Who doe$n’t love a good drag $how?

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RerZJJzYz7o[/youtube]

I had to laugh, there isn’t anything the PAV won’t do to bring in money, including a drag show;

At 8 p.m. Aug. 19, there’s a drag show in the Warhol gallery, available for the regular price of admission to the gallery.

I think this is awesome. If you have never been to a good drag show (and I am not talking about those rinky-dink shows they used to put on a Touchez) they are non-stop entertainment, gutt-hurt (not butt-hurt) laughing entertainment. You would be amazed what duct tape can do. While I think the drag show idea is clever, I am concerned about the continuing trend of the Pavilion to be charging for so-so visual art exhibits;

“I think the people who are coming to Warhol know there’s a charge, and those who don’t still buy tickets,” Merhib said. “People are used to big cities where, in general, there’s a fee to see a show.”

Sorry David Money Bags. One of the selling points of the Pavilion to me was the FREE visual arts center. It’s hard enough exposing people to the arts, especially in this town, but to start charging for exhibits that really are not world class brings that elitist label a little bit closer to home. How many people do you think from lower income neighborhoods are willing to drop $10 on an exhibit they can see for free at the library in a book? What if it was free? I find this new trend at the VAC to be a bit disturbing. What has made the PAV unique is its FREE Visual Arts Center, but it seems now, everything is for sale, even men who lip-sync Whitney Houston songs.

Posted in: Art, Washington Pavilion

UPDATE: Augustana closes interfaith room for food storage

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UPDATE: I figured once Herseth-Sandlin got wind of this all things would go back to normal;

Augustana spokeswoman Jill Wilson confirmed the meeting was canceled, that the students will get their room back and that Sandlin intends to call such a meeting to meet with students on the interfaith space in the future.

The interfaith leaders also suggested Augustana send its senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity, and said the university should have handled the sacred items with due respect.

The students should be applauded for doing the right thing and contacting the media about the situation. Shedding light on injustice can open many doors.

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Augustana can do what they want to. They are a private college. But in light of the recent crying over drag shows at SDSU and long hair at O’Gorman you kind of wonder what the true motivation is behind closing the room;

After contacting several administrators, we were told that the Interfaith Room was removed to give Sodexo, our dining service, more room. 

The Interfaith Room in the Commons has served as a place to discuss and learn about a variety of religious traditions, as well as to provide all students with a sacred place to pray and worship, regardless of their religious background. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha’is, Sikhs, Agnostics, and Atheists have visited the space and contributed their perspectives and experiences to the campus community. It is a crucial part of the faith infrastructure on campus, one that cannot be replaced.

In my early 20’s I was a volunteer DJ at Augie’s radio station, KAUR. I remember how the University handled that closure, after a few protests they moved forward.

I am not sure of the outcome of this situation, but I find it a bit alarming that a private university that should embrace all faiths in essence are turning their backs on students of different faith.

And it isn’t about money. Augie has spent millions on their sports programs (something that has very little to do with religion or faith) and if they have this kind of money, I’m sure they can find another room to accomodate the students.

I think the closure of the room without any notice are grounds for non-Christian students to file an internal discrimination complaint. It would be different if the students were fighting to implement a new room, but to take away something this important without notice to the student body is troubling.

Posted in: 1st Amendment, Augustana, religion, Sioux Falls

Noem has initiated South Dakota ‘Gay Wars’

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The official soap of the South Dakota Governor’s Mansion

You would think this would be a fight between the woke radical liberals and the right wingers, but now Kristi is fighting with her fellow nuttery;

“As a result, my office will no longer work with the Alliance until and unless its executive director chooses to act professionally,” Noem said, criticizing Woods for “sending this letter and releasing it to the media at the same time, instead of reaching out to my office to have a productive conversation about how we can work together.”

I won’t bore you with the letters sent back and forth, but if you read between the lines, Noem isn’t mad about the letter (BTW, she wasn’t attacked) she is mad she couldn’t have a closed door meeting to sweep this under the rug.

I also chuckled a bit in the Alliance letter boasting about protecting our kids from weed and gays, as if they are one in the same. I will admit, back in the day when I was high on pot I did some pretty crazy stuff, but sex with another man wasn’t one of them 🙂 It didn’t even cross my mind (whilst eating ketchup flavored cheese balls and playing Mario Brothers for 3 hours).

I guess I have never understood homophobia, it is just an excuse to be a hater, or just plain ignorant.

Let’s assume for a moment you don’t have any gay friends, relatives, or co-workers. Let’s even go a step further and assume you have never knowingly met a LGBTQ member of our society? Where is the vitriol coming from?

Drag shows for youth are meant to EDUCATE them about an alternative lifestyle before they grow up to be another a**hole republican.

If you want to protect our kids volunteer to be a mentor, a youth sports coach, a Sunday school teacher, a school crosswalk guard, or any other various youth associations. Being face to face and truthful with kids goes a lot farther then disgusting laws and legislation that only fuel a hateful divide and further cement the pitiful ignorance and hate of the radical right running our state.

By the way, I have noticed Noem’s wardrobe over the past couple of years, and I would be hard pressed to admit any of her clothing items were designed by a straight person. Her next piece of legislation will be titled ‘Fairness in Women’s Clothing Design’.

Posted in: Homosexuals, Kristi Noem, South Dakotans

NO TAX SUBSIDIES TO THE HOMOS!

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This is what a bigot looks like

Public input at last night’s council meeting couldn’t be hotter. Mr. Hartman (sp?) wanted to know why our tax dollars were funding cross-dressing AIDS spreaders at the Pavilion (FF 12:30). Bob Kolbe wants to buy silver dollars out of the city limits, and as usual, Tim Stenga has been ‘Talkin’ to a lot of people’ about zoos and dirt track racin’

ON a side note: I knew the drag show at the Pavilion would be controversial, and after I got off the floor from laughing at Mr. Hartman’s bigoted diatribe and misconceptions about homosexuals, I found a part of me asking the same questions. Why is the Pavilion putting on drag shows? Shouldn’t the Pavilion be exposing the community to the arts? Well believe it or not, I will defend the Pavilion on this one. Drag shows may not be your cup of tea when it comes to the high arts, but it is art, and I commend them for putting on the show.

As for Hartman’s assumptions about AIDs – grow a fucking brain – seriously. My great aunt and uncle died of complications due to AIDS. My uncle contracted the virus after a blood transfusion during heart surgery, and passed it to my aunt, through, I assume, hetersexual sex. He got the virus because this was before they were testing the blood for HIV, we can thank (probably Hartman’s hero) Ronnie Reagan for that. I have said some pretty assanine things in public, but Mr. Hartman, your comments take the cake.

Posted in: Sioux Falls

Levitt FREE Concert Series is Stellar

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I have made it about half way thru my personal review of the bands playing the Levitt this year, and the lineup is chucked full of great Blues, Ethnic, Country, Rock, Local and Contemporary. 50 SHOWS! ALL FREE! Plus Lee Rocker closes it out!

Besides our Parks and Bike Trail, the Levitt is one of the best taxpayer investments in this city! Now if they would let us bring our own beer* and ban pets**, it would be even better 🙂

*Last year an individual alcoholic beverage was $7. It will be interesting to see if that gets raised to $8 this year. While the beverage sales do help the Levitt with contributions, I think it has been overinflated. I am waiting for the financials from 2021 to see what that percentage is. Even if we allowed people to bring their own beer and wine (no liquor) they could still keep the bar and maybe even have a cooler fee you would have to pay to receive 21+ armbands.

**My biggest concern about pets has always been about the well being of the pets. The crowd and noise can cause anxiety (I’ve witnessed many close dog fights) it is often to hot and what I see the most of is them pooping and peeing all over the lawn, and I have witnessed many people walk thru it. Can people just leave their pets at home for a couple of hours without dragging them around like some trophy everywhere? Unless it is a service dog, leave them at home. PLEASE! JazzFest always had a ban on pets, and it worked great!

Posted in: Downtown Sioux Falls, Levitt Pavilion, Music, Sioux Falls