The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) articles from July 2005

The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) archives from July 2005

David Myers.(Q&A)(Interview)
July 5, 2005... A soft-spoken psychology professor and an elder in the Reformed Church in America, David Myers seems an unlikely person to be calling on conservative Christians to welcome same-sex marriage for the good of everybody. But with coauthor Letha...

"Mom, I kind of like him."(clues to future sexuality)(Editorial)
July 5, 2005... When I was 10 I asked my mother to buy me two record albums for my birthday. Two movie musical soundtracks (first clue). One was for the Oscar-winning Oliver!--a respectable enough choice, even today. The other was for the low-budget kids' film...

The politics of the gay gene.(ARCHIVES: (12.26.95))(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... A recent study (featured as this issue's cover story) suggests that gay men's brains respond to pheromones similarly to those of straight women, reigniting a long-standing debate over the origins of sexual orientation. It's a controversial...

Spokane mayor James West.(TIME LINE)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... January 1986: West cosponsors a bill to bar gays and lesbians from teaching, beginning a regular pattern of opposing gay rights. December 23, 2003: West is sworn in as mayor of Spokane. October 2004: Spokane's Spokesman-Review newspaper...

The word on Martina.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... In response to the recent cover story on Martina Navratilova ["Hello Olivia, Goodbye Rainbow," June 7] and on behalf of everyone at Olivia, we would like to recognize the valued relationships that we share with both Martina and The L Word. In...

Focus on our families.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... "Family Focus" [June 7] does indeed raise an important question: Moving forward, how do we defend ourselves against the faith fascists like James Dobson and regain the offensive in the struggle for our rights? After eight years of Bill...

Fraternity life.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... Kudos to Kevin Hauswirth for forming Greek Allies to support gay fraternity and lesbian sorority members at the University of Illinois [Generation Q, June 7]. As someone who was active in my fraternity chapter as an undergraduate (though too...

Judging Michael.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... I was very pleased to read Q. Allan Brocka's insightful column about Michael Jackson ["A Stranger in Neverland," June 7]. I've always felt Jackson was an odd but kind person. I've also always been really uncomfortable with the way Jackson has...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
July 5, 2005... Our May 24 Transitions incorrectly reported that Torie Osborn had resigned her position as executive director for the Liberty Hill Foundation. She will remain executive director until January 2006, after which she will continue as senior...

Reader comments from www.advocate.com.(THE ADVOCATE Poll)
July 5, 2005... In the June 7 issue, we asked: Is the National Center for Lesbian Rights an effective legal advocate for GLBT equality? yes 74% unsure 14% no 12% Reader comments from www.advocate.com * "NCLR made...

Ford stands fast.(BOYCOTT)
July 5, 2005... The Jaguar is a much bigger threat than the mouse. No, that's not the advice of some animal expert. It's the conclusion of the notoriously antigay American Family Association, which ended its nine-year boycott of the Walt Disney Co. on May 23...

Fumbling the ball.(SPORTS)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... San Francisco 49ers public relations director Kirk Reynolds thought he would show the team's players exactly what not to do when dealing with the media in a diverse city. Now he's apologizing for having done the wrong thing himself. ...

Morality before education.(NEED TO KNOW)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... The 2005 Texas legislative session at a glance: Passed * A proposal to put before voters a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in the state * A bill requiring parental consent for unmarried girls under 18 to get an...

Education and "intolerance".(FAR RIGHT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Is a sex education program that teaches high school students about the biological nature of homosexuality intolerant of religious groups that think gays can change? Maryland district court judge Alexander Williams Jr. thought so, and he granted...

Progress?(BY THE NUMBERS)
July 5, 2005... Do you think homosexuality should be considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle? YES 1982 37% 1992 38% 1999 50% 2005 51% The Gallup Organization, May 2005

Mayor gets his day.(MARRIAGE)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Last year New Paltz, N.Y., mayor Jason West said he might welcome a trial on charges that he illegally issued marriage licenses to two dozen gay and lesbian couples so that his constitutional argument could be fully aired out. Now it looks like...

Cross country.(REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... 1 HAYWARD, CALIF. The second trial of three men accused of killing transgender teen Gwen Araujo began on June 1. Last year a jury deadlocked in the case after defense attorneys argued the crime was manslaughter, not murder. 2 HUNTSVILLE,...

Italian nuptials against hate.(WORLD FOCUS)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... In mid April two gay teenagers were beaten up while walking hand in hand in the Piazza San Lorenzo in Rome. So in a show of unity against antigay violence and for laws that would protect gays and lesbians, dozens of gay, lesbian, and straight...

Happily ever after.(HEALTH)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Whether you're gay or straight, getting married improves mental health. That's the conclusion of a majority of representatives in the American Psychiatric Association, who voted during their annual meeting, held in Atlanta on May 22, to urge...

Our cards too "risky".(RETAIL)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... When Marilyn Ladd and Geri Santoro of Pasadena, Calif., had a commitment ceremony two years ago, their family members and friends couldn't find cards tailored to the occasion in the stores where they shopped. This was particularly frustrating...

When you care enough ...(REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Unlike the founders of Rainbow Greetings, the owner of Lavenderpop greeting cards isn't trying to get his product on the shelves of national retail chains. But he is breaking some new ground on a national level: His is the first company to...

Hatchet man.(EMPLOYMENT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Scott Bloch, head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which investigates discrimination against federal government workers, removed references to sexual orientation from the agency's Web site two years ago. Since then, President Bush--who...

Bollywood's gay hit.(INDIA)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... India has a new gay film to debate: My Brother Nikhil focuses on a gay HIV-positive swimming star. But unlike with previous AIDS- or gay-themed films from Bollywood--such as the controversial Phir Milenge and the riot provoking...

Ellen's new pad.(REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... What does a celebrity couple do with a nearly $20 million mansion after they break up? Sell it to another celebrity couple. Thus it is. Liz Smith reported in June in her syndicated column that estranged marrieds Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston...

Rants & raves.(REPORT)
July 5, 2005... "I know that [Karl Rove is] against gay marriage, but I think I can convince him that a little girl-on-girl action now and then isn't so bad!" --Porn star MARY CAREY, on what she'd say to Bush's top political adviser if she attended a...

Reality check.(REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Fifth-place finishers in the most recent Amazing Race on CBS, gay couple Lynn Warren and Alex Ali of West Hollywood, Calif., legally tied the knot in Ottawa, Canada, on June 1. "Getting married is much more thrilling than Amazing Race because...

The player's girlfriend: first person: Jasmine Beach-Ferrara.(REPORT)
July 5, 2005... On the outskirts of Bristol, England, there is a small soccer stadium called Mangotsfield, a place so remote that most locals have not heard of it. During a four-month period earlier this year, this is where I spent my Sunday afternoons....

Resume.(REPORT)(Biography)
July 5, 2005... TORIE OSBORN Age: 54 Current employment: Executive director of the social philanthropy group Liberty Hill Foundation until January 2006, after which she will continue as a senior adviser; member of Los Angeles mayor-elect Antonio...

One goes cyber.(INTERNET)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... If you're researching gay history from somewhere outside of Southern California, you may not have the option of visiting the One National Gay and Lesbian Archives, the world's largest library of gay history, with more than 50,000 books,...

Commercial honor. (MEDIA).(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... A United Church of Christ television commercial depicting gay couples was rejected by the big three television networks last year for being "too controversial." But it's exactly the type of ad that could spur positive changes in public opinion,...

Died.(TRANSITIONS)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 5, 2005... JEAN O'LEARY, 57, a lesbian feminist, who in the mid 1970s helped form what is now the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, June 4. In 1977 she organized the first White House meeting with gay leaders and in 1988 helped establish the first...

American Civil Liberties Union.(APPOINTED)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... MICHAEL MITCHELL, former director of Equality Utah, as head of the American Civil Liberties Union's national Marriage Campaign.

Equality Forum.(APPOINTED)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... RON ANSIN, entrepreneur and longtime philanthropist, as chairman of the national board of governors for the Philadelphia-based Equality Forum. Ansin's partner, Jim Stork, was a Democratic nominee for Congress from Florida in 2004 until illness...

Art and icons.(REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Structured like an imaginary national art museum dedicated to art by gay artists, the "Homomuseum" exhibit at Exit Art in Manhattan is investigating GLBT icons and histories that have made their mark on world culture.

Future gay hero: Justin Cannon.(GEN Q)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Spurred by a letter to the editor of his religious college newspaper condemning homosexuality with Bible verses, Justin Cannon decided to set the record straight. Then he realized that he isn't. "I wrote my own letter responding to his use of...

Fighting for our stories.(STRAIGHT ALLIES)
July 5, 2005... Some of the editors at East Bakersfield [Calif.] High School's student paper, The Kernal, are graduating this year, but that hasn't derailed their commitment to see that a series of articles on gay students eventually gets published in the...

Campus watch.(GEN Q)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Within days of voting to prohibit military recruiters from their student union because of the armed services' ban on openly gay soldiers, students at Southern Oregon University in Ashland found fliers placed on dorm room doors and in student...

Keeping youth off crystal.(DRUG ABUSE)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Cristian Gonzales, 27, started abusing crystal meth at age 19 and was hooked on the drug for two years. Now he has a video testimonial on a Web site urging queer youths to avoid the drug. "The more exposure [gay youths have to the facts], the...

Outspoken: Joseph Amodeo.(GEN Q)
July 5, 2005... As I open my car door I begin to fill with anxiety. I slowly get out and approach the main building at Marlboro High, a very conservative-minded school in southern New York State. Inside I know I have friends as well as those who want to make...

Unsafe media.(COMMUNITY)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... The case of a graphic safe-sex guide that was found at a gay high school student conference in Boston last April was a lesson more in media hype than in sex practices. After an antigay group reported that the "Little Black Book" (pictured) was...

Sharp tongue.(GEN Q)
July 5, 2005... "Lately I've become wary of the question 'Frank, what are you doing next Saturday night?' In the month of May it can onlY mean one thing: I'm going to yet another prom And no, I'm not doing a favor for a cousin. Cousins are out. I'm this...

Lisa Kudrow.(BIG GAY FOLLOWING)(Interview)
July 5, 2005... "The hardest thing in the world after you've been on a successful sitcom is to go back and do another one," notes Lisa Kudrow, but if the first few episodes of HBO's The Comeback are any indication, the Friends star is doing just fine. A...

Scents and sexuality: this spring's breakthrough study on how gays and straights respond differently to human smells is only the latest in a long line of studies suggesting a genetic link to sexual orientation.(Cover Story)
July 5, 2005... Chicago's Lake View. Known to many as "Wrigleyville," the north side neighborhood serves as Chicago's sports mecca, where the Cubs play hardball in the Friendly Confines. And it's known to many more as "Boystown" because it serves as the...

106 years of "born that way": from 1899 until just last month, scientific evidence of the biological roots of sexual orientation has continued to grow.
July 5, 2005... 1899 Germany's pioneering researcher Magnus Hirschfeld writes that being gay or lesbian is biologically determined. 1991 A study of twins reveals that genes and biology are markers for homosexuality. Researchers find that 52% of...

Murder in Missouri: a year ago a say college student with big dreams fell victim to his secret policeman lover. How one man's closet destroyed two lives and left a community in shock.(CRIME)
July 5, 2005... Once free, Jesse Valencia intended never to return to his fire-and-brimstone hometown in the hills of Boyle County, Ky., for more than brief family visits. Being gay, vocally liberal, and nonreligious constituted three kinds of blasphemy in...

Florida sprees halted?(CRIME)
July 5, 2005... When Jason Galehouse, 26, went missing from a gay nightclub in December 2003, he was finishing up his first semester studying interior design in Tampa, Fla. "He was a florist, he had a beautiful voice, sang really well, everybody liked him,"...

"A particularly vicious kind of hypocrisy": How do gay politicians like Spokane, Wash., mayor James West justify their vocal support for antigay policies--even after they've left the closet?(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 5, 2005... "I'm being destroyed because I am a gay man." In an era when preachers and politicians regularly demonize gays and lesbians in an effort to rally their supporters and consolidate their power, this is not a surprising complaint. But when the...

Mike Gin.(SHORT ANSWERS)(Interview)
July 5, 2005... Redondo Beach, Calif., mayor-elect Mike Gin knows a thing or two about having mud slung at you. In the final days before a May 17 runoff election, a far-right political action committee mailed a flier to 6,000 homes accusing Gin, a Republican,...

Reclaiming Jamaica's gay past: cross-dressing pirate heroes and gay-friendly reggae gods--true Caribbean culture contradicts the homophobia of dancehall music.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: CULTURE)
July 5, 2005... For heterosexuals, Jamaica is a kind of heaven, but for gays and lesbians, it may seem like paradise lost. In the past few years there's been much talk on the radio, in newspapers, and in magazines about dancehall--a kind of hip-hoppy...

Tiger by the tale: out Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (please, call him "Joe") rocked Cannes with his soldier-boyfriend-tiger romance Tropical Malady. Now U.S. audiences will get a look.(FILM)
July 5, 2005... Young Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul blames his film career for not having a boyfriend. Talking in San Francisco recently on the occasion of a U.S. retrospective in his honor, he explains, "I think guys are afraid of me because to be...

Gay, in other words.(NOTES FROM A BLOND)
July 5, 2005... "That is so say" has become the latest formerly forbidden but now acceptable--like, totally--mark of social criticism among straight people. Not older ones--they still sort of harrumph when this sort of thing comes up. But younger ones adore...

Behind the scenes: Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of Team America (new to DVD), shoot from the hip.(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 5, 2005... On the MPAA movie ratings board Parker: "They only care about sex. They don't care about violence. [The R-rated DVD] is dirtier because of the MPAA. This isn't the uncut [DVD] version; it's the MPAA version." Stone: "We have no friends...

All systems go for Logo: MTV Networks plans to launch its gay and lesbian channel in June. Is basic cable ready?(SUMMER TV)
July 5, 2005... As a closeted kid growing up in the Midwest, MTV Networks' Brian Graden "could never in a million years have dreamed" that there would one day be a national channel targeted exclusively at GLBT viewers, he says. Not only is this happening with...

Why I love Jan Crouch: author and TV writer Christian McLaughlin explains his obsession with the elaborately tressed TBN evangelist.(SUMMER TV)
July 5, 2005... Jan Crouch is Tammy Faye on crystal meth. You can't take your eyes off her because you cannot believe that someone who looks and sounds that much like a parody of religious TV is not only 100% real but also has inspired millions of devoted...

Comedy coaches.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Hollywood hopefuls often boast they can write a successful sitcom, but few understand how an idea transforms into a TV success. Now Will & Grace's Sean Hayes and producing partner Todd Milliner have created Situation: Comedy, premiering July 26...

Sarah's in the kitchen.(SUMMER TV)
July 5, 2005... "Am I the only gay chef on TV?" asks Sarah Carey with humorous incredulity. "I am unique," says the chef by phone. She's taking a break from shooting Everyday Food, a cooking show from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia that premiered earlier this...

Home theater: it's hot out there, so watch something nice and cool on something nice and shiny in your new home theater.(TOYS)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Wow--Samsung's doing the whole "bigger is not necessarily better' thing right with another superslim, high-power TV. The Samsung LTP468W LCD HDTV ($8,000) is a 46-inch HDTV that manages to pull off stunning crispness and massive size without...

Outdoor action.(TOYS)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... With the big sun-roof opened up and music at your fin-gertips, Subaru's Outback is designed to make you forget all about your couch potato ways. Swift and sure, it goes where many a larger SUV can't: No wonder Subaru has long been a preferred...

Rize.(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Rize * Directed by David LaChapelle * Lions Gate Watching gay photographer David LaChapelle's riveting documentary Rize (out nationwide June 24), I couldn't help but think about the trademark abstracted dance moves of high-gloss pop...

What's the fuzz?(The Woods)(Brief Article)(Sound Recording Review)
July 5, 2005... The Woods * Sleater-Kinney * Sub Pop In the song "Entertain" midway through Sleater-Kinney's seventh album, the group launches a taunting assault on unnamed enemy bands, singing derisively, "You did nothing new with 1972."...

Piazza delivery.(Theater Review)
July 5, 2005... The Light in the Piazza * Performed by Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, and Matthew Morrison * Nonesuch If Monty Python's Spamalot is this Broadway season's blockbuster--like The Producers, an entertaining yet overhyped megahit...

Dull duets.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... Collaborations * Sinead O'Connor * Capitol Mother. Political activist. Priest. So many words describe Sinbad O'Connor--it's a pity the best one for this anthology is dull. Over two decades O'Connor has raised her voice alongside...

Art dealer Kenny Goss.(SHORT ANSWERS)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 5, 2005... Growing up around Dallas, Kenny Goss had his only real exposure to art through free prints his mother would bring home from the grocery store. It wasn't until the now-46-year-old former sporting goods company director met pop megastar George...

Mission impossible.(Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 5, 2005... Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military * Zsa Zsa Gershick * Alyson * $14.95 "I am a veteran and I know these facts first-hand," writes journalist and former Army reservist Zsa Zsa Gershick in the introduction...

Music.(Hotpicks)
July 5, 2005... We Will Become Like Birds June 28 (Nettwerk) Out folk-funker Erin McKeown drops a cool new CD and tours through August to boot, sometimes appearing with Ani DiFranco. Philadelphia Freedom Concert and Ball July 4 in Philadelphia ...

Film.(Hotpicks)
July 5, 2005... Herbie: Fully Loaded Opens June 24, nationwide Hot lesbian filmmaker Angela Robinson hits the big time by resuscitating a beloved Disney franchise--and Lindsay Lohan. The Dukes of Hazzard Opens June 24, nationwide With director Jay...

Theater.(HOT PICKS)
July 5, 2005... Primo July 8-August 7, New City Sir Antony Sher, the great gay British actor, solos as Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi. This huge hit in the U.K. finally crosses the pond. Dedication, or the Stuff of Dreams July 26--September 18, New York...

Ant, but no picnic.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... "When I came out of the closet as a kid my parents said, 'You're a fag and you'll never amount to anything,'" says Ant. "Becoming famous was my way of saying 'Fuck you!'" Mixing his queer personality with a touch of his mother's--plus a...

Still here, so sorry.(AGAINST THE CURRENT)
July 5, 2005... I'm sorry. It has taken me a long time to say this, but it's time: I'm sorry. It's been almost 12 years since I became infected with HIV, and I haven't died yet. I haven't even had the decency to get sick. I am a walking, talking...

Nuggets & bites.(AGAINST THE CURRENT)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... "The oldest same-sex couple that I know of is the one (probably) monumentalised in an Egyptian tomb constructed [about 2400 B.C.]. When it was discovered in 1964. [the two men buried there] were assumed to be twins, until [Egyptologist] Greg...

Iceland inspiration.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... I wanted to dive right in with your blond Iceland cover model [May/June 2005]. I never really thought about going there before, but I am now. I've always been big fan of Bjork too! Iceland looks like one of those countries that are wonderfully...

Happily ever after.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... Upon reading Raphael Kadushin's excellent article on Hans Christian Andersen ["Andersen's FairyTales," May/June], I recalled an incident in the life of Alfred Kinsey as documented by his colleague Wardell Pomeroy. When he was in Copenhagen,...

Grin and bear it.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... Thank you for your very brief yet worthwhile paragraph describing upcoming bear events in the United States ["Bear Essentials, May/June"]. Although increasing in global acceptance, bears and big men are still a minority within a minority, and...

Responsible tourism.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... Your Editor's Letter ["The End of Exploitation," March/April] is absolutely brilliant and the inspiration for this letter. I am in full agreement with you that tourism should not be "inherently exploitative." but rather focus on helping rather...

Anchors away.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... "Rise of the Small Gay Cruises" [May/June] brought back happy memo ries of a week in 1994 that I spent on RSVP's Sea Spirit, a lovely small ship which held, if memory serves, just 100 passengers. Every member of the crew was gay except the...

It's all relative.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... A response to a travel query in the March/April 2005 issue states very positive things about gay rights in Costa Rica. Based on my conversation with many of my "Tico" friends and my visit to Costa Rica, I have to agree with you. My experience...

A place in the world.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... Your recent Editor's Letter. "Soul Traveling," [May/june] is excellent. Many of us identified with it, I am sure. When I happened to visit San Francisco as a junior in high school in the '50s, I was living in Richmond, Calif., and traveled the...

Paying it forward.(POSTCARDS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2005... I am writing because I read the article "Rainbow Relief" [March/April] that discussed the ongoing efforts of the Rainbow World Fund relief agency and I noticed that there wasn't a telephone number or address provided for those of us who don't...

Extending a hand to global gays.(EDITOR'S LETTER)
July 5, 2005... I recently received an e-mail from the 27-year-old leader of Senegal's gay organization. He told me he was in grave danger ever since the local press in Senegal had outed him. He was in hiding, trying to escape the country by fleeing into a...

Backpacking basics.(TRAVEL QUEERIES)
July 5, 2005... Q My Boyfriend and I are going to the Great Smoky Mountains on multi-day hike, we're wondering if you have any suggestions on the best to pack backpack? TIM HILL, Seattle Almost experienced backcountry backpackers will tell you one...

Burning man.(TOP TIPS)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... For the past 19 years over 25,000 boheminas have gathered in a remote northern Nevada desert to invent a surreal city for a week on a featureless salt flat 120 miles outside Reno. Queer-popular Burning Man (August 29-September 5) is composed of...

Resilient Amsterdam.(THIS JUST IN)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... When Chris Crain, the editorial director of gay newspaper chain Window Media, was severely beaten by seven men in Amsterdam for holding hands with his lover on Queen's Day, a dark cloud fell over the jubilant national holiday that is treated as...

BarbraShop.(ORIENTATION)
July 5, 2005... Every weekend (and on some evenings by appointment), the Barber Shop on tres gay Arenas Road in Palm Springs, Calif., is transformed into the BarbraShop, a happy home for Lou Papalas's extensive collection of Barbra Streisand posters, wigs, and...

Don't go VRBO!(CONTROVERSY)(Vacation Rentals by Owner)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2005... The huge Web site VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) says it lists over 37,000 vacation rentals worldwide--but evidently no gay ones. The Out Traveler was informed in April that a listing for rentals at the gay-owned St. Philip Apartments in...