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Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 3

2/16/11 7:23 PM

ter

CONTENTS

letter editor’s

February 18 - MARCH 3, 2011 Volume 33, number 3

I

first heard the music of Les Miserables as a child.

My parents bought the soundtrack in anticipation of seeing the show at the (now extinct) Mechanic Theatre in 1989. Though we weren’t invited along, my best friend and I memorized every word on those tapes.

For weeks we listened from the backseat on the way to school, and we often broke into song on the playground.

Our hearts broke at the failed life and early death of Fantine, Eponine’s unrequited love for Marius, and Javert’s misguided struggle and suicide. We sang along with the prostitutes in “Lovely Ladies” and with the protesters in “Do You Hear the People Sing.”

Through this music I was introduced to new and fascinating issues I had never previously contemplated. And I understood that while this was a fictionalized story, phenomena like war, poverty, revolution, and suicide, are all very real.

I listen to the music now in anticipation of my own trip to see Les Miserables at the Hippodrome in March, and I recall the adult concepts I so successfully internalized as a child. I am also reminded of a day in my more recent past.

On November 2, 2010, Election Day, I spent a few hours asking voters if they supported discrimination protection for transgender Marylanders and marriage for same-sex couples. I then asked them to sign petitions that Equality Maryland would send to Maryland legislators.

While many responded positively, one man was clearly offended. He said he didn’t appreciate that his wife was approached earlier, when she had their kids with her. It took me a minute to understand that he found our questions inappropriate topics for the ears of his children.

While I don’t know these kids, I can’t help but consider the subject matter that I could handle, and even appreciate, at a young age. Perhaps as adults, it is too easy to underestimate children and their capacity for understanding the world around them. Or maybe some people still need to learn that love and equality are not risqué topics at all.

Maggie Beetz, Editor

241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410.837.7748 • Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: sales@baltimoregaylife.com Gay Life is a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Gay Life is published every other Friday in Baltimore, Maryland, with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Copyrighted 2008. 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.

PAGE 4 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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STAFF

Editor’s Note: In “Is 2011 the Year that Changes Maryland’s Legislative Landscape?” (Feb. 4) we reported that the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill would prohibit discrimination “in the areas of employment, housing, credit and public accommodations.” Though included in last year’s bill, the bill introduced on Jan. 28 did not include public accommodations in its language. Thank you to reader Nancy F. N. Drew for her comment.

11 Out Front

First Person

PAGE 5 TALK: A Beloved Discussion. By Kelly D. McClain

PAGE 13 OP ED: Hope for Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination in MD.

By Owen Smith

PAGE 5 FILM: AIRS 10th Anniversary Oscar Night. By Rose D’Longcroi PAGE 6 HEALTH: Peace in the Battle.

By David Allen PAGE 7 ART: How Do We See Now?

By Mark Douglas

PAGE 13 SPEAKING OUT: Saying Who We Are. By Rev. Irene Monroe

Out Going PAGE 15: DATEBOOK

PAGE 7 THEATER: Theater Notes.

After Hours

PAGE 8 DINING OUT: Sascha’s 527 Café. By John Cullen and Marty Shayt

PAGE 17 BSCENE: Bmore Proud at JHU

Headline News

PAGE 17 BSCENE: Equality MD Lobby Day

PAGE 9 NATIONAL NEWS:

By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

PAGE 18 HUNTER ON THE PROWL: Drag Shows Abound. By Mark Hunter

PAGE 10 INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

PAGE 18 LEATHER TALES: v.2.21.

By Sir Andy Liu

Feature PAGE 11: Local & National Programs Support LGBT Youth.

By Terri Solomon

ON THE COVER

NiteCamp, the all college age go-go dancer team, performs at Club Hippo on Sat. Feb. 26.

VISIT US ONLINE AT baltimoregaylife.com Maggie Beetz Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Advertising Sales sales@baltimoregaylife.com 410-837-7748

Michael Nguyen Art Director art@baltimoregaylife.com

Kelly D. McClain Intern

Marty Shayt Volunteer

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media 212-242-6863

Contributors David Allen, John Cullen, Rose D’Longcroi, Ryan Davis, Mark Douglas, Sir Andy Liu, Kelly McClain, Rev. Irene Monroe, Marty Shayt, Owen Smith, Terri Solomon, Rex Wockner Photographers Jay W Photos, John Kardys

Newspaper Committee: Trevor Ankeny, Kelly D. McClain, Greg Rex, Doug Rose, Craig Wiley

Baltimore gaylife

2/16/11 7:23 PM

outfront Talk

A Beloved Discussion

By Kelly D. McClain

Literature fans can spend the last weekend of 2011’s Black History Month with Toni Morrison’s Pultizer Prize winning novel, Beloved. A discussion of the book, led by Faye Houston, will be held in the Poe Room at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, February 26, 2011.

“Beloved is great because – unlike some of Morrison’s other novels – it’s accessible and relatively short,” said Houston, who chooses works that are available at the library, so participants are not obligated to make purchases.

Beloved (1987) is set in Ohio several years after the Civil War (1861–1865).

The lead character, Sethe is an African American woman tormented by her memories of being a slave, which cause her downward spiral. Morrison draws her readers into Sethe’s current mindset and her past recollections including her enslaved life, her

escape from Sweet Home Farm, and the death (and seeming return) of her daughter, Beloved.

[

This well-written and captivating story is just one Morrison’s many works, which also include The Bluest Eye, Sula and Song of Solomon.

Faye Houston worked for Enoch Pratt Free Library for more than 30 years and headed the Humanities Department before retiring in 1999. She’s been leading this discussion group for 15 years. n

DETAILS: Toni Morrison’s Beloved 10:15am, Sat., February 26, 2011. Enoch Pratt Central Branch, Poe Room, 400 Cathedral St. Baltimore. Contact Houston at 410-243-3143.

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FILM

AIRS Oscar Night

By Rose D’Longcroi

It’s the time of the year when Hollywood’s A-list stars pour onto the red carpet in preparation for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Baltimore residents can enjoy the evening for just $125-150 and the added benefit of contributing to a worthwhile cause. AIRS 10th Annual Oscar Night, held this year at the Charles Theater, will benefit Restoration Gardens, a housing program for homeless youth, including LGBT youth.

The Restoration Gardens is a 33,000 square-foot proposed project, which will include 43 units of permanent housing with supportive services for Baltimore homeless and unstably housed youth ages 18-24.

terfaith Residential Services”) is a faith-based non-profit that provides assistance and housing to individuals with AIDS. This year’s event is being hosted under the banner of their youth-focused program, City Steps.

This fundraiser (the only official Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences fundraiser in Maryland) includes a short film highlighting a former homeless youth, the live broadcast of the award show, dancing, food and drink, and a live auction. n

DETAILS: AIRS 10th Anniversary Oscar Night Sunday, Feb 27, 2011, 6pm. Charles Theater and Tapas Teatro Cafe 1711 N. Charles St. Baltimore.

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Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 5

2/16/11 7:23 PM

No two people are alike.

outfront HEALTH

Peace in the Battle

By David Allen

Cancer, arthritis, heart disease. These are just a few chronic issues that you (or a loved one) may one day face.

Each illness brings unique challenges and treatments, but all are long-term illnesses that may not be cured. Still, there are many methods that can help you cope.

You Can Fight This We often hear words like “fighting” and “battle” when discussing chronic illness. The body has a specific response to fighting, but this response isn’t intended for use all the time. When this response is engaged, the body can experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration, and a decrease in the efficiency of the digestive system. The muscles of the arms, legs, and heart get increased circulation so that the body can escape a threatening or stressful situation. However, when the threat is coming from within, there is no place

to escape. As a result, it’s important to learn how you can respond.

Give Yourself a Break Just as the body has a response to fighting, it also has a “relaxation” response.

Anyone can access this response, but it may be especially important for those facing a chronic illness. One step toward this relaxation response is taking full, deep breaths. To start, follow these steps: • Sit in a quiet spot, with your back supported and feet flat on the floor.

• Take in slow, full breaths through the mouth and let the abdomen expand.

• Exhale through the mouth in a relaxed way, don’t push it out.

Doing this a couple minutes a day can make a big difference to your mind and body. If you have a respiratory or cardiac issue, talk to your primary caregiver before starting a new breath practice. n

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PAGE 6 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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Baltimore gaylife

2/16/11 7:23 PM

outfront ART

THEATER

How Do We See Now?

Theater Notes

New BMA photo exhibit shows us the way

LGBT theater-goers have their work cut out for them as they pick and choose among perverse family dramas, twisted comedies, historical musicals, and operatic performances offered by performance venues around Charm City.

By MARK DOUGLAS Mickalene Thomas references Edouard Manet’s famous 1860s painting in Le déjeuner sur l’herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noires. (2010) (Photo courtesy Baltimore Museum of Art)

Since 1960, artists have used photography to influence the way people perceive the world and understand human experience. Advances in photographic technology, along with increased accessibility of film and video, have permitted artists to exploit the media in exciting, innovative, and sometimes shocking ways.

At Center Stage, the prodigal son returns for one last weekend in Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming.” The “raw family tale” closes on February 20.

Next up, CS Cabaret offers Charlotte Cohn’s “Simply Complicated: The Elegant Escapades of a Danish-Israeli Opera-Singing Tank Commander” from Feb. 24 to 27.

In Robert Mapplethorpe’s Milton Moore (1981), the photographer shares his

tographer, the subject, and the viewer, while in “Seeing Places,” detailed images of natural and man-made environments seem alternately familiar and strange.

The photographers featured in “Seeing Performance” explore and document ephemeral subjects; those in “Seeing Photography” examine the photographic medium itself.

Beginning on Sun- lover’s statue-like beauty. (Photo courday, Feb. 20, the Bal- tesy Baltimore Museum of Art) The exhibition featimore Museum of Art tures some of the (BMA) presents “Seeing Now: Pho- greatest photographers of the last 50 tography Since 1960.” This exhibition years, including Diane Arbus, William of more than 200 photographs from Eggleston, Lee Friedlander, and Cindy the museum’s collection showcases the Sherman. The exhibition also features work of more than 60 photographers, work by such gay and lesbian luminarincluding some of the most important ies as and Felix Gonzales-Torres, Robgay and lesbian photographers of the ert Mapplethorpe, Mickalene Thomas, late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Andy Warhol, and John Waters.

The images, some never before shown at the BMA, are organized around five themes. “Seeing Pictures” focuses on photography’s complex relationship with reality, including images from history and popular culture. In “Seeing People,” the camera creates an intimate connection between the pho-

The BMA is offering a series of free public events to accompany this show, including an artist talk on Saturday, Feb. 26, featuring Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Robin Rhode. The event is free, but space is limited. Tickets are available at the BMA box office, one hour prior to the 2 p.m. start time. n

DETAILS: “Seeing Now: Photography Since 1960” Feb 20-May 15, 2011. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Open Weds-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-6pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is FREE. Info: 443.573.1700 or artBMA.org. www.baltimoregaylife.com

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Currently at the Hippodrome, audiences can still catch “Jersey Boys,” the rags-to-riches tale based on the men behind the 1960s pop group, The Four Seasons, now through Feb. 27.

Then, from March 1 to 6, the theater will present “Les Miserables,” a new production of the musical, based the world famous story of revolution in early 19th century France.

Opening on Feb. 18 is Tina Howe’s “Approaching Zanzibar”

Jeremy Hay as Enjolras in The Hippodrome’s production of Les Miserables. Photo courtesy Deen van Meer.

at Spotlighters Theatre. In this “determinedly uplifting comedy” an American family confronts mortality, through March 13. Also beginning Feb. 18, Fells Point Corner Theater presents Neil LaBute’s “reasons to be pretty,” an “expletive-driven” reflection on language, now though March 18.

Starting Feb. 24, Theatre Project remembers the 1950s with two oneact operas: Leonard Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti” and Lee Hoiby’s “This is the Rill Speaking.” The audience can return to another time as two gay composers explore the margins of suburban and rural mid-20th century America, through Feb. 27. n

Trent Dawson, Jarlath Conroy, and Sebastian Naskaris in Center Stage’s production of The Homecoming by Harold Pinter. Photo courtesy Richard Anderson.

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Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 7

2/16/11 7:23 PM

outfront Dining out

Sascha’s 527 Café By john Cullen & Marty Shayt

S

ascha’s two-story-high walls are painted a soft beet red, hung with dozens of portraits, and lit by a dazzlingly large crystal chandelier. It

is an elegant yet casual space with 18+ dark red tables that lead into a pleasant lounge in the rear.

While perusing the menu, we sampled savory homemade breadsticks and small bowl of olives and pickles.

The menu’s “Taste Plates” ($5-13) immediately caught our attention with items like Crab Beignets, Grilled Snapper Tacos, Mini Bison Brioche Burgers, and Cornmeal Fried Calamari w/Caper Remoulade. Considering the upscale atmosphere, we were surprised to see burgers with fries and coleslaw for just $9 and to discover that “Taste Plates” are half price during Tuesday-to-Friday happy hours.

In addition to soups and salads, they offer six entrees ($15-23) plus a printed list of interesting specials.

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

JeffKlugCounseling.com

Marty decided to start with “Roasted Corn Poblano Crab” soup, John with “Salmon Tataki,” and our friend, Rita, with the Parsnip Puree. For entrées, Marty opted for a Wednesday special, “Filet Mignon with a Cocktail” (an $18 filet entrée, which includes a cocktail!).

John ordered Roasted Venison with a dried cherry sauce while Rita decided on the Horseradish-Encrusted Rockfish.

The soups were delicious and offered an interesting contrast: the pale pepper green poblano soup was both mild and tasty, while the puree was an appetizing caramel color with pieces of sautéed diced parsnip and artfully seasoned. The Tataki was another winner with pieces of lightly seared salmon that melted in John’s mouth; it was complemented by crispy fried-battered zucchini and a Thai peanut sauce.

The entrees proved equally good – the filet arrived tender yet well done (as Marty ordered) with young asparagus and a big pile of french fries (all of which exceeded his expecta-

tions). Despite the horseradish crusting, the fish was surprisingly mild and complemented by a wonderful Apricot Chutney and a mound of citrus and tomato Israeli Cous-Cous. The venison arrived medium rare on a layer of wilted spinach over a mound of creamy onion polenta; the dried cherry sauce avoided being overly sweet and worked really well with the venison, while the spinach and polenta provided a satisfying mix of flavors.

At our server’s suggestion, we shared a serving of Chocolate Mousse Cake.

The incredibly rich layers of chocolate cake, mousse and ganache topped with whipped cream left us feeling like we had arrived in chocolate heaven. The delicious meal, pleasant atmosphere and reasonable prices, along with our server’s friendly attention, Sascha’s won a “thumbs up” from both of us and we’ll be looking forward to our next visit. n

DETAILS: Sascha’s 527 Café (Mt. Vernon); 527 N. Charles St.; 410-539-8880; Open Mon–Fri 11am–3pm for lunch; Mon–Sat for dinner 5pm–10:30pm; closed Sunday); full bar; Limited vegetarian options; www.saschas.com.

PAGE 8 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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D F Gov. Pat Quinn signed Illinois’ comprehensive civil-union bill into law Jan. 31. It will take effect June 1. Photo by Hal Baim/Windy City Times

NATIONAL

Illinois Civil-Union Bill Signed into Law A

Gov. Pat Quinn signed Illinois’ comprehensive civil-union bill into law Jan. 31. It will take effect June 1. Under the law, gay and straight couples in a civil union will receive the same state-level benefits, protections and responsibilities provided to married people. The law also recognizes other states’ samesex marriages— but only as civil unions.

“This new law reflects the triumph of hope and fairness over distortion and division,” said Jill Metz, board president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

In all, 13 states and Washington, DC, now have expansive civil-union laws, allow same-sex marriage, or recognize other jurisdictions’ same-sex marriages (as marriages). Same-sex marriage is legal in CT, IA, MA, NH, VT, and DC In addition, New York and Maryland recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere in the nation or world. Civil-union or domesticpartnership laws that grant all state-level rights of marriage are also in place in CA, NV, NJ OR, and WA. In CO, HI, ME, and WI, there are laws that grant same-sex couples some of the rights of marriage.

California is a further case unto itself. Same-sex marriage was legal from June to November 2008, when voters amended the state constitution via Proposition 8 to put a stop to it. The couples who married then are still legally married, as are other same-sex couples who live in California and got married anywhere in the world before Prop 8 passed. Gay couples who married somewhere else after Prop 8 passed, or who marry elsewhere in the future, receive every state-level right and obligation of marriage in California except for the legal right to call their marriage a “marriage” when they are in California. They are not recognized under the state’s domestic partnership law, but rather are married couples who are denied use of the word “marriage.”

Iowa House OKs Amendment to Re-Ban Same-Sex Marriage The Iowa House of Representatives passed a measure Feb. 1 to send to voters a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, civil unions and any other recognition of same-sex couples. The vote was 62-37. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, however, has vowed to block the measure’s advance in that chamber. To make it to the ballot, in 2013 at the soonest, the amendment would have to pass both houses of the Legislature twice, in two consecutive sessions.

B

Transgender People Have It Rough, Says New Report Transgender people face rampant discrimination in every area of life: education, employment, family life, public accommodations, housing, health, police and jails, and ID documents, says a new report from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Among much else, it found that black transgender people have the roughest time of all, that many transgender people live in poverty, that 41 percent of respondents had attempted suicide, that 90 percent had experienced mistreatment on the job or hide their transgender status from co-workers, and that 53 percent had been harassed or disrespected in places such as hotels, restaurants, buses, airports, and government offices. The study is based on surveys of 6,450 transgender people from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For the full 228-page report, see tinyurl. com/transsurv.

C

Appeals Court Refuses to Delay DADT Case

D

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 28 denied the federal government’s request to suspend the Log Cabin Republi-

cans’ case against the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military gay ban while the Pentagon works to abolish the policy. In a late-Friday-afternoon notice sent to interested parties, the court said: “The opposed motion to hold these appeals in abeyance is denied. The briefing schedule is reset as follows: the government’s opening brief and excerpts of record are due February 25, 2011; Log Cabin Republicans’ answering brief and supplemental excerpts of record are due March 28, 2011; and the government’s reply brief is due 14 days after service of the answering brief.”

Wyoming Politicians Hope to Unmarry Gays Wyoming’s House of Representatives passed a bill Jan. 24 to prohibit recognition of other states’ same-sex marriages and civil unions. The vote was 32-27. The measure is expected to pass the Senate as well. Supporters said the law is needed because while Wyoming law clearly states that only a man and a woman can marry each other, current law also recognizes other states’ legal marriages. The Senate, meanwhile, voted 2010 on Jan. 27 to place a measure on the November 2012 ballot to amend the state constitution to prohibit recognition of other states’ same-sex marriages. That measure would not necessarily block recognition of out-of-state civil unions.

E

Obama Makes Gay, Lesbian Appointments and a Nomination President Barack Obama made two gay/ lesbian appointments and one nomination Jan. 26. He nominated openly gay J. Paul Oetken, a lawyer for Cablevision, to the Southern District of New York federal court. He appointed National Center for Lesbian Rights co-founder Roberta Achtenberg to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. And he appointed former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Jeff Levi to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health.

F

National News provided by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley www.baltimoregaylife.com

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F A More than 100 people walked from Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the United Nations to Uganda House in New York City on Feb. 3 demanding a proper investigation into the murder of prominent Ugandan gay activist David Kato and that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill be withdrawn from Uganda’s Parliament. Photo by Joe Jervis

INTERNATIONAL

Chaos at Gay Activist’s Funeral Even in death, there was no peace for David Kato, the prominent Ugandan activist bashed to death with a hammer in his home Jan. 26 after a tabloid newspaper published his picture and the pictures of other gay people with the caption “Kill Them” — and just 23 days after he won a lawsuit against the newspaper over the article.

A

At Kato’s funeral, the Anglican official conducting the service, Thomas Musoke, started bashing gays, saying that “admiring a fellow man” is “ungodly,” that even animals can distinguish male from female, and that “gays ... should repent.” Kato’s gay friends rushed the pulpit and seized the microphone.

Then people at the funeral who apparently agreed with the celebrant got into physical skirmishes with the gay people. After that, the residents who would have carried the casket to the cemetery refused to do so, and Kato’s friends had to do it.

On Feb. 2, police told local media that a “thief” Kato had bailed out of prison, Nsubuga Enock, confessed to killing Kato because Kato failed to give him a car, house, and money that Kato purportedly dangled to coerce him into sodomy.

Numerous gay activists in Uganda and the U.S. said they do not believe the killing was about withheld gifts and are worried that the homophobic government intends to cover up the true motive for the crime to protect itself from foreign criticism and safeguard foreign aid.

Kato was the advocacy officer for the organization Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and had been a leading voice in the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which has been before Uganda’s Parliament since October 2009.

The legislation would imprison for life anyone convicted of “the offense of homosexuality,” punish “aggravated homosexuality” (repeat offenses, or having gay sex while being HIVpositive) with the death penalty, forbid “promotion of homosexuality” and incarcerate gay-rights defenders, and jail individuals in positions of authority for up to three years if they fail to report within 24 hours the existence of all LGBT people or sympathizers known to them.

Some U.S. and Ugandan activists and reporters have blamed U.S. evangelical visitors to Uganda for inspiring the bill, which, they believe, led to the newspaper article, which, they suspect, led to the murder.

French Constitutional Court Upholds SameSex Marriage Ban France’s Constitutional Court upheld the nation’s same-sex marriage ban Jan. 28.

It said gay and straight couples find themselves in a “different situation” that justifies differing treatment under family law. Parliament, however, can legalize same-sex marriage if it wants to, the court said. Polls suggest that nearly 60 percent of French people support letting same-sex couples marry. The nation has offered civil unions for gay couples for more than a decade, but the unions lack many legal benefits of marriage.

B

German Court Blocks Trans Sterilization Requirement Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled Jan. 28 that it is unconstitutional to require transgender people to undergo sterilization or gender-reassignment surgery before they can be legally recognized as a member of the other sex. The decision came in the case of a transsexual woman who was denied the right to enter a same-sex civil partnership with her female partner. The court said such requirements are incompatible with rights to sexual self-determination, physical integrity and privacy.

C

Russia Appeals Euro Court’s Pride Ban Ruling On the last possible day, the Russian government on Jan. 22 appealed a European Court of Human Rights ruling from last October that struck down Moscow’s yearly bans of public gay pride events. The government asked the court’s Grand Chamber to reconsider the ruling that had been made by a smaller group of the court’s judges. Plaintiff Nikolai Alekseev, founder of Moscow Pride, predicted the Grand Chamber would deny the request for a rehearing within two to three months, “which means the verdict will come into force before the sixth Moscow

D

Pride on May 28,” he said. In its decision, the court said that former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s routine bans of gay pride violated guarantees of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the areas of freedom of assembly and association, right to an effective remedy and prohibition of discrimination.

Philippines Activists Request International Lobbying Activists in the Philippines are seeking international pressure to encourage a committee vote in the House of Representatives on a bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. House Bill 1483, “An Act Defining Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties Therefor,” would protect gay and trans people in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, health care, transportation, social services, civil service, the military and other areas. To e-mail the Justice Committee, visit tinyurl.com/philcoj. Address comments to the committee chair, the Hon. Niel Tupas Jr., and the committee secretary, Narcisa Guevarra. For a sample letter, see tinyurl.com/progayfil. For more information on the bill, see tinyurl.com/filbill.

E

UN Secretary-General Speaks Up for Gays At a special session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council on Jan. 25 in Geneva, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It was believed to be the first time that a secretary-general directly addressed an official U.N. body specifically on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

F

“We must reject persecution of people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity -- who may be arrested, detained or executed for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” Ban said. “They may not have popular or political support, but they deserve our support in safeguarding their fundamental human rights.”

INTERNational News provided by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley PAGE 10 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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out earlier… at age 12 or 13 instead of 18 or 20,” according to Director Jeff Krehely of the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress.

The Love is Louder movement was started by actress Brittany Snow, The Jed Foundation and MTV to address teens who feel bullied or suicidal.

Thankfully, a growing number of local and national programs aim to address the many problems facing LGBT youth.

RAINBOW YOUTH ALLIANCE Anna Paszkiewicz, age 19, has been a member of the Rainbow Youth Alliance (RYA) of Harford County since young adults began coming to the weekly meetings.

“I’d been searching forever for anything gay in Harford County,” she states. But Anna could not find a support group for LGBT teenagers in the area, until October 2010.

Support LGBT Youth Local and National Programs

By Terri Solomon

T

he teen years promise growing pains for all young adults, regardless of sexuality. However, LGBT youth also struggle with identity issues, family

rejection, and bullying, not to mention increased rates of suicide, mental health problems, and homelessness.

The 2009 National School Climate Survey published by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that “nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year and nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation.”

Bullying has been linked to depression and suicidal behavior in young adults.

Students who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual were “over four times more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year” than their straight peers www.baltimoregaylife.com

GL_V33_FINALcopy.indd 11

(The 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey).

While about 5 to 10 percent of youth are LGBT, 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT, according to the report, On the Streets: The Federal Response to Gay and Transgendered Homelessness. Moreover, homeless LGBT youths report higher rates of sexual assault than heterosexual youths who lack housing.

“We are seeing a new epidemic of LGBTQ youth homelessness largely because youth are coming

A friend told her about RYA, sponsored by both the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County (UUFHC) and Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of Baltimore County.

On the first night, Anna was joined by several students from her school. She felt comfortable with the format and group members quickly.

“We talk forever, and it’s cool because you can talk about anything. I’ve made lots of friends, so I trust most of the people there,” she says.

Facilitators Lara Mortimer and Melinda Goff wanted to create a safe and supportive space for local LGBT teens and their straight allies with this youth alliance. Goff had been the faculty sponsor for a GayStraight Alliance at her Michigan high school. When she moved to Maryland, she was involved with planning the RYA through PFLAG, along with Mortimer and Reverend Lisa Ward of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

Although the Rainbow Youth Alliance is booming now, with 20 to 30 regular members, Mortimer, an addiction counselor, remembers a somewhat rocky start.

“We trained the facilitators and designed the website last May,” she said.

“We didn’t advertise anywhere, because we wanted it to be word of mouth.

Every Wednesday, we just showed up and waited, but no youth came because they were nervous.”

But after several months of speaking with school counselors and distributing flyers and business cards, the group continued on page 12

LGBT YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS Rainbow Youth Alliance LGBTQ teens & allies 14-19 Every Wed. 7-9pm UUFHC 2515 Churchville Rd. Churchville, MD 21028 410.734.7122, or email ryaharfordcounty@yahoo.com RainbowYouthAllianceHarfordCounty.org Sufficient As I aM LGBTQ youth & allies under 24 Every Sat. 12:30-3pm GLCCB, 2nd floor 241 W Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21203 Email saim@glccb.org GLCCB.org City Steps Homeless youth 14-24 Youth Resource Center 3701 Cottage Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215 410-528-0267 airshome.org Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Program For organizations serving LGBT youth Email gwolitzek@glccb.org The Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline Any youth in crisis 1.800.422.0009 Fellowship of Lights, Inc. Homeless youth 410.332.4277 The Trevor Project LGBTQ suicidal youth 866.4.U.TREVOR (866.488.7386) thetrevorproject.org It Gets Better Project LGBT teens Itgetsbetterproject.com Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 11

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Facilitators (left to right) Melinda Goff, Lara Mortimer, and Marcie Tabone bring experience, humor, and compassion to the Rainbow Youth Alliance of Harford County.

employment by contacting providers and maintaining a relationship with them themselves. Youth are also allowed to voice the services they desire. In past years, a partnership with Connect to Protect led to the formation of a young gay men’s support group.

Although that support group no longer exists as a result of lost funding, Allison said the organization supports whatever will assist their clients.

“There are no barriers to receiving services because you are an LGBT youth,” she said. “It is a safe space for any homeless youth.”

SUICIDE PREVENTION Another local program, this one in partnership with the state, will address the needs of LGBT youth, according to GLCCB Program Specialist Gary Wolnitzek.

welcomed teens in October with greater success.

Weekly meetings now begin with check-in and a review of group policies. Participants then share what is happening in school, at home, or in local and national news. The fourth Wednesday of every month is now devoted to listening to a guest speaker or screening a video. In the past, participants have watched clips from Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project and MTV’s Love is Louder, two online video projects created in response to the spate of LGBT youth suicides.

“Every meeting so far, we have gone home feeling good,” Goff said. “This is not a captive audience — it’s a group of people who want to be there.”

Beckie P., age 16, would recommend the group to other teens. “Everyone there is accepting of who you are and where you are [in] coming out, or maybe you want to support one of your friends. It’s also a great place to make new friends.”

Anna tells people that the Wednesday meeting is her start to the week: “Every time I go in there, I’m super excited. It lifts me up.”

Sufficient As I aM Mike Slatkin, lead facilitator for Sufficient As I aM (SAIM) for eight years, has been involved with the support group for LGBT youth and their allies since 1993. SAIM has been in existence for more than two decades, and is a program of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB).

Slatkin believes that many closeted youth don’t get opportunities to meet others who are like them in the “outside world.” SAIM provides a safe space for these youth to connect with their peers and to interact through positive discussions.

“They experience comradeship with the other youth, and the facilitators are examples, saying you can lead a normal adult life as a gay or lesbian person,” he said.

Topics can vary from safe sex to savings and retirement. The only off-limit conversations are those that focus on illegal activities, such as drug use or smoking (since some participants are under PAGE 12 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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18). “We leave it up to the youth who are present [to decide] what we will talk about,” Slatkin said.

Although SAIM is participant-driven, there are two active facilitators, Slatkin and Danista Hunte. Paulette Young, the first GLCCB president, is also considered a facilitator, although she comes infrequently. When she does make an appearance, her stories have been a treat for gay or questioning youth, who often have no contact with the older generation of gay men and women.

“They like it when she talks about the history of the gay movement here in Baltimore,” explained Slatkin.

CITY STEPS City Steps is a program of AIRS, an organization providing housing to chronically homeless individuals with HIV/AIDS or other disabilities, such as poor mental health or substance abuse. About five years ago it “became apparent that youth housing was an issue in Baltimore City,” according to Program Manager Burgundi Allison of the City Steps Youth Resource Center.

City Steps was born out of that need. Under this banner, a variety of programs service homeless youth in Baltimore, ages 14 to 24. Youth in need are given case management, emergency services, life skills training, and referrals to housing. Federal funding from the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid ReHousing Program (HPRP) can provide help with overdue rent and moving assistance for “at-risk families with children 14 to 17 and at-risk youth under the age of 24.”

Homeless youth do not need to have any disability to qualify for services, and approximately 600 local youth are serviced a year. When young people reach out for assistance, they are given a service navigator, who is responsible for connecting them with service providers for food, clothing, education, and vocation. “[Navigators have] been able to establish rapport with young people,” said Allison. “Their phones are going off constantly.,” City Steps participants are encouraged to “take the lead” when working toward stable housing and

The Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Program will train five individuals by the end of February. These individuals will then train leadership and staff at organizations that deal with LGBT youth (although the organization does not have to be LGBT-focused) to be gatekeepers in identifying suicide ideation.

The immediate goal of this program is to reach a minimum of 15 organizations. Trainers will actively recruit organizations for the free training, which is interactive and lasts about 90 minutes. The trainings are designed to provide ways of identifying if a youth is going through a crisis that will lead to suicide and to teach basic skills needed to address this issue.

Youth can also gain hope and support from two national efforts currently in place—Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project and The Trevor Project.

The It Gets Better Project began in September 2010 when columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry created a YouTube video addressing the recent spate of LGBT teen suicides and telling young people that “it gets better.” There are now about 10,000 videos online from adults with similarly supportive messages.

From the website: “While many of these teens couldn’t see a positive future for themselves, we can.

The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential and positivity their lives will reach—if they can just get through their teen years.”

Viewers can go online and watch a variety of inspirational clips at ItGetsBetterProject.com. The website also urges young adults in crisis to get help through The Trevor Project, “the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.”

Since the beginning of It Gets Better, calls to The Trevor Project 24-hour suicide hotline have increased more than 50 percent. The Trevor Project also has a digital community, where young adults can ask questions through “Dear Trevor,” engage in an online messaging service with live help called TrevorChat, or connect with other LGBT youth in a social networking community, TrevorSpace.org. n

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firstperson OP ED

Hope for Gender Identity AntiDiscrimination in Maryland

BY Owen Smith

M

y name is Owen Smith and I am currently working for Equality

By Rev. Irene Monroe

B

lack History Month is that time of year when the achievements and courage of people of African descent are acknowledged and cel-

ebrated. However, for decades now, Black History Month has not acknowledged or celebrated the contributions of its lesbian, gay, bisexual,

gender equality and gender identity is-

transgender, and queer communities.

have enough support to pass the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act or HB 235. When this bill is passed, it will prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and credit.

Currently, anti-discrimination protections do not protect our transgender community. We’re able to be fired because we’re transgender. We can be denied housing because of our gender identity or how we choose to express our gender identity. Credit card companies and banks can deny us credit because we’re transgender. That’s why we’re trying to add these gender identity protections. In many cases, these protections are a matter of life and death for the transgender or genderqueer community. This bill is the first step, of many, that Equality Maryland is taking to ensure the protection of transgender Marylanders.

I once had a job working at a local coffee shop in Baltimore. One of the owners would continuously harass and disrespect me in front of my coworkers and the customers of that establishment. He would shout, “Hey he-she!” across the shop. He would yell in my face about how I was not “man enough” to do extreme heavy lifting.

He would call me a girl and make fun of the fact that I do not have a big part of the male anatomy. It got so horrible that one day he was shouting at me on the floor of the coffee shop making fun of the fact that I was a “he-she” when he physically assaulted me and shoved me into the refrigerator.

A recent survey by National Center for Transgender Equality (NTCE) and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) suggests that our transgender community faces insurmountable obstacles daily. One in five transgender Marylanders has been fired from their jobs just for being who they are. Ninety percent of transgender Marylanders have experienced harassment on the job. These statistics, compared to the national homeless and unemployment rate is absolutely staggering. Can you believe these are the numbers in a state that considers itself “free”?

I know that this story is all too common in our community. We at Equality Maryland hear these stories too often to count. We have the opportunity to make history right now. We can protect our transgender friends and community members in vital ways. Marylanders everywhere can help save lives, just by asking their legislators to pass HB 235.

Our transgender community needs these life or death protections NOW! As a transgender man here in Maryland, I face — almost daily — these horrible and inhumane types of discrimination. I want to share one of my experiences with you.

GL_V33_FINALcopy.indd 13

Saying Who We Are

Maryland as their Field Organizer for sues. I strongly believe that this year we

www.baltimoregaylife.com

Speaking out

This legislation sets the stage to provide a better understanding of our community.

We are gaining major strides in protecting basic needs of transgender Marylanders and are creating the fundamental infrastructure to keep building on the momentum for transgender rights. With HB 235 we really can create the change we want to experience, discrimination free, in the Free State.

Please join me and support HB 235 — the first step to creating a world that is

Our omission from the annals of black history would lead you to believe that the only shakers and movers in the history of African Americans were and still are heterosexuals. And because of this heterosexist bias, the sheroes and heroes of LGBTQ people of African descent – like Pat Parker, Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Joseph Beam, and Bayard Rustin, to name a few – are only known and celebrated within a subculture of black life.

parts face as they struggle for survival in an oppressive society.

Walker defines a “womanist” as a black feminist who continues the legacy of “outrageous, audacious, courageous, and willful, responsible, in charge, serious” African-American women as agents of social change for the wholeness and liberation of their entire people, and by extension the rest of humanity.

“A womanist can be a lesbian, a heterosexual, a bisexual, or a transgender woman. She celebrates and affirms African-American women’s culture and physical beauty. ” Along with the pantheon of noted black heterosexual leaders who will be lauded this month, I want to personally celebrate one of my queer and crossover sheroes, renowned writer and poet Alice Walker, for giving black women everywhere around the globe a new name we all can embrace: “Womanist.”

While “sistah girl” is my favorite term for black women, no word captures the totality of women of the African Diaspora in popular culture today than this Pulitzer Prize winning author’s choice.

Walker coined the term “womanist” in her 1983 collection of prose writings, “In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens.” The term comes from African-American women’s folk expression, “You are acting womanish.” It describes the precociousness of little African-American girls as they attempt to comprehend and overcome the challenges their adult counter-

A womanist can be a lesbian, a heterosexual, a bisexual, or a transgender woman. She celebrates and affirms African-American women’s culture and physical beauty. A womanist “loves herself. Regardless.”

Walker specifically devised the term in response to literary historian Jean Humez’s introductory statement in “Gifts of Power: The Writings of Rebecca Jackson, Black Visionary, Shaker Eldress.” Humez suggested that Rebecca Jackson and Rebecca Perot, who were part of an African-American Shaker settlement in Philadelphia in the 1870’s and lived with each other for more than thirty years, would be labeled lesbians in today’s climate of acknowledging female relationships. Humez supported her speculations of the Jackson-Perot relationship by pointing to the homoerotic dreams the women had of each other.

But, Walker disputed Humez’s right, as a white woman from a different cultural continued on page 15 Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 13

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continued from page 13 context, to define the intimacy between two African-American women. “Womanist” was coined as a term that was both culture specific and encompassed a variety of ways in which African-American women support each other and relate to the world.

Although the words “religion” and “Christian” do not specifically appear in Walker’s definition, there are both religious and secular usages for the term “womanist.” Because Walker emphasizes African-American women’s love for the Spirit, African-American Christian women have used “womanist” to articulate their witness to and participation in God’s power and presence in the world. “Womanist” in the religious sense is often used by AfricanAmerican women who are Christian ministers and seminarians, as well as by feminist scholars in the field of religion.

Womanist Christian thought began to flourish in the mid-1980s as a way to challenge racist, sexist, and white feminists’ religious practices and discourses, which excluded African-American women’s participation and ignored their experiences in church and society.

For womanist Christian ministers and seminarians, Walker’s definition serves as a springboard for their preaching style, liturgy, and pastoral ministry. For womanist Christian academicians, the definition shapes and frames their analytical and theoretical approaches. By using African-American women’s experiences of struggle and survival as their starting point of inquiry, these clergywomen and scholars examine the simultaneous forces of race, class, and gen-

der oppressions in African-American women’s lives. A “womanist” approach also celebrates African-American women’s religious history, and validates their theological beliefs.

Although Walker’s definition includes lesbians, lesbian voices in the womanist Christian discourse (as well as their contributions to African-American women’s religious histories) have been suppressed. Proponents for the exclusion of lesbians in the discourse argue that a lesbian sexual orientation is antithetical to the tenets and survival of the Black Church and black family. As a result, many Christian lesbians in the womanist Christian discourse have responded either by engaging in the debate without disclosing their sexual identities or by opting not to engage at all.

The secular use of “womanist” is by African-American women who have either left the Black Church because of its gender bias and homophobia, or who do not come from the Black Church religious experience. These women use the term to identify a culturally specific form of women-centered politics and theory. They claim that the term “feminist” is inappropriate because of its history of identification with a predominantly white movement that has often excluded and alienated African-American women.

In addition, because the term “feminist” has been used to identify women as lesbians regardless of their sexual orientation, “womanist” provides a way to affirm one’s identity without being associated with lesbianism. Ironically, as a result, some women have challenged the term “womanist” because of its homophobic implications. n

VISIT US @ WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

PAGE 14 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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outgoing

BINGO!: Features cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Hosted by Roger Dimick. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Thursday, February 24

Charlotte Cohn “Simply Complicated”: Cabaret with international set list, from Yiddish folk tunes to the Beatles, plus plenty of show tunes. Thru 2/27. 7pm. $35. Center Stage, 700 N Calvert St. CenterStage.org Remember The Fifties: Gay composers rule, with Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti” and Toiby’s “This is the Rill Speaking.”

Thru 2/26. 8pm. $15-25. Theatre Project, 45 W Preston St. PeabodyOpera.org

Friday, February 25

Benefit Show for Miss Free State and Miss Central MD 2011: Josie Foster hosts this fierce show by Sue Nami Wave Productions. 10pm. $7. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo. org Tix: 410.440.3344.

Event Info Eric Himan Concert GLCCB, 241 W Chase St. Sat., Feb 26, 2011, 8pm Tickets $12-15 GLCCB.org or 410.837.5445

Saturday, February 26

“Beloved” by Toni Morrison: (See article, p. 5) Book discussion.

10:15am. FREE. Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch, 400 Cathedral St. PrattLibrary.org Sufficient As I Am (SAIM): LGBTQ youth/young adult support group (ages 24 and younger). 12:30pm. FREE. GLCCB 241 W Chase St. GLCCB.org Eric Himan: (See article above) 8pm. $12-15. GLCCB 241 W Chase St. GLCCB.org

SPOTLIGHT

Sexy Indie Rocker Comes to GLCCB

Snow Ball: Alex Funk opens for NYC DJ Vito Fun at Central’s winter party. 9pm. $8-10. Grand Central Station, 1001 N Charles St. CentralStationPub.com

By RYAN DAVIS

Come Dancing: With DJ Jason Royce and NiteCamp, the hot, all college age go-go dancer team. 10pm. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

S

ometimes known as the gay Johnny Cash, strapping, tattooed singer-songwriter Eric Himan hails from Tulsa, Okla. This fiercely independent folk rock musician is known for sweet, bluesy acoustic music that is both ironic and charming. His sound is comparable to the soulful vocals of the Dave Matthews Band or Maroon 5. According to Himan, the outspoken style of artists like Dar Williams and the Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers helped to shape him as an artist.

Himan’s most recent album, “Out with the Old” (2010) is a compilation of his most popular songs. For this version, though, Himan loses the acoustic guitar and arranges his songs for piano. Himan’s raw, uninhibited voice becomes even more alluring, and the stripped down set exposes a gentle tilt in his voice. Baltimore fans shouldn’t miss the chance to get intimate with this sizzling songster when he performs at the GLCCB. Samples can be streamed at EricHiman.com.

datebook Friday, February 18

Approaching Zanzibar: Tina Howe’s absurd and uplifting comedy. Thru 3/13. 8pm. $16-20. Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St. Spotlighters.org

Sunday, February 20

Seeing Now: Photography Since 1960: (See article, p. 7). Thru 5/15. 11am-6pm. FREE. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. artBMA.org

Monday, February 21 PRESIDENTS DAY

USA Classique Unlimited Benefit Show: To send Metro Charm City Classique titleholders to nationals. 10pm. $7. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Saturday, February 19

Sufficient As I Am (SAIM): LGBTQ youth/young adult (age 24 and younger) support group. 12:30pm. FREE. GLCCB 241 W Chase St. GLCCB.org ShipMates of Baltimore Club Night: For info, visit ShipMatesClub.com. Baltimore Eagle, 2022 N Charles St. TheBaltimoreEagle.com Masquerade: A Night in Paris: Special event by Bellezza Entertainment, with give-aways, drink specials, live performances, and DJ Kuhmeleon. 10pm. $8-10. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.org www.baltimoregaylife.com

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Sunday, February 27

Ride for the Feast Chili Cook-Off: Judge chilis prepared by RFTF supporters, plus get a chance to win a grand prize. $15-20 (kids under 12 FREE). 1-3pm. Moveable Feast Kitchens, 901 N Milton Ave. http://bit.ly/fXrhnL 10th Annual Oscar Night Baltimore: (See article, p. 00) 6pm12am. $125-150. The Charles Theatre and Tapas Teatro Cafe, 1711 N Charles St. AIRShome.org

Monday, February 28

Jonathan Barnbrook: British collaborator with Damien Hirst, designer for David Bowie, and original font creator discusses graphic design. 2pm. FREE. MICA Brown Center: Falvey Hall, 1301 W Mount Royal Ave. MICA.edu

Tuesday, March 1

Les Miserables: Dream the dream with this new 25th anniversary production of the legendary musical. Thru 3/6. $20-75. The Hippodrome, 12 N Eutaw St. france-merrickpac.com Tix: Ticketmaster.com

Wednesday, March 2

Process is King, but a Queen is a B****: Acclaimed designer Eddie Opara speaks about multidisciplinary design. 6:30pm. FREE. MICA Brown Center, 1301 W Mount Royal Ave. MICA.edu

BINGO!: Features cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Hosted by Roger Dimick. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Tuesday, February 22

Thursday, March 3

Rainbow Youth and Allies: Howard County PFLAG’s support group for LGBTQ youth and their allies, up to age 22. For location, contact Stacie at rya_leaders@hotmail.com or call 410.280.9047.

Thin: Award-winning HBO documentary about four women who struggle with anorexia. 7:30pm. FREE. MICA Brown Center: Falvey Hall, 1301 W Mount Royal Ave. MICA.edu

Wednesday, February 23

E-MAIL EVENT INFO TO: CALENDAR@BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Rainbow Youth Alliance of Harford County: UUFHC and PFLAG Baltimore Co.’s support group for LGBTQ teens and their allies, ages 14-19. For info and location, call 410.734.7122.

Compiled by Ryan Davis with Mark Douglas Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 15

2/16/11 7:23 PM

the CENTER Page Welcome

Here is our schedule of free or low-cost support groups, meetings, and services. Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the Center: 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore. Please call (410) 837-5445 for more information or visit www.glccb.org.

PROGRAMS FOR EVERYONE

TRANSGENDER PROGRAMS

ACHIEVE, CULTIVATE, & EDUCATE (ACE) SERIES ACE classes provide learning opportunities for the LGBT community in a safe and affirming environment to enhance and enrich community members’ lives!

Interested in teaching?

Contact us at info@glccb.org or (410) 837-5445

GENDER IDENTITY GROUP (GIG) A support group for transgender, gender queer, or anyone who varies from traditional gender expression.

Meets the 2nd Saturday, 8:00 p.m. room 201 Email GIG@glccb.org or visit www.transmaryland.org

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Every Monday, 8:30 p.m. Every Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Every Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Room 201. Visit www.baltimoreaa.org for information, resources, and other meeting locations and times.

GIG: Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance (BTMA) GIG’s FTM support group meets the 4th Saturday, 6 p.m. room 202 Email BTMA@glccb.org or visit www.transmaryland.org

AA - POSITIVELY SOBER Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting centered on living a sober and healthy lifestyle. Focus is on HIV+ and health related issues affecting sobriety.

Meets every Sunday, 6:00 p.m. Room 201 Contact Dave at BmoreDave@gmail.com BEGINNERS’ YOGA SUNDAY afternoons, 3:30 p.m in room 201. Gentle beginners’ yoga with instructor Tim Hurley, RYT. $9.00 per person. Walk-ins WELCOME! HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING with the Baltimore City Health Department Wednesdays 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 3rd Floor SCA - Sexual Compulsives Anonymous Every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Room 202 NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Sunday Men’s Rap - Meets every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in room 201. Visit www. na.org for information, resources and other meeting locations and times.

PRIDE IN THE ARTS The GLCCB presents art receptions and movie screenings that showcase local LGBTQ talent. Check out the GLCCB’s calendar at www.glccb.org for upcoming Pride in the Arts events. Artists interested in submitting work for exhibit or screening contact us at info@glccb.org.

MEN’S PROGRAMS MEN LIKE ME Open support group for adult males who love other men. Come discuss issues of coming out, homophobia, relationships, etc. in a safe and supportive space.

The objective is to empower participants to take better care of themselves and each other. Facilitated by a licensed clinician. Meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, 6:00 p.m. room 201 Email Shane at MenLikeMe@glccb.org POZ MEN Peer support group for all HIV+ men.

Meets EVERY WEDNESDAY, 7:00 p.m. room 202 Email POZMen@glccb.org

GIG: Tran*quility GIG’s MTF support group meets the 4th Saturday, 8:00 p.m. room 201 Email tranquility@glccb.org or visit www.transmaryland.org GIG: Partners of Trans People Group (PTP) A support and resource group for anyone in a relationship with a transgender person.

Meets every 4th Saturday, 8 p.m. room 202 Email ptp@glccb.org

WOMEN’S PROGRAMS PEARLS OF WISDOM (POW) A coming out/peer support group for ALL womyn of the LBTQ community, engage in open and Anonymous/Confidential dissusions on relationships, families, self-identity, coming out, peers, deceit, and more! While visiting POW, you will experience mixed emotions of womyn from a variety of age groups and backgrounds from feminine to transgender.

Meets the 1st and 3rd Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. room 202 For more information, contact “Q” at POW.Lesbian@yahoo.com WOMEN OF COLOR A collective group committed to providing a safe, confidential, and supportive space for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women of all colors.

Meets the 2nd, 4th & 5th Thursday, 7:30 p.m. room 202.

Email WOC@glccb.org WOMEN OUT AND ABOUT Social group for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women who want to meet new people doing enjoyable activities.

For more information on planned activities contact Ms. Kelly at BWOAEvents@ yahoo.com

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT SUFFICIENT AS I aM (SAIM) A supportive group for youth and young adults 24 years of age and under.

Youth are welcome to drop-in and try out this successful, long-running program which features a rap group, special activities, speakers, trips!

Meets every Saturday, room 201 at 12:00 p.m.

Email SAIM@glccb.org Part of the GLCCB’s mission is to provide quality support services, appropriate facilities and professional resources for the development and well-being of individuals and groups. While the GLCCB is committed to positive and enriching experiences for all who use its services, the group descriptions listed, content, and the views expressed are those of the facilitators or organizers and do not necessarily reflect those of the GLCCB. The GLCCB is a 501(c)(3) organization.

PAGE 16 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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Baltimore gaylife

2/16/11 7:23 PM

afterhours bScene

The BMore Proud Leadership Summit

Lobby Day

photos by JOHN KARDY

photos by Jay W

On Saturday, Feb. 12, BMore Proud held their second annual Intercollegiate LGBTQA Leadership Summit at Johns Hopkins University. Keynote speakers included gay Marine veteran Eric Alva and poet and activist Stacey Ann Chin. The all-day event also included a panel and break-out sessions for over 200 participating students. For more information about BMore Proud, please visit their website at www.bmoreproud.org.

Crowds rallied at the Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis on Monday, Feb. 14 to show support for Gender Identity and Marriage Equality legislation. The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 235) would prohibit discrimination against transgender Marylanders in the areas of employment, housing, and credit. The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (SB 116) would end the exclusion of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples from civil marriage in Maryland.

www.baltimoregaylife.com

GL_V33_FINALcopy.indd 17

Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 17

2/16/11 7:24 PM

afterhours Hunter on the prowl!

LEATHER TALES

Drag Shows Abound

v.2.21

BY Mark Hunter

By Sir Andy Liu, Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR 2008

I know it’s been awhile since my loyal readers and supporters have heard from me, but I have been busy with my ongoing job of babysitting my grandson. I would like to wish all of you a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In the blustery cold of a Baltimore February, take comfort in the thought that some really hot events are coming at the end of this month and in March!

On January 28, I was invited to a surprise birthday party at the Hippo for Heaven Sent, which was thrown by her partner, Bold Laidback Unique.

Many of Heaven’s family and friends came to celebrate. The party was fantastic and Heaven was surprised.

Another surprise for Heaven was her birthday cake, which was given to her on stage by Bold along with Josie Foster. The cake was very interesting, to say the least. Sue Nami was having a drag show of many entertainers hosted by Josie Foster.

The next night, Saturday, January 29, two very good friends of mine, Miss Misty Barfly and Frankie Jay, went to Delaware to compete in the Mr. and Miss Delaware Gay International 2011. Even though I was not able to attend the event, my love and support went with them. I heard reports that all the contestants did a fantastic job! At the end of the night Mr. DE Gay International 2011 was our own Mr. Frankie Jay! Miss DE Gay International 2011 is Miss London Bacall from Virginia.

On February 4 at PW’s Sports Bar in Laurel, Baltimore Girls took over the place for a Drag Show hosted by the fabulous Regina Jozet Adams.

The Baltimore girls included Shawnna Alexander, Miss D’Marje, Cha’nel Van Cartier, Victoria Blair, Jada Bee, and of course Regina Jozet Adams! All the girls put on a fantastic show!

In other news, I had an amazing year with my first grandson, who was born in February 2010. And I’m proud to announce another new addition to my family: a granddaughter will be born around June 13 (if not earlier like her big brother).

The Bootblack Brigade will be back in town at the Baltimore Eagle on Saturday, February 26, raising funds for their members who are going to compete at the International Bootblack Contests (International Community Bootblack, International Ms. Leather Bootblack, and International Mr. Leather Bootblack). With Bootblacks in the house, you can party on with the members, get your Leathers taken care of, and contribute to a good cause.

Bars/Clubs

www.thebaltimoreeagle.com www.leonsleatherlounge.com www.clubhippo.com

Leather/Levi Clubs

www.bladeaf.com www.bootblackbrigade.com www.commanmc.org www.hookerandboys.org www.shipmatesclub.com

On Saturday, March 12, we will start with C.O.M.M.A.N.D., M.C.’s bar night over at the Triple L (Leon’s Leather Lounge). Their bar nights are always a blast with their killer Jell-O shooters and wicked sense of camaraderie.

That same night, over at the Baltimore Eagle, the ShipMates Club of Baltimore will be having a bar night as well. As always, with their liquid delights and with Rodney Burger’s (my fellow Leather Columnist) sense of humor you cannot help but have a great time.

BLADeaf (Baltimore Leather Association of the Deaf) will be having their bar night at the Baltimore Eagle on Saturday, March 19. It will be a night filled with drafts, shooters, and the chance to party with Val Sherrill, our current International Ms. Deaf Leather 2010 (and our current Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman 2010)!

Rounding out the end of March is the second annual Chesapeake Leather Awareness Pride (C.L.A.P.) weekend, March 2527. If last year’s event is any indication, the weekend promises to be filled with fun, frolic, and lots of Leatherfolk!

The centerpiece of the weekend takes place on Saturday at the Hippo in Baltimore. That is when the current Mid-Atlantic Leather Family of 2010 steps aside and we get to see who is sashed Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR / Leatherboy / Community Bootblack / Leather Woman 2011! Come and celebrate the awesome Title year that Sir John, boy anthoney, Boy Anderesen, and Val Sherrill (Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR / Leatherboy / Community Bootblack 2010) have had.

I want to wish everyone a very Safe, Healthy February! Many Hugs & Kisses to all!

Like last year, C.L.A.P. will feature events on Friday and Sunday of that weekend, bookending the contests. Keep an eye on Hookerandboys.org for all the updated details to be announced! C.L.A.P. prides itself on keeping the weekend affordable, especially in a down economy, so put on your Leathers and I will see you out and about.

Until next time I bring you, Hunter on the Prowl!! n

Remember, be kind to yourselves, each other, and practice random acts of kindness!! n

PAGE 18 • February 18 - March 3, 2011

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Baltimore gaylife

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Volume 33, Number 3 • PAGE 19

2/16/11 7:24 PM

e

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GL_V33_FINALcopy.indd 20

February 26, 2011 8:00 p.m.

ERIC HIMAN

On

gh i N

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Please join the GLCCB in welcoming award -winning singersongwriter Eric Himan to Baltimore on Saturday, February 26 for an exclusive performance at the Center.

Tickets: $12 online , $15 at the door www.glccb.org

GLCCB 241 W. Chase Street Baltimore, MD 21201 410-837-5445

2/16/11 7:24 PM