Champs Diva of the Double-Wide, a highly successful And as always, I say go to your favorite wine varietal Syrah, are the ones produced with entertainer and author who got her start in shop, ask questions and purcha~se a bottle or the appellations Hermitage, C6te-R6tie, Oklahoma City and is recognized in the US French connection t~vo. Share some food & wine with friends Comas, St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. and abroad. ~ sampled wines 3~om all over the world. and check this out for yourself¯ \Vgines produced in these areas have strong Guests from across the city and state fruit aromas, a good acidity, dry body and an came to join in the festivities in Midtown I’m in this photo with nay partner appreciable mineral taste. Oklahoma City. "I am here because I am Lamont. For my birthday present, he bisexual, proud and I like the scene," said sent for me to join him in France where Grenache is the dominant variety in 18 year old Ruth Leila Blailock. "It’s a he was a visiting professor in Marseille at most Southern Rh6ne wines, especially in celebration of diversity really." the University of Provence¯ ! was really Chfiteauneuf-du-Pape where it is typically "We are here today because we are This writer is one of the managers at the Grand impressed with the wines of Provence, Cotes over 80% of the blend. It is generally spicy, members of the Diversity Business Vin wine shop at Utica Square. He also bar tends berry-flavoured and soft on the palate. In du Rhone. Languedoc and Bordeauex. Association (DBA)," said Shawn Adkison, and hosts wine & food events around town known The trip took on a different focus when Australia it is typically blended in "GSM" as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. JD of the Fortune Law Center in Midtown. we traveled to Bordeaux for VinExpo, the " blends with Syrah and Mourv~dre. Grenache Adkison and his firm have been members of international wine tasting event. We’re in is also used .to make ros~ wines in France and DBA, the Oklahoma City LGBT business this photo with long time wine colleague organization, for more than three years. "We Gary Vance who caught a £1st train from think it is important ~o ne~ork together; Paris to meet up with us. This was a huge 5 www.Foodand~Hne.com promote our business organizations as ~vell day/40 thousand people wine tasting event Viognier [vee-oh-nay] wines are well-known ww~:~ikioedia.or~ as diversity in general," adds Adkison. "It is www.2he~’VorldI4q~eI~ne.com with hundreds of wine makers & marketing for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which a good thing to show our support for DBA, ww~:Epicurious.com are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. reps. ~aere was just no way to meet all Oklahoma and the U.S. You know, these the wine raakers and taste as much as we There are also many other powerful flower kinds of events are not permitted in every wanted.In this article, I’m highlighting some and fruit aromas which can be perceived in country." these wines depending on where they were of the grape varietals from the parts of The mission of OKC Pride, Inc. is to stage a highly visible forum for the TULSA BALLET TO organizations which serve the community PERFORM IN NEW YORK both nationally, regionally, and locally; CITY decrease external homophobia by generating future goals of Enid’s GLBTQA community, Atxendees included not just the GLBT maximum media coverage to the reality but most of the discussion centered on community, but fiunilies as well coming to Oklal~oma Governor Brad Henry and Tulsa Mayor of our community; and diminish internal how great the Enid Pride Festival was and enjoy the fun and fellowship. The following Kathy Taylor will attend Tulsa Ballet’s debut at the homophobia by presenting organizational the fun they had. That evening Crosswalk Sunday there was a forum held to discuss the Joyce Theater August 10 - 15. Special Big Apple and individual role models. Additionally, the United Church Preview Night in Tulsa on August 6 at Studio K Board of Directors believe that as a civil rights hosted a showing movement, gays and lesbians need an annual of "Prayers TULSA, OK (PR) It has been 25 years forum where individually and collectively for Bobby", a since the Tulsa Ballet has performed in New they can consider where they have been, landmark film York City. This summer the company will make its long awaited return to the Big Apple where they are now and what direction they portraying for its debut at the Joyce Theater August 10 the true story need to set. -15. of a mother Several large corporations p,,articipated Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor, Governor Brad in the festival and the parade. I think it is who could not Henry and First Lady Kim Henry are among just important that we embrace people with accept her sods local and national dignitaries who will attend different backgrounds and, quite frankly, it homosexuality, the opening night performance and Patron helps our company," said Wesley Seymour who became an Gala on Monday, August 10 at the Joyce frown the Frito-Lay company. "We have a activist for gay Theater, located in the heart of Manhattads philosophy; bring your whole self to work rights following Chelsea neighborhood. Tulsa Ballet will and that is one reason I like working for his suicide. give seven performances with special events Fnto-Lay; Seymour has worked for the General consensus planned throughout the week fbr patrons and company as a District Sales Manager for three supporters of Tulsa Ballet. was that the event years. The company will present a program. was not just a National and local companies supt~orted featuring Elite Syncopations by Kenneth historic first, the event as corporate sponsors as well as MacMillan, Por vos Muero by Nacho Duato but a wonderful many local sponsors. There were also several and This is Your Life by Young Soon Hue. occasion to be local churches represented, bike riding This is Your Life was commissioned by Tulsa clubs, entertainers, The Oklahoma City celebrated every Ballet in 2008 and has since been performed Peace House and much more. For more year from now by the Aalto Theater in Essen, Germany and &affVohmteets Top Row Ka~e, John, Jesse, Brandon DJ Star, TJ, Kathy, information about Pride OKC, contact www. on. the National Ballet of Ankara, Turkey. Angd A4ishalle, Bmndon "Kool Aid’; bottom row Jamie Lisa Nate okcpride.org. Malbec grapes tend to have an inky Mr. D’s 1/2 case ~;r .... Continued see BALLET page 22 August2009 6 �www, metrostarnews.com 7 �Wockner News Service Fort Worth beating victim, Chad Gibson goes home not lip service. I will meet with you wherever you want to meet. I will go to your restaurants, your house, we can eat barbecue, whatever you want to do. But ~ve’ve got to talk." Gibson, for his part, wants the raiding officers to be,~rosecuted and the city to halt its "cover-up. "You used excessive force and that’s why I got hurt," Gibson told \~rFAA-TV. "~ey have blamed it on me, that I was drunk, (that) I fell and hit my head, I groped the officer, I did this, I did that. You know ,vhat? No. Accept responsibility." In an interview with KTVT Gibson added: "I was rubbed into the concrete .... I’m just appalled that they took it to the level that they did .... They need to accept responsibility for what they did." Fort Worth police and agents fi’om the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission raided a gay bar June 28 -- the 40th anniversary ofthe Stonewall Riots -- and roughed up several patrons, inckding Chad Gibson, who now has a life-threatening blood clot on his brain. Gibson wants the officers m be prose~ted. Photo WFAA-TVscreen capmre Chad Gibson has been released from the hospital but still is in danger from a blood clot on his brain that reportedly could break loose and kill him. Gibson allegedly was beat up by cops during a June 28 raid of the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth, Tex; Wimesses say officers stami:ned his head into a ~vall, then into the floor. ~¢¢o Other patrons ~dso were injured in the raid -- one has broken ribs and one has a broken thumb. June 28 was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that kickstarted the modern gay-rights movement. ¯ne violent raid -- purported to be merely one of the state’s routine checks of bars to be sure no one is too drunk -- brought heaW condemnation from gay leaders, newspaper columnists, bloggers, politicians and others. It also received extensive national news coverage. . Both the Fort Worth Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which joined in the raid, have launched interna! investigations of the incident. The results of the city police’s investigation will be reviewed by federal authorities, Mayor Mike Moncrief has promised. Apart from the raid itselfl the most controvers!al aspect Of the incident has been Police Chief Jeff Halstead’s assertions that Gibson groped one of the officers and that other patrons made what the Police Department called "sexually explicit movements" toward uniformed officers -claims that bar patrons and gay leaders have called preposterous and "lies." "You’re touched and advanced in certain ways by people inside the bar, that’s offensive," Ha!stead said shortly after the raid. "I’m happy with the restraint used when they were contacted like that." After facing ridicule for those improbable assertions, Halstead has since adopted a more conciliatory tone, telling gay people at a public meeting: "We’ve got to work together. Be patient, and you wil! see that this is just 8 Obama invites 300 GLBT leaders to White House for Stonewa 140 President Barack Obama -- under heavy fire for talking the talk but not walking the walk on numerous gay-rights promises -- had 300 GLBT leaders over to the White House on June 29 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stonevcall Riots, which, in 1969, jumpstarted the modern gay-rights movement. "I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," Obama said. "It’s not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for othem to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-c~ntury ago. But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that nay administration keeps." Obama also defended his decision not to issue an order stopping the military’s expulsions of openly gay members, suggesting, again, that such an approach wouldu’t work out in the long run. "As commander in chief in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is adnainistered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term," he said. "That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffto develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal. I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy -- patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security." August 2009 �77 members o£ Congress ask Obama to suspend As national gay leaders continue to beat up on President Barack Obama for moving too slowly- on his myriad campaign promises to tile GLBT community, 77 members of Congress have written to the president asldng him ro immediately suspend en[brcement of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy pending its repe,,a~! by Congress. Tile letter outlines a new, two-step repeal plan which begins with a request that the president ’direct the Armed Services nor to initiate any invesrigarion of service personnel to determine their sexual orientation, and that [he] instruct them to disregard thirdparty accusations that do not allege violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,’" said the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that has focused extensively on the militaw’s ban on open gays. ~°The letter signals renewed efforts to stop gay discharges immediately while repeal legislation moves through Congress at a slower pace," the center said. On June 23, Obama rejected the proposal. The White House said: "President Obama remains committed to a legislative repeal of Don’t Ask, Dofft Tel!, xvhich he believes will provide a durable and lasting solution to this issue. He welcomes the commitment of these members to seeing Congress take action." Episcopal Church OKs gay- clergy, bishops 7he Anglican Communion has been deeply mired in gay angst since the Episcopal Diocese oflVew Hampshire consecrated openly gay and partnered V. Gene Robinson as its bishop in 2003. GLAAD photo The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies declared in mid-July that open gays and lesbians --celibate or not -- call serve as priests and bishops in the church. At thee church’s triennial general convention, held in Ana~heim, Calif., July 8-17, bishops voted for the policy 99-45 and deputies voted for it 155-40. Deputies who are clergy voted 77-19 and lay deputies voted 78-21. The move may well lead to a full rupture between the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has been deeply mired in gay angst since the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire ~wcvv.metrostarnews.com V. Gene Robinson as its bishop in 2003. Tile Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of Anglicanism. "The Anaheim move was seen as. in essence, a flip-off by the Americans of the Anglican hierarchy and Anglican provinces in Africa and South America that strongly opposed Robinson’s consecration. De facto international Anglican leader Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, England, had urged delegates, to the U.S. convention not to make any decisions in the co,~ing days that could push us further apart. He later said he regretted that the convention had done just that with its gayclergy decision. Delegates also voted to allow local dioceses to bless same-sex marriages and civil unions if they want to, and launched a project m creare official liturgies for the blessings. Gay Pordand mayor cleared in Breedlove affair There is no credible evidence that Sam Adams, the gay mayor of Portland, Ore., had inappropriate sexual contact with Beau Breedlove before Breedlove turned 18, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger said June 22. Adams, 45, and Breedlove, 22, have acknowledged having sex in 2005 after Breedlove’s 18th birthday, but Breedlove also had claimed the pair passionately made our prior to his reaching file age of consent, which Adams denied. "There are serious questions about the credibility of Breedlove’s account, dueto his prior inconsistent statements, the lack of corroborating witnesses or evidence, his attempt to gain personally from matters related to his involvement with Adams and his prior criminal record," Kroger concluded. "There is insufficient evidence to charge, let alone convict, Adams with illegal sexual contact with a minor." The attorney general’s office interviewed 57 people and sifted through Adams’ and Breedlove’s e-mails and text messages in arriving at its conclusion. Breedlove later posed for the gay porn magazine Unzippea~ In 2006, he pleaded guilty to felony 2nd degree theft in a case that involved $750 worth of clothes ftom a Macy’s store in Haxvaii. The revelation of the brief affair nearly ended Adams’ career earlier this year, in part because he had lied about it when asked about it during the mayoral campaign, stating that it never happened. Summer Diversi y ’09 Eureka Springs. Augus 7-9 ~ DOMESTICATE Say "I DO" and register your love with a Domestic Partner Certificate One day these certificates will be highly sought after collector items on E-bay. Tile Courthouse is closed Saturday and Sunday...City Clerk’s office is in the City Hall, lower level of the Western Carrol Count), Courthouse, 44 S. Main. Office hours are 9:30 AM - 12 Noon and 1:30 to 4:40 PM. ® YARDS AND YARDS OF YARD SALES Money Tight? Pennies on the dollar: Tile Eureka yards sales are a top stop for the bargain hunter and antique queens. Tile 15~n annual Eureka Yards and Yards of Yard Sales. Friday and Saturday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Find locator maps at shops and restaurants. Sponsored by the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce. ~ HEY GIRLS... LET’S iVlAKE HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE SMORES! THEN GO SNIPE HUNTING! Camping for Summer Diversity has become an annual event for many. Stay dose to title City and book your weekend with the gay friendly Kettle Campground. (479) 2539100, 4119 E. Van Buren. ° DIVA SHOP! Over 150 unique shops and galleries. Be sure and shop the Sponsors of Eureka Pride--aBens Door, Mountain Eclectic, Fusion Squared, Byrds Eye View, Antique Affaire, Tile Tourist Shop, the Inn Convenience Store, Eureka Scents. A very and Special DW DISCOUNT from Tinmaker & Glitz, 69 S. Main. ~ MIX & MINGLE The Pizza Sluts are hosting their second Diversity Welcome Mixer. The Pizza Bar, 13 N. Main, Friday, 6-8 PM. $5.95 pizza buffet. Beer specials. All ages admitted. Come feel the ~varmth...feel, touch, hug, squeeze, grope, claw, whip...Mix and mingle with the locals and visitors from around the globe. Free City p~arking after 6 PM. ERIC HIMAN DISCOVERS EUREKA Henri’s Just One More. 19 1A Spring Street. Friday Night Only! 9 PM. Eric goes solo with his first Eureka acoustical performance. ® CHER SOME TIKI LOVE ~e always popular Glam-aphonic, E lectronic, Disco Babee, Tiki Torch Dance Party! 75 S. Main Street. Homo to the exotic, diverse crowd of celebrities, beauties, rock stars, dance divas, and some good ole fashioned Str8t Bait! Cher and Cher Alike to perform LIVE on Saturday. Shmv times will be posted. o SPEED DIAL YOUR GAY SPIRITS ~Exrot Speed reads with Mistress Lynne. Yes, speed readings --Lynne will do a 10 card reading for 10 buclcs. Just takes a few minutes as opposed to the full deck 30 minute reading. Lynne uses Gay, and Lesbian ~Tarot cards for amazing GAY readings. DaBen’s Door, 45 1/2 Spring Street, across from Jack’s Place. ~ NEW DELHI Friday & Saturday live music 6:30 9:30 PM. 2 North Main. Al! ages are welcome at the New Delhi. Atmosphere aplenty. If you never dined at the New Delhi, you really should. ~ START YOUR ENGINES: SUMMER DRAG RACES Eureka Live’s Duck Tape Divas will host Drag Racing Friday & Saturday 9PM. Special Guest performer Drag King Billy Badass and the Amazing Magic of the Tinman. 34 North Main, Underground FATZ 59 CLASSIC ROCK AT JACK’S PLACE 37 Spring Street, Friday and Saturday, 9 PM Midnight. High Octane Jell-O-Shots for a Buck!!!Legendary ’HANDSOME LEE’ On The Door. It’s all happenin’ between Center and Spring. o HARDWARE AT THE YARD Lumberyard, 105 East Van Buren, The Yard has yet to disclose what they have in store. Whatever it is, they always find some way to celebrate!! EXORCISE THE HANGOVER DEMONS You want crazy? We’ll give ya crazy! A Diversity Breakfast you will never forget. Play" Name That Tung’ With Sandy at the Smokehouse Cafd, 580 West Van Buren, Saturday & Sunday, 8:30 A.M tol l:30ish, biscuits as big as your head. WIN Fabulous Prizes. Highly Recomended. o RAMPANT STREET SEX! Not really: Just some amusement for the tourist and to annoy the fundies. The Summer Diversity Public Display Of Affection Photo Shoot..12 noon, Basin Park band shell, downtown. A G-rated opportunity to smooch your sweetie-or the perfect stranger-for posterity. Eureka Pride has treats to pass out for the first to come, first to get. Park Music Stylings, ! 2 - 2 PM Jones Van Jones, 2-4 PM 2 - 4 Cletus Got Shot, 4-6PM 4 - 6 The HillBenders. OPEN ARMS SPIRITUALITY Saturday.Discussion on the spiritual path of the Sufis with Sufi Master: Don Kitz at Eureka Springs Library Annex 2 - 4 PM Sunday Discussion on the spiritual path of Wicca with Wiccan Priest: Tymythy Aieran at Eureka Springs Library Annex 1 - 3PM ...... Continued See EUREY,~k Page-20 MORTUARY SERVICE, =¢ #~®t~°oSTAR 9 �N Wockner News Service gay sex ban struck down 17% of GLBTs decriminalized Following an @t-year court battle, India’s Delhi High Court legalized gay sex tidy 2 in a forcefid and poetic ruling that had GLBT activists ~ying in the courtroom. Marchers protested the sodomy ban at last year’s Delhi gay pride parade. Wockner News photo by Sonali Gulati Following an eight-year court battle, India’s Delhi High Court legalized gay sex July 2 in a forceful and poetic ruling that had GLBT activists crying in the courtroom. The ruling took effect immediately -nationally -- and will remain in effect unless the Supreme Court reverses it. Several major Western media outlets erroneously reported July 2 that the ruling only applied in New Delhi. The court decision "read dowff’ Section 377 of the Indian Pena! Code so that it no longer applies to the activities of consenting adults. The section bans "carnal intercourse against the order of nature ,vith any man, woman or animal" under penalty of 10 years to life in prison. The court smashed 377’s application to gay people in myriad ways, finding it violated a constitutional guarantee of equality under the law, a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sex, and constitutional promises of personal liberty and protection of life. The ruling is chock-full of soaring statements in support of India’s GLBT population, including: * "The critninalisation of homosexuality condemns in perpetuity a sizable section of society and forces them to live their lives in {he shadow of harassment, exploitation, humiliation, cruel and degrading treatment at the hands of the law enforcement machinery. ... Section 377 IPC grossly violates their right to privacy and liberty embodied in Article 21 insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts between adults in private." * "Section 377 IPC targets the homosexual community as a class and is motivated by an animus towards this vulnerable class of people .... It has no other purpose than to criminalise conduct which fails to conform vdth the moral or religious views of a section of society. Tile discrimination severely affects the rights and interests of homosexuals and deeply impairs their dignity." 10 ~>{~’oSTAR * "When everything associated with homosexuality is treated as bent, queer, repugnant, the whole gay and lesbian community is marked with deviance and perversity.... The result is that a significant group of the population is, because of its sexual non-conformity, persecuted, marginalised and turned in on itself." * "We hold that sexual orientation is a ground analogous to sex and that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not permitted by Article 15 .... A provision of law branding one section of people as criminal based wholly on the State’s moral disapproval of that class goes counter to the equality guaranteed under Articles 14 and 15 under any standard of review." .... [R]ight to personal liberty’ and ’right to equality’ are fundamental human rights. which belong to individuals simply by virtue of their humanity: ... A Bill of Rights does not ’confer’ fundamental human rights. It confirms their existence and accords them protection." "~ "Indian Constitutional laxv does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconceptions of who the LGBTs are. It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual .... We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and t5 of the Constitution." What happens next? The national government could appeal the ruling to India’s Supreme Court, though that is considered unlikely; the national government could both accept the ruling and use it as ammo to introduce a bill in Parliament to duplicate the ruling in national law; and/or anti-gay parties to the lawsuit could appeal to the Supreme Court. But until such time as the Supreme Court overturns the Delhi ruling, India’s GLBTs -- who comprise more than 17 percent of all GLBT people on the planet -- are no longer criminals. India has a population of nearly 1.2 billion people. The erroneous reports that the ruling did not apply outside of New Delhi appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, on the Associated Press ~vire and elsewhere. (For correct information, see bit.ly/WeX,vO and bit. ly/7su4o.) "Every major media outlet in the ~vorld got this wrong because they don’t understand how the Indian courts work," said journalist Vikram Doctor of India’s Queer Media Collective. "It will apply nationally until somebody challenges that at the Supreme Court, which is where this case is going to end up anyway." In most common-law court systems, including India’s in this case, the decision of an appellate court binds lower courts within its territorial iurisdiction and also is the ’last’ word on the subject nationally unless a court of equa! authority elsewhere makes a contrary decision or the supreme court reverses the decision. An appellate decision also binds the parties in the case (which include the Indian government in this case) r~gardless of where they are in the country. Meanwhile, gay pride parades were staged in four Indian cities June 27-28 -- New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Bhubaneshwar. At least 2,000 people marched in New Delhi. Marches are still to come in Mumbai and Kolkata. 300 march in Sofia Around 300 people marched in the second gay pride parade in Sofia, Bulgaria, on June 27, twice as many as last year. Police and private security officers, hired by pride organizers, protected the marchers to prevent a recurrence of last year’s violence, when sldnheads and right-wing extremists attacked the parade with bottles, rocks, eggs, firecrackers, smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails, resulting in 80 arrests. This ),ear’s march, which traveled from the National Palace of Culture~to the Red House debate club, encountered nothing more serious than some booing. Organizers called for a law to bail anti-gay discrimination in employment. Liza does Paris Pride Singer and gay icon Liza Minnelli danced on a float in Paris’gay pride parade flme 2Z To her left.: Gay Paris Mayor Bertrand DelanM. Photo by Nikolai Alekseev Singer and gay icon Liza Minnelli danced on a float in Paris’ gay pride parade June 27. Minnelli is the daughter of gay icon Judy Garland, whose death five days before the Stonewall Riots 40 years ago is thought to have contributed to the foul mood of the gays who decided to fight back against the police raid of the Stonewall Inn. "Freedom," Minnelli shouted from the float. About 700,000 people took part in the festivities. "We knew that she (Minnelli) had a concert this evening in Paris but when her agent told us that she could come, we thought it was a joke," Pride spokesman Philippe Castel mid Agence France-Presse. Berlin also held Pride on June 27. About 550,000 people turned out, reports said. Gay pride goes well in Jerusalem, for a change About 2,000 people marched in Jerusalem’s gay pride parade June 25 without incident, but for one tossed egg. Previous years’ marches have been met with violent protests, stabbings and the arrest of a man carrying a bomb. Police protection was reduced this year, to a mere 1,600 officers. No matter who you are o are on life’s journey, -Re~ere~d Dr. K~hy 3131 hi. Pennsylvania, Oklaho 405.525.9555 August 2009 �New group forms to help gay refugees Saudis arrest 67 cross- A new organization in San Francisco aims to help GLBT refugees ~vho are fleeing sexual or gender-based violence in their native lands. Only through raising consdousness of LGBT refugee issues to governments, refugee organizations, communities and the media, will help come to these individuals, who are among the most persecuted people in the world today," the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration said in a statement. The group provides free legal counsel for GLBT refugees who have escaped their home countries, and it will conduct ’\videranging international advocacy to advance the protection of all LGBT refugees and asylum seekers." "LGBT refugees often fall through the cracks of the international refugee regime," said Executive Director Neil Grungras. "They have escaped systematic hatred and violence at home, and their LGBT identity brings serious new threats to their safety and protection in countries of first asylum. MaW live in a toxic mix of destitution and desperation. "The recent surge in homophobic violence in Iraq has shone a spodight on the painful truths we’re dealing with first-hand in the Middle East. LGBTs are the most persecuted people in many regions of the world today. For every reported execution, there are likely tens of judicially or family-sanctioned murders." In recent months, several Iraqigays have been shot to death by militias and anti-~ay family or tribe members; Some have h~dtheir anuses glued shut by deah squadsi arid there have been allegaions of executions by the government. Reports in April said gay men were being captured and their anuses superglued with something called "American gum," after which they were being forced to ingest a diarrhea-causing substance and sometimes died. Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Division, visited Iraq in April and "collected several accounts" of the practice, which reportedly can be seen in mobile-phone videos that have been passed around inside the country. Massive abuses are taking ~lace ~ Baghdad, and apparently in other cities in the center and south," Long said. "XWe may never know the full sweep and scope of the killings so far, amid a pervasive insecurity that brutalizes innumerable people and devastates multiple communities, but we ate ,d°ing everything we,.,.can to,, determine and ctocument accountability. Police arrested 67 mostly Filipino men for wearing women’s clothing June 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The roundup took place at a private residence during a Philippines Independence Day party. The men were charged with imitating women and possessing alcohol. Similar arrests in the past have led to imprisonment and floggings. "If the police in Saudi Arabia can arrest people simply because they don’t like their clothes, no one is safe," said Human Rights Watch researcher Rasha Moumneh. "Arresting and charging people simply because the police decide that their appearance is unacceptable strikes at the heart of human freedom." Poles hate same-sex Seventy-five percent of Poles oppose legalization of same-sex marriage and 87 percent say gay couples shouldn’t be allowed {o adopt chi]’dren, a Gt~ Polonia poll has found. ~e poll is the latest example of the wide gulf on _~ay acceptance that separates Western Europe ~rom the European nations that used to be part of the Communist bloc. Same-sex marriage is legal in Europe in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden -- and most other Western European nations have civil-union laws for gay couples. www.metrostarnews.com I million & prime minister’s wife at London Pride dressers Ukraine bans Briino Sacha Baron Cohen’s new gay flick Br~ino has been banned in Ukraine for alleged immorality, obscenity and impropriety. The Culture Ministry said it was displeased with the movie’s "artistically unjustified" gay-sex scenes, obscene language, nudity, graphic homosexuality, sadisra and anti-soc.ial behavior. In the U.S., the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also has dissed the film. "The filmmakers wanted to use satire to highlight and challenge homophobia," said GLAM) President Jarrett Barrios. "But their film also reinforces troubling attitudes about gay people in ways that run counter to the intentions ofthe filmmal~ers. "The movie repeatedly builds entire scenes around stock stereotypes and situations that make gay people and families the butt of crude jokes. I can’t help but think of all the teenage kids already getting bullied, beat up and ridiculed for being -- or for being thought to be -- gay. For these kids, this movie will give their tormentors one more word in the anti-gay lexicon of slurs: Br~no." Some gay bloggers and Facebook users who have seen the film say GLAAD is humorless and needs to find its funnybone -- a charge the group occasionally has encountered before. Group says GLBT activists targeted after Honduran coup ~he International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on July 17 condemned "the recent murder and arbitrary arrests of... LGBT activists in Honduras." "IGLHRC has learned that these human rights abuses have occurred as a direct result of the military coup on June 28 ... which ousted that country’s democratically elected government," the group said. A transgender activist xvas shot dead June 29 a block from the gay community center in the city of San Pedro Sula, IGLHRC said. "Local activists in Honduras claim she was killed by military police patrolling the streets," the organization reported. Five other GLBT activists -- Hdctor Licona, Donny Reyes, Patrick Pav6n, Claudia ...... Continued see HONDURAS page 20 One million people, including Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Mimster Gordon Brown, took part m Londons gay pride pamde July 4. ScotsGay ph~to One million people and Sarah Brown, xvife of Prime Minister Gordon BroWn, took part in Londoffs gay pride parade Jnly 4. Mrs. Brown carried a red, white and pink Union Jack flag. Members of the military marched in uniform, as did firefighters and a contingent from British Airways. Prior to the march, Mr. Brown met with organizers at his residence and said theUnited Kingdom has made "massive strides" in the march toward gay equality. Marriage is almost the last thing on the agenda for British GLBTs. An existing civilpartnership law grants registered same-sex couples all the rights of marriage. Noted gay activist Peter Tatchell carried a sign in the parade that read: "Gordon & Sarah can marry, gays can’t. End the ban on gay marriage." He wore a T-shirt that said "Homo Libertd, Egatitd, Sexualit&" 1 million at Madrid Pride, 35,000 at Barcelona Pride About 35,000 people marched in Barcelona’s first large-scale gay pride parade June 28. Photo by Yves Bohic A million people turned out for Madrid’s gay pride parade July 4. With same-sex marriage already legal and little left to fight for, organizers put forth the theme of greater freedom for GLBT young people in schools. In Barcelona, about 35,000 people marched June 28. It was the city’s first largescale pride parade. The procession began at Plaga de la Universitat and ended at Plaga d’Espanya. ~®t~oSTAR 11 �p t the °°gay" in Christian, 12 ~;~STAR August 2009 �AUGUST H TH 2009 O A M ~ENTER TO WIN BANTA www.metrostamews.com ~etroSTAR 13 �14 #~troSTAR August 2009 �We have found Heaven and it is BOOTHBA¥ HARBOR, MAINE by Donald Pile and Ray Williams Photo: From a room with a viw~ Topside Inn On our recent 4 week driving trip to the east coast we visited a lot of cities, towns and villages and had a wonderful time at each of them. All were fun, interesting and exciting to visit however our stay in Boothbay Harbor, Maine was "beyond fabulous"! We first checked into the Topside Inn. It is located on the tallest hill in the city and was a 19th century sea captain’s home. They also have guest cottages to the side of the main house. They have a total of 21 guest rooms. The owners, Brian Lamb and Ed McDermott have mvned the Inn for several years and they certainly know how to do everything PJGHT !!!!! The views of the harbol; ships, seals, birds and the flora and fauna from the Inn are absolutely incredible! ~le view from our room looking out into the harbor was just like a movie set! This truly was Heaven! All guest rooms have their own private in-suite bathrooms, cable TV and dial-out telephone. King, queen, or two beds are available. All rooms include hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. Brealdqast is something that is a "DO NOT MISS". A fabulously scruraptious si~down breal’~ast is served every morning in the breakfast room which overloolcs the bay. It iust doesn’t get any better! We me~ a lot of wonderful gnests from all over the country while staying there. Many guests return time and time again because of the great way that Brian and Ed makes all of their guests feel a~ home. Everything about this Inn is perfect! The owners should open a school for innkeepers on the right w~ay to run an hm. And did we mention the incredible views that we had from our room at the Iun? There’s the sunrise and the famous footbridge over the inner harbor, to the lighthouses, islands, out to sea, aud the western sunset. Their website is: http://www.topsideinn.com/and their toll free phone is 1-888-633-5404 or you can emait them at info@topsideinn.com. Downtown Boothbay is just a couple of blocks down the hill and it is filled ~vith quaint restaurants, galleries, shops and the www.metrostarnews.com the waterfront piers. You can take excursion boat trips ranging from an hour cruise to a full day at sea. Visit the Historical Society in Boothbay Harbor and the Museum in Southport to learn about ice cutting and ship building in days gone by. See the handiwork of local boat yards, which continue the tradition in state-of-the art materials, and keep aliv~ their heritage of world-class boat builders. Watch the lobstermen tend their traps, or put to sea for a close enconnter with a barnacleencrusted whale. Actually, Boothbay Harbor has been around since the 1700’S when it was a fishing village and shipbuilding center. By 1900 over 500 vessels had been built in the region. Tl~e first morning we visited the Botanical Gardens which was a real treat. Check it out at va*av.mainegardens.org. It is New England’s largest botanical garden on 248 waterfront acres with beautiful gardens, waterfront trails, sculpture and much, more. Enjoy collections of roses, native plants, rhododendrons and thousands of other perennials, ornamental trees, shrubs and spring bulbs. It is a ,vonderful walldng tour and you can either take a guided tour on visit it by yourself. They are open 9 to 5 everyday and all year long. No trip to Boothbay Harbor would be complete without taking a Schooner Eastwind cruise. Herb and Doris Smith have built six schooners and have sailed around the world t~vice with their children. They offer a 2 V2 hour cruise in the harbor where you can visit several small islands, birds, seals and other sea life and a lighthouse. They have 3 or 4 cruises everyday. Call 207.633.6598 to make a reservation. This is the finest Schooner cruise that we have ever taken. Herb and Doris really enjoy telling people about their travels and explains everything about the Schooner. This is the only cruise to take! And now, the best of the best when it comes to dining. In our travels from coast to coast we have never had such a fabulous dining experience as we had our last night in -Boothbay Harbor. Ports of Italy is a family owned and operated restaurant. Chef Davide Rossi and his wife Christa are the owners. We used taste buds that we have not used in years! We are NOT talking spaghetti and meatballs here, but a full range of northern Italian cuisine that is mouth-watering tasty. Between courses be sure and try their Intermezzo to cleanse your palette with the fabulously, delicious Lemon Sorbet and Vodka Slush. Just be sure and save room for some of the wonderful desserts. Their website is www.portsofitaly.com. As we said, in all of our travels, this is the finest dining experience that we have ever had! We had a 7 course meal that night and everything that we had was "beyond" fabulous and we know that we will never, ever have a dining experience so grand as this one. That is, until we return to Boothbay Harbor again. Boothbay Harbor is a wonderful place to spend a week or two and just relax, enjoy the sights and sounds of the area. Forget going to the Red Door for a complete rejuvenation of yourself. UCAN, INC TO FOCUS ON HIV/ AIDS PR£VENTION By Victor Gorin Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards of Church of the Open Arms UCC. Gorin photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK In 2008 UCAN Inc. ( United Church of Christ MDS/HIV Network) was formed under the Health and Wholeness Ministry of the United Church of Christ to establish a program for people of faith to address the issues of HIV/MDS. This will feature a special focus on HIV prevention. Among 8 members of UCAN’s Board of Directors, one is the Reverend Loyce Newton-Edwards of UCC’s Church of the Open Arms in Oklahoma City, and another is the Reverend Leslie Penrose of Tulsa’s Community of Hope UCC Church. States Reverend Loyce, " I’m excited about this new ministry because through the United Church of Christ we can work vdth local community partners to develop HIVIMDS programs, including a focus on prevention. \Ve want to do something positive, to expand our territory of ministry to include a specific outreach to those infected and affected by HIV/MDS. " UCAN has applied for a grant from the Federal Center for Disease Control which would be over 2 million dollars, but as of press time it has nor yet been approved. This outreach would bring needed services to people in need wherever UCC churches are located, throughout the United States and abroad. Instead iusr go to Boothbay Harbor, and don’t forget to stay at the wonderful Topside Inn. Owners Brian and Ed are the best of the best. For more information go to ,vww. boothbayharbor.com. Always remember to have fun ,vhen traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! }~®{~’oSTAR 15 ���18, @Club 209, Tulsa @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ Finishline, Oklahoma City @ Angles, Oklahoma City @ The End Up, Tulsa August 2009 �ARE YOU WONDERIN WHEI EVERYONE ItAS BEEN LATELY? Open Every Day 4pro to 2am 836 - 09 q 5 Monda.y Friends and Family @ 6pm Dancers @ 10pm Tuesday $0.50 Draught Beer Night Dancers @ 10pm Wednesday Pool Tournament @ 8pm Dancers @ 10pm Thursday Bin" Bingo with E-Lyra St. James @ 7pm Dancers @ 10pm Friday Dancers @ 10pm Saturday Dancers@ 10pm Sunday Free Pool All Day DanCers Open Every Day at 2pro {9"!8} 437 -0449 Monday Movie Madness - Showtimes 7pm and lOpm Tuesday Drama Lite- All the Gay, Half the Drama Wednesday A Night in Vegas Drag Show @ 10pm Thursday $0.50 Draught Beer Night Friday Cabaret Night @ 8pm Saturday Big Gay Dating Game w/Daphne Rio @ 10pm Sunday Disco Night @ 9pm The Hideaway Tropical Lounge becomes the World’s Smallest Disco ww~v.metrostarnews.com @etroSTAR 19 �By Camper English q-he Mixer Mix-up Much as I love the name, I can’t bring myself to consume what the kids today are calling the Skinny Bitch. This cocktail is usually made with a flavored vodka, Diet Coke. and a squeeze of lime. My issue with the drink doesfft involve the liquor, but with the artificially flavored and sweetened soda. But the Skinny Bitch is not really a drink focused on the Coke: it’s a drink focused on the Diet. Also focusing on the diet is a writer named Teresa Marie Howes, who wrote a whole book on diet drinks this year called Skinnydnis. Most of the recipes in the book cut calories in cocktails by adjusting the amounts of liqueurs and mixers. ,as distilled spirits like gin and vodka all have about the same -~ number of calories per volume. Her drinks call for light or diet iuices and sodas, and flavored water and other mixers ~ ~:~ ~ instead of sugarladen liqueurs in ~_o~ recipes. She makes crab/placements like swapping out the orange liqueur in a Margarita with light orange juice and Sweet ’N Low. One set of mixers that are often mixed tip are soda water and tonic water. They, both have water in the name so you can understand the confusion, but the two are vastly different liquids. Soda water is carbonated water, and mixes well with vodka. (Gin not so much.l Tonic water pairs well with more spirits, and is consumed in different countries with vodka, gin, rum. tequila, and even Port wine. But tonic began as a tonic - a medicine used to prevent and cure malaria. It gets its flavor from the very bitter quinine that was once harvested from the bark of the cinchona tree, niclmamed the "fever tree" as it cured the malarial fever. To make the powdered bark palatable, explorers and soldiers in mosquito-intense countries around the world added sugar to the solution. Later, gin was added and the G&T was born. Hooray for medicine! The important thing to note in that last paragraph is the use of sugar. Its presence (or more commonly, the presence of high fi’ucmse corn syrup) in drinks means it has those calories you’ve been trying to avoid. Many people think they’re sipping a diet drink when they choose tonic water, but 20 really they may as well be swilling cola. Now that I’m a fully functioning cocktail snob, I don’t drink the tonic water, sodas and juices that come out of the cocktail squirter in bars at all. I like fresh juices and mixers without artificial sweeteners - and it turns out these typically have less calories than do the sugared-up cranberry juice and sodas you’ll get in most bars anyway. At home. you can buy high quality mixers with natural and organic sweeteners for your cocktails: Out at the clubs though, you probably won’t have that option, so you can opt for diet soda or soda water as mixers. Or better yet, opt for that sugar-laden Apple-Cosmo-Choco~Tini at the bar. and then spend the night worldng off those calories on the dancefloor. Camper English is a cacktails and spirits writer andImblisher ofAlc~mics.com Census Bureau will count married gay couples as married The U.S Census Bureau said June 19 it will count married gay couples as married in the 2010 census. The prior plan had been to retabulate such couples as "unmarried partners," an existing census-form category, because of the federal ban on recognition of samesex marriages. Gay activists, as part of their recent broadside against President Barack Obama’s inaction on gay issues, had srepped up their criticism of the plan to skew the data. Gay marriage is legal in three states and wil! be legal in five, six or raore by the time of the census. TABC says Texas bar raid was a big mistake By Rex Wockner The head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission told the gay newspaper Dallas Voice on July 16 that his officers committed multiple "clear violations" of agency policy when they and local police raided the gay bar Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on June 28, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The violent raid put patron Chad Gibson in a hospital intensive-care unit with bleeding on his brain. Two other patrons sustained lesser injuries and several patrons were arrested for the crime of having drunk too much. "I don’t think you have to dig very deep to figure out that TABC has violated some of their policies," Alan Steen said. "XTqe know that and I apologize for that .... It’s real dear that however it is that ~ve were doing business that night is not the typical TABC." "You can read (our) policy and you can figure out really quickly, TABC shotfldn’t have even been there," he said. "If our guys would have followed the damn policy, we wouldn’t even have been there .... We don’t participate in those kinds of inspections when there’s not probable cause or reasonable suspicion or some public safety matter to be inspected." * THREE IMPROMPTU POOL PARTEAZE ON TAP FOR SATURDA~ The guests of the TRADEWINDS, home of the "HIDDEN POOL" are welcome to host their own s~vim party. Invite your friends over for an impromptu after dark ........ dip in the pool Reserve your Tradewinds themed room nmv by calling David or Terry (479) 253-9774, request the Summer Diversity Weekend rate. Land O Nod aka:The Pink Palace, POOL PART~. Guests are welcorne to invite their new friends, old friends, and even the Xfriends over for a swim... No glass...Plenty of towels...Pool honrs will be extended until 12 midnight... Toll Free: 1-800-526-3263 Local Phone: (479) 253-6262. Rooms as low as 59.00 a night...mffst request DW rate. Alvin & Charlie are hosting a PRIVATE MEN ONLY POOL PARTY at their private residence. MUST drop by the Byrds Eye View, 36 North Main or Contact EurekaPride Sponsors Alvin & Charlie for an invitation and details. Toll Free: 888 210-8401 ° STRADDLE THIS... For those who enjoy the thrill of wrapping your legs around a tornado of pounding pistons, THE DIVERITY BIKER’S OZARKS FUN RUN’ Sat. August 8, 11 AM, Planers Parking Lot Hwy 23 N. (Main St.) and Hwy. 62. This ride will require a helmet. Also, bring a bathing suit, if you want to take a dip. There will be a lunch stop during the ride. ~ NOWWE’RE HUNGR~q FREE GOURMET BUFFET & ARTIST RECEPTION at the new Dreamweaver Gallery, 184 N. Main. Gallery owners David artd Melanie go top chef with a full dinner buffet. Drop by for a culinary adventure, art, and meet their featured guest, art photographer Matt Johnson. Check out all the Eureka art during the "2ND Saturday ~Gallery Stroll,~’ on Saturday from 3- 8 PM. SHAYdN NOT STIRRED! Henri’s Just One More. 19 V2 Spring Street. Saturday Night Karaoke Dance Party with DJ’S Shakin" not Stirred. IMPORTA_NT REMINDER- BE COOL, BE SEEN, BE SAFE: avoid those Diversity buzz-killers like getting a DUI or trying to find a parking place downtown. Eureka Springs Limousine. $5.00 point to point. Call 479-363-6055 for your PICK-UP! Cervantes and Lizeth iivila -- were arrested, detained and beaten June 29 in Tegucigalpa, the capital, IGLHRC said. "Nae arrests occurred while the activists were participating in a demonstration in support of the democratically elected government," the group said. The five activists are well-known GLBT leaders. "The recent coup in Honduras is an illegal assault on democracy that violates the rights of all Honduran citizens, including those ,vho identify as LGBT," said IGLHRC Executive Director Cary Alan Johnson. "We especially deplore the vicious murder and arbitrary arrests of LGBT people in the wake of this crisis." August2009 �by Jack Fertig August 2009 "Keep it light, Sagittarius" Mercury in Leo trine to Eris provokes bold partisan assertions. There’s healthy room for that, but it can go overboard. Mercury then opposes Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. leading through confusion, perhaps to improvement in ideals and philosophy. "You stand a better chance of improving yourself, not othe rs. ARIES (Narch 20-Apri~ 19): Culture clash can give you a better sense of who you are and who you’re not, but that will be challenged again when you reassess political ideals. Confusion and change are necessary steps to growth. Just walk through it. TAURUS (Apri~ 20 - Nay 20): Pride in home and family can clash with honesty about sameness. Ask yourself the hard questions that have never been answered. "Your insights could lead to reconsidering career goals. New answers there would also be helpful! GEN~NI~ (Nay 21- June 20): Your brilliant ideas can be very helpful in political long-range planning, but they wil~ start up arguments over principles, A real world approach may be needed to get idealist notions down to earth, but grounding will not come easily. SAGITTAR~US (November 22 - December 20): You need a forum for your opinion. Keep it light and playful and more people will listen. Appeal to emotions more than logic. Sticking to ideals and principles may be safer than citations that you’re "reasonably sure" of. 1 4 12 LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Playful banter with friends can lead you into a situation, pushing you to take sides, or you mig ht be able to negotiate a common ground between opposing camps. Solutions may defy logic. Creativity and intuition serve much better! SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21}: You can make an effective gobetween for colleagues and bosses. Being clear about which side you’re on will make you more effective. Your focus on career can be a distraction from problems at home. Your distraction could even be the problem. w~vw.metrostarnews.com 10 11 ’12 !13 16 ! 33 ~ 39 40 ~ 58 }59 60 DovTI3 Across t Figure skater Doug 2 Nuts 0fa tall one 3 It’s deep in a movie title 4 Hall ’Universi~ 5 ~tflavor for gin 6 Shining examples CANCER (June 21o Ju~y 22): Know your worth and hang out with the right people in your profession, those whose level you should be at. Strutting you~ Stuff in the Sack - maybe some exhibitionism?, can open up new channels for fantasy and exploration. V~RGO (August 23 - September 22): That buzz in your brain, perhaps about mortality or sexual identity, could prove enlightening. See where it leads. Worries about health should motivate you to better exercise and hygiene. (There’s always room for improvement!) 9 8 ~ AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Arguments with your partner are inflamed by a sense of competition. Remember, you’re on the same side! Together you can be unbeatable. Selfdoubt can be a good thing if it leads you to better answers. Island of Diamond Head Beach Come-on after following a gay guy? LEO (July 23 -August 22): The simplest observation can quickly become an ideological or academic thesis. That could be good, clarifying your own sense of where you stand. In relationships, however, your position may baffle you. Enjoy the mystery; it won’t last long. 7 ~ 15 CAPRICORN (December 21 January 19): Leaning on your own ethnic identity, or your ethnic preferences, can help you strut your hot stuff. Sexual preference for a certain skin color may be racist, or not. It’s all in the context and attitude. Checking your own couldn’t hurt. HSCES (February 19 - Narch 19): If you must argue with colleagues, make sure it’s about something important; remember you’re ultimately on the same team. Is it really something at work that’s bothering you? Take time out, and meditate to find the real problem. 6 3 7 Prefix with physics 8 ~]ite~ A Boys Own 9 Frank of the House 10 Jaclde~ designer 1t Liza, to Lorna 12 Sept. follower 13 Month in Madrid 2l Dish nanie 22 Not in the pink 25 Antigay prejudice, e.g. 26 Phil of folk music 27 Home ofth~ Buckeyes 30 Be under the weather 32 Yellow-bri& way nd_ 45 Day before saying "~GIF" ~7 Halfofa pair 0fballs Community for People living H W/A D S A 50’! c (3) Non Profit Organization 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 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-rnail ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal.net Solution page 23 evidence 59 Way cool 60 Hydrocarbon su~x ~’ ~troSTAR 21 �by Greg Fox Another artistic aspect of Tulsa Ballet is its commitment to create art in Oklahoma and export it to the world. With this concept in mind, the compaW built Studio K: a 300 seat, $6 million theater, dedicated to the creation of new art. This Is Your Life vcas among the first works to be presented in the new theater. Created loosely on the concept of the 1950’s television show that bore the same name, this work merges drama, humor, acting and stunning dancing to tell the stoW of its characters. Tulsa Ballet will perform according to the fi~llowing schedule at The Joyce ~neater in New’~%rk City from August 10 - 15: Monday - \Vednesday at 7:30 pro, Tnursday- Saturday at 8pm and Sunday- at 2pro. Tickets for these performances are $19; $29; $39 and can be arranged by calling JoyceCharge a 212-242-0800 " or online at "~mv.joyce.org. NOTE: Ticket prices are subject to change. %e Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at I9th Street in Chelsea. If you can’t make the trip to see the company in New York, Tulsa Ballet is hosting a Big Apple Preview- Night in Tulsa on N~ursday, August 6 at Studio K, 1212 East 45th Place. Tickets are still available for this special event featuring a wine and hor d’ouevres reception at 6:30 pm followed by the performance at 7:00 pm. Tne evening will culminate with champagne and desserts on stage with the compan> Tickets can be purchased by contacting Amy Miller, Director of Development at (918) 392-5933. The 2009-20 I0 Tulsa Ballet Season begins in October with the Oklahoma premiere of Ben Stevensoffs spectacular production of Dracula that will be performed in Tulsa and Oklahoma City during the Halloween season. Subscription packages are on sale now and can be ordered by calling the Tulsa Ballet box office at (918) 7496407. For more information about Tulsa Ballet, please visit ~.~xvw.tutsaballetaorg. SCANDINAVIAN New Rainbow Sweater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . w~,w~thega)mar{oonsite.corn Webs#e - wvs~c.kylecornics.com 22 fi%t~"oSTAR E-Mail- KylesBnB@~ol.com August 2009 �° oming Out t-LABANA INN 2200 iNg/39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com KELLY IGRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ROUTE 66 ANTIQUE MALL 4624 E. 1 lth Street Tulsa OK 918-836-3838 VALERIE W]LLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 NATH_AN BLACK PRIMERICA 10820 E. 45th #305 Tulsa, OK 918-615-8177 nblack.rnv39@prinaerica.com OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. WALNUT AVE. Oklahoma City, OK 800-913:1310 A2qGLES 21 st Oklahoma vr~#.anglesclub.com .............. BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tt~sa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.ctubmajestictulsa.com Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 w#w.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oldahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Sunday 6pro MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.mcctulsa.org OY~AEIOMANS for EQUALITY 621 Ei 4d~ Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 wv~aokeq.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Negates Ave Tulsa, OK741~7 : 918-585-9552 IGRA Aurora, CO www.igra.com 202-957-6187 KING OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-882-6127 JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 ARMANDO AMOR Keller Williams Realty 1624 SW 122nd Oldahoma City, OK 73170 405-473-6870 Armando Amor Phone: 405-473-6870 Fax: 405-691.2708 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESS\gAy" Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 vc~w¢.c21 goldcastle.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH FA’~PRESSW’AY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn THE KITCHEN 2218 NW" 39th Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Located inside the BOOM THE MARI~ET PLACE ON 39th 2235 N.W. 39th Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-5555 Eureka Springs, AR www.eurelcasprings.org THE K~TCHEIN , : 2218 NW 39th Oklahoma City, OKC 7311’,~ BUY GI Joe Action Figures (12" size Only) NOW OPEN !!in iae Marketplace on 39th Open Tues.-Sun 12 Noon to 11PM. Featuring Chef Susie Lopez. Located inside the "BOOM" based. send resume t~etro Star PO Box 581718 Tulsa, OK 74158 Start building a business today to supplement your income in case of layoff. High potential commissions. Excellent instruction. Set your own hours. Call NATHAN BLACK 918-615-8177 nformation Ca[[ 8-549-8090 THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE In Calls Only, NW OKC 405-822-7378 nwokcmassageguy@aol.cim FINISHLINE 2200 >FW 39TH EXPRESSX~TAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-2900 wvcw.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 w~w.habanainn.com HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH ~I~Isa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun thru Sat 2pro to 2am THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE ~Asa, OK 918-836-0915 Open 7 days a week 2pro to 2am w4w~.metrostarnews.com Me ro Star Classfieds A S S P H 2" square for as little as 539 per ~ issue. Chuck 8reckenridge Email: srarnews@ sbcglobal.net Call Robin @ 405-590-2871 E SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY E WWW.METROSTARNEWS.COM Wl~ether buying or selling 1’11 work hard for you. ~letroSTAR 23 �300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque for ~n The Demented Divas in Totally Plowed From Truckers to Nascar, from Trailer Parks to Dollywood, the Divas Poke Fun at the Most Famous Country Western Divas. Sandy Vee Anderson in a Tribute to Dolly Parton See the Award Winning, Top Dolly Impersonator from Las "Vegas legends in Concert and CMT, MTV, and VHI. vvww.mypromoreei.com/ sandy_anderson.html Sheraton A~buquerque Uptown Call 800-252-7772 ~onday - Friday, 8 a.~. - 5 p.m. (MS~ for the ~ntem~t~on~ Gay Ro~eo ~ssoc~t~o~ R~te of $85/n~g~t August2009 � 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 One million people, including Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, took part in London’s gay pride parade July 4. MORE on page 11 THE PREMIER SOURCE FOR G T OKLAHOMA VOLUME 6 iSSUE 8 MetroStarN÷ws.com AUGUST 1,2009 S 0KLAHOMAAGAIN! The crowd was about equally divided among those supporting her views and those opposed. Those in opposition began shouting Shame on you! repeatedly, alon~-with "Love-thy neighb6r!" - By Victor Gorin State Representative Sally Kern, Dis#qct 84 at the Oklahoma State Capitol, Gorin photo $ 0,000 By Victor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On Monday July 13 an emergency meeting and press conference ofOKC Pride was hdd at Epworth Methodist Church to deal with the disappearance of a sum estimated to be within the $10,000 to $15,000 range. This cash, which was supposed to have been deposited in the OKC Pride bank account, was derived from contributions, T shirt sales and purchase tickets sold on behalf of vendors. Apparendy assumed to be deposited in OKC Pride’s Chase Bank account by Treasurer Christine Plante, OKC Pride Co-Chair Patti Thompson was surprised to receive word from the bank the following Wednesday after the Pride Weekend that the OKC Pride account was over $4,000 overdrawn, and thus learned that An emergency meeting about this was held by the Board of Directors Thursday July 9 at the Boom, and Ms. Plante was allegedly contacted and asked to be at this meeting, but she did not show up. Although offidally scheduled to be at the July 13 meeting as well Ms. Plante was again not present, and there was no information as to her wherabouts or situation, although a widely drculated rumor was that she had checked herself into a rehabilitation facility. In her place, OKC Press Liaison Nathan Thompson gave a report, stating that OKC Pride had met with the Oklahoma City police to report the incident July 10, but had no further information. Despite the losses, at the time of the meeting OKC Pride had paid all ~e cash money, which had been obtained their outstanding debts and had cash on hand om about 3 ago weeks up to and including of around $2500 in 2 separate bank accounts, the event~ hadn& be~n d~posiled ~er all J3y through assis~€~ byd~h0~ from the that time Christine Ptante had disappeared as commtmity including John Gibbons (owner well, leaving the community wondering what of the Boom), Dan Johnson, Jack Melisa, and wen~ wrong and who was r~sponsible. ....... ContinUed See OKC PRIDE Page-4 OYA~ktOMA CITY, OK__ Around 250 people gathered at the Oldahoma State Capitol for State Representative Sally Kern’s presentation of her Proclamation of Morality, about evenly divided between supporters and those in opposition. The prodamation, which does not have the force of law, blamed the economic problems of our nation due to America "forsaldng the rich Christian heritage upon which our nation was built" and because "our nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse and many other forms of debauchery." It also criticized President Obama for signing a proclamation recognizing June as Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month while not taking a more active role in the National Day of Prayer, although President Obama did issue a proclamation supporting that event as well on May 7. Ms.Kern, a Republican who represents District 84, has garnered international attention for her outspoken conservative views, particularly concerning the GLBT community. In a speech taped at a Republican gathering last year that later made Youtube, she stated that the gay community was a bigger threat "than Islam or terrorism," and compared gays to cancer in "one’s big toe" in their relationship to society, However, unlike similar gatherings in the past, the crowd was about equally divided among those supporting her views and those opposed. After she had given a short speech ........... Continued See SALLY Page-4 Senate approves hatecrimes measure xWASHINGTON, DC (PR) The U.S. Senate approved a bill to add sexual orientation, gender identity and other categories to federal hate-crimes protections. The final vote came July 20. The bill will soon be on its way to President Obama’s desk, where he’ll get a chance to make good on his promise to sign it. This vote came on the heels of tremendous pressure from radical right-wing groups that used every trick in the book. They called the bill the "Pedophile Protection Act," among other outrageous claims. They dismissed the barbaric hate crime that took Matthew Shepard’s life as a "hoax." They flooded the Senate with hundreds of thousands of letters and calls. The measure, which passed on a voice vote, was attached to a defense-spending bill. A move to remove it from that bill failed 63-28. The House of Representatives already has passed a similar bill. "More than 60 senators support the Matthew Shepard Act, legislation that will provide police and sheriffs’ departments with the tools and resources they need to ensure that entire communities are not terrorized by hate violence," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. Both Oklahoma senators fel! for the radical right’s ploy and voted against the hate crimes bill failing to stand up for equali~ To contact both Oklahoma Senators call their Washington office, Sen. James ’Jim’ M. Inhofe (202) 224-4721 and Sen. Tom A. Coburn (202) 224-5754. Oklahoma Weather Forecast for August 2009 Aug 1-4: Sunny, hot. Hurricane threat in Gulf Aug 5-10: T-storms north, hot south Aug 11-14: Scattered T-storms, ~ seasonable Aug 15-21: Sunny, very warm AUg 27-31: Scattered ~-storms, warm Avg. Temperature: 83.5° (avg. norda, 3° above south) Precipitation: 3.5" (1" above avg.) N~YION This year’s OKC Pride Grand just love being with my friends in Oklahoma City," Page-6 L>> BILL (Lt" N"’tON= SJPPORTS~ /AYS Diversity Over 150 unique Shops and galleries, and many parties for your entertainn{ent. Page 9 WO~ZLD >> ?R~DE 2009 I PLUS -~ LIFES";YLETR~ /EL ~ AR" ~ I Beating victim Chad Gibson, who now has a life-threatening blood clot on his brain goes home. Gibson xvants the officers to be prosecuted.. Page 8 #INE / SCOPES a ease pa rP Everyone who completes @e s#rvey by August 31, 2009 P~ease take the survey today, and te~ year Tremendous strides toward fa~ equality have been achieved by oar tenth,unities ever the past decade. There’s Power in ear Pride. Power te n~ake a difference: Gay and [esbiaa su~ey studies have opened doers (and minds) in ~ea~ing corporations aria organizations, which in turn have rec~gn~ze~ the va~ue of the~r LGBT employees through the es~b~shment of equa~ h~dng po~c~es an~ ~omest[c pa~ner benefits. Th~s has been a catalyst, ~ea~[ng to sweeping changes ~n pofft~cal an~ social ~nc~usJvi~. #e~egraph~c reports a~se ~nfluence ~arket~ng ~nvest~ent. V~ua~y absent unt~ recently, we now see a ~rowing variety ef p[eaacts an~ services represente~ ia gay ~edia, celebrating oar ai~ersity. Aas keep LGBT pubiications an~ websites ~a business, serving their co.manatees with [aaependent news and infermatbn. ~eyen~ s~p~y a@e~s~ng, though, these ce~panies support as ~n ~any ways, ~nc~a~ng sponsoring cow.unity events Community Marketi ~ @ 200g 8~a~uni~ ~arketing, ~nc., 584 Castro St. #834, San Francisco CA 9~114 L~SA ~.Cen~n~unity~arketing~nc.cen~ August 2009 STATE REPRESENTATIVE AL MCAFF Y CALLS FORAN APOLOGY By Victor Gorin State Rep. AI~fcA~’ey and Metro Star re oorter Robin Dornet: Gorin photo OI~ObcLR CITY, OK __ "I complete identifi/with the cleep faith that many Oklahomans hold dear, but I’m appalled that MrS.Kern chose to use a state proclamation to attack the freedom ofmany Oklahomans xvho do not share her faith or vices." ..... ....... ...... state Reprdsentative A1 McAffrey State Representative Al McAffrey (Democrat SHD-88) is calling upon fellow legislator Sally Kern (Republican-SHD- 84) to rescind her proclamation and apologize for many discrepancies and misrepresentations of facts. "To blame our economic woes on a national moral crisis is ludicrous. Our economic woes are a direct result of bad financial practices and a lack of regulation on Wall Street." He pointed out that "Mrs.Kern uses her proclamation to accuse President Obama of not recognizing the National Day or Prayer, that is an absolute lie. On May 7~ 2009 President Obama proclaimed a National Day of Prayer and encouraged all Americans to ’come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer.’ " McAffrey stated that he found that vwo of the quotes used attributed tO James Madison ai~d Patrick Henry were f-abricated, appearing nowhere in the writings or records of either man. McAffrey pointed out that anyone knmvledgeable ofAmerican history would kamw that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were avid Supporters of religious freedom, and that it was Thomas Jefferson who coined the concept "separation of church and state" traced to a letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists. McA~}ey further stated " It’s pitiable that with all the major challenges facing our great state some of our state leaders are more concerned in mal~ng ne~vs headlines than making strides toward strengthening our economy, improving our public schools, and ensuring that all OHahomans have access to qualig; affordable and sustainable healthcare. She owes Oklahomans of all faiths a sincere apology:" Tulsa Bowling Tournament a Success By Michael xyZ Sasser JOLTBowling Tournament group at ~dsa Eagles reception party. Staffphoto TULSA, OK__ GLBT sports are already on the minds of many in the community in anticipation of the Gay Games 2010 in Cologne. In Oklahoma, sporting gay men and women have numerous opportunities and it seems many are taking advantage of them. The Tulsa Lambda Bowling League’s second annual weekend-long July Oklahoma Lambda Tournament (JOLT) attracted some 120 participants from around the region to the tourney, at Andy B Riverlanes and ldcked things offwith a registration party at the Tulsa Eagle on July 17th. . "Most of the people xvere from Oklahoma and Texas, but we also had people from Kansas and Missouri," said Lambda League President Rich Blankenship. "We consider it a big success." Blankenship said that there were 88 participants in last year’s tournament and that it took most of the year to raise the funds necessary to host this year’s. Included in the fundraising was approximately $6,000 for charity. "gC’e really need sponsors for next year since we are growing so much," Blankenship said. The Lambda League’s regular season runs from Labor Day to April, with a 12-Week summer league also available, and the July tournament. As a member of the International Gay Bowling Organization (South Plains Region), the Lambda League schedules its annual national tournament so as to not conflict with other member’s tournaments. IGBO sponsors a national tournament every Memorial Day weekend. "Every city about Tulsa’s size or larger with a league has a tournament," Blankenship said. The success ofJOLT would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, when, Blankenship said; the group had dwindled down to around two dozen members. Today there are around 67 members. Some teams rotate players so that more people can play in the Tuesday night league. Already there is a waiting list for next year, although Blankenship said the,,League is, trying to negotiate, for,, more. lanes.,, We dont want to be exclusive, he sa~d. We want everyone to get involved to be able to play." Blankenship attributes the growth of the Lambda Leagt,ie to the recruitment efforts of former president and this years JOLT Director, Rick Cox. Other sports oriented community groups are lively around the state also. Oklahoma City supports two bowling teams, the Sunday Twisters and Tuesday Twisters. Oklahoma City and Tulsa support GLBT softballs leagues. Both the Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) and the Oldahoma Gay Rodeo Association (OGRA) are members of the International Gay Rodeo Association (tGRA). The IGRA National Finals in Albuquerque, New Mexico are expected to draw’participation and large spectator support from OHahoma. For more information on the Tulsa Lambda Bowling League, visit w~w<lambdaleague.com. Dale Gross ~ Randy Winrow email: route66malf@att.net 8.836.3838 METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Uric Spirit of Christ MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and Blessed DaV! www.rnetrostarnews.corn #~>t~"oSTAR 3 others not named at the meeting. Nathan stated that the investigation is still ongoing, and there is a possibility the money or parr of it may be recovered. It was also brought up that according to the bylaws. OKC Pride Board members could not be held liable for this type of loss. Inquiries as to why nobody knew why the cash had not been deposited, or why, the bank account had not had more oversight were not answered. Mr. Thompson did promise that information would be put on the OKC Pride website along with press releases as soon as it was available Guy Peters did suggest that in the future that background checks be obtained for those responsible for OKC Pride money. Male Co- Chair Paul Thompson had suggested in the past that these members be bonded, which would cover losses caused by dishonest acts. Mthough Chris Plante has not been charged with any crime related to this incident at this time. she was removed ftom her Treasurer position for dereliction of duty, the motion to do so made by Scott Jaggers and passed unanimously. Until there is a new Treasurer on duty- the duties of that oi~ce would be handled by the co-chairs, currently Paul Thompson and Latricia Olmstead. The next meeting xvould be August 3, the first Monday of August. During that meeting membership in OKC Pride. which is required to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election ~’or new o~cers and board members, could be begun or renewed. Co-Chairs Paul Thompson and Latricia Ohnstead announced that the7 will not be seeking re-election, nor will Festival Coordinator T.J Mc~nsey. A press confbrence was held following the meeting attended by the Metro Star, Oldahoma Gazette reporter Joe Wertz, and Patricia Millel; the treasurer preceding Ms.Plante,Ms. Miller, who resigned in protest at the May" 4 meeting over what she stated were lax and dishonest financial practices ofOKC Pride had this to say," They are all fteaking out over this, which I can agree, they should be freaked out, but we slid the last one about Miles Tompkins* under the rug. I want to make sure this does not get slid under the rug too. Whoever is responsible for this should go to prison. My question is, will this be treated like the last time?" *Referring to a bounced check wdtten by Miles Tompkim to Lee Burrusfor a Gala Dinner on beha~%fOKCPride in 200g. Mr Bu~us was reimbursed by OKCPride and M~ Tompkim, thru an agreement with OKC Pride, made restitution. Drag een Bingo 2009 Bingo like your mother never played... TULSA, OK (PRy __ This annual event and fundraiser for Our House Too will be held Friday, August 7th at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom. Female impersonators will welcome you aboard the USS DQB cruise ship for this, the fifth year, beginning at 8p.m. and ending at t 1. There will be glamorous costumes and prizes, a silent auction and, of course, bingo! Female impersonators will perform glittering numbers from cruise ship showrooms to entertain the crowd. isolation of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Tulsa area. In addition to providing monthly activities and holiday celebrations. Our House Too offers food baskets, a toiletry and household pantry and weeldy lunches. Tickets for Drag Queen Bingo 2009 are $20 per person and can be purchased ar Reasor’s, Cain’s Ballroom, Ida Red and Starship Records. Gay Man E]ec ed Oklahoma County Democratic Par v Secretary’s O ce By Victor Gorin Tom Guild with well wishingfi’iend Esther Bahierra. Gorin photo OKLAHOMA CITY; OK__ Dr. Tom Guild, a soon to be professor emeritus at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, was elected July 14 to be Oklahoma Count~fis Democratic Party Secretary. This was a special election to fill that ot~ce which was vacated with the resignation of the previous oI~ce holder, Rosanne Jenny. A longtime human ¯ rights activist, Tom was a professor at UCO for 27 years, where he taught political science for 10 years and legal studies in the College of Business for 17 years. He registered as aDemocrat 5 years ago, and has since been very active in the part), by hosting the weekly Oklahoma County Democratic Party’s Speakers Lunch at the Boulevard Cafeteria, as well as other party activities. Along with Dr. Joan Luxemburg and Keith Smith, he co-wrote a chapter in the book ’Hn Oklahoma I’d Never seen Before: Alternative Views of Oklahoma Histo~ "published in 1994. Their chapter was "Oklahoma’s Gay, Liberation Movement," the first academic publication in this area ever published. Working with the Democratic Party he will work to achieve full collective bargaining rights and better wages and conditions for Oklahoma’s workers, currently working on passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which ,#could make it easier for workers to unionize. He would also work for GLBT rights and human rights in general, working for passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act ( proposed Federal law prohibiting employment discrimination against GLBTs) and repeal for the "Don’t ask Don’t Tell" policy of the U.S. military. W AT those in opposition began shouting "Shame on you!" repeatedly, along with "Love thy neighbor!’while the other side simultaneously began singing God Bless America, and later both sides sang the national anthem. As feelings ran high the event got very loud but stayed peaceful. Ms.Kern did express her view that "The people who preach tolerance are not willing ro extend the same thing to someone who disagrees with them. So ladies and gentlemen, we are seeing a wonderful illustration of intolerance." Among those signing the petition was Paul Blair of Edmond’s Fairview Baptist Church, who also spoke at the rally. In spite of the mention of divorce as being part of our moral decline, it was likewise signed by former State Representative Kevin Calvey, a conservative Christian who is divorced. It was also signed by Oklahoma City Councilman J. Brian Waiters ( Ward 5), the lone OKC City Council member who voted against a parade permit for the OKC Pride Parade. The constitutionality of the event was questionable. As activist attorney Brittany Novomy pointed out, "They used Capitol grounds for this and that is an advancement of a particular religious agenda that is not necessarily representative of al! the other religions or even al! the branches of Christianity in Oklahoma. q£he LGBT caucus of the Young Democrats canae out to stand side by side with the ACLU to uphold the Oklahoma Constitution (Article 2 Section 5) that clearly prohibits the use of public property towards any sect, denomination or system of religion." . Brittany also gave,her angle about the proclamation as well. q-his proclamation suggests that the problems of our society are bdfig caused somehow by GLBT people. Frankly as a Young Democrat I believe most of ourproblems are being caused by economic problems, people not able to have healthcare for their kids or themselves, people filing bankruptcy because they lack healthcare coverage. There are a host of prob!ems facing every day Oldahomans, and I dont believe demonizing a whole subset of Oklahomans really accomplishes the goals of real working Oldahomans who want to be able to feed their families, have good healthcare, who just want the opportunity to live their lives in peace, and who believe in loving their neighbor." C.S. Thornton of the ACLU lamented, "She ( Representative Kern) blames all these things upon a great moral crisis, yet nowhere does she mention greedy V&ll Street executives or government regulators who were asleep at the switch. The most alarming thing about this proclamation is the level of scapegoating that it promotes." However, the Republican speaker of the House, Chris Benge, does not plan to sign the document, and State Representative Ryan Keisel, a Democrat called the proclamation a "divisive political stunt." State Representative A1 McAffrey, the only openly gay member of the legislature ( Democrat-District 88) has asked for an apology. There were otl-mrs that disagreed with Ms. Kern as well. The Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards, associate pastor of the Church of the Open Arms UCC stated that she felt Sally Kern was "one of the most hateful and divisive persons in America. The right thing is to respect people regardless ofwho they choose to love. Homophobia is wrong, it’s unGodlike." 300 ATTEND ENID’S FIRST PRIDE CELEBRATION By Nate Bowen Enid held their first Pride event Saturday July 18, which was a fabtdous picnic & festival at Meadowlake Park. Drawing over 300 people, the number in attendance set a record for aW Oklahoma first time Pride event. Starting offwith the Reverend J.E Wickey of Crosswalk United Church (Enid’s only open and affirming church), he spoke about being gay and Christian followed by a Q&A session. The band Blackwings gave a great performance, followed by Stephen Dillard-Carroll. This was followed by an OKC speaker and activist from the Young Democrats, Brittany Novotny. Around 6:30 p.ra. the crowd was treated to a drag show starring Raven Angel, Nikki Star and Colby Richards. Booths and vendors at the park ranged from Fulton’s BBQ to the Garfield County Democrats. Our House Too is a nonprofit organization serving to elirainate the social .........Continued see ENID PRIDE page 6 4 August 2009 HoOoPoEo to Host 8th A ual DIVAS Benefit Concert for people to learn their HIV status and can connect clients to a variety of medical and social support services. For more information about HIV or sexually transmitted infections, call 1-800-535-MDS (2437). Openarms 4th Annual Fashion Show By Judy Gabbard TULSA, OK (PR) __ On Sept. !2-13, 2009, Health Outreach Prevention Education (H.O.E E.) will host DWAS 2009. at the Tulsa Zoo. This year’s theme is DIVAS Gone \.gild. Proceeds from the event will help support H.O.EE. programs, such as prevention education about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections, the only statewide 24-hour HIV/STD resource hotline, and the only free, anonymous testing and counseling facility in Oklahoma. This year’s concert is produced by Rebecca Ungerman, a popular Tulsa-based performer who has graced numerous venues and events in Tulsa, including the Oklal~oma Centennial Celebration and the Tulsa Perfornaing Art Center SummerStage series. The evening, celebrated in the new H.A. Chapman Event Lodge at the Tulsa Zoo, highlights Tulsds diverse musical talent with local artists covering dassic favorites. ~[hese acts come together for this annual "one time onl~# shm,~ and bring out their collective fans: This year S performei:S ind~id~ Pxeb~c~ ung~rman, Cindy Cain, Christy E. ofThe Red Alert, Pare Wan Dyke, ~nie Ellicotr. Fiawna Forte, John Sawyer, Darrell Christopher, Kelly Morrison. and Janet Rutland. N~e combined talent includes experience on Broadway, national and international cabaret tours, and !ocal Spot Music Awards. ~II~e evening will also include a live and silenvauction, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. The evening gala will take place on Saturday, September 12. 7:30pm and a no frills Sund~y matinee will take.place September ! 3 at 4pro. Tickets may be purchased, beginning August 1, by contacting H.O.RE. a 918-749-TEST (8378). Tickets are $25 and $40 for general admission seats and $100 for individual table seats. A table for ten is available for $1,000. Cabaret table seats include: priority seating, publicity, auction sneak preview, and private reception with the performers which includes complimentary wine and hors d’ oeuvres. The matinee -will include the same show and champagne, with tickets ranging from $15-$50. Emcee for the event will be Mia Fleming from Fox 23. Supporters of DIVAS 2009 include Williams, F & M Bank. The Metro Star and The Gay and Lesbian Fund for Tulsa. Raising awareness of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections remains vitally important. Young people and minorities are disproportionately affected, but HIV does not discriminate. By Imowing your status, you are better able to protect yourself and others. Prevention education and testing are keys to decreasing the stigma and infection rate of HIV. H.O.EE. provides a comfortable place "First l ursday" Art Opening and ey ibit with Creations from Local Artist - Nicholas K. Clark TULSA, OK (PR) __ Continuing the monthly showcase of local artists at the Equality Center (621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa), Oldahomans for Equality (OkEq) will feature Tulsa Artist Nicholas K. Clark with an opening show and reception on Thursday, August 6th from 6-9pm and continuing throughout the month ofAugust. Nicholas’ work is a direct reflection of his optimistic personality. From vivid oranges to metallic silvers highlighted by passionate reds, his art displays a mastery of color that cannot be taught. His mediums vary from acrylics to oils and focus on creating depth through layering and application of rich texture. Nic’s ~vorks fall into three categories: contemporary figure studies, pop art and expressionistic co!or studies. "I pull nay inspiration from fashion and music and I love working with figures because they are al~vays so challenging - the detail of a hand. the curves of a body and the. capturing of natural movement and expresslolt. 7~rn GilA.an Former Channd23 Reporter Marianly Mendez andMiss OYP 2009: Alizay Kardashian Judy G. photo TULSA, OK Openarms Youth Project Center, located at 2015 Sm,th Lakewood Ave., Tulsa, OK, presented their 4th Annual fashion show fund raiser on July 10 and was a great success. Organizers Tim Gillean and Jerrid Horton reported that the proceeds will help continue the support of local GLBT youth ofTulsa and surrounding area. The nights title was ReFashionista. Sports and formal wear were purchased and redesigned for a splendid runway show. The evenings host, xvas Kristin Dickerson from KTUL, channel 8. Area talent added spice to the evening along with tasty hors d’oeuvres, wine and soft drinks. "Ihe silent auction ~vas an exciting array ofitems that were purchased by those in attendance. Funds are still needed to support the youth needs at Openarms. An), donation is appreciated. For more infbrmation call 918.838.7104. www.metrostarnews.com ~®t~’oSTAR 5 AtJeanne Ma6e~ Champs French connection ~sampled wines3~om all over the world. I’m in this photo with nay partner Lamont. For my birthday present, he sent for me to join him in France where he was a visiting professor in Marseille at the University of Provence¯ ! was really impressed with the wines of Provence, Cotes du Rhone. Languedoc and Bordeauex. The trip took on a different focus when we traveled to Bordeaux for VinExpo, the " international wine tasting event. We’re in this photo with long time wine colleague Gary Vance who caught a £1st train from Paris to meet up with us. This was a huge 5 day/40 thousand people wine tasting event with hundreds of wine makers & marketing reps. ~aere was just no way to meet all the wine raakers and taste as much as we wanted.In this article, I’m highlighting some of the grape varietals from the parts of Atxendees included not just the GLBT community, but fiunilies as well coming to enjoy the fun and fellowship. The following Sunday there was a forum held to discuss the France that we visited. These are affordable finds and the wines are in Oklahoma. Brief history of the grapes grown in these regions Malbec grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins. Long known as one ofthe six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine, the French plantations~ofMalbec are now found primarily in Cahors where the Appellation Control4e regulations for C~hors require a minimtiin content of 70% It is increasin ly ~elebrated as an Argentine varietal wine and is being gr~vn around the world. The northern part of the Rh6ne Valley; in France, remains one of the undisputed reference points for the ~;rOdUction of wines made with the ah grape. ~-he best examples of varietal Syrah, are the ones produced with the appellations Hermitage, C6te-R6tie, Comas, St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. \Vgines produced in these areas have strong fruit aromas, a good acidity, dry body and an appreciable mineral taste. Grenache is the dominant variety in most Southern Rh6ne wines, especially in Chfiteauneuf-du-Pape where it is typically over 80% of the blend. It is generally spicy, berry-flavoured and soft on the palate. In Australia it is typically blended in "GSM" blends with Syrah and Mourv~dre. Grenache is also used .to make ros~ wines in France and grmvn. The majority" of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays in the Languedoc. In the Rhone wine region, the grape is often blended with Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache blanc. Mr. D’s 1/2 case Red Bicyclette Syrah/Granche Rose ’07 (Languedoc) Black Beret Grenache/Syrah Rouge ’05 (Languedoc) Coussergues Viognier ’08 (Languedoc) Beauv~gnac Sauv,gnon Blanc 08 (Languedoc) Chateau Trocard Montrepos Merlot ’06 (Bordeaux) Jean-Luc Colombo L~s Abeilles Cotes du Rhone Blanc ’07/Viognier & Grenache Blanc Clos la Coutale Malbec (Cahors) ’06 And as always, I say go to your favorite wine shop, ask questions and purcha~se a bottle or t~vo. Share some food & wine with friends and check this out for yourself¯ This writer is one ofthe managers at the Grand Vin wine shop at Utica Square. He also bar tends and hosts wine & food events around town known as the Wine Enthusiasts ofTulsa. Viognier [vee-oh-nay] wines are well-known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were &affVohmteets Top Row Ka~e, John, Jesse, Brandon DJ Star, TJ, Kathy, Angd A4ishalle,Bmndon "KoolAid’; bottom rowJamie Lisa Nate future goals of Enid’s GLBTQA community, but most of the discussion centered on how great the Enid Pride Festival was and the fun they had. That evening Crosswalk United Church hosted a showing of "Prayers for Bobby", a landmark film portraying the true story of a mother who could not accept her sods homosexuality, who became an activist for gay rights following his suicide. General consensus was that the event was not just a historic first, but a wonderful occasion to be celebrated every year from now on. www.Foodand~Hne.com ww~:~ikioedia.or~ www.2he~’VorldI4q~eI~ne.com ww~:Epicurious.com TULSA BALLET TO PERFORM IN NEWYORK CITY Oklal~oma Governor Brad Henry and Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor will attend Tulsa Ballet’s debut at the Joyce Theater August 10 - 15. Special Big Apple Preview Night in Tulsa on August 6 at Studio K TULSA, OK (PR) It has been 25 years since the Tulsa Ballet has performed in New York City. This summer the company will make its long awaited return to the Big Apple for its debut at the Joyce Theater August 10 -15. Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor, Governor Brad Henry and First Lady Kim Henry are among local and national dignitaries who will attend the opening night performance and Patron Gala on Monday, August 10 at the Joyce Theater, located in the heart of Manhattads Chelsea neighborhood. Tulsa Ballet will give seven performances with special events planned throughout the week fbr patrons and supporters ofTulsa Ballet. The company will present a program. featuring Elite Syncopations by Kenneth MacMillan, Por vos Muero by Nacho Duato and This is Your Life by Young Soon Hue. This is Your Life was commissioned by Tulsa Ballet in 2008 and has since been performed by the Aalto Theater in Essen, Germany and the National Ballet of Ankara, Turkey. ....Continued see BALLET page 22 OKC Pride 2009: You be the change By Robin Dorner OKLAHOMA CITY, OK The end of June brought proud celebration to Oklahoma City with the annual gay pride event. year’s event was a huge success with more than ! 5,000 people attending the festivities. The party began on Friday evening at the NW 39th Street Strip near Penn with the first annual "Friday Night Block Part’);’. The festival began Saturday morning and continued through Sunday, the parade began around 5 pm. This year the OKC Pride Grand Marshal was attthor andTV personality Ruby Ann Boxcar. "I just love being with my friends in Oklahoma City," Boxcar told the Metro Star. "Anywhere there is a trailer park I feel like I’ve got family!" Boxcar is known as the Diva of the Double-Wide, a highly successful entertainer and author who got her start in Oklahoma City and is recognized in the US and abroad. Guests from across the city and state came to join in the festivities in Midtown Oklahoma City. "I am here because I am bisexual, proud and I like the scene," said 18 year old Ruth Leila Blailock. "It’s a celebration of diversity really." "We are here today because we are members of the Diversity Business Association (DBA)," said Shawn Adkison, JD of the Fortune Law Center in Midtown. Adkison and his firm have been members of DBA, the Oklahoma City LGBT business organization, for more than three years. "We think it is important ~o ne~ork together; promote our business organizations as ~vell as diversity in general," adds Adkison. "It is a good thing to show our support for DBA, Oklahoma and the U.S. You know, these kinds of events are not permitted in every country." The mission ofOKC Pride, Inc. is to stage a highly visible forum for the organizations which serve the community both nationally, regionally, and locally; decrease external homophobia by generating maximum media coverage to the reality of our community; and diminish internal homophobia by presenting organizational and individual role models. Additionally, the Board of Directors believe that as a civil rights movement, gays and lesbians need an annual forum where individually and collectively they can consider where they have been, where they are now and what direction they need to set. Several large corporations p,,articipated in the festival and the parade. I think it is just important that we embrace people with different backgrounds and, quite frankly, it helps our company," said Wesley Seymour frown the Frito-Lay company. "We have a philosophy; bring your whole self to work and that is one reason I like working for Fnto-Lay; Seymour has worked for the company as a District Sales Manager for three years. National and local companies supt~orted the event as corporate sponsors as well as many local sponsors. There were also several local churches represented, bike riding clubs, entertainers, The Oklahoma City Peace House and much more. For more information about Pride OKC, contact www. okcpride.org. August2009 6 www,metrostarnews.com 7 Wockner News Service Fort Worth beating victim, Chad Gibson goes home Fort Worth police and agentsfi’om the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission raided a gay barJune 28 -- the 40th anniversary ofthe Stonewall Riots -- and roughed up several patrons, inckding Chad Gibson, who now has a life-threatening blood clot on his brain. Gibson wants the officers m beprose~ted. Photo WFAA-TVscreen capmre Chad Gibson has been released from the hospital but still is in danger from a blood clot on his brain that reportedly could break loose and kill him. Gibson allegedly was beat up by cops during a June 28 raid of the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth, Tex; Wimesses say officers stami:ned his head into a ~vall, then into the floor. ~¢¢o Other patrons ~dso were injured in the raid -- one has broken ribs and one has a broken thumb. June 28 was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that kickstarted the modern gay-rights movement. ¯ne violent raid -- purported to be merely one of the state’s routine checks of bars to be sure no one is too drunk -- brought heaW condemnation from gay leaders, newspaper columnists, bloggers, politicians and others. It also received extensive national news not lip service. I will meet with you wherever you want to meet. I will go to your restaurants, your house, we can eat barbecue, whatever you want to do. But ~ve’ve got to talk." Gibson, for his part, wants the raiding officers to be,~rosecuted and the city to halt its "cover-up. "You used excessive force and that’s why I got hurt," Gibson told \~rFAA-TV. "~ey have blamed it on me, that I was drunk, (that) I fell and hit my head, I groped the officer, I did this, I did that. You know ,vhat? No. Accept responsibility." In an interview with KTVT Gibson added: "I was rubbed into the concrete.... I’m just appalled that they took it to the level that they did.... They need to accept responsibility for what they did." Obama invites 300 GLBT leaders to White House for Stonewa 140 President Barack Obama -- under heavy fire for talking the talk but not walking the walk on numerous gay-rights promises -- had 300 GLBT leaders over to the White House on June 29 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stonevcall Riots, which, in 1969, jumpstarted the modern gay-rights movement. "I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," Obama said. "It’s not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for othem to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-c~ntury ago. But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that nay administration keeps." Obama also defended his decision not to issue an order stopping the military’s expulsions of openly gay members, suggesting, again, that such an approach wouldu’t work out in the long run. "As commander in chief in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is adnainistered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term," he said. "That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffto develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal. I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy -- patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security." coverage. . Both the Fort Worth Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which joined in the raid, have launched interna! investigations of the incident. The results of the city police’s investigation will be reviewed by federal authorities, Mayor Mike Moncrief has promised. Apart from the raid itselfl the most controvers!al aspect Of the incident has been Police ChiefJeff Halstead’s assertions that Gibson groped one of the officers and that other patrons made what the Police Department called "sexually explicit movements" toward uniformed officers -- claims that bar patrons and gay leaders have called preposterous and "lies." "You’re touched and advanced in certain ways by people inside the bar, that’s offensive," Ha!stead said shortly after the raid. "I’m happy with the restraint used when they were contacted like that." After facing ridicule for those improbable assertions, Halstead has since adopted a more conciliatory tone, telling gay people at a public meeting: "We’ve got to work together. Be patient, and you wil! see that this is just 8 August 2009 77 members o£ Congress ask Obama to suspend As national gay leaders continue to beat up on President Barack Obama for moving too slowly- on his myriad campaign promises to tile GLBT community, 77 members of Congress have written to the president asldng him ro immediately suspend en[brcement of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy pending its repe,,a~! by Congress. Tile letter outlines a new, two-step repeal plan which begins with a request that the president ’direct the Armed Services nor to initiate any invesrigarion of service personnel to determine their sexual orientation, and that [he] instruct them to disregard thirdparty accusations that do not allege violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,’" said the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that has focused extensively on the militaw’s ban on open gays. ~°The letter signals renewed efforts to stop gay discharges immediately while repeal legislation moves through Congress at a slower pace," the center said. On June 23, Obama rejected the proposal. The White House said: "President Obama remains committed to a legislative repeal of Don’t Ask, Dofft Tel!, xvhich he believes will provide a durable and lasting solution to this issue. He welcomes the commitment of these members to seeing Congress take action." Episcopal Church OKs gay- clergy, bishops 7he Anglican Communion has been deeply mired in gay angst since the Episcopal Diocese oflVew Hampshire consecrated openly gay and partnered V. Gene Robinson as its bishop in 2003. GLAADphoto The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies declared in mid-July that open gays and lesbians --celibate or not -- call serve as priests and bishops in the church. At thee church’s triennial general convention, held in Ana~heim, Calif., July 8-17, bishops voted for the policy 99-45 and deputies voted for it 155-40. Deputies who are clergy voted 77-19 and lay deputies voted 78-21. The move may well lead to a full rupture between the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has been deeply mired in gay angst since the Episcopal Diocese ofNew Hampshire V. Gene Robinson as its bishop in 2003. Tile Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of Anglicanism. "The Anaheim move was seen as. in essence, a flip-off by the Americans of the Anglican hierarchy and Anglican provinces in Africa and South America that strongly opposed Robinson’s consecration. De facto international Anglican leader Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, England, had urged delegates,to the U.S. convention not to make any decisions in the co,~ing days that could push us further apart. He later said he regretted that the convention had done just that with its gayclergy decision. Delegates also voted to allow local dioceses to bless same-sex marriages and civil unions if they want to, and launched a project m creare official liturgies for the blessings. Gay Pordand mayor cleared in Breedlove affair There is no credible evidence that Sam Adams, the gay mayor of Portland, Ore., had inappropriate sexual contact with Beau Breedlove before Breedlove turned 18, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger said June 22. Adams, 45, and Breedlove, 22, have acknowledged having sex in 2005 after Breedlove’s 18th birthday, but Breedlove also had claimed the pair passionately made our prior to his reaching file age of consent, which Adams denied. "There are serious questions about the credibility of Breedlove’s account, dueto his prior inconsistent statements, the lack of corroborating witnesses or evidence, his attempt to gain personally from matters related to his involvement with Adams and his prior criminal record," Kroger concluded. "There is insufficient evidence to charge, let alone convict, Adams with illegal sexual contact with a minor." The attorney general’s office interviewed 57 people and sifted through Adams’ and Breedlove’s e-mails and text messages in arriving at its conclusion. Breedlove later posed for the gay porn magazine Unzippea~ In 2006, he pleaded guilty to felony 2nd degree theft in a case that involved $750 worth of clothes ftom a Macy’s store in Haxvaii. The revelation of the brief affair nearly ended Adams’ career earlier this year, in part because he had lied about it when asked about it during the mayoral campaign, stating that it never happened. Summer Diversi y ’09 Eureka Springs. Augus 7-9 ~ DOMESTICATE Say "I DO" and register your love with a Domestic Partner Certificate One day these certificates will be highly sought after collector items on E-bay. Tile Courthouse is closed Saturday and Sunday...City Clerk’s office is in the City Hall, lower level of the Western Carrol Count), Courthouse, 44 S. Main. Office hours are 9:30 AM - 12 Noon and 1:30 to 4:40 PM. ® YARDS AND YARDS OF YARD SALES Money Tight? Pennies on the dollar: Tile Eureka yards sales are a top stop for the bargain hunter and antique queens. Tile 15~n annual Eureka Yards and Yards ofYard Sales. Friday and Saturday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Find locator maps at shops and restaurants. Sponsored by the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce. ~ HEY GIRLS... LET’S iVlAKE HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE SMORES! THEN GO SNIPE HUNTING! Camping for Summer Diversity has become an annual event for many. Stay dose to title City and book your weekend with the gay friendly Kettle Campground. (479) 253- 9100, 4119 E. Van Buren. ° DIVA SHOP! Over 150 unique shops and galleries. Be sure and shop the Sponsors of Eureka Pride--aBens Door, Mountain Eclectic, Fusion Squared, Byrds Eye View, Antique Affaire, Tile Tourist Shop, the Inn Convenience Store, Eureka Scents. Avery and Special DW DISCOUNT from Tinmaker & Glitz, 69 S. Main. ~ MIX & MINGLE The Pizza Sluts are hosting their second Diversity Welcome Mixer. The Pizza Bar, 13 N. Main, Friday, 6-8 PM. $5.95 pizza buffet. Beer specials. All ages admitted. Come feel the ~varmth...feel, touch, hug, squeeze, grope, claw, whip...Mix and mingle with the locals and visitors from around the globe. Free City p~arking after 6 PM. ERIC HIMAN DISCOVERS EUREKA Henri’s Just One More. 19 1A Spring Street. Friday Night Only! 9 PM. Eric goes solo with his first Eureka acoustical performance. ® CHER SOME TIKI LOVE ~e always popular Glam-aphonic, E lectronic, Disco Babee, Tiki Torch Dance Party! 75 S. Main Street. Homo to the exotic, diverse crowd of celebrities, beauties, rock stars, dance divas, and some good ole fashioned Str8t Bait! Cher and Cher Alike to perform LIVE on Saturday. Shmv times will be posted. MORTUARY SERVICE, =¢ o SPEED DIAL YOUR GAY SPIRITS ~Exrot Speed reads with Mistress Lynne. Yes, speed readings --Lynne will do a 10 card reading for 10 buclcs. Just takes a few minutes as opposed to the full deck 30 minute reading. Lynne uses Gay, and Lesbian ~Tarot cards for amazing GAY readings. DaBen’s Door, 45 1/2 Spring Street, across from Jack’s Place. ~ NEW DELHI Friday & Saturday live music 6:30 9:30 PM. 2 North Main. Al! ages are welcome at the New Delhi. Atmosphere aplenty. If you never dined at the New Delhi, you really should. ~ START YOUR ENGINES: SUMMER DRAG RACES Eureka Live’s Duck Tape Divas will host Drag Racing Friday & Saturday 9PM. Special Guest performer Drag King Billy Badass and the Amazing Magic of the Tinman. 34 North Main, Underground FATZ 59 CLASSIC ROCK AT JACK’S PLACE 37 Spring Street, Friday and Saturday, 9 PM Midnight. High Octane Jell-O-Shots for a Buck!!!Legendary ’HANDSOME LEE’ On The Door. It’s all happenin’ between Center and Spring. o HARDWARE AT THE YARD Lumberyard, 105 East Van Buren, The Yard has yet to disclose what they have in store. Whatever it is, they always find some way to celebrate!! EXORCISE THE HANGOVER DEMONS You want crazy? We’ll give ya crazy! A Diversity Breakfast you will never forget. Play" Name That Tung’ With Sandy at the Smokehouse Cafd, 580 West Van Buren, Saturday & Sunday, 8:30 A.M tol l:30ish, biscuits as big as your head. WIN Fabulous Prizes. Highly Recomended. o RAMPANT STREET SEX! Not really: Just some amusement for the tourist and to annoy the fundies. The Summer Diversity Public Display Of Affection Photo Shoot..12 noon, Basin Park band shell, downtown. A G-rated opportunity to smooch your sweetie-or the perfect stranger-for posterity. Eureka Pride has treats to pass out for the first to come, first to get. Park Music Stylings, ! 2 - 2 PM Jones Van Jones, 2-4 PM 2 - 4 Cletus Got Shot, 4-6PM 4 - 6 The HillBenders. OPEN ARMS SPIRITUALITY Saturday.Discussion on the spiritual path of the Sufis with Sufi Master: Don Kitz at Eureka Springs Library Annex 2 - 4 PM Sunday Discussion on the spiritual path of Wicca with Wiccan Priest: Tymythy Aieran at Eureka Springs Library Annex 1 - 3PM ...... Continued See EUREY,~k Page-20 ~wcvv.metrostarnews.com #~®t~°oSTAR 9 N Wockner News Service gay sex ban struck down GLBTs decriminalized 17% of Following an @t-year court battle, India’s Delhi High Court legalizedgay sextidy 2 in aforcefid andpoetic ruling that had GLBTactivists ~ying in the courtroom. Marchersprotested the sodomy ban at lastyear’s Delhi gay prideparade. Wockner Newsphoto by Sonali Gulati Following an eight-year court battle, India’s Delhi High Court legalized gay sex July 2 in a forceful and poetic ruling that had GLBT activists crying in the courtroom. The ruling took effect immediately -- nationally -- and will remain in effect unless the Supreme Court reverses it. Several major Western media outlets erroneously reported July 2 that the ruling only applied in New Delhi. The court decision "read dowff’ Section 377 of the Indian Pena! Code so that it no longer applies to the activities of consenting adults. The section bans "carnal intercourse against the order of nature ,vith any man, woman or animal" under penalty of 10 years to life in prison. The court smashed 377’s application to gay people in myriad ways, finding it violated a constitutional guarantee of equality under the law, a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sex, and constitutional promises of personal liberty and protection of life. The ruling is chock-full of soaring statements in support of India’s GLBT population, including: * "The critninalisation of homosexuality condemns in perpetuity a sizable section of society and forces them to live their lives in {he shadow of harassment, exploitation, humiliation, cruel and degrading treatment at the hands of the law enforcement machinery. ... Section 377 IPC grossly violates their right to privacy and liberty embodied in Article 21 insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts between adults in private." * "Section 377 IPC targets the homosexual community as a class and is motivated by an animus towards this vulnerable class of people.... It has no other purpose than to criminalise conduct which fails to conform vdth the moral or religious views of a section of society. Tile discrimination severely affects the rights and interests of homosexuals and deeply impairs their dignity." * "When everything associated with homosexuality is treated as bent, queer, repugnant, the whole gay and lesbian community is marked with deviance and perversity.... The result is that a significant group of the population is, because of its sexual non-conformity, persecuted, marginalised and turned in on itself." * "We hold that sexual orientation is a ground analogous to sex and that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not permitted by Article 15 .... A provision of law branding one section of people as criminal based wholly on the State’s moral disapproval of that class goes counter to the equality guaranteed under Articles 14 and 15 under any standard of review." .... [R]ight to personal liberty’ and ’right to equality’ are fundamental human rights. which belong to individuals simply by virtue of their humanity: ... A Bill of Rights does not ’confer’ fundamental human rights. It confirms their existence and accords them protection." "~ "Indian Constitutional laxv does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconceptions ofwho the LGBTs are. It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual.... We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and t5 of the Constitution." What happens next? The national government could appeal the ruling to India’s Supreme Court, though that is considered unlikely; the national government could both accept the ruling and use it as ammo to introduce a bill in Parliament to duplicate the ruling in national law; and/or anti-gay parties to the lawsuit could appeal to the Supreme Court. But until such time as the Supreme Court overturns the Delhi ruling, India’s GLBTs -- who comprise more than 17 percent of all GLBT people on the planet -- are no longer criminals. India has a population of nearly 1.2 billion people. The erroneous reports that the ruling did not apply outside ofNew Delhi appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, on the Associated Press ~vire and elsewhere. (For correct information, see bit.ly/WeX,vO and bit. ly/7su4o.) "Every major media outlet in the ~vorld got this wrong because they don’t understand how the Indian courts work," said journalist Vikram Doctor of India’s Queer Media Collective. "It will apply nationally until somebody challenges that at the Supreme Court, which is where this case is going to end up anyway." In most common-law court systems, including India’s in this case, the decision of an appellate court binds lower courts within its territorial iurisdiction and also is the ’last’ word on the subject nationally unless a court of equa! authority elsewhere makes a contrary decision or the supreme court reverses the decision. An appellate decision also binds the parties in the case (which include the Indian government in this case) r~gardless ofwhere they are in the country. Meanwhile, gay pride parades were staged in four Indian cities June 27-28 -- New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Bhubaneshwar. At least 2,000 people marched in New Delhi. Marches are still to come in Mumbai and Kolkata. 300 march in Sofia Around 300 people marched in the second gay pride parade in Sofia, Bulgaria, on June 27, twice as many as last year. Police and private security officers, hired by pride organizers, protected the marchers to prevent a recurrence of last year’s violence, when sldnheads and right-wing extremists attacked the parade with bottles, rocks, eggs, firecrackers, smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails, resulting in 80 arrests. This ),ear’s march, which traveled from the National Palace of Culture~to the Red House debate club, encountered nothing more serious than some booing. Organizers called for a law to bail anti-gay discrimination in employment. Liza does Paris Pride Singer andgay icon Liza Minnelli danced on a float in Paris’gayprideparadeflme 2Z To her left.: Gay Paris Mayor Bertrand DelanM. Photo by Nikolai Alekseev Singer and gay icon Liza Minnelli danced on a float in Paris’ gay pride parade June 27. Minnelli is the daughter of gay icon Judy Garland, whose death five days before the Stonewall Riots 40 years ago is thought to have contributed to the foul mood of the gays who decided to fight back against the police raid of the Stonewall Inn. "Freedom," Minnelli shouted from the float. About 700,000 people took part in the festivities. "We knew that she (Minnelli) had a concert this evening in Paris but when her agent told us that she could come, we thought it was a joke," Pride spokesman Philippe Castel mid Agence France-Presse. Berlin also held Pride on June 27. About 550,000 people turned out, reports said. Gay pride goes well in Jerusalem, for a change About 2,000 people marched in Jerusalem’s gay pride parade June 25 without incident, but for one tossed egg. Previous years’ marches have been met with violent protests, stabbings and the arrest of a man carrying a bomb. Police protection was reduced this year, to a mere 1,600 officers. No matter who you are o are on life’s journey, -Re~ere~d Dr. K~hy 3131 hi. Pennsylvania,Oklaho 405.525.9555 10 ~>{~’oSTAR August 2009 New group forms to help gay refugees A new organization in San Francisco aims to help GLBT refugees ~vho are fleeing sexual or gender-based violence in their native lands. Only through raising consdousness of LGBT refugee issues to governments, refugee organizations, communities and the media, will help come to these individuals, who are among the most persecuted people in the world today," the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration said in a statement. The group provides free legal counsel for GLBT refugees who have escaped their home countries, and it will conduct ’\videranging international advocacy to advance the protection of all LGBT refugees and asylum seekers." "LGBT refugees often fall through the cracks of the international refugee regime," said Executive Director Neil Grungras. "They have escaped systematic hatred and violence at home, and their LGBT identity brings serious new threats to their safety and protection in countries of first asylum. MaW live in a toxic mix of destitution and desperation. "The recent surge in homophobic violence in Iraq has shone a spodight on the painful truths we’re dealing with first-hand in the Middle East. LGBTs are the most persecuted people in many regions of the world today. For every reported execution, there are likely tens of judicially or family-sanctioned murders." In recent months, several Iraqigays have been shot to death by militias and anti-~ay family or tribe members; Some have h~dtheir anuses glued shut by deah squadsi arid there have been allegaions of executions by the government. Reports in April said gay men were being captured and their anuses superglued with something called "American gum," after which they were being forced to ingest a diarrhea-causing substance and sometimes died. Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Division, visited Iraq in April and "collected several accounts" of the practice, which reportedly can be seen in mobile-phone videos that have been passed around inside the country. Massive abuses are taking ~lace ~ Baghdad, and apparently in other cities in the center and south," Long said. "XWe may never know the full sweep and scope of the killings so far, amid a pervasive insecurity that brutalizes innumerable people and devastates multiple communities, but we ate ,d°ing everything we,.,.can to,, determine and ctocument accountability. Poles hate same-sex Seventy-five percent of Poles oppose legalization of same-sex marriage and 87 percent say gay couples shouldn’t be allowed {o adopt chi]’dren, a Gt~ Polonia poll has found. ~e poll is the latest example of the wide gulf on _~ay acceptance that separates Western Europe ~rom the European nations that used to be part of the Communist bloc. Same-sex marriage is legal in Europe in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden -- and most other Western European nations have civil-union laws for gay couples. Saudis arrest 67 crossdressers Police arrested 67 mostly Filipino men for wearing women’s clothing June 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The roundup took place at a private residence during a Philippines Independence Day party. The men were charged with imitating women and possessing alcohol. Similar arrests in the past have led to imprisonment and floggings. "If the police in Saudi Arabia can arrest people simply because they don’t like their clothes, no one is safe," said Human Rights Watch researcher Rasha Moumneh. "Arresting and charging people simply because the police decide that their appearance is unacceptable strikes at the heart of human freedom." Ukraine bans Briino Sacha Baron Cohen’s new gay flick Br~ino has been banned in Ukraine for alleged immorality, obscenity and impropriety. The Culture Ministry said it was displeased with the movie’s "artistically unjustified" gay-sex scenes, obscene language, nudity, graphic homosexuality, sadisra and anti-soc.ial behavior. In the U.S., the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also has dissed the film. "The filmmakers wanted to use satire to highlight and challenge homophobia," said GLAM) President Jarrett Barrios. "But their film also reinforces troubling attitudes about gay people in ways that run counter to the intentions ofthe filmmal~ers. "The movie repeatedly builds entire scenes around stock stereotypes and situations that make gay people and families the butt of crude jokes. I can’t help but think of all the teenage kids already getting bullied, beat up and ridiculed for being -- or for being thought to be -- gay. For these kids, this movie will give their tormentors one more word in the anti-gay lexicon of slurs: Br~no." Some gay bloggers and Facebook users who have seen the film say GLAAD is humorless and needs to find its funnybone -- a charge the group occasionally has encountered before. Group says GLBT activists targeted after Honduran coup ~he International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on July 17 condemned "the recent murder and arbitrary arrests of... LGBT activists in Honduras." "IGLHRC has learned that these human rights abuses have occurred as a direct result of the military coup on June 28 ... which ousted that country’s democratically elected government," the group said. A transgender activist xvas shot dead June 29 a block from the gay community center in the city of San Pedro Sula, IGLHRC said. "Local activists in Honduras claim she was killed by military police patrolling the streets," the organization reported. Five other GLBT activists -- Hdctor Licona, Donny Reyes, Patrick Pav6n, Claudia ......Continued see HONDURAS page 20 I million & prime minister’s wife at London Pride One million people, including Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Mimster Gordon Brown, took part m Londons gaypridepamdeJuly 4. ScotsGayph~to One million people and Sarah Brown, xvife of Prime Minister Gordon BroWn, took part in Londoffs gay pride parade Jnly 4. Mrs. Brown carried a red, white and pink Union Jack flag. Members of the military marched in uniform, as did firefighters and a contingent from British Airways. Prior to the march, Mr. Brown met with organizers at his residence and said theUnited Kingdom has made "massive strides" in the march toward gay equality. Marriage is almost the last thing on the agenda for British GLBTs. An existing civilpartnership law grants registered same-sex couples all the rights of marriage. Noted gay activist Peter Tatchell carried a sign in the parade that read: "Gordon & Sarah can marry, gays can’t. End the ban on gay marriage." He wore a T-shirt that said "Homo Libertd, Egatitd, Sexualit&" 1 million at Madrid Pride, 35,000 at Barcelona Pride About 35,000people marched in Barcelona’sfirst large-scale gayprideparadeJune 28. Photo by Yves Bohic A million people turned out for Madrid’s gay pride parade July 4. With same-sex marriage already legal and little left to fight for, organizers put forth the theme of greater freedom for GLBT young people in schools. In Barcelona, about 35,000 people marched June 28. It was the city’s first largescale pride parade. The procession began at Plaga de la Universitat and ended at Plaga d’Espanya. www.metrostarnews.com ~®t~oSTAR 11 p t the °°gay" in Christian, 12 ~;~STAR August 2009 AUGUST TH 2009 H O M A ~ENTER TO WIN BANTA www.metrostamews.com ~etroSTAR 13 14 #~troSTAR August 2009 We have found Heaven and it is BOOTHBA¥ HARBOR, MAINE by Donald Pile and Ray Williams Photo: From a room with a viw~ Topside Inn Onour recent 4 week driving trip to the east coast we visited a lot of cities, towns and villages and had a wonderful time at each of them. All were fun, interesting and exciting to visit however our stay in Boothbay Harbor, Maine was "beyond fabulous"! We first checked into the Topside Inn. It is located on the tallest hill in the city and was a 19th century sea captain’s home. They also have guest cottages to the side of the main house. They have a total of 21 guest rooms. The owners, Brian Lamb and Ed McDermott have mvned the Inn for several years and they certainly know how to do everything PJGHT !!!!! The views of the harbol; ships, seals, birds and the flora and fauna from the Inn are absolutely incredible! ~le view from our room looking out into the harbor was just like a movie set! This truly was Heaven! All guest rooms have their own private in-suite bathrooms, cable TV and dial-out telephone. King, queen, or two beds are available. All rooms include hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. Brealdqast is something that is a "DO NOT MISS". A fabulously scruraptious si~- down breal’~ast is served every morning in the breakfast room which overloolcs the bay. It iust doesn’t get any better! We me~ a lot of wonderful gnests from all over the country while staying there. Many guests return time and time again because of the great way that Brian and Ed makes all of their guests feel a~ home. Everything about this Inn is perfect! The owners should open a school for innkeepers on the right w~ay to run an hm. And did we mention the incredible views that we had from our room at the Iun? There’s the sunrise and the famous footbridge over the inner harbor, to the lighthouses, islands, out to sea, aud the western sunset. Their website is: http://www.topsideinn.com/and their toll free phone is 1-888-633-5404 or you can emait them at info@topsideinn.com. Downtown Boothbay is just a couple of blocks down the hill and it is filled ~vith quaint restaurants, galleries, shops and the the waterfront piers. You can take excursion boat trips ranging from an hour cruise to a full day at sea. Visit the Historical Society in Boothbay Harbor and the Museum in Southport to learn about ice cutting and ship building in days gone by. See the handiwork of local boat yards, which continue the tradition in state-of-the art materials, and keep aliv~ their heritage ofworld-class boat builders. Watch the lobstermen tend their traps, or put to sea for a close enconnter with a barnacleencrusted whale. Actually, Boothbay Harbor has been around since the 1700’S when it was a fishing village and shipbuilding center. By 1900 over 500 vessels had been built in the region. Tl~e first morning we visited the Botanical Gardens which was a real treat. Check it out at va*av.mainegardens.org. It is New England’s largest botanical garden on 248 waterfront acres with beautiful gardens, waterfront trails, sculpture and much, more. Enjoy collections of roses, native plants, rhododendrons and thousands of other perennials, ornamental trees, shrubs and spring bulbs. It is a ,vonderful walldng tour and you can either take a guided tour on visit it by yourself. They are open 9 to 5 everyday and all year long. No trip to Boothbay Harbor would be complete without taking a Schooner Eastwind cruise. Herb and Doris Smith have built six schooners and have sailed around the world t~vice with their children. They offer a 2 V2 hour cruise in the harbor where you can visit several small islands, birds, seals and other sea life and a lighthouse. They have 3 or 4 cruises everyday. Call 207.633.6598 to make a reservation. This is the finest Schooner cruise that we have ever taken. Herb and Doris really enjoy telling people about their travels and explains everything about the Schooner. This is the only cruise to take! And now, the best of the best when it comes to dining. In our travels from coast to coast we have never had such a fabulous dining experience as we had our last night in -Boothbay Harbor. Ports of Italy is a family owned and operated restaurant. Chef Davide Rossi and his wife Christa are the owners. We used taste buds that we have not used in years! We are NOT talking spaghetti and meatballs here, but a full range of northern Italian cuisine that is mouth-watering tasty. Between courses be sure and try their Intermezzo to cleanse your palette with the fabulously, delicious Lemon Sorbet and Vodka Slush. Just be sure and save room for some of the wonderful desserts. Their website is www.portsofitaly.com. As we said, in all of our travels, this is the finest dining experience that we have ever had! We had a 7 course meal that night and everything that we had was "beyond" fabulous and we know that we will never, ever have a dining experience so grand as this one. That is, until we return to Boothbay Harbor again. Boothbay Harbor is a wonderful place to spend a week or two and just relax, enjoy the sights and sounds of the area. Forget going to the Red Door for a complete rejuvenation ofyourself. Instead iusr go to Boothbay Harbor, and don’t forget to stay at the wonderful Topside Inn. Owners Brian and Ed are the best of the best. For more information go to ,vww. boothbayharbor.com. Always remember to have fun ,vhen traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! UCAN, INC TO FOCUS ON HIV/ AIDS PR£VENTION By Victor Gorin Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards ofChurch of the Open Arms UCC. Gorin photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK In 2008 UCAN Inc. ( United Church of Christ MDS/HIV Network) was formed under the Health and Wholeness Ministry of the United Church of Christ to establish a program for people of faith to address the issues of HIV/MDS. This will feature a special focus on HIV prevention. Among 8 members of UCAN’s Board of Directors, one is the Reverend Loyce Newton-Edwards of UCC’s Church of the Open Arms in Oklahoma City, and another is the Reverend Leslie Penrose ofTulsa’s Community of Hope UCC Church. States Reverend Loyce, " I’m excited about this new ministry because through the United Church of Christ we can work vdth local community partners to develop HIVIMDS programs, including a focus on prevention. \Ve want to do something positive, to expand our territory of ministry to include a specific outreach to those infected and affected by HIV/MDS. " UCAN has applied for a grant from the Federal Center for Disease Control which would be over 2 million dollars, but as of press time it has nor yet been approved. This outreach would bring needed services to people in need wherever UCC churches are located, throughout the United States and abroad. www.metrostarnews.com }~®{~’oSTAR 15 @Club 209, Tulsa @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ Finishline, Oklahoma City @Angles, Oklahoma City @ The End Up, Tulsa 18, August 2009 ARE YOU WONDERIN WHEI EVERYONE ItAS BEEN LATELY? Open Every Day 4pro to 2am 836 - 09q 5 Monda.y Friends and Family @ 6pm Dancers @ 10pm Tuesday $0.50 Draught Beer Night Dancers @ 10pm Wednesday Pool Tournament @ 8pm Dancers @ 10pm Thursday Bin" Bingo with E-Lyra St. James @ 7pm Dancers @ 10pm Friday Dancers @ 10pm Saturday Dancers@ 10pm Sunday Free Pool All Day DanCers Open Every Day at 2pro {9"!8} 437 -0449 Monday Movie Madness - Showtimes 7pm and lOpm Tuesday Drama Lite- All the Gay, Half the Drama Wednesday A Night in Vegas Drag Show @ 10pm Thursday $0.50 Draught Beer Night Friday Cabaret Night @ 8pm Saturday Big Gay Dating Game w/Daphne Rio @ 10pm Sunday Disco Night @ 9pm The Hideaway Tropical Lounge becomes the World’s Smallest Disco ww~v.metrostarnews.com @etroSTAR 19 By Camper English q-he Mixer Mix-up Much as I love the name, I can’t bring myself to consume what the kids today are calling the Skinny Bitch. This cocktail is usually made with a flavored vodka, Diet Coke. and a squeeze of lime. My issue with the drink doesfft involve the liquor, but with the artificially flavored and sweetened soda. But the Skinny Bitch is not really a drink focused on the Coke: it’s a drink focused on the Diet. Also focusing on the diet is a really they may as well be swilling cola. Now that I’m a fully functioning cocktail snob, I don’t drink the tonic water, sodas and juices that come out of the cocktail squirter in bars at all. I like fresh juices and mixers without artificial sweeteners - and it turns out these typically have less calories than do the sugared-up cranberry juice and sodas you’ll get in most bars anyway. At home. you can buy high quality mixers with natural and organic sweeteners for your cocktails: Out at the clubs though, you probably won’t have that option, so you can opt for diet soda or soda water as mixers. Or better yet, opt for that sugar-laden Apple-Cosmo-Choco~Tini at the bar. and then spend the night worldng off writer named Teresa Marie Howes, who wrote a whole book on diet drinks this year called Skinnydnis. Most of the recipes in the book cut calories in cocktails by adjusting the amounts of liqueurs and mixers. ,as distilled spirits like gin and vodka all have about the same -~ number of calories per volume. Her drinks call for light or diet iuices and sodas, and flavored water and other mixers instead of sugar- ~ ~:~ ~ laden liqueurs in ~_o~ recipes. She makes crab/placements like swapping out the orange liqueur in a Margarita with light orange juice and Sweet ’N Low. those calories on the dancefloor. Camper English is a cacktails and spirits writer andImblisher ofAlc~mics.com Census Bureau will count married gay couples as married The U.S Census Bureau said June 19 it will count married gay couples as married in the 2010 census. The prior plan had been to retabulate such couples as "unmarried partners," an existing census-form category, because of the federal ban on recognition of samesex marriages. Gay activists, as part of their recent broadside against President Barack Obama’s inaction on gay issues, had srepped up their criticism of the plan to skew the data. Gay marriage is legal in three states and wil! be legal in five, six or raore by the time of the census. One set of mixers that are often mixed tip are soda water and tonic water. They, both have water in the name so you can understand the confusion, but the two are vastly different liquids. Soda water is carbonated water, and mixes well with vodka. (Gin not so much.l Tonic water pairs well with more spirits, and is consumed in different countries with vodka, gin, rum. tequila, and even Port wine. But tonic began as a tonic - a medicine used to prevent and cure malaria. It gets its flavor from the very bitter quinine that was once harvested from the bark of the cinchona tree, niclmamed the "fever tree" as it cured the malarial fever. To make the powdered bark palatable, explorers and soldiers in mosquito-intense countries around the world added sugar to the solution. Later, gin was added and the G&T was born. Hooray for medicine! The important thing to note in that last paragraph is the use of sugar. Its presence (or more commonly, the presence of high fi’ucmse corn syrup) in drinks means it has those calories you’ve been trying to avoid. Many people think they’re sipping a diet drink when they choose tonic water, but TABC says Texas bar raid was a big mistake By Rex Wockner The head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission told the gay newspaper Dallas Voice on July 16 that his officers committed multiple "clear violations" of agency policy when they and local police raided the gay bar Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on June 28, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The violent raid put patron Chad Gibson in a hospital intensive-care unit with bleeding on his brain. Two other patrons sustained lesser injuries and several patrons were arrested for the crime of having drunk too much. "I don’t think you have to dig very deep to figure out that TABC has violated some of their policies," Alan Steen said. "XTqe know that and I apologize for that.... It’s real dear that however it is that ~ve were doing business that night is not the typical TABC." "You can read (our) policy and you can figure out really quickly, TABC shotfldn’t have even been there," he said. "If our guys would have followed the damn policy, we wouldn’t even have been there.... We don’t participate in those kinds of inspections when there’s not probable cause or reasonable suspicion or some public safety matter to be inspected." * THREE IMPROMPTU POOL PARTEAZE ON TAP FOR SATURDA~ The guests of the TRADEWINDS, home of the "HIDDEN POOL" are welcome to host their own s~vim party. Invite your friends over for an impromptu after dark ........dip in the pool Reserve your Tradewinds themed room nmv by calling David or Terry (479) 253-9774, request the Summer Diversity Weekend rate. Land O Nod aka:The Pink Palace, POOL PART~. Guests are welcorne to invite their new friends, old friends, and even the Xfriends over for a swim... No glass...Plenty of towels...Pool honrs will be extended until 12 midnight... Toll Free: 1-800-526-3263 Local Phone: (479) 253-6262. Rooms as low as 59.00 a night...mffst request DW rate. Alvin & Charlie are hosting a PRIVATE MEN ONLY POOL PARTY at their private residence. MUST drop by the Byrds Eye View, 36 North Main or Contact EurekaPride Sponsors Alvin & Charlie for an invitation and details. Toll Free: 888 210-8401 ° STRADDLE THIS... For those who enjoy the thrill of wrapping your legs around a tornado of pounding pistons, THE DIVERITY BIKER’S OZARKS FUN RUN’ Sat. August 8, 11 AM, Planers Parking Lot Hwy 23 N. (Main St.) and Hwy. 62. This ride will require a helmet. Also, bring a bathing suit, ifyou want to take a dip. There will be a lunch stop during the ride. ~ NOWWE’RE HUNGR~q FREE GOURMET BUFFET & ARTIST RECEPTION at the new Dreamweaver Gallery, 184 N. Main. Gallery owners David artd Melanie go top chef with a full dinner buffet. Drop by for a culinary adventure, art, and meet their featured guest, art photographer Matt Johnson. Check out all the Eureka art during the "2ND Saturday ~Gallery Stroll~,’ on Saturday from 3-8 PM. SHAYdN NOT STIRRED! Henri’s Just One More. 19 V2 Spring Street. Saturday Night Karaoke Dance Party with DJ’S Shakin" not Stirred. IMPORTA_NT REMINDER- BE COOL, BE SEEN, BE SAFE: avoid those Diversity buzz-killers like getting a DUI or trying to find a parking place downtown. Eureka Springs Limousine. $5.00 point to point. Call 479-363-6055 for your PICK-UP! Cervantes and Lizeth iivila -- were arrested, detained and beaten June 29 in Tegucigalpa, the capital, IGLHRC said. "Nae arrests occurred while the activists were participating in a demonstration in support of the democratically elected government," the group said. The five activists are well-known GLBT leaders. "The recent coup in Honduras is an illegal assault on democracy that violates the rights of all Honduran citizens, including those ,vho identify as LGBT," said IGLHRC Executive Director Cary Alan Johnson. "We especially deplore the vicious murder and arbitrary arrests ofLGBT people in the wake of this crisis." 20 August2009 by Jack Fertig August 2009 "Keep it light, Sagittarius" Mercury in Leo trine to Eris provokes bold partisan assertions. There’s healthy room for that, but it can go overboard. Mercury then opposes Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. leading through confusion, perhaps to improvement in ideals and philosophy. "You stand a better chance of improving yourself, not othe rs. ARIES (Narch 20-Apri~ 19): Culture clash can give you a better sense of who you are and who you’re not, but that will be challenged again when you reassess political ideals. Confusion and change are necessary steps to growth. Just walk through it. TAURUS (Apri~ 20 - Nay 20): Pride in home and family can clash with honesty about sameness. Ask yourself the hard questions that have never been answered. "Your insights could lead to reconsidering career goals. New answers there would also be helpful! GEN~NI~ (Nay 21- June 20): Your brilliant ideas can be very helpful in political long-range planning, but they wil~ start up arguments over principles, A real world approach may be needed to get idealist notions down to earth, but grounding will not come easily. CANCER (June 21o Ju~y 22): Know your worth and hang out with the right people in your profession, those whose level you should be at. Strutting you~ Stuff in the Sack - maybe some exhibitionism?, can open up new channels for fantasy and exploration. LEO (July 23 -August 22): The simplest observation can quickly become an ideological or academic thesis. That could be good, clarifying your own sense of where you stand. In relationships, however, your position may baffle you. Enjoy the mystery; it won’t last long. V~RGO (August 23 - September 22): That buzz in your brain, perhaps about mortality or sexual identity, could prove enlightening. See where it leads. Worries about health should motivate you to better exercise and hygiene. (There’s always room for improvement!) LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Playful banter with friends can lead you into a situation, pushing you to take sides, or you mig ht be able to negotiate a common ground between opposing camps. Solutions may defy logic. Creativity and intuition serve much better! SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21}: You can make an effective gobetween for colleagues and bosses. Being clear about which side you’re on will make you more effective. Your focus on career can be a distraction from problems at home. Your distraction could even be the problem. SAGITTAR~US (November 22 - December 20): You need a forum for your opinion. Keep it light and playful and more people will listen. Appeal to emotions more than logic. Sticking to ideals and principles may be safer than citations that you’re "reasonably sure" of. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Leaning on your own ethnic identity, or your ethnic preferences, can help you strut your hot stuff. Sexual preference for a certain skin color may be racist, or not. It’s all in the context and attitude. Checking your own couldn’t hurt. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Arguments with your partner are inflamed by a sense of competition. Remember, you’re on the same side! Together you can be unbeatable. Selfdoubt can be a good thing if it leads you to better answers. HSCES (February 19 - Narch 19): If you must argue with colleagues, make sure it’s about something important; remember you’re ultimately on the same team. Is it really something at work that’s bothering you? Take time out, and meditate to find the real problem. Community for People living HW/A DS A 50’! c (3) Non Profit Organization 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 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-rnail ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal.net Across 1 12 3 4 33 58 }59 60 Island of Diamond Head Beach Come-on after following a gay guy? 6 7 8 ~ 9 10 11 ’12 !13 15 ! ~ 16 ~ 39 40 ~ DovTI3 t Figure skater Doug 2 Nuts 0fa tall one 3 It’s deep in a movie title 4 Hall ’Universi~ 5 ~tflavor for gin 6 Shining examples 7 Prefix with physics 8 ~]ite~ A Boys Own 9 Frank of the House 10 Jaclde~ designer 1t Liza, to Lorna 12 Sept. follower 13 Month in Madrid 2l Dish nanie 22 Not in the pink 25 Antigay prejudice, e.g. 26 Phil of folk music 27 Home ofth~ Buckeyes 30 Be under the weather 32 Yellow-bri& way nd_ 45 Day before saying "~GIF" ~7 Halfofa pair 0fballs Solution page 23 evidence 59 Way cool 60 Hydrocarbon su~x w~vw.metrostarnews.com ~’ ~troSTAR 21 Another artistic aspect ofTulsa Ballet is its commitment to create art in Oklahoma and export it to the world. With this concept in mind, the compaW built Studio K: a 300 seat, $6 million theater, dedicated to the creation of new art. This Is Your Life vcas among the first works to be presented in the new theater. Created loosely on the concept of the 1950’s television show that bore the same name, this work merges drama, humor, acting and stunning dancing to tell the stoW of its characters. Tulsa Ballet will perform according to the fi~llowing schedule at The Joyce ~neater in New’~%rk City from August 10 - 15: Monday - \Vednesday at 7:30 pro, Tnursday- Saturday at 8pm and Sunday- at 2pro. Tickets for these performances are $19; $29; $39 and can be arranged by calling JoyceCharge a 212-242-0800 " or online at "~mv.joyce.org. NOTE: Ticket prices are subject to change. %e Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at I9th Street in Chelsea. If you can’t make the trip to see the company in New York, Tulsa Ballet is hosting a Big Apple Preview- Night in Tulsa on N~ursday, August 6 at Studio K, 1212 East 45th Place. Tickets are still available for this special event featuring a wine and hor d’ouevres reception at 6:30 pm followed by the performance at 7:00 pm. Tne evening will culminate with champagne and desserts on stage with the compan> Tickets can be purchased by contacting Amy Miller, Director of Development at (918) 392-5933. The 2009-20 I0 Tulsa Ballet Season begins in October with the Oklahoma premiere of Ben Stevensoffs spectacular production of Dracula that will be performed in Tulsa and Oklahoma City during the Halloween season. Subscription packages are on sale now and can be ordered by calling the Tulsa Ballet box office at (918) 749- 6407. For more information about Tulsa Ballet, please visit ~.~xvw.tutsaballetaorg. New Rainbow Sweater ............................................................................w~,w~thega)mar{oonsite.corn by Greg Fox SCANDINAVIAN Webs#e - wvs~c.kylecornics.com E-Mail- KylesBnB@~ol.com 22 fi%t~"oSTAR August 2009 t-LABANA INN 2200 iNg/39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com KELLY IGRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ROUTE 66 ANTIQUE MALL 4624 E. 1 lth Street Tulsa OK 918-836-3838 VALERIE W]LLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 NATH_AN BLACK PRIMERICA 10820 E. 45th #305 Tulsa, OK 918-615-8177 nblack.rnv39@prinaerica.com OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. WALNUT AVE. Oklahoma City, OK 800-913:1310 A2qGLES 21 st Oklahoma vr~#.anglesclub.com .............. BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tt~sa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.ctubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 >FW 39TH EXPRESSX~TAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-2900 wvcw.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 w~w.habanainn.com HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH ~I~Isa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun thru Sat 2pro to 2am THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE ~Asa, OK 918-836-0915 Open 7 days a week 2pro to 2am Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 w#w.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oldahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Sunday 6pro MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.mcctulsa.org OY~AEIOMANS for EQUALITY 621 Ei 4d~ Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 wv~aokeq.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Negates Ave Tulsa, OK741~7 : 918-585-9552 IGRA Aurora, CO www.igra.com 202-957-6187 JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 ARMANDO AMOR Keller Williams Realty 1624 SW 122nd Oldahoma City, OK 73170 405-473-6870 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NWEXPRESS\gAy" Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 vc~w¢.c21 goldcastle.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH FA’~PRESSW’AY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn THE KITCHEN 2218 NW" 39th Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Located inside the BOOM THE MARI~ET PLACE ON 39th 2235 N.W. 39th ° oming Out Armando Amor Phone: 405-473-6870 Fax: 405-691.2708 THE K~TCHEIN 2218 NW 39th , : Oklahoma City, OKC 7311’,~ Open Tues.-Sun 12 Noon to 11PM. Featuring Chef Susie Lopez. BUY GI Joe Action Figures (12" size Only) Located inside the "BOOM" Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-5555 NOW OPEN !!in iae Marketplace on 39th Eureka Springs, AR www.eurelcasprings.org KING OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-882-6127 THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE In Calls Only, NWOKC 405-822-7378 nwokcmassageguy@aol.cim nformation Ca[[ 8-549-8090 based. send resume t~etro Star PO Box 581718 Tulsa, OK 74158 Start building a business today to supplement your income in case of layoff. High potential commissions. A S S P H E E Me ro Star Classfieds 2" square for as little as 539 per ~ issue. Email: srarnews@ sbcglobal.net Call Robin @ 405-590-2871 Excellent instruction. Set your own hours. Call NATHAN BLACK 918-615-8177 SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY WWW.METROSTARNEWS.COM Chuck 8reckenridge Wl~ether buying or selling 1’11 work hard for you. w4w~.metrostarnews.com ~letroSTAR 23 300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque for ~n The Demented Divas in Totally Plowed From Truckers to Nascar, from Trailer Parks to Dollywood, the Divas Poke Fun at the Most Famous Country Western Divas. Sandy Vee Anderson in a Tribute to Dolly Parton See the Award Winning, Top Dolly Impersonator from Las "Vegas legends in Concert and CMT, MTV, and VHI. vvww.mypromoreei.com/ sandy_anderson.html Sheraton A~buquerque Uptown Call 800-252-7772 ~onday - Friday, 8 a.~. - 5 p.m. (MS~ for the ~ntem~t~on~ Gay Ro~eo ~ssoc~t~o~ R~te of $85/n~g~t August2009 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] Metro Star Magazine, August 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 8 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media. Ltd Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 1, 2009 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 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Greg Steele James Nimmo Jeane Flanigan Victor Gorin Rex Wockner Gerald Libonati Michael W. Sasser Robin Dorner,-Townsend Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ray Williams Jack Fertig Devre Jackson Victor Gorin Judy G. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwest Missouri West Arkansas Southeast Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Metro Star Magazine, July 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 7 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/133 The Metro Star Magazine, December 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 12 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/130 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/129 adoption Al McAffrey art ballet bar raid Bingo bowling tournament Christine Plante church cocktail chatter Comics cross dressers DADT Democratic party dining Dr. Tom Guild Drag Queen Enid Eureka Springs fashion First Thursday gay sex ban H.O.P.E hate crimes India international news Kyle's Bed and Breakfast Metro scene National news Nicholas K. Clark Obama OKC pride Oklahoma News Portland Pride celebration Qscopes Sally Kern same sex marriage snap shots stage Stonewall TABC travel Ukraine violence World Gay Rodeo finals https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/e208ae2467acdf8f6091484385748583.jpg 15bd0403ba57fe81147c641b3d6966f7 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/fda9c945eb7918511e42f653a03c29c1.pdf c00b651bb5318db03236e698530267db PDF Text Text Gift Guide THE VOLUME 6 PREMIER SOURCE ISSUE 12 FOR GLBT OKLAHOMA Twitter.com/MetroStad~ews ® Other Options; 20 years and going strong Celebrating with an open house for everyone By Robin Townsend Contributing Viriter MetroStarNews.com 1,2009 Fed partner benefits bill advances in House By Lisa Keen Keen News Service A House committee on Wednesday evening approved a bill to provide equal benefits to gay federal employees with domestic partners, but not without a political slugfest first over whether the legislation is an attempt to undermind the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The clash November 18 occured in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform over the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009 (HR 2517). The bill seeks to provide all federal employees with the same benefits whether they are married to a person of the opposite sex or are in a long-term intimate relationship with a person of the same sex. It was sponsored by openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and had the spoken support of President Obama. All speakers for the bill were Democrats; Other Options and Friends Food Pantry’s board President Robert Painter with Executive Director Mary Arbuckle. The organization won an award this year at the National Philanthropy Day event hosted by the Association ofFundraising Professionals, Oklahoma Chapte~ The award reads, "Spirit ofPhilanthropy awards; For unmatched dedication to the people who are living with HIVAIDS. " OY-A_Ak-IOMA CITY, OK__ Since 1989 Other Options in Oldahoma City has provided professional, consistent services to PLWA’s and disabled individuals, focusing on the impact HIV/MDS has had in the lives of those they serve. The organization was founded by Cookie Arbuclde who was a Social Worker (MSW) at ChildreNs Hospital and Oklahoma Memorial Hospital (now OU Medical Center). "In 1988 morn was asked by an Oklahoma Governors Task Force who saw a need for a guide book for people living with HIV/_AADS and medical professionals," said Mary Arbuclde, Other Options Executive Director. "They hired Cookie to do this because of her background and because she was one of the founders of the ASP [AIDS Support Program] organization. "That was where the first book, t/kids for HIV/AIDS’ came from." The second edition gray paperback is the most popular and is four times larger. "The reason she [Cookie] started Other Options in 1989, was due to a generous grant by the Sarkey’s foundation. We realized the need for a non-profit to continue our services to the HIV/MDS community. Back then the patients were about 90% gay men. There were some other cases such as hemophilia, but homosexuality was the primary commonality." During the early days of Other Options there was a great need for the social services part of HIV/AIDS care. "Back then the patients rarely lived long enough to get their Social Security benefits. When we told a person they were HIV positive we explained things, but they knew their life expectancy w~s very limited even with AZT. As drug combinations have improved and there is more research, life expectancies are longer. "Our services are now more geared to improving lives, allowing people to live more productive lives. Now we see them living full lives." Today some needs are the same while some have changed "One of our methods of assistance is to give people the nutritional values they [clients] need to help them lead a more productive life, and that is what we are able to do with the Friends Food Pantry," adds Arbuckle. "We also added the HOPWA last June and service 125 [clients] there." (HOPWA- Housing Options for People Living With AIDS). Charla Stevenson is the Housing Case Manager at Other Options who manages that part of the organization. ......Continued See AWARD Page-14 all speakers against it were Republ~,can.s. :~mocrats emphasized the bill s aim to end discrimination against LGBT federal employees by providing them with equal pay for equal work. Republicans emphasized their concern that the bill is trying to circumvent DOMA and widespread public sentiment as illustrated by 31 states voting to ban same-sex marriage. The proceedings were web-streamed live on the Committee’s website but are no longer available there. The debate was a classic discourse between pro and anti-gay forces. Pro-gay legislators talked about fighting discrimination and protecting equal rights. Anti-gay forces talked about opposing special rights and protecting traditional marriage. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), hunched over his papers during much of the proceeding and often turning away whenever an opposing legislator responded to him, offered an amendment to stipulate that nothing in the bill would modify, supersede, or otherwise affect DOMA. Rep. Edolphus To~vns (D-NY), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, spoke forcefully against the Jordan Amendment saying "same-sex domestic partnership laws to do not affect DOMAY Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) opposed it, too, saying the purpose was clearly intended "to nt~ify the entirety of the effort here today." The amendment eventually failed on a vote of 22 to 12. Republicans lodged a number of contradictory complaints about the legislation. For instance, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) complained that the bill would enable "any two individuals" to qualify for benefits, while Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) complained that any two individuals would not be able to qualify. ’~klthough this legislation purports to stand on a foundation of nondiscrimination," said Fortenberry, "it appears to diminish the standing of federal employees who may share the same dwelling and collaborate intimately with an immediate or extended family member of the opposite sex in a nonsexual relationship to meet their basic financial needs." His example was a nephew caring for an aunt with cancer. Then he continued. "What about those who are in nurturing relationships neither marked by physical intimacy nor qualifying for married dependent status but share a specialness of bond based on a commitment to duty or to friendship," said Fortenberry. His example for this was "a friend helping a friend of the opposite sex if they were unemployed." Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) repeatedly stated that he was "standing tall for traditional marriage." He offered two amendments: one to require the president to certify that the bill does not increase premiums for existing federal employees before the bill can go into effect; the other to require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the impact on premiums. ....... Continued See FED BENEFITS Page-4 �T~ATS W~AT ~APS $ WILL COST THE AVE~AG~ OKLAhOmA ~I~ ~SIDENT IN SAL~S TAX A $280 CONVENTION CENTER What’s new £or the Diversity Business Association in 2010 ? Sooner State Rodeo Association presents the Festival of Trees Auction By Robin Townsend Contributing Writer TULSA, OK (PR) __ Tulsa based Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) will host their Annual Holiday Festival of Trees, Saturday October 28th from 7:30-11PM at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa. The SSRA fundraising event will benefit SSRA and their 2009 charitable partners. The event will feature Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres plus a Live Auction of 7 Fully Decorated Christmas Trees beginning at 8:30PM. The trees have been decorated by local interior designers, organizations, and individuals from the Tulsa GLBT Community. AN AQUATIC CENTER DOWNTOWN PARK DEVON ENERGY WE ’T AFFORD TO GIVE THE CITY A BLANK CHECK. Paid for by Concerned Citizens 2 ~tet~’oSTAR Current DBA board members at the 2009 Oklahoma Ci(y Pride parade this summer; Money Milbu~w, President, Gina Love, member-at-large and Leslie Blab; l~ce President. Dorner photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Oklahoma City’s premier business organization for the LGBT community will have an overhaul soon. Plans for a new website, a rate increase and new board members appear to be in store for the Oklahoma City based gay and lesbian business and professional group. So what else is new for DBA for 20!0? Looks like there will be a new President with ~h~ f~mlt resigfiation ofM0n~ Milbur~ Tnere has been at least one members identified who may fill the roll, but at the time of this story board members have not yet been voted on. "I am resigning effective Dec. 3t, 2009. As of right now, rates will be increasing as some point in 2010 and the projected new membership will be $149.00/yr," said Milburn in his last interviev¢ to the Metro Star as DBA board president, q]ae current membership rate is $49 for a single membership. "A brand new dynamite website will be included as well as some great advertising opportunities and such. There will also be members only activities." Ti~e goal of DBA is to be a positive organization in the LGBT community and the Oklahoma City community as a whole. This includes businesses in the area that are gay or gay-friendly that can benefit from likeminded people seeking to do business with this diverse group. DBA also has a presence each year with Pride events and, for the first time, had a group who walked in the parade. There are also plans underway to hire a staff member to help the organization run more smoothly. ’%Ve just realized that we have to hire someone to make this machine run and we need to do it sooner than later," adds Milburn. "I’m not thinking that this will happen as of January 1 due to getting bids for the site and finding a DBA staff member but it is happening or DBA wil! just go away and become a social thing that requires no dues no planning, etc." For more information about DBA, please email them at contact@dbametro.org or visit ~w,vw.dbametro.org. Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) is Tulsa and Northeastern Oklahoma’s gay rodeo association, and is a recognized member of the International Gay Rodeo Association. SSRA was founded in 2000 and is a legal 501 3(c) and is dedicated to the promotion of the western lifestyle throughout Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. www.soonerstaterodeo.com Picket Organized to Protest Sarah Pa~in’s Book Signing OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ When Republican past vice presidential candidate and 2012 presidential hopeful Sarah Palin holds her booksigning in Norman she may encounter more than she bargained for. On a national tour to promote her new book, "Going Rogue" she is making her only Oklahoma stop at Hasting’s Bookstore, located in Norman at 2300 W. Main from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m on Thursday, December 3. Organized by OKC gay activist Keith Kimmel, he gives his reasons for the protest. " I’m organizing this event because I don’t want Palin to be my next president. I find her homophobic views to be repugnant and I think my sentiment is shared by many. I’m compelled to say something and I hope others will join me." Those who share his views are welcome to join this event. For more information contact Keith Kimmel, http:// vrww.facebook.com/1/cee43; 405 886 5095. Oklahoma Weather Forecast for December 2009 .... : Dec 1-5: Rain, then sunny, mild; Dec 6-8: Shmvers, then sunny, cold; Dec 9-13: R~in and snow, then sunny, cold; Dec 14-18: Rain, then sunny; mild; Dec 19-20: Showers, then colder; ~ Dec 21-25: Sunny, then rain, warm; Dec 26’28: Rain, then colder; ~. Dec 29-31: Sunn)~ warm. Avg. temperature 520 (40 above avg.); precipitation -.5 (avg.); December 2009 �Memoriam Heather Harp Howland September 9th, 1968 - November 4th, 2009 TULSA, OK Heather Harp Howland was born in Oklalloma. City on September 9th, 1968 and transitioned from this life on November 4th, 2009. Her early years were spent in San Antonio Texas. Her family moved to Tulsa when she was 14. She attended Kemper Military Academy in Boonville Missouri, almamater of Will Rogers, and graduated from Tulsa Memorial High School. She majored in journalism/ marketing a the University of Oklahoma. She is preceded in death by her Mother, Sharon. She is survived by her father John Howland of San Antonio Texas, and her brother Patrick Howland and his wife Patrice Pratt of Tulsa, and her nieces Arie! Pratt of Pennsylvania, Sierra Pratt of Tulsa and nephews, Rick Pratt of Pennsylvania, Shay Howland of Tulsa and Seth Howland of Tulsa. Heather lived in San Antonio in her young adult years and then in 1995 she returned to Tulsa to care for her mother. She opened England & Harp, a successfu! antique and design store on Cherry Street in 1997. Her eye for design was impeccable. As a member of the Tulsa LGBTQ community, Heather snpported the mission of Oldahomans for Equality- (Old’q) formerly tmown as Tnlsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR). She volunteered her time and efforts at the Pride Store, co-directed the Pride Events and supported other fundraising events. Heather had lots of interests and talents. She loved softball and played catcher while at OU and would gladly tell you that her knees haven’t been the same since. She could belt out a song, deliver a sermon and demonstrate an Academy Award winning speech upon request. She was a founding member of \%Zomen of Council Oak in 2003 and a supporting member of Sisters in Song. Heather developed liver disease in 2008 and was on the liver transplant waitint list. Carol Brown and friends hosted a fundraising effort in September 2009 at Club 209 to assist with current medical bills and future transplant costs. A memorial service was held on November 7th. 2009 at the Dennis R. Neill Equality- Center located at 621 East 4th Street, Tulsa Oklahoma. She will be missed. She will forever be remembered. Counci Oak Mens Chorale Presents: Some Enchanted Season December 1st, 4th, & 5th, 2009: 8pro TULSA, OK (PR) Fresh sounds of celebration and traditional favorites will once again fill Trinit~;s beautiful sancruary as Council Oak Mens Chorale presens their 2009 holiday concert. This specially selected blend of both timeless and soon-to-be classics is sure to leave you feeling warm and ~’estive... some might even say enchanted! The concert will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church located at 5th & Cincinnati Avenue. Tickets are ~15. for more information call 918.748.3888 or visit counciloalcorg. ~¢.metrostarnews.com MISS BAMBOO 2010 CROWNED By Staff Reporter Miss Bamboo 2009 L~y Katheryn and Miss Bamboo 2010 Dominique LaRue. StaffPhoto TULSA, OK __ No prelim, no registration fees, not known for glamour, but an absolute cdebration of campy fun with a big heart. That is the Miss Bamboo Pageant. Although this year’s contestants did break with tradition and were quite stylish. Dominique LaRue had the crowd in uncontrollable laughter with her Old W-,man on a Walker comedy routine. Christmas Eve Candlelig Thursday December 24, 8 Dominique LaRue perfbrming her comedy skit. Staffphoto Votes for each contestant were determined by the amount of money each was given by the audience for their performance. HOPE Clinic of Tulsa was the r4cipient of this year’s proceeds of $633.00. HOPE offers a variety of services for people with HIV/STD. For confidential information or referrals call the statewide HIV/STD resource hotline operated by trained HOPE staff 1800-535-2437. The MC’s for the show were Kris Kohl and Earlina Derrick, two well known divas of Tulsa. Flowers were provided by Glenpool Flmvers and Gifts. First runner up for the Miss Bamboo 2010 title was Serina Ashley who’s interpretation of a drunken platinum blonde slut was very convincing, but she showed way too much skin, nasty! 3131 N. Pennsylvania, Oklaho! 405.525.9555 8an ’uptcy o Civil Rights *Criminal Empl ,ment * Family Law * Litigation N.W 13th Street ahoma city, oK 7s 0s Conspicuously absent from this years entertainment line-up was self proclaimed Empress of the Bamboo, Miss Mona Lott who some suspect has been committed to Laureate for observation by her now legal husband. ¢~I<>t~oSTAR 3 �Prop 8 repeal petitions begin circ ation Tt~e state of California on Nov. 16 approved the start of signature-gathering for a voter initiative to repeal Proposition 8 in November 2010, the group Love Honor Cherish reported. The initiative ~vould remove from the California Constitution the sentence, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," and replace it with, "Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestr)~ national origin, sex, gendm; sexual orientation, or religion." The measure further states: "To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. ~e refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution." Repeal advocates must collect 694,354 valid voter signatures by April 12. To be safe, that means collecting around 1 million total signatures. ~e 2010 repeal can~paign is a grassroots effort that does not have support from large GLBT groups, many ofxvhich have said or suggested they want to wait until 2012 to attempt to undo Prop 8. The Courage Campaign had earlier supported the 2010 effort but later complained of deficiencies in governing structure, expertise, research and funding. For more information, see SignForEquality.com. Gay Euro MPs denounce Ugandan bill Members of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights have strongly denounced the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009" pending in Uganda’s Parliament. "The proposed legislation includes provisions to punish those alleged to be lesbian; gay or bisexual with life imprisonment and, in some cases, the death penalty; any parent or teacher failing to report their LGBT children or pupils to the authorities.~zcith a fine eqtiivalent to $2,650 or three years’ imprisonment; and landowners providing shelter to LGBT people with seven years’ imprisonment," the MEPs said Nov. 9. Co-President Ulrike Lunacek said: "I strongly appeal to Ugandan politicians to be as courageous as they were when overthrowing the Idi Amin regimel and not to ban Ugandan citizens from being free to love whomever they wish. Homosexuality is nothing un-African; it has existed at all times and in all cultures." In the U.S., lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and three other members of Congress have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to use the full force of her o~ce to condemn the bill. 4 l:~;~ot oSTAR Brazilian man barred from living in U.S. with American husband ~ne Obama administration let the clock run out Oct. 23 on helping a Brazilian man who wants to return to Massachusetts to live with his U.S. husband. Tim Coco and Brazilian Gen&io Oliveira married in Massachusetts in 2005 and own a home together in a Boston suburb. Oliveira was sent home in August 2007 after losing an asylum case based on anti-gay persecution he said he experienced in Brazil. He later also lost a case in which he sought to return to the U~S. based on his marriage to Coco. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had until Oct. 23 to overrule that decision on humanitarian grounds. He had been urged to do so by U,S. Sen. John Kei~ry, D-Mass. The anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, passed during Bill Clinton’s presidency, prevents the U.S. government from recognizing same-sex spouses for any reason. President Obaa~aa has said repeatedly that he supports DOMA’s repeal and the extension to same-sex couples of every right and obligation of marriage -- but he has taken no concrete steps to achieve his stated goals. Coco and Oliveira have said they may sue the federal government over DOMA in hopes of being reunited. Bill Clinton said that he had been "wrong" in opposing same-sex marriage. Spealdng to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Clinton said: "I realized that I was, you know, over 60 years old, I grew Up at a different time, and I was hung up about the word (marriage). I had all these gay friends; I had all these gay couple friends, and I ~vas hung up about it. Aud I decided I was wrong. That our society has an interest in coherence and strength and commitment and mutually reinforcing loyalties, then if gay couples want to call their union marriage and a state agrees, and several have no,a, or a religious body will sanction it -and I don’t think the state should be able to stop the religious bodies from saying it -- I don’t think the rest of us should get in the way of that. I think it’s a good thing, not a bad thing." "I just realized that I was, probably for, maybe just because of my age and the way I’ve grown up, I ~vas wrong about that," he continued. "I just had too many gay friends. I saw their relationships. I just decided I couldu’t, I had an untenable position." As~ president, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government fi’om recognizing s~xrne-sex marriages and a~rms that states don’t have to recognize other states’ same-sex marriages. The first amendment failed. And Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) amended the latter to have the GAO study the effect of extending benefits to domestic partners on the government’s ability to recruit and retain employees. In response to GOP complaints that two people of the same sex might pretend to be in a domestic partnership in order to gain benefits, Rep. Steve Lynch (D-Mass.) said: "I dofft think there’s a ,vhole lot of people out there, given the discrimination ,ve have against gays and lesbians in our society, trying to pretend that they’re gay or that they’re lesbian so they can get favorable treatment. That’s not the reality of today’s world." Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), an African American, also rebuffed such arguments, saying "I know discrimination when I see it. This is the opposite. ~is is a civil rights bill." Norton noted, with some irony, that some years ago Republicans refused to allow a domestic partnership bill in Washington, D.C., because the bill attempted to include domestic partners and other family members living together. Chairman Towns rebutted Republican concerns that the bill would cost too much, noting that only about 15,000 to 30,000 new enrollees are expected to join federal health insurance rolls~as a results of the legislation representing 0.3 percent. Howevere Issa came back claiming that the LGBT community frequently cites a figure of 10 percent for its representation in the population. (In fact, the community hasn’t used a figure like that since the 1970s. More recent scientific surveys, according to gay statistical expert Gary Gates have been very consistent in showing that something like 2-4% of adults identify as LGB. The bill now goes to the floor in the House. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced a version of the bill into the Senate. In a related development, a judge for the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled November 18 that the federal government violated the constitutional ~ights of a gay federal attorney when it denied him health coverage for his same-sex spouse. The two men were married in California during a period of five months last year when same-sex couples could obtain marriage licenses. Gay cop gay-bashed in Liverpool, England A 22-year-old off-duty trainee police officer was seriously gay-bashed outside the gay bar Superstar Boudoir in Liverpool, England, on Oct. 25. James Parkes was set upon by a gang of 20 youths and suffered multiple skull fractures and a broken cheek bone and eye socket. He was hospitalized in critical condition before being released Oct. 30 to recuperate at home. Citing language used by the bashers, police have deemed the assault a homophobic hate crime. Twelve of the alleged assailants, some of whom are ~s young as 13, have been arrested. December 2009 �love the Democratic Good news as LGBT’s Party but Will I Respect Mysd£in the Morning ? grow o der By Robin Townsend Contributing X~Triter by James Nimrod OKLAHOMA CITY, OK As we GLBTs emerge sweaty and disheveled fi’om our post-coital ruckus in Maine, I’m reminded that this is America and everything is for sale, including our gay/lesbian equality-that’s the American way. You want to lmow how we’re going m sell it? In 1764 an Italian nobleman named Cesare Beccaria wrote, "If we glance at the pages of history, we will find that laws, which surely are or ought to be compacts of free men, have been for the most part a mere tool for the passions of some." I’m referring to the heartbreakingly close, yet lost Maine election early in November where we gays/lesbians thought we had a better-than-good chance of winning through the ballot box the recognition of our civil equality under the law. Unfortunately; the Religious Right has used the referendum petition process in 31 states ro turn our citizenship into raffle tickets for discrimination where the prize is our continued lack of full equality under the law. Our civil rights canse has been de-railed 31 times at the bal!ot box by the usual degeption of the Biblically-dduded using the prejudiced superstitions that gays recruit and stalk children and teenagers. Nor only are gays/lesbians still secondclass raxpayers, all of the residents of those 31 states, regardless of sexual orientation, are also honorary members of the Mormon, Roman Catholic, and Southern Baptist denominations, to name only three of the biggest religious oppressors in the USA. I say this because its the oppressor’s anti-gay religious POVs that have become encoded into civil law. ~e United Church of Christ (UCC), Unitarian, and Reform Judaism adherents have 1Sassed guidelines allowing their clergy to perform their mvn versions of same-gender marriage without recognition from the resident state. Their First Amendment religious freedom is blocked by the actions and money of the theocrats ~vhose dogma trumps all attempts at fairness and fulfillment of our lives. Justice guaranteed by the Constitution is thwarted by ignorance and prejudice. Only Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut have legislatively passed marriage equality for same-gendered Americans. T’ne state of Washington earlier this month rejected the homo-haters attempt to overturn a law called, "Everything but Marriage." Since the ballgt box/clvil rights rathe process is spent and flaccid, activists John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay are calling for a boycott or a withholding of contributions -- Don’t Ask, Don’t Give -- to the Democratic Party until ~ve get the results they’ve promised us for years, like passage of employment protection (ENDA), removal of marriage discrimination (DO!vIA), and the privilege to serve in the military (DADT), ....... Continued see VIEW" POINT page vw,~v.metrostarnews.com LGBT activist and communi{y leader, Rob Howard of Oklahoma City. Dorn’er photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __In October, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced plans to establish the nation’s first national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. It is estimated that as many as 1.5 to 4 million LGBT individuals are age 60 and older. "I’m glad that Health and Human Services is beginning to realize that the plight of LGBT elders needs to be addressed," Rob Howard of Oklahoma City told the Metro Star. "Although their current estimate is that there are tip ro 4 million gay and lesbian seniors, in the next 10 to 15 years, as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, there will be twice as many - from 6 to 8 million." Howard has served in many roles helping LGBT citizens. Hie is a past Vice President of Prime Timers Worldwide and now serves as their treasure. Prime Timers Worldwide is an educational and social organization for mature gay and bisexual men. They have 72 chapters, mostly in the US and Canada, but also in Australia and Sweden. Membership is nearly 7,000. p "Organizations serving the broader aging community need to develop policies and sensitivity to this issue, and work with LGBT organizations to educate the medical care and long term care communities about our issues," he adds. "It is time for mainstream LGBT organizations to recognize the need, and to partner with seniors on these issues as ~vell." HHS reports that many agencies that provide services to older individuals may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the needs of this group of individuals. The center for LGBT Elders will provide information, assistance and resources for both LGBT organizations and mainstream aging services providers at the state and community level to assist them in education and development. The LGBT Center will also be available to educate the LGBT community about the importance of planning ahead for future long term care needs. "~ae most significant problem facing LGBT elders is sensitive medical care and housing," adds Howard. "Most are desperately afraid that they will be discriminated against in these settings and worse, abused by staff and other residents in long term care. This is a generation that for the most part has lived their lives in the open. They aren’t about to tolerate discrimination or abuse in their golden years." The LBGT Resource Center plans to help community-based organizations understand the unique needs and concerns of older LGBT individuals and assist them in implementing programs for local service providers, including providing help to LGBT caregivers who are providing care for an older partner with h~alth or other challenges. Funding is pending but projected to be approximately $250,000 per year. "I applaud the development of this resource center at HHS. However, the proposed $250,000 sirigle grant is woefully short of what is needed to address this problem, furthers Howard, who is an activist and well versed in these issues. "To make only a single grant to establish a resource center falls far short of the effort that will be needed across our country in this area." e g y Ch �Eddy Sarfaty treats O KC Art Opening and E ibit to his Mental Hilarity w-ith Photographs By Victor Gorin from the Robert Giard Collection State Representative AI A4cA~ey with Eddie Sa,~t): Godn phom OYJ_AHOMA CITY, OK __On October 26, an othervdse normal Monday night leading up to the Halloween celebrations, the night was interestingly hilarious for the audience at the 51st Street Speakeasy, a small intimate eatery & watering hole not widely known in the metroplex except to their faithful clientele. This was where nationally known gay comic Eddie Sarfaty made a stop on his Mental Tour of the country. His audience was warmed up for his act by !ocal comics Bradchad Porter and Spencer Hicks before Eddie cut loose with his own brand of humor. Lampooning political issues including our military’s "Don’t ask Don’t tell Polici’ and the joys of his Jewish family ba&ground, he made fun of numerous other aspects of gay life and living for everybody. The audience had many regulars, along with gays and their friends including DBA President Monty Milburn and Oklahoma State Representative A1 McAffrey. His act also promoted his new book, "Mental:Funny in the Head," and benefitted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He left behind his insights and ideas along with memories of a fun filled evening. TULSA, OK (PR) __ Oklahomans for Equality (Old, q) will showcase and exhibit local artists at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa. The exhibit will feature works from world renmvned photographer Robert Giard (19392002). The show begins with a reception on Thursday, December 3rd from 6-9pm and continuing throughout the mofith of December and throughout January of 2010. Robert Girad’s subject matter for his photography is legion and includes landscapes from his travels and home, nudes and most significantly, portraits of noted gay and lesbian literary lights such as Edward Albee, Allen Ginsberg, Adrienne Rich, David Leavitt and Michael Cunningham. This unique archive of photographic portraits of gay and lesbian writers by the late Robert Giard is on loan from the Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Libraty.s prestigious American Collection, and will be on display through December 2009 and January 2010. K.C. Chiefs dump player who called reporters faggots The Kansas City Chiefs football team released running back Larry Johnson from the team Nov. 9 after he called reporters faggots and called a fellow Twitter user a fag. In the locker room Oct. 26, Johnson muttered to reporters, "Get your faggot ass out of here." The remark was captured on tape. A day earlier, he used his Twitter account to call another ~¢¢itter user a "fag." He also reportedly tweeted: "Make me regret it. Lmao. U don’t stop my checks. Lmao. So ’tweet’ away." Johnson lat,er apologized for the outbursts, saying he hadn t intended to be offensive and had not been "a good role modal (for) the kids who view athletes as role models." December 2009 �www.metrostarnews.com ~%,t~oSTAR 7 �Mikey Rox is an award-winningjournalist/writer and the pHncipal ofPaper Rox Scissors, a copywriting and creative consulting company in New York City. nd him at ~’~,~,~<l:~,~r?’~;~’~:" ~,~ co~~. ~9gith flavor infusions like Chocolate, Tomato aud Triple Three Olives Vodka is quickly gaining a reputation as the gourmand’s drink of choice. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a food and beverage snob to get your hands on a bottle. For less than a Jackson (Andrew, not Tito), you can snag 750 ml of the smooth stuffto give as a gift to the host of your next holiday party. Extra points for playing guest bartender with this Ho-Ho-Hojito recipe: Muddle !0 mint leaves and halfa lime in a tall cocktail glass. Pour in two tablespoons of simple syrup and fill the glass with ice. Add two ounces of N~ree Olives Pomegranate Vodka (and a dash more for good measure) and top it offwith dub soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime, and voila! Just don’t over do it, OK. Remember what happened last ),ear? ($19.99; wwvy’~ ~r~:~ >~ c~.~m) A HIGHER ’SCORE’ In season two of "Keeping Score" - the national project of the San Francisco Symphony to make classical music more accessible to the masses - three new programs explore the music and stories behind Hector Berlioz’s symphonic love letter "Symphonie fantastique"; Charles Ives’ sonic portrait of New England with "Holidays Symphony’; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s "Symphony No. 5," a work that may have saved the composer’s life. This high-&f, three-disc documentary program - a follow-up to season one of the series, which premiered on PBS in November 2006 ± is packaged with two concert tapings and available on Blu-Ray. ($24.99 each; CALENDARS "Suckin" It For the Holidays," Grammynominated, gay-lovin" colnedienne Kathy Grifl~n delivers some of her best stand-up ever on an album that was recorded live from the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. SKIES Like you need a reason to jet offto a faraway land - but at least this is a good one. Now through the end of the year, when you purchase an American Airlines gift card you’ll join the fight against breast cancer. For every $50 you spend in travel gift cards, American Airlines will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. You can purchase physical cards for yourself (to enjoy a guilt-free getaway), or choose virtual cards to be delivered by e-mail with a personal message attached. Just enter code "Komen" in the tracking box when ordering online. ($50; >~:~:~%#;~A!~O 8 I¢I÷’IroSTAR ’STRiDA’ RITE Give your hooves a rest with the STPdDA collapsible bike, the first completely new bicycle geometry in 95 years. Inside a foldable triangular frame of light~veight aluminum, power is transferred to the rear wheel via a silent Kevlar belt (no oily gears or chains!) while horizontally mounted handlebars allow the rider to sit comfortably upright for an excellent view of the road. When you’re ready to hop off, just fold STRiDA up and wheel it to your next destination. In compact form, the bike stows easily in a car, on the train, or in the closet. Just like you used to. ($800; BRIEF BELIEFS Piss & Vinegar - the provocative new brand of underwear from Ginch Gonch founder Jason Sutherland - has a heart on. For Jesus. Yes, that Jesus. Made from breathable, bodp conforming stretch fabric, the first release from this caustic collection is the "I Love..." line, which features the controversial "I Love Jesus" and "I Love Buddha" briefs, boxer briefs, lowrise briefs and jockstraps. Of course, if you’re not feeling so sacrilegious this holiday season, Piss & Vinegar - which borrows its name from British slang for living young at heart - will also introduce "I Love Boys" and "I Love Girls" briefs. Redeeming, sure. But you’re still on the shortlist for eternal damnation. ($25; www4:Asvr~:’g~r.co~rO SONIC COLOR Built on the concept of technology meeting style, DEOS introduces two collections of innovative iPod earphone covers available at MAIq UP sweat. Or maybe it is. Cover up your natural repellent with Masculinity by Intense, a new fragrance from N 10Z formulated ~vith a unique male-to-male pheromone. Featuring a refined composition of exotic spices, aromatic herbs and crisp citrus, Masculinity opens with notes of French basil, West Indian clove, Asian mandarin and Sicilian bergamot followed by hints of amber, cedarwood, black pepper and leather. Holy Hugh Jackman! Designed to stimulate the vomeronasal organ (among other "organs"), this sensual scent also is said to help improve self-confidence. Whatever works. ($55; v,~ w~#:, I all price levels. The first, DEOS DIAMOND - for those who have more cash than they can shake a peppermint stick at - consists of three distinct earphone cover styles specifically named for the number of individual diamonds imbedded in each traditional or black titanium design. DEOS CRVZ - for more budget-conscious consumers - boasts three collections: Crystal, featuring Swarovski bedazzlements; Aluminum, available in an array of metallic colors; and Silicone, designed with active lifestyles in mind. ($9.99 and up; ~:,~,~w d~:,~v~l; ~ :~ ~:: ~) Out bodybuilder and former Colt supermodel Bo Dixon releases his first selftitled calendar, BO DIXON: Reinvented 2010. Celebrating the power of perseverance, this muscle-worship date keeper features the hirsute powerhouse in fourteen all-new photos and comes with a "making-of" DVD. ($16.95; w>,~,i "Money can’t buy you love, but the rest is negotiable..." That’s the tagline of Tne Working Men of Rentboy.com 2010, the Web site’s third-annual calendar honoring its hottest porn stars, escorts and boyfriends for hire. This year’s eye candy includes Nick Capra, Josh Hart, Arpad Miklos and Tommy Defendi. ($15.95; W~A~:~I:D~#)¢~;:: ~)~)~) December 2009 �www.metrostarnews.com �10 ~#%t~"oSTAR December 2009 �Photo’s bT Victor G. & Judy G. @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @The End U); Tulsa @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ Angles, Oklahoma City West), and the cocktail that helped popularize vodka in the U.S., the MosCow Muie (; odka and ~ new. Polish @Club 209, Tulsa By Keith Orr Vodka 101: ~-he Spirit of Choice What better way to start out my assignment as the host of "Cocktail Chatter" than to write about my favorite liquor, Vodka. And I am not alone. Vodka is the best-selling liquor in America, accounting for over 26% of all spirit sales. A glance around any gay bar tells you that in the U.S. gay market that number is probably higher. It was not always so. Until tlxe late 1950’s vodka :was considered an exotic Russian import. As always, marketing drove the expansion. Vodka was advertised as "White ¯ Whiskey - no taste, no smefl." Its popularity skTrocketed as imbibers believed that there would be no alcohol on their breath and they would avoid hangovers. It quickly replaced www.metrostarnews.com @ Finishline, Oklahoma City other spirits in highballs and cocktails. Most famously it usurped gin as the spirit of choice in a martini. Vodka can be made from many base ingredients: rye, wheat, potatoes, beets, grapes or grapeseed, molasses, and more. The ingredients are first fermented, then distilled. In most ~vestern vodkas the distillation process produces something fairly close ro pure alcohol, and water is added back in. Most high-end vodkas also filter the spirit as well. All of this distilling and filtering is the source of the dean taste that makes vodka so mixable and popular. Rye and wheat are the most common sources in well-known brands, with a smattering of potato vodkas. Molasses is l~’gely used for mass-producing vodka for mass market brands. Naough all vodka is highly distilled, each vodka has a unique flavor profile as a result of the }esidual components of the original distillation, as well as the various methods and materials used for filtering. @ Ledo, Oklahoma City The super premium brands such as Grey Goose, Belvedere, or Chopin each have subtle flavors best appreciated in the cocktail which features vodka in a starring role, the martini. (Martini preparation is anotlxer column!) My personal favorite is Absolut’s entry in the super premium line, Level by Absolut. Not only do I like the flavor, I choose it for political reasons. I support the vodka that supports me. Absolut has been a leading supporter of many gay organizations and events for 30 years. While martinis feature vodka in a starring role. the overwhehning popularity of the beverage is its ability to act in a supporting role. No other spirit plays so well with others. Vodka and tonic, vodka and cranberry, vodka and coke, vodka and diet coke (dubbed dae "skinny bitch" by the drag queens of Key pepper vodkas at least 200 years ago. Russian and Scandinavian vodkas used herbs and nuts for flavoring even earlier. Today vodkas are infused with dozens of flavors: lemon, lime, cranber~ pomegranate, acai berry, chocolate, grapefruit, peach, and even bacon. I like sipping infused or flavored vodkas on the rocks. They also can create new variations to martinis, cosmos, and a variety of shots. The beauty of vodka lies in versatility: Vc~hetl~er you are enjoying the refined and subtle flavors in a classic martini, or partying hard with an alcohol that plays well with your favorite mixer, vodka is the spirit of choice. ~÷t~oSTAR 11 �~÷~STAR 12 December 2009 �by Jack Fertig December 2009 "Put your waRet away, SagRtariusI" Off and on through the next year Saturn is square to Pluto, signaling profound Changes in society and government. As faster planets aspect them both we will see opportunities in this crisis. Venus in Sagittarius shows how to apply new philosophical values to greater practical benefit. ARIES (March 28-Apri~ 19): Work can be overwhelming, and the demands of relationships don’t help. The stars call for an exotic, artistic holiday. A foreign film or art show can offer enough escapism, and perhaps~a new insight to put the pressures into perspective. TAURUS (Apri~ 28 - May 20): intellectual and technical demands can make it feel as if the world is conspiring to make you feel brutish and inept. Sex remains an excellent release of tension. Explore new techniques - or just lie back and ask your partner to take care of you. GEMiNi {May 21-June 20): Relaxing and having fun may seem more trouble than it’s worth, but it is absolutely necessary. Let your sweetheart do all the work. Leaving yourself open to surprises and adventures will do you a world of good. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Put your wallet away. It’s generosity of the spirit that counts. Friends who want your money.are not really your friends. Long philosophical chats around a coffee table can be much better than expensive nights out. CAPRICORN (December 2t - January t9): It’s a good time to forge ahead in your career and make big chan.ges, but you can be much too demanding and aggressive, undermining your own best efforts. Pay attention to that little voice inside. Mediation will help. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): In Greek myth, Cassandra’s curse was to see the future - and nobody believed her. Your forebodings may be excessive, but they’re not entirely wrong. Discuss them with friends you can count on to help you make better sense of them. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Your capacity as a mover and shaker among your friends is sure to get noticed, but is it the sort of moving and shaking you want to get noticed? Be bold in politics and work, discreet in the bedroom, and always keep your senseof humor. CANCER (June 2% July 22): The only solution to domestic stress involves real labor. Some exotic tchotchke from a rummage sale could become the centerpiece of a new look, providing the fun and motivation for otherwise dreary housework. LEO (July 23 - August 22): Obsessing too hard on details can detract from the big picture and distract you from normal safety precautions. There is a difference between focus (good!) and obsession (bad!). Some playful diversion will help you keep perspective. WRGO (August 23 - September 22): Everyone’s worried about money these days; try to keep your own wordes in perspective. Taking time out with your family (or origin or of choice)can help you relax and appreciate what you have. MBRA (September 23 - October 22): Knowing your place in your family and community is important, but probably not as much as you make it out to be. What’s bugging you? Talk it over with a sibling or a "sister" over an exotic lunch. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Step away from the plastic! Do not go near that cash register! At least stop and think before spending. When you get worried and dithery, focus on your philosophical values. Remember what’s important. "Retail therapy" is not therapeutic! Community for People iving with H V/A DS A 50’! c (3) Non Profit Org~zadon Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living withAIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of ou? people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HlV+ an£t or !lying v¢ith 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 ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal net �& Stevenson has also successfially assisted seven by Greg Fox NOT l-OOKIlq~ FOR: A N~IA! MAN~ YObl NIAT clients out of the HOPXNrA where they now are able to live on their own since being them with employment and other aids to independence from the progrmn. We work very., hard to make sure that when one of our clients’ walks in, they pay nothing; everything is free," adds Arbudde~ "We have food supplements, clothing, misc furniture and other items and even some medical equipment." Other Options also has arranged for a commission of sales from Thrift City at 26th and MacArthur to be donated to Other Options. "Our success is because I built a great board and an advisory board," Arbuckle humbly added. "Our board president is Robert Painter owner of the Iguana and he has been a tremendous support." The two met when Painter turned to Other Options to help meet the immediate needs of a close friend. Other Options is inviting everyone over to their place to celebrate! A~er serving the community these 20 years, Other Options and Friends Food Pantry (open for 10 years) is opening their doors for a Holiday and anniversary Open House Dec. 1 lth from 4-8 pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the event at the organization headquarters located at 3003 N. May in Oldachoma City. For more information about Other Options and Friends Food Pantry, please call (405) 6058020 or visit www.aidscommunity.org. In our American two-party political syste~ laws have been made the passionate tools to be used against us as Beccaria observed centuries ago. N~e GOP couldn’t care less if GLBTs lived or died. Did you see Mary Cheney at the October March on Washington? So that leaves the Democratic Part3, as the only game in town, politically spealdng, and they think they have a monopoly on our aaCfections but with their repeated stalling and inaction on important gay issues I’m through believing them. Remember, it took ELEVEN years for Congress to pass the Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Law, and only two months for Congress to pass the AMBER Alert in 2002. The Victorian novelist George Meredith said, "It’s a terrific decree in life that one must act who would prevai!." If our GLBT cause is just then we must act to accomplish it; no one will give it to us freely. Until we have a sustained, visible, assertive, yet peaceful action to justify our equality and citizenship, we gays/lesbians will continue to be looked at as just limp-wristed targets for abuse, politically and physically. What’s it going to be: always the bridesmaid, never the bride; always the best man, never the groom? www.thegaycartoonsite.com ~4 A AND TtA ~N, A’T YObl W EF~I::= OWN "F.V. Webs~te- w~v.kylecomics.eom ema~ F-Mail- KylesBnB@aol.eom ~.not ~, |/~"}/,, ~ ~.g~ December 2009 �Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com FELLY FARBY, CPA 4815 So HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant VALERtE \VILLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 918-836-0915 Open 7 days a week 2pm to 2am JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 v~vw.habanainn.com Rev Steve T. Urie CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NV¢ EXPRESSXX~AY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 TULSA EAGLE t338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am 405-840-2106 www.c2 tgoldcastle.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller \Villiams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 Spirit of Christ M CC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM Whether buying or sdling I’lt work hard for you. www.socmcc.org CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, . OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM sales required. based. DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOxNrSHIP 637 S. 131st East Ave Tulsa, OK www.realacceptance.com GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSVC’AY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st Tulsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline MASSAGE: Chuck Breckenridge METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES send resume to: Metro Star PC Box 581718 Tulsa, OK 74158 EUREKA SPRINGS CVB Eureka Springs, AR ~wvw.eurekasprings.org SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Sunday 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.mcctulsa.org ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK wxvw.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 wwv~: clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-2900 www.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com H I D EAW~AY LOUNGE 11730 E. I 1TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun d~ru Sat 2pm to 2am www.metrostarnews.com OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 starnews@sbcglobal.com CK" MORTGAGE CO. ~s ~ssues Solunon. Gender Benders IUINIPIS N S IGIAILIA A IOIRtEIL N G AIT A N HIE B U ~ INIEIAIT IJIAIYIE ~ N IOITIEIR u ~ H U N IWIIlLIL Ell IClEIDIE O U R ~{~troSTAR 15 �its biggest impact since Roosevelt, because the conservative. movement has been thoroughly repudiated tbo@ reali~,." "What matters, as always, is not what we can’t do, it’s what we can and must do." Stonewall Democrats is a recognized group of the Oklahoma and national Democratic Pa~. Working to educate voters and politicians about issaes of the GLBT community, we are working to make change and shape history. 1" ~ st Tuesday of every month at the STATE EMOCRAT~C PARTY HEADQUARTERS � 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 Gift Guide THE VOLUME 6 ISSUE 12 Twitter.com/MetroStad~ews Other Options; 20 years and going strong Celebrating with an open house for everyone By Robin Townsend Contributing Viriter PREMIER SOURCE FOR GLBT OKLAHOMA ® MetroStarNews.com Fed partner benefits bill advances in House By Lisa Keen Keen News Service Other Options andFriends Food Pantry’s board President Robert Painter with Executive Director Mary Arbuckle. The organization won an award thisyear at the National Philanthropy Day event hosted by the Association ofFundraising Professionals, Oklahoma Chapte~ The award reads, "Spirit ofPhilanthropy awards; For unmatched dedication to thepeople who are living with HIVAIDS. " but homosexuality was the primary commonality." During the early days of Other Options there was a great need for the social services part of HIV/AIDS care. "Back then the patients rarely lived long enough to get their Social Security benefits. When we told a person they were HIV positive we explained things, but they knew their life expectancy w~s very limited even with AZT. As drug combinations have improved and there is more research, life expectancies are longer. "Our services are now more geared to improving lives, allowing people to live more productive lives. Now we see them living full lives." Today some needs are the same while some have changed "One of our methods of assistance is to give people the nutritional values they [clients] need to help them lead a more productive life, and that is what we are able to do with the Friends Food Pantry," adds Arbuckle. "We also added the HOPWA last June and service 125 [clients] there." (HOPWA- Housing Options for People Living With AIDS). Charla Stevenson is the Housing Case Manager at Other Options who manages that part of the organization. OY-A_Ak-IOMA CITY, OK__ Since 1989 Other Options in Oldahoma City has provided professional, consistent services to PLWA’s and disabled individuals, focusing on the impact HIV/MDS has had in the lives of those they serve. The organization was founded by Cookie Arbuclde who was a Social Worker (MSW) at ChildreNs Hospital and Oklahoma Memorial Hospital (now OU Medical Center). "In 1988 morn was asked by an Oklahoma Governors Task Force who saw a need for a guide book for people living with HIV/_AADS and medical professionals," said Mary Arbuclde, Other Options Executive Director. "They hired Cookie to do this because of her background and because she was one of the founders of the ASP [AIDS Support Program] organization. "That was where the first book, t/kids for HIV/AIDS’ came from." The second edition gray paperback is the most popular and is four times larger. "The reason she [Cookie] started Other Options in 1989, was due to a generous grant by the Sarkey’s foundation. We realized the need for a non-profit to continue our services to the HIV/MDS community. Back then the A House committee on Wednesday evening approved a bill to provide equal benefits to gay federal employees with domestic partners, but not without a political slugfest first over whether the legislation is an attempt to undermind the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The clash November 18 occured in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform over the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009 (HR 2517). The bill seeks to provide all federal employees with the same benefits whether they are married to a person of the opposite sex or are in a long-term intimate relationship with a person of the same sex. It was sponsored by openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and had the spoken support of President Obama. All speakers for the bill were Democrats; all speakers against it were Republ~,can.s. :~mocrats emphasized the bill s aim to end discrimination against LGBT federal employees by providing them with equal pay for equal work. Republicans emphasized their concern that the bill is trying to circumvent DOMA and widespread public sentiment as illustrated by 31 states voting to ban same-sex marriage. The proceedings were web-streamed live on the Committee’s website but are no longer available there. The debate was a classic discourse between pro and anti-gay forces. Pro-gay legislators talked about fighting discrimination and protecting equal rights. Anti-gay forces talked about opposing special rights and protecting traditional marriage. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), hunched over his papers during much of the proceeding and often turning away whenever an opposing legislator responded to him, offered an amendment to stipulate that nothing in the bill would modify, supersede, or otherwise affect DOMA. Rep. Edolphus To~vns (D-NY), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, spoke forcefully against the Jordan Amendment saying "same-sex domestic partnership laws to do not affect DOMAY Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) opposed it, too, saying the purpose was clearly intended "to nt~ify the entirety of the effort here today." The amendment eventually failed on a vote of 22 to 12. Republicans lodged a number of contradictory complaints about the legislation. For instance, Rep. Darrell Issa 1,2009 patients were about 90% gay men. There were some other cases such as hemophilia, ......Continued See AWARD Page-14 ....... Continued See FED BENEFITS Page-4 (R-San Diego) complained that the bill would enable "any two individuals" to qualify for benefits, while Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) complained that any two individuals would not be able to qualify. ’~klthough this legislation purports to stand on a foundation of nondiscrimination," said Fortenberry, "it appears to diminish the standing of federal employees who may share the same dwelling and collaborate intimately with an immediate or extended family member of the opposite sex in a nonsexual relationship to meet their basic financial needs." His example was a nephew caring for an aunt with cancer. Then he continued. "What about those who are in nurturing relationships neither marked by physical intimacy nor qualifying for married dependent status but share a specialness of bond based on a commitment to duty or to friendship," said Fortenberry. His example for this was "a friend helping a friend of the opposite sex if they were unemployed." Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) repeatedly stated that he was "standing tall for traditional marriage." He offered two amendments: one to require the president to certify that the bill does not increase premiums for existing federal employees before the bill can go into effect; the other to require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the impact on premiums. T~ATS W~AT ~APS $ WILL COST THE AVE~AG~ OKLAhOmA ~I~ ~SIDENT IN SAL~S TAX A $280 CONVENTION CENTER AN AQUATIC CENTER DOWNTOWN PARK DEVON ENERGY WE GIVE ’T AFFORD TO THE CITY A BLANK CHECK. Paid for by Concerned Citizens 2 ~tet~’oSTAR What’s new £or the Diversity Business Association in 2010? By Robin Townsend Contributing Writer Current DBA board members at the 2009 Oklahoma Ci(y Prideparade this summer; Money Milbu~w, President, Gina Love, member-at-large and Leslie Blab; l~ce President. Dornerphoto OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Oklahoma City’s premier business organization for the LGBT community will have an overhaul soon. Plans for a new website, a rate increase and new board members appear to be in store for the Oklahoma City based gay and lesbian business and professional group. So what else is new for DBA for 20!0? Looks like there will be a new President with ~h~ f~mlt resigfiation ofM0n~ Milbur~ Tnere has been at least one members identified who may fill the roll, but at the time of this story board members have not yet been voted on. "I am resigning effective Dec. 3t, 2009. As of right now, rates will be increasing as some point in 2010 and the projected new membership will be $149.00/yr," said Milburn in his last interviev¢ to the Metro Star as DBA board president, q]ae current membership rate is $49 for a single membership. "A brand new dynamite website will be included as well as some great advertising opportunities and such. There will also be members only activities." Ti~e goal of DBA is to be a positive organization in the LGBT community and the Oklahoma City community as a whole. This includes businesses in the area that are gay or gay-friendly that can benefit from likeminded people seeking to do business with this diverse group. DBA also has a presence each year with Pride events and, for the first time, had a group who walked in the parade. There are also plans underway to hire a staff member to help the organization run more smoothly. ’%Ve just realized that we have to hire someone to make this machine run and we need to do it sooner than later," adds Milburn. "I’m not thinking that this will happen as ofJanuary 1 due to getting bids for the site and finding a DBA staff member but it is happening or DBA wil! just go away and become a social thing that requires no dues no planning, etc." For more information about DBA, please email them at contact@dbametro.org or visit ~w,vw.dbametro.org. Sooner State Rodeo Association presents the Festival ofTrees Auction TULSA, OK (PR) __ Tulsa based Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) will host their Annual Holiday Festival ofTrees, Saturday October 28th from 7:30-11PM at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa. The SSRA fundraising event will benefit SSRA and their 2009 charitable partners. The event will feature Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres plus a Live Auction of 7 Fully Decorated Christmas Trees beginning at 8:30PM. The trees have been decorated by local interior designers, organizations, and individuals from the Tulsa GLBT Community. Sooner State Rodeo Association (SSRA) is Tulsa and Northeastern Oklahoma’s gay rodeo association, and is a recognized member of the International Gay Rodeo Association. SSRA was founded in 2000 and is a legal 501 3(c) and is dedicated to the promotion of the western lifestyle throughout Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. www.soonerstaterodeo.com Picket Organized to Protest Sarah Pa~in’s Book Signing OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ When Republican past vice presidential candidate and 2012 presidential hopeful Sarah Palin holds her booksigning in Norman she may encounter more than she bargained for. On a national tour to promote her new book, "Going Rogue" she is making her only Oklahoma stop at Hasting’s Bookstore, located in Norman at 2300 W. Main from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m on Thursday, December 3. Organized by OKC gay activist Keith Kimmel, he gives his reasons for the protest. " I’m organizing this event because I don’t want Palin to be my next president. I find her homophobic views to be repugnant and I think my sentiment is shared by many. I’m compelled to say something and I hope others will join me." Those who share his views are welcome to join this event. For more information contact Keith Kimmel, http:// vrww.facebook.com/1/cee43; 405 886 5095. Oklahoma Weather Forecast for December 2009 .... : Dec 1-5: Rain, then sunny, mild; Dec 6-8: Shmvers, then sunny, cold; Dec 9-13: R~in and snow, then sunny, cold; Dec 14-18: Rain, then sunny; mild; ~Dec 19-20: Showers, then colder; Dec 21-25: Sunny, then rain, warm; Dec 26’28: Rain, then colder; ~. Dec 29-31: Sunn)~ warm. Avg. temperature 520 (40 above avg.); precipitation -.5 (avg.); December 2009 Memoriam Heather Harp Howland September 9th, 1968 - November 4th, 2009 TULSA, OK Heather Harp Howland was born in Oklalloma. City on September 9th, 1968 and transitioned from this life on November 4th, 2009. Her early years were spent in San Antonio Texas. Her family moved to Tulsa when she was 14. She attended Kemper Military Academy in Boonville Missouri, almamater ofWill Rogers, and graduated from Tulsa Memorial High School. She majored in journalism/ marketing a the University of Oklahoma. She is preceded in death by her Mother, Sharon. She is survived by her father John Howland of San Antonio Texas, and her brother Patrick Howland and his wife Patrice Pratt ofTulsa, and her nieces Arie! Pratt of Pennsylvania, Sierra Pratt ofTulsa and nephews, Rick Pratt of Pennsylvania, Shay Howland ofTulsa and Seth Howland of Tulsa. Heather lived in San Antonio in her young adult years and then in 1995 she returned to Tulsa to care for her mother. She opened England & Harp, a successfu! antique and design store on Cherry Street in 1997. Her eye for design was impeccable. As a member of the Tulsa LGBTQ community, Heather snpported the mission of Oldahomans for Equality- (Old’q) formerly tmown as Tnlsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR). She volunteered her time and efforts at the Pride Store, co-directed the Pride Events and supported other fundraising events. Heather had lots ofinterests and talents. She loved softball and played catcher while at OU and would gladly tell you that her knees haven’t been the same since. She could belt out a song, deliver a sermon and demonstrate an Academy Award winning speech upon request. She was a founding member of \%Zomen of Council Oak in 2003 and a supporting member of Sisters in Song. Heather developed liver disease in 2008 and was on the liver transplant waitint list. Carol Brown and friends hosted a fundraising effort in September 2009 at Club 209 to assist with current medical bills and future transplant costs. A memorial service was held on November 7th. 2009 at the Dennis R. Neill Equality- Center located at 621 East 4th Street, Tulsa Oklahoma. She will be missed. She will forever be remembered. Counci Oak Mens Chorale Presents: Some Enchanted Season December 1st, 4th, & 5th, 2009: 8pro TULSA, OK (PR) Fresh sounds of celebration and traditional favorites will once again fill Trinit~;s beautiful sancruary as Council Oak Mens Chorale presens their 2009 holiday concert. This specially selected blend of both timeless and soon-to-be classics is sure to leave you feeling warm and ~’estive... some might even say enchanted! The concert will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church located at 5th & Cincinnati Avenue. Tickets are ~15. for more information call 918.748.3888 or visit counciloalcorg. ~¢.metrostarnews.com MISS BAMBOO 2010 CROWNED By Staff Reporter Miss Bamboo 2009 L~y Katheryn andMiss Bamboo 2010 Dominique LaRue. StaffPhoto TULSA, OK __ No prelim, no registration fees, not known for glamour, but an absolute cdebration of campy fun with a big heart. That is the Miss Bamboo Pageant. Although this year’s contestants did break with tradition and were quite stylish. Dominique LaRue had the crowd in uncontrollable laughter with her Old W-,man on a Walker comedy routine. Dominique LaRueperfbrming her comedy skit. Staffphoto Votes for each contestant were determined by the amount of money each was given by the audience for their performance. HOPE Clinic ofTulsa was the r4cipient of this year’s proceeds of $633.00. HOPE offers a variety of services for people with HIV/STD. For confidential information or referrals call the statewide HIV/STD resource hotline operated by trained HOPE staff 1- 800-535-2437. The MC’s for the show were Kris Kohl and Earlina Derrick, two well known divas ofTulsa. Flowers were provided by Glenpool Flmvers and Gifts. First runner up for the Miss Bamboo 2010 title was Serina Ashley who’s interpretation of a drunken platinum blonde slut was very convincing, but she showed way too much skin, nasty! Conspicuously absent from this years entertainment line-up was self proclaimed Empress of the Bamboo, Miss Mona Lott who some suspect has been committed to Laureate for observation by her now legal husband. Christmas Eve Candlelig Thursday December 24, 8 3131 N. Pennsylvania,Oklaho! 405.525.9555 8an ’uptcy o Civil Rights *Criminal Empl ,ment * Family Law * Litigation N.W 13th Street ahoma city, oK 7s 0s ¢~I<>t~oSTAR 3 Prop 8 repeal petitions begin circ ation Tt~e state of California on Nov. 16 approved the start of signature-gathering for a voter initiative to repeal Proposition 8 in November 2010, the group Love Honor Cherish reported. The initiative ~vould remove from the California Constitution the sentence, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," and replace it with, "Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestr)~ national origin, sex, gendm; sexual orientation, or religion." The measure further states: "To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. ~e refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution." Repeal advocates must collect 694,354 valid voter signatures by April 12. To be safe, that means collecting around 1 million total signatures. ~e 2010 repeal can~paign is a grassroots effort that does not have support from large GLBT groups, many ofxvhich have said or suggested they want to wait until 2012 to attempt to undo Prop 8. The Courage Campaign had earlier supported the 2010 effort but later complained of deficiencies in governing structure, expertise, research and funding. For more information, see SignForEquality.com. Gay Euro MPs denounce Ugandan bill Members of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights have strongly denounced the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009" pending in Uganda’s Parliament. "The proposed legislation includes provisions to punish those alleged to be lesbian; gay or bisexual with life imprisonment and, in some cases, the death penalty; any parent or teacher failing to report their LGBT children or pupils to the authorities.~zcith a fine eqtiivalent to $2,650 or three years’ imprisonment; and landowners providing shelter to LGBT people with seven years’ imprisonment," the MEPs said Nov. 9. Co-President Ulrike Lunacek said: "I strongly appeal to Ugandan politicians to be as courageous as they were when overthrowing the Idi Amin regimel and not to ban Ugandan citizens from being free to love whomever they wish. Homosexuality is nothing un-African; it has existed at all times and in all cultures." In the U.S., lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and three other members of Congress have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to use the full force of her o~ce to condemn the bill. Brazilian man barred from living in U.S. with American husband ~ne Obama administration let the clock run out Oct. 23 on helping a Brazilian man who wants to return to Massachusetts to live with his U.S. husband. Tim Coco and Brazilian Gen&io Oliveira married in Massachusetts in 2005 and own a home together in a Boston suburb. Oliveira was sent home in August 2007 after losing an asylum case based on anti-gay persecution he said he experienced in Brazil. He later also lost a case in which he sought to return to the U~S. based on his marriage to Coco. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had until Oct. 23 to overrule that decision on humanitarian grounds. He had been urged to do so by U,S. Sen. John Kei~ry, D-Mass. The anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, passed during Bill Clinton’s presidency, prevents the U.S. government from recognizing same-sex spouses for any reason. President Obaa~aa has said repeatedly that he supports DOMA’s repeal and the extension to same-sex couples of every right and obligation of marriage -- but he has taken no concrete steps to achieve his stated goals. Coco and Oliveira have said they may sue the federal government over DOMA in hopes of being reunited. Bill Clinton said that he had been "wrong" in opposing same-sex marriage. Spealdng to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Clinton said: "I realized that I was, you know, over 60 years old, I grew Up at a different time, and I was hung up about the word (marriage). I had all these gay friends; I had all these gay couple friends, and I ~vas hung up about it. Aud I decided I was wrong. That our society has an interest in coherence and strength and commitment and mutually reinforcing loyalties, then if gay couples want to call their union marriage and a state agrees, and several have no,a, or a religious body will sanction it -- and I don’t think the state should be able to stop the religious bodies from saying it -- I don’t think the rest of us should get in the way of that. I think it’s a good thing, not a bad thing." "I just realized that I was, probably for, maybe just because of my age and the way I’ve grown up, I ~vas wrong about that," he continued. "I just had too many gay friends. I saw their relationships. I just decided I couldu’t, I had an untenable position." As~ president, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government fi’om recognizing s~xrne-sex marriages and a~rms that states don’t have to recognize other states’ same-sex marriages. The first amendment failed. And Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) amended the latter to have the GAO study the effect of extending benefits to domestic partners on the government’s ability to recruit and retain employees. In response to GOP complaints that two people of the same sex might pretend to be in a domestic partnership in order to gain benefits, Rep. Steve Lynch (D-Mass.) said: "I dofft think there’s a ,vhole lot of people out there, given the discrimination ,ve have against gays and lesbians in our society, trying to pretend that they’re gay or that they’re lesbian so they can get favorable treatment. That’s not the reality of today’s world." Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), an African American, also rebuffed such arguments, saying "I know discrimination when I see it. This is the opposite. ~is is a civil rights bill." Norton noted, with some irony, that some years ago Republicans refused to allow a domestic partnership bill in Washington, D.C., because the bill attempted to include domestic partners and other family members living together. Chairman Towns rebutted Republican concerns that the bill would cost too much, noting that only about 15,000 to 30,000 new enrollees are expected to join federal health insurance rolls~as a results of the legislation - representing 0.3 percent. Howevere Issa came back claiming that the LGBT community frequently cites a figure of 10 percent for its representation in the population. (In fact, the community hasn’t used a figure like that since the 1970s. More recent scientific surveys, according to gay statistical expert Gary Gates have been very consistent in showing that something like 2-4% of adults identify as LGB. The bill now goes to the floor in the House. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced a version of the bill into the Senate. In a related development, a judge for the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled November 18 that the federal government violated the constitutional ~ights of a gay federal attorney when it denied him health coverage for his same-sex spouse. The two men were married in California during a period of five months last year when same-sex couples could obtain marriage licenses. Gay cop gay-bashed in Liverpool, England A 22-year-old off-duty trainee police officer was seriously gay-bashed outside the gay bar Superstar Boudoir in Liverpool, England, on Oct. 25. James Parkes was set upon by a gang of 20 youths and suffered multiple skull fractures and a broken cheek bone and eye socket. He was hospitalized in critical condition before being released Oct. 30 to recuperate at home. Citing language used by the bashers, police have deemed the assault a homophobic hate crime. Twelve of the alleged assailants, some of whom are ~s young as 13, have been arrested. 4 l:~;~ot oSTAR December 2009 love the Democratic Party but Will I Respect Mysd£in the Morning? by James Nimrod OKLAHOMA CITY, OK As we GLBTs emerge sweaty and disheveled fi’om our post-coital ruckus in Maine, I’m reminded that this is America and everything is for sale, including our gay/lesbian equality- -that’s the American way. You want to lmow how we’re going m sell it? In 1764 an Italian nobleman named Cesare Beccaria wrote, "Ifwe glance at the pages of history, we will find that laws, which surely are or ought to be compacts of free men, have been for the most part a mere tool for the passions of some." I’m referring to the heartbreakingly close, yet lost Maine election early in November where we gays/lesbians thought we had a better-than-good chance of winning through the ballot box the recognition of our civil equality under the law. Unfortunately; the Religious Right has used the referendum petition process in 31 states ro turn our citizenship into raffle tickets for discrimination where the prize is our continued lack of full equality under the law. Our civil rights canse has been de-railed 31 times at the bal!ot box by the usual degeption of the Biblically-dduded using the prejudiced superstitions that gays recruit and stalk children and teenagers. Nor only are gays/lesbians still secondclass raxpayers, all of the residents of those 31 states, regardless of sexual orientation, are also honorary members of the Mormon, Roman Catholic, and Southern Baptist denominations, to name only three of the biggest religious oppressors in the USA. I say this because its the oppressor’s anti-gay religious POVs that have become encoded into civil law. ~e United Church of Christ (UCC), Unitarian, and Reform Judaism adherents have 1Sassed guidelines allowing their clergy to perform their mvn versions of same-gender marriage without recognition from the resident state. Their First Amendment religious freedom is blocked by the actions and money of the theocrats ~vhose dogma trumps all attempts at fairness and fulfillment of our lives. Justice guaranteed by the Constitution is thwarted by ignorance and prejudice. Only Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut have legislatively passed marriage equality for same-gendered Americans. T’ne state of Washington earlier this month rejected the homo-haters attempt to overturn a law called, "Everything but Marriage." Since the ballgt box/clvil rights rathe process is spent and flaccid, activists John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay are calling for a boycott or a withholding of contributions -- Don’t Ask, Don’t Give -- to the Democratic Party until ~ve get the results they’ve promised us for years, like passage of employment protection (ENDA), removal of marriage discrimination (DO!vIA), and the privilege to serve in the military (DADT), .......Continued see VIEW" POINT page vw,~v.metrostarnews.com Good news as LGBT’s grow o der By Robin Townsend Contributing X~Triter LGBTactivist and communi{y leader, Rob Howard ofOklahoma City. Dorn’erphoto OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __In October, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced plans to establish the nation’s first national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. It is estimated that as many as 1.5 to 4 million LGBT individuals are age 60 and older. "I’m glad that Health and Human Services is beginning to realize that the plight ofLGBT elders needs to be addressed," Rob Howard of Oklahoma City told the Metro Star. "Although their current estimate is that there are tip ro 4 million gay and lesbian seniors, in the next 10 to 15 years, as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, there will be twice as many - from 6 to 8 million." Howard has served in many roles helping LGBT citizens. Hie is a past Vice President of Prime Timers Worldwide and now serves as their treasure. Prime Timers Worldwide is an educational and social organization for mature gay and bisexual men. They have 72 chapters, mostly in the US and Canada, but also in Australia and Sweden. Membership is nearly 7,000. "Organizations serving the broader aging community need to develop policies and sensitivity to this issue, and work with LGBT organizations to educate the medical care and long term care communities about our issues," he adds. "It is time for mainstream LGBT organizations to recognize the need, and to partner with seniors on these issues as ~vell." HHS reports that many agencies that provide services to older individuals may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the needs of this group of individuals. The center for LGBT Elders will provide information, assistance and resources for both LGBT organizations and mainstream aging services providers at the state and community level to assist them in education and development. The LGBT Center will also be available to educate the LGBT community about the importance of planning ahead for future long term care needs. "~ae most significant problem facing LGBT elders is sensitive medical care and housing," adds Howard. "Most are desperately afraid that they will be discriminated against in these settings and worse, abused by staff and other residents in long term care. This is a generation that for the most part has lived their lives in the open. They aren’t about to tolerate discrimination or abuse in their golden years." The LBGT Resource Center plans to help community-based organizations understand the unique needs and concerns of older LGBT individuals and assist them in implementing programs for local service providers, including providing help to LGBT caregivers who are providing care for an older partner with h~alth or other challenges. Funding is pending but projected to be approximately $250,000 per year. "I applaud the development of this resource center at HHS. However, the proposed $250,000 sirigle grant is woefully short ofwhat is needed to address this problem, furthers Howard, who is an activist and well versed in these issues. "To make only a single grant to establish a resource center falls far short of the effort that will be needed across our country in this area." p e g y Ch Eddy Sarfaty treats OKC to his Mental Hilarity By Victor Gorin State Representative AI A4cA~ey with Eddie Sa,~t): Godn phom OYJ_AHOMA CITY, OK __On October 26, an othervdse normal Monday night leading up to the Halloween celebrations, the night was interestingly hilarious for the audience at the 51st Street Speakeasy, a small intimate eatery & watering hole not widely known in the metroplex except to their faithful clientele. This was where nationally known gay comic Eddie Sarfaty made a stop on his Mental Tour of the country. His audience was warmed up for his act by !ocal comics Bradchad Porter and Spencer Hicks before Eddie cut loose with his own brand of humor. Lampooning political issues including our military’s "Don’t ask Don’t tell Polici’ and the joys of his Jewish family ba&ground, he made fun of numerous other aspects of gay life and living for everybody. The audience had many regulars, along with gays and their friends including DBA President Monty Milburn and Oklahoma State Representative A1 McAffrey. His act also promoted his new book, "Mental:Funny in the Head," and benefitted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He left behind his insights and ideas along with memories of a fun filled evening. Art Opening and E ibit w-ith Photographs from the Robert Giard Collection TULSA, OK (PR) __ Oklahomans for Equality (Old,q) will showcase and exhibit local artists at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa. The exhibit will feature works from world renmvned photographer Robert Giard (1939- 2002). The show begins with a reception on Thursday, December 3rd from 6-9pm and continuing throughout the mofith of December and throughout January of 2010. Robert Girad’s subject matter for his photography is legion and includes landscapes from his travels and home, nudes and most significantly, portraits of noted gay and lesbian literary lights such as Edward Albee, Allen Ginsberg, Adrienne Rich, David Leavitt and Michael Cunningham. This unique archive of photographic portraits of gay and lesbian writers by the late Robert Giard is on loan from the Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Libraty.s prestigious American Collection, and will be on display through December 2009 and January 2010. K.C. Chiefs dump player who called reporters faggots The Kansas City Chiefs football team released running back Larry Johnson from the team Nov. 9 after he called reporters faggots and called a fellow Twitter user a fag. In the locker room Oct. 26, Johnson muttered to reporters, "Get your faggot ass out of here." The remark was captured on tape. A day earlier, he used his Twitter account to call another ~¢¢itter user a "fag." He also reportedly tweeted: "Make me regret it. Lmao. U don’t stop my checks. Lmao. So ’tweet’ away." Johnson lat,er apologized for the outbursts, saying he hadn t intended to be offensive and had not been "a good role modal (for) the kids who view athletes as role models." December 2009 www.metrostarnews.com ~%,t~oSTAR 7 ~9gith flavor infusions like Chocolate, Tomato aud Triple Three Olives Vodka is quickly gaining a reputation as the gourmand’s drink of choice. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a food and beverage snob to get your hands on a bottle. For less than a Jackson (Andrew, not Tito), you can snag 750 ml of the smooth stuffto give as a gift to the host of your next holiday party. Extra points for playing guest bartender with this Ho-Ho-Hojito recipe: Muddle !0 mint leaves and halfa lime in a tall cocktail glass. Pour in two tablespoons of simple syrup and fill the glass with ice. Add two ounces of N~ree Olives Pomegranate Vodka (and a dash more for good measure) and top it offwith dub soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime, and voila! Just don’t over do it, OK. Remember what happened last ),ear? ($19.99; wwvy’~ ~r~:~ >~ c~.~m) "Suckin" It For the Holidays," Grammynominated, gay-lovin" colnedienne Kathy Grifl~n delivers some of her best stand-up ever on an album that was recorded live from the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. SKIES Like you need a reason to jet offto a faraway land - but at least this is a good one. Now through the end of the year, when you purchase an American Airlines gift card you’ll join the fight against breast cancer. For every $50 you spend in travel gift cards, American Airlines will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. You can purchase physical cards for yourself (to enjoy a guilt-free getaway), or choose virtual cards to be delivered by e-mail with a personal message attached. Just enter code "Komen" in the tracking box when ordering online. ($50; >~:~:~%#;~A!~O Mikey Rox is an award-winningjournalist/writer and thepHncipal ofPaper Rox Scissors, a copywriting and creative consulting company in New York City. nd him at ~’~,~,~<l:~,~r?’~;~’~:" ~,~ co~~. 2006 ± is packaged with two concert tapings A HIGHER ’SCORE’ In season two of "Keeping Score" - the national project of the San Francisco Symphony to make classical music more accessible to the masses - three new programs explore the music and stories behind Hector Berlioz’s symphonic love letter "Symphonie fantastique"; Charles Ives’ sonic portrait of New England with "Holidays Symphony’; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s "Symphony No. 5," a work that may have saved the composer’s life. This high-&f, three-disc documentary program - a follow-up to season one of the series, which premiered on PBS in November and available on Blu-Ray. ($24.99 each; CALENDARS ’STRiDA’ RITE Give your hooves a rest with the STPdDA collapsible bike, the first completely new bicycle geometry in 95 years. Inside a foldable triangular frame of light~veight aluminum, power is transferred to the rear wheel via a silent Kevlar belt (no oily gears or chains!) while horizontally mounted handlebars allow the rider to sit comfortably upright for an excellent view of the road. When you’re ready to hop off, just fold STRiDA up and wheel it to your next destination. In compact form, the bike stows easily in a car, on the train, or in the closet. Just like you used to. ($800; MAIq UP sweat. Or maybe it is. Cover up your natural repellent with Masculinity by Intense, a new fragrance from N10Z formulated ~vith a unique male-to-male pheromone. Featuring a refined composition of exotic spices, aromatic herbs and crisp citrus, Masculinity opens with notes of French basil, West Indian clove, Asian mandarin and Sicilian bergamot followed by hints of amber, cedarwood, black pepper and leather. Holy Hugh Jackman! Designed to stimulate the vomeronasal organ (among other "organs"), this sensual scent also is said to help improve self-confidence. Whatever works. ($55; v,~ w~#:, I Out bodybuilder and former Colt supermodel Bo Dixon releases his first selftitled calendar, BO DIXON: Reinvented 2010. Celebrating the power of perseverance, this muscle-worship date keeper features the hirsute powerhouse in fourteen all-new photos and comes with a "making-of" DVD. ($16.95; w>,~,i "Money can’t buy you love, but the rest is negotiable..." That’s the tagline ofTne Working Men of Rentboy.com 2010, the Web site’s third-annual calendar honoring its hottest porn stars, escorts and boyfriends for hire. This year’s eye candy includes Nick Capra, Josh Hart, Arpad Miklos and Tommy Defendi. ($15.95; W~A~:~I:D~#)¢~;:: ~)~)~) BRIEF BELIEFS Piss &Vinegar - the provocative new brand of underwear from Ginch Gonch founder Jason Sutherland - has a heart on. For Jesus. Yes, that Jesus. Made from breathable, bodp conforming stretch fabric, the first release from this caustic collection is the "I Love..." line, which features the controversial "I Love Jesus" and "I Love Buddha" briefs, boxer briefs, lowrise briefs and jockstraps. Of course, if you’re not feeling so sacrilegious this holiday season, Piss & Vinegar - which borrows its name from British slang for living young at heart - will also introduce "I Love Boys" and "I Love Girls" briefs. Redeeming, sure. But you’re still on the shortlist for eternal damnation. ($25; www4:Asvr~:’g~r.co~rO SONIC COLOR Built on the concept of technology meeting style, DEOS introduces two collections of innovative iPod earphone covers available at all price levels. The first, DEOS DIAMOND - for those who have more cash than they can shake a peppermint stick at - consists of three distinct earphone cover styles specifically named for the number of individual diamonds imbedded in each traditional or black titanium design. DEOS CRVZ - for more budget-conscious consumers - boasts three collections: Crystal, featuring Swarovski bedazzlements; Aluminum, available in an array of metallic colors; and Silicone, designed with active lifestyles in mind. ($9.99 and up; ~:,~,~w d~:,~v~l; ~ :~ ~:: ~) 8 I¢I÷’IroSTAR December 2009 www.metrostarnews.com 10 ~#%t~"oSTAR December 2009 Photo’s bT Victor G. & Judy G. @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @Club Majestic, Tulsa @The End U); Tulsa @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ Angles, Oklahoma City West), and the cocktail that helped popularize vodka in the U.S., the MosCow Muie (;€odka and ~ new. Polish @Club 209, Tulsa By Keith Orr Vodka 101: ~-he Spirit ofChoice What better way to start out my assignment as the host of "Cocktail Chatter" than to write about my favorite liquor, Vodka. And I am not alone. Vodka is the best-selling liquor in America, accounting for over 26% of all spirit sales. A glance around any gay bar tells you that in the U.S. gay market that number is probably higher. It was not always so. Until tlxe late 1950’s vodka :was considered an exotic Russian import. As always, marketing drove the expansion. Vodka was advertised as "White ¯ Whiskey - no taste, no smefl." Its popularity skTrocketed as imbibers believed that there would be no alcohol on their breath and they would avoid hangovers. It quickly replaced @ Finishline, Oklahoma City @ Ledo, Oklahoma City other spirits in highballs and cocktails. Most famously it usurped gin as the spirit of choice in a martini. Vodka can be made from many base ingredients: rye, wheat, potatoes, beets, grapes or grapeseed, molasses, and more. The ingredients are first fermented, then distilled. In most ~vestern vodkas the distillation process produces something fairly close ro pure alcohol, and water is added back in. Most high-end vodkas also filter the spirit as well. All of this distilling and filtering is the source of the dean taste that makes vodka so mixable and popular. Rye and wheat are the most common sources in well-known brands, with a smattering of potato vodkas. Molasses is l~’gely used for mass-producing vodka for mass market brands. Naough all vodka is highly distilled, each vodka has a unique flavor profile as a result of the }esidual components of the original distillation, as well as the various methods and materials used for filtering. The super premium brands such as Grey Goose, Belvedere, or Chopin each have subtle flavors best appreciated in the cocktail which features vodka in a starring role, the martini. (Martini preparation is anotlxer column!) My personal favorite is Absolut’s entry in the super premium line, Level by Absolut. Not only do I like the flavor, I choose it for political reasons. I support the vodka that supports me. Absolut has been a leading supporter of many gay organizations and events for 30 years. While martinis feature vodka in a starring role. the overwhehning popularity of the beverage is its ability to act in a supporting role. No other spirit plays so well with others. Vodka and tonic, vodka and cranberry, vodka and coke, vodka and diet coke (dubbed dae "skinny bitch" by the drag queens of Key pepper vodkas at least 200 years ago. Russian and Scandinavian vodkas used herbs and nuts for flavoring even earlier. Today vodkas are infused with dozens of flavors: lemon, lime, cranber~ pomegranate, acai berry, chocolate, grapefruit, peach, and even bacon. I like sipping infused or flavored vodkas on the rocks. They also can create new variations to martinis, cosmos, and a variety of shots. The beauty of vodka lies in versatility: Vc~hetl~er you are enjoying the refined and subtle flavors in a classic martini, or partying hard with an alcohol that plays well with your favorite mixer, vodka is the spirit of choice. www.metrostarnews.com ~÷t~oSTAR 11 ~÷~STAR 12 December 2009 by Jack Fertig December 2009 "Put your waRet away, SagRtariusI" Off and on through the next year Saturn is square to Pluto, signaling profound Changes in society and government. As faster planets aspect them both we will see opportunities in this crisis. Venus in Sagittarius shows how to apply new philosophical values to greater practical benefit. ARIES (March 28-Apri~ 19): Work can be overwhelming, and the demands of relationships don’t help. The stars call for an exotic, artistic holiday. A foreign film or art show can offer enough escapism, and perhaps~a new insight to put the pressures into perspective. TAURUS (Apri~ 28 - May 20): intellectual and technical demands can make it feel as if the world is conspiring to make you feel brutish and inept. Sex remains an excellent release of tension. Explore new techniques - or just lie back and ask your partner to take care of you. GEMiNi {May 21-June 20): Relaxing and having fun may seem more trouble than it’s worth, but it is absolutely necessary. Let your sweetheart do all the work. Leaving yourself open to surprises and adventures will do you a world of good. CANCER (June 2% July 22): The only solution to domestic stress involves real labor. Some exotic tchotchke from a rummage sale could become the centerpiece of a new look, providing the fun and motivation for otherwise dreary housework. LEO (July 23 - August 22): Obsessing too hard on details can detract from the big picture and distract you from normal safety precautions. There is a difference between focus (good!) and obsession (bad!). Some playful diversion will help you keep perspective. WRGO (August 23 - September 22): Everyone’s worried about money these days; try to keep your own wordes in perspective. Taking time out with your family (or origin or of choice)can help you relax and appreciate what you have. MBRA (September 23 - October 22): Knowing your place in your family and community is important, but probably not as much as you make it out to be. What’s bugging you? Talk it over with a sibling or a "sister" over an exotic lunch. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Step away from the plastic! Do not go near that cash register! At least stop and think before spending. When you get worried and dithery, focus on your philosophical values. Remember what’s important. "Retail therapy" is not therapeutic! SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Put your wallet away. It’s generosity of the spirit that counts. Friends who want your money.are not really your friends. Long philosophical chats around a coffee table can be much better than expensive nights out. CAPRICORN (December 2t - January t9): It’s a good time to forge ahead in your career and make big chan.ges, but you can be much too demanding and aggressive, undermining your own best efforts. Pay attention to that little voice inside. Mediation will help. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): In Greek myth, Cassandra’s curse was to see the future - and nobody believed her. Your forebodings may be excessive, but they’re not entirely wrong. Discuss them with friends you can count on to help you make better sense of them. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Your capacity as a mover and shaker among your friends is sure to get noticed, but is it the sort of moving and shaking you want to get noticed? Be bold in politics and work, discreet in the bedroom, and always keep your senseof humor. Community for People iving with H V/A DS A 50’! c (3) Non Profit Org~zadon Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIV+ and or living withAIDS to help combat the social isolation that many of ou? people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HlV+ an£t or !lying v¢ith 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 ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal net Stevenson has also successfially assisted seven clients out of the HOPXNrA where they now are able to live on their own since being them with employment and other aids to independence from the progrmn. We work very., hard to make sure that when one of our clients’ walks in, they pay nothing; everything is free," adds Arbudde~ "We have food supplements, clothing, misc furniture and other items and even some medical equipment." Other Options also has arranged for a commission of sales from Thrift City at 26th and MacArthur to be donated to Other Options. "Our success is because I built a great board and an advisory board," Arbuckle humbly added. "Our board president is Robert Painter owner of the Iguana and he has been a tremendous support." The two met when Painter turned to Other Options to help meet the immediate needs of a close friend. Other Options is inviting everyone over to their place to celebrate! A~er serving the community these 20 years, Other Options and Friends Food Pantry (open for 10 years) is opening their doors for a Holiday and anniversary Open House Dec. 1 lth from 4-8 pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the event at the organization headquarters located at 3003 N. May in Oldachoma City. For more information about Other Options and Friends Food Pantry, please call (405) 605- 8020 or visit www.aidscommunity.org. In our American two-party political syste~ laws have been made the passionate tools to be used against us as Beccaria observed centuries ago. N~e GOP couldn’t care less if GLBTs lived or died. Did you see Mary Cheney at the October March on Washington? So that leaves the Democratic Part3, as the only game in town, politically spealdng, and they think they have a monopoly on our aaCfections but with their repeated stalling and inaction on important gay issues I’m through believing them. Remember, it took ELEVEN years for Congress to pass the Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Law, and only two months for Congress to pass the AMBERAlert in 2002. The Victorian novelist George Meredith said, "It’s a terrific decree in life that one must act who would prevai!." If our GLBT cause is just then we must act to accomplish it; no one will give it to us freely. Until we have a sustained, visible, assertive, yet peaceful action to justify our equality and citizenship, we gays/lesbians will continue to be looked at as just limp-wristed targets for abuse, politically and physically. What’s it going to be: always the bridesmaid, never the bride; always the best man, never the groom? & by Greg Fox A NOT l-OOKIlq~ FOR: A N~IA! MAN~ YObl NIAT AND TtA ~N, A’T YObl WEF~I::= OWN "F.V. Webs~te- w~v.kylecomics.eom F-Mail- KylesBnB@aol.eom www.thegaycartoonsite.com ema~ ~.not ~, |/~"}/,,~~.g~ ~4 December 2009 Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-2221 www.habanainn.com FELLY FARBY, CPA 4815 So HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant VALERtE \VILLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 MASSAGE: ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK wxvw.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836-8700 www.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 918-584-9494 wwv~: clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-2900 www.habanainn.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com HIDEAW~AY LOUNGE 11730 E. I 1TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun d~ru Sat 2pm to 2am THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 918-836-0915 Open 7 days a week 2pm to 2am THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 v~vw.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE t338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, . OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOxNrSHIP 637 S. 131st East Ave Tulsa, OK www.realacceptance.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 Sunday 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.mcctulsa.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 CK" MORTGAGE CO. JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NV¢ EXPRESSXX~AY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c2 tgoldcastle.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller \Villiams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSVC’AY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn EUREKA SPRINGS CVB Eureka Springs, AR ~wvw.eurekasprings.org ~s ~ssues Solunon. Gender Benders IUINIPIS IGIAILIA IOIRtEIL AIT HIE INIEIAIT IJIAIYIE IOITIEIR IWIIlLIL Ell IClEIDIE N S A ~ N G A N B U ~ N u ~ H U N O U R METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Urie Spirit of Christ MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM www.socmcc.org Chuck Breckenridge Whether buying or sdling I’lt work hard for you. sales required. based. send resume to: Metro Star PC Box 581718 Tulsa, OK 74158 starnews@sbcglobal.com www.metrostarnews.com ~{~troSTAR 15 its biggest impact since Roosevelt, because the conservative. movement has been thoroughly repudiated tbo@ reali~,." "What matters, as always, is not what we can’t do, it’s what we can and must do." Stonewall Democrats is a recognized group of the Oklahoma and national Democratic Pa~. Working to educate voters and politicians about issaes of the GLBT community, we are working to make change and shape history. 1" STATE ~ st Tuesday ofevery month at the EMOCRAT~C PARTY HEADQUARTERS 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] Metro Star Magazine, December 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 12 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media, Ltd Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Dec. 1, 2009 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 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chaz Ward Victor Gorin Greg Steele James Nimmo Jeanne Flanigan Rex Wockner Gerald Libonati Michael W. Sasser Robin Dorner-Townsend Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ray Williams Jack Fertig Lisa Keen Devre Jackson Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwest Missouri West Arkansas Southeast Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Relation A related resource The Metro Star Magazine, August 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 8 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/129 The Metro Star Magazine, January 1, 2009; Volume 7, Issue 1 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/189 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/189 adoption art Bill Clinton book signing Brazil cocktail chatter Comics Council Oak Mens crossword puzzle Defense of Marriage Act Diversity Business Association DOMA Eddy Sarfaty football Heather Harp Howland K.C. Chiefs Kyle's Bed and Breakfast Metro scene Miss Bamboo National news Oklahoma News Other Options petition Proposition 8 protest Qscopes religion Robert Giard Sarah Palin Sooner State Rodeo Association Stonewall Democrats Ugandan bill https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/f38e215fb7a7703f98948e692e0e30bf.jpg 04823a777a2bb0c30f9c2514ecfaedd9 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/95fdf5cc24bf52f1e975671e6a291b2c.pdf 043707a61e2a4a5ed94d5619ca821a35 PDF Text Text E FOR President Obama’s Gay Rights Agenda The new whitehouse.gov .... .Page 10 WWW.M ETROSTARN EWS.COM "WE DELIVER DIVERSITY" Gay community upbeat about new president By Michael W. Sasser TULSA, OK__ Despite the involvement of controversial Pastor Rick Warren, the gay and lesbian community responded generally favorable to the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20. "This is a big moment for all of the people who feel we were shut out by the Bush Administration," said Oklahoma resident Brian DunleaW, 36. Dunleavy traveled from Green Country to Washington D.C. to witness the inaugural parade and events. "That includes gays and lesbians. Obama is clearly a friend to US, even if many of us don’t always agree xvith him on everything. This could be the beginning of a new era for us." for the inauguration ceremonies. 0KC Pride Parade Stays on 39th Street Festival Will Move, No Longer At Memorial Park By Victor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Amid an abundance of controversy and hearsay, OKC Pride hosted an open meeting January 5 at the Days Inn West, anticipating a much larger crowd than usually attends these meetings. True enough, around 60 GLBT & allied people attended to voice Concerns about rumours that OKC Pride Inc, which administers the annual June OKC Pride Parade & Festival, was not only planning to move the festival to Remington Park, but that the parade would be moved to Remington Park as well. The OKC Pride Parade route had always been, since its beginning in 1987, from Memorial Park at N.W. 36th & Classen Boulevard concluding on N.W. 39th Street & ¥oungs Street, taking it over the now famous hill leading to the Oklahoma Weather Forecast for February 2009 ’-~,~÷~ Feb. 1-5: Sunny, turning warmer ~ Feb. 6-12: Rainy periods, chilly @ Feb. 13-19: Snow north and central, rain south, then sunny, cold ¯ ~ ~ Feb. 20-22: Showers, chilly Feb. 23-25: Rain, mild he was not happy about Warren’s involvement but that he "didn’t go to D.C. for the prayer." FEBRUARY 1, 2009 Oklahomans for Equality Celebrates Anniversary at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center Photo by Chaz "Hopefully it’s just a bump in the road," he added. Warren, the controversial evangelical pastor at Orange County, CA’s Saddleback Church, delivered the inaugural invocation at Tuesday’s ceremony. Warren was an outspoken supporter of California’s Proposition 8, the California measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state. 365gay. com reported that the website for Warren’s church specifically stated until recently that unrepentant gay people were not welcome to attend services. In perhaps the most virulent ’.;Warren has compared gay marriage to sanctioning ~°nnnued ~ee OBAMA Page’10 crowds on the Strip, an area where many of the gay community have felt at home for decades. OKC Pride pointed out that moving from Memorial Park was unavoidable for many reasons, including that the Festival itself had outgrown the park and less space was available due to the new Boys and Girls Club building as well as other projects under construction. Another problem was that the City of Oklahoma City required vendors on city parks to pay a sales permit fee of $150 per day ($100 for nonprofits) which made the cost of doing business prohibitive for many of the vendors. Although some members of the board were not happy with the Remington Park location for many reasons, so far it was the only option they had found, and Paul Thompson stated that if anyone could present another viable option it would definitely be considered. P~oto: Dennis R. Nei!I Equalil.y Center Downtown Tulsa TULSA, OK (PR) __In February 1999, the Pyramid Project hosted their first major fundraising event by holding a Wild H~S ~! ~ ~he Ta~ Brady Mansionl TII~ evening the ~i~i6fi 6£~ ~fi~ h0~ f~r the EG~Smmunity in north~k~ OH~6~[~s prelented~ Th~ dream seemed very far away. This February 13th, 14th, and 15th we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wild Hearts Ball and the 3rd anniversary of living in our permanent home, The Dennis R Neill Equality Center. As a mission and vision moving toward fulfillment, this year’s Anniversary Weekend expands with even more events and greater visibility for EQUALITY. Passions ran much higher concerning the Parade route, as this route had been a long held tradition since the beginning Friday, February 13th at 4:00 pm kiclcs offwith a fabulous wedding reception! We will celebrate the unions of local couples who have traveled out of Oklahoma to get married, registered as domestic partners, or conducted civil unions in those places where it is recognized by the municipality, state, or country. The media has been invited to cover this special event of our community, honoring our community heroes. Oldahomans for Equality will present a certificate of recognition to our couples and a photographer will be present to memorialize the moment. As a family, we will toast our happy couples and cut the wedding cake. ........... Continued See OKC PRIDE Page-6 ......... Continued See OKEQ Page-9 Kansas City’s ’ Chorus Mirreni Jim Roth says goodbye to politics. "God bless you citizens of Oklahoma for you have blessed me so. Thank you for the honor to serve you." Thank You Jim! Feb. 26-28: Snow north, rain south; colder Avg. Temperature: 44° (4° brow avg.) Precipitation: 1.5~ (0.5" below avgl) Page 4 �2 February 2009 �~tine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. tn ancient Rome, Februa~T t4th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. ~ae Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. ~e following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festiva! of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl’s name from the jar and would then be parmers for the duration of the f’estival with the gir! whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would {:all in love and would later marry. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. ~e believed that. the reason was t}~at Roman men did not want to leave A~eir loves or {hmilies. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in MARDI GRAS FAT TUESDAY Celebrations include lots of ~asting, partying and parading on the big da~; also known as Shrove Tuesday - just before Ash Wednesday - when the Church rules of fasting and sacrifice take erect. It’s been that way in Christian countries around the ~vofld since the Middle Ages. Today most of the world’s celebrations occur duirng the ~veek of Fat Tuesday; which falls on February 24th this yeal: Fat Tuesday in New Orleans It’s been four long years since the devastation of ’The good Saint Valentine (photo above) was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint V~flentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdora on the 14th day of February, around the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they xvere drawn by the men as chance directed. ~The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. As the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine’s Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens ~br valentines, or saints as patrons fbr the coming year, arose in this way. Hurricane Katrina, and the biggest part), town in America will pick itself up for the 2009 Fat Tuesday- celebration with even bigger crowds - and more parades - expected this year. The New Orleans Mardi Gras parade schedule kicks offonJanuary 6 and continues through to Fat Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebrations around the world The biggest and loudest of them, as always, are in Rio and Ne~v Orleans...although the Karneval, or Fasching, festivities in Cologne and Berlin get pretty wild, Carnaval in Nice shows off the wackier side of the trendy Riviera scene, and the Italians in Venice are the worldwide experts on the art of street theater. $8 VALUE WITH PURCHASE OF 2 DIHH£R EHTREE$ AT REGULAR PRICE Bring this ad with you to receive this special offer Not vatid with any other coupon, discount or offers. For anyone who’s ever been dumped, jaded, didn’t get the box of chocolates they wanted~ had bad sex or just wants to get lucky because VALENTINE’S DAY SUCKS! w,~t,,.metrostarnews.com M®t~"oSTAR 3 �A P VILEGE TO HAVE SERVED By Jim Roth OYd2kHOMA CITT, OK __ It is with immense gratitude that I say thank you to my fellow citizens for the opportunity to serve you these past years. I am forever grateful for the chance to toil in the field of public service and I am forever blessed because of you. Former State Senator Running to Chair OKC Schoolboard. By Victor Gorin RAIN Oklahoma Begins Tulsa-Area LGBTS New HIV Testing Church Celebrates New Outreach on OKC’s 39th Pastor Street Strip TULSA, OK (PR) __ MCC United(MCCU) By Victor Gorin In an inspiring speech titled "~e Man in the Arena," President Theodore Roosevelt said "the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and who spends himself in a worthy cause." While I appreciate these words, the true credit belongs to the citizens who gave me the chance to serve. As your Corporation C.ommissioner and as an Oklahoma County Commissioner, I accomplished every task I had hoped. My guiding principle was simple: Always put the people first. I thrust myself into the arena and fought the good fight defending the rights of all people. I took an oath to honor all people and in turn you have given me the highest honor of my life -- the chance to give back. As a Corporation Commissioner, i worked to expand the horizon of Oklahoma through native blessings like natural gas and wind, through new energies and energy ei~iencies. I encouraged our utility providers to think bigger and am glad fl~ey are making progress today. These willing partners are developing programs that will benefit generations of Oldahomans to come. At Otdahoma County, we implemented programs that eliminated public waste and saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. Xg4e built better roads and bridges and brought relief to our aging senior citizens. It xvasn’t always easy battling entrenched attitudes that resisted change, but working with you I never worked alone. In the end, I feel that I left Otdahoma County much better than I found it because you trusted me to serve you. So as I move into the next chapter of my life I will take with me all tl~e good friends and memories made along the way. My time in public service has come to an end, but my desire to make this state the best it can be has not. I am excited for new opportunities and new arenas to create the change I wish to see in the world. I have devoted my career to public service these past 14 years and your help along this journey has made me a better person. I hope I have made you better as well. As this chapter closes, I am reminded of another passage from President Roosevelt’s speech, where he says: "If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so tl~at he may never be one of those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory nor defeat." God bless you citizens of Oklahoma for you have blessed me so. Thank you for the honor to serve you. is a thirty yea>old, Tulsa-area church that is part of the worldwide Universal Fellowship of Metropolirtan CommunitT Churches which invite Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight people to full inclusion and total participation in all aspects of church and ministry life. On Sunday, February 1st, 2009, the Reverend Ed Paul*will preach his first sermon as Pastor of MCC United. Pastor Ed is well known among the LGBTS community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has preached often at MCCU. P/~oto: Fom~er State &nator Angela Monson Seldom has our communit); and those interested in true quality educaOon for the Oklahoma City School District had such an opportunity as xve have now to elect a true progressive with a vision that could effect meaningful change. First elected to the Oklahoma State Legislature as a representative in 1990, she moved up to the State Senate in 1993, re-elected until she was forced out by term limits in 2005. During that time she never failed to take proud stands for any progressive cause, and was proud to be a keynote speaker at the OKC MDSWalk as well as our Pride Festival. Most importantly, she attended the Oldahoma City Public School System, a 1973 graduate of Douglass High School, following both her parents. Earning a Master’s degree in Public Health Administration from OU, she is currently employed at the OU Health Sciences Center as Director of Health Policy Development and Analysis. She currently is raising her niece and nephew ( Donovan 18, Danielle 10), also attendees of the OKC school system, so not only does she understand the problems firsthand, she has the passion to make it better. She shares ~vith the Metro Star: Victor: Angela, you must know what you are taldng on. What made you decide to xvant to run for tiffs office? Angela: I did it for our children. That really is what prompted me. These last 3 years I have been working really intensely witl~ students from the OKC public schools. What I have seen has really concerned me greatly. We should be embarrassed at the quality of education our children are receiving. I want to change the priorities, to make a difference as to the quality of education all of our children receive. Victor: What are the worst problems ~ve are facing there? Photo: [@ndell Powers, counselor, I~i Dameron, CTR Outreach Coordinator OKLAHOMA CITy, OK __ Regional AIDS Interfaith Network ( better known as R.A.I.N.) has begun an HIV testing outreach on OKC’s 39th Street Strip. Beginning on Saturday Jannary 24, and followed on the 1st Saturday of each month, free anonymous HIV testing will be provided fi’om 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Brief Connection, a popular undergear/novelty shop located at 2!35 N.XgZ 39th Street. This Will help fulfill a need for those who had been getting testing and other assistance at the Red Rock Clinic located on the Strip that had closed at the end of 2008. As Kendall Powers points out, "Many people in tl~at area are transient, people may not know where help is available, and may not have transportation." Testing is also done at the R.A.I.N. Clinic located at 600 N.W. 23rd Street, hours Monday thru Thursday 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., when rapid testing is offered, which can show results in around 20 minutes. Testing like,vise here is free and anonymons. The clinic also is open on Friday with the same hours, but the rapid test is not available. Pastoral Search Team Leader Nathan Black said, "I believe this is exactly ~vhat God has for this church. Pastor Ed’S heart for people and his powerfu! leadership will be a tremendous gift to our church and our community. I believe God is calling MCCU to grow and expand its vision and mission, reaching all of northeastern Oldahoma with a message of God’s inclusive and transformative love, and I believe Pastor Ed is the man to lead us on that journey." The church is inviting community members and friends to attend worship at MCCU on Sunday morning, February 1st at 11:00 AM and to share a Celebration Potluck Dinner that ,;viii follow the service. For those who may be unable to attend worship, but want to come to the Dinnm; it should begin around 12:30pm. The church is located at 1623 N. Maplewood, just offofN. Pine and Reading. You can learn more about MCCU by visiting their website at www.mcctulsa.org, sending an email to iworship@mcctulsa.org or calling 9!8-838-1715. ........... More Oklalaoma News Page 6 With tlais outreach and other plans for testing and education, R.A.I.N. wants the GLBT community as well as Oldahomans in general to knmv that they are still around working to prevent the spread of HIV and helping those "uptc¥ * ~i~iI Rights -Criminal living witla it. Speakers are available upon request for groups interested in learning about HIV. For more information, please call (405) 232 2437. email: kdanersib@ rainoklahoma,org Continued See MONSON Page-9 4 ~(~t~°oSTAR February 2009 �w:~.metrostarnews.com t~et~ oSTAR 5 �of the parade over 20 years ago. OKC Pride’s Male co-chair Paul Thompson dispelled turnouts that city government was behind the proposed change, stating that the City had been totally cooperative for raany years. Communication was stressed as ~vell, with many people at the Ineeting stating tbat they had never been asked for their input or support, and had not been informed of OKC Pride activities. Feraale co-chair Latricia Ohnstead stated that" It’s great that you guys have come out saying xvhat you want us to do differently, but you need to come up with some solutions and possibilities to help us make it better." Monty Milburn, President of the DiversityBusiness Association, suggested that the Parade be held on Saturday, so that those fi’om out of town could arrive on Friday night, enjoy the festival and parade, and return to their homes Sunday without being rushed, and while he commended the current board members and volumeers, he did stress the need for" new blood" and new ideas. Following this public discussion, the OKC Pride Board voted unanimously to keep the parade on the same route it has always been, and announced that the next meeting would be January 26, where it would be decided, after considering all options, where and when the festival would be and when the parade would take place. At press time the outcome was not available so to find out more inforraation after that date call (405 4108102 to reach Paul Thompson or check OKC Pride’s website at www.okcpride.org. Obviously- more community involvement is needed, along with better communication. But as Paul 2Pnompson puts it, ’We hope that the parade and festival wil! continue to grow, and that those who feel there needs to be new blood, ideas and people will come out to be part of that and make it happen" EQUAL RIGHTS IN EVERY STATE TEACH IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) On February 14, 2009, on the South Steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol at noon, there will be a "Teach Iff’ supporting equal rights in every state. While this is largely a gay event, members of the faith community are attending and wilt be speaking to the issues of"Family Values", which has become a code word for homophobia. We intend to expose, through the use of faith based communities, that "Family Values" are toxic to gay people and to society as a whole. Our Teach In is not a protest, it is not a rally, it is a positive message that we as gay people already have equality spelled out in the Constitution, and we are going to call upon our elected officials to enforce the la~v of the land with a positive message post card campaign to our elected representatives in Oldahoma and Congress. Unless and until we ask for enforcement of our rights in every state we will not have them simply granted to us. Until we can TEACH the greater community that gay people are just regular people, doctors, laxwers, teachers, postal workers, business owners and laborers, the pervasive view of "Family Values" will persist. Now is the time, change happens. adopdom Please participate in some ~vay. You can attend the Teach In starting at noon on the South Capitol Plaza on February 14, or you can request a pack of 8 post cards for a $10 donation (we’ll pay the postage) to send to your elected representatives along with hundreds of other people, gay and straight. You can contact the coordinator. Peter Myers at hpkanyersmd@yahoo.com, you may mail your request to Peter Myers, 2512 NW 41st Street, OKC, OK 73112, or call at 405815-4059. We look forward to everyone participating. Please get involved to end all discrimination against gay people. so Eq~ality- It’s Already t’ot¢r C’onstit~¢tional R{ght. Chance also xvetare fully tax deductible, Following a screening process, the $70 adoption fee includes spa~ing/neuteringpius all vaccinations appropriate fbr the adi~aal~ age. To get involved or to adopt a cat or dog call (405) 321q915 or e-mail " secondchancenorm@aol.com 6 5Zt~,troSTAR Coweta Siloam Springs Claremore Sand Springs Jenks Owasso Sapulpa Norman Collinsville 918-486 2137 479 524 6535 918 341 1260 918 246 2543 918 299 63111 9t8-272-4965 918 227 2722 405 321 6725 918 371 I000 Courtesy of wv~-w.labrescue.net February 2009 �Wockner News Service Gay bishop Robinson a so selected for inaugura @Je RI; Rev. H Gene Robinsom the open, gay and ?artnered bishop (fd~e Episcopal Church ~ ~w Hamuhire diocese, a~livered @e invocation at ganzck Obama~ inaugmnd concert at the Lincoln Memorkd on.~¢n. ~ 8. GL~D photo Amid the controversy over Barack Obama’s selection of anti-gay preacher Rick g~rren to ddiver the invocation at his inaugural, Obama announced Jan. 12 that the Rt. Re~: V[ Gene Robinson, the openly gay and partnered bishop of the Episcopal Church’s New- Hampshire diocese, would deliver the invocatmn at the inaugur~d concert at @e Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18. Obama attended the concert. Because Robinson is gay and partnered, his selection as bishop in 2003 has led to an evolving schism in the Episcopal Church and a near-schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch. "President-elect Obama has made a stellar choice in selecting Bishop Gene Robinson to offer the prayer at the Lincoln Memorial to kick offthe inaugural festivities," Rea Care); executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said after the announcement. "For the first time in history, an out gay man will lead the nation in opening the transfer of power from one administration to another." Log Cabin Republicans are broke ~ne gay group Log Cabin Republicans is broke and $100,000 in debt, according to the Washington Blade. LCR President Patrick Sammon said the troubled U.S. economy has impacted donations to the organization. The ~roup currently has vwo flail,time employees and one part-time employee, three fewer than a year ago. www.rnetrostarnews.com in at least 77 nations and punishable by death in at least seven. The statement was signed by Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finlaaad, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel~ Ital); Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norwa}( Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, S~o Tom4 and Prfncipe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, TimorLeste, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. Fifty-seven nations signed an alternative statement, promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, daat said universal human rights do not include "the attempt to focus on the rights of certain persons" because "the notion of orientation spans a xvide range of personal choices that expand way beyond the individual’s sexual interest in copulatory behavior with normal consenting adult human beings, thereby ushering in the social normalization, and possibly legitimization of many deplorable acts." The U.S. did not sign either statement. ACLU sues over new Arkansas adoption ban ¯ne American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Dec. 30 seeking to strike down a new voter-passed laxv that bans any unmarried person ~vho lives with a partner from serving as an adoptive or foster parent in At’kansas. ~-he suit, filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court, argues that the ban violates federal and state constitutional rights to equal protection and due process. Twenty-nine people from a dozen families are participating in the case as plaintiffs, including a grandmother who lives with her same-sex partner and is the only relative willing to adopt her grandchild, who is in At’kansas state care. Several married heterosexual couples also are plaintiffs. They previously had chosen friends or relatives who are coupled but not married to adopt their children in the event 0fthe parents’ deaths. "We’ve been hearing from all corners of the state from dozens of families who are panicking about how Act 1 impacts them," said Rita Sldar, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "~ais kiw ... takes away parents’ right to decide fbr themselves xvho will adopt their children if they die, it denies the many children in Arkansas state care a chance at the largest possible pool of potential foster and adoptive homes, and (it) denies couples who are living together but unmarried the chance to provide loving homes to children who desperately need them." Four arrested in California lesbian rape case After receiving tips from residents, police in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Richmond arrested two men and two teens Jan. 1 for allegedly raping a lesbian while making antigay slurs. Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, Josue Gonzalez, 21, and Darrell Hodges, 16, were arraigned in Contra Costa County Superior Court Jan. 5 and 6 on charges that included carjacking, kidnapping, gang rape and hate crime. The fourth suspect, a 15-year-old, will be tried as a minor. Bail was set at $2.2 million for Hernandez and $1.85 million for Gonzalez. They could face up to life in prison if found guilty. Barney Frank details congressional gay agenda Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Jan. 12 that three long-delayed pieces of gay-related legislation likely will pass and become law now that Congress has a Democratic majority and the incoming president is gay-friendly. "We’re going to do three things in Congress," Frank, D-Mass., told The New Yorker. "First, a hate-crimes bill -- that shouldn’t be too hard. Next, employment discrimination. We almost got that through before, but nmv we can ~vin even if we add transgender protections, which we are going to do. And finally, after the troops get home from Iraq, gays in the military. 7he time has come." San Francisco Catholic church vandalized with swastika The Dec. 13 attack began after the woman got out of her car, which had a rainbow sticker on it. One of the men hit her with an object, ordered her to strip and raped her on the spot, with assistance from the other men, police said. Nxe woman ~vas then forced into her car and driven to a more remote location, where she was raped inside and outside the car. After about 45 minutes, the assailants left in the victim’s vehicle with her wallet, leaving her naked at the scene. Police had offered an $11,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the alleged attackers. Gay mayor takes once in Portland, Ore. Sam Adams took the oath of office as mayor of Portland, Ore., Jan. 1 at 12:01 a.m., making the city the largest in the country with aft openly gay mayor. Adams, 45, captured more than 50 percent of the vote in a May 20 primary election that had 13 candidates, thereby avoiding a general-election runoff. SMq FRANCISCO, CA __ Someone spray-painted a Roman Catholic church in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood with a swastika Jan. 4 in apparent protest of San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer’s support for Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot initiative ~vith which voters amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage. Accompanying red-and-black text sprayed on Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church said: "Prop H8 - Niederauer Ratzinger - Where is the love?" Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI. Most Holy Redeemer is considered to be liberal and gay-friendly, as Catholic churches go. He has promised to make Pordand "cleaner, greener, more sustainable, smarter, more equal, better educated." San Diego is the largest city in ATmerica ever to haace had an openly gay mayor. Toni Atkins held the jok for five months in 2005. She was appointed by the Civ Cguncil after both the mayor and the deputy, maygr quit in the wake of a pensionfunding debacle. MORTUARY SERVICE, ~ Traditional Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405) 23(}- 131~) or !-800-913-1310 Pre-Need Plan CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 2415-C North Walnut Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 5,~®@’oSTAR 7 �OMING ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO THEIR STATE LEGISLATUIBy Victor Gorin Photo: State Representative Cathy Connol& When Cathy Connolly got elected to the Wyoming Legislature as a Democratic representative for House District 13, she made history as the Cowboy State’s first openly gay legislator. All things being relative, it is one of the more progressive districts of Wyoming, inside one of only two counties in the state that went blue this last election. Born in Troy, New York, she came to Wyoming in 1992. Holding both a PhD in Sociology, and a law degree earned at the State University of New York in Buffalo, she is now a professor of women’s studies at the UniversitT of Wyoming in Laramie. Public policy has been an area of keen interest for her. Urged by her peers to run for this office, Ms. Connolly is active in the communit): She is a strong advocate for ~vorking people and one of her major objectives as a legislator will be to try to lessen the wage gap between men and women, which in ~’yoming is the highest in the nation. Connolly also wants to work to improve healthcare and education, and to create a better environment for all minorities, including Wyoming’s GLBT community. Obama spokesman: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tel~ is history "We should be embarrassed at the quality of education our children are receiving. I want to change the priorities, to make a difference in the quality o~ education all o~ our children receive." "The two candidates are Angela Monson and Kirk Humphreys. We know from Angela’s track record that Angela cares about minorities and the GLBT community, and will understand problems like school bullying, and we know that Kirk Humphreys clearly doesn’t get it." Paul Thompson, C0-Chair of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus Angela is far and away the best candidate for this position. It is imperative that we get out and vote for her. Margaret Cox, Activist By \Vocl~ler Wire Sen*ice New White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban on open gays in the military will be repealed. In a video posted in mid-January at change.gov, in which Gibbs answered some of the 72,000 questions Americans have submitted to the site, he said: "Thaddeus from Lansing, Mich., asks, ’Is the new administration going to get rid of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy ?’" To volunteer or For more information call Gibbs answered: "Thaddeus, you don’t hear a politician give a one-word answer much, but It S, Yes. 8 ~÷troSTAR ® www.Monson4ourchildren.org monsonforourchildren@yahoo.com February 2009 �At 5:00 pm MY BIG EAT GAY \X;%DDING FAIR opens with vendors and merchants throughout the center. These local companies cater to same gender couples looking to plan their speciai da> Several honeymoon destinations will be participating iu a raffle fbr free prizes. Saturday, February 14th at 7:00 pm the dancing and partying begins with the 10th annual \Vild Hearts Ball. DJ Zeke Richardson will be playing the tunes to light up the dance floor. Raffles and prizes will be given away all evening. A cash bar and party foods will satisfy your palate. A photographer will be present for those special part), pics. Admission is free for members of OkEq, $10 admission f~e for non OkEq members. Your admission fee can be applied to your first installment of a $50.00 OkEq membership. Child care will be provided in the Wellness Room on the second level for children under 12 years of age. ~e will have games, crafts and special Valentine snacks for our young guests. Sunday, February 15th we celebrate FAITH with music and a wonderful brunch buffet. The second annual Brunch and Blessing will be in the Events Center. We will have a 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm seatings. Admission is $10.00 for the buffet and $2.00 for mimosas. John Sawyer will be our host extraordinaire and will be joined by Tulsa’s finest choirs, choruses, orchestras, bands and local musical artists like Rebecca Ungerman, Mindy Bardett, and Jarod Tyler. Ten years ago our community dreamed of a permanent home for the LGBT citizens of Oklahoma. Anniversary Weekend ,vill celebrate the progress towards full equality in the state we call home. You can join Oklahomans for Equality and become a full member t’or $50.00. Membership gives you discounts on special promotions in our Pride Store, discounts on special events, and supports the important work of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Please embrace our mission of serving our community and progressing towards equality. Remember what made a dream a reality for Dorothy? Click your heels and say "Tulsa .......... there is no place like home." Bathroom Bingo A Big Success TULSA, OK (PR) __ Free Bingo has caught on at Tulsa’s End Up Club. The Thursday 6:30pm event now in it’s 2nd month has attracted a large following of locals out for a fun time and the chance to ,vin great prizes. They play five games, 4 straight bingo for beer tabs, Walmart gift cards, and gas cards. The last game is blackout, and the winner gets a chance to choose one of five gift boxes. One holds the grand prize. The first grand prize was a very nice Swiss Army watch won by a Tulsa celebrity. The End up is Tulsa’s newest bar located at 5336 E. Admiral P1. Phone 918-836-0915 Angela: Dropout rates, which is indicative of the problems we are having. Some schools in our district have dropout rates over 60%. That~ terrible, they wind up in the street and too often in our prison system. On test scores, our students overall still are performing poorly. Too many students say ’I hate school!’ I want our students to be excited about the value of learning. Across America our students are not performing well enough in math and science, lagging behind other countries. don’t ~vant to become dependent on other countries for our technology, we need to educate our own to bring back our high skill/high tech .jobs. Victor: What abou.t teachers? Angela: Teacher pay is an issue, Oklahoma is 48th in the nation and I’ve heard complaints about it, but more often I’ve heard teachers express concerns about their facilities, about having to pay for school supplies with their own money. That ~hould never happen. Instead of raises for administrators, I’d like to see the money better spent on the classroom. There is a huge mistrust between the public and the administration of the school system. People don’t feel they have a voice, and as the board chair I can involve parents and the public, including groups such as the Parent-Teacher Association, faith based organizations and those groups and individuals who want to be involved. I’m a PTA president myself, I’ve worked after school programs, so I understand the problems and what needs to be done. Victor: A major issue for the GLBT community is school bullying. Currently in the Oklahoma City Public School Handbook, real or perceived sexual orientation is not listed as a category among groups not to be bullied, unlike other protected groups such as race and religion. We have tried for years to get that changed with no success. Angela: There is never any reason to bully anyone. We knmv that there is a problem, that people are bullied, discriminated against & treated differently,due to their real or perceived sexual orientation. \Vhy do we put our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not an issue? This gives tacit approval for this behavior, implying that it’s OK to be mean to people who are different. Not only should it be listed as a category, we should go further to show people how to trust and respect people who are different. As with human nature, sometimes there is friction. But like when you rub two sticks together, it creates heat and light, and used properly it can be beneficial. Addressing prejudice and dealing with it correctly can sometimes mal<e things better. ~is can be an opportunity to teach, empower and make a positive difference. Not only that, but kids would perform better academically when there are less of these kinds of conflicts and social pressures, Victor: As~ything else special you’d like to add? A_ngela: An educated worl~orce and general population makes our whole society better for a lot of reasons, and I want to help make that happen here in Oklahoma City. Victor: Thank you Angela, and I hope you get your chance to go do that. Sunday Services @ 11:00 AM CC United A Metropolitan Community Church www.metrostarnews.com To reach Angela; call 405 314 961"3, Email: Monsonforourchildren@ ~g,~rebsite: Monson4ourchildren. l°°,cOnl 918-838-1715 www.rncctulsa.org Org P~®t~’oSTAR 9 �vi÷w oints road to Barack presidency paved by entertainment machine Times o£Harvey Responsibility £or Our Ft ture By James Nimmo By Jerry Libonati FT LAUDEPd)ALE, FL __ ’11~e movie and television industry may have had a hand in shaping public opinion about electing a black president by depicting African-Americans in the role of Americas number one Times of Hawey Mill~’ available free online at http:// tinyurl.com/7qyaco. "No doubt ~hrren is on the ,vrong side on gay marriage and openly hostile to the gay community, but he isn’t the new" president," said Arkansas native Pippa Roc~’ord, 42, another inauguration spectator. ’%)~’re going to be much better off: then ever before with President Obama." More than two and a half decades lateI; Morgan Freeman played the lofty role in the 1998 comet-snaashing film, Deep h’npact. It appeared in theaters at a time, not that long ago, when no one in the real world seriously entertained the idea of a black president. "If auything, my portrayal of David Palmer; I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people.., to prove the possibility* there could be an M~rican-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first," Haysbert told reporters in a July 2008 teleconference. If Hollywood could change the way Americans thiuk about having a black president, could it also influence the way Americans took at gay and lesbian people? It already has. ~Ihe younger you are the less you will be aware that movies and "~ shows have dramaticall) changed. %efve evoNed over the years to include gay and lesbian characters. It wasn’t always like that. For most of the twentieth century, there were virtually no gay/Iesbian personalities on the big or the small scree~. Gay people were sometimes interviewed on edN, television documentaries hidden behind screens like seedy criminals. The first dine t personally saw a gay man interviewed out in the open was on the Virginia Graham talk show in the 1960s. ~his brave soul sat right their on her studio couch in front of a live audience. No screen, no mask, no garbled voice. It was revolutionary. Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcora premiered in 1994 as a lukewarm comedy show. It had a supporting cast member who was gay. But her character, Ellen Morgan, didfft turn up the heat with her coming-out episode until 1997. It was a historymaking event but not vdthout its pitfalls as some sponsors, like Wendy’s, dropped their support. The show was cancelled the next year. Since The Ellen Show, other entertainment venues made their stand. Will and Grace debuted in 1998 and became a romance-free staple. Rosie O’Donnell got off to a closeted start with her Daytime-Emmy-winning talk show in I996 but made her impact after coming out and later spoke proudly as a lesbian woman on The View. The popular Queer Eye for the Straight Guy; that brought stereotypes to a new levet, popped up in 2003. A smattering of gay characters now populate mainstream sl~ows, not as devious villains, but as ordinary people. horns are still being removed from gay and lesbian heads but, who knows, when the process is done, maybe we’ll even see a gay or lesbian president. Ger~dd kibana~ ~s d*e autkor (ft~,e new novd ]’etcr ~" a.fi~mousg~3’ rock, tar who go~s ~nco~a~m to.find £we. (W~Tn&wrmctvaaw’.~)m) L~bonati is an awan’£ winning journalist in Soud* E/orie& worki*ag/ar d~e &n-&**tind news~,~pe~: He kas also written~r 7~)eMiamiHe~z,~{ ~e A&ocam and jlvea~ncesJ~r~qesbi,~n new~&ers around the count*7. 10 Met~~oSTAR We’re probably too familiar with the Santayana quote, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." So, let’s get acquainted with a new one that’s explicitly forward looldng, by George Bernard Shaw: "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our tq~tture." Seeing situations on screen allows viewers to get used to a new idea. As early as 1972 a movie about the first black president hit the silver screen. Based on a novel by Irving \Vgallace, The Man starred James Earl Jones. Ironically, the screenplay was written by Rod Sefling as if to suggest that such a scenario could only be seen on ~l~ne ~i\vilight Zone. Dennis Haysbert took the role on the Fox television series, 24 that premiered in 2001. In ~lct, Haysbert was voted "Favorite On-screen President" by a Blockbuster poll. Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, has written, "Modernity is the enemy of fundamentalist religion, and gende>bending is the hallmark of modernity." ( ,a~v.religiondispatches.org ) Photo: Harvey Milk OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ I’m hoping you had a safe (in more ways than one) New Year’s celebration and are ready to commit to a political and social New Year of acquiring the legal recognition of our GLBT equality which is ours as a right of citizenship. This morning I watched the "The Times of Harvey Milk", a documentary of Harw2y Milk composed of interviews with people who knew and worked with him, combined with news clips illustrating the important events in Milk’s public life as a San Francisco City Commissioner. This is not to be confused with the new biopic starring Sean Penn titled simpl> "Milk". I was reminded that the defeat of’the Briggs Amendment that would have outlawed the employment of GLBT teachers in California was fiollowed by the rise of Anita Bryant, who got her inspirational juice from this setback to the fundie nuts and homo-haters agenda. She was the rolling crest of the wave of anti GLBT taws and reversals that followed across the country in the late 70s and early 80s. Think Wichita, Kansas; Dade County, Florida; and Oregon. Oklahoma had its own version of a Briggs Amendment argued before the United States Supreme Court in 1985. You can read the transcript and listen to the audio here: http:/Iwwvw:oyez.org/casesl19801989/1984/!984_83_20301argument/or http://tinyurl. com/Sznzkp. ~e Supreme Court let stand a 10th Circuit Court ruling that invalidated an Oklahoma ban on pro-gay advocaW by teachers. ( http://v,~x,:lambdalegal.orglaboutus/35th anniversary/) ( http:/itinyurI.com/9qqvc8 ) ( http:// en.wikipedia.org/wild/Anita_Bryant It would seem this knee-jerk reaction to GLBT progress is genetic to the Bible-bumping believers of America as that’s what’s going on now with our marriage-equality movement: for every Massachusetts there’s an Arizona and an Arkansas. Listening to the confession clips of Dan White, the convicted killer of Milk and Mayor George Moscone, as well as the ravings of Sally> Kern of Otdahoma and her other Kern Krew members in Oklahoma where I live, they have a single uniting fear: fear of change, be it social, legal, enviromnental, or scientific. Why else do they suck like leeches so tenaciously to a way of living now 5,000 thousand years old with its treatment of people as property~ a destructive dominance over the environment, the elevation of a small, "pure" minoriW to rule over all that~ considered different, and like leeches, drain the vigor of human imagination from our society? Obama’s positions on GLBT issues are more liberal than either Bush’s or even former President Bill Clinton. Mthough not a supporter of gay marriage, he opposes legislation to ban it and h~s asserted flail support for civil unions with rights equal to marriage. According to the ~Thite House website, President Obama supports the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" pollW for service members and of the Defense of Marriage Act. The White House also cites Obama’s support for stronger hate crimes laws, for housing anti-discrimination laws inclusive of orientation language, for adoption equality and for a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strateD: ABC News online reported just prior to the inauguration that Obama intends to nominate openly ga,v John Berry, director of the Smithsonian~ National Zoo, as Director of the O~ce of Personnel Management. Berry was Assistant SecretaW of the Interior during Bill Clinton’s administration. Obama has also nominated a lesbian, Nancy Sutley, as chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Qsiality. Pinning down president’s roles in GLBT issues has not been easy in recent administrations. Although considered generally amenable to the GLBT community, President Clinton,s record on gay rights includes his signature on both the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and the 1993 Colin Powetl- led strateD, of"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." Bush was openly supportive of a federal ban on gay marriage and retained "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" under fire; but also was the first Republican president to appoint an openly gay man to serve in his administration, Scott Evertz as Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy: Bush’s nominee as ambassador to Romania, Michael E. Guest, became the first openly gay man to be confirmed by the Senate as a U.S. ambassador. ~e first openly gay ambassador, James Hormel, received a recess appointment from Clinton aAer the Senate failed to confirm the nomination. Obama’s Gay ghts Agenda By Greg Steele Within ~ninutes after President Obama took the oath of office on Jan 20, the official x~q~ite House webpage ( http:/Aw,-w. whitehouse.govlagenda/civil_rightsl ) was updated under the heading of"~]~e Agenda, Civil Rights" to detail Obamgs support fbr tbe LGBT community. His stated agenda include the following: ÷ Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest categoU of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. @ Fight Wbrkplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and ........ Continued See GkSK AGENDA Page 15 Februaw 2009 �Oldahomans for Equality art gallery opens Maegan Kauffman The exhibit will remain up through the month of February, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. ~Ilne 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 seel~s equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocac){, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Among the largest gay meffs choruses in the nation, Heartland Men’s Chorus has won acclaim for its daring programming and unique choral sound. More than 100 singers are expected to travel to Oldahoma City for this special benefit performance of And Justice for Al!. "llae concert combines lnusic, narration and multi-media in a unique "musicaI documentary" format, that has become a halhnark of HMC. The performance will trace the struggles of Afiican Americans, women, gays and lesbians in their quest for civil rights. Audience members can expect to hear inusic spawned fiom the various civil rights movements ("We Shall Overcome"), music inspired by iconic historical events ("Elegy for Matthew") and songs that resonate on the theme of social justice ("You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught"). ’Zetting Go" @ Maegan KauflCman TULSA, OK (PR) __ Nae Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-gpm, Nmrsday, February 5th, 2009, for the opening of its new exhibit, featuring the charcoal drawings of artist Maegan Kauffman. Maegan Kauffman is an artist from Tulsa, OK. She graduated from Skiatook High School in May of 2005. Currently, Maegan is attending the Fred Jones Jr. School of Art at the University of Oldahoma where she works as a Teacher’s Assistant for Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Robert Dohrmann. She is a member of The Red Clay Faction Ceramics Club and will graduate with her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in May of 2010. "As an artist, I draw my inspiration fiom life and the human body as it differs from individual to individual," states Ms. Kauff)nan. "I am inspired by the human condition and the way that we not only deal with the challenges we face out in the world, but also with the inner battles we have within ourselves. The way that a person feels on the inside is expressed through that person~ demeanor, the way they hold their body, and the way they force a smile. By capturing people’s expressions and their body language, I capture their inner emotional state. I consider my artwork realistic expressionism, in which I portray my subjects in a photo realistic manner. Although I put much emphasis on realistic rendering, I use techniques like contrast and composition to express sentiments of the individual portrayed." Maegan continues, "I enjoy all of the different aspects of figurative drawing, including the challenge of proportions and morphing mere shapes and shadows into recognizable form. When I approach a new piece, I don’t necessarily look at my subject as a whole, but as a million different forms. I concentrate on rendering each individual form accurately and in the end the forms melt together into one cohesive image. Charcoal is nay medium of choice for rendering these images. I have learned to manipulate the charcoal, by shading, blending, and crisping edges, to achieve the image desired. The high distinction between tones of dark, medium, and light give the subject matter a tangible quality." www.metrostarnews.com Qffe-Broadway’s popular musical corn@ Alter Boyz is set to rock the masses at Tulsa’s PAC. TULSA, OK (PR) __ ALTAR BOYZ is the hilarious account of a struggling Christian boy band from Greenville, Ohio. The Boyz - intent on saving souls and raising spirits - are on the last night of their "Raise the Praise" U.S. tour and determined to make the big time. There’s Matthew, the hunky leadm; who holds the group together; Mark, the sweet and sensitive one, who choreographs all the band’s signature moves; Luke, the bad boy with an interest in communion wine and driver of the Altar Boyz van; Juan, the Latin lover who’s popular with the ladies; and Abraham, a nice Je,vish boy who’s not sure how he ended up in the group. This concert marks the first regional tour for HMC. In addition to the performance at Village Christian Church, the men will perform at the American Choral Directors Association annual conference (to be held in Oklahoma City) and present a special weekday matinee for middle and highschool students in Kansas City. "Reaching out to diverse audiences is an integral part of our mission," says artistic director Dr. Joe Nadeau. "This particular concert, combining our music with an important social justice message, was the perfect vehicle to bring ’the HMC experience’ to those who may not have had a chance to hear us perform before." Spectacular music...sinfully sensational dancing...faith that’s stronger than their hair gel .... The ALTAR BOYZ get ready to rock the masses of all denominations by spreading the good news and soothing the troubled souls of Tulsa through the glory of sweet pop music. Produced by Grace Man Productions, ALTAR BOYZ makes its Tulsa debut March 615, 2009 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Tickets for ALTAR BOYZ, priced $25 to $35 with special 2-top cabaret table seating at $90 are on sale nox~; at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone call (918) 5967111 or purchase on-line at www.myticketoffice.com. Kansas City’s Gay Chorus Makes Oklahoma Debut ICANSAS CITY, MO (PR) __ Heartland Men’s Chorus, Kansas Ci@ gay men’s chorus, will present a flee concert performance of And Justice for All at the Village Christian Church (9401 Ridgeview Drive) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Singing out in Kansas City for more than 23 years, the concert will mark the Oklahoma City debut of this renowned group of singers. A fi’ee-will offering will benefit the BritVil Food Pantry. ~!~ ~"<~STAR 11 �OKC Community Center Planning Committee Meets By Jeanne Flanigan OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The steering committee for the OKC LGBT Community Center met January 21 at Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania. The meeting was attended by 10 people, some representing organizations and some attending as individuals. The goal is to have a building to house a communitT center. Several have volunteered to take responsibilities for aspects of planning for the center, and some want to be identified by first name only, for privacy concerns. Facilitator/Chair of the steering committee is Henry, Building committee chair is Ginger, Finance committee chair is Margaret, Program committee is Larry Schockley, PR/Outreach committee is Eric, and Governance committee is Saul Olivarez. "I]~e cormnittee will begin the process of forming a non-profit 501 C3 organization by reviewing the mission statements of other organizations, selecting a temporary name for the center, forming a board, and writing bylaws. The committee invites anyone interested to make suggestions for a name, attend raeetings, and help advance the process. ~ne PR/Outreach committee will establish a website eventually, but for no,v people can communicate to the committee at okcglbtcenter@ gmail.com. The next meeting will be on February 19, at 6 pro, at Church of the Open Arms. K~ns~s City’s w~rld renowned g~I/men s chorus comes ~ Okl~h~rn~ City ~nd mm, ing ~ne-night-~nly performance. Mickey Coalwell, The Kansas City Star 12 %~A oSTAR February 2009 �Health Departments React with A arm to New CDC Surveillance Data STD Rates Higher Than Ever While Funding For Prevention Declines (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 -- Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released national sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveillance data for 2007. The report shows persistent and staggeringly high rates of STDs as welt as a disproportionate burden of infections on youth, minorities, and women. Upon the release of this information, the National Coalition of STD Directors called for a renewed commitment ftom Congress and President Obama to fight the STD epidemic in the U.S. In 2007, more than 1.1 million Chlamydia cases were reported, which is the largest number of cases ever reported to CDC for any condition. Rates of primary and secondary (P & S) syphilis increased by 15% from 2006, and 65% of all P & S syphilis cases were among men who since Fiscal Year 2003. This has significandy hampered the ability of STD programs in state and local health departments to deliver critical prevention and treatment services, as well as conduct surveillance. "State and local health departments are responsible for controlling this epidemic and often are the medical providers of last resort for persons with STDs. There needs to be a systematic reinvestment in the public health infrastructure to provide the necessaiT clinical services to diagnose and treat STDs and contact exposed partners to insure that they are treated and further spread is prevented," stated Dr. Peter Kerndt, NCSD Board Chair and STD Program Director from Los Angeles County. "In addition to the need for a greater investment of resources for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, NCSD strongly urges Congress and President Obama to support :evidence-based "This report should serve as a wake up call to policymakers and the public that STDs remain a significant public health threat in the U.S., and a scaled up investment of funds are desperately needed for prevention and treatment." prevention programs to prevent STDs, particularly for young people," stated Don Clark. More than $1.6 billion in federal funds have been spent on abstinenceonly-until-marriage programs, which have been unable effectiveness at have sex with men (MSM). In addition, the report shows persistent and growing racial d!sparities in Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea infections. In 2007, Blacks were 19 times more likely to become infected with Gonorrhea than whites, CDC estimates that approximately I~ million STD infections occur each year, and nearly half are among those aged 15:24. African American women between 15 and 19 are particularly hard hit, accounting for the highest rates of Chlan~ydia and Gonorrhea of any group. The consequences of untreated STDs include infertility, pregnancy complications, cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, birth defects and an increased risk of HIV transmission. While rates of STDs have continued to increase, federal funding for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention has steadily declined delaying sexual activity, or reducing rates of STDs, including HIV/AIDS, or unintended pregnancy. Clark continued, "It is time to end these ineffective and harmful programs, and invest ifi sciefice based ~ipproaches to STD prevention, including comprehensive sex education." The National Coalition of STD Directors is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of public health sexually transmitted disease (STD) program directors in the 65 CDC directly funded project areas, which includes all 50 states, 7 cities, and 8 U.S. territories. As the only national organization with a constituency that provides frontline STD services, NCSD is the leading national voice for strengthening STD prevention, research and treatment. These efforts include advocating for effective policies, strategies, and sufficient resources, as xvell as increasing awareness of the medical and social impact of STDs. ’~ place where y’~t c~ be who God c-mated you to be ips becomefamit~v" 5:30 p, m. 761-[878 www.metrostarnews.com ~&~t~°oSTAR 13 �Wockner News Service een to Might British AIDS activist Sweden will not recognize Canadian Two S~vedish Lutheran ministers, Lars Gfirdfeldt and Lars Arnell, have lost their fin!l appeal in a case seeking recognition of their Canadian same-sex marriage. The Supreine Administrative Court agreed with lower courts Dec. 16 that foreign samesex marriages can be recognized in Sweden only as registered partnerships. ~e case targeted Sweden’s taxation authority for allegedly mislabeling the couple’s union. "Ihe ruling, however, may have a limited lifespan. Sweden’s government favors granting same-sex couples full access to marriage, and a new law is expected to be in place by the middle of 2009. Queen Elizabeth II ~mnounced on New i%r’s Eve */ant she will ~ni£ht leadin£ AIDS activist Ni~ Partdd£e, chi~executiw" ofthe AIDS o,gmdzation ~n’ence Hi,,ins ~’ust. THT Queen Elizabefl~ II announced on New Year’s Eve that she will knight leading MDS activist Nick Partridge, chief executive of the MDS organization Terrence Higgins Trust. Partridge told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" by the honor. He will be "invested" later this year when Elizabeth lays a sword on his shoulders. Aussie gay partners gain access to military pensions Australian gays and lesbians will have access to their deceased partners’ military pensions starting in July. The move follows a 2003 ruling by the ofiqce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which found Australia’s refusal to grant the pensions in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. ~Ihe case was brought by Edward Young of Sydney, whose partner of 38 years died 10 years ago. "What I wanted was to take on the little man, (former Prime Minister John) Howard, and fight," Young told Nae Sydney Morning Herald. "What I wanted was something that would apply right across the board." After the 2003 ruling, the former Howard government procrastinated in reviewing its policy, Howard was replaced by Kevin Rudd in December. 14 ~i?et ’oSTAR Senegal }ails nine men for having gay sex Nine gay men in Dakar, Senegal, were jailed for eight years Jan. 6 for the crimes of having gay sex and belonging to a "criminal association," an HIV-services group. HRgZ said the sentences have "produced widespread panic among organizations addressing HIV and MDS, particularly those working with men who have sex with men." Tl~e arrests occurred several days after Senegal hosted the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in Africa. Presentations at the conference highlighted the contradictions in countries such as Senegal that aim HIVprevention efforts at men who have sex with men but continue to criminalize same-sex relations. "ihe International AIDS Society and the Society for AIDS in Afi’ica have demanded that Senegal release nine men who were sent to prison for eight years on Jan. 6 for the crimes of engaging in gay sex and belonging to a "criminal association," the HIV-services group AIDES Sdndgal. Last February, 10 men and a woman were arrested in Dakar, the capital city, after a popular magazine published photographs of a purported marriage ceremony between two Senegalese men. "The arrest of these men based purely on their sexual orientation represents a major setback for the Senegalese response to HIV, which is widely viewed as a model in Africa," SAA President Joanna Mangueira said Jan. 12. Although the individuals were later released, "the publicity and arrests created tremendous public animosity toward LGBT people in Senegal," IGLHRC said. The nine men were sentenced in Dakar, the capital, after being arrested and jailed Dec. 19 following a raid on the apartment of gay leader Diadji Diouf. "MaW gay men and lesbians were attacked by mobs or driven fi’om their homes," the organization said. At the trial, prosecutors used condoms and lube confiscated during the raid to prove that the men had engaged in gay sex. Ugandan gay activists win awsuit On Dec. 19, police raided the apartment of gay leader Diadji Diouf, arrested him and the other men, and confiscated Condoms arid lubricants ..... In a landmark victory, the High Court of Uganda ruled Dec. 22 that constitutional rights apply to GLBT people .......... .... The men were taken to a police station and held until Dec. 24, then transferred to a detention center, where they were held until trial. Human Rights \Vc’atch said the men were beaten while in custody. Activists Victor Mukasa and Yvonne Oyoo had sued the attorney general following a 2005 raid at Mukasa’s home in which documents were seized and Oyoo was arrested, assaulted and sexually harassed. Mukasa was not present at the time of the raid. According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the men’s lawyers had only limited access to case files and little time to prepare for the hearing. At the trial, prosecutors reportedly used the confiscated condoms and lube as evidence tha~ the men had engaged in gay sex. The men received the maximum five-year sentence for engaging in what the Penal Code calls "an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex" and three additional years for being members of the HIV-services organization AIDES Sdndgal, the "cril~ninal associatiom" "IGLHRC is deeply concerned by what appears to be a violation of the right to a flee and fair trial, the right to privacy and the right to freedom from discrimination," the group said. "These charges will have a chilling effect on AIDS programs," added Scott Long, director of Human Rights \Vatch’s LGBT Rights Division. "Outreach workers and people seeking HIV prevention or treatment should not have to worry about police persecution. Senegal should drop these charges and repeal its sodomy law (which) invades privacy, criminalizes health work, justifies brutality and feeds fear." AIDS societies call for release of imprisoned Senegalese gays The men received the maximum five-year sentence for doing what the Penal Code calls "an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex" and three additional years for being members of the "criminal" HIV organization. ............... More XXrorld News Page 18 Justice Stella Arach Amoko found that the raid violated the activists’ rights to, among other things, liberty; privacy, dignity, and protection from unlawful entry, unlawful search, unauthorized seizure and inhuman treatment. "The actions of the officials that molested Victor Mukasa and Oyoo were unconstitutional, inhuman, and should be condemned," Arach Amoko said. "It was my dream that justice would come and it has come," Mukasa said after the ruling. "And it is my bigger dream that justice will come to every human being in Uganda who is oppressed. This does not mark the end. ~Ihe struggle continues until every human being is free." February 2009 �believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identitT. @ Support Ftfll Civil Unions and Federa! Rights fbr LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other umnarried couples. @ Repeal Don’t Ask-Dofft Tell: President Obama agrees w’ith former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don’t ask, don’t tell" polic?: @ Expaald Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must enstire adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not. @ Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency. @Club 209, Tulsa @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ Empower’Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HtV/AIDS diagnoses, President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development Of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force responds to President Obama inauguration speec @ Finishline, Oklahoma City- @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa xWASHINGTON, DC (PR) __ ~Ihe National Gay and l~sbian Task Force responded today to President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech. "America made history today ~vith the swearing-in of Barack Obama as its 44th president. It is our hope this truly marl~ the dawn of a new political era of engagement in the life of this country. In his gpeech, the president spoke of our nation’s need to reat~rm its enduring spirit and ’carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea ... [the] promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.’ @ The End Up, Tulsa www.metrostarnews.com @ Angles, Oklahoma City "Our country has made significant strides in advancing this ’noble ideg toward ful!-fledged realitT, but we’re not there yet. Too many people continue to face discrimination and hardship. As President Obama assumes the role ofAmeric~s ~’oremost leader, we call upon him to fulfill the promise of a nation where lesbian, ga~, bisexual and transgender people are recognized and valued as part of this country’s strength, spirit and solution. ~e fact tl~at the ot~cial White House Web site was updated just this afternoon with a list of commitments to LGBT rights is already enormous positive change." ~®troSTAR 15 �Loo ng for some new exciting wines ? You may wanna check these’ out. "We Just got back fi’om a California road trip. Vie were lieading south on ~iuT 101/a road trip fi’om Napa to Paso R0bles2 Here are some highlights from our trip: Napa Silver Oak/Alexander Valley Cabernet "04 Miner Oracle Red ’05 and the ~qld Yeast Chardonnay ’07 Saddleback Scouts Honor named after wine maker Niels Venge’s late dog. This wine is naostly Zin with Petite Sirah and Charbono. My partner & I did one of our famous annual ~vhifl wind holiday road tours through northern California There are a lot of wineries between Napa & Paso Robles. Grape growing regions are expanding every year and we never have time to see as much as ~ve want to. California has so many wineries to experience and they’re all zip and dmvn the coast. We visited quite a few tasting rooms in 3 days and tried out some really good ~vines. If the wines are listed here, it’s because we fonnd them and the service to be quite exceptional. Not all we sampled will be listed here and although many are not available here in Oklahoma, you may be surprised to find out which ones are. This months recipe courtesy of: Cult Wine Central is a good place to go and check out some of Napa’s more serious wines all under one roof like Ghost Block Cabernet and many, many more. Monterey Ventana Chardonnay Arroyo Seco ’06 Paso Robles Cambria Viognier 07. Bench Break Pinot Noir ’06, Julia’s Pinot Noir ’06 anSthc Tepu-quet Vineyard Syrah ’05 Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir & Chardonnay both are ’06 and estate grmvn. Fess ~Parker Santa Barbara County Viognier ’07 & Melange Blanc ’06 (Marsanne, Ro)~fi & Granache Blanc). Zaca Mesa Estate Rousanne ’06 Photo: M~ D in California wine country Firestone Cabernet Franc Rose ’07 These wines are than describe the invite you to go questions and purchase a bottle some food & wine with out for yourself. This writer is one of the managers at the Grand Vin ~vine shop. He also bar tends and hosts ,vine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. References include: ~ ww. ~neSpectator.com w.lffqneCount~7-his~ek.com ~w.CultI~neCentral.com Rotta Cabernet ’05 & the Heritage Zin ’06, Opolo Summit Creek Zin ’06 1 cup Green onion 2 ts Oregano 2 drops Red hot sauce (optional) Cajun spices (blackened or Cajun king herbed spice excellent) to taste Salt to taste 2 cups Raw white rice To prepare: ~Alligator Jambalaya Ingredients: lb Marinated alligator fillet cut into small pieces 1 lb Hot sausage (Italian) cur into chunks 3 tbs Oil 213 cup Bell peppers chopped 2 cloves Garlic crushed 3/4 cup Parsley 1 cup Chopped fi-esh parsley 1 cup Ch@i3ed celery 2 can Tomatoes ~16 oz each) 2 cups Chicken stock (2 pkg chicken cube mix + water also works) 16 ~’>~ roSTAR In deep frying pan (cast iron preferably) sautd the bell pepper, garlic, parsley and celery. While this is c~oking, adT:l tomatoes & their liquid, the chicken stock &, green onion to a pot that can cook on the stove and in the oven (Corningware) Stir in spices, sautded vegetables raw rice, sausage and alligator fillet pieces. Cook on medium-high heat until liquid is absorbed (stir occasionally to make sure rice doesn’t burn on bottom) and then bake covered in the oven for 25 minutes. NOTE: Alligator meat may not be available in your area, try chicken breast fillet as a substitute: February 2009 �At ~e BOK Center Tulsa L~"W ~e Cable Guy Feb 13, 2009 at BOK Center ’Eat, Drink, and Be Larry" Tickets On Sate Nov 21 @ 10am Prices: $I0, $25. 7 5, $43.75 The man who added the catchphrase "Git-R-Done" to the Banerican lexicon is coming to Tulsa! Dan Whitney, known better as Larry The Cable Gu> has proven to be one of the most successful comics. Larry has received a Billboard Top Comedy Tour Award. For a limited time, we are offering an ’Economic Recovery Package’ where select tickets are buy one get one free. N~is off)r on select seats is valid Friday, November 2tst at 10am until Monday, November 24tb at 6pm gq-tlLE SUPPLIES ~ST! Smucker~ Stars on Ice Feb 15, 2009 at BOK Center Mirren, Gershon, Jordan Saddle Up for Love Rmach "On The Edge" "Tour Sunday, Feb 15th @ 3pm Tickets: $25, $40, $70, $115 Group Discounts: Receive $5 off groups of 10+, Additional incentives for groups of 25+!!! Please call 918-894-4252 to purchase yonr group tickets today and find out more information! In the year leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, skating fans will not find a better preview of America’s favorite Olympic sport. This year Tulsa skating fans are in for a real treat; Smucker’s Stars on Ice is proud to welcome Evan ~vsacek, Two-time U.S. Champion as a very specia! guest for this performance. Trace Adkdns NEW DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2009 with special guest: Craig Morgan. Ticket Prices: $52 and $42 Photo: Helen Mirren Do you want to see Helen Mirren as the madam of Nevada’s first legal brothel? Of course you do, and now you can. She and Joe Pesci will play reaMife married entrepreneurs Grace and Charlie Botempo in Love Ranch, directed by Taylor Ha&ford (who~ also Mirren’s husband). The cast of gay-adjacent favorites also includes Gina Gershon and Bai Ling - playing, one would assume, "rancla hands" - as well as the hilarious Leslie Jordan (Sordid Lives, Wil! & Grace). Between Mirren and Gershon alone, there~ enough caree>spanning Photo: Leslie Jordan cinematic Sapphic scenarios to melt your Caligula and Bound DVDs into liquid plastic, and that’s not even counting the cast members who are actually homosexual. Add Ling and Jordan - one brazen bisexual and one screaming queen, respectively - and it sounds like Love Ranch will offer lots of queer pleasure when it hits theaters later this year. Tomlin Swaddles Sweet Baby Jesus Due to illness, the Trace Adkins concert for Frida?,; December 5th was postponed until Timrsday, February 19, 2009. A series of dates on the tour have been rescheduled after management reported that he had the intestinal flu and needed rime off to recover. M1 tickets previously purchased will be honored. Refunds will be available at point of The V¢-or|d-Famous Lipizzaner Stallions Mar 1, 2009 at BOK Center Tt~e World-Famous Lipizzaner Stallions Sunday; March 1, 2009 Showtimes: 2pm & 6pm Ticket Prices: $34.50, $29.50, & $24.50 Group Discount: 15 or more people get $5 discount on $24.50 tickets and $29.50 tickets. Call 918-894-4252 for more information Romeo loves a good Christmas movie - and if it’s got a whiff of sacrilege, so much the better. Sweet Baby Jesus certainly sounds promising; its about pregnant teenager Mary (Alison Pill of Milk), who returns to her hometown of Bethlehem, Md., at Christmastime. Mary’s got an older boyfriend named Joe - but he’s not the baby’s father, leading rumors to s~virl among the locals that Mary is about to give birth to Jesus in his second coming. Directed by British comedy pro Steve Bendelack (M~: Bean’s Holiday), the film offers an interestingly, eclectic cast, including lesbian goddess Lily Tomlin, Christopher Guest regular Michael McKean, Freddy Got Fingered creator Torn Green, the eve>unpredictable Melanie Griflith, and bear pin-up Hagrid himself, Robbie Coltrane. With any luck, Sweet Baby Jesus will be a blessed theatrical event this December. Can Shankanan Make Bil:die Fly? Kathy Griffin Mouths Off for 50 Years For years, Columbia Pictures has tried to launch a remake of its 1960s hit musical Bye Bye Birdie, about teenage hysteria over an Elvis-like rock icon going into the army: Tina Fey took a crack at a new script, and John Chu (Step Up 2 the Streets) was hired fresh out of film school to make a youthoriented hip-hop version of the property. After those efforts failed to soar, the studio is now turning to one of the few people responsible for making screen musicals viable again - gay Hairspray director Adam Shankrnan. He’ll develop and produce a new version of Birdie, but he probably won’t direct; he’s already got _Bob: The Musical_ and a new Sinbad adventure on his plate. Will Shankman be the wind beneath Birdies wings? Watch this space for flight information. What do you get when you cross Finding Nemo ~vith An Inconvenient Truth? Presumably Around the World in 50 Years 3D, an upcoming animated feature about a sea turtle who hatches in !959 and spends the next five decades traveling all over the Earth and observing what global warming and climate change are doing to the planet. You can’t make a cartoon without an all-star voice cast these days, and Around the World_features gay icon ICathy Gril~n. (Can you really stil! be on the "D List" after you’ve won two Emmys and been nominated for a Grammy? Discuss.) Also piping up for the film are Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy, Anthony Anderson, and the exceedingly ecology-minded Ed Begley Jr. This 3D animated feature is set to turn your kids’ consciences green later this year or in early 2010. Romeo San Vicente has triedforyears to recycle ex-boyj%iends. It doesn’t really work. He can be reached care ofthis publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com. www.metrostarnews.com NetroSTAR 17 �internationa by Donald Pile and Ray Williams ATLANTA, GA Among the dozens of dozens of attractions to see in Atlanta are the APEX Museum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum, CNN Center, Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Georgia Aquarium, Margaret Mitchell House, World of Coca- Cola, and the Woodruff Art Center to name a few. Since Proposition 8, just ALWAYS remember to check out businesses before you give them any of your gay dollars. ~ere are numerous lists on the internet saying which major companies financially supported Proposition 8. Never, ever give them a dime of your money. There are a lot of major companies who have worked extremely hard with the gay 5ommunity and they are the ones we need to give our business to. "He& Bed and Breakfast Adanm, GA We finally have got to visit the beautiful city of Atlanta. We usually just drive thru Atlanta on our way down m Ft. Lauderdale. However this year we decided to stop and "smell the Atlanta roses" for a few days and are we glad that we did! X)ge first checked into the Hello Bed and Breakfast. Mike, the owner is extremely friendly and hospitable. He lmows the city well and can direct you to anyplace you want to go. Atlanta of course is a very huge city and there are enough "Peachtree" streets, avenues, circles, etc. to get even the best driver lost. His B and B is tucked away in a nice, quiet neighborhood in the heart of Atlanta and is located in the lush Morningside neighborhood just north of Midtown and very close to Bucld~ead, Virginia Highlands, EmorT¢; downtown, Lennox Mall and Chinatown. You can walk to many restaurants & nearby shops. They are just a mile from the Lindbergh Marta Station. ~e railway goes directly to the Airport, Downtown, and Chinatown. Visit the CNN Center, Underground Atlanta, Coca-Cola Museum, MLK & President Carter Centers, Centennial Olympic & Piedmont Park. Enjoy their courtyard & small stream through the property plus a wonderful hot tub. They are a pet & smoke free home. They have free Wifi access. You can check out their website at ~.~v.hellobnb.com. Call him at: 404.892.8111. Email at hellobnb@aol.com and it is located at 1865 Windermere Drive. Atlanta is full of gay bars an.d we do mean FULL of gay bars! ~ere is indeed something here for everybody! Lots of disco/dancing bars, leather, cowboy, piano, stripper as well as wonderful neighborhood bars to enjo): The bars are packed neatly all the time in Atlanta. ~is is a Major pa~ty town! And everyone loves to party! The very first bar you need to visit is BURKHART’S PUB which is located at 1492 -F in a strip mall and is the friendliest bar in the entire South! The owners, Mary and Palmer have set the standard attitude 18 Before going to aW major city, always check out: funmaps.com which is the leading gay site for traveling in the entire country. The local gay publication is v,~*av.southernvoice. com and from their xvebsite you can find listings for gay churches, organizations, gay community center and most anything else you need to know about "Ga,v Atlanta: http:/! www.atlantaga.gov/Visitors/Attractions. aspxt anything you need to know about "Gay Atlanta. Also check out: wwvc.atlanta. net and http:llwww.atlantaga.govlVisitorsl Attractions.aspx. level for everyone and the rest of the bar patrons follows. In all of our travels from coast to coast we have never been to a friendlier bar. It is a rather large club with an outdoor patio, several different bars and offers food services everyday including salads, appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. The), have a live DJ every night as well. They have two stories and you can look down onto the large crowd belmv. Very simply put, if you can’t have fun at this bar, you won’t be able to have fun anyplace! Check out their ~vebsite: http://www.burkharts.com/ It is NOT one of Atlanta’s favorite bars, it IS Atlanta’s favorite bar! Tt~e number one person to meet in Atlanta is a gendeman by the Photo: Ray ~lliams, Marko & Donald Pile name of Marko. He can found at Burkhart’s on most days. He was from New York and Of course we just clm’t stress enough to moved to Atlanta a fev¢ years ago and knows remember to have fun when traveling, meet more about hospitality than anyone we new people and talk to everyone! In Atlanta, have met. He introduced us to dozens of we want to give a big thanlcs to Marko and people. ~lhe only major drawback to partying Jasen who are two wonderfu! guys! Thanks in Atlanta is that it is NOT smoke-free! to the owners of Burk~art’s Pub for having Hopefully sometime soon, they will catch up such a wonderful bar! Bar owners around the with the rest of the cities in the country and country should fly down to Atlanta and see have no smoldng! for themselves what a great bar. We dined at Einstein’s Restaurant which is near midtown at 1077 Juniper Street (12th & Juniper Streets), website: einsteinsadanta. com. They have a great atmosphere, tremendous service and ~bod to die for! Everything we had was prepared to perfection. ThiS is THE place to "see and be seeff’ in gay Atlanta! They serve lunch and dinner and are open until 11 PM during the week and Midnight on weekends. On Saturday and Sundays they open at 10:00 AM offering their famous brunches. Be sure and stop by for a meal there. Euro Parliament pushes for gay equality The European Parliament is pushing the 27 member states of the European Union to do better in treating gay people equally. The parliament adopted a report Jan. 14 that urged member nations to recognize each other’s same-sex partnerships and marriages, and condemned homophobic hate speech by political and religious leaders. The report also calls on the European Commission to propose legislation to criminalize anti-gay hate crimes, guarantee the right of free movement ~vithin the EU for same-sex couples, and assure that gay people seeking asylum from anti-gay nations receive it. The parliament further requested that a study be done to gauge the level of harassment and violence experienced by transsexuals in the 27 nations. ~lhe European Union is composed of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovalda, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At least 14 of the nations allow same-sex marriage or have civil-union or registeredpartnership laws that grant some, most or all of the rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples. In related nevcs, Thomas Hammarberg, the human rights commissioner for the 47-nation Council of Europe, recently denounced the mistreatment of transgender people in member nations. "Some people seem to have a problem with the mere existence of human beings whose outer expression of their inner gender identity is not the same as their gender determined at birth," Hammarberg said. "Aggression against transgender persons cannot however be excused as resulting from ignorance or lack of education. These attitudes cause serious harm to innocent and vulnerable people and must therefore be countered .... There is no excuse for not immediately granting this community their full and unconditional human rights." The Council of Europe is composed of Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Lt~xembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway; Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. February 2009 �resort hotels, ; Arts and www.metrostarnews.com {~{®t~’oSTAR 19 �d& by G reg Fox OKC Civic Center sic Hall Febmmry Events Feb Ray’s 83rd Birthday Show Feb. 3 - Feb. 5 Tyler I errys The Marrmge Counselor Feb. 6 .- Mar. 1 LOOK BACK IN ANGER Feb. 7 P~INVENTtNG THE PAST: PAPJF II presented by the Okiahoma Cio~ Philharmonic Feb. 8 Brian Rcgan Feb. 13 - Mar. 1 H~{Y FE~,nER by Noel Coward Feb. I3 - Mar. 7 ~MOST, MAINE a romantic comedy by John Cariani Feb. t3 - Feb. 14 P~S ROUGE - OKC Ballet Company Feb. 18 Menopause the Musical Feb. 20 - Feb. 21 POP GOES ~GAS! presented by the ONahoma Ci~, Philharmonic Rose State College Performing Arts Center Feb 18, 2009 Menopause the Musical Mar 26, 2009 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels February At ~e P.A.C. Feb 4 David Finckel and Wu Han @ John H. Williams Theatre Feb 6-31 FP,]~E Highway 412 PAC Gallery Feb 17 ,~ infinite Ache @ Liddy Doenges ~eatre Feb 20-25 Oprah ~gZinfrey Presents: 7he Color Purple @ Chapman Music Hall Feb 23 The Tannahill Weavers @ John H. ~’Xqlliams Theatre Feb 24 P~atph’s World @ John H. Williams ~aeatre Feb 27 Ethel Cabaret @ Lid@ Doenges ~aeatre Feb 28 Ethel Concert @ John H. Williams "Theatre Metro Star Classfieds 2" square for as litde as $39 per issue. Emaih starnews@sbcglobaLnet E-Mail- KylesBnR@aol.com SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY ema I b tterg rl@q>]ndicate corn 20 ~%troSTAR www, joanhiity, net _.~ -~,0~ February 2009 �by Jack Fertig February 2009 "Accept flattery, Capricorn!" With Venus going into Aries and Mars going into Aquarius, latch on to bold, creative impulses. Take the flirtatious chances that you normally wouldn’t dare to. Think of new approaches to artistic projects you’ve been considering, and get started! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): Trust those inspirational sparks that seem to come out of nowhere, even though they do need the guidance of a practiced expert - and some improvements you won’t think of - to help you bring them to successful fruition. TAURUS (ArR 20 - May 20): Wellmeaning friends offering "helpful suggestions" can unwittingly hit a nerve. Try to take it all in good humor, or just thank them for sharing. Political or philosophical arguments can be less personal and more enlightening. Speak up and state your opinions! GEM~N~ (May 21 - June 20): Someone in charge is taking an interest in you. It could be professional or sexual. This could be great for your career or just a lot of drama at work. Keep your eyes open and think ahead, and you’ll be fine. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Rather than acting on shopaholic impulses, use them as clues to think about what you want, what you really need, and how to practice more efficient economy. A household inventory can also spur a smarter approach to finances. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Accept flattery and flirtations with good grace, enjoying them as passing pleasantries. Try practicing the art of compliments and flirtation yourself. It can be done without compromising your integrity! AQUARIUS (January 20 - February t8): "Retail therapy" is not therapy at all, but a symptom of deeper needs. When you get that expensive impulse, stop and ask what you really want. Deal with the deeper disappointments provoking a yen for compensation, and you’ll be stronger and richer! PISCES (February t9 - March 19): Wear more of the clothing or jewelry you’ve received as gifts. The m~rror of your friends’ eyes can show not only sides of yourself that you rarely consider, but also more of your potential. CANCER (June 21 o Ju~y 22): The stars offer a new romantic adventure! ~f you’re partnered, that could alleviate boredom, but include your mate in the fuu! Anything sporty and sweaty’ is good, perhaps ro!!#r skating in the park or exploring some kink. LEO (July 23 -August 22): "(’our eagerness to try new sexual techniques could leave you open to catching something very nasty. Think ahead on prophylaxis whenever you try anything (or anyone) new! And when was your last check-up? You’re probably fine, but make sure to get yourself tested. WRGO (August 23 - September 22): Even if you’re long-partnered, this is a great time for innovative romantic fun and games. With the love of your life or an _amour du jour_, treat love as an art and explore new techniques. HERA (September 23 - October 22): You’ll get a better or more frequent workout if you figure out how to make it more fun. Exercising at home or with a group of friends you regard as family can help. At least shake it up with some variety. SCORHO (October 23 - November 21): Playful banter can lead you into revealing more of yourself than you intended. This can be good, prompting more intimacy and openness in your friendships. Spats along the way should be easily reconciled. Just don’t take yourself so seriously! METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Uric SpidtofChdst MCC 2902 E 20th Slreet Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM 67 Across 1 The number of people who like it hot 5 New York Liberty game offiCials 9 Pink, fbr one 14 Retreat f~r D.H. Lawrence 15 Colorado, to Co~teau 16 Garment with a flared bottom ! 7 Sui~x with leather dance dub anthem 23 Grid coach Amos ~Alonzo 24 One who looks into c®stal balls 25 Sam6-~eX vow in Conn~:eticut 28 Prepare i6 +h00{ .... 30 Toni c6U~iengm0vie,~,vith The 32 Coi+ por+er Song +ha Wak ahit fo}+Eartha Kitt ~ 37 Cashdrawers 38 "~ake a crack 39 Conquers, sexually 42 Composer EdoUard 43 Smallbush 45 Eartha Kitt~ role on Barman 47 Began a hole, to Patty Sheehan 50 Lanka head 51 MTF operation 52 Scott Oi~Beautiftd Thing 54 Boobs Or bt~tts 58 Eartha Kitt~ 2000 Broadway show 61 Corydon author Gide 64 HaW an opening for 65 Family diagram 66 Open~mo~}hed fives0me 67 A~d othersi for caesari 68 Isl~ hleyJ~n~dn ~ land 69 Eech 6fGreek:ld~e 70 411; ’ 71 Gr{ek love 68 3 Choral work at Metropolitan Community Chur& 4 Gay fbrmer NFL player Tuaolo 5 Field of Gene RoBinson 6 Sappho’s H~ 7 Sows one’s seed. e~c. 8 Didn’t leave the next morning 9 Minnelli movie 10 Brothers & Sisters producer Ken 11 Labium 12 A Chorus Line song 13 Color of a Columbus circuit party 2 t "How queer !" 33 It puts people out 34 Rubbers on rims 35 Macho man 36 Facial follower 40 Article of Frida 41 Have between your legs ~ Animal painter Rosa 46 TuI~ Ofl~ubic hair, e.g; 48 Some escorts w~t i~ up f~ont 49 Brown-nosed, ~wth over 53 Of course I people ... (Quentin Crisp) 55 Debussy contemporary Erik 56 Bill), B~an boo-boo 57 Po61 party? 58 perry; ofi~letropolitan Community Church 59 Ball~t move 60 Votes for, for ~Frank 61 some sex-toy bateries 62 R. Mapplethorpe supporter 63 Sh0~t Down 1 One w,ay to cook fruit 2 Scout ~ ~ecitation, and others MCC of the Living Spdng 17 Elk S eet Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and Blessed Day! www.metrostarnews.com ~I ~t~oSTAR 21 �c assifi $ BUY GI Joe Action Figures (!2" size Only) i mygijoe@cox.net or ca11(405) 249-4515 I Buy OLD or NEW In Box or Out of Box (send pic with asldng price) Keller Williams Realty Rooms For Rent Chuck greckenridge $380 per month plus tax ALL Bills Paid N~e Habana Inn 2200 N W 39th www.habanainn.com Whether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. ALL Major Credit Cards Accepted KING OF MASSAGE Great Touch Man to Man CHECK OUT UNIQUE f:idI Body Massag~ 1o800o535oAIDS (2437) 2 hands or 4 hands available Oklahoma’s HIV!aTD H0tline PRONOT YOURSELF PROTECT YOUR PARTNER(S) Community For People ~iving 31 Now Hiring Male & Female H~V/A~DS a 50~ c (3) Non Profit Organixadon 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 maRy of our people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HtV+ 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 ou rhousetoo9865@sbcglobal.net "~W’~.METROSTARNEWS.C OM 22 February 2009 �Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. ACCOMODAEIONS: F[ABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-528-222t www.babanainn.com ICELLY I~RBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant V~i.ERIE WILLIFORD 625 N3~Z 13th Street Oidahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 OKC M OP,TUARY 2415-C N. \VTALNUT AVE. Oldahoma City, OK 800-913-1310 ANGLES 21 t7 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City~ OK wv~v.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836~8700 wv~v.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 91~-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Ti.dsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City; OK 405-525-2900 ~a~v.habanainn.com HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 3 t st "Balsa, 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 MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 v~wv.mcctulsa.org CHUCK BRECI~NRIDGE Keller Williams Realty, Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: ~wvw.gaybradyheightstulsa.com GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn TOM & JERRYS 1501 N.\~ 23RD Oklahoma City; OK 405-524-9100 OK£AHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E. 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.org 0 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 JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK . j udygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSXYZAY Oklahoma City; OK 73112 405-840-2106 ~vw.c21 goldcastle.com THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City; OK 405-525-0730 w~s~v.habanainn.com 0 F A R TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 9!8-592-! 188 www.tulsaeagle.com S CO ~IDIOI $I I I THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 9t8-836-0915 T ~ LILISI L AILIOI W 0 MIAINI THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 ~wa,~: habanainn .corn PA RITIYI EXPRESSIONS Comm Fellowship 6009 NW Expressway Oldahoma City, OK 405-761-! 878 www.expressionsOKC.com www.metrostarnews.com D ~et~°oSTAR 23 �� 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 E FOR President Obama’s Gay Rights Agenda The new whitehouse.gov .... .Page 10 WWW.METROSTARNEWS.COM Gay community upbeat TULSA, OK__ Despite the involvement of controversial Pastor Rick Warren, the gay and lesbian community responded generally favorable to the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20. "This is a big moment for all of the people who feel we were shut out by the Bush Administration," said Oklahoma resident Brian DunleaW, 36. Dunleavy traveled from Green Country to Washington D.C. to witness the inaugural parade and events. "That includes gays and lesbians. Obama is clearly a friend to US, even if many of us don’t always agree xvith him on everything. This could be the beginning of a new era for us." for the inauguration ceremonies. "WE DELIVER DIVERSITY" FEBRUARY 1, 2009 about By Michael W. Sasser new president he was not happy about Warren’s involvement but that he "didn’t go to D.C. for the prayer." Oklahomans for Equality Celebrates Anniversary at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center Photo by Chaz "Hopefully it’s just a bump in the road," he added. Warren, the controversial evangelical pastor at Orange County, CA’s Saddleback Church, delivered the inaugural invocation at Tuesday’s ceremony. Warren was an outspoken supporter of California’s Proposition 8, the California measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state. 365gay. com reported that the website for Warren’s church specifically stated until recently that unrepentant gay people were not welcome to attend services. In perhaps the most virulent P~oto: Dennis R. Nei!I Equalil.y Center Downtown Tulsa ’.;Warren has compared gay marriage to sanctioning TULSA, OK (PR) __In February 1999, the Pyramid Project hosted their first major fundraising event by holding a Wild H~S ~! ~ ~he Ta~ Brady Mansionl TII~ evening the ~°nnnued ~ee OBAMA Page’10 ~i~i6fi 6£~ ~fi~h0~ f~r the EG~Smmunity in north~k~ OH~6~[~s prelented~ Th~ dream seemed very far away. 0KC Pride Parade Stays on 39th Street Festival Will Move, No Longer At Memorial Park By Victor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Amid an abundance of controversy and hearsay, OKC Pride hosted an open meeting January 5 at the Days Inn West, anticipating a much larger crowd than usually attends these meetings. True enough, around 60 GLBT & allied people attended to voice Concerns about rumours that OKC Pride Inc, which administers the annual June OKC Pride Parade & Festival, was not only planning to move the festival to Remington Park, but that the parade would be moved to Remington Park as well. The OKC Pride Parade route had always been, since its beginning in 1987, from Memorial Park at N.W. 36th & Classen Boulevard concluding on N.W. 39th Street & ¥oungs Street, taking it over the now famous hill leading to the crowds on the Strip, an area where many of the gay community have felt at home for decades. OKC Pride pointed out that moving from Memorial Park was unavoidable for many reasons, including that the Festival itself had outgrown the park and less space was available due to the new Boys and Girls Club building as well as other projects under construction. Another problem was that the City of Oklahoma City required vendors on city parks to pay a sales permit fee of $150 per day ($100 for nonprofits) which made the cost of doing business prohibitive for many of the vendors. Although some members of the board were not happy with the Remington Park location for many reasons, so far it was the only option they had found, and Paul Thompson stated that if anyone could present another viable option it would definitely be considered. Passions ran much higher concerning the Parade route, as this route had been a long held tradition since the beginning ........... Continued See OKC PRIDE Page-6 This February 13th, 14th, and 15th we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wild Hearts Ball and the 3rd anniversary of living in our permanent home, The Dennis R Neill Equality Center. As a mission and vision moving toward fulfillment, this year’s Anniversary Weekend expands with even more events and greater visibility for EQUALITY. Friday, February 13th at 4:00 pm kiclcs offwith a fabulous wedding reception! We will celebrate the unions of local couples who have traveled out of Oklahoma to get married, registered as domestic partners, or conducted civil unions in those places where it is recognized by the municipality, state, or country. The media has been invited to cover this special event of our community, honoring our community heroes. Oldahomans for Equality will present a certificate of recognition to our couples and a photographer will be present to memorialize the moment. As a family, we will toast our happy couples and cut the wedding cake. .........Continued See OKEQ Page-9 Oklahoma Weather Forecast for February 2009 ’-~,~÷~ Feb. 1-5: Sunny, turning warmer ~ Feb. 6-12: Rainy periods, chilly @ Feb. 13-19: Snow north and central, rain ¯ ~ south, then sunny, cold ~ Feb. 20-22: Showers, chilly Feb. 23-25: Rain, mild Feb. 26-28: Snow north, rain south; colder Avg. Temperature: 44° (4° brow avg.) Precipitation: 1.5~ (0.5" below avgl) Kansas City’s ’ Chorus Mirreni Jim Roth says goodbye to politics. "God bless you citizens of Oklahoma for you have blessed me so. Thank you for the honor to serve you." Thank You Jim! Page 4 2 February 2009 ~tine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. tn ancient Rome, Februa~ T t4th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. ~ae Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. ~e following day, February ’The good Saint Valentine (photo above) was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint V~flentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia. The lives ofyoung boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festiva! of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl’s name from the jar and would then be parmers for the duration of the f’estival with the gir! whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdora on the 14th day of February, around the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names ofyoung women were placed in a box, from which they xvere drawn by the men as chance directed.~The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting {:all in love and would later marry. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. ~e believed that. the reason was t}~at Roman men did not want to leave A~eir loves or {hmilies. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in MARDI GRAS FAT TUESDAY Celebrations include lots of ~asting, partying and parading on the big da~; also known as Shrove Tuesday - just before Ash Wednesday - when the Church rules offasting and sacrifice take erect. It’s been that way in Christian countries around the ~vofld since the Middle Ages. Today most ofthe world’s celebrations occur duirng the ~veek of Fat Tuesday; which falls on February 24th this yeal: Fat Tuesday in New Orleans It’s been four long years since the devastation of the names of saints for those of maidens. As the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine’s Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom ofyoung men choosing maidens ~br valentines, or saints as patrons fbr the coming year, arose in this way. Hurricane Katrina, and the biggest part), town in America will pick itself up for the 2009 Fat Tuesday- celebration with even bigger crowds - and more parades - expected this year. The New Orleans Mardi Gras parade schedule kicks offonJanuary 6 and continues through to Fat Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebrations around the world The biggest and loudest of them, as always, are in Rio and Ne~v Orleans...although the Karneval, or Fasching, festivities in Cologne and Berlin get pretty wild, Carnaval in Nice shows off the wackier side ofthe trendy Riviera scene, and the Italians in Venice are the worldwide experts on the art of street theater. For anyone who’s ever been dumped, jaded, didn’t get the box of chocolates they wanted~ had bad sex or just wants to get lucky because VALENTINE’S DAY SUCKS! $8 VALUE WITH PURCHASE OF 2 DIHH£R EHTREE$ AT REGULAR PRICE Bring this ad with you to receive this special offer Not vatid with any other coupon, discount or offers. w,~t,,.metrostarnews.com M®t~"oSTAR 3 A P VILEGE TO HAVE SERVED By Jim Roth OYd2kHOMA CITT, OK __ It is with immense gratitude that I say thank you to my fellow citizens for the opportunity to serve you these past years. I am forever grateful for the chance to toil in the field of public service and I am forever blessed because of you. In an inspiring speech titled "~e Man in the Arena," President Theodore Roosevelt said "the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and who spends himself in a worthy cause." While I appreciate these words, the true credit belongs to the citizens who gave me the chance to serve. As your Corporation C.ommissioner and as an Oklahoma County Commissioner, I accomplished every task I had hoped. My guiding principle was simple: Always put the people first. I thrust myself into the arena and fought the good fight defending the rights of all people. I took an oath to honor all people and in turn you have given me the highest honor of my life -- the chance to give back. As a Corporation Commissioner, i worked to expand the horizon of Oklahoma through native blessings like natural gas and wind, through new energies and energy ei~iencies. I encouraged our utility providers to think bigger and am glad fl~ey are making progress today. These willing partners are developing programs that will benefit generations of Oldahomans to come. At Otdahoma County, we implemented programs that eliminated public waste and saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. Xg4e built better roads and bridges and brought relief to our aging senior citizens. It xvasn’t always easy battling entrenched attitudes that resisted change, but working with you I never worked alone. In the end, I feel that I left Otdahoma County much better than I found it because you trusted me to serve you. So as I move into the next chapter of my life I will take with me all tl~e good friends and memories made along the way. My time in public service has come to an end, but my desire to make this state the best it can be has not. I am excited for new opportunities and new arenas to create the change I wish to see in the world. I have devoted my career to public service these past 14 years and your help along this journey has made me a better person. I hope I have made you better as well. As this chapter closes, I am reminded of another passage from President Roosevelt’s speech, where he says: "If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so tl~at he may never be one of those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory nor defeat." God bless you citizens of Oklahoma for you have blessed me so. Thank you for the honor to serve you. Former State Senator Running to Chair OKC Schoolboard. By Victor Gorin P/~oto: Fom~er State &nator Angela Monson Seldom has our communit); and those interested in true quality educaOon for the Oklahoma City School District had such an opportunity as xve have now to elect a true progressive with a vision that could effect meaningful change. First elected to the Oklahoma State Legislature as a representative in 1990, she moved up to the State Senate in 1993, re-elected until she was forced out by term limits in 2005. During that time she never failed to take proud stands for any progressive cause, and was proud to be a keynote speaker at the OKC MDSWalk as well as our Pride Festival. Most importantly, she attended the Oldahoma City Public School System, a 1973 graduate of Douglass High School, following both her parents. Earning a Master’s degree in Public Health Administration from OU, she is currently employed at the OU Health Sciences Center as Director of Health Policy Development and Analysis. She currently is raising her niece and nephew ( Donovan 18, Danielle 10), also attendees of the OKC school system, so not only does she understand the problems firsthand, she has the passion to make it better. She shares ~vith the Metro Star: Victor: Angela, you must know what you are taldng on. What made you decide to xvant to run for tiffs office? Angela: I did it for our children. That really is what prompted me. These last 3 years I have been working really intensely witl~ students from the OKC public schools. What I have seen has really concerned me greatly. We should be embarrassed at the quality of education our children are receiving. I want to change the priorities, to make a difference as to the quality of education all of our children receive. Victor: What are the worst problems ~ve are facing there? Continued See MONSON Page-9 RAIN Oklahoma Begins New HIV Testing Outreach on OKC’s 39th Street Strip By Victor Gorin Tulsa-Area LGBTS Church Celebrates New Pastor TULSA, OK (PR) __ MCC United(MCCU) is a thirty yea>old, Tulsa-area church that is part of the worldwide Universal Fellowship of Metropolirtan CommunitT Churches which invite Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight people to full inclusion and total participation in all aspects of church and ministry life. On Sunday, February 1st, 2009, the Reverend Ed Paul*will preach his first sermon as Pastor ofMCC United. Pastor Ed is well known among the LGBTS community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has preached often at MCCU. Photo: [@ndell Powers, counselor, I~i Dameron, CTR Outreach Coordinator OKLAHOMA CITy, OK __ Regional AIDS Interfaith Network ( better known as R.A.I.N.) has begun an HIV testing outreach on OKC’s 39th Street Strip. Beginning on Saturday Jannary 24, and followed on the 1st Saturday of each month, free anonymous HIV testing will be provided fi’om 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Brief Connection, a popular undergear/novelty shop located at 2!35 N.XgZ 39th Street. This Will help fulfill a need for those who had been getting testing and other assistance at the Red Rock Clinic located on the Strip that had closed at the end of 2008. As Kendall Powers points out, "Many people in tl~at area are transient, people may not know where help is available, and may not have transportation." Testing is also done at the R.A.I.N. Clinic located at 600 N.W. 23rd Street, hours Monday thru Thursday 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., when rapid testing is offered, which can show results in around 20 minutes. Testing like,vise here is free and anonymons. The clinic also is open on Friday with the same hours, but the rapid test is not available. Pastoral Search Team Leader Nathan Black said, "I believe this is exactly ~vhat God has for this church. Pastor Ed’S heart for people and his powerfu! leadership will be a tremendous gift to our church and our community. I believe God is calling MCCU to grow and expand its vision and mission, reaching all of northeastern Oldahoma with a message of God’s inclusive and transformative love, and I believe Pastor Ed is the man to lead us on that journey." The church is inviting community members and friends to attend worship at MCCU on Sunday morning, February 1st at 11:00 AM and to share a Celebration Potluck Dinner that ,;viii follow the service. For those who may be unable to attend worship, but want to come to the Dinnm; it should begin around 12:30pm. The church is located at 1623 N. Maplewood, just offofN. Pine and Reading. You can learn more about MCCU by visiting their website at www.mcctulsa.org, sending an email to iworship@mcctulsa.org or calling 9!8-838-1715. ...........More Oklalaoma News Page 6 With tlais outreach and other plans for testing and education, R.A.I.N. wants the GLBT community as well as Oldahomans in general to knmv that they are still around working to prevent the spread of HIV and helping those living witla it. Speakers are available upon request for groups interested in learning about HIV. For more information, please call (405) 232 2437. email: kdanersib@ rainoklahoma,org "uptc¥ * ~i~iI Rights -Criminal 4 ~(~t~°oSTAR February 2009 w:~.metrostarnews.com t~et~ oSTAR 5 of the parade over 20 years ago. OKC Pride’s Male co-chair Paul Thompson dispelled turnouts that city government was behind the proposed change, stating that the City had been totally cooperative for raany years. Communication was stressed as ~vell, with many people at the Ineeting stating tbat they had never been asked for their input or support, and had not been informed of OKC Pride activities. Feraale co-chair Latricia Ohnstead stated that" It’s great that you guys have come out saying xvhat you want us to do differently, but you need to come up with some solutions and possibilities to help us make it better." Monty Milburn, President of the Diversity- Business Association, suggested that the Parade be held on Saturday, so that those fi’om out of town could arrive on Friday night, enjoy the festival and parade, and return to their homes Sunday without being rushed, and while he commended the current board members and volumeers, he did stress the need for" new blood" and new ideas. Following this public discussion, the OKC Pride Board voted unanimously to keep the parade on the same route it has always been, and announced that the next meeting would be January 26, where it would be decided, after considering all options, where and when the festival would be and when the parade would take place. At press time the outcome was not available so to find out more inforraation after that date call (405 410- 8102 to reach Paul Thompson or check OKC Pride’s website at www.okcpride.org. Obviously- more community involvement is needed, along with better communication. But as Paul 2Pnompson puts it, ’We hope that the parade and festival wil! continue to grow, and that those who feel there needs to be new blood, ideas and people will come out to be part of that and make it happen" EQUAL RIGHTS IN EVERY STATE TEACH IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) On February 14, 2009, on the South Steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol at noon, there will be a "Teach Iff’ supporting equal rights in every state. While this is largely a gay event, members of the faith community are attending and wilt be speaking to the issues of"Family Values", which has become a code word for homophobia. We intend to expose, through the use of faith based communities, that "Family Values" are toxic to gay people and to society as a whole. Our Teach In is not a protest, it is not a rally, it is a positive message that we as gay people already have equality spelled out in the Constitution, and we are going to call upon our elected officials to enforce the la~v of the land with a positive message post card campaign to our elected representatives in Oldahoma and Congress. Unless and until we ask for enforcement of our rights in every state we will not have them simply granted to us. Until we can TEACH the greater community that gay people are just regular people, doctors, laxwers, teachers, postal workers, business owners and laborers, the pervasive view of "Family Values" will persist. Now is the time, change happens. Please participate in some ~vay. You can attend the Teach In starting at noon on the South Capitol Plaza on February 14, or you can request a pack of 8 post cards for a $10 donation (we’ll pay the postage) to send to your elected representatives along with hundreds of other people, gay and straight. You can contact the coordinator. Peter Myers at hpkanyersmd@yahoo.com, you may mail your request to Peter Myers, 2512 NW41st Street, OKC, OK 73112, or call at 405- 815-4059. We look forward to everyone participating. Please get involved to end all discrimination against gay people. Eq~ality- It’s Already t’ot¢r C’onstit~¢tional R{ght. adopdom so Chance also xvet- Coweta 918-486 2137 are fully tax deductible, Siloam Springs 479 524 6535 Claremore 918 341 1260 Following a screening process, the $70 adop- Sand Springs 918 246 2543 tion fee includes spa~ing/neuteringpius all Jenks 918 299 63111 vaccinations appropriate fbr the adi~aal~ age. Owasso 9t8-272-4965 Sapulpa 918 227 2722 To get involved or to adopt a cat or dog call Norman 405 321 6725 (405) 321q915 or e-mail " Collinsville 918 371 I000 secondchancenorm@aol.com Courtesy ofwv~-w.labrescue.net 6 5Zt~,troSTAR February 2009 Wockner News Service Gay bishop Robinson a so selected for inaugura @Je RI; Rev. H Gene Robinsom the open,gay and?artnered bishop (fd~e Episcopal Church~ ~wHamuhire diocese, a~livered @e invocation at ganzck Obama~ inaugmnd concert at the Lincoln Memorkd on.~¢n. ~ 8. GL~Dphoto Amid the controversy over Barack Obama’s selection of anti-gay preacher Rick g~rren to ddiver the invocation at his inaugural, Obama announced Jan. 12 that the Rt. Re~: V[ Gene Robinson, the openly gay and partnered bishop of the Episcopal Church’s New- Hampshire diocese, would deliver the invocatmn at the inaugur~d concert at @e Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18. Obama attended the concert. Because Robinson is gay and partnered, his selection as bishop in 2003 has led to an evolving schism in the Episcopal Church and a near-schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch. "President-elect Obama has made a stellar choice in selecting Bishop Gene Robinson to offer the prayer at the Lincoln Memorial to kick offthe inaugural festivities," Rea Care); executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said after the announcement. "For the first time in history, an out gay man will lead the nation in opening the transfer of power from one administration to another." Log Cabin Republicans are broke ~ne gay group Log Cabin Republicans is broke and $100,000 in debt, according to the Washington Blade. LCR President Patrick Sammon said the troubled U.S. economy has impacted donations to the organization. The ~roup currently has vwo flail,time employees and one part-time employee, three fewer than a year ago. in at least 77 nations and punishable by death in at least seven. The statement was signed by Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finlaaad, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel~ Ital); Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norwa}( Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, S~o Tom4 and Prfncipe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor- Leste, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. Fifty-seven nations signed an alternative statement, promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, daat said universal human rights do not include "the attempt to focus on the rights of certain persons" because "the notion of orientation spans a xvide range of personal choices that expand way beyond the individual’s sexual interest in copulatory behavior with normal consenting adult human beings, thereby ushering in the social normalization, and possibly legitimization of many deplorable acts." The U.S. did not sign either statement. ACLU sues over new Arkansas adoption ban ¯ne American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Dec. 30 seeking to strike down a new voter-passed laxv that bans any unmarried person ~vho lives with a partner from serving as an adoptive or foster parent in At’kansas. ~-he suit, filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court, argues that the ban violates federal and state constitutional rights to equal protection and due process. Twenty-nine people from a dozen families are participating in the case as plaintiffs, including a grandmother who lives with her same-sex partner and is the only relative willing to adopt her grandchild, who is in At’kansas state care. Several married heterosexual couples also are plaintiffs. They previously had chosen friends or relatives who are coupled but not married to adopt their children in the event 0fthe parents’ deaths. "We’ve been hearing from all corners of the state from dozens of families who are panicking about how Act 1 impacts them," said Rita Sldar, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "~ais kiw ... takes away parents’ right to decide fbr themselves xvho will adopt their children if they die, it denies the many children in Arkansas state care a chance at the largest possible pool of potential foster and adoptive homes, and (it) denies couples who are living together but unmarried the chance to provide loving homes to children who desperately need them." Four arrested in California lesbian rape case After receiving tips from residents, police in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Richmond arrested two men and two teens Jan. 1 for allegedly raping a lesbian while making antigay slurs. Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, Josue Gonzalez, 21, and Darrell Hodges, 16, were arraigned in Contra Costa County Superior Court Jan. 5 and 6 on charges that included carjacking, kidnapping, gang rape and hate crime. The fourth suspect, a 15-year-old, will be tried as a minor. Bail was set at $2.2 million for Hernandez and $1.85 million for Gonzalez. They could face up to life in prison if found guilty. Barney Frank details congressional gay agenda Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Jan. 12 that three long-delayed pieces of gay-related legislation likely will pass and become law now that Congress has a Democratic majority and the incoming president is gay-friendly. "We’re going to do three things in Congress," Frank, D-Mass., told The New Yorker. "First, a hate-crimes bill -- that shouldn’t be too hard. Next, employment discrimination. We almost got that through before, but nmv we can ~vin even ifwe add transgender protections, which we are going to do. And finally, after the troops get home from Iraq, gays in the military. 7he time has come." San Francisco Catholic church vandalized with swastika The Dec. 13 attack began after the woman got out of her car, which had a rainbow sticker on it. One of the men hit her with an object, ordered her to strip and raped her on the spot, with assistance from the other men, police said. Nxe woman ~vas then forced into her car and driven to a more remote location, where she was raped inside and outside the car. After about 45 minutes, the assailants left in the victim’s vehicle with her wallet, leaving her naked at the scene. Police had offered an $11,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the alleged attackers. Gay mayor takes once in Portland, Ore. Sam Adams took the oath of office as mayor of Portland, Ore., Jan. 1 at 12:01 a.m., making the city the largest in the country with aft openly gay mayor. Adams, 45, captured more than 50 percent of the vote in a May 20 primary election that had 13 candidates, thereby avoiding a general-election runoff. He has promised to make Pordand "cleaner, greener, more sustainable, smarter, more equal, better educated." San Diego is the largest city in ATmerica ever to haace had an openly gay mayor. Toni Atkins held the jok for five months in 2005. She was appointed by the Civ Cguncil after both the mayor and the deputy, maygr quit in the wake of a pensionfunding debacle. SMq FRANCISCO, CA __ Someone spray-painted a Roman Catholic church in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood with a swastika Jan. 4 in apparent protest of San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer’s support for Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot initiative ~vith which voters amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage. Accompanying red-and-black text sprayed on Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church said: "Prop H8 - Niederauer Ratzinger - Where is the love?" Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI. Most Holy Redeemer is considered to be liberal and gay-friendly, as Catholic churches go. MORTUARY SERVICE,~ Traditional Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405) 23(}- 131~) or !-800-913-1310 Pre-Need Plan CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 2415-C North Walnut Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma www.rnetrostarnews.com 5,~®@’oSTAR 7 OMING ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO THEIR STATE LEGISLATUIBy Victor Gorin Photo: State Representative Cathy Connol& When Cathy Connolly got elected to the Wyoming Legislature as a Democratic representative for House District 13, she made history as the Cowboy State’s first openly gay legislator. All things being relative, it is one of the more progressive districts ofWyoming, inside one of only two counties in the state that went blue this last election. Born in Troy, New York, she came to Wyoming in 1992. Holding both a PhD in Sociology, and a law degree earned at the State University ofNew York in Buffalo, she is now a professor of women’s studies at the UniversitT ofWyoming in Laramie. Public policy has been an area of keen interest for her. Urged by her peers to run for this office, Ms. Connolly is active in the communit): She is a strong advocate for ~vorking people and one of her major objectives as a legislator will be to try to lessen the wage gap between men and women, which in ~’yoming is the highest in the nation. Connolly also wants to work to improve healthcare and education, and to create a better environment for all minorities, including Wyoming’s GLBT community. Obama spokesman: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tel~ is history By \Vocl~ler Wire Sen*ice New White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban on open gays in the military will be repealed. In a video posted in mid-January at change.gov, in which Gibbs answered some ofthe 72,000 questions Americans have submitted to the site, he said: "Thaddeus from Lansing, Mich., asks, ’Is the new administration going to get rid ofthe "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy ?’" Gibbs answered: "Thaddeus, you don’t hear a politician give a one-word answer much, but It S, Yes. "We should be embarrassed at the quality of education our children are receiving. I want to change the priorities, to make a difference in the quality o~ education all o~ our children receive." "The two candidates are Angela Monson and Kirk Humphreys. We know from Angela’s track record that Angela cares about minorities and the GLBT community, and will understand problems like school bullying, and we know that Kirk Humphreys clearly doesn’t get it." Paul Thompson, C0-Chair of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus Angela is far and away the best candidate for this position. It is imperative that we get out and vote for her. Margaret Cox, Activist To volunteer or For more information call www.Monson4ourchildren.org ® monsonforourchildren@yahoo.com 8 ~÷troSTAR February 2009 At 5:00 pm MY BIG EAT GAY \X;%DDING FAIR opens with vendors and merchants throughout the center. These local companies cater to same gender couples looking to plan their speciai da> Several honeymoon destinations will be participating iu a raffle fbr free prizes. Saturday, February 14th at 7:00 pm the dancing and partying begins with the 10th annual \Vild Hearts Ball. DJ Zeke Richardson will be playing the tunes to light up the dance floor. Raffles and prizes will be given away all evening. A cash bar and party foods will satisfy your palate. A photographer will be present for those special part), pics. Admission is free for members of OkEq, $10 admission f~e for non OkEq members. Your admission fee can be applied to your first installment of a $50.00 OkEq membership. Child care will be provided in the Wellness Room on the second level for children under 12 years of age. ~e will have games, crafts and special Valentine snacks for our young guests. Sunday, February 15th we celebrate FAITH with music and a wonderful brunch buffet. The second annual Brunch and Blessing will be in the Events Center. We will have a 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm seatings. Admission is $10.00 for the buffet and $2.00 for mimosas. John Sawyer will be our host extraordinaire and will be joined by Tulsa’s finest choirs, choruses, orchestras, bands and local musical artists like Rebecca Ungerman, Mindy Bardett, and Jarod Tyler. Ten years ago our community dreamed of a permanent home for the LGBT citizens of Oklahoma. Anniversary Weekend ,vill celebrate the progress towards full equality in the state we call home. You can join Oklahomans for Equality and become a full member t’or $50.00. Membership gives you discounts on special promotions in our Pride Store, discounts on special events, and supports the important work of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Please embrace our mission of serving our community and progressing towards equality. Angela: Dropout rates, which is indicative of the problems we are having. Some schools in our district have dropout rates over 60%. That~ terrible, they wind up in the street and too often in our prison system. On test scores, our students overall still are performing poorly. Too many students say ’I hate school!’ I want our students to be excited about the value of learning. Across America our students are not performing well enough in math and science, lagging behind other countries. don’t ~vant to become dependent on other countries for our technology, we need to educate our own to bring back our high skill/high tech .jobs. Victor: What abou.t teachers? Angela: Teacher pay is an issue, Oklahoma is 48th in the nation and I’ve heard complaints about it, but more often I’ve heard teachers express concerns about their facilities, about having to pay for school supplies with their own money. That ~hould never happen. Instead of raises for administrators, I’d like to see the money better spent on the classroom. There is a huge mistrust between the public and the administration of the school system. People don’t feel they have a voice, and as the board chair I can involve parents and the public, including groups such as the Parent-Teacher Association, faith based organizations and those groups and individuals who want to be involved. I’m a PTA president myself, I’ve worked after school programs, so I understand the problems and what needs to be done. Victor: A major issue for the GLBT community is school bullying. Currently in the Oklahoma City Public School Handbook, real or perceived sexual orientation is not listed as a category among groups not to be bullied, unlike other protected groups such as race and religion. We have tried for years to get that changed with no success. Remember what made a dream a reality for Dorothy? Click your heels and say "Tulsa.......... there is no place like home." Bathroom Bingo A Big Success TULSA, OK (PR) __ Free Bingo has caught on at Tulsa’s End Up Club. The Thursday 6:30pm event now in it’s 2nd month has attracted a large following of locals out for a fun time and the chance to ,vin great prizes. They play five games, 4 straight bingo for beer tabs, Walmart gift cards, and gas cards. The last game is blackout, and the winner gets a chance to choose one of five gift boxes. One holds the grand prize. The first grand prize was a very nice Swiss Army watch won by a Tulsa celebrity. The End up is Tulsa’s newest bar located at 5336 E. Admiral P1. Phone 918-836-0915 Angela: There is never any reason to bully anyone. We knmv that there is a problem, that people are bullied, discriminated against & treated differently,due to their real or perceived sexual orientation. \Vhy do we put our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not an issue? This gives tacit approval for this behavior, implying that it’s OK to be mean to people who are different. Not only should it be listed as a category, we should go further to show people how to trust and respect people who are different. As with human nature, sometimes there is friction. But like when you rub two sticks together, it creates heat and light, and used properly it can be beneficial. Addressing prejudice and dealing with it correctly can sometimes mal<e things better. ~is can be an opportunity to teach, empower and make a positive difference. Not only that, but kids would perform better academically when there are less of these kinds of conflicts and social pressures, Sunday Services @ 11:00 AM CC United 918-838-1715 A Metropolitan Community Church www.rncctulsa.org Victor: As~ything else special you’d like to add? A_ngela: An educated worl~orce and general population makes our whole society better for a lot of reasons, and I want to help make that happen here in Oklahoma City. Victor: Thank you Angela, and I hope you get your chance to go do that. To reach Angela; call 405 314 961"3, Email: Monsonforourchildren@ ~g,~rel°°,cOnl bsite: Monson4ourchildren. Org www.metrostarnews.com P~®t~’oSTAR 9 vi÷w oints road to Barack presidency paved by entertainment machine By Jerry Libonati FT LAUDEPd)ALE, FL __ ’11~e movie and television industry may have had a hand in shaping public opinion about electing a black president by depicting African-Americans in the role of Americas number one Seeing situations on screen allows viewers to get used to a new idea. As early as 1972 a movie about the first black president hit the silver screen. Based on a novel by Irving \Vgallace, The Man starred James Earl Jones. Ironically, the screenplay was written by Rod Sefling as if to suggest that such a scenario could only be seen on ~l~ne ~i\vilight Zone. More than two and a half decades lateI; Morgan Freeman played the lofty role in the 1998 comet-snaashing film, Deep h’npact. It appeared in theaters at a time, not that long ago, when no one in the real world seriously entertained the idea of a black president. Dennis Haysbert took the role on the Fox television series, 24 that premiered in 2001. In ~lct, Haysbert was voted "Favorite On-screen President" by a Blockbuster poll. "If auything, my portrayal of David Palmer; I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people.., to prove the possibility* there could be an M~rican-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first," Haysbert told reporters in a July 2008 teleconference. If Hollywood could change the way Americans thiuk about having a black president, could it also influence the way Americans took at gay and lesbian people? It already has. ~Ihe younger you are the less you will be aware that movies and "~ shows have dramaticall) changed. %efve evoNed over the years to include gay and lesbian characters. It wasn’t always like that. For most of the twentieth century, there were virtually no gay/Iesbian personalities on the big or the small scree~. Gay people were sometimes interviewed on edN, television documentaries hidden behind screens like seedy criminals. The first dine t personally saw a gay man interviewed out in the open was on the Virginia Graham talk show in the 1960s. ~his brave soul sat right their on her studio couch in front of a live audience. No screen, no mask, no garbled voice. It was revolutionary. Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcora premiered in 1994 as a lukewarm comedy show. It had a supporting cast member who was gay. But her character, Ellen Morgan, didfft turn up the heat with her coming-out episode until 1997. It was a historymaking event but not vdthout its pitfalls as some sponsors, like Wendy’s, dropped their support. The show was cancelled the next year. Since The Ellen Show, other entertainment venues made their stand. Will and Grace debuted in 1998 and became a romance-free staple. Rosie O’Donnell got off to a closeted start with her Daytime-Emmy-winning talk show in I996 but made her impact after coming out and later spoke proudly as a lesbian woman on The View. The popular Queer Eye for the Straight Guy; that brought stereotypes to a new levet, popped up in 2003. A smattering of gay characters now populate mainstream sl~ows, not as devious villains, but as ordinary people. horns are still being removed from gay and lesbian heads but, who knows, when the process is done, maybe we’ll even see a gay or lesbian president. Times o£Harvey Responsibility £or Our Ft ture By James Nimmo Photo: Harvey Milk OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ I’m hoping you had a safe (in more ways than one) New Year’s celebration and are ready to commit to a political and social New Year of acquiring the legal recognition of our GLBT equality which is ours as a right of citizenship. This morning I watched the "The Times of Harvey Milk", a documentary of Harw2y Milk composed of interviews with people who knew and worked with him, combined with news clips illustrating the important events in Milk’s public life as a San Francisco City Commissioner. This is not to be confused with the new biopic starring Sean Penn titled simpl> "Milk". I was reminded that the defeat of’the Briggs Amendment that would have outlawed the employment of GLBT teachers in California was fiollowed by the rise of Anita Bryant, who got her inspirational juice from this setback to the fundie nuts and homo-haters agenda. She was the rolling crest of the wave of anti GLBT taws and reversals that followed across the country in the late 70s and early 80s. Think Wichita, Kansas; Dade County, Florida; and Oregon. Oklahoma had its own version of a Briggs Amendment argued before the United States Supreme Court in 1985. You can read the transcript and listen to the audio here: http:/Iwwvw:oyez.org/casesl1980- 1989/1984/!984_83_20301argument/or http://tinyurl. com/Sznzkp. ~e Supreme Court let stand a 10th Circuit Court ruling that invalidated an Oklahoma ban on pro-gay advocaW by teachers. ( http://v,~x,:lambdalegal.orglaboutus/ 35th anniversary/) ( http:/itinyurI.com/9qqvc8 ) ( http:// en.wikipedia.org/wild/Anita_Bryant It would seem this knee-jerk reaction to GLBT progress is genetic to the Bible-bumping believers of America as that’s what’s going on now with our marriage-equality movement: for every Massachusetts there’s an Arizona and an Arkansas. Listening to the confession clips of Dan White, the convicted killer of Milk and Mayor George Moscone, as well as the ravings of Sally> Kern of Otdahoma and her other Kern Krew members in Oklahoma where I live, they have a single uniting fear: fear of change, be it social, legal, enviromnental, or scientific. Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, has written, "Modernity is the enemy of fundamentalist religion, and gende>bending is the hallmark of modernity." ( ,a~v.religiondispatches.org ) We’re probably too familiar with the Santayana quote, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." So, let’s get acquainted with a new one that’s explicitly forward looldng, by George Bernard Shaw: "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our tq~tture." Times of Hawey Mill~’ available free online at http:// tinyurl.com/7qyaco. "No doubt ~hrren is on the ,vrong side on gay marriage and openly hostile to the gay community, but he isn’t the new" president," said Arkansas native Pippa Roc~’ord, 42, another inauguration spectator. ’%)~’re going to be much better off: then ever before with President Obama." Obama’s positions on GLBT issues are more liberal than either Bush’s or even former President Bill Clinton. Mthough not a supporter of gay marriage, he opposes legislation to ban it and h~s asserted flail support for civil unions with rights equal to marriage. According to the ~Thite House website, President Obama supports the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" pollW for service members and of the Defense of Marriage Act. The White House also cites Obama’s support for stronger hate crimes laws, for housing anti-discrimination laws inclusive of orientation language, for adoption equality and for a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strateD: ABC News online reported just prior to the inauguration that Obama intends to nominate openly ga,v John Berry, director of the Smithsonian~ National Zoo, as Director of the O~ce of Personnel Management. Berry was Assistant SecretaW of the Interior during Bill Clinton’s administration. Obama has also nominated a lesbian, Nancy Sutley, as chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Qsiality. Pinning down president’s roles in GLBT issues has not been easy in recent administrations. Although considered generally amenable to the GLBT community, President Clinton,s record on gay rights includes his signature on both the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and the 1993 Colin Powetl- led strateD, of"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." Bush was openly supportive of a federal ban on gay marriage and retained "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" under fire; but also was the first Republican president to appoint an openly gay man to serve in his administration, Scott Evertz as Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy: Bush’s nominee as ambassador to Romania, Michael E. Guest, became the first openly gay man to be confirmed by the Senate as a U.S. ambassador. ~e first openly gay ambassador, James Hormel, received a recess appointment from Clinton aAer the Senate failed to confirm the nomination. Obama’s Gay ghts Agenda By Greg Steele Within ~ninutes after President Obama took the oath of office on Jan 20, the official x~q~ite House webpage ( http:/Aw,-w. whitehouse.govlagenda/civil_rightsl ) was updated under the heading of"~]~e Agenda, Civil Rights" to detail Obamgs support fbr tbe LGBT community. His stated agenda include the following: ÷ Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest categoU of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Why else do they suck like leeches so tenaciously to a way Ger~dd kibana~ ~s d*e autkor (ft~,e new novd ]’etcr ~" a.fi~mousg~3’ rock, tar of living now 5,000 thousand years old with its treatment who go~s ~nco~a~m to.find £we. (W~Tn&wrmctvaaw’.~)m) L~bonati is an awan’£ of people as property~ a destructive dominance over the winningjournalist in Soud* E/orie& worki*ag/ar d~e &n-&**tind environment, the elevation of a small, "pure" minoriW to rule news~,~pe~: He kas also written~r 7~)eMiamiHe~z,~{ ~e A&ocam and over all that~ considered different, and like leeches, drain the jlvea~ncesJ~r~qesbi,~n new~&ers around the count*7. vigor of human imagination from our society? ........Continued See GkSK AGENDA Page 15 10 Met~~oSTAR Februaw 2009 @ Fight Wbrkplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and Oldahomans for Equality art gallery opens Maegan Kauffman ’Zetting Go" @ Maegan KauflCman The exhibit will remain up through the month of February, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm. ~Ilne 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 seel~s equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocac){, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. TULSA, OK (PR) __ Nae Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery will host its monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist reception from 6-gpm, Nmrsday, February 5th, 2009, for the opening of its new exhibit, featuring the charcoal drawings of artist Maegan Kauffman. Maegan Kauffman is an artist from Tulsa, OK. She graduated from Skiatook High School in May of 2005. Currently, Maegan is attending the Fred Jones Jr. School ofArt at the University of Oldahoma where she works as a Teacher’s Assistant for Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Robert Dohrmann. She is a member of The Red Clay Faction Ceramics Club and will graduate with her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in May of 2010. "As an artist, I draw my inspiration fiom life and the human body as it differs from individual to individual," states Ms. Kauff)nan. "I am inspired by the human condition and the way that we not only deal with the challenges we face out in the world, but also with the inner battles we have within ourselves. The way that a person feels on the inside is expressed through that person~ demeanor, the way they hold their body, and the way they force a smile. By capturing people’s expressions and their body language, I capture their inner emotional state. I consider my artwork realistic expressionism, in which I portray my subjects in a photo realistic manner. Although I put much emphasis on realistic rendering, I use techniques like contrast and composition to express sentiments of the individual portrayed." Maegan continues, "I enjoy all of the different aspects of figurative drawing, including the challenge of proportions and morphing mere shapes and shadows into recognizable form. When I approach a new piece, I don’t necessarily look at my subject as a whole, but as a million different forms. I concentrate on rendering each individual form accurately and in the end the forms melt together into one cohesive image. Charcoal is nay medium of choice for rendering these images. I have learned to manipulate the charcoal, by shading, blending, and crisping edges, to achieve the image desired. The high distinction between tones of dark, medium, and light give the subject matter a tangible quality." Qffe-Broadway’spopular musical corn@ Alter Boyz is set to rock the masses at Tulsa’s PAC. TULSA, OK (PR) __ ALTAR BOYZ is the hilarious account of a struggling Christian boy band from Greenville, Ohio. The Boyz - intent on saving souls and raising spirits - are on the last night of their "Raise the Praise" U.S. tour and determined to make the big time. There’s Matthew, the hunky leadm; who holds the group together; Mark, the sweet and sensitive one, who choreographs all the band’s signature moves; Luke, the bad boy with an interest in communion wine and driver of the Altar Boyz van; Juan, the Latin lover who’s popular with the ladies; and Abraham, a nice Je,vish boy who’s not sure how he ended up in the group. Spectacular music...sinfully sensational dancing...faith that’s stronger than their hair gel .... The ALTAR BOYZ get ready to rock the masses of all denominations by spreading the good news and soothing the troubled souls ofTulsa through the glory of sweet pop music. Produced by Grace Man Productions, ALTAR BOYZ makes its Tulsa debut March 6- 15, 2009 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Tickets for ALTAR BOYZ, priced $25 to $35 with special 2-top cabaret table seating at $90 are on sale nox~; at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone call (918) 596- 7111 or purchase on-line at www.myticketoffice.com. Kansas City’s Gay Chorus Makes Oklahoma Debut ICANSAS CITY, MO (PR) __ Heartland Men’s Chorus, Kansas Ci@ gay men’s chorus, will present a flee concert performance of And Justice for All at the Village Christian Church (9401 Ridgeview Drive) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Singing out in Kansas City for more than 23 years, the concert will mark the Oklahoma City debut of this renowned group of singers. A fi’ee-will offering will benefit the BritVil Food Pantry. Among the largest gay meffs choruses in the nation, Heartland Men’s Chorus has won acclaim for its daring programming and unique choral sound. More than 100 singers are expected to travel to Oldahoma City for this special benefit performance ofAnd Justice for Al!. "llae concert combines lnusic, narration and multi-media in a unique "musicaI documentary" format, that has become a halhnark of HMC. The performance will trace the struggles of Afiican Americans, women, gays and lesbians in their quest for civil rights. Audience members can expect to hear inusic spawned fiom the various civil rights movements ("We Shall Overcome"), music inspired by iconic historical events ("Elegy for Matthew") and songs that resonate on the theme of social justice ("You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught"). This concert marks the first regional tour for HMC. In addition to the performance at Village Christian Church, the men will perform at the American Choral Directors Association annual conference (to be held in Oklahoma City) and present a special weekday matinee for middle and highschool students in Kansas City. "Reaching out to diverse audiences is an integral part of our mission," says artistic director Dr. Joe Nadeau. "This particular concert, combining our music with an important social justice message, was the perfect vehicle to bring ’the HMC experience’ to those who may not have had a chance to hear us perform before." www.metrostarnews.com ~!~ ~"<~STAR 11 OKC Community Center Planning Committee Meets By Jeanne Flanigan OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The steering committee for the OKC LGBT Community Center met January 21 at Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania. The meeting was attended by 10 people, some representing organizations and some attending as individuals. The goal is to have a building to house a communitT center. Several have volunteered to take responsibilities for aspects of planning for the center, and some want to be identified by first name only, for privacy concerns. Facilitator/Chair of the steering committee is Henry, Building committee chair is Ginger, Finance committee chair is Margaret, Program committee is Larry Schockley, PR/Outreach committee is Eric, and Governance committee is Saul Olivarez. "I]~e cormnittee will begin the process of forming a non-profit 501 C3 organization by reviewing the mission statements of other organizations, selecting a temporary name for the center, forming a board, and writing bylaws. The committee invites anyone interested to make suggestions for a name, attend raeetings, and help advance the process. ~ne PR/Outreach committee will establish a website eventually, but for no,v people can communicate to the committee at okcglbtcenter@ gmail.com. The next meeting will be on February 19, at 6 pro, at Church of the Open Arms. K~ns~s City’s w~rld renowned g~I/men s chorus comes ~ Okl~h~rn~ City ~nd mm,ing ~ne-night-~nly performance. Mickey Coalwell, The Kansas City Star 12 %~A oSTAR February 2009 Health Departments React with A arm to New CDC Surveillance Data STD Rates Higher Than Ever While Funding For Prevention Declines (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 -- Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released national sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveillance data for 2007. The report shows persistent and staggeringly high rates of STDs as welt as a disproportionate burden of infections on youth, minorities, and women. Upon the release of this information, the National Coalition ofSTD Directors called for a renewed commitment ftom Congress and President Obama to fight the STD epidemic in the U.S. In 2007, more than 1.1 million Chlamydia cases were reported, which is the largest number of cases ever reported to CDC for any condition. Rates of primary and secondary (P & S) syphilis increased by 15% from 2006, and 65% of all P & S syphilis cases were among men who since Fiscal Year 2003. This has significandy hampered the ability ofSTD programs in state and local health departments to deliver critical prevention and treatment services, as well as conduct surveillance. "State and local health departments are responsible for controlling this epidemic and often are the medical providers of last resort for persons with STDs. There needs to be a systematic reinvestment in the public health infrastructure to provide the necessaiT clinical services to diagnose and treat STDs and contact exposed partners to insure that they are treated and further spread is prevented," stated Dr. Peter Kerndt, NCSD Board Chair and STD Program Director from Los Angeles County. "In addition to the need for a greater investment of resources for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, NCSD strongly urges Congress and President Obama to support :evidence-based "This report should serve as a wake up call to policymakers and the public that STDs remain a significant public health threat in the U.S., and a scaled up investment of funds are desperately needed for prevention and treatment." prevention programs to prevent STDs, particularly for young people," stated Don Clark. More than $1.6 billion in federal funds have been spent on abstinenceonly- until-marriage programs, which have been unable effectiveness at have sex with men (MSM). In addition, the delaying sexual activity, or reducing rates of report shows persistent and growing racial STDs, including HIV/AIDS, or unintended d!sparities in Chlamydia, Syphilis, and pregnancy. Clark continued, "It is time to end Gonorrhea infections. In 2007, Blacks were these ineffective and harmful programs, and 19 times more likely to become infected with invest ifi sciefice based ~ipproaches to STD Gonorrhea than whites, prevention, including comprehensive sex education." CDC estimates that approximately I~ million STD infections occur each year, and nearly half are among those aged 15:24. African American women between 15 and 19 are particularly hard hit, accounting for the highest rates of Chlan~ydia and Gonorrhea of any group. The consequences of untreated STDs include infertility, pregnancy complications, cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, birth defects and an increased risk of HIV transmission. While rates of STDs have continued to increase, federal funding for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention has steadily declined The National Coalition of STD Directors is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of public health sexually transmitted disease (STD) program directors in the 65 CDC directly funded project areas, which includes all 50 states, 7 cities, and 8 U.S. territories. As the only national organization with a constituency that provides frontline STD services, NCSD is the leading national voice for strengthening STD prevention, research and treatment. These efforts include advocating for effective policies, strategies, and sufficient resources, as xvell as increasing awareness of the medical and social impact of STDs. ’~ place wherey’~t c~ be who God c-mated you to be ips becomefamit~v" 5:30 p,m. 761-[878 www.metrostarnews.com ~&~t~°oSTAR 13 Wockner News Service een to Might British AIDS activist Queen Elizabeth II ~mnounced on New i%r’s Eve */ant she will ~ni£ht leadin£AIDS activist Ni~ Partdd£e, chi~executiw" ofthe AIDS o,gmdzation ~n’ence Hi,,ins ~’ust. THT Queen Elizabefl~ II announced on New Year’s Eve that she will knight leading MDS activist Nick Partridge, chief executive of the MDS organization Terrence Higgins Trust. Partridge told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" by the honor. He will be "invested" later this year when Elizabeth lays a sword on his shoulders. Aussie gay partners gain access to military pensions Australian gays and lesbians will have access to their deceased partners’ military pensions starting in July. The move follows a 2003 ruling by the ofiqce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which found Australia’s refusal to grant the pensions in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Sweden will not recognize Canadian Two S~vedish Lutheran ministers, Lars Gfirdfeldt and Lars Arnell, have lost their fin!l appeal in a case seeking recognition of their Canadian same-sex marriage. The Supreine Administrative Court agreed with lower courts Dec. 16 that foreign samesex marriages can be recognized in Sweden only as registered partnerships. ~e case targeted Sweden’s taxation authority for allegedly mislabeling the couple’s union. "Ihe ruling, however, may have a limited lifespan. Sweden’s government favors granting same-sex couples full access to marriage, and a new law is expected to be in place by the middle of 2009. Senegal }ails nine men for having gay sex Nine gay men in Dakar, Senegal, were jailed for eight years Jan. 6 for the crimes of having gay sex and belonging to a "criminal association," an HIV-services group. On Dec. 19, police raided the apartment of gay leader Diadji Diouf, arrested him and the other men, and confiscated Condoms arid lubricants..... The men were taken to a police station and held until Dec. 24, then transferred to a detention center, where they were held until trial. Human Rights \Vc’atch said the men were beaten while in custody. According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the men’s lawyers had only limited access to case files and little time to prepare for the hearing. At the trial, prosecutors reportedly used the confiscated condoms and lube as evidence tha~ the men had engaged in gay sex. The men received the maximum five-year sentence for engaging in what the Penal Code calls "an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex" and three additional years for being members of the HIV-services organization AIDES Sdndgal, the "cril~ninal associatiom" HRgZ said the sentences have "produced widespread panic among organizations addressing HIV and MDS, particularly those working with men who have sex with men." Tl~e arrests occurred several days after Senegal hosted the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in Africa. Presentations at the conference highlighted the contradictions in countries such as Senegal that aim HIVprevention efforts at men who have sex with men but continue to criminalize same-sex relations. Last February, 10 men and a woman were arrested in Dakar, the capital city, after a popular magazine published photographs of a purported marriage ceremony between two Senegalese men. Although the individuals were later released, "the publicity and arrests created tremendous public animosity toward LGBT people in Senegal," IGLHRC said. "MaW gay men and lesbians were attacked by mobs or driven fi’om their homes," the organization said. Ugandan gay activists win awsuit In a landmark victory, the High Court of Uganda ruled Dec. 22 that constitutional rights apply to GLBT people.......... .... Activists Victor Mukasa and Yvonne Oyoo had sued the attorney general following a 2005 raid at Mukasa’s home in which documents were seized and Oyoo was arrested, assaulted and sexually harassed. Mukasa was not present at the time of the raid. Justice Stella Arach Amoko found that the raid violated the activists’ rights to, among other things, liberty; privacy, dignity, and protection from unlawful entry, unlawful search, unauthorized seizure and inhuman treatment. "The actions of the officials that molested Victor Mukasa and Oyoo were unconstitutional, inhuman, and should be condemned," Arach Amoko said. AIDS societies call for release ofimprisoned Senegalese gays "ihe International AIDS Society and the Society for AIDS in Afi’ica have demanded that Senegal release nine men who were sent to prison for eight years on Jan. 6 for the crimes of engaging in gay sex and belonging to a "criminal association," the HIV-services group AIDES Sdndgal. "The arrest of these men based purely on their sexual orientation represents a major setback for the Senegalese response to HIV, which is widely viewed as a model in Africa," SAA President Joanna Mangueira said Jan. 12. The nine men were sentenced in Dakar, the capital, after being arrested and jailed Dec. 19 following a raid on the apartment of gay leader Diadji Diouf. At the trial, prosecutors used condoms and lube confiscated during the raid to prove that the men had engaged in gay sex. The men received the maximum five-year sentence for doing what the Penal Code calls "an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex" and three additional years for being members of the "criminal" HIV organization. ...............More XXrorld News Page 18 ~Ihe case was brought by Edward Young of Sydney, whose partner of 38 years died 10 years ago. "What I wanted was to take on the little man, (former Prime Minister John) Howard, and fight," Young told Nae Sydney Morning Herald. "What I wanted was something that would apply right across the board." After the 2003 ruling, the former Howard government procrastinated in reviewing its policy, Howard was replaced by Kevin Rudd in December. "IGLHRC is deeply concerned by what appears to be a violation of the right to a flee and fair trial, the right to privacy and the right to freedom from discrimination," the group said. "These charges will have a chilling effect on AIDS programs," added Scott Long, director of Human Rights \Vatch’s LGBT Rights Division. "Outreach workers and people seeking HIV prevention or treatment should not have to worry about police persecution. Senegal should drop these charges and repeal its sodomy law (which) invades privacy, criminalizes health work, justifies brutality and feeds fear." "It was my dream that justice would come and it has come," Mukasa said after the ruling. "And it is my bigger dream that justice will come to every human being in Uganda who is oppressed. This does not mark the end. ~Ihe struggle continues until every human being is free." 14 ~i?et ’oSTAR February 2009 @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @Club 209, Tulsa @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ Finishline, Oklahoma City- @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ The End Up, Tulsa @Angles, Oklahoma City believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identitT. @ Support Ftfll Civil Unions and Federa! Rights fbr LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. @ Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other umnarried couples. @ Repeal Don’t Ask-Dofft Tell: President Obama agrees w’ith former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don’t ask, don’t tell" polic?: @ Expaald Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must enstire adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not. @ Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency. @ Empower’Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage ofwomen diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HtV/AIDS diagnoses, President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development Of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force responds to President Obama inauguration speec xWASHINGTON, DC (PR) __ ~Ihe National Gay and l~sbian Task Force responded today to President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech. "America made history today ~vith the swearing-in of Barack Obama as its 44th president. It is our hope this truly marl~ the dawn of a new political era ofengagement in the life of this country. In his gpeech, the president spoke of our nation’s need to reat~rm its enduring spirit and ’carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea ... [the] promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.’ "Our country has made significant strides in advancing this ’noble ideg toward ful!-fledged realitT, but we’re not there yet. Too many people continue to face discrimination and hardship. As President Obama assumes the role ofAmeric~s ~’oremost leader, we call upon him to fulfill the promise of a nation where lesbian, ga~, bisexual and transgender people are recognized and valued as part of this country’s strength, spirit and solution. ~e fact tl~at the ot~cial White House Web site was updated just this afternoon with a list of commitments to LGBT rights is already enormous positive change." www.metrostarnews.com ~®troSTAR 15 Loo ng for some new exciting wines ? You may wanna check these’ out. "We Just got back fi’om a California road trip. Vie were lieading south on ~iuT 101/a road trip fi’om Napa to Paso R0bles2 My partner & I did one of our famous annual ~vhifl wind holiday road tours through northern California There are a lot ofwineries between Napa & Paso Robles. Grape growing regions are expanding every year and we never have time to see as much as ~ve want to. California has so many wineries to experience and they’re all zip and dmvn the coast. We visited quite a few tasting rooms in 3 days and tried out some really good ~vines. If the wines are listed here, it’s because we fonnd them and the service to be quite exceptional. Not all we sampled will be listed here and although many are not available here in Oklahoma, you may be surprised to find out which ones are. Here are some highlights from our trip: Napa Silver Oak/Alexander Valley Cabernet "04 Miner Oracle Red ’05 and the ~qld Yeast Chardonnay ’07 Saddleback Scouts Honor named after wine maker Niels Venge’s late dog. This wine is naostly Zin with Petite Sirah and Charbono. Cult Wine Central is a good place to go and check out some ofNapa’s more serious wines all under one rooflike Ghost Block Cabernet and many, many more. Monterey Ventana Chardonnay Arroyo Seco ’06 Paso Robles Rotta Cabernet ’05 & the Heritage Zin ’06, Opolo Summit Creek Zin ’06 Cambria Viognier 07. Bench Break Pinot Noir ’06, Julia’s Pinot Noir ’06 anSthc Tepu-- quet Vineyard Syrah ’05 Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir & Chardonnay both are ’06 and estate grmvn. Fess ~Parker Santa Barbara County Viognier ’07 & Melange Blanc ’06 (Marsanne, Ro)~fi & Granache Blanc). Zaca Mesa Estate Rousanne ’06 Firestone Cabernet Franc Rose ’07 These wines are than describe the invite you to go questions and purchase a bottle some food & wine with out for yourself. Photo: M~ D in California wine country This writer is one ofthe managers at the Grand Vin ~vine shop. He also bar tends and hosts ,vine & food events known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts ofTulsa. ~References include: ww. ~neSpectator.com w.lffqneCount~7-his~ek.com ~w.CultI~neCentral.com This months recipe courtesy of: 1 cup Green onion 2 ts Oregano 2 drops Red hot sauce (optional) Cajun spices (blackened or Cajun king herbed spice excellent) to taste Salt to taste 2 cups Raw white rice ~AlligatorJambalaya Ingredients: lb Marinated alligator fillet cut into small pieces 1 lb Hot sausage (Italian) cur into chunks 3 tbs Oil 213 cup Bell peppers chopped 2 cloves Garlic crushed 3/4 cup Parsley 1 cup Chopped fi-esh parsley 1 cup Ch@i3ed celery 2 can Tomatoes ~16 oz each) 2 cups Chicken stock (2 pkg chicken cube mix + water also works) To prepare: In deep frying pan (cast iron preferably) sautd the bell pepper, garlic, parsley and celery. While this is c~oking, adT:l tomatoes & their liquid, the chicken stock &, green onion to a pot that can cook on the stove and in the oven (Corningware) Stir in spices, sautded vegetables raw rice, sausage and alligator fillet pieces. Cook on medium-high heat until liquid is absorbed (stir occasionally to make sure rice doesn’t burn on bottom) and then bake covered in the oven for 25 minutes. NOTE: Alligator meat may not be available in your area, try chicken breast fillet as a substitute: 16 ~’>~ roSTAR February 2009 At ~e BOK Center Tulsa L~"W ~e Cable Guy Feb 13, 2009 at BOK Center ’Eat, Drink, and Be Larry" Tickets On Sate Nov 21 @ 10am Prices: $I0, $25.75, $43.75 The man who added the catchphrase "Git-R-Done" to the Banerican lexicon is coming to Tulsa! Dan Whitney, known better as Larry The Cable Gu> has proven to be one of the most successful comics. Larry has received a Billboard Top Comedy Tour Award. For a limited time, we are offering an ’Economic Recovery Package’ where select tickets are buy one get one free. N~is off)r on select seats is valid Friday, November 2tst at 10am until Monday, November 24tb at 6pm gq-tlLE SUPPLIES ~ST! Smucker~ Stars on Ice Feb 15, 2009 at BOK Center "On The Edge" "Tour Sunday, Feb 15th @ 3pm Tickets: $25, $40, $70, $115 Group Discounts: Receive $5 off groups of 10+, Additional incentives for groups of 25+!!! Please call 918-894-4252 to purchase yonr group tickets today and find out more information! In the year leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, skating fans will not find a better preview of America’s favorite Olympic sport. This year Tulsa skating fans are in for a real treat; Smucker’s Stars on Ice is proud to welcome Evan ~vsacek, Two-time U.S. Champion as a very specia! guest for this performance. Trace Adkdns NEW DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2009 with special guest: Craig Morgan. Ticket Prices: $52 and $42 Due to illness, the Trace Adkins concert for Frida?,; December 5th was postponed until Timrsday, February 19, 2009. A series of dates on the tour have been rescheduled after management reported that he had the intestinal flu and needed rime off to recover. M1 tickets previously purchased will be honored. Refunds will be available at point of The V¢-or|d-Famous Lipizzaner Stallions Mar 1, 2009 at BOK Center Tt~e World-Famous Lipizzaner Stallions Sunday; March 1, 2009 Showtimes: 2pm & 6pm Ticket Prices: $34.50, $29.50, & $24.50 Group Discount: 15 or more people get $5 discount on $24.50 tickets and $29.50 tickets. Call 918-894-4252 for more information Photo: Helen Mirren Mirren, Gershon, Jordan Saddle Up for Love Rmach Do you want to see Helen Mirren as the madam of Nevada’s first legal brothel? Ofcourse you do, and now you can. She and Joe Pesci will play reaMife married entrepreneurs Grace and Charlie Botempo in Love Ranch, directed by Taylor Ha&ford (who~ also Mirren’s husband). The cast of gay-adjacent favorites also includes Gina Gershon and Bai Ling - playing, one would assume, "rancla hands" - as well as the hilarious Leslie Jordan (Sordid Lives, Wil! & Grace). Between Mirren and Gershon alone, there~ enough caree>spanning cinematic Sapphic scenarios to Photo: LeslieJordan melt your Caligula and Bound DVDs into liquid plastic, and that’s not even counting the cast members who are actually homosexual. Add Ling and Jordan - one brazen bisexual and one screaming queen, respectively - and it sounds like Love Ranch will offer lots of queer pleasure when it hits theaters later this year. Tomlin Swaddles Sweet Baby Jesus pro Steve Bendelack (M~: Bean’s Holiday), the film offers an interestingly, eclectic cast, including lesbian goddess Lily Tomlin, Christopher Guest regular Michael McKean, Freddy Got Fingered creator Torn Green, the eve>unpredictable Melanie Griflith, and bear pin-up Hagrid himself, Robbie Coltrane. With any luck, Sweet Baby Jesus will be a blessed theatrical event this December. Romeo loves a good Christmas movie - and if it’s got a whiff of sacrilege, so much the better. Sweet Baby Jesus certainly sounds promising; its about pregnant teenager Mary (Alison Pill of Milk), who returns to her hometown of Bethlehem, Md., at Christmastime. Mary’s got an older boyfriend named Joe - but he’s not the baby’s father, leading rumors to s~virl among the locals that Mary is about to give birth to Jesus in his second coming. Directed by British comedy Can Shankanan Make Bil:die Fly? Kathy Griffin Mouths Off for 50 Years What do you get when you cross Finding Nemo ~vith An Inconvenient Truth? Presumably Around the World in 50 Years 3D, an upcoming animated feature about a sea turtle who hatches in !959 and spends the next five decades traveling all over the Earth and observing what global warming and climate change are doing to the planet. You can’t make a cartoon without an all-star voice cast these days, and Around the World_features gay icon ICathy Gril~n. (Can you really stil! be on the "D List" after you’ve won two Emmys and been nominated for a Grammy? Discuss.) Also piping up for the film are Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy, Anthony Anderson, and the exceedingly ecology-minded Ed Begley Jr. This 3D animated feature is set to turn your kids’ consciences green later this year or in early 2010. For years, Columbia Pictures has tried to launch a remake of its 1960s hit musical Bye Bye Birdie, about teenage hysteria over an Elvis-like rock icon going into the army: Tina Fey took a crack at a new script, and John Chu (Step Up 2 the Streets) was hired fresh out of film school to make a youthoriented hip-hop version of the property. After those efforts failed to soar, the studio is now turning to one of the few people responsible for making screen musicals viable again - gay Hairspray director Adam Shankrnan. He’ll develop and produce a new version of Birdie, but he probably won’t direct; he’s already got _Bob: The Musical_ and a new Sinbad adventure on his plate. Will Shankman be the wind beneath Birdies wings? Watch this space for flight information. Romeo San Vicente has triedforyears to recycle ex-boyj%iends. It doesn’t really work. He can be reached care ofthispublication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com. www.metrostarnews.com NetroSTAR 17 by Donald Pile and Ray Williams ATLANTA, GA "He& Bed and BreakfastAdanm, GA We finally have got to visit the beautiful city of Atlanta. We usually just drive thru Atlanta on our way down m Ft. Lauderdale. However this year we decided to stop and "smell the Atlanta roses" for a few days and are we glad that we did! X)ge first checked into the Hello Bed and Breakfast. Mike, the owner is extremely friendly and hospitable. He lmows the city well and can direct you to anyplace you want to go. Atlanta of course is a very huge city and there are enough "Peachtree" streets, avenues, circles, etc. to get even the best driver lost. His B and B is tucked away in a nice, quiet neighborhood in the heart ofAtlanta and is located in the lush Morningside neighborhood just north of Midtown and very close to Bucld~ead, Virginia Highlands, EmorT¢; downtown, Lennox Mall and Chinatown. You can walk to many restaurants & nearby shops. They are just a mile from the Lindbergh Marta Station. ~e railway goes directly to the Airport, Downtown, and Chinatown. Visit the CNN Center, Underground Atlanta, Coca-Cola Museum, MLK & President Carter Centers, Centennial Olympic & Piedmont Park. Enjoy their courtyard & small stream through the property plus a wonderful hot tub. They are a pet & smoke free home. They have free Wifi access. You can check out their website at ~.~v.hellobnb.com. Call him at: 404.892.8111. Email at hellobnb@aol.com and it is located at 1865 Windermere Drive. Atlanta is full of gay bars an.d we do mean FULL of gay bars! ~ere is indeed something here for everybody! Lots of disco/dancing bars, leather, cowboy, piano, stripper as well as wonderful neighborhood bars to enjo): The bars are packed neatly all the time in Atlanta. ~is is a Major pa~ty town! And everyone loves to party! The very first bar you need to visit is BURKHART’S PUB which is located at 1492 -F in a strip mall and is the friendliest bar in the entire South! The owners, Mary and Palmer have set the standard attitude level for everyone and the rest of the bar patrons follows. In all of our travels from coast to coast we have never been to a friendlier bar. It is a rather large club with an outdoor patio, several different bars and offers food services everyday including salads, appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. The), have a live DJ every night as well. They have two stories and you can look down onto the large crowd belmv. Very simply put, if you can’t have fun at this bar, you won’t be able to have fun anyplace! Check out their ~vebsite: http://www.burkharts.com/ It is NOT one of Atlanta’s favorite bars, it IS Atlanta’s favorite bar! Tt~e number one person to meet in Atlanta is a gendeman by the name of Marko. He can found at Burkhart’s on most days. He was from New York and moved to Atlanta a fev¢ years ago and knows more about hospitality than anyone we have met. He introduced us to dozens of people. ~lhe only major drawback to partying in Atlanta is that it is NOT smoke-free! Hopefully sometime soon, they will catch up with the rest of the cities in the country and have no smoldng! We dined at Einstein’s Restaurant which is near midtown at 1077 Juniper Street (12th & Juniper Streets), website: einsteinsadanta. com. They have a great atmosphere, tremendous service and ~bod to die for! Everything we had was prepared to perfection. ThiS is THE place to "see and be seeff’ in gay Atlanta! They serve lunch and dinner and are open until 11 PM during the week and Midnight on weekends. On Saturday and Sundays they open at 10:00 AM offering their famous brunches. Be sure and stop by for a meal there. Among the dozens of dozens of attractions to see in Atlanta are the APEX Museum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum, CNN Center, Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Georgia Aquarium, Margaret Mitchell House, World of Coca- Cola, and the WoodruffArt Center to name a few. Since Proposition 8, just ALWAYS remember to check out businesses before you give them any of your gay dollars. ~ere are numerous lists on the internet saying which major companies financially supported Proposition 8. Never, ever give them a dime of your money. There are a lot of major companies who have worked extremely hard with the gay 5ommunity and they are the ones we need to give our business to. Before going to aW major city, always check out: funmaps.com which is the leading gay site for traveling in the entire country. The local gay publication is v,~*av.southernvoice. com and from their xvebsite you can find listings for gay churches, organizations, gay community center and most anything else you need to know about "Ga,v Atlanta: http:/! www.atlantaga.gov/Visitors/Attractions. aspxt anything you need to know about "Gay Atlanta. Also check out: wwvc.atlanta. net and http:llwww.atlantaga.govlVisitorsl Attractions.aspx. Photo: Ray ~lliams, Marko &Donald Pile Ofcourse we just clm’t stress enough to remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! In Atlanta, we want to give a big thanlcs to Marko and Jasen who are two wonderfu! guys! Thanks to the owners of Burk~art’s Pub for having such a wonderful bar! Bar owners around the country should fly down to Atlanta and see for themselves what a great bar. internationa Euro Parliament pushes for gay equality The European Parliament is pushing the 27 member states of the European Union to do better in treating gay people equally. The parliament adopted a report Jan. 14 that urged member nations to recognize each other’s same-sex partnerships and marriages, and condemned homophobic hate speech by political and religious leaders. The report also calls on the European Commission to propose legislation to criminalize anti-gay hate crimes, guarantee the right of free movement ~vithin the EU for same-sex couples, and assure that gay people seeking asylum from anti-gay nations receive it. The parliament further requested that a study be done to gauge the level of harassment and violence experienced by transsexuals in the 27 nations. ~lhe European Union is composed of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovalda, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At least 14 of the nations allow same-sex marriage or have civil-union or registeredpartnership laws that grant some, most or all of the rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples. In related nevcs, Thomas Hammarberg, the human rights commissioner for the 47-nation Council of Europe, recently denounced the mistreatment of transgender people in member nations. "Some people seem to have a problem with the mere existence of human beings whose outer expression of their inner gender identity is not the same as their gender determined at birth," Hammarberg said. "Aggression against transgender persons cannot however be excused as resulting from ignorance or lack of education. These attitudes cause serious harm to innocent and vulnerable people and must therefore be countered.... There is no excuse for not immediately granting this community their full and unconditional human rights." The Council of Europe is composed of Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Lt~xembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway; Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. 18 February 2009 resort hotels, ; Arts and www.metrostarnews.com {~{®t~’oSTAR 19 OKC Civic Center d & by Greg Fox sic Hall Febmmry Events Feb Ray’s 83rd Birthday Show Feb. 3 - Feb. 5 Tyler I errys The Marrmge Counselor Feb. 6 .- Mar. 1 LOOK BACK IN ANGER Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. I3 Feb. t3 Feb. 18 Feb. 20 P~INVENTtNG THE PAST: PAPJF II presented by the Okiahoma Cio~ Philharmonic Brian Rcgan - Mar. 1 H~{Y FE~,nER by Noel Coward - Mar. 7 ~MOST, MAINE a romantic comedy by John Cariani - Feb. 14 P~S ROUGE - OKC Ballet Company Menopause the Musical - Feb. 21 POP GOES ~GAS! presented by the ONahoma Ci~, Philharmonic Rose State College Performing Arts Center Feb 18, 2009 Menopause the Musical Mar 26, 2009 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels February At ~e P.A.C. Feb 4 David Finckel and Wu Han @ John H. Williams Theatre Feb 6-31 FP,]~E Highway 412 PAC Gallery Feb 17 ,~ infinite Ache @ Liddy Doenges ~eatre Feb 20-25 Oprah ~gZinfrey Presents: 7he Color Purple @ Chapman Music Hall Feb 23 The Tannahill Weavers @ John H. ~’Xqlliams Theatre Feb 24 P~atph’s World @ John H. Williams ~aeatre Feb 27 Ethel Cabaret @ Lid@ Doenges ~aeatre Feb 28 Ethel Concert @ John H. Williams "Theatre Metro Star Classfieds 2" square for as litde as $39 per issue. Emaih starnews@sbcglobaLnet SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY 20 ~%troSTAR E-Mail- KylesBnR@aol.com ema I b tterg rl@q>]ndicate corn www,joanhiity,net _.~-~,0~ February 2009 by Jack Fertig February 2009 "Accept flattery, Capricorn!" With Venus going into Aries and Mars going into Aquarius, latch on to bold, creative impulses. Take the flirtatious chances that you normally wouldn’t dare to. Think of new approaches to artistic projects you’ve been considering, and get started! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): Trust those inspirational sparks that seem to come out of nowhere, even though they do need the guidance of a practiced expert - and some improvements you won’t think of - to help you bring them to successful fruition. TAURUS (ArR 20 - May 20): Wellmeaning friends offering "helpful suggestions" can unwittingly hit a nerve. Try to take it all in good humor, or just thank them for sharing. Political or philosophical arguments can be less personal and more enlightening. Speak up and state your opinions! GEM~N~ (May 21 - June 20): Someone in charge is taking an interest in you. It could be professional or sexual. This could be great for your career or just a lot of drama at work. Keep your eyes open and think ahead, and you’ll be fine. CANCER (June 21 o Ju~y 22): The stars offer a new romantic adventure! ~f you’re partnered, that could alleviate boredom, but include your mate in the fuu! Anything sporty and sweaty’ is good, perhaps ro!!#r skating in the park or exploring some kink. LEO (July 23 -August 22): "(’our eagerness to try new sexual techniques could leave you open to catching something very nasty. Think ahead on prophylaxis whenever you try anything (or anyone) new! And when was your last check-up? You’re probably fine, but make sure to get yourself tested. WRGO (August 23 - September 22): Even if you’re long-partnered, this is a great time for innovative romantic fun and games. With the love of your life or an _amour du jour_, treat love as an art and explore new techniques. HERA (September 23 - October 22): You’ll get a better or more frequent workout if you figure out how to make it more fun. Exercising at home or with a group of friends you regard as family can help. At least shake it up with some variety. SCORHO (October 23 - November 21): Playful banter can lead you into revealing more of yourself than you intended. This can be good, prompting more intimacy and openness in your friendships. Spats along the way should be easily reconciled. Just don’t take yourself so seriously! SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Rather than acting on shopaholic impulses, use them as clues to think about what you want, what you really need, and how to practice more efficient economy. A household inventory can also spur a smarter approach to finances. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Accept flattery and flirtations with good grace, enjoying them as passing pleasantries. Try practicing the art of compliments and flirtation yourself. It can be done without compromising your integrity! AQUARIUS (January 20 - February t8): "Retail therapy" is not therapy at all, but a symptom of deeper needs. When you get that expensive impulse, stop and ask what you really want. Deal with the deeper disappointments provoking a yen for compensation, and you’ll be stronger and richer! PISCES (February t9 - March 19): Wear more of the clothing or jewelry you’ve received as gifts. The m~rror of your friends’ eyes can show not only sides of yourself that you rarely consider, but also more of your potential. METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve T. Uric SpidtofChdst MCC 2902 E 20th Slreet Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC of the Living Spdng 17 Elk S eet Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM 67 68 Across 1 The number of people who like it hot 5 New York Liberty game offiCials 9 Pink, fbr one 14 Retreat f~r D.H. Lawrence 15 Colorado, to Co~teau 16 Garment with a flared bottom ! 7 Sui~x with leather dance dub anthem 23 Grid coach Amos ~Alonzo 24 One who looks into c®stal balls 25 Sam6-~eX vow in Conn~:eticut 28 Prepare i6 +h00{ .... 30 Toni c6U~iengm0vie,~,vith The 32 Coi+ por+er Song +ha Wak ahit fo}+Eartha Kitt ~ 37 Cashdrawers 38 "~ake a crack 39 Conquers, sexually 42 Composer EdoUard 43 Smallbush 45 Eartha Kitt~ role on Barman 3 Choral work at Metropolitan Community Chur& 4 Gay fbrmer NFL player Tuaolo 5 Field ofGene RoBinson 6 Sappho’s H~ 7 Sows one’s seed. e~c. 8 Didn’t leave the next morning 9 Minnelli movie 10 Brothers & Sisters producer Ken 11 Labium 12 A Chorus Line song 13 Color ofa Columbus circuit party 2 t "How queer !" 33 It puts people out 34 Rubbers on rims 35 Macho man 36 Facial follower 40 Article ofFrida 47 Began a hole, to Patty Sheehan 41 Have between your legs 50 Lanka head ~Animal painter Rosa 46 TuI~ Ofl~ubic hair, e.g; 51 MTF operation 52 Scott Oi~Beautiftd Thing 48 Some escorts w~t i~ up f~ont 54 Boobs Or bt~tts 49 Brown-nosed, ~wth over 58 Eartha Kitt~ 2000 Broadway show 53 Ofcourse I people ... (Quentin 61 Corydon author Gide Crisp) 64 HaW an opening for 55 Debussy contemporary Erik 65 Family diagram 56 Bill), B~an boo-boo 66 Open~mo~}hed fives0me 57 Po61 party? 67 A~dothersi for caesari 58 perry; ofi~letropolitan Community Church 68 Isl~ hleyJ~n~dn ~ land 59 Ball~t move 69 Eech 6fGreek:ld~e 60 Votes for, for ~Frank 70 411; ’ 61 some sex-toy bateries 71 Gr{ek love 62 R.Mapplethorpe supporter 63 Sh0~t Down 1 One w,ay to cook fruit 2 Scout ~ ~ecitation, and others Have a God filled and Blessed Day! www.metrostarnews.com ~I ~t~oSTAR 21 c assifi i Keller Williams Realty $ BUY GI Joe Action Figures (!2" size Only) mygijoe@cox.net or ca11(405) 249-4515 I Buy OLD or NEW In Box or Out ofBox Chuck greckenridge 1o800o535oAIDS (2437) Oklahoma’s HIV!aTD H0tline PRONOT YOURSELF Community For Whether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. CHECK OUT UNIQUE PROTECT YOUR PARTNER(S) People ~iving H~V/A~DS a 50~ c (3) Non Profit Organixadon 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 maRy of our people live through each and everyday. We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those who are HtV+ 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 ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobal.net (send pic with asldng price) Rooms For Rent $380 per month plus tax ALL Bills Paid N~e Habana Inn 2200 NW 39th www.habanainn.com ALL Major Credit Cards Accepted KING OF MASSAGE Great Touch Man to Man f:idI Body Massag~ 2 hands or 4 hands available 31 Now Hiring Male & Female "~W’~.METROSTARNEWS.COM 22 February 2009 Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. ACCOMODAEIONS: HOPE TESTING CLINIC CHUCK BRECI~NRIDGE 3540 E. 3 t st Keller Williams Realty, F[ABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-528-222t www.babanainn.com ICELLY I~RBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant V~i.ERIE WILLIFORD 625 N3~Z 13th Street Oidahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 OKC MOP,TUARY 2415-C N. \VTALNUT AVE. Oldahoma City, OK 800-913-1310 ANGLES 21 t7 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City~ OK wv~v.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa, OK 918-836~8700 wv~v.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 91~-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON Ti.dsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City; OK 405-525-2900 ~a~v.habanainn.com "Balsa, 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 MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 v~wv.mcctulsa.org OK£AHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E. 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.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 JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa, OK . judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 NW EXPRESSXYZAY Oklahoma City; OK 73112 405-840-2106 ~vw.c21 goldcastle.com Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: ~wvw.gaybradyheightstulsa.com GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn TOM & JERRYS 1501 N.\~ 23RD Oklahoma City; OK 405-524-9100 0 0 THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City; OK 405-525-0730 w~s~v.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 9!8-592-! 188 www.tulsaeagle.com THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 9t8-836-0915 THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 ~wa,~:habanainn .corn EXPRESSIONS Comm Fellowship 6009 NW Expressway Oldahoma City, OK 405-761-! 878 www.expressionsOKC.com D F A R S CO T ~ L 0 PA W ~IDIOI $I I I LILISI AILIOI MIAINI RITIYI www.metrostarnews.com ~et~°oSTAR 23 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] Metro Star Magazine, February 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 2 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media, Ltd Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Feb. 1, 2009 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 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chaz Ward Victor Gorin Greg Steele James Nimmo Jeanne Flanigan Rex Wockne Susan A. Muscari Gerald Libonati Michael W. Sasser Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ray Williams Jack Fertig Devre Jackson Judy G. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwest Missouri West Arkansas Southeast Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Metro Star Magazine, January 1, 2008; Volume 6, Issue 1 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/132 The Metro Star Magazine, April 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 4 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/128 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/131 ACLU activist adoption AIDS Arkansas adoption ban art Barney Frank Bathroom Bingo California Centers for Disease Control and Prevention church crossword puzzle Dennis R Neill Dennis R. Neill Equality Center dining entertainment Equality Center Fat Tuesday Gay chorus Gay mayor Portland Gay Rights government Harvey Milk HIV testing If I Only Had a Heart international news Kyle's Bed and Breakfast lesbian LGBTS church Log Cabin Republicans Maegan Kauffman Mardi Gras Obama OKC LGBT Community Center OKC Pride Parade OkEq Equality Center Oklahoma News Oklahomans for Equality prison Qscopes RAIN rape Saint Valentine's Day Star Scene STDs swastika Teach In travel https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/51794f50820e6f610ddbaca277f5f06f.jpg fabb4187d66be371fff872f5d9578476 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/857717084d696fa751b866247e1bb6c9.pdf eb58751b326810ffb526bcb2aadb751b PDF Text Text "WWW.METROSTA~qEWS.COM "WE DELIVER DIVERSITY" UN Ge era Assembly hears pro-gay presentation "9gockner News ~/ire It was read into the record by Argentine Ambassador Jorge Argtiello. JANUARY 1, 2009 Oklahoma’s 2009 Mr. O.G.R.A. Larry Bourne chats with the Metro Star. By Victor Gorin q’he 66 countries affirmed "the principle of non-discrimination, which requires that human rights apply equally to every hmman being regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; and denounced "violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice ... because of sexual orientation or gender identity:’ statement also called for the decriminalization of gay sex, 77 Saudi Arabia SLxty-sLx nations at the UN General Assembly supported a groundbrealdng statement Dec. 18 confirming that international human rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identit): It was the first time a statement condemning rights abuses against GLBT people was presented in the General Assembly. gay Americans support Woclmer News Wire A Harris Interactive poll released Dec. 3 found that Americans support a range of policies and protections for gay people. The Pulse of Equality survey, cmmnissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, found that majorities of Americans favor either marriage or civil unions for gay couples, hate-crime laws to protect gay and transgender people, letting gays in the military serve openly, and allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children. "To love is not a crime;’ said Louis-Georges Tin, president of the International Day Against Homophobia Committee, which initiated the process that led to the statement. "To decriminalize homosexuality world,vide is a batde t’or human rights .... This (statement) is a great achievement (but) I also want to remind everyone that ending the criminalization of same-sex love wilt be a long, hard battle:’ Leading British activist Peter Tatchell called the statement "history in the making." "The UN statement goes much further than see’king the decriminalization of same-sex acts;’ Tatchell said. "k ondemns all human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, urges countries to protect the human rights of LGBT people and to bring to justice those who violate these rights, and calls for human rights defenders who oppose homophobic and transphobic victimization to be allowed to carry out their advocacy and humanitarian work unimpeded." ........... Continued See UN Page-14 Photo: ~adr. OGRA 2009 Larry Bour~ze By Victor Gorin The Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association ( better known as OGRA) has a proud history of not only promoting the country lifestyle in the GLBT community, but also to the straight community as well. Letting gay cowboys knmv they can truly be themselves is a cause they promote proudly, but they do more. OGRA also has a proud history of helping wordBvhile charities such as Other Options, Infant Crisis Services, Young Gay Lesbian Alliance, and R.A.I.N. Also a proud tradition are the OGRA Royalty, which features a Mr. OGRA, a Ms. OGRA" Brooklyn" and Miss OGRA Anita Ryder.. The new Mr. OGRA is Larry Bourne, who’s made many cowboys happy bartending at the Finishline the past 5 years. Sharing his life and his thoughts with the Metro Star, he gives us his perspective on our community and OGRA. ................ Continued See OGP,A page- 15 ~ae telephone survey questioned 2,000 adults beBveen Nov. 13 and 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Among the specific findings: * Seventy-five percent of U.S. adults favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Only 22 percent oppose any legal recognition of gay couples. ........... Continued See POLL Page-8 comes out ....Page-7 �Janua~ 2009 2 �$8 VALUE WITH PURCHASE OF 2 D~ER E~TREES AT REGULAR PRICE Bring this ad width you to receive this special often Not valid with any other coupon, discount or offers. COMEORT FOOD & DALLY SPECIALS ALL PREPAI~D IN AN AMBIANCE THAT WILL TEMPT YOUR SENSES. Let us ~ro~ot~ your business in 8TAR A~VERTJSJNG ~.metrostarnews.com ~÷t~oSTAR 3 �World Aids Day December 1, Remembering the Past-Facing FutureThe Crisis is not over. Testing is still available at Red Rock North, 4400 N. Lincoln Botdevard (OKC), telephone (405 424 7711. It’s a free test, and in most cases can be completed in around 20 minutes. This, coupled with educational efforts is also part of the reason for the day, and that is the hope for a better future. By Victor Gorin Angda Monson Runs For O dahoma City School Board Chair By Victor Gorin Photo: Angela Monson, State Representative Anastasia Pittman-District 99 (Center)Jesus Gasper Lovie Being that World AIDS Day is now in it’s 20th year, this reminds us that although advances have been made in the treatment of HIV, there is no reason for complacency. In Oklahoma there are around 4500 known cases of people infected with HIV, including around 1700 in Oklahoma County alone. Currently the fastest growing rate of infection among demographic groups tragically is young people aged 15-24, disproportionately gay and male. Although medical science is far ahead of where it was over 20 years ago when AIDS first became an issue, safe sex is still important. As Chuck Longacre of Red Rock North, an HIV testing/counseling facility pointed out, "R’s still a deadly disease. The disease can still be fatal. However, often one can be helped if the virus is detected early, so we encourage those who are sexually active to be tested every 3 months." 4 Givens e3~ Danielle Gaddis by Hctor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Angela Monson, on the last day of filing, got into the race for Oklahoma City School Board chair. She challenges incumbent Kirk Humphreys, and the election will be February 10. As a Democrat, she was elected to the Oklahoma State House of R~epresentatives in 1990-District 99, and was later elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1993 -District 48. She Served as a State Senator until forced out by term limits in 2005. She is currently Associate Provost with the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, and is a longtime ally of not only the GLBT commtmity but numerous progressive Causes. Kirk Humphreys was appointed as Chair by the OKC School Board when the position was vacated by CliffHudson, and is a former mayor of Oklahoma City, and an ally of many conservative causes. Learn more about this key race with our next issuel Metro Star Classfieds 2" square for as litde as $43 per issue. Email: starnews@sbcglobal.~ 918.1 Tulsa CARES Celebrates Life TULSA, OK (PR) __ On Tuesday, three Tulsa CARES employees were recognized by the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa at the 19th annual Evergreen Spirit Awards Luncheon, which recognizes the work of colleagues and volunteers who have gone the extra mile in the fight against AIDS in our community: Jamie Baker, care coordinator; Bruce Lewis, ofrice manager/executive assistant; and Marianne X~etherill, registered dietician were among those recognized with the Evergreen Spirit Award, which symbolizes strength, courage, commitment and resilience. "It is so important to recognize ’the unsung heroes’ in Tulsa’s effort to stop AIDS," said Janice Nicklas, director of Tnlsa Community AIDS Partnership and senior planner for the Community Service Council. ~Our colleagues still work long hours, to the point of exhaustion, and many have vowed to stay at it until we get the epidemic under control. Sadly, the numbers of HIV positive Americans are growing larger each year and many Tulsans are getting infected who are unaware that that they are at risk," Following the Mayflower UCC ~:orld AIDS Day Service, Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards places a card on a o’oss honod~ her siste,; Lavonn Newton who passd ~tv~yfivm AIDS related illness. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ On December 1, the 20th World Aids Day Service was held at Mayflower Congregational Church, along with countless others worldwide. Along with music, preaching and praise was not only remembrance of those xvho have passed on because of HIV, bur also hope for the future. The service concluded with the opportunity to fill out a card of a loved one lost to HIV and attach it to one of a group of crosses in the courtyard. For Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards the service had special meaning, as she had lost a transgen&red sister, Lavonne Newton to AIDS related illness. As she put it, "The service was deeply moving and a wonderful way to honor the precious lives that have been lost to AIDS, and to offer comfort to their devastated families. My prayers continue for more community compassion, HIV prevention advocacy, as well as more effective HIV/AIDS related medications." ’Unsung Heroes’ Honored for AIDS Awareness Advocacy Other Evergreen Spirit Award winners are: Gary Meadows, Community of HOPE; Terry Klein, St. Joseph~s Residence; Chaz Gaut, Hospice of Green Country; David Odle, Oklahoma Department of Human Services; Barbara Saunders, community volunteer with the HIV Prevention Program for Incarcerated Women’s Program; and Stan Smalts, Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Two top awards were also given at the annual luncheon: the Truman Geren Memorial Award for HIV Prevention was awarded to Heather Nash, American Red Cross, and the Richard Shackelford Award for HIV Care honored Shana Cozad, Oklahoma State Department of Health. "Our award winners are constantly reminding Tulsa area.residents to take the HIV test - it is quick, free and painless," Nicldas said. "Everyone should know their HIV status." Founded in t991, Tulsa CARES, a United Way organization, delivers services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in northeastern Oklahoma. Services include: case management by professional social workers, access to physicians and prescription medication, counseling services, housing assistance, access to nutrition information at its on-site food pantry, as well as other forms of support. Tulsa CARES’ mission is "Delivering social services to people affected by HIV/AIDS: For more information about Tulsa CARES, visit www. tulsacares.org. 34icah Hartwdl, Nutrition Services Directo~ begins digging~r the Tulsa CARES’ Celebration ofLife tree-planting co’emony. TULSA, OK (PR) __ In observance of World AIDS Day, Tulsa CARES hosted a "Celebration of Life" reception for its clients. On Monday, December 1, Tulsa CARES clients, staffmembers, and friends came together to celebrate the lives 0f those still living xvith HIV/AIDS and to rmnember the lives of those who have died from this disease. The "Celebration of Life" was replete with food, crafts and a tree planting ceremony that symbolizes hope for a cure. Tulsa CARES’ Celebration of Life in-kind sponsors ,sere Starbucks, Q~eenies and QEikTrip. Five Crepe Myrtle trees were donated by Up with Trees. Tulsa CARES’ mission is ddivering social services to people affected by HIWAIDS. Tulsa CARES is a United W’ay Agency. For more information, visit vcww.tulsacares.org. SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY January 2009 �Dear Editor: in the spirit of Christmas, the 18th annual Loaves and Fishes Dinner Show was held at the Copa OKC, raising over $6956. Featuring entertainers (Photo) Ben Williams, Kitty Bob Aimes, Sonja Martinez, John Beebe and Matthew Heath Fitzgerald, the show was held on both December 8 and 9, with proceeds going to help the Winds House, a home & hospice for those living with HIV. My name is Robaire ~atson and I’m a gay military veteran who’s been living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 18 years. I spent 6 years in the military as an openly gay, man. At age 23 I joined the Navy in search of adventure. Being a gay man, I was determined that I wasn’t going to allow the military to change my true identity. My story isn’t about the latest trend or the latest hot actor, or the latest hot "trick~ it’s about the importance of"being who you want to be"! Who needs to serve in silence ? I just want to bring a positive ground breaking story to the fbrefront. I grexv up in a primarily white small Texas town and the middle child of a Southern Baptist family. I was in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, played high school football for a brief time. I always knew I was gay. After high school, I earned money t’or college by working in the oil fields. I studied design and fashion merchandising in Dallas at ~ades School of Design. I joined the US NaW in 1989 and served six years through two enlistments until 1995. Oldahoma Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth with OGLPC Co-Chair Paul ~nompson at the ,amnual NAACP Banquet in Oklahoma City. Being openly gay in the military and not receiving threats to my life, allowed me to keep my integrity: I never felt the need to tell anyone on my command that I was gay or introduce them to my boyfriend. I always felt that people knew I was different, just by the way I conducted myself. When you sho~v others respect, they show you respect in return. I was a US Navy Ship’s barber who served aboard the USS Kansas City as it traveled the seas promoting freedom during the Gulf’~Y~ar and Operation Southern XWatch offthe coast of Somalia in 1993, traveling to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Dubai, Jebel All, UAE, British Columbia, Mexico, and the Philippines during my two enlistments. I’m black and openly gay and never encountered the slightest discrimination aboard this xvarship. I have never forced my sexual preference on anyone. I don’t ~vant someone who’s straight doing that to me. gqaen the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" law xvas passed, my shipmates told me, "\X[atso!~, we don’t have to ask and we don’t have to tell." Peggy Johnson and ReVerend Dl: Kathy McCallie at Church of the Open Arms Fundaraiser .... Scotty Mandell, Robin D0rner and Loring Wagner strike a pose at the Diversity Bttsiness Association’s Christmas Party. I had a group of gay friends on the USS Kansas City. We were the gay version of"Sex and the City" onboard the ship. XXre were known as the Fierce-Four. Our personal lives were better than any episode of Q~.eer as Folk. My friends said, because of me, they were able to be themselves without prejudice. I took several of my shipmates to gay bars & dance clubs, not because it was my idea, but because they asked me too! I dated an Ensign and a Lieutenant while in the military. I ,also dated a Major in the United States Army and a Marine. All the following military men who came across my, life had to keep their personal life a secret. It’s not about being an officer in the military or subjecting yourself to starring in a skin flick to get your point across, about "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: It’s knowing that you have a job to do and a mission to accomplish. ~bu can’t allow your sexual preference to interfere. Ken Sims, Jennifer Lancaster, Rebecca Hurst and Blaze Bush at the Marriage Equality Rally in downtown Oklahoma City December 20. The government needs to worry about the individuals who they allow to enter the military that haven’t been outside the county line, and refuse to accept someone who is different. Sometimes, these type of people want to judge you, based on their religious beliefs. If you can’t accept me for my race or sexual preference, will you be there for me in a time of war ? I’m very fortunate that I was able to be openly gay and live my life accordingly during active duty. I want other men and women who enter the armed forces who are gay to be able to live their lives just as openly as their straight counterparts and when they become veterans to be treated ~vith dignity and respect. I’m very proud to have done my duty serving my country: Thank you, Robaire Watson San Francisco, CA Santa ( Pam Norton) and Mrs. Santa (Victorola) at the Church of the Open Arms Christmas Party wv,~v.metrostamews.com ~ot~oSTAR 5 �A NEW PLACE TO ENDUP By Victor Gorin SUPPORTERS OF IT¥ LIGHT UP DOWNTOWN OKC By Victor Gorin Photo: End ~o owner Blake (Center) wit,§ the End [J)) dancers TULSA, OK__ When the first Endup club on Memorial closed a few years ago, it left a gap that Blake Alterman knew needed to be filled. While not for everybody, there are truly gay men that love to watch the hot boys dance. Not far from some of Tulsgs other gay clubs, it’s located at 5336 E. Admiral Place, a site vacant for over a year last occupied by a straight biker club called The Luclo! Shamrock. Dancers will be featured 7 nights a xveek, taking up where the old Endup left off, but with more than twice the space and ample parking. While it is planned and destined to be a swinging spot for those wanting to watch male dancers, it has more to offer as well. A section of the bat" ,vi!l be like a regular bar, with pool tables, cruising and conversation. Other fun endeavors are planned also with Bathroom Bingo Nights starting in January, hosted by emcee Earnest from the ladle’s bathroom, rewarding winning participants with cash and prizes. Hours are from noon tmtil 2 a.m. 7 days a week, so stop by and check it out, especially during Happy Hour with $1 offall liquor drinks from noon until 8 p.m. 7 days a week. As Blake puts it, "xg&’re just looking to have a good time with a bar that everybody’s gonna love coming to." Sounds like a great beginning. Photo: Organizer Trey Hill with activistJames Nimmo by Hctor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Around 30 determined souls braved the icy chill December 20 in OKC’s Bricktown near the entrance of the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark, holding a candlelight vigil supporting marriage equality for all Americans, including the GLBT community. Surprising, there were no negative epithets, fisticuffs or even threats thereof made by Bricktown partygoers, only some interested glances. The event did get media coverage by KOKH Channel 25, and participants got a free "Oklahoman for Marriage Equality T-Shirt;’ made possible thru the generosity ofJames Nimmo, his partner Don Chabot and Brittany Novotny. The event came together through the organization of Trey Dill & Chuck Longacre, activists also largely responsible for a previous rally at the Oklahoma City Hall November 15 xvhich brought out over 200 people protesting the passage of Proposition 8, Which took away the right of same sex marriage in California. As Ms. Novotny praised the marchers, "As we keep getting people out for events like this, people won’t feel they have to be scared to be who they are, and straight people won’t be as scared to support us. We’ll keep doing this until all of Oklahoma says Yes, You all are part of us and we’re all equal: January 2009 �N Wockner News Service Reports: No quick action against DADT Florida’s ban on gay adoption struck down President-elect Barack Obama rnay not move quickly to repeal the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" ban on open gays, according to published reports. A Florida circuit court in Miami struck down a state law that barred lesbians and gay men from adopting Nov. 25. The court granted adoptions to a gay man, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, who has been raising two foster children since 2004. "Our family just got a lot more to be thankful for this Naanksgiving;’ said Martin Gill, a North Miami resident who is raising two brothers, ages 4 and 8, with his partner. are extremely relieved that the court has recognized that it is wrong to deny our boys the legal protections and security that only" come with adoption." A Nov. 24 report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said: "Very quietly, the Obama team has let it be known that the new administration will not immediately reassess the U.S. military’s policy of’don’t ask, don’t tell: ... Raising the topic of gays in the military was considered by many to be the second of two out-of-the-box decisions that ended badly for a newly elected President Bill Clinton (in 1993)’.’ Nae committee’s Web site lists more than 40 such participating contingents, including several high-school and university bands. Comedian xYC:anda Sykes came out publicly Nov. 15 at a Las Vegas rally against California’s Proposition 8. Meanwhile, Obama came under fire from gay activists on Dec. 17 for selecting influential evangelical preacher Rick xWarren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration. "When California passed Prop 8 ... I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked, our community was attacked," Sykes said. "I got married Oct. 25. You know, I don’t really talk about nay sexual orientation, I didn’t feel like I had to, I was just living my life and, not necessarily in tile closet, but I was just living my life. Everybody that knows me personally, they know I’m gay. And that’s the way people should be able to live their lives, xgre shouldn’t The Florida law barring gays and lesbians from adopting was the most expansive anti-gay parenting law in the country. It was passed in 1977 in response to an anti-gay crusade led by Miss Oklalloma 1958, and orange-juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant. The poll found that even Republicans (64 percent) and white evangelical Christians (57 percent) supported scrapping the ban. The random survey of 1,119 Aanerican adults had a margin oferror of plus or minus 3 percentage points. www.metrostarnews.corn ~ihe gay contingent will include t77 musicians in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue a~er Obama is sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The court also found that the ban denied children the right to permanency provided by federal and state law under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. "An Obama transition team spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the decision on how to approach repealing ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ... would be ma& after more experts have joined the Obama administration;’ the paper said. A July poll by The \Vashington Post and ABC News found that 75 percent of Americans said "yes" when ~isked, "Do you think that homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not ?" Although LGBA concert bands performed at inaugural celebratious t’or Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997, this will be the first time a gay band has marched in a presidential inaugural parade. In making their selections, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and military musicians assessed the applications of 1,400 marching bands, drill teams and musical groups. However, the gay newspaper ~Tashington Blade reported Nov. 25 that an unnamed Obama spokesperson said the mainstream-media reports were premature. "Tnese decisions will not be made before the full national security team is in place;’ the Blade quoted the spokesperson as saying. The Lesbian and Gay Band Association, which is composed of 34 marching and concert bands fi’om the U.S., Canada and Australia, will march in President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural parade Jan. 20. The court ruled that tile ban violated the equalprotection guarantees of the state constitution because it irrationally singled out gay people and their children for different treatment. "Reports and studies find that there are no differences in the parenting of homosexuals or the adjustment of their children;’ the court said. "TheSe conclusions have been accepted, adopted and ratified by the American psychological Association, the American Psychiatry Association, the American PediatriCAssociation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America and the National Association of Social Workers. Based on the robust nature of the evidence available in the field, this Court is satisfied that the issue is so far beyond dispute that it would be irrational to hold otherwise; the best~interests of children are not preserved by prohibiting homosexual adoption." The National Journal and The Washington Tunes said Obama might wait until 2010 to ’tackle the ban. Wanda Sykes comes out, Gay band, anti-gay preacher to participate in blasts Prop 8 inauguration Admirals, Generals urge DADT repeal A former Army secretary and 103 retired admirals and generals issued a call Nov. 17 for repeal of the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" ban on open gays. Among the document’s signers were a former Naval Academy superintendent, retired four-star Adm. Chades Larson, and former President Jimmy Carter’s Army secretary, Clifford Mexander. It is believed that there are about 65,000 gay people serving in the military, not counting the 627 who were kicked out last year for failing to stay sufficiently closeted. Human Rights Caxnpaign President Joe Solmonese calAed the move ’h genuine bl0w to LGBT Americans." "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination; Solmonese said. "Vge urge you to reconsider this announcement." The National Gay arid Lesbian Task Force said, "We urge President-elect Obama to withdraw his invitation to Rick Warren and instead select a faith leader who embraces fairness, equality and the ideals the president-elect himself has called the nation to uphold: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation President Nell Giuliano said, "It is ... deeply troubling that the President-elect has selected have to be standing out here demanding something that we automatically should have as citizens of this country. And I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, You know what, now I gotta get in your face. And that’s what we all have to do now." Sykes said, as others have, that the passage of Prop 8 did have an upside. "They pissed offthe ~vrong group of people," she said. "They have galvanized a community: XWe are so together now and we all want the same tiling and we are not going to settle for less." The Las Vegas rally was part of a national day of protest against Prop 8 that saw demonstrations in 300 U.S. cities and towns, including such unlikely places Direct Cremation From $595 as Allentown, Fargo, Fayetteville, La Crosse, Macon, Shreveport and Missoula. ..... Continued See Inauguration Page-11 ’ T ON MORTUARY SERVICE,~e Tradition!! Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405) 230- 1310 or !-800-913-1310 In California, there were protests Nov. 15 in 58 separate towns and cities. Pre-Need Plaa CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED N~÷troSTAR 7 �Same-sex marriage bill to be introduced in New Hampshire * U.S. adults are evenly divided on xvhether gay couples should have access to marriage -- 47 percent say yes and 49 percent say no. New Hampshire State Rep. Jim Splaine plans to introduce a bill next year to legalize same-sex marriage. * Sixty-four percent think gays in the military should not have to stay closeted, as required by the =don’t ask, don’t tell" policy. New Hampshire already has a comprehensive same-sex civil-union law, and nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts allow gay couples to marry~ Splaine told the Concord Monitor newspaper that the civil-union law bestows only about 90 percent of the state-level benefits and obligations of marriage, xvhich leaves same-sex couples without full equality under the law. Some 600 same-sex couples have entered into a civil union in New Hampshire. Elton John does not support same-sex marriage Elton John says gays are wrong to want to get married and should settle for civil unions. "We’re (David Furnish and I) not married. Let’s get that right;’ John told USA Today on Nov. 12. "We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that mey went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the,vord marriage. "I don’t want to be married;’ John said. very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get mar}led, Or get together, they should have a civil partnership .... You ~et the same e~ual rights .... Heterosexual peopm get married: John’s assertion about ~equal rights" is essentially true in the United Kingdom, where John and Furnish entered their civil partnership. ~Ihe UK civil-partnership law is national in scope. In the U.S., on the other hand, civil-union and domestic-parmership laws are state laws that grant equal rights only on the state level, leaving civilly united gay couples without access to-more than 1,000 federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriage. But, at the same time, the U.S. government also does not recognize the same-sex marriages that have taken place in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts or abroad. However, it would require less of an overhaul of federal policy to start recognizing married same-sex couples than it would to create some kind of national recognition of states’ hod gepodge of civilunion and domestic-partnership laws, some of which grant all state-level rights of marriage and others of which do not. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has said repeatedly that he supports extending federal recognition to same-sex unions, though he does not favor opening marriage itseltto samesex couples, citing religious objections. Obama nonetheless opposed California’s Proposition 8, in which voters amended the state constitution on Nov. 4 to re-ban same-sex marriage. ha a nutshell, Obama does not think gay couples should have access to marriage but also does not think any laws should be passed to prevent gay couples from accessing marriage. 8 ~÷~roSTAR * Sixty-three percent support expanding hate-crime la~vs to cover gay and transgender people. At present, 31 states and the District of Columbia have such laws that cover sexual orientation and 12 of those laws also encompass gender identity. * Fifty-one percent favor protecting gay and transgender people under existing laws that ban discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have such laws that cover sexual orientation and 13 of those laws also encompass gender identity. * Sixty-nine percent oppose bans on gay adoption. =We observed a positive relationship between knowing a gay or transgender person and one’s attitudes toward them and the policy issues that affect their lives," said Laura Light, Harris Interactive’s vice president of public-relations research. "Based on other surveys we have conducted on attitudes toward LGBT people and issues, the results of this survey suggest that public sentiment in the U.S. is trending toward greater acceptanF~ of gay- and transgender-related policy issues:’ Iowa Supreme Court hears marriage case The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 9 in Lan~bda Legal’s case on behalf of same-sex couples who want to marry. "XTge put our best case forward, and hope that the court breathes life into the Iowa Constitution’s promise of equality," said Senior Staff Attorney Camilla Taylor. The couples’ case was argued by former Iowa Solicitor General Dennis Johnson of Dorsey & Whimey. "The government has no business standing in the way of a loving same-sex couple who wants to take responsibility for each other and their fancily," Johnson said. Lambda filed suit in Polk County District Court in 2005 on behalf of six same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses, arguing that the denials violated the liberty and equality guarantees in the Iowa Constitution. In 2007, the court agreed that banning same-sex couples from marrying was unc0nstitutional, and the county recorder and registrar appealed to the state Supreme Court. One gay couple -- Sean and Tim McQ,u)llan of Ames -- got married before Judge Robert Hanson quickly suspended his ruling when it was appealed. The survey found that people under 65, and especially those 18-34, are more gay-friendly than people over 65. Women are generally more supportive than men. Latinos are more supportive than whites and blacks when it comes to gays in the military. Blacks are more supportive than whites and Latinos on hate-crime laws. And Catholics and "mainline" Christians (Protestant, Mormon or %ther Christian") are more supportive than "born-again" Protestants, Mormons or other Christians. Nineteen percent of those questioned said their feelings toward gay people have become more favorable over the past five years. They attributed the change to such things as knmving someone who is gay, seeing gay people on TV and in movies, passage of gay-friendly laws, news coverage of gay issues, and learning of the gay-friendly positions of friends, family members and religious leaders. "Knowing someone who is gay or lesbian" ,vas the most significant factor, cited by 79 percent of those whose feelings had evolved. Seventy-three percent of those qu{stioned know or work with a gay or transgender person and half of that 73 percent know or work with five or more gay or traaasgender people, the survey found. Full poll results: tinyurl.com/6nojlq. January 2009 �DVD" ’re Obituary of Mary Lorene Marlett, mother of Demo Candidate Ron Marlett Angels" Ron Marlett was the Democratic candidate runmng against Mrs. Kern in HD 84. with the release of their album. The following is from Ron: My mother. Mary Lorene Marlett, passed from this world December 17. She has suffered from Alzeheimers Disease the past two years, From my earliest years. I can remember her involvement in the Canadian County Democratic Party. She described herself as a Yellow Dog Democrat, someone who would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican. Jason and &Marco have recently taken a&antage of C~l~ornlas Troy Don Wheat 34ar 19, 1966 - Dec 6, 2008 TULSA, OK (OkEq) __ Troy Wheat, son of Betty and Paul Wheat was born on March 19, 1966 in Alva, Oklahoma. He died on the 6th of December, at his home in Tulsa, at the age of 42 years, 8 months and 18 days. Troy is survived by his parents Paul and Betty; a sister and her husband, Paula and Bill Miller of Woodward; his significant other, Christopher Roberts of Tulsa; two nieces and their spouses, Shannon and Craig Chestnut and thei} children Jace and Jayden of Mustang, Karrie and Kendel Kay and their children Sloan, Reece, Braton and Kinley of Ashland, Kansas; a number of other relatives and many friends. He graduated from Alva High School in 1984. After moving to Tulsa, Troy attended and graduated cosmetology school in Jenks. He became a successful stylist in Tulsa. He was very involved in the Miss Cinderella, Miss Oklahoma and Miss America Pageants. One of the highlights of his life was when his client won Miss America in 2006. A family and friends visitation reception was held Thursday December 1 lth at Ninde Brookside Chapel, 3841 S. Peoria, Tul’sa, Oklahoma 74105. However. she loved her Republican friends. In a community where racial epithets were socially acceptable, she taught that those words wouldn’t be tolerated in our household. When I hear politicians talk of"family values", I wonder if they were taught that racism wasn’t a family value. I attended precinct meetings with her and accompanied her to a state convention. She raised my brother and me with values of equality, fairness and the value of hard work. When I was younger she saw that I got to Little League baseball games when my dad was tied up responding to an electric outage in the rural electric cooperative, xXihen I left home, she became involved in my brother’s scouting as was extremely proud of his attaining his Eagle Scout Award. When my father became disabled, she ;,cent to work at XXrestern Hectric, later AT&T. She continued there until being offered an early retirement. She continued to live in Union City after my father’s death in 1987. She began having health problems that probably signalled the onset of Alzheirmers, but I was too close to the situation to recognize it. About two years ago a doctor diagnosed it and told me she had two years left. She celebrated her 75th birthday and received letters from Oklahoma politicians praising her for her ~vork for the party. Her long time Democratic friend, Oberta Bergdall attended that party. She was particularly proud of having attended President Carter’s inaugural ball. Toward the end of her life, no one in the Democratic Party could really remember her. When I attended the C:anadian County Democratic Bean Supper, I felt I represented her. She died surrounded by people who loved her and was very peaceful mad free of pain. I am struck by the reliefI feel that she no longer suffers and the realization that I will not see her again. She was a blessing to those she cared for and to the Democratic Party she loved. United Metropolitan Community Church www.metrostarnews.com Sunday Services @ 11:00 AM 1623 N. l~laplewood Tulsa, OK Ron Marlett 918-838-1715 w.mcctuisa.org ~Oet~oSTAR 9 �Close, but no cigar. perform same-gender marriages yet their religious freedom is being abridged by the passage of Prop 8. ByJan~es Nimmo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ q-he recent release of the biopic "Milk" about the life and death of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk revivified interest in Milk’s most famous phrases such as "Come out, come out, wherever you are;’ and "Don’t blend in:’ Another openly gay activist to have his speeches and writings dusted offis Bayard Rustin, an openly gay African-American who was a colleague of Dr. M.L. King and who was given behind-the-scenes credit for organizing the March on Washington in August, 1963 where Dr... King made his iconic and forward lookAng"I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Rustin was forced to take a back-seat due to fears that his orientation and arrest record would undoubtedly be used against the civil tights movement. From the book Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin by Bayard Rustin (Cleis Press, Carbado and Weise, editors) we get the succinct gay agenda, if there ever was one, that I think most of us gay/lesbian activists can agree on "the job of the gay comnaunity is not to deal with extremists who would castrate us or put us on an island and drop an Hbomb on us." The fact of the matter is that there is a small percentage of people in America who understand the true nature of the homosexual cornmunity. There is another small percentage who will never understand us. Our job is not to get those people who dislike us to love us. Nor was our aim in the civil rights movement to get prejudiced white people to love us. Our aim was to try to create the Idnd of America, legislatively, morally, and psychologically, such that even though some whites continued to hate us, they could not openly manifest that hate. That’s our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest anti-gay sentiment." (http://tiwurl.com/5w77yr) What we should continue to be doing is proving our gay/lesbian equality of citizenship to the broad range of the valuable demographic ~mown as the undecided, who politicians always court. For our purposes it’s those people who all have gay and lesbian family members or friends, xvho wouldn’t think of hurting them but somehow aren’t connecting the dots that if some of us gays and lesbians are getting hurt, all of us get hurt. Dr. King said it in a more engraved style: "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important." Laws don’t prevent crime or change the minds of the incorrigible, but laws do provide a way to legally make it uncomfortable for prejudice and violence to be acted out against minorities. ~is is one reason our enemies are very anxious that hate crimes bills that include language for the protection of sexual orientation and gender presentation are not passed either at the Federal or state level. Our opponents claim such laws would limit speech and hamper the free exercise of religion. But as Rep Barhey Dank (Mass.) said earlier in December, 2008 at a Victory Fund luncheon, these laws are directed at actions of violence not at xvords; expression is not the target of hate crimes laws, but physica! behavior is. (http://tinyurl.com/5963au) Yes, we truly live in the age ofOrwell xvhere words can be wolves in sheep’s clothing. We read of Mormon and Catholic spokespeople offended by the peaceful protests ofgay/lesbian supporters in reaction to losing the November Prop. 8 vote in California. And just why does prejudice and discrimination seem to originate with bible-trumpeting homo-haters ? Could it be because they already live in a ddusional world of superstition and make-believe, of fairy stories about sky-based good things, and dark-and-dirty ground-based bad things ? Could it be because they still live in the world of Bronze Age nomads ~vho had no science and no concept of a world beyond the horizon they could walk toward in a day? The current (I hesitate to call them "modern day") generation of ftmdies lives in a world of technology and communication that would seem like godly magic to their Abrahamic ancestors. They use this science to disperse their simplistic balderdash that’s rooted in desert-wandering myths and witch-doctoring and think nothing of the plain evidence and contradictions that shows them to be deeply deluded and ignorant. "Ihe last hundred years have passed them by and disproved the ancient runes and cabals they so desperately need to explain their conflicting childhood dreams of omnipotent, omniscient super heroes rescuing them from death and oblivion. Personally I don’t care what they do as consenting adults in the privacy of their religious establishments or even on the public street corner. However, no group has the legal prover to impose religious dogma in the law books of any state or Federa! code. There continues to be a principle of separation of church and state, equality and liberty for all, that is paramount to the continuation of this country as it was founded. African-Americans, Native Americans, and women have gained their civil equality in spite of the restrictions originally written in the Constitution and later remedied by Amendments. So far, 30 states have amendments or laws forbidding same-gender marriage in addition to the alleged "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA). Two states have understood the rights of gays and lesbians to have civil marriage, Massachusetts and Connecticut, with a handful of states having various marriage-like rights available but not the real thing. Close, but no cigar! We need to think of ourselves in a way that reflects the goodness and quality that exists within our ranks, g[e are terrific people and we may as well acknowledge that in our language. Another word that completely escaped our gaydar is the term homophobia. We use it to define prejudice against gay and lesbian people. But it just doesn’t seem to be up to the job. It’s weak and ambiguous. When we talk about someone who dislikes others based on their skin color we call them racist. Much stronger word. Phobic people, in general, tend to be fearful but polite. People who openly disapprove of gay/lesbian folks are neither. Are we too nice when ~ve describe our critics in such an affable way? Homophobic! Doesn’t sound so bad. Surely, the terms they have for us are more forthright. Who thought of calling hatred a phobia, anyway? Ac,t,t}ally, it was psychologist George Weinberg in his 1972book Society and the Healthy Honaosexual:’ He was tapping into the theory that violence toward gay people came about because of a fear of homosexuality, especially by those repressing their own same-sex urges. But what about all the other gay bashers who aren’t reacting to their inner homo ? The rest of the world has already learned that words define us to others and molds our selfqmage. That’swhy secretaries are executive assistants and garbage men are sanitation engineers. GeraM Libonati is the author afthe neu, novel Pete*" [’Vo~7 the storr af:a fiam°uv. ~Ta ro& star who ~oes incognito mfind love. He ~s an award-winningjournalist in &uth £1orig, workingfir the Sun-SentineL He has also wri~enJbr ~e .~iiami He,ald, ~e dd~ocam andfi’egznce~jbr gaT/tesbian newspapers around t,~e munW. Although Frederick Douglass was disappointed by the 1857 Dredd Scott decision that refused full citizenship to free blacks as well as slaves, he found a reason to look forward, saying, "My hopes were never brighter than now." Slavery was brought to forefront of the country and the unsavory ownership of people could no longer be ignored. Though we gay citizens are not owued physically, our social and economic prospects are curtailed. Thanks to our enemies, our own equality prospects been brought to the forefront and our equality will be won. Straights and Homophobes: lae Words hat Bind Us. By Gerald Libonati Language shapes our self-image and some of the words we use are misleading, inadequate or just plain wrong. Take the word straig!at, for instance. "We use it to describe heteros; men and women who are not gay or lesbian. And every time we use the term we indirectly insult ourselves. What does the word mean in our society? To me, it looks as if the First Amendment establishment clause is being ignored because there are some denominations that ~vill Straight means proper, upstanding, law-abiding and decent. Are ~,~÷t~oSTAR So ifheteros are straight what does that make us - crooked, dishonest, drugged and apparently indecent ? Just as Plessy ~: Ferguson was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education ending educational segregation; just as Bowers v. Hardwick was overturned by Lawrence and Garner v. Texas removing sodomy laws from enforcement, just as Colorado’s Amendment 2 was overturned with Romer v. Evans, we can look forward to our day in a courtroom as well as the court of public opinion. It seems these t~vo denominations that gave much of the money fueling the thei~ of a civil right in California were surprised by the bacHash to the imposition of their religious dogma on the non-member citizens of California ( http:/itinyurl.com/6qp2xz ), (http://tinyurl.com/6215gd). 10 ~ou being straight with me, refers to honest): When you’re off rugs, you’re straight. If you’re good, you travel the straight-andnarrow. ’Damn straight’ means emphatically right, unequiv0cally correct. January 2009 �nationa ROBERT MATSON’S LATEST EPIC "A GATHERING" AND HIS NEW NTURES UPCOMING anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs jumped from an SUV and broke a beer bottle over Sucuzhafiay’s head, beat him with a bat and kicked him. someone whose defamatory and damaging anti-gay statements and vie~vs ... clearly divide rather than unite Americans." Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., called Obama’s move very disappointing. The brother, Romel, escaped down the street, then returned to the scene and scared offthe attackers by telling them he’d phoned police on his cell phone. By Victor Gorin ~Religious leaders obviously have every right to speak out in opposition to anti-discrimination measures, even in the degrading terms that Rev. Warren has used with regard to same-sex marriage;’ Frank said. "But that does not confer upon them the right to a place of honor in the inauguration ceremony of a president whose stated commitment to LGBT rights won him the strong support of the great majority of those who support that cause:’ Police are investigating the killing as a hate crime and are offering a $27,000 award for information leading to apprehension of the assailants. On Dec. 13, hundreds of protesters marched from a Bushwick park to the site of the attack. GeoffKors, executive director of Equality California, said he is so annoyed by Warren’s participation that he will boycott the inauguration. "I have decided to decline the invitation to attend the inauguration as I cannot be part of a celebration that highlights and gives voice to someone who advocated repealing rights from me and millions of other Californians;’ Kors said. "Rick Warren ... actively works to dMde Americans based on who we are and has been an ardent supporter of efforts to ostracize LGBT Americans:’ Photo: Robert Matson by Victor Go,qn OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Lyric’s Plaza Theater hosted a unique play with A Gathering, but Robert is a playwright where one can count on non-convention. After all he brought us Tails of the Closet and Drama Q~eens, and even a masculine answer to the Vagina Monologues entitled Beneath the Zipper, which celebrated the penis. But who ~v0~ld have expdcted agay thriller on stage, with seat edging suspense that would have awed Agatha Christie herself? But there it was, entitled A Gathering, where 9 gay men are trapped on an isolated island, cut offffom the outside world, and there is a killer or killers among them. With a scenario almost identical to Agatha Christie’s novel, "And then there were None," it starts offfun and campy with the wisecracking antics of ToW "Toneisha" Hayes ( portrayed by Chris Castleberry) who was supposed to be drag entertainment but instead was the first to go. Then there was the hard drinking Dr. James Armstrong ( portrayed by Timothy Stewart), a self proclaimed bisexual who was enamored with Toneisha ~vhile she lasted. The play ends in surprise as character Neil Lawrence ( portrayed by Jerome Stevenson) turns out to be the killer, and concludes with his suicide and that of the last left one left alive, the handsome resort employee Courmey Claythorne( portrayed by Scott Hynes), who xvas left xvith the bitter choice of self destruction or being accused of murdering all the others when the authorities eventually arrived. What inspired this wild tale ? W’ell, besides Agatha Christie, Mr. Matson added that "I love murder mysteries. I wanted to give Agatha’s story a different twist. This xvould be a great piece to work with, and how to make it xvork with 9 gay men. I worked on it for about 2 years." Although he has done past work with maW theater companies including Jewel Box, CityRep, Guthrie’s Pollard Theater & Carpenter Square, he is currently the Academy Administrator for Lyric Academy, which involves registration for acting classes taught there and he teaches adult acting classes as well. As for the fnture, he is working on" a couple things, including a loud gay comedy with Oklahoma ties to it." But that’s all he’ll say right now, so we can all be breathless with anticipation. www.metrostarnews.com Speaking in support of California’s Proposition 8 before the November election, Warren said, "We should not let 2 percent of the population change a definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years. In reality, many cultures over the past 5,000 years have embraced polygamy. Hundreds ofprotesters marched in Brooklyn Dec. 13 after an Ecuadorean man who was walking a~n in arm with h# brother was attacked with a baseball bat and later died. 2he assailants shouted ann’-gay slurs. Photo byJoeJervis. More recently, Warren told Beliefnet.com that same-sex marriage is equivalent to "having a broth& anff Sist& b~ together ... an 01der ~ " and calling that a marriage... one gw having multiple wives and calling that marriage." (Warren: ’Tin opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older gny marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage:’ Interviewer: "You think those are equivalent to gays getting married?" Warren: "Oh, I do:’) Brooklyn man dies after probable ha e attack A Brooklyn man who was attacked with a baseball bat Dec. 7 as he walked arm in arm with his brother died on Dec. 12. Josd Sucuzhafia); a 31-year-old Ecuadorean immigrant, and his brother were walking together in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood after a night out when three black men shouting [~Ie~°oSTAR 11 �@ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @Club 209, Tulsa @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ Steve’s Hideaway, Tulsa @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @ ~e Second Chance Animal Sanctuary @ Finishline, Oklahoma City @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ The End Up, Tulsa @ Angles, Oklahoma City �CLUB 209 HOSTS PHOTOGPHER VINCENT SCOTT Ok ahomans for Equality art gallery opens Josh New photo e libit California Constitution. Ordinarily, it is the attorney geqeral’s job to defend the state’s laws, not attack them. By Judy Gabbard "Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification;’ Brown said in a statement. "There are certain rights that are not to be subject to popular votes, otherwise they are not fundaanental rights;’ he added in an interview xvith the San Jose Mercury News. "If every fundamental liberty can be stripped away by a majority vote, then it’s not a fundamental liberty:’ Rejecting recent arguments submitted to the state Supreme Court by gay-rights lawyers, Brown concluded that existing case-law precedents of the court do not invalidate Proposition 8 either as an improper revision of the state constitution or as a violation of the separation-of-provers doctrine. But that does not resolve the matter; he said. Photography Art by Josh New TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery starts a new year of it’s monthly First Thursday meetthe-artist receptions featuring photographs from native Tulsa resident Josh New. The reception will be held Thursday, January 1st, 2009, from 6-9pm. Josh New, a teacher ofJapanese at Booker T Washington High School, is currently a graduate student at the University of Tulsa in photography. Arches by Photographer Hncent Scott TULSA, OK__ Dennis Olson, owner of DoArt Worlds, sponsored the opening of "Pioneering Seas6n" featuring the photography of Vincent Scott at Club 209, Tulsds Arts Bar in the historical Brady District. Club 209 features various artists throughout the year. The Club is also a great place to enjoy local entertainment on weekends, such as Vallerie Star Light Rock + Acoustic, Rebecca Ungerma~i with the Frank Brown Trio and the Three Penny Upright, A Little Bluegrass. Visit Club 209 on the web at www.club209tulsa.com for monthly updates on art exhibits and entdrtainment. Vincent Scott is a world traveled photographer whose eye for the beauty in our world, has thrilled many onlookers coast to coast. Dennis Olson, an artist in his own right, chose to sponsor these photographs because of Mr. Scott’s photographic eye and production techniques. To contact Dennis Olson emaih do@ doart~vorld.org. The opening night was an exciting experience of fine art, flowing wine and the admiration’ of hundreds of guest. After graduating from Oklahoma State, Mr. New worked in Japan for three years, where he developed a love of travel and the exotic. Since then he has traveled to many countries and discovered a talent in photography. That love and talent has brought Inm to TU to ~rther hone his s-kill aa~d allow hu~ the freedom to experiment aa~d take his photographs further than just glorified vacation photos. "My photographs have been, more than anything, my attempt to control and catalog the world around me’; states New. "I’m moving in a direction where I am starting to manipulate my images to illuminate my thoughts and ideas, but they primarily remain shots of the patterns and vibrant colors I see around me. This exhibit is a sampling of both photos I have taken on my journeys and the first steps in my attempt to, essentially, photograph my thoughts, which also seem to be constructed in colors and patterns" The exhibit will remain up through the month ofJanuary, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pro. 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. Calif. Attorney General Brown: Prop 8 is invalid Community Fellowship by Rex g¢ockne~ "A place where you can be who God created you to be andfriendghips become family" ors ip Experience Sund s 5:30 p.m. Pastor Neill @urgin Pasto ressionsOKC, corn (~05) 761-1878 "~w.ExpressionsOKC.com Meeting at Lansbrook ~¢ent Center 6009 NW E~pressway Oklahoma Cio~, OK In a stunninglegal move, California Attorney General Jerry Brown formally urged the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8 on Dec. 19 because, in re-banning sanaesex couples from marrying, the voter-approved constitutional amendment deprived people of an aspect of liberty that the Supreme Court previously had concluded is guaranteed by the In its May 15 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, the state Supreme Court "held that article I, section 1 of the California Constitution provides a right to marry that cannot be denied to same-sex couples;’ Brown’s office said. "In order to invalidate such a fundamental right, the court must determine that there is a compelling justification to do so. But in (its decision), the court found that no such compelling justification exists. Accordingly, Proposition 8 must be stricken." "~ae use of the (ballot) initiative power to take avcay a legal right deemed by this Court to be fundamental and from a group defined by a suspect classification is a matter of grave concern;’ Brown said in his brief to the court. "Proposition 8 should be invalidated as violating the inalienable right of liberty found in article I, section 1 of our Constitution." In its May decision, the state Supreme Court struck dmwa the state’s opposite-sex definition of marriage as unconstitutional, citing a fundamental right to marry under the state constitution and the constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the lav,r, The court further determined -- in a move that legal analysts said was unprecedented for a supreme court -- that any discrimination based on sexual orientation is constitutionally subject to the strictest level of scrutiny by courts, which made it dramatically harder for any level of government in California to defend itself in any arena where gays, lesbians and bisexuals are not treated the same as heterosexuals. This was accomplished by the court’s declaring sexual orientation to be, like race and religion, a so-called "suspect classification" -- a categorization that forces any government in California that treats GLB people differently in any way to prove it has a specific compelling interest, rather than a mere rational basis, for doing so. While Prop 8 wiped out the part of the court’s decision that legalized same-sex marriage, it did not alter the more ground,b, reaking part of the ruling that found sexual orientatiT~n to be a suspect classification. Gay rights lawyers said back in May that the suspect-classification determination would prove to be even more of a game-changer for California gays in the long run than xvas the decision to legalize same-sex marriage. If Brown’s argument passes muster with the state Supreme Court, that prediction will have been borne out. Equality California Executive Director GeoffKors praised Brown’s court brief and its novel argument. "He just demonstrated the ldnd of leadership that isn’t motivated byp olitical exp edienc y but by what is right," said the head of the state’s leading gay lobby group. �Wockner News Service Sweden to strike six sexu- Burundi’s parliament HIV diagnoses among votes to ban gay sex European gay men nearly al diagnoses from list double since 2000 The parliament of the Central African nation Sweden’s National Board of Health and WelHIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM) increased 86 percent in 23 European countries between 2000 and 2006 -- from 3,003 cases to 5,571 cases -- according tO a report in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Researchers from the EuroHIV program analyzed data from 24 of the 27 member nations of the European Union along with data from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, and compared those figures with similar year-2000 data gathered from 23 nations. There were 7,693 ne,v HIV cases reported overall among MSM in 2006, of which 2,597 occurred in the United Kingdom. Other nations with high diagnosis rates included the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland. Much lower rates of MSM diagnoses were found in Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia, even though Hungary saw a 118 percent increase over 2000 and Slovenia saw a 257 percent increase. Four nations saw a decline in new HIV diagnoses among MSM over the six-year period: Cyprus, Iceland, Lithuania and Luxembourg (though Luxembourg’s rate is still high). The researchers said stepped-up HIV testing may have affected the statistics to some degree, meaning an increase in diagnoses may not correlate precisely ~vith an increase in actual infections. They also suggested that infections may be increasing as HIV-positive men who have sex with men live longer and remain sexually active and presumably able to pass on the virus. Other findings included: * In 20 countries, the percentage of MSM who had full-blown AIDS at the time of their HIV diagnosis decreased from 25 percent in 2000 to t0 percent in 2006. * In 30 countries, full-blown AIDS diagnoses decreased from 2,422 in 2000 to 1,445 in 2006. * In those same countries, HIV-related deaths decreased 57 percent over the period, from 876 in 2000 to 373 in 2006. "’qge have reported a recent increase in the number of HIV diagnoses among MSM in nearly all (European) countries, and in some countries this probably" represents a true increase in incidence;’ the researchers said. "This, combined with the high prevalence of HIV reported in many gay community settings, the high prevalence of HIV among MSM diagnosed with STI (sexually transmitted infection) and the high sexual mobility of this population, highlight the need for a Europewide HIV prevention strategy:’ 14 fare will strike six sexual diagnoses from the nation’s official list of medical diagnoses on Jan. 1, Stocldaolm’s ~ae Local newspaper reported. The agency will remove transvestism, fetishism, fetishistic transvestism, sadomasochism, gender-identity disorder in youth and multiple disorders of sexual preferences from the list. "W’e don’t want to contribute to certain sexual behaviors being thought of as diseases," said board director Lars-Erik Holm. "These diagnoses are rooted in a time when everything other th~ the heterosexual missionary position was seen as sexual perversions." Homosexuality was removed from the list 30 years ago. Australian Parliament gives gay couples equal rights Australia’s Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation in late November that changes some 100 laws to give gay couples equal rights. The measure now goes to the Governor-General for formal approval. The changes, introduced by the federal government, extend spousal rights to same-sex de facto couples in areas such as health care, ’ taxation, pensions, parenting, public benefits, workplace benefits, workers’ compensation, veterans’ affairs, elder care and educational assistance. "At long last we have removed discrimination against same-sex couples from commonwealth law;’ said Attorney-General Robert McClelland. Gay campaigners cheered the.move but said gay couples will not have complete equality until they can get married. Chinese gay HIV cases increase The percentage of gay men in China ~vho are HIV-positive increased from 0.4 percent in 2005 to 4.9 percent this year, the Ministry of Health said Nov. 28. But straight sex remains the predominant way HIV is transmitted in China, accounting for 40 percent of new infections, compared with 28 percent from IV drug use and 5 percent from gay sex. The gay statistics were based on data collected from 18,000 gay men in more than 60 cities. of Burundi voted to specifically criminalize gay sex Nov. 22 as part of a package of more than 600 legal changes that included abolition of the death penalty, news reports said. According to Amnesty International, male, male sex previously was banned and,ptmished under laxvs governing "immoral acts. The vote on the changes was 90 to 0 with 10 abstentions. The measure now moves to the Senate, then to President Pierre Nkurunziza. Neither is expected to oppose it. The small, landlocked nation has a population of 8.7 million, a life expectancy of less than 52 years, and a per capita gross domestic product at purchasing-power parity of $300. ~l-he comparable figure for the U.S. is $45,800. Norway’s is $ 53,300, Mexico’s is $12,400 and Vietnam’s is $2,600. 80% of South A ricans thimk gay sex is wrong Despite a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and its being one of only six nations where same-sex couples can marry, South Africa remains deeply homophobic, a new survey has found. The Human Sciences Research Council’s annual South African Social Attitudes Survey, released Nov. 24, found that 80 percent of respondents think gay sex is wrong. Whites, city dwellers and highly educated people polled less anti-gay than blacks, "coloureds" (mixed-race people), people with less education and those living in rural areas, the Sunday Times reported. Britain to count gay populafion Britain’s Office for National Statistics is going to count the gay population. Starting in January, a sexual-orientation question will be included in several of the office’s routine surveys, leading to an eventual estimate of the size of the nation’s gay community. Respondents will choose from heterosexual/ straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual or "other" -- or can opt not to answer. Officials say the results will be useful for gauging levels of discrimination and unequal treatment and addressing those problems. The signatories overcame strong opposition from a group of governments that routinely try to block UN attention to issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. Fifty-seven nations signed an alternative statement, promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, that affirmed the "principles of non-discrimination and equality," but said universal human rights do not include "the attempt to focus on the rights of certain persons" because "the notion of orientation spans a wide range of persona] choices that expand way beyond the individual’s sexual interest in copulatory behavior with normal consenting adult human beings, thereby ushering in the social normalization, and possibly legitimization of many deplorable acts: ~ae countries that signed the pro-gay statement are Mbania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, S~o Tomd and Prlncipe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, unite~Kingd0m, Uruguay ~Venezueta~ ..... The United States refused to sign the statement, saying its broad language could reach into areas that fall outside of federal jurisdiction, such as the right of each U.S. state to define marriage. qt is altogether shameful that on this 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Bush administration should take one final swipe at the universal application of human rights for all;’ said Julie Dorf of the Council for Global Equality. "The shoe incident in Iraq last week painfully shows us how low this country has sunk in the world’s view." Gays march in Hong Kong £or first time Hong Kong saw its first gay pride parade Dec. 13. About 1,000 people marched, including many who came from Taiwan and mainland China. ~he two-mile procession traversed Hennessy Road in the city center. Attendance may have been positively, influenced by news reports before the parade, when Hong Kong’s biggest bus company refused to rent a double-decker bus to pride organizers. China has recorded a total of 260,000 HIV cases, 77,000 AIDS cases and 34,000 AIDSrelated deaths. Janua~ 2009 �Larry: I see it as being a representative, not just for OGRA or the gay community but also the State of Oklahoma. We go to other states and other rodeos and meet a lot of people. Also important is our fund-raising, which is one of the reasons I went for this title. Victor: This fund-raising not only helps the charities themselves, but I’m sure you also see it as promoting the positive image of the GLBT people in the cowboy lifestyle. Larry: It think it has, and I think a lot of young people have gotten interested in it because of the fund-raising, shows and related activity. Also people see you don’t have to be a full fledged cmvboy, just interested in die country lifestyle and having fun. Victor: Although the world is changing, OGRA still defies sonle stereotypica! beliefs.. Victor: But the shining star of OGRA is the Great Plains Rodeo, which has been held at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for many years as a Memorial Day weekend celebration. Larry: More and more people are coming to that and really having fun. Some people are surprised that our rodeos are truly the same "kind of rodeos, although we do feature goat dressing and sometimes other campy events thrown in. Victor: What impact do you think t~he movie Brokeback Mountain had on the gay community, society in general, and in particular gay cowboys ? Larry: Really it brought the gay community into the mainstream, that there was more to the gay community than an urbaaa community of drag queens & flamboyant individuals, to see them as regular people with difficulties we all face in real life. It made the gay cowboys feel more accepted, to let them kalow they can be themselves. It also educated the urban gay community of the problems rural gays face. Victor: ~¢¢’here do you see die future of OGRA? Larry: When OGRA began we were teaming up witl~ other states, and now we’re doing one the largest rodeos on our own. Of course we’d like to see more people volunteer, but to put tllis on with the resources we have shows a true hardworking spirit of Oklahomans. Victor: How long have you been in Oklahoma City ? Larry: Seven years, and I have felt good seeing the increased interest in OGRA and the friends I have made there. I have been glad to hear from out oftowners how impressed they are that the various parts of the gay communit); the disco crowd, drag queens, the cowboys, the lesbians, get along so well together compared to other places. Victor: So how do people learu more about OGRA? Larry: ~lere~ our website ~a-,wv.ogra.net, to learn what we’re doing, about our events, and other related organizations & chatrooms where one can talk with other cowboys and learn even more. There’s room for all types of people and talent, lesbians, gay" men and we also have some straight members. Photo by Chaz competition is as greatfor the Cowgirls and Cowboys at OGR~4’~; Great PLains Rodeo as an), other rodeo. Larry: Strangely enough, there are still people we encounter who are shod~ed that there are gay cowboys, that they even exist. They have interesting questions, such as "Are the rodeos really rodeos ? .... Do you really ride horses ?" Victor: Have you ever really roped a cow ? Larry: Yes I have, nay parents have owned ranches and I have roped cows, branded cattle, pulled calves, done all diat. Victor: You grew up in a small town? Larry: Ha}wcorth, a small town not far from Idabel. g[e lived on a f~trm there, went to school, did our chores, slopped the hogs, fed the chickens, took care of the horses. We even rode our horses to school when the buses couldn’t get through. Victor: So you had a typical growing up there ? Larry: Yes, but my family moved around a lot, and I experienced city life as well. I got involved ~vitll the gay community after I graduated from O!dahonia Christian University of Edmond witli a degree of Marketing & Business. After moving back to IdabeI, my first gay bar experience was the Roundup in Dallas. I soon began working with HIV organizations including the Mariah Foundation, Carepoint, and with the OHahoma State Health Department. www.metrostarnews.com There you have it, a proud tradition now 23 years young derived from the frontier spirit of Oklahoma. The GLBT community of Oklahoma can look forward to ~vhat OGRA can do for our future. Connecticut unlikely to amend constitution on marriage Connecticut voters strong!y oppose anaending the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage, according to a QEinnipiac University poll released Dec. 17. The poll of 1,445 registered voters found that 61 percent oppose an anlendment and only 33 percent support it. Same-sex couples began marrying in Connecticut on Nov. 12 after the state Supreme Court ruled that offering gay couples onbi civil unions violated the state constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The poll found dlat 52 percent of voters agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision, 39 percent did not and 9 percent had no opinion. MERI Day of Service to Provide for Foster Children in Rhode Island & Arkansas RHODE ISLAND (PR) Dec 8 __ As Marriage Equality Rh6de Island (MERI) made a commitment to community service this holiday season it couldn’t help but acknovdedge sorrow at the passage of Act 1 in Arkansas, a thinly veiled attack on the gay community that bans unmarried couples from adopting children or serving as foster parents. Although the Arkansas state motto calls for both "Mercy and Justice; neither was demonstrated by proponents of this legislation which harms families and children. MERI fights for the rights and protection of all families in seeking marriage equality for Rhode Island’s GLBT residents. On \Vednesday, December 10 MERI xvas at the State House to collect items for not only" the RI Food Bank, Crossroads, Amos House mid the IRIE Transitional Home for women and children, but also the foster children of Arkansas xvhose wishes for new families have been curtailed. Mayor Dani Joy of Eureka Springs, Arkansas accepted and distributed RI donations. File Photo Eureka Springs Birayor DaniJoy In her letter to MERI, Joy stated, "I am greatly honored that your organization would focus your energy and compassion on our many children that receive foster care throughout our state. With the passage of Act I our state is left with a large number of children that are either in need of foster care, or currently in foster care... Again, let me say that I am in axve of your compassion during this holiday, season. We are truly grateful," Food bank requests included boxed and canned goods, pmvered and evaporated milk, potato flakes, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, rice, soup, condiments, crackers, tuna, peanut butter, jelly/jam and juice. Amos House needs coffee and personal hygiene items. Crossroads could use slippers, hats, mittens, gloves and scarves for men, women and children (4 mos - 18). The young women and their children living at the IRIE Transitional Program, under the auspices of the RI Foster Parent Association (RIFPA) learn skills to improve their lives mid break the cycle of poverty. Ten teens ages 16-20 and their 7 children, ages 4 months - 6 years, live in the facility. Contact MERI for items noted on the IRIE wish list. MERI Day of Service partners include RI Pride, inFOCUS and the Gay Straight Alliance of Warwick Veteran’s Memorial High School. For raore information, contact Susan MacNeil at smacneil@marriageequalityri.org or by calling 401-463-5368 The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. ~÷t~oSTAR 15 .... �~.. Happy New The method of making "mousse" (another name fbr bubbles) in a bottle was invented by the efforts ofD~reJean Oudart (1654 - 1742) and Dora Pierre Pdrignon (1639 - 1715), Benedictine monks and cellarmasters at the respective abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Chalons and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, We have a lot to celebrate including the January 20th date for President elect Obama. This year may be the start of something big for each of us and our personal endeavors. This is truly a time to click our glasses together. Here is a litde about sparkling wines from France and Spain Champagne French monks were the first to bottle a sparkling forra of wine called Champagne, named after the Champagne region of France. The region of Champagne has a colder and shorter growing season. Champagne grapes had to be picked late in the year, with less time available for fermentation. During fermentation yeasts are used to convert the sugars of the grape juice into alcohol and cold winter temperatures stopped the process. The monks developed a method of making Champagne wine by using a second fermentation process that took place in the bottle during the following spring. The second fermentation created carbon-dioxide bubbles that are the sparkle of Champagne. Cava A Spanish sparkling wine is called Cava and was first made as early as 1851, although the true roots of the Cava wine industry can be traced back to Josd Raventos’ travels through Europe in the 1860s, where he was promoting the still wines of his Codorniu winery. His visits to the Champagne region sparked an interest in the potential of a Spanish version " Don~ Perlgnon. Rose 96/Sn-nply_ _put;although. fmay noF fi~ ~yeryqne s budget, and its super h~rd to fifid~ thi~ wifie is ~ller~ of the sparHing wine, usifig th~ same~ , p.roduction methods. ~e local Maekbeo, P~retlada and Xareldo grapes were well smtqd t~h~s wine st de and whereas earl Y versions W~e called champ~n or xampany after Champa~~ Catalan winemakers wadted ~o dis{ingui-sh 5~< [: Inmerial Nectar/This one is more in~er~sting than {he Wliite Star. It~ fruit ...... - ¯ forward & 9ffdry- dehclous. . Piper,Hela ieck B~Ut from the Vr nc 0un par , adopted the name Cava aAer the Cat’an qV6?a ~r cave, where ~e wines were tradi{~on~lly stored. ...... Toad H611ow Amplexus Brnt/~is one is ported to Califbrnia from the Cremant region ~:: of F{auce. Accordin ~ to Spanish wine laws, Cava cache .... C0dorniu Cava Brut / Sp arHin g wine s from " ~pain can be among the most interesting in taste. ~ey’re usually fi-uit forward & quite affbrdable; produced m s:x wine [eg~ous ~such as A~:md} de Duero, Navarra and ~oja)but 95% ~f Spanish Cava production takes Pene&s region. In order for the wines called "Card’ they must be made in tional m&hode champenoise. Wines the lmv-cost "Charmat process" may called "Spanish sparkling wine". Food Champagne tends to ers or opening courses in a well with gegura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva This writer is one of the manager~ at the Grand Vin wine shop. He also bar tends and hosts wine & food events known in town as dae Enthusiasts of Tulsa. 9fwine by James Laube/ shellfish like of course This months recipe courtesy of: To prepare: Boil water in large pot with splash of salt and drop of oil to keep pasta from.sticking -pasta as directed on package making sure not to overcook, drain, set aside like s Sautd olive oil, gatlic and spinach about 5-10 minutes, add fresh or defrosted shrimp and sautd in mixture until pink!orange in color. Add thatsanice! "VERDE" and mix together, pour entire mLxture over pasta and toss making sure pasta is evenly coated. Shrimp Verde Ingredients: If desired, top with some grated Parmesan cheese (although strict old school Italians frmvn on putting cheese over seafood but it tastes good !) ] pound thin linguine, cappelini or PRIMI Serving ideas: PI?~TTI Serve as a first course with a fish entrde like 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil halibut or swordfish I Bag Spinach 1 Pound Shrimp-fresh ot fi’ozen- shelled and &veined 2 Cloves Garlic 8 tablespoons thatsanice "VERDE" basil pesto crema sauce )ver [en& modern traditional flavors. If you y from them and they offer f~atured on many television shows including the Food Network and have been featured in �nmen At The BOK Center Tulsa INSIDE HOLLYWOOD Deep Inside Hollywood, which reports on a new project for Margaret Cho and Kal Penn By Romeo San Vicente Brad Paisley Jan 24, 2009 at BOK Center With special guests! Dierks Bentley Darius Rucker Ticket Prices: $39.75 & $46.75 Tickets On Sale Now No, Really: Lesbian Vaanpire Killers Cho and Penn Unite for Sisters Cdine Dion Feb 2, 2009 at BOK Center RESCHEDULED DATE! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 All tickets previously purchased for the original date will be honored. Refunds xvill be available at point of purchase. Time: 8:00pm Doors: 7:00pm Ticket Prices: $167.00, $127.00, $77.00, $49.50 ~hlsa is one of 45 cites and the only city in Oklahoma on this tour. 2q~roughout her career, Celine has been honored with over 1000 Awards, including Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes, World Music, Juno and Felix Awards. She is the biggest-selling female artist of all time. Billy Joel & Elton John Q~eer-identified entertainer Margaret Cho is quite the Renaissance svoman- she’s a stand-up comic, author, actress, blogger, and activist. And now she can add "director" to her resume with Two Sisters, her feature debut. If you were expecting something racy from the potty-mouthed comedian, forget it; the movie is slated to premiere on ABC Family. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Cho has assembled an impressive cast, including Kal Penn (from the Harold and Kumar movies, as xvell as The Namesake) and the gorgeous Tamlyn Tomita (who recently popped up on Heroes), plus Kathy Najimy (King of the Hill) and Elaine Hendrix (Tru Loved, The Parent Trap). As for the lady herself, Cho will also appear in a small role. Look for Two Sisters to make its premiere on ABC Family in 2009. Pee-wee Comes Back to the Playhouse Mar 17, 2009 at BOK Center Billy Joel & Elton John Face 2 Face Tour March 17, 2009 7:30pro Tickets On Sale Now There is no presale for this concert Ticket Prices: $179, $99, $53.50 Billy Joel and Elton John, the most successful and longest-running concert pairing in pop history! Billy and Elton open the concert with a series of duets, playing tvcin pianos and trading vocals. Each artist then performs a set with his own band. A grand finale brings the two superstars and their supporting musicians ba& together for a dosing encore. This includes some of both Billy and Elton’s greatest hits along with an unpredictable selection of rock and roll classics. w,~w.metrostarnews.com ~Pnere are a lot of unanswered questions floating around about Pee-wee’s Playhouse: Ti~e Movie, like "Is it really happening?" and "Is Johnny Depp playing Pee-wee ?" So far the only certainty is that Paul Reubens, ~vho, than!ffull); is still in charge of Peexvee Inc., is jump-starting this cash cow one more time and is working on the goal of a 2009 release date for the slow-moving production. Plot details are few and up for debate. Casting, too. (Who’ll replace the late Phil Hartanan? What happened to the guy who played the unambiguously gay Jambi ? Will S. Epatha Merkerson return as Reba the Mail Lady? Please?) But all will surely be answered eventually, possibly via ticker-tape readout from Conky the Robot’s torso. And ifJohnny Depp shows up, even as a Pee-wee doppelganger, that’s just fine, too. Now if the cameras would only hurry up and roll. Whether it’s Snakes on a Plane or ~Pne Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?, a movie’s title can sometimes tell you everything you need to knm,: And so it is with Lesbian Vampire Killers, a new British horror-comedy about a Welsh village whose xvomen have been cursed by the local Sapphic bloodsuckers. In aa~ attempt to improve matters, the tovcn sends txvo hapless visitors (played by James Corden and Mathew Home, the stars of the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey) into the woods as a sacrifice to the titular undead. The film also features Paul McGann (Withnail & I, Doctor Who) as one of the few remaining men in the village. Lesbian Vampire Killers ~vill put the bite on audiences in 2009. Next Christmas, Make the Yuletide Gay Romeo loves a good holiday dassic, and some gay filmmakers obviously feel the same way about the genre, with Make the Yuletide Gay now going into production. O.Eueer actor Adamo Ruggiero (who played out-and-eventually-proud Marco on Degrassi: ~e Next Generation) and Allison Arngrim (best known as frontier mean girl Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie) will don their gay apparel for this coraedy about what happens when a guy who’s not out to his faanily goes home for the holidays and then has to explain the sudden appearance of his boyfriend. Yuletide also features Ian Buchanan (Twin Peaks) and gay" indie-fihn vets Derek Long (Socket) and Steve Callahan (East Side Story). Look for Make the Yuletide Gay to pop up at around the same time as 2009 Advent calendars. ~etroSTAR 17 �internationa (White Shadows). A new friend who ~ve are in contact with but haven’t actually met yet, author Louise Penny in Canada. Boy George could face jail for ’imprisoning’ escort by Donald Pile and Ray Williams "T VELING AND MEETING PEOPLE" Photo: Donald Pile & Ray Williams Since we are always telling our readers to "Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone" we decided to devote this travel column to the fabulous and interesting people that we have met and dealt with, in our travels. These, ~ve will list in no particular order and they live from coast to coast. Hizabeth Taylor has always been so gracious to remember our anniversaries and holidays. We have so many to list in Palm Springs. There is Jim Doyle &Jerry Efron, Tyke, Wayne, Millie, Shirley, Jim LaMarrina, Ken & Grant, Tom & Doug at the Terrazzo, Burt XWahquist, artists Robert Sharer & Giorgio and restaurateurs, Sol and Chris ~vho we first met when they owned a B & B in San Francisco and now mvn a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta and also own a home in Pahn Springs. In Florida, the famous portrait photographer Jack Mitchell & Bob Pavlik, entertainers Auntie Marne, ToW & Gloria, the best jazz duo and Miguel Reyna, who without a doubt is the finest piano entertainer/singer that we have ever met! and the lovely and extremely talented Faye Harrod and her friend Gloria Delro); Casey Koslowki, owner; Herb Pianin, General Manager; Peter Mehas, Guest Services Manager and the entire staff at the Grand Resort and Spa in Ft. Lauderdale who operates the finest gay resort in the country, Chuck Smith and Chef Carlos at the Hi-Lit~ Care, Alan Beck & Nick and Norma. Also in Ft. Lauderdale, Al & Tom and Steve & Ells~vorth and the deceased fabulous pianist/entertainer, Houston, and then dear, dears friends, Ed Hayes &John Dunne in St. Petersburg who are truly delightful. And there are the people that we have met quite by accident who have become dear friends such as Ginny & Willy in Florida, Kala & Frank, the absolutely ~beyond Fabulous" owners of the Luna Vista B and B in Rimrock, Arizona, Michael McFall & Luis Gonzalez in Phoenix, ChefMarcdlino and his fabulous wife Sima, owners ofMarcellino Ristorante in Phoenix, Gordon & Kin at the Inn of the 410 in Flagstaff who are super special guys and Charlotte Welch and her daughter Katie in Flagstaff. In Billings, Montana we met Barbara Hill, a wonderful entertainer who has "come OUt~ In New ~%rk City, JeanClaude Baker, the exciting owner of Chez Josephine’s Restaurant, author Tom Monsell, play~vright Matthew LomPhoto: Chq~G~r!os at the Hi-Life bardo C,~e in Ft. Lauderdale (Tea at Five and Looped) and movie director/producer Rick McKay. His movie "Broadway: The Golden Age" is a terrific movie. 18 #~troSTAR no not lesbian, but "just simply came out to life" and has found true happi,ness at Photo: Actor LeslieJordan last. We just wish that everybody could find themselves like she did. In St. Louis, Michael Lance &JeffArchuleta, owners of Napoleons’ Retreat B & B where we first met the "fun couple; Smitty and Eddy in Mississippi who we will be seeing again on our way driving to Florida in January. They can’t help it because they were born straight! And then there is actor, Leslie Jordan, authors Christopher Rice and Robert Hofmann, filmmaker Craig Highberger, (Superstar In A Housedress) and filmmaker Mialyn Hanna Singer Boy George may land in jail after being convicted Dec. 5 of falsely in~prisoning male escort Audun Carlsen in London. Photo: Countess Alexis & Ray ~qlliams Also wonderful people like the Countess Mexis, the QEeen Diva who now" lives in Hollywood. She certainly epitomizes elegance and "old Hollywood", plaDvright Gene Danklin Smith and Steve Nycklemore, director of the Hollywood Museum, our good friend, Attorney Andrew Lee who now resides in Mexico, Dean Perkins (Crystal Chandelier) in New Hampshire, Rodger & J.T. in the Q.~ad cities, Chris X~alsh in San Francisco as wel! as gZalter Edgar, owner of the 24 Henry B&B and the Village House B&B in San Francisco. In Seatrle, Stephen Bennett, owner of the Gaslight Inn B and B and visiting there,ave met Tom & Doris Friedman from the Hamton’s in New York who ,are will visit When we are in New England next year. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ralph Bolton and Robert Frost, owners of the Inn of the Turquoise Inn. Four o~tstanding people are the late Dalee Henderson who was and is an inspiration to thousands of people and to Raymond Bilbool, former owner of the Secret Garden B&B in West Hollywood and our dear friend Stefan Hemming, owner of the Liberace Estate in Palm Springs who hosted our 35th Anniversary two years ago and to Mel Haber, owner of Melvyn’s Restaurant and the Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs. Their lives have reached many. So here we are, two guys who live in the middle of the country who are fortunate in that we get to travel a lot and meet so many people. In our travels, we really have been so fortunate to meet so many fun, interesting and exciting individuals. q-his column is warmly dedicated to all of daese people that we have met in our travels and we are looking forward to meeting many more in our future. Remember, in the words of the late Dalee Henderson, "When you wake up in the morning, it is a miracle! The rest of the day is up to you!" Truly, today is the first day of the rest of your life. If you are not happy with your life it is no one’s ffmlt but your own. We want to thank our dear friend Chaz XWard, Publisher-Editor of the Metro Star for his support. Last April, George handcuffed Carlsen to a book on the wall of George’s bedroom fbr about an hour, saying he suspected Carlsen had hacked into his coruputer following a previous photo session between the two men. Car!sen claims George also attacked him with a metal chain af, er he broke free and began his escape from the apartment. Car!sen told the court the computer story was made up and that George probably was upset because Car!sen refused to have sex ~vith him the previous time they met. City apologizes for past anti-gay actions 1he City Council of Hobart, Tasmania, in Australia, apologized Dec. 10 for banning a booth promoting gay law reform from the city’s weekly Salamanca Market in 1988. In the weeks that followed, more than 100 people were arrested for refusing to vacate the site, marking Australia’s largest-ever act of gay civil disobedience. The apology, delivered by Lord Mayor Rob Valentine before more than 200 former arrestees, GLBT community members and civil leaders, including state Premier David Bartlett, coincided with the 20th anniversary of the crackdown and the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universa! Declaration of Human Rights. "The Hobart City Cotmcil apologizes for prohibiting the gay law reform stall at Salamanca Market in 1988 and for the resulting arrests aud bans," Valentine said. "We are sorry for the pain and trauma caused to all involved, including GLBTI people; their family members, friends and supporters; and those council officers who were required to carry out the council decision. We are also sorry that the actions we took may have encouraged ill-will and discrimination towards GLBTI people in the broader community. We resolve that actions such as these will never happen again." The apology was formally accepted by Rodney Croome of the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, which has operated the booth continuously at the Saturday outdoor street market since 1988. "Twenty years ago, as we sat in police cells for the crime of being ourselves, we could not possibly have imagined something like this," Croome said. "People everDvhere who suffer human rights abuses should take this apology as a sign that no matter how bad things seem there is ~lways hope of a better future: Prior to the apology, a City Council-sponsored photo exhibit of the arrests was unveiled at the Salamanca Arts Centre. The council also is sponsoring a ublic art work at Salamanca Place commemorating e arrests. ~ January 2009 �and instruc- , and two ~.metrostarnews.com �OKC Civic Center Music Ha~1 January Events Jan. 5 SWEENY TODD presented by Broadway Tonight Jan. 9 -Jan. 31 ORPHANS a comedy-drama by Lyle Kessler Jan. 9-Jan. 31 Orphans Jan. 10 INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS presented by the Oldahoma City Philharmonic Jan. 22-Jan. 25 Julius Caesar Jan. 23 -Jan. 24 CHRIS BOTTI presented by Oklahoma City Philharmonic Jan. 25 HOLD THE CANNONS! ~e Story and Glory of Tchaikovsky and the 1812 Overture Jan. 27- Feb. 1 OPRAH WINFREY’S THE COLOR PURPLE Jammry At The Ford Center OKC Jan. 21 st - Jan. 25th ~;,hlking With Dinosaurs Jan. 30th -Jan. 31st ~l!ie Revolve Tour January At The P.A.C. Tulsa Jan 4 David Finckel and "Wu Hart John H. Williams Theatre 6-31 FP~EE Highway412 PAC Gallery Jan 10 Miss Gay Oklahoma USofA Pageant Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 17 An Infinite Ache Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 20-25 Oprah Winfrey Presents: Wue Color Purple Chapman Music Hall Jan 23 The Tannahill Vgeavers John H. xg/illiams Tneatre FOR Webs#e- www.kylecomics.com bitter girl Jan 24 Ralph’s World John H. Williams Theatre Jan 27 Ethel Cabaret Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 28 Ethel Concert John H. Williams Theatre Jan 30-31 OMEA All-State Music Festival Chapman Music Hall en~il: bittergifl@qsyndtcate.com 20 #4etroSTAR w~wcjoanhilty.net January 2009 �by Jack Fertig January 2009 "Toot your horn, Taurus!" Jupiter is starting his yearlong passage through Aquarius, where he inspires new visions of freedom aa~d scientific exp,,loration. This mini "age of Aquarius is a year of great luck to anyone with that Sun sign or Ascendant, but check with your astrologer to see when that lucky year actually starts! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): You’ll be amazed to see what your friends would do for you. Take the opportunity to advance yourself politically and socially, and to promote whatever goals and ideals you see improving the world. TAURUS (April 20 o May 20): Don’t be shy! Toot your horn and let everyone know what you’re worth. This is your chance to rise to any position you’re qualified for. You have a bigger career peak in 12 years, but promotions now can boost your trajectory. GEMINi (May 21 - June 20): .At least give a listen to the Wackiest, most far-out ideas coming your way. Take classes that challenge everything you believe in. Ask yourself and the world all the hard questions, and be ready for whole new worlds of answers. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Could you be any more loquacious? Keep your mouth out of trouble by harnessing the brain behind it. Learn a new skill or language, or sign up for any class that offers you a different direction. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): This should be your lucky year for money, but it comes with some deceptive lures. Still, odd chances that shouldn’t work might prove very lucrative. Think ahead, but be ready to take advantage of sudden opportunities. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): In a 12-year cycle, this is your lucky year. Buy a few lottery tickets now and then, travel, or take some classes. You can expand yourself educationally, economically, and/or otherwise. But watch your diet! PISCES (February 19 -March 19): The worst things that happen to you could turn out for the best, although it may take a while to see that. By next year, you’ll be very glad for the experience and insights. LEO (Ju~y 23 o August 22): This is your lucky year for relationships. That could include becoming very happy with being single. Join in political or community groups; do things that fulfill you, get you out among others, and accomplish some good. Love will come when it is ready. LIBFL~k (September 23 - October 22): If you wants kids, now’s the time! If you prefer having time for fun, explore new pleasures, hobbies, and creative directions. Try something you’ve only considered at the edges of your wildest dreams. The more "out there" and daring, the better! SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Whether it involves moving or decorating, embark on the big domestic changes that will make your home what you really want it to be. Do what you can to heal family problems. You can hardly go wrong. ww~.metrostarnews.com 54 55 56 ~ 65 Across 1 Gay horror writer Perry 6 Release from bondage’ 11 Be in the hole 14 writer X~stan ~ugh 15 Lincoln Center s Walter 16 Brownb Dirt 1’ CANCER (June 21 - July 22): New sexual adventures beckon - and celibacy and monogamy may count as "adventures," if they’re new to you. You can get your sex life where it should be or wherever you want it. Are they the same? Be careful what you wish for! VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Health-wise, this is generally a good year, but be careful of your liver. You can get almost any job you want, if you’re suited for it. Make sure to have the education you need for the post you want. 53 ~aeater 3 Af~eck’s Chasing Aany crush 4 \~’ork under Edith Head, perhaps 5 Cut quickly 6 Seduction step, perhaps 7 M0by Dick, to ~daab 8 Retreat for D.H. Lawrence 9 Same~sex vow’ in Connecticut 10Always, to Emilg Dickinson 11 Cather novel of 1913 12 Place for a Rivera mural 13 What Carson Kressley did to the straight guy? 18 Glenn Burke, formerly 22 James Deans East of Eden role 24 Wol£bn of Freedom to Marry MCC0 Rev Steve T. Urie Spidt0fChdst MCC 2g02 E2~ Street J0plin, M064804 417-52~ Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC 0fthe Living Spdng 17 Elk S~eet Eureka Spriags, AR 72632 47525: 9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! ~et~oSTAR 21 �¢ Heights Historic District is: [ BUY G1 Joe Action F~gm:es GAYEST Neighbo£hood t12" size Only) myg0oe@cox.net or cai!(405) 249-4515 I BW OLD or NEW ~n Box or Out of Box (send pic with asking price) KING OF MASSAGE Great Touch Man to Man F~dl Body Massage DS (2437) 2 hands or 4 hands available Oklahoma’s HIV/STD H0tline PROTECT YOURSELF PROT£CT YOUR PARTNER(8) Nens Oul~each P~mm ©ommunity People ~iving Now Hiring Male & Female Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIVe 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 itelT~s for themselves. VVe invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail ourhouseioo9865@sbcglobal.net [] [] WVTW.METRO STARN EV,ogS .COM 22 Metr0STAR January 2009 �Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-222t www.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant VALEI~E VZtLLIFORD 625 N.\~ 13th Street Oldahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. \VALNUT .A.VE. Oldahorna City, OK 800-913-1310 ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK v.~vw.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE TulSa, OK 918_836_8700 ........................... wwwabaingooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON 2htsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSX~TAY Oklal~oma City, OK 405-525-2900 www.habanainn.com STEVES HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun- Sat 2pro to 2am THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESS\gAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 918-836-0915 THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EKPt~SSWAY Oklahoma Cit7, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st 7hlsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahomgs HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM :~.metrostarnews.com GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com MCC of the LI\qNG SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 ~w~v.mcctulsa.org OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lakewood Tulsa, OK 74112 918-838-7104 www. openarmsproject.org GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn TOM & JERRYS 1501 N.W. 23RD Oklahoma City, OK 405-524-9100 OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N. Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 >> KING OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oldahoma City, OK 405-314-3898 JUDY G. PHOT0’S Tulsa, OK judvgphotos@sb%lobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 N\Xz EXPPd~SSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com B R A U O E D R AW G A E L $ E N E ow PA Y ~ E $ L ~ C OLD A N V $ ON OO E D R ~ 0 STS NST H$ EXPP,ESSIONS Comm Fellowship 6009 NW Expressway Oklahoma City, OK 405-761-1878 www.expressionsOKC.com CHUCK BRECKENI~DGE K.elter Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-!887 o N O L E N WED R A ~®troSTAR 23 �� 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 "WWW.METROSTA~qEWS.COM "WE DELIVER DIVERSITY" UN Ge era Assembly hears pro-gay presentation "9gockner News ~/ire It was read into the record by Argentine AmbassadorJorge Argtiello. q’he 66 countries affirmed "the principle of non-discrimination, which requires that human rights apply equally to every hmman being regardless ofsexual orientation or gender identity; and denounced "violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice ... because of sexual orientation or gender identity:’ statement also called for the decriminalization ofgay sex, 77 SLxty-sLx nations at the UN General Assembly supported a groundbrealdng statement Dec. 18 confirming that international human rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identit): It was the first time a statement condemning rights abuses against GLBT people was presented in the General Assembly. gay Americans support Woclmer News Wire A Harris Interactive poll released Dec. 3 found that Americans support a range ofpolicies and protections for gay people. The Pulse ofEquality survey, cmmnissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, found that majorities of Americans favor either marriage or civil unions for gay couples, hate-crime laws to protect gay and transgender people, letting gays in the military serve openly, and allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children. ~ae telephone survey questioned 2,000 adults beBveen Nov. 13 and 17 and had a margin oferror ofplus or minus 2 percentage points. Among the specific findings: * Seventy-five percent of U.S. adults favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Only 22 percent oppose any legal recognition ofgay couples. ........... Continued See POLL Page-8 Saudi Arabia "To love is not a crime;’ said Louis-Georges Tin, president of the International Day Against Homophobia Committee, which initiated the process that led to the statement. "To decriminalize homosexuality world,vide is a batde t’or human rights.... This (statement) is a great achievement (but) I also want to remind everyone that ending the criminalization ofsame-sex love wilt be a long, hard battle:’ Leading British activist Peter Tatchell called the statement "history in the making." "The UN statement goes much further than see’king the decriminalization ofsame-sex acts;’ Tatchell said. "k €ondemns all human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, urges countries to protect the human rights ofLGBT people and to bring to justice those who violate these rights, and calls for human rights defenders who oppose homophobic and transphobic victimization to be allowed to carry out their advocacy and humanitarian work unimpeded." ........... Continued See UN Page-14 JANUARY 1, 2009 Oklahoma’s 2009 Mr. O.G.R.A. Larry Bourne chats with the Metro Star. By Victor Gorin Photo: ~adr. OGRA 2009 Larry Bour~ze By Victor Gorin The Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association ( better known as OGRA) has a proud history ofnot only promoting the country lifestyle in the GLBT community, but also to the straight community as well. Letting gay cowboys knmv they can truly be themselves is a cause they promote proudly, but they do more. OGRA also has a proud history ofhelping wordBvhile charities such as Other Options, Infant Crisis Services, Young Gay Lesbian Alliance, and R.A.I.N. Also a proud tradition are the OGRA Royalty, which features a Mr. OGRA, a Ms. OGRA" Brooklyn" and Miss OGRA Anita Ryder.. The new Mr. OGRA is Larry Bourne, who’s made many cowboys happy bartending at the Finishline the past 5 years. Sharing his life and his thoughts with the Metro Star, he gives us his perspective on our community and OGRA. ................Continued See OGP,A page- 15 comes out ....Page-7 Janua~ 2009 2 $8 VALUE WITH PURCHASE OF 2 D~ER E~TREES AT REGULAR PRICE Bring this ad width you to receive this special often Not valid with any other coupon, discount or offers. COMEORT FOOD & DALLY SPECIALS ALL PREPAI~D IN AN AMBIANCE THAT WILL TEMPT YOUR SENSES. Let us ~ro~ot~ your business in 8TAR A~VERTJSJNG ~.metrostarnews.com ~÷t~oSTAR 3 World Aids Day December 1, Remembering the Past-Facing Future- The Crisis is not over. By Victor Gorin Following the Mayflower UCC ~:orldAIDS Day Service, Reverend Loyce Newton Edwards places a card on a o’oss honod~ her siste,; Lavonn Newton whopassd ~tv~yfivm AIDS related illness. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ On December 1, the 20th World Aids Day Service was held at Mayflower Congregational Church, along with countless others worldwide. Along with music, preaching and praise was not only remembrance of those xvho have passed on because of HIV, bur also hope for the future. The service concluded with the opportunity to fill out a card of a loved one lost to HIV and attach it to one ofa group of crosses in the courtyard. For Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards the service had special meaning, as she had lost a transgen- &red sister, Lavonne Newton to AIDS related illness. As she put it, "The service was deeply moving and a wonderful way to honor the precious lives that have been lost to AIDS, and to offer comfort to their devastated families. My prayers continue for more community compassion, HIV prevention advocacy, as well as more effective HIV/AIDS related medications." Being that World AIDS Day is now in it’s 20th year, this reminds us that although advances have been made in the treatment of HIV, there is no reason for complacency. In Oklahoma there are around 4500 known cases ofpeople infected with HIV, including around 1700 in Oklahoma County alone. Currently the fastest growing rate of infection among demographic groups tragically is young people aged 15-24, disproportionately gay and male. Although medical science is far ahead ofwhere it was over 20 years ago when AIDS first became an issue, safe sex is still important. As Chuck Longacre ofRed Rock North, an HIV testing/counseling facility pointed out, "R’s still a deadly disease. The disease can still be fatal. However, often one can be helped ifthe virus is detected early, so we encourage those who are sexually active to be tested every 3 months." Testing is still available at Red Rock North, 4400 N. Lincoln Botdevard (OKC), telephone (405 424 7711. It’s a free test, and in most cases can be completed in around 20 minutes. This, coupled with educational efforts is also part ofthe reason for the day, and that is the hope for a better future. Angda Monson Runs For O dahoma City School Board Chair By Victor Gorin Photo: Angela Monson, State Representative Anastasia Pittman-District 99 (Center)Jesus Gasper Lovie Givens e3~ Danielle Gaddis by Hctor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Angela Monson, on the last day offiling, got into the race for Oklahoma City School Board chair. She challenges incumbent Kirk Humphreys, and the election will be February 10. As a Democrat, she was elected to the Oklahoma State House ofR~epresentatives in 1990-District 99, and was later elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1993 -District 48. She Served as a State Senator until forced out by term limits in 2005. She is currently Associate Provost with the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, and is a longtime ally ofnot only the GLBT commtmity but numerous progressive Causes. Kirk Humphreys was appointed as Chair by the OKC School Board when the position was vacated by CliffHudson, and is a former mayor ofOklahoma City, and an ally ofmany conservative causes. Learn more about this key race with our next issuel Metro Star Classfieds 2" square for as litde as $43 per issue. Email: starnews@sbcglobal.~ 918.1 ’Unsung Heroes’ Honored for AIDS Awareness Advocacy TULSA, OK (PR) __ On Tuesday, three Tulsa CARES employees were recognized by the AIDS Coalition ofTulsa at the 19th annual Evergreen Spirit Awards Luncheon, which recognizes the work ofcolleagues and volunteers who have gone the extra mile in the fight against AIDS in our community: Jamie Baker, care coordinator; Bruce Lewis, ofrice manager/executive assistant; and Marianne X~etherill, registered dietician were among those recognized with the Evergreen Spirit Award, which symbolizes strength, courage, commitment and resilience. "It is so important to recognize ’the unsung heroes’ in Tulsa’s effort to stop AIDS," said Janice Nicklas, director ofTnlsa Community AIDS Partnership and senior planner for the Community Service Council. ~Our colleagues still work long hours, to the point ofexhaustion, and many have vowed to stay at it until we get the epidemic under control. Sadly, the numbers ofHIV positive Americans are growing larger each year and many Tulsans are getting infected who are unaware that that they are at risk," Other Evergreen Spirit Award winners are: Gary Meadows, Community ofHOPE; Terry Klein, St. Joseph~s Residence; Chaz Gaut, Hospice of Green Country; David Odle, Oklahoma Department ofHuman Services; Barbara Saunders, community volunteer with the HIV Prevention Program for Incarcerated Women’s Program; and Stan Smalts, Oklahoma Department ofHuman Services. Two top awards were also given at the annual luncheon: the Truman Geren Memorial Award for HIV Prevention was awarded to Heather Nash, American Red Cross, and the Richard Shackelford Award for HIV Care honored Shana Cozad, Oklahoma State Department of Health. "Our award winners are constantly reminding Tulsa area.residents to take the HIV test - it is quick, free and painless," Nicldas said. "Everyone should know their HIV status." Founded in t991, Tulsa CARES, a United Way organization, delivers services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in northeastern Oklahoma. Services include: case management by professional social workers, access to physicians and prescription medication, counseling services, housing assistance, access to nutrition information at its on-site food pantry, as well as other forms of support. Tulsa CARES’ mission is "Delivering social services to people affected by HIV/AIDS: For more information about Tulsa CARES, visit www. tulsacares.org. Tulsa CARES Celebrates Life 34icah Hartwdl, Nutrition Services Directo~ begins digging~r the Tulsa CARES’ Celebration ofLife tree-planting co’emony. TULSA, OK (PR) __ In observance ofWorld AIDS Day, Tulsa CARES hosted a "Celebration of Life" reception for its clients. On Monday, December 1, Tulsa CARES clients, staffmembers, and friends came together to celebrate the lives 0f those still living xvith HIV/AIDS and to rmnember the lives ofthose who have died from this disease. The "Celebration ofLife" was replete with food, crafts and a tree planting ceremony that symbolizes hope for a cure. Tulsa CARES’ Celebration of Life in-kind sponsors ,sere Starbucks, Q~eenies and QEikTrip. Five Crepe Myrtle trees were donated by Up with Trees. Tulsa CARES’ mission is ddivering social services to people affected by HIWAIDS. Tulsa CARES is a United W’ay Agency. For more information, visit vcww.tulsacares.org. SAVE & FILL YOUR PIGGY 4 January 2009 in the spirit of Christmas, the 18th annual Loaves and Fishes Dinner Show was held at the Copa OKC, raising over $6956. Featuring entertainers (Photo) Ben Williams, Kitty Bob Aimes, Sonja Martinez, John Beebe and Matthew Heath Fitzgerald, the show was held on both December 8 and 9, with proceeds going to help the Winds House, a home & hospice for those living with HIV. PeggyJohnson and ReVerend Dl: Kathy McCallie at Church of the Open Arms Fundaraiser Oldahoma Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth with OGLPC Co-Chair Paul ~nompson at the ,amnual NAACP Banquet in Oklahoma City. .... Scotty Mandell, Robin D0rner and Loring Wagner strike a pose at the Diversity Bttsiness Association’s Christmas Party. Ken Sims, Jennifer Lancaster, Rebecca Hurst and Blaze Bush at the Marriage Equality Rally in downtown Oklahoma City December 20. Santa ( Pam Norton) and Mrs. Santa (Victorola) at the Church ofthe Open Arms Christmas Party Dear Editor: My name is Robaire ~atson and I’m a gay military veteran who’s been living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 18 years. I spent 6 years in the military as an openly gay, man. At age 23 I joined the Navy in search of adventure. Being a gay man, I was determined that I wasn’t going to allow the military to change my true identity. My story isn’t about the latest trend or the latest hot actor, or the latest hot "trick~ it’s about the importance of"being who you want to be"! Who needs to serve in silence ? I just want to bring a positive ground breaking story to the fbrefront. I grexv up in a primarily white small Texas town and the middle child of a Southern Baptist family. I was in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, played high school football for a brief time. I always knew I was gay. After high school, I earned money t’or college by working in the oil fields. I studied design and fashion merchandising in Dallas at ~ades School of Design. I joined the US NaW in 1989 and served six years through two enlistments until 1995. Being openly gay in the military and not receiving threats to my life, allowed me to keep my integrity: I never felt the need to tell anyone on my command that I was gay or introduce them to my boyfriend. I always felt that people knew I was different, just by the way I conducted myself. When you sho~v others respect, they show you respect in return. I was a US Navy Ship’s barber who served aboard the USS Kansas City as it traveled the seas promoting freedom during the Gulf’~Y~ar and Operation Southern XWatch offthe coast of Somalia in 1993, traveling to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Dubai, Jebel All, UAE, British Columbia, Mexico, and the Philippines during my two enlistments. I’m black and openly gay and never encountered the slightest discrimination aboard this xvarship. I have never forced my sexual preference on anyone. I don’t ~vant someone who’s straight doing that to me. gqaen the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" law xvas passed, my shipmates told me, "\X[atso!~, we don’t have to ask and we don’t have to tell." I had a group ofgay friends on the USS Kansas City. We were the gay version of"Sex and the City" onboard the ship. XXre were known as the Fierce-Four. Our personal lives were better than any episode of Q~.eer as Folk. My friends said, because of me, they were able to be themselves without prejudice. I took several ofmy shipmates to gay bars & dance clubs, not because it was my idea, but because they asked me too! I dated an Ensign and a Lieutenant while in the military. I ,also dated a Major in the United States Army and a Marine. All the following military men who came across my, life had to keep their personal life a secret. It’s not about being an officer in the military or subjecting yourselfto starring in a skin flick to get your point across, about "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: It’s knowing that you have a job to do and a mission to accomplish. ~bu can’t allow your sexual preference to interfere. The government needs to worry about the individuals who they allow to enter the military that haven’t been outside the county line, and refuse to accept someone who is different. Sometimes, these type ofpeople want to judge you, based on their religious beliefs. Ifyou can’t accept me for my race or sexual preference, will you be there for me in a time ofwar ? I’m very fortunate that I was able to be openly gay and live my life accordingly during active duty. I want other men and women who enter the armed forces who are gay to be able to live their lives just as openly as their straight counterparts and when they become veterans to be treated ~vith dignity and respect. I’m very proud to have done my duty serving my country: Thank you, Robaire Watson San Francisco, CA wv,~v.metrostamews.com ~ot~oSTAR 5 A NEW PLACE TO ENDUP By Victor Gorin Photo: End ~o owner Blake (Center) wit,§ the End [J)) dancers TULSA, OK__ When the first Endup club on Memorial closed a few years ago, it left a gap that Blake Alterman knew needed to be filled. While not for everybody, there are truly gay men that love to watch the hot boys dance. Not far from some ofTulsgs other gay clubs, it’s located at 5336 E. Admiral Place, a site vacant for over a year last occupied by a straight biker club called The Luclo! Shamrock. Dancers will be featured 7 nights a xveek, taking up where the old Endup left off, but with more than twice the space and ample parking. While it is planned and destined to be a swinging spot for those wanting to watch male dancers, it has more to offer as well. A section ofthe bat" ,vi!l be like a regular bar, with pool tables, cruising and conversation. Other fun endeavors are planned also with Bathroom Bingo Nights starting in January, hosted by emcee Earnest from the ladle’s bathroom, rewarding winning participants with cash and prizes. Hours are from noon tmtil 2 a.m. 7 days a week, so stop by and check it out, especially during Happy Hour with $1 offall liquor drinks from noon until 8 p.m. 7 days a week. As Blake puts it, "xg&’re just looking to have a good time with a bar that everybody’s gonna love coming to." Sounds like a great beginning. SUPPORTERS OF IT¥ LIGHT UP DOWNTOWN OKC By Victor Gorin Photo: Organizer Trey Hill with activistJames Nimmo by Hctor Gorin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Around 30 determined souls braved the icy chill December 20 in OKC’s Bricktown near the entrance of the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark, holding a candlelight vigil supporting marriage equality for all Americans, including the GLBT community. Surprising, there were no negative epithets, fisticuffs or even threats thereofmade by Bricktown partygoers, only some interested glances. The event did get media coverage by KOKH Channel 25, and participants got a free "Oklahoman for Marriage Equality T-Shirt;’ made possible thru the generosity ofJames Nimmo, his partner Don Chabot and Brittany Novotny. The event came together through the organization ofTrey Dill & Chuck Longacre, activists also largely responsible for a previous rally at the Oklahoma City Hall November 15 xvhich brought out over 200 people protesting the passage of Proposition 8, Which took away the right ofsame sex marriage in California. As Ms. Novotny praised the marchers, "As we keep getting people out for events like this, people won’t feel they have to be scared to be who they are, and straight people won’t be as scared to support us. We’ll keep doing this until all ofOklahoma says Yes, You all are part ofus and we’re all equal: January 2009 N Wockner News Service Reports: No quick action against DADT President-elect Barack Obama rnay not move quickly to repeal the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" ban on open gays, according to published reports. A Nov. 24 report in The AtlantaJournal-Constitution said: "Very quietly, the Obama team has let it be known that the new administration will not immediately reassess the U.S. military’s policy of’don’t ask, don’t tell: ... Raising the topic ofgays in the military was considered by many to be the second oftwo out-of-the-box decisions that ended badly for a newly elected President Bill Clinton (in 1993)’.’ The National Journal and The Washington Tunes said Obama might wait until 2010 to ’tackle the ban. However, the gay newspaper ~Tashington Blade reported Nov. 25 that an unnamed Obama spokesperson said the mainstream-media reports were premature. "An Obama transition team spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the decision on how to approach repealing ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ... would be ma& after more experts have joined the Obama administration;’ the paper said. "Tnese decisions will not be made before the full national security team is in place;’ the Blade quoted the spokesperson as saying. AJuly poll by The \Vashington Post and ABC News found that 75 percent ofAmericans said "yes" when ~isked, "Do you think that homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not ?" The poll found that even Republicans (64 percent) and white evangelical Christians (57 percent) supported scrapping the ban. The random survey of 1,119 Aanerican adults had a margin oferror ofplus or minus 3 percentage points. Florida’s ban on gay adoption struck down A Florida circuit court in Miami struck down a state law that barred lesbians and gay men from adopting Nov. 25. The court granted adoptions to a gay man, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, who has been raising two foster children since 2004. "Our family just got a lot more to be thankful for this Naanksgiving;’ said Martin Gill, a North Miami resident who is raising two brothers, ages 4 and 8, with his partner. are extremely relieved that the court has recognized that it is wrong to deny our boys the legal protections and security that only" come with adoption." The court ruled that tile ban violated the equalprotection guarantees of the state constitution because it irrationally singled out gay people and their children for different treatment. The court also found that the ban denied children the right to permanency provided by federal and state law under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. "Reports and studies find that there are no differences in the parenting ofhomosexuals or the adjustment oftheir children;’ the court said. "TheSe conclusions have been accepted, adopted and ratified by the American psychological Association, the American Psychiatry Association, the American PediatriCAssociation, the American Academy ofPediatrics, the Child Welfare League ofAmerica and the National Association ofSocial Workers. Based on the robust nature ofthe evidence available in the field, this Court is satisfied that the issue is so far beyond dispute that it would be irrational to hold otherwise; the best~interests ofchildren are not preserved by prohibiting homosexual adoption." The Florida law barring gays and lesbians from adopting was the most expansive anti-gay parenting law in the country. It was passed in 1977 in response to an anti-gay crusade led by Miss Oklalloma 1958, and orange-juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant. Admirals, Generals urge DADT repeal A former Army secretary and 103 retired admirals and generals issued a call Nov. 17 for repeal ofthe military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" ban on open gays. Among the document’s signers were a former Naval Academy superintendent, retired four-star Adm. Chades Larson, and former PresidentJimmy Carter’s Army secretary, Clifford Mexander. It is believed that there are about 65,000 gay people serving in the military, not counting the 627 who were kicked out last year for failing to stay sufficiently closeted. Gay band, anti-gay preacher to participate in inauguration Wanda Sykes comes out, blasts Prop 8 The Lesbian and Gay Band Association, which is composed of 34 marching and concert bands fi’om the U.S., Canada and Australia, will march in President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural parade Jan. 20. Although LGBA concert bands performed at inaugural celebratious t’or Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997, this will be the first time a gay band has marched in a presidential inaugural parade. ~ihe gay contingent will include t77 musicians in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue a~er Obama is sworn in on the steps ofthe U.S. Capitol. In making their selections, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and military musicians assessed the applications of 1,400 marching bands, drill teams and musical groups. Nae committee’s Web site lists more than 40 such participating contingents, including several high-school and university bands. Meanwhile, Obama came under fire from gay activists on Dec. 17 for selecting influential evangelical preacher Rick xWarren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration. Human Rights Caxnpaign President Joe Solmonese calAed the move ’h genuine bl0w to LGBT Americans." "We feel a deep level ofdisrespect when one ofthe architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit ofyour historic nomination; Solmonese said. "Vge urge you to reconsider this announcement." The National Gay arid Lesbian Task Force said, "We urge President-elect Obama to withdraw his invitation to Rick Warren and instead select a faith leader who embraces fairness, equality and the ideals the president-elect himselfhas called the nation to uphold: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation President Nell Giuliano said, "It is ... deeply troubling that the President-elect has selected .....Continued See Inauguration Page-11 ’ Comedian xYC:anda Sykes came out publicly Nov. 15 at a Las Vegas rally against California’s Proposition 8. "When California passed Prop 8 ... I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked, our community was attacked," Sykes said. "I got married Oct. 25. You know, I don’t really talk about nay sexual orientation, I didn’t feel like I had to, I was just living my life and, not necessarily in tile closet, but I was just living my life. Everybody that knows me personally, they know I’m gay. And that’s the way people should be able to live their lives, xgre shouldn’t have to be standing out here demanding something that we automatically should have as citizens ofthis country. And I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, You know what, now I gotta get in your face. And that’s what we all have to do now." Sykes said, as others have, that the passage of Prop 8 did have an upside. "They pissed offthe ~vrong group ofpeople," she said. "They have galvanized a community: XWe are so together now and we all want the same tiling and we are not going to settle for less." Direct Cremation From $595 T ON MORTUARY SERVICE,~e Tradition!! Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405) 230- 1310 or !-800-913-1310 Pre-Need Plaa CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED The Las Vegas rally was part of a national day ofprotest against Prop 8 that saw demonstrations in 300 U.S. cities and towns, including such unlikely places as Allentown, Fargo, Fayetteville, La Crosse, Macon, Shreveport and Missoula. In California, there were protests Nov. 15 in 58 separate towns and cities. www.metrostarnews.corn N~÷troSTAR 7 Same-sex marriage bill to be introduced in New Hampshire New Hampshire State Rep. Jim Splaine plans to introduce a bill next year to legalize same-sex marriage. New Hampshire already has a comprehensive same-sex civil-union law, and nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts allow gay couples to marry~ Splaine told the Concord Monitor newspaper that the civil-union law bestows only about 90 percent of the state-level benefits and obligations of marriage, xvhich leaves same-sex couples without full equality under the law. Some 600 same-sex couples have entered into a civil union in New Hampshire. EltonJohn does not support same-sex marriage Elton John says gays are wrong to want to get married and should settle for civil unions. "We’re (David Furnish and I) not married. Let’s get that right;’ John told USA Today on Nov. 12. "We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that mey went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the,vord marriage. "I don’t want to be married;’ John said. very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get mar}led, Or get together, they should have a civil partnership.... You ~et the same e~ual rights.... Heterosexual peopm get married: John’s assertion about ~equal rights" is essentially true in the United Kingdom, where John and Furnish entered their civil partnership. ~Ihe UK civil-partnership law is national in scope. In the U.S., on the other hand, civil-union and domestic-parmership laws are state laws that grant equal rights only on the state level, leaving civilly united gay couples without access to-more than 1,000 federal rights, benefits and obligations ofmarriage. But, at the same time, the U.S. government also does not recognize the same-sex marriages that have taken place in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts or abroad. However, it would require less ofan overhaul of federal policy to start recognizing married same-sex couples than it would to create some kind ofnational recognition of states’ hodgepodge ofcivilunion and domestic-partnership laws, some of which grant all state-level rights of marriage and others ofwhich do not. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has said repeatedly that he supports extending federal recognition to same-sex unions, though he does not favor opening marriage itseltto samesex couples, citing religious objections. Obama nonetheless opposed California’s Proposition 8, in which voters amended the state constitution on Nov. 4 to re-ban same-sex marriage. ha a nutshell, Obama does not think gay couples should have access to marriage but also does not think any laws should be passed to prevent gay couples from accessing marriage. * U.S. adults are evenly divided on xvhether gay couples should have access to marriage -- 47 percent say yes and 49 percent say no. * Sixty-four percent think gays in the military should not have to stay closeted, as required by the =don’t ask, don’t tell" policy. * Sixty-three percent support expanding hate-crime la~vs to cover gay and transgender people. At present, 31 states and the District of Columbia have such laws that cover sexual orientation and 12 of those laws also encompass gender identity. * Fifty-one percent favor protecting gay and transgender people under existing laws that ban discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have such laws that cover sexual orientation and 13 of those laws also encompass gender identity. * Sixty-nine percent oppose bans on gay adoption. =We observed a positive relationship between knowing a gay or transgender person and one’s attitudes toward them and the policy issues that affect their lives," said Laura Light, Harris Interactive’s vice president ofpublic-relations research. "Based on other surveys we have conducted on attitudes toward LGBT people and issues, the results ofthis survey suggest that public sentiment in the U.S. is trending toward greater acceptanF~ ofgay- and transgender-related policy issues:’ The survey found that people under 65, and especially those 18-34, are more gay-friendly than people over 65. Women are generally more supportive than men. Latinos are more supportive than whites and blacks when it comes to gays in the military. Blacks are more supportive than whites and Latinos on hate-crime laws. And Catholics and "mainline" Christians (Protestant, Mormon or %ther Christian") are more supportive than "born-again" Protestants, Mormons or other Christians. Nineteen percent ofthose questioned said their feelings toward gay people have become more favorable over the past five years. They attributed the change to such things as knmving someone who is gay, seeing gay people on TV and in movies, passage ofgay-friendly laws, news coverage ofgay issues, and learning of the gay-friendly positions offriends, family members and religious leaders. "Knowing someone who is gay or lesbian" ,vas the most significant factor, cited by 79 percent ofthose whose feelings had evolved. Seventy-three percent ofthose qu{stioned know or work with a gay or transgender person and halfof that 73 percent know or work with five or more gay or traaasgender people, the survey found. Full poll results: tinyurl.com/6nojlq. Iowa Supreme Court hears marriage case The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 9 in Lan~bda Legal’s case on behalfof same-sex couples who want to marry. "XTge put our best case forward, and hope that the court breathes life into the Iowa Constitution’s promise of equality," said Senior Staff Attorney Camilla Taylor. The couples’ case was argued by former Iowa Solicitor General Dennis Johnson of Dorsey & Whimey. "The government has no business standing in the way ofa loving same-sex couple who wants to take responsibility for each other and their fancily," Johnson said. Lambda filed suit in Polk County District Court in 2005 on behalfofsix same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses, arguing that the denials violated the liberty and equality guarantees in the Iowa Constitution. In 2007, the court agreed that banning same-sex couples from marrying was unc0nstitutional, and the county recorder and registrar appealed to the state Supreme Court. One gay couple -- Sean and Tim McQ,u)llan ofAmes -- got married before Judge Robert Hanson quickly suspended his ruling when it was appealed. 8 ~÷~roSTAR January 2009 DVD" ’re Angels" with the release oftheir album. Jason and &Marco have recently taken a&antage of C~l~ornlas United Metropolitan Community Church Sunday Services @ 11:00 AM 1623 N. l~laplewood Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 w.mcctuisa.org Troy Don Wheat34ar 19, 1966 - Dec 6, 2008 TULSA, OK (OkEq) __ Troy Wheat, son of Betty and Paul Wheat was born on March 19, 1966 in Alva, Oklahoma. He died on the 6th of December, at his home in Tulsa, at the age of42 years, 8 months and 18 days. Troy is survived by his parents Paul and Betty; a sister and her husband, Paula and Bill Miller ofWoodward; his significant other, Christopher Roberts ofTulsa; two nieces and their spouses, Shannon and Craig Chestnut and thei} children Jace and Jayden ofMustang, Karrie and Kendel Kay and their children Sloan, Reece, Braton and Kinley ofAshland, Kansas; a number ofother relatives and many friends. He graduated from Alva High School in 1984. After moving to Tulsa, Troy attended and graduated cosmetology school in Jenks. He became a successful stylist in Tulsa. He was very involved in the Miss Cinderella, Miss Oklahoma and Miss America Pageants. One of the highlights ofhis life was when his client won Miss America in 2006. A family and friends visitation reception was held Thursday December 1 lth at Ninde Brookside Chapel, 3841 S. Peoria, Tul’sa, Oklahoma 74105. Obituary ofMary Lorene Marlett, mother ofDemo Candidate Ron Marlett Ron Marlett was the Democratic candidate runmng against Mrs. Kern in HD 84. The following is from Ron: My mother. Mary Lorene Marlett, passed from this world December 17. She has suffered from Alzeheimers Disease the past two years, From my earliest years. I can remember her involvement in the Canadian County Democratic Party. She described herself as a Yellow Dog Democrat, someone who would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican. However. she loved her Republican friends. In a community where racial epithets were socially acceptable, she taught that those words wouldn’t be tolerated in our household. When I hear politicians talk of"family values", I wonder if they were taught that racism wasn’t a family value. I attended precinct meetings with her and accompanied her to a state convention. She raised my brother and me with values of equality, fairness and the value ofhard work. When I was younger she saw that I got to Little League baseball games when my dad was tied up responding to an electric outage in the rural electric cooperative, xXihen I left home, she became involved in my brother’s scouting as was extremely proud ofhis attaining his Eagle Scout Award. When my father became disabled, she ;,cent to work at XXrestern Hectric, later AT&T. She continued there until being offered an early retirement. She continued to live in Union City after my father’s death in 1987. She began having health problems that probably signalled the onset ofAlzheirmers, but I was too close to the situation to recognize it. About two years ago a doctor diagnosed it and told me she had two years left. She celebrated her 75th birthday and received letters from Oklahoma politicians praising her for her ~vork for the party. Her long time Democratic friend, Oberta Bergdall attended that party. She was particularly proud of having attended President Carter’s inaugural ball. Toward the end ofher life, no one in the Democratic Party could really remember her. When I attended the C:anadian County Democratic Bean Supper, I felt I represented her. She died surrounded by people who loved her and was very peaceful mad free ofpain. I am struck by the reliefI feel that she no longer suffers and the realization that I will not see her again. She was a blessing to those she cared for and to the Democratic Party she loved. Ron Marlett www.metrostarnews.com ~Oet~oSTAR 9 Close, but no cigar. ByJan~es Nimmo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ q-he recent release of the biopic "Milk" about the life and death ofSan Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk revivified interest in Milk’s most famous phrases such as "Come out, come out, wherever you are;’ and "Don’t blend in:’ Another openly gay activist to have his speeches and writings dusted offis Bayard Rustin, an openly gay African-American who was a colleague ofDr. M.L. King and who was given behind- the-scenes credit for organizing the March on Washington in August, 1963 where Dr... King made his iconic and forward lookAng"I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Rustin was forced to take a back-seat due to fears that his orientation and arrest record would undoubtedly be used against the civil tights movement. From the book Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin by Bayard Rustin (Cleis Press, Carbado and Weise, editors) we get the succinct gay agenda, if there ever was one, that I think most ofus gay/lesbian activists can agree on "the job ofthe gay comnaunity is not to deal with extremists who would castrate us or put us on an island and drop an Hbomb on us." The fact ofthe matter is that there is a small percentage of people in America who understand the true nature of the homosexual cornmunity. There is another small percentage who will never understand us. Our job is not to get those people who dislike us to love us. Nor was our aim in the civil rights movement to get prejudiced white people to love us. Our aim was to try to create the Idnd ofAmerica, legislatively, morally, and psychologically, such that even though some whites continued to hate us, they could not openly manifest that hate. That’s our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest anti-gay sentiment." (http://tiwurl.com/5w77yr) What we should continue to be doing is proving our gay/lesbian equality ofcitizenship to the broad range of the valuable demographic ~mown as the undecided, who politicians always court. For our purposes it’s those people who all have gay and lesbian family members or friends, xvho wouldn’t think ofhurting them but somehow aren’t connecting the dots that ifsome of us gays and lesbians are getting hurt, all ofus get hurt. Dr. King said it in a more engraved style: "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important." Laws don’t prevent crime or change the minds of the incorrigible, but laws do provide a way to legally make it uncomfortable for prejudice and violence to be acted out against minorities. ~is is one reason our enemies are very anxious that hate crimes bills that include language for the protection ofsexual orientation and gender presentation are not passed either at the Federal or state level. Our opponents claim such laws would limit speech and hamper the free exercise of religion. But as Rep Barhey Dank (Mass.) said earlier in December, 2008 at a Victory Fund luncheon, these laws are directed at actions ofviolence not at xvords; expression is not the target ofhate crimes laws, but physica! behavior is. (http://tinyurl.com/5963au) Yes, we truly live in the age ofOrwell xvhere words can be wolves in sheep’s clothing. We read ofMormon and Catholic spokespeople offended by the peaceful protests ofgay/lesbian supporters in reaction to losing the November Prop. 8 vote in California. It seems these t~vo denominations that gave much of the money fueling the thei~ ofa civil right in California were surprised by the bacHash to the imposition of their religious dogma on the non-member citizens of California ( http:/itinyurl.com/6qp2xz ), (http://tinyurl.com/6215gd). To me, it looks as ifthe First Amendment establishment clause is being ignored because there are some denominations that ~vill perform same-gender marriages yet their religious freedom is being abridged by the passage ofProp 8. And just why does prejudice and discrimination seem to originate with bible-trumpeting homo-haters ? Could it be because they already live in a ddusional world of superstition and make-believe, offairy stories about sky-based good things, and dark-and-dirty ground-based bad things ? Could it be because they still live in the world ofBronze Age nomads ~vho had no science and no concept ofa world beyond the horizon they could walk toward in a day? The current (I hesitate to call them "modern day") generation offtmdies lives in a world of technology and communication that would seem like godly magic to their Abrahamic ancestors. They use this science to disperse their simplistic balderdash that’s rooted in desert-wandering myths and witch-doctoring and think nothing ofthe plain evidence and contradictions that shows them to be deeply deluded and ignorant. "Ihe last hundred years have passed them by and disproved the ancient runes and cabals they so desperately need to explain their conflicting childhood dreams ofomnipotent, omniscient super heroes rescuing them from death and oblivion. Personally I don’t care what they do as consenting adults in the privacy of their religious establishments or even on the public street corner. However, no group has the legal prover to impose religious dogma in the law books ofany state or Federa! code. There continues to be a principle ofseparation ofchurch and state, equality and liberty for all, that is paramount to the continuation of this country as it was founded. African-Americans, Native Americans, and women have gained their civil equality in spite of the restrictions originally written in the Constitution and later remedied by Amendments. So far, 30 states have amendments or laws forbidding same-gender marriage in addition to the alleged "Defense ofMarriage Act" (DOMA). Two states have understood the rights ofgays and lesbians to have civil marriage, Massachusetts and Connecticut, with a handful ofstates having various marriage-like rights available but not the real thing. Close, but no cigar! Just as Plessy ~: Ferguson was overturned by Brown v. Board ofEducation ending educational segregation; just as Bowers v. Hardwick was overturned by Lawrence and Garner v. Texas removing sodomy laws from enforcement, just as Colorado’s Amendment 2 was overturned with Romer v. Evans, we can look forward to our day in a courtroom as well as the court of public opinion. Although Frederick Douglass was disappointed by the 1857 Dredd Scott decision that refused full citizenship to free blacks as well as slaves, he found a reason to look forward, saying, "My hopes were never brighter than now." Slavery was brought to forefront ofthe country and the unsavory ownership ofpeople could no longer be ignored. Though we gay citizens are not owued physically, our social and economic prospects are curtailed. Thanks to our enemies, our own equality prospects been brought to the forefront and our equality will be won. Straights and Homophobes: lae Words hat Bind Us. By Gerald Libonati Language shapes our self-image and some of the words we use are misleading, inadequate or just plain wrong. Take the word straig!at, for instance. "We use it to describe heteros; men and women who are not gay or lesbian. And every time we use the term we indirectly insult ourselves. What does the word mean in our society? Straight means proper, upstanding, law-abiding and decent. Are ~oruugbs,eiynogu’srterasitgrahitgwhti.thIfmyoeu, ’rreefegrosotdo,hyoonuetsrta)v:eWl thheenstyroaiug’rhet-oafnfdnarrow. ’Damn straight’ means emphatically right, unequiv0- cally correct. So ifheteros are straight what does that make us - crooked, dishonest, drugged and apparently indecent ? We need to think ofourselves in a way that reflects the goodness and quality that exists within our ranks, g[e are terrific people and we may as well acknowledge that in our language. Another word that completely escaped our gaydar is the term homophobia. We use it to define prejudice against gay and lesbian people. But it just doesn’t seem to be up to the job. It’s weak and ambiguous. When we talk about someone who dislikes others based on their skin color we call them racist. Much stronger word. Phobic people, in general, tend to be fearful but polite. People who openly disapprove ofgay/lesbian folks are neither. Are we too nice when ~ve describe our critics in such an affable way? Homophobic! Doesn’t sound so bad. Surely, the terms they have for us are more forthright. Who thought of calling hatred a phobia, anyway? Ac,t,t}ally, it was psychologist George Weinberg in his 1972book Society and the Healthy Honaosexual:’ He was tapping into the theory that violence toward gay people came about because of a fear of homosexuality, especially by those repressing their own same-sex urges. But what about all the other gay bashers who aren’t reacting to their inner homo ? The rest ofthe world has already learned that words define us to others and molds our selfqmage. That’swhy secretaries are executive assistants and garbage men are sanitation engineers. GeraM Libonati is the author afthe neu, novel Pete*" [’Vo~7 the storr af:a fiam°uv.~Ta ro& star who ~oes incognito mfind love. He ~s an award-winningjournalist in &uth £1orig, workingfir the Sun-SentineL He has also wri~enJbr ~e .~iiami He,ald, ~e dd~ocam andfi’egznce~jbrgaT/tesbian newspapers around t,~e munW. 10 ~,~÷t~oSTAR January 2009 ROBERT MATSON’S LATEST EPIC "A GATHERING" AND HIS NEW NTURES UPCOMING By Victor Gorin Photo: RobertMatson by Victor Go,qn OKLAHOMA CITY, OK__ Lyric’s Plaza Theater hosted a unique play with A Gathering, but Robert is a playwright where one can count on non-convention. After all he brought us Tails of the Closet and Drama Q~eens, and even a masculine answer to the Vagina Monologues entitled Beneath the Zipper, which celebrated the penis. But who ~v0~ld have expdcted agay thriller on stage, with seat edging suspense that would have awed Agatha Christie herself? But there it was, entitled A Gathering, where 9 gay men are trapped on an isolated island, cut offffom the outside world, and there is a killer or killers among them. With a scenario almost identical to Agatha Christie’s novel, "And then there were None," it starts offfun and campy with the wisecracking antics ofToW "Toneisha" Hayes ( portrayed by Chris Castleberry) who was supposed to be drag entertainment but instead was the first to go. Then there was the hard drinking Dr. James Armstrong ( portrayed by Timothy Stewart), a self proclaimed bisexual who was enamored with Toneisha ~vhile she lasted. The play ends in surprise as character Neil Lawrence ( portrayed by Jerome Stevenson) turns out to be the killer, and concludes with his suicide and that of the last left one left alive, the handsome resort employee Courmey Claythorne( portrayed by Scott Hynes), who xvas left xvith the bitter choice ofself destruction or being accused of murdering all the others when the authorities eventually arrived. What inspired this wild tale ? W’ell, besides Agatha Christie, Mr. Matson added that "I love murder mysteries. I wanted to give Agatha’s story a different twist. This xvould be a great piece to work with, and how to make it xvork with 9 gay men. I worked on it for about 2 years." Although he has done past work with maW theater companies includingJewel Box, CityRep, Guthrie’s Pollard Theater & Carpenter Square, he is currently the Academy Administrator for Lyric Academy, which involves registration for acting classes taught there and he teaches adult acting classes as well. As for the fnture, he is working on" a couple things, including a loud gay comedy with Oklahoma ties to it." But that’s all he’ll say right now, so we can all be breathless with anticipation. someone whose defamatory and damaging anti-gay statements and vie~vs ... clearly divide rather than unite Americans." Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., called Obama’s move very disappointing. ~Religious leaders obviously have every right to speak out in opposition to anti-discrimination measures, even in the degrading terms that Rev. Warren has used with regard to same-sex marriage;’ Frank said. "But that does not confer upon them the right to a place ofhonor in the inauguration ceremony of a president whose stated commitment to LGBT rights won him the strong support ofthe great majority ofthose who support that cause:’ GeoffKors, executive director of Equality California, said he is so annoyed by Warren’s participation that he will boycott the inauguration. "I have decided to decline the invitation to attend the inauguration as I cannot be part ofa celebration that highlights and gives voice to someone who advocated repealing rights from me and millions ofother Californians;’ Kors said. "Rick Warren ... actively works to dMde Americans based on who we are and has been an ardent supporter of efforts to ostracize LGBT Americans:’ Speaking in support of California’s Proposition 8 before the November election, Warren said, "We should not let 2 percent of the population change a definition ofmarriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years. In reality, many cultures over the past 5,000 years have embraced polygamy. More recently, Warren told Beliefnet.com that same-sex marriage is equivalent to "having a broth& anff Sist& b~ together ... an 01der ~ " and calling that a marriage... one gw having multiple wives and calling that marriage." (Warren: ’Tin opposed to the redefinition ofa 5,000-year definition ofmarriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older gny marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage:’ Interviewer: "You think those are equivalent to gays getting married?" Warren: "Oh, I do:’) Brooklyn man dies after probable ha e attack A Brooklyn man who was attacked with a baseball bat Dec. 7 as he walked arm in arm with his brother died on Dec. 12. Josd Sucuzhafia); a 31-year-old Ecuadorean immigrant, and his brother were walking together in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood after a night out when three black men shouting nationa anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs jumped from an SUV and broke a beer bottle over Sucuzhafiay’s head, beat him with a bat and kicked him. The brother, Romel, escaped down the street, then returned to the scene and scared offthe attackers by telling them he’d phoned police on his cell phone. Police are investigating the killing as a hate crime and are offering a $27,000 award for information leading to apprehension of the assailants. On Dec. 13, hundreds ofprotesters marched from a Bushwick park to the site of the attack. Hundreds ofprotesters marched in Brooklyn Dec. 13 after an Ecuadorean man who was walkinga~n in arm with h# brother was attacked with a baseball bat and later died. 2he assailants shouted ann’-gay slurs. Photo byJoeJervis. www.metrostarnews.com [~Ie~°oSTAR 11 @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ Steve’s Hideaway, Tulsa @Club 209, Tulsa @ ~e Second Chance Animal Sanctuary @ Finishline, Oklahoma City @ The Copa, Oklahoma City @ The End Up, Tulsa @Angles, Oklahoma City @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City CLUB 209 HOSTS PHOTOGPHERVINCENT SCOTT Ok ahomans for Equality art gallery opens Josh New photo e libit By Judy Gabbard Arches by Photographer Hncent Scott Photography Art byJosh New TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center art gallery starts a new year ofit’s monthly First Thursday meetthe- artist receptions featuring photographs from native Tulsa resident Josh New. The reception will be held Thursday, January 1st, 2009, from 6-9pm. Josh New, a teacher ofJapanese at Booker T Washington High School, is currently a graduate student at the University of Tulsa in photography. TULSA, OK__ Dennis Olson, owner ofDoArt Worlds, sponsored the opening of "Pioneering Seas6n" featuring the photography ofVincent Scott at Club 209, Tulsds Arts Bar in the historical Brady District. Club 209 features various artists throughout the year. The Club is also a great place to enjoy local entertainment on weekends, such as Vallerie Star Light Rock + Acoustic, Rebecca Ungerma~i with the Frank Brown Trio and the Three Penny Upright, A Little Bluegrass. Visit Club 209 on the web at www.club209tulsa.com for monthly updates on art exhibits and entdrtainment. Vincent Scott is a world traveled photographer whose eye for the beauty in our world, has thrilled many onlookers coast to coast. Dennis Olson, an artist in his own right, chose to sponsor these photographs because ofMr. Scott’s photographic eye and production techniques. To contact Dennis Olson emaih do@ doart~vorld.org. The opening night was an exciting experience of fine art, flowing wine and the admiration’ ofhundreds ofguest. After graduating from Oklahoma State, Mr. New worked in Japan for three years, where he developed a love oftravel and the exotic. Since then he has traveled to many countries and discovered a talent in photography. That love and talent has brought Inm to TU to ~rther hone his s-kill aa~d allow hu~ the freedom to experiment aa~d take his photographs further than just glorified vacation photos. "My photographs have been, more than anything, my attempt to control and catalog the world around me’; states New. "I’m moving in a direction where I am starting to manipulate my images to illuminate my thoughts and ideas, but they primarily remain shots ofthe patterns and vibrant colors I see around me. This exhibit is a sampling ofboth photos I have taken on my journeys and the first steps in my attempt to, essentially, photograph my thoughts, which also seem to be constructed in colors and patterns" The exhibit will remain up through the month ofJanuary, and can be viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pro. 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. Community Fellowship "A place where you can be who God created you to be andfriendghips becomefamily" ors ip Experience Sund s 5:30 p.m. Pastor Neill @urgin Pasto ressionsOKC, corn (~05) 761-1878 "~w.ExpressionsOKC.com Meeting at Lansbrook ~¢ent Center 6009 NWE~pressway Oklahoma Cio~, OK Calif. Attorney General Brown: Prop 8 is invalid by Rex g¢ockne~ In a stunninglegal move, California Attorney General Jerry Brown formally urged the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8 on Dec. 19 because, in re-banning sanaesex couples from marrying, the voter-approved constitutional amendment deprived people of an aspect ofliberty that the Supreme Court previously had concluded is guaranteed by the California Constitution. Ordinarily, it is the attorney geqeral’s job to defend the state’s laws, not attack them. "Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification;’ Brown said in a statement. "There are certain rights that are not to be subject to popular votes, otherwise they are not fundaanental rights;’ he added in an interview xvith the San Jose Mercury News. "Ifevery fundamental liberty can be stripped away by a majority vote, then it’s not a fundamental liberty:’ Rejecting recent arguments submitted to the state Supreme Court by gay-rights lawyers, Brown concluded that existing case-law precedents ofthe court do not invalidate Proposition 8 either as an improper revision of the state constitution or as a violation ofthe separation-of-provers doctrine. But that does not resolve the matter; he said. In its May 15 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, the state Supreme Court "held that article I, section 1 ofthe California Constitution provides a right to marry that cannot be denied to same-sex couples;’ Brown’s office said. "In order to invalidate such a fundamental right, the court must determine that there is a compelling justification to do so. But in (its decision), the court found that no such compelling justification exists. Accordingly, Proposition 8 must be stricken." "~ae use ofthe (ballot) initiative power to take avcay a legal right deemed by this Court to be fundamental and from a group defined by a suspect classification is a matter ofgrave concern;’ Brown said in his brief to the court. "Proposition 8 should be invalidated as violating the inalienable right ofliberty found in article I, section 1 ofour Constitution." In its May decision, the state Supreme Court struck dmwa the state’s opposite-sex definition ofmarriage as unconstitutional, citing a fundamental right to marry under the state constitution and the constitution’s guarantee ofequal protection under the lav,r, The court further determined -- in a move that legal analysts said was unprecedented for a supreme court -- that any discrimination based on sexual orientation is constitutionally subject to the strictest level ofscrutiny by courts, which made it dramatically harder for any level ofgovernment in California to defend itself in any arena where gays, lesbians and bisexuals are not treated the same as heterosexuals. This was accomplished by the court’s declaring sexual orientation to be, like race and religion, a so-called "suspect classification" -- a categorization that forces any government in California that treats GLB people differently in any way to prove it has a specific compelling interest, rather than a mere rational basis, for doing so. While Prop 8 wiped out the part of the court’s decision that legalized same-sex marriage, it did not alter the more ground- ,b,reaking part of the ruling that found sexual orientatiT~n to be a suspect classification. Gay rights lawyers said back in May that the suspect-classification determination would prove to be even more ofa game-changer for California gays in the long run than xvas the decision to legalize same-sex marriage. IfBrown’s argument passes muster with the state Supreme Court, that prediction will have been borne out. Equality California Executive Director GeoffKors praised Brown’s court brief and its novel argument. "He just demonstrated the ldnd ofleadership that isn’t motivated bypolitical expediency but by what is right," said the head of the state’s leading gay lobby group. HIV diagnoses among European gay men nearly double since 2000 HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM) increased 86 percent in 23 European countries between 2000 and 2006 -- from 3,003 cases to 5,571 cases -- according tO a report in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Researchers from the EuroHIV program analyzed data from 24 of the 27 member nations of the European Union along with data from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, and compared those figures with similar year-2000 data gathered from 23 nations. There were 7,693 ne,v HIV cases reported overall among MSM in 2006, ofwhich 2,597 occurred in the United Kingdom. Other nations with high diagnosis rates included the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland. Much lower rates ofMSM diagnoses were found in Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia, even though Hungary saw a 118 percent increase over 2000 and Slovenia saw a 257 percent increase. Four nations saw a decline in new HIV diagnoses among MSM over the six-year period: Cyprus, Iceland, Lithuania and Luxembourg (though Luxembourg’s rate is still high). The researchers said stepped-up HIV testing may have affected the statistics to some degree, meaning an increase in diagnoses may not correlate precisely ~vith an increase in actual infections. They also suggested that infections may be increasing as HIV-positive men who have sex with men live longer and remain sexually active and presumably able to pass on the virus. Other findings included: * In 20 countries, the percentage ofMSM who had full-blown AIDS at the time oftheir HIV diagnosis decreased from 25 percent in 2000 to t0 percent in 2006. * In 30 countries, full-blown AIDS diagnoses decreased from 2,422 in 2000 to 1,445 in 2006. * In those same countries, HIV-related deaths decreased 57 percent over the period, from 876 in 2000 to 373 in 2006. "’qge have reported a recent increase in the number ofHIV diagnoses among MSM in nearly all (European) countries, and in some countries this probably" represents a true increase in incidence;’ the researchers said. "This, combined with the high prevalence ofHIV reported in many gay community settings, the high prevalence ofHIV among MSM diagnosed with STI (sexually transmitted infection) and the high sexual mobility of this population, highlight the need for a Europewide HIV prevention strategy:’ Wockner News Service Sweden to strike six sexual diagnoses from list Sweden’s National Board ofHealth and Welfare will strike six sexual diagnoses from the nation’s official list ofmedical diagnoses onJan. 1, Stocldaolm’s ~ae Local newspaper reported. The agency will remove transvestism, fetishism, fetishistic transvestism, sadomasochism, gender-identity disorder in youth and multiple disorders ofsexual preferences from the list. "W’e don’t want to contribute to certain sexual behaviors being thought ofas diseases," said board director Lars-Erik Holm. "These diagnoses are rooted in a time when everything other th~ the heterosexual missionary position was seen as sexual perversions." Homosexuality was removed from the list 30 years ago. Australian Parliament gives gay couples equal rights Australia’s Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation in late November that changes some 100 laws to give gay couples equal rights. The measure now goes to the Governor-General for formal approval. The changes, introduced by the federal government, extend spousal rights to same-sex de facto couples in areas such as health care, ’ taxation, pensions, parenting, public benefits, workplace benefits, workers’ compensation, veterans’ affairs, elder care and educational assistance. "At long last we have removed discrimination against same-sex couples from commonwealth law;’ said Attorney-General Robert McClelland. Gay campaigners cheered the.move but said gay couples will not have complete equality until they can get married. Chinese gay HIV cases increase The percentage ofgay men in China ~vho are HIV-positive increased from 0.4 percent in 2005 to 4.9 percent this year, the Ministry of Health said Nov. 28. But straight sex remains the predominant way HIV is transmitted in China, accounting for 40 percent ofnew infections, compared with 28 percent from IV drug use and 5 percent from gay sex. The gay statistics were based on data collected from 18,000 gay men in more than 60 cities. China has recorded a total of260,000 HIV cases, 77,000 AIDS cases and 34,000 AIDSrelated deaths. Burundi’s parliament votes to ban gay sex The parliament of the Central African nation ofBurundi voted to specifically criminalize gay sex Nov. 22 as part ofa package ofmore than 600 legal changes that included abolition ofthe death penalty, news reports said. According to Amnesty International, male, male sex previously was banned and,ptmished under laxvs governing "immoral acts. The vote on the changes was 90 to 0 with 10 abstentions. The measure now moves to the Senate, then to President Pierre Nkurunziza. Neither is expected to oppose it. The small, landlocked nation has a population of 8.7 million, a life expectancy ofless than 52 years, and a per capita gross domestic product at purchasing-power parity of $300. ~l-he comparable figure for the U.S. is $45,800. Norway’s is $ 53,300, Mexico’s is $12,400 and Vietnam’s is $2,600. 80% ofSouth A ricans thimk gay sex is wrong Despite a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and its being one of only six nations where same-sex couples can marry, South Africa remains deeply homophobic, a new survey has found. The Human Sciences Research Council’s annual South African Social Attitudes Survey, released Nov. 24, found that 80 percent of respondents think gay sex is wrong. Whites, city dwellers and highly educated people polled less anti-gay than blacks, "coloureds" (mixed-race people), people with less education and those living in rural areas, the Sunday Times reported. Britain to count gay populafion Britain’s Office for National Statistics is going to count the gay population. Starting in January, a sexual-orientation question will be included in several of the office’s routine surveys, leading to an eventual estimate of the size of the nation’s gay community. Respondents will choose from heterosexual/ straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual or "other" -- or can opt not to answer. Officials say the results will be useful for gauging levels of discrimination and unequal treatment and addressing those problems. The signatories overcame strong opposition from a group ofgovernments that routinely try to block UN attention to issues ofsexual orientation and gender identity. Fifty-seven nations signed an alternative statement, promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, that affirmed the "principles of non-discrimination and equality," but said universal human rights do not include "the attempt to focus on the rights ofcertain persons" because "the notion oforientation spans a wide range of persona] choices that expand way beyond the individual’s sexual interest in copulatory behavior with normal consenting adult human beings, thereby ushering in the social normalization, and possibly legitimization ofmany deplorable acts: ~ae countries that signed the pro-gay statement are Mbania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, S~o Tomd and Prlncipe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Timor-Leste, unite~Kingd0m, Uruguay ~Venezueta~ ..... The United States refused to sign the statement, saying its broad language could reach into areas that fall outside of federal jurisdiction, such as the right of each U.S. state to define marriage. qt is altogether shameful that on this 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Bush administration should take one final swipe at the universal application ofhuman rights for all;’ said Julie Dorfof the Council for Global Equality. "The shoe incident in Iraq last week painfully shows us how low this country has sunk in the world’s view." Gays march in Hong Kong £or first time Hong Kong saw its first gay pride parade Dec. 13. About 1,000 people marched, including many who came from Taiwan and mainland China. ~he two-mile procession traversed Hennessy Road in the city center. Attendance may have been positively, influenced by news reports before the parade, when Hong Kong’s biggest bus company refused to rent a double-decker bus to pride organizers. 14 Janua~ 2009 Larry: I see it as being a representative, not just for OGRA or the gay community but also the State of Oklahoma. We go to other states and other rodeos and meet a lot ofpeople. Also important is our fund-raising, which is one ofthe reasons I went for this title. Victor: This fund-raising not only helps the charities themselves, but I’m sure you also see it as promoting the positive image ofthe GLBT people in the cowboy lifestyle. Larry: It think it has, and I think a lot ofyoung people have gotten interested in it because ofthe fund-raising, shows and related activity. Also people see you don’t have to be a full fledged cmvboy, just interested in die country lifestyle and having fun. Victor: Although the world is changing, OGRA still defies sonle stereotypica! beliefs.. Photo by Chaz competition is asgreatfor the Cowgirls and Cowboys at OGR~4’~; Great PLains Rodeo as an), other rodeo. Larry: Strangely enough, there are still people we encounter who are shod~ed that there are gay cowboys, that they even exist. They have interesting questions, such as "Are the rodeos really rodeos ? .... Do you really ride horses ?" Victor: Have you ever really roped a cow ? Larry: Yes I have, nay parents have owned ranches and I have roped cows, branded cattle, pulled calves, done all diat. Victor: You grew up in a small town? Larry: Ha}wcorth, a small town not far from Idabel. g[e lived on a f~trm there, went to school, did our chores, slopped the hogs, fed the chickens, took care ofthe horses. We even rode our horses to school when the buses couldn’t get through. Victor: So you had a typical growing up there ? Larry: Yes, but my family moved around a lot, and I experienced city life as well. I got involved ~vitll the gay community after I graduated from O!dahonia Christian University ofEdmond witli a degree of Marketing & Business. After moving back to IdabeI, my first gay bar experience was the Roundup in Dallas. I soon began working with HIV organizations including the Mariah Foundation, Carepoint, and with the OHahoma State Health Department. Victor: But the shining star ofOGRA is the Great Plains Rodeo, which has been held at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for many years as a Memorial Day weekend celebration. Larry: More and more people are coming to that and really having fun. Some people are surprised that our rodeos are truly the same "kind ofrodeos, although we do feature goat dressing and sometimes other campy events thrown in. Victor: What impact do you think t~he movie Brokeback Mountain had on the gay community, society in general, and in particular gay cowboys ? Larry: Really it brought the gay community into the mainstream, that there was more to the gay community than an urbaaa community ofdrag queens & flamboyant individuals, to see them as regular people with difficulties we all face in real life. It made the gay cowboys feel more accepted, to let them kalow they can be themselves. It also educated the urban gay community of the problems rural gays face. Victor: ~¢¢’here do you see die future ofOGRA? Larry: When OGRA began we were teaming up witl~ other states, and now we’re doing one the largest rodeos on our own. Ofcourse we’d like to see more people volunteer, but to put tllis on with the resources we have shows a true hardworking spirit of Oklahomans. Victor: How long have you been in Oklahoma City ? Larry: Seven years, and I have felt good seeing the increased interest in OGRA and the friends I have made there. I have been glad to hear from out oftowners how impressed they are that the various parts ofthe gay communit); the disco crowd, drag queens, the cowboys, the lesbians, get along so well together compared to other places. Victor: So how do people learu more about OGRA? Larry: ~lere~ our website ~a-,wv.ogra.net, to learn what we’re doing, about our events, and other related organizations & chatrooms where one can talk with other cowboys and learn even more. There’s room for all types ofpeople and talent, lesbians, gay" men and we also have some straight members. There you have it, a proud tradition now 23 years young derived from the frontier spirit ofOklahoma. The GLBT community ofOklahoma can look forward to ~vhat OGRA can do for our future. Connecticut unlikely to amend constitution on marriage Connecticut voters strong!y oppose anaending the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage, according to a QEinnipiac University poll released Dec. 17. The poll of 1,445 registered voters found that 61 percent oppose an anlendment and only 33 percent support it. Same-sex couples began marrying in Connecticut on Nov. 12 after the state Supreme Court ruled that offering gay couples onbi civil unions violated the state constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The poll found dlat 52 percent ofvoters agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision, 39 percent did not and 9 percent had no opinion. The poll’s margin oferror was plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. MERI Day ofService to Provide for Foster Children in Rhode Island & Arkansas RHODE ISLAND (PR) Dec 8 __ As Marriage Equality Rh6de Island (MERI) made a commitment to community service this holiday season it couldn’t help but acknovdedge sorrow at the passage ofAct 1 in Arkansas, a thinly veiled attack on the gay community that bans unmarried couples from adopting children or serving as foster parents. Although the Arkansas state motto calls for both "Mercy andJustice; neither was demonstrated by proponents ofthis legislation which harms families and children. MERI fights for the rights and protection ofall families in seeking marriage equality for Rhode Island’s GLBT residents. On \Vednesday, December 10 MERI xvas at the State House to collect items for not only" the RI Food Bank, Crossroads, Amos House mid the IRIE Transitional Home for women and children, but also the foster children ofArkansas xvhose wishes for new families have been curtailed. Mayor Dani Joy ofEureka .... Springs, Arkansas accepted and distributed RI donations. In her letter to MERI, Joy stated, "I am greatly honored that your organization would focus your energy and compassion on our many children that receive foster care throughout our state. With the passage ofAct I our state is left with a large number ofchildren that are either in need offoster care, or currently in foster care... Again, let me say that I am in axve ofyour compassion during this holiday, season. We are truly grateful," File Photo Eureka Springs Birayor DaniJoy Food bank requests included boxed and canned goods, pmvered and evaporated milk, potato flakes, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, rice, soup, condiments, crackers, tuna, peanut butter, jelly/jam and juice. Amos House needs coffee and personal hygiene items. Crossroads could use slippers, hats, mittens, gloves and scarves for men, women and children (4 mos - 18). The young women and their children living at the IRIE Transitional Program, under the auspices of the RI Foster Parent Association (RIFPA) learn skills to improve their lives mid break the cycle ofpoverty. Ten teens ages 16-20 and their 7 children, ages 4 months - 6 years, live in the facility. Contact MERI for items noted on the IRIE wish list. MERI Day ofService partners include RI Pride, inFOCUS and the Gay Straight Alliance ofWarwick Veteran’s Memorial High School. For raore information, contact Susan MacNeil at smacneil@ marriageequalityri.org or by calling 401-463-5368 www.metrostarnews.com ~÷t~oSTAR 15 We have a lot to celebrate including the January 20th date for President elect Obama. This year may be the start of something big for each of us and our personal endeavors. This is truly a time to click our glasses together. Here is a litde about sparkling wines from France and Spain Champagne French monks were the first to bottle a sparkling forra ofwine called Champagne, named after the Champagne region ofFrance. The method of making "mousse" (another name fbr bubbles) in a bottle was invented by the efforts ofD~reJean Oudart (1654 - 1742) and Dora Pierre Pdrignon (1639 - 1715), Benedictine monks and cellarmasters at the respective abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Chalons and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, The region ofChampagne has a colder and shorter growing season. Champagne grapes had to be picked late in the year, with less time available for fermentation. During fermentation yeasts are used to convert the sugars of the grape juice into alcohol and cold winter temperatures stopped the process. The monks developed a method of making Champagne wine by using a second fermentation process that took place in the bottle during the following spring. The second fermentation created carbon-dioxide bubbles that are the sparkle of Champagne. Cava A Spanish sparkling wine is called Cava and was first made as early as 1851, although the true roots ofthe Cava wine industry can be traced back to Josd Raventos’ travels through Europe in the 1860s, where he was promoting the still wines ofhis Codorniu winery. His visits to the Champagne region sparked an interest in the potential of a Spanish version Happy fmay noF fi~ ~yeryqne s budget, and its super New ~.... " DPoenr~lgnon. Rose 96/Sn-nply_ _puta; lthough. h~rd to fifid~ thi~ wifie is ~ller~ of the sparHing wine, usifig th~ same~ , p.roduction methods. ~e local Maekbeo, P~retlada Inmerial Nectar/This one is and Xareldo grapes were well smtqd t~h~s more in~er~sting than {he Wliite Star. It~ fruit wine st de and whereas earlY versions W~e f.o.rw.a.rd..& 9ffdry- deh-cl¯ous. called champ~n or xampany after Champa~~ . Catalan winemakers wadted ~o dis{ingui-sh 5~< [: Piper,Hela ieck B~Ut from the Vr nc €0un par , adopted the name Cava aAer the Cat’an qV6?a Toad H611ow Amplexus Brnt/~is one is ~r cave, where ~e wines were tradi{~on~lly ported to Califbrnia from the Cremant region ~:: stored. ...... of F{auce. Accordin~ t.o S.pan.ish.wine laws, Cava cache C0dorniu Cava Brut/ SparHing wines f"rom produced m s:x wine [eg~ous ~such as A~:md} ~pain can be among the most interesting in de Duero, Navarra and ~oja)but 95% ~f taste. ~ey’re usually fi-uit forward & quite Spanish Cava production takes affbrdable; Pene&s region. In order for the wines called "Card’ they must be made in tional m&hode champenoise. Wines the lmv-cost "Charmat process" may called "Spanish sparkling wine". Food Champagne tends to ers or opening courses in a well with shellfish like ofcourse gegura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva This writer is one ofthe manager~ at the Grand Vin wine shop. He also bar tends and hosts wine & food events known in town as dae Enthusiasts ofTulsa. 9fwine byJames Laube/ This months recipe courtesy of: Shrimp Verde Ingredients: ] pound thin linguine, cappelini or PRIMI PI?~TTI 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil I Bag Spinach 1 Pound Shrimp-fresh ot fi’ozen- shelled and &veined 2 Cloves Garlic 8 tablespoons thatsanice "VERDE" basil pesto crema sauce To prepare: Boil water in large pot with splash ofsalt and drop of oil to keep pasta from.sticking -pasta as directed on package making sure not to overcook, drain, set aside Sautd olive oil, gatlic and spinach about 5-10 minutes, add fresh or defrosted shrimp and sautd in mixture until pink!orange in color. Add thatsanice! "VERDE" and mix together, pour entire mLxture over pasta and toss making sure pasta is evenly coated. If desired, top with some grated Parmesan cheese (although strict old school Italians frmvn on putting cheese over seafood but it tastes good !) Serving ideas: Serve as a first course with a fish entrde like halibut or swordfish like s )ver [en& modern traditional flavors. Ifyou y from them and they offer f~atured on many television shows including the Food Network and have been featured in nmen At The BOK Center Tulsa Brad Paisley Jan 24, 2009 at BOK Center With special guests! Dierks Bentley Darius Rucker Ticket Prices: $39.75 & $46.75 Tickets On Sale Now Cdine Dion Feb 2, 2009 at BOK Center RESCHEDULED DATE! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 All tickets previously purchased for the original date will be honored. Refunds xvill be available at point ofpurchase. Time: 8:00pm Doors: 7:00pm Ticket Prices: $167.00, $127.00, $77.00, $49.50 ~hlsa is one of45 cites and the only city in Oklahoma on this tour. 2q~roughout her career, Celine has been honored with over 1000 Awards, including Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes, World Music, Juno and Felix Awards. She is the biggest-selling female artist ofall time. Billy Joel & Elton John Mar 17, 2009 at BOK Center Billy Joel & Elton John Face 2 Face Tour March 17, 2009 7:30pro Tickets On Sale Now There is no presale for this concert Ticket Prices: $179, $99, $53.50 Billy Joel and Elton John, the most successful and longest-running concert pairing in pop history! Billy and Elton open the concert with a series ofduets, playing tvcin pianos and trading vocals. Each artist then performs a set with his own band. A grand finale brings the two superstars and their supporting musicians ba& together for a dosing encore. This includes some of both Billy and Elton’s greatest hits along with an unpredictable selection ofrock and roll classics. INSIDE HOLLYWOOD By Romeo San Vicente Deep Inside Hollywood, which reports on a new project for Margaret Cho and Kal Penn Cho and Penn Unite for Sisters Q~eer-identified entertainer Margaret Cho is quite the Renaissance svoman- she’s a stand-up comic, author, actress, blogger, and activist. And now she can add "director" to her resume with Two Sisters, her feature debut. Ifyou were expecting something racy from the potty-mouthed comedian, forget it; the movie is slated to premiere on ABC Family. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Cho has assembled an impressive cast, including Kal Penn (from the Harold and Kumar movies, as xvell as The Namesake) and the gorgeous Tamlyn Tomita (who recently popped up on Heroes), plus Kathy Najimy (King of the Hill) and Elaine Hendrix (Tru Loved, The Parent Trap). As for the lady herself, Cho will also appear in a small role. Look for Two Sisters to make its premiere on ABC Family in 2009. Pee-wee Comes Back to the Playhouse ~Pnere are a lot ofunanswered questions floating around about Pee-wee’s Playhouse: Ti~e Movie, like "Is it really happening?" and "Is Johnny Depp playing Pee-wee ?" So far the only certainty is that Paul Reubens, ~vho, than!ffull); is still in charge ofPeexvee Inc., is jump-starting this cash cow one more time and is working on the goal ofa 2009 release date for the slow-moving production. Plot details are few and up for debate. Casting, too. (Who’ll replace the late Phil Hartanan? What happened to the guy who played the unambiguously gayJambi ? Will S. Epatha Merkerson return as Reba the Mail Lady? Please?) But all will surely be answered eventually, possibly via ticker-tape readout from Conky the Robot’s torso. And ifJohnny Depp shows up, even as a Pee-wee doppelganger, that’s just fine, too. Now ifthe cameras would only hurry up and roll. No, Really: Lesbian Vaanpire Killers Whether it’s Snakes on a Plane or ~Pne Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?, a movie’s title can sometimes tell you everything you need to knm,: And so it is with Lesbian Vampire Killers, a new British horror-comedy about a Welsh village whose xvomen have been cursed by the local Sapphic bloodsuckers. In aa~ attempt to improve matters, the tovcn sends txvo hapless visitors (played by James Corden and Mathew Home, the stars ofthe BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey) into the woods as a sacrifice to the titular undead. The film also features Paul McGann (Withnail & I, Doctor Who) as one of the few remaining men in the village. Lesbian Vampire Killers ~vill put the bite on audiences in 2009. Next Christmas, Make the Yuletide Gay Romeo loves a good holiday dassic, and some gay filmmakers obviously feel the same way about the genre, with Make the Yuletide Gay now going into production. O.Eueer actor Adamo Ruggiero (who played out-and-eventually-proud Marco on Degrassi: ~e Next Generation) and Allison Arngrim (best known as frontier mean girl Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie) will don their gay apparel for this coraedy about what happens when a guy who’s not out to his faanily goes home for the holidays and then has to explain the sudden appearance of his boyfriend. Yuletide also features Ian Buchanan (Twin Peaks) and gay" indie-fihn vets Derek Long (Socket) and Steve Callahan (East Side Story). Look for Make the Yuletide Gay to pop up at around the same time as 2009 Advent calendars. w,~w.metrostarnews.com ~etroSTAR 17 by Donald Pile and Ray Williams "T VELING AND MEETING PEOPLE" Photo: Donald Pile & Ray Williams Since we are always telling our readers to "Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone" we decided to devote this travel column to the fabulous and interesting people that we have met and dealt with, in our travels. These, ~ve will list in no particular order and they live from coast to coast. Hizabeth Taylor has always been so gracious to remember our anniversaries and holidays. We have so many to list in Palm Springs. There is Jim Doyle &Jerry Efron, Tyke, Wayne, Millie, Shirley, Jim LaMarrina, Ken & Grant, Tom & Doug at the Terrazzo, Burt XWahquist, artists Robert Sharer & Giorgio and restaurateurs, Sol and Chris ~vho we first met when they owned a B & B in San Francisco and now mvn a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta and also own a home in Pahn Springs. In New ~%rk City, Jean- Claude Baker, the exciting owner ofChez Josephine’s Restaurant, author Tom Monsell, play- ~vright Matthew Lom- Photo: Chq~G~r!os at the Hi-Life bardo C,~e in Ft. Lauderdale (Tea at Five and Looped) and movie director/producer Rick McKay. His movie "Broadway: The Golden Age" is a terrific movie. In Florida, the famous portrait photographer Jack Mitchell & Bob Pavlik, entertainers Auntie Marne, ToW & Gloria, the best jazz duo and Miguel Reyna, who without a doubt is the finest piano entertainer/singer that we have ever met! and the lovely and extremely talented Faye Harrod and her friend Gloria Delro); Casey Koslowki, owner; Herb Pianin, General Manager; Peter Mehas, Guest Services Manager and the entire staff at the Grand Resort and Spa in Ft. Lauderdale who operates the finest gay resort in the country, Chuck Smith and ChefCarlos at the Hi-Lit~ Care, Alan Beck & Nick and Norma. Also in Ft. Lauderdale, Al & Tom and Steve & Ells~vorth and the deceased fabulous pianist/entertainer, Houston, and then dear, dears friends, Ed Hayes &John Dunne in St. Petersburg who are truly delightful. And there are the people that we have met quite by accident who have become dear friends such as Ginny & Willy in Florida, Kala & Frank, the absolutely ~beyond Fabulous" owners of the Luna Vista B and B in Rimrock, Arizona, Michael McFall & Luis Gonzalez in Phoenix, ChefMarcdlino and his fabulous wife Sima, owners ofMarcellino Ristorante in Phoenix, Gordon & Kin at the Inn of the 410 in Flagstaff who are super special guys and Charlotte Welch and her daughter Katie in Flagstaff. In Billings, Montana we met Barbara Hill, a wonderful entertainer who has "come OUt~ no not lesbian, but "just simply came out to life" and has found true happi- ,- ness at last. We Photo: Actor LeslieJordan just wish that everybody could find themselves like she did. In St. Louis, Michael Lance &JeffArchuleta, owners ofNapoleons’ Retreat B & B where we first met the "fun couple; Smitty and Eddy in Mississippi who we will be seeing again on our way driving to Florida in January. They can’t help it because they were born straight! And then there is actor, Leslie Jordan, authors Christopher Rice and Robert Hofmann, filmmaker Craig Highberger, (Superstar In A Housedress) and filmmaker Mialyn Hanna (White Shadows). A new friend who ~ve are in contact with but haven’t actually met yet, author Louise Penny in Canada. Photo: Countess Alexis &Ray ~qlliams Also wonderful people like the Countess Mexis, the QEeen Diva who now" lives in Hollywood. She certainly epitomizes elegance and "old Hollywood", plaDvright Gene Danklin Smith and Steve Nycklemore, director of the Hollywood Museum, our good friend, Attorney Andrew Lee who now resides in Mexico, Dean Perkins (Crystal Chandelier) in New Hampshire, Rodger & J.T. in the Q.~ad cities, Chris X~alsh in San Francisco as wel! as gZalter Edgar, owner ofthe 24 Henry B&B and the Village House B&B in San Francisco. In Seatrle, Stephen Bennett, owner of the Gaslight Inn B and B and visiting there,ave met Tom & Doris Friedman from the Hamton’s in New York who ,are will visit When we are in New England next year. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ralph Bolton and Robert Frost, owners ofthe Inn ofthe Turquoise Inn. Four o~tstanding people are the late Dalee Henderson who was and is an inspiration to thousands ofpeople and to Raymond Bilbool, former owner ofthe Secret Garden B&B in West Hollywood and our dear friend Stefan Hemming, owner ofthe Liberace Estate in Palm Springs who hosted our 35th Anniversary two years ago and to Mel Haber, owner of Melvyn’s Restaurant and the Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs. Their lives have reached many. So here we are, two guys who live in the middle ofthe country who are fortunate in that we get to travel a lot and meet so many people. In our travels, we really have been so fortunate to meet so many fun, interesting and exciting individuals. q-his column is warmly dedicated to all of daese people that we have met in our travels and we are looking forward to meeting many more in our future. Remember, in the words of the late Dalee Henderson, "When you wake up in the morning, it is a miracle! The rest ofthe day is up to you!" Truly, today is the first day of the rest ofyour life. Ifyou are not happy with your life it is no one’s ffmlt but your own. We want to thank our dear friend Chaz XWard, Publisher-Editor ofthe Metro Star for his support. internationa Boy George could face jail for ’imprisoning’ escort Singer Boy George may land in jail after being convicted Dec. 5 of falsely in~prisoning male escort Audun Carlsen in London. Last April, George handcuffed Carlsen to a book on the wall of George’s bedroom fbr about an hour, saying he suspected Carlsen had hacked into his coruputer following a previous photo session between the two men. Car!sen claims George also attacked him with a metal chain af,er he broke free and began his escape from the apartment. Car!sen told the court the computer story was made up and that George probably was upset because Car!sen refused to have sex ~vith him the previous time they met. City apologizes for past anti-gay actions 1he City Council ofHobart, Tasmania, in Australia, apologized Dec. 10 for banning a booth promoting gay law reform from the city’s weekly Salamanca Market in 1988. In the weeks that followed, more than 100 people were arrested for refusing to vacate the site, marking Australia’s largest-ever act ofgay civil disobedience. The apology, delivered by Lord Mayor Rob Valentine before more than 200 former arrestees, GLBT community members and civil leaders, including state Premier David Bartlett, coincided with the 20th anniversary ofthe crackdown and the 60th anniversary ofthe signing ofthe Universa! Declaration ofHuman Rights. "The Hobart City Cotmcil apologizes for prohibiting the gay law reform stall at Salamanca Market in 1988 and for the resulting arrests aud bans," Valentine said. "We are sorry for the pain and trauma caused to all involved, including GLBTI people; their family members, friends and supporters; and those council officers who were required to carry out the council decision. We are also sorry that the actions we took may have encouraged ill-will and discrimination towards GLBTI people in the broader community. We resolve that actions such as these will never happen again." The apology was formally accepted by Rodney Croome ofthe Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group, which has operated the booth continuously at the Saturday outdoor street market since 1988. "Twenty years ago, as we sat in police cells for the crime of being ourselves, we could not possibly have imagined something like this," Croome said. "People everDvhere who suffer human rights abuses should take this apology as a sign that no matter how bad things seem there is ~lways hope ofa better future: Prior to the apology, a City Council-sponsored photo exhibit ofthe arrests was unveiled at the Salamanca Arts Centre. The council also is sponsoring a ~ublic art work at Salamanca Place commemorating e arrests. 18 #~troSTAR January 2009 , and two and instruc- ~.metrostarnews.com OKC Civic Center Music Ha~1 January Events Jan. 5 SWEENY TODD presented by Broadway Tonight Jan. 9 -Jan. 31 ORPHANS a comedy-drama by Lyle Kessler Jan. 9-Jan. 31 Orphans Jan. 10 INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS presented by the Oldahoma City Philharmonic Jan. 22-Jan. 25 Julius Caesar Jan. 23 -Jan. 24 CHRIS BOTTI presented by Oklahoma City Philharmonic Jan. 25 HOLD THE CANNONS! ~e Story and Glory ofTchaikovsky and the 1812 Overture Jan. 27- Feb. 1 OPRAH WINFREY’S THE COLOR PURPLE Jammry At The Ford Center OKC Jan. 21 st - Jan. 25th ~;,hlking With Dinosaurs Jan. 30th -Jan. 31st ~l!ie Revolve Tour January At The P.A.C. Tulsa Jan 4 David Finckel and "Wu Hart John H. Williams Theatre 6-31 FP~EE Highway412 PAC Gallery Jan 10 Miss Gay Oklahoma USofA Pageant Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 17 An Infinite Ache Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 20-25 Oprah Winfrey Presents: Wue Color Purple Chapman Music Hall Jan 23 The Tannahill Vgeavers John H. xg/illiams Tneatre Jan 24 Ralph’s World John H. Williams Theatre Jan 27 Ethel Cabaret Liddy Doenges Theatre Jan 28 Ethel Concert John H. Williams Theatre Jan 30-31 OMEAAll-State Music Festival Chapman Music Hall bitter girl FOR Webs#e- www.kylecomics.com en~il: bittergifl@qsyndtcate.com w~wcjoanhilty.net 20 #4etroSTAR January 2009 by Jack Fertig January 2009 "Toot your horn, Taurus!" Jupiter is starting his yearlong passage through Aquarius, where he inspires new visions offreedom aa~d scientific exp,,loration. This mini "age ofAquarius is a year ofgreat luck to anyone with that Sun sign or Ascendant, but check with your astrologer to see when that lucky year actually starts! ARIES (March 20 -April 19): You’ll be amazed to see what your friends would do for you. Take the opportunity to advance yourself politically and socially, and to promote whatever goals and ideals you see improving the world. TAURUS (April 20 o May 20): Don’t be shy! Toot your horn and let everyone know what you’re worth. This is your chance to rise to any position you’re qualified for. You have a bigger career peak in 12 years, but promotions now can boost your trajectory. GEMINi (May 21 - June 20): .At least give a listen to the Wackiest, most far-out ideas coming your way. Take classes that challenge everything you believe in. Ask yourself and the world all the hard questions, and be ready for whole new worlds of answers. CANCER (June 21 - July 22): New sexual adventures beckon - and celibacy and monogamy may count as "adventures," if they’re new to you. You can get your sex life where it should be or wherever you want it. Are they the same? Be careful what you wish for! LEO (Ju~y 23 o August 22): This is your lucky year for relationships. That could include becoming very happy with being single. Join in political or community groups; do things that fulfill you, get you out among others, and accomplish some good. Love will come when it is ready. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Health-wise, this is generally a good year, but be careful of your liver. You can get almost any job you want, if you’re suited for it. Make sure to have the education you need for the post you want. LIBFL~k (September 23 - October 22): If you wants kids, now’s the time! If you prefer having time for fun, explore new pleasures, hobbies, and creative directions. Try something you’ve only considered at the edges of your wildest dreams. The more "out there" and daring, the better! SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Whether it involves moving or decorating, embark on the big domestic changes that will make your home what you really want it to be. Do what you can to heal family problems. You can hardly go wrong. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): Could you be any more loquacious? Keep your mouth out of trouble by harnessing the brain behind it. Learn a new skill or language, or sign up for any class that offers you a different direction. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): This should be your lucky year for money, but it comes with some deceptive lures. Still, odd chances that shouldn’t work might prove very lucrative. Think ahead, but be ready to take advantage of sudden opportunities. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): In a 12-year cycle, this is your lucky year. Buy a few lottery tickets now and then, travel, or take some classes. You can expand yourself educationally, economically, and/or otherwise. But watch your diet! PISCES (February 19 -March 19): The worst things that happen to you could turn out for the best, although it may take a while to see that. By next year, you’ll be very glad for the experience and insights. MCC0 Rev Steve T. Urie Spidt0fChdst MCC 2g02 E2~ Street J0plin, M064804 417-52~ Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM MCC 0fthe Living Spdng 17 Elk S~eet Eureka Spriags, AR 72632 47525: 9337 Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! 53 ~65 54 55 56 Across 1 Gay horror writer Perry 6 Release from bondage’ 11 Be in the hole 14 writer X~stan ~ugh 15 Lincoln Center s Walter 16 Brownb Dirt 1’ ~aeater 3 Af~eck’s Chasing Aany crush 4 \~’ork under Edith Head, perhaps 5 Cut quickly 6 Seduction step, perhaps 7 M0by Dick, to ~daab 8 Retreat for D.H. Lawrence 9 Same~sex vow’ in Connecticut 10Always, to Emilg Dickinson 11 Cather novel of 1913 12 Place for a Rivera mural 13 What Carson Kressley did to the straight guy? 18 Glenn Burke, formerly 22 James Deans East ofEden role 24 Wol£bn ofFreedom to Marry ww~.metrostarnews.com ~et~oSTAR 21 ¢ Heights Historic District is: [ BUY G1 Joe Action F~gm:es GAYEST Neighbo£hood t12" size Only) myg0oe@cox.net or cai!(405) 249-4515 I BW OLD or NEW ~n Box or Out ofBox (send pic with asking price) DS (2437) Oklahoma’s HIV/STD H0tline PROTECT YOURSELF PROT£CT YOUR PARTNER(8) Nens Oul~each P~mm ©ommunity People ~iving Our House, Too offers a variety of activities for people who are HIVe 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 itelT~s for themselves. VVe invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail ourhouseioo9865@sbcglobal.net KING OF MASSAGE Great Touch Man to Man F~dl Body Massage 2 hands or 4 hands available Now Hiring Male & Female [] [] WVTW.METROSTARNEV, ogS.COM 22 Metr0STAR January 2009 Support those who support us. Their HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-528-222t www.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant VALEI~E VZtLLIFORD 625 N.\~ 13th Street Oldahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. \VALNUT .A.VE. Oldahorna City, OK 800-913-1310 ANGLES 2117 NW 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK v.~vw.anglesclub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE TulSa, OK 918_836_8700........................... wwwabaingooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER Tulsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC 124 N. BOSTON 2htsa, OK 918-584-9494 www.clubmajestictulsa.com FINISHLINE 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSX~TAY Oklal~oma City, OK 405-525-2900 www.habanainn.com STEVES HIDEAWAY LOUNGE 11730 E. 11TH Tulsa, OK 918-437-0449 Open Sun- Sat 2pro to 2am THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESS\gAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com THE END UP 5336 E. ADMIRAL PLACE Tulsa, OK 918-836-0915 THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH EKPt~SSWAY Oklahoma Cit7, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com EXPP,ESSIONS Comm Fellowship 6009 NW Expressway Oklahoma City, OK 405-761-1878 www.expressionsOKC.com ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. HOPE TESTING CLINIC 3540 E. 31st 7hlsa, OK 800-535-2437 Oklahomgs HIV/STD Hotline SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC 2902 E. 20TH STREET, Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480 Service Saturday 9:30 AM CHUCK BRECKENI~DGE K.elter Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-!887 GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa New and Historic Homes for Sale and Rent For Info: www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com MCC of the LI\qNG SPRING 17 Elk Street Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-9337 Worship Sundays 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 ~w~v.mcctulsa.org OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT 2015 -B S. Lakewood 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 Oldahoma City, OK GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn TOM &JERRYS 1501 N.W. 23RD Oklahoma City, OK 405-524-9100 >> 405-314-3898 JUDY G. PHOT0’S Tulsa, OK judvgphotos@sb%lobal.net 918-743-8636 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 N\Xz EXPPd~SSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcastle.com B A D G E R U R A L O O E AW $ E V ON OO H$ L E N E E $ $ E D o N C A N R A ow PA Y ~ L ~ OLD N R ~ 0 STS NST WED :~.metrostarnews.com ~®troSTAR 23 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] Metro Star Magazine, January 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 1 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media, Ltd Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1, 2009 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 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chaz Ward Victor Gorin Greg Steele James Nimmo Joey D. Rex Wockner Susan A. Muscari Gerald Libonati Vernon Britt Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ronald Blake Ray Williams Jack Fertig Judy G. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwest Missouri, Western Arkansas Southeast Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Metro Star, December 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 12 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/199 The Metro Star Magazine, February 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 2 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/131 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/132 A Gathering adoption AIDS Awareness Advocacy American gay rights Angela Monson art Art Gallery Comics community crossword puzzle DADT Don't Ask Don't Tell Elton John entertainment equal rights First Thursday foster children gay adoption ban gay sex ban HIV cases increase HIV diagnose homophobes international news Josh New Kyle's Bed and Breakfast Lesbian and Gay Band Association marriage marriage equality National news Oklahoma News Oklahomans for Equality poll pro-gay Proposition 8 Qscopes regional news Robert Matson same sex marriage sexual diagnoses Star Scene Supreme Court theater travel United Nations viewpoints Vincent Scott Wanda Sykes World AIDS day https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/2e2a9a8c933dbbbc21c3c4cdc0a83571.jpg c0285f15bddb2569e69f41fde420d855 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/b96238e6cb780c76b436d590e485edff.pdf f3af744a4fdff9fad5baa5b8f88f0d77 PDF Text Text Oldahoma City’s Robin Dorner oins Metro Star team. She not only brings her talent and enthusiasm, but also expertise gained from overall life experience and reporting. Seepage 5 3.corn THE PREMIER SOURCE FOR GLBT OKLAHOMA TSUNAMI SLAMS OBAMA JULY 1,2009 T lsa Pride Se s New by Rex Wockmer not health coverage, which he said june 17 is not within his power. That’s the good news -- all of it. What hasn’t he done? Anything about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, anything about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), anything about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He’s done nothing about any of the stuff he promised the gays before they rushed to the polls en masse last November to make sure he won that election. And, then, Mr. Obama’s Justice Deparmxent filed a brief June 1 ! in a federal same-sex marriage case that used nearly eveW nasty homophobic argument in the book to argue against letting gays get married. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and unleashed a flood of harsh criticism from gay VIPs. "I hold this administration to a higher standard than this brief," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese wrote to Obama. "In the course of your campaign, I became convinced -- and I still want to believe -- that you do, too .... This brief should not be good enough for you, The question is;Mr. President-- do you bdieve that it’s )bama. dec~des 22 which ~ not necessary ~i , ~ . to file a brief. It’s a horrific and hideous attack on LGBT [one thats good. He ~ssued :. ....... Americans." and he extended a few National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director spousal benefits ~ ~d~ employees’ Same’sex partners -Kate Kendell on her Facebook page: "The filing by the sick leave and long-term care insur~ce; for example, but ............ Continued See GAY TSUNAMI Page-24 Pro ect Pride Foundation Director Under Investigation For Fraud By Victor Gorin OKLAMOMA CIT~; OK__ On May 16, Robert Jordan Chiles was dected to a position on the Oklahoma State Democratic Party’s Central Committee as part of the Affirmative Action Committee. Ivan Holmes, previous chair of the Oklahoma State Democratic Party stated to the Metro Star, "Robert ovces the party for tickets he purchased for the luncheon at the State Convention along with advertising in the program. He said he would pay that immediately and he hasn’t as of yet, so vce will pursue this issue." If he doesn’t resign his position, party officials are ready to begin impeachment proceedings. In May Mr. Chiles placed an advertisement in the Metro Star which ran in the June 2009 isme; soliciting funds for his Project Pride Foundation, presented as an organization working to advance GLBT rights and hdp people living with HIV. This advertisement was paid for with a check that was returned unpaid by his bank. Mr. Chiles was given numerous opportunities by phone and email to cover the check with no results. It has since been turned over to the Oldahoma County District Attorney for collection and possible prosecution. ........... Continued See PROJECT PRIDE Page-17 By Michael \~ Sasser TULSA, OK__ Tt~a Pride’s Diversity Festival and Pride Parade engaged a record number of participants on June 6th, both in terms of spectators and participants. "I think it exceeded expectations," said Oldahomans for Equality President Toby Jenkins. "We were worried whether the format and schedule might scare people or would be comfortable for people to participate in. Our Pioneer Breakfast far, far exceeded expectations. N~e police tell us there were 23,000 people at the festival which is the largest single-day attendance for an event we have ever had." Jenkins said the festival also included over 70 vendors and booths, twice the number as last year; and there vcere three times the number of parade entries as last year. "The parade yeas larger, there were more floats and more groups," If there was a down side, it ~vas that in the nev¢ event format debuting this year, there were fewer spectators along the parade route. ........... Continued See TULSA PRIDE Page-6 LOCAL>> 9 YO GRAND MARSHALL I NATIONAL >> NO SUPPONF FOR DADT I WORLD >> 50,000 2gF EURO PRIDE I PLUS >> LIFESTYLE TRAVEL I ~’FS I WINE I DINING �July 2009 2 �A good time By Robin Domer-Townsend Next year is a very big year for the OGRA as they will celebrate their 25th anniversary. "Even more is in store for next year’s event," furthers Wieden. "We will have a special limited edition designer ’trophy buckle’ made. Each of the 25 buckles will be numbered and sold to raise even more money for the charities ,are help." Wieden and the board of the OGRA wish to thank all of their sponsors and volunteers, but offer a special thanks to Premium Beers of Oklahoma and the Copa/Finish Line which each contributed more than $10,000 this ),ear. For more information about OGRA please visit www.ogra.net. Impressive Youth Leads Tulsa’s Gay Pride Parade By Judy Gabbard Diversity Business Assodates; proud to do in OKC By Robin Dorner-Townsend OGRA [)~ddent RTint Wied}n, Robin Dorner photo OKLk(HOMA CI~/, OK Every ),ear as Memorial Day weekend rolls around, the Oklahoma Gay Rodeo is held in Oklahoma City. Their goal as a social organizarion is to host an annual-gay rodeo in Oklahoma City, assist in western related events and contribute to charitable organizations. This year~ motto is. ’~A Bucking Good Time." The mission of OGRA (Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association) is to act as a non-profit organization, to perform charitable duties for the surrounding area through fundraisers, rodeo performances, etc., for any particular charitable organization the general membership of the association shall choose. "Xhat is the main goal of]OGRA; to raise money for charity," said Klint Wieden, OGRA President. "Each year we give primarily to two different charities ~vhich provide services to those living with HIV or AIDS." This year’s beneficiaries of the event are Other Options/Friends Food Pantry and RAIN Oklahoma. Each of these organizations will receive a charitable contribution from OGRA once the dollar amount for donation has been calculated. "Usually it is around $3,500 for each organization," adds Wieden. "Wieden grew up on a big ranch in north~vest Oklahoma on thousands of acres. His family raised cattle, ran horses and performed all general ranching duties and his family was always involved in the rodeo. "I also love doing charity work. It is a necessary thing," he adds. "I enjoy the causes xve stand for at OGRA and bringing the two together; rodeo and chariw, well, it’s a great thing for me." OGP,A 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. The purpose for organizing OGRA was to prov;ide a harmonious enviromnent for those interested in the western lifestyle to express themselves through rodeo, dance and other £~mity social activities barring al! prejudices related to sex, nation~ origin, sexual orientation, religion, race or any other prejudices. Overall, the IGRA has raised millions ofdoltars ~br charities across the country. www.rnetrostarnews.com OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Since 2004, the Diversity Business Association (DBA) has been a "proud’ organization representing many businesses and prot)ssions in the Oklahoma City metro area. As an organization primarily for gay and gay-friendly businesses, DBA is a diverse group; thus the name "Diversity Business Association." DBA is not an organization iust for the gay, lesbian. bisexual or transgender (GLBT} community. It is an open minded, diverse group of individuals from all walks of life. "Why not do business with people who want to do business with you?", is their organizational motto. With nearly 150 members, the Diversity Business Association does mean business. "DBA has become Oklahoma City’s fastest growing GLBT organization and with good reason," says Monty Milburm President of DBA. "We offer a casual yet business oriented environment for our members to connect with and do business with people that want to do business with them. It is these connections that help all of us succeed in good and bad times." Each month, usually two business connection meetings are held where members meet to network and exchange business cards, ideas, and get together for fun events also. There are luncheons, educational meetings and after hour mixers which bring the group together for people ~vho want t6 do business with like-minded people. Membership fees for DBA are some of the best in this area for an organization of its ~nd. An individual business membership is $49 per year and corporate memberships (for up to 10 people) are $450. Unlike most organizations, DBA has a student or ’social’ membership f)e for $25 per year. N~is allows the businesses in the area who are gay or gay-friendly to benefit from like-minded people seeking to do business with this diverse group. The goal of DBA is to be a positive organization in the GLBT community and the Oklahoma City community as a whole. DBA will have a booth at the upcoming Gay Pride events to be held at Memorial Park in Oklahoma City on June 27th & 28th and invites everyone to come and visit to see what they are all about. "I would like to encourage you to visit often, check out our calendar and consider joining. We encourage positive competition and celebrate each member’s success," adds Milburn. "t am proud to serve as President of such a fine organization. We really do mean business." For more information about DBA, please email them at contact@dbametro.org or visit vvw~.dbametro.org. It is best to use Internet Explorer when visiting this site. Noah Blatt Grand Marshall ~dsa Pride Parade. Judy G. photo TULSA, OK The Grand Marshal! of Tulsds Annual Pride Parade xvas not a celebrity or an individual with a crown of jewels: this Grand Marshall was a nine year old young man named Noah Blatt. Noah Blatt is a perfect example of what the words "Diversity" and "Acceptance" represent in the contin~l struggle of gay rights. Told to me by a representative of Oldahomans [br Equality, Noah Blatt first came m the attention of the committee members at Tulsa’s Equality Center, when he hand delivered a letter and a donation. In the letter, Noah explained that as an assignment he was to chose an organization that he rahought was making a difference, His mission was to acknowledge that organization and donate to its support. Noah has continued to contribute part of his weekly allowance in support of Tulsa’s Equality Center. Toby Jenkins, Tulsa’s Equality committee President, said, that when it came time to select the Grand Marshall for the Pride Parade, no other individual was as deserving as Noah Blatt. Noah’s revelation, revealed in his letter, that xvhen same sex couples love each other and want to marry, there shotdd be no one allowed to stand in their way. Simple truth uttered from one so young shows that the continuing struggle for gay rights is making an impact on public opinion. In a short interview with Noah Blatt, I met a gentle young man with a view of the world that maW lose when they grow up. Noah is determined to hang on to his beliefs and make his opinions known. Noah’s room and dad are hard working, well educated parents who have a!lo~ved their child to develop his own views of human behavior. Mr and Mrs Blatt support their young son’s ideas and know that it takes only one person to start a movement towards human rights. Noah was introduced to the public at the Pride Festival held at Centennial Park, located at 6th and Peoria, and severalo awards were bestowed upon him. The greatest prize was a view into the future possibilities of our youth. The importance of bestowing understanding, love, guidance and attention to our younger population was made evident in such a small package, Noah Blatt. ~®troSTAR 3 �UDGE RULES IN KEITH KIMMEL’S FAVOR ON HIS I’M GAY LICENSE P LATE Billy who is running for Mr. O.G.R~k. next year. Tney are setding down together on the outskirts of Noble where Michael, as a member of the Orchid Society, will be able to pursue his hobby. The Holy Union was offidated by Pastor Neill Spurgin of Exp~:essions Community Fellowship, where both Billy and Michael are members. Let’s wish them a wonderful life together. Giving back: MAC Cosmetics ’Viva Glam’ line supports HIV! AIDS organizations By Robin Dorner-Townsend By Victor Gotin Annual Hot Young Hollywood Party to benefit R.A.I.N. Oklahoma August 7 Angles to host annual Hot Young Hollywood PaW to benefit RAIN Oklahoma. Oklahoma CiF’ HIV Non-profit agent/. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ August 7 2009 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On April 6 Keith KimmeL like maW other Ol-dahomans since 1967, applied for a personalized license plate for his !992 Dodge pickup truck. However. he ran into an obstacle because his message was ’TM GAY". His request was denied. Kathy Green, a supervisor in the Motor Vehicle Division, stated that his request was denied due to a Oklahoma Tax Commission Rule 710:60-3-150 (d) which states "No license plate will be issued -which may be offensive to the general public." However, she did not state why she deemed that his message fit into that category. Mr. Kimmel appealed this decision, and his case was heard by Administrative Law Judge Jay Harrington in Oklahoma City on May 7. A favorable ruling, in which Judge Harrington recommended that Keith be allowed his I’M GAY plate, was released on June 18, jttst a week before Gay" Pride celebrations ldcked off in Oklahoma City. Attorney Brittany M. Novomy, who represented him on this case had this statement, "This decision is an indication that we do still live in a society that respects the rule of law, and when we feel our civil rights have been violated we know we can turn to our legal system to remedy the situation. I believe it is also a signal that despite its national reputation, Oldahoma has outstanding women and men in the legal profession who put the law ahead of old prejudices." The Oklahoma Tax Commission may accept or reject this recommendation. Talking with Mr.Kimmel he stated, "I think the judge reviewed the case carefully,, made a good decision and I hope the commission will do the right thing and let me have nay plate." If the Oklahoma Tax Commission doesfft fol!ow- through and allow his plate he plans to pursue additional legal action. Billy Jackson and Michael[ Friday ioined their lives together By Victor Gorin N~e Hot Young Holly~vood Party is an annual fundraiser for RAIN Oklahoma, acting as a spotlight for local GLBT owned & friendly businesses. RAIN Oklahoma will be honoring four Oklahomans for their outstanding leadership and activism. The event will be a fun filled evening with fashion shmvs from well-known designers such as Cadillac Cowboy; Nicole Moan, GLAMNERD, Riot Rockett and Debauchery Clothing, plus live performances from Oklahoma City;s own Eric Bramble and others. Definitely an event not to be missed! Rafiqe ticket sales provided much of the $2500 raised at last year’s party. I~mt year sponsor donated items included a necklace donated by Mitchener & Farrand Jewelers, a "makeover" prize package .from Velvet Monkey Inc., dinner for two at 1492, and a Marc-by-Marc Jacobs bag among many other items. For the RAIN Leadership Award, campus GLBT groups made nominations from OCU, UCO, OU, OSU OKC AND UT as well as the GLBT group of DELL and the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. The goal of our nominees is to increase the quality of life for all Oklahomans. RAIN Oklahoma is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency, depending on private donations and the support of the community to continue providing high quality of services. RAIN Oklahoma offers a wide array of services from free HIV testing and counseling, community outreach projects, Ryan White Case Management, ADVANTAGE Medicaid waiver services & Transitional Housing. RAIN Oklahoma’s mission is to compassionately serve indMduals and communities impacted by HIV/AIDS through education, volunteerism and coordinated access to healthcare & support services. We accept all donations; Gift Certificates, Checlcs, Merchandise and/or services. Donors will be recognized in the program. For additional information on The Hot Young Holbavood Party, please contact the Hot Young In f!’ont of the Iguana Lounge in Automobile Alley in downtown Oklahoma Ci~, the 3¢IAC cosmetics staffin Oklahoma City show their support in the form of"a big check"for Other Options and Friends Food Pantry. The fundraising event "51 Toast to Life" was heldfor the non-profit organization at The Iguana Lounge in April The Iguana showed its support ofthe Other Options organization by undenvHting the charitable event. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Since 1989, Other Options has been on the forefront of prevention, education, and assistance of those in need who are living ~vith HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome). The organization was Formed as anonprofit whose missi6n" included al! services which hdp persons living with the disease but currently their primary focus is that of food services, nutrition and education. Mary Arbuckle, Director of Other Options works to assist the clients they serve, organizes donations and among many other taslcs, she also writes grant applications for the organization. "It’s a ..... Continued see MAC page 24 Holl)wcood Committee: Contact: Kendet R. Powers, CTR Agent RAIN Oklahoma 405/204/7767 kpowers@rainoklahom.org Vicld Banta Vicki Banta the Partyoligist 405/850/6817 Xfbanta@aol.com Bil{r Jackson &Michael Friday at their Holy[ Union wid~ t/.,eir .iF[ends Luq and Midn@t. Godn photo Kai R. Dameron Rain Oldahoma, CTR Coordinator 405/232/2437 xt 123 KaiDameron@hotmail.com OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Billy Jackson and Michael Friday joined their lives together Sunday, June 14 in Norman at Thunderbird Chapel. Lovers of the country lifestyle, both are active in OGRA, Michael as the mernbership chair and July 2009 4 �Robin Dorner Joins Robin Dorner-Tmvnsend. Staff photo OKLAI-IOMA CITY. OK Already well kmown in Oklahoma City and beyond as a fun loving reporter and activist. Ms. Dorner has just joined the Metro Star team. She will be repo~ting local news and ~ents and wil! handle OK~’~C ad sales al6nFwithRikGOdbev and Victor Gorin. She is also an accomplished ~h0togr~pher. She n0{ 0hly brings 1{~} taleh{ ~nd enthusiasm, but alSO ~ert~e gained f om oCe llife ep0mng Metro Star Staff Born in Wichita, she graduated from Kansas Newman College in that same city to become a Registered Nurse. She moved to Oklahoma City in 1983 when jobs for RNs were plentiful. She worked in various positions as a dialysis nurse, in home health and hospice settings, and case management. She is a happily married heterosexual, celebrating 15 years together with Ken Townsend, her soulmate who is in the oil & gas business. In 2004 she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health administration, followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2006. After this milestone, seeking a different direction, she branched out into journalism with the City" Sentinel. broadening their horizons when she covered many events of the GLBT community. She first became involved with our community during the !990s when she volunteered as a nurse for the Triangle Association vdth D~:Larry Prater. who operated a free AIDS clinic. Relating ~o that experience she stated that "I loved it, not only as a nurse but also from the love, camaraderie and acceptance I found in the gay community." Her involvement in the community grew, and she later became a boai~d member of the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. She is a former board member and current member of Diversity Bttsiness Association of Oklahoma City, and is her husband Ken. She does vohmteer work for Other OptiOns, and looks forward to working with the Metro Star. We welcome her a oard . the City Sentinel ( fbrmeriy the Mid City Advocate). Leather Camp V will be running in Wichita gg~IICHITA, KS (PR) __ August 14 - 16, 2009. Early bird registration is active until July" 21st at a rate of $75.00. After July 21st, the package cost xvill be $85.00. The Clarion Hotel will hots the event with a room rate of $79.00 per night. Rooms need to be booked directly through the hotel. Ask for the WOOLF rate to get the discount. ~qere are lots of great classes for this years event. Presenters include ~qaipmaster Bob and Bootpig, Graydancer, Sir Olivier and pup sparlg~, Mason and Michelle. In addition, we will be having our Central Hains Regional contests for Central Plains LeatherSirlboy and CommunivA Bootblack as well as our loc~ www:metrostarnews.com WOOLF contests for Mr. and Ms. WOOLF and Kansas boy/girl. All of the contests will be judged by International LeatherSir 2009, Sir Raul, International Leatherboy 2009, boy bill, Central Plains LeatherSir 2009, Master Sam Sampson, Central Plains Leatherboy 2009, pup sparkle, Central Plains Community Bootblack 2009, boy blu, Great Plains Leatherboy 2008, boy mike and Rev. Jackie Carter of the Metropolitan Community Church of Wichita. The weekend ~vill be emceed by Tom Stice. For more information and to register for the weekend and book your hotel room, please visit www.wichitaleatherpride.com. &~et~’oSTAR 5 �By Michael ~{~. Sasser "I was straight most of my life," said the Tulsa CountT Courthouse clerk. "I was always open with sexuality and thought that if it felt good, do it. I’ve only had t-wo girlfriends in nay life. My first girlfriend was the one who said "you should try this’ and I said ’sure, let’s give ir a try.’ It was tumultuous except for the sex tbr the next two years. I have been with nay current partner for 13 years." Nipper had been "spiritually" a writer her entire life, from the time she xvrote a short story in grade school that a teacher insisted on turning into a slide show. "The best advice I ever got was to write one page a day and after a year, you ~voutd have 365 pages," Nipper said. "qhe road to publishing has been rocky, but my publisher now is terrific. They do so much to support authors and offer opportunities and guidance." Femme Noir’s sequel, I4dss of Noir, is already under contract. It’s set in New Orleans and will continue to stretch the parameters ofsexuat representation. "I’ve already shocke,~,! and appalled some lesbmns, N~pper stud. I th~nk that means am on the right track." Tulsa author Clara Nipper. Press photo TULSA, OK __ Tulsa author Clara Nipper never read mysteries, thrillers or true crime books, so when - on a dare from her partner - she set out to write in the genre, they set the mood and picked up the stylized approach by camping out in their home. lowering the air conditioning and watching classic noir films such as Double Indemnity, Laura and the more-modern Body Heat. "They were terrific," said Nipper. "I took some inspiration from them." Nine months in the writing, Nipper completed her first novel, the stylish Femme Noi~; a tide that aptly describes both the book and the innovative genre of lesbian literature. "I was writing "chick stories’ and my partner told me that since that wasn’t ,going an?~vhere I should try something new, Nipper said. So, Nipper crafted a character that was the "total opposite" of her. "She is tall and lean, black and bald, and a total womanizer - a slut. I wondered if I could wrire an entire book about her. And, I thought, yes I could." The rest is now history. Femme Noir is being published by Bold Stroke Books. In the book, Nora Delaney is Nipper’s protagonist. The hard-boiled, hypersexualized womanizing college basketball coach chases the case of her murdered exlover from LA to Tulsa only to be waylayed by a gorgeous, gin-swilling skirt who has information as well as an appetite for women like Nora. The book contains classic noir elements and Nora is cut from the same cloth as many classic, troubled genre protagonists - except that she is a woman. Hailed by maw for its unique and interesting voice, the book is also sexually graphic and unapologetic. "’gq~en my father got a copy of the book. I wrote in it ’please don’t read this’." Nipper said. "I hope he hasn’t. Tulsa native Nipper is veU much unlike her lead character. For more information on Nipper and Femme Noir, visit www.claranipper.com. Dont Shop - Adop "Most people waited for the parade at [Centennial Park], and it was packed there". A shuttle system taking parade-path spectators to the park might be one thing added for future Pride festivals. For the most part, though, the new event structure was very much a success. "The fireworks, the ferris wheel and the concert were all huge successes." Jenkins said. Jenkins noticed a few things in particular this year. Employees of Spaghetti Warehouse on Brady Street came out to cheer ~or the parade. At Centennial Park. the crowd included a notable number of straight couples and individuals, including maW attending their first-ever Pride event with or without a GBLT relative or friend. "I thought, ’Wo~v. ~vhen did it become cool to go to Pride?" "-We also had a tot of seniors there. One mother said she was impressed at how family-friendly the environment was. I wish I could say that was something we tried to do. but it’s just a sign of the evolution of the community." Police commented on how busy the Kid Zone was with approximately 700 children of GLBT families and straight participants. This year’s n~w policy against ice chests and bringing in outside food and beverages also worked out. Jenkins said no one had to go to the hospital and police told him that for the first time there was no one who they considered acting publicly drunk to the point of being a nuisance. Vendors also told Jenkins they had done well at the event. Jenkins hopes that means it will be possible to continue expansion of the event in the future with more participants. Although the parade route saw the typical number of protestors, there was only one notable at the festival itself. Annie Bryce drove an hour to attend her first Tulsa Pride event. "I was very impressed at how nice it was and, really, how nice the people were - men, women, gay and straight even," she said. Cashen" Stewart attended the Pride Festival, largely for the parade, He thinks the eve,n,t could still be improved. I think there should be a bit more things to do at Pnde that are more mteracuve, he said. lenkins said that other smaller cities aro{md Oldahoma also having Pride events, such as Enid for the first time ever in July, is evidence of empowerment. "People are feeling safe enough to have festivals - that’s a good sign." Meet Woodstock. He’s a 9 yr old yellow labbie who was Surrendered to Lab Rescue so ~ve could find him a new home. His owners love ~ctive for him, but h~ is a them. D0n:t le~ iS young at hem o1~1 labl;ie. H6 loved on: ~’g0odi I stcd No matter who you are o are on life’s iourney, -Reverend ~r. K~hy Sapulpa Norman Collinsville )18 299 6311 918-272-4965 918 227 2722 405 321 6,"~2 5 918 371 1000 Courtesy of v:xvw.labrescue.net L 3131 & Pennsylvanio, Oklah0m= Q>~, 405.525.9555 July 2009 6 �So, ust What is the True Politics M es for Definition-of Marriage ? Strange Bedfellows by James Nimmo by James Nimmo OY._LM-IOMA CITY. OK As a semiprofessional musician I provided music at the same-gender marriage recently of two friends of mine, the latest ceremony of uncountable services I’ve played, t’rn also a committed atheist and rather hard-boiled when it comes to asking [or divine intervention, as well as the invention of skT-oriented deities for whatever reason. I support everyone’s private pursuit of their interests in accordance with the First Amendment as long as infringement of my own legally supported rights isn’t involved. There was no doubt of the sincerity of the participants in this religious ceremony. There were prayers, vestments, and liturgy common to any other Christian denomination marriage ceremony. Had you been blindfolded and dropped into this touchingly simple outdoor service, uncoached and uninformed, you would not have been able to distinguish this wedding from the thousands being conducted in the rest of the country on any Saturday afternoon. Jaded as I am about religion, I did get a little misty-eyed when the minister spoke-of the hands being held by the two grooms. As these ceremonies of commitment go the hope is always for a devoted and determined future of mutual and exclusive support through a lifetime of as many years o?iife as our genetic desdny wil1 give us. He described these hands as they are now. young and strong brushing away ~ears of joy and sorrow, touching in moments of intimacy, and when old and wrinkled they’ will sti!l be the hands we want touching us in times of need. ~ view myself as a married man wittl a partner of 32 years, and 1 can identi~! with the sentiments and intentions the minister outlined in his .;ermon. By what fiat of bigoted ignorance can anyone deny me and millions of other gay and Lesbian Americans this legaI right of marriage just because the gender of the two people is the same, choosing to share their bounty and their concerns for as long as they’re able, be it one year or hopefully- a long lifetime? How is that any different from what opposite-gendered people choose to do? To answer my own title, I think marriage is the ability of two responsible people committed to each othm; with a seriousness of purpose, for as long as they are able to hones@ maintain the relationship, with or without the imprimatur of religion. At one time I was a proponent of going nicker the recognition of our gay/ Iesbian equality one right at a time. But at approximately 1,400 indMdual rights bestowed with a completed marriage license, there arefft enough years for even Methuselah to see the success of the movement. I now see that only a dedicated Federal lawsuit, such as the one being brought by Ted Olson and David Boles ( http://tiwurl.com/q6hvip ), will give us the trne definition of marriage we gay and Lesbian citizens need to live our lives with the choice so casually enjoyed by straights. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK It’s pretty exciting to be a gay/lesbian activist these days. Our civil rights movement has been focused on California which has been performing a line dance with basically the lovers of romance and civil rights in one line and the haters of diversity and inclusion in another. With the survival of Prop-Hate in California in late May there are now thirty states that prohibit same-gender marriage by constitutional amendment; thirty-seven prohibit it by statute. Some states even went double-dipping in their vehemence against gays and lesbians with both. But on the sunny side, as of this writing, there are five states that allow same-sex marriage with three states promoting samegender unions. ( http:lhinyurt.comlmq8fev ) I’m not too hot with arithmetic but even I can tell there is some overlapping of statutes and amendments with a minority of states still sitting on the sidelines, waiting and waiting. Waiting for what? Maybe the same thing I’ve been waiting for. A team of lawyers, financial supporters, and plaintiffs willing to put this momentous issue into it’s proper frame: Shall the United States continue with this jurisprudence crazy, quilt of rich progressive action and tawdry, shortsighted discrimination or blanket the country with one legal rtding that allows all adults to make their own decisions for their future regardless of gender, religion, or geographic location? That’s where the odd bedfellows Ted Olson and David Boles come in. These two lawyers, fmnous for being on opposing sides of the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case that by a one-vote margin put the Bush/Cheney ticket in the White House have filed a Federal lawsuit to place an injunction on the California Supreme Court decision upholding the anti-marriage equality amendment lmown as Proposition 8.7heir plan is to carry this lawsuit up the chain of Federal courts to the US Supreme Court if necessary in order to have a definitive ruling as to whether or not same-gendered people are covered under the 14th Amendment of the Federal Constitution, specifically the clause that all citizens are entided to the full protection of the laws. ( http://tinyurt.com/dypxfp ) Many of the main stream civil rights and gay/lesbian advocacy organizations ( The American Civi! Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Freedom to Marry, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Equality Federation, and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are aghast at the audacity of this plan sponsored by the American Foundation for Equal Rights. ( http:/Itinyurl.comlld6a2w ) I’m no legal eagle but I’m literate, folio~w the news, and can reason, tn addition, my partner and I were among 12 other plaintiffs in the attempt by Oklahoma’s chapter of the ACLU to derail the 2004 Okie version of Prop. 8, known as State Question 71 ! that passed with a 70+% majority vote. The legal strategy being used by the ~.metrostamews.com As t see it, ~here are two important precedents (an important aspect of jurisprudence? from the Supremes that recognize our gay/lesbian citizenship. They are: Lawrence v. Texas ( http://tinyurl. com/br2tj t that eliminated sodomy laws by overturning Bowers v. Hardwick (http:// tinyurl.com/jus3e ), and the Romer v. Evans decision overturning Colorado’s infamous Amendment 2 dewing gay/lesbian citizens protection of state laws( http://tinyurl. com/49m9er ) wherein Justice Kennedy famously wrote that "[Amendment 2] is at once too narrow and too broad. It identifies persons by a single trait and then denies them protection across the board. The resulting disqualification of a class of persons from die right to seek specific protection from the law is unprecedented in our iurisprudence." Let me add that Justice Kennedy is the famous "swing vote" on many Court decisions that are decided by a single vote. Though there have been changes in the names of the j ustices over the years, the legal balance of the Court is still the same: four living in the 18th century, four in the 21st century, with one bridge between them. If politics makes for strange bedfellows and change is die buzz word for this political season, then I think it’s time to change the sheets. As these two well experienced attorneys have wedded dlemselves to marriage equality, I wish them a happy honeymoon. Live long and prosper, Olson and Boles! Joplin First Pride in over ten years JOPHN. MO (PR) In January of this year Rev. Steve Urie of Spirit of Christ MCC asked for volunteers to h~ad up a committee commissioned with the task of planning and bringing together Joplin’s first Pride Event in over ten years. Out of that was born Joplin: Out & About, a collaborative committee made up of people from Spirit of Christ MCC, AT&T and other GLBT groups and members from the community. A target date was set and the planning began. ¯homas, Joanna, Darrell, Jeff, Heath, Shauna and Shea with the intermittent help of others handled the tough iob of keeping it all together. Tne final result was several events through the week including a Karaoke Night, Movie Night and finally Joplin’s Out & About Event in the park. Just ten years ago you would find law enforcement setting traps to catch men in the park cruising. This year with la~v enforcement patrols protecting the event; the community celebrated with groups from Springfield, Galena, Tulsa, the greater Joplin area and as far away as NW Arkansa~s, Weir and Topetca, Kansas taking pride and respect to a new high level for the community. Private and non-profit vendors started signing on as did other local groups including UCC Family Fellowship, Joplin Gays Yahoo Group, Joplin’s GLBT Corporate Center, the support group fi-om AT&T, Planned Parenthood, PROMO, the Pla-Mor Lounge and APO’s local and Springfield’s offices. The Metro Star played an important part in providing sponsorship and coverage of the event. The Topet~ Transgendered Alliance was represented by Steve/Lila & spouse Joy also members of MCC Topeka. Entertainment was provided by a band as well drag queens from Joplin and Springfield. The Gto Center from Springfield, MO showed up in support of the Event, helped with Sponsorship and provided information about their services. We thank everyone who sponsored, supported, participated and just plain attended this event. Rev. Steve Urie & long time partner Heath with festival voluntee~ Staffphoto Held in Joplin’s McClellan Park June 13th and with over 250 people from the GLBTQ community this was a success for our community. Friends, family supporters and the straight community including children and some well behaved canines came together to show that we can be one community that we can work together, play together and respect each other. From Gay Bingo to the sale of Pride Jewelry, entertainment ro fbod. free HIV testing to information, and with MC Brandon everyone had a great time. In addition several boxes of food were donated t~br APO clients through the Angel Food Ministries program. Lots ofentertainment, & good looking guys and gab at joplin Pide Yestiva~ Staffphoto We would like to thank Naomas for his dedication and tenacity in keeping it together; Joanna for gathering equipment, supplies, support mad being one foot soldier you couldn’t top, Darrell for writing the first GLBT Joplin History Booklet, Jeff for putting the boolde.t togethm; Heath for cooking his heart out and all the volunteers that brought it together. With the encouragement of the community at large already pouring in this may have been Joplin’s first Pride event in recent history but clearly won’t be its last. �Wockner News Service New Hampshire legalizes same-sex marriage New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage June 3 when Gov. John Lynch signed three bills, including one that had cleared the Legislature just an hour eadier. 3-he bills open marriage to same-sex couples starting Jan. 1 and protect certain rights of religious organizations, associations and societies that oppose gay marriage. "Today is a historic day for all Granite Staters," said Mo B~ley, executive director of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition. "We applaud Gov. Lynch, (House) Speaker (Terie) Norelli, (Senate) President (Sylvia) Larsen and the leadership of the General Court (legislature) for making sure that all loving, committed couples have the freedom to marry. Today, our shared values of individual liberty, freedom and fairness have been upheld:" The final bill, tsveaking religious protections, passed the Senate 14-10 and th.e House 198-I76. Lynch had required tile additional language as a condition of his agreeing to let gays marry. In announcing his support for same-sex marriage on May 14, Lynch said: "At its core, (this bill) simply changes the term ’civil union’ to ’civil marriage.’ Given the cultural, historical and religious significance of the word marriage, this is a rneaningfu! change. I have heard, and I understand, the very real feelings of same-sex couples that a separate system is not an equal system. That a civiI law that differentiates between their committed relationships and those of heterosexual couples undermines both their dignity and the legitimacy of their families." Tl~e measures signed into law will repea! the state’s civil-union law effective Jan. 1, 2011, and prohibit any new civil unions after Jan. 1, 2010. Same-sex marriage is legal in five other U.S. states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont (starting in September) and Maine (starting in Septembe0. Nlere also are 18,000 same-sex couples legally married nnder California law, though no more will be allowed to marry until voters repeal Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment passed last November, or until the U.S. Supreme Court strikes it down Or it is blocked by comx injunction. Gay groups are planning a ballot initiative to delete Prop 8, and a federal lawsuit has been filed charging that Prop 8 violates the due-process and equal-protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also says Prop 8 relegates gays and lesbians to second-class citizenship and discriminates based on gender and sexual orientation. It further seeks an injunction allowing same-sex marriage to resttme in California pending resolution of the case. Hi ary Clinton issues pride month statement Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a Gay Pride month statement June 1. She wrote: "Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City; as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which al! people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. "In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its coui’age and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead. "At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateflal for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Wneir contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide. "Human rights arc_- at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. "N~ough the road to full equality ibr LGBT Aalaericans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones[ "This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in ~vhich all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or ~vhom they love." Clinton also is preparing to grant spousal benefits and protections to diplomats’ gay partners, she said in a recent letter to the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign ~aqZairs Agencies. The pack,age will include medical and emergency evacuation, travel reimbursement, shipment of household effects, use of U.S. government medical facilities abroad, isstlance of diplomatic passports, visa assistance, and security and language training. Not included are health insurance, retirement benefits and certain other perks. Nevada Legislat e overrides governor’s veto of partnership bill Nevada’s Senate and Assembly on May 30 and 31 overrode Gov. Jim Gibbons’ May 25 veto of a domestic-partnership bill. Tne new la~¢ extends to same- and opposite-sex registered domestic parmers nearly all state-level rights and obligations of marriage. The override came without a vote to spare in both the Senate (14-7) and the Assembly (28-!4). In the Senate, 10 Democrats and four Republicans voted for tile override, and five Republicans and two Democrats voted against it. Gibbons had claimed the bill ran afoul of a 2002 state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. He also argued that gay couples could go sign private contracts if they desired the protections of marriage for their relationship. "The significance here is it literally equates ’domestic partner’ with ’spouse’ under Nevada state la**;" Michael Ginsburg of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada told Las Vegas correspondent Steve Friess. "You have the flail force of the law behind you nox~: When you’re in the hospital, forced to ma~e decisions for your partner, all you have to say is, ’This is nay spouse,’ and that carries tremendous weight." .am Lambert Photo: American Idol runner up Adam Lambert Who kalew? American Idol sensation and first runner-up Adam Lambert is a homosexual. "I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay," Lambert told Rolling Stone June 9. "I’ve been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man. I’ve been at clubs drunk malting out with somebody in the corner." "Right after the finale, I almost started talldng about it to the reporters, but I thought, ’I’m going to wait for Rolling Stone, that wil! be cooler,’" he said. "I didfft want tile Clay ’ Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context. ’Tin proud of my sexuality. I embrace it. It’s just another part of me." Lambert noted, however: "I’m trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader." July 2009 �State Dept. to give gay couples spousal benefits U.S. Secreta,y of&am HillaO, Clinton is prepari,g to grant spousal ben~ts and protections m diglomau’gay gartne,s. Photo by Rex l)~ckner U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is preparing to grant spousal benefits and protections to diplomats’ gay partners, she said in a recent letter to the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign M~airs Agencies. "Like all families, our Foreign Service t~milies come in different configurations; all are part of the common fiabric of our post communities abroad," Clinton wrote. "The department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the righ~ thing to do’ ~Ihe benefits will indude medical and emergency evacuation, travel reimbursement, shipment ofhousehoid effects, use of U.S. government medical facilities abroad, issuance of diplomatic passports, visa assistance, and security and ,language training. NOt induded in the package are health insurance, retirement benefits and certain other perks. "This is a remedy that is long overdue," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, "For too many years, LGBT Foreign Service officers have been forced to choose between serving their country and protecting their families." Dick Cheney endorses same-sex marriage Former Vice President Dick Cheney came out in support of same-sex marriage June 1 more clearly than he has in the past. Asked about the issue at the National Press Club, Cheney responded: "I think freedom means freedom for everyone. And, as many of you know, one of my daughters is gay, and it’s something that we’ve lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of~vhether or not there ought to be a federal statute that governs this, I don’t support. I do believe that historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level -- ~his has always been a state issue -- and ~ think that’s the way ff ough~ to be handled ~oday, that is. on a state-by-aa~c basis. D~ffbrem ;tares make d~ff~t’ren~ decision But [ don’t haw prob{cm with that ~ think people ought to get a shot at d~at. And they do a~ present." v#,,w.metrostarnews.com Cheney has made very similar comments before, but they did not go quite as far. In 2004, for example, he said: "I believe today that freedom does mean freedom for everybody. People ought to be free to choose any arrangement they want. It’s really no one else’s business. ~nat’s a separate question from the issue of whether or not government should sanction or approve or give some sort of authorization, if you will, to these relationships. Traditionally, that’s been an issue for the states. States have regulated marriage, if you will. That would be my preference. In effect, what’s happened is that in recent months, especially in Massachusetts, but also in California, but in Massachusetts we had the Massachusetts Supreme Court direct the state of-- the legislature of Massachusetts to modify their constitution to allow gay marriage. And the fact is that the president felt that it was important to make it clear that that’s the wrong ~vay to go, as far as he’s concerned. Now, he sets the policy for this administration, and I support the president." Americans do not support ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Americans overwhelmingly want to see the military’s "Don’t Ask, Do~t Tell" ban on open gays repealed, a new Gallup poll has found. Sixty-nine percent told pollsters it’s time for the ban to go -- including 58 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of self-described co~iservatives and 60 percent 0fwee~y churchgoers. Eighty-sLx percent of liberals oppose the DADT policy, along with 82 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of people between age 18 and 29. Even people over age 65 (60 percent), Southerners (57 percent) and people who didn’t finish high school (57 percent) said it’s time to dump the ban. Said Gallup: "President Barack Obama will be well-positioned to forge ahead with his campaign promise to end the military ban on openly gay service members." Gallup polled 1,105 adults nationwide between May 7 and 10. The organization said it was 95 percent confident that the maximum margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points. CALIFORNIA HIV EMERGENCY Schwarzenegger, Legislature may slash HIV funding Gay and HIV advocates rallied at *~e state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on time i 0 against draconian cuts in HIVfi~nding proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwar~enegger and under consideration by the Legislature. Wockner News photo by Charlie Peer/Ou~vord Magazine California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed, and the California Legislature is considering, draconian cuts to all types of HIV-related funding in the nea>bankrupt state. In the worst-case scenario, which is still not off the table, slashes to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program could result in thousands of Californians who make less than $41,600 per year losing access to the statelprovided drugs that suppress HIV and keep them dive. In the apparent best,case scenario, not all HIV drugs would be available via ADAP and patients would have to pay part of the cost 0f the ones they could geta That is problematic because some HIVvposirive people have developed resistance to some HIV drugs, and need access to the full arsenal of therapies to stay alive. Further, the current plan apparendy completely eliminates state funding for the tests that determine if a patient is responding to treatment -- such tests as CD4 counts, viral-load measurement and drug-resistance monitoring. Lesbian couple marries it just now took effect. Kitzen Branting, 26, and Jeni Branting, 28, tied the knot in the tribe’s meeting hall. Their marriage will not be recognized by the state of Oregon, but will be legal on the property of the tribe, which is a sovereign ~ nation. on Indian reservation A lesbian couple married on the Coquille Indian reservation in Coos Bay, Ore., May 24. It was believed to be the first such marriage in the U.S. ~ae Coqui!te tribe passed a la~v legalizing same-sex marriage more than a year ago, but These tests are essentially mandatory in HIV treatmm~t. Doctors use them so they can change a nonresponsive patient’s drug combination to another combo that works in that patient -- before the patient’s immune system breaks down further and the patient develops a life-threatening opportunistic infection ............ The current plan apparently also dramatically ~lashes handing for education, prevention, counseling and testing programs. Some 35,000 working- and middleclass Californians who don’t make enough money to pay for their own treatment could be adversely or dangerously affected by the possible cuts to ADAP and elimination of monitoring testing. Gay and HIV advocates have strongly denounced the budget proposals, and a large rally was held at the state Capitol in Sacramento on June 10. Direct Cremation From $595 AI McAffrey Owner / Funeral Director Ban "uptcy o Civil Rights oCriminalEmpl ~ment o Family Law - Litigation MORTUARY SERVICE.,,~ Traditional Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405} 230- 13~0 or ~o800-913q310 625 N.W. 13th Street klahoma City, OK 73103 Pre-Need Plan CReDiT CARDS ACC~PT~E 2415-C North Walnut Avenue. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma STAR 9 �N Wockner News Service 50,000 at EuroPride Some 50,000people ~rned outfor the EuroPride parade, hem in Zurich this year on June ~ Photo by Nikolai Alekseev, GayRussta.ru Some 50,000 people turned out for the EuroPrkle parade, hdd in Zurich this year on June 6. Openly lesbian Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch joined in. Next year, the parade ventures behind the former Iron Curtain to Warsaw -- a city that as recently- as 2005 tried to ban pride, only to be later rebuffed by the European Court of Human Pdghts. Meanwhile, Rom& gay pride parade dr~ more than 100,000 participants June 13~ with a demand fbr legalization of 20,000 march Tel Av v Around 20,000 people joined Tel Aviv’s ! lth gay pride parade June 12. The march ended with a beach ’~edding" of five gay" couples. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Israel. Some top rabbis had urged Prime Minister Beniamin Netanydau m try to ban the parade. They called it an abomination. A few religious right-wingers picketed the march, which was paid for by the city government. ’Tel Aviv is more secular than Jerusalem, where the pride parade routinely leads large numbers of religious folks ~o wail and gnash. Last year’s parade in Jerusalem featured 3,000 naarchers and 2,000 cops to protect them. They walked al! of @ur blocks. ~n 2007, the Jerusalem parade traveled about 500 meters before ultra-Orthodox protesters shut it down, despite the presence orS,000 police o@cers. Prior to the parade, police arrested a man with a bomb. The postparade rally was canceled because striking firefighters refused to provide a required firetruck. In 2005, a counterdemontrator stabbed three marchers at Jerusalem’s marcia and later was convicted of attempted murder. ~ae victims’ iniuries were not serious. same-sex marriage and equa! rights for gay couples. Some 1,500 people marched in Warsaw on June 13, also demanding legalization of same-sex partnerships. "l-he parade, on central Marszalkowska Street, attracted fewer than !00 counterprotesters, who shouted anti-gay vitriol. Five hundred people marched in Zagreb, Croatia, on June t3. Police kept about 50 snarling anti-gays from disrupting the parade. Moscow gays want to picket Obama Moscow Pride founder Nikolai Mekseev says members of his group will attempt to stage a picket in favor of same-sex marriage at the U.S. Embassy on July 7 during President Bara& Obama’s visit. It is unlikely the activists will receive city permission to do so. Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has banned pride parades for the past four years and sent riot police to aggressively arrest those who ignored the bans. Luzl~ov has called gay parades "demonic," "satanic" and "weapons of mass destruction." He also has said the bans are for gays own good so that "radical Christians" don’t have a chance to "kill them." Mekseev is hopet~fl that he’ll be able to pull off the picket regardless because "the presidential media pack wilt be in town." Mayor Luz ov lashes out at gays Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has again lashed out at gays, calling them "homos" and calling gay pride parades "demonic." Appearing on a TV program June 2, Luzhkov reportedly said: "Niere are two reasons gay pride parades are unacceptable in Moscow: First and foremost, public morality .does not accept such parades, public morality does nor accept those homos." Secondly, he said: "If they gather together, assuming they are allowed to hold a parade, other people will simply kill them. ~here are radical Christians in Moscow who stand strongly against such demonic manifestations, as they say. "There were attempts made (in May’) to hold the gay parade during the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscova We had to isolate about 19 radical Christians who intended to attack those homos.’ On May, 16, riot police broke up an attempt to stage the fourth annual gay pride parade in Moscov~; arresting up to 80 participants, including gay leader N@olai Ale~eev, British gay leader Peter %tchell and Chicago gay activist Andy Thayen Luzhkov previously has called gay pride parades "satanic" and "weapons of mass destruction," and has o@cially banned them each ),ear. Lithuanian Parliament votes ’no promo homo’ law Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, approved a measure on first reading June 4 that bans references to homosexuality in schools and in public information that can be visible to children. Tne bill still has to dear a final vote. The tally was 57-2 with 8 abstentions. Many MPs missed the vote. Amnesty International said the "Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information’~ would classify "homosexuality alongside issues such as ... the display of a dead or cruelly mutilated body of a person, and information that arouses fear or horror, or encourages self-mutilatisn or suicide." Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty’s Europe and Central Asia program director, said the proposed law "denies the right to freedom of expression and deprives students’ access to the support and protection they may need." Northern Irish LGBs report high level of hate Twenty-one percent of gay and bisexual men and I8 percent of lesbian and bisexual women iri Northern Ireland say they\,e been the victim of a homophobic hate crime or incident in the past three years. The figure comes fi’om a survey of I,t43 LGB people catrried out by the Rainbow Project with funding from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Tne study found that 64 percent of such incidents were not reported to police and 30 percent resulted in physical injui3: ebec to 1attach strategy against homophobia Quebec Justice Minister Kathleen Well has announced the Canadian province will implement a comprehensive strategy against homophobia before the end of the year. She broke the news at a May I7 rally marking the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). "We see it as a major step forward here since doing so, Quebec will ackmowledge officially that homophobia -- and not homosexuality -- is a social problem and take action, instead of passively banning discrimination, said Magazine ]~tre Editor Andrd Gagnon. "As far as I know, it will be the first government in the world to adopt such a strategy that will cover all its spheres of intervention," he said. China sees its first gay pride week China saw" its first-ever gay pride week June 7-14 in Shanghai. Events included movies, plays, art exhibits, panel discussions, swimming and badminton competitions, and a big party, thouglx at least one play" and one film were ordered canceled by authorities. Some 500 people attended a barbecue/ drag shiny/fashion show/hot-body contest on June 13. Organizers decided against holding a parade, saying it iust didn’t seem to be legally possible, according to China Daily: "Shanghai Pride is a community-building exercise," co-organizer Tiffany Lemay told the English-lang~aage paper. "We hope to raise awareness of issues surrounding homosexuality, raise the visibility of the gay community, help people within our community to come out, and build bridges between the gay and straight communities." 1-800-535-AIDS (2437) O lahoma’s NV/S ’# l otlin PROTECT YOURSELF PROTECT YOUR PARTNER(S) @O,P,E, Testing Clinic ~ens O@reach In Tulsa at (9’~8) July 2009 �i t÷matie Ruling: English adoption agencies .Gay marriage campaign launched cannot discriminate m Portugal The Charities Commission of England and Wales ruled June 2 that adoption agencies cannot discriminate against gay couples. The commission cited the Equality Act (Sexual Orientationl Regulations 2007, which ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Violation of the law would lead to a loss of charity status and public funding. The ruling came in a case involving the Catholic Care charity in Leeds, which wanted to amend its official statement of objectives with the commission to exclude consideration of gay couples. Denmark is not gay nirvana Denmarlq the first nation in the world to legalize gay partnerships, in 1989, still has a problem with homophobia. Eighteen percent of GLBT people in Copenhagen and 8 percent in other parts of the country say they’ve been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation in the past year, according to a report from the Center for Alternative Social Analysis. GLBT people between ages 16 and 29 reported more problems than older people. A total of 3,400 homophobic incidents were reported to police in 2008, the study said. A report in the Politiken newspaper said gay businesses also have been targeted. Copenhageds oldest gay ba~; Centralhiornet. had rocks thrown through its windows six times in 2008. Patrons also have been bombed with eggs through the bar’s open door. Australian prison OKs gay con}ugal visits Xhe Alexander Maconochie prison in Australia’s Capital Territory has decided to let gay inmates receive conjugal visits six times a year. The policy applies to prisoners who are ~vell-behaved and whose partner is not also incarcerated at the facility. Reports said that the state of Victoria. where Melbourne is located, is the only other place in Australia where gay inmates can have sex dates with their partners. Bosnian churches oppose anti- discrimination bill Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Interreligious Council is opposing a.bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, claiming it will lead to legalization of same-sex marriage. The measure has passed first reading in the House of Representatives. A national law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation is a requirement for any nation that wants its citizens to be able to travel within the European Union without obtaining a visa. Nae Interreligious Council is composed of representatives of the nation’s Roman Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Orthodox Christians. Balkanlnsight.com said it is unttsual for the council "to agree on any concrete actions and (it) often has been blocked by internal boycotts." w,,~w.rnetrostarnews.com The Movement for Equality in Access to Civil Marriage launched on May 31 in Lisbon, Portugal. More than 1,000 people signed onto the campaign, including politicians, well-known actors, pop singers and businesspeople, and Nobel Prize winner Josd Saramago, who was honored for literature in 1998. The campaign’s manifesto, which nmv can be signed by anyone in Portugal, states, in part: "Equal access to civil marriage is a matter of justice that deserves the support of all people who oppose homophobia and discrimination .... We citizens who believe in equal rights, dignity and recognition for all of us -- for our families, friends and colleagues -- join our voices to express our support for equality. "We call this change necessary, fair and urgent because we know that the current situation of inequality divides society between those who are included and those who are excluded, between persons who are inside and marginalized persons .... We now have an opportunity to end one of the last unjustified (instances of) discrimination written in our law." Peru gay police ban less stringent than reported Peruvian Interior Minister Mercedes Cabanillas says recent news reports that gays have been banned from being police officers were not quite right. Mid-May reports said cops who have sex with people of the same sex would be banned because they cause scandal and denigrate the police’s image. But Cabanillas says the new law, which took effect May 12, will only ban gay cops if their gay-related public behavior is scandalous or damages the image of the institution. She said the ministry has no desire to "get in anyone’s bed" and that officials only wish to target unseemly, embarrassing or scandalous occurrences or attitudes related to sexual orientation that happen in the public sphere. Gay groups said the taw is problematic and discriminatory either way because ir seems to suggest that certain public expressions of homosexuality are more likely ro run afoul of the law than similar public expressions of heterosexuality. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Movimiento Homosexual de Lima have launched a letter-~vriting campaign to Peru’s public defender, =’asldng her to file an Action of Unconstitutionality with the Constitutional Court to cl!allenge the so-called ’offense’ of same-sex relations and its associated penalty." "We write to express our concern over Law 29356, vchich establishes a new disciplinary code for the Peruvian police, and stipulates in Article 34 that it is a serious offense to ’have sex with people of the same gender that causes scandal or undermines corporate image,’" a sample letter says in part. "This law is a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- both of which have been signed by Peru. This regressive law also violates the Andean Charter, a regional treaty ratified by Peru in 2002 .... Finally, Law 29356 is inconsistent with human rights principles that are already, codified in Peruvian law. On December 1, 2004, a new Constitutional Procedures Code, approved by Parliament, modified constitutional procedures to recognize discrimination based on sexual orientation." Centrelink assistance encompasses such things as health care, prescription drugs., unemployment payments, disaster aid,,rent subsidies, aid to single parents and a wide range of other benefits and welfare programs. "From 1 July 2009 changes to legislation wilt mean that customers who are in a same-sex de facto relationship will be recognised as partnered for Centrelink and Family Assistance Office purposes," says the agenc)?s Web site. "All customers who are assessed as being a member of a couple will have their rate of payment calculated iri the same way." Colombian policeman added to partner’s health insurance The Board of Health of Colombia’s National Police granted health-insurance benefits to the partner of a gay officer May 14. The extension of coverage to Fabifin Mauricio Chibcha Romero followed a January ruling by the nation’s Constitutional Court that granted marital rights to commonlaw same-sex couples in areas that indude civil service, contracts ~vith the government, housing protection and assistance, immigration, social security, death indemnification, and criminal noninctimination. ~Pne activist group Colombia Diversa said the ruling encompassed all the "civil, political, social, economic, criminal and immigration rights ... of a common-law union, minus adoption." Chibcha also gained access to police housing subsidies and vacation dubs. METRO P O L!TAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve ~. Urie Spirit of Christ MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM WWg~¢. S 0 cmcc. Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! Australian benefits agency recognizes gay de facto couples Centrelink, the Australian government’s social-benefits agency, will treat gay de facto couples as married for benefits purposes starting July 1. While the move increases equality, it also will result in a loss of benefits for some coupled gays, who previously qualified based on their individual income. ~,tr®STAR 11 �Looking some good summerwtt te wines. monm, we are art a ou- Viognier [vee-oh-nay] For those who haven’t experienced Viognier, the first glass is quite a revelation. This wine will embody al! Or some of the following: honeysuckle, citrus blossoms, t~,chee, ripe melon, freshly picked.peaches 6r apricots and ripe pear. Winemaker Craig Williams, from Josep~ ~nhe~s Vin~;a,~s, s~s Viognier contains floral compounds called ~Terpens. Tl~ey are also found in Muscat and Pdesling. So, think of the most aromatic Muscat or Riesling you’ve ever encountered, then concentrate it and you have Viognier. The majoriV of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays in the Languedoc. In the Rl~one wine region, the grape is o~en blended with Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache blanc. In the Northern part of Rhone, the grape is sometimes blended with Chardonnay. Since the late 1980s, plantings of Viognier in the United States and Cagada have increased dramat, ically. The Rhone R~angers of the mid 1980 s help spark the increased interest in Viognier in California and now Californigs Central Coast is the leading producer. months recipe courtesy of: Crab Ingredients 1 Cup Mayonnaise 4 Eggs 1 V2 Cup Japanese Breadcrumbs 2 T Granulated Garlic 2 T Onion Powder 2 - I lb Cans Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (Indonesian or Philippine) 2 - 1 lb Cans Bacldin Crab Meat (indonesian or Philippine) 12 most widet l~ted white , ..... ?~ P ~ , [, wine grape, veraemo is cl~slHeo as a noble or classic grape. On the PortuDtese mainland, it is recommended in the DAO region and with the production of white port. Some Portuguese locales call this Gouveio. The Godello grape grown in northwest Spain is believed to be the same variety as Verdelho. %e grape has been successful in the vineyards of Australia, particularly the Hunter \~lley region, Langhorne Creek and the Swan Xga!le?: Australian versions of Verdelho are noted for their intense flavors vdth hints of lime and honeysuclde. California is producing more of this varietal as ,sell. St. Amant 2006 California Marquis Philips 2007 Australia Verdejo [ver-day-ho] This is a variety of wine grape that has long been grown in the Rueda winegrowing region of Spain. The grape originated in North Africa, and was spread to Rueda in about the 1 lth Century. For most of this time Verdejo was generally used to make a strongly oxidized, Sherry-like wine, In the 1970s the > ~ Marcheregiono~:~yand~ < fthe}lord to wpicNly Sauvignon blanc ~ Macab~o. Xg ,~. Mar&etti~07 it~~ ~" *~ >::~ Fazi,B; t~gli~ ~007 Italy desiunated "Rueda V?rdejo must contaifi o .. * .......... 85% Verdejo, and are oAen 100% Verde’o ....... ~d[as ~wws, Isay go to your favorite wing/~ Verdejo winm are aromatic, often ~oA . ~k questions ~d purchase a bottle or and Rdl-bodied. %ey can be somewhat : Share some food& wine with friendd reminiscent of Sauvignon blanc a~d ehe~k this out for yourself. warm climate. Gar~i Grande 2007 Spain Marquis de Riscal 2007 Spain ,Vouv~ay[vooh-~ay] ’,Wines fi’om the French to the east of Tours are made in range of styles fi-om the Chenin Vintages in the Loire are variable, best years Vouvray can produce very long-lived white wines. It turns out that most chenin blanc 1970s what most generic, alcoholic" " by corporations consumed in rather than wine chenin blanc is exhibiting a nutty, Pichot 2007 Nais writer is one of the managers at the Grand Vin wine shop at Utica Square. He also bar tends and hosts wine & food events around town known as the Wine Enthusiasts of Tulsa. indude: / www. la~neSpecta- Verdicchio Preparation: Mix first 5 ingredients together by hand. Drain Crab meat cans of water. Fold in Baclcfin crab meat first and then gently fold in jumbo lump crab meat being careful not to break up the lumps. If mixrure is too wet. add 1A cup more of Japanese Breadcrumbs. Mixture should barely hold together. DO NOT PU/T .~NY ADDITIONAL SEASONINGS OR TOO MUCH BRREADCRUMBS IN! The drizzle on top of the crab cakes will give ir all of the seasoning it will need. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with half an 20 inch of corn oil. Once the mixture is made, take a 4 ounce scoop and pack in the crab cake mixture. Carefully place the flat side of the crab cake down in the oil for approximately ! - 2 minutes until golden brmvn. Place the crab cake on a pre-greased baking sheet, fried side up. These can now be held for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or finished offin the oven immediately; the ba~ DRIZZLE INGREDIENTS (BAY MAYO) 1 Cup Mayonnaise 2 T Old Bay Dash of Granulated Garlic % Cup Heavy Cream July 2009 �Big-screen beckons Nell Patrick Harris xYvq~ite hosting this year’s Tony Axvards, Nell Patrick Harris joked about his second-class status as a "TV guy." But he’s atready proven he’s hilarious on the big screen in the Harold & Kumar movies, so now that second-tier status is about to change with two new film projects on the horizon. Harris has joined the cast of Beastly, the new film from gay director Daniel Barnz (Phoebe in Wonderland) that Romeo’s already reported on here, but the How I Met Your Mother star wilt also be playing a lead role in The Best and the Brightest. Harris plays a husband - way to break that gay-actor-curse NPH - from Ddaware whose wife goes bananas about social status when they move to New York City and try to get their kid into an elite kindergarten. Amy Sedaris, John ~ and Kate Mulgrew al~0 star in ~he latter; hit theaters before the end of 20!0. ~LSA, 0g (PR). Continuing the m0fithl9 ShOwcase of local artists a the Equality Center (621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa ~ right next to Living Arts (Ok ) How to make a monster musicaJ Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway Focus Features photo More and more movies are being made from poptflar Brokeback spouses reunite childhood toys, from dolls (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl) to action figures (Transformers) tO even board games Granted, the romance between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway in (Clue). But now we’re getting a movie musical based on a toy Brokeback Mountain was a tragic one involving the closet and deception and that doesn’t even exist yet and will presumably be marketed death, but these actors are determined to give it another go in a movie where he alongside the film itself. Gay super-producers Craig Zadan won’t be playing a gay cowboy. Love and Other Drugs will feature Gyllenhaal and Nell Meron are reuniting with Hairspray composeras a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer during the time when a revolutionary lyricist Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott gc’ittman to make litde blue pill was hitting the market (the film is based on the book Hard Sell: an original screen musical around an as-yet-unnamed Mattel Tne Evolution ofa Viagra Salesman) while Hathaway will play a woman with monster toy. Every~daing’s being kept very much on the Parldnson’s with whom he begins a relationship after they meet on a sales hush-hush, but the one thing that’s been revealed is that the call. Ed Zwick (Glor~ Defiance) is set to direct, with Shooting set to happen property will "add a fresh twist to monster lore." No word possibly as early as this fall. A movie about Viagra may make audiences stand at yet on when this new musical will go into production, but attention, but if the film lasts more than four hours, please, call your doctor. Romeo bets five bucks that if the movie and the toy do well, an eventual Broadway adaptation is inevitable. And TV Romeo San PTcente hopes the monster-toy musical will be like the Dra~da puppet rock operaj~om _Forgetting Sarah Marshall_, complete withfull-fl’ontal male nudity. He can be reached care of show. And more toys. And sequels. And ... will feature Tulsa Artist Michael Cooper with an opening show and reception on Thursday, July 2nd from 6-gpm and continuing throughout the month of July. Michael Cooper is an emerging artist in the Oldahoma scene, specializing in journalistic art, music, and portrait photography. In 2008 he joined Urban Tulsa Weekly as a staff photographer and has seen his work published in notable other Okie publications, induding Oklahoma Gazzette and Oklahoma Today Magazine. In his own words, "I have two eyes and one lens, and they battle each other for experiences daily. The way I see it - few people get to live their passion, and being an artist is mine. I’m just trying this road of exploration out, and I hope you’re there along for the ride". this publication or at DeeplnsideHollywOod@qsyndicate.com. www.metrostarnews.corn gg{<~{:a~oSTA, R 13 �MCC United ~°~"-~~o’~°" 918-838-171~ Metropolitan Community Chu~h put tb Chr° y Church 14 ;~÷troSTAR July 2009 �www.metrostamews.com ~÷troSTAR 15 ��PHILADELPHIA, PA "As in one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the country" Wayne Fuller reported on gossipboy.com, an by Donald Pile and Ray Williams Oklahoma internet news service focused on You could easily spend a whole ~veek in this beautiful city and still not see everything. The architecture is unbelievably tremendous. On weekends, the Penn Landing downtown is full of vendors and local artists. Philadelphia is certainly a city that is welcoming gay travelers with open arms. There are just a handful of cities that you must visit in the country and Philadelphia is certainly" on our short list. Most cities you still need a car to travel around however not in this city. They have such a great public transportation system and is extremely safe and clean. Why can’t all cities do this? For more information on Philadelphia, visit: www.gablesbb.com and they are located at 4520 Chester Avenue. Phone: 215.662. ! 918. ?dso visit w~v<ka~ockphilly. the GLBT community, that Mr. Chiles had been convicted of Obtaining Money by False Pretenses in McClain County in 2006, for which he received a 2 year deferred sentence now completed. Since then a warrant for his arrest was issued for the same offense in Pontotoc County, which was in effect when he was elected to his Democratic Party position. COLT1 [)how: Gables Bed and Breakfizst Visiting Philadelphia for the first time -was certainly, a very exciting and interesting time for us. We knew ahead of time al! about the historical things to see and do but had no idea what else to expect. We first checked into The Gables Bed and Break~st which has been owned for the past 16 years by ~rren Cederholm and Don Caskey. Located in the University part of the city, it is a grand old Victoria home full of wonderful antiques from top to bottom. ~e house has a "wrap around" porch for guests to sit and have drinlcs and snacks or just to view the sights and sounds of the area. Each room is beautifully decorated in antiques. A full, and we do mean FULL sit down breakfast in the ~orma! dining room is served each morning. XYge are not talking doughnuts and coflree but a fail sit down brealNast. This was a perfect way to talk with the other guests to find out what others did the day" be~bre or were going to do that day. "While there we met guests from California, Alabama and all over. Many of the guests alwws stay there when visiting Philadelphia. Warren and Don are graciotts hosts and. al%r 16 years of taking guests into their lovely home, they seem to have been able to do it the right way< Another great thing about staying at The Gables is that the trolley system runs right in front of their house and you can take it downtown in just minutes, and it runs about every 20 minutes a!l day 10ng. The), have ample off-street parking behind their house which is a big plus. To begin your day, take the trolley downtown. From that point you can take another bus or ,valk south to the famous historical district of Philadelphia and visit all the places there. No trip to Philadelphia would be complete without visiting the Liberty Bell and the other historical places that are located within a few blocks of there. Philadelphia is proud of their art museums as well they, should be. ~-he Philadelphia www.metrostamews.com Museum of Art is a first class museum and is a MUST for anyon& visit to the cits: A few blocks away is the Rodin Museum which houses more Rodin sculptors any~vhere except for Paris. There are maW other museums to visit also. Of course every visitor to Philadelphia must try one of their famous Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches for lunch. There are a lot of gay bars in the ’~gayborhood" area of the city which is iust a few blocks west of downtmvn and easily ~vithin ~valking distance from the public transportation. Knock was our very favorite bar there. It is what a gay bar should be all about ....... A clean bar where the owner/management/staff is super friendly; wl~ere the customers are super friendl> where you can walk in and really enioy yourself, located righ~ on the corner of Locust St. and I2th Street. They also have an excellent res~urant located in the bar. ~Pnis is one of the finest restaurants in the city ~vith fine white linen tablecloths and napkins on every table. Jim the Maitre ’d is extremely professional. The servers are very professional. They have a huge menu offering the very finest of cuisine. Owned by Bill Wood, this bar/restaurant is extremely popular with both people ~vho live in the city as ~vell as travelers. We were fortunate during our stay to see the Broadway pla}~ Grey Gardens which is about the life of the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy- Onassis. They lived in a 24 room house in the Hamptons on Long Island but were extremely poor and let their house run down something horrible. Mother and daughter loved (and hated) each other but were bound to live with each other until the mother finally died. There was a movie made about their lives and HBO came out with another movie a couple of months ago. Both live theatre as well as the visua! arts are a huge makeup in Philadelphia. Another great website to visit is: http://www.gophita.com/c/your_ philadelphia/14/diverse_philadelphia/287/ gay~friendly_philadelphia/4.html and wwcw. gayphiladelphia.com On a personal note, we want to thank Bruce Yelk, Director of Human Resources & Gay Marketing, Greater Philadelphia Tourism marketing Corportation and to our friend Buster Stevens who hosted a wonderful dinner for us xvhile we were visiting. Photo: Famous Liber~_y Bell Philadelphia, PA Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! Robert Chiles, Director & Founder ofPrject Pride Foundation of Oklahoma. Gorin photo On June 8, represented by attorney Gordon Melson, he appeared in court in Pontotoc Count-5: An agreement was reached ~vith the warrant withdrawn, and Robert ~vould have until August 27 to make restitution to the parties involved. On June 3, when cast members from the national tour of "The Drowsy Chaperone" did a benefit at Tulsa’s Renegades Club for Until There’s a Cure, an organization helping those with HIV. Mr. Chiles presented them with a large check payable to that organization. It likewise would not clear his bank. Mr. Chiles had been contacted by that organization and he promised them a cashier~ check which was not received as of press time. Following this, Mr. Chiles had asked the Red Ribbon Revue, a monthly benefit show performed at Renegades, to do a benefit for his Foundation. In a statement to gossipboy. corn Renegades entertainer Tabitha Taylor stated, "I’m glad this was caught before we did a fundraiser with the name attached." ~÷{~oSTAR 17 �18 July 2009 �,~.metrostarnews.com ~®~°~STAR t9 �By Camper English Crafting the Cosmopolitan ~he Cosmopolitan is one tasty cocktail and probably most popular drink created in the last 30 years, but it is not magically original. The recipe calls for lemon vodka, lime iuice, orange liqueur, and a splash of cranberry for color. Minus the cranberry, the drink follows the formula of spirit plus lime plus orange liqueur. If that spirit is tequila, that’s a Margarita. If it’s unflavored vodka, that’s a Kamikaze. In fact. the prevailing theory on the creation of the Cosmopolitan is that it ,vas a spin-offofthe Kamikaze created by a Miami bartender named Cheryl Cook in 1985 or !986. She said the Cosmo is. ~ ~ "Merely a Kamikaze with Absolut Citron and a splash of cranberry juice." But her version called for Rose’s lime juice, a bottled lime juice that’s a poor substimte for freshsqueezed, and triple sec, which usually refers to the low-end orange liqueurs that are poor substitutes for Cointreau. These items are often served at high-volume bars that want to save money on (admittedly pricey) orange liqueur and don’t want their bartenders taldng the time to squeeze limes for each drink. But I find the Cosmo-to be intolerable ~vithout them. So too did Toby Cecchini, a New York bartender credited with finessing the drink into its best form. Someone told Cecchini about the drink, but in their version it was made with unflavored vodka, Rose’s lime, and the red-colored syrup grenadine. He liked the look of the drink - soft pink and served in a Martini glass - and experinaented ~vith ingredients to make the flavor match the fashion. In the end, his version came out just like Cheryl Cook’s version, but with better ingredients. This version caught on like wildfire in New York. causing Cecchini and other bartenders to make them by the thousands. In the era of bottled sour mix and vermouthflee Martinis. this drink seerned highmaintenance enough for Cecchini to call them "labor-intensive pink monstrosities." ~e trick to making a good pink monstrosity; even if you have the proper ingredients, is getting the ratio of them. right. Apparently this is a problem for bartenders ~oo - i’ve had Cosmopolitans i~ every shade from c!¢ar to deep red. When I make them at borne, I’m ~o~- laz/to Ioot up ~[~e recipe so I }ust ake ir ,,~ ingredient ar a vitae: ~ couo~e ounces of Charon a smat~ splash of Cointreau. and a large quantity of’lime. 2O ~:mSTAR (I like them tart.) I make mine in keeping ,vith Cheryl Cook’s original instructions of ~jttst enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink." That’s my starting point, anyway. One thing I’ve learned making this drink is that cranberry juice, like slimming black clothing, hides many sins. Even if you get the initial ratios of liquor and juice all wrong, or have to resort to bottled lime )uice and bottom-shelf triple sec, you can always make a drinkable version of this drink. Just keep adding cranberry until it’s good. The trick is finding the right fit for each gin fqr your mouth. I prefer the old-style gins in a Martini, Aviation, Pink Gin, and Negroni. With the more-floral, less-juniper gins I like the Salty Dog, Gimlet, White Lady, and Vesper. But I find that no matter what kind of gin you have in the house you can always add it to tonic water and it will taste just fine. Tonic is the mixer that swings both ways. Vodka, Now Available in Juniper Flavor Miss Gay Oklahoma 2009 Crowned in O KC I like to think of"bathtub gift" as "Martinis by the poo!." but that’s not where the expression originated. It came about during Prohibition xvhen people would "make" their own gin by adding mail-order juniper flavoring to lowquality alcohol to help mask its awfulness. 2the weird tiring is, gin cocktails were awfully popular back then. Today it is still legal to make gin this way- not in the bathtub. but by adding juniper oil and other flavors to a neutral spirit like vodka. Thankftdly, most of the gins with which we’re familiar don’t do it like that. Gin usually starts with high-proof neutral spirit made from grains like corn, wheat, and rye. The gin distiller then selects a range of botanicals or botanical oils to infuse into the spirit, then redistills everything together. There are many different distilling methods gin makers employ, but this is probably only interesting to folks like me ~vho spend our spare time hanging out in distilleries on vacation. More interesting are the types of botanicals that go in to gin. Traditional brands like Beefeater, Plymouth, and Tanqueray contain many ingredients like citrus peels, coriander, cinnamon, and cassia bark. Newer gins on the market like Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick’s, and Martin Miller’s also include things like lavender, ginseng, rose, and green tea. All gins, by definition, must contain jtmiper (berries that smell like pine trees) as a dominant flavor, but the newer ones tend to put less of it in. While vodka lovers and gin lovers are usually different sorts of people (though I find versatility provides more options in the bedroom and the liquor cabinet)~ when it comes right down to it gin is really just juniper-flavored vodka. If you’ve got vodka drinkers over for cocktails and you only have gin left, just tell them their drinks are made with "botanical vodka." If you’re in the opposite situation, tell them the vodka is "diet gin." Lying to your guests is the most entertaining part of entertaining them. The combination and concentration of the juniper, spices, citrus, and other botanicals is what gives each gin its unique flavor and makes it a better or worse fit for different cocktails. Some modern gins are so very citrusy and floral that they can be too perfumey for a Martini. (Hey, this drink smells like grandma!} On the other hand. when you add an intensely juniper-heaW gin ro a Gimlet or other mild cockt ills. s~metimes all you ~aste b rhe juniper. (Hey, this drink smells like where ~ ~andma is buried!~ Camper English is a cocktails and spirits writer andpublisher ofAlcademics.com. By Victor Gorin worked their hearts out, hoping to be the next Miss Gay Oklahoma. Emceed by former Miss Gay America 2006 Nicole Dubois & former Miss Gay Oklahoma 2005 Pure Chocolate (as Steven), it got wild Saturday night as it wound down to 5 finalists with their friends cheering on their favorites. That fun fabulous contest came to a conclusion on Saturday night June 13 when Shantel Mandalay finally won the title of Miss Gay Oklahoma America after many years of pursuing that dream. A proud 3rd grade teacher who also coaches Special Olympics, Miss Mandalay and her entourage wowed the audience with a fast stepping dance routine to the C&W classic "The Devi! went down to Georgia" that brought the house down. It was also an emotional time for the current reigning Miss Gay Oklahoma Adrienne Fischer when she passed on her tide, joining many other former Miss Gay Oklahomas who were there for the occasion. Together with 1st alternate Samantha \Vest. Shantel will be eligible to compete in the national Miss Gay America competition to be held this year in St.Louis October 28.November 1. Left: 2008 Miss Gay Oklahoma Adrienne Fischer, 1st altetmam Samantha West, Shantd l~£andalay &Miss Gay America Victoria DePaula. Gorin Photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK It was a festive weekend June 11-13 at Angles in Oklahoma City when once again the girls lIGHT BILENT AUCTION- AND RAFFLES Dd. IKEY TURNS UP THE WITH OlSDg ALL NIGHT July 2009 �~’#~W. metrostam ews.com �Photo’s by Victor G. & Judy G. @ Angles, Oklahoma City @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ OGRA Pool Party, OKC @ The Copa Oklahoma City @Club 209, Tulsa @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @Club Majestic, Tulsa @ Finishlinel Oklahoma City @ OGRA Rodeo, OKC Tulsa Pride 09 Parade @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ Tulsa Pride 09 Parade �www.metrostarnews.com , <,STAR 23 �Oban~a administration defending DOMA is shocking and unsetding. Clearly, our selfdescribed ’fierce advocate’ needs significant additional pushing and pressure from all of US." Popular blogger John Aravosis: "A Democratic president of the United States of i~erica, in the year 2009. and an AfricanB~nerican child of inter-racial parents no less, gave his la~wers the go ahead ro compare our marriages to incest on the same day that 42 years ago the Supreme Court ruled in [ais parents’ favor in Loving v. Virginia .... We demand our rights, and we expect this president, who promised them in exchange [or millions of our votes and millions of our donations, to deliver. And so help me God, we will continue to hold this president accountable for his broken promises and his betrayals]" Lambda Lega!’s Legal Director Jon Davidson: "X~at they need to be asked is why they gratuitously went out of their -way ~o make the outrageous arguments they unnecessarily included such as that DOM2~ does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or that the right ar issue is not marriage but an unestablished rigi~t ~o ’same-sex marriage or that DOMA is somehow iustified in order to protect taxpayers ~;ho don’t want their tax do!lars used ro suppor~ lesbian and gay couples iwhile it~ apparently fine to make lesbians and gay men pay the same rm,:es but be &nied the benefits provided heterosexual couples) .... I am seething mad." Top Clinton aide R5chard Socarides: "It had such a buckshot approach ro it, a veritable kitchen sink of anti-gay legal theories, that it seemed expressly designed to inflict maximal damage ro our rights. Instead of malting nuanced arguments which took into account the president’s oi?-stated support for repealing DO1VLA -- a law he has called ’abhorrent’ -the brief seemed to embrace DOMA and all its horrific consequences," Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors: "We ... call on President Obama m order the Justice Department ro file a supplemental brief reversing its position and instead urging the repeal of DOMA." National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey: "The malicious and outrageous arguments and language used in the Department of Justice’s marriage brief is only serving to inflame and malign the humanity of same-sex couples and our families." Gay writer Dan Savage: "If this shit is ’fierce advocacy,’ Mr. President, we’ll take benign neglect.7 CBS News: "The anger from gay rights advocates toward President Obama is starting to boil over." ~!~e Wall Street Journal called Sotmonese’s letter to Obama "scathing." The New York Times editorialized: "The Obama administration, which came to office promising to protect gay rights but so far has nor done much, actually struck a blow" for the other side last week.... If the administration does feel compelled to defend (DOMA), it should do so in a less hurtful wa~: ... There was no need to resort to specious arguments and inflammatory language to impugn samesex marriage as an institution." Plans apparently are shaping up for a gay March on Washington in October, spearheaded, it appears, by veteran activist Cleve Jones, the man who created the NAMES Proiect AIDS Memorial O~ilt."The President is in serious danger of motivating a huge mass of gay people to stream into \Ygashington for the simple ioy of standing in front of the White House and giving him a piece of their minds," wrote syndicated gay columnist \gayne Besen. "For what seemed Iike forever, Democrats told us that when the big bad Republicans went away, our lives would improve," Besen said. "XN~ell, the Republican nightmare is over, so why do I still feel like I’m in the middle of a political Friday the 13th movie? ... As far as I’m concerned, if the donkeys can’t detiv(r now, they can Idss my ass." On June 17, when Obama "delivered" to federal employees a smattering of spousal benefits, via issuance of a "memorandum," he did again denounce DOblA. "I think we all have to acknowledge this is only one step," the president said. the steps we have not yet t~en is to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. I believe it’s discriminatory, I think it interferes ,vith states’ rights, and we will work with Congress ro overturn it. \rUe’re gor more work to do to ensure that government treats all its citizens equally, to figh~ iniustice and intolerance in all its forms, and to bring about that more perfect union. I’m committed to these efforts, and I pledge to work tirelessly on behalf of these issues in the months and years to come.Obama also expressed support for the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act. "Under current law, we cannot provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples," he said. "That’s why I’m proud to announce rny support for the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, crucial legislation that will guarantee these rights for all federal employees. I want to thank Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who is behind me somewhere -- there she is, right there -- for her tireless leadership on this bill and in the broader struggle for equality. I want to thank Sen. Joe Lieberman -- Joe is here -- as well as Susan Collins for championing this bill in the Senate, and Rep. Barney Frank for his leadership on this and so many other issues." Sounds good, but gay activists ~veren’t impressed. They want action. "We commend President Obama ana his administration for taking this beginning step to level the playing field but we look forward to working with him to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, overturn ’Dofft Ask, Don’t Tell’ and guarantee the entire American worl6brce is free from discrimination," said HRC’s Solmonese. The Associated Press said, "His (Obama’s) critics -- and there were many -- saw Wednesday’s incremental move to expand gay rights as litde more than pandering to a writer Dan / Savage: "If ’\ dais shit is ’fierce advocacy; Mr. President, we’ll take benign \... neglect." / reliably Democratic voting bloc." Lamb& Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart: "While ending any of the discrimination against gay and lesbian federal employees is a welcome step, today’s ... announcement falls far short of our hopes and expectations. President Obama dearly understands how important it is for people to have health insurance coverage ro protect their loved ones and this plan does not provide that. Lambda Legal is representing Karen Golinsldi, a federal employee who works for the judicial branch and who is seeking health insurance coverage for her same-sex spouse. A federal judge has already issued an administrative decision in that matter, concluding that, within the existing roles, the federal government can choose to provide health insurance for same-sex partners. Vie think they should.... The day is long past for incomplete, piecemeal fixes that leave hard-worldng families uninsured and struggling." People For the American W’ay President Michael B. Keegan: "Today’s presidential memorandum is a very small step in the right direction, but it’s a token, and tokens are no longer enough. DOMA stands in the way of real progress for same-sex couples nmv denied federal recognition and protection, and its repeal is tong overdue. President Obama has a unique ability to provide the moral leadership to ensure that all Americans are treated equally under the law. but so far he has failed to exercise it. We urge the president to live up to his own rhetoric about being a ’fierce advocate’ fbr gay and lesbian Americans. Taking action on his pledge to repeal DOMA would be ~vorthy of the vision that he held out to Americans during his campaign NGLTF’s Carey: "This presidential memorandum today will extend some selected protections to the same-sex partners and families of federal employees .... This memo is one building block toward full equality, and much more remains to be done in order for the administration to live up to the promises of equality the president made as a candidate on the campaign trail .... We also call on the president to take additional steps that will have a positive impact on our health, our livelihoods and our families’ safety that do not require legislative action. These include reversing the standing policy of the U.S. Census Bureau to manually un-marry any same-sex couple who lawfully states they are married on the 2010 census, extending employment protections to federal employees based on gender identity, and reversing the regulations that continue to throw roadblocks in the way of HIV-positive individuals who want to travel to this country." NCLR’s Kendell: "The policy announced today by the president committing to a federal ~vorkplace free from discrimination is a step in the right direction but inadequate and long overdue. It leaves out millions of Amerieans who do not work for the federal government and fails to include key benefits including health insurance. When running for office, then candidate Obama called equality for LGBT people a ’moral imperative.’ We will continue to demand this administration live up to the president’s promise of achieving ’full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country.’" The language is strong and the front is unified. Nae White House clearly is listening, but when will our "fierce advocate" act? Writing on his house.gov Web site June 16, gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polls, D-Colo., said: "I am a proud Democrat, as are many in the LGBT community, and I believe we must hold our leaders accountable. The Obama Administration made a HUGE mistalte in the DOMA brief. If they keep malting mistakes like this. they risktosing the support of the GLBT community forever, although I do not believe we are at that point yet. President Obama needs to honor his promise ro repeal this ... hateful and divisive law. As the New York Times editorialized yesterday, ’busy calendars and political expediency are no excuse for malting one group of Americans wait any longer for equal rights.’" labor of love really," said Arbuckle. "We ate like a family here." The organization serves men, women and children. "XWe have about 30-40 children who may be infected or have parents who are," adds Arbuclde. Recently, Arbuckle submitted a grant application to the }v’La,C-AIDS Fund which is an organization established in 1994 that globally supports all persons lMng with HIV/AIDS. "It is a passion for our company and our staff," said Armando Ortiz, MAC Retail Manager at Penn Square Mall. "We refer to this as the heart and soul of MAC Cosmetics. MAC stands for Make-up, Art and Cosmetics. "Our Viva-Glam program is where the monies come from," adds Ortiz. "We give back 100% of the selling price back to the community. This program is really something we embrace in our company." MAC Cosmetics has been in business since I984 and has donated over $t35 million dollars to date through the MAC-AIDS Fund. Other Options has changed some over the years and now focuses primarily on their Friends Food Pantry. "The other services are provided so well by other organizations in the city that we focus on the nutritional program now," said Mary Arbuckle, Director of the Other Options organization. "\ge work well together with RAIN Oklahoma, the OU Infectious Disease Clinic, and other local organizations so our clients can ger all the hdp they need and so there is less duplication of services." Friends Food Pantry is exclusive to the HIV and MDS community. Clients come to the srore to shop each week. "We give them a shopping cart and let them select their own items, which is different than most food banks," adds Arbuckle. "We want to empower their mind; we don’t want them to feel like it’s a charity." Arbuckle says they plan ro spend the majority of the MAC-AIDS grant on their Boost program, which provides the high-prorein Boost drink to those in most need of the nutritional supplement. Donations to Other Options are always ~velcomed and appreciated. For more information about Other Options or the Friends Food Pantry, please call (405) 9468577. �by Jack Fertig July 2009 "Pay attention, Cancer!" Saturn square Mercury would normally bring out everyone’s inner critic, but with Saturn in Virgo and Mercury in Gemini, bitchy outbursts are to be expected. If you’re feeling brilliant, write it down and think twice before saying it aloud. Take a long view and look for opportunities for self-improvement, ARIES (March 20 - Apri~ 19): Stay focused on work. Any personal remarks, especially about colleagues, are sure to get you into trouble. Your critical analyses and recommendations for improvement are probably a bit off the mark, but at least they show you’re paying attention. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Avoid gambling and investments in any game play strictly for funsies. Focus on developing skill at your sport or hobby. That’s an uphill slog, too, but something that’s just fun now can have practical value down the road. GEMiNi {May 21- June 20): If you get any criticism from family or roommates, thank them for sharing and think about what they say. There may be something to it. Responding in kind will only start an a~ui argument. SAG!TTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): You will get into arguments. Stay focused, principled and respectful. The way you press your point can earn you a great deal of respect. Stay clear on details and graciously accept correction when it’s appropriate. 112 14 3 4 ~5 6 7 ~ 9 ~10111213 19 18 17 8 15 CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Take it slow and easy. Pay attention to details and you’ll have fewer accidents and arguments at work. Sex seems a great release for stress, but is it really? Focus on what’s important at work and at play. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): You may be losing yourself helping others, and fun may feel more like work. An analytic approach to techniques of craft, sport and/or pleasure reconciles the latter. Being ruthless and selfish for a bit is now good for you. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Domestic criticisms are nearly inevitable. Being self-critical will help keep you out of arguments, but give yourself credit as well as blame. Your partner’s shortcomings on that score are highlighted because of your focus. If you must say something, be kind and gentle! 66 67 68 69 70 7I CANCER (June 21~- July 22): Pay attention where you’re walking or driving. Distractions inside your own head can cause awful accidents. Be aware of your surroundings, and you can find better ways to bang up against someone. LEO (Ju~y 23 - August 22): You’re inclined to be very critical of someone’s political values, so why not focus on your own? In this era of diminishing resources, we all need to step back and re-think things. Brainstorming with friends will help you update your perspective. VlRGO (August 23 - September 22) The sharp edge of your wit is very much in evidence. Keep it focused on practical matters and attention to your own health and well-being. When tempted to speak of others, make extra effort to keep it kind and constructive. L~B~ (September 23 - October 22): There’s always room for selfimprovement, but don’t beat yourself up with your faults, which you’re now likely to exaggerate anyway. A creative focus for your inner critic could help you to be more realistic. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): As your brain races around sex, you may want to look beyond simple gratification. That has its time and place, but think seriously about your relationships and what you’d want to be doing - and with whom - in 20 years. ~wcw.metrostarnews.com 43 Ausmas capital( to Aust ~ans ~ ’Watch a~ Liberg~ game h~re 18 Irritating : , 50 of Seventeefi : 52 :l~i~---~"s home Stat~ (abgr:}; ~3 cone Out ~nthe b~a~h Community for Monkey Zetterland 5~ ~Evbr~tt S 58 E~d of the a~eadline ~ 52 Adult filly People iving with H R/!A D S A 50’f c (3) Non t rofit Or~nizadon 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 everyda~: We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those "who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobat.net 31 33 Prefix with 35 In the sack 38 "Lead into temptation" 39 Casey J0n~s, e.g. 40 GOt excited , 41 Hollinghurst s 7~e Swimming~Pool 42 Edmontons province 45 Many a place near Aspen 46 Ball {vh£ckers, in Ping-Pong 47 U-turn from SSW 9 Gate design, 1 C. Marlowes tongue 55 Golfer Sam 57 Overhand stroke, for Mauresmo 59 It gets spilled at wild parties 60 Beat it 61 Peruvian native 65 Quit, with "out" ~ 69 %v0some 70 Second name in cross-dressing 7! Doest" own Solution page 26 We :welcome ~[etters fro ers. Shorter letters are more likely to be printed, as are those that addreks ohly a Singte topiC, Letters are subject to editing for lefigt|i and clarity. InClYde your hO~ addr~s} an~ ~,~time phone fiumber fo~-~;efifidatiDm Send l{~rs to the 4ditor~ pFe ly:~ ii (~iam£ws@sl;cglobal.ndt)~ Le{ters als~ may be mailed (Metro Stem P~ Box 5~i 7’18, TulSa, IOK 7~ 158) ;~8÷troSTAR 25 �Stage Performance To Benefit C arron Alliance OK~AI-IOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ lheatre lovers are invited to attend an upcoming performance of a Carpenter Square Theatre production with proceeds benefiting the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. Carpenter Square’s Thursday, July 2, production of"The Little Dog Laughed" will benefit Cimarron and cimarronAP,TS! The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, at a discount, are $15 and can be purchased £nline at: CAF Carpenter Square provides the following synopsis of tl~e show: Mitchell Green is a handsome young movie actor who is on the verge of major stardom. His agent can’t seem to keep him in the closet due to his "slight recurring case of homosexuality." And as if that’s not enough, he falls in love with his most recent "rent boy" and wants to announce it to the world. Helping him navigate Holl.~;~vood’s choppy waters, his shark of an agent Diane does everything she can to keep him away ~?om the rent boy and the rent boy’s girlfriend (wait, the rent boy has a girlfriend?), but it’s not smooth sailing. Ticket sales are limited to 200, so buy )!our rickets early! Jamie Fo~ Jul 9, 2009 at BOK Center Ticket Prices: $69.75 and $59.75 "l~is summer heats tip with a tour from one of the Imrtest artists to move fi:om the big screen to the stage. Jamie Foxx begins a summer tour in July and makes Tulsa one of the first stops. eridm Idols Live Jul 24, 2009 at BOK Center Tulsa Tickets Prices: $69.50, $55.50, $40.50 Fans of America’s #1 show will once again have the chance to catch their favorite "Idols" performing live in concert, as the top 10 contestants from American Idol season 8 hit the road in the highly anticipated summer tour. Aerosmith Ju130, 2009 at BOK Center AEROSMITH with ZZ TOP July 30 @ 7:30pro Ticket Prices: $129.50, $89.50, $49.50 ~EROSMITH--STEVEN TYLER (vocals), JOE PERRY (guitar), BP4\D ~WHITFORD (guitar), TOM HAMILTON (bass) and JOEY KP,a~_MER (drums)--made history last year when Activision released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, marldng the first music-based game built around the legendary music of Aerosraith. Kdth Urban Aug 7, 2009 at BOK Center @ 8:00pm Keith Urban with Sugarland Webs#e- www.kylecomics.com E-Mail- KylesBnB@aol,com bi~er gir! Ticket Prices: $77, $47 and $20 Grammy Award winner Keith Urban, one of the industry’s raost explosive and critic~dly hailed live acts, will be stopping at the BOK Center on Friday, August 7th fi~r his "Escape Together ~otld Tour" together with KC Masterpiece° and Kings~rd° featuring multi-platinum superstars Sugarland. 2{3 @~:{:~oSTAR July 2009 �Support those who support us. Their ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. A HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH ~KESSWAY Oldakoma City, OK 405-528-2221 wsvw.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 48 I5 S. I-DYRVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ROUTE 66 ANTIQUE MALL 4624 E. ! lth Street Tulsa OK 918-836-3838 VALERIE WILLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 CONFIDENTIAL CAP~ & CONSULTATION-OKC 405-326-9652 NATIa~q BLACK PRIMEP£CA 10820 E. 45th #305 Tulsa. OK 918-615-8177 nblack.rn#39@primerica.com OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. "WALNUT AVE. Olda~oma City, OK 80B-9!3-t310 GARY CORNETT FUTUPJTY FIRST IN S. Tulsa. OK 918-688-!360 ANGLES 2 ! 17 N~V 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK wvw:angtesdub.com BAMBOO LOUNGE 7204 E. PINE Tulsa. OK THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH E~RESSWAY Oklalloma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM 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 Sunday 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.nlcctulsa.org OKZAHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E. 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N: Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 RFAL:ESTA TE: ARMANDO AMOR Keller Williams Realty 1624 SW !22nd Oklahoma City, OK 73170 405-473-6870 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 IxYgg EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcasde.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 CINDY LOLLIS Castle Finders Realty Owasso, OK 74055 918-697-7406 GUSHER’S RESTAURANT 2200 N~V 39TH EXPRESSWAY Oldahoma City, OK Castle Finders, LLC Real Estate & Property Management Owasso, OK 74055 918-697-7406 BUY GI Joe Action Figures (12" size Only) Armando Amor Phone: 405-473-6870 Fax: 405-691-2708 405-525-0730 Located inside Habana Inn THE KITCHEN 2218 NW 39th Oklahoma City; OK 73112 Located inside the BOOM THE MARKET PLACE ON 39th 2235 N.W. 39th Oklah0maCity. OK 405-528-5555 TRA ~NG OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-882-6127 Cindy Lolli~ EURE~ SPRINGS CVB Eureka Springs, AR www.eurekasprings.org THE KITCHEN 2218 NW 39th Oklahoma City, OKC 73112 Therapeutic By licensed professional for Physical Rehabilitation. (405) 801-7200 Open Tues.-Sun 12 Noon ~o 11PM. Featuring Chef Susie Lopez. NW OKO near Penn Square In-Calls only (405) 822#378 Located inside the "BOOM" nwokcmassageguy@aol.corn THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE In Calls Only, N\V OKC 405-822-7378 nwokcmassageguy@aol.cim Call JUDY G. PHOTO’S Tulsa. OK judygphotos@sbcglobal.net 918-743-8636 918-836-8700 ~a~vw.bambooloungetulsa.com CLUB 209 209 N. BOULDER %lsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC !24 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 9!8-584-9494 FINISHLINE ~oo NW 59TH EXPreSSWaY Oklahoma Civ, OK 405-525-2900 ~l=,v.habanainn.cona THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH E~SSWAY O~om~ Cit~ OK 405-525-0730 x~m,w.habanainn.com www.metrostarnews.com Chuck Breckenridge Start building a business today to supplement your" income in case of layoff. High potential commissions. Excellent instruction. Set your own hours. Call NATHAN BLACK Whether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. ~÷troSTAR 27 �28 July 2009 � 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 Oldahoma City’s Robin Dorner oins Metro Star team. She not only brings her talent and enthusiasm, but also expertise gained from overall life experience and reporting. Seepage 5 3.corn THE PREMIER SOURCE FOR GLBT OKLAHOMA JULY 1,2009 TSUNAMI SLAMS OBAMA by Rex Wockmer not health coverage, which he said june 17 is not within his power. That’s the good news -- all of it. What hasn’t he done? Anything about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, anything about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), anything about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He’s done nothing about any of the stuff he promised the gays before they rushed to the polls en masse last November to make sure he won that election. And, then, Mr. Obama’s Justice Deparmxent filed a briefJune 1 ! in a federal same-sex marriage case that used nearly eveW nasty homophobic argument in the book to argue against letting gays get married. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and unleashed a flood of harsh criticism from gay VIPs. "I hold this administration to a higher standard than this brief," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese wrote to Obama. "In the course of your campaign, I became convinced -- and I still want to believe -- that you do, too.... This brief should not be good enough for you, The question is;Mr. President-- do you bdieve that it’s )bama. dec~des 22 which~not necessary ~ i , ~ . to file a brief. It’s a horrific and hideous attack on LGBT :. ....... [one thats good. He ~ssued Americans." and he extended a few spousal benefits ~ ~d~ employees’ Same’sex partners -- National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director sick leave and long-term care insur~ce; for example, but Kate Kendell on her Facebook page: "The filing by the ............ Continued See GAY TSUNAMI Page-24 Pro ect Pride Foundation Director Under Investigation For Fraud By Victor Gorin OKLAMOMA CIT~; OK__ On May 16, Robert Jordan Chiles was dected to a position on the Oklahoma State Democratic Party’s Central Committee as part of the Affirmative Action Committee. Ivan Holmes, previous chair of the Oklahoma State Democratic Party stated to the Metro Star, "Robert ovces the party for tickets he purchased for the luncheon at the State Convention along with advertising in the program. He said he would pay that immediately and he hasn’t as ofyet, so vce will pursue this issue." If he doesn’t resign his position, party officials are ready to begin impeachment proceedings. In May Mr. Chiles placed an advertisement in the Metro Star which ran in the June 2009 isme; soliciting funds for his Project Pride Foundation, presented as an organization working to advance GLBT rights and hdp people living with HIV. This advertisement was paid for with a check that was returned unpaid by his bank. Mr. Chiles was given numerous opportunities by phone and email to cover the check with no results. It has since been turned over to the Oldahoma County District Attorney for collection and possible prosecution. ........... Continued See PROJECT PRIDE Page-17 T lsa Pride Se s New By Michael \~ Sasser TULSA, OK__Tt~a Pride’s Diversity Festival and Pride Parade engaged a record number of participants on June 6th, both in terms of spectators and participants. "I think it exceeded expectations," said Oldahomans for Equality President Toby Jenkins. "We were worried whether the format and schedule might scare people or would be comfortable for people to participate in. Our Pioneer Breakfast far, far exceeded expectations. N~e police tell us there were 23,000 people at the festival which is the largest single-day attendance for an event we have ever had." Jenkins said the festival also included over 70 vendors and booths, twice the number as last year; and there vcere three times the number of parade entries as last year. "The parade yeas larger, there were more floats and more groups," If there was a down side, it ~vas that in the nev¢ event format debuting this year, there were fewer spectators along the parade route. ........... Continued See TULSA PRIDE Page-6 LOCAL>> 9 YO GRAND MARSHALL I NATIONAL >> NO SUPPONF FOR DADT I WORLD >> 50,000 2gF EURO PRIDE I PLUS >> LIFESTYLE TRAVEL I ~’FS I WINE I DINING July 2009 2 A good time By Robin Domer-Townsend OGRA [)~ddent RTint Wied}n, Robin Dornerphoto OKLk(HOMA CI~/, OK Every ),ear as Memorial Day weekend rolls around, the Oklahoma Gay Rodeo is held in Oklahoma City. Their goal as a social organizarion is to host an annual-gay rodeo in Oklahoma City, assist in western related events and contribute to charitable organizations. This year~ motto is. ’~A Bucking Good Time." The mission ofOGRA (Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association) is to act as a non-profit organization, to perform charitable duties for the surrounding area through fundraisers, rodeo performances, etc., for any particular charitable organization the general membership of the association shall choose. "Xhat is the main goal of]OGRA; to raise money for charity," said Klint Wieden, OGRA President. "Each year we give primarily to two different charities ~vhich provide services to those living with HIV or AIDS." This year’s beneficiaries of the event are Other Options/Friends Food Pantry and RAIN Oklahoma. Each of these organizations will receive a charitable contribution from OGRA once the dollar amount for donation has been calculated. "Usually it is around $3,500 for each organization," adds Wieden. "Wieden grew up on a big ranch in north~vest Oklahoma on thousands of acres. His family raised cattle, ran horses and performed all general ranching duties and his family was always involved in the rodeo. "I also love doing charity work. It is a necessary thing," he adds. "I enjoy the causes xve stand for at OGRA and bringing the two together; rodeo and chariw, well, it’s a great thing for me." OGP,A 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. The purpose for organizing OGRA was to prov;ide a harmonious enviromnent for those interested in the western lifestyle to express themselves through rodeo, dance and other £~mity social activities barring al! prejudices related to sex, nation~ origin, sexual orientation, religion, race or any other prejudices. Overall, the IGRA has raised millions ofdoltars ~br charities across the country. Next year is a very big year for the OGRA as they will celebrate their 25th anniversary. "Even more is in store for next year’s event," furthers Wieden. "We will have a special limited edition designer ’trophy buckle’ made. Each of the 25 buckles will be numbered and sold to raise even more money for the charities ,are help." Wieden and the board of the OGRA wish to thank all of their sponsors and volunteers, but offer a special thanks to Premium Beers of Oklahoma and the Copa/Finish Line which each contributed more than $10,000 this ),ear. For more information about OGRA please visit www.ogra.net. Diversity Business Assodates; proud to do in OKC By Robin Dorner-Townsend OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Since 2004, the Diversity Business Association (DBA) has been a "proud’ organization representing many businesses and prot)ssions in the Oklahoma City metro area. As an organization primarily for gay and gay-friendly businesses, DBA is a diverse group; thus the name "Diversity Business Association." DBA is not an organization iust for the gay, lesbian. bisexual or transgender (GLBT} community. It is an open minded, diverse group of individuals from all walks of life. "Why not do business with people who want to do business with you?", is their organizational motto. With nearly 150 members, the Diversity Business Association does mean business. "DBA has become Oklahoma City’s fastest growing GLBT organization and with good reason," says Monty Milburm President ofDBA. "We offer a casual yet business oriented environment for our members to connect with and do business with people that want to do business with them. It is these connections that help all of us succeed in good and bad times." Each month, usually two business connection meetings are held where members meet to network and exchange business cards, ideas, and get together for fun events also. There are luncheons, educational meetings and after hour mixers which bring the group together for people ~vho want t6 do business with like-minded people. Membership fees for DBA are some of the best in this area for an organization of its ~nd. An individual business membership is $49 per year and corporate memberships (for up to 10 people) are $450. Unlike most organizations, DBA has a student or ’social’ membership f)e for $25 per year. N~is allows the businesses in the area who are gay or gay-friendly to benefit from like-minded people seeking to do business with this diverse group. The goal of DBA is to be a positive organization in the GLBT community and the Oklahoma City community as a whole. DBA will have a booth at the upcoming Gay Pride events to be held at Memorial Park in Oklahoma City on June 27th & 28th and invites everyone to come and visit to see what they are all about. "I would like to encourage you to visit often, check out our calendar and consider joining. We encourage positive competition and celebrate each member’s success," adds Milburn. "t am proud to serve as President of such a fine organization. We really do mean business." For more information about DBA, please email them at contact@dbametro.org or visit vvw~.dbametro.org. It is best to use Internet Explorer when visiting this site. Impressive Youth Leads Tulsa’s Gay Pride Parade By Judy Gabbard Noah Blatt GrandMarshall ~dsa Pride Parade. Judy G. photo TULSA, OK The Grand Marshal! ofTulsds Annual Pride Parade xvas not a celebrity or an individual with a crown of jewels: this Grand Marshall was a nine year old young man named Noah Blatt. Noah Blatt is a perfect example ofwhat the words "Diversity" and "Acceptance" represent in the contin~l struggle of gay rights. Told to me by a representative of Oldahomans [br Equality, Noah Blatt first came m the attention of the committee members at Tulsa’s Equality Center, when he hand delivered a letter and a donation. In the letter, Noah explained that as an assignment he was to chose an organization that he rahought was making a difference, His mission was to acknowledge that organization and donate to its support. Noah has continued to contribute part of his weekly allowance in support ofTulsa’s Equality Center. Toby Jenkins, Tulsa’s Equality committee President, said, that when it came time to select the Grand Marshall for the Pride Parade, no other individual was as deserving as Noah Blatt. Noah’s revelation, revealed in his letter, that xvhen same sex couples love each other and want to marry, there shotdd be no one allowed to stand in their way. Simple truth uttered from one so young shows that the continuing struggle for gay rights is making an impact on public opinion. In a short interview with Noah Blatt, I met a gentle young man with a view of the world that maW lose when they grow up. Noah is determined to hang on to his beliefs and make his opinions known. Noah’s room and dad are hard working, well educated parents who have a!lo~ved their child to develop his own views of human behavior. Mr and Mrs Blatt support their young son’s ideas and know that it takes only one person to start a movement towards human rights. Noah was introduced to the public at the Pride Festival held at Centennial Park, located at 6th and Peoria, and severalo awards were bestowed upon him. The greatest prize was a view into the future possibilities of our youth. The importance of bestowing understanding, love, guidance and attention to our younger population was made evident in such a small package, Noah Blatt. www.rnetrostarnews.com ~®troSTAR 3 UDGE RULES IN KEITH KIMMEL’S FAVOR ON HIS I’M GAY LICENSE PLATE By Victor Gotin OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On April 6 Keith KimmeL like maW other Ol-dahomans since 1967, applied for a personalized license plate for his !992 Dodge pickup truck. However. he ran into an obstacle because his message was ’TM GAY". His request was denied. Kathy Green, a supervisor in the Motor Vehicle Division, stated that his request was denied due to a Oklahoma Tax Commission Rule 710:60-3-150 (d) which states "No license plate will be issued -which may be offensive to the general public." However, she did not state why she deemed that his message fit into that category. Mr. Kimmel appealed this decision, and his case was heard by Administrative Law Judge Jay Harrington in Oklahoma City on May 7. A favorable ruling, in which Judge Harrington recommended that Keith be allowed his I’M GAY plate, was released on June 18, jttst a week before Gay" Pride celebrations ldcked off in Oklahoma City. Attorney Brittany M. Novomy, who represented him on this case had this statement, "This decision is an indication that we do still live in a society that respects the rule of law, and when we feel our civil rights have been violated we know we can turn to our legal system to remedy the situation. I believe it is also a signal that despite its national reputation, Oldahoma has outstanding women and men in the legal profession who put the law ahead of old prejudices." The Oklahoma Tax Commission may accept or reject this recommendation. Talking with Mr.Kimmel he stated, "I think the judge reviewed the case carefully,, made a good decision and I hope the commission will do the right thing and let me have nay plate." If the Oklahoma Tax Commission doesfft fol!ow- through and allow his plate he plans to pursue additional legal action. BillyJackson and Michael[ Friday ioined their lives together By Victor Gorin Bil{rJackson &Michael Friday at their Holy[ Union wid~ t/.,eir .iF[ends Luq andMidn@t. Godn photo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Billy Jackson and Michael Friday joined their lives together Sunday, June 14 in Norman at Thunderbird Chapel. Lovers of the country lifestyle, both are active in OGRA, Michael as the mernbership chair and Billy who is running for Mr. O.G.R~k. next year. Tney are setding down together on the outskirts of Noble where Michael, as a member of the Orchid Society, will be able to pursue his hobby. The Holy Union was offidated by Pastor Neill Spurgin of Exp~:essions Community Fellowship, where both Billy and Michael are members. Let’s wish them a wonderful life together. Annual Hot Young Hollywood Party to benefit R.A.I.N. Oklahoma August 7 Angles to host annual Hot Young Hollywood PaW to benefit RAIN Oklahoma. Oklahoma CiF’ HIVNon-profit agent/. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ August 7 2009 N~e Hot Young Holly~vood Party is an annual fundraiser for RAIN Oklahoma, acting as a spotlight for local GLBT owned & friendly businesses. RAIN Oklahoma will be honoring four Oklahomans for their outstanding leadership and activism. The event will be a fun filled evening with fashion shmvs from well-known designers such as Cadillac Cowboy; Nicole Moan, GLAMNERD, Riot Rockett and Debauchery Clothing, plus live performances from Oklahoma City;s own Eric Bramble and others. Definitely an event not to be missed! Rafiqe ticket sales provided much of the $2500 raised at last year’s party. I~mt year sponsor donated items included a necklace donated by Mitchener & Farrand Jewelers, a "makeover" prize package .from Velvet Monkey Inc., dinner for two at 1492, and a Marc-by-Marc Jacobs bag among many other items. For the RAIN Leadership Award, campus GLBT groups made nominations from OCU, UCO, OU, OSU OKC AND UT as well as the GLBT group of DELL and the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. The goal of our nominees is to increase the quality of life for all Oklahomans. RAIN Oklahoma is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency, depending on private donations and the support of the community to continue providing high quality of services. RAIN Oklahoma offers a wide array of services from free HIV testing and counseling, community outreach projects, Ryan White Case Management, ADVANTAGE Medicaid waiver services & Transitional Housing. RAIN Oklahoma’s mission is to compassionately serve indMduals and communities impacted by HIV/AIDS through education, volunteerism and coordinated access to healthcare & support services. We accept all donations; Gift Certificates, Checlcs, Merchandise and/or services. Donors will be recognized in the program. For additional information on The Hot Young Holbavood Party, please contact the Hot Young Holl)wcood Committee: Contact: Kendet R. Powers, CTR Agent RAIN Oklahoma 405/204/7767 kpowers@rainoklahom.org Vicld Banta Vicki Banta the Partyoligist 405/850/6817 Xfbanta@aol.com Kai R. Dameron Rain Oldahoma, CTR Coordinator 405/232/2437 xt 123 KaiDameron@hotmail.com Giving back: MAC Cosmetics ’Viva Glam’ line supports HIV! AIDS organizations By Robin Dorner-Townsend Inf!’ont ofthe Iguana Lounge in Automobile Alley in downtown Oklahoma Ci~, the 3¢IAC cosmetics staffin Oklahoma City show their support in theform of"a big check"for Other Options and Friends Food Pantry. Thefundraising event "51 Toast to Life" was heldfor the non-profit organization at The Iguana Lounge in April The Iguana showed its support ofthe Other Options organization by undenvHting the charitable event. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Since 1989, Other Options has been on the forefront of prevention, education, and assistance of those in need who are living ~vith HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome). The organization was Formed as anonprofit whose missi6n" included al! services which hdp persons living with the disease but currently their primary focus is that of food services, nutrition and education. Mary Arbuckle, Director of Other Options works to assist the clients they serve, organizes donations and among many other taslcs, she also writes grant applications for the organization. "It’s a .....Continued see MAC page 24 July 2009 4 Leather Camp Vwill be running in Wichita gg~IICHITA, KS (PR) __ August 14 - 16, 2009. Early bird registration is active until July" 21st at a rate of $75.00. After July 21st, the package cost xvill be $85.00. The Clarion Hotel will hots the event with a room rate of $79.00 per night. Rooms need to be booked directly through the hotel. Ask for the WOOLF rate to get the discount. ~qere are lots of great classes for this years event. Presenters include ~qaipmaster Bob and Bootpig, Graydancer, Sir Olivier and pup sparlg~, Mason and Michelle. In addition, we will be having our Central Hains Regional contests for Central Plains LeatherSirlboy and CommunivA Bootblack as well as our loc~ WOOLF contests for Mr. and Ms. WOOLF and Kansas boy/girl. All of the contests will be judged by International LeatherSir 2009, Sir Raul, International Leatherboy 2009, boy bill, Central Plains LeatherSir 2009, Master Sam Sampson, Central Plains Leatherboy 2009, pup sparkle, Central Plains Community Bootblack 2009, boy blu, Great Plains Leatherboy 2008, boy mike and Rev. Jackie Carter of the Metropolitan Community Church ofWichita. The weekend ~vill be emceed by Tom Stice. For more information and to register for the weekend and book your hotel room, please visit www.wichitaleatherpride.com. Robin DornerJoins Metro Star Staff Robin Dorner-Tmvnsend. Staff photo OKLAI-IOMA CITY. OK Already well kmown in Oklahoma City and beyond as a fun loving reporter and activist. Ms. Dorner Born in Wichita, she graduated from Kansas Newman College in that same city to become a Registered Nurse. She moved to Oklahoma City in 1983 when jobs for RNs were plentiful. She worked in various positions as a dialysis nurse, in home health and hospice settings, and case management. She is a happily married heterosexual, celebrating 15 years together with Ken Townsend, her soulmate who is in the oil & gas business. In 2004 she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health administration, followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2006. After this milestone, seeking a different direction, she branched out into journalism with the City" Sentinel. broadening their horizons when she covered many events of the GLBT community. She first became involved with our community during the !990s when she volunteered as a nurse for the Triangle Association vdth D~:Larry Prater. who operated a free AIDS clinic. Relating ~o that experience she stated that "I loved it, not only as a nurse but also from the love, camaraderie and acceptance I found in the gay community." Her involvement in the community grew, and she later became a boai~d member of has just joined the Metro Star team. She will the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. She is a be repo~ting local news and ~ents and wil! former board member and current member of handle OK~’~C ad sales al6nFwithRikGOdbev Diversity Bttsiness Association of Oklahoma and Victor Gorin. She is also an accomplished City, and is her husband Ken. She does ~h0togr~pher. She n0{ 0hly brings 1{~} taleh{ vohmteer work for Other OptiOns, and looks ~nd enthusiasm, but alSO ~ert~e gained forward to working with the Metro Star. We f om oCe llife ep0mng welcome her a oard . the City Sentinel ( fbrmeriy the Mid City Advocate). www:metrostarnews.com &~et~’oSTAR 5 Dont Shop - Adop By Michael ~{~. Sasser Tulsa author Clara Nipper. Press photo TULSA, OK __ Tulsa author Clara Nipper never read mysteries, thrillers or true crime books, so when - on a dare from her partner - she set out to write in the genre, they set the mood and picked up the stylized approach by camping out in their home. lowering the air conditioning and watching classic noir films such as Double Indemnity, Laura and the more-modern Body Heat. "They were terrific," said Nipper. "I took some inspiration from them." Nine months in the writing, Nipper completed her first novel, the stylish Femme Noi~; a tide that aptly describes both the book and the innovative genre of lesbian literature. "I was writing "chick stories’ and my partner told me that since that wasn’t ,going an?~vhere I should try something new, Nipper said. So, Nipper crafted a character that was the "total opposite" of her. "She is tall and lean, black and bald, and a total womanizer - a slut. I wondered if I could wrire an entire book about her. And, I thought, yes I could." The rest is now history. Femme Noir is being published by Bold Stroke Books. In the book, Nora Delaney is Nipper’s protagonist. The hard-boiled, hypersexualized womanizing college basketball coach chases the case of her murdered exlover from LA to Tulsa only to be waylayed by a gorgeous, gin-swilling skirt who has information as well as an appetite for women like Nora. The book contains classic noir elements and Nora is cut from the same cloth as many classic, troubled genre protagonists - except that she is a woman. Hailed by maw for its unique and interesting voice, the book is also sexually graphic and unapologetic. "’gq~en my father got a copy of the book. I wrote in it ’please don’t read this’." Nipper said. "I hope he hasn’t. Tulsa native Nipper is veU much unlike her lead character. "I was straight most of my life," said the Tulsa CountT Courthouse clerk. "I was always open with sexuality and thought that if it felt good, do it. I’ve only had t-wo girlfriends in nay life. My first girlfriend was the one who said "you should try this’ and I said ’sure, let’s give ir a try.’ It was tumultuous except for the sex tbr the next two years. I have been with nay current partner for 13 years." Nipper had been "spiritually" a writer her entire life, from the time she xvrote a short story in grade school that a teacher insisted on turning into a slide show. "The best advice I ever got was to write one page a day and after a year, you ~voutd have 365 pages," Nipper said. "qhe road to publishing has been rocky, but my publisher now is terrific. They do so much to support authors and offer opportunities and guidance." Femme Noir’s sequel, I4dss of Noir, is already under contract. It’s set in New Orleans and will continue to stretch the parameters ofsexuat representation. "I’ve already shocke,~,! and appalled some lesbmns, N~pper stud. I th~nk that means am on the right track." For more information on Nipper and Femme Noir, visit www.claranipper.com. "Most people waited for the parade at [Centennial Park], and it was packed there". A shuttle system taking parade-path spectators to the park might be one thing added for future Pride festivals. For the most part, though, the new event structure was very much a success. "The fireworks, the ferris wheel and the concert were all huge successes." Jenkins said. Jenkins noticed a few things in particular this year. Employees of Spaghetti Warehouse on Brady Street came out to cheer ~or the parade. At Centennial Park. the crowd included a notable number of straight couples and individuals, including maW attending their first-ever Pride event with or without a GBLT relative or friend. "I thought, ’Wo~v. ~vhen did it become cool to go to Pride?" "-We also had a tot of seniors there. One mother said she was impressed at how family-friendly the environment was. I wish I could say that was something we tried to do. but it’s just a sign of the evolution of the community." Police commented on how busy the Kid Zone was with approximately 700 children of GLBT families and straight participants. This year’s n~w policy against ice chests and bringing in outside food and beverages also worked out. Jenkins said no one had to go to the hospital and police told him that for the first time there was no one who they considered acting publicly drunk to the point of being a nuisance. Vendors also told Jenkins they had done well at the event. Jenkins hopes that means it will be possible to continue expansion of the event in the future with more participants. Although the parade route saw the typical number of protestors, there was only one notable at the festival itself. Annie Bryce drove an hour to attend her first Tulsa Pride event. "I was very impressed at how nice it was and, really, how nice the people were - men, women, gay and straight even," she said. Cashen" Stewart attended the Pride Festival, largely for the parade, He thinks the eve,n,t could still be improved. I think there should be a bit more things to do at Pnde that are more mteracuve, he said. lenkins said that other smaller cities aro{md Oldahoma also having Pride events, such as Enid for the first time ever in July, is evidence of empowerment. "People are feeling safe enough to have festivals - that’s a good sign." No matter who you are o are on life’s iourney, -Reverend ~r. K~hy Meet Woodstock. He’s a 9 yr old yellow labbie who was Surrendered to Lab Rescue so ~ve could find him a new home. His owners love him, but h~ is a ~ctive for them. D0n:t le~ iS young at hem o1~1 labl;ie. H6 loved on: ~’g0odi I stcd )18 299 6311 918-272-4965 Sapulpa 918 227 2722 Norman 405 321 6,"~25 Collinsville 918 371 1000 Courtesy ofv:xvw.labrescue.net L 3131 & Pennsylvanio,Oklah0m= Q>~, 405.525.9555 July 2009 6 So, ust What is the True Definition-ofMarriage ? by James Nimmo OY._LM-IOMA CITY. OK As a semiprofessional musician I provided music at the same-gender marriage recently of two friends of mine, the latest ceremony of uncountable services I’ve played, t’rn also a committed atheist and rather hard-boiled when it comes to asking [or divine intervention, as well as the invention of skT-oriented deities for whatever reason. I support everyone’s private pursuit of their interests in accordance with the First Amendment as long as infringement of my own legally supported rights isn’t involved. There was no doubt of the sincerity of the participants in this religious ceremony. There were prayers, vestments, and liturgy common to any other Christian denomination marriage ceremony. Had you been blindfolded and dropped into this touchingly simple outdoor service, uncoached and uninformed, you would not have been able to distinguish this wedding from the thousands being conducted in the rest of the country on any Saturday afternoon. Jaded as I am about religion, I did get a little misty-eyed when the minister spoke-of the hands being held by the two grooms. As these ceremonies of commitment go the hope is always for a devoted and determined future of mutual and exclusive support through a lifetime of as many years o?iife as our genetic desdny wil1 give us. He described these hands as they are now. young and strong brushing away ~ears of joy and sorrow, touching in moments of intimacy, and when old and wrinkled they’ will sti!l be the hands we want touching us in times of need. ~ view myself as a married man wittl a partner of 32 years, and 1 can identi~! with the sentiments and intentions the minister outlined in his .;ermon. By what fiat of bigoted ignorance can anyone deny me and millions of other gay and Lesbian Americans this legaI right of marriage just because the gender of the two people is the same, choosing to share their bounty and their concerns for as long as they’re able, be it one year or hopefully- a long lifetime? How is that any different from what opposite-gendered people choose to do? To answer my own title, I think marriage is the ability of two responsible people committed to each othm; with a seriousness of purpose, for as long as they are able to hones@ maintain the relationship, with or without the imprimatur of religion. At one time I was a proponent of going nicker the recognition of our gay/ Iesbian equality one right at a time. But at approximately 1,400 indMdual rights bestowed with a completed marriage license, there arefft enough years for even Methuselah to see the success of the movement. I now see that only a dedicated Federal lawsuit, such as the one being brought by Ted Olson and David Boles ( http://tiwurl.com/q6hvip ), will give us the trne definition of marriage we gay and Lesbian citizens need to live our lives with the choice so casually enjoyed by straights. ~.metrostamews.com Politics M es for Strange Bedfellows by James Nimmo OKLAHOMA CITY, OK It’s pretty exciting to be a gay/lesbian activist these days. Our civil rights movement has been focused on California which has been performing a line dance with basically the lovers of romance and civil rights in one line and the haters of diversity and inclusion in another. With the survival of Prop-Hate in California in late May there are now thirty states that prohibit same-gender marriage by constitutional amendment; thirty-seven prohibit it by statute. Some states even went double-dipping in their vehemence against gays and lesbians with both. But on the sunny side, as of this writing, there are five states that allow same-sex marriage with three states promoting samegender unions. ( http:lhinyurt.comlmq8fev ) I’m not too hot with arithmetic but even I can tell there is some overlapping of statutes and amendments with a minority of states still sitting on the sidelines, waiting and waiting. Waiting for what? Maybe the same thing I’ve been waiting for. A team of lawyers, financial supporters, and plaintiffs willing to put this momentous issue into it’s proper frame: Shall the United States continue with this jurisprudence crazy, quilt of rich progressive action and tawdry, shortsighted discrimination or blanket the country with one legal rtding that allows all adults to make their own decisions for their future regardless of gender, religion, or geographic location? That’s where the odd bedfellows Ted Olson and David Boles come in. These two lawyers, fmnous for being on opposing sides of the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case that by a one-vote margin put the Bush/Cheney ticket in the White House have filed a Federal lawsuit to place an injunction on the California Supreme Court decision upholding the anti-marriage equality amendment lmown as Proposition 8.7heir plan is to carry this lawsuit up the chain of Federal courts to the US Supreme Court if necessary in order to have a definitive ruling as to whether or not same-gendered people are covered under the 14th Amendment of the Federal Constitution, specifically the clause that all citizens are entided to the full protection of the laws. ( http://tinyurt.com/dypxfp ) Many of the main stream civil rights and gay/lesbian advocacy organizations ( The American Civi! Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Freedom to Marry, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Equality Federation, and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are aghast at the audacity of this plan sponsored by the American Foundation for Equal Rights. ( http:/Itinyurl.comlld6a2w ) I’m no legal eagle but I’m literate, folio~w the news, and can reason, tn addition, my partner and I were among 12 other plaintiffs in the attempt by Oklahoma’s chapter of the ACLU to derail the 2004 Okie version of Prop. 8, known as State Question 71 ! that passed with a 70+% majority vote. The legal strategy being used by the As t see it, ~here are two important precedents (an important aspect of jurisprudence? from the Supremes that recognize our gay/lesbian citizenship. They are: Lawrence v. Texas ( http://tinyurl. com/br2tj t that eliminated sodomy laws by overturning Bowers v. Hardwick (http:// tinyurl.com/jus3e ), and the Romer v. Evans decision overturning Colorado’s infamous Amendment 2 dewing gay/lesbian citizens protection of state laws( http://tinyurl. com/49m9er ) wherein Justice Kennedy famously wrote that "[Amendment 2] is at once too narrow and too broad. It identifies persons by a single trait and then denies them protection across the board. The resulting disqualification of a class of persons from die right to seek specific protection from the law is unprecedented in our iurisprudence." Let me add that Justice Kennedy is the famous "swing vote" on many Court decisions that are decided by a single vote. Though there have been changes in the names of the j ustices over the years, the legal balance of the Court is still the same: four living in the 18th century, four in the 21st century, with one bridge between them. If politics makes for strange bedfellows and change is die buzz word for this political season, then I think it’s time to change the sheets. As these two well experienced attorneys have wedded dlemselves to marriage equality, I wish them a happy honeymoon. Live long and prosper, Olson and Boles! Joplin First Pride in over ten years JOPHN. MO (PR) In January of this year Rev. Steve Urie of Spirit of Christ MCC asked for volunteers to h~ad up a committee commissioned with the task of planning and bringing together Joplin’s first Pride Event in over ten years. Out of that was born Joplin: Out & About, a collaborative committee made up of people from Spirit of Christ MCC, AT&T and other GLBT groups and members from the community. A target date was set and the planning began. ¯homas, Joanna, Darrell, Jeff, Heath, Shauna and Shea with the intermittent help of others handled the tough iob of keeping it all together. Tne final result was several events through the week including a Karaoke Night, Movie Night and finally Joplin’s Out & About Event in the park. Just ten years ago you would find law enforcement setting traps to catch men in the park cruising. This year with la~v enforcement patrols protecting the event; the community celebrated with groups from Springfield, Galena, Tulsa, the greater Joplin area and as far away as NWArkansa~s, Weir and Topetca, Kansas taking pride and respect to a new high level for the community. Private and non-profit vendors started signing on as did other local groups including UCC Family Fellowship, Joplin Gays Yahoo Group, Joplin’s GLBT Corporate Center, the support group fi-om AT&T, Planned Parenthood, PROMO, the Pla-Mor Lounge and APO’s local and Springfield’s offices. The Metro Star played an important part in providing sponsorship and coverage of the event. The Topet~ Transgendered Alliance was represented by Steve/Lila & spouse Joy also members of MCC Topeka. Entertainment was provided by a band as well drag queens from Joplin and Springfield. The Gto Center from Springfield, MO showed up in support of the Event, helped with Sponsorship and provided information about their services. We thank everyone who sponsored, supported, participated and just plain attended this event. Rev. Steve Urie &long time partner Heath with festival voluntee~ Staffphoto Held in Joplin’s McClellan Park June 13th and with over 250 people from the GLBTQ community this was a success for our community. Friends, family supporters and the straight community including children and some well behaved canines came together to show that we can be one community that we can work together, play together and respect each other. From Gay Bingo to the sale of Pride Jewelry, entertainment ro fbod. free HIV testing to information, and with MC Brandon everyone had a great time. In addition several boxes of food were donated t~br APO clients through the Angel Food Ministries program. Lots ofentertainment, & good lookingguys and gab atjoplin Pide Yestiva~ Staffphoto We would like to thank Naomas for his dedication and tenacity in keeping it together; Joanna for gathering equipment, supplies, support mad being one foot soldier you couldn’t top, Darrell for writing the first GLBT Joplin History Booklet, Jeff for putting the boolde.t togethm; Heath for cooking his heart out and all the volunteers that brought it together. With the encouragement of the community at large already pouring in this may have been Joplin’s first Pride event in recent history but clearly won’t be its last. Wockner News Service New Hampshire legalizes same-sex marriage New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage June 3 when Gov. John Lynch signed three bills, including one that had cleared the Legislature just an hour eadier. 3-he bills open marriage to same-sex couples starting Jan. 1 and protect certain rights of religious organizations, associations and societies that oppose gay marriage. "Today is a historic day for all Granite Staters," said Mo B~ley, executive director of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition. "We applaud Gov. Lynch, (House) Speaker (Terie) Norelli, (Senate) President (Sylvia) Larsen and the leadership of the General Court (legislature) for making sure that all loving, committed couples have the freedom to marry. Today, our shared values of individual liberty, freedom and fairness have been upheld:" The final bill, tsveaking religious protections, passed the Senate 14-10 and th.e House 198-I76. Lynch had required tile additional language as a condition of his agreeing to let gays marry. In announcing his support for same-sex marriage on May 14, Lynch said: "At its core, (this bill) simply changes the term ’civil union’ to ’civil marriage.’ Given the cultural, historical and religious significance of the word marriage, this is a rneaningfu! change. I have heard, and I understand, the very real feelings of same-sex couples that a separate system is not an equal system. That a civiI law that differentiates between their committed relationships and those of heterosexual couples undermines both their dignity and the legitimacy of their families." Tl~e measures signed into law will repea! the state’s civil-union law effective Jan. 1, 2011, and prohibit any new civil unions after Jan. 1, 2010. Same-sex marriage is legal in five other U.S. states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont (starting in September) and Maine (starting in Septembe0. Nlere also are 18,000 same-sex couples legally married nnder California law, though no more will be allowed to marry until voters repeal Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment passed last November, or until the U.S. Supreme Court strikes it down Or it is blocked by comx injunction. Gay groups are planning a ballot initiative to delete Prop 8, and a federal lawsuit has been filed charging that Prop 8 violates the due-process and equal-protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also says Prop 8 relegates gays and lesbians to second-class citizenship and discriminates based on gender and sexual orientation. It further seeks an injunction allowing same-sex marriage to resttme in California pending resolution of the case. Hi ary Clinton issues pride month statement Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a Gay Pride month statement June 1. She wrote: "Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City; as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which al! people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. "In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its coui’age and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead. "At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateflal for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Wneir contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide. "Human rights arc_- at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation ofhuman rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. "N~ough the road to full equality ibr LGBT Aalaericans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones[ "This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in ~vhich all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or ~vhom they love." Clinton also is preparing to grant spousal benefits and protections to diplomats’ gay partners, she said in a recent letter to the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign ~aqZairs Agencies. The pack,age will include medical and emergency evacuation, travel reimbursement, shipment of household effects, use of U.S. government medical facilities abroad, isstlance of diplomatic passports, visa assistance, and security and language training. Not included are health insurance, retirement benefits and certain other perks. Nevada Legislat e overrides governor’s veto ofpartnership bill Nevada’s Senate and Assembly on May 30 and 31 overrode Gov. Jim Gibbons’ May 25 veto of a domestic-partnership bill. Tne new la~¢ extends to same- and opposite-sex registered domestic parmers nearly all state-level rights and obligations of marriage. The override came without a vote to spare in both the Senate (14-7) and the Assembly (28-!4). In the Senate, 10 Democrats and four Republicans voted for tile override, and five Republicans and two Democrats voted against it. Gibbons had claimed the bill ran afoul of a 2002 state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. He also argued that gay couples could go sign private contracts if they desired the protections of marriage for their relationship. "The significance here is it literally equates ’domestic partner’ with ’spouse’ under Nevada state la**;" Michael Ginsburg of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada told Las Vegas correspondent Steve Friess. "You have the flail force of the law behind you nox~: When you’re in the hospital, forced to ma~e decisions for your partner, all you have to say is, ’This is nay spouse,’ and that carries tremendous weight." .am Lambert Photo: American Idol runner up Adam Lambert Who kalew? American Idol sensation and first runner-up Adam Lambert is a homosexual. "I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay," Lambert told Rolling Stone June 9. "I’ve been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man. I’ve been at clubs drunk malting out with somebody in the corner." "Right after the finale, I almost started talldng about it to the reporters, but I thought, ’I’m going to wait for Rolling Stone, that wil! be cooler,’" he said. "I didfft want tile Clay ’ Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context. ’Tin proud ofmy sexuality. I embrace it. It’s just another part of me." Lambert noted, however: "I’m trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader." July 2009 State Dept. to give gay couples spousal benefits U.S. Secreta,y of&am HillaO, Clinton is prepari,g to grant spousal ben~ts and protections m diglomau’gay gartne,s. Photo by Rex l)~ckner U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is preparing to grant spousal benefits and protections to diplomats’ gay partners, she said in a recent letter to the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign M~airs Agencies. "Like all families, our Foreign Service t~milies come in different configurations; all are part of the common fiabric of our post communities abroad," Clinton wrote. "The department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the righ~ thing to do’ ~Ihe benefits will indude medical and emergency evacuation, travel reimbursement, shipment ofhousehoid effects, use of U.S. government medical facilities abroad, issuance of diplomatic passports, visa assistance, and security and ,language training. NOt induded in the package are health insurance, retirement benefits and certain other perks. "This is a remedy that is long overdue," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, "For too many years, LGBT Foreign Service officers have been forced to choose between serving their country and protecting their families." Dick Cheney endorses same-sex marriage Former Vice President Dick Cheney came out in support of same-sex marriage June 1 more clearly than he has in the past. Asked about the issue at the National Press Club, Cheney responded: "I think freedom means freedom for everyone. And, as many ofyou know, one ofmy daughters is gay, and it’s something that we’ve lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of~vhether or not there ought to be a federal statute that governs this, I don’t support. I do believe that historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level -- ~his has always been a state issue -- and ~ think that’s the way ff ough~ to be handled ~oday, that is. on a state-by-aa~c basis. D~ffbrem ;tares make d~ff~t’ren~ decision But [ don’t haw prob{cm with that ~ think people ought to get a shot at d~at. And they do a~ present." Cheney has made very similar comments before, but they did not go quite as far. In 2004, for example, he said: "I believe today that freedom does mean freedom for everybody. People ought to be free to choose any arrangement they want. It’s really no one else’s business. ~nat’s a separate question from the issue of whether or not government should sanction or approve or give some sort of authorization, if you will, to these relationships. Traditionally, that’s been an issue for the states. States have regulated marriage, ifyou will. That would be my preference. In effect, what’s happened is that in recent months, especially in Massachusetts, but also in California, but in Massachusetts we had the Massachusetts Supreme Court direct the state of-- the legislature of Massachusetts to modify their constitution to allow gay marriage. And the fact is that the president felt that it was important to make it clear that that’s the wrong ~vay to go, as far as he’s concerned. Now, he sets the policy for this administration, and I support the president." Americans do not support ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Americans overwhelmingly want to see the military’s "Don’t Ask, Do~t Tell" ban on open gays repealed, a new Gallup poll has found. Sixty-nine percent told pollsters it’s time for the ban to go -- including 58 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of self-described co~iservatives and 60 percent 0fwee~y churchgoers. Eighty-sLx percent of liberals oppose the DADT policy, along with 82 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of people between age 18 and 29. Even people over age 65 (60 percent), Southerners (57 percent) and people who didn’t finish high school (57 percent) said it’s time to dump the ban. Said Gallup: "President Barack Obama will be well-positioned to forge ahead with his campaign promise to end the military ban on openly gay service members." Gallup polled 1,105 adults nationwide between May 7 and 10. The organization said it was 95 percent confident that the maximum margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points. CALIFORNIA HIV EMERGENCY Schwarzenegger, Legislature may slash HIV funding Gay and HIVadvocates rallied at *~e state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on time i 0 against draconian cuts in HIVfi~ndingproposed by Gov. Arnold Schwar~enegger and under consideration by the Legislature. Wockner Newsphoto by Charlie Peer/Ou~vord Magazine California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed, and the California Legislature is considering, draconian cuts to all types of HIV-related funding in the nea>bankrupt state. In the worst-case scenario, which is still not off the table, slashes to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program could result in thousands of Californians who make less than $41,600 per year losing access to the statelprovided drugs that suppress HIV and keep them dive. In the apparent best,case scenario, not all HIV drugs would be available via ADAP and patients would have to pay part of the cost 0f the ones they could geta That is problematic because some HIVvposirive people have developed resistance to some HIV drugs, and need access to the full arsenal of therapies to stay alive. Further, the current plan apparendy completely eliminates state funding for the tests that determine if a patient is responding to treatment -- such tests as CD4 counts, viral-load measurement and drug-resistance monitoring. These tests are essentially mandatory in - HIV treatmm~t. Doctors use them so they can change a nonresponsive patient’s drug combination to another combo that works in that patient -- before the patient’s immune system breaks down further and the patient develops a life-threatening opportunistic infection............ The current plan apparently also dramatically ~lashes handing for education, prevention, counseling and testing programs. Some 35,000 working- and middleclass Californians who don’t make enough money to pay for their own treatment could be adversely or dangerously affected by the possible cuts to ADAP and elimination of monitoring testing. Gay and HIV advocates have strongly denounced the budget proposals, and a large rally was held at the state Capitol in Sacramento on June 10. Lesbian couple marries on Indian reservation A lesbian couple married on the Coquille Indian reservation in Coos Bay, Ore., May 24. It was believed to be the first such marriage in the U.S. ~ae Coqui!te tribe passed a la~v legalizing same-sex marriage more than a year ago, but it just now took effect. Kitzen Branting, 26, and Jeni Branting, 28, tied the knot in the tribe’s meeting hall. Their marriage will not be recognized by the state of Oregon, but will be legal on the property of the tribe, which is a sovereign ~ nation. Direct Cremation From $595 AI McAffrey Owner / Funeral Director MORTUARY SERVICE.,,~ Traditional Funeral Services at Affordable Prices (405} 230- 13~0 or ~o800-913q310 Pre-Need Plan CReDiT CARDS ACC~PT~E 2415-C North Walnut Avenue. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Ban Empl "uptcy o Civil Rights oCriminal- ~ment o Family Law - Litigation 625 N.W. 13th Street klahoma City, OK 73103 v#,,w.metrostarnews.com STAR 9 N Wockner News Service 50,000 at EuroPride Some 50,000people ~rned outfor the EuroPrideparade, hem in Zurich this year on June ~ Photo by Nikolai Alekseev, GayRussta.ru Some 50,000 people turned out for the EuroPrkle parade, hdd in Zurich this year on June 6. Openly lesbian Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch joined in. Next year, the parade ventures behind the former Iron Curtain to Warsaw -- a city that as recently- as 2005 tried to ban pride, only to be later rebuffed by the European Court of Human Pdghts. Meanwhile, Rom& gay pride parade dr~ more than 100,000 participants June 13~ with a demand fbr legalization of same-sex marriage and equa! rights for gay couples. Some 1,500 people marched in Warsaw on June 13, also demanding legalization of same-sex partnerships. "l-he parade, on central Marszalkowska Street, attracted fewer than !00 counterprotesters, who shouted anti-gay vitriol. Five hundred people marched in Zagreb, Croatia, on June t3. Police kept about 50 snarling anti-gays from disrupting the parade. 20,000 march Tel Av v Around 20,000 people joined Tel Aviv’s ! lth gay pride parade June 12. The march ended with a beach ’~edding" of five gay" couples. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Israel. Some top rabbis had urged Prime Minister Beniamin Netanydau m try to ban the parade. They called it an abomination. A few religious right-wingers picketed the march, which was paid for by the city government. ’Tel Aviv is more secular than Jerusalem, where the pride parade routinely leads large numbers of religious folks ~o wail and gnash. Last year’s parade in Jerusalem featured 3,000 naarchers and 2,000 cops to protect them. They walked al! of @ur blocks. ~n 2007, the Jerusalem parade traveled about 500 meters before ultra-Orthodox protesters shut it down, despite the presence orS,000 police o@cers. Prior to the parade, police arrested a man with a bomb. The postparade rally was canceled because striking firefighters refused to provide a required firetruck. In 2005, a counterdemontrator stabbed three marchers at Jerusalem’s marcia and later was convicted of attempted murder. ~ae victims’ iniuries were not serious. Moscow gays want to picket Obama Moscow Pride founder Nikolai Mekseev says members of his group will attempt to stage a picket in favor of same-sex marriage at the U.S. Embassy on July 7 during President Bara& Obama’s visit. It is unlikely the activists will receive city permission to do so. Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has banned pride parades for the past four years and sent riot police to aggressively arrest those who ignored the bans. Luzl~ov has called gay parades "demonic," "satanic" and "weapons of mass destruction." He also has said the bans are for gays own good so that "radical Christians" don’t have a chance to "kill them." Mekseev is hopet~fl that he’ll be able to pull off the picket regardless because "the presidential media pack wilt be in town." Mayor Luz ov lashes out at gays Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has again lashed out at gays, calling them "homos" and calling gay pride parades "demonic." Appearing on a TV program June 2, Luzhkov reportedly said: "Niere are two reasons gay pride parades are unacceptable in Moscow: First and foremost, public morality .does not accept such parades, public morality does nor accept those homos." Secondly, he said: "If they gather together, assuming they are allowed to hold a parade, other people will simply kill them. ~here are radical Christians in Moscow who stand strongly against such demonic manifestations, as they say. "There were attempts made (in May’) to hold the gay parade during the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscova We had to isolate about 19 radical Christians who intended to attack those homos.’ On May, 16, riot police broke up an attempt to stage the fourth annual gay pride parade in Moscov~; arresting up to 80 participants, including gay leader N@olai Ale~eev, British gay leader Peter %tchell and Chicago gay activist Andy Thayen Luzhkov previously has called gay pride parades "satanic" and "weapons of mass destruction," and has o@cially banned them each ),ear. Lithuanian Parliament votes ’no promo homo’ law Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, approved a measure on first reading June 4 that bans references to homosexuality in schools and in public information that can be visible to children. Tne bill still has to dear a final vote. The tally was 57-2 with 8 abstentions. Many MPs missed the vote. Amnesty International said the "Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information’~ would classify "homosexuality alongside issues such as ... the display of a dead or cruelly mutilated body of a person, and information that arouses fear or horror, or encourages self-mutilatisn or suicide." Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty’s Europe and Central Asia program director, said the proposed law "denies the right to freedom of expression and deprives students’ access to the support and protection they may need." China sees its first gay pride week China saw" its first-ever gay pride week June 7-14 in Shanghai. Events included movies, plays, art exhibits, panel discussions, swimming and badminton competitions, and a big party, thouglx at least one play" and one film were ordered canceled by authorities. Some 500 people attended a barbecue/ drag shiny/fashion show/hot-body contest on June 13. Organizers decided against holding a parade, saying it iust didn’t seem to be legally possible, according to China Daily: "Shanghai Pride is a community-building exercise," co-organizer Tiffany Lemay told the English-lang~aage paper. "We hope to raise awareness of issues surrounding homosexuality, raise the visibility of the gay community, help people within our community to come out, and build bridges between the gay and straight communities." Northern Irish LGBs report high level ofhate Twenty-one percent of gay and bisexual men and I8 percent of lesbian and bisexual women iri Northern Ireland say they\,e been the victim of a homophobic hate crime or incident in the past three years. The figure comes fi’om a survey of I,t43 LGB people catrried out by the Rainbow Project with funding from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Tne study found that 64 percent of such incidents were not reported to police and 30 percent resulted in physical injui3: ebec to 1attach strategy against homophobia Quebec Justice Minister Kathleen Well has announced the Canadian province will implement a comprehensive strategy against homophobia before the end of the year. She broke the news at a May I7 rally marking the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). "We see it as a major step forward here since doing so, Quebec will ackmowledge officially that homophobia -- and not homosexuality -- is a social problem and take action, instead of passively banning discrimination, said Magazine ]~tre Editor Andrd Gagnon. "As far as I know, it will be the first government in the world to adopt such a strategy that will cover all its spheres of intervention," he said. 1-800-535-AIDS (2437) O lahoma’s NV/S ’# l otlin PROTECT YOURSELF PROTECT YOUR PARTNER(S) @O,P,E, Testing Clinic ~ens O@reach In Tulsa at (9’~8) July 2009 i t÷matie Ruling: English adoption agencies cannot discriminate The Charities Commission of England and Wales ruled June 2 that adoption agencies cannot discriminate against gay couples. The commission cited the Equality Act (Sexual Orientationl Regulations 2007, which ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Violation of the law would lead to a loss of charity status and public funding. The ruling came in a case involving the Catholic Care charity in Leeds, which wanted to amend its official statement of objectives with the commission to exclude consideration of gay couples. Denmark is not gay nirvana Denmarlq the first nation in the world to legalize gay partnerships, in 1989, still has a problem with homophobia. Eighteen percent of GLBT people in Copenhagen and 8 percent in other parts of the country say they’ve been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation in the past year, according to a report from the Center for Alternative Social Analysis. GLBT people between ages 16 and 29 reported more problems than older people. A total of 3,400 homophobic incidents were reported to police in 2008, the study said. A report in the Politiken newspaper said gay businesses also have been targeted. Copenhageds oldest gay ba~; Centralhiornet. had rocks thrown through its windows six times in 2008. Patrons also have been bombed with eggs through the bar’s open door. Australian prison OKs gay con}ugal visits Xhe Alexander Maconochie prison in Australia’s Capital Territory has decided to let gay inmates receive conjugal visits six times a year. The policy applies to prisoners who are ~vell-behaved and whose partner is not also incarcerated at the facility. Reports said that the state of Victoria. where Melbourne is located, is the only other place in Australia where gay inmates can have sex dates with their partners. Bosnian churches oppose antidiscrimination bill Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Interreligious Council is opposing a.bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, claiming it will lead to legalization of same-sex marriage. The measure has passed first reading in the House of Representatives. A national law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation is a requirement for any nation that wants its citizens to be able to travel within the European Union without obtaining a visa. Nae Interreligious Council is composed of representatives of the nation’s Roman Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Orthodox Christians. Balkanlnsight.com said it is unttsual for the council "to agree on any concrete actions and (it) often has been blocked by internal boycotts." .Gay marriage campaign launched m Portugal The Movement for Equality in Access to Civil Marriage launched on May 31 in Lisbon, Portugal. More than 1,000 people signed onto the campaign, including politicians, well-known actors, pop singers and businesspeople, and Nobel Prize winner Josd Saramago, who was honored for literature in 1998. The campaign’s manifesto, which nmv can be signed by anyone in Portugal, states, in part: "Equal access to civil marriage is a matter of justice that deserves the support of all people who oppose homophobia and discrimination.... We citizens who believe in equal rights, dignity and recognition for all of us -- for our families, friends and colleagues -- join our voices to express our support for equality. "We call this change necessary, fair and urgent because we know that the current situation of inequality divides society between those who are included and those who are excluded, between persons who are inside and marginalized persons.... We now have an opportunity to end one of the last unjustified (instances of) discrimination written in our law." Peru gay police ban less stringent than reported Peruvian Interior Minister Mercedes Cabanillas says recent news reports that gays have been banned from being police officers were not quite right. Mid-May reports said cops who have sex with people of the same sex would be banned because they cause scandal and denigrate the police’s image. But Cabanillas says the new law, which took effect May 12, will only ban gay cops if their gay-related public behavior is scandalous or damages the image of the institution. She said the ministry has no desire to "get in anyone’s bed" and that officials only wish to target unseemly, embarrassing or scandalous occurrences or attitudes related to sexual orientation that happen in the public sphere. Gay groups said the taw is problematic and discriminatory either way because ir seems to suggest that certain public expressions of homosexuality are more likely ro run afoul of the law than similar public expressions of heterosexuality. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Movimiento Homosexual de Lima have launched a letter-~vriting campaign to Peru’s public defender, =’asldng her to file an Action of Unconstitutionality with the Constitutional Court to cl!allenge the so-called ’offense’ of same-sex relations and its associated penalty." "We write to express our concern over Law 29356, vchich establishes a new disciplinary code for the Peruvian police, and stipulates in Article 34 that it is a serious offense to ’have sex with people of the same gender that causes scandal or undermines corporate image,’" a sample letter says in part. "This law is a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- both of which have been signed by Peru. This regressive law also violates the Andean Charter, a regional treaty ratified by Peru in 2002.... Finally, Law 29356 is inconsistent with human rights principles that are already, codified in Peruvian law. On December 1, 2004, a new Constitutional Procedures Code, approved by Parliament, modified constitutional procedures to recognize discrimination based on sexual orientation." Australian benefits agency recognizes gay de facto couples Centrelink, the Australian government’s social-benefits agency, will treat gay de facto couples as married for benefits purposes starting July 1. While the move increases equality, it also will result in a loss of benefits for some coupled gays, who previously qualified based on their individual income. Centrelink assistance encompasses such things as health care, prescription drugs., unemployment payments, disaster aid,,rent subsidies, aid to single parents and a wide range of other benefits and welfare programs. "From 1 July 2009 changes to legislation wilt mean that customers who are in a same-sex de facto relationship will be recognised as partnered for Centrelink and Family Assistance Office purposes," says the agenc)?s Web site. "All customers who are assessed as being a member of a couple will have their rate of payment calculated iri the same way." Colombian policeman added to partner’s health insurance The Board of Health of Colombia’s National Police granted health-insurance benefits to the partner of a gay officer May 14. The extension of coverage to Fabifin Mauricio Chibcha Romero followed a January ruling by the nation’s Constitutional Court that granted marital rights to commonlaw same-sex couples in areas that indude civil service, contracts ~vith the government, housing protection and assistance, immigration, social security, death indemnification, and criminal noninctimination. ~Pne activist group Colombia Diversa said the ruling encompassed all the "civil, political, social, economic, criminal and immigration rights ... of a common-law union, minus adoption." Chibcha also gained access to police housing subsidies and vacation dubs. METROPOL!TAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES Rev Steve ~. Urie Spirit of Christ MCC 2902 E 20th Street Joplin, MO 64804 417-529-8480 Worship Sunday 6:00 PM Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM WWg~¢.S0cmcc. Have a God filled and BleSSed Day! w,,~w.rnetrostarnews.com ~,tr®STAR 11 Viognier [vee-oh-nay] For those who haven’t experienced Viognier, the first glass is quite a revelation. This wine will embody al! Or some of the following: honeysuckle, citrus blossoms, t~,chee, ripe melon, freshly picked.peaches 6r apricots and ripe pear. Winemaker Craig Williams, from Josep~ ~nhe~s Vin~;a,~s, s~s Viognier contains floral compounds called ~Terpens. Tl~ey are also found in Muscat and Pdesling. So, think of the most aromatic Muscat or Riesling you’ve ever encountered, then concentrate it and you have Viognier. The majoriV of French Viogniers are sold as Vin de Pays in the Languedoc. In the Rl~one wine region, the grape is o~en blended with Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache blanc. In the Northern part of Rhone, the grape is sometimes blended with Chardonnay. Since the late 1980s, plantings ofViognier in the United States and Cagada have increased dramat,ically. The Rhone R~angers of the mid 1980 s help spark the increased interest in Viognier in California and now Californigs Central Coast is the leading producer. Looking some good summerwtt te wines. > ~ Marcheregiono~:~yand~ to monm, we are art a ou- < fthe}lord most widet l~ted white wpicNly Sauvignon blanc ~ Macab~o. Xg Mar&etti~07 it~~ ~" *~ ,~. ,..... ?~ P ~ , [, desiunated "Rueda V?rdejo must contaifi Fazi,B; t~gli~ ~007 Italy >::~ wine grape, veraemo is cl~slHeo as a noble o - .... or classic grape. On the PortuDtese mainland, 85% Verdejo, and are oAen 100% Verde’o....... *.......... it is recommended in the DAO region and Verdejo winm are aromatic, often ~oA . ~d[as ~wws, Isay go to your favorite wing/~ and Rdl-bodied. %ey can be somewhat ~k questions ~d purchase a bottle or with the production of white port. Some Portuguese locales call this Gouveio. The Godello grape grown in northwest Spain is believed to be the same variety as Verdelho. %e grape has been successful in the vineyards ofAustralia, particularly the Hunter \~lley region, Langhorne Creek and the Swan Xga!le?: Australian versions of Verdelho are noted for their intense flavors vdth hints of lime and honeysuclde. California is producing more of this varietal as ,sell. St. Amant 2006 California Marquis Philips 2007 Australia Verdejo [ver-day-ho] This is a variety of wine grape that has long been grown in the Rueda winegrowing region of Spain. The grape originated in North Africa, and was spread to Rueda in about the 1 lth Century. For most of this time Verdejo was generally used to make a strongly oxidized, Sherry-like wine, In the 1970s the reminiscent of Sauvignon blanc warm climate. Gar~i Grande 2007 Spain Marquis de Riscal 2007 Spain : Share some food& wine with friendd a~d ehe~k this out for yourself. ,Vouv~ay[vooh-~ay] ’,Wines fi’om the French to the east ofTours are made in range of styles fi-om the Chenin Vintages in the Loire are variable, best years Vouvray can produce very long-lived white wines. It turns out that most chenin blanc 1970s what most generic, alcoholic" " by corporations consumed in rather than wine chenin blanc is exhibiting a nutty, Pichot 2007 Nais writer is one ofthe managers at the Grand Vin wine shop at Utica Square. He also bar tends and hosts wine & food events around town known as the Wine Enthusiasts ofTulsa. indude: / www. la~neSpecta- Verdicchio months recipe courtesy of: Crab Ingredients 1 Cup Mayonnaise 4 Eggs 1 V2 Cup Japanese Breadcrumbs 2 T Granulated Garlic 2 T Onion Powder 2 - I lb Cans Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (Indonesian or Philippine) 2 - 1 lb Cans Bacldin Crab Meat (indonesian or Philippine) Preparation: Mix first 5 ingredients together by hand. Drain Crab meat cans ofwater. Fold in Baclcfin crab meat first and then gently fold in jumbo lump crab meat being careful not to break up the lumps. If mixrure is too wet. add 1A cup more ofJapanese Breadcrumbs. Mixture should barely hold together. DO NOT PU/T .~NY ADDITIONAL SEASONINGS OR TOO MUCH BRREADCRUMBS IN! The drizzle on top of the crab cakes will give ir all of the seasoning it will need. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with half an 20 inch of corn oil. Once the mixture is made, take a 4 ounce scoop and pack in the crab cake mixture. Carefully place the flat side of the crab cake down in the oil for approximately ! - 2 minutes until golden brmvn. Place the crab cake on a pre-greased baking sheet, fried side up. These can now be held for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or finished offin the oven immediately; DRIZZLE INGREDIENTS (BAY MAYO) 1 Cup Mayonnaise 2 T Old Bay Dash ofGranulated Garlic % Cup Heavy Cream the ba~ 12 July 2009 Big-screen beckons Nell Patrick Harris xYvq~ite hosting this year’s Tony Axvards, Nell Patrick Harris joked about his second-class status as a "TV guy." But he’s atready proven he’s hilarious on the big screen in the Harold & Kumar movies, so now that second-tier status is about to change with two new film projects on the horizon. Harris has joined the cast of Beastly, the new film from gay director Daniel Barnz (Phoebe in Wonderland) that Romeo’s already reported on here, but the How I Met Your Mother star wilt also be playing a lead role in The Best and the Brightest. Harris plays a husband - way to break that gay-actor-curse NPH - from Ddaware whose wife goes bananas about social status when they move to New York City and try to get their kid into an elite kindergarten. Amy Sedaris, John ~ and Kate Mulgrew al~0 star in ~he latter; hit theaters before the end of 20!0. How to make a monster musicaJ More and more movies are being made from poptflar childhood toys, from dolls (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl) to action figures (Transformers) tO even board games (Clue). But now we’re getting a movie musical based on a toy that doesn’t even exist yet and will presumably be marketed alongside the film itself. Gay super-producers Craig Zadan and Nell Meron are reuniting with Hairspray composerlyricist Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott gc’ittman to make an original screen musical around an as-yet-unnamed Mattel monster toy. Every~daing’s being kept very much on the hush-hush, but the one thing that’s been revealed is that the property will "add a fresh twist to monster lore." No word yet on when this new musical will go into production, but Romeo bets five bucks that if the movie and the toy do well, an eventual Broadway adaptation is inevitable. And TV show. And more toys. And sequels. And ... Jake Gyllenhaal andAnne Hathaway Focus Features photo Brokeback spouses reunite Granted, the romance between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway in Brokeback Mountain was a tragic one involving the closet and deception and death, but these actors are determined to give it another go in a movie where he won’t be playing a gay cowboy. Love and Other Drugs will feature Gyllenhaal as a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer during the time when a revolutionary litde blue pill was hitting the market (the film is based on the book Hard Sell: Tne Evolution ofa Viagra Salesman) while Hathaway will play a woman with Parldnson’s with whom he begins a relationship after they meet on a sales call. Ed Zwick (Glor~ Defiance) is set to direct, with Shooting set to happen possibly as early as this fall. A movie about Viagra may make audiences stand at attention, but if the film lasts more than four hours, please, call your doctor. Romeo San PTcente hopes the monster-toy musical will be like the Dra~dapuppet rock operaj~om _ForgettingSarah Marshall_, complete withfull-fl’ontal male nudity. He can be reached care of thispublication or at DeeplnsideHollywOod@qsyndicate.com. ~LSA, 0g (PR). Continuing the m0fithl9 ShOwcase of local artists a the Equality Center (621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa ~ right next to Living Arts (Ok ) will feature Tulsa Artist Michael Cooper with an opening show and reception on Thursday, July 2nd from 6-gpm and continuing throughout the month ofJuly. Michael Cooper is an emerging artist in the Oldahoma scene, specializing in journalistic art, music, and portrait photography. In 2008 he joined Urban Tulsa Weekly as a staff photographer and has seen his work published in notable other Okie publications, induding Oklahoma Gazzette and Oklahoma Today Magazine. In his own words, "I have two eyes and one lens, and they battle each other for experiences daily. The way I see it - few people get to live their passion, and being an artist is mine. I’m just trying this road of exploration out, and I hope you’re there along for the ride". www.metrostarnews.corn gg{<~{:a~oSTA,R 13 MCC United ~°~"-~~o’~°" 918-838-171~ Metropolitan Community Chu~h put tb Chr° y Church 14 ;~÷troSTAR July 2009 www.metrostamews.com ~÷troSTAR 15 PHILADELPHIA, PA "As in one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the country" by Donald Pile and Ray Williams [)how: Gables Bed andBreakfizst Visiting Philadelphia for the first time -was certainly, a very exciting and interesting time for us. We knew ahead of time al! about the historical things to see and do but had no idea what else to expect. We first checked into The Gables Bed and Break~st which has been owned for the past 16 years by ~rren Cederholm and Don Caskey. Located in the University part of the city, it is a grand old Victoria home full of wonderful antiques from top to bottom. ~e house has a "wrap around" porch for guests to sit and have drinlcs and snacks or just to view the sights and sounds of the area. Each room is beautifully decorated in antiques. A full, and we do mean FULL sit down breakfast in the ~orma! dining room is served each morning. XYge are not talking doughnuts and coflree but a fail sit down brealNast. This was a perfect way to talk with the other guests to find out what others did the day" be~bre or were going to do that day. "While there we met guests from California, Alabama and all over. Many of the guests alwws stay there when visiting Philadelphia. Warren and Don are graciotts hosts and. al%r 16 years of taking guests into their lovely home, they seem to have been able to do it the right way< Another great thing about staying at The Gables is that the trolley system runs right in front of their house and you can take it downtown in just minutes, and it runs about every 20 minutes a!l day 10ng. The), have ample off-street parking behind their house which is a big plus. To begin your day, take the trolley downtown. From that point you can take another bus or ,valk south to the famous historical district of Philadelphia and visit all the places there. No trip to Philadelphia would be complete without visiting the Liberty Bell and the other historical places that are located within a few blocks of there. Philadelphia is proud of their art museums as well they, should be. ~-he Philadelphia Museum of Art is a first class museum and is a MUST for anyon& visit to the cits: A few blocks away is the Rodin Museum which houses more Rodin sculptors any~vhere except for Paris. There are maW other museums to visit also. Ofcourse every visitor to Philadelphia must try one of their famous Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches for lunch. There are a lot of gay bars in the ’~gayborhood" area of the city which is iust a few blocks west of downtmvn and easily ~vithin ~valking distance from the public transportation. Knock was our very favorite bar there. It is what a gay bar should be all about....... A clean bar where the owner/management/staff is super friendly; wl~ere the customers are super friendl> where you can walk in and really enioy yourself, located righ~ on the corner of Locust St. and I2th Street. They also have an excellent res~urant located in the bar. ~Pnis is one of the finest restaurants in the city ~vith fine white linen tablecloths and napkins on every table. Jim the Maitre ’d is extremely professional. The servers are very professional. They have a huge menu offering the very finest of cuisine. Owned by Bill Wood, this bar/restaurant is extremely popular with both people ~vho live in the city as ~vell as travelers. We were fortunate during our stay to see the Broadway pla}~ Grey Gardens which is about the life of the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy- Onassis. They lived in a 24 room house in the Hamptons on Long Island but were extremely poor and let their house run down something horrible. Mother and daughter loved (and hated) each other but were bound to live with each other until the mother finally died. There was a movie made about their lives and HBO came out with another movie a couple of months ago. Both live theatre as well as the visua! arts are a huge makeup in Philadelphia. You could easily spend a whole ~veek in this beautiful city and still not see everything. The architecture is unbelievably tremendous. On weekends, the Penn Landing downtown is full of vendors and local artists. Philadelphia is certainly a city that is welcoming gay travelers with open arms. There are just a handful of cities that you must visit in the country and Philadelphia is certainly" on our short list. Most cities you still need a car to travel around however not in this city. They have such a great public transportation system and is extremely safe and clean. Why can’t all cities do this? For more information on Philadelphia, visit: www.gablesbb.com and they are located at 4520 Chester Avenue. Phone: 215.662. ! 918. ?dso visit w~v<ka~ockphilly. COLT1 Another great website to visit is: http://www.gophita.com/c/your_ philadelphia/14/diverse_philadelphia/287/ gay~friendly_philadelphia/4.html and wwcw. gayphiladelphia.com On a personal note, we want to thank Bruce Yelk, Director of Human Resources & Gay Marketing, Greater Philadelphia Tourism marketing Corportation and to our friend Buster Stevens who hosted a wonderful dinner for us xvhile we were visiting. Photo: Famous Liber~_y Bell Philadelphia, PA Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! Wayne Fuller reported on gossipboy.com, an Oklahoma internet news service focused on the GLBT community, that Mr. Chiles had been convicted of Obtaining Money by False Pretenses in McClain County in 2006, for which he received a 2 year deferred sentence now completed. Since then a warrant for his arrest was issued for the same offense in Pontotoc County, which was in effect when he was elected to his Democratic Party position. Robert Chiles, Director &Founder ofPrject Pride Foundation ofOklahoma. Gorin photo On June 8, represented by attorney Gordon Melson, he appeared in court in Pontotoc Count-5: An agreement was reached ~vith the warrant withdrawn, and Robert ~vould have until August 27 to make restitution to the parties involved. On June 3, when cast members from the national tour of "The Drowsy Chaperone" did a benefit at Tulsa’s Renegades Club for Until There’s a Cure, an organization helping those with HIV. Mr. Chiles presented them with a large check payable to that organization. It likewise would not clear his bank. Mr. Chiles had been contacted by that organization and he promised them a cashier~ check which was not received as of press time. Following this, Mr. Chiles had asked the Red Ribbon Revue, a monthly benefit show performed at Renegades, to do a benefit for his Foundation. In a statement to gossipboy. corn Renegades entertainer Tabitha Taylor stated, "I’m glad this was caught before we did a fundraiser with the name attached." www.metrostamews.com ~÷{~oSTAR 17 18 July 2009 ,~.metrostarnews.com ~®~°~STAR t9 By Camper English Crafting the Cosmopolitan ~he Cosmopolitan is one tasty cocktail and probably most popular drink created in the last 30 years, but it is not magically original. The recipe calls for lemon vodka, lime iuice, orange liqueur, and a splash of cranberry for color. Minus the cranberry, the drink follows the formula of spirit plus lime plus orange liqueur. If that spirit is tequila, that’s a Margarita. If it’s unflavored vodka, that’s a Kamikaze. In fact. the prevailing theory on the creation of the Cosmopolitan is that it ,vas a spin-offofthe Kamikaze created by a Miami bartender named Cheryl Cook in 1985 or !986. She said the Cosmo is. ~ "Merely a ~ Kamikaze with Absolut Citron and a splash of cranberry juice." But her version called for Rose’s lime juice, a bottled lime juice that’s a poor substimte for freshsqueezed, and triple sec, which usually refers to the low-end orange liqueurs that are poor substitutes for Cointreau. These items are often served at high-volume bars that want to save money on (admittedly pricey) orange liqueur and don’t want their bartenders taldng the time to squeeze limes for each drink. But I find the Cosmo-to be intolerable ~vithout them. So too did Toby Cecchini, a New York bartender credited with finessing the drink into its best form. Someone told Cecchini about the drink, but in their version it was made with unflavored vodka, Rose’s lime, and the red-colored syrup grenadine. He liked the look of the drink - soft pink and served in a Martini glass - and experinaented ~vith ingredients to make the flavor match the fashion. In the end, his version came out just like Cheryl Cook’s version, but with better ingredients. This version caught on like wildfire in New York. causing Cecchini and other bartenders to make them by the thousands. In the era of bottled sour mix and vermouthflee Martinis. this drink seerned highmaintenance enough for Cecchini to call them "labor-intensive pink monstrosities." ~e trick to making a good pink monstrosity; even if you have the proper ingredients, is getting the ratio of them. right. Apparently this is a problem for bartenders ~oo - i’ve had Cosmopolitans i~ every shade from c!¢ar to deep red. When I make them at borne, I’m ~o~- laz/to Ioot up ~[~e recipe so I }ust ake ir ,,~ ingredient ar a vitae: ~ couo~e ounces of Charon a smat~ splash of Cointreau. and a large quantity of’lime. (I like them tart.) I make mine in keeping ,vith Cheryl Cook’s original instructions of ~jttst enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink." That’s my starting point, anyway. One thing I’ve learned making this drink is that cranberry juice, like slimming black clothing, hides many sins. Even if you get the initial ratios of liquor and juice all wrong, or have to resort to bottled lime )uice and bottom-shelf triple sec, you can always make a drinkable version of this drink. Just keep adding cranberry until it’s good. Vodka, Now Available in Juniper Flavor I like to think of"bathtub gift" as "Martinis by the poo!." but that’s not where the expression originated. It came about during Prohibition xvhen people would "make" their own gin by adding mail-order juniper flavoring to lowquality alcohol to help mask its awfulness. 2the weird tiring is, gin cocktails were awfully popular back then. Today it is still legal to make gin this way- not in the bathtub. but by adding juniper oil and other flavors to a neutral spirit like vodka. Thankftdly, most of the gins with which we’re familiar don’t do it like that. Gin usually starts with high-proof neutral spirit made from grains like corn, wheat, and rye. The gin distiller then selects a range of botanicals or botanical oils to infuse into the spirit, then redistills everything together. There are many different distilling methods gin makers employ, but this is probably only interesting to folks like me ~vho spend our spare time hanging out in distilleries on vacation. More interesting are the types of botanicals that go in to gin. Traditional brands like Beefeater, Plymouth, and Tanqueray contain many ingredients like citrus peels, coriander, cinnamon, and cassia bark. Newer gins on the market like Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick’s, and Martin Miller’s also include things like lavender, ginseng, rose, and green tea. All gins, by definition, must contain jtmiper (berries that smell like pine trees) as a dominant flavor, but the newer ones tend to put less of it in. While vodka lovers and gin lovers are usually different sorts of people (though I find versatility provides more options in the bedroom and the liquor cabinet)~ when it comes right down to it gin is really just juniper-flavored vodka. Ifyou’ve got vodka drinkers over for cocktails and you only have gin left, just tell them their drinks are made with "botanical vodka." If you’re in the opposite situation, tell them the vodka is "diet gin." Lying to your guests is the most entertaining part of entertaining them. The combination and concentration of the juniper, spices, citrus, and other botanicals is what gives each gin its unique flavor and makes it a better or worse fit for different cocktails. Some modern gins are so very citrusy and floral that they can be too perfumey for a Martini. (Hey, this drink smells like grandma!} On the other hand. when you add an intensely juniper-heaW gin ro a Gimlet or other mild cockt ills. s~metimes all you ~aste b rhe juniper. (Hey, this drink smells like where ~ ~andma is buried!~ 2O The trick is finding the right fit for each gin fqr your mouth. I prefer the old-style gins in a Martini, Aviation, Pink Gin, and Negroni. With the more-floral, less-juniper gins I like the Salty Dog, Gimlet, White Lady, and Vesper. But I find that no matter what kind of gin you have in the house you can always add it to tonic water and it will taste just fine. Tonic is the mixer that swings both ways. Camper English is a cocktails andspirits writer andpublisher ofAlcademics.com. Miss Gay Oklahoma 2009 Crowned in OKC By Victor Gorin Left: 2008 Miss Gay Oklahoma Adrienne Fischer, 1st altetmam Samantha West, Shantd l~£andalay &Miss Gay America Victoria DePaula. Gorin Photo worked their hearts out, hoping to be the next Miss Gay Oklahoma. Emceed by former Miss Gay America 2006 Nicole Dubois & former Miss Gay Oklahoma 2005 Pure Chocolate (as Steven), it got wild Saturday night as it wound down to 5 finalists with their friends cheering on their favorites. That fun fabulous contest came to a conclusion on Saturday night June 13 when Shantel Mandalay finally won the title of Miss Gay Oklahoma America after many years of pursuing that dream. A proud 3rd grade teacher who also coaches Special Olympics, Miss Mandalay and her entourage wowed the audience with a fast stepping dance routine to the C&W classic "The Devi! went down to Georgia" that brought the house down. It was also an emotional time for the current reigning Miss Gay Oklahoma Adrienne Fischer when she passed on her tide, joining many other former Miss Gay Oklahomas who were there for the occasion. Together with 1st alternate Samantha \Vest. Shantel will be eligible to compete in the national Miss Gay America competition to be held this year in St.Louis October 28.- November 1. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK It was a festive weekend June 11-13 at Angles in Oklahoma City when once again the girls lIGHT BILENT AUCTION- AND RAFFLES Dd. IKEY TURNS UP THE WITH OlSDg ALL NIGHT ~:mSTAR July 2009 ~’#~W.metrostamews.com @ Angles, Oklahoma City @ OGRA Pool Party, OKC @Club Majestic, Tulsa @Club 209, Tulsa Photo’s by Victor G. & Judy G. @ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa @ The Copa Oklahoma City @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City @ Finishlinel Oklahoma City @ OGRA Rodeo, OKC Tulsa Pride 09 Parade @ Tulsa Eagle, Tulsa @ Tulsa Pride 09 Parade www.metrostarnews.com , <,STAR 23 Oban~a administration defending DOMA is shocking and unsetding. Clearly, our selfdescribed ’fierce advocate’ needs significant additional pushing and pressure from all of US." Popular blogger John Aravosis: "A Democratic president of the United States of i~erica, in the year 2009. and an African- B~nerican child of inter-racial parents no less, gave his la~wers the go ahead ro compare our marriages to incest on the same day that 42 years ago the Supreme Court ruled in [ais parents’ favor in Loving v. Virginia.... We demand our rights, and we expect this president, who promised them in exchange [or millions of our votes and millions of our donations, to deliver. And so help me God, we will continue to hold this president accountable for his broken promises and his betrayals]" Lambda Lega!’s Legal Director Jon Davidson: "X~at they need to be asked is why they gratuitously went out of their -way ~o make the outrageous arguments they unnecessarily included such as that DOM2~ does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or that the right ar issue is not marriage but an unestablished rigi~t ~o ’same-sex marriage or that DOMA is somehow iustified in order to protect taxpayers ~;ho don’t want their tax do!lars used ro suppor~ lesbian and gay couples iwhile it~ apparently fine to make lesbians and gay men pay the same rm,:es but be &nied the benefits provided heterosexual couples) .... I am seething mad." Top Clinton aide R5chard Socarides: "It had such a buckshot approach ro it, a veritable kitchen sink of anti-gay legal theories, that it seemed expressly designed to inflict maximal damage ro our rights. Instead of malting nuanced arguments which took into account the president’s oi?-stated support for repealing DO1VLA -- a law he has called ’abhorrent’ -- the brief seemed to embrace DOMA and all its horrific consequences," Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors: "We ... call on President Obama m order the Justice Department ro file a supplemental brief reversing its position and instead urging the repeal of DOMA." National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey: "The malicious and outrageous arguments and language used in the Department ofJustice’s marriage brief is only serving to inflame and malign the humanity of same-sex couples and our families." Gay writer Dan Savage: "If this shit is ’fierce advocacy,’ Mr. President, we’ll take benign neglect.7 CBS News: "The anger from gay rights advocates toward President Obama is starting to boil over." ~!~e Wall Street Journal called Sotmonese’s letter to Obama "scathing." The New York Times editorialized: "The Obama administration, which came to office promising to protect gay rights but so far has nor done much, actually struck a blow" for the other side last week.... If the administration does feel compelled to defend (DOMA), it should do so in a less hurtful wa~: ... There writer Dan / Savage: "If ’\ dais shit is ’fierce advocacy; Mr. President, we’ll take benign / \... neglect." was no need to resort to specious arguments and inflammatory language to impugn samesex marriage as an institution." Plans apparently are shaping up for a gay March on Washington in October, spearheaded, it appears, by veteran activist Cleve Jones, the man who created the NAMES Proiect AIDS Memorial O~ilt."The President is in serious danger of motivating a huge mass of gay people to stream into \Ygashington for the simple ioy of standing in front of the White House and giving him a piece of their minds," wrote syndicated gay columnist \gayne Besen. "For what seemed Iike forever, Democrats told us that when the big bad Republicans went away, our lives would improve," Besen said. "XN~ell, the Republican nightmare is over, so why do I still feel like I’m in the middle of a political Friday the 13th movie? ... As far as I’m concerned, if the donkeys can’t detiv(r now, they can Idss my ass." On June 17, when Obama "delivered" to federal employees a smattering of spousal benefits, via issuance of a "memorandum," he did again denounce DOblA. "I think we all have to acknowledge this is only one step," the president said. the steps we have not yet t~en is to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. I believe it’s discriminatory, I think it interferes ,vith states’ rights, and we will work with Congress ro overturn it. \rUe’re gor more work to do to ensure that government treats all its citizens equally, to figh~ iniustice and intolerance in all its forms, and to bring about that more perfect union. I’m committed to these efforts, and I pledge to work tirelessly on behalf of these issues in the months and years to come.- Obama also expressed support for the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act. "Under current law, we cannot provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples," he said. "That’s why I’m proud to announce rny support for the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, crucial legislation that will guarantee these rights for all federal employees. I want to thank Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who is behind me somewhere -- there she is, right there -- for her tireless leadership on this bill and in the broader struggle for equality. I want to thank Sen. Joe Lieberman -- Joe is here -- as well as Susan Collins for championing this bill in the Senate, and Rep. Barney Frank for his leadership on this and so many other issues." Sounds good, but gay activists ~veren’t impressed. They want action. "We commend President Obama ana his administration for taking this beginning step to level the playing field but we look forward to working with him to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, overturn ’Dofft Ask, Don’t Tell’ and guarantee the entire American worl6brce is free from discrimination," said HRC’s Solmonese. The Associated Press said, "His (Obama’s) critics -- and there were many -- saw Wednesday’s incremental move to expand gay rights as litde more than pandering to a reliably Democratic voting bloc." Lamb& Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart: "While ending any of the discrimination against gay and lesbian federal employees is a welcome step, today’s ... announcement falls far short of our hopes and expectations. President Obama dearly understands how important it is for people to have health insurance coverage ro protect their loved ones and this plan does not provide that. Lambda Legal is representing Karen Golinsldi, a federal employee who works for the judicial branch and who is seeking health insurance coverage for her same-sex spouse. A federal judge has already issued an administrative decision in that matter, concluding that, within the existing roles, the federal government can choose to provide health insurance for same-sex partners. Vie think they should.... The day is long past for incomplete, piecemeal fixes that leave hard-worldng families uninsured and struggling." People For the American W’ay President Michael B. Keegan: "Today’s presidential memorandum is a very small step in the right direction, but it’s a token, and tokens are no longer enough. DOMA stands in the way of real progress for same-sex couples nmv denied federal recognition and protection, and its repeal is tong overdue. President Obama has a unique ability to provide the moral leadership to ensure that all Americans are treated equally under the law. but so far he has failed to exercise it. We urge the president to live up to his own rhetoric about being a ’fierce advocate’ fbr gay and lesbian Americans. Taking action on his pledge to repeal DOMA would be ~vorthy of the vision that he held out to Americans during his campaign NGLTF’s Carey: "This presidential memorandum today will extend some selected protections to the same-sex partners and families of federal employees.... This memo is one building block toward full equality, and much more remains to be done in order for the administration to live up to the promises of equality the president made as a candidate on the campaign trail.... We also call on the president to take additional steps that will have a positive impact on our health, our livelihoods and our families’ safety that do not require legislative action. These include reversing the standing policy of the U.S. Census Bureau to manually un-marry any same-sex couple who lawfully states they are married on the 2010 census, extending employment protections to federal employees based on gender identity, and reversing the regulations that continue to throw roadblocks in the way of HIV-positive individuals who want to travel to this country." NCLR’s Kendell: "The policy announced today by the president committing to a federal ~vorkplace free from discrimination is a step in the right direction but inadequate and long overdue. It leaves out millions ofAmerieans who do not work for the federal government and fails to include key benefits including health insurance. When running for office, then candidate Obama called equality for LGBT people a ’moral imperative.’ We will continue to demand this administration live up to the president’s promise of achieving ’full equality for the millions ofLGBT people in this country.’" The language is strong and the front is unified. Nae White House clearly is listening, but when will our "fierce advocate" act? Writing on his house.gov Web site June 16, gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polls, D-Colo., said: "I am a proud Democrat, as are many in the LGBT community, and I believe we must hold our leaders accountable. The Obama Administration made a HUGE mistalte in the DOMA brief. If they keep malting mistakes like this. they risktosing the support of the GLBT community forever, although I do not believe we are at that point yet. President Obama needs to honor his promise ro repeal this ... hateful and divisive law. As the New York Times editorialized yesterday, ’busy calendars and political expediency are no excuse for malting one group of Americans wait any longer for equal rights.’" labor of love really," said Arbuckle. "We ate like a family here." The organization serves men, women and children. "XWe have about 30-40 children who may be infected or have parents who are," adds Arbuclde. Recently, Arbuckle submitted a grant application to the }v’La,C-AIDS Fund which is an organization established in 1994 that globally supports all persons lMng with HIV/AIDS. "It is a passion for our company and our staff," said Armando Ortiz, MAC Retail Manager at Penn Square Mall. "We refer to this as the heart and soul ofMAC Cosmetics. MAC stands for Make-up, Art and Cosmetics. "Our Viva-Glam program is where the monies come from," adds Ortiz. "We give back 100% of the selling price back to the community. This program is really something we embrace in our company." MAC Cosmetics has been in business since I984 and has donated over $t35 million dollars to date through the MAC-AIDS Fund. Other Options has changed some over the years and now focuses primarily on their Friends Food Pantry. "The other services are provided so well by other organizations in the city that we focus on the nutritional program now," said Mary Arbuckle, Director of the Other Options organization. "\ge work well together with RAIN Oklahoma, the OU Infectious Disease Clinic, and other local organizations so our clients can ger all the hdp they need and so there is less duplication of services." Friends Food Pantry is exclusive to the HIV and MDS community. Clients come to the srore to shop each week. "We give them a shopping cart and let them select their own items, which is different than most food banks," adds Arbuckle. "We want to empower their mind; we don’t want them to feel like it’s a charity." Arbuckle says they plan ro spend the majority of the MAC-AIDS grant on their Boost program, which provides the high-prorein Boost drink to those in most need of the nutritional supplement. Donations to Other Options are always ~velcomed and appreciated. For more information about Other Options or the Friends Food Pantry, please call (405) 946- 8577. by Jack Fertig July 2009 "Pay attention, Cancer!" Saturn square Mercury would normally bring out everyone’s inner critic, but with Saturn in Virgo and Mercury in Gemini, bitchy outbursts are to be expected. If you’re feeling brilliant, write it down and think twice before saying it aloud. Take a long view and look for opportunities for self-improvement, ARIES (March 20 - Apri~ 19): Stay focused on work. Any personal remarks, especially about colleagues, are sure to get you into trouble. Your critical analyses and recommendations for improvement are probably a bit off the mark, but at least they show you’re paying attention. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Avoid gambling and investments in any game play strictly for funsies. Focus on developing skill at your sport or hobby. That’s an uphill slog, too, but something that’s just fun now can have practical value down the road. GEMiNi {May 21- June 20): If you get any criticism from family or roommates, thank them for sharing and think about what they say. There may be something to it. Responding in kind will only start an a~ui argument. CANCER (June 21~- July 22): Pay attention where you’re walking or driving. Distractions inside your own head can cause awful accidents. Be aware of your surroundings, and you can find better ways to bang up against someone. LEO (Ju~y 23 - August 22): You’re inclined to be very critical of someone’s political values, so why not focus on your own? In this era of diminishing resources, we all need to step back and re-think things. Brainstorming with friends will help you update your perspective. VlRGO (August 23 - September 22) The sharp edge of your wit is very much in evidence. Keep it focused on practical matters and attention to your own health and well-being. When tempted to speak of others, make extra effort to keep it kind and constructive. L~B~ (September 23 - October 22): There’s always room for selfimprovement, but don’t beat yourself up with your faults, which you’re now likely to exaggerate anyway. A creative focus for your inner critic could help you to be more realistic. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): As your brain races around sex, you may want to look beyond simple gratification. That has its time and place, but think seriously about your relationships and what you’d want to be doing - and with whom - in 20 years. SAG!TTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): You will get into arguments. Stay focused, principled and respectful. The way you press your point can earn you a great deal of respect. Stay clear on details and graciously accept correction when it’s appropriate. CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Take it slow and easy. Pay attention to details and you’ll have fewer accidents and arguments at work. Sex seems a great release for stress, but is it really? Focus on what’s important at work and at play. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): You may be losing yourself helping others, and fun may feel more like work. An analytic approach to techniques of craft, sport and/or pleasure reconciles the latter. Being ruthless and selfish for a bit is now good for you. PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Domestic criticisms are nearly inevitable. Being self-critical will help keep you out of arguments, but give yourself credit as well as blame. Your partner’s shortcomings on that score are highlighted because of your focus. If you must say something, be kind and gentle! Community for People iving with H R/!A DS A 50’f c (3) Non t rofit Or~nizadon 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 everyda~: We provide a Toiletry and Household Pantry for those "who are HIV+ and or living with AIDS who cannot afford to purchase these items for themselves. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer or provide financial assistance to please contact us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail ourhousetoo9865@sbcglobat.net 112 3 4 ~5 6 7 8 9 ~10111213 14 ~ 15 17 18 19 66 67 68 69 70 7I 43 Ausmas capital( to Aust ~ans ~ ’Watcha~Liberg~ game h~re 18 Irritating : , 50 of Seventeefi : 52 :l~i~---~"s home Stat~ (abgr:}; ~3 cone Out ~nthe b~a~h 5~ ~Evbr~tt S Monkey Zetterland 58 E~d of the a~eadline ~ 52 Adult filly 69 %v0some 70 Second name in cross-dressing 7! Doest" own 31 33 Prefix with 35 In the sack 38 "Lead into temptation" 39 Casey J0n~s, e.g. 40 GOt excited , 41 Hollinghurst s 7~e Swimming~Pool 42 Edmontons province 45 Many a place near Aspen 46 Ball {vh£ckers, in Ping-Pong 47 U-turn from SSW ~9 Gate design, 1 C. Marlowes tongue 55 Golfer Sam 57 Overhand stroke, for Mauresmo 59 It gets spilled at wild parties 60 Beat it 61 Peruvian native 65 Quit, with "out" Solution page 26 We :welcome ~[etters fro ers. Shorter letters are more likely to be printed, as are those that addreks ohly a Singte topiC, Letters are subject to editing for lefigt|i and clarity. In- ClYde your hO~ addr~s} an~ ~,~time phone fiumber fo~-~;efifidatiDm Send l{~rs to the 4ditor~ pFe ly:~ ii (~iam£ws@sl;cglobal.ndt)~ Le{ters als~ may be mailed (Metro Stem P~ Box 5~i 7’18, TulSa, IOK 7~ 158) ~wcw.metrostarnews.com ;~8÷troSTAR 25 Stage Performance To Benefit C arron Alliance OK~AI-IOMA CITY, OK (PR) __ lheatre lovers are invited to attend an upcoming performance of a Carpenter Square Theatre production with proceeds benefiting the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. Carpenter Square’s Thursday, July 2, production of"The Little Dog Laughed" will benefit Cimarron and cimarronAP,TS! The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, at a discount, are $15 and can be purchased £nline at: CAF Carpenter Square provides the following synopsis of tl~e show: Mitchell Green is a handsome young movie actor who is on the verge of major stardom. His agent can’t seem to keep him in the closet due to his "slight recurring case of homosexuality." And as if that’s not enough, he falls in love with his most recent "rent boy" and wants to announce it to the world. Helping him navigate Holl.~;~vood’s choppy waters, his shark of an agent Diane does everything she can to keep him away ~?om the rent boy and the rent boy’s girlfriend (wait, the rent boy has a girlfriend?), but it’s not smooth sailing. Ticket sales are limited to 200, so buy )!our rickets early! Jamie Fo~ Jul 9, 2009 at BOK Center Ticket Prices: $69.75 and $59.75 "l~is summer heats tip with a tour from one of the Imrtest artists to move fi:om the big screen to the stage. Jamie Foxx begins a summer tour in July and makes Tulsa one of the first stops. eridm Idols Live Jul 24, 2009 at BOK Center Tulsa Tickets Prices: $69.50, $55.50, $40.50 Fans ofAmerica’s #1 show will once again have the chance to catch their favorite "Idols" performing live in concert, as the top 10 contestants from American Idol season 8 hit the road in the highly anticipated summer tour. Aerosmith Ju130, 2009 at BOK Center AEROSMITH with ZZ TOP July 30 @ 7:30pro Ticket Prices: $129.50, $89.50, $49.50 ~EROSMITH--STEVEN TYLER (vocals), JOE PERRY (guitar), BP4\D ~WHITFORD (guitar), TOM HAMILTON (bass) and JOEY KP,a~_MER (drums)--made history last year when Activision released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, marldng the first music-based game built around the legendary music of Aerosraith. Kdth Urban Aug 7, 2009 at BOK Center @ 8:00pm Keith Urban with Sugarland Ticket Prices: $77, $47 and $20 Grammy Award winner Keith Urban, one of the industry’s raost explosive and critic~dly hailed live acts, will be stopping at the BOK Center on Friday, August 7th fi~r his "Escape Together ~otld Tour" together with KC Masterpiece° and Kings~rd° featuring multi-platinum superstars Sugarland. Webs#e- www.kylecomics.com E-Mail- KylesBnB@aol,com bi~er gir! 2{3 @~:{:~oSTAR July 2009 Support those who support us. Their A HABANA INN 2200 NW 39TH ~KESSWAY Oldakoma City, OK 405-528-2221 wsvw.habanainn.com KELLY KIRBY, CPA 48 I5 S. I-DYRVARD, SUITE 424 Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466 Certified Public Accountant ROUTE 66 ANTIQUE MALL 4624 E. ! lth Street Tulsa OK 918-836-3838 VALERIE WILLIFORD 625 N.W. 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 405-226-8585 CONFIDENTIAL CAP~ & CONSULTATION-OKC 405-326-9652 NATIa~q BLACK PRIMEP£CA 10820 E. 45th #305 Tulsa. OK 918-615-8177 nblack.rn#39@primerica.com OKC MORTUARY 2415-C N. "WALNUT AVE. Olda~oma City, OK 80B-9!3-t310 GARY CORNETT FUTUPJTY FIRST IN S. Tulsa. OK 918-688-!360 ads allow us to distribute your community news FREE to you. THE LEDO 2200 NW 39TH E~RESSWAY Oklalloma City, OK 405-525-0730 www.habanainn.com TULSA EAGLE 1338 E. 3RD Tulsa, OK 918-592-1188 Open 7days week 2pm to 2am CHURCH of the OPEN ARMS 3131 N. PENN, OKC, OK 405-525-9555 Service Sunday 10:45 AM 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 Sunday 6pm MCC UNITED 1623 N. Maplewood, Tulsa, OK 918-838-1715 www.nlcctulsa.org RFAL:ESTATE: ARMANDO AMOR Keller Williams Realty 1624 SW !22nd Oklahoma City, OK 73170 405-473-6870 CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE 3627 IxYgg EXPRESSWAY Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-840-2106 www.c21 goldcasde.com CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE Keller Williams Realty Tulsa, OK 918-706-1887 CINDY LOLLIS Castle Finders Realty Owasso, OK 74055 918-697-7406 OKZAHOMANS for EQUALITY 621 E. 4th Street Tulsa, OK 74120 918-743-4297 www.okeq.org OUR HOUSE, TOO 203 N: Nogales Ave Tulsa, OK 74127 918-585-9552 ~NG OF MASSAGE In or Out Calls Oklahoma City, OK 405-882-6127 THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE In Calls Only, N\V OKC 405-822-7378 nwokcmassageguy@aol.cim ANGLES 2 ! 17 N~V 39th St. Oklahoma City, OK JUDY G. 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BOULDER %lsa, OK 918-584-9944 CLUB MAJESTIC !24 N. BOSTON Tulsa, OK 9!8-584-9494 FINISHLINE ~oo NW 59TH EXPreSSWaY Oklahoma Civ, OK 405-525-2900 ~l=,v.habanainn.cona THE COPA 2200 NW 39TH E~SSWAY O~om~ Cit~ OK 405-525-0730 x~m,w.habanainn.com Start building a business today to supplement your" income in case of layoff. High potential commissions. Excellent instruction. Set your own hours. Call NATHAN BLACK Chuck Breckenridge Whether buying or selling I’ll work hard for you. www.metrostarnews.com ~÷troSTAR 27 28 July 2009 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] Metro Star Magazine, July 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 7 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Metro Star’s first issue began in August of 2008. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004), The Ozark’s Star (2004), and The Star (2005). This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit. This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Star Media, Ltd Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Star Media, Ltd Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 1, 2009 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 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chaz Ward Victor Gorin Greg Steele James Nimmo Jeanne Flanigan Rex Wockner Gerald Libonati Michael W. Sasser Robin Dorner-Townsend Romeo San Vicente Andrew Collins Donald Pile Ray Williams Jack Fertig Devre Jackson Judy G. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Southwest Missouri West Arkansas Southeast Kansas Eastern Oklahoma The United States of America (50 states) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Metro Star Magazine, April 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 4 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/128 The Metro Star Magazine, August 1, 2009; Volume 6, Issue 8 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/129 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/133 Adam Lambert adoption California HIV church Clara Nipper cocktail chatter Comics commentary crossword puzzle Dick Cheney dining discrimination Diversity Business Association domestic-partnership bill Don't Ask Don't Tell First Thursday gay police ban Hillary Clinton homophobia international news Joplin pride June 2009 Keith Kimmel Kyle's Bed and Breakfast legalization of same sex marriage lesbian Noir License Plate MAC cosmetics Michael Cooper Miss Gay National news Obama Oklahoma City Rodeo Oklahoma News Other Options Pride Month pride Parade Qscopes R.A.I.N. Robin Dorner snap shots spousal benefits and protection stage Star Scene The Metro Star travel Tulsa Tulsa Pride's Diversity Festival https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/eac7887ade00dcfa8e1184f997db935e.jpg 88e020f1620d1287acf1e5d3f6e27cd2 https://www.history.okeq.org/files/original/0a874b85f223e8edabaf930243d17061.pdf 4a0463be78d24ad2fcc4b11b0f18c75e 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. Text Any textual data included in the document PROUDLY SERVING THE GLBTA COMMUNITY sa's Event of the Year 3rd ~ualMiss Batn),oo"·Pageant! . Inside Page 16 Page 2 Joplin,Mo Our. first issue distributed on New Years Eve 2003 was just eigh/'. ··., half were color and half no color; copies where banded 01,1t at Ree's Bar ln:Joplin and several bars in Springfield. Ree's was the first paid advertisement. We were so excited, SW Missouri_ at last bad a gay paper. Chaz Jr., T. J Kelly and myself came up with the idea one night in Ree's whil~ planning a beiiefit for the Community Free Clinic. We needed to advertise the event, but the only GI.BT publications \Vb.ere . from Kansas City, Wichita, and The; !3-ayly. We couldn't afford the ad's arid we_w~nted more than just a printed piece of paper;_We had often discussed the fact that the hi:ige GLBT population in the region ha<L!?-9 representation or community voice_:/);'h:g~, what you know today as the "Ozarks; Star" was born. Through the efforts of many people in the past year, the Ozarks Star has become a viable source 0£ community information and news, not only locally, but from ;around the world. The SW Missouri, NW Arkansas, Oklahoma, SE Kansas •GLBT communities have become closer and_ people . :tre traveling the region to places that \Vete unknown a year ago. I have personally made many wonderful new friendships and acquaintances this year because of the · magazine. You are all sincerely appreciated. May your heart be fifkd with h.ppiness and low this holiday season and throu?}out the coming year ................... C.D. Ward ' J I I A call for Action ... We have just fought a tough and difficult campaign to loose. And now there is no time to stop, rest or even take time to evaluate what just happed because now we face a new challenge here in little Joplin, Missouri or rather Webb City, Missouri. A Webb City High School student wore his pride shirt to school. It seems that they have a dress code that excludes clothing that promotes or advertises products, causes or anything that may cause a commotion. Yet students were allowed to use bumper stickers on clipboards, notebooks and cars that promoted hate issue such as gay marriage. It seems as though this dress code is being enforced only when it is convenient. One teacher asks what the pride emblem meant, it was explained and that teacher responded with, "cool". Then one teacher decided to make it a "commotion" by asking him if he thought it was appropriate for school. When he said there was nothing wrong with the T-shirt he was sent to the school office. He was given the option of turning the shirt inside out or going home. He was in the process of leaving when a friend offered to exchange shirts with him and they did. The friend stayed the remainder of the day without being challenged. Imagine that... consistency between teachers and enforcement of rules. This has now gone to the ACLU for review and at iast resort they will be pursuing this through legal means. But the ACLU has a nasty shirt tail they can't shake and so does our community. The Rev ( title used with reservation )Fred Phelps of Kansas has decided to protest all sinners at the Webb City High School and surrounding churches that allow God's love to seep in. Fred Phelps has protested churches around the country and is well known for his hateful, almost Nazi approach in dealing with anyone who does not agree with his and only his view. At the funeral of Matthew Shepherd he had a sign that read, "God Hates Fags, Just Ask Matthew, and he will answer from hell." I am getting a lot of calls about this and what stand the church is taking. I t.hink the more we react to this man the more fuel it gives him and by staying away we steal his thunder. Some Queer business leaders are hoping this will just go away, The B-GLAD organization from MSSU and the Young Democrats are planning a "peaceful" counter protest. I believe where we go from here is being the best we can be. That means showing all people that we are families in the best since of the word. Now let's put this in perspective and let's keep it in HOPE! We must understand the system and we need to remember that our Government is not a democracy but a republic ... basic Government 101. We need then to take hope in our system and know that even though it won't be an easy four years there is hope. As Rev. Troy Perry stated, "the hard work of human rights has always been that of many steps forward and some steps backward." We have all heard the verbiage; we lost the battle, not the war." This is a set-back but it only means NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION. We need to start with a definition of family, morale values and put church were it belongs while that doesn't mean in war. I am sickened by the righteous conservatives and those that oppose human rights even in this country and use God instead of serving God! We need to a definition of family that promotes varues that we can all share . .. cont-pg 15 Page 6 NGLTF_ Media Release -Older Gays Involved in Caregiving For Family Member At Rates Equal To Or Exceeding Those in the General Population ~FAMILIES OFTEN EXPECT MORE CAREGIVING FROM GAY SIBLINGS -But U.S. Policies on Aging Do Not Reflect Needs of Older Gav Caregivers, Study Finds · NEW YORK - Nearly half of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB1) individuals over 50 are heavily involved in caregiving, both for members of the families they grew up in and for same-sex partners and close friends, according to a new study released today by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, Pride Senior Network, and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. In fact, gay people over 50 may actually be caregivers at a higher- rate than their counterparts in the general population. The largest-ever study of older gay people's caregiving experiences, "Caregiving Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender New Yorkers" was released' by the Task Force Policy Instirute at the SAGE National Conference on Aging in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trarisgender Communities, held at New York University, today, June 18. (Caregiving is the extensive, hands-on help with the tllSks of daily living for the very sick or frail.) "Far from shying away from family responsibilities, this study shows that gay people are equally if not more devoted to &mily members and loved ones in need," said Matt Foreman, Task Force executive director. Forty-six percent of the 341 LGBT New Yorkers surveyed had been caregivers at the rime of the survey or in the previous five years, greater than the 44% rate among people over 50 in the general population, as estimated by the AARP. The average length of a caregiving episode among survey respondents was eight years: among the. general population in the United States, the average length of a caregiving episode is only 4.3 years. "We are very appreciative of the Task Force's effons in this study. The findings underscore what we have learned from both caregivers and care recipients in the LGBT community," said Terry Kaelber, executive director of SAGE, _Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders. "Ours is a community with a strong history of caregiving to both our biological and our chosen families. To provide care on a regular basis can be an overwhelming responsibility and there simply ate not enough support mechanisms in place for those people in a caregiving role. More than one-third of the caregiving respondents said that their non-gay siblings expected more of them when it came to providing care for older relatives precisely because they were gay. Nearly one-quarter (22%) of respondents provided assistance to a blood relation for reasons ranging from Alzheimer's to the frailty that comes with old age. More than two-thirds of those providing such cate were primary caregivers for that family member. Half provided assistance daily, and anotber 24% several times a week. Another quarter (24%) had been caregiv:ers for same-sex partners or close friends. Fiftyeight percent of those had provided assistllnce on a daily basis; 23% provided care several times per week. (Other key findings appear at the end of this release.) In spite of this, some respondents were unable to be open about their own sexual orientation with other family members. Not surprisingly, nearly three-quarters of the caregivers in this srudy reported high levels of emotional stress related to caregiving, and respondents were six times more likely to report feeling depressed than the population as a whole. Worse, key poiicy frameworks that support caregivers such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, Social Security, and Medicaid, as well as most state family leave programs - discriminate against same-sex partners who need to care for their loved ones. Continued page-25 ........... .. ij :1 1 l i I Page 7 our ON VN:ATION "Trav~ ill .. ., ~y frie■4ly werlj" by Donald Pile and Ray Williams gaytravelers@aol.com OUR SEPTEMBER WEST COAST TRIP 2nd /,zstal/ment (Photo: Donald and Ray with Claude, the famous Swiss skier and his life pdrtner, Prince Fabien) After a fun time in West Hollywood it was time to travel to Palm Springs for more fun, excitement, parties and ? We AL WAYS have a grand time in Palm Springs. Our very special favorite place to stay is the Fabulous TERRAZZO Resort, 1600 East Palm Canyon Drive. Tom and Doug have done a remarkable job with their resort. That is why they have so many repeat guests there all the time. They simply "DO THINGS RIGHT"! We gave a party at the Terrazzo our second night there and it was attended by the guests at the Terrazzo as well as dear friends who live in Palm Springs. When you can give a party under the stars in Palm Springs and have so many wonderful and exciting people there you have to have a grand time. Two wonderful artists were at our party .... Robert Shafer and Giorgos Dimakis are extremely professional artists who have a thriving business in Palm Springs. Their still life oil paintings are the best that we have ever seen by a living artist. They both are tremendous. Their studio/ gallery is downtown. Palm Springs. Also attending our party were Denise, Joanna and the fabulous Doreen, all from the Casitas La.quite Resort in Palm Springs. The following day we hosted Tom and Doug to lunch at Melvyn's which is our very favorite restaurant in Palm Springs. Melvyn of course is a real gem. Brian, the Maitre 'd and Miguel our waiter KNOW how to do things the right way. It is always such a treat to experience such a fabulous dining experience as we always do when we dine at Melvyn's. People have been coming to this restaurant for many years simply because it is the "best of the best". Later that evening our dear friend, Stefan Hemming hosted a party at his estll.te which is the former estate of the late Liberace. A grand time was had by all and we got to meet new and exciting people. Bradley who is one of the finest singers in the business graciously sang a few songs. The next day two Swiss gentlemen checked into the Terrazzo Resort from Zurich, Switzerland. One was the noted skier, Qaude and his life partner, Prince Fabien. They had flown in to California and were touring several cities. They were very interesting, good looking and extremely intelligent. We took them shopping at all the fun places in Palm Springs and then we dined at the Cedar Creek Inn in the evening. We ordered their very special Pasta dishes. What is money for if you don't spend it? Another very interesting gentleman, Alf, originally from Germany also was staying at the Terrazzo Reson. He now is living in the Northwest pan of the United States. He is good looking, educated with a brilliant mind. He was very interesting to talk with. The next night, our dear friend Burt hosted a dinner party at LcValarise Restaurant. Dining under the stars, we WERE the stars, and why not? Jim and Stefan even performed a duet at the piano. Burt is one of the most energetic and interesting men we have met . .................................... continued page-26 Page 8 me a th Dame Edna Storms back to Broadway in her newly minted extravaganza. Following the national success of her previous lifeenhancing and much loved shows which hllve been buried beneath an avalanche of international awards, Dame Edna returned to her private estate in her native Australia to review the state of the world from her unique point of view. During that time she crafted her latest offering, which is set in an all-new theatrical infrastructure. "Edna will glow from the stage in a series of never-before-seen gowns. She will sing, dance, give psychic readings to astonished audience members, offer marriage counseling and perhaps even heal," promises Tony Award-winning production designer Brian Thomson. "I'm glad you didn't ring a minute earlier because I was. with my gynecologist," declares Dame Edna Everage in lieu of hello, "and he said thli.t I was fit for Broadway. He said, 'Edna, you've still got your drives and juices, and you're all ready for The Great White Way.' Mind you, it wasn't The Great White Way he was looking at." Dame Edna's Coffee Table Book, Dame Edna's Bedside Companion and her seminal autobiography, My Gorgeous Life, which is currently being adapting for the stage and screen. Possibly Jewish, Dame Edna is a widow, with three grown children.She spends her time visiting world leaders and jet-setting between her homes in Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Switzerland and Martha's Vineyard.She is the Founder and Governor of Friends of the Prostate and the creator of The World Prostate Olympics. Date of Birth: February 17 Place of Birth: Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australill Sign: Aquarius Occupation: Actor, Comedian, Writer, Composer, Painter Education: Melbourne University, Griffith University (Honorary Doctorate) Relations: Father: (construction manager), wife: Lizzie Sepnder, father-in-law: Stephen Spender (poet), daughters: Emily Humphries (artist) and Tessa Humphries (actress), son: Oscar Humphries Qournalist) Broadway Debut: 1963 (Oli'Oerl) Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage Out of drag (at right), Humphries made his Broadway debut as understudy to Fagin in the original 1963 production of OlifJer!. As his drag alter ego, he's become a superstar, earnitig a 2000 Tony Award for Dame Edna: The Royal Tour. Humphries is best known as his drag persona - the purple haired, Melbourne housewife named Dame Edna - that he created in connection with the Olympic Games in 1956. Page 9 Spirit of Christ Metropolitan_ Community Church -¥ Presents In Concert ¥ Shawn Thomas ¥ A breath of fresh air in Christian music, an energetic and dynamic witnei::f:; in music for all affirming • )t- communities. • .- * iC * .... uecember 18, 2004 6PM --¥ 2902 E 20th Street Unity of Joplin building Page 10 MCC Comm,miutions Dq,artmmt. Prtss R~ Nowmber 4, 2004 MCC Leader Lupe V~ld--.z Elected Sheriff of Dallas County, Texas ( ~ Tq11s ~ On November 2, Lupe Valdez, a longtime ~ember and lay leader of Mcffi?politan Community Churches, was elected as the new Sheriff of Dallas County in Texas. The Dallas Morning News describes Lupe's election as a "breakthrough victory." An article under the headline "Vi,ldez scores historic victory" notes that Lupe is the first woman and the first Hispanic to be elected Dallas County Sheriff in this heavily Republican county. As the Democratic candidate, Lupe defeated the Republican candidate, who was a three-decade veteran of the sherifrs department. Prior to the election, political observers favored her opponent to win the election. A major factor in Lupe's campaign success was her more than 30 yean in professional law enforcqgient. Lupe has served as a corrections officer at both county_ and federal levels, and has many years experience as a US Special Agent. Most recently she was a Senior Special Agent with the US Department of Homeland Security. Lupe retired from fedeml law enforcement in January 2004 to run for the office of sheriff in Dallas County. Toward the end of the campaign, her opponent raised Lupe's sexual orientation as an issue. Cotnplaioing that she had received an endorsement and contribution from the Victory Fund, an organization that supports openly gay or lesbian candidates, Lupe's opponent suggested that she would use the office of sheriff as a platform to advance issues such as gay/ lesbian rights and same-sex marriage. Lupe asserted that sexual orientittion should have no bearing on the race, and would play no role in how she ran the department. In a profile on the candidates three days before the election, the Dallas Morning News reported that Lope is "openly gay" and stated that "She is a member of the Metropolitan Community Churches, a worldwide fellowship of Christian churches with a special outreach to gay and lesbian communities." In her victory statement to supporters and the media on Tuesday night, Lupe Valdez said, "We are an intcmational county with people of all ethnic groups, rich and poor, gay and straight, and this is what I want to represent." For more than 25 years, Lupe Valdez has been an active lay leader in Metropolitan Community Churches, serving MCC in Dallas as a deacon and boa.rd member and serving the denomination as Director of Security for General Conferences from 1989 to 2003. She currently serves as a member of the Moderators Nominating Committee and is an active member of Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas. Page 11 The Ozarks Star alternatlve nightcli.ib 716 w. sycamore Fayetteville, AR 479-571-1300 www.studio716.net OPEN wed-sun 9pm - 2am WEDNESDAYS: Cruisn' for the Hook-up on HUMP-DAY! Happy Hour $5 Beer Bust THURSDAYS: Karaoke till' 12 then it's the Plastic Thursday Dance Party with DJ "COLT" FRIDAYS: Friday Night get WILD with DJ "JUX" & the Best Mix of HipHop, Tech & YOUR requests all night long! SATURDAYS: It's the 716 EXTREME DANCE PAR1Y with DJ "BRANDON J" SUNDAYS: The Queens of NWA@ 11:30 Every Sunday & DJ "IRISH" Spinning all night long!! Office lic~osed in Missouri, Arhutsa.a,.Illinois & Cblorado This Is Shelter Country. Here in our community you will find Shelter Agent Greg Tainter. We're proud to serve this com:m.unity and our customers. Call today and ask about ou:i: services. Life-Worker's Comp.-Home-Auto-B:im-Business Greg W. Tainter, LUTCF Post Office Box 339 Eureka; Missouri 63025 i",1:·.ci'aa)~3a:.ssoo fa# (636) 938-3539 -· .• .:·• :v:~-- ".\. .com Scifi novel joi1:1s gay marriage dibate. •Lubbock:, Texas: . When D:uatif Simo~J: · < . Degraooo: A Science . . . trite ih June 2004, he made thrc~'oftlie central characters gay, and used them ·to·further delve into contemporary issues, . .ipcludiog . gay marriage. While th«:~•fir!lt e.<litlon · (published J aowu:y 200.?f show~d gay · marriage as legal and:a tioO:.J~sue, the :Second edition further iii,'.i::9rporates. . allels to anti-gay cr,us~des in real life. . or example, one .o{tlie passages explains a series of coostituiiofuu amendments tp.at supposedly protei::~ed society on the planet V alchondp~ bu:(~ctuilly led to :discrimination at:td, of human rights. .·. . . invading worl fanatical and divisive as in the otigirWl, with characters using . . . justify violence and oppression against each other and everyont else .. A review appearing in the October 1, 2004 issue of X-Factor www.xfactor.com explains how Degranoo's second edition explores gay man:iJtgc and other contemporary issues, s~og that "Duane Simolke establishes his voice in gay genre writing" with those explorations. Though best known for his books, Simolke also writes for This Week In Texas . His Web site http://duanesimoike.com includes Rainbow: Lubbock, an onlioe newsletter for his fellow gays in Lubbock, Tens. With that location, he sees much of the antigay debate, usually framed in religious or family arguments. Page 15 The Ozarks Star Steve Urie from pg-5 My family doesn't fit that box. My family is the man I call my husband, Heath and we have family values that we can share and be proud of. We are in a relationship, love each other, both work and are dedicated to our jobs but take time for each other. It is always a struggle but we are attempting to be a family role-model for your homosexual people to follow. Morale values are new to a lot of the GLBT community and it is time to bring them out of the closet and begin discussions. We have been children far too long and it is time to bring into the light the ability to be honest with ourselves to make a change. Mature enough to recognize that the "Queer As Folks" mentality is destroying our community with alcohol, drugs and a disease that we are still sharing with one another. .. you know the one, "I'll never catch." Let's name it while we here... the HIV virus and the disease AIDS. And let's include that low self-esteem that we just love to poor me with. How long do we have to be down on ourselves? And where does church belong? Well, I don't believe it is in the signs I hear about across this country. The signs posted outside of churches with pictures of our military and the caption, "Our troops doing God's work." This is religion at its very worse. God doesn't need us assigning God duties. It actually works in reverse. Jesus stood with those that no one would associate with and showed them the way. I believe that if our churches were paying attention to God's will; they would be serving their communities, feeding the hungry, clothing people and providing shelter for those without homes. The church has a place and it is one of service. It must be there for everyone and that is when it is doing what it is suppose to do. Not when it is being pushed and pulled into action to destroy lives, Not when it joins in a union with the government. As a church we are to exist for people, life, justice, community, love and the true conscious of the government. The church needs to bring itself to a higher level, to share its God given responsibilities and to let the world sec how God's spirit is there for all people. The church is a beacon of light for al) people and we are to be those beacons leading others to this great hope. This is what Jesus would do and NO ONE WOULD BE TURNED AWAY. Had the Democrats been just as verbal and strong with our beliefs then we quit possibly could have pulled it off. It isn't that we have a weak faith, a lack of commitment to God; it's that we don't stand on the rock and say this is why we support programs helping people and not just the rich. What a schism. the Republican Party has put into this great country by telling churches they need to fear us. Let them be put on notice .tfu.t 51% is not a landslide. Let them be put on notice that we will not be used as a wedge to divide this country. Let them be put on notice that we arc who we are, we are not going to be silenced and we are going to be bold in not only our faith but in our citizenry. It is a great time of hope, a great time of boldness and strength. I am going to quote from an article by the Rev. Dr. Peony Nixon (MCC Clergy). Do not underestimate how difficult times might be in the next few years. There will be tactics, overt and covert, to squeeze us out and shut us down. This is all the more reason to be bold with whom we are. During the Viet Nam war a lone protester stood outside the White House gates with a smgle candle. He was ask, "Do you think you are going to change the government with one candle?" and his reply was, "No, but it will keep them from changing me." I challenge you to take part supporting B-GLAD and the Young Democrats in their peaceful and silent protest. Don't let the light go out! Until 2005 The Ozarks Star Toe ~ia Annual Miss Bamboo Pageant, Wwsa's Social Event of the Year. Bamboo 2005, NeiJyAnnMan}y) Tulsa, OK November 13,2004 by Star Writer Greg Steele The House was packed and the beauties filled the Bamboo Lounge vying for the title of Miss Bamboo 2005. As the winner was about to be announced the crowd was silent, eyes were tearing in anticipation. The nine contestants held their breath with hands clasped. Dickie Tucker fainted from the pressure. The crown had arrived by Brinks armored vehicle just in time. Now for the big moment, Bamboo Co-owner Terry asked for silence, and the winner is, Miss Nelly Ann Manly. The crowd roared, as the press photographers flashed their camera's. It had been a great show. (left photo: Terry and Miss The winner was deteonined by the amount of tips each collected. In t1.U'? was donated to the nonprofit organization R.A.I.N ., a Tulsa group dedicated to assisting people with H.I.V. and A.I.D.S. The event raised $500.00. This was the third year the charity pageant has donated to the group. Terry and Stan, owners of the Bamboo Lounge said " It's a worthy organization that out reaches to the community. They provide food, rent and utility assistance, transportation for medical treatment and we have. a ball doing it." From a reporter's prospec- . · tive, Stan (Photo at right) · llad a damn good time himself, we know how he loves the spotlight! Everyone enjoyed his performance as well. The MC for the night (Photo at left) did a fantastic job _also keeping all those Pretty's in line. In addition to the nights festivities, the H.O.P.E. organiza- . contributed their time and effort with free H.I.V. · g and handing out condom's to all who wanted. The Ozarks Star congratulates Terry and Stan, job well done. Page 18 . The Night Larry Kra11,1er Dissed M&---And All the Rest of You! A Politidu Commentary: November 15; :2004 New York City A week ago Sunday we had the most gorgeous weather ever. I sti:cilled·down to the piers, and as the sun shone down. and th~ fall breeze tickled the trees playfully, I thoug!it to myself; "See, there are still some things in · fife worth fi#ig' for after Bush's victory. Before I got caught up";'tnCatf election frenzy of emails and CNN I • could tllke _the time· to enjoy a beautiful day-and I still · ~n." But-9ot,-:for long. Not with Larry Kramer's speech 'The Tragedy Of Today's Gays" beckoning to me from ~ooper Union. I longed to escape the sunshine and · nook into someone who could voice mv bitterness more eloquently than I. Larry did not disappoint. I urge you all to read his cntitc speech onlinc at ~.rodneycroome.id.au/other/0/, but here is my attempt to sum up the major points of a long speech in a short article. I wasn't involved in ACT UP so I wasn't too familiar with Mr. Kramer. I knew he'd kissed David Drake* · but who hasn't? I'd been warned that he was very~ and extreme. I must be too, since I agreed with every bitter, truthful word he had to say. His basic message to gays? You arc just too f--lc:ed by this election,. and you're just too f--kcd UP with crystal, barebacking and apathy to confront your attackers, the conservative right. A "vast right-wing conspiracy" was hatched in 1971 bv Lewis Powell and financed by 9 rich families who ~ere scared of hippies, war protesters, and civil rights activists. The right saw their safe, conservative world crumbling and began to implement a highly organized plan to reinstate it. On November 3rd, after 35 vea.rs the plan was successful and the conservative pre;iden~ co~grcss and supreme court are now poised to turn back the clock on civil rights to defeat any gains. ~sys, women, blacks or ~en dissenters have made. ''The people (this plan) was written for diet not then go off to a. ~sco o~ to the Pines, or into therapy or into drugs. They took the P~ and th~y. have executed tt religiously every day and night for the IAst 35 years, initially with 400 million dollars ... and some back-breaking, grinding, unglamorous work ·of civic engagements c<>unty by county ... '.lley took the richest and most liberal nation in the world" an~ ~ansfonned it so that no': 30% of li.mericans self-identify as conservatives, as opposed to 10¼ m 1971. And make no mistake; They hate us and they arc in a position of complete power. An~ whcr,e is our plan to c~mbat them? In a shambles, as arc we. "Our org:tnizations stink" ana are either powerless and or on the verge of financial collapse. When will the rich and powerful gays step up to help? We. can't count on the government because they hate us and arc gl~d that we're doing ourselves _in with AIDS and crystal. We're murdering each other by not u5:1g condoms. 'W_c know that un~rotectcd sex causes AIDS and yet new infections are up 401/o. If we know n~ _to prevent tt and we aren't, then we arc bringing the .AIDS cri&is onto o~rselves and are. refusing to accept responsibility for it. "Has it never occurred to you that not usmg a condom ts tantamount to murder? ....... continued next page-19 p~ 19 It is in.credibly selfish not to at least have thought that question ... make whatever excuses you = to carry on in your state of denial, but this is the fact of the matter." In an extremely poignant moment Larry pondered "Was it my sperm that killed them, th9.t aid the trick? .It.is no longer possible for m'e to avo'id the que';tion of myself. Hav~ you ever wondered how many men you have killed?" Instead of considering this crucial question, we deny each other's hum_anity :1:nd define each other as. sex objects, shallow whores who are only looking for _the neit piece of nieat, We're bright and talented but our. efforts are focused primarily on partyu?.g arid sex. "I have recently come to believe that gay men and women arc tragic people. W c arc. so wonderful, b_ut we are so fucked up." Our brightness isn't being put to use. "How much public service on behalf of your brothers and sisters have you performed recently? Don't tell me you ~on't know what to do ... if you can find another ass to hump." We've lost the war against AIDS with over 70 million expected to die worldwide. But gay youth are in a stll.tc of denial and don't want to lcun the lessons of their eiders. Larry lashed out at the notion that protease inhibitors are any sort of cure. "We like to call it 'the cocktail'." But it's chemotherapy, which either kills the disease or you, and is very difficult to tll.ke, with many side effects. "And you say, 'Can't I get stoned and try barcbacking one last time?' ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR F--KING MIND? You kida want to die ... wcll, then die." Hell, youth won't even acknowledge their elders, and how can they have any sense of community without any sense of their past? "Every moral code I know of requires respect for the dead. You disdain anyone older who was there ... but you do not seem al:!le to fashion your future. To distove~ what ybu want. You don't even ask what you want. How can you not have curiosity about your future as a gay person? .. .! had people to follow and many of you have not. No baton was passed to you ... A large, congealed mass of potentially superior beings doc ,n't even know what to do with thcn,selvcs or bother to learn their history. So they dance. So they drug. So they go to the internet to find more scx ... You don't seem to be able to connect with anyone beyond the basest way ... I'm not so proud of us right now." In a Q & A afterwards (which demonstrated quite clearly how clueless some gay youth are) someone mentioned the low current attendance at ACT UP meetings. I had a thought on how to get ACT UP and activism going agsun-free crystal at the meetings! And maybe barebacking how-to demonscrationsKIDDING! Larry iaid out his bleak diagnosis and ended with more questions than answers. Milybc it's time for us to start thinking for ourselves ... That baton's been passed now, kids. You gonna drop fr? Or come out swinging? Or go to the gym and cruise the steam room? Or shop for your next circuit party outfit? Or do another bump? Ask Uncle Mikey Advice Column! December 2004 ·~ December is here.again Kittens. It is such a special time of ycllf, where hope spritigli ·in winter bottoms, Err, I mean · blossoms. A time for hope of the New Y car and all it shall bring us. Uncle Mikey truly l~vcs December best. It is also the time of .year for Uncle Mikeya™s.annual Wet Jock contest, which is · always a smash. The.winter fest that is Uncle MikcyaTMs life, will surely spring forth new idvcnturcs hopefully filled with I Tw:inkies - as I can not get enough of that cream filling. Is it ·I Uncle Mikcv, or dd tl:tosc commercials with that Twinkie in cowboy ~ do anything for anyone besides me? ffuuna something to ponder I guess. V' ,'•, , ' ' ' Uncle hfttd a new house bov as I will of course have endless wk for the young man this year. He attii.cs.triday. J'li?,d·him,1hippcd express mail. His name is Mr. Delight and I am hopeful. Uncl~)fi¥§:;will keeR you posted on.how he works out:.All of my staff is lucky to have me. I includ~ a. uitlform <:Httilig with matching rhincs.tonc collar. With all of these things springing forth, let's sec what,sonic read.ca hitvc on their minds this holiday season. Dear Uncle, I am at.a crossroads with a new relationship. We have been together for three months now,. the longest l hlNc been trne · to someone. However, he is always acting like he has something to hide. T do. not want to get crazy jealous, but I followed him one night where, I saw him go into solllC,,guf! li..ousc ,!lld WIIS in . . · tw;o hours. I didn't tell him I saw him, as I didn't·w'lUlt hirii to, get n:iAd. What should I JS{ I confront him, or do I just kceg quiet? Monogamously confused.· Dearest MC, Kitten, where do you buy your stalker equipment at? Is the reason you have not been with anyone loogtt than three months possibly due to the &ct that you are out there reenacting mission impossible? Dllfling, does the word stalker mean anything to you? How do you even pretend to give someone ti:ust when you 11.fe following the poor dear around like that? If you ate ever ro have a hc:;i.!thy lasting relationship some serious self evaluation is needed to figure out why you are so insecure. You obviciudy have some issues with intimacy and need to figure those: out .fir4t. Hop~ this man does not find out al:iout your private eye act, and work on you fusi. .If someone is cheating it shall show itself in tinie. At least give him a chance before you decide he is unfaithful .. Acting like a guest of the Jerry show will quench love beforc.it,.eveμ has a.chance. Kitten, sort these matters out in hopes that you will become a more trusting soul. Smooches Uncle Mikey Uncle sees this lrind of mistrust as. a factoring reason for infidelity in relationships. If you make someone feel distrusted ou will encourage their straying ways; as they' already have been. accu1ed. Leaving but .. .. · r.o be done. Trust is important to any relationship. If trust is not there, it is but 11. tttnc bbioh: of drama just waiting fur the fuse to be lit. Dear Uncle Mikey, I ·used to _have a. circle of friends that were pretty right. Now, they have all settled into long-tcim (elationships leaving me arid the other guy out. Now, I £ind myself lonely as I just do not think it is what I am looking for. They all tdl me it is the very thing I need in my life is someone stable and act like there is something wrong with me, as I don't want to settle down. Family life makes me nauseous. Am I wrong for wanting to remain single? Pia.yet at heart .................................... continucd next page-21 Page 21 MAIN STREET, JOPLIN, MISSOURI (41 7) 627-9035 Dear Player heart: There is something to be said for both lifestyles. Uncle has enjoyed both sides of the fence, and though Uncle has decided that I have had my share of love, leaving me now to enjoy a life of sampling the delicacies of Gaydom, I. assure you nothing is wrong with you. However, you do come off a bit judgmental on their lifestyle of choice. If they are happy with family life, wish them well. Understand that it will most likely bring a dividing barrier into the friendship as they 11.fC moving .on with life. If you arc lonely for your pals make some new ones. And one last question here, have you and the other guy thought fate may have left you two alone for a reason? That's something to think: on. Yau never know where love will come from, keeping your options open 1md the ability to see opportunity is important even to players. Smooches Uncle Mikey Kittens never close your mind to the possibilities that fate may offer us. Live life under one rule and that is simpiy - be all you can be; young queer. Play by the rules of love and life, while being rruc to yourself. Do not try to live life by others standards. Make your own happiness. It is as I was just telling a very dear friend of mine, Sir Comesalot, you have to seize the moment. Believe me he did and it was a night we won't soon forget. Life is but several moments of possibilities. It is the Player that keeps his eyes wide open that will find those winning moments that makes life worth while. It seems my time has &dcd faster than a trick at sunrise. Until we meet again. Remember Kittens: When someone asks you this season to help stuff their turkey. They 11.fe of course referring to cooking darling, not sympathy sex. Oh, was I embarrassed. Merry Cht-istmas Kittens! Smooches Uncle Mikey (and Tiddles too). U nclclnikey4you@Aol.com, Uncle Milcey is " character &om Freelance writer Michael Hln:mum. Michael h2s been writing for ten yon. Utili,cing his 1todle1, and life cxpctiencc to help others in his community, through humor and sound advice. Michael applied his study of p,ychology and creative writing, u well his extensive background in mcn12l health Direct cue to bring a n= s:ylc and approsch to helping othcn. Mlch..,l's other worb cJU1 be viewed at wn p71iorcon,cnt om. Page 22 11 States Approve Gay Marriage Ban StaJe.m~!'}t fr_o.rn the. Reverend Dr. Troy D~ Perry Foundeir and Mor::terator of ' , ""<",/.",,,~;./ Ji':'• sap . . . . . . approved ballot measures to limit the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to equal protection under the marriage laws. In the midst of today's disappoint, we take hope. The hard work of human rights has always been that of many steps· forward; · arid some steps backward. The outcome of these ballot measures is a setback:; but only a temporary setback, in the forward march of justice and equality for all people. These votes are powerful reminders that it is always wrong to put human rights and equality to a public vote. Equality under the law, by its very · t be afforded to all people, LGBT people, and must nctict be based on public popularity. History is a powerful teacher, and gives us hope. Had African-Americans in the U.S. had ro wait for a public vote, their wait for equality undet the law would have been even longer. Thank God for the court system in the United States. Just as the courts righted injustices against our African-American brothers . and sisters, we, too, take hope that the · courts will ultimately rule that America must live out the promise of its .founding documents, of liberty and justice for .all. We Jalute the many LGBT people in thos~ 11 sates who, along with our family and friends,. turned out to vote no, on thes:OC laws and who boldly supi:iorted equality under the law. Thanks to so many in our community for. being willing, · yet again, to talk · abou.t our filmilies and our lives. This public conversation changes public atti°:1-des and will change laws. · Already today groups across the U.S. are mobilizing to challenge the con~titutionality of these ballot measures in the courts. I strongly .support these efforts, and encourage all · ,peoele of goodwill to support these challenges with your prayers, cominitlnent and finances. ·N0TE: the Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry performed the first-ever public same-sex wedding ceremony in the U.S. in 1969, and in 1970 fil,ed the first-ever lawsuit in the US. seeking legal recognition of samegender marriages. He was. rrwrried under Canadian law to bis partner of 20 years, Phillip Ray DeBlieck, in July 2003. Quotable Quotes "That [getting married] was better, deeper, more meaningful than I thought it would be. I never really invested in marriage. I come from the g-cneration of gays that were like; that's the straight thing to do, that's not a part of my life. So it wds a long journey to doing that and, once I did it, it's huge, and it's really more than I ever imagined." Singer Mclissa·Etheridge on her marriage to actress Tammy Lynn Michads, to the Memphis gay magazine Family & Friends, August issue. 1 1 l J j ·I• i j I 1 Page 23 Creator: Paula Maitinac _has been writing for the gay and lesbian press for more than 20 years. She served for three years as the co-chair of the board of directors of New York City's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, where she founded a groundbreaking reading series called "In Our Own Write." by Paula Marti.nae December, 2004 Overcoming the Red-State Blues ... "Why Kerry Lost." "Kerry Really Won." "23 Percent of Gays Voted for Bush." "How to Immigrate to Canada." E-mail messages with tormenting subject lines like these, sent by various progressive groups and individuals, have been landmg in my mailbox at a .&st and furious pace. Despair on the left is widespread, because so mariy of u~ considered this election to be the most important one of our lives, and now we're rushing .to analyze what the results mean for our future. Much of the spin from the 'left seems to follow one of two sttancfs: citlicr-Ji.mcrieans are too stupid to up.~ef~i . . . . . . . is sliding into fascism, or clsi .... . .. failed to give voters _a v#Hl~,~teipaf.ivc.fo Bush. That "--------------~ st:.i.rk dichotomy iep,indi aie of those funny "critical issues" books we read in high school history disses, .'the ones with titles like "Napoleon: Revolutionary or Despot?" that never allowed for a gtay area in between the two choices. · · Now, in our despondency over Kerry's loss and the passage of all those anti-gaymarriage amendments, we may not be able to see any bright spots amid the gloom - and believe it or not, there iire a few. And no, I haven't changed my name from Paula to Pollyant1J1.; I went trawling for positive things to cling to so that I wouldn't go insane, and I offer them here for you to cling to, too. 1. A number of openly lesbian and gay Democratic candidates either won historic victories or made impressive ·showings in local nces in areas of the country where they should have lost big - the red S1:ll.tes. Consider, in particular, three courageous lesbian candidates. Nicole LeFavour won a seat in the Idaho House of Represent:.i.tives, becoming the first out gay official in that conservative state. Julia Boseman garnered a place _in the Stll.te .Senate of North Carolina and will .be its first LGBT legislator. On Bush's home turf, Lupe Valdez becomes the o~t lesbwi Latina sheriff of Dallas County, its higliest-nnking law-enforcement official. Keep in mind that these states aren't just red;· they're deep criinson. The courage of these women is precisely what we'll need to see more of in coming months and years, since a big Republican win calls for a big progressive response. That includes many more gay people running for office. Local nices matter greatly, sini;:e laws that affect our daily lives ?ZC Im.de in · the atatc legislatures. But also, aa we saw this year with the amAZing Batack Obama Jn Illiriois, local political bodies can become steppingstones to natiomi office. 2. Another ray of hope is that there was no antigay backlash at the polls in Massachusetts, the state that sparked same-sex marmge furor across the country. Every Massachusetts state legislator who upheld gay marriage rights won. re-dection, and the antigay House Speaker h11.s been replaced by one who supports gay rights. The state's proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-aex marriage may be scrapped. Could it be Bay Smters have realized that living next to married same~sex couples is not very different from living next to unmarried ones? ... cont.-page-26 Page24 Deep Inside Hollywood by:Romeo San Vicente December 2004 Carson Comes Down It's going to be a very Carson Kres~ley Christmas over at Bravo. The favonte gay fashiooista of hetero · makeover candidates .everywhere is hosting .his very first holiday special for the network that made him a stiu-. It's called _The . Christmas Special Christmas Special_, and no,i you djdn•t read .that incorrectly. This will pay tribute. to all specials that came way _I Love the 1:'h~ A-Team_. the Night Visitors_ are in this party mix, with the quippy Carson n~~g ~. and most .likely jmgling -: all. the !it ~e wx:app.μig · co~es off Dl=cem_,. t, with f what Js sure o repeats until the Star Coob Up _Kitchen Confidential_ His _Se:t and the.City_ la,;liel! ~P-~~.t t:4eir time hanging out in .~nc · • · · · . after another, but now. _Sex_ Stat is going . ~ . . - his new project. A hebwd-the-scenes comedy about life oit the other end of the entree, _Kitchen Confidential_ - a half-hour series based on the memoir of the same name by Anthony Bourdain executive chef at New York's Les Hall;s · restaurant - will move straight past the la.dies who lunch and into the fast-paced kitchens where those $99 truffle-laden hamburgers get made. The project is now in the hands of writers, who'll translate Bourdain•s book for the small screen; Stat himsdf will be supervising the pil~t ~pth_ 20th Century Fox Television and New line TV are on board to produce, and Romeo's mouth is already watering in anticipation. Set It Off Again The very c~l 1996 women-robbingbanks drama _Set It Off_ ended in a hail of bullets, with three of its four main characters on ice. So ... sequel? Why not? And that's exactly the plan that's in the works over at New line, with producer Darryl Taja setting up the ~~xt chapter in that crime spree. The onginal film staned Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Queen Latifah (playing a butch lesbian with nothing to lose) as an all-female, gun-toting gang of desperate women in need of qttlck cash. But since Pinkett,-Smith's character was the lone survivor when that movie's credits rolled, it's unclear at this point if the sequd will involve any of the original felons. Hey, it worked in _Teen Wolf, Too._ Sort 0£ Kathy Griffin•• Cup Runs Over Comedian Kathy Griffin's legion, of gay followem - tμe woman seems to have an a.Im.oat rdigiou1 preference for her queer &n1 - will be happy to know that after her new concert film, _Allegedly_, drops thi1 month on DVD, their favorite funny lady baa a multiplex'• worth of movies heading down the pike. In the forthcoming_ Vegas Baby_, Griffin plays 1omcthing called a "Shc-EJvis" (really, don't aalt); in the Cinderella story _Dirty Love .... she stars opposite Jenny McCarthy and Csumcn Electra; the _Blue Lagoon_-ish _Lovcwrccked_ secs her joining cut memben Amanda Bynes and Lance Ba11; and in the Charle• Matthau-directed _Her Minor Thing_, Griffin will worlt opposite _Saturday Night Live_'1 Rachel Dratch and former _SNL_-er Victoria Jaclt,on. Meanwhile, if you're too lazy to commit all that to memory, you could juat catch her on _Hollywood Squucs_. Page 25 G,y C.rtgiversfrom jMge-6 . "Government agencies serv10g elders should target funding to the gay . community, just as th~y mr,~et .~thruc minority elder populations, SIU~ Marjorie Cantor, professor ementus at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and a principal .. investigator of the study. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute is a think ~ dedicated to research, policy analysts and strategy development. to ~ance greater uncferstanding and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgcnder people. SAGE, Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgcnder Elders, is the nation's oldest and ~~st social service and advocacy orgaruzation dedicated to gay, bisexual and transgcnder seniors. Some Additional Findings in Caregiving Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender New Yorkers: _ One in five caregivers surveyed relied on a member of the clergy for emotional support around issues rdatcd to caregiving. In contraSt, less than 1 % of family of origin caregiv~s, and . approximately 15% of family of ch~tce caregivers, relied on a gay commuruty organization for support. - At least one-third of caregivers said that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgcnder (LGBT) community had. a key role to play in providing support to LGBT caregivers. When a.sk~d why_ the gay community should help its_ seruor members, most respondents s~d that . the community was best a~ ~ fo~ tts own, reflecting an underlying belief tn the persistence of discrimination. _ The LGBT community-based services in which the respondents were mo~t interested themselves were counsding (26%), retirement, or a_s~i~tcd ~ communities (19%), VlStttng setv1ces (19%), and assistance with thy-to-day tasks (14%). _ One in five respondents had children of their own, and 7% were grandparents. Fortysix percent of the respondents were between 50 and 59; 35¾ were between '60 and 69; 19% were 70 and older. Fifty-two percent of the respondents were single; 40% were partnered. - Tolhy, the population of gay ~e~ors in America. is just under three million. By 2030, as gay baby ~oon:iers head into their sixties . and seventies, tt could be nearly twice that. The foil report can be found in the Task Force publications library at www.TheTaskForce.org/library Quotable Quotes "Sexual orgies eliminate social tensions b aged ,, and ought to e encour . _ U.S. Supreme Court Justice_ Ant?nio Scalia speaking at Harvard Uruvers1ty Sept. 28, according to The Harvard Crimson. Page 26 Gay Tramers from pdge 7 Another dear friend, Tyke gave a brunch for us at his condo which is decorated beautifully. Tyke also is an artist and we got to see some of his lovely oil. pain~. We love Tyke for many reasons and one of them is that he loves giving wi shirts! In the photo above at Millie's party, we ate wearing two of the shirts that he gave us. The iast night we were in Palm Springs Millie Bollin, the Grande Dame of Palm Springs ll~ciety, gave us a party at her estate attended by exceptionally enjoyable people in Palm Springs. She is a rare jewel. Fun, funny, educated, intelligent, witty, great party hostess and just a truly NlCE person. Her neighbor, Princess Rcg4ia. attended as well as lots of other interesting guests. Millie has a won9erful dog and bird to keep her company. People! That is what it is all about. Meeting new, fun, cxcitlng and interesting people. Our special THANKS for our wonderful time in Palm Springs goes to Tom and Doug, o~ers of the TERRAZZO Resort. They ~ super guys and once you stay with them .yo_u wili :w~i: tt> return forcrer: Th6re ii onlyon~ bad tbfug about.the.; · however. And that •; You simply never. And" BlG t#~'.Y.0'11.,to Jim Poyle ~s~~~~lt:\~::::~ in QUt tt'lfVe!s: Jinfcap.Ao an~g, and WC do.mean ~G I :.He plays the piatto SQ b~utifally anais'.onc of the best.bartenders in'thc cc4ritry. He is a gr~ businessman ~d all irourid super nice guy. Th~s Jlgi fo.t: all you have done. So, next time yotit bored, whynot fly out to Palm Springs, check ·illti:i· the TERRAZZO Resort ahdhiive yourself a wonderful and exciting time. usbian Notions from pg-23 3. Although the mainstream media only reported on the gay movement's crushing defeats in 11 states, exit polls conducted by the National Election Pool (NEP) found that an astounding 60 percent of Americans support some sort of legal protection for same-sex couples. While only 25 percent said that protection should take the fonn of marriage, another 35 percent favored civil unions. Of course, "marriage lite" is not what we want or deserve. Still, the NEP poll numbers are encouraging because they point to Americans' fundamental belief in basic civil rights. And that belief is what we must hang on to as we continue the struggle for full equality under the law. 4. In Ohio, four major public universities whose domestic-partner benefits have been jeopardized by that state's anti-gaymarriage amendment have vowed to preserve those benefits until forced to do otherwise. Gov. Robert Taft (R.) has also opposed the antigay measure, fearing that it "will make it more difficult for us to retain and attract the young. talented knowledge workers we need to advance Ohio's prosperity." When straight people begin to sec g,a.y rights as being in their own· self-interest, it's .a sign that we're making progtcss - even when it looks like we've lost. These few glimmers of hope may not seem like much after such a huge blow; but remember that. the path of social change proceeds like a glacier - slow and steac;ly. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton wo.rke.d their entire lives for women's suffrage, but didn't live to see it. Similarly, most of us who work for equal marriage rights may never enjoy ·them ourselves, but we will, in fact, have helped to change the world. Paula M,.rti,n4c is a Lambd4 Liter11rv - · ~and unbe tit LesbianNoti<insf//xpyndite.com . 1 I Page27 Seo es by Jack Fertig December 2004 "Cover yourself, Libra!" Mercury turns retrograde this week, while in quincunx to Saturn. New ideas require testing, and most will fail - . but don't let that deter you! The biggest challenge is to be pragmatic, sensitive, and above all, adaptable. ARIES (Much 21 to April 20): Arguments are hard to avoid! Religion and politics always make discussions more interesting than polite. This is especially so now at home and with family. Staying open-minded takes special effort, but if you can manage that, you'll be ahead. TAURUS (April 21 to May 20): Expressing . grief and frustration is hard, but worth the effort. Those feelings will get worse before they dear away, but opening channels no:w will help. Confide in a dose friend, preferably someone grandmotherly. GEMINI ~ 21 to June 21): Money problems can strain any relationship; Now the stress is pretty rough. It is very important to discuss these issues. Solutions won't come this month, but communication. shows awareness and willingness to work on things, and that's enough for now. CANCER (June 22 to July 22): You're especially vulnerable now to contagious respiratory problems. Stay warm and dry, and choose your company carefully. Whether or not you deserve blame for miscommunications at work, take responsibility for. fixing them. LEO (July 23 to Augnst 22): Creative blocks will pass, but never quickly enough. Dreams, fears, and old f.unily disasteu can be sources of inspiration, or can at leut help you to undentand the bloc~. Face the grim and dark. - better to appreciate the merry and bright. VIRGO (August 23 to Septcinb~ 22): . In our communities, how we redefine "family" among our friend~ has little in the way of · rules or precedent. Either category has its assumed obligations - but what are they? You need to adjust expectations there; look for a little turbulence, but nothing serious. LIBRA (September 23 to October 21): Anything you say can and will be held against you! Cover yourself by consulting with authorities; and double check all references. Things will still go wrong, but make sure where responsibility lies and be prepared to take responsibility as is appropriate. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21): Financial problems will pop up over the next few weeks. Think carefully about them. Take a long view to what can be done now to ease the cuts. Education and travel plans may have to be reconsidered. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 20): Who are you as a sexual being? That question gets opened up to profound exploration. Reconsider your integrity, limits, and desires. You may back away from some situations, but you will ultimately find something better. CAPRICORN (December 21 to January 19): Problems with your partner are largely in your own head, but whatever worries and doubts you have should be discussed. Yeah, it can get pretty messy over the next few weeks, but in the long run it will work out for the better. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18): Remember that friends and colleagues are all fallibly human. Now they are quite frustrating, pushing you to reconsider social commitments and long-term goals. Think slowly and carefully. It's time· for adjustments, not radical breaks. PISCES (February 19 to March 19): Your reputation is 'about to take some knocks. Accept the challellge to adapt. With a bii of creative hard· work,· you can figure out a way to establish .whatever connections and bona £ides you need to get through this. Jack Fertig has been working as a professional astrologer since 19 77 and is a founding member of the Association for Astrological Nef!Working. He can be,~~ for consultations at 415-864- 8302, throtJgh his uiebrite at http://f flf11'flJ.St4rjackcom Page 28 Four States Community Directory -Bars- Nightclubs- -Lodging- Arkansas, Fayetteville (479) Studio 716- -716 W. Sycamore- - - - 479-571-130 Ron's Pl11ce- - 523 W. Poplar- - - - 479-442-3052 Wild-On - - - - - -3570 W. 6th- - - - - - 479-521-9453 Arkansas, Fort Smith (479) Kinkellds-10041/2 Garrison Ave- - -479-783-9988 Club 1022 - -1022 Dodson Ave. - - - -479-782-1845 Arkuau, Hot Springs (501) Club One Eleven- - - 111 Gllrden St- - - - -620-4111 Our House Lounge - 660 E. Gnnd Ave- -624-6868 Arkansas, Little Rock (501) Back Street - - - -1021 Jessie Rd- -501-664-2744 Discovery- - - -1021 Jessie Rd- - - - - - 501-666-6900 The Factory - -412 LoUWllllll St- - - -501-372-3070 Miao11rl, JopHa (417) Ree's-••• 716 S. Main•• - -.. -417-627-9035 Mlssoarl, Kansas City (816) Buddies - - - - - - - 3715 Main St - - - - 816-561-2600 Belle Sw's- - - - 1321 Gr11nd Ave- -816-421-1288 DB Wll!ehouse- -- 1915 Milin St- - - -816-471-1575 Misr.ie B's- - -805 W. 39th St- - - - -- - 816-561-0625 Sidestreet Bu - - - -413 E. 3rd- - - - - 816-531-1775 Sidelcicb Sllloon - 3707 Milin St- - 816- 931-1430 Missouri, Springfield (417) The Edge- -424 Boo~ville Ave- - - - - --417-831-4700 Martha's Vineyard- 219 W Olive - -417-864-4572 Oz Bar• 50-4 E. Commercial• - • • • -417-831-9001 Ronisuz Place- - --821. College- - - - - - -417-864-0036 Rumon • -1109 E. Commercial- - -417-873-2225 Okluoma,•Oldakoma City (405) Boom Rocim- 2807 NW 36th St- -- - - - -405.:.601-7200 Club Rox- - - -3535 NW 39th Expwy- 405-947-2351 Copa- - - - - - - -2200 NW 39th Expwy- -405-525-0730 Finish Line - -2200 NW 39th Expwy- - 405-525--0730 Hi-Lo Quh - - 1221 NW 50th- - - -405-843-1722 Lido- - - - - - - -2200 NW 39th_ Expwy- 4()5-5~~0730 Partners- - - - -2805 NW 36th St - - - - - 40.S.:942-2199 Sisters- - - - - - 2120 NW 39th s;. -----405!521-9533 The Rockies- - -3201 N. Ml!.Y Ave.- - - - 405-~7-9361 Topanga Grill&: Bar- 3535 NW 39th:-4()5-947-2351 . Oklaboma, Tuia (918) Bamboo Lounp 720-4 E. Pine - • _..918-836-8700 Clnb Maverick-· 822 s. Sheridan - 918:835-3301 End Up Oub- - - 424 S. Memodal- - - 9111c-836-2480 Heads &"Tails- - 7944 E. 21st - • - - - - 9i8'660-7878 Club'~jestic- - 124 N. Botton - - - • -918'584-9494 Rencgadea- - - -1649 S, Main-• - - - -91if:5135.3405 Play-Mor-Oub- - 1737 S. Memorial - -918-838-9792 Silver Star- -1565 S. Sherid20 - - - - - -918-834-4234 Yellow Brick Road- - 2630 E. 15th - - 918-293-0304 Missouri, Joplin (417) Fairfield Inn by Marnett- - - - 417-624-7800 Miuouri,Ava Catus Canyon Campground- - - . - 417-683-9199 Missouri, Lampe KOKOMO Campground· - - - - - - - 417-779-5084 Oklahoma, Oklahoma City (405) Hollywood.Hotel- 3535 NW 39th Ex-405-947-2351 Habana Inn - 2200 NW 39th Exp- - -405-528-2221 -OrganizationsArkansu, Eareka Springs MCC Living Spring- - - - - - - - - - - -870-253-9337 Arkansas, Avoca Natural State Nanni.st!- - - - - - - . -479-451-8066 Kansas, Pittsburg {620) Ri,cr of Life Church - 1709 N Walnut - -11.AM PSU-QSA. . 1701 S. Broadway- - - - 620-231--0938 Missouri, Joplin ( 417) MCC Spirit of Christ-2902 E 20th, • - - • 6PM UCCFF-204 N. Jack.on Ave, - - - - - -10:30.AM .Aids Project O:i:atb- 513 Kentucky- 417-624-5788 Missouri, Spriagfleld (417) Rllinbow Christian Ch-837 W. Madison- 866-6206 Unitarian Univemlist Church - - - 417-833-2723 APO- - - - 1901 E. Bennett, suite D- - 417-881-1900 ShowMe MO Pride • - - - - - - - - - - - --417-864-4459 GLO Comm. Ctr- -518 E. Commericlll- -869-3978 PFLAG-Springfield- - - ~ - - - - - - - -417-889-1059 PROMO SW MO- promoswmo@hotmail.com Oklahoma, Oklahoma City (405) Cathedrlll of Hope~ - 600 NW 13th St- - 232-HOPE The Center- - 2135 NW 39th St - - 405-524-6000 Oklahoma, McAlester McPride- - - - - -POBox 1515, McAlester, OK 74502 Oklaboma, Talsa (918) MCC United- -1623 N. Miaplewood- -918-838-1715 TOHR- c - - - - -'Fo Box 2687, Tulsa, OK 74101 GlBT Comm. Ctr- -5545 E. 41st- - •. - 918-743-4297 r 1 1 I Page 29 The Ozarks Star -Business Services,Missouri, Eureka Shelter Insurance- -Greg Tainter- - 636-938-5500 Missouri, Joplin (417) Body Swim Massage Therapy- - - • -417-825-5800 Charles Burt Realtors-Vicki Bronson-- -434-0077 RE/MAX- - - -Cathe Letts- - - - - -417-483-5313 Office Max- -440 Rllngeline Rd- - - - 417-623-1007 Joan Szymanski- Be11uty Consult,- - 417-673-1181 Missouri, Springfield (417) Priscilla's - • - • 1918 S. Glenstone • --417-881-8-4-4-4 Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Century21 • -4301 NW 63rd #10Q- 405- 840-2106 Prucilla's- 615 E. Memorial - - - - - - 405-755-8600 Jungle Reds - - 2200 NW Expwy- • • 405-524-5733 Oklahoma, Taha Kelly Kirby,CPA-4815 S Huvard. - 918-747-5466 Underguy.i::om · · -825 E. 3rd- - - 877-7-BOXERS Prucil_la's - - - - - 7925 E. 41st - - - - - -918~627~84 Priscilla's - ~ · · 5634 W. Sully - - • ·-918-#6--63~6 Priscilla's••• •11344 E. 11th•••• - 918-4iB-4224 Priscilla'ac • • - - 2333 E. 71st - - • • • - 918~~9-1661 "I was playing an Indian ~cseivation in Montana somewhere, I looked out at the audience and it was just truly awful. Real American. Gothic - the old strong farmers and wives, ind I started the act by. askiμg: '.Aie there. any g.iy men in the audi~hce? I want you right up at the front.' And they made the show. Because they laugh/' . - Comedian Joan Rivers to London's The Pink Paper, Oct. 1. Page 30 Place r~tir d~sified lW. here. for only $6.00 for the first. 15 '¥<>rdl,)Uld only 25 cents £of~ additional: word: ....... . 10 block:s'No~ of E>owntown Joplfu,MO 4bd, 4bth, formal dinning, large • kitchen. library/ office, full basement, zoned heat/ air., 3200 Sq. Ft., beautifully restored, quiet residential Roanoke adjacent. Priced under $140,000. $$Price Reduced$$ Call Vicki at Charles Burt Realtors 417-434-0077 or 800-782-7822. Tlie Ozarki sj~f d~~Line:. Check 0oti'i: our website· for i[?1\ily br~a,lring GLBT news. www.ozarlcsstar;cbrll • - • J ~-~ Nee~;l ... , . ... . ... for only: $6:(fQ>first:15 woriis, for each additional word. Advertising Representative's Part Time: For Kansas City, Springfield, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Arkansas, Kansas and Joplin. Commission based compe~sation. Work in the LGBTS business community. Mail qualifications to: Ozarks Star 2401 E. 32nd St., Suite 10-243 Joplin, MO 64804. Bed. & Breakfast: Own your own B&B? Beautiful 4 bed 4 bath 3200sqft fully furnished in Joplin, MO For Sale. Call Vicki Bronson at Charles Burt Realtors 417-434-0077 1010 E. 20th Joplin M064804 800-782-7822 I ' 1 I I Page 31 I l I I I 1 l J • I t e r n • t ! v e n l g h t ·c I u b 716 w,, sycamore Fayetteville, AR 479-571-1300 wwwatulllrRililwt ~PEN w4td-sun 9pm - ·2am Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data magazine 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] The Ozark Star Magazine, December 1, 2004; Volume 1, Issue 12 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics Description An account of the resource The Ozark Star’s first issue began in August of 2004. Before this Issue was Ozarks Pride (2004) then follows The Star (2005) and 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 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 1, 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource C.D. Ward Greg Steele Paula Martinac Lady Bunny Romeo San Vincente Steve T. Urie Donald Pile Ray Williams Michael Hinzman Jack Fertig 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 Southwest Missouri Western Arkansas Eastern Oklahoma Southeast Kansas The United States of America (50 states) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19 Relation A related resource The Ozark Star Magazine, November 1, 2004; Volume 1, Issue 11 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/173 The Ozark Star Magazine January 1, 2005; Volume 2, Issue 1 https://history.okeq.org/items/show/143 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/142 Broadway Dame Edna Deep Inside Hollywood Dr. Troy D. Perry family gay marriage ban Lady Bunny Larry Kramer Lesbian Notions Lupe Valdez Miss Bamboo Pageant Qscopes Quotble Quotes The Star Scene travel Uncle Mikey