| Spangle Exclusive: Spangle Comes to an End |
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| Written by Brian Patrick Thornton |
| Wednesday, 17 August 2011 00:56 |
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A good journalist never buries the lede: Spangle is coming to an end. I’m so grateful to each of them, as well as others — Sue Doerfer, Mike Shea, Elizabeth Weinstein, Martha Pontoni — for joining a project that tried to bring something to Cleveland that hadn’t been attempted before. * * *
What was it we were attempting, exactly? When I envisioned Spangle, it was designed to fill the hole created by our local general media and LGBT media. General media largely acted as if queer people didn’t exist, and LGBT media only covered things that were Obviously Gay. But I knew, based on my friends and my experience, that we had interests far beyond drag queens and gay bowling. We liked theater and art festivals and concerts and museums and dining and benefits and … you get the idea. The one thread between all of the things that we were into was that they were good. Not gay good (which is pretty mediocre, if we’re looking at, say, queer film). Just good. Getting Spangle — and myself, by proxy — out of the gay “ghetto” has been a transformative experience. Unlike a decade ago, when I could spend seven nights in a row in a gay bar or at a queer event, I now find myself almost exclusively in shared spaces. The patio at Luxe feels like more of a fit than Sunday at the Stallion. Seeing a show at Dobama is more emotional than a speech at the Garden Party. The Lakewood Arts Fest is a stronger cultural connection than the Pride Festival. And this journey has confirmed what I thought from the beginning: We’re welcome almost everywhere. At least everywhere worth hanging out. As Spangle ends, Cleveland seems to be charging into a new era. In the past few days, I drove by the new tower crane at the redevelopment of the East Bank of the Flats, the rising structure of the new MOCA Cleveland, and the prep work for the new convention center. I patio-hopped to six fantastic independent restaurants. I checked out vivid online pictures of Captain America battling evil on Euclid Avenue. So ridiculously cool, and amazing for our hometown. I hope you’ll continue to explore this unique region, as I plan to do. There’s so much more to discover. Here at the end, I was certain I’d have deep and biting comments about the state of our LGBT community. But since this is the final thing I have to say at Spangle, I find myself overwhelmed by the pressure to have insightful lessons to impart. And who am I, really — just some git who’s been blessed to have a front seat to the best our region has to offer over the past three years. Instead, I’ll simply thank you for being a part of this community. Every time you followed a Spangle suggestion and stepped out of a “gay” space and into a shared space, you advanced our agenda. Our agenda of belonging — no matter who or where you are. So help us keep Spangle’s mission going. After all, it’s pretty much just about having fun. And that’s the easiest thing you’ll ever do for equality. See you around.
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  written by Matthew Chojnacki , August 17, 2011 Hey Brian. I, for one, always looked forward to reading Spangle on a regular basis, and am said to see it go. Blogs are great, but well-written news sources with thoughtful, intelligent articles are becoming increasingly few and far between. Obviously Spangle was the latter. I like that Cleveland has (slowly but surely) become less about "gay events" and more about simply "events." It's good for us, and for the city. Kudos to you for helping some of us to see that. The gay bars are indeed a bit lighter than back in the days, but hopefully this is a sign that the next generation is simply feeling comfortable going anywhere that they please. That's a big step. Best of luck in your new endeavors, which hopefully include writing in a new form. - Matt report abuse
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 written by Cindy , August 17, 2011 You know I've always enjoyed reading your site, even though I don't live in Cleveland. I often wished I could try out some of the places/shows/etc. you reviewed. Good luck in your "next evolution," as we say here in our house. report abuse
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 written by John Coyne , August 17, 2011 Thank you, Brian, for all of the hard work you did to keep our community alive. You are ending this project with a big red "SUCCESS" stamp on it, and I look forward to your future projects! report abuse
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 written by Todd J Saporito , August 17, 2011 Brian, you set another bar in Cleveland... aim high... reach the highest possible... it was wonderful to hear about the launch of Spangle... and i know you and your team put 110% of your heart and energy into the project... We will all miss you... But, as always, I'm sure you'll find another way to positively impact Greater Cleveland and Greater Akron. Best wishes! report abuse
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 written by Sheffia Dooley , August 19, 2011 To Brian and everyone at Spangle, Thank you for all your hard work and passion. I always enjoyed checking out Spangle and seeing where the happening happenings were. I am sad to see it go. I have been inspired by the creative spirit of everyone at Spangle and hope that you all continue to feed and nurture it. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. And maybe next time you can give a honey a holla! Love you guys! report abuse
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 written by bob olayas, once photographer for Spanglemagazine , August 23, 2011 I wish to thank everyone who I asked to pose in front of my lens for their respectful tolerance and kindness. To Brian and the staff of Spangle, it was an honor and privilege to have shared this experience called Spangle. I am forever grateful to you,Brian,for the opportunity. The sadness washes ashore with the darkness as we see the changing of the tides. bob report abuse
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 written by makeup , August 29, 2011 Ten minutes left before the beginning of party, what would you do to have your makeup on? At this moment, every second counts, you’d better follow the steps following and you will still be the center of the attention. First all your face, don’t try every step as usual, apply the step that can’t miss. Then you eyes, eyelashes are the most important, choose a pair of party false eyelashes, make sure they are match with your dress. Use liquid eyeliner instead of eyeliner pencil. Use brush to apply eye shadow. Last but not least, use bold lip color. Bold lip can stand out and look sexy. Time is up, go and have fun on your party. report abuse
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