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Thursday, March 14, 2013

LGBTQITSLFA My Boss Does Some Really Cool Shit

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 8:13 AM

There's something in the Midwest called a Julaine Appling, which is president of the anti-gay group Wisconsin Family Action, and Appling became outraged upon learning that the University of Wisconsin in Fox Valley was hosting a drag show. Appling warned that a “self-proclaimed male homosexual transvestite ‘Shangela’" would be performing at the public university... and THAT IT MUST BE STOPPED. "Taxpayers should beware, and quickly take action to defend our shared values," Appling bellowed in an action alert, calling the show a "shameful display of sexual immorality on our campuses and in our local communities.” Which led to a FOX affiliate running a breathless story featuring Appling and a student who confirmed, "If it's something I don't agree with, it's hard to see my money going towards that."

UW-Fox Valley "Drag Show" raising concerns

As of Tuesday, the drag show was struggling—with only half the ticket sold. Enter Dan Savage, who saw blogger John Becker's tweet, and stepped up:

Not only did Dan retweet the story to his 140,000+ Twitter followers, he also said that he wanted to help UW-Fox Valley sell out the show.

To make a long story short, after talking with Dan and getting him in touch with the UW-Fox Valley box office, he decided to buy all the remaining tickets and donate them to the school to distribute free of charge to students and community members!

Amazing, right? I’m incredibly touched that a tireless national LGBT advocate like Dan would do so much to personally help make a university drag show in northeastern Wisconsin a success. What a great gift to the entire Fox Valley community! And as a bonus, it’s also great way to stick it to Ms. Appling and the puritans over at Wisconsin Family Action.

All hail Dan! And private to Ms. Appling: Please declare your next war on our office's janky HVAC system.

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Way to go Dan! Kudos!

Posted by RMF on March 14, 2013 at 8:20 AM

Also from the blog:

"Ms. Appling is over sixty years old and has never been married, but she doesn’t live alone. No, Julaine owns a house in south-central Wisconsin with a woman named Diane Westphall (left), another never-married woman who works with Appling at WFA and has been her companion for decades. No one knows the precise nature of their relationship and Appling claims she’s straight, but it’s an unconventional arrangement at the very least."

Posted by drwas on March 14, 2013 at 8:33 AM

"If it's something I don't agree with, it's hard to see my money going towards that."

There's a reasoned idea. I don't agree with constructing roads leading to movie theaters as "the talkies" are a tool of the devil. I don't agree with Ayn Rand so why does a library buy those books with my money. I think the band Fun! sucks, better make sure they never play at a campus anywhere. My money funded the building with the stage so it doesn't matter if the tickets were sold.

Posted by BornAgainInBellevue on March 14, 2013 at 8:38 AM

What a mensch.

Posted by Banjax on March 14, 2013 at 8:59 AM

Some people go through life with a stick up their ass. Thanks, Dan, for showing them how to have a little fun. When I was seventeen, an older friend from Chicago's south side named Herbert invited me to see him perform at the Edgewater Hotel drag show. He entered as Herbela Bush, because he was known for his antics in the bushes. But he had strung his costume with Xmas lights and I swear, up until that moment, I had never laughed so much in my life. Stick out!

Posted by Pope Peabrain on March 14, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Dan's speaking tours have given him such a great connection to campuses - it's so great he's stepped up to help this one out.

Posted by gloomy gus on March 14, 2013 at 9:21 AM

I grew up less than a mile from this place. Thank you, Dan, for bringing some much needed hope to a place where it's still really tough growing up LGBT.

Posted by Justin on March 14, 2013 at 9:35 AM

well ..somebody has to say it. might as well be me
HALLEHLOO !

Posted by reverend dr dj riz on March 14, 2013 at 9:38 AM

The news caster had to define Drag for the viewers. Those folks are simple-sweet ain't they.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on March 14, 2013 at 10:10 AM

to Ms. Appling: Please declare your next war on our office's janky HVAC system.

And a dishwasher.
And a maid. (If you hired a cross-dressing maid, perhaps you'd be in better luck.)

Posted by Allyn on March 14, 2013 at 10:42 AM

"If it's something I don't agree with, it's hard to see my money going towards that."

Gee, right? I'd like to not see any of my money being given to any Catholic institutions anywhere, ever. Or to wars in the Middle East. Funny how it DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.

Posted by MLM on March 14, 2013 at 11:10 AM

It's a shame none of this matters when morons are bashing Dan.

Posted by Fenrox on March 14, 2013 at 1:44 PM

Oooops. I think I meant Drake Hotel.

Posted by Pope Peabrain on March 15, 2013 at 2:24 AM

Remember when Lindy West (remember Lindy West?) went all righteous-rage about body image against Dan Savage, and then Dan Savage came down from his throne and said "you know, actually I am not Lindy West's boss, stop pointing fingers at me?"

Which is it, guys? Is Dan Savage your boss, or is he totally not the boss of you?

Posted by robotslave on March 15, 2013 at 8:12 AM