GoGuide Magazine March 2021 A&E Issue by GoGuide Iowa

2021 | Spring A&E Preview | Digital GoGuide

Conversations with Conversations withMark Mark Morris; Morris; Streaming Streaming Thursdays in March Thursdays in March @ Hancher.uiowa.edu photo by Beowulf Sheeha @ Hancher.uiowa.edu

Vol. 5; Issue 7 March 2021 Spring A& Preview GoGuideMagazine.com Facebook.com/ GoGuideMagazine Publisher & Executive Editor Tim Nedoba

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Photography GoGuide Media

Lead Columnist Erica Barz

Contributors Gregg Shapiro Erik Sosa DJ Doran

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READY. SET. PrEP. What if there were a pill that could help prevent HIV? THERE IS.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is a way to prevent people who do not have HIV from getting HIV, by taking one pill every day as prescribed. Find out if PrEP medication is right for you. Talk to your healthcare professional or find a provider at stophiviowa.org.

STOPHIVIOWA.ORG

319.930.9093

Here’s what we’re following online in March In 2022 PrEP will reach it’s 10th anniversary approval by the FDA to be used as a method to prevent the spread of HIV between sexually active partners. GoGuide Magazine conducted an interview with two leading experts from Iowa’s LGBTQ+ clinic located within the University of Iowa’s Hospitals and Clinics. Nicole Nisly, M.D. and Michelle Miller, PharmD, BCACP, Pharmacist, discussed10 years of PrEP and what it has meant to people at risk. We also talked about the doorway opening to total medical care because of PrEP and the role the Iowa Department of Public Health plays by informing the public on how to access the best medical care. The teature will appear online this month and in our April Digital Magazine. Visit PrEPIowa.org. Gay Travel Business Network Story: Hi My name is DJ Doran and I am the President/ CEO of Aequalitas Media, one of the largest LGBTQ+ owned media companies in the country. We publish (5) LGBTQ titles including Gaycation Magazine, own OUTvoices Radio the first internet based 24/7 LGBTQ+ talk radio station, OUTvoicesTV which produces original LGBTQ+ video content, the Aequalitas Content Creators Association and are one of the largest LGBTQ+ Print/Digital media placement agencies in the U.S. Read the unedited feature in our SCENE section at GoGuideMagazine.com. Reported in LGBTQ Nation, a study has revealed that gay, lesbian and bisexual people experience migraines 58 percent more often than straight people. But Ellen DeGeneres has an answer: gay Tylenol. In a commercial spoof posted to her show’s Instagram, DeGeneres revealed a new over-the-counter medicine designed specifically for queer headaches. But it’s definitely not for everyone.

An exclusive GoGuide interview with Olivia Newton John; p-23.

Pictured: ONJ & duaghter. Photo by Michelle Day.

Congresswoman Hinson votes NO on the equality act despite telling GoGuide Magazine last October that she supported equal rights for all, including the LGBTQ community. See the story inside. Pages 11-12.

Iowa State Senator Liz Mathis is a bright spot in the Iowa Legislator. She serves a large portion of Linn County, including Marion, Hiawatha, and parts of Cedar Rapids. Learn more about senator Mathis inside this issue. Pages 13-15.

Community Marketing surveyed the Black LGBTQ community. The results may surprise you? Pages 16-18.

Our Arts & Entertainment Section is in the spotlight this spring. Our special section begins on Page 19

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The Iowa constitution was crafted in the original Iowa Capitol Building which is now the centerpiece building on the campus of the University of Iowa. The Old Capitol is now home to the Old Capitol Museum.

The Lead

By Erica Barz | March 2021 We Belong Here Iowa has a new dubious distinction - most anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in the state legislature this year. It’s a painful development for LGBTQ Iowans, and it begs the question - why do our state’s elected officials hate us, and particularly our trans siblings, so much? It also begs another question - why do we live here? It’s a question I see asked and answered by many of my fellow LGBTQ Iowans. For many folks, the answer is simple - because we don’t have the resources to leave, but we’re out of here as soon as we do. While I understand the impulse to leave a state where our community consistently faces attacks on our basic rights and personhood, it’s never been an impulse for me. My family and friends are here. My queer community is here. My fiance and I recently bought a house that we love and are excited to one day raise our children in. Iowa is my home, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a few smug-faced ghouls in the Capitol tell me otherwise. Still, it’s easier to convince myself of this some days than others. I’m reminded of a recent column Lyz Lenz published in her excellent “Men Yell At Me” newsletter: “I don’t know why I keep waiting around for Iowans to say I belong. I belong. I have now lived here longer than I have lived anywhere else....And I don’t know who needs to hear this, but the place you are, it belongs to you, too.” As I’m writing this, we are just over a week away from the Iowa legislature’s first funnel deadline. This is a procedural deadline which dictates that a bill must get to a certain point in the legislative process or die without the possibility of becoming law this year. During the past few legislative sessions, most of the outlandish anti-LGBTQ legislation has died after this point due to LGBTQ Iowans and their allies raising their voices and telling the legislators who introduce this drivel to shove their hate where the sun doesn’t shine. It is critically important for LGBTQ Iowans, especially those who live outside of our state’s larger metro areas, to stay informed and hold our state legislators accountable. Vist One Iowa Action’s website at oneiowaaction.org to learn about the current status of anti-LGBTQ legislation and how you can best help. We belong here. If you need to leave for your own health and safety, I understand and won’t hold it against you. But I urge the folks who have made Iowa their permanent home to stay and fight back, because we can and have won this fight before. And we’ll do it as many times as it takes for the message to stick and to create an Iowa for all of us.

Erica Barz is GoGuide Magazine’s Lead Columnist. Please follow her at GoGuideMagazine.com. You can email Erica with comments at info@GoGuideMagazine.com. Editors note: This column was submitted before “funnel day.” submitted erica’s column before “funnel day.” However, the call to action is real.

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“Sound off” We want to hear from you

We want to hear from you! “Sound off” is GoGuide Magazine’s opportunity for you, the reader, to let us know what we’re doing right and what areas we could improve. It’s also an opportunity for you to help guide our editorial content in an upcoming issue. You’re input matters to us. The April issue is our annual “Best Places to Work” issue. We hope that all spring graduates can use the information to make informed career decisions. This is especially important this year with so many unemployed and looking for work in a soon-to-be post-COVID-19 pandemic world. You can email your suggestions to info@goguidemagazine.com or leave a comment on our webpage adjacent to this online post. Your input does matter. All responses will remain anonymous unless you note otherwise. You can us make this the most informative “Best Places to Work” issue in our history!

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Here’s how Iowa’s U.S. House of Representative voted on HR-5; The LGBTQ+ Equality Act: Hinson (R), Miller-Meeks (R), Randy Feenstra (R) all voted NO, and Iowa’s lone YES Vote came from Axne (D) Why these votes should matter to Iowan’s GoGuide Magazine March 2021 Compiled by Tim Nedoba

Washington, D.C.: The bill better known as the LGBTQ+ Equality Act passed the U.S. House of RepresentaKnow the Law in Iowa tives on February 25, 2021. However, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Our state motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain U.S. Senate. HR-5 Equality Act - This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation.

The “Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965” prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, and education.

Discrimination (different treatment) and harassment, is also illegal if based on • race • color • creed • national origin • religion • sex • sexual orientation • gender identity • pregnancy • physical disability • mental disability (excluding credit) • The bill expands the definition of public accomage (in employment and credit) • familial modations to include places or establishments status (in housing and credit) • marital that provide (1) exhibitions, recreation, exercise, status (in credit) amusement, gatherings, or displays; (2) goods, services, or programs; and (3) transportation services. The bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, according to the individual’s gender identity. Continued on next page

It’s assumed that anti-discrimination laws passed by individual states and municipalities already cover members of the LGBTQ+ community. This may be true in some states, but it is certainly not true everywhere. In Iowa, we’re lucky to have these protections already in place. However, twelve states allow discrimination against their LGBTQ+ peoples. For this reason alone, a YES vote should have been an easy choice for members of Congress.

Congresswoman Hinson

Oddly in Iowa, which has these protections coded in state law, seventy-five percent of our U.S. House Representatives deemed it necessary to vote NO on the HR-5 Equality Act.

So why does this matter? First, it appears that Iowa is not an LGBTQ+ friendly state, demonstrated by the three out of four Congress members voting NO. It also sends the image that our elected officials are influenced by religious conservatives and other groups that are not LGBTQ+ friendly. It’s also a concern that Congresswoman Hinson told GoGuide Magazine in a pre-general election special-issue last October that she opposes discrimination against all people, including people who identify as LGBTQ+. You can read the full interview here https://www.goguidemagazine. com/2020/10/14/2020-goguide-election-guide/. GoGuide has reached out to both the offices of Hinson and Miller-Meeks for a follow-up on their votes. At the time of this writing GoGuide has not heard back from either office.

The Hinson office did release a statement regarding her vote. However, it’s GoGuide’s feeling that she must better explain why she voted NO in Congress while encouraging LGBTQ+ Iowans to vote for here last November. GoGuide will continue to follow this story. GG

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A Wide-Ranging Discussion with Iowa State Senator Liz Mathis You will quickly see Senator Mathis is a genuine ally of Iowa’s LGBTQ+ Community. March 2021 GoGuide Magazine By Tim Nedoba

Hiawatha, IA - Democratic Senator Liz Mathis (District 34) recently spent almost 90 minutes speaking with GoGuide Magazine, covering a wide range of topics. Mathis was very forthcoming in her answers to our questions. All questions that were posed to the Senator were answered.

Many of us living in Eastern Iowa may know Liz Mathis as a news reporter and anchor. She made a significant name for herself in covering local and national news. She typically worked on the top-rated local news programs and was very well known for being a thorough reporter. In fact, on her Twitter account, she identifies herself as “Mom•Child Advocate•State Senator•Hey, weren’t

(Continued on next page)

you the news lady?” You can follow her on Twitter at @LizMathis1.

After she left her career as a news reporter, the Iowa Democratic Party quickly reached to her to see if she was interested in running for public office. Initially, it didn’t seem like the right time to run, she said. However, she did start to get involved in politics by attending committee meetings and other events to prepare herself for a possible future run.

The time to run for office finally did come. She told GoGuide once H.R. 5 was proposed, “I knew it was time for me to run.” H.R. 5 was the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa. The time finally came in 2011. Mathis, again recruited by the Iowa Democratic Party, chose to seek the senate seat vacated by Democrat Swati Dandekar. Mathis faced a very well-known Republican candidate in Linn County, Cindy Golding.

Mathis didn’t step into any old race for office; she decided to enter the most critical election of that year for Iowa Democrats and the LGBTQ+ community. The election was politically significant for the state, as the Republican Party controlled the Iowa governorship and General Assembly. The Democrats stood to lose their one-seat majority in the state Senate. However, Mathis won the election by 56 to 44 percent, maintaining the one-seat majority for the Democrats.

Liz Mathis is used to being in the spotlight. It’s been no different during her initial campaign and time in office. She not only shined, she easily won her first election, essentially saving Iowa from H.R. 5. Mathis co-chairs the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee. She also serves on Education, Commerce, Economic Growth, Human Resources, and full Appropriations committees. She is the legislative liaison to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Mathis also is the Chief Community Officer for child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks.

Mathis is a self-proclaimed socially liberal and is fiscally responsible. She sees herself as “working to stop the bad and promote the good.” Mathis was challenged for re-election in November 2012 by Ryan Flood, a libertarian Super PAC director, and financial services representative. She ran in the newly drawn 34th district. Mathis was elected with around 60 percent of the vote.

Mathis is committed to her district. She works very hard and takes the time to get input from everyone. District 34 is primarily an urban district. She represents Robins, Marion, Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Bertram, Ely, and southern Linn County. Mathis describes Iowa Senate District 34 as having a very politically and issue-active LGBTQ+ community. Right now, her focus is on her next senate run and the people of her district. However, don’t be surprised if the Iowa Democratic Party reaches out to Senator Mathis again to run for even higher office. If the situation is right, she will give it serious consideration, just like all the opportunities presented to her in the past, she told GoGuide Magazine. The final question posed, what is the best way to describe yourself as a Senator? She quickly replied, “equality, equality, equality!” As the title of this interview states and is worth repeating, Senator Mathis is a genuine ally of Iowa’s LGBTQ+ communities, friends, families, and supporters. GG

Black LGBTQ Community Survey Executive Summary What does it mean to be black & gay in America March 2021 GoGuide Magazine Compiled by Tim Nedoba

Community Marking and Insights along with Centers

for Black Equity recently reached out to the black community to survey opinions on several topics as well as build a demographic profile of what it means to be gay and black in American.

GoGuide has compiled a sample overview of the study in order to give a sample of the study findings. A link to the complete study can be found at the end of this article. This topic is often conflicting. In fact, it’s often referred to as black men that have sex with men rather than identify as gay or bi-sexual. There still is a significant amount of discrimination against gay people within the black community.

Why is this important? The black community has one of the highest rates of HIV transmission, and access to good healthcare blocks testing and treatment for many of those infected. Adherence to anti-virals is also an issue. David Paisley, Research Director at CMI emphasized that the survey included health questions and asked about 18 potential health concerns. “For Black gay and bisexual men, HIV was the most important health concern, along with mental health and COVID-19. In CMI research, we see a strong association with HIV concerns and mental health, especially with younger men. Preventing HIV and living with HIV is complex, involving many other issues like a person’s sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, substance use and for many depression.”

Further, Earl Fowlkes Jr. the Presedent of the Center for Black Equity said, “I have witnessed the devastating impact of HIV Disease among Black Gay and Bisexual men for the past thirty years. At first, we were told we could not get HIV disease. When that myth was dispelled, prevention and care resources dried up to provide the much-needed services, especially in the South. While the number of Black gay and bisexual men who test positive for HIV disease is lower today, we still make up a high disproportionate number of those who become infected compared to the size of our population.”

Summary of Findings LGBTQ Pride

92% of survey participants feel pride in being an LGBTQ person. Very view disagree with the statement, “I feel Pride in being an LGBTQ person.”

Cannot Be Their Full LGBTQ Selves

While Black LGBTQ participants feel pride in being an LGBTQ person, many cannot be fully themselves at work, school, or in their neighborhood. Only 49% definitely agree that they can be themselves at school and work, and 47% definitely agree they can be themselves in their neighborhood. Overall, cisgender Black lesbian appear to experience greater acceptance than gay men and bisexual participants. Transgender and nonbinary participants report the least acceptance in the workplace, school, and their neighborhoods.

Some Disconnect with LGBTQ Organizations

When participants were asked if they feel connected to LGBTQ social or political organizations, only 29% definitely agreed and 36% somewhat agreed. These percentages point to a need for all LGBTQ organizations to be more representative and inclusive of the Black LGBTQ community, and to work towards addressing concerns that are specific to the community.

Being Out in Their Family

78% of participants felt at least somewhat accepted by their parents as an LGBTQ person. However, only 42% felt entirely accepted by their parents. There is a much higher level of acceptance among siblings (59% fully accepted). For participants who identify as transgender or non-binary, there is much less acceptance among family members. For example, parents were fully accepting of 45% of the cisgender survey participants vs. only 25% of the transgender and non-binary participants.

Black Lives Matter Protests and Engagement

75% of all Black LGBTQ study participants were involved in some type of Black Lives Matter protest or engagement. In general, younger community members were more engaged in activities, especially marches and protests.

Discrimination from Within the LGBTQ Community

Just under half of the participants (47%) reported racial discrimination or prejudice from within the LGBTQ community during the past three years. The most common was during dating or in bars and nightclubs serving the community.

Being Out in Their Family

Experiencing Homelessness Online surveys are unlikely to attract community members currently experiencing homelessness. What is concerning is the very high percentage of Black LGBTQ community members in this survey (31%) who had experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, especially among transgender and non-binary participants (44%). Other studies have examined the large percentage of homeless youth who identify as LGBTQ. This data appears to confirm that LGBTQ people have far too much personal experience with homelessness at some point in their life. SURVEY DESIGN & INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE The question set was developed by Community Marketing & Insights (CMI), the Center for Black Equity, the four research partners, and several of the Black LGBTQ media partners. Invitations were sent to Black / African American members of CMI’s LGBTQ research panel and readers/supporters of approximately 60 media, organizations, events and thought leaders who serve the Black LGBTQ community. Invitations were distributed by email, social media posts, and banner advertising depending on the media/ organization. A total of 1,815 Black LGBTQ adults in the United States completed a 15-minute online survey between September 21 and October 30, 2020. Overall, 46% of participants came from the CMI LGBTQ research panel and 54% from media and organizations. See the next two slides for participating community organizations. Because the project has little control over media outreach response, we do not profess that the results are fully representative of the entire Black LGBTQ community. Instead, these results are a large sample of Black LGBTQ community members who interact with LGBTQ media, organizations, events, and cultures. CMI views these results as most helpful to marketers and organizations that want to reach the community through LGBTQ advertising, marketing, and/or sponsorship outreach. More than likely, the sample overrepresents for people who are fully or mostly out, LGBTQ community members with higher levels of education, and residents of urban areas. More than likely, the sample underrepresents community members who are not “out,” community members who identify as bisexual, people with lower incomes, older community members, and those with lower levels of education. Regardless, the overall sample is quite large and diverse. The complete study results can be found at https://www.cmi.info/documents/ temp/LGBTQ_Black-LGBTQ-Community-Survey_2020-2021.pdf

Our Arts & Entertainment Section is in the spotlight this spring

Streaming events, Live Performances, Music, Cinema, Reading, Celebrity Interviews and More!

Hancher announces online events for March and April GoGuide Magazine March 2021 Special to GoGuide Magazine

Iowa City, IA - The University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium will present online a collection of free or low cost conversations and performances during March and April. Full event and ticket/registration information is available at the Hancher website (www.hancher.uiowa.edu). First up is a series of conversations between famed choreographer Mark Morris and three of his creative peers. Over three consecutive Thursdays beginning on March 4 at 7:30 pm, Morris will talk with director Peter Sellars, composer Nico Muhly, and chef Alice Walker. The conversations will be moderated by journalist Paula Zahn. All three presentations are free; participants must register at the Hancher website.

photo by Beowulf Sheeha

Over the course of six consecutive Wednesdays beginning on March 24 at 7 pm, Jazz at Lincoln Center will present United We Swing: Jazz and American History. Drawn from the organization’s robust Swing University project, these presentations will trace the history of jazz and the ways it is intertwined with democracy. The conversations build on the themes of Wynton Marsalis’ The Democracy! Suite, which Hancher premiered online in Oct. 2020. All six presentations are free; participants must register at the Hancher website.

The Pacifica Quartet and Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, will perform a concert specifically created for Hancher audiences on Tuesday, March 30 at 7:30 pm. The concert will include music by Johannes Brahms and Joaquín Turina. The quartet will also perform Shulamit Ran’s Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory, which was co-commissioned by Hancher via the Music

Accord consortium. Tickets for the online performance are $5.

The concert is a collaboration with the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program, funded in part by the Ida Cordelia Beam Visiting Professorships Program. On Thursday, April 1, Anthony McGill will be joined in conversation with Micah Ariel James, Hancher’s Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement, to talk about the artist’s commitment to social justice. Registration for this free event will be available soon. On Thursday, April 29 at 7:30 pm, violinist and composer Layale Chaker and her ensemble Sarafand will perform music from her acclaimed album Inner Rhyme as well as new music performed for the first time in this concert created for Hancher audiences. Chaker will also be joined by her husband Kinan Azmeh. Both Chaker and Azmeh were part of Hancher’s Embracing Complexity project which focused on Islamic art and Muslim artists or artists from Muslim-majority countries. Tickets for the online performance are $5. Hancher’s partners and donors have made it possible for the organization to present these performances at no cost or for reduced prices.

Registration and tickets are available at the Hancher website (www.hancher.uiowa.edu). The Hancher Box Office is not currently able to take orders via phone or at the counter. Donations to support Hancher’s ongoing work can also be made at the website as part of the registration/ticket process or separately.

Schedule:

Conversations with Mark Morris

Three consecutive Thursdays beginning March 4

United We Swing: Jazz and American History Six consecutive Wednesdays beginning March 24

Pacifica Quartet and Anthony McGill, clarinet Tuesday, March 30

Layale Chaker & Sarafand with special guest Kinan Azmeh Thursday, April 29

It’s our time. Let’s make it happen this year, Coralville!

Coralville PrideFest Sunday, September 5 Still Needed: Sponsors, vendors, location suggestions, and site-sponsor(s) Thank you to Hawkeye Title and Settlement for your sponsorship and seed money allowing us to continue the planning process

Visit Facebook.com/CoralvillePride or email us at tim@romllc.us for more information. Coralville PrideFest is an exclusive production ROMLLC Events.

She’s still the one that we want: An interview with Olivia Newton-John By Gregg Shapiro March 2021 Special to GoGuide Magazine

Now in her seventh decade as an entertainer, Olivia Newton-John has

proven herself to be a versatile artist. First, of course, as a five-time Grammy Award-wining singer. Then as an actor in the wildly successful movie adaptation of the musical Grease, as well as the camp classic Xanadu (directed by Gene Kelly!). She also displayed her serious acting side AIDS drama It’s My Party, which reteamed her with Grease director Randal Kleiser. Olivia also made her mark as a writer with her 2018 memoir Don’t Stop Believing, newly available in a paperback edition.

More recently, Olivia returned to her first love of singing, teaming up with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi (from her first marriage to actor Matt Lattanzi) for the bestselling single “Window in the Wall.” Olivia was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Gregg Shapiro: Olivia, I’d like to begin by congratulating you on the success of “Window in the Wall,” your duet with your daughter Chloe Lattanzi which hit #1 on its release date (January 22, 2021) on the iTunes Pop music video chart. What does such an accomplishment mean to you? Olivia Newton-John: I’m just thrilled that the song resonated, because I had no plans to record and I didn’t go out of my way to look for a song to record. This song came to me and it had purpose. This lovely woman who I’d met at a health clinic a few years ago and whom I didn’t know very well, wrote me and said, “I had this calling and I know that you should record this song. My cousin wrote it…” And, of course, when you hear that my ears went uh-oh! This is family, so how good can it be? The song came on and it was beautiful. It made me cry and it touched something in me. I just had this knowing

that I had to record it. That’s what I did! The first person I thought of was Chloe, because it was so personal. GS: Are there more duets with Chloe in the works? ONJ: Could be! We’re talking about something. It’s still in the talking phase, but, yeah, we have a fun idea. Nothing I can tell you yet though [big laugh]. GS: You have a history of duets, including “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights” from Grease sung with John Travolta and “Suddenly” from Xanadu sung with Cliff Richard. What do you enjoy most about the process of singing a duet? ONJ: I love harmonizing. I’ve always done that, according to my parents, since I was a little girl. I would always sing harmonies to songs I heard. It was just lucky for me that I was able to do that. I love to do that. I enjoy that and I enjoy bouncing off somebody else, rather than just being the only person there. It’s fun to exchange energy when you’re singing. I’ve had some wonderful singing partners. I learned so much from Cliff (Richard) because he had me on his show. Then I was a double act with Pat Carroll for many years: Pat and Olivia. I’ve always loved that part of performing, and you get a chance to work with all these amazing people. GS: “Window in the Wall” was co-written by a trio of Nashville-area songwriters (Tom Paden, Eddie Kilgallon and Tajci Cameron) which reminded me that your earliest career hit singles were contemporary country tunes, including “Let Me Be There,” for which you received the 1973 Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy. Can you please say something about your attraction to that style of music? ONJ: It’s really interesting because I never thought of myself as a country artist. My manager at the time, Peter Gormley, had managed Frank Ifield, who was a country star, an Aussie guy. He thought my voice really suited that kind of music. I thought of myself as a big

balladeer [big laugh]. But really, I started out singing folk music. That was my entrance into singing. Singing folk music, Joan Baez and those songs. They brought those (country) songs to me. I wasn’t even sure I liked “If Not For You.” Of course, I’ve learned to love it. It’s my husband’s favorite song. Isn’t that amazing! Initially, it was really the idea of my producers, that style for me. GS: One of your biggest solo hit singles, “I Honestly Love You,” was written by Peter Allen, a gay man. The music video for “Physical” oozes gay subtext. ONJ: [Laughs] GS: Both Grease and Xanadu are musicals with strong queer appeal, and It’s My Party and Sordid Lives, are more directly gay films. Do you remember when you first became aware of having a gay following and what does that LGBTQ following mean to you? ONJ: I just think of gay people as people [laughs]. I have had a wonderfully strong gay following and I’m very grateful for that because I feel they’re very loyal fans and very sweet. I’ve always enjoyed the company of gay people. I think they’re so much fun. One of my best friends, Gregg Cave, who runs Gaia (Resort and Spa) is gay and he was my mother’s friend also. It’s just natural to me. They’re funny people; I don’t know why that’s so [laughs]. I like that. I like to be able to laugh a lot. GS: Your 2018 memoir Don’t Stop Believing was just released in a paperback edition with a new foreword. Why was this the right time to tell your story? ONJ: The truth is that they were going to make a movie about my life in Australia. I didn’t really know how accurate it was going to be. I thought I better write my version because I don’t know what

they’re going to say. It turns out that they did quite a nice job. Delta Goodrum did a wonderful job of playing me, I thought. That’s really what spurred it to be. Then I thought, “This is quite interesting!” It’s made me remember a lot of things I hadn’t thought about and a lot of things since then, too. That was really the instigation. It wasn’t the perfect time or the right time, it was just that I wanted to write it so that the record was straight [laughs].

Listen for yourself: “Window in the Wall”

https://youtu.be/VmW-wumdBV4

Gregg Shapiro is the author of seven books including the expanded edition of his short story collection How to Whistle (Rattling Good Yarns Press, 2021). Recent anthology publications include This Is What America Looks Like (Washington Writer Publishing House, 2021) and Sweeter Voices Still: An LGBTQ Anthology From Middle America (Belt Publishing, 2021). An entertainment journalist, whose interviews and reviews run in a variety of regional LGBTQ+ and mainstream publications and websites, Shapiro lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his husband Rick and their dog Coco.

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Our March Reading List

IOWA STAGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS VIRTUAL SEASON: Three shows to be streamed from Broadway On Demand Platform March 2021 Special to GoGuide Magazine

Iowa Stage Theatre Company, central Iowa’s home for award-winning theater that inspires, enlightens and entertains, is announcing a three-show virtual season in the spring of 2021. Three shows will be presented on the streaming platform Broadway On Demand. They are:

Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield is the story of the relationship between two women that spans love, children, skydiving and illness, told in a creative and fluid style that keeps the audience guessing. The Agitators by Mat Smart tells the story of the decades long friendship between Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, their partnership and falling out. Exit Strategy by Ike Holter looks at the faculty and staff of an inner-city high school as they fight the system and each other to keep it open.

“These are three shows that come from the cutting edge of great theater writing,” says ISTC’s Artistic Director Matthew McIver. “They look at issues of racial injustice, economic disparity, and the lives of LBTQ+ Americans. They look at America from the 19th Century to 2030. They are funny, passionate, moving and exciting.”

Tanya Barfield is an award-winning playwright and the co-director of Julliard’s American Playwright’s program. Also a performer and television writer, she has shared a WGA award for her work on The Americans. Mat Smart has written 25 full-length plays that have been produced around the country. And Ike Holter has written the 7-play Rightlynd saga, of which Exit Strategy is a part, and is currently developing a television series about Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor.

April is our annual “Best Places to Work” issue. It’s one of the most popular subjects of the year. It will be available online on April 5th at GoGuideMagazine.com and issuu. com/goguideiowacity. Don’t miss out! For advertising information, contact GoGuide Magazine at tim@romllc.us. If you’re looking for great people to hire, the best place to reach them is at GoGuide Magazine!

All three shows will be produced digitally and will be available on Broadway On Demand, both individually and as a three-show package. More information will be available at Iowa Stage Theatre Company’s website, www.iowastage.org

“In the ongoing pandemic Iowa Stage Theatre is continually growing to find new ways to share the greatest stories ever put onstage,” said McIver. “With the help of our patrons, sponsors and Resident Artist Company, we are excited to present this spring season for audiences in Iowa and beyond.”

Show Dates Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield

March 5-14, 2021

The Agitators by Mat Smart

April 16-25, 2021

Exit Strategy by Ike Holter

May 21-30, 2021

For ticketing information and more go to https://www.iowastage.org/ season

Iowa Stage Theatre Company, founded in 2017, is a professional theater company in central Iowa that creates high-quality audience experiences of the greatest stories ever told onstage, from the classics to the cutting edge. Led by Artistic Director Matthew McIver, our Resident Artist Company works to transform Iowa, its citizens, and arts community by producing truthful, relevant, and intimate theatre that inspires, enlightens, and entertains.

LGBTQ+ Travel is ready to take off! Gay Travel Business Network Story

March 2021 Special to GoGuide Magazine By DJ Doran | president/CEO Aequalitas Media | aequalitasmedia.com Edited for for space by Tim Nedoba | complete unedited verstion available at GoGuideMagazine.com

AeQualitas Media publishes five LGBTQ titles, including Gaycation Magazine, own OUTvoices Radio, OUTvoicesTV. AeQualitas Media is also one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ Print/Digital media placement agencies in the United States.

Now that you know a bit about the company, It’s time to share the story of how the Gay Travel Business Network came to be and what it is. Like many others in the Gay travel space, Doran attended industry-related conferences hoping that the networking events would lead to new business. Yet, time and time again, he would leave those conferences refreshed by meeting old friends and new peers during the networking sessions. Still, I rarely saw any new business generated as a result.

Doran would spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to fly one or two others from the company to the host city, stay at the host hotel and pay the conference attendance fees. Add the food costs, the alcohol costs, the ground transportation costs, the shipping costs (if we were going to bring marketing materials), etc.… and easily spent, well a lot of money, with not much, if any new business booked. A couple of years ago, Doran began attending the Connect Travel conferences at their invitation, especially their THRIVE conference. The company liked their format of CVB’s and DMO’s booking appointments with event planners to explore potential opportunities to do business with each other. During the (2) day conference, we would have 25-30 appointments a day to chat with the representatives of these CVB’s and destinations about how to market

to and attract LGBTQ+ conferences and travelers. During these meetings, I was surprised at how many understood the value and importance of attracting the LGBTQ+ market. Still, I was more astonished at how little they knew how to do it.

Doran recalls one conversation where a pair of reps from a specific destination point blank told him that they had an LGBTQ+ marketing budget but that it went primarily unused year after year because they did not know where or how to place it effectively. Doran left that conference and immediately recognized a gap between organizations that wanted to reach the LGBTQ+ market and the LGBTQ+ market, so we began to ask more questions. The idea of the Gay Travel Business Network took shape. Fast forward to the THRIVE Conference in Orlando in 2020. I was invited to host my podcast during the conference. While there, a friend of mine and LGBTQ+ Travel luminary Ed Salvato was a speaker. After one of the conference sessions, we met, and I shared my idea for the Gay Travel Business Network, and he loved it. We discussed it over dinner for hours and ruminated about what this new organization would look like and how it could be different from anything currently being produced? We both agreed that the GTBN would have to be completely different in its approach and deliver measurable and tangible benefits. It would also have to be an active advocate for driving new business and increasing revenue for its members to be attractive to potential members, so we came up with a plan and framework for this new B2B organization. Once we had the framework of the GTBN in place, I began to pitch it to a few connections. I was taken aback at how receptive and enthusiastic they were about the idea. Within a few weeks of forming the new organization, we had ten members. I quickly realized that we had created something that filled a void in the LGBTQ+ travel B2B space. Now almost three months since we took an idea to a reality, we have formed a Board of Directors made up of some of the best and brightest in LGBTQ+ travel led by Executive Director Ed Salvato and have 15 new members in the queue with many more interested in learning how their destinations, organizations or businesses can benefit from membership. By its very name, the Gay Travel Business Network is an organization that connects businesses to other businesses wishing to explore opportunities to work together. We will share information, offer support and guidance to each other and most importantly, help each other drive business to ourselves and other members through introductions or referrals.

I like to use the quote “A rising tide lifts all boats” as an example of the core value of the Gay Travel Business Network. This new organization will help connect,

educate and support all of its members to ALL benefit together. I will give a shining example of what that looks like in real terms. Recently one of the founding members, Cedar Rapids Tourism and their Director of Meeting and Conventions Julie Stow told me that she had been trying to get a sizeable LGBTQ+ organization to consider Cedar Rapids a conference destination but with little success.

The GTBN reached out to this organization and told them how this progressive Midwest city and the Cedar Rapids tourism team are leading the way in attracting new business and leisure LGBTQ+ travel. It would be worth their consideration. Within a few days, the president of that organization called Julie and is now booked to tour the city and include them in the RFO for one of their conferences. This, in essence, is the core of what The Gay Travel Business Network is—connecting, supporting, encouraging, and doing in the name of driving business opportunities. “The Gay Business Travel Network has been an invaluable resource to connect our destination with associations within the LGBTQ+ community and were instrumental in helping us book their business.” says Julie Stow, Director of Meetings and Conventions for Cedar Rapids Tourism. “The benefits far outweigh the cost, and Cedar Rapids is proud to be included as one of the founding members!”

Photo from Cedar Rapids CVB

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IOWA CITY SCENE

Photo display by GoGuide Media. GGM took pictures of downtown Iowa City in late February.