Quest Vol. 12 No. 17

*Quest News* Volume 12 No. 17 September 15, 2005 Compiled & written by Mike Fitzpatrick Top Stories: Wisconsin’s LGBT Community Reaches Out to Gay and HIV+ Katrina Victims Madison, Milwaukee - Among the estimated 5000 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who have begun arriving in Wisconsin in the last week and a half are dozens, if not hundreds, of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered men and women, some of whom are also HIV+. To assist with the specialized needs of the LGBT storm victims, OutReach in Madison and ARCW in Milwaukee have mobilized relief projects. OutReach has coordinated the solicitation of housing, clothing, transportation and other aid from members of the city’s LGBT community. Other concerns being addressed by the community center are schooling, medical and psychological care, according to project leader Nikki Baumblatt. Other Madison minority groups have mobilized assistance for Katrina victims as well. Rita Adair of Dane County Human Services has been working with the city groups and businesses such as the Allied Neighborhood Association, Allied Partners, Voices Beyond Bars, African American Council of Churches, The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, Van Galder Bus Company, Hawk Investments and Reality Executives to provide shelter and services for evacuees. In Milwaukee and through its offices statewide, ARCW has begun providing medical services to Katrina victims as well. ARCW Executive Director Doug Nelson announced September 9 that the state Department of Health and Family Services had designated the agency as a provider of health and social services to Katrina evacuees with HIV/ AIDS who come to Wisconsin. “We have affirmed to the state that we are pleased to make our medical, dental and mental health clinics and our case management, housing and legal services available to all HIV positive evacuees,” Nelson said. Three social services case managers have been designated to coordinate care and access to health services, medications, housing and other needs. The state’s HIV/AIDS drug reimbursement program has also created a special waiver application for out-of-state hurricane evacuees. According to ARCW communications director Kate Venne, service inquiries have come from throughout the state. “ARCW is pleased that we can play an important role in caring for people affected by Hurricane Katrina,” Venne told Quest. “My first thoughts in the days following the hurricane were of the people with HIV or AIDS who lost medication or who didn’t have necessary nourishment to take with their medication. The people who we will help in Wisconsin will have a very immediate need for medical care. In most of these cases people are coming to us who haven’t had access to their medications or care for more than two weeks.” Venne also noted that the unexpected jump in service needs has come as ARCW began its final outreach for support of its annual AIDS Walk. “Funds raised from AIDS Walk Wisconsin will help these new patients as well as the over 400 people our medical clinics already serve,” Venne noted. ARCW is the primary beneficiary of AIDS Walk Wisconsin and has also been designated by the State of Wisconsin to provide medical care to HIV-positive hurricane evacuees.” Venne largely dismissed concerns that donations to the hurricane relief effort might dampen support for the AIDS Walk, comparing the event to the post-9/11 walk. “After September 11, we found the we still had a very successful walk,” Venne said. “I think it was because people were feeling particularly generous and realizing that a lot of folks need help. I think the Hurricane Katrina effect will show again that people want to reach out and help.” Individually, the state’s LGBT community members have been offered several gay-friendly ways to donate to Katrina relief. New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres has started a fund as well as gay philanthropist Tim Gill’s pledge to match up to one million dollars for Katrina-earmarked donations to the Colorado Gay and Lesbian Fund. Many of Wisconsin’s gay people have chosen to support hurricane relief efforts through the well-established Rainbow World Fund (RWF), which was created following the Asian tsunami disaster last Christmas. RWF has established a fund for donations to help the survivors of Katrina. RWF is responding with food aid -donations through RWF will go to America’s Second Harvest (ASH), the nation’s food bank network. In Wisconsin, for example, ARCW’s food pantries access Second Harvest’s food resources. ASH has reported that at least ten food banks and hundreds of related agencies were hit by Hurricane Katrina. 100% of the RFW Katrina donations are being used to provide meals and groceries, transport food to survivors, and secure additional warehouse space to assist food banks in resuming and maintaining operations. The Rainbow World Fund can be found online at: www.rainbowfund.org. Schwarzenegger To Veto Historic Gay Marriage Bill Sacramento - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced September 8 that he would veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage “out of respect for the will of the people,” a move that immediately drew heated criticism from gay rights supporters and cheers from right-wing groups opposed to marriage equality. The bill, passed by the state’s lawmakers in the past week, would make California the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through its legislature. In Massachusetts, recognition of gay marriages came through a court ruling. Connecticut also passed a same sex civil unions bill earlier this year. Schwarzenegger said the legislation would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved an initiative five years ago that prevents California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries. “We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote,” the governor’s press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement. Gay civil rights advocates said the Republican governor had betrayed the bipartisan ideals that helped get him elected in the 2003 recall election. “Clearly he’s pandering to an extreme right wing, which was not how he got elected,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, one of the bill’s sponsors. “He got elected with record numbers of lesbian and gay voters who had not previously voted for a Republican, and he sold us out.” Marriage equality opponents gloated over the announcement. “I’m encouraged that the governor is going to stop the runaway Legislature, and he’s going to represent the people,” Karen England of the Capitol Resource Institute, a Sacramento group that lobbied against the bill, said. The governor has until October 9 to issue the veto. A veto override in California requires a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate. The Assembly approved the bill 41-35, while the Senate voted 21-15. It is doubtful the bill could gain enough support to override a veto, but supporters of the measure say they could delay sending it to the governor’s office. San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno, one of six openly gay members of the legislature and the author of the gay marriage bill, spent September 8 mustering support for parliamentary maneuvers to delay the bill from reaching the governor’s desk. The bill has not been printed following its passage in the Assembly and already the state’s largest LGBT civil rights group - Equality California (EC) - has begun demonstrations. Dozens of same-sex couples held a candlelight vigil in front of the Capitol on September 8. Over the following weekend demonstrations were held in other cities throughout the state, and EC has already begun an email campaign encouraging its supporters to flood the governor’s office with condemnation. The protests come as Schwarzenegger prepares to announce his candidacy this week for a second term and as he heads into a tough special-election battle in November that would alter government spending, make it harder for teachers to gain tenure, and immediately overhaul political boundary redistricting to break Democrats’ control. Despite his promise to veto the bill, Schwarzenegger still believes “gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship,” Thompson’s statement said. “He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners.” California already gives same-sex couples many of the rights and duties of marriage if they register with the state as domestic partners. World & National News: Massachusetts Advocates’ Website Outs Signers Of Anti-Gay Petition Boston - Two Massachusetts gay activists have begun posting the names and addresses of anyone who has signed a petition that could lead to a statewide ban on gay marriage on the internet . The KnowThyNeighbor.org website, a project of Thomas Lang and Alexander Westerhoff, one of the first gay couples married in the state, came after state Attorney General Thomas Reilly certified a ballot question that bans gay marriage and civil unions September 7. The ballot question’s supporters must collect almost 66,000 signatures from registered voters, and approval from 25% of state legislators to get the question on the 2008 ballot. Lang said the name, street address, hometown and zip code of everyone who signs the petition will be posted on the couple’s website. “Everyone’s scrambling to know who in their town would sign this,” Lang told the Boston Herald. “And this website will give gay people the tools to know, to defend themselves and their families, to let them go neighbor-to-neighbor and say, ‘I don’t appreciate your signing this.’” “I’m going to be aggressive personally,” he said. “I want to know that the people I do business with are not against (gay marriage). This is going to be won by economics.” Gay marriage opponent Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, complained that website is “intimidation by no other name.” Mineau is listed on the site, along with the first thirty people to sign the petition, including former Boston mayor Ray Flynn. Westerhoff already introduced himself to one of the first petition signers, Madelyn Shields. Shields told the Herald she found the meeting “a bit odd,” but described Westerhoff as gracious. She said she hoped other exchanges between gay marriage advocates and petition signers are as gracious. “I have a number of gay friends and I treat people the same regardless, but that does not change my position of what I believe marriage is,” she said. Gay ‘Survivor’ Champ Nicked For Tax Evasion Providence, RI - Richard Hatch, who won $1 million on the first season of the reality show “Survivor,” was indicted September 8 for failing to pay taxes on his winnings from the CBS show. Hatch faces 10 charges, including tax evasion, filing a false tax return, wire fraud, bank fraud and mail fraud. U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said Hatch, 44, did not pay taxes on his “Survivor” prize, income from a radio show and rental income. The Newport resident also allegedly used donations to his charity, Horizon Bound, to cover personal expenses. Prosecutors charged Hatch with two counts of tax evasion in January. He agreed to plead guilty, but backed out of the deal in March, saying he thought CBS was responsible for paying the taxes on his prize. CBS has said Hatch was well aware of his obligations to pay taxes on the money. At the time the charges were filed, Hatch was on a plane headed for Houston to help hurricane victims at the Astrodome and could not be reached for comment, Rod Mitchell, a spokesman for Hatch’s lawyer, Michael Minns said. The grand jury, which received the case after the plea deal fell apart, indicted Hatch for filing false 2000 and 2001 tax returns, which omitted his income from the reality show, $327,000 he was paid to co-host “The Wilde Show” on a Boston radio station and $28,000 in rent on a property he owns in Newport. The indictment said Hatch had two accountants prepare tax returns that included his “Survivor” winnings but did not file them when he learned he would owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. In 2002, he had one of the accountants prepare a second return that did not include his TV show winnings. He filed that one, which called for a $4,500 refund, the indictment said. Hatch was also accused of misusing $36,500 from a nonprofit camp he set up, Horizon Bound. For example, he allegedly kept for himself a $10,000 donation made in return for his appearance on the NBC game show “Weakest Link.” He spent the money from the game show on a construction project at his house, the indictment said. Hatch faces a maximum of 75 years in prison if found guilty on all charges. He also could face millions of dollars in fines. On “Survivor,” Hatch stood out for being a cunning and ruthless competitor, and spent some of his time in the nude. He won the show’s first season in August 2000. He has since appeared on other TV shows, most recently the “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” on Bravo. Since the TV show, Hatch has weathered a series of legal battles. He was arrested in April 2000 on a charge of abusing his then 9-year-old son. That charge was later dropped. In 2002, Hatch was found innocent of assaulting his ex-boyfriend. California Study Shows Gay Smoking Rate Double The Average Los Angeles - California’s first detailed look at tobacco use by specific populations, released September 6 has found that gays and transsexuals were more likely to smoke than other people. The data, compiled by the state Department of Health Services working with other researchers, offered a striking counterpoint to an overall decrease in smoking throughout California. The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community reported smoking rates of 30.4%, nearly twice the 15.4% rate for the general population. Gay men smoked at twice the rate of other men among the California general population. “The data for lesbian and bisexual women is even worse,” Larry Bye, vice president of the Field Research Corp., which assisted in the studies, overseen by the Department of Health Services told Los Angeles Times reporter Hector Becerra. “Lesbian and bisexual women are smoking at almost three times the rate of women in general.” The findings come two years after a UCLA study also found that gays and lesbians were more likely to smoke than the general population, prompting a push in some gay communities across the country for new anti-smoking campaigns. The state’s study did not offer an explanation for those figures. But some activists have speculated that some gays turn to cigarettes as teenagers to deal with the stress of “coming out” and potential discrimination. Ed Mullen, 53, a lawyer, said he has wondered why he and other gay friends seem to smoke so much even though they are aware of the health risks. “I had a cookout the other night and there were 10 people there, and only one person did not smoke — and that was my mother,” Mullen said. Mullen said it may be a reflection of a life in which many gays and lesbians have been rejected by family. But he shrugged at a definitive answer. “You think the gay community is smart, and you would think they understand the health risks,” Mullen said. Bye, of the Field Research Corp., said it was still unclear why gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people reported higher rates of tobacco use. These groups did not report feeling as if there were overt attempts by the tobacco industry to target them through advertisements, Bye said. “We’re not finished with that part of the analysis,” he said. State News: “Naked Boys” Venue Pays To Demand Apology MGAC Reverses Itself A Day Later, Commending Mayor Barrett’s Response Milwaukee - Even as it applauded Mayor Tom Barrett’s response to the closure of “Naked Boys Singing”, the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center continued to run a paid advertisement “demanding a public apology” for the August 18 shuttering of the nude review. In two press releases in a 24-hour period, the MGAC first demanded a public apology from and then commended Barrett for his response to the closing. The MGAC placed the “open letter” ad directed to the mayor and the police chief in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling for their immediate attention and response to the use of the MPD vice squad to enforce “a non-existent license violation.” The advertisement ran in the paper’s Metro section on August 31 and September 2, and questioned the city’s action against the MGAC during a spiraling violent crime wave. The advertised demand came despite the revelation in the follow-up investigation that neither the MGAC nor the police were aware of the non-profit exemption contained in the small theater license ordinance used to close the revue. Despite its commendation of Barrett, the center’s $634K claim against the city remains in place. In an August 30 letter to Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines, the mayor requested that Hines review the actions of the City Clerk’s Licensing Division to determine whether or not appropriate requirements were placed on the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. The letter went on to ask the Common Council President to investigate the procedures of the Licensing Division in this matter. The mayor asked Common Council President Willie Hines to handle the matter because, according to the mayor, the licensing division is not under his mayoral authority. The mayor pledged if it is discovered that hostility towards Milwaukee’s LGBT community played a role in the closure, he will apologize. The mayor also indicated that he had asked Milwaukee Police Chief Nannette Hegerty to review and explain Milwaukee Police Department’s handling of the situation. The MPD Vice Squad closed “Naked Boys Singing!” on August 18. “It is reassuring that the mayor has shown real civil courage and leadership by demanding accountability from the city’s administration and MPD when their powers are misused,” MGAC director Paul Masterson said. “Naked Boys Singing” director Mark Hooker also appeared pleased by Barrett’s letter. “I hope the mayor can begin a healing process to restore Milwaukee’s reputation. The story was covered by over 150 media outlets including the New York Times and CNN. I just hope I can get back to doing theater. I never understood what this was all about in the first place. But I do believe in the free expression of art in our country and am very happy that the mayor has taken the right action,” Hooker said. The MGAC press release also reported that the venue is unaware of any public statement made by MPD Chief Nannette Hegerty regarding this issue. In related news, Masterson has announced that a recast version the Uncommon Theatre’s production of “Naked Boys Singing” will begin on October 29. PrideFest Reaps Record Profits Milwaukee -- PrideFest has announced that this year’s festival has made record profits. In a recent press release, the organization estimated approximately $90,000 in earnings for this year’s festival. Final festival-related expenses and income are still being tallied, however. “Thanks to great support from the community, PrideFest had its best year ever,” said PrideFest Task Force President Scott Gunkel. “It was a year of many broken records, but the most important was the record income.” “The many volunteers, sponsors, vendors and the community at-large all came together to make this success possible,” said Treasurer Cindy Taylor. “It’s a testament to the great potential of PrideFest.” The Task Force is planning a community town hall meeting to be held in October. The date and location have not yet been finalized. The town hall will offer an opportunity to review details of the 2005 festival and serve as a kick-off for the 2006 event, which will be the 10th year PrideFest has been on the Summerfest grounds and its 18th year overall. Following the close of the festival’s fiscal year, an independent audit will be conducted to verify all financial information. The PrideFest Task Force is assessing options for using the surplus, including the possibility of paying off the remaining deficit from 2003. Additionally, funds will be placed in a reserve to prepare for the 2006 festival. “We know there will be some increases in operating costs next year,” said PrideFest Co-Producer Michael Hall. “Our goal all along has been to ensure the longevity of the festival, and we need to look at all the options to make sure we can continue moving in that direction.” The Task Force also announced that Cindy Taylor will step down from her position as Treasurer on August 31, but she will continue to serve on the Task Force for 2006. Dan Simoneau, a former treasurer for the Cream City Foundation, will become the new PrideFest Treasurer. Simoneau has worked in the festival cash room the past two years and has a strong knowledge of the festival’s financial systems. Several other additions have been made to the PrideFest Production Team: Heather Kincaid has joined as Secretary; Dori Klitzka has joined as Volunteer Director; and Karina Willes has joined as Web Development Director. “We are thrilled that all of these people have stepped forward to continue building PrideFest, and we hope more people will volunteer their time,” said Hall. PrideFest is Wisconsin’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and community and is held annually in June at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront. Rural Dykes Plan Fall Frolic And Barn Dance Waunakee - The Rural Dykes Association is inviting city and country women to join their Fall Frolic and Barn Dance to be held on Saturday, September 24, from 7 -11 PM at the Schumacher Farm Park, 5682 Highway 19 in Waunakee. Come dance with us and DJ Sandy Seuser. Admission is free, though donations for the DJ would be welcomed. Snack and drinks will be provided. Alcohol is prohibited as this event is being held at a county park. To reach the venue from Milwaukee, take I-94 to I-90 west. Continue northwest to Exit 131, then turn west on Hwy. 19. Go 4.6 miles, but stay on Hwy 19 after it merges with Hwy 113. Continue 1/2 mile. The farm is on the right at the top of the hill just before the water tower. From Madison, take Hwy 113 towards Waunakee. Follow the highway left when it merges with Hwy 19, follow the directions above. From Waunakee, follow Hwy. 19 east toward Sun Prairie. The farm is on the left just two-tenths of a mile from the Culvers restaurant. For more information, call 608-849-4180 through noon on the September 24, or 608-438-1160 after noon on that date. Queer Chapters Turns Another Page Madison - Queer Chapters is a LGBT book discussion group that meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM at OutReach, located on 600 Williamson St.. The group’s main focus is non-fiction literature. Participants in a round table discussion explore the author’s ideas and the relevance they hold for the LGBT community. The group’s October selection is “In A Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives” by Judith Halberstam. An excerpt from the book cover follows: “Considering the sudden visibility of the transgender body in the early twenty-first century against the backdrop of changing conceptions of space and time, In a Queer Time and Place is the first full-length study of transgender representations in art, fiction, film, video, and music. This pioneering book offers both a jumping off point for future analysis of transgenderism and an important new way to understand cultural constructions of time and place”. For more information on the group and book purchase outlets, e-mail Hal at queerchapters@hotmail.com or leave a message for him at 608-255-8582. Top of Page Quest Home QNU Home

Wisconsin’s LGBT Community Reaches Out
to Gay and HIV+ Katrina Victims
Madison, Milwaukee - Among the estimated 5000 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who have begun arriving in Wisconsin in the last week and a half are dozens, if not hundreds, of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered men and women, some of whom are also HIV+. To assist with the specialized needs of the LGBT storm victims, OutReach in Madison and ARCW in Milwaukee have mobilized relief projects.
OutReach has coordinated the solicitation of housing, clothing, transportation and other aid from members of the city’s LGBT OutReach logo

community. Other concerns being addressed by the community center are schooling, medical and psychological care, according to project leader Nikki Baumblatt.
Other Madison minority groups have mobilized assistance for Katrina victims as well. Rita Adair of Dane County Human Services has been working with the city groups and businesses such as the Allied Neighborhood Association, Allied Partners, Voices Beyond Bars, African American Council of Churches, The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, Van Galder Bus Company, Hawk Investments and Reality Executives to provide shelter and services for evacuees.
In Milwaukee and through its offices statewide, ARCW has begun providing medical services to Katrina victims as well. ARCW Executive Director Doug Nelson announced September 9 that the state Department of Health and Family Services had designated the agency as a provider of health and social services to Katrina evacuees with HIV/ AIDS who come to Wisconsin. “We have affirmed to the state that we are pleased to make our medical, dental and mental health clinics and our case management, housing and legal services available to all HIV positive evacuees,” Nelson said.
Three social services case managers have been designated to coordinate care and access to health services, medications, housing and other needs. The state’s HIV/AIDS drug reimbursement program has also created a special waiver application for out-of-state hurricane evacuees.
According to ARCW communications director Kate Venne, service inquiries have come from throughout the state. “ARCW is ARCW

pleased that we can play an important role in caring for people affected by Hurricane Katrina,” Venne told Quest. “My first thoughts in the days following the hurricane were of the people with HIV or AIDS who lost medication or who didn’t have necessary nourishment to take with their medication. The people who we will help in Wisconsin will have a very immediate need for medical care. In most of these cases people are coming to us who haven’t had access to their medications or care for more than two weeks.”
Venne also noted that the unexpected jump in service needs has come as ARCW began its final outreach for support of its annual AIDS Walk. “Funds raised from AIDS Walk Wisconsin will help these new patients as well
as the over 400 people our medical clinics already serve,” Venne noted. ARCW is the primary beneficiary of AIDS Walk Wisconsin and has also been designated by the State of Wisconsin to provide medical care to HIV-positive hurricane evacuees.”
Venne largely dismissed concerns that donations to the hurricane relief effort might dampen support for the AIDS Walk, comparing the event to the post-9/11 walk. “After September 11, we found the we still had a very successful walk,” Venne said. “I think it was because people were feeling particularly generous and realizing that a lot of folks need help. I think the Hurricane Katrina effect will show again that people want to reach out and help.”
Individually, the state’s LGBT community members have been offered several gay-friendly ways to donate to Katrina relief. New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres has started a fund as well as gay philanthropist Tim Gill’s pledge to match up to one million dollars for Katrina-earmarked donations to the Colorado Gay and Lesbian Fund.
Many of Wisconsin’s gay people have chosen to support hurricane relief efforts through the well-established Rainbow World Fund (RWF), which was created following the Asian tsunami disaster last Christmas. RWF has established a fund for donations to help the survivors of Katrina. RWF is responding with food aid -donations through RWF will go to America’s Second Harvest (ASH), the nation’s food bank network. In Wisconsin, for example, ARCW’s food pantries access Second Harvest’s food resources.
ASH has reported that at least ten food banks and hundreds of related agencies were hit by Hurricane Katrina. 100% of the RFW Katrina donations are being used to provide meals and groceries, transport food to survivors, and secure additional warehouse space to assist food banks in resuming and maintaining operations. The Rainbow World Fund can be found online at: www.rainbowfund.org.

Schwarzenegger To Veto Historic Gay Marriage Bill
Sacramento - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced September 8 that he would veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage “out of respect for the will of the people,” a move that immediately drew heated criticism from gay rights supporters and Arnold

cheers from right-wing groups opposed to marriage equality.
The bill, passed by the state’s lawmakers in the past week, would make California the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through its legislature. In Massachusetts, recognition of gay marriages came through a court ruling. Connecticut also passed a same sex civil unions bill earlier this year.
Schwarzenegger said the legislation would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved an initiative five years ago that prevents California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries. “We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote,” the governor’s press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement.
Gay civil rights advocates said the Republican governor had betrayed the bipartisan ideals that helped get him elected in the 2003 recall election. “Clearly he’s pandering to an extreme right wing, which was not how he got elected,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, one of the bill’s sponsors. “He got elected with record numbers of lesbian and gay voters who had not previously voted for a Republican, and he sold us out.”
Marriage equality opponents gloated over the announcement. “I’m encouraged that the governor is going to stop the runaway Legislature, and he’s going to represent the people,” Karen England of the Capitol Resource Institute, a Sacramento group that lobbied against the bill, said.
The governor has until October 9 to issue the veto. A veto override in California requires a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate. The Assembly approved the bill 41-35, while the Senate voted 21-15.
It is doubtful the bill could gain enough support to override a veto, but supporters of the measure say they could delay sending it to the governor’s office. San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno, one of six openly gay members of the legislature and the author of the gay marriage bill, spent September 8 mustering support for parliamentary maneuvers to delay the bill from reaching the governor’s desk. The bill has not been printed following its passage in the Assembly and already the state’s largest LGBT civil rights group - Equality California (EC) - has begun demonstrations.
Dozens of same-sex couples held a candlelight vigil in front of the Capitol on September 8. Over the following weekend demonstrations were held in other cities throughout the state, and EC has already begun an email campaign encouraging its supporters to flood the governor’s office with condemnation.
The protests come as Schwarzenegger prepares to announce his candidacy this week for a second term and as he heads into a tough special-election battle in November that would alter government spending, make it harder for teachers to gain tenure, and immediately overhaul political boundary redistricting to break Democrats’ control.
Despite his promise to veto the bill, Schwarzenegger still believes “gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship,” Thompson’s statement said. “He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners.”
California already gives same-sex couples many of the rights and duties of marriage if they register with the state as domestic partners.

Massachusetts Advocates’ Website Outs Signers Of Anti-Gay Petition
Boston - Two Massachusetts gay activists have begun posting the names and addresses of anyone who has signed a petition that could lead to a statewide ban on gay marriage on the internet . The KnowThyNeighbor.org website, a project of Thomas Lang and Alexander Westerhoff, one of the first gay couples married in the state, came after state Attorney General Thomas Reilly certified a ballot question that bans gay marriage and civil unions September 7.
The ballot question’s supporters must collect almost 66,000 signatures from registered voters, and approval from 25% of state legislators to get the question on the 2008 ballot. Lang said the name, street address, hometown and zip code of everyone who signs the petition will be posted on the couple’s website.
“Everyone’s scrambling to know who in their town would sign this,” Lang told the Boston Herald. “And this website will give gay people the tools to know, to defend themselves and their families, to let them go neighbor-to-neighbor and say, ‘I don’t appreciate your signing this.’”
“I’m going to be aggressive personally,” he said. “I want to know that the people I do business with are not against (gay marriage). This is going to be won by economics.”
Gay marriage opponent Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, complained that website is “intimidation by no other name.” Mineau is listed on the site, along with the first thirty people to sign the petition, including former Boston mayor Ray Flynn.
Westerhoff already introduced himself to one of the first petition signers, Madelyn Shields. Shields told the Herald she found the meeting “a bit odd,” but described Westerhoff as gracious. She said she hoped other exchanges between gay marriage advocates and petition signers are as gracious.
“I have a number of gay friends and I treat people the same regardless, but that does not change my position of what I believe marriage is,” she said.

Gay ‘Survivor’ Champ Nicked For Tax Evasion
Providence, RI - Richard Hatch, who won $1 million on the first season of the reality show “Survivor,” was indicted September 8 for failing to pay taxes on his winnings from the CBS show.
Hatch faces 10 charges, including tax evasion, filing a false tax return, wire fraud, bank fraud and mail fraud. U.S. Attorney Robert Hatch

Clark Corrente said Hatch, 44, did not pay taxes on his “Survivor” prize, income from a radio show and rental income. The Newport resident also allegedly used donations to his charity, Horizon Bound, to cover personal expenses.
Prosecutors charged Hatch with two counts of tax evasion in January. He agreed to plead guilty, but backed out of the deal in March, saying he thought CBS was responsible for paying the taxes on his prize. CBS has said Hatch was well aware of his obligations to pay taxes on the money.
At the time the charges were filed, Hatch was on a plane headed for Houston to help hurricane victims at the Astrodome and could not be reached for comment, Rod Mitchell, a spokesman for Hatch’s lawyer, Michael Minns said.
The grand jury, which received the case after the plea deal fell apart, indicted Hatch for filing false 2000 and 2001 tax returns, which omitted his income from the reality show, $327,000 he was paid to co-host “The Wilde Show” on a Boston radio station and $28,000 in rent on a property he owns in Newport.
The indictment said Hatch had two accountants prepare tax returns that included his “Survivor” winnings but did not file them when he learned he would owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. In 2002, he had one of the accountants prepare a second return that did not include his TV show winnings. He filed that one, which called for a $4,500 refund, the indictment said.
Hatch was also accused of misusing $36,500 from a nonprofit camp he set up, Horizon Bound. For example, he allegedly kept for himself a $10,000 donation made in return for his appearance on the NBC game show “Weakest Link.” He spent the money from the game show on a construction project at his house, the indictment said.
Hatch faces a maximum of 75 years in prison if found guilty on all charges. He also could face millions of dollars in fines.
On “Survivor,” Hatch stood out for being a cunning and ruthless competitor, and spent some of his time in the nude. He won the show’s first season in August 2000. He has since appeared on other TV shows, most recently the “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” on Bravo.
Since the TV show, Hatch has weathered a series of legal battles. He was arrested in April 2000 on a charge of abusing his then 9-year-old son. That charge was later dropped. In 2002, Hatch was found innocent of assaulting his ex-boyfriend.

California Study Shows Gay Smoking Rate Double The Average
Los Angeles - California’s first detailed look at tobacco use by specific populations, released September 6 has found that gays and transsexuals were more likely to smoke than other people. The data, compiled by the state Department of Health Services working with other researchers, offered a striking counterpoint to an overall decrease in smoking throughout California.
The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community reported smoking rates of 30.4%, nearly twice the 15.4% rate for the general Ciggies

population. Gay men smoked at twice the rate of other men among the California general population.
“The data for lesbian and bisexual women is even worse,” Larry Bye, vice president of the Field Research Corp., which assisted in the studies, overseen by the Department of Health Services told Los Angeles Times reporter Hector Becerra. “Lesbian and bisexual women are smoking at almost three times the rate of women in general.”
The findings come two years after a UCLA study also found that gays and lesbians were more likely to smoke than the general population, prompting a push in some gay communities across the country for new anti-smoking campaigns.
The state’s study did not offer an explanation for those figures. But some activists have speculated that some gays turn to cigarettes as teenagers to deal with the stress of “coming out” and potential discrimination.
Ed Mullen, 53, a lawyer, said he has wondered why he and other gay friends seem to smoke so much even though they are aware of the health risks. “I had a cookout the other night and there were 10 people there, and only one person did not smoke — and that was my mother,” Mullen said.
Mullen said it may be a reflection of a life in which many gays and lesbians have been rejected by family. But he shrugged at a definitive answer. “You think the gay community is smart, and you would think they understand the health risks,” Mullen said.
Bye, of the Field Research Corp., said it was still unclear why gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people reported higher rates of tobacco use. These groups did not report feeling as if there were overt attempts by the tobacco industry to target them through advertisements, Bye said. “We’re not finished with that part of the analysis,” he said.

“Naked Boys” Venue Pays To Demand Apology
MGAC Reverses Itself A Day Later, Commending Mayor Barrett’s Response
Milwaukee - Even as it applauded Mayor Tom Barrett’s response to the closure of “Naked Boys Singing”, the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center continued to run a paid advertisement “demanding a public apology” for the August 18 shuttering of the nude review. In two press releases in a 24-hour period, the MGAC first demanded a public apology from and then commended Barrett for his response to the closing.
The MGAC placed the “open letter” ad directed to the mayor and the police chief in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling for their Naked Pee Pees - Do we care?

immediate attention and response to the use of the MPD vice squad to enforce “a non-existent license violation.” The advertisement ran in the paper’s Metro section on August 31 and September 2, and questioned the city’s action against the MGAC during a spiraling violent crime wave.
The advertised demand came despite the revelation in the follow-up investigation that neither the MGAC nor the police were aware of the non-profit exemption contained in the small theater license ordinance used to close the revue. Despite its commendation of Barrett, the center’s $634K claim against the city remains in place.
In an August 30 letter to Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines, the mayor requested that Hines review the actions of the City Clerk’s Licensing Division to determine whether or not appropriate requirements were placed on the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. The letter went on to ask the Common Council President to investigate the procedures of the Licensing Division in this matter. The mayor asked Common Council President Willie Hines to handle the matter because, according to the mayor, the licensing division is not under his mayoral authority. The mayor pledged if it is discovered that hostility towards Milwaukee’s LGBT community played a role in the closure, he will apologize.
The mayor also indicated that he had asked Milwaukee Police Chief Nannette Hegerty to review and explain Milwaukee Police Department’s handling of the situation. The MPD Vice Squad closed “Naked Boys Singing!” on August 18.
“It is reassuring that the mayor has shown real civil courage and leadership by demanding accountability from the city’s administration and MPD when their powers are misused,” MGAC director Paul Masterson said.
“Naked Boys Singing” director Mark Hooker also appeared pleased by Barrett’s letter. “I hope the mayor can begin a healing process to restore Milwaukee’s reputation. The story was covered by over 150 media outlets including the New York Times and CNN. I just hope I can get back to doing theater. I never understood what this was all about in the first place. But I do believe in the free expression of art in our country and am very happy that the mayor has taken the right action,” Hooker said.
The MGAC press release also reported that the venue is unaware of any public statement made by MPD Chief Nannette Hegerty regarding this issue.
In related news, Masterson has announced that a recast version the Uncommon Theatre’s production of “Naked Boys Singing” will begin on October 29.

PrideFest Reaps Record Profits
Milwaukee -- PrideFest has announced that this year’s festival has made record profits. In a recent press release, the organization estimated approximately $90,000 in earnings for this year’s festival. Final festival-related expenses and income are still being tallied, however.
“Thanks to great support from the community, PrideFest had its best year ever,” said PrideFest Task Force President Scott Gunkel. “It was a year of many broken records, but the most important was the record income.”

“The many volunteers, sponsors, vendors and the community at-large all came together to make this success possible,” said Treasurer Cindy Taylor. “It’s a testament to the great potential of PrideFest.”
The Task Force is planning a community town hall meeting to be held in October. The date and location have not yet been finalized. The town hall will offer an opportunity to review details of the 2005 festival and serve as a kick-off for the 2006 event, which will be the 10th year PrideFest has been on the Summerfest grounds and its 18th year overall.
Following the close of the festival’s fiscal year, an independent audit will be conducted to verify all financial information. The PrideFest Task Force is assessing options for using the surplus, including the possibility of paying off the remaining deficit from 2003. Additionally, funds will be placed in a reserve to prepare for the 2006 festival.
“We know there will be some increases in operating costs next year,” said PrideFest Co-Producer Michael Hall. “Our goal all along has been to ensure the longevity of the festival, and we need to look at all the options to make sure we can continue moving in that direction.”
The Task Force also announced that Cindy Taylor will step down from her position as Treasurer on August 31, but she will continue to serve on the Task Force for 2006. Dan Simoneau, a former treasurer for the Cream City Foundation, will become the new PrideFest Treasurer. Simoneau has worked in the festival cash room the past two years and has a strong knowledge of the festival’s financial systems.
Several other additions have been made to the PrideFest Production Team: Heather Kincaid has joined as Secretary; Dori Klitzka has joined as Volunteer Director; and Karina Willes has joined as Web Development Director.
“We are thrilled that all of these people have stepped forward to continue building PrideFest, and we hope more people will volunteer their time,” said Hall. PrideFest is Wisconsin’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and community and is held annually in June at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Rural Dykes Plan Fall Frolic And Barn Dance
Waunakee - The Rural Dykes Association is inviting city and country women to join their Fall Frolic and Barn Dance to be held on Saturday, September 24, from 7 -11 PM at the Schumacher Farm Park, 5682 Highway 19 in Waunakee.
Come dance with us and DJ Sandy Seuser. Admission is free, though donations for the DJ would be welcomed.
Snack and drinks will be provided. Alcohol is prohibited as this event is being held at a county park.
To reach the venue from Milwaukee, take I-94 to I-90 west. Continue northwest to Exit 131, then turn west on Hwy. 19. Go 4.6 miles, but stay on Hwy 19 after it merges with Hwy 113. Continue 1/2 mile. The farm is on the right at the top of the hill just before the water tower.
From Madison, take Hwy 113 towards Waunakee. Follow the highway left when it merges with Hwy 19, follow the directions above. From Waunakee, follow Hwy. 19 east toward Sun Prairie. The farm is on the left just two-tenths of a mile from the Culvers restaurant.
For more information, call 608-849-4180 through noon on the September 24, or 608-438-1160 after noon on that date.

Queer Chapters Turns Another Page
Madison - Queer Chapters is a LGBT book discussion group that meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM at OutReach, located on 600 Williamson St.. The group’s main focus is non-fiction literature. Participants in a round table discussion explore the author’s ideas and the relevance they hold for the LGBT community.
The group’s October selection is “In A Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives” by Judith Halberstam.
An excerpt from the book cover follows: “Considering the sudden visibility of the transgender body in the early twenty-first century against the backdrop of changing conceptions of space and time, In a Queer Time and Place is the first full-length study of transgender representations in art, fiction, film, video, and music. This pioneering
book offers both a jumping off point for future analysis of transgenderism and an important new way to understand cultural constructions of time and place”.
For more information on the group and book purchase outlets, e-mail Hal at queerchapters@hotmail.com or leave a message for him at 608-255-8582.