Crowds Halt West Bend Gay Book Ban Meeting
Evangelical Blogger Wants Equal Time For “Ex-Gay” Screed On Library Shelves
By Mike Fitzpatrick
West Bend - Remember last November when a couple of gay activists used Internet social networking to pull over 100,000 gay marriage supporters out on the streets nation wide to protest the passage of Proposition 8? Well, a neoconservative lover of “Star Trek,” contemporary Christian music and yard sales has done something similar here in Wisconsin. 
  Ginny Maziarka used her “WISSUP = Wisconsin Speaks Up” blog to generate a crowd so big that a public meeting of the board of the West Bend Community Memorial Library had to be shut down here March 3. The meeting had been scheduled to address Maziarka’s complaint to pull two gay-themed books from the library for “pornographic language” and to get equal time for “ex-gay” books on the library’s gay resources website. The meeting was postponed until later this month because the crowd at City Hall was too large for the 265-seat auditorium there.
  Maziarka filed her complaint against the library after she discovered a reportedly five year-old page on the library’s website entitled “Out the of Closet.” The page, located in the Young Adult subsection of the library site contains nearly 50 fiction and nonfiction books of interest for teens in grades 6-12 about gay, lesbian and transgender issues.
  According to the page, several of the books are shelved in the adult section of the library. Finding those books likely will be easier than finding the web link to the page that offended Maziarka, however.
  A Quest search found the link to the page after a couple of misses. It was necessary to scroll more than halfway down the library’s home page  to find a sentence in small print that said “Looking for ideas for more good books? Check out our book lists  adult - teen - children” and then clicking on the word “teen.” Once on the Young Adult page, the actual “Out of the Closet” link is nearly invisible, lettered in dark blue on a black background, though the unlinked, white-lettered words “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender fiction and nonfiction” are clearly visible. The look of the page design, though updated March 6, clearly goes back to the days before long before broadband, Google and smart phones.
   Maziarka told WISN-TV reporter Kyler Burgi that she was glad the meeting was canceled because not everyone at the meeting had a clear understanding of what her complaint is. “It’s probably a good thing. I think it will give our community the time to do their own investigating and not just take our word for it,” Maziarka said.
  Among those in attendance at the aborted meeting was Madison’s Cindy Crane, Executive Director of the LGBT educational advocacy group Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools.  Crain noted that “ ‘Christian’ literature condemning homosexuality was being passed around by several people” in an email to educators shared with Quest.
  “I am aware of one blog out of Madison that encouraged people to drive to West Bend to voice their protest of the library’s selection of books on homosexuality,” she wrote. “Some of my individual conversations at City Hall were filled with appreciation for our making the trip to West Bend and requests to bring more people next time. Other conversations revealed the panic some people had because of the library having books that could encourage youth to believe that homosexuality is an acceptable ‘lifestyle.’”
  The presence of the media circus at the meeting guaranteed Maziarka’s complaint would arouse interest groups on all sides of the issue. The ACLU of Wisconsin has weighed in on her complaint with the library board and GOP Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner scheduled a March 8 town hall meeting at West Bend City Hall “to discuss the issues on your mind.”
  Maziarka posted what she feels is the essence of her complaint on the WISSUP blog on March 7: “In accordance with ALA policy, we are seeking more speech, balanced speech, not less. We are asking for inclusiveness of additional titles so that the entire collection regarding gayness is not gay-affirming or gay promoting. We are asking for critical literature about leaving the gay lifestyle and materials that explain the effects of the gay lifestyle.”
  Though she has not provided specific titles, Maziarka’s use of terms like “leaving the gay lifestyle” would suggest she would like to include nonfiction resources on the “ex-gay” movement and so-called “reparative therapy.” The issue of changing sexual orientation has become a highly politicized topic in western countries, especially the United States. Both the theory and practice have come under heavy criticism from gay rights groups, doctors, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Social Workers, the Royal College of Nursing and other organizations.
  Library director Michael Tyree has indicated that  the next meeting to deal with Maziarka’s complaint will be held by the end of March, most likely in an auditorium at one of the city’s two high schools.

World & National News:

California Supremes Unlikely To Undo Proposition 8
Court Also Appears Willing to Validate State’s 18,000 Gay Marriages
San Francisco - At its hearing March 5 the California Supreme Court strongly indicated it would rule that Proposition 8 validly abolished the right for gay people to marry but would allow same-sex couples who wed before the November election to remain legally married.
  The long-awaited hearing was a disappointment for marriage equality lawyers. They had hoped the same court majority that overturned the state’s previous marriage ban would conclude that Proposition 8 was an impermissible constitutional revision.
  However, two members of that majority - Chief Justice Ronald M. George and Justice Joyce L. Kennard - expressed deep skepticism toward the pro-gay lawyers’ arguments. Without those votes, Proposition 8 appeared almost certain to survive.
  The other two justices who ruled in favor of marriage rights last year - Carlos R. Moreno and Kathryn Mickle Werdegar - seemed more open to the revision challenge.
   The one bright spot for gay marriage supporters was the near unanimous support on whether to uphold the marriages of an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who wed before November.
  Even the court’s most conservative member, Justice Marvin Baxter, noted that the couples got married after receiving the right by “the highest court of the state.” “How can we deny the validity of those marriages?” he asked.
  Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represented some of the plaintiffs, acknowledged that the court had appeared skeptical of their arguments. “I think conversations about going back to the ballot need to happen vigorously and strategically,” Kendell said. “2010 would be the next statewide ballot, and in campaign terms, that is just around the corner. I just don’t know whether we have the groundwork in place to mount such an effort or the financial resources.”
   The legal challenges to Proposition 8 have been closely watched nationwide. Both opponents and supporters of gay marriage flocked to the state building in San Francisco where the California Supreme Court is housed, each trying to drown out the other side with chants.
  The court’s ruling is due within 90 days.

State News:

County Clerks Worry About Doyle’s DP Plan
Neillsville - Some of Wisconsin’s county clerks are having problems with the domestic partner registry provision in Governor Jim Doyle’s budget proposal. The measure provides an mechanism to register same sex domestic partners. That required registry would be maintained by the register of deeds in each county and allow partners to access certain medical and financial benefits.
  However Clark County Clerk Christina Jensen has a concern about the portion of the mechanism that would force clerks to “dissolve” those partnerships as well. Jensen told the  WCCN news reporter Paul Knoff that most clerks feel those should go through the courts, just like a divorce.
  Some clerks are also worried that is the Doyle provision seems to discriminate against heterosexual couples that choose not to get married. The Governor has said the measure only applies to same-sex couples because they don’t have the option of getting married.
  However, a similar French domestic partner registry intended primarily for same-sex couples but that permits any interested unmarried couple to apply has already found overwhelming favor with straight couples there. Most cite the simplicity of the court and attorney-free dissolution process in opting for domestic partnership over traditional marriage.

Cream City Foundation To Grant $80,000 in 2009
Milwaukee - The Cream City Foundation has announced that it will distribute an estimated $80,000 towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender causes in 2009. The announcement comes at a time when economic hardships have impacted non-profits and foundations alike.
  “Our commitment to LGBT equality must continue,” Board President Tim Clark said.”Especially when we are investing in communities who are hardest hit - our youth.”
  The gay and lesbian foundation will be distributing over $65,000 towards addressing youth homelessness in the Milwaukee area. It is estimated that 20-40% of all homeless youth identifies as gay or transgender. This is a the largest single project funding to an LGBT youth program in the Foundation’s history.
  The funding will go to develop a new pilot housing project led by Pathfinders and a coalition of other organizations, including LadLake, Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. In addition, funding will cover research on the number and demographics of LGBT homeless youth in the Milwaukee area. The research will provide local data to providers and other foundations about the need for an LGBT lens when dealing with youth homelessness.
  Cream City Foundation is also providing $10,000 in startup funds towards the opening of the LGBT Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, which will be located in Racine.
  “The grant to the LGBT Center of Southeastern Wisconsin will provide resources and support outside of the Milwaukee area,” Executive Director Maria Cadenas said.
  Other projects include funding the second phase of the GayNeighbor.org effort, and a health area at PrideFest.
  The Cream City Foundation is a community foundation that serves as the leader in mobilizing philanthropic
resources, fostering strategic collaboration, effecting positive change and the advancement of the quality, dignity, and health of LGBT people in Southeastern Wisconsin. For more information: www.creamcityfoundation.org.
 
Correa Scholarship Awards Banquet Set
Milwaukee - The 2009 Ricardo Correa Scholarship Foundation awards banquet will be held Monday, April 6 at Chez Jacques, 1022 S 1st St. beginning at 6 PM.
  A cocktail hour with cash bar opens the evening, with a buffet featuring French cuisine following at 7. The  awards program begins at 8. In addition to presenting this year’s scholarships to a deserving LGBT student or straight ally,  past  winners will be recognized at the banquet. Also honored will be the bars, businesses, and committee members who have helped with Ric Fest the past four years.
  Entertainment will follow the program which will include several local choruses performing,  Ric Fest karaoke winners and female impersonators.
  Cost for the banquet is $30. Applications for the banquet can be obtained  at Ric Fest-supporting bars (Boom, The Room, Boot Camp, Fluid, Frank’s Power Plant, Harbor Room, Kruz, Mona’s, This is It, Timothy York’s Bistro, Triangle, Walker’s Pint, and Woody’s) or the LGBT Community Center. For more information and tickets, call 262-573-3321.

Angels Of Hope MCC “Tears Down Walls” March 21
Green Bay - Tearing Down Walls In Eastern Europe,” by the Rev. Elder Diane Fisher of the Metropolitan Community Church will be presented at 7 PM March 21 at the Angels of Hope MCC here. In her presentation, Rev. Elder Fisher will speak on the Metropolitan Community Church’s role in breaking barriers and building hope for LGBT people in Eastern Europe through human rights advocacy & activism, community engagement, individual empowerment, church affiliation and leadership training.
  Rev. Elder Fisher has had many roles in the MCC as a counselor, public speaker, advocate, facilitator, volunteer board member, consultant, pastor, group work developer, administrator, teacher, executive director, medical professional and a mother. She has experience in changing systems that encourage or reinforce marginalization of those who have been caught “outside the system.”
  Fisher also has experience in restructuring local agencies, national organizations and two districts within MCC. She has worked as a conflict mediator. As the pastor of a small church in a small community, Fisher also has experienced the joys and sorrows of an under-resourced church and district, and is committed to finding ways to meet the varying needs of all churches.
 Admission to Fisher’s presentation is without charge, though attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the ARCW Food Pantry.

OutReach Presentation To Tackles Internet Addiction
Madison - OutReach will offer a presentation on Internet addiction on Saturday, March 21 from 12-2  PM.
 What are the qualities of the Internet that make it so alluring for people? How do you know when online behavior becomes problematic? Is there such a thing as “Internet addiction” and, if so, how is it assessed and treated? Do these questions have unique answers and implications for gay and bisexual men? This presentation by local psychologist David Lacocque will expose participants to information that helps to address each of these questions. After gaining information about some history, theory, and research related to “Internet Addiction”, participants will be invited to ask questions and share ideas about this increasingly important topic.
  David Lacocque Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist with 10 years experience working with LGBT individuals, couples, and adolescents. He currently works in private practice at Isthmus Psychotherapy, as a staff member at University Health Services, and is a guest lecturer in the UW Department of Psychology.
  The presentation will take place at OutReach, Madison’s LGBT Community Center, 600 Williamson St. In the Gateway Shopping Mall. The public as invited and the event is free of charge. As space is limited, please RSVP with Harry at 608-255-8582 or e-mail at: harrys@lgbtoutreach.org.

Gay Parents Group Starts March 19
Madison - OutReach will offer a Same-Sex Parents Group starting March 19. Are you a same sex parent or planning to become one? Have you been wanting to meet other families like your own family? Come spend time with our same sex family group. Group members can talk, laugh and learn from one another. Children are welcome to come with parents but are not necessary for attendance. The group will meet the third Thursday of the month at OutReach, 600 Williamson St., from 6-7:30 PM For more information, call 608-255-8582 and ask for Harry or e-mail Leilani at: robertson-hoyt@sbcglobal.net, or Melissa at: missyann24@hotmail.com.

La Crosse Gay/Lesbian History Project Seeks Contributors
La Crosse - The Gay/Lesbian oral history project of the La Crosse area is seeking additional interviewees as part of an ongoing project. These interviews, which last about an hour, are recorded and become part of the oral history collection at the Area Resource Center. Although a release must be signed, anonymity can be maintained. The project would like to conduct interviews with individuals who have some knowledge of the following subjects as they relate to the gay and lesbian history of this area: bars and the bar scene, churches and their work for or against issues of sexual orientation, PFLAG, GALAXY, life in the rural La Crosse area, and gay and lesbian families. The project is open to other topics as well..
  If you are interested in participating in an interview or know of someone who might be able to provide useful information and insights, please contact: John Magerus via email at: jmagerus@aol.com or by phone at: 608-788-9574.

Qshare To Hold Networking Mixer
Milwaukee - Qshare will hold a networking mixer Wednesday, March 25th beginning at 5:30 PM at Two, 718 E Burleigh St., the new LGBT-friendly lounge next door to the Art Bar. This event is being presented by John Tomlinson of MidState Insurance and Investment Services.
  The mixer is free and open to the both Qshare members, guests and the public. Join for drinks and networking. Bring your business cards and smile. Food and beverage specials will be available.
  QShare Members are asked to “bring 2 to 2.” Those who bring two guests to this month’s networking will have an opportunity to win a fabulous prize.
  Qshare, an initiative of the Cream City Foundation, is an opportunity for business owners and professionals to network and become more involved in philanthropy with others who support southeastern Wisconsin’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community.

LGBT Center Seeks Event Volunteers
Milwaukee - Designer? Entrepreneur? Socialite? Leader? Combination of These or More? The Philanthropy Department of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center is seeking volunteers and community leaders to help plan, design, facilitate, promote, and staff a variety of its special events, including: the Center’s annual “Big Night Out” gala, the PrideFest booth, the annual membership meeting.
the “Celebrate Generosity!” donor recognition event, the bimonthly Mix n’ Mingle social gatherings and more.
  The Philanthropy Department hopes to engage and enlist volunteers who wish to help promote the programs and services of the Center through friend-raising activities; appreciate working as part of a creative, collaborative team; enjoy the unique camaraderie and ambiance that come with volunteer service; and can commit the time and energy needed to see an event through to completion. Volunteers with specialized skills in event planning, accounting, graphic design, Web design, marketing, auctions, customer service, and social networking would be greatly appreciated.
The first event volunteer meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 PM at the Center. If you wish to attend this meeting and learn more about being an event volunteer, please contact Patrick Price, Director of Philanthropy, by phone at: 414-292-3065, or by email at: pprice@mkelgbt.org.

Bold and Racy Theater Tears Into Town
Milwaukee - “Sex, Dreams & Self-Control!” is coming to the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center on Friday and Saturday, March 27-28.
  “Sex, Dreams, & Self Control!” is a fusion of music, spoken word, and standup comedy - with an original alternative folk rock score in which Kevin Thornton croons like a young John Hiatt or a post- Smiths Morrissey.  According to the Nashville Scene, this new work is “courageous” and “darkly funny”.
  Fans of Thornton’s underground new wave band Waves on Waves, which has been featured on the MTV Network Logo, might be surprised to learn of his extensive theatre background.  Thornton holds a degree in theatre performance and has performed on the theatrical stage stateside and abroad.
  With so much free time on the road, Thornton began sketching a semi autobiographical tale.  “On tour, I had been reading a lot of David Sedaris and listening to old Sandra Bernhard concerts, so the brilliance of those two definitely influenced me,” he said.
  “I began to experiment with my short stories at open mics. Every time, the audience would just light up.  I knew I was onto something,” Thornton continued. “Eventually I had about an hour of material that was audience approved. I knew what was going to take it to the next level was original music, and that’s when it really clicked.”
   According to Out and About magazine, Thornton’s “groundbreaking”  rites of passage tale presents itself bold and racy, and speaks loudly about sexuality and religion. “I made a concerted effort to make this story universal.” Thornton said. “And I approached the subject with respect.  I never tell the audience how to feel.”
  “Sex,  Dreams, and Self Control!”  might challenge some audiences, but ultimately Thornton wants “to make them laugh, make them think, and move them.”
  Performances will begin at 8 PM both nights. Tickets are $10.  Because of strong sexual content and adult language, no one under 18 will be admitted.
  For more information and advance sale tickets go to the show’s website at: www.sexdreamsandselfcontrol.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the MGAC by calling 414-383-3727.

StageQ Seeks Directors For Queer Shorts 4
Madison - StageQ is looking for directors for Queer Shorts 4, the company’s fourth annual shorts play festival, that will run May 28 through June 6 at the Bartell Theatre here. The troupe is seeking those who are queer-identified, allies and love theater.
  Experienced directors who want to participate in a fun, queer community celebration or those who have dreamed of directing but been afraid to dive in the deep end with a full- length production are welcome to apply. Those who are inexperienced, have dreamed of directing, but just couldn’t get that first foot in the door are also being sought
  The 2009 edition of Queer Shorts will offer twelve short plays running from two to fifteen minutes in length. There also will be opportunities for directing multiple shorts.
  Auditions for Queer Shorts 3 will be on April 13-14, with rehearsals running from April 20 through May 27. Queer Shorts performances will be May 28 through June 6 at the Bartell Theatre.
  Those interested in applying should provide in writing information about directing experience, if any; any other previous theater experience and availability/conflicts between April 1 and May 28. New directors should also indicate if they would be open to coaching or mentoring.
  To apply, contact StageQ by April 1 via email at: stageq@stageq.com.

StageQ To Offer Comedy Improv Series & Show
Madison - StageQ will offer an eight week improv comedy workshop that culminates with a live comedy concert beginning in April. The workshop series will begin on Saturdays, April 4 and run May 30. The “graduation” performance featuring the class participants will be held Wednesday, June 3 at the Bartell Theater.
  Lynda Finn and Emily Jones of Flaming Dykasaurus have taught a comedy improv class for StageQ during each of the last three seasons. Participants loved the class, and last season the theatre group added a live performance at the Bartell at the end of the class. In response to popular demand, StageQ is ha expanded to offer an eight-week comedy improv series, culminating in a performance.
  Lynda and Emily have been performing improv and writing and performing sketch comedy with Flaming Dykasaurus for 13 years. They have studied improv with the likes of Chicago’s Susan Messing, Charna Halpern and many others.
  This workshop is designed for all levels, whether you are completely new to improv or an experienced veteran. Some of the material covered will include games and exercises, solo scenes, and scene work with other participants. Instructors will create an encouraging, fun, and low pressure environment. The focus will be on shorter forms, but with additional time we will be able to cover long form improv, as well.
  At the end of the workshop, participants will present an evening improv performance on Wednesday, June 3 at 7:30 PM at the Bartell Theater.
  Pre-registration required by emailing improv@stageq.com. There is a suggested registration fee of $100, with a sliding scale of $25 to $100. Registration is limited to twelve students. The registration deadline is March 30.

Stonewall 40 Part II: Gay Life in Madison - 1960s & 1970s
By Don Schwamb

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles which together comprise “The Stonewall 40 Project”, documenting what gay and lesbian life was like in Wisconsin at and just after the time of the Stonewall riots. More information about Stonewall 40 will be available online at: www.wisconsingayhistory.org, and in displays at Milwaukee’s PrideFest Milwaukee and other pride celebrations throughout the state during 2009.

In this issue of Quest, we look at Madison: the state’s capital city. The earliest readily-accessible documentation of gay bars in Madison, as in all of Wisconsin, is with the listings in national gay men’s travel guides, most of which began to be issued each year starting in the early 1960s.  These “gay travel guides” were revolutionary at the time; before the time of the national travel guides, gay hangouts would be known only by word of mouth, and not advertised locally for obvious reasons- making it difficult for a traveler to find a friendly place to get a drink or find companionship.
  It should be noted that the first Wisconsin based gay or lesbian publication did not begin publishing until 1971. That publication, GPU News, never in its 10 year history ever printed a “directory” of gay bars in the state. The first local LGBT publication with any kind of directory did not appear until 1975.
  The earliest national gay guide we have access to indicates that, in 1963 (the earliest date we have reliable information for), Madison had seven places where gay men were known to hang out: the Fireside Lounge, 1229 Regent (1963-1966); Uptown Grill, 320 State St. (1963-1966); Belmont Hotel Bar, 31 N. Pinckney (1963-66); Lombardo’s Piano Lounge, 119 E. Main St. (1963-68); Three Bells, 763 University (reported as “mixed crowd”) (1963-70); Six-O-Two Club, 602 University Ave. (1963-71) and Kollege Klub, 714 State St. (1963-77).
  One gay travel guide also listed “Marty’s, on Wilson Street” as a gay bar, and the Uptown Restaurant at 320 State Street, in its 1964 listings.
  These were not necessarily gay businesses; in many cases (especially before Stonewall), a bar, restaurant, etc. would simply be a hangout for gay men, not primarily gay in clientele.  Even then, some places would be “gay” only during certain hours, or in a particular section of the business. 
(The date ranges shown throughout these articles are the approximate range of years in which that bar is known to have been associated with gay men or women; they are still preliminary, as we continue to gather more information about this pre-gay-media period of Wisconsin LGBT life.)
  By the time of Stonewall in 1969, only the last three of the above - Three Bells, Six-O-Two Club, and Kollege Klub - were still reported as being gay hangouts; but they had been joined by at least two others beginning around 1968: Clinique, 110 N. Hamilton (1968-70); Velvet Swing, 317 W. Gorham (1968-70);
  And at least two Madison organizations are believed to have gotten their starts in 1969: Outreach, and the Madison Alliance for Homosexual Equality. We still need to gather more information on both of these and other early state organizations.
  After Stonewall, as gay people gradually became more bold, more bars that were primarily or solely “gay” began to be opened. A progression of bars began to open in and after 1970: Stop Lite, 302 E. Wilson (1970-74); Pirate Ship, 1116 N. Fairchild (1970-82); Back Door, 46 North Park at Regent (1973-77 featuring “3 levels of entertainment”); Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson St. (1975-85, and off and on to the present date); Hot ‘L Cafe, 636 W. Washington (1976-77; later the site of Cafe Palms which opened in 1980); and the Pure Pleasure Bookstore, 116 King St. (1976-83).
  Rodney Scheel, who later would buy the Washington Hotel and open such businesses as Rod’s, Café Palms, and the New Bar, was one of the owners and managers of the Back Door.
  National guides also began to list “cruisy areas” beginning in the early 1970s; some of those listed for the Madison area at the time were: Burrows Park (summer 11 AM to dark); State Street, Capitol Square to Park Street; and the UW Humanities building and Student Union.
  An early social center opened in Madison in the summer of 1973. Located at 550 State Street, the sponsors of the Gay Center offered counseling, information, rap sessions and speakers. It also contained a gay coffeehouse open on Friday and Saturday nights “featuring free food in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere”. A gay liberation workshop met regularly at the center on Wednesday nights, and a gay venereal disease clinic for men offered screening services every Tuesday night.    The Center also served as a clearinghouse of information of importance to the community: for example, in the spring of 1974 the Center was informed of a crackdown on sex in public toilets on the UW campus, known as ‘tearoom trade’.
  More and more gay and lesbian bars were opened in Madison in the late 1970s, and by the 1980s bars were more routinely differentiated as being gay or lesbian. It was during the mid-late 1970s and the 1980s that such icons as Going My Way, Sam’s, Rods, Cafe Palms, Back East, New Bar, and the Shamrock began to open.
  Future articles in this series will focus on Milwaukee, Green Bay, the Fox Valley, La Crosse, and other areas of the state. We welcome photographs and personal recollections about any bars, businesses, or groups known to exist anywhere in the state before 1975. We need and welcome your support! Contact the project at: webmaster@mkelgbthist.org.
  There are many more memories and recollections out there than are presently documented: please help us to preserve our history! See the website www.wisconsingayhistory.org for more information and to explore our history.

BESTD Clinic: New Challenges For Milwaukee’s Gay Health Clinic
Interview by Mike Fitzpatrick

The BESTD (Brady East STD) Clinic, Milwaukee’s long-running gay health clinic, will turn 35 later this year. Over the years the clinic has had to respond to a variety of challenges from outbreaks of STDs in the city’s gay male community, to HIV/AIDS and most recently the fairly sudden departure of longtime President Kevin Lynch.
  Quest sat down recently with newly-elected Board President John George to talk abut the transition and the new challenges the landmark clinic is facing. George is no stranger to BESTD. He has been volunteer for 10 years, came onto the board in 2002, was elected as vice-president in 2005. During those years George worked closely with former President Kevin Lynch and assumed the role of acting President at the clinic after Lynch joined his partner who had relocated out of state due to career advancement.
Pictured above: Standing (L-R) Ken Barbeau, John George (President) Jenny Gryniewicz, Jim Moore (Vice Pesident), Roxanne Roese. Seated (L-R) Scott Swessel, Tom Creasey, Andy Petroll MD.

Quest: How is the transition going?

George:  My first challenge was the delegate the many functions that (Lynch) played at the clinic. Kevin is a great guy, but he did almost every function at the clinic. I called the Board of Directors together and delegated out to each member (some of Lynch’s) duties. We had always joked that if Kevin had been hit by a bus, we’d be at a loss. He was a wealth of information and we had to disperse that. The board has been developing a clinic (operation) manual over the last year.

Quest: Has the economic recession brought challenges to the clinic?

George: Sure. The biggest challenge we have seen has been the shift to the overall need for health care.  We are only open on Monday and Tuesday nights. Every Tuesday night we have doctors that examine, treat and provide clients with free medications. Free health care in America has become a huge issue.  We spend the most money on giving out medications because they’re quite expensive. We’ve seen a huge increase in need for our services. Yet a major part of our budget comes from client donations. We’ve seen a significant drop in client donations over the last year. Also, funding from the state (of Wisconsin) has decreased.
  This has come at a time when we have been trying to expand our services. Historically on Monday nights we have only done HIV testing, while on Tuesdays we also have medical providers who are treating. In the last year we’ve tried to expand to (offering medical treatment) on the first and third Monday of every month as well.

Quest: Has job loss and subsequent loss of employer-provided health insurance impacted your numbers?

George: We usually only have two doctors and it’s a walk-in clinic. We usually take the first 25-28 people, then we have to start turning people away. We’ve seen a definite increase and we’ve had to turn people away early in the night, referring them to a different clinic.
  A goal for the board to is to have doctors available on every Monday. Since everyone is a volunteer, we need to build up our pool of doctors, nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants.

Quest: I’m assuming that when you get an HIV+ test result, you refer those folks over to ARCW, the 16th Street Clinic or other providers who can get them hooked up with programs that can help pay for long-term care and medication expenses.

George: If they are someone who has health insurance, we refer them to our medical director Andy Petroll - you’ve run an article about him before. If they don’t have health insurance, we refer them to ARCW to get them involved with those programs.

Quest: Do you deal with other ailments beside the STDs that clients are presenting?

George: We’re not an all-service provider. Our niche is HIV testing, and STD testing and treatment. We do refer to the City of Milwaukee health clinic when people have other ailments. There also some free clinics around the city. Our providers can refer people out but it’s difficult to find low cost or no-cost health care anywhere.

Quest: And BESTD remains the clinic that is the most gay-accessible and gay-friendly, is that a fair statement?

George: Yes it is. And for the first time ever, the clinic is going to reach out to our community for some funding. Two things that make Brady Street unique are the people - those who come there and those who volunteer - and the location. BESTD is a discreet location on the East side of Milwaukee with parking - that is huge!
  The majority of the clientele we are men who are having sex with other men. That’s where we started and that’s still our core business. We do see some heterosexual men and women who are getting HIV testing, but we remain the most gay-friendly clinic in the city of Milwaukee.
  We had about 15 Marquette students come on an AIDS retreat weekend. I spent about two hours with them answering their questions. One of the things that they wanted to talk about was the gay artwork we have on the walls. Some of the posters are pretty graphic, I guess, for people who don’t usually encounter gay posters.
  We don’t discriminate and we don’t turn anyone away, but we also don’t hide the fact that this is an anchor in our community. As long as there is a need for a gay-friendly clinic we will always be here.
  Most people are repeat customers. They come back because they know it’s a safe place, a place where they won’t be judged.

Quest: What percentage of your clientele have been from the minority communities in Milwaukee?

George: We just started running our end of the year statistics. We do see a fair amount of African-American men. We see Spanish-only speaking people. But as far the gay community we’re mostly drawing from white males.
  We have that whole African-American segment where you don’t use the word gay - it’s men having sex with other men. It’s a cultural thing - if you ask if they’re gay they’ll say “no” but if you ask if they’re having sex with other men, they’ll say “yes.”
We’ve also seen a real shift in the kind of casualness about sex. People coming in saying “Yeah, I’ve had sex with men, I’ve had sex with women.” It’s more the younger people - I’d say mid-20’s. They have a much more casual attitude about defining themselves as gay, straight or bi.

Quest: What other changes and challenges are you seeing at the clinic?

George: One of the things that we’re looking at is bringing in newer, younger generation people as volunteers. Many of our volunteers have been there 5 to 10 to even 20 years. It’s great but we haven’t brought in younger volunteers who have stayed longer than six months or a year. We’d like to find a new kind of energy a far as outreach to the next generation.
  We’d like to expand our medical services as a said before and we’d like to do more outreaches. We do a large outreach at PrideFest but that tends to be kind of the only one we do. There was a point in our history were we did do outreaches at bars on the weekends, things like that. It’s something we’ve drifted away from and other organizations have filled that niche. We need to re-look at that and possibly look for volunteers who would not necessarily want to be at the clinic on a Monday or Tuesday night but would be able to do some kind of weekend outreach at the MidTowne Spa, or bar events or softball games.
  It is one of the reasons BESTD has become a sponsor of the NAGAAAFest (softball world series) coming later this year. We will be able to reach another group though that outreach.
  We’ve also have seen a shift in probably the last five years of the role of the Internet and casual sex. In years past it was cruising places and parks, now it’s online. It’s made it easy for people to hook up with large numbers of people in a short duration of time. We all know the more people you have casual sex with, the more likely you will encounter HIV and STDs.

Quest: And there are very well constructed studies that suggest your risk of picking up an STD or HIV are 25-35% greater if you’re picking up your partners solely from online chat rooms and social networking sites.

George: Yes, and more and more of our clientele are saying “yeah, that’s part of my sexual practices. I hook up online.”

Quest: Can you tell me more about the planned community donor outreach?

George: We have this great historic building that’s about 120 years old. One of the things that comes with historic buildings is that they age. And although the building has been well maintained, there are things that need to be done. We need to repaint the building. We probably need a new roof. We just replaced one of our two furnaces. The other one I a good 15-16 years old. We’ve got a parking lot in need of repairs. All together we’ve identified more than $50,000 in capital improvements that are going to be needed over the next couple of years.
  One of the things that the board and I are doing is going after donations for capital improvement funds. The building helps make who we are and it needs attention. And its expensive. We don’t have a big budget. Everyone is a volunteer. We’re fortunate enough to own the building so we don’t have a mortgage. We’re a nonprofit so we don’t have to pay property taxes. So we have a small budget as a result and looking at $50,000 for repairs is huge. So for the first time in many years we’re going to reach to the community to solicit donations for those capital improvements.

Quest: Are you going to do a specific capital drive?

George: We have identified a couple of specific organizations that we are going to solicit this year, following their grant cycles, for these big budget items: capital costs, marketing costs, medication costs. We’re fortunate to have on our board two people who have development background and just added a new board member with grant-writing expertise.

Quest: If people would like to send a donation your way, where would they send it?

George: They can send it directly to the clinic. They can go our website - www.bestd.org - to get the mailing information. We had talked about doing a direct donation link like PayPal but we haven’t done it yet. But they can see our building right on the site, that wonderful historic building that is pivotal in defining who we are.