Baltimore Gay Life August 2012

BACK TO SCHOOL GADGET GUIDE! See page 1 9!

GAYLIFE Read it. Live it.

Love it.

Project Runway's

MONDO GUERRA

MERCURY An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury Moveable Feast to appear on

SECRET MILLIONAIRE

THE

H T U O Y ISSUE

THE DEN YOUTH OF THE RAINBOW SUFFICIENT AS I AM YOUTH EMPOWERED SOCIETY

And More!

August 2012

BaltimoreGayLife.com

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AUGUST 2012

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

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AUGUST 2012

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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

TRANSGENDER PROGRAMS

WOMEN OF COLOR

TRANS CENTRAL OF BALTIMORE

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

Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance

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

Support and resource groups for transgender, gender queer, and anyone who varies from traditional gender expression.

A support group for FTMs.

WOMEN OUT AND ABOUT

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

Meets 3rd Thursday at 6:30pm in room 202 (NEW MEETING DAY & TIME) For info contact BTMA@glccb.org

Tran*quility

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

A support group for MTFs

MEN’S PROGRAMS POZ MEN

Meets 2nd and 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201 For info contact Tranquility@glccb.org

SOFFA-T

A peer support group for men who are HIV+.

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

CHARM CITY GAY SOCIAL

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

Meets 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 202 For info contact SOFFA-T@glccb.org

A community based social and discussion group focused on building an understanding for gay culture and personal identity, and civil rights for gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning, and intersexed (GBTQQI) men 18+.

Meets EVERY Fridays at 8:30pm in room 201 for discussion with dinner in the area following.

For info contact David at charmcitygaysocial@gmail.com or 410-790-3592. www.CharmCityGaySocial.org or www.facebook.com/groups/charmcitygaysocial

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS 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 look for separate ads in the Gay Life newspaper or visit our website.

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 jeffreysquibb@yahoo.com

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Men’s Rap group for men in recovery.

Meets EVERY Sunday at 11:30am in Room 201

HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS BEGINNERS’ YOGA

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

The GLCCB is the publisher of

The GLCCB is the producer of

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

HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING

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

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

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AUGUST 2012

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

IN THIS GAY LIFE

LOCAL LIFE

AUGUST 2012

7

GLCCB News, MFeast’s Secret Millionaire

8

Leading Women Speak to GL

By Britany Chong

HIGH LIFE

16

11 One World Café

The Queer Youth Issue STUDIES, RESOURCES & SUPPORT

12 Cirque Returns with Dralion

BY DANIELLE ARIANO, PAIGE HUNTER

By John Cullen with Marty Shayt

By Frankie Kujawa

14 5 (Pop!) Things

Our LGBTQ youth feature shares details of The Den, Youth of the Rainbow, Sufficient As I aM, and other supportive programs in the Baltimore area, plus we offer a variety of back to school gift and gadget ideas.

By Daniel McEvily

By Frankie Kujawa

Baltimore Fashion Week REAL LIFE

20 National & International News

By Rachel Roth

OUR LIFE

23 Protecting Youth from School Violence

By Jason Cianciotto

On Frank Ocean

By Rev. Irene Monroe

BETTER LIFE

24 Youth and Finances

25 Queer Health: Youth

15

By Alicia Gabriel

SOCIAL LIFE

Project Runway Star on HIV Education

BY DANIEL MCEVILY

27 BSCENE: MD Corp.

Council Breakfast

By Jay W.

Fashion Launch Party

Project Runway All Stars winner Mondo Guerra introduces us to his interactive I Design HIV education campaign.

Top two photos by John Kardys.

Mondo Guerra photo by Andrew H Walker/Getty Images.

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

By Yoshiko Hayakawa

By Anthony Moll

28 Datebook

By Rachel Roth

FREDDIE'S LIFE

30 Biography of Freddie Mercury

By Daniel McEvily

AUGUST 2012

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EDITOR’S LIFE

Back to School Anxieties and Musings I attended a pretty liberal middle and high school, and while not that young, I’m not that old. And yet I can’t recall one person who was out at my school. (College was a completely different story.) In subsequent reunions, and through social media, I’ve learned that quite of a few people in my graduating class are gay and lesbian (I’m not aware of any transgender classmates). But looking back I’m surprised that no one in our small class felt comfortable enough to be out. Am I that naïve to think my school was free of bullies? Perhaps.

Violence is the top health concern for LGBTQ youth (under 24) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services (see p. 25). If that’s true now, how much better could it have been 15 years ago?

In retrospect, my ignorance seems a poor excuse for a lack of acceptance.

The end of summer is not too far

off. The anxiety about going back to school is much more overwhelming for some than it is for others. While we still have a long way to go on the equality and acceptance fronts, resources are more abundant than ever.

At least 20 high schools in Baltimore City (including mine) and Baltimore County have Gay Student Alliances (GSAs) and that number jumps even higher when looking at area colleges.

Moreover, there are multiple LGBTQ youth organizations right here in our city (p. 16) that address our young community members’ needs—whether they’re looking for transitional housing, an understanding ear, social activities, or an artistic outlet.

MAGGIE BEETZ Editor

ON THE COVER

CJ, Kurt Ragin, Alex Blue, James (aka Boom) and Michael Franklin from The University of Maryland's Adolescent Special Teens At-Risk, Together Reaching Access, Care and Knowledge (STAR TRACK) Program. Photo by John Kardys.

FACEBOOK.COM/GLCCB • TWITTER.COM/GLCCB • YOUTUBE.COM/THEGLCCB Maggie Beetz, Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com M. Cory Burgess, Art Director cory@metroscapemedia.com Sabre Chase, Advertising sales@baltimoregaylife.com

GAYLIFE Read it. Live it.

Love it.

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

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media, 212.242.6863 Marty Shayt Senior Volunteer Contributors Danielle Ariano, Ted Blankenship, Britany Chong, Jason Cianciotto, John Cullen, Alicia Gabriel, Yoshiko Hayakawa, Paige Hunter, Frankie Kujawa, Daniel McEvily, Rev. Irene Monroe, Rachel Roth, Marty Shayt

Photographers Anthony Moll, John Kardys, Jay W. Newspaper Committee John Cullen, Charlie Mumford, Marty Shayt, Terri Solomon, Gary Wolnitzek

Gay Life is a publication of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB). Gay Life is published monthly in Baltimore, Md., with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Copyright 2012. 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.

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GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

Exec. Dir. Tom Bonderenko (left) and the staff of Moveable Feast

LOCAL LIFE

What's New at Your Community Center Baltimore Nonprofit Appears on Secret Millionaire

NEW GLCCB WEBSITE!

Visit GLCCB.org to check out the brand new website! Visitors can browse updated program information, current workshops and groups, an events calendar, and much more.

The Community Section now includes the LGBT History Project, a multi-part video series, which features 14 individual interviews from people who have lived or worked in Baltimore speaking about their involvement with Charm City’s LGBTQ community.

Those new to town or visiting the city (or anyone looking for resources!) can check out Baltimore’s LGBT Visitors Guide in the Visitors Section of the site.

This comprehensive guide—brought to you by the people behind Gay Life, with support from Visit Baltimore—includes welcoming attractions, accommodations, and dining options, as well as shops, nightlife, support and social groups, and welcoming congregations. For information about the next LGBT Visitors Guide—appearing in April 2013—contact Gay Life at 410.837.7748.

The new online shop includes a variety of merchandise featuring the GLCCB logo. Visitors can browse an array of items—including apparel, hats, bags, and accessories—in a wide selection of colors and styles. Plus, $4 from the sale of each item directly benefits the GLCCB.

MEET THE GLCCB BOARD

Also new to the GLCCB website is a section devoted to the people behind the Center. Click on “About Us” and read bios from current board members. Find out who manned the GLCCB’s hotline in 1992, and who is involved with a charity that spreads food preservation education in Ghana, West Africa!

TOWN HALL MEETING

The GLCCB’s next town hall meeting is scheduled for September 24. In an effort to engage local leaders and the greater community, the board is hosting regular town hall meetings during which community members can make suggestions, ask quesBALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

BY TED BLANKENSHIP tions, or express concerns about LGBTQ issues and how the GLCCB can respond.

Those interested in any level of involvement with the GLCCB are encouraged to contact Bud Beehler at 410.837.5445.

TOWN HALL

September 24 • 7pm The GLCCB • 241 W. Chase St. T GLCCB.org

HUNKS IN TRUNKS TO BENEFIT THE GLCCB

After receiving many nominations, the GLCCB has been chosen to be the beneficiary of the next Hunks in Trunks All Male Swimsuit Fashion Show and Charity Auction, scheduled for December 12 at Red Maple.

Each year the RGroup—Maryland’s largest gay and lesbian social group— chooses a different organization to be the charity partner for the event. As a result, that charity receives 100 percent of the donations that are generated by the auction portion of the evening. Past organizations chosen include Equality Maryland, Moveable Feast, Chase Brexton, and AIDS Action Baltimore. The GLCCB was last chosen as the beneficiary of this event in 2007.

Learn more at HunksInTrunks.org.

HUNKS IN TRUNKS

Wednesday, December 12 Red Maple • 930 N. Charles St. T HunksInTrunks.org

Do not miss the hit ABC television show, Secret Millionaire, on Sunday, August 26 at 8pm. The show will feature Moveable Feast, a local nonprofit here in Baltimore City.

Moveable Feast provides free, nutritious meals to people who are homebound and living with AIDS, breast cancer, and other serious illnesses. They have been providing their services since 1989 and were originally started in response to the AIDS crisis, which at the time was devastating the gay community in Baltimore. Today, they serve over 3,300 people in the community, delivering 690,000 meals annually.

Last summer, Moveable Feast was contacted about being a part of a documentary for public television about nonprofits across the community. The group agreed to participate.

The camera crew showed up for filming in late August. They brought with them a volunteer whose purpose was to be part of the documentary by volunteering at Moveable Feast and helping to tell the story of their work. The volunteer and crew spent a week at Moveable Feast. They interviewed staff, board members, clients and volunteers. The volunteer that was part of the crew participated the entire time, helping prepare meals in the kitchen, making deliveries to clients, and getting to really know Moveable Feast’s mission, their

supporters and their clients.

On the last day of filming, the volunteer returned to Moveable Feast to share some exciting and surprising news: The volunteer is actually a millionaire and that the filming had all been for the ABC show, Secret Millionaire.

“I was shocked," said Executive Director Tom Bonderenko. “My immediate reaction was ‘how did they pull this off without me realizing it?’ The thought of the opportunity to tell our story nationwide brought me to tears…as is evidenced in our episode!”

You’ll have to tune into ABC at 8pm on Sunday, August 26 to hear the rest of the story and to see the segment. Moveable Feast is not allowed to disclose the name of the millionaire or the amount of the gift.

After that momentous news, Moveable Feast had to keep the secret until recently. In May, they were advised that the new season of Secret Millionaire would begin airing in June and that their episode would air on August 26. The secret was now out and Moveable Feast began to share the great news.

“It’s no secret to Maryland, the important work of Moveable Feast,” said Bonderenko. “Being chosen for this show is a testament to our donors, volunteers, board, and staff who make this a great organization. It is also a testament to our clients who are courageous in their fight-for-life each day. A heartfelt thanks to the Baltimore community for their ongoing support.”

MOVEABLE FEAST

901 N. Milton Ave. Baltimore, MD 21205 W410.327.3420 T Mfeast.org

SECRET MILLIONAIRE

Sunday, August 26 8pm on ABC

AUGUST 2012

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LOCAL LIFE

National NOW Conference Motivates Women

PROMINENT FIGURES SPEAK TO GL ABOUT EQUALITY

BY BRITANY CHONG

The National Organization for Women (NOW)—held in Baltimore June 29 to July 1—gave attendees the opportunity to learn more about the politics of gender in 2012. Sessions and speeches at the conference discussed the recent attacks on women’s reproductive freedom, the efforts in state legislatures and Congress to block access to contraception, rights of mothers and caregivers, global feminism, and LGBTQ rights.

Join Baltimore NOW! Baltimore’s newly reinstated NOW chapter is now holding regular meetings at the GLCCB. Agenda items, based in part on the National NOW task list, include supporting the re-election of President Obama, marriage equality, the Equal Rights Amendment, the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, defeating the War on Women and producing the One Billion Rising – Baltimore Event, February 14, 2013.

Find Baltimore NOW on Facebook, Twitter @BaltNOW or learn more by emailing BaltNOW99@gmail.com.

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AUGUST 2012

Keynote Speaker Eve Ensler gave a rousing presentation in which she discussed a recent performance of her show, The Vagina Monologues, on the Michigan Capitol steps. The June 18 performance was a direct response to the banning of Michigan state Rep. Lisa Brown from speaking in the House for using the word “vagina” during a debate. Ensler believes that this politically-charged performance is merely foreshadowing for a larger movement for women’s rights.

“I just want to say that’s just a little inkling, a little taste, of what is just about to bubble up from the ground,” said Ensler during her speech. Though Ensler spoke about feminism in America today, she also discussed global issues pertaining to women’s rights. She discussed female genital mutilation, colonialism and rape in the Congo, and the subsequent uprising of women worldwide.

Ensler is known for establishing VDay, a global movement to stop violence against women that occurs on Valentine’s Day. Ensler’s speech also gave information on the V-Day 2013 event, “One Billion Rising,” an event in which one billion women and those who love them are invited to “walk out, dance, rise up, and demand an end to this violence.”

(OneBillionRising.org) During her speech, Ensler explained what the movement for rights should look like: “When we talk about solidarity, no one gets marginalized or made to feel less important. Those women who have been traditionally invisible—women of color, native women, LGBTQ women—have got to lead the way.”

While the conference focused on the War on Women, there were several sessions and speeches that identified civil rights issues in the LGBTQ community.

Ensler indicated that the LGBTQ community must become involved in current

Evan Garofalo, Anne Kotleba, and Denise Duarte from Baltimore NOW admire the bold message on Vagina Monologues writer Eve Ensler's shirt NOW President Terry O'Neill asserts her right to yell Vagina and Uterus!

Sarah Reece, director of the Academy for Leadership and Action at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, speaks at the Friday Political Roundtable

civil rights movements. Ensler’s call to action was just one of many at the conference; NOW is working with the LGBTQ community in the fight for equality.

In an interview with Gay Life, NOW President Terry O’Neill explained that people must recognize the importance of the upcoming election in relation to the fight for women’s and LGBTQ rights.

“This election is crucial,” said O’Neill.

“We are at a critical time where this country could go one way for a very long time, or we could go the other way for a very long time.”

O’Neill’s message mirrors that of the conference: we must all become active in the fight for our own rights. According to O’Neill, “We have the people on our side,

but [the opposition has] the money. That makes it an incredibly close race. We have to have the people out in the streets walking the distance and making the phone calls.”

Even though NOW is focused on women’s rights, the organization is working with the LGBTQ community to secure human rights for LGBTQ individuals.

“It’s not just because of the dignity and the human rights, which I think is fundamental,” O’Neill explained. “There is another aspect to it: economic security.

Economic security is a fond wish to the LGBTQ community. Many LGBTQ individuals do not have economic security; they can be fired for no reason.”

While economic security is a very imGAY LIFE MAGAZINE

portant issue to the LGBTQ community, marriage equality is expected to play a big role in the upcoming election.

Sarah Reece, director of the Academy for Leadership and Action at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, brought the theme of the conference back to the LGBTQ community with a call to action: LGBTQ voters, and the people who care about them, must recognize the importance of the upcoming election.

Several states, including Maryland, will vote on marriage equality this November. While the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is working on a variety of issues, there is a big focus on making sure that voters are informed and prepared to vote to affirm marriage for LGBTQ individuals.

“While rights are important, there is no amount of cobbling together the actual rights that come with marriage as the societal contract that we all engage with,” said Reece in an interview with Gay Life. “I can tell you as a married woman, married to another woman, people treat us differently as a married couple. The day that we got married our commitment to each other was more solidified, and it really was the happiest day in each of our lives. I want that for everyone. Marriage is about a choice; it’s about the freedom to choose to marry the person you love, and that’s what’s at stake on the ballot on Election Day in Maryland.”

Like NOW, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force hopes that concerned citizens will become active in the fight for human rights. There are several ways to get involved in this process, but perhaps the easiest way to become active is to share your own story.

“What we’ve learned is that it is not enough that you know someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender; polling shows us that you have to have a conversation about marriage and about why marriage matters,” said Reece.

Another way to become active is to get involved with Equality Maryland.

The Taskforce has been “long and strong” partners with Equality Maryland, and Reece suggests volunteering or donating money to the organization (learn how at EqualityMaryland.org). Reece also suggests visiting QueerTheVote.org to get active in one of the Task Force’s campaigns.

They even offer a volunteer vacation program for people who do not live in a state with an LGBTQ ballot measure.

Reece explained that people need to “find a way to be active between now and election day to make sure that every Marylander understands that marriage is about love and commitment, and that in January folks begin to get married.”

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GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

HIGH LIFE

DINING OUT

One World Café Attracts Students and Vegans

BY JOHN CULLEN WITH MARTY SHAYT

One World Café’s menu asserts its goal: to provide “simple, honest, healthy vegetarian cuisine in a casual, eclectic atmosphere.”

The front room houses a handful of small tables as well as some sofas, a lit case full of house-made dessert temptations and a large bar. (Yes, it has a liquor license!) The large rear dining room with 12-foot high unfinished ceilings has 18 tables (and can get pretty noisy).

One World has a definite collegiate hangout feel, with its sponged purple and orange walls (and bright yellow woodwork no less!) punctuated by tall glass block windows and local art. One World is also older than many of the Johns Hopkins students who hang out here; it first opened in Federal Hill in the early 1990s, and this site on University Parkway just north of Hopkins Homewood campus opened in 1999.

The menu is almost exclusively vegetarian and vegan. It offers a half dozen starters ($5-10), soups ($3-5), salads ($7-10, including a non-vegan tuna salad or the option of adding grilled tuna for $5 extra), 10 entrees ($10-13), and 18 sandwiches (most $8-9, served with chips). Three pescatarian options include grilled tuna or tuna salad sandwiches and a smoke salmon wrap. You can add a side salad to your entrée or sandwich for $2.50. A vegan “not dog” is $3.50 while the only burger is a house-made veggie version ($8).

Marty, John, and our friend Tom started with the deluxe nachos ($7, and easily shareable!). The large platter of corn chips topped with melted cheddar, diced tomatoes, onions, black olives, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream quickly earned our appreciation. For his entrée, Marty decided on faux “crab cakes” (after a hearty endorsement by our cute, tattooed waiter who said that he had become vegetarian because it was the easiest way to have the maximum impact BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Summer Food Adventures on the world he lived in). John decided on the vegan red bean jambalaya, while Tom ordered an eggplant gyro.

Marty found his “crab cakes” were made with shredded zucchini and served up with some very good garlic mashed potatoes and corn salsa; the combination got his “Thumbs Up.” Tom’s gyro seemed dominated by pieces of roasted red pepper in addition to the grilled eggplant and spinach and feta, and it earned another “Thumbs Up.” John’s jambalaya had red beans, chunks of meatless “sausage,” and garlicky kale mixed with spicy brown rice, plus two small cornbread muffins with some maple butter; the combination proved satisfying and spicy enough to be interesting. (John’s also a great fan of the faux meatball sub.)

For dessert we shared a large piece of amaretto raspberry cake ($5). While simple looking, the frosting and fill-

ing were flavorful (and there wasn’t a crumb left on the plate!). Between our friendly, attentive waiter and the good sized portions of tasty food at reasonable prices, we ended our meal on a happy note summed up by Marty’s observation: “I hadn’t eaten at One World in so long, I forgot how good the food was!” How true! And well worth trying!

ONE WORLD CAFE

100 W. University Pkwy. w 410.235.5777 Mon-Sat 7:30am-2am Sun 8am-5pm Full Bar • Mostly Vegetarian/Vegan Street parking Email DiningOut@BaltimoreGayLife.com and find all prior reviews at BaltimoreGayLife-DiningOut.info.

In the heart of downtown and amazingly located under (and shaded by) the Jones Falls Expressway, the Baltimore Farmers' Market & Bazaar offers a summertime opportunity for great eating as well as buying local produce, flowers, and bread (and more!). John finds himself torn between arriving early to avoid peak crowds (you won’t believe how many people you’ll encounter here on a Sunday morning!) or coming later when he can cherry pick lunch selections from a dozen options all crying out “eat me!”

BALTIMORE FARMERS' MARKET & BAZAAR

Holiday & Saratoga Streets 7am-Noon • Sunday Mornings Find a Farmers Market near you at Baltimore.org/taste-baltimore/farmers-markets.

AUGUST 2012

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HIGH LIFE

us. The better we are, the more we push each other, the better the show.

ON STAGE

Can you describe your role in Dralion?

My role is called L’Ame Force. It is the energy that unifies the four elements. It is the organizer of time in the show and it is omnipresent.

Elements Coverge at Cirque du Soleil

Is there a stand out part in the performance that is your favorite?

Yes, it is the first act in the show, the hand balancing. The song is called Stella Errans. It shows the range of my voice as a tenor and the agility in the coloratura. This is the vocalist part of the song. It affects me deeply.

BY FRANKIE KUJAWA Cirque du Soleil’s signature production of Dralion dances its way back into the hearts and imaginations of Baltimore audiences this month at the 1st Mariner Arena.

The inspiration behind Dralion stems from the Eastern philosophic thought that humans and nature are always on a neverending quest for harmony. The show’s name is derived from two creatures: the dragon, which symbolizes the East, and the lion, which symbolizes the West. The performance therefore blends the 3,000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with Cirque du Soleil style and precision.

Within the colorful settings, the performance follows the four elements that govern the natural order of the world: air,

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AUGUST 2012

water, fire, and earth. By fusing multiple cultures, Man and Nature become one and balance during the performance is reached.

Recently, Gay Life sat down with Argentinean singer and performer Cristian Zabala who plays L’ame Force in Dralion.

Can you describe your experience performing for Cirque du Soleil?

Great! It is another step on my life ladder. I believe that working for Cirque du Soleil gave me a chance to perform, to show many of my different skills. I was an acrobat in Alegria, a dancer in Quidam and a singer in Dralion. There is still more room for me to grow and learn. I want to do many other things.

Photo by Daniel Desmarais Costumes by François Barbeau

As an artist, what do you feel you bring to your role in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion?

I bring my 28 years of experience as a dancer, an acrobat and a singer. I have done musicals and been a soloist in Argentina.

It’s my own interpretation of the role. I’m lucky to be able to play the role, which I have at the moment. It’s all about teamwork. Everyone on stage contributes to how I perform and how the audience sees

As an artist who is openly gay, have you ever faced adversity either personally or professionally?

No, never. The only personal adversity I CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S DRALION August 22-26 • $35-162 1st Mariner Arena 201 W. Baltimore St. T CirqueduSoleil.com

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

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HIGH LIFE

ENTERTAINMENT

Five (Pop!) Things for August

BY DANIEL MCEVILY Ah, August: The last full month of summer, and (hopefully) the last few days of unbearable, oven-like heat. Before we welcome September’s cooler fall days, fun fall fashions, and the return of our favorite network television shows, here are five things to amuse yourself while camped out in front of your AC unit, trying to beat the dog days of summer.

OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY

NBC • JULY 27-AUGUST 12 The eyes of the world will turn to London, U.K. beginning July 27 for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, where over 10,000 athletes will compete in 302 events for athletic glory and national pride. Several out athletes are slated to compete, including 2008 Beijing diving gold medalist, Australian Matthew Mitchum and current world No. 1 doubles tennis star, American Lisa Raymond. London 2012 will complete on August 12 with the closing ceremonies that promise to not disappoint, with musical performances

by Jessie J, George Michael, and everyone’s favorite '90s girl power pop group, the Spice Girls, who will reunite for the first time in almost four years for the event.

KATHY GRIFFIN DVD

AUGUST 7 • SHOUT! FACTORY Two time Emmy Award winner, perpetual Grammy nominee and long-time LGBTQ ally, comedian Kathy Griffin is releasing her two latest comedy specials, Pants Off and Tired Hooker, on August 7.

Griffin takes her usual celebrity suspects to task, delivering hilarious commentary on everyone from Kim Kardashian to Nancy Grace.

Fans who may have watched the specials when they originally aired on Bravo last year will

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FASHION

be treated to uncensored footage and unaired bonus footage.

DOCUMENTARY SERIES RETURN

A&E • HOARDERS AND INTERVENTION • AUGUST 13 Owing its popularity to a combination of curious viewer voyeurism and harrowing real life battles with compulsive behavior and addiction, A&E’s acclaimed documentary-style series, Hoarders and Intervention, return for all-new seasons with back-to-back premieres on August 13 beginning at 9pm.

Hoarders returns for its sixth season with a new twist—experts must take on a 24-hour job by attempting to spend the entire night in each house to see exactly how each hoarder has adapted to their environment.

Intervention’s 13th season premieres afterwards. Interestingly, since the show’s 2005 premiere, 236 interventions have taken place, with 177 individuals currently sober.

SPARKLE

IN THEATERS AUGUST 17 Only six short months after Whitney Houston’s untimely death, her fifth and final cinematic role will premiere August 17. A remake of the 1976 film of the same name and inspired by the rise and fall of The Supremes, Sparkle centers around three sisters from Detroit who form a girl group in the late 1960s. Starring American Idol winner Jordin Sparks as the eponymous lead and Houston as her mother, the musical features songs from the original 1976 film, as well as new compositions sung by Sparks, Houston, and Cee Lo Green.

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL CW • AUGUST 24

The ever smizing, booty tooching, lace-front sporting Tyra Banks returns for a 19th cycle (has it really been that many?) with a complete make-over. Gone are veteran judges and mentors Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, and Miss J. Alexander and in their place are Kelly Cutrone, British model Rob Evans, and Filipino fashion blogger Bryanboy. Long running stale and almost venturing into camp, time will tell if Tyra’s overhaul will push the show into a fresh direction or completely jump the shark for good. Pot Ledom, indeed.

Fashion Week(end) Celebrates Style

BY FRANKIE KUJAWA Baltimore Fashion Week dusts off its runway for the 5th annual celebration of fashion ingenuity and design expertise at the Baltimore North/Pikesville Hilton Hotel. After having whetted the proverbial ‘fashion’ whistle of style aficionados with Fashion Week’s July launch party at the National Aquarium, enthusiasts can prepare for the main three-day event, August 17-19.

Faith Linton, a designer whose collection Sassy Elegance is being showcased in the production, explained her excitement about the event and its importance in Baltimore.

“I believe it’s very important because we have a lot of great talented youth in Baltimore and we need a platform to showcase our creativity,” said Linton. “Some people are unable to get into NYC Fashion Week or just don’t know where to start. Sharan Nixon gives that and so much more!”

Gay Life recently sat down with Baltimore Fashion Week’s President and CEO Sharan Nixon to discuss what exciting collections have been prepared for audience revelry.

What are your hopes for Baltimore Fashion Week?

My hope for this year’s production is for our guests to experience a new visualization and exposure for the love of arts and fashion. It is key for our guests to leave wanting more and for the designers to have a sense of accomplishment and a stronger recognition for their craft as talented designers.

What can audiences expect from this year’s event?

Wow, well opening night, we will introduce to our audience members the first winner of the Emerging Designer competition. Her name is Precious Evans and she is a proud design creation from

Local designer Faith Linton

Baltimore City Community College. Ms. Evans will be opening the show on Friday, August 17.

Saturday, August 18, Caryn Stockwell will be arriving from Washington state to open and showcase her childrenswear line.

Baltimore Fashion Week had the pleasure of hosting the auditions on behalf of Ms. Stockwell. I might add, it was different, but the results are priceless.

Sunday, August 19, is a really special days for one of our designers, Terry Wood.

She will be showcasing a line of elegant and sophisticated smoking robes for both males and females. This is not only Ms. Wood’s first showcasing, and a very special day in her life; I won’t spill those beans, and I will let her have the privilege of telling you herself. At the time of her registration I had no idea that August 19th held such significance in her life. It’s funny how things work out.

This week boasts talent and attention from all over the country. Would you consider Baltimore one of the ‘epicenters for fashion’ in the United States?

I would and I do. Baltimore has so much talent, but it is untapped and unseen. I am just blessed that I am able to reach out to CONTINUED ON PAGE 27 

BALTIMORE FASHION WEEK

August 17-19 Baltimore North/Pikesville Hilton 1726 Reisterstown Rd. w 410.244.7220 E info@baltimore-fashionweek.com T Baltimore-FashionWeek.com GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

Project Runway's Mondo Guerra

TAILORING THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT TREATMENT

Photo by Andrew H Walker/ Getty Images

By Daniel McEvily

“You need to try, try, try again. I will not accept a grey blob from you!” encourages Mondo Guerra.

The Project Runway alum and designer is playfully chastising my unimaginative attempt at a creating a digital textile design on his latest project, ProjectIDesign. com. The website is an extension of I Design, an HIV awareness campaign Guerra recently helped launch.

Guerra originally appeared on the eight season of Project Runway, where he courageously disclosed his HIV-positive status. Endearing himself to fans of the show with his bold prints, innovative designs, and quirky personal style, Guerra returned earlier this year to compete—and win—Project Runway All Stars against twelve other former contestants from past seasons of the show.

The designer has been keeping quite busy since his win, both in and out of the work studio. Guerra recently teamed up with global healthcare leader Merck to launch I Design, an interactive HIV education campaign. The project strives to empower people living with HIV to have open dialogues with their doctors about their treatment plans based on their medical, emotional, and lifestyle needs.

“People living with HIV are all different, and we each have different reactions to various treatments. Our treatment plans should reflect that,” said Guerra.

Merck approached Guerra about the campaign, which he enthusiastically agreed to do.

“It was perfect for me to hop on board because I can lend a voice to something I struggled with. It would be different if, say J. Lo., was doing this campaign. I’ve been through all the emotions, through BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

all the doctors in finding the right treatment for me,” he said.

Guerra was also drawn to the campaign because of its unique approach to engaging an open patient-doctor dialogue about HIV. “It’s not so clinical. It’s not black and white on paper, in three pages. It’s really easy messaging and easy information to digest.”

Part of that non-clinical approach is the campaign’s aforementioned website, ProjectIDesign.com, where people living with HIV can design a digital textile representing their own ‘tailored’ approach to working with their physicians on a treatment plan. The website also offers downloadable resources, tips, and checklists to aid in guiding conversations with a doctor about managing HIV. “It was really important to make it interactive, fun, and easy. I really want people to participate—not only in this campaign, but also in their own healthcare,” Guerra says.

In creating a ‘tailored’ approach to treatment, Guerra stresses the importance of finding the right doctor and treatment plan. It might require a lot of time and effort but it pays off in the long run, he said.

“I went through four or five doctors when I was first diagnosed before finding the right one, and I’ve been with her for eleven years. Once you find a doctor you really like, you should be able to have that emotional dialogue. I go to my doctor and I talk about my emotional health, my relationship, as well as my physical health.”

Guerra notes that communication plays a key role in any treatment plan.

Uncomfortable and embarrassing subjects may arise, but they must be broached openly and honestly.

“For me, there are things I go into my doctor with and think, ‘Oh geez, I don’t really want to talk to her about this. I don’t want her to touch me there or look there,’ but these are things that need to be discussed with this disease. You never really know what’s going to happen with your day-to-day life. Something can always pop up,” he said.

As part of the dialogue, Guerra notes it’s important to keep a checklist of key questions and concerns in preparing to speak with one’s doctor, including achieving and maintaining an undetectable viral load, increasing CD4 counts, and managing cholesterol levels.

“Now that there are treatment plans that are allowing people living with HIV to live longer, we’re forgetting about those other health concerns. It’s not just about maintaining the disease; it’s about maintaining physical and mental health. These are all things that we can communicate with our doctor about,” Guerra says.

In addition to I Design, Guerra recommends contacting one’s local AIDS Service Organization [ASO] for guidance and support. After first being diagnosed

and feeling he could not tell his family, he reached out to his local ASO, where he got information on support groups, treatment plans, and how to find the right doctor.

“They were so helpful. Everyone working at an ASO is so passionate about what they do—they know that we’re giving power to the cause.”

For more information on I Design, visit ProjectIDesign.com. Find out your HIV status for free at the GLCCB, Wednesdays 5-8pm.

For additional resources visit GLCCB.org/resources/health.

Visit BaltimoreGayLife.com to read exclusive content from our interview with Mondo about I Design, Project Runway, and his upcoming fashion and eyewear lines.

AUGUST 2012

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THE

H T YOU ISSUE Growing Up LGBTQ

By Paige Hunter

T

he Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in collaboration with The Trevor Project, recently released “Growing Up LGBT in America,” a survey of more than 10,000 LGBT-identified people ages 13-17. According to the HRC, this report will act as a benchmark, allowing further reports to investigate subgroups in more detail, such as transgender youth and youth of color, and themes such as media messages and the importance of religious communities.

Some statistics in the report reveal a stark difference between LGBTQ youth and their non-LGBTQ peers. Non-LGBTQ youth said they were worried about school performance, getting into and paying for college, financial prospects, while LGBTQ youth were worried about being kicked out of the house, safety at school and in the community, and dealing with the stress of hiding aspects of their identity because of intolerance.

HRC and the Trevor Project state that in addition to doing more focused research, the existing study can be used to introduce issues that face LGBTQ youth to family, school members, faith communities, community leaders, health professionals, and other persons of interest. However, increased awareness of bullying, hazing, and teen suicides does not mean the problems 33% of LGBTQ youth need an adult to talk to.

92% of LGBTQ youth say they hear negative messages about being LGBTQ. Approx. 75% of LGBTQ youth say they are more honest about themselves online.

More than 75% of LGBTQ youth say they know things will get better.

PAGE 16

AUGUST 2012

are solved. LGBTQ youth not feeling safe is still a problem in the school, at home, in worship communities, youth clubs, and on the street. Luckily those problems are lessening, but they are not gone.

Moreover, the pressures of constant vigilance, of having to monitor ‘passing’ or looking nonthreatening, or avoiding discrimination, can lead to marked health issues over time. The Trevor Project identified health disparities, and studies on ‘minority stress’ effects are being performed.

While the report states LGBTQ youth can be optimistic that their lives will get better, this optimism seems tied to location: LGBTQ youth are more likely to say that they need to move away from where they currently live in order to find more acceptance and happiness (63 percent of LGBTQ youth compared to 31 percent of non-LGBTQ youth).

For LGBTQ Marylanders, things are getting better: Baltimore City and Montgomery County have statutes on the books that prohibit discrimination based on gender expression or identity. Equality Maryland and other groups are working to expand these anti-discrimination laws to the entire state.

The Trevor Project’s hotlines are available for youth in distress nationwide, and TrevorSpace is available to those youth who want a space to talk about sexual orientation, gender identity, and find that they are not alone. During Pride events, there are health resources and information often freely available, and more health programs are sensitive to LGBTQ folk or those who do not conform to the gender binary. As always, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore is there to provide resources and support. 

THE DEN:

BALTIMORE'S LGBTQ YOUTH CENTER T he Den is a safe haven where youth and young adults can safely gather to get the resources, services, role models, encouragement, and positive social connections that address the constellation of challenges they face. Located on the first floor of the GLCCB, The Den serves Maryland youth aged 13-24. The Den also sponsors youth safe-space events at various community venues.

Gay Life spoke to The Den facilitators Kate Bishop and Kalima Young to learn more about the program:

Why is The Den necessary?

Bishop: LGBTQ youth today are at greater risk than their peers of dropping out of school, experiencing homelessness, acquiring HIV, lacking positive adult role models, and much more. A greater number of youth are coming out to their peers and families in middle and high school. This can be empowering, but also isolating and at times dangerous.

What do you want local LGBTQ youth to know about The Den?

Young: We would like LGBTQ youth and their allies to know that they are welcome to come to the Den and reach out for support and encouragement. We also want them to know that no matter where they are on the queer/gay/trans spectrum that they are completely welcomed. We also want them to know that they do not have to be from the city to attend and receive services. The Den is for all Maryland youth.

What current services and programs are available?

Bishop: The Den currently operates on a limited summer schedule, with programming from 3:30-9pm every Saturday.

During that time, we engage young folks who attend in an art project like origami, theater improv, or screen printing; dedicated open discussion time facilitated by supportive adult volunteers; and social club activities like game nights, movie screenings, and karaoke.

Who came up with the name “The Den” and why?

Young: The Den name was invented by a group of black gay youth in a focus

group through the Mpowerment Program at STAR TRACK. According to the youth, its meant to represent a safe, family oriented space. The den in a house is where sharing, food, games, and community building takes place. This is essentially what The Den as a youth drop-in center is all about, so it fit.

How do you feel about being involved with The Den? Young: I personally feel extremely lucky and overwhelmed to be involved in The Den. I have been working with or on behalf of gay young people for 13 years now and The Den for me represents a culmination of my end goal as a mentor/LGBTQ activist. Youth have always simply needed a safe space and decent adults around them to help them grow. For me, The Den is the simplest way for me to be a part of making that happen in Baltimore.

Bishop: The need for a safe drop-in space for our LGBTQ kiddos is so clear and so urgent. I work with young queer people in Baltimore at my job with STAR TRACK, a youth HIV prevention and treatment program – every day I see our clients take adult-size miseries on their shoulders and do their best to struggle through alone.

RESOURCES Addressing Health Disparities Among LGBTQ Youth

TheTrevorProject.org/news/ statement-addressing-healthdisparities-among-lgbtq-youth

HRC’s Growing Up LGBTQ in America

HRC.org/youth

Trevor Project

TheTrevorProject.org Campus Pride CampusPride.org Gay and Lesbian Medical Association GLMA.org Equality Maryland EqualityMaryland.org GLCCB GLCCB.org

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

Sufficient As I aM Offers Support through Dialogue S

They deserve a place to go and just be kids, with people who get them. They’re amazing people to be around. I am motivated by the idea that these young people, along with their strengths and struggles, belong to all of us in the LGBTQ community. We have the resources to raise phenomenal queer citizens; strong advocates, world-healers and leaders who have the resilience and inspiration to shape their own lives into works of art far more spectacular than we can dream. I wanna be part of that.

Get Involved!

The Den is looking for “youth” volunteers (aged 20-24) as well as LGBTQ adults to staff the Den, tutor, mentor, fundraise, write grants, and help steer the Den to its highest potential. Artists or community groups who want to contribute programming (usually in two-hour workshop blocks) should also contact info@thedenbaltimore.org. 

Expanded Fall Programming

• Career exploration and development • GED preparation, tutoring and college preparedness • Social and cultural enrichment • Community art, music, and theater programming • Youth leadership development and advocacy training • Training program preparing youth to give effective presentations about the needs of queer youth in Baltimore • Spiritual support for faith-based concerns • Mental health counseling; individual, group • Crisis case management • Health screenings • Routine HIV counseling, testing, referral • HIV prevention education and programming

The Den

13-24 year-olds Saturdays, 3:30-9pm GLCCB • 241 W. Chase St. TheDenBaltimore.org info@thedenbaltimore.org

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

ufficient As I aM (SAIM) is a support group for LGBTQ youth who are 24 years old and younger. SAIM is primarily a discussion group in which participating youth decide what to talk about.

The only rule is to be respectful of others’ viewpoints; bullying is not allowed.

The group has been around since the beginning of the GLCCB. Lead facilitator Mike Slatkin has been with the group since 1993. Since that time he’s noticed a few changes: The size of the group has varied wildly from 20 to 30 and even as many as 50 participants some years, and just a handful of youth at other years. He explains that years ago kids were much more isolated; oftentimes the first gay people they ever met (besides themselves) were at SAIM. Now thanks to the internet and school groups, youth have more options and exposure. The average age of participants changes as well; while summers tend to see fewer middle and high schoolers who go on family vaca-

tions, Slatkin sees more college students who are home for the summer. The last few years have seen an average age over 18, with some older youths eventually aging out of the program.

While there is an age maximum, there is no age minimum, and some as young as 11 and 12 have joined the group. Those under 18 are welcome to bring parents.

What hasn’t changed over the years is the topics of discussion: Family acceptance, as well as school and work acceptance, remain regular themes; other topics include coming out, finding a girlfriend or boyfriend, TV shows, movies, and music, and religion.

Occasional guest speakers have addressed topics on safe sex, HIV prevention, and history. The group also organizes day trips to local sites like the Walters Art Museum. (More extensive trips—to amusement parks or to New York Pride— have been eliminated since the group lost their funding under the Bush Administra-

tion’s abstinenceonly policies; current group facilitators lack the expertise and time to re-apply for the funding.)

Interested parties (under 25) are encouraged to drop in any Saturday. The group meets Saturdays 12:30pm to 3pm; attendants are encouraged to arrive at the beginning. 

SAIM

Saturdays, 12:30-3pm GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. 410.837.5445 SAIM@glccb.org Facebook.com/SufficientAsIAm GLCCB.org/programs/youth

Youth of the Rainbow T

he Youth of the Rainbow (Y-O-R) is a transitional group for LGBTQ youth 24 years and younger. Y-O-R believes that LGBTQ youth should be encouraged to recognize that their sexual orientation and gender identity are only one aspect of their identity.

The Youth of Rainbow was founded by Melissa Thomas and her partner Sharr’on Robinson in July 2011. It is a safe place for any lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning or straight ally to express themselves and find support.

“We want to be a resource for families who don’t quite know how to deal with the woes of the LGBTQ teen and their wants, thoughts, needs, and issues,” explained Thomas.

Josiah Richardson, a Y-O-R member, said that “Youth of the Rainbow is an organization that allows and promotes not only passion, but freedom.” This belief in their youthful members’ potential provides the basis for initiating multiple programs that encourage social development, workforce preparation, and community integration.

Community support for Y-O-R has

been realized by Baltimore Freedom Academy’s generous gift of use of their facility as a home base for the organization. Baltimore Freedom Academy’s curriculum and culture are focused on social justice and activism.

Through the GLCCB and Y-O-R partnership, the group created temporary artwork to display at the 2012 Baltimore

Pride Festival and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual Creating Change Conference, held in Baltimore last January.

The group is offering a Life Skills class beginning this fall. Y-O-R is currently in dire need of both volunteers and funds.

For meeting times and more information visit YouthOf TheRainbow.org. 

Photo by Chris Jennings

Y-O-R’s Stephon Woodrup showcases multi-media sculpture at Baltimore Pride 2012

AUGUST 2012

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THE

H T YOU ISSUE Jewish Community Center Offers LGBTQ Support

By Danielle Ariano

W

hen two parents of gay children came to Melissa Berman looking for support, she didn’t flinch. Berman, the assistant director of Arts & Culture at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills Jewish Community Center (JCC), went to work creating a group, the likes of which had never been imagined inside the JCC: a support group for parents of LGBTQ kids.

“My job is to kind of program whatever things that parents want,” Berman said.

“This is what they wanted to do, and so I got some of the leaders in the community together. We sat down and brainstormed.”

After brainstorming, Berman went to the executive committee of the JCC—a group composed of lay leaders as well as JCC executives—to get the necessary approval, and the committee embraced the idea.

“It’s a really big deal for the Jewish community to be having this,” Berman said, “but our administration is supportive, wants us to be doing this, believes in it and wants it to happen.”

The group, which meets the second Wednesday of each month, is still in its

infancy, but Berman has been pleased with the turnout for the two meetings they’ve held.

The first gathering was an open format.

Parents were free to share stories about how their child had come out to them and how they had reacted to the news. They discussed struggles they had experienced both as parents of gay children touching on some issues particular to their Jewish faith.

The second meeting, entitled “The Adolescent Experience,” featured a panel of college-aged members of the LGBTQ community who spoke about their journeys. After telling their stories, the panel fielded questions from the parents and even offered advice.

“They were so open and so articulate,” Berman said. “It was a magical experience.”

Upcoming topics have yet to be decided.

Their mission is to offer support for parents, in whatever form that may take. In keeping with that goal, attendees at the last meeting filled out forms with suggestions and ideas for future meetings.

“They’re driving the group,” Berman said of the parents. “I have no agenda, so it’s really whatever they want, what kind of support they need. That’s my plan—just to find speakers, find topics, find whatever they want to do.” 

Support for Parents of LGBTQ Children

LGBTQ college students tell their stories to JCC parents

PAGE 18

AUGUST 2012

2nd Wed. of the month • 7pm Rosenbloom Owings Mills Jewish Community Center 3506 Gwynnbrook Rd. berman@jcc.org • JCC.org

Homeless Youth Find a Place with “YES” W

hen it opens its doors this August, the Youth Empowered Society (YES) Drop-In Center will begin providing a safe and accessible space to meet the immediate needs (e.g., hot meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, showers, laundry, storage) of a desperately underserved population in Baltimore: homeless youth and youth at-risk of homelessness between the ages of 14 and 25.

Trained, formerly homeless, peer counselors will establish supportive relationships that help youth connect to resources including stable housing, public benefits, education and employment opportunities, health and mental health services, and legal assistance.

Through workshops and activities, youth will also have the opportunity to learn independent living skills, their legal rights, and to organize with their peers and advocate for policies that are responsive to their needs.

LGBTQ Youth

Youth are encouraged to be themselves at YES. They will be asked their preferred name, gender pronoun, and sexual identity during the intake process. Staff have been routinely attending LGBTQ competency training and are committed to partnering with The Den and Hearts and Ears. Additionally, YES is committed to providing a safe and harm-free space for all youth and does not tolerate hate language from clients.

The Need

On any given day at least 640 youth are homeless and on their own in Baltimore City, as documented in 2012 by Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a one-day census. These young people have left their homes because of safety issues, physical and sexual abuse, drug abuse, and over-crowding. Others’ homes have dissolved: their parents or guardians have been evicted, have moved in with significant others, or left the area. Many youth have been forced to leave their homes because they are gay, lesbian, or transgendered, or because they are pregnant. Although most youth stay temporarily with friends and/or family, these situations almost always expire.

And more often than not, homeless youth are connected to public systems of care, such as foster care or the justice system.

During fiscal year 2013, YES anticipates that it will serve approximately 300 homeless youth and connect at least 50 percent of drop-ins to temporary, transitional, or permanent housing and at least 50 percent to education, employment, and workforce development opportunities.

The People Behind YES

YES grew out of the work of the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative, (BHYI) a coalition of community and government agencies and committed individuals that seek to fill critical gaps in care for unaccompanied homeless youth (i.e., young people who are homeless and on their own, rather than with their family).

YES Director Lara Law has been involved with the BHYI since 2009. After BHYI Youth Leaders identified Baltimore’s need for a homeless youth drop-in center, she received an OSI Community Fellowship to open and operate the center.

Shawn Toyer, Nadja Bentley-Hammond, and Nicholas Jones have been working to develop YES over the past year and will all serve as the peer counselors. YES is currently interviewing candidates for a program coordinator.

Get Involved!

People of all ages are encouraged to volunteer. Currently, YES needs: • IT Professionals to help set up office network & computers • Licensed Plumber/Builder to supervise the shower renovation • Drivers to pick up large donations • Painting Party Volunteers • Tutors to teach classes/workshops, and provide office & drop-in support • Volunteers to collect supplies

Painting Party!

SAT., AUGUST 4 • 10AM-4PM YES needs all hands on deck! YES need volunteers help paint six room or to help feed the painting crew. Too busy to attend?

Consider donating colorful paint, paint rollers, painting tape, drop cloths, and painting trays. Email Lara at lara@yesdropincenter. org to RSVP or regarding donations. 

YES

2315 N. Charles St. • 1st Floor Call 443.631.3017 for opening date and hours A project of Fusion Partnerships, Inc.

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

BACK TO SCHOOL GIFTS AND GADGETS

FIND MO BALTIMORE STUFF ON REGAYL IFE.COM

No matter your age, back to school means the end of summer, a nostalgic time for everyone. So whether you’re heading back to the classroom, off to college, or simply back to the office after a painfully short vacation, check out these back-to-school items for your home, dorm, or desk.

Crates ($19.99)

Crates is a modular storage system designed to give you maximum flexibility when creating your personal space. Each crate can be customized with a variety of separate accessories to fit your needs. You can Stack, roll, connect, decorate and even sit on the crate.

Students can add hooks, cork and white board, cushions and shelving to create their own experience. Designing a storage space has never been so much fun.  Quirky.com

Pivot Power Mini ($24.99)

Pivot Power Mini transforms a single socket into four. Our compact, collapsible design delivers 2 grounded outlets, and 2 USB ports. Jake Zien from Milwaukee, Wisconsin submitted his idea for an adjustable power strip to Quirky and with help of 709 influencers, Pivot Power was born.  Quirky.com

Dual Alarm Clock Radio

($24.99) This vintage style dual alarm clock radio lets you wake to AM/FM radio or buzzer. This unit is eye-catching and fun with exceptional sound. The RT205 is a dual alarm clock radio that lets you wake to AM/FM radio or built-in buzzer.

Featuring retro styling, this unit is eyecatching and fun. The RT205 allows you to set two separate alarms with different times.

The unit also includes a dynamic wide range speaker for exceptional sound.  ihomeaudio.com

Retro-Style Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones

($34.99) These cool headphones feature today’s advanced rich sound and are a must have for back to school!

They feature a stereo BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

plug adapter, swivel earcups and convenient volume controls. Cool retro styling matched with today’s advanced features and rich sound make this a must-have audio item.

Classic features include a 6 foot coil cord, 1/4” stereo plug adapter, swivel earcups for freestyle monitoring, plus convenient volume control knob on the earcup. Adjustable head band with padded earcups make extended listening a pleasure.  ihomeaudio.com

GreenBulb XStylus Touch

($39) The XStylus Touch allows students to easily take notes in class on their iPad 1, iPad 2 and the new iPad. The ergonomic, wide group, stainless steel touch pen is compatible with all capacitive touch screens and optimized for sensitivity, allowing the XStylus Touch to glide smoothly, simulating the user experience of a quality fountain pen. It also comes with a discreet but secure crystal clear magnetic holder so that you can carry both your iPad and your touch pen in style, anytime, anywhere.  GreenBulb.com

iWatchz nano Watch Bands

($24.99+) Make sure you beat the bell with iWatchz nano watch bands. iWatchz offers nine Collections of nano watchbands that allow you to wear your iPod nano like a watch.

Yeah, there’s a ton on the market, but none are paired with the iWatchz patent-pending clip system, which offers a snug and secure fit for your nano. And did I mention that the bands range from vibrant silicone, to softtouch leather, to stainless steel links? There’s something for every style conscious music lover, every atmosphere, every day.  iWatchz.com

AUGUST 2012

PAGE 19

REAL LIFE

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BY RACHEL ROTH

INDIANA ENGLAND

MAINE WASHINGTON

FRANCE

OREGON

KENTUCKY

CALIFORNIA ARIZONA

CHINA UKRAINE

TEXAS

Lesbian Super PAC Launches

Boy Scouts Uphold Gay Ban

NATIONWIDE

TEXAS

A pro-lesbian super PAC, called LPAC, officially launched July 11. The political action committee, which is the first of its kind, plans to raise $1 million dollars for President Obama’s re-election campaign.

According to Politico, membership in LPAC is open to men or women, gay or straight, as long as they support equal rights for LGBTQ women and their families.

They must also back sexual and reproductive rights for women and access to health care.

Actress Jane Lynch and tennis icon Billie Jean King are members.

The Boy Scouts of America decided to uphold its policy on excluding gays. The organization’s spokesperson told The Associated Press that the decision to do so is “absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts.” The ban includes leaders and scouts, meaning that openly gay parents can’t be den mothers or fathers, and LGBTQ youth can’t join the Scouts. A Change.org petition that started as a response to the ousting of lesbian den mother, Jennifer Tyrrell, has garnered more than 300,000 signatures urging the Scouts to reinstate Tyrrell and abandon the exclusion policy. The petition was delivered to the Scouts’ national headquarters in Texas on July 18.

ME Poll Suggests Strong Marriage Equality Support MAINE Recent polling suggests the measure to legalize same-sex marriage will pass in Maine. Results of a state-wide poll commissioned by the Portland Press Herald shows that Mainers support legalizing same-sex marriage, 57 percent to 35 percent. According to the poll, support is especially strong in southern and coastal Maine and among young adults, women, and Democrats.

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AUGUST 2012

Episcopal Church Gives LGBTQ Unions, People its Blessing INDIANA On July 11, the Episcopal Church became the first major U.S. church to sanction same-sex unions. Ranking members at the denomination’s General Convention in Indianapolis voted to approve liturgy for blessing same-sex unions. They also voted in favor of proposals adding gender identity

and expression to the Church’s nondiscrimination canons for ordained ministry and in the “life, worship, and governance of the Church.” Additionally, a resolution supporting legislation for equal immigration rights for same-sex couples was approved.

While the passage signifies a step in the right direction, the Canons of the Church still use the definition of “marriage” as between a man and a woman.

Lesbian Lawmaker Could Make History OREGON Oregon state Representative Tina Kotek could make history this year by becoming the first out lesbian speaker of any statehouse in the U.S. According to the Bay Area Reporter, Democrats are expected to win the majority of the seats in the state’s lower legislative chamber this November. Kotek, currently the only openly gay member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, is also the Democrat looking to be named speaker.

Tourism Adviser Quits Over Bid to End Gay Benefits ARIZONA Edwin Leslie, a member of the Arizona

Tourism Advisory Council, stepped down from his position following a dispute over LGBTQ rights. Leslie, who was appointed to the council by Gov. Jan Brewer, reportedly resigned due to Brewer’s decision to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to eliminate health-care benefits for state employees’ same-sex partners. Leslie, who is openly gay and lives in Phoenix with his partner and their son, told Brewer in a two-page letter that her actions are “in direct conflict with [her] reiteration that all Americans are entitled to the same ‘inalienable rights.’”

Couple Arrested After Being Denied Marriage License TEXAS A gay Dallas couple decided to protest the same-sex marriage ban in Texas and ended up in jail as a result. On July 5, Mark “Major” Jiminez and Beau Chandler attempted to obtain a marriage license at the County Clerk’s office. Their request was denied, but the two men—who were accompanied by friends, a TV crew, and police officers sympathetic to their cause—refused to leave. According to the Dallas Voice the couple handcuffed themselves to each other and sat on the floor at the head of the line.

The men have been charged with class-B misdemeanor criminal trespass and face up to six months in jail and $2,000 in fines.

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

Campaign to Block Marriage Defeated WASHINGTON An initiative that would define marriage as between one man and one woman will not be on the ballot in Washington State come November. Initiative 1192 was more than 140,000 signatures short days before the deadline for turning in petitions to the Office of the Secretary of State in Olympia.

Referendum 74 is now the only measure on the November 6 ballot that deals with same-sex marriage. R-74 asks voters if they want, in effect, to ratify or reject Senate Bill 6239, which passed the Legislature this year and would make Washington the sixth state, plus the District of Columbia, to recognize gay marriages.

Women Kicked Out of KY Park for Kissing KENTUCKY A lesbian couple was asked to leave a Kentucky park for “inappropriate” behavior. The two women, Cheri Chenault and Destiny Keith, were taking maternity photos at E.C. Million Memorial Park in Richmond last month. After the women kissed for a picture, they—along with local photographer Jessica Miller-Poole and her husband—were asked by the park gatekeeper to leave.

Miller-Poole told the Richmond Register that her husband asked the gatekeeper why he wanted them out and, according to Miller-Poole, the gatekeeper said it was because “those type of people [are] not welcomed [here].” In Kentucky, LGBTQ people are protected under the Kentucky Hate-Crime Law, but not protected under the Kentucky Non-Discrimination Law.

Chinese Gov't Lifts Ban on Lesbians Donating Blood CHINA For the last 14 years, China has banned both gay men and lesbians from donating blood.

According to Gay Star News, the rationale behind the decision was that “being homosexual equals AIDS.” As of July 1, however, the Chinese Ministry of Health lifted the ban on lesbians—sexually active, gay men still cannot donate blood.

Gays Can Marry, Adopt in France FRANCE On July 3 France’s Prime Minister, JeanMarc Ayrault, announced that “in the first half of 2013, the right to marriage and adoption will be open to all couples, without discrimination.” According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), granting gays and lesbians the right to marry and adopt was an election promise of newly elected Socialist President Francois Hollande.

Ukraine “Don’t Say Gay” Law Shelved UKRAINE Legislation that would ban any Ukrainian citizen from publicly speaking favorably about gays or lesbians has been put on hold indefinitely. The proposed law would make it illegal to “spread homosexuality,” meaning that “holding meetings, parades, actions, demonstrations, and mass events aiming at intentional distribution of any positive information about homosexuality” could result in fines and up to five years imprisonment.

Gay Military Wear Uniforms in Pride Parade

WorldPride Urges Global Equality for LGBTQ People

CALIFORNIA

ENGLAND

The Pentagon granted LGBTQ servicemen and women the right to wear their military uniforms in San Diego’s Pride Parade. The parade is San Diego’s first since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the first time in history that that gay personnel will be allowed to wear their uniforms in a gay parade. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2011, upward of 200 active-duty and retired military personnel marched in the parade.

Many wore T-shirts with the name of their branch of service.

The 40th anniversary of London Pride was celebrated by shedding light on those who are still not able to safely celebrate their LGBTQ identities. According to Peter Tatchell, director of the human rights group The Peter Tatchell Foundation, Global Gay Pride served as a reminder that “Nearly 80 countries still criminalize homosexuality, with penalties ranging from a few years imprisonment to life imprisonment—and even execution in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran.”

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AUGUST 2012

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

OUR LIFE

OP ED

Protecting Youth from Violence at School TIME TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

BY JASON CIANCIOTTO, CO-AUTHOR OF LGBT YOUTH IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS The tragic shooting in Aurora, Colo. that left 12 dead and over 50 wounded has captured our nation’s attention, and for good reason. When parents send their children to see Hollywood blockbusters, a rite of passage during summer vacation, they expect the hero to win and the violence to stay on the screen.

Columbine, the location of the 1999 high school massacre that killed 12 students and one teacher, is just 25 miles away from Aurora, a reminder of another unexpectedly dangerous environment that parents will send their children to at the end of the summer: America’s public schools.

Violent deaths at school are exceedingly rare. According to the U.S. Department of Education only 17 students ages 5 to 18 were murdered in 2010. However,

SPEAKING OUT

R&B Star Frank Ocean Comes Out

AND EXEMPLIFIES THE COMMUNITY'S REJECTION OF A "GAY IDENTITY"

BY REV. IRENE MONROE R&B and hip-hop songwriter Frank Ocean has come out. Although it will [be] hotly contested in African American circles, some say Ocean is the first major artist to come out in both industries.

For some time there have been rumors about Ocean’s down low trysts. But in Ocean’s new album

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verbal and physical harassment is all too common. Nearly one-third of students ages 12 to 18 are bullied in school, and for those who identify or are perceived to be LGBT, harassment and violence is even more common.

The 2009 National School Climate Survey from GLSEN found that nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students in middle and high school were harassed. New research has also confirmed that even elementary students attend school in a homophobic environment: GLSEN found that the use of the word “gay” in a negative way, as in “that’s so gay,” was one of the most common forms of bias language heard regularly by nearly 50 percent of elementary school students and teachers. Over 25 percent of elementary school students and teachers

Channel Orange, to be released July 17, a journalist attending the listening party for the album noted that several of the songs were not heterosexual in messaging but rather they were boldly “addressed to a male love object.”

“When I think about the term ‘running away,’ probably it’s not the right one,” Ocean told New York Times reporter Jon Caramanica.

“It’s more I decided to do something different, so that I might have a different outlook.” Ocean added, “When they’re emotional things, you can’t run away from them anyway.”

One of the things Ocean has now stopped running from is his sexuality. The 24-year-old New Orleans native posted in early July on both Twitter and Tumblr that he had a same-gender loving relationship when he was 19.

“Four summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19. He was too.

We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost... There was no escaping. No

also reported regularly hearing homophobic remarks like “fag” or “lesbo.”

This ridiculously high prevalence, combined with the lack of school and community response, has dire consequences.

Decades of research has confirmed that LGBT youth are significantly more likely to attempt suicide and to report negative health outcomes, including higher rates of substance abuse, risky sex, depression, and other mental disorders.

There is hope. National media attention to the suicide deaths of students bullied based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity is helping to create change. Parents and students are organizing effective, grassroots anti-bullying campaigns online and in communities across the country.

Additionally, the Obama administration has shown unprecedented leadership, supporting the enforcement of existing laws that protect students and two proposed federal laws—the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Nondiscrimination Act—which would set the standard for school districts across the country to prohibit and report incidents of antiLGBT bullying.

In combination with laws and policies that protect students, we also know that there are a number of resiliency factors that correlate with lower rates of risky behavior among LGBT youth. These include having a gay-straight alliance at school; having openly LGBT role models among teachers, school staff, or family; the inclusion of age-appropriate information about LGBT

negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love.” Ocean concludes the post: “I don’t have any secrets I need to keep anymore... I feel like a free man.”

As a rising star, Ocean not stating whether he is “bisexual” or “gay” has frustrated many in the LGBTQ community, but it might speak to his need to stay afloat professionally.

At Ebony.com, Jamilah Lemieux noted that while few urban artists openly embrace homosexuality, many are in “the closet with the glass door,” living a life they don’t reveal in their music. “I hope that Frank Ocean doesn’t become ‘the gay singer,’ for it would be criminally unfair for him to wear that label as so many of his peers are sleeping with and loving samegendered persons, while selling images of hyper-heterosexuality.”

But that “LGBTQ” label is what many African-American artists have doggedly denounced in spite of being caught in an indisputable same-

people and history in school curricula; and family acceptance.

The decentralized nature of America’s public school system, along with our deadlocked Congress, means that we all are going to have to rise to the challenge of ensuring that all youth attend school in a safe and supportive environment, gay or straight. We have the tools but need the political will to use them.

While the Obama and Romney campaigns have agreed to a short break out of respect for the victims of the Aurora shooting, as November approaches extremist groups will only increase their anti-LGBT rhetoric and campaign spending, using the politics of fear to prevent the implementation of programs and policies that would address and prevent bullying.

However, anyone who stands in the way, regardless of the “family values” they claim to represent, is at least enabling, if not contributing, to the physical and mental abuse of children in schools across the country.

The Aurora theater shooting is forcing us to ask difficult questions about how our laws, society and culture enable such horrific tragedies. As summer vacation comes to an end this is also the time to ask how we can stand by while school bullying has such devastating effects on all youth, gay or straight.

Jason Cianciotto is the co-author with Sean Cahill of the new book LGBT Youth in America’s Schools [http://www.lgbtyouthinschools. com/]. You can reach Cianciotto at Twitter @ JasonCianciotto.

gender lover’s embrace. Let’s not forget our down-to-earth Jersey girl Dana Owens a.k.a reigning hiphop’s Queen Latifah.

The African-American celebrity entertainment blog Bossip.com outed Latifah in September 2010 with photos of Latifah and gal pal and “personal trainer” Jeanette Jenkins in a tender embrace that was not intended for public viewing. When photos from R&B soul diva Alicia Keys’ nuptials of Queen Latifah and Jenkins intimately embraced aboard a private yacht in France went viral on the internet, the public’s long awaited “gotcha” moment was revealed.

“My private life is my private life.

Whomever I might be with, I don’t feel the need to share it. I don’t think I ever will,” Queen Latifah said in a November 2007 interview with People magazine, refuting rumors that she’s a lesbian.

Ann Powers in her article “A Close CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 

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BETTER LIFE

FINANCE

Young person's guide to financial wellness

BY YOSHIKO HAYAKAWA, PhD., MBA, FINANCIAL ADVISER For young people who just have started their new adult life, personal finance can be a rather intimidating responsibility. Instead of diving into all intricacy of financial jargons, let’s look at it from your personal well-being, or as I call it, your financial wellness.

I believe personal finance can be viewed as an intertwined ecological system.

Everyday decisions are made which may have unintended consequences. Except for a very lucky few, our resources may be limited, and there are an increasing number of eroding factors (taxation, inflation, fees, consumption, etc.). More Americans are downsizing their lifestyles and work beyond typical retirement age.

I break down my concept of ‘financial wellness’ into the following five elements:

Know where your money goes

Where does all the money go? An itemization of your living expenses may help you budget better and plan for future expenses. So, that’s the first step.

Then, are you having trouble sticking to a budget? Tracking your spending habits can help you save for that next big purchase. Who knows, in a few months you may save enough to buy whatever is on your wish list!

A proactive approach now can help avoid disappointments later on. The old adage, “People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan,” can be especially true when it comes to finances. And, given the current economy, the best time to start taking control of your finances is today. Being financially responsible doesn’t just happen.

It’s a conscious decision you make to live within your means.

um-term may be saving up for a down payment on a home. Long-term would include retirement.

Many Americans were raised to be consumers, so setting aside money can be a tough thing to do. Start a savings plan. By just saving a small amount today, you can make a huge difference later on. Figure out how much money you need to cover your expenses, and then force yourself to save by having the rest automatically diverted to your 401(k), savings account, or any number of other options.

Retirement seems far away, but now is the best time to start thinking about retirement because time is on your side. No matter how little you begin saving now, what you put away for later can give you a big head start on the future. In fact, at this stage of your life, the compounding of savings can allow you to create a sizeable nest egg with relatively little effort.

Practice preventive financial measures

Let’s face it: Life can sometimes throw you curve balls. You have to be prepared for ‘what if ’ scenarios. In this economy, you could become unemployed or underemployed. Save and set aside a rainy day funds, typically a three to six month amount of living expenses while you are fully employed. If and when you have a

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AUGUST 2012

Photo by Anthony Moll

partner, are your loved ones adequately protected? Buy a life insurance policy.

Generally you can get protection for yourself and your loved ones at affordable rates when you are young and very healthy.

Balance the frugality and the splurge

As in, make believe you’re still a broke college student, at least when it comes to spending. Forgo all the expensive “grownup” trappings like eating out at expensive restaurants and splurging on your wardrobe in favor of saving up for real adult goals like retirement and other important life events. You have a right to enjoy your hard earned money. The trick is the balance and the planning. Set aside and save your money and only splurge on the things you really enjoy. Quite often, we spend our money on something we don’t really want. Be mindful with what you spend on.

Have an open and honest conversation about your finances

Know how much to save and “S A V E”

Take the time to sit down and identify your short, medium, and long-term goals.

Short-term may include saving up for furniture, a car, or a honeymoon. Medi-

Yoshiko Hayakawa and Daniel McElwain work the New York Life booth at the Baltimore Pride Festival

Find useful calculators like this online at YoshikoHayakawa.com/ calculators.cfm

It’s time to take the reins and put yourself in charge of your finances. At the same time, find a financial adviser you can trust and get professional input you need.

If you have a partner, you should start taking about personal finance. Your partner will be your co-money manager who is supposed to share your same financial values or views on spending and saving. You will be a financial team, so it is crucial you are on same proverbial page where money is concerned. Or, take time to understand the difference between you and your partner by having an open and honest conversation about your finances.

LEARN MORE

Read the extended article with detailed tips and tools at BaltimoreGayLife.com.

This educational third-party article is being provided by Yoshiko Hayakawa PhD., MBA, Financial Adviser offering investment advisory services through Eagle Strategies LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser, Registered Representative offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC (member FINRA/SIPC), A Licensed Insurance Agency (1954 Greenspring Dr, Suite 700, Timonium, MD, 21093) and an Agent, New York Life Insurance Company.

To learn more about the information or topics discussed, please contact Yoshiko at yhayakawa@ft.newyorklife.com.

These services are strictly intended for individuals residing in MD.

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

QUEER HEALTH

LGBTQ Youth Health Care is More than a Doctor's Visit

BY ALICIA GABRIEL Remember that childhood adage: “sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me?” Here’s the truth that adage tries to gloss over: words can hurt like a fist.

We all have those memories. Those memories where you were suddenly, and mortifyingly, the center of negative social attention. Even the most popular among us has dealt with teasing, bullying, or worse. But for many lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and questioning kids—or those who are perceived as LGBTQ because of social stigmas—the harassment from other students, teachers, parents, and even strangers can be far greater.

When we think about our health, many of us think of diabetes, blood pressure, chicken pox. And LGBTQ adolescents and teens have all the same health issues as their non-LGBTQ counterparts.

But, in addition, the stresses LGBTQ youth experience put them at greater risk for mental health problems, substance use, and physical health problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) list ‘violence’ as the top health concern for LGBTQ youth (people under the age of 24). Violence in this case is broadly defined as bullying, harassment, teasing, physical assault, and suicidal behaviors.

Various studies show that LGBTQ youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide. A study of 7,000 LGBTQ youth between the ages of 13 and 21 showed:

young person’s home and youth health risks are even higher. A study in the journal Pediatrics showed that compared with LGBTQ young adults who experienced very little or no parental rejection, LGBTQ young adults who experienced high levels of rejection were:

• Eight of ten students had been verbally harassed at school; • Four of ten had been physically harassed at school; • Six of ten felt unsafe at school; and • One of five had been the victim of a physical assault at school.

LGBTQ YOUTH HEALTH RESOURCES

Worse, bring the lack of safety into a BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

• Nearly 6 times as likely to have high levels of depression; • More than 8 times as likely to have attempted suicide; • More than 3 times as likely to use illegal drugs; and • More than 3 times as likely to engage in unprotected sexual behaviors that put them at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

For an astounding number, the issue of home safety has driven them to the streets—either by choice or by force.

More than 20 percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ. The solutions? The resources available to begin healing society and building a world in which all individuals are accepted and affirmed are many—and growing. There are just a few listed at the end of this article. For parents and guardians of youth who may be LGBT or questioning, finding a health provider with whom they can talk, can be open, and can feel safe is crucial. Especially important is finding a provider who will offer, or making available in schools, sex education that actually includes LGBTQ resources and information.

T CDC.gov/lgbthealth/youth T HealthyPeople.gov T GLSEN.org T ItGetsBetter.org T NationalHomeless.org T SIECUS.org TTheTrevorProject.org

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Cirque du Soleil  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

m. cory burgess print and web designer + logos + marketing materials + advertisements + publications + etc email

cory@metroscapemedia.com web

metroscapemedia.com

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AUGUST 2012

faced was myself. When I had the wrong view of my sexuality because I thought it was wrong. I have never had a position on it. Sometimes people ask me if coming from a Latin country men were very machista and I have never felt that. My personal growth was just allowing me to be myself. I thought I would not be accepted but it was only in my head. Being gay on tour is not strange because I am so openly gay. I think it is fun to be myself and just be who I am. I want to keep learning and be open to everything.

What specifically do you hope that audience members walk away with from this performance?

I just hope they have a great time. That the

Frank Ocean  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

Look At Frank Ocean’s Coming Out Letter” for NPR opines differently why artists might not self-identity as LGBTQ: “There is another reason why Ocean can’t be saddled with an easy label, and it points to an interesting aspect of his newly minted self-conception. In his note, instead of embracing an identity, Ocean shared a set of memories and explored complex feelings, just as he does in his songs. Unlike the standard coming out gesture—newsman Anderson Cooper’s public email to his friend Andrew Sullivan, “The fact is, I’m gay”—Ocean’s presented sexuality as something that arises within particular circumstances, defined by shifting desire and individual encounters rather than solidifying as an identity. In the age-old debate about whether sexuality emerges as something we are or through something we want or do, Ocean carefully rested on the side of feeling and deed.”

Although Ocean appears “label-less” in not identifying as either “bisexual” or “gay,” Cleo Manago, founder of Black Men’s Xchange (BMX), states in this article “Can People Let Frank Ocean Define His Own Sexuality” a possible reason why: “What we’ve witnessed is a profound chauvinism on the part of gay-identified individuals who cannot conceive of any identity outside of the limiting gay/ straight binary. And in the process, they continue to obscure the rarely acknowledged reality that many Black men who

time they have been at Dralion helped them to add to their lives, to embellish their existence. I hope when they leave the show that they believe in magic. They see people flying, jumping through hoops, a girl standing on one hand. It’s magic and we get to live it every day. We are all capable of that and I hope that it helps people be more loving and more compassionate.

love men are not comfortable with the LGBT or gay identity.”

The terms “LGBT,” “queer,” and “gay” are not descriptors Manago and his organization would use to depict themselves.

They would be “same-gender-loving” because terms like “gay” and “queer” uphold a white queer hegemony that Manago and many in the African-American LGBTQ community denounce. As a matter-offact, he is credited with coining the terms “men who have sex with men” (MSM) and “same-gender-loving” (SGL).

With a president who now embraces same-sex marriage and in this era of celebrated LGBTQ artists like Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes, the fluidity of sexuality is becoming more accepted, even in certain artist enclaves of the African American community.

When Ocean made public his announcement, power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z expressed their support. And Russell Simmons, co-founder of the hip-hop label Def Jam wrote a congratulatory article “The Courage of Frank Ocean Just Changed the Game!” in Global Grind stating, “Today is a big day for hip-hop.

It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we? ...Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear.”

Ocean has certainly changed the game for both hip-hop and R&B LGBTQ artists, but he sums up this issue best when he posted on his Tumblr page, “My hope is that the babies born these days will inherit less of the [expletive] than we did.”

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

SOCIAL LIFE

BSCENE

FIND MORE AT BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

MD Corporate Council B'fast PHOTOS BY JAY W.

Fashion Week  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

these untapped talents and invite them to this type of fashion platform. However, with this production, I do believe that others are seeing Baltimore and this event as what could be called one day, as you put it, an “epicenter for fashion.”

Fashion Launch Party PHOTOS BY ANTHONY MOLL

This will mark Baltimore Fashion Week’s fifth anniversary.

What would you attribute to the show’s enduring success?

I attribute the success of this event to my team’s dedication, stand-up ability, and hard work. I also attribute my mind-set to “never give up no matter what” as another component to our success. I remember when I was in school, my algebra teacher used to say to me, “Failure is NOT an option,” and that phrase has stuck with me throughout my life and especially with this event.

It seems that fashion and the

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

gay community are sometimes synonymous. In your opinion, do you agree with this statement, and if so, why?

I totally agree, but it does not just stop there. I believe fashion is and can be synonymous in any community!

What is the atmosphere like during a runway event? What would readers be surprised to find out goes on behind the scenes at an event?

The atmosphere of a runway event is mad, crazy, and chaotic. If anyone has ever seen the behind-the-scenes of a Victoria Secret fashion show, multiply that times 10 and that’s our backstage atmosphere for Baltimore Fashion Week. Believe it or not, my backstage production team has it all under control. The one thing I wish we had on an annual basis is monitors, so we could see the runway. One day we will have that too…one day.

I think readers would also be surprised to find out that I assist behind the scenes.

My team does not like me in the production area while the show goes on, but I sneak in the back and if I see a model struggling, I will jump in and help out anywhere help is needed.

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SPOTLIGHT

SOCIAL LIFE

DATEBOOK

BY RACHEL ROTH

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1

TUESDAY, AUG. 7

Gay BINGO!

Summer Spectacular Schedule The Den will be open every Saturday and Sunday through August 26 at The GLCCB!

SATURDAYS Art Making

3:30-5:30pm Calling all artists! Learn a new craft skill, make your very own masterpiece, the possibilities are endless!

Sample and vote on your favorite crab dish while supporting the National Aquarium.

21+ • $50 • 6-9pm B&O American Brasserie • 2 N. Charles St. MissionTix.com

Scenes by Historic Women Playwrights

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 8

Luminaries of the stage read scenes from plays by celebrated women writers.

FREE • 7:30pm The George Washington University Davis Performing Arts Center Washington, D.C. PerformingArts.Georgetown.edu

THURSDAY, AUG. 2 Parallel Octave: ANTHOLOGY II Screening

Social Club

7-9pm Kick back, relax, and meet some new friends while watching a movie, singing you heart out in karaoke, and more!

Every Saturday and Sunday through August 26 The GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. T TheDenBaltimore.org The Den serves as a safe space for Baltimore’s LGBTQ adolescents and young adults ages 13-24.

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AUGUST 2012

Wine Tasting

FRIDAY, AUG. 3

LGBTQ running/walking club.

Every Saturday Morning 8:45am • Brunch 10am Panera Bread • 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org

OutWrite

Queer book festival offers two full days of readings, vendors, and discussions with queer authors.

6-9pm • Thru 8/4 • 11am-9pm DC Center, 1318 U St. NW Washington, D.C. OutWriteDC.org

SATURDAY, AUG. 4 Baltimore Frontrunners

Chesapeake Pride Festival

Show your pride by the shore!

Noon-6pm • Mayo Beach Park ChesapeakePrideFestival.org

SUNDAY, AUG. 5

The Little Bike Thing

THE DEN

The award-winning acrobatic burlesque duo raises funds for their journey to Australia with back-to-back shows. $15 • 7:30 & 9:30pm Creative Alliance at the Patterson 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Comp. tastings and bottle discounts.

FREE • 5-8pm • Fridays Spirits of Mt. Vernon • 900 N. Charles St. 410.727.7270 • SpiritsOfMtVernon.com

SUNDAYS 2-7pm Enjoy a bike ride on a nice summer afternoon, volunteer and learn how to make your very own bike at Velocipede, and so much more!

Trixie & Monkey’s Flipping & Stripping Down Under

Animation, stop-motion and live action shorts put a unique spin on poems by Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot and more.

FREE • 7:30pm Creative Alliance at the Patterson 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Real Talk

5:30-7pm Chill and chat, come speak your mind!

Crab Bash 2012

Cash prizes and progressive jackpot.

Drink specials, appetizers, and raffles.

Every Wednesday Evening Benefits GLCCB • 8:30pm Club Hippo • 1 W. Eager St. 410.547.0018 • ClubHippo.com

Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar

The state’s largest producers-only market.

FREE • 7am-Sellout (Usually noon) Under 83 at Holliday & Saratoga Sts. PromotionAndArts.org

Following Sarah

By Rich Espey and directed by Anne Shoemaker, three super-stressed seniors on the Cross Country team get an email from a dead former teammate. $10-12 • Thru Aug. 26 Fells Point Corner Theatre 251 S. Anne St. FPCT.org

James Baldwin Celebration

Join Baltimore Black Pride in celebrating the James Baldwin Literary Society’s 25th year.

Various events thru 8/5.

410.625.6440 • JamesBaldwin.org

Baltimore Fashion Week’s Annual Crab Fest

Unlimited Crabs. Buffet. Open Bar. $65 • 8pm-Midnight Normandy Room • 3919 E. Lombard St. Baltimore-FashionWeek.com

Gay BINGO!

Join GLCCB Board President Bud Beehler for a Hon-themed night of gay Bingo!

Club Hippo • 1 W. Eager St. 410.547.0018 • ClubHippo.com

Transgender Issues Working Group

Meets every other Wednesday.

Registration required • FREE • 7pm Equality Maryland • 1201 S. Sharp St. Owen@EqualityMaryland.org

THURSDAY, AUG. 9 American Idol Live Tour 2012

Features this season's Top 10 finalists. $30.50-66 • 6pm 1st Mariner Arena • 201 W. Baltimore St. BaltimoreArena.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 10 The Things We Do...

An Evening of One Acts

Explore the age-old question “What would you do for love?” with these sharp and poignant plays. $10 • 8pm • Thru 8/25 Spotlighters Theatre • 817 St. Paul St. Spotlighters.org

Wine Tasting

(See listing under Aug. 3)

SATURDAY, AUG. 11 Silopanna Music Festival

Annapolis’ largest music festival. $49.50-75 • 11am Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds 1450 Generals Hwy. • Crownsville SilopannaFest.com

Baltimore Frontrunners

(See listing under Aug. 4)

MONDAY, AUG. 6 Summer Social Bowling

The Capital Area Rainbowlers hosts the annual bowling night with lanes in each region.

8-10pm • Prices and locations vary Carabowling.org

Harford Rainbow Society Meets Six Flags

Enjoy an awesome discount and hangout for the day with a all your friends from HRS. 10:30am-9pm • Six Flags America 13710 Central Ave. • Mitchellville RSVP: kperon@hotmail.com

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

Westminster PFLAG Monthly Meeting

Caleb Stine and The Honey Dew Drops

Soulful, folk-rock. $11-16 • 8pm Creative Alliance at the Patterson 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

For parents & friends of LGBTQ children.

FREE • 5pm St. Paul’s United Church of Christ 17 Bond St. • Westminster PFLAGWCC.org

SUNDAY, AUG. 12

MONDAY, AUG. 20

Baltimore Farmers’ Market

PFLAG Howard County Parent Forum

(See listing under Aug. 5)

TUESDAY, AUG. 14 Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County

Support for LGBTQ teens and allies.

Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia 410.280.9047 • rya_leaders@hotmail.com PFLAGMD.org

Rainbow Youth Alliance of Baltimore County

Support for LGBTQ teens and allies.

FREE • 7:30-9:30pm Towson Unitarian Universalist Church 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd. RYABaltimoreCounty@gmail.com PFLAGBaltimore.org

Howard County PFLAG Monthly Meeting

For parents & friends of LGBTQ children.

FREE • 7:30pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia PFLAGMD.org

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15

Strip Club Time Machine

Sticky Buns Burlesque examines strip club culture from a modern feminist perspective with a strong sense of humor. $15-20 • 9:30pm Ottobar • 2549 N. Howard St. StickyBunsBurlesque.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 17 Baltimore Fashion Week

(See article p. 14) $30-165 • 8pm • Thru 8/19 Baltimore North/Pikesville Hilton 1726 Reisterstown Rd. • Pikesville Baltimore-FashionWeek.com

Femme Conference 2012

Hundreds of local and national femme-identified LGBTQ people and their allies celebrate queering definitions, identities, and experiences. $15-100 • Inn at The Colonnade 4 W. University Pkwy.

Femme2012.com/home

Yappy Hour

(See listing under Aug. 4)

Honoring lesbians in the areas of community leadership, women’s events, DJ/performance and legacy.

6pm • Fujimar DC 1401 K St. NW • Washington, D.C. PrimaHonors.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 Queer Queens of Comedy

All Hail the Queens; Zoe Lewis, Poppy Champlin and Michele Balan. $25 • 7:30pm The Birchmere Music Hall 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. • Alexandria, VA QueerQueensofComedy.com

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Transgender Issues Working Group

(See listing under Aug. 8)

Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion

(See article p. 12) $35-80 • 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena • 201 W. Baltimore St. CirqueduSoleil.com/dralion

THURSDAY, AUG. 23

Baltimore Black Pride hosts the NOH8 Campaign to promote equality through visual protest.

Paradox 1310 Russell St. TheDox.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 19 Baltimore Farmers’ Market

(See listing under Aug. 5)

Harford Rainbow Society Dinner

Eat and drink with old friends and meet new ones. Between $6 and $25 per dish.

6:30-8:30pm • Pelican Cove 418 Constant Friendship Blvd., Abingdon HarfordRainbow.groupsite.com

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden

A rare concert from Ethel Ennis, the grand dame of Baltimore jazz. $18-35 • 6:30pm The Baltimore Museum of Art 10 Art Museum Dr. ArtBMA.org

SUNDAY, AUG. 26 Baltimore Farmers’ Market

(See listing under Aug. 5)

Moveable Feast featured on Secret Millionaire

(See article p. 7) 8pm ABC.go.com/shows/secret-millionaire

TUESDAY, AUG. 28 Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County

(See listing under Aug. 14)

Rainbow Youth Alliance of Baltimore County

(See listing under Aug. 14)

Parents of Transgender Kids Support Group

Support and Q&A for parents of transgender kids. Meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month.

FREE • 7:30-9pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia cvhyde@gmail.com • PFLAGBaltimore.org

For parents & friends of LGBTQ children.

FREE • 7pm Towson Unitarian Universalist Church 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd. PFLAGBaltimore.org

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden

Experience the dramatic four-octave range of Tracey Curbeam accompanied by the talented Da’ Fellas.

FREE • 6:30pm The Baltimore Museum of Art 10 Art Museum Dr. ArtBMA.org

Baltimore Frontrunners

(See listing under Aug. 4)

PFLAG Baltimore County General Meeting

Baltimore Frontrunners

NOH8 Party

The Prima Honors

Gay BINGO!

(See listing under Aug. 1)

Wine Tasting

SATURDAY, AUG. 18

Wine, cheese, and four-legged friends.

FREE • Camp Bow Wow 7165 Oakland Mills Rd. • Columbia CampBowWow.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22

(See listing under Aug. 3)

Gay BINGO!

(See listing under Aug. 1)

Group for parents of LGBTQ children interested in support or helping others.

Meets on the third Monday of each month.

FREE • 7:30-9pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia PFLAGMD.org

SATURDAY, AUG. 25

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29 Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

Largest antique event in Maryland and featuring dealers from around the world.

Noon-8pm The Baltimore Convention Center 1 W. Pratt St. BaltimoreSummerShow.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 24 SOLE Defined

Tap dance, body percussion, West African dancing, sanddance, house dance and Latin. $12-17 • 8pm Creative Alliance at The Patterson 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Wine Tasting

(See listing under Aug. 3)

Gay BINGO!

(See listing under Aug. 1)

Sachs Memorial Jazz Series

Featuring Zach Smith & the Dixie Power Trio.

FREE • 6pm Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts 801 Chase St. • Annapolis MDHallArts.org

FRIDAY, AUG. 31 Wine Tasting

(See listing under Aug. 3) Have a calendar listing? Send it to

CALENDAR@ BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM AUGUST 2012

PAGE 29

FREDDIE'S LIFE

Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

BY DANIEL MCEVILY Taking on the task of detailing the meteoric metamorphosis of an East Africanborn, Parsee boy into one of rock music’s all time greatest showman is a daunting one. British music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones sets out to do just that with her biography of Queen front man Freddie Mercury, in the succinctly titled Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury.

Written with the enthusiasm of a committed Queen fan, Jones attempts to cover every aspect of the singer’s life, from Mercury’s exotic upbringing to his death in 1991 at age 45 from bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS. The tomb opens up, appropriately, at a rock concert, with the author’s firsthand account of Queen’s critically acclaimed performance in front of a packed Wembley Stadium at 1985’s Live Aid concert, which Jones contends was the creative and technical apex of the band’s career.

Jones begins her quest to uncloak the

Biographer Leslie-Ann Jones Photo by Dave Hogan

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AUGUST 2012

Queen held the best post-gig parties… described as nothing short of an orgy, where a hotel ballroom was converted to makeshift swamp, complete with dwarfs, drag queens, voodoo dancers, and female mud wrestlers. mystery behind the man who styled himself as ‘the Great Pretender,’ by traveling to Tanzania, where Mercury began his life in 1946 as Farrokh Bulsara in what was then the British protectorate of Zanzibar. Detailing his Parsee heritage and his having been raised in the Zoroastrian faith, Jones sheds some light on the possible reasons Mercury maintained an enigmatic air about his personal life from his adoring public—remaining allusive about his heritage, his queerness, and his eventual illness.

For source material for the biography, Jones uses a wide range of firsthand interviews with family, friends, and associates of Mercury, as well as previously published interviews with the star.

While Mercury is written with the Mercury/Queen enthusiast in mind—numerous performances, concert tours, and studio work are chronicled—Jones does well to give a fascinating insight into both the music industry and, particularly, queer culture of the '70s and '80s.

From the vantage point of a rock biography, Mercury does not fail to impress the grit, glamour and sheer hedonism of

being in one of the most popular bands of the 1970s. Jones lends credence to the popular notion among rock fans that Queen held the best post-gig parties, detailing one particularly debauched affair in New Orleans, described as nothing short of an orgy, where a hotel ballroom was converted to makeshift swamp, complete with dwarfs, drag queens, voodoo dancers, and female mud wrestlers.

Much as in life, the complicated matter of Mercury’s sexuality plays as a running theme throughout Jones’ biography.

Mercury was reported to have been open about his bisexuality privately, but remained enigmatic about the subject

publically. Jones examines the reasoning behind Mercury’s dichotomous choice, highlighting his complicated relationship with his familial faith, fears of rejection and emotional abandonment stemming from his childhood, and the ever-mounting pressures of being a rock god.

Well researched and covering vast territory, Jones certainly does her best in Mercury to bring to light the man behind the legend. However, every layer she uncovers brings more questions to light.

But perhaps that is exactly the way Freddie Mercury, master illusionist of stage and the ultimate showman, would have wanted it to be.

GAY LIFE MAGAZINE

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

AUGUST 2012

PAGE 31