| Transcript |
'Citizen Provocateur' Ray lfdl is often the first person GLBT men and women call when faced with arrest or discrimination. (Photo by Nancy Ford)
Foul cried in park arrests
Memorial sting leads
to 30 arrests for
lewd, illicit conduct
BY SHANA NICHOLSON
Th Hous•on PC'h~ Department
conducted a two-day stmr opcratiJn
m I t Apnl in Memonal Park around
P1cmc Lane resultmg In the arn• t of
SO m"n The methodology used by the
police has some Houston activMs
wondenng if the sting was simply
veiled homophobia.
Srveral men arrested lns!St the public
restrooms were locked, both the front and
back doors. But when they decided to go
mto the bushes to reliew themselves. an
officer of the' HPD arrested them.
Local m ;I rights activi t &:y Hill d
h know maintc ::ianCi' man at
Memorial Park and qu honed him ns to
.,.. }1j' thev \\ l fl' lock mg restroom doors.
"He told me We re not lock.mg th
The cops are bnnging the locks, lockmg
the' doors and carrying the locks aY.ay
when they get through.' ' Hill said.
Alvin Wright, spokesman for HPD,
said that the sting was a joint effort of
the Vice, Special Operations & Maior
Offenders d1vis1ons.
"The stmg lasted a couple' of ~s
around the rnd of April and w .. :.s a
result of numC'1uw; c.omplam~ of lt. d
a1..tl\ 1ty Y. lthll1 the paI"K." Wr;,.;ht 'iilld
In tot 10 arre~t \\er made 15
v1 c nrll'sts ~ r pul 1c IE , dn ' dlld
15 tactical arrest \\hlch \\r, •ht
rxplamed, c.ould be ~ythmg from
Pledse see ARRESTS on Page 3
South Beach brings
its own White Party
to the Houston scene.
Page ll
The 'truth of
• I exoenence
Ari Gold attributes success to
telling his own story
By JOEY GUERRA
Don't hate Arl Gold becaue he's beautiful. Hate
him because he's talented, thoughtful and beautiful.
We're only kidding. In fact, those same attributes
are what make it pretty unpossible to dislike the
Bronx ·born performer - even a little.
"My music is sexy," Gold says, on the phone from
Please see ARI GOLD on Page 16
Ari Gold was discovered at five years old.
smgmg at his brother's bar mitzvah.
Senate's approval to
restructure Ryan White
CARE Act receives scrutiny.
Page4
Photographer/professor earns
highest achievement award
from San Jacinto College.
Local Life, Page 8
Mayor Bill White tapped
to receive 2006 Black Tie
Dinner Hollyfield award.
News, Page4
2 MAY 26. 2006 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com MAY 26. 2006 3 I
Memorial Park is site of HPD sting operation
ARRESTS, continued from Page 1
narcotics to other illicit activity.
When asked if the Parks Department
had a policy on restroom closures. Estella
Espinosa. communications manager with
the Houston Parks & Recreation
Department, said that the restnx>ms are
locked between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. eve11 day.
According to Wright, captain Steve Jett of
the Vice Division repcrted the arrest~
OCCUITed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.. hours
when the doors should have been unlocked
and the restrooms a<.x:essible. Wright said
when he told Jett that some of the men clainwd
there were locks on the doors of thP. bathrtx>m .
• Jett laughed, saying. "That is not true at all."
Wright continued. ''If that's what they're say.
ing, they don't have a leg to stand on."
In ourt it will be the word of officers
against the word of the men charged. But
even if the restroom doors were padlocked,
Texas law would not guarantee the charges
against the men men would be dropped due
to illegal entrapment. Simply providing an
opportunity to commit a crime does not
constitute entrapment. And with officers
claiming that it was the men who attempted
to engage the plain-clothes officers in illicit
activity, the men charged may have no case.
However, in other parts of the country,
organizations have challenged law enforce·
ment procedure in court and won.
Public sex laws
applied unfairly?
Gay watchdog grnups insist they aren't
condoning illegal public sex. hut the issue
to them is whether police are applying the
law equally to public sex involving heterosexuals
and that involving only mm. To
them, the question becomes: Are two men
found having sex in a park arrested. when
a heterosexual couple having sex a hun·
dred feet away just told to move along?
The answer is that records of public lewd·
ness and the context in which the arrests
were made are nearly inlp<lSSible to quantif):
However; the concern remains that gay men
are specifically being targeted. Historicnll);
U1e vast majority of public lewdness arrests
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Both the front and back gates to the restroom facilities off Picnic Lane in Memorial Park were unlocked and accessible on May 19. when this photograph was taken
But activists say that wasn't the case when 30 men were arrested in late April (Photo by Nancy Ford)
made are of men and the dozens of published
new stories across Texas concerning stings
in parks and other public areas where only
men are swept up back that claim.
The Lambda Legal Defense & Education
Fund. a GLBT civil rights organization,
sued the Los Angeles police department in
2000 seeking records of public lewdness
arrests for the prior three years. After spotlighting
the imbalance of male public
lewdness charges, arrests suddenly
drop.,ed. And in Detroit, the Triangle
Foundation with the help of their local
American Civil Liberties Union obtained
roughly 300 arrest records. The results in
both investigations were compelling.
Each found that arrestees were over·
whelmingly male and officers were using
the same language to describe the conduct
in arrest reports.
The use of boilerplate language in
arrest reports implies that police did not
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differentiate between cases. activists sa);
and that is among the issues of contention
raised by the Memorial Park arrests.
"The amazing thing to me is that the
prosecutors in this case know the officers
are lying because they tell the same lie in
every case using the exact same y:ords,"
Hill said. "Human behavior is not so well·
patterned that everybody doe" the exact
same thmg in the same wa}:
"I'm going to have to wait until these
cases get tried," Hill continued, "but I intend
to go down and assert to the police chief that
certainly his staff seems to be acting out
some prejudice-motivated law enforcment"
The success of organi.zations in fighting
lopsided justice hasn't succeeded in shut·
ting down such sting operations. in Texas
or elsewhere. Too often, activists sa); the
men arrested simply want the matter to go
away and will not agree to a legal challenge.
In many cases. men who cruise pub-lie
parks are married to women and have
families, multiplying the states.
Even an openly gay man may have
qualms about waging such a potentially
humiliating battle in court, activist£ ~:
Most choose not to fight the charges.
"The problem with that is," Hill
explained, "because of the Draconian sex
registration laws in Texas, if you plead
guilty, then you have to register as a sex
offender for the rest of your life."
Hill rereived a call from the v. ife of one of
the men arrested in Memorial Para in April.
"She wanted to know if I had any
advice," he said. "She said he was gomg to
go in there and plead guilty and pay what·
ever it costs to get out of it because he's so
embarrassed."
That is precisely what HPD is bankmg
on, according to Hill. 'They prey on vul·
nerable people and therr only objective is
to get the conviction."
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4 MAY 26. 2006 I news 1• n brief
'Black Tre' gala announces 2006 beneficiaries and honorees
The Houston Black Tic DinnC'r board of dirertors has announced thC' selection of
the recipients of awards as well as the beneficiaries of this year's dinner, to be held
at the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday. November 4.
The 2006 beneficiaries include
Bayou City Performing Arts, Center
for AIDS, Houston GLBT
Commumty Center. Lazarus House.
Legacy Community Health Services,
Lesbian Health InitiativC',
PFI..AG HATCH Youth Scholarship
Foundation, People with AIDS and
Pride Houston.
"We are working hard to put
together an exciting event this year
that honors the individuals and
organizations that do so much for
our commumty." Scott Nettles, gala
co-chair, &11d. "We'n: proud to con·
tinue thr trad1uon of rr'~brating
nd supporting s<1ch a d1vrNC' group
of local orgamzat1ons that began
om 13 ye'lrs a.,1> y, It!> the first
Hou,ton Black T1 Dmn r"
Dr. liordon Crofoot 10, has been
lccted as this ;c.ar s HumamtarLn
Aw.ml rec1p1rnt. v;b1ch rccogmzes
xal indl\ idu ', for thor t:ontr1bu
hon to th ga; and lesbian commu·
mcy As a pionetT in the treatment
and rr~arc-h of HIV and AIDS, Dr.
Crofoot has been at the forefront of
finding advanced treatments for this
Houston Mayor Bill White. who has been cl'osen to
receive Houstons Black Tie Dinner's 2006 J Hollyfield
Political Service Award. walks m Houston's 2005
GLBT Pride Parade with his wife. Andrea W.ute
(Photo by Dalton Dehart)
disease, a~ \\ell as educating the public and communll;:
The dinner's J. Hollyfield Political Service Award recognizes an individual for
thnr work with political equality ln the GLBT community. Houston Mayor Bill
While has been srlcctC'd as its 2006 recipient. Mayor White has strived to work
to\\ards cr.0 brating the diversity of the Houston and promoting tolerance for all
groups to promote growth and prosperity.
For more mformat1on. log on to www.houstonblackt1edmner.org.
HATCH chooses 'Moulin
Rouge!' as 2006 prom theme
HATCH, Houston's group for gay Jes
bian. bisexual, transgendered and qucs·
t1onmg youth, has announced Moulin
Rouge' as the theme for its 2006 prom.
Scheduled Friday. June 9, at the
Historic Magnolia Ballroom at 715
Franklin St., beginning at 7 p.m. and
running 'til midnight, the prom is free
for youth, ages t3·20.
HATCH organizers also encourage
adults to attend, especially because not
all GLBT adults were able to attend their
own proms dressed as they wished or
y, ith the date they wtshed to bring. The
adults attending the prom become roll
models for the youth as well, organi1.ers
observed. The prom costs $2.5 for anyone
21 years old and older, with tickets avail·
ablr at the door onl~
HATCH aims for its members to
become positive contributors to society
by providing a safo social environment, •
offering role models and peer support,
and sponsoring educational and community
outreach opportunities.
Adults wishing to make a donation to
the prom, whether in-cash or in-kind,
arc asked to contact Bill Alexander,
HATCH youth servu:es assistant, at 713-
529-3590.
Equality Texas decries vote
on federal marriage amendment
On May 18, the Senate Judiciary
Committee voted to send the Federal
Marriage Amendment to the full Senate
floor for consideration The proposed
constitutional amendment restricts mar·
riagc to a union between a man and a
woman. and may Jeopardize civil union
and domestic partnership benefits.
"In a time when we face crushing
debt, war in Iraq, millions of uninsured
children, and other critical issues, the
Senate will attempt to wnte discrimina·
tion into the US. Constitution and try
their best to drive extremists to the polls
in November," said Paul E. Scott,
Equahty Texas executive director.
Scott said s,o:x> ema:ls and faw.s have
been sent to Texas senators in three days ns
part of Equality Texas' advoracy campaign.
"We know that Senators Hutchison
and Cornyn will support the amend·
ment But they need to know that they
have many constituents who do not support
writmg discrimination into thr l'.S.
Constitution," Scott said.
"We encourage all supporters of equal·
ity to log on to www.cqualityte.xas.org to
ask our senators to vote no on the Federal
Marriage Amendment." ·
fl'Olll staff and wire reports
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
I
Senate committee passes
CARE Act reauthorization
Local leaders fear decrease
in HIV treatment funding
By NANCY FORD
Last week, a U.S. Senate committee has
approved legislation to reauthorize the
Ryan White CARE Art until 2011
Thr Jeg1slation amends the current
Ryan White CARE Act by increasing the
number of ritirs that rece1•e C'AHE Act
emergency grants from 'il t() 76, and ere
tl a ne\\ three-tier structure for rit1C's
tha• report h1gh, medmm, nd lov; num
her of HIV and AIDS cas ~.
H lL~ on and the ~urroundm c unt1
would contmue to quJlify as a Title I an:a
m th highest tier
"Based on the pnL'llln.'.UJ funding Jllll.JC'C·
tlon-; from thC' Government Accountabillty
Office, Houston will see an mai:nsr m fi.mdmg
under Title I." said Katy Qtldwl'll, e.xccutivl'
directorof !£gacyCommunityHealthSer.1ccs.
But Caldwell said she IS concernrd that
there is a decrease in funding to the state
of TC'xas under Title II.
"This will affect the Texas HIV medication
program as WPll as C'Sscntial lllV and
AIDS care and support servtres In smaller
c1ues and rural areas of thr state,"
Caldwell said.
Bipartisan or contentious?
Lay.makers and their staffs haw touted
thC' fact that the bill was drafted In n blpar.
tisan manner, but capitol insidershmc indt
cated that there hmC' been heated debate
and negotiations over several contentious
issues, chief among them is how CARE Act
resources are to be allocated across the
country. With the high cost of HIV and
AIDS drugs, no decline in new HIV infections,
and an estimated 1.1 milhon peo11lc
living with HIV and AIDS m the U.S. an
all time high lawmakers struggled to bal·
ancc several competing demands on an
increasingly small pot of funding.
"This bill has created new and compli·
cated distribution formulas. said Randall
Ellis. director of government relations for
Legac;:
We have not seen an accurate or final
breakdown from the GAO of how the
funds are distributed. Hoy.ever, this legislation
is clearly better than the version by
Sen Tom Coburn <R-Okla.) that y,ould
have likely resulted in significantly larger
@MORE INFO
legacy Community Health Services
215 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, Texas no06
713-830-3000
www.montrosedinic.org
Randall Ellis. director of government relations for
Legacy Community Health Services. womes that
changes to the Ryan Wl!lle CARE Act wdl interfere
with services provided by smaller health care
orgamzat1ons to dients with HIV.
funding cuts for Houston and Texas."
The bill, which passed by a vote of 19·1,
was introduced by the chalr and ranking
Democrat of the Senate he.11th mmmittee,
Senators ,'\lichael r:nzi <H·WY) and Eclwanl
Kennedv (1)-MA). working with their
House ~ounterparts, Congressmen .Joe
Barton (R·TX) and .John Dingell (D·M[).
The application of this proxy will re ult
in massive funding shifts away from Texas
and other states which have for many years
borne the brunt of this epidemic, according
to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D·NY).
"Redistributmg millions of dollars
from ... states where both city and local
governments have made significant con·
tributlons to Arns care and treatment wlll
onlv hurt people who arc living with HIV.
and result m difficulty accessing care,"
Clinton said in a statement.
As of September :.mo5. 9,911 pcopll' diag
nosed with AIDS lived in llouston and
Harris Count;~ according to a Houston
Department of Health and Human
Services report dated January 2006.
It IS estimated that one in 90 Houstonians
is HIV-positive, with one Houstonlan being
infected with HIV every eight hours.
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com MAY 26. 2006 S I national news
Amendment fight gets contentious on Hill
Some predict changes
to wording to entice
moderates
By JOSHUA LYNSEN
As a Senate vote nears on a federal consti·
tutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage,
some political observers are Spt.>culat·
ing that the wording of the amendment
might be shortened in a last-ditch etfort to
draw support from moderate senators.
As approved May 18 by the U.S. Senate
,Judiciary Committee, the proposed consti·
tutional amendment bans gay marriage
and any equivalent, which presumably
includes civil unions and perhaps some
domestic partnerships and other forms of
legal recognition for gay couples.
"Marriage in the United States shall
consist only of the union of a man and a
woman." the proposed amendment reads.
"Neither this Constitution, nor the consti·
tution of any state or fcdC'ral law, shall be
construed to require that marital status of
the legal incidents thC'reof be conferred
upon unmarried couples or groups."
But there's new talk on Capitol Ifill of
removing the second sentence before sena·
tors vote on the amcndmPnt next month.
The rewrite, aP1mrcntly sought by some
conservatives, would have lasting and
unprndi1:tablc repercussions because of its
vague wording, gay rights activists said
The revision also is seen by some as an
effort to woo moderate senators.
Human Rights Campaign spakespC'rson
.Jay Smith Brown said more sC'nators
\\ould Hkcly support the revised. one sen·
tcnce amendment. He noted, hO\\Cver, that
llRC remains "cautiously optimistic" the
Marriage Protection Amendment will fall
regardless of the wording.
"I think a lot of senators will sec
through this attempt," Smith l'lrown said.
"It's still discrimination, and it's still put·
ting that stain on the Constitution."
Changes to the federal marriage amend
ment were previously discussed and dis·
bu i ldyourbusiness
CONTACT
ED
ALVAREZ
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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n35298490 or ealvarez ti houstonvoice.com
missed, Smith Brown said, but cited "sources
on the Hill" for the possibility that dropping
the second sentence might be offered up again
on the Senate floor next month.
Patrick Guerriero. president of the Log
Cabin Republicans, discounted the rewrite
as a last-ditch attempt to win votes.
"Ba~ically ifs a sign of desperation
because they're about to lose again," he said.
"That's the piece I think is pretty clear here."
But Christopher Anders, legislative counsel
for the American Civil Liberties Union office
in Washington. D.C., said any abbreviation
might not be intended to draw new support.
"The motivation doesn't seem to be to
pick up votes." he said. "The motivation
seems to be there's an internal tight among
religious right groups on how much dam·
age they want to cause samc·sex couples
and their children."
As the Senate vote nears, Anders said he
is skeptical that anyone would seek to
revise the proposed amendment. The con·
tentious Senate Judiciary Committee vote,
10-8, followed party lines.
"There might be one or two votes in the
Senate that are in play one way or the
other," he said. "But, literally, the civil
rights and religious coalitions have met
with almost all the Senate offices at this
point. The conclusion s the votes are basi·
cally where they were two years ago."
Debate grows tense
Although no senator has yet proposed
changing the wording. discussion of the
amendment l!i becoming ever more tense.
The &mate Judiciary Committee \Ute May
18 was marked by a heated exchange between
Arlen Specter (l~·Pa.) and Huss Feingold (!)..
Wis.), a presumed presidential candidate \\ho
m~ntly announced his support for equal mar-
1iagc rights for gay couples.
Specter and Feingold argued during the
committee meeting. Feingold eventually
walked out, and Specter wished him "good
riddance."
"I don't need to he lc.>etured by you. You
are no more a protector of the Constitution
than am I," Specter shouted after Feingold
said he opposed the amendment and treas·
ured the Constitution.
Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold says debate over the
federal marriage amendment needs to be conducted
in a transparent way and in front of cameras.
(Photo by Mickey Welslv'APl
"If you want to leave, good riddance."
Specter said.
"I've enjoyed your lecture, too, Mr.
Chairman. See ya," Feingold l"C'Sponded
before leaving the meeting.
Fc1ngold later issued a statemC'nt condemning
Specter's decision to hold the
l\lay 18 meeting in a small committee room
where public access is limited.
"(S]uch a measure should be considered
by the Judiciary Committee in the light of
da~: open to the press and the public, with
cameras present so that the whole country
can ee what is done," Feingold said. "I will
continue to fight this mean-spirited. div1
slve, poorly drafted, and misguided amend·
ment when it comes to the Senate floor."
Broad 'implications
for our culture'
Experts and politicians agree that
attempts to rewrite or abbreviate the proposed
amendment would have little effect
on the vote.
Congressman Barney Frank (D·Mass.)
told the Voice this week that reducing the
amendment to one sentence would "change
no minds and very few votes."
Frank, who is gay, said President Bush
and other Republicans are using the amend·
ment to divert congressional attention from
more serious issues, such as preparing for
the hurricane sea~on that begins June I, or
addressing economic issues.
"We screwed up Katrina, wages aren't
going up, but how about those fags getting
married?" he said. "This isn't about mak·
ing public policy. They're trying to dh·crt
attention by gay bashing."
The amendments' backers dispute that
charge, saying Senate Republicans are
responding to a constituency that hC'lpcd
the party keep control of Congre:-s and the
White House two years ago.
Barrett Duke, spokesper::.on for the
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission,
told the Baptist Press that gay marriage
must be stopped.
"We just don't sec anything in Amertcan
ltfc at this point that has greater implica·
tions for our culture than thC' same-sex marriage
is$ue," he said.
"Just about every area of life will be
impacted if same-sexlllarI1age becomes the
law of the land ...
Unintended consequences?
Previously called the Federal Marriage
Amendment. a Senate vote on the proposal
in 2004 failed with 48 voting in fa\Or and 50
opposing.
Also at that time, the House voted 227
186 m favor of the proposal. The measure
needed 29 more votes m the House and 19
more votes m the Senate to reach the tv;othirds
majorlty required to pass a constitu·
tional amendment.
Political ob;;ervers ha\·e forecasted this
year's Senate vote at 52-48 in famr of the
measure, mostly duC' to Democratic seats
y,on by the GOP in the 2004 election.
Such a vote still would fall 17 votes shy
of the necessary two-third ma.JOrity.
AndC'rs said most senators are steadfast
in their support or opposition, and reY.Tit·
ing the amendment would do httle to
change any votes.
"The bottom line for most of the sena·
tors and most of the people who have
looked at the amendment." he said, "is that
whichever version comes to the floor, the
problems are the same."
buildyourbusiness
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ALVAREZ
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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6 MAY 26. 2006
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www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I news in brief
Pope warns Spain not to confuse marriage
VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Benedict XVI told the new Spanish ambassador to the
Vatican ~lay 20 that family based on marriage should not be "replaced or confused"
by other institut10ns an allusion to Spain's decision to marry same-sex couples.
Benedict said he hoped his planned visit to
Valencia, Spain, in July to attend a church gath·
ering dedicated to families would give him "an
opportunity to celebrate the beauty and fecundity
of the family based on marriage, its very high
calling and its essential social value." The pope
has been leading a church campaign in defense of
traditional families. He also reiterated church
opposition to abortion and euthanasia.
Ambassador Francisco Vazquez described the
meeting as "cordial and affectionate." Ties
between the Vatican and Spain have been strained
since Spain's Socialists took office in 2004 with an
agenda that included legalizing gay marriage and
making it easier for Spaniards to obtain divorce
in the traditionally Roman Catholic country. In
April, a senior Vatican official, Cardinal Alfonso
Lopez Truj1llo. condemned a Spanish bill authorlzmg
gay adoptions.
Pope Benedict XVI may be visiting
Spain in July. despite his opposition to
gay marriage in that country
--------
Harlem gay group protests
sex party banning condom use
NEW YORK (AP> 'I'he invitation
arrived in Tokes Osubu's e-mail inbox
on May 15, and the contents astounded
him: Black and J,atino men were being
invited to attend a gay sex party the following
weekend where condoms would
be banned. Show up with a condom, the
invitation said, and you'll be asked to
leave. "I was shocked and disgusted,"
said Osubu, executive director of Gay
Men of African Descent, a Harlem·
based nonprofit group battling the
HIV I AIDS epidemic among black gay
men. Osubu sent the party's promoter a
letter urging him to reconsider the poli·
cy, and the group planned to protest out·
side the East Harlem building where the
party was scheduled to be held. The
party comes just weeks before the 25th
anniversary of the AIDS epidemic and
at a time when black men am facing
startlingly high HIV infection rates.
Another N.C. soldier pleads guilty
for role on gay pom site
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) A soldier
pleaded guilty May 16 to having sex on a
military-themed website for money and
was sentenced to three months In prison.
A number of Army soldiers from Fort
Bragg, N.C., have been charged for
appearing on Act1veDuty.com, an ach.Jlt·
oriented gay website with amateur mill·
tary-themed performances. Pfc. Wesley
K. Mitten, 21, pleaded guilty to sodomy,
conduct detrimental to the Army and
cocaine use. lie will be discharged from
the service. "I am sorry for disgracing
my family name and my unit," he said.
according to the Fayetteville Observer
Mitten is one of seven soldiers from the
82nd Airbornc Division accused of
appearmg on the site. Two others, Pvt.
Kagen B. Mullen and Pfc. Richard
Ashle)~ have also pleaded gullty and were
sentenced to prison.
Federal judge strikes down
Okla. gay adoption law
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A federal JUdge
May 19 struck down a two-year-old state law
that prohibited state officials from recog·
nlzing same sex adoptions from other states
or countries. In a 31·page decision, t.:.S.
District .Judge Robin Cauthmn ruled that
the measure violated the U.S. Constitution's
due process requirements because it
attempted to break up families without considering
the fitness of the parents or the
brst interests of the children. Instead,
Cauthron wrote, the state statute "attempts
tltat break up only because the . adults are
of the same sex. Such an act cannot survive."
The decision was attacked by supporters
of the law. which \\as passed by the
Legislature with bipartisan support in 2004.
"It's another case of an activist court trying
to legislate from the bench," said state Rep.
Thad Balkman (R·Norman).
Gay activist's killer gets
life in Jamaican prison
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Twenty-five year
old Dwight Hayden, who confessed to
killing gay rights activist Brian
Williamson, has been sentenced to life in
prison, Radio Jamaica reported May 19.
The newspaper vendor, who pleaded guilty
to the crime two W('{'kS ago, will serve 15
years behind bars before becoming eligi·
ble for parole, the radio station reported.
The sentence was handed down May 19 In
the Home Circuit Court by .Justice Basil
Reid. Williamson, the founding member of
the gay rights group .Jamaica Forum for
Lesbians, All·Sexuals & Gays, was found
dead in his New Kingston apartment on
.June 7, 2004. The m1!dical report saicl he
was stabbed over 70 times. Human rights
groups said that gay people are frc1111cnt
targets of attacks and harassment in
.Jamaica, and that Williamson may have
been the victim of a hate crime.
From staff and wire reports
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
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I. Sing out
Ricley Comeaux. T" lima Hall and Jerry Atwood
belt out another song at OvatlO!lS mghtdub.
2. Good friends. good cause
Ned Demy, SyMa Gircia. lJmrd L.kJyd and T cri
Sclniler Walsh at m helping raise funds for MS.
3. It's gone
Walter Domingo hits a home run for the Montrose
Softball League's Legal Eagles.
4. Fine art
Wade Wilson, Troy Brousml Caroline Tyson and
Joll! Ray participate in the recent art showing at
4411 Montrose
5. Mo art
Davi! Osta', T eny l.eavitt-Ol.lvez. IUtoo ~ and
Sally Ba1Dtt e!1JOY each ottm company at a recent
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6. Super heroes
and heroines
Delmil Bel (hmm, Greg Grifli1. .k!Ty
SillmllX. ~Bown and lxt Chwalek Im!
together to f9rt the fm:es of t"Ji at~ BnJ;>.
benefitn.I the lblstoo Cl.BT Coomnty Center:
7. Jungle love
Bayou City Boys Club award the proceeds from
Jungle 14 to representatives from Bering Omega
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Houston. AIDS Foundation Houston. Brentwood
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HOUSTON VOICE
MAY 26. 2006
PAGES
Picture of success
Dr. Dalton DeHart
honored with Minnie
Stevens Piper
education award
By NANCY FORD
SAY YOU'RE OUT SOME SATURDAY
night at one of the mynad social functions
offered to Houston's gay communit}~
Or perhaps you're attending a
Wednesday afternoon Political luncheon.
Or a Thursday happy hour birthday celebration.
Or a wee-hours-0f-Sunday-mornmg
after-hours bash.
Chances are better than good that you'll
spot the familiar face of Dalton DeHart.. He's
highly reoogni7.able, a tail, lanky blonde, gentleman
who worlG the room grocclully and
easi}Jl He knows everyone and everyone
knows him, it appears, from the smiles and
hugs he elicits from the crowd.
Another easy way to recognize DeHart
is by hIS equipment He's the man with at
least one professional-grade camera
slung around his neck, which he aims
and shoots with effortless accuracy.
If ever there were a chronicler of
Houston's gay histmJi it is DeHart His v.urlt
has been m the Houston \Uice and other gay
publications since he began snapping images
more than ro }'mI'S ago, making him an irreplaceable
part <X Houston's gay oommunicy
"Very seldom a week passes that I don't
do eight or 10 events, generally," he says.
"I tell people that l don't take pictures of
just certain kinds of people I love all of
it It doosn't matter if it's an after-hours
PartY or the transgender Unity Banquet or
Human Rights Campaign function or
Black Tie Dinner. Just whatever - I'm an
equal oppartunity photographer'"
WHAT MANY OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC
subjects may not know is that DeHart has
a whole other career.
After graduating from Buna High
School m east Texas, DeHart entered San
Houston State Untversuy in Huntsville.
His camera accompanied him through a
hitch in the U.S. Army and as he entered
ft MORE INFO
Dalton~~
71>622-2202
www.daltondehart.com
his trachmg career.
In tl!e fall of 1983, DeHart began teaching
at San Jacinto College's central -campus m
Pasadena, Texas. In 1986, he became a permanent
professor of English at San Jactnto
College, and in 1989 he became chairman of
tl!e Language Skills Department
"The teaching and the photography go
so well together," Dehart says. "They
compliment each other."
Later this summer Def-lart says he will
retire from teaching. But as a perfect
example of "gomg out with a bang,"
DeHart was recently chosen to receive
the htghest honor Texas' educational sys
tern has to bestow on one of its ovm, the
Mmnie Stevens Piper Award.
The award represents "sort of the zenith
of all of the educational endeavors that we
undertake," DeHart says. "It represents the
highest honor that a person tn a college or a
university can achieve. It's kind of the
Oscar of the education business."
Each year, San Jacinto College Central
and oilier Texas college faculty nominate
a faculty member as the outstanding educator
on that campus, voted on by faculty
itself. The winner of that honor ts then
eligible to be one of 15 statewide recipients
of the Minnie Stevens Piper professorship,
DeHart explains.
"We always think that we try to do the
very best job tl!at we can, but lt's wonderful
to be validated," DeHart says.
"I believe that the teachers in the
Language Skills Department have contrtbuted
much to my success," DeHart
continues. "In addition, my close friends
in the English Department with whom I
have taught for so many years are certain·
ly respansible in part for my being selected
for the award."
Another of tl!e reasons Dehart is oonsid·
ered a model educator is reflected in how he
views his relationship to his students.
"I really believe that much of the job
that we do in the developmental course is
to encourage them, sort of nurture them,
tell them that, yes, they can do it,"
DeHart says. "Some of them sort of consider
themselves as failures, and part of
our job is to assure them that they can do
1t if they just put forth the effort."
TifOUGH HE IS LEAVING TEACHING,
De Hart has no intention of rrtlring frQm
his photographic career. He will continue
to be seen behind the lens as he has every
week since he startrd focusing on
Houston's gay community in the late '80s.
Among tl!e first events DcHart attended
was Executive Professionals of Houston, a
social group made up of predominantly
Dalton DeHart. longtime Houston Voice photographer and San Jacinto College Central's 2006 Teacher of
the Year and recipient of the Minnie Stevens Piper Professorship award. (Photo by Alfred Padron)
gay and lesbian business people.
"I ended up joining and after being a
member for six months, I was asked to be
the chair of the directory committee
because I did photos. Then I started doing
other events and various fundraisers and
that sort of thing I did all sorts of
events."
The greatest difference between then
and no\\~ DeHart says, is the visibllity the
gay community has come to know.
Seldom did a gay or lesbian-specific event
carry the words "gay" or "lesbian."
Specifically, DeHart marvels at the
evolution of the city's Pride Parade.
"That's one of the most amazmg
thtngs I've seen," he says. "It's just mind·
boggling now."
"When I first started doing this, the
meetings I attended were not publlc
events." Dehart says. "Over the years,
almost all of the events have become pub-lie
and people know about them. Now we
have so many GLBTs and so many
straight people who arc also so support.
ive of events because of the worthwhile
causes the community is involved in."
With a catalor.i.1c of more than 450,000
photos chronicling so many of those
worthwhile causes, as well as the people
who make them possible, DeHart shows
no signs of slowing down
"People ask me all the time where I get
my energy "What arc you on?"' Dell art
says, laughmg.
"I say 'OK, look in the mirror' I am high
on life and on .. the people that I photograph.
'I'hat's what motivates me. I get
incredible joy out of taking pictures of
these pcoplr bcc.1use I feel hke It makes
them feel good, and 1t certainly does make
me feel like my life is worthwhile.
"The people and the joy I hope I bring
to them is what motivates me."
EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION
ExecutiYe Elitor CHRIS CRAIN
Edtor NANCY FORD
Art Oin!ctlJr ROB BOEGER
PnWction Maiager ERIC GOINES
Graplic Desi(Jier LISA HENDERSON
Graplic Desi(Jier JASON LAVINDER
Correspondents ERIC ERVIN. DYANA BAGBY,
KEUY CARSON. LOU CHJBBARO. JR. MUBARAK
DAHIR. Mil([ FLEMING. JOHNNY HOOKS.
PHIL LAPADULA. RYAN LEE. JOSHUA LYNSEN.
GREG MARZUUO. BRIAN MOYLAN. l<EVIN NAFF,
ANDY ZEFFER. KATHERINE VOUN.
ELIZABETH WEILL·CREENBERG
Contrbrtols DON MAINES. DAWN RORIE. ELLA
TYLER JA CHAPMAN AND RICH ARENSCHIELDT
~ DALTON DEHART,
KIMBERLY THOMPSON
Online Editor STEVE KOVAL
Webmaster ARAM VARTIAN
Assistant Webmaster STEVE RYAN
SALES & ADMINISTRATION
Sales Maiager
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eJlvareZ(a houstonvoicc.com
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RIVCndctt McdiJ • 212-242-6863
PUBLISHER Wllldow Media LLC
PRESIDENT Peter Polumno
EXEC. V.P. EDITORIAL Chns Cram
ART DIRECTOR Rob~
C.0.0 Mike Kitchefls
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EXEC. VP. SALES Steven Gimir1i
lBu: HEHBEll
CllAR'TER MEMBER
Established 1974 as the Moo/rose Star
500 Lovett BIYd.. Slite 200
Houston. T ws 77006
(713) 529-8490
Fax: (713) 529-9531
www.houstorrloice.
Office hours: 9 am-530 p.m. weekdays
To !lbnit a letter
letten shodd be feoM:r tha1 400 v.o1h. We reserve the
rqrt tD e<it tor arum n1 ro;th. We W1I wrttllold llollll'S
J4lQ1 l!qll51. but you 1M1 iR::blr )'Oii' name nf ~
rumcr w ""'ICl!im Pleasl' send mail tD IW!on Yoice.
500 1..M1t 1M.. SW 20Q HMtan ll'Jlas 71006; t.u (TIJ)
!i299531orf-il\1ilo~~
~therm do not rdlrct Um d tll' /bJslcrr Vin
~-:::~ae~~~
writlen-ol Hal>IOll V111rt The5"iul,...m.it ...
ol~~= . ~
..ill.J lll'.....,.. ol unn « pidDNI """"'""'" d~=~.--.
-V111rt.cQllbtmGicitfd-
~~!"'=ti:~~::.
-:...~&"'t!: - .. -""",_st
e itorial
HOUSTON VOICE
MAY 26. 2006
PAGE9
Don't bash Mary Cheney
It's tempting to criticize the vice president's daughter,
but we'd do well to take a look in the mirror first.
By KEVIN NAFF
T'S TE:\1PTING TO
criticize Mary Chene):
The lesbian daughter of
Vice President Dick Cheney
worked on the campaign to
re-elect her father and
President Bush, even as
Republicans worked to ban same-sex mar
nage via federal and state constitutional
amendments and used the issue to drive
conservative voters to the polls.
Gay rights activists were rightly upset
that she didn't abandon the campaign or
even take a public stand opposing the
amendment efforts, which Bush endorsed
in a State of the Union speech.
Now .!\.lary has written a book and,
finally, granted interviews on the subject
of being the lesbian daughter of the con·
scrvative vice president.
She says she talked to her family about
quitting the 2001 campaign over the marriage
issue and that she declined a Bush
offer to give a public statement disagreeing
with the president's position. But ulti·
mately she stayed behind the scenes and
stuck it out, for her father's sake.
It's difficult to fault her when she puts
it in those terms. How many of us stand
up to conservative family members when
they fail to support us 100 percent?
My own parents backed Bush in 2000
and 2004, but I haven't stopped speaking to
them. They know where I stand, and we
agree to disagree. And whether we care to
admit it or not. there are ways large and
small in which most of us take advantage
of the refuge of the closet.
AT LARGE GATHERINGS OF EXTENDED
family; I don't always bring my partner
because it's easier to just avoid the stress.
He's close to my immediate family and
that's enough for me. I don't need every
third-cousin-once-removed to know my
partner to feel validated.
When we check into a hotel together,
sometimes one of us will hold back in the
lobby to avoid those awkward confrontations
with the front desk staff. "That room
has one king bed, let me find you something
with two doubles."
And how many of us walk around holding
hands with a partner in public? Or
display a photo of a significant other on a
desk at work?
Of course, in an ideal world, full openness
at all times would be the reality and
we would respond to anti.gay sentiment in
a consistently \Ociferous way. But who
lives in that place?
Yes, it's tem11tmg to bash Mary, but how
many of us can say we arc out to absolute·
ly everyone in our lives that includes
employers, co-workers, extended family
and neighbors? And for those who are out
as .!\.1ary has been for years how
many back up their political beliefs with
action at all times?
She certainly should have accepted
Bush's invitation to issue a public statement
condemning the marriage amend·
ment and her critics are right that Mary
won't be winning any .. profiles in gay
courage" awards.
There arc plenty of gay men and lesbians
with famous conservative relatives
who chose a more aggressive path
Candace Gingrich. Maya Keyes and David
Knight come to mind. They are worthy of
higher praise.
And Mary's criticisms of John Kerry
and John Edwards for mentioning her
sexual orientation during the 2004 debate.
fall flat. Mary has harsh words for Kerry
and Edwards, but praise for Bush, who is
doing more to set back the gay righb
movement than any president in decades.
COMING OUT IS AN INTENSELY
personal decision, but one that has far·
reaching ripple effects that are an}1hing
but personal. In fact, the surest way to
equality under the law is for gays to be
out. Of course, that's easy to say and not
always so easy to do.
For some, coming out means being
thrown out of the house, gay ba. hed or
losing parental financial support. For
others, it means risking a lucrative job
or promotion. I think it's worth the risk,
but I'm financially independent and
work in a large city for a gay-owned
company.
In my previous job, I stood up to anti·
gay discrimination within the company
and was rewarded by having my work
assignments revoked and the office secretary
tracking my every move in an effort
to catch me taking too long a lunch
break. I hired a lawyer and quit before
they could fire me. And this was in
Maryland, where state law supposedly
prohibits such behavior.
Maly Cheney said she swallowed her critlClsms of
President Bush on the federal marriage amendment
out of deference to her father, the vice president,
and it's hard to fault her for that. (Photo by Freddie
Lee. FOX News Sunday/AP)
Coming out remains difficult even for
the rich and famous - witne; s CZ\'X's
Anderson Cooper making the media
rounds promoting his memoir that is su~·
piciously devoid of any mention of a significant
other. Or Sean Haye. a\oiding
"the que~tion" while promoting the recent
finale of "Will & Grace." Or Clay Aiken':;
denials even as he brazenly trolls gay
hookup sites for sex partners.
Mary did the right thing in corning out
at a young age to her parents and refusing
to go back in the closet when it would
have been politically convenient for her
father. Yes, she could have quit the campaign
and taken the high road. But she
would have alienated tho-e closest to her.
By all accounts, she's doing exactly
what all gay men and lesbians ought to do:
living her life openly at work, at home and
in public.
Before the sanctimonious among us
line up to bash Mary again, they should
ask themselves if they're really living an
honest life 100 percent of
the time, no exceptions.
I'm not. Are you?
~ KeYil Naff is man~
aging editor of the
Washington Blade
and can be reached at
knaff@wastmlade
10 MAY 26. 2006 I
In defense of the
Human Rights Campaign
To the Editors.
Re "Howard Dean's gav lapdogs," (edi·
torial by Chris Crain. M y 19):
OK. v;e get t Chris Cram hates the
Human Right. Campaign and apparent
ly anything Democratic.
WhethPr it's his regular edit nahzmg
about his hehef that the HRC 1s rntirelv
beholdefl to th Drmorratic Part; or some
oth r progressiw groups, or m th not se>
subt: slart of any nev.s !on about the
HRC or other ay nghts organizations. his
b 1Sdear
The latest screed assumes facts not in
n 1drnre, but that docsn't !;top th bile
Yes. i' would be marvelous to have a
civilized debate about same-sex marriage
where "our side" could lay out all the
benefits and advantages to society. Every
tlmf' civil rights (mcludmg marriage
rights) are put forward to an open·mmded
audience, we win
That's \\hy the ranks companies with
perfect scores on the HRC Corporate
Equality Index continue to grow. It's also
why, for the most part, we win in court.
t.:nfortunately, that's not the environ·
ment in this Congrrss the anti-gay
forces won't a.;ree to that kind of discus
s1on and Crain knows thts.
wm the HRC tactical plan for this par·
t1cular assault be effective? We will see
after the vote.
MIKE CRAIG
Houston, Texas
HRC refuses to fight
for marriage equality
To the Editors:
Re "Howard Dean's lapdogs" (editorial
by Chris Crain, May 19):
"'fHE WAY 1 SEE tr, OUR CELE8Rt\1'10N OF G"Y PRIDE PR.OVll>ES
-A WJ..OASLE Na\'l'IONAL 6EJlVICE. FoR ONE MON1'H EVERY YEAA,
WE ~ 1'HES.E ll>IO'l'S A.WAY FR.OM MlU1'AAY FUNERALS."
We couldn't agree more! In 2003 and
2004, we rode our bicycles across America
to advocate for equal marriage nghts.
Before the rides, we contacted the
Human Rights Campaign to ask if th<'Y
would let their local connections know
we were coming and help get the word
out.
They refused our request and respond·
ed that we would be hurting "the cause"
by fighting for marriage equality.
Now we tell everyone we meet to
donate their money to their local
GLBT organizations and not to HRC,
which seems more interested in pro·
moting themselves than equal mar·
riage rights.
CARRIE & EUSIA ROSS-STONE
Wallace, West Va.
Boycott Caribbean over
violent homophobia
To the Editors:
Re "Deja bashed all over again" (editorial
by Chris Crain, April 28):
The reatings of Dick Jefferson and Ryan
Smith are not unusual dally occurrences In
the Can'bbean. I have urged everyone, gay or
su-aight, from vacationing or doing business in
the Canbbean and to boycott all of the islands.
particularly Jamaica, Domenica, Grenada as
well as all thev.indwardand leeward islands.
To say or be openly gay in the
Caribbean is to guarantee that you might
well not wake up the next day. You do not
have to be gay; if someone thinks you are,
then you are subject to being murdered.
The violence will stop when the world
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
pressures these islands to crack down on
barbaric homophobes and the clergy who
incite thrm to murder and violence.
As a Dutch territory, Saint Maartens
would be a very nice place for gay couples
to marry 1f It were not for this ugly homophobic
situation.
WIWAM ROWLAND
Dems blame victim,
just like batterers
To the Editors:
Grecnvme. s.c.
Since 1979, when our community
made fhe simple demands at the first
national gay march on Washington, not
one of those demands has been met
It has not mattered whether Democrats
or Republicans have been in charge. As a
Democrat and contributor to Bill Clinton's
presidential campaign, I was rewarded hy
his decision to sign the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) and "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell," two of the most anti gay bills
to ever come out of Washinb10n.
We are politically battered, by both
Hepubhcans and Democrats. And the nation
al Democratic Party, by trying to b'llill us
Into thinking we (and not they) are responsi·
blc for whether they win elections Is the clas·
sic syndrome of a batterer. It's called "blame
the victim." Why do we take it?
Howard Dean was embarrassed when he
signed the civU union bill in Vermont. Who
elevated him to gay icon? How dare he fire
Donald llitchcock. the party's gay outreach
director, because his partner Paul Yandura
accused Dean of not protecting gays?
We need to stop this blind and destruc·
tive alliance to the Democratic Party.
ROBIN TYLER
Los Angeles
Editors' note: The letter writer organrzed the
first national gay march on Washington in 1979.
When you shol> or
need a professional
service, do you
usuaDy choose a
'gay' business?
If~ I ~do. However.
we need more businesses owned
by c:LBT (W' rLBT .frienltJ people.
The GlBT COOlllllllity has lllOl1l')'
to spend, and we jJst wanted to be
treated fairly without preju(ftce.
Most defflitely, if available. The
business ow~ tend to tre.11 i!IrJ·
one who walks m equally, unlike
other owners <W' staff in straight
businesses who sometunes automatically
judge the amount of
money a jmOl1 wiU spend. accordmg
to their appearance.
Usually, unless I need a services
that 1S11l offered in the Cay &
lesbian Yellow Pages.
I try not to discriminate, whether
g.iy !W' straight We have to SUI>'
port the human race.
ERIC EVARO. 33
Account facilitJtor
Yes. my expenence has shown me
that GLBT businesses have excel·
lent quahty of service. I also think
it's important for GLBT businesses
to succeed and be a positive pres·
ence for our non-GLBT community
CARlA HAYES. 35
Customer service
KEll y WTlfR. 34
Claims adjuster
BRANDY REDING. 30
Student
Sound off about what's happening in your world at www.houstonvoice.com/soundoff.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT, 33
Laser technician manager
Interviews and photos by Dalton DeHart
GAY HOUSTON NIGHTLIFE, ARTS & CULTURE
David Knapp is equally
capable in the booth
and the babies' room
By JOEY CUERRA
DAVID KNAPP, OFTEN HAILED
as the DJ king of the circuit· party scene.
has spent the past two decades ruling
crowds with his mix of accessible rh)ihms,
edgy beats and wailing diva vocals.
In recent years, however; Knapp admilli to
finding comfort in a different kind of king·
dom_ The Atlanta-based DJ and his partner,
Scott, share their castle with adopted chi!·
dren Ryan, 3. and Kira, one-and-a-half.
"I like to say that I went from being
Ab Fab to being Desperate Housewives,"
Knapp says with a laugh. "I gave up a Jot
of my involvement in the scene and my
just carefree lifestyle.
For Knapp, however, the decision was
one that he made for himself years earlier.
"Ever since I was in high school, when
I admitted to myself that I was gay, I was
determined that I was going to have chil·
dren and a partner." he says. "I opened a
whole new window of possibility.
"It's just worked out perfectly although
those desperate housewife momenlli are true
and real sometimes. It's all worth it when
they give me a little smile or hug."
It's been an unpredictable, always
eventful. road for Knapp. who graduated
@MORE INFO
White Party/Global Groove 2006 Tour
Featuring DJ David Knapp
Sunday, May 28. 9 p.m
South Beach
810 Pacific St.
$15 advance
713-529-7623
www.southbeachthenightclub.com
from the University of Miami School of
Law and passed the bar exam - in
the early '90s.
He had already spent time as a collegeradio
DJ at the University of Trunpa and
worked at a record store. where he met the
legendary Danny Tenaglia. The two
became friends. and Tenaglia hooked
Knapp up with a Monday night club gig.
Diploma in hand, Knapp did what
came naturally: He followed his passion
for music, despite his parents' objections.
"I wasn't necessarily encouraged to do
anything in the arts, which is why I contin·
ued with school and got my law degree,"
Knapp says. "Later. after law school, my
parents were like, 'Have you gone on any
interviews yet?' I hadn't. I was working in
all the clubs on Miami Beach.
"I knew that I could always go into
law if I had to admit failure, but I was
willing to live in poverty for awhile just
for the passion of it. Usually, everything
else flows if you're passionate about it."
IT DID INDEED FLOW, AND KNAPP
soon became an in-demand DJ through·
out Florida. He eventually became one of
the headliners for Miami's White Party
weekend, considered by many to be the
crown jewel of the gay party circuit.
Knapp's schedule began to expand
beyond the Sunshine State border. and
he has gone on to acclaimed gigs in New
York, San Francisco, Boston, Paris. Tel
Aviv, Sao Paolo, Rio, Thailand. Zurich,
Mexico City and Mykonos.
Can you say frequent flyer miles?
"I try to do a lot of second·guessing as
to what the market is like before I play
in it and generally what people will
enjoy - and then work kind of new
things," Knapp says of his decidedly
diverse audiences. "I always try to do
kind of a nice give and take.
"I try to incorporate what I get excited
about in a way that's palatable to
most people. Not everybody listens to
(dance) music as thoroughly. I always try
The stars are in the stars, and so are you. Watch out
for those planets, though. Horoscope, Page 15
www.houstonvoice.com
3-day holiday
All the events to make
Memorial weekend
even more memorable.
Page 13
MAY 26, 2006
•,
I
I • ' {- ,. tj
>-', J~ ....
DJ David Knapp not only has two turntables and a rrucrophone - but a law degree, a partner and two
children. as well.
to pay attention to evel)1hing that's
going on out there."
Some of Knapp's most recent work
can be heard on the Global Grove mix
disc, released last month via the Centaur
Music label. It was done in conjunction
with the 30-cit~: six-country spanning
Global Groove Tour. More information is
available at www.globalgroovecd.com.
Knapp's 12-track odyssey expertly
blends pulsing beats with seductive vocals
and full-0ut diva anthems from dance.
floor faves Kim English ("It Makes a
Difference"), Alma Matris, Offer Nissim
featuring Maya, Dolce and Goldfrapp.
The Global Groove disc also features
a key track from pop duo - and realhfe
partners - Jason & de.Marco
("Trying to Get to You") and "Gimmie
Some Love," the sex}~ soulful debut sin·
gle from DJs Are Alive, an artist collective
that includes Kristine W. the
Scumfrog and DJ Scribble, D: Fuse and
Static Revenger.
"My biggest concern became trying to
put something on there for everyone. I'm
not about doing an all-tribal CD or an
all-anthem CD," says Knapp, who has
Please see DJ KNAPP on Page 12
If you can't think of anything nice to say,
please say it right here. Bitch Session, Page 19
12 MARCH 26. 2006 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I eclipse -~-
Knapp and film star shine at SoBe's White Party
DJ KNAPP, continued from Page 11
also remixed several Wl:iite Party benefit
CDs and others in the Global Groove and
Party Groove series. Knapp has also creat
ed original remLXes for Gioia, Funky
Green Dogs. Lonme Gordon and R&B
songbird Amem.
For mlX d1sL-s, he turns in a hst of
pot •ntial tracks a few months in advance
and crosses his fingers" in hoprs cf getting
prrmiss10n from ~bds to inrludr:
songs. This time around, Knapp sa~ s he
actually had to narrow down from more
than 20 available tracks.
IT'S LIKELY YOU'LL HEAR A FEW
of those favorites during Knapp's local WhiteParty
performance at South Beach nightclub.
It's not exactly Miami, but has proven to be
one of the year's most popular events.
"I always enjoy playing there.
Everybody's so hospitable," Knapp sa)'s of
the club. "They've even given me clothes
for the baby before I got a httle South
Beach onPsie. Houston has It togeth"r in
terms of gettmg people out and longc:vity.
There's always a great crowd, always a
great turnout. It's always been fun."
On a larger scale, Knapp has been
around long enough to notice inevitable
Getting to know Brad Patton
Adult film star
skates through
weekend gigs
By JOEY GUERRA
BRAD PATTON HAS COME A LONG
way from his religious upbringing in
Melbourne, Australia. Since leaving the
land down under, Patton has become a
champion ice skater and eventually glided
into the world of adult films.
Now a Buckshot Colt Studio Group
exclusive, Patton recently filmed Manly
Heat in Lake Powell, Ariz. He hits
Houston for a series of shows, autograph
sessions and bartending gigs, Friday
through Sunday.
In between shooting film scenes on
speedboats and training for the Out Games
m Montreal, Patton took time to answer a
few serious and silly questions:
HOUSTON VOICE: You say your
father was the "original crocodile
hunter." Ever had any mterest In follow-
()MORE INFO
Brad Patton bartends
Friday. May 26. ll p.m
JR'S Bar & Gnll
808 Pacific SL
713-521-251<1
WWW jrsb.lrandgriJl.com
Saturday, May 27 11 pm.
Meteor, 2306 Genesee
713-521-0123
wwwmeteorhouston.com
White Pcriy show with Brad Patton
Sunday. May 28.12 midnight
South Beach
810 Pacific St
SIS
713-529-7623
www.southbeachthenightclub.com
ing those footsteps?
BRAD PATIO:-;: I have always been
big on tra"eling to exotic locations. I love
a bit of adventure and roughing it ln the
outback. It is the schoolboy within who
wants to go out and find hidden treasure,
which I definite!)' got from my dad.
VOICE: Your childhood included stints
in several countries; Austraha, Sweden.
Finland. Which one do you remember
most vividly?
PATTON: It would have to be Sweden.
That is where I really grew up from ages
14 through 22. I thlnk I identify myself
more Swedish that anything else for that
reason. At least I used to. Now. I just see
myself as a citizen of the world.
VOICE: Why do you think ice-skating
became such a passion for you?
PATTON: It IS difficult to describe the
amazing feeling of freedom that you have
when you fly across the ice, when the
beauty of the movement just completely
overwhelms you with emotion. I don't
know anything else that can give me that
feeling, except for love.
VOICE: Tell me about your first realization
that you were gay.
PATTON: It was a long process for me,
over a number of years. Coming from a
rehgious family, I think that Is to be
expected. It was not easy at first for me,
but once I had accepted myself, it made
me that much stronger and confident.
VOICE: Do you remember seeing your
first porn movie? If so, when and what was it?
PATI'ON: Oh gosh, I would have had to
been about 21, I guess. I don't remember the
film, but I do remember that Rex Chandler
was on the cover. I thought he was so hot!
VOICE: At the time, did you ever think
it was something you might do for yourself?
PATTON: Oh no, I don't think I did,
but I am sure I fantasized about it. But
what gay boy didn't?
VOICE: How do you handle shooting a
scene with someone you're not attracted to?
PATTON: I act
VOICE: What's the biggest misconception
about the porn industry and porn stars?
PATI'ON: That they are all somehow
changes in the national circuit-party
scene - not always for the better. But he
does feel things are changing.
"Many of the parties had become, over
time, much more of a marketing scheme and
an ooeration. People buUt uo much more into
those parties. They became more intense a
lot of expectations," he says. 'f\nticipation, I
would ')Cl}: sometimes creates a little too
much mtensity DJs playmg along\\ ith
that, sometimes not remembering, 'He): it's a
part}: Lighten up, have fun.' That's what I
think sometimes is missing.
"(But) there are always parties that
stand out because they achieve that le"el
of just plain fun, joy, a little bit more of a
convivial atmosphere. more conversation
between people. The intensity wears off."
The toughest audience to please, however,
remains at home.
"(Ryan and Kira) arc not particularly
turned on by my music They'd rather
watch Sesame Street and hrar the songs
on there," says Knapp, adding after a
pausr, "Don't worry, everybody I won't
be doing any Sesame Street remtxes."
Judging by his illustrtous output ovt r
the past two decades, It's likely even that
would get folks shimnwmg under the
spot! ights.
Buckshot/Colt Studio film star Brad Patton spends the weekend slinging drinks and perfonmng live at JR's
Bar & Grille, Meteor Lounge and South Beach.
bad people. There are bad people in all
walks of life. I have, however, had the great
fortune to work with to work with some of
the most wonderful people in the inclustIJ'
VOICE: You performed with msney on
Ice for several years. Who was the sexiest
character?
PATTON: It would have to be Tart.an.
who I portrayed You know, just a loin
cloth - and with my bulge, you can imagine
how hard it was for them to keep it
under a PG rating.
VOICE: You're currently training for
the OutGames in Montreal. What inspired
you to tackle that goal?
PATTON: I competed in the Gay
Games in Sydney four years ago, and It
was just a wonderful experience. I chose
the OutGames this time, though, as it
seems a bit more challenging in the figure-
skating event. I am training very hard
at the moment.
VOICE: Tell me about some of the
other competitions you've participated in
and the awards you've received.
PATTON: I actually finished my amateur
competitive career 11 years ago. So.
10 years older and about 20 pounds more
muscle, this is a big challenge for me to
come back and do this. At age 18. I was
the junior champion of Sweden and spent
three years on the national team before
turning pro and joining my first ice show.
VOICE: You're working this weekend in
Houston. What's the best way to get a big tip?
PATTON: Give a big smile and never
forget your manners.
VOICE: How do you handle the tons of
guys who flirt with you at these events?
Don't even try to deny lt.
PATTON: .Just be polite as you can,
always smile, once again, and always give
people your time ancl attention. My fans
are so great and write me all the time at
bradpatton.net. I always try to treat them
with the utmost respect, as they do me.
VOICE: So many to choose from, but what
do you think is your best physical feature?
PATTON: This changes all the time,
but right now I think it is my stomach. I
am now working on, not a six.pack, nor
an eight-pack, but a 10-pack! I hope to
have it by the end of July. With nil the
training I am doing at the moment, I
think I can do it.
VOICE: You have so many different
things going on at the same time. How do
you maintain a balance and still find time
for a personal life?
PATTON: I like being bus;: When I
have nothing to do. I procrastinate and
end up getting nothing done. I will be
going to Gay Disney in June for a short
weekend holiday from my hectic schedule.
I can't wait for that!
VOICE: Ever been to Texas? If so, how
do the guys here rate with those around
the world?
PATI'ON: I have been to Texas before,
about eight years ago. I had a great time, and
I do remember the guys being so hot and
friend!~ I can't wait to be back in Texas!
HOUSTON VOICE wwwhoustonvoice.com I nightlife JOHNNY HOOKS
A Memoriable weekend
In pursuit of parties,
a porn star and a
three-day weekend
SOlfl11 BEACH IS ONE m'THE BIGCEST
QllEEH nightclubs in tmrn and Memorial
ll;iy weekend they prove it when they try to
makr us all suffer from too much. t<x>
much! To get you started, Charles
Armstrong brings in Colt video superstar
Brad Patton. direct from Amsterdam. Bilk'<!
as '"l'hree Nights of Brad Patton," it begins
at .JH's on Friday, May 26 with Patton guest
bartend ing at 11 p.m. with an autograph
party and photo shoot scheduled from mid·
night until 2 a.m. Then Patton moves his
beautiful body to Meteor on Satunlay, May
'Zl with the same schedule as he had at .11rs.
He ends up Sunday, May 28 at SOU'111
llr:ACll, also with the same schedule. If
that weren't enough to keep us all going, on
Sunday, May 28. SOU'l'H m:ACH also pres·
cnts "The White Party" with another spe·
cial b'llCSI, !),J David Knapp making a stop
on the "Global Groove Tour 2006." The
White Par1y goes back many moons and
was originally a kick-oil to the summer sra·
son. so white attire is highly cncourag<.'<I
Ari Gold brings his smooth style to Aquafest's 5th anniversary party.
(Photo courtesy of Ari Gold/lloo<jie sauce Productions)
(all the better to show of our tans!) .Jnnmy
Skinner opens the White Party early, with
Knapp taking to the decks from 10:30 p.m.
until 5 a.m. Advance tickets are only $15 for
the White Party and are available at Jlfs,
Mel<.'Or, SOU'l'H BEACH, Male U Wear and
M2M Fashions as well as www.getquick·
ticks.com 18 and up to party and 21 and up
to drink. www.southbeachthenightclub.com
will provide you with more info. Get ready
to hit it hard!
JJ<:FFRIES IS THE NEW KIO ON THE
block over on Pacific, and they continue
to upgrade and add to their lofty space. A
new dance floor is now open where. on
Saturday, May 27, you can try it out when
Aquafcst GLBT Group Cruise Events celebrates
their 5th Anniversary with a
"Glitter and Gold" themed part. It fca
tures international recording artist Ari
Gold performing his top 40 dance hit
"Love Will Take Over." RSVP (no pun
intended) for a private VIP party •·meet
and greet" with Gold by calling 1·888·919-
1126. Aquafest's resident D.J Michael
Kessler spins until 2 a.m., with Gold per·
forming at 11 p.m. When you're there, say
hello to the hottest cruiser of them all,
Tom Thompson. Julie on the Love Boat
had nothing on TT! wwv.:aquafestcruis·
es.com. Jeffries is located at 710 Pacific
St .. and is no longer a smoke-free club.
More info is at www.jeffriesbar.com or
www.arigold.com.
THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE FEST IS
looking for performers for their 2006 sea·
son, which runs on the weekends beginning
Sept. 30 through Nov. 19.
Some of the finest male voices in the state drop the D<lllas vs. Houston rivalry (temporarily) to team up for
'Turtle on the Bayou '
Experience is helpful, but not necessary.
The Fest is seeking all kinds of actors
and actresses. magicians. singers and
more. Apparently the position of Ogre
has been filled! Two audition sessions
arc scheduled on Saturday, l\lay 27 at
8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Contact entertainment director,
Jeff Baldwin at 1·8004f>ll-343.'i to schedule
your audition time.
Tm; ALLEY THEATRE'S GI.BT PARTY,
Act OUT has been rescheduled for
Thursday, June 8 due to increased
demand and the ill health of actor James
Blai:k. The Alley has partnered with the
!'FLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays) and HATCH Youth
Scholarship Foundation on this final 2006
event. Patrons can save 20 percent on tick·
ets by purchasing tickets online at
www.alleytheatre.org and entering the
promotional code "!'FLAG." Ten percent
of all ticket proceeds sold at this discount·
ed price will go directly to
PFLAG/HATCH Youth Scholarship
Foundation. Discounted tickets may also
be purchased by phone 713·228-8421 or in
person at the Alley box office, 615 Texas
Ave. by mentioning the promotional code
"!'Fl.AG." "\\'Ww.allcytheatrc.org or call
713·228·9341. ext. 341.
SAVE THE DATE! SATl.!RDAY, JUNE 10
at 8 p.m. at .Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St.,
the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston teams
up with the most recorded male chorus in
the v.orld, the Turtle Creek Chorus of
Dallas for "Turtles on the Bayou."
Together, more than 225 men will sing
songs of great American composers for a
night of song, dance and American history.
Tickets range from $15 to $34 and can ht'
had by calling 713·521·7464, or logging
onto www.bayoucitypcrforming.org. Act
now, this will sell out!
I p
FRIDAY
MAY26
MAY 26. 2006 ll
THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOUNCf. a
statewide nonprofit oryamzation that advocates for
SUMVOrS of domestic violence. wants to hear your V01Ce
OlllllCr will be provided. 6-8 p.m. Montrose Counseling
Center board room, 701 Riclmond Ave. RSV?
1 soo. 52'> 197a
Infernal Bridcgr~
Productions pre-; t
the world prmuere
of Oamel Johnston's
rock Ol>Cra.
"SPEEDING
MOTORCYCLE"
Weekends through
June 24 B p.r:c $15.
The AxlOOI. 2524
McKinney. 713-522·
8443. wwinfernal·
bridegroom.com.
SATURDAY
MAY 27
THE BROMEUAD
SOCIETY SHOW
ANDSAL£
9 a.m.·5 p.m. F'l!e.
Hous~ Arboretum
and Nature Center
4501 Woodwa;: Dr
Qilt rocl<Er Dariel Jcmstoo
e&re ~ wrth ire amp! fer
Infernal BrmJoon
Pnxbfu?s' 'Sin'<iY:I
Micn)de.' with <irecWJ cr1l
<rlitmal text ""Jasm NoOO:
7J>.681-8433. www.houstonarboretum.org
"THE WIZARD Of oz: insented by nme Warner
Cable S °MOVICS IO the Park" film. ~ open at b p.rrfilm
at 8 p.m. Sesquicentennial ~ Smith and
Preston Sts. Ft1!e. 713-658-8938.
TBCAS ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSSEXUAL
SUPPORT. 4 p.m. Houston CLBT Community Center,
3400 Montrose Blvd. #207.
www.HoustonCLBTCommun1tyCcnter.org.
WEDNESDAY
MAY31
MOtmlOSE SOFTilAll LEAGUE. 7 p.m. -midmght
Houston CLBT Community Cent:: 3400 Montrose
Blvd. suite 201 www.houstonglbtcommunttycenterorg
Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS presents a
night of modem design wiUJ Owen Magaz ne president
and publisher, MICHAELA O'CONNOR ABRAMS
Benefits DIFFA. 7·10 pm. High FashlOll Horne. 3100
Tr.Ms St 713-528·3838. www.dwcllmagazme.com.
UPCOMING
SATURDAY
JUNE3
"AH ART AFFAIR" with honorary ~1rs John
Palmer and Carol Wyatt 7-10 p.m. Benefits Houslo:'
CLBT Community Center. Winter Street Studios. 2101
·Winter St 713-524·.3818. www.houstonglbtcommun1-
tyccntcr.org.
Surrender, Dorothy' Time Warner Cable bnngs the
L Frank Baum classic, 'The Wizard of Oz' downtown
for an open-air screening Saturday night
14 MAY 26. 2006
P!IOUOL Y PRESENTS
NOCHB
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MHYWEDNESDAY Al
CRYSTAL NITB CLUB
Two Clubs. Two DJ's. Twice The Fun
6608 S.W. Freeway at Hillcrot Houston TX
713.278.2583 // www.CrystalHouston.com
HEMORRHOIDS?
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713.522.1788
www.FredWorthMD.com
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
ish There's a Fine Line Between Telling the Truth and Talking Trash
Accolades for Almodovar
Spain rewards gay
filmmaker, Elton John
has another tirade and
Vito tells off the bigots
FABULOUS GAY FILMMAKER PEDRO
ALMODOVAR took home one of Spain's
top arts awards on May 17 The Prince of
Asturias prize comes with lots of 1Jrestlge
and even more exciting, $62,000 in cash
"It's one of the most important pro.cs I've
ever received," the director said to reporters
about the Asturias prize, which is given for a
body of worl\. "I feel overwhelmed."
Almodovar is known for his dramatic,
funny and rolorful films full of fringe
characters who are frequently gay or
at the verv least, quirky.
His films include one of Dish's
favorites. "All About My Mother" (1999). a
film about a mother who c teen boy ts
killro in an accid"nt She's surrounded
by strange characters includmg an agmg
lesbian actress. a pregnant nun and a
transgender prostitute.
"Bad Education," starring GAEL
GARC{A BERNAL, was a huge hit
among every queen Dish knows,
especially because of yummy Bernal's
exquisite drag performance.
Almodovar headed to the CDnnes Film
Festival. running from May 17·28, where
he was premiering his newest film
"Volver" (that's "Return" for you non·
Spanish speaking types).
Things are looking good for the gay
Spaniard's new flick if the review from
England's the Guardian Is any indication
of the reception
"With overwhelming richness, color and
warmth, Pedro Almod6var's new movie
has captured the hearts of everyone at
Cannes," writes critic Peter Bradshaw. "It
is easily the best film in competition so far.
and one surely in line for a big prize."
John's going weird
While ELTON JOHN's music might
have launched his career and fame, it
seems that everything else in his life is
what keeps him in the headlines. Between
failtng sitcoms and cursing like an old
sailor. John continues to make his mark
on pop culture.
News sources, especially those across
the pond, are all a-twitter that a pllot
John produced for ABC
hasn't been picked up.
The show was
called "11 Im and Us"
and starred
A!\"nlONY HEAD
(from "Buffy th<'
Vampll"C Slayer") as a
llamboydJlt !lb'lng
rocker and ''Sex and
Elton John the City's" KIM
Gael Carda Bernal (left) poses with gay filmmaker
Pedro Almod6var, who won one of Spain's top arts
awards. (Photo by Gina Gayle/AP)
CATil{AIL as hlS manager.
Ne~s of the sitcom's cancellation
came shortly on thr hcc•ls of John's
diatribe against photographers during an
awards ceremony at the Cannes Film
Festival on May 21 John was presenting
the Chopard award for young actors
(named after Choparcl jcwtlers who host a
party at Cannes) to KEVIN ZEGEHS, the
young cutie from "'l'ransamrrica."
As ,John was handing the award to the
young actor, photographers hegan calling
out and interrupting him.
" If you saw urransanwrica' ... I'm
talking, you fuck\\it, fucking photogra.
phers." .John railed, accord mg to Reuters.
''You should be shot, you should be all shot."
Never cross an old queen.
Sweet talking mobster
Actor JOE GANNASC0!.1 who plays gay
Vito on HBO's '"J'he Sopranos" was profiled
on May 22 by the New Yorl\ Observer. In the
article, he talked about the feedback he's
gotten for playing a gay mohstc1:
"I got b'UYS in my ncighborhmd
who now give me dirty looks."
hr told the Observc1:
• I had a guy come
after me ma club
after doing that
[blowjob] SOOJc. And
he was yelling stuff
like 'You're a
cocksucker!' and this
Joe Gamascoli and that I was I ike,
'Who the fuck is that?'
And they said, 'That's so-and-so's nephew. he
just got out' I was likr, 'WelL he's n moron.'"
Gannascoli, who originally nppruachcd
the show's producers nbout making his
character gay, also said that he's never had a
problem with gay people and doesn't mmd
hanging out with gay friends at local bars.
"They're flicking fun b'llYS, wha't's the
fucking big deal?" Gannascoh said.
Dish !OV('S a rough talking Italian.
l/!i Send comments. suggestions to
'-W Oish@houstonvoice.co
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
I horoscope JENNIFER SHEPARD
Aries (~1arch 21 April 19):
Nicole Kidman is engaged to
cute country star Keith
Urban. You think this is great.
You've been rooting for Nicole to beat her
ex, Tom Cruise, to the altar: You've also
been hoping that she decides to transform
into a redhead again instead of the pale
and washed out blonde she's become. As
the moon and Venus get friendl}; many of
your wishes may come true.
Taurus (April 20-~tay 20) Sir
Paul McCartney is separating
from his wife, Heather ~tills.
They've been married for four
yem; but are said to have had many bit-ter
feuds. With Venus entering your sign,
you're focused on the bottom line in a
relationship, too. If things aren't working.
admit it. What made you think that
hooking up with a porn star was going to
provide you with long-term stability and
affection? Get real.
Gemini (May 21.June 21): B111ce
Willis is carrying on with a girlfriend
half his age. He costars
with Tamara Feldman in his
forthcoming movie, "Perfect Stranger," and
the tv.n had major chemistry while fihnmg.
Do you thmk he's trying to pull off his mm
Demi Moore/ Ashton Kutcher arrangement?
The new moon is inspiring you to act more
liVl'l); too. Dating somebody '.'.'i years younger
might help, unless you're 25 yourself. Don't
cl.1te a fetus. They're notoriously needy.
Cancer (.June 22.July 22):
Britney Spears posted on her
website that she's no longer
studying Kabbalah bcrausc "My
baby is my religion." But the controversial
faith doesn't lack converts. Keira Knightley
has been photographed wcanng a red string
braC(>J(•t promoted by Kabbalahists as prot1.>c·
tion fmm the evil eye. Can it shield you fmm
clingy exes who won't leave }1JU alone?
Jupiter has you fending off a former flame
who refuses to accept the "former" part.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Christina
Aguilera poses almost naked in
the new GQ, and you couldn't
care less. Vanity Fair has
Anderson Cooper on its cover. and this
barely merits a yawn. A Venus square is
making you disenchanted. Those old turn·
onsjust aren't doing it for you anymore.
You no longer give a rat's behind whether
someone has bling or drives a hot car.
You'll (;ct your enthusiasm back for the
important things before long.
[I] Virgo (Aug. 23-Srpt. 22): Donald
Trnmp is going to phase down
the cycles of "111e Apprent i<X'."
The show will air just once in
~.Thank God. You've had 1'11Jmp's "Ylm'rc
lin."<I" replaying in your head evcrsinro you
were laid off from your position as as.c;istant
fryer ut Wendy's. Your whole money sector
has been disastrous for months. J.brtunatrl}:
~lercury is assuming a lucky JX>Sition, bringing
you financial improvement.
The Lipstick Mystic.,,.
Ubra (Sept. 23-0ct. 23): Pamela
Anderson has some dietary
advice to help your sex life.
"For your best orgasm ever, go
vegetarian," she says. So lose the Whopper
and get going with the tofu, already! The Slll1
is encouraging you to drop negative habrts.
Stop smoking for real. Sec if you can get
down to two beers a day. And if you're really
serious about your mental health, kick your
'l\rnerican Idol" addiction.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Halle
Berry and Benicio Del Toro are
going to costar in the drama
'Things We Lost in the Fire."
You're glad Halle is still getting some b'UOO
part<;, despite her campy turns as Catwoman
and the X -Men's weather cortjuror Storm. As
Venus moves opposite your sign, you're feeling
stranded in B-movie territory Kr.eping
looking for venues where you can show off
those Oscar-winning talenl'i.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
French actress Audrey Tuutou
has said she's worried about
losing her anon}mity after
moviegoers watch her performance In "The
DaVinci Code." You can't figure out why
she's t"Oncemed. Doesn't she want p:iparazzt
filming her every burp until she's 50. like
they'll do with Lindsav Lohan, Jennifer
Lopez and Jessica Si ~pson' Who wouldn't
revel in that kind of life? 'l'he moon is acccn
tuating your wonderfully sarcastic self:
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Lindsay Lohan seemed visi·
bly wasted when Matt Lauer
interviewed her on the
"Today" shov.: Meanwhile, her family
keeps getting arrested. Her father was
jailed on charges of drunk driving. Now
her uncle has been arrested for theft. lie
alJegudly stole $&16.900 from a fund creat·
ed for victims of 9/ 11. Does this clan need
to start cleaning up its act, or what?
Venus is activating your inner Puritan.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Axl Rose says that there will
be a new Guns 'N' Roses
album out by the end of the
year. Does anybody care about this old
hair band anymore? Mercury is prompt·
ing you to ditch nostalgia and focus on
the future. You can't wait to get on a
space shuttle and broadcast a perform·
ance with your band from the moon. In
the meantime. submit footage of yourself
playing air guitar to YouTube.com.
Pisces (Feb. 19-1\farch 20):
.Jennifer Garner will star
opposite Jamie Foxx in a
dead serious drama calJed
"The Kingdom." It's about time for
,Jennifer to get working after giving
hirth to Ben Affleck's little Violet.
Mars in friendly water sign Cancer is
making you gung·ho about taking on
new challenges. You will get up out of
bed and find a job, no matter what your
mom says.
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16 MAY 26. 2006 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I arts cover st ry
Singer-songwriter Ari Gold joins 5th annual Aquafest
ARI GOLD, continued from Page 1
Los Angeles, where he is recordmg tracks
for his third album. -rberc have been
moments where I've run the rlsk of people
dismissing my music or dismissing my message
becau.>e all they see is a sexy image,
and they don't really bother to look further."
Dig just a little deeper, and it's clear that
Gold is passionate - and purposeful -
about hlS music career. He released his sclfUtled
debut dL~c m 2001, an intimate collection
of tracks recorded between 1996 and
2000. It went on to earn the 2002 Outmusic
Award for Outstanding Debut CD.
2004's "Space Under Sun" was released
on the singer's own Goldl8 Records and fea·
tured production from Desmond Child, who
has worked with everyone from Cher to
Ricky Martin. The disc offered a slick. soul·
ful melange of sounds, capped by the exqui·
site title track. The song was also included
on "The Katrina CD," a Houston-based bcn·
efit dlSC. (More info at www.katrtnacd.com.)
Other standouts on "Space Under Sun"
include "Fan Tastic," a love letter to
Madonna; "He's On My Team," a cheeky
ode to sexual ambiguity; and a dreamy
cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really
Want to Hurt Me?"
Gold says he is "super-exCJted" about his
new material ''There's a real sense of direction
as far as what I want to say with this
record," he says. "I just fed like it's strong,
and it's growth, and it's a progression."
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HIS
career, Gold has been showered with
attention from the gay media that quickly
catapulted him to cover-boy status. He
expertly plays the part, often appearing
shirtless m music" ideos and during live
performances.
"In this day and age. Y.1th popular
music, it's always a package," Gold says.
"No one really questions how many photos
shoots Christina Aguilera or Justin
Timberlake have coming out per week. It's
just sort of part of the JOb, as far as put·
ting yourself out there."
Gold even released a SS.page coffee·
table book showcasing his stunning
physique late last year. Jt was shrewdly
accompanied by an EP of remixes.
The EP's first single, "Love Will Take
Over" cracked the top 40 of Billboard's
Club Play chart: and the accompanying
video bumped Madonna out of the top
spot for two weeks on gay cable station
Logo's "Click List" weekly countdown.
For his part, Gold sees the pretty pack·
age as part of a bigger ultimate goal.
"I didn't have a gay sex symbol when I
was growing up, a sexy pop star who was
out," he says. "I wasn't able to have that
type of fantasy, and I think that helps us.
We get to fantasize about ourselves, and
\\e get to see ourselves reflected back. To
me, that's not to get too therapeutic
psychologically healthy.
"I did make a conscious choice when I
was first starting to put out a sexy unage I
@MORE INFO
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710 Pacific St
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was seeing all these random. half-naked boys
in gay magazines - many of whom are
straight models or just people that we don't
really know. Why don't we have some half.
naked boys who are actually doing something,
who are actually saying something?"
IT'S A LONG WAY FROM GOLD'S
upbringing as a nice Orthodox Jewish boy.
At age 12, Gold sang back up for Diana
Ross, which he calls, "a huge highlight for
a budding homo like myself." One of his
favorite early gigs, however, was for an
equally fabulous diva
"l'm very proud of having been a voice
of one of the characters on '.Jem and the
Holograms.' I was actually a huge fnn of
the show before I got the call to do the
voice," he says. ~1 played an 8-year-old
Vietnamese girl. That wa", of course,
before my voice changed."
Soon enough, music took shape as the
dnving force in Gold's life. He wrote his
first song, ".Experienced Girl." as a teenng·
er about someone he was dating at the
time. The pair are still close, though both
eventually came out of the closet. Guess
we all go through phases.
Personal e:qierience continues to
inform Gold's songwriting to this day.
-rbere are times when I embellish things
for the sake of drama, and there are times
when you might change some details around
or ... you sometimes have to fit things to best
serve what you're trying to say," Gold says.
"But it actually is all very personal."
After graduating from New York
University, Gold began to gig around the city,
hoping to land a major· label deal. As hard a
task as that is for mainstream singers, being
openly gay - and writing about it makes
the quest all the more challenging.
"I don't know if I thought that much
about how It would be responded to. Once
I did start recording and playing for people,
that's when I got reactions both
As a child. Ari Gold sang
commercial jingles and supplied
vocals for a variety of
cartoon characters, including
the Cabbage Patch Kids.
positive and negative," Gold says.
"I try now to surround myself with peo.
pie who understand what it is I'm trying to
do and understand my vision, to create a
supportive environment around me.
Even so, Gold recently ran into an
unexpected roadblock when a producer on
his forthcoming disc expressed discomfort
with the subject matter of a song.
"I was a little shocked. I thought I was
past thlS point in my career. I don't apolo·
gize anymore," Gold says.
"When I was 16 and closeted and dating
girls, I was not writing about being gay. I
was writing about experienced girls. But as
soon as I left high school Yeshiva, which
is a .Jewish parochial school - I came out. I
continued to write songs ... about what was
gotng on in my life, which is exactly what
I've been doing since I was 16.
"That makes sense to me. As n song.
writl'r, as an artist, you write from the
truth of your experience."
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvo1ce.com
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YOU AHE CUTE, GOOD IN THE SACK
and tn great financial and physical shape,
but if it weren't for me, ;our car v.ould
never get a tune up, your home; would
look like a warehouse and that hot guy
would never have sex with you. When are
you going to grow up?
TO TllE GllY WHO HATES STHAIGHT
love in the gay ghetto: You aren't a bad
person, just stupid. Last time I checked.
we are fighting for our love to be recog·
nized cvcrYwhere. Equal is equal, and
nothing less is acceptable.
AVERAGE GUYS DON'T THINK YOU'RE
superficial for being good looking. We fig
ure that out aflcr you open your conceited
mouth and "shoot people down."
HIPPIES, WAKE UP! MUSLIMS HATE
us, the pope hates us, straight people only
treat us like lapdogs. We need our own
countrY! I'd fight for my freedoms, raise a
kid with my boyfriend and pay taxes for
schools for the lesbian neighbor's kids.
How about you?
Bitch Boy responds: Yeah because those
hippies just aren't practical.
TO THE GUY LOOKING FOR A
"financially fit gay man willing to pay the
bills without 1t being a sugar daddy deal":
Apparently you never learned that
nothing in life is free.
I'VE BEEN WORKING OUT FOR HALF
my life and changed my body from skmny
kid to well·built man. And yet Invariably
some fat guy claims I only did it with
steroids. If I had been on steroids. I would
have knocked you on your rude ass'
TO THE GUY WHO SAYS THERE
aren't Asian tops and they're all efTemi·
nate: My partner of two years is Asian
cing an unce1 tain fut11re
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Am I the only guy in my 40s
who likes guys my own age?
Come on. men. act your age
and let the kids enjoy their
youth while it lasts.
and a total top. Oh and he's quite mascu·
lln~ as well. and well endowed. So much
for stereotypes!
TO THE GUY WHO THIJ';KS ALL
Asians are effeminate bottoms. racist much?
FACE IT, IF AVERAGE GUYS DIDN'T
hit on you so-called great looking guys, you
would all get cramps from constantly flex·
ing in the bars. We're doing you a favor.
Bitch Boy responds: Further proof that
bitter isn't pretty, it's average-looking.
YOU :\1AY HAVE AVERAGE LOOKS,
build and endowment, but if you're a
decent person and doing something pro·
ductive with your life, then you're one of
the true hotties.
TO THE GUY WHO CLAIMED IF OLDER
guys in their 60s and 70s had been more
out and visible, they "wouldn't still be in
the bars today": When they were your age,
that was not an option. It's a lot easier for
gays to be out today - back then it was
close to impossible!
r ~----
MAY 26. 2006 19
TO THE GUY WHO'LL GIVE GEORGE W
a b.j.: Save It, honey, he doesn't need to be
caught and disgraced, he·s already domg a
fine Job of that himself.
EVERYONE LOOKS BETTER AITER
a few drinks, worse the ne>.1 rnonung, and way
ugly after a bad relationship. But. if )'OU go for
the heart. everything looks beautiful thereafter.
l'l\t BITCHI:-;"G ABOUT MYSELF',
because when I called him by one name, It
turned out it was the wrong name No sec·
ond date for me.
TO THE GUY WHO WROTE ABOUT
tm mg gay movies \\ith stuff blowmg up:
Amen~ Forget these lame straight action flicks
and let's mah-e 'The Fast & the Fabulous'."
"COMPLICATED" SEEMS TO BE THE
new buzz word that self-absorbed drama
queens are usmg to describe their lives.
JUST BECAUSE BUTCHES ARE:-;"'T
in a skirt doesn't mean we don't want to
be kissed all ovrr and held and told \\e
look good. too.
TO THE BITCH ABOUT "TRIMMED
eyiroo'S":lf !wanted toclaroa \\OJ1l31'1, I \wuJd.
n't re ca.v Let the breOOcrs trim their hair. I like
my men to hm-e sooie !allblanre fi ma'iCUlinity
Eiilm' rde: T!e;e <l'e real bitch!s. smt 1117,' real rems.
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20 MAY 26 2006 www.houstonvmce.com HOUSTON VOICE
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