John McCusker died on Sunday of heart failure. He owned Club Montage and Rebar (both night spots popular with gays). Because of his ownership of these clubs, he has been denied funeral rites by San Diego’s Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Brom. Bishop Robert Brom decided none of the Catholic churches in San Diego or Imperial counties could provide funeral rites for him. Chancellor Rodrigo Valdivia said the Church’s decision was based on his invovlement in the business of adult entertainment and not on his sexual orientation. A memorial service for John was held at an Episcopal church.

I can’t seem to find any information on John’s involvement with “adult entertainment.” I know he owned two bars, but that’s all I can find. Are gay bars considered adult entertainment? Are all bars? If bars are adult entertainment, Bishop Robert Brom is going to be denying funeral rites to a lot of people.

Lets assume for a second that he was involved in actual adult entertainment because he may have been; I have no way of knowing for sure. Are those who work in adult entertainment (porn stars, porn directors, strippers, etc.) normally denied funeral rites by the Catholic church? I don’t think so. I’m not buying any of this.

On a more personal note, I told my parents about this story and they said “egh.” That about sums up the opinion of my Catholic family. Family is great. You can always count on them to be on your side.

This is my last post on death for the day (and hopefully longer). I promise.

Wanda Alston, acting director of Washington Mayor Anthony Williams’ Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, passed away on Wednesday.

There will be a funeral service (open to the public) on Monday, March 21. Time and location can be found here.

Wanda, you will be missed.

A rule before the State Board of Education of Georgia proposes that students be required to get written permission from parents before they are allowed to take part in any school-related club or after-school activity. Yep, this includes joining LGBT clubs.

Mom, Dad, I need a group of people to talk to about how I fear you will disown me when I come out. Can you sign this form?

What?

read more

It’s good to see that independent queer presses are alive and well - I just got the following announcement:

Blithe House Quarterly invites you to browse its Spring 2005 edition (Volume 9, Number 2) featuring new short stories by:

Stephani Maari Booker
Kim Brauer
Alfred Corn
Gina Frangello
Eloise Holland
Vincent Kovar
John L’Ecuyer
Skian Mcguire
Kei Miller
and Royston Tester

edited by Cheryl E. Klein and Chip Livingston
executive editor and publisher: Aldo Alvarez

Blithe House Quarterly was featured in the January 2005 New York Times article on the literary magazine boom and is a winner of the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s Internet Guide Award.

Reading is good.

A night of cutting-edge fiction and poetry from young transgender writers challenging the boundaries of gender and artistic expression. Your genderscape may never be the same again!

March 24, 7 pm
The Slipper Room
Sponsored by Bluestockings Books
167 Orchard Street
New York, NY
212 253 7246

Featuring:

Tennessee Jones (southern ex-punk with high pompadour whose first book, Deliver Me From Nowhere, explores the sex and gender badlands of Middle America through the prism of Bruce Springsteen’s album Nebraska.)

Charlie Anders (author of Choir Boy, a bittersweet and surreal story of a choirboy who takes female hormones to keep his voice from changing and discovers a world of gender confusion. Charlie also publishes other, the magazine of pop and politics for the new outcasts.)

Carolyn Connelly is a high femme metal head whose zine, A Brooklyn Diary, includes tales of growing up queer and working class in Brooklyn, and hanging out with Metallica when they actually mattered.

When: Saturday March 19th doors open @ 10pm

Where: Sal’s on 12th Street (200 South 12th Street between Walnut and Locust) Philadephia

Why: Because you can get your groove on and still go home smelling great!

What: DJs Dirty Kitten spinning 80’s/top 40/hip-hop on the smoke free second
level and the first floor smoking sounds lounge featuring LotSix

Cover/Age: $5 and 21 years +

more details

Get Lucky

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Doors: 8:30, Show 9:00 SHARP— $7 — All Ages

William Way Community Center, 1315 Spruce Street, Philly

More than half of door to benefit William Way Community Center!!

SPECIAL GUESTS: The New York Drag Squad and Kelli Dunham, Power Comedian