Volume
15 No. 2 February 28,
2008Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick
Top
Stories:
Faraj Finishes Fourth, LaForest Third, Center Advocates PAC Goes 2 For 5
Milwaukee - Former Milwaukee LGBT Center Political Affairs Director Patrick Flaherty was the top vote getter in the battle royale for the only open seat
on the
city’s Common Council here February 19. Flaherty garnered 32% of the
total vote in the 3rd District race with 4,167 ballots cast to
runner-up Nik Kovac’s 27% share with 3,406 votes tallied. Sam
McGovern-Rowan, an aide to outgoing alder Mike D’Amato came in third
with 2,091 votes (16% share) while Sura Faraj, the other openly-gay
candidate in the race, garnered 1,596 votes for a 13% share. Flaherty
and Kovac, a former New York City community newspaper editor, will face
off in the April 1 Spring election.We’re really proud of the positive, grassroots campaign we put together,” Flaherty told Quest. “I’m gratified to see all the communities I have worked with over the years - neighborhood activists, progressive groups, labor unions, small businessmen and LGBT folks - intersect in support of my candidacy.”
Flaherty also acknowledged the close finish between the top two finalists. “We have a tough campaign ahead,” he said. “But we’ve put together a great group of volunteers and supporters so I think we’re going to do fine.”
In the 11th District, openly gay candidate Michael LaForest lost his bid to take on incumbent Joseph Dudzik. LaForest garnered 9% of the vote, collecting 805 ballots, to second place winner Dennis Bach’s 1,245 votes (14% share). LaForest’s contention in a recent Quest interview that the incumbent “was not well liked” was not borne out by the final vote tally. Dudzik grabbed 6,819 votes, which was 77% of the total cast.
Center Advocates PAC endorsed candidates did not fare well in the primary voting overall, which was impacted by the highly contested Presidential primaries in both major parties. A record 36% of eligible voters cast ballots in Milwaukee and statewide despite frigid temperatures and below-zero wind chills. With nearly 1.6 million votes cast statewide, Senator Barack Obama bested Senator Hillary Clinton by a margin of 58-41% in the Democratic primary, while Senator John McCain topped former Governor Mike Huckabee by a 55-47% margin in the Republican race.
Of the PAC endorsed alder candidates, only Flaherty and incumbent 14th District Alder Anthony Zielinski, who garnered 84% of the vote with 8,065 ballots, were victorious. 6th District candidate Una Van Duvall came in fifth with 674 votes (7% of the total cast). The winners in the 6th District were jailed incumbent Michael McGee with 2,916 votes (32% of the total cast) and attorney Milele Coggs with 2,064 ballots (22%).
In the 12th District PAC-endorsed candidate JoCasta Zamarripa did slightly better coming in third with 12% of the votes cast (346) in the five way race, while 13th District candidate Chris Kuester came in with 16% of the vote (1,408) in his 3-way race.
World & National News:
Ethics Panel To Toe-Tapper Craig: “You’re A
Disgrace!”
Gay Activists Also Miffed At Montana Lawmaker’s “Larry Craig” Type Prank
Washington, DC - The Ethics Committee of the United States Senate has essentially told toe-tapping Idaho Senator Larry Craig he’s a disgrace. The
commitee
found February 13 that Craig acted improperly in
connection with a men’s room sex sting last year and had brought
discredit on the Senate.
In a letter to the Republican senator, the ethics panel wrote that Craig’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea after his arrest at a Minneapolis airport was an effort to evade legal consequences of his own actions. Craig’s actions constitute “improper conduct which has reflected discreditably on the Senate,” the letter said.
In their three-page letter, the committee told Craig they believed he “committed the offense to which you pled guilty” and that “you entered your plea knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently.” The panel found that Craig only tried to remove his guilty plea after his attempts to avoid public disclosure had failed.
“Your claims to the court to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that you did not, as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty do not appear credible,” the panel wrote.
The committee also found that Craig should have obtained permission from the ethics panel before using campaign funds to pay his legal bills. Craig, who is not running for re-election, has spent more than $213,000 in campaign money for legal expense and public relations work in the wake of his arrest and conviction last summer.
The committee said it had reached no conclusion about whether use of campaign funds was proper, but it said “it is clear that you never sought the committee’s approval, as required,” to use the money for legal expenses.
The panel also admonished Craig for showing the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a U.S. senator. Craig has been reported to have told the officer at the time, “What do you think about that?”
“You knew or should have known that a reasonable person in the position of the arresting officer could view your action and statement as an improper attempt by you to use your position and status ... to receive special and favorable treatment,” the panel wrote.
Craig responded to the Ethics Committee findings with an email press release to the media: “While I am disappointed and strongly disagree with the conclusions reached by the Senate Ethics Committee, from the outset I have encouraged the committee to act in a timely fashion and they have done so. I will continue to serve the people of Idaho,” he said.
To add insult to the Ethics Committee pronouncement, on February 22 Minnesota prosecutors called Craig’s effort to withdraw his guilty plea on charges stemming from a public bathroom sex sting “patently illogical.”
Attorneys for the state filed a brief in response to Craig’s move to appeal an earlier ruling denying the Senator from rescinding his initial guilty plea. The prosecutors reiterated the the Appeals Court that Craig’s guilty plea was made properly and that a district court judge acted properly last October in not allowing Craig to take back the plea. “The defendant’s plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent and therefore there is no manifest injustice that would warrant plea withdrawal,” the prosecutors wrote.
The ongoing fallout from the Craig scandal has tripped up another GOP lawmaker in neighboring Montana. Representatives from that state’s gay community demanded an apology February 15 from U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg over a prank involving an Idaho congressman.
According to the D.C. political periodical The Hill, in January Rehberg placed a package on the airplane seat of fellow Republican Congressman Mike Simpson during a Middle East congressional delegation trip. The package included a stuffed sheep with gloves attached to it, books on crossdressing and sign language, a Village People CD and a T-shirt that had a quip referencing the Craig scandal.
“This is an embarrassment to Montana,” Jamee Greer of the Western Montana Gay and Lesbian Community Center said. “Representative Rehberg owes the gay community and all of Montana an apology.”
The Montana Human Rights Network and the Community Center of Missoula have requested a meeting with Rehberg to discuss the prank and his voting record. “He plays silly pranks while he votes against hate crimes protections,” State Senator Christine Kaufmann (D-Helena) said. Kaufmann serves as director of the Montana Human Rights Network.
Rehberg’s office claimed no offense was intended. “This was a practical joke between two friends from neighboring western states who often play pranks on one another,” the prepared statement said.
New Jersey Report: “Civil Unions Create Second Class Status For Gays”
Mount Laurel, NJ - A commission established to study same-sex civil unions in New Jersey has found in its first report that civil unions create a “second-class status” for gay couples, rather than giving them equality.
The 12-member commission that created the report issued February 19 included lawyers and ministers who advocate gay rights, as well as government officials from agencies that provide benefits to couples. It based its findings on testimony collected last year at three public hearings but did not make any recommendations to resolve the problems the panel discovered.
The report highlighted problems encountered by hundreds of gay couples who entered into civil unions in the year since they were created, suggesting that the law is not fulfilling its mandate of providing same-sex couples with heterosexual marriage equality.
State lawmakers made New Jersey the third state to offer civil unions with a law adopted in 2006 in reaction to a state Supreme Court ruling that year that found gay couples were entitled to the same legal protections as married couples. The civil union law sought to give gay couples those benefits, but not the title of marriage. As a part of the same law, the review commission was created to look into whether it was working.
In the report the panel wrote: “The commission also heard testimony that the term ‘marriage,’ were it applied to the relationships of same-sex couples, would make a significant difference in providing equality to same-sex couples in New Jersey. Civil union status is not clear to the general public, which creates a second-class status.”
Gay rights advocates say the civil unions do not deliver and have pledged to push lawmakers to vote to allow marriage. Governor Jon S. Corzine has said he would be willing to sign such a bill into law but doesn’t want the issue to be taken up before the presidential election in November.
The commission learned that those who were in civil unions said they were still not being treated the way married couples are by government agencies, employers and others. For example, many companies in the state refuse to provide health insurance to the partners of their employees because they are self-insured and thus regulated by federal, rather than state law. The reported noted that employers in Massachusetts - the only state where gay couples can marry - could legally do the same thing, most do not.
The commission also found that many people in the state do not understand civil unions. That misunderstanding makes it more difficult for a child to grow up in New Jersey with gay parents, or to be gay themselves.
The New Jersey Health and Senior Services Department has reported that, as of mid-January, 2008, over 2,300 couples had received civil union licenses.
Right Wing Seeks To Overturn Transgender Equal Rights Law
Baltimore - A Montgomery County measure intended to protect transgender people appears headed to a voter referendum, setting up a potentially divisive debate over how far anti-discrimination laws should extend.
The recently passed law protects transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, and taxi and cable service, and was supposed to go into effect February 20. But it is now on hold after opponents gathered 32,000 signatures in a bid to put it on the ballot this fall.
Citizens for a Responsible Government (CRG), a group supported by the longtime anti-gay “Christian” Family Research Council, paid for thousands of computerized “robo” calls to households to further the petition drive. CRG claims the measure infringes on the privacy of most citizens while protecting just a few. The group also set up a website - www.notmyshower.com - that allegedly claims that “men in dresses” would access ladies’ restrooms and locker rooms to prey upon unsuspecting women.
Officials say the new law, which the County Council passed unanimously and County Executive Isiah Leggett signed, does not force changes at public restrooms. Furthermore, they say the bathroom issue is an old scare tactic that unfairly takes attention away from the measure’s point: to protect people whose internal sense of gender and biological gender at birth do not match.
“Have you ever heard of this being a problem anywhere? No, because transgender people are going to use the bathroom where they’re going to be the safest and where they’re going to blend in the most. They’re used to being subjected to discrimination and violence. And they have no interest in making other people uncomfortable,” Dan Furmansky said. Furmansky is the director of Equality Maryland, the state’s LGBT civil rights group. “It’s a common-sense bill about helping people live their lives.”
Once viewed as a relatively straightforward matter of biological category, gender has evolved into a far more complicated subject. Transgender is an umbrella term that can include transsexuals as well as people with a fluid identity that transcends traditional gender categories.
Montgomery County and Baltimore City are among about 95 jurisdictions and 13 states that have passed laws protecting transgender people, and the General Assembly has considered extending the protections across Maryland.
Gay Activists Also Miffed At Montana Lawmaker’s “Larry Craig” Type Prank
Washington, DC - The Ethics Committee of the United States Senate has essentially told toe-tapping Idaho Senator Larry Craig he’s a disgrace. The
commitee
found February 13 that Craig acted improperly in
connection with a men’s room sex sting last year and had brought
discredit on the Senate.In a letter to the Republican senator, the ethics panel wrote that Craig’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea after his arrest at a Minneapolis airport was an effort to evade legal consequences of his own actions. Craig’s actions constitute “improper conduct which has reflected discreditably on the Senate,” the letter said.
In their three-page letter, the committee told Craig they believed he “committed the offense to which you pled guilty” and that “you entered your plea knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently.” The panel found that Craig only tried to remove his guilty plea after his attempts to avoid public disclosure had failed.
“Your claims to the court to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that you did not, as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty do not appear credible,” the panel wrote.
The committee also found that Craig should have obtained permission from the ethics panel before using campaign funds to pay his legal bills. Craig, who is not running for re-election, has spent more than $213,000 in campaign money for legal expense and public relations work in the wake of his arrest and conviction last summer.
The committee said it had reached no conclusion about whether use of campaign funds was proper, but it said “it is clear that you never sought the committee’s approval, as required,” to use the money for legal expenses.
The panel also admonished Craig for showing the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a U.S. senator. Craig has been reported to have told the officer at the time, “What do you think about that?”
“You knew or should have known that a reasonable person in the position of the arresting officer could view your action and statement as an improper attempt by you to use your position and status ... to receive special and favorable treatment,” the panel wrote.
Craig responded to the Ethics Committee findings with an email press release to the media: “While I am disappointed and strongly disagree with the conclusions reached by the Senate Ethics Committee, from the outset I have encouraged the committee to act in a timely fashion and they have done so. I will continue to serve the people of Idaho,” he said.
To add insult to the Ethics Committee pronouncement, on February 22 Minnesota prosecutors called Craig’s effort to withdraw his guilty plea on charges stemming from a public bathroom sex sting “patently illogical.”
Attorneys for the state filed a brief in response to Craig’s move to appeal an earlier ruling denying the Senator from rescinding his initial guilty plea. The prosecutors reiterated the the Appeals Court that Craig’s guilty plea was made properly and that a district court judge acted properly last October in not allowing Craig to take back the plea. “The defendant’s plea was accurate, voluntary and intelligent and therefore there is no manifest injustice that would warrant plea withdrawal,” the prosecutors wrote.
The ongoing fallout from the Craig scandal has tripped up another GOP lawmaker in neighboring Montana. Representatives from that state’s gay community demanded an apology February 15 from U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg over a prank involving an Idaho congressman.
According to the D.C. political periodical The Hill, in January Rehberg placed a package on the airplane seat of fellow Republican Congressman Mike Simpson during a Middle East congressional delegation trip. The package included a stuffed sheep with gloves attached to it, books on crossdressing and sign language, a Village People CD and a T-shirt that had a quip referencing the Craig scandal.
“This is an embarrassment to Montana,” Jamee Greer of the Western Montana Gay and Lesbian Community Center said. “Representative Rehberg owes the gay community and all of Montana an apology.”
The Montana Human Rights Network and the Community Center of Missoula have requested a meeting with Rehberg to discuss the prank and his voting record. “He plays silly pranks while he votes against hate crimes protections,” State Senator Christine Kaufmann (D-Helena) said. Kaufmann serves as director of the Montana Human Rights Network.
Rehberg’s office claimed no offense was intended. “This was a practical joke between two friends from neighboring western states who often play pranks on one another,” the prepared statement said.
New Jersey Report: “Civil Unions Create Second Class Status For Gays”
Mount Laurel, NJ - A commission established to study same-sex civil unions in New Jersey has found in its first report that civil unions create a “second-class status” for gay couples, rather than giving them equality.
The 12-member commission that created the report issued February 19 included lawyers and ministers who advocate gay rights, as well as government officials from agencies that provide benefits to couples. It based its findings on testimony collected last year at three public hearings but did not make any recommendations to resolve the problems the panel discovered.
The report highlighted problems encountered by hundreds of gay couples who entered into civil unions in the year since they were created, suggesting that the law is not fulfilling its mandate of providing same-sex couples with heterosexual marriage equality.
State lawmakers made New Jersey the third state to offer civil unions with a law adopted in 2006 in reaction to a state Supreme Court ruling that year that found gay couples were entitled to the same legal protections as married couples. The civil union law sought to give gay couples those benefits, but not the title of marriage. As a part of the same law, the review commission was created to look into whether it was working.
In the report the panel wrote: “The commission also heard testimony that the term ‘marriage,’ were it applied to the relationships of same-sex couples, would make a significant difference in providing equality to same-sex couples in New Jersey. Civil union status is not clear to the general public, which creates a second-class status.”
Gay rights advocates say the civil unions do not deliver and have pledged to push lawmakers to vote to allow marriage. Governor Jon S. Corzine has said he would be willing to sign such a bill into law but doesn’t want the issue to be taken up before the presidential election in November.
The commission learned that those who were in civil unions said they were still not being treated the way married couples are by government agencies, employers and others. For example, many companies in the state refuse to provide health insurance to the partners of their employees because they are self-insured and thus regulated by federal, rather than state law. The reported noted that employers in Massachusetts - the only state where gay couples can marry - could legally do the same thing, most do not.
The commission also found that many people in the state do not understand civil unions. That misunderstanding makes it more difficult for a child to grow up in New Jersey with gay parents, or to be gay themselves.
The New Jersey Health and Senior Services Department has reported that, as of mid-January, 2008, over 2,300 couples had received civil union licenses.
Right Wing Seeks To Overturn Transgender Equal Rights Law
Baltimore - A Montgomery County measure intended to protect transgender people appears headed to a voter referendum, setting up a potentially divisive debate over how far anti-discrimination laws should extend.
The recently passed law protects transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, and taxi and cable service, and was supposed to go into effect February 20. But it is now on hold after opponents gathered 32,000 signatures in a bid to put it on the ballot this fall.
Citizens for a Responsible Government (CRG), a group supported by the longtime anti-gay “Christian” Family Research Council, paid for thousands of computerized “robo” calls to households to further the petition drive. CRG claims the measure infringes on the privacy of most citizens while protecting just a few. The group also set up a website - www.notmyshower.com - that allegedly claims that “men in dresses” would access ladies’ restrooms and locker rooms to prey upon unsuspecting women.
Officials say the new law, which the County Council passed unanimously and County Executive Isiah Leggett signed, does not force changes at public restrooms. Furthermore, they say the bathroom issue is an old scare tactic that unfairly takes attention away from the measure’s point: to protect people whose internal sense of gender and biological gender at birth do not match.
“Have you ever heard of this being a problem anywhere? No, because transgender people are going to use the bathroom where they’re going to be the safest and where they’re going to blend in the most. They’re used to being subjected to discrimination and violence. And they have no interest in making other people uncomfortable,” Dan Furmansky said. Furmansky is the director of Equality Maryland, the state’s LGBT civil rights group. “It’s a common-sense bill about helping people live their lives.”
Once viewed as a relatively straightforward matter of biological category, gender has evolved into a far more complicated subject. Transgender is an umbrella term that can include transsexuals as well as people with a fluid identity that transcends traditional gender categories.
Montgomery County and Baltimore City are among about 95 jurisdictions and 13 states that have passed laws protecting transgender people, and the General Assembly has considered extending the protections across Maryland.
State News:
Child Enticement
Charges Back On For Ex-Brown County GOP LeaderGreen Bay - Charges alleging a top Brown County Republican fondled a 16-year old runaway boy after giving him beer and marijuana are back on the court docket here. The charges filed by Brown County Deputy District Attorney John Luetscher are identical to those presented last September but dismissed October 29 after the DA’s sole witness, now 17, failed to appear.
37 year-old Donald Fleischman resigned his post with the Brown County Republican Party following the filing of the September charges. Fleischman, who is now formally ordered to appear in court March 7 on the charges, continues to maintain his innocence, according to defense attorney Jeff Jazgar.
Fleischman is again charged with two counts of felony child enticement, two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and a misdemeanor charge of exposing himself to a child. If convicted, he could face up to 52 years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, in November 2006, Green Bay police went to Fleischman’s home searching for two runaways from Ethan House, a nearby juvenile facility. Officers discovered a half-dressed 16-year-old boy hiding in a closet.
The boy later told investigators that Fleischman also took him to an Appleton hotel in Appleton and a cabin near Florence for several days. The boy also said that during those trips Fleischman provided him with beer and marijuana, later fondling him after he went to bed. The boy also claimed that he awoke to find Fleischman masturbating while standing at the foot of the bed.
Luetscher told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he re-filed his case after contacting the boy. “I have a little more confidence that I’ll be able to bring the complainant forward as a witness,” Luetscher said. “I decided to re-file because my case wasn’t going to get any better by waiting.”
Update: Hearing Set In Club 1226 Condemnation Case
Oshkosh - The owners of Club 1226 will have their day in court in their battle with the City of Oshkosh. As Quest went to press, co-owner Christopher Nikolai advised that a formal hearing on the city’s January 14 condemnation order will be held on Tuesday, February 26.
Patrons of the bar reportedly sent copies of the Quest story about the allegedly suspicious condemnation order to city officials. They also contacted the ACLU of Wisconsin and the Lambda Legal Defense Fund who have shown interest in the case, according to Nikolai. The Quest story also garnered the interest of a Green Bay-based WGBA TV26, who reportedly will be covering the hearing on their local newscast Nikolai added.
Quest will continue to follow developments in the Club 1226 as they develop.
Fair Wisconsin Primary Handout Encourages Spring Election Voting
Statewide - Many of the nearly 1.6 million Wisconsin voters who turned out for the February 19 primary got an additional reminder that the “real” Spring election is still six weeks away. Volunteers for Fair Wisconsin handed out applications for absentee ballots outside polling stations across the state, hoping to hike voter participation in the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election to be held April 1.
“Hopefully, it will turn what is normally a very dreary turnout for an April election into something more,” Fair Wisconsin Interim Executive Director said. Many political experts believe the white hot White House races likely will result in a higher voter turnout for the recent primary contest than for the Spring general election where a critical Supreme Court race will pit incumbent Justice Louis Butler against Michael Gableman. Butler is seen a part of the court’s liberal minority, while Gableman, a judicial appointee of former GOP governor Scott McCallum is viewed as a conservative. The outcome could further tip the court’s balance to the right.
Two cases of concern to Fair Wisconsin are expected to be on upcoming dockets following the election. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to ultimately review a technical issue associated with Bill McConkey’s challenge of the same-sex marriage ban, according to Carlson. A Dane County circuit court judge recently ruled that McConkey had standing to sue because the referendum asked two questions: whether to ban gay marriage and whether to ban anything “substantially similar” to marriage. By law referenda are limited to single questions.
Wisconsin’s top court is also expected to hear the case involving six lesbian couples who are suing the state for being denied domestic partner benefits. The court may also be asked to ultimately decide how broadly to interpret the second sentence of the gay marriage amendment that bans anything “substantially similar” to marriage.
Fair Wisconsin has begun an effort to enact a law that would establish a statewide domestic partner registry. A broad interpretation of “substantially similar” might impact such a registry, according to Carlson.
Wisconsin law currently permits anyone to vote absentee if they so choose. Several years ago Milwaukee’s Center Advocates sought to boost voter turnout with its “Vote Naked” absentee ballot initiative. Research has shown that similar get-out-the vote efforts with absentee ballots have been successful in other nonpartisan races.
2008 MILMAIDS Madison Bowling Tournament Set
Madison - The 2008 MILMAIDS Bowling Tournament will be held Saturday, April 12, starting at 9:30 AM at the Bowl-A-Vard Lanes, 2121 East Springs Drive here.
MILMAIDS is a charitable bowling tournament that was started in 1985 in response to the AIDS crisis. This annual Tournament alternates locations between Madison and Milwaukee with all proceeds going to AIDS Organizations chosen by the host city. This year’s beneficiary will be Madison’s AIDS Network. This benefit tournament will raise funds to be used exclusively for direct client services.
According to MILMAIDS organizer Bret Dougherty, the event promises to be a great time. “You don’t have to be a good bowler to participate,” he said.. To register for the tournament, contact Dougherty by phone at: 608-223-0488 , or by email at: bddougherty@sbcglobal.net.
Registration forms may be printed from the AIDS Network website at: www.aidsnetwork.org in the Events section of the site. The cost of the tournament is $30 if paid in advance, $35 if paid after March 28. The price includes bowling, buffet, prizes and donation.
Because there is only space for 400 bowlers, early registration is strongly encouraged. “Get your registration forms in soon as (this tourney) fills up quickly,” Dougherty noted. Spectators and bowling enthusiasts are encouraged to attend and show support for a great cause.
Renamed “Rita Bowl” Goes “Paddy” Green March 14
Milwaukee - Veteran Cream City bowlers have more than green beer to look forward to around St. Patrick’s Day this year. The newly-named “Paddy Bowl,” organized to support the annual Holiday Invitational Tournament (HIT) has been set for Friday, March 14 at the AMF Lanes, 10901 West Lapham St. in West Allis. Check-in is at 7 PM, with bowling beginning at 8 PM.
Cost for the open event is $20 per person. Individuals may register as well as five member teams. Paddy Bowl tickets are available from HIT board members, or online at the HIT website: www.hitmilwaukee.org
For more information about the Paddy Bowl contact Mark by phone at: 414-453-1868 or 414-469-3002, or by email at: mklemme104@aol.com. Proceeds from the Paddy Bowl, which replaces the long-running “Rita Bowl,” will benefit the Holiday Invitational Tournament.
The invitation-only Holiday Invitational Tournament is the oldest LGBT bowling tournament in the United States and Canada, and held over Thanksgiving weekend annually. HIT is a handicapped-bowling tournament sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress. HIT also is proud to be a charter member of the International Gay Bowling Organization.
Since it’s inception in 1978, HIT has given away over $300,000 in cash and prizes. HIT is a not-for-profit organization, therefore, all monies raised by HIT through its fund-raising efforts are used to offset tournament expenses, allow HIT to maintain a reasonable entry fee for bowlers and provide a prize fund that will entice bowlers to the Milwaukee LGBT community.
41/26 Venture Hires Media and Marketing Consultant
Milwaukee - The 41/26 Venture, a project of Cream City Foundation’s Joseph R. Pabst LGBT Infrastructure Fund, has hired Media and Marketing consultant Denise Cawley, a principal in the Circore Creative firm. Cawley will help create a media campaign around Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender issues, particularly those represented through “Shall Not Be Recognized”, an exhibit featuring same-sex couples who have been together for seven years or more.
The media campaign will include billboards in southeastern Wisconsin, a media kit, as well as an expert’s guide for responding to media that will be made available to all interested LGBT organizations and leaders. Additionally, Cawley will respond to LGBT related stories in the news that reflect the goals of the campaign and coordinate responses to media coverage on behalf of the 41/26 Venture. Cawley drafted the recent community response to the murder of Vic Milford that was featured prominently in a recent Quest story on the incident and its aftermath.
The media campaign was developed after a year of stimulating discussions, according to Angie Guerra, a member of the 41/26 Venture Committee and interim Director of Communications for the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. “I am very excited about the work Ms. Cawley will do to provide visibility and a presence for LGBT people through marketing efforts,” she said.
“The committee obviously put a lot of time and thought into this project, and the hiring of Denise Cawley,” Cream City Foundation President Tim Clark added. “Ms. Cawley knows how to tailor marketing to the resources of an organization and how to gain impressive results. Plus, she has been an advocate for our community for more than a dozen years. From her public relations and media work while on the first Board of Directors for the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, to her work in LGBT arts, and her education and advocacy efforts regarding LGBT parenting issues; Ms. Cawley has shown her commitment to LGBT rights and interests.”
One of the creators of “Shall Not Be Recognized,”photographer, Jeff Percy, feels Cawley is a natural choice for the media consultant role. “She has been a cheerleader for this project from the start,” he noted. “Denise Cawley, Anne Hefter (her partner of 12 years) and their son Aidan appear as subjects in the “Shall Not Be Recognized” exhibit.
Cawley was selected from a pool of candidates who responded to a December 2007 proposal sent to over 800 individuals, fifty LGBT agencies and numerous media outlets. 41/26 Venture members include Joseph Brooks, formerly with the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin; Maria Cadenas, Executive Director of the Cream City Foundation; Patrick Flaherty, former Director of Center Advocates; Angie Guerra of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center and volunteer with the Lesbian Fund of the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee; and Michael Johnston, writer for Outbound magazine.
The Cream City Foundation serves as a catalyst for social change on behalf of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities in southeastern Wisconsin. CCF’s work includes strategic grant making, education, and media outreach. Find out more at www.creamcityfoundation.org. To find out more about the “Shall Not Be Recognized” exhibit visit www.shallnotberecognized.org.
SSBL Sets Miller Park Concession Training
Milwaukee - The Saturday Softball Beer League of Milwaukee will hold its Miller Park concession training session, Saturday, March 8 at 2:30 pm at the Milwaukee Gay Art Center (MGAC).
Each year SSBL-Milwaukee raises funds by staffing Miller Park concessions during Milwaukee Brewers’ home games. This effort allows SSBL-Milwaukee to support its league and produce the internationally attended Dairyland Classic Gay Softball Tournament.
Additionally, this year SSBL has won its bid to bring the Gay Softball World Series to Milwaukee in 2009. In order to raise the funds necessary to meet all its goals, SSBL is appealing to fans and supporters to volunteer at Miller Park with SSBL team players.
All volunteers must attend a training session to qualify. The training will be held at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, 703 South 2nd Street, and will last 90 minutes.
For more information or to RSVP and make a reservation for training, contact Mona Garciaby email at: monaandtata@aol.com or call 262-617-1269
Letter To The Editor
In response to the article Milford Murder Leaves Walker’s Point Neighborhood On Edge:
First and foremost, Bet-z Boenning of Walker’s Pint and Bill Wardlow from Fluid wish to extend their sincerest sympathies to the friends and family of Vic Milford. While we recognize that Quest had to go to press with an article about the tragedy, we feel that it was written in haste. We are disheartened about much of the content, and feel certain aspects of it should be clarified to prevent further misunderstandings or unwarranted misconceptions.
To start, Will Sharkey was not the only person interviewed by the media. Bill was interviewed by 2 different news crews - because he cared. Bet-z was also interviewed by the media as were several of her bartenders - because they cared.
Also, while there is some proof that the girls that got hit by a car was a hate crime, there is no proof that Vic’s tragedy was as well. It was a human tragedy. Every human life lost is a tragedy. It does, however, sting more when it is a friend and the tragedy occurs in your own neighborhood.
The article implies that local business owners are hiding information about events in the neighborhood - this is the furthest thing from the truth. What we know, our patrons also know. We as residents and business owners of the Walker’s Point neighborhood would naturally have more insight about happenings in the area then someone who lives on the East side, Cudahy, or Riverwest; why were we not interviewed for the original article? We are both easily accessible and at our respective businesses almost everyday, yet little or no attempt was made to interview either of us.
This is an entertainment district and one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Milwaukee. There are straight bars, gay bars, biker bars, restaurants, tattoo shops, and salons. Our neighborhood is a veritable melting pot, and there is something for everyone in Walker‘s Point.
The bar owners here have worked together for years and continue to do so in order to improve our neighborhood. We have consistently been in contact with the mayor, the alderman, our district police captain, and our county supervisor. Increased police foot patrols and additional squad cars are two results of being diligently active in our neighborhood. The new police chief recently implemented a gang initiative that is already producing results - they recently broke up a gang on the north side and are now focusing on the south side. Per the recent crime analysis meeting that Bill and a Pint staff member attended, every category of crime - from simple theft to homicide - has decreased in our district from the previous month. We continue to work with the police as a part of the solution to our neighborhoods problems.
The article’s main emphasis was fear, fear, fear; this is neither true nor conducive to solving the problems our neighborhood faces. We are diligently working to make Walker’s Point as safe as possible for all that enter it. The best thing we can all do, gay or straight, is educate ourselves and be aware that crime can happen anywhere, while also remaining hopeful and proactive in confronting the problems we do face.
We hope that the women Vic was with that night are able to heal and our prayers go out to them. We also applaud the Milwaukee police department for the rapid arrest of Vic’s perpetrators.
Bet-z Boenning
Bill Wardlow
Milwaukee, WI
Arts & Entertainment:
So, What About…? Quest Interviews Actress Marion
Araujo
By Paul Masterson
Marion
Araujo, 28, lives with her partner in Bay View. She is treasurer
of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center board of directors and works as a
career development specialist for a non-profit organization. She is
also an actress.
Her acting career began in college and she is now making her second appearance at the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theater in Bay View. Araujo is playing in its production of Casy Kurtti’s Catholic School Girls that recently opened.
Quest: Before we get into the present, what’s your background in theater?
Araujo: I attended a college that didn’t have a theater major but I was able to perform in various school productions. I then went on to dinner and community theater. Last fall I auditioned for a show and got a role at the Boulevard. Catholic School Girls is my second show there.
Quest: What else have you done at the Boulevard?
Araujo: I played several smaller roles in Anne Washburn’s The Internationalist.
Quest: I saw you in that. You got a very nice review from Damien Jacques as I recall. The play had an interesting quirk. Can you tell us about that?
Araujo: Yes, it was a little different. The Internationalist is about an American businessman in an unnamed eastern European country. The playwright created a non-existent language for that “foreign” atmosphere. The dialogue is scripted but entirely unintelligible. The “local” characters use it throughout the play when the American is in the scene to establish the sense of separation. It was a real challenge to learn lines and make them seem natural.
Quest: So, what about Catholic School Girls?
Araujo: It’s a really fun show, a “coming of age” play that takes place in the 1960’s – so there’s the turbulence of the times as a background: the Kennedy assassination, social upheaval, classic gender roles and, in the midst of it all, the four girls are growing up, discovering themselves – and boys – in the Catholic School setting, with nuns, of course. I play one of the girls. Mark Bucher is directing.
It’s an all female cast. I had some apprehension of being in a show with eight women but it’s been incredible – we may scare Mark at times but he’s coping.
Quest: It sounds like a totally different role for you.
Araujo: It is. I’ve never played a child before and Catholic School Girls is a “memory” play so all the characters grow up over the eight years of school. It’s challenging as an actor but the audience will find it easy to identify with the characters – their experiences are universal – good and bad times, friendships – and, even if you’re not Catholic, the nostalgia and relationships with teachers, nuns or otherwise, the terrorism of “sin,” or doing anything wrong, will be very familiar.
Quest: Mark Bucher’s Boulevard Ensemble has been producing plays for 22 years. How does it feel to be part of Milwaukee theater history?
Araujo: It’s a wonderful house. You can feel the energy and experience. It’s a fantastic place for “out” actors – there’s a professional comfort level. Mark Bucher is a demanding director and has high expectations so it’s hard work. But Mark manages to make criticism a means to drive us to make something better. He’s critical but encouraging. I feel like I’m learning and not just following direction.
Quest: What’s next after Catholic School Girls?
Araujo: I’ll be in another Boulevard production, Moliere’s The Misanthrope playing Eliante. Mark’s put a twist into the production – the love interests will be same sex so it will be a bit edgy but a lot of fun.
Catholic School Girls runs through March 16 at the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2252 South Kinnickinnic Ave.
Reality Bites: Big Brother House Mate’s, American Idol Contestant’s Gay Pasts Exposed
Los Angeles - The Hollywood writer’s strike may be over, but the hot gay twists that have popped up on two popular reality shows, are just as
eye-popping
as any scripted plot device might be.
House mates at the current edition of Big Brother were supposed to be looking for love - as in wedded bliss - this time out, but one contestant nicknamed “Crazy James” has turned out to have found ecstasy of another sort - in gay porn.
Turns out that contestant James Zinkand is an ex-stripper who has appeared in several gay adult videos. Zinkand entered the house allegedly as a straight guy looking for love in the special “matchmakers edition” of the show. However a gay porn website called Dirtyboyvideo.com revealed Zinkland’s gay porn past when it began promoting videos of him on its home page.
According to the site, “If you’ve tuned into CBS’s Big Brother 9 this season then you’re already familiar with ‘Crazy James’. This sexy, tattooed mega-hottie was smoking up our screens long before his TV debut! He biked across the nation straight to our doors and straight into the asses and mouths of a few of the lucky boys in our porn stable!”
The Dirtyboy clips reveal that Zinkland’s “acting credit” seems completely appropriate for the ninth edition of the reality show.
And if it’s another season of American Idol, then its time for another gay rumor to surface early on in the competition. “Gay Clay” Aiken may be prancing across the Broadway boards in Spamalot and who knows where Mario Vasquez has gone, but gay spotters have picked up on Phoenix native David Hernandez. According to tipsters Hernandez stripped in “sleazy” gay night spots in his home town and, prior to his Idol gig, “straightened up” his MySpace profile page, which cached copies allegedly show a queer bent.
Producers at both shows have remained mum of both contestants’ homo histories thus far.
Addicted To Jesus? Program Probes Religious Right’s Anti-Gay Obsession
Milwaukee - Outwords Books is delighted to offer the program, “What Really Fuels The Anti-Gay Obsession Of The Religious Right Wing?” at 7 PM on Monday, March 17 - an intriguing alternative to perils of excessive consumption of “green beer.”
Leading the discussion is Dr. Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., author of the recently released book, “When Religion Is an Addiction,” an eye-opening investigation and pull-no-punches exposé.
“The high of righteousness is the same as the high of cocaine,” according to popular psychological speaker Dr. John Bradshaw. Dr. Minor examines how a large portion of the right-wing uses religion the way an addict uses their addiction, including its obsession with politics today as its new high.
“Election nights of the religious right-wing have become like New Years Eve for the alcoholic,” Dr. Minor said. He examines the often-found relationship between sexual and religious addiction, shows how liberals have been enablers, and recommends new strategies to respond to religious addicts. The religious right-wing in the US is on a bender and its latest fix is politics.
“When Religion is an Addiction” is published by HumanityWorks! Previous books by Dr. Minor include “Gay and Healthy in a Sick Society: The Minor Details” which was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award in 2004, and was named in national reviews as one of the best gay books of 2003. His “Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human” was also published by HumanityWorks! in 2002 was named a Finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and the Independent Publisher Book Award.
A national resource for information on gender issues and gay/straight relationships for organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and media outlets such as NBC and USA Today, Robert N. Minor, Ph.D. has been speaking, consulting, and leading workshops for over ten years. He is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas where he has taught for over thirty years. A native of Milwaukee, he received the Ph.D. in Religion from the University of Iowa in 1975 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity Divinity School in Chicago.
Dr. Robert N. Minor, Ph.D will sign copies of “When Religion Is an Addiction,” following the discussion which begins at 7 PM on Monday, March 17.
This is a free event and will take place at Outwords Books, Gifts & Coffee, located at 2710 N. Murray Ave. in Milwaukee. All are welcome. For further information, please call visit the Outwords website at: www.outwordsbooks.com or call 414-963-9089.
Singing Lesbians Set Up Camp March 7
Musical Satirizes 1950s Pulp Romance Novels
Madison - StageQ, Inc, the local not-for-profit LGBTQ Theater Company has announced the musical comedy “Pulp” will run March 7 - March 29,
2008 at the Bartel Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin Street in
Madison.
“Pulp,” is a “comedy with music” spoofing the lurid 1950s novels of over-the-top stereotypes of lesbian romance. Everything from the classic butch and femme images to Barbara Stanwyck gets set up and knocked over in song on the Drury stage of the Bartel.
“March is a long cold month, so we wanted to heat up the theater with a sexy production,” StageQ Artistic Director Tara Ayres said. “Even though this is lesbian-themed show, the satire is so broad that all audiences will be able to laugh along with the jokes and leave the theater humming some new songs.”
“Pulp” features book and lyrics by Patricia Kane and music by Amy Warren and Andre Pluess. Chicago’s About Face Theater company originally produced the show. StageQ’s production is directed by Tara Ayres and features the talented cast of Susan Carnell, Dana Pellebon, Laura Spring, Mary-Elizabeth Pasquesi, Jennifer Jenkins and Louise Stout, with accompaniment provided by keyboard virtuoso Harris Lemberg.
“Pulp” will run March 7 - 29 at the Bartel Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin Street in Madison, WI. “Pulp” performance times are 7:30 PM on Thursdays and 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $10 for Thursday performances and $15 for Friday and Saturday shows.
More information about specific performance dates, tickets and reservations are available at: www.StageQ.com or by calling 608-661-9696, Ext. 3.
Union Art Gallery Sets 35th Annual Juried Show
Milwaukee - The Union Art Gallery is accepting submissions for the 35th Annual Juried Show. The show will run from March 7 to April 4, with an opening reception Friday, March 7, from 5 - 8 PM. The 35th Annual Juried Show is an opportunity for art students in the Milwaukee area to show their work in a competitive, selective exhibition. Submissions will be evaluated by a team of jurors chosen from the Milwaukee art community. There is a $15 charge to submit three pieces. Drop-off dates are February 29 from 9 - 5 PM, March 1 from Noon - 5 PM, and March 3 from 9-5. This year’s jurors are Mutópe J. Johnson, Dara Larson, and Richard Taylor.
Mutópe J. Johnson, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he received a BFA. Johnson is an active participant in the Milwaukee art world, serving as a board member for the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, Board of Directors of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s African American Art Alliance, the UW-Whitewater Fine Arts Advisory Board, and the WCTC Graphic Arts Advisory Board.
Dara Larson holds an MFA in Drawing and Printmaking from UW-Milwaukee, and a BS in Printmaking from UW-Stout. She is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Alverno College in Milwaukee. She has completed fellowships from the United States Department of Education for curricular development in Latin Studies and Peace Studies at Alverno College.
Richard Taylor is a working artist located in Milwaukee. He received his MFA in painting and drawing from UW-Milwaukee and since has worked with metal in multiple forms from large sculpture to wall paintings that are done on various metals. Taylor has created commissioned work for individuals and institutions across the country and has been collected and exhibited internationally.
Gallery hours are Monday thru Wednesday from12 - 5 PM, Thursday from 12-7 and Friday thru Saturday from Noon - 5 PM. The gallery is located on the Campus Level of the Union in room W199.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union Art Gallery (UAG) is an art space dedicated to the exhibition of diverse, contemporary art. The UAG presents a broad range of visual art by exhibiting work in all mediums by local, regional, and national emerging and established artists. In addition, the Union Art Gallery prides itself on being an accessible space for UWM student artists to exhibit and learn. For more information, visit us online at: www.aux.uwm.edu. The gallery page is located in the Union events section of the site.
By Paul Masterson
Marion
Araujo, 28, lives with her partner in Bay View. She is treasurer
of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center board of directors and works as a
career development specialist for a non-profit organization. She is
also an actress.Her acting career began in college and she is now making her second appearance at the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theater in Bay View. Araujo is playing in its production of Casy Kurtti’s Catholic School Girls that recently opened.
Quest: Before we get into the present, what’s your background in theater?
Araujo: I attended a college that didn’t have a theater major but I was able to perform in various school productions. I then went on to dinner and community theater. Last fall I auditioned for a show and got a role at the Boulevard. Catholic School Girls is my second show there.
Quest: What else have you done at the Boulevard?
Araujo: I played several smaller roles in Anne Washburn’s The Internationalist.
Quest: I saw you in that. You got a very nice review from Damien Jacques as I recall. The play had an interesting quirk. Can you tell us about that?
Araujo: Yes, it was a little different. The Internationalist is about an American businessman in an unnamed eastern European country. The playwright created a non-existent language for that “foreign” atmosphere. The dialogue is scripted but entirely unintelligible. The “local” characters use it throughout the play when the American is in the scene to establish the sense of separation. It was a real challenge to learn lines and make them seem natural.
Quest: So, what about Catholic School Girls?
Araujo: It’s a really fun show, a “coming of age” play that takes place in the 1960’s – so there’s the turbulence of the times as a background: the Kennedy assassination, social upheaval, classic gender roles and, in the midst of it all, the four girls are growing up, discovering themselves – and boys – in the Catholic School setting, with nuns, of course. I play one of the girls. Mark Bucher is directing.
It’s an all female cast. I had some apprehension of being in a show with eight women but it’s been incredible – we may scare Mark at times but he’s coping.
Quest: It sounds like a totally different role for you.
Araujo: It is. I’ve never played a child before and Catholic School Girls is a “memory” play so all the characters grow up over the eight years of school. It’s challenging as an actor but the audience will find it easy to identify with the characters – their experiences are universal – good and bad times, friendships – and, even if you’re not Catholic, the nostalgia and relationships with teachers, nuns or otherwise, the terrorism of “sin,” or doing anything wrong, will be very familiar.
Quest: Mark Bucher’s Boulevard Ensemble has been producing plays for 22 years. How does it feel to be part of Milwaukee theater history?
Araujo: It’s a wonderful house. You can feel the energy and experience. It’s a fantastic place for “out” actors – there’s a professional comfort level. Mark Bucher is a demanding director and has high expectations so it’s hard work. But Mark manages to make criticism a means to drive us to make something better. He’s critical but encouraging. I feel like I’m learning and not just following direction.
Quest: What’s next after Catholic School Girls?
Araujo: I’ll be in another Boulevard production, Moliere’s The Misanthrope playing Eliante. Mark’s put a twist into the production – the love interests will be same sex so it will be a bit edgy but a lot of fun.
Catholic School Girls runs through March 16 at the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2252 South Kinnickinnic Ave.
Reality Bites: Big Brother House Mate’s, American Idol Contestant’s Gay Pasts Exposed
Los Angeles - The Hollywood writer’s strike may be over, but the hot gay twists that have popped up on two popular reality shows, are just as
eye-popping
as any scripted plot device might be.House mates at the current edition of Big Brother were supposed to be looking for love - as in wedded bliss - this time out, but one contestant nicknamed “Crazy James” has turned out to have found ecstasy of another sort - in gay porn.
Turns out that contestant James Zinkand is an ex-stripper who has appeared in several gay adult videos. Zinkand entered the house allegedly as a straight guy looking for love in the special “matchmakers edition” of the show. However a gay porn website called Dirtyboyvideo.com revealed Zinkland’s gay porn past when it began promoting videos of him on its home page.
According to the site, “If you’ve tuned into CBS’s Big Brother 9 this season then you’re already familiar with ‘Crazy James’. This sexy, tattooed mega-hottie was smoking up our screens long before his TV debut! He biked across the nation straight to our doors and straight into the asses and mouths of a few of the lucky boys in our porn stable!”
The Dirtyboy clips reveal that Zinkland’s “acting credit” seems completely appropriate for the ninth edition of the reality show.
And if it’s another season of American Idol, then its time for another gay rumor to surface early on in the competition. “Gay Clay” Aiken may be prancing across the Broadway boards in Spamalot and who knows where Mario Vasquez has gone, but gay spotters have picked up on Phoenix native David Hernandez. According to tipsters Hernandez stripped in “sleazy” gay night spots in his home town and, prior to his Idol gig, “straightened up” his MySpace profile page, which cached copies allegedly show a queer bent.
Producers at both shows have remained mum of both contestants’ homo histories thus far.
Addicted To Jesus? Program Probes Religious Right’s Anti-Gay Obsession
Milwaukee - Outwords Books is delighted to offer the program, “What Really Fuels The Anti-Gay Obsession Of The Religious Right Wing?” at 7 PM on Monday, March 17 - an intriguing alternative to perils of excessive consumption of “green beer.”
Leading the discussion is Dr. Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., author of the recently released book, “When Religion Is an Addiction,” an eye-opening investigation and pull-no-punches exposé.
“The high of righteousness is the same as the high of cocaine,” according to popular psychological speaker Dr. John Bradshaw. Dr. Minor examines how a large portion of the right-wing uses religion the way an addict uses their addiction, including its obsession with politics today as its new high.
“Election nights of the religious right-wing have become like New Years Eve for the alcoholic,” Dr. Minor said. He examines the often-found relationship between sexual and religious addiction, shows how liberals have been enablers, and recommends new strategies to respond to religious addicts. The religious right-wing in the US is on a bender and its latest fix is politics.
“When Religion is an Addiction” is published by HumanityWorks! Previous books by Dr. Minor include “Gay and Healthy in a Sick Society: The Minor Details” which was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award in 2004, and was named in national reviews as one of the best gay books of 2003. His “Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human” was also published by HumanityWorks! in 2002 was named a Finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and the Independent Publisher Book Award.
A national resource for information on gender issues and gay/straight relationships for organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and media outlets such as NBC and USA Today, Robert N. Minor, Ph.D. has been speaking, consulting, and leading workshops for over ten years. He is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas where he has taught for over thirty years. A native of Milwaukee, he received the Ph.D. in Religion from the University of Iowa in 1975 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity Divinity School in Chicago.
Dr. Robert N. Minor, Ph.D will sign copies of “When Religion Is an Addiction,” following the discussion which begins at 7 PM on Monday, March 17.
This is a free event and will take place at Outwords Books, Gifts & Coffee, located at 2710 N. Murray Ave. in Milwaukee. All are welcome. For further information, please call visit the Outwords website at: www.outwordsbooks.com or call 414-963-9089.
Singing Lesbians Set Up Camp March 7
Musical Satirizes 1950s Pulp Romance Novels
Madison - StageQ, Inc, the local not-for-profit LGBTQ Theater Company has announced the musical comedy “Pulp” will run March 7 - March 29,
2008 at the Bartel Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin Street in
Madison. “Pulp,” is a “comedy with music” spoofing the lurid 1950s novels of over-the-top stereotypes of lesbian romance. Everything from the classic butch and femme images to Barbara Stanwyck gets set up and knocked over in song on the Drury stage of the Bartel.
“March is a long cold month, so we wanted to heat up the theater with a sexy production,” StageQ Artistic Director Tara Ayres said. “Even though this is lesbian-themed show, the satire is so broad that all audiences will be able to laugh along with the jokes and leave the theater humming some new songs.”
“Pulp” features book and lyrics by Patricia Kane and music by Amy Warren and Andre Pluess. Chicago’s About Face Theater company originally produced the show. StageQ’s production is directed by Tara Ayres and features the talented cast of Susan Carnell, Dana Pellebon, Laura Spring, Mary-Elizabeth Pasquesi, Jennifer Jenkins and Louise Stout, with accompaniment provided by keyboard virtuoso Harris Lemberg.
“Pulp” will run March 7 - 29 at the Bartel Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin Street in Madison, WI. “Pulp” performance times are 7:30 PM on Thursdays and 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $10 for Thursday performances and $15 for Friday and Saturday shows.
More information about specific performance dates, tickets and reservations are available at: www.StageQ.com or by calling 608-661-9696, Ext. 3.
Union Art Gallery Sets 35th Annual Juried Show
Milwaukee - The Union Art Gallery is accepting submissions for the 35th Annual Juried Show. The show will run from March 7 to April 4, with an opening reception Friday, March 7, from 5 - 8 PM. The 35th Annual Juried Show is an opportunity for art students in the Milwaukee area to show their work in a competitive, selective exhibition. Submissions will be evaluated by a team of jurors chosen from the Milwaukee art community. There is a $15 charge to submit three pieces. Drop-off dates are February 29 from 9 - 5 PM, March 1 from Noon - 5 PM, and March 3 from 9-5. This year’s jurors are Mutópe J. Johnson, Dara Larson, and Richard Taylor.
Mutópe J. Johnson, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he received a BFA. Johnson is an active participant in the Milwaukee art world, serving as a board member for the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, Board of Directors of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s African American Art Alliance, the UW-Whitewater Fine Arts Advisory Board, and the WCTC Graphic Arts Advisory Board.
Dara Larson holds an MFA in Drawing and Printmaking from UW-Milwaukee, and a BS in Printmaking from UW-Stout. She is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Alverno College in Milwaukee. She has completed fellowships from the United States Department of Education for curricular development in Latin Studies and Peace Studies at Alverno College.
Richard Taylor is a working artist located in Milwaukee. He received his MFA in painting and drawing from UW-Milwaukee and since has worked with metal in multiple forms from large sculpture to wall paintings that are done on various metals. Taylor has created commissioned work for individuals and institutions across the country and has been collected and exhibited internationally.
Gallery hours are Monday thru Wednesday from12 - 5 PM, Thursday from 12-7 and Friday thru Saturday from Noon - 5 PM. The gallery is located on the Campus Level of the Union in room W199.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union Art Gallery (UAG) is an art space dedicated to the exhibition of diverse, contemporary art. The UAG presents a broad range of visual art by exhibiting work in all mediums by local, regional, and national emerging and established artists. In addition, the Union Art Gallery prides itself on being an accessible space for UWM student artists to exhibit and learn. For more information, visit us online at: www.aux.uwm.edu. The gallery page is located in the Union events section of the site.