Year 1, Vol. 19 • Jan. 3 - February 6, 2008 The www.therainbowtimesnews.com FREE! NY Lesbian Notions: Moving Smooth Movers: Our ainbow imes beyond 2007’s top stories Featured Biz out of MA! T p. R p. 22 7 Your LGBT News in Western MA, the Capital District of NY, Northern CT, & Southern VT 22 COLTON FORD: 2008 PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS on the ISSUES OUR EXCLUSIVE p. 12 interview p. 6 BEST and WORST LGBT NEWS 2007 p. 3 TALKING ABOUT GLBT ISSUES IN SCHOOLS p. 11 NEW ENGLAND TRANS PRIDE MARCH and PLANNING p. 17 NOHO PRIDE SEEKS LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT p. 8 Photo by: Joe Oppedisano 2 • Jan. 3 - February 6, 2008 • The Rainbow Times • www.therainbowtimesnews.com Opinions The Controversial Couch Best TRT stories of 2007 & more Lie back and listen. Then get up and do something By: Nicole C. Lashomb/TRT Editor-in-Chief at the State House, and brought you the up-to- By: Suzan Ambrose*/TRT Columnist Americans and are thus entitled to all the-minute historical news, updated every 15 things hetero-granted? To be so can- 2008 – A New Year begins – And rom our LGBTQI family to yours, we minutes on TRT's website. When the vote was did may cost the politician their polit- it’s a year I, for one, have been wait- Fsend you our best wishes for a Happy finally reached, the website was updated ical lives. ing a long time for. It starts off with a bang and Safe Holiday Season! As the year ends, immediately and The Pony Express was sent This is a vein of politics I find downright with the Presidential primaries, a few which we look back at TRT's first issue and our cov- to everyone alerting you of the historical pre- hypocritical. will have already concluded by the time of erage throughout this year. Our March 2007 cendent. Our site received the highest num- And yet, what are we offered on the other Inauguration Party was a success, and we had bers of hits during that week and we thank this printing. side? The Republican party has stood firmly many community members share that joyous you for that! With all the media attention on the candi- against the “gay agenda” (like all gays wake event with us. But, when it comes to news sto- The Visible Vote 2008 was a story that dates so far, one may feel they’re already sat- up with the same list of “Things-To- Do- ries, we also have our pick of the most impor- brought about change because it was the first urated on what this election and these particu- Today”? But no matter … ) and “gay tant TRT news coverage of 2007. time in the history of the U.S. that the 2008 lar candidates can offer. But is that really the lifestyle.” And because of that, it’s hard to Our feature on The Uncountable: An epi- Presidential Democratic candidates (or any case? Are perspective voters being corralled find a friendly advocate in that crowd. demic of Homeless LGBT youth was, by far, candidate, for that matter) met to discuss the into a very narrow view of what’s out there? Rudy Guliani, when he was mayor of New one of the most important three-part series issues that solely pertained to the LGBT com- Are we being asked to vote on the merits of York, he was considered pretty friendly to the addressed by TRT. Another important story munity. The Rainbow Times delivered to you one issue, then hold our noses, vote, and hope LGBT community, even to the point of cross was the news that the first U.S. military mem- our opinion and complete coverage of the it all comes out in our favor in the long run? dressing in public on occasion. But, no more. ber wounded in the Iraq war came "out", and Visible Vote 2008, which we called The Torn For the LGBT community, the issues may Mitt Romney, when running for governor of so did the news from former basketball star Vote '08. appear to be clear; the candidates we can sup- Massachusetts, couldn’t speak warmly and HRC spokesperson, Joe Amaechi. Other Our special supplements: the Wedding port to represent us, maybe not so much. enough about all that needed to be done for important news of support from our straight Supplement 2007-2008, the Back to School Let’s take, for example, some of the gay rights, and if elected, he’d be the one to allies came in the April 1-15th issue, which Issue and the Best Gay Holiday Gift Ideas Democratic contenders in a recent LOGO tel- do it. But, no more. showcased the Episcopal Church's solidarity Section showed LGBT community members evision debate. Most of them said they sup- These two are bigger flip floppers than John to our community by not conducting any mar- the support of the local companies catering to port civil unions but wouldn’t cross over the Kerry ever dreamed of being (but have we riages for one year until/unless they could them/us. We have learned this year, and so politically incorrect line that gay marriage heard from the ‘liberal media’ on that, hmm- marry lesbian and gay couples too. have the many companies who are not paying was a definitive right we were entitled to. In mmm?) It seems the Republican party is The news that we consider the most impor- attention to our market, that it does pay (or fact, although they said they were all for equal “open and affirming” when it comes to tant 2007 news event in MA took place on not) to advertise to us. rights for gays and lesbians, they stopped chameleons or charlatans. Or the Larry June 14th when the Massachusetts Our series Queer Justice became very pop- short of going all the way with marriage Craig’s of this world. Legislature voted down a discriminatory anti- ular during this year, and so did our LGBT And now, let’s focus on the upcoming gay, anti-marriage Constitutional Amendment equality. Health and Auto columns. Is that political smarts in 2008? Probably. Republic primary leader at this time – Mike by a vote of 151 to 45. The Rainbow Times See TRT on Page 4 Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas. proudly had a correspondent on site in Boston But isn’t it (the unfortunate) kind of politics we’ve come to expect? And we accept it Governor Huckabee has soared in the polls, at because we know no one can really say they least with evangelicals, the true base of the Love, Rights…and the Rest of It support gay marriage, even if they do, as it Party. A Baptist minister who loves to rock By: JM Sorrell*/TRT Columnist of history. I don’t believe would be political suicide? No one can “come out on guitar, Huckabee can even seem lik- such doubts make me a bad out of the closet” and say gay Americans are able and personable on first greeting. But Love is the thing, no? Rights are the pur- once you look a little closer, it’s obvious this ported foundation of the modern era of this Christian.” Huh?!? This gobbly gook makes country, right? Letters to the Editor See Couch on Page 22 This time of the year, many people are more Senator Hillary Clinton open about counting their blessings, sharing seem consistent! She sup- Dear Editor, gifts, and being spiritually connected to some- ported “In Defense of Where can I find your newspaper in The Rainbow Times thing greater than themselves. J.M. the JP Marriage,” which sounds as Albany? I’ve looked for it, but cannot find 351 Pleasant St., #322 Something is off here. Must be the rest of bad as it is; however, today, Clinton says that it. Northampton, MA 01060 it. she believes in the “full equality of benefits— Joe C. , Albany, NY www.therainbowtimesnews.com All but one Democrat/Republican presiden- nothing left out,” and that a strategy of civil Dear Reader, [email protected] tial candidate use religious (Christian) bond- union or domestic partnership language is the [email protected] best strategy to achieve it.” She covers her You can find the newspaper in various ing with the masses to intentionally or unin- Phone: 413-204-8959 • Fax: 866-310-8512 tentionally support oppression. bases by noting the “moral, historical nature locations in Albany. For a list of some of The former Arkansas governor, Mike of traditional marriage.” those locations, please visit: Publisher Columnists: Huckabee, once advocated for the “plague” of Former Senator John Edwards opposes http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/dis- Gricel M. Ocasio Dr. Renee Lang AIDS to be contained by quarantine. In a same-sex marriage, but is okay with civil tribution.html Editor-In-Chief Jennifer Dexter recent interview with GQ, he stated, “There’s unions. Nicole Lashomb Jack/ie Kennedy The one person we can trust on this is the Dear Editor, Suzan Ambrose never been a civilization that has rewritten Sales & Dist. Representative Dennis Kucinich. He boldly I didn’t care for the “Is there a gay gene” Writers: what marriage and family means and sur- Ben Peterson vived.” With this blatant ignorance, he supported same-sex marriage back in 2003, story. I’ve read plenty of research that sup- Lindsay Wilson believes that same-sex marriage will end and he chastised any candidate who did not ports this theory, yet Dr. Lang seems to Sales Associates: J.M. Sorrell support “the right to marry the person of your western civilization.