Quest News     Volume 12 No. 20   October 27, 2005
Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick

Kansas Top Court Rules State Can’t Single Out Gay Sex
Unanimous Decision Ends 17 Year Sentence For Developmentally Delayed Teen
Topeka - Kansas cannot punish illegal underage sex more severely if it involves same-sex conduct, the state’s highest court ruled unanimously October 21 in a case watched by national groups on both sides of the gay civil rights debate.
  The Supreme Court said in a unanimous ruling that a law that specified such harsher treatment and led to a 17-year prison sentence for an 18-year-old defendant “suggests animus toward teenagers who engage in homosexual sex.”
  “Moral disapproval of a group cannot be a legitimate state interest,” said Justice Marla Luckert, writing for the high court.
  The defendant, Matthew R. Limon, has been behind bars since he was convicted in 2000 of performing a sex act on a 14-year-old boy. Had one of them been a girl, the state’s “Romeo and Juliet” law would have dictated a maximum sentence of 15 months.
  The court said Limon should be resentenced within 30 days as if the law treated illegal gay sex and illegal straight sex the same, and it struck language from the law that resulted in the different treatment.
  “We are very happy that Matthew will soon be getting out of prison. We are sorry there is no way to make up for the extra four years he spent in prison simply because he is gay,” said Limon’s attorney James Esseks, of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Gay and Lesbian Rights Project.
  National health groups and the National Association of Social workers had filed legal arguments supporting Limon’s position. A conservative law group, Orlando, Fla.-based Liberty Counsel, helped prepare written arguments from 25 legislators in support of the law.
  Limon and the other boy, identified only as M.A.R., lived at a group home for the developmentally disabled. In court, an official described M.A.R. as mildly mentally retarded and Limon as functioning at a slightly higher level but not as an 18-year-old. Limon’s attorneys described the relationship with the younger boy as consensual and suggested that they were adolescents experimenting with sex.
  Attorney General Phill Kline’s office has described Limon as a predator, noting that he already has two similar offenses on his criminal record. Kline contended that such a behavior pattern warranted a tough sentence and that courts should leave sentencing policy to the Legislature. His office had no immediate comment on the ruling.
  Kansas law prohibits any sexual activity involving a person under 16, regardless of the context. The 1999 “Romeo and Juliet” law specifies short prison sentences or probation for sexual activity when an offender is under 19 and the age difference between participants is less than four years - but only for opposite-sex encounters.
  A lower court had said the state could justify the harsher punishment as protecting children’s traditional development, fighting disease or strengthening traditional values. The October 21ruling said the Kansas law was too broad to meet those goals. “The statute inflicts immediate, continuing and real injuries that outrun and belie any legitimate justification that may be claimed for it,” Luckert wrote.

PrideFest Pays Off Final $150,000 Of Debt
Milwaukee – After two successive years of successful events and three years ahead of schedule, PrideFest has paid off the remaining debt from the 2003 festival year, a debt that had resulted in widespread community concern over the long-term continuation of the festival. After highly successful 2004 and 2005 festivals, PrideFest has re-emerged as one of Milwaukee’s premier and financially stable festivals. The announcement comes after the festival reported net income of $90,000 from the 2005 festival.
  The committee made the pay off official at its October 20 meeting. The community town hall was held at  at the Hillside Family Resource Center, where the group also previewed its plans for 2006.
  “We have witnessed a complete turn around in the financial standing of PrideFest as an organization,” PrideFest Task Force President Scott Gunkel said. “Our success is largely attributable to the tremendous outpouring of community support that Pridefest received, but also the implementation of sounder fiscal controls.”
  “The town hall allowed us to recognize the remarkable work that has brought the festival to this point,” Task Force Member Cindy Taylor noted. “There are many people to thank, including the Cream City Foundation, the festival Task Force and Production Team, the Legacy Fund donors, and all of the people who believed early on that the festival could survive.”
  The nearly $34,000 in final debt payments ended a difficult period in the festival’s history. The 2003 festival ended its run with a debt of nearly $150,000. After a community mobilization effort, a reorganized festival leadership team led by the Cream City Foundation and the PrideFest Task Force conducted an aggressive fundraising campaign. Community members and organizations immediately donated nearly $78,000 to allow PrideFest to move forward with planning the 2004 festival.
  “It was a great leap of faith for people to invest in PrideFest when it was in such bad shape, but the commitment of those people has helped to rebuild the festival,” Task Force member Paul Williams said.
  In addition to paying off the debt, funds will be placed in a reserve to prepare for the 2006 festival. “Next year will bring increases in operating costs that we have no control over,” PrideFest Co-Producer Michael Hall said. “Just as we have done for the past two years, we are continuing to plan carefully to ensure the longevity of the festival.”
  PrideFest is Wisconsin’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture and community and is held annually in June at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront. For more information or to volunteer, call 414-272-3378 or visit www.pridefest.com.

Katrina Victim Becomes Miss Gay America
Memphis - Nicole DuBois (a.k.a. Tommy Davis) was crowned the winner at the 34th Annual Miss Gay America pageant held at the Cannon Center in Memphis Sunday, October 16. DuBois overcame more than the usual pageant concerns about gowns, make-up and hair-dos - her Mississippi home was flooded six weeks ago by Hurricane Katrina.
  The  five hour plus event was emceed by former winners and ranged “from elegant to campy,” according to Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Christopher Blank.
  Finalists competed in evening gown and talent competitions. Each also answered a question from the audience, estimated to be over a thousand in attendance. Some questions touched on topics such as gay marriage. Other questions addressed the future of the pageant, now under new management. 
  DuBois, who has been performing in drag for 20 years, sang “Home,” made popular by Diana Ross in The Wiz. “It was a last-minute thing,” DuBois said. “I’ve been staying at friends’ houses since I got four feet of water in Gulfport.”
  In earning the top tiara, Dubois represented the Miss Gay Mid-America  regional title. Coti Collins of Florida won 1st Alternate.

GLSEN Study: 9 Of 10 Gay Kids Harassed At School
New York – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network on October 11 announced the results of a new survey conducted on its behalf by Harris Interactive® titled “From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, A Survey of Students and Teachers” The national survey of over 3,400 students aged 13-18 and over 1,000 secondary school teachers, explores students’ and teachers’ experiences with bullying and harassment, and their attitudes about this serious problem in America’s schools.
  “This study clearly illustrates the prevalence of bullying and harassment in America’s schools and that students who experience harassment are more likely to miss classes which can impact a student’s ability to learn,” Kevin Jennings, Founder and Executive Director of GLSEN said. “It also shows how having anti-harassment policies in schools – particularly those policies that include sexual orientation or gender identity/expression – can be associated with students feeling safer at school.”
  The online survey, conducted between January 13 and January 31, 2005, reveals that bullying is common in America’s schools, and that some students are frequent targets for verbal and physical harassment:
    * Two-thirds of teens report that they have been verbally or physically harassed or assaulted during the past year because of their perceived or actual appearance, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, race/ethnicity, disability or religion.
    * The reason most commonly cited for being harassed frequently is a student’s appearance, as four in ten  teens report that students are frequently harassed for the way they look or their body size.
    * The next most common reason for frequent harassment is sexual orientation. One-third of teens report that students are frequently harassed because they are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.
  The survey finds that LGBT students are three times as likely as non-LGBT students to say that they do not feel safe at school (22% vs. 7%) and 90% of LGBT students (vs. 62% of non-LGBT teens) have been harassed or assaulted during the past year.
  “As ‘From Teasing to Torment’ is the first national survey on bullying in America’s schools that includes anti-LGBT bullying and harassment, it is particularly striking that this type of harassment is only second to physical appearance in terms of severity and frequency for students overall, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression,” Dr. Dana Markow, senior director of the Youth and Education Research Practice at Harris Interactive said.
  85% of secondary school teachers agree that they have an obligation to ensure a safe learning environment for LGBT students, with nearly three-quarters strongly endorsing this view. Among those teachers who agree with or are neutral about this obligation, 7 in 10  believe that anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies would be helpful in ensuring a safe learning environment for LGBT students.
  According to the survey, more than two-thirds of students say their school has some type of anti-harassment policy, however only about half  of all students say their school has a policy that specifies sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
  The survey found that 57% of students who experience harassment in school, regardless of demographics or reasons for the harassment, never report these incidents of harassment to teachers or other school personnel. Although most teachers report that they would feel comfortable intervening if they observed harassment and many say they frequently have intervened, one in ten students who do not report these incidents don’t do so because they believe teachers or staff don’t do anything or are powerless to improve the situation. Two-thirds of LGBT students who have experienced harassment never report such incidents according to the study’s findings.
  “This survey shows how we need to bridge the gap between the support that teachers say they provide to students and students’ perceptions of teachers’ willingness to take action,” Jennings said. “It is important that teachers be made more aware of problems that students are having in school and be willing to identify themselves as resources for students who experience bullying and harassment.”

Gay TV Survey Shows Viewing Defies Stereotypes
New York - A study released October 17 on the TV habits of gay and lesbian men and women revealed they like “South Park” just as much as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Simmons Market Research followed the viewing habits of 19,000 gay and lesbian adults over the last year, the New York Post reported.
  “South Park,” which routinely pokes fun at the gay population, was the second most popular TV show behind “Queer Eye,” with about 25% of gay men saying they watched it in the past month, compared to 8%of the total population, the Post report said.
  Lesbians like “Law & Order: SVU,” “Golden Girls” reruns on Lifetime and Spike TV’s “Real TV” in far greater numbers than the general population, the study found.
  Gay men are most likely to watch - in this order - Comedy Central, Discovery, Spike TV, A&E, Bravo, Sci Fi, CNN, Lifetime, Fox News Channel and HGTV, the study said.
  Gay women, meanwhile, like premium cable channels such as HBO, A&E, USA, ESPN, Discovery, Lifetime, Showtime, Bravo, TNT and Starz.

Starbucks Caves To Religious Right, Adds Faith-Based Coffee Cup Quote
Seattle - A little more than a month after taking heat  for putting Tales of The City author Armistead Maupin’s provocative “life’s too damned short” quote on its coffee cups, the Starbucks Corporation has announced that a God-filled inspirational saying will be featured in its next series of “The Way I See It” quotations that will debut in Spring, 2006. The overtly religious quote will come from best-selling Christian author Rick Warren, best known for his inspirational book The Purpose Driven Life.
  In September, fundamentalist Christian Baylor University ordered the on-campus Starbucks shop to  remove cups that contained the Maupin quote: “I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don’t make that mistake yourself. Life’s too damn short.” Baylor called the cup’s presence on their campus “inappropriate” and other right wing groups characterized the coffee giant’s decision to include Maupin’s insight as “homosexual propaganda.”
  Starbucks consented, citing the company’s sensitivity the university’s Baptist affiliation.
  However, the offending quote, along with Starbucks’ long support of LGBT rights, prompted a call for an “in your face”  national boycott of the company by Concerned Women of America’s top anti-gay spokesperson Robert Knight. “It’s not enough not to go to Starbucks anymore,” Knight complained. “You really need to visit your neighborhood Starbucks and ask to see the manager and just say, ‘You know, I’ve gone here a lot and I would love to go here but I have to tell you your company’s promotion of something that is against my values prevents me from having coffee here anymore, and I’ve found alternatives ... You make a great product, but you deserve to know why people aren’t buying your product anymore.’”
  Starbucks decision to print the Warren quote has been met with official silence from the anti-gay groups. In 2005, Starbucks decided to print 63 quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians and cultural critics on cups for company-run and licensed locations to carry on the coffeehouse tradition of conversation and debate. A number mention faith and religious belief, but only the Maupin gay quote generated any controversy.

Senate Holds Hearings On Anti-Gay Amendment
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing October 20 on a proposed federal constitutional amendment that would forever ban marriage for same-sex couples in the United States. The so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment” is an updated version of last year’s Federal Marriage Amendment, which was defeated in both houses of Congress. Prompted by  Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), the committee heard from a panel of witnesses for and against the discriminatory proposal.
  After the hearing a number of pro-gay activists denounced the amendment. “Congress has already rejected this amendment, and it must do so again,” ACLU legislative counsel Christopher E. Anders said. “Discrimination has no place in our federal laws, and certainly not in the Constitution. That document exists to protect rights, not deny them. With all the issues facing Congress right now, there is no reason to focus time and energy on denying marriage protections to same-sex couples. Hardworking, tax-paying Americans in loving relationships don’t need lawmakers playing political games with their families.”
  “They’re playing cynical political games that threaten the security of American families,” HRC president Joe Solmonese said. “While some senators are trying to appease their extremist base, millions of Americans who support equal rights and responsibilities for all families will see through these hearings. Not only would the amendment ban marriage for same-sex couples, but it would threaten domestic partnerships and civil unions. It’s time for Washington to get back to helping all families, not hurting them.”
  The FMA stalled in Congress in 2004 when neither chamber came close to the required two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment. In addition to the expected liberal resistance, opposition to the amendment came from unusual sources: former Republican congressman Bob Barr, author of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act; Vice President Dick Cheney; Republican representative Christopher Cox; and  Republican senator John McCain; among others.

A Lifetime Of Passion Takes Just Sixteen Hours
Berlin - The average person’s sex life totals only sixteen hours of actual ecstasy, the German science magazine Geo Wissen has reported. The current issue reports the work of German researchers who calculated how much time a person averages doing a variety of common activities. The researchers added up all the snatched moments of everyday activities to find how much time they take up over the average lifetime of 78 years.
  For all you housewives and house-husbands, if it seems you spend your life doing housework, take heart - it’s really only four years out of your life. Washing and ironing take nine months, cleaning takes 16. Another two years and two months pass cooking meals.
  Eating and drinking, whether a quick bite on the run or a leisurely brunch, takes five years. But the average TV viewer spends six months longer than that watching their favorite programs.
  Other more traditional pastimes such as reading and playing games formed no part of the study. Instead, it revealed we spend four months of our lifetimes playing computer games. And another five hammering and painting in do-it-yourself projects.
  In contrast, the supposedly big responsibilities of an individual’s life take up surprisingly little time. For instance, we spend seven years of our lifetimes actually at our jobs, according to the research. Nine months, however, goes on travelling to and from the office. Education doesn’t seem to take up much time either. Only one year and ten months is spent in the classroom.
  For drivers trapped in daily travels, the calculation that we spend six months stuck in traffic jams may seem to fall rather short.
  In fact, the smallest chunk of time is allocated to the height of passion. It seems just 16 hours is spent having orgasms in the average lifetime. But at least people do spend two weeks kissing. Time spent in other foreplay and actual intercourse was not announced - at least in the article. The researchers also did not appear to seek to tally differences in the amount of sexual behavior across sexual orientations.
  Sleeping of another sort takes up the most time, using 24 years and four months of the average lifetime.
  The research was the result of a study of national statistics and personal questionnaires. “It would probably surprise some people to think that they spend an average of six months of their lives sitting on the toilet or four whole months playing computer,” a magazine spokesman noted. “That, of course, is a relatively new calculation because computers weren’t around a decade or so ago.”

Second Dentist Joins ARCW Dental Clinic
Milwaukee - With a patient load expected to surpass 1,000 by year’s end, the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin Dental Clinic has added a second dentist and expanded its partnership with the Marquette University School of Dentistry.
  Natalija Georgieva, DDS, recently completed a year as a resident in Marquette’s Advanced Training Residency Program and has been retained by Marquette for an additional year to participate in the collaboration with ARCW. Dr. Georgieva became interested in the effects of HIV on oral health last year when she visited ARCW to conduct research for a presentation about dental treatment for HIV-positive patients. 
  “We are so fortunate to have Dr. Georgieva join our clinic,” said ARCW Dental Director Steve Debbink, DDS. “Already she has had a positive impact on our clients, and allowed us to increase our capacity to meet the growing demand of HIV-positive patients in need of dental services.”
  Only 16% of ARCW’s dental patients have commercial insurance; 44% have no insurance at all. The ARCW dental clinic is the only HIV specific dental clinic in the state, and takes patients regardless of their ability to pay.
  “For me this is an opportunity to serve the community and people in need, it is an incredible experience and a journey.  I am just happy to be able to do what I like to do, which is practicing dentistry,” said Dr. Georgieva.
  The ARCW dental clinic also welcomed Vanessa Hirtzig, DDS, who volunteers in the clinic several days each month. Dr. Hirtzig is in private practice in Mequon. The clinic also continues to host second year dental students in rotation from Marquette as well as dental hygiene students from the Waukesha County Technical College. 
  “Having these fine new dentists really gives our patients the best care available,” said Debbink. “Our patients know that when they come to the ARCW dental clinic they are receiving high quality dental care from dedicated, compassionate providers.”

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2005 Set For November 20
Madison - Persons of all sexual orientations will gather for a rally and candlelight vigil for the  “International Transgender Day of Remembrance 2005”  “This is a pivotal year when it comes to anti-transgender violence, with the mixed verdict in the Gwen Araujo case, coupled with light sentences in other, similar cases,” international event founder, Gwen Smith said. “We’ve also seen the first Federal legislative victory in the United States, involving hate crimes.”
  The Wisconsin observance of the 7th annual event will be held on November 20 at 5 PM at the Memorial Union, on the University of Wisconsin campus.  The Madison event is just one of almost 300 around the world, being held on this day. Last year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance was observed with over 212 events in 8 countries. Half of those were in high schools.  Gwen Araujo, a 17-year-old transgender girl, was brutally murdered October 3rd, 2002. A jury decision in September of this year led to the conviction of two of her killers on second-degree murder charges.                                           
  Since the last Transgender Day of Remembrance, in November of 2004, cases involving anti-transgender violence have occurred nearly twice per month, with half of those cases in the United States. Many of these cases remain unsolved.
  The Madison vigil will consist of the reading the names of those killed by the youth group Proud Theater. There also will be a lighting candles and prayers for those lives that have been lost, on the entrance steps of the Union.
“Proud Theater will also perform short skits, read a poem, and sing a song. 
  Veteran women’s musician Tret Fure is scheduled to  perform a few songs at the event. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Dane County Supervisor Kyle Richmond, Madison City Councilman Michael Verveer, local gender therapist Sue Gill, Police Detective Alix Olsen, statewide Transgender Activists Laura Gutknecht and Ann Marie Knittel are scheduled, at press time, to speak.  Emcee of the event will be Nikki Baumblatt, of Outreach Inc., the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center in Madison                
  Speakers and participants will issue a new call for solidarity against gender and sexual identity-based discrimination and violence against gender diverse people. Sponsors of this event are the University LGBT Center, the Outreach LGBT Center, the Wisconsin Group Working for Equality, and the Madison Area Transgender Association.
  The Remembering Our Dead project exists to honor individuals murdered as a result of anti-transgender hatred and prejudice, and draw attention to the issue of anti-transgendered violence. Remembering Our Dead is a project of Gender Education and Advocacy, Inc. Visit the group’s website at: www.rememberingourdead.org

Glamarama To Perform At ROW Benefit Dinner
Green Bay - Glamarama, one of northeast Wisconsin’s most popular cabaret acts, will be a featured cameo performer at Rainbow Over Wisconsin’s 2nd Annual “An Evening With Rainbow Over Wisconsin” benefit auction, dinner and dance to be held Saturday, November 12, at the SC Grand Ballroom in DePere. The femme-fatale trio known for their , crowd-pleasing versions of  favorites from classic rock and roll to show tunes will join Jarica Jordan and a host of other live and impersonator talents in cameo performances during dancing following the post-dinner live auction.
  According to ROW President Dean Dayton, over one hundred tickets were sold by the organization’s October 10 meeting. “After the great word-of-mouth last year’s dinner received, we do expect to see a larger turnout this next month,” Dayton said. “I think that the dinner has become a  premiere gay event for the northeast Wisconsin community.”
  Dayton also noted that the value of silent and live auction items at this year’s dinner likely will surpass $5000 in value. “We’ve had a wonderful response from both businesses and individuals in our community,” Dayton said.
  The 6 PM silent auction and cocktail hour will kick off the event. Dinner will follow at 7:30 PM with the live auction beginning about 8:30 PM. Dancing to the music of veteran club deejay David Shore and cameo performances will follow.
  Tickets for the dinner are available from ROW members and businesses through November 4. Single tickets are $30 each and tables of 10 are $300. Reservations may also be made by calling 920-437-0994 or by email at: rainbowoverwi@athenet.net.
   All proceeds from the dinner will benefit ROW. Established in 1996 in an effort to coordinate fund-raising for the betterment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered  community in central, eastern and northeastern Wisconsin, Rainbow Over Wisconsin, Inc. has, as of 2005, distributed over $73,300 in grants to over two dozen LGBT member and LGBT supportive organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin through its Community Enrichment Fund and other projects such as the Guernsey Gala.

ARCW’s Garden View Housing Program Receives $50,000 Grant
Milwaukee - The Forest County Potawatomi Community Foundation has granted the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin a $50,000 for the agency’s housing program. The funds will support the agency’s Garden View family housing project here. It is the second grant the Potawatomi have given the program.
  “The Potawatomi are interested in safe and comfortable housing for people with HIV/AIDS in Wisconsin,” ARCW Development Director Dan Mueller said. “They understand that our mantra that housing is health care. We are delighted to have their support.”
  In the award announcement, Mueller also thanked agency grant writers Nancy Christiansen and Martha Dolan for their efforts and singled out ARCW President and CEO Doug Nelson for his advocacy efforts.

Ann Reed To Perform October 29
LaCrosse - Singer-songwriter Ann Reed will perform at the Pump House Regional Arts Center here Saturday, October 29. The concert will begin at 7:30 PM.
  Ann Reed has a folk style that has earned her every major Minnesota music award including Artist of the Year, Folk Singer of the Year and the Alumni Fine Arts Award. Ann’s talents include more than just singing and songwriting. Ann Reed plays numerous instruments, including 12-string guitar, mandolin, stand-up bass, six-string guitar, lap harp a little piano, too.
  Ann has performed at world-renowned folk festivals including Bumbershoot and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. She’s also gathered a wall full of plaques and trophies from Billboard magazine and the National Association of Independent Recording Distributors, as well as from numerous nonprofit groups (most recently the Girl Scouts).
Ann’s appearances on the National Public Radio  programs A Prairie Home Companion, All Things Considered, Mt. Stage, on ABC’s Good Morning America, and at special events have garnered her a loyal and diverse audience.
  Tickets for Ann Reed’s performance are $17 for the general public and $14 for Pump House members. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 608-785-1434

OutReach’s 2005-06 Directory Now Available
Madison - OutReach is pleased to announce that 2005-06 Directory is available now.  This 150-plus page directory combines a comprehensive collection of non-profit organization that cater to the LGBT community and display advertisements from LGBT-owned or friendly businesses.  This is the 16th edition of The Directory.
  If you are interested in a copy, please feel free to stop in at OutReach, 600 Williamson St., P1 or call 608-255-8582. Organizations that would like to receive multiple copies, please contact Nikki Baublatt at 608-255-8582.

Hate Crime Expert To Deliver Major Lecture at UW-M
Milwaukee - Dr. Frank H. Wu will deliver Hate Crimes: A Violation of Human Rights, a major lecture  addressing the subject of hate crime prevention in America at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Monday, November 7, 2005, at 7:00 PM in the school’s student union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. 
  Dr. Frank H. Wu, Dean of Wayne State University Law School, is a distinguished lecturer, a national human rights activist, and the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White.  His writing has appeared in such periodicals as the Washington Post, Chronicles of Higher Education, Legal Times, and Asian Week.  Dean Wu was named among the top twenty scholars in the nation by Black Issues in Higher Education, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Best Lawyers Under 40. 
  Wu’s media appearances have included the Oprah Winfrey Show, Now with Bill Moyers, the Lehrer Newshour, the O’Reilly Factor, and Talk Back Live on CNN.  He has hosted episodes of the Asian America, the PBS-syndicated television show.  Prior to his current position at the Wayne State University, Dean Wu served on the law faculty of Howard University. 
  Dr. Wu’s lecture will break through the barriers of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and allow the audience to view hate crimes as crimes against humanity - as vicious crimes against us all.
  A book signing and reception will follow the November 7 lecture.  This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact UWM Union Sociocultural Programming at 414-229-6996. 

Men’s Coming Out Group to Start at OutReach
Madison – A 10-week men’s coming-out support group is forming and will begin running on Wednesday nights from October 19 thru January 11 at 7 PM at OutReach, Madison & south-central Wisconsin’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community center and safe space.
  The purpose of the group is to offer support to men who are dealing with the realization that they are not heterosexual and how that affects their everyday lives and to support those people previously or currently in same sex relationships.
  The men’s coming out support group will identify and discuss the stages of coming out and explore topics such as how to deal with family members, physical and sexual safety, legal rights and discrimination, and spirituality, among others. Two trained volunteers will facilitate each meeting. People who are interested in attending the meetings should leave a message for Harry with contact information.
 The OutReach LGBT Community Center has served Madison’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community since 1973, providing counseling, advocacy, education, youth information and referral services. It also offers a lending library, free publications, and meeting space.  For more information, contact OutReach at 608-255-8582 or email programs@outreachinc.com.

Torso: A Musical To Dismember!
An Interview With Author-Director-Producer Kedrick Parham
Milwaukee - Making it's world premiere November 11 here, Torso - The Musical will come alive on stage for the first time this fall at the Hot Water Club, 818 S. Water St.. Featuring a cast of twelve, Torso was written by Milwaukee residents Kedrick Parham and Thomas Jacobsen.
  Based on the most sensational crime in Canadian history, Torso is the story of Evelyn Dick, who went on trial in 1946 for the killing and dismemberment of her husband John. The gruesome tale revealed in the court proceedings was the “OJ” case of its day, making headlines all over Canada.
  Torso is filled with original music evocative of that era, and filled with suspense that keep the audience guessing. Fans of the shows Chicago, Parade, Side Show or Sweeny Todd likely will fall in love with Parham and Jacobsen’s piece. Theater insiders are already calling it “Milwaukee's best secret” and some of Milwaukee's most experienced and ambitious professional actors have signed on to tell this amazing story.
  Torso’s first viewings will be presented in workshop on November 11 and 16  with a 7:30 PM curtain. A 4 PM matinee performance is set for November 13. Tickets are $16 each and are on sale now at the club. For reservations and more information, call 414-467-1144.
  Quest sat down to talk about Torso with Parham, an engaging African-American Kenosha native who will turn 25 just at this issue of the magazine hits the stands.

Quest: Tell us a little about yourself.
Parham: I’ve been (in Milwaukee) for two and a half years now. I went to school at UW-Parkside, where I majored in Education and Theater Arts.
Quest: Is Torso your first effort?
Parham: I've written other things in the past on a smaller level for school and things like that. But this is my first time producing. Not my first time directing though. I directed in Chicago at the Stage Two theater before. I’ve also choreographed before.
Quest: What makes the debut of Torso so special?
Parham: Basically its a great opportunity for Milwaukee. It’ a major thing because not a lot of original works come out of Milwaukee. I think that there’s only one other original work that came out of this city - The Spitfire Grill.
Quest: What drew you to Evelyn Dick’s story?
Parham: I saw the HBO movie based on her story and character about two years ago. I looked at it and thought that it would make a great musical. People like to see that stories that are full of suspense, stories that are a little twisted, that surprise you. People are intrigued by that kind of entertainment.
Quest: Did you write the book, music and lyrics for the show? What was Thomas Jacobsen’s part in the process?
Parham: Originally I wrote the book and the lyrics were there. Then Thomas and I met and I told him how I wanted things to sound and where the music should come along (in the show).  It’s a full collaboration with both Thomas’ and my ideas in the mix. I think its a very powerful score.
Quest: How would you characterize the music?
Parham: The music in Torso is very reflective of the 1940’s. Some of the ballads are sort of modern, emotional rock ballads but the music overall has a very jazzy, 1940’s big band and jive feel. The music is very true to the time, sets the mood and makes the show even more exciting.
Quest: You compare Torso to Chicago and Sweeny Todd.
Parham: They’re similar shows with a (choreographer Bob) Fosse style dance - that sort of drinking the brandy, smoking the cigarette, jazzy night club feeling. That what Torso is.
Quest: Chicago had an almost sardonic, tongue-in-cheek mood. How would you characterize the mood of Torso?
Parham: While there are those kinds of moments, the feel of Torso is a very edge-of-your-seat mysterious. All the characters are very mysterious. The show’s theme centers on how the newspapers ate this story up and how the press’ presentation altered how the public thought about Evelyn Dick. It ties in with today’s society and how press coverage has an impact on society.
Quest: How big is the show?
Parham: We have twelve actors and they’re all from Milwaukee. They’re some of the best known and most ambitious actors to come along. They’re all very excited to be on board with this show.
Quest: Anyone who might be considered a Milwaukee “name,” that would stand out to our readers?
Parham: We have Joe Dolan who has worked at the Skylight a couple of times. He plays the romantic lead to the Evelyn character. We have James Henderson who is from Seattle and has been doing work all over the United States. In the Milwaukee theater community, those are probably the most familiar names. The entire cast is great.
Quest: This is a workshop production. That’s not the same as a full, mainstream theatrical production, right?
Parham: Correct. However, we have many theatrical aspects - the costumes, the lighting, the band.
Quest: Torso is a work in progress as well.
Parham: Yes. This production will allow us to see what the audience likes and then go back to “cut and paste.”
We also are bringing the show to other workshop as well, like the Steven Schwartz workshop in Chicago. We’ll probably be involved there. We also may put it up at the Skylight Theatre again this Spring (2006) if we don’t bring it to a bigger city.
Quest: So this is a chance for people to get in on the ground floor, so to speak - the be the first to see what could be a really big hit.
Parham: Yes, that’s correct. Usually when someone conducts a theater workshop, the general public is not invited to that. Usually its theater insiders - composers, other writers, and so on - who give feedback on the show they’re trying to put up. For this workshop I’ve invited the general public to come and basically give feedback - that’s not heard of much. Its very risky, but its also very cool: come and see something that could possibly be in New York in a couple of years. I know people are coming up from Chicago to see this show because I know the buzz is really out there.
Quest: Any pre-show jitters?
Parham: Well I’ve never workshopped a show before in my young life. If it flops, well - you know - I’m young, get ready for next time! But when I’m sitting there in rehearsal, having the actors read my material, sing my material or dancing to something that I was the seed of - its just an amazing feeling, whether it makes money or not. All my dreams have come true.
  I added a song to Torso at the last minute. In the lyrics I basically quoted something I believe: “Right in front of my eyes, all my dreams are coming true, all my hopes are turning real.” That’s how I feel about this project. I thought that I would be into my thirties before I even started to write. But that’s the impact of Evelyn Dick and her amazing story.
  I hope everyone will come out and enjoy this amazing story. We’re all really excited about this show.and sometimes I could just scream!

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