Petropolitan owner ChrisChris WattsWatts wants to help create a community as passionate about animals as he is PPassionassion forforPetsets P By Tammye Nash Page 8 Feeling Sad…. Irritable…. Hopeless? If you are between 18 to 70 years old and are experiencing symptoms of depres- sion, you may be eligible to participate in one of our depression treatment re- search studies at Relaro Medical Trials, located in North Dallas. Participants in 04-03-15 | Volume 31 | Issue 47 all studies will receive (free of charge) a thorough diagnostic evaluation, study toc drug, and at least $50 for each completed visit. To be considered for any study you must be willing to come to our clinic for your visits, and any medical issue you have should be clinically stable. We get to know our patients, and we care about them, so feel free to call us so we can get to know you and your situation. We will listen to you and work with you to find out if you may qualify for any of our stud- headlines ies. If we can’t help you, we will do what we can to find someone who can. To talk with someone please call (469)-730-3282 • TEXAS NEWS 11 Meet our intern Raul Juarez We respect your privacy. Be assured that we do not share or sell any Information, and anything discussed is completely confidential. 12 Ryan White funds held up in litigation 14 To RFRA or not 12 24 • LIFE+STYLE 18 DTC’s ‘Colossal’ opens at Wyly 22 Tasting notes: brunch edition 24 Fit for Rivals’ queer front woman 25 Gamers head to Austin for HavenCon • ON THE COVER Chris Watts and Buddy at Petropolitan Photo by Tammye Nash Cover design by Kevin Thomas 25 ATTORNEY 24 HOURS 7 DAYS Court tomorrow? departments Criminal Defense: No Problem. We can help. Felonies, Misdemeanors, Payment Plans, Indecent Exposure, 6 The Gay Agenda 27 Calendar E Z Pay, Low Down. Public Lewdness, DWI, All Credit and Debit Cards. 31 Cassie Nova Theft, Drugs, Etc. 8 News Dallas and Surrounding 16 Texas Voices 32 Scene Counties and Hunt; Records Sealed (Statewide for Record Sealing) 18 Life+Style 35 Classifieds and Expunged Free Consultation Statewide Service. 1-800-630-5985 Immigration: [email protected] Related to Criminal Offenses. STEVENCLARYATTORNEY.COM LAW OFFICES OF STEVEN CLARY Principal Office Dallas (Oak Lawn Area) Catholic Mass CRIMINAL DEFENSE for the LGBT community DWI * Family Violence * Misdemeanor * Felony Charges First Sunday of the Month CIVIL LITIGATION (April 5th) at 6:00 pm Landlord/Tenant * Probate * Contracts CATHEDRAL OF HOPE Interfaith Peace Chapel, Lower Level [email protected] | 972-729-9572 www.dignitydallas.net FREE CONSULTATIONS / COMPETITIVE RATES / PAYMENT PLANS CELEBRATING THE WHOLENESS AND HOLINESS OF LGBT CATHOLICS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS Marc A. Fellman Attorney & Counselor-at-Law 214.530.2056 www.marcfellman.com 3102 Maple Avenue, Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75201 04.03.15 • dallasvoice 3 instantTEA DallasVoice.com/Category/Instant-Tea taking Maddie to JCPenney’s, where the little girl got her Easter suit. — Tammye Nash House takes $3 million from AIDS prevention funding for abstinence The Texas House of Representatives voted 97 to 47 to move $3 million in AIDS prevention money to abstinence-only education, according to the Texas Tribune. The amendment was proposed by first-term Rep. Stuart Spitzer, R-Kaufman. During debate over the proposal, we found out that Spitzer was a virgin when he married his wife at age 29, and she’s the only woman he’s had sex with. He didn’t specify if he ever had sex with a man. Coming to his defense was Scott Turner, R- Frisco, who said we can never have enough absti- nence education money. Turner challenged Rep. Rich Sheridan Joe Strauss for the Speaker of the House position and after losing, berated House members for not Rich Sheridan arrested voting for him. Spitzer was challenged by Democrats who ques- in anti-gay graffiti case tioned if he knew how sexually transmitted diseases Dallas mayoral candidate Rich Sheridan was ar- were spread and who asked what his definition of rested March 27 in connection with a graffiti case sex was. dating from June 2014. He has been charged with Oh, and Spitzer is a doctor, so if you live down in spray-painting “666” on the Legacy of Love monu- the Cedar Creek Lake area, you may want to make ment and at Cathedral of Hope, and similar acts of a note a find a different doctor. vandalism at other locations. — David Taffet Asst. Dallas Police Chief Randy Blankenbaker said defacing a public monument and a place of worship are state jail offenses. In addition, police are Hutchinson won’t sign filing hate crime charges against Sheridan. The graf- fiti charges are a third degree felony. The hate crime Arkansas ‘religious freedom’ bill Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced enhancement could increase the charge to second Wednesday, April 1 that he will not sign the “religious degree with a penalty of 5 to 20 years in prison. freedom” bill passed by lawmakers in his state, say- — David Taffet ing that he will instead send the measure back to the state Legislature for changes to make sure that it Clerk in Denison shop berates mirrors a federal law already in place. Hutchinson said he made his decision because he mother for letting daughter wants Arkansas to be “known as a state that does choose boy clothes not discriminate but understands tolerance.” He also A clerk at a children’s clothing store in Denison re- said he is considering issuing an executive order that portedly accused a mother of child abuse for allow- bans discrimination in the state’s workforce. ing her 5-year-old daughter to choose a boy’s suit Hutchinson said his own son, Seth, signed a peti- and tie as her Easter outfit. tion urging him not to sign the bill. Rachel Giordano said her daughter Maddie is a — Tammye Nash tomboy who has “preferred to dress in boys clothes since she was about three years old.” Rachel said she doesn’t mind a bit if Maddie likes wearing boy DoJ charges Oklahoma university clothes, but a clerk in Martha’s Miniatures in Denison with trans discrimination did mind. A lot. The Department of Justice filed discrimination Giordano said she and Maddie were hanging out charges on Monday, March 30 on behalf of Rachel at Denison’s Art Walk last Saturday, March 28, when Tudor against Southeastern Oklahoma State Univer- she decided to take her daughter into Martha’s to sity. They charge is gender discrimination. shop for an Easter outfit. But when the store clerk Tudor claims she was denied tenure because she saw the little girl, she was outraged. is transgender, according to Reuters. Giordano told KTEN the clerk “told me that I was Tudor was an assistant professor of English at the promoting wrong behavior, that parent’s should not school and was denied tenure in 2011. The school let their children choose the way that they dress if it’s claimed she hadn’t published enough, even though cross-gendered.” she had more peer-reviewed work than her depart- Giordano posted on her Facebook page about ment chair. School officials also claimed they the incident, and the clerk responded with a post to couldn’t substantiate that Tudor actually did some of the store’s Facebook page saying she was the work she claimed she did on her application for “shocked” by the incident and that “I asked [the tenure. mother] why she was encouraging this. … This is Tudor told Dallas Voice at the time that the works child abuse from the mother.” in question were in the school library with her name The Martha’s Miniatures FB page has since been on the cover. removed and just so you know, Giordano ended up — David Taffet 4 dallasvoice.com • 04.03.15 • localbriefs TCGPWA celebrates Chris Chism makes Easter with Agape Alexandre’s debut Tarrant County Gay Pride Week Association Cathedral of Hope as- celebrates Easter on Saturday, April 4 by partici- sistant director of music pating in Agape MCC’s Easter Egg Hunt. and worship Chris Chism The Easter Bunny visits Agape MCC, 4615 E makes his Cedar Springs California Parkway, Fort Worth at noon to begin debut at Alexandre’s on an afternoon of games and contests for kids. Each Wednesday, April 8. child receives four tokens to play games. Easter Chism said he plans to egg hunts begin at 1 p.m. for children up to six sing and play Top 40 cov- years old and at 3 p.m. for children 3 to 12 years ers as well as a few standards and original mate- old. At 2 p.m. is a pinata bash. rial. Coloring and drawing contests take place through the afternoon and door prizes are Equality Texas holds awarded at 4 p.m. final advocacy day Fort Worth Rights Equality Texas holds its third and final advo- Now plans protest cacy day beginning at 11 a.m. on April 13. Meet with lawmakers in Austin to talk about Damon Carver, organizer of Fort Worth Rights how discrimination affects the LGBT Community. Now, along with GetEQUAL Texas, plans a GALA North Texas is sponsoring transporta- protest from 4-7 p.m. on April 4. tion from Plano for $15 that includes food. Tickets Meet at Chipolte, 3000 W. 7th St., Fort Worth. for transportation from Plano are available at Protesters then plan to take over the busy intersec- GALANorthTexas.org. tions at University Avenue and W.