1. Lisa Michele Hunt is
the owner and lead
planner of Epiphany
Events, Event Manage-
ment and Planning, LLC,
located in the Quad Cities.
A 20-year U.S. Army
veteran, Lisa is a certi-
fied event and wedding
planner. Her experience
includesnumerousretire-
ment ceremonies, award
ceremonies, promotion
ceremonies, promotion
parties, military school
graduations, corporate
events,socialevents,andweddings. Sheisacertifiedinstruc-
EPIPHANY EVENTS continued on page 5TT
Conservatives rally to remove
Wiggins
On August 1, 2012, Republican Party of Iowa Chair-
man A.J. Spiker issued a statement calling for the ouster of
Justice David Wiggins.
Justice Wiggins is one of the seven justices who unani-
mouslyruledin2009thatdenyingsame-gendercouplesthe
legalrightsofmarriageisunconstitutionalbecauseitdenies
thosecouplesequalprotectionunderthelaw. In2010,social
conservativegroups,includingtheNationalOrganizationfor
Marriage(“NOM”)successfullyralliedagainsttheretention
ofthreeofthosesevenjustices:ChiefJusticeMarshaTernus,
JusticeMichaelStreit,andJusticeDavidBaker. LikeTernus,
Streit, and Baker, Justice Wiggins has stated that he will not
actively campaign to retain his position.
OnAugust11,2012theIowa-basedconservativeChris-
tianorganizationTheFAMiLYLeaderhostedits“leadership
summit” and aimed its event at rallying activists to vote
against the retention of Justice Wiggins. Speakers at the
August 11th event included past conservative presidential
hopefulsMikeHuckabee,RickPerry,andRickSantorum,as
wellasIowasenatorChuckGrassleyandcongressmanSteve
King. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization
for Marriage also spoke at the event, and announced that
We Are the Youth is a photographic journalism project
chronicling the individual stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgenderyouthintheUnitedStates.Throughphotographic
portraits and “as told to” interviews in the participants’ own
voices, We Are the Youth captures the incredible diversity
and uniqueness among the LGBT youth population. We Are
the Youth addresses the lack of visibility of LGBT young
people by providing a space to share stories in an honest and
respectful way.
Created by Laurel Golio and Diana Scholl, childhood
friends and Brooklyn-based artists, We Are the Youth has
aspirations to become national with a campaign in progress
for the Midwest.
Laurel’sworkrevolvesaroundtheexaminationofcommu-
nityanditsvarioussubcultures.Sheisespeciallyinterestedin
Eva Simmons
Interview page 11TT
What’sInside:Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates 3
VigilAgainstViolence Organizers Release Statement 4
Inclusive LifeAnnounces New Omaha location 4
2012 CedarValley Pridefest a success 5
12th Sioux FallsAidsWalk 5
Des Moines gears up for Iowa LeatherWeekend 5
Minor Details by Robert Minor 6
How to Corrupt the Gov.Insurance Programs byT Hansen 7
Shrink Rap by LorenA Olson MD 7
Remarkables by JonathanWilson 8
The University and the UnitedWay byW.Blumenfeld 8
Digging Deeper interview byAmber Dunham 9
At 42,Paul Ryan is Out-of-Step by Rev.Irene Monroe 10
Creep of theWeek by D’AnneWitkowski 10
Section 2:Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for the Month 11
Introducing Eva Simons Interview by ChrisAzzopardi 11
Cedar Rapids’s New Kings interview byA.Geno-Stumme 12
WiredThisWay by Rachel Eliason 13
Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov 14
The Outfield by DanWoog 14
Inside Out:ER by Ellen Krug 15
SeptApple & Pear Recipes courtesy of Bisschopswijn 16
Hear Me Out by ChrisAzzopardi 21
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo SanVicente 21
The Bookworm Sez byTerri Schlichenmeyer 22
Comics and Crossword Puzzle 22-23
Out ofTown byAndrew Collins 24
Section 3:Community
FFBC :A Most DangerousWoman Indeed by Bruce Carr 25
Central Iowa PrimeTimers 25
Greater Omaha GLBT Network Calendar 25
The Project of the Quad Cities Calender 25
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev.Jonathan Page 27
International Puppy 11/9 27
Midwest LeatherWeekend October 5-6 2012 27
Business Directory 28-29
The Power ofThankYou by Royal Bush,Multifaith Chaplain 30
Ask Lambda Legal–Access to Housing by Natalie Chin 31
Just Sayin’ by Beau Fodor 32
Arand-McIlrath Okoboji Stars 34
PITCH Calendar 2012 34
PITCH Conference Call 34
Page 5 Page 12 Page 26Page 21
HEARTLAND NEWS continued page 3TT
Page 24
WE ARE THE YOUTH continued page 4TT
The19th
AnnualIowaWomen’sMusicFestival,produced
by Prairie Voices Productions, and is set to showcase a
talentedanddiverselineupofwomenintheartsonSeptem-
ber 1-2, 2012 in Iowa City, Iowa.
TheentertainmentstartsinIowaCity’sUpperCityPark
atnoon,whenIWMFattendeeswillsetoutonagenre-bending
musicalexperience,free-of-charge(noticketsarerequired),
with EmJay, Coles Whalen, Big Bad Gina, Erika Luckett and
Lisa Ferraro, Sharon Jackson Band, and Camille Bloom and
TheRecovery.Theever-popularKim-CharMeredithreturns
for a fifth year to host the event as Master of Ceremonies.
The outdoor stage continues until 6 p.m.
EveryoneiswelcometotheIowaWomen’sMusicFesti-
val, and families are encouraged to attend. A kids’ area will
be available, food and merchandise vendors will line the
festival, and a silent auction is also in the works. Attendees
should bring blankets or chairs for grass seating. The park
is wheelchair accessible, and performances will be ASL
interpreted. Pets on leashes are welcome. The rain location
IWMF starts
September right
IWMF story on page 26TT
We Are the Youth
Chronicles LGBT
Youth Population
interviewbyAngelaGeno-Stumme
Heartland NewsMilitary Past a
plus for QC
Event Planner
interview by Arthur Breur
Lisa Michele Hunt
4. usingportraituretoinvestigateissuesofself-
presentation and identity. Laurel graduated
from Smith College with a degree in Visual
Anthropology.
Diana Scholl is an award-winning
journalist whose writing has appeared in
New York Magazine, City Limits, POZ, and
WestchesterMagazine.HerCityLimitsarticle,
“ForTransgenderHomeless,ChoiceofShelter
Can Prevent Violence” was recognized for
Excellence in News writing by the National
Lesbian and Gay Journalism Association. In
addition to writing, she currently serves as
SeniorExternalAffairsAssociateattheInsti-
tuteforChildren,Poverty,andHomelessness.
ShegraduatedfromNorthwesternUniversity
with a degree in Journalism.
We Are the Youth profiles youth up to
age21whoareoutoranonymouslyforthose
who are not. These profiles are published on
WheAreTheYouth.org, Facebook, Tumblr,
Flickr,andinbooks,newsarticles,andpublic
art exhibits.
How did We Are the Youth get
started?
We Are the Youth got started in June
2012 at a gay prom in Westchester County,
New York, where we both grew up. Laurel
had the idea to photograph LGBT youth as
more of a short-term project. When she told
me this idea, since my background is as a
reporter, I suggested I could interview the
youth and get their back-stories behind the
photos. Pretty quickly the project evolved
into something bigger— sharing the stories
of youth all over the country. We did our first
Kickstartercampaignshortlyafterlaunching
theprojectandwewenttoGeorgia,Alabama,
andMississippi.Sincethenwe’vemostlybeen
focusedontheNewYorkarea,wherewelive.
Butwearecurrentlyfundraisingtogotoyour
part of the country!
How did the collaboration between
you (Diana Scholl) and Laurel Golio come
about?
WebecamefriendsasstudentsatAnnM.
Dorner Middle School in Ossining, New York
in 8th grade. We actually recently realized
thatwebecamefriendsworkingonavolcano
projectforEarthScienceclass,soinawayour
friendship started as a professional collabo-
ration! We stayed friends through the years,
and working on the project together was a
natural evolution and has been a fantastic
experience.
What is the goal of We Are the
Youth?
The goal really is to share the stories
of LGBT youth. We want to both help youth
realize they’re not alone and highlight the
diversity of this population to the rest of the
world. Theprojectalsoservesasbothatime
capsule of a very unique time in the lives of
people, since teenage-hood and early 20s is
a very volatile time for most. As well as, a
timecapsuleforsociety,sinceLGBTrightsare
changingsofast,Ithinkpeoplewilllookatthis
projectin20yearsandbesurprisedbyalotof
the struggles of many of the participants.
Talkaboutsomeprofilesthataffected
you more strongly than others?
In a way, they’re all my (and Laurel’s
children),eachprofileaspecialinitsownway.
But one that stands out in my mind is Audri,
whowasbulliedasastudentinLaurel,Missis-
sippi, and then became an activist at a very
young age. Also, Elliot, who was involved in
thecriminaljusticesysteminTampa,became
HIV-positive,andreallydealtwithmoreinhis
21 years than anyone should have to.
Whathaveyoulearnedsincestarting
this project?
I’velearnedoftheremarkableresilience
and bravery of the youth we speak to. Also,
Laurel and I are only 27, but we notice a
remarkable difference in how the young
people we talk to have thought about gender
and sexuality than we did at their age. We’ve
alsolearnedhowwonderfulpeopleare—it’s
really remarkable how many people have
offered to help us share the stories of LGBT
youth.
How are you expanding We Are the
Youth into a community and resource?
On wearetheyouth.org/resources, we
have a map of resources throughout the
country, and we are expanding it so that it
can be a place that people everywhere can
turn if they are looking for a place to help
them. We also are growing our social media
pages,particularlyTumblr,whereanyonecan
sharetheirstoriesandtalktooneanother.It’s
a constantly evolving process.
YouarelookingtoexpandWeArethe
YouthintotheMidwest,wherecanpeople
go for more information and how can
people be involved in this project?
We can be emailed at
hello@wearetheyouth.org. We are currently
still mapping our route, but it will prob-
ably include parts of Minnesota, Iowa and
Nebraska.SoifyoulivebetweenMinneapolis
and Omaha, we’d love to hear from you.
We also encourage everyone to
donate to our Kickstarter (kickstart-
er.com/projects/1731188252/we-are-
continued from page 1SS
WE ARE THE YOUTH
YOUTH cont’d page 33TT
“In our continued effort to serve indi-
viduals, couples and families who don’t
haveapastororchurchandforthosewhom
many churches don’t offer care or services
for, Inclusive Life is pleased to announce
the opening of our new location at 3622
LeavenworthStreetonSeptember4,2012.”
saysRev.RoyalD.Bush,InclusiveLifeChap-
lain. InclusiveLife’snew officewill feature
nearly 2,300 square feet of space, almost
10timeslargerthanthepreviouslocations
which will include an almost 500 square
foot community meeting room.
“We know that a majority of the
population no longer attends church on
a regular basis. This community needs a
resourcethatprovidescareandservicesfor
all without exception. Inclusive Life offers
pre marital coaching, wedding officiants,
blessings, baptisms, naming ceremonies,
end of life planning, hospital visits and
funerals”.ChaplainRoyalsays“Wewillalso
offer a weekly gathering, a new approach
to bringing people of all walks of life and
beliefs together to be in community.”
Until August 1st
, Inclusive Life has
operated two offices in the metro area;
one in Omaha at 105 S. 49th
Street and
one in Council Bluffs at 500 Willow Ave.
The Council Bluffs location was closed at
the end of July and the Dundee location
(49th
Street) will also be closed to allow
for growth at the 3622 Leavenworth loca-
tion.
Inclusive Life has been serving Iowa
and Nebraska since 2009. Inclusive Life is
a multifaith, nonprofit Nebraska organiza-
tion that provides religious, nonreligious
and spiritual care and services to all
without exception.
Inclusive Life Announces
New Omaha location
Inclusive Life thanks Linda, Michael, Jonathan, and Stephen for helping get the office
furniture moved. Now the real work begins—dry walling, removing carpet, and painting!
(Photo courtesy of Inclusive Life)
The Vigil Against Violence organizers:
(Erin Anderson-Ravenholdt) Heartland
Pride) (Beth Rigatuso, President) and Inclu-
sive Life Pastoral Services (Royal D. Bush,
Chaplain)releasethisstatementinresponse
to Lincoln Police Department’s announce-
ment of the conclusion of the recent assault
investigation:
TheVigilAgainstViolenceheldinOmaha
was in response to a number of hate crimes
happening across the US and of course also
in response to what had been reported out
of Lincoln. Our community came together
in record numbers to stand against hate.
We shared from our hearts a great deal of
compassion and we must continue to stand
strong, together.
Weunderstandtheenormousamountof
emotions we are now dealing with in regard
to the report of the arrest in Lincoln today.
Our community was racked by the reports
when they first came out and we are again
racked by the Lincoln Police reporting the
complaint being determined as false. The
false reports received by law enforcement
every year do not invalidate the actual
crimes.
LawenforcementinLincolnhavereiter-
atedserioushatecrimesdohappeninLincoln
as well as across the nation. These crimes
devastatetheveryfabricofeverycommunity.
They cause people to live in fear and always
feelasthoughtheyhavetobewatchingtheir
backs. Any allegation of crime motivated
by hate deserves a thorough investigation
by law enforcement. By working with the
FBI and multiple independent analysts, we
are confident that this crime has received a
balanced and thorough investigation.
Itisimportantnottofocusontheactions
ofanysingleindividual. Wemustcontinueto
come together as a community and declare
that violence and hate are not the values of
ourcity. Wemustrememberasacommunity
standingasonevoiceweshallovercomeand
it is imperative at this time we continue to
stand strong.
We realize many of you will have ques-
tions, mixed emotions and confusion. If you
need support we will be receiving updates
from Lincoln about support opportunities
in the near future and will make updates
available at www.heartlandpride.org
You may also contact Beth Rigatuso at
president@heartlandpride.organdChaplain
Royal at chaplainroyal@inclusivelife.org
VigilAgainstViolence
OrganizersReleaseStatement
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 4
Section 1: News & Politics
5. The Center for Equality, a 501(c)
nonprofitorganizationlocatedinSiouxFalls,
South Dakota, will sponsor the 12th annual
Aids Event on Saturday, September 15, with
registrationbeginningat8:30AM. Theevent
will be held in Pasley Park in Eastern Sioux
Falls just south of 26th Street and South-
eastern Drive.
The purpose of the annual Aids event is
toraisemoniestoprovidepeoplelivingwith
HIV/Aidsgiftsormoneythatassiststhemin
their day to day living. The money raised is
used entirely locally and may help someone
with purchasing food, medical co-pay, rent,
utilities, etc. There are increasing requests
which other organizations cannot provide
and are essential to their survival.
People attending can participate in a
2 mile walk or a 5 K run at 9 AM either as
individuals or as a team. Registration can
becompletedonlineatSiouxFalls2012Aids
Walk or on the day of the event. The cost of
registration is $25.00 and a bag lunch will
be provided at the completion of the event
at approximately 12:30 PM.
An exciting and important addition to
theeventthisyearisasilentauctionopening
at10:00AMandaliveauctionatabout11:15
AM following the run/walk, announcement
ofsilentauctionwinners,andrafflewinners.
Items for both have been donated by indi-
viduals and businesses and too numerous
to mention.
It is our hope that this 2012 event will
surpass previous years in both attendance
and monies raised and will bring hope to
those living with HIV/Aids. In addition to
daytolivingmoneyraisedprovidesfreeHIV
testing as well as CDC approved prevention
programs.
This year’s event will also feature, for
yourdonation,alocalartistpreparedtopaint
your portrait.
There are numerous choices for donat-
ingtoacriticalcauseonSaturday,September
15; Run/Walk (individual/team), Silent
Auction, Live Auction, Portrait Painted, and
Raffle. All proceeds to bring…hope.
12th
Sioux Falls Aids Walk9/15
Kinksters from all over the Midwest will
converge on Des Moines, IA, the weekend
of October 12-14, 2012, for Iowa Leather
Weekend.
All events take place at the legendary
Blazing Saddle in downtown Des Moines’
Historic East Village. The fun starts at 10
PM Friday night with the Iowa Bears Party
followed by the Contestant “Meat” & Greet
for the Mr. Iowa Leather Contest (MIAL). On
Saturday,comebackat10PMtoseesexymen
compete to be Mr. Iowa Leather 2013. Stay
afterwards for the Black Party, benefiting the
AIDS project of central Iowa. On Sunday, the
Corn Haulers and the Titans of the Midwest
present Leather Brunch at 11 AM and the
VictoryBeerBustat2PM,wherepatronscan
meet the new Mr. Iowa Leather in person.
This year’s Iowa Leather Weekend will
featurefetishwearvendors; LeChateauExotic
andJesseDriscoll,aswellasbootblacks,kink
demos, and performances from a bevy of
performers from the porn and drag worlds.
This year’s judges for MIAL are Randy
Carmenaty, American Leatherman 2008;
Angel Velez, Mr. Chicago Leather 2012;
Karen “Ultra” Crecelius; Sandy
“Mama” Reinhardt; and Mike
Pagano, Mr. Iowa Leather
2011. The emcee will be Jon
Krongaard,ExecutiveCoordi-
nator of IML.
Guests can still book
rooms at the official MIAL
host hotel, The Hyatt Place
Downtown, but rooms are
going fast. Don’t miss this
partyweekendlikeonlyIowa
can throw!
Des Moines gears up for Iowa
Leather Weekend10/12-14
Organizers of the first annual “Cedar
Valley Pridefest” were delighted and pleas-
antlysurprisedbytheevent’slevelofsuccess.
Attendancefortheone-dayevent,heldAugust
18, in downtown Waterloo, was estimated at
2,000 with more than 400 in attendance by
midafternoon. Thefestivalincludedanumber
of live musical groups, drag shows, a “drag
race”, comedians, a roller derby demonstra-
tion, and, of course, food and drink.
Zach Wahls made an appearance as the
event’s featured speaker, and as a part of his
“Why Marriage Matters” tour. He and spoke
totheafternooncrowdabouttheverynormal
natureofhisexperiencegrowingupinafamily
with two moms.
2012 Cedar Valley
Pridefest a success
Brazilian 2wins live at Cedar Valley Pridefest 2012.
toratBlackhawkCommunityCollege,where
she teaches Event Planning 101, to aspiring
Event Planners. Amidst her busy schedule
Lisa took the time to sit down and talk to me
about Epiphany Events LLC.
Whatdoyoufeelisuniqueabouthow
youplanandmanageeventscomparedto
other similar companies?
I like to think that I bring a unique
style to planning events. There are certain
things that are scripted, but I believe that
my personality—my ability to adapt to any
situation—allows me to be successful.
What geographic area do you serve?
We are located in the Quad Cities, area,
ontheIllinoisside.Wearepleasedtoservice
theQuadCitiesandsurroundingareaswithin
about a 75 mile radius.
Do you travel?
We are available for travel for destina-
tion weddings/events.
Your press kit mentions you were in
the army. Do you feel your time in the
militaryhelpedyoubepreparedforevent
planning? (if so, how?)
My military experience played a large
part in preparing me for the Event Plan-
ning Industry. There is a term that we use
in the Army and that is called “Backwards
Planning”. I use this concept when planning
events because it allows me to cover every
aspect of an event from the beginning to the
end—except in reverse.
Canyoutellusaboutthemostextrav-
agant event you managed?
Oneofthemostextravaganteventsthat
I have had the pleasure of overseeing was a
Military Change of Command Ceremony.
Can you tell us about the smallest,
quietest event you managed?
I arranged a baby shower for a friend.
She didn’t really want to have one in the
first place, but in the end she was giddy and
overjoyed.
BeingbasedintheQuadCities,tellus
aboutsomeofyourfavoriteeventvenues
in the area.
I think the newly renovated Blackhawk
Hotel in Davenport, Iowa is one of the best
venues in the Quad Cities. I also like the
Waterfront Convention Center in Betten-
dorf, IA
What do you tell people who are on
the fence about using an event planner
rather than taking it on themselves?
I have always been a fan of paying
someonetodosomethingIreallydonotwant
to do. As for wedding planning, I think every
bride should have a planner—even when
there are two brides—even if it is in a small
capacity, just to make things easier the day
of.Itsavesunnecessarystressandminimizes
overspending. EventPlannersaredefinitely
the saving grace, especially for brides.
What special advice can you give
same-sex couples about planning
events?
Incorporatebothofyourideasintoyour
plan. Find a planner who is sympathetic to
yourneedsandrespectsyouforwhoyouare.
Be proud to celebrate your special day, and
hire a planner who will be just as proud to
help you make the most of it.
What advice can you give same-sex
couples regarding the differences in
state laws, for example between Illinois
and Iowa?
Research and know the laws in your
state. Even though Iowa and Illinois are
neighbors, their laws differ and can create
issues. Iowa has same-sex marriage, but
Illinois only has civil unions; it important to
remember that some states like New York
will recognize marriage licenses between
same-sex couples from other states, but
have no legal equivalent for (and therefore
no recognition of) “civil unions”. However,
Illinois recognizes same-sex marriages as
the equivalent of civil unions, so getting the
legal marriage license in Iowa is definitely
to your benefit.
continued from page 1SS
EPIPHANY EVENTS
ACCESSline Page 5SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
6. On the Serious
Politics of Lying
It’s silly season. And it would be
laughable if elections weren’t downright
serious.
We’re about to see the worst of poli-
tics. It’s been building all summer, but now
the money really flows. So, here we go.
“Awash in money” is understatement
as the 1% bids for owning the politi-
cal winners. The system is drowning in
corporate and billionaires’ contributions.
As cowboy-comedian Will Rogers, Jr, put
it generations ago:
“We’ve got the best
Congress money can
buy.”
Not telling the
truth has always been
a part of politics, but
we can expect outright
liesfromtheright-wing
to increase to a level
never seen before.
And when someone points out the lie,
we can expect them to continue and do
it blatantly.
There’s no penalty in the mainstream
media. Even if it’s a known lie, when
repeated long enough, it becomes just
another opinion taken equal to fact-based
claims.
It’s unusual to find anyone in the
mainstream media who is any help. If it
weren’t for the evening lineup on MSNBC,
there’d be no TV personality willing to
question what’s said.
The right-wing has intentionally
learned how to bully the media by repeat-
edly labeling them as liberal. Now even
that is too weak a bullying epithet for
them. The official Republican language
now labels them far left or far, far, left as
well as socialist and Marxist.
In response, the major networks,
CNN, NPR, and PBS have moved further
to the right from any centrist positions
they might have ever held to in order to
prove to the right-wing that they aren’t
partial. They can no longer tell the truth
and so must create
false equivalencies
as if “both sides” are
constant liars.
To claim that
fundraisers thrown
by Tom Hanks, Bill
Maher, or Rob Reiner
are on par with those
thrownbyright-wing-
ers like the corporate
baron Koch brothers or casino tycoon
Sheldon Adelson is just plain idiocy. The
Hollywood stars want marriage equality,
health insurance for all, funding for public
education and social safety nets, while the
corporatists are buying legislation to put
more billions in their own pockets with
little regard for whom it hurts.
In fact, the right-wing believes that
hurting people is good for the losers. It
creates character or is just payment for
deficiencies in the lives of the sufferers.
Reporters worry about losing access
to their right-wing sources. So the most
of them won’t follow-up by challenging
claims from politicians sitting right in
front of them, looking them in the eye
while repeating distractive and proven-
false talking points.
So-called “fact checking” organiza-
tions are also bullied and so aren’t always
frank in order to appear “fair,” acting as
if “both sides” are equally culpable. No
matter how it’s not factually true that FOX
and MSNBC are equivalent liars, we’ve
been taught by the right-wing that the
sophisticated position is to look down
from above the fray and say that both
sides “do it.”
It’s as if the moral high ground is
wishy-washy. And the so-called pundits
are therefore required to search for some
way to peer down with scorn from “fair
and balanced” towers upon people with
fact-based stands.
The Karl Rove Super-PAC money is on
the way—more than ever. It will be impos-
sible to watch TV without seeing some lie
told by Rove’s studios about Democrats.
FOX News will continue to be the
voice of the right-wing of the Republican
Party and the exclusive source of what’s
not going on to the base that doesn’t think
there are facts anymore. They too are
masters of lies and fabrications.
Now, it’s against
many people’s natures
tocall someonealiar.It
feels nicer, kinder, and
even more winsome
to find other ways of
interpreting lies.
We’ve often been
taught not to say the
word lie. We’ve been cautioned to try to
understand the liar instead, put ourselves
in their shoes, not be offensive.
But the political lies we’re being told
are not harmless little fibs. They’re inten-
tional and meant to keep the power of the
liars in place. They protect the powerful
and lead to suffering and even death for
the rest.
The lies being told about healthcare
reform, we know, will result in 45,000
more Americans dying this year. The
lies being told about wars will result in
thousands more deaths this year. The lies
being told about LGBT people resulted in
atleastthirtymurdersin2011, the highest
number ever.
We can’t be in denial about this. We
must get over our shock that the right-
wing lies.
This does not mean that the rest of
us are always truth tellers. It means that
the lies right-wing leaders are telling are
consciously so.
They know they are. Even when
confronted by that fact, they repeat them
for their purposes. Even right-wing reli-
gious people believe that it’s okay to tell
a lie if it promotes their own sectarian
Truth.
We can’t turn our heads. We can’t live
off of our privileged
positions and act as
if lies don’t matter
because they are not
hurting us personally
right now.
Wemustbetruth-
tellers. That doesn’t
mean we have to be
mean, but we have to make sure that we
express our view of how things are.
We can’t act as if all views are equally
valid either. We have to stand for some-
thing.
We can’t afford to turn away or turn
inward. If we do, when the lies do come
down on us we will be alone while we face
the consequences.
We have to present a model of beliefs
for which we stand. We must act as if we
mean it and it’s important, or we’re telling
people it doesn’t really matter.
We can’t afford to be relativists,
thinking that all views are equally right.
Relativism, too, is a privileged position
that supports those who already have the
power to maintain the status quo.
The oppression of others is always
evil. And lies supporting it are just plain
reprehensible—and often deadly.
Minor Details by Robert Minor
We can’t afford to turn
awayorturninward.Ifwedo,
when the lies do come down
on us we will be alone while
we face the consequences.
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at
the University of Kansas, is author of When
Religion Is an Addiction;
Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to
Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard
to Be Human and Gay & Healthy in a Sick
Society. Contact him at
www.FairnessProject.org.
“DoIthinktherearepeoplelivingagay
Christianlifewhoaregoingtobeinheaven
with me? I do; if they have a relationship
with God.”
~AlanChambers,ExodusInternationalPresident,
said in an interview with Lisa Ling.
The right-wing has
intentionallylearnedhowto
bully the media by repeat-
edlylabelingthemasliberal.
Now even that is too weak a
bullying epithet for them.
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
7. With the addition of Paul Ryan to the
GOP Presidential ticket, we now have a
clear choice between visions of the two
major candidates. We can see a clear diver-
gence of political philosophies that could
shape the future of our country, just in the
way that New Deal policies have shaped
the past half century.
While cost structures
for Social Security
(SSA) and Medicare
(HMS) could use some
attention, we have to
seriously consider the
possible consequences
to Mr. Ryan’s proposal
for overhaul of those
programs.
According to his
proposals in Congress,
Mr. Ryan wants the private sector to take
over SSA and HMS. In his theory, this will
save the Federal government the costs of
handling these programs and leave more
money for the HMS and SSA beneficia-
ries (otherwise known as the American
people).
We have to remember that SSA, HMS,
and workforce benefits were set up to
combat poverty, especially for the elderly.
They were set up exclusively for the elderly
tokeepprivatecompaniesinbusinessforthe
rest of the population. As well, people are
not prohibited from using other retirement
savings. SSA and HMS programs, however,
are designed to be stable and conservative
investments to keep the funds at or above
inflation with the idea that no one should
be using the money on risky investment
schemes that could ultimately rob Ameri-
cans of their elderly livelihood. The people
thatmanageSSAandHMSarenotallowedto
defraudthebeneficiariesorusetheirmoney
for risky schemes, hedge funds, or the like.
Also, people are given a single entity from
which to claim benefits, and there is little-
to-no confusion as to the rules since they
are equal across all plans and beneficiaries.
This is meant to promote faith in the funds
being there for the beneficiaries when they
retire.
A side benefit
(whether a good thing
or not) of the SSA and
HMS funds is that the
federal government
can borrow against
its own funds rather
thanfromforeignenti-
ties (see the Clinton
years). Consider how
this is similarto where
people today can
borrow against their Roth or 401K retire-
ment accounts where they are essentially
loaning to themselves from money they
have in bank. There are rules to this, but
essentially,thesesamepeoplecouldinstead
borrowfromaloansharkandpayrelatively
high interest rates to someone that is not
even a friend. By borrowing against your
own savings, you are repaying your own
capital.
Theintenthereisnottodebatewhether
My Ryan’s characterization of the Social
Security program as a Ponzi scheme is
accurate. The program’s intended design,
however, is that millions of Americans pay
into a retirement savings for themselves
withanexpectationthatitremainsaspartof
their retirement income. The GOP has been
lickingtheirchopsattheprospectofgetting
capitalist hands into the money pot that is
SSA and HMS. Just think of the tremendous
amounts of capital that the United States
could reap in revenue from aggressive (e.g.
risky)formsofinvestmentusingthetrillions
of dollars from those accounts. If one can
invest$5000andgetamodest6.25%return
that is roughly an average of $325 per year.
If one can invest say $5 trillion and get that
same return which is roughly $325 billion
and suddenly, California no longer has a
deficit issue? Yet, that 6.25 % return is a
great day if the investment is sound and in
actualcapital,butweallknowwhathappens
whenpeoplearegivenabunchofmoneyand
told to create profit (e.g. Lehman Brothers,
GoldmanSachs,MerrillLynch,Madoff).Odd,
considerthatpeopleweregivingmoneytoa
mannamedMadoffwhoactually“madeoff”
with their money and left the beneficiaries
with nothing.
That is precisely what we can envision
with the Ryan-Romney plan for SSA and
HMS.Weallknow“why”becausethatiswhat
caused the crashes in the Great Depression,
1980s, and 2000s: greed. Private investors
willbegrantedaccesstothishugemountain
of cash with the idea that these “qualified”
peopleknowhowtocapitalize. Thesepeople
willthendesigncomplexinstruments,funds,
ETFs, bonds, derivatives, transaction fees,
balloon profits, and this will be backed by
the full faith of the federal government (see
FannieMaeandFreddieMac).Theywillsell
tobeneficiariesthattheycanmaximizetheir
return using these complicated or expen-
sive instruments, and supposedly, with the
assurance of the federal government, the
money will be safe. One firm will be able to
handle the retirement account differently
than the other, and thanks to the recent
ruling by the Supreme Court with respect
to the Affordable Health Care Act, people
can be compelled to pay into the system
or fear a tax penalty. That is until the next
bailoutisneededfromtheAmericanpeople
tore-fundtheeventuallydestroyedSSAand
HMS systems. Then, while the Americans
are wondering what happened to their
retirements,thefatcatsthatengineeredthe
schemes will be able to continue living the
high-life and toasting their “success”.
We have a clear choice between the
Obama and Romney teams, and the future
ofSSAandHMSareattheheartofthediffer-
ence. Further, the collapse of the entitle-
ment programs will mean a collapse in the
Americanmarketsandfinancialsystemthat
will paralyze the global economy where
2008 will seem, by comparison, like a mere
hiccup. Imayhavepaintedadireprediction
ofprivatizationofthosefunds,butgiventhe
recent balloon and bust of the mortgage
crisis, can we seriously expect something
different than this? Can we risk losing our
retirements? That is a recipe to corrupt our
government insurance programs.
HowtoCorrupttheGovernmentInsuranceProgramsbyTonyE.Hansen
Odd, consider that
peopleweregivingmoney
to a man named Madoff
who actually “made off”
with their money and left
the beneficiaries with
nothing. Tony E Hansen is a web developer, organizer,
researcher, writer, martial artist, and vocalist
from Des Moines. For more information go to
tigersndragons.com.
Our minds have a powerful capacity
to suppress internal conflict.
My first “homosexual panic” occurred
in a St. Louis antique store the spring of
1968, shortly before my marriage. My
brother and I had gone to see some Cardi-
nals games, a bachelors’ weekend before
the wedding.
Beinginanantiqueshopsearchingfor
blue-banded stoneware might have been
a clue that I was gay, but I’d missed a lot
of clues. Going to see the Cards was just
anothercovertohidemysexualorientation
from everyone, including myself.
Some queers are as passionate about
sports; I just never was, but I believed I
was reasonably good at the heterosexual
pretense. I was a regular guy with a little
“quirk.”
As I stood in the store, the manager,
whowasaboutmyage,cameovertomeand
began asking me about myself. Standing a
little too close to me, he seemed genuinely
interested in me. After a while, his fingers
lightly moved across my crotch. I thought,
“How clumsy of him!”
I moved away to examine some other
stoneware and he returned, inviting me to
a party that evening. This time he more
assertively caressed my crotch. I briefly
questioned but dismissed the “accidental”
nature of his behavior.
Thethirdtimehetouchedmeengulfed
melikeatsunami. “I’mheterosexual about
tobemarried. A Cardinalsfan!Whywould
he ever approach me?” I fled the store and
ruminated all day and night. I considered
reporting to the police that I had been
sexually violated.
I returned to Nebraska to finish
medicalschoolandgetmarried. Evenwhen
IbegantoconsiderreturningtoSt.Louisto
continue my medical education, I failed to
recognize what was pulling me back.
My mind wouldn’t let me see what I
was not yet prepared to accept.
Questions for Loren A Olson can be
sent courtesy of ACCESSline, PO Box 396
Des Moines, IA 50302-0396.
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD
Loren A. Olson MD, DLFAPA is a board
certified psychiatrist who has been engaged
in the clinical practice of psychiatry for
over 35 years. Dr. Olson has conducted
independent research on mature gay men,
and presented the initial results of this
research at the World Congress in Psychiatry
in Prague in September 2008 and throughout
the United States. He writes for his own
blog, MagneticFire.com, which has a strong
following among mature gay men. He is
the author of Finally Out: Letting Go of
Living Straight, for more information go to
FinallyOutBook.com or Facebook.com.
ACCESSline Page 7SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
8. Our university, for a number of years,
has dedicated enormous amounts of time,
energy, and resources annually to success-
fully promote and collect monetary dona-
tions for the United Way (UW), a global
organization, according to its vision and
goals “envisions a world where all indi-
viduals and families achieve their human
potential through education, income
stability, and healthy lives.” The United
Way Worldwide represents itself as “the
leadership and support organization for
the network of nearly 1,800 community-
based United Ways in 40 countries and
territories.” Possibly the reason why
so many colleges and universities have
wedded themselves to UW could very well
be that contributions to this single orga-
nization assist many worthwhile groups,
which themselves help large numbers of
individuals in real need.
While I find the goals of UW extremely
laudable, I also find myself torn for a
number of reasons with critical questions
and deep concerns over our university’s
consistent and continuing support and
focus on this organization.
Firstly, by concentrating our charita-
ble fundraising efforts solely or primarily
on UW, other equally deserving organi-
zations are ultimately restricted in the
donations they receive. As the rationale
goes, “Well, I have a limited amount that
I can donate annually to charitable orga-
nizations, and I’ve already given this year
to the United Way, so I can’t give to other
groups.” A number of my family members
have diabetes, and within the last three
months alone, three of my close friends
received a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer diag-
nosis, and I am concentrating my efforts
on raising funds for cancer and diabetes
research and treatment. That has been my
own personal decision.
Secondly, the other main concern
I have is that UW distributes some of
its donations to
the Boy Scouts
of America, an
organization that
has this year reaf-
firmed its long-
standing policy
of rejecting gay,
bisexual, trans-
gender scouts
(youthmembers),
and scouters
(adult leaders).
According to
their past posi-
tion on homosexuality: “Boy Scouts
of America believes that homosexual
conduct is inconsistent with the obliga-
tions in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to
be morally straight and clean in thought,
word, and deed….” While no one is advo-
cating same-sex sexual conduct between
scouts or between scout leaders and
scouts, their position statement confuses
conduct with identity since the organiza-
tion rejects membership also in terms of
one’s identity. In addition, no atheist or
agnostic need apply either since the Boy
ScoutsofAmerica“Anthem”proclaimsthat
“The Boy Scouts of America maintains that
no member can grow into the best kind of
citizen without recognizing an obligation
to God….The recognition of God as the
ruling and leading power in the universe
and the grateful acknowl-
edgment of His favors and
blessings are necessary to
the best type of citizen-
ship and are wholesome
precepts in the education
of the growing members.”
In June of 2010, the
Chief Scout Executive
and national president,
Bob Mazzuca, convened
a special eleven-member
committee to evaluate the
“anti-homosexual” policy
for the purpose of deter-
mining whether it was in the best inter-
ests of the organization. The committee
recommended that the policy continue.
It concluded that the policy reflects the
beliefs and perspectives of BSA member-
ship. Mazzuca announced in a written
statement on July 17, 2012 that “The
vast majority of the parents of youth we
serve value their right to address issues
of same-sex orientation with their family,
with spiritual advisers, and at the appro-
priate time and in the right setting. While
a majority of our membership agrees with
our policy, we fully understand that no
single policy will accommodate the many
diverse views among our membership or
society.”
No one is disputing parents’ and
BLUMENFELD cont’d page 9TT
While I find the goals
of UW extremely laudable,
I also find myself torn for
a number of reasons with
critical questions and deep
concernsoverouruniversity’s
consistent and continuing
support and focus on this
organization.
A Metaphor and a Lesson
I’m not crazy about Ohio Republican
Representative LaTourette who recently
announced his surprise resignation from
Congress. He resigned because of extreme
elementsinhispartythathavebeenmaking
itimpossibletoreachconsensusandgovern
because of ideology. He’s not the only one;
he’s just the most recent.
I’m not crazy about the guy despite his
moderate—some might say enlightened—
views on a variety of issues. I disagree
with him on lots of what I consider his less
enlightened“Republicanviews.” Plus—and
thisistheimportantpartforme—moderate
ornot,hispresenceasanominalRepublican
hascontributedtoaRepublicanmajorityin
the House of Representatives, the leader-
ship of which is the proverbial dog being
wagged by its errant tail.
His resignation is a metaphor for what
has been happening in the Republican
Party for the past couple of decades. In
that time, thanks to the likes of Ralph Reed,
who invited evangelical so-called “Chris-
tians” into active involvement in politics,
moderate elements have abandoned the
Party in droves until the Party became
synonymous with the evangelical subset
of those who count themselves Christians.
Forthatbunch,almostnoonecanbe“pure”
enough, so the evolution has been toward,
not away from, the cult of evangelical
“Christian”ideology. AnideologythatIdare
say Christ himself would not recognize on
a good day. I call them CINOs (Christians
In Name Only).
First left the moderate Right; followed
by even the immoderate Right, and that
disquieting evolution is continuing toward
intolerant theocracy. Toward something
onemightactuallyexpecttoseeincountries
with a theocratic tradition, rather than a
secular tradition such as ours.
Riding a tiger is no doubt fast and
definitelyexciting;theproblemcomeswith
the dismount. The rest of us have been
watching from the sidelines, thoroughly
entertained by the
spectacle, and far too
content watching the
Republican Party eat
its own and “cleanse”
the ranks.
Some might
mistake LaTourette’s
resignation as a prin-
cipled act of integrity.
Not so. It was an act of
cowardice, pure and simple. I’m reminded
that“quittersneverwin,andwinnersnever
quit.” LaTourette is a loser. So are those
who went before him. His resignation was
a cop-out, a metaphor for surrender. A
metaphor for throwing in the towel.
Make no mistake, the theocratic
cancer will ultimately spread and will not
be confined to the Republican Party that
so richly deserves it. The country at large
will inherit the same fate as moderate
Republicans have endured. “Moderate
Republicans,” whatever they may believe
on important issues of our time, is a label
that more accurately describes their level
of commitment to the fight. Their fatal
moderation has found expression in the
weakness of their commitment, the luke-
warmstrengthoftheirconvictions,andthe
shortdurationoftheirwillingnesstofight—
their unwillingness to keep on fighting.
The Bible lists nine Fruits of the
Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. That list misses one and, in
politics, perhaps the most important one
of all. The tenth Fruit of the Spirit is tenac-
ity, the affirmative, undaunted dedication
to keep on keeping on. It’s that spirit that
gives birth to Olympic
gold medalists. It’s
that spirit that pits
flowing water against
a rock and eventually
dissolves the rock. It’s
thatspiritthathasbeen
lacking among moder-
ateRepublicansforthe
past twenty years.
Metaphors, like
Biblicalparables,shouldteachalesson. The
lessonhereisthatforewarnedisforearmed.
The lesson here is that more ignorant
people are being born every day and, when
they become prideful in their ignorance—
the very meaning of bigotry—they become
dangerous to everyone around them. The
lesson here is that enlightened education
attacks bigotry at its core, and enlightened
folks need to fire up, organize, and put
more—andmorededicated—troopsinthe
political field.
Smart people learn from their own
mistakes; wise people learn from the
mistakes of others. We need to act and act
wisely. We need to learn from the mistake
ofCongressmanLaTouretteandotherswho
abandoned the fight. This fight is different
fromsomeinonerespect;itmustbefought
again and again by every generation. In
the words of Thomas Jefferson, “The price
of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Congress-
man LaTourette , and others like him,
have settled for vigilance of the temporary
variety.
Make no mistake, the
theocratic cancer will
ultimately spread and
will not be confined to the
Republican Party that so
richly deserves it.
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson
Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the
Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines,
and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club
(ffbciowa.org), an educational, non-profit
corporation for gay men in Iowa who
gather on the first Friday of every month to
provide mutual support, to be educated on
community affairs, and to further educate
community opinion leaders with more
positive images of gay men.
It is the largest breakfast club in the
state of Iowa. He can be contacted at
JonathanWilson@DavisBrownLaw.com.
Warren J. Blumenfeld is associate
professor in the Department of
Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa
State University in Ames, Iowa. He is
editor of Homophobia: How We All
Pay the Price (Beacon Press), and
co-editor of Readings for Diversity
and Social Justice (Routledge) and
Investigating Christian Privilege
and Religious Oppression in the
United States (Sense). www.
warrenblumenfeld.com
The University and the United Way by Warren J. Blumenfeld
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
9. guardians’ “right to address issues of
same-sex orientation with their family
[and] with spiritual advisers.” Allowing
gay, bisexual, and transgender scouts
and leaders in the organization does not
infringe on parents’ and guardians’ rights
and abilities to discuss issues. In addi-
tion, since the organization comprises an
estimated 2.7 million youth ages 7 to 21
plus another million volunteers in local
councils throughout the U.S., I question
whether BSA leadership actually under-
took a scientifically valid and reliable poll
of its full membership. Instead, eleven
members of this “special committee” met
secretly behind closed doors.
Recently BSA demanded the resigna-
tion of Jennifer Tyrrill, lesbian mom and
scout leader of her son Cruz’s den, from
her post because as reported, she did not
“meet the high standards of membership
that the Boy Scouts of America seek.”
What “high standards” has Tyrrill
not met? Over the past
year, while serving as
den leader, the cubs
in her den volunteered
at a local soup kitchen,
collected canned
goods for neighboring
churches to distribute
in food baskets, and
performed a conserva-
tion project at a state
park.
The Girl Scouts of America and the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America organiza-
tions proudly welcome and appreciate
members and leaders of all sexual and
gender identities. But how can a boy
scout or scout leader truly adhere to the
Boy Scout Law of being “trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,
obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean,
and reverent” when BSA clings to its
blatantly prejudi-
cial, discriminatory,
and quite frankly,
offensive “expressive
message” on issues of
sexual identity?
So, what are the
available options? I
have come up with
some, and I’m sure
there are many more.
First, our university
can continue to officially fundraise for
UW as it has in the past with no changes.
Second, individuals who donate to UW can
designate that their contribution cannot
be given in full or in part to BSA. Third,
while continuing to sponsor its official
campaign, university officials as well as
individuals can contact UW in writing
stating clearly that they oppose BSA’s
policies and suggest that UW sever its
relationship with BSA until it reverses
its discriminatory policies. Fourth, the
university can rotate each year the chari-
table organization on which it will focus
its campaign. In this way, members of the
university community can gain the satis-
faction that they are supporting a diverse
number of worthwhile and reputable
organizations.
Regarding BSA, I would welcome a
national response opposing its current
policy in the form of a letter writing
campaign, boycott of funds, and for those
so inclined, abandonment of the organi-
zation as scouts and as leaders until BSA
joins with other youth organizations to
honorandwelcomediversityofthehuman
experience and of the human spirit.
7) You just can’t stop there, Alexis,
pleasetellmemoreaboutthis“unortho-
doxmethodofpreparation”thatyoujust
mentioned?Whatexactlywasit,andhow
did it work?
My, My! You know, I don’t tell many
people about this because there has been
a great deal of information put out that
claimsthisproceduresimplydoesnotwork.
I am sure that most people have heard of
subliminal messages or perception. In a
nutshell,thatisthetechniquethatwasused
for me, though I do not in any way recom-
mend others try this without supervision
and a great deal of thought.
The University of Michigan, in a piece
titled The Roots of Subliminal Perception
quotes a1996 piece by William Cane, titled
HowAdvertiser’sPromoteAddiction,saying
“Subliminal messages and perception are
linked to the idea of mind control, and the
roots of this are placed very far back in our
history.Mindcontroliswhereanindividual
or group of individuals can be controlled
without their awareness. It is perception
below the individual’s/group’s threshold.
It is also the idea that people can be made
to do things they would not ordinarily do.”
In an article excerpted from A. E. Kazdin
(Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology (Vol. 7,
pp. 497-499). New York: Oxford University
Press,2000,PhilipM.MerikleoftheUniver-
sity of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, writes:
“…the findings from controlled studies
indicate that subliminal perception, when
it occurs, reflects a person’s usual inter-
pretations of stimuli.
Furthermore, there is
no evidence to suggest
that people initiate
actions on the basis
of subliminal percep-
tion. The weight of the
evidenceindicatesthat
people must be aware
of perceiving stimuli before they initiate
actions or change their habitual reactions
to these stimuli. Thus, although subliminal
perception may allow us to make accurate
guesses regarding the characteristics of
stimuli, subliminal perception cannot lead
a person to drink Coca-Cola or to eat Ritz
Crackers, and it cannot be used effectively
toimproveaperson’stennisskillsortocure
a person’s bad habits.”
Despite the skeptics, I consider myself
one of the exceptions to these conclusions,
becauseIbelievefirmlythesubliminalCD’s
worked quite well for me. After we had
listened to the recording of that program
on mind control, I asked my co-worker
if he could do the same thing for me. He
thought for a bit, and said that he could.
We discussed a few basic ground rules, the
primaryonebeingthat
I did not want to know
what was being said.
This was because of
the fear that, if I knew
what was being said, I
might subconsciously
attempt to fight it
somehow. I agreed to
buy the necessary equipment, and went
about ordering a subliminal binaural
recorderandaCDrecorder.Oncetheequip-
ment was in place we started. (A binaural
subliminal recorder works on 4 tracks. On
two tracks the message is recorded. On the
other2tracks,themusicisrecorded.When
played back, the music dominates but the
message is still being repeated.)
I never did hear any wording on the
CD’s that he made for me, but I could
certainly hear the music. I don’t know
where he found some of those tunes, and
it was anything but easy listening music.
Some of it was really obnoxious to me.
When I asked about the choice of music,
he explained to me that it was chosen to
shake up my mind and make it easier for
thechangestotakeplace.Healsoexplained
that in order to create my new persona, he
hadtomakemeforgetwhoIhadbeen.Iwas
also cautioned never to attempt to go back
to living as a male again, because it might
make me insane.
I listened to those CD’s many hours a
day, including playing them at night while
I slept. As the days and weeks went on, I
really could actually feel that I was becom-
ing someone else. However, without even
realizingit,Ibegantowearmakeup,Ibegan
todressdifferently,andfromwhathesaidto
me, my attitude and demeanor was chang-
ingto.Frommyperspective,Iwasjustbeing
myself—and nothing had changed.
Today I do actually find it increasingly
difficulttorememberagreatdealaboutmy
past.Myinterestsaredifferent.Myfeelings
and emotions have changed. And, honestly,
I like the new me so much better.
In 2010, high school student Amber Dunham participated in a class assignment to ask someone 20 questions for an LGBT essay. The person Amber chose to ask was Alexis, a trans-
gendered woman from the Iowa City area. This is the second portion of The Interview and will include questions from several individuals. Most of these people have already read
the first interview, and I have asked them to think about more questions they might want answers to. Some are again from Amber. Some of the other questions have simply
unintentionally come up in ordinary conversations with people and were completely unplanned or unsolicited, but I consider them worthy of additional comment. Others simply
seek more in-depth information on one of the previous 20 questions. Any questions or comments for Alexis can be sent care of this publication to Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com.
Digging Deeper interview by Amber Dunham
continued from page 8SS
BLUMENFELD
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Living with HIV
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515-956-3312
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TheGirlScoutsofAmerica
and the Boys & Girls Clubs
of America organizations
proudly welcome and appre-
ciate members and leaders
of all sexual and gender
identities.
Myinterestsaredifferent.
My feelings and emotions
havechanged.And,honestly,
I like the new me so much
better.
ACCESSline Page 9SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
10. Paul Ryan
Dear Log Cabin Republicans,
We need to talk. It’s about your new
boyfriend. Look, I know you’re all smitten
with him and think he’s the best thing to
happen to you in a long time. But that’s
onlybecauseallofyourpreviousboyfriends
have been abusive creeps. I know you think
it’s different now, that you’ve finally found
someone special. I’m sorry to tell you,
however, that this Paul Ryan guy is a douche
canoe, just like the rest of them.
Whichmakesmethinkthattheproblem
rests with you. It’s a sign of some serious
issueswheneveryoneyouconsiderastrong
and stable boyfriend doesn’t actually think
very much of you at all. Sure he may want a
quick “endorsement” in a bar parking lot,
but you know damn well he’s going home
to his wife.
So when Log Cabin Republicans
Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper says,
“Congressman Paul Ryan is a strong choice
for vice president, and his addition to the
GOP ticket will help Republican candidates
up and down the ballot,” the only way I can
manage it making sense in my brain is if I
read “up and down” as a sexual innuendo. A
really desperate and gross one.
So what does Ryan have that’s just so
irresistible to you? Oh, that’s right. Money.
Cooper continues, “As chairman of the
House Budget Committee and author of the
Republican‘pathtoprosperity’thatprovided
the blueprint for serious spending cuts in
this Congress, nobody is more qualified to
articulateaconservativeeconomicvision to
restoretheAmericaneconomyandstimulate
job creation.”
Ah, yes. Ryan’s budget, a.k.a. prosperity
porn. We know how stimulating you Log
Cabin guys find that sort of thing. But just
like I wouldn’t call “Lord of the C*ck Rings”
a serious film, I would hardly call anything
about Ryan’s budget serious. “Ryan hasn’t
‘crunchedthenumbers’;hehasjustscribbled
some stuff down, without checking at all to
see if it makes sense,” said Paul “GOP Boner
Killer” Krugman. “This is just a fantasy, not
a serious policy proposal.”
But wait, you’re going to say. Ryan is
sortakindapro-gayinthathevotedonetime
for something pro-gay way back in 2007.
Andyes,you’reright.Inthatithappened
one time in 2007 when Ryan voted for the
Employment Nondiscrimination Act. And
while you may want to point to an anomaly
in Ryan’s record in order to prop up your
fantasy, I think you should also know that,
according to Michelangelo Signorile, Ryan
votedinfavorofthefederalanti-gaymarriage
amendment, voted against hate crimes
legislation, voted against ending “don’t ask,
don’t tell”, and favored an anti-gay marriage
amendment in Wisconsin. As Gay City News
reminds us, Ryan has a big fat zero from the
HumanRightsCampaignforhistimeinoffice.
He’salsovotedinfavoroflettingfaith-based
organizations skirt LGBT nondiscrimina-
tion measures and wanted to ban same-sex
couples in D.C. from adopting.
So when LCR’s Cooper cites Ryan’s
“consistent willingness to engage with Log
Cabinonarangeofissuesspeakstohisrecord
asafair-mindedpolicymaker,”itsoundsalot
likeyou’reinlovewithhimbecausehe’seven
willingtotalktoyouatall.Andthatyoueither
don’t know or don’t care about his actual
record. Because it sure isn’t “fair-minded”
when it comes to LGBT equality.
I think that LCR’s enthusiasm over
Ryan is actually a cry for help. May they get
it soon.
Louis Sheldon
GayshipEnterprisetobase,doyouread
me?Irepeat,GayshipEnterprisetobase.We
are closing in on our target. The U.S.A. will
soon be the U.S.G.H.L., the United States of
Gay Homo Lesbos. We have permission to
land.
That’s the kind of message I imagine
Louis Sheldon “intercepting” when he puts
on his tin-foil hat.
CREEP continued page 23TT
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski
On paper, you’d think a 42 year-old
Republican would be up to speed on
marriage rights, and might even, given his
age, be tolerant.
To my surprise, Mitt Romney’s vice
presidential pick, U.S. Congressman Paul
D. Ryan from Wisconsin, is not only no ally
to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer (LGBTQ) communities—he’s
completely ignorant of our struggle.
Whenitcomestotheissueofmarriage
equality Ryan has consistently voted it
down.
In defending his stalwart stance
for a constitutional amendment to ban
same-sex marriage Ryan stated, “I believe
fundamentally that marriage is between
a man and a woman. Although I support
the constitutional amendment to protect
marriage, that process cannot continue at
this time given the failed attempt by the
U.S. Senate to advance the amendment.
Meanwhile,statescouldbeforcedtoaccept
same-sexmarriagesbecauseofafewjudges
in Massachusetts.”
Ryan made that statement in Septem-
ber 2004, just four months after same-sex
marriagebecamelegalinMassachusetts.In
2012, his position hasn’t altered.
WhenRyanwasaskedonceagainabout
his stance on same-sex marriage he stated
on Meet the Press in February that he “…
supported the Wisconsin amendment to
define marriage as between a man and a
woman.”
OneofRomney’sobjectivesinselecting
Ryan is to entice young voters, a constitu-
ency Romney hopes will come out for his
ticketinNovemberinnumberscomparable
tothatofObama’s2008campaign.Inhaving
a young energetic and relatable candidate
like Ryan, it revs up Romney’s campaign
that hasbeenuninspiringtoyoungconser-
vative voters.
ButRyan,42,isanoutlierforagenera-
tion of young conservatives, especially his
stance on LGBTQ social issues. His barom-
eter on queer social issues is not only way
off but it’s also not in lockstep with young
social conservatives who have clearly
articulated that discrimination against
marriage equality is not the government’s
business.
“I don’t really care about the social
stuff,” Millersville University student
Jordan Smith told reporter Lauren Fox
of US News. “I think it’s big government
when the government
tells you who you can
and cannot marry and
that’s not conserva-
tive.”
With this younger
generation of conser-
vatives exposed to
same-gender fami-
lies, classmates, peers,
educators, etc., and
some who are LGBTQ
themselves,theirfocus
is on issues like the
economy, jobs and
military.
“We’re worried
about getting jobs
after graduation...Gay
marriage isn’t as important of an issue for
me.” Lindsay Matera, a freshman at Roger
Williams University, told US News.
With exposure to LGBTQ people, and
with more and more Americans wanting
LGBTQmembersintheirfamiliestoreceive
the same state and federal protections as
everyheterosexualAmerican,aseismicshift
hasoccurred.Theincreasingacceptanceof
gay marriage has a lot to do with public
acceptanceofLGBTQpeople.A2011survey
bythePewResearchCenterrevealsthat58
percent of the American populace accepts
LGBTQ people. And the latest Pew survey
found a “47 to 43 percent plurality favor-
ing gay marriage, with as many Americans
saying they strongly favor (22 percent) as
saying they strongly oppose (22 percent),”
according to Pew Research Center presi-
dentAndrewKohut.Muchofthischangein
attitude toward LGBTQ Americans is both
generational and cultural.
Inattemptingtodeflectattentionaway
from the topic of same-sex marriage Ryan
brought more attention to it, revealing
recently how he’s not up-to-date.
“If I recall from the last presidential
campaign,PresidentObamaandVicePresi-
dent Biden said that
they support marriage
asbeingbetweenaman
and a woman,” Ryan is
quoted in Michelan-
geloSignorile’sAugust
12th article on Huff-
Post Gay Voices. “So I
don’tknowwhyweare
spending all this time
talking about this.”
Whereas both
Obama and Biden
have now come out in
support of marriage
equality, in the last
presidential election it
wouldhavebeenpoliti-
cal suicide to support
it. This November it may be a risk not to.
As chair of the House and Budget
Committee, Ryan wants to focus on his
strong suit—the nation’s financial crisis—
and not have his campaign bid be bogged
down with social issues, like abortion,
women’s health, and same-sex marriage.
Butevensocialissueshaveaneconom-
ic component, and legalizing same-sex
marriage brings a fiscal benefit—on both
state and federal levels.
On a state level, the evidence is
obvious.
It’s an untapped consumer base that
wouldrevuprevenuesinmarriagelicenses,
rings,hotels,restaurants,weddingvenues,
and divorces, to name a few.
In arguing the case for marriage
equality for Rhode Island, a study from the
Williams Institute at UCLA’s Law School
wrote that the state’s coffer had the poten-
tial to generate an additional $1.2 million
over a three-year period.
And, in the first 5 years, since 2004
when same-sex marriage was legalized in
Massachusetts, our state coffers increased
by an additional $111 million.
On a federal level, if all 50 states
legalized same-sex marriage the revenue
would net $1 billion a year over a decade,
according to a 2004 report by Congres-
sional Budget Office, an office Ryan is
familiar with.
For a man so interested in balancing
America’s budget, you’d think the revenue
streamfrommarriageequalitymightcatch
Ryan up to Biden.
Rev. Irene Monroe is a graduate from
Wellesley College and Union Theological
Seminary at Columbia University, and
she has served as a pastor at an African-
American church before coming to Harvard
Divinity School for her doctorate as Ford
Fellow. She is a syndicated queer religion
columnist who tries to inform the public
of the role religion plays in discrimination
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer people. Her website is
irenemonroe.com.
At 42, Paul Ryan is Out-of-Step with his Generation by Rev. Irene Monroe
His barometer on
queer social issues is
not only way off but
it’s also not in lock-
step with young social
conservativeswhohave
clearly articulated that
discrimination against
marriage equality is
not the government’s
business.
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 10
Section 1: News & Politics
11. Rising pop star talks
gay influences, doing
Pride and her big hair
It’s hard to talk about Eva Simons
without mentioning her hair. That tower-
ing mohawk is as big as her voice, which
guests on will.i.am’s single “This Is Love.”
With Simons’ debut due this fall, the Dutch
up-and-comer chatted about her recent
Pridegig,howgaypeopleinfluenceherand
the hair, of course.
How much hairspray do you go
through?
A lot! You know how they say you
can’t bring flammable things on the plane?
I think those things are flammable but I
have to bring them, otherwise I can’t do my
hair. Is that legal? I don’t know! But I need
it. I need my European hairspray. It’s very
important.
How tall is your hair?
Eight inches. My brother was measur-
ing it the other day. He wanted to know.
That’s bigger than the average
penis.
(Laughs) Oh my god, is it really? Well,
good to know. I’m huge!
How aware are you of your gay fan
base?
I wasn’t very aware until I performed
at gay Pride in New York recently. That was
when I was aware; they gave me so much
love.
Isthatthefirsttimeyoureceivedthat
kind of reception from a gay audience?
I mean, I always have! Ever since my
first record, “Silly Boy,” they really believed
in me. It’s always nice when people get you,
especiallyinthegaycommunitywherethey
are so much about people being misunder-
stood. I totally understand that.
Youusedtogotogayclubswhenyour
mom,who’salsoasinger,usedtoperform
at them. What do you remember?
I was just mesmerized by them. They
Our Picks for September
9/1-2, Upper City Park, Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa
Women’s Music Festival, prairievoices.net
9/7, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa,
Mr & Miss Cosmopolitan Iowa USofA,
MissGayIowa.com
9/8, Kings & Queens, Waterloo, Iowa, Mr & Miss
Kings & Queens Iowa USofA,
MissGayIowa.com
9/9, Connections Nightclub, Davenport, Iowa, Miss
Goddess Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com
9/14-29, Des Moines, Iowa, ArtStop, ArtStopInfo.org
9/7, Club CO2, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The New
Kings on The Block: Wake Me Up
When September Ends, club-co2.com
9/7-30, Des Moines Community Playhouse, Des Moines,
Iowa, Sunset Boulevard, DMPlayhouse.com
9/15, Waverly Palace Theatre, Waverly, Iowa,
Derby Documentary : Derby Baby,
CVDerbyDivas.com
9/16, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa,
Miss Garden Glam Doll Iowa USofA,
MissGayIowa.com
9/20, Macalester College, Saint Paul,
Minnesota, NOH8 Open Photo Shoot,
NOH8Campaign.com
9/22, Holiday Inn Downtown, Des Moines, Iowa,
Imperial Court of Iowa Coronation XX,
ImperialCourtofIowa.org
9/23, Studio 13, Iowa City, Iowa, HomoComing
King & Queen Pageant 2012,
STThirteen.com
9/23, The Max, Omaha, Nebraska, Miss Missouri
Valley Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com
9/28, Bad Dog Bar & Grill, Saint Louis, Missouri,
Bug Chaser, Volcanoes, and Ou Ou &
Britches, BadDogSTL.com
...and October
10/5, Bad Dog Bar & Grill, Saint Louis, Missouri,
Midwest Leather Weekend, BadDogSTL.com
10/5, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa,
Mr & Miss Cosmopolitan Iowa USofA,
MissGayIowa.com
10/12, The Blazing Saddle, Des Moines, Iowa,
Mr Iowa Leather 2013-Iowa Leather
Weekend, TheBlazingSaddle.com
10/13, Kings & Queens, Waterloo, Iowa, Omaha
Invades Iowa CAAP Benefit, p.35
10/19, Hancher, Iowa City, Iowa, It Gets Better,
Hancher.UIowa.edu
ACCESSline’s fun guide
IntroducingEvaSimons
InterviewbyChrisAzzopardi
Eva Simons Photo courtesy of Nick Farrell.
EVA SIMONS cont’d page 31TT
12. The New Kings on The Block discuss
their first show and Charlie Diamond and
Tatem Trick answer a few questions about
their beginnings, mentors, their style, and
upcoming performance. The New Kings on
The Block are set to perform Friday, Septem-
ber 7th at Club CO2, 616 2nd
Ave SE, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. Cover will be $5 and there are
over two hours of entertainment; including
skits, comedy, and an intermission game
called Whores Shoes that is like horse shoes
but with stilettos and a dildo, also featuring
prizesfromlocalbusinesses. Performerswill
be; Jayden Knight/Jolliette Dimentia, Brock
Harding, Monica Knight, Charlie Diamond,
Tatem Trick, Justin Cider, Holden Cider, JD
Lesbiani,andEngourgeMicheal.Theremaybe
road construction in front of Club CO2 at the
time of the September 7th show. The bar will
stillbeopenandadditionalparkingisavailable
adjacent to the buildingandacrossthestreet
in Rapids Reproductions parking lot.
How did you become interested in
male impersonation and why did you
become a Drag King?
Charlie Diamond
I became interested in drag when I saw
a few photos and looked up a few videos. It
lookedlikesomethingfuntodoandIwanted
to see what it was like—I’ve been hooked on
it ever since and I’ve been doing it for a year
and half now.
Tatem Trick
I became interested by going to drag
showsandthenbecomingveryinterested!Or
shouldIsayamazedonhowamancouldlook
likea woman and vice versa.Thequeensand
kings always look like they are having such
a great time performing. I decided to give it
a shot when Club BASIX was having a Mr.5
SeasonsPageant,Iwasverynervousbecause
itwasmyfirsttimeandIwasthrowingmyself
right into a pageant. I went against another
king that had been performing for 5 years so
thatwasintimidating.Iendedupwinningthe
pageant so I was Mr. 5 Seasons of 2010.
What brought you to The New Kings
on the Block?
Charlie Diamond
What brought me to this was Jill posting
aneventandafteraskingheraboutit,Ithought
havingagroupintheareawouldbeamazing!
Performingeverymonthinsteadofafewtimes
outta the year—it’s a great feeling to be part
of an amazing group.
Tatem Trick
Jill Kennedy contacted me and told me
abouthowshewastryingtoputakinggroup
togetherandaskedmeifIwouldbeinterested
in doing the king group. I was pretty ecstatic
because I have always wanted to be a part
of something big and drag kings are not as
popular as queens are, here in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa. I gladly accepted the invite and it has
kicked off from there.
Whoareyourmentorsandwhatinflu-
ences your style?
Courtesy of Benjamin Kaplan.
Charlie Diamond
Mymentorswouldbemydragbrothers,
cage masters, and Dante Pistol. Them taking
me in as one of their brothers, helping me
out on some shows, giving me pointers, and
helping me get ready—we’re always there
for each other.
Inregardstomystyle,Iwouldn’tconsider
me having a style. I’m a laid back kind of
person, but like to have fun and get crazy
here and there.
Tatem Trick
One of my very first mentors was JD
Lesbiani who is a drag king legend to the
Cedar Rapids area. He has helped guide me
intobeingtheperformerIamtodaybygiving
me the opportunity to perform with him. My
style is usually influenced by which type of
genre I’m performing to. I try to tailor myself
as much as I can to the artist that sings the
song. Of course I’ll put my own twist to make
it Tatem’s style.
What is your musical style and
describe your wardrobe?
Charlie Diamond
My music is really open and I’ll do
anythingfromrocktosomepop—itchanges.
My wardrobe I sometimes base it off what
they wear in the music videos, to make it
realistic.
Tatem Trick
MymusicalstylesmostlyconsistofR&B,
Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,orAlternative.Idoliketogo
outsidemycomfortzoneandtryotherthings
butthat’sthetypeofmusicyouwillhearwhen
youseemeperforming.Mywardrobestyleis
usuallyalotliketheartistthatoriginallysings
thesong.ItrytotailormyselfasmuchasIcan,
then I throw my own twist in to make it me.
Youwillalwayscatchmewithabandanaonmy
wrist or pants; I would say that’s a signature
thing I have.
You just had your first performance
at Club CO2. How did it feel to finally get
out on the stage?
Charlie Diamond
It was nerve racking at first, not having
performedforsolong—sinceJanuary—butI
enjoyedeverysecondofitandIamexcitedfor
moretocome.It’ssuchanamazingfeeling—I
couldn’t have asked for anything better than
being a part of this group.
Tatem Trick
It felt really good, I always get a little
nervous before each show I do. This always
surprises people as to why I get so nervous
because I have performed so much over the
21/2yearsI’vebeendoingdrag.Nobodyever
seesmynervesonstagethough;Ileavethatin
the back room. I love feeling the energy from
the crowd when they hear a song they love
andautomaticallystartsingingitandhavinga
goodtimewithme.Itonlyfuelsmethatmuch
more to do a good job on the stage.
Jayden Knight
It felt amazing out on stage! The crowd
wassoexcitedandwoundupaboutourperfor-
mances.Wehadalmostmaximumcapacityat
Co2thatnight. Itwastrulyadreamcometrue.
We couldn’t have asked for anything better!
Justin Cider
JusthadthefirstshowandallIcanreally
say is WOW! It was a fantastic night and I
enjoyedmyselfalot.I’lladmitrightbeforethe
showIwasslightlynervous,butwhenIheard
themusicformyfirstsongallwentawayand
it was just me and the stage and the crowd—
allnervesaside!Itturnedoutway,waybetter
than I could have imagined it and I am very
grateful to everyone involved. Thank you all
so much again.
What did the crowd love about your
performance? Give us a highlight.
Charlie Diamond
Just letting loose and being myself out
there, interacting with the crowd and getting
them pumped up—like I was.
Courtesy of Jill Kennedy.
Tatem Trick
Oneofmyhighlightsfromthelastperfor-
mance I did at CO2 was when I came out in
mynerdyoldschoolruffleshirt.Thenhalfway
through the song I start to strip my shirt off
and then start ripping my beater off as you
see my six-pack.
Jayden Knight
I’d say the crowd loved our group song
‘Too Close the Most’. Tatem, Justin, Myself,
Charlie, and Holden all danced together sexy
and smooth!
Justin Cider
I’ve spoken to a lot of different people
that were at the show and even some that
were not, but I would have to say that a lot
of people are still talking about the group
number “too close” with special guest Ivana
Dik aka Steph. But everyone as a whole had
a fantastic show; we had a great turn out and
are very excited for the next show. Because
its gonna be better than the first guaranteed!
And, because it’s on a Friday.
What can people look forward to
seeing at your next performance “Wake
Me Up When September Ends” Friday,
September 7th
?
Charlie Diamond
To have a lot of fun because you never
know what I’ll come out with next.
Justin Cider
Look forward to a great show, good
looking men, good music, a Friday night,
props,shock,andwow! Andbackbypopular
demand—the New Kings on the Block are
bringing you another group number.
Tatem Trick
You can expect to see a large variety of
thingsI’mabouttothrowdownonSeptember
7th
. I’ll be doing 5 numbers that night and all
of the songs are different. A couple comedy
ones to a very empowering group number
I’m putting together. I get goose bumps just
thinkingaboutit,it’soneyouwillnotwantto
miss! It will most certainly be one of the top
performances I have ever done.
Jayden Knight
They can look forward to seeing at the
next show Jayden’s alter-ego his sister from
another Mister “Jolliette Dimentia”. She will
beperformingalongsidewithBrockHarding
and Charlie Diamond!
Jill Kennedy
We had a great turn out for our Aug.
2 show. Over 130 people came to the first
performance by the New Kings on the Block!
Our next show will be on Friday, September
7thatClubCO2.Coverchargewillstartat9pm
and the show will begin at 11pm.
BrockHardingMr.FMI2012
Originally from Madison Wisconsin, I
guessIwasdoing“maleimpersonation”basi-
callyunknowinglymywholelife. Iwasinvited
by a drag queen (a friend of mine) one night
to do a pageant, and since I was turning 30 I
figured it was now or never, and said ok let’s
do it! This was after I had a few beers on my
birthday.
The pageant was two days away on a
Sunday,Igotmyshiftcoveredlongenoughto
gettotheinterviewandthengobacktowork,
no clothing changes or anything were done.
WhenIarrivedtheinterviewersaskedmehow
long I had been doing male impersonation,
my response “I guess my whole life” is that
whatI’mdoing?Theinterviewersjuststarted
laughing, but I was serious, I really had no
idea what I was doing. I just tried to find the
individualgoinginfrontofmeforeverything
and tail them around so I knew when I had
to be on stage. I just went in and had a good
time, and won!
Now this was my first time ever doing
this,andIneverexpectedtowin,butIwasso
happytoo!Ihavebeendoingdragkingshows
since,althoughnotawholelotisneededfora
“costume”.Ijustdipintomyregularwardrobe
and find some of my favorite music, usually
olderstuff(Ilovethe80’s,that’smyfavorite!),
andheadonthestageforsomefunentertain-
ing the crowd!
Cedar Rapids’s New Kings interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Pictured left to right: Holden Cider, Tatem Trick, and Justin Cider. Courtesy of Jill Kennedy.
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 12
The Fun Guide
13. Can the Internet make it
safer to pee?
On April 15th 2010 a man walked up
to a transgender student in a men’s bath-
room at California State University—Long
Beach. He shoved the transgender person
against the wall, tore his shirt off and
carved the word “it” on his chest.
California might seem a long way
away from Iowa, but
in April of 2010 I was
still pre-op and the
news report terri-
fied me. It accented
the fears I felt about
using public rest-
rooms. I had been on
hormones for some
time and there was
no way I could use a male restroom. Heck
even before I started my transition I’d had
men run screaming when they saw me in
the men’s room, sure they had mistakenly
entered the wrong bathroom. Using the
women’s restroom had its fears as well.
What if someone found out I had male
anatomy and called the cops? I knew that
in Iowa I was technically within my rights
to use the bathroom consistent with my
gender identity, but I did not relish having
to explain that to a cop.
The victim of the California attack
survived. I survived my transition as well,
thankfully without anything worse than
an anxiety attack happening to me in a
restroom, ever. But for a long time I had
memorized the location of every single
stalled gender neutral bathroom on the
west side of Des Moines. If I absolutely
couldn’t make it home, I would go out of
my way to hit one of these.
It’s not an uncommon experience.
Speaking to other members of the Trans-
formations support group in Des Moines,
using a public bathroom is a common fear
for transgender people. We’ve got it lucky.
Iowa law clearly states Iowans have the
right to gender identity “with or without
documentation” and they have the right
to publicaccommodationsconsistentwith
that gender identity. In some states, I kid
you not; you need a certified letter from
your therapist or doctor stating you are
transgender just to use the appropriate
public restroom.
Not that the two girls who brutally
beat Chrissy Polis for using the woman’s
restroom at a McDonald’s restroom in
Baltimore bothered to check if she had
a letter. There are still haters out there,
and for the trans community in particular,
there are still those who will express their
hatred with fists rather words. What is the
trans community to do?
The long term solution is understand-
ing and social change. That, it seems, is
coming. But it’s a long slow process. The
short term solution might be no further
away than your iPhone. There is a new
app out called Transquat. It uses data from
the Safe2pee project (which lists gender
neutral bathrooms)
and your phone’s GPS
to find the nearest
gender neutral bath-
room. The app costs a
mere 2.99 and better
yet the proceeds help
fund the developers
own SRS surgery.
“Billy Bolt”, as the
developer goes by online, is a FTM trans-
gender or Transman for those not familiar
with the trans lingo. (Trans people should
beidentifiedwiththeirinternalor“target”
gender, not their birth gender, unless
they request you to do otherwise. When
in doubt, it is okay to ask—politely. “Do
you prefer he or she?” rather than “Hey
are you a dude or what?”) Billy found
the Safe2pee project online and saw they
did not have a native app for the iPhone
so he wrote one.
Billy saw a way to help the community
by providing an app that would help trans
peoplefindasafeplacetousetherestroom
and a way to help himself. Every download
goes towards his “top surgery”.
Top surgery is removal of the excess
breast tissue and re-sculpting of the
chest for a more masculine appearance.
While experts in transgender medicine
argue that such surgeries have enormous
psychological value and are equivalent to
any other re-constructive surgery after
an accident, illness, or to repair a birth
defect—insurance companies largely
label the procedure “elective”. The cost of
surgery runs anywhere from five to eight
thousand dollars out of pocket. Three
thousand downloads, a relative drop in
the bucket for the app market, and Billy’s
dream comes true.
If you don’t have an iPhone, or you
don’t have 2.99 to blow, you can always
just check out Safe2pee.org. Their website
has a “mobile” page. (It’s optimized for a
small screen.) They also have a regular full
sized page for you home computer where
you can search for a gender neutral bath-
room, a single stalled locking bathroom
or a handicapped accessible bathroom.
(Trans people aren’t the only ones who
have trouble finding a place to pee after
all.)
There is one significant problem with
both Transquat and Safe2pee.org. Neither
have many listings for central Iowa. In
fact searching Des Moines, Iowa I find the
nearest bathroom listed to be at Smokey
Row’s in Pella. (Must drive fast, hold it,
hold it...) Not to worry though, both the
app and the website have a simple form
so that users can add locations.
Which is what I am hoping readers
will do. This is a different kind of activism
then voting for LGBT friendly candidates
or attending a rally to oppose bullying, but
it’s no less important. Gender variant indi-
viduals,whethertheyidentifyastransgen-
der, intersex, or are simply “effeminate”
men or “butch” women need to have safe
spaces. Going to the bathroom is such a
simple and essential part of life. It’s also a
physically and psychologically vulnerable
act.Wearetrappedinastallwithourpants
around our ankles. We shouldn’t have to
spend that time terrified, terrified that
we will be harassed, yelled at, beaten or
even arrested.
You have the power to help. Even if
you’ve never met a transgender person,
you can help one out; maybe even prevent
a hate crime. All you have to do is keep
your eyes open. If you see a gas station
that has a single unisex bathroom, get on
Safe2pee.org and add it. If you see a mall
that has a single stall “family” restroom,
add it as well. If you are in a normally
“gendered” restroom (a men’s room or a
Women’s room) and you notice that the
stalls lock and are in good working order,
there is a place for that as well. And don’t
forget that accessible bathrooms can be
added as well. Hopefully with the power
of the Internet on our side we can make it
safe for all people to pee in peace.
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
Heck even before I
startedmytransitionI’d
had men run screaming
whentheysawmeinthe
men’s room...
Rachel Eliason is a forty two year old
Transsexual woman. She was given her
first computer, a Commodore Vic-20 when
she was twelve and she has been fascinated
by technology ever since. In the thirty years
since that first computer she has watched
in awe as the Internet has transformed
the LGBT community. In addition to her
column, Rachel has published a collection
of short stories, Tales the Wind Told Me
and is currently working on her debut
novel, Run, Clarissa, Run. Rachel can
be found all over the web, including on
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads.
“The hate group category, is with the exception of
the Family Research Council, a bunch of neo-Nazi and
Ku Klux Klan-like groups, and while they may say all
kindsofwackythingsattheFRC,they’reaWashington
thinktank,notagroupthatputsonsheetsandorganizes
lynch mobs.”
~Dana Milbank, Washington Post Columnist on the
Family Research Council Shooting.
ACCESSline Page 13SEPTEMBER 2012
The Fun Guide
14. A Lesson for You:
Grasshopper
Thegrasshopperisadeliciousdessert
cocktail, but I rarely make them because of
their repulsive name. I just can’t stand the
idea of drinking insects. Is that so difficult
to understand?
Why the inventor, some now-un-
known master mixer
but terrible namer in
the French Quarter of
New Orleans, proba-
bly in the early 1950s,
felt compelled to dub
hisrich,creamy,minty
milkshake of a drink
after an overly excit-
able leapy-crawler—
featured as one of
the plagues visited
on Egypt in the
Lord’s surprisingly
belabored attempts
to free the Jews from
slavery—is quite beyond me.
Given its already nauseating name,
I kept the cocktail du weekend a secret
from the housemates this time around.
(Cocktail Chatter regulars will recall that
I spoiled my own presentation of the
delightful Brandy Alexander one year
by claiming I was instead going to serve
Boogers,thecontentsofwhichareguaran-
teed to make even the most gut-hardened
drinkers spew; this time, no jokes.)
I started the meal with a yellow
tomato gazpacho, which turned out to
be surprisingly unlike the typical throw-
everything-in-the-blender messes that
we’re all used to. For one thing, there was
no bread to thicken it; second, the color
was quite a spectacularly bright yellow,
what with the yellow tomatoes and the
inspired addition of a little bit of no-pulp
orangejuice.Robbieflewoffintoadisgust-
ingtangentaboutwhatthecolorreminded
him of, but the adults at the table ignored
him, with the exception of Craig, Chipper,
Sal, Sean, Kyle, and Dan. (Yes, readers—I
was the only adult at the table.)
We moved on to a heavier main
course: linguini carbonara, made in part
from the bacon grease I’d saved from last
Sunday’s breakfast. OK, not so good for
you. But delicious! Those two extra egg
yolksIaddedtotherecipe’srecommended
threealsoenhancedthefatandcholesterol
reverie.
I suppose I should
have listened to Dan
and let him make a
fruit salad, a lighter
ending to the meal
than the Grasshoppers
I had a craving for. Dan
makes an excellent
fruit salad—any fresh,
ripe fruit cut up mixed
with whole blueber-
ries and raspberries
and tossed with a little
Triple Sec—but it was
after the Fourth of
July at Fire Island Pines and I was getting
a little irritated at the endless parade
of flawless chiseled abs and decided to
make sure than no one in our house could
possibly have them. We practically had
to hold Robbie down in the chair, pinch
his nose closed and pour the drink into
him, but even he drank his full share and
admitted that his perfectly tight stomach
could stand a little cuddly layer of fat as
long as the cause was a delicious—I can
barely type it—Grasshopper.
The Grasshopper
1 part green crème de menthe•
1 part white crème de cocoa•
1 part heavy cream•
Mix ingredients together with ice in
a shaker, shake and serve in a cocktail
glass. In addition to white crème to cocoa,
there is also dark crème de cocoa. Beware:
It will really screw up the color of your
grasshopper.
Cocktail Chatterby Ed Sikov
I was getting a
little irritated at the
endless parade of
flawless chiseled abs
and decided to make
surethannooneinour
house could possibly
have them.
The Outfield by Dan Woog
Nike Reaches the LGBT
Sports Summit
Cyd Zeigler
Photo courtesy of Cyd Zeigler.
A few years ago, no one was talking
about LGBT issues in sports. Now, every-
one is.
Suddenly, the game that dared not
speak its name turned into a cacophony.
Legit sports organizations (the NCAA;
American Alliance for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance) wanted
to address homophobia in athletics. So
did gay groups like GLSEN, GLAAD and the
National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Smaller organizations cropped up
specifically around gays in sports. They
had names like Athlete Ally, Our Group, the
StandUp Foundation and You Can Play.
You could not tell the players without
a scorecard.
Cyd Zeigler covers LGBT sports for
a living. Co-founder of the very popular
website Outsports, even he was confused.
And he realized many groups were talking
past—ifnotagainst—eachother.Observing
so much duplication of ideas and energy,
he wondered what it would take to get
a variety of organizations into the same
room.
Kirk Walker, head softball coach at
Oregon State University, loved the idea. He
suggested the perfect host: Nike. Walker
had worked with the company in the past
and had been impressed with their gay-
positive attitude.
Robert Goman, a consumer product
managerandheadofNike’sLGBT&Friends
Network, was immediately enthusiastic.
WiththehelpofNCLRSportsProjectdirec-
tor Helen Carroll and GLSEN Changing the
Game sports director Pat Griffin, the Nike
LGBT Sports Summit was born.
ThefirstproblemwaskeepingtheJune
meeting to a manageable size. “We wanted
it to be a working group,” Zeigler says. “You
can’t do that with 100 people. We kept it to
25 so we could have real conversations.”
Talktheydid.ThoughNikewentallout
as host—covering travel costs and meals;
throwingawelcomepartyandPriderecep-
tion at their downtown Portland store;
offering meeting space on their Beaverton
campus;welcomingSummitparticipantsto
marchwiththeNikecontingentatthePort-
landPrideparade—theirrealcontribution
was providing leaders and facilitators.
On Saturday morning—after two days
together—aNikeexecutivespokeup.“This
is great,” she said. “But you’re not thinking
big enough.”
Her words were electrifying. “Every-
one realized she was right,” Zeigler recalls.
The group scrapped the rest of the day’s
agenda, and focused on how they could
“really, really change sports in a big way,”
he says.
Gradually, participants focused on the
idea of “champion.” Though the word now
means an athlete who plays on a winning
team, Zeigler says that from the time of the
Romans a champion has been defined not
by trophies won, but by actions taken.
“A champion is someone inclusive
and supportive,” Zeigler notes. “We real-
ized how important it is to drive this idea
forward: that a champion includes and
supports everyone on his or her team.”
The newly formed “LGBTQ sports
coalition”vowedtoworktoachieveseveral
goals. They will engage each of the major
American professional sports leagues
to work toward inclusion. They will try
to increase the visibility of out college
athletes, coaches and allies. They will
devise an “LGBTQ inclusive model policy”
for national youth and adult recreational
leagues.
Andtheywillpromoteanew,inclusive
definition of “athletic champion” to young
athletes,whileprovidinginclusivetraining
resources to physical education teachers
and coaches.
“Everythingwedo,it’sultimatelyabout
youth and young athletes,” Zeigler says.
“That’s something everyone agreed on.”
Of course, any time over a dozen
groups get together, there will be conten-
tion. At the summit, discussions of funding
were seldom easy. “Ultimately, there’s a
limited amount of resources,” says Zeigler.
“Groups compete for funding. That came
through very clearly.”
But overriding those discussions was
a more important feeling: trust. “A lot of
the people there had never met each other.
Or they didn’t understand or trust them,”
Zeigler says.
“Trust is a huge part of sports. You
have to trust your teammates. You have to
trust a game plan. I think we really built
trust among the different groups. There’s
a much better sense now of knowing when
to lead, and when to follow.”
Zeigler adds, “The gay sports move-
ment has been going on for 40 years. But
I think this is the beginning of the end of
homophobia in sports.” He predicts that
within four years, anti-gay attitudes in
athletics will have faded remarkably.
Why four years? “That’s the length of
high school, or the number of years you
play in college. It takes four years for each
group, beginning to end.”
Zeigler uses one final sports analogy
to sum up the good feeling of the men and
women at the Nike LGBT Sports Summit.
“Part of winning is playing well
together. We’re athletes. We all know how
to win.”
Dan Woog is a journalist, educator,
soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the
“Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes.
Visit his website at www.danwoog.com. He
can be reached care of this publication or at
OutField@qsyndicate.com.
“The gay sports movement has been going on for 40
years. But I think this is the beginning of the end of
homophobia in sports.”
~Cyd Zeigler, Co-founder Outsports
SEPTEMBER 2012ACCESSline Page 14
The Fun Guide
