'MO - May 2008 - (Page 8)

community twosome. I felt included, not separate from the lovebirds. A new woman entered my life last year. We would run into each other frequently while walking in the neighborhood, me with my dog, she sometimes with a male friend or alone coming home from the grocery. I especially liked her laugh and playful manner. When things went awry in my personal life last summer, she and a friend invited me onto her sunny patio for a glass of wine. Then I didn’t see Diane again until late January. I learned she broke her leg several months earlier and had been homebound. We agreed to meet up for dinner the other evening. Dressed in a handsome knee-length blue wool coat with her curled blonde hair and exuberant smile, she said for the ﬁrst time she’d felt she could wear a shoe with a heel and comfortably walk, not hobble. While we waited to be seated for dinner I learned she was a Long Island native. I conﬁded in her my own Cleveland roots, and the conversation wound its way through experiences with Catholicism, leaving our hometowns, and marriage. By that time we took our seats at Quinn’s and the riotous laughter continued through the delectable foie gras and Portuguese sausage and beans. We imbibed little more than fruit juice, but had a great time. There’s nothing I enjoy more than chatting with smart, articulate, and attractive women. Even though I’m drawn to men, there’s something about the softer sex, probably their emotional lives, that pulls me in. I’m honored when they take my arm during a walk, or allow me to put my arm around their shoulders in a show of affection. Maybe human beings, male or female, just appreciate feeling noticed. We looked through the window at a crowd gathering outside for a concert at Moe’s across the street. I conﬁded in her that growing up in Cleveland I hardly listened to any rock n roll. My early childhood inﬂuences, I embarrassedly admitted, were The Carpenters and John Denver. Then I made a ﬂeeting reference to John Cougar Mellencamp, recently inducted, along with Madonna, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The subject veered to our names and whether we liked them. This Jack and Diane were just getting started. Jack is a freelance writer and long-time seattle resident. he and his dog Meggie make their home on capitol hill. Voices My Post Will & Grace Life by Jack hilovsky Many gay men enjoy having a coterie of women in their company, especially when they go out to nightclubs. Other gay men practically avoid having relationships with women all together. In my own life, I’ve struck a happy balance between avoiding the “fag hag” syndrome, and cultivating several women whose company I enjoy and friendship I savor. In the last year two of my close women friends entered into partnerships. Sarah married in October. We had known each other since studying dance in our twenties, experienced the ins and outs of hot new romance and failed relationships, and always stood by each other through the thick and thin of our lives. Michelle and I met in graduate school in the early ’90s then for work followed each other to Washington, D.C., and back to Seattle. Michelle met her partner the summer before last, then moved in with her in 2007. Ensconced in Greenlake the two moms are raising two little Chinese girls. While I’m happy for my friends in their new incarnations, we see and speak with each other less than before. Sarah and her husband are newlyweds with demanding jobs. Michelle has her hands full with her family and her own freelance work. I remember how my own relationship took priority sometimes over my friendships. Still then and now we try to stay in touch with phone calls. One night in February Sarah and her husband took me out to dinner at an Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill. Over wine and good food we talked about politics, work, and travel. I enjoyed the camaraderie, which didn’t feel that much different than when Sarah and I were a friendly instant actiVist American Family Outing by steve truman Between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year, Soulforce, the National Black Justice Coalition, COLAGE and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches will be sending families from around the country to create meaningful conversations with six of America’s largest mega-churches. This is a unique opportunity for many of these families to meet each other face to face and see that we’re not so different after all. The goal is to demonstrate commonalities in the areas of faith, family and human compassion. To learn more about the American Family Outing or to sponsor an outreach family, surf to www.soulforce.org.            8 celebrating seattle’s gay community http://www.soulforce.org http://www.cabinetrends.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of 'MO - May 2008

'MO - May 2008 Contents Letter From the Editor Voices Instant Activist Pet Project 'mo-BIZ: SeattleMeds Pharmacy 'mo-Money: The Federal Reserve 'mo Magazine Interview with Will & Grace Star Leslie Jordan Form & Function: Better Legs By Summer Healthy Alternatives Vancouver: Heading North in Rail Time Book Review: Where Are You Now? By Mary Higgins Clark Seattle International Film Festival Preview Capitol Hill Guide SceneOut: People@Places 'mo-Single Q&A

'MO - May 2008

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