2

Atlanta is the Gayest City in the USA, Sorry WeHo!

GAYEST CITIES IN AMERICA: Over at The Advocate, “Intrepid amateur sociologist Mike Albo searches for America’s 15 gayest burgs—based on a finely tuned (if totally arbitrary) calculus.” This list of the list of the 15th Gayest Cities in America has been compiled based on a point system of same sex households per capita, statewide marriage equality, gay elected officials, gay bars per capita and gay films in Netflix favorites. Liberal college towns have favorable ratings; like Madison, WI; Iowa City; Austin, TX; Burlington, VT and Bloomington, Indiana. Spoiler alert! Interestingly, the number 1 honor doesn’t go to New York OR Los Angeles (in fact, those two cities don’t even rank!) … it’s Atlanta:

Georgia isn’t the most gay-friendly state, but Atlanta is undoubtedly our gayest city—with 29 gay bars here, there’s a reason it’s dubbed Hotlanta. Atlanta’s several queer events include one of the nation’s largest Prides in October (returning to Piedmont Park this year), and MondoHomo, a May event celebrating art, drag, burlesque, film, and BBQ. The gay epicenter is Midtown, anchored by Outwrite Books, a giant gay bookstore bucking the national trend—by staying in business! Atlanta guys are hunky, the ladies are gracious, the gay sports leagues are seriously well organized, and its housewives (and their gay BFFs, complete with handbags and heels) are now camp icons. And who doesn’t love the sweet lilt of a Georgia accent on a knockout guy or gal?

I wonder about the Netflix rentals as a factor — in NYC and LA, gay people can go see gay films in theaters, or rent them at local video stores, or buy them in video stores, whereas in other cities Netflix is often the only option for viewing these films. Might not be the best barometer. For more on the history of Atlanta’s gay community, check this out.

0

Gay Professor/Writer For The Advocate Stabbed to Death, Man Held On Murder Charges:

An Indiana University professor was stabbed to death in his Bloomington home in an attack that police said was motivated by an incident that occurred on Christmas Day. A man authorities call a recent acquaintance was being held on a murder charge. The victim was Don Belton (photo left), an assistant professor of English at IU, English Department chairman Jonathan Elmer told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Authorities had not immediately identified the 53-year-old man found dead on Monday. Michael J. Griffin (photo bottom right), 25, of Bloomington was being held without bond Tuesday in the Monroe County Jail on a charge of murder. An initial court hearing was set for Wednesday. Bloomington police Lt. David Drake said Griffin and the victim were recently acquainted. “I don’t think they knew each other well, at least not for a long period of time,” he said. Police believe the slaying stemmed from a Christmas Day incident at Griffin’s home, he said. Drake said the victim was stabbed “at least five or six” times in the back and several times in the front of the torso. A friend who came to the victim’s house found the body in the kitchen on Monday, Drake said. Police who were called to the scene found both doors unlocked and no signs of forced entry. Nothing was missing, he said. Investigators decided to talk to Griffin because he was one of the last people mentioned in the victim’s journal, Drake said, then got information that led them to consider him a possible suspect. Officers who searched Griffin’s home Monday night found a 10-inch-long military style knife believed to have been used in the killing, Drake said. According to the IU Web site, Belton had formerly taught at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Macalester College and the University of Pennsylvania and had lectured at the Sorbonne. He was also a published author who had written for Newsweek and The Advocate and edited an anthology of essays on black masculinity. Elmer said in a statement that Belton’s friends, colleagues and students were “shocked and terribly saddened by the news of his death.” “His great talents as a writer, his extraordinary generosity to his students, and his warmth of personality were gifts to us all. We will miss him terribly,” the statement said. Belton had taught at IU since fall 2008, the statement said. Drake said the victim had lived in the home for about six months. Neighbor Luis Roncayolo said Belton was a good neighbor. “Very nice guy,” he told Indianapolis television station WTHR. “Very outgoing. Nice to meet. Wanting to talk to people. Nice to meet and deal with,” he said.

0

Rodger McFarlane R.I.P.

May 15 marked a loss of profound proportions for the civil rights community, the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community, and the HIV/AIDS movements community. Rodger McFarlane, an early advocate, activist and strategist for the gay community, took his own life in Truth and Consequences, New Mexico, last Friday after battling compounding heart and back problems that were resulting in almost total debilitation GLAAD shared this statement issued by the friends and family of Denver-based civil rights and HIV/AIDS advocate, Rodger McFarlane.

New York, Monday, May 18, 2009 – It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our friend, colleague, and hero, Rodger McFarlane. A pioneer and legend in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and HIV/AIDS movements, Rodger took his own life in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico last Friday. In a letter found with his remains, Rodger explained that he was unwilling to allow compounding heart and back problems to become even worse and result in total debilitation. We know that Rodger was in a great deal of pain. Already disabled in his own mind, he could no longer work out or do all the outdoor activities he so loved. He was also now faced with the realization that he could literally not travel, making employment increasingly difficult. As his friends and family, we thought it was important that we communicate to the world that it has lost an amazingly wonderful individual who contributed so mightily to our humanity. Rodger approached every aspect of his life with boundless passion and vigor. While many people go their entire lives wanting to be good at just one thing, Rodger excelled at virtually everything he did. Brilliant activist and strategist, decorated veteran, accomplished athlete, best-selling author, and humanitarian are just a few of the accolades that could be used to describe our friend. To know Rodger was to love an irreverent, wise-cracking Southerner who hardly completed a sentence that didn’t include some kind of four-letter expletive. He fought the right fight every day, was intolerant of silence, and organized whole communities of people to advocate for justice. These were traits that endeared him to us and are traits that make his legacy incredibly rich and powerful. The power of Rodger’s many personal and professional accomplishments cannot be denied. He was on the forefront of responding to the AIDS epidemic that ravaged our country – and specifically the gay community – in the 1980’s. Before HIV even had a name, in 1981, Rodger set up the very first hotline anywhere; he just set it up on his own phone. That was the Rodger we knew. A born strategist and leader, Rodger took three organizations in their infancy and grew each into a powerhouse in its own way, empowered to tackle this national tragedy. One of the original volunteers and the first paid executive director of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the nation’s first and largest provider of AIDS client services and public education programs, Rodger increased the organization's fundraising from a few thousand dollars to the $25 million agency it is today. Until his death, he was the president emeritus of Bailey House, the nation's first and largest provider of supportive housing for homeless people with HIV. From 1989 to 1994, he was executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), merging two small industry-based fundraising groups into one of America's most successful and influential AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. During his tenure at BC/EFA, annual revenue increased from less than $1 million to more than $5 million, while also leveraging an additional $40 million annually through strategic alliances with other funders and corporate partnerships. Rodger was also a founding member of ACT UP – NY, the now legendary protest group responsible for sweeping changes to public policy as well as drug treatment and delivery processes. Most recently, Rodger served as the executive director of the Gill Foundation, one of the nation’s largest funders of programs advocating for LGBT equality. He transformed the Foundation by sharpening its strategic purpose. He focused its philanthropy in the states, aligned its investment with political imperatives and forged relationships with straight allies that helped to further both the LGBT movement as well as the greater progressive movement. Rodger was instrumental in the creation of the Gill Foundation’s sister organization, Gill Action. The brilliance of Rodger’s vision is being seen today as important protections for LGBT people become a reality in more and more states. No one will ever doubt that our friend Rodger lived a rich and complete life. A proud U.S. Navy veteran, Rodger was a licensed nuclear engineer who conducted strategic missions in the North Atlantic and far Arctic regions aboard a fast attack submarine. A gifted athlete, he was a veteran of seven over-ice expeditions to the North Pole. He also competed internationally for many years as an elite tri-athlete, and in 1998 and 2002, competed in the Eco-Challenges in Morocco and Fiji, where he captained an all-gay female-majority team. In spite of the fact that Rodger never completed college, he was an accomplished and best-selling author and the producer of works for the stage. Rodger was the co-author of several books, including The Complete Bedside Companion: No Nonsense Advice on Caring for the Seriously Ill (Simon & Schuster, 1998), and most recently, Larry Kramer’s The Tragedy of Today’s Gays (Penguin, 2005). In 1993, he co-produced the Pulitzer Prize-nominated production of Larry Kramer’s The Destiny of Me, the sequel to The Normal Heart. Rodger had a reputation as a hard-ass. That reputation didn’t do him justice. Many of us will remember Rodger as a caregiver, a man who nursed countless friends and family members battling cancer and AIDS. He was the most compassionate and giving of friends, especially to those in physical or emotional distress. His many achievements were recognized throughout his life. Most recently, he had received the Patient Advocacy Award from the American Psychiatric Association. Other honors included the New York City Distinguished Service Award, the Presidential Voluntary Action Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, and the Emery Award from the Hetrick Martin Institute, as well as Tony and Drama Desk honors. How do you sum up someone’s life in just a few words? It’s impossible and you can’t. To commemorate Rodger’s life, his friends will organize celebrations of his, the details of which are still in the planning stages. If Rodger was anything, he was a character through and through; there are, quite literally, thousands of “Rodger stories.” That’s part of what made him such a special person. During our celebrations, we’ll share some of these stories and reflect on the many legacies left by our friend for life, Rodger McFarlane. Information on donations in memorial will also be forthcoming.

4

The Gay Confederacy

Some folks believe that if a man is gay, he is less than a man. In fact the Southern Baptists and other Southern Holy Rollers in and around the buckle of the Bible Belt think of a gay man as a person as some sort of a demon called up from the pits of hell. Homophobia runs deep in the south. Living in the closet or living out a double-life is all so common in the southern states. I have always found Southern American history interesting and I really love to read gay Southern history. Unfortunately there is not a great deal of it documented. For so long many believed that the gay experience was urban and that sexual freedom was only found in bigger cities. The assumption was that rural areas regulated untraditional sexual practices. However, gay culture and gay sex existed and is quite flourishing in small towns and communities throughout the south. Gay history is always in the making and I believe we are living in a day and age that is very fascinating, as fascinating as the Stonewall Riots 40 years ago. The Advocate has a great account of the pioneers who never knew a time before Stonewall in their June/July Double Issue in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Be sure to check it out, as it lists 40 people under 40 years old and their dedication to the promise of the pioneers who came before them. I wanted to give you my take on my gay history that I grew up around and with by sharing with you some things about a film I think you would really enjoy and a film which contains the only known video footage of Matthew Shepard before his death while he was a college student in North Carolina. More than a decade has passed since Tim Kirkman filmed his Emmy-nominated documentary Dear Jesse, yet the piece retains its significance as one of the first accounts of the divisive rhetoric that has come to characterize American politics. This short film is a first-person compare-and-contrast between the gay filmmaker and the notoriously conservative Jesse Helms, who served five terms as a Republican senator from North Carolina. Kirkman, who grew up in a Monroe, North Carolina, seeks to understand what motivates decent, “God-fearing” people to practice the politics of hate.

 

In 1972, Helms became the first Republican to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate since the 19th century. His conservative politics quickly earned him the moniker “Senator No” -- that is, no affirmative action, no abortion, no gay rights. Despite his tendency toward intolerance, Helms would become the longest-serving popularly elected U.S. senator in his state's history. Yet it would be a mistake to characterize North Carolina as a state other than one built on “churches and banks,” says local theater director Steve Umberger. His production of Angels in America, a play sympathetic to gays and people with AIDS, met with firm disapproval from conservative Carolinians. And the state was and still is very much composed of middle-class Americans who respect Helms for his consistent -- albeit bigoted -- rhetoric. Although times have changed -- the 1998 film was produced before same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts -- Kirkman shows us that we are still a nation deeply divided over issues of moral “right” and “wrong.” And he points to the toll that this division can take on the American public.

[PLAYLIST not found]

The movie concludes with a short clip of Matthew Shepard, interviewed with his boyfriend at Catawba College in North Carolina two years before his tragic death. Not included in the original documentary, the 1998 tape included the footage as a reminder that a lack of tolerance can breed violence. “This is the only footage I have of Matthew,” Kirkman comments on the film. “It's not fair. It isn't enough.” And it isn't enough to encompass the vitality of the young man. But it does serve to emphasize the necessity for understanding -- on both sides of the divide. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW AND ORDER DEAR JESSE This telling documentary is an "open letter" to Jesse Helms, the infamously conservative "Senator No." Director Kirkman, a 25-year-old gay man and North Carolina native, who left for the more liberal world of New York returns in this personal quest for understanding and perspective.

0

Randy Shilts

Author and AIDS Journalist

Randy Shilts was the first openly gay journalist to cover GLBT issues in the American mainstream press. He held positions at The Advocate and the San Francisco Chronicle and is the author of three books. Shilts came out at age 20 and was head of the Eugene, Oregon Gay People's Alliance. After working as the northwest correspondent for The Advocate, he moved to San Francisco to become a staff writer. He covered gay issues and city politics at San Francisco area television stations. Shilts wrote “The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk” (1982), when a biography about a gay political figure was groundbreaking.

His New York Times best seller, “And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic” (1987), was the first major book about AIDS. It chronicles the first five years of the epidemic and exposes the infighting and inaction that led the virus to become a pandemic. The book earned a nomination for the National Book Award and was translated into seven languages. It was adapted into an Emmy Award-winning HBO film starring Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, Matthew Modine and Lily Tomlin.

While suffering from AIDS-related causes, Shilts dictated the last chapters of “Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military: Vietnam to the Persian Gulf” (1993). The work examines homophobia in the military and is based on more than 1,000 interviews.

Shilts never compromised his professional integrity. In 1993, a year before he lost his battle with AIDS, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

"History is not served when reporters prize trepidation and propriety over the robust journalistic duty to tell the whole story."