Welcome!

Welcome to HOOSIER LGBTQ! 
August 11, 2012

In the lastest issue of Lesbian Connection, there is a bit from me promoting this blog, which I created as a way to connect with the Hoosier gay community.  Please feel free to browse the archives and visit the Facebook page! (link to the right)

Right now I have been extremely busy with my wife and son, as well as on my forthcoming YA novels through Queerteen Press.  But I do hope to get this newsletter back on track when possible!  I am always looking for people to submit activities and events in Indiana, and would like to offer free advertisting for gay-run/gay-friendly Indiana businesses.  (To submit, please e-mail kimnflowers@yahoo.com).

The Indy Pride Facebook Page is a great place to find local events, but here are a few things I've gathered from there and other places across the web:


Upcoming Events

Indiana Black Pride is this weekend, August 10, 11 and 12th!  http://www.indianablackpride.org/ 

The "unofficial" red day at Indiana State Fair is Monday August 13th! http://www.facebook.com/events/434164773293750/

On August 15th, Talbott Street in Indianapolis is hosting Pat Yo Weave's Hot Fried Chick on Chick Action show! Doors open/dinner served at 6, and proceeds will benefit IYG and the Greg Powers DEFA Fund.  Show starts at 7, $10 cover.

On August 17th is the Indy Pride Monthly Membership Mixer at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. Click here for more details: http://www.facebook.com/events/508469719167243


 The Mark III Tap Room in Muncie will be hosting the Miss Gay Muncie and Miss Gay Heartland on August 18th . . . doors open at 8, and there is a $4 cover charge.

Also on August 18th is Talbott Street's 10th Annual White Party.  Donations will benefit the Indiana AIDS Fund, and doors open at 9 with a $6 cover and 3 scheduled shows.

On August 18th, The Indy Pride Bag Ladies and Alana Steele will be performing at the annual Studs in Stilettos fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at Forty Five Degrees at 9:30pm.
http://www.facebook.com/events/412550472115009/

On August 20th at The Athenaem Theater in Indianapolis there will be a youth benefit called A Night to Unite. Proceeds will go to the It Gets Better Project and Indy Pride Youth Scholarships.  Go here for more details: http://www.indyprideinc.org/events/nighttounite.htm


Also, go to http://www.mootmagazine.com/2012/08/16/woman-up/   "Woman Up!"

and http://www.mootmagazine.com/2012/08/16/america-as-dystopia/   "America as Dystopia" to see my latest articles in MOOT Magazine. 

Thanks for reading!

I'm Really Not a Slacker!

Oh, Hello
I have been extremely busy, and unfortunately for now this weekly newsletter will be put on hold.  You can still visit the Facebook page (link to the right) for awesome gay news and events. 

One reason I am so busy is I have been contributing to an awesome publication called Moot Magazine.  Go to www.mootmagazine.com to find all kinds of national news for liberal Americans.

I also have two books scheduled for publication through Queerteen Press:  Contemporary Adventure No Turning Back will be available in e-book and paperback October 2012.  Dystopia The Divide is scheduled for publication in January 2013.  I am going to be very busy doing edits for both books, writing blurbs, finding people to do reviews, learning about how I can help self-market, and also try to keep my writing blog up-to-date, at http://kimnflowers.blogspot.com.  You can find me there, as well as here on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Flowers-Writer/112914922137995.

I do hope to continue making weekly posts here at some point as well!

Thanks for reading!

INDY PRIDE!

INDY PRIDE THIS WEEKEND!!!

Pride Week had been going on all week, and I'm sorry I haven't been posting more about the events that have been taking place!

Saturday will be the Pride Parade and Circle City Pride.  For more information, go here:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/indypride

The Mark III Tap Room in Muncie will not be open Saturday for Pride.  They will be open Friday and Sunday.


MOOT Magazine's Gay Issue Available

Also, I haven't been updating a lot lately, but please check out a great publication called MOOT Magazine, which publishes monthly issues about controversial topics, and also has daily web site posts.  Their June Issue just came out, and it is the Gay Issue.  I wrote two articles for this issue; it is available online, in e-format, and in print.  Go to www.mootmagazine.com to check it out!


There are other updates on the side columns, as well as the HOOSIER LGBTQ Facebook page; have a great Pride!!

Volume One Issue Eight Thursday May 3, 2012

Volume One Issue Eight Thursday May 3, 2012
Introduction From the Creator

If you'd like to see more frequent LGBT news in and around Indiana, check out the HOOSIER LGBTQ Facebook page!

--Kim Flowers

Flaming National Headlines

Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" bill is expected to die without a vote.  GOP sponsor Rep. Joey Henley says he won't bring it up.  --Huffington Post

Missouri Republican Representative Zach Wyatt comes out, opposes Missouri's "Don't Say Gay" bill -- Advocate

Jodie Brunstetter, wife of North Caroline state senator Peter Brunstetter, claims that Amendment 1, which will ban same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships, will protect the Caucasion race, and that same-sex marriages don't produce children.  --Think Progress

Community News

Darnell Young, a gay student at Tech High School in Indianapolis, is facing expulsion for carrying a stun gun his mother gave him to protect against bullies.  After being cursed and threatened Young fired the stun gun into the air while surrounded.  His mother has previously filed 10 formal complaints about bullying.   --Indianapolis Star, LGBT Nation

IMO:  Too Late to RuPologize?

Dr. Robert Spitzer, who led the way in declassifying homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973, also published a study in 2001 claiming ex-gay therapy could change a person's sexual orientation.  Since then,  his words have been used by many ex-gay groups, including Exodus International, to support their cause.  In March of this year, Spitzer retracted his findings and apologized to the LGBT community.

Does this change anything?

Right now, I don't think so.  It is admirable that Spitzer has taken these actions, even though I'm not sure why it took him so long.  In the future I think this will impact the ex-gay therapy lies and beliefs of those who think homosexuality can and should be changed, but right now it only seems to be affecting those who already knew the crap didn't work anyway.

I attempted ex-gay therapy through Exodus International via email and with my campus counselor in 1999-2000, a year before Spitzer's study was published.  Reparative therapy groups existed before this study and will continue to exist after.  His apology doesn't take away the horrible experience I had, nor those of others who attempted to change themselves because they thought that according to their religion, society, and family they had no other choice.  But this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Want to read more about the experiences of myself and a friend in ex-gay therapy?  Check this out: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/VIEWPOINT-Ex-this/33737.html


Thanks for reading!

Volume One Issue Seven, April 18 2012

Volume One Issue Seven, April 18 2012
Introduction from the Creator

Welcome to the next issue of HOOSIER LGBTQ! Check out the Facebook page for links to all kinds of gay news, events, and organizations.  I'll also post on the page when new issues are printed.  Enjoy!  --Kim Flowers

Flaming National Headlines

Gay Iowa teen Kenneth Weishuhn committed suicide after recieving death threats.  Huffpost Gay Voices

A study has shown that many workers are paid less because of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.  --AmericanProgress.org

Psychiatrist Dr. Robert Spitzer, creator of a controversial ex-gay study in 2001 which is still being used by many reparative therapy groups today, retracted his claims in American Prospect magazine.  --www.LGBTQNation.com

Nearly 2 dozen gay groups are supporting the family and case of Trayvon Martin.  You can read the letter of support from GLAAD and other organizations here: http://www.glaad.org/blog/open-letter-standing-alongside-trayvon-martins-family-and-friends

Community News

Diverse Business Solutions in Greenwood has been contracted by the University of Evansville to assist in developing a campus-wide supplier diversity program. The company is one of only two organizations in the United States to offer certification of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered businesses. To learn more about Diverse Business Solutions or if you are a certified diverse business, visit at www.dbs-llc.net.  --GayIndyNow.com

Indiana's gender/race gap is among the largest in the nation.  On average, for every dollar a man makes, a white woman makes 72 cents, a black woman makes 67 cents, and a Latina woman makes 55 cents.  (There was no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity gaps in this article.)  --Indianapolis Star

The Indiana BMV is reportedly trying to stay out of the Indiana legislative debate on how many specialty license plates a state should issue.  A schedule for the study committee hasn't been set up yet. --Associated Press

IMO:  When Your Doctor Discriminates

            When it comes to going to the hospital in Indiana, one would think that it would be a safe experience for GLBT people. There are no “family only” laws to ban anyone from visiting their same-sex partners, and most patients are treated fairly regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.  But some doctors still choose to discriminate against patients who do not meet their hetero-normative standards.  As has happened to me several times before in my life, I once had an experience where I wasn’t expected to be treated any differently for being a lesbian and ended up confused and hurt, this time at the doctor’s office. 

            Two years ago I became a new patient to an OB/GYN who came highly recommended to me.  I will call him Dr. A.  It seemed that Dr. A had saved the lives of half the babies in town, made “House”-like diagnoses, and performed legendary surgeries.  My sister was one of his patients, and had a baby while under his care.  Sadly, the doctor told my sister that she would never conceive again.  I went to Dr. A for a regular check-up and to get advice on how best to get pregnant with a sperm donor.

            On my first visit, things seemed fine.  The doctor told me I most likely had endometriosis, and that certain procedures could help my chances of becoming pregnant.  But I didn’t want to go through any procedure or surgery without an official endometriosis diagnosis, which can only be made with a laparoscope.  At my second appointment, 6 months later, I had been trying to get pregnant for four months, and wanted to discuss the methods I’d used and an obtain an official diagnosis of whatever might be wrong with me since I had chronic abdominal pain.  That day I sat on a table, question list in hand, listening to a baby’s heartbeat from the sonogram room next door with tears in my eyes.  I wondered when it would be my turn to be a mother.

Dr. A walked into the room and said, “So, what are we doing?”

I said, “I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know what’s going on, then this is just a waste of time,” he answered, throwing his hands in the air.  “I have other patients to see.”  In the tone of voice one might use with a dog, he told me I needed an X-ray on my fallopian tubes, a DNC procedure to scrape the lining of my uterus, and a blood test to check my progesterone levels.  Not only that, but he seemed to think I wasn’t trying hard enough to get pregnant and told me that I should have sex with my sperm donor.  When I told him I couldn’t, he suggested this method again about five minutes later.  I left in tears through a crowded waiting room, thinking that the people who stared at me probably thought that I’d just found out I had herpes or something.  

Against my better judgment I got my blood levels checked, to prove that I was in fact doing everything I could to have a baby.  A nurse called a few days later and told me my progesterone levels were low and that I should have all the procedures done that Dr. A recommended, but I didn’t feel comfortable going back to that office. 

  Less than a month later, I went to an appointment with a new doctor, Dr. B. I told him everything that had happened with Dr. A.   Dr. B told me progesterone levels are meaningless unless a woman is already pregnant, and that there was no reason I should have had that blood test done. And then, during a pelvic ultrasound, my new doctor showed me a tiny white dot on the screen which turned out to be my son.

I took my first official positive pregnancy test on April Fools’ Day, 2010.

A week later, my supposedly infertile sister got a positive pregnancy test as well. 

It wasn’t until after all this that I found out my sister felt mistreated by Dr. A, too.  I wondered if her bad experiences were due to the fact that she is white and her boyfriend is black.  But then someone who heard about both of our experiences told us that Dr. A doesn’t have a problem with lesbians or mixed-race couples, just unmarried women.  I’m not sure if there are any legal actions that can be taken against people such as Dr. A.  All I know is that after my comfort level and integrity had been shattered, I switched doctors immediately.  Maybe this is the only thing that can be done.  But if anyone else has an experience similar to this, please know that it isn’t right and you can find another doctor who will treat you with respect.

Thanks for reading!

Friday April 7, 2012

Friday April 7, 2012

I've been working on a lot of other writing projects lately, and haven't been able to get the weekly  newsletter up!  But please check out the Facebook page:  HoosierLGBTQ, where I will share headlines, events, and other things that would normally be posted here.  The goal I'm trying to achieve is a place where gay Hoosiers can get the most information possible.  I'll be sure to post a link to the next issue as well, because I'm sure that I'll be able to find the time to get back to this soon!

You can also check out past issues here in the Blog Archives on the right column.

Kim Flowers

Volume One, Issue Five Friday March 16, 2012

Volume One, Issue Five Friday March 16, 2012
Introduction from the Creator

Due to busy life, I didn't get to post on Thursday. 

I hope you enjoy this week's issue of HOOSIER LGBTQ!

Flaming National Headlines

In the nation's first ruling of it's kind, an immigration judge in Houston ended Costa Rica native David Gonzalez's deportation process because of his marital status to another man.  Gonzalez married American Mario Ramirez in California in 2008, and the couple has since moved to Texas.  --The Advocate, EquallyWed.com

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslan has said he wishes the state legislature would stop pushing the so-called "Don't Say Gay Bill", which would ban any discussion or teaching about homosexuality in school, even though the legislation is being pushed by his own political party.  --Human Rights Campaign

The OUT NYC hotel is a gay focused, straight-friendly urban resort which just opened this month.  It is the first hotel of its kind in New York City, and possibly the world.  --Reuters

On Tuesday, March 13 a gay couple in Dallas was hospitalized when 5 people beat them with baseball bats.  In Washington D.C. on March 11 and 12, one gay man was shot and another beaten.  A transgender woman was also attacked.  --BigGayNews.com

Community News

There doesn't seem to be much to report as far as Indiana news, but check out The Rainbow Highlighter column on the right for lots of upcoming events!

IMO: Your License Plate Could Send You to Hell!

There's been talk about banning many specialty license plates in Indiana, including (and especially?) the one for IYG, or Indiana Youth Group, which supports GLBT youth.  Right now this legislation seems to be stopped for now, and perhaps the legislators aren't just singling out gay-friendly plates and are honestly irritated by having too many organizations represented or something. But one of the things that annoys me most is that the sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Ed Soliday, withdrew the bill because he claimed that the whole issue had become "too politicized."

Dude, you work in politics.

I'm sick of people who use every excuse in the world to justify their actions instead of just saying what they really think and feel.  I discussed this last week, too.  If a politician thinks gay people are icky or hellbound, then they should just say so.  And if a lawmaker is worried about election results and therefore wants to stay away from making any controversial decisions, they should admit it, too, and then tell us why they are even in politics in the first place.

Banning license plates, organizations, education, and even marriage is not going to eradicate homosexuality.  We're here and we're queer, and all the ex-gay therapy and Bible bashing you can thump out has never, and will never, change that.  It's time for all bigots to expand their narrow world-views.

Thanks for reading!

Volume One, Issue Four, March 9 2012

Volume One, Issue Four, Friday March 9, 2012
Introduction from the Creator

Due to technical difficulties, this week's issue is on Friday instead of Thursday.  If there are any comments or suggestions, please feel free to let me know, either in the comments section at the end of this issue, or by emailing kimnflowers@yahoo.com. 

I hope you enjoy this week's belated issue of HOOSIER LGBTQ!  -- Kim Flowers


Flaming National Headlines

In Charles City County, VA a student was suspended, and claims it is because he is gay and wore high heels.  The school's superintendent is investigating.  --NBC12.com

"You Can Play" launched Sunday, March 4. This is an organization launched by Patrick Burke in an attempt to stop homophobia in the NHL.  For more information, click here: http://www.youcanplayproject.org/ --Yahoo!

On March 18th, 46 members of a group called Courage are going to run the Los Angeles Marathon to raise money for LGBT rights.  -- Human Rights Campaign

On March 3, in Chicago, an HIV/AIDS prevention and care group opened up the first homeless GLBT youth shelter in the Midwest.  -- Windy City Times

Community News

INDIANAPOLIS, IN  Bill SB 327, a bill that would drastically lower the number of specialty license plates in Indiana, in an effort by Republicans to ban plates for GLBT-friendly organizations such as Indiana Youth Group, was killed on Feb. 29.  However, the legislative session ends on Friday March 9 and an effort may be made to revive this bill.  --Indianapolis Star


IMO:  Narrow-minded Lists

Last week I posted that the Minnesota for Marriage group has created a list as to why gay couples should not marry.  Here is a recap:

1. Sex between a man and a woman has the unique capacity to create a child.
2. Pregnancy can occur regardless of whether the couple intends to create a child
or not.
3. The new human life that is created is vulnerable and needs the protection of
adults.
4. The man and woman who created the new life typically have the most interest in
and are best at protecting and guiding that child.
5. They agree that they will both be legally responsible for any child conceived during
the marriage.
6. Couples must work for decades together to raise a child from conception to
adulthood.

And now I would like to discuss why each of these "reasons" are narrow-minded excuses.  Come on, if you believe because of your religion that being gay is wrong, just say so.  But none of these reasons why make any sense.  If you feel that being gay will turn your whole worldview upside down, just say so, but maybe the way you think about the world truly needs re-examined.

1.  Marriage in it's current state of perfection was not created solely for child-raising.  And even if it was, it was also originally a polygamist, arranged, daughter-selling and buying institution where women were treated like property.  Let's not pretend we need to go back to some imaginary "good old days", where divorce was never an option and the men had concubines on the side.  And of course we all know that some men and women are incapable of conceiving a child naturally.  Should they be banned from marriage too?  Moving on.

2.  I'm not sure what the intention of this is statement is at all.  Yes, some people become pregnant by accident.  Some of these babies are unwanted or unable to be cared for by their natural parents; some are not. This seems to be more an argument for gay marriage than against. Since gay couples cannot get pregnant by accident, any child they bear or adopt will obviously be planned, and the child wanted and loved.

3.  This implies that same-sex couples are not adults.

4.  While I agree that the couple who creates a life are obviously the ones most interested in caring for the child, this can apply to same-sex couples as well.  And think of all the children in foster care who long to be adopted.  Many same-sex couples opt out of adoption because both parents cannot adopt the same child.  I have a child of my own, born from donated sperm by a person I know, as opposed to an anonymous donor.  I am thrilled and delighted that my child is in my life, but I also think that adoption is being overlooked as an option in this list, and that thousands of children could get good homes they otherwise would not have if marriage and adoption could be opened up to more GLBT couples.

5.  Yes, parents of all kinds agree that they will be legally responsible for the child.  My wife and I are currently going through a co-parent adoption process, in which my wife will be legally responsible for the well-being of our son for life.

6. This is perhaps the most insulting of the reasons, as it insinuates that same-sex couples do not have the fortitude to stay together for decades to raise a child.

As usual, these reasons are misguided and based on incorrect beliefs.  Gay couples here are apparently people who do not stay together, cannot behave as adults, and would never be able to care for a child the way a straight couple would.  These hollow and narrow-minded excuses do absolutely nothing to prove that gay marriage should not be allowed.  And by focusing solely on the institution of child-raising, many more issues that come with marriage are completely ignored.  What about taxes, insurance, hospital visitation rights and even end-of-life planning and care? If heterosexual marriage has been created solely for child-rearing, then none of these benefits should be offered to straight couples, either.  Stop the games, and stop the ignorance.  Just tell us you think gay people are icky drug-laden freaks.  When I come home from work, my son runs up to me carrying a toy bat and wearing a plastic bucket on his head, yelling for joy.  As a lesbian mother who considers myself married I am offended by Minnesota for Marriage's illogical list, and can't understand how anyone could look at it and say, "Oh, that makes sense."  Because it doesn't.


Thanks for reading!

This week's Rainbow Highlighter:  Show at Talbot Street March 15

Volume One, Issue Three THURSDAY March 1, 2012
Greetings from the Creator

The publication date for HOOSIER LGBTQ has been changed from Friday to Thursday! 

I hope you enjoy this week's issue--Kim Flowers

Flaming National Headlines

Friday Feb. 24 -- Dahrun Ravi, a former Rutgers University student, went on trial in New Jersey on hate crime charges and other counts for allegedly using a webcam to spy on his roommate Tyler Clementi's sexual encounter with another man.  Clementi committed suicide just days after Ravi allegedly streamed the encounter remotely and allowed others to view it.  If convicted, Ravi could face up to 10 years in prison.  --CNN.com

Tuesday Feb. 28 -- Anti-gay state group Minnesota for Marriage has posted 6 reasons on their web site that gay marriage should not be legalized.  The reasons are:
1.  Sex between a man and a woman has the unique capacity to create a child.
2. Pregnancy can occur regardless of whether the couple intends to create a child or not.
3.  The new human life that is created is vulnerable and needs the protection of adults.
4.  The man and woman who created the new life typically have the most interest and are best at protecting and guiding that child.
5.  They agree that they will both be held legally responsible for any child concieved during that marriage.
6.  Couples must work for decades together to raise a child from conception to adulthood. 

They also made a shorter version of the list:

1.  Society needs babies.
2.  Sex makes babies.
3.  Babies need a mom and dad.
4.  Marriage is society's attempt to insure babies have both a mom and dad. 
--Human Rights Campaign, thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

Wednesday Feb. 22 -- Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that fights LGBT extremism, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) and its president, Greg Quinlan, after Quinlan claimed on a television show that Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Beasen tried to have him killed.  --PR Newswire/US Newswire

Wednesday Feb. 29 -- Kenyata White and Aeimee Diaz were celebrating their anniversary at the District American Kitchen & Wine bar in Phoenix, Arizona this week when they were asked to leave the restaurant for "inappropriate behavior." But after an uproar on Facebook and other social media sites, the lesbian couple has been welcomed back. --azcentral.com

Community News
INDIANAPOLIS (WISHTV.com) -- The Indiana Senate passed a statewide smoking ban, but the House and Senate must work out a compromise before it can be made law.  One of the biggest issues is whether bars and taverns should be exempt.  Local bars that have gone smoke-free voluntarily say that it has not hurt their businesses, and that they believe going smoke-free is a good decision.

IMO:  From Bullying to Discrimination

Note:  This post has been removed.

          

This week's Rainbow Highlighter featured March 2, Talbot Street, Girls Rock! and March 3, Greg's, Disco 2012 Freaks Re-United

It's On . . . March 4, "World's Worst Place to  be Gay?" on LOGO

Volume One, Issue Two February 24, 2012

Volume One, Issue Two February 24, 2012
Introduction from the Creator

We've made it to the second issue!  There are times the thought of keeping this up is overwhelming, but it's not too difficult because I do my best to keep up on the news and I'm not really going out of my way to print what I've learned each week.  Submissions are still welcome, especially for Community News and It’s On. I don’t watch much TV; to illustrate just how dire the situation is, I just watched “But I’m a Cheerleader” for the first time last weekend.  I know.  I'm sorry.  Also, my wife and I are the proud parents of a 1 year old, and while he isn’t addicted to cartoons yet, the day is coming soon when he’ll be requesting to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 50 times in a row, so I don't see my TV-watching days increasing any time soon.


I have designed this page to display only one post on the main page.  You can find the blog archives in the right column to look at past issues; each week I'll summarize the information found on the other content columns on the right at the end of the old issue, and then refresh the side columns with new information.  I'm having an interesting time with fonts and type-sizes this week, but I'll figure it out. 


I'm considering changing the publication date to Thursdays to give people more of a chance to read before the weekend, but this week it wasn't possible.  HOOSIER LGBTQ also has a Facebook page, so check it out.  Each week I'll post a link on the page when the new issue is available.  --Kim Flowers


Flaming National Headlines

Friday, Feb. 23 the Maryland Senate passed a marriage equality bill, which the governor has pledged to sign into law.  –Human Rights Campaign

Friday, Feb. 17 the governor of New Jersey vetoed the gay marriage rights bill which was passed by the House and Senate.  Lawmakers need to get a two-thirds majority in both houses by January 2014 to override the veto.  –CNN.com

Add your name to the petition to add a freedom to marry platform to the 2012 Democratic election http://freedomtomarry.org/Say-I-Do.

Chicago alderman Proco Joe Moreno plans to introduce an ordinance to regulate how police deal with transgender people.  The State has also recently introduced a bill to add crimes based on gender-identity, military status, and immigration status to the hate-crimes law.  –Windy City Times

Community News

INDIANAPOLIS, IN— Associated Press  Advance America, an Indiana-based non-profit led by Eric Miller, is lobbying state lawmakers to ban IYG and other gay support groups from offering special Indiana plates, accusing the group of recruiting children to become gay.

State Rep. Jeff Thompson has tried three times this year to ban the IYG plates by pushing amendments for unrelated motor vehicle bills.

Senate President Pro Tem David Long says a ban would likely raise too many constitutional problems.

FT. WAYNE, IN –Indianapolis Star  Rep. Bob Morris of Fort Wayne won't support a resolution celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts because he believes it is a "radicalized organization" that supports abortion and promotes homosexuality.  He claims the organization encourages sex and shouldn’t allow transgender females to join.

IMO:  Not the New Black

As Black History Month draws to a close, I find myself wondering about statements I hear sometimes that compare the gay experience to the black experience.  When people say that "gay is the new black," I have to say that I respectfully disagree.  It's human nature to categorize and compare as many things as possible; our brains instinctively do this to make sense of the world.  At the same time, I don't think every civil right issue should be equated to the horrible legacy of slavery.  Stand-up comedian Wanda Sykes is the only black person I have heard in my admittedly limited experience who has said that she believes being a lesbian is the more difficult of the two.  During one of her routines she jokes that at least she didn't have to come out as black to her parents and listen to them scream to Jesus about what they did wrong when they raised her.  I'm not sure she's in the majority on this opinion, but I do think she has a point.  Still, there are many who hear the comparison to gay and black and get insulted, and I feel that this is valid too. 

Since I don't have a picture on the site yet, I'll tell you that I'm white, in case you didn't know.  So what do I know about being black?  Probably nothing.  But even as a kid in a 99-percent white town I knew prejudice and discrimination were wrong.  Today I have black people in my family, including two children with a white mother and black father. I've seen the way white people sometimes look at my niece and nephew in public places when they aren't even doing anything wrong.   While Civil Rights has come a long way, there's more work to be done, so I think the biggest problem with saying "gay is the new black" is that this alludes to the fact that we're living in that mythical Post-Racial Era, when we are not.  The journey to gay rights should not replace or overshadow the struggles that others are still going through.  

The various experiences of minority groups are not identical, and while I believe that in the quest for equality in areas such as marriage we can look back on the struggle for women's rights and civil rights, LGBTQ rights should also incorporate new ideas.  A larger effort to educate the mainstream public and display good role models would be a start, so that at least the people who are against gay rights can know what they're talking about.  When those who are anti-gay actually meet an LGBTQ person, whether it be a co-worker, a friend, or their own child, they usually see things from a different perspecitve.  So, more straight people just need to meet more gay people!  Maybe this is what the haters call "recruiting", but it's what I call education.

Being gay is not the same as being black. But every person does deserve basic human rights.  Maybe someday there really will be an all-inclusive "human rights campaign" where every type of person imaginable can join.  Yeah, I know, I watched way too much Sesame Street as a kid.  But it could still happen!

Thanks for reading!

This weeks side columns:
The Rainbow Highlighter:  Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie, Sweetheart Dance, Feb. 25

It's On . . . Sat. Feb. 25 "It Gets Better" 3-4 am on LOGO

Reading Out Loud  "America's Boy" by Wade Rouse

Volume One, Issue One  February 17, 2012
Introduction from the Creator
Welcome to Issue One of HOOSIER LGBTQ!  The format is still evolving, and while I hope to one day have a more professional look, my goal is to maintain a free publication for Indiana's gay community.  If any other Indiana GLBT magazines exist, please share them, because I'd like to know!

HOOSIER LGBTQ will be published every Friday, and will feature national and local news, opinions, and events.  Submissions are welcome, but right now I will be unable to pay contributors.  See the submission guidelines at the bottom of the page for more information.

Comments are welcome, but they will be moderated.  Absolutely no anti-gay, hateful, or hurtful comments will be allowed.  HOOSIER LGBTQ is a place for acceptance and affirmation; debates about whether being gay or having rights is "wrong" or "bad" belong somewhere else.

I hope you enjoy this week's issue of HOOSIER LGBTQ! --Kim Flowers

Flaming National Headlines

Lawmakers are on the verge of legalizing gay marriage in Washington state, making it the seventh state in the U.S. to allow gay couples to wed.  --Associated Press

On Thursday, Feb. 16 New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill to provide same-sex couples the right to marry, but the state's Republican governor has vowed to veto it.  --CNN.com

A bill to restrict teaching about homosexuality before high school, known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, passed Tennessee's Senate last year, and will be voted on by the House in spring; several Tennessee students are protesting.  --USA Today

On Monday, Feb. 13 at the Great Lakes Naval Station,  north of Chicago, about 75 people held the first public meeting of Gay, Lesbian and Supporting Sailors (GLASS).  This is believed to be the first non-academy, general base-sanctioned gay support group on any U.S. base in the world.  --Windy City Times

Community News--Benefit at The Mark III Tap Room

MUNCIE, IN Last Saturday, The Mark III Tap Room held a benefit show for a former manager of the gay bar, Darla Taylor, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.  Entertainers included drag queens Lena Myers, who came out of retirement for the event, and India Black, who performed a tribute to Whitney Houston, as Houston's death had been announced shortly before the show began.  Over $800 was raised. The Mark will hold a regular drag show tomorrow night, Saturday Feb. 18.


IMO:  This section will be re-posted in three days.

This week's side contents were: 
The Rainbow Highligher-- The Mark III Tap Room in Muncie -- Drag Show, Sat. Feb. 18

It's On . . . RuPaul's Drag Race, Mondays on LOGO

Reading Out Loud-- "The Moonlit Earth" by Christopher Rice, and http://www.allromancebooks.com/ featuring "Eye on the Ball" by Shelley Munro

Thanks for reading!