| Transcript |
PRIDE2005
Pull out the Pride Guide
for everything there is to
know about Pride Houston.
~ INSIDE
OUT OF THE FRAY: LGRL's
Ellis steps down. Page 3
MORE APPEALS: lesbian
custody fight continues. Page
COURT RULES: Partner gets
dead woman's son. Page 5
Tenn. probes 'ex-gay' camp
By EARTHA MELZER
The stntc of Tennessee has
begun an investigation in
response to allegations of child
abuse at Love In Action, a
Memphis facility that advertises
homosexual conversion therapy
for adolescents, accord Ing to a
department of health source.
K Dahiele Edwards, a
spokesperson for Chlld Services
at th<' Tennessee Department of
Health. coilnrmcd an investigation
is undrrway but dt•clined to
comment on the details. She noted
that she presumes the Love in
Actton program would require
licensing by the state.
Love rn Action is not licensrd
by th<' Tennessre Departmenl~ of
Health, Mental Health, Human
Servires, Child Serv1CE.s or
Education, accordln"' to Rachel
Lassiter of Gov. PhU Bredesen's
communications office
"Rel\1ge," Low: in Action's program
for adolescents, became the
focus of public concern earlier
th is month after a Bartlett. Tenn ..
teen, "Zach." blogged that his parents
had rnsponded to his coming
out as gay by st>nding him to a
religious institution to be converted
to straight.
"Emotional abuse is difficult to
prove in the state of Tennessee,"
said Pamela D1ckev, director of
the advocacy center for Childhelp
USA in Knoxville "You have to
document that the child Is undergoing
depression or suicidal
~Y nghls advocates demonstr .. te outside the Love In Action compound in Memphis
after a teenager blogged about his parents forcing him to enroll m the 'ex1Jc1y' camp.
ideation. that he can't sleep, or
can't eat"
Oflirlals from Love m Action
appealed for "tolerance" of their
program at a June 16 news confer-ence.
"It is our spi11tual convtrtion
that sexual lx•havior outside of heterosexual
marriage is considered
wrong in the sight of God," said
John Smid. the program·~ director.
who describes hims<'lf as "ex-ga;;"
according to a partial transcript of
the news conference.
Blogge1· EJ Friedman said that
he had been corresponding Y.ith
Zach via e-mail since March and
became alarmC'd when he saw that.
Zach had begun to write that his
world was coming to an end and
that his parents were isolating
him.
"When I saw Zach had written
in his blog. 'aH I can think of is
killing my mother and killmg
myself' I felt that clearly something
needed to be said about the
program," ~'rledman said.
No word from teen
Word of Zach's situation quickly
spread around the blogosphere.
By press timr, more than 1.000
messages of ~upport had been
posted to Zach's blog and an
online petition demanded that he
be released from Love tn Action.
Comedian ~fargaret Cho contributed
a message of support.
But Zach has not posted to his
Please see LOVE IN ACTION on Page 6
eclipse
Texas C',omptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced iast week that she will
challenge Rick Perry m the March gubernator,aJ. pnmary.
Strayhorn will run
against Gov. Perry
Advocates for equal rights say
Strayhorn's stand on the issue
remains the great unknown.
By BINNIE ASHER
Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn left few people
g\iessing what she was going to say when she called an outdoor
press conference last Saturday within Sight of the State Capitol.
Strayhorn, who as comptroller has billed her<>elf as "one •
tough Grandma," did what most observer' thought she would do.
She announced her plans to run against Gm'. Rick Perry in the
March 7 Republican primar)'.
Please see STRAYHORN on Page 4
local life
The symbol of Pride in
Houston is an androgynous
figure known as 'Pat.'
PAGE 8
Some say 'yes,' and some
say 'no' when it comes
to sex on the first date.
PAGE 15
2 JUNE 24. 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
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PROUDlY SPOTllGH NG OUR l llNO COM
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
local ne s briefs
Another appeal is expected in lesbian adoption case
The attorney for Kathleen Van Stavern, who was awarded
joint custody of her former partner's biological
daughter in April, said she has been notified that there
will be yet another appeal in the case. Van Stavern and
Julie Ann Hobbs were partners in 1998 when Hobbs gave
birth to a daughter through artificial insemination. Jn
2001, Van Stavern adopted the child. The couple split up
in March of 2004, and Van Stavern sought joint custody.
Hobbs fought the petition on the grounds that the adop·
tion was not legal at the time because only spouses of
biological parents were eligible to adopt. Those restric·
lions have since been eased. Hobbs has appealed the rul·
ings of several different judges. The case finally went to
trial in April, and after five days of testimony, a jury
awarded joint custody to Van Stavern. Shannon T.
Warren, attorney for Van Stavern, said she has only
been notified of an appeal and has not yet been
informed of specific points of the case.
Kathleen Van Stavem, who won
joint custody of her former partner's
daughter in April. will be back in
court again for another appeal
A million Web site hits
for Houston Pride
As of late Wednesday. the Pride Houston
Web site had received 1.2 million hits for
the month of June. "It just blows me
away," said Pride Houston President Nick
Brines. "We're averaging about 110,000
hiL~ a day." He predicts a successful Pride
Festival and Parade on Saturday.
I obituaries
A memol'IJI service is planned Sunclay for former
Houstonian Michael Springer.
Service for MichaeJ Springer
set for this Sunday in Houston
A memorial service for Michael Springer,
who at one time headed up the Houston
Regional HIV/AIDS Resource Group, 1s
planned at 4 p.m. Sunday at Covenant
Church;4949 Caroline. Springer, 55. died
May 6 in Dallas. A reception will follow
the service.
Helen Lois Alexander Cassidy
advocated equality for all
Helen Lois Alexander Cassidy. 6.5. an attorney
nnd activist, died June 11 Cassidy
received her law degree from the
Free HIV tests offered for
National HIV Testing Day
The African-American State of Emergency
Task Force, Houston Department of Health
and Human Services and OraSure
Technologies, Inc. will offer free HIV tests
at S{'Veral locations in Houston Frida~; June
24, to observe National HIV Testing Day. For
a list of testing sites, call 713-794-9169.
From staff and wire reports
University of Houston Law Center and
became board certified in appellate law.
She served as chair of both the Appellate
Practice Section and the Criminal Law
Section of the Houston Bar Association as
well as chair of the Appellate Section of
the Start Rar of Texas. She worked as
staff counsel for inmates at the Texas
Department of Corrections, as a heanng
examiner for the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and was named
Chief Staff Attorney for the Fourteenth
Court of Appeals. After 15 years at the
Court of Appeals, she entered private
practice. Cassidy was a Democratic
precinct chair. the first chair of the Texas
Women's Political Caucus and a national
board member for the National
Organization for Women She marched for
civil rights in the 1960s for women's
ril!:hts in the '70s and gay rights in the '80s.
A memorial service is planned at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday at the Magnolia Ballroom. 715
Franklin St.
A balloon release will mart<
The passing of Margie Annstrong
Margery Stewart Armstrong, 54, who
managL·d several successful flower shops
and worked for Randall's in Houston and
Galwston, died June 16. A native of
Lanr~'lstrr, England, Armstrong was al ·o a
poet and a dancer. A balloon release is
planned in her memory at 6 p.m. Sunday
at Mary's, 1022 Westheimer. In lieu of
flowPrs, her survivors ask that those who
knew h<'r undl'rtake an act of kindness
toward a stranger.
JUNE 24. 2005 3
reg·onal news
Ellis resigns as head of
state's gay lobby group
Political figures and gay
activists say Ellis made
a significant contribution
By BINNIE FISHER
Randall Ellis has resigned as execu·
tive director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights
Lobby of Texas (LGRL), just as a special
legislative session begins in Austin.
Ellis announced his resignation on June
17, two and a half years into what turned
out to be a productive period for LGRL.
In a press release, LGRL said. "The
organization has seen substantial
growth and maturation under Ellis'
leadership."
Ellis told the Voice this week that he
needs a break and is planning to take time
off before accepting another position.
"I am going to take a few weeks break."
he said. "The first thing I plan to do is
plant and keep my lawn alive this summer
Next, I am going to finish working on
my thesis for my master's in public health
as I contemplate my next move."
Ellis said there are a couple of possi·
bilities on the horizon that may be of
interest.
"I aliwdy have a few projects lined up
to make sure v.re continue to elect progressive
candidates at the local. state, and fed
era! levels." he said. "My time at LGRL
has been an incredible experience."
LGRL Board Co-Chair Jill Ireland
acknowledged that ~:llis' contributions
have been many.
"Over the last two and a half years
Randall has accomplished many things
for LGRL, both legislatively and operationally,"
Ireland said. "He and his staff
have taken our organization to a new
level. and we are extremely grateful for
his hard work and dedication. We wish
Randall the best and we look forward to
watching his continued success."
Ellis came to his job at LGRL after
having served as an aide to Rep. Garnett
Coleman (D-Houston). Coleman was
among a contingent of legislators who
say they will miss Ellis.
"Randall has an incredible work
ethic," Coleman said. "V\.'hether working
on issues of public health, social justice,
or LGBT equality, he has risen to all the
challenges put before him. I look forward
to continuing to work with Randall
in his future endeavors."
R<'p. Jessica Farrar (0-Houston)
praised the work Ellis did on the proposed
constitutional amendment banning
gay marriage and civil unions.
"Randall demonstrated outstanding
leadership on the marriage amendment,"
she said. "The strategy that he
developed helped us change the hearts
and minds of lawmakers."
RandaD Ellis has stepped down as executive director
of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas.
The amendment garnered the
required two-thirds IJlll.)Ority it needed
in the House and Senate and will be on
the statewide ballot Nov. 8.
·~!though the amendment passed, we
were able to educate many of my col·
leagues In the Texas Legislature, and we
took a giant leap forward on marriage
equality for LGBT Texans." Farrar said.
"His work has laid the foundation for a
strong c.ampaign."
Rep. ~1ke Villarreal (D-San Antonio)
said although Ellis never seemed to gi\e
up when lobbying for equal rights, he
spread a calming influence owr the leg·
islators with whom he worked.
''The past two sessions have been
extremely difficult for LGBT Texans,"
Villarreal said. "I could always turn to
Randall to develop a calm and thought·
ful response to the relentle~s attacks
from the far·right. He will be missed."
Activists in Houston e:q>res~cd simi·
lar sentiments. Sue Lovell, who is a can·
didate for Houston City Council, agrees
that Ellis' leaving creates a void in leadership
at the state level.
"Every GLBT person In the state of
Texas owes a debt of gratitude to Randall
Ellis," she said. "It's a big loss in leadershlp.
I personally want to thank him and
wish him the be~1 in the future"
Tammi Wallace, president of the
newly formed Houston Equal Rights
Alliance (HERA). worked closely Y.ith
Ellis Qn Houstpn·s Equality Knocks
voter idcntificatfon drive.
"It's amazing what LGRL and Randall
were able to do in this last Jeg1slatlve
session," she said. "We \\ ish him the
best of luck on his next step."
4 JUNE 24. 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
I local news
Strayhorn announces candidacy by taking jabs at Perry
S1RA YHORN. continued from Page l
The move has left many Democratic
gay activists unsure whether they should
cheer, voice concern or cross lines and
cast a ballot for her in the Republican pri·
mary.
Strayhorn is still an unknmm on the
subjects of same-sex marriage, civil
unions and equal rights for gays. A call to
her campaign headquarters in Austm was
not returned by press time.
Many gays see Strayhorn as a moder·
ate, since she was a Democrat when she
served as mayor of Austin. In 1984, she
was Travis County co-chair of Democrat
Walter Mondale's unsuccessful challenge
to President Ronald Reagan.
But, her connections to President
George W. Bush are significant. Her eldest
son, Dr. Mark McClellan. is the administrator
of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services. Her youngest son,
Srott McClellan, is press secretary to the
president.
Randall Ellis, who recently resigned at
executive director of the .Lesbian/Gay
Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL). pointed
out that, .. Every Texas politician who is
successful is connected to Bush."
Ellis said many Texans, gay and
straight, have found themselves fa~cinat·
ed by the antics of the state comptroller.
"I've loved watching her stand up and
call people on stuff," he said. "She calls it
Gov. Rick Perry drew negative comments in news·
papers nationwide when he sllggesled that gay vet·
erans returning from Iraq should find another place
to live if they don't like the laws in Texas.
like it is."
In announcing her candidacy,
Strayhorn did not shy away from criticiz·
ing the current governor.
"You know that Texans cannot afford
another four years of a governor who prom·
ises tax relief and delivers nothing," she
said. "Now ts time to replace this do-nothing
drugstore cowboy with one tough grandma."
Just before Strayhorn made her
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announcement, Perry called a press
conference to announce that he was
calling a special session his fifth since
he took office- to settle the issue of
school finance.
Legislators passed a proposed amendment
to the Texas constitution banning
gay marriage and civil unions and a law to
force pregnant teens under 18 to get
parental approval before seeking an abor·
tion but didn't deal with funding for
schools before clearing out of the capitol
the end of May.
Strayhorn criticized Perry for not
pressing for a solution to school finance
during the regular session.
"A leader does not call a fifth special
session - costing taxpayers another $1.5
million - when he does not have a plan,"
she said. ''A leader does not hold our chil·
drcn's education hostage and certainly
would never even allow a discussion about
schools not opening on time.tt
Officials of some school districts have
said that without a school fmance plan,
their schools may not open on time.
Gay rights activists nationwide have
criticized Perry for his recent signing of
not only the abortion legislation but also
the proposed marriage amendment at an
evangelical Christian school in Fort
Worth. The amendment. which goes to
voters Nov. 8, did not require the gover
nor's signature.
At the same time, Perry suggested
that gay veterans of the Iraq war find
another place to live if they don't like
the laws in Texas.
Tammi Wallace, who is among the
founders of the Houston Equal Rights
Alliance (HERA), said Strayhorn would
likely prove to be a formidable opponent
for Perry.
"I think a lot of people might want to
discount her, but she strikes me as some·
one you never want to come out against."
Wallace said.
Texas Rep. Garnett Coleman (D·
Houston) expressed admiration for
Strayhorn as a politician.
"I think Carole Keeton Strayhorn has
shown herself to be an adept and aggressive
campaigner," he said.
Garnett said moderate Republicans
who want good government and don't
believe they have it with Perry are likely
to jump on Strayhorn's bandwagon.
"She has friends across the board," he
said. "Perry has played to the political
extreme. Rick Perry is not a friend to the
gay and lesbian community."
Where Strayhorn will lean on that
issue, Coleman said, "The jury's still out."
At a time when a special session had
to be called to deal with the problem of
funding Texas schools, Coleman said,
"She understands that being fiscally
smart is important."
Besides that, he said, "She's extremely
entertaining."
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com I national news briefs
W.Va. court gives custody of boy to lesbian's partner
CHARLESTON, WVa. (AP) The state's highest
court last week gave custody of a 5-year-old boy to
his dead mother's lesbian partner, despite the
protests of the woman's blood relatives. Tina Burch
had appealed to the West Virginia Supreme Court
for custody of the son of her partner. Christina
Smarr, who die<! in a 2002 car accident. Within
hours of her death. Smarr's relatives had given the
child to his grandparents. A family court gave custody
to Burch, but a circuit court ruled that she did
n't have the legal rights to hl'r former partner's
child .• hm Douglas. Burch's attorne); argued that
the boy's biological fathe1; who was not involved in
the child's life, supported Burch having custody.
"Both of the child's biological parents not only
acquiesced in, but actively fostered, the relationship,"
Justice Robin Davis wrote in the majority
opinion. The opinion said a "psychological parent"
could be a biological, adoptive, foster or stepparent,
as long as the parental relationship began with the
consent of the legal parent or guardian.
West Virginia Supreme Court Justice
Robin Davis wrote the opinion that
granted Tina Burch custody of the 5-
year-old son of her partner. Christina
Smarr. who died in a 2002 car accidenl
(Photo by Bob Bird/AP)
Iowa high court won't tamper
with tennination of civil union
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa
Supreme Court last week refused to tamper
with a lower court decision granting two
women a dissolution of their civil union. In
a unanimous ruling, the court said a conservative
group that had sued to overturn
the ruling had no standing in the case. In
the case, Kimberly Jean Brown had filed for
divorce from Jennifer Sue Perez. Their
divorce petition said the two were married
in March 2002 in Bolton, Vt Judge Jeffrey
Neary granted the divorce, later altering
the ruling to reflect that it was a termination
of the couple's civil union. The legal
arm of the Des Moines·based Iowa Family
Policy Center and a handful of state legislators
had challenged the decision, saying
Neary had overstepped his authority. By
dissolving the civil union, they said, Neary
was recognizing gay marriage. The
Supreme Court said the group was not
harmed by Neary's decision.
Federal judge in California
upholds gay marriage ban
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Deciding one of
the few fedeml lawsuits arguing the c.1se for
gay marriage, a U.S. District Cow·t judge
ruled last week that a law pa~sed by
Congress in 1996 validating only unions
bctwct'n a man and a woman does not violate
the Constitution. But Judge Gary Taylor
of the Central District of California also
declined to rule on whether state's ban on
same-sex marriage violate; the civil rights
of a gay Orange County couple while a scp.
amte legal challenge to California's laws
works its way through the state court~. "The
question of the constitutionality of
C.1lifornia's statutory prohibition on samesex
marriage is novel and of sufficient
importance that the California cowis ought
to address it first," wrote Taylor, who presid(•
s 111 Central District of California.
'I'aylo1Js ruling came in a case brought by
Christopher Hammer and Arthur Smelt, a
Missmn VieJO couple, who filed 11 last year
as an alternative to the caw advanced in the
state courts by the city of San f'rancisco and
a dozen same-sex couples.
New gay marriage ballot initiative
may change dynamics of Mass. debate
BOSTON (AP) Debate over gay marriage
in Massachu.~etts has taken a noisy turn
after a coalition of Catholics and conservative
organizations, with the blessing of Gov
Mitt Romney, vowed to block future samesex
unions with a new and uncompromising
grassroots appeal to voters. The new
campaign announced last week, backed by
deep-pocketed national organizations.
seeks to scuttle an existing ballot initiative
that lawmakers passed last year that would
ban same-sex marriage while legalizing
Vermont·style civil unions. Instead, the
coalition will try to undo lawmakers' work
last year by urging them to vote against the
proposed ballot question this fall, while
gathffing petitions to replace it with anoth·
er. streamlined question that makes no provisions
for civil unions. While prospects of
the new effort arc unclear, supporters and
opponents agree on one thing: that the new
effort represents a change in tactics that is
sun• to alter the politic.al landsc.ape for gay
marriage in the nation's only state that
allows it.
Ariz. governor avoids gay
marriage topic at rights banquet
MI<.:SA, Ariz. (AP) Members of a gay
and lesbian activist group were disappointed
when Gov. Janet Napolitano did·
n't use a fund raiser for the organization
to criticize an effort to enact a state con·
stitutional ban on same-sex marriages.
Napolitano carefully avoided ~ny men·
tion of the potential constitutional
amendment when she spoke Saturday at a
banquet for the Arizona Human Rights
Fund and affiliated groups. Opposition to
the proposl'd initiative was a constant
theme of the event. The governor
announced the creation of the Governor's
Award for Excellence in Human Rights
Advocacy: given to Phoenix lawyer Bill
Hardin, a founder of tlw Arizona Human
Rights Fund. Despite Napolitano's public
opposition to same-sex marriage, the governor
received a warm welcome.
From staff and wire reports
JUNE 24. 2005 5
OPINI IHll Wiii!
6 JUNE 24, 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I national news
Experts question non-licensed counselors at 'ex-gay' camp
LOVE IN ACTION. continued from Page l
blog since the first week in June and
sources contacted by the Voice would not
confirm Zach's full name. His parents also
could not be identified Morgan Fox, 25,
who said he was a friend of Zach's, said he
believed Zach was ma two-week program.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens formed
a group called the Queer Action Coalition.
QAC began daily demonstrations in front
of Love in Action offices to raise awareness
of the dangers of "ex-gay" therapy.
Homosexuality is not considered an ill·
ness by the medical community and no
major counseling or psychological organi·
zation supports therapy that aims to
change a person's sexual orientation.
The American Psychological
Association has said that it is unethical to
subject an adolescent to reparative therapy.
According to Parents, Famihes &
Friends of Lesbians & Gays, "Several
major professional organizations, includ·
ing the American Psychological
Association. the National Association of
Social Workers, and the American
Academy of Pediatrics, have all made statements
against reparative therapy because
of concerns for the harm caused to
patients. The American Psychiatric
Association has already taken clear stands
agatnst discrimination on the basis of sex·
ual orientation."
Peterson Toscano is a gay man who
spent two years in the Love in Action program
as the last stop in a 17-year struggle
to suppress his sexual orientation.
He said that the program, which cost
S950 per month. was highly restrictive.
While he was in the program he was forbid·
den to go to most parts of Memphis, could
not touch other men and had to submit to
lengthy meetings where partlcipants crltl·
cized each other over the ways that they
appeared to be ga): Chen ts at Love in Action
had to describe their sexual fantasies and
deviant behaVIors m front of groups so that
they would be shamed. Toscano said.
Toscano, who gave up his efforts m
1999, has written a play about hls time at
Love in Action called "Doing Time in the
Homo No Mo' Half Way House."
Toscano has been In contact with QAC
and the Memphis media and said he plans
to travel to Memphis to perform his play
for free this weekend.
Though his experience of Love in
Action was as a consenting adult, Toscano
expressed serious concern for adolescents
who are forced to participate in what he
characterized as an extremely damaging
and ml~guided program.
Although the program is live-in for
adults, teenagers are driven to the facility
each day by their parents who are
required to stay in a nearby hotel that is
approved by Love in Action.
Toscano said that Smid has taken the
12-step program designed for drug addic·
tion and is trying to apply it to homosexu
ality.
The "ex-gay" operators of the camp are
themselves victims of a system that has
convtnced them that the only way that
they can serve Jesus is to run an "ex-gay"
facility, Toscano said.
"If they really understood that what
they were doing was causing harm they
would be horrified."
Psychotherapist Joe Kort echoed those
sentiments.
"My own judgment about reparative
therapy is that it is a covert form of sexu·
al abuse and assaultive to the sexuality of
those who participate," he said.
Kort is an adjunct professor teaching
gay and lesbian studies at Wayne State
University's School of Social Work.
Jeffry Ford is a licensed psychologist
who served as a leader in the "ex-gay"
movement for years but left and is now in
private practice in Minnesota.
Ford said that Love in Action resembles
a cult in that officials there monitor their
clients' behavior and clients are not allowed
to be alone with just one man or woman.
Obligation to 'mold a child'
According to Julie Neils, spokesperson
for Exodus International, an umbrella
group for "ex-gay" projects, Love in Action's
Refuge program is the only project they are
affiliated with that focuses on gay teens.
Love in Action has only offered services
Just because the state
does not recognize it.
Does not mean you can't.
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to adolescents for two years. Administrator
Tommy Corman said that the program has
treated 23 adolescents and that there are
currently two teenage boys in the program,
both signed up for six-week programs.
Corman confirmed that teens arc sometimes
forced to participate in the programs,
but dismissed the idea that this is wrong.
"Youth camps, vacation bible school.
Sunday school, how many places do parents
put their children against their will,"
Corman said.
Corman has worked at Love m Action
for about a year and a half. He said that
though the program advertLc;es treatment
for problems associated with drugs, alcohol
and pornography, it is homosexuality,
which the organization sees as a "deviant
sexual behavior." that is the main focus.
Danny Cobsy is the only staff member
listed on the Love in Action Web site who
is licensed by the state of Tennessee as a
counselor.
Cosby is an alcohol and drug treatment
counselor and works directly with the
clients at Love Ln Action.
A source in the State Board of
Certification of Health Related Boards said
that the ethical requirements for drug and
alcohol counselors licensed in Tennessee
forbid counselors to discriminate based on
sexual orientation. The National
Association for Addiction Professionals
also requires that members not discrimi·
nate on the basis of sexual orientation.
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24, 2005 7
'
... Palm Springs Sty
0 HOUSTON VOICE
JUNE 24, 2005
PAGES
When June rolls around, it's all about Pat
The central figure in the logo of
Pride Houston is described as
definitely omnipresent and
omni-sexual and so 'Pat.'
By BINNIE RSHER
Ask anyone who's associated with Pride
Houston to talk about Pat, and they suddenly
become antmated as they gush with glowing adjectives
that paint a radiant portrait of the city's most
visible symbol of Pride..
A stngle hmnan could scarcely possess all the lumi·
nous qualities attnlmted to Pat, but the androgynous
figure that is the centerpiece for the city's Pride logo
handles the complunents 1n stnde.
"It's all about Pat right now," says Pride Parade
Chair Lynn Sixkiller. "Pat loves the limelight."
The figure that is neither dl~tinctly male nor female
reaches to the stars with one hand. symbolizing
Houston's nighttime Pride
Parade, and to squiggly
lines with the other hand
that represent the Texas
heat 1n l3te June..
In the middle of Pat's
chest beats a big, red heart
"I see Pat as just a fun-loving
gal," says Yvonne Feece,
who with her partner. Rebecca
.Mahaffey, and a committee of
volunteers created the 2005 Pride
logo incorporating two figures of
Pat. "E\'eryone loves Pat "
Although Pat is definitely androgynous,
most of those who know her say
that the pronoun, "her," is the one to use..
Among gays and lesbians, "her" and "she" art'
used to descrtbe just about ewryonc.
The figure that ha~ come to symbolize Pride
Houston was created in 1997 by Leana Columenares to
capture that year's theme of "Glowing with Pride." It
was the first year of Houston's now famous nighttime
Pride Parade.
Columenares said at the time that she created the fig.
ure in memory of her father. Bill Whiting, who died of
AIDS in 1996.
"Pride is a strong emotion that each of us can ftnd
within our hearts, and I wanted to emphasize this in the
@MORE INFO
Pride Houston
Pride Festival
2·8 p.m.
Yoakum and Westheimer
Pride Parade
8:45pm.
Westheimer between Woodhead and Whrtney
713-52%979
www.pridehouston.org
logo," she said.
Joel Lutringer later incorporated the figure into
what has become the official corporate logo of Pride
Houston. The figure stands in a circle reaching toward
the night sky and the Texas heat.
As for the name Pat, that's strictly unofficial. For the
first few years of the figure's existence, it was referred
to as, "Pride person."
Pride committee members wanted to personalize
@PAT
Born 1997
~.Houston
Residence Montrose
Sex· Omni-sexual
ClcaJpation. Symbol of Pride Houston
Relationship status. Free to be
KKls Adoption 1s an option
Pets Maybe next year
approval was unanimous.
"Nobody had ever thought about naming her
before," says Sixkiller. "It was perfect."
So, Pat it was.
Montrose is home
'Where Julia Sweeney's character moved to
Since 1997, an
androgynous figure
known as 'Pat' has
become the symbol
of Pride Houston.
L.A., took a bungalow
and lived among straight
people who are probably
still trying to pinpoint
Pat's sexuality, Pride
Executive Director Jack
Valinski says, Houston
their mascot, so the call went out among them for a
name. Committee member and Houston Voice Sales
Manager Jason Wilson uttered the name that stuck,
"Pat."
When he began searching for a name, he says, he
thought of the androgynous character created on
"Saturday Night Live" and later in a movie by actress
Julia Sweeney.
The jingle that accompanied Pat went like:
A let of peopk say, ''What's that?" It's Pat!
A let of peopk ask, "Who's he? Or she?"
A ma 'am or a sir, ~pt him or her
or whatever it mi/?ht be.
It's time for androgyny
Here comes Pat!
He said it in a Pride meeting, "Pat," and the
doesn't have to worry
about that. Houston's Pat
calls Montrose home.
"Pat is just a person who
looks like either a he or a she
and is all about having a good
time," he says.
Pride Houston President Nick
Brines says now that Pat Is in her
eighth year m Houston, she has effoc·
tively branded the city's Pride celebra
tion.
"Whether she's standing 10 feet tall on a float
or on a one-inch-wide lapel pin, she's everywhere,"
he says. "Pat's omnipresent, omni-sexual, omni-every·
thing."
Whenever Houstonians see Pat, Brines says, "People
know it's an official Pride event."
Feece says when she and the committee were creat·
ing the logo that would highlight the 2005 Pride slogan,
"Equal rights! No more! No less!" Pat had to be there in
a big way.
The two Pats depicted on the logo are deftnitely celebrating.
"We put two together," she says, "it could be two
guys or two girls."
Sixkiller says the thing that makes Pat such a perfect
representation of Pride is, "Pat's very diverse.
She's been in many colors. She just kind of covers it
all."
Feece says Pat epitomizes what Pride is all about.
"She eats. sleeps and breathes Pride. She's all-inclusive.
She's always trying to outreach to other groups and to
everybody"
Brines says in addition to Pat's big heart, he likes
the fact that, "Pat's crazy."
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24, 2005 9
out in houston (Photos by Dalton DeHart)
The Gay Men's Chorus of Houston performed Rodgers and Hammerstein in the group's summer concert last weekend.
Houston City Controller Annise Par1cer (left) talked
with Christopher Bown and Eva Thibadeau at the
launch of Houston Equal Rights Alliance.
Winners of the Pride SK Run are (from left) Tm
Martinez, Marion Borque, Carlo Deason, Karen
Jones. Chat1ey Sellers and Richard Peoples
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston)
stopped by Empower last weekend and chatted
with lesbian Blockbuster executive Eileen
T eny, the keynote speaker at the Empower
Equality 101 Conference.
Clowning around at the Empower kickoff at
Berryhill Baja Grill are (from left) Ride Dickson.
Berryhill owner Philip Watt.ell Renault Ross and
Patrick Cunnanan
Steve Day (left) and Honorary Grand Marshals
Evelyn and Dennis Schave talked during the Pride
Kickoff party at JP Morgan Chase.
10 JUNE 24. 2005
~-.:· .·..-.: :.:..:..S......... . :.· .
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
Visit the NjgiEW booth at the PRIDE FESTIVAL this year!
Pick your duck and win great prizes!
1,y,11i1td11 voice
EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION
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Elitlw BINNIE FISHER
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HOOKS. PHIL LAPADULA RYAN IIE. BRIAN MOY
LAN. KEVIN NAFF. YUSEF NAJAFL KEN SAIN.
RHONDA SMITH. STEVE WEINSTEIN
AADYZUFER
Contrtutars DON MAINES. DAWN RORIE. ELLA
TYLER, JA CHAPMAN AND RICH ARENSCHIELDT
Photographers DALTON DEHART.
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edi o rial
Lock up the 'ex-gays'
Reparative rhetoric is dangerous and flawed
and repudiated by mental health organizations,
but that's not stopping the 'ex-gay' crusade.
By KEVIN NAFF
AY ADULTS LEARN
from an early age to develop
a thick skin. From playground
taunts to inappropriate
jokes in the boardroom,
many of us have
endured the hurtful antigay
prejudice of our peers for a long
time and, as a result, acquired the
armor and perspective necessary to protect
ourselves.
I can endure hours of evangelical
Christian diatribes about the evils of the
"gay agenda." Or quietly suffer the barbs
of pandering politicians looking to win
elections on our backs. Or turn the other
cheek when a gaggle of ministers calls a
news conference to announce their sup·
port for a ban on gay marriage.
Even the Washington Times' practice
of putting the words gay marriage in
quotation marks has ceased to send my
blood pressure soaring.
'fherc remains just one assault on the
dignity of gay men and lesbians that still
drives me into fits of rage: the "ex-gay"
movement. The quotation marks are
clelibcratc - and appropriate, because
there is no such thing as "ex-gay."' There
is "repress-my-inate-immutable-characteristics-
and-deny-their-existence," but no
such condition as "ex-gay."
The "ex-gays" usually make headlines
only when their leaders are caught
emerging from a gay bar at 2 a.m. But
they are everywhere these days.
LAST WEEK. THE TALE OF ZACH,
a 16-year-old gay Tennessee high school
student who was sent to a reparative
therapy camp by his impossibly naive
parents. made its way into the blogos·
phere. Zach's story serves as a
reminder that the zany, funny film "But
I'm a Cheerleader" was not entirely a
work of fiction
Last month, the "ex-gay" crowd
made headlines in Maryland, where
they joined a lawsuit to block imple·
mentation of an updated sex education
curriculum that included discussion of
homosexuality and a condom demonstration.
The "ex-gays" are actually
demanding that their views be included
in health classes. which are ordi·
narily based on that quaint conc-ept
known as science.
The "ex-gays" also caused a stir in
Florida this month, after commissioning
billboards in Orlando that read. "Gay?
Unhappy?" and included a Web site
address. www.exodus.to. The site for
Exodus International offers various serv·
ices to those seeking escape from the
"homosexual lifestyle" and testimonials
from self-described "ex-gays."
In his testimonial, someone identified
as Alan Chambers writes, "Disillusioned
and desperate, I remember going into my
parent's room nightly to see if they had
been raptured, taken to heaven. without
me." He recounts his addiction to anony·
mous gay sex and how he turned to the
Bible to be saved.
The Exodus site even offers a prayer
~'Quest page, complete with a drop-down
box of prayer options: "for me to overcome
homosexuality," "for my child," "for
my spouse," "for a family member"
The "ex.gays" got some ink in last
Sunday's New York Time. Magazine. The
cover slot); about a group of Christian
activists in Maryland desperate to protect
the sacred institution of marriage from
gays, references the "ex-gay" movement
as the antidote to gay marriage.
And the "ex-gay" debate comes to the
Seattle area this weekend, with two competing
conferences. The first conference.
sponsored by Focus on the Famil): is·
titled "Love Won Out," and bills itself as
~promoting the truth that homosexuality
is preventable and treatable."
The s~ond conference. "Lo\·e
Welcomes All," is intended to counter the
"ex-gay" confab and is sponsored by
PFLAG and other pro-gay groups.
AT A TIME WHEN CONSERVATIVE
Christians are resurrecting the debate
over evolution. pe-i;ky details like science
matter little to the "ex-gays."
Every reput:1ble medical institution,
including the American Psychiatric
Association, the American Psychological
Association and the American Medical
Association, has repudiated reparative
theraple~ as dangerous. As the Time~
HOUSTON VOICE
JUNE 24. 2005
PAGE 11
story points out, the American
Psychiatric Association actually
endorsed gay marriage in the interest of
promoting mental health.
In light of all the evidence that these
reparative techniques are ineffective and,
in fact, dangerous to the mental health of
young gays. it's time for these camps to
be shut down.
An enterprising gay lawyer ought to
step forward and, as at least one blogger
following Zach's story put it, find grounds
to sue these bastards out of existence.
In an ironic twist, the ex-gay ministry
at the center of Zach's story is now asking
for "tolerance." The request from
Love In Action. which sponsors the camp
called Refuge, came during a June 16
news conference.
"This program is operated on the v.ill
of the guardian or parent. We will work
with the minor children as long as they
are not overtly distracting to their own
program or the program of others," said
John Smid, the "ex-gay .. executive director
of Love in Action. Mlf it is shown that
the client is overtly treatment resistant,
we v.ill work with I.he parent towards
alternative options for their care and
overall relational health."
What "alternative options" does Smid
have in mind? Electro-shock therapy?
Solitary confinement?
THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO YOUNG GAYS
by the views of "ex-gays" should not be
underestimated. The two greatest
weapons that opponents of gay righL~
v.ield against us are charges that gay
men are pedophiles and that homosexuality
1s a choice. Overcoming tho~e two
obstacles would mean instant victory for
the movement.
And the "ex-gay~" arc doing their be;;t
to reinforce the refuted canard that being
gay is a choice; that I could just as easily
choose a different pair of shoes as I could
choose a different se:1.-ual orientation.
Right-handed people can't choose to be
lefties, those \l.ith brown skin can't
choose white and gays can't choose to be
straight. Yes, it really is that simple.
Someda); ~cience v.ill discover the biological
or genetic root of homose>.-uality
and finally put to rest the absurd notion
that sex-ual orientation is a choice. Until
then, we must counter the damaging rhetoric
of the Mex-gays" !l.Ild ensure that
young gays like Zach understand that
they are perfectly normal as they are.
It's the "ex-gays" that belong in a
reparativc camp.
Ir.. KeYil Nair ~ edrtcrotu!;
B1in, a Jilik;atioo affdiilted
wrth I/is ooe arxl can be
at~.
READER FEEDBACK: Send letters, comments and suggestions to forum@houstonvoice.com.
..
12 JUNE 24. 2005
point RICH ARENSCHIELDT
What to do when it's time for a new
ride and you've never been good with
bikes, trikes and automobiles.
Before the
Parade passes by
I'VE ALWA'lS HAD TROUBLE WITH
wheeled objects. I was a scrawny kid with
ADHD before it was trendy (somettmes in
math class I'd say, "Oh look .. a chicken!").
My body and brain only rarely operated
in synchronicity. During my prepubes·
cent dork-dom I-had a childhood hero, an
amazing high school guy named Reese,
the only person on the planet able to sue
cessfully teach me how to ride a bike.
In an effort to accustom me to locomotion,
Dad unwisely purchased a "mint·
bike" for us. My l~bian sis shares Evil
Knie\-el's genetic code she loved it. But I
was a victim of circumstanre. The helmet
slipped o•er my eyes and I plowed into
our 1 '>-yrar-old-Gennan Shepherd whose
severe hip dysplasia was not substantial
ly improved as a result
Eventually I learned to drive, only to
incinerate our Chevy Vega while travel·
Ing through a very ritzy neighborhood.
As the car flamed, a zsa zsa Gabor clone
appeared curbside and asked, "Do you
think you could have this moved? I'm
having a cocktail party at five."
I called my father "Dad, the car's smol·
dering like Chernobyl. Can you come get
me?" He asked, "Well, SON, how the hell
did that happen'" Snottily I replied,
"Well DAD. I purposely lit a match and
threw it m the gas tank."
In the background I heard Mom
screaming. "Oh my God. is he hurt? Is he
burned? What? You didn't ask him if he
was hurt?" Oh goodie, Dad is about t6 get
hammered by his insurance agent and
his wife. Bark, bark, I'm in the doghouse.
AUTOMOTIVE GAY LIBERATION
arrived in the form of a 1980 Datsun-a
crappy car that matched my first
Montrose apartment perfectly. My gang of
slutty, funny friends lived at the bars at a
time when gays used to actually speak to
each other (before the Internet). At the
club we would snag guys with pinpoint
accuracy "Wanna go outside?"
Upon seeing my decrepit car in the
parking lot I would then witness my
future ex-husbands "cute guy/crappy
car" mental debate. What would he do?
Usually we just sat in the car and "lis·
tened to music." This was a euphemtsm
for "I'd like to mess around. do you think
v.-e can do thts without getting arrested'"
Invariably he would light a cigarette. I
hated smoke but my genitals didn't pos·
sess any taste buds, so what did I care?
We would sometimes exchange numbers,
but mostly it was just fluid. I've learned
not to be embarrassed by this I have a
a
gay etoric
voiced and the
anti-gay legislation
that has been
passed?
You can't possmly lose your
sense of Pride when you are
chairing the Pride Parade - It IS
very empowenngl But there IS
always work outside of Pride to
be done.
Stay proud' Its my party. and 1!
they want to JOm they can.
Otherwise. they need to sLrj on
their side of the line. They had
JOSI better not cross 111
LYNN SIXKILLER. 48
Houston
Aa:ollltil1t
JIMMY PHIWPS. SO
Houston
T eacher/actor/di"ector
friend who let somebody "listen to
music," and the guy slept in his car for
three days.
The clunker's days were numbered.
Driving down Pacific Street (having lost my
muffier three blocks earlier) these queens
yell, "Get a new car!" at me (in uni<;on).
Two weeks pas.<>ed and I decided to purchase
a baby grand piano instead. Seventy·
two hours later the Datsun car suffered an
aneurysm of imperial proportions.
Grousing to my Mom, sh<! acidly said,
"Maybe you can park your piano in the
driveway and drive IT to work." This was
typical one minute she was petrified
that I've been automotivlely cremated and
in the next breath she said, "Your lack of
forethought is entirely your own fault."
Desperate, I slunk into a Hyundai deal
crship and bought a car from a gu} with
one wandering eyeball. Willfully ignoring
his peculiar ophthalmologic condition
exhausted me I wanted to leave but
couldn't I figured even a guy with a peri
patetic pupil needed to earn a living.
The "Can From Korea" turned out to be
worthy despite the fact that the wtndow
handle fell off every time I made a left
hand turn. This was only problematic
once: I was stopped by a policeman and
reached under the seat to retrieve the han·
dlc. I arose looking down his revolver bar·
rel. Who knew that when you pee yourself,
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
the cops let you off with a warning?
EVENTUALLY I GRADUATED TO MY
dream car, something that bespeaks gay
respectability, safety and utter boredom -
a clunky and unreliable Volvo. It's a great
car but Swedish designers know nothing
about air-conditioning. She had to go to the
gynecologist last week as the result of a
lack of blowing power (a first). When my
mechanic called with that "thanks for pay.
mg for my wife's 4itei.i boob job" tone in
his voice. he said, "you need a new (insert
most expensive replacement part here) and
it will cost you (insert MasterCard limit
here)." I knew it was time for new ride.
Since some people define gay middle 11ge
as the pomt when you start reminiscing more
about your 1x1st than anticipating events in
your future, I've decided to buck the trend,
Now that I know all the pitfalls of "coming
out" automotiveij: I'm going to do it again
focusing this time only on the fun parts.
Look for me, I'll be driving one of
those hilarious little square cars the
ones that you expect to see a dozen
clowns pop out of at any moment, a
"Sc10n" of my former self.
I ~ Rich Arenschieldt is a frequent conlribu·
~ tor to the Voice and can be reached
through this publication
Because l am w!1o I am'
SHY ANNE,38
Houston
Mootrose Clinic
development associate
Change rs not an option for me I
believe those with an opposite
opinion are wrong and truly are
in need of change Put yourself
out there, behM in yoorsell,
and great things alwJ)"i happen
Happy Pride'
We're going to have a hell of a
Pride Parade.
JACK VAllNSKL 51
Houston
Minister of propagalXla
NICK BRINES, 34
Mootrose
Fundraiser/President,
Pride Houston
Sound off about what's happening in your world at www.houstonvoice.com/soundoff. Interviews and photos by Dalton DeHart
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24. 2005 13
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No flashbacks
Janet Jackson experienced no
wardrobe malfunctions when she
accepted an award from the HRC.
Page 22
JUNE 24, 2005
sex on the first or second date?
FOR MANY GAY MEN
By MIKE FLEMING
·. a ,
·. '
CCORmNG TO MEN AND
women in a wide range of occupations
and age groups, there's
decidedly more nuance to gay sex
lives than television or anti
ga}' pundits \\UUld have us
' . . believe. And old stereotypes of
gay men who are just out for sex and lesbians
who only mate for life simply no longer apply.
In a still-evolving era of gay activism, gay mm
and lesbians have more freedom than ever to
define their own sexual mores, but the interpreta·
hons of that freedom are as widely varied as the
people who make the decisions.
"The way traditional sources of values like
church and religion often devalue gay relationships
and gay sexuality makes them of little use,"
says John Ballew, a counselor. "Instead, we tend
to explore for ourselves and go with what works."
AND LESBIANS THE QUESTION IS:WHAT 2ND DATE?
someone to tell if we are dating material, but like I
said you can always sleep together."
AT FIRST GLANCE, IT MAY APPEAR THAT A
popular stereotype 1s true· approaches to sex are
based on gender. But Boots1e a le5bian in Houston,
admits she "rarely waits" to have sex ~Emotional
attachment is nice," she says. "When you find that
person.' step on the gas Otherwise, if there is a
sexual attraction and they are a mce gal, I am
ready to roll."
Sterchi says just asmany lesbians rush the
process as gay men because being gay still bn't fully
accepted In society, and the:> seek a connection
through rclationshQ>s.
Much more than gender, age appears to be one of
the biggest determining factors for people who wait
to have sex. Several women say that they leaned
more toward sex for its own sake when they were
younger. and just as many men say they become
choosier as the years go by.
"I think as I get older, the wisdom kicks m,"
says Chris from Houston. "I would say I am more
selective, have more self worth, anal am not
Jumping from bed to bed like m the past."
Isaac, a 30-year-old New Yorker, says traditional
notions about the connections betwet>n sex. dating
and morality are limiting. "Do gays ever wait to
have sex? My sexual decisions have virtually noth·
ing to do with my moral value system in terms of
rrligion," he says. "I think straight people do
(Illustration by Joey carolino) Garstein reached "a point where I felt that I amid
make my own decisioru. about who I had sex with and
when, as opposed to trymg to validate myself through oth
ers."
themselves a dissen'ice by attaching old-school notions of
romantic love to sex .... If a long-lasting n:·lationship
develops out of the fling, so be it. If not, we!~ there's plen·
tv more men to choose from."
• But Ballew warns that sexual frocdom comes with added
responsibility, and a lack of boundaries may lead to unneces&
111 heartache. When people view sex a~ "a race to thl'
fimsh line," the fun of flirting, getting to knmv'someone·
ant\ cultivating passion are often ignored, he says.
Greg Sterchi, a gay psychotherapist, agrees. "Many
people assume that, if you can ensure that there is a
srxual connection, you can manage'Other connections
more easily," Sterchi says. "However, 1f these other con
nections are not built or do not naturall~· develop and
the sexual interest fades, it's much like building your
house on the sand."
First·date sex can set up misplaced expectationi; or
blow the chance at a longer relationship, according to
Ballew. It's risky because "it can lead to separating people
into two camps: those you date, and those you have
sex with," he says, adding that the dichotomy can lead
to relationships that are committed but sexless or sexual
encounters that hold less emotional satisfaction.
"If you·re really interested in dating someone rather
than just hooking up, there are often many important
things to find out about someone beyond exploring sex
with them," Ballew advises. "For most men, once they've
put a guy in the categol')· of 'trick.' he's gomg to have a
hell of a time moving from there to the 'boyfrtrnd' box."
People cite influences on their sexual behavior from
race and age to level of comfort with being ga~; kvel of
intoxication during a date, the number and type of relationship
experienres and health status. Sterch1 cites a
fear of rejection as primal. •
Some people arc so invested m not being prrcetvrd
as promiscuous, that they "play hard to get" In order to
n:tam the other person's interest and bolster a fragilE"
sense of self-acceptance Others use their insecurities
to make premature sexual commitments in an attempt
to keep a person's Interest he says.
Rather than falling into black and white categories,
no one interviewed says they follow a strictly "cautious"
or overtly "cavalier" pattern of sexual conduct.
For Foland, sex is not about values in the traditional
moral sense, but she docs urespect others' boundaries"
and does not "date people in relationships."
Although waiting to have sex i~ "of course the ideal
romantic scenario," says Hal Garstein, a 42·year-old
New Yorker, "I can't think of a single relationship
where this has happened."
Chris, 37, in Houston, says sex and dating are not necessarily
intertwined ... If ta guy] is attractive, but not what
f'm looking for to date, then J'll have sex with him if it
comes to that," Chris says. "It takes me an hour or so with
But Isaac became "more open" about sex with age.
"I'm no longer one to beat mysdf up if too much happens
too early in the game," he ~s. 'l also don't take it as per
sonally \\hen a potential partner turns out to be a lo
Life expertt>nces also affect dcc!Slons about <;e..x. Bootsie
in Houston y; as diagnosed\\ ith Stage Four cancer four
years ngo, and no\\ she gl\-es more consideration to ho\\
potential p.mners might react to that knowledgt>, s~ s;ivs.
Simllarl): men \\1th HIV face special challenges,
acrordmg to mrntal health professionals I never used
to give sex a second thought," says Da~id. 37, m
Atlanta. "Now that I have HIV, 1 only hm·e sex after
really getting to know someone and feel comfortable
talking to him about 1t I admit, I sometimes completely
avoid dating just so the subject doesn't come up."
People also differ on how far they let intimacy progress,
differentiating between various sex acts ba..;;ed on the level of
each relationship. "I don't like to go 'all the wat - to the
point of penetration - until a few dates in." says Isaac from
New YoJX. "fm not saying it's wrong to do that on the first
date, but personally it feels too intimate toofast;
Sexual freedom with no rules ultimately leaves gay
people with the right to choose a sex life that makes
them feel comfortable, and men as well as women say
it's an impo,rtant extension of their personalities.
'TO WONG FU': Houston's Jill Jordan plays in her own
real-life ver~ion of the classic drag queen movie. Page 17 I BIRDS OF A FEATHER: A new book chronicles the true
story of two gay penguins in New York City. Page 19
16 JUNE 24, 2005
1220 Taft Street
Houston Texas 77019
713-529-6255
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
BINNIE FISHER
Houston's Jill Jordan is paraphrasing the
title of a famous drag movie: To Wong Fu,
Thanks for everything, Jill Jordan.'
Luck, be a lady
HOUSTON Fr;MALE IMPERSONATOR
Jill Jordan says she's tired of lamenting
the demise of drag in the city where she
has re.sided for 32 years. She's going
where the art of drag is alive, appreciat·
ed and where donning women's clothes
and singing your heart out pays.
'Tm moving to Vegas," says Jordan, 56.
Not only that, she's taking her hair·
dresser and make-up artist, Leon
Schwartz, with her.
"Leon's got a Chevy Trailblazer with a
tow package," Jordan says. "We're rent·
ing a trailer. Honey, it's gonna to be just
like "To Wong Fu," only we're not going
in drag."
In the movie, "To Wong Fu, Thanks for
everything, Julie Newmar," three drag
queens head out from New York to
Hollywood in a convertible to participate
in a female impersonator contest over
seen by Julie Newmar.
Jordan credits Vegas drag diva Roxie
Starr, the former Jimmy Emerson of
Beaumont, with casting out the lure.
"Roxie and I have been good friends
for probably 25 years," Jordan says.
Starr tells Jordan that jobs abound in Las
Vegas, from the casinos to the drag stage.
"Roxie said if I was there for two days
without a job that she'd be stunned,'' says
Jordan. "She's already got six heads of
hair lined up for Leon to do."
Jordan said she a lready has two job
possibilities, one performing in an estab·
hshed drag show, the other in a new club
that 1s opening about the time she and
Schwar tz arrive.
"They're looking for an older drag
queen who does nothing but the classic
drag numbers and who can run the
dancers," she says, adding that the dP.SCrip·
tion sounds an awful lot like Jill Jordan.
Over the last three decades, Jordan
says, it's been difficult to watch the
decline of drag in Houston. It's how she
once made her living, but in recent years,
it's turned into a meager subsistence.
"l'\·e been trying to piece together n
1 ife from a little bit of dancers and a little
bit of drag and a little bit of home health
care," Jonlan says. "It's hard to do.
Nowadays, you don't get paid a fourth of
what you should (for drng)."
In Vegas, if she lands the job as resi·
dent dn1g queen at thP new club, Jordan
says, "I'd sort of he a big fish in a small
@MORE INFO
Jil Jordan Farewell Show
9 p.m. Wcdnesddy
EJ~
2517 Ralph
Houston drag queen JiU Jordan will try her luck in
las Vegas
pond. The money, I know. is fabulous."
If she doesn't land a permanent drag
gig, Jordan says, there are always casino
jobs in the city that rarely sleeps.
"It's such a pretty place and with so
much going on," she says. "You're never
going to get borc.'CI."
Roxie Starr has thrown out an incen·
tive. She's offered Jordan and Schwartz
her rental apartment for free for a
inonth She giving them a sweet deal
thereafter.
"Everything tiCCffiS to be just falling
into place," Jonlan said. "It seem~ like a
once-in-a· lifetime opportunity. My friends
tell me that if I don't take it, I'll kick
myself one day.~
Houston gets one last opportunity to
sec Jill .Jordan perform at 9 p.m
Wednesday at K.J.'s, 2517 Ralph.
"We're pulling out on July l." says
.Jordan. "We'll he in Vegas in time for the
Fourth of July."
Trlcvis!on commPrcials for I.as Vegas
promise, "What happens here stays
here,'' hut .Jordan says that promise was
mndc before Vegas knew she was comlng.
"I may just get on the phone and tell
every bod}:" she says.
Morisse
lttt®?!-•11
CB:Lill!u!m
m 10 nu
..lDIVElWl!I OP
JAGGED LimE PW.
JUNE 24. 2005 17
18 JUNE 24. 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
JOHNNY HOOKS
A new book follows the true story
of a pair of gay penguins and their
daughter at the New York Zoo.
'Tango mal<es three'
WHO DOESN'T L!K~; PENGUINS? THE
dapper flightless birds are revered by
young and old. Flipping on
Entertainment Tonight recently, you may
have caught an entire segment on the
Warner Independent documentary called
"March of the Penguins," complete with
waddling Emperor Penguins walking the
red carp!'!.
Wide-eyed children proclaim to the
camera lenses "We love them, everybody
does right?" and "I just love their suits!"
and "l wanna be a penguin!"
The scene changes to an average day on
AM radio in Houston. Up and down the dial
commentators proclaim the truth as they
see it. Gays and lesbians are often vilified.
attacked and eventually taunted with the
question "If hom~xuality is so normal,
why don't we see it in the animal kingdom?"
The simple answer is we do. Look at
Roy and Silo, two real penguins who live
in the Central Park Zoo. The story of Roy
and Silo is now available in a charming
book called ''And Tango makes Three."
Illustrated by Henry Cole, and written
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell,
the tale of Roy and Silo should bring a
tear to the most jaded eye ..
Their story became public when The
New York Times outed the penguin pair
in a February 2004 article called, "Love
That Oare Not Squawk Its Name."
ln the article, Dinitia Smith recounted
how for more than SIX years, Roy and Silo
have exhibited what in penguin parlance
is called "ecstatic behavior." They
entwine their necks, they vocalize to each
other, they have sex.
WHEN OFFERED FEMALE
companionship, both adamantly refused.
And female penguins showed little interest
in them as well. They are "to anthropomorphize
a bit" gay penguins.
Roy and Silo were so committed to
each other that they attempted to incubate
egg shaped rocks on several occasions
in their flawless nest.
Central park Zoo's Rob Gramzay took
note of their attempts and in 2000 finally
gave the pair a fertilized egg from a
female "donor."
That egg was cared for and eventually
produced the baby, Tango, who was
raised like any other penguin.
@MORE INFO
'And Tango Makes Three'
Simon & Schuster Bool<s for Yooog rea<kn 4 -B
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'And Tango Makes Three' chronicles the love life of
gay penguins and their adopted daughter.
Following along with Roy and Silo,
readers can't help but cheer the two on.
On a recent jaunt to the Aquarium of
the America's in New Orleans, this
reviewer brought along a copy of the
book, ''And Tango Makes Three."
After the zoologists had finished feeding
the in· house penguins, he was asked
about the tale of Roy and Silo. While he
had no direct knowledge of the duo, he
said "Well, there have been over 450 different
documented examples of same-sex
coupling in the wild.
Have you heard about those lesbian
seagulls? Talk about commitment! Most
people would be surprised to find committed
same-sex animal couples."
The open discussion of homosexual
behavior in animals is relatively new.
Frans de Waal, whose 1997 book,
"Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape" saw an
onslaught of differing opinions on animal
sexuality. Bonobos apes closely related
to humans, are wildly energetic sexually.
Nearly all are bisexual and nearly
half engage in same-sex activity.
However Paul L. Vasey, a professor of
psychology and neuroscience at
University of Lethbridge in Canada,
warns about drawing such conclusions.
"For some people, what animals do is a
yardstick of what is and isn't natural.
They make a leap from saying if it's natural,
it's morally and ethically desirable."
According to the authors note at the
end, "If you go to the Central Park Zoo,
you can see Tango and her parents splashing
about in the penguin house along with
their friends ... There are forty-two chinstrap
penguins in the Central Park Zoo,
and over ten million chinstraps in the
world. But there is only one Tango."
Maurice Sendak of "Where the Wild
Things-Are" said this of "Tango": ''A
touching and delightful variation on a
major theme." Harvey Fierstein said,
"This wonderful story of devotion is
heartwarming proof that Mother Nature
knows best!"
JUNE 24, 2005 19
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It's all about Pride with non-stop parties, a
festival featuring national entertainers and the
citys world-famous nighttime Pride Parade
Happy Pride, Houston
WELL DEAR ONES IT IS FINALLY
HERE. Pride 2005! This weekend is full
of events so get up, get out and show
your pride.
FIRST UP SOME INFO ON THAT
amazing chandelier that hangs at the cor·
ner of Montrose and Wcstheimer durlng
the parade. Gary Archer, former long
time Rich's light wizard, srnt me this tid·
bit so a big thanks to him
TIIlS YEAR THE PEOPLE AT
f'ru.hionable Events were inspired to decorate
the chanddier with something we all
have ln common regardless our age or gcner
ation: the mirror ball. You'll see sixteen. 21}
inch globes with beaded curtains dripping
down each of the 16 arms and some Mylar
firecrackers to gM it even more pizzal.z. The
weight of the piere is l.CXXJ pounds and was
originally designed for and hung in the State
Capital of Texas for the Sesquicentennial.
TO KICK OFF YOUR WEEKEND
Resurrection MCC presents Casino
Night celebrating Rev. Carolyn
Mobley's 15 Years in Ministry!
Friday, Brookhollow Shern ton, 3000
North Loop West.
Tickets are $50 per person and admis·
sion mcludes hors d'oeuvres, dessert &
S500 in casino chips redeemable for prizes!
There will also be a cash bar and silent
auction. For tickets call 713-861·9149.
FOR A GOOD CAUSE. BAILE
Internacional will be held on Friday from
8 p.m. till ! a.m. at the Communication
Workers of America Hall #62222. 1730
Jefferson. Music by Houston's Mix:Jc
:\taster, The Awesome DJ and the event
benefits AVES. GLBT Chamber
Development Fund and GLOBO
Education Scholarships. $?...5 general
admiss on. ~ a the door. Contact Joe
Reyl'.'S at 832-754-5500 for tickets and info.
NOT TO BE OUTDONE, TWISTED
Mister Promotions presents "Latin
Prlde Hot & Free" \\ ith Jade Esteban
E ... trada Friday at Club 1-115, 1415
California St with D.J. Scot l'"ree Doors
opm at 9 p.m. Tickets are $18 advance or
$22 at the door and are now on sale at
lontro<;e Diner, Buyen Club, through
the www.PrideHouston.org website or
on the day of the event at 1415. Ages 18 ...
ONE MORE FRIDAY EVEl\'T FOR YOU
to consider. "Club Papi: the Pride
Edition" 1s the official prn-parade party
at Rich's Hou ... ton, 2401 San Jacinto
from 9 p.m. til 4 a.m. Tickets are SIO
advance or 15 door
See the Latinboyz.com/Papi
dancers and groove to the energetic
Latm sounds of DJs Mike (LA) and Alex
T. (Houston). www.Richs-Houston.com or
713. 759·9606
OFCOURSESATURDAYSEESTHE
Pride Fest at Yoakum and Westheimer start·
ing at 2 p.m. The fu.tival features two stages
of fabulous entmainment all day. The Pride
Parade is at 8:45 p.m. on Westheimer
between Woodhead and Whitney.
AITER THE PARADE YOUR OPTIONS
are wide open. Stay with the masses and
head over to Pacific Street where all the
bars wtll be celebratlng. The Montrose
Mining Company will be turning 27, so
if you can make it inside. give a birthday
yell. SOBE presents DJ/Producer
De:vlarko, with resident DJ Jimmy
Skinner opening. www.south·
beachthenightclub.com for all the details.
THE OFFICIAL POST PARADE PARTY
starring Kim English (making her Houston
debut) is at Rich's Houston, 2401 San
Jacinto from 9 p.m. unlli 4 a.m. XM Satellite
DJ Mark D provides the tunes to groove you
through the night. Tickets are $15 advance or
$20 at the door., www.Richs-Houston.com or
713-759-9600. 21 and up only please.
THEN STAY UP FOR "HONEY.MOON:
The Official Pride After Party"presented
by the Spoiled Boyz. Sunday. ,June 26. 3:30
until IO a.m. at Opus, 412 Main. Dance to
the sounds of DJ Mark MacEwan
(Atlanta) and a performance by dance
music icon G'licious G! See the Spoiled
Boyz website www.spoiledboyz.net. for
more.
FINALLY AS SUNDAY DAWNS, GET
some food in you so you will make it
through the night' The After-After
Hours Brunch begins Sunday at 5 a.m.
at Berryhill )fontrose, 3407 Montrose at
Hawthorne.
AFTER AN M'TERNOON NAP, MAKg
sure you head back over to Rich's for "A
Night in Oz" Tea Darm-, the Official
Closing Party of Pride'
Sunday at s:ro p.m. $10 gets you in the
\\'il.ard of Ol themed event prrsented by
HoUston Stonewall Democrat'> Notfocling
like Dorothy? Bring your swimsuit and towel
for the d('but of Rich's new pool!
r'm If you have any club announcements or
\Yi! events. email them to
jhooks(a!houstonvoice.com or call
713-529 -8490. See you on the Gc>-Gol
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24. 2005 21
Get the latest gay news and entertainment,
along with headlines from around the world,
at the NEW houstonvoice.com
~houstonwire 11thelatest Choustonblog
22 JUNE 24, 2005
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www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
dish There's a Fine line Between Telling the Truth and Talking Trash
Awards & monuments
Janet's new trophy,
Toronto sports Wood,
and porn gets 'Dangerous'
Less than a week after MICHAEL
JACKSON was acquitted on child
molestation charges in a California court.
his sister, gay icon JANET JACKSON,
was accepting a much less dubious honor
in the same state.
The Human Rights Campaign gave Miss
Jackson·If·You're-Nasty its Humanitarian
Award for her fund· raising efforts and
large contributions to HNI AIDS
organizations over the past several years.
"My family and I have just gone through
the least humorous chapter of our lives,"
she said after being introduced by gay actor
ALA.~ CUMMING at Los Angeles' Beverly
Hilton Hotel. "I'm going to leave the jokes to
the late-night [comics]. if that's OK."
Jackson was as sincere in her attitude as
she was fierce in her black·and·white attire.
"Thank you so much," she said. 'Tm
so grateful for this honor. I couldn·t be
happier standing before each and every
one of you. I feel a deep and abiding
kinship with your cause. It feels
absolutely wonderful to be recognized by
people who aim to spread love."
She also had a message for making
this a better (rhythm) nation.
''.Acceptance is right. Kindness is right.
Love is right," she said. "I pray, right now,
that we're moving into a kinder tlme
when prejudice is overcome by
understanding; when narrow·
mindedness. and narrow-minded bigotry
is overwhelmed by open·hearted
empathy; when the pain of judgementailsm
1s replaced by the purity of love."
Toronto's wood-y
The latest erection in Toronto•s gay
neighborhood is drawing ire from
conservative critics.
At the end of May, the city of Toronto
and the Chtrn:h.Wellcsley Village Business
Improvement Area unveiled a $160.00l. 1~
foot granite and bronze statue of Alexander
Wood, a 19th century gay hero who had
originally O\med the land where the city's
gay neighborhood
now stands.
According to
histocy; Wood, a local
magistrate, was called
in 1810 when a
woman accused a
man of rape. The
victim said she
scratched the
Alexander Wood perpetrator's genitals.
So, like any good
private dick, Wood lined up all the
suspects, told them to drop their pants. and
inspected their parts to find the scratch.
After doing so. the locals branded him
a "molly," a derogative term for gay men,
and drove him out of town. They later
Janet Jackson didn't suffer any malfunctions when
accepting an award for her AIDS fund·rais1ng
efforts from the Human Rights Campaign last
week. (Photo by Mark J Terrill/AP>
called the area of land he owned ":\lolly
Wood's Bush."
The statue, by sculptor Del Newbig·
ging, shows a dapper· looking Wood, but
the statue·s base includes a bronze basrelief
of Wood kneeling in front of a
bare-assed man "investigating·• him.
According to Reuters, some critics think
the image is inappropriate.
Many have defended the statue and
have even made the offensive part more
noticeable. The perpetrator's behind in
the bas·relief is now shin}; .since many in
the gay·borhood have taken to rubbing
thP bum's bum for good luck.
First knight
Dbh has a new crush, but. as usual,
it's on someone unattainable.
This time it's porn hottie WIU'RIED
KNIGHT. one of the
stars of porn
impresario
dMICHAEL LUCAS.
Dangerous Liaisons."
Released last
week, the huge.
budget, 160-minute
film is a retelling of
the 1782 novel "Les
Liaisons Wilfried Knight
Dangereauscs"
(which bec.1me the 1988 movie
"Dangerous Liaisons") set in the modern
New York fashion world.
If it wasn't enough to have stars like
Knight, Lucas, GUS MA'ITOX. KENT
LARSON and former D.C. resident
OWEN HAWK. the film also sports
cameos by drag queens RuPAUL.
A:\1ANDA LEPORE and LADY BUNNY
If you shell out the $.59.95 to buy the
film in a vi<l('o store ne:ir you, you'll only
get the movie. However. you can save $10
and get the special two-disc DVD ~('I at
www.lucasentertalnment.com.
'1f. Send comments. suggestions to
~ Dish@OOustonvoice.com
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com I rady's corner I
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TO PRETEND NOT TO BE GAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY .. . "
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COMMITMENT CEREMONIES
ANNOUNCE YOUR UNION The Houstorl Vooct rs proud to
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Houston Voice
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bitch sessi n
Why aren't
more gay couples
holding hands
while walking
in public?
FAT IS RELATIVE. BUT A FLAT BONEY
ass is a flat honey ass, no matter what size
you are.
A.~Y HETERO WHO WORKS AT A GAY
joint but goes around sa}ing being gay is
wrong has a screw loose. So it's wrong to
be gay but not wrong for you to make a
living off of it?
YOU SAID, "LIGHTS OUT" I SAID,
"Hot damn!" Next time, make sure you
grab the lube and not the self-tanning
products. Try covering that mess up!
PERSONAL AD SPACE IS LIMITED,
but when I see "drug/disease free"
slapped together, I feel like I'm being
pegged as a meth disea~e-spreader just
because I'm poz. In reality, I have a more
health-conscious lifestyle than most of
you negative guys.
WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS AR~: YOU WHO
watched and whispered as I dated a man
you knew was psychotic and dangerous?
Why did I have to find out several months
later y, hen he had a psychotic episode? A
true friend would have warned me
WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO,
children? Sometimes I feel like an ele·
phant tap dancing in a rainforest. Hey,
let's have an "Anti· Bitch-Session" column.
We'll call it "Good Snaps"'
BITCH BOY RESPONDS:
Congratulations, you're the runner·UP for
thts week's Kumbayah award!
TO THE HETERO FEMALE
wondering what's happened to all the
straight men: Honey, it's not what the gay
men arc doing, it's what the straight
women aren't.
HOW COME PEOPLE WITH AIDS GET
first chance at all the housing? What hap
pened to be heal thy, be wise, keep your
legs closed and stay safe?
WE WANT MARRIAGE AND EQUAL
lights and yet we dump our partners
when the next good thing comes along.
\\'hat's wrong with that picture?
TO THOSE WHO SAY "PRETTY BOYS"
need to look at personalities first: The
truth is all iiuys are primarily dr!Ven by
testosterone. Don't be bitter. Start trolling
in your own league so your feelings don't
get hurt'
WHO SAYS "ETHNIC MEN" CAN'T BE
white? Ethnicity is not about a specific
race. Check the dictionary.
HOW CAN A NICE NORMAL GIRL ME1'T
another nice normal girl when lesbians_
never approach other lesbians in bars.
Isn't that supposed to be part of why we
go to these places?
I LOVE GOTH BOYS AND BLACK MEN.
As a 43-year-old white man, docs that
make me weird?
BITCH BOY RESPONDS: Yes.
TO ALL GAY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE: I
love all of you and everything you are!
Thanks for loving and living and giving
and taking and bitching and many other
"ings."
BITCH BOY RESPONDS:
Congratulations, you are the winner of
this week's Kumbayah award! Call this
publication to collect your prize: a year·
long subscription to Opi"ah's magazine!
~
WHY AM I SUPPOSED TO RESPECT
Islam? Could you imagine a religion com·
pletely dominated by gay men who keep
straight men in beekeeper suits? And if
you get caught having hetero sex. they'd
push a brick wall on you.
CAN I WATCH ONE MOVIE WITH A
gay couple without at least one straight
bitch in the audience going,
"El!C(.oewwww!"? Gay couples in the
movies typically aren't even touching
each other and yet they still find our mere
existence disgusting.
II" YOU THINK YOU HAVE PROBI.~;MS
in your bars, come to Louisville,
Kentucky, where all you see is mullets, no
teeth and tats. And that's just the dykrs!
I NEED TO STOP COMPLAINING THAT
I don't have gay friends. I play Dungeons
& Dragons, watch Anime, and enjoy
Magic: The Gathering. How many gay
friends would you have if you had
those interests?
LET ME GET THIS CLEAR: IF MY
dildo is the same color as my skin, I'm a
racist and if my dildo is another color,
I,.' m self.hating?
THEY NEED TO PASS A LAW OUTI..AWING
Specdos for obese men. They don't allow
dogs on the beach to keep it clean, so why
do they allow it to be polluted visually
with such obscenity?
IF CATHOLICS ARE SO AGAINST
Satan, why did they elect him 3j pope'!
&ilm' role Treie iM'e real IXtdies. sent 11171 real readro.
.full 9'1'J ife's ittlc ~ ard the big ones. too.
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Call 1~58-8008
ore-mail.~
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
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HOUSTON VOICE
Festival's back, with Sophie
B. Hawkins, Pansy Division,
Jade Esteban Estrada and
Rachel Sage . Page 3
Grand Marshals reign
Saturday night as the
Parade rolls along
Westheimer. Page 5
Which bar is for you? It
depends on the car you
drive, your cell tone and
your favorite diva. Page 9
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
By JOHNNY HOOKS
The Houston Pride Parade garnered
national attention several years ago when
it became the first nighttime gay pride
parade in the United States.
In keeping with the searing political
climate in Texas, the 2005 Pride Festival
is making a bold statement by bringing in
headliners Sophie B. Hawkins, queer
punk pioneers Pansy Division. Latin pop
star Jade Esteban Estrada and cupie doll
crooner Rachael Sage among others.
"We searched the GLBT music uni·
verse for artists who are known for their
energetic live performances," Festival CoChair
Matthew Stone said.
The Houston Voice spoke with the head·
liners about what pride means to them and
what to expect from their shows.
Sophie 8. Hawkins
Sophie B. Hawkins is a familiar name to
gay and straight music fans. In 1992, she
burst onto the scene with her mega-hit,
"Damn! I Wish I Was Your Lover," a song
where she openly sang, "I lay by the ocean
making love to her with visions clear."
Interestingly, nothing was made of the
line and Hawkins went on to have several
top-five singles on the Billboard charts.
After a falling out with Sony, her
record label, Hawkins founded her own
record company, Trumpet Swan, so
named because "I was on a photo shoot at
a lake and heard this incredible sound. It
was a trumpet swan singing, and I knew I
had my label name right there." Her lat·
est CD "Wilderness" is out now.
Recently Hawkins appeared on the hit
NBC summer series "Hit Me Baby One
More Time" singing "Damn" and glam·
ming it up for the her ~ccond song, a re·
imagmation of the song "100 Days" by
Shades Apart.
Hawkins describes herself as part of
ft MORE INFO
Bud Light Stage
Pride Day Lineup
2:15 Gurlfnendz
presented by Montrose Omer
310 Rachael Sage
4 05 Jade Esteban Estrada
presented by Twisted Mister
4 :55 Sarah Pmsker
& The Stalking H~
5:55 Pansy Division
700 Sophie B. Hawkms. mtroduced by special
guests. Roula & Ryan of Mix 96.5
T ickcts $10 on line at www pridehouston.org
Sophie B. Hawkils
the gay and lesbian family, but uses the
word "omnisexual." Asked to define it,
Hawkins said, "I was the first person to
use that phrase, I invented it for lack of a
better word. It just means that when I am
attracted to someone it is more about
them as a person, about their soul and
their inner beauty, not what physical
equipment they have."
Hawkins, still the pioneer, loves play·
ing Pride festivals across the country and
is excited about Houston. "The Houston
market really broke the single "Damn,"
so I will always have a special place in my
heart for Houston."
She's philosophical about Pride. "So
many people sacrificed so much so that
we can go out and have Pride fests and
parades, and I love honoring those people.
And when someone comes up to me and
says 'Thank you Sophie, because of your
song, or because of you I was able to be
the person I am today,' I consider that the
ultimate compliment."
Pansy
Divison
Pansy Division
rele;1sed the group's first
two singles, "Bill & Ted's
Homosexual Adventure,"
in 1993 and "Fem In A Black
Leather Jackel/ Homo
Christmas/ Smells Like Queer
Spirit," in 1992. The band has
always been out and proud
Founding member Jon Ginoli recalled.
"You sing about what you know, about the
experiences that happen day to day. If you
attempt to write a song that you think is
going to be a hit, that's when you lose per·
spective."
Asked if he is disappointed that Pansy
Division never achieved the kind of runaway
success that other bands from the
1990's "grunge scene" had, he laughed
and said, "Well, we're still waiting. No.
actually the band and I couldn't be happi·
er with the success we have achieved."
Ginoli said success is measured in
many ways. "We have done it our way
and have a tremendously loyal fan base to
sl•>w for it," he said. "We've talked about
it and really think that our last album
"Total Entertainment" will probably be
our last studio album."
The group will decide whether or not
to do occasional live performances here
and there, "Depending on who asks, but
as all of our lives have changed. like the
world, we think now is the time to let oth·
ers carry on what we started."
Ginoli said Pansy Division has always
enjoyed playing in Houston, usually to
packed houses in the Heights at
Fitzgeralds.
"We love Houston," he said. "Your city
has always been there for us, and with
the way your Governor Perry has been
acting, not to mention that fine former
Governor Bush you sent the countr;; its
important we come and take a stand \\1th
you at your Pride Festival."
Jade Esteban EstTcKla
Jade Esteban Estrada
Jade Esteban Estrada is a true renaissance
performer. In his one-man sho\\:
"ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History
of the World, Vol. 1," he performs as
the characters of Sappho.
Michelangelo. Oscar \'{tlde,
Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Rivera and
Ellen DeGeneres among others.
He is also a talented singer
and comedian. "Well back in
the day, a performer had to be
able to act, sing dance and
tell a fe\\ jokes bernecn
sets."
Asked what he'd pick if he had to
choose only one medium for his artistic
talents he purses his lips togC'ther and
thinks aloud, "Hmmm. I hate this ques·
tion. People that are creative have no
choice. It's like breathing to us. I guess I
would say I would choose singing, as I
can't imagine not being able to tell my stories
through song. But if you had asked
me a few years ago I would have said
dance, so if you ask me again at another
time, expect another answer maybe!"
The Estrella award-winning singer
was born and raised in San Antonio. The
son of a U.S. Army officer and a stage
actress, Estrada won a scholarship to the
American Musical and Dramatic
Academy in New York. Estrada studied
dance (alongside Jennifer Lopez) with
Slam. the lead dancer from :\fadonna's
Blonde Ambition Tour among other
notable teachers.
Genre Magazine calls him "the mo t
JUNE 24, 2005 3
exciting Latin pop artist ever to emerge
onto the music scene." He has performed
in seven languages and in 33 countries,
and his music can be heard on the Golden
Globe and Emmy award· winning police
drama "The Shield" on FX. He has also
been seen on the "Graham Norton Effect"
on Comedy Central.
Estrada is currently working on the
third and final installment of his "Icons"
trilogy that will premiere at the
Columbus National Gay and Lesbian
Theatre Festival in 2006. Estrada said,
"Many people think gays and lesbians
only came about in the 1960s or '70s and
that is so not true.
It's important to know where we came
from so we can see where we are going."
Rachel Sage
Rach: 1 Sag. may not be a household
name yet but w.th six albums under her
belt, she is certainly working on it.
While growing up, the former Lilith Fair
Talent Search winner attended The School of
American Ballet. perforntlng In such classics
as ''The Nutcracker" and "Coppelia."
But it was the music she heard in class
that held her attention more than the
steps, and by the age of five she had
taught herself to play piano. She remem·
bered pounding out the tunes of a renegade
accompanist who played Beatles
songs with classical arrangements, "Until
they kicked me out of the building."
Her early admiration for classical com·
posers shifted toward confessional l}Ti·
cists with her discovery of Laura Nyro,
Elvis Costello and Patti Smith.
Sage has a wonderfhl memory of meet·
ing artist and activist Keith Haring when
she was about 13.
"Keith crune backstage after and brought
posters of his version of th(' American flag,
and signed them for us,'' she said "We did·
n·t really know who he was then. And it just
struck me that he was starting \\ ith these
Rachel Sage
kids, a new generation that was trying to
come mto their own. and make their own
opinions and not Just what the parents had
instilled in them."
It was an early lesson in what Pride real·
ly means. "It means celebrating freedom.
the existing ones \\ e have and the projected
future ones we are going to achieve."
4 JUNE 24, 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24, 2005 5
Grand Marshals are doers of good deeds
By DAWN RORIE
Each year, gay. lesbian, bisexual and
transgender Houstonians come together to
choose Grand Marshals for the city's annu·
al Pride Parade. Among the nominees are
individuals and organizations that have
made outstanding contributions.
From dressing up and going all out for
charity fundraising, to healing the emotion·
al wounds of sexual minority teenagers and
the spiritual wounds of those turned away
from their churches, the 2005 Pride Parade
Grand Marshals have devoted their lives to
assisting those in need.
FEMALE GRAND MARSHAL
Deb Murphy of H.A.T.C.H.
For thirteen years, Deb Murphy has
been actively working with various gay.
lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups.
Her reason for getting involved is direct
and no nonsense. ''You can bitch or you
can change it you pick," she says.
Opting to be part of the change,
Murphy has volunteered with Gay and
Le~bian Switchboard Houston and the
Houston GLBT Community Center, where
she also served on the Board of Directors.
Murphy is currently the Youth Service
Worker with H.A.T.C.H., a project of the
Montrose Counseling Center. Through
H.A.T.C.H., Murphy works to "end the iso·
lation" of gay. lesbian, bisexual and transgender
youths. as well as those who are
questioning their sexuality and "help
them find their authentic selves."
Taking her message of acceptance
where It is most needed, Murphy has start·
ed a "H.A.T.C.H. in the Schools" program.
Murphy is also supervising the
Methamphetamine Addiction Prevention
Project (MAPP). a street outreach pro·
gram seeking to educate young adults
about the dangers of methamphetamines.
Murphy says she is honored to be cho·
sen as this year's Female Grand Marshal.
"I really didn't think I was going to be
elected, considering some of the other
people on the ballot," she says. "I was just
thrilled to be nominated."
MALE GRAND MARSHAL
Weldon Hickey of Miss Camp and
Krewe of Olympus
Weldon Hickey claims that he works
behind the scenes of most of the organiza·
lions with which he is involved, but any·
one who saw him strutting his stuff as
Sally Jesse Helms Leiberman Gore (Miss
Hawaii) in the 2004 Miss Camp America
Show would argm• otherwise.
He lwc-ame involved with Miss Camp
Amen<'a after he and his partner of twen·
tyf'ight yt>ars moved to Houston in 1991.
The founclation, which started out as a
spoof of the :\.flss America Pageant, is
now a major produruon which raises
Deb Murphy and Weldon Hickey are the 2005 female and male Pride Grand Marshals.
Members of the Bayou City Boys Club posed for a photo after the group was named organizational Grand
Marshal for the 2005 Pride Parade.
money for a variety of non-profit organi·
zations serving ga}; lesbian, bise.\-ual and
transgender persons.
Hickey is a volunteer and former presi·
dent of the Krewe of Olympus, a group
that presents Mardi Gras-themed theatr1·
cal events to raise money for community
organizations. To Hickey. the Krewe feels
more like a family than an organization.
''A lot of the younger ones there call
me 'Mom,' because I am the mother
hen," he says. Because of his partner's
love of cars, the two are involved with
the Classic Chassis Car Club, a predomi·
nantly gay and lesbian group of clas•lc
car enthusiasts.
"It was a very big honor to be nominal·
ed (as Grand Marshal) to start with. To
actually win the title I was floored. I was
up against some very stiff competition."
Hickey says.
HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL
Dennis and Evelyn Schave
For fiffoe•1 years, Dennis and Evelyn
Schavc have been provJcLng spintual support
to gays, lesbians, bisexual and traw;gender
persons. The Shaves' support of wxual
minorities has been steadfast, even when they
faced rejection from their ovm friends and
family members.
"We feel that our heart is really with
(gays and lesbians)," says Evelyn.
As licensed counselors at Community
Gospel Life Counseling Center. the
Schaves have spent the past two years pro·
viding Christian counseling to individuals
and same-sex couples who may have been
turned away from other churches.
"Many gays are asked to leave churches
that they have been involved with for
years," explains Evelyn. "We just feel the
need to bring healing to them and let them
know that God loves them for who they are
and what they are."
The Shaves are pleased at having been
chosen as Honorary Grand Marshal for
this year's Pride Parade. "We just really
feel honored that they would choose us."
Evelyn ~ays.
ORGANIZATION GRAND MARSHAL
The Bayou City Boys Club
According to spokesperson Michael
Collins, the Bayou City Boys Club, y;hich
puts on a variety of events to raise money
Twenty seven years
of Houston Pride
Past Grand Marshals of the Houston Pride
Parade have included bar owners. drag queens.
political activists and heterosexuals who supported
the gay and lesbian community.
Grand Marshals from years past reigned over
the 2003 Pride Parade. In 2004. Pride
Houston began a new tradition of nammg not
only a male and female Grand Marshal. but
also honorary and organizational Grand
Marshals.
2004 Jerry W. Simoneaux and Sonna Alton,
male and female Grand Marshals: Jim and Sue
Null, honorary Grand Marshals; and the
Lesbian/Gay Rights lobby of Texas. organizational
Grand Marshal
2003 All past Grand Marshals
2002 Rusty Mueller & Mela Conteras
2001 Oalia Stokes & Mitchell Katine
2000 Richard Weiderholt & Tori Williams
1999 Nancy Ford & Sean Carter
1998 Bob Bouton & Jackie Doval
1997 Deborah Bell & Jimmy Carper
1996 Bill Havard & Jeanette Vaughn
1995 Suzanne Anderson & Don Gill
1994 Jay Allen & Cicely Wynne
1993 Carolyn Mobley & Brian Bradley
1992 Brian Keever & Sheri Cohen Oarbonne
1991 Linda Morales & Jack Jacksoo & Gene
Harrington
1990 Walter Carter & Annise Parker
1989 Bettie Naylor & Charles Armstrong
1988 Bruce Cook & Eleanor Munger
1987 Persons living With AIDS
1986 Tony B1cocchi & Dee Lamb
1985 Freda Jerrell & Terry Clarie
1984 Rick Grossman & Pokey Anderson
1983 Manon Pantzer & Walter Striddar
1982 Andy Mills & Marion Coleman
1981 Rita Wanstrom & Ray Hdl
1980 Jim Farmer & Ruth Ravas
1979 Thelma Hansel
1978 No Parade that year.
for HIV I AIDS charities, is "a small part of
the effort to make the lives of mv I AIDS·
afflicted people easier.~
r'rom a jungle-themed dance party to
its annual Go>pel Brunch, BCBC appeals
to a broad cross-section of gay Houston in
order to raLe funds for providers of
HIV/ AIDS public education, patient care.
and research.
The group has raised more than
$605.000 for local HIV I AIDS charities in
the past dozen years. including Bering
Omega Community Services and AIDS
Foundation Houston.
Arcording to Collins, BCBC is thrilled to
be selected as Orgamzat10n Grand Mar ·haJ.
"We consider it a great honor to be chosen
by the community." he says. "We felt like we
were being chosen for all the hard work that
the volunteers ha\ done for the past twi:lve
years."
6 JUNE 24, 2005
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HOUSTON VOICE www houstonvolce com J~E 24, 2005 7
All photos by Dalton OeHart
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Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church
2025 W 11th St - Houston. TX 77008 - 713-861-9149
www.resurrectionmcc.org
www.houstonvo1ce com HOUSTON VOICE=
~NS
BETHEL EVANGELICAL @ii". '" •
LUTHERAN CHURCH (UCC) .. i/ "" ...
We're proud to embrace Houston:s GLBT
Community. Look for us in the Parade!
1107 Shepherd Drive• Centet' Street
Houston. TX 77007 • 713-861-6670
-.bethelhouston.org
Sund•y School 9:00 AM
Sund•y Worship 1 O:JO AM
Wednesday Worship 6:00 PM
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com JUNE 24, 2005 11
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_.
Pride weekend goes nonstop with a host of events
JUNE 24
FRIDAY
LAMBDA AT THE ICON
As Houston celebrates the second
anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas,
Lambda Legal hosts its second annual
Civil Rights Breakfast. It's an opportunity
to remember the importance of June
26, 2003, to gays and lesbians and Lambda
Legal's role in civil rights history.
Lambda Legal's Legal Director, Jon
Davidson, will be special guest. RSVP to
Gloria Gamino at ggamino@lambdalegal.
org.
Barn.
Hotel Icon
220 Main
attire: business/business-<:asUal
www.lambdalegal.org
RESURRECTION MCC'S
CASINO NIGHT
A night of poker, blackjack, craps and
roulette. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres
and parking. Cash bar and special
overnight room rate. Celebrating Rev.
Carolyn Mobley's 15 years of service and
ministry to Houston. Benefiting
Resurrection MCC General Conference
Delegates and Rev. Mobley.
7 p.m-midnight
Sheraton Houston Brookhollow
3000 North Loop West
S50; tickets can be purchased at Resurrection
MCC. 2025 W 11th
attire: semi-casual
713-861·9149
www.resurrectionmcc.org
BAILE INTERNATIONAL 2005
GLOBO ct>lebrates Pride with the sounds
of "The Awesome D.J." He spins country,
R&B, old skool, 70s and Latin rhythms
such as Tejano, Salsa, Merengue,
Reggeton and more. Proceeds benefit
AVES and the Greater Houston GLBT
Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
Fund.
8-1 p.m.
Communication Workers of America (CWA)
Building
1730 Jefferson
$25/$30
attire: business
713-710-0268
www~lobohouston.org
LATIN PRIDE, HOT & FREE
Latin-style dance music with Latin
singer/performer Jade Esteban Estrada.
9p.m.-3a.m.
1415 California
$18 advance/$22 door
Twisted Mister Promotions
713-320-9747
wwwtwistedmister .biz
CLUB PAPI - PRIDE EDITION,
THE OFFICIAL
PRE-PARADE PARTY
Club Papi Productions returns to Texas
with a massive Houston Pride party at
the newly remodeled Rich's Nightclub. A
portion of the proceeds benefits Pride
Houston.
9p.m.-4am.
Rich's Houston
2401 San Jacinto
$10 advance/$15 door
attire: stylish club attire
713759-9606
www.richs-houston.com
JUNE 25
SATURDAY
HOUSTON PRIDE
FESTIVAL 2005
A full day of entertainment includes performances
by Grammy nominee Sophie
B. Hawkins, gay punk band Pansy
Oivison and Rachel Sage. Booths feature
a variety of gay and gay-friendly organizations
and businesses. A Houston Pride
version of the dunking booth, "Dunk'd."
will allow takers to dunk certain activists
and community leaders for a fee.
2-8p.m.
Westheimcr & Yoakum
$10/$5
713-5296979
wwwpridehouston.org
PRE-PARADE PARTY
Victory Fund national board members
David Arpin, Janine Brunjes and Bill
Colburn, and Houston Events Director
Alex Martinez host a pre-Parade party a
half-block from the Parade route to benefit
local, state and national Victory Fund
candidates.
6-B:30p.m.
1323 Hawthorne
713-528-6676
www.victoryfundorg
HOUSTON PRIDE PARADE 2005
America's original nighttime Pride
Parade and the Southwest's largest Pride
event gets underway at 8:45 p.m. at the
corner of Woodhead and Westheimer. The
parade continues down Westheimer to
Whitney. This year's theme is "Equal
Rights! No More! No Less!"
B:45 p.m.
Westheimer. between Woodhead & Whitney
713-529-6979
www.pridehouston.org
THE OFFICIAL POST-PARADE
PARTY, STARRING KIM ENGUSH
High energy are key words for the officially
sanctioned after party in all its colors.
XM Satellite Radio DJ Mark D will be
behind the turntables and special musical
guest Kim English, making her Houston
debut, will be pelforming all of her
Number 1 Billboard hits. A portion of
the proceeds benefits Pride Houston.
9p.m.-4a.m.
Rich's Houston
2401 San Jacinto
$15 advance/$20 door
stylish club attire
713-759-9606
www.richs-houston.com
JUNE 26
SUNDAY
HONEYMOON - THE OFFICIAL
PRIDE AFTER PARTY
Spoiled Boyz presents the return of DJ
Mark MacEwan (Atlanta) spinning the
beatz and a pelformance by dance music
icon G'licious G. A portion of the proceeds
benefits Pride Houston.
3:30-lOam.
Opus. 412 Main
Downtown Houston
$20/25 advance
attire: iust married
713-521-2910
www.spoiledboyz.net
JASON & DEMARCO CONCERT
A spiritual follow to Pride Houst n with
inspirational singers Jason & deMarco.
Seating is limited to the first 100.
10-11:30 am.
3333 Fannin, Suite 106
donations for Jason & deMarco accepted
713-528-6756
www.houseofglory.org
HOUSTON PRIDE 2005
PARADE AWARDS CEREMONY
The award ceremony commemorates the
best entries in the 2005 Houston Pride
Parada
4 p.m.
Guava t;imp
570 Waugh
713-529-6979
www.pridehouston.org
'NIGHT IN OZ' TEA DANCE,
THE OFFICIAL CLOSING
PARTY OF PRIDE
Ston• •wall Democrats sponsors the clos·
mg party for Pride weekend. a nightclub
party with a "Wizard of Oz" theme.
Special guests include Houston City
Controller Annisc Parker and Sue Lovell,
Democratic National Committee member
and candidate for Houston City Council.
Food by Baba Yega, Niko Niko's Catering,
Peppinos Italian Dining and Karo's
Chinese Cuisine. The1-e will also be a contest
for the best "Wizard of Oz"-inspired
costume and door prizes, including gym
memberships and gift certificates from
sponsors.
5:30 p.m.
Rich's Houston
2401 San Jacinto
$10
713-621-5751
- pride
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TUESDAY-SATURDAY 10AM-7PM • SUNDAY 11AM-SPM
CLOSED MONDAY
We met at the Diner
713 520.8281
www.montrosediner.com
OPEN 24 HOURS
1111 WESTHEIMER • OPEN for Breakfast,
Lunch and Dinner with a full bar 7 DAYS
a week. Early Morning and Late Night
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
Pride is a year-long job for
Pride Houston volunteers
Planning for the Houston Pride Paradr
and Festival begins in August each }ear
not too long after the last float rounds the
corner of Westheimer and Whitney at the
end of the parade Pride Houston's board
of directors and a committee of volunteers
work from August until Pride day to
plan the events.
On parade day, volunteers gather early
for a security briefing from representa·
tives of the Houston Police Department
and for last-minute details regarding the
events of the day.
After the parade, volunteers stay up
and on the job until the last paper cup is
picked up along Westheimer and pitched
into a dumpster: The Pride Committee is
responsible for hanging of the Pride flags
along Westheimer in late May and taking
them down after the parade.
PRIDE HOUSTON 2005 OFFICERS
Nicolas J. Brines is in his third year as
president of Pride Houston after spend·
mg more than IO years as a volunteer in
charge of corporate relations, fund rais·
ing and :;ponsorships. He works full-time
as senior corporate market director for
the American Heart Association.
Rusty Martin was named treasurer of
Pride Houston this year after previously
serving as assistant treasurer. Martin has
a degree in civil engineering from the
University of Missouri. For the past 20
years. he has worked as a consultant for
the energy industry.
Dick Dicke rson, secretary of Pride
Houston, has been involved with the
organization for four years. He began
helping with parade production in 2002.
He is the archivist at the University of
Houston.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rob<>rto Caballero is an attorney with the
law firm of Quan. Bunlette & Perez, J~C.
:vlerlin Cavallin is an accountant with
his own accounting and financial serv1c
es firm.
Jerry W. Simoneaux, Jr. is a partner in
the law firm of Ncchman, Simoneaux.
and Frye, PLLC, in which he practices
same-sex relationship planning and pro
tection law.
Carol Wyatt authors Social Notes. the
weekly newsletter for the Houston !es·
bian community and serves as coordina·
tor for the bi-monthly professional
women's happy hours at Meteor. She
sells software for the call center industn:
Ed Barnes, assistant treasurer for Pride
Houston. is a retired assistant director
for railroad labor relations.
Jack Valinskl, executive director, was
among the founders of Pride Houston.
PRIDE COMMITIEE
Lynn Sixkiller. Parade Chair
Rebecca Mahaffey & Yvonne Feece,
Magazine Co-Chairs
Sandy Warman, Volunteer Co-Chair
J im Halloran, Events Co-Chair
Donna Junker, Events Co-Chair
Todd Amdor & Matthew Stone.
Festival Co-Chairs
Troy Christen sen , Web Chair
Dane Powell, Merchandise Chair
Jack Richardson, Marketing Chair
Ruth Ann Ethridge, Outreach Chair
Conrad Mones, Public Relations Chair
.Jason Ayala, Office Chair
JUNE 24, 2005 13
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We'll both have the steak and lobster,
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We've reserved a romantic table
for two, and a deluxe room for
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for the night and breakfast the
next morning.
IT'S THE MARRIOTI WAY•
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14 JUNE 24, 2005 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
Houston Pride Parade gets broadcast nationally
mong the 2005 Houston Pride
Parade entries this year are two
entities that are participating in
the parade for the first time, The Houston
Chronicle and KHOU-TV, Channel 11.
Another first, Q-TV will broadcast the
parade live for its program, "On Q Live."
QTN cameras will be broadcasting the
Parade from the sidelines from 8:30-11
p.m. as part of the network's two-day coverage
of Pride festivals and parades
around the country. QTN is currently
available in the Boston, New York City
and San Francisco markets. More infor·
mation is available at
www.qtelevision.com/mainlpridemonth/.
The parade gets underway at 8:45 p.m.
Saturday at Woodhead and Westheimer
and rolls dovm Westheimer to Whitney.
All three of this year's emcees have
announced the Pride Parade previous]);
but never all together. Announcing from
the Grand Stand at Westheimer and
Yoakum v.111 be local drag diva Kofi;
Ernie Manouse, host of "InnerVIEWS~
and "The After Party" on KUHT, Channel
8; and Maria Todd of 104 KRBE's
Morning Show Drag diva Kofi will be among the announcers for the 2005 Houston Pride Parade. (Photo by Dalton DeHart)
000 Pride Houston Opening Bam!r
001 Girls on Wims
003 Grand Marshal Float
004 Bayou City 8'¥ Club -Honorary Grand
Marshal -Organization
005 BOO L.qrt/SWer f.agle Distributors
006 Special Celebity Guest hl! Esteban
Estrada Presented by Twisted Mister
007 Houston Mayor Bill White
008 City Controller Anl1lse Par1<er
009 us Cor1,Jresswolna Sheila Jackson Lee
010 Texas Representative Garnett Coleman
Oil Texas Representative Hubert Vo
012 Texas Representative Alma Allen
013 Houston City Courrilmember Ml Edwards
014 Houston City Courrilmember Gordon Quan
015 Houston City Courrilmember Ronald Green
016 Houston City Councilmember Adrian Garcia
017 Judge S!Mn Kirldaixl & Judge John Paul
Bamiclc
018 Houston Fre Department/Comity
Outmrl
020 Houston Porice Department
021 Rich's Houston
022 Krewe of OlyttμJs-Texas Ioc
023 Houston Gay & Lesbian Parents
024 Montrose Counsef1119 Center
025 MCC/HATC.H.
026 Americans Urvted for Separation of COOrch
& State
027 Parent's Reconciling Networ1<
028 Houston Pride Bard
029 AssistHers
030 Pride EMS
031 ComnU1ity Gospel Cllll'Ch
032 here' Networi<s
033 Asians & Friends Houston
034 Judge David M. Patronella
035 The Colt 45's
036 Montrose Clinic
037 Spoiled ll<7fz {Beyond Entertainment)
038 Montrose Softb.111 League
039 PFlAG Houston
040 CMSmart Mag.lzine
041 HEB
042 Hanis County Democratic Party
043 Q Television Network
044 Integrity/Houston
045 ClruJces
046 Bering Memonal United Methodist Church
047 Lesbian Health Initiative (LHI)
048 Neartown Super Neighborhood Association
{ABC Events)
049 Hams County Libertarian Party -
050 Houston Chrorncle
051 Bering Omega Community Services sponSOl't'd
by StartxJd<s
052 CoYenant COOrth
053 Plamed Parenthood of Houston &
Southeast Texas
054 A Common Bond of Texas
055 Texas Gay Rodeo Association-Houston
{TG.RA)
056 GlBT f>ag.1n Pride
057 Houston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
058 KHOU-TV Chamel ll
059 Hallcmeen ~
060 Human Rights Campaign
061 Unrtanan Universalist Chuithes of Houston
062 Ryan White Planning Council Office
Support
063 Theatre l.lrm the Stars (TUTS)
064 ACLU Houston Chapter
065 Houston Department of Health and Human
Services
066 Maranatha Fellowship Hoose of Glory
067 The Greater Houston GIBT Chamber of
Commerce
068 Bumies on the Bayou
069 ~rooff
070 The Strangerettes of the Turtle Creek
Chorale
on Charles Annstrong Investments
072 Sue l.cM:ll for City Council
073 Groove Gir1z Pro<iJctions
074 Houston GLBT Community Center
075 Dignity/Hooston
076 Clear Channel Con1mumcations (KHMX Mix
965)
on Houston Area Bears (HAB)
078 Club Inergy (Do Re M1)
079 Houston Transgender Unity Committee
080 Grace Lutheran Chruch/Lutherans
Concerned - Houston
081 Garden Party
082 The Empire of the R<1fcl] SMreign &
Impenal Court of the Single Star
083 Houston Womens Festival
084 Chipotle Mexican Gnll
085 Guava Lamp
086 104KRBE
087 More Light Presbyterians & TAMFS
088 Miss Camp America Foondation
089 Soothem Country Houston
090 Planet Ford
091 Continental Airlines
092 Wells Fargo Bank
093 ACTS Mechanical
094 LOAF (Lesbians Over~ Fifty)
095 M. D ArKleM1 GIBT Employee Network
096 Montrose Veterinary Clinic
rm Houston Comets
098 AIDS Foundation Houston
fm United Cab Company
100 Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church {UCC)
101 First Congregational Chuith of Houston
102 Shell Oil • SeaShell
103 KPFT 90.1 FM Pacifica Radio Houston
104 StatScript PharrM:y
105 Ja!j Aiyer for City Council
106 Soka Gakkai International
107 Peter Brown for City Council
108 BP Emflk¥-'e Group
109 Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
HO AIDS Housing Coalition Houston (AHCH)
DBA Nsomma Furniture & Gifts
ill Center for ainical Sbxfies
112 Resurrecbon Metropolitan Community
Church
ll3 All Star News & Video
ll4 Gamma Mu Phi
115 Houston Energy Football
ll6 Montrose Diner
ll7 E.J.'s (Palmer Moninger Entertainment)
llB MegalOl
ll9 Super{:uts
120 Texas Queer Collegiate Alliance
121 Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce
122 Houston Humane Society
123 Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wcrve
124 l\Jehrs..Since 1851
125 U. Blenders {Yogurt Technologies)
126 JPMorgan Chase PRIDE
127 Hollywood Investments
128 H Texas
I29 Pride Houston
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
Videos I All Ratings
Lubes I Condoms
Toys Galore
Sexy Clothing
Pride Gifts
Leather Gear
Ourc yours!
J_UNE 24, 2005 _J_S
Harnesses
Hosiery
Shoes
eros1207.com 713·~16..inu open daily 10 am till midnight on weekdays & 3 am on Fri/Sat
1207 Spencer Hwy S Ho 1-45 to College go west 2 miles@Spencer Hwy & Allen Genoa
•
The view's bener at the top.
6aT. lesb an 81 ud lmsgender Pride
Saturday, June 25, 2005
~nde Jest1val
2 00 PM- Until Parade
At Yoakum & Westheimer
SlO At the Gate
Discount fickets at PrideHouston.org
Sophie 8 Hawkins
Pansy Division
Jade [steban [strada ..............
An "[nergy Dance Tent."
Community Marketplace. Children's Activities.
Beer Garden & Two Stages of live f ntertainment
Pnde Paradee:
45 PM
lower Westheimer
lar |
