Quest Vol. 13 No. 2

*Quest News* Volume 13 No. 2 February 16, 2006 Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick Top Stories: Teen Attacks Three In Gay Bar, Later Dies In Shootout Nazi-Worshiping Robida Left A Note, Family Member Signed Gay Marriage Ban Petition New Bedford, Massachusetts & Mountain Home, Arkansas - The week-long saga that has galvanized the nation’s LGBT community continues to reveal sordid details following the teenaged perpetrator’s death from self-inflicted bullet wounds in a shootout more than 1,200 miles from where it all began. Eighteen year old Jacob Robida began his trail of terror at the Puzzles Lounge in New Bedford, MA on February 2 when he walked into the well-known gay bar and attacked the male patrons in a gruesome hatchet-and-gun attack. The incident occurred about midnight. A bartender at the lounge reported that Robida came into the bar, ordered a drink, and asked if it was a gay bar and was told that it was. A few minutes later, Robida drifted to the rear of the bar where two patrons were playing pool. Moments later, Robida pulled out a hatchet and attacked a man playing pool. Another patron who tried to intervene was attacked with the hatchet. A group of patrons wrestled Robida to the ground, but he pulled out a gun, fired one round in the air and then started shooting at the patrons. Robida fired several more shots and was running towards the door when the bartender said he confronted him. The bartender said the suspect pointed a gun at his face and fired, but the weapon misfired. The suspect then ran outside and escaped. After the attack at the Puzzles Lounge, police say Robida picked up Jennifer Rena Bailey, 33 at her home in Charleston, West Virginia, though it was unknown whether the mother of three went willingly. Bailey was either divorced or separated from her husband. “She and this guy, Robida, were acquaintances,” West Virginia State Police Sgt. C.J. Ellyson told the Associated Press. “The extent of their relationship I don’t know. They were corresponding over the Internet and in letters.” On February 5, Robida and Bailey were stopped for a traffic violation in the small northern Arkansas town of Gassville by 63 year-old officer Jim Sell, who was unaware of who he had pulled over. Robida shot the officer and then led police on a 20-mile chase through the Arkansas hills before his car crashed in Norfork. Arkansas investigators said the teen then shot Bailey in the head and started firing at police. Robida, who was found shot twice in the head, died at Cox-South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri several hours later. Officers didn’t know who was in the car until after the gunfight. It was later learned that Robida had turned his weapon on himself Saturday in the gunfight with Arkansas according to Bristol, MA District Attorney Paul Walsh Jr. “He was prepared not to come out of this alive,” Walsh said. Walsh said two of his investigators went to Arkansas and reviewed Robida’s autopsy report. Robida’s autopsy proved that he was killed by the same gun used in the bar attack. Tests also confirmed that the gun also fired the bullet that killed Bailey. Robida was shot just once, and Walsh said it was his understanding that no police bullets penetrated the car. Police in Massachusetts, who continue to whether Robida had an accomplice in the bar attack, searched Robida’s room and discovered a handwritten note in which Robida bid his mother goodbye and suggested he would again resort to violence. The contents of the note were not released. It was unclear whether Robida left the note before or after the nightclub attack. However, PageOneQ and BlogActive editor Mike Rogers was able retrieve and re-publish pages from Robida’s Myspace.com website before they were pulled from the server. The pages suggest Robida was fascinated with Nazis and weapons. Friends also reported that Robida had a homemade swastika tattoo on his hand but claim he had not spoken out against gay people prior to the Puzzles attack. A Quest search of the KnowThyNeighbor.org website also has revealed that a “Liseta Robida” of 55 Hussey St. in New Bedford has signed the petition to approve an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution banning the state’s gay marriages. The address is the same as dead teen’s. KnowThyNeighbor.org is a grassroots, non-profit organization promoting dialogue on marriage equality in Massachusetts and advocating for the removal of governmental barriers to public information by providing meaningful access online. The website has been criticized for posting the names of all the signers of the anti-gay petition, but also has been praised for revealing that many of the signers’ names were gained by fraud. Teens Face Hate Crime Charges In Mall Attack Madison - Two 17-year olds were charged with hate crimes here February 8 as the result of an incident at the East Towne Mall involving a gay teenager two days earlier. Maurice Fox and Charles Stokes were charged with battery, with the hate crime enhancer. The original misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge thus rose to the level of a felony with a potential two-year prison sentence. According to the complaint filed by victim, a student at East High School, he was with a friend at a store at the mall when Stokes and Fox began to harass him, loudly calling him a “faggot” and telling him, “Your faggot ass is dead.” The victim said he knew the pair from school, where they had previously harassed him about his sexual orientation. When the victim left the store, he reported that he saw two girls holding Stokes and Fox back. Stokes then allegedly confronted the victim in a boxing stance and punched the victim in the jaw. The victim defended himself, then Fox joined in and allegedly began repeatedly punching the victim in the head and face. The complaint then noted that the girls who had been restraining Fox and Stokes then began cheering the attackers on. The victim’s friend then grabbed Fox from behind and Stokes and the victim moved to a mall restaurant, where the victim asked the manager to call police. Stokes and the victim fought in the store until Fox broke away from the victim’s friend and came at the victim. The victim delivered a kick to Fox’s midsection as he approached and the two alleged attackers gave up and walked toward the mall exit. The complaint noted that when police picked up the attackers as they fled the mall after the disturbance, Stokes, who allegedly delivered the first blow, was spitting blood. The victim suffered a swollen lip. In addition to the hate crime charges, Stokes also faces a bail jumping charge. Fox, who allegedly lied about his identity when police picked him up, was also charged with obstructing an officer. Bail was set for Fox at $1,500, while Stokes was being held without bail. The mall fight was described by some witnesses as “very disturbing.” According to Madison police officer Mike Hanson, it was a large disturbance. “Multiple people saw what was going on,” Hanson said. “It was very disturbing because of the amount of punching and pushing that went on.” The mall incident is the second gay-related hate crime reported in Madison in the last two months. Two University of Wisconsin-Madison students were charged in January for a December incident at Ogg Hall on the campus. Records show that here were five hate crimes in 2005 and six in 2004 in the city. Of those 11, only one was related to sexual orientation. According to statistics with the U.S. Department of Justice, sexual orientation hate crimes have been on the rise, since the turn of the millennium, although many go unreported. Experts estimate that more than 6 million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people have been victimized in their lifetime. But only about 1,200 of those victims actually report it to police. World & National News: Condoleezza Rice Pressured On Anti-Gay UN Votes Washington, DC - Forty-five members of Congress are demanding answers from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the U.S. vote that prevented two LGBT organizations from participating in the U.N. Economic and Social Council. In a letter sent February 7, the members of the House of Representatives called the January 23 anti-gay vote at the United Nations a “drastic reversal” of Washington’s previous stand on the issue. The letter noted that in voting to block the gay groups from the U.N. panel, “the United States joined some of the world’s most oppressive regimes, among them China, Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe,” and demonstrated “a reprehensible inconsistency” in protecting LGBT individuals. The State Department had previously defended its vote against the Belgium-based International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians, claiming one of the organizations supported pedophilia. ILGA expelled the North American Man Boy Love Association from its ranks in 1994. In 2002, when the United States actually voted for ILGA’s inclusion in the U.N. organization, the U.S. representative noted that ILGA did not condone pedophilia and was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Despite U.S. support in 2002, the group did not get enough votes to win consultative status in 2002. The 2006 vote had been its first chance since then to try again. Last month, the United States abstained on a vote denying a hearing for the two groups, and then voted in favor of Iran’s proposal to deny their applications. That vote carried, 10-5, with three abstentions. German envoy Martin Thuemmel told Reuters that the committee decision “will haunt us for a long time,” since it sends a message that discriminating against LGBT people is acceptable. John Marble, spokesman for the National Stonewall Democrats, said that the letter will help “draw attention to actions done by the administration” and ensure that other countries pressure the White House when it comes to LGBT issues. “It’s a process of moving the football across the field,” Marble said. Rare LGV Chlamydia Strain Infecting U.S. Gay Men Washington, DC - A particularly bad strain of chlamydia not usually seen in this country appears to be spreading among gay and bisexual men, an infection that can increase their chances of getting or spreading the AIDS virus. Known as LGV chlamydia, this sexually transmitted disease caused a worrisome outbreak in Europe in late 2005, where some countries have confirmed dozens of cases. Diagnoses confirmed by U.S. health officials still are low, just 27 since they warned a year ago that the strain was headed here. But specialists say that’s undoubtedly a fraction of the infections, because this illness is incredibly hard to diagnose: Few U.S. clinics and laboratories can test for it. Painful symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Because LGV chlamydia doesn’t always cause noticeable symptoms - right away, at least - an unknown number of people may silently harbor and spread it, along with an increased risk of HIV transmission. “My feeling is that what we’re seeing now is still the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Philippe Chiliade of DC’s Whitman-Walker Clinic said. The clinic diagnosed its first few cases of LGV last month and is beginning to push for asymptomatic men to be screened. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already was counting an 8% increase in HIV among gay and bisexual men between 2003 and 2004, before LGV’s arrival was recognized. “We are really concerned about this,” Dr. Catherine McLean of CDC’s HIV and STD prevention program said. Increasing the ability to test for LGV is “what’s really critically important,” she added. “The prevalence of the disease is probably quite a bit higher than the reported cases indicate, either here or in Europe, but we don’t yet know that.” Three weeks of the antibiotic doxycycline effectively treats LGV. But patients have to know they’re at risk, and then find a test. Chlamydia, caused by bacteria, is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. As many as 3 million Americans a year may become infected with common strains, best known for causing infertility in women if left untreated. The more virulent strain recently seen in gay and bisexual men is called “lymphogranuloma venereum,” or LGV. It’s not a new form, but one rarely seen outside of Africa or Southeast Asia. So STD specialists were stunned in late 2004, when the Netherlands announced an outbreak that reached over 100 cases; last summer, one clinic there reported seeing one to two new patients a week. Cases also have surfaced in much of Western Europe and Britain. As with the U.S. cases, many also have HIV. Symptoms differ from regular chlamydia: swollen lymph nodes in the groin; genital or rectal ulcers; and painful bowel movements and other gastrointestinal symptoms that may mimic inflammatory bowel disease. Such symptoms leave patients particularly susceptible to HIV infection if they also encounter that virus. All new cases diagnosed so far are among men having sex with men. Screening requires nucleic acid testing, a complex type of genetic testing not yet commercially available for rectal use. The CDC then uses even more sophisticated testing to confirm the diagnosis. Because testing is difficult, no one knows how prevalent LGV truly is. In a surprise finding last fall, Dutch scientists tested some tissue samples stored in San Francisco since the 1980s, and found evidence that today’s LGV strain had gone unrecognized at the time. So has it been simmering here all along, or is it on the rise? Regardless of how that question turns out, LGV is one more sexually transmitted illness that plays a role in HIV. Thus, the CDC is encouraging doctors who spot LGV symptoms to contact their local health department for help in finding a nearby testing lab, or in shipping samples to CDC for testing there. UK’s Gay Flamingo Couple Celebrate Their Fifth Anniversary London - Britain’s only gay flamingos Carlos and Fernando, are celebrating their fifth anniversary together with their adopted children at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire. The pair surprised staff at the wildlife park after they came out five years ago and began to engage in a series of complex mating rituals. The pink birds have been inseparable ever since and have even raised chicks together after they stole eggs from neighboring straight couples. While Flamingos are generally monogamous during the annual breeding periods, they tend to swap partners each year. Therefore, claim the birds’ keepers, their enduring love is somewhat unique. “They only have eyes for each other,” said Nigel Jarrett, a keeper at the nature reserve. “I have never seen two male flamingos fall for each other before, although homosexuality is not uncommon in the animal kingdom. Carlos and Fernando have been together for five years and seem very happy. They will probably stay together for the rest of their lives.” Jarrett added that they appear to have been accepted by the other birds in the flock. “’They are both large adult males, so as a partnership they are quite formidable,” he said. ‘They are not picked on by the other birds. If anything, they are afforded more respect They are very good parents and behave just as the heterosexual birds do when rearing their young.” The pair have together raised three chicks. Zogby Poll Stunner: 47% Of Americans Say They Could Go Bi Souix City, IA - A recent Zogby poll suggests 47% of all Americans surveyed believe all people have the potential to be sexually attracted to members of both sexes. The nationwide poll, commissioned by Scientific American MIND magazine, showed only 11% of those asked believe one’s sexual orientation is a conscious choice, while 34% said they believe sexual orientation is determined by both choice and other factors. Six percent weren’t sure. While expressing a widespread belief that sexual orientation is not an active choice, 47% of respondents, a slight plurality, agreed with the statement, “I believe that all people have the potential to be sexually attracted to members of both sexes.” But a distinct majority, 53%, said they believe “a straight person may occasionally experience sexual attraction to individuals of the same sex.” The survey and an accompanying article appear in the February-March issue of American Scientific MIND. The margin of error for the Zogby survey, which included 4,236 interviews, is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. Big Bucks Flow Into Minnesota Marriage Ban Fight Minneapolis - The group leading an effort to define marriage as a heterosexual institution in Minnesota raised $220,000 last year - more than half of it from just two donors who opened their wallets to the cause. But that’s just a fraction of the millions that could flow into the fight if a constitutional amendment makes it onto the ballot in November. The executive director of OutFront Minnesota said the gay rights group would spend $7 million to $8 million to defeat it. Whether it makes the ballot is still an open question. Activists on both sides are getting ready for lawmakers to take up the issue soon after the Legislature opens March 1. Feelings run deep on both sides - as evidenced by donations to Minnesota for Marriage. Two Twin Cities businessmen alone contributed $125,000 to the group, which advocates a constitutional amendment that would ask voters to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It would also block civil unions, which opponents believe is marriage in all but name. “I have a faith that moves me to make decisions like this,” Ron King, an Eden Prairie-based real estate developer who donated $35,000 to Minnesota for Marriage told St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Patrick Condon. “I believe our state of Minnesota and our nation need it in order to solidify family as a unit of society, integral to the continuation of a productive society.” His donation was surpassed only by Robert Cummins, president of Plymouth-based Primera, a printing company, who gave $90,000 to Minnesota for Marriage and $35,000 to an affiliated group, Minnesota Citizens for Defense of Marriage. By contrast, OutFront executive director Ann DeGroot said the group’s political committee raised almost no money in 2005. Instead, the group used its usual funding sources to support its regular lobbying of state lawmakers. DeGroot said they’ll do that again this year, asking Democrats who control the state Senate to continue keeping the measure off the ballot. “We have never in Minnesota put people’s rights and citizenship up for a vote,” DeGroot said. “We shouldn’t do it now.” But, DeGroot added, should the measure make it to the ballot, OutFront is laying the groundwork for an expensive campaign to oppose it. A separate but connected group, dubbed Together Minnesota, would take the lead in fundraising and campaigning. Yet another new group, Equality Minnesota, would embark on a separate public relations campaign to link protection of the rights of gay and lesbian people, which they believe most people support, to the right to marry. The precedent for a big-dollar campaign is there. In 2004, supporters and opponents of various gay marriage measures in other states spent $13 million on their efforts. The two groups spent in some cases more than $2 million in a few battleground states, including Oregon, Michigan and Ohio. Action Wisconsin is attempting to raise more than double that amount to battle the expected ballot measure like to pass that state’s Assembly before the close of the regular session in mid-March. To this point, gay marriage amendments have passed in every state where they’ve been on the ballot - often by a more than 3-to-1 margin. While DeGroot said gay rights supporters know they’d face long odds, they’d get help from supporters around the country who are itching to see a gay marriage ban defeated somewhere. “Minnesota has some conditions that could make us that state,” she said. “We’ve been organized here for a long time, we’ve got lots of allies, and we’ve got voters with a long tradition of recognizing the right of people to live their lives.” Gay Giants Ex-Lineman Claims Super Bowl Prejudice New York - Former Giants lineman Roy Simmons and celebrity lawyer Gloria Allured want an investigation into whether Simmons was denied access to the Super Bowl media center because he is gay and HIV+. The pair held a news conference outside NFL headquarters February 9 before delivering a letter to the league asking it to look into why Simmons wasn’t granted a media pass. Simmons requested a credential for the center February 2, three days before the Super Bowl. He also asked for two tickets for the game, which the Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-10 over the Seattle Seahawks, and a party. He said he was told there were no more credentials available. But Allred, whose clients have included Scott Peterson’s former mistress, Amber Frey, said the NFL indicated that it would give others passes after Simmons asked for one. Simmons, who also played for the Washington Redskins, said he stood outside the media center in Detroit and watched many past and present football players go in and out. “I was once part of the inner circle - now I’m standing on the outside looking in,” he said. Simmons also wasn’t given passes to the game or the party. In a letter addressed to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Allred listed questions she said the NFL should answer, including whether Simmons’ request was denied because he no longer fit the image of an NFL player or whether the NFL “is inherently homophobic and prefers that a gay football player remain in the closet.” The NFL replied in a statement that people throughout the league are inundated with last-minute requests for Super Bowl game tickets, party invitations and press credentials. An NFL spokesman said some requests are handled by the league and others go through the public relations staff at the media center. “It is impossible for all of these requests to be met, and there were many people, apart from Mr. Simmons, who were disappointed,” the statement said. “Far from being hostile to Mr. Simmons,”the statement continued, “the last word back to him from our office was to contact us after the Super Bowl about the possibility of speaking to our rookies at their annual June symposium.” Simmons said he never asked for credentials in the past and wanted access to the media center this year to talk about the importance of HIV testing. Simmons, who played for the Giants from 1979-81 and Redskins in 1983, disclosed that he is gay in 1992. He was the first former NFL player to come out as HIV+ 10 years later. He now works as a supervisor at a halfway house in Long Island. ‘’Curious George’’ Editor Killed During Gay Hook-Up Boynton Beach, FL - Police have arrested two men in connection with the slaying of ‘’Curious George’’ collaborator Alan J. Shalleck. Authorities charged Rex Ditto, 29, and Vincent Puglisi, 54, with murder. The two were arrested shortly before midnight February 8. A lawn-maintenance man found Shalleck’s body in his driveway of his neatly maintained trailer February 7. The 76 year-old Shalleck’s body was covered with black trash bags and his blood stained the driveway. Police think the body had been there for more than a day. Shalleck was divorced and the father of two sons. Boynton Beach Police Major Wendy Unger said Shalleck died during a struggle with his attackers. ‘’There were obvious stab wounds,’’ she said. Investigators found blood throughout Shalleck’s trailer home, mostly in the master bedroom. There was also a trail of blood leading from the master bedroom to the driveway where Shalleck’s body was found. Investigators also said they found several knives and broken glass inside the house but did not find any sign that Ditto and Puglisi forced their way into the home. Police think Shalleck invited the men inside. The three met through their membership in a gay sex directory in which gay men could call each other for rendezvous. Ditto and Puglisi have confessed to Shalleck’s slaying, police said. The men took Shalleck’s jewelry and were able to secure funds from his checking account, police said. Both Ditto and Puglisi were charged with first degree murder, armed home invasion, aggravated battery of a person 65 or older and dealing in stolen property. Shalleck never become famous or received significant compensation for his co-editing role in more than 28 ‘’Curious George’’ books or for helping to write and direct 104 film shorts featuring the mischievous monkey and his cohort, the Man in the Yellow Hat. Curious George, who was created in 1939 by Hans and Margret Rey, made his big-screen debut in movie theaters February 10. Bravo Plans Gay Broadband Internet Channel Los Angeles - Cable channel Bravo has announced that it is launching an broadband channel targeting gay and lesbian audiences, the latest reincarnation of the now-defunct Trio network on the Internet. Called OutzoneTV.com - named after a programming block on Trio - Bravo will provide the content, while PlanetOut will handle ad sales. The site is scheduled to go live next month. Bravo and Trio were sister networks under the NBC Universal banner, and Bravo is handling the transformation of Trio into an all-broadband afterlife. PlanetOut operates multiple properties reaching gay and lesbian consumers, such as print publications “The Advocate” and “Out” and Web site Gay.com. Representatives for both Bravo and PlanetOut could not provide details on how revenues would be split between the two entities. Outzone joins another former Trio series “Brilliant But Cancelled”- now BrilliantButCancelled.com - in getting its own eponymous Internet-based channel. Former Bravo reality shows “Boy Meets Boy” and “Gay Weddings” will be among OutzoneTV’s programs. Bravo is best known for offering the popular program “Queer Eye,” which if offered on OutzoneTV could boost traffic, although no plans were announced. Bravo is likely to use “Queer Eye” as a promotional platform for the new broadband offering. OutZoneTV will join gay-targeted cable outfits LOGO, Q Television and Here!, all launched in the last year, and the broadband Internet channel OutoftheClosetTelevision.com, which has been operating since 2000. State News: Bill Limiting Anti-Gay Funeral Protest Passes Madison - Wisconsin has become the first state to ban protests at funerals in an effort aimed at stopping members of a Kansas church who have disrupted military services. The state Senate voted 33-0 February 2 to criminalize protests that take place within 500 feet of a funeral one hour before or after the service. Several hours later, the Assembly unexpectedly added the measure to its calendar and quickly approved the bill 92-3. Governor Jim Doyle, who in October had attended a funeral disrupted by protests led by Westboro Baptist Church, told the Associated Press he would sign the legislation soon. Doyle’s signature would make Wisconsin the first to enact such a law, although 14 others are considering similar bills in response to the church’s protests at dozens of military funerals across the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Wisconsin’s law would apply to protests within 500 feet of the entrance of a memorial service or a funeral and punish first-time violators with up to $10,000 fines and nine months in jail. A second offense could bring up to a 3-year jail term. Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire), one of the bill’s sponsors, said the restrictions had been crafted with input from constitutional experts and are “reasonable considering the privacy of the individuals who are grieving so deeply.” Doyle told the Capital Times that the protest he witnessed was grotesque behavior “at a moment where you want the family and the community to be able to show their incredibly profound respect.” The Topeka-based church, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps and whose congregation almost completely made his extended family members, claims soldiers’ deaths are God’s vengeance for the United States’ tolerance of homosexuality. The group has a long history of seeking press coverage and received front page headlines for their disruptive protests during the funeral of Matthew Shepard. Winter Events Offer Opportunities Statewide Green Bay, Appleton, LaCrosse - Confounding the belief that nothing ever goes on in Wisconsin in the winter time unless it involves snow and ice, three major events of LGBT interest are set for the coming weeks. ARCW’s “Have A Heart” Dinner will be held February 18 in Green Bay; the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Interweave group’s “Building Marriage Equality” conference is on tap for February 25 in Appleton; and the 7 Rivers LGBT Center’s “Reclaiming Moral Values” conference will convene in Winona, MN on March 3-5. The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s 15th annual “Have a Heart” fund raising dinner and silent auction will be held February 18 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center at Oneida Bingo and Casino. Theme for this year’s event is “People: Above All Else.” ARCW will recognize the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, a sponsor of ARCW events since 1994, and the Guernsey Gala, the Green Bay LGBT community’s annual fund raising pageant held since 1991, initially sponsored by area bars and currently sponsored by Rainbow Over Wisconsin. The event will also commemorate ARCW’s 20th Anniversary. On display that evening will be portraits and short vignettes of the 20 Giving 20 exhibit, highlighting 20 of Wisconsin’s leaders who have been involved in the fight against AIDS for 20 years. Among those leaders are Green Bay physicians Raymond Bachhuber, MD, and James Lacey, MD, as well as ARCW Case Manager Mike Fitzpatrick. ARCW’s 2005 Annual Report, also themed “People: Above All Else” will be unveiled at the event as well. Tickets may be purchased at the door, though advance notice is encouraged. Please call Bill Keeton at 1-800-359-9272, ext. 1592, or email him at Bill.Keeton@arcw.org. On Saturday, February 25 the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship here will host the day-long conference “Start Now: Building Marriage Equality.” The day will offer financial and legal planning guidance for gay and lesbian families to help them arrange the limited protections that are currently available, including living wills for end-of-life decisions. Also, the conference will provide information and training about advocating for full marriage equality, so that gay and lesbian families may someday secure the hundreds of rights and protections that are conferred with civil marriage. The conference will be informative and relevant for LGBT individual as well as LGBT allies who want to learn more about advocating for marriage equality. Cost for the conference is $20 per person for registrations received by February 17. Registration at the door is $25, and a special rate of $10 is offered for students and individuals with limited income (advanced registration preferred). The registration fee includes lunch. Child care will be provided with an additional charge on the day of the conference. To register in advance, please send the registration fee along with your name, mailing address, phone number and email address to: Building Marriage Equality, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, P.O. Box 1791, Appleton, WI 54912-1791. If you have questions about the conference, please email organizers at: startnow@fvuuf.org or call 920-882-0400, Ext. 7. You may also call Interweave Coordinators Aaron Sherer and Paul Smith at: 920-426-4238. The LGBT Resource Center for the 7 Rivers Region will co-sponsor “Reclaiming Moral Values: Faith, Sexuality and Politics,” a three-day conference, March 3-5, at Winona State University’s Tau Center. The conference features the Rev. Malcolm Himschoot, a 28-year-old Euro-American transgender man who preaches, teaches and gives presentations to all age groups throughout the country. Himschoot also is the subject of the feature documentary “Call Me Malcolm,” which will be featured Friday night at the conference along with an opportunity for discussion with Rev. Himschoot. Admission to the film is free and others are scheduled for viewing afterward. Registration fee is $125 for adults and $60 for students, which includes meals, workshops, keynote presentation, and films. Students wishing to attend only the workshops may register for a reduced fee of $20. Registration forms, as well as information on housing and travel accommodations, can be found online at: www.lccwinona.org or by calling the Lutheran Campus Center at 507-452-8316. Registration must be received no later than February 17 and is limited to 200 participants. Early registration is recommended. LBGT attendees with questions are asked to contact Cindy Killion by phone at: 507-457-5098 or 608-687-8294 by email at: ckillion@winona.edu. Nationally Syndicated Columnist Deb Price To Hold A “Civil Conversation” Marshfield - Nationally syndicated lesbian columnist Deb Price will take part in “A Civil Conversation” at the University of Marathon/Wood County here Saturday, March 4. The event will run from 7-8:30 PM at the Black Box Theatre on the campus. Price, the daughter of an Episcopal priest and a vestry member at Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C., writes a news and opinion column nationally syndicated in the Gannett Newspaper chain. It makes her more widely read by heterosexuals than any other gay journalist. A congressional reporter in the Washington, D.C., bureau of The Detroit News, Deb married journalist Joyce Murdoch in Canada in 2003. A couple for 20 years, they have written two award-winning books “And Say Hi to Joyce: America’s First Gay Column Comes Out” in 1995, and “Courting Justice: Gay Men and Lesbians v. the Supreme Court” in 2001. Price and Murdoch have lectured at Stanford and Yale law schools and appeared on “Oprah!” In a conversation woven around the theme that improving our understanding of our neighbors is a means of achieving peace, Deb will converse with Marshfield News-Herald Managing Editor Tom Berger and Wisconsin Public Radio Morning Anchor Glenn Moberg. The audience will be invited to join in the civil discourse. “A Civil Conversation: Deb Price” is part of the university’s “Window On the world” Continuing Education series. Seating is limited to 100 people and there is a $5 course fee. Advance registration will be necessary. In addition to registering in person at the Continuing Education office in the W.W. Clark Administration Building, you may also call to register by phone at: 715-389-6520, or by email at: msfce@uwc.edu. Radio “Kiss Off” Contest Fires Up Gay Passions For Equality Madison - The city’s Top 40 radio station Z-104 held its second annual “Kiss Off” contest in the station’s studios February 11, following a controversy over same sex couples’ participation in the promotion and a change of venue from the West Towne Mall. Initially the rules for the “Connie and Fish Kiss Off” had stipulated that contestants be of the opposite sex. Bowing to public pressure from the city’s gay community initiated in part by veteran activist Charles Squires, the station posted new rules on its website February 9 with no reference to the gender of the participants. the contest was also moved from its originally announced site at the West Towne Mall, reportedly because mall managers balked at the prospect of same-sex bussing. West Towne general manager Paul Matyas would not comment on the record to Captial Times reporter Samara Kalk Derby as to whether the mall insisted on restricting the contest to opposite-sex couples. “It a sensitive issue,” Matyas said. “West Towne is a place of commerce, open to everyone. The station decided to move the event on its own.” The kissing contest is a marathon event in which contestant couples begin kissing and hold the kiss until only one pair remain lip locked. If more than one couple remains actively kissing after eleven hours, the winner will be chosen by a drawing. The contest’s prize is a three night trip to Jamaica. To qualify for the contest couples had to be the 14th caller when prompted by a promotional ad broadcast throughout the day. When Squires first learned of the controversy, he called the station and spoke with Mike Ferris, FM operations manager for Clear Channel Madison. Squires reportedly found Ferris to be reasonable and responsive. “He disagreed with me at first, but he was very rational and respected my point of view,” Squires told reporter Derby. Update: Three Gay Couples Participate In “Kiss Off” Contest (Click here for story) Transgender Activist Debra Davis To Be Honored Eau Claire - The Chippewa Valley LGBT Community Center, PFLAG, and the Episcopalian Cathedral will be honoring Debra Davis on March 5 at 2 P.M. at the Community Center. Debra Davis is the Executive Director of the Gender Education Center, a Minnesota-based advocacy and education organization working toward understanding, acceptance and support for the LGBT communities with an emphasis on transgender issues. Starting in 1991 the Gender Education Center has presented hundreds of workshops and presentations involving many thousands of participants. GEC is the only transgender non-profit organization doing this kind of work in the Upper Midwest. In the spring of 1998, Ms. Davis came out as a transgender person at her job as a Media Specialist at Southwest High School in the Minneapolis Public Schools. This highly publicized transition was one of the first in the nation of a transgender person working with children in secondary education. She literally left school on Friday as David and returned on the following Monday as the woman, Debra Davis. Debra is the winner of the 2001 Brian Coyle Leadership Award, presented by the Human Rights Campaign. Also winning were the Minneapolis and St. Paul Public School Systems. “Debra Davis leads by example,” the award noted. “She serves as a role model and mentor for the LGBT community in the areas of education, acceptance, and advocating for the transgender community, among others. She is a quiet steadfast and tenacious activist who builds and cultivates relationships in order to advance the cause of LGBT individuals.” Obituary: John J. Scrum Green Bay - Two memorial services have been scheduled for “Big John” J. Scrum, 66, who passed away suddenly January 28. John was born in upstate New York on October 5, 1939. John was a foster child from a very young age. John worked for many years with a traveling ensemble. He entertained crowds throughout the country and abroad. John settled in the Green Bay area in the late 1970’s. He worked for the Green Bay Parks Department as a referee for numerous years. He also worked for Younkers Department Store, Mona Lisa’s and Dem Bones, among many other jobs. He also worked as a school monitor in the Green Bay area. John was heavily involved in volunteer community service with a variety of groups including Paul’s Pantry. He also worked diligently to help raise thousands of dollars for local charitable groups such as the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. He could always be counted on for volunteering his time and efforts to all who requested it. Members of the LGBT community, friends and several organizations will be gathering to remember John’s legacy of caring and mourn the void left by his passing at a memorial service on Sunday, February 19, beginning at 2 PM at Napalese Lounge, 1351 Cedar St. here. The formal service will begin at 2:30 with words from a representative of Angels of Hope Church. An open mic will follow for those who would like to speak in John’s memory. The event will conclude with a pot luck dinner. Donations will be accepted to John’s favorite charity, ARCW, in lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy. A second service will be held on Monday, February 20 at the Malcore Funeral Home, & Crematory, University Ave. at Baird St. Visitation will be from 2 PM. until the time of the memorial service at 3 with Deacon Ken Clark officiating. Those unable to attend may send condolences online at: www.malcorefuneralhome.com. “Angels in America”Performances Benefit “No On The Amendment” Campaign Milwaukee - Thanks to a generous contribution of tickets from Uncommon Theater and the Gay Arts Center, tickets to “Angels in America” that are purchased online or at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center will benefit the statewide “No on the Amendment” campaign. “Angels in America” is the Tony-award winning play by Tony Kushner that depicts the realities unleashed by AIDS and sexual identity conflicts in 1980s America. Performances of the play began at Uncommon Theater at the Gay Arts Center in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point Neighborhood on February 10. Tickets for the February 17-18 performances are $17.50 and may still be purchased online at: www.centeradvocates.org. Please specify which night you want to see the show during the payment process. Theater-goers also may visit the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center to purchase in person between 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday. For more information contact Patrick Flaherty, Milwaukee fundraiser for the “No on the Amendment” campaign, at 414-271-2656, Ext. 112. Feature Story: "Dracula Undead" at Off The Wall Theatre Milwaukee - Another work dealing with the King of the Vampires? After countless film and stage and television adaptations and even a ballet or two, is there still life left in the Undead? You bet. Off the Wall Theatre’s production began twenty-five years ago when Dale Gutzman presented his unique play at the old Metropole Theatre on Oakland Avenue. It got rave revues from the newspapers and had a very successful run. The play was again performed at University School Milwaukee a decade later. In February of this year, Gutzman will present an updated version of the show in Bangkok, Thailand featuring an international cast of actors. And then it will be staged here in Milwaukee at Off the Wall Theatre, Gutzman’s tiny shoebox theatre where the environment changes for each show. "Dracula Undead" is more than just another retelling of the same old story. It explores the very nature of fear itself, and the connections between fear, power and sexuality. A thirty minute film created by local artist Aaron Kopec plays on and over the actors, often illustrating their thoughts and motives. The film is part live action and part animation and took months to create. Hand made puppets are also used to highlight the more spectacular moments in the show. The show’s ample violence often contains sexual overtones, Bringing to life Bram Stoker’s tortured metaphors. In Gutzman’s version of the age old tale, modern day gypsies burdened with a terrible curse, tell the story to the theatre audience. The entire set is made up of coffins, which are piled on top of each other to create the scenery. Actors become bats and wolves. Gypsy songs are used to punctuate the action. The action also takes place in and around the audience. The play is quite adaptable. In Thailand, it will be performed with twenty-three actors in a 600 seat auditorium. In Milwaukee, the cast will be fifteen and the seating sixty. An hour and thirty minutes of background music accompanies the show mixed from over a hundred sources. Multi talented actor Karl Miller plays Dracula in a performance unlike anything he has done before. He sees his Dracula as more animal than man, rising each night from the grave with only one thought in mind: to feed. No tuxedos or evening dress for this vampire. Natasha Mortazavi plays Mina and Julie Calteaux plays Lucy, the two young women caught up in Dracula’s erotic spell. Aaron Kopec plays Jonathan Harker, who not only becomes the slave of Dracula, but also of his three vampire brides. Lawrence Lukasavage and Colleen Duvall play the two gypsies who tell the tale to the audience, and Jeremy Welter plays Renfield, the madman who eats insects and rodents. Dr. Van Helsing, Dracula’s arch-enemy is played by Off the Wall Theatre’s Technical Director and sometime actor David Roper. Tom Welcenbach plays Dr. Seward who runs the local asylum. David Kaye has written some original songs for the show, and Mark Hagen, Kristen Pagenkopff and Angela Johnstad play Dracula’s undead slaves. "Dracula Undead" plays at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. March 23,24,25,26, and 29,30,31, April 1 and 2. Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 PM, Friday and Sat aturdat 8 PM, Sunday matinees at 4:30 PM. Tickets: $20. To reserve, call the box office at 414-327-3552 . (Senior, Student and special discount rates available at some performances.) Top of Page Quest Home QNU Home

Teen Attacks Three In Gay Bar, Later Dies In Shootout
Nazi-Worshiping Robida Left A Note, Family Member Signed Gay Marriage Ban Petition
New Bedford, Massachusetts & Mountain Home, Arkansas - The week-long saga that has galvanized the nation’s LGBT community continues to reveal sordid details following the teenaged perpetrator’s death from self-inflicted bullet wounds in a shootout more than 1,200 miles from where it all began.
Eighteen year old Jacob Robida began his trail of terror at the Puzzles Lounge in New Bedford, MA on February 2 when he walked into Robida

the well-known gay bar and attacked the male patrons in a gruesome hatchet-and-gun attack.
The incident occurred about midnight. A bartender at the lounge reported that Robida came into the bar, ordered a drink, and asked if it was a gay bar and was told that it was. A few minutes later, Robida drifted to the rear of the bar where two patrons were playing pool.
Moments later, Robida pulled out a hatchet and attacked a man playing pool. Another patron who tried to intervene was attacked with the hatchet. A group of patrons wrestled Robida to the ground, but he pulled out a gun, fired one round in the air and then started shooting at the patrons.
Robida fired several more shots and was running towards the door when the bartender said he confronted him. The bartender said the suspect pointed a gun at his face and fired, but the weapon misfired. The suspect then ran outside and escaped.
After the attack at the Puzzles Lounge, police say Robida picked up Jennifer Rena Bailey, 33 at her home in Charleston, West Virginia, though it was unknown whether the mother of three went willingly. Bailey was either divorced or separated from her husband.
“She and this guy, Robida, were acquaintances,” West Virginia State Police Sgt. C.J. Ellyson told the Associated Press. “The extent of their relationship I don’t know. They were corresponding over the Internet and in letters.”
On February 5, Robida and Bailey were stopped for a traffic violation in the small northern Arkansas town of Gassville by 63 year-old officer Jim Sell, who was unaware of who he had pulled over. Robida shot the officer and then led police on a 20-mile chase through the Arkansas hills before his car crashed in Norfork.
Arkansas investigators said the teen then shot Bailey in the head and started firing at police. Robida, who was found shot twice in the head, died at Cox-South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri several hours later. Officers didn’t know who was in the car until after the gunfight.
It was later learned that Robida had turned his weapon on himself Saturday in the gunfight with Arkansas according to Bristol, MA District Attorney Paul Walsh Jr. “He was prepared not to come out of this alive,” Walsh said.
Walsh said two of his investigators went to Arkansas and reviewed Robida’s autopsy report. Robida’s autopsy proved that he was killed by the same gun used in the bar attack. Tests also confirmed that the gun also fired the bullet that killed Bailey. Robida was shot just once, and Walsh said it was his understanding that no police bullets penetrated the car.
Police in Massachusetts, who continue to whether Robida had an accomplice in the bar attack, searched Robida’s room and discovered a handwritten note in which Robida bid his mother goodbye and suggested he would again resort to violence. The contents of the note were not released. It was unclear whether Robida left the note before or after the nightclub attack.
However, PageOneQ and BlogActive editor Mike Rogers was able retrieve and re-publish pages from Robida’s
Myspace.com website before they were pulled from the server. The pages suggest Robida was fascinated with Nazis and weapons. Friends also reported that Robida had a homemade swastika tattoo on his hand but claim he had not spoken out against gay people prior to the Puzzles attack.
A Quest search of the KnowThyNeighbor.org website also has revealed that a “Liseta Robida” of 55 Hussey St. in New Bedford has signed the petition to approve an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution banning the state’s gay marriages. The address is the same as dead teen’s.
KnowThyNeighbor.org is a grassroots, non-profit organization promoting dialogue on marriage equality in Massachusetts and advocating for the removal of governmental barriers to public information by providing meaningful access online. The website has been criticized for posting the names of all the signers of the anti-gay petition, but also has been praised for revealing that many of the signers’ names were gained by fraud.

Teens Face Hate Crime Charges In Mall Attack
Madison - Two 17-year olds were charged with hate crimes here February 8 as the result of an incident at the East Towne Mall involving a gay teenager two days earlier. Maurice Fox and Charles Stokes were charged with battery, with the hate crime enhancer. The original

misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge thus rose to the level of a felony with a potential two-year prison sentence.
According to the complaint filed by victim, a student at East High School, he was with a friend at a store at the mall when Stokes and Fox began to harass him, loudly calling him a “faggot” and telling him, “Your faggot ass is dead.” The victim said he knew the pair from school, where they had previously harassed him about his sexual orientation.
When the victim left the store, he reported that he saw two girls holding Stokes and Fox back. Stokes then allegedly confronted the victim in a boxing stance and punched the victim in the jaw. The victim defended himself, then Fox joined in and allegedly began repeatedly punching the victim in the head and face.
The complaint then noted that the girls who had been restraining Fox and Stokes then began cheering the attackers on. The victim’s friend then grabbed Fox from behind and Stokes and the victim moved to a mall restaurant, where the victim asked the manager to call police.
Stokes and the victim fought in the store until Fox broke away from the victim’s friend and came at the victim. The victim delivered a kick to Fox’s midsection as he approached and the two alleged attackers gave up and walked toward the mall exit.
The complaint noted that when police picked up the attackers as they fled the mall after the disturbance, Stokes, who allegedly delivered the first blow, was spitting blood. The victim suffered a swollen lip.
In addition to the hate crime charges, Stokes also faces a bail jumping charge. Fox, who allegedly lied about his identity when police picked him up, was also charged with obstructing an officer. Bail was set for Fox at $1,500, while Stokes was being held without bail.
The mall fight was described by some witnesses as “very disturbing.” According to Madison police officer Mike Hanson, it was a large disturbance. “Multiple people saw what was going on,” Hanson said. “It was very disturbing because of the amount of punching and pushing that went on.”
The mall incident is the second gay-related hate crime reported in Madison in the last two months. Two University of Wisconsin-Madison students were charged in January for a December incident at Ogg Hall on the campus. Records show that here were five hate crimes in 2005 and six in 2004 in the city. Of those 11, only one was related to sexual orientation.
According to statistics with the U.S. Department of Justice, sexual orientation hate crimes have been on the rise, since the turn of the millennium, although many go unreported. Experts estimate that more than 6 million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people have been victimized in their lifetime. But only about 1,200 of those victims actually report it to police.

Condoleezza Rice Pressured On Anti-Gay UN Votes
Washington, DC - Forty-five members of Congress are demanding answers from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the U.S. vote that prevented two LGBT organizations from participating in the U.N. Economic and Social Council. In a letter sent February 7, the Condi Rice

members of the House of Representatives called the January 23 anti-gay vote at the United Nations a “drastic reversal” of Washington’s previous stand on the issue.
The letter noted that in voting to block the gay groups from the U.N. panel, “the United States joined some of the world’s most oppressive regimes, among them China, Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe,” and demonstrated “a reprehensible inconsistency” in protecting LGBT individuals.
The State Department had previously defended its vote against the Belgium-based International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians, claiming one of the organizations supported pedophilia.
ILGA expelled the North American Man Boy Love Association from its ranks in 1994. In 2002, when the United States actually voted for ILGA’s inclusion in the U.N. organization, the U.S. representative noted that ILGA did not condone pedophilia and was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Despite U.S. support in 2002, the group did not get enough votes to win consultative status in 2002. The 2006 vote had been its first chance since then to try again. Last month, the United States abstained on a vote denying a hearing for the two groups, and then voted in favor of Iran’s proposal to deny their applications. That vote carried, 10-5, with three abstentions.
German envoy Martin Thuemmel told Reuters that the committee decision “will haunt us for a long time,” since it sends a message that discriminating against LGBT people is acceptable.
John Marble, spokesman for the National Stonewall Democrats, said that the letter will help “draw attention to actions done by the administration” and ensure that other countries pressure the White House when it comes to LGBT issues. “It’s a process of moving the football across the field,” Marble said.

Rare LGV Chlamydia Strain Infecting U.S. Gay Men
Washington, DC - A particularly bad strain of chlamydia not usually seen in this country appears to be spreading among gay and bisexual men, an infection that can increase their chances of getting or spreading the AIDS virus.
Known as LGV chlamydia, this sexually transmitted disease caused a worrisome outbreak in Europe in late 2005, where some countries have confirmed dozens of cases. Diagnoses confirmed by U.S. health officials still are low, just 27 since they warned a year ago that the strain was headed here.
But specialists say that’s undoubtedly a fraction of the infections, because this illness is incredibly hard to diagnose: Few U.S. clinics and laboratories can test for it. Painful symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Because LGV chlamydia doesn’t always cause noticeable symptoms - right away, at least - an unknown number of people may silently harbor and spread it, along with an increased risk of HIV transmission.
“My feeling is that what we’re seeing now is still the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Philippe Chiliade of DC’s Whitman-Walker Clinic said. The clinic diagnosed its first few cases of LGV last month and is beginning to push for asymptomatic men to be screened.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already was counting an 8% increase in HIV among gay and bisexual men between 2003 and 2004, before LGV’s arrival was recognized. “We are really concerned about this,” Dr. Catherine McLean of CDC’s HIV and STD prevention program said.
Increasing the ability to test for LGV is “what’s really critically important,” she added. “The prevalence of the disease is probably quite a bit higher than the reported cases indicate, either here or in Europe, but we don’t yet know that.”
Three weeks of the antibiotic doxycycline effectively treats LGV. But patients have to know they’re at risk, and then find a test.
Chlamydia, caused by bacteria, is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. As many as 3 million Americans a year may become infected with common strains, best known for causing infertility in women if left untreated. The more virulent strain recently seen in gay and bisexual men is called “lymphogranuloma venereum,” or LGV. It’s not a new form, but one rarely seen outside of Africa or Southeast Asia. So STD specialists were stunned in late 2004, when the Netherlands announced an outbreak that reached over 100 cases; last summer, one clinic there reported seeing one to two new patients a week. Cases also have surfaced in much of Western Europe and Britain. As with the U.S. cases, many also have HIV.
Symptoms differ from regular chlamydia: swollen lymph nodes in the groin; genital or rectal ulcers; and painful bowel movements and other gastrointestinal symptoms that may mimic inflammatory bowel disease. Such symptoms leave patients particularly susceptible to HIV infection if they also encounter that virus. All new cases diagnosed so far are among men having sex with men.
Screening requires nucleic acid testing, a complex type of genetic testing not yet commercially available for rectal use. The CDC then uses even more sophisticated testing to confirm the diagnosis. Because testing is difficult, no one knows how prevalent LGV truly is.
In a surprise finding last fall, Dutch scientists tested some tissue samples stored in San Francisco since the 1980s, and found evidence that today’s LGV strain had gone unrecognized at the time. So has it been simmering here all along, or is it on the rise? Regardless of how that question turns out, LGV is one more sexually transmitted illness that plays a role in HIV.
Thus, the CDC is encouraging doctors who spot LGV symptoms to contact their local health department for help in finding a nearby testing lab, or in shipping samples to CDC for testing there.

UK’s Gay Flamingo Couple Celebrate Their Fifth Anniversary
London - Britain’s only gay flamingos Carlos and Fernando, are celebrating their fifth anniversary together with their adopted children at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire.
The pair surprised staff at the wildlife park after they came out five years ago and began to engage in a series of complex mating rituals.

The pink birds have been inseparable ever since and have even raised chicks together after they stole eggs from neighboring straight couples.
While Flamingos are generally monogamous during the annual breeding periods, they tend to swap partners each year. Therefore, claim the birds’ keepers, their enduring love is somewhat unique. “They only have eyes for each other,” said Nigel Jarrett, a keeper at the nature reserve. “I have never seen two male flamingos fall for each other before, although homosexuality is not uncommon in the animal kingdom. Carlos and Fernando have been together for five years and seem very happy. They will probably stay together for the rest of their lives.”
Jarrett added that they appear to have been accepted by the other birds in the flock. “’They are both large adult males, so as a partnership they are quite formidable,” he said. ‘They are not picked on by the other birds. If anything, they are afforded more respect They are very good parents and behave just as the heterosexual birds do when rearing their young.”
The pair have together raised three chicks.

Zogby Poll Stunner: 47% Of Americans Say They Could Go Bi
Souix City, IA - A recent Zogby poll suggests 47% of all Americans surveyed believe all people have the potential to be sexually attracted to members of both sexes. The nationwide poll, commissioned by Scientific American MIND magazine, showed only 11% of those asked believe one’s sexual orientation is a conscious choice, while 34% said they believe sexual orientation is determined by both choice and other factors. Six percent weren’t sure.
While expressing a widespread belief that sexual orientation is not an active choice, 47% of respondents, a slight plurality, agreed with the statement, “I believe that all people have the potential to be sexually attracted to members of both sexes.” But a distinct majority, 53%, said they believe “a straight person may occasionally experience sexual attraction to individuals of the same sex.”
The survey and an accompanying article appear in the February-March issue of American Scientific MIND. The margin of error for the Zogby survey, which included 4,236 interviews, is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

Big Bucks Flow Into Minnesota Marriage Ban Fight
Minneapolis - The group leading an effort to define marriage as a heterosexual institution in Minnesota raised $220,000 last year - more than half of it from just two donors who opened their wallets to the cause.
But that’s just a fraction of the millions that could flow into the fight if a constitutional amendment makes it onto the ballot in November. Anne DeGroot

The executive director of OutFront Minnesota said the gay rights group would spend $7 million to $8 million to defeat it.
Whether it makes the ballot is still an open question. Activists on both sides are getting ready for lawmakers to take up the issue soon after the Legislature opens March 1.
Feelings run deep on both sides - as evidenced by donations to Minnesota for Marriage. Two Twin Cities businessmen alone contributed $125,000 to the group, which advocates a constitutional amendment that would ask voters to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It would also block civil unions, which opponents believe is marriage in all but name.
“I have a faith that moves me to make decisions like this,” Ron King, an Eden Prairie-based real estate developer who donated $35,000 to Minnesota for Marriage told St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Patrick Condon. “I believe our state of Minnesota and our nation need it in order to solidify family as a unit of society, integral to the continuation of a productive society.”
His donation was surpassed only by Robert Cummins, president of Plymouth-based Primera, a printing company, who gave $90,000 to Minnesota for Marriage and $35,000 to an affiliated group, Minnesota Citizens for Defense of Marriage.
By contrast, OutFront executive director Ann DeGroot said the group’s political committee raised almost no money in 2005. Instead, the group used its usual funding sources to support its regular lobbying of state lawmakers. DeGroot said they’ll do that again this year, asking Democrats who control the state Senate to continue keeping the measure off the ballot. “We have never in Minnesota put people’s rights and citizenship up for a vote,” DeGroot said. “We shouldn’t do it now.”
But, DeGroot added, should the measure make it to the ballot, OutFront is laying the groundwork for an expensive campaign to oppose it. A separate but connected group, dubbed Together Minnesota, would take the lead in fundraising and campaigning. Yet another new group, Equality Minnesota, would embark on a separate public relations campaign to link protection of the rights of gay and lesbian people, which they believe most people support, to the right to marry.
The precedent for a big-dollar campaign is there. In 2004, supporters and opponents of various gay marriage measures in other states spent $13 million on their efforts. The two groups spent in some cases more than $2 million in a few battleground states, including Oregon, Michigan and Ohio. Action Wisconsin is attempting to raise more than double that amount to battle the expected ballot measure like to pass that state’s Assembly before the close of the regular session in mid-March.
To this point, gay marriage amendments have passed in every state where they’ve been on the ballot - often by a more than 3-to-1 margin. While DeGroot said gay rights supporters know they’d face long odds, they’d get help from supporters around the country who are itching to see a gay marriage ban defeated somewhere.
“Minnesota has some conditions that could make us that state,” she said. “We’ve been organized here for a long time, we’ve got lots of allies, and we’ve got voters with a long tradition of recognizing the right of people to live their lives.”

Gay Giants Ex-Lineman Claims Super Bowl Prejudice
New York - Former Giants lineman Roy Simmons and celebrity lawyer Gloria Allured want an investigation into whether Simmons was denied access to the Super Bowl media center because he is gay and HIV+. The pair held a news conference outside NFL headquarters Simmons

February 9 before delivering a letter to the league asking it to look into why Simmons wasn’t granted a media pass.
Simmons requested a credential for the center February 2, three days before the Super Bowl. He also asked for two tickets for the game, which the Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-10 over the Seattle Seahawks, and a party. He said he was told there were no more credentials available. But Allred, whose clients have included Scott Peterson’s former mistress, Amber Frey, said the NFL indicated that it would give others passes after Simmons asked for one.
Simmons, who also played for the Washington Redskins, said he stood outside the media center in Detroit and watched many past and present football players go in and out. “I was once part of the inner circle - now I’m standing on the outside looking in,” he said. Simmons also wasn’t given passes to the game or the party.
In a letter addressed to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Allred listed questions she said the NFL should answer, including whether Simmons’ request was denied because he no longer fit the image of an NFL player or whether the NFL “is inherently homophobic and prefers that a gay football player remain in the closet.”
The NFL replied in a statement that people throughout the league are inundated with last-minute requests for Super Bowl game tickets, party invitations and press credentials. An NFL spokesman said some requests are handled by the league and others go through the public relations staff at the media center. “It is impossible for all of these requests to be met, and there were many people, apart from Mr. Simmons, who were disappointed,” the statement said.
“Far from being hostile to Mr. Simmons,”the statement continued, “the last word back to him from our office was to contact us after the Super Bowl about the possibility of speaking to our rookies at their annual June symposium.”
Simmons said he never asked for credentials in the past and wanted access to the media center this year to talk about the importance of HIV testing.
Simmons, who played for the Giants from 1979-81 and Redskins in 1983, disclosed that he is gay in 1992. He was the first former NFL player to come out as HIV+ 10 years later. He now works as a supervisor at a halfway house in Long Island.

‘’Curious George’’ Editor Killed During Gay Hook-Up
Boynton Beach, FL - Police have arrested two men in connection with the slaying of ‘’Curious George’’ collaborator Alan J. Shalleck. Authorities charged Rex Ditto, 29, and Vincent Puglisi, 54, with murder. The two were arrested shortly before midnight February 8.
A lawn-maintenance man found Shalleck’s body in his driveway of his neatly maintained trailer February 7. The 76 year-old Shalleck’s body was covered with black trash bags and his blood stained the driveway. Police think the body had been there for more than a day. Shalleck was divorced and the father of two sons.
Boynton Beach Police Major Wendy Unger said Shalleck died during a struggle with his attackers. ‘’There were obvious stab wounds,’’ she said.
Investigators found blood throughout Shalleck’s trailer home, mostly in the master bedroom. There was also a trail of blood leading from the master bedroom to the driveway where Shalleck’s body was found. Investigators also said they found several knives and broken glass inside the house but did not find any sign that Ditto and Puglisi forced their way into the home.
Police think Shalleck invited the men inside. The three met through their membership in a gay sex directory in which gay men could call each other for rendezvous.
Ditto and Puglisi have confessed to Shalleck’s slaying, police said. The men took Shalleck’s jewelry and were able to secure funds from his checking account, police said. Both Ditto and Puglisi were charged with first degree murder, armed home invasion, aggravated battery of a person 65 or older and dealing in stolen property.
Shalleck never become famous or received significant compensation for his co-editing role in more than 28 ‘’Curious George’’ books or for helping to write and direct 104 film shorts featuring the mischievous monkey and his cohort, the Man in the Yellow Hat. Curious George, who was created in 1939 by Hans and Margret Rey, made his big-screen debut in movie theaters February 10.

Bravo Plans Gay Broadband Internet Channel
Los Angeles - Cable channel Bravo has announced that it is launching an broadband channel targeting gay and lesbian audiences, the latest reincarnation of the now-defunct Trio network on the Internet. Called OutzoneTV.com - named after a programming block on Trio - Bravo will provide the content, while PlanetOut will handle ad sales. The site is scheduled to go live next month.
Bravo and Trio were sister networks under the NBC Universal banner, and Bravo is handling the transformation of Trio into an all-broadband afterlife. PlanetOut operates multiple properties reaching gay and lesbian consumers, such as print publications “The Advocate” and “Out” and Web site Gay.com.
Representatives for both Bravo and PlanetOut could not provide details on how revenues would be split between the two entities. Outzone joins another former Trio series “Brilliant But Cancelled”- now BrilliantButCancelled.com - in getting its own eponymous Internet-based channel.
Former Bravo reality shows “Boy Meets Boy” and “Gay Weddings” will be among OutzoneTV’s programs. Bravo is best known for offering the popular program “Queer Eye,” which if offered on OutzoneTV could boost traffic, although no plans were announced. Bravo is likely to use “Queer Eye” as a promotional platform for the new broadband offering.
OutZoneTV will join gay-targeted cable outfits LOGO, Q Television and Here!, all launched in the last year, and the broadband Internet channel OutoftheClosetTelevision.com, which has been operating since 2000.

Milwaukee - Another work dealing with the King of the Vampires? After countless film and stage and television adaptations and even a ballet or two, is there still life left in the Undead? You bet. Off the Wall Theatre’s production began twenty-five years ago when Dale Dracula Undead

Gutzman presented his unique play at the old Metropole Theatre on Oakland Avenue. It got rave revues from the newspapers and had a very successful run. The play was again performed at University School Milwaukee a decade later. In February of this year, Gutzman will present an updated version of the show in Bangkok, Thailand featuring an international cast of actors. And then it will be staged here in Milwaukee at Off the Wall Theatre, Gutzman’s tiny shoebox theatre where the environment changes for each show.
"Dracula Undead" is more than just another retelling of the same old story. It explores the very nature of fear itself, and the connections between fear, power and sexuality. A thirty minute film created by local artist Aaron Kopec plays on and over the actors, often illustrating their thoughts and motives. The film is part live action and part animation and took months to create. Hand made puppets are also used to highlight the more spectacular moments in the show. The show’s ample violence often contains sexual overtones, Bringing to life Bram Stoker’s tortured metaphors. In Gutzman’s version of the age old tale, modern day gypsies burdened with a terrible curse, tell the story to the theatre audience. The entire set is made up of coffins, which are piled on top of each other to create the scenery. Actors become bats and wolves. Gypsy songs are used to punctuate the action. The action also takes place in and around the audience.
The play is quite adaptable. In Thailand, it will be performed with twenty-three actors in a 600 seat auditorium. In Milwaukee, the cast will be fifteen and the seating sixty. An hour and thirty minutes of background music accompanies the show mixed from over a hundred sources.
Multi talented actor Karl Miller plays Dracula in a performance unlike anything he has done before. He sees his Dracula as more animal than man, rising each night from the grave with only one thought in mind: to feed. No tuxedos or evening dress for this vampire. Natasha Mortazavi plays Mina and Julie Calteaux plays Lucy, the two young women caught up in Dracula’s erotic spell. Aaron Kopec plays Jonathan Harker, who not only becomes the slave of Dracula, but also of his three vampire brides. Lawrence Lukasavage and Colleen Duvall play the two gypsies who tell the tale to the audience, and Jeremy Welter plays Renfield, the madman who eats insects and rodents. Dr. Van Helsing, Dracula’s arch-enemy is played by Off the Wall Theatre’s Technical Director and sometime actor David Roper. Tom Welcenbach plays Dr. Seward who runs the local asylum. David Kaye has written some original songs for the show, and Mark Hagen, Kristen Pagenkopff and Angela Johnstad play Dracula’s undead slaves.
"Dracula Undead" plays at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. March 23,24,25,26, and 29,30,31, April 1 and 2. Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 PM, Friday and Sat aturdat 8 PM, Sunday matinees at 4:30 PM. Tickets: $20. To reserve, call the box office at 414-327-3552 . (Senior, Student and special discount rates available at some performances.)