Top Gay UW-Madison Researcher Exits Over Lack Of Benefits
Carpick’s Grants Enriched Wisconsin Economy By $3.4 Million
Madison - The University of Wisconsin’s gay-unfriendly benefits policies and the pending constitutional marriage and civil union ban have caused a top-flight gay researcher to seek a new position in Pennsylvania, prompting new debate over a feared “brain drain” in the UW system.
  Rob Carpick, an associate professor of engineering, told the Associated Press on August 24 that  he will depart for the University of Pennsylvania, a school that offers domestic partner benefits, at the end of the year. Carpick takes with him a nanotechnology research portfolio that  since 2000 has been awarded $3.4 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, branches of the U.S. military and private companies.
  “After six and one-half years of working very hard, I found it’s problematic to work in an environment where you are not treated equally,” Carpick said. “Fortunately there are other entities that are more enlightened than the state of Wisconsin on this issue, and the University of Pennsylvania is one of them.”
  Caprick married his his longtime partner Carlos Chan in Canada in 2003.  The marriage is not recognized in Wisconsin and the couple is not eligible for spousal benefits. To get health insurance Chan, a chef, took a menial job at the university.
  Caprick will be able to get domestic partner benefits at the University of Pennsylvania, allowing Chan to open a small restaurant without worrying about health insurance.
  UW-Madison Provost Patrick Farrell said that Carpick, the winner of prestigious teaching and research awards for young scholars, was among the university’s top young researchers in nanotechnology, an area the school is trying to expand. “It’s certainly a great loss for us,” he said. “Rob has been very productive in his time here. He’s been a model young faculty member, active researcher, great teacher. Students love him in his class.”
  Michael Corradini, chairman of the engineering physics department, made a counteroffer hoping Carpick would stay. “Rob is one of our young superstars,” he said.
  UW-Madison, a leader in research nationally, is the only Big 10 school that does not offer the benefits. In 2005 The Republican controlled legislature rejected Democratic Governor Jim Doyle’s proposal to permit UW- Madison to extend benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian employees as a way to recruit and retain faculty and staff.
  Carpick is the latest faculty member to cite the policy in leaving or turning down a job here, including two professors from its top-ranked sociology department. Farrell said other top scholars will not even consider working at UW-Madison because of the policy.
  Representative Dean Kaufert (R- Neenah) defended the Legislature’s decision to reject Doyle’s plan, citing the estimated half-million per year cost for the benefits was unreasonable during a time of tight budgets. Kaufert characterized Carpick’s departure as unfortunate, but claimed the next person may be able to secure as many grants. “It’s too bad that we may lose a good person here or there but I do not see a mass exodus from the University of Wisconsin over this one issue,” he said.  Kaufert serves as co-chairman of the Legislature’s budget committee.
  Carpick had written to Kaufert during the debate over the proposal trying to persuade lawmakers to adopt the benefits by noting that he generates the amount of money per year in grants the benefits would cost.
  Carpick was angered by the Legislature’s decision. “It says, ‘We don’t want your kind here,’ “ he wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “Well, other places do want us and are willing to offer the respect and dignity, and so, with sadness, we’re leaving.”
  The departure comes as the state prepares to vote in a little over two months on a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage and civil unions. Critics say the amendment would threaten domestic partner benefits and they warn talented gays and lesbians will leave the state in droves.
  Julaine Appling, executive director of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, dismissed Carpick’s comments as “a political statement.” Her group opposes the use of tax dollars for domestic partner benefits, saying they “encourage unstable relationships.” “Last time I checked we haven’t had these benefits at the UW ever and we are still considered one of the top five research schools in the country,” she said. “I don’t think it’s hurt us at all.”
  Six lesbian couples and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state in April, 2005  to attempt to obtain the benefits. That lawsuit is spending.
  Following the suit’s initial filing GOP lawmakers voted to hire the Alliance Defense Fund, the James Dobson founded “Christian” lawyer’s group to involve the State Legislature in the lawsuit, a move later thrown out by Dane County Circuit Judge David T. Flanagan. 
  The Alliance Defense Fund also recently provided a lawyer to participate in a mock trial on the civil union and marriage ban amendment that will appear on Wisconsin Pubic Television this fall. The program was taped August 30.

Openly Gay Candidate Pol Survives Disqualification Scare
Montgomery - Openly gay Patricia Todd was reinstated August 26 as the Democratic Party’s nominee for a seat in the Alabama Legislature in a vote that turned more on the race of the candidates than sexual orientation.
  The Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee voted 95-87, mostly along racial lines, to reject the ruling of a subcommittee that had voted to disqualify Todd, who is white, and her black opponent, Gaynell Hendricks, in the race for the House seat from Birmingham’s predominantly black District 54.
  Todd defeated Hendricks by 59 votes in the July 18 party runoff election.
  The subcommittee had voted 5-0 that both candidates should be disqualified because they violated a party rule requiring candidates to file a campaign finance disclosure report with the party chairman.
  Party chairman Joe Turnham said following the vote that no candidate has filed a disclosure report with the party since 1988 when a law was adopted requiring candidates to file the disclosure forms with the state.
  “I am relieved this is over so I can get to work helping the people of my district,” Todd said after the meeting. “This was a healthy Democratic vote.” She added she was not discouraged by the opposition to her nomination.
  The committee vote pitted vice chairman Joe Reed, a powerful black political leader, against other party officials. Reed had written a letter to black leaders in Jefferson County before the July 18 runoff asking them to support Hendricks so that a black would be elected from the majority black district.
  The vote fell mostly along racial lines. Committee members were asked to stand to show their vote and no whites were seen standing to vote to uphold the subcommittee report, while a small number of blacks stood in support of Todd.
  The vote came at the end of a tense meeting where supporters of both Todd and Hendricks crammed into a large ballroom at a Montgomery hotel and frequently interrupted with cheers or shouts. The loudest cheers from Todd’s supporters and boos from Hendricks’ side came during a passionate speech by Todd’s attorney Bobby Segall, who also often represents the Democratic Party.
  Segall asked the executive committee members to forget race and politics and to do the right thing. “I want to be able to walk down the street with my head held high and say I’m proud to be a member of the Democratic Party,” Segall said. “Real Democrats do not selectively apply the law against one person for the purpose of injustice.”
  There is not a Republican candidate in the District 54 race, which means it appears Todd will become the state’s first openly gay legislator. But one Hendricks supporter, Birmingham activist Frank Matthews, said he expects there will be a write-in candidate in the race in the November 7 general election.
  The appeal of Todd’s primary victory was filed by Hendricks mother-in-law, Mattie Childress. Her attorney, Raymond Johnson, said following the executive committee vote that a decision had not been made on whether to appeal the executive committee vote in court.
  Earlier, he urged committee members to uphold the decision to disqualify Todd because she did not follow the party rule and was also late filing her financial disclosure form with the Alabama Secretary of State. Hendricks has said that by filing late, Todd kept voters from knowing that she received a $25,000 donation from the national Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
  “The voters want to have as much information available before they vote as possible,” Johnson said. The subcommittee had based its decision on the violation of the party rule. Party officials said the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that a candidate can’t be disqualified if he or she files a state disclosure form before the election.
  Reed said he was not upset with the final vote. “I knew going in it was going to be very close and the party has spoken,” he said, the he concurred with Johnson’s arguments.  “She filed her form with the state 14 hours before the polls opened. How were voters going to get a chance to view that.”
  Todd likely will replace the retiring George Perdue.

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Vermont’s First Civil Union Ends
Brattleboro - A lesbian couple who entered into the nation’s first same-sex civil union have officially split up. Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson, both of Brattleboro, had entered a civil union shortly after midnight on July 1, 2000, the day Vermont’s first-in-the-nation law went into effect.
  Conrad, 35, filed to end the union in October and later obtained a restraining order against her partner, saying Peterson punched a hole in the wall during an argument and threatened to harm a friend. A judge granted the request for a dissolution August 23.
  “It’s a heartbreaking situation for any couple,” Conrad told the Brattleboro Reformer following the ruling. The couple had been in a relationship for five years before Vermont began offering same-sex couples the rights and benefits of marriage.
  Beth Robinson, chairwoman of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said the union’s end shows that the state’s civil union law is working. “One of the goals was to create a mechanism to protect people in a relationship and create a mechanism to help people dissolve relationships,” she said. “Same-sex relationships are no different than heterosexual relationships. Sometimes they last, sometimes they don’t.”
  More than 7,500 civil unions have been formed in Vermont by the end of 2004 and 78 have been dissolved, a rate of just over 1%.

Wal-Mart Reaches Out To Gays, Gets Slapped Left And Right
Bentonville - Just months after adding organic foods to its Super Centers, Wal-Mart continued its outreach to new demographics by moving to make friends with the gay community. The move is being criticized by activists on the political left and the Religious Right.
  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. recently announced that it is joining the corporate advisory council of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. But not all of its usual supporters - nor some gay activists - welcomed the announcement.
  The world’s largest retailer is trying to reach out to more diverse shoppers in its bid to keep expanding beyond its rural and Southern roots, but it risks alienating loyal and long-standing patrons. It’s a predicament common to any business that tries to grow or change with the times.
  According to Nelson Lichtenstein, a professor of history at UC Santa Barbara and editor of the book Wal-Mart: The Face of 21st Century Capitalism, Wal-Mart is figuring out how to make itself welcome and amenable in every corner of America’s pluralistic society,  “Lots of companies once thought of as conservative culturally have made their peace with gay and lesbian rights. It’s become a standard corporate thing,” Lichtenstein said.
  However, Randy Sharp of American Family Association (AFA) claims he and others have stopped shopping at Wal-Mart because of its shift from a “pro-family” stance. “Up until a year and a half ago, the AFA applauded Wal-Mart for their pro-family policies, but now it seems Wal-Mart has decided to push aside that legacy left by [founder] Sam Walton and joined those who look at the bottom line and stock prices,” Sharp told the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas.
  Wal-Mart, which will pay the chamber $25,000 annually, has agreed to conduct workshops for gay and lesbian business owners on how to break into the Wal-Mart supplier ranks, Justin Nelson said. Nelson is the four-year-old gay chamber’s president and co-founder. “One of the things that this partnership brings is the realization that this company has said it wants to do the right thing and be a good corporate citizen in the LGBT community,” Nelson added. “Same-sex couples are everywhere. So it’s not just a coastal issue. This partnership has started a dialogue across America that is very good for equality.”
  Company spokesman Bob McAdam said Wal-Mart has worked with other gay and lesbian organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
  Wal-Mart, with more than 3,900 U.S. stores, has been working to broaden its appeal as it tries to expand into new territories, particularly in the more liberal and union-friendly urban and coastal regions. That has meant alliances with environmental organizations and ethnic groups as well as a more relaxed stance on product offerings, which in the past had excluded items deemed inappropriate for families.
  In 2002, Wal-Mart pulled a pregnant Barbie doll off shelves because of complaints that it promoted teen pregnancy, although the doll wore a wedding ring. In 2003, it acquiesced to the American Family Association.’s demand that it stop carrying racy magazines by halting sales of FHM, Maxim and Stuff and placing plastic shields over Cosmopolitan, Glamour and others. But this year the company bucked the AFA and other conservative groups by carrying the “gay cowboy” movie Brokeback Mountain.
  Wal-Mart’s British subsidiary, Asda, began carrying sex aids last year as well as products aimed at same-sex couples, including greeting cards congratulating “Mrs. & Mrs.” to coincide with that country’s legalization of same-sex unions.
  And in December, the company held an internal seminar, “Why Market to Gay America?” That drew the ire of the AFA, which also has urged a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of the company’s ads in gay publications.
  As with many issues involving Wal-Mart, the company is taking it from all sides.
  Just as black leaders have disagreed about whether to work with the company because of what critics call miserly pay and benefits, not all gay and lesbian groups believe the alliance is positive. “Our community is a smart community, and we can see a shameless marketing opportunity when it comes,” Pride At Work program director Jeremy Bishop said. Pride at Work is a group within the AFL-CIO that represents gay and lesbian workers.
  “For us it’s a matter of social and economic justice, and Wal-Mart has a long record of not treating its employees - gay or straight - with equity and dignity.”
  Gay chamber president Nelson disagreed. “If we were to turn our back on Wal-Mart, we would be doing a disservice to those businesses that will benefit by becoming a part of Wal-Mart’s diverse supply chain,” he said.
  Wal-Mart’s McAdam said he believed that most customers respected the company’s attempts to be inclusive. But even if some didn’t, he said, Wal-Mart was not going to adjust its policies. “This company is continuing to grow and evolve, and that is what we’ve always done,” McAdam said. “When we were a small regional company, we could be more narrow-focused. But we are a large company now, and in this competitive environment we have to be welcoming to everyone.”
  Wal-Mart’s attempts to appeal to different interest groups might be more palatable to Wall Street than some other changes that critics demand, Lichtenstein of UC Santa Barbara said. “It’s easier to open their arms to the enormously divergent aspects of American cultural lifestyle,” he said. “It’s cheaper and easier than trying to satisfy their critics who are looking at their wage and health-benefit policies.”

Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival Ends Trans Ban
Hart, MI - The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival began admitting openly trans (transgender/transsexual) women at this year’s event held August 8-13, bringing success to a longstanding struggle by trans activists both inside and outside the festival. 
  “Seeing trans women inside the festival for the first time brought me to tears,” said Sue Ashman, who attends the festival every year.  “It’s restored my faith in women’s communities.”  Ashman added “I have friends who have already committed to bringing themselves and others for the first time next year.”
  Organizers of Camp Trans, the annual protest across the road from the festival, say that every year at least one trans woman at Camp Trans walks
to the festival gate with a group of supporters, explains that she is trans, and tries to buy a ticket.  In past years, the festival box office has produced a printed copy of the policy and refused. 
  “This time, the response was, ‘cash or credit?’” said Jessica Snodgrass, a Camp Trans organizer and festival attendee who spent the week reaching out to supporters inside the fest.  “They said the festival has no policy barring any woman from attending.”
  The woman purchased her ticket on Wednesday and joined supporters inside the festival.  Another trans woman, Camp Trans organizer Emilia Lombardi, joined on Friday to facilitate a scheduled workshop discussion on the recently-retired policy.
  “This kind of discussion has happened before inside the fest,” said Lombardi. “But for the first time in years, trans women were part of the conversation.  Over 50 women shared their thoughts about what the inclusion of trans women means for the Festival and how we can move forward.”
  “We didn’t expect to change anyone’s minds in the workshop - but in the end we didn’t need to. The support we found was overwhelming.”
  Both trans women say they were moved by how friendly and supportive other festival attendees were.  “We spent all day inside the festival, talking with other women about how Michigan has grown to embrace the diversity of women’s experience,” Lombardi said. “The attitudes of festival goers have definitely shifted since the early 90’s.”
  With their original mission accomplished, organizers say Camp Trans will continue to be a place for trans people and allies to build community, share ideas, and develop strategies for change.  And they will keep working together with festival workers and attendees to make sure trans women who attend the fest next year have support and resources.
  Camp Trans will partner with a group of supporters inside the fest next year to establish an anti-transphobia area within the festival.  Representatives from Camp Trans and A group of festival workers and attendees, organizing under the name “The Yellow Armbands,” plan to educate people on trans issues and provide support to trans and differently gendered women.  Festival attendees have worn yellow armbands for the past three years as a symbol of pro-trans inclusion solidarity.
  Both Camp Trans and supporters at the fest say they are excited to be working together to welcome trans women and support a trans-inclusive,
women-only space. “This is not about winning,” said Snodgrass. “It’s about making our communities whole again.  The policy divided people against each other who could be fighting on the same side.  We want to be part of the healing process.”
  Camp Trans (camp-trans.org) is an effort to end discrimination against trans women within women’s communities.  For 14 years, Camp Trans has been a site for trans people and allies to protest the policy, build community, and develop strategies for change.
  The festival’s policy against trans women was first enforced in 1991, when festival security ejected Nancy Burkholder from the grounds of the festival. As the largest women-only festival of its kind, and as one of the few remaining women’s events to openly discriminate against trans women, the festival was well known for its policy, drawing criticism from trans activists and festival attendees.  Two years ago, a group of attendees deployed a 25-foot banner opposing the policy during the headline act.

Arnie Hires, Fires Anti-Gay Campaign Staffer  
Sacramento - An anti-gay lobbyist, hired by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to bolster his conservative support for his re-election bid, has suddenly been dropped at the close of a Republican Party convention.
  Ben Lopez was hired by Schwarzenegger as an outreach worker to evangelical Christians. He has lobbied against a variety of bills that would protect LGBT rights, under the banner of Rev. Lou Sheldon’s  Traditional Values Coalition and has helped an organization that proposes a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
  “While I fully intended and was prepared to assist the Republican state-wide candidates by doing evangelical outreach up to election day, I was informed that my contributions and services I brought to the table were superb and exceeded expectations -- and that my job was complete, for which I was thanked,” Lopez wrote in an email released to the San Francisco Chronicle.
  The Governor’s office has been tight-lipped about Lopez’s removal, which has irked evangelical Republicans. “I’ve always been concerned about Arnold’s re-election and outreach to conservatives and evangelicals, and I was a little hopeful that maybe they were moving in the right direction and cared about our vote,” “pro-family” advocate  Karen England of the Capitol Resources Institute said. “I was really disappointed to hear that they decided to let Ben go. What it says is they don’t care about that vote - that they don’t need evangelicals and aren’t going to outreach to them.”
  Some Republican Party insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, are relieved that Lopez is gone, saying his close ties to Sheldon would have tarred the Governor’s image and handed the election “on a silver platter” to Democrat gubernatorial challenger Phil Angelides.
  Schwarzenegger has been criticized by conservatives and liberals alike for seeming to alternate between the promotion LGBT rights and trying to appeal to evangelical Christians. Schwarzenegger signed several LGBT rights bills when he first came to office, but lost LGBT support when he vetoed a bill that would have allowed for same-sex marriage.

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Mayor’s Reception Marks Start of 20th Annual Twin Ports Pride
Duluth, Superior - An August 31 reception hosted by Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson will mark the start of the “20 Years - Almost Legal” themed Twin Ports Pride weekend set to run through September 3 this Labor Day weekend. The full calendar of events - from the traditional bonfire to the annual “Fruit Float” on Lake Superior - is expected to draw more than a thousand celebrants from both the U. S. and Canada to what last year Out magazine called the “hottest small town pride.”
  Following the free Mayor’s reception, being held from 5 - 8 PM at The Depot, 506 W. Michigan St. in Duluth,  will be a number of events on Friday, September 1. An Art Poetry & Jazz Show and Lesbian Film Festival will run concurrently at the Red Mug Coffeehouse and The Building For Women, both housed at 102 W. Superior St. in Duluth. The twin events will run from from 5 - 9 PM and are offered free of charge. The annual bonfire at Wisconsin Point will close the evening’s festivities.
  On Saturday, September 2, the day will begin with a 5K Fun Run, Walk and Roll along Duluth’s Western Waterfront Trail. Registration opens at 8 AM and the event will begin at 9. The beautiful Western Waterfront Trail runs along the St. Louis River near the Northern head of the Munger Trail.
  According to run organizer Gary Anderson, the primary purpose of the run is to promote health and wellness for all LGBT people along with friends and allies. “In addition we are out to have a great time and enjoy the natural beauty of the Northland,” Anderson said.
  The first of the two centerpiece events of the weekend - the Twin Ports Festival - begins at 10 AM at Duluth’s  Bayfront Festival Park and will run until 7 PM. Admission is free.
  Headlining the nearly dozen entertainment acts already scheduled is rocker  Tina Schlieske and her band. Tina was born in Chicago and raised in the music hub of Minneapolis. As Tina and the B-Sides, Schlieske recorded two albums during a four-year stint at Sire Records, Salvation and It’s All Just the Same. The group had songs in three major motion pictures, “The Traveler,” “A Simple Plan” and “Very Bad Things.”
  However, after years of fronting her band the B-Sides, selling nearly 100,000 CD’s - mostly from word of mouth - and touring for an epic decade-and-a-half in front of throngs of passionately loyal fans, Tina returned to the Midwest in 1999. Shortly after the B-Sides called it quits.
  Tina moved West after the band’s breakup and for all of 2000 she toured the country solo with just her and her acoustic guitar. In 2001, Stevie Ray Vaughn’s band Double Trouble approached Tina offering her the lead singer/rhythm guitarist slot. Throughout that spring and summer Tina stunned hard-nosed blues-rock fans and critics alike with her gritty voice and passionate performances. But Tina decided not to stay on permanently with Double Trouble, and returned to Minneapolis to write new material for her solo debut. In September, Schlieske will be headlining a concert to raise funds to defeat Michelle Bauman, the lead sponsor of Minnesota’s civil union and marriage ban.
  Also appearing at the festival are Shannon Grady, Mary Bue, the American National Ballet, the Renegade Comedy Theatre, Biochemical Characters, S.N.A.F.U.B.A.R., Baby Grant Johnson, Hattie and the Black Flames,  the Hill City rockers, and the Minnesota Ballet featuring Kevin Belanger and Suzanne Kritzberg. Nearly three dozen vendors are also set to offer information, services and refreshments.
  Saturday evening will feature a block party from 9 PM until closing at JT’s Bar & Grill in Superior. Admission is $3. The block party will feature 1000 square feet of dancing space, DJs  spinning favorite rock and dance tunes indoors and outdoors,  four bars and a lounge area.
  Sunday will begin with a worship service and breakfast. Two services, at 8:30 and 10:30 AM at the Peace Church, 1111 N. 11th Avenue East in Duluth will sandwich the 9:30 AM breakfast at the church. Rev. Kathy Nelson will officiate at both services.
  The worship service will include a dialogue sermon between Rev. Nelson and Cody MacKenzie. Cody is a senior at Superior High School. The sermon title is “Finding Companions on Our Way.” The 10:30AM service also will include a community choir that will rehearse at 10 AM.  
  The second centerpiece event - the annual Pride Parade - will step off at Noon at the at corner of Hammond and Broadway in Superior.  Parade line-up is at 11 AM and the route will end shortly after passing the Main Club.
Last minute registrants may contact the festival by phone at: 218-213-4120 or by email at:dsprideparade@yahoo.com.
  The annual Fruit Float cruise on Lake Superior aboard the Vista King will set sail at 3 PM on Sunday, September 3. Entertainment on board will be hosted by the “hostess with the mostest” Miss Rochester. DJ’s Dale, Foggy and C-Freak will be laying down the beats with tunes from the Seventies to the turn of the century. Tickets are limited and are $35 each, available at the Main Club, JT’s and by phone at: 218-213-4120.
  Twin Ports Pride will wrap with the annual AIDS benefit drag show at the Main Club in Superior on Sunday evening. Show time is 8 PM and admission will be $5. All proceeds from the evening will be devoted to helping educate the community about HIV/AIDS.
  The pride festival’s two decades also reflects the growth of gay community in northwestern Wisconsin. Back in 1986, the event was held in June and made no mention of either “gay” or “pride” in its advertising. The phrases “Happy Homo Sapiens Days” and “A Night of a Thousand Stars” were the euphemisms chosen to let the north woods gay and lesbian community a gathering was planned. The Duluth-Superior pride weekend was celebrated in June until 1995, when it was moved to the Labor Day weekend.
  As the festival has expanded, so have the number of communities the weekend includes in its scope. The official name of the 2006 committee organizing the event is the Duluth-Superior Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender-Allied-Queer-Intersex Pride. To register for events, to book lodging at festival rates or find supporting restaurants and for more information visit the festival’s website at: www.dspride.com.

Appleton’s Lawrence, UW-Madison Make Lists of LGBT-Friendly Campuses
Appleton, Madison -  Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been recognized as two of the best campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students respectively in the Princeton Review and The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. The magazine’s guide is the first comprehensive campus guide to offer such a list in the United States.
  The Princeton Review recognized Lawrence University in the 2007 edition of its annual book, The Best 361 Colleges  for providing an outstanding undergraduate experience and campus community. The book, which features student survey-based rankings of top 20 colleges in about 60 categories, includes about 15% of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities.
  It lists Lawrence as twelfth in how accessible professors make themselves to students outside the classroom; twelfth in how accepting the campus is to the gay community; and twentieth in how popular college theater productions are on campus. About 300 students per campus were interviewed.
  The Advocate book profiles 100 colleges and universities nationwide that offer resources and create a positive living and learning environment for LGBT students. A number of UW-Madison’s programs and services and LGBT Campus Center were listed among its attributes.
  “Campuses were rated on a 20-point checklist,” UW-Madison’s LGBT Campus Center Director Eric Trekell said. “We hit 17 of 20 on the checklist, which put us very close to the top 20 schools on the list.”
  Among other positives, the UW-Madison was noted for having both an Ally student organization and a Safe Zone program in the residence halls. Other key points included a high level of LGBT social and educational events, a visible Coming Out Week in October, April’s LGBT Pride Month activities and LGBT-supportive health and counseling services.
  “I’m excited to see the UW-Madison recognized for its efforts to make our campus inclusive and supportive of LGBT students, faculty and staff,” long-time LGBT student activist and recent graduate Max Camp said. “There’s always room for improvement on LGBT issues, such as our lack of domestic partnership benefits, but during my time at the UW, I’ve seen students, faculty and staff working together to increase resources and services for LGBT students, and to make the campus culture very welcoming to all.”
  Trekell noted one factor that lowered UW-Madison’s overall score. “The lack of domestic partnership benefits was a major drawback to our performance in the ratings,” he said. “The authors noted specifically that we are the only Big Ten institution without them.”
  Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus PrideNet, a national organization for LGBT and student leaders, is the author of the book, which was released August 1 by Alyson Publications.

3rd Annual “An Evening With Rainbow Over Wisconsin” Set
Green Bay - Tickets will go on sale September 12 for the third annual “Evening With Rainbow Over Wisconsin” dinner, auction and show to be held Saturday, November 18 at the Liberty Hall Convention and Conference Center in suburban Appleton. Invitations are being sent to previous attendees and Rainbow Over Wisconsin member will have tickets for sale. Tickets are $35 each, but a $5 “early bird” discount will be available through the end of September.
  This year’s family style banquet will feature a new menu that will include Smothered Breast of Chicken, Medallions of Roasted Tenderloin, Baby Red Potatoes, Confetti Rice Pilaf, Stir Fried Vegetables, Spinach Salad, Tropical Fresh Fruit Medley, Creamy Coleslaw, Croissants (or possibly a mix of bakery items), New York Cheesecake and Tropical Carrot Cake.
  A silent auction will precede the meal during the cocktail hour. The popular live auction will be helmed this year by ROW President Dean Dayton.
  The ROW dinner, auction and show has become the charitable organization’s signature fund-raising event. ROW has already made major grants of $5000 to the Action Wisconsin Education Fund to do outreach education on the proposed civil union and marriage ban and a $4000 grant to ARCW for gay community HIV/AIDS prevention outreach in central, northeast and eastern Wisconsin.
  For more information on the “Evening ‘With Rainbow Wisconsin” event, visit the group’s website at: www.rainbowoverwisconsin.org.

Hunky Dance Artist Ari Gold To Headline “Big Night Out”
Outbound’s Dear Ruthie To Emcee Gala Event
Milwaukee - Taking a page from the successful strategy used by PrideFest to fill the city’s Summerfest grounds the past two years, the Milwaukee LGBT Center has announced chart topping dance artist Ari Gold will headline the center’s annual “Big Night Out” fund raiser here Saturday, October 14.
  Born and raised in The Bronx, Ari Gold was discovered while singing at his brother’s bar-mitzvah at the tender age of five. Along with brothers Steven and Elon, he was awarded top prize at the First Annual Jewish Children’s Song Festival. It was then that Ari landed his earliest job as a professional singer and actor, performing the lead role on the CBS Children’s recording Pot Belly Bear: Song and Stories. Auspiciously for Ari, the album went platinum and led to his successful career as a child vocalist. Ari went on to sing over 400 jingles, provide various voices for Cabbage Patch Kids and cult-favorite Jem and the Holograms, and perform back-up vocals for Diana Ross.
  After graduating from Yeshiva High School in Manhattan, Ari studied at Yale and received his BA from New York University. Living in one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world, Ari took full advantage of his surroundings and began performing his own original music at NYC hot spots Joe’s Pub, Fez, China Club, Barracuda, Metronome, Avalon, Pyramid, Splash, Bar d’O, Starlight, and CBGB’s. All the while, Ari was busy recording the material that would soon become his self-titled 2001 debut CD.
  His debut also caught the attention of legendary tunesmith Desmond Child (Ricky Martin, Cher, Aerosmith, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken) and their first collaboration “I’m All About You” (Island Universal) debuted on the top 20 UK pop charts, becoming a top 10 dance hit.
  Ari’s sophomore CD Space Under Sun was released on his own label, Gold18 Records, to critical praise. It debuted at #1 on the Outvoice Charts and instantly catapulted Ari to the cover of countless gay magazines around the world. The Advocate raved that his “equal parts of sly, finger-snappin’ sass and earthy R&B finesse,” created the “crisp... sound of a platinum-selling recording.”
  The video single, “Wave Of You” debuted as a DVD extra on the popular Boys Life 4: Fourplay. was played on Rock America and For Promo Only in clubs across the country with videos from Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Seal and Madonna, and was featured on VH-1’s Totally Gayer and HBO Zone. The video went on to become a mainstay during the launch of MTV’s new LGBT network LOGO and went on to be included in their list for the Best Videos of  2005. Metro Source Magazine also named Ari ‘One Of The 25 People That Make Us Proud’ alongside Ellen Degeneres, Harvey Fierstein, Hugh Jackman and Barbra Streisand and his appearance in the groundbreaking and highly-rated VH-1 special My Coolest Years: In The Closet solidified Ari’s status as an emerging gay icon. Space Under Sun took home the 2005 OutMusic Award for Outstanding New Recording.
  Ari makes substantial use of his high profile by remaining at the forefront of the fight for human rights. His song “Home” can be heard on the Human Rights Campaign’s benefit album Love Rocks along with music by Melissa Etheridge, Christina Aguilera, Dolly Parton, Carole King and Billy Porter. He contributed “Bashert (Meant To Be)” to the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) benefit CD Marry Me, released in an effort to secure the rights of same sex couples. Ari offers his own charity package through his website that donates proceeds to The Ali Forney Center for LGBT homeless youth.
  On his Space Under Sun World Tour, Ari opened for Rupaul and Chaka Khan and headlined clubs and festivals overseas (France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Canada) and in over 25 cities across the U.S. including the world’s largest stage at the Reno Hilton. December 2005 marked the release of Ari Gold: The Photobook.
  Published by Bruno Gmunder and available in stores in over 25 countries, the 96-page hardcover coffee-table book comes with a limited edition Remix CD simply titled: The Remixes.   The lead single, “Love Will Take Over” The first single instantly became a Billboard Dance Chart hit, a pride anthem on iTunes Essentials (along with Elton John, Donna Summer and Erasure) in rotation on AOL on the nationally syndicated radio show, Radio With a Twist.
  The “Love Will Take Over” video has been played on HBO Zone, Rock America, For Promo Only and bumped Madonna out of the top spot for two weeks in a row on LOGO’s top 10 video list. Ari is currently recording his third studio album in Los Angeles and NYC.
  Outbound columnist Dear Ruthie will serve as master of ceremonies for the gala evening to be held at the Potawatomi Bingo and Casino. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour and silent auction at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner, a short program and Gold’s performance. Tickets are available at several donor levels. For more information and to make reservations, contact the LGBT Center at 414-271-2656, Extension 121.

Lesbian And Gay Issues Funders Amend Match Challenge
Milwaukee - Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues agreed to count all financial contributions received by the Cream City Foundation from new donors since 2005 towards its original $200,000 challenge overseen by the Milwaukee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Funding Partnership, a joint effort of the Cream City Foundation and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. 
  Aimed at creating new philanthropic resources and increasing collaboration and understanding among LGBT and non-LGBT communities, the 2-1 match structure encourages larger gifts and forms an incentive for LGBT giving.  The match previously only counted donations made to the Milwaukee LGBT Funding Partnership.  The change allows for any new donor to Cream City Foundation to receive the same benefit.
  “Since its inception the goals of the Fund have included a conscientious effort to strengthen the Cream City Foundation as a sustainable giving venue,” Vice President of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation Jim Marks told Quest. “The Advisory Committee of the Fund and Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues recognized that our efforts have been successful and that the next step was to continue to promote and encourage philanthropy through Cream City Foundation.”
  In 2005, for example, 24% of donors to the Milwaukee LGBT Funding Partnership also gave to the Cream City Foundation and 5% of previous donors of the Fund became sole donors of the Cream City Foundation. 
“Each campaign cycle saw a greater overlap of donors among the two funding sources,” Cream City Foundation Executive Director Maria Cadenas said. “We feel strongly that the Funding Partnership should be recognized for this growth.  It benefits our missions to match gifts to LGBT needs regardless of the funding source.”
  The Milwaukee LGBT Funding Partnership has distributed over $115,200 since its inception in 2002, including $25,000 in 2006.  With the change in match structure, the Milwaukee LGBT Funding Partnership only needs $29,000 to reach its $200,000 goal. 
  The Milwaukee LGBT Funding Partnership’s goal is to expand funding of non-AIDS related programs that increases service collaboration between LGBT groups and traditional community organizations and address community diversity, health, civil rights protection and the special needs of LGBT youth and older adults.
Cream City Foundation serves as the leading foundation to mobilize philanthropic resources, build allied coalitions, effect positive change and advance the dignity, worth and health of every LGBT person in Southeastern Wisconsin.  For more information visit www.creamcityfoundation.org or call 414-225-0244.

Cap City Jocks Trade Cleats For Chiffon At September 17 Fundraiser
Madison - SSBL-Madison, the city’s gay softball league, will hold their 3rd annual Ms. Madison Gay Softball show at Club 5 on Sunday, September 17. Players from each team will be performing in drag for the first time with the most tipped performer the recipient of this coveted title. SSBL-Madison invites sports lovers to witness the Capitol City’s hottest jocks trade in their cleats and uniforms for heels and dresses. All cover charges, raffles and performer tips go directly to fund the 2007 season.  The league in Madison grew from six to eight teams this past year and also added a fall competitive league.  SSBL-Madison also joined forces with the well established SSBL-MIlwaukee league this year. For more information about the show and the league, visit the SSBL-Madison website at: www.ssblmadison.com.

Men’s Coming Out Group to Start at OutReach in Late Summer
Madison – A ten-week men’s coming-out support group is forming and will run on Wednesday nights from September 20 through November 29. Meetings will begin at 6:30 PM at OutReach LGBT community center, 600 Williamson St. No meeting will be held on Thanksgiving eve, November 22.
  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 by phone at: 608-255-8582 or by e-mail at: programs@outreachinc.com by Wednesday, September 6.
  The OutReach LGBT Community Center has served Madison’s & 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.  For more information, contact OutReach at (608) 255-8582 or email programs@outreachinc.com.

The Quest Guide To the        

2006 Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival

Festival Preview: Week 1: