| Transcript |
THIRTY YEARS OF NEWS FOR YOUR LIFE. AND YOUR STYLE. www.houstonvoice.com
Gay political kingmaker
set to leave Houston
Martin's success as a
consultant evident in
city and state politics
By CHRISTOPHER CURTIS
Houston's gay and lesbian com·
munity loses a powerful friend and
ally on May 3, when Grant Martin,
who has managed the campaigns of
Controller Annise Parker, Council
member Ada Edwards, Texas Rep.
Garnet Coleman and Sue Lovell. is
moving to San Francisco.
Back tn 1996 it seemed the other
way around: Martin had moved to
Houston from San Francisco after
ending a five·year rclatmnship.
Sue Lovell, the former President
of the Houston Gay and Lesbian
Polllical Caucus (PACJ, remembers
first hearing of Martin through her
friend, Hnherta Achtcnherg, the for·
mer Clinton secretary of Fair
!lousing and Equal Opportunity.
"She callrd me ancl told me I have a
clear friend who is moving back to
Hou ton ancl I want you to take
good care of hnn."
The two met and talked about
politics for hours.
Later it would be ~lartin who
would take care of Lovell whrn she
ran for an at-large councll seat in
2003. "Grant is one of those really
unique kind of campaib'll managers
who takes a candidate who doesn't
have the resources of other candi·
elates but uses his skills, his know!·
edge ancl his grass-roots organization
to make that candidate competitive."
Political consultant Grant Martin. the man behmd the campaigns of Controller Anmse Parker,
Council member Ada Edwards. Texas Rep. Gamet Coleman and Sue Lovell is moving to San
Francisco (File photo by Dalton DeHart)
Lovell did not win that election,
and Annise Parker had unsuccessfully
run for city council twice
before she met Martin.
Parker determined her third try
would be her last shot at a council
position. "I had scheduled a meeting
with people committed to being a
part of my finance council. And I
don't know how Grant found out
about it, but he came and he stopped
to chat. He worked in the earn·
paign not any successful one~.
mind you. He was shopping around
for someone to work for. I don't
know. over a few minutes of conver·
Please see MARTIN on Page 5
• t Last'
On her way to Houston,
pop diva Cyndi L.auper
has a lot to say.
Page 15
APRIL 23, 2004
a.tis Kiefer and partner Walter Fr.ml ~ with reix>rter; after a
circuit coort Judge heard arguments last week in a lawsuit filed ~ !J<1Y
couples and the ACLU chargi!JJ that b.lming same-sex rrarriages IS a
violation of the Oregon state Constitution. (Photo ~ Rick Bov.mer/APl
Gay marriage
party ends
for now
Ore. judge shuts down weddings,
but orders licenses recognized
By JOE CREA
Both sides in the same-,;ex marriage deb.lte claimed
\1ctorr this week after an Oregon Circuit Court judge
ordered Multnomah County to stop issuing same-sex marriage
licenses. while striking dov.n a law that prevents gay
couples from marrying and ordering the state to recognize
the 3,CXXJ gay marriages that have already taken place.
Please see MARRIAGE on Parie 8
JUST SAY 'NO': Gay activists
are hoping to prevent a Hot
Spot Task Force raid on a bar
in Montrose. Page 3
PRAG AND BAPTISTS: The Waco eclipse
' ' . ' ' ' ' . .. .
PFLAG chapter has named its new Dine. Page 18
community center after a Baptist Sports, Page 19
Calendar, Page 21
, • rrJi.nJster and hi~ .~!fy; ~ ~', , , , , , , , , ~fr Ma~ P~ 27,,,,,
2 APRIL 23, 2004
~~ And this year we've
added more attractions
to the list, including:
Pet Pavilion, Kids Pavilion, Home & Garden,
Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Food and
Beverage Service, Big Time Entertainment
For information about becoming a vendor or
sponsor, and associated benefits, contact the
Chamber at www.ghglcc.org or call:
713.523. 7576
I .HI\' , l
TH£ RIG H 1 tllLATIO NSHIP IS [VllY 7 HING•
ECHELON
www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
local news
Activists hope to prevent a
police nightclub raid on Montrose
After-hours Montrose
clubs operate legally,
gay activist contends
By CHRISTOPHER CURTIS
Gay activist Rny Hill and Houston City
Controller Annise Parker are hoping to prevent
an after-hours bar raid like the one that
took plm.'C last week In the East End from
happening in Montrose.
"It was hornhlc," Hill said. "It looked
like a relic out of the '50s or '60s to me."
For that reason, Htll s id, he is working
with city staff to schedule a meeting with
Mayor Bill White and Police Chief H.:irold
Hurtt.
"A time will be found when \\e wUI be
able to sit down nnd talk about this," he
said. "We're doing everything possible to
prevent 1m assault on :\1ontrosr."
Parker, a six-term council member who
last year was elected city controller, said she
concurs.
"I completely disagree with this and I
think the mayor b wrong on this," Parker
said. '/i.nd I think people need to talk to him.
Right now they're focusing on Hispanic
clubs, but 1f we give them any leeway,
they'll be at our bars. Gay Pride week is not
that far away."
Hispanic activists are also calling for an
end to the raids.
Early Saturday morning, the newly created
Hot Spot Task Force converged on La
Gaviota Nite Club, 8011 Harrisburg, and
arrested about 30 people.
"The police rushed in, I know they said
they didn't make any hard entries, but why
would they? The doors were already open,"
Hill said. "They poured in, and said, 'Up
Gay activist Ray Hill will meet with Mayor Bill White
and Police Chef Harold Hurtt to discourage a pohce
raid on M ntrose
The popular gay nightclub South Beach is among a handful of after-hours clubs in Montrose that activist Ray Hill
said operate~ meticulously within the law. (Photo by Dalton OeHartl
against the wall and everybody take out
their identification' and basically terror·
ized people for an hour and a half."
Hill added, '/i.ccording to the news
reports, the club was not serving alcohol
after hours. Police only arrested customers,
most of them for public intoxication."
30 arrested for dnmkeness
An arrest for public intoxication, Hill
explained, legally means the suspect
appears to be intoxicated to the extent that
the individual constitutes a danger to him·
self, herself or others. "It's inherently a subjective
judgment for the cops," Hill said. "It
means the officers need no burden of proof."
Police said only one of the bar patrons
was found to be in possession of drugs.
Many of the people jailed in the raid
were released Sunday morning.
For Hill, what he witnessed last weekend
conjures up a frightening picture of what
might happen if a raid were staged on the
clubs that operate in :\lontrose. He isn't sure
club patrons are psychologically prepared
to deal with what happens when a multi·
agency task force descends on an establish·
ment at 2:30 a.m.
For that reason, Hill said, he plans to
monitor the movements of the task fori:e on
Friday and Saturday evenings.
'l'ht>re has hecn no confirmation that a
raul on Montrose is imminent. Rut if police
do move on l\lontrose, Hill said, he will be
avail .. hlc to help duh staff and patrons
through the ordeal.
The task forc.e, mad~ up of police offi
cers. firefight rs. health tn~pectors, neigh·
borhood protec. 1011 investigators and reprc
srntallve of th 'f, XJ ~Alcoholic· Bc\era0
Comm1 s1on, \\as created by Meyor \\hllr
and Chief Hurtt after rook1E Houston fire
f1ghtc ~ Ke\ m Kulow died In a fire at an
after-hours club April 4th.
Police said James Alonso Guevara set the
North Houston fire because he was invol\'ed
in a child custody dispute with his
estranged wife, who worked at the club. He
has been charged with capital murder.
:'\layor White said that incident came after
an avalanche of complaints city officials were
receiving regarding after-hours clubs. He
statmchly contends that very little that is good
takes place on Houston streets after 2 a.m.
White said he wants to keep clubs from
operating past 2 a.m. He wants to change a
city ordinance amendment passed in 1999
that made it easier for clubs to remain open
after they stopped selling alcohol. Council
members originally passed the bill in part
to keep drunken customers off the road.
Rut now city leaders consider after-hours
clubs not a solution but a new problem,
especially since two incidents occurred
after Kulow's death.
Police said on Sunday professional foot·
ball player Marcus Spriggs and his cousin
got into a fight with another customer at the
Shame Nightclub after4 a.m.
Police said as Spriggs drove away, some·
one fired at his car, grazing the player and
hittmg his cousin in the shoulder His
cousin had to be treated at a hospital.
On Tuesday at 6 a.m., a fire broke out at
an after-hours cluh in the 4300 block of
Wilmington. !'\o one was hurt.
But Ray Hill said these problems will not
happen at after-hours cluhs in the Montrose
area.
"I am confident that the management of
the gay ;:flcr-hours establtsl'ments arc on
par or '>Uperior to the manageir. nt el
\\h ro And I don't thmk ga} pt'Ople need to
be herded .iround hkr: animals. We \\elcom
inspection . It's the up-0gam t the \\all raid
that \\ hope to m 01d "
APRIL 23, 2004 3
inside
ISSUE 1226
LOCAL NEWS 3
NATIONAL NEWS 6
FORUM 10
ECUPSE 15
APPOINTMENTS 21
CLASSinEDS 22
DISH 26
BillBOARD FOR ROSS: friends and family of
Ross Allyn hope 15 bl !boards wil help find his
killer Page4
DOMA NIXED: An openly gay councmnan m
Chapel Hill, N C. led efforts to ask the state to
repeal OOMA. Pil!je 7
1RRATIONAUTY MADE HIM 00 IT: Canada's
first openly gay member of Parliament said
•utter urational1ty" made him steal a piece of
Jewelry Page 9
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4 APRIL 23. 2004 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I national news
Waco chapter opens first PFLAG center in U.S.
Chapter names center
after Baptist minister
and wife active in the
family support group
By BINNIE FISHER
WACO, Texas An ordained Baptist
min1,ter and retired religion professor at
Baylor Unhersity and ht wife were on
hand recently v. hen Parents. Families and
Friends of Lesblalls and Gays drd1cated the
new PFLAG Community Center m Waco.
Eddie and Velma Dv.yer v.ere there
because PFLAG named the center after them.
Yes, It's true, out of 501 PFLAG chap·
ters nat1o:iw1de. the first one in the coun·
try to open a community center has
named the facility after a Baptist m1ms·
ter and his \\ ife.
"Thry are Just totally non·Judgmrntal and
open mmded," noted Daniel Hollingsworth,
vice president of the Waco PFLAG chapter.
As people began arriving for the dedica·
t1on on April 17, Hollingsworth said, he
realized that the Baylor faculty was well
represented.
"People came in honor and support of
Edd.:? and Velma," he said. "I was overwhelmed
that they came."
The Dwyers, whose son. Paul, is gav and a
graduate of Baylor. said they are honored that
the PFLAG chapter. of which they are mem·
hers, chose to put their namrs on the building.
"It make5 me extremely proud." Velma
Dv.'Y~r said
Paul DW)er said he had come out in the late
1960s, but took the advice of a faculty advisor
at Baylor and said nothing to hts parents.
There were moments when he mourned
the fact that he wasn't truthful with his
parents, people he knew to be loving and
not Judgmental.
"I never heard anythinJ from them that
was negative about any minority group,"
he said.
Still, he krpt quirt and mo\ ed to
Washington, D.C., where he now v.orks for
the C'~mgressional Rrsearrh Service. I
v.anted to be totally out with everyone," he
said. everyone but his parents, that is.
t.:nknown to Paul Dwyer, along the way
hts father had come to suspect that he and
Velma were the parents of a gay son. An
academician and a Biblical scholar. Eddie
Dwyer, now 92, knE'w just where to turn for
answers to the questions that were begin·
ning to nag him: books written about
homosexuality and to the Bible
Eddie said the first question in his
mind was, "Is there some reason for peo-
Ordamed Baptist minister Edd"ie Dwyer and his wife
Velma ~ they are honored to have Waco's new
PFLAG Commumty Center named after them.
pie to be gay other than choosing it? I
came to the conclusion that it's part of a
person's inherent nature. It's not something
they choose."
Though many of his fellow Baptist the·
ologlans claim the Rible to be the infallible
word of God Dwyer acceptccl tliat it was a
work open to interpretation. It had to be
taken m the context and light of the times
in which it was written.
A thorough search of the document con
vmced him that there is no condemnation
of gays and lesbians in the Bible.
Dwyer, who eventually penned a paper
using the research he had clone, wrote: "I
am convmcecl that gays ancl lesbians are
born with their respective natures. 1 long
for thC' t1mr when homosexuals will be
treated as equals, respected for who they
are, and allowed the freedom they dtserve."
Velma Dwyer, 87, said Paul eventually
came out to her and her husband.
"It wus ~:aster weekend of 1992," she
saHI. "1-:clclie hacl done a lot of research by
then, ancl we were prt>pared to accept it It
was a beautiful exprriPnce that Easter
morning."
Paul said that Easter morning talk with
hts parents confirmed what he knew in his
heart. "I just knew they would be there for
me They arc so loving and so nurturing."
Eddie said he hopes the Eddie & Velma
Dwyer Community Center, housed in a
former bar, will bridge a gap between
PFLAG and Baylor. The school has been
In the news recently for condemning a pro
gay marriage editorial In the campus
newspaper for canceling the scholarship
of a gay stUdl'nt.
"Having been in the religion depart·
ment, and with this coming out. I hope it
will open the way to help parents uncl stu·
dents," he saicl.
Billboards used to solicit clues in Allyn murder
Friends and family of
murdered gay lobbyist
hope new signs solve case
By BINNIE FISHER
Nixon Wheat, longtime friend of Ross
Allyn, gazed up at a billboard bearing the
slain gay lobbyist's photo and surmised,
"He'd say it was great, but he'd wonder
why it wasn't full length."
Other friends agreed that Allyn would
be gratified to know that efforts to solve
his murder included billboards with his
photo.
Clear Channel Outdoor donated the billboard,
installed Monday morning at the
intersection of Dallas Street and ~tontrose
Boulevard. The company is installing a
total of fifteen billboards in Houston in an
effort to help solve the murder.
Allyn was found early on the morning
of ~ovember 20, 2003 inside his burning
home at 919 Worthshlre. Firefighters
called the Houston Police Department to
the scene after confirming that Allyn had
been shot.
Th Harris County Medical Examiner
ruled the death a hom1c1de and confirmed
that Allyn d ::d of a bullet v.ound m thr
back of his neck at thr base of his skull.
Miry Lym Miller, Ross Allyn's sister, addresses the
med"ia beneath one of 15 billboards donated by
Clear Channel-Outdoor to solicit clues m the mur·
der of the gay lobbyist (Photo by Dalton DeHart)
Allyn's sister, Mary Lynn Miller of
Philadelphia, flew to Houston for the
Monday billboard installation and for a
weekend of events staged to recognize
:-.:ational Crime Victims Rights Week.
Surrounded by friends of Allyn at the
base of the billboard, Miller called on any
one with information regarding the murder
to come forward.
"We're al, suffering," she said. "This is
a ~orrlble nightmare that r. ver r,"ts bet·
Q MORE INFO
HPD Homicide Division
713-308·3600
Crime Stoppers
713-222-TIPS
ter. Please. help Ross find some justice."
Kim Ogg, executive director of Crime
Stoppers, said billboards have proven to be
an effective tool in solving crimes.
"We hope these billboards will remind
everybody that Mr. Allyn's case is still
unsolved," she said. "Somebody knows
what happened. We hope they will look at
this billboard, look at this family and give
us a call."
She added, "I can think of numerous cases
where bill boards have been the catalyst that
resulted in new information coming in."
Ogg stressed that even though months
have passed. the person with the right inf or·
mation can solve the case quickly. She
pointed to the recent case of Coral Eugene
Watts, a violent offender and confessed seri·
al murderer who was due to be released
within two years from prison In 'Iexas.
As news of the case spread across the
country, and Jaw enforcement officials In
Texas voiced their concern, a tip was
called in by someone v. Ith knowledge of a
murder committed by Watts tn 1979 in
F rndale, M1rh1gan
The witness to the M1ch1gan murder
came forward after learning that authorities
in Texas would be unable to keep Watts
behind bars once he completed his prison
term. The woman, who had worked with
the victim, called the office of the
Michigan attorney general to report what
she witnessed.
"Even 20 years later, a witness sees a
story in the national media and responds
to it," Ogg said. "Because of that witness.
Watts will be extradited to Michigan."
More recently, she said, a citizen
responding to information regarding the
murder of artist and teacher Helen
Orman was a major player in solving
that case.
The woman, who spotted a vehicle
resembling the one that sped away from
the murder scene and a driver resembling
an artist sketch of the suspect, jotted
down a license number. It was that number
that led to the arrest of Beau John
Maloney.
"Sometimes you can just stimulate
~omebody into action." Ogg said.
Lee Vela, public affairs director for
Clear Channel, said the company often
donates billboards to enham.-e the efforts of
Crime Stoppers in specific cHses.
"We'll probably reac-h nearly 100,000 a
day when all the Sib"llS go up," he satd.
In addillon to the Montrose location
billboards are being installed in the
neartown and downtown ar1 as.
HOUSTON VOICE wwwhoustonvoice.com APRIL 23. 2004 S I houston news
Martin will be difficult to replace, his clients say
MARTIN. continued from Page 1
satlon, we just clicked. I thought about it
h" didn't have 11 job so he worked cheap."
Parker credits Martin for being very
aggressive with funcl raising. 'It was real·
ly the most expensi\ e council race to the
pomt. I was able to sJl('nd toc-tQ-toe wuh
the white-gu~ businessman."
Parker madc history winning the
position.
"It was a gn~at day for thf' city and
her and everybody," Martin recalled.
:'>lartin would subsequently run Parker's
re-election campaigns as well as her sue
ccssful hid tu become the City
Controller.
Love between campaigns
But in between the campaigns, :\lartin
met someone at a Passover Seder Paul
Fromberg, an Episcopal priest.
"I thought he was cut( and attractive
and fun but I thought, how could I date a
priest I mean I don't even go to church!~
It took two and half years of thinking
about the issue and missed opportunities
before Martin took action.
"He was flirting with me. so I called
him up and asked him out. And we've
been together ever since. Apart form the
U-Haul. we've had a 100-1wrcent lesbian
relationship and proud of it!"
The only problem with the relation-
Grant Martin arrived at a recent Greater Houston GLBT Chamber of Commerce luncheon with two of hlS
clients, Sue Lovell (left) and Annise Par1cer. (Photo by Dalton DeHart)
ship was the leadership of the Diocese of
the Episcopal Church of Texas. "The
Episcopal Church nationally is progressive,"
Martin said. referring to the Rev.
Gene Robinson being con cerated as the
denomination's first openly gay bishop.
"But the diocese of Texas Is not really a
friendly place for openly gay priests."
The couple decided to relocate to San
Francisco. thinking Fromberg could get a
job there and live an open and honest llfe
as a gay man. "As soon ash got his job.
which \\as a month ago, we ct the date
for moving," :\lartm said.
"The fact that Grant is leavmg
Houston because his partner cannot h\e
the llfe he needs to lead underscores the
fact that Hou ton needs peopl like
Grant," said Parker "And I ''Ill miss him
tremendous!>:"
Lovell echoed those sentiments. "Thi. 1s
not only a big loss for the gay and lesbian
community\\ ith Grant lea\ mg, but it's
also a big los for the cJty of Houston."
Martin admit~ to having mixed feelings.
'Tm excited to bmld a brand new
life with my lo\ er. but I'm gomg to miss
my friends and clients in thf' community
terribly."
"I think that life is easy m Hou~·ton,"
:\larin reflected. "Its got a lo\\ co t of h"
ing. You can hm e a nice life tyle for relatively
little mom.»; but I thmk that breeds
complacency: And JUst because the) have
economic comforts. people don't realize
their freedom bat stake."
~lartin said he hasn't ruled out running
for a political position himself.
But right now he's looking forward to
helping other candidates like he's
helped in Houston. "In many ways, if
your ambition is to make a difference,
you can almost make a difference
bchmd the scenes."
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6 APRIL2_3~,2_0_04~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~w_ww._ho_u_st_on_vo_ic_e_.co_m~_H_O_US_T_ON_V_O_IC_E I national news
Gay organizations join abortion rights march
Organizers expect
more than 750,000
to rally on Sunday
By ADRIAN BRUNE
WASHINGTO:-.i Beyond the manu·
script-length march permit, the lengthy volunteer
lists and the little piles of buttons on
her desk. feminist organizer Alice Cohan
keeps a very telling photograph. It's not a plC·
tureof her partner, or a close family member,
but that of another Alice Alice Paul, the
chief strategist of the suffrage movement
and author of the Equal Right~ Amendment
Paul has been a heroine of Cohan's since
her early days at the Feminist .Majont}: and
she said she looks at the black-end-white
photo whenever she needs a reason to contin·
ue her work advocating for reprcxluctive
rights. It was taken long before Cohan, 5.1,
actually met and got to know the legendary
feminist. but Cohan sate! Paul was no less
feisty on matters of emancipation for women.
"I remember visiting her in the nursing
home, wanting to talk about her days fight·
ing for women's right to vote," Cohan said.
'"She would always interrupt me to talk
about strategy for amending the Equal
Rights Amendment and more ways to further
women's causes."
Lesbian Alice Cohan reached out to gay organizations
to help out with this weekend's March
for Women's Life event. She said the right to pn·
vacy arguments help activists in both the gay
c1Vtl rights and reproductive rights battles.
(Photo by Adrian Brune)
As she heads into the final clays before
Sunday's March for Women's Ltves,
Cohan, the executive director of the
event, has been looking at Paul's picture a
bit more frequently, especially as those
days stretch Into long nights. But with
more than 1,300 co-sponsors, including
se\eral large gay organizations, and bus·
loads of women coming from nil over the
country, Cohan hopes her grassroots,
shoestring-budget demonstnitlon impacts
women's rights as significantly as her
mentor's labors once dicl.
\\ltile she won't anticipate the outcome,
Cohan said she expects attendance at the
@MORE INFO
March for Women's Lives
1725 I St, NW. Suite 300
Washington. DC 20006
202-349-3838
www.marchforwomen.org
Pro-life Alliance of Gays & Lesbians
PO. Box 33292
Waslungton. DC 20033
202-223-6697
www plagal org
march to surpass that of the movement's 199'.l
rally, which organizers estimated at 750,000.
"Our goal is to assemble a crowd that is
too big to ignore," she said.
Previously led by the National
Organization for Women, this year's march
directors reached out to several other civil
rights contingencies, especially minority
and gay advocacy groups. While the lesbian
feminist movement has consistently made
the connection between gay rights and
reproductive freedom, it is now imperative
for gay men to realize its importance, said
Cohan. a lesbian and longtime activist
within the gay communit}:
"The issues arc so related when we
think about control over our own bodies,"
Cohan said. "Sexual activity without
reproduction gives gays and lesbians a fun·
damental tenet on which they base their
legitimacy."
Seven gay civil rights i:roups are listed a~
co-sponsors of this weekend's march. They
are the Human Rights Campaign: the
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force; Lambda
Legal Defense & Education Fund: Equal
Partners in Faith: Los Angeles Gay & l~bian
Center; New York Lesbian, Ga}: Bisexual &
Transgender Community C<'nter: and the
National Latinato Lesbian, Gay. Bisexual &
Transgender Organization.
March organizers say several decisions by
President Bush have threatened reproductive
rights, especially his November signing
of a law banning partial birth abortions. But
gay activJSts and reproductive rights advocates
fear the Bush administration's influ·
cnce over the Supreme Court, which many
observers say is one vote away from over·
turning Roe vs. Wade. and with it enxling the
foundation beneath Lawrmce vs. Texas.
However, not all gay organiwtions sec
eye-to-eye with reproductive rights activists.
Carrying signs that reacl, "! in 10 ahorted
children are gay," members of PLAGAL, the
Pro-Life Alliance of Gays & Lesbians will
hold a counter-demon !ration at the corner
of 17th Street ancl Pennsylvania Avenue to
voice their views.
"How can we support legislation that
attacks helpless individuals, sonw who no
doubt may be part of the future of the GLBT
community?" said Cecilia Brown. Pl..AGA!,'s
president.
NHL player arrested in alleged murder-for-hire plot
Intended target may have
been player's boyfriend
By CYD ZEIGlER JR.
The FBI arrested Michael Danton, a forward
for the :"1ational Hockey League's St.
Louis Blues. on April 16 in California on
suspicion of a murder plot. The criminal
complaint mentions that Danton feared the
intended target of the hit would "leave
him," fueling speculation that the man
may have been the hockey star's boyfriend.
Danton was attempting to board n plane
m San Jose after his team was elIDlinated
from the playoffs by the San Jose ~'harks
when he was arrested.
On April 15, the FBI reviewed a threcy,
ay recorded conversation made the day
before among Danton. 23, Danton's friend
Katie Wolfmeyer, 19, and Justin "Levi"
Jones, also 19, the FBI s cooperntmg wit·
m: ~ Danton allegedly instructed Jones to
enter his home and kill th~ acquaintance,
\\hose name has not bee.::l revealed
Danton aid law enforcem nt could
be lrd to behe\e that tY.o burgla~ came
to Danton's res1dencr and therein argued
regarding some aspect of the burgla!'} ...
the crmunal complaint read . "Danton
told the cooperating witness it would
appear that, during the struggle, one of
the burglars was killed, while one fled
the scene with $3,000 in cash and other
valuable Items."
That $3,000 was to serve as a down pay·
ment for the $10,000 Jones was allegedly
promised for his services. When ,Jones, a
part-time police dispatcher, realized that
Danton was serious, he and Columbia. Ill.,
Police Chief Joe Edwards took the record·
eel conversation to the FBI.
On the night of April 15, Katie
Wolfmeycr drove Jones to Danton's apart·
ment 'Wlten a security guard called the
acquaintance in Danton's apartment before
letting them through, Jones fled the scene.
Jones called Danton about an hour later and
told him that the job was "botched."
"We'll fix this, and we'll do it soon,"
Danton told Jones, according to thr com·
plaint.
Afraid of losing lover?
When thr FBI interviewed the ncqualn·
tance, y,ho may have been living wtth
Danton at the time, he told agents that h
and Danton had a severe argument that
Tuesd y concerning Danton's "sexual
proml cu1ty and drinking."
"Danton begged the acquaintance not to
go to the general manager of the St Louts
Blues hockey organization and ruin his
Professioml hockey
pl.Iyer Mich.lei
Oil1ton was arrest·
ed for alleged~·
plotting to kill a
man who was living
with him The complaint
alleges
Danton was afraid
the 'acquaintance
was going to leave
him.' (Photo by AP)
career," the complaint reads. "The
acquaintance threatened to leave Danton"
On April 16, the acquaintance agreed to
record a phone conversation with Oanton,
according to the complaint When the
acquaintance asked Danton why he was
going to have him killed. Danton broke
down and sobbed.
"Danton explained that hr felt
backed into a corner and ulso felt that
the acquaintance was going to leave
him,'' according to the complaint.
"Danton did not want to alloy, the
acquaintance to leave him, therefore
dec.1cled to have him murd red."
Whtie the complaint did not detail the
nature. of the relationship between
Danton and the acquaintance, .,., tthln 48
hours after the story broke, sports
reporters were concluding that they were
romantically involved.
Danton's agent, David Frost, told the New
York Daily News that Danton is not gay.
"Once the whole thing shakes clown.
everyone will understand exactly the circumstances
of what happened," Frost told
the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
But in the last week. glimpses of Frost's
own pa t - and his personal relationship
with Danton have spillecl out from vari·
ous sources.
Frost had been active in the youth hock·
ey world of Canada for many years before
taking on the role of agent for Danton and
another player now In the NHL. Frost had
a reputation for developing close relation·
ships with some of the boys he coached,
including Danton.
Roh Ciccarelli, owner of 11 hockey team
for whom Danton once played, told the
Sun, "What worried me is he hart a cult·
hkc attraction for the player"
In 2001. Danton chong<'cl lus name from
l\lictucl .Jefferson nllegeclly clue to the rift
Frost caused ln Danton's family.
"That man has ruined my son's life
Danton's father, Steve .Jefferson, tolcl the
Brampton (Ontario) Guanhan.
At press time., Danton was still awanmg
extradition to Illinois. where Jone wa
first contacted.
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
n tional n ws
N.C. town council members want state to repeal DOMA
CHAPEL HILL. N.C In a unanimous vote, the
Chapel Ifill Town Council last week decided to
a k state legislators to repeal the Defense of
Marriage Act, WRAI,-'l'V reported. The council
plans to reCOb'lllzc same-sex marriages even
though North Carolina does not do so under Its
Defense of :\Iarriage Act, the ~1ation reported.
The town leaders want the option of recognizing
legal gay marriages from other states, according
to WHAL. At the front of efforts to recognize
same-sex unions in Chapel Hill is :\lark
Kleinschmidt. a gay council member who under
stands that state lawmakers may not even consid·
er the town's request, WRAI, reported. "I suspect
it won't come up E.Vcn in a committee,"
Klemschmidt told the station. "That's fine. What
we have now is the town of Chapel Hill saying.
'It's our pubhc policy, here in our community, that
we desire to treat all married people the same."'
Marie Kleinschmidt a gay member of the
Chapel Hill, NC, council. is leading efforts to
recog111ze same-sex unions. despite the
state's current Defense of Marriage Act lim-
1t111g matrimony to opposite-sex couples.
Neb. police drop request
for same-sex benefits
OMAHA. Neb. (AP) lbe Omaha Police
l.Jnion has announced that II is dropping its
request for limited same-sex benefits. The
union s:ud in n news release last WCC'k that 1t
was withdrawing the request for the benefits
because "it is apparent that the controversy
has overshadowed the importance of the over·
all contract and its savings to the city." The
propost~I contract for Omaha police would
ullow offiet't'S to S(,'Ck sick leave to care for
their same-sex domestic partners and their
partner's relatives. They could also use paid
leave to attend the funerals of their partners
and their relatives. Tess Fogart}\ a spokespcr·
son for .\layor :\like Fahe:i; said the mayor's
office could not comment on the contract.
because it IS stffi under negotiauon. Details of
city contracts are not made public until after
n b'Otlation are complete> Information about
the Iumted benefits was leaked inappropriately
and parked a public debate on a single
Issue In the contract, the union said.
Straight couples say they were
ejected from gay hotel in Key West
K~:Y W~;s·1: Fla. (AP) Three heten>SPXtml
couples saicl they were turned away from a
hotel in this gay-friendly tounst destination
bcaiuse of their sexual orientation, which
would violate city Jaw. The SIX were vacationing
with n g-.iy couple and had reservations at
Big Ruby's in dmmtown Key West Y<hen the
thn'c straight couples Y.ere turned away.
'1'he manager literally said, 'We don't want
you here,"' said Jtm Pirlh, \\ho had vaca·
t1oned nt Btg Hubv's last year with his part·
ner. Jason Williams. The group. most of
\\horn an• from San Diego, was already set·
tied tn their rooms when the manager told
the straight couples they would have to lea~e.
citlng a 1x11icy of not allowing heterosexuals
on the propcny, Pirih said. "He said he had to
appeal to the majority, and the majority of
guests wouldn't want straight pcopL there.'
Pirlhsaid. Kl'yWest hasacityordlnanccthat
prohibits d1SC.nmination by o;exual orientation
in housing and lodging. The couples
were kicked out the same day six same-sex
couples sued in Key West in an attempt to
overturn state Jaws banning gay marriage.
Pa. Supreme Court hears case
over same-sex partners law
PlllI..ADELPHIA (AP) In the face of po"s1ble
implications on the nationwide debate
over gay marriage, the state Supreme Court
heard arguments last week over whether a
city ortlinance granting benefits to same-sex
partners of municipal employees usurps
Pennsylvania Jaw Chief Justice Ralph J.
Cappy cautioned both parties that the issue
was not a religious matter, but rather a ques·
tion of whether state law pre-empted the
1998 ordinance. which was struck down by
the Commonwealth Court in Auin1st 2002.
Wilham Devlin director of the Urban
F'amily Council, a group that promot~ mar·
riage, abstinence education and fatherhood
initiatives challenged the Jaw, saying the
City Cow1cil d1dn t have the authority to
extend benefits to same-sex partners.
Colo. judge faces impeachment
after ruling in lesbian custody case
m:NVER CAP) State lawmakers this week
were to consider whether to put a Ocnvcr
district judgl' on trial for his ruling ma cus·
tody clispute betwe!'n a former lesbian COii·
plP On Thursda;y; Rep. Greg Brophy (R·
Wray) planned to make the case for
impeaching Denver District Judgr John
Coughlin for allegedly violating the reli·
g10us liberty of one of the women involved
in the case who left the relationship after
becoming a Chnstian. Coughlin ruled last
April that Dr. Cheryl Clark must 'hare cus·
tocly of her adopted daughter with hrr for
mer partner. Elsey McLeod. He gave Clark
responsibility for the girl'~ religious
upbringing but told her not to expose her to
anything homophobic. Clark says that v10-
lawd her First Amendment rights to reli
glous freedom :\!embers of the House
Judiciary Committee wUJ decide after the
h1·arrng whctlwrthere Is enough evidence to
proceed. If thP measure is backed in the
House, th1 Senate would sc rvc as the jury
during the trial. Whether the cast will g~t
that far isn't clear. Senate President John
Andrews and Gov. Bill Owens, both staunch
conservatives, oppose the move.
From staff and wire reports
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8 APRIL 23. 2004 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I national news
Mass. governor tries to stop gay wedding march
MARRIAGE. continued from Page 1
In a decLS on that he said gave "a little to
~vervone," CLrCUit Judge Frank Bearden srud
that the state Suprem Court or voters
will ulumatelY decide the 1SSue of same- ic
mamages. He gave the Oregon Legislature
90 days befol't) they reconvene for a special
sesslon m June, to changE. the law t 1 extend
marital brr. f ts to Oregon gay couples "'ho
J!ready have a marriage license.
The case, Mary L1 rt al vs Stat" of
Oregon brought by the American Civ,l
Liberties Ul"'ion and nine gay couples. "' ~
hrard in th Mu tnomah County
Courthoust: ~t w
Supporters or ga rrarr1uo asserted
that the const1tut1on bans cl1scrimination
of any kmd while oppor.0 nts claimed that
voters ha\e the right to define marriage a
ti:: umon of or. man and one woman
Pam Cates, a spokesperson with the
ACLV said Tuesday's victory was unprecedented
m that 1t was the first time any
Judge m ti:: l'.S. had onlerrd a state to recogmze
marriage licenses issued to samcsex
couples.
Cates said he was uncertain which side
would file an appeal m the case since the decision,
for no~ has made "evel')une a bit happJI"
The county raised the constitutional
question over the legalities of the mar·
rtages on March 3.
Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a for
mer Oregon Supreme Court Justice, and
state Attorney General Hardy Myers
agree with gay rights supporters that a
ban on gay marriage wlll likely be ruled
unconstitutional, according to an
Associated Press report Before the trial,
they had requested that the county cease
Issuing same-sex marriage liccn~es. The
county refused.
The plaintiffs brought the lawsuit
against Kulongoski, Myers and the
Defense of Marr.lllge Coalition, a group
formed the day Multnomah County began
issumg marriage licenses to gay couples.
Cates said Judge Bearden rejected the
opposition's main argument, made by
Kelly Clark, a former Republican state leg·
islator and the attorney for the Defense of
Marriage Coalition, who contended in
court that the framers of the Oregon
C-0nsutuuon never intended rnarr.lllge to
apply to gay couples.
Calls to the Defense of Marr1agc
Coaliuon 'I\ ere not returned.
Calif. closer to legalizing
gay maniage
In California, gay Assembly member
Mark Leno's (D-San Francisco) same- ic
marriag bill was approved by the state's
Democrat-controllrd Judiciary Committee
by an 33 vote AB 1967 would prohibit the
state of California from denymg marriagE.
licenses to same-sex couples.
Testifymg at Tuesday's hearing was
Randy Thomasson, executive director of
CampalJJI for California Families, who
call~ th mea 1lff' "illtgal, unconstitu·
t10nal and immoral."
Mass. Gov. Mitt ROllll1e'f is seeki119 emergency legislation m a last-ditch effort to derail same-sex marriage
ceremooies slated to begin next month.
"This blll turns marr1agc upside down
and utterly rejects the vote of the people to
protect marriage for a man and a woman,"
Thomasson said at Tuesday's hearing.
Opponents maintain that AB 1967 con·
tradicts the 14-word ballot initiative
known as Proposition 22 that states, "Only
marriage between a man and a woman is
valid or recognized in California." The
measure passed in March 2000, with 61 per·
cent of voters statewide supporting it, and
carries the weight of state law as a part of
the California's Family Code.
Supporters of Leno's measure assert that
his bill does not conflict with the state initla·
tive since the 2000 measure deals with recognizing
out-Of-state gay marriages, not samesex
unions performed within the state.
Ca!Iforrua Assembly member Mark Leno ·s b!ll that
would legalize 5c1me-sex aamage advanced out of a
committee t 1s week.
Vince Sollitto, a spokesperson for
Hcpublican Gov. Arnold Schwarzen·
egger, said the office does not comment
on legislation before it reaches the gover·
nor's desk.
Schwarzenegger's reluctance to discuss
the bill, which Leno claims faces an uphill
battle in the Assembl}; has left its support·
ers confidant that he would sign it while
leaving social conservatives to ponder
whether the Republican governor is "with
them" on this issue.
Tony Perkins, executive director of the
Famlly Research Council, said in a news
release on Wednesday, Schwarzenegger
"must" oppose Leno's marriage bill.
"Throughout his campaign and his
short time in office, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger has been ambiguous
about his willingness, or lack thereof, to
protect marriage from those who want to
redefine 1t out of existence," Perkins wrote.
In a March appearance on "The Tonight
Show v.lth Jay Leno," Schwarzen°gger
said gay marriages, if approved by the
courts or voters, would be ~fine with me."
Mass. governor tries to
stop weddings
In Massachusetts, Republican Gov. Milt
Romney, in a last ditch effort to prevent the
issuance of marriagr licenses to same-sex
couples. said last week that he will seek
emergencv leg1Slat1on to prevent licenses
from being issued to gay couples on May
17, a date srt by the Supreme Judicial
Court in their historic gay marriage ruling
last November.
If approved, the legtslation would allov.
the governor to appoint a special c01msel to
argue, on his OC>half, to the state's high court
to delay the ruling until the stat ·s constltu
hon is amended to ban same-sex marriage.
ft MOREINFO
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad SL, 18th floor
New Yor1<, NY 10004
www.aclu org
The only legal figure who acconling to
Massachusetts state law can represc nt
Romney In court is state Attorne} General
Thomas ReUlv (0), who last month rejected
the governor's request to seek a stav from
the SJC until November 2006, when the
proposed amendment would be prt's ntcd
to Massachusetts voters. Reilly, who also
opposes gay marriage but ls considered a
ltkely challenger to Romnry when he runs
for a second gubernatorial term. has s id
the court has ruled twice on this issue and
is unlikely to consider it agam.
Romney defended h1:; actions as
deslb'Tied to "protect the constitutional
process• and to prev~nt the "legal confu
sion" that 1s likely after 2 I 2 years of gay
marriage But he also conceded that he
would begin holding informational meet·
ings with city clerks to determine how to
handle gay marriages should the legisla·
ture deny his request.
The Massachusetts Ju tices of the Peace
Association, which represents the local offi·
cials who have the authority to perform
wedding ceremonies. said a meeting was
scheduled for next Monday between their
members and Romney officials on how to
handle gay marriages in May.
Massachusetts justices of the peace
arc appointed by the governor and con·
firmed by the Governor's Council for
seven-year terms.
While the legislature narrowly approved
a constitutional amendment last March
legali1Jng civil unions but banning gay marriage,
many lawmakers are suffering from
"marriage fatigue," according to Arline
Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay
& Lesbian Political Caucus. She said having
debated the emotional issue ad nauseum,
many lawmakers have no desire to take up
the issue aga tn.
Whlle there may be support in the
House for the emergency legislation, the
AP reported that 22 of 40 senators oppose
the effort. including Senate President
Robert Travaglini, who supported the
amendment
And House Spraker Thomas M.
Finneran, an anlent opponent of gay mar·
riage, said last week that he does not
Intend to stop same-sex couples from marrying
in May.
Josh Friedes. dirertor of the Freedom to
Marry Coalition, said many legislators and
opponents of same-sex marnage "were in
denial" following the S.JC's decision in
Goodridge vs. Department of Health He
added that there is a growmg "understand
mg amongst opponents that there is no way
to stop gay marriages from takmg pla
without a constitutional er!, "
The Associated Press contributed to this report
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
international news
Canada's first openly gay lawmaker takes leave after theft
BURNABY, British Columbia (AP) The political
future for Canada's first openly gay member of
Parliament was unclear last week as Svend
Robinson admitted pocketing an expensive piece of
jewelry in a moment of "utter irrationality,"
Robinson fought for composure as he told a news
conference he would take an immediate medical
leave from his duties as an Ml~ Robinson said for
now hes stepping clown as the nommated New
Drmocrat Party candidate m Burnaby-Douglas. "I
will be meetmg in the nl"ar futurC' with my riding
execumc to discuss the; loni:;l"r term implic.ations of
this decision hould an election be called while
the c is. ues remain outstanding," he said. The MP
Svend Robinson. the first openly gay
member of the Canadian Parliament.
took medical leave last week after f'e
admitted stealing an expensive piece
of Jewelry
who has battinl for same-sex marriag£\ cha~ter
protection of gay rt •hts and Palestinian autonomy
said he's \Htg ng a ;ic rsonal war against severe
stress and emotio1a: pain. "l have sought nd
received prof ssior. 1 medkal help to understand
and deal "Ith thrsc Issues, 'he said.
Newly elected Spanish prime minister
pledges to legalize gay marriage
MADRID Incoming Spanish Prime
Mini ter Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said
last week the nation will legaltze gay mar
riage and give gay couples equal rights,
Reuters reported. Spain is one of Europe's
most Catholw countries, and the move likely
w111 spark drbate, since the Vatican staunchly
opposes same-sex unions. according to
Reuters. Spanish cht1ator Francisco Franco
banned homosexuality, and the nation's
Catholic bishops already vocally oppose
adoption of children by gay couples. Reuters
reported. But Zapatero confirmed his intentions
during debate in parliament that leads
up to the vote to confirm him as prime min·
ister, according to Reuters. "The moment
has finally arrived to end once and for all the
intolerable discrimination which many
Spaniards suffer because of their sexual
preferences," he said, Reuters reported.
"Homosexuals and transsexuals deserve the
same public consideration as heterosexuals.
As a result we will modify the Civil Code to
recognize their equal right to marriage with
the resulting effects over inheritance. labor
rights and social security protection."
Singapore officials deny
registration to gay group
SINGAPORE - People Like Us. a gay sup·
port group, last week was refused registration
by the Singaporean government.
according to a column by its executive
director published in the Straight Times.
The Registrar of Societies in Singapore
rejected the application of People Like Us,
whose leaders say it has more than 1,000
members. and the group was ordered to
dismantle, the Times reported. The registrar
called People Like Us "likely to be used
for unlawful purposes or for purposes prej·
udicial to public peace, welfare or good
order." according to news reports. Despite
sofkning its stance on some issues related
to gays, Singapore maintalns a law that
bans gay sex as an "act of gross indccen·
cv," news outl!•ts reported. Vivian
Balaknshnan, go\ernment mmistt!r of
•ate for natlor. I de\ lopmrnt, told
reporters that the nation IS not ready to
cept gay rights organizations.
British lawmaker resigns post
after debate over gay rights
LOi';DON A conservative Brtt!Sh politi·
cian resigned hlS post on the Welsh assem
bly's equal opportunltle..~ committee after a
heated debate over gay rights, the BBC l\ews
reported. Davie! Davies walked out of a committee
meeting after he was criticized by
other representatives for questioning
Stonewall Cymru, a gay rights group,
according to the BBC. Davies expressed
opposition to gay adoption and school material
on homosexuality. the BBC reported.
"The issue was that I put questions to
Stonewall Cymru and it was the reaction of
other members I objected to. especially the
minister [Social Justice Minister Edwina
Hart) who accused me of having offensive
and unacceptable views," Davies told the
BBC. "I find that offensive and unacceptable
becallc;e I really have to have the freedom to
speak out." He decried what he called a
"total waste of time" in the committee hear·
ing regarding the gay rights group, the BBC
reported. "The cult of political correctness
means that if you do speak out and ask
embarrassing questions, then you are going
to find yourself being accused of racism,
sexism, homophobia or some other form of
'ism' by everyone else," Davies told the BBC.
Australian court approves
sex change for teen gir1
MELBOURNE, Australia - A judge in
Australia last week approved the decision of
a teenage girl to begin a sex change, the
Herald Sun reported. The girl, 13, now will
take hormones as the first step in the
process of becommg a bo~: according to the
newspaper. Family Court Chief Justice
Alastair Nicholson ruled in favor of the girl.
who is a ward of the state and estranged
from her mother, the Sun reported. Referred
to in court pa[l\'rs only as "Alex." the girl will
take testosterone when she is about 16 to
c:ontinuc the sex·change process. according
to the newspaper Alex must be 18 before she
is eligible for sexchange surgen; the Sun
reported. She is reportedly the youngest per
son in Australia to be ghen the legal right to
a sex change, the newspaper stated.
From staff and wire reports
~HJ~
~Bertng 7Spr1ng
Festiva.l..
APRIL 23. 2004 9
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--~.-.... ---'.!O .. trdw.a Issue 1225
editorial
Allow imported
HIV/AIDS drugs
Abbott Labs' decision to raise by 500 percent the price
of the AIDS drug Norvir underscores why the U.S. government
must allow cheaper drugs to be imported into this country.
By MUBARAK DAHIR
HE FEDERAL
government should stop the
special trade protectionism
it has for pharmaceutical
companies, and allow the
legal import of cheaper,
generic drugs.
This issue has been a point of con
tention for years, for Americans with all
kinds of illnesses, rangmg from cancer
patients to people with HIV and AIDS.
r\ow finally thanks ton particularly
outrageous move by Abbott l..aboratorie5
to raise the price of its AIDS drug. Norvir,
to 500 percent of its previous cost, this
issue is getting some serious consideration.
Typically; whenever consumers and
advocacy groups raise a stink and
demand they be allowed to legally import
drugs from Canada or Europe for a fraction
of the price. there is a lot of govern·
ment hand-wringing and more than just a
little sweating from the drug companies.
The federal government's claim that
Americans' health would be at risk because
It could not guarantee the safety of foreign·
tmported drugs seems spurious. Are we
really supposed to believe that citizens of
Canada and Western Europe arc putting
their health at risk for the cheaper drugs?
We import all kinds of products from
overseas, and they must undergo scrutiny
for safetr before they can be sold here. It
seems unfathomable that the federal government
couldn't devise regulations for
the safe import of foreib'll drugs.
The drug companies try to tell us that
they don't make huge profits from the drugs,
despite the often enormous cost difference
between those same drugs here and In foreign
colDltries. They also say that a lot of the
money that is made off of exlstmg drugs
gets put back into research and development,
to work on discovering better drugs.
Wlule both the arguments from the
drug compames and the federal govern·
ment have a grain of truth, none is strong
enough to present unsolvable barriers to
allowing more affonlable imported drugs
into the United States.
THE :'\IAIN REASON WE DON'T HAVE
cheape1~ generic drugs in this country is
simple: greed.
The recent debacle over the AIDS dntg
Norvir illustrates why the l,'OVernment needs
to stop pampering pharmaceutical companies.
and start standing up for patients.
Abbott Laboratories began marketing
Norvir in 1996. At the time, it was only the
second in a class of revolutionary drugs
known as protease inhibitors, which radi
cally changed the course of medical treat·
ment for people with HIV and AIDS.
In addition to the benefits of Norvir iLo;elf,
doctors soon discovered this drug had the
distinctive ability to enhance the benefil'i of
other protease inhibitors. So Norvir also
became widely uc;ed as a supplemental drug.
Norvir soon became an integral part of
the so-called "cocktail" of drugs that so
many people with HIV and AIDS take.
This made Norvir a huge success.
Since its introduction, the total S<1les of
Norvir have passed the $1 billion mark.
Usually, as a drug becomes more widely
used and more profitable, Its price goes
down, not up.
But in January, Abbott I..aboratories
decided to raL~ the average price of the
drug, u'lC'<i by tens of thousaml~ of
Americans with HIV and AIDS, from about
SI f,00 per year, up to about $7.800 per yem:
That means the same dose of the drug today
costs five times more than it did a year ago.
Compare the price here to the average
cost of the same exact clrug in Europe. 'rhe
typical yearly cost of ~orvir in Europe is
somewhere around $700 to $750. That
means Americans arc now paying 10 times
more for Norvir than are Europeans.
THERE'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT
factor in the Norvir debacle. too. The ini-
HOUSTON VOICE
APRIL 23, 2004
PAGE 10
tial research and testing of the drug was
made possible by a federal grant to Abbott
Laboratories from the National Institutes
of Health. That federal gr.int money came
directly from taxpayers.
"The grant was critical in allowmg us
to make th rapid progress that we made,"
Or. John Erickson recently told the New
York Times. Erickson was the former
chief of Abbott l..aboratories' drug
re~earch program
Taxpayer money subsldu.ed Norv1r.
which v.ent on to be a huge profit-maker
for Abbott Laboratories, a company that
now is turning around aml charging the
public exorbitantlv high rates.
The fact that Norvir was developed with
the help of a federal grant is important for
another reason, too: Part of the fine print in
any such grant is that the government has
the right to insist on "reasonable ' prices for
the discoveries made v.ith its mone:,:
A five-time, overnight increase in the
cost of a billion-dollar, already-profitable
drug is hardly reasonable
Activists are pressuring the govern·
ment to use its leverage in the Norvir
case. and there is some evidence that at
least a few politicians are finally listening.
The Department of Health & Human
S<'rvices held a hearing Wednesday; April
14, on Norvir in particular, and on the
question of cheaper imported drugs in gen·
eral. The :\'ational Institutes of Health is
also set to schedule hearing.son the issues.
At least six members of the Hou e
have signi:d a letter to petitioning
Tommy Thompson. Bush's health secretary,
asking him to assert the right to
"reasonable" prices.
One bill has already been introduced In
the Senate to gradually allow imported
drugs from Canada, Europe and
Australia. And John Kerry; the presump·
tive Democratic presidential candidate,
has voiced his support of legalizing
imported drugs.
Activists are also encouraging a boy·
cott of Abbott drugs. While Abbott has a
monopoly on Norvir (and no one is sug·
gesting that patients in need of the drug
stop taking it to make a political statement),
consumers can express their displeasure
with Abbott's pricing by purchasing
other brands on drugs where
Abbott has competitors.
But in the long run. the solution to the
problem of unaffordable drugs is to allow
the import of foreign medicines. Thi:n"s
nothing like competition to keep down
price gauging.
llJi Mubarak Dahir
~ 1s editor of the
Express Gay
NPWS in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla, a
paper affiliated with
this publicatlOll. He
can be reached at
mdahir@express·
gaynews.com
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
• point BRUCE CARROLL
President Bush and the religious right
didn't start the culture war over marriage.
It's the radical gay groups' agenda.
A fine mess
we're in now
THE BACKLASH OVER GAY MARRIAGE
during the past few weeks doesn't come as
a surprise to me. I predicted it months ago
to a group of friends who are rabidly in
support of pushing the issue.
I told them that while there was a gay.
marrying frenzy breaking out in San
Francisco, Oregon, uncl New Paltz, N.Y ..
most Americans were not at a place to
accept this change.
Smee two-thirds of Americans oppose
gay marriage, and the same percentage
support l<'gal protections for gays in the
workplace, then why, I asked, are the radi·
cal gay groups forcing marriage down the
throats of America at this time?
But it wasn't the "religious right" or
President Bush who started this round of
the culture war. It was us.
The battle was clearly started by gay
activists who adopted the tactic of cha!·
lenging marriage laws across the country.
The battle was joined, of course. by the
conservatives now pushing for a federal
constitutional amendment.
But we need to step up and admit that
the responsibility of the gay marriage
debate, good or bad, is squarely on the
shoulden; and the consciences of the socalled
leaden; of the Human Rights
Campaign, National Gay & Lesbian Task
Force, Log Cabin Republicans and their ilk.
Now the dominoes are falling against
us, in Georgia. Kentucky and
Mississippi. A state constitullonal
amendment banning gay marriage in
those states will be put before voters.
Georgia. Kentucky and Mississippi
not surprising, right?
Hut in Ma'<sachusetts, far from a bastion of
the religious right, the state legislature adopt·
eel a constitutional amendment, though it still
must survive additional legislative votes next
year before it goes on the ballot there.
SO THERf~ WE HAVF. IT. THIS DECISI0:-1
by our supposed leaders to push gay marriage
onto center stage in America at this
time and in this election year has resulted
in a colossal setback that is solely the
fault of those same groups.
Why? Because instead of appreciat·
ing the feelings of most Americans and
undertaking a long-term commitment to
educate our nation about who we are,
our leaders took the easy way and went
to the courts to dictate one version of
morality and forced tolerance from the
bench. That strategy is faulty and will
never work.
What we saw in Massachusetts,
Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi will be
replicated in nearly every other state of
the union. So the net impact of our
activists launching this culture war will
become discrimination enshrined into
----~-
--.
state constitutions. That certainly doesn't
seem a step forward for gay rights.
Gay leaders will scratch their head:, and
wonder what went wrong, but the fact that
they don't "get it" is proof enough that we
need to find a new way and new leadership.
Instead we get Rosie 0·0onnell who says
she's getting married in front of TV cameras
merely because President Bush says he's
opposed to it. Well, that's one sure way for
opponents to question the sincerity of the
true commitment to gay marriage, isn't it?
THE PATH TO GAY MARRIAGE IS NOT
to force Americans to accept a moralitv
they are not prepared to embrace. Instead
of radical gay groups spending their precious
few dollars. time and resources
engaging in court fights and street battles,
it's time to turn our attention to the hearts
and minds of mainstream America.
What is needed is a fundamental and,
most importantly, mature awareness cam·
paign across the country about what it is
to be a gay or lesbian American today. We
all need to be willing to come out of our
closets - proverbial or not - and let our
APRIL 23, 2004 11
.,..,. J,,t,...~..- · ·.:
., ... -... ~;-: .. ·M .
. -r'~·.
-~
friends, family and work colleagues know
who we arc.
Let them know that we pay our taxe:;
just like them. Let them know we experience
the ups and dov.ns of daily life JUst
like them. Let them know that we want
the same financial, job and relationship
security that they enjoy. Let them know
that we want to be as tolerant of their
long-standing religious beliefs as we want
them to be tolerant of ours.
Until the leaders of these radical gay
groups come to grips that they have wast·
ed precious years on counterproductive
strategies, we will continue to face these
predictable setbacks to gay marriage and
other i"sues with increasing frequenc~:
Until all of us start reaching out to
mainstream Americans, instead of shout·
mg in their faces, we will continue to be
responsible for our own failures.
~ Bruce Carrol lives in Alexandria. Va. and
~ is a former member of Log Cabin
Republicans; he can be reached at
BruceC2K@aolcom
12 APRIL 23. 2004
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HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com I on the record
'It is an imrr.::nsc honor to be listed along
side heroes like Nelson Mandela. And I am
thrilled to ~ce thts rcrOb'Ilitlon that marriage
equality for sarr. sex couples i.> a crucial
1.ml rights struggle whose time has comr "
Eran Wolfson, executii'e director of
Freedom to Marl): on being named one of th
"Time 100, "a /1st ma spetml ed111on of Time
11mgazm feat1mnv t/le 100 must influential
people a/i, r todc.y, "TJ/f~on is 111cluded in the
"Heroes and Jer;ns 'sea1on of the list
Some beht:vr that gay marriage L~ our most pre smg 1 s te because tr B1b1 tr! ~
th m o Of coun;e, the Bible s.l'fS ome unusual things, for exam11lc. that 1t ~ permi s1
c to stone to de th adult resses but not adulterers. Is that so t tc k 1 laturrs can
amtam .i quorum?"
Hmf) Rwkert, a columnlSI writing in tJw IRXmgton Hrrokl Leader (/Rxington. K)!, April 19)
"This has nothing to do wt th a gay lover or hrs relatwnshi11 with any female- Once v.e
get all the facts, \\C'll be ahle to rcahze what rl'allv ha11penecl. Hr's a good kid. He reall:r IS."
St. /,ouis Hluesforward iHike Danton s agl.'nt, Dave Frost, after the FBI arrestl.'d
Danton for allegedly arr011gmg the murder of his roommate, 1cho local laze enjorcement
author/lies say IS his lover I Sports lllustrated, April 19)
'It brought shamC' and hum1hat ion, shock and rcvu ston '
Attomey Michael Thorman. explaining why hzsclient. Michael Magidson, 23,Jomed tWQ
others m bmtally beatmg and then hanging to death Gu-en Amu10 whe11 Magtdson discovered
after sex with Amujo that Araujo was born male (Associated Press. April 15)
"I thanked him for all that he had done end
asked him not to 5Upport this. So in that sense. 1
guess I failed "
Patrick Guerriero. executive director of the
Log Cabin Republ1cans, on how he approached
President Bush at a White House Christmas party
and 1Jsked him not to back the federal marriage
amrndml'Tit fNew }'ork 1'imes Magazme April 1 I)
"I'm still voting for Bush .... but I have serious
issues with the current team the prcsid(;nt has
put around him to cultivate the religious-right
support"
John Karczmski, tu:£ chair of Log Cabin's rhaf>'
wr m Omnge Qiunt): Calif. a:ho said many gay
Re pub/irons wlli vote for Bush but "u Uh their eyes
closed" <Assoczatl.'d Prrss. April 17)
"There's hardly a fa'111ly that doe n't know that one of them someone's daughter,
sistrr, brother, father, mother. uncle. whatever ls gay. .. I thmk that's why \\e can't
put this m the tube anymore"
Episcopal 81Shop V. Gene Robinson the church 'sftn;t openly gay bishop., explaining m
a speech at Oaniel Hebster College i11 Nashua, .V.11., why gays are like toothpaste that
wcm't go badi into the tube (Associated Press. April 13)
"It could get very, very ugly in the next six months. l hope it's not, but the amollllt of
hate we saw \\llS hard to takr."
Jennifer CroSS(:n, a member of the KentucJ.y Fairness Alliance, a/ll'r the KentucJ.y
state lpegL~lature put a constitutional amcndmmt banning marriage onto the November
ballot (Associated Press, April 14)
"He's an embarrassment to rehgion everywhere. l think Freel Phel11s thinks ahout
homosexual ex more than any other 11erson on the planet "
Southern l'overty Law Center
spoke.~person MarJ.· Potok, on the group's
efforts to track virulently anti-gay Rev.
Fred Phelps, u•ho is traveling the country
demanding that communities with Ten
Commandments monuments also erect
memorials condemning .\fat/hew Shepard.
the gay Wyoming student beaten to death
in 1998 (Associated Press, April 8)
"Forget making gay weddings illegal, Mr.
President. If you want to make marriage
more stable. make divorce illegal. If people
knew they couldn't get out of it, ther'd be
more careful getting into it."
Satirist Andy Rooney in his u60 Minutes"
commentary (CBS News, March 21)
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GAY HOUSTON NIGHTLIFE, ARTS & CULTURE
No longer just a girl wanting to have fun,
Cyndi Lauper talks about her new CD,
'Divas Live' and her support for gay marriage
By TYLER STEEL£ m NYONEWHO'SSEENHER
on tour with Cher, with Meatloaf. at
any number of gay pride events
across the country, or in performance
on one of her solo tours knows what
to expect from Cyndi Lauper live.
She's on the road again in support of her new
album "At Last"', a collection of classic American
songs like "Walk on Ry", "Stay'', "At Last" and
"Unchained Melody". The Houston Voice caught up
with her the day aftf'r the live telecast of VIII 's Diva's
Live as shr takes a break before heading to Trxas for a
string of concerts h re
Houston Voice: Congrats on the surces of >OUr
ne\\ album, 'i\t Last", and on Divas Lhe.
www.houstonvoice.com
Wack Jack "
Liberace's ex claims
Michael Jackson
made the first move
Page 26
APRIL 23, 2004
Cyndi urnper: The show was a lot of fun and, it
was grrat to see Patti (LaBelle) and Shella E (who plays
on 'i\t l..ast") The staging was tough for me with "Lady
!\larmalade" because I always walk into everybody. Not
on purpose. but invariably pcopll' arc going one wa~·
and rm going in the other direction, so it's like an
"AbFab"' episode. I was really fortunate enough to have
the director of the show know me from years ago,
which helped. You can't always create a good musical
moment on a live telecast, but I think we did a good job.
Pop diva Cyndi l.auper leaves the New Yori< skyline behind for a Sunday appearance at Verizon Wireless Theater m Houston.
HOVO: The audience agreed. They were giving you
and Patti LaBelle a standing ovation for "Time After
Time"' before you even finished the song. Did you ever
expect that kind of reaction?
I.AUPER: I wasn't aware of it at the time because 1
was really in the moment, playing my instrument,
singing and listening to everything come together. Also,
to be honest. I'm nearsighted and can't always see
what's going on. Everything looks like an Edward
Hopper painting from far away.
HOVO: You've been working non·stop the past few
years performing at gay pride events, touring with
Cher, making 'i\t Last" and now you're on the road
again. How do you juggle work and family?
I.AUPER: Sometimes I'm just in the doghouse with
my little family, so I'm really trying now to spend quali·
ty time with them. Every morning we have our family
time at breakfast. My son has a hockey game tonight,
and I'll be there watching and freezing. It's a difficult
balance. especially on tour, but I love to sing and I love
creating music and I think it would kill me not to. rm
looking to Broadway now because (I live in New York
and) I could be In a sho\\ and still have time to be with
my son and to write music when he's in school.
HOVO: You've got the live DVD of this tour coming
out in ~fay?
LAUPER: The live DVD took a lot of effort. but I'm
really pleased with it. Considering that our industry is
on its knees, the fact that I got to do a live DVD is great.
Plus. I've been threatening tu do one forever so we
called it "Cyndi I..auper Live-At Last", even though it
covers material throughout my career.
HOVO: One of the many reasons you are so
endeared in the gay community b your constant decla·
ration that people accept who they are and relish their
uniqueness. Well, that and taking your husband on double
dates with gay couples!
LAUPER: Well. Patti (LaBelle) is the Godmother of
my son, but she shares that with a few of my gay and
lesbian friends. My son has a lot of gay people in his
life, and I'm so happy that he "s able to e."\i>erience these
people and not see them as different
HOVO: \\bat's your feeling on gay marriage?
LAU PER: I don't get why people are up in anru. over
it. Who the heck is it hurting? Do we really need this to
distract us from what's going on in the world? I know a
lot of gay parents who are better parent::. and more caring
about their families than some heterosexual families.
HOVO: Unlike mo. t artists, you actually record new
vocals for many of your dance remb:e,. Why?
LAUPER: Because sometimes when the music
changes I feel the vocal needs to reflect the new sound
and environment. It's the same with my live perform.
Please see LAUPER on Page 20
FRESHER THAN FRESH: Could the seafood
at Mantra have been caught today? Page 18 I OUT ON THE COURSE: Pro golfer Rosie Jones is out and
sporting the logo of Olivia, a gay travel company. Page 19
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dining J.A. CHAPMAN
From its St. Augustine entry to its fresher than fresh
ingredients, Mantra on Main Street is impressive.
Mantra has pan-Asian flair
WHAT IS ON THE FLOOR, I WO'.'.l)ERED
as we walked into Mantra in the New
:\lain Street section of downtown.
In the dimly lit entrywa}; it was hard
to discern its origin, but it felt a lot like
grass. A quick check revealed that lndC<'d
it was grass St. Augustine sorl, to be
exact
When asked how they'd come up with
the idea of using grass to carpet the entry,
a manager told me that they want to be
memorable from the first step inside.
That won't be a problem for this luxuri·
ous restaurant and il~ inventive pan·
Asian cuisine. And not just because of
the flooring choice.
Mantra's decor is eye-popping opiumden
meets Bangkok chic. A lounge domi
nates the front section and is filled with
spacious lounging couches upholstered in
deep red velvet, and multitudes of throw
pillows and ottomans in rich silks.
Bejeweled Buddhas keep watch over
the area from nooks in the wall and a
dual propeller-blade inspired fan twists
lazily overhead.
A sushi bar and alcohol bar fill opposite
walls m the middle of the restaurant,
and the back offers sleek tables, two rich·
ly upholstered booths in secluded alcoves
and two private dining rooms, one with
an impressive wine rack.
The opulent, sensual decor even con·
tinues outside, where plush, jewel-tone
upholstered chairs serve as patio furni·
tu re.
THE Df:COR IS IMPRESSIVE, BUT IT'S
the food that really stands out at Mantra.
The fish Is flown in fresh daily from
Hawaii.
My dining compan ion and I started
with two orders of sashimi. which
arrived in generous four-ounce servings.
The yellow tail ($8) was firm and fresh.
but the unagl ($5) smoked eel - really
stood out. Served warm, with both white
and black sesame seeds, its smooth, buttery
flavor was a wonder.
For appetizers, we chose the jasmine
tra crusted shrimp ($9.99). The pan-scared
shrimp had a pleasant hlnt of jasmine tra
and the accompanying passion fruit
coulls provided a sweet contrast
If I'm being truly picky, the shnmp
wrre JU ta tad ovcrdonE', but o•erall this
dish impressed.
The smoked tofu with grilled mango
and avocado appeuzer ($5.99) arrhed layered,
looking like a tropical lasagna. It
was a challenge to eat with chopsticks.
but the thinly sliced smoked tofu was a
"onder of rich smoky flmiDr and the
gnlled mango complemented it nicely.
The a•ocado turned out to be more like
guaramolr, which someY.hat overpoY.·
ered, but O'ierall this dish w •. s a ll•ely,
inventive mixture.
For main courses we chose the ahi and
the Arctic char ($18.95 each). The seared
ahi was just-caught fresh. Served with a
crispy potato pancake and spicy Hunan
shrimp in a garlicky sauce, this dish
impressed.
The slightly sweet Arctic char again
was extraordinarily fresh. Paired with
noodles in a light honey-miso sauce and
tatsoi (Japanese spinach), this dish was
our favorite, with each ingredient playing
perfectly off the others.
:\tantra offers only two desserts, a
cheesecake and a chocolate mousse cake
At the recommendation of our waiter, we
chose the chocolate mousse cake, which
turned out to be a decadent vertical layer·
ing of chocolate cake and milk chocolate
mousse, covered in a hard dark chocolate
coating.
Given its central downtown location,
:\tantra is a good choice for a workday
lunch. The lunch menu is small. but it's
possible to order from the sushi bar as
well.
I chose the fresh Tasmanian crab cakes
($13.95), which our waiter said was one of
their most popular dishes.
Unlike some crab cakes, these were
almost all fresh crab. with just a few bits
of red pepper, green onion and corn for
flavor. A roasted tomato sauce accented
the crab nicely, while roasted vegetables
and mashed potatoes rounded out the
dish.
My friend opted for the Maui fish tacos
($8.95). Two corn tortilla tacos filled with
fresh white fish, tomatoes. purple cabbage
and sweet caramelized onions were
topixd with an otherworldly smoky
sauce. Accompanied by herbed rice and
roasted vegetables these tacos can a lmost
transport you to the islands.
Mantra is still a something of a secret,
despite having been open for two months.
They've kept a low profile while working
out kinks and honing the menu and
they're poised for an official grand opening
in the near future. Once the word gets
out, th is place "ill be packed.
Mantra
711 Mam SL
713-225-3500
www mantrahouston com
Food ••••
Service: re< le! le' '/•
Comfort & Aesthetics: 191 le' le' 1e1
Value •••'/1 Scene· '911e'!el!e'
• = Stay home and eat cereal
le' 191 = Well. rf you really must •
191 19' 191 = Fme for all but the fimcky
,.. ,.. le!• =Worth more than a
20-mmute drive
• 19' 19' 19' 19' =As good as you'll
find m this crty
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com
GREG SMILEY
After years of being out to her family,
friends and colleagues, professional golfer
Rosie Jones comes out to the world.
Professional golfer Rosie Jones came out in March after entering a sponsorship agreement with OliVlcl, a
company that provides travel services for gays. (Photo by Steve Mitchell/AP)
Rosie comes out swinging
LAST MONTH, DURING THE KHAFT
Nabisco Championship, March 22-28.
Rosie .Jones teed off sporting the logo or
a new sponsor, Olivia, a travel company
catering to lesbians.
With her announrement in a news piece
she wrote, and the New York Times published
on March 21 about the sponsorship,
the 4-1-year-0ld Jones, a 13-time winner on
the Ladies Professional Golf Association
(LPGA) tour, publicly came out of the clc~t.
Jones has been out to her family and
friends for 25 years, even before she began
playing on the pro tour in 1982. Most. if
not all, of her colleagues on the tour knew
of her sexual orientation. But it was not
something she discussed publicl)'.
"I've been on tour for 25 years, and in
fact. there's a wide group of lesbians on
tour. but they don't wear it," she says, "In
fact, on tour you don't always know it.
"You see people at parties and question
things, but it's not a close-knit group of
p('ople," she adds. "People just don't go
around and go, 'Is she? Is she? Is she?"'
CYNICS MIGHT SAY JONES'
admission is hardly courageous, given
that she is in the latter years of her
career. is financially stable and, in fact,
has timed this admission to an endorse·
men! deal that will pay her significant
amounts of cash.
But it was a brave move, and she
brushes such comments aside.
"Hey, opportunity fell in my lap. I wasn't
ready five or 10 years ago to make it
public. I don't think my tour was read}:"
Jones snys. "When Martina came out, she
lo t almost every one of her sponsors.
Thi1t wa the way corporate America was
thinking. It was scan'. It is SC<Iry.
"Ten )Cars ago, they didn't harn ' &
Grace,' Rosie O'Donnell. gays on main·
stream TV." she adds. "flbdayj it's liccom·
mg acceptable"
,Jones says she doesn't really know
what attitude mainstream sponsors hold
toward openly gay athletes toda)'. But she
has not been a victim of backlash as a
result of coming out.
"I still have my contract with 1'itleist,"
she says. •·1 have a new contract with I~co
shoes. with a clothing company.
Everybody was fine with it .. I wasn't surprised.
but I was relieved. Things nrejust
different toda):•·
Jones told the Voice she views hrrself
as an athlete more so than a political
activist. Whether she acknowledges it or
not, however, what she did could be con·
sidered political, basL>d on the current cli·
mate for gays in the professional sports
arena and in general.
"My coming out was not to taken
political stance," she says. 'Tm looked at
as someone who is stepping forward in
those directions. I definitely have my
viewpoints or opinions."
Regardless of the timing, Jones has
done a great service for professional sports
and for gay men and lesbians. And she's
done it on her own terms, when she was
prepared to face the consequences.
That is how it should be.
"Coming out is a personal thing for
everyone - at whatever level you do it,"
she says. "I had come out personally years
ago, but to open yourself publicly to the
world? Most people, they don't walk into a
i:rocery store and get recognized. There's
a whole [other! level for professional ath·
lctt>s. They have to be pretty comfortable
with themselves.
'!'hen she adds, ':And so what. I'm like a
thousund other athletes looking for
endorsements. I was probably pa ed over
a couple of times. So why not (enter a
sponsorship agreement with Olivia)."
It's a brave move that a lot of other
golfers and professional sports figUrC
have not yet been able to make.
Rav
APRIL 23, 2004 19
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713 528.8818 Med1ca. Center
281.333.2288 Clear Lake
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713.661. 7700
For Anto, 1~. Renrrn
Uf<'.lhalrh.Busln=lllSWTUIU
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20 APRIL 23. 2004 www.houstonvoice.com HOUSTON VOICE I eclipse
Lauper discusses place for gays in her life
LAUPER, continued from Page 15
ances. Right now on t•mr I'm doinr: a dif·
ferent vc;-c;1on f (th Dionne \\arw1ck
classic)· \falk Or. By" that t~ moIT' rock
ori nted than th one on the new record.
HOVO: H w 1s the perlorr:: nee diITer
ent \\hen vou pla~ tt: ga~ clubs"
I.ACPER: I lO\P domg those shows
be ca~ vou can do thmgs hke come out
from a cocoon or m a gonl 5t.lt You 1.an
ride. m on a horse and it's all good Iil a gav
club It~ not 1mponant to act "grown up.·
HOVO: You filmed tt video for
Mo:-: y Chang E\ervthu· • m Houston.
Hov; did vou come about tly1r. through
the stadmm n a r,ari>a<;~ can"
LAUPER: Well I .,.;anted to go out
O\er the aud1encE m chury p1ckc.r 'mt
Pat Birch, the director, said I hould use
a garbage can on a pul!Ev system
because It wou rl be cheaper and more
lnterestmg. I thought, OK. a pulky system.
I understand that That will v;ork. I
d1dn"t reall} thmk of the significance of
a garbage pail it's Just we didn't have
anything else I JUst .,.;anted to go over
the crowd and I didn't care if I'm swinli·
ing on a vme At one point the pail
started to shake and they thought they
were gonna lose me so they pulled me
in. It was then that I learned it was real·
ly ten guys manually using the pulley
ft MORE INFO
Cyndi l..auper
Spm Sunday
Venzon Wireless Theater
520 ! ~xa~ Ave
wwwvenzonwarelesstheater .corn
wwwcyndilaupercorn
tecause c d :ln't have the 'mdgct for
tr maci'mr
HOVO: Th Texas rr n can be big
'1'1i v must ha\ left qJ,tc a'l •mpress'lln
LAUPER: Texas 1s ~pecial for me
President John<on was the gu) that
signed the r .vii R.;;hts B:JI He did more
for health can and educat10n than a lot of
Presidents and Lady Bird Joh1'30n plant
ed all those beautJ'ul flov. ers that arc all
Ohr th hlghwa s here. Everv time I
dme through Texas and see them it
reminds me that God loves all the flowers-
-even the wild ones that grow on the
side of the road. 1 feel verv excited to be
commg back because when I'm here that
idea 1s all around me.
HOVO: You're a beautiful person'
LAUPER: Oh. yeah, now let me get off
the phone so I can round up my flying
monkeys! I'll see ya at the show.
Use thetn to
stand for
something.
Cyndi Lauper, who will perform music from her new CD. 'At Last' when she takes the stage in Houston on
Sunday. says she loves Houston and Texas wildflowers.
March for Women's Lives
April 25, 2004
10:00 a.m.
Washington, DC
National Mall
www.plannedparenthood.org
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com I community calendar
SATURDAY APRIL 24
All-Spanish W<>Mp SeMceJNoche Espirltual 7 p.m.
Resurrection Metropolitan Comrnuruty Church. 2026 W llth.
71J.861·9!49.
After Hairs KPFT 90.l FM 1-4 a.m.
Oigrity mass 7:30 JlJ11. for gay Cathohcs. 713-880-2872.
Free HIV Testing. Montrose Cfmic. II p.m. ·2 a.m. at V1viallil s.
713-83().3000
Gay & lesbian Brealcfast CUI 9:30 a.m 281-437-0636
..ambda Centc-
Alcohoics Ancnymous ll:30 a.m. Eye Opener Group.
8 pm Saturday Night lM!. 9:30 p.m. Wilting Ones GlOUll
1201 W Cl.ly 713-521-1243 or 7J3.528JITT2.
WWW .llllbdahous!c.' Dl1J.
Mootrose Soccer CUI 10 a.m. practice Woodrow Wilson
School Fairview and Yupon. New players~ but bcgm·
rm notrur1!fl!ly being admitted. m-862-9491 http://geOCI
ties.t001/montrosesoccer E-mail: montrosesoccer:a:yahoo.com
Q.Patrol Volunteers walk the streets to help prevent hate
cnmes. 930 p.m Coirle'lC at ccrnmunity center
713-528 SAFE E-matt. qp;1trolmc dol.com
St Sttphen's Episcop.11 auch Rosary 8 a.m
1805 W Alabama 713-528-6665
Houston GlBT Comnu1ity Center CATS (Commurnty
Aware~s for Trdnsgcnder Support) board meeting. 2 pm
3400 ~1ootras; Surt 207 7J3.S24·381& wwwhoustonglbt
commumtycenter":-g
SUNDAY APRIL 25
F111111 Rumen Houston Runners meet at Memorial Parle at
8 AM for a three-m le rt
http://hOmeswbelLnet/laralhorVhoufrhlrrt E-lllJll
laratlma;wbefl net. 713 522-0899
BemJ Memorial tnted Methodist Clud1 5erv1Ces at 8:30 &
10:50 a.m Sunday school 9:45 am. 713-526-IOP
Center for Spiritual Living Services al II am.. for children al
10 50 a.m 6610 Harwirt 7J3. 339-IBOa The center also has
C01111111tmenl ceremon • metaphysical bookstore and classes.
Conl)uity Gospel Service at 11 a.m. & 7 pm. Sunday
School for chddren 10 a.m. 713-880-9235 or
wwwtommumtygospel.org.
Colmwily of Kindred Spirits m Beaumont Worship at 6 p m
1575 Spindletop Ave.. Beaumont Te~. 409·813-2055
E·matl cksrev:lon netzero.net
~ Clud1 Ecumerncal. Liberal Baptist Service
9:30 am. & educalton hour II a.m. 713-668-8830
Emerson ~ Clud1 Adult edication. 10 a.m Service.
11 a.m. Lunch al noon. www.emersonhou.org.
Frst Congregational Clud1 (Memonal). Service at JO am.
Chnstian E!Location. IL30 am. 713-468-11543 or
fcc-housl0f1.Dl1l.
Fi'St UritWn t.menaist Clud1 Services at 9JO & 11-30
a.m. Brunch at 10.30 a.m. 713-526-5200 cllll'Ch a f1rstuu.org
Free HtV Tesli!J.1. Montrose Cliic. 9 p.m.-midnight at Club
lnerqy 713-830-3000.
Gay 8owli1g [agues 7 p.m. Palace Lanes. 419J Bellaire Blvd.
7J3.861-1187
Gay Catholics of Sl Ame's-&ustoo 5 pm. womp service
Oinner and social alexcam'a'wtnel n3-623-0930.
Grace AsseniJly Clud1 Caylgay-affinrung congregatlOfl
11 a m serv1Ce 567 Ced.Ir Grove. Ltvtngston. Texas. 7n51
936-646-7214 E-mail leol ~ttexnet.
Grace Lutheran Clm:h Sunddy school for all ages 9 am.
Service J0:30 a.111. 713-528-3269.
HAT.C.H. Houston Area Teen Coaht10n of Homosexuals meets
6-'I p.m For meeting mfomialion call 713-529·3590.
WWW hatchycuth.org.
Houston T emis CUI 9 a.m flOOI\ Memorial Parle at the
TennlS Center. houslontennisclb a.aol.com
L1mlxla Centei: Akoholics Ancnymous 9·30 a.m Came to
Believe Group. 120J w Clay. 713-521-1243 or 713-52B-9m
WWW tambdahouslon.orQ.
Maranatha Fellowship Metropollbl! Cludl. 10 a.m. service
3333 Fanmn. Suite 106. 7J3.521H>756.
Norihwoods lWlarian l.WYersalist audt Semces at 9 45 &
11:15 a.m Sunday school 9 45 a.m. 28J-298-2780.
ReslJTectioo MCC ServiceS. 9 and 11 a 'It Children and Youth
SundJy School. 10 a.m Childrens service. Ila 'It
ll3-86l-9!49
Sl Patrict's Reformed Catholic Mission. Sunday Mass al
noon. Holy Umons available. Group meets at the Hair Express.
3310 Delaware. Beaumont Texas 77703 409-781-8152 E
mad bwatsonl aglRR.com
Sl Stephen's Episcopal Clud1 Holy Eucharist Rite I
145 am Holy Eucharst. Rite II. 8:55 a.m EducatlOO hour.
10 am Choral Eucharist 11 a.m 713-528-6665.
Sunday Brunch For HIV·posi\M! mert 11 a.m. Riva~
1117 Missoon St Paul. 713-880-0690. e-tra11: l'azr&I a JOlcoo1.
The Women's Group MeelilYJ and dlSMSIOll 10 45 a.m.
nJ.529ss11
Thoreau Uribrian lWversafist Congregation. Adult disar.
sion. 9 a.m. Service.11:15 a.m. 281-277-8882. wwwtuuc.org.
Unitarian Fellowship of Galveston Coirrty 502 Church Sl
Service, II a.m. 713-686-5876.
MONDAY APRIL 26
Free HIV Testmg Montrose Cinic. J.7 pm. at the dime.
215 Westhe1mer and 3311 Riclunond. Suite 100: 4-8 pm. at
Bricks. 617 Fairview: and 9 p.m. I a.m at O 710 Pacific.
713-830 3070.
Free HIV Teslilg 4-8 JlJ11. al All Star NeM. 3415 Katy
Freeway Health clime with free testing IC'.' HIV and syph JS.
713-869·7878.
Gay Bowling~- Womens league 645 p.m. Dynamie
Lanes. 6121 Tame! Dnve. 71J.861·1187
Gay Fathers/Father; Fnt. Support group. 8-9" JO pm. 8enng
Mernonal Umted Methocfist Churth. Tom. 7!3-nb-8736
www.geoaties~
Grace Assen1l*f audt Gaylgay-affimung ~
1 p.m. aerobics clas.. 567 Cedar G~ LMngston. Texas.
m51 93lH>46-7214 [ mad leol a.easttcx.net
Grief & Divon:e 5upport Groups 7 p.m. BeniWJ 7n-526-1017
exl 208
Kolbe Project Eudianst 7-30 p. 'It llJ-861180C
Lambda Center. Alcohofics Anonymous 8 p 11 8eQ11100'°s
Group. 120' W Clay 713-5211243 or 71.Vi28·9772
WWW tambdahouSIO!l.Dl1J
Montrose Clinic Olfers weekly peer suppct groups for gay
and bisexual men with HIV Spamsh speaking group meets.
6:30 om 215 Westhe1me" ffi.830.3050 Grupo de A+n/O
p;1ra Latinos gay y btsexuales VIH positivos. l.unes 6 lO
Pzra mas mfornaaon llama al ffi.830.3025
~ VOICeS Radio Show. 8-JO p.m. KPFT 90 I
Houston GlBT Comnu1ity Center Lesbians Coming Out 7 p.m
Amencan Veterans for Equal Rights. 7p.m. 3400 Montrose
Suite 20l TJ3.524·38la
www houstonglbtccrnmurntyce-rter.org.
TUESDAY APRIL 27
Berilg Sl4JPC)rt Networt. Llllch Blllc'1 ~ 11 a.m
713-526-1017
Free HtV Testing. Mootrose Ciric.1-7 pm. at the dime. 215
Westhcimer and 3311 Rtchmond. Suite 100; 4-8 p.m al The
611. 611 Hyde Parle; and 8 pm.· midnight at Club Houston.
2205 Fannin 713-830-3070
GI.BT P8rtecosta1s Bible study. prayer. 7 JlJ11. in the Heights
For 111fo 936-931-3761; e-mail wwwWgbl947(alCS.COm.
Houstoo R~ Rl9Jy Practice from 6:30 • 8:30 p.m.
For more 1nformallon. log on to wwwroughnedcsrugby.org
Houston Women's Rl9Jy lean No expenence necessary.
Practice. 6.30-8:30 Westland YMCA Kay. 713-208-1529.
Introcb:tion to Budcl1ism All welcome al 1i34 W Temple 111
the Heights. 7 p.m Carlton. 713-862-8129.
Ran>ow ~ Free C&W dance lessons. Brazos River
Bottom No partner needed. Beginner 2 Step. Waltz. Shuffle &
Swmg 8 30 pm. 713-528-9192
Houston GI.BT Colmuity Center Lisa Wannemacher
Retabonshtp Semuiar, 7 pm. Lesbian Com.mg Oul Group,
1p.m,3400 Montrose. Suite 20Z 7J3.524-381&
wwwhoustongtbtcommurnt~enter.org.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 28
MS ~Art wrth Sali 8ablitt. ID.JO a.m -IDO pm.
~ Ml~lt-SerW:es Center.1475 ',\\>st C'n; 7J3.523-9530.
Center for Splritua) Living Meditation (drop-m).ll:30 a.m. •
1 pm SOM Discussion & Exploration. 7 p.m 6610 Harwin.
713-3391808
f'hydy Challenged Healilg Alt With Salli Babbitt,
! p.m - l30 p.m. Metropolitan Mult~Se!vices Center,
1475 West Gray 713-523-9530.
IMSkate This roller Rink skate club hosts Gay Skate Night al
Zenith Roller Rink. 8075 Cool: Road every Wl'dnesday from
8 p.m. to IO p 'Tl S5 errtry plus Ible rental 281-933-SBJa
Oobic367 a aolcom.
Crystal Meth Ancnymous (CMAJ 8:15 JlJ11. meeting. Montrose
Counseling Center, 701 Richmond Ave.. Room IS.
BemJ Memorial ~ Melhocl:st Cluth Support Networ1c
Pot Luck Dinnet'. 6:30 p.m. Vanous support groups. 7 p.m
713-526·1017
Bible Study Noon & 6:30 p.m. Sl Stephens Episcopal.
71l52f>.6665.
Free HIV Testing Montrose Clinic 4-8 p.m at Mary's.
1100 Westhe1me~ 9 p m-mtdnight at R1peord, 71) Fa1mcw:
10 Pm iaJn at EJ'~ 2517 Ralph; 10 p.m 1 a.m at Midlowne
Sp;1, 3JOO Fannin. 713-83().3000.
Free HIV Testmg. Thomas Street Clinic 9 a.m.-1 JlJ11.
2015 Thoma; Sl OraSure method CaU for appointment
Sharon. 713-873-4157
Comnuriity Gospel Service BO P.'lt 113-880-9235
WWWtornmurnlygospel.orq.
Gay Bowling leagues 6 'lO p.m. Palace LJmes, 4191 Bellaue
Blvd 713-BbJ 1187
Grace AsseniJly Clud1 GayAJay-affinrung congregation.
7 p.m. aerobics class. 567 Ced.Ir Grove Livingston. Texas.
77351. 936-646-7214. E-mail: leoJ a~stlex.nel
Houston Pride Band Open rehearsal. 7·30-9:30 p.m
1307 Yale. 713-862-1488.
Houstoo T emis CUI 7-9 p.m. Memorial Par1c at the Teruus
Center. houslontennisclb a;aol.com
Splritua) Uplift SeMce. 7 p.m Resurrection MCC.
71J.86J-9149
Houston GI.BT Colmuity Center Kid: the &ti 5l110kmg
cessabon sermnai: 7 pm., Houstoo Gay and leslJian Political
Caucus. 7 p.m 3400 Montrose Suite 201 r J-524-381&
www'loustonglbtcommunilycenter.org
THURSDAY APRIL 29
HIV+ Healing Art Group, J-4 p.m Kermit Eisenlllt Studio.
J953 Montrose Blvd. 713-523-9530
Free HIV Testing. Houston Area Comn1lli!y Ser'liCes Iv a.
2 p.m. at Josepll-Hmcs Climc.1710 West 25th St AJ-:.o 11 a.m.
3:30 p.m at Gallery Medical Clinic. 5900 North Freeway and
CltJb Toyz from 9 pm.-midmghl 713-526-0555 ex' 231
227 or 226.
Free HIV Teslmg. Montrose Cliic fl p.m midniqht al aazos
Rrver Bottom (BRB) 2400 Brazos. aid at Cousms. P.'7
Fairview dnd 4-8 p.m. at All-Star~ "!415 Katy rreeway
713-83().3000.
Free HIV Testilg 4-8 p.m. at All Star News. 3415 Katy
Freeway Health dime with 'ree teslm~ for HIV and syphilis.
7J3.869.7878
Fl'llllll!lmer1 Houston. Runners meet .rt Menl::lal Par1c
6:30 p.m for a t ree-rmle rurt
http-J /homeswbe!LneVlarathon.ihollfr~tm or e-1!!
larathon n ~U.nel 713 522 0899
Gay Bowling ~ Lua Duos. 9 p.nt Dynamic Lanei.
6121 Tame! Onve 71J.86J-1187
~ Gay Leslxan or Bisexual AHiance al the lJnivmity
Houston-Central Campus. Weekly meeting. 6 p.m. e-<nail
nguyen0023.ghotmail.rom
Hep c ReaMry Support group. 6:30 pm. 8enng
713-526-1017. Ext 211.
Houston R~ Rugby Practice from 6:30 S-.30 p.rrt For
more infonnat100. log on to wwwroughnecbugbyorg.
Houstoo Women's Rugby T ean No expenence necessary
Practice. 6 30-8:30. Westland YMCA. Kay. nJ.208-1529
Lake Livingston GI.BT~ Grol4> 7 p.m. dmner and dis·
CUS$IOll. Grace A5sembly Church. 'i67 Cedar Grove Livingston.
Texa;. m51 936-646-7214 E-mail: leo! iieasllex.net
lartda Slcating CUI 8 p.m. Tradewinds Skating Rmk.
wwwneosoflcom/-lrsc. 713-523-9620.
Montrose Cinic Offers weekly peer support groups for gay
and bisexual men with HIV. English spealcing group meets.
6:30 p.m. 215 Westheimer 713-830-3050.
Raimow ~ Free C&W daoce lessons. No partner
r!QUlred. Brazos RrM 8ottont 8:30 pm. 7J3.528-9192
ReaMry From Food Miction (RfA). Meeting for 12~tep
program open to aU. Noon-I p.m. Sl Stephen's [piscopal
Church.1805 w Alabama Sl RFA: 71J.67J.284a
www.geoaties.com/rfam35/
E-mait rfawurldservice(.aaoltont
Sparish CllW Coow.rsation Grol4> Cafe Agora. 1 pm.
E-mat1 chartahou;IOO:O'mwom. 7J3.416-7201
Women's Clime. Montrose Cinic 713-83().3000
FRIDAY APRIL 23
free HIV Testmg Thomas Street Clinic 9 a.m.-: pm.
2015 Thomas St OraSure method Call for appointmenl
Sharon. 713-873-415l
HIV+ Healing Art Grol4>, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m Keniit
Usenllrt Studio, 1953 Montrose Blvd 713-523-9530
Free llIV Testmg Montrose Cinic l-5 pm. at the dime,
215 Westhe1 and 3311 Richmond Suite 100: 10 p.m !J
1 a.m. at Rich's, 2401 San Jaanto: 10 pm. • 2 a.m. at The
Meatrack, 2915 San Jaanto; JO p.m. -1 a.m. al Mtdtowne
Spa. 3100 Fannm; 10 a.m. 1 a.m. at Us. 2517 Ralph.
713-830-3070
Grace AssarttJ Cluth. Ca-1!gay-alf1rT111ng congregation
7 pm. aerobics class. 'i67 Cedar Grove Livingston Texas.
77351 936-646-7214 E-mait leol,a.asttexnet.
HAT C.H. Houston Area Teen CoalillOll of Homosexual; ~
HO p.m For meetmg mfonna!IOO. call 713-529-3590
WWW hatchyoulh.org.
Houstoo Tennis Club. 7·9 p'Tl Men::::ial Par1c at the Tenrns
Center Houstontennisclub.org
Kolbe l'lllject. Mommg prayer, 10 am 71J.8611800.
o-Patrol Voluntem walk the streets to help preve t 'late
crimes. 9":30 p.m. Convene at community cciter
713-528-SAFE E-mail qpatrollnc< :aol.com
Houston GlBT Comn1lli!y Cenf!r Womens Calr.1! N"tghl
7pm. In[);: Own Wnte (Poetry N~ht) 8-10 pm..
3400 Montrose. Suite 207 713-524 381&
wwwhoustonglbtcomml)tl?nter.org
APRIL 2.3 2004 21
appts.
SATURDAY,APRIL24
The Montrose SoftbaD l.ealJJe's 2nd annual lone
Star Cup begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. at
Waterwood National Resort and Golf Club m
Huntsville. The event is $65 per person and
includes 18 holes of golf, a barbeque lunch and a
keg and pool party after the toumamenl Email
gsed1ta77.320 Q hotmaJlcom
The Pride Conmittee of Houston wdl host a
Parade Workshop from 11 am. to 1 p.m. dt 1415
Califorma. Information Wl be provided O' float
building and coordinating a wa kingfperfonn ng
uml The Houston Pnde Parade begins at 8 4:i
p.nt June 2h Parade appl1cat1011S must be fi ed
by May 15 to avoid a late fee 71.3-529-6979
TUESDAY. APRIL 27
The Human Rights Campaign Houston will
conduct a town hall discussion themed "Save
Our Constitution· from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at
Stages Repertory Theatre . .3201 Allen Parkway
The d1scuss1on wm focus on the dangerous
impact of the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Houston PBS personality Erme Manouse will
moderate the discussion. Panelists include HRC
National Field Director Seth Kilbourn. Lesbian
& Gay Rights Lobby Executive Director RandaD
Brts. Stonewall Democrats Houston President
Marie Wood. log Cabin Republicans Political
Director Chris Barron and Lambda Legal
Defense & Education Fund attorney Mitchell
Katine. The meeting is open to the public
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28
The 9th annual Houston Splash celebration
begins today and runs through Sunday at vanous
venues m Houston and at East Beach m
Galveston. with more than 20.000 partiapants
expected. Houston Splash 1s the Souths largest
AfricaIH\melican gay/lesbian beach weekend
and mcludes a mix of OJs and perfonners.
www.houstonsplash.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 30
Southern Country Houston presents the
12th Annual Sweethearts m Texas Spring
Ring at 7 p.m. at the New Barn, 1100-B
Westhe1mer. The event continues Saturday
mght and includes dancmg and dance exh1b1·
lions. Proceeds go to the Colt 45s
www.1aglcwdc.org/socoho/2004Hoedownsmall
flyerjpg.
Boy Ge7ge and fM? of lus pals from chi>land history
make an appearance at Richs. 2401 San
Jacil!to. DoM open .rt 9 pm wwwnchshoustoru:
om
22 AP~J~ 23 2004
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EMPLOYMENT
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APRIL 23, 2004 23
Visit houstonvoice.com to place your ad. Up to 25 words only $12.50 per week. 504
each additional word Fax toll-free 1.888.409.6768, or call toll-free 1.877 .863.1 885.
Deadline for online ads: Sam Wednesday. For other submissions: 5:30pm Tuesday.
WINDOW-MEDIA INTERNSHIP
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CATEGORY:_ - -------- #OF ISSUES:
TEXT:
~TOTAL
~YOURCOST m~:~ENT ·-------
First 25 words: 12.50 Address: _______ _
Extra words x 50': __ Bolded ad: 0 $5.00
Boxed ad: 0 $5.00
~n~: U $2.00
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APRIL 23. 2004 25
Now, each and every week, The Houston Voice will
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to help you choose the right realtor and real
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dish There's a Fine Line Between Telling the Truth and Talking Trash
The whole truth?
Sophie B. Hawkins wins
lawsuit, a president's
possible paramour,
and Jacko's gay fling
By no\\, we're all sick of hearing
about the troubles with file-sharing
servicr Napster and musk piracy, but
singer SOPHU: B. HAWKINS, probably
best known for her 1994 hit "Damn I
Wish I Wa:s Your Lover," took on n
smaller fish m a related fight, and Y.on.
On Tuesday, Apnl 13. Hawkins, who
identifies as "omnisexual uour gues
1s as good as Dish's) Y.on a lawsuit ma
Los Angeles Superior Court against an
unnamed merchant who was s..lling
promotional copies of her latest CD,
"Wilderness," on eBay.com for as much
as $300, Reuters reports.
The album, tho first to be released on
Hawkins' label Trumpet Swan Records,
was released April 20.
"He was just makmg easy money off
something that's my blood and guts,"
Hawkms said. "I had invested all of my
life savings Into this record. and he
wouldn't stop. He pissed me off."
Hawkins told Reuters that she plans to
use the $346 she won in the case to pay
back the fans who were ripped off and
then buy them real copies of the album.
Confinned bachelors
Some residents of Selma, Ala., say
speculation about whether U.S. Vice
President WILLIAM RUFUS DE VANE
KING, and President JAMES
BUCHANAN were a gay couple is much
ado about nothing.
"Buchanan and King were lovers,"
claims author and historian James W.
Loewen, who stated this in his 1999 book
"Lies Across America: What Our Historic
Sttes Get Wrong.'"
Daniel Fate Brooks, a leading authority
on King. told the Associated Press that he is
often asked about the relationship between
King and Buchanan. "Hardly a month goes
by that someone doesn't call,'" he says.
But the allegation angers members of
the Selma chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution. which is named for
King.
"It's certamly nothing people m Selma
talk about," chapter regent Edna Ledyard
said. "It's a myth.
Nobody has any way
to prove lt or
d1sprme it."
Kmgand
Buchanan net m
1834 and hared a
hou e together
sta tmg m 183:
accordmg t
~v.e11 ~·th .t'\_B
'Ommsexual' Singer Sophie B. Hawkins recently won
a lawsuit against a man selfing her CDs on eBay
critics referred to King. a major slave
owner, as "Buchanan's w1fl'."
Andrew Jackson, the nation's Sl'Venth
president, described King as ".Miss
Nancy," a slang term for effeminate men
at the time.
Ktng was nominated as Franklin
Pierce's vice president and maugumtcd in
:\tarch 18!'>3, but died of tuberculosis less
than a month later: Buchanan became
president in 1857 and is the only person to
hold that office who never married.
Off the wall
MICHAEL JACKSON just can't seem
to avoid the limelight thl'se days.
The New York Daily News reports that
the tabloid National Enquirer's latest
allegation against the pop star comes
from SCOIT THORSON, an ex·
boyfriend of the late pianist LIBERACE.
Thorson apparently passed a
polygraph test in
which he claims he
had a sexual
relationship with
Jackson.
"(Michael) felt
comfortable enough to
make the first move
on me, und I didn't
resist." he says,
claiming their two Michael Jaclcson
mterludes happened
1n the early '80s. "Michael begged me to
leave I Jbcracc. I had to say no."
Thorson claims that while hanging
out with .Jackson, he twice saw gay porn
magnzmrs on .Jackson's nightstand. one
of which had pictures that "looked like
young boys."
STEVE COCHRAN, the attorney
defPnding .Jackson against a child
molestution nllegation, dism1ssPd
Thorson's story as "false trash."
Liberace kicked Thorson out of his
home m 1982 for an adthct1on to
pamklll('rs. Thorson later sued the Las
\'egas legend for pahmonv.
HOUSTON VOICE www.houstonvoice.com I nightlife
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|
