Quest Vol. 12 No. 26

*Quest News* Volume 12 No. 26 January 19, 2006 Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick Top Story: Action Wisconsin Wins $87,000 In Storms’ Lawsuit Louisiana Preacher Will Appeal Decision In Ovadal-Inspired Suit - Lawyers To Get Winnings Madison - Wisconsin’s largest gay rights group has been awarded $87,000 in attorneys’ fees by a judge who verbally spanked a Louisiana “pastor” and his lawyer for bringing a frivolous lawsuit claiming the group defamed him. Grant Storms had claimed in the lawsuit that Action Wisconsin defamed him by saying remarks he made at the “First International Conference on Homo-Fascism,” advocated the murder of gays. The day-long conference was held in Milwaukee in October, 2003 and sponsored by the now-defunct Wisconsin Christians United. But in a ruling last week, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Patricia McMahon said the AW’s interpretation of the remarks was reasonable and the lawsuit lacked merit from the day it was filed in February 2004. The judge also blasted Storms’ lawyer, James Donohoo of Milwaukee, saying he should have known the complaint was a waste of time. However, the judge likely was unaware - on the record at least - of Donohoo’s previous association with the primogenitor of the AW lawsuit: self-ordained “pastor” Ralph Ovadal. Ovadal, who now operates the self-identified “independent, unlicensed” Pilgrim’s Covenant Church (PCC) in Monroe, sponsored the anti-gay event. As Quest reported last July, the genesis of the Storms lawsuit followed an ironic and, some might say, almost comic path. Following the lightly attended 2003 Homo Fascism conference, WCU reported on its website on October 14 that turnout at the event “included nine pastors, a state senator, a police officer, and a number of ministry leaders” and offered for sale an audio disc of the conference speeches. Two weeks later on October 22, the “Reality Check” column in the gay publication Wisconsin INStep reported that the state senator in question was “freshman Republican Tom Reynolds, not exactly a new convert to the extremist right.” The dual information led then AW board President Tim O’Brien to order a copy of the conference speeches, which O’Brien listened to in full, and AW Executive Director Christopher Ott listened to in part. Both men were named as co-defendants in the Storm suit. Ott later wrote a letter to then Senate Majority leader Mary Panzer requesting her to “to investigate, identify, and discipline the state senator “ who attended the conference. Ott included excerpts of the Storms speech and wrote “the attendance of a state senator at this conference is similar to a senator attending a Ku Klux Klan rally or neo-Nazi conference, and should receive tremendous scrutiny - especially at a time when legislators are advocating a constitutional amendment targeted at gay people.” The December 8 AW press release about the Panzer letter contained similar excerpts from Storms’ speech such as “They [gays] want to kill you;” “There is a philistine army out there. It’s called the homosexual movement, whether you can see it or not, understand it or not, they want to eliminate us;” and “God has delivered them into our hands, Hallelujah – Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom [like gun fire] – There’s twenty! Grant also made comments that suggested his supporters go to a fast-food restaurant for a quick meal before continuing the allegedly metaphorical massacre. On December 8 & 9, WCU responded to the AW press release claiming that “we had expectations that the homosexual propagandists would prove our point about homo-fascism by screaming bloody murder and making all sorts of wild accusations.” A third WCU press release on December 10 promised “Action Wisconsin Will Be Held Legally Accountable for Vicious Attack upon Christian Pastor.” A later WCU newsletter advised Ovadal was assisting Storms in arranging for a Wisconsin attorney. Donohoo had represented WCU in earlier cases. Storms responded to McMahon’s award decision on January 11 by claiming that any contention that he was advocating the murder of gays is “ludicrous and ridiculous.” He also labeled the judge “liberal” and “insane.” “I was saying, the Christian community needs to go forward and stand against the homosexual agenda,” he said, vowing to appeal the decision. “We’ll win this case and we’ll win the cultural war. We have God on our side.” Donohoo also said he would appeal the awarding of attorneys’ fees, claiming the lawsuit was not frivolous. Ovadal also reinserted himself into the fray January 12 with a press release on the PCC website. Action Wisconsin’s lead attorney Lester Pines said the dismissal of Storms’ lawsuit and the declaration that it was frivolous is a victory both for free speech and for Action Wisconsin, which is gearing up for a major campaign against the likely November referendum on a constitutional ban on marriage and civil unions for same sex couples. “This is going to be a very vicious campaign and I want everybody to know that if they think they are going to use phony defamation claims against Action Wisconsin to try to divert it, we will vigorously defend them,” Pines said. Action Wisconsin had also criticized state Senator Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis) for attending the Milwaukee conference. Reynolds said January 11 he stopped by for 20 minutes as a courtesy. But as Quest also reported last July, Reynolds has a far more involved interest with Ovadal’s anti-gay agenda. The 2003 InStep story along with subsequent dueling AW and WCU press releases drew the attention of Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political columnists Cary Spivak & Dan Bice, who followed up with Reynolds and confirmed his presence at the Homo Fascism conference. In their January 13, 2004 piece the columnists wrote: “ ‘It sounded interesting,’ said the West Allis senator who owns a small print shop. ‘I don’t know much about them. I do a little printing for them.’” The “little printing” included a number of WCU brochures. Some of WCU titles are “A Little Discrimination Can Be a Good Thing,” “Homosexuality: The Truth” and “Is Someone You Know A Bugger?” Action Wisconsin executive director Chris Ott, who - along with - was named in the lawsuit, hailed McMahon’s decision. “Action Wisconsin will not be intimidated into abandoning our mission to achieve full equality for LBGT citizens,” Ott said. “We did not back down from this frivolous suit, and fought back with full strength in order to preserve our mission. In the months and years ahead, those who would consider suing us to silence our voice should take fair warning from this decision: your frivolous claims will not go unpunished.” Pursuant to the judge’s ruling, the award will go to cover court costs and attorney fees incurred in Action Wisconsin’s defense. The organization is hoping to raise $5 million in its defense of marriage equality in the coming contstitutional referendum fight. Medicare D Snafus Endanger Disabled PWA’s Access To HIV Meds Madison - Problems with Medicare D, the most far-reaching change in government benefits in forty years, have been causing headaches for thousands of senior citizens throughout Wisconsin since its roll out January 1. However, for some the state’s disabled people living with AIDS, the snafus are threatening both short-term access to life-saving HIV medications and possible long-term financial ruin for those whose low income isn’t considered low enough. Under Medicare Part D, the federal government has created complex Prescription Drug Plans to pay pharmacies that fill Medicare Part D prescriptions. However, many seniors and people with disabilities have faced serious barriers getting the drugs they need because of start-up problems with the new Medicare Part D program and its Prescription Drug Plan contractors. More than 110,000 Wisconsin seniors and people with disabilities eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid were forced into a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan if they hadn’t voluntarily enrolled by December 31, 2005. Many of these individuals were not aware what plan had been chosen for them until they went to a pharmacy to get their prescription filled. Medicare and drug plan hotlines have been overwhelmed with calls from both recipients and pharmacies who are trying to sort out their coverage. Case managers at ARCW, AIDS Network and other community-based AIDS service organization offices around the state also have spent disproportionate amounts of time trying to help clients untangle their Medicare D mix-ups Indeed, the first two weeks of Medicare D coverage have proved to be a nightmare for some disabled PWA’s. Pharmacies were unable to process claims for HIV medication refills in some cases, or payment for medications listed on approved formularies was rejected. PWA’s who were considered “dual-eligible” because they have both Medicare and Medicaid were told they had large percentage co-pays, not the promised $1-5 per drug charges. Worse yet, other PWA’s making more than 150% of federal poverty limits - about $1166 monthly - were asked for over a thousand dollars in medication co-pays for which there was no fix. Because of the massive transitional problems, on January 13 Governor Jim Doyle announced that the state’s Medicaid program will pay for one month’s of medications for all Medicare D enrollees having difficulty with their Medicare D. “It is outrageous how the federal government has mishandled this program and put thousands of lives at risk,” Doyle said. “As an emergency measure, the state will step in to ensure that no seniors go without lifesaving medicines – but we will expect and demand that the federal government and its contractors will not only fix the problem, but reimburse the state.” The Governor announced that Wisconsin will cover the cost of prescriptions for seniors and people with disabilities that would have otherwise been turned away because of problems with the new Medicare Part D program. The procedures to access the short-term help were being transmitted to social workers working with the elderly and the disabled throughout the day. Kathy Rogers of the Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Drug Reimbursement Program also announced that all financially eligible ADAP enrollees having problems with their Medicare D cards could receive emergency assistance through that program. Long term solutions for some PWA’s - typically those who had been accessing Medicaid with spend downs because their income was over the maximum permitted for automatic enrollment - may be more difficult to quickly resolve. Because Medicare D is a federal program, state-generated reimbursements do not count toward spend downs as they had with Wisconsin Medicaid in the past. Thus AIDS patients who also take a number of other brand-name medications for non-HIV related diagnoses could find themselves paying full price for the non-ADAP covered medications unless they select more expensive “high end” Medicare D plans, also cost-prohibitive for most fixed income individuals. Legislation has been drafted to correct some of the problems identified thus far in integrating Medicare D into the state’s existing low income health benefit infrastructure. However, new coverage gaps were being discovered by benefits specialists as 2005 closed, making the likelihood a worsening crisis a possibility in the coming months. World & National News: Gay Leaders Unimpressed As Alito Hearings Conclude Washington, DC - With Senate Republicans holding ample votes to place Samuel A. Alito Jr. on the Supreme Court, his confirmation hearings ended January 13. The hearings this week gave no indications that the conservative judge would be any more favorable to LGBT rights on the high court than his record suggests, gay rights groups believe. Alito, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, was tapped by President Bush for the post held by retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor after his first nominee, Harriet Miers, fell through due to lack of conservative support. Alito’s nomination was opposed by a coalition of gay rights groups, including Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Human Rights Campaign and the National Center for Lesbian and Rights. The groups cited a 15-year history of hostility toward civil rights protections during his time on the federal bench. Only one of the nine senators on the committee, Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold, asked questions on LGBT issues, although Kansas Senator Sam Brownback poke at length about gay marriage. When Feingold asked Alito about his 2001 decision to strike down an anti-harassment policy by a local school board, Alito defended it by saying the policy was too broad. On two other key LGBT questions, Alito punted, according to Eldie Acheson, director of public policy and government affairs at NGLTF. “Feingold asked whether Congress could legislate employment discrimination protection and Alito said he ‘couldn’t think of a reason why not.’ On whether federal funding could be based on a school’s anti-harassment policy, Alito said Congress could do that ‘as long as the condition was relevant,’ which is rather vague,” Acheson said. Such evasiveness has become standard procedure for Supreme Court nominees ever since Reagan’s pick, Robert Bork, was voted down in 1987 for being too outspoken. To avoid that mistake, many believe that Alito didn’t have to disavow his conservative views, but merely obfuscate them. Because no new light was shed this week on Alito’s record or his inclination to champion civil rights, those groups remained unmoved in their belief that he should not be confirmed to the nation’s highest court. “I’m disappointed but not surprised by his performance,” PFLAG Executive Director Jody Huckaby said. “He dodged important issues, especially privacy rights, which leads me to believe he is not likely to uphold the laws protecting the rights of all Americans.” Democrats and like-minded legal scholars also condemned Alito’s his theory of presidential powers - a dominant theme throughout the hearings that was aimed at President Bush as much as at the nominee. “In recent years, the Bush administration’s made unprecedented claims of expansive presidential power,” said Erwin Chemerinsky of Duke University’s law school said. Chemerinsky added it would be “too dangerous” to allow Alito on the high court because of what he called “a very troubling pattern of great deference to executive authority.” Alito’s allies protested such twin assaults on the White House and the nominee. Alito’s onetime boss in the Reagan Justice Department, former solicitor general Charles Fried, testified that Democrats’ portrayal of the beliefs about presidential power had been “very misleading.” With a majority in the Senate, Republicans believe they can push through Alito’s confirmation, unless Democratic opponents mount a filibuster. The likelihood of such a tactic decreased January 12 when Senator Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) became the second of the seven Democrats in a bipartisan group of 14 senators - who last spring negotiated a compromise on the chamber’s handling of filibusters on judicial candidates - to declare he did not believe Alito’s nomination presented any “extraordinary circumstances” to warrant such a step. Democrats are expected to exercise their right to delay the confirmation by one week. However, Alito now is expected replace O’Connor on the court by early February. Virginia House Approves Constitutional Gay Marriage Ban Richmond - As had been widely expected, Virginia’s House of Delegates overwhelmingly reaffirmed its desire to add a gay marriage ban to the state’s constitution, despite impassioned warnings that the measure would have unintended consequences. The 73-22 vote on January sends the measure to the Senate. If it is approved there, a referendum will be placed on the November ballot. In a process similar to Wisconsin’s, Virginia constitutional amendments must pass in consecutive General Assembly sessions, with an intervening House of Delegates election, to be placed on the ballot. The measure was approved by a wide margin last year - an indication that it would likely sail through again in this session. Opponents did their best to derail the amendment, however, arguing that it goes well beyond merely defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. For example, they said the amendment could be interpreted as barring all legal recognition of unmarried family or household members, which would erode protections for many domestic abuse victims. According to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, 60% of domestic violence victims seeking help in 2004 were not married to their batterers. “It’s clear to me we are going much too far,” Fairfax Delegate James M. Scott said. “Victims of domestic violence will not be able to have their day in court.” He said he voted for the state law that merely defines marriage as a male-female union, but that the amendment’s additional language prohibiting recognition of civil unions, domestic partnerships and other legal arrangements resembling marriage are “way over the top.” Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, lobbyist for the gay civil rights group Equality Virginia, said voters also will not understand the full ramifications of the amendment because the wording of the ballot question is vague and incomplete. “The reason the proponents don’t want it to be clear is they can’t win a fair fight,” she said. A separate bill on the ballot question wording won preliminary approval on a voice vote California Social Justice Groups Advocate For Same Sex Marriages San Francisco - In eight amicus briefs filed January 9 with the California Court of Appeal, more than more than 250 religious and civil rights organizations urged the court to put an end to state laws that deny same-sex couples the protections of marriage. The NAACP, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, California Council of Churches, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, and National Black Justice Coalition are among the groups filing briefs in a landmark California court of appeal case. “I am proud to join with other civil rights leaders in standing up for fairness and dignity for all,” Alice Huffman, President of the California Conference of the NAACP said in a press release announcing the filings. “Never before has such a diverse array of groups stepped forward to call for an end to the unfair treatment faced by same-sex couples and their families when they are denied the ability to marry.” “It is a matter of religious freedom to allow faith communities to practice their faith by performing and blessing marriages between same-sex couples who wish to make a commitment to each other, while allowing denominations that oppose such marriages to refrain from so doing,” California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT Executive Director Rick Schossler added. More than 200 local, regional, and national religious organizations and clergy also filed a brief arguing that the constitutional principle of religious freedom supports the right of same-sex couples to marry. Groups joining the brief include the United Church of Christ, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Unitarian Church, the California Council of Churches, California Faith for Equality, the Ecumenical Catholic Church and the Buddhist group Soka Gakkai International-USA. AFA Strikes Again: Asks Ford To Pull Gay Media Ads Tupelo - Led by the American Family Association (AFA), a collection of religious extremists once again are calling on Ford to stop advertising in gay periodicals, apparently threatening to resume a boycott if the car maker keeps helping “groups promoting the homosexual agenda.” “We can not, and will not, sit by as Ford supports a social agenda aimed at the destruction of the family,” radio preachers James Dobson, Donald Wildmon and others wrote Ford in a letter released January 11. Wildmon’s AFA claims Ford backs “homosexual groups and their agenda” through things like buying ads in periodicals marketed to the LGBT community. The AFA earlier had called off a Ford boycott after meeting with company executives and saying the automaker was addressing conservatives’ concerns. Less than a week after its huddle with the AFA, Ford said its Land Rover and Jaguar brands would stop buying ads in gay periodicals, allegedly for business reasons. Gay groups protested, prompting Ford initially to agree to buy some ads in gay periodicals, but not reverse the Land Rover and Jaguar bans. Ford later said all brands would be featured in gay media buys. Now, the AFA is asking Ford to renew its broad ad prohibition, halt donations to gay organizations and take other steps the group claimed the automaker previously had agreed to. Absent such a move, the AFA said it would “assume Ford does not intend to honor its representations” that led to the boycott’s end. Ford declined to directly comment on the new letter. Industry and media analysts have categorized Ford’s handling of the issue to date as a “public relations nightmare” and “a textbook case of how not to respond to extremist pressure.” Gay Activists Stage Vatican Protest Vatican City - Over forty Italian gay rights activists protested outside St Peter’s Square on January 13 , a day after Pope Benedict once again condemned same sex marriage. The group stayed out of the square, which is Vatican territory, but held up banners and placards criticizing the Roman Catholic Church. One banner read “2000 years of discrimination” and said the Church should stay out of Italian affairs. Benedict, in an address to Italian politicians on January 12, reiterated his opposition to gay marriages and to proposed laws that would formally recognize the rights of gay couples. The demonstration took place on the eighth anniversary of a suicide by a gay man in St Peter’s Square. The demonstrators said they also were commemorating Alfredo Ormando, a 39 year-old Italian who set himself on fire there in 1998 to protest against the Church’s position on homosexuality, a policy crafted by the current Pope. Ormando later died of his injuries. California Has Most Transgender Friendly Laws in U.S. San Francisco - On January 1, 2006 two new laws solidified California’s leadership role as the most protective state for transgender rights in the nation. The laws, sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), were the Civil Rights Act of 2005 (AB 1400 ) and the Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination Act (AB 1586). AB 1400, authored by Santa Cruz Assemblyman John Laird, amended California’s public accommodation law to make clear that transgender people are protected. AB 1586, authored by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, prohibits discrimination against transgender people by the insurance industry, including healthcare insurers. “By protecting transgender people and our families in education, employment, housing, foster care, insurance, and public accommodation, the legislature is saying very clearly that California supports diversity and inclusion,” EQCA’s Transgender Equality California Project Manager Danny Kirchoff said. “Across the state, employers, schools, businesses, and government agencies are taking common-sense steps to create non-discriminatory environments.” After decades in which transgender people had little protection against even the most flagrant acts of discrimination, these laws establish that California embraces transgender people equally and provides effective remedies for discrimination. A 2003 report released by the Transgender Law Center (TLC) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Trans Realities, documented the high rates of discrimination experienced by transgender people. Survey respondents reported discrimination in employment (49%), public accommodation (38%), housing (32%), and health care (31%). “Even today, transgender people face discrimination in virtually every institution in the state, but these laws provide incredibly powerful tools for creating lasting social change,” TLC Director Christopher Daley said. “While it will take some time for the effects of these laws to be fully felt in individuals’ lives, California’s elected officials are to be commended for once again leading the nation on fairness and equality.” Sony Label "Music Wih A Twist" Will Focus On Gay Lesbian Acts New York - Sony Music has announced it was launching the first major music label dedicated to nurturing lesbian, gay, and transgendered artists. The label, Music with a Twist, is a joint venture with Wilderness Media & Entertainment, the company led by Matt Farber, who founded Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks’ new gay and lesbian channel LOGO, currently available to an estimated 20 million homes. The label has not yet signed any artists but plans to release the first of a series of compilations this June during National Gay Pride Month. The release will feature tracks from its roster of artists as well as “gay- and lesbian-friendly” acts, according to Farber. He says the label is not prohibiting straight artists from joining the label, though the focus will remain on LGBT artists. Wilderness also launched a two-hour syndicated radio show on January 15-16 on nine FM stations, including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco markets. Also called Music With a Twist, the programs will feature interviews, entertainment news and lifestyle advice - and provide another outlet for Twist artists. Plans for more affiliates in major markets and markets with prominent LGBT communities are in the works. AOL Radio has also signed on to air the program over the Internet. New Report Suggests A “Gay Generation Gap” Amherst - A growing generation gap exists in the LGBT community, posing a challenge for social workers and activists, according to a recently released publication by the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies here. “A generation turns around in five years now,” study co-author Janis Bohan said. The report finds the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people growing up have changed in such a radical way that it is difficult for people five years older to fully understand what has happened to the previous generation. “In interviews with LGBT youth and adults, we found a noticeable gap in communications across generations,” Glenda Russell, another co-author said. “LGBT adults tend to project their own experiences onto today’s young people, when in fact the lives of today’s young people are often quite different.” One example noted in the study was the alternative proms organized by LGBT adults for their counterparts among high school youth. The researchers suggested these proms are actually designed to meet the needs of the adult organizers who missed their own proms rather than those of today’s young people. The researchers believe LGBT adults tend to focus on the suffering and isolation of LGBT youth, even though many such teens are actually doing well. “The only youth adults only see are the ones in trouble. What we’re not noticing is the youth who are not struggling, who have support groups and are doing just fine,” Bohan said. However, Bohan added that young LGBT people sometimes complain that no one is doing anything about discrimination, unaware of the decades of prior activism. Russell claimed the study is important because “if we don’t pay attention to both sides of this age spectrum, we are in danger of losing important continuity of who we are as a people and losing the lessons that only come from the continuous understanding of history.” “The good news is that both sides can learn from each other,” Bohan said. “LGBT adults should be willing to follow the lead of young people, and young LGBT people should be willing to use adults as mentors.” Young people often provide a fresh perspective on issues that is both less constrained by past strategies for problem solving and less reliant on older -- and perhaps incorrect -- assumptions about the degree of homophobia, the report noted. The study concluded that LGBT adults have greater experience and resources and are more familiar with the historical roots of the LGBT movement. But the challenge, the researchers noted, is to create intergenerational contact. Among their suggestions was the creation of youth panels that feature positive “coming out” stories. State News: ARCW To Honor Oneida Tribe, Guernsey Gala Milwaukee - The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has announced the 15th annual Have a Heart fund raising dinner, honoring the people who have helped pave the way in the fight against AIDS in Northeast Wisconsin. At the annual dinner and silent auction on February 18, ARCW will pay tribute to two long-time donors to the agency. The event, which will be held at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center at Oneida Bingo and Casino, will recognize the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, a sponsor of ARCW events since 1994, and the Guernsey Gala, the Green Bay LGBT community’s annual fund raising pageant held since 1991, initially sponsored by area bars and currently sponsored by Rainbow Over Wisconsin. Originally based on the now defunct Milwaukee “Possum Queen”project, contestants enter a dollar-a-vote contest to win the coveted title of “Guernsey Queen.” The event has expanded to include several major entertainment events and a softball tournament. “The theme of this evening, ‘People: Above All Else’ honors the closing of our 20th anniversary year and a renewal of ARCW’s commitment to putting people above all else in the fight against AIDS - from the clients and patients we serve in Northeast Wisconsin to our community partners,” ARCW’s Vice President and Chief Development Officer Dan Mueller said. The event will also commemorate ARCW’s 20th Anniversary. On display that evening will be portraits and short vignettes of the 20 Giving 20 exhibit, highlighting 20 of Wisconsin’s leaders who have been involved in the fight against AIDS for 20 years. Among those leaders are Green Bay physicians Raymond Bachhuber, MD, and James Lacey, MD, as well as ARCW Case Manager Mike Fitzpatrick. ARCW’s 2005 Annual Report, themed “People: Above All Else” will be unveiled at Have a Heart as well. Have a Heart benefits the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s medical, dental and mental health care as well as the agency’s legal, housing, food pantry and HIV prevention services. In 2006, ARCW expects to provide care and treatment services for a record 3,000 people. Tickets for Have a Heart are $50 and $75. The $75 ticket includes two complimentary cocktails, preferred seating and wine served with dinner. To purchase tickets, please call Bill Keeton at 1-800-359-9272, ext. 1592, or email him at Bill.Keeton@arcw.org. Tickets can also be purchased by clicking on the Have a Heart link at www.arcw.org. Warhol’s “Lonseome Cowboys” Showing To Benefit Center Advocates Milwaukee - The Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival and the UWM Union Theatre will present a special screening of Andy Warhol’s 1968 film “Lonesome Cowboys” Thursday, January 26 at 7pm. The screening will take place at the UWM Union Theatre in the UWM Student Union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. Admission for this evening’s screening is free, but attendees will be encouraged to donate to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Advocates’ “No on the Amendment” Coalition. Donations of any size will be accepted. Festival Director Carl Bogner explained with the current fascination with Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” was the impetus of what some critics call the “original gay cowboy movie.””We felt like this was a moment ripe for exploitation, or an unasked-for addressing of context, with this presentation of the queerest, in every sense of the word, film Western of all time,” Bogner said According to Bogner, Warhol’s film was originally intended as a Western version of “Romeo and Juliet,” and adopts cowboy drag and wears only the merest trappings of plot. “Nominally the clash between settled folk and a rootless band of horsebacked ‘brothers’ just passing through, the film offers a barely corralled paddock of jokiness, flippantly held poses, and unchecked behavior,” he said. “The milieu’s attendant homo-sociality allows a revue of masculinities considered and a stable full of varieties of male beauty. And the menfolk here, when not trading hair grooming tips and ballet moves, head off into the sunset together.” “Lonesome Cowboys” features such Warhol stars as Viva, Taylor Mead, and Joe Dallesandro. “With Tom Hompertz lounging around as everyone’s cowpoke of desire,” Bogner added. “Reclaiming Moral Values”Conference Will Have LGBT Focus LaCrosse - The LGBT Resource Center for the 7 Rivers Region will co-sponsor “Reclaiming Moral Values: Faith, Sexuality and Politics,” a three-day conference, March 3-5, at Winona State University’s Tau Center. The conference features the Rev. Malcolm Himschoot, a 28-year-old Euro-American transgender man who preaches, teaches and gives presentations to all age groups throughout the country. Himschoot also is the subject of the feature documentary “Call Me Malcolm,” which will be featured Friday night at the conference along with an opportunity for discussion with Rev. Himschoot. Admission to the film is free and others are scheduled for viewing afterward. Also featured as a part of the conference are informational and action workshops conducted by Rev. Anita Hill, pastor of St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church; Rev. Jay Weisner from Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis; Lindsey Saunders from Action Wisconsin; Monica Meyer from Outfront Minnesota; Rev. Nancy Horvath-Zurn of Healing Spirit Metropolitan Community Church in Rochester, MN; Daphne Burt of Soulforce; Rev. Gary and Rev. Mary Sue Drier of People of Hope Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN; Emily Eastwood of Lutherans Concerned/North America; and Greg Bonney, Attorney at Law of La Crosse. Attendees will join other people of faith to critically assess cultural and faith based assumptions; learn about the co-opting of value-based principles in the current political climate; learn how to reframe issues of morality and sexuality toward social justice; learn about various resources and tools needed to work toward equality-based change; and network with other activists, continue the discussion and coordinate action efforts, locally and regionally. Funding for the conference is provided by the Philip N. Knutson Foundation, the Winona State University Foundation, the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, the Lutheran Campus Center of Winona, the Christa Matter Memorial Fund and the LGBT Resource Center for the Seven Rivers Region. The registration fee is $125 for adults and $60 for students, which includes meals, workshops, keynote presentation, and films. Students wishing to attend only the workshops may register for a reduced fee of $20. Registration forms, as well as information on housing and travel accommodations, can be found online at: www.lccwinona.org or by calling the Lutheran Campus Center at 507-452-8316. Registration must be received no later than February 17 and is limited to 200 participants. Early registration is recommended. Potential LBGT attendees with questions are asked to contact Cindy Killion by phone at: 507-457-5098 or 608-687-8294 by email at: ckillion@winona.edu Building Marriage Equality Conference Set For Fox Valley Appleton - On Saturday, February 25 the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship here will host the day-long conference “Start Now: Building Marriage Equality.” The day will offer financial and legal planning guidance for gay and lesbian families to help them arrange the limited protections that are currently available, including living wills for end-of-life decisions. Also, the conference will provide information and training about advocating for full marriage equality, so that gay and lesbian families may someday secure the hundreds of rights and protections that are conferred with civil marriage. The conference will be informative and relevant for LGBT individual as well as LGBT allies who want to learn more about advocating for marriage equality. Featured presenters include Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone of the Rainbow Law Corporation; and Mike Tate, Campaign Manager for the “No On The Amendment” Coalition Carrie and Elisia have been powerful marriage equality advocates for over 15 years. Together they founded Rainbow Law Corporation, and since 1993 they have helped thousands of gay and lesbian families across the nation protect themselves with estate planning. Also, through two bicycle rides across America, they have garnered greater awareness for the cause through media coverage and a film called “Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars,” which documented their 2004 ride. They were recently recognized with an “OUT 100 Award” by OUT Magazine. Carrie and Elisia will lead sessions during the conference about estate planning and legal needs of families. Michele Perreault, an attorney with Madison’s DeWitt, Ross & Stevens, who practices in the areas of family law, domestic partnership law, adoption, and criminal defense, will also participate in these sessions to give information and insights specific to Wisconsin. For more information about Rainbow Law Corporation, visit: www.rainbowlaw.org Tate is Campaign Manager for “No on the Amendment,” the statewide effort to defeat the proposed constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage for gay couples in Wisconsin. He is committed to mobilizing a majority of citizens to vote against the harmful, far-reaching amendment in November 2006. He oversaw one of the largest grassroots voter mobilization efforts in Wisconsin political history as the deputy director of America Coming Together in 2004. Tate was also the state director for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. Tate will give the latest update on the campaign to defeat the amendment, and Action Wisconsin staff will lead trainings during the day to teach people how to speak effectively with friends, family and groups about the amendment. For more information about Action Wisconsin and “No on the Amendment,” visit: www.actionwisconsin.org The conference is organized by Interweave, a group of more than thirty gay and lesbian members of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which supports full marriage equality for gay and lesbian unions. The conference is also sponsored by Angels of Hope MCC, a Christian denomination primarily serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, with congregations in Appleton and Green Bay. Additional sponsors include the GLBT Partnership, Etcetera, Harmony Cafe, Rainbow Alliance for HOPE, and Welcoming Congregation Committee of the First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau. The conference is generously supported by Positive Voice and PFLAG Fox Cities. Cost for the conference is $20 per person for registrations received by February 17. Registration at the door is $25, and a special rate of $10 is offered for students and individuals with limited income (advanced registration preferred). The registration fee includes lunch. Child care will be provided with an additional charge on the day of the conference. To register, please send your registration fee along with your name, mailing address, phone number and email address to: Building Marriage Equality, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, P.O. Box 1791, Appleton, WI 54912-1791. If you have questions about the conference, please email organizers at: startnow@fvuuf.org or call 920-882-0400, Ext. 7. You may also call Interweave Coordinators Aaron Sherer and Paul Smith at: 920-426-4238. Madison Night Life To Sparkle In 2006 Madison - Billing himself as “Madison’s Favorite Socialite,” party promoter Ed Edney has announced his personal New Year’s resolution to create a sensational night life for the Capitol City in 2006. The fun starts with the Heaven & Hell Party Saturday, January 21 at the Cafe Montmarte. Guests will be coming dressed as either the devil or our favorite angel. Edney will return to Club Frida’s for a Valentine’s Day UnderWear Party on February 11. Edney will then host something never done before in the state of Wisconsin: The Suitcase Party. Final details for the March party are being finalized. Party-goers will have to bring along their suit cases, because Edney will send three lucky individuals along with one guest to either Las Vegas, The Wisconsin Dells, or the Madison Hilton for the weekend - directly from the party. Winners without suit cases at the ready will automatically forfeit their trip. For more information about Edney’s party schedule, look online at: www.EdEdneyProductions.com Feature Story: Amputee Identity Distorder: Rare & Misunderstood by Ed Cushman Some people out there actually want to be an amputee in one form or another. They want to be missing a limb or a hand. These people will often go to great lengths in the form of “accidents” to remove the unwanted body part. Many often have had an encounter with a person who was missing part of their body when they were very young. This experience seems to make a great impression on their psyche which stays with them throughout their lives. They are not otherwise mentally deranged. Some get along in spite of their need, others eventually take drastic steps to make their desire become reality. In recent years this this condition has become identified and is called AID, or Amputee Identity Disorder. It’s a condition in which the individual has a desire to be come an amputee in one form or another. Some wish to be missing a leg(s), a hand or even a whole arm. They usually do not know why they feel this way, but research has found that many have had an encounter with an amputee at an early age, which seems to have made a great impression on their subconscious. These feelings often don’t surface for many years. I have come to know some AID sufferers personally. Lets look into some of their lives in an effort to better understand this condition. "Carlos" came to America from south of the border in his teens. When he was about six years of age, he saw a one-handed man who wore a hook. He and his father were walking down a street in Central America when a well-dress hombre stepped out of a car and confidently strolled across the street and into a building in front of them. Carlos only saw his hook for only a few seconds, but he remembered it for ever. He was left with a burning desire to be one-handed. After he graduated from high school in the U.S. mid west, he worked at a machine shop where he staged an "accident" to cut off his hand. His desire to become an amputee was very strong. The event took off his intended hand, but also accidently amputated most of his "good" hand too. He was left without a thumb and only two useful fingers on his remaining hand. His recovery was long and painful. Intentional amputation “accidents” can be risky. Life with one hook and two only somewhat useful fingers was very difficult for Carlos, and the pain in his remaining partial hand continued. Fortunately his girlfriend was very understanding–she was a very rare individual. He had told her about his elective amputation when they first met and she had no problem with this unusual desire. She was eager to help him with his disability. To improve his life they considered every possible alternative, including amputation of his partial hand and continuing life with two hooks. They decided to try to save and improve the functionality of his partial hand and he underwent reconstructive surgery where one of his toes was transplanted to replace his missing thumb. It was successful and at last he had a more functional hand and could continue his life as a college student. Here is an example of how things can easily go wrong in a staged accidental amputation. Then there is "Frank," who first encountered an amputee when he was about five. The man who came to clean their furnace each fall had a hook instead of a right hand, which Frank remembered clearly. Frank has wanted to be an amputee ever since. He told me that this desire has made life very difficult for him over the years and probably was a contributing factor in the failure of his marriage. He never expressed his amputation desire to his wife. After reading my first book, “Losing A Hand,” he eventually gathered enough courage to write to me under an assumed name and e-mail address, and eventually we talked by telephone. He used a fictitious name, as he was very concerned about his amputation desire becoming known. I was the only person he ever confided in. As an engineer, he was worried about becoming incapacitated and not being able to support himself if he were to have only one hand. He lived in a rural area and was physically very active. Long before he contacted me, he constructed his own working prosthesis. He bound his hand up inside it and tried doing the daily tasks he would encounter as an amputee. Later, through the course of many hours of telephone conversations with me, he became convinced that living with a hand amputation wouldn't be a problem. Fortunately I had something like 30 years of experience to relate to him and I could be very truthful in answering his questions. In our conversations I was always very careful not to be persuasive, but to try to be truthful and factual about how I get along with one hand so he could come to his own conclusions. Eventually Frank "did it." he became an amputee through a staged accident. Fortunately I'm able to report that his loss has been very successful and he is now a very happy amputee. He had far less pain than I encountered and much less than even he expected. He had little difficulty adapting to using one hand while his stump healed. He was very pleased when he got his prosthesis and related that he wished he had done it when he was in his 20s and had not waited so long. Because he had a very positive outlook, his friends took his "accident" in stride and he went on with his life as if nothing ever happened. This is a case of a very successful elective self-amputation, in part due to much careful planning and research. Frank wanted to understand all of the implications of being an amputee. He did not rush into it. He realized that amputation was not to be taken lightly. Some AID sufferers can never bring themselves to actually perform a voluntary amputation. Such was the situation with "Sam" who contacted me by e-mail with a few questions after reading a story I wrote for the inter net site www.secretgardenstories.org. Editors Note: SecretGardenStories.com contains many works of fiction including a high percentage from gay men, however the site has not been available lately, at least on my computer. He intentionally chopped off the end of one of his fingers as a teenager. He has always had the desire to loose his whole hand but could never bring himself to do it. My book gave him renewed energy in this direction. He was a very successful business man and was well known and respected in his community. He and his partner lived in an expensive home. His life couldn't have been better, except for his desire to be one-handed. He confided in me via e-mail, by telephone and eventually we met in person. We discussed how he could fake an accident to loose his hand. The actual act of losing the hand wasn't as difficult as the task of how to stage the amputation so his many friends would believe it was an accident He was well respected in his community and wanted to continue this stature. He hadn't even expressed his desire to his partner which further complicated the task. Eventually we stopped corresponding. I suspect that he could not bring himself to do it, in spite of his burning desire to be come one-handed. He expressed this over and over to me in our conversions, but could not find a way to have a convincing accident, or explain why it might have been surgically removed. He even considered flying to a foreign country where such procedures can be had in hospitals and clinics. Money wasn't an issue for him, but the problem of explaining it to the people he knew always came up. The above stories illustrate the lengths to which AID inflicted people will go to become amputees. AID sufferers live in all parts of the world and come from all walks of life. Self demand amputation is indeed a risky business. This highlights the need for further research and understanding of this condition. It is not known if this syndrome is hereditary or learned. As we have heard, many recall seeing amputees at an early age which may trigger the development of an AID condition. This was indeed my situation. I can recall seeing a one-handed teen bag boy at a grocery check-out counter when I was very young. I believe this was my trigger Therapy alone does not always seem to cure this syndrome, but it can help some deal with the amputation desire. The medical profession has not yet reached the point where it will willingly preform elective amputations in America. Physicians first basic principle is "to do your patient no harm." They see amputation as debilitating. Hospitals will not allow these procedures because of fear of adverse public reaction. It is clear that the AID condition merits further investigation and understanding. Those who have accomplished a successful amputation usually express great satisfaction with their new condition and seem to go on to lead a fulfilled and happy new life style. In the case of Frank, he says he wishes he had done it 20 years ago, rather than having waited so long. I cut off my hand some 30 years ago on a table saw. The picture above is a re-creation. I have never had any regrets and have lead a successful and happy life as a one-hander. I may well be the only one to have ever come out about my elective amputation. My life has been happy and successful so I decided there was no longer any reason to hide my deed. My hope is to enlighten and be of some comfort to others who have the same feelings as I. The world is not yet ready for elective amputation but this is a start. Many forms of body modification are now being undertaken and are becoming somewhat accepted. Obviously being an amputee is not for everyone, but for those who have this unusual desire, nothing short of a feigned accident will relieve their long standing anxieties. There is virtually nothing written on the subject of AID with the exception of the book, Amputee Identity Disorder: information, questions, answers, and recommendations about self-demand amputation, by Greg M. Furth, Ph.D. & Robert Smith, ChM, FRCSEd, (2002.) There was also a related website, www.biid.org. In time, further research will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding and acceptance of this condition and perhaps even it's elimination all together. I welcome comments and discussion of AID. You may reach me at ed@edstravels.us. Books by Ed Cushman Losing A Hand, 2002 BME Books (A revised hardcover edition is to be released soon) Losing a Hand was written by Ed over the past thirty years. It documents how he first came in contact with amputee friends, and then tells of how he chose amputation for himself and then with the aid of a power saw removed his own hand. The book follows with stories of his adaptation - and success - into amputee life. The lessons he learned and how they learned them should be inspiring to all, but especially to those people who know amputees or are amputees themselves, either by choice or by fate. The book also contains many case studies of others who lost one or more hands. It's written in a wonderful (and easy to read) down-to-earth style and comes highly recommended. Kai of Bonners Ferry, 2005 iuniverse Seventeen-year-old Kai lost his hand when was three, but it didn't keep him from becoming the head of his household when his grandfather died. He parents were killed soon after he was born. Raised by his Grandparents, he grew up to become a very capable young man who was an avid outdoor enthusiast, radio announcer and out-of-body traveler. He was greatly admired by his best teen friend Robin who soon decided he too wanted to become one handed. Kai's life became complicated when Anna, a Swedish exchange student fell in love with him, and Robin said he loved Kai too. Kai Of Bonners Ferry brings to light, the complicated and little-understood issue of AID, Amputee Identity Disorder. The issue of self-demand amputation is explored in order to better understand the feelings and motivations associated with this syndrome. This story is fictional but is based on the personal experiences of the author. Ed Cushman is semi-retired and currently a full-time campground host. He was born in Northern Wisconsin and is an avid outdoors enthusiast. He maintains a daily web page at edstravels.us. He cut off his hand on a table saw some 30 years ago. Top of Page Quest Home QNU Home

Action Wisconsin Wins $87,000 In Storms’ Lawsuit
Louisiana Preacher Will Appeal Decision In Ovadal-Inspired Suit - Lawyers To Get Winnings
Madison - Wisconsin’s largest gay rights group has been awarded $87,000 in attorneys’ fees by a judge who verbally spanked a Storms

Louisiana “pastor” and his lawyer for bringing a frivolous lawsuit claiming the group defamed him.
Grant Storms had claimed in the lawsuit that Action Wisconsin defamed him by saying remarks he made at the “First International Conference on Homo-Fascism,” advocated the murder of gays. The day-long conference was held in Milwaukee in October, 2003 and sponsored by the now-defunct Wisconsin Christians United.
But in a ruling last week, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Patricia McMahon said the AW’s interpretation of the remarks was reasonable and the lawsuit lacked merit from the day it was filed in February 2004. The judge also blasted Storms’ lawyer, James Donohoo of Milwaukee, saying he should have known the complaint was a waste of time.
However, the judge likely was unaware - on the record at least - of Donohoo’s previous association with the primogenitor of the AW lawsuit: self-ordained “pastor” Ralph Ovadal. Ovadal, who now operates the self-identified “independent, unlicensed” Pilgrim’s Covenant Church (PCC) in Monroe, sponsored the anti-gay event.
As Quest reported last July, the genesis of the Storms lawsuit followed an ironic and, some might say, almost comic path. Following the lightly attended 2003 Homo Fascism conference, WCU reported on its website on October 14 that turnout at the event “included nine pastors, a state senator, a police officer, and a number of ministry leaders” and offered for sale an audio disc of the conference speeches. Two weeks later on October 22, the “Reality Check” column in the gay publication Wisconsin INStep reported that the state senator in question was “freshman Republican Tom Reynolds, not exactly a new convert to the extremist right.”
The dual information led then AW board President Tim O’Brien to order a copy of the conference speeches, which O’Brien listened to in full, and AW Executive Director Christopher Ott listened to in part. Both men were named as co-defendants in the Storm suit.
Ott later wrote a letter to then Senate Majority leader Mary Panzer requesting her to “to investigate, identify, and discipline the state senator “ who attended the conference. Ott included excerpts of the Storms speech and wrote “the attendance of a state senator at this conference is similar to a senator attending a Ku Klux Klan rally or neo-Nazi conference, and should receive tremendous scrutiny - especially at a time when legislators are advocating a constitutional amendment targeted at gay people.”
The December 8 AW press release about the Panzer letter contained similar excerpts from Storms’ speech such as “They [gays] want to kill you;” “There is a philistine army out there. It’s called the homosexual movement, whether you can see it or not, understand it or not, they want to eliminate us;” and “God has delivered them into our hands, Hallelujah – Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom [like gun fire] – There’s twenty! Grant also made comments that suggested his supporters go to a fast-food restaurant for a quick meal before continuing the allegedly metaphorical massacre.
On December 8 & 9, WCU responded to the AW press release claiming that “we had expectations that the homosexual propagandists would prove our point about homo-fascism by screaming bloody murder and making all sorts of wild accusations.” A third WCU press release on December 10 promised “Action Wisconsin Will Be Held Legally Accountable for Vicious Attack upon Christian Pastor.” A later WCU newsletter advised Ovadal was assisting Storms in arranging for a Wisconsin attorney. Donohoo had represented WCU in earlier cases.
Storms responded to McMahon’s award decision on January 11 by claiming that any contention that he was advocating the murder of gays is “ludicrous and ridiculous.” He also labeled the judge “liberal” and “insane.”
“I was saying, the Christian community needs to go forward and stand against the homosexual agenda,” he said, vowing to appeal the decision. “We’ll win this case and we’ll win the cultural war. We have God on our side.”
Donohoo also said he would appeal the awarding of attorneys’ fees, claiming the lawsuit was not frivolous. Ovadal also reinserted himself into the fray January 12 with a press release on the PCC website.
Action Wisconsin’s lead attorney Lester Pines said the dismissal of Storms’ lawsuit and the declaration that it was frivolous is a victory both for free speech and for Action Wisconsin, which is gearing up for a major campaign against the likely November referendum on a constitutional ban on marriage and civil unions for same sex couples.
“This is going to be a very vicious campaign and I want everybody to know that if they think they are going to use phony defamation claims against Action Wisconsin to try to divert it, we will vigorously defend them,” Pines said.
Action Wisconsin had also criticized state Senator Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis) for attending the Milwaukee conference. Reynolds said January 11 he stopped by for 20 minutes as a courtesy.
But as Quest also reported last July, Reynolds has a far more involved interest with Ovadal’s anti-gay agenda. The 2003 InStep story along with subsequent dueling AW and WCU press releases drew the attention of Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political columnists Cary Spivak & Dan Bice, who followed up with Reynolds and confirmed his presence at the Homo Fascism conference. In their January 13, 2004 piece the columnists wrote: “ ‘It sounded interesting,’ said the West Allis senator who owns a small print shop. ‘I don’t know much about them. I do a little printing for them.’” The “little printing” included a number of WCU brochures. Some of WCU titles are “A Little Discrimination Can Be a Good Thing,” “Homosexuality: The Truth” and “Is Someone You Know A Bugger?”
Action Wisconsin executive director Chris Ott, who - along with - was named in the lawsuit, hailed McMahon’s decision. “Action Wisconsin will not be intimidated into abandoning our mission to achieve full equality for LBGT citizens,” Ott said. “We did not back down from this frivolous suit, and fought back with full strength in order to preserve our mission. In the months and years ahead, those who would consider suing us to silence our voice should take fair warning from this decision: your frivolous claims will not go unpunished.”
Pursuant to the judge’s ruling, the award will go to cover court costs and attorney fees incurred in Action Wisconsin’s defense. The organization is hoping to raise $5 million in its defense of marriage equality in the coming contstitutional referendum fight.

Medicare D Snafus Endanger Disabled PWA’s Access To HIV Meds
Madison - Problems with Medicare D, the most far-reaching change in government benefits in forty years, have been causing headaches for thousands of senior citizens throughout Wisconsin since its roll out January 1. However, for some the state’s disabled

people living with AIDS, the snafus are threatening both short-term access to life-saving HIV medications and possible long-term financial ruin for those whose low income isn’t considered low enough.
Under Medicare Part D, the federal government has created complex Prescription Drug Plans to pay pharmacies that fill Medicare Part D prescriptions. However, many seniors and people with disabilities have faced serious barriers getting the drugs they need because of start-up problems with the new Medicare Part D program and its Prescription Drug Plan contractors.
More than 110,000 Wisconsin seniors and people with disabilities eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid were forced into a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan if they hadn’t voluntarily enrolled by December 31, 2005. Many of these individuals were not aware what plan had been chosen for them until they went to a pharmacy to get their prescription filled. Medicare and drug plan hotlines have been overwhelmed with calls from both recipients and pharmacies who are trying to sort out their coverage. Case managers at ARCW, AIDS Network and other community-based AIDS service organization offices around the state also have spent disproportionate amounts of time trying to help clients untangle their Medicare D mix-ups
Indeed, the first two weeks of Medicare D coverage have proved to be a nightmare for some disabled PWA’s. Pharmacies were unable to process claims for HIV medication refills in some cases, or payment for medications listed on approved formularies was rejected. PWA’s who were considered “dual-eligible” because they have both Medicare and Medicaid were told they had large percentage co-pays, not the promised $1-5 per drug charges. Worse yet, other PWA’s making more than 150% of federal poverty limits - about $1166 monthly - were asked for over a thousand dollars in medication co-pays for which there was no fix.
Because of the massive transitional problems, on January 13 Governor Jim Doyle announced that the state’s Medicaid program will pay for one month’s of medications for all Medicare D enrollees having difficulty with their Medicare D.
“It is outrageous how the federal government has mishandled this program and put thousands of lives at risk,” Doyle said. “As an emergency measure, the state will step in to ensure that no seniors go without lifesaving medicines – but we will expect and demand that the federal government and its contractors will not only fix the problem, but reimburse the state.”
The Governor announced that Wisconsin will cover the cost of prescriptions for seniors and people with disabilities that would have otherwise been turned away because of problems with the new Medicare Part D program. The procedures to access the short-term help were being transmitted to social workers working with the elderly and the disabled throughout the day.
Kathy Rogers of the Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Drug Reimbursement Program also announced that all financially eligible ADAP enrollees having problems with their Medicare D cards could receive emergency assistance through that program.
Long term solutions for some PWA’s - typically those who had been accessing Medicaid with spend downs because their income was over the maximum permitted for automatic enrollment - may be more difficult to quickly resolve. Because Medicare D is a federal program, state-generated reimbursements do not count toward spend downs as they had with Wisconsin Medicaid in the past. Thus AIDS patients who also take a number of other brand-name medications for non-HIV related diagnoses could find themselves paying full price for the non-ADAP covered medications unless they select more expensive “high end” Medicare D plans, also cost-prohibitive for most fixed income individuals.
Legislation has been drafted to correct some of the problems identified thus far in integrating Medicare D into the state’s existing low income health benefit infrastructure. However, new coverage gaps were being discovered by benefits specialists as 2005 closed, making the likelihood a worsening crisis a possibility in the coming months.

Gay Leaders Unimpressed As Alito Hearings Conclude
Washington, DC - With Senate Republicans holding ample votes to place Samuel A. Alito Jr. on the Supreme Court, his confirmation hearings ended January 13.
The hearings this week gave no indications that the conservative judge would be any more favorable to LGBT rights on the high Alito

court than his record suggests, gay rights groups believe.
Alito, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, was tapped by President Bush for the post held by retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor after his first nominee, Harriet Miers, fell through due to lack of conservative support. Alito’s nomination was opposed by a coalition of gay rights groups, including Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Human Rights Campaign and the National Center for Lesbian and Rights. The groups cited a 15-year history of hostility toward civil rights protections during his time on the federal bench.
Only one of the nine senators on the committee, Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold, asked questions on LGBT issues, although Kansas Senator Sam Brownback poke at length about gay marriage. When Feingold asked Alito about his 2001 decision to strike down an anti-harassment policy by a local school board, Alito defended it by saying the policy was too broad.
On two other key LGBT questions, Alito punted, according to Eldie Acheson, director of public policy and government affairs at NGLTF. “Feingold asked whether Congress could legislate employment discrimination protection and Alito said he ‘couldn’t think of a reason why not.’ On whether federal funding could be based on a school’s anti-harassment policy, Alito said Congress could do that ‘as long as the condition was relevant,’ which is rather vague,” Acheson said.
Such evasiveness has become standard procedure for Supreme Court nominees ever since Reagan’s pick, Robert Bork, was voted down in 1987 for being too outspoken. To avoid that mistake, many believe that Alito didn’t have to disavow his conservative views, but merely obfuscate them.
Because no new light was shed this week on Alito’s record or his inclination to champion civil rights, those groups remained unmoved in their belief that he should not be confirmed to the nation’s highest court.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised by his performance,” PFLAG Executive Director Jody Huckaby said. “He dodged important issues, especially privacy rights, which leads me to believe he is not likely to uphold the laws protecting the rights of all Americans.”
Democrats and like-minded legal scholars also condemned Alito’s his theory of presidential powers - a dominant theme throughout the hearings that was aimed at President Bush as much as at the nominee.
“In recent years, the Bush administration’s made unprecedented claims of expansive presidential power,” said Erwin Chemerinsky of Duke University’s law school said. Chemerinsky added it would be “too dangerous” to allow Alito on the high court because of what he called “a very troubling pattern of great deference to executive authority.”
Alito’s allies protested such twin assaults on the White House and the nominee. Alito’s onetime boss in the Reagan Justice Department, former solicitor general Charles Fried, testified that Democrats’ portrayal of the beliefs about presidential power had been “very misleading.”
With a majority in the Senate, Republicans believe they can push through Alito’s confirmation, unless Democratic opponents mount a filibuster. The likelihood of such a tactic decreased January 12 when Senator Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) became the second of the seven Democrats in a bipartisan group of 14 senators - who last spring negotiated a compromise on the chamber’s handling of filibusters on judicial candidates - to declare he did not believe Alito’s nomination presented any “extraordinary circumstances” to warrant such a step.
Democrats are expected to exercise their right to delay the confirmation by one week. However, Alito now is expected replace O’Connor on the court by early February.

Virginia House Approves Constitutional Gay Marriage Ban
Richmond - As had been widely expected, Virginia’s House of Delegates overwhelmingly reaffirmed its desire to add a gay marriage ban to the state’s constitution, despite impassioned warnings that the measure would have unintended consequences. The 73-22 vote on January sends the measure to the Senate. If it is approved there, a referendum will be placed on the November ballot.
In a process similar to Wisconsin’s, Virginia constitutional amendments must pass in consecutive General Assembly sessions, with an intervening House of Delegates election, to be placed on the ballot. The measure was approved by a wide margin last year - an indication that it would likely sail through again in this session.
Opponents did their best to derail the amendment, however, arguing that it goes well beyond merely defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. For example, they said the amendment could be interpreted as barring all legal recognition of unmarried family or household members, which would erode protections for many domestic abuse victims. According to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, 60% of domestic violence victims seeking help in 2004 were not married to their batterers.
“It’s clear to me we are going much too far,” Fairfax Delegate James M. Scott said. “Victims of domestic violence will not be able to have their day in court.” He said he voted for the state law that merely defines marriage as a male-female union, but that the amendment’s additional language prohibiting recognition of civil unions, domestic partnerships and other legal arrangements resembling marriage are “way over the top.”
Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, lobbyist for the gay civil rights group Equality Virginia, said voters also will not understand the full ramifications of the amendment because the wording of the ballot question is vague and incomplete. “The reason the proponents don’t want it to be clear is they can’t win a fair fight,” she said.
A separate bill on the ballot question wording won preliminary approval on a voice vote

California Social Justice Groups Advocate For Same Sex Marriages
San Francisco - In eight amicus briefs filed January 9 with the California Court of Appeal, more than more than 250 religious and civil rights organizations urged the court to put an end to state laws that deny same-sex couples the protections of marriage.
The NAACP, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, California Council of Churches, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, and National Black Justice Coalition are among the groups filing briefs in a landmark California court of appeal case.
“I am proud to join with other civil rights leaders in standing up for fairness and dignity for all,” Alice Huffman, President of the California Conference of the NAACP said in a press release announcing the filings. “Never before has such a diverse array of groups stepped forward to call for an end to the unfair treatment faced by same-sex couples and their families when they are denied the ability to marry.”
“It is a matter of religious freedom to allow faith communities to practice their faith by performing and blessing marriages between same-sex couples who wish to make a commitment to each other, while allowing denominations that oppose such marriages to refrain from so doing,” California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT Executive Director Rick Schossler added.
More than 200 local, regional, and national religious organizations and clergy also filed a brief arguing that the constitutional principle of religious freedom supports the right of same-sex couples to marry. Groups joining the brief include the United Church of Christ, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Unitarian Church, the California Council of Churches, California Faith for Equality, the Ecumenical Catholic Church and the Buddhist group Soka Gakkai International-USA.

AFA Strikes Again: Asks Ford To Pull Gay Media Ads
Tupelo - Led by the American Family Association (AFA), a collection of religious extremists once again are calling on Ford to stop advertising in gay periodicals, apparently threatening to resume a boycott if the car maker keeps helping “groups promoting the Ford

homosexual agenda.”
“We can not, and will not, sit by as Ford supports a social agenda aimed at the destruction of the family,” radio preachers James Dobson, Donald Wildmon and others wrote Ford in a letter released January 11.
    Wildmon’s AFA claims Ford backs “homosexual groups and their agenda” through things like buying ads in periodicals marketed to the LGBT community. The AFA earlier had called off a Ford boycott after meeting with company executives and saying the automaker was addressing conservatives’ concerns.
    Less than a week after its huddle with the AFA, Ford said its Land Rover and Jaguar brands would stop buying ads in gay periodicals, allegedly for business reasons. Gay groups protested, prompting Ford initially to agree to buy some ads in gay periodicals, but not reverse the Land Rover and Jaguar bans. Ford later said all brands would be featured in gay media buys.
    Now, the AFA is asking Ford to renew its broad ad prohibition, halt donations to gay organizations and take other steps the group claimed the automaker previously had agreed to. Absent such a move, the AFA said it would “assume Ford does not intend to honor its representations” that led to the boycott’s end.
    Ford declined to directly comment on the new letter. Industry and media analysts have categorized Ford’s handling of the issue to date as a “public relations nightmare” and “a textbook case of how not to respond to extremist pressure.”

Gay Activists Stage Vatican Protest
Vatican City - Over forty Italian gay rights activists protested outside St Peter’s Square on January 13 , a day after Pope Benedict Ratzi The Nazi

once again condemned same sex marriage. The group stayed out of the square, which is Vatican territory, but held up banners and placards criticizing the Roman Catholic Church. One banner read “2000 years of discrimination” and said the Church should stay out of Italian affairs.
Benedict, in an address to Italian politicians on January 12, reiterated his opposition to gay marriages and to proposed laws that would formally recognize the rights of gay couples.
The demonstration took place on the eighth anniversary of a suicide by a gay man in St Peter’s Square. The demonstrators said they also were commemorating Alfredo Ormando, a 39 year-old Italian who set himself on fire there in 1998 to protest against the Church’s position on homosexuality, a policy crafted by the current Pope. Ormando later died of his injuries.

California Has Most Transgender Friendly Laws in U.S.
San Francisco - On January 1, 2006 two new laws solidified California’s leadership role as the most protective state for EQCA

transgender rights in the nation. The laws, sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), were the Civil Rights Act of 2005 (AB 1400 ) and the Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination Act (AB 1586). AB 1400, authored by Santa Cruz Assemblyman John Laird, amended California’s public accommodation law to make clear that transgender people are protected. AB 1586, authored by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, prohibits discrimination against transgender people by the insurance industry, including healthcare insurers.
“By protecting transgender people and our families in education, employment, housing, foster care, insurance, and public accommodation, the legislature is saying very clearly that California supports diversity and inclusion,” EQCA’s Transgender Equality California Project Manager Danny Kirchoff said. “Across the state, employers, schools, businesses, and government agencies are taking common-sense steps to create non-discriminatory environments.”
After decades in which transgender people had little protection against even the most flagrant acts of discrimination, these laws establish that California embraces transgender people equally and provides effective remedies for discrimination. A 2003 report released by the Transgender Law Center (TLC) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Trans Realities, documented the high rates of discrimination experienced by transgender people. Survey respondents reported discrimination in employment (49%), public accommodation (38%), housing (32%), and health care (31%).
“Even today, transgender people face discrimination in virtually every institution in the state, but these laws provide incredibly powerful tools for creating lasting social change,” TLC Director Christopher Daley said. “While it will take some time for the effects of these laws to be fully felt in individuals’ lives, California’s elected officials are to be commended for once again leading the nation on fairness and equality.”

Sony Label "Music Wih A Twist" Will Focus On Gay Lesbian Acts
New York - Sony Music has announced it was launching the first major music label dedicated to nurturing lesbian, gay, and Sony

transgendered artists. The label, Music with a Twist, is a joint venture with Wilderness Media & Entertainment, the company led by Matt Farber, who founded Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks’ new gay and lesbian channel LOGO, currently available to an estimated 20 million homes.
The label has not yet signed any artists but plans to release the first of a series of compilations this June during National Gay Pride Month. The release will feature tracks from its roster of artists as well as “gay- and lesbian-friendly” acts, according to Farber. He says the label is not prohibiting straight artists from joining the label, though the focus will remain on LGBT artists.
Wilderness also launched a two-hour syndicated radio show on January 15-16 on nine FM stations, including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco markets. Also called Music With a Twist, the programs will feature interviews, entertainment news and lifestyle advice - and provide another outlet for Twist artists. Plans for more affiliates in major markets and markets with prominent LGBT communities are in the works. AOL Radio has also signed on to air the program over the Internet.

New Report Suggests A “Gay Generation Gap”
Amherst - A growing generation gap exists in the LGBT community, posing a challenge for social workers and activists, according to a recently released publication by the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies here.
“A generation turns around in five years now,” study co-author Janis Bohan said. The report finds the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people growing up have changed in such a radical way that it is difficult for people five years older to fully understand what has happened to the previous generation.
“In interviews with LGBT youth and adults, we found a noticeable gap in communications across generations,” Glenda Russell, another co-author said. “LGBT adults tend to project their own experiences onto today’s young people, when in fact the lives of today’s young people are often quite different.”
One example noted in the study was the alternative proms organized by LGBT adults for their counterparts among high school youth. The researchers suggested these proms are actually designed to meet the needs of the adult organizers who missed their own proms rather than those of today’s young people.
The researchers believe LGBT adults tend to focus on the suffering and isolation of LGBT youth, even though many such teens are actually doing well. “The only youth adults only see are the ones in trouble. What we’re not noticing is the youth who are not struggling, who have support groups and are doing just fine,” Bohan said.
However, Bohan added that young LGBT people sometimes complain that no one is doing anything about discrimination, unaware of the decades of prior activism.
Russell claimed the study is important because “if we don’t pay attention to both sides of this age spectrum, we are in danger of losing important continuity of who we are as a people and losing the lessons that only come from the continuous understanding of history.”
“The good news is that both sides can learn from each other,” Bohan said. “LGBT adults should be willing to follow the lead of young people, and young LGBT people should be willing to use adults as mentors.”
Young people often provide a fresh perspective on issues that is both less constrained by past strategies for problem solving and less reliant on older -- and perhaps incorrect -- assumptions about the degree of homophobia, the report noted.
The study concluded that LGBT adults have greater experience and resources and are more familiar with the historical roots of the LGBT movement. But the challenge, the researchers noted, is to create intergenerational contact. Among their suggestions was the creation of youth panels that feature positive “coming out” stories.

ARCW To Honor Oneida Tribe, Guernsey Gala
Milwaukee - The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has announced the 15th annual Have a Heart fund raising dinner, honoring HAH

the people who have helped pave the way in the fight against AIDS in Northeast Wisconsin. At the annual dinner and silent auction on February 18, ARCW will pay tribute to two long-time donors to the agency.
The event, which will be held at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center at Oneida Bingo and Casino, will recognize the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, a sponsor of ARCW events since 1994, and the Guernsey Gala, the Green Bay LGBT community’s annual fund raising pageant held since 1991, initially sponsored by area bars and currently sponsored by Rainbow Over Wisconsin.
Originally based on the now defunct Milwaukee “Possum Queen”project, contestants enter a dollar-a-vote contest to win the coveted title of “Guernsey Queen.” The event has expanded to include several major entertainment events and a softball tournament.
“The theme of this evening, ‘People: Above All Else’ honors the closing of our 20th anniversary year and a renewal of ARCW’s commitment to putting people above all else in the fight against AIDS - from the clients and patients we serve in Northeast Wisconsin to our community partners,” ARCW’s Vice President and Chief Development Officer Dan Mueller said.
The event will also commemorate ARCW’s 20th Anniversary. On display that evening will be portraits and short vignettes of the 20 Giving 20 exhibit, highlighting 20 of Wisconsin’s leaders who have been involved in the fight against AIDS for 20 years. Among those leaders are Green Bay physicians Raymond Bachhuber, MD, and James Lacey, MD, as well as ARCW Case Manager Mike Fitzpatrick.
ARCW’s 2005 Annual Report, themed “People: Above All Else” will be unveiled at Have a Heart as well. Have a Heart benefits the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s medical, dental and mental health care as well as the agency’s legal, housing, food pantry and HIV prevention services. In 2006, ARCW expects to provide care and treatment services for a record 3,000 people.
Tickets for Have a Heart are $50 and $75. The $75 ticket includes two complimentary cocktails, preferred seating and wine served with dinner. To purchase tickets, please call Bill Keeton at 1-800-359-9272, ext. 1592, or email him at Bill.Keeton@arcw.org. Tickets can also be purchased by clicking on the Have a Heart link at www.arcw.org.

Warhol’s “Lonseome Cowboys” Showing To Benefit Center Advocates
Milwaukee - The Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival and the UWM Union Theatre will present a special screening of Andy Warhol’s 1968 film “Lonesome Cowboys” Thursday, January 26 at 7pm. The screening will take place at the UWM Union Theatre

in the UWM Student Union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Admission for this evening’s screening is free, but attendees will be encouraged to donate to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Advocates’ “No on the Amendment” Coalition. Donations of any size will be accepted.
Festival Director Carl Bogner explained with the current fascination with Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” was the impetus of what some critics call the “original gay cowboy movie.””We felt like this was a moment ripe for exploitation, or an unasked-for addressing of context, with this presentation of the queerest, in every sense of the word, film Western of all time,” Bogner said
According to Bogner, Warhol’s film was originally intended as a Western version of “Romeo and Juliet,” and adopts cowboy drag and wears only the merest trappings of plot. “Nominally the clash between settled folk and a rootless band of horsebacked ‘brothers’ just passing through, the film offers a barely corralled paddock of jokiness, flippantly held poses, and unchecked behavior,” he said. “The milieu’s attendant homo-sociality allows a revue of masculinities considered and a stable full of varieties of male beauty. And the menfolk here, when not trading hair grooming tips and ballet moves, head off into the sunset together.”
“Lonesome Cowboys” features such Warhol stars as Viva, Taylor Mead, and Joe Dallesandro. “With Tom Hompertz lounging around as everyone’s cowpoke of desire,” Bogner added.

“Reclaiming Moral Values”Conference Will Have LGBT Focus
LaCrosse - The LGBT Resource Center for the 7 Rivers Region will co-sponsor “Reclaiming Moral Values: Faith, Sexuality and Politics,” a three-day conference, March 3-5, at Winona State University’s Tau Center.
The conference features the Rev. Malcolm Himschoot, a 28-year-old Euro-American transgender man who preaches, teaches and

gives presentations to all age groups throughout the country.
Himschoot also is the subject of the feature documentary “Call Me Malcolm,” which will be featured Friday night at the conference along with an opportunity for discussion with Rev. Himschoot. Admission to the film is free and others are scheduled for viewing
afterward.
Also featured as a part of the conference are informational and action workshops conducted by Rev. Anita Hill, pastor of St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church; Rev. Jay Weisner from Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis; Lindsey Saunders from Action Wisconsin; Monica Meyer from Outfront Minnesota; Rev. Nancy Horvath-Zurn of Healing Spirit Metropolitan Community Church in Rochester, MN; Daphne Burt of Soulforce;
Rev. Gary and Rev. Mary Sue Drier of People of Hope Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN; Emily Eastwood of Lutherans Concerned/North America; and Greg Bonney, Attorney at Law of La Crosse.
Attendees will join other people of faith to critically assess cultural and faith based assumptions; learn about the co-opting of value-based principles in the current political climate; learn how to reframe issues of morality and sexuality toward social justice; learn about various resources and tools needed to work toward equality-based change; and network with other activists, continue the discussion and coordinate action efforts, locally and regionally.
Funding for the conference is provided by the Philip N. Knutson Foundation, the Winona State University Foundation, the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, the Lutheran Campus Center of Winona, the Christa Matter Memorial Fund and the LGBT Resource Center for the Seven Rivers Region.
The registration fee is $125 for adults and $60 for students, which includes meals, workshops, keynote presentation, and films. Students wishing to attend only the workshops may register for a reduced fee of $20.
Registration forms, as well as information on housing and travel accommodations, can be found online at: www.lccwinona.org or by calling the Lutheran Campus Center at 507-452-8316. Registration must be received no later than February 17 and is limited to 200 participants. Early registration is recommended.
Potential LBGT attendees with questions are asked to contact Cindy Killion by phone at: 507-457-5098 or 608-687-8294 by email at: ckillion@winona.edu

Building Marriage Equality Conference Set For Fox Valley
Appleton - On Saturday, February 25 the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship here will host the day-long conference “Start Now: Building Marriage Equality.” The day will offer financial and legal planning guidance for gay and lesbian families to help FVUUF Conference

them arrange the limited protections that are currently available, including living wills for end-of-life decisions. Also, the conference will provide information and training about advocating for full marriage equality, so that gay and lesbian families may someday secure the hundreds of rights and protections that are conferred with civil marriage. The conference will be informative and relevant for LGBT individual as well as LGBT allies who want to learn more about advocating for marriage equality.
Featured presenters include Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone of the Rainbow Law Corporation; and Mike Tate, Campaign Manager for the “No On The Amendment” Coalition
Carrie and Elisia have been powerful marriage equality advocates for over 15 years. Together they founded Rainbow Law Corporation, and since 1993 they have helped thousands of gay and lesbian families across the nation protect themselves with estate planning. Also, through two bicycle rides across America, they have garnered greater awareness for the cause through media coverage and a film called “Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars,” which documented their 2004 ride. They were recently recognized with an “OUT 100 Award” by OUT Magazine.
Carrie and Elisia will lead sessions during the conference about estate planning and legal needs of families. Michele Perreault, an attorney with Madison’s DeWitt, Ross & Stevens, who practices in the areas of family law, domestic partnership law, adoption, and criminal defense, will also participate in these sessions to give information and insights specific to Wisconsin. For more information about Rainbow Law Corporation, visit: www.rainbowlaw.org
Tate is Campaign Manager for “No on the Amendment,” the statewide effort to defeat the proposed constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage for gay couples in Wisconsin. He is committed to mobilizing a majority of citizens to vote against the harmful, far-reaching amendment in November 2006. He oversaw one of the largest grassroots voter mobilization efforts in Wisconsin political history as the deputy director of America Coming Together in 2004. Tate was also the state director for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign.
Tate will give the latest update on the campaign to defeat the amendment, and Action Wisconsin staff will lead trainings during the day to teach people how to speak effectively with friends, family and groups about the amendment. For more information about Action Wisconsin and “No on the Amendment,” visit: www.actionwisconsin.org
The conference is organized by Interweave, a group of more than thirty gay and lesbian members of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which supports full marriage equality for gay and lesbian unions. The conference is also sponsored by Angels of Hope MCC, a Christian denomination primarily serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, with congregations in Appleton and Green Bay. Additional sponsors include the GLBT Partnership, Etcetera, Harmony Cafe, Rainbow Alliance for HOPE, and Welcoming Congregation Committee of the First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau. The conference is generously supported by Positive Voice and PFLAG Fox Cities.
Cost for the conference is $20 per person for registrations received by February 17. Registration at the door is $25, and a special rate of $10 is offered for students and individuals with limited income (advanced registration preferred). The registration fee includes lunch. Child care will be provided with an additional charge on the day of the conference.
To register, please send your registration fee along with your name, mailing address, phone number and email address to: Building Marriage Equality, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, P.O. Box 1791, Appleton, WI 54912-1791.
If you have questions about the conference, please email organizers at: startnow@fvuuf.org or call 920-882-0400, Ext. 7. You may also call Interweave Coordinators Aaron Sherer and Paul Smith at: 920-426-4238.

Madison Night Life To Sparkle In 2006
Madison - Billing himself as “Madison’s Favorite Socialite,” party promoter Ed Edney has announced his personal New Year’s resolution to create a sensational night life for the Capitol City in 2006.
The fun starts with the Heaven & Hell Party Saturday, January 21 at the Cafe Montmarte. Guests will be coming dressed as either the devil or our favorite angel. Edney will return to Club Frida’s for a Valentine’s Day UnderWear Party on February 11.
Edney will then host something never done before in the state of Wisconsin: The Suitcase Party. Final details for the March party are being finalized. Party-goers will have to bring along their suit cases, because Edney will send three lucky individuals along with one guest to either Las Vegas, The Wisconsin Dells, or the Madison Hilton for the weekend - directly from the party. Winners without suit cases at the ready will automatically forfeit their trip.
For more information about Edney’s party schedule, look online at: www.EdEdneyProductions.com

Amputee Identity Distorder: Rare & Misunderstood
by Ed Cushman
Some people out there actually want to be an amputee in one form or another. They want to be missing a limb or a hand. These people will often go to great lengths in the form of “accidents” to remove the unwanted body part. Many often have had an AID Recreation

encounter with a person who was missing part of their body when they were very young. This experience seems to make a great impression on their psyche which stays with them throughout their lives. They are not otherwise mentally deranged. Some get along in spite of their need, others eventually take drastic steps to make their desire become reality.
In recent years this this condition has become identified and is called AID, or Amputee Identity Disorder. It’s a condition in which the individual has a desire to be come an amputee in one form or another. Some wish to be missing a leg(s), a hand or even a whole arm. They usually do not know why they feel this way, but research has found that many have had an encounter with an amputee at an early age, which seems to have made a great impression on their subconscious. These feelings often don’t surface for many years. I have come to know some AID sufferers personally. Lets look into some of their lives in an effort to better understand this condition.
"Carlos" came to America from south of the border in his teens. When he was about six years of age, he saw a one-handed man who wore a hook. He and his father were walking down a street in Central America when a well-dress hombre stepped out of a car and confidently strolled across the street and into a building in front of them. Carlos only saw his hook for only a few seconds, but he remembered it for ever. He was left with a burning desire to be one-handed.
After he graduated from high school in the U.S. mid west, he worked at a machine shop where he staged an "accident" to cut off his hand. His desire to become an amputee was very strong. The event took off his intended hand, but also accidently amputated most of his "good" hand too. He was left without a thumb and only two useful fingers on his remaining hand. His recovery was long and painful. Intentional amputation “accidents” can be risky.
Life with one hook and two only somewhat useful fingers was very difficult for Carlos, and the pain in his remaining partial hand continued.
Fortunately his girlfriend was very understanding–she was a very rare individual. He had told her about his elective amputation when they first met and she had no problem with this unusual desire. She was eager to help him with his disability. To improve his life they considered every possible alternative, including amputation of his partial hand and continuing life with two hooks.
They decided to try to save and improve the functionality of his partial hand and he underwent reconstructive surgery where one of his toes was transplanted to replace his missing thumb. It was successful and at last he had a more functional hand and could continue his life as a college student. Here is an example of how things can easily go wrong in a staged accidental amputation.
Then there is "Frank," who first encountered an amputee when he was about five. The man who came to clean their furnace each fall had a hook instead of a right hand, which Frank remembered clearly. Frank has wanted to be an amputee ever since. He told me that this desire has made life very difficult for him over the years and probably was a contributing factor in the failure of his marriage. He never expressed his amputation desire to his wife.
After reading my first book, “Losing A Hand,” he eventually gathered enough courage to write to me under an assumed name and e-mail address, and eventually we talked by telephone. He used a fictitious name, as he was very concerned about his amputation desire becoming known. I was the only person he ever confided in. As an engineer, he was worried about becoming incapacitated and not being able to support himself if he were to have only one hand. He lived in a rural area and was physically very active.
Long before he contacted me, he constructed his own working prosthesis. He bound his hand up inside it and tried doing the daily tasks he would encounter as an amputee. Later, through the course of many hours of telephone conversations with me, he became convinced that living with a hand amputation wouldn't be a problem. Fortunately I had something like 30 years of experience to relate to him and I could be very truthful in answering his questions. In our conversations I was always very careful not to be persuasive, but to try to be truthful and factual about how I get along with one hand so he could come to his own conclusions.
Eventually Frank "did it." he became an amputee through a staged accident. Fortunately I'm able to report that his loss has been very successful and he is now a very happy amputee. He had far less pain than I encountered and much less than even he expected. He had little difficulty adapting to using one hand while his stump healed. He was very pleased when he got his prosthesis and related that he wished he had done it when he was in his 20s and had not waited so long.
Because he had a very positive outlook, his friends took his "accident" in stride and he went on with his life as if nothing ever happened. This is a case of a very successful elective self-amputation, in part due to much careful planning and research. Frank wanted to understand all of the implications of being an amputee. He did not rush into it. He realized that amputation was not to be taken lightly.
Some AID sufferers can never bring themselves to actually perform a voluntary amputation. Such was the situation with "Sam" who contacted me by e-mail with a few questions after reading a story I wrote for the inter net site www.secretgardenstories.org. Editors Note: SecretGardenStories.com contains many works of fiction including a high percentage from gay men, however the site has not been available lately, at least on my computer.
He intentionally chopped off the end of one of his fingers as a teenager. He has always had the desire to loose his whole hand but could never bring himself to do it. My book gave him renewed energy in this direction. He was a very successful business man and was well known and respected in his community. He and his partner lived in an expensive home. His life couldn't have been better, except for his desire to be one-handed. He confided in me via e-mail, by telephone and eventually we met in person. We discussed how he could fake an accident to loose his hand. The actual act of losing the hand wasn't as difficult as the task of how to stage the amputation so his many friends would believe it was an accident He was well respected in his community and wanted to continue this stature. He hadn't even expressed his desire to his partner which further complicated the task.
Eventually we stopped corresponding. I suspect that he could not bring himself to do it, in spite of his burning desire to be come one-handed. He expressed this over and over to me in our conversions, but could not find a way to have a convincing accident, or explain why it might have been surgically removed. He even considered flying to a foreign country where such procedures can be had in hospitals and clinics. Money wasn't an issue for him, but the problem of explaining it to the people he knew always came up.
The above stories illustrate the lengths to which AID inflicted people will go to become amputees. AID sufferers live in all parts of the world and come from all walks of life.
Self demand amputation is indeed a risky business. This highlights the need for further research and understanding of this condition. It is not known if this syndrome is hereditary or learned. As we have heard, many recall seeing amputees at an early age which may trigger the development of an AID condition. This was indeed my situation. I can recall seeing a one-handed teen bag boy at a grocery check-out counter when I was very young. I believe this was my trigger
Therapy alone does not always seem to cure this syndrome, but it can help some deal with the amputation desire. The medical profession has not yet reached the point where it will willingly preform elective amputations in America. Physicians first basic principle is "to do your patient no harm." They see amputation as debilitating. Hospitals will not allow these procedures because of fear of adverse public reaction. It is clear that the AID condition merits further investigation and understanding.
Those who have accomplished a successful amputation usually express great satisfaction with their new condition and seem to go on to lead a fulfilled and happy new life style. In the case of Frank, he says he wishes he had done it 20 years ago, rather than having waited so long.
I cut off my hand some 30 years ago on a table saw. The picture above is a re-creation. I have never had any regrets and have lead a successful and happy life as a one-hander. I may well be the only one to have ever come out about my elective amputation. My life has been happy and successful so I decided there was no longer any reason to hide my deed. My hope is to enlighten and be of some comfort to others who have the same feelings as I. The world is not yet ready for elective amputation but this is a start. Many forms of body modification are now being undertaken and are becoming somewhat accepted. Obviously being an amputee is not for everyone, but for those who have this unusual desire, nothing short of a feigned accident will relieve their long standing anxieties.
There is virtually nothing written on the subject of AID with the exception of the book, Amputee Identity Disorder: information, questions, answers, and recommendations about self-demand amputation, by Greg M. Furth, Ph.D. & Robert Smith, ChM, FRCSEd, (2002.) There was also a related website, www.biid.org.
In time, further research will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding and acceptance of this condition and perhaps even it's elimination all together. I welcome comments and discussion of AID. You may reach me at ed@edstravels.us.

Books by Ed Cushman
Losing A Hand, 2002 BME Books (A revised hardcover edition is to be released soon)

Losing a Hand was written by Ed over the past thirty years. It documents how he first came in contact with amputee friends, and then tells of how he chose amputation for himself and then with the aid of a power saw removed his own hand.
The book follows with stories of his adaptation - and success - into amputee life. The lessons he learned and how they learned them should be inspiring to all, but especially to those people who know amputees or are amputees themselves, either by choice or by fate. The book also contains many case studies of others who lost one or more hands. It's written in a wonderful (and easy to read) down-to-earth style and comes highly recommended.

Kai of Bonners Ferry, 2005 iuniverse
Kai

Seventeen-year-old Kai lost his hand when was three, but it didn't keep him from becoming the head of his household when his grandfather died. He parents were killed soon after he was born. Raised by his Grandparents, he grew up to become a very capable young man who was an avid outdoor enthusiast, radio announcer and out-of-body traveler. He was greatly admired by his best teen friend Robin who soon decided he too wanted to become one handed.
Kai's life became complicated when Anna, a Swedish exchange student fell in love with him, and Robin said he loved Kai too. Kai Of Bonners Ferry brings to light, the complicated and little-understood issue of AID, Amputee Identity Disorder. The issue of self-demand amputation is explored in order to better understand the feelings and motivations associated with this syndrome. This story is fictional but is based on the personal experiences of the author.

Ed Cushman is semi-retired and currently a full-time campground host. He was born in Northern Wisconsin and is an avid outdoors enthusiast. He maintains a daily web page at edstravels.us. He cut off his hand on a table saw some 30 years ago.