September 5, 2014
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AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES OUT September 5, 2014 | Volume XII, Issue 9 Part of the LGBT Orioles’ LGBT Fans Come contingent at the game credit: Steve Charing outings being held April, Out to the Ballgame May, and June. Each of those sold 25 to 30 tickets BY S TEVE CHARIN G according to GLCCB Director of Commu- It may have been a disappointing crowd on nications Dan McEvily. Last year, a similar August 26 to witness our first-place home- outing was held in conjunction with Pride town Baltimore Orioles take on a division and sold just under 80 tickets. As a result rival – the opening of Horseshoe Casino of this event, the GLCCB raised $700. drew almost as many people – but the For 2015, interim Executive Director LGBT contingent among the fans was well Kelly Neel plans to continue the schedule represented. The entire total of 100 tickets as they did this year (smaller monthly out- allotted to the GLCCB was sold out. ings for April, May, July, August), as well as This outing against the Tampa Bay a larger, marquee outing timed with Pride. Rays, whom the Orioles defeated 4-to-2, The exact dates will be firmed up after the was organized by the GLCCB as a social 2015 schedule is released in January. event but it also served as a fundraiser for Since 2001, Major League Baseball the organization. It was the fourth and fi- teams have held Nights/Days Out at the nal such game of the season with the other —continued on p. 3 BALTIMORE, BASEBALL, AND GAY LOVE Queen Henry Touches all the Bases BY S TEVE CHARIN G who has a thing for Peach Schnapps, is That is why Henry hides the use of an in- Begin with a straight, homophobic, narcis- a rather fun-loving outfielder who is im- haler to deal with his asthma and instead sistic womanizer who happens to play for mensely popular with the fans mainly decides to participate in a clinical drug trial the Baltimore Orioles. Add to that his out- because, as a self-described “attention at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After taking the of-the-blue discovery that he is gay, which whore,” he leads them in the seventh in- drug, administered by a medical technician is followed by his falling head-over-spikes ning sing-along to Y-M-C-A while stand- named Sam, a gay man, Henry finds out for a man. Toss in the swirling rumors of a ing atop the dugout. After a game, Henry shockingly while jogging the next morning gay player on the Orioles and the inherent carouses with his teammates, and since he is attracted to men and lost his desires clubhouse homophobia from his manager, he is attractive, famous, and single, he ef- for women. Just like that. some of his teammates, and his father, fortlessly finds a different woman to take Panicky and confused, Henry tries to and you have the recipe for a glorious, home each night. explain the situation to Sam who vehe- deliciously written work of fiction, Queen Despite his macho image, Henry se- mently denies the drug had anything to Henry , by local author Linda Fausnet, a cretly longs to be a Broadway performer. do with this condition and that Henry must lifetime Orioles fan. His homophobic father, manager and have been suppressing his true sexuality A successful screenwriter and a pro- teammates instill the anti-gay dogma in all along. They don’t hit it off well as Hen- fessed ally for LGBT rights, Fausnet an- him, and he frequently uses the f-word pri- ry’s homophobia comes through loud and Since hes attractive, famous, and single, nounced that all proceeds from the sale of marily because this is the environment in clear; the tension between the two remains Henry nds a different woman to take this book will go to the Harvey Milk Foun- which it is expected and accepted. throughout a good portion of the book. home each night – until everything dation. Weakness or the perception of same is Nonetheless, Sam introduces Henry to changes. Set in Baltimore, Henry Vaughn, Jr., one of the greatest fears of a male athlete. —continued on page 21 LOC AL HI STO RY The Battle of Baltimore About 50 years ago I An went to a dinner party, where the host’s elderly BY GARY S UGG AR S into submission. All know bachelor uncle recalled We are soon approaching the conclusion about the failure to get past Alternative View that as a young teen of the bicentenary War of 1812. This sec- the guns of Fort McHenry. (maybe 60 years prior – ond war of independence started with a But, again, what happened at North Point? we’re going back over 100 years, but long whimper: the seizure of American ships, Close to 200 years later, the question after the Battle of North Point) he had heard cargo and sailors that wanted to profit (pri- remains “What happened at North Point?” how Wells and McComas entered enemy vateer) from the British blockage of Napo- Major General Robert Ross, R.A. died. territory offering themselves as camp fol- leon’s France. It ended with a bang: the Combined with the failure to pass Fort lowers. These were people (usually wom- bombardment of Fort McHenry by dawn’s McHenry, the “will to win” was broken. The an) who for a token enumeration would early light, and the almost forgotten but royal fleet returned to British ports. Did the cook, do laundry, and if so requested spend equally important Battle of North Point. struggling United States defeat, again, the the night. Our young heroes spent the night All Baltimoreans know of Fort McHenry’s world’s mightiest navy? The facts suggest with Ross, killed him, and successfully dis- survival, which inspired Francis Scott Key a draw not a victory. England’s objective appeared into the dark. A rie shot would to pen what would become our National was to quash any Canadian thoughts of in- attract attention, so they knifed the general. Anthem. But, what hap- dependence, and to deter Ameri- The only proof of this version would pened at North Point? Did Baltimore can ambitions to annex be to examine General Britain’s battle plan all or part of Canada. Ross’s corpse. Different was to capture nascent teen hustlers save With these goals met, entry wounds would be Americans ports, de- America’s freedom? and still recovering from made by shot or a blade. stroying our reliance the Napoleonic wars, Ross was preserved in a on foreign commerce and with rumblings of 129 gallon barrel of rum. and so to be dependent on British duty and future conflict with the Dutch or He was to be shipped goods. Britain’s navy was the world’s best a regrouped France, the Royal home aboard the HMS and their knife at our economic throat. First Admiralty called its fleet closer Tonnant. As the Tonnant they took Boston, and, via Long Island, to home. With ports burned and was ordered to New New York City. The checkmate would be boats sunk, the United States Orleans, the barrel and Philadelphia, the States’ major port and, could not justly claim victory. But body were transferred many believed, the world’s second larg- we did, imitating the nautical psy- to the HMS Royal Oak, est English speaking city. Royal forces chic that the U.S. could not be to burial in Halifax, Nova marched north. Washington, D.C., the capi- defeated on a global stage. This Scotia. General Ross tal but a minor hamlet was seized, sacked belief survived the War of 1812, was honored for his vic- and burnt. Next the British’s aim was Bal- an undeclared war with France through Ko- tories against Napoleon with a large memo- timore. Baltimore was not incorporated rea and Vietnam. rial in Westminster Abby. Why is his body in until after the War for Independence, but Again, what happened at North Point? I Canada? Did the crew of HMS Royal Oak it quickly grew to be our country’s second fear the answer, with apologies to Sir Win- want to hide that they drank most of the fla- largest port and city. By attacking Baltimore ston, is “a riddle wrapped in a mystery in- vored rum? Was the crew told not to take by water (Fort McHenry) and by land (North side an enigma.” The surviving, eyewitness, Ross’s remains to London where the true Point), a vise could strangle “our fair city” written account is by Dr. James Haines Mc- nature of his demise could be disclosed? Culloth, Jr., but he In our post- “Don’t ask, don’t tell” times, cites the wrong it is possible that our nation was saved by date for the battle. two teenaged hustlers? Anyone who has Ross died, but been with East Baltimore lads would not there are conflict- doubt anything. t ing descriptions. Did he fall from or died under the Ross Tree, cut Like Us On down in March of 1844, with its F acebook! splinters venerat- ed as relics. Often General Ross’s death is attributed to two Baltimore lads, Daniel Wells and Harry McCo- mas with given ages of some- where from 14 to Our story ends happily in just the opposite manner 16 and 19 to 21. 2 t BALT IMO RE OUTLOUD S EPTEMBER 5,, 2014 • BALTI MOREOUTLOUD. COM NEW S // LOCAL ORI OL ES LGBT FAN S C OM E OUT TO THE BA LLG AME – continued from page 1 Ballpark to recognize the LGBT communi- other teams taking part in this endeavor, ty.