Quest Magazine Volume 17 Issue 5
April 8 - 21, 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. 17-4

Features in our Current Issue
PrideFest Set For Major Summer Dance Experience
Pride Alive's Spring Fling: Just the Start of Something Big!

NATIONAL & WISCONSIN NEWS is BELOW
For Arts & Entertainment News, Please Click Here

Federal Court Rules Transgender People Must Be Allowed Medical Treatment in Wisconsin Prison, Forge, Lambda Legal and ACLU Applaud Ruling
Milwaukee, WI - The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has struck down a law that barred transgender people from receiving medical care while they are incarcerated. The ACLU and Lambda Legal brought a challenge to the law in January 2006 on behalf of transgender prisoners, some of whom had been receiving hormones in Wisconsin prisons for years prior to the passage of the law.

According to the ACLU and Lambda Legal, Wisconsin is the only state in the country to have enacted a law denying transgender people access to medical care while in state custody.

“ The court understood that medical treatment is critical for transgender people and that medical decisions should be made by doctors-not legislators,” said Dru Levasseur, Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Attorney. “The state cannot decide to withhold treatment from people because they disapprove of their gender identity or medical needs-it’s unconstitutional.

“This decision recognizes that many inmates have a serious medical condition that requires individualized medical treatment. The court’s ruling doesn’t require inmates to receive hormones or surgery for sex reassignment, it simply means that doctors are the ones who make the decisions about treatment,” said John Knight of the ACLU. “The court’s decision is just common sense.

The court ruled that the statute’s ban on medical care “constitutes deliberate indifference to the plaintiff’s serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment inasmuch as enforcement of the statute results in the denial of hormone therapy without regard for the individual medical needs of inmates and the medical judgment of their health care providers.”

The Associated Press stated Lawmakers who authored the measure now declared unconstitutional reacted with outrage and urged Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to appeal. They warned the decision would open the door for taxpayer-funded sex changes for inmates, which the law had also blocked. The A. P. also quotes Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford. “This ruling puts a higher priority on helping inmate Tommy become Tammy than protecting the pocketbooks of law-abiding citizens,” This is a travesty of justice that must be overturned.”

Judge Clevert said the law violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment because it “results in the denial of hormone therapy without regard for the individual medical needs of inmates and the medical judgment of their health-care providers.”

Milwaukeean Appointed to National LGBT Bar Association Board
Milwaukee, WI – Attorney Jason Plowman of Wauwatosa, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the National LGBT Bar Association Board – a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals that promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity.

Locally, Plowman also sits on the board of the Cream City Foundation, the Milwaukee based LGBT community foundation working to be a catalyst for social change on behalf of LGBT people since 1982.

“I look forward to working to further the vision of the National LGBT Bar Association - improving the quality of life for LGBT legal practitioners until all LGBT legal professionals are recognized without discrimination, stigma or bias,” said Plowman. “This core mission, improving quality of life for LGBT people, is of course very similar to Cream City Foundation‘s. It’s exciting to see different organizations working in various venues and employing various methods to achieve what is ultimately a common purpose.”
Plowman represents and counsels employers on the full spectrum of labor and employment laws for LITTLER, the nation’s largest employment litigation practice. “Having our board bring their local and national resources to the table, as well as their networks, helps us improve our efforts and better leverage our resources to ensure we continue to create a stronger community for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Maria Cadenas, Cream City Foundation’s Executive Director.

For more visit www.CreamCityFoundation.org or call (414)225.0244

Oshkosh Professor Wins LGBTQ Group Presidency
Oshkosh, WI - Amney Harper, assistant professor of professional counseling, will assume the president-elect position July 1, 2010 for the national Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling. Reports Jade Bolack in the Advance- Titan, a publication of UW Oshkosh. The association is a division of the American Counseling Association.

“I was nominated at the national convention by Anneliese Singh, the past president,” says Harper. She originally planned to run as a board trustee before she discovered she was elected recently. She serves a one year term as president-elect supporting the missions of the current president. “After that year, I will take over as president,” Harper said. “My main goal is to help the association contribute to a campaign against anti-LGBTQ bullying in schools. I also want to help build the leadership within the organization.”

“Harper is co-chair of the LGBTQ Education and Advocacy Council and co-chair of the Employee Queer Ally League plus also works with several other groups on campus, including the LBGTQ Campus Safety subcommittee and the LGBTQ Resource Center. A professor at UW Oshkosh for two years, her classes include group counseling and professional orientation. She specializes in gender and racial identity and LGBTQ issues.

Ric-Fest Goes National with NEA-Drag Queen Caucus
Milwaukee, WI - The (Ric-Fest) Ricardo Correa Scholarship Foundation is taking their state LGBT high school scholarship national this summer. At the National Education Association teachers’ convention, the NEA has approved the NEA-Drag Queen Caucus. We’ll be raising money in New Orleans this summer over the 4th of July for a national scholarship. Money raised in Wisconsin in the fall for Ric Fest will always go to Wisconsin student scholarships. Wisconsin candidates will be eligible for the national scholarship awarded in the summer. Our first national scholarship winner will be awarded in the summer of 2011 in Chicago.

The scholarship foundation is doing several fundraisers this spring to get committee members and “queens” to the convention in New Orleans. There will be close to 10,000 people at the convention to buy the $10 caucus membership. Beer Busts; the first one scheduled April 10th at Woody’s (2-6:00 p.m.) Beer pong tournaments will be featured. $20 a couple, room for 12 couples; with half the money going out as the prize. 50/50 raffles, and a baseball card collection contest are also part of the fun.

  By the end of April, we hope to have the baseball cards of the bartenders, owners, drag queens, etc. available for sale at the sponsoring bars. People can go in and buy a drink, donate a $1 for a bartender; $3 for a shirtless or risqué picture of a bartender, $3 for a drag queen, and $5 for an owner’s picture.

For any bar owners that would like their bar to participate, any bartenders who would like their picture taken (they were out over Easter getting pictures), or anybody wanting more information, e-mail the scholarship committee: krashmilwaukee@hotmail.com. Attention NEA-DQ.

Milwaukee Pride Parade New Address, New Theme, New Fundraising Parties
Milwaukee - The Milwaukee Pride Parade has changed their mailing address to facilitate a more central location for volunteers to pick up mail and perform all of the daily business of the Milwaukee Pride Parade. The new address is: Milwaukee Pride Parade Inc. P.O. Box 0091 Milwaukee, WI 53201.

  A new facebook page has also been created. People with a facebook account may search for the group using the search words Milwaukee Pride Parade to find the group page. Most information will still be available on the group’s website at www.prideparademke.org, however the facebook page will help keep people informed who may otherwise not visit the official website regularly.

In addition to these changes, the Parade organizers have planned a series of parties as fundraisers and community outreach. Several bars in the Milwaukee and Racine area are participating. Each party will offer raffle prizes, a grand prize 50/50 raffle with half of the money raised that night going to the raffle winner. Pridefest tickets and much more! Some of the bars will have additional activities or entertainment. BOOM has adult stars Chad Brock and Clay Towers entertaining that night. Ballgame will feature former Miss Gay Wisconsin USofA titleholder Shannon Dupree reading gay erotic tales. More parties may be planned, so check their website for up to the minute information.

The list includes these dates and places:
4-10-10 @ Boot Camp Saloon *Late night
4-23-10 @ Club ICON (Racine) *Late night
4-28-10 @ Walker’s Pint *Late night
4-30-10 @ BOOM/The Room *Late night
5-6-10 @ Woody’s *Late night
5-16-10 @ Triangle *Afternoon

The 2010 Parade theme is “Twisted Fairy Tales”.  The theme is that in name only and units are not judged on the theme however they do encourage all of the units to make use of it.  All entries must remain family-friendly for this public event.           

The Milwaukee Pride Parade is in search of sponsors and volunteers for the 2010 pride parade.  All interested parties should visit the parade’s website at www.prideparademke.org for further information.  Sponsorship information can also be acquired by contacting the parade via phone at (414)607-3793 (11a-9p Mon-Sat.). Volunteers help make the parade possible every year. Without them there would be no Pride Parade at all states Brent, an organizer. Applications are available on the website for download or contact Jeff T., the Volunteer Coordinator at VolunteerCoordinator@prideparademke.org.

Applications for entries in the 2010 Parade are also now available for download.  Get your unit application in early and save money. The fee is $50.00 prior to May 15th, 2010, afterwards the price goes up.  Download an application from www.prideparademke.org.

The Milwaukee Pride Parade is a GLBT family entertainment oriented event in its 6th consecutive year of operation.

PRIDEFEST OR BUST!
The LGBT Community Center of the Chippewa Valley Offers Bus Trasport to PrideFest 2010
Eau Claire, WI- The LGBT Community Center of the Chippewa Valley is making it easier to reach PrideFest in Milwaukee this year by arranging for a bus to carry travelers from the center to the Mayer grounds in Milwaukee on Saturday June 12, 2010. The bus leaves the center at 8 am on Saturday and will arrive back at 10pm Sunday evening, June 13. Cost per rider is $60.00 if you are a center member or $65.00 for non-members. Price includes the transportation as well as admission to PrideFest for both Satruday and Sunday.

The flyer being distributed asks people if they want to see Patti LaBelle perform but don’t want the hassel of driving.
Because the bus will be returning Sunday evening by 10 pm, bus riders will not be able to enjoy Joan Rivers on the Main Stage or Amanda Lepore with Kaci Battaglia and DJ Jerry Griffith closing the Dance Pavillion. The bus is however a great way to be green while attending PrideFest across the state. PrideFest has plenty of activities to enjoy throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are by reservation: Call (715) 552-LGBT or email lgbtcommunitycenter@yahoo.com

The Bay View Garden AND Yard Society Hosts 6TH Annual Bay View Plant Sale
Bay View, WI - The Bay View Garden And Yard Society kicks off the 2010 growing season with the popular Bay View Plant Sale at South Shore Park, 2900 South Shore Drive on Saturday, June 5, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. 

  Blooming in color with Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront as a backdrop, the plant sale hosts a variety of local, commercial vendors with an impressive assortment of beautiful, quality plants.  Shoppers will be able to make their selections from hundreds of plants; including some of the best annuals and perennials, hanging baskets, ornamental trees and shrubs, vegetables and herbs, exotic heirloom favorites, and tropical plants.  Delicious bakery and coffee will also be available for sale.  Garden club members will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about gardening. 

The Bay View Garden And Yard society is collaborating once again with the South Shore Farmers’ Market and Milwaukee County Parks to bring this colorful event to the community for the sixth year in a row. 

  Formed in 1995, the Bay View Garden And Yard Society (BVGAYS) is a group of gay, lesbian, and gay-friendly people living in Bay View who share their love of gardening by beautifying yards and public gardens throughout the Bay View community.  Proceeds from the Bay View Plant Sale support many of the projects developed and maintained by the group; including the Village Roots Community Garden, the Lincoln-Howell-KK Triangle Garden, the WWII Memorial Garden on Kinnickinnic, the Pryor Avenue Iron Well, and the Fire Department Engine House on KK.