CinCinnati

Pride Issue
May/June 2015

Amazon Eve
Cincinnati Pride
Grand Marshal

Unite Magazine | 1

table of contents
PUBLISHER Michael A. Monks
Editor - in-chief Chuck Beatty
MANAGING Editor Jerod Theobald
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chad Turner

CONTRIBUTORs
Terron Austin, Christopher Bruckmann, Rob Bucher,
Bryan Burke, Michael Chanak, Ron Clemons,
Trisha Durham, Mike Hastings, Shawn Howley,
Scott Kearman, Michael Monks, James Reynolds,
Rev. Joy Simpson, Bree Singler, Shannon Smith,
Jason Wiff

NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 908.232.2021

Sales Chuck Beatty - 513.813.8246
Cover photo: Ed Zabel - www.edzabel.com

www.unitemag.com/cincinnati
unitecinci
@unitecinci
unitecinci

FEATURE
AMAZON EVE

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COMMUNITY
UNITE NEWS
GLSEN PROM 2015
HIV AINT THE BOSS OF ME

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11
12

BUSINESS
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE
SOCIALLY AWKWARD
LGBT BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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HEALTH & FITNESS

MOTIVATION VS. HABIT
CINCINNATI QUEER YOGA
FAMILY
RAINBOW COLORBLIND

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STYLE
CINCINNATI FASHION EVENT

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A&E
THEATER LISTINGS
RESTAURANT REVIEW
PRIDE IN FILM
BOOKS
MUSIC
UP - THE UNITE PLAYLIST
SPORTS
RIVERCITY SOFTBALL

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Letter From The

Publisher
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
Every year when the weather turns warmer and Pride season
returns, I find myself overwhelmed with nostalgia and I think
back to the early Prides I attended.
I remember being a college student and going to Washington,
D.C. for the Millennium March with the gay/straight alliance
at Northern Kentucky University, days after coming out to
my family, and being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of
people who had had or would soon have that same conversation with their families.
Heather Smalls Proud blared from speakers as we visited
booths and picked up bags of promotions for an upcoming
show called Queer As Folk and signed petitions to cancel Dr.
Laura. Garth Brooks and Melissa Etheridge rocked the best
damned concert Ive ever seen.
I held a guys hand for the first time and kissed him in front of
God Hates Fags protestors.
We marched in a parade with a banner proclaiming, Northern Kentucky University - We Honor Diversity. I wore a
rainbow flag as a cape.
I was proud, maybe for the first time.
In the years since, Ive naturally become prouder. Our community in Cincinnati and Covington is so active and passionate,
and Ive watched as so many of us transitioned from drunken
tight shirt-clad young club kids into professional and generous
leaders. We are fortunate to live, work, and raise our families in
cities that encourage us to stay, to be ourselves, to be proud.
I hope that this year is your proudest yet and that as we celebrate what our community was, is, and will be, that you take a
moment to honor the place that each of us fills here.
Ask yourself, or sing to yourself, What have you done today to
make you feel proud?
And when you answer that question, whatever it is, keep doing
it. Keep being proud.
Michael Monks is the publisher of UNITE Cincinnati and the
editor & publisher of The River City News in Covington.

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Unite News
Larry, Lindsey & Goose
by Michael "Goose" Chanak

Unite CinCinnati

The trans community is under siege. From Leelah Alcorns

death in Cincinnati last December to endless tragic deaths
around this country and elsewhere, the issue of trans lives
matter is center stage. Trans folks and their allies have rallied
to the cause locally, with a candlelight vigil held on January
4 at the high school in Mason where Leelah attended, to an
outpouring of love at a vigil hosted January 10 in the Woodward Theatre. But after the speeches, the rhetoric and the
media focus shift elsewhere, the mark of real process for any
besieged community is to keep at it against the odds.
While others were preparing their party dresses for events
elsewhere, the Gooses cynicism had bubbled to the surface
on Facebook. What would really be done? After the speeches,
events, and media interest, then what? The Goddess answered
me the very day of February 28, 2015. The Transgender
Community of Greater Cincinnati announced a die in on
Fountain Square to bring into awareness for eight deaths of
trans people in this country since January 1. Listen to the
Goddess and stay true to yourself.
I had just been criticized on Facebook for being a faded copy
of Larry Kramer, an endless contrarian, and someone who
was always whining as their nose was pressed against the window. After all, I had touched the third rail of queer sensibility
locally by raising such problematic issues. But the Goose is
gracious; I answered the Facebook shill with only, I rather
like Larry Kramer.
So, it seems that Lindsey Deaton, the organizer and 150 folks
who turned out for some Larry Kramer activism dont think
the idea pass. I stood with them. I have been blessed with
trans friends in my life since 1971 and knew Heather Cox,
the founder of our local Crossport group since 1984. Thank
you to Lindsey Deaton for reminding me and others that
#translivesmatter.
Michael Goose Chanak is a retired P&G employee advocate/
activist for Gay/Lesbian inclusion in Equal Employment Policy
(1985 - 1992), division diversity facilitator; corporate adviser
on HIV issues and gay community; published writer, journalist,
publicist and broadcaster.

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Unequal Still When We Are Most Vulnerable

by Rev. Joy Simpson

Unite CinCinnati
There are 1.5 million LGBT seniors age 65 and older and this
number will likely double by 2030. Did you know the poverty
rate in old age is disproportionately higher within the LGBT
community? Yet some of the protections given to older Americans have not been extended to same-sex couples uniformly
across the states, including long-term care and Medicaid.
Among federal programs, Medicaid is a different beast because
states have the authority to administer it as they choose unless directed to comply. Since marriage laws vary from state
to state, the feds have hesitated. Thats why advocacy is so very
important, and SAGE must become a word in your activist
vocabulary.
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is a national organization based in New York City with affiliates in 19
states. Dayton may become the first local chapter in Ohio. Its
Rainbow Elder Care group provides many services and has
nearly completed the requirements for a SAGE endorsement.
Cleveland is also making connections. In Cincinnati, weve
just recently formed a work group. Chicago has the closest
established chapter in the Center on Halstead in Boystown.
The beauty of belonging to a national organization is gaining
access to quality resources and the power of their name for
grant-writing. For an example of SAGEs resourcing capacity,
check out their online library at www.lgbtagingcenter.org
The cost of nursing home care averages more than $68,000
per year, so the need for Medicaid coverage is inevitable. To
qualify, the individual must spend down all but $2,000 of
their assets. If the person is married, however, there is a provision to keep the healthy spouse from becoming impoverished,
too. I am grateful that my father was able to remain in his
home when my mother needed medical care at a facility longterm. The government simply divided their assets so that my
mother could qualify for Medicaid. My father kept their joint
savings (up to $22,000) and their home; otherwise, through
the required Medicaid spend down, he would have lost half
their savings and upon my mothers death, his home would
have been taken.

Currently, states are not required to treat same-sex couples the

same way, and so poverty is a stark reality. See the SAGE video
Booby & Rons Story and Spousal Impoverishment, about
a widower who lost everything because his partner of 28 years
needed to live in a facility for Alzheimers care until his death
at, youtube.com/sageusa.
Rev. Joy Simpson is the Pastor of New Spirit MCC and Eternal
Joy MCC Churches. Contact her at PastorJoy12@gmail.com

Before You Know It

by Ron Clemons

Unite CinCinnati
Recently, I was contacted by a photographer from The Cincinnati Enquirer. She had gone through the photo archives
of the newspaper and discovered some images of the protests
surrounding the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit that was to
open at the Contemporary Arts Center in April 1990. In
honor of the 25th anniversary of the protests, the Enquirer
was running a Then and Now piece on how and if Cincinnati has changed. The photographer wanted me to take a look
at the images to see if I could name any of the protest participants in the photos. As I looked through the images, recognizing the younger versions of some of my contemporaries
and being reminded of the faces that are no longer physically
present, I was flooded with a sobering realization. I realized
that not only has Cincinnati changed over the past twentyfive years, so have I. Ive become an older gay man.

to redefine what it meant to be a member of the LGBTQ

community. It is with no small amount of pride to look at
what we currently have available in Cincinnati and know
what it was like to build a community from the ground up.
However, I can say that personally my desire and drive to be a
part of that effort wasnt about the older or future generations
of LGBTQ folk. The need and the drive were more immediate. It was about creating a space where we could live comfortably in the time. As with all remaining LGBTQ members
of my generation, we find ourselves at a time where the
paradigm is shifting once again. As a subculture, the LGBTQ
community really has yet to begin to address the issues of
aging in our population. It is a subject that is met with jokes,
mockery and an effortless dismissiveness. We now have the
opportunity to address this issue and redefine ourselves as
LGBTQ seniors, and to once again create spaces where we
can live comfortably and be free to be ourselves.
Ron Clemons lives in Cincinnati and has been involved with the
LGBTQ Community for the past 38 years.

By and large, the LGBTQ community has never had a

comfortable relationship with the concept of and the process
of aging. Shortly after moving here in 1975, I recall being
warned of all of the places to avoid because they were frequented by old trolls. Places like The Golden Lions, the
old Greyhound Bus station, rest areas and public parks were
notorious hangouts for older gay men. These places were
viewed as the sexual cemeteries where older men, who were
no longer viewed as attractive or desirable, would congregate
to drown their sorrows and perhaps find a younger man willing to throw them a bone. It was a very bleak picture. They
were viewed as the dinosaurs, the leftovers of a bygone era of
repression, depression and closet dwelling. I was always a bit
confounded by that sentiment as I viewed them as people to
be revered as opposed to feared. They had stories to tell and
experiences I had yet to have so for me, as a young gay man,
they were sources of information and inspiration.
While the people of my generation certainly did not invent
the Gay Wheel, we joined the rotation at a time when the
paradigm was shifting. We were caught up in the tail end of a
whirlwind of evolution that gave us the space and a mindset

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Business

Social Media and the

Socially Awkward
by Shannon C. Smith, Esq

Unite CinCinnati
Social media is actually making people socially awkward. Its
true. Studies and firsthand experience show that those who
peruse social media sites excessively tend to have fewer social
skills (for empirical proof, check out the article, Are We Becoming More Socially Awkward? An Analysis of the Relationship Between Technological Communication Use and Social
Skills in College Students.). The good news? This is excellent
for business!
How? According to the Pew Research Center, 87% of the
population accesses the internet and nearly 75% of Internet
users use social networking sites. Although the surge in social
media use has led to the diminution in personal relationships, it created an excellent tool for businesses to build them
with customers. Building connections and relationships with
customers is a form of advertising called relationship marketing. This is arguably the most successful marketing technique
for any business large or small.
Bud weis er. Bud weis er. Hopefully, most of you recall
this reference and not assume I am writing this on a Thursday and I just happen to be exceptionally thirsty. As most of
you know, this line is from a popular Super Bowl commercial
from 1995 featuring three frogs that shared a friendship and
a love for Budweiser beer. This ad is just one of many successful marketing campaigns by Budweiser. The beer companys
marketing team stakes claim to three of the four most shared
Super Bowl ads of all time, and the frog commercial does not
even make the top five!
Budweisers top three ads all feature the famous Clydesdales.
My favorite ad centers on the relationship between a Clydesdale and its owner. Another you may remember focuses on the
friendship between the Clydesdales and a puppy that gets lost.
Budweisers top all-time ad came nearly a decade ago when the
company, through its ad, paid tribute to the victims of 9/11.
These ads were successful because they focused on relation-

6 | Unite Magazine

ships. What is Bud without the weis or er? Where would

the puppy be without the protection of the Clydesdales?
Where would our country be if we did not come together
after the tragedy of 9/11? Each of these ads features a quality
in relationships that everyone looks for, values, and can
relate to: loyalty, camaraderie, and unity.
Budweiser, and any advertising company worth its salt,
wants to build a relationship and loyalty with customers and
encourage long term engagement by developing a connection or sense of team. Another local beer company that
tapped (pun intended) into this concept is Braxton Brewing
Co. of Covington.
The company has demonstrated a desire to connect with its
customers and the community. In the Kickstarter video that
helped launch Braxton, Jake Rouse, co-founder and CEO,
can be heard saying, We want people to walk in and feel
like they are a piece of this brewery. The desire to build into
Covington, the brewerys backstory of the brothers starting
the brewery out of their garage, and the updates on the rehabilitation of the tap room all helped achieve Jakes goal of
making people relate to and feel a part of Braxton. What was
the result of the relationship built by the Braxton bunch?
Braxton broke the single-day funding record before becoming the most funded brewery in the history of Kickstarter.
Relationship marketing works and social media is the best
platform.
Social media advertisements may even be more effective than
Super Bowl commercials. Remember the 9/11 ad, Budweisers most successful ad of all time? It was successful because
it was shared nearly four million times on Facebook, Twitter,
and various blogs. This fact has swayed companies with deep
pockets to boost their social media presence and reduce marketing dollars spent on other marketing platforms.

To milk this marketing mecca try a few of the following suggestions:

1. Be engaging: Tell your story, add some humor, and
do not be afraid to have some personality. Also, share
images as opposed to text only - you will get more
shares, retweets, and likes.
2. Be transparent: Some of the greatest relationships
share this quality. It builds trust and creates a bond
with customers. Let customers know your goals they will likely rally around and support them.
3. Be current: Find out trending topics and see if
you can relate them to your service or product.
4. Be consistent: When you grow and develop your
brand, be consistent in your message, purpose and
goals. You can even try to post on the same day every
week so people know when to expect to hear from
you.
5. Be observant: Use your social media site to develop
leads or ideas. Also be sure to retweet followers or
respond to Facebook posts no one likes feeling like
they are talking to a wall.
Shannon Smith is the CEO of Attorney Exchange, a budding,
innovative company focused on the realities and needs of the
modern day attorney.

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Health & Fitness

Motivation vs. Habit

by Bree Singler, CTP
Unite CinCinnati
Every January a strange phenomenon occurs in virtually every
gym across the United States. Membership sales quadruple,
parking lots are full beyond capacity, and not a single piece
of equipment is left vacant. This phenomenon is known as
the New Years Resolution Crowd. This is a group made up
of members that, upon making their yearly resolution to lose
weight, find themselves fired up and determined to shed the
extra pounds that have been steadily creeping on over the past
five years. It is their year and they are motivated.
Fast forward to March and you will see the gym has returned
to its normal lull of regulars and weekend warriors. Where is
the resolution crowd now? This group that just three months
ago would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, where have
they gone? They were so motivated and determined. Surely
they wouldnt just give up.
Now, before anyone goes and gets their panties in a wad, this is
not an attempt to pick on the New Years resolution crowd. To
have started or tried in the first place is undoubtedly a victory
in and of itself. In fact, I think it is safe to say that we have
all been there, done that in some way or another. Is there a
single person who can raise their hand to say they have finished
every single thing that they have set out to accomplish? This is
simply one example to show how motivation alone is not and
will never be, the key to success.
Let me be very clear if you are relying on motivation alone,
you will fail.
Everyone starts off motivated. Motivation is what gives us the
drive to step up and make changes in our lives. I would venture to say that no great change has ever come about without
some form of deep, soul-altering motivation. Yet as important
as motivation is, it is a feeling, not an action. Motivation may
be what gets us started, but it cannot sustain us.

After

In one of my favorite TED Talks, BJ Fogg explores motivation

8 | Unite Magazine

as it relates to behavioral changes. What Fogg finds is that

motivation results in a temporary behavior change and that
to create a lasting change, we must develop a more systematic
approach. To create a lasting behavior change, we must develop a habit. The problem with the New Years resolution crowd
(and many other groups/individuals setting out to reach a
specific goal) is that they never form a plan and create habits
that allow them to succeed.
Habits are so important when it comes to how we live our
lives. They define who we are and they work to shape who we
are to become. Habits can be nasty creatures. They can suck
the very life from your veins, leaving you with nothing of
value in return. On the other hand, habits can build you up,
mold you, and protect you when life decides to throw you a
curveball.
At a recent church service I attended, the focus was on habit
or more specifically, the power of habit. The pastor reminded
us that, Where you direct your habits, you will direct your
life. Plainly stated, habits determine direction and when it
comes to fitness, your habits will be the difference between
success and failure.
Bree Singer is a certified personal trainer and the owner of Body
By Bree, a fitness studio focused on functional exercise tailored
specifically to her clients needs.

Cincinnati Queer Yoga

by Trisha Durham, MA, RYT
Unite CinCinnati
Weve all heard about the benefits of yoga; it can reduce anxiety and stress, it can relieve our aches and pains and lead to
an overall better quality of life in both body and mind. That
is unless the thought of walking into a yoga studio causes
anxiety and stress.
Cincinnati Queer Yoga was an idea born, from the desire
to see a more diverse yoga community in Cincinnati that
could reach those who may not feel comfortable walking
into a yoga studio. Whether its because youre not flexible or
because you dont see other people who look like you in the
class, a yoga studio can be an intimidating place. Cincinnati
Queer Yoga exists to change that and introduce people to
yoga in a supportive environment, the more people who can
experience the numerous benefits of yoga, the better.
Cincinnati Queer Yoga seeks to provide an opportunity for
a group of people to find and build community beyond the
bar scene. Additionally, CQY is an invitation to explore wellness and self-care, shifting the focus from simply surviving to
one of thriving.
You can find Cincinnati Yoga on Facebook. Monthly classes
are held at The Shakti Factory 3716 Montgomery Road.
Part of CQYs mission in supporting the wellness of the
LGBTQ community is to bring free classes to community to
events such as NKY Pride and GLSEN Youth Summit. CQY
donates part of all class proceeds to local organizations that is
working for the betterment of LGBTQ lives.
Cincinnati Queer Yoga is not about achieving nice looking
yoga postures or being flexible. It is about learning to feel
good and safe in your body in a supportive environment.
Cincinnati Queer Yoga is a community for those who may
have experienced the following:
If you ever felt like you didnt belong in a yoga studio
You do not see people who look like you doing yoga
Your ways of moving in your body feel queer and you
want to explore that
You want to socialize or gather somewhere other than a
bar
You would like to practice yoga sans the chanting
Trisha Durham is the yoga instructor at Cincinnati Queer Yoga.

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Unite Magazine | 11

Community

HIV ain't the BOSS OF ME

by James Reynolds & Brian Christerson
Unite CinCinnati
My name is James Reynolds. Educator. Administrator. Server. Bartender. All around crazy mofo. I was diagnosed with
HIV in October of 2014 and as odd as this might sound,
its the best thing thats ever happened to me.
I probably owe you an explanation for that last sentence. If
you think you read it wrong, re-read her. Knowing that Im
an educator and that I am indeed certifiable is essential in
understanding why I would even fathom contracting HIV
as a good thing. HIV/AIDS awareness needed someone who
is able to ball on a budget, talk to people from many demographics, and market information in a way that would be far
more risqu than the health department can throw it down.
I get almost manic when the ideas and conversations start
flowing related to improving the lives of those affected and
effected by HIV/AIDS.
How did I get here?
Heres the short and not-so-sweet of it. I found a bottle of
ATRIPLA (HIV medication) in my exs bag, approached
him, and the first words out of his mouth were, If you have
it, its not from me Im undetectable. One, he lied about
having it and two, he lied about being undetectable. This
relationship was over and HIV wasnt to blame. His lack of
being forthright had built an insurmountable pile of distrust
that was never going to go away. For my own sake, I had to
find a silver lining and a glass of wine.
Thanks to a bottle of Pinot Noir, ranting with friends like
a mad man, and some time to digest, I realized my aforementioned ex must have dealt with the same situation I was
currently in: coming to terms with unintentionally acquiring
HIV. Why didnt he tell me? Why was he so ashamed? Why
was it so easy for him to knowingly put me at risk? Talking
it over with many health professionals, it was perfectly clear.
Theres a detrimental stigma attached to HIV/AIDS that
needs to be eradicated. People are ashamed that they have
it, ashamed to talk about it, and ashamed to even get a free
test. I found this unacceptable. HIV is bad enough without
having to carry around a shattered self-image due to negative
stereotypes from a miseducated public.

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The conception of HIVaintthebossofme came out of this

notion: if people can talk more openly about having HIV/
AIDS as well as any STI or even the reality of how often
they are being tested while exhibiting high-risk behaviors,
everyone having sex would be in a better
positionright?
Our mission: to cultivate a revitalized awareness of those affected by
HIV/AIDS.
The next step is getting people to
care about HIV/AIDS and other
STIs; but, every health related entity connected to
advocacy has the same
goal: getting people to
be proactive instead
of reactive. How will
our concept be able
to achieve what massive, well-funded and
well-established organizations cant? Our
approach is that of any
educator worth their
degree - to repackage the
delivery of information
so it doesnt feel
like learning

at all. Were going to get you (the high-risk-fun-loving-21-to30-something-year olds) socially lubed at events. Were going
to throw free entertainment your way in the best venues with
the most talented people this city has to offer. Were going
to throw condoms at you. Were going to have free HIV
testing. Were going to reeducate Cincinnati and show them
how to have high-risk fun with low-risk outcomes. Who
wouldnt want to give that a chance? Boring people who
arent having sex anyway, thats who.
Now, we need you to spread the word. Come to events. Hell,
throw event ideas our way if thats your forte. Visit HIVaintthebossofme.org. Rep some merchandise. See what happens
when we, the high-risk crowd, take charge of empowering
ourselves and stop waiting for someone else to do it for us.
James Reynolds photograph by Dusitn Powell Sparks

Dont let fear and stigma of HIV

make your choices for you.

Find out & protect

your HIV status.

Free, rapid oral

HIV testing

Results
available in
20 minutes

Appointments
and walk-in
times offered
For more information or to schedule your
appointment, visit www.nkyhealth.org
or call Bob at 859.363.2085.

Unite Magazine | 13

Family

RAINBOW COLOR BLIND

by Scott Kearnan

Unite CinCinnati
Our community is built on celebrating diversity, not shying
away from it. Many gay dads in transracial families assume
that their children will grow up to be colorblind: somehow
oblivious to different skin tones. But they soon discover thats
not possible.
He was about 4 or 5, and hed be drawing our family with
crayons, explains Chris Thangaraj, a gay dad from Chicago,
of the first time he noticed his eldest son, Noah, acknowledge the familys transracial identity. Chris is of South Asian
descent, and his sons are African-American; Chriss husband is
Caucasian. When he would draw us, hed reach for the brown
crayon. For my husband, hed reach for peach or yellow.
Its a scenario that was described by several parents in transracial families: Crayon selection, evidently, is a pretty common
first sign of kids acknowledging racial difference. And for
Chris Thangaraj and his husband, Noahs wordless observation
opened a door for important discussions. It gave us a chance
to talk about different skin tones, says Thangaraj. Their conversations have continued, at age-appropriate levels, ever since.
In case you havent noticed, conversations about race are
everywhere lately. In particular, headline-grabbing news
stories are spawning serious, sometimes contentious discussions about race-related issues. Ferguson, Mo., has become a
cultural case study in relationships often fraught with fear,
anger, and distrust between communities of color and police
forces. The shooting deaths of unarmed black teens such as
Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown by white police officers
have forced conversations about racial profiling of young black
men (Most recently, a Cleveland police officer shot and killed
12-year-old Tamir Rice when he was playing in a park with a
toy gun. When he called in the shooting, the officer described
the baby-faced boy as maybe 20). Pop culture brings its own
set of controversies, like the latest feud between rappers Iggy
Azalea (shes white) and Azealia Banks (shes black) over hip
hop music and cultural appropriation. And Starbucks even
seized the zeitgeist as a marketing move. In March it launched
a campaign, #RaceTogether, that encourages baristas to write
the hashtag on coffee cups to instigate discussions about race.
(The idea also instigated some snarky social media backlash.)

14 | Unite Magazine

For parents in transracial families, those who deal with the

nuances of race on a daily basis, these larger discussions feel
overdue. But theyre still not easy to have.
I was shocked and sad, says Doug Kerr from Toronto,
recalling an angry conversation about Ferguson that played
out in a Facebook group for gay fathers. For Kerr, who is
white, the discussion was profoundly personal: His husband
and son are black, and he worries about raising his son in
a world where he is more likely to be judged (including by
gun-toting law enforcement) by the color of his skin. Kerr
says he was alarmed by the vitriol and prejudice the online
discussion revealed from other gay white dads. And when
the heated conversation reached a boiling point, he was
banned from the Facebook group.
Maybe its not relevant, if your kids are white, but for transracial families, its a different story. Says Doug, Conversations about race are conversations about your childs health
and safety. Doug Kerr was eventually invited to re-join the
group, but declined. Im not going to be part of a group
enforcing white privilege, he explains. Kerr has since joined
a group for transracial families, many of which happen to
be headed by same-sex parents, where the conversations are
more productive.
These conversations cant be ignored by gay families, especially when same-sex couples are more likely than their
heterosexual counterparts to choose a transracial adoption
in the first place. According to a 2009 study published in
Adoption Quarterly by researchers at the University of
Virginia, same-sex couples are significantly more likely than
opposite-sex couples to complete a transracial adoption,
namely 54 percent versus 30 percent. In part, suggest the
researchers, thats because same-sex couples were more likely
than opposite-sex couples to be in interracial relationships.
These numbers jive with an informal survey GaysWithKids,
a website by/for gay fathers, conducted among transracial
families. In their survey, about half of respondents strongly
agreed or somewhat agreed that having a transracial fami-

ly was a deliberate choice. Dads reasons ranged from wanting

a family that reflected their interracial relationship, to expectations that the adoption process might move faster.
That last point is worth considering, says Frank Ligtvoet,
a white Brooklyn-based gay adoptive co-father of two African-American children. He bristles at how many white
parents adopt children of color for ease and expediency, yet
fail to consider the underlying issue: Why cant these children
be cared for by their birth parents?
Its a very sad thing to give up your child, says Frank Ligtvoet. You have to ask yourself, What were the circumstances? What are the social issues behind adoption? When people
so often adopt transracially from poor communities, what
does that say about the world we live in? To feel you are rescuing a child of color from impoverished circumstances, and
analyze no deeper, is a self-congratulatory savior experience,
says Frank. True concern should recognize the historic, racebased economic and social inequalities that result in larger
populations of prospective adoptees in the first place.
In short, we need to recognize racism. And dare to talk about
it. Yet in the Gays With Kids survey, only half of gay dads in
transracial families somewhat agreed or strongly agreed
that being transracial is an important issue for our family.
We dont make a big deal out of the race of our kids,
remarked one Gays With Kids survey respondent. My
husbands family is Irish. My parents were Portuguese and
German. We dont address that either.
It might be time to take off the rose-tinted glasses, says Johnny Cole, a gay dad and educator from Massachusetts. Cole is
Asian and his husband is white; together they raise a Latino
son and black daughter. He also teaches graduate-level courses
that help school districts foster inclusive classrooms, and has
led lectures and webinars about issues affecting transracial
families for organizations such as the Family Equality Council. Cole says its important to acknowledge racial differences
within families for a simple reason: They exist. And just as it
does a disservice to a child to ignore her unique experience
with gay parents in a heteronormative society, its unfair to
gloss over distinctions between races that inevitably will become part of that childs reality.
At a certain point a child will hit the encounter stage, when
they realize that they can be treated differently [due to race],
explains Cole. The encounter stage is one of five stages
identified by Dr. William E. Cross, Jr., a leading theorist and
researcher in the fields of clinical psychology and ethnic studies, in his model illustrating the development of racial identity
in people of color. The encounter stage might be experienced
in childhood or adolescence, says Cole. But when it arrives,

it invariably leads to a multitude of emotions from anger

to distrust to sadness that a parent should help his child
navigate to ensure he or she develops confidence, a positive
self-image, and pride in racial identity.
For parents in transracial families, its only a matter of time
before they encounter experiences that will force discussions
of race. Thats because not all prejudices are blatant or even
intentional, but often its their quiet pervasiveness that makes
them dangerous. Cole recalls when his daughter was just 3
years old, and a white fellow preschooler remarked that her
skin looked like the color of poop. Christopher Thangaraj
describes how his son Noah intervened in a playground fight
to play peacemaker only to be assumed as the aggressor by
a teacher who, perhaps, inadvertently revealed preconceived
notions she had about the behavior of young black boys. And
Frank Ligtvoet remembers when his daughter was asked to
play an early American colonist in a grade schools colonial
fair, a figure who not only would have been white, but also
most likely a slave owner. There was no way I could allow
that, says Frank. She cant play a white person in colonial
times when shes a descendant of slaves. Its demeaning. You
have to be an activist and stand up for your child.
Some dads struggle to do that because they are afraid that acknowledging racial differences will somehow make them feel
more profound, and create division instead of conversation.
I teach my son about only one race: human, wrote one
Gays With Kids surveyor who strongly disagreed with
the statement being transracial is an important issue for
our family. That kind of sentiment is, without doubt, well
intentioned. But its not necessarily the best approach, say
gay dads like Mark Hagland of Chicago, who speaks often
about transracial adoption at events like the annual KAAN
Conference, the Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family
Network Conference. Hagland was born in South Korea,
but raised in a largely white community in Milwaukee, Wis.,
by Norwegian-American and German-American parents.
Though Haglands parents were certainly loving, they never
had conversations with him about race, he says. And treating
it as a taboo topic hardly helps when a child is constantly
being confronted with a sense of otherness; in fact, it can reinforce a rejection of their very racial identity. At school wed
be teased and taunted. If your parents were immigrants from
the country you were born in, maybe youd come home and
theyd speak Korean; maybe youd eat rice or kimchi. Wed
come home and eat Swedish meatballs.
Scott Kearman is a Boston-based writer with extensive experience covering LGBT issues,travel, dining, and arts & entertainment for a variety of local and national publications.

Unite Magazine | 15

Feature

Amazon Eve
by Brooklyn Steele Tate

Unite CinCinnati
Erika Ervin, known professionally as Amazon Eve was born
February 23,1979 and is an American transgender model,
fitness trainer and actress. She has appeared on the cover of
Zoo Weekly (an Australian magazine) and played a prominent character on American Horror Story: Freak Show. In
2011,she was crowned the Worlds Tallest Professional Model
by Guinness World Records.
Erika tried to obtain roles as an actress but they only offered
her roles as an alien or a monster so she studied law and
exercise physiology. Over time, Ervin viewed herself as a
super-sized version of Super Woman and became a personal
trainer devoted to instilling realistic expectations for herself
and for her clients. Erika tours the country participating in
comparison photo shoots and regular modeling jobs.

When I was talking to her as a member of the Cincinnati

Pride Committee, I informed her that she was considered as
the Grand Marshal for the purpose of showing the younger
generation that even though times are tough and things
get rough at times, there is a positive light at the end of the
tunnel. You just have to chase it. Dreams dont come to you,
you pursue them, chase them and fight for them. She may
not want to be an activist, a role model or a hero but Amazon Eve is all those wrapped into one.
Come see her at Cincinnati Pride 2015 and help us #fixsociety.
Brooklyn Steele Tate is co-chair of the entertainment committee
for Cincinnati Pride.

Speaking with Ervin on the phone, she will constantly tell

you she is not an activist or a hero but just an average gal
wanting to pursue her dreams, but when she begins to tell
you of the work she has done to help the transgender community with insurance and health coverage, how she uplifts
and motivates men and women to find a healthy body image
and gain self-esteem it only proves that heroes are not made
but born. She understands what it is like to see something in
yourself and not be happy. She knows the idea of change and
the perseverance of making those changes. She has pursued
her dream of acting and has put a face out there for the transgender community.
On June 27, Amazon Eve will be featured as the Grand Marshal for the Cincinnati Pride Parade and will also be speaking
from the stage and doing a meet and greet. When she was
contacted about being the Grand Marshal, she was happy
to accept and stated that she had been to many Pride celebrations but had never been honored with the role of Grand
Marshal. She immediately began to think about how she
could use her celebrity status to make a difference. She will
be taking pictures and signing autographs and donating the
money to two charities, one local and one in California. Her
platform is about education and awareness and any time she
can help promote it, she jumps at the chance. Although she
doesnt want to be touted as a hero or an activist, her instinct
is to help those with fewer resources to help themselves.

16 | Unite Magazine

American Horror Story: Freak Show Erika Ervin (left) and

Jyoti Amges (right)

Family

Unite Magazine | 17

Style

Cincinnati Fashion Eventt

by Jason Wiff

Unite CinCinnati

Taking a sip of Bulleit Rye from a flask, I gaze upon some

scantily, yet tastefully outfitted male models pulling a film off
of the glass landing strip of a runway in a grayish-white fog
of the Bertke Electric Company warehouse in Cincinnatis
Northside. I cant help but think the uneven, cracked floor,
dusty, backlight windows and drink-sipping crowd are out of
place. Is this Cincinnati? The audience is a spectrum of sober
to tipsy, blue-jeans and t-shirt to tailored Chanel clad in fur
and Louboutins. Yes, this is Cincinnati.
In conjunction with the Cincinnati Operas 2015 world
premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon and William M. Hoffmans
Morning Star, The Cincinnati Fashion Event is in collaboration with social intelligence agency, AGAR, Mitchells Salon
and Day Spa, infamous photographer, Annette Navarro, Amy
Kirchen and Evolution Studios.
Instead of scrambling for a seat, I choose to watch the show
from the end of the runway. Lights dim as the show starts
only 15 minutes behind schedule. The first collection is
Asha Amas interpretation on all things black with hints of
oxblood. With a hint of post-apocalyptic darkness in her
edgy, ethereal designs, you can tell the DAAP graduate and
finalist for Project Runway: Under the Gunn is confident in
her own aesthetic of wearable couture. The collection finishes with a floor-length, leather gown as model Kara Wade
glides through the crowd who awes, not just at the gown, but
Wades towering presence.
Sam Donovan, also a finalist on Project Runway: Under the
Gunn, is next up. His mixture of youthful, yet wearable pieces provides an ah ha! moment when I learn that the collection was based on his love of Taylor Swift. A playful mixture
of prints and comfortable fabrics in clean and asymmetrical
cuts will surely gain Donovan attention. His love for his work

18 | Unite Magazine

is apparent as he dances down the runway with models (to a

Taylor Swift song) with Wade finishing off the collection in a
black-and-white, floor-length gown in a neon trim. Note: the
models could move and dance in the designs which were both
beautiful and livable.
Marisa Grahams muted color palette of blacks, ivory and
earth tones highlight her senior thesis and first collection,
Paracosm. Graham describes Paracosm as a detailed imaginary world created inside ones mind. This fantasy world may
involve humans, animals and things that exist in reality or it
may also contain entities that are entirely imaginary, alien and
otherworldly. Focusing on textures instead of prints, Grahams
collection explores the differences of perception and reality
with leather, hand-manipulated and flowy fabrics in a whimsical collection. Upon seeing the final black and red duster, I
immediately imagine myself walking through an enchanted
forest in this velvet-lined design on a mission to kick some ass
while looking fabulous.
Sally Ackerman, a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnatis DAAP program is showing her senior thesis titled,
Totem. A 70s air of yellow and velvet make appearances in
these clean, flowing designs, including a full yellow jumpsuit complete with cream leg warmers. Not taking itself too
seriously, it remains wearable. I can imagine Prince making
an appearance in any of these pieces. My favorite: a pocketed
cape with a virtually seamless cut. I want one for every season.
The queen of the Queen City, Amy Kirchen, is back with her
nationally recognized style. Her self-taught, custom couture
line has made her one of the most sought-after designers in
the Midwest who boasts both local and international A-list
clientele. Her spring collection does not disappoint. With her
clientele in mind, black and cream pieces are perfectly executed and I am left wondering what else a modern, jet-setting

woman could need. Clean lines in an array of versatile

styles makes this collection both wearable and timeless.
Always perfection from Mrs. Kirchen.
Closing the show is are the curatd works of Evolutions
mastermind, Tony Tiemeyer. Moschino, Missoni, Chanel,
disco balls, platforms, sequins, feathers, men, women, Hello Kitty, they were all there. With a collection that beckons
clientele from L.A. to Dubai it is obvious that Tiemeyer
knows how to energize and visually please a crowd. Tiemeyer tells me, I love to stir the pot. The use of an upside
down tiara worn like a visor under a cap makes me want to
rethink everything Ive ever worn and how it can be outfitted differently. Finishing off the show, in tradition, is Miss
Kara Wade strutting a chic, black, asymmetrical dress with
a peacock-feathered headdress that stole the show. A queen
in her own right.
Have I fallen into a paracosm of an edgy, jet-setting world
where the likes of Prince would be happily outfitted in
velvet and a tiara while dancing to Taylor Swift? Nope. I
am still in Cincinnati. The pulsating music returns as the
crowd starts to mingle for photos and discuss their favorite pieces. I didnt expect anything less than perfect from
this team and they delivered. Tiemeyer adds, Some of the
chicest people in the world live here. Im always amazed at
how many people are interested in fashion in Cincinnati
and how the diverse crowds come together for fashion
events.
I, myself am constantly amazed at the talent that resides
in Cincinnati. Since moving here five years ago, I have
encountered some of the most individually talented people
the Queen City has to offer that challenge the likes of
New York or L.A. Simply put, it takes more than passion and talent to transform an idea from your head to
something walking down a runway. It takes a community
of like-minded individuals to make something like the
Cincinnati Fashion Event possible. Cincinnati is not short
on either.
Jason Wiff is a model and a style columnist for several local
publications.

unitecinci
@unitecinci
unitecinci
Unite Magazine | 19

A&E

Theater listings

by Rob Bucher

Unite CinCinnati

CINCINNATI
CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION Five
people enroll in a community center acting class.
Over six weeks, seemingly silly theatre games unwittingly expose their innermost hopes and fears. May
9-June 7. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
www.cincyplay.com
THE CINCINNATI FRINGE FESTIVAL Local,
regional, national and international artists invade
downtown Cincinnati for 12 days of artistic celebration in both traditional and non-traditional spaces.
May 26-June 6.
www.cincyfringe.com
I LOVE LUCY Live on Stage Its 1952 and you are
a member of the Desilu Playhouse studio audience
awaiting the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes. June 2-14. Broadway in
Cincinnati.
www.broadwayincincinnati.com
ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS Fast-talking Francis
Henshall finds himself in a sticky predicament when,
in his constant quest for a quick buck and a bite to
eat, he ends up simultaneously working for two rival
masters. June 12-July 5. Cincinnati Shakespeare
Company.
www.cincyshakes.com

THREE DAYS OF RAIN Three actors portray

two generations of characters in this heartbreaking,
unexpectedly-romantic family story. May 7-23.
Untethered Theater.
www.untetheredtheater.com
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND
SPIKE Sisters Vanya and Sonia live uneventful lives.
When movie star sister Masha arrives with her boy
toy Spike, a hunky young actor who enjoys parading around in his underwear, things suddenly get
eventful. Through May 23. Cincinnati Playhouse in
the Park.
www.cincyplay.com

DAYTON
CROWNS When troubled Brooklyn teenager Yolanda is sent to live with her church-going
grandmother down South, she finds healing in the
personal stories of the ladies of the congregation
and the hats that adorn their heads. June 11-28.
Human Race Theatre Company.
www.humanracetheatre.org
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER A swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan, this epic adventure
answers the century-old question: How did Peter
become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? June 9-14.
Victoria Theatre Association.
www.victoriatheatre.com

OUTSIDE MULLINGAR Set in the Irish countryside, this is the story of Anthony and Rosemaryloners, eccentric souls, and, perhaps, just
right for each other. May 5-24. Ensemble Theatre
Cincinnati.
www.ensemblecincinnati.org

LEXINGTON

QCQTC TBA The Queen City Queer Theatre Collective seeks to be a safe space for LGBTQ stories and
conversation. Upcoming readings include the groups
first original play and first staged reading of a musical. Details to be announced.
www.facebook.com/qcqtccincinnati

LOUISVILLE

20 | Unite Magazine

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN The musical love story

of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler.
May 1-17. Village Square Theatre.
www.villagesquaretheatre.com

PIPPIN The national tour of the recent Broadway

revival. PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince on

a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence. Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or
will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory?
June 2-7. Kentucky Center Broadway Series.
www.kentuckycenter.org

Restaurant Review:
The Blue Gibbon

by Christopher Bruckmann

Unite CinCinnati

The Blue Gibbon is an award-winning local treasure, located

close to downtown right off the Norwood Lateral. Opened in
Cincinnati over 30 years ago by Frank Kok, an experienced
chef who has worked in kitchens in New York City and Southeast Asia, Blue GIbbon is very professionally and beautifully
decorated, with exquisite vases and all manner of oriental
ornamentation. Plus, the prices are remarkably reasonable.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY
THE ADDAMS FAMILY A creepy and kooky
musical love story. Wednesday Addams is all grown
up and falls in love with a normal young man from
a respectable family. Chaos ensues as the Addams
Family tries to host a normal dinner for the young
mans family. May 29-June 7. Showbiz Players.
www.showbizplayers.com
ASSASSINS A darkly entertaining Stephen Sondheim musical about John Wilkes Boothe, Squeaky
Fromme, Sam Byck, Lee Harvey Oswald and all the
other unsavory characters who ever decided that
their path to greatness lay in the assassination of an
American President. May 29-June 13.
Falcon Theater
www.falcontheater.net
THE SUNSHINE BOYS The legendary comedy
team of Lewis and Clark are no longer speaking
to each other on or off the stage. But when these
cranky comics are convinced to reunite for a TV
special, who will get the last laugh? June 3-21.
Commonwealth Theatre Company.
www.nku.edu/~theatre

The rich interior and excellent, family staff will offer you a
fine dining experience and then present a bill so surprisingly inexpensive that youll feel like youve gotten away with
something. And you probably will have, because the portions
are also quite generous; even the hungriest amongst left with a
midnight snack or two. And what snacks there are: the spring
rolls are so soft and sweet that they reminded me of funnel
cake from a festival, though I was even more impressed by
their crab rangoon and pork egg rolls. As someone who has
been to just about every Chinese restaurant in Cincinnati, that
is saying something.
Perhaps it is the special talent the family has brought in from
Asia that adds that extra flavor to every savory bite. These
international chefs have cooked up quite a huge menu at
the Blue Gibbon, offering not just your standard Szechuan
selections, but such exotic items as Malaysian Curry and the
Singaporean Rice Noodles. For something more homegrown,
try a unique offering named after the owners son, the James
Thai Fried Rice. Or have some wine at their bar if you feel like
throwing a fancy party, as some of Cincinnatis biggest businesses are known to do.
Whether youre looking for a classic Chinese lunch or something fresh and filling from elsewhere overseas, the Blue
Gibbon offers a perfect mlange of the familiar and the unique
with panache.

Rob Bucher has been covering Greater Cincinnati theater online

for more than 15 years. Check out his Behind the Curtain Cincinnati blog at http://behindthecurtaincincy.com.

www.Unitemag.com/cincinnati
Unite Magazine | 21

A&E

Pride in Film

by Shawn Howley

Unite CinCinnati

As we venture into Gay Pride season, as much as I believe in

looking forward to things to come from an entertainment
perspective, I find myself reflecting on the films that impacted
me greatly as a gay man. Some you may know, some you may
not. All of them are required viewing in my opinion and I
encourage you to seek them out.

Jobriath A.D. - Before David Bowie and Freddie Mer-

cury made us not care about who they slept with and long
before Adam Lambert blew the closet door open, there was
Jobriath. He was an androgynous, openly gay singer in a
world that wasnt ready for him. Discover this treasure crafted
by gay filmmaker Kieran Turne

The Living End - Gregg Araki turned Thelma and Louis

on its ear with this tale of two HIV positive men with nothing
to live for who wreaked havoc across the country. It was the
first gay film I saw in a theater at the young age of 16. HIV
research has come so far, but this one still haunts me to this
day - in a good way.

Get Real - The story of a closeted high school kid, quiet

and unassuming who goes to the toilets in the park to meet

other guys. On one such occasion he happens to run into
a fellow classmate who also happens to be THE jock at his
school in rural England. When you feel completely alone
in the world and find someone like yourself to relate to its a
spring of emotional release behind closed doors while maintaining a heterosexual illusion in front of others.
This particular film spoke to me greatly because I was the
quiet kid in high school trying to go unnoticed but also very
much a jock and into sports. Eventually, the characters have
to deal with the terms of their relationship in the real world
as well. I was parts of both characters in the film. This is an
outstanding gay coming of age story with a cast of unknowns
making it easier to identify with them as people instead of as
actors playing a role

Love Songs (aka Les Chanson Damour). Boy meets girl.

Boy and girl 1 meet girl 2. Girl 1 dies. Girl 2 leaves boy. Boy
meets...boy. And that is this French film in a nutshell. A
seamless and fascinating tale of love found and lost and found
again with completely plausible reflection points eloquently
brought together in song that is fitting for every scene. Nominated for the Palme Dor at Cannes and features a relatively
unknown and likable cast of imperfect French folks headlined

22 | Unite Magazine

by Louis Garrel. I am absolutely in love with Love Songs.

Simple, beautiful, exquisite and delightful.

Beautiful Thing - This was the film that made me want

to run down the street yelling and screaming to tell everyone
Im gay and Im normal and its okay! Jamie and Ste are
neighbors and schoolmates, but not friends. Until Ste gets
locked out and has a sleepover that enlightens Ste to Jamies
desires for him. The romance that evolves surrounded by the
bigots they live near and the trying times of coming out to
your parents...this was my life. I was much more like Ste, the
soccer jock having been a sports guy my whole life, though
part of me was like Jamie, the withdrawn isolated type. Its
a delightful film and a wonderful story. One of the few that
always makes me well up with tears upon every viewing.

Making Love - Im thrilled to know the openly gay

and influential screenwriter Barry Sandler. My older readers

should know this one but anyone under 35 may not. Barrys
personal thoughts on the film. It was important to have a
gay film where the main characters were gay and were good
strong characters, not peripheral characters with exaggerated
mannerisms and there strictly to be the brunt of a joke. I
wanted them not to commit suicide at the end but to be a
mainstay in the film.
Additionally this film is so powerful on a personal level as
Ive received thousands of letters over the years as people
have watched and identified with it and seen that they can
be normally represented in a film by actual Hollywood stars.
While gay in film and TV has come a long way, this was the
first mainstream foray for us. An absolute classic.
Sean Howley aka The Queer Film Critic has a Bachelors degree
in Cinema Studies from theUniversity of Central Florida and
has been reviewing film full time for over two years
now.
http://queerfilmcritic.blogspot.com

www.Unitemag.com/cincinnati

Straight Author,
Gay Characters
by Michael Monks

Unite CinCinnati
Rick Robinson may not fit the profile of an author with
his finger on the pulse of gay culture, and he knows this.
So when the former legislative director to former Northern
Kentucky Congressman and Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning,
a Republican, chose Washington, D.C.s DuPont Circle as a
location in his latest political thriller, he embedded himself in
the gay scene.
For research purposes, of course.
First off, I am very supportive of gay rights and I point out
to my fellow Republicans that one of the earliest persons to
speak out on gay rights was Barry Goldwater and that Goldwater, when Clinton was President, he came out and supported the gays in the military policy of Clinton, Robinson
told UNiTE Cincinnati. I always talk about it as a matter of
liberty.
I have written about gay rights which has led to some interesting hate mail.
Robinson, an attorney from Ludlow who lives with his
family in Ft. Mitchell, turned to writing when he left Capitol
Hill. His D.C. background serves him well when recurring
lead character Richard Thompson, a Congressman, pops
up in his political thrillers, the latest of which, The Advance
Man, led Robinson to experience Dupont Circle up close
and personal.
Years ago when I started writing, a friend of mine, a lobbyist for the Kennedy Center, he and his partner and I were
walking past the Ways and Means Committee room and
he looked over and said of the line to go in, he said, See
that line-up of people going in there, he said, Theres more
queens in there than there were in the Tower of London,
laughed Robinson. I started laughing my ass off and said,
Im gonna use that line in one of my books.
And now comes his chance.

out in Dupont Circle.

D.C. has always had a very vibrant gay community and a
very active one inside of government on both sides of the
aisle, and its one of those things, as I was looking to find out
who would be the unexpected hero in this, why wouldnt it be
the gay community who are trying to hide somebody in plain
sight accused of killed the Vice President?
Robinson is currently working in D.C. as a lobbyist which
made his own trip to Dupont Circle convenient. Im very
into detail. When I write about a restaurant in Covington, if I
say its fifteen steps, its because I took fifteen steps, Robinson
said. I started tracking where the character would run out
and where he would be immediately grabbed by somebody
and pulled into a doorway which led me on a Saturday afternoon to a gay bar in Dupont Circle.
At the bar, Robinson started taking pictures and jotted down
notes, and when a fellow patron asked what he was up to, the
author explained, and from there multiple patrons gathered
round, arguing over where the character would be taken.
Oh, you wouldnt go there, its a leather bar, theyd know
right away he was a stranger, Robinson said he was told. It
was a riot.
You dont have people writing about the community in such
a way as it actually exists in D.C. People will write about it
in sometimes caricature-ish ways in their books, Robinson
said. Were talking about Democrats and Republicans. There
are Rs and Ds both. Part of the lifestyle of D.C. has been
that forever, and nobody writes that in mainstream mystery
literature.
I like to give people the real inside feel of D.C., of what its
like on the campaign trail, in politics, along with the thriller
aspect of the story I like to give the feel of what its like working on the Hill.
And whether the reader is gay or straight, Robinsons books
are crowd-pleaders.
If you love politics, youll love my books. If you hate politics,
I kill politicians, so I have something for everyone.
The Advance Man by Rick Robinson is available now at local
bookstores and online at www.authorrickrobinson.squarespace.
com

The Advance Man, when Congressman Thompson finally

ascends to the Senate to fill a vacancy, centers around the
assassination of the Vice President and the chief suspect is the
VPs advance man, the guy who travels ahead of a leader
to nail down all the details of travel, security, and the like.
They are trying to blame it on his advance man by trying
to say he had a crush on the Vice President, Robinson
explained, and the gay community knows that that isnt the
case and they are trying to hide him while folks try to find
him.
Yes, after returning to his apartment to discover the bad
guys waiting for him, the advance man runs into a bar that
happens to be of the gay persuasion, and so begins his hiding

Author Rick Robinson

Unite Magazine | 23

Music

Up - The Unite Playlist

by Terron Austin.

Unite CinCinnati
Looking for the sounds of the sunny season to come? Head to
your favorite place to buy some of these brand new singles and
albums. For your convenience, while youre reading, it might
be a good idea to tap purchase in your iTunes store and add
these summer sizzlers to your Unite Playlist.
Madonna Rebel Heart
The Queen of Pop and reinvention is back on the scene after
a tumultuous promo campaign for her new album Rebel
Heart released March 6th. A premature album leak less than
a week before Christmas quickly became this A-list artists
nightmare when multiple unfinished tracks were discovered
online months prior forcing Madonna to make an immediate
decision either halt the entire process to start from scratch or
give the public what they wanted even if it wasnt the Material
Girls best efforts. She chose the latter, but as she states on
Living For Love, the albums stirring lead single, Im gonna
carry on. She does just that quite exceptionally on her thirteenth studio album of dance cuts that fuse 1990s house, trap
music and reggae. Youll find collaborations with Kanye West,
Nicki Minaj, Chance The Rapper and even Mike Tyson plus a
standard, deluxe and super deluxe edition with bonus content.
Whats the best part? Madonnas hitting the road for the all
arena-stages only Rebel Heart Tour late this summer heading
to cities shes never performed before. So all the die-hard fans
can expect to see the magic of Madonna come to life sooner
than you think. Tickets are on sale now. Will we see you there?

superstars Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Courtney Love

whove all appeared on the networks highest-rated show in
years. If you havent seen it, head to Hulu for a binge marathon and find out what the fuss is all about.
Jill Scott You Dont Know
Shes a soul singer never without a story to tell every time she
comes back on the scene and after a four-year hiatus, you
can tell Jill Scotts going through some things on the vintage-sounding, bluesy and forlorn single You Dont Know.
The Philadelphia powerhouse gives you every ounce of pain
possible as she questions listeners on the song asking you to
think about how much you really (dont) know about love.
Scott gives a stream of scenarios in the lyrics saying if your
tears havent fallen like rain and you havent prayed for someone to hold you tight then you really dont know nothin
about it at all. Were excited shes back and will be headlining
Julys highly anticipated Cincinnati Music Festival at Paul
Brown Stadium, but lets hope her spirits are lifted by then
and a full album will surface or else well all be shedding some
tears under the summer sun.
Also on our radar this spring/summer are these expected
releases:
Matt & Kim - New Glow (April 7)
Alabama Shakes Sound of Color (April 21)

EMPIRE The Original Soundtrack from Season One

Mumford & Sons The Waterfall (May 4)

Since the beginning of 2015, the nation has tuned into the
breakthrough FOX TV series Empire, a hard-hitting dramatic
depiction of a Hip Hop familys fame, fortune and fight for
control starring Terrence Howard, Academy Award nominee
Taraji P. Henson and new LGBT heartthrob Jussie Smollett
as Jamal Lyon. What made the show, which wrapped its
record-breaking first season on Wednesday, March 18th, of
course, was the music it began to yield every week now compiled in an original soundtrack. Surprisingly, it charted above
our aforementioned Queen of Pops new project to snag the
number one spot on the Billboard Top 200. Your best buy
is to grab the deluxe version of the Empire soundtrack featuring cast members Smollett, rapper Yazz who plays Smolletts younger brother, features from newcomer V. Bozeman
(definitely one to watch) and appearances from other real-life

Snoop Dogg BUSH (May 12)

24 | Unite Magazine

Florence + the Machine How Big How Blue How

Beautiful (June 2)
Terron Austin travels the country providing music content for
various radio, online, and print publications.

www.Unitemag.com/cincinnati

Sports

Rivercity Softball:
35 Seasons Strong
The Rivercity Softball League is preparing for its 35th season
on the diamond as league members met in early April to go
over ground rules and organize their teams.
For decades, the Rivercity Softball League has served the
LGBT community in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
region. The goal of the league is to provide a fun but competitive league for anyone that wants to play the game of softball,
regardless of their skill level.
Its a mixture of gay, straight, whatever. We dont care, said
Shelly Buechel, player and part-organizer of the league.
There are three tiers of competition levels: competitive, intermediate and recreational. This way, players can feel more
comfortable playing against competitors of their speed and
keep it more fun for everyone.
There is a competitive part of our league, but you dont have
to play on that side of it, Buechel said. And again, if they
just want to come out and watch and see what its all about
and if its something they want to do, it would be really great
to have them on Tuesday nights.
The softball league started with only three teams, but has
grown to 13 this season. There are two eight-week sessions
with a tournament at the end of the summer. Each team plays
two games every Tuesday night at Rivercity Sports Complex
on Kellogg Avenue. Both sessions plus the tournament comes
to be around 30 total games and lasts from late-April to Labor
Day.
Its fun seeing people outside of the bar, Beuchel said about
what makes the league special. Its very refreshing in that way.
Its fun. Its being outside and participating.
League organizers talked about how regular the sizable spectator contingent becomes for the softball games, and of how its
another way that makes the league a source of happiness for so
many people.
Weve got families with their kids and dogs are allowed in
our league, Buechel said about the environment. You kind
of meet a lot of different people from various areas that you
wouldnt ordinarily run into as well. Its a great way to connect
with people.

by Bryan Burke

Unite CinCinnati
The camaraderie is not limited between the lines, though. The
league as a group have outings to places like the Cincinnati
Reds games and league picnics and also organize fundraisers
to pay for league fees and other costs. One particular fundraiser netted over $800 and participants had a blast.
This will be the eighth year that we do an annual event called
Hit, Run, Whore where a few people from every team do
drag that dont normally do drag, Buechel said. She herself
plays softball in drag on such occasions.
Every four years, the Rivercity Softball League hosts the
regional tournament between other LGBT leagues of Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit and Cincinnati. They will next
host the tournament in 2017. Buechel said that the regional
tournaments bring up to 800 people and over 40 teams to the
softball fields.
Rivercity Softball League would still like to see even more participation from the community. Buechel said that the numbers have plateaued some in recent years after a long stretch of
growth.
We cant recruit those newbies. Were trying to, Buechel
said. I wish we had more, really.
League fees cost $750 per team to join. All but $100 of that
money goes to the sports complex while the league keeps the
rest for uniforms and other expenses. Teams are usually made
up of 12 to 15 people. Buechel said that if individuals express
an interest but cannot organize a whole team, an attempt
would be made by the league to find a fit for that person.
A lot of the teams are sponsored by bars in the community,
many of which pay for the entrance fees.
We have everybody on the teams. Thats one cool thing of
our league is that we have teams that are all straight people,
and every team has straight people on their team, Buechel
said. We have people that dont play who come out to enjoy
the evening, and I think if more people knew that was an
option it would make it even better.
Bryan Burke is a contributing writer at UNITE Cincinnati and
associate editor at The River City News.

Unite Magazine | 25

Travel

One Proud Summer

Party Planner for the Gay Traveler

by Mike Hastings

Unite CinCinnati
Lights, costumes, music, action When the gay community
parties, they certainly do it in style!
If youre wondering where the hottest places for fun-in-thesun are this summer, forget beach resorts; think festivals.
Inspired by Europes extravagant touring-parties, these new
festival spectaculars offer revelers blazing pyrotechnics and
Broadway-caliber production, with music by the worlds
leading DJs. The trick for gay travelers is acting fast as rooms
fill up quickly! Here are some of this summers best.

Travel to CHICAGO

Destination: Neverland
Taking Place: Pride Weekend (June 27 to 28) and Market
Days (August 7-9)
Best Place to Stay: Best Western Hawthorne Terrace is the
only hotel in Boystown. In downtown Chicago, best options
are the PUBLIC Hotel (chic lobby bar), The Hotel Monaco,
and the W on Lakeshore Drive.
Be Sure To Check Out: Wicker Park, Andersonville, and
Old Town are great neighborhoods for city walks. The art
galleries in Pilsen are also pretty cool.

Disney is Dead. For Pride, our theme is Bougie. Tell me,

who has ever thrown a Bougie Ball before? Well be making
fun of the finer things as well as celebrating them. For Market Days, our theme is Savages. The costumes will emulate
ancient savage cultures like the Aztec, Mayans, Huns, and
Mongols!
What makes Neverland different from other parties?
Neverland is run by artists, not promoters. Our emphasis is on
fantasy and production.
Who will be providing the beats at Pride?
DJ Joshua D (LA) is spinning the outdoor pool party on Saturday. Then DJs Alex Acosta and Alexander will headline Neverland Bougie, the Saturday night main event. The Sunday
closing party will takes place at The MID, one of Chicagos
most prestigious nightclubs, with DJ Ivan Gomez.
What should travelers pack to enjoy Neverland to its fullest?
A lot of people bring costumes that match the theme. You can
get inspiration on what to bring and wear from the photos on
our Facebook page at Facebook.com/NeverlandParties

Chicago is changing! Four years ago, the citys Pride consisted of a single, small event on a Saturday night. With the
help of Neverland, the scene has expanded! This years Pride
will be the largest in years, with three large dance parties and
world-class DJs like Alex Acosta, Ivan Gomez, and DJ Alexander. Market Days will be even bigger, with a daytime street
festival, and nighttime events including Neverland Savages with Isaac Escalante and Alain Jackinsky, and Alegria
headlined by Abel. Anthony DiFiore, Creative Director of
Neverland, explains.

Travel to LAS VEGAS

What does Neverland have in store for summer 2015?

Anthony DiFiore: Our parties always have high-concept,
unique theme like our Ratchet Ball a year ago, or Walt

Does anyone need an excuse to travel to Sin City? Las Vegas

lives on the wild side and is a haven for overstimulation, but
its also an interesting cultural study and a lot of fun. If youve

26 | Unite Magazine

Destination: Matine Las Vegas Festival

Taking Place: Memorial Day Weekend, Friday, May 22 to
Monday, May 25
Best Place to Stay: Rumor Hotel is the host hotel. Hard Rock
and the Tropicana are nearby and are offering special rates for
Matine attendees.
Be Sure To Check Out: Mariah Carey. She is in town performing during Memorial Day Weekend. Also, be sure to take in at
least one Cirque du Soleil show.

never visited the city, theres no time like the present to pack
your bag and head to Vegas, baby! Matine USA partner Paul
Nicholls explains.
What does Matine Las Vegas Festival have in store this year?
We are celebrating the five-year anniversary of what has
become the fastest growing gay dance festival in the country.
We are ready to bring the wow factor. There will be multiple jaw dropping moments that have never been done at a
gay event before. Also, our Saturday main event will be at
Cowabunga Bay, Americas newest waterpark featuring fifteen
state-of-the-art water slides.
What makes Matine Las Vegas Festival different from other
parties?
The thing I am most proud of is our because we can approach to everything we do. We always put ourselves in our
customers shoes and give them that extra touch that really
makes a difference because we can. We strive to provide
wow moments that clubbers could never see coming.
Who will be providing the beats?
We have an unprecedented list of superstar DJs from Matine
All Stars like Taito Tikaro and Lydia Sanz to home grown
Matine USA All Stars like Hector Fonseca and DJ GRIND.
We also have some new additions this year that we are thrilled
to welcome, including Issac Escalante, Phil Romano, Kidd
Madonny and Kitty Glitter.
What should travelers pack to enjoy Matine Las Vegas Festival to
its fullest?
All you need is your ID and a smile. Let us take care of the
rest!

TRAVEL TO NEW YORK

Destination: New York Pride

Taking Place: Friday, June 26 Sunday, June 28

Best Place to Stay: OUT NYC is a self-described

straight-friendly hotel where every day is LGBT Pride.
Be Sure To Check Out: Stonewall Inn, Times Square, Statue
of Liberty, Freedom Tower, and Empire State Building.
Of course, the gay revolution all started here at Manhattans
Stonewall in 1969. The Big Apples pride celebration is like no
other. The week-long festivities kick off Tuesday, June 23 with
Family Night, but June 28 is the main event with one of the
worlds largest LGBT pride marches. The main post-march
events are PrideFest, a huge street fair held on Hudson Street,
and the famous Dance on the Pier, which typically draws
surprise superstars to the stage. This year, for the first time
ever, Circuit Festival joins in on the fun for Pride Weekend
presenting the worlds biggest gay event at Copa, the most
exclusive rooftop in the Hells Kitchen. Event producer Jake
Resnicow explains.
What does Circuit Festival have in store this year?
Were raising the bar on nightlife this Pride. We will deliver
on all the details that make a party successful: the best DJs,
sound, lighting, production and venue. Were taking over
Copa. How can you beat a rooftop in NYC?
What makes Circuit Festival different from other parties?
What really makes NYC Pride something special is the crowd.
The Pride crowd is anxious to be a part of something epic.
They come with a purpose: to celebrate!
Who will be providing the beats?
DJs Tom Stephan, OHalley Brothers, Serving Ovahness, and
more to be announced soon.
What should travelers pack to enjoy to enjoy Circuit Festival to its
fullest?
Shades. The sun always shines brightly on Pride.

Unite Magazine | 27

LGBT Business Directory

ART & Culture
Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org

EDUCATION
The New School Montessori
3 Burton Woods Ln.
Cincinnati, OH 45229
513. 281.7999
www.newschoolmontessori.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Shawn P. Hannegan, CPA
10979 Reed Hartman Hwy
Suite 331E
Cincinnati, OH 45242
513.223.3317
www.hannegancpa.com
Eagles Savings Bank
6415 Bridgetown Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45248
513.233.7182
eaglesavings.com

FITNESS
Body by Bree
605 Madison Ave. Suite 1
Covington, Kentucky 41011
270.234.3357
www.bodybybree.net

28 | Unite Magazine

LEGAL SERVCES
Law Offices of Shannon C. Smith
605 Madison Ave. Suite 2
Covington, Kentucky 41011
859.414.0543 or 502.498.4739
www.lawofficesofshannoncsmith.com

NIGHTLIFE
The Annex
901 Race St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.421.1663

On Broadway
817 Broadway St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Facebook.com/onbroadwaybar
Old Street Saloon
13 Old St.
Monroe, OH 45050
513.539.9183
Rosies Tavern
643 Bakewell St.
Covington, KY 41011
859.291.9707
Shooters
927 Race St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.381.9900

Bar 32
701 Bakewell St.
Covington, KY 41011
859.431.7011

NONPROFIT

Below Zero
1122 Walnut St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.421.9376
www.belowzerolounge.com

HIV Project
4138 Hamilton Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45223
513.679.4453
www.ppswohiv.org

The Cabaret
1122 Walnut St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.202.4052
www.cabaretcincinnati.com

Imago
700 Enright Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45205
513.921.5124
www.imagoearth.org

The Dock Complex

603 West Pete Rose Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.241.5623

PHOTOGRAPHY
Mikki Schaffner Photography
2511 Essex Pl. Room 104
Cincinnati, OH 45206
www.mikkischaffner.com

Psychology/Counseling
Ellen O. Bierhorst Ph.D.
513.221.1289
www.lloydhouse.com
REstaurant
Pipers Cafe
520 W. 6th St.
Covington, KY 41011
www.piperscafe.biz
Retail
flow - a shop for men
619 Madison Ave.
Covington, KY 41011
859.291.3569
www.gentlemanflow.com

Park + Vine
1202 Main St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.7275
www.parkandvine.com
The Man Cave
One Levee Way
Newport, KY 41071
Kellys Kloset
One Levee Way
Newport, KY 41071
Past and Present
521 Monmouth St
Newport, KY 41071
859.433.0183
Roebling Point Books and Coffee
306 Greenup St.
Covington, KY 41011
513.607.1206

Services
Tier Haus Pet Salon

5970 Harrison Ave

Cincinnati, OH 45248

513.574.9333
www.tierhauspetsalon.com
VENUES
Mayerson JCC
8485 Ridge Rd,
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.mayersonjcc.org
web design
Hip Gloss Productions, LLC
Amy Ketchum
71 Cavalier Blvd.,
Florence KY 41042
513.549.7447 (7HIP)
www.HipGloss.com
unite@hipgloss.com

Unite Magazine | 29

GLESEN PROM 2015

SAFE SPACE SOIREE

30 | Unite Magazine

Photograph by David N Martin/ MKphotography

Unite Magazine | 31

Join Macys as we
Celebrate Family + Friends + Love + Life + Equality + Respect
We are proud to join the parade across America in honor of National Pride Month.
We think its really something to celebrate.
Plus, join us in supporting The Trevor Project this year!
The Trevor Project provides life-saving crisis
intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

F O R M O R E D E T A I L S visit

MACYS.COM/CELEBRATE

32 | Unite Magazine

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