APA Slams “Ex-Gay” Movement
Restatement Of Three Decade-Old Position Just Hours After “Ex-Gay”Protest
New Orleans - The American Psychological Association (APA) issued a formal denouncement to the so-called  “reparative therapy” movement following a demonstration by members of several “ex-gay” organizations in front of the APA convention here August 11.
  Responding to the demonstration by about two dozen members of Exodus International and the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), the APA issued the following statement:   “For over three decades the consensus of the mental health community has been that homosexuality is not an illness and therefore not in need of a cure.”
  “The APA’s concern about the positions espoused by NARTH and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish,” the statement said.
  The American Psychological Association ceased listing homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1974.
  The protesters, whose action was underwritten by James Dobson’s Focus on th Family, according to a report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, had demanded that the APA change its current position. “While the APA continues to play politics with social issues unrelated to its mission, thousands of current and potential patients are being harmed,” Exodus International President Alan Chambers told the paper.
  “We represent those across the country who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction, desire the help of skilled professionals and are instead, being discriminated against because their personal beliefs do not align with that of the APA.”
  The APA’s stern rebuke was hailed by Truth Wins Out (TWO), a recently-organized group combatting the “ex-gay” movement. “Truth Wins Out applauds the APA for taking a strong stand against quack science and not buckling to a transparent PR campaign designed to politically pressure the APA into abandoning reputable and respectable research,” Executive Director Wayne Besen said in a press release. “Conversion therapy is a contrived ‘cure’ that is nothing more than Scripture cloaked as science and religion masquerading as research.” 
  According to TWO,  so-called reparative or conversion therapy uses methods that include conducting exorcisms to expel demons causing homosexual behavior, forcing clients to give up their Calvin Klein underwear because it is deemed “too gay,” taking Prozac and other antidepressants and drinking Gatorade in an effort to make men feel more masculine.

BD Wong Named 2006 AIDS Walk Wisconsin Honorary Chair
Asian American Star Known For Work on NBC’s Law & Order SVU, HBO’s Oz
Milwaukee - Tony award-winning actor BD Wong has been named the Honorary Chair of the 17th AID Walk Wisconsin 2006 to be held on the Lakefront here Saturday, September 30. Wong will deliver the keynote address kicking off the “Soles Helping Souls” themed event at the Opening Ceremony to be held on the Henry B. Maier “Summerfest” grounds.
  “With popular roles in the NBC television series Law & Order SVU and the HBO series Oz, BD Wong is a star of screen and stage as well as strong advocate for the fight against AIDS, human rights, and social justice,” ARCW President and CEO Doug Nelson said in the formal announcement August 1. “He will come to AIDS Walk Wisconsin on September 30th with a powerful message that the fight against AIDS is more important than ever before.”
  One of America’s most versatile actors, B.D. Wong has given award-winning performances in comedy and drama, on screen and stage.
  Wong currently plays forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang on NBC’s Law and Order: SVU. His role on the controversial HBO television series, Oz, was further proof of his range and appeal. The character, Father Ray Mukada, was a stimulating showcase for his talent and has made him a cult favorite on college campuses.
  It is in the theater that Wong first gained national attention, beginning with his Broadway debut starring in the celebrated M. Butterfly. His performance earned the Outer Critic’s Circle Award, Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award and the coveted Tony Award. He is the only actor to have won all five awards for a single role.
  Wong also gave a critically-acclaimed performance in the Broadway musical revival of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown as the intellectual, blanket-dependent Linus. He played the dashing general in Charles Busch’s Shanghai Moon. Recently, he starred in the first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures.
  Wong has played several roles well known to the LGBT community. He co-starred as the brainy younger brother in Margaret Cho’s ABC sitcom All American Girl. Wong also shone in the role of Kico Govantes, the life partner of early San Francisco AIDS activist Bill Kraus, played by Sir Ian McKellan in the riveting 1993 HBO docudrama And the Band Played On. The film, based on Randy Shilts eponymous best seller, chronicled the early history of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
  Wong is a veteran in the fight against AIDS, having lent his name and talent to fundraisers around the United States for over a decade. In 2003 as Master of Ceremonies, Wong joined Cyndi Lauper, Larry Kramer and the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) in honoring leaders in the gay and lesbian community who have played pioneering roles in the fight against AIDS at amfAR’s annual Honoring with Pride benefit. That one evening alone raised $400,000 for amfAR and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
  The lessons Wong has learned in order to not only survive but excel in a vocation fraught with rejection and racism have given him a keen perspective on the subject of diversity. He has lectured throughout the country. His presentations have addressed many issues, including racial self-image, race-based rejection, Asian-American parental pressure and the “model-minority myth.” Openly gay, Wong co-parents his son Jackson Foo Wong, with former partner Richie Jackson.
  Wong currently is in China filming the four hour mini-series Marco Polo, co-starring with Ian Somerhalder, the recently departed Boone from the ABC hit series Lost. He will return to the United States in time to appear at the kick-off ceremony for AIDS Walk Wisconsin 2006.
  The walk is shaping up to be one of ARCW’s most successful in recent years. As of July 26, 1500 people were registered for this year’s Walk, a quarter of the way toward the goal of 6,000.  According to Walk organizer Joe Keeton, the registration pace is “approximately one month ahead of where we have been over the past couple of years.”
  This year’s Walk  marks the event’s seventeenth year and will be the Walk that pushes the total amount of money raised for the fight against AIDS in Wisconsin to over $9,000,000.
  The Pabst Foundation also has launched a “Raising The Bar” project to boost participation from the state’s gay bars (see separate story in the State News section). Individuals and teams may sign-up for this year’s Walk online at: www.aidswalkwis.org or call 1-800-348-WALK.

World & National News:

Two States May Reject Same Sex Marriage Bans
Washington, DC - After a series of stinging judicial defeats for same-sex marriage this summer, both sides of the issue are looking to November’s elections as a test of how far public attitudes have changed toward gay couples. According to a report on Stateline.org, a website operated by the Pew Research Center, for the first time, gay marriage advocates see a chance in at least two states - South Dakota and Wisconsin - to vote down proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.
  Since the historic Massachusetts high court ruling in November 2003 legalizing same-sex weddings, gay marriage supporters have suffered a steady drubbing. A backlash since the Massachusetts ruling spurred 16 states so far to adopt constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, bringing to 20 the state constitutions that limit unions to a man and woman.
  Two of three state supreme courts to hear arguments on same-sex marriage – in New York and Washington – rejected the reasoning of the Massachusetts court and ruled in July that gay couples have no constitutional right to marry. A decision from New Jersey’s highest court is pending.
  The back-to-back rulings were dispiriting blows for gay marriage supporters. But despite the judicial defeats and an unbroken string of voters adopting state gay marriage bans, gay rights activists contend that public opinion may have shifted far enough in their favor to gain a rare victory at the ballot box this November.
  Recent nonpartisan polls indicate that South Dakota and Wisconsin may be the first states voting on a gay marriage ban where the outcome is not a foregone conclusion. In Colorado, where there may be three gay marriage measures on the ballot, both sides say their own surveys show the electorate leaning toward adopting both a domestic partnership measure and a ban on gay weddings.
  A surprising Mason-Dixon poll in South Dakota released the first week of August showed the marriage amendment was opposed by 49% of likely voters and approved by 41%t with a 3.5 percentage point margin of error. A loss in South Dakota - a conservative state that gave President Bush 60% of the vote in 2004 - would be a shocking defeat for conservative backers of same-sex marriage bans.
  Jon Hoadley, spokesman for South Dakotans Against Discrimination, read the surprising Mason-Dixon poll in South Dakota as a sign that voters are uncomfortable with the way the amendment is written. His group opposes the ballot measure. The proposed amendment goes beyond banning same-sex marriage and would prohibit the Legislature from recognizing domestic partnerships or any other legal status between unmarried couples regardless of their sex
  “We’ve got really smart voters that understand the potential unintended consequences of this measure, and they realize that the Constitution worked just fine last year and we don’t need to change it,” Hoadley said.
  In Wisconsin, a June poll by Wispolitics.com showed the ban in a near tie - 49% to 48%. During the  August 6 broadcast of the Milwaukee-based political discussion program Sunday Insight, host Charlie Sykes said that given the current momentum against the amendment, the measure “likely would lose if the vote were held today.”
  Wisconsin had been considered the best chance for gay rights groups to defeat a same-sex marriage ban, although the latest Badger poll now shows the ban would pass. Activists on both sides of the issue concede that gay rights groups will heavily outspend supporters of the amendment in an effort to defeat it in November.
  In 2004, gay rights groups in most states had only a few months to mobilize campaigns against same-sex marriage amendments. But Fair Wisconsin, a gay rights group organizing opposition to the state’s proposed ban on gay marriage, has been on the ground campaigning and organizing a get-out-the-vote campaign for two years, according to Josh Freker, the group’s communications director.
  Gay marriage opponents disregard claims that any same-sex marriage ban is in danger of failing at the polls. They point out that most “marriage protection” amendments were approved by higher majorities than pre-election polls indicated, and that none have ever failed at the ballot.
  On November 7, eight states are poised to vote on constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. In the 20 states to approve similar amendments since 1998, voter support has averaged 71%. The narrowest vote was in Oregon, where 57% of voters approved that state’s amendment in 2004.

Lesbian To Become Missouri’s First Openly Gay State Senator
Jefferson City - Adding to a breakthrough primary season for openly gay state legislators, Democrat Jolie Justus won her primary August 8 in Missouri’s heavily Democratic state Senate District 10, virtually ensuring that she will become Missouri’s first openly gay state senator.
  “In Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and now Missouri, excellent candidates are winning historic races,” Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which backed Justus, said in a statement. “Jolie’s win is a testament to her courage, commitment, and skill, but it also confirms that fair-minded voters everywhere care more about good government than they do about whether their representatives are gay or lesbian,” Wolfe said.
  Justus, who faces token Republican opposition in the November 7 general election, is set to join Jeanette Mott-Oxford, an openly lesbian incumbent Missouri house member, who also won her primary.
  Other breakthrough candidates in this election cycle include Patricia Todd, the first openly gay elected official in Alabama; Kathy Webb, the first openly gay elected official in Arkansas; and Al McAffrey, the first openly gay state legislator in Oklahoma.

Gay Games Attendance Exceeds 140,000
Chicago - Organizers of the 2006 Gay Games have released preliminary attendance estimates for the 2006 Gay Games VII Sports & Cultural Festival.
  “Attendance at Gay Games Chicago events exceeded 140,000 - 40,000 more than we had projected,” Gay Games Chicago Co-Vice Chair Kevin Boyer said. “We estimate that attendance at events organized by the Gay Games was 107,500 including opening & closing ceremonies, the Gay Games Expo, and all of the sports & cultural events. Official affiliated events and parties had an additional estimated attendance of 33,000 throughout the week.”
  The opening ceremony at Soldier Field had an estimated attendance of 32,000 while the closing ceremony at Wrigley Field had nearly 20,000 in attendance. The four-day Gay Games Expo drew an estimated 13,250. Participating athletes and artists numbered 11,500.
  “Ticket sales to sports and cultural events exceeded our estimates by almost 50%,” Boyer added. “While most sporting events were free, we had projected to sell 8,000 tickets to some of the more popular sports & cultural events. Ticket sales actually totaled around 12,000 with several events selling out.”
  The largest ticketed events included figure skating (1,500 two-day passes) at McFetridge Park, diving (1,075 two-day passes) at Northwestern University and dance sport (1,075 two-day passes) at the Hilton Chicago. Almost 1,000 tickets were sold to the two physique shows at Northwestern and more than 1,000 people bought tickets to the volleyball medal rounds at Navy Pier.
  “While there were thousands of tourists visiting from out of town, Chicagoans made up the largest number of the spectators at our events as predicted,” said Boyer. “Gay Games Chicago will be remembered most for the way the city and its residents embraced this international event with open arms. On behalf of the Gay Games organization, our sponsors and all of our out-of-town guests, we want to thank everyone in Chicago for the warm welcome they extended.”
  The Gay Games organization projects a financial surplus for the $9.5 million event with financial details available before the end of September.
  The Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival took place July 12-22, 2006 with 11,500 athletes from seventy countries competing in thirty sports ranging from softball to dance sport, swimming to tennis. The week-long event included band, cheerleading and color guard performances, chorus, an ancillary arts festival, and a series of community-organized social events and parties.

Outgames Worth $100 Million To Montreal
Montreal - The first World Outgames were a big financial success for Montreal, according to the city’s board of trade. It’s estimated about half a million people were in town for the event, the first international games for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered athletes.
  Visitors and athletes spent about $100 million in the city during the games, according to Isabelle Hudon, head of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. That’s similar to money spent during Grand Prix Weekend or the Just for Laughs and jazz festivals, she added. “[They bought] everything that you can buy in Montreal. They enjoyed Montreal day and night life. And that’s good. They enjoyed what Montreal is all about.”
  Quebec’s gay chamber of commerce had higher estimates, saying $180 million was spent in the city. No matter which amount is correct, it was an impressive event, according to Hudon, who noted that it’s always good for businesses when the city hosts an activity on such a large scale.

Kansas Town In A Tizzy Over Rainbow Flag
Meade, KS - A 12-year-old son’s gift of a colorful flag he found while staying with his grandparents in California has put his parents in the middle of controversy in this small southwest Kansas town.
  J.R. and Robin Knight said they knew the rainbow flag was a symbol of gay rights when they decided last month to fly it on a pole in front of their business, the Lakeway Hotel. But that isn’t why they flew the banner.
“We just put it up. We didn’t think about it,” Robin said. “It has pretty colors, it’s bright, it’s summery.” And, J.R. Knight said, it was a symbolic way to have their son nearby.
  The decision prompted a controversy in the town of 1,600 and eventually someone cut the flag down. It’s also prompted an Internet-fueled debate on gay rights in rural America, and the Knights say they have received messages of support from around the world. Now, the Knights say, they are determined to replace the flag and keep it flying.
  Waitress Vicky Best said such a flag has no place in Meade. “It’s hard enough to keep your kids on the straight and narrow without outside influences like that,” she complains. “We stay in a small town to stay away from the crap like that that’s happening in big cities,” she said, calling homosexuality “biblically wrong.”
  But retiree Charles Helms said he doesn’t care if the Knights fly the flag. “If he wants to fly that thing, let him fly it,” Helms said. “I don’t have a problem at all because I know the story behind it.”
  The Knights say they have no problems with gay folks, but they have never taken a role in the gay rights movement. They moved to Meade two years ago from southern California to pursue their dream of operating a bed-and-breakfast.
  The Knights say the anger displayed by some residents has strengthened their resolve to keep the rainbow flag flying. Flying the flag not only protests discrimination, they say, but they also believe giving in to pressure would send the wrong message to their son, Anthony. “It’s our business. It shouldn’t be dictated by other people,” Robin Knight said.
  So, when someone cut away the flag during the last week of July, leaving behind only tattered corners, the Knights quickly ordered two more, and said more will be coming to replace any others that might be destroyed.

State News:

2006 Guernsey Gala Tally Brushes $11,850
Green Bay - The 15th annual Guernsey Gala saw a long-time winning streak broken and a solid increase in total money raised. At the entertainer-filled gala closing show and ceremony held at The Shelter here August 12, Napalese Lounge saw their nearly decade-long winning streak broken as The Shelter’s Brandon Schmidt raised $6,255 to pass Napalese contestant Jeff Connor’s $5,519.39.
  Though only two bars participated in the major fund raising this year, three others lent support in the annual Guernsey softball tournament. The Sass team beat entrants Tipsy’s On Broadway, Brandy’s II and The Shelter.
  The $11,849.39 final Guernsey tally, which includes softball tournament proceeds and other donations, represents a 58% increase over 2005’s total.
  All Guernsey proceeds have been donated to the Social Services program at ARCW. The funds augment the agency’s Emergency Financial Assistance program which helps those living with HIV/AIDS deal with disease-related budgetary crises. A portion of the the total will also be designated for use to supply the agency’s hard goods pantry, which dispenses paper products and personal care items such as soap and shampoo. All money raised by the Guernsey Gala is distributed to clients and other PWAs working with the Green Bay office.
  According to Rainbow Over Wisconsin Treasurer Ken Rohde, the 15th edition of the gala tipped the fundraiser’s lifetime total of funds raised exceed $142,000.  The Guernsey Gala has been sponsored and organized by Rainbow Over Wisconsin since 2003, and is the longest continuing fundraiser for HIV/AIDS by any gay community in the state of Wisconsin. Earlier this year, ARCW honored Guernsey founder Wayne “Elsie Bovine” Thiele and ROW Guernsey chair Marilyn Schroeder for their decade and a half effort to help those living with HIV.

Queer Life's Future In Question As Hoffman Resigns
Milwaukee - The future of the city ‘s LGBT lifestyle monthly Queer Life is in doubt following the abrupt resignation of Editor In Chief Don Hoffman. Staffers received an email August 11 advising that their scheduled editorial contributions would not be needed as the paper’s September issue had been cancelled.
  A terse official announcement appeared on the paper’s website August 12. “Don Hoffman has resigned as Editor of Queer Life News,” the statement read. “Hoffman recently won a book deal from a major education publisher. That opportunity, in addition to the attention required by his business enterprises, has brought him to the difficult decision to resign from his Q Life post. Q Life’s other owners, Nancy Meeks and Carole Wehner, fully back Hoffman’s decision and wish him continued success.”
  However, Hoffman’s resignation and the September hiatus comes just two months after the paper had advertised that it was going (sic) “bi-monthly,” which most observers had assumed meant that it would produce two issues a month (the correct term is semi-monthly). Also, others noted Hoffman ‘s decision to not distribute statewide the contracted 2006 PrideFest Pride Guide, the trimming of editorial content, the 33% reduction in Queer Life’s page numbers and reduced number of printed copies distributed throughout the state as signs of financial difficulties.  Quest has also learned from several sources that the monthly is going to be put up for sale.
  Queer Life made its colorful debut in December 2004, the same month as the ill-fated Outbound News, a similar monthly that lasted less than a year. Though touting itself as “Wisconsin’s Premiere” news source, the monthly was a mix of columns penned by some of LGBT Milwaukee’s best known names, cultural stories regularly centering on Hoffman’s Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, and often sensational cover stories of bar raids, evictions, and other Milwaukee-centered controversies. However, with the exception of national and state LGBT organizational press releases, and an occasional column by OutReach directors, Queer Life’s statewide news coverage was largely nonexistent. Many point to a significant decrease in news coverage following the sudden departure of former Wisconsin INStep publisher and Wisconsin Gay News webmaster William Attewell a year ago this month.
  Queer Life’s hiatus is the second cessation of publication by a Wisconsin LGBT periodical this summer. Rockford-based Edge magazine, which focused its coverage on the Madison bar scene and female impersonation, has failed to appear since last Spring and its website is listed as “for sale” by the domain service provider.

Cruise Kicks Off LaCrosse Pride Weekend
LaCrosse - A Pizza Cruise on the Julia Belle Swain Steamboat on Friday, August 25 will kick off the 2006 LaCrosse Pride Weekend here. Also on tap will be women’s and co-ed softball tournaments, variety shows, presentation of the photo exhibit “Love Makes A Family,” and the annual Red Ribbon Family Fund picnic
  The cruise event includes pizza, a river cruise and entertainment which will be provided by DJ Scotty, the current Mr. Gay Mississippi Valley and 2nd Alternate to Mr. Gay Wisconsin 2006. A cash bar will be available.
  Boarding will begin at 6 PM at the city’s Riverside Park, with departure time at 7. The estimated return will be at 9 PM.  Tickets for the cruise are $28.95 and reservations are required as seating is limited. Advance tickets may be arranged by calling 1-800-815-1005 or 608-784-4882.
  The 7 Rivers LGBT Center will also hold an open house at its newly expanded space at 303 Pearl St. on August 25. LGBT community members are encouraged to tour the remodeled space and visit the recently christened Christa Matter Memorial Library.
  Saturday’s events will be held at the Omni Center in Onalaska. Team registration for the women’s and co-ed softball tourneys closed officially on August 11. Brackets allowed for sixteen teams total in the double elimination tournaments. Contact Tina Vecchioni by phone at: 608-797-6064 or by email at: luvtenn22@yahoo.com to find out if any openings remain.  Alternately, contact Michael Leach by phone at: 608-606-0048 or by email at.mgleach68@yahoo.com. Entry fee is $125 and a liability release is required. Cash prizes will be awarded in each tournament.
 In addition to the softball tournaments, the nationally touring “Love Makes A Family” photo exhibit will be on display through the day. “Love Makes a Family” is a museum-quality traveling exhibit including photographs and interviews with families that have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members. Through first-person accounts and positive images, this exhibit seeks to challenge and change damaging myths and stereotypes about LGBT people and their families. Designed for audiences of all ages, “Love Makes a Family” challenges stereotypes about LGBT people and helps dismantle homophobia.
  Throughout the afternoon, there will be live dance music provided by DJ Scotty, guest speakers from Fair Wisconsin, GALAXY and other groups and a variety of activities designed specifically for children and families.
A Variety show featuring Beja, 1st Alternate Miss Gay USA Classique 2006, and Jayda Clyne, Miss Gay Mississippi Valley 2006, will begin at 8 PM.
  On Sunday, August 27, The Red Ribbon Family Fund will hold their annual picnic at Copeland Park from 10 AM to 8 PM. Cost for the event is $10 with all proceeds going to area AIDS charities. In addition to picnic fare, games such as bingo and a pie in the face contest will be held.
  For more information and directions to Pride Weekend events, visit the LaCrosse Pride website at: lacrossepride.7riverslgbt.org/pridecalendar.html.

Attorney General Won’t Change Marriage Amendment Summary
Madison -  A spokesman for state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager told reporters August 8 that she will not change her official explanation of a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage, although a Republican challenger has said he might sue to try to get it rewritten.
  But Lautenschlager’s office said it would revise its summary of another referendum on the November ballot concerning the death penalty, saying the original language was based on incorrect information that it had been provided.
  Summaries of statewide referendums by the Wisconsin attorney general are posted at the state’s 2,851 polling places as a guide to voters but are not contained on the ballots themselves.
  Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher, one of two Republican candidates for attorney general, said Lautenschlager’s explanation of the constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriages was written with a ``significant bias’’ against the change that could persuade someone to vote against it.
  Lautenschlager spokesman Michael Bauer said Bucher was wrong, and the explanation will not be changed. Her summary was well researched and drafted, and accurately summarized the language that will appear on the ballot, Bauer said.
  The attorney general said in her summary that the constitutional change would prohibit same-sex marriage, and it would be up to legislators or judges to decide the future of any “substantially similar relationship.” Lautenschlager summarized that uncertainty this way in her explanation: “Whether any particular type of domestic relationship, partnership or agreement between unmarried persons would be prohibited by this amendment would be left to further legislative or judicial determination.”
  Bucher said that, unless he was able to find another way to change Lautenschlager’s summary, he will ask a judge to order that the summary be changed. Meanwhile, Bauer said a summary of the advisory referendum on whether Wisconsin should have the death penalty was incorrect and will be rewritten this week. The summary incorrectly said the question asked whether the death penalty should be an option for someone guilty of multiple or vicious murders. The referendum question asks voters to advise elected officials whether the death penalty should be an option in cases of first-degree intentional homicide if the conviction is supported by DNA evidence.
  Kyle Richmond, spokesman for the state Elections Board, said that his agency gave the attorney general an inaccurate summary of the death penalty question, leading to the inaccurate explanation provided by Lautenschlager’s office.

AIDS Network’s ACT 4 Ride Raises $233,305
Madison - Hundreds of people cheered and applauded as  cyclists in this year's ACT 4 AIDS Ride made their “victory ride” off the Capital Square here August 6 ending the 330 mile, four day event. The riders raised $233,305 to support the AIDS Network of South Central Wisconsin. Though down by about $70,000 from the record-setting 2005 ride, this year’s total brings collective tally of raised through the four rides sponsored by AIDS Network to $1.1 million.
  Riders and helpers also stood silently as the final, “riderless” bike was rolled in, “representing the joy in the lives of those taken away from us by this disease,” according to guest speaker and Milwaukee LGBT Executive Director James Pennington. “Their spirits were there to encourage us, to push us, to remind us,” he added.
  The finale also observed a moment of silence for Mike McKinney, the WMTV (Channel 15) anchorman who died of cancer in July. McKinney, 41, past honorary chair of the AIDS ride, had donated his bike to the AIDS Network.  Pennington called the bike “a symbol of a man taken too soon.”
  The closing celebration lauded the riders’ stamina - pushing on in heat and humidity, over hills and through the final morning’s downpours - and their fundraising.  “They are truly my inspiration,” participant Bob Bowers told Wisconsin State Journal reporter Judy Newman. “The love and gratitude I feel for them is immense.”

Wisconsin Marriage Ban Meets Waterloo - And Loses
Waterloo - The City Council of Waterloo has adopted a resolution opposing the proposed Amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution banning gay marriage and civil unions. On August 3, by a 4-2 vote, the Council adopted a resolution stating the City’s opposition to the measure and encouraging its citizens to vote against it in the Fall.
  The bill’s sponsor, Alderperson Michael Kent, opened the discussion by recognizing the positive contributions of gay, lesbian and transgendered individuals to the state and the community.  “They are an asset for our state.” Kent said, “They hold jobs and pay taxes just like everyone else. There is no rational basis for the discriminatory animus some people seem to hold towards homosexuals. They aren’t hurting anyone, leave them alone.”
  Kent further characterized the proposed amendment as a political ploy. “In the wake of one of the biggest legislative scandals in Wisconsin history, the legislature still hasn’t taken any meaningful steps towards reforming an obviously broken campaign funding system.”
  “That some legislators have chosen to divert attention from this issue by attacking a harmless, often-maligned minority group is nothing short of evil. It is an appeal to the worst in us.” Kent added.
  Waterloo is a city with a population of about 3300 located in the upper northwest corner of Jefferson County. It is within the State Senatorial district of Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the proposed marriage and civil union ban. It also near by Watertown, the home town of Julaine Appling, Executive Director of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, the organization coordinating support for the proposed amendment.
  The City of Waterloo was the site of the 2001 hate-crime murder of a young gay man named Keith Ward. That murder was the first ever in the city’s history. The perpetrator, Darrin Grosskopf, is currently serving a life sentence in the Wisconsin prison system.
  The vote was 4-2, with one alderperson not in attendance. That Alderperson, Sean Hennessy, sent a statement to City Clerk/Treasurer Mo Hansen to be read into the record indicating his support for the City’s resolution against the gay marriage ban. Those alderpersons voting against the measure argued that the measure was on the ballot for November and the city had no reason to adopt the measure.
  To these arguments Kent responded “we will be judged by history for our actions in this matter. When our grandchildren look back on this 40 years from now, I want them to know that we were on the right side during this fight.”
  Kent, a single father of 4 sons, is an attorney and part-time instructor for Madison Area Technical College. He is also a Sunday school teacher for St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, a youth soccer coach and was a Cub Scout leader for 10 years.
  The text of the Resolution reads: “ The Common Council of the City of Waterloo does hereby resolve as follows:
  WHEREAS, the Wisconsin State Legislature has voted to approve an Amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution reading “Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.”
  WHEREAS, this proposed amendment will be on the ballot in November, 2006;
  WHEREAS, this amendment will, in effect, create a Constitutional bar to the legal recognition of gay marriages, and bar the legal recognition of civil unions for both homosexual and heterosexual couples;
  WHEREAS, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals are valuable, contributing, taxpaying members of our state and community;
  WHEREAS, there is social value in encouraging stable, monogamous relationships, irrespective of the sex of the participants;
  WHEREAS, the economic future of Wisconsin depends on attracting and retaining educated workers and new businesses, and that this amendment could have the effect of discouraging high-value workers and businesses from locating in our state and community;
  WHEREAS, the people of Wisconsin are tolerant of diversity and disfavor government intrusion into the private lives of its citizens;
  WHEREAS, a clear preponderance of the credible scientific evidence to date strongly suggests that sexual orientation and/or identity are immutable personal characteristics,
  WHEREAS, there is no credible reason to believe that homosexual partnerships pose any threat to heterosexual marriages, nor the community at large;
  WHEREAS, Article One, Section One of the Wisconsin State Constitution reads “All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”;
  THEREFORE, be it resolved that the City of Waterloo opposes the constitutional ban on gay unions and encourages its citizens to vote against the proposal.
  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Clerk/Treasurer shall distribute copies of this resolution to media outlets and elected officials as directed by the Common Council.”

Pabst Launches AIDS Walk Wisconsin Challenge Grant
Milwaukee - Joseph R. Pabst and AIDS Walk Wisconsin have teamed up in a unique challenge to the LGBT Community to increase involvement and support for Wisconsin’s largest fund raiser in the fight against AIDS.
  Called “Raising the Bar,” Pabst has offered a $5,000 challenge grant to increase the number of AIDS Walk Wisconsin teams formed by patrons of Milwaukee’s LGBT bars.
  “It is essential for the LGBT Community to unite, raise money and strengthen the fight against AIDS, a disease that is now affecting its third generation,” said Pabst.  Through his Johnson and Pabst LGBT Humanity Fund at the Great Milwaukee Foundation, Pabst has challenged AIDS Walkers from LGBT bars to raise $5,000 in pledges for the AIDS Walk, which he will match with his $5,000 grant.
  So far, participating bars include Pump!, Triangle and Switch.  Those interested in helping one of these bars raise the most money can join their AIDS Walk team or donate to them online at www.aidswalkwis.org.  Other LGBT bars are encouraged to take on the Pabst Challenge.  Registering is easy by calling Bill Keeton at 414-225-1592.  The winning team will be honored by AIDS Walk Wisconsin and will receive the Raising the Bar Trophy.

LGBT Center Hosting Fiesta Mix N’ Mingle Cruise
Milwaukee - The Milwaukee LGBT Center is sponsoring its 2nd Annual Fiesta Night Mix N’ Mingle event Friday, August 25. Join happy, positive people for a relaxing cruise through downtown on the Milwaukee River out to the Lake and back. The fun starts at 5 PM at the Edelweiss Crusie Lines dock, 1110 N. Old World Third Street. We will be sailing on the Edelweiss, a flat bottom boat. The event will feature a taco buffet and plenty of margaritas.
  To reserve your tickets please contact Angie at 414-271-2656, Ext. 121. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members.

Madison Chamber Opposes Civil Union Ban
Madison - For the second time in less than a month a prominent business group here has gone on record against the proposed constitutional amendment banning legal recognition of all unmarried couples regardless of sexual orientation.
After earlier taking no position, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce went on record August 7 against the pending constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions. On July 18, another business group, Downtown Madison Inc. (DMI), announced its opposition to the ballot measure.
  “The board was hearing from a number of businesses about the challenges they faced recruiting and retaining a quality work force, so we decided to weigh in on it,” Chamber President Jennifer Alexander told Capital Times reporter Judith Davidoff.
  Alexander said that Chamber members were concerned that the proposed amendment would deter workers from coming to or staying in Wisconsin. “We cannot afford to discourage a single skilled worker from joining our work force,” she added.
  Alexander also said the proposed ban’s “social element” gave her personal pause. “We certainly recognize it’s an issue that arouses deep personal convictions in a lot of people,” she told the paper.
  Mayor Dave Cieslewicz praised the group’s announcement. “The Greater Madison Chamber recognizes that the proposed civil unions and marriage ban would set back economic development in our community,” Cieslewicz said in a news release. “(The August 7) announcement demonstrates that Madison’s business community is the most forward-thinking in the nation.”
  DMI Executive Director Susan Schmitz also reported that there had been no negative impact following the group’s taking a position. “The reaction has been extremely positive,” Schmitz said.
  Schmitz added the DMI and Chamber positions on the amendment reflect well on local businesses. “I think we have a more enlightened business community than anyone knows,” she said.
  Wisconsin voters on Nov. 7 will be asked to decide whether the proposed civil union and marriage ban should be added to the state’s constitution. Ban opponents claim the amendment would likely ban domestic partner benefits and a variety of legal contracts between unmarried couples, straight and gay. Despite ongoing litigation on such issues in three states, ban supporters claim such statements are “scare tactics.”

Fall Sexual Health Discussion Group for Gender Diverse People Forming
Madison -  A sexual health discussion group for gender diverse people - including, but not limited to self-identified gender queers, transsexuals, drag king & queens, FTM, MTF, crossdressers, and intersexed - will start at
OutReach, 600 Williamson St., this October. The six week group will cover a wide variety of topical matter related to gender self-expression, body imagery, discrimination issues, health care barriers/resources, and the sexual decision-making process.
  Sessions will be two hours in length and meet once a week on Saturdays. Food will be provided, and an attendance allowance for consistent participation will also be given at the end of the six-week session. A similar six-week cycle was very well received last fall here at the agency.
  If you have interest in the group or would like more information about it,please leave a message for Renee at 608-255-8582 or email her at: madcityrenee@tds.net or programs@outreachinc.com.

“Die Mommy Die!” Is Ruthie’s Revenge
Milwaukee - Charles Busch, that cross dressing master of theatrical parody and satire created a tiny masterpiece with his gay comedic play, Die Mommy Die! So successful was the play, that it was turned into a stylish award winning independent film in 2003 with a very impressive cast.
  Created as an ode to the Ross Hunter-style big screen soap operas of the late 1960s that starred film sirens like Lana Turner or Susan Hayward, and the glossy Hitchcock type thrillers of the same period, Die Mommy Die! is the story of fallen pop idol Angel Arden.
  When Sol Sussman, Angela’s film producer husband discovers that shes having an affair with tennis pro/gigolo Tony Parker, she devises a fiendish way to kill him using a poisoned suppository. What follows is a hilarious off the wall mixture of whodunits and double-crossings involving the ill-fated family maid, Angela and Sole’s spoiled, vampy daughter and their gay boy-toy son.
   Of course, in the Sundance film of the play Charles Busch himself played the role of Angela Arden. The challenge for any theatre company trying to re-create Busch’s pastiche is two-fold. First, the entire cast has to walk a virtual tightrope to parody that elusive late 60s film style
without slipping over into burlesque. Secondly, the actor who essays the role of Angela must be totally believable as a female screen diva.
  Off The Wall Theatre is lucky to have cast Milwaukee’s own Ruthie as Angela Arden. Ruthie
is famous on the comedy club circuit and at bar shows and festivals, and for her own hilarious blistering news column. So hysterical are Miss Ruthie’s sly cynical observations on life, that he was recently contacted about appearing on the hit national television show, “America’s
Got Talent.”
  Dale Gutzman, Director of Off The Wall Theatre will appear as Angela’s boorish film producer husband, Sol Sussman. Tony Parker, gigolo, tennis pro and failed film star stud will be played by Jeremy Welter. Off the Wall regular Mary Henricksen will play Bootisie, the faithful family
maid with a secret or two of her own.
  Two newcomers to Off the Wall Theatre join the cast of Die Mommy Die! Allison Forbes plays Edith the twisted teenage vamp with a strange father fixation, and Nate Press plays Lance, the
sexually promiscuous son who longs to dress like and imitate Mommy.
    This comedy riot is filled with surprises that are tributes to films of the 60s; a hallucinatory LSD trip, a vicious female cat fight, murder most foul during a thunderstorm, kitschy pop songs, steamy love scenes, blackmail, and more. Angela Arden’s stunning 60s wardrobe for Die Mommy Die! cost more than most small theatres allow for their entire production budget, not to mention the wigs!
   Director Gutzman is announcing that the production is being presented in “Sinemascope” and Technical Director David Roper will create the perfect Hollywood Hills mansion in Off The Walls intimate theatre space.
   Die Mommy Die! will be presented at Off The Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells Street, on August 31, September 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.  Wednesday and Thursday shows are at 7:30 P.M., Fri. and Saturday shows are at 8:00 P.M. and Sunday shows are at 4:30. Tickets range from $20.00 to $25.00 and may be ordered by calling 414-327-3552. 
  This film noir comedy is outrageously funny. Don’t miss it.  It’s cheap schlock at its very best.

Madison Set To Form Gay Ice Hockey Team
Madison - What started about seven years ago in New York City has now managed to make its way to Madison. After playing for years with the New York City Gay Hockey Association, Patrick Farabaugh, has founded the Madison Gay Hockey Association here.
  Farabaugh credits the group’s founding to a recent trip  to Chicago to watch ice hockey at the Gay Games with his friend and future teammate Tim Woebbeking. An informative meeting will be held at Outreach on Tuesday, August 22 at 7:30 PM. Recruitment tables are also set up at the Shamrock Bar and Club Five.  For more information those interesting in becoming involved as players and supporters can e-mail Farabaugh at: farabaugh@gmail.com.
  Farabaugh explained his journey to founding the hockey group. “Even though I was out myself as a gay man, I still wasn’t able to find a community that I felt was healthy enough for me to foster a real sense of pride,” he told Quest. “At 23, I used to regarded myself as having ‘straight sensibilities’ and that always left a bit of personal conflict in my head that prevented me from fully being able to embrace who I was.”
  Gay hockey changed Farabaugh’s life. “In 2002, almost by accident I stumbled across Jeff Kagan, the man who founded the New York City Gay Hockey Association. Jeff managed to build the NYCGHA into a substantial resource for gay men and women to fulfill their athletic aspirations,” Farabaugh said. 
  Enthusiasm overcame inexperience, according to Farabaugh. “I signed up immediately. I knew almost nothing about ice hockey” he said. “I’d been roller blading before but never really spent any time on ice skates. I did, however, recognize something that I though could help me mature my personal identity in a way that felt natural to how I saw myself. I don’t know if I necessarily had ‘athletic aspirations’ when I signed up, but quickly after starting they developed and with a speed few things in my life have been able to achieve.”
  Gay hockey helped Farabaugh come out openly. “Something else that grew just as fast was my confidence and identity as an out, and finally proud, gay man,” he said. “It wasn’t long before I noticed that you didn’t have to be masculine to play. You didn’t have to necessarily be athletic. You just needed to want community, and a desire to give ice hockey a try.”
  Knowing what a profound effect the sport had on him, and it’s potential to have the same effect here, Patrick and a core group of others have been working to make it possible to pass on this experience to anyone else interested in joining. Quest will follow Farabaugh’s efforts throughout the Fall.

Outreach’s Men’s Coming Out Group Starting
Madison -  A ten-week men’s coming-out support group is forming and will begin running on Wednesday nights from September 20 through November 29. at 6:30 PM at OutReach, 600 Williamson St. The purpose of the group is to offer support to men who are dealing with the realization that they are not heterosexual and how that affects their everyday lives and to support those people previously or currently in same sex relationships.
  The men’s coming out support group will identify and discuss the stages of coming out and explore topics such as how to deal with family members, physical and sexual safety, legal rights and discrimination, and spirituality, among others. Two trained volunteers will facilitate each meeting. 
  People who are interested in attending the meetings should leave a message for Stephen with contact information at 608-255-8582 or e-mail at programs@outreachinc.com by Wednesday, September 6th.
  The OutReach LGBT Community Center has served Madison's and south central Wisconsin’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities since 1973, providing  peer-counseling, advocacy, a speaker’s bureau, support groups, and information/referral services.  It also offers a lending library, free publications, and meeting space for community groups.