Kissing Mary

Hamburger Mary's - Cincinnati is reopening its doors for lunch on July 29th (that's -- ahem, tomorrow), and tonight for dinner. The bar -- entitled "Dirty Mary's" -- is still underconstruction and will be open in approximately a month. Business Courier article, thanks to @winemedineme and the Wine Me, Dine Me, Cincinnati website.

Cincinnati will be participating in the Great Nationwide Kiss-in to protest police actions against same-sex PDA across the country, thanks to ImpactCincinnati and Cincinnati Guerrilla Queer Bar. Facebook Event.

Ha -- this is me "on vacation."

Cincinnati Queer Bar: Spreadin' the Love

As always, at midnight, Cincinnati Guerrilla Queer Bar announced its newest target bar for Spreadin' the Love, where they strive to "take over" an underused queer bar, via Facebook...

Hello beautifuls!

Its time to spread some love! And this month we have an amazing night planned for you. Ready for this? We are jumping the river this month and meeting tomorrow night at Blue Bar! As always we are going to create a night full of queer community love - with games, drink specials, and all kinds of dancing. What else could you ask of a Friday night?

So tell your friends, that cuteness you have been eying, and anyone else you come across to come down and make some fun. We want this night to be just as amazing and beautiful and exciting as our first Friday events, because we love you and we have heard rumors that you might feel something special for us too. So lets make it happen!

As always we have packed the evening with incentives. $1 jello shots, $3 grape ape shots, $4 sailor jerry shots, and $10 domestic buckets. We are also bringing back the messenger game! There will also be a DJ makin' it happen on the dance floor.

You can find Blue Bar at 264 Pike Street in Covington, KY. It closes at 1:30, so come a little early to get in all the queer love you can handle.

Word is that CGQB (on twitter, now) has changed up its organizational structure. Whereas it used to be very hierarchical with Mr. Ethan Philbrick running the show, a crew has grown to organize the bi-monthly (does that mean twice a month???) events so that they can incorporate queers of all varieties -- black, white, asian, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, women, men, etc. etc. etc. As you might remember, CGQB has received some criticism for their white male-dominated organization that ignored other issues outside of the passing gender issue. I think this change will be good for the movement, as a whole.

But, as for a committee, well, I don't like them. You know what they say, when a committee chooses a color, it's always gray. But Blue Bar sounds like a fabulous time (though I'm not sure if Blue Bar is technically "underused")!

Equality Ohio Fundraiser

Equality Ohio hosted a little fundraiser at Below Zero this evening, and I had the distinct pleasure of hanging with my dears Erin Upchurch (of Equality Ohio), Cameron Tolle (of Impact Cincinnati), and Rusty Lockett (of Church of our Savior and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center), all pictured above. I did the single most shocking thing you would ever expect from me ... that is, gasp, signed up to be an Equality Ohio member. (Yes, Lynne, it's true.) Thanks to Erin we have a mini update on the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA -- HB176), which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in Ohio.

The Ohio legislature is on recess right now, but we have received assurances that there will be a vote before this session ends. As it stands, we've not had a lot of leadership emerge in the Ohio Senate on the issue, so there is a lot of lobbying to do over there, too. Law in Ohio, though, seems to read that the House can pass a bill this session and then go to the Senate next session, so we don't have to start the process over again. Equality Ohio is asking people to continue to contact their State Representatives throughout the summer to keep the pressure on them until a vote comes up in late September or early October. For information on how to contact your local representative, go here.

Other events of note this weekend:

• COOL SUMMER Coktail Hour-- Brought to you by this blog, WineMeDineMeCincinnati.com, KatesRandomMusings.com, and CincinnatiWomenBloggers.com. It's a fundraiser tomorrow (July 17th) from 7pm-10pm at Below Zero Lounge. Promises to be a great time! (Facebook page)
• Big Hair Bingo -- "Honey, this isn't your grandma's bingo." Gay bingo comes to Cincinnati tomorrow night at 7:30pm at the Ensemble Theatre Company (1127 Vine Street), benefiting STOP AIDS and the theatre. (Facebook Page)

Hope to see you out this weekend folks!

Spreadin' the Love - Guerrilla Queer Bar Announced!

As part of it's "spreadin' the love" series, where the fabulous people over at Guerrilla Queer Bar invade an underused queer-identified bar, this came out a few days earlier than usual on their blog:

Hello Beauteous Queers--

Three things!

1. CGQB's takeover of Cadillac Ranch was out-of-this-world-queer-fa
ntastic! For serious. If you haven't seen the "Two Boys, One Bull" video yet ( http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1158004716345&ref=mf ), watch it now. It's just the tip of the iceberg for all the crazy, world-changing fun that was had.

2. CGQB hopes you all had a wonderfully sexy Pride!

3. Have no fear, the queer fun doesn't have to stop! THIS FRIDAY is CGQB's "Spreading the Love" event.

Never heard of the "Spreading the Love" events? Find out more below. If you're a seasoned "Spreading the Love" go-er, feel free to skip to find out where it is!

****

Every THIRD FRIDAY, the folks that bring you GQB put on another raucous night of fun at an under-utilized QUEER bar in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky.

Last month's "Spreading the Love" was at the glorious Little Bit Bar with a night of cheap drinks, sexy bartenders, great people, a "live-missed-connections" game, and a FIRE performance (for serious).

"Why a queer bar? I thought GQB was about taking over straight bars", you might ask. "Spreading the Love" is about spreading our queer-love (and dollars) around the queer community while also getting a chance to know our fellow CGQB-ers a little more intimately ;).

Don't worry, we'll still be exploring the straight and narrow bars every FIRST Friday of the month. (which reminds me, GET READY FOR JULY 3rd!!!)
****

This month promises to be the best "Spreading the Love" yet!
Where will we be coming together in the name of queer-celebration?

(***drum roll please***)

...

the CRAZY FOX SALOON!!!
901 Washington Ave
corner of 9th and Washington in NEWPORT, KY.

****

Those of you who have experienced or heard of the GLORY that is the Crazy Fox are probably jumping for joy right now. If you HAVEN'T had the privilege of going to this bar yet, start getting ready for a night of sexy-wonderful-fun this Friday.

We'll be getting there anytime around 9. There will be some sexy surprises. If you're feeling adventurous, they have ABSINTHE drink specials on Friday nights!

Mark your calenders now-- Friday the 17th, 9 pm, Queer-Fun-Time!

I think, btw, that the date is Friday the 19th, not the 17th, or else I think I would have heard about queers heading down there :-). Anyways, this will be the first CGQB I'll be missing. I'm kinda sad about that :-(. And I just realized I didn't know how to spell "Saloon."

Map to Crazy Fox / Crazy Fox Saloon website

Indianapolis Pride!

Check out Out-With-It-Already's post (and pictures!) on Indianapolis's gay pride, which also happened this weekend! It looks like it was a fabulous event! And, more Cincinnati Pride Pictures are available on resident queer photog's, Rene Micheo's, Facebook and on JereKeys.com.

First Final Thought on Pride

Probably not final final, but you get the idea...

You know it's a WIN weekend when an angry mother emails you saying: "Are you aware there's a picture of you kissing my son on his page?"

Fabulous.

A few things also:

• At the Serpent last night, the bartender came over the intercom announcing that we were being locked in due to some bad shit happening on Hamilton Avenue. Rumors were flying. Best I can tell, sorting through, there was a fight (truth), cops were arresting people (truth), possibly arresting anyone on the street for about thirty minutes (half-truth), maybe a window got broken (rumor -- couldn't find the broken window), all the bars were advising people to stay inside (possible half-truth), and telling people that they COULDN'T leave made them want to leave anymore ("well, they can't tell me what to do!" -- queens! truth). Again, I cannot find any details other than what I experienced, but rumors were flying faster that queers to the barstools.
• Check out the pictures from Metromix -- are you on there?
• Apparently there's a "Cincinnati gay relationships examiner" over at Examiner.com (a lot of new bloggers over there!). He gives the whole experience a thumbs up; I do, too, but you know I've got something coming about my take. I had an interesting debrief this morning about the whole Pride thing; as we were talking, my first thought was, "I need to blog this!" But I'm tired.
• Oh, and I'm hungover. I'm going to bed. Kisses!

How was YOUR pride? Did you squeal?

Oh! And my flickr stream is up and running! WHOOHOO! Click on the image below to check out 76 of the better pictures I had!


And don't forget my Facebook pictures and the Twitpics from yesterday!

Volunteers Needed All Around!

I have been requested to post needs for Cincinnati Pride volunteers by a variety of organizations, and I have, until now, categorically turned them down. But I changed my mind because I could. So :-P *PHBBBBBBBBT*.

I have volunteered with a variety of organizations during Pride since I started going in 2002, mostly STOP AIDS (I think for obvious reasons). However, the weekend's success is reliant upon literally hundreds of people staffing booths and marching and running around with walkie-talkies who do not get paid for their hard work. It's an insane logistical nightmare that has, in the past, been headed up almost exclusively by one or two people (hell yea, Kathy Laufman!).. and it's mostly thankless. If you are going to Pride and you want to help out, even for a couple hours, here are the seven places that have sent requests (that I know about) for volunteers:

• Councilmember Greg Harris -- One of the most supportive councilmembers in Cincinnati has requested people to march with them in the parade. One of his volunteers says this in an email: "Since Greg stepped into Cincinnati politics he has been an outspoken supporter of fairness, and equal rights for our community. This election we will be losing a supporting voice on Council, thus, it is critical that Vice Mayor Crowley’s voice be continued by Councilmember Greg Harris. Both Vice Mayor Crowley and Councilmember Harris have a history of standing with our community when it is not politically popular—it is imperative that we keep that history alive." Interested people should email spencer at keepgregharris dot com. 
• Equality Cincinnati -- EC seems to be looking primarily for help with their booth staffing, from their Facebook event invite (linked above): "It is that time of year again, Pride is upon us and we need your help at the Pride Festival. Equality Cincinnati will once again be having a both at the festival and we are looking for people to help man the booth during the event... If you can give two hours or more of your time on either day, we would love to have you. It is a great chance to socialize, network and spread the word of what Equality Cincinnati has and wants to do in the Greater Cincinnati Area." If you want to help out, email Dan, dpdrentec at aol dot com.
• Equality Ohio -- EO is actually looking for volunteers for every Ohio Pride, including people to staff booths, march in parades, collect EHEA signatures, sell memberships, etc. All volunteers will receive an Equality Ohio t-shirt.
• HRC-Cincinnnati -- Looking for people to staff the booth, march in the parade, and canvass the crowd to support the Human Rights Campaign. Interested people should contact their local email address, hrccincinnati at gmail dot com.
• IMPACTCincinnati -- The activist network is not, to my knowledge, marching in the parade, however, they do have a booth two days in a row that desperately needs to be manned (or womanned, or trans'd... gr... needs to be covered). I'll be there Saturday afternoon with Juliet, as will Cody! Come say "hi" even if you can't help out! Email IMPACTCincinnati, impactcincinnati at gmail dot com.
• Ohio Democratic Party LGBT Caucus -- Sent out via Facebook (linked), looking to fill shifts at booths, sell memberships, and get petition signatures.
• Squealing with Pride 2009 -- Pride Planning is pretty much over, as far as I understand, though they have huge needs in set up, take down, and just general operations. Trust me, this is the hardest job you'll do, but it can actually be a lot of fun (and you look cool, with a walkie talkie if you're one of the lucky few to snag one). Email the Pride Committee, pride at cincyglbt dot com.

See, now you can't say that you didn't know how to get involved. Lots of opportunities next weekend -- I expect to see you out! 

How Activism is DONE

And this is how activism is done. Check out Jamie Royce's experience at Tabby's after the assault of a gay man over at Stuff Queer People Need to Know. She had not realized the event was canceled due to particularly nasty weather until she arrived at the bar and had, instead, the opportunity to speak to quite a few people there about what had happened:

The family is very grateful for the community’s support and response to the attack. The victim’s mother gave out hugs and spoke very highly of us queers. (We really are making a difference, so keep up the good work.)

The owner of Tabby’s explained to us that this attack does not reflect his establishment and apologized to the victim’s mother; he was wearing white in solidarity with the planned sit-in. Signs like this one were posted throughout the bar.

Hell to the yea, Jamie! Thank you so much for going out there in the middle of the tornadic weather on Saturday night to show your solidarity! The follow-up "sit-in" is still on, and the organizers are fiercely advertising the event on Facebook. I think, though, the focus has significantly changed... from one of "we are so angry" to "let us stand with everyone -- including the bar -- in solidarity against hate." In other words, let's go party with our supporters who seem to be equally as appalled by the assault as we are. For my part, I want to hug mom and shake the owner's hand.

Congratulations, Tabby's, you done good. Congratulations, local activists, you did right.

The follow-up will still occur this Tuesday at 9pm at Tabby's American Grill. 

FLASH ACTION: Tabby's American Grill

Apparently, it is time to protest. 

In response to the hate crime at Tabby's American Grill, a group of activists is going there to show solidarity with queers in Warren County. We're standing up for and with our brothers and sisters. 

Tonight, at Tabby's American Grill at 2920 West U.S. Route 22, in Maineville (click here for a map), LGBTQ people will gather at 10p.m. wearing white to show that they come in peace.

The crowd will meet in the parking lot and they will enter collectively. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend, but I encourage everyone else to... and, more importantly, take pictures and send them back to QueerCincinnati@gmail.com so that we can feature the outcome here.

Just a few words:

• Be safe.
• Don't fight, don't take people on.
• Be peaceful and be loving. This is about education and solidarity, not violence, not hate. We are not fighting hate with hate. We are fighting hate with love and affection.
• Stand together... don't go out on your own. Find a buddy and stick to them. 
• Do not do not do not yell, scream, holler, or swear at people. You do not, under any circumstances, want to incite violence from other people. That is not the point.
• Respect law enforcement officers.
• Take the high road ... be civil.

Seriously, folks, I don't want have to be writing about no other hate crimes in the morning. We are peaceful people -- always remember that. 

More importantly: be good customers. Drink, have fun, tip your bartenders, talk, carouse, and have a good time. Make sure that no one has any reason to treat you poorly; make sure no one has any reason to kick you out. Just go and enjoy the night with friends.

Here's the Facebook event. 

(OH) Strickland: No to Garrison

At the HRC-Strickland fundraising event this past weekend here in Cincinnati -- where I hear Strickland impressed the crowd with a quick fire unscripted Q&A for the crowd -- the Governor said in no uncertain terms that he would not pick State Rep. Jennifer Garrison for his Lt. Gov. running mate. (The current Lt. Gov., Lee Fisher, is running for the empty Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Voinovich.)

Why is this so interesting? In 2004, Garrison went ran against State Rep. Nancy Hollister (R -- who voted against the state Defense of Marriage Act) by touting her own opposition to same-sex marriage. She's also supported by the NRA and Ohio Right to Life -- making me wonder how is she a Democrat? (Joking. Social issues do not define your political affiliation.)

In short: Strickland is not going to welcome an anti-gay Democrat into the statehouse... even if she is local (Cincinnatian) and popular.

PS This event went out on Facebook to a lot of people going -- $250? No thanks! I am hoping that the Ohio LGBT Democratic Caucus and the Governor have an opportunity for others to speak to Strickland without just precipitous pricetag (though I understand there were a handful at the event who were offered tickets at reduced prices).

UofL Protest Against McConnell

Yesterday, a group organizing via Facebook protested Sen. Mitch McConnell's convocation speech at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law's Graduation. Approximately 20 protesters shows up, with many more wearing buttons that stated "Sen. McConnell Does Not Speak for Me" throughout the whole ceremony. They are particularly angry about McConnell's support of the 1996 Federal Defense of Marriage Act, though I know that's not the only reason to dislike the Senator from an LGBT view point (or from a human point at all). In case you're wondering, the central argument against the vote is the breach of the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution.

From the press release (forwarded to me from the organizer, Curtis Morrison):

Many graduating students, their families and friends attending the graduation sported buttons that read "Sen. McConnell Does Not Speak for Me." Outside the graduation, about 20 activists protested McConnell's support of the Defense of Marriage Act. The Senator supported and voted himself to pass D.o.M.A. in 1996. Although the City of Louisville didn't anticipate any problems from the protest, even noting "No off-duty police provided" on the permit, there were several Louisville Police Department Officers on the scene for the duration of the 3 hour protest.

As the Graduation began letting out, one of the Off-Duty Police Officers moved a vehicle from a 30-Minute parking spot directly in front of the building to make way for a full-size cargo van from the University of Louisville's Physical Plant, which blocked the protesters from view of passing traffic on Broadway. The driver of the cargo van told Curtis Morrison, one of the protest organizers, that he had been instructed to park the van in that location.

The Hillbilly Report covered the event, and noted the obvious lack of local news coverage (or any of the local blogosphere, though our friends at QueerLouisville pimped the event beforehand, as did Queerty). The Report gives us this video of the event, including testimonials from people who participated:

There are also great pictures on photobucket and Facebook (I have received confirmation that the Facebook album is OK to release to the public; I am assuming the photobucket album is the same). It did look like a fabulous day to protest, didn't it? 

I think they are doing the right thing, even if nothing comes out of this protest. It's about time we started pressuring people who voted for ther 1996 DOMA and reminding ourselves who those people were (link for Senate). (Complete list of House vote here.) A lot of them are still in office, btw, which is as disturbing of a fast as the fact that it was passed so overwhelmingly.

In other Kentucky news, there was a hubub about a week ago at Fraklin County High School (Frankfort area) where all homosexual students were banned from using the restrooms in the schools after two girls were caught kissing in one. Kentucky Equality Federation is asking for investigations into this absurdity.

NKY Pride 2010

And so it's (a little more) official...

NKY Pride 2010 has announced their first fundraiser happening this Saturday, May 2 beginning at 8pm at Yadda Club. They even have a theme...

Unbridled
Anyone care to comment?

My one comment, at this point is this -- what's with all the animal references? :-) Oh, and we're hearing a lot out of Yadda Club, these days. I wonder how they're doing? Must be worth a good check out here soon, yea?

Gavin Newsom for CA-Gov

Image from the VentureBeat story
Gavin Newsom went to his online base today to announce his bid for the 2010 California gubernatorial (that's Governor, btw) race, using his Facebook site, Twitter, and YouTube in hopes of connecting first to the net-savvy Obama supporters.

Why does this matter, you ask? Because darling Newsom broke the law for gay folk -- that is, in 2004, he stepped and ordered the city clerks to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Rather than just say, "I support SSM," he said, "It's time, now." (These were the marriage licenses that led us to Prop 8, btw, but that's a whole other argument.) It was a beautiful few days when SF just started going with it.

And so, Gavin Newsom is going up to run for Governor of California -- early speculation, though, is that he will be up against a primary fight with popular senator Dianne Feinstein. I have a dilemma, then, I really like women in politics... but I really like Newsom. What's a queer gonna do?

Check out his YouTube announcement below...

GLSEN Prom Success

Congratulations to the organizers and GLSEN for hosting yet another fantastic evening at the CAC for prom last night. It was amazingly well put together, and I think we all had a great time. The after party at Below Zero -- despite the drama that I inevitably cause while drunk and around cute boys (mostly harmless) -- was fabulous and dead on. I closed down the bar with the ever fabulous Rusty Lockett, Joey Otis, Jill Benavides, Doug Meredith, Cameron Tolle, and our growing crowd of "usual suspects."

Thanks much to Rene Micheo, as well, for his camera and his eye. Check out his webpage for more information about his work, and check out the Facebook album for some of the fantastic pictures he took!

And so concludes one of our biggest, gayest weekends ever. Seriously -- two nights up until 5am and shit to do during the day, all accomplished. SWEET! I wish I could say I want it to go on, but my liver and my checkbook would never thank me.

April 15th Protests

I initially started this post writing up one event, but then I realized there were two events going on.
First, via Facebook and their website:

From the website:

But I'm not out! I'm scared of being shamed and outcast by my community!
Now's the time, Gays. And we've made it as safe and silly for you as possible by choosing the most gay-friendly,corporate spot in the world. Starbucks! Starbucks has been committed to LGBT rights since the beginning of time offering domestic partnership insurance, quoting gay artists on their coffee cups and funding our pride parades.

I'm not gay, but I like kissing.
Perfect. Straight allies, never fear! Come support your commitment to equality and public displays of affection, and smile at your neighbor to let them know its 2009 and that you're happy we're able to live our lives. It means a lot to us when you tell us, especially when you're our friends and family.

I'm just not comfortable kissing in public.
Fine. Consider April 15th "Homo Hug-in."

C'mon. Is kissing REALLY going to solve our problems?
Yes.

You're insane.
People who vote against gays do so because they don't know us and they're not used to us. But that's changing as we live our lives openly like they do. Once they see that we're just like them, and unafraid, they come around. Didn't you see the Oscars? C'mon! One small kiss for us, one giant leap for equality!

Ok, I'm in. Tongue or no tongue?
Welcome to America. Be creative.

Actually, there's a really, really hot Starbucks employee up the street from me. Hrm....

---
And then, in a move that I think should be repeated over and over and over again...

JoinTheImpact and the HRC are teaming up to protest on Tax Day. From the website:

As LGBT Americans, we work hard, take care of our families, and pay our taxes every year. Yet, our families are not included in the very policies we help fund. Our loved ones are treated like legal strangers and denied the economic protections given to our heterosexual counterparts.

It is time to take a stand. This April 15th, we will rally at post offices across the nation. All the materials you need to host your own event are on this website. Sign up today. We can change this world.

Currently, no one is signed up in Cincinnati to organize it, but, you know what, I may just pop down on the 15th and grab the closest cute mail carrier and make out like crazy.

Light a Candle for Angie

This is making the rounds in the Twitterverse -- for good reason, I think!!! -- as well as the blogosphere -- also for good reason!!!

From AngieZapata.com:

Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado in July 2008. Angie was a transgender woman and she was murdered because of anti-transgender bias.

On April 14, 2009, her alleged killer will go on trial in Greeley, Colorado. The trial marks the first time that Colorado’s gender identity-inclusive hate crimes statute—and in fact any state’s hate crimes law—has been applied in the investigation and prosecution of an anti-transgender murder case.

The tragic circumstances of Angie’s death gives Coloradans an opportunity to better understand Angie’s life and the lives of transgender people. It offers a chance to talk about the importance of Colorado’s hate crime law. And it highlights the need to stop excluding people from the protections of a federal hate crimes law simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

If you check out my Facebook profile, you'll note that I have lit a candle for Angie on my profile. I think you should, too, and become a fan of the movement on Facebook.

Is this the first time a trans or queer person has been murdered because of who they were? No. Is it going to be the last? No. But, aren't we tired of the violence? I am never sure the value of activism by teh interwebs -- we'll call it "keyboard activism" -- but I'll say this: over the last 6 months, I have heard more about us in the mainstream media than I ever have before. And I think that even something as simple as changing your profile picture on Facebook can yield amazing results, sometimes.

Oh, and Jamie at Stuff Queer People Need to Know reminds us that victims of violence are not always just the people who are physically attacked.

"You Gotta Give Em Postage"

I reported on this a few weeks ago, but it has really taken off in the news!

Cincinnati native Daniel Drent, an Equality Cincinnati board member, started a group on Facebook to encourage the US Postal Service to issue a stamp in honor of Harvey Milk. You know, when I start stuff on Facebook, you're never quite sure where it's gonna go...

... I gotta give Dan credit on this one, it really took off. Check out stories on Towleroad (where the above pic comes from), and two pieces (story 1, story 2) from the SF Examiner. He had emailed me, said he was "excited that people are talking about it." 

Well done, Dan! So, join the Facebook group and email Dan (dpdrentec@aol.com) if you can help organize in your area!

HRC's First Friday versus Guerrilla Queer Bar

Please note the follow up to this posting here.

Something that came to my attention this evening...

The local HRC crew has started an event known as Equality First Friday. From their 4/3 event Facebook invite, here's its stated purpose:

Join HRC Greater Cincinnati on the first Friday of every month as we travel to a new Greater Cincinnati/Dayton destination to meet new friends and bring the message of HRC to the community!

Now I'm not one to cause problems, but I just have a question: given the recent press and success of Guerrilla Queer Bar -- which is stated as happening on the first Friday of every month -- why would they post a competing event with a similar stated purpose? Overall, it's a great idea. I applaud the HRC for utilizing Facebook to bring a younger crowd into their organization and find "new blood," but I'm not sure the wisdom of directly challenging another event.

We have a small community in town, let's be honest about that, and, though I would like to believe that we have enough people to drink and dance at more than one big event, I get the impression that the crowd they are trying to reach is the same that goes to CGQB. 

I'm sure it was just a mistake. And, to make a suggestion, would it be, perhaps, prudent to have a Final Friday event, rather than First Friday? That way, if Queer Bar does, for whatever reason, take a nosedive at some point, you've branded that evening as your own without stepping on anyone's toes. And, of course, meet with Ethan and the Queer Bar organizers too see what's up and how best to work together.

I hear there's a meeting this week between the two, so I'll be curious to see how it goes.

After the comment that came through, I wanted to clarify a point that isn't as clear above: this seems like a great chance for the HRC to reach out and work together with an existing movement. It comes across as competitive, however. That is, in short, my point.

Four best words out of Iowa today

Perhaps the most amazing words out of the ruling (available thanks to Pam's House Blend) today striking down the same-sex marriage ban in Iowa -- and legalizing equal marriage, to be enacted within three weeks.

A unanimous decision.

Wow. Thank you, Iowa.


Update: Ha! My friend Sarah S. on Facebook: "YAY! I live in a progressive state! I'm thinking about marrying a woman just because I can!" Oh, but don't forget to watch the fabulous blogosphere of the Christian right -- I have no doubt that many more posts like this one from Peter LaBarberawill be popping up amidst the jubilation.

Update: A joint statement has come out from the Iowa House Speaker and the Senator Majority Leader: "When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today’s events will be why it took us so long. It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency. Today, the Iowa Supreme Court has reaffirmed those Iowa values by ruling that gay and lesbian Iowans have all the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship as any other Iowan." Hells, yea, Iowa!!! (Thanks to @queerunity)

Guerrilla Queer Bar TOMORROW (Friday): Sully's Downtown

Guerrilla Queer Bar returns!!!!!

Last month brought us two amazing events -- the takeover of the underutilized gay bar the Subway (attendance, 80-100 at a time, probably 150 by the time the night ended), and the takeover of the straight Lodge Bar (attendance of 100-150, probably 200 by the end of the night). From the minds of the maybe sometimes a little insane Ethan Philbrick & Co., tomorrow's event has been announced, and it's a great one!

From the Facebook posting (via their group):

SULLY'S! 700 Race Street (on the corner of Race and 7th)

I know some of you may be groaning...a little wary of venturing to a sports bar mecca of our city...but I beg you, leave your bias behind and get your cute butt to Sully's on Friday night because this shit is gonna be b.a.n.a.n.a.s.

Listen to these deals we've got going:

1. Tell the people at the door you're with Guerrilla Queer Bar and you'll get in FREE.
2. We will have the VIP room to gather in. Just ask someone to point you in the right direction. The VIP room opens at 9 and has it's own private bar. I've heard the bartender is a cutey.
3. If you get there before 9, your first drink is free.
4. If you say you're part of GQB, you'll get a wrist band that will get you 2 DOLLAR DRINKS between 9 and 11.
5. The DJ starts spinning at 9.
6. From 11-12, it's LADY'S NIGHT, and any "lady" will receive PENNY DRINKS. For serious. Pennies. We'll have to see how broadly they define "lady".

In honor of "lady's night" and Kate Bornstein's inspiring appearance during Xavier's Queer Week:

April's Guerrilla Queer Bar will be.... GENDER-FUCKed!

Break out of your gender box for even just one night! Whatever your comfort level--put on a mustache, get out your sequins, or add a little swagger to that walk! One rule-- have fun and don't be mean! Come in your get up, or put it on in the potty! Boys being girls can use "lady's night" to buy penny drinks for girls being boys! Throw those inhibitions out for a night and explore a new identity! Or--of course-- come as you are, everyone is always welcome!

Let's give Sully's a night to remember!

I've totally got to hand it to them -- this shit is going to be fun. I was planning to be in a show up at Shooter's that night (as Kristy), so me and Viv were going to slip down and join the party for a few drinks anyways in full drag. Makes my night like 100X easier!!!!

So, who's with us tomorrow kids?

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More: CGQB will also be hosting a Same-Sex Kiss-in for the summer "opening" of Fountain Square on Saturday at 8p.m. For more information, check out their Facebook invite. And don't forget the CGQB blog.