February 2014

Our BFFs review Joe Hill’s novel NOS4A2 - page 9

Dana Aritonovich’s favorite Valentine’s Day date - page 5

Our Blackened Chicken Alfredo packs big f lavor without all the fat - page 7

LGBT Center’s services for elders - page 11

Our BFFs review Joe Hill’s novel NOS4A2 - page 9

Dana Aritonovich’s favorite Valentine’s Day date - page 5

Our Blackened Chicken Alfredo packs big f lavor without all the fat - page 7

LGBT Center’s services for elders - page 11

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Contributors

3February 2014

Kenneth Esry is a local ar-chitect, interior designer, and architectural photogra-pher. A native of Lakewood, he resides there to this day with his partner, graphic

designer, William Harris. The cover photo is of the pedestrian bridge at the Shaker Heights Public Library, and is called “Cleveland Cutting Edge.”

Shamus Dickinson, founder and publisher, is a lifelong Cleveland resident and community activist. He is currently on the board of

Team Cleveland and will start his term on the board of directors with the LGBT

Center of Greater Cleveland. Along with his alter ego, he raises money for local nonprofit organizations and volunteers regularly around town. He and his partner, Paul, live on The Edge, Cleveland-Lakewood border.

Rob Kinsey, creative direc-tor, is a modern renaissance man. Graduate student, webmaster, HIV+ advocate/activist, writer, designer, de-veloper, photographer, and creator. He and his rescue mutt, Cocoa, live in Uni-versity Circle. You’ll find him biking the towpath or hiking the Metroparks in his free time. Visit kinzdesign.com for Rob’s right-brain creations or kinseyreport.me for his left-brain musings.

Jeffrey Bozcek and Tammy Shella have been best friends for 20 years. They bring their love of hunker-ing down with a good book to their monthly BFF Book Review.

Dana Aritonovich is a longtime straight ally who has been involved with many Northeast Ohio LGBT organizations and events. She is a published historian and freelance writer who blogs about music and the human experience at whatilikeissounds.wordpress.com.

Spotlight Magazine is published monthly by Communication Express LLC. Spotlight Magazine issues are FREE and distributed at locations throughout Cleveland, Akron and Columbus. COPYRIGHT ©2014, Spotlight Magazine. Reproduction without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. All letters, manuscripts, photographs, drawings, illustrations, and artwork sent to Spotlight Magazine will be treated as assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to Spotlight Magazine and Communication Express LLC terms and conditions. Photographs, editorial or graphic likeness does not imply a specific sexual orientation. The publisher does not assume responsibility for statements or content by advertisers, and reserves the right to refuse any ad. ALL CONTENT AND RELATED MEDIA ARE COPYRIGHTED 2014 BY SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE. All rights reserved.

Phyllis “Seven” Harris is a native Clevelander and the Executive Director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

Lucy Pena, is a freelance/amateur photographer, in Cleveland, who loves to take pictures of just about anything. As long as she is behind a camera, she is happy as can be. This is her first time as a contributor in a publication.

2014.02.indd 3 1/24/2014 9:16:11 PM

Commentary

4 spotlight magazine

As we enter the cold, chilly month of February, let’s remind ourselves that it is time for the greeting card holiday of St. Valentine’s Day. It is interesting to note that the saint was arrested and imprisoned for marrying Christian couples in third-century Rome. It seems being persecuted for acknowledging the simple act of love still has bearing in the 21st century. As legislation is slowly making its way around the country

we are still looked at sideways for our devotion and caring for one another. Even if you do not celebrate this gratuitous holiday, take a moment to stop and hug those around you and let them know how much they mean to you. Ok, so flowers and some jewelry would be nice too! Happy Valentine’s Day Paul!

Letter from the founder

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.

—Blaise Pascal

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First Person

5February 2014

Valentine’s Day makes some people feel bad to be single. It’s marketed to couples, heterosexual ones in particular. It should be a day to celebrate love between all people: LGBT and straight, family and friends, lovers and neighbors.

One year both my friend James and I were boy-less on Valentine’s Day, so we decided to go on a date with each other. It wasn’t a pity party or a bitch-fest, just a beautiful evening between two people who love each other.

We were meeting at an Italian restaurant, and on the way there James called me with an intriguing idea: “Let’s pretend we’re married and this is our Valentine’s dinner!” I laughed and agreed.

Boyless on Valentine’s DayAll James and I

wanted was to amuse ourselves, so we created a ridiculously elaborate back story for our romantic dinner. For example, if anyone wondered why we were celebrating Valentine’s Day late, we would explain that James

worked for General Electric and had just returned from a trip to Russia where he was developing green energy initiatives.

We walked in holding hands, and when the hostess asked if we were celebrating

“Candle Light Dinner” ©2006 by Till Krech

(bit.ly/sl-candle)Used under Creative

Commons Attribution 2.0 license (bit.ly/ccby2) 5February 2014

(continues on page 6)

by Dana Aritonovich

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6 spotlight magazine

(Boyless, continued from page 5)anything special I immediately looked away, unable to recite the story we had concocted an hour earlier. But James did not hesitate, proudly explaining, “We just found out that my lovely wife is expecting our second child!”

James repeated this story to our server, who apparently told everyone in the restaurant because they all came over to congratulate us. We sat next to each other during dinner, holding hands and kissing occasionally. We were pretty convincing, except to the gay male server in the next section who kept eyeing James suspiciously.

After a very filling dinner, our server, holding a tray of cookies decorated with flaming sparklers, led a parade of singers congratulating us on our impending new arrival. Opposite marriage has its privileges!

We devoured those (free) scrumptious lemon cookies, and since I was eating for two we also ordered the dessert sampler. We felt like jerks for lying, but our intentions were pure!

And that was the best Valentine’s Day I ever had.

First Person

6 spotlight magazine

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7February 2014

Blackened Chicken Alfredo, LightenedRecipe and photos by Rob Kinsey

There are many routes to a man’s heart; “through the stomach” is the most effective path that can be discussed in the pages of Spotlight.

Whether you’re looking to make a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for your beau or hoping to take things further with the guy you’ve been, ahem, “seeing” for a while now, this meal will put him in an amenable mood.

Traditional fettuccine Alfredo is heavy cream, butter and Parmesan. Paula Deen might approve of this saturated fat fest, but your guy’s trainer won’t.

Calorie-cutting recipes for Alfredo are often underwhelming. You end up missing the depth of flavor of the original.

Here we pair a low-fat Alfredo sauce with blackened chicken strips. The waves of flavor coming off the chicken more than make up for the weakness of the Alfredo. We can reduce the cup of butter originally called for in the chicken down to 2 tablespoons and keep the flavor.

If you have time, visit Ohio City Pasta at the West Side Market. Their pasta is fresh, cooks in a flash and comes in a ton of delicious flavors. If you’re in a crunch, look for whole wheat fettuccine at your grocer; the nutty flavor of the whole grain pairs nicely with the nutmeg in the sauce.

Ingredients

Blackened Chicken 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 T butter aerosol olive oilSpice Rub 1½ T paprika ½ T onion powder ½ T garlic powder ½ T cayenne pepper 1 t salt 1 t black pepper ½ t thyme ½ t oreganoLow-Cal Alfredo 1 T butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1 t lemon zest or ½ T lemon juice 1 t grated nutmeg 2 t flour 1 c 2% milk ¾ t salt 2 T Neufchâtel (low-fat cream cheese) 1 c grated Parmesan cheese 12 oz. fresh or boxed pasta

(fettuccine, linguine,penne, farfalle)

Food Porn

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8 spotlight magazine

Start water boiling for your pasta.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, mix the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Blot the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle a small handful of blackened spice rub on a plate.

Spray chicken breasts with olive oil and place on spiced plate.

Rub remaining spices on both sides to create an even coating.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.

Turn on a fan and open a window, the next step gets smoky!

When pan is hot add 2 T butter and stir until it melts.

As soon as the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts to the pan.

Set a 5 minute timer to remind you to flip the chicken.

If you’re using boxed pasta, add your pasta to the boiling water now and set a timer to cook it al dente.

While the things cook, start the sauce by melting 1 T butter in a saucepan.

Add 1 clove garlic and 1 t lemon zest (or ½ T juice).

When the chicken timer goes off, flip it and set another 5 minute timer.

Whisk for 1 minute to soften the garlic.

Add 1/2 t grated nutmeg and 2 t flour and whisk for 1 minute.

Add 1 c milk and ¾ t salt to the sauce and whisk for 3 minutes to thicken.

If you’re using fresh pasta, add it to the boiling water now and set a timer to cook it al dente.

Add 2 T Neufchâtel and ¾ c Parmesan, whisking until melted, about 1 minute.

When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving 1 c of water. Return pasta to pan, off heat.

Add the Alfredo and ½ c cooking water to the pasta and toss to coat.

If sauce is sticky, add more reserved cooking water until smooth.

When the chicken timer goes off, use a meat thermometer to make sure thickest part of breast is at least 165°.

Cut chicken breasts against the grain into thin strips.

Top pasta with chicken strips and grated Parmesan.

Garnish with red pepper flakes and oregano (pictured) or fresh parsley and ground pepper.

Rip this page out and file it under “delicious” then visit bit.ly/sl-alfredo to drool over larger photos.

Food Porn

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reading material

9February 2014

For our inaugural column, we offer the recent best-seller, NOS4A2, by author Joe Hill. Although you may not have heard of Joe Hill, without a doubt you know his famous father, author Stephen King. Hill is no slouch however, having authored three other best-sellers, including Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, and a series of graphic novels. Tammy Shella: Do you remember Jeff, when I told you about Heart-Shaped Box? I loved that book, long before I knew he was Stephen King’s son.Jeffrey Bozcek: I do remember Tam, and I believe I was the one who told you he is SK’s son. T: Yes you did, and you found Horns, the second book we both enjoyed, although not as much as this one. I was just happy to find an author we both could agree on! J: Right. And then you bought NOS4A2 for yourself, and I immediately snatched it away to read it first! I was so glad I did! T: From the first chapter, NOS4A2 was a page turner! Hill introduces us to Vic, a young girl with a secret ability to find whatever she is looking for in a very special way. This device...J: What device? What are you talking about; it’s a bike!T: Um, it’s a literary device. I was referring to the literary device allowing her to be in different places that she really shouldn’t be.J: Oh, OK. Moving right along, and then there is Charlie Manx, and his twisted obsession with Christmas, and a place called “Christmasland.” As with Vic, Manx has his “device” a 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith, which takes him places he wants to go. T: It is when the paths between these two cross, that the story really picks up speed, so to speakJ: Right!, and then we find out that

BFF Book Review with Tammy and Jeffrey

NOS4A2: A Novel by Joe Hill

in hardcover ($28.99) and paperback ($17.99)

from William Morrow, a HarperCollins imprint.

(continues on page 10)

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10 spotlight magazine

Manx created Christmasland...T: Stop! You’re giving away the whole story! You’re supposed to drop hints in a review, not tell the entire plot!J: WELL I don’t know how to do that...I hate Woody Allen! T: What the hell, she looks super-skinny too! Is there no food in Hollywood? Oops, we’re watching the Golden Globes, got distracted there for a minute.J: Is that my fire thingy? Did you hear that beep?T: Jeff, seriously, focus. Ok, back to the book. Maybe we need to wrap this up! We’re starting to sound like Jacqueline Bisset accepting her award.J: We haven’t said anything! We’ve introduced two characters!T: OK, what else do you want to say? Without giving away too much!J: My favorite part of the book, is what happens on the way to Christmasland to the children that Manx kidnapped, and what they become once they get there, and what Bing, his henchman, does to the mothers! What about you Tam?T: That’s a run-on sentence.J: Who cares!T: I liked how Hill described what Vic went through psychologically after she managed to escape from Manx. The character development was great. We care about Vic as she struggles with her ulcer and an uncertain future.J: Inevitably, Manx and Vic’s path cross again. Culminating in a terror ridden climax, with a classic battle of good and evil, without...T: Oh, that’s good! But I’m cutting you off again before you give away too much! What we really want to say is, get this book! J: NOS4A2 is a great read, that will leave you frightened, emotionally drained, and you’ll never listen to Christmas carols the same way again!J: Hey, I thought Robert Redford was dead...T: No, he is in fact, not dead. Mc Conna-HEYY! You go boy! When do we find time to read books anyway?

(NOS4A2, continued from page 9)reading material

10 spotlight magazine

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Community

11February 2014

The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland strives to create a safe space where those over 50 have access to important resources and referrals regarding health care, social services and community ac-tivities. In addition to information sharing we have social/educational components that provide:

•A“dropin”gatheringthat fea-tures lunch and a range of motion exercise session twice weekly

•A semimonthly discussiongroup

•Aworkshopor outside excur-sion once a month: Workshops include topics about low cost or no cost social services and excursions include a variety of experiences such as a visit to Tregoning and Company or trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

•A50pluswomen’ssocialgroupand activities

LGBT Center’s elder programs provide food, exercise, social support, education

(continues on page 13)

From Phyllis “Seven” Harris, Executive Director, LGBT Community Center

Senior Drop-Ins

Mondays and Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland

6600 Detroit Avenue

For more information, contact Carey Gibbons: 216-651-5428 Ext. 17

CGibbons@LGBTcleveland.org

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13February 2014

The Center is expanding our pro-gramming to help existing elder service providers become more sensitive and culturally com-petent in delivering services to LGBT elders. We are also work-ing with local community mem-bers who have expertise in aging, research and nonprofit manage-ment to establish a local Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) program at The Center. SAGE is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of older LGBT adults. SAGE’s mission is to lead in addressing issues relat-ed to LGBT aging.

LGBT seniors face unique chal-lenges that they may not be able to face alone: basic health care, financial security, access to ag-ing services, social isolation and caregiving issues. The Center is committed to continue the work of collaboration to establish pro-gramming to help the Greater Cleveland LGBT community’s ‘older’ members live healthily with dignity, support and respect.

(Elders, continued from page 11)Community Shop for new shoes, honey!

The OHIO Premier ofthe LONDON hit

Starring Tammy Zinkhon Hyde

For tickets call

330-451-0924or visit secondapril.org

BIG PANTS and BOTOXby Louise Roche

Feb 14, 15, 21, 22 8:00Kathleen Howland Theatreat 2nd April Galerie324 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44702

Kathleen Howland Theatreat 2nd April Galerie324 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44702

For tickets call

or visit secondapril.org

Recommended for mature audiences.

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13February 2014

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440-808-9315 | www.ohioclinic.com | 2237 Crocker Road Suite 140, Westlake, Ohio 44145

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Divine Lites Productions welcomes From Season 6 of America's Got talent, the often imitated but never duplicated Hershae Chocolatae. Sat Feb 15. Showtime 11. Also with Electra Lites and special guest. No cover. Heated patio opened. 21+. You already have Cocktails Info and logo. We r also having "Death by Chocolatae" shots all night long.

 Divine Lites Productions & Cocktails Cleveland welcome

 

 

 

DEATH by CHOCOLATAE shots!

Saturday, FEB 15th Showtime 11pm

 

from Season 6 & Special Guest  

with performances by

 9208 Detroit Avenue

NO COVER! HEATED PATIO! 21&over

 

 

 

Thursday FEBRUARY 13th & 27th

8:30PM

Hosted by VERANDA L’NI

 

TWIST Social Club 11633 Clifton Blvd. Cleveland 44102

TWIST Social Club & PORCH PORCH Productions present

All money raised benefits a local non-profit organization!

2014.02.indd 16 1/24/2014 9:17:50 PM

 

 

 

Thursday FEBRUARY 13th & 27th

8:30PM

Hosted by VERANDA L’NI

 

TWIST Social Club 11633 Clifton Blvd. Cleveland 44102

TWIST Social Club & PORCH PORCH Productions present

All money raised benefits a local non-profit organization!

2014.02.indd 17 1/24/2014 9:17:59 PM

sPorts

18 spotlight magazine

Photos by Lucy Pena, TwistedFates Photography

2014.02.indd 18 1/24/2014 9:18:20 PM

businesses

19February 2014

Lavender listPlease support these local LGBT and allied businesses. Contact advertising@spotlightcle.com to feature your business here!

AmbianceThe Store For Loverswww.ambiance.com

Cocktails Cleveland9208 Detroit AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44102216-961-3115

Communication Expresscommunicationexpressllc@yahoo.comcommex.espwebsite.com

C2 Restaurant, Bar and Lounge8800 Euclid AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44106216-707-0454www.c2restaurant.com The Dean Rufus House Of Fun1422 West 29th StreetCleveland, Ohio 44113216-348-1FUNnotsodufus@cox.net TheDeanRufusHouseOfFun

Flex Spas Cleveland2600 Hamilton AvenueCleveland, OH 44114216-812-3304www.flexspas.com

InterContinental Suites Cleveland8800 Euclid AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44106216-707-4300www.intercontinental.com/cleveland

Journey Art Gallery431 4th StreetCanton, OH 44702330-546-7061www.journeyartgallery.com

The Kathleen Howland Theatre324 Cleveland Avenue NWCanton, OH 44702330-451-0924www.secondapril.org

LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland6600 Detroit AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44102

Ohio Clinic for Aesthetic & Plastic SurgeryMichael H. Wojtanowski M.D. FACS2237 Crocker Road, Suite 140Cleveland, Ohio 44145440-808-9315 www.ohioclinic.com

Table 45 Restaurant and Bar9801 Carnegie AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44106216-707-4045ww.tbl45.com

TWIST Social Club11633 Clifton Blvd.Cleveland, Ohio 44102216-221-2333

United Church of Christwww.ucc.org

Photos by Lucy Pena, TwistedFates Photography

2014.02.indd 19 1/24/2014 9:18:24 PM

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2014.02.indd 20 1/24/2014 9:18:25 PM