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LETTER www.theletteronline.com
VOLUME 19, ISSUE 9 • SEPTEMBER 2008
Louisville AIDS Walk Will Include 5K Run & Pet Walk Kentucky’s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser, the 16th Annual Louisville AIDS Walk, will take place on Sunday, September 28. Registration and entertainment for the Walk, along with a 5K Run and Pet Walk, will begin at 1:00pm on the Belvedere. In addition to the Walk, this year’s event will again provide a fun time for children. The KidZone will offer face painting, ice cream and costumed characters. To get involved in the local fight against AIDS visit www.louisvilleaidswalk.org, where you can easily register, form a team, learn more about the services offered by participating agencies, make a secure donation or
download a pledge form. Assistance is available to help you easily set up your own personalized webpage with the Walk’s online fundraising service. Supporting the Louisville AIDS Walk comes with great benefits! The top fundraiser will win a 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Ultimate Package. Raise $1,500 and you’ll be entered to win an HD TiVo! You can also earn a 16th Anniversary t-shirt, a sweatshirt and a gas/ grocery gift card valued at $25, $50 or $100. The more money you raise, the more prizes you earn. Continued on page 8
The route for the 16th Annual Louisville AIDS Walk/5K Run and Pet Walk will again include the Clark Memorial Bridge. This seems appropriate since the money raised provides a true “Bridge of Hope” for thousands of Kentuckiana residents infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
COMMUNITY PHOTO GALLERY Dozens of folks attended the August gathering of the Louisville Gay Professionals group (also known as “GPro”) that took place at Q in downtown Louisville. GPro’s next Cocktail Party will take place on Wednesday, September 17 beginning at 5:30 in the DOC Bar at the Connection. For more information about the group and other upcoming events, you’ll find them on Facebook or you may write mark@ markengland.com.
Brian Rzepczynski
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SEPTEMBER 2008
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LETTER www.theletteronline.com Post Office Box 7842 Louisville, KY 40257 Founded in June 1990 by Humphrey Marshall & Jeffrey Goldsmith EXECUTIVE EDITOR/WEBMASTER ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION: Dave VanderPol: (502) 338-4153
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PHOTO JOURNALISTS James Hensley, Scott Stortz, David Williams Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person, organization, or business in articles or advertising in THE LETTER or on its companion website is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation of such person, organization or business. THE LETTER assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. THE LETTER reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement. © 2008, The Letter News, LLC. All rights reserved.
OCTOBER 2008 DEADLINES Press releases, Regional Calendar items and Community Groups listings must be received no later than Wednesday, September 17, 2008. Advertising reservations must be received no later than Monday, September 22, 2008. All items should be sent to:
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Dirty Trick: Defeated Council Candidate Plans Defamation Lawsuit by Philip M. Bailey
[Reprinted with permission from the August 13, 2008 issue of L.E.O. newspaper. Copyright 2008, L.E.O. Weekly, Inc. All rights reserved.] A former candidate for Louisville Metro Council is preparing to file a defamation lawsuit in an effort to find out who is responsible for distributing an anti-gay campaign flier that might have cost him the election. In May, Ken Herndon narrowly lost the Democratic primary for the 6th District seat to incumbent George Unseld by a mere 112 votes. The Saturday before the election, voters found in their mailboxes a malicious campaign mailer — a glossy, double-sided, high-priced flier — featuring a photo of Herndon's face transposed atop the body of a man embracing two other men kissing at a gaypride parade. Among a number of homophobic jabs in bold letters was this gem: "(Herndon) wants us to elect him because he designed new garbage cans?! I guess when you live a life of trash you become pretty familiar with garbage cans." "I frankly think it cost me the race," Herndon, who is gay, told LEO Weekly in June, shortly after the election. Now, Herndon says he intends to file a civil complaint against a John/Jane Doe in Jefferson County Circuit Court in the next couple of weeks, the first step toward finding out who produced, paid for and distributed the mailer. Filing suit against an unnamed party would give Herndon's lawyer the power to subpoena any future witnesses about the mailer's source. A line on the flier states that a group called "Citizens for Family and Moral Values" paid for it; however, no such organization is registered with the state. "We don't know their names — yet," Morgan Ransdell, Herndon's attorney, tells LEO Weekly. "One of the purposes of our complaint is to learn that information." Ransdell says the lawsuit is based upon the mailer's inflammatory illustrative and written content, which falsely depicts Herndon with the purpose of injuring his reputation. Once an individual or group is named in the defamation lawsuit, that information could be used to open the door to criminal charges for whomever is responsible for the mailer. "When you have an anonymous violation you have to start somewhere," says Herndon, adding, "If we find definitive evidence, we'd then proceed to change that Jane/John Doe to a specific name."
Queer As Smoke: Kansas City Event Challenges Smoking The 6th Annual LGBTQ Tobacco Summit will take place September 22 -23, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. This event is the premier training event for LGBTQ tobacco disparities nationwide. Workshops will provide case studies of some of the best practices in this arena. State policymakers, researchers, program managers, activists, and community organizers are invited to meet the experts, learn, and share their wisdom. For more information, including details on the availability of scholarships for participants, visit www.lgbttobacco.org or call (617) 927-6452. www.theletteronline.com
Until someone with an address is indentified as being responsible for the mailer, Herndon cannot file a violation complaint with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, the regulatory agency that oversees campaign expenditures and investigates civil violations in Kentucky elections. The defamation suit is separate from any complaint Herndon might eventually file with KREF. According to state election laws, independent expenditures of more than $500 made by a person or group during a political campaign with the purpose of advocating the election or defeat of a candidate must be reported directly to KREF. As of yet, no such payments for the mailer have been accounted for. This anti-gay flier was distributed to voters just days before the election. Herndon believes that whomever created and distributed the mailer must have known it was a violation of Kentucky election laws. "They faked the name," he says. "Why else would they create a fake name — it tells me they knowingly violated the statute." Though she wouldn't comment on Herndon's case specifically, Sarah Jackson, executive director of KREF, says anyone who knowingly violates the expenditure statute is open to criminal charges, and that there are various penalties. Depending upon the case, Jackson says that charges range from a misdemeanor to a felony, including a fine of up to $10,000 for each offense. After KREF investigates a violation they forward it to the appropriate prosecutorial agency, usually the Kentucky Attorney General's Office. "Criminal penalties would depend upon the attorney general," she says. In turn, Allison Martin, spokeswoman for the attorney general, says that any prosecution would depend upon initial findings by KREF. "They may coordinate with us," she says. "But it's their call on any investigation." Martin tells LEO that her office was first notified about the mailer on Election Day, when a Jefferson County resident called the Election Fraud hot line complaining about its homophobic content. After reviewing the mailer, the complaint was forwarded to Emily Dennis, legal counsel for KREF. Meanwhile, Herndon is unwavering, saying he hopes the defamation complaint will spawn either a civil or criminal case to uncover who is responsible: "We will pursue both — vigorously."
Cincinnati AIDS Walk September 27 Save the date for the 2008 Walk to Stop AIDS. This year's event will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at Sawyer Point, on the downtown Cincinnati riverfront. Onsite registration will begin at 8:00am and the walk will begin at 9:00. To register online or for more information visit www. STOPAIDScincinnati.org or call (513) 421-2437.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Tennessee: Three Men Attacked Outside Bar [Reprinted with permission from OUT & ABOUT, Nashville, TN. Copyright 2008, Out & About Newspaper, Inc. All rights reserved.] It's being classified as a simple assault, but two Johnson City men attacked outside a gay bar want to see the attack pursued as a hate crime. Johnathan Smith, 29, and Matt Widner, 20, both of Johnson City, and Russell Onks, 40, of Knoxville, were attacked by to men in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 20, outside of New Beginnings, a Johnson City gay bar. The three men were talking in the parking after leaving the bar when two men approached them in a pickup truck. They parked the truck between other bar patrons and the three men, exited the truck and then attacked them. All three victims received
minor injuries, classifying the incident as a simple assault, according to a police report. The two male assailants had spent much of the night inside New Beginnings and left the bar at about 2:00am. They shouted homosexual slurs at patrons as they left and then attacked the three victims, according to a police report. Smith told the Johnson City Press that the attackers had been hitting on several people in the bar during the night, leading him to believe the attack was a premeditated hate crime. He said things could have been much worse if the assailants had been successful in having one of the bar's patrons leave with them. Widner said the he thinks the attack is indicative of rising hostility towards gays in that area.
Illinois Campaign Selects Out Gay Man Communications Director Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama recently announced that openly gay Justin DeJong has been named his new Director of Communications for Illinois. DeJong has been previously recognized by Windy City Media Justin DeJong Group for his numerous contributions to the state’s GLBT community. He will take a leave of absence from his current position at the Chicagoland
Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that position, DeJong worked as a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. DeJong, age 26, has been active within local and state government agencies since moving to Chicago in 2001. He began working in Blagojevich's administration in early 2005, serving first as a spokesman for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity then as lead spokesman for the Department of Central Management Services . He has been involved with Equality Illinois, the AIDS/Run-Walk and various other community organizations.
2209 Goldsmith Lane Louisville, KY 40218 (502) 452-6912 SEPTEMBER 2008
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U. of L. Pride Week Event Features Former Clinton Staff Member
ONE FOR ALL 1975 Douglass Boulevard Louisville, Kentucky 40205 • (502) 451-1963
Quality Thrift Items Wednesday thru Saturday: 10:00am – 6:00pm Sunday: 12:00noon – 4:00pm Store Proceeds Benefit Glade House & House of Ruth Volunteers Always Welcome! Space for this ad donated by Dr. Fred Schloemer www.SchloemerServices.com
Keith Boykin is a man who has connections with some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party. Educated at Dartmouth and Harvard, he attended law school with Senator Barack Obama and served in the White House as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton. Boykin will be featured in the opening event for the University of Keith Boykin Louisville’s 2008 Pride Week Celebration. Boykin will discuss Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the 2008 Presidential Campaign beginning at 7:00pm on, Monday, October 6 in the Chao Auditorium at the University of Louisville’s Ekstrom Library. A reception
and signing of his newest book, Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America, will follow. For more information, visit www. louisville.edu/diversity/lgbt Boykin is the editor of The Daily Voice newspaper. He is a host of the BET television show My Two Cents, a New York Times bestselling author of three books, and a frequent political commentator on CNN. Boykin has been actively involved in progressive causes since he worked on his first congressional campaign while still a student in high school. He is a veteran of six political campaigns, including two presidential campaigns, and he was named one of the top instructors when he taught political science at American University in Washington. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Boykin currently lives in New York City.
Lafayette: 1st Pride Celebration Planned Historically speaking, GLBT pride celebrations usually take place in the month of June. However Lafayette, Indiana is about to experience it’s first pride celebration during the month of October. OUToberfest will take place Saturday, October 11th from 4:00pm to Midnight on Main Street between 6th and 7th Streets. Admission is free. PRIDE Lafayette President Bryan Bell said OUToberfest 2008 will feature music, a street fair, illusionists, and events for children. Many Downtown businesses are will offer extended hours. "One of the things that impresses me about Lafayette and West Lafayette is the diversity within the greater Lafayette community, Bell told WLFI-TV. "So our hope is that we will create an increased awareness of the LGBTI community." The pride festival is being made possible with the support of Pride Lafayette, Inc (www. pridelafayette.org)., in conjunction with Citizens for Civil Rights, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (, and other local community organizations.
Louisville PFLAG Chapter To Discuss Vision & Future of Group This discussion portion of this month’s meeting of the Metro Louisville chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays will focus on the need for increased participation by members to help assure continued outreach to the community. The chapter has been in existence for nearly 20 years. New and long-standing group members alike are asked to help out with future group projects. This could be something as simple as staffing a booth and handing out our brochures at the Kentuckiana Pride Festival or other venues. Members are also needed to help at the chapter’s annual scholarship dinner. If you prefer a more active role in the future of this organization, please attend and find out how you can help. The September PFLAG meeting will take place on Sunday, September 21 at 3:00pm at First Lutheran Church, 417 East Broadway in downtown Louisville.
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SEPTEMBER 2008
Pandora Productions Presents Two Shows In Repertory
RegionalCalendar sponsored by Mark England IItems listed in our Regional Calendar should be of interested to the GLBT community. Items are listed for FREE and are welcome from non-profit community organizations, support and social groups. We also publicize events sponsored by businesses and professionals currently advertising in THE LETTER. Please send us information at least four to six weeks in advance of your event. Contact:
[email protected] and be sure to type “Regional Calendar” in the subject line of your message. Every Monday 7:00pm. Movie Mania at Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Cincinnati, 4119 Hamilton Avenue. Free. For movie titles click on the icon for the GLBT Calendar page at www.glbtcentercincinnati.com. Every Tuesday 2:45pm. GLBT Mental Health Issues Support Group at The Recovery Center, 2340 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati. (513) 241-1411. 6:30 -8:00pm. Triangle Martial Arts Association: Tae Kwon Do training for the GLBTQ community. Beginners & experienced welcome! Fuzion, 1335 Story Avenue, Louisville. 7:30pm. Women's Tuesday Night Coming Out Group at Off The Avenue, 1546 Knowlton Street, Cincinnati. (513) 535-2517. Every Friday 9:15pm - Midnight. Derby City Kickers Country & Western Dancing at Q, 921 West Main Street, Louisville. No cover before 10:00pm. $3.00 cover after 10:00pm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00pm. Gay Men’s Support Group meets at Metropolitan Community Church of Louisville, 1432 Highland Avenue. 3rd Wednesdays Louisville Gay Professionals. Group meets at a different bar each month. More information: mark@ markengland.com. 4th Wednesdays 6:00pm. Kentuckiana Rainbow Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting. For location visit www. KentuckianaRainbowCoC.org or call (502) 815-7195. Sunday, September 21 3:30pm. Heartland Fairness, affiliated with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, monthly meeting at 326 West Dixie Avenue in Elizabethtown. Write:
[email protected]. Sundays, September 21 4:00pm. Cincinnati Women Out Front's Spirituality & Alternative Health Group meets at Sidewinder Café in Northside. For more information: www.myspace.com/womenoutfront. Wednesday, September 17: 6:30pm. Indy Bi-Versity, confidential discussion group. For more information, including the meeting location, write:
[email protected].
Pandora Productions is set to offer more diversity and options this season for her growing subscriber base. This month Louisville’s cutting edge GLBT theatre company will present two shows running in repertory. Moises Kauffman and Tectonic Theatre Project’s The Laramie Project and Stop Kiss by Diana Son. Both plays explore hate crimes from different angles. Pandora will again perform at the Bunbury Theatre in the Historic Henry Clay, situated on the corner of 3rd and Chestnut Streets. The theatre is located on the third floor and tickets are available in the lobby on that floor. Ticket prices are: Advance - $15.00 / Day of
Show - $17.00 and are available online at www.PandoraProds.org or by calling (502) 216.5502. The Laramie Project will run September 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 18, 20 at 7:30pm and September 7 at 2:00pm. Stop Kiss is scheduled for September 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21 at 7:30 pm and September 13 at 2:00 pm. Pandora is offering 5 or 7 show series subscriptions through the end of the run of The Laramie Project and Stop Kiss. A 5 show series is offered at $70.00 and a 7 show series at $95.00. For more information visit www. PandoraProds.org.
Cincinnati Center Adds New Board Member The Gay and Lesbian Community of Greater Cincinnati recently added Rusty Lockett to it’s Board of Directors. Lockett has been involved with several community organizations, including Stop AIDS, College of Evening & Continuing Education Tribunal, Stonewall Cincinnati and the Clermont County Alcohol, Drug, & Mental Health Services Board. He currently serves as Junior Warden at Church of Our Savior and a board member of the Mount Auburn Transformations Community Development Corporation. He is a volunteer for Pride Alive and Pride Night, events sponsored by Rusty Lockett the Center. The Community Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 whose mission is to provide information, support, resources, social activities and meeting space to the GLBT Community. For more information visit www.glbtcentercincinnati.com.
Sunday: September 21 & October 19 3:00pm. Metro Louisville Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meeting. First Lutheran Church, 417 East Broadway. For more information call (502) 329-0229 or write pflagmom10@yahoo. com. Confidentiality respected. September 26 - 28 Dayton LGBT Film Festival at The Neon. Details: www.myspace.com/downtowndaytonlgbt. Wednesdays, October 1 7:00pm. Crossport Crossdresser Support Group, Cincinnati. (513) 919-4850.
THE LETTER Salutes Gregs!
Tuesdays, October 14 7:00pm. Cincinnati Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meeting. Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 William Howard Taft Road. For more information call (513) 755-6150. Saturday, October 11 Cincinnati GLBTQ Youth Summit. Details: www.cincyyouthsummit.org. Tuesday, November 4 Election Day. Poll hours vary from state to state. Contact your county clerk's office for local hours and poll locations.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Over the yearrs Greg's bar in Indianapolis has raised over $400,000 for the Indiana AIDS Walk! Greg's has also made significant contributions to Indy Pride, Names Project IN, Indiana Civil Liberties Union, Indiana Youth Group, Damien Center, Justice Inc., Parkview Manor, Indiana Cares/AIDServe and many other community organizations!
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KENNETH C. PLOTNIK
INDIANA EQUALITY Get Informed / Donate / Volunteer
Attorney at Law Post Office Box 20621 Indianapolis, IN 46220 607 West Ormsby Avenue Louisville, Kentucky 40203
(502) 636-0361 Fax: (502) 634-0576
(888) 567-0750 www.indianaequality.org
What Path Calls You?
Louisville AIDS Walk Offers Will Include 5K Run & Pet Walk Continued from page 1
Walkers, Runners, Kids & Pets Welcome The AIDS Walk, 5K Run and Pet Walk all begin at 3:00pm and follow the same scenic, flat, paved course. Bring your pets for the “Pet Walk”! Special water stations and shaded areas along the route will be provided for your pets. Runners are encouraged to come out too! A 5K Run, organized by Pacers and Racers, will be offered as well. While there is no charge to participate in either the Walk or Pet Walk, a $20.00 registration fee is being charged to part in the 5K Run. All Walk and Pet Walk particpants are asked to seek pledges to support people to support the work of agencies serving persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. If you can’t participate in person, please consider making a tax deductible donation online or mailing in a donation to: Louisville AIDS Walk 810 Barret Avenue, Suite 305, Louisville, KY 40204. With 100% of proceeds going to provide direct services and knowing our organization is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity, you can be sure your support will be making a difference for our neighbors who are struggling with HIV/AIDS.
Safety
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Suggestions
By all means, do enjoy yourself this Pride Month! At the same time, we offer you some common sense guidelines to make sure you stay around for many more Pride celebrations to come. The Discrimination Response Team at Louisville's Fairness Campaign suggests… Stay Alert – Awareness is your best self-defense. Watch Your Drink – Make sure you know the person who is buying your drink, or buy your own. Watch your drink if you lay it down. Remember that drugs can be easily slipped into your glass!
INFORM YOUR PARTNER StopTheSpreadOnline.org
Place your order: (502) 338-4153 OR
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To stop the cycle of STD’s growing in our community, sexual partners need to be tested and if necessary treated. www.theletteronline.com
Trust Your Instincts – If you think something is wrong, believe your feelings and remove yourself from the situation. Project Confidence – While out walking, move like you know where you're going and keep your head up and look around. Carry A Whistle – Carry it on your person where it is easily accessible, like a jacket pocket or on your key chain. When you need help, blow the whistle. If you hear a whistle and see someone is in trouble, call 911 immediately. Remember to report all hate crimes and acts of discrimination! To give a confidential report about discrimination or hate crimes in Metro Louisville write:
[email protected].
SEPTEMBER 2008
Spiritual Connection Outed Christian TV Host Joins Soulforce Equality Ride [Reprinted with permission from OUT & ABOUT, Nashville, TN. Copyright 2008, Out & About Newspaper, Inc. All rights reserved.] Nashvillian Azariah Southworth, who recently came out as a Christian TV host of a popular Christian program, has now announced he will join Soulforce on their annual Equality Ride this fall. "I'm so excited to be a part of a passionate and Azariah Southworth young group, working towards equal rights for GLBT students at these Christian colleges. It will be a life changing experience for me, I'm excited to learn each of their stories," Southworth said. "I know we will be greeted with hostility at some campuses and arrested if we enter onto their
property, but it will be worth it. Their policies of discrimination must end. I'm excited to be a part of something which is beginning the end of these policies." Equality Ride is a annual six week tour with GLBT and straight students who peacefully protest. The "Riders" offer Christian college's that expel students and fire staff for being gay open dialogue to discuss the issue of homosexuality and the Bible, many colleges decline to participate. Azariah Southworth has already had a year full of life changing experiences. Southworth hosted a popular Christian TV show until coming out to Out & About Newspaper readers as gay on April 16, 2008. After his 'coming out' made national news on Fox News, HuffingtonPost.com, PerezHilton.com and many others, Southworth was diagnosed with a rare tumor a month later. "It has definitely been a very challenging time in my life. Dealing with the attention of 'coming out', new projects, speaking engagements, the tumor, moving to L.A., etc. I'm ready now to do something worthwhile and exciting like, Equality Ride." says Southworth. For more information on the Equality Ride visit, www. equalityride.com.
City of Refuge Worship Center Come Worship Freely Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 1041 Goss Avenue, Suite 101, Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 762-8986 / (502) 495-2603 Rev. Randy Meadows, Pastor Sunday Bible Study: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am & 7:00pm Wednesday Worship: 7:00pm www.cityofrefugewc.org
Jay Bakker Leads 7 Straight Nights For Equal Rights Events “Gay and transgender Americans are our neighbors” will be the simple message of faith leaders across the nation during the week of September 14 - 20. These religious leaders are part of Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008, a week that will spotlight fair-minded straight people across the nation. In 2007, the project’s inaugural year, nighttime vigils lit up 36 American cities in 25 states over seven nights. This year, churches in cities as diverse as Danville (Indiana), New York City, Superior, Wisconsin, Modesto, California, Denver and Portland will sponsor 7 Straight Nights events. Among the clergy speaking out is Jay Bakker, pastor of Revolution Church in New York City. He was featured in the documentary series One Punk Under God, which documented his journey to become a gay-affirming Christian. He is the son of Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Messner. “As Christians, if we follow the example of Christ in loving our neighbor as ourselves, then we have to realize that everyone is our neighbor, everyone deserves to be treated with love and respect and grace,” says Bakker. Like Bakker, Michelle Garland has been on a journey to support gay and transgender friends. A Modern Orthodox Jew and married mother of three, Garland initially feared that, even as a straight woman, she would become the target of harassment. "But I was determined to do what I knew in my heart was right. I believe we are all G-d’s children and to deny love to a fellow human is to reject the spark of G-dliness that is in each of us,” says Garland, who is now organizing a Seven Straight Nights event in Ames, Iowa, for the second year in a row. Nationally, Seven Straight Nights is sponsored by Atticus Circle and Soulforce, who are currently seeking straight people who are interested in organizing events in their communities. For more information, visit www.sevenstraightnights.org SEPTEMBER 2008
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Progressive Pathways Fellowship
What Path Calls You? Sunday Worship and Education: 5:30pm. Tuesday Book Chat: 6:15pm. #208 1/2 Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 http://www.progressivepathways.org
Jay Bakker
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SEPTEMBER 2008