Baltimore Gay Life January 2015

JANUARY 2015 BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

GAYLIFE Read it. Live it.

Love it.

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I have my faith and feel I was created this way for a reason.

"

PRIDE 6 BALTIMORE 2015 DATES SET

ROSS STARS 7 YOLONDA IN WHITNEY BIOPIC

8 BALTIMORE THEATRE

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

IN THIS GAY LIFE

WAS WHITNEY GAY? GET TO KNOW YOLONDA ROSS, WHO PLAYS WHITNEY HOUSTON'S RUMORED LESBIAN LOVER IN THE UPCOMING LIFETIME BIOPIC Interview by

MARK DAWSON

Photo by Lora Warnick.

Departments LOCAL LIFE

8 Preview: The Whale at Rep Stage

by Frankie Kujawa 9 Robbie Rogers Comes Out to Play

by Frankie Kujawa

5

From the GLCCB Executive Director

by Joel Tinsley-Hall

5 6

GLCCB Board Elections by Steve Charing Baltimore Pride 2015 Dates Announced

REAL LIFE

10

National & International News

by Amanda Wooddell Wilhelm

by Rachel Roth

by Steve Charing

12

Baltimore Local News by Steve Charing

23

Reinvent Yourself and Your Career At Any Age by Belo Cipriani

HIGH LIFE

7

8

Yolonda Ross in Lifetime's Whitney

by Mark Dawson

Profile: Cohesion Theatre

by Timoth David Copney

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

OUR LIFE

14 14 15 15

Justin's HIV Journal by Justin B. Terry-Smith The W.O.E. Report by Wyatt O'Brian Evans A Call to Arms by Courtney Bedell Eckler Spiritual In-To-Me-I-See by Coach Maq ElĂŠ

20 out-skirts by Danielle Ariano 20 Spilling the Tea with Carlton Smith

and Aaron Davis

BETTER LIFE

22

Crafting Financial New Year's Resolutions

SOCIAL LIFE

24 Datebook by Rachel Roth 31 BScene: Baltimore Pride 2015 Fundraiser

at Grand Central Photos by Jay W.

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

3

EDITOR’S LIFE

GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland Serving the LGBT Community of Maryland for 35 years

1000 Cathedral St. • Baltimore, MD 21201 • 410.777.8145 • GLCCB.org

All programming is now located on the 3rd floor of the All programming is now on the 3rd floorFor of the Waxter Center building at located 1000 Cathedral Street. more information please at visit www.glccb.org.

Waxter Center building 1000 Cathedral Street.

For more information please visit www.glccb.org.

Trans Programs

Women’s Programs

AKANNI

SILHOUETTE Women’s

Trans Programs A safe, respectful, confidential

environment where all transmen AKANNI can share their story and their A safe, respectful, confidential journey. environment where all transmen can 2nd Wednesdays - 6pm share their story and their journey. vmillhouse@blacktransmen.org 2nd Tuesdays - 6pm BlackTransmen.org vmillhouse@blacktransmen.org BlackTransmen.org BALTIMORE TRANS-

MASCULINE ALLIANCE BALTIMORE A support groupTRANSfor trans* men MASCULINE ALLIANCE (FTM).

A support group for trans* men 3rd Thursdays - 6:30pm (FTM).

BTMA@glccb.org 3rd Thursdays - 6:30pm BTMA@glccb.org TRAN*QUILITY A support group for trans* women TRAN*QUILITY (MTF), but anyone who varies from A support group trans* women traditional genderfor expression is (MTF), but anyone who varies from welcome. traditional gender expression 2nd & 4th Saturdays - 8pm is welcome.

Tranquility@glccb.org 2nd & 4th Saturdays - 8pm Tranquility@glccb.org

Recovery Recovery ACCESS TO RECOVERY

Care-coordinators will offer recovery ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS support services for LGBT individuals.

LGBTQ-centered recovery Monday, Tuesday,AA Thursday 2-7pm groups, welcoming all. at Please contact Latifto Karim Mondays - 7:15pm outreach.latifkarim@gmail.com Thursdays - 8:30pm Saturdays - 6:30pm ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS LGBTQ centered AA recovery NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS groups, welcoming to all.

Men’s Rap- group Mondays 7:15pmfor men in recovery.

Thursdays - 8:30pm Sundays Saturdays- 11:30am - 6:30pm

space for LBTQ women of all WOMEN OF COLOR colors.

A safe, confidential, and supportive 2nd, 4th, & 5th Thursdays - 7:30pm space for LBTQ women of all WOC@glccb.org colors.

Meetup.com/Baltimore-Lesbians2nd, 4th, & 5th Thursdays - 7:30pm Of-Color WOC@glccb.org Meetup.com/Baltimore-LesbiansOf-Color

A discussion, support, and MIXED COMPANY social group for young adult

POZitive PEOPLE BOOK CLUB A free, weekly, peer-led support

FREE confidential Gentleand beginners’ yogatesting with from the Baltimore City Health Dept. instructor Wednesdays - 5-8pm Tim Hurley, RYT. $9 Sundays - 3:30pm

HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING

FREE and confidential testing from the Baltimore City Health Dept.

Wednesdays - 5-8pm

A welcoming book club for group for HIV-positive individuals in LGBTQ individuals to discuss a the LGBT community. selected reading.

Wednesdays - 7-8pm 3rd Mondays - 7pm POZpeople@glccb.org Facebook.com/ groups/139583666184199 BOOK CLUB

Dan McEvily Editor

FACEBOOK.COM/GLCCB • TWITTER.COM/GLCCB • YOUTUBE.COM/THEGLCCB

Dan McEvily, Editor

A welcoming book club for LGBTQ individuals to discuss selected readings. Due to snow cancellation last month, the selection will again be Local Souls by Allan Gurganus 3rd Mondays - 7pm Facebook.com/ groups/139583666184199

GAYLIFE

Baltimore Pride Read it. Live it.

Love it.

GAYLIFE Read it. Live it.

2013

GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

the 40th Baltimore Pride celebration, which will take place July 25-26 and return to its old stomping grounds in Mt. Vernon and Druid Hill Park.

By the way—how have we been doing?

Are we missing great stories that you’d like to see in Gay Life? Drop me a line at editor@baltimoregaylife.com and let me know your thoughts!

Here’s to a prosperous new year! Until next month...

Community Community Programs Programs

The GLCCB is the The GLCCB is the publisher of Gay Life publisher of Gay Life and the producer of Baltimore Pride and the producer of

continued in next column u

hope our latest issue finds you recovering nicely from last month’s holiday merriment and are successfully managing your freshly formed New Year’s resolutions.

We’ve lined up some stellar stories for our January issue, including a chat with our cover boy, Major League Soccer star (and former Maryland Terrapin) Robbie Rogers, who became the first openly gay man to compete in a top North American professional sports league in 2013. Robbie chatted with Gay Life about his new book, Coming Out To Play.

We’ve also got quite a bit of news coming from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB), our parent organization, this month. Be sure to check out executive director Joel Tinsley-Hall’s outlook for the organization in the new year on page 5. Also on the horizon for 2015 is

A support, social, and discussion RAINBOW YOUTH group for LGBTQ teens and allies ALLIANCE BALTIMORE ages 13-19, in partnership with A support, social, PFLAG Baltimore. and discussion group for LGBTQ teens and allies Tuesdays - 7-9pm ages 13-19, in partnership with RYABaltimore@gmail.com PFLAG Baltimore.

Facebook.com/groups/ 1st, 3rd, & 5th Tuesdays - 7-9pm RYABaltimore RYABaltimore@gmail.com Facebook.com/groups/ MIXED COMPANY RYABaltimore (QUEER YOUNG ADULT GROUP)

recovery.

BEGINNERS’ YOGA Sundays - 11:30am Gentle beginners’ yoga with instructor Tim Hurley, RYT. $9 Sundays - 3:30pm

HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING BEGINNERS’ YOGA

I

Youth & Young Adult Programs Youth &YOUTH Young RAINBOW Adult Programs ALLIANCE BALTIMORE

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Health & Wellness

4

Programs

SILhouette (Spiritually In-tuned Lesbians) is a spiritual community SILHOUETTE of women who love women SILhouette (Spiritually In-tuned desiring to discover, embrace and Lesbians) is spiritual-authentic a spiritual community live as their self. of women who love women 1st and 3rd Tuesdays - 7pm desiring to discover, embrace and live as theirOF spiritual-authentic self.

WOMEN COLOR 1st and confidential, 3rd Tuesdaysand - 7pm A safe, supportive

(QUEER YOUNGor ADULT GROUP) LGBT identified questioning A discussion, support, and social individuals and their allies. group for -young adult LGBT Tuesdays 5:30-6:30pm identified or questioning individuals Facebook.com/groups/GLCCB. and their allies. mixed.co Tuesdays at 5:30pm

Health & Wellness Men’s Rap group for men in

Welcome to 2015, Gay Life readers!

Love it.

1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410.777.8145 Phone 410.777.8135 Fax sales@baltimoregaylife.com www.baltimoregaylife.com

editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Cory Burgess, Art Director National Advertising Rep.

cory@coryburgess.com Rivendell Media, 212.242.6863

Contributors

Danielle Ariano, Courtney Bedell Eckler, Steve Charing, Belo Cipriani, Timoth David Copney, Aaron Davis, Mark Dawson, Coach Mac Elè, Wyatt O’Brian Evans, Frankie Kujawa, Rachel Roth, Carlton Ray Smith, Justin B. Terry Smith, Joel Tinsley-Hall, Amanda Wooddell Wilhelm

Photographers

John Kardys, Samatra Johnson, Asia Kenney, Kelly Neel, Eric Randolph, Richelle Taylor, Jay W.

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 2014. 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.

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

LOCAL LIFE

GLCCB Elects New Board Members Photo by Steve Charing.

by

FROM THE GLCCB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Happy New Year I

have a tradition every New Year to meditate and think about where I am on life’s journey, and where I want life to go in the coming year. While I believe somewhat in fate, I also believe that we have the individual and collective power to shape the paths our journeys will take.

First, where I was. In 2014, as fate would have it, my husband was invited to join the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) Board of Directors.

Upon joining, he soon discovered that the organization was in the process of looking for a permanent executive director. He immediately thought it may be something that I would want to pursue, and it was. After one board meeting, he stepped away from his responsibilities and commitment to the GLCCB so that I could pursue my passion of leading this organization and becoming part of the rich history of service to our community.

Now, here I am. I am now the executive director of the GLCCB. Three months into the job, I have a better understanding of where we are as an organization and where we need to improve. Our financial situation is grim and requires the majority of my attention right now. Some of our programs have been neglected and as such attendance has declined. This has led to friction among various groups who we serve as they vie for the limited resources we have.

However, the GLCCB has two of the most important assets that any organization could hope for. First, is an almost 40-year history of caring for our community. The second asset is the people, a collective community that comes together when called upon to make sure that the cause of equality

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and justice is not forgotten. While there is much work to do, I would not want to be anywhere else than where I am right now.

My hope for 2015. This year will be a year of renewal, rebuilding and strengthening for this organization. We have new leadership on the board, and I am excited to work with our new president, Bill Redmond-Palmer. We are also fortunate to have several board members who have been around for a bit, and can provide insight to some of our past issues.

Together, we will review and build on our strategic plan. We will evaluate our current programming in order to grow what we have in place, while reaching out to other groups so that there may be something for everyone at the GLCCB. We will organize and produce our community’s 40th Baltimore Pride celebration. Other possibilities for 2015 include a new location, or at the very least a spiffing up of our current space.

Perhaps most importantly for the year, given our current situation, will be a focus on our finances. We must ensure our bills are paid and resources are present to invest back into services for the community.

My goals may sound like a lot and perhaps a bit daunting, but I remember a quote once told to me by a professor, “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” This community has dreams for the GLCCB and in order to make those dreams a reality, we must give them a deadline.

Happy New Year!

Joel Tinsley-Hall Executive Director Joel Tinsley-Hall can reached at (410) 777-8145 or at jtinsleyhall@glccb.org.

T

STEVE CHARING

he Board of Directors of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) elected a new president and re-elected the vice-president and treasurer during their annual election meeting on Dec. 8. Long time activist and former GLCCB Board member William J. “Bill” Redmond-Palmer was elected unanimously to succeed outgoing term-limited President Michael McCarthy.

Chris Adkins was re-elected as Vice President as was Daniel Moore as Treasurer. The board is currently seeking a Secretary to fill a vacancy resulting from the departure of Gilles Stromberg.

Redmond-Palmer has been HIV+ since 1993 and has since worked as an advocate on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS, in HIV prevention education, treatment research and community leadership, advocacy and organizing. As such, he has written numerous articles for local publications to shine a spotlight on local LGBT organizations that are not always well-known, and he has covered significant community events.

He has been working in leadership and advocacy organizations in the LGBTQ community for nearly twenty years, including serving on the GLCCB Board of Directors for six years in the early 1990’s. Redmond-Palmer is active in his synagogue and serves in leadership with two groups of faith communities supporting the LGBTQ community.

“I most look forward to the opportunity to make the Center more engaged with the members and organizations in the community, to realize its potential to bring all sexual and gender minority people together for common purpose, while celebrating their unique differences,” Redmond-Palmer said.

Redmond-Palmer moved to Baltimore in 1995, and currently

Bill RedmondPalmer

Chris Adkins

Daniel Moore

lives in the Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello neighborhood with his husband John.

To contact Redmond Palmer, please email President@glccb.org.

To apply for the GLCCB Board of Directors, please visit GLCCB.org/ get-involved/join-our-board

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

5

LOCAL LIFE

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

hristmas came a little early for those members of the LGBT community who were pining for a return of the Baltimore Pride block party to the traditional Mount Vernon venue. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) announced at an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” fundraising event at Grand Central on Dec. 20 that Pride will indeed return to its former locations in Mount Vernon for the block party and Druid Hill Park for the Sunday celebration.

Citing feedback from the community through surveys and other platforms, the GLCCB’s leadership decided to go back to its original footprint following last year’s foray into the Mount Royal-Artscape area near MICA and its elimination of Druid Hill Park from the celebration.

“We listened to the community and heard their voice,” GLCCB Executive Director Joel Tinsley-Hall said. “Through multiple town hall meetings, the community voiced concerns regarding location.”

The other major change is the new dates for Pride, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in Baltimore. Instead of the customary third weekend in June, this year Pride will take place July 25-26.

“While we wish that the 40th Baltimore Pride could maintain the same June date, there were some changes within the Baltimore City permits office, and the AfricanAmerican Festival was given our traditional

date,” said Paul Liller who has returned as the GLCCB’s volunteer Pride coordinator.

One other possible weekend under consideration was June 6-7 but TinsleyHall had promised representatives of the transgender community that Pride would not conflict with the annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference.

The announcement concerning the change in locations drew enthusiastic cheers from the Grand Central patrons. TinsleyHall, Liller and new board president Bill Redmond-Palmer were on hand to deliver the news.

It is believed that the shift to July is temporary because of the change in staff at Baltimore’s permit office as well as the process for submitting permits, which limited the options available.

“We are working with the city to make sure that in the future this doesn’t happen again,” said Liller. “However, we also have some exciting new things coming for 2015, and the temporary July date change will help us put together the best Pride Baltimore has ever seen! And we are always looking for volunteers to help.”

For information about vendors, sponsorship opportunities and events, please visit BaltimorePride.org. To volunteer for Baltimore Pride 2015, please email Paul Liller at pliller@BaltimorePride.org.

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

HIGH LIFE

Was Whitney Gay? YOLONDA ROSS PLAYS WHITNEY HOUSTON'S RUMORED LESBIAN LOVER IN THE UPCOMING LIFETIME MOVIE by

MARK DAWSON

T

here’s one thing Yolonda Ross, the actress who plays the role of Whitney Houston’s rumored lesbian lover in the upcoming Lifetime movie, knows for sure about Whitney and her gal pal, Robyn. “They were two people that deeply loved, cared for and respected one another,” she says. “Theirs could have been more than a friendship and if so, it’s really unfortunate if others got in the way of it or compromised it.”

Directed by Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett, Lifetime-TV’s Whitney Houston will focus on the singer’s rise to stardom and her stormy relationship with Bobby Brown. It’s set to air Jan. 17.

To prepare for the role, Ross feverishly studied Houston and her longtime assistant Robyn Crawford. According to reports, the two met at 16 during a summer job in East Orange, NJ, and soon began an alleged romantic relationship. They broke up when Houston married Brown in 1992.

“Robyn seems to be a straight-up, very grounded person,” continues Ross. “Somebody who, no matter what the situation, has got your back or is gonna set you straight.

She offered security to Whitney and uncompromised companionship.”

The film is the first-ever produced about the life and death of Whitney Houston.

Ross predicts it will be a piece of history. “Like The Jackson’s movie, The Temptations and The Five Heartbeats: three movies every black person in America has seen at least once in their life. This will be one of those, but reach an even wider audience due to today’s global media.”

Yolonda Ross made her feature film debut in 2001’s award-winning Stranger Inside. The film earned the actress her first Film Independent Spirit Award nomination, along with the IFP Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

Ross went on to appear in Denzel Washington’s Antwone Fisher, Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, David Mamet’s Phil Spector, HBO’s Treme and the independent

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

film, Yelling To The Sky. Earlier this year, she starred in John Sayles’ Go For Sisters, a film that has done what no other has: featured two black women leading a buddy film. This role earned the Omaha native her second Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She has several films slated for 2015 including the indie drama Meadowland with Olivia Wilde and Lila and Eve starring Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis.

“I’ve always been creative,” she explains. “I paint, write, sing, and play instruments.”

However, she never imagined she’d pursue a career in acting. “I have always been painfully shy,” she admits. “Getting in front of people and acting something out was noth-

ing I ever thought I would do.”

That all changed when she moved to New York City and realized she would need extra money to get by. “I was in school and friends convinced me to try commercials and music videos. The opportunity came to do extra work on Saturday Night Live. It got me my AFTRA card and an agent. I didn’t hear from the agency for a while, but out of the blue, they sent me on an audition for New York Undercover and I booked it. Months later they called me for another audition. It was for an HBO movie called Stranger Inside.”

That film, and her groundbreaking portrayal of Treasure Lee, would forever change the course of the young actress’ life.

“I had never taken an acting course,” she says. “But I was blessed with a gift and I have always studied people, and used music to help me create. I just applied that knowledge to scripts.”

When taking on a role, Ross’ objective is to embody a character to its fullest. “I aim to be that person inside and out, from the way they smell to the way they think. I want to know their ticks and personal traits. I want the character to speak through me and to make the viewer feel something,” she explains.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing. Ross describes being a young black woman in Hollywood today as “swimming upstream against the current and sometimes having rocks thrown at you.”

There are multiple hurdles. “Where roles for white actresses are endless, we only get to play limited types of characters,” she says, “and many are side roles that are only given few lines in a movie.”

She also sites lack of support from the black community. “We need black publications to help inform viewers about new content from black actors, producers, and directors. Not just the major films. “Shadow and Act and Wilson Morales shouldn’t have to do it all.” she says. “Unless you’re Halle, Angela, Kerry Washington, or Viola now, it’s easy to be overlooked by the community, but social networking does help.”

“Some of us keep ourselves employed by creating our own interesting content, but it takes money, time and people to do all that and not all actors want to do everything.”

Fortunately for Ross, she does.

Yolonda Ross made her directorial debut last year with Breaking Night, a ten-minute short film about a young girl that, like Ross, takes control of her destiny. The film won the San Diego Indie Film Festival for Best Short Film and is currently in rotation on VH1 Classics. It is now also the official music video for the famed Manfred Mann song, “Blinded By the Light.”

To learn more about Ross’ busy career, visit YolondaRoss.com.

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

7

HIGH LIFE THEATRE SPOTLIGHT

Cohesion Theatre Company by

TIMOTH DAVID COPNEY

B

rad Norris and Alicia Stanley met under the most common of theatre circumstances. He’d been tapped last spring to direct Spotlighter’s production of Edward II. She’d been brought on as assistant director. And out of that collaboration one of the newest entries into the local theatre scene was born. Cohesion Theatre Company is the result of Stanley and Norris realizing they could make something solid and lasting out of one serendipitous production.

Norris has an impressive background in professional theatre. Fresh out of college, he landed a job with Jam Theatricals, an entertainment corporation involved with productions of some of the biggest hits on Broadway.

After a move to Baltimore, he now works as manager of events at Center Stage. The newly formed company provides him with an outlet for his true calling: making theatre.

THEATRE PREVIEW

The Whale at Rep Stage by

FRANKIE KUJAWA

R

ep Stage, the regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College, marks the Baltimore/Washington D.C., premier this month of Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale. After experiencing the heartbreaking death of his partner, audiences find the morbidly obese Charlie confined to his small apartment cradled with resolve to eat himself into oblivion. This is only compounded by the desperation Charlie has to reconnect with his estranged daughter, who he finds has grown into a wildly sharp-tongued teenager.

“I was familiar with Samuel D. Hunter’s work,” explains Rep Stage’s Co-Producing Artistic Director Joseph Ritsch, “but had not seen nor read The Whale. My artistic partner Suzanne Beal and I were looking at plays that were coming out of Playwrights Horizons because of their commitment to producing new work. The Whale was one of those plays I could not put down, and by the

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

Jessica Kim, Lauren Engler, Kelsey Palmer, Dave LaSalle and Matthew Ancarrow

Alicia Stanley is a self-confessed ‘Shakespeare Nerd’, but is passionate about bringing a much broader spectrum of plays to light. She wants to give voice and parity to writers and performers who embrace diversity, a sentiment whole-heartedly shared by her producing partner.

Cohesion Theater was born of their shared vision. The two co-founders and artistic producers have already presented their first production. After deliberations over what the first season should present, Coriolanus, Shakespeare’s seldom seen tale of Roman hero woe, was selected. Directed

by Stanley, the production incorporated elements from artists, photographers, translators, and utilized a set complete with graffiti from the walls of Pompeii. The next two outings will be just as inclusive of the artistic community at large.

13 Dead Husbands, by Tom Horan, is a Baltimore premier. It is the tale of Dee Dee, the most beautiful woman in the world, and the men who unwisely married her, only to meet their death. Directed by Brad Norris, it runs March 12–29. Completing the season is The Pillow Book, by Anna Moench. It’s the story of a couple and what might have been, what really was, and what now is. Jonas David Grey will direct this one, on view from June 25–July 12.

By far the most ambitious venture for Cohesion Theatre Company is the coordination of a city-wide festival of plays by female playwrights. From a list of 43 under or never produced offerings, Cohesion wants local theatres to host productions for Baltimore audiences. Scheduled from July 1 to Aug. 9, it will present an unprecedented opportunity for theatres to not only offer

unique entertainment, but to come together as a real community. Encouraging more collaboration between local companies is part and parcel to Cohesion’s mission.

Norris credits a good deal of the initial success of the company to the Highlandtown neighborhood they call home. Local businesses have rallied around them with financial and vocal support, donating goods, services and promotion. The former church where the performances are presented is located at 413 Conkling Street.

Cohesion Theater Company has some big plans. Not only for the company, but for the whole arts community in Baltimore. With Brad Norris’ brash enthusiasm and Alicia Stanley’s quiet determination, they have a very good shot at making those plans a reality.

For more information, visit CohesionTheatre.org.

end I was deeply moved, as was Suzanne.”

Ritsch expresses that he and Beal were both taken with Charlie’s ability to find beauty in the most ordinary of places.

“He has a beautiful soul,” adds actor Michael Russotto (Charlie), “but is trapped in an unappealing package. If audiences can be led to look past the physical, they will find that Charlie struggles with the same issues that most of us struggle with—depression, doubt and, anger.” Russotto, who is delighted to return to the Rep Stage, insists that Charlie’s qualities make him a unique individual. “His weapons are hope and faith in other people, which in turn makes him pretty special.

Under the direction of Helen Hayes Award winner Kasi Campbell, Russotto ascertains that his performance of Charlie will honor the playwright’s intentions with regard to character’s journey through the play.

“I don’t want to copy somebody else’s performance.” Russotto explains. “I want to make my own choices based on the clues provided in the text and the director’s guidance.”

The Whale also marks the 28th production for director Kasi Campbell with Rep Stage.

“In the time I have been working in Columbia, it has always been deeply important to me that my local directing projects brought gay stories and major gay characters to the stage in my community.” Campbell believes that

audiences will be captivated by the struggle of Charlie. “Dysfunctional families and estranged parents are a common trope in American drama, but The Whale is unique in it’s time compression—what if you only have a few days left to connect with the child you never knew? How could you possibly reach out to that daughter while encased in a 600 pound body that both repels and disgusts her?”

Campbell believes that it’s through humor and pathos that playwright Samuel D. Hunter challenges the limits of our empathy for Charlie, as well as other flawed characters throughout the performance. “My hope is by the end of the evening, each audience member has surprised themselves with how large their own heart is—and how amaz-

ingly far their capacity for care can extend.”

Russotto adds, “Life throws most people some pretty tough challenges- what defines us is the way in which we respond; do we shut down and disengage, or do we push forward and try to meet these difficulties with love and faith? I hope audiences consider this question in their own lives.”

The Whale

Jan. 14–Feb. 1• $15-40 Rep Stage 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy.

Columbia, Maryland 443-518-1500 RepStage.org

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MLS Star Comes Out to Play by

FRANKIE KUJAWA

M

ajor League Soccer star Robbie Rogers has a lot to celebrate this New Year.

His team, the L.A. Galaxy, recently won their fifth MLS Cup this past December.

As if his professional career success wasn’t enough, Rogers then immediately embarked on a mini-tour to promote his book Coming Out To Play.

Rogers, who first made headlines in 2013 when he announced that he was gay, has went on to become the first openly gay man to compete in a top North American professional sports league. Rogers recently chatted with Gay Life upon his return home for the holidays. The former University of Maryland Terrapin discusses his faith, his newly single status, and the importance of always listening to advice from mom.

Congratulations on your recent MLS Cup win. Are you still coming down off of such an adrenaline rush? Thank you! To be honest I went straight from that win to my tour. Now I feel like I can actually enjoy it and the holidays.

At the age of twenty-seven you’ve lived quite the eventful life. What was the inspiration to publish your story Coming Out To Play sooner instead of later? It was really because of the reaction I received from so many people.

I came out when I was 25. It was after that I came out publicly that so many people connected with my story. It was the overwhelming reaction from others that made me write and share it with other people.

In your book you discuss growing up in a Catholic family. As someone who was raised with such a religious upbringing, have you found it difficult balance your faith while coming to terms with your sexuality? It definitely was when I was younger. That’s why today I really don’t follow any kind of religion. I have my faith and feel I was created this way for a reason. It’s hard for people to understand that someone can have their faith and be gay. I tend to just let people be perplexed by the situation. It was difficult when I was younger which is

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why I don’t tie myself with a specific religion.

Growing up, I felt that religion was about loving your neighbor, but now I feel like it is all about judging each other and that’s not what I believe is right.

You’re a former University of Maryland Terrapin. Did you enjoy your time here in Maryland? Oh my God, I loved it so much! I was only there my freshman year before I turned pro. I loved going there! I wasn’t really open about my sexuality, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have back then. When I was a freshman I ventured all through College Park. It was a great time.

that people have, but in the past I was so single-minded and so internal. All of my emotions were left to just myself.

Obviously, I’m happy being able to share all of this with my family and having them at games where they can enjoy it. It’s so nice having real relationships with my friends and teammates. I’m much happier than where I was before coming out.

Have you been back to Maryland since you left University of Maryland? Oh yeah, I’ve been back a few times.

We play against DC United a few times a year. Whenever I’m in the area for soccer, I try to catch up with my friends there or hang out in D.C. How does it feel having the title of becoming one of the first openly gay athletes? Do you feel that comes with a lot of weight and responsibility? Last year, I felt a little like that. One of the main reasons I went back [to soccer] was to help a lot of gay young athletes. Last year, I just wanted to be a soccer player and just focus on my career, but it was difficult because I felt like I was just spread so thin with interviews. This year, I really enjoyed just being a member of my team and we won a championship, and I loved it. I really liked working with different events. I said ‘no’ to a lot of things, but I felt doing less this year would work better on allowing me to focus on my job.

I recently heard that you are single! Any new prospects or are you enjoying the time being single? Yeah, I’m just taking my time. I’m going to wait until after the New Year to think of that kind of stuff. I have no plans. It’s been crazy the last few months. I just want to take some time to myself and hang out with my family and friends.

In your book, one of the questions that you asked yourself, while struggling with your sexuality was ‘Why can’t I be happy?’ Do you feel that now, after coming to terms with your sexuality, you are happy?

Yeah, I’m so much happier than I was in the past. And I’m able to deal not just with the disappointments but also success. It’s nice being able to deal with the normal problems

If you could pass along one message to the LGBT youth of today what would it be?

Um, I think my mom told me that, after I came out, you have to give people an opportunity to love you, and you have to do that by telling people who you are. At the end of the day, I didn’t give people an opportunity to really love me for who I am and who I was.

That’s really good advice. Well, I can’t take credit for it. It was my mom.

Moms always seem to have the best advice, don’t they? (Laughs) Always.

For more information about Robbie's life, career and book, visit RobbieHRogers.com.

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

9

REAL LIFE IRELAND

OHIO MASSACHUSETTS NEW YORK WASHINGTON, D.C. CALIFORNIA FLORIDA

SOUTH KOREA GERMANY

TEXAS ALABAMA

VATICAN CITY

CHILE

National & International News Conversation could be a game changer for marriage equality CALIFORNIA

A simple conversation may be all it takes to change opinions on marriage equality.

A recent study conducted in Los Angeles County found that having a conversation with an LGBT person could cause people who oppose marriage equality to shift their stance.

Researchers sent heterosexual and openly gay and lesbian canvassers to neighborhoods that overwhelmingly opposed marriage equality and found an eight percentage point increase in among those who spoke with the latter group, The Los Angeles Times reported.

LGBT groups concerned over “license to discriminate” legislation in Texas TEXAS

Several Texas state legislators have introduced bills to limit the ability of cities to enforce LGBT nondiscrimination laws. Two days after the Plano City Council approved a nondiscrimination ordinance, Republican

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

Rep. Jason Villalba filed a resolution that would allow businesses across the state to refuse service to LGBT customers if doing so would contradict their religious beliefs.

According to The Texas Observer, Republican Sen. Donna Campbell introduced a similar bill in November.

Ohio attorney general urges Supreme Court review of marriage case OHIO

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a document arguing that the Supreme Court should decide whether the state should recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. In the 34-page filing, DeWine and State Solicitor Eric Murphy say the high court should review the decision to uphold Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage from the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the only federal appeals court that found such laws are constitutional. The Washington Blade quotes DeWine as saying the Supreme Court should consider the case to issue a nationwide ruling overruling other

by

RACHEL ROTH

courts that have determined the Fourteenth Amendment prohibit states from banning same-sex marriage through the democratic process.

Attorneys for Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on Tuesday also filed a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging the state’s marriage equality ban. Along with Ohio, Kentucky’s ban was one of four upheld in a decision by a federal appeals court panel in November.

in the government’s custody. According to The Huffington Post, HHS’s interim rule on sexual abuse, required by the Prison Rape Elimination Act, is still waiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget.

The process has taken close to a year.

N.Y. governor pushes insurers to cover gender reassignment surgery NEW YORK

House Democrats: LGBT Immigrant Minors Need Better Protections Against Sexual Abuse WASHINGTON, D.C.

Nearly 60 House Democrats sent a letter to President Obama demanding more protections for LGBT undocumented minors. The letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell pressed the administration to provide more information on when it will implement new rules to protect unaccompanied immigrant minors, particularly LGBT children and teenagers, who are

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that insurance companies are no longer able to deny coverage for gender reassignment procedures that doctors have deemed medically necessary. In a letter being sent to insurers doing business in the state, Cuomo warned that because state law requires coverage for gender dysphoria, beneficiaries are entitled to coverage for treatments related to the condition.

The New York City Council on also voted 39-4 in favor of a measure to make it easier for transgender residents to change the gender listed on their birth certificates.

The measure will end the requirement that

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those seeking to change such documents produce proof of having undergone gender reassignment surgery. Instead, only documentation from a health care professional will be required.

Same-sex couples in Ala. eligible for Blue Cross spousal coverage

men from donating blood, organs, or tissue.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, led the group. “If we are serious about protecting and enhancing our nation’s blood supply, we must embrace science and reject outdated stereotypes,” the 80-member group wrote in a letter to Burwell. The letter was released after an FDA panel endorsed keeping the lifetime ban in place.

ALABAMA

Alabama’s largest insurer now offers spousal coverage to legally married, same-sex couples in order to comply with a federal rule that insurance companies must treat married couples the same regardless of sexual orientation. A spokeswoman for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama said the company began offering same-sex spousal coverage for underwritten plans in early 2014. The state does not currently recognize lesbian and gay marriages and has a ban on marriage equality written in the constitution.

Pentagon will likely review policy on transgender service members WASHINGTON, D.C.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday that the military’s long-standing prohibition on transgender service members is likely to be reviewed next year. James, however, did not endorse repealing the ban outright but said anyone who is capable of serving should be able to do so.

FBI says 20 percent of hate crimes are LGBT motivated NATIONWIDE

Inmate not entitled to transition-related care, court says MASSACHUSETTS

A federal appeals court denied Massachusetts inmate Michelle Kosilek’s request for gender reassignment surgery, ruling that the state’s Department of Correction is not obligated to provide the procedure. The 3-2 decision held that denying the procedure does not violate Kosilek’s rights under the Eighth Amendment.

U.S. Supreme Court denies stay; same-sex marriage in Florida begins Jan. 6 FLORIDA

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to Justice Clarence Thomas that he extend a stay preventing the state from recognizing the marriages of eight gay and lesbian couples.

Lesbian and gay couples will be allowed to wed beginning Jan. 6.

Mayor sorry for gay rights flip flop SOUTH KOREA

One in five hate crimes committed in the US last year were motivated by anti-gay bias, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The agency’s annual hate crime report released on Dec. 8 found that 20.8 percent of the 5,928 reported single bias hate crimes were based on sexual orientation, second only to race at 48.5 percent.

Of these, 60.6 percent were classified as anti-gay male bias.

Park Won-soon, the mayor of Seoul, South Korea, apologized for indefinitely delaying a human rights charter that would have shielded LGBT residents from discrimination. “It is my responsibility and fault,” said Park, who assured the community that nondiscrimination measures would be put into place but did not say when, The Korean Herald reported.

Lawmakers call to end ban on gay men donating blood, organs

Pontiff urges Catholic officials to recognize “sign of the times”

WASHINGTON, D.C.

VATICAN CITY

A group of lawmakers sent a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to lift a policy banning men who have sex with

Pope Francis has again called on the Catholic Church to soften its stance on LGBT issues. The Pope urged the church to provide support for parents with LGBT

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children, saying; “we come across this reality all the time in the confessional: a father and a mother whose son or daughter is in that situation. ... We have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their son or daughter.”

Photo courtesy of John Jiao Photography

THOUGHTFUL WEDDINGS

The Rev. Rovan Wernsdorfer

Chilean lawmakers consider marriage bill

Highly personalized ceremonies written and led b y a seminary-­‐trained wedding officiant.

I welcome every spectrum: race, religion (or none) and sexual identity.

CHILE

A bill has been introduced in Chile that would replace references to “men and women” and “husband and wife” in marriage laws to gender-neutral terms. The bill has the backing of President Michelle Bachelet, as well as advocacy groups such as the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation.

www.thoughtfulweddings.com 410-­‐812-­‐1756

IOC adds sexual orientation protections to charter

rovan@thoughtfulweddings.com

GERMANY

The International Olympic Committee has added sexual orientation language to its Olympic Charter, adopting the change after a unanimous vote by its members. “This is a very important step,” IOC President Thomas Bach of Germany said of the change, which will be included in the contract signed by future host cities.

Check my website for my clients’ enthusiastic reviews!

Ireland to vote on marriage equality in May IRELAND

Ireland will vote on a marriage equality referendum in May, according to an announcement from the deputy prime minister’s office.

“The fact that this referendum is now to take place is a mark of the progress that has taken place in this country in recent years and decades,” Irish Labour Party leader Joan Burton said of the announcement, which did not mark a specific day for the vote. According to The Guardian, polls indicate that the majority of Irish citizens plan to vote in favor of marriage equality.

WANT MORE LGBT NEWS?

Visit BaltimoreGayLife.com

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

11

REAL LIFE

Baltimore Local News by

STEVE CHARING

Male Nude Photographer to Speak at Prime Timers Meeting Prime Timers of Baltimore announced that the guest speaker for their next general meeting on Jan. 11, 2015 will be J. Wayne Higgs. The presentation will be at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1900 St. Paul Street in Baltimore at 6 p.m.

J. Wayne Higgs was a pioneer in the field of male nude photography. He will share his 50 years of presenting male nude photographs for publication in gay-oriented magazines. He will tell of dealing with the censors through the years and the comings and goings of publications. Besides photographing some of the leading male models, he has recorded 50 years of self-nude photographs.

This is one in a series of efforts to capture and record the history of gays in America.

Same-sex marriage an economic boon to Maryland NerdWallet.com, a financial advice site, has crunched some numbers, and their analysis indicates that Maryland gained $52.7 million from same-sex nuptials.

In providing data at the national level, NerdWallet factored in the reported LGBT population for each state based on Gallup numbers, the marriage rate from each state based on census data (NerdWallet believes the data are underestimated), and the average wedding cost by county based on The Wedding Report, CostofWedding.com.

In Maryland, where same-sex marriages have occurred since Jan. 1, 2013, the percentage of the population that identifies as LGBT is 3.3 percent from a population of 5,928,814. The marriage rate is 0.8 percent.

An estimated 1,507 same-sex marriages occurred with an average cost of $34,995 spent on weddings bringing a total of $52,720,973 to Maryland’s economy.

Productive year for PFLAG Chapter During their annual holiday party earlier in the month where the Baltimore Men’s Chorus superbly performed a repertoire of Christmas music, the Columbia/Howard County chapter of PFLAG unveiled an impressive list of accomplishments that took place from September 2013 to September

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake officates the wedding of Jim Scales and Bill Tasker, the first same-sex nuptials in Maryland.

Photo by Steve Charing

J. Wayne Higgs was a pioneer in male nude photography 2014. The chapter summed up their efforts according to the three components of their mission: Advocacy, Education and Support.

Under “Advocacy,” members participated in Lobby Day, fundraising, phone calls, training and coalition participation in helping pass the Fairness for All Marylanders Act (Gender Identity Non-discrimination).

For “Education,” the chapter launched the first Gender Conference East for Professionals and Families in November 2014 with the support of Gender Spectrum and The Ackerman Institute’s Gender & Family Project. This conference was very wellattended by families as well as professionals who help families deal with gender issues.

Howard County PFLAG also provided 30 trainings to school systems and school personnel (public, private, and colleges) across Howard, Montgomery, Baltimore, Anne Arundel counties and Baltimore City.

It offered two “Straight for Equality” trainings (serving about 85 people) at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in D.C., and at Nationwide Insurance Company.

In the area of “Support,” the chapter held 81 support meetings that included parents and caregivers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming children, LGBTQ youth and allies, transgender adults, and a play group for transgender and gender non-conforming children (up to age 12). These support meetings served about 700 families. Their first Howard County monthly support group for transgender

Columbia/Howard County chapter of PFLAG marches in the Pride parade.

Photo by Steve Charing

adults was launched Dec. 18, 2013.

In addition, the chapter formed important partnerships with the Howard County Police Department and FreeState Legal Project, became involved with LGBT Older Adults Task Force of Howard County, presented a Congressional briefing to the LGBT Caucus on Capitol Hill, provided Administrative support to other mid-Atlantic PFLAG chapters, and gave testimony during House and Senate hearings in Annapolis on behalf of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act. The chapter also presented Safe Schools Training for the Howard County Black Students Achievement Program Liaison Staff, provided community outreach through events such as D.C. Pride Parade and the Baltimore Pride Parade.

PFLAG-Howard County held monthly general meetings, serving more than 475 people. It offered training at three national conferences: Philly Trans Health,

Gender Spectrum, and the National PFLAG Conference.

It also welcomed the initiation of Affirmative Health Providers in Howard County to provide support to the chapter and membership through their services and donations and provided “Trans 101” training for seniors at Riderwood Village’s (Montgomery County) PFLAG group.

“I find it tremendously gratifying to see our years of hard work coming to fruition in so many accomplishments for the good of our community,” said June Horner, a member of the chapter’s steering committee.

“I am certain that PFLAG will continue to be a significant force for LGBTQ equality and support in years to come, and, of course, we will continue to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding. My fondest hope is for some happy day when we will no longer be needed.”

For information, visit PFLAGMd.org.

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GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

13

OUR LIFE JUSTIN’S HIV JOURNAL

Bmore Proud This January N

oone hsa more pride than Baltimoreans. There are many things in Charm City that we can be proud of. Did you know that Baltimore is home to the first blackowned shipyard in the United States, now known as the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park Museum. It’s also the home of the first civic monument dedicated to President George Washington, the aptlynamed Washington monument. It’s also the originator of snowballs, the forefathers to slushies, which were invented in town during the American Industrial Revolution.

What we should be striving to be proud of is decreasing the infections of HIV, not only in the city of Baltimore, but all over Maryland. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) there were 1,466 adult/adolescent HIV cases (age 13+) diagnosed in Maryland in 2012.

Baltimore City and Prince George’s County had the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses. Also one in 124 males and one in 243 females were living with HIV in Maryland.

Even though HIV has been proven to be a manageable disease, it’s still not an easy burden to carry. These statistics are still alarming, even though compared to the 1980s they are better. Black Gay men/MSM still have a high rate of HIV at 32.2 percent, but it might be to some of your surprises that heterosexuals have the highest rate of 34.4 percent in the state of Maryland.

The point I’m trying to make is that yes, Baltimore does have a lot to be proud of, but would we be prouder Baltimore and the state of Maryland could say, “Our HIV numbers are down to 0.” Take a moment and think about what that might look like. We have preventative resources and I will never

give up my hope and my faith that medicine and science will find a cure to HIV and one day we all will be HIV free.

I hate New Year’s Resolutions, but I don’t see why anyone cannot say to themselves, “I would like to make this world a better place.”

I have made it my mission to be able to help with the struggle against HIV, all throughout my life. I’ve been in the struggle since 2003, working year after year. Can you find it in your heart to Bmore proud and help Baltimore decrease HIV? Do something as small as giving to a local HIV nonprofit, or helping out with a HIV fundraiser. Every little bit helps.

Get to really know someone who has HIV, embrace them, and accept them for who they are. You can Bmore proud of yourself by knowing that you’ve helped a friend in need whether they know it or not.

by JUSTIN B. TERRY-SMITH

Justin B. Terry-Smith is a noted HIV and gay civil rights activist and the creator of ‘Justin’s HIV Journal,” a popular blog in which he shares his trials and tribulations of living with HIV. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Justin resides in Laurel, Md. with his husband, Dr. Philip TerrySmith and their son Lundyn.

Photo by Don Harris, Don Harris Photographics, LLC © 2011. All Rights Reserved.

THE W.O.E. REPORT

New Year’s Resolution(s), Anyone?

L

ose weight and get fit. Quit smoking.

Get out of debt and save money. Eat healthier and diet. Be less stressed. These are five of the “Top Ten Commonly Broken New Year’s Resolutions,” according to Time.

Complied your list of New Year’s Resolutions yet? Before you do, you should know some interesting facts.

Fifty percent of all Americans make at least one New Year’s Resolution. But according to researcher Richard Wiseman, “88 percent of all those set resolutions from half of America and probably lots of other people in the world fail.”

The big question is: just why is that?

According to author Ray B. Williams, “Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada, says that resolutions are a form of ‘cultural procrastination’, an effort to reinvent oneself. People make resolutions as a way of motivating themselves, he says.”

Williams adds, “Another reason, says Dr. Avya Sharma of the Canadian Obesity Network, is that people set unrealistic goals

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

and expectations in their resolutions.”

This striking failure rate can also be anatomical. According to author Leo Widrich, willpower is required if we are to adhere to our resolutions. “Your brain cells that operate willpower are located in the prefrontal cortex, which is the area right behind your forehead. That particular area of the brain is also responsible for staying focused, handling short-term memory and solving abstract tasks for example.”

Hence, when you make a New Year’s Resolution, an enormous degree of willpower is needed. “It’s an amount that your brain simply can’t handle,” Widrich explains. He adds that the prefrontal cortex that handles will power is “like a muscle that needs to be trained.”

So then, just how you stick to your resolution(s)? Widrich reveals how.

PICK ONLY ONE RESOLUTION. “As Stanford’s (University) Prof. (Baba) Shiv explained with his ‘cognitive overload’ experiment, sticking to more than one New

Year’s Resolution is near impossible for your brain to handle. Instead…pick the one thing that’s most important for you. Then, let go of everything else.”

TAKE BABY STEPS—MAKE IT A TINY HABIT. “Now that you’ve picked one resolution, make sure to break it down as far as you can, to the simplest task possible.”

HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE: TELL OTHERS OR WRITE IT DOWN. “The people around you can have a significant impact on your behavior. So if you tell some of your friends and family about the new tiny habit you’ve created, you are much more likely to stick to it.” Widrich adds, “Another hint here is that writing it down not only makes you more likely to succeed with your new habit and on top of that, increases your overall happiness.”

FOCUS ON THE CARROT NOT THE STICK—POSITIVE FEEDBACK

by

WYATT O’BRIAN EVANS

AND REWARDS INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF SUCCESS. “A powerful study from the University of Chicago outlines how clearly positive feedback on any of your new habits will increase the likelihood of your success with your new habits and resolutions.” Adds Widrich, “Treating yourself to an unhealthy snack after a few days of successful diet habit changes is more than appropriate if you really want to make it through the other end.”

Now that you’re armed and ready, make that resolution—or resolutions! And stick to it!

Wyatt O’Brian Evans is a journalist, radio personality (“The Wyatt O’Brian Evans Show,” PapiChuloRADIO.com), instructor, motivational speaker, and author of the new novel, Nothing Can Tear Us Apart— RAGE! (Gay/ethnic). You may visit Wyatt at his on line home, WyattEvans.com.

Follow him at The Wyatt O’Brian Evans Official Fan Club on Facebook, and on Twitter at @MisterWOE.

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TRANSMISSIONS

A Call to Arms

by COURTNEY BEDELL ECKLER

I

t’s the new year, a time for resolutions and improvements in our lives. It occurred to me that I have been writing this column since November of 2013 and I’ve enjoyed sharing my experiences crossing the gender divide. But, my original intent for this column was to create a forum for the trans-community to open up a dialog between those interested in trans-issues and this magazine. I had hoped folks would ask questions, seek advice, or simply share their experiences as a way to foster more understanding of the trans-experience. Most everyone in the straight world has crossed paths with someone transgender, but there is still room for greater understanding inside and outside of the LGBT community.

It’s clear that it’s better now than it’s ever been for trans-folk to come out and go through transition, at least in America, and this is largely attributed to a greater presence in media and in the local community. We needed to be more transparent. When Harvey Milk called for everyone to come out at work, to family, and to friends, he knew this was an integral part of the equation that would create the incredible advances we have all achieved.

Communication and discussion has always been a key element to make it happen.

Even under the most ideal conditions and support of friends, work and family, being transgender and going through transition, is still a great challenge. There are issues in coming out at work. Kids are often still being bullied at school. Coming out to family and friends is daunting if not devastating long before it becomes liberating and rewarding. Navigating the world of dating is another major hurdle. For many it’s difficult finding a way to pay for the expenses related to transition since health insurance pays for very little and rarely for SRS. There’s the therapy required by Standards of Care, hormones, clothes, possible electrolysis, SRS, etc.

The internet is filled with information and there are dozens of sites and blogs dedicated to transgender issues these days. This is a fabulous resource that was not available to me when I was young, confused, and longing for someone to understand what I was feeling and going through. But, it would also be nice if we could hear from and/or create a local dialogue from within the Baltimore area community.

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I am going to continue to share my experiences in this column and I hope they are in some way useful and/or entertaining, but I am only one voice—it would be helpful if others spoke up and contributed to the discussion. Please write in and share your experiences, issues, questions/answers, advice, anger, joy, frustrations, etc. While it was a serious matter changing my sex there was also much humor along the way that helped to lighten the load, so please share that as well.

I would love to hear from you, but either way, I will still be writing this column.

May we all have a wonderful year in 2015; filled with Joy, Love, and Gender Peace!

Courtney Bedell Eckler is the author of a Gay Life advice/insight column that covers all aspects of transgender life ranging from the practical aspects of transitioning, to employment, family, and social concerns. She hopes that, through the column, her insight, knowledge, and experience as a transgender woman will help others in their quest for wholeness.

Have a question? Trying to solve a problem? Want some feedback? Let Courtney know about it by emailing advice@ baltimoregaylife.com.

SPIRITUAL IN-TO-ME-I-SEE (SPIRITUAL INTIMACY)

Ready... Set...

JUMP!

by COACH MAQ ELÈ

I

t is 2015 and another year has gone by! What does your life look like? Do you like it? Does your life look like it did a year ago?

Does it look the same it did three, five, or 10 years ago? Do you feel stuck? Are you doing the same things, wearing the same hair style, hanging around the same people?

Is this working for you?

Metaphorically imagine that you’re currently standing on the edge of a cliff. This cliff represents your current life experience—the good, the bad and the ugly. There is a neighboring cliff approximately 20 feet away, and it represents those things you’ve wanted to do for yourself, but keep putting off. You can see the cliff, but cannot access it easily; you can only access it by jumping. Unfortunately many of us will not take the jump because of our self-imposed fears; we allow this fear to keep us immobilized and stagnate.

I invite you to declare this year to be your year! This is the year of infinite possibilities for you.

This is your year to jump into the

life you want and manifest all of those things you’ve been putting off. What I know is that when you jump, one or two things will happen: your Creator will extend a hand to catch you, or you will be given the wings to fly. The key to this is that you will not know where your support will come from or how it will show up until you jump.

So what is it? Is it a new job? A hair cut? Forgiving your mother?

Writing a book or taking a much needed vacation? Whatever it is—JUMP! BE-LOVED! ~Coach Maq

Coach Maq Elè is a certified Spiritual Life and the facilitator for the GLCCB group SILhouette (Spiritually In-Tuned Lesbians). For more information about Coach Maq and SILhouette please visit Maqele.com.

To contact Coach Maq with your coaching questions email CoachMaq@baltimoregaylife.com.

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

15

What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids.

Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain.

• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

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• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort.

• For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages.

• Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®).

What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD? Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD. • Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

• Changes in your immune system.

Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

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What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

• All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider.

• If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc).

• If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in STRIBILD can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

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STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

I started my personal revolution Talk to your healthcare provider about starting treatment.

STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day.

Ask if it’s right for you.

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Patient Information STRIBILD® (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

What is STRIBILD? • STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

• STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

• Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • feel very weak or tired • have unusual (not normal) muscle pain • have trouble breathing • have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting • feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded • have a fast or irregular heartbeat 2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time.

3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

• Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone

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• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider • If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®, Truvada®) STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.

What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD? STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

• Bone problems can happen in some people who take STRIBILD. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine.

These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

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The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

• These are not all the possible side effects of STRIBILD. For more information, ask your healthcare provider.

• Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. - There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take STRIBILD. - You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

- Two of the medicines in STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk.

- Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works.

• Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD - Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®) - atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®) - bepridil hydrochloride (Vascor®, Bepadin®) - bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®)

- digoxin (Lanoxin®) - disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus®, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away.

- tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider.

Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about STRIBILD. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about STRIBILD that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.STRIBILD.com.

Issued: October 2013

COMPLERA, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, the STRIBILD Logo, TRUVADA, and VIREAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. STBC0112 10/14

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OUR LIFE ALL TEA, NO SHADE: DISHIN’ WITH THE DUCHESS

New Year, New You by

OUT-SKIRTS

Pssst, You Wanna Buy a Jointer?

by DANIELLE ARIANO

I

have a garage full of tools. I have so many tools that it’s difficult to keep the garage neat enough to get to the wheelbarrow without tripping over the sawhorses or air compressor, which drives my wife, Lindsay, crazy.

Now, before you assume that I’m just another stereotypical lesbian, I feel inclined to tell you that I’m a cabinetmaker. Tools are my livelihood. When I buy a new jigsaw it’s practically the same thing as a clothes designer buying fabric, an artist buying paint, the Grim Reaper buying a scythe.

The problem is that I also buy tools that I don’t need, which is sort of like the Grim Reaper buying an ax. And a gun. And a machete.

Two years ago when I took Lindsay to Gettysburg for her birthday we strolled the streets, stopping in all of the quaint shops, where I saw plenty of things that I would’ve liked, but nothing that I felt compelled to buy.

When we reached the antique mall, however, I laid my eyes on a spoke plane. It sat on a glass shelf next to a menagerie of shiny lighters and civil war belt buckles. A thin white thread was attached to it. At the end, there was a tiny square of paper with a handwritten price: $7.00.

I felt weak in the knees.

Spoke planes are used to round out the corners of a square piece of wood. In all my years as a cabinetmaker, I’d had the need for a spoke plane exactly once, sort of, but that didn’t matter.

Lindsay, who had been strolling around found me there, ogling the hand tool.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A spoke plane,” I said reverently. “Re-

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GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

member when I made your belt rack? I could’ve really used that to make the dowels.”

“Well, if it’s something you need…” she said, looking a bit unsure.

Before she could finish, I darted up to the register and told the man behind the counter that I was interested in the spoke plane in booth number two.

When I went back to work on Monday, I tossed the plane in my tool tote, where it hasn’t seen the light of day in two years. I’ve never even sharpened the blade.

Not long after that purchase, the handsome, blue-eyed UPS guy who delivers packages to my work came in and dropped a few boxes on the floor.

“Hey,” he said to my co-worker, “Does your shop have any use for a portable jointer? I’ve got a Craftsman that I’m looking to sell.”

I heard him from across the shop and froze.

For the fleeting-est of fleeting moments, Lindsay’s disapproving face floated through my mind, followed by an image of our overstocked garage. I could see her tripping over my tools, could hear her angry voice cursing as she retrieved the weed whacker, but just as quickly, I decided that with a little rearranging, I could fit my new jointer in the back corner and that Lindsay would hardly notice it. Before I knew it, I’d made a deal to buy the thing for a $75, a bargain by any standard.

In the past year I haven’t gotten around to breaking the news to Lindsay about this purchase nor have I gotten around to cleaning the garage out to make room for the new addition. It sits in the shop storage room collecting dust. Every time the UPS guy comes in, he points to it and laughs. “Hey Ariano, you really needed that jointer, huh?”

CARLTON SMITH and AARON DAVIS

Greetings Family!

Are you ready for 2015? How was your New Year’s celebration? Did you pop the champagne and let the bubbly go straight to your head and scarf down appetizers while counting down to midnight, singing old "Auld Lang Syne?"

I’m sure the evening went by fast.

Maybe you passed out on someone’s couch, or maybe that date you came to the party with wasn’t the one you woke up to on Jan. 1 #Scandalous #HolyPanicAttack #CallingforDrBombay!

When we have those moments of regret and losing control, who can we call or talk to? Are there any resources that you can call for help!

Well, let me introduce you to a colleague of mine and who can assist you with some resources to help assist you—Aaron Davis:

I

t’s hard to believe that 2014 has come to an end! One of the phrases I hear a lot from people around this time of year is “New Year, New You”; however, I think a lot of people neglect the importance of starting the New Year off with good sexual health. The holiday season is a time of partying and merriment, and people who are extra festive often get involved in situations that have you waking up, as Carlton stated, with more than just the “holiday spirit”. Here are some ways of starting the New You in the New Year off right: HIV TESTING There is no shame in enjoying the pleasures that come with this time of year, but it is important that you take responsibility for yourself as well as others with a new HIV test if you have not done so recently or ever. The Baltimore City Health Department (410-396-4398) and the Maryland Prevention and Health Promotion Administration (410-767-5227) can assist you with finding agencies that offer free HIV rapid testing. You can also purchase the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test (the same used in many health clinics) from local chain stores like CVS, Walgreens and Walmart for $39.99

Aaron Davis and Carlton Smith

and perform the test in the privacy of your own home. A final tip for receiving an HIV test could be to include it into your annual physical from your primary care doctor.

PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS Pre-Exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new method available to individuals who are HIV-negative where one pill used to treat HIV is taken once daily thereby reducing your risk of HIV being transmitted to you. The CDC recommends PrEP for individuals who may put themselves at risk for infection through sexual contact, including those in a relationship with a partner living with HIV, and individuals who inject drugs. Contact Chase Brexton (410-837-2050) and Star Track Baltimore (410-706-6000) to see if PrEP is right for you.

OTHER SAFETY CHECKS It is also important that you get screened for other sexually transmitted infections that put you at a greater risk of being infected with HIV or transmitting it to others.

This includes getting screened for syphilis, an STI very prevalent in Maryland, particularly in the Baltimore area. Also, consider getting screened for Hepatitis B and C as well as getting an annual Pap smear to test for the presence of HPV that can lead to anal cancer if gone untreated.

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GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

21

BETTER LIFE

Crafting Financial New Year's Resolutions by

AMANDA WOODDELL WILHELM

W

e all have the best intentions when it comes to committing to our New Year’s resolutions. However, many of our resolutions are simply abandoned or forgotten several weeks into the year. After all, we are all human … aren’t we?

By developing the discipline to stick with your financial New Year’s resolutions, the outcome could be more significant than losing a few pounds. It could result in financial freedom.

The following are a few suggested financial resolutions that are easy to implement, maintain and could set you on the right path in 2015.

RESOLUTION #1: Make a Budget Now is the ideal time to create a budget to get a handle on your income and outflows.

This includes essential expenses (i.e., mortgage/rent payment, utilities, food) versus discretionary spending (i.e., entertainment, vacation).

RESOLUTION #2: Check Your Insurance Coverage Insurance is an important element of any sound financial plan. As insurance helps protect you and your loved ones in different ways, now is the right time to assess your current plans, and make any necessary adjustments.

RESOLUTION #3: Update Estate Planning Documents Revisit the documents that you have in place (will, medical directive, power of attorney,

trusts) to make certain that they are up to date and address your current situation. Any life changing event such as marriage, death, divorce, birth of a child, could call for a change. If you have no documents in place, now is the time to address this.

RESOLUTION #4: Build Up An Emergency Fund You should begin developing a plan to have three to six months’ worth of ordinary living expenses saved in the bank. These funds should only be touched in an emergency.

RESOLUTION #5: Pay Down Credit Card Debt Credit card debt is toxic and can weigh down your chances of achieving true financial freedom. Develop an active plan for paying down this debt as quickly as possible.

RESOLUTION #6: Consider Credit or Fraud Protection Research credit and fraud protection programs available through your bank and credit card companies. This extra step could minimize any headaches that can occur if you become a victim of identity theft.

RESOLUTION #7: Plan For Retirement Studies show the typical American family only has a few thousand dollars saved for retirement. It is never too late to start saving. Review your current plan deferrals and maximize your retirement contributions whenever possible.

RESOLUTION #8: Save For College It is never too early to begin planning for saving for your child’s college education.

There are multiple options for developing a savings strategy. However, 529 Plans may be the most viable option as they offer tax benefits as well.

RESOLUTION #9: Review Your Portfolio With a Financial Advisor Now is a good time to reassess your investment strategies with your advisor. This will help you remain on track with your retirement goals. If you have not started planning, now is the time!

RESOLUTION #10: Hire a Financial Advisor If you don’t have a financial advisor, now is the time to find one. The right financial

advisor can help you correctly assess all of the items noted above so that you build out a plan to reach financial freedom.

At the beginning of every New Year, we all want to change our bad habits. While we have the best of intentions when it comes to sticking with our resolutions, we often abandon them.

Fortunately, the right financial planning habits are easy to develop and maintain well into the New Year and beyond. Happy 2015!

Amanda Wooddell Wilhelm is a Manager at SC&H Financial Advisors, the Personal Financial Planning practice at SC&H Group, which is an audit, tax, and consulting firm based in Sparks, Md. To learn more about SC&H Group, visit www.scandh.com. Note: Securities offered through Triad Advisors, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through SC&H Financial Advisors, Inc. SC&H Financial Advisors, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. are unaffiliated entities.

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BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

How to reinvent yourself and your career at any age by

BELO CIPRIANI

T

here seems to be a notion that the art of reinventing yourself is best suited for young professionals. But whether you are 30, 40 or 50, knowing how to gain new skills, polish old ones and present them as a new package is one of the best things you can learn to do for your career.

While some say that most people do a career change every seven years or so, there’s really no timetable or formula.

Sometimes, the need to reinvent yourself comes after a life changing event, like having children or getting married, but in other cases, it doesn’t. For me, it came when I was 26 and lost my sight.

As a newly blind man, I had two options: Live on the tiny social security check, or take classes to gain new skills to get a job.

Because I wanted to stay in the pricey Bay Area, I quickly signed up for adaptive technology classes. And ever since, I routinely attend seminars and workshops—this has been my primary method of gaining new skills while renewing old ones. However, you don’t have to sign up for a conference or go get a degree. For some people, industry websites and books do the job.

Another way to gain new skills and sharpen existing ones is through volunteer work. And it was through volunteer work that I stumbled into writing. I began to write the newsletter for the San Francisco Pride organization and they eventually began to pay me for articles that ended up in their yearly glossy magazine.

It was also through volunteering that I discovered my passion for teaching.

Through Guide Dogs for the Blind, I began to do presentations and teach other blind people how to travel with a guide dog. The rush I felt as I spoke to the small groups of men and women was so intoxicating that I began to do it more often.

Although taking classes and volunteering helped me become more competitive in the job market, it wasn’t until I learned to sell the new me that things really began to happen. As a recruiter, I knew that everyone’s biggest strength is also their biggest weakness. Yet, it wasn’t until I recognized that someone’s weakness is also their strength

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that I began to land jobs.

At the start of my blind career, I would avoid any talk about my disability—and so would the person interviewing me. One day though, I decided to show the panel interviewers my talking devices and shared that I was a “total”—meaning I had no movement or light perception. I also shared that only 1 percent of the country’s population is blind, and that living in a world not made for me made me very flexible and adaptable. After that day, I began to get job offers.

So, if you are someone with 20 years of experience applying for an entry level job, let the hiring manager know that the 10 years of management experience only makes you a more understanding employee. And if you have been out of work for a while, tell them that the break has only made you more enthusiastic about working again.

Seven years after losing my sight, I am now a staffing professional, a freelance writer and a teacher. I have a resume for each job, but don’t hide the fact that I am spread across three different fields. In the end, resumes are just a glimpse into a person’s history—the real resume lives on Google.

Occasionally, I run into people who tell me I was forced to embrace my change, but that’s far from the truth. After all, I know plenty of blind people whose families cook for them, read their mail, and drive them everywhere. For me, I knew that my happiness came from doing things on my own —it’s been my thing since I was a kid. Most recently though, I have learned that pointing people to resources, no matter what I am doing, makes me happy.

Keeping ourselves engaged and happy is an ongoing task and it’s through immersing ourselves in new places and projects that keeps things exciting.

REACH THE LOCAL LGBT MARKET. Advertise in Gay Life.

GAYLIFE Read it. Live it.

Love it.

Email Sales@ BaltimoreGayLife.com to place your ad today!

Belo Cipriani is a staffing professional, an award-winning author, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the career expert for the Ed Baxter Show on Talk Radio San Francisco 910AM. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

23

SOCIAL LIFE

Datebook

by

RECURRING & ONGOING EVENTS

Sundays Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar Every Sunday 7am-Noon Jones Falls Expressway Holliday & Saratoga Sts. PromotionAndArts.com Dog Hikes with the Doctor First Sunday of the month 11am-Noon • $2 Baltimore Humane Society 1601 Nicodemus Rd. • Reisterstown BMoreHumane.org Metropolitan Community Church Services Every Sunday 9am and 11am MCC Baltimore • 401 W. Monument St MCCBaltimore.org League of Women Bowlers Every Sunday 4:30pm AMF Marlow Heights Lanes 4717 St. Barnabas Rd. • Temple Hill LeagueOfWomenBowlers2@verizon.net Rise Up, Honoring Women’s Spirituality Fourth Sundays 12:45-2:15pm First Unitarian Church of Baltimore 1 W. Hamilton St. FirstUnitarian.net Westminster PFLAG Monthly Mtg. Third Sundays 7pm St. Paul’s United Church of Christ 17 Bond St. • Westminster PFLAGWCC.org Heterosexual Friendly Gay Brunch First Sunday Frederick’s on Fleet • 2112 Fleet St. FredericksOnFleet.com ASGRA Monthly Trail Ride First Sundays 10:30am • $25-30 Piscataway Stables 10775 Piscataway Road • Clinton ASGRA.org Charm City Volleyball: Competitive Play Every Sunday 10am-1pm • $7 Volleyball House 5635 Furnace Ave. • Elkridge VolleyBaltimore.org Service of Worship First Sundays 10:30am First & Franklin • 210 West Madison St. FirstFranklin.org Service of Worship Every Sunday 10am Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church • 1316 Park Ave. BrownDowntown.org

24

GAY LIFE / JANUARY 2015

RACHEL ROTH

Mondays Interfaith Fairness Coalition Mtg. Fourth Mondays 7:30pm Contact info@ifcmd.org to confirm meeting location IFCMD.info PFLAG Howard County Parent Forum Third Mondays 7:30pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia PFLAGMD.org Senior Pride: Discussion Group for Women 55+ Monday evenings Chase Brexton Health Services Call 410-837-2050, ext. 2428 for details www.bit.ly/SeniorPride

Tuesdays Howard County PFLAG Monthly Mtg. Second Tuesdays 7:30pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia PFLAGMD.org Karate-Dō (LGBT-friendly classes) Every Tuesday 5:30-7:30pm Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus Bob Remington — MDShoto@aol.com Csskshotokan.com Meditation Group Every Tuesday 6:15-7:45pm First Unitarian Church of Baltimore 1 W. Hamilton St. FirstUnitarian.net PFLAG Baltimore Co. General Mtg. Fourth Tuesdays 7pm Towson Unitarian Universalist Church 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd. PFLAGBaltimore.org Parents of Transgender Kids Fourth Tuesdays 7:30-9pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia cvhyde@gmail.com PFLAGBaltimore.org Rainbow Youth Alliance of Baltimore County 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7-9pm Towson Unitarian Universalist Church 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd. RYABaltimoreCounty@gmail.com Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7:30pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia 410.280.9047 rya_leaders@hotmail.com

Rainbow Youth Alliance of Baltimore City 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesdays 7-9pm The GLCCB • 1000 Cathedral St. RYABaltimore@gmail.com Facebook.com/groups/RYABaltimore Teen Program at JCC Second Tuesdays 6pm Owings Mills JCC 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. JoinTeens.org Trans Parents Forum, Baltimore Co. Third Tuesdays 7-9:30pm Towson Unitarian Universalist Church 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd. PFLAGBaltimore.org

Wednesdays Charm City Volleyball: Social Play Every Wednesday 6:30-9:30pm • $3-30 Mt Royal Recreational Center 137 McMechen St. Living Well with HIV Support Group Every Wednesday 10:30am Institute of Human Virology 725 W. Lombard St. Jacques.umaryland.edu/support.html

Fridays HIV Support: Just Between US Every Friday 11am-Noon Institute of Human Virology 725 W. Lombard St. IHV.org

Saturdays Baltimore Frontrunners Every Saturday 8:45am • Brunch 10am Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org HOPE DC Monthly Brunch First Saturdays 11am Rosemary’s Thyme Bistro DC 1801 18th St. NW • Washington, D.C. HopeDCSocials-owner@yahoogroups.com In the Company of Women First Saturdays 10am-Noon First Unitarian Church of Baltimore 1 W Hamilton St. FirstUnitarian.net

Spiritual Development with Rev. Sam Offer Every Wednesday 7pm Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore 4007 Old York Rd. UFCB.org

Thursday, January 1

GEM: Gender Empowerment MD Every other Wednesday 7pm Equality Maryland • 1201 S. Sharp St. Owen@EqualityMaryland.org

Lights w/Rush Midnight • $20 • 7pm Rams Head Live! • 20 Market Place RamsHeadLive.com

Senior Pride: Discussion Group for Men 55+ Wednesday evenings.

Chase Brexton Health Services Call 410-837-2050, ext. 2428 for details www.bit.ly/SeniorPride

Deathtrap See the popular comedy-thriller.

7:30pm • Thru Jan. 11 Everyman Theatre • 315 W. Fayette St. EverymanTheatre.org

Support Group for Transgender Adults Third Wednesday 7:30pm Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way • Columbia hoctytransgroup@gmail.com

Thursdays HIV Support: Substance Abuse & HIV Every Thursdays 2-3pm Institute of Human Virology 725 W. Lombard St. IHV.org Karate-Dō (LGBT-friendly classes) Every Thursday 5:30-7:30pm Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus Bob Remington — MDShoto@aol.com Csskshotokan.com

DATEBOOK

New Year’s Day

34th Street Holiday Lights Out The “brightest two blocks in the U.S.” turns off the lights • Dusk-11pm • FREE West 34th Street ChristmasStreet.com

Friday, January 2 Brooklyn Heights Presents Britney Vs. Beyonce Settle the debate once and for all. $7 • 10pm Club Hippo • 1 W. Eager St. ClubHippo.com Disney’s The Little Mermaid Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and Disney Film. $32.50-65 • 7pm • Thru Jan. 11 Olney Theatre Center 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney OlneyTheatre.org

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony BSO performs Beethoven’s final symphony. $29 • 8pm • Thru Jan. 4 Meyerhoff • 1212 Cathedral St. BSOMusic.org Wine Tasting FREE • Fridays 5-8pm.

Spirits of Mt Vernon Wine Shop 900 N. Charles St. SpiritsOfMtVernon.com Levi & Leather Leather or Bear attire gets you a discount.

Fridays 8pm.

Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com First Fridays First Friday of every month 6pm • FREE Eastern & East Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Saturday, January 3

Thursday, January 8

Monday, January 19

Fortune’s Child A new play by award-winning playwright Mark Scharf • $10-20 • 8pm • Thru Jan. 18 Theater Project • 45 W. Preston St. TheaterProject.org

Giant Monster Monday Movies & drink specials • 8pm-Midnight The Wind Up Space • 12 W North Ave. TheWindUpSpace.com

Friday, January 9 REVIVAL A monthly hoedown • $6 • 21+ • 7pm Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

Saturday, January 10 Mo’Nique and Friends Live!

The Baltimore native comes home for one night only • $42.50-62.50 • 8pm Hippodrome Theatre • 12 N. Eutaw St. France-MerrickPAC.com

Zodiac Saturdays No cover… if it’s your sign.

Every Saturday 9pm.

Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

SHE Productions Presents REHAB 2nd Saturday of Every Month 9pm. $5 • 21+ Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

elektroschock First Saturday of every month 9pm. $6 cover • 21+ Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

Sunday, January 11

Monday, January 5 Men’s Naked Yoga Every Monday 6:30-7:30pm. $18 Vitruvian Gallery, LLC 734 7th St., SE, 2nd fl. • Wash. D.C. VitruvianGallery.com Karaoke Sing your heart out every Monday and Tuesday night.

Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

Tuesday, January 6 Showtune Video Madness Sing out Louise! FREE. Tuesdays. 7:45pm Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Pay What You Want Day at the Aquarium Maryland residents donate an amount of their choice for admittance • 10am-5pm National Aquarium • 501 E. Pratt St. Aqua.org

Thursday, January 15 Miss Hippo 2015: Into the Jungle Baltimore crowns a new queen. $8-40 • 10pm Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Friday, January 16 Baltimore’s New Face 2015 Who will be the first? • 10pm Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Saturday, January 17

Showdown Trivia Competition Hosted by John Woods. 9:30pm Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club Elvis-themed burlesque full of flim-flam fisticuffs • $17-23 • 8pm The Patterson • 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Wednesday, January 7

Hot Sauce Feat. Rich Morel • $10 • 9pm • Monthly Grand Central • 1001 N. Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

Neighbors Night at Marquee Lounge Every Wednesday 5pm.

The Patterson • 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

HAVING AN EVENT?

Tuesday, January 20 Annie Opens Leapin’ Lizards, America’s favorite orphan is back! $25-95 • 8pm • Thru Feb. 1 Hippodrome Theatre • 12 N. Eutaw St. France-MerrickPAC.com Night OUT feat. One Night in Miami Night at the theater and cocktail hour. $19-39 • 7pm CENTERSTAGE • 700 N. Calvert St. CenterStage.org

Wednesday, January 21 One Night in Miami Opens A fictional account of the night Cassius Clay won the title • $19-59 8pm • Thru Feb. 8 CENTERSTAGE • 700 N. Calvert St. CenterStage.org POZ DC Happy Hour Mixer For HIV+ men • 7pm Green Lantern • 1335 Green Ct NW • D.C. HopeDC.org

Friday, January 23 An Evening of Political-ish Comedy The Daily Show writers' stand-up tour. $20-25 • 9pm Rams Head Live! • 20 Market Place RamsHeadLive.com Vance Christopher Presents EDM A total evening of EDM • 10pm Club Hippo • 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com Burl-eoke!

Burlesque & Karaoke collide • $10 • 8pm The Brass Monkey Saloon 1601 Eastern Ave.

Thursday, January 29 Australian Wine Night at National Aquarium Drink up in the land down under! $20 • 6:30-9pm National Aquarium • 501 E. Pratt St. Aqua.org

Mo'Nique and Friends Live!

Mo’Nique was born on Dec. 11, 1967 in Baltimore. She started in stand-up comedy on a dare and was soon appearing on It’s Showtime at the Apollo and Def Comedy Jam. She made appearances on Moesha and The Bernie Mac Show before landing a starring role on The Parkers. In 2009, Mo’Nique won an Academy Award for her performance in Precious. Now she will be live, back in Baltimore, after many years.

Mo'Nique and Friends Live!

Jan. 10 • 8pm $42.50–62.50 Hippodrome Theatre 12 N. Eutaw St. France-MerrickPAC.com

Friday, January 30 Baltimore Bike Party The biggest party on two wheels!

FREE • 7pm St. Mary’s • Seton Hill BaltimoreBikeParty.com

Email Editor@BaltimoreGayLife.com

BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

GAY LIFE /JANUARY 2015

25

COMPLERA is a prescription medicine for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood. COMPLERA can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. COMPLERA combines 3 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. COMPLERA should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

Just the

one

for me

COMPLERA is a complete HIV-1 treatment in only 1 pill a day.

Ask your healthcare provider if COMPLERA may be the one for you.

Pill shown is not actual size.

Ad Page 1

PALIO Date: 12.17.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_F_Gay_Life_Frank_fi.indd

Gay Life

COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS.

To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids.

Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under 18 years old.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA can cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain.

• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking COMPLERA, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take COMPLERA?

Do not take COMPLERA if you: • Take a medicine that contains: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek), rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin), rifapentine (Priftin), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate, or the herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

• Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, unless recommended by your healthcare provider.

What are the other possible side effects of COMPLERA?

Serious side effects of COMPLERA may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your kidneys before starting treatment with COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems, or take other medicines that may cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may also check your kidneys during treatment with COMPLERA. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless, feeling anxious or restless, have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself.

Ad Page 2

Changes in liver enzymes: People who have had hepatitis B or C, or who have had changes in their liver function tests in the past may have an increased risk for liver problems while taking COMPLERA. Some people without prior liver disease may also be at risk. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. • Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

• Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking COMPLERA. •

The most common side effects of COMPLERA include trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, and depression. Other common side effects include vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), and pain. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

• All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works.

Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider.

• If you take rifabutin (Mycobutin). Talk to your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take.

• If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. • If you take stomach acid blockers. Take acid blockers at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if your acid blocker is okay to take, as some acid blockers should never be taken with COMPLERA. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking COMPLERA. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in COMPLERA can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.

•

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

PALIO Date: 12.17.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_F_Gay_Life_Frank_fi.indd

Gay Life

Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information COMPLERA® (kom-PLEH-rah) (emtricitabine 200 mg, rilpivirine 25 mg, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

What is COMPLERA? • COMPLERA is a prescription medicine used as a complete HIV-1 treatment in one pill a day. COMPLERA is for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood (this is called ‘viral load’). Complera can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements.

• COMPLERA is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. When used properly, COMPLERA may reduce the amount of HIV-1 virus in your blood and increase the amount of CD4 T-cells, which may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak.

• COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

• Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take COMPLERA or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines.

Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: – feel very weak or tired – have unusual (not normal) muscle pain – have trouble breathing – having stomach pain with nausea or vomiting – feel cold, especially in your arms and legs – feel dizzy or lightheaded – have a fast or irregular heartbeat • Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take COMPLERA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis).

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: – your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) – dark “tea-colored” urine – light-colored bowel movements (stools) – loss of appetite for several days or longer – nausea – stomach pain • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you

BS Page 1

are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take COMPLERA, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking COMPLERA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you must discuss your HBV with your healthcare provider.

– Do not run out of COMPLERA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your COMPLERA is all gone.

– Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider.

– If you stop taking COMPLERA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking COMPLERA. Who should not take COMPLERA? Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any of the following medicines: • Medicines used for seizures: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal); phenobarbital (Luminal); phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) • Medicines used for tuberculosis: rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin); rifapentine (Priftin) • Certain medicines used to block stomach acid called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): dexlansoprazole (Dexilant); esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo); lansoprazole (Prevacid); omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid); pantoprazole sodium (Protonix); rabeprazole (Aciphex) • Certain steroid medicines: More than 1 dose of dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate • Certain herbal supplements: St. John’s wort • Certain hepatitis medicines: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (ATRIPLA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (ATRIPLA, Combivir, EMTRIVA, Epivir, Epzicom, STRIBILD, Trizivir, TRUVADA) • rilpivirine (Edurant), unless you are taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) COMPLERA is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.

What are the possible side effects of COMPLERA? COMPLERA may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or need to take another medicine that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: – feeling sad or hopeless – feeling anxious or restless – have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself • Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of

PALIO Date: 12.17.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_F_Gay_Life_Frank_fi.indd

Gay Life

developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with COMPLERA. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with COMPLERA in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures).

Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long term health effect of these conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: • Trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, depression Additional common side effects include: • Vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), pain Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

• These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider.

• Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

• Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: – Rifabutin (Mycobutin), a medicine to treat some bacterial infections. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take.

– Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. – Certain medicines to block the acid in your stomach, including cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine hydrochloride (Zantac). Take the acid blocker at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Some acid blocking medicines should never be taken with COMPLERA (see “Who should not take COMPLERA?” for a list of these medicines).

– Medicines that can affect how your kidneys work, including acyclovir (Zovirax), cidofovir (Vistide), ganciclovir (Cytovene IV, Vitrasert), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and valganciclovir (Valcyte).

– clarithromycin (Biaxin) – erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone) – fluconazole (Diflucan) – itraconazole (Sporanox) – ketoconazole (Nizoral) – methadone (Dolophine) – posaconazole (Noxafil) – telithromycin (Ketek) – voriconazole (Vfend) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection.

• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child.

– There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take COMPLERA. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

– Two of the medicines in COMPLERA can pass to your baby in your breast milk.

It is not known if this could harm your baby.

– Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works.

• If you take certain medicines with COMPLERA, the amount of COMPLERA in your body may be too low and it may not work to help control your HIV-1 infection. The HIV-1 virus in your body may become resistant to COMPLERA or other HIV-1 medicines that are like it.

How should I take COMPLERA? • Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA. • Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.

• Always take COMPLERA with food. Taking COMPLERA with food is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink is not a substitute for food. If your healthcare provider decides to stop COMPLERA and you are switched to new medicines to treat HIV-1 that includes rilpivirine tablets, the rilpivirine tablets should be taken only with a meal.

Keep COMPLERA and all medicines out of reach of children.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about COMPLERA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COMPLERA that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.COMPLERA.com.

BS Page 2

Issued: September 2014

COMPLERA, the COMPLERA Logo, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD, and VISTIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. ©2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. CPAC0133 10/14

PALIO Date: 12.17.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_F_Gay_Life_Frank_fi.indd

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