Volume 33, Number 9

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1979

MARYLAND’S LGBT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER MAY 13 - MAY 26, 2011 VOLUME XXXIII, NUMBER 9 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

MUSIC: THE MAGIC OF

CABARET, CLASSICAL AND THE

BALTIMORE MEN’S CHORUS PLUS:

n Interview with Equality Md.’s Interim Executive Director n HeART Gala & Tribute to Chase Brexton CEO n Free State Legal’s Pro Bono Services

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9 PAGE 3

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ter

letter editor’s

T

his is certainly a time of beginnings and endings. Not only can readers learn about the upcoming Baltimore Men’s Chorus Concert with this very theme (p. 13), but this issue also covers Equality Maryland’s new interim executive director (p. 6), the community’s new free legal resource (p. 5), as well as the departure of Chase Brexton’s long-term and much loved CEO (p. 15) and the departure of the GLCCB’s own executive director.

In lieu of a lengthy missive, I’m sharing this space with Trevor Ankeny, board president of the GLCCB who has formally announced the departure of our seven-year-long leader, Craig Wiley.

As some of you know, I have been with Gay Life and the Center for a short time, and as a result was able to work with Craig for only a few months. But I know his departure is already being felt throughout both the Center and the greater community. As both my mentor and an ongoing community member, I will strive to make him proud with each issue of Gay Life.

Maggie Beetz, Editor

ON THE COVER

Cabaret Artist Ken Roberson Photo Courtesy Center Stage

A FAREWELL TO CRAIG WILEY, GLCCB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Community Members, It is with regret that I write you to let you know Craig Wiley has stepped down as Executive Director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB).

Craig’s involvement with the GLCCB spanned more than a decade.

From volunteering to serving as a board member to assuming the position of Executive Director, his support for the GLCCB has touched all facets of our work. In his role as Executive Director for the past seven years, Craig has tirelessly devoted himself to making the GLCCB a stronger institution so that we may better serve the community.

Out Going

He has been instrumental in developing the Pride in the Arts program, guiding both Gay Life newspaper and the GLCCB through rebranding, implementing countless development initiatives, and strengthening the Center’s internal systems.

PAGE 5 COMMUNITY: Free State Legal Project opens its doors. By Terri Solomon

PAGE 17: SPOTLIGHT: Hunks in Trunks fashion show benefits AIDS Action Baltimore. By Della Mosley

Craig successfully championed the importance of LGBT community centers in an age where the internet provides our community instant access to resources, information, and social networks. However he recognized, as evident by the growth of the support, social, and recovery groups at the GLCCB, there is still a need for a welcoming space where individuals can engage one another in person. He also connected the GLCCB to the national and international LGBT community center movements through his participation in Center Link as a member of their Board of Directors.

PAGE 7 GALA: Chase Brexton’s HeART of Our Community Fundraising Gala.

By Kelly D. McClain

Over his many years with the GLCCB, Craig has been a valued mentor and friend to many volunteers, staff members, and colleagues.

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

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

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STAFF

Trevor Ankeny GLCCB Board President

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

PAGE 4 • MAY 13 - MAY 26, 2011

18 Out Front

We wish Craig nothing but the best in the next chapter of his professional life.

VISIT US ONLINE AT BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

CONTENTS

PAGE 6 COMMUNITY: Interview with Equality Maryland Interim Executive Director Lynne Bowman

PAGE 8 DINING OUT: McCormick & Schmick’s.

By John Cullen and Marty Shayt PAGE 9 NUTRITION: Healthy food for every body.

By Mark Rifkin

Headline News PAGE 10 NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

First Person PAGE 15 TRIBUTE: Tribute to Chase Brexton’s departing CEO David Shippee.

DATEBOOK: Calendar of Events. By Arnesia Thomas

After Hours PAGE 18 BSCENE: MICA’s Pride & Sexuality, Lotta Art, and Volleyball Invitational

FEATURE STORY PAGE 12:

Music: The Magic of Cabaret, Classical, and the Baltimore Men’s Chorus The Cabaret of Ken Roberson at Center Stage. By Kristi Metzger

An die Musik presents mezzo-soprano Alexis Tantau and songs by Reynaldo Hahn. By David Browning Baltimore Gay Chorus might the end the world. By Tony Bianca

Maggie Beetz Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media 212-242-6863

Michael Nguyen Art Director art@baltimoregaylife.com

Marty Shayt Volunteer

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

Kelly D. McClain Intern

Contributors Tony Bianca, David Browning, John Cullen, Bill Kelley, Kristi Metzger, Della Mosley, Mark Rifkin, Marty Shayt, Terri Solomon, Arnesia Thomas, Rex Wockner Photographers: John Kardys, Linda Soars Newspaper Committee: Trevor Ankeny, Bud Beecher, Kelly D. McClain, Terri Solomon

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outfront

SOLID

Photo by Scott FitzPatrick

COMMUNITY Free State Legal Project Executive Director Lee Ann Hopkins, Esq.

Local Legal Nonprofit Group Now Accepting Clients Free State Legal Project Opens in Baltimore

BY TERRI SOLOMON

A labor of LGBT love four years in the making comes out of the virtual closet when Free State Legal Project begins accepting clients on May 23.

The nonprofit originated with an idea in the minds of a few law students and lawyers from the University of Baltimore and University of Maryland law schools—to “establish a pro bono legal services program that would begin to address the needs of lowincome LGBT persons.”

According to Lee Ann Hopkins, Esq., executive director of Free State Legal Project, the 16 current board members have been busy with development and raising money to get the venture off the ground. Hopkins was hired in March, and is “charged with launching Free State—shaking hands, assembling pro bono attorneys, and doing publicity in the community.”

While the work required to spearhead the organization encompasses more than a full-time job, Hopkins is up to the challenge. She’s been involved with LGBT activism since the late 1980s, when she clashed with the Episcopal Church over her “deep need to be ordained as an out lesbian,” a position the church did not support at the time.

Hopkins went on to the United Church of Christ as a clergywoman, then became a mediator, and finally landed in her current incarnation as lawyer and executive director at Free State.

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Although the group will assist with select high profile cases, such as the recent attack on a local transwoman, Free State will primarily accept six types of cases: Housing discrimination; Employment discrimination; Basic estate planning (including wills, power of attorney, and advance directives); Social Security disability; Changing gender and sex designations for birth certificates and other forms of identification; and Divorce and dissolution.

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“We’ll take any case, with my discretion, that I feel it would be an injustice not to take,” Hopkins said. “I think it’s important for the community to have that space to say, ‘Hey, what about this?’

Free State uses the MD Legal Services Corporation guidelines to determine if individuals and families are eligible for free legal representation. Qualifying individuals have an annual income of around $25,000; a family of four can have a combined annual income of approximately $50,000.

For LGBT community members who “fall just outside the income range” and still can’t afford legal services, Hopkins aims to provide reduced-fee services within the first year.

“Many people do wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives when they get married, but most community members have nothing to protect themselves. We’d like to offer mini workshops in this, and other topics, such as domestic partnership benefits, where individuals can come in and work with a lawyer in a group setting,” said Hopkins.

Free State currently has 18 lawyers who have volunteered their services, and Hopkins is confident the organization will attract more in the near future. She emphasizes the numerous benefits that outweigh what some might see as financial loss.

“To do good in the world only brings more good to you [and] this community has tremendous need,” Hopkins tells prospective pro bono lawyers. “Don’t you want to be a part of changing the discrimination rules in Maryland? Doesn’t that seem a worthwhile goal and purpose?” n DETAILS: Free State Legal Project, client intake by phone only, Mon. and Thurs. 9-1 pm, Wed. 5-7 pm, 410-625-LGBT (5428), FreeStateLegal.org.

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MAY 13 - MAY 26, 2011 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9

COMMUNITY

Gay Life Speaks with Equality Maryland Interim Executive Director

Photo courtesy Equality Maryland

Equality Maryland recently announced the hiring of Interim Executive Director Lynne Bowman to replace Morgan Meneses-Sheets. Bowman took time to answer our questions: GL: What are your primary goals as Interim Executive Director?

Interim Executive Director Lynne Bowman

LB: During this interim period, my primary focus is to stabilize and keep Equality Maryland moving forward. Internally, this means work in the operational, fundraising, and board development areas, as well as helping the board in their search for the organization’s next Executive Director. Additionally, we will continue the work around marriage equality and discrimination based on gender identity so that we don’t lose any of the momentum built in the 2011 Assembly.

GL: Where are you from? What is your professional background?

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

JeffKlugCounseling.com

LB: I was born and raised in Central Ohio where I currently live on a 21 acre compound with my partner of 18 years, our menagerie of animals and 7 members of our extended family. I have degrees in psychology and music and a master’s in administration. The first 17 years of my professional career were spent working in the developmental disabilities field. I’ve been involved in equality for LGBT people since 1999— first as a volunteer then professionally as the founding executive director of Equality Ohio and then working for Equality Federation. Most recently I was the Campaign Manager for Ohio’s democratic U.S. Senate candidate.

GL: With the failure of the Marriage Equality and Gender Identity AntiDiscrimination bills, as well as the recent departure of several EQMD staff members including former Executive Director Morgan MenesesSheets and Director of Development Matt Thorn, this has been a tumultuous spring for EQMD. Is it necessary to unite the EQMD team, and if so how do you plan to do that?

LB: The past month has been a difficult one for Equality Maryland as well as for everyone across the state and nation who worked hard to try to pass both pieces of legislation. Expectations for passage were so high and both bills ended up being recommitted, it is human nature to point fingers and Continued on page 14

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BALTIMORE GAYLIFE

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David Shippee (right) honors Rep. Elijah Cummings with an Advocacy Award for his support for community health care at the 2010 Gala.

Chase Brexton’s Got HeART

BY KELLY D. MCCLAIN

On May 21, Chase Brexton Health Services will have their annual gala at the American Visionary Art Museum.

It is called The HeART of Our Community: A Night of Food, Fun, Art, and Heart.

“The ‘HeART’ is about the art of health care,” said Alicia Gabriel, marketing manager of Chase Bexton, “the heart of what we do every day, and the belief that community health care and Chase Brexton’s services are at the heart of our community.”

Chase Brexton has been doing fundraising galas for more than 10 years in an effort to thank their donors and take time to reflect on the growth and success they have had throughout the year.

This year’s gala will include cocktails, art, dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. David H. Shippee, their former CEO, will be honored for “20 remarkable years of service.” [See tribute to Shippee on p. 15] Also honored will be one of their

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patients, Dorothea Townes, for her success and growth as an individual.

Townes went to Chase Brexton in 2004, when she was very sick, unemployed, and homeless. Since then, she has taken control of her health and taken back her life.

BELOW: Guests of the 2010 HeART of Our Community Fundraising Gala

Photos courtesy Chase Brexton

GALA

“The staff at Chase Brexton shows you that what they do is more than a job,” said Townes. “They give you so much compassion. You can see it and feel it, and it really makes a difference.”

Ten pieces of artwork from their Chase Brexton’s patients and staff will be showcased at the gala.

“This event has become more art-focused recently as a way to talk about the art of health care,” said Gabriel. “We use art to express our passion for health care, and to allow our patients and staff to express their feelings about Chase Brexton.” “[This] gala is an important fundraising event for the organization,” said Development Manager Natasha Lewis, “because all proceeds from

the silent auction and ticket sales will support and expand our programs and services, and allow us to continue to provide quality health care to individuals in our communities.”

Chase Brexton was founded as a volunteer-run, gay health clinic in Mt. Vernon in 1978. They now have four Maryland locations and provide the collaborative care of nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, therapists, psychiatrists, dentists, and case managers.

They “are strongly devoted to the belief

of providing open, unassuming care that values individuals.”

“Chase Brexton provides nearly $5 million in uncompensated care each year” to nearly 20,000 Marylanders said Lewis. n DETAILS: The HeART of Our Community Fundraising Gala. Saturday, May 21, 6pm. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. $150/ person, $1,350/table of 10. 410.837.2050 x4015, ChaseBrexton.org.

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outfront Photos courtesy McCormick & Schmick’s

DINING OUT

McCormick & Schmick’s Offers Seafood and a View

BY JOHN CULLEN & MARTY SHAYT

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McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant is situated at the end of Inner Harbor’s Pier 5 with great waterfront views and part of a chain covering 25 states. Inside, lots of dark wood, huge stained glass hanging light fixtures and white linens on the tables provide a casual yet upscale feel. The oversized one page menu is clearly focused on seafood with two dozen starter options ($6-20), soups ($5/ cup), side salads ($6-8), entrée salads ($15-18), five beef/chicken entrees ($18-34) and two dozen seafood entrées with many intriguing sounding preparations ($18-42).

Marty decided to start with fried calamari ($14), John with Portobello mushroom steak fries ($6), and our friend JT with a “wedge” salad ($8).

The calamari was basic but good and arrived with both a sweet chili and cocktail sauce. John’s “fries” with a horseradish mustard sauce were “OK;” they seemed oddly uniform in size and there was no trace of the horseradish cited in the menu. Our waiter doled out spoonfuls of diced tomato, blue cheese, and walnuts on top of JT’s large iceberg lettuce wedge and it exceeded his expectations.

For the main course, Marty ordered Opakapaka (red snapper) with Udon noodles and edamame in soy broth ($25), John went with fried catfish with fried green tomatoes and creole sauce ($19), JT opted for sea scallops ($28) with sautéed spinach, a risotto “cake,” and fried leeks while Marta decided on flounder parmesan crusted with capers, lemon butter and chives

($21). All of these (particularly Marty’s dish and Marta’s flounder with a colorful speckled crust) arrived looking really appetizing but in three out of four cases, the entrees didn’t deliver what we expected from the menu descriptions. Marty’s dish was rather bland, Marta’s crusted flounder tasted like plain fried fish, and John’s catfish had only a half teaspoon of the creole sauce that led him to order it.

Fortunately, JT expected no fancy seasoning with his scallops and was pleased with what he ordered.

We sampled three desserts – lemon sorbet (good but very tart and garnished with fresh lemon), key lime pie (good yet average), and cinnamon ice cream (bordering on excellent but missing a needed dash of cinnamon and dab of whipped cream on top).

John’s coffee arrived lukewarm and had to send it back; despite that, our waiter disappointingly brought a “refill” that was just as lukewarm.

While McCormick & Schmick’s is attractive with an enviable water view, it can be annoyingly noisy and tables are so tight that waiters kept brushing against us. The under-seasoned dishes didn’t offend (but didn’t excite) our taste buds and mostly fell disappointingly short of expectations raised by the menu’s descriptions. n DETAILS: McCormick & Schmick’s (Inner Harbor); 711 Eastern Ave. 410.234.1300. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week 11: 30am-11pm (til midnight on Fri/Sat). Full bar, limited vegetarian options, $10 valet. McCormickAndSchmicks.com.

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5/11/11 9:10 PM

Welcome

NUTRITION

Home

Photo courtesy USDA

Photo by W.J.Pilsak

Photo courtesy Dan Smith

Nutrition: Important for Every Body

BY MARK RIFKIN

As the nutritionist at Total Health Care, I often encounter doubt as to whether making better food choices actually matters. From patients who have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, to those with digestive, weight or chronic pain problems, many people simply don’t believe that nutrition makes any difference. These beliefs can be divided into three main types:

1) “It’s not under my control. My health problems all come from my genes, since my mother had it, and my aunt, and my grandmother too.”

This is a common misunderstanding.

Even though your genes do influence your health, they only affect about 5 to 10 percent of your risk. The rest is all you: your food choices, physical activity, emotional/mental health (including relationships, personal goals, stress, hobbies, overall happiness), hygiene (daily body care, sexual habits, sleep, use of legal and illegal drugs, medications, supplements), and personal environment (air and water quality, exposure to trash, insects, chemicals, physical hazards). These are the “Five Principles of Prevention,” and they determine 90 percent of your health.

And for those people who actually have the gene for a specific condition, how you apply the Five Principles can turn that gene on or off. Genes are not necessarily your destiny.

2) “It’s not my fault, it’s the government’s fault.”

At a recent health fair where I displayed the huge sugar content of several bottled drinks, one shocked patron asked, “Why do they [the government] have to do us like that?” Her complete lack of personal WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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responsibility was shocking. As if someone forced her to buy and drink 24-ounce bottles of carbonated sugar water, each with 300 calories. As if she couldn’t drink 8 ounces instead, let alone bottled water or city water. Even if high intakes of sugar, salt and fat are addictive (which is a possibility), the first principle of any addiction recovery program is acceptance of personal responsibility. And if we don’t get involved and tell the government what we want, we have no one to blame but ourselves. The quality of our food is our collective fault, and it can also be our collective blessing. But our government and our food is OURS, and so is the responsibility for it.

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3) “It won’t matter, because I can’t/won’t give up foods x, y and z. That healthy stuff tastes like cardboard, and everything else has salt/sugar/fat in it anyway.”

Giving up cookies and chocolate for broccoli and salad is not the answer.

The answer lies in finding the healthy foods and flavors you already enjoy or new flavors you could enjoy. And no, not everything that tastes good is bad for you. There are healthy, simple, tasty and practical food choices out there, but sometimes we need a little guidance. Even cookies and chocolate can fit into your new eating pattern.

Your food does matter, because food is medicine—on a daily basis, as well as for 30 years down the road. Now, where’s my cookie jar? n Mark Rifkin is a Registered Dietitian with Total Health Care, a health care provider that offers HIV programs, Substance Abuse services, as well as Adult Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Nutrition, and more. Visit TotalHealthCare.org or call 410-383-8300.

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headlinenews C

Photo courtesy Peter Tatchell Foundation

INTERNATIONAL

A

Conflicting Reports on Moscow Pride

Same-sex marriage activists presented a giant wedding card for Prince William and Kate Middleton outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on April 25.

Gay Activists Rally for Royal Wedding

B

NATIONAL Proponents Seek to Erase Prop 8 Strikedown because Judge did not Disclose Same-Sex Relationship

A

The proponents of California’s Proposition 8 on April 25 asked the federal District Court in San Francisco to nullify last year’s decision that struck down Prop 8 because now-retired Judge Vaughn Walker did not disclose at the time that he was in a same-sex relationship.

“Given that Chief Judge Walker was in a committed, long-term, same-sex relationship throughout this case (and for many years before the case commenced), it is clear that his ‘impartiality might reasonably [have been] questioned’ from the outset,” the Prop 8 proponents wrote in their motion to vacate judgment. Walker had an obligation either to recuse himself from the case, the filing says, or to disclose the relationship so that the parties in the case could have decided whether to request his recusal.

Gay rights lawyers derided the motion.

“This is a desperate and ill-advised move that underscores their inability to defend Prop 8 on the merits,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Lambda Legal’s Legal Director Jon Davidson added: “To say that Judge Walker should have disclosed his 10-year relationship with another man or that it made him unfit to rule on Proposition 8 is like saying that a married heterosexual judge deciding an issue in a divorce proceeding has to disclose if he or she is having marital problems and might someday be affected by legal rulings in the case. Or that any judge who professes any religious faith is unable to rule on any question of religious liberty or, at a minimum, must disclose what his faith teaches. Much like a suggestion that a female judge could not preside over a case involving sexual harassment or an African American judge could not preside over a case involving race discrimination, Proposition 8’s supporters improperly are suggesting that a judge will rule in favor of any litigant with whom he shares a personal characteristic.”

Firm Withdraws from DOMA Defense After President Barack Obama instructed the Justice Department in February to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in federal lawsuits, House of Representatives leaders took up the statute’s defense and hired the law firm King & Spalding, and attorney Paul Clement, to defend the prohibition on federal recognition of states’ same-sex marriages. King & Spalding then was strongly criticized by gay rights activists for accepting the job, in part because the firm was considered to have an LGBT-friendly reputation. On April 25, King & Spalding withdrew from the matter, with its chairman saying that “the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate.” Following King & Spalding’s withdrawal, Clement resigned from his job and accepted a position with another firm, where he said he will continue to defend DOMA.

B

Several recent reports from Moscow said that officials had greenlighted this year’s May 28 gay pride parade, which would have marked the first time in its six years of existence that the parade wasn’t officially banned. But on April 27, City Hall said those reports were incorrect and that organizers’ application is still being studied.

Pride co-organizer Nikolai Alekseev said it would not be surprising if the initial reports had been floated to gauge public opinion. On April 11, Moscow Pride got a final ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that previous years’ pride bans by the city’s ex-mayor were illegal.

C

Same-sex marriage activists presented a giant wedding card for Prince William and Kate Middleton outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on April 25. The card congratulated the royal couple on their wedding, which took place four days later, and urged them to support legalization of same-sex marriage. The United Kingdom currently offers same-sex couples civil partnerships that carry the same rights as marriage.The card said: “We wish you a happy life together. You can get married, gay people can’t. We are banned by law. We ask you to support marriage equality.” Organizer Peter Tatchell said the action was well-received.

A

“Everyone outside the palace expressed support for marriage equality. We didn’t get a single negative reaction,” he said.

Liechtenstein to Hold Voter Referendum on Partnership Law The same-sex registered-partnership law that passed Liechtenstein’s Parliament in March will be subjected to a voter referendum in June. Anti-gay forces turned in enough signatures on April 21 to mandate a vote, gay activists reported. The tiny nation, located between Switzerland and Austria, has about 18,500 voters.

The Liechtenstein lesbian and gay organization, FLay, says it needs financial support to mount a campaign to save the law, which is scheduled to come into force in September. For more information or to donate, see www.flay.li. To translate the site, paste the URL into translate.google.com.

B

Group Targets ‘Sissy Boot Camps’ International LGBT activist group All Out has launched a campaign to convince Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to ban what the group called “sissy boot camps.” According to activist groups, 66 teenage male students whom teachers deemed effeminate recently were sent to a state-government-sponsored camp in the state of Terengganu to unlearn such behavior and not end up gay. All Out said Malaysian activists will deliver a petition to Razak at the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, which takes place May 7-8 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The group is collecting signatures at allout.org/en/petition/malaysia.

D

Poland to Stop Blocking Foreign Same-Sex Marriages Poland will change a form that Poles must obtain before getting married abroad so that it no longer asks the name of the future spouse, the nation’s Campaign Against Homophobia said April 27. The group said some registry offices had refused to issue the required form when both future spouses appeared to be of the same sex.

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS PROVIDED BY REX WOCKNER WITH BILL KELLEY

Find complete news stories at BaltimoreGayLife.com/news.

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No Same-Sex Marriage for RI this Year The push to legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island this year is over because of a lack of support in the Senate, openly gay House Speaker Gordon Fox said April 27. Fox said he would try to pass a civil-union law instead. Lobby group Marriage Equality Rhode Island expressed “staunch opposition” to that plan. Freedom to Marry’s national campaign director, Marc Solomon, called Fox’s move “a serious miscalculation.”

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9 PAGE 11

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PERFORMANCE

SPECIAL MUSIC HIGHLIGHT

Love Stories Set to Music

Photos courtesy Center Stage

Compositions of Reynaldo Hahn inspired by lover Marcel Proust, and by the stormy affair of poets Verlaine and Rimbaud, performed in concert at An die Musik

BY DAVID BROWNING

Verlaine (left) and Rimbaud depicted in an 1872 painting by Henri Fantin-Latour

CABERET

Broadway’s Ken Roberson Returns to Center Stage

BY KRISTI METZGER

Ken Roberson returns to Baltimore and Center Stage for the final Cabaret of the season May 19-22. His Cabaret focuses on what it was like to grow up black and gay in the south.

Roberson was born and raised in Thomson, Ga. by a family that allowed him to express himself by dancing and clowning around every waking hour. He jokes that he made a seamless transition from college life to becoming successful on stage in New York, “if one skips over the years of struggling to make ends meet by holding down various and sundry jobs including foreign exchange transactions on Wall Street, marketing research, and playing a dancing shark at various bar mitzvahs.”

His early career included performing with a few New York City dance companies and traveling the world as a singer in two disco acts, including The Bombers and Fantasy.

Some of his other performances included the original musical jazz revue Black and Blue, Sophisticated Ladies, Oh’Kay, and George C. Wolfe’s Jelly’s Last Jam. Jelly’s Last Jam was also Roberson’s last jam as a Broadway dancer. During that show he was also the assistant choreographer. He then decided to focus on choreography and dancing. With Avenue X, Stupid Kids, The Minneola Twins, Freak, and California Suite to his credit, these shows led him to

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century France will come to life on a Baltimore stage when An die

Roberson on the set of Avenue Q

choreograph the U.S. Army Soldier Show as well as work with regional theaters such as Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Pasadena Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Long Wharf, and of course Center Stage.

At Center Stage, Robertson has previously performed in “The Matchmaker,” “Picnic,” and “An Ideal Husband.”

Roberson’s career leapt off the stage and onto the small screen with his choreography for John Lequizamo’s “House of Buggin’,” which was nominated for the best choreography Emmy, and HBO’s “Lackawanna Blues.”

His most recognizable work might be his contribution to the Tony award-winning musical “Avenue Q.” Roberson’s current work uses humor and wisdom to look back at his life. He recently choreographed “A Boy and His Soul” by Colman Domingo, which tells a tale of growing up and coming out.

Center Stage works to bring the community an eclectic blend of challenging, bold and thought-provoking work, representing a wide array of theatrical styles and forms, while collaborating with leading artists. n DETAILS: Ken Roberson’s Cabaret, May 19-22, Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. $35. 410.332.0033, CenterStage.org or KennethRoberson.com.

Musik LIVE! presents mezzo-soprano Alexis Tantau in a program of songs

by French composer Reynaldo Hahn on Sunday, May 22.

Photo by Felix Nadar

Performs last Cabaret of the season

wo of the most dramatic love stories of late 19th and early 20th

Reynaldo Hahn

The performance will feature 18 songs by Hahn (1874-1947) who composed music directly inspired by the poems of his lover Marcel Proust, as well as others including poet Paul Verlaine and author Victor Hugo.

By the age of nineteen, Hahn was recognized as a successful composer. He had started writing songs as early as age 8, and in 1888 his song, “Si mes vers avaient des ailes,” (“If my verses had wings,” poem by Victor Hugo) was published by the French newspaper, Le Figaro, securing Hahn’s reputation as a fine composer.

Mezzo-Soprano Alexis Tantau

Soon after he met writer Marcel Proust in 1894, the two became lovers. Proust was a demonstrative and affectionate partner. He observed that “…one is always inspired when speaking of what one loves. The truth is that one should never speak of anything else,” and “Everything I have ever done has always been thanks to Reynaldo.”

Hahn set some of Proust’s early poetry to music, including two series of piano compositions with narration. He gave Proust a photo of himself, on the back of which he’d scribbled a quote from Paul Verlaine’s poem “Green,” which Hahn had also set to music, and which opens with the line, “Here are fruits, flowers, leaves and branches...,” lines spoken by a young, eager lover who runs through fields gathering offerings to bring to his beloved. Proust knew, of course, that the next line reads: “…and here is my heart which beats only for you.”

Verlaine’s poems inspired many of Hahn’s most beautiful songs. Upon hearing the young composer’s 1890 collection of Verlaine songs entitled “Chansons grises,” (“Grey songs”) the poet was reported to have wept openly.

In September 1871, Verlaine received his first letter from fellow poet Arthur Rimbaud. By 1872, he had effectively abandoned his wife and their son, preferring the company of his new lover Rimbaud. Audiences might remember the 1995 film “Total Eclipse,” in which Leonardo di Caprio and David Thewlis portrayed the two BALTIMORE GAYLIFE

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poets. Their affair was a stormy one: in a drunken, jealous rage, Verlaine fired two pistol shots at Rimbaud, slightly wounding the younger poet, which led indirectly to Verlaine’s imprisonment.

The collection “Romances sans paroles” (“Songs without words”) was published while Verlaine was in prison and contains poems inspired by both Verlaine’s nostalgic recollections of married life and impressionistic sketches of his year-long romance with Rimbaud.

An die Musik, a small performance space with arm-chair seating for 80 people, is the perfect venue for these songs, which were originally performed

in the intimate spaces of aristocratic and fashionable salons of early 20th century Paris.

“L’Heure exquise: Songs of Reynaldo Hahn: An exploration of the mélodie of a 19th century Parisian composer, pianist, and singer” will be presented

by Alexis Tantau (Mezzo-Soprano) and Elizabeth Brown (Piano). A reception to meet the artists will follow the performance of this exquisitely romantic music. n DETAILS: L’Heure exquise: Songs of Reynaldo Hahn. An die Musik LIVE!, 409 N. Charles St. May 22, 3pm. $10. AndieMusikLIVE.com.

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KHOV.com/Skyview *Prices, terms and features subject to change without notice and only two homes will be offered at this base price. Lot premiums may apply and community association fees are required. Closing cost assistance valid only with the use of K. Hovnanian American Mortgage and approved title companies. Offer not good in CT, NJ and NY. Void where prohibited. Elevation Rendering shown may not be the exact product to be built. **This is a specifically designed CDA with qualifying guidelines. Homes priced at $279,990 cannot be combined with the $7500 Moves You In program. Offer applies only to new contracts written by 6/30/2011 and is not retroactive. Licensed by the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation.

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BOWMAN Continued from page 6

try to place blame. Unfortunately, it is also way too easy to forget that because of the work of Morgan, the brave legislators who stood up for equality, and all of the individuals and organizations across the state and nation who worked on both pieces of legislation, these two issues moved further than they ever had before. That should be celebrated. Part of my job in the next four months will be to work with all of the different voices of the community to develop a plan building off of the hard work that has already been done that will achieve the goals we are all ultimately seeking— protections based on gender identity and marriage equality.

GL: Many in the transgender community did not agree with EQMD’s decisions to support the Gender Identity AntiDiscrimination Bill because it did not cover public accommodations. How do you plan to reach out the transgender community now?

LB: I believe it is important that there are strong voices speaking out about the importance of the full inclusion of gender identity in Maryland’s anti-discrimination laws. And I don’t believe that should just be Equality

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Maryland. In the week that I have been in Maryland, I have already reached out to many in the transgender community and I expect that you will see the partnership between this organization and others in the state who care about issues related to gender identity become stronger as we prepare for the next Assembly.

GL: If you were to make one recommendation or suggest one action for the community to prepare for the next session, what would it be?

LB: Tell your story. It’s really that simple. The research shows that when people know our stories, they are more likely to be with us. If protections based on gender identity are important to you, tell people why. If marriage is important to you, share it. We will not move either piece of legislation forward by simply relying on facts and figures. What ultimately makes a difference is the human side of the equation and no organization, no coalition, no single legislator can make the impact that your story, told from the heart, can make. Tell your story.

To read the full interview, visit BaltimoreGayLife.com.

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firstperson TRIBUTE

Chase Brexton Honors David Shippee The man who changed the face of HIV/AIDS treatment in Baltimore leaves leadership position after 20 years patients, and the strength of its budget. Throughout its growth, however, Shippee has never led Chase Brexton astray from its original foundation: a safe, supportive health center for the gay community.

In 1991, when David H. Shippee began his tenure as Chief Executive Officer at Chase Brexton Health Services, the organization was still fairly small.

Founded as a gay men’s health clinic in 1978, the facility was run from a single location in Baltimore, with about nine fulltime employees, 70 volunteers, and a budget of about $600,000, about 85 percent of which came from grants.

At the time, the organization was focused on a crisis: HIV. During those early years, a positive test result meant impending death. It was a disease that seemed to target gay men. But as time showed, it was not a gay disease. The victims were from all communities.

When Shippee came to Chase Brexton, the organization was well-versed in HIV. But, like all crises, there were more casualties than those directly infected by the disease. And Shippee saw that.

Prior to Chase Brexton, Shippee served four years as the administrative director of the AIDS Treatment Program at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. That experience led him to understand the scope of HIV/AIDS as farther reaching, and more complex, than Chase Brexton was able to provide. So, Shippee led Chase Brexton in reaching out to the partners, mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents of the HIV-stricken—they, after all, were in need of health care, too.

During the past two decades, Shippee’s leadership has guided Chase Brexton on a mission to heal communities. Adding services like primary care for children, women’s wellness, substance abuse treatment, and dental care, the organization has grown— in the size of its staff, the number of WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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“Though our geographic and demographic diversity has increased substantially, I have always believed the core of our work has been to welcome those in need of care without judgment,” noted Shippee. “For LGBT individuals, especially, this is vital to their physical and emotional health—and we would be denying our roots, our mission, and our vision were we not to provide a safe, affirmative place for their care.”

Today, Chase Brexton provides care for more than 17,000 individuals. Its annual budget exceeds $46 million and it is one of the largest federally-funded community health centers in Maryland.

Its four locations in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Talbot County, see patients from every walk of life. It is also one of the few providers in Maryland to offer care for the transgender community.

“We’ve grown a lot during the past 20 years,” remarked Dr. Tracey Gersh, chief programming officer at Chase Brexton. “During my 13 years working with David, it has been incredible to watch him lead us through that growth.

His ability to balance business and mission has inspired us and enabled us to remain committed to that growth—because we know we won’t leave our passion behind in the process.”

On April 27, 2011, David H. Shippee walked out of the doors of Chase Brexton Health Services for the last time after twenty years of remarkable service as CEO. Relocating to be closer to his family in Albany, NY, Shippee will continue his work in community health care. His absence at Chase Brexton will be felt profoundly. However, Shippee leaves Chase Brexton not simply better than when he found it, but poised to be a model of community health care for the nation. The community thanks him for his service, and is extraordinarily grateful for the gifts he has given, which extend far beyond the time he served with Chase Brexton.

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9 PAGE 15

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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.

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outgoing SPOTLIGHT

Hunks in Trunks Raise Funds for AIDS Action

BY DELLA MOSLEY ot guys? Check. Hot venue? Check. Huge cause? Check. The R Group is gearing up to deliver all three at their 6th annual charity fashion show and auction Hunks in Trunks Wednesday, May 18 at Red Maple. The event kicks off with a fashion show during which all-male models from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. will be donning swimsuits donated by designer Andrew Christian. The event turns interactive after the fashion show as the hunks work for bids during the auction portion of the night.

H Event Info Hunks in Trunks

Wed. May 18, 7:30-11:30pm Red Maple, 930 N. Charles St. Tickets: $22, ($39 couples) HunksInTrunks.org

“You can’t bid on the guys, but you can bid on the clothes off their backs,” said Ted Hart, founder of the R Group, Maryland’s largest gay and lesbian social group with over 1,580 members. Participants can enjoy sounds by DJ Alex Funk and host Shawnna Alexander. And during the after party (also at Red Maple) guests can mingle with models throughout the night.

The models are raising money for AIDS Action Baltimore, a non-profit organization supporting people with HIV. Learn more at AIDSActionBaltimore.org.

“Doubt: A Parable ” opens: Pulitzer Prize winning play tells a gripping story of suspicion. Thru 6/12. $16-20. Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St. Spotlighters.org “The Will-o-the-Wisps”: An impassioned story of broken hearts and revenge from beyond the grave. Thru 5/22. $30-75. Emmanuel Episcopal Church.811 Cathedral St. 410.685.1130.

Eclipse! at Club Orpheus: Dance to a mesmerizing light show with video projectors, lasers, and strobes. 9pm. 18+. Club Orpheus. 1003 E. Pratt St. ClubOrpheus.webs.com Ride for the Feast: Hundreds of cyclists participate in this annual, two-day, 140-mile bike ride from Ocean City to Baltimore. Proceeds benefit Moveable Feast. MFeast.org or RidefortheFeast.org

Baltimore Frontrunners and Walkers: Running and walking club for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered individuals and their friends. 8:45am–11:15am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston Street, Canton BaltimoreFrontrunners.org Speed Regime vs. Night Terrors: An epic clash of regional rivals.

Price varies. 5:30–10pm. Du Burns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Ave. CharmCityRollergirls.com Chase Brexton: The Heart of Our Community Gala 2011: (See article, p.7) $150. 6:30-10pm. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. ChaseBrexton.org Baltimore Men’s Chorus “Beginnings and Endings” Concert & Silent Auction: (See article, p.13) University of Baltimore, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. BaltimoreMensChorus.com The HeART of Baltimore: Annual fundraiser for Art with a Heart, the visual arts program serving underserved children, youth, and adults. 7-10:30pm. $75-85. Thames Street Wharf, 1300 Thames St. ArtWithAHeart.net Anti-Hate Prom: Dance the Hate Away. The GLCCB, Hollaback Bmore!, and the Den encourage you to wear what you would have worn to prom if there were no hate, no judgment, and no fear. $5 with prom attire, $7 without. The Windup Space. 12 W. North Ave. Bmore. iHollaback.org/Events

NATIONAL MARITIME DAY

New Wave Singers: LGBT chorus sings at church service. 10am. Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Rd. 410.435.9188, GovansPres.org Straight Eights Car Club Cruise-In: Get to know members of the Straight Eights and see all the great new, old, restored, and original cars. 3pm. PW’s Sports Bar and Grill parking lot 9855, Washington Blvd. Laurel, 301.498.4840, PWSportsBar.com.

Monday, May 16 Karaoke at Grand Central: Hosted by Nikki Cox. 10pm. 1001 N. Charles St. 410.752.7133. CentralStationPub.com

Tuesday, May 17

John Waters Book Signing: Water signs paperback copies of “Role Models.” 7pm. Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd. 410.662.4444, AtomicBooks.com

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

Straight Eights Car Club Road Rally to Annapolis: Car enthusiasts can celebrate their love for automobiles in an accepting atmosphere.

10:30am. Hollywood Shopping Center, 9801 Rhode Island Ave, College Park. Straight8s.net

HIV VACCINE AWARENESS DAY

Baltimore Frontrunners and Walkers: Running and walking club for LGBT individuals and their friends. 8:45–11:15am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St, BaltimoreFrontrunners.org

Hunks in Trunks: (See article above). Tickets: $22-254. Proceeds benefit AIDS Action Baltimore. Red Maple, 930 N. Charles St. 930RedMaple.com

Umoja Gaelica w/ Lea Gilmore: A transcendent night of Celtic music fused with African-American traditions hosted by a charismatic vocal star. Arrive early for drinks in the new Marquee Lounge. 6pm lounge, 8pm show. $12-17. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

“Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw: A comedy about class and human relationships. Directed by Eleanor Holdridge. Thru 6/19. $1042. Everyman Theatre, 1727 N. Charles St. EverymanTheatre.org

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Frederick AIDS Awareness Walk: 2nd annual Frederick AIDS Awareness Walk. 9am. 201 Fairview Ave. and Baker Park, Frederick.

FCOB.net

Sunday, May 22

Saturday, May 14

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

ARMED FORCES DAY

Sunday Funday: Headliners Amos Lee, Josh Ritter, and Eric Hutchinson with Bobby Long, Justin Jones, and Mason Jennings. 2pm. $20-65. Pier Six Pavilion. 731 Eastern Ave. Tickets.PierSixPavilion.com

PFLAG Howard County Parent Forum: Are you the parent of an LGBT child of any age? Are you interested getting support, helping others, learning more? 7:30-9pm. Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, PFLAGmd.org

Spring Social: Food, fun, and dance for LGBT youth and allies ages 14 to 21. 7-10pm. Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Rd., Hyattsville. http://bit.ly/mhNnon

Saturday, May 21

Sunday, May 15

Emma’s Revolution: These queer activist musicians perform a rare hometown concert. All ages. $7-15. 7:30pm. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mt. Rainier, MD. 301.699.1819, JoesMovement.org

Rehab at Sappho’s: Come party at Sappho’s exclusive ladies lounge. $5. 1001 N. Charles. St. CentralStationPub.com/Sapphos

Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Movies: Conductor Jack Everly lads the BSO in a performance of musical scores from favorites like “Oklahoma” and “The King and I.” $48-96. 8pm. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln, Bethesda. May 21-22 at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. BSOMusic.org.

“Natural Order”: Artist Kelly Walker’s opening reception. 7pm. Silo Point Lobby, 1200 Steuart St.

DATEBOOK Friday, May 13

Friday, May 20

Wednesday, May 18 BINGO!: Hosted by Roger Dimick. Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W.Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Frederick AIDS Walk registration deadline: Frederick AIDS Awareness Walk is a 5K fundraising walk benefiting individuals and families living with HIV in Frederick. Register at FCOB.net

Thursday, May 19 Cabaret of Ken Roberson: (See article, p.12) Thru May 22. $35.

Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Centerstage.org

Alexis Tantau sings songs of Reynaldo Hahn: (See article, p. 12) $10.

An die Musik, 409 N. Charles St. 2nd Floor. AnDieMusikLive.com Human Rights Campaign Clergy Call: Join HRC’s Religion and Faith Program and hundreds of fellow religious leaders from across the country to build the faithful movement for LGBT justice. $50. Thru 5/ 24. Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church & Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Religion@hrc.org

Wednesday, May 25 BINGO!: Hosted by Roger Dimick. Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. ClubHippo.com

Thursday, May 26 DC Black Pride 2011: DC Black Pride celebrates 21 years of building a stronger Black LGBT community. Thru 6/29. 1806 Vernon St, NW Suite 200 Washington, DCBlackPride.org “Knife on Bone” opens: Against the backdrop of a meatpacking plant, necessity and a series of snap decisions bring one young couple to the brink of an almost impossible choice. Thru 5/29. Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. CenterStage.org

Friday, May 27 Sunset on the Patio: Join the GLCCB for a fundraiser hosted by the Baltimore Eagle. 50/50 raffle, special guests, and more on the Eagle’s lovely patio. We’ll be giving a sneak peek of upcoming Pride 2011.

Proceeds benefit the GLCCB. 5-9pm. FREE. Baltimore Eagle, 2022 N. Charles St. TheBaltimoreEagle.com or 410-837-5445

For additional details and more events, please visit the NEW Gay Life calendar online at BaltimoreGayLife.com/Events EMAIL YOUR EVENT INFO TO CALENDAR@BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Compiled by Arnesia Thomas VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9 PAGE 17

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afterhours

APRIL 2011

BSCENE

“Pride & Sexuality” Exhibition at MICA

The School 33 Lotta Art Benefit at Silo Point

PHOTOS COURTESY MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART

PHOTOS BY LINDA SOARS

Charm City Volleyball Invitational 26

USA We Like It, BB Division, First Place

Harrisburg Swallows, B Division, First Place

PHOTOS BY JOHN KARDYS

Puerto Rico Tropical Mixxxers, A Division, First Place

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marketplace PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST GROUP FACILITATOR POSITION

Non-profit mental health services org. for LGBTQA community. $15.48/ hr. 13hrs/wk. Responsibilities inc: attracting, obtaining & maintaining active mbrshp & involvement through Peer Support Groups. Must have exp. in group facilitation & teaching of basic life skills. HeartsandEars.org Resume to: heartsandears@toast.net or Hearts and Ears PO Box 1296 Balt. Md. 21217

MODELING

Models males athletic or great face. $30/hr. No charges to applicants. Call 410.719.6246 after 12:00 noon.

DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE:

Volunteer with GAYNEW LIFE! CREATIVE

Many Intern/Volunteer spots available!

PLEASE BEGIN RUNNING: JAN, 2011 RunTFN. Including:

PLEASE DESTROY OLD AD COPY Graphic Design

Writers, Photographers, & Clerical

CLIENT: PUBLICATION: AD SIZE: POSITIONING: AD REP: EMAIL PDF TO:

First media/Hardline BALTIMORE GayLifE 1/4pg - 4.75 x 5.5” FC Right hand page/outside edge - with other c Andy Liu Phone: 410.837.7748 Fax: 410.837 sales@baltimoregaylife.com

PUBLICATION ISSUE DATE: Friday (Bi-weekly) AD DEADLINE: Friday before

Email editor@baltimoregaylife.com for more details!

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410.468.4000 Columbia

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443.558.0558 Washington, D.C.

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9 PAGE 19

5/11/11 9:10 PM

There is no ci y more Divine han Bal imore. Kinda kitschy. Kinda funky. Definitely quirky. And always ready to welcome you with open arms. That’s Baltimore, the town that inspires John Waters—and will absolutely captivate you. Start with the American Visionary Art Museum, where you can gaze upon a larger-than-life statue of Divine, starlet of Hairspray, Polyester and other memorable films. Then explore eclectic neighborhoods like Hampden, Fell’s Point and Federal Hill. Take in a Broadway show, then hit the town for an evening of dinner and drinks in the chic Mount Vernon District, the heart of Baltimore’s thriving gay community. To learn more, call 1-877-Bal imore or visit Bal imore.org/lgb .

“Divine” sculpture by Andrew Logan

Celebra e Bal imore Pride, June 18-19, 2011 • Learn more a Bal imore.org/lgb .

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