Letter June 2009

T H E R E S P E C T E D S O U R C E F O R G L B T N E W S S I N C E J U N E 1 9 9 0 LETTER WWW.THELETTERONLINE.COM VOLUME 20, ISSUE 6 • JUnE 2009 Gay Christian speaker, numerous musiCal aCts hiGhliGht 2009 kentuCkiana pride Festival A gay Christian “I received an e-mail speaker who was from an executive of unceremoniously outed one of the networks last year by Internet which said, ‘Please gossip columnist Perez come turn in your key. Hilton is scheduled We have some of your to open the 2009 belongings for you to Kentuckiana Pride pick up. Blessings.’ My Festival (KPF) on show was immediately Saturday, June 20. pulled from the air. It Azariah Southworth hurt to hear them say, describes the experience ‘We support you as of his forced outing, an individuals but as a event that quickly led corporate network we to his losing his job as cannot.’ That week I lost a Christian television everything I dreamt of Azariah Southworth doing since I was seven host, as “a whirlwind.” Before his comingyears old.” out was announced around the world Southworth now travels the country, via the Internet, Southworth hosted speaking to college campuses, a popular Christian music television churches and community events show, The Remix. The show took about the connections he believes Southworth around the contemporary there can be between homosexuality Christian music industry where he and religion. interviewed artists such as Jars of Southworth is but one of the Clay, Rachel Lampa and Avalon. celebrities scheduled to be on hand Southworth’s show aired in over for this year’s KPF that will take 128 million homes worldwide and place at The Belvedere in downtown averaged 200,000 viewers per week Louisville. Popular musical duo the and carried on four networks. Indigo Girls and singer Tiffany are After the networks got wind of among the entertainers slated to the story, they gave Southworth no appear. For a full list of performers options: the show was to be canceled see the KPF four-page pullout section immediately. in the middle of this issue of THE LETTER. Nearly 60 people attended a rally outside the Hall of Justice in downtown Louisville on Tuesday, May 26 to protest the California Supreme Court’s Proposition 8 decision that was issued earlier that day. In its ruling, the court rejected arguments that the same-sex marriage ban enacted in a statewide referendum last year was such a fundamental change in the state's constitution that it required legislative approval. Thankfully the justices also validated the 18,000 samesex marriages performed before voters approved the ban. Activists in Louisville and nearly 100 other cities, including Lexington and Indianapolis, held rallies the same day to protest the California court's ruling. (Photo provided by Louisville’s Fairness Campaign.) Fleur de lez FoCuses on kentuCkiana’s Queer Women Fleur de Lez is a community organization of queer women and their allies from Metro Louisville and the Kentuckiana region. The group's website (wwwwfleurdelez.com) offers social and community news of special interest to queer women. Fleur de Lez goals include being a useful community resource and providing a safe, social online gathering place where women can learn about issues of special interest to their corner of the queer community. The group's goal is to tap into every facet of the community as it captures its variety and celebrates its diversity. doWntoWn ConGreGation hosts Fairness Fundraiser Friends of Louisville’s Fairness Campaign are invited to attend an outside coffee house/café on Friday, June 12 from 6:00 – 10:00pm. The Courtyard Cafe at First Unitarian Church is charging a $3.00 admission, with part of the proceeds going to the Fairness Campaign of Louisville. Live local musicians will entertain. Coffee and snacks will be for sale. The church is located at 809 South 4th Street. Entrance to this event will be from the back of the building. Welcome To The 19th Anniversary Issue of THE LETTER Newspaper! Thanks to strong advertiser support, THE LETTER will publish a special Pride Month issue on Wednesday, June 17. Ameriprise Financial helps you stay true to your dreams. Ameriprise Financial has been a leader in financial planning for the gay and lesbian community for decades. As an Ameriprise financial advisor, I can help you plan to achieve your most important goals including starting your own business, adopting or just retiring in comfort. I can also help you plan to meet your immediate needs with investment advice, estate planning strategies and financial planning with your partner. Simply put, we believe in your dreams. I can help you plan to make them happen. Ameriprise Financial is proud to be recognized with another perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. To start a conversation call (502) 244-4114 today. Todd Metcalf, CRPC® Financial Advisor Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM 12700 Townepark Way Danville Bldg. Suite 100 Louisville, KY 40243 (502) 244-4114 x 318 Toll Free: (866) 922-9708 todd.a.metcalf@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/todd.a.metcalf Financial planning and investment services available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. © 2008 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 June/July 2009 Events Calendar June 12th-14th, 2009 Bear & Leather Weekend Bears, Cubs, Leather, Bear Chasers, anyone is welcome. This is a weekend for the furr and leather to fly. Friday, June 12th -- 7pm Party. Saturday, June 13th -- 7pm Party. Bear Ass contest tonight. Ross@BearAndBoar.com 606.862.6557 Wood Creek Lake London, KY July 2nd-5th, 2009 July 4th Weekend Celebration We will have a party on Friday and Saturday night with cookouts and potlucks throughout the weekend. Pontoon activities on the lake are a great way to really enjoy the lake. We will have a pontoon on this weekend. Our major fireworks display will be Saturday night July 4th. We'll have a red, white, and blue ass award each night! 3 night minimal reservation if staying in the Main House. July 17th-19th, 2009 Country Western Weekend Friday, July 17th -- 7pm Party and dinner from the open grill. Lube wrestling contest Saturday, July 18th -- 7pm Cowboy Party and best cowboy-look contest. www.BearAndBoar.com JUne 2009 Belle Blossoms May 2009 Cruises www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 3 www.theletteronline.com Post Office Box 7842 Louisville, KY 40257 Founded in June 1990 by Jeffrey Goldsmith & Humphrey Marshall EXECUTIVE EDITOR/WEBMASTER ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION: Dave VanderPol: (502) 332-4632 editor@theletteronline.com HIV RESOURCES EDITOR Brad Hampton brad@friendtofriend.org With an estimated readership of over 14,000, THE LETTER is distributed throughout the seven state region of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, & Missouri One Year Later: Revisiting Altercation At Woody’s Tavern by Phillip M. Bailey [Reprinted with permission of LEO Weekly] After starting a new job at the University of Louisville, it took a few months for Kaila Story to get used to the city. Having lived in Philadelphia, she was used to a more diverse urban setting, but the assistant professor was willing to give her new home a chance. “It didn’t remind me of the South so much until I met the people,” says Story, an endowed professor of race, gender and sexuality studies, adding that she was particularly pleased with the fact that she quickly was welcomed into both black and gay social circles. But then something happened to change her perception: “I got called a nigger, and since then I’ve pretty much seen [the city] as being racist.” Last year while visiting Woody’s Tavern, a gay bar near campus, Story, who is openly gay, and a group of mostly black LGBT friends were playing pool. Two dogs charged into the room barking and Story, fearful, jumped on the table, prompting the man with the dogs to begin lambasting her, saying he didn’t like “big girls” on his pool table. An argument ensued and the altercation spilled into the street. The man with the dogs, who they claim was the bar’s owner, David Norton, allegedly followed them outside and hurled epithets, calling them “cunts,” “bitches,” “niggers” and other slurs. In the wake of the exchange, Story was shocked and disappointed that local LGBT activists were not outraged about the incident — there were no protests, no boycotts, not even a letter to Norton, who also owns Magnolia Bar & Grill in Old Louisville. When LEO Weekly inquired about the incident last year, Norton denied the whole thing and said he wasn’t even at Woody’s that night. A day after the altercation, however, a bartender said Norton was indeed at the tavern with his dogs when the incident occurred. Several attempts to contact Norton for this story were unsuccessful. “People were paralyzed and didn’t know what to do because it was primarily a race issue within the LGBT community,” Story says. “The reason why he felt like he could deal with us a certain way was because we were black. It’s something the LGBT community doesn’t really want to talk about.” In stark contrast to that complacency the LGBT community became irate last summer when a local McDonald’s employee accosted two white gay men with homophobic slurs. Due to a protest and legal assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, that situation resulted in the fast food chain requiring diversity training at 30 area restaurants and shelling out a $2,000 settlement for the two plaintiffs. Unnerved by the disparity, one local gay rights activist recently reignited discussion about the Woody’s incident, writing a public letter to Norton. “I would’ve liked to have seen some greater response to what happened at Woody’s,” says Brian Buford, director of the university’s LGBT Services office. “I wished people would have boycotted. Individuals did, but in terms of an organized effort, there wasn’t one.” In observance of the one-year anniversary of the incident, Buford wrote and posted a letter on the website of the Fairness Campaign, the city’s chief gay rights organization. The letter began circulating and got the attention of the Fairness Campaign’s new director, Chris Hartman, who felt compelled to address what he called a missed opportunity last year. “Discrimination is discrimination. Any sort against any people is absolutely unacceptable and we will not allow it to go silently by,” says Hartman, who is now urging Norton to apologize. “It’s deplorable to continue to not offer an apology.” Although Hartman agrees not enough attention was brought to the Woody’s incident initially, he says the organization now is determined to resolve the matter and move forward. Hartman has since met with Story and is in the process of drafting a letter, which he plans to deliver to Woody’s this week [in late May]. Addressed to Norton, the letter once again asks for a public apology and a discussion on how to “repair relationships that have been damaged by this incident.” Though he would not commit Fairness to any action, if meetings with Norton do not materialize he says a formal boycott of the bar is possible. [Originally published in the May 20, 2009 issue of LEO Weekly, with the headline: Correcting the past: Louisville’s leading LGBT group revisits altercation at Woody’s Tavern a year later. Reprinted with permission of LEO Weekly. Copyright 2009, LEO Weekly. All rights reserved.] REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Cubbie Britches Bryn Marlow Michael X. Chanak Brandon Monson Marie Davis Beth Ann Rubin Bryan Gatewood Brian Rzepczynski James Hensley Tina Storm Christy Ikner David Williams Eric Jost Hazel Zimmerman Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person, organization, or business in articles or advertising in THE LETTER or on its companion website is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation of such person, organization or business. THE LETTER assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. THE LETTER reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement. © 2009, The Letter News All rights reserved. JULY 2009 DEADLINES Press releases and Regional Calendar items must be received no later than Monday, June 15, 2009. Advertising reservations must be received no later than Friday, June 19, 2009. Rare Feminist Journal Donated to Archives The Second Wave, a rare feminist journal produced by a Boston collective in the 1970s, has been donated to the Williams-Nichols collection at the University of Louisville. The magazine details many of the early struggles for women’s rights and is a microcosm of that decades political debates. The Williams-Nichols Archive and Library for GLBT Studies at the University of Louisville has an extensive collection of feminist works along with its huge library of LGBT books and magazines. It’s continually looking for donations of materials and funds. The collection is housed in a renovated area of Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville. Previously it had been in open shelving, but now it’s being environmentally protected in a new room of floor to ceiling shelves. To learn more about the archives, or to donate, contact David Williams at (502) 636-0935 or Delinda Buie, Special Collections Division at Ekstrom, at (502) 852-6762. All items should be sent to editor@theletteronline.com. 4 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 Regionalcalendar sponsored by Mark England Items of interest to the GLBT community are listed for FREE from non-profit community organizations, support and social groups. We also publicize events sponsored by businesses and professionals currently advertising in THE LETTER. Please send details at least four weeks in advance of your event. Contact: Dave VanderPol: editor@TheLetterOnline.com. Be sure type “Regional Calendar” in the subject line of your message! 3rd Sundays 3:00pm. Metro Louisville chapter of Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and Gays. First Lutheran Church, 417 East Broadway. For more information call (502) 3290229 or write pflagmom10@yahoo.com. Confidentiality respected. Every Monday 7:00pm. Movie Mania at Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Cincinnati, 4119 Hamilton Avenue. Free. For movie titles click on the icon for the GLBT Calendar page at www.glbtcentercincinnati.com. Monday 7:00;pm. Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus practice at Eternal Joy Metropolitan Community Church, 2382 Kennedy Avenue. For more information write DtnGayMensChorus@aol. com. Every Tuesday 2:45pm. GLBT Mental Health Issues Support Group at The Recovery Center, 2340 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati. (513) 241-1411. 6:30pm. Triangle Martial Arts Association: Tae Kwon Do training for GLBT community. Beginners & experienced welcome. For location write: m_fearnow@yahoo.com. 7:30pm. Women’s Tuesday Night Coming Out Group at Off The Avenue, 1546 Knowlton Street, Cincinnati. (513) 535-2517. Every Thursday 6:30pm. Support group for all persons coping with all sorts of struggles. City of Refuge Worship Center, 1041 Goss Avenue, Suite 100, Louisville. Handicap accessible from back of building. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00pm. Gay Men’s Support Group meets at Metropolitan Community Church of Louisville, 1432 Highland Avenue. 3rd Wednesdays Louisville Gay Professionals. Group meets at a different bar each month. More information: mark@markengland. com. 4th Wednesdays 6:00pm. Kentuckiana Rainbow Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting. For location visit www. KentuckianaRainbowCoC.org or call (502) 815-7195. Wednesdays: June 3 & July 1 7:00pm. Crossport Crossdresser Support Group, Cincinnati. (513) 919-4850. Friday, June 5 – Thursday, July 2 Louisville Gay & Lesbian Film Series at Village 8 Theatres, 4014 Dutchmans Lane. For a list of films, see their ad on page 18 of this issue of THE LETTER. For showtimes and to purchase tickets in advance, go the theatres website: www.village8.com. Tuesdays, June 9 & July 14 7:30pm Dayton PFLAG Monthly Meeting. 667 Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Centerville). For more information call (937) 640-3333. Tuesdays: June 9 & July 14 7:00pm. Cincinnati PFLAG meeting. Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 William Howard Taft Road. For more information call (513) 513-721-7900. Friday, June 12 6:00 – 10:00pm. Outdoor Coffee House/Café fundraiser for Louisville’s Fairness Campaign hosted by First Unitarian Church, 809 South 4th Street (use alley entrance). $3.00 admission. Drinks and snacks cost extra. Live music throughout the evening. Wednesdays: June 17 & July 15 6:30pm. Indy Bi-Versity, confidential discussion group. For more information, including the meeting location, write: indybiversity@yahoo.com. Thursdays: June 18, 25 & July 2 7:30pm. Dave VanderPol facilitates a Single Gay Men's Book Study. Featured book: Finding The Boyfriend Within by Brad Gooch. Location in Louisville’s Clifton/Crescent Hill neighborhood. Registration: $5.00, payable at the first session. For group guidelines, exact location and other information write: editor@TheLetterOnline.com. Saturday, June 20 8:00pm. Monthly meeting of Sienna, transgender support group in Louisville. For location leave a message: (502) 894-1048. For general information about the group visit www.tg-sienna.org. InCLUSIVE FAITH COMMUnITIES Central Presbyterian Church Celebrating God’s Wildly Inclusive Love 4th & Kentucky Streets (Old Louisville) (502) 587-6935 Church School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am (Nursery Provided) Pastors: D. Mark Baridon & Ann J. Deibert www.CentralChurchKY.org Church of the Advent (Episcopal) No matter who you are, or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome at Advent. 901 Baxter Avenue, Louisville (40204) (Intersection of Cherokee, Baxter and Broadway) Sundays: 8:00am & 10:30am Thursday Contemplative Prayer: 7:00pm www.advent.episcopalky.org (502) 451-6066 City of Refuge Worship Center Come Worship Freely Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 1041 Goss Avenue, Suite 101, Louisville (40217) (502) 762-8986 / (502) 495-2603 Rev. Randy Meadows, Pastor Sunday Bible Study: 9::30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am & 7:00pm Wednesday Worship: 7:00pm www.cityofrefugewc.org. First Unitarian Church Where Reason & Religion Meet 4th & York Streets, Louisville (502) 585-5110 Sunday Celebration of Life: 10:55am Wednesday Chalice Night: 5:30pm www.firstulou.org Metropolitan Community Church of Louisville A Christian Church Where ALL People Are Welcome at the Table 1432 Highland Avenue, Louisville (502) 587-6225 Rev. Dee Dale, Pastor Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30am Wednesday Evening Worship: 6:00pm www.mcclouisville.org Progressive Pathways Fellowship Be sure to check out pages 9-12 for the full schedule of events sponsored by the Kentuckiana Pride Festival! What Path Calls You? Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center / #208 1/2 1860 Mellwood Avenue, Louisville (40206) Sunday Worship & Education: 5:30pm Wednesday Book Chat: 6:15pm www.progressivepathways.org Mark England JUne 2009 www.LouisvilleGayInfo.com Selling Louisville's Most DIVERSE Neighborhoods www.TheLeTTeronLine.com Inclusive Faith Communities listings are welcome from congregations throughout the six state region served by THE LETTER. Pre-paid listings cost $80.00 for six months or $140.00 for one year. For more information write editor@theletteronline.com. The LeTTer 5 Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays Coming out? Don’t face it alone! PFLAG is for more than just for parents, families and friends. We’re also here for you! SUPPORT EDUCATION ADVOCACY We meet the Third Sunday of the month at 3:00pm at First Lutheran Church, 417 East Broadway. Use the west entrance closest to the alley. Questions? Leave a confidential message and one of our members will return your call. deter by th homo violen by ot system Hom becau to sex and g prima No Hum this g reduc in des facilit work (502) 329-0229. Lon medi CNN by Th Chica visit M 10 THE LETTER WWW.THELETTERONLINE.C Bryan Gatewood Attorney Attorneys and Counselors at Law PROUDLY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY A DECADE. 502.584.3300 231 South Fifth Street, Suite 200 Family Law • Estate Planning • Professional Small Business Charitable Planning • Debtor/Creditor www.johnsongatewood.com We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy under the bankruptcy law. 6 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 Film Series Returns to Kentuckiana Metro Louisville’s Gay & Lesbian Film Series began at Baxter Avenue Theatres in Louisville back in the late 1990’s as a suggestion made to theatre management by THE LETTER’s Dave VanderPol. Eventually the annual event moved downtown to the Kentucky Theatre Project for a few years. Then the series disappeared entirely for the past couple of years. Last year the festival returned, but at a new location: Village 8 Theatres, 4014 Dutchmans Lane in Saint Matthews. Theatre management received an average of nearly 10 complaints per day, every day for nearly one month before the 2008 series opened. Several more angry comments were also registered almost daily during the series itself. During the second week of last year’s series, one anti-gay theatre patron created quite a scene in the theatre lobby when she screamed at an assistant manager that “Homosexuals are the moral equivalent of Islamic terrorists!” Despite pressure from the residents of one of Metro Louisville’s more conservative suburbs, theatre management has remained steadfast to it’s commitment to the GLBT community and our allies by offering the series again this year. THE LETTER encourages our readers to thank theatre management, not to mention buy tickets for the various films being shown, since our opposition will likely again pressure them to drop the series. Again this year, THE LETTER is proud to be the exclusive media sponsor of the 2009 Gay & Lesbian Film Series. The series begins Friday, June 5, with Ciao and Tru Loved scheduled as the opening films. A complete list of the films can be found on page 18 of this issue of THE LETTER. Dates, show times and a brief synopsis of each film in the fourweek series can be viewed on the Village 8 Theatres website (www.village8.com). Ticket prices for the various films in the series are quite affordable: $3.00 for showings that begin before 6:00pm or $5.00 for evening showings. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by visiting the Village 8 Theatres’ website. THE LETTER will select 10 readers to receive one free pass to this year’s festival. To request your pass write: editor@theletteronline.com and be sure to type “Movie Pass” in the subject line of your message. Winners will be selected Thursday, June 11 THE LETTER reserves the right to set rules for this and all other contests it sponsors. Doctor’s Killer Sentenced by David Williams It started out as a sincere attempt by a kind-hearted physician to help a prisoner struggling with inner demons. It ended in a brutal murder and the loss of a beloved leader in Louisville’s AIDS activist community. On April 17, Gene Raymond Miller, 42, pled guilty to the murder of Dr. Emery Lane at Lane’s Zorn Avenue home on November 12, 2006. He received 50 years in prison. He’ll be eligible for parole in 20 years. Two months earlier, Bennett Shaw Bilbrey, a friend who was with Miller the day of the murder but wasn’t complicit in the killing, was sentenced to 10 years on lesser charges. Lane met Miller at the Kentucky Penitentiary in Eddyville sometime in the 1990s while visiting another prisoner. They immediately struck up a friendship. Lane later offered to help Miller’s wife and five children financially. After he got out of prison, Miller named one of his sons after Lane. Unfortunately, according to Lane’s close friend, attorney Ken Plotnik, the friendship eventually cooled and Lane was trying to extricate himself from it at the time of his death. Plotnik says the weekend of his death, Lane was planning to go out of town but for unknown reasons changed his mind. Unfortunately, Miller didn’t know about the change in plans. Bilbrey later told police he and Miller had been on an alcohol and crack cocaine binge that weekend and were in need of money to continue the party. Thinking Lane was away, they developed a plan to burglarize his house and steal some of his valuables. Miller and Bilbrey had a friend drive them to Lane’s house. While Bilbrey served as a lookout, Miller entered the premises, surprising Lane. An argument JUne 2009 ensued during which Miller struck Lane with a copy of Edgar Degas’ famous sculpture of a ballerina, killing him. Miller rounded up credit cards and the keys to Lane’s Jaguar and took off across town to his apartment in the working class neighborhood of Pleasure Ridge Park. Miller apparently didn’t tell Bilbrey of the murder until the next day. Lane was in the habit of sending lengthy daily e-mail messages to a friend of his. When she failed to get an email from him the next day, she called another friend who went over to Lane’s house. In the meantime, Lane’s housekeeper had already arrived, discovered the body, and notified police. Suspicion immediately fell on Miller. Investigators quickly uncovered unusual credit card transactions and located Lane’s Jaguar in a parking area near Miller’s apartment. He and Bilbrey were quickly arrested and have spent the last three years in jail. Since then, Miller has told police he killed two people in Fern Creek Park a year earlier. Another man has been charged with that crime, but according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Miller says he did it. Police are discounting his story, claiming he’s a “serial liar.” Emery Lane, a native of northern Kentucky, was largely unknown in the Louisville GLBT community until he was elected vice-president, then president of Community Health Trust, a Louisville AIDS organization, in the 1990s. His pragmatic sensibilities, good sense of humor, and common sense approach to problems won him many friends during the height of that health crisis. His kindness is reflected in his will, which can at last be probated now that Miller has been sentenced. He left generous donations to several local charities and his pipe organ to DuPont Manual High School. The LeTTer 7 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com June 19-21 Gay Pride Weekend June 26 - 28 Nudist Weekend “Bare As You Dare” Naked Dance Parties Friday & Saturday July 2 – 6 Fabulous 4th Extended Holiday Weekend July 10-12 Gay Jocks Weekend Our Sportsmen Campout – Bring Your Jock Strap! 8 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 BELLE OF LOUISVILLE SUMMER EVENTS! F U N * START WITH FREE PARTY BOARD THE BELLE CRUISE June 20 July 18 August 15 WHARF PARTY 7PM-12AM Free Entrance, LIVE BLUES MUSIC Lamont Gillispie & 100 Proof Also Featuring Headliner Cash Bar/Food, Family Fun, Door Prizes, Games, Souvenirs, Lawn Chairs and Blankets Welcome JonBoy Slim * END WITH FREE PARTY RETURN TO PARTY 11PM F O R A L L arf Fun Fest Wh www.belleoflouisville.org 401 West River Rd $20/PERSON NEW COUNTRY ON Louisville KY Cash Bar and BOARD CONCERTS Concessions 502-574-2992 June 20 - Artie Dean Harris Available For July 18 - JD Shelburne 1-866-832-0011 August 15 - Olivia Henken Purchase BELLE DANCE CRUISE 8-11PM Lamont Gillispie & 100 Proof JonBoy Slim Artie Dean Harris JD Shelburne Olivia Henken JUne 2009 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 13 Community Dialogue HOOSIER VALUES Kate Clinton Appearance Boosts Hoosier Fairness Efforts Indiana Equality (IE) was fortunate enough to help bring Kate Clinton to Indianapolis earlier this year. The event brought together many folks from all walks of life for one night to relax and enjoy America’s favorite lesbian comic. Sponsorship of Kate Clinton’s Indianapolis appearance was a great fit for Indiana Equality. Thanks to the producer, Branching OUT Productions, for letting our organization take such a prominent role in bring the talents of Kate Clinton to Indiana. More than 750 devoted fans of Kate Clinton attended the performance, and most indicated their support of Indiana Equality by participating in our door prize drawing. Kate was masterful as she picked apart those powerful positions that stand in the way of equality for all GLBT citizens as well as tying in the important work of Indiana Equality here regionally and locally. Thanks go to the Indiana Equality board members, volunteers and supporters that made this great night a success. Thank you to all that attended the special pre-show VIP event where guests could meet and talk to Kate one-on-one. Look for information on more quality Indiana Equality events happening this summer and fall in further editions of THE LETTER. Want to help work towards equality, but don’t know how? Host An IE House Party and Help Us Achieve Equality For All Hoosiers! It can be a simple after-work gathering or a more elaborate dinner event. When you decide to host an Indiana Equality house party, we will work closely with you by providing all of the promotional materials and tools you need to be successful. We will also provide a friendly politician to speak about GLBT issues in Indiana and a speaker from Indiana Equality. All you have to do is provide a place by Brandon Monson for the party and invite your friends, family and co-workers! House parties raise valuable money for IE. These funds will be used to pay for our baseline expenses such as polling data, Statehouse lobbying, staffing needs, and upgrading our technical capabilities to achieve Equality here in the Hoosier state. For more information and a copy of the “IE House Party Kit” please e-mail us at ieinfo@indianaequality.org. Be sure to keep your eye out for Indiana Equality at your local pride event this summer. IE tries to make it to every pride, so keep your eyes peeled! Utah native Brandon Monson is the Communications Director for Indiana Equality, the Hoosier state’s premier profairness organization. Kate Clinton COMMUNITY PHOTO GALLERY Rick Sneed hosted a fundraiser for Pandora Productions at his home in Saint Mathews last month. You’ll find one dozen pictures from this event – all in full color – in the COMMUNITY PHOTO GALLERY section of our main website, www.TheLetterOnline.com. All party photos were taken by our Head Photographer, Mason Cowell. Anyone who is homophobic — they’re triggered on some level by something within themselves that they’re desperately afraid of. — Ryan Reynolds (Canadian actor) 14 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 “ “ LIBERAL ON THE SAUCE Take Pride In Yourself: Stop Barebacking! [Editor’s Note: The following editorial first appeared in the May 1998 issue of THE LETTER. I believe its message needs to be heard today by a new generation of bisexual and gay men who are (at best) playing “Russian Roulette” with their health when they intentionally refuse to use condoms, let alone ignore other safe sex guidelines. So David Williams’ moving column is re-printed with the hope that it will encourage all men who have sex with men to take pride in themselves and show respect to their partners.] In a 1998 issue of the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review, Michael Hattersley mentions going out into the gay bar scene in Provincetown, Massachusetts to ask individuals whether they are practicing safe sex. Amazingly, almost to a man, they said no. What were some of their reasons? “A cure is inevitable soon.” “Who wants to be forty anyway?” “Getting AIDS is an inevitable part of being a gay man; you almost have a sense of responsibility to get it.” “I'll get more care, sympathy and attention if I get AIDS.” While Hattersley’s survey was unscientific, it apparently was not all that far from the truth. American and British surveyors report that almost one in three gay men in some cities do not practicing safe sex. Presumably they're not getting tested, either. “Barebacking”, they call it: the latest term for unprotected anal sex. Barebacking. To which we can only respond, are they insane? Don’t these men care about anything other than pursuing their own sexual pleasure? Don't they understand the enormous expense of maintaining one's health once infected? Haven't they heard that the new therapies help only about half of the people who take them? Do they have any idea what a horrible death can come from AIDS? Do they hate themselves — do they hate others — that much? I've had personal experience with the deaths of several sweet, handsome men who turned into ashen ghosts before they died. One was so eaten up by Kaposi's Sarcoma, his whole body resembled little more than a massive open sore. Another died choking on thrush, which looks by David Williams My own lover, Norman, spent the last 44 hours of his life hurling black vomit to the end of the bed. In between vomiting spells, he was constantly gasping for air. Do those idiots in Provincetown know what it's like to have to listen to a loved one struggling to breathe for two days while gurgling “I love you” through a mouthful of puke? I’m not one to withhold sympathy and pity from anyone. None of us are spotless: we’re all frail mortals in some way. But this publication can not tolerate what amounts to homicidal behavior, which is all that barebacking is. Barbackers are not simply killing themselves, they’re killing others. And in the process they're putting the entire queer community in jeopardy. We already have enough enemies from without; we don’t need any more from within. like yellow cottage cheese. The only liquid he could get was from the end of a swab which his family had to keep dipping into a small jar of water minute by minute around the clock. David Williams is the founder of the Williams-Nichols Institute and the Kentucky Gay & Lesbian Library and Archives, which are housed at the University of Louisville’s Ekstrom Library. New Group Gives Direction: Out Of The Closet? Now Where You Going? Sure, lots of GLBT folks have “come out” of the closet, but many are unsure of “where to go” once they are out. It seems this is a major reason for “under-involvement” by many community members. In order to strengthen our community, THE LETTER is currently organizing OUTlet, a support and social group that will inform members about the many resources available to them throughout Kentuckiana, as well as give them a chance to expand their circle of friends. The group will have support/education meetings the first Monday of the month and social events on the third Thursday of the month. OUTlet will begin meeting soon after the July 4th holiday. For more information about OUTlet, write outlet@theletteronline.com. The following websites offer detailed information about Pride Month festivals taking place throughout the region. Website address and other details about Louisville’s Kentuckiana Pride Festival can be found elsewhere within this issue of THE LETTER. • Lexington Pride: www.lexpride.org. • Chicago Pride: www.chicagopridecalendar.org. • Rainbow Pride of West Virginia: www.pridewv.org. • Indianapolis Pride: www.indyprideinc.com. • Saint Louis PrideFest: www.pridestl.org. • Lansing Michigan Pride: www.michiganpride.org. • Nashville Pride (Nashville, TN: www.nashvillepride.org. • Mid-South Pride (Memphis, TN): www.midsouthpride.org. A comprehensive list of Pride websites from around the world can be viewed online at www.interpride.org. InterPride, the organization hosting this website, is an international organization that exists to increase networking and communication among Pride Organizations, encourage diverse communities to host and support Pride Events. Websites Showcase Pride Events Around the Region & World No Other Regional GLBT Publication Offers FOUR Websites: www.TheLetterOnline.com / theletter.win.net theletterhead.win.net / transfatty.wordpress.com JUne 2009 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 15 Rainbow of thought GAY LOVE COACH STRENGTHENING A NEW DATING RELATIONSHIP Dear Coach: I’m in a new dating relationship with a man that I believe may be my “Mr. Right.” The problem is that while things started out very well for us, over the last several months the passion between us have begun to fade. Neither of us is “out” and I believe I’m the first guy he’s been with. How do I strengthen this relationship? I truly want it to be a “long-term relationship”— Holding On Dear Holding On: Congratulations on finding someone whom you feel a strong connection with! Indeed it can be very frustrating when the passion starts to fade, especially when you feel you’ve found someone you are truly compatible with after such a long search. I wish I had a special formula I could give you that could ensure the continued positive development of your relationship, but chemistry and relationships are more art than science and I can only offer you some tips that might possibly help you stay on track with your goals. There’s nothing really anyone can do necessarily to “make” someone like them back; attraction is a natural phenomenon and can’t be forced or contrived. The problem in trying to do so is that it increases the likelihood of someone behaving in ways that aren’t true expressions of who he is because he’s too focused on performing and becoming someone he thinks the other guy wants him to be. This is a recipe for disaster! I encourage you to try and take the focus off of what you can do to impress the guy and just be your genuine self. Nothing is more sexy than a guy who is authentic, honest, and true to his personality and values. All relationships require pacing and must evolve at their own rate. Pushing things too hard or trying to make things happen too quickly can sabotage what you want because intimacy and connection needs to develop and mature on its own accord. Particularly since you’re dealing with someone who’s never been involved in a relationship before, he will likely need time to fumble and figure things out along the way – at his own speed. Any efforts on your part to try to get him to want the same thing you do could put undue pressure on him to the point where he might feel smothered or pressured. So you will have to find that delicate balance between showing him of your interest in him while tempering your desire to push things to the next level until he begins to reciprocate your feelings. So be yourself and let him get to by Brian Rzepczynski, M.S.W. who is happy, passionate, and energetic about his own life can be quite an attractive turn-on. Be sure to keep yourself physically and emotionally healthy. – Brian Rzepczynski, M.S.W. know the real you. You can always add some extra spice to keep his interest going by planning creative dates and surprising him with spontaneous gifts or affirmations of your interest him; just don’t overdo it and make sure the things you do are in alignment with your true character and personality. Some playful, non-demanding flirting doesn’t hurt either. You can try keeping him engaged by being sure to show interest in his life and asking relevant and supportive questions, validating him while keeping good boundaries. Make sure you live a full and invigorating life yourself – separate from the relationship. Not only can this help you take the emphasis off your relationship worries, but it also tends to be a magnet for others to be drawn to you. Somebody ©2008 Brian L. Rzepczynski, All rights reserved. To sign up for the FREE Gay Love Coach Newsletter filled with dating and relationship tips and skills for gay singles and couples, as well as to check out current coaching groups, programs, and teleclasses, visit www.TheGayLoveCoach.com. Marie Davis is an internationally syndicated cartoonist. Her lesbian cartoon strip is published in five languages. Her first novel, Hey Diddle Diddle — for Lesbians and Other Grownups, can be purchased through Amazon.com. Her e-mail address is mmmarie1961@aol.com. 16 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 PACKERS & POODLES I love my peeps, my relatives, my readers, my friends and the acquaintances that I have met on line. I was convinced by many of them to join them online so that we could all keep in touch on the World Wide Web instead of calling each other, or texting, or we just send an old fashioned email to each other. But I’m a soft hearted person, sensitive to the needs of all who want to be able to learn more about me with the click of a mouse, so I joined My Space. I used MySpace for years and I was proud. I thought I was cutting edge, saying to folks, “Yeah, find me on myspace/cikner, lets hook up there. Sure I didn’t know how to upload pictures or do really cool backgrounds but I could handle updating my status and answering mail and I thought that was enough to be respectable in the world of the web. MySpace was a great speed for me. I could respond to the occasional messages that were sent to me at my own leisure with little or no pressure. And if I got a hankering to look at pictures on other peoples profile without them knowing that I was peeking I was free to do so. I have always been a bit of a voyeur. I was completely happy to view people’s social calendars and get the occasional naughty comment. But then MySpace got complicated. With each update that “Tom” did to my “space” it got more complicated. Soon event invitations started coming, and invitations to collect hearts and roses and hugs…then something called Mobsters and Mafia Wars. I mean what the hell? It was like The Godfather had claimed MySpace as his territory. Then all I heard was “Facebook…you have to do Facebook, it is so much better than MySpace!” So I had to keep up my high profile of wanting to be a modern tech geek who was hip and cool with all the The World Wide Web Hates Me new ways of the world and I joined face book….but I hate it! I downright loathe it! I hate the way it looks, I hate that I have something called “my wall” that people write on. It sounds too much like graffiti and I don’t understand graffiti. I don’t understand why anybody wants to scribble some odd letters on a brick wall and have the nerve to call it art. So why in the world did the Facebook people call the home page “wall”? Every minute of every day people are always writing on my wall half sentences and thoughts and I don’t really know what anybody is talking about. And I don’t know how so many people can think of so many things to say about what is going on in their day. Sure if you have something witty to say by all means put it on the wall, but if you are sitting on your fat ass eating Cheetos… who really cares? I’m at work, I work all of the time and I can never remember to sign on and say what I’m thinking about. Maybe I’m bitter. I think Facebook has made me bitter. And what is up with the Quiz’s? I already know enough about myself. As a matter of fact I’m as good as I’m gonna’ get so don’t send me a quiz to take about myself. And furthermore, I don’t care what kind of font I am or what my Cajun name is. What is that? And the things that people can send me gets on my nerves. Hey, how about we just chat or send messages? Don’t send me a drink, or a flower or a lepricon on Facebook. I like my drinks in a bottle, I’m allergic to flowers and I have an unhealthy fear of little people. Yep, bitter. So enters Twitter. I thought this is it, how hard can this be. I just answer one question, the same question over and over. There is no way for people to send by Christy Ikner me internet tokens of their affection. There are no quizzes, mafias or comments. Just “What Are You Doing?” Yes, there was the same pressure of trying to think of something witty to say, but I could just do it once a day and not feel the added pressure of signing on to see if somebody thought what I said was witty of not. With Twitter, it just didn’t matter. But nothing good ever lasts. I was so competent that Twitter was the form of communication for me that I put it on my phone to track it. But now…now I get advertisements on my phone, requests to come audition for sports teams, invited to bar-b-q’s. Nobody is answering the question. People are just saying what they want, they aren’t following the rules. Rules, what am I saying? There’s only one rule…answer the question! The one new media form that I thought I could sink my teeth into and really embrace has turned into a constant guilt trip. All my friends are constatntly telling me where they are, what they are doing and wanting me to join them on a moment’s notice. And everybody knows that you get twitter on your phone… it’s not like I can say, “Oh I didn’t get your tweet.” And “tweet”? How did they come up with that? Why wouldn’t it be twit? It’s not tweeter it’s twitter. So here’s what I’m thinking, I’ve mastered e-mail. Yes, it took me a little less than a decade, but I got it! So if my peeps love me meet me on my level: send me an e-mail. Live and Love Equally! Christy lives in Nashville, TN where she works with her wife in the Real Estate and marketing industry. Additionally she oversees the daily marketing and sales of her gay apparel company, Packers & Poodles, LLC. In her spare time she is an active volunteer in the local chapter of the national organization, The Human Rights Campaign. JUne 2009 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 17 18 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009 KENNETH C. PLOTNIK Attorney at Law 607 West Ormsby Avenue Louisville, Kentucky 40203 (502) 636-0361 Fax: (502) 634-0576 What Path Calls You? clamourunderbridge.typepad.com INFORM YOUR PARTNER StopTheSpreadOnline.org To stop the cycle of STD’s growing in our community, sexual partners need to be tested and if necessary treated. JUne 2009 www.TheLeTTeronLine.com The LeTTer 19 20 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com JUne 2009