Betsy DeVos is about to lose her job. A gay whistleblower tells why people should celebrate. - LGBTQ Natn

Contents:

• HOW BETSY DEVOS BEME AN UNEXPECTED CHAMPN OF LGBTQ ARTDISPLAYTHE CLN OF LGBTQ ARTPRIZE, FOUND AND SUBSTANTIALLY FUND BY MEMBERS OF BETSY DEVOS’ FAY, HAS ENGENRED SPIRED BATE AMONG THE ARTISTS THEMSELV.STEVE FRISUPDATED SEP. 29, 2017 10:13PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 30, 2017 12:01AM EDT COURTY OF ARTPRIZEGRAND RAPIDS, MICH. -- ONE ENTRY AMERI’S RICHT ART PETN IS AN STALLATN THAT REIMAG A FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM AS A THEATER DRSG AREA AND THE ATHLET’ HELMETS AS RABOW-LORED KKK HOODS. ANOTHER IS A LUMO PHOTO SAY OF GAY MIDWTERNERS DOG SUCH MUNDANE THGS AS RIDG A BICYCLE AND POSG AN EMBRACE ON A SOFA. AND MORE THAN ONE ENTRANT FEATUR DRAWGS THAT PICT TRANSGENR PEOPLE STAT OF UNDRS, CLUDG ONE GENR-VAGUE SUBJECT HOLDG A BANANA WHERE A PENIS MIGHT DANGLE.THE PIEC AND MANY OTHERS Y AND ABOUT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE PART OF AN ANNUAL NTT LLED ARTPRIZE THAT WAS FOUND AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY FUND BY MEMBERS OF THE BILLNAIRE DEVOS FAY.THAT IS, AS BETSY DEVOS, THE TN SECRETARY WHO TOLD CONGRS THIS SPRG THAT SHE DO NOT OPPOSE FERAL MONEY GOG TO SCHOOLS THAT EXCLU QUEER STUNTS. AND AS THE FAY THAT SPENT MORE THAN $2 LN FIGHTG MARRIAGE EQUALY—CLUDG $400,000 TO THE MPAIGN TO PASS PROPOSN 8 CALIFORNIA. AND AS AMWAY FOUNR RICHARD DEVOS, THE TYON PATRIARCH WHO NCLUD AFTER STG ON PRINT REAGAN’S FIRST AIDS MISSN THAT ONE SOLUTN TO THE PROBLEM WOULD BE IF PEOPLE WOULD JT “NDUCT YOURSELF PROPERLY.” NONE OF THAT HAS KEPT AWAY THE MANY QUEER ARTISTS WHOSE WORK APPEARS AROUND THIS CY ALONG WH SOME 1,350 OTHER ENTRI OM 47 UNTRI DURG THE THREE-WEEK EVENT THAT CULMAT OCT. 6 WH THE AWARDG OF $500,000 PRIZE MONEY. THE FACT THAT THEIR WORK IS WELE AT ARTPRIZE—ALONG WH MANY OTHER ENTRI ADDRSG POLIL AND SOCIAL ISSU THAT ARE AT ODDS WH THE DEVOS FAY’S VIEWS—IS A SIGN OF PROGRS AND A CHANCE TO PROVOKE DIALOGUE, THEY SIST. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE “AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED NEW YORK FOR A WHILE, THERE’S SO MUCH OF THAT KD OF MONEY VOLVED THE ARTS,” SAID ARTIST JEFEY AUGTE SONG, NOTG A THEATER AT MANHATTAN’S LLN CENTER IS NAMED FOR ONE OF THE NSERVATIVE KOCH BROTHERS, A MAJOR DONOR. “SO, WHAT HAPPENS? DO YOU JT STOP GOG TO THE BALLET? ARTPRIZE IS AN OPPORTUNY TO SEND A MSAGE THAT UNTERS THEIR MSAGE.”ARTPRIZE IS ONE OF AMERI’S MOST PECULIAR ANNUAL CULTURAL EVENTS. THE PETN ALLOWS ANY BS DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS TO CLARE SELF A VENUE AND DISPLAY WHATEVER FORM OF ARTWORK CHOOS AS ENTRI. THE VOT OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOANDS OF PEOPLE WHO FLOOD THE CY FOR THE EVENT TERME WHAT PIEC W THE $200,000 GRAND PRIZE AS WELL AS $12,500 TO WNERS OF FOUR TEGORI. AT THE SAME TIME, A PANEL OF ART EXPERTS ALSO CI ON THEIR OWN SET OF WNERS AND GIVE OUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THE SAME NFIGURATN.THE “AMERI’S GOT TALENT”-STYLE SIGN AND EYE-POPPG PRIZ ARE THE BRACHILD OF RICK DEVOS, THE TECH ENTREPRENR SON OF BETSY, WHO LNCHED ARTPRIZE 2009 AS AN ENOMIC VELOPMENT TOOL FOR GRAND RAPIDS. AT FIRST ALL OF THE MONEY WAS HAND OUT BY POPULAR VOTE, BUT THE PUBLIC’S CHOIC TEND TO VEER TOWARDS SPECTACLE AND KSCH, SO 2013 THE EXPERT JURY WAS ADD TO UNTER THAT AND, HOPEFULLY, EARN SOME MUCH-ELIVE ART-WORLD RPECT.ARTPRIZE OFFICIALS SIST THE EVENT’S CENTRALIZED, CROWD-SOURCED NATURE MIMIZ THE FLUENCE OF THE DEVOS, EVEN AS RICK REMAS THE CHAIR OF THE ARTPRIZE BOARD AND THE FAY’S FOUNDATNS PROVI ABOUT 16 PERCENT OF THE NON-PROF’S $3.5 LN ANNUAL BUDGET. (NONE OF THE DEVOS WERE AVAILABLE TO MENT FOR THIS REPORT.) COURTY OF ARTPRIZE SOME LGBTQ ARTISTS AVOID ARTPRIZE BEE OF THE DEVOS FAY’S POLICS. THE MOST NOTABLE IS STEVE LAMBERT, WHO HAD A PIECE ENTERED ON HIS BEHALF 2014 BEFORE, HE SAID, HE UNRSTOOD WHAT ARTPRIZE WAS OR WHO THE DEVOS WERE. WHEN HE WAS NAMED A FALIST BY THE EXPERT JURY, HE WROTE A BLOG POST STATG HIS OBJECTNS TO THE FAY’S POLICS AND ASSERTG HE’D BE GIVG ANY WNGS TO A LOL LGBT GROUP. ARTPRIZE EXHIBNS DIRECTOR KEV BUIST RPOND QUICKLY BY ENURAGG HIM TO DO SO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN GA FOLLOWED UP A WEEK LATER WH A POST NOTG THE ARTPRIZE BOARD HAD UNANIMOLY PASSED A ROLUTN EARLIER THAT YEAR TO FOSTER LGBT PARTICIPATN THE NTT.STILL, LAMBERT NTU TO OPPOSE LGBT VOLVEMENT. IN AN TERVIEW THIS WEEK, HE LISTED SEVERAL DEVOS ANTI-LGBT DONATNS AND STATEMENTS AND ASKED QUEER ARTPRIZE PARTICIPANTS: “DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE NEVER WALKED ANY OF THAT BACK? ARE YOU OK WH BEG A PART OF AN EVENT THAT CLEANS UP THAT IMAGE? … ARE YOU OK HELPG THEM MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY TO PUT BACK TO NSERVATIVE POLICS?” COURTY OF ARTPRIZE THE DEVOS FAY PROFS DIRECTLY OM ARTPRIZE BEE THEY OWN HOTELS AND OTHER BS GRAND RAPIDS THAT ARE PATRONIZED DURG THE EVENT, HE SAID.YET OTHERS SEE ARTPRIZE AS A SEPARATE ENTY OM THE FAY. DEREK CALL, ARTPRIZE’S DIRECTOR OF EXHIBNS, MOVED WH HIS PARTNER TO GRAND RAPIDS OM LOS ANGEL 2015 FOR THE JOB BEE HE WAS IMPRSED BY “THE AMAZG OPEN NATURE” OF THE EVENT. “IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO E AND EXPRS THEMSELV,” CALL SAID. “I STRONGLY OPPOSE ANYONE WHO WOULD TAKE RIGHTS AWAY OM ANYONE, BUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN NOTHG BUT LOVELY AND PROFSNAL AND WELG.” COURTY OF ARTPRIZE ONE GAY ARTPRIZE 2017 ENTRANT, DANIEL VANR LEY, GREW UP THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA AND SOCIALIZED WH RICK DEVOS AND HIS SIBLGS WHOM HE LLED, “LOVELY PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS TREATED ME REALLY WELL.” WHAT’S MORE, LEY CREDED THE FAY AND THEIR GENERO DONATNS TO THE ARTS GRAND RAPIDS FOR MAKG THE CY MORE TOLERANT OF LGBTQ PEOPLE. “WE HAVE BEE A GREAT ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER BEE OF THEM,” SAID LEY, WHOSE ENTRY, “ESC,” IS A MENTARY ON RPORAL PUNISHMENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. “LET ME TELL YOU, THE NSERVATIVE ISSU THE FARMLAND AROUND HERE IS MUCH WORSE. GRAND RAPIDS IS A BETIFUL THRIVG CY THAT I FEEL VERY FORTABLE .”ANOTHER QUEER ARTIST WHO OBJECTED TO LAMBERT’S TAKE IS TI-ROCK MOORE, WHO WAS UNAWARE OF THE DEVOS TI TO ARTPRIZE UNTIL SHE ARRIVED SEPTEMBER OM NEW ORLEANS WH “FLT,” AN STALLATN MENTG ON THAT CY’S LEAD NTAMATN CRISIS BY FEATURG A DRKG FOUNTA THAT SPEWS BROWN WATER AND SS UNR THE UBIQUO SEGREGATN-ERA SIGN “COLORED.” LEARNG ABOUT THE NTT’S ORIGS, SHE SAID, REDOUBLED HER TERMATN TO PARTICIPATE. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE “ART TYPILLY EXISTS WH WHE PRIVILEGE AND EXCLIVE SPAC LIKE GALLERI AND MMS, SO THIS IS MUCH MORE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAN WHERE ART TYPILLY IS SHOWN,” MOORE SAID. “I AM CERTALY NOT HERE STICKG UP FOR ARTPRIZE OR THE DEVOS. BUT I’M OM THE DEEP SOUTH. I DO MY WORK SPE BEG SURROUND BY PLETELY RED CI, PARISH, STAT, UNTI. IN FACT, THAT TYPE OF NSERVATIVE THKG IS ALMOST A MOTIVATN TO KEEP ON PHG THROUGH.” A FEW PIEC MA BY QUEER ARTISTS ARE SER NTENTN THIS YEAR. SONG’S “SOCIETY OF 23’S LOCKER DRSG ROOM,” A 30-BY-20-FOOT ROOM BECKED SILVER TSEL THAT HE SAYS IS A MENTARY ON MASCULY AND SEXUALY, IS ONE OF FIVE FALISTS THE STALLATNS TEGORY AS PICKED BY THE ART-CRIC JURY. MOORE’S “FLT” IS AN ART-JURY FALIST THE THREE-DIMENSNAL TEGORY. AND “YOU BELONG TO ME,” A TRIPPY VIO STALLATN WHICH THE LBIAN ARTIST LISS LAFLR IS SEEN LIP-SYNCHG A DOO-WOP SONG ON FIVE 8-FOOT PK GE CURTAS, WAS, AS OF FRIDAY, AMONG THE VOTG PUBLIC’S TOP 25 THE TIME-BASED TEGORY. VOTG CLOS OCT. 5 AND ALL WNERS ARE ANNOUNCED OCT. 6. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE STILL, SONG SAID, THE NSERVATIVE NATURE OF WTERN MICHIGAN IS EVINCE THE RULTS OF THE POPULAR VOTG, POTG TO THE FAILURE OF A LLECTN OF PICTUR OF GAY MEN BY OPENLY GAY PHOTOGRAPHER HWA-JEEN MA TO CRACK THE TOP 25, SPE BEG SHOWN ONE OF THE HIGHT-TRAFFICKED OF ARTPRIZE’S MORE THAN 120 VENU. MANY OF THE MOST POPULAR PIEC ARE, ED, GIMMICKY OR HAVE RELIG OR CLASSIC AMERINA TOPICS. ONE TOP 25 PIECE WH A GAY-SUGGTIVE TLE, “STONE THRON OF PTOWN,” TURNED OUT TO BE A PAIR OF CHAIRS MA OF LARGE ROCKS FOUND NOT THE MASSACHETTS LGBTQ MEC OF PROVCETOWN BUT, ALAS, THE STEREOTYPILLY AVERAGE CY OF PEORIA.“THE PUBLIC VOTE UALLY GO TO THGS THAT DRAW THE SYMPATHY OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE,” LEY AGREED. “THE TOPICS AREN’T HARD-HTG TOPICS. BUT ARTISTS E TO ARTPRIZE TO EHER MAKE A STATEMENT OR TRY TO W. OFTEN THE TWO ARE NOT PATIBLE. I CHOSE TO MAKE A STATEMENT BUT NOT TO W. IF YOU WANT TO NONT CULTURE, THEN ARTPRIZE IS A VENUE, IS A VEHICLE FOR NVERSATN.” STEVE FRIS
• OPENLY GAY MEMBERS OF CONGRS RAISE SER CONCERNS ABOUT BETSY DEVOS’ RERD ON LGBT EQUALY
• PROMENT GAY REPUBLIN SAID DEVOS STOOD UP FOR HIM
• BETSY DEVOS IS ABOUT TO LOSE HER JOB. A GAY WHISTLEBLOWER TELLS WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CELEBRATE.
• DO DEVOS COMMENTS ENURAGE ANTI-GAY BIAS?

HOW BETSY DEVOS BEME AN UNEXPECTED CHAMPN OF LGBTQ ARTDISPLAYTHE CLN OF LGBTQ ARTPRIZE, FOUND AND SUBSTANTIALLY FUND BY MEMBERS OF BETSY DEVOS’ FAY, HAS ENGENRED SPIRED BATE AMONG THE ARTISTS THEMSELV.STEVE FRISUPDATED SEP. 29, 2017 10:13PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 30, 2017 12:01AM EDT COURTY OF ARTPRIZEGRAND RAPIDS, MICH. -- ONE ENTRY AMERI’S RICHT ART PETN IS AN STALLATN THAT REIMAG A FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM AS A THEATER DRSG AREA AND THE ATHLET’ HELMETS AS RABOW-LORED KKK HOODS. ANOTHER IS A LUMO PHOTO SAY OF GAY MIDWTERNERS DOG SUCH MUNDANE THGS AS RIDG A BICYCLE AND POSG AN EMBRACE ON A SOFA. AND MORE THAN ONE ENTRANT FEATUR DRAWGS THAT PICT TRANSGENR PEOPLE STAT OF UNDRS, CLUDG ONE GENR-VAGUE SUBJECT HOLDG A BANANA WHERE A PENIS MIGHT DANGLE.THE PIEC AND MANY OTHERS Y AND ABOUT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE PART OF AN ANNUAL NTT LLED ARTPRIZE THAT WAS FOUND AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY FUND BY MEMBERS OF THE BILLNAIRE DEVOS FAY.THAT IS, AS BETSY DEVOS, THE TN SECRETARY WHO TOLD CONGRS THIS SPRG THAT SHE DO NOT OPPOSE FERAL MONEY GOG TO SCHOOLS THAT EXCLU QUEER STUNTS. AND AS THE FAY THAT SPENT MORE THAN $2 LN FIGHTG MARRIAGE EQUALY—CLUDG $400,000 TO THE MPAIGN TO PASS PROPOSN 8 CALIFORNIA. AND AS AMWAY FOUNR RICHARD DEVOS, THE TYON PATRIARCH WHO NCLUD AFTER STG ON PRINT REAGAN’S FIRST AIDS MISSN THAT ONE SOLUTN TO THE PROBLEM WOULD BE IF PEOPLE WOULD JT “NDUCT YOURSELF PROPERLY.” NONE OF THAT HAS KEPT AWAY THE MANY QUEER ARTISTS WHOSE WORK APPEARS AROUND THIS CY ALONG WH SOME 1,350 OTHER ENTRI OM 47 UNTRI DURG THE THREE-WEEK EVENT THAT CULMAT OCT. 6 WH THE AWARDG OF $500,000 PRIZE MONEY. THE FACT THAT THEIR WORK IS WELE AT ARTPRIZE—ALONG WH MANY OTHER ENTRI ADDRSG POLIL AND SOCIAL ISSU THAT ARE AT ODDS WH THE DEVOS FAY’S VIEWS—IS A SIGN OF PROGRS AND A CHANCE TO PROVOKE DIALOGUE, THEY SIST. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE “AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED NEW YORK FOR A WHILE, THERE’S SO MUCH OF THAT KD OF MONEY VOLVED THE ARTS,” SAID ARTIST JEFEY AUGTE SONG, NOTG A THEATER AT MANHATTAN’S LLN CENTER IS NAMED FOR ONE OF THE NSERVATIVE KOCH BROTHERS, A MAJOR DONOR. “SO, WHAT HAPPENS? DO YOU JT STOP GOG TO THE BALLET? ARTPRIZE IS AN OPPORTUNY TO SEND A MSAGE THAT UNTERS THEIR MSAGE.”ARTPRIZE IS ONE OF AMERI’S MOST PECULIAR ANNUAL CULTURAL EVENTS. THE PETN ALLOWS ANY BS DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS TO CLARE SELF A VENUE AND DISPLAY WHATEVER FORM OF ARTWORK CHOOS AS ENTRI. THE VOT OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOANDS OF PEOPLE WHO FLOOD THE CY FOR THE EVENT TERME WHAT PIEC W THE $200,000 GRAND PRIZE AS WELL AS $12,500 TO WNERS OF FOUR TEGORI. AT THE SAME TIME, A PANEL OF ART EXPERTS ALSO CI ON THEIR OWN SET OF WNERS AND GIVE OUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THE SAME NFIGURATN.THE “AMERI’S GOT TALENT”-STYLE SIGN AND EYE-POPPG PRIZ ARE THE BRACHILD OF RICK DEVOS, THE TECH ENTREPRENR SON OF BETSY, WHO LNCHED ARTPRIZE 2009 AS AN ENOMIC VELOPMENT TOOL FOR GRAND RAPIDS. AT FIRST ALL OF THE MONEY WAS HAND OUT BY POPULAR VOTE, BUT THE PUBLIC’S CHOIC TEND TO VEER TOWARDS SPECTACLE AND KSCH, SO 2013 THE EXPERT JURY WAS ADD TO UNTER THAT AND, HOPEFULLY, EARN SOME MUCH-ELIVE ART-WORLD RPECT.ARTPRIZE OFFICIALS SIST THE EVENT’S CENTRALIZED, CROWD-SOURCED NATURE MIMIZ THE FLUENCE OF THE DEVOS, EVEN AS RICK REMAS THE CHAIR OF THE ARTPRIZE BOARD AND THE FAY’S FOUNDATNS PROVI ABOUT 16 PERCENT OF THE NON-PROF’S $3.5 LN ANNUAL BUDGET. (NONE OF THE DEVOS WERE AVAILABLE TO MENT FOR THIS REPORT.) COURTY OF ARTPRIZE SOME LGBTQ ARTISTS AVOID ARTPRIZE BEE OF THE DEVOS FAY’S POLICS. THE MOST NOTABLE IS STEVE LAMBERT, WHO HAD A PIECE ENTERED ON HIS BEHALF 2014 BEFORE, HE SAID, HE UNRSTOOD WHAT ARTPRIZE WAS OR WHO THE DEVOS WERE. WHEN HE WAS NAMED A FALIST BY THE EXPERT JURY, HE WROTE A BLOG POST STATG HIS OBJECTNS TO THE FAY’S POLICS AND ASSERTG HE’D BE GIVG ANY WNGS TO A LOL LGBT GROUP. ARTPRIZE EXHIBNS DIRECTOR KEV BUIST RPOND QUICKLY BY ENURAGG HIM TO DO SO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN GA FOLLOWED UP A WEEK LATER WH A POST NOTG THE ARTPRIZE BOARD HAD UNANIMOLY PASSED A ROLUTN EARLIER THAT YEAR TO FOSTER LGBT PARTICIPATN THE NTT.STILL, LAMBERT NTU TO OPPOSE LGBT VOLVEMENT. IN AN TERVIEW THIS WEEK, HE LISTED SEVERAL DEVOS ANTI-LGBT DONATNS AND STATEMENTS AND ASKED QUEER ARTPRIZE PARTICIPANTS: “DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE NEVER WALKED ANY OF THAT BACK? ARE YOU OK WH BEG A PART OF AN EVENT THAT CLEANS UP THAT IMAGE? … ARE YOU OK HELPG THEM MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY TO PUT BACK TO NSERVATIVE POLICS?” COURTY OF ARTPRIZE THE DEVOS FAY PROFS DIRECTLY OM ARTPRIZE BEE THEY OWN HOTELS AND OTHER BS GRAND RAPIDS THAT ARE PATRONIZED DURG THE EVENT, HE SAID.YET OTHERS SEE ARTPRIZE AS A SEPARATE ENTY OM THE FAY. DEREK CALL, ARTPRIZE’S DIRECTOR OF EXHIBNS, MOVED WH HIS PARTNER TO GRAND RAPIDS OM LOS ANGEL 2015 FOR THE JOB BEE HE WAS IMPRSED BY “THE AMAZG OPEN NATURE” OF THE EVENT. “IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO E AND EXPRS THEMSELV,” CALL SAID. “I STRONGLY OPPOSE ANYONE WHO WOULD TAKE RIGHTS AWAY OM ANYONE, BUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN NOTHG BUT LOVELY AND PROFSNAL AND WELG.” COURTY OF ARTPRIZE ONE GAY ARTPRIZE 2017 ENTRANT, DANIEL VANR LEY, GREW UP THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA AND SOCIALIZED WH RICK DEVOS AND HIS SIBLGS WHOM HE LLED, “LOVELY PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS TREATED ME REALLY WELL.” WHAT’S MORE, LEY CREDED THE FAY AND THEIR GENERO DONATNS TO THE ARTS GRAND RAPIDS FOR MAKG THE CY MORE TOLERANT OF LGBTQ PEOPLE. “WE HAVE BEE A GREAT ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER BEE OF THEM,” SAID LEY, WHOSE ENTRY, “ESC,” IS A MENTARY ON RPORAL PUNISHMENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. “LET ME TELL YOU, THE NSERVATIVE ISSU THE FARMLAND AROUND HERE IS MUCH WORSE. GRAND RAPIDS IS A BETIFUL THRIVG CY THAT I FEEL VERY FORTABLE .”ANOTHER QUEER ARTIST WHO OBJECTED TO LAMBERT’S TAKE IS TI-ROCK MOORE, WHO WAS UNAWARE OF THE DEVOS TI TO ARTPRIZE UNTIL SHE ARRIVED SEPTEMBER OM NEW ORLEANS WH “FLT,” AN STALLATN MENTG ON THAT CY’S LEAD NTAMATN CRISIS BY FEATURG A DRKG FOUNTA THAT SPEWS BROWN WATER AND SS UNR THE UBIQUO SEGREGATN-ERA SIGN “COLORED.” LEARNG ABOUT THE NTT’S ORIGS, SHE SAID, REDOUBLED HER TERMATN TO PARTICIPATE. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE “ART TYPILLY EXISTS WH WHE PRIVILEGE AND EXCLIVE SPAC LIKE GALLERI AND MMS, SO THIS IS MUCH MORE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAN WHERE ART TYPILLY IS SHOWN,” MOORE SAID. “I AM CERTALY NOT HERE STICKG UP FOR ARTPRIZE OR THE DEVOS. BUT I’M OM THE DEEP SOUTH. I DO MY WORK SPE BEG SURROUND BY PLETELY RED CI, PARISH, STAT, UNTI. IN FACT, THAT TYPE OF NSERVATIVE THKG IS ALMOST A MOTIVATN TO KEEP ON PHG THROUGH.” A FEW PIEC MA BY QUEER ARTISTS ARE SER NTENTN THIS YEAR. SONG’S “SOCIETY OF 23’S LOCKER DRSG ROOM,” A 30-BY-20-FOOT ROOM BECKED SILVER TSEL THAT HE SAYS IS A MENTARY ON MASCULY AND SEXUALY, IS ONE OF FIVE FALISTS THE STALLATNS TEGORY AS PICKED BY THE ART-CRIC JURY. MOORE’S “FLT” IS AN ART-JURY FALIST THE THREE-DIMENSNAL TEGORY. AND “YOU BELONG TO ME,” A TRIPPY VIO STALLATN WHICH THE LBIAN ARTIST LISS LAFLR IS SEEN LIP-SYNCHG A DOO-WOP SONG ON FIVE 8-FOOT PK GE CURTAS, WAS, AS OF FRIDAY, AMONG THE VOTG PUBLIC’S TOP 25 THE TIME-BASED TEGORY. VOTG CLOS OCT. 5 AND ALL WNERS ARE ANNOUNCED OCT. 6. COURTY OF ARTPRIZE STILL, SONG SAID, THE NSERVATIVE NATURE OF WTERN MICHIGAN IS EVINCE THE RULTS OF THE POPULAR VOTG, POTG TO THE FAILURE OF A LLECTN OF PICTUR OF GAY MEN BY OPENLY GAY PHOTOGRAPHER HWA-JEEN MA TO CRACK THE TOP 25, SPE BEG SHOWN ONE OF THE HIGHT-TRAFFICKED OF ARTPRIZE’S MORE THAN 120 VENU. MANY OF THE MOST POPULAR PIEC ARE, ED, GIMMICKY OR HAVE RELIG OR CLASSIC AMERINA TOPICS. ONE TOP 25 PIECE WH A GAY-SUGGTIVE TLE, “STONE THRON OF PTOWN,” TURNED OUT TO BE A PAIR OF CHAIRS MA OF LARGE ROCKS FOUND NOT THE MASSACHETTS LGBTQ MEC OF PROVCETOWN BUT, ALAS, THE STEREOTYPILLY AVERAGE CY OF PEORIA.“THE PUBLIC VOTE UALLY GO TO THGS THAT DRAW THE SYMPATHY OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE,” LEY AGREED. “THE TOPICS AREN’T HARD-HTG TOPICS. BUT ARTISTS E TO ARTPRIZE TO EHER MAKE A STATEMENT OR TRY TO W. OFTEN THE TWO ARE NOT PATIBLE. I CHOSE TO MAKE A STATEMENT BUT NOT TO W. IF YOU WANT TO NONT CULTURE, THEN ARTPRIZE IS A VENUE, IS A VEHICLE FOR NVERSATN.” STEVE FRIS

28, 2017WASHINGTON — When Greg McNeilly, a longtime Republin operative Michigan, and his hband filed paperwork 2015 to adopt a child, clud a warm ttament of support om a seemgly unlikely source: Betsy DeVos, the nservative school choice advote whose fay has donated heavily to groups that oppose gay a uple, she wrote, the two shared “a close, rg relatnship where they treat each other wh rpect. Kennedy Center for the Performg Arts, Washgton, when the center’s print, Michael Kaiser, wed his hband a ceremony officiated by Jtice Ruth Bar DeVos’s support for her gay iends and for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr rights are a largely unknown but ep-seated aspect of her history, datg as far back as the late 1990s.

DeVos’s personal story is not only at odds wh the public image of her and her fay as proment fanciers of nservative , but also stands out a nascent admistratn wh a number of members who have a history of opposg gay rights. DeVos’s acceptance of gay rights may be wele news to Republins who thk their party needs to move past the issue, is likely to be worrisome to social nservativ who hope that the Tmp admistratn will roll back some of the liberal social polici that went to effect unr Print Barack among the is an Obama admistratn directive — issued by the Edutn and Jtice Departments — stctg schools to allow transgenr stunts to e the bathrooms that match their genr inty. DeVos’s, former ambassador to Italy and one of the Republins who signed the brief, relled that the episo was not whout some mor disfort, given the elr DeVos’ support for groups opposed to gay rights.

DeVos’s opponents have often nflated her fay’s fancial support for anti-gay rights iativ wh her own polil activi. Unr qutng at her nfirmatn hearg this month, she was at a loss to tell senators why her name was listed as vice print of her mother’s foundatn, the Edgar and Elsa Prce Foundatn, a genero ntributor to groups like Foc on the Fay and the Fay Rearch Council, both of which arntly oppose gay DeVos blamed “a cleril error” but did not elaborate.

OPENLY GAY MEMBERS OF CONGRS RAISE SER CONCERNS ABOUT BETSY DEVOS’ RERD ON LGBT EQUALY

A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 15 of the New York edn wh the headle: Friends Ce Edutn Pick’s Firm, but Quiet, Support for Gay Rights. Another is a lumo photo say of gay Midwterners dog such mundane thgs as ridg a bicycle and posg an embrace on a sofa. ” Courty of ArtPrize One gay ArtPrize 2017 entrant, Daniel Vanr Ley, grew up the Grand Rapids area and socialized wh Rick DeVos and his siblgs whom he lled, “lovely people who always treated me really well.

PROMENT GAY REPUBLIN SAID DEVOS STOOD UP FOR HIM

Courty of ArtPrize Still, Song said, the nservative nature of wtern Michigan is evince the rults of the popular votg, potg to the failure of a llectn of pictur of gay men by openly gay photographer Hwa-Jeen Ma to crack the top 25, spe beg shown one of the hight-trafficked of ArtPrize’s more than 120 venu.

One Top 25 piece wh a gay-suggtive tle, “Stone Thron of PTown, ” turned out to be a pair of chairs ma of large rocks found not the Massachetts LGBTQ mec of Provcetown but, alas, the stereotypilly average cy of Peoria.

However, a top official om Equaly Michigan, a gay rights group om DeVos’ home state, believ her personal views aren’t accurately reflected by her fay’s past donatns and exprs hope she will protect LGBT kids — while also notg plans to watch her actns.

BETSY DEVOS IS ABOUT TO LOSE HER JOB. A GAY WHISTLEBLOWER TELLS WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CELEBRATE.

Tmp, meanwhile, has exprsed tolerant views on gay rights.

The Office for Civil Rights Obama’s Edutn Department has pursued a number of polici herald by civil rights and gay advocy groups: It urged schools to extend anti-bullyg polici to ver LGBT stunts. “That guidance has been a life-saver for stunts across the untry, ” said Jam Esseks, director of the ACLU’s Lbian Gay Bisexual Transgenr and HIV Project. Advot pot to one DeVos relatnship that they say giv them hope for how she may approach LGBT issu: Greg McNeilly, a polil adviser to DeVos and the chief operatg officer of the DeVos fay’s pany Wdqut Group, is gay and was one of the first to marry his same-sex partner Michigan after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage.

DO DEVOS COMMENTS ENURAGE ANTI-GAY BIAS?

She noted that DeVos don’t speak out agast gay rights, and even lled on Dave Agema, a Michigan Republin Natnal Commtee member, to step down om the RNC 2014 after makg ments highly cril of gays. Still, the DeVos fay has a long history of supportg groups that poe anti-gay rights views.

DeVos’ fay members also donated thoands of dollars to mpaigns opposg efforts to legalize gay marriage stat like Florida, Michigan and California.

“Te tnal equy requir schools that serve the most at-risk stunts, cludg stunts of lor, stunts wh disabili, lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer and/or qutng (LGBTQ) stunts and English-language learners, ” Byard said. DeVos’ stanc on a number of public tn issu raise ncerns, we nnot hold our silence regardg her opposn to the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) stunts.