Quest Magazine Volume 17 Issue 4
March 25 - April 7, 2010

SOME OF THE LINKS TO OLDER STORIES AND FEATURES
Please check out Vol 17- 1 Cover Feature on Quest Journalist Mike Fitzpatrick
Interview with Bruce Vilanch by Michael Johnston in Vol. 17-2
Paul Masterson Takes Us on a Tour of LGBT Sports in Wisconsin in Vol. 17-3
Our PrideFest Feature: PrideFest Milwaukee Goes for the Funny Bone in Vol 17-3
United We Stand: An Intimate Interview Between Partners on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in Vol. 17-5

NATIONAL & WISCONSIN NEWS is BELOW

Pro-Gay Provisions Stripped from Health Bill, Pressure Grows for Votes on ENDA, DADT

Washington DC - Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., has acknowledged the pro-gay provisions she sought in the health care reform legislation have not survived. Baldwin also said, during an interview in Boston, she believes the votes are there for passage in the House on two major pro-gay pieces of legislation. Baldwin believes the votes are in place in the House to pass ENDA and a DADT repeal bill.

San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reports Baldwin saying “As someone who has actually counted the votes, I believe that there are. That’s one of the things the LGBT Equality Caucus does is to [focus] attention to making sure we can tell [House] leadership, with accuracy, what the vote would be if they bring the measures up to the floor.”

Baldwin and Rep. Barney Frank established the LGBT Equality Caucus which includes nearly 90 members of Congress.

Baldwin had sought four pro-gay provisions in the original House version of health care reform, including a prohibition on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in health care. Neither the Senate bill nor President Obama’s proposal has included those provisions. Baldwin hoped at least two of the provisions might get added back under whatever legislative package the House and Senate would eventually vote on.

The version of health care reform legislation being considered now by Congress does include some relief for people with HIV on Medicare who must purchase expensive AIDS-related medications but does not include the anti-discrimination provision, the “Early Treatment for HIV Act, the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act or a provision to collect data toward ending disparities in health care for LGBT people.

Baldwin has acknowledged health care reform has essentially held up all legislation in Congress in recent weeks, including the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, a bill that seeks to provide equal pay for equal work in the federal workplace by granting to the domestic partners/spouses of gay federal workers the same health and life insurance, and other employment related benefits spouses of straight federal employees who are married are provided.

The bill - with words of support from President Obama - passed a House committee in November and a Senate committee in December. Neither House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has moved it to the floor.

“Certainly there are members of Congress who are nervous because of the economy, the rate of joblessness,” Baldwin said. “Across the country, people are agitated. On the other hand, my constituents want to see bolder and quicker change, and so I actually see positive signs to follow through [on DADT and ENDA].”

Pressure has swelled recently for action on LGBT-related issues in Congress, especially for ENDA and DADT. On March 18 gay civil rights activists, frustrated that Congress has yet to take a vote on ENDA or repealing DADT, staged peaceful acts of civil disobedience at both the Capitol and the White House. Lt. Dan Choi, who is being discharged from the Army because he identified himself as gay, and former Capt. James Pietrangelo II handcuffed themselves to the wrought iron fence surrounding the White House. Meanwhile comedian Kathy Griffin was attending a rally on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Metroweekly quotes the comedian who tweeted ‘’It was my honor 2 share [the] podium w Lt. Dan Choi today. I understand he’s been arrested in front of the White House. I dig that dude! Balls!’’

The event appeared to be a joint venture between the Human Rights Campaign and Bravo! TV.

That Thursday afternoon, other activists staged sit-ins in both the San Francisco and Washington, D.C., offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Capitol police arrested four of the protestors at Pelosi’s Congressional office. San Francisco police arrested six people. The activists were organized by GetEqual.org.

HUD LAUNCHES WEBSITE, GATHERS PUBLIC COMMENT ON FIRST-EVER
LGBT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION STUDY?

Online ‘suggestion box’ seeks to inform HUD on design of historic research

Washington DC - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched a new website to allow citizens to offer comment on the design of an unprecedented national study that will examine housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While there have been no national assessments of housing discrimination targeting the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community, there is a body of evidence suggesting this sort of bias exists.

HUD recently hosted town hall meetings in Chicago, San Francisco and New York City to solicit feedback on how it might approach such ground-breaking research. This ‘online suggestion box‘ is intended to offer the public throughout the U.S. an opportunity to comment on HUD’s study.??“It is critical that as we embark on this historic discrimination study, that we hear from those who may have been denied housing based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Dr. Raphael Bostic, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. “The comments we received in our town hall meetings, and those we will gather from this new website, will help inform how we might test for housing discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on LBGT status.”

While there are no national assessments of LGBT housing discrimination, there are state and local studies that have shown this sort of bias. For example, Michigan’s Fair Housing Centers found that nearly 30 percent of same-sex couples were treated differently when attempting to buy or rent a home. ??HUD’s new LGBT website will seek suggestions on how best to execute the study. For example, how would a ‘tester’ signal in a conversation with a landlord that an individual or couple was LGBT? The website is not designed for users to lodge complaints about a particular incident. However, if you believe you have been a victim of housing discrimination, you may file an online complaint, or call HUD’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777.

Lt. Govener Lawton Attends Conference on Wisconsin LGBT Youth

Oshkosh - An event at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, “Engaged and Empowered: The Lieutenant Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth” was held Friday, March 5 co-hosted by the Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools and Diverse and Resilient. The all day event with 340 people reported attending was aimed at providing tools for LGBT youth to have the ability to thrive in their schools and communities.

The Badger Herald reports Cindy Crane, executive director for GSA for Safe Schools, said the conference opened with Lawton speaking about the importance of LGBT issues, safe schools, communities and policy.

A panel comprised of middle and high school students and members Diverse and Resilient, discussed the health disparities and safety issues LGBT youth experience in schools.

The conference included workshops on bullying, health disparities, building safe and inclusive classrooms, counseling and advocacy.

Lawton who was excited about the event said “This is an issue that is essential to guaranteeing civil and human rights for young people; it helps them know their rights and that the people around them treat them fairly,

COMMUNITY THEATER TRAINING OFFERED THROUGH STAGEQ

Madison - Free workshops on stage managing and one on providing hands-on introduction in to how to produce theatrical productions and how to be a good stage manager are being offered through StageQ of Madison on Sunday, March 14 from 10 am – 1 pm at the StageQ Rehearsal Space, 148 E Wilson Street, first floor, Madison

This workshop will focus on how StageQ produces shows. The information in the workshop is applicable to any community theater production (or concert production, for that matter.)  It is suggested you bring a bag lunch. The free class will be taught by StageQ Artistic Director Tara Ayres and is limited to 20.  Pre-registration is required. You can sign up on-line at: http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=productionworkshop or by emailing producer@stageq.com.

STAGE MANAGING 101: StageQ is looking for a few assistant stage managers to work on Queer Shorts 5, with the intention of training them to become stage managers. That will entail a combination of hands-on and classroom training, in one half-day session. Queer Shorts 5 auditions are April 12 and 13, with rehearsals beginning at the end of April. Performance dates are June 11 – 19. 

If you are interested in being considered for stage manager training, please contact stagemanager@stageq.com.

David Bohnett CyberCenter Grand Opening at OutReach April 15th from 5-7pm

Madison - OutReach LGBT Community Center is the recipient of a $11,845 technology grant which has been used to open a David Bohnett CyberCenter. The new CyberCenter will be showcased at a grand-opening celebration on Thursday, April 15 from 5-7 pm.  at 600 Williamson St., Suite P-1 in Madison and will feature a brief program with food and beverages served. The public is invited to attend this free event.??

The CyberCenter at OutReach includes three cutting edge Lenovo ThinkCentre computers, a Ricoh color laser printer and a Xerox scanner, and new furniture. The new technology resources will allow our clients to better access online resources and state of the art software. OutReach is one of over 60 LGBT community centers in the US that has a David Bohnett CyberCenter. ??Steve Starkey, Executive Director of OutReach, comments “We are very grateful to the David Bohnett Foundation for this generous grant to upgrade our current cyber-center equipment, which is ten years old. The David Bohnett CyberCenter at OutReach will feature state-of-the-art, high end technology, and will greatly improve the quality of the work clients of OutReach can produce while they visit our center. We plan to offer computer classes because we now have modern equipment to use.”??

The Los Angeles-based David Bohnett Foundation is a foundation with a substantial endowment dedicated to improving society through social activism. Michael Fleming, executive director of the foundation said, “Our goal is to provide funding, state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions.” ??In 1994 David Bohnett founded GeoCities, an Internet-based media and e-commerce company acquired by Yahoo! in 1999. In the course of his career, Bohnett became keenly aware of what the Internet can contribute toward facilitating change. He has made it the mission of the foundation established in his name to ensure that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities are well positioned to leverage the transformative power of the Web.??

FMI on the grand opening event and the new David Bohnett CyberCenter at OutReach, call (608) 255-8582 or e-mail info@lgbtoutreach.org.

GAMMA & MILWAUKEE GAY ARTS CENTER HOST POT LUCK & OPEN MIC

Milwaukee - Milwaukee GAMMA, a social organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities of southeastern Wisconsin is sponsoring an evening of fun at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center.  A potluck dinner will be featured, along with an open mic event on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.  An evening of great food and fun and hopefully entertaining performances at Open Mic Night are planned.  Special entertainment will be provided by local artist Brian Firkus who will be performing selections from his new album along with his partner Matt Walton. 

Admission is free, but it is suggested you bring a dish to add to our potluck dinner, and an excitement to perform. Those not inclined to use the mic may just listen and enjoy the perormance. 

Milwaukee GAMMA hopes to introduce the general gay community to the organization with this event.  For more information, call 414-530-1886 or visit www.milwaukeegamma.com.

THE WISCONSIN CREAM CITY CHORUS PREMIERS
A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT AT SPRING CONCERT

Milwaukee - The Wisconsin Cream City Chorus will present its spring concert “Water For Life: Play, Sustain, Grow!” Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church West, 13001 W. North Avenue in Brookfield.  

The evening’s music explores the many facets of water, including its amazing power to both create and destroy life, its necessity to sustain life, and its many uses for fun. The show will feature a variety of pieces, from choral works and show tunes to familiar pop standards.

One of the evening’s highlights will be the premier live performance of “The Earth’s Hymn,” written by singer, dancer and Broadway performer Dodie Pettit.  Although the piece was recorded for a CD entitled Voices of Broadway, this choral setting of “The Earth’s Hymn” was specifically arranged for the Wisconsin Cream City Chorus by Ms. Pettit.  Ms. Pettit, claims the piece has never been performed live.  Wisconsin Cream City Chorus will have that honor.

Tickets for the concert are $15 for adult, $12 for youth (ages 11-18) and seniors (ages 60 and up), kids 10 and under are free. Tickets are available through chorus members and the chorus office email info@creamcitychorus.org or call 414-276-8787.

ARGONAUTS OF WISCONSIN BEGIN ANNUAL EASTER EGG FUNDRAISER

Green Bay - Leavi-Leather social group Argonauts of Wisconsin will again this year host an annual Easter Egg fundraiser for their charities. The weeklong event held at Napalese bar in Green Bay will begin on Friday, March 26 with a show at 10:30 pm. The contest will conclude Saturday, April 3 with a grand prize drawing at midnight.

According to the organization, proceeds from the easter egg sales have been used to assist those living with HIV.

AMANDA LEPORE CLOSING ACT AT PRIDEFEST DANCE PAVILLION
Self-Proclaimed “Number One Transsexual in the World” to close out The Summer’s Best Dance Party

MILWAUKEE – PrideFest now in its 23rd year has announced American model, fashion icon, nightlife hostess, performer and transsexual icon Amanda Lepore making her first appearance at PrideFest in the Dance Pavilion on Sunday, June 13. Ms. LePore is one of the final acts of this year’s festival which features top name entertainers from both music and comedy genre’s and cements PrideFest’s claim as the Midwest’s top Pride Festival for live performance.

Over the years Amanda Lepore has not only received attention for entertainment and business skills, but has been the advertising face for Heatherette, M.A.C. (cosmetics), Mego Jeans, Swatch, CAMP Cosmetics and more.

Since the early 1990’s, Lepore has been New York City’s “IT” girl. She became a fashion icon and appeared on the pages of major magazines all over the world. Amanda would later go on to become muse and model for photographer David LaChapelle appearing in his books, television commercials and other international photo shoots. She is a regular subject in much of LaChapelle’s work, and participated in his Artists and Prostitutes (1985-2005 exhibit) in New York where she “lived” in a voyeuristic life-sized set.

Her debut singles “Champagne” and “My Hair Looks Fierce” produced by Fatal Art Syndicate with lyrics written by Cazwell are available on her current remix album “Fierce Pussy”.

During mid-2007, Lepore was a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour, hosted by comedian Margaret Cho and headlined by Cyndi Lauper.