South Carolina
Q-NOTES • DECEMBER 3.2005
THE HIDE-A-WAY
of Rock Hill
Rock Hill’s only gay and lesbian bar
Thursday - Saturday
9:00 p.m,. ... until
Every Thursday:
Free Pool and Pizza
$1.50 Beer Specials
Every Friday:
Makaylah DuShot’s Drag Show Review
with weekly guest appearances
Every Saturday:
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Ifs a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, ♦♦
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405 Baskins Road, Rock Hill, S.C.
(803) 328-6630
520 8TH. flV€. N. ;
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843-448-1180
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Happy Hour 5-8
Calendar
MONDAYS
Female Impersonation Show at Midnight!
Featuring:
Leslie Lain & Special Guests
WEDNESDAYS
Beach Blanket Bingo
Hosted by Bimbos of the Beach
THURSDAYS
Thirsty Thursday
Free pool!
Pool Tournament at 11:30 pm, $50 Cash Prize
FRIDAYS 8i SATURDAYS
Fri., December 2
Raven Simone and Stephanie Scott
Sat., December 3
World AIDS Day Weekend
Fri,, December 9
Miss Time Out 2006 Contest
Sat., December 10
C.L.A.W.S. Night with Scarlett Dailey
Fri., December 16
Petite Dee Jonville and Ausia Lee
Sat., December 17
Kim Ohno and Jessica Diamond
Disco Diva Show at 12 Midnight Kim Ohno and Jessica Diamond
Every Tuesday & Sunday - Karaoke - 10 pm
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - No Cover (excluding special holidays or events)
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SCEC hires new director
Renaissance man Michael Drennan
takes over the helm at South Carolina
Equality Coalition
by Linda Ketner
Michael Drennan is
many things.
He’s the Montessori
boy infatuated with the
Goodyear Blimp and the
valedictorian of his aca
demically talented high
school; He’s the full scholarship chemistry
major and the man who extracted the HIV
virus from worms for research. He’s also a
certified financial planner and the son of a
lesbian mother.
Drennan says he’s “thrilled about our
chances to defeat the Discrimination
Amendment" in South Carolina next year. In
fact he thinks it’s just “a matter of fair-mind
ed people stepping forward to do the right
thing.” Drennan’s convinced — as is South
Carolina Equality Coalition
(SCEC) — that these amend
ments can be beaten if LGBT
people will vote no and get
just two friends, co-workers or
family members to vote no.
“One of these years we’re
going to defeat this prejudice,”
says Drennan. “And it may as
well be next year in South
Carolina!”
So how does a chemist,
turned financial planner,
morph into an activist LGBT
executive director?
Clearly, it was a personal
passion. According to Drennan, the career
change is a matter of “taking something
I’ve always [cared] about and making it an
opportunity for my livelihood.”
Says Drennan of his decision to come out
during his junior-year in college: “I thought
everyone had same-sex feelings towards
friends but that nobody talked about it. I had
romantic encounters in high school but did
n’t equate that with being gay.”
By his junior year in college, he knew
better and came out “with gusto.”
His senior year at Colorado College,
while watching Proposition 2 defeat the gay
and lesbian community, he thought,
“What in the hell am I doing watching this
happen? I should be out there making a
difference. If I want to complain, I should at
SCEC's new executive director
Michael Drennan.
least be making an effort.” And so began
his activism, which became an important
part of his after-work life when he moved
to Santa Fe, N.M.
In Santa Fe and later San Diego, Calif.,
while working as a financial planner by
day, Drennan found time to establish a col
lege scholarship for LGBT youth, found an
annual LGBT film festival, coordinate
annual Pride events and assist in the pro
duction of a LGBT-focused radio show and
public access television program.
So how does a native Texan, who has
lived in Boston, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe
and San Diego end up in Columbia, S.C.?
Yet another decision based on passion.
Drennan’s partner of seven years. Matt,
finished up his Ph.D. in Philosophy at
University of California-San Diego and
they began looking for a suitable faculty
position, finding it at the University of
South Carolina. The men were also looking
for a suitable environment for a family they
may want to begin soon.
“We’re currently consid
ering having children. For
the first time in my life, with
Matt, in our home in South
Carolina, I feel it’s the right
environment to rear chil
dren. Going to the theater
and on vacations is won
derful, but 1 want the mean
ing and purpose that comes
from having kids. Sharing
our lives and what we’ve
learned, helping someone
grow up and have a good
home, adds a whole new
dimension of meaning and value.”
Drennan realizes the obstacles are for
midable for two men wanting a family. "If
we adopt internationally, we have to lie
about who we are and that doesn’t feel
good. Surrogacy is very expensive, but that
might be the route we take.”
How does Drennan feel about his new
state. South Carolina? “It’s true that it’s very
friendly in the south and we find the arts
accessible here. The gay community is more
closeted than other places I’ve lived, but it’s
friendlier and less cliquish than other
places. And, our community here is more
relationship oriented. Everywhere I go here,
1 hear about couples who have been togeth
er 20 or more years. That suits us nicely!”
— Linda Ketner is the chair of the SCEC.
Metropolitan Community Church
of the Upstate ^
Come celebrate God with us in a loving, kind, affirming ^
and accepting place where worship is our most important ■
priority. -
Diversity is our strength. All are welcome in God’s house,
regardless of gender, color, creed or religious background.
ALWAYS!
Metropolitan Community Church of the Upstate
2180 East Poinsett Street Ext. (Highway 290) / Duncan, SC 29334
Phone: 864.439.5080 E-Mail: mccgreenville@bellsouth.net
Rev. Donna Stroud, M.Div. Website: mccgreenvillesccom
Sunday Evening Worship: 6:00 pm / Choir Practice: 4:45 pm