Wisconsin Attorney General Refuses To Defend Domestic Partner Law
Madison - Though the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new domestic partnership law filed by the religious extremist Wisconsin Family Action group has yet to be considered for acceptance by the state supreme court, Republican Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced August 21 that he won’t defend the state against the suit.
  Van Hollen said in his statement that the state Constitution prohibits same-sex couples from holding a legal status that is “substantially similar” to marriage and that he has concluded the registry does just that. “My decision isn’t based on a policy disagreement,” he said. “ As Attorney General, I prosecute and defend laws that I wouldn’t have voted for if I were a policymaker. That is what I believe the job entails.
  "But I will not ignore the Constitution. My oath isn’t to the legislature or the governor. My duty is to the people of the State of Wisconsin and the highest expression of their will - the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin. When the people have spoken by amending our Constitution, I will abide by their command. When policymakers have ignored their words, I will not.”
  Van Hollen’s August 21 statement directly contradicts remarks he offered as a candidate for Attorney General in 2005, a race that coincided with the battle over the so-called “marriage protection” amendment referendum. “The Legislature or the governing body of a political subdivision or local governmental unit is not precluded from authorizing or requiring that a right or benefit traditionally associated with marriage be extended to two or more unmarried individuals; for example, family health insurance benefits, certain probate rights, or the ability to file joint tax returns,” he said November 29 that year.
  Van Hollen’s flip-flop echoes a similar set of contradictory statements made by lead litigant in the WFA suit, Julaine Appling. “If the state Legislature wants to take up adoption and inheritance rights, it can do that,” she said in December 2005, just a week after Van Hollen made his original remarks.. “Nothing in the second sentence (of the amendment, which forbids civil unions) prohibits that,” she claimed.
  Appling’s tune changed completely in 2009 when the WFA lawsuit was filed. “"The state's domestic partner registry is a direct attack on the will of the people and our constitution, as well as on the institution of marriage."
  While Appling’s and Wisconsin Family Action’s extremist religious views are already well known to the general public, Van Hollen’s may not be. Van Hollen has been involved with the right-wing evangelical men’s movement Promise Keepers and at one time sorted a bumper sticker for the group on his personal vehicle.
  Governor Jim Doyle and Assembly Representative Marc Pocan (D-Madison), who championed the domestic partner law as part of the biennial budget bill, were quick to call Van Hollen on his decision.
  “The Attorney General's job is to represent the state and defend state law when there is a good faith defense to be made,” Doyle said. “His representation should not be based on whether he likes the state law.”
  Doyle then defended the new law. “Clearly this is defensible. Constitutional law experts have examined the domestic partnership registry and believe it is sound and not in conflict with the state constitution,” he said.
  The governor was referring to the opinion issued last May by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council supporting the legality of domestic partnerships under the constitutional amendment. “It is reasonable to conclude that the domestic partnerships proposed do not confer a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals in violation of art. XIII, s.13,” the opinion concluded.
  Doyle then pointed out the additional cost Van Hollen’s decision will create. “Attorney General Van Hollen's decision not to defend the domestic partner registry will force the costs of outside counsel onto taxpayers when the Attorney General should simply do his job,” the governor said.
  Pocan accused the Attorney General of “shredding,” not protecting the Constitution by his decision. “The AG claimed in his statement that he is defending the Constitution - in reality he is shredding the Constitution for political purposes,” Pocan said. “I am very disappointed in the person who should be acting as the state’s top attorney, not the state’s biggest politician.”
  Pocan also appeared confident that Van Hollen’s “political” decision would come back to haunt him in 2010. “When the domestic partner registry is upheld, Van Hollen will have to explain to the people of Wisconsin why he shirked his duties and stuck them with the bill, Pocan added.”
  Fair Wisconsin Executive Director expressed her dismay over Van Hollen’s decision as well. “Fair Wisconsin is disappointed at the Attorney General’s decision,” she said. “The Attorney General was elected to defend the State of Wisconsin from exactly this type of legal challenge, and we regret that he has chosen not to do so.”  
  The statewide LGBT civil rights organization has established a legal defense fund against the WFA suit, Belanger added.  “Fair Wisconsin is prepared to defend domestic partnerships because same-sex couples need the basic protections they provide,” she said. “Because of the importance of this legislation, Fair Wisconsin will seek to take an active role in this case and has retained Lambda Legal as counsel. We are confident that the State Supreme Court will arrive at a fair and just decision that upholds these basic protections for same-sex couples.”
  Unlike Van Hollen, Lambda Legal senior staff attorney sees no problems with the co-existence of the DP registry and the constitutional amendment. “The domestic partnership registry and the constitutional amendment barring same-sex couples from marriage are not in conflict with each other,” he said in a Fair Wisconsin press release. “In the absence of such a conflict, we are perplexed and disappointed by the Attorney General’s decision and we encourage the Governor to vigorously defend the important legal protections that the legislature validly enacted to protect Wisconsin citizens.”
  More information on the legal defense fund and how to donate to the fund is available at the Fair Wisconsin website: www.fairwisconsin.com
  The domestic partner registry was contained in the state budget that went into effect July 1. Governor Doyle initially proposed the registry as part of his budget proposal last February. Wisconsin is the first state in the country to have enacted any type of legal recognition for same-sex couples while also having a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions.
  Though the Supreme Court will not make its decision to accept the WFA case before it formally reconvenes in September, it had asked the state for a response to the lawsuit by August 31.  It is not known whether Van Hollen’s late decision made a month after the court request will impact the timing of the state response.
  While it may be rare, it is not unheard of for attorneys general to decline to represent the state. The WFA case marks the first time Van Hollen has declined to represent the state in a case involving a constitutional issue. However, there have been cases where a conflict of interest has required it, according to Department of Justice spokesman Kevin St. John. Given the late timing of the decision and Van Hollen’s political and religious affiliations, his unstated conflicts appear clear under scrutiny.

World & National News:

Lutherans Reverse Active Gay Clergy Ban
Minneapolis - Another major Christian denomination has taken a controversial step regarding gay clergy. At their annual meeting the 4.7-million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, voted August 21 “to allow Lutherans in same-gender relationships to serve as pastors of congregations and serve in other professional leadership roles.” Until now, only celibate gay men and lesbians could serve such church roles.
  In breaking down barriers restricting gay and lesbian people from the pulpit, the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination has laid down a new marker in a debate over the direction of mainline Protestant Christianity, a tradition that once dominated American religious life.
  By their vote the ELCA will either show how a church can stand together amid differences, or become another casualty of division over sexual morality and the Bible, observers say. “We’re going to be living in tension and ambiguity for a longer time, partly because the culture has shifted,” Duke Divinity School professor of Christian history David Steinmetz said.
  The question is whether the mainline church will shift alongside, or if it will decide that the more welcoming attitude toward homosexuality is wrong, he said.
  While congregations will not be forced to hire gay clergy, conservative ELCA members decried the decisions as straying from clear Scriptural direction and warned that defections are likely.
  Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson pleaded for unity, appealing to both those who long felt marginalized and thought the changes were overdue and those “who feel they were once more central but now feel more peripheral.” “It would be tragic if we walked away from one another,” he said.
  The ELCA hopes to avoid the kind of fissures that have strained the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion, of which the 2.1 million-member Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch. Just weeks ago, Episcopalians approved a resolution saying that “God has called and may call” gay people in committed relationships to ordained ministry in the church, defying Anglicans who urged restraint.
  The Presbyterian Church (USA) has inched closer to joining the Episcopalians and Lutherans, but the latest effort to undo a policy requiring chastity of gay clergy was defeated this year.
  The nation’s largest mainline denomination, the United Methodist Church, has moved in the opposite direction, hardening its opposition to non-celibate gay clergy. That’s likely to continue because of declining Methodist membership in the Northeast and on the West Coast and growth in the South and Sunbelt. The church also has a burgeoning presence in Africa, a source of conservatism in the Anglican battles, also.
  The ELCA’s move is especially jarring and significant because “it is viewed by all of us as one of the more Reformation-rooted, broadly orthodox denominations” and takes its theology seriously, Fuller Theological Seminary president Richard Mouw said. “It’s a huge, huge departure for a church like that,” Mouw said.
  Mainline churches are trying to hold together at a time when Americans’ loyalty to denominational affiliation and organized religion is fraying. More Americans are joining non-denominational churches, which tend to be more conservative, or are discarding institutions altogether to craft their own spirituality.
  From 2001 to 2008, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17% to 12.9 % of the population, according to the American Religious Identification Survey, released this year. The study also found that nearly 39% of mainline Protestants consider themselves born-again or evangelical Christians - a group likely to push back on liberal stances on sexuality.

State News:

RuPaul To Headline Twin Ports Pride
By Mike Fitzpatrick
Superior-Duluth - It’s been heralded by Out magazine as one of the nation’s best small town pride celebrations. It’s also older that the state’s best-known pride weekend, the Milwaukee PrideFest and has drawn gay folks from as far away as Winnipeg, Canada.  It also serves to close Wisconsin’s summer-long season of pride. This year, the 23rd annual Duluth-Superior Twin Ports Pride will offer national gay superstar RuPaul, alt-rock sensations Sick of Sarah and 80’s dance nostalgia act Boogie Wonderland along with a mayoral reception and the traditional “Fruit Float” as part of its four days of LGBT-themed fun September 3-6.
  “We expect to have the biggest turnout ever this year,” Twin Ports Pride co-chair David Vipond told Quest. “All indications are that we should easily surpass last year’s 11,000 in attendance.”
  Vipond noted that despite the large number of participants, Twin Ports Pride remains a home town event. “Twin Ports Pride is a major pride event that still has that grass roots feel,” he said.
  A live concert by chart-topping singer, actor and reality TV star RuPaul will be the highlight of centerpiece festival at the heart of the pride weekend on Saturday, September 5 at 6 PM at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth.  
  With a string of pop and club charts hits dating from 1993’s “Supermodel (You Better Work),” “Back To My Roots,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Elton John),” and “Snapshot” to this year’s “Cover Girl” and his current chart entry “Jealous of My Boogie,”RuPaul has maintained his presence as a factor to be reckoned with in dance music for nearly two decades. His 2009 smash LOGO reality series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” kept fan on the edge of their seats trying to guess who would take home the tiara as America’s first-ever drag superstar.
  Warming up the crowd for RuPaul will be two acts: Minneapolis’ all-girl, alt-rock sensations Sick of Sarah and  retro-disco party band Boogie Wonderland, performing at 3:45 and 4:40 PM respectively.
  Sick of Sarah, an all-girl band of boundless energy met through mutual friends in 2005. They released their self titled debut album in summer of 2008 to overwhelmingly positive reviews, including one in Quest (Volume 15, No. 12). The release provided the band, which has a strong local following in their hometown of Minneapolis, with attention nationally. After winning the MTV virtual Kaya’s Battle of the Bands they released a single “Bittersweet” through LA indie Adamant Records. That single caught the attention of Spin magazine which compared them to the Breeders and Sleater-Kinney in a “Buzzcatcher” story.
  Sick of Sarah is using the Twin Ports Pride gig as one of their final warm-ups for their national “Sleep When You’re Dead” tour beginning in mid-September. That two month trip will take the band to cities such as Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Houston, Knoxville and Milwaukee.
  The 80’s world of platform shoes, mirror balls and double-knit duds will be lovingly recalled by Minneapolis’ Boogie Wonderland during their 90-minute set starting at 4:30 PM. Known especially for their covers of Earth, Wind and Fire hits, the six-piece band also brings back all the hits of the disco era.
  Throughout the day festival attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy Twin Cities indie goth bad Telepathos, Duluth rockers Portrait Of A Drowned Man, harmonic hip-hoppers Kritical Kontact, the progressive Minneapolis band Bella Koshka, 21st century rock trip Retribution Gospel Choir and other acts. The festivals keynote speaker will be Marry Me Minnesota’s Doug Benson who will address the crowd at 2 PM.
  Over fifty vendors and information booths are already registered, according to festival organizers, plus there will be a wide variety of food and beverage choices for sale. There is no admission charge for the festival, but all are encouraged to purchase the Twin Ports Pride buttons to help underwrite the cost of the weekend. 2007 co-chair Harvey Plasch now-annual “Bar-B-Queer” event last July raised thousands to help pay festival costs.
  The weekend officially kicks off with a formal mayoral celebration Thursday, September 3, at The Depot in Duluth. The free event runs from 5-8 PM and will feature Duluth Mayor Don Ness’ pride proclamation. The reception also will feature music by James & Younger (beginning at 6:30), hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar.
  Following will be three days of events that include a patio party, a bonfire, an expansion of the “Fruit Float” cruise, a 5K run, a worship service and a parade in addition to Saturday’s festival.
  In addition to a patio party at the Flame in Superior and Jazz Night at the Carmody Irish Pub in Duluth, Friday evening will be the traditional all-night bonfire on Wisconsin Point beginning at 7 PM and lasting until dawn. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, a warm jacket and mosquito repellent, two necessities for the typically cool and insect-filled late summer evenings in the north woods.
  Saturday will begin with the 5K Fun Run, Walk and Roll at Western Waterfront Park in Duluth. The beautiful Western Waterfront Trail runs along the St. Louis River near the Northern head of the Munger Trail. The event, which has a $10 per person fee (children under 11 are free), begins with registration at 8 AM, steps off at 9 and is expected to last most of the morning. Organizers expect this year’s run to exceed the 200 participants who made the 2007 run the largest to date.
  The annual Block Party at JT’s Bar & Grill in Superior returns for its fourth year on Saturday evening. The outdoor dance and party will cover over 1,000 square feet and run from 9 PM until bar closing. JT’s deejays will be spinning a mix of rock and pop music, and there will be four bars to serve the expected crowds for the event.
  Sunday’s events will begin with a worship service and breakfast at the Peace United Church Of Christ, 1111 N. 11th Ave E. in Duluth. Breakfast will be served at 9:30 AM, followed by the service at 10:30. The is one of a half-dozen gay-affirming congregations in the Twin Ports that take turns holding the traditional pride worship service each year.
  This Twin Ports Pride Parade will be held in Superior, kicking off at Noon on the corner of Hammond and Broadway. The parade, which rivals Milwaukee’s in terms of both entries and attendance, will wend its way down to the Main Club and feature music, floats filled with bare-chested young men and drag queens, leather-clad women on motorcycles, and marching units of families, friends and other allies.
  Following the parade will be the traditional annual Fruit Float, this year featuring two boats: Vista Cruise Lines’ Vista Star, and the Vista King. Tickets are $35 and available at Superior’s three gay clubs or online at the Twin Ports Pride website. The Fruit Float will leave port at 3 PM for the waters of Lake Superior.
  Twin Ports Pride will close with the annual drag show benefiting AIDS research and education at the Main Club Sunday evening beginning at 8 PM. Plenty of glitter and glamour are promised as both drag queens and kings are expected to strut their stuff on the club’s stage. A $5 admission charge will benefit AIDS programs.
  Lodging arrangements for Twin Ports Pride 2009 feature three Duluth area hospitality providers: The Edgewater Resort & Waterpark, Hotel & Conference Center, the Inn on Lake Superior and the Sheraton Duluth Hotel.
  Organizers for this year’s Twin Ports Pride include Co-Chairs Jeff Anderson and David Vipond, Secretary: Tony Smyrda,  Treasurer Keith Haugen, and Asst. Treasurer: Lee Hemming. More information about Twin Ports Pride can be found at the festival’s extensive website located at: www.dspride.com or by contacting the committee. Phone 218-728-4217 or write the Duluth-Superior GLBTQAI Pride Committee at P. O. Box 3198, Duluth, MN 55803.

Fox Valley Has “Unusually High” Number Of New HIV+ Cases
Madison - The Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Program has reported that it is seeing an unusually high number of new cases of HIV infection among young gay men in the Fox Valley over the past several months.
  The AIDS/HIV Program is working closely with Appleton City, Outagamie County and Winnebago County health departments and the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin to increase testing and other services for gay men who may be at risk for HIV infection in the Fox Valley.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all sexually active gay men test for HIV at least once a year. A listing of Fox Valley HIV testing sites is located on the website of the Wisconsin HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Information and Referral Center at www.irc-wisconsin.org.
  Quest will offer additional updates online and in future print editions as circumstances warrant.

Final Call For NAGAAAFest 2009 Volunteers
Milwaukee - With the national gay softball World Series’ just a day or two away, a final call has gone out for volunteers to help out during the historic eight-day event. NAGAAAFest is scheduled to run August 29 through September 5.
  NAGAAAFest volunteer coordinator Mike Metzger has scheduled another volunteer orientation and sign-up session on Thursday, August 27 beginning at 6:15 PM at the LaCage night club, 801 S. 2nd St.
  Series organizers are looking for additional help with field registration August 31 through September 4. Volunteers will assist with the registration of players and coaches, handing out registration packets and other related tasks. Help is also needed with general grounds security and experienced stage security at all events.
  Additional help is also needed with the Opening Ceremony on August 31 and the Closing event on September 5. Volunteer ticket takers, information providers and other attendee helpers are needed.
  Tournament help is also crucial. Assistance with set-up will be needed over the final ten days prior to the series’ start. Tournament field administrators will be needed to help collect scores, stock dugouts with water and other supplies, provide information and directions to tournament participants and offer general hospitality. Organizers are also seeking volunteers to help with game event set-up and tear down, ancillary equipment delivery and set-up.
  For more information and questions, contact Metzger by phone at: 414-899-0513, or by email at: michaelmetzger@yahoo.com.

NAGAAA Hall of Fame Inductee Scott R. Kyle Passed Away July 27
Milwaukee - It is with great sadness that this year the NAGAAA Hall of Fame will induct Scott R. Kyle posthumously to the ranks of its members.
  Scott R. Kyle, 48, of Minneapolis, passed away unexpectedly July 27, 2009, at his Minneapolis apartment. Born June 25, 1961, in New Richmond, WI, he is survived by mother, Ruth (Benson) Kyle, of Baldwin, WI; brother, Terry D. (Jennifer) Kyle of Glenwood City, WI; sister, Lori J. Kyle of St. Croix Falls, WI; and his long-time special friend, Larry (Travis Conley) Scheibel of Las Vegas, NV.
  Scott is also survived by many friends with whom he spent the last 25 years of his life playing competitive softball in the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League (TCGSL) and elsewhere in the U.S., in leagues and national tournaments sanctioned by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), where he was well known for his many athletic achievements.
  Among his greatest softball accomplishments, Scott was a key player on the A-level team that represented the Twin Cities in the 1987 and 1988 NAGAAA World Series and took 1st place both years. The same team, with Scott as a member, also took 2nd place at the 1992 World Series and 3rd place 3 other years. Scott's stellar softball career will be honored when he will be inducted posthumously into the NAGAAA Hall of Fame at the World Series in Milwaukee.
  A memorial service for Scott's softball friends and others in the Twin Cities LGBT community is planned for early October.
  NAGAAA, the Hall of Fame and all participants in the 2009 Gay Softball World series would like to pay a special tribute to Scott and offer their condolences to his friends, family and teammates. Scott epitomized the love of the sport and his community. He will be sorely missed.
Editor’s Note: Portions of this obituary were taken from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Sunday, August 2, 2009

Big Night Out Online Auction Now Open
Milwaukee - The Milwaukee LGBT Center’s Big Night Out online auction has begun. The auction runs from Saturday, August 22 at 10 AM through Sunday, September 13 at 10 PM. Some auction items are only available for bid for just a few days, since they take place or must be used prior to the end of the auction. Some items may be purchased right away with a “Buy Now” option. And yet others are available only as special giveaways as part of the “At the Heart of Community” top bidder contest.  Nonetheless, the auction will last for three weeks, so check out the auction catalog, see what interests you, then place your bids.
  Whether looking for something unique for yourself, searching for a delightful gift for a special someone, or looking to add a little adventure to life, bidders can be sure to find something in the Center’s  Big Night Out auction catalog. Every bid helps promote the mission of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. To access the online auction, go to the LGBT Center website at: www.mkelgbt.org, and then click on the “Big Night Out” button.
  While the Big Night Out online auction has just started, the special night of festivities for the gala itself isn't until Saturday, September 12. This year's Big Night Out gala will feature a registration cocktail hour, an Internet cafe for those who wish to participate in the online auction, a sumptuous dinner, an awards ceremony and a 1001 Nights Out Belly Dance Extravaganza presented by the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center.
  Bidder and attendee  generosity will allow the Center to continue to provide the following programs and services of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center: Project Q youth services, the Anti-Violence Project, Many Men, Many Voices, the LBT Breast Health Initiative, the Environmental Awareness Project, Financial Literacy workshops, the Center’s Spiritual Wellness program, the LGBT Tobacco Cessation program & smoke-free space, Mix n' Mingle social nights, the LGBT Information and Referral Directory and community breakfasts.
  The gala will be held this year at the Woodland Dreams Ballroom of the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee. Registration begins at 5:30 PM, and guests will be seated for dinner at 6:45 PM. Glamorous evening wear is expected, though tuxedos and black ties are optional. Tickets are $100 each and may be reserved by calling the Center at 414-271-2656 and speaking with Patrick Price or Randy Talley.

Fair Wisconsin Legal Defense Fundraiser Set For August 28
Madison - Fair Wisconsin will hold a “Defend Domestic Partnerships” event at the Artisan Gallery, 6858 Paoli Rd. in suburban Paoli, WI on Friday, August 28 beginning at 6 PM.
  Please join Fair Wisconsin for an evening of fine food, live music, and fantastic art to help the organization defend domestic partnerships, the first pro-fairness legislation in Wisconsin in 27 years.
  Fairness opponents at Wisconsin Family Action and the Alliance Defense Fund have filed a legal challenge to this landmark legislation. Fair Wisconsin needs help  to be able to hold them accountable for their attempts to strip even the most basic protections from caring, committed couples.
  The evening will feature a cocktail buffet provided by Queen Anne's Catering, with beer by the Great Dane Brewing Company, and wine provided by L'eft Bank Wines and Steve's on University Ave. Musical guests will Maggie and Sims, the Heart of the Harmonious Wail.
  There will be a live auction coordinated by the Artisan Gallery with additional products donated by local businesses from central Wisconsin. Suggested donation for the event is $50, and sponsorships of $100, $250 and $500 are available. For more information contact Christopher Schmidt by phone at: 608-441-0143 Ext. 321 or by email at: christopher.schmidt@fairwisconsin.com.

Skylight Opera Offers 50th Anniversary Season Open House & Free Concert
Milwaukee - Come one, come all for a free celebration of the Skylight Opera's rich 50-year history Whether  a Skylight patron since 1959 or never even seen a show, this open house and concert will welcome interested opera lovers into the Skylight community - illustrating just how special this theatrical gem really is.
  The open house and free concert will be held Tuesday, September 1 from 5- 10 PM at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway.
  “We are inviting all of Milwaukee to join us for this community celebration honoring the Skylight's rich and varied history,” Interim Artistic Director Colin Cabot said.  “We want this celebration to help launch another 50 wonderful years and let our patrons, donors and performers know how much we treasure their involvement and support.”
   The event will include an intimate glimpse behind the scenes of the Skylight with backstage tours and costume, set and prop displays. The highlight of the evening will be a concert in Catalano Square with Skylight favorites singing big Broadway musical numbers, torchy jazz hits, and arias. The concert will provide a taste of the variety of music theatre performed on the Skylight mainstage. The concert will also feature a special performance featuring the magic of David Seebach and Skylight’s own Colin Cabot and Norman Moses. Food and beverage will be available in the Skylight Bar & Bistro, operated by Fratello's Waterfront Restaurant.
  For more information about the open house and free concert, please call the box office at 414-291-7800 or email info@skylightopera.com.

Paula Poundstone At Door Community Auditorium September 5
Fish Creek - On Saturday, September 5th the Door Community Auditorium will proudly present comedian Paula Poundstone. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula’s ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend. Little wonder people leave Paula’s shows debating whether the random people she talked to were “plants” - which, of course they never are, and complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter.                                 .
  Paula’s spontaneity and razor-sharp wit have made her one of the most popular panelists on NPR’s hilarious weekly news quiz show, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” the 2008 winner of the prestigious Peabody Award for Broadcasting excellence.  Paula’s commentaries alsocan be heard on NPR’s Morning Edition, read on the Huffington Post and on comedy website: 23/6.  Her first book, “There’s Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say,” with a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore, was recently published by Random House. Paula is hard at work on her second for the same imprint.
  Paula also just released her first comedy CD “I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them In Maine,” sixty minutes of hilarious comedy recorded live at the sensational Stone Mountain Arts Center because as Paula says, “It’s very hard to do it any other way.”                                                    .                                                        
  Paula has had several solo specials on HBO and most recently, Bravo.  She was the first woman to win an ACE (the Cable Emmy) for Best Stand-up Comedy performance and the first woman to be invited to perform at the distinguished White House Correspondents’ dinner where those in attendance included the President.  Paula has made frequent TV appearances including Letterman, Leno, Craig Ferguson,  as well as Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
  The Door Community Auditorium is located at 3926 State Highway 42 Fish Creek, WI 54212. Showtime for Paula Poundstone’s performance will be 8 PM.  Tickets are $28, $33, $38 and by be ordered by calling 920-868-2728 or visit the Door County Auditorium website at: www.dcauditorium.org.

Indian Summer Festival Runs September 11- 13
Milwaukee - Pole dancers, graffiti art, concrete warriors and werewolves?  They may not be what one expects to see at a Native American festival, but they will be some of the headlining attractions at this year’s Indian Summer Festival, September 11-13. 
  Among the attractions will be the Voladores of Papantla.  Volador means flyer - “he who flies.”  For the first time in ten years, these flying pole dancers return to Indian Summer.  The breathtaking ceremonial flight involves four men gracefully flying upside down from a 60-ft. pole secured only by a rope tied around their waists.  Balanced on a narrow wooden platform without a rope or safety net is the musician, or “caporal,” who plays a drum and flute, while invoking an ancient spiritual offering in the form of a spectacular dance. 
 Also on the Indian Summer menu are the Apache Skateboards, the first Native-owned skateboard company. Apache Skateboards is championing these new concrete warriors, translating an ancient heritage onto the silk-screened deck of a skateboard. The team travels the country doing street-style demos. They’ve turned their teenage proclivity towards graffiti into fantastic urban art.
 The festival will also offer the opportunity to meet “Twilight’s” Sam Uley. The talented young actor Solomon Trimble, who portrays Sam Uley in the popular “Twilight” movie about teen vampires and werewolves will be at Indian Summer throughout the weekend doing poetry workshops and tobacco cessation presentations. 
  The NorthWest Wolf Dance Group also featured in the “Twilight” saga will perform its now famous wolf dances for the first time in Milwaukee. 
  Last year a beautiful, hand-crafted canoe was on display at the festival. It was donated by Bob Nolan, a 78-year-old retired dentist, and his friend Bernie Perszyk, an 89-year-old retired electrician. Nolan carved the 24-ft. canoe out of a 160-year-old ash tree found on the grounds of St. Francis Seminary. It wasn’t finished at the time, but it is now and will be on display – a must-see.
  Indian Summer Festival brings exciting sights and sounds September 11-13 to Milwaukee's lakefront Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). Regular festival hours are 4 PM to midnight Friday, Noon to midnight Saturday, and 11 AM. to 8 PM on Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 in advance or $12  at the gate for adults. Children 12 and under are free. Seniors age 60+ will be admitted for $10 at the gate. The Indian Summer office is located at 10809 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite #101, West Allis, WI  53227. For more information, phone 414-604-1000 or visit the website at: www.indiansummer.org
 
Dale Gutzman Returns to Skylight Opera Theatre
Milwaukee - Dale Gutzman, founder and artistic director of  Off The Wall Theatre, will return to Skylight Opera Theatre for the 50th Anniversary Season to write and direct An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan.
  Gutzman is no stranger to the Skylight having directed twenty-three shows in the 1970s and 80s including the American premiere of Italian Straw Hat and productions of The Fantasticks, Mikado, Little Me, and more. Gutzman has also written nearly a dozen original shows for the Skylight and has acted in over twenty Skylight shows.
  "I have always loved the Skylight and my memories of (Skylight founder) Clair (Richardson) and working there are among the most precious in my life. To be able to return and do Gilbert and Sullivan and to be able to write once again for the Skylight is a dream come true," Gutzman said.
  Gutzman plans for an eclectic show filled with the unexpected. It will present Gilbert and Sullivan looking down at the original theatre on Jefferson leading into the new Cabot Theatre and commenting on the journey through song and nonsense to recall the "old" days with an eye on the future.
  "We are all siblings in the arts in this town, and I feel a closeness that has filled a long vacant hole,”Gutzman added. “Thank you, Skylight."
  In addition to being the founder and artistic director for Off The Wall Theatre, Gutzman is an associate director of the Odessa Russian Drama Theatre in the Ukraine. As Resident Playwright at the Performing Arts Center in Thailand, he is one of the few Midwest artists to have had an audience with the Royal Family of Thailand. He was named one of the most gifted directors of Stephen Sondheim shows by the Sondheim Review, and is the only director to be twice honored as Director of the Year by Theatre Week Magazine.
  An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan will be performed in the Broadway Theatre Center Studio Theatre from May 28 through June 20, 2010. Tickets are on sale now.

All Good Things Come in Threes:
SSBL-Milwaukee hosts its 3rd Gay Softball World Series - NAGAAAFest 2009
By Paul Masterson
“All Good Things Come in Threes.” It’s also a German expression, Alle gute Dinge sind drei. So now, for the third time, Milwaukee, with its German roots and obsession for a Fest, brings out the Gemuetlichkeit and hosting NAGAAAFest 2009 Gay Softball World Series (GSWS).
  Third time is truly a charm for SSBL-Milwaukee. It hosted the third GSWS in 1979 and, six years later in 1985, SSBL hosted Series 9. Thirty years later, SSBL welcomes a record setting 127 teams from the USA and Canada.
  Milwaukee has a rich and storied history with its gay softball. In 1977, four teams arranged “pick-up” games to play softball during summertime. Each week these teams would compete against one another at the Mitchell Park Domes field. The loser of each game bought the winning team a half-barrel of beer at their home bar. Thus the Saturday Softball Beer League was created.
  Milwaukee’s inaugural tournament, the Wreckroom Classic was held over Memorial Day Weekend in 1978.

Milwaukee’s first GSWS in 1979
  After the first Gay Softball World Series held between New York and San Francisco in 1977, Milwaukee, along with San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto formed the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA). It awarded Milwaukee the host city for the 1979 Gay Softball World Series (GSWS).
  That year teams from Boston, Chicago, and the Twin Cities were invited to participate along with the original founding cities. Under SSBL commissioner Tommy Theis, Milwaukee fielded eight teams. Seven bars, Beer Garden Ball Game, Factory, M&M’s, Your Place (aka YP) and 219 entered their players along with Dawn’s Chicklettes, a team sponsored by a pair of private individuals. After 33 years of softball, the nation now knows Milwaukee can through a party. But, Milwaukee started to build that reputation in 1979 when it put on a world series to remember. A local flag manufacturer on 2nd Street was moving to the suburbs. It donated dozens of flags and poles to SSBL. Each team member carried a flag in a parade celebrating the Gay Softball World Series. Meanwhile, at the Mitchell Park field, Tommy Theis broadcast a play by game during the games over a public address system.
  After the games at 4:30 PM, the players would caravan to the bars in a motorcade that was blocks long. They’d take over the bars and stay until the 3:30am closing
  The 1979 Gay Softball World Series ended with the Los Angeles Rusty Nails taking the GSWS title. A closing banquet held in the second floor of the Factory, at the time Milwaukee’s leading gay dance bar. Tony Harvey cooked for the players who had been “billeted” in the homes of players and fans over the duration of the series.
  NAGAAA began to expand with new affiliated leagues throughout the country. In the following years, Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston hosted the series with an ever-growing number of teams.

“Capture the Spirit” Series 9 in 1985
  In 1985, Milwaukee again hosted the Gay Softball World Series 9. It was given the motto “Capture the Spirit.” Milwaukee was also host to the first city Women’s Division in a GSWS. That year, the Houston Briarpatch “captured their spirit” with a first place finish in the Open Division while the San Diego Spoilers won the Women’s Division. Again, SSBL pulled out the stops to make this GSWS an unforgettable experience.
  Then Wisconsin Governor Anthony S. Earl sent SSBL a letter wishing good luck to the “nearly 1000 gay and lesbian softball players and softball enthusiasts” who were participating in the event.
  Series 9 veteran player and Hall of Fame member Ron Burbey shared this memorable event. “At the opening ceremony, three skydivers descended to the field while the National Anthems of Canada and the United States played on a Steinway grand piano. One skydiver carried the American flag, another the Canadian flag and the third had a softball. The flag bearers landed exactly on the bags at first and second base.  The third landed on the mound and handed the ball to the pitcher to throw out the first pitch. The piano was a full size, black ebony concert grand valued at $48,000. It had been rented and brought to the field at Mitchell Park. It had to be placed on a plywood platform to keep its legs from sinking into the ground under the instrument’s weight.”
  The Milwaukee Gay Men’s Chorus was founded by Ron Taylor (aka and better know as Ronna) to sing the national anthems.
  According to Burbey, SSBL’s Series 9 contributed to Milwaukee aviation history as well. As a tribute to players who had passed away, hundreds, perhaps 1000 helium filled balloons were tethered together and launched at the opening ceremony. The airborne mass was detected on radar and the police were sent to investigate and then explain to SSBL “you can’t do this!” It was too late, the block of balloons had made its ascent long before and floated off into NAGAAA world series history.
  Also in 1985, Miller Brewing Company donated 20 barrels of beer to help quench the players’ thirst. SSBL rented a truck to transport the beer to Mitchell Park. Once situated at the fields, the weight of the barrels broke the truck’s axle so it couldn’t be moved. “A guard had to be hired to protect the precious cargo,” Burbey recalled.
  This would be the last series with team members billeted in private homes. The ever-increasing numbers of participating teams made it too difficult to arrange private accommodations.
  Tommy Salzsieder aka Tommy Southsider was SSBL treasurer at the time and always worried about finding funds. He was concerned with balancing the books and raising the Series 9 projected cost of $18,000.  But Miller Brewing Company, bars and other sponsors came through. Series 9 actually came in under budget.

Building a World Series Machine
  Milwaukee 1986 brought major change to SSBL. The Wreckroom Classic became the Milwaukee Classic. That year began a stretch of a decade and a half of the Milwaukee Classic ending in 2001.
  In 2002, more big changes occurred within SSBL. The Classic morphs its name once again.  The weekend dates are changed as well. The Dairyland Class was born and scheduled over Labor Day weekend. 14 teams enter the tournament.
  Also, in the 2002 off-season, SSBL establishes the Milwaukee Kosmos as a traveling team. Sponsored by local bars, the purpose of the Milwaukee Kosmos is to promote the Dairyland Classic at tournaments throughout the nation. It serves as an ambassador to bring new teams to Milwaukee’s tournament as well as to show other major cities that Milwaukee softball is alive and well.
  In 2004, SSBL expanded back to 10 teams. It again adds a team from Madison, Wisconsin. Games were held at Mitchell Field from 11:00 to 5:00. SSBL’s trademark food and beer were always available at the park. The Dairyland Classic hosts 22 teams this year.
  The biggest change came when SSBL approached Miller Park and the Milwaukee Brewers. This was the start of a great partnership that still exists today. Come out to Miller Park on most home stand dates and behind home plate you will see a hard working group of 14 SSBL volunteers selling concessions at one of the largest stands in ballpark. To date, the league has raised well over $150,000.
  In 2006, SSBL expanded once again and in a big way. A second division was added to support our sister city, Madison. The cities play against each other twice a year, much in the same way that the American and National Leagues play each other in Major League Baseball.
  The largest tournament ever held in Milwaukee took place Labor Day weekend in 2007. 57 teams participated in Dairyland Classic XXX. The highlights of the tournament were Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett throwing out the first pitch as well as the Klement’s racing sausages guest appearance.

NAGAAAFest 2009
  The extended history of a major tournament set the stage for SSBL-Milwaukee world series bid in 2008. Having already proven its organizational skills and its ability to offer all the amenities to dozens of visiting teams, SSBL explored the possibility of bidding to host the 2009 Gay Softball World Series.
  Although the Dairyland Classic XXX had expanded over 400% from 14 participating teams in 2002 to 57 in 2007, hosting a world series would mean accommodating at least double that number.  It would also require meeting NAGAAA field criteria. Finding a dozen playable fields in reasonable range of Milwaukee would pose a challenge.
  A bid committee comprised of SSBL officers and players was formed. Their broad spectrum of individual talent and expertise covered all the bases and then some. In just a few months of intense work they planned a world series that would represent the culmination of 30 years of SSBL tournament experience. 
  The committee chose to call the Gay Softball World Series NAGAAAFest in keeping with the Milwaukee Fest tradition. The motto “Fun & Friends First” symbolizes the spirit of LGBT softball and its bond with the greater community through athleticism. SSBL presented their bid to NAGAAA delegates at the winter meeting held in Seattle in February 2009.
  The rest is history. SSBL-Milwaukee World Series bid February 2007, buttressed by Mayor John Barrett’s personal video appeal to NAGAAA delegates, was successful.
  Now NAGAAAFest is set to make more softball history. From the humble beginnings of the first world series in which two teams played, Milwaukee hosts 127, the greatest number of teams ever at a GSWS.  They include 5 SSBL teams: Boom Bulldogs, Fluid Aardvarks and La Cage Knights from Milwaukee and the Reds and Woofs Madd Dawgs from Madison.
  On Monday, August 31, NAGAAAFest’s Opening Ceremony will be held at Henry Meier Festival Park. North America’s largest LGBT sports event will begin with pomp and circumstance. Throughout the week until the Closing Celebration at the Harley Davidson Museum on September 5, players, fans and the general public will experience exactly what SSBL-Milwaukee means by Fun & Friends First!