THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 May 20, 2009 • vol 24 no 34 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Gay Film Examines Pols’ Lives IML BY LAWRENCE FERBER Returns Washington D.C. house contractors must be OUTRAGE used to building closets large and deep, judg- to Chicago page 7 ing from the controversial new documentary OUTRAGE. Encompassing a scathing indictment of closeted gay politicians who vote against or demonize the LGBT community (such as U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, Republican National Com- mittee Field Director Dan Gurley, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist); thoughtful investigation of the whys behind this closet culture and the main- stream media’s complicity in it; profiles of the activists and outers (Michelangelo Signorile, Michael Rogers and Larry Kramer); and a look at the good that ultimately comes from be- ing, or coming, out in politics (New Jersey’s Garden Jim McGreevey, Massachusetts Congressman of Eve page 11 Barney Frank and Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin), OUTRAGE is directed by Academy Award-nominated, gay-friendly film- maker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Twist of Faith). A day before OUTRAGE premiered to rave reviews at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival (contrary to online reports, McGreevey did not storm out of the screening—he even stayed through its Q&A), I sat down with Dick at Mag- Among those featured in OUTRAGE are (top) former U.S. Senator Larry Craig, nolia Pictures’ Manhattan office for a one-on- activist Larry Kramer (lower left) and activist/attorney Elizabeth Birch Gay V-ball (lower right). Kirby Dick (lower middle) is the director of the film. Photos Tourney at Turn to page 18 courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Navy Pier page 26 Local gay activist Suicides and bullying: arrested in Moscow A closer look BY YASMIN NAIR BY ANDREW DAVIS Two school students as young as 11 years old recently committed suicide In Moscow, Russia, gay-rights activists within 10 days of each other after enduring anti-gay harassment. Carl Joseph had planned to hold a pride parade this Walker-Hoover of Springfield, Mass., killed himself April 6 and Jaheem Herrera past weekend—but the police had other nightspots of DeKalb County, Ga., hanged himself with a cloth belt April 16 after similar May 20, 2009 #988 plans. n taunts. The incidents have created waves of shock and dismay and generated pick it up Officers arrested dozens of activists Under the Leather a public conversation about such instances of bullying. Open wide for summertime with the boys and girls of International Mr. Leather XXXI and Bear Pride XV. take it home inSIDE and detained them May 16, according to Pig play at Touché Bob Mould and Richard Morel “Blowoff” some The harassment of students based on their real or perceived sexual orienta- page 46 steam with Pubert. page 30 a CNN.com item. Among those arrested tion is an ongoing concern for LGBTQ education activists. According to the were Nikolai Alexeyev, a prominent Rus- 2007 National School Climate Survey conducted by GLSEN (Gay and Lesbian sian gay activist, and associate Nikolai and Straight Education Network), “86.2% of LGBT students reported being Bayev, as well as British human-rights verbally harassed, 44.1% reported being physically harassed and 22.1% re- activist Peter Tatchell. (Alexeyev ap- ported being physically assaulted at school … because of their sexual orienta- peared in Chicago in October 2007 to tion.” speak at the annual Matthew Shepard Windy City Times spoke to students and activists about how to find so- rally.) www.WindyCityQueercast.com Andy Thayer. Photo by Andrew Turn to page 6 Turn to page 8 Davis CHICAGO’S BIGGEST GLBT CONTEST! Produced by Windy City Media Group Next round: PRESENT @MOSPHERE WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 See page 19 for more details 2 May 20, 2009 =I<< 8;D@JJ@FE JGFEJFIJ1 K?LIJ;8P# D8P)()''0 +1''GDKF/1''GD:<EK<IFE?8CJK<; *-,-EFIK??8CJK<;JKI<<K N_\k_\ipfl[i\Xdf]j_fgg`e^`e<lifg\fij`gg`e^X[i`ebYpk_\Y\XZ_# Zfd\kfk_\)''0?O>XpC\jY`XeKiXm\c<ogfXe[i\^`jk\ikfn`eknf k`Zb\kjfe8`i9\ic`e% ($/''$>8P$<OGFnnn%^XpkiXm\c\ogf%Zfd NEWS index AIDS activist commits suicide May 20, 2009 Frieden to head CDC 3 Marriage milestones 4 Iowa’s reluctant activists 4 GLN’s IDAHO protest 4 Chicagoan arrested in Moscow 5 Craigslist changes 6 Rush scores 100 on index 6 IML in Chicago May 21-25 7 Passages: Jones 7 Suicide and bullying 7 D’Emilio 8 Kelli O’Donnell (above) talks about ‘Garden’ photos 8 Quote On what’s going on with R Family 10 Vacations. See more on page 22. Views: Johnson, Mock 11 Photo courtesy of Barbara Kinney 11 ENTERTAINMENT 12 Lane Alexander interview Man helps About Face Theater reviews 13 Knight at the Movies 14 ‘Outrage’ director talks 14 Billy Masters 17 Adam: The 1st gay Idol? 18 24 OUTLINES 25 Pride calendar Calendar Business: R Family Vacations 20 Real estate; classifieds 22 Sports: Gay v-ball tourney 22 23 Cover photos and credits (from top): Mr. IML 2008 Gary Barbatuques (above) will be part of Iriza by BULLmanX; 2009 Garden of Eve photo by Kat 26 Fitzgerald (MysticImagesPhotography.com); and 2006 Gay the dance extravaganza “Windy City Games image by Shawn Eames Rhythms Goes Global.” Chicago Human Rhythm Project Co-Founder Lane Alexander talks about the show (and his life) on page 13. www. Features include: Windy —National and world news City —Theater review —Pop Making Sense Media —A talk with the Group ‘Fashion Show’ judges (right) .com —Dish List: Blue 13 —Dr. Hernandez Photo courtesy of Bravo nightspots Directorn of The Walls megan carne SHOW #WCQ301y UNDER THE LEATHER Open wide for summertime with the boys and girls of International Mr. www.WindyCityQueercast.com Leather XXXI and Bear Pride XV. May 20, 2009 Photo by Chester Munro #988 Open wide for summertime with the boys and girlsUnder of International Mr.the Leather XXXILeather and Bear Pride XV. THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 -!9 s6/,./ inSIDE nnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfd Pig play at Touché FYXdXYl[^\kj_fik page 46 Bob Mould and Richard Morel “Blowoff” some fe8@;J]le[`e^ steam with Pubert. NEWS ANALYSIS BY BOB ROEHR ;\j`^e page 30 President Barack Obama has proposed a trickle ]fiX:li\ gX^\0 of new money for HIV in his fiscal year 2010 budget released May 7. That is far short of keep- ing pace with the growing demand for already inadequate services. AIDS advocates praised some changes in poli- cy from the Bush administration but are increas- ingly frustrated and vocal in expressing the need to change additional policies and substantially ;FNECF8;K?@J increase funding for both domestic and interna- tional programs. “AIDS advocates can’t keep giving Obama a pass on his lack of movement in fighting the AIDS epidemic,” said Charles King, president of Ê>Xi[\ef] Housing Works, a major service provider in New <m\ËJ\k York City. gX^\. The brightest spot in the president’s budget was an end to the $99 million abstinence-only program and the creation of a new $110 million ?Xm`e^ program to prevent teen pregnancy. But there was no inclusion of HIV prevention in the new >fkf program. Joseph DiNorcia, Jr., president of the Sexual- ity Information and Education Council of the X9Xcc gX^\(. United States, a leading sex-ed group, praised nnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf the decision to drop funding for abstinence-only programs but questioned the focus of the new 3TYLISHATTENDEESMADETHEIRWAYTO3ALVAGE/NE 7(UBBARD -AYAS!BOUT&ACE Ê<m\ip program. 4HEATREHELDITSANNUAL7ONKA"ALL!MONGTHEHIGHLIGHTSWEREDANCERS GREATFOODAND7INDY KliekfgX^\+ #ITY-EDIA'ROUPRECEIVINGANAWARD3EEMOREONPAGEANDWWW7INDY#ITY-EDIA'ROUP C`kkc\ COM0HOTOBY+AT&ITZGERALD-YSTIC)MAGES0HOTOGRAPHYCOM Jk\gË [fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf]N`e[p:`kpK`d\j gX^\(- Dli[\i`eM`ccXGXib1 FYXdXni`k\jkf nightspotsn Cfm\Xe[c`\j c\jY`Xe`ed`c`kXip BY TRACY BAIM NEWS ANALYSIS BY LORI WEINER President Barack Obama sent a handwritten Lovers begin as strangers, and as time note in response to a Chicago-area lesbian’s erodes the edifice of unfamiliarity, the plea for him to change the military’s ban on partners are often confronted by sur- openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. She prises. If the new information affirms sent her letter to Obama just six days after Xe[E`^_kjgfkj% g`Zb`klg our faith in her suitability for us, the his inauguration, and it was published in the kXb\`k_fd\ relationship continues and endures. If, Feb. 11 Windy City Times as a cover story. however, it reveals duplicity, treachery Tsao said she is “very hopeful” after receiv- and betrayal, typically the relationship ing the note May 5. “I believe he is a man of ends. Usually this process follows a pre- his word. … My heart is bounding with joy.” dictable template: accusations, followed The timing is bittersweet: Tsao’s last day in by tears, protestations, and denials. But the service will be May 19, 2009. in the dissolution of the partnership of Obama’s note reads: “Thanks for your won- Nicole Abusharif and Rebecca Klein, little derful and thoughtful letter. It is because of was typical. "ECKY+LEIN ND,T3ANDY4SAO0HOTOBY nnn%N`e[p:`kpHl\\iZXjk%Zfd KliekfgX^\/ KliekfgX^\- Donna CHICAGO’S BIGGEST GLBT CONTEST! K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkf Next round: PRESENT SOFO THURSDAY, MAY 14 See page 24 for more details k_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ 4 May 20, 2009 largest patrons of LGBT community groups.