I’d have no problem Beloved Activist Suffers with the Legislature Burns, Loses Home In Fire creating“ a vehicle for same-sex marriage. It’s just Natalie Maines Talks part of modern life. – Former Attorney Gen. Dixie Chicks, Gay Fans Mike Cox, Page 6” Abigail Stauffer Unfiltered Ann Arbor Musician On New Album, Taylor Swift & Being True To Herself WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM MAY 23, 2013 | VOL. 2121 | FREE 2 BTL | May 23, 2013 www.PrideSource.com Cover story 20 Abigail Stauffer: Unfiltered I’d have no problem with“ the Legislature Beloved Activist Suffers creating a vehicle for Burns, Loses Home In Fire same-sex marriage. It’s just We both know how it part of modern life. Natalie Maines Talks – Former Attorney Gen. Mike Cox, Page 6” Dixie Chicks, Gay Fans feels to be hated just for who we are. Abigail Stauffer Unfiltered – Natalie Maines , pg. 18 Ann Arbor Musician On New Album, Taylor Swift & Being True To Herself MAY 23, 2013 | VOL. 2121 | FREE WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM NEWS 4 Beyond The Bar Join The Conversation PrideSource.comCool Cities 4 Beloved activist suffers burns, @ loses home, car in fire 5 West Michigan Pride to celebrate HELP WANTED PRIDE SEASON COOL CITIES 25 years June 15 5 Holland to move outdoors for Pride 6 Is there room for the ‘R’ in LGBT? 9 Obituary: Jo Ellen Ploeger 16 Department of Education announces changes to FAFSA form 17 Online safety a must for community OPINION 9 Viewpoint 14 Cuba, I’m proud of you! 15 Parting Glances 17 Creep of the Week LIFE Unity Michigan Coalition Pride Season Volunteers Plan Out The June This Week’s Cool City: A2 18 Natalie Maines gets real The Unity Michigan Coalition and BTL are seeking volunteers to assist Pride Season Today 22 Hear Me Out in a community outreach project throughout the June Pride season. June is just around the corner:YOUR Discover NEIGHBORHOOD local LGBT-friendly • YOUR MARKET Volunteers will work with UMC and BTL to collect contact information 26 Happenings plan out your month of festivities businesses,Pinpoint checkyour adout dollarsawesome where 31 Classic musical graces the Baldwin from LGBTQ and allied attendess of Pride festivals who are interested by checking out the Pride calendar events and more on the Ann in furthering nondiscrimination policies throughout the state and would they will do the most good . 34 Cool Cities: Ann Arbor on Pridesource.com! Arbor Cool Cities page – online like to keep informed on how they can become involved. and Advertise in print! in the next Cool Cities REAR VIEW Call 734-293-7200 ext. 14 or e-mail [email protected] for more TO PLACE AN AD CALL 734.293.7200 39 Classifieds information or to sign up. 40 Cocktail Chatter 41 Puzzle 42 Deep Inside Hollywood VOL. 2121 • MAY 23, 2013 • ISSUE 817 Editorial Creative Advertising & SALES Business Office Editor in Chief Art Director Director of Sales Diane Smith, [email protected] PRIDE SOURCE MEDIA GROUP Susan Horowitz, 734.293.7200 x 12 Benjamin Jenkins, [email protected] Jan Stevenson, 734.293.7200 x 22 Circulation & Distribution 11920 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Michigan 48150 [email protected] [email protected] Phone 734.293.7200 Webmaster & MIS Director Diane Smith Entertainment Editor Kevin Bryant, [email protected] Sales Representatives PUBLISHERS Chris Azzopardi, 734.293.7200 x 24 Ed Bohach, 734.293.7200 x 15 ONLINE at Susan Horowitz & Jan Stevenson [email protected] Contributing Writers [email protected] Charles Alexander, Michelle E. Brown, MEMBER OF Associate Editor Todd Heywood, Jerome Stuart Nichols, Ann Cox, 734.293.7200 x 13 “Between The Lines Newspaper” Michigan Press Assoication Benjamin Jenkins, 734.293.7200 x 14 Kate Opalewski, Anthony Paull, [email protected] National Gay Media Association [email protected] Andrea Poteet, Eric W. Rader, National Advertising Representative Q Syndicate Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Dawn R. Wolfe News Staff Writer Rivendell Media, 212.242.6863 Follow us @YourBTL Crystal Proxmire Cartoonists Our rate cards are available online. All material appearing in Paul Berg, Dave Brousseau Between The Lines is protected by federal copyright law and Email your op–eds to Arts & Theater Editor may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission [email protected] Since 1995 Donald V. Calamia, [email protected] Contributing Photographers of the publishers. Between The Lines is supported by many Andrew Potter fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims Providing Content and Community to LGBT Media Calendar Editor made by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for Sign up online to receive our E–Digest Copyright 2013 Pride Source Media Group, LLC Shelby Clark, [email protected] materials provided by advertisers or their agents. 3 BTL | May 23, 2013 www.PrideSource.com Beloved Activist Beyond The Bar: Motor City Suffers Burns, Pride Kickoff To Showcase Loses Home, Local Graphic Arts And More Car In Fire BY Crystal A. PROXMIRE DETROIT - Don’t you love when BY BTL Staff little celebrations make it big? That’s what happened to Beyond the Bar, the OAK PARK - Jay Kaplan, staff attorney at the Michigan premiere Motor City Pride kick-off ACLU LGBT Project, suffered burns and lost his entire event taking place at Start Gallery, house and car in a fire May 18. He was taken from the scene 206 E. Grand River, Detroit on June to Beaumont Hospital by EMS and soon transferred to 6 at 7 p.m. Detroit Receiving Beyond the Bar: An LGBT Art and Hospital’s burn Design showcase started out three years unit where he was ago as a small, one-day showing where treated for first members of the design profession who and second degree happened to be LGBT could come burns, mostly on together and celebrate their work. his legs. He was The title Beyond the Bar comes from released May 20 creator Alexander Harvilla. “I get tired and is currently of people thinking that gay people staying with his are all about going to the bar, and the parents. stereotypes of the work we do. There Mike Steinberg are gay people in every profession. This and Shelli is all about art first, LGBT second,” Alexander Harvilla above founded Beyond The Bar: An LGBT Art and Design showcase three Weisberg of Harvilla said. years ago. This year it will be the premiere kick-off the Michigan This year it’s the opening night event event for Motor City Pride in downtown Detroit ACLU released for Motor City Pride, complete with art, June 6. To left is the ad creatd by GM for BTL Jay Kaplan a statement appetizers, beer and wine and music 2012 Pride edition that took off virally around the detailing the chain of events. “On May 18 at about 3 p.m., by DJ Lena. Art will be auctioned off globe. BTL file photo: Crystal Proxmire. Jay was hooking up a new propane canister to the grill on for the benefit of the Ruth Ellis Center, Metro Detroit Area.” his deck. He heard some hissing coming from the line, so he and entrance to the party is just a Among the exhibits are pieces by well- tightened it up and thought everything was okay. However, recommended donation of $5. known local artists and designers. David when he lit the grill, the flame extended down to the tank The first year featured 14 design Wysocki, creative director at Doner and the deck immediately caught on fire. Jay stepped into projects. This year there are over 70. Advertising, has pieces showcased for fire to try to shut off the canister, but it was too hot and he “This year, thanks to one of our brands that people will likely recognize. went to get a fire extinguisher. It is during this attempt to turn event partners ‘The AdCraft Club of Chris Gorski of Detroit GT started his off the canister that he suffered the burns. The fire spread Detroit,’ some of the local area’s largest own, local Detroit T-shirt company and extremely fast and the flames soon reached 25 feet high. ad agencies are contributing work that has done a lot of graphic design work. The fire department came quickly, but Jay’s house is pretty contained the involvement of an LGBT Harvilla is pleased to recognize the much destroyed, as is his car, which was parked in the garage. individual. Knowing that the local is not immune. Going through school work of Lorenzo King for the third year Fortunately, nobody else was hurt.” advertising community is so supportive and college, I noticed that many people in a row. “During the first showcase, of the growth/relevance with the would stereotype the career choices of Lorenzo had just graduated college and careers of their LGBT employees is LGBT individuals and assume we were displayed his student work. This year, he Fund Created amazing and truly encompasses what all confined to one area of thinking. is displaying many of his professional The LGBT community’s outpouring of support for Kaplan this show is about. I don’t want to ruin There are many different methods to pieces. I think it is amazing to notice how has been impressive. In addition to hundreds of social media the surprise of what larger campaigns debunk stereotypes. With this show, much he has grown as a designer over the posts, cards, and emails, fellow activists at Unity Michigan we may recognize, but it’s pretty we used this simple approach: ‘instead span of this showcase, and have hopes quickly set up a fund online to raise money for Kaplan. In less amazing,” Harvilla said. of telling people we are a diverse that Beyond the Bar had an influence than 24 hours the fund raised over $6,000.