Volume 33, Number 18

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1979

MARYLAND’S LGBT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 VOLUME XXXIII, NUMBER 18 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

PLUS:

DINING

OUT FOR LIFE AND THE CHEF BEHIND

MOVEABLE

FEAST CONTROVERSIAL

LGBT FIGURE

ANDREW SULLIVAN

SPEAKS AT MICA

BALTIMORE

BOOK FEST

BECKONS READERS

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9/14/11 8:32 PM

Maryland renaissance Festival

and near!

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PAGE 2 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

W I N N E R® !

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL • 2010 TONY AWARD

GEORGE HAMILTON Christopher Sieber

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November 1-6 • Hippodrome Theatre BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com • 410.547.SEAT Groups Save! Call 443.703.2401 • Box Office M-F 11a-3p

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 3

9/14/11 8:32 PM

r

letter editor’s

by Roger Dimick

Prizes and Progressive Jackpot

HOME

LGBT

Benefit LESProceeds S

EPERSON

S

S/YO

UTH

I played Bingo for the first time (ever) at the Hippo’s Gay Bingo a few Wednesdays ago.

And I Won! I wasn’t the only winner, and I certainly wasn’t the big winner, but those facts did not diminish my excitement.

I’m clearly a woman of many talents; and if I won $20 on my very first try, chances are I’ll kick some bingo butt on Wednesday, September 28: Anniversary Bingo.

For $20 in advance, $25 at the door, you too can join as we celebrate the ninth anniversary of Gay Bingo at the Hippo. Not only are there chances to win $100, but the jackpot is worth $1,000.

Even though I’m new to the game, Gay Bingo — a fundraiser for the GLCCB — has been held every Wednesday for the past nine years.

Starting at 8:30pm at the Hippo, this event regularly includes giveaways, door prizes, $1 pizza, and even themed evenings.

Gay Bingo would not be possible if not for the tireless efforts of the entire Hippo staff, especially Roger Dimick, Chuck Bowers, and Tia Chambers.

The entire GLCCB staff thanks you for your support!

MAYOR’S

LGBTN

R GENDE TRANSECTIONS PROT

LIAISO

We hope to see all of our readers and supporters at Anniversary Bingo, September 28!

CONTENTS

Out Front

First Person

PAGE 5, 6 TALK: MICA’s Free Speech Symposium includes Andrew Sullivan as well as Trevor Paglen and Jay Stanley.

By Kristi Metzger

PAGE 19 SPEAKING OUT: Chaz comes out dancing.

By Rev. Irene Monroe

Lesbian Avengers lecture at Red Emma’s Bookstore. By Rose D’Longcroi PAGE 7 BOOKS: “They Could No Longer Contain Themselves: A Collection of Five Flash Chapbooks.” Review by Terri Solomon PAGE 8 OBITUARY: Richard McGinnis PAGE 9 WELLNESS: “Back to School” has meaning for adults too (not just parents and teachers). By David Allen PAGE 10 DINING OUT: Mama’s on the Half Shell.

By John Cullen with Marty Shayt PAGE 13 COMMUNITY: Meet Moveable Feast’s Chef Damon Hersh. Plus Dine out for Life!

By Ted Blankenship

Headline News Maggie Beetz, Editor

ON THE COVER: Hillwood Estate

13

LEGAL EASE: How adult adoption can assist Maryland’s same-sex couples.

By Yale M. Ginsburg, Esq

Out Going PAGE 21 SPOTLIGHT: Hillwood Celebrates 10th Annual Gay Day By Rachel Roth DATEBOOK: Calendar of Events.

By Rachel Roth

After Hours PAGE 22 BSCENE: Gay Life Meet & Greet Contributors’ Happy Hour. By Samatra Johnson

FEATURE PAGE 16: Baltimore Book Festival: Gay Life speaks with 3 visiting authors.

PAGE 14: NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

By Rachel Roth

Vist us at www.baltimoregaylife.com

PAGE 4 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410.837.7748 • Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: sales@baltimoregaylife.com

Maggie Beetz, Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Gay Life is a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Gay Life is published every other Friday in Baltimore, Maryland, with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Gay Life is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Gay Life or its publisher.

Scott FitzPatrick, Advertising sales@baltimoregaylife.com 410-837-7748 National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863

Michael Nguyen, Art Director art@baltimoregaylife.com

Marty Shayt Senior Volunteer

Contributors David Allen, Ted Blankenship, Rose D’Longcroi, John Cullen,Yale M. Ginsburg, Esq., Kristi Metzger, Rev. Irene Monroe, Rachel Roth, Marty Shayt, Terri Solomon Photographers: Samatra Johnson, Jay W Photos Newspaper Committee: Trevor Ankeny, Bud Beeler, Kelly D. McClain, Terri Solomon

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outfront

2011

Mt. Washington

TALK

e n i W Azrtz aestival

Andrew Sullivan Speaks at MICA Free Speech Symposium also includes Trevor Paglen and Jay Stanley Photo by Matt Cavanaugh

BY KRISTI METZGER

“liberal,” which includes the support for progressive taxation, universal healthcare, and a general distaste for the war on terror. He supports a broad range of traditional conservative views including flat tax, limited government, and the privatization of social security, but he also takes the position of the left side of the political spectrum when it comes to same-sex marriage and capital punishment.

Andrew is proudly and openly gay and, according to his 2003 Salon.com article, identifies as a member of the Bear Community. He married his partner Aaron Tone in 2007.

Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland (ACLU-MD) will hold a symposium on this coming Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day, Sept. 17) discussing the highly debated topic of free speech and digital communication. The talk will feature experts, advocates, and artists bringing forward their different viewpoints and thoughts on the future of personal expression as it relates to digital communication technology.

Controversial author, editor, political commentator, and blogger Andrew Sullivan will take part in the Constitution Day Symposium: Free Speech and the Digital Age at MICA. He has been called “one of the most widely read, influential and prolific political voices online,” by National Public Radio. A pioneer in political blogging Andrew started his blog, The Daily Dish, over a decade ago. It became one of the most popular political blogs after the attacks of September 11, 2011.

Despite the fact that in 2009 Forbes magazine ranked Sullivan No. 19 on “The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media” list, he describes himself as a conservative. Sullivan doesn’t even meet Forbes’ criteria for being

Sullivan has criticized civil unions, referring to them as “marriage lite.”

He has argued that civil unions will be what weakens the status of marriage for the LGBT community as well as heterosexuals.

Some other well noted controversial topics involving Sullivan include his alleged slander against Noam Chomsky stating that he supports the Soviet Union and, according to his blog, that he started the rumor that Sarah Palin faked the pregnancy of her fifth child to hide her daughter’s pregnancy for political gain. He still to this day has not commented on his accusation of Chomsky, and the Palin rumor was soon debunked.

The Constitution Day Symposium: Free Speech and the Digital Age, will also feature social scientist, artist and writer Trevor Paglen, who is an artist-in-residence at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Also featured that day will be Jay Stanley, a blogger for the Huffington Post and a senior policy analyst with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. Moderating the panel’s discussion will be WYPR’s The Signal Producer Aaron Henkin. n DETAILS: Constitution Day Symposium: Free Speech and the Digital Age, Saturday, September 17, 3-5pm. FREE. MICA Brown Center’s Falvey Hall, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave. MICA.edu

Sunday, September 25, 2011 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Directions: Beltway exit 22, south on Greenspring Ave for 1/4 mile

Wineries: Basigani • Woodall • Quarry Wines Microbrew: Clipper City Brewing • GREAT FOOD Matt Wigler 12pm • CRAFT VENDORS Swingin Swamis 2pm • MUSCLE CARS David Bach 4pm

Live Music:

Oriole Bird 2pm to 3pm

Sponsored by:

Proceeds to benefit The Allison E. Fisher Memorial Fund

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Call– 410-638-3060 Harford County Health Department 1 North Main St. Bel Air, Md 21014

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Laura June, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Psychotherapy for Individuals and Couples Imago Relationship Therapy Stone Mansion 4901 Spring Garden Dr. Baltimore, MD 21209 Ph 410-235-7899 629 Reisterstown Rd. · 410.358.3377 · M-F 10-5

laura.june@comcast.net www.drlaurajune.com VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 5

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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F

at Quarry Lake

Continued on page 18

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outfront TALK

Lesbian Avengers at Red Emma’s

BY ROSE D’LONGCROI

At 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 9, Red Emma regulars commandeered chairs and linked up with fellow compatriots while Baltimore’s latest influx of undergraduates hovered tentatively in the back of the crowd, intrigued by the evening’s event: a lecture/discussion on the 1990s activist group, the Lesbian Avengers.

With every seat filled and a regular flow of patrons filtering through the remaining standing room, Dulcey Lewis was introduced to the eager crowd. Seeking a topic to use for her capstone course, Lewis began browsing the lesbian herstory archives (LesbianHerstoryArchives.org).

Having professor and Avenger cofounder Maxine Wolfe as her program’s advisor, Lewis was well connected to investigate the inner workings of this activist group that reigned for four years during the 1990s when AIDSinduced fear mongering had America by the throat. ACT-UP, a major awareness group that made tracks in the Big Apple, brought the original six Avengers together to spring board off the momentum surrounding this epidemic in an attempt to expand the national population’s mindset about the lesbian community.

In response to an ultra conservative campaign attempting to remove a multi-cultural curriculum from the New York school system, the Lesbian Avengers’ first action hit America at its most valuable resource. Imagine the primary students’ excitement when they arrived at school to find a marching band and nearly seventy women in “I was a lesbian child” t-shirts handing out balloons as they entered the school grounds.

With that bold act, the Lesbian Avengers established themselves as a moving force dedicated to making statements that commandeered one’s attention and forced them to ask questions about lesbianism.

This single minded focus on lesbian concerns inspired new lesbians to begin chapters across the nation, while the main group retained a steady push

PAGE 6 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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to create and execute nearly fifty more actions that garnered media attention and raised the social consciousness of the New York population.

Another action that remains in place today is the Dyke March, a now twenty-year-old tradition held before the permit-holding annual LGBT March. This tradition, which started to show the face of lesbians to the country, ended with a dozen of the Avengers eating fire for a stunned crowd in Washington, D.C. The march not only gathered 20,000 women in its first march, but also refused to obtain a permit, thus demanding that citizens acknowledge their presence as they walked topless and proud through the streets.

All too soon did the leaders of the New York chapter find that their single-minded focus would be the very issue that led to their end. In 1995, as the multi-tasking drive spurred by the advancement of the internet took precedence, the Lesbian Avengers disbanded.

But as Lewis concluded her summary of her research, the audience plagued her with hopeful wishes that her work would be a call to action. As the crowd dispersed into the Mt. Vernon streets lighting cigarettes and in search of beer, some Baltimoreans began to wonder if the Lesbian Avengers will strike again. n DETAILS: For more on the Lesbian Avengers visit LesbianAvengers.com or LesbianHerstoryArchives. org. To check out upcoming events at Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, visit them at RedEmmas. org/events.

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

BOOKS

They Could No Longer Contain Themselves REVIEW BY TERRI SOLOMON

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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gender identity, are taken back to personal encounters with betrayal, desire, joy, shame, regret, and brief moments of grace.

If you prefer a depiction of life that’s candy-coated, yet calorie-free, I’d avoid “Evan’s House and the Other Boys Who Live There.” It’s dense with the harsh realities of adult living.

In one section, Evan’s boyfriend Patrick details his frustration and disappointment with his partner; Patrick is unable to control Evan’s drinking and his general selfdestructive behavior.

“As I clutch his shoulder with one hand and dab the blood from his face with the other, I think maybe this is love. Maybe love is holding another person’s potential when they’re too weak to hold it themselves,” says Patrick, as he cleans Evan’s face from a bar incident Evan can’t remember.

In the world of Tim Jones-Yelvington, this is love—a little desperate and codependent, but also wonderfully human. n DETAILS:“They Could No Longer Contain Themselves: A Collection of Five Flash Chapbooks” By Elizabeth J. Colen, John Jodzio, Tim Jones-Yelvington, Sean Lovelace, and Mary Miller. Rose Metal Press. ISBN: 9780984616619. Paperback, $15.95, 240p

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Even though these are short works, the enjoyment of this chapbook comes from Jones-Yelvington’s adept use of few words to call back youthful rejections, a lingering sense of difference, and weird obsessions— being slimed by a friend, the attraction of a purple thermos, and the allure of animal face-painting long after you “should” have grown out of that phase.

It’s not that these are experiences unique to gay kids—it’s just that Jones-Yelvington portrays them with such tender emotion that readers, regardless of sexual orientation or

Baltimore Gay Life Insertion date: SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Tim Jones-Yelvington’s “Evan’s House and the Other Boys Who Live There” is the most complete chapbook thematically. Broken into twenty sequential flash fictions, it follows the loves and lusts, highs and lows of a young gay man named Evan.

Told from several vantage points (the first story is from the perspective of Evan’s house, as drawn by Evan in third grade), Jones-Yelvington paints an abstract portrait of the emotional life of a child, and his subsequent maturing into young adulthood.

10am– 6pm

Publication:

Thankfully, the collection is redeemed by some finely crafted, detailed pieces, including the delightful musings in Sean Lovelace’s chapbook, “How Some People Like Their Eggs.” Lovelace writes with humor and originality, presenting readers with the world of Charlie Brown’s inner thoughts; how Andy Warhol, Robert Capa, Cher, and Thelonious Monk, among others, prefer their eggs; and a nursing student with a mania for bocce.

Sat, Sept 17

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Flash fiction. Like lightening, it’s a brief illumination, the sky of your mind brightened with an image that, at its best, lingers after you’ve turned the page. At its worst, flash fiction can be banal, confusing, or both.

“They Could No Longer Contain Themselves: A Collection of Five Flash Chapbooks” contains more selections that crash and burn than you’d expect in a collection of best writings from Rose Metal Press’s Annual Short Short Chapbook contest.

Gay Day 2011

$15, $12 Senior, $10 Members & College Students No program fee for children under 18. .

Where Fabulous Lives

For more information call 202.686.5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington DC Free parking HIL-0002-GayLife_4.75x11.25_Sept16_v1.indd 1

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1812:17 PAGE 9/9/11 PM7

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outfront OBITUARY Richard McGinnis Richard (Rick) McGinnis, 41, of Ellicott City, Md., passed away in his home Monday, Sept. 5, 2011.

Richard worked in various Baltimore hospitals and in medical billing.

He was a member of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Milford, Del. He graduated from Lake Forest High School, class of 1988, where he was student government president. He enjoyed traveling, politics, and spending time at the beach.

Richard is survived by his partner of 12 years: Mark Molnar, of Ellicott City; his parents: Carroll and Stella McGinnis, of Felton, Del.; a brother: David Lee McGinnis of Camden, Del.; and his cat, Joy. Richard is buried in Epworth Cemetery, Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Jeffery A. Klug, LCPC Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor 2 Village Square, Suite 211, Baltimore, MD 21210 410 241 4215 JeffKlugCounseling.com

PAGE 8 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

“Back to School” Means a New Fall Line-Up for Adults Too

Photo Courtesy Herrick via WikiCommons

WELLNESS

BY DAVID ALLEN

School Daze?

Regardless of how you remember “back to school,” it is that time of year again.

Even if you aren’t directly connected to any back-to-school activities, you can find the clues pretty much everywhere, even beyond retail and the calendar.

Change is in the air. Colors are starting to change, and we had a very brief tease of cooler weather. Your body remembers the cycle at the end of summer.

Anticipation (good or bad) of something new starting: a new grade, new teachers, new school, new responsibilities, new opportunities.

Out of the school cycle, this can be a great time to assess where you are and where you would like to be. Just like planting bulbs now so they can bloom in the spring, you can create a plan of action to put into play over the winter. Where are your areas of interest and/or improvement? Take some time to sketch out how you would like those areas to look come springtime.

Parents: How empty is your nest?

It doesn’t matter if you have little ones starting the first year of full-time school or older ones going off college, there will be a shift in your demands, time, and even self image.

Moms and dads are impacted by a child moving on. How closely your own sense of being and identity are tied to your children and their activities can be one of the many influences on how you may handle the transition. It can be especially challenging when part of you says, “I know this is part of being a parent and I am so very proud/happy,” while another part says, “What do I do with myself now?”

This is a great time to pull out that old unfinished to-do list. If you never had WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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one- set aside time to make a new one. See what shows up and then explore the ways to make it happen. If you are partnered, you can brainstorm things to do together without the kids. If your feelings seem bigger than finding new ways to enjoy your time, there are options for working with someone as you enter this new phase in your life.

Take some time to plant bulbs for yourself, not just the garden. Winter doesn’t have to exist only for shoveling snow and wishing for spring. A little planning now can lead to something lovely in the next season, and the next and the next. n David Allen is a certified Breathwork practitioner in Baltimore. He facilitates breath experiences for individuals, groups, and couples. BreathWorkWorks.com. Have a topic you’d like covered? Write to david@breathworkworks.com.

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 9

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outfront Photo Courtesy Mama’s on the Half Shell

DINING OUT

Mama’s on the Half Shell

BY JOHN CULLEN AND MARTY SHAYT

Mama’s on the Half Shell is obviously popular—on a summer week night, a half dozen sidewalk tables were all taken, and we had to wait 20 minutes for a table in a very crowded, very “straight” bar. Inside, Mama’s oozes with atmosphere and feels like the joint where your grandparents ventured out for a drink (actually, it opened in 2003 with the objective of offering classic Baltimore seafood dishes!). There’s a bar with adjacent small dining area on the first floor with a larger (quieter yet charming) dining room on the second floor where we ended up being seated with our friends JT and Jerry.

The menu offers a lot of reasonably priced interesting choices: seafood soups ($6), a dozen plus appetizers ($5-14), salads ($6-13), eighteen

sandwiches that include fries (mostly $8-14), and classic seafood and beef filet entrees ($15-30). All this made it tough to decide what to order. We chose to share a couple of appetizers: seafood skins ($10—seafood stuffed potato skins) and “smoked fish dip” ($7). For the main course, Marty went for a single crab cake ($16), John for the “oyster Rockefeller salad” ($10), JT with the “lobster roll” sandwich ($23) and Jerry with the “fish & chips” ($15).

The seafood skins overflowing with shrimp, scallops, and crab under a mix of melted cheddar and sour cream was delicious and earned an instant thumbs-up! By contrast, the smoked seafood dip was a pureed boring paste that was left half untouched. When the

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Email us at Sales@BaltimoreGayLife.com to place your classified or display ad.

PAGE 10 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

entrees arrived, Jerry’s fish and chips was the visual star of the table—a huge piece of fried cod rested on a bed of freshly made deep fried potato chips.

While the cod was moist and delicious, the outer crust was so oily that Jerry cut it off and left it un-eaten; some of the chips also proved too oily and disappointing. Marty’s crab cake was tasty without a lot of filler, but his fries looked pale and under-cooked while his side cucumber salad was swamped in a thin sour cream sauce with little taste. JT was pleased with his lobster roll (though he would have preferred less mayo); John felt that the quantity of lobster for $23 seemed skimpy and that JT’s fries also were under-cooked.

John’s salad had four good-sized oysters in a tasty fried crust sitting on a bed of baby spinach with red onion and fennel; while the special Pernod dressing was disappointingly blah,

he found that the chipotle lime sauce from Jerry’s fish (which was too spicy for our friend) provided the added punch that the salad needed.

Mama’s excellent service, charming faux historic atmosphere, and menu with interesting and reasonably priced options explains its obvious popularity.

For us, the memory of those awesome seafood skins washed down with a cold beer may motivate us to overlook the obstacles of finding parking in Canton, standing around waiting for a table, and our disappointments with some of the food. n DETAILS: Mama’s on the Half Shell (Canton); 2901 O’Donnell St. 410.276.3160. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days, 11am-midnight.

Sunday brunch, full bar, vegetarian options, no reservations, street parking. MamasMD.com/ MamasSite.

Find past reviews at BaltimoreGayLife-DiningOut.info

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 11

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For a list of restaurants please visit www.diningoutforlife.com/baltimore For more information or to volunteer: 410.327.3420 or visit www.mfeast.org

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News Provided By Rachel Roth, and Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley • Find complete news stories at BaltimoreGayLife.com PAGE 12 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outfront COMMUNITY

Moveable Feast Volunteers

Meet Moveable Feast’s Chef Damon Hersh

BY TED BLANKENSHIP

Moveable Feast has every right to consider their Executive Chef, Damon Hersh, a local celebrity in the world of culinary arts. He graduated with honors at L’Academie Cuisine, one of the nation’s top ten culinary schools. He Chef Damon Hersh interned and was quickly promoted to sous chef at Occidental Grill, the historic restaurant just steps from the White House. And he has overseen the kitchens of some of Baltimore’s finest restaurants, including Louisiana, Mezze and Kali’s Court. We have all heard stories of celebrity chefs and their overblown egos, but with Chef Damon, you get someone who is thoughtful, dedicated and compassionate. You get someone who surprises and warms the staff with soup on a cold afternoon. You get a Chef who blushes when a client stops by the office to tell him how much she enjoys his food and has started to successfully gain weight.

After the birth of his first child, Chef Damon decided to leave the late nights of the restaurant business and search for something that would allow him to both be an active father and use his cooking skills to benefit others. All it took was an hour of chatting with Moveable Feast Executive Director Tom Bonderenko and a week volunteering in the kitchen to know he was in the right place. Chef Damon entered the realm of the Moveable Feast kitchen, open seven days a week, 365 days a year.

At first, sheer volume was the most difficult challenge in Chef Damon’s new role. During his tenure at fine dining restaurants, he was typically preparing meals for 120 diners each night with a staff of seven. At Moveable Feast, he prepares on average 7,000 meals WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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DINING OUT FOR LIFE

One of Chef Damon’s favorite events is Dining Out for Life, coming up on September 22. Simply dine at a participating restaurant and at least 20 percent of your bill will be donated to Moveable Feast. Chef Damon will be helping out in the kitchen at Jack’s Bistro in Canton; he’d love for you to have dinner there so please make a reservation.

FUNDING ISSUES

Dining Out for Life is even more important this year because of recent funding issues. In August, Moveable Feast was forced to reduce services to clients due to problems with federal funding.

For some clients, this has meant a 50 percent reduction in services. The money raised from Dining Out for Life will help to bridge the funding gap and begin to provide full food service again to their clients. per week (sometimes 1,000 in one day) with only three fulltime and one part-time staff members. Kitchen volunteers help ease the workload, but their presence in the kitchen can be irregular; one day, Chef Damon might have the helping hands of 40 volunteers and the next day none.

However, for Chef Damon, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. He now has the luxury of being home in time for dinner with his wife and daughter each night—a tradition from his own childhood. When he goes home and holds his daughter in his arms, he also feels proud that, through his work, he is putting food on the tables of other individuals and families in the community so that they too can maintain health and share a meal together. n DETAILS: Dining Out for Life: a fundraiser for Moveable Feast, a local nonprofit agency that delivers meals to people who are homebound and critically ill, living with AIDS, or breast cancer. Thursday, September 22.

See list of participating restaurants. MFeast.org.

Alonso's (50%!)

410.235.3433

Koco's Pub 410.426.3519

The Brewer's Art (50%!)

410.547.6925

La Palapa Grill & Cantina 410.465.0070

Clementine (50%!)

410.444.1497

Laurrapin Grille 410.939.4956

Gertrude's Restaurant at the BMA (50%!)

410.889.3399

Linwoods 410.356.3030 Marie Louise Bistro 410.385.9956

Loco Hombre (50%!)

410.889.2233 Miguel's Cocina y Cantina (50%!)

443.438.3139 Woodberry Kitchen (50%!)

410.464.8000 The Dizz (33%!)

443.569.5864 Iggie's (33%!)

410.528.0818

Meet 27 410.585.8121 Mia Carolina 410.526.5711 Minato Sushi Bar 410.332.0332 Miss Shirley's Cafe Inner Harbor 410.528.5373

'b' A Bolton Hill Bistro 410.383.8600

Miss Shirley's Cafe Roland Park 410.889.5272

Bistro Rx 410.276.0820

Mt. Vernon Stable & Saloon 410.685.7427

Blue Agave 410.576.3938

Mt. Washington Tavern 410.367.6903

Bonjour Bakery/Cafe 410.372.0238

Pappas Restaurant 410.766.3713

Cafe Gia 410.685.6727

The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar and Restaurant 410.461.0041

Cafe Hon 410.243.1230 Chameleon Cafe 410.254.2376 City Cafe 410.539.4252 Giovanni's 410.679.9805 Jack's Bistro 410.878.6542 Joe Squared 410.545.0444

Sascha's 527 410.539.8880 Saute' Restaurant & Bar 410.327.2883 Sotto Sopra 410.625.0534 Todd Conner's 410.537.5005 Village Square Cafe 410.433.2233 Yellow Dog Tavern 410.342.0281

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 13

9/14/11 8:32 PM

headlinenews NATIONAL

A

Official Photo

Gay Wisconsin Congresswoman Sets Sights on Senate Seat Tammy Baldwin is out to make history. The progressive Wisconsin congresswoman announced September 6 that she will run for U.S. Senate. If elected, Baldwin, who has represented Wisconsin’s second Congressional District for since 1998, will be the first openly gay senator.

Additionally, she would be the first woman to represent Wisconsin in the Senate.

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Tammy Baldwin

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The Human Rights Campaign—the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization—has officially announced their endorsement for Baldwin.

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“Tammy Baldwin’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate is monumental for both the state of Wisconsin and the country’s LGBT community,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Tammy has proven herself as an effective legislator over the course of her 13 years in Congress and this campaign will be a top priority for the Human Rights Campaign.”

Baldwin, the only out lesbian to serve in Congress, has a record of supporting civil rights, job creation and fighting for the preservation of the middle class.

“I’m running for the U.S. Senate, to stand up for you, no matter how tough the odds or how powerful the special interest it means fighting against,” said Baldwin on her website, “I’m used to fighting challenges head-on.”

Calif. Court Hears Arguments from Plaintiffs in Prop. 8 Case The fight for marriage equality in California continued Sept. 6 when plaintiffs in the Perry v. Brown presented arguments before the Supreme Court of California.

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The thrust of their claim was that proponents of Prop. 8 do not have “standing,” or the right to appeal Calif. Chief Judge Walker’s ruling that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional.

According to Theodore B. Olson, attorney for the plaintiffs, proponents of Prop. 8 will “not suffer any harm from a decision that grants gay and lesbian Californians their fundamental civil right to marry.”

He goes on to state that Kamala D. Harris, Calif. attorney general, has “made the sound decision that the discriminatory provisions of Proposition 8 do not warrant defense on appeal. Proponents cannot second-guess that exercise of discretion.”

According to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, if the Ninth Circuit Court sides with the plaintiffs, marriage equality would return be reinstated in California. If the court decides that Prop.

8 proponents do have standing, the court would still have to determine whether proponents have standing under federal law. Either way, it is likely that whatever the court decides will be challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.

FER Board President Chad Griffin, however, remains hopeful.

“Proposition 8 is hanging by a thread and soon the historic federal court decision that ruled Prop.

8 unconstitutional will be realized,” he said in a statement on AFER’s website.

California Lawmakers Voted 24 to 14 to Pass Anti-Bullying Law On Sept. 1, the California Sate Senate passed AB9, or “Seth’s Law.” The bill, named after Seth Walsh of Tehachapi, Calif, makes it mandatory for public schools to create policies for addressing bullying, including actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, as well as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, disability, and religion.

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Cyndi Lauper

Pop Icon Opens Shelter for NY’s LGBT Homeless Youth

At 13, Walsh was subject to torment from his peers because of his perceived sexuality. As a result of the persistent bullying, Walsh attempted suicide and eventually died as a result of his injuries.

According to a report on Care2.com, a federal investigation uncovered evidence that teachers and administrators at Walsh’s school failed to take reports of bullying seriously. Seth, his friends and his mother reportedly complained of the harassment Walsh endured from his tormentors. The bullying got so bad that Walsh refused to change in the school’s locker rooms because he “feared for his own safety.”

Singer, songwriter, actress and activist Cyndi Lauper opened a shelter for homeless LGBT youth on Sept. 9 in New York City.

The Calif. Assembly passed Seth’s Law in June.

It now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. He is expected to sign the legislation into law.

“Our primary goal is to provide a physically and emotionally safe and supportive environment that will empower our young residents to be the self-loving, happy, and successful individuals they were meant to be,” Lauper said.

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True Colors Residence is a collaboration between Lauper, her manager Lisa Barbaris, and Colleen Jackson, executive director of West End Intergenerational Residence.

In an open letter posted on the True Colors website, Lauper explains that she chose New York as the site for the shelter because “a very disproportionate number—up to 40 percent—of homeless youth identify as LGBT. Even more disturbing are reports that these young people often face discrimination and at times physical assault in some of the very places they have to for help.” (Intergenerational.org/TrueColors_letter.php), According to the site, the shelter’s features include studio apartments for each resident, indoor and outdoor community space to socialize or attend education and recreation programs. Further, residents will be responsible for paying affordable rent based on their income and will receive ongoing assistance in obtaining employment best suited to their individual interests and skills.

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

INTERNATIONAL

Rev. Jepthath Gathaka, executive director of The Ecumenical Centre for Justice and Peace in Kenya has spoken out in support of gays. Gathaka, a priest and known as Kenyan Anglican Archbishop’s “right hand man,” credits the Bible for his support of the LGBT community.

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“My understanding of Jesus saying ‘there are other sheep’ convinces me that there are people who believe and are Jesus followers and may not necessarily those who confess the Christian religion,” Gathaka said in an interview with the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Association. “These people might also be of different sexual orientation and that gives me the mandate to minister and to love and to support to all.”

He goes on to state that religious leaders who vilify those who identify as LGBTI are guilty of misinterpreting the Bible.

“Jesus loved ‘sinners’ but hated the sin,” he said.

“That means that even if you regard LGBTI persons as sinners, you are still obliged to love them, like Jesus did—there are no two ways about this.”

Tachell argues that rather than exclude men who engage in safe sex, the focus should be on educating those who don’t.

“Reducing the exclusion period for blood donations from gay and bisexual men should go hand-in-hand with a ‘Safe Blood’ education campaign targeted at the gay community, to ensure that no one donates blood if they are at risk of HIV and other bloodborne infections due to unsafe sexual behavior,” he said.

Marriage Equality Likely in Scotland The Scottish government is considering a consultation on marriage equality. While civil unions for same-sex couples is already recognized law in Scotland, civil ceremonies are not permitted to include any religious elements.

The Scottish National Party, which currently has the majority in Parliament, has spoken out in favor of marriage equality.

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“We tend towards the view that religious ceremonies for civil partnerships should no longer be prohibited and that same sex marriage should be introduced so that same sex couples have the option of getting married if that is how they wish to demonstrate their commitment to each other,” said Nicola Sturgeon, deputy first minister, in a statement to Pink News.

OK for Gay Men to Donate Blood in U.K. The United Kingdom has lifted the lifetime ban against gay men donating blood, however restrictions still apply.

Beginning in November, gay and bisexual men will be permitted to donate blood, provided they have not engaged in any sexual contact with another male for 12 months. Peter Tatchell, director of the human rights advocacy organization, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, feels the 12-month ban is “excessive and unjustified.”

“I have been campaigning for 20 years for an evidence-based policy which protects the blood supply while not needlessly discriminating against men who’ve had sex with men,” Tatchell said in a press release.

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If the consultation is passed, Scotland will be the first country in the United Kingdom to allow samesex couples to marry.

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Prominent Kenyan Priest Supports LGBTI Community

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 15

9/14/11 8:32 PM

k oo B e r o m Balti

l a v i Fest

ADERS E R E G N E L L A H C CITE AND EAK ON 7 STAGES OVER 3 DAYS X E O T S E S I M O R P 200 AUTHORS SP

BY TERRI SOLOMON

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DEAN SPADE WANTS TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK

Dean Spade is a different kind of lawyer. For one, he’s openly transgender. Secondly, he’s just come out with his first book, “Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics and the Limits of Law,” and it honestly examines the shortcomings of administrative systems and law enforcement agencies for transgender individuals.

“One of the main things the book aims to do is to help people think differently about law reform,” Spade said. Instead of focusing on passing transgender anti-discrimination laws, Spade, an assistant professor at Seattle University School of Law, advocates a greater energy devoted toward “social movements that win meaningful victories through mass mobilization.”

But Spade doesn’t want skeptics to think he completely eschews his chosen profession.

“The book isn’t saying don’t use direct legal services as a tool, in situations where someone is being deported, evicted or arrested, for example; it suggests that this alone doesn’t get to the root cause of the problem,” said Spade. “We need a broader strategy for transformative change.”

“Normal Life” captures Spade’s research and thinking over the last ten years. It reflects knowledge he gained from working as a poverty lawyer, and from founding the

PAGE 16 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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Photo by Johanna Brieding

he end of September in Mount Vernon traditionally brings cooler nights and the annual literary extravaganza of the Baltimore Book Festival, now in its 16th year. While there are some big names you won’t want to miss (Sherman Alexie, Common, Laura Lippman, Terry McMillan, and Tavis Smiley come to mind), at Gay Life we thought we’d talk to a few LGBT authors, each with their own unique perspective on pertinent community concerns.

Dean Spade

Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a nonprofit organization providing probono legal services to “transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming people who are low-income and/or people of color.”

How did he come up with the title?

“I wanted ‘Normal Life’ to capture the day-to-day harmful experiences trans people have with agencies and law enforcement. This violence is routine and has a cumulative effect on a person’s well being,” said Spade. “The title also refers to the administration and enforcement of gender norms by agencies and law enforcement, which has harmful consequences for transgender individuals who are hard to classify or are often misclassified by these systems.”

One of Spade’s hopes for his book is that is will cause readers to think differently about how modern society is structured, how racism, poverty and transphobia operate, and how to solve them. “We conceptualize things like racism and transphobia through a discrimination model,

which focuses on when an individual perpetrator discriminates against someone by denying them a job or a place to live. But the book is looking at how administrative systems that sort people into rigid classification schemes can have life or death consequences,” said Spade.

He points to systems such as prisons, homeless shelters, foster care, juvenile justice, and immigration as “agencies that enforce binary gender classifications by separating populations into male and female.” Contrary to what most people believe, the “normalization” of this separation is perpetrated by vast administrative systems, not just specific homophobic or transphobic individuals.

“There is a strong message in the USA that to fix discrimination we need to find an individual perpetrator and change their mind, and this really misses the bulk of the problem, which is structural distribution of harm,” Spade said.

When Spade comes to the Baltimore Book Festival, he’ll be sharing a panel discussion with Eric A. Stanley, an editor of “Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex” (2011). “Both of our works speak to developing a trans political resistance centered in racial and economic justice,” Spade said. He predicts the panel will be a sharing of ideas and “a great discussion with local activists about what they are up to.”

DETAILS: Transgender Politics: A Panel with Dean Spade and Eric A. Stanley, Radical Bookfair Pavilion, Monument Circle East, Sept.

25, 2 pm. Free. BaltimoreBookFestival.com.

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

Michelle Antoinette Nelson, also known as LOVE the poet, credits her nationally renowned skill with language to “divine intervention.”

“I have no idea where I got my gift.

I needed an outlet during my teenage years, because my parents divorced and I found out my uncle had AIDS. I was angry, and I started to write. When I showed people my poems, they said I was really good, and it just kept growing and growing,” said Nelson.

While studying at Coppin State, she heard spoken word poetry for the first time, and was drawn to the lyricism and flair of the performance. “I walked up to the poets immediately and said, ‘How do you do this? I want to know.’

Nelson developed as a performer through years of open mic nights and college appearances, creating several spoken word CDs that showcase her talent with political, erotic and confessional verse.

Now, Nelson teaches adults spoken word poetry, performance, and aspects of public speaking, passing on what was given to her. And though some in the entertainment industry advocate holding onto insider secrets, Nelson maintains that, “poetry is not just for me. I know that if you want to master something, you teach it” (For more information, visit LOVEthepoet.com).

Transforming her performance poetry into a full-length book, “Black Marks on White Paper,” is the latest endeavor Nelson has mastered. She describes the compilation as “a first hand account of what the Baltimore renaissance looks like, a memoir for the city, of its people; and of my life as a woman, a writer, and performance poet.”

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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Nelson credits ten years of writing and performing experience with convincing her to give crafting a book a try: “When I was younger, I never wanted to write a book, because I wanted to give poetry to people the way I wanted them to hear it, but then I realized people are still going to interpret your work their own way, whether they read it or hear it performed. Books are timeless.”

“Black Marks on White Paper” touches on topics that affect the LGBT community, such as HIV/ AIDS, prejudice, and conservative religious values. “Topics like this are unavoidable,” Nelson said.

“I have to speak up. Being black and being a woman in America is enough, but to also be a lesbian, you see things through a certain lens.”

One of the more enviable aspects of Nelson’s poetry is her ability to make personal experiences—her father’s disappointment with his lesbian daughter, the death of a cousin— transcend into universal truths so readers of all backgrounds can find common ground.

The words of the poem “My Purpose” still ring true for Nelson, although they were penned several years ago: So my purpose must be / To release myself from all of this guilt and pain / Listen to other poets inspire / and do the same. / Stand on my words and appear to levitate on this stage / and remember that I love to do this / So display it in my name.

“That particular poem is a reminder of why I do what I do because I can get tired sometimes. Writing every day is something I have to do, but I really enjoy it,” Nelson said.

GLCCB/GAY LIFE TENT

BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 23, 24, & 25

Katie Omberg

KATIE OMBERG “DRAWS OUT HER FEELINGS” IN “GAY KID” ZINE Katie Omberg, cartoonist and creator of the zines “Gay Kid,” “Suggestion Box,” and “Mildly Irritateing” (sic), has been drawing her entire life.

“When I was growing up and would get mad, my mom would always say, ‘Draw out your feelings,’ and I would draw some really angry art,” the Silver Spring native recalls.

What began as childhood therapeutic scribbling eventually morphed into Omberg’s desire to create selfpublished, mini-comics that were largely confessional. She has produced three issues to date of “Gay Kid,” which has been well received by LGBT readers. The zines focus on the time in her life before coming out as a lesbian.

“I wanted to write about the anxieties of knowing you are different but not knowing why,” said Omberg. “’Gay Kid 1’, which tells my story from ages 7-11, came out last September and it was really cool to see a gay audience pick up my work. It’s a personal story that is really sort of vulnerable. My readers have been asking, ‘When is the next one coming out? I need it.’”

Omberg also writes and illustrates a weekly comic strip called “Office Bitch,” based on her office experiences (thenewgay.net/category/culture/ comics/officebitch). “When I first started the comic, I really hated where I worked, but now I like it, so the main character is much more agreeable these days,” Omberg said. And even though currently she enjoys the 9-to-5 grind, she dreams of being picked up by an indie publisher and having a successful career with what is now a labor of love.

Catch Michelle Antoinette Nelson performing poetry from her new book at the upcoming Baltimore Book Festival, and look for her new CD, “Gemini Moon,” scheduled for release this November, which Nelson describes as “a blend of poetry and song…a dichotomy of self piece about relationships.”

This is the first year Omberg is participating in the Baltimore Book Festival. She’ll be talking to fans and first-time readers alike, and selling her zines at The Annual Zine Bazaar in the Radical Bookfair Pavilion, which is touted as “an all-day celebration of fiercely independent publishing, DIY politics, crudely drawn comics, and uncompromising self-expression.”

DETAILS: LOVE the poet presents Black Marks on White Paper (2010), Radical Bookfair Pavilion, Monument Circle East, Sept.

24, 5 pm, Free. BaltimoreBookFestival.com.

DETAILS: The Annual Zine Bazaar in the Radical Bookfair Pavilion, Monument Circle East, Sept. 23, 12-8 pm, Free.

BaltimoreBookFestival.com.

Come join Gay Life and the GLCCB at the Baltimore Book Festival! Stop by anytime all weekend long. Featured local LGBT authors are on hand for book signing and buying.

Plus, select authors will be reading from their latest work right around the corner at the GLCCB. Take a look: GLCCB/GAY LIFE

1 PM 2 PM

9/24

MICHELLE ANTOINETTE NELSON INSPIRES AS LOVE THE POET

This candid look at Nelson’s life experiences took her a year and a half to assemble, and is a mix of pieces she previously presented as well as new creations. In creating “Black Marks on White Paper,” Nelson “never took for granted that readers have seen me perform,” so [she] researched the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes for guidance in “formatting poems so they have the same rhythms as performance.”

3 PM

241 W. CHASE ST. 1ST FLOORAUTHOR READINGS

JEN MICHALSKI JAMES MAGRUDER

JAMES MAGRUDER JEN MICHALSKI

MICHELLE “LOVE THE POET” NELSON MICHELLE “LOVE THE POET” NELSON

JOSH ATEROVIS JOSH ATEROVIS

6 PM 5 PM 6 PM

GLCCB,

BOOK FESTIVAL TENTBOOK SIGNINGS

4 PM 5 PM

9/25

Michelle Antoinette Nelson, AKA LOVE the poet

JOSH ATEROVIS JOSH ATEROVIS

Josh Aterovis

JoshAterovis.com Josh Aterovis has published four books in the Killian Kendall mystery series.

His first book, “Bleeding Hearts,” introduced gay teen sleuth Killian Kendall, and won several awards, including the Whodunit Award from the StoneWall Society. He followed up by winning the Whodunit Award again the following year for “Reap the Whirlwind.” The third book in the series, “All Lost Things,” was a finalist for the 2010 Lambda Literary Awards for Gay Mystery. “The Truth of Yesterday” is fourth in the series. Aterovis was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where his books are set. He now lives in Baltimore, MD.

James Magruder JamesMagruder.com

James Magruder’s fiction has appeared (or will appear) in Gettysburg Review, Bloom, Subtropics, The Normal School, New England Review, and the anthologies Boy Crazy and New Stories from the Midwest. His debut novel “Sugarless” was shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award and the 2010 William Saroyan International Writing Prize. A Baltimore resident since 1991, he also wrote the book for the Broadway musical Triumph of Love.

Jen Michalski

JenMichalski.com Jen Michalski’s first collection of fiction, “Close Encounters” is available from So New (2007), her second is forthcoming from Dzanc (2013), and her novella May-September (2010) was published by Press 53 as part of the Press 53 Open Awards. She also is the editor of the anthology City Sages: Baltimore (CityLit Press 2010), which won a 2010 “Best of Baltimore” award from Baltimore Magazine. She is the founding editor of the literary quarterly jmww, and is co-host of the monthly reading series The 510 Readings in Baltimore.

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 17

9/14/11 8:32 PM

SPOTLIGHT

PAGE 18 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

firstperson SPEAKING OUT

LEGAL EASE

Chaz Comes Out Dancing

Adopt an Adult?

BY REV. IRENE MONROE

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s the only child of world renowned pop duo Sonny and Cher Bono, many of us remember Chaz as their cherub-faced daughter Chastity, blowing kisses to the audience of her parents top-rated variety television show “Sonny & Cher.”

In 1995, Chaz was outed as a lesbian.

But this time Chaz is in control, and on his own volition has announced he’s legally a man, and will now appear on the 13th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” premiering Sept. 19.

But not everyone is cheering, and ABC is catching some of the fallout.

The “Dancing with the Stars” message board lit up with a tsunami of transphobic remarks about Chaz’s upcoming appearance giving us a window into what this segment of the population confronts.

“HUGE HUGE fan of this show since season two and eagerly await each season to get my dancing/entertainment ’fix’!! But when I heard that Chaz Bono was going to be on, I was sick. Not that I have anything personally again her/him, I just don’t want that lifestyle choice continually flaunted in the media esp ABC.” “There are a few women in my office that are very much against having Chaz Bono on the show because he is transgendered.”

Because dance contestants are heterosexually paired with a professional dancer, some critics are concerned with which DWTS dancer Chaz is coupled.

“Chaz will have to dance with one of the girls because she/he says she/he is a man but chromosomes say different no matter how many surgeries you have.”

In the film, Becoming Chaz, a documentary about Chaz Bono’s female-tomale (FTM) gender reassignment that aired in May on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, the arduous trek of coming out as transgender was captured.

And the topic of male and female genitalia, not surprisingly, is always

front and center in transphobic arguments.

“It’s just hard for me to get my head around that cute little blonde headed girl that belonged to Sonny and Cher now has a penis.”

Chaz told Winfrey that he doesn’t want male genitalia.

“At this point, I really don’t have any plans to do bottom surgery,” he said. “I feel really good, I feel like a man now, and I’m really happy.”

In his recent interview with ABC about being on DWTS, Chaz explained what being transgender meant to him.

“THE GENERAL PUBLIC MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SEX-CHANGE SURGERY, CROSS-DRESSERS, AND THOSE WHO ARE GENDER NON-CONFORMING ARE OFTEN TARGETS OF VIOLENCE AND BIASES THAT FORCE THEM TO LIVE IN FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY, AND SUFFER THE LOSS OF THEIR JOBS AND SHELTER.”

“Transgendered people believe that their gender identity does not correspond to the one into which they were physically born. Many seek surgery or hormones to change their physical gender.”

Although the show is about getting high ratings by any means necessary, the shock of Chaz appearing in this upcoming season will be a teaching moment for its viewers.

“With both gay and transgender contestants represented on this upcoming season, ABC will send viewers a strong message about the diversity within the LGBT community,” said Continued on page 22

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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How adult adoption can assist Maryland’s same-sex couples

BY YALE M. GINSBURG, ESQ.

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ave you ever considered adopting an adult for inheritance purposes? This is a question both for lawyers and nonlawyers. Most people are not aware that you can adopt an adult in Maryland. It can be a valuable tool for estate planning and inheritance purposes. Although the overwhelming numbers of adoption proceedings involve minors, Maryland law provides that an individual of any age may be adopted.

There are good reasons to adopt an adult as part of a thoughtful and effective estate plan. First, persons who are adopted, even as adults, are generally treated the same as natural-born children of those who adopt them. An adult who inherits from an unrelated person must pay a 10 percent Maryland inheritance tax on the assets inherited.

However, adult adoptees, just like natural-born children, are not subject to the state inheritance tax when inheriting from their adoptive parents. Second, if someone dies intestate (without a will) and without a spouse, his/ her assets will be distributed equally among his children, whether adopted or natural born. Third, an adult adoption virtually ensures that the adoptee will inherit from the adoptee’s adoptive parents, because the likelihood of a successful court challenge to the adoptee’s status is significantly diminished following adoption.

During this past legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly considered legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. If that legislation had been enacted, then (presumably) the samesex couples would receive the same tax benefits as heterosexual married couples do in Maryland. Upon the death of one partner in a same-sex marriage, if his/her estate was left to a spouse, there would have been no Maryland inheritance tax assessed, as the unlimited marital exemption would apply.

Because the legislation did not pass, the 10 percent Maryland inheritance tax referenced above is still in effect.

Therefore, if a partner in a same-sex

Yale M. Ginsburg

“IF A PARTNER IN A SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIP DIES LEAVING THE ESTATE TO A PARTNER, THE ENTIRE ESTATE WILL BE SUBJECT TO A 10 PERCENT MARYLAND INHERITANCE TAX. ”

relationship dies leaving the estate to a partner, the entire estate will be subject to a 10 percent Maryland inheritance tax.

While an adult adoption may make sense in the context of domestic partners who want to ensure that their partner inherits, there are other sound reasons for an adult adoption, as in the case of those who are childless but want to take advantage of provisions of a trust made by their parents or grandparents.

One of the goals of Maryland adoption laws, which became effective in 1947, was to give adopted children the same status as natural children. This also applies to adult adoptees. Maryland law now provides that unless a will clearly indicates otherwise, the use of the word “child, “descendant, “heir” or “issue” or any equivalent term includes an adopted individual, whether the will was signed before or after the decree of adoption was entered.

Continued on page 22 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 19

9/14/11 8:32 PM

Building Community Since 1977 The GLCCB is proud to offer a wide range of free and low-cost programs, events, and services to the community. .

Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the GLCCB located at 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore.

For more information please visit www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5445.

WOMEN’S PROGRAMS PEARLS OF WISDOM (POW)

A coming out/peer support group for ALL womyn of the LBTQ community, engaging in open and confidential discussions on relationships, family, self-identity, coming out, peer relationships, and more.

Meets 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 11:00am in room 202 For info contact POW.Lesbian@yahoo.com

WOMEN OF COLOR

A collective group committed to providing a safe, confidential, and supportive space for LBTQ women of all colors.

Meets 2nd, 4th, and 5th Thursdays at 7:30pm in room 202 For info contact WOC@glccb.org

TRANSGENDER PROGRAMS GENDER IDENTITY GROUP (GIG)

A support group for transgender, gender queer, and anyone who varies from traditional gender expression.

Meets 2nd Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201 For info contact GIG@glccb.org

GIG: Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance A support group for FTMs.

Meets 4th Saturday at 6:00pm in room 202 For info contact BTMA@glccb.org

GIG: Tran*quality

A support group for MTFs

WOMEN OUT AND ABOUT

A social group for LBTQ women who want to meet new people while enjoying fun activities.

Meets 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201 For info contact Tranquility@glccb.org

GIG: SOFFA-T

Meets off-site, dates and times vary For info contact BWOAEvents@yahoo.com

MEN’S PROGRAMS MEN LIKE ME

An open support group for adult men who love other men with the objective of empowering participants to take care of themselves and each other. Topics of discussion include coming out, homophobia, relationships, and more provided in a safe and supportive environment.

A support and resource group for significant others, friends, family, and allies of transgender persons.

Meets 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 202

HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS BEGINNERS’ YOGA

Gentle beginners’ yoga with instructor Tim Hurley, RYT. Drop-ins WELCOME!

Meets 2nd and 4th Mondays at 6:00pm in room 201 For info contact MenLikeMe2glccb.org

$9.00 per person, per class EVERY Sunday at 3:30pm in room 201

POZ MEN

HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING

Meets EVERY Wednesday at 7:00pm in room 202 For info contact POZMen@glccb.org

EVERY Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on 3rd Floor

FREE and confidential testing provided by the Baltimore City Health Dept.

A peer support group for men who are HIV+.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM SUFFICIENT AS I AM (SAIM)

A supportive group for youth and young adults 24 years of age and under. Youth are welcome to drop-in and try out this successful long running program that features discussion sessions, special events, guest speakers, and trips.

Meets EVERY Saturday at 12:00pm in room 201 For info contact SAIM@glccb.org

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS The GLCCB offers a wide range of community events including art shows, musical performances, variety shows, special events, and projects. For more info visit our website at www.glccb.org or look for separate ads in the Gay Life newspaper.

The GLCCB is the publisher of

The GLCCB is the producer of

RECOVERY PROGRAMS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

LGBTQ centered AA recovery groups, welcoming to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Meets EVERY Monday at 8:30pm, Thursday at 8:30pm, and Saturday at 6:30pm in room 201

AA—POSITIVELY SOBER

an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, which provides a safe place for those with HIV or other health related issues. All are welcome.

Meets every Sunday at 6:15pm in room 201 For info contact woodylightandlove@gmail.com

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Men’s Rap group for men in recovery.

Meets EVERY Sunday at 11:30am in Room 201

SEXUAL COMPULSIVES ANONYMOUS

Group for individuals recovering from sexual compulsion.

Meets EVERY Tuesday at 7:00pm in room 202

www.glccb.org PAGE 20 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

9/14/11 8:32 PM

outgoing

COMPILED BY RACHEL ROTH

EMAIL YOUR EVENT INFO TO CALENDAR@BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

A Day of Fashion: Second-annual event showcasing local designers, boutiques, hair and makeup artists and more! FREE. Noon-6pm. Mount Vernon Park, Charles & Monument Streets. ADayofFashion.com Baltimore Frontrunners: Running/walking club for LGBT individuals and friends. Assemble 8:45am, run 9am. Reassemble for brunch 10am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org ManiFESTO 2011: In Commemoration of Frank Zappa Day: A festive exploration of the free speech Zappa aggressively defended, featuring live performances. FREE. 11am-9pm. (Official after party 9pm at The Patterson.) Highlandtown Library, Conkling St. and Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org 10th annual Pigtown Festival: Live music fantastic food, drinks, arts & crafts. FREE. Noon-7pm. 700-900 blocks of Washington Blvd.

PigtownFestival.com

SPOTLIGHT

HILLWOOD’S GAY DAY

BY RACHEL ROTH What began as an attempt for Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden to “diversify” its audience, has become tradition. September 17 marks the tenthannual Gay Day at Hillwood, an event that has become what Executive Director Kate Markert says is “one of [Hillwood’s] most rewarding and poignant efforts.”

“Gay Day builds on our founder Marjorie Merriweather Post’s gracious tradition of opening her home to visitors for grand entertaining to welcome all,” Markert explains.

SlutWalk: Take a stand against slut shaming, victim blaming, rape culture, and the general vilification of sexuality. FREE. Noon-2pm. Inner Harbor, between the Visitor Center and Science Center SlutWalkBaltimore.tumblr.com The Legwarmers: Everybody is invited to Wang Chung tonight with the 80s cover band. $15. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 9pm. Happy Hour from 8-9. 21+. Rams Head Live, 21 Market Place tickets.ramsheadlive.com

Sunday September 18 “Traces of the Trade”– Introduction to a Series of Conversations about Race in Our Community: Screening of award-winning documentary on the largest slave-trading family in the US. FREE. 5pm.

Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore, 401 W. Monument St. MCCBaltimore.org Lymphoma Research Foundation Research Ride: A non-competitive bike ride where participants can support eradicating lymphoma. FREE. 7:30am. Barnesville School, Montgomery County lymphoma.org/ride2011

throughout the entire year enriches us in countless ways and we’re thrilled to be

LGBT Family Day at the Nationals: The Washington Nationals welcome same-sex couples and their kids for special day at the Ballpark. $16-25.

Kids are invited to Run the Bases after the game! 1pm. Nationals Park, Washington D.C. Nationals.com/lgbtfamily

celebrating that this year,” she continues.

Monday September 19

“More importantly, our engagement with partners in the GLBT community

will show throughout the day, and a community bulletin board for guests to share

PFLAG Howard County Parent Forum: Support group Q&A for parents of LGBT children. FREE. 7:30pm. Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, PFLAGmd.org

their experiences at Gay Day for the last decade will be on display. Guests can

Tuesday September 20

also enjoy an LGBT Family Garden Party, as well as performances by DC Lambda

Ceremony for Official Day of Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Host a party, or travel to Norfolk, home to one of America’s largest military communities, and celebrate the historic repeal of DADT. EqualityVirginia.org

To celebrate ten years of collaboration with the LGBT community, a slideshow

Squares, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and DC Different Drummers. The event also offers visitors an exclusive chance to view rooms in the mansion that are not typically open to the public, including Post’s Game Closet.

EVENT INFO: Gay Day, Saturday, September 17 LGBT Garden Party 10am-noon, General Activities noon-6pm $10-15, FREE for children under 18. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, DC 202.686.5807 HillwoodMuseum.org

DATEBOOK Friday September 16 AIDS Awareness Benefit: Baltimore-based HIV/AIDS organization, Visions For Tomorrow, fundraiser with performances by Miss Gay MD 2011 and many others! $7. 10pm. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. Club Hippo.com Women’s Flat Track Derby Association East Region Playoffs: Three days of non-stop derby to determine the top teams in the East. $75. 10am-9pm. Thru 9/17. DuBurns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Ave. CharmCityRollergirls.com NightmareOn95.com Senior Centers HIV Testing Day: Fifteen federally funded senior centers in Baltimore City will provide space to have HIV prevention awareness and screening. For information visit: TheAIDSInstitute.org

Saturday September 17 Hillwood Estate’s Annual Gay Day: (See article above). $10-15. FREE under 18. 10am-6pm. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave, NW Washington, D.C. HillwoodMuseum.org

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

gl_v33_18mb.indd 21

Showtune Video Madness Farewell Party/ Glee Premiere: Best of Broadway and Hollywood in amazing video clips with a chance to win tickets to Rock of Ages at the Lyric, plus farewell party for host Ben Ryland, and the season 3 premiere of Glee on the big screen. FREE. 7:45. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. Club Hippo.com OUT on the Hill 2011 Black LGBT Leadership Summit: Eventpacked week features important sessions on African American communities challenging homo- and transphobia. Thru 9/25. National Black Justice Coalition, 1638 R St. NW, Washington, D.C. 202.319.1552 NBJC.org Neda Ulaby’s Birthday Listening Party: Lesbian NPR reporter celebrates her birthday with audio tapes, found audio and contemporary radio stories. $5-10. 7:30pm. The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Wednesday September 21 BINGO! Hosted by Roger Dimick. Enjoy drink specials, appetizers, and raffles all night. Come for happy hour, stay for Bingo and receive $5 off your Bingo package! Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. ClubHippo.com Tristan Prettyman: Gay marriage advocate and folk singer performs songs from her sophomore album, Hello. $20. 8pm. Rams Head OnStage, 3 West St Annapolis TristanPrettyman.com The United Night OUT: Enjoy a soccer match between D.C. United and Chivas USA in a safe and welcoming environment. $25. 7:30pm. RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capital St. Washington DC info@UnitedNightOUT.com

Thursday September 22 Dining Out for Life: (See article p. 13) MFeast.org PFLAG Baltimore County General Meeting: Support group Q&A for parents of LGBT children on 4th Tuesday of each month. 7:30pm. FREE. 7pm. Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd, Lutherville PFLAGBaltimore.org Baltimore’s Only Gay Male Review: Upscale nightclub/lounge with a full menu, drink specials and giveaways. Thursdays at 8pm. The Backdoor Lounge, 5801 Pulaski Hwy. 410.483.3356 BackdoorLoungeBaltimore.com

Friday September 23 First Day of Autumn Baltimore Book Festival: (See article p. 16) A myriad of local and national authors, food, musical performances, activities, and lots and lots of books!

FREE. Noon-8pm. Thru 9/25. Mount Vernon Place, 600 Block N. Charles St. BaltimoreBookFestival.com Baltimore Improv Group: Bmore’s queens and kings of comedy on the fly hold court at The Patterson. $11-16. 8pm. Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Saturday September 24 Pride Build: Join the LGBT community, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, to build a home for a deserving, low-income family. Open build days run thru 10/15. 301.990.0014 Habitat-MC.org/events/pride_build.html Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat: The Grammy Award-winning tunesmith stops in Maryland. $40-55. Doors 6pm. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia JasonMraz.com

Sunday September 25 Mt. Washington Wine, Art & Jazz Festival: 70+ vendors including wine and microbrew tastings, jewelry, art, crafts, and performance by Matt Wigler, Swingin’ Swamis, and David Bach. FREE. 11am-6pm. Quarry Lake at Greenspring, Quarry Lake Dr. QuarryLakeAtGreenspring.com Virginia’s Pride Festival: Features performances by Tom Goss and Martha Walsh of “It’s Raining Men” fame. Ride the free PrideBus shuttle with a special LGBTQ-themed club route until 2am. FREE. 6-10pm. Kanawha Plaza, Richmond, VA VAPride.org.

Red Ribbon Party: Gala and dance party to kick off the fourth annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. $10. 8pm-Midnight. Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th Street NW, Washington D.C napwa.org Equal rights author Jimmy Creech: Defrocked minister offers insight on road to LGBT equality. 9:30am, 11am, 5:30pm. Book signing 9/25.

Foundry United Methodist Church Washington, DC FoundryUMC.org Maryland Renaissance Festival: Costumes, crafts, jousting shows, food and music set in a 16th century English village named Revel Grove. 10am-7pm. Thru 10/23. 1821 Crownsville Rd. Annapolis MarylandRenaissanceFestival.com

Tuesday September 27 National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: Get tested and get the facts. Visits napwa.org to find local events.

Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County: A support group for LGBTQ youth and allies. 7:30pm. To confirm location, contact: rya_ leaders@hotmail.com

Wednesday September 28 ANNIVERSARY GAY BINGO! Hosted by Roger Dimick. Enjoy drink specials, appetizers, and raffles all night. Come for happy hour, stay for Bingo and receive $5 off your Bingo package! Cash prizes and $1,000 jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Thursday September 29 Rosh Hashanah

Friday September 30 “Sankofa”: Haile Gerima’s powerful film about a self-absorbed black American fashion model on a photo shoot in Africa, who is spiritually transported back to a plantation in the West Indies. Q&A follows. $5-10. 7:30pm. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org “Tea and Sympathy”opens: Gripping drama set in a boys’ boarding school in 1953 New England explores hearts in torment set against the harsh realities of 50’s social stigma. $16-20. 8pm. Thru 11/6. Spotlighters Theatre, 817 Saint Paul St. Spotlighters.org Madeleine Peyroux and Nellie McKay: Peyroux performs tracks from her 2011 album, joined by Nellie McKay. $35-58. 8pm. Strathmore’s Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Ln. Bethesda 301.581.5100. Strathmore.org

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 18 PAGE 21

9/14/11 8:32 PM

afterhours BSCENE

Gay Life Contributors’ Meet & Greet Happy Hour at the Baltimore Eagle PHOTOS BY SAMATRA JOHNSON

MONROE from page 19

Herndon Graddick, senior of director of programs for GLAAD, in a statement. “At a time when transgender representation in the media is sorely lacking, Chaz Bono joining the cast is a tremendous step forward for the public to recognize that transgender people are another wonderful part of the fabric of American culture. Appearing on such a high-profile show will allow millions of Americans to get to know him in a whole new light.”

The general public may not be aware that people who have had sex-change surgery, cross-dressers, and those who are gender non-conforming are often targets of violence and biases that force them to live in fear for their safety, and suffer the loss of their jobs and shelter.

The annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an international event memorializing transgender people murdered because of their gender identities or gender expressions. The purpose of TDOR is to raise public awareness of hate crimes against transgendered people and to honor their lives that might otherwise be forgotten.

This event is held every November honoring Rita Hester, a 34-year-old African American transsexual, who was found mysteriously murdered inside her first floor apartment outside of Boston on Nov. 28, 1998. The crime kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project.

Many transgender people, because of transphobia and anti-trans violence in this society, feel most comfortable moving about their lives out of the view

of the general public. In urban enclaves known for their gang violence, crimes against transgender people often go unnoticed or are seen as lesser crimes.

Many parents of transgender children worry and for sound reasons.

When we see Cher―gay icon nonpareil―in the documentary not as celebratory about Chaz’s transition as his close friends and girlfriend, Jenny, are, it’s unnerving. But Cher, in my opinion, comes across more as a frightened parent than as an insensitive transphobic. Worried about the toil it will take― physically and mentally―on Chaz to endure ongoing male hormone shots for the rest of his life Cher, still using the female pronoun, states, “I’m afraid she’s not going to be healthy, I’m afraid it’s too much for her.”

Cher is a lucky parent. Her child is alive, well and will soon be flaunting his fancy footwork on “Dancing with the Stars.”

But Rita’s mother exemplifies the unknown hurt and quiet grief a myriad of parents endure, which is why we have TDOR. I won’t soon forget the vigil we held for Rita in 1998, because I am still haunted by the words of Hester’s mother: “I would have gladly died for you, Rita. I would have taken the stabs and told you to run. I loved you.”

With what has now amounted to a tsunami of criticism for having Chaz in this season’s lineup, I applaud “Dancing with the Stars” for unwavering, and Chaz for stepping out. n

ADULT ADOPTION from page 19

Maryland law also provides that the legal effect of an adoption of an individual who is an adult is the same as that of the adoption of a minor. Among other things, that also means that an adult adoptee (as with all adoptees) loses the statutory right, in the absence of a will, to inherit from his/her birth parents. However, the birth parents still can leave their estate through their wills to their naturalborn child, even when adopted by another.

Until the Maryland legislature approves same sex-marriage, adult adoption is one method to avoid the onerous 10 percent inheritance tax.

Yale M. Ginsburg, a member of the Baltimore-based law firm of Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf & Hendler, LLC, concentrates his practice in estate planning and administration, and general tax planning. For more information, call 410.539.5195 or visit AdelbergRudow.com.

marketplace MASSAGE For a nice, relaxing, comfortable time & for a good massage. Call Clark to make an appointment. 443.895.6683 PAGE 22 • SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

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