Out words - The Western Montana Community Center

Editors: Suzie Reahard
A.D. Seibel
127 North Higgins, Suite 202
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-543-2224
E-mail: wmglcc@gaymontana.org
Website: www.gaymontana.org
Contributors: A.D. Seibel, Ron Blake, Tim Adams,
Cody Leatzow
Cover Art: Suzie Reahard
Advertising: Suzie Reahard & Tim Adams
Monthly Circulation: 3,000 copies
Serving the
LGBTIQ
Community
Since 1998 The Western
Montana
CommunityCenter Inside
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Center Board Members
Mija mija@gaymontana.org
Tim Adams tim.adams@gaymontana.org
David Herrara david.herrara@gaymontana.org
Angel Nordquist angel.nordquist@gaymontana.org
Acton Seibel acton.seibel@gaymontana.org
Bree Sutherland bree.sutherland@gaymontana.org
Linda Tracy linda.tracy@gaymontana.org
Kate Wenninger kate.wenninger@gaymontana.org
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the opinion of the writers or advertisers, not that of the Board of Directors,
members of the editorial staff of the Out Words, nor the Western Montana Gay
& Lesbian Community Center. Those who contribute, advertise and distribute Out
Words do not necessarily identify as LGBTIQ.
Out Words is distributed at the following locations:
Billings: Barjon Books, Hastings, YAP, The Loft, Good Earth Market
Bozeman: Bozeman Community Food Co-Op, Bridger Clinic, City Brew Coffee,
Gallatin Community Clinic, Leaf and Bean, Nova Café, Plonk
Helena: Bert & Ernie’s Restaurant , Birds & Beaslies , No Sweat Café , Real
Food Market & Deli , Staggering Ox , Taco Del Sol , Tori’s Antiques & Exquisite
Jewelry, GamePODS, Gaia’s Galleria
Kalispell: City Brew Coffee, Dolce Villa, Flathead Valley Alliance, Starbucks
Livingston: Coffee Crossing, Montana Cup Coffee House and Bakery, The Owl
Missoula: The Badlander/Palace Billiards, Bernice’s Bakery, Betty’s Divine, Butterfly
Herbs, Catalyst, Chocolat, Crystal Video, Dan Fox Foster Homes, Dauphine’s, Ear
Candy Records, Fact and Fiction, FDH & Associates, Forward Montana, Front
Street Pasta and Wraps, Taco Del Sol, Staggering Ox, The Good Food Store, The
Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, Liquid Planet, Missoula AIDS Council, Midnight
Dreams, Missoula Community Food Coop, Pita Pit, Public Library, ClubQ
Also distributed to: Havre MT, Browning MT, Butte MT, Culbertson MT, Victor MT,
Ancorage AK, Tacoma WA, Boise ID, Portland OR
This Edition of Out Words
News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Kalispell Pride 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
The Future Belongs to Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dance it Out: Fuse Caters to All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Out Fest 2010 Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Fitness Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Trans Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Community Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Calender of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
About thE CovEr Artist
The Western Montana Community Center will
be presenting Queer Bodies, featuring the work
of Susan Reahard. Through reclaimed materials,
metals, wood, various digital printing techniques,
photography, light boxes, and interactive media
Susan reveals her passion for the queer spirit and
body. Queer Bodies intertwines the conflicting
textures of salvaged wood and bamboo paper
to translate the digital images of our friends
and lovers. These images are as comforting as
they are striking as they offer up the question
of “how is your body like and not like mine”,
regardless of your gender expression or sexual
identity. Susan has a BFA in Fiber Arts from
the Savannah College of Art and Design and is
currently studying Media Arts at the University
of Montana.

News
Briefs
by A.D. Seibel
June 1, 2010. McDonald’s releases a gay ad in France. It’s
cute and adorable and you can check it out on YouTube,
but all it really means is that McDonald’s will still serve
you questionable food regardless of your sexuality. Oh
well, one step at a time.
June 6, 2010. Sao Paulo, Brazil reportedly throws the
world’s biggest Gay Pride parade. Since, 1997 Brazil’s
gay parade has eclipsed San Francisco and Sydney’s gay
parades with this year’s attendance topping three million
people. The state government finances the Sao Paulo
parade with sponsorship from Brazil’s state run oil
company, Petrobras.
June 8, 2010. Umm…Elton John performs at Rush
Limbaugh’s wedding for one million dollars? I guess I
would do anything for a million dollars too.
June 9, 2010. I don’t know if you know this, but you
more than likely know someone who is, in fact, gay. CBS
recently did a poll calculating that 77% of Americans say
they know someone who is gay or lesbian. Long story
short, those of us who know some gays are more likely
to believe that gayness between consenting adults is
a-ok. Thanks CBS for the heads up.
June 10, 2010. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday
Saints gets a slap on the wrist for failing to report
contributions made to the Protect Marriage Coalition
during the last two weeks before the vote that banned
gay marriage in California. California’s Fair Political
Practices Commission could have fined the church
$5,000 for each violation but opted to make a deal for a
one-time payment of $5,539.
June 11, 2010. Tel Aviv, Israel holds two competing
Gay Pride parades. Later, Al Krieger, mayor of Yuma
AZ, calls the gays “lacy-drawered” and “limp-wristed”
during a Memorial Day speech at a cemetery. Then
Iceland unanimously votes to pass gay marriage and caps
a seriously busy day.
June 14, 2010. The ban on gay men donating blood
is upheld. The Federal Advisory Committee on Blood
Safety and Availability voted 9 to 6 against lifting the ban.
Current FDA guidelines state that any dude who’s had
gay sex since 1977, even once, cannot donate blood. The
American Red Cross and the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force expressed their extreme disappointment in
the ruling by pointing out that 219,000 more pints of
blood could have been available per year and that deferral
periods should be, “applied fairly and consistently among
donors who engage in similar risk activities.”
June 16, 2010. The saga seemingly continues and
we all wait with bated breath as closing arguments
begin in a lawsuit challenging California’s ban on gay
marriage. It’s the first federal trial to examine whether
gay marriage bans violate our civil rights and is expected
to go all the way to the Supreme Court. If that wasn’t
enough, Prop. 8 supporters also want the state to stop
recognizing the same-sex marriages that were granted
before the measure took effect. They filed the previous
Tuesday asking the judge sitting on the case to rule that
government agencies, courts, and businesses no longer
have to recognize same-sex couples as married.
June 17, 2010. Surprise. Southern Baptists are against
the repeal of DADT. The Reverend Richard Land, the
Southern Baptists’ public policy chief, announced at
an annual meeting for the denomination, that the U.S.
military would fall to ruin if gays were allowed to serve
openly. Rev. Land also predicted that troops will resign
in droves and that the Southern Baptists will be opposing
any efforts to overturn California’s ban on gay marriage.
June 18, 2010. The oldest gay bar in the U.S., The Cedar
Brook Café, will be closing its doors as of June 26th.
Clem Bellairs, the current owner of the 71- year- old
institution, says that he can no longer afford to keep the
place open after new owners doubled his rent. Bellairs
pointed out that the bar was a life saver for him when he
was 21 and that the bar had a natural way of attracting
many from all walks of life.
June 19, 2010. The Montana GOP jumps on the “do as
we say not as we do” party wagon when they adopt their
2010 platform and reiterate a previous statement that
they support, “the clear will of the people of Montana
expressed by legislation to keep homosexual acts illegal.”
If we ignore the fact that the current GOP stance violates
everyone’s constitutional rights and start believing that
the government has the right to legislate the behavior
of consenting adults within the privacy of their own
homes, then, yeah, the 2010 GOP policy platform sounds
totally great. Check it out at www.mtgop.org/platform.
aspx. Oh by the way there’s even a little love note at the
end expressing their support to the state of Arizona for
“securing their southern border” through intimidation
and discrimination.
June 20, 2010. Judith Butler refuses to accept the Civil
Courage Prize awarded to her by Berlin Pride. Judith
Butler, a philosopher well known for her works such as
Gender Trouble and Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable?,
stated that she would be unable to accept the award
because of the event’s, “complicity with racism, including
anti-muslim racism.” Hi-five to Butler for not just
refusing to attend and releasing a boring press release
stating why she could not accept the award, but for
actually taking the opportunity to articulate her case
before the media and completely scandalizing Berlin
Pride. The lady has got some serious brass.
June 21, 2010. The Labor Department plans to issue
regulations ordering businesses to give gay employees
equal treatment under a law permitting workers unpaid
time off to care for newborns or loved ones. The Labor
Department extended The Family and Medical Leave
Act, which allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of
unpaid leave each year to take care of their loved ones
or themselves, based on a new interpretation of the law.
They don’t plan on asking Congress to change the law so
future presidents could potentially reverse the decision.
Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis announced the changes on
the following Wednesday.
June 22, 2010. Apparently, Texas Republicans forgot
that we live in America and not Nazis Germany, when
they recently unveiled part of a policy platform that
would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to
same-sex couples as well as for an official to perform
a marriage ceremony for gay partners wishing to wed.
The policy suggestion is part of a wider platform for
the Texas GOP that also includes advocating to outlaw
all “sexually-orientated businesses”, including strip clubs
and “all pornography” while at the same time allowing
unrestricted access to oil and gas drilling. Check out
the Lone Star State’s Republican ridiculousness at http://
static.texastribune.org/media/documents/FINAL_2010_
STATE_REPUBLICAN_PARTY_PLATFORM.pdf.
June 22, 2010. The government of Ireland withdraws
its appeal against a ruling by the High Court that current
Irish law violates transgender rights and is in breach of
the European Convention on Human Rights. This ends
a 13-year battle for Dr. Lydia Foy, a former dentist, who
was born male and has sought for legal recognition to
live as a woman. This will allow the government to
propose new legislation that provides a process for legal
recognition of transgender people, to set up a register for
such persons so they may obtain legal birth certificates
stating their reassigned gender, and an entitlement to
allow trans people to marry under their chosen gender.
Dr. Foy, who began her legal battle in 1997 stated, “I hope
this achievement will help others who have endured
the pain, abuse, isolation, humiliation, and fear that have
been the lot of those who are transgender.” PS. Ireland,
we highly doubt that there are only 600 transgender
individuals in the country.
Out Words 4

June 23, 2010. The Reverend Tom Brock finds
himself outed by Lavender Magazine this month after
an undercover reporter writes an expose on his
attendance to Faith in Action meetings which seeks to, “
assist men an women with same-sex attractions in living
chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love.” Rev. Brock
is well known for his anti-gay sentiments and regularly
criticizes the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
for liberalizing its gay clergy policy. Lavender Magazine
president, Stephen Rocheford said that although they
have a policy of not outing people, the exception of the
rule are public figures who say one thing and do another.
Any way you cut it, it sounds like Faith in Action should
have its members sign a confidentiality agreement just
like real support groups do.
June 23, 2010. The city of Philadelphia loses its case to
evict a chapter of the Boy Scouts from a city building for
refusing to allow gay members. The city had argued that
nonprofits given free use of its property are expected
to abide by local antidiscrimination laws. A federal
jury, however, ruled on Wednesday the city’s argument
violated the scouts’ First Amendment rights. The judge
overseeing the case said he hoped that both “honorable
institutions” would be able to work something out.
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June 24, 2010. The Chicago Gay Hockey Association
invited the Blackhawks to join in on Chicago’s Gay
Pride Parade…and they said ‘yes.’ Defenseman, Brent
Sopel and his wife will ride with the Cup who said he
volunteered to honor the late son of Toronto general
manager Brian Burke. Burke’s son had recently come
out, but was killed in a tragic car accident three months
later. The Blackhawks earlier this year won their first
Stanley Cup title since 1961 and this will be the first
ever presentation of the Stanley Cup at a gay-themed
event. The Chicago Cubs will also loose their first gay
pride cherry as Hall of Famer, Ernie Banks will be riding
a float in this year’s parade.
June 24, 2010. A Wisconsin court re-affirms what we
already know, that same-sex parents do not have equal
rights. Under Wisconsin law, a woman who raised two
adopted children for years in a same-sex relationship
is not considered their parent. The woman, identified
only as Wendy, sought legal guardianship of their two
adopted children after her partner and her decided to
dissolve their relationship. Same-sex couples do not
have adoption rights in Wisconsin, which means only
Part of Montana’s GLBT Community for over 30 years
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one of them can be considered the legal parent. Long
story short, Wendy is considered neither a biological
nor an adoptive parent, but the court did acknowledge
that she still shares custody with her ex-partner under
their previous and informal agreement. It’s just that
Wendy potentially has no legal standing what so ever
if her partner was ever incapacitated in some way and
she needed to make key decisions about their kids.
June 25, 2010. The European Court of Human Rights
declares that same-sex marriage is not a universal
right and that countries are not obligated to allow gay
marriage. An Austrian couple, Horst Michael Schalk
and Johann Franz Kopf sought to force their country
to allow them to marry but the seven-judge panel
ruled unanimously that the couple was not covered by
the guarantee for the right to marry under Europe’s
Human Rights Convention. The judges did concede
that there was a, “… European consensus towards legal
recognition of same-sex couples,” but ultimately it is
up to individual European states to decide how that
should take place.
Hello Wonderful
Volunteers!
This is a note to let you in on the next volunteer orientation on
Tuesday July 6th 6pm at The Western Montana Community Center
(127 N. Higgins suite 202). For some of you this will be your first time
getting involved with the community center. Others of you have been
involved in the past but maybe aren’t up to speed on today’s happenings.
This orientation is for NEW & OLD volunteers. We are hoping
that the new volunteers can gain some insight/inspiration from previous
volunteers & maybe make some new friends! We also have a
new confidentiality form for volunteers & would like to get signatures
from the volunteers who have not had a chance to sign it. It should
be about 45min long with time for questions & poking around. If you
have any additional questions feel free to contact mija@gaymontana.
org or call (406) 543-2224 box 2. See you all there!
~Mija
WMCC Board Member
Volunteer Coordinator
Out Words 5

y A.D. Seibel
You know, I have to admit I was little reluctant to return to
Gay Pride in Kalispell this year. Perhaps I was feeling a little
gun shy after young men in big trucks sped by calling us faggots,
or that we didn’t know our way around town very well and
struggled to find restaurants to eat at. Perhaps, it was because
I felt like a Gay Pride celebration should be more of a GAY
PRIDE celebration. You know, drag queens with enormous
headdresses dancing to Jennifer Lopez’s dance remix of “If You
Had My Love,” or gaggles of topless men and women hooting,
hollering, and waving multitudes of rainbow paraphernalia until
you realize you have literally gone “over the rainbow.” But
that’s just it, we don’t live in San Francisco, or Seattle, or New
York, or anywhere close to a coast for that matter. We all live
in Montana and we Montanans have been doing it for ourselves
since the government decided to make us a state.
So I took my best friend’s advice, I sucked it up and got
into the car to begin our journey to Gay Pride Kalispell 2010.
I mean, where else where we going to go and celebrate with a
bunch of queers at a fairground next door to a monster truck
rally? Let me set the scene for you (if you were there and this
is just rehash, just skip ahead), it was a gorgeous day in Kalispell,
MT a few Saturdays ago. I believe it was June 19th. It was preparade
line up. My co-pilot and I were late, as usual, but we
were caffeinated and ready to show our gay pride if it killed
us (it was more likely that our hangovers were killing us, but
never mind, I digress). We put on our big girl panties, tied on
our banner, and hung our rainbow tassels out the windows of
a late model Cadillac SRX. We waved, smiled, and car danced
through that parade as if we were in San Fran, Seattle, or New
York Pride. We were greeted with smiling faces, happy couples
and families, welcome signs and hoorays of encouragement. It
was hard not to feel exuberant with all the gay celebration
going on.
Later, back at the rally, I was reminded that all though
we struggle to obtain and maintain our rights to love who we
want, we would not have gotten so far without the hard work
of many individuals and organizations, such as Kim Abbott, Bree
Sutherland, Bobbie Zenker, Jamee Greer, the Montana Human
Rights Network, The Montana Pride Network, I.S.C.S.M,
PFLAG, and the Western MT Community Center just to name
a few. These incredible organizations full of incredible people
have put up with a lot a crap to win battles for the benefit of
our friends and families. Without their diligence and fortitude
the state of LGBTIQ rights in Montana might have been dismal.
Also, these people and ultimately all of Montana would have
missed the regulars, the locals, the everyday people who took
time off of work or school to travel to Kalispell to remind
everyone that they are here, they are queer, and their communities
benefit everyday from their presence.
The truth of the matter is I didn’t need outlandish drag
queens with elaborate costumes, or miles of hot, hard-bodied
eye candy, or even a DJ playing some awesome dance music- I
just wanted, no, needed to be reminded that we’re not the only
ones who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans living in Montana. I
needed to be reminded by the Giant Ass Drum Corp and the
Gay Men’s Chorus, by Empress 15 Gabrielle and the Glacier
UU Fellowship, and by the sweetest couple in all of Kalispell
that day who got married on beautiful summer afternoon underneath
a tree, that even though we might live far away from
each other we all share common experiences and we all deserve
the right to live free from oppression. We also deserve
to party like the gayest rock stars in all of western Montana.
by Tim Adams
Sometimes it becomes difficult to tell if there are any gay people
in Montana, or if there are gay people but they just prefer to
stay in hiding. As we again see our brothers and sisters at Gay
Pride and other local gay community events, I sometimes wonder
about the people who've chosen to stay home. Even as
current events conspire to cause the possible non-existence of
a local gay bar, I still pose the question, have the gays evolved
beyond physical space?
Back in the days of old, it wasn't even a question whether
or not a physical queer affirming space was important or not.
Before when people were out much less and there were less
ways to discretely meet other gay people, the importance of a
gay bar, a community center, or a gay dance couldn't be considered
more important. Even in 1998, just twelve short years ago,
members of this community came together with such passion
because of the importance they saw of having a physical gay
space like the community center.
How times have changed. Now, many cities and college
campuses have disbanded their gay groups and community centers
for lack of participation. Youth growing up today have so
much more exposure to gay role models, community members
and positive portrayals of gays in the media that things like coming
out, and self-identifying as queer are no longer the crosses
that their forefathers and mothers had to bear. The work of the
past generations has finally come to fruit, but at what expense?
In places like Missoula, it's almost an afterthought to go
to a gay bar. While many still visit the space, I would argue
the majority of queer folks here have managed to eek out fine
existences either without the gay bar, or the gay community
altogether. While past generations went on living their lives as
lawyers or teachers or business owners not identifying as gay
for fear of the repercussions, the new generation of gays do so
entirely out of personal choice. Most see their sexual orientation
as just one small aspect of their entire being, and not the
entirety of their existence.
Places like the Community Center no longer focus entirely
on affirmation and coming out to its members. While these are
still vital parts of our mission, we now look beyond, to things
like mental and physical health, and issues of the day like medical
marijuana, which isn't directly a gay issue, merely one that
affects some gay people. And while some may see this as the
disappearance of the gays, it would be better for organizations
to see this more of an evolution, and evolve accordingly.
While coming out resources are important and
should be maintained for people who need to walk that
journey, I believe we should keep an eye towards the current
and future challenges the gay community will face. It's
no surprise that as a generation of gays accepted themselves,
they now move onto other issues relevant to latter
stages of their lives. Gay marriage, gay adoption, medical
care and the growing segment of aging gays and lesbians
are issues which should be adapted to and focused on by
all organizations which label themselves as gay-oriented
and/or friendly.
Events like Gay Pride and local gay events remind
us of the great community we belong to, and the power
we have when we come together. But we should also be
mindful of our victories and the new challenges we now
face. In celebrating our power in solving the past problems
of the gay community, we can also focus that power
on to the new issues arisen from our victories with equal
passion and fire.
by A.D. Seibel
So, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, dear readers, Missoula
sometimes comes up a little short when it comes to LGBTIQ
dance parties. Club Q had a bit of something going on for a
few years before losing their space at the Elk’s and Amvets, a
popular dance spot in the past, has burned so many bridges one
wonders how they even manage to get enough cash together
to make so many Jell-O shots. Wait, I think I just answered my
own question. Mini cups filled with fruity gelatinous goo create
a stumbling cycle of young men and women buying 20 Jell-
O shots at a dollar a piece before they head on to their real
bar of choice, which is probably the only thing that keeps Amvets’
doors open. Well, there’s always the Badlander, with their
Dead Hipster Dance Party every Thursday and Absolutely with
DJ Kris Moon and Monty Carlo every Saturday night. Between
these two nights I’ve seen enough gay boys dancing without
their shirts on and making out to almost make me want to do
a line of coke and wear incredibly skinny jeans… almost. But,
I want something gayer. The Western Montana Community
Center hosts dances, but nothing on a regular schedule as our
next dance is scheduled August 6th down at the Palace, which
brings me to Fuse Club at Deano’s Casino near Airway blvd.
Now, Fuse Club describe themselves as a, “safe, alternative
venue for Montana’s local community. We do not answer
discrimination with discrimination. Our doors are open to all
who wish to have fun and socialize in a clean, friendly environment.”
I certainly felt safe when I attended the Summer Fun
Drag Show a couple of Saturdays ago, as the place was well
lit, had clean restrooms, and cold drinks. Plus, it was pretty
gay. Empress 15 Gabrielle hosted the evening’s festivities as locals
performed in drag to the hoots and hollers of the crowd.
The music was danceable, there were pool tables, and at some
point we all got push pops from the travel plaza next door to
watch the rest of the show with. Some of my friends poo
poo’d a little bit as they seemed a little put off at attending a
drag show out by the airport. My response was, “So, what?
We’ve traveled much farther to have good times?” After that,
everyone settled back to have some fun. Seriously, it was
pretty fun. So feel free to check them out on July 10th as they
celebrate “The Boiz & Girlz of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, a drag show for
kings and queens at Fuse (Deano’s Casino & Lounge)
Out Words 6

In conjunction with the Missoula Downtown Association, the
Western Montana Community Center proudly invites you to
a celebration of GLBTIQ folk and the Missoula community in
the heart of Downtown, Caras Park!
From 10am to 10:30pm on Saturday, August 14th, WMCC
will be hosting a festival to showcase the gay/queer musicians,
crafters, artists, charities and business people and our
allies! It's a chance for WMCC to show the great wealth of
talent and work gay/queer folk and their allies do to keep
our community the down to earth, supportive town it has
become.
One main stage will include a variety of music for the day.
From bands to folk music to rock and disc jockeys, music will
be provided throughout the day. If you are or know a gay/
queer musician who would like to book a slot, please email
outfest@gaymontana.org for more information, time slots
are going fast! Later in the evening a special performance is
scheduled by local drag superstars of the Imperial Sovereign
Court of the State of Montana, as well as Super DJ Kris Moon
who will be spinning during the day.
The pavilion will include tables, tents, food and information
from local gay/queer supportive food vendors, charities,
political advocates and fundraisers. Bring the family down for
a day of seeing what Missoula's gay/queer community has to
offer here in Missoula.
If you are interested in setting up a booth, download the
Vendor Application from http://www.gaymontana.org/
OutFestVendor.pdf
Register before August 1st and your registration fee is only
$25!
Any other questions/concerns or information can be
requested from:
WMGLCC
127 N. Higgins #202 • Missoula, MT 59802
outfest@gaymontana.org • 406-543-2224
Hope to see you out on what promises to be a great, sunny
day in beautiful Missoula!
August 14th
caras park
How about a quickie?
RAPID HIV TESTING
We offer a safe, confidential and anonymous environment for free HIV testing with gay men testing and counseling other
gay and bisexual men. Accurate results in 20 minutes.9am-5pm M-F (weekend and evenings by appointment).
Call 829.8075 or e-mail fdh@mtgayhealth.org, or just stop by127 N. Higgins, Suite 205.
A service of the Montana Gay Men’s Task Force, FDH & Associates, and the MT Dept. of Public Health and Human Services.
W O R D E N T H A N E P. C.
A T T O R N E Y S A T L A W
Shane A. Vannatta
Jane E. Cowley
Suite 600 The Florence • 111 N Higgins Ave
P.O. Box 4747 • Missoula, MT 59806
Suite 600 The (406) Florence 721-3400 • 111 N Higgins Ave
P.O. Box 4747 • Missoula, MT 59806
(406) 721-3400 • svannatta@wthlaw.net
Out Words 7

Sun Tzu Once
Said…
by Ron Blake
Sun Tzu was a management conflict philosopher and
author who lived in a time and land far, far away. He
had many grand things he laid out in his writings but
we shall focus on only one of his wise sayings: “All
battles are won before they are fought.” My task today
is to make this relevant to your health and fitness
mode in your life.
You are on lunch hour and are driving down the
boulevard of broken diets and you are hungry. Three
of your best work buddies are in the car with you.
“We don’t have much time and we need to just grab
something now,” is the consensus from the backseat
and shotgun positions. You’ve already lost this battle
and you’ll end up eating out of that fat trough with
Ronald, Hamburglar, and Grimace. This could have
been avoided with a little pre-lunch menu planning or
the sack lunch from home.
You haven’t run in over five years but you used to
be the All-Conference runner back in your university
days. You grab those dusty Asics shoes and decide to
give that five mile race the old college try at the old
college pace. You’ve already lost this battle and will
end up limping and muttering obscenities for the next
four score and seven hours while you nurse that sore
Achilles. This could have been avoided with a gradual
training regimen and the purchase of some new shoes
before entering that charity 5K race.
After one round of Jose Cuervo you announce
your retirement from cigarettes beginning tomorrow.
After three rounds of Jose Cuervo you announce with
mucho gusto your intention to banish Joe Camel from
your life beginning tomorrow. After five rounds of Jose
Cuervo you boisterously and vehemently declare your
partnership with nicotine to be dissolved beginning
tomorrow. You’ve already lost this battle even before
the seventh round of Senor Tequila. This could have
been avoided by making a signed declaration to stop
smoking while you weren’t half in the bag with agave
juice. The sober power of pen to paper has a great
effect on action.
Your class reunion is three months away and you
want to shed that freshman fifty that you’ve put on
since being named most likely to blah, blah, blah in
the Quill and Scroll Yearbook. You’ve joined the health
club and you want Donna Dixbottom to rue the day
she turned you down to prom. You’ll show her the
error of her ways with that great body and that rented
Sebring convertible. You’ve already lost this battle
and Ms. Dixbottom will only treat you to a haughty
cursory glance at the festive soiree. You need more
than just a health club membership and a desire. You
need a daily workout routine and a trusty companion
to guide you to your fitness goals.
Think about what you want to accomplish in life.
You don’t need to be Chinese, have a two syllable
name, or be a philosopher to achieve successes in
your time. You only need a well prepared plan and
action.
This health and fitness entrée is brought to you by
that guy who likes to read his fortune cookies between
the sheets or in his bed. That guy is Ron Blake and he
can be unwrapped at www.myblakefitness.com.
Fair Trade...Local Action...Peace of Mind…
Missoula’s Birthplace of Peace.
Save the date for our annual Peace Party
Sunday, September 19, 2010
LOCATED ON THE HIP STRIP
519 S. HIGGINS AVE
406-543-3955
Visit us at JRPC.ORG and become a fan on
Out Words 8

Trans Awareness
By Cody Leatzow
I had the pleasure of attending the Tranny Roadshow some time ago, witnessed a team
of amazing, confident people, each bursting with creativity, each vibrant and beautiful in
a way completely unique unto themselves. With individual attitudes, skills, and stories
to tell, really the only thing binding this troupe together was a single shared experience,
over the course of a lifetime: each, either personally or through a loved one, had been
touched by the process of transition from one gender to another.
Though this phenomenon might be relatively new to the mainstream and the uneducated
conservative, transsexuality has actually been around for quite some time. Historically
speaking, there is abundant evidence and common knowledge of the practice
stretching back to Shakespeare's England, not to mention the comparatively sparse
records of “two-spirits” of Native America going back even farther – the Natives were
one of several spiritually advanced societies which regarded homosexuals and transsexuals
with honor and understanding as opposed to the “civilized” world's legacy
towards superstition and hate.
Though it seems to go unmentioned alongside the other atrocities of the time, transsexuality
was also a prominent target for the hell that was Nazi Germany. From the
end of the nineteenth century well into the present, the nature of transsexuality has
remained, being dealt with first as a curiosity, then as a form of mental illness, until
finally, being addressed as an indisputable truth of the world at large.
However they are regarded, the facts remain: there are people in this world, with each
generation, who live feeling out-of-place in their own skin, constrained by their own
bodies. They have endured the world's condemnation, its disrespect, its open maliciousness,
and society is finally reaching a place that will allow them to be who they truly are.
Although this was not my first experience with the concept, or with people so touched
by it, transsexuality is still relatively new to me. Ten years ago, I was completely unaware
that a transgeneration existed. Five years ago, I was too concerned with the developing
awareness of my own sexuality to focus too intently on anyone else. When the process
was finally explained to me, it was like hearing of a strange custom from a foreign country:
I had absolutely no basis of comparison, and I was inexplicably intrigued.
I became absolutely fascinated with the subject after the first time I started seeing a
beautiful young woman who was, shall we say, intimately aware of the process, and all
that it entailed. She was a trans-woman and a model, a combination that created, in my
eyes, an otherworldly beauty: she seemed beyond the reach of mortal men, and she
carried the best attributes that humanity had to offer, from either sex, in a combination
I have never seen before or since. She was confident and shy, nerdy and active, sweet
and cruel, not to mention a body that could only be described as “divinely made”. I really
started looking into transsexuality, reading all I could on the subject, admittedly all
in an attempt to better understand her.
It was the interest in the subject that remained, after all was said and done. Ironically,
I think the sudden realization that one's gender could be changed helped me be more
comfortable and accepting of my own. Growing up, I had been intimidated by the
redneck “manly-man” mentality that was so common among my classmates. What's
worse, I was assured by my elders at every turn that some day, I would understand
such behavior.
The masculinity I had been surrounded by, the masculinity I saw within myself, ceased
to be a prisoner's chain as soon as I saw others shedding it like an unwanted burden.
As soon as I realized that it could be lost, or more accurately, cast off, I began to really
consider my latent masculinity, the series of little traits that still allowed me to define
myself as male.
Beyond my own experience, my continued interest in transsexuality would best be
described as scientific and sociological optimism. As it was explained to me, I found
it comparable to the idea of transhumanism: the idea that, through applied science,
humanity could improve itself in drastic and almost magical ways. Although transhumanism
typically refers to synthetically altering our selves to incorporate our tech-
nological advances, it could also be taken to include the biological modifications or
improvements medical science allows, that our bodies might better suit us. We remake
ourselves in our own image.
Humanity and science together have achieved the power previously held only by the
Almighty: the physical nature of mankind is now that of a canvas and artist, together.
Our identities as people are no longer constrained by the physical forms we inhabit.
We are capable of change outwardly, just as we change internally. The metamorphosis
is just as drastic, and just as difficult.
The process of changing from one gender to the other is long and arduous. It requires
a great deal of money, a level commitment that would benefit a married couple, and an
even greater amount of patience. The experience itself tests the person enduring it in
ways that most of us cannot fathom, honing their mind and spirit just as any rigorous
training would hone the body.
It has been said that God, in His wisdom, makes no mistakes. If this is to be believed,
perhaps this is the purpose of the transsexual: by being born into the “wrong” body, a
person experiences life differently than they would otherwise. They develop a unique
perspective from birth, and the process of claiming their true gender evolves their
perspective even further. If transsexuals are designed as they are by Divine Will (and I,
for one, believe this to be true) then surely this particular perspective is the intention.
In hindsight, I think the conservative men and women I grew up with could learn a thing
or two from the transgeneration that will soon surpass them; it seems to me that, in
their passion to be themselves, a trans-male has learned more about what it is to be a
man than any wife-beating redneck could ever imagine. It seems to me that the only remaining
Ladies and Gentlemen in this world are those that have been made thoroughly
aware of the alternative, and have deliberately chosen to be themselves.
Out Words 9

Community ResouRCes
Missoula
KisMiF
Keep It Simple Make It Fun AA meeting for gay lesbian
transgender queer intersex and friends every Monday 7
- p.m. at UCC 405 University Avenue. Contact Randy at
406-726-3525
Gay Men’s Chorus
Meeting every Monday 7 - 9 p.m. at The Center,
127 N. Higgins Ave., Suite 202 - Contact Gary at 406-
370-9876
Gay Men’s task Force
406-829-8075
imperial sovereign Court of the state of Montana
Call Rosalinda de la Luna at 406-499-0078 or visit:
http://www.iscsm.org
Keep it simple Al-Anon Family Group
LGBT and friends meeting every Thursday 5:30 - 6:30
p.m. at 1st Methodist Church, 300 E. Main, alley entrance,
classroom 3. Contact Randy at 406-726-3525.
Living Forward Group: Men Who Are Living With hiv
Meet Wednesday evenings 7 - 9 p.m. Call Andrew Laue at
406-327-9445
Missoula Aids Council
406-543-4770
Missoula Aids Council housing Assistance
Program
Short-term and long-term housing assistance is available
for HIV+ individuals living in Western MT. Call Annette
or Jordan at 543-4770.
Missoula City health department
406-258-4745
Missoula PFLAG
pflagmissoula@gmail.com or 406-240-2881.
Officer Nicole Pifari
LGBTI Liaison Officer Missoula Police Department
435 Ryman Street • Missoula, MT 59802
(406) 552-6300 (main)
Outfield Alliance
A Coalition of LGBTI faculty, graduate students, staff
and their supporters at the University of Montana. Email
caseycharles@umontana.edu or call 406-243-2762
transgender support Group
Contact the Clinical Psychology Center at (406)-243-
2367 and ask for Nick or Leslie..
u of M Lambda Alliance
406-243-5922
university Congregational Church
405 University Avenue, Missoula
http://www.uccmsla.org • 406-543-6952
MoNtaNa
bozeman GLbtiQ resource Center
www.BozemanRC.org, 406-600-3608,
info@BozemanRC.org
butte Men’s support Group
Last Monday of the month 406-491-1378 or 406-490-6125
butte Aids support services
Meets 2nd Wednesday of each month at Blaine Center
BASS office. Call Rick 406-491-1378 or 406-490-6125.
www.buttebassonline.org
Flathead valley Alliance
www.flatheadvalleyalliance.org • 406-758-6707
Gallatin valley human rights task Force
www.EmbraceDiversity.org
Glacier unitarian universalists Fellowship
www.glacieruu.org • 406-755-9255
hamilton PFLAG
Monthly Chapter Meetings. Every 4th Thursday @ 7 P.M.
Contact Terry at 406-363-7656 for more information.
hot springs, Montana Gay and bisexual Men’s
support Group
406-741-2810
hiv Positive support Group - butte
For information call 406-491-1378 or 406-490-6125 for
time and location.
hiv Positive support Group - helena
Meets monthly-Call Greg at 596-2013 for more info
LGbt - Friendly AA bozeman
406-599-3230
LGbt state-wide Events
www.qnewsmontana.com
Lewis & Clark Aids Project
530 S. Harris • Helena • 406-447-6030
MCC Montana
Great Falls • montanaboard@bresnan.net
Metropolitan Community Church
1220 17th Street South • Great Falls
406-771-1070 • www. mccmontana.org
Rev. Gina L. Hartung, Pastor
Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.
E-mail: bishman59401@hotmail.com
Montana department of Public health &
human services
www.dphhs.state.mt.us/hpsd
Montana targeted Prevention
Free and anonymous 20 min rapid HIV testing and free
Hepatitis C testing. www.bozemanrc.org/mtap.html for
sites around state.
open hands Foundation - Great Falls
www.openhandsfoundation.org • 406-868-8382
PFLAG Great Falls/Golden triangle
Meets on the 3rd Tue. of each month at the MCC Church
located at 1220 17th St. So. (406) 868-1064.
QsA - Msu
www.qsamsu.com •406-994-4636
seeker’s harbor Faith Community
billings
www.seekersharbor.org • 406-661-1584
s.h.o.u.t Aids (students helping others
understand teen Aids) meets every Thursday
in BILLINGS at the yap office at 4pm ages 15-24. Any
questions contact Dustin (406)-591-0169
Yellowstone Aids Project housing Assistance
Program
Becky Taylor • beckyt@yapmt.org
victorian – hiv testing
406- 245-4293
Yellowstone City-County health
department
406-247-3376
Yellowstone Aids Project
406-245-2029
Pacific Northwest &
NatioNal resources
Advocates for Youth
www.advocatesforyouth.org
AEGis: Aids Education Global
information systems
www.endAIDSnow.org
Gay Men’s health Crisis
www.gmhc.org
human rights Campaign
www.hrc.org
out spokane
www.outspokane.com
Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association
www.pacificnwgra.org
Pride Foundation
www.pridefoundation.org
Queer Core
www.queercore.org
Stonewall News Northwest
www.stonewallnews.net
Wyoming rural Aids Prevention Project
www.wrapp.net
Do you have LGBTI resources you want listed? Email us
by the 20th of each month for the next issue!
The Western
Montana
CommunityCenter
Weekly Events
Monday
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. -
Gay Men’s Chorus Rehearsal
Thursday
7 p.m. -
Gay Men Together, A safe and affirming place for gay &
bisexual men to meet.
Saturday
10 a.m. -
Beginners Yoga Classes
Serving the
LGBTIQ
Community
Since 1998

ecurring Events Around Montana
Center board Meeting, 3 rd Wednesday,
6 p.m. at the Center [Missoula]
Christian LGbti support Group meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month
7p.m. at the Center [Missoula]
LGbti Community Potluck, 3 rd Saturday every month, 7 p.m. at the University
Congregational Church - Fireside Room (405 University Avenue) [Missoula]
PFLAG Missoula / Five valleys meeting, 3 rd Saturday every month prior to
potluck at the University Congregational Church, call 406-721-5013 or 406-541-0163 for
more information. [Missoula]
hiv+ Monthly dinner, 3 rd Tuesday of every month, 6:30 p.m. at the University
Congregational Church, call Mike or Annette at
543-4770 [Missoula]
Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting, every Monday 7 to 8:30 p.m., call Randy at 406-726-
3525 [Missoula]
Keep it simple / Al-Anon Family Group LGBT and friends meeting every
Thursday 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at 1st Methodist Church, 300 E. Main, alley entrance, classroom 3.
Contact Randy at 406-726-3525 [Missoula]
university of Montana LAMbdA Alliance General Meetings, every
Tuesday, 7 p.m. at the UC (Room 330), call 406-243-5922 for more information. [Missoula]
Living Forward Group: Men Who Are Living With hiv, every Wednesday
from 7 to 9 p.m., call Andrew Laue, LCSW for more information at 406-327-9445.
[Missoula]
hot springs, Montana, a Gay & bisexual Men’s support Group meets
on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m.. Call 741-2810 for directions and information. [Missoula]
Capitol City Gay Men meet every Thursday at 7pm. Location: 80 East Lawrence
Street, Room 105, Helena MT 59601. For more information visit www.capitalcitygaymen.
org [Helena]
Women’s Coffee and Chat meets on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Location: Fireside Coffee
House 1446 Euclid Ave, [Helena]
Women’s Potluck, 1st Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Location changes.
Contact Sandy at 406-442-0200. [Helena]
GLbt open AA Meeting Every Thursday 7:30 p.m.
1417 13 St. West. Call Duane Nez at 406-861-8478 [Billings]
Cancer Patient support Group Every Other Friday: 12 p.m. 2835 Fort Missoula
Rd., Ste. 301, Call Joni or Susie at 406-721-1118 E-mail joni@drjudyschmidt.com
[Missoula]
billings Aidspirit Meeting 2nd Tuesday of the month at Holy Rosary Church, 521
Custer at 7:00 p.m. [Billings]
billings PFLAG Meeting 2nd Wednesday of the month held at the UCC Church in
Conference office located at 2016 Alderson at 7:00 p.m [Billings]
Client Advisory board Meeting 4th Monday of the Month at YAP at 6:00
PM [Billings]
POZ Night Monthly opportunity for socializing and fun! For more information contact
the Client Action Body at cab@yapmt.org or staff at (406) 245-2029. [Billings]
QsA General Forum Meetings Every Monday In the Strand Union Building room
276 at 7 p.m. [Bozeman]
JavaQ Coffee social - 7 p.m., every first, third, and fifth Thursday at International
Coffee Traders, 720 S 10th Ave. [Bozeman]
the bozeman resource Center bi-weekly meetings. At International Coffee
Traders, 720 S 10th Ave, the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Contact John at 600-
3608 or at info@bozemanrc.org [Bozeman]
bozeman PFLAG Meeting 2nd Thursday of the month. Check out: bozemanpflag.
com for more information. [Bozeman]
bozeman hiv/Aids support Group meets the 1st Monday of each month.
Call Greg at 406-596-2013 for time and location. [Bozeman]
Poz Affected Pot Luck occurs on the 3rd Sunday of each month in
BOZEMAN. Contact AIDS Outreach at 406-551-1016 for details.[Bozeman]
Flathead valley Alliance monthly meeting, 1st Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the
Flathead Count Library basement. [Kalispell]
Pride Committee meeting every Sunday – Call Dee or DJ at 756-0050 for time and
location – volunteers needed [Kalispell]
JuLY:
thursday, July 8th: The Crystal Theater is
proud to present NYC- based pianist/singersongwriter
Anna Dagmar in co-bill with
Missoula-based guitarist/singer-songwriter
Amy Martin at 8:00pm. Dagmar and Martin
have each released several original CD’s,
performed and recorded with artists including
Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlilse and Lucy
Kaplansky, and toured internationally.
saturday, July 10th: Fuse/Deano’s presents
Boiz & Girls of Old Rock N Roll. This is a rock
and roll drag show/fundraiser, and a chance
for the “kings” to shine too. All the tips made
from the performances will be donated to the
I.S.C.S.M. Costumes are encouraged. Protocol
for performing is 8:30 PM so please bring your
music on a CD with you then. The show will
start at 10:00 followed by dancing until close.
There is no cover charge.
Friday, July 16th: Since the closing of
Snookums you know you are totally craving
some booty shaking and drink making.
From 8 pm to 1 am Kookie will be hosting
Kookie’s 2010 Diva Reunion at Doug and
Schylar’s Uptown Butte Loft @ 606 Utah Ave.
$5 Cover is donated 100% to Charity.
No Host Bar hosted By The Helsinki Bar
saturday, July 17th: Butte Step Down at
the Star Lanes Reception Hall in Butte. Jenny
D’Beer and DWonno Catch will be celebrating
their year in service and stepping down from
their city titles. Come celebrate with and help
elect Butte’s next representatives.
saturday, July 17th: “We Love the 80’s”
Dance at the Zebra: The Bozeman Resource
Center will be sponsoring a “We Love the ‘80’s
Dance Party” on Saturday, July 17th hosted by
the Zebra Cocktail Lounge at 321 East Main
Street in Bozeman starting at 10pm. Cover is
$5.00 and is a 21+ event. Come have a totally
rad time dancing to some new wave favorites
and current hits. Poof up that hair and get
that mullet ready for some fun at the Zebra
Cocktail Lounge. Word to your mother! It
will be totally tubular to the max! For more
events: www.bozemanrc.org/Events.html
thursday, July 29th: Game Night at Nova
Cafe, 6-9pm: Looking for something fun to
do? How about board and card game night?
The Bozeman Resource Center will be
sponsoring a game night hosted by the Nova
Cafe, 312 East Main Street in Bozeman, as an
opportunity to socialize, meet new people
and play some games. We will be asking some
people to bring some games. We already have
Uno, Monopoly (Nintendo edition), Scrabble,
and Dirty Minds. For more events: www.
bozemanrc.org/Events.html
Don’t see your event listed here?
Email the details to
outwords@gaymontana.org
by the 20th of each month.
It’s free and a great way to draw a
crowd to your next event!
The Western Montana Community
Center will host a Community Dance
Saturday August 6th Palace Billiards 8pm to 2am.
With special guest DJ Kris Moon. $5 admission 21+

um......
YES!
Thanks for a
great time Kalispell
our fearless
organizers
dance it out!
say cheese
See you in
Bozeman in 2011!
love you Mom