In WiGOUT! Gay Icelandic sensation Jónsi talks about his breakout solo album. Page 17 The voice Of progress fOr WIsconsin’s LGBT cOmmunity April 22, 2010 | Vol. 1, No. 12 pLANeT PRIDe LGBTs are riding the green wave By Lisa Neff queer,” is an environmental Staff writer activist who has worked on Dean Baigent-Mercer lives campaigns in New Zealand an alternative lifestyle. and on an international level It’s a life far from the major for more than a decade. urban communities that cra- He’s campaigned to end dle the LGBT culture. It’s logging in ancient New Zealand rainforests, to block China-bound shipments of r e p O r T stolen rainforest timber in Papua New Guinea, to ban destructive deep-sea bottom a life on an organic farm trawling fishing, to promote in Otangoroa, New Zealand. marine protection zones, “WWOOFers – Willing to stop construction of a Workers On Organic Food coal-fired power station and Farms, it’s a global network – against international over- come stay, help out, enjoy the fishing of tuna. local area and contribute to “Every day is Earth Day positive environmental proj- for me,” Baigent-Mercer says ects as part of their travels,” when asked about the holiday says Baigent-Mercer. observed worldwide April Baigent-Mercer, who 22. “Maybe I’ll plant another describes himself as an “eco- sub-tropical fruit tree to add to my growing sub-tropical fruit forest. Or trap some of the animals that were intro- duced to New Zealand that This are threatening our national flightless bird, the kiwi, with issue extinction.” inside and online at A poll found that 66 percent of wisconsingazette.com Baigent-Mercer says what LGBT adults support environmental drives his work is “common causes. image: nasa News sense” and “caring about WiGWAG ����������������������2 Planet Pride page 5 Eco Gaze ������������������������4 Wisconsin Gaze............6 Editorial ��������������������������8 Opinion ��������������������������9 Obama asks for hospital visitation rights National Gaze ������������ 11 Features By Lisa Neff receiving federal funding do hospital patients to receive compassion and companion- whether in a sudden medical WiGOUT �������������������� 17 Staff writer not deny gays visitation with visitors and to designate sur- ship than when a loved one emergency or a prolonged Art Gaze ��������������������� 18 A presidential memoran- their partners. rogate decision makers for is admitted to the hospital. … hospital stay.” Books ��������������������������� 23 dum signed April 15 calls on The subject line of the medical emergencies.” “Yet every day, all across The memo contains three On Stage ���������������������� 26 the secretary of health and memo President Barack The president wrote, America, patients are denied requests: human services to take steps Obama signed reads, “There are few moments in the kindness and caring of • That HHS establish a rule to guarantee that hospitals “Respecting the rights of our lives that call for greater a loved one at their sides – Hospital page 7 2 WI s c ON s INGAZ e TT e . c O m | April 22, 2010 LgBT news with a twist WiGWAG By Lisa Neff & Louis Weisberg GO fLeeTLy TrUe ALLy TOO this, I am going to person- Off, Off stage Organization. The prom C. B. Fleet has created Cyndi Lauper is help- rADIcAL ally pick you up and throw TexAs queen, no doubt, will be a new disposable douche ing establish Manhattan’s fOr The you across the room,” made A Fort Worth, Texas, Constance McMillen, a high campaign targeting gay men. first permanent housing KKK Carter something of a gay theater withdrew its offer school senior who chal- The print ads, set to debut for homeless LGBT youth The Ku Klux icon. to resurrect a staging of lenged her school district’s in Out magazine in June, in Harlem. The True Colors Klan is distanc- In real life, Carter was gay playwright Terrence rule banning same-sex dates feature a donkey above Residence, set to open in ing itself from Westboro a Republican. She broke McNally’s “Corpus Christi,” at the prom, as well as the tagline: “Keep it Clean. winter 2011, will provide Baptist Church, saying that it party ranks in 1991 to in which Jesus is depicted girls in tuxedos. The school Naturally.” young people ages 18 to 24 “absolutely repudiates” the write a $1,000 check for Bill as gay. The Rose Marine board voted to cancel the “We’ve always known with a place to live while church’s activities. Clinton. Carter was married Theater had offered to stage prom rather than to allow that some of our consum- helping them get back on Led by Fred Phelps, the to actor Hal Holbrook. the play after Tarleton State McMillen to attend, and an ers were using Fleet enemas their feet. church is notorious for University in Stephenville, alternative prom was poorly for reasons other than to “Kids are coming out in picketing the funerals of GOLDeN OLDIe Texas, canceled a student attended. relieve constipation,” said greater numbers as they U.S. soldiers killed abroad. The Vatican still has a long production. But, Rose Emily Klopp, senior brand see themselves accepted According to Phelps, these way to go to make peace Marine executive director Not too sexy manager for Fleet Naturals. and represented on TV and fallen men and women with LGBT civil rights advo- Adam Adolfo told the Fort The Phoenix, a Boston The new campaign came in movies, but they’re still have damned themselves cates and LGBT Catholics, Worth Star-Telegram, the alternative newspaper, in response to a Harris being kicked out of their by defending a nation that but last week the Church board of directors had con- recently announced its Interactive survey showing homes or running away and “enables” homosexuality. made peace with the Beatles. cerns about “financial reper- 100 unsexy men. The Top that 87 percent of gay and living on the streets,” Lauper The Vatican newspaper paid cussions and patronage.” 10 countdown – No. 10: bisexual men use enemas said in a statement. GOOD-Bye, DIxIe tribute to the Fab Four and Pope Benedict. No. 9: Mark as a precursor to “anal inti- “We need to make sure Dixie Carter died April stated that Church has got- hAve ThIs Sanford. No. 8: Jay Leno. No. macy.” we’re taking care of them. 10 at the age of 70. Carter ten past John Lennon’s boast dance? 7: Glenn Beck. No. 6: Jesse Fleet, which dominates This is the next generation was best known for her role that the band had become A band of celebrities James. No. 5: John Mayer. the world enema market of the LGBT community.” as Julia Sugarbaker, the lib- more popular than Jesus. (Green Day, musician Lance No. 4: Kevin Smith. No. 3: with about $30 million in Some of the money for eral Southern-belle on the Still, WiG has to point out Bass and Iron Chef Cat John Edwards. No. 2: Mike annual sales, is based in the facility will come through CBS hit sitcom “Designing – the tribute came on the Cora) are helping to pay Sorrentino. No. 1: Tiger Lynchburg, Va., which is also Lauper’s True Colors Fund. Women” (1986 to 1993). anniversary of the band’s for a student prom May 8 in Woods. the home of Jerry Falwell’s Her tough, sarcastic charac- dissolution. Tupelo, Miss. The event also Liberty University. ter, who delivered such lines is receiving $20,000 from For news updates go to as, “If you do not correct the American Humanist www.wisconsingazette.com. G e T T h e W I s c ON s I N G A Z e TT e D e LI v e r e D . c ALL 414-961-3240 NOW THROUGH MAY 29TH ING MONDAY - SATURDAY 9 AM - 5 PM MOV MASSIVE SAVINGS ONCE IN A LIFETIME SALE. SAVE UP TO 80% OFF ON FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES, ART, RUGS, MORE PEABODY’S INTERIORS • 133 E. Silver Spring Drive • Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 • 414 962-4550 • www.peabodysinteriors.com WI s c ON s INGAZ e TT e . c O m | April 22, 2010 3 4 WI s c ON s INGAZ e TT e . c O m | April 22, 2010 Got news? Tell us eco GAze [email protected]. Bringing nature to the inner city By Louis Weisberg ing. The courses are integrated the activity, crime in the park facets, not just food and trans- Staff writer into the schools’ curriculum and has fallen compared with overall portation choices, but also how In the middle of one of involve repeated visits to the crime in the city. we treat each other.” Wisconsin’s most densely popu- park over the course of each Zocher, who has a master’s Zocher’s commitment to the lated urban areas, Joey Zocher school year. degree in environmental edu- environment doesn’t end when is teaching inner-city kids about “We’re kind of like the cation, believes that the green she leaves work. She drives an nature and ecology. schools’ outdoor classroom,” movement has a lot in common old Mercedes that runs on veg- As program director of Zocher says. “Childhood needs with the LGBT civil rights move- etable oil. For recreation, she the Urban Ecology Center at to be preserved as much as any ment. She says creating sustain- camps, canoes and gardens. Washington Park, 4151 W. rainforest, and the kids love it able communities means not But Zocher is also something Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee, Zocher here.” only respecting the environment of a renaissance woman. She partners with 16 area schools In addition to coursework, but also the differences among skates with the Brew City roller to offer experiential learning the center offers a young scien- people.