Rights of Passage

A Jolting Walk Down Memory Lane

2012-01-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

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The winter holidays have come to an exhausted close and 2012 is upon us. The last of the Christmas cookies have been eaten and dried out spruce trees line the sidewalks waiting to be carted off. And now the attention shifts in earnest from retail frenzy to the US presidential election. Or rather who will run against Barack Obama in November. Maureen Dowd summed it up pretty well in a recent NY Times OP-Ed piece entitled The Grating Santorum, "But the whole Republican field seems ensconced in a black-and-white ’50s diorama. It’s like they’re running for president of Leave It to Beaverland."

A clever turn-of-phrase Maureen, but what if were to happen? Santorum may be the worst of the lot with his religious and family values infused anti-gay, anti-feminist, anti-black remarks but Perry, Gingrich and Romney are not far behind. If any one of them were to become president, it's not hard to imagine that many hard won victories such as the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and the strides being made in marriage equality could be wiped away or severely curtailed. And that would be just the beginning.

With high levels of economic, social, and political turmoil in evidence, the world is in need of some near-at-hand scapegoats. A minority group already feared and despised by many for their sexual practices, demands for equal rights and indifference to televised team sports, is the perfect choice, as it has often been in the past. A homophobic president, along with a few well-placed religious bodies, could make things tougher than they already are for gay people, not only in the US but around the world. It's not a pretty thought but one that must be considered.

Leave It to Beaverland may inhabit a warm and fuzzy spot in many people's memories, but I for one have no desire to journey back there in real life. And if you feel the same way, get out there and take some action to ensure that the 1950's and all its moral, social and political baggage stays where it belongs, in the past.

Close to Home

2011-11-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

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We held our fifth (and likely final) public reading of Rights of Passage a few weeks ago. As per usual, our ensemble of 8 actors led by director Arturo Catricala were stunning. The packed house shared their views pro and con. Always so interesting to hear what resonates with one person and not the other. The true nature of art – subjective. Now it really is time to finish tinkering with the script, jump into pre-production mode and raise the money for the world premiere at NCTC next August. Only 50K more needed!

Our intense focus on stories of global LGBT equality for the play also serves as a reminder for us to keep an eye on things closer to home. Recently, I joined our YouthAware troupe to watch them perform OUTSPOKEN for about 400 teens and their teachers at Johansen High School in Modesto, CA. The play has been touring Northern California for several years to give voice to stories about adolescents grappling with identity, homophobia, religion, family, class, culture, politics and raging hormones. All that in 40 minutes followed by a 20 minute interaction with cast. The facile young actors in our troupe led by director Sara Staley delivered the goods with abundant talent and truth - the students in the audience were riveted.

Modesto is located in the Central Valley of California only about 90 minutes or so from San Francisco. Yet, fear and stigma around the differences among us reigns supreme in this region. Not just sexual orientation (although that’s a big elephant in the room) but pretty much anything that makes a person distinctive.

As I sat among the teens in the audience, it occurred to me it’s the same the world over. The questions that wrestle with understanding human nature are essentially the same and have been so for centuries. Makes you wonder if we’ll ever simply accept that we are all a part of the whole. You shouldn’t ever have to venture far from home to understand something so obvious.

Honoring Paula Ettelbrick

2011-10-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

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Photo: Paula Ettelbrick and Ed Decker at IGLHRC headquarters in New York.

Paula Ettelbrick, a courageous leader in the queer civil rights movement, passed away on October 7, 2011 in New York at the age of 56 from cancer. I met Paula when she was the director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission as we began our research for Rights of Passage in 2008. Paula was an amazing force of nature whose tireless work on behalf of global human rights was inspirational. Many of the stories in our play are based upon people from around the world that Paula introduced us to. We are eternally grateful for her support in helping us bring the struggles and triumphs of queer and allied activists to the stage. We dedicate our final reading of the play in San Francisco on October 23, 2011 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center to her. There is no doubt in our minds that Paula is still guiding us towards the world premiere of Rights of Passage planned for August 2012.

Thank you Paula Ettelbrick for making our world a better place. Safe journey.

Melvin Dwork is a Very Desirable Man

2011-09-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

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Don't Ask Don't Tell is within a hair's breadth of being flushed down the toilet of bad compromises. I can almost hear the gurgling water as I type this. Apparently, there are still some who walk among us, such as Senator John McCain of Arizona, who believe that an insufficient number of careers, lives and families have thus far been ruined or damaged for a policy that makes no sense. More they rumble, throw more bodies on the fire. Our military men and women of the heterosexual persuasion must be spared the corrosive gaze of their gay brothers and sisters in the mess hall, on the battlefield and of course in the shower. But this is well worn ground. The arguments, the counter arguments, the statistics, the evidence, both domestic and foreign, have been sliced and diced time and again.

On a more personal level, a recent story has surfaced that brings to light the courage and perseverance of a man who wasn't going to have his life ruined by injustice. It's been almost 70 years since Melvin Dwork was discharged from the US Navy, at the height of World War II, for being gay and was given a discharge of 'undesirable'. “I resented that word ‘undesirable,’” said Dwork. "That word really stuck in my craw. To me it was a terrible insult. It had to be righted. It’s really worse than ‘dishonorable.’ I think it was the worst word they could have used.”

Because of the nature of that discharge Dwork, now 89 years old and a successful interior designer, was denied medical care and GI benefits. According to Aaron Belkin, an expert on gays in the U.S. military at UCLA, about 100,000 troops were discharged between World War II and 1993 for being gay and lost their benefits as a result. But Dwork fought this injustice for decades and it finally brought results. Last month the Navy, in its wisdom, notified the former corpsman that his discharge will be changed to 'honorable' and his benefits will be reinstated. "In the interest of justice," they said. And not only that, the Board for Corrections of Naval Records said it would reinstate Dwork’s benefits retroactively.

But this silver lining does have its down side. Once Dwork's records were unsealed he was able to determine who it was that turned him in all those years ago; his boyfriend at the time. To be officially labeled undesirable and outed by your own boyfriend, it doesn't get much worse than that. But to turn the situation around, move on with your life and ultimately succeed? Now that makes Melvin Dwork a very desirable man!

Thanks to an article by Steve Benen in the Washington Monthly for information on Melvin Dwork.

Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Roosters, martinis and nibbling fish

2011-07-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

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Mosque and Hindu Temple at Lake Bratan, Bali

Each morning the crowing roosters and the delicate chiming of temple bells meant only one thing; we weren't in San Francisco, but 10,000 miles away on the tiny island of Bali. The smells of incense and frangipani merge with the fragrance of stale garbage; mangy dogs lap up the rice from tiny offerings laid at almost every doorway. Hindu deities share the diminutive volcano dotted landscape with mosques where the call to prayer is broadcast daily and hordes of Australian tourists visit spas where for a small fee tiny fish nibble the dead skin from their feet.

It was all a delicious distraction and the perfect place to put together what we are optimistically calling the close-to-final draft of Rights of Passage. Sharp words, at times, floated in the perfumed air but by the end of the day, martini in hand, things would always look up. I recently read a quote by the late playwright Romulus Linney: "Human beings have three basic drives, my dear: eating, sex and rewriting other people's plays. Stick to your guns." Good advice, but sometimes, I've learned, my guns aren't worth sticking to and something better can be made.

We also had the great luck to spend time with our dear friend Susan who lives in Phnom Penh. She joined us in Bali for a few days of spa treatments, hiking and shopping. We took a day off from writing for a day trip to Lake Bratan to see the iconic temple built out into the lake. It was a big religious holiday and the place was filled with happy families enjoying the beautiful weather and the lake breezes.

So now we're back to reality, such as it is, and planning for another staged reading of the play in October.

Interviewing Human Rights Activist Peter Tatchell in London

2011-07-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

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The way to fast forward a memorable interview is to spill tea all over your guest. That is a sure way to sear the event into memory and a very good way to stain clothing. Human rights activist Peter Tatchell managed great composure as he ran for a towel to dry himself off with me trailing behind offering profuse apologies. Thankfully, he did not flee the scene all together and we were able to spend the better part of an afternoon talking.

I’ve long wanted to meet this amazing man who for decades has fought for equality around the globe www.petertatchell.net often at great peril to himself. It is widely known that he has suffered more than his share of harassment and physical assaults as a result of his work.

The purpose of this interview was to not only hear his first hand accounts but also to assist me in finding the voice of the “activist” character in our play. I felt that our conversation might just shed a light of authenticity to that part of our story.

As we talked about the play and Peter’s extensive human right’s work , I was most struck by his soft spoken and patient nature. This was a man with vast knowledge whose persistence was powerful but not overbearing. I could understand his staying power and commitment to a movement that had journeyed far but still had miles to go. Peter is pressing ever forward with lessons from the past using them as levers to ignite change ahead.

Regions around the planet find themselves at different places on the path towards equality. Success depends upon geography, economics, customs, and politics. All of this is driven by those with the courage and imagination to lead. People like Peter. People like us. People all over the world who understand who they are and are willing to stand proud.

It is an honor to know Peter Tatchell and the many others whose stories we tell in Rights of Passage.

Anti-Gay Bill Off The Table For Now!

2011-05-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

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The media has reported that Uganda's parliament adjourned without debating a controversial bill which includes the death penalty for some homosexual acts.
First introduced in 2009, the bill could still be brought up when the new parliament meets later this year. The basics are: Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda but the bill would increase the penalty for those convicted to life in prison. Those found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender" - would face the death penalty. Anyone failing to report to the authorities a person they knew to be homosexual would also be liable to prosecution. (Excerpted from www.bbc.co.uk)

Vote to Save Gay Lives

2011-05-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

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David Kato, Ugandan LGBT activist who was brutally murdered earlier this year. Photo by Projo.com.

We have less than 48 hours to help save thousands of gay Ugandans from possible execution. On Wednesday, the Ugandan Parliament could pass a law that imposes the death penalty for homosexuality. An international outcry shelved this bill last year -- if we can ramp up the pressure again and keep the gay death penalty law from reaching a vote this week, it will die when Parliament closes in two days. Let President Museveni, members of the parliament review committee and donor governments know how you feel. Click below to sign the petition, then forward to everyone you know.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_stop_homophobia_petition/?vl

Rights of Passage: Play in Progress

2011-04-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

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On Sunday April 3, 2011 we held our third public reading of Rights of Passage. We are happy to report, and our invited audiences agree, the play has taken another huge leap forward. One of the greatest challenges is sharpening the structure of the storytelling in a manner that allows for global LGBT human rights perspectives to unfold with clarity and compassion.

The two-act play continues to be anchored by the life of its central character, a gay Hindu named Wayan. From time to time, his narrative his suspended so that stories from around the world may filter in. The journeys in the play, unfold in three key “rites” of passage - childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We continue to work on the inspiring nuances of our characters who are based on the many LGBT citizens we’ve met, interviewed and/or researched since we began working on Rights of Passage in 2008. The next and final public reading is coming up this summer. After that, we prepare the production draft which will have it’s world premiere at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in August 2012.

Direct from Java!
As previously reported on this blog, our guest from Java, Didik Nini Thowok arrives in the US shortly for his performances of Gender Mystic April 21-24, 2011. His solo dance and mask work is heralded the world over and we’ll have him with us for four shows. For tickets and more detailed info hop on to www.nctcsf.org. This event is produced in association with the Asian Art Museum www.asianart.org which by the way has a breathtaking Bali exhibit that is a must see. Plus, Didik will be doing a special lecture/demonstration event there on Saturday afternoon April 23, 2011 at 1pm. It’s all happening this month!

Continuing the SF & Indonesia Connection

2011-03-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

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The rumors are true. The next draft of our play Rights of Passage will be read at NCTC on April 3, 2011 at 2pm.

In other breaking news...We just received word from the US Office of Homeland Security that NCTC will indeed be permitted to host 4 performances of Gender Mystic next month featuring our friend and highly regarded international artist Didik Nini Thowok. Didik uses masks and dance forms from different Asian traditions to embody different characters, moods and contemporary ideas with comic strength. Didik is one of the few remaining artists who explores transgender culture and its cultural connection with mystical practices in Indonesia.

Gender Mystic is being presented in association with the SF Asian Art Museum who will also be hosting a lecture demonstration event during his visit. Didik’s limited engagement in San Francisco will benefit Rights of Passage which will have its world premiere in August of 2012.

Please visit our website at www.nctcsf.org to join us for the April 3, 2011 Rights of Passage staged reading, book your tickets for Gender Mystic April 21-24, 2011 or to visit us at the Asian Art Museum on April 23, 2011.

It’s a hive of activity next month!

Watchful Eye on Egypt

2011-02-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

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Last week the world was watching as the tri-decade rule of dictator Hosni Mubarak ended. Even more miraculous was that there was limited violence and bloodshed. Peaceful activism was the rule not the exception and thankfully government forces exercised restraint.

Still, it is no secret that LGBT citizens in Egypt and throughout much of the Arab world are not officially recognized by ruling political parties, opposition movements or even the general public. Homosexuality and cross-dressing continue to be severely stigmatized in these countries. Interviewing LGBT individuals from the middle east for our play Rights of Passage, has consistently verified that protecting traditional Islamic values and "public morality" remain fundamental social weapons against homosexuals. This reality continues to stimulate isolation, fear, persecution and incarceration based on sexual orientation.

So it is with a watchful eye that we observe progress towards democracy in the region. While there is much to accomplish in the way of forming a new government and addressing the many needs of its citizens we can only hope that basic human rights for all will be a significant part of the conversation.

The Daily Grind

2011-02-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

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Daily life has a way of competing for your constant attention. Keeping your head above water and meeting your responsibilities is more than a full-time job. We hustle, bustle, moan, groan, and tend to fill our days biting off more than we can chew. Our life stories unfold relentlessly.

I can’t shake my disappointment at not being able to keep up with it all. My aspirations to change the world fall short. Writing a play to shine a light on “Rights of Passage” suddenly feels anemic and inadequate. My immediate little cosmos is riddled with the consequence of making art. There is never enough time or money and my patience is dwindling.

Self-absorbed as these observations are, I still relate them, rather obsessively, to the struggle for global LGBT equality. I am not saying that my shallow, middle class, struggling artist bullshit compares in any way to murders in Uganda, isolation in Iran or imprisonment in any of the 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal. What I am saying is that solutions to these horrendous situations share the requirements of creativity, focus, cash, and forbearance. The essential modern day ingredients common to the journeys of our daily lives no matter what road we are traveling.

Seeing the forest for the trees when so many seemingly insurmountable obstacles encircle it is still the hardest thing to do. Yet, the stories of prowess and sacrifice lived by our brothers and sisters around the world demand it. Every effort is worth it when civil liberties are at stake. Eventually, humanity will prevail.

Suddenly I realize that my soap box of personal woe has vanished. I get back to work. The scenes in the play need rewrites. There are voices out there yearning to be heard. So much for the daily grind - it pales in comparison.

Gender Mystic: Benefit for Rights of Passage Scheduled for April 2011

2011-01-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Didik Nini Thowok before a performance

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In Indonesia, transgender culture has existed for centuries and its proponents were considered healers, shamans and spiritual leaders. But in recent times this culture has become greatly diminished and in some parts of Indonesia dual gender performers have been persecuted, forced to conceal their identities and even killed. Didik Nini Thowok is one such performer who is anything but in the closet. Didik's courageous blend of classical dance, modern choreography and a signature comedic touch has earned him an international reputation that extends to several performances in the US.
The New Conservatory Theatre Center in association with the Asian Arts Museum of San Francisco is bringing Didik to San Francisco for four performances in April 2011, plus a special lecture/demonstration event at the Asian Art Museum. Didik's work is an especially good match to the spirit and content of Rights of Passage, our new play about LGBT equality around the globe.
Performances of Gender Mystic will be April 21, 22 and 23 at 8 pm and April 24 at 2pm at the New Conservatory Theatre Center. The Lecture/demonstration event will be April 23, at an afternoon time to be determined, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Tickets will be available at www.nctcsf.org.

I Hear Toronto's Lovely this Time of Year

2010-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

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Do research on the internet at your own peril. You start out looking for some outrageous news about atrocities against gay people in Iran, for example, and before you know it, you're on queerty.com reading about Carrie Fisher and how apparently the entire Hollywood community has always known about John Travolta and his fondness for dick. And then you find out from Pink News that Johnny Depp revealed in an interview that several "upper echelon Disney-ites" absolutely hated his character Jack Sparrow in the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies; one asking if the character was gay. And apparently Sharon Osbourne once defecated on Elton John's driveway after being on the losing end of a love triangle that encompassed Sharon, Elton, and some cute LA boy toy.

Distracting isn't it? Frivolous. But then you stumble on something interesting in that embarrassing mess commonly known as Don't Ask Don't Tell. Which leads you north of the border to an article about how the Canadian government has accommodated their transgender soldiers by allowing them to pick their own uniforms. Yes that's right, pick their uniforms!

But don't take my word for it, just read this excerpt from a recent article in Pink News on the new Canadian military policy on transgender soldiers: "The policy says they should wear the uniform of their 'target' gender but must be given privacy and respect. For example, no reason must be given when a person’s name is changed on military records. The new policy does not allow military honours to be reassigned to new names, saying 'there is no legal authority for rewriting history'. Canada’s military first paid for gender treatment for a member in 1998 and deals with one or two trans troops every year. Cherie MacLeod, executive director of PFLAG Canada, said the change was positive."

Beautifully understated, Cherie.

A couple of weeks ago I sent an email to President Obama berating him, in respectful terms, for his lack of leadership and action regarding DADT. I reminded him that the current policy was causing hardship and much more for LGBT troops who were doing their best to serve their country. I finished by saying that I thought that his inaction on this issue had cast a shadow on his character. At the end of the form there was a box, which I checked, requesting a reply. What I got instead was a series of press releases telling me all the good things that our president was doing in other areas. DADT wasn't even mentioned.

Also, in that email, I related how shortly after Obama's election my gay cousin was complaining about how little Obama was doing for gay people. My reply: "Give him some time, he just got elected." Undeterred, my cousin told me "At least the Republicans don't lie. We know they hate us."
As much as I hate to admit it, he's got a point.

Photo courtesy of queerty.com

The Nigerian Reverend

2010-11-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

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Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay agreed to see me but requested that the exact location of our meeting be kept secret. Although he now lives in the UK, security is still a concern for this openly gay Reverend who was forced to leave Nigeria recently amid a media feeding frenzy over his House of Rainbow congregation.

“Being gay in Nigeria is dangerous enough” he says, “but being out and preaching the gospel is double trouble. Your hated for being a homosexual and for your sins against god. A no win situation that drives pretty much all LGBT Nigerians underground. If you live in the Muslim dominated north there is death by stoning - if you live in the Christian dominated southern part of the country then you face punishment and/or jail time if you are discovered. It’s pretty buttoned down and you are trapped..”

I am very surprised when Jide tells me that, “Even here in the UK the gay Nigerian community keeps a very low profile. Conversations are coded and highly euphemistic as to not reveal any more than absolutely necessary. One still feels the danger of betrayal and the stigma around your sexuality hangs over you like a depressing darkness. There is no escaping it.”

Like Skye Chirape, the lesbian activist I met from Zimbabwe, Jide explains that he is working towards change on a few fronts. For the Nigerians in the UK, he is building a growing congregation with his House of Rainbow church http://revrowlandjidemacaulay.blogspot.com which is modeled after the gay positive Metropolitan Community Church. Although quite dangerous, there is a counterpart House of Rainbow in Lagos where worshipers meet in rotating locations. For obvious reasons, membership is small (“but growing!” Jide stresses) and attendance can be sporadic.

Jide concedes that approaching LGBT equality from the perspective of faith and spirituality has always been an uphill battle. I notice the timber in his voice shift and the Reverend instinct within him engages. “ Jesus is love. That is his message. We must remember it and we must share it. God loves all of us - our sexuality is not a criteria for admission to heaven. It is important that all gay people, especially Nigerians, learn that they are not abominations. It took me a failed marriage, a child, and years of self-loathing to realize that myself.”
“The House of Rainbow is a missionary of love and it must be spread at the grassroots level. We can’t have one life for the church and another for being gay. They must be integrated. Balanced. He pauses for a moment before continuing passionately, “it’s how we live our life that is most important. Embrace the signposts of our humanity, look after each other and never be afraid to have love in your heart. This is what God wants from us.

Jide is also working via the internet to spread his message. He hosts a website Sexuality and Spirituality (for contact info visit Reverend Macaulay’s blog) that is attracting a fast growing membership of LGBT Africans and others in locations around the world. The site provides a forum for interaction and is carefully monitored for content. He stresses, this is not a hook up site - there are plenty of those. Jide pulls the site up on his laptop. I am surprised to see so many photographs of African men. I ask about the danger of this and says it is a membership only site so there is a modicum of security. Those who post are hungry for contact so they assume the risk in order to find community. The social network is a powerful tool. Finding each other and communicating is much easier these days. The internet is a way to learn about the world and discover that we are not alone.”

I ask Jide about something I learned online recently. There are Christian missionaries from the US and Canada who are in African countries preaching that homosexuality is the devils work. In fact, these individuals have been advocating strongly for the death penalty laws against gays in Uganda. “ Yes", Jide says, "it is true about these people. But it also true that African missionaries are promoting the same hateful message. In some ways they are even more dangerous than the Western preachers because they have the confidence and blind faith of the locals. It is easier for them to perpetuate stereotypes and stoke fears about us.”

Just when I think I cannot be any more in awe of this man, he begins to talk about his additional outreach activities. Jide has spoken at the UN in Geneva, participated in Human Sexuality Forums in Africa, attends the national MCC gatherings in the US, and seeks every opportunity to represent the needs of LGBT Nigerians on the world stage.. On a continent where at least 7 other countries would prefer to see us dead , the Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay is most certainly a beacon of hope.

From Zimbabwe to the UK: Skye's Story

2010-10-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

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It’s a cold, rainy autumn afternoon. Skye Chirape and I had arranged to meet at the entrance of London’s infamous Victoria Station. When I get there, I realize that there are 4 different entrances with hundreds of people buzzing around in every direction. I haven’t a clue as to where I am supposed to be standing or what Skye even looks like. After a brief moment of panic, I decide to just go with the flow and let destiny take over.

Almost immediately, I spot the small African woman that you see in the photograph. Her sense of style and fashion sets her apart from the throngs of people at the station. Skye notices me in the same instant and we are drawn to one another. A few moments later we’ve settled into an English Pub with two hot cups of coffee to take the chill out of our damp bones.

Before long, I discover that I am in the company of yet another extremely courageous individual. After more than two years of research on Rights of Passage, there are persistent factors that evidence themselves repeatedly in the people we have met - tenacity, compassion, hope and bravery. LGBT activists are forces to be reckoned with.

Without hesitation, Skye tells me of her middle class and strict Christian faith based upbringing in Zimbabwe. She is well spoken and spirited. Probably the very things that got her into trouble at age 10 when she and a classmate were caught in the throes of pre-adolescent intimacy. After that her life was not the same. Skye’s actions brought great “shame” upon her family. She was severely punished and kept under very close watch all through her teen years. No more same sex encounters; they were far too dangerous.

In Zimbabwe like much of Africa, homosexuality is a scourge. For lesbians, “corrective rape” by family members and/or by other men in the community is common place. Violent intercourse is meant to set the misguided woman back upon the path of heterosexuality. Skye told me that many African lesbians have not only suffered this fate but also have born children from their rapes. A constant reminder of their shame in the form of a child.

Skye sighs, smiles and then presses on. “So one day I just packed a bag and left for London. I knew only one person there and she took me in. It was mostly so I’d look after her young child but I was just grateful to have a roof over my head. I soon realized however that this would be a dead end for me.” Skye continued, “ I wanted an education. I wanted a better job. I wanted independence. I wanted to know my true nature”

Long harrowing story short, Skye obtained admission to a British college and acquired her student visa. She worked 5-6 menial part-time jobs to make ends meet and eventually earned a degree in Psychology. Not wanting to stop there, Skye decides to pursue and acquired a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology. After a 7 year odyssey of seemingly endless bureaucratic red tape including false imprisonment as an illegal immigrant, Skye was finally granted asylum in the UK. She now works in the British Justice System. Ironically, the same system that she battled for asylum.

“But you know, now it is my duty to work to make things better for my sisters in Zimbabwe she says emphatically. “I must use all available resources to educate and advocate for change in my country. It is difficult but I know change can come. Information and knowledge is power.”

The time has flown by. Our lively 3 hour conversation draws to a close. I only have space to include part of our exchange here.

Skye looks into my eyes and asks if she has helped our play. I tell her yes and smile gratefully. “You have given a voice and a soul to the African lesbian characters we are writing in Rights of Passage.” They will now live on stage in your image. She seems pleased.

As we say our goodbyes, I silently promise myself to express those characters with the same grace and poetry I found in her words this afternoon.

In my next entry I will share my conversation with gay Reverend Rowland Jide Macauley from Nigeria.

The Pain and Terror of Rewrites

2010-09-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

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You've poured out the fruits of an overheated imagination into your ravenous hard drive. Clever, pants-splittingly funny, insightful. Some scenes you read over and over again, just to make yourself feel good. And you do. You feel great. Rights of Passage is going to be a smash! What a unique voice, you whisper to yourself. What bravery, to tread where few writers ever go. Your ego swells and pulsates in its own quiet and modest way. There's nothing quite like tackling a difficult, complex topic and nailing it. Nailing it! And then the reviews come back--self indulgent, unfocused, too long. A few giggles here and there, but no pants are split, no urine is spilled. And worst of all? Some of that negative feedback comes from the writers. Go figure!

So you spend a couple of weeks (make that a month) in denial. Cursing the naysayers, bitch-slapping them in your mind. And through it all, a scene from the film Sunset Boulevard hovers over the proceedings. It's the one where William Holden's character has begun helping the Gloria Swanson character rewrite her screenplay of Salome which is a tangled mess of handwritten manuscripts tied with twine. In a very reasonable and professional manner he recommends some drastic but much needed cuts. Standing over the toiling scribe, Gloria pauses for a moment then barks her line: "Put it back!" Then stalks off across the polished floors of her cavernous living room.

Gloria never did make friends with the editing process and we all know how she ended up. Fortunately these writers have seen the light. But it's a pale thing that doesn't do much to illuminate the way forward. At least not yet. Right now all that is staring us in the face is a void with a few faint glimmers of clarity twinkling on the horizon.

Our only hope, at this point, is that one or the other of us don't wind up face down at the bottom of a Hollywood swimming pool clutching an unfinished manuscript.

Early Draft of Rights of Passage Receives Staged Reading

2010-08-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

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Photo courtesy of Arizona Actor's Blog

This past Friday evening and Saturday afternoon seven very talented actors, under the helm of director Arturo Catricala, took to the New Conservatory Theatre Center stage. They gave eloquent voice, after only two days of rehearsal, to an early draft of Rights of Passage in front of a combined audience of about 100 ardent theater goers. After each performance there was a question and answer session designed to get at what was working in the script and what wasn't. The playwrights, Ed Decker and Robert Leone, received some invaluable food for thought to bring to the next iteration of the script. Nearly universal appreciation was shown for the through line which focused on Wayan, a gay Balinese man who we see at various stages in his life: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Working in the "offshoot" scenes from around the world is proving to be more challenging, but the readings have yielded some great ideas for rewrites. It was also exciting and illuminating to see the play on its feet for the first time. We are grateful for all who participated and who offered their ideas and opinions. The next draft will be completed sometime before the end of the year.

Gearing Up for the Next Phase of Rights of Passage

2010-08-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Web-N

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Rewrites are just about complete for our upcoming staged readings of Rights of Passage on August 20 & 21 , 2010 at The New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. www.nctcsf.org. Our table read in early July provided a great deal of insight as to tightening scenes and concentrating a bit more on working out transitions throughout the play.

With the scripting process now opening up to include small audiences we are sure to discover even more ways to refine the script. It is exciting to be moving steadily towards production after several years of research. While production is still more than 18 months away (early 2012) the pieces of the making a new play puzzle are coming into focus.

After the readings later this month we will continue rewrites, kick fund raising into a higher gear, and prepare for our final public reading on April 23, 2011. It would be sooner but our day jobs get in the way! Then, it’s onward to pre-production.

Meanwhile, a special shout out to James Hormel & the Small Change Foundation whose faith in the project before we had written a single word along with his 30K contribution has sustained us during the research phase. There is almost no way to thank all those LGBT folks around the world who live the stories of Rights of Passage every day.

Rights of Passage Table Read

2010-07-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

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After putting together a first draft of our play, with no outside input into the creative process, we took the next step by scheduling a table read so that it could see, in a controlled setting, the light of day. That happened this past Saturday at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. The reading was followed by discussion and feedback on all aspects of the piece. It was an extremely valuable exercise that brought into focus the strengths and weaknesses of the play and gave us some direction as to how we should proceed. A total of eleven theatre professionals, including writers, actors, directors and a puppetmaker took part.

We'll be making revisions in the coming weeks and scheduling another reading in the near future. Much thanks to all who took part including: Jomar Tagatac, Michaela Greely, Jackie Jordan, Price Troche, Christopher Morell, Desiree Rogers, Anthony Williams, Arturo Catricala, Liebe Wetzel, and Brad Erickson.

Reversal of Fortune in Malawi

2010-05-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

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Photo by Brett Lock, OutRage!

It’s all over the international news already but we would be remiss if we did not join the rest of the world in celebrating the good news.

On Saturday, May 29, 2010, Malawi’s president, Bingu wa Mutharika, pardoned gay couple Steven Menjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison after their conviction on charges of unnatural acts and gross indecency. The men are to be released immediately without condition. Hopefully, as you read this that has already occurred.

While the pardon concludes a horrific 18 month odyssey for Steven and Tiwonge, there is still much work to do in the region regarding changing attitudes about LGBT culture. In granting the pardon on” humanitarian grounds” , the head of state was also careful to express that he by no means condoned the actions of the gay couple as they conflict with Malawi laws, religion and culture. Remember, this is the same man who last month publicly declared that being gay is “evil and bad before the eyes of God” and something “we Malawians just do not do.”

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the pardon came after a meeting with UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in the Malawi capital this week. After all, it is estimated that 40% of Malawi’s economy is tied to humanitarian aid from the international community. Mr. Ban is continuing to turn up the heat as he plans to address Malawi’s National Assembly and will ask the legislators to change the local laws on homosexuality.

With the world watching and countless human rights activists/organizations pursuing this unjust incarceration, great pressure was brought to bear. This contributed greatly to the release of Steven and Tiwonge. Vigilant, hard work that led, after 18 long months, to a measure of gay justice in a place where it is often in short supply.

Zimbabwe Gay Activists Beaten and Tortured by Police

2010-05-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

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The situation in Africa continues to deteriorate. As a final insult, The two men, Tiwonge and Steven, who were sentenced to 14 years at hard labor in Malawi for daring to celebrate their relationship at a private party, were ordered to serve their time in separate prisons. This morning World United Gay Union correspondent Junior Equality Mayema picked up the following story from South West Radio Africa:

A lawyer representing the two employees arrested Friday from the group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), said his clients have been beaten and tortured in custody as part of an orchestrated attempt to target homosexuals, and to try and extract information.

David Hofisi told SW Radio Africa: “Our clients have complained of beatings and torture yesterday. They were beaten on the knees using coca cola bottles and forced into sitting positions without chairs.”

The lawyer said the police were trying to extract information from them relating to the membership of the gay rights group; “They also wanted to know where these members live and to know their partners.”

GALZ administrator Ellen Chademana and accountant Ignatius Muhambi, were arrested last Friday on charges of ‘insulting the office of the President’ and for allegedly possessing ‘pornographic material’. They are still in police custody.

Guilty!

2010-05-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

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I am on my way to work at the theatre. I am lost deep in my thoughts as I inch along in the bumper to bumper traffic. It’s the same every morning.

I glance to my right and notice the blue Nissan Altima Hybrid. There is a baby strapped into the car seat in the rear of the vehicle. It fixes its sparkling blue gaze on me. Our eyes lock and it smiles. I smile back. A horn blares behind me disengaging the random contact between us. Then the traffic crawl resumes.

I get to the theatre and that infant’s piercing, yet innocent, sea blue stare haunts me. A seemingly happy young being with its whole life still before it should make me feel optimistic. But this morning it just exacerbates the gnawing despair churning inside me.

This mornings paper reported that the two gay Malawi men we’ve been following on our blog were officially found guilty for their “crimes against nature.” They are expected to be sentenced to at least 14 years and to do hard labor while incarcerated.

The only mistake Tiwonge and Steven made was to declare their love for one another at an engagement party in December of 2009. They have languished in jail ever since. Today's ruling is part of a broader pattern of mounting pressure and persecution on LGBT people by authorities in Malawi. This persecution has come from the highest levels of government. Closet doors just shut tighter in Malawi.

I’ve made it to the next intersection just as the light turns red. That politically correct Nissan Hybrid rolls up next to me again. Why the hell is that kid still staring at me?

I wonder if the child can read my thoughts. You know, some special kind of baby magic. People are always extolling the wonders of children. Perhaps this grinning little cherub, who is now chewing on its foot, understands something I do not. The light turns green and I wonder if it is a signal of better things to come.

Notes on Prisoners, Elected Officials and Religious Wingnuts

2010-05-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

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http://blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6498/2010-04-27.html

Malawi Prisoners Update
Two men on trial on charges of homosexuality in Malawi, Steven Monjeza 26 and Tiwonge Chimbalanga 20, have issued a defiant message from their prison cell, affirming their love for each other and thanking their supporters in Malawi and worldwide.

Tiwonge said: "I love Steven so much. If people or the world cannot give me the chance and freedom to continue living with him as my lover, then I am better off to die here in prison. Freedom without him is useless and meaningless."

"We have come a long way and even if our family relatives are not happy, I will not and never stop loving Tiwonge," said Steven.

The two men's messages were relayed from inside Chichiri Prison in Blantyre, Malawi, to Peter Tatchell of the LGBT human rights group OutRage! in London, England. The full article is available at: http://blackstarnews.com - type in Malawi in the search field on the home page.

Uganda Lawmaking
Also in Africa, we have been following the antics of elected officials and religious wing nuts who continue the crusade to criminalize homosexuality. “The law should provide that all the parties that promote homosexuality should be liable to have committed an offence, We have a one life time opportunity to close the door to homosexuality in Uganda and if we don’t use it now it will be impossible in future. We pray that they (ministers) will remain firm and put Ugandans’ interests first not foreign pressure.”

Here and There

2010-03-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

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It is gratifying to have come home with a first draft of Rights of Passage. The goal of our writer’s retreat on Bali was to do just that. Even better, we figured out how our collaboration as playwrights and husbands could be navigated with mutual respect. Although we did not always agree upon every artistic choice, we managed to stay highly focused on the work. We kept the the drama on the page. A first draft is a first draft so there is still much writing and re-writing ahead. We expect to do our first reading this summer.

As we were leaving Indonesia two more real life events caught our attention. The first is one that I think if we had written it for the play no one would have believed it actually occurred.

Residents in a small village on Sumatra forced a couple into marriage because they thought the pair were having premarital sex. They later found out that the “husband” in the relationship was actually a woman. After rumors circulated through the village, shocked neighbors confronted the couple and then reported them to the police for being lesbians. The couple told police that they did not want to get married but they had no choice. While homosexuality in Indonesia is not illegal per se the couple will be punished for lying on marriage documents. Talk about damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

In the other story from Banda Aceh, ( a tiny Indonesian island that was ravaged by a tsunami a few years back), we learn that the recent Miss Transvestite Pageant was condemned by Muslim leadership. The contestants stood their ground and held the competition anyway. They also demanded equal rights by standing up to the religious dogma of sharia law which bans homosexuality. Again, gay people, in particular transvestites, fight prejudice at great peril to themselves.

Shadow Puppets

2010-02-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

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There are just a few of us who sit waiting on well worn plastic chairs in the make shift theatre. Above us, a large plastic tarp protects us from the night rain and a single unforgiving florescent bulb casts a harsh glow on the sparse audience. I silently long for a pink gel to take the edge off the lighting and add some much needed softness to my 53 year old ever sagging profile.

The Bali night that surrounds us is alive with the wail of geckos and the incessant croaking of bullfrogs from the river bank below. The lush scent of frangipani blossoms mingles with the several sticks of incense that are burning around us to ward off the evil spirits and bless tonight’s performance.

The theatre is wedged behind a massage studio on one side and a gift shop on the other. There is a consistent trickle off foot traffic on the pathway leading down to the river that cuts through the audience on house left. Directly in front of us, there is a 6x6 slightly stained white canvas stretched across a make shift teak proscenium. It to has seen better days. A single flame burns behind the canvas and illuminates several stationary shadow puppet figures that are positioned along the front. Curtain is not until 8pm – another 10 minutes before the characters are animated by the two Balinese puppeteers.

As we wait, my mind wanders. I being to think about the scene I am supposed to write tomorrow for our play Rights of Passage. Then, without warning, I begin to feel an uncomfortable pang of guilt. My thoughts have drifted to those who struggle mightily to just get through each day. For the past days, weeks, months and close to 2 years now the research we have done for the play is starting to get to me. It all weighs heavily on my mind. I force myself to think of the triumphs we have recorded and not just the obstacles standing in the way of global LGBT equality.

I look at Robert’s watch. There is still another 5 minutes to show time.

My mind quickly shifts to a swirl of new writing ideas that have not yet fully taken shape. I am trying to learn to live with this convoluted part of the creative process . It is extremely difficult for me. I tend to become frustrated with the quiet reflective time that I must put in to sort out and focus my ideas. I am always chomping at the bit to sit down and just get it done. I am getting better at it but mostly it’s agony. Having my writing partner and husband here helps a great deal. We are balm for each others artistic vagaries and vulnerabilities.

Suddenly I hear a sharp sound. I am shaken from my angst filled daydream. The puppet hammer has struck. Traditional Balinese gamelan music fills the theatre. The shadow puppet performance is beginning.

Return to Risky

2010-02-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

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Winged Balinese Princess

Beauty shops and bars. Magnets for gay men. You can travel the world over and with some certainty always manage to find your tribe in or hovering around these two locations. Such is the case here on Bali where I have returned to complete the first draft of Rights of Passage. This time my husband and writing partner Robert is here with me. One of our first stops was the La La Beauty Salon and Spa (you may recall my blog entry last December) to pay a visit to my friend their head stylist Risky.

As we approached the salon along the main road in the village of Ubud, an attractive, slim, Javanese transgender woman and an equally stunning looking Balinese boy greet us with warm, welcoming smiles. So disarming are these smiles that we barely notice that xeroxed menus of La La treatments were being thrust into our hands. Reflexively we take them and the two begin their well oiled sales pitches. Maybe you need massage now? Haircut? Mani? Pedi? Cream Bath? All offered up in rapid succession with more than a hint of seduction in their voices.

I know this routine and immediately shift the conversation by inquiring as to the whereabouts of Risky. Seconds after I utter his name, I hear a loud gay scream of delight. I look up and see Risky descending the steep stone staircase leading from the salon. He is clutching at his neck as if he were wearing pearls. He is squealing with excitement. His hands begin to flutter uncontrollably as he reaches for me. I think to myself, it really is Oscar season - a picture perfect entrance.

We embrace. His first question is where did you come from the bars down in Kuta? See what I mean? Here is the bar thing right off the bat. As if we would fly 12,000 miles and then hightail it to the first gay bar we could find upon landing on Bali. No I came to see you, I say. He coos with appreciation and mock coyness. This is my husband, I add quickly. Risky greets Robert warmly and quickly turns his attention back to me. Ever the business man Risky says, come upstairs you must have special La La treatment. No time to waste. You too he says to Robert.

Although I know we must look like two severely jet lagged old queens I tell Risky we will be back in a day or two. I assure him he can work his La La magic on us then. For now, we need a cool shower and a little shut eye.

Action Alert: It Only Takes 7 Minutes to Make a Difference

2010-01-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

Gays need your voice in Malawi!

Join the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in calling upon the Malawi government to release Steven Monjeza (age 26) and Tiwonge Chimbalanga (age 20) from detention and end discrimination against LGBT and HIV/AIDS activists. The lovers were arrested on December 28 and charged with "unnatural offenses" and "indecent practices between males" The two were then denied bail, and prosecutors subjected them to internal medical examinations without their consent. They now face lengthy prison sentences for “crimes against nature.”

Click on this link to send a letter to Malawian officials: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html (Estimated time to complete - less than two minutes)

File under bad advice: "nothing will happen to you if you simply do not come out."

Meanwhile in another part of the world, the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees reports that Asghar Hedayati, a 40-year-old gay man who has been seeking asylum in Norway since 2003 now faces possible deportation. He has been told by the Norwegian authorities he can go back to Iran and "nothing will happen to you if you simply do not come out". You can send a letter urging the Norwegian Government to reconsider their misguided position by clicking on to www.irqr.net. Once you reach the site click on Norway Threatens To Deport....scroll down and you will find a sample letter that you can cut and paste into a few e-mail links. (Estimated time to complete - less than 5 minutes)

Yes, we all are very busy, but 7 minutes may make all the difference for those who are in harms way.

Rights of Passage Progress Report

2009-12-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

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As we have reported throughout the year, 2009 was certainly a mixed bag for LGBT Human Rights around the globe. We still have a long way to go before we eradicate discrimination, stigmatization, and ongoing brutality against our community.

In our endeavor to stand up and give voice to these important matters we continue to be hard at work on the play Rights of Passage. This past year, with the support of individual donors and The Small Change Foundation, we have traveled extensively conducting research and personal interviews. As a result, we have made great strides in finding the form of the play that will be able to accommodate the vast expanse of the LGBT stories that long to be told.

By spring of 2010 we expect to have the first draft of the play completed. The next step unfolds in the summer when we begin the staged reading process to test the script in front of San Francisco Bay Area audiences. With that feedback we will wrestle with rewrites during the latter part of the year. If all goes according to plan, Rights of Passage should be ready to have its world premiere at The New Conservatory Theatre Center during the 2011-12 season. A full year ahead of schedule!

The journey of making this play thus far has been nothing short of astonishing. We are privileged to have met and learned from so many individuals whose courage and determination is boundless. Additionally, organizations such as Human Rights Watch, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, The Iranian Queer Railroad, and Amnesty International (to name just a few) work tirelessly every single day to advance our civil rights throughout the world.

Together we are working towards a brighter more just 2010 and beyond.

Luminescence Personified

2009-12-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Didik with Ed before the performance in Denpasar

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Two hours before his show the much beloved Indonesian cross-gender performer Didik Nini Thowok greets me at the side entrance of the STSI Arts University in Denpasar, Bali. I instantly feel the kinship of a fellow artist. His warm expressive smile, his welcoming arms, and the glint of mischief in his eyes says it all. Although we have never met and our daily lives are separated by oceans, we are clearly cut from the same cloth. As we embrace and exchange introductions there is an immediate bond of friendship that feels long held.

Didik says, come with me to my dressing room - we can talk there while I get ready. He leads me into the theatre building and rounds a corner just steps off the main lobby. With a wave of the hand and a pivot of the torso worthy of royalty, Didik announces theatrically, we are here - glamorous isn’t it? With a puzzled look on my face, I look around. All I can see are a few rag tag aluminum folding chairs positioned against the wall of a long well worn hallway. On the seat of one chair I spot a small colorful batik cloth with the basics of stage makeup in an orderly row - foundation, mascara, eyeliner, rouge, lipstick, and the ever important false eyelashes. There is a small tube of spirit gum (theatrical glue) resting near by. Didik sits down in front of his improvised makeup table. He picks up the smallest hand mirror I’ve ever seen and gestures for me to take a seat next him. Can you imagine, he says confidentially, they build an arts university and forget to make dressings rooms. At least they remembered to put in a stage. We both laugh.

This is certainly not the treatment I expected for one of Indonesia’s most revered artists. His cross-gender work as a dancer, actor, and comedian packs theatres and he is a regular presence on television throughout Indonesia. Not to mention his tours throughout the world. Didik is completely unfazed by these sparse surroundings and settles into his routine of pre-show preparations. Offstage, he is a modest, unassuming man who is clearly devoid of egotistical eccentricities. On stage Didik is larger than life. Mesmerizing. Luminescent.

As if we’ve known each other forever, Didik and I begin to talk freely about art, family, lovers and gay life in general. Our conversation is interrupted frequently. A camera crew from the local news shows up for an interview; fans seeking photographs & autographs stream through; the director stops by for notes; the other dancers check in with hellos as they proceed further down the hall to get ready in a dimly lit basement beneath the stage. Through all of this and with less than 90 minutes until curtain, Didik is the epitome of calm, grace and professionalism. He has a smile for everyone who enters his sphere and seems not in the least worried about finishing his make-up in time for the performance.

During a lull in visitors to the “dressing room”, I ask about his 5 year old adopted son. Didik explains that in Indonesia as a single man he is unable to actually adopt a child. On paper, his sister is the boy’s legal guardian. While Didik is indeed the primary parent, his entire family shares in the raising of the child. This is a perfect arrangement as Didik is frequently on the road performing.

Having been to this part of the world many times before, I think I know the answer to my next question but I ask it anyway. How is it to be gay here Didik? I am especially interested in his point of view since many of his popular comic personas are sometimes quite outlandish. We do not really speak about it. My family accepts me as I am bringing money with my work. My fans love me because I make them laugh and forget for a little while. But the gay aspect is silent. He smiles gently and adds, I think most understand it is who I am but we do not discuss this. There are still many people who see gay as a “minus” in a man or woman but you and I know that it is really a “plus” - a special gift.

The conversation turns to tonight’s performance. I want to tell you about the story you are about to see, his tone shifts from the personal to the professional. The artist as educator explains that this is a traditional dance collaboration between the Indian and Indonesian governments. In an effort to promote “friendship through culture” Didik has been asked to play the dramatic part of a cross-gender warrior named Shikandini. Didik notices the questioning look on my face and continues. Yes, it is true a cross-gender warrior princess with the breasts of a woman and the penis of a man. This story is a little known epic contained within the Mahabharata. Its telling is often excluded due to the predisposition of its main character. He continues with even greater resolve: Ultimately the tale tells of the complexity of human nature while highlighting that destiny incorporates both the male and female in all of us. This should be embraced and not shunned. So you see, the duality of heterosexuality and homosexuality has always existed in God’s world but is usually ignored, repressed or ridiculed in man made society.

Suddenly Didik is on his feet. I was so spellbound by his synopsis of Shikandini that I failed to notice that he had completely packed up his tiny makeup case. Now it is time to put on my costume. Come with me and we will have a picture together when I am dressed. It is better to do this photo before the show. Afterward, my face will have melted, he says followed by a self-effacing gesture.

We join the other cast members beneath the stage. Strikingly beautiful men and women are putting the finishing touches on their make-up. They wriggle into their colorful costumes and adjust resplendent head dresses. I watch a backstage ritual and a magical transformation I’ve seen many times before. From street clothes to character vesture - a performance is about to begin. I turn to my left and spot Didik who is now the magnificent Indian warrior princess Shikandini. He motions for me to come over for our picture to together. I’ll see you after the show he says. Didik tightens his embrace and holds me close before heading to the stage.

Risky Business

2009-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

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Risky at La La House of Beauty in Ubud

His name is Risky. He is the lead stylist at the La La House of Beauty just off the main road in the hillside artist colony of Ubud, Bali. I know he saw me coming from several meters away. In Asia I am not easy to miss. A 6'5" , 200lb nordic giant that just screams tourist without ever uttering a single word.

As I approach, he stands at the ready with a big smile and a home made xeroxed flyer in his diminutive outstretched hand. Special for you today he says coyly. I give you good price on any treatment. What you want? What you neeeeed? he coos. I size him up quickly before I answer, a face lift and a new ass. Defy gravity, I add. There was a brief silence as he translated in his head then a full on giggle of delight. You must come upstairs to La La right now - no time to wasting - we have big job to do. That’s an understatement.

After negotiating a package deal for a haircut, manicure and pedicure for the grand sum of $20 he calls in the La La House of Beauty construction crew to assist . 2 young Balinese girls join us – one at my hands the other at my feet. Suddenly, the guilt of being a spoiled westerner sweeps over me. Risky notices my shoulders tense, Relax he whispers sternly in my ear and then wraps a cape around my neck. We pamper you. No worry at La La. Our job to make you beautiful and happy. Good luck with that I think to myself. Risky pats me on the shoulders. I surrender. The guilt evaporates as quickly as it appeared.

Risky switches on the electric razor and winks at my reflection in the mirror. Here we going he says in full on flirt mode. As he takes his first pass at my receding hairline I see him notice my wedding band. Nonchalantly he asks, where you wife? How long married? I say, 23 years... to my husband. I am gay. He gives my earlobe a playful tug and says in his best broken English, me already knowing this but I wanting to be sure.

I decide that since fate has tossed me into the La La House of Beauty for some “risky” business, this must be a chance for some one on one impromptu Rights of Passage research. How come you are called Risky, I inquire. Me a little bit dangerous that’s why. At least my last boyfriend is saying that to me when he breaking up. But that’s ok, I liking tourist man better then Indonesian boy anyway, he offers seductively. I see immediately where this is going. I deflect. You will meet the right guy in time Risky, I did and it has lasted many years. A brief silence. Risky is regrouping.

Where you staying he asks feigning disinterest as he buzzes away the patches of grey in my sideburns. Samhita Gardens Hotel near the Roda Internet Café, I tell him. How lucky, me having room very close by, he says enthusiastically. Without hesitation, I deflect again. I have much work here on Bali then on Java. A very busy schedule. Risky falls silent again and continues his work. I let it sit there for a few minutes.

Being gay very hard here, he says out of nowhere. I notice that when he says the word “gay” he says it very softly. I sense a tinge of fear in his voice as he wraps his lips around the danger of that word. Risky’s flirting glances in the mirror have been replaced with a harder more cautious look. The girls working on my limbs pretend not to hear or understand the conversation taking place between us. They seem to buff a little faster. Now we are getting to the heart of it I think to myself. It’s the same the world over - the all to recognizable closet complete with the pervasive self loathing lurking in the background.

I going from Jakarta 1 year ago. Much crazy there. Gay not so good for me. Ubud very quiet. To quiet I am thinking. Still it better. Risky confesses this without my prompting. Me 29 and I waiting for something...someone...when he come? My mind reels. I want to say the right thing here. The best I can come up with is, you are young and very beautiful. Some man will be lucky to find you and will fall in love with you. He is coming, maybe just around the corner.

Risky sighs deeply and maneuvers the electric razor to the back of my neck. A mischievous look darts back into his eyes and he says, Well telling him to hurry up ok? He blows a kiss in the mirror and then slips me his phone number. Just in case he says as he dusts the hairs off my face and shoulders. I smile at his reflection and feeling flattered say, but I am old enough to be your father! Risky answers back quickly , no problem for me. I am overlooking this. By this time, the manicure-pedicure girls are now buffing in triple time and staring holes into the floor.

At 36,000 Feet

2009-12-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

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The Boeing 777 dipped suddenly and then lurched to the right. The seat belt light flashed on immediately casting a wary glow throughout the otherwise dark cabin. Ahead of me, I could see into the first class galley where three flight attendants had quickly huddled around one of their own. An ice pack was produced and applied to the forehead of a colleague. A sheer curtain is drawn to shield the curious eyes of the passengers from what must be a rather frequent occupational hazard when caught short during unexpected turbulence.

We are 5 hours into the flight. Our jet continues bouncing towards the international dateline. No one seems overly concerned. However, the unsteady weather outside is an apt metaphor for the rumblings I am feeling inside as I begin this journey back to Indonesia to work further on Rights of Passage. It is odd to make this trip without Robert who was unable to take the time off work. We have traveled together to these magical islands more than ten times. This time I am flying solo.

At 36,000 feet and 2,719 miles away from San Francisco I feel my energies shift. My daily routine already begins to feels distant. I start to think about being a writer on a mission. As the jet continues to “rock and roll” it seems to be shaking up my sensibilities - urging me to give into thoughts about making this play. Lately, I have been feeling anxious about just getting on with the project but the pressing tasks of our day jobs have been formidable distractions. The plane shudders once more and I decide that the jet stream is insisting that I put these thoughts behind me.

I turn my attention towards the persistent question swirling around my brain since boarding the aircraft. Why so many trips to this part of the world? After careful thought and few more unpredictable air pockets, I decide that every immersion into South East Asian culture has simply been another step towards the play. The desire to tell a story about global LGBT human rights with the highly ceremonial Hindu way of life at its center is very strong. Unexplainably, it just feels right.

For several more hours I will have my head up here in the clouds. I am suspended in mid-air heading towards untold adventures. Without warning, the turbulence has subsided. My feet will be on terra firma again soon enough.

Stop Executions in Iran

2009-11-29T14:21:00.001-08:00

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You always wonder if sending a letter will ever do any good. But when you are thousands of miles away from a bleak situation you just have to take any action available and hope that it just might make a difference.

As we have previously reported, Iranian courts continue to sentence gay men to death after they have been accused and convicted of sodomy. Punishment for same-sex intercourse between two men (Lavaat) is death and between two women (Mosaheghe) is 100 lashes for the first three offenses and the death penalty for the fourth.

Join us along with the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO) and COC Netherlands in calling on Iranian authorities to stop the numerous executions of minors and adults accused of sodomy. Also join us in calling on Western countries with significant diplomatic and economic ties to Iran, including Germany, France, Canada, as well as the European Union, to pursue diplomatic efforts to cease these executions.
Go to www.IGLHRC.org and click on the article about this situation in Iran. It will lead you to a button that says TAKE ACTION NOW which in turn brings you to an electronic system to send a preformatted letter in English to the foreign officials and another letter in Persian to Iranian officials.

It takes all of two minutes and it could very well save someone’s life.

Murder in Puerto Rico

2009-11-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

Photo of murdered gay teen, George Steven Lopez Mercado

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We’ve been getting e-mails, Facebook messages and phone calls telling us of another horrific murder of a young gay man - this time in Puerto Rico. The ever informative Towle Road www.towleroad.com and international news source CNN www.cnn.com reports that the brutalized body of gay teen George Steven Lopez Mercado was found by the side of a road just a few miles away from the town in which he was residing called Caguas. The teen’s decapitated, dismembered body was found on November 14, 2009. The police investigator on the case suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading.

One suspect has been arrested and is claiming a “gay panic” self defense. Puerto Rican news source PrimaHora reports that the suspect was targeted after extensive interviews with Mercado’s friends.

This month, like every month, gay murders have been reported in just about every country on the planet.

Global Protest Alert

2009-11-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

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Photo: Uganda Equality

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission announced yesterday that there is to be a global public protest against a proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda. A rally will take place at 12:30pm (ET) on November 19, 2009 in New York City aligned with global human rights protests in other cities.

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and its partners in civil society have requested that supporters stage protests against the homophobic legislation at the diplomatic missions of Uganda leading up to Human Rights Day on December 10, 2009. The demonstration in New York is organized by a coalition of supporters, including the African Services Committee, Health Gap, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Watch, the Council for Global Equality, ACT UP Philadelphia, Advocates for Youth, and Proyecto SOL Filadelphia. A counterpart demonstration protesting the bill will also be held at the Ugandan Embassy in Washington, DC the same afternoon.

Rights of Passage Grant

2009-11-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

James Hormel of the Small Change Foundation

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Acquiring funds for research and development of a new project is always the most difficult. It requires a huge leap of faith on the part of the donor as the project for which support is sought is embryonic at best.

James Hormel and his Small Change Foundation have taken the leap with us for a second year by awarding us another $15K gift to pursue the further development of our new play on international LGBT Human Rights progress. We are not only grateful to Jim for his generous gift to Rights of Passage but also for his steadfast vanguard leadership on behalf of our community.

The Small Change Foundation grant will enable us to visit Africa, Central Europe, and return to Indonesia in 2010. We intend to conduct additional interviews with activists and will further study cultural, political and geographic factors that shape perceptions for and about the LGBT community around the globe. These elements are core ingredients to the story-telling and are necessary in order to provide a well informed, broadly represented, and authentic foundation for the scripting of the play.

For those of you so inclined, additional gifts are always welcome and can be made by clicking on the make a donation to support Rights of Passage link on this page. Your gifts will be put to good use as we complete the world premiere of the play scheduled for the 2012-13 season at NCTC.

Our thanks to all of you, as well as to James Hormel and his team at The Small Change Foundation.

Execution

2009-10-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

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Five days before we took to the streets at the Equality March in Washington, DC another execution took place in Iran. The Iranian Queer Railroad http://www.irqr.net reports that on October 6, 2009, Rahim Mohammadi was executed in Tabriz, a city in northwest Iran, after being convicted of sexual abuse and rape during sexual relations between males (a homosexual act called Lavat).

According to Rahim's lawyer, Mr. Mohammad Mostafayi, there was not enough evidence presented to the court to prove such accusations; the court nevertheless decided that once a person is convicted of Lavat, he must be executed. Mostafayi, who had not been informed of the court's decision once it was handed down - and was only contacted after his client Rahim had been executed - wrote a letter of further explanation to the authorities. You can read the full account of this horrific miscarriage of so called justice at www.irqr.net.

We have to write Rights of Passage faster.

March for Equality

2009-10-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Photos: Gay Pope?; Bob and Ed at the Capitol

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In the morning paper openly gay Congressman Barney Frank was quoted as saying that the march for equality here in Washington, DC was an emotional release but a waste of time. But as Robert and I, along with thousands of others from all across America passed noisily in front of the White House, I felt a chill. I think it was hope surging through my body. At the same moment, I turned to Robert and said, I feel like crying - this energy, this sea of humanity surrounding us was certainly not a waste of time.

A call to action was echoing among us. LGBT people of all ages and walks of life had shown up from all over the country to be counted. We were getting organized for a national battle. Everyone seemed to share the sentiment that the city by city, state by state, struggle for equality was falling short. It was at the top, that we needed to assert ourselves. Without out pressing the issue of our full constitutional rights as American citizens our movement would continue to sputter along endlessly.

The spirit of the crowd was unified. It was past time to ask and high time to demand our rights. Our patience has worn thin and the rhetoric of our elected leaders rings increasingly hollow. Once again, we heard our newly elected President promise to lift the ban on gays in the military and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. He spoke eloquently at a Human Rights Campaign black tie affair but all of us marching the next afternoon wondered if this promise was forgotten long before dessert was served that evening.

We need to turn the heat up. We need to force the issue of our equality at every opportunity. Change must come at the federal level. The issue of our equal protection under the law is our constitutional right. This demand must infiltrate every piece of legislation spinning out of Congress. There is no silencing us until we possess what we as Americans are entitled to.

As our procession heads up Capitol Hill I notice the hope on everyone’s faces. We all surge forward towards the voices of the speakers on stage calling us to organize anew and to be unrelentingly intentional in our fight for equality.

There is a young man from Montana speaking at the podium. With great emotion in his voice he urges all of us to stay involved. He then asks us to sign up online at Equalityacrossamerica.org or to text our e-mail address & zip code to 37686. Suddenly we are surrounded by a sea of electronic devices with screens aglow beneath the afternoon sun.

We will no doubt have to march together again.

Rights and Wrongs

2009-09-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Gay protester with police officer in China

Guangzhou, China:
The Associated Press reports that on August 25, 2009 when 6 or 7 police officers descended upon People’s Park to “sweep it clean of homosexuals” they encountered an unexpected surprise. Typically, when gay men spot Chinese law enforcement arriving in the park they scatter quickly. Not this time. One brave man stood fast and was soon joined by more than 50 others who faced off with the cops. Seeing they were outnumbered the police made a hasty retreat. It’s already been a good year for LGBT defiance in China. last June, the first LGBT march was held in Shanghai, the nations commercial capital.

Uruguay gay rights front and center

Uruguay, South America:
In another bold move by the Uruguayan socialist government, this South American country is poised to become the first in the region to legalize gay adoption. The action must yet pass the Senate but is expected to do so. This is the third such legal action taken by the Uruguayan government in the last two years to extend more rights to homosexuals. As we have previously reported, in December 2007, the Congress legalized civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. In May of this year, Tabare Vazquez, the first leftist president in Uruguayan history, opened access for homosexuals to military schools. The Roman Catholic Church voiced disapproval. Big surprise.

A woman is disciplined in public

Banda Aceh, Indonesia:
In the last elections the people of this devoutly Muslim province voted to install a more moderate government. In the final days before the transfer of power, the outgoing hardliner’s pushed through new laws with steep punishments targeting adulterers and homosexuals. The legislation includes that offenders may be “stoned to death” for violating moral and religious codes common in Shariah law, a hard line interpretation of the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book.

Drop 377

India
The government of India decided on September 17, 2009 that it will not oppose the Delhi High Court verdict on Section 377 of the Penal Code, which decriminalizes homosexuality by “reading down” the section pertaining to same-sex relations between consenting adults in private. Indian activists are praising this decision as a symbol of tacit support for decriminalization in this landmark case.

Who Would You Want to Meet in a Dark Alley?

2009-08-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Beth-Sua at a vela. New York Times Photo

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I was at the acupuncturist this morning lying flat on my back with seven tiny needles stuck in me. "Howsa feel?" the doctor asked. I rub my head and frown. "Not so good, head hurts." Leaving out the pronouns and smaller words in general, I believe, will make me more understandable to Dr. Chau whose English is limited. Outside his storefront operation, the N Judah rumbles by causing the building to vibrate. Inside the dry, powdery smell of medicinal herbs is comforting. I'm looking forward to a restful hour on the couch. So I'm lying there with the needles and the heat lamps and the treacley Chinese/new age music playing softly in the background when my mind wanders in a southerly direction coming to rest in Oaxaca among the Muxe of Mexico in all their cosmetically enhanced, bewigged glory. To be honest all I know of these "mixed-gender" people is what I've read and seen in a New York Times article from about a year ago entitled "A Lifestyle Distinct: The Muxe of Mexcio."

Distinct indeed. Not only are they full fledged transvestites, but in rural Mexico they are very much out and about. Supported by their families, celebrated at parties and balls in their honor. There are pictures of them with their mothers, fathers and grandparents-- a rough looking lot to say the least and to be honest not the kind of people I'd want to bump into in a darkened alley, and yet they seem to have transcended centuries of hatred and homophobia without a moment of angst.

True no one smiles much but so what, they accept their girls for who they are, even consider them to have special intellectual and artistic gifts. Of her 13 year old Muxe grandson, one woman says, "it is how God sent him." A father extols his Muxe son's virtues by citing what a help he is to his mother; to both of them. " Why would I get mad," he wonders aloud. "Why would I reject him?" I'll leave you to ponder the rarity and wisdom of these two simple, uneducated peasants. So maybe I'm wrong, maybe they are exactly the kind of people I'd want to run into in the dark. Maybe I'd even seek them out with a flashlight and offer them free drinks at the bar of their choice.

From the article, one image in particular is quite arresting; a Muxe called Beth-Sua, born Orlando, is pictured head back, hair adorned with a nest of tiny silk roses and smoking a cigarette at a vela or community celebration. Maybe she's forty or forty five. If ever the line "don't fuck with me fellas" was meant to be uttered by anyone it would be Beth-Sua. She's an organizer and AIDS activist who makes her living embroidering huipiles, the traditional blouse of the Isthmus region. Was there ever anyone who appeared more comfortable in their powdered, mascared skin than Beth-Sua? I don't think so. You go girl! And don't change a hair for me--or anybody else.

Iraqi Impunity

2009-08-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Iraqi couple brutally tortured by Iraqi militia.
www.examiner.com

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When I interviewed Arsham Parsi, the Founder of the Iranian Queer Railroad www.irqr.net last year, I was horrified to learn of the widespread persecution of LGBT individuals in his country. I posted Arsham’s story of how he fled to Turkey and eventually was granted asylum in Canada on May 17, 2008. Since that time, Arsham has worked tirelessly to help other LGBT asylum seekers find sanctuary. But the trouble in the Middle East does not end there.

In neighboring Iraq, Human Rights Watch reports today that Militiamen are torturing and killing gay men with impunity. They are being beaten and left for dead in the streets. The use of glue to seal men’s rectum’s remains a common form of torture. Gay men are being systematically executed and then tossed in garbage bins. Public hangings are taking place in Baghdad with threats and abuses against homosexuals taking place in cities throughout the country. Shiite militias believe that homosexuality is a form of deviance that cannot be tolerated and social cleansing is ordained. “The dead probably already number in the hundreds” according to a source from the United Nation’s Mission for Iraq.

Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) has just released a chilling report written by the intrepid Scott Long, Director of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender programs. They Want Us Exterminated: Murder Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq is eye opening to say the least. It is heartbreaking to read the first hand accounts of fear, violence, and murder. Iraqi police forces appear to be doing little to investigate or halt the killings. You can read the complete report at www.hrw.org.

But what to do? We’ve donated money to HRW - we all need to donate more. We must all sign the petition on HRW’s web site urging the UN to advocate more forcefully for global LGBT rights. We need to keep the media alerted and awaken the world to these atrocities.

We need to finish our play Rights of Passage sooner rather than later.

The Shape of Things

2009-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

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Photo: Cactus Flower, Joshua Tree State Park

To celebrate Independence Day we went to Palm Springs on a short writers’ retreat. Since temperatures hovered around a blistering 105 each day it wasn’t too difficult to stay near the air conditioner with our laptop and bang out some work. Our primary goal for this self-imposed 5 day exile was to reassess our progress to date and to make further headway on our core storytelling structure. While there is still a very long process ahead for the making of the play, what follows is a snapshot of the shape of things for Rights of Passage.

After re-evaluating our winter 2009 sojourn to South East Asia, we have confirmed that the main story line in the play will unfold on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The golden rule of writing is to set forth with what you know. Having visited this unique and magical place 10 times in the last 23 years we have a solid understanding of the rich ceremonial based cultural traditions of Bali. This we believe, provides the perfect theatrical backdrop for our central character, a gay Hindu named Wayan, and his journey toward adulthood.

With Wayan’s personal rites of passage anchoring the center of the play we plan also to include simultaneous scenes that will momentarily suspend his journey at key junctures in the narrative. Expanding the storytelling in this way will accommodate comparative or contrasting LGBT voices and experiences from Africa, the Middle East, the European Union, Central Europe, Latin and North America.

The ongoing challenge, of course, is how to navigate and coordinate storytelling of such epic proportion. Writing aside, we’ve barely scratched the surface in our exploration of the use of media, puppetry, music, dance, and production design elements for the play. Truth be told, with such a culturally diverse pallet to work from, these decisions feel rather daunting at the moment. We expect, at some point, the characters in Rights of Passage will begin to assert their own control and provide answers to many of our questions. Still, it’s hard to be patient and trust that it will all come together in due course.

Our research continues to unveil so many stories aching to be told. The good news, at least for us as writers, is that we are finding more similarities than differences in the global LGBT human rights struggle than we had anticipated. While the continuum of progress is distinctly varied by region it appears that the root causes of LGBT oppression are eerily universal. There are indeed common threads that can be woven together to form the narrative of the play.

There is still much travel to occur, many interviews to conduct, and more than a few scenes to write. Such is the shape of things now and yet to come for Rights of Passage.

One of our aims is to incorporate the goals of the Yogyakarta Principles into the play. To find out more about them, click here:

http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/

Gay Window on the World

2009-06-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

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United States:
Bravo to Gay rights activist Cleve Jones for announcing the National March for Equality in Washington, D.C. scheduled for National Coming Out Day October 11, 2009. http://www.nationalequalitymarch.com We need to show up in force and demand full equal rights. Now is the time to book your flight and hotel. With months to spare there are plenty of deals to be had!

In other news from the U.S., President Obama gets a thumbs down from us for his decision to grant partial domestic-partner benefits to federal workers. Obama called the move "only one step" that would be followed by the granting of health care and other benefits, once Congress votes to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. The President gets limited points for this watered down version of his campaign pledge and should have found a way around DOMA to enact full benefits immediately.

Credit for the President, should however, be given where credit is due. According to Gay and Lesbian Leadership Smart Brief, (sign up at http://www.smartbrief.com/lgbt/)
married, same-sex couples have received approval from the Obama administration to apply for passports using their spouse's last name. The issue was cited in a federal lawsuit filed by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders that seeks to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.

South America:
Last month Xiomara Duran, a 27-year old transwoman, was killed by six gunshots fired by an unknown individual on Avenida Libertador in Caracas. This is the fourth murder to affect the Caracas transgender community in the last six months. In the past 10 months, two transpeople were shot to death and another transperson was stabbed to death in Caracas.

Middle East:
Reports of torture in Iraq persist. Among them, gay men are being entrapped. Their persecutors then bring them to undisclosed locations, seal their anuses shut with super-glue and then force them to ingest laxatives.

In Turkey, a prominent 28 year old transgender activist, Ebru Sokan, was stabbed to death in her Istanbul home on June 15, 2009.

Cambodia:
We’ve previously covered the Gay Pride Festival held in Phnom Penh this past May. but wanted to share that the organizers have reported that the event has inspired new activism in the region. The five-day event raised awareness of the LGBT community and advanced efforts in education, organizing, health initiatives, the arts and social networking. Plans for next year’s festival are already underway.

No More Crumbs

2009-06-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

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by Ed Decker

A few weeks prior to the 2008 Presidential elections, I had dinner with our gay cousins in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. Without warning, the dinner conversation took a heated turn and I found myself struggling to convince our hosts that Obama was a better choice for America than McCain. Surprisingly, our queer relatives were not having it. Gays that weren’t for Obama? Had I entered the twilight zone?

I was dumfounded by their unyielding position that the Democratic Party had disappointed the gay community time and time again. At least the Republicans don’t lie about hating us, our cousins contended, you know where they stand. With the Democrats, they continued with vigor, they’ll lie to you to get your vote and then all you end up with is crumbs. Empty promises of equality for our community that never truly materialize. Look at the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell gays in the military policy.

I mean what the hell? Yet year after election year, we are mesmerized by the possibility of real leadership from the “liberal” Democrats and all that ever materializes is betrayal. The LGBT community pours money into their campaign coffers and all we get back is crumbs, we tell you, crumbs!

I stared at them speechless. One of them continues with great passion, `You are making a play. You have the power to make a difference. You must do something. It is up to you to help change our course'. At this point, tears accompanied his pleas.

It was difficult to understand how our queer cousins or any gay person for that matter could not see that the LGBT community was certainly better off with a liberal vs conservative in the White House. I conceded that sure, we may be taking small steps, but at least we are making progress right? They were not moved by this well tread point of view. Truth be told, I am no longer either.

The rage our cousins feel now burns in my belly. They are right. It is time that equality in this country disavow its heterosexual prerequisite. We have to stop settling for less. Even as some parts of the country acknowledge our unions, the 1996Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage between a man and a woman, is still the law of the land.

So this inch by inch, city by city, state by state, approach to LGBT equality battle needs to change. There is a bigger picture here. Our “pro-gay”allies need to truly step up. This includes President Obama publicly acknowledging that the LGBT community is an integral part of this country and that discrimination, in any form, will not be tolerated. Plain and simple. No more crumbs.

Combating Homophobia in California’s Heartland

2009-06-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

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Photo: Outspoken actors onstage at Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA. NCTC YouthAware Tour May 2009.

The Central Valley is traditionally a conservative section of California, so presenting a program that deals with homophobia or sexual orientation has been a bit of a struggle. Not because the students aren’t willing and ready to discuss such topics, but because of the prevalence of fear and resistance from administrators and parents about presenting these issues during school hours.

After two years of back and forth emails, phone calls, weak excuses and dead ends, it all came down to just knowing the right person at the right school. On Wednesday May 13th 2009, The New Conservatory Theatre Center YouthAware Educational touring program performed for the first time in the Central Valley at Rivera Middle School in Merced, California. Two performances of Outspoken, by Prince Gomolvilas, a play that deals with diversity and stereotyping around several issues including race, religion, body type and yes, sexual orientation, were presented to 600 7th and 8th grade students.

The mission of Outspoken and YouthAware’s plays has always been to open up a conversation about diversity in a safe and engaging format and to educate about California laws that prevent physical or verbal harassment around actual or perceived sexual orientation, or any issue of diversity, in schools.

The real story that came out of our experience at Rivera was what a non-issue all the controversy and fear from some parents and administrators in Merced and surrounding districts really is. With support from staff and the diverse student body at Rivera, it was an ideal setting to get students engaged in recognizing that pre-conceived judgments, labels and stereotypes only serve to build walls and create conflict and bullying among peers. Students were able to identify easily that even using a seemingly non-confrontational, but commonly and casually uttered slur like “That’s so gay!”, where gay is equal to “stupid” or “abnormal”, is not acceptable in creating a campus environment that is safe and accepting for all.

Rights of Passage begins with the young. I am sure we can all recall countless formative opportunities in our own journeys toward adulthood. Our visit to Rivera Middle School in Merced, California was one such life affirming opportunity. Along with some extremely wise, courageous educators in the Central Valley our fearless YouthAware performance troupe set the tone that diversity is something better to celebrate than divide. Rivera students learned that making an effort to understand their peers rather than label them or put them down would create a better day to day experience for all.

A special thanks to the unwavering underwriting of this program by the James Irvine Foundation. Thanks as well to NCTC Youth Programs Associate Stephanie Temple and her old high school friend, Brian Ferguson, who is the principal at Rivera Middle School. They helped us open the door to combating homophobia in California’s heartland. Additional Central Valley tours are planned for the fall. To book a tour contact us at: http://www.nctcsf.org/YouthAware.html.

Lesson 9-- Teaching Youth Not to Hate

2009-05-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

One egg stands alone, courtesy of www.bilgrimage.blogspot.com

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For the past year we’ve been in conversation with people around the globe about LGBT human rights progress. The stories we have uncovered have been both shocking and revelatory. But this week, it is local Bay Area shenanigans that have really pushed our buttons. This is the first in a short series of postings to come about Rights of Passage right here in our home state.

Just 20 minutes east of San Francisco there is a town called Alameda. It is here that school officials had high hopes a new elementary school curriculum would teach respect and help reduce bullying related to gay and lesbian individuals and families. So they decided at long last to do the right thing. They created lesson plans that talked about teasing and explained the different definitions of family - even throwing in the true story of Roy and Silo, two same-sex penguins in New York who recently hatched an abandoned egg.

Then all hell broke loose. It centered around "Lesson 9," during which the 5th graders would learn about hurtful name-calling and stereotypes related to gays and lesbians as well as important contributions made by those of various sexual orientations. Hundreds of people showed up when the policy came before the school board for adoption. Parents opposed to the lesson plans have joined ranks with conservative family-rights groups to kill the idea before it hits classrooms. They argue that parents, not the school, should be imparting those lessons - even the one about the penguins.

Here’s our Lesson #9: It is high time we accept human nature and understand that varied sexual identities exist on the planet. It always has and always will. Perpetual denial of this fact is ludicrous and dangerous. We’ve seen time and time again that it leads to shame, secrecy, violence and even death. Is this what we want for our children? No.

School is where we learn about life. It is here that we all participate in a microcosm of the world. Staying home and just learning from our parents is not how cultures advance. The world is a much bigger place. School is where we experience new ideas, interact with varied cultures, form opinions, and evolve. There is no sense in pretending that coming of age will never happen and occurs in many individualized forms. It’s time we acknowledge this as a simple, non-threatening fact of life. Bigotry and hatred have no place in the formative years of youth. Period. End of lesson.

Next Posting: The YouthAware touring company at New Conservatory Theatre Center takes on California’s Central Valley with their new play OUTPSOKEN.

Interconnected

2009-05-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

New Conservatory Theatre Center cast of Some Men by Terrence McNally, Directed by Ed Decker. West Coast Premiere May 29-July 12, 2009.

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It’s been weeks since our last posting and time for working on the play has all but vanished recently. Robert is preoccupied with organizing his program's participation in an upcoming International Public Health Conference in Washington, DC www.ghfp.net and Ed is directing a new play by Terrence McNally called Some Men at his theatre www.nctcsf.org. Both projects happen at the end of this month.

In between moaning about how the toils of our daily lives keep getting in the way of our Rights of Passage project we stumbled upon a rather obvious realization. It’s all interconnected. Ed is directing a play about eight decades of gay relationships in America and Robert is supporting the advancement of health and well being in developing countries around the globe. The work we do everyday is what inspired Rights of Passage to begin with and this work continues to inform our effort.

So enough of the feelings of guilt. Limited time or not there are bigger issues. Let’s take a quick look at some good news for LGBT human rights world-wide.

USA: Maine legalizes gay marriage. www.cnn.com

Cambodia: Phnom Penh Pride! May 12-17, 2009 - Supported in part by Rights of Passage www.phnompenhpride.blogspot.com/

Iran: Arad, a young gay Iranian man who fled to Turkey as been granted asylum and begins a new life in Canada. www.irqr.net

Serbia: A new anti-discrimination law is adopted. www.iglhrc.org

Even though there are simply not enough hours in the day to do it all, our commitment to Rights of Passage remains steadfast.

Triumph and Danger

2009-04-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

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The world keeps spinning, doling out both good and bad news on the LGBT Human Rights front. Marriage equality takes major strides forward www.eqca.org in Iowa, Vermont and Washington, DC. Concurrently, gay men have once again been executed in the Middle East and a popular “gay friendly” gathering place for the community is set ablaze.

In Turkey, LGBT refugees huddle in closet size rooms called safe houses as they await word from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org regarding asylum in countries who will not persecute them for who they are. Since the asylum process may take months, organizations like the Iranian Queer Railroad www.irqr.net provide a lifeline of advocacy and resources to assist in the struggle. Simultaneously, half way around the world in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, local activists are hard at work organizing their second gay pride event. Two years ago, they managed a dance on a boat docked in the Tonle Sap river. Now they are gearing up for a week long celebration in May 2009 that will include performances, art exhibits, workshops, and another kick-ass dance party. Two years from now, perhaps even a parade through the center of town.

And so it goes around the globe. A few steps forward and a few steps back. Progress and resistance go hand in hand. This is the reality we, along with our brothers and sisters face in the day-to-day struggle for equality. The promise of both triumph and danger around every corner.

Photos: Marriage in Vermont and a gay execution in Iraq.

The Use of Sexual Assault to “Cure” Lesbians in South Africa

2009-03-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

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It's called Corrective Rape. In a disturbing report that appeared recently in the NY Times entitled “Hate Crimes: the rise of corrective rape in South Africa,” the NGO Action Aid (www.actionaid.org) said:

In South Africa, no woman is safe from violence. The country’s war against its women continues unabated, with an estimated 500,000 rapes, hundreds of murders and countless beatings inflicted every year. For every 25 men accused of rape in South Africa, 24 walk free.

This shameful record has resulted in an increasingly brutal and oppressive culture of male violence, in which women are forced to conform or suffer the consequences.

As part of this oppression, the country is now witnessing a backlash of crimes targeted specifically at lesbian women, who are perceived as representing a direct threat to a male-dominated society.

… Support groups say that rape is fast becoming the most widespread hate crime targeted against gay women in townships across South Africa. One lesbian and gay support group says it is dealing with 10 new cases of lesbian women being targeted for “corrective” rape every week in Cape Town alone.

World Roundup

2009-03-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

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It’s been a month since we have returned from Indonesia. Steeped in the all encompassing daily rigors of our full-time jobs we’ve been remiss in our blog updates. Although we’ve been distracted, the LGBT human rights struggle rages on worldwide. We’ve assembled the following snap-shot report. The sources for this information include: the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission www.IGLHRC.org; Human Rights Watch www.HRW.org, www.365gay.com and Amnesty International www.AmnestyUSA.org. Visit these sites to read more and for guidance on action to support our bothers and sisters.

Uganda:

Homophobic Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi

Earlier this month the Family Life Network (FLN), a Ugandan non-governmental organization convened a 3-day seminar focused upon the "restoration of Ugandan family values and morals."
The FLN makes the sensationalist claim that homosexuality is "spreading like wildfire in schools." The event organizers have invited parents, teachers, government workers, politicians, counselors and faith leaders. Key note seminars were led by several American religious right leaders who believe homosexuality is a scourge than can be “cured.”

Colombia:

Alvaro Miguel Rivera on Horeseback

On March 6, 2009, unknown men killed the human rights defender Álvaro Miguel Rivera in the city of Cali, Colombia. Alvaro was a known LGBT advocate and has previously been a target of homophobic violence. Álvaro’s murder takes place in a city where violence against the LGBT community is constant. This is the second murder of an LGBT rights defender in Colombia in the past 13 months. On February 16, 2008, unknown assailants killed Fredys Pineda in Apartadó, a city in northwestern Colombia.

Thailand:

Chiang Mai Pride Parade Participants Caged

The second annual Pride Parade planned for February 21 in Chiang Mai, Thailand was abruptly cancelled when the parade participants were locked in the compound where they were gathering. They were subjected to violence by the Rak Chiang Mai 51 political group, also known as the ‘red shirts’ for their attire. Parade participants were harassed, hurt, and prevented from leaving or entering the compound for 4 ½ hours while 150 police looked on.

Republic of Guyana:

Transgender Spirit

During a 4-day period in early February 2009, plainclothes policemen detained three people in downtown Georgetown near Stabroek Market, on the grounds that the defendants were men "wearing female attire." Police detained five other people, charging them under the same provision. Later the same week, police detained four more people; three had been arrested in the previous crackdowns. Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson fined seven of the eight arrested persons for wearing "women's clothes."

Serbia:
Under pressure from the Orthodox Church and other conservative groups, the Serbian government recently withdrew an anti-discrimination law from its legislative process. The anti-discrimination law would have included sexual orientation, gender identity, and religious freedoms.

Philippines:

Philippine Army Insignia

In what appeared to be a promising development, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has opened enlistment to gays and lesbians as long as “proper decorum is maintained.” Translation: once inside the military, gays and lesbians must still ‘hide’ their sexuality in order to remain there. “Overt homosexuality will not be tolerated.” Hmmmm....

USA:

Hands in Marriage

Same-sex marriage continues to rattle cages from coast to coast. California awaits the State Supreme Court decision about voter approved Proposition 8. This California ballot initiative passed in the November 4, 2008 general election and changed the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry. Meanwhile, in Vermont, the Senate will vote next week on legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. The measure would replace Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil union law with one that allows marriage of same-sex partners, beginning Sept. 1. Civil unions, which confer some rights similar to marriage, would still be recognized but no longer granted after Sept. 1.

In Jakarta, Courage Comes in a Small Package

2009-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

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At the hand of the Jakarta Park Lane Hotel doorman, the large glass doors swing open with a flourish. From our vantage point seated in the spacious but spare lobby, we see Agustine enter. She is a diminutive, self-described “tom-boy” and feminist. A brave lesbian activist whose small size belies her large vision for LGBT equality in a predominately Islamic country that views queerness as a criminal act.

In fact, most LGBT individuals here will dare only to speak anonymously or in the shadows. To avoid potentially violent reprisals, their voices are re-engineered digitally and their faces obscured by black bars across their eyes to carefully conceal identities.

Agustine crosses the lobby, heading towards us while carefully assessing her surroundings. Although we have never met we know each other instantly. Warm, kindred greetings are exchanged and we decide our conversation would feel more comfortable taking place in the courtyard - someplace a little less public.

Over coffee, we talk for nearly two hours. Agustine tells us how she has survived against amazing odds and projects a spirit that fills the conversation with profound emotionality. Eyes tear up - hers as she recounts her story still vivid with pain some 21 years later and ours because our hearts ache in sympathy. "Violence against Gay and Lesbian people begins at home in this country, this is the first thing we must change," she says. "I ran away from home at age 18 - a victim of family violence triggered by my being homosexual. My best friend ran too - he had to escape the brutality of his family who were relentless in their punishing attempts to force the gayness out of him. We left our village and came to Jakarta. For nearly four years we lived together on the streets - I work now to make sure that young LGBT Indonesians shall not have to face the same horrors we did." She pauses as the weight of the memory lingers and the pain of her past is palatable.

Agustine’s current work at the NGO (non-governmental organization) Ardhanari Institute in Jarkarta is primarily devoted to women’s issues. Lest we forget that this is a patriarchal society that continues to relegate women to traditional Islamic roles. Subservience and motherhood their preordained destiny. "Women are our strong allies in the LGBT struggle," she points out. "They already understand being silenced and living as second class citizens. Whenever possible, we extend women’s issues as a means to advance the LGBT agenda. This builds unity and strength in both movements because we are finding commonality. Another strategy," she continues with great emphasis, "is our HIV prevention education program. Since it is not possible here to speak from an open LGBT platform, we must use whatever means necessary to neutralize homophobia and make our community visible. It has taken a long time but we have managed to shift thinking away from blaming gay people for HIV and look at the situation as a national health crisis. This has been extremely important in helping alleviate the persistent vilification of our community. Small steps that are actually quite huge for us," she says proudly.

Appropriately, we learn that the NGO Agustine works for is named after the Hindu god Ardhanari. In Hinduism, Ardhanari, is an androgynous deity composed of Shiva and his consort Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. The Ardhanari illustrates how the female principle of God, is inseparable from the male principle of God. Ardhanari is depicted as half-male and half-female, split down the middle.

Agustine eyes are bright and they widen with purpose; "the point here is that this is part of our history. The unified representation of male and female verifies we’ve been a part of Indonesian culture all along. The traditional Muslim argument that gayness is a subversive western idea is simply not true."

The conversation circles back to homosexuality and Indonesian law. Not only is homophobia rampant here but a new anti-pornography law includes a specific ban against homosexuality. This means that fines and punishment may be levied for not only possessing materials with any gay content whatsoever but also for engaging in same sex relationships.

Agustine then tells us about being involuntarily outed after a TV appearance supporting LGBT rights. "Not long ago there was a sensational murder trial of a gay serial killer here in Jakarta. The mainstream media used the horrific event to promote that such behavior was typical among gay people. I felt I could not stand by and let this propaganda stand as fact about our community. So I went on the air to represent an opposing view. My appearance angered some Muslim’s who then contacted the TV station. Fearing reprisals from the religious community, the station divulged my name and contact information. Shortly thereafter I began receiving threats to my well-being. I was forced to move and had to change all of my contact information. I decided then, that although I had to be discreet to avoid danger, I must stand up for LGBT rights. Things will not change unless we teach LGBT young people that there is nothing wrong with being who they are," she says with great determination.

On the subject of education Agustine is also quite emphatic. "Our primary goal at this time is to encourage and help LGBT Indonesian youth continue with their education for as long as possible. We must break the incomplete cycle of learning that for many concludes around the 6th grade. Knowledge will provide the power to stand up against hatred and bigotry in the future. Without this, progress for us will continue to be very difficult." Things fall silent for a moment.

As the interview draws to a close, we ask her if she is happy with her life now. "Yes," she says without hesitation. "All I wanted to do was prove that I could be a contributing person in this life. I educated myself and overcame many social stigmas about being a lesbian. I have a partner and we are very happy together." She smiles broadly, laughs gently and has an undaunted gleam in her eyes, "things will continue to get better - I know it."

Photo: Agustine and Bob, Park Lane Hotel, Jakarta, 2/13/09

A “Small” Violence Echoes Through Amnesty International & The UN

2009-02-15T03:45:00.000-08:00

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Vast, sprawling, cosmopolitan and chaotic, Jakarta is no place for the faint of heart. Holed up in the Park Lane Hotel in the city’s Golden Triangle, we eagerly await our next round of LGBT activists who agree to meet us for dinner and conversation. At the mercy of overwhelming traffic and various pressing commitments, Chika, Afank and Toyo find their way to us for an evening that includes revelations, information and a unique perspective we could never have uncovered without them. Both Chika and Afank exude a confidence and strength that immediately sets them apart. Chika is the Program Officer for Kartini Asia (www.kartiniasia.org) and active in Jakarta’s Q! Film Festival (www.qfilmfestival.org), now threatened by a new Indonesian anti-pornography law that brands any material with LGBT content as illegal, and Afank is the Coordinator of Organization and Capacity Building for the Ardhanary Institute (www.ardhanaryinstitute.or.id). Afank, direct and plain spoken, with a ready laugh, she seems quite at ease with her sexuality and for the first time is bringing a girlfriend home to meet her family. But perhaps, the most well-known of the group is Toyo (Hartoyo) whose electric energy lights up the room and bounces off the walls as he descends the staircase to our table at Café One.

His story is every LGBT person’s nightmare: In January, 2007, while working for the tsunami relief effort in Banda Aceh, he and a friend are pulled from their lodging, threatened and beaten by an angry mob. Turned over to the police, incarceration and more beatings and torture follow. And why do all these horrors take place? Because they are gay. It is that simple and yet that hard to understand. As a parting gesture they are forced to sign a statement to refrain from homosexual activity in the future. Toyo now lives in Jakarta and has started an organization called Our Voice.

A shadow falls across Toyo’s face and his natural enthusiasm turns somber for a moment as he speaks about the past. “I cannot speak about my experience in Banda Aceh because I am very sad and very angry,” he says. A lawsuit against the police and the ensuing court decision, handed down in October 2008, do little to alleviate those feelings. The police are wrong in their actions, it says, but the incident is viewed only as a “small” violence that results in a three month sanction against the department with no real consequences and no punishment for the police perpetrators.

After the legal proceedings the judge has this advice for Toyo: “Stop your gay activity or you will bring about another tsunami.” On the upside, Amnesty International has taken an interest in Toyo’s case and will work to ensure that future incidents of this kind do not occur. Later this month Toyo will travel to a conference at the United Nations in New York as a representative of a coalition of Indonesian NGO’s where he will speak on behalf of his country’s LGBT community.

We ask what his big wish is for the future and Toyo replies: “In Indonesia there needs to be a specific policy for LGBT rights. Because in Indonesia right now there are no protections for LGBT people.”

Photo: Afank, Robert, Toyo and Chika in Jakarta 2/13/09

Living the Sharia Life

2009-02-14T00:10:00.000-08:00

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In December 2004, Aceh, a province in the west part of Indonesia, received worldwide attention and support because of the devastation wreaked by a tsunami. This phenomenon of nature killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused destruction on the order of an atomic bomb blast. What is not so well know about Aceh is that in 1999, after a thirty-year struggle, it was granted special autonomy by the Indonesian government, allowing the province to apply laws based on fundamentalist Sharia Islam, known locally as qanun. Based on recent conversations by email and telephone with a young LGBT IQ (Intersex, queer) activist, located in Banda Aceh, the capital, this is a condensed and edited version of what we learned. In order to protect his identity we will call him “Ayyub”(not his real name). He currently works for a large intergovernmental institution.

Rights of Passage: What do you consider the challenges facing LGBT people in your country?

Ayyub: Aceh is well known as a province with a prominent influence of Islam. It is also called Serambi Mekka, the Veranda of Mecca since it used to be a center of Islamic civilization in Indonesia. [Since the enactment of Law No. 44 1999] many qanun based on Sharia Islam have been generated. As a matter of fact, many of these qanun are very biased and discriminatory particularly to marginalized groups like women and LGBT IQ. Currently, religion is used by the state to control men and women according to its standard, within which the only accepted sexuality is hetero and those who have another sexual orientation are regarded as “the other” or even an enemy that should be abolished.

ROP: Please describe your living situation.

Ayyub: Besides the challenges, I am still enjoying life in this sharia land. I am not alone, I have so many friends who always support me. I am [beginning] to learn how actually my religion supports homosexuality. It is the interpretation based on the culture of patriarchy that blames and regards LGBT IQ people as sinners. The holy texts are open to a more progressive interpretation. By continuing to learn the progressive teachings of Islam I wish someday to counter those [negative] arguments.

ROP: What other challenges exist?

Ayyub: This situation has created another challenge that I would call an internal challenge as it comes from LGBT IQ individuals themselves. Those social conditions [mentioned above] are a strong influence for them to not accept their sexuality. This is a big challenge. How do we expect a wider community to regard and accept us when we do not?

ROP: Describe the difficulties you have encountered in your life.

Ayyub: It was hard for me in the beginning to accept myself as gay. I regarded myself as an unforgivable sinner and not normal. I told my parents to send me to an Islamic board school with an expectation that by living a religious life I could gradually be healed of this homosexuality. I was sexually harassed there by other students and even found my first love, a senior who always defended and protected me. Later I went to university in a bigger city(Medan) where people live more freely. After university, I returned to Aceh and worked on the emergency response to the tsunami. So outcomes of my struggle now are: self acceptance, gaining confidence as a gay. These are my tools and power now to work and run my life and be useful to others.

Recently I attended a meeting to discuss qanun law on gambling, alcoholic beverages and close proximity (adultery). One of the participants raised the idea of including same sex adultery in the provision in order to “rid sodomites from our land”. I knew this statement was directed at me. I regarded this as a motivation and a challenge. This is what my LGBT IQ fellows and I should face and work to change such a paradigm.

Photo: A mosque stands alone in the ruins after the tsunami in a district of Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Western Indonesia. (AP Photos)

Support your sick grandmother; be ‘forgiven’ your LGBT Sins

2009-02-11T03:13:00.000-08:00

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The power of the Internet is old news. Order a pair of jeans from anywhere in the world, get your email night or day. Find out what the weather is like in Bangkok, Jakarta or San Francisco while you guzzle a latté in a café on Bali. But for us, the real magic is making a connection with someone, halfway across the world, who you never would have found otherwise. That is the case with Dédé Oetomo a teacher and gay activist from Surabaya, Indonesia with a Balinese partner who lives in Yogyakarta. We connect online, then spend 45 minutes talking on the phone. His insights confirm what we already know, challenge some preconceptions and add a deeper richness to our understanding of LGBT life in Indonesia that will go a long way in building the authenticity we seek for Rights of Passage.

The Face of LGBT Activism in Indonesia
Once a teacher of English in Indonesia and of Indonesian in the US, Dédé’ started GayaNusantara (www.gayanusantara.org) about twenty years ago. The organization, with a mission that spans research, education and training has about 45 active members. Their work encompasses LGBT advocacy at the local and national level, and health outreach activities in Surabaya that include workshops on HIV/AIDS advocacy and a ten-day, live in sexuality course for gay/trans/sex workers. And, GayaNusantara is not alone. According to Dédé, there are about 35-40 other groups in Indonesia, both large and small, that focus on HIV but are essentially gay organizations.

Coming Out in the 1970’s
Dédé’s coming out in the 1970’s was “a cry for help” that fortunately led him to books that allowed him to accept his sexual identity. “Parents can be dismayed, shocked, or violent when you come out [in Indonesia]. Some people run away to be gay. But if you show yourself to be a good person—bring money home to the family, support your sick grandmother; you can be ‘forgiven,’ if not totally accepted, as a bread winner.” Dede’s “bribe” to his family was that he earned his PhD and pursued an academic career. As a result of his early writing, he appeared on television. It didn’t matter why he was on television, the mainstream recognition was enough.

LGBT Culture in Indonesia
In the 1980’s Dédé first saw Waria, Indonesian transgender women, involved in relationships with men and through them he met other gay couples; some mixed foreign and Indonesian and some, working class people who didn’t know the words gay or lesbian but had been together for decades working in shops or selling vegetables in the market. Today, by Dédé’s account, there are some neighborhoods in Surabaya that are as much as 30% LGBT. And now, for the first time, it’s possible to make a living as an LGBT activist in Indonesia. He cites a recent Indonesian HIV/AIDS awareness campaign called “It’s my Life.” It was a requirement for funding that LGBT people be hired on at the advertising agency to work on the campaign.

Dédé also told us of a woman on Bali who does wedding planning for Indonesian and Malaysian Lesbians that we hope to connect up with while we are here.

Some Traditional Balinese Rights of Passage:
• Welcoming the baby-making him/her safe
• When the child first walks (feet can’t touch the ground before that)
• Tooth filing (coming of age ritual to diminish savage nature)
• Marriage
• Cremation (to help speed you on the way to oneness with god)

Photo: Dédé Oetomo has been the most publicly visible activist for gay/lesbian rights in Indonesia. He participated in the 1982 founding of Indonesia's first gay organization, Lambda Indonesia.

Distractions in Paradise

2009-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

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It is beautiful here on the island of Bali. The endless soundtrack of chirping birds, croaking geckos, barking dogs, schizophrenic roosters and gentle breezes have replaced the otherwise urban drone of our daily lives in California. The serenity of our surroundings begs the convergence of story ideas for our play Rights of Passage. Ideas that have long been discussed between us. Many greater writers than we two, have foretold that beginning is the hardest part. We now understand what they meant.

Despite the tranquil beauty that embraces us here, we gravitate toward any distraction that will delay us from tackling the inevitable beast of burden - sitting down to write. Any excuse will do...Isn’t it time to eat again? My back aches, I think I need a massage. Let’s go for a walk to clear our heads. It’s too hot. How about we spend another few hours trying to work out how to operate Robert’s new “world” phone. Is it cocktail hour yet or perhaps time to eat some more?

And then the ultimate gift in distraction arrives. Ed receives news from San Francisco that a faulty sprinkler head went off -- cascading 300 gallons of water into NCTC’s main theatre. This is good for at least two days of play writing inertia as all energy becomes focused on Ed’s hyperabsorbed yet futile long distance meddling via the internet. Why write if you can obssess and worry instead? Finally, the miraculous staff at the theatre sends a unanimous e-mail message back that basically says get over yourself -- we’ve got the soggy situation here under control so relax and get your asses back to work on the play. Busted. It’s the jolt we needed. You can always count on your friends and co-workers for a reality check.

So for the past few days, we bite the bullet. We become highly focused and start to make big decisions about the overall framework of the play. Miracle of miracles, we even actually write an opening scene and begin to sketch out a variety of new storylines. It begins to feel as if we’ve crossed a significant creative threshold. Broken a barrier in our previously polarized imaginations and gained a storytelling foothold. Who knows if any of this initial writing actually makes it into the final play. But at long last, we’ve inched past just being in research mode.

After a year of traveling, conducting interviews, following international human rights reports, web surfing, and grant writing the rubber is beginning to meet the road. We are relieved and excited to see what’s around the next bend.

Photos: Ubud, Bali

Feeding the Family Cow is Not as Simple as You Think

2009-02-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

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Our breakfast veranda is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The rooster next door crows incessantly and has been doing so for the past 4 hours. It is now 9:45 am and the gentle morning breeze caresses our senses and foretells of a pleasant low humidity day ahead. We are the lone guests at the Samhita Garden bungalows here in the northern hills of Ubud on the island of Bali.

As we await our farm fresh eggs, Balinese coffee and daily savory bread basket from the Café Luna bakery down the road, We begin to wonder about the meeting we’ve arranged with the American Mary Knapp. The arrangements, like much of this project so far, have fallen into place with serendipity. In this case, a chance conversation with Bridget Joyce our downstairs neighbor in San Francisco, led with amazing directness to Mary who now resides in Bali working as a local community organizer. After several e-mails and a phone call upon arrival in Ubud, we discover that Mary lives less than a 5 minute walk from our garden bungalow enclave.

We finish our ample breakfast and head down the road to the prearranged meeting place. Mary has offered to escort us up to the house so we don’t take a wrong turn and wander aimlessly through the sumptuous rice terraces that surround her property. Shortly after we arrive, a motor bike driven by a handsome Indonesian man with a lovely young woman on the back, descends the gentle slope of the road. We know in an instant that is must be Mary and her fiancé Wayan. His broad smile, like most people’s on this island, radiates kindness. A quick glimpse into Mary’s stunning blue eyes as she steps down off the scooter, divulges a sparkle that signals an immediate welcome and confesses the character of a genuinely good soul. We exchange a knowing glance that telegraphs amazement at how quickly two new friends are found. Then, we all turn and head up the road.

Rights of Passage, we are convinced, needs to have authentic voices in order to become what we envision. So an opportunity to sit and talk with people like Mary and Wayan is essential and we take full and shameless advantage of their openness and knowledge of Balinese culture. Our conversation ranges across many topics and in fact goes beyond the borders of gayness for a much fuller picture of life on the magical island. Some things we already know or suspect, others are a revelation. Here are a few of the nuggets we gleaned:

Male-on-male affection is extremely common in Balinese culture but does not signify a sexual relationship. Hand holding in public, hugging, even sleeping in the same bed together, is standard operating procedure for Balinese men. Whether this closeness ever spills over into same-sex lust is anybody’s guess. The reverse of this coin is that male-female public displays of affection are frowned upon. Why? Because it may appear boastful to flaunt your relationship in this way. Saying, in effect: “See what I have!”

Gay men come to Bali from other parts of Indonesia for several reasons: To escape persecution, to avoid the scrutiny of their families and to enjoy a more tolerant atmosphere. Also, there are a number of out, foreign gay men living, mostly in the south of Bali, often with Balinese lovers.

Marriage is extremely important not only to carry on the family line but for economic reasons. Once a girl gets married she becomes the financial responsibility of her husband’s family. This includes the money it will cost for her cremation ceremony, which is the essential exit strategy for any Hindu. In a society with limited financial resources this is a big deal.

Women and girls are at the bottom of the pecking order when it come to acquiring an education, which is costly even for attendance at a standard public school. A true story brings this point home: A very bright Balinese girl, who made it all the way through high school, in itself a rarity, was offered a scholarship to university. Her parents denied her this nearly unheard of opportunity because her younger brother was entering junior high school and she was needed at home to take care of the family cow.

And last, but not least, gay is OK as long as it is secret. Something we’ve found over and over again as we talk with people from many parts of the world.

Photo: Mary and Wayan on their veranda in Ubud.

Strength and Beauty Crosses all Genders

2009-02-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

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The Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok will sell you just about anything. Hop off the Sky Train, slip through the metal detectors and you have access to Lamborghini’s, architectural remnants of Buddhist temples plus Prada, Gucci, et al. This retail nirvana was the setting for our interview with Hua, a 28-year-old Chinese/Thai transgender. Tall and slender and dressed in a black blouse and skirt, Hua strode up to the curvy red couch in front of the Starbuck’s where we had agreed to meet. An LGBT activist, originally from Phrae, a small town in the north of Thailand, Hua, who will change her name to Kunyarat (strong and beautiful) was assured and confident . Our conversation ranged across a varied terrain that for many in her situation could be a minefield, but one she has managed to navigate with grace.

On sense of self: “It was very difficult in the beginning. Difficult to say I am not man, not woman. Now I always say I am myself. All people are different in terms of their gender and sexuality.”

On growing up Trans in rural Thailand: “Thais are familiar with people who are different. If they don’t like you, they don’t say and they don’t act strange. In high school I had one friend who was Trans. There was no sexual harassment, but some verbal abuse.”

On family relations: “My family accepts me, I’m lucky. I take my boyfriends home to meet them.” It wasn’t always so, however, and Hua’s father still thinks of him as male.

On religious beliefs: “I am Buddhist and (some) Buddhists believe that being Trans is a result of bad karma in a previous life and that you can’t become a monk if you are Trans or Gay.”

On being Trans: “It is easy to have gender reassignment surgery in Thailand but you must sign a paper that states you have gender identity disorder. I disagree with this. Being Trans is not about having a vagina.”

What’s next? “I am the coordinator for a conference on sexuality in August and in March I will begin working on an MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) project of TREAT Asia (http://www.amfar.org/world/treatasia), an organization funded by AMFAR (www.amfar.org).

On the personal front: “Right now I am single. I would like to adopt a kid someday, but it is not necessary to have a husband or boyfriend to do that.”

Photo: Hua and Robert chatting at Siam Paragon

Rights of Passage in Thailand and Indonesia

2009-01-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

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A few hours ago we took off from SFO heading west on our way to Bangkok, Bali and Jakarta. We’ve been planning this trip for some time now with the idea that it would be part honeymoon and part research/writing trip for Rights of Passage. With ten hours to go before an intermediate stop in Seoul, it seemed like a good use of time to put together a blog entry. First on our itinerary is spending some time with our friend Susan who lives in Cambodia and is coming down to Bangkok to spend a few days with us. It will be great to see her, have few martinis and conversation in the bar at the Shangri La and find a place for a good Thai massage. The research part kicks in next. We’ve spent the last couple of months combing the internet for LGBT contacts in Asia. After more than a few dead ends a goldmine was revealed in the form of Anne Marie Lim of GALANG in Manila. She generously sent a list of contacts in Thailand and Indonesia and we connected up with LGBT people in Bangkok, Jakarta, Surabaya and Banda Aceh who were eager to meet with us, once they heard about Rights of Passage . One man, who is from Banda Aceh but now lives in Jakarta, has an unsettling story to tell of imprisonment and beatings because of his gayness. Others are less dramatic but just as compelling. We have a variety of in person and telephone interviews lined up, plus an introduction that came through from our neighbor, Bridget, just as we were leaving for the airport to a woman who lives in Bali.

We’ve scheduled a self-imposed writer’s retreat in the artist’s colony of Ubud, Bali so that we may concentrate on the first phase of writing our play, shaping the framework and beginning to fill it in. Armed with a new laptop and a printout from the Internet entitled “Ten tips for writing effective dialogue” it should be an interesting experience. The humid, tropical heat, lush rice paddy vistas, geckos climbing the walls and two stubborn personalities trying to collaborate on a work of creative genius! If any of you have LGBT contacts in any of the above mentioned places or just want to say hi please drop us a line at sfwave@comcast.net. We’ll be checking email and would love to hear from you.

Photo: Entrance to Cabbages and Condoms restaurant in Bangkok. The restaurant is run by Thailand's Population and Community Development Association, whose founder, former Thai senator Mechai Viravaidya, believes "birth control should be as cheap as vegetables"—hence the restaurant's name!

Update on LGBT Arrests in Senegal

2009-01-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

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Little did we know that as we were completing the finishing touches on our interview with Pape Mabye (posted below) further dangerous dealings were unfolding against the LGBT community in Senegal. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights commission has just released the following information which was also reported on ABC and BBC news.

On December 19, 2008, police officers raided the apartment of Mr. Diadji Diouf, an important leader in the Senegalese lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and arrested him and seven other men. Mr Diouf, who heads AIDES Senegal, an organization providing HIV prevention services to men who have sex with men (MSM), and his guests were taken to the SICAP Mbao police station where they were detained until December 24 before being transferred to the Maison D'arrêt et de détention de Rebeuss.

Yesterday the nine men appeared in court to respond to charges of criminal conspiracy and engaging in acts against the order of nature. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was informed that lawyers for the defense had had limited access to case files and little time to prepare for the court hearing. The men were condemned to a sentence of 8 years in jail although the prosecutor had asked for a sentence of 5 years, which is the maximum penalty provided by Senegalese law in sodomy cases.

Photo: AIDS Conference Senegal, December 2008. Courtesy of BBC News.

What it's like to be gay, out and working on secret government projects

2009-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

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William Green was employed by TRW, an aerospace firm in Redondo Beach California, to work on a secret classified program funded by the CIA. As an openly gay man his career took a bad turn once the CIA decided to investigate him. Robert was fortunate enough to interview Green, now retired, about this time in his life and what it meant to him and his partner. Because of the nature of his work and the terms of his settlement, Green is unable to reveal certain information such as the kind of work he did. He has recently published “Rainbow Spies: La Conclusion Française,” a work of fiction partially based on his experiences.

How did you come to work on a CIA funded program?
I was somewhat fresh out of college when TRW hired me. I didn't know it at the time, but I was being hired to work on CIA funded programs. Typically, the identity of the "Customer", who funds these types of programs is not known outside of the program, and disclosing it, would have been grounds for termination, at the most, and never being allowed to work on secret programs, the least.

As an openly gay man, what were the challenges in your work prior to the investigation?
As a gay man and out, I didn't feel that any harm would come my way if I was just myself. I met other gay people on the program, who were closeted and were very critical of my openness.

What prompted the CIA to begin investigating you after fifteen years on the job?
My partner, Chris, was being submitted for the same clearances. He gave me as a reference, and I was open about our relationship when I was being interviewed by the investigator (from the Department of Defense). Shortly thereafter I received several phone calls from some of my straight friends, in the company, that I was being investigated because I was gay. I realized immediately, that the CIA didn't know I was gay, and I went to the head of security at TRW, and explained what was going on. The head of security said: "I'm sorry you told me. Now, I have to report it to the Customer." If I'd kept my mouth shut, they would have reviewed my past investigation and let my clearance stand.

How did things change once the investigation began and was it common knowledge among your coworkers?
First, I went to my Laboratory Manager and told him what was going on and why. He was a very religious person and seemed to be in shock. I was a department manager, and I was immediately removed from that position and put on his staff to work unclassified proposals. My straight friends we surprised, but remained friends. Others were afraid of associating with me, so they cut off contact except for work matters. I was a golden boy to my Lab Manager, and I was on the fast track for promotions. That all came crashing down, and my belief that I was safe being openly gay, was a big mistake.

What happened after your clearances were rejected?
The appeals process to the CIA was a two step process. During the first appeal, I sent letters, written by friends and close associates, to the CIA showing that I was open about my sexual orientation. That gained me the first rejection. For the second one, they invited me to the headquarters in Langley, Virginia to undergo a polygraph test; supposedly to assure that I was telling the truth about my being open about my sexual orientation. The polygraph test is designed to ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no. The examiner asked questions about my personal and sex life. What I didn't know at the time was that he was making a voice recording of my responses. They were fed back to me with comments taken out of context that painted me as a sordid person who had sex with men two to three times a weeks for the last twenty-eight years and was involved with drugs.

How long did this investigation process take?
It took about three and a half years from the start of the investigation to the court settlement. Just after I filed suit, my manager wrote a performance appraisal saying that my work was so bad, others had to redo it. A review like that was the first step toward termination. I have no doubt that he received his direction indirectly from the CIA. I filed a grievance with our human resources department and my manager immediately folded and wrote me a good review. I remained employed with TRW until I retired in 1998, but I never received prime assignments or promotions. That was one of the prices that I paid for standing up for my rights. TRW decided that their hands were not clean during this whole process, so they compensated monetarily for the loss of my department manager position, on the understanding that I would not sue them.

Was it a difficult decision to take the CIA to court and why did you decide to do it?
When the last resort was to take them to court, I sat down with my partner of four years and we discussed the ramifications of pursuing the lawsuit. Worst case was that I'd lose my job and we would lose our home trying to keep up with the lawyer fees. My partner, Chris, said: "This is something you have to do, and we'll deal with whatever happens."

You mentioned that gays can now have secret clearances as long as they are not in the closet. Is that written policy?
The CIA guidelines state that homosexual activity was not a reason to withhold clearances, as long as the person could not be blackmailed. My lawsuit just re-enforced what would happen if the CIA did refuse clearances to openly gay people. From that time on, background investigations were conducted on a man or woman's partner in the very same way that they had been conducted for a person's spouse.

Recent photo of William Green.

They harassed me. They beat me. They set my family’s home on fire - twice.

2009-01-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

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"They harassed me. They beat me. They set my family’s home on fire - twice." These were among some of the events that led 24-year-old gay man Pape Mbaye to flee his home in Dakar, Senegal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakar and seek refuge in New York. In July of 2008, with the help of Christopher Nugent, an international immigration lawyer with Holland & Knight http://www.hklaw.com/ in Washington, D.C. where he is a senior pro bono counsel specializing in refugee and asylum cases, the United States government gave Pape refugee status. This represents one of the rare documented instances when such protection has been granted to a foreigner facing persecution based on sexual orientation.

Ed interviewed Pape in early December with the help of a French translator in the offices of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in New York (IGLHRC).

"I am a Muslim and god made me the way I am," Pape explains when asked a question about his faith. "I do not understand why other Muslim’s do not accept this - it is not something I can or want to change. They are afraid - but of what I am not certain." The room falls silent for a moment. "But I am making a new life now here in New York. I am an artist and I have my music and my dance - I just performed my first show here. It felt good. People liked it. I will do more," he expresses with astounding determination.

Clearly, Pape misses his family but talks with them as often as possible. His cell phone is his life-line to family in Dakar and his new family in New York. Starting from scratch, as all refugees must, he is rebuilding a life with resourcefulness and optimism. Living in Manhattan isn’t easy or inexpensive. "I currently have financial help from the International Rescue Committee and other Senegalese friends here. I also seek a job as an entertainer, a model or in fashion design," he explains.

Ed tells Pape about plans to visit Dakar in order to get a first-hand look as part of research for the play Rights of Passage. The room falls silent once again and Pape’s eyes express alarm and he shoots a wide-eyed look in Ed’s direction. "I would not do this. You will be in great danger. If they learn of your purpose they will kill you or you will just disappear." In a later conversation, Pape’s attorney Chris echoes this warning and adds that a visit to Dakar could also put other lives in jeopardy as well. Anyone discovered talking with you about gay life in Senegal could become a target.

As the interview was drawing to a close Pape agreed to let me snap a few photos of him. He felt right at home in front of the camera. As he posed, his warm smile filled the room. It seemed almost impossible to grasp all that he has endured and even harder to imagine his struggles yet to come.

Progress in Latin America

2008-12-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

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Andres Valdez is the co-chair of Mateando www.mateandonyc.org the first Argentinean - Uruguayan LGBT group in New York. Mateando’s mission is to provide support, develop leadership and strengthen the Argentine and Uruguayan gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of the state of New York, and its sympathizers and friends.

During my recent interview with Andres, I was pleased to learn there is much to be celebrated in the way of LGBT civil rights progress in Latin America. Last year, the first significant step in promoting region-wide sexual and gender rights in Latin America was taken when the human rights committee of the Southern Common Market issued a declaration to recognize and promote an end to discrimination against sexual and gender minorities by member countries. Should the entire Southern Common Market (which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) pass the resolution next year, it will result in sweeping changes to the rights and policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Latin America.

Last August, despite the staunch opposition of the Catholic church. the Government of Argentina confirmed that it was allowing same-sex couples (who had lived together for a period of more than five years) the right to collect the pensions of their deceased partners. This signaled the first time that unregistered cohabitation and rights for same-sex partners were recognized nationwide. This same law went into affect in Uruguay in January 2008.

During our conversation, Andres stressed the importance of strategic LGBT community, regional, national, and international coordination . Our recent progress in Latin America, he said, is a direct result of integrating grass-roots organizing with high level political diplomacy. It is vital to use our strong “family first” cultural tradition as the center in our quest for equality. We represent our immediate families, extended families, friends and the entire family of Latin America. This is to be done very strategically at home and abroad.

As we talked, he could barely contain his excitement about being part of the Latin American LGBT contingent endorsing the recent non-discrimination statement at the UN on December 19, 2008. (See posting below) He smiles broadly, it’s going to be a very historic day — and it was.

Victory and Shame in the Same Package

2008-12-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

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In a powerful victory for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 66 nations at the UN General Assembly yesterday supported a groundbreaking statement confirming that international human rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identity. It is the first time that a statement condemning rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people has been presented in the General Assembly. The 66 countries reaffirmed "the principle of non-discrimination, which requires that human rights apply equally to every human being regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."

Shamefully, the United States, alone among Western nations, refused to sign the declaration presented at the United Nations on Thursday, December 18, 2008 citing “legal review” was necessary. There was also broad opposition from Muslim nations including members of the Organization of Islamic Conference who issued a joint statement that protecting sexual orientation could lead to “social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts” such as pedophilia and incest. Not surprisingly, the declaration has also been opposed by the Vatican which prompted a protest earlier this month.

The statement, however, drew unprecedented support from five continents, including six African nations. Argentina read the statement before the General Assembly. A cross-regional group of states coordinated the drafting of the statement, also including Brazil, Croatia, France, Gabon, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway. Nations backing the declaration waged their campaign in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Photo: Ed Decker and Paula Ettelbrick of International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

California Update: Farm Animals Gain Rights, LGBT People Lose Them

2008-11-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Top Stories The post-election dust continues to settle here in California. And one of the thoughts going through our minds is that more than half (but not much more) of those citizens who stirred themselves long enough to vote, hate us. Us being LGBT people who wish to marry. With all the other election day choices they had to make that impact their economic and environmental well-being, and there are many, California voters chose to spend a few moments in the voting booth messing with our personal lives by voting in favor of Proposition 8 which specifies that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Our cozy little, non-religious wedding, complete with corny groom-groom cake topper and champagne toasts was bitch slapped to the curb by the slick, totally inaccurate Yes on 8 ad campaign that focused on impressionable youngsters being force fed gay marriage in schools. The visuals were compelling; worried parents sitting on a couch clutching protectively at their offspring. On our side we had the much beloved (by some) but dowdy Dianne Feinstein talking about our legal rights. Excuse me while I go out and get another beer.

Then we had the No on 8 people who, it appears, made a conscious effort to not show any gay people in their ads. Were they afraid that the general population wasn’t ready to see two men or two women on the same TV screen who may have, in the recent past, had sex with one another and may commit the act again in the near future? Not being political strategists, we couldn’t say. But after observing and participating in gay causes for thirty years it smacks of some scary form of self censorship. Well-meaning allies have used the “they’re not ready” argument to try and hold back LGBT progress at each and every juncture. They’re not ready for gay teachers, they’re not ready for anti-discrimination legislation, they’re not ready for domestic partner benefits.

Even though Barack Obama has publicly stated his belief that marriage should be between a man and women, we voted for him. Obama has a great opportunity to create positive change in this country. Whether that change comes to pass, however, is still very much up for grabs—he is, after all a politician. We hope that he we will see the error of his ways and realize that denying rights to one segment of the population diminishes everyone. In addition, a whole host of people you’d think would be our allies plus others you know will never be, joined forces to pass Proposition 8. It’s up to us to do the outreach and education necessary to make a difference, change isn’t going to happen all by itself. And if we wait until people are ready we’ll be waiting a very long time.

All of this is a timely reminder that as we continue to work on the Rights of Passage project, there are stories not only in far flung lands but some much closer to home that act as a reminder that LGBT discrimination is alive and well in our own backyard, progress has been made over the years and much more still needs to be done.

Photo from LATimesblog.

Rights of Passage Receives Its First Grant

2008-11-06T16:04:00.003-08:00

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For nearly a year now we have been supporting the research and development of Rights of Passage out of pocket and with small gifts from devoted friends and family. We are very grateful for their generosity and faith in the project.

Today we are happy to share the good news of our very first grant for Rights of Passage from The Small Change Foundation in San Francisco. This $15,000 gift comes via the philanthropic giving of James Hormel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hormel who has been continually active in the lesbian and gay community. A former US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Mr. Hormel is a staunch advocate of human rights and a founder of the Human Rights Campaign. Our thanks for his contribution and his ongoing support of international LGBT human rights. This generous donation will enable us to continue with the research and development of the play.

Onward!

Photo of James Hormel from MetroWeekly

Jeremiah Johnson Fights for Change in the Peace Corps--and Wins!

2008-10-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

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Back in August, Robert was fortunate enough to meet the Managing Editor of POZ Magazine, Jennifer Morton. They exchanged email addresses and she graciously offered to put him in touch with Jeremiah Johnson, whose profile in the magazine caught his eye. The 25-year-old Johnson served for 16 months as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ukraine where he taught English and AIDS prevention. During the course of those 16 months Johnson himself became infected with the virus and was subsequently dismissed from the Peace Corps because of it. Discrimination charges and the backing of POZ led to a victory for Johnson and for future volunteers—the organization changed its policy to accommodate HIV positive volunteers. After describing the Rights of Passage project, Johnson, who now lives in Denver, agreed to answer our questions about his time in the Peace Corps and where he sees his life going from here. Below are excerpts from that interview.

What motivated you to volunteer for the Peace Corps initially?
A little bit of passion and a little bit of confusion. I was just out of college and completely clueless on what I should do with my life. Actually living in a strange land without indoor plumbing just sounded like insanity. With my studies in college, however, my opinions changed. So when college ended and I felt like I didn't know what to do in terms of career, I decided that I would just follow my passion and enter Peace Corps.

At the time of the POZ interview it stated that you were working in a restaurant. What are your plans for the future?
For the immediate future, I plan to take advantage of an opportunity that has been presented to me to do more international volunteer work. The program will only last for 2 months and send me either to Lima, Peru or Capetown, South Africa to work on HIV/AIDS related issues. My plan after I return is to apply for graduate school and to work on establishing a career in international HIV/AIDS work.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself working to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV internationally and working on programs to help improve prevention and treatment opportunities. I can't think of anything I want more right now than to help HIV positive people and actually get paid for it. Oh...and a smokin' hot husband wouldn't hurt either.

What is your greatest hope for the future? What is your biggest fear?
My greatest hope is to find myself solidly established in an internationally focused HIV/AIDS career. My biggest fear is being alone. When I was younger, I always pictured myself married and with kids. Although I'm not currently having problems with my health or with my romantic life, I fear that complications with HIV will make establishing a real family all the more difficult or even impossible.

Based on your experiences there, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing gay people today in the Ukraine?
Silence. The presence of the gay community throughout most of Ukraine is barely visible. Much of this has to do with the conceptual difference in Ukraine between "men that sleep with men" and men that are "gay." Very much in ‘Brokeback’ fashion, most men with an inclination to sleep with men simply marry women and then connect with other men behind their wives' backs. I met very few men who would identify themselves as "gay" and quite a few who, although interested in sex with other men, were very critical of those who do identify as gay. This kind of division makes it difficult for men to come out of the shadows, let alone organize any sort of social movement. As for lesbians, the biggest problem for them is also visibility. The idea of two women in a relationship is simply absurd to Ukrainians, so lesbians have the challenge of earning legitimacy in terms of the public mindset. Beyond that, those who do rebuff the advances of men are very likely to encounter more extreme hate and violence than, I think, gay men will.

How is your health currently?
Just fine. I'm not on medication and have had no complications from the HIV. Mentally things have been a bit more difficult, but with the help of my friends, family, and a good therapist I'm pulling myself out of this initial depression.

What are your feelings toward the Peace Corps now?
I have no negative feelings toward the Peace Corps, especially since they changed their official policy on how to handle newly infected volunteers. The fact is that even the best organizations can be prone to stigma and need to be shaken up from time to time. It's a shame that my service had to end the way it did, but I still think that it's a wonderful opportunity.

What would be your advice for an HIV positive person interested in volunteering for the Peace Corps?Go for it. Between the recent success the ACLU and I have had in changing Peace Corps HIV policy and the recent change in the Foreign Service's hiring policies for HIV positive applicants thanks to Taylor vs. Rice, the time is ripe for HIV positive people to volunteer with minimal chances of discrimination. Positive individuals are truly needed to strengthen Peace Corps efforts to educate communities in developing nations about HIV and the stigma surrounding it. Who better to lead these efforts than those who have already experienced life after becoming infected?

Photo: Johnson and his seventh grade class in Rozdilna, Ukraine.

Work Gets in the Way but Rights of Passage Moves On

2008-10-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

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The last six weeks Ed has been busy directing the Bay Area premiere of Alan Bennett’s Tony Award winning The History Boys www.nctcsf.org/press_room/history_boys/history_boys.htm. Since his return from the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, Robert has been busy catching up with things at the Global Health Fellows Project www.ghfp.net. Despite the daily distractions of gainful employment, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes monitoring several LGBT human rights stories around the globe and seeking funding for the Rights of Passage project.

Ed conducted a phone interview with Ben Han whose recent feature in the San Francisco Chronicle alerted us to Bejing’s “gay life in the shadows”.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/08/22/MNGB12CRTC.DTL. Continuing to monitor turmoil at Camp Sister Spirit www.CampSisterSpirit.com as this safe haven LGBT non-profit struggles for survival in the deep south. Also of great interest is Robert’s contact with a young gay former Peace Corps volunteer, Jeremiah Johnson, who has been sharing his experiences with LGBT human rights progress in the Ukraine. The New York Times just reported the story of Pape Mbaye from Dakar, Senegal who has escaped persecution in West Africa and been granted asylum in the US – we are on the trail. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/nyregion/06pape.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

We will visit Muskegon, MI to visit Ed’s sister this month and catch a glimpse of small town gay life on the blue collar shores of Lake Michigan. Pending funds and travel synchronicity, an early December sojourn to either the Middle East or Central Europe is being planned.
Further, on the money front we have two major grant requests pending, One with the Phyliss C. Wattis Foundation www.WattisFoundation.org and the other with former Ambassador James Hormel’s private philanthropy endeavor The Small Change Foundation. Both requests are for multi-year support to fund our research, script development and ultimately production of the premiere at The New Conservatory Theatre Center in 2010.

Heartfelt thanks to Rights of Passage individual donors: Norm Abramson, David Beery, Douglass Christensen, Hanna Decker, Fritz Neumann, Scott and Julie Jacoby, William Moss, Debra Mosk, Carl & Suzanne Nelson, Debra Shapiro, Beth & Lisa Soloway, Leonie Walker and Vincent Zappacosta.

More money news. This time about the Rights of Passage project raising cash to support the work of others engaged in the LGBT Human Rights struggle. This past summer the New Conservatory Theatre Center hosted three benefit cabaret evenings and raised $2000 which was divided among the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission www.IGLHRC.org Camp Sister Spirit and the Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org. Special thanks to all the performers involved.

I think that catches us up for now. As ever, we welcome your thoughts, personal experience submissions, and links to others as we continue our Rights of Passage journey together.

Photo: Policemen watch participants at an ecumenical service at an Anglican Church during the first Gay Pride in Riga, Latvia, while anti-gay demonstrators threaten them, July 23 © 2005 Reuters Limited.

To be 22 Years Old, a Lesbian, and Living in Kyrgyzstan

2008-08-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

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Notes from the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City
I had been looking forward to being in Mexico City for weeks. My August 1st flight from San Francisco was four and a half hours, it took half an hour to find a taxi at the airport and another hour in hair-raising traffic to reach my hotel in the Zona Rosa but so what? I had arrived. I could get only a narrow view of the behemoth from my tenth floor room but I had done a little homework beforehand and knew a few basic facts. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Anáhuac in the high plateaus in the center of the country. The altitude is approximately 7,400 feet so you can count on a little dizziness and shortness of breath. Built by the Aztecs in 1325 the city once occupied an island in Lake Texcoco, but the lake has long since turned to dust. What’s left is a greater metropolitan area of 19 million people spread out in endless waves over the dry lake bed. The traffic and air pollution are legendary as are the opportunities to experience art, culture and great food, but my mind was on other things.

Mexico City was playing host to the XVII International AIDS Conference (http://www.aids2008.org/) that would attract 22,000 delegates interested in the research, care, politics and activism that has grown up around HIV/AIDS since the disease first surfaced in the early 1980s, spreading across the globe and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. My main focus was the Global Village, a self-sufficient area at the conference consisting of exhibitions, workshops, a networking area, marketplace and various kinds of entertainment. Open to both conference delegates and non-delegates, it offered community organizations from around the world the chance to be seen and heard. I thought it would be an opportunity to talk about Rights of Passage and make some contacts that could help further our goal of including authentic voices into the play.

Once I overcame my initial hesitancy to reach out, I realized that people were eager to hear about the project and talk about the work that they were doing. My first stop was a booth staffed by a woman named Rachel from an organization called Puppeteers Without Borders that creates programs to encourage communication and imagination while covering a range of complex topics including HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. Their productions have been seen by audiences in Kenya, South Africa, Israel, France, Bosnia, India and Vietnam. When I told Rachel about Rights of Passage she offered to pass my name along to a friend who she felt sure had some stories we could use.

Bolstered by my success, I quickly moved on gathering materials and business cards along the way. There was Hairdressers Against AIDS—whose logo was a giant AIDS ribbon made out of glossy black hair—giving haircuts to one and all; the Mekong Sex Workers Collective (http://www.empowerfoundation.org/) selling t-shirts that said “Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere” and hundreds of other organizations, mostly small and underfunded that were working on their own piece of the HIV/AIDS puzzle.

One of the most poignant stories for me was that of a young woman from Kyrgyzstan who had helped start an LGBT organization in her country where abuses directed against the LGBT community, including discrimination and rape, are not uncommon. It's called Labrys (http://kyrgyzlabrys.wordpress.com/) and the work is necessary she said because the mainstream human rights and women’s rights organizations there are homophobic and wanted nothing to do with them. They started in 2004 with four people and now have more than 400 volunteers. “But you’re so young,” I said, taking her hand and squeezing it. She just looked at me as if I were a little crazy and said emphatically, “I’m 22!”

Here's to all the 22-year-old lesbians in the world. May their enthusiasm never falter.

Cambodia is Magical

2008-08-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

Photos: Ed Decker and Tony Lisle; Susan Hagadorn; Charley Todd and his adopted grandson.

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Cambodia Diary - 2008 - Final Blog Entry

Thank goodness I got to the airport early. It's a mob scene at the EVA ticket counter as folks have been left stranded since typhoon Wong raged across the Pacific yesterday. All EVA airways flights connect through their hub in Taiwan and most of the island has been shut down due to the storm. As I wait in the endless check-in line, I have plenty of time to reflect upon my ten days in Cambodia.

I first think of the local people I have met and then my thoughts drift to the tireless NGO (non-government organization) crusaders who have spent time with me. Susan Hagadorn, Charley Todd and Tony Lisle -- all of whom are nothing short of magical.

You heard about Susan during our wild-ride to Kep and then again when we were in Kompot visiting the small family farm she helps subsidize. What I did not tell you about this amazing woman is that she has also uprooted her life in the US to remain here in order to provide much needed strategic planning to help Cambodian's rebuild their social infra-structure. Susan also operates the amazing Butterflies Garden Restaurant in Siem Riep http://www.butterfliesofangkor.com/news_garden.html. Here you can dine in a beautiful garden as butterflies rest lazily on your shoulder or fly freely from flower to flower. Susan hires local children to bring these stunning creatures to her garden. With some of the best food in town, the restaurant itself is set up as a venture to train young locals and provide them with gainful employment in the hospitality industry. Even more amazing is that Susan lets them run the place as if it were their own. By offering decent salaries and a profit-sharing program she has instilled a pride of ownership that empowers her employees. They are now entrepreneurial members of their community. Magical.

Charley Todd changed my mind about Rosé wine at my first dinner in Phnom Penh. I believed all Rosé to be sweet and syrupy. Once the cork was popped on a French version of this blend my taste buds were transformed forever. Besides Charley having this extraordinary insight about good wine, he is the Executive Director of the Cambodia Living Arts Project -- http://www.cambodianlivingarts.org/. The mission of this project is to support the post Khmer Rouge revival of Cambodian traditional art forms and to inspire contemporary artistic expression. Charley told me about an opera, "When Elephants Weep", premiering in December 2008, a new children's book being written by Chath Pier Sath (who you met in my previous posting from Kep), a new film written and directed by Cambodia Living Arts Founder, Arn Chorn-Pond, a youth music tour playing this month at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, traditional dance troupes, arts education classes, a new recording studio nearly completed, and a long list of inspiring arts projects in the pipeline. Like Susan, Charley also helps support a local family in ways that extend beyond charity and facilitate independence. Magical.

Finally, there is Tony Lisle, Country Coordinator for Cambodia UNAIDS. A whirlwind of energy, fountain of knowledge, and a unwavering man of committment. As we dined together at the legendary Foreign Correspondents Club - http://www.fcccambodia.com - I listened closely as he passionately told of his work to control the spread of and ultimately eradicate HIV here. The good news is that the Cambodian government has embraced HIV prevention and education in a manner that connects to the local culture. While there is still much work to be done, things seem to be moving in the right direction. However, a formidable challenge is the local sex industry. With so many Cambodian's earning as little as $100 a month, sex is a sure thing that many can deploy to make ends meet. Hints of carnal energy are evident throughout Phnom Penh: when you hire a taxi, shop the market place, tour the sites, and even just stroll through town. Getting the HIV prevention word out, dispensing clean needles and distributing condoms is a persistent challenge.

As we chat, Tony's voice suddenly rises with heightened emotion. He is describing a recently diagnosed Cambodian friend who has late stage HIV. A pervasive fear about early testing still exists here so for many, opportunistic infections take hold and are often irreversible. Treatment for acute conditions are not always available in Cambodia. Tony has arranged for his friend to be airlifted to a hospital in Bangkok yet sadly, I learn the next afternoon, the man succumbed just hours before transport was to occur. As he does day in and day out, Tony uses every available resource at his disposal to help. True to life, sometimes time is not on your side. Yet, he never gives up, he just works harder. Magical.

After almost an hour, it's my turn at the ticket counter. My seat has been given away. I don't panic, I know exactly what to do. Luckily, I have some extra cash and I slide it across the counter. I am handed a boarding pass. I am on my way home. Magical.

Benefit Performance for Human Rights Watch: "I Feel a Thong Coming On"

2008-08-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

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Human Rights Watch Benefit
Thursday, August 14, 8pm
PAY WHAT YOU WISH
New Conservatory Theatre Center
25 Van Ness Ave.
Lower Lobby
San Francisco, CA

Pay-what-you-wish tickets are only available at the New Conservatory box office one hour prior to the performance on a first-come first-served basis.

With dozens of dirty little ditties in his risqué repertoire, Tom Orr has reunited with his original Dirty Little Showtunes! collaborators, director F. Allen Sawyer and musical director Scrumbly Koldewyn, to build this new piece made up of his filthiest, funniest, raunchiest and bawdiest Broadway parodies. His provocative lyrics are set to familiar melodies from such shows as Wicked, Aida, The Producers, Annie, Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly!, Gypsy, Funny Girl, Hairspray, Disney & more, all with a XXX twist!

Photo: Duane Cramer

The Durian Farm in Kompot

2008-08-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

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Susan and I left the sanctuary of our tree-house bungalows at the Veranda Resorts and hired a Tuk-Tuk ( a motorcycle driven carriage) to take us to a durian ( a rather pungent but popular local fruit) farm in Kompot about 60 minutes away.

She and her friend Arn-Chorn Pon own the land and support a local family in caring for it. She tells me about Arn who is quite a celebrity. As a child, he survived the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime by playing revolutionary songs on the flute. Today, he is an internationally recognized human rights leader and speaker, the recipient of the Reebok Human Rights Award, the Anne Frank Memorial Award, and the Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize. He is also the subject of the Emmy-nominated documentary, The Flute Player. Arn is the founder of Cambodian Living Arts, http://www.cambodianlivingarts.org . He has dedicated his life to healing and to helping others heal from the trauma of violence and war, bringing solace and renewal to war-torn Cambodia by helping to revive its great artistic traditions.

It’s a beautiful day. We make a pit stop so that our driver can fill up his tank from an old Sprite bottle now pressed into service as a petrol container. There are a few other such assorted bottles of fuel displayed on the rickety looking wooden shelf at the family run road-side gas station. I chuckle to myself as I think of what Chevron, Exxon or Shell Corporation might make of this.

Between the expanse of rural life unfolding all around us and the inspiring conversation I am hard pressed to imagine a more pleasant afternoon. Just before we pull into Kompot, Susan alerts our driver that we are to stop in town to pick up a 50lb bag of rice to bring to the young couple living on the farm. They have one child with another on the way – a bag of rice will go a long way for them. I decide to chip in for the rice.

They are delighted to see us as we pull up. Immediately, they begin preparations for us to have a rest in hammocks after our brief journey from Kep. Language is a barrier but we are shown around the land, marvel at the lovely river running through it and are invited with great pride to use the western toilet that was a gift from Susan & Arn. Between sign language and smiles that speak volumes we enjoy each others company.

As often happens in South East Asia, the sky suddenly begins to turn dark and the winds begin to kick up. It’s time to head back . A monsoon is brewing. Susan and I ride back together mostly in silence as we watch the rain begin to fall. The driver offers to pull down the tarp to enclose our Tuk-Tuk. We decline. The wet feels good against our skin and the view is dramatic against the backdrop of mother nature’s tears.

A Very Short History of the Khmer Rouge and What It's Like to be Gay in Cambodia Today

2008-07-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

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After our horn blaring, auto jockeying journey Susan and I arrived at the Southern Cambodia seaside village of Kep. We checked into the Veranda Resort—a unique hillside facility with a panoramic view of the Gulf of Thailand. For around $30 dollars you can rent a bungalow among the tree-tops. The Veranda's 14 bungalows are built on stilts and joined together by a maze of rather springy wooden passageways. If you don't look down you are fine. After the first day, you stop wondering if the place is structurally sound and you begin to forget that you are precariously suspended in mid-air.

That evening we were joined for dinner by Chath Pier Sath a gay Cambodian who has returned to his country after being a Khmer Rouge refugee whose family fled to Thailand in 1979 and ultimately received asylum in the US in 1981. http://www.chathpiersath.org

The Khmer Rouge is remembered mainly for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people or 1/5 of the country's total population under its regime, through execution, starvation and forced labor. Following their leader, Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge imposed an extreme form of social engineering on Cambodian society, radical form of agrarian communism where the whole population had to work in collective farms or forced labor projects. It was one of the most lethal regimes of the 20th century. After four years of rule, the Khmer Rouge regime was removed from power in 1979. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge

Chat is a remarkable man. A painter, poet, activist, author and a life force to be reckoned with, he has survived one of the most horrific periods in recent history and yet he continues to look ahead with a purposeful spirit. In his own words, I have been in Cambodia off and on doing various work with NGOs as paid and volunteer staff. I love Cambodia, but I don't feel completely comfortable in it because I see these people repeating pre-Khmer Rouge behaviors, and they scare me. I want to go away, but this is the only country I have that I feel less invisible in. My work often describes this uncertainty in my life, I am always floating somewhere, running away from something, going places, always traveling, seeking adventure, looking for people to love and be with, searching for my everlasting purpose in the world.

With the conversation shifting to LGBT issues, he explains that much like his country, gay life in Cambodia is still emerging. Arranged marriages still exist here and the expectations for building a family are strong. Culturally speaking LGBT life remains on the down low here – operating on the margins of society under a ‘don=t ask don=t tell’ umbrella. It was fascinating to learn that ‘gay’ is not the operative word in Cambodia. Men Having Sex with Men (MSM) and Women Having Sex with Women (WSW) is the correct way to talk about these things in Cambodia, Chath instructs.

Chath feels that there is a general karmic acceptance of homosexuality in Cambodia. Since you are born with this destiny there is an unspoken underlying live and let live attitude. I mean after all, our King is homosexual, he exclaims. I ask why LGBT life remains mostly under the radar. It is not something most people concern themselves with or relate to in this country where survival of the fittest prevails he summarizes.

The conversation turns to sex . Chat talks about lesbians in Cambodia and he notes that people here are quite confused about this. There is an understanding of what men get up to sexually but sex between women is not understood he says. Susan chimes in that this makes perfect sense since the pleasuring of women is not what intercourse in this country is about. Chat echoes this sentiment with yes, the vagina is about what the man needs and when he gets it the whole thing is usually over in a matter of seconds. The woman just lies there— - it's all done even before the woman knows it's in! So of course if we are talking about vaginas and what women might do together there is great mystery. Whereas sex between men is understood – anal intercourse is penetration – a concept that is commonly known.

I ask about violence against the LGBT community. Not so much he says. Ridicule yes but violence no. Especially if you are an effeminate male which is the only way gay men are depicted in the media here. There are new gay bars in Phnom Penh and sometimes men who are seen going in and out might get made fun of. He also mentions he has heard of a village in the countryside where he believes a group of transvestites have assembled and are now residing safely among the regular residents there. Chat promises to gather more information about this unique phenomenon in Cambodia. He laughs and says, ah, my country of contradictions.

As our conversation drifts on, the tropical breezes of the balmy night seem to whisper that like in most of the world, the LGBT community is still finding its way in Cambodia. As a gust of wind ripples past the three of us united in animated conversation upon our veranda in the tree- tops high above the seaside, I feel hopeful. We talk into the night and agree that slowly but surely progress is unfolding here for the LGBT community. I suddenly understand why Chath has returned to Cambodia – his karmic destiny is to blaze the trail.

Sister Fabulous Promises "A Night You Never Won't Forget'

2008-07-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

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July 23, 2008, Late night, Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh

It's the same the world over. Drag queens -- front, center and unashamed.

Acting on a tip from my Cambodian contact, Chath, I took a late night walk down the Sisowath Quay -- the riverfront of Phnom Phenh. It wasn't long before I heard the cooing calls of Sister Fabulous, a diminutive, yet fierce, local transvestite. I was her next shot for commerce tonight and she went in for the kill.

Before long she got the drift that I was only in it for the talk and for a few bucks she'd give me a little time on the street. While she spoke of the typical dangers of freaks, married men, and the local police, Sister Fabulous' eyes darted between mine and the potential, passing prey. The story here is the same as in many cities -- life working the street is dangerous but has its rewards. Better than begging which she sees as pathetic. Sister Fabulous is a working girl and according to her the services are of the highest quality. 'A night you never won't forget,' she hisses emphatically.

Although not as statuesque, Sister Fabulous reminds me of Savanna Savonnier, the drag queen we met in Mississippi last April. Because of having to fly under the mainstream radar, they both have a sense of humor that is sharp and ruthless. And they both hold their heads up high, defy the odds, and step to a unique beat.

Although worlds apart they are neighbors. Perhaps unaware of one another but linked just the same.

On The Road to Kep, Politics is Just Another Obstacle to Circumvent

2008-07-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

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July 24, 2008 Somewhere Between Phnom Penh and Kep, Cambodia

We are careening down a one lane country road with our horn blaring. The middle-aged driver we hired to take us to Kep, a small resort town in Southern Cambodia, is simply alerting others on the road that we are coming through. It's the way car travel in Cambodia unfolds. An endless sea of horns and no one flinches. I am in the front seat white knuckling the arm rest as we whisk past motorbikes, busses, trucks, cyclists, pedestrians, and the occasional oxen cart in a prolonged blur. My friend Susan, an expat International NGO Consultant, sits in the back seat completely relaxed. 'It's fun to come this way with someone who has never been here before she says...I see the things around me like new all over again.'

To Susan it has become completely normal to see a family of six on a motorbike or a chicken truck on the way to market with live poultry tied to every useable surface including the hood. It is also typical to see a van bursting at the seams with people and eight more sitting on the roof clutching the luggage rack as the wind races through their hair. Expressionless, our driver leans on the horn again as we nearly mow down an elderly woman with a 50 pound bag of rice on her head. How much longer I ask? Susan checks her watch casually--another two-and-half hours or so she replies enjoying every minute. I realize we've only been on the road about twenty minutes so far. This is going to be a long trip.

I decide it's time to refocus my attention and worry less about the road. I cinch my seatbelt a bit tighter and shift slightly in my seat so I can see Susan in the back seat. I begin to engage her in conversation about her life in Cambodia and do my best to ignore the ongoing intermittent siren of our horn as we weave in and out of traffic. Nobody else seems to mind, so why should I?

We talk about the Cambodian Government as tomorrow is election day. I learn that the current Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for nearly thirty years and looks to have things pretty much sewn up for another five. Although there are opposing parties running for government seats, Hun Sen's Cambodian Peoples Party seems to have orchestrated a commanding lead with votes ordained to go his way. It helps of course that he recently changed the required 2/3 majority rule to a 50% plus 1 majority policy. This apparently was necessary after a previous election ended in his earning less than the required 2/3 majority and Hun Sen had to resort to violence to remain in power. Cambodian politics is complicated to say the least and I struggle to understand as Susan patiently explains.

At that moment, I feel a lurch to the left. I look up. We have actually come upon Hun Sen's election convoy headed for a country side rally. At least twenty vehicles decked out with loudspeakers, blue flags and white capped citizens with matching Cambodian People's Party logo shirts crammed on the back of flat bed trucks. There seems to be another fifteen or so security SUV's with blacked out windows in the procession-- one of these is said to contain Hun Sen himself. Now I realize that the lurch I felt a moment ago was our steely-eyed driver maneuvering to the wrong side of the road, horn wailing as we sail past the entire convoy.

I stop talking and face front not believing my eyes. I catch a glimpse of Susan in the rear view mirror. She flashes a reassuring smile and settles back. I keep my attention on the road. We should be in Kep in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Hey Mr. Mr. -- Many Gay in Cambodia. No Trouble.

2008-07-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2008- Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I saw the boy without any limbs again today. His young buddy rolled his wheelchair right up to me as I strolled by the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Yesterday I pretended not to hear his 'Hey, Mr. Mr. - Where you from?' and walked resolutely on. Later that day he rolled up to me while I was having lunch at a corner cafe where the Tonle Sap River meets the Mekong -- 'Hey, Mr. Mr. what you eating? You have dolla for me?' I quickly looked down as did all the other tourists around me who suddenly took a heightened interest in studying every last detail of the menu. Today when he reappeared I surrendered.

'Hey Mr. Mr. you buys us a coke?' I complied and ordered a bottle of water for myself. I stood, they sat, in the shade of a tree outside the palace gates. Both young faces smiled at me. 'Mr. like palace? Many pretty.' 'Yes' I said, 'very pretty--beautiful.' 'Where you go now?' -- he said. His friend held the coke for him, he sipped and then grinned with pleasure. His eyes seemed to sparkle. 'I am going walking for awhile--alone,' I added quickly. 'I show you way to market,' he offered just as quickly. 'No thank you,' I added firmly. 'Too bad -- I know shortcut,' he tried again, then sighed and let this fact dangle in the silent space that followed.

He spotted my gold ring. 'You married Mr?' Dare I even answer that question I thought? What the hell? 'Yes-- but to a man.' A pause. I waited for the look of shock and confusion on his face. His friend just kept nodding and smiling at everything being said so I knew he had absolutely no idea what was going on. Wheelchair boy tossed his head back and let loose a joyous howl -- his thick black hair fluttered in the breeze coming off the river and from the vibrations of laughter coming from his gut. I blushed as passing tourists exiting the palace gawked at the strange trio beneath a tree.

'I liking boys too -- they not liking me -- I broken,' he said, laughing even harder. Ok, what are the chances? I meet a well adjusted -- yet disabled by an old Khmer Rouge land mine -- gay kid. Where is my tape recorder?! Why did I leave the camera in my hotel room? Dumb.

'Mr. Mr. -- many gay in Cambodia. No trouble.' With that he offered a reassuring nod and then winked at me. Is this limbless teenager trying to seduce me? Probably, if he sees another few bucks in it. I am sure the money he gets from working the streets must make it home to help support a large family -- which he does not seem to want to talk about when I inquire. I hear that these kids may even be the primary bread winners for their clans. Playing on the sympathies of pushovers like me.

With our drinks almost gone and conversation waning mostly due to limited English on his part and non-existent Cambodian on my part -- I fork over a $5 bill for him and one for his friend. A small price to pay for this next lesson along the way. I can't help wonder about the fate of our meeting and this strange exchange of gay kinship.

After our goodbyes, they head off happily in the direction of the river no doubt to look for the next financial opportunity. I rush off in the opposite direction to the internet cafe to chronicle the encounter while it is still fresh in my mind. As I walk, I play the event over in my head and marvel at its serendipity. In my thoughts I am cursing the fact I left the camera in the hotel room and that I forgot to ask their names. I hope I see them again tomorrow.

Ed Goes On the Road for Rights of Passage

2008-07-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2008 12:30pm - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A sudden sense of knowing washed over me. My first morning in Cambodia and I realize that a right of passage is simply about getting to where you are going. Physically, spiritually and in every other imaginable way. Perhaps it's the jet lag talking -- it did take almost 24 hour to get here -- but I suddenly understand that you have to travel the path, navigate the obstacles, and receive what is offered. No shortcuts allowed and no taking on of matters that have not yet been properly aligned for your journey. I always knew that making this play was not going to be easy. Karmic reminders of this were to follow.

This morning after breakfast I decided to wander over to the Royal Palace to take the tour and find yet another way to deliver my 'I am here please grant me audience' message to the king. The reality that my path was not yet sufficiently paved slipped into full view. The Palace was closing for a lunch break between 11am and 2pm and no one at the Royal Residence sentry station was interested in delivering the hand written note I had prepared for his majesty. Surely he had already received the letter I sent in advance of my visit and was waiting anxiously for my arrival. Hardly. Getting where I am going did not seem to include seeing the presumed gay King this morning.

Continuing along my way, dodging the persistent taxis, tuk-tuks, street vendors and urchins I ambled over to the National Museum which is just around the corner from the Royal Palace. After paying my $3, I found myself surrounded by 6th-13th Century Cambodian artifacts. Buddhas, statues of kings, stone carvings, ceramics, bronze, and ancient jewelry as far as the eye could see.

I sat down to take it all in and found myself transfixed by the face of some lost king from the 14th Century whose name I could not pronounce. His eyes were closed and yet they were staring into mine. How is that even possible? Maybe it was the jet lag but I felt a little spooked. Then without warning my eyes teared up.

From behind I felt a hand on my shoulder. An elderly Cambodian woman pressed an arrangement of fragrant Jasmine into my hand and in broken English said 'you must give this to him. An offering, for peace, for luck and to find your way. It will be alright then.' What was going on here?

A few tears fell down my cheek -- I placed the jasmine at the King's feet. 'Maybe now he can see you too,' she said. I turned to her and she pressed more Jasmine into my hand. 'This one is for you -- doesn't it smell beautiful? Please take it with you.' Then she smiled, turned away and left me alone with the statue, eyes closed, staring down at me.

I guess I met the King this morning after all.

July 17th benefit unites one fabulous performer with two fabulous organizations

2008-07-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Connie Champagne brings her astonishing vocal talents to the music made famous by the great Dusty Springfield, a perfect pairing of singer and songs. The July 17th performance is a benefit for the Camp Sister Spirit Folk School in southern Mississippi, that we've written about before on this blog, and Shanti LIFELINES Breast Cancer Program. Tickets for this performance only are pay-what-you-wish, but dig deep for these two wonderful organizations.

Audiences who only know the effervescent Ms. Champagne as an interpreter of Judy Garland will discover a new brand of bubbly in Brand New Me-Connie Champagne sings the Dusty Springfield Songbook. The show is directed by F. Allen Sawyer with musical direction by Joe Collins.

The show is at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave., Lower Lobby, San Francisco. Pay-what-you-wish tickets are only available at the New Conservatory box office one hour prior to the performance on a first-come first-served basis.

To learn more about Camp Sister Spirit, vist their website at:
http://www.campsisterspirit.com/

To learn more about Shanti LIFELINES visit: http://www.shanti.org/breastcancer_index.html

A Wedding in SF and Gender Reassignment in Iran

2008-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday at 10 a.m. we were married in the Board of Supervisors' meeting chamber at San Francisco City Hall. The lavish Beaux Arts structure, with its sweeping staircase and carved bust of Saint Harvey of Castro Street, was right up there with St. Patrick's Cathedral or Notre Dame as the ideal place to tie the knot. And best of all it was free of any religious connections. Surrounded by family and friends is the traditional way to do it and who are we to buck tradition? Rings were exchanged, vows were recited. Toasts were made and cake was eaten. There were some funny moments too, like being handed the family planning pamphlet that is standard issue with each marriage license. It was a low key event that went off without a hitch and ushered us into a new phase of our relationship; legally--at least as far as the State of California is concerned--married spouses.

Only a few days earlier we attended a presentation by Arsham Parsi, founder of the IRanian Queer Organization-IRQO, that offered a somewhat murkier view of gay life. (Ed's interview with Arsham appears in a previous post). One piece of his talk in particular kept coming back to us again and again; the issue of gender reassignment surgery in Iran.

According to a story in The Guardian "Iran has between 15,000 and 20,000 transsexuals, according to official statistics, although unofficial estimates put the figure at up to 150,000. Iran carries out more gender change operations than any country in the world besides Thailand. Sex changes have been legal since the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, passed a fatwa authorising them nearly 25 years ago. Whereas homosexuality is considered a sin, transsexuality is categorized as an illness subject to cure. While the government seeks to keep its approval quiet, state support has increased since Ahmadinejad took office in 2005. His government has begun providing grants of £2,250 for operations and further funding for hormone therapy. It is also proposing loans of up to £2,750 to allow those undergoing surgery to start their own businesses."

Couple this bit of information with government sponsored death threats and execution of homosexuals, not to mention President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assertion in 2007 that there are no gay people in Iran you have a complex situation not easily untangled.

For a link to the full Guardian story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/26/iran.gender

Benefit for International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

2008-06-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

The more we work on Rights of Passage the less we take the right to freedom of expression for granted. Especially since Ed runs a theatre in San Francisco where it is possible to challenge the status quo and celebrate the creative spirit on stage.
During these early stages of Rights of Passage, we have been assisted by many amazing individuals and organizations who are united in the fight for LGBT equality in the US and around the globe. They continue their work tirelessly in an effort to eradicate persecution based on sexual orientation and to establish human rights for everyone.
To help a little in the larger struggle, the New Conservatory Theatre Center is adding three special “pay as you wish” benefit performances to its upcoming Summer Cabaret Series. Coming up first:

July 3, 2008 at 8pm, Katya: From Russia With Love, a Night of Song, Story and Vodka to benefit the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission - www.iglhrc.org.

Please note: All performances will take place at New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness at Market in San Francisco. TICKETS CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED at http://www.nctcsf.org/ or at 415-861-8972. Please do not attempt to purchase tickets from the beneficiary organization.

Rights of Passage Continues to Evolve

2008-06-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks we have been thinking, reading and talking about additional ways to attract genuine submissions for our emerging theatre piece called "Rights of Passage."

This week Bob read a wonderful short story in the New Yorker by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie entitled "The Headstrong Historian". One of the great things about the story was how beautifully the author described the culture, customs and conflicts of rural Nigeria. It brought the reader down to the banks of the Oyi with its "silvery rush of water" and into Nawamgba's hut on the nights she was visited by her husband Obierika. Clearly Adichie's writing is rooted in deep knowledge.

Since this is the kind of authenticity we have in mind for "Rights of Passage" we are opening up the call for submissions to include those who have an inherent knack for telling, reporting, or documenting a story. Local playwrights, poets, musicians, journalists, writers, artists, activists and health workers--we think--are well-equipped to contribute LGBT stories specific to their own regions and will bring to the piece the authenticity we are seeking. We will gather these contributions along with other personal stories and dramaturgically weave the threads together. Our goal is to have the end result be as authentic as possible and feature distinct regional narratives, situations and artistry.

On down the line and to further long term impact of the project we intend to establish a system that will direct royalties from performances of "Rights of Passage" to nonprofits working for LGBT equality in regions throughout the globe. On stage and off, stories told in the play should support the ongoing struggle for international human rights.

We hope you will help us spread the word and point us to the many stories that are aching to be told.

Globe image courtesy of WikiMedia.

Nuptials Post Follow Up

2008-06-05T14:17:00.001-07:00

Supervisor Ammiano with artist/activist Ruth Asawa

A special thanks to those who have sent such kind wishes for our upcoming nuptials. As the July 1 date edges closer our excitement builds. It is especially thrilling that our friend Supervisor Tom Ammiano will officiate our civil ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.

Many of you have asked about sending wedding gifts which are a benefit we had not thought of. Wow - this equal rights thing is looking pretty groovy already! Seriously, the best gift you could send to honor our union would be a gift to support our new play project Rights of Passage. Just click on the contributions button in the right hand margin of this Blog page and you will be whisked directly to a donations page on the NCTC web site. Thanks for helping us say “I Do” to our life partnership and to our LGBT human rights project.

Ed and Robert To Tie the Knot on July 1st at San Francisco City Hall

2008-06-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

The right of same sex couples to marry is being, or is about to be, hotly contested in the state of California. And while denial of the right to marry is not on a level with doing jail time, or worse, because of your sexuality it makes LGBT people here in the US second class citizens. So with no burning desire to officially tie the knot, we’ve signed on for a ceremony at San Francisco City Hall, July 1st at 10 a.m. San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano will be presiding. After 21 years of living together, this kind of recognition seems almost beside the point—we don’t need it to validate what we mean to each other—and yet…we have the opportunity and we’ve decided to take it.

Of course, the window of opportunity may be a slim one as voters in November may bring our dreams of matrimony crashing down around our ears leaving us with a worthless piece of paper and some romantic photographs. But we think that if California voters do bring us down with a constitutional amendment, and we're not entirely convinced that they will, something will have been gained. The proverbial line in the sand will have been drawn and it will help raise awareness of this issue on a national scale. As far as we’re concerned, this is an equal rights issue, not a religious one, although I don’t think that our opponents, who seem to believe that marriage is their exclusive domain, care to make that distinction. They’re too busy “protecting marriage,” from what we have no idea. As far as we know, there are no LGBT plans to weaken the institution of heterosexual matrimony. No late night strategy meetings, no fire bombing of wedding boutiques, no overheated direct mail fundraising—“Join now and your pledge of just $10 a month will help end straight marriage by the year 2015!” Why all the fear?

A recent article in the New York Times by Kenji Yoshino suggests that our straight allies can step up their support to same sex couples by entering into what he calls “marriage lite.” This would constitute taking advantage of whatever domestic partnership law is available in their state before actually doing the deed itself. By so doing these couples would be able to experience first hand the drawbacks and advantages of each giving them a better understanding of why this more than symbolic act is important to us and to all people whatever their orientation.

See you at the altar, or should we say at Supervisor Ammiano's office!

Saturday Afternoon Queer Mashup

2008-05-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

A Jihad for Love Opens in New York

As a follow up to Ed’s interview with Arsham Parsi in our last blog entry, we’re providing a link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10KrVTuH_so) to a Democracy Now! interview with the film maker Parvez Sharma who made A Jihad for Love. This film is important for so many reasons. It explores many key issues of our time including Islamophobia, homophobia, religious orthodoxy, immigration and asylum, human rights violations, and the intersections of faith and sexuality.
In the interview Parsi gives you a glimpse into what it’s like to be gay in the Muslim world. He talks about the reaction the film has been getting around the world and shows a clip of Imam Muhsin Hendricks, the first openly gay imam from Cape Town, South Africa. The film premiered in New York at the IFC Center this week and will be a part of the San Francisco International Gay Film Festival at the end of June.

Gambian President Threatens Gays and Lesbians with Execution

Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) condemned statements by President Yahyeh Jammeh ordering homosexuals out of the country, threatening hotel owners who rented rooms to gay and lesbian people, and threatening summary executions. In a strongly worded letter to the West African leader, Ettelbrick also called for the repeal of Gambia's antiquated sodomy law, inherited from its days as a British colony.
Jammeh, a former army lieutenant overthrew the democratically elected government of the Gambia in 1994. Since then, according to IGLHRC, there have been many well-documented examples of human rights violations in Gambia perpetrated against journalists, human rights defenders and members of the political opposition. These have included arbitrary arrests and detentions, expulsions and extra-judicial executions. In 2007 President Jammeh announced that he had developed a "miracle cure" for HIV/AIDS.
To learn more about this issue and read Ettelbrick’s letter, visit the IGLHRC website at www.iglhrc.org. We urge you to write a protest letter of your own, posted to the addresses below.

President Yayeh Jammeh
Private Mail Bag
State House
Banjul, The Gambia

Barry L. Wells, Ambassador, Republic of The Gambia
American Embassy, Banjul, The Gambia
Fax: (220) 439-2475

An Interview with Arsham Parsi, Director of Iranian Queer Organization

2008-05-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Equality Forum - Philadelphia, PA
May 2, 2008

Ed: Thank you for joining me for breakfast this morning. I am anxious to learn more about your work with the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO) based in Toronto where you now live.

Arsham: Our organization is web based as we do not have our own physical space. We work through e-mail and the Internet to stay in touch with Iranians inside and outside Iran. Our main goal is to promote human rights in Iran in an effort to support a better situation for LGBT individuals. We are also working to raise funds for Iranian refugees and to assist them with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) asylum application process. This process can take many months so financial assistance for food, shelter, and medical needs is crucial.

Ed: In what ways does IRQO assist the asylum application process?

Arsham: We try to make things go faster by staying in touch with the UNHCR and the relevant Embassies. Letter writing and e-mail contact to keep a sense of urgency in front of them. Daily reporting of events impacting the LGBT community in Iran as a constant reminder and validation of the need for asylum for these refugees.

Ed: How are you able to document such events from within Iran?

Arsham: The Internet is a key source. We also work closely with organizations like Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and Amnesty International who also monitor these situations.

Ed: Speaking of IGLHRC, congratulations on the recent Felipa de Souza award which recognizes your courage and grassroots human rights activism.

Arsham: Thank you. It was a special moment and I am grateful for this honor.

Ed: Can you tell me about your journey from Iran?

Arsham: I crossed the border out of Iran and into Turkey on March 4, 2005 at 12:45pm. I remember the exact moment as I was very frightened. Although my identity as a gay activist was not yet discovered I still felt I could be detained and taken in for questioning. You see, there was this small group of us that had been communicating on the internet but not using our real names. Through our IP address an e-mail was traced to one of my friends and the Iranian police visited his home. Another friend came to my home to alert me.

Ed: What did you do then?

Arsham: We discussed the situation and decided that I must leave as soon as possible.

Ed: This all happened pretty fast.

Arsham: Yes, I did not even have much of a chance to say goodbye to my mother. I said quick goodbyes without telling her where I was going and why. I did not want to risk her having any information that might put her in danger.

Ed: So then what happened?

Arsham: I packed a few things and took my passport. I sold my cell phone to my friend This money added to the small amount I had was enough to get me to another friend’s place in Turkey. Things got tenser when I arrived at the train station and discovered I had missed the last train for that day. The ticket agent told me I could take a bus to another train station a few hundred miles away and perhaps pick up a train into Turkey from there.

Ed: Did you do that?

Arsham: Yes, but I did not buy a ticket for the bus which was available from the train agent. Instead I decided to buy one right on the bus. I did not want to leave a trail of my travels and risk being found out.

Ed: You must have been really nervous by now.

Arsham: Yes, of course. Plus, the bus ride took several hours. Plenty more time to worry about being caught. You know gay activism is punishable by death in Iran.

Ed: Yes.

Arsham: So anyway, I finally arrived at the train station at 5 am in the morning and discovered that the next train into Turkey was not until 7am. With limited money I had no choice but to wait in the station. It was a very anxious two hours. I remember crying quietly - to myself. I was sad to be leaving home. I was also very afraid - worried that I was being watched or about to be caught. This is why when I finally boarded the train and we were on our way that I can remember the exact moment it crossed the border. I was so relieved.

Ed: Were there any hurdles once you were on the train?

Arsham: Well they collect and check passports but traveling to Turkey from Iran is not illegal. So unless I was on some sort of police list, which there was a chance of, I thought I would be OK. I felt sure it would take some time before they could trace the internet interactions back to me so I felt by leaving quickly I was ahead of that. Still, I was scared.

Ed: No doubt. So when you arrived in Turkey your friend was able to help you?

Arsham: I kept a low profile while staying with him and I initiated the application for asylum with the UNHCR. I then got situated in a “safe house” a very small room that I eventually shared with two other gay men who joined me while they also waited to be granted asylum.

Ed: Can you talk a little about the asylum process?

Arsham: First you have to undergo several interviews to determine your eligibility. I mean they asked me everything. They had to verify that I was indeed a homosexual and not just pretending so I could get a chance to immigrate. Once it became clear that I was gay and would indeed face persecution in my country then the asylum process continued forward.

Ed: Did you have to wait a long time before being granted asylum?

Arsham: No I was pretty lucky. It took 13 months before I learned that Canada would grant me asylum. I still am not sure exactly why things ended up moving more quickly for me while many others must wait much longer than that.

Ed: Your story is courageous Arsham. I understand it is one of the stories featured in the documentary by Parvez Sharma called A Jihad for Love?

Arsham: Yes, A Jihad For Love is the world’s first documentary on gay, lesbian and transgender Muslims. The film has been screening at film festivals and symposiums such as Equality Forum. We are hoping for wider distribution. It will be in San Francisco at your International LGBT film festival in June 2008

Ed: Are you coming to San Francisco?

Arsham: Yes, I plan to.

Ed: Then we shall meet again I hope. For now can we take a picture together?

Arsahm: Of course.

Ed: Thanks for this interview and for adding your voice to our new play Rights of Passage.

Arsham: You’re welcome. See you in June. Now let’s snap that picture. Shall we do it with or without my new hat?

Ed: With.

Ed interviews queer Iranian--featured in new documentary--at Equality Forum

2008-05-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Top Ed with Malcom Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum; below Parvez Sharma filmmaker of A Jihad for Love and Arsham Parsi who is featured in the film and founder of the Iranian Queer Organization based in Toronto.

This was my first-time to Equality Forum’s week-long symposium featuring 34 panels, 14 parties and 15 special events. In my jam-packed four day visit I attended the Gays and Lesbian in the Muslim World, National Politics, National Legal & Is Queer the New Gay panels along with special workshops conducted by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation www.GLAAD.ORG and Amnesty International USA www.AMNESTYUSA.ORG. I also went to a screening of Parvez Sharma’s moving documentary A Jihad for Love www.AJIHADFORLOVE.COM and the International Equality Dinner where friend and former Ambassador Jim Hormel presented a special award to Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

At a breakfast meeting I interviewed Arsham Parsi who heads up the Iranian Queer Organization www.IRQO.NET based in Toronto. He spoke of his past experiences living in Iran, immigration to Canada, and answered many questions I had about the Law of Islamic Punishment for LGBT www.iran-bulletin.org/political_islam/punishmnt.html individuals in his home country. The interview combined with Arsham’s featured role in the film A Jihad For Love provided additional background for our planned LGBT in the Muslim world segment in Rights of Passage.

Equality Forum www.EqualityForum.ORG headquartered in Philadelphia is a international LGBT civil rights not-for-profit with an educational focus. For the past 16 years, this amazing organization has been producing the largest annual queer civil rights symposium, making documentary films, undertaking high impact political initiatives, and spearheading LGBT history projects.

Coming soon we’ll have a transcript of my interview with Arsham Parsi.

We're back from Ovett, Mississippi

2008-05-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Brent Cox of Mississippi ACLU speaks at LGBT Summit

It's hard to put into words the feelings we had after spending three days in rural Mississippi at the LGBT Activists and Allies Regional Summit at Camp Sister Spirit (http://www.campsisterspirit.com/401.html). For people like us who live in San Francisco it felt almost like a step back in time to the dark days when gay people in this country had almost no visibility. And what little visibility we had was anything but positive. On the other hand, to see the courage of the people who attended and their willingness to connect and move forward was exciting. There was a job to be done and they were seeking ways--tentatively and with little outside support--to "get er done". Here are some of the difficulties that were articulated:

isolation

limited resources

apathy

developing a critical mass/mobilizing

survival

failure to see the bigger picture

On the agenda were workshops by Brent Cox of Mississippi ACLU entitled "Queers Looking for Trouble", a presentation about the rise of HIV/AIDS in the state by Paul Overstreet and another on reproductive freedom/AIDS action by Shawna Davis and Valencia Robinson. Also in attendance were members of the University of Southern Mississippi Gay/Straight Alliance. Check out their video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZQ9JbTcWDI&feature=related.

The weekend culminated in a drag show in a pig barn on the property. Something like a dozen drag queens from all across the state performed for us, an audience of about fifty people that included the summit attendees, a group of witches (heterosexual) from the area and some assorted straight guys and even a couple of teenaged girls. The divas performed for tips only that were eagerly stuffed into their bras or hands as they performed and returned as a donation to the financially struggling Camp Sister Spirit. You know you've witnessed something special when an elderly straight women in the rural south dances up to a tall, skinny black drag queen and folds a dollar bill into her outstretched hand as the audience applauds and cheers. The weekend changed my thinking--which to be truthful consisted of half-hearted redneck and right wing religous stereotypes--about the deep south.

Overseeing it all was Andrea (Andie) Gibbs-Henson, guiding light of Camp Sister Spirit. In spite of the fact that her neighbors are somewhat more accepting of her and the camp now than in the past, it wasn't so long ago that harrassment, including the killing of a dog and bullet holes in her mailbox were all too common occurrences. Andie attributes the turnaround in thinking to her readiness to help--when the government was virtually a no-show--in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The camp contributed massive amounts of food to local residents who had been devastated by the storm and took in a group of Pentacostal women when the local Baptist churches would not.

Up next will be a report about our attendance at the Equality Forum in Philadelphia.

Trip to Mississippi

2008-03-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Back in December we made a trip to New York City and met with Boris Dittrich the Advocacy Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Program of Human Rights Watch. He very graciously allowed us to interview him about his work and we were able to expand our knowledge and gain a better sense of the complex issues surrounding LGBT issues at the international level. Next, our focus is closer to home--a trip to Mississippi, April 18th-20th to attend the LGBT/Allies Regional Summit. Representatives from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana are expected to attend to take part in discussions about working toward equality and a better life in the region. We are very excited to have been in touch with Andie Gibbs, Executive Director of Camp Sister Spirit Folk School and are looking forward to meeting her in person and hearing first hand what some of the human rights issues are here in the United States. To those of you that have something to say about the struggles of being gay in the South, we'd love to hear from you.

We want to hear from you

2008-03-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Rights of Passage (ROP) is a new blog and a project that we believe in very strongly and hope to see grow and mature over the next two years. ROP has a three-fold purpose:

to create a unique and compelling theatre piece about international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights
to add to the international community of voices working towards LGBT equality and provide a safe discussion space that crosses all borders and and reaches those isolated and in need of support
to create heightened awareness of the issues surrounding LGBT human rights around the world and help effect change

In subsequent posts we will expand on each of these areas. We invite your participation now with personal stories, ideas or pieces of relevant information you would like to share with our readers and fellow creators.

Thank you for your interest!