'MO - November 2008 - (Page 8)

community Click here to comment on these stories. VOICES Uncovering a Secret Love By Jack Hilovsky A common question asked of all children is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a five year old I see myself reciting from memory Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in front of bedazzled company and my parents. With no embarrassment or sense of hesitation, I jumped into the role of storyteller to their and my ultimate delight. I remember later, precocious and ten years old, watching the hit ’70s television show The Waltons and identifying with oldest son and writer, John Boy. At the end of every episode he had the last word on his family and their experience growing up and living in Appalachia during the Great Depression. As I approached my teenage years I became involved with a children’s theatre and discovered the stage. I played countless characters in childhood tales such as The Emperor Has No Clothes, The Wizard Of Oz, Snow White, and Alice in Wonderland. Later I followed with active involvement in high school musicals. But I never really felt encouraged by teachers or my parents to pursue acting as a career. And I had a deep down suspicion my talents lie in communicating on the page rather than on the stage. Hence my odd yet empathic connection with John Boy Walton. My love of words extended beyond the written page to encompass the world of music. I sang in a children’s choir in Cleveland. After the high school musicals, I joined the university chorale in college. And I’ve performed with a church gospel choir and the Seattle Men’s Chorus over the past decade. Yet if those fascinated guests of my parents had asked, “Would you like to be a singer when you grow up?” I’m unsure I’d have had the self-knowledge to respond immediately in the affirmative. As the number of gay bars in Seattle continues to ﬂuctuate, I gravitate less toward places with loud music, primarily because I cannot enjoy a conversation. My interest in singing has led me to a little piano bar called Martin’s Off Madison. There on a Thursday or Friday evening, I’ve discovered a like-minded coterie of singers and musicians who also have a desire to express themselves through music. Some are middle-aged, some are older. But each and every one of us takes the courageous step to stand up and sing. One time a friend, celebrating his 40th birthday at an invitation-only dinner recep- tion, had the audacity to introduce me to the group as his friend Jack, the columnist. I later told him how pleasantly stunned I was, considering how I didn’t view my writing as widely read, or celebrated, and certainly didn’t make my living putting pen to paper. Yet lately I cannot get out of my mind that I am Jack the singer. I’ve sung for a lifetime and yet rarely stepped out from behind my own shadow to share that gift with others. Now the desire is so strong that I can’t ignore it. And even better, the standards I’ve begun falling in love with I’ve discovered I finally have the emotional range to sing. I’ve uncovered the nuance behind the lyrics. My twentyfive-year-old self could never have offered the same level of interpretation. So while this ’mo issue is centered on travel and leaving home, this fall I’m discovering the true freedom of giving myself permission to explore another aspect of identity, a tourist in my own town, seeing things anew. It’s a hopeful stepping off point, one I encourage anyone with a hidden, secret love to examine. Jack is a freelance writer and longtime Seattle resident who makes his home on Capitol Hill. COMMUNITY EVENT INSTANT ACTIVIST Election ’08: What Really Happened Last spring, University of Washington professors David Domke and Mark Smith made bold presidential predictions during the widely popular Faith & Finance series. Now it’s time to find out what these experts say about the 2008 election and what really happened. The University’s premier lecture program, the Fall 2008 Provost Distinguished Lecture is Nov. 13 from 7–9 p.m. in Kane Hall, Room, 130, on the UW Seattle campus. Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Eavesdrop on Professors Domke and Smith as they discuss the election like old friends. With the nation’s first African American to receive a major-party nomination on one side of the ticket and a decorated war hero on the other, the 2008 election is sure to deliver drama and unexpected twists throughout the historic campaign. Just nine days after the election, the Office of the Provost and the UW Alumni Association present two renowned UW professors in a lively discussion of how 2008 paralleled other elections in the inﬂuence of voters’ party affiliations, religious preferences and economic circumstances. Domke and Smith will also examine factors such as race, gender and the complex political climate that made this election truly unique. For more information and to register online, visit UWalum.com or call the UW Alumni Association at 206-543-0540 or 1-800-AUW-ALUM. 8 Where To Spend Your 65 Billion Dollars By Steve Truman LGBT tourism generates more than 65 billion dollars in business and yet some countries just don’t seem to want any of it. As Americans, we are often able to travel safely inside countries with horrific human-rights records. Some of them even have gay bars. However, we should be aware that by giving countries like the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Egypt, Russia and Poland a cut of our 65 billion in travel dollars, we are essentially funding regimes of prejudice and bigotry. This year, travel wisely. Try the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil or Australia—none of whom require us to check our rights at the border. celebrating seattle’s gay community http://www.UWalum.com

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

'MO - November 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor Voices Elections '08: What Really Happened Instant Activist Pet Project Legally Speaking: Estate Planning 'mo-BIZ: Thinking Cap Communications & Design, Inc. Whistler-Blackcomb's Peak 2 Peak Gondola Form & Function: Stay Up on the Downhill: Glutes & Legs Gay City Health Project: 10 Tips for Safe and Healthy Travel Head for the Hills: The Top 4 Gay Ski Weeks in North America Book Review: Waiter Rant Book Review: The Transgender Child Capitol Hill Guide Live Event Preview: Teatro ZinZanni's A Rosa de Rio Live Event Preview: Jennifer Holliday and the Seattle Men's Chorus DVD Review: Kiss the Bride SceneOut: People@Places 'mo-Single Q&A

'MO - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.