NOVEMBER 14-NOVEMBER 27, 2008 VOLUME XXX, NUMBER 22 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM
IN THIS ISSUE
PAGE 7: GAYS LOSE MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA
PAGE 33: A FEW QS: MATT ALBER
PAGE 36: ONE BIG TRIP : AN INTERVIEW WITH RAPHAEL KADUSHIN
WHAT’S INSIDE FEATURES PAGE 11
PAGE 28 – FICTION
Remembering the lost and Looking Forward: Transgender Day of Remembrance to be Observed on Thursday, November 20.
Death Defier. By Shayna Rockswell
PAGE 36
Joe Squared. By John Cullen with Marty Shayt
One Big Trip: An Interview with Raphael Kadushin
NEWS PAGE 5 – LOCAL NEWS GLCCB Expands Board of Directors; Norman Thomas, Founding Member of the GLCCB, Dies at 66; Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore Celebrates 8th Anniversary; Only for the Grown and Sexy; New Ladies’ Lounge Opening in DC; Mix it Up at Baltimore’s Newest Gay Bar. Compiled by Maddy Dwertman
241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410.837.7748 Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: editor@baltimoregaylife.com
PAGE 30 - DINING OUT PAGE 30 – PENCIL ME IN Calendar. Compiled by Maddy Dwertman
PAGE 32 - MUSIC Brazilian Girls and Guys. By DJ Alex Funk A Few Qs: Matt Alber The former Chanticleer crooner dishes about diversity, not-so-divine intervention, and his debut album, Hide Nothing. By Mikey Rox
PAGE 35 - HEALTH
PAGE 7 – NATIONAL NEWS
Find Your Feet. By Kelly D. McClain
Gay Lose Marriage in California; Father and Son Marry Partners in Palm Springs Double Weddings; FBI: Anti-Gay Hate Crimes Rise; Connecticut Same-Sex Marriage could Start Nov. 10; Lesbian Huffington Post Writer Kills Wife, Self; L.A. Times Trans Sportswriter Reverts to Previous Gender. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley.
PAGE 36 - TRAVEL
PAGE 10 – INTERNATIONAL NEWS
One Big Trip: An Interview with Raphael Kadushin. By Tim Miller
COMMUNITY & COLUMNS
Malaysian Fatwa Targets Lesbians; Swedish COurts Rule in 3 Lesbian Cases; Vancouver to Host 2011 Outgames; Trans People and GLBT Activist Arrested in India; Australian Activist Seek Apology from Jerry Lewis; Trans Marriage Case Begins in Malta. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley.
PAGE 39 – LEATHER
OPINIONS
FOR FUN
PAGE 18
PAGE 38 – Q PUZZLE We Always Get Our Mantra
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Making up my Mind. By Gwendolyn Ann Smith
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The Once Powerful, but Now Pipsqueak Magician. By David Placher
By Marry Elaine
Brian Flottemesch President of GLCCB Maddy Dwertman Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com
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CONTRIBUTORS Nicole Bettis Tim Miller Rev. Irene Monroe John Cullen Marry Elaine David Placher Mario Fernandez Shayna Rockswell Alex Funk MIkey Rox Bill Kelley Marty Shayt Sir Andy Liu Gwendolyn Ann Smith Marvelous Marva Rex Wockner
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.
LHAC: He is the Chosen One: Barak Obama. By Marvelous Marva Proposition 8 is Not about Black Homophobia. By Rev. Irene Monroe
From the Top. By SirK Flogger Tales. By Sir Andy Liu
PAGE 41 - COMMUNITY CALENDAR
PAGE 42 – HOMOSTROLOGY PAGE 43 – QUOTE UNQUOTE By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley
PAGE 44 – POSTAGE Letters to the Editor.
IMHO: What Price Beauty? By Mario Fernandez
PAGE 46– BSCENE
Coming From Where I’m From. By Nicole Bettis
Maryland Leather 2008 and Halloween in Baltimore. Photos by Jay W.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 26 – THEATER On the Stage
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LOCAL NEWS GLCCB Expands Board of Directors The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) is pleased to announce the addition of three outstanding individuals to its Board of Directors—Simon C. Hu, Carlton Ray Smith and Kalima Young. Simon C. Hu, MBA, CRPC (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor) is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise. Hu works with individuals to create plans to simplify their overall financial picture and provide long-term strategies for goals, such as retirement, managing taxes and preserving wealth. His areas of focus include: domestic partner planning and general financial planning; income tax and retirement planning; investment advice; charitable giving; and Simon C. Hu asset allocation, among others. Hu became involved with the GLCCB during fall 2007 and continues to hold free monthly financial planning seminars at the GLCCB and to sponsor Pride in the Arts. Carlton Ray Smith, former Vice President of the GLCCB, former President Emeritus of the Board of Directors for the Health Education Resource Organization (HERO), and former Executive Director/CEO and founder of Baltimore Black Gay Pride, has been active in serving Baltimore’s LGBT community for years. Currently Senior Outreach Coordinator at the Baltimore City Health Department, Smith is a deacon with Unity Fellowship Church of Carlton Smith Baltimore, an active member of the Greater Baltimore HIV Health Services Planning Council and affiliated with the People of Color Leadership Forum, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) and the National Association for People with AIDS (NAPWA). Smith has also been involved with many outreach programs for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the African-American community, including OutFront and the Central Maryland Gay and Bisexual Men’s Health Consortium. Upon returning to the Board last month, Smith has already begun planning a World AIDS Day Event to be held at the GLCCB on December 1. A native of Baltimore, Kalima Young directs an adolescent HIV research project at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and has been working on behalf of sexual minority youth for eight years. She teaches gay and lesbian studies at Towson University and owns/operates Kubla Khan Productions, a gay and lesbian film production company in Baltimore. She recently completed a Pride 2008 highlights video to promote the GLCCB and Baltimore Pride efforts. For additional information about the GLCCB, visit www.glccb.org.
Obituary
Norman Thomas, Founding Member of the GLCCB, Dies at 66 Norman Thomas, a founding member of the Baltimore Gay Alliance (BGA) and Gay Community Center of Baltimore (now Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore—GLCCB), died from MRSA at age 66 on Saturday, October 25, at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Thomas was among the men and women who came together in 1975 to form Baltimore’s first gay organization, the BGA. A member of BGA’s Board of Directors since its inception in 1975, Thomas served as Treasurer until 1977 when the Gay Community Center was established. As the organization’s Treasurer and a member of the Board of Trustees for its first six years, Thomas was instrumental in the purchase of the building at 241 W. Chase Street where the GLCCB remains today. He remained active and visible in Baltimore’s LGBT community throughout his lifetime. Thomas, a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, was also one of the first African-American shop owners in downtown Baltimore. In the late 1970s, he acquired Artisans, a china and gift shop in Mt. Vernon, which he owned and operated for 15 years. Thomas is survived by first and second cousins. A celebration of Norman Thomas’s life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 15 at Chase House (1027 Cathedral Street).
Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore Celebrates 8th Anniversary The number eight represents new beginnings. On Friday, November 14, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore (UFCB) will celebrate its 8th Church Anniversary. Affiliated with the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, which was founded over 25 years ago by Archbishop Carl Bean, UFCB is committed to social justice and works to create a world where the divinity of all people is recognized, honored and celebrated. “Building a people, a church and a community, for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6, KIV), has been our theme for this entire year,” explained Deacon Sean Robinson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “We are clear it’s been a long, hard road, but our ministry continues to uphold the bloodstained banner and to illustrate the central tenet of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, which is ‘God is love and love is for everyone’. We not only recognize that we have come this far by faith, but we also recognize that UFCB would not have made it without the love of its members and supporters.” UFCB’s wonderful evening of celebration will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Pier 5 Hotel (711 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, MD 21202). UFCB’s very own Bishop Jacqueline Holland, Bishop of Unity Fellowship Church Movement’s Third Jurisdiction (Mid-Atlantic), will be the keynote speaker. “It is destined to be a night full with a celebration of praise,” Deacon Robinson affirmed. Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore is located at 4007 Old York Rd., Baltimore, MD. Worship services are held every Sunday at 11 a.m. For tickets and additional information about the 8th anniversary celebration, call 410-244-0884.
What are you thinking? editor@baltimoregaylife.com www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E • N o v e m b e r 1 4 - N o v e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 0 8 • PA G E 5
LOCAL NEWS Only for the Grown and Sexy: New Ladies’ Lounge Opening in DC by Shayna Rockswell there's Coconuts and I've been there several times, but I was just looking for something different…so I made it myself. I thought, what would be the type of place I would want to be at? And Lace is it," McAllister beams. And it shows.
L
“WHERE EVERY NIGHT IS LADIES NIGHT !”
Stepping into Lace is like stepping into a secret pleasure palace. With its ultra-modern furnishings, ornate chandeliers and sophisticated detailing of everything from the pink lit bar to the paisley print wall paper, it’s hard to believe a space like this could exist behind its rather non-descript facade on Rhode Island Avenue. Seriously, this place is sexy. So sexy that it is well worth the 45-minute trip from Baltimore just to use its bathrooms. Nothing remains of the building’s tattoo parlor days. "I bought it about three years ago and just gutted the whole thing," says owner Linda McAllister. "There's no real space like this for women here in DC, let alone a woman-owned space. You know, in Baltimore,
Even with its dance floor still taped and tarped, it’s easy to image throngs of women, young and old, gathering here—sipping martinis in fancy glasses, nibbling on spicy appetizers hot from its fully-functioning kitchen, catching an episode of the L Word on one of its many flat screen TV's, and straight up grinding on a VIP section white leather couch. This place is not your average neighborhood dyke bar. "At Lace, every night is ladies night," says McAllister, adding that she hopes that Lace will not only be recognized as an exclusive bar or lounge, but that it will become a haven, a community pillar for ladies in the life, in DC and beyond.
HERO to Shut Doors within Weeks The Health Education Resource Organization, Inc. (HERO), Baltimore's oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the provision of HIV/AIDS-related services, has posted a notice in its windows indicating it will be closing effective November 26.
For over 25 years, HERO has provided an array of core and support services that expand across the HIV continuum of care, including medical and non-medical case management; prevention education; mental health and substance abuse treatment; client advocacy, HIV counseling, testing and referral, financial and housing assistance; and legal services. According to the organization’s website, HERO serves over 2,500 individuals infected with HIV and 500 at-risk individuals each year in the Baltimore
Metropolitan Area.
HERO has been plagued by financial troubles since 2004 when a federal investigation into the organization’s spending commenced. Leo Ortega, then executive director whom staff alleged had misappropriated funds for personal gain, resigned in 2007, and the organization has continued to provide critical services under two other executive directors. According to the Baltimore Sun, City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein explained that the city and state health departments and Baltimore Homeless Services have decided to reallocate HERO’s federal grants to other providers by midDecember in an effort to “protect the patients.” HERO clients, however, are outraged about the news and wondering where they are supposed to go.
Lace, located at 2214 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, is set to open its doors to the grown and sexy on Saturday, November 15. Lace will be open 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. on November 15 and 16, with drink specials from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. and a complimentary champagne toast on opening night. Cover Charge $10. No Athletic Wear.
Mix It Up at Baltimore’s Newest Gay Bar Looking to venture out of the gayborhood (or tired of driving to Mt. Vernon to find a gay bar)? Mixers, located at 6037 Belair Road, is not your average neighborhood bar, but may quickly become the gay destination bar on Baltimore’s North East side. When Thirsty’s went out of business earlier this year, owners Bobby Jones and Shawn Clark purchased the building and gave it a major face-lift before opening the doors to Mixers in June 2008. “We wanted to open a bar outside of the downtown scene that is clean and cheap,” explains Jones. “There is a huge gay clientele in the area, especially homeowners, who want a comfortable, local place to hang out in.” With freshly-painted walls, new seating, flashy signage and a heated smoking patio, it’s no surprise that the dance floor stays packed with ladies every Friday night. And, with 2 for 1 domestic beers and rail drinks during happy hour (and the most expensive drink priced at $5!), it’s the perfect spot to wind down after work or get started early for a late night out on the town. Mixers is open Monday through Saturday 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. and Sunday Noon – 2 a.m. Happy hour is Monday-Thursday 5 – 9 p.m. and all day Sunday. PA G E 6 • O c t o b e r 1 6 - O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 0 8 • G A Y L I F E • www.baltimoregaylife.com
NATIONAL NEWS by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley
Gays Lose Marriage in California Gays lost marriage at the ballot box in California Nov. 4. Voters voted 52.4 percent to 47.6 percent to amend the state constitution to negate the May 2008 state Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage. Theories abound as to why Proposition 8 passed, even though the polls showed it would lose. Was it because the gay side's wellfunded TV ads were so bad and the other side's well-funded TV ads were so effective? Was it because blacks turned out in large numbers to vote for Barack Obama and 70 percent of them voted for Prop 8? Was it the Catholics who got fired up two days earlier by priests preaching from the pulpits? Polling showed that only 44 percent of Catholics supported Prop 8, but 64 percent of them ended up voting for it. Was it because people lie to pollsters if telling the truth would make them seem like bigots? And what happens now? Are the 18,000 same-sex couples that have married in California still married? No one knows. Though state Attorney General Jerry Brown has opined that Prop 8 is not retroactive. The California Constitution now states, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Does that make the California Constitution in conflict with itself, given that the state Supreme Court found that the constitution contains a fundamental right to same-sex marriage?
"Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group—lesbian and gay Californians," said the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities," the groups said. "According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first." Legal experts said these arguments have merit but may be a long shot. So, for the time being, if you want to marry someone of the same sex in the United States, you must head for Massachusetts or Connecticut. At press time, same-sex marriage was expected to become possible in Connecticut on Nov. 12 when a Superior Court judge was expected to enter final judgment in a case that was decided by the state Supreme Court. Massachusetts has let same-sex couples marry since 2004, when the Supreme Judicial Court struck down a law that limited marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Will & Grace Creator Marries
Lawyers for the gay side filed suit in the state Supreme Court on Nov. 5 seeking to stop Prop 8 from taking effect.
Max Mutchnick, a creator and executive producer of TV's Will & Grace, got married to lawyer Erik Hyman on Oct. 25 in Beverly Hills.
They said Prop 8 is more than an amendment to the constitution. It is, they said, a revision that fundamentally alters the guarantee of equal protection.
"We wanted to be a part of the wave of same-sex couples getting married before the election," Mutchnick told The New York Times.
Constitutional revisions require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to reach the ballot. Prop 8 got there by activists' collecting signatures on petitions.
The couple has been together for two years. They moved in together a week after meeting and have never spent a night apart since. Mutchnick told The Times that
Between at least 7,000 (police estimate) and 10,000 people marched against Proposition 8 on Nov. 8 in San Diego, from Hillcrest, the primary gayborhood, to North Park, the secondary gayborhood – a distance of about two miles. The protest was organized "virally" – via e-mail and, primarily, text messages. Another virally organized anti-Prop 8 demo the Saturday before the election drew similar numbers. Gay street actions of this size are unheard-of in San Diego, apart from Pride, which draws around 150,000 people to Hillcrest each July. Big anti-Prop 8 protests are taking place across the state, suggesting the gay masses have been awakened. Prop 8, passed by voters Nov. 4, amended the state constitution to negate the state Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, which had been legal since June 16. Wockner News photo by Fergal O'Doherty.
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NAT’L NEWS Father and Son Marry Partners in Palm Springs Double Wedding
Charles Robbins, executive director of The Trevor Project, and Damon Romine, director of entertainment media at the Gay & Lesbian AlliancemAgainst Defamation, got married Nov. 2 in Palm Springs in a double ceremony that also saw Romine's father, David, marry his partner, Larry Barrett. From left: Robbins, Damon Romine, David Romine and Barrett. Photo by David A. Lee Charles Robbins, executive director of The Trevor Project, the national suicide-prevention helpline for gay youth, and Damon Romine, director of entertainment media at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, got married Nov. 2 in Palm Springs in a double ceremony that also saw Romine's father, David, marry his partner, Larry Barrett. Robbins, 46, and Damon Romine, 42, have been together for nine years and Barrett and David Romine have been together for 16 years. It was believed to be California's first same-sex double wedding ceremony shared by a father and son. Same-sex marriage became legal in California on June 16, following a Supreme Court ruling, and became illegal again on Nov. 4, following passage of a ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to negate the ruling. Gay groups have filed suit to block the amendment from taking effect. At press time, the state Supreme Court had not ruled on the case, and county officials had stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
WILL & GRACE - Continued from page 7 Hyman is the most intelligent and confident man he's ever met, and the only one he's met who can withstand his insecurities and histrionics.
ing the state constitution to say, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
Hyman said he fell hard for Mutchnick's passion, charm and humor.
Gay groups have filed suit to block the amendment from taking effect. At press time, the state Supreme Court had not ruled on the case, and county officials had stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The couple has two daughters, who were born to a surrogate. California voters ended same-sex marriage in the state Nov. 4, amend-
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FBI: Anti-Gay Hate Crimes Rise Recorded hate crimes were down in the U.S. by about 1 percent last year, except for anti-gay hate crimes, which increased 6 percent, the FBI said Oct. 27. More than 7,600 hate-crime incidents were cataloged. Sexual-orientation-based hate crimes were the third most common, after crimes based on race and religion. The crimes included vandalism, destruction of property, intimidation and assault. The report was produced from data provided by more than 13,000 lawenforcement agencies that serve about 85 percent of the U.S. population.
Connecticut Same-Sex Marriages could Start Nov. 10 Connecticut's Supreme Court officially published its decision legalizing same-sex marriage on Oct. 28. The move sent the case back to Superior Court in New Haven for 10 days during which the parties can file motions seeking reconsideration of the ruling. It is unlikely the parties will do so. Once the deadline passes, the Superior Court will issue orders to town clerks and public health departments to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, probably around Nov. 10. Same-sex marriage also is legal in California and Massachusetts, as well as in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa and Spain. It will become legal in Norway in January.
Lesbian Huffington Post Writer kills wife, self An openly lesbian writer for the
Huffington Post, Carol Anne Burger, killed her estranged wife, Jessica Kalish, Oct. 29 by stabbing her 222 times with a Phillips screwdriver, police in Boynton Beach, Fla., said. Burger, 57, then shot herself to death a day later, police said. The couple had married in Massachusetts in 2005 and were still living together in a house they coowned, despite Kalish's having dumped Burger more than a year ago and having taken up with a new girlfriend. Kalish's body was found Oct. 30 in the backseat of her car behind a medical office 2 1/2 miles from the couple's home, the Palm Beach Post said. Kalish was 56.
L.A. Times Trans Sportswriter Reverts to Previous Gender Openly transgender Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner, who blogged on latimes.com about his transition to female as Christine Daniels, has reverted to being male and is again going to work as Penner, according to LAObserved.com. Sports Editor Randy Harvey told the Web site: "We're looking forward to Mike's byline appearing in the paper and on the Web site with increased frequency. He continues to be a valued member of our sports staff." Penner/Daniels did not return a reporter's call by press time and apparently has not spoken to any other media outlet either. The Times voice-mail system does not recognize the name "Mike Penner" but does recognize the name "Christine Daniels" and that extension is answered by a female voice. However, an individual who answered a call to the general number for the sports department confirmed that the extension is the correct one for Penner and said the voice-mail system obviously had not been updated.
www.glccb.org Services. Groups. Events. Our calendar is now online.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley
Malaysian Fatwa Targets Lesbians Malaysia's National Fatwa Council issued a fatwa banning lesbian sex and "tomboyism" Oct. 23.
court disagreed, saying the policy amounted to direct discrimination based on sexual orientation, and awarded the second woman damages. The County Council may appeal the decision.
"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle, including dressing in the clothes men wear," said council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin. "(It) becomes clearer when they start to have sex with someone of the same gender, that is woman and woman. (We) have decided ... that such acts are forbidden and banned."
Later, about 150 activists staged a protest outside the second police station. Six activists who entered the police station were arrested, beaten and sexually harassed, HRW said.
Malaysia's civil law bans gay-male sex under penalty of up to 20 years in jail, but not lesbian sex. The country has a parallel Shariah law system for Muslims. For the moment, the lesbian fatwa is an edict rather than a full-blown law under the Shariah system.
After that, police targeted the remainder of the group outside, beating the individuals with batons and arresting 31. The activists were kept in a van for seven hours and were not fed or allowed to use a toilet for 18 hours, HRW said.
Section 377A of the civil penal code bans "carnal intercourse against the order of nature," which is defined as insertion of the penis into another's anus or mouth.
All arrestees appeared before magistrates on Oct. 21 and 22 and were released. But some still face charges ranging from extortion (in the case of the hijras) to unlawful assembly and rioting, HRW said.
About 60 percent of Malaysia's 25 million residents are Muslim, predominantly ethnic Malays. About 19 percent are Buddhist, 9 percent Christian, 6 percent Hindu, and 2.6 percent practitioners of Confucianism, Taoism or another traditional Chinese religion.
Swedish Courts Rule in 3 Lesbian Cases Swedish courts recently ruled on three cases involving lesbians. The Supreme Court rejected an appeal of a lower-court decision that awarded $2,576 in damages to a woman to whom a kennel refused to sell a dog because the woman is a lesbian. The Supreme Court also denied an appeal in the case of two lesbian couples who felt injured when a member of a local advisory board on health and welfare issues filed a dissenting opinion objecting to their adopting children. A lower court had agreed that the Discrimination Prohibition (Goods and Services) Act covers dissenting opinions by members of local government boards, but said that in the lesbians' cases, the opinion did not carry the detrimental effects necessary to amount to "less favorable treatment." The adoptions were granted. In the third case, the District Court of Uppsala ordered the County Council to pay $6,440 to a lesbian who was denied assisted donor insemination by county health authorities. One partner in a lesbian couple had undergone three unsuccessful attempts at insemination, then was refused further attempts because she had turned 40, the county's cutoff age. The couple then asked that the other, younger partner receive the three additional allowed attempts, but the authorities refused, saying only one woman in a lesbian relationship could be treated at county expense. The county argued that its decision amounted to treating lesbian and straight couples the same, since only one person in a straight partnership is permitted to receive assisted insemination. The
When five activists from the Bangalore sexualminorities organization Sangama then went to the Girinagar police station to assist the hijras, the activists were sent to a second police station where they were beaten and kicked. They were then returned to the first station, where two of the activists were sexually abused, HRW said. The five were charged with "unlawful assembly" and "obstructing a public servant," and jailed.
Bangalore, one of India's most modern metropolises, is the nation's third-largest and fastest-growing city. It is nicknamed the Silicon Valley of India.
The first World Outgames were held in Montreal in 2006. Outgames photo
Vancouver to Host 2011 Outgames Vancouver has been selected to host the 2011 North American Continental Outgames, one of the regional gay sports olympics that came into existence in 2006 when the Gay Games had a fallingout with planned host city Montreal. The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association of North America made the announcement Oct. 26. Up to 5,000 athletes are expected to attend, spending around $12 million, in addition to money spent by non-athlete attendees. GLISA sanctions a World Outgames every four years and smaller Continental Outgames in between the world events. The first world games were in Montreal in 2006 and the second games will be in Copenhagen in 2009. The first North American Continental Outgames were in Calgary in 2007 and the first Pacific Continental Outgames were held this year in Melbourne, Australia.
Trans People and GLBT Activists Arrested in India Police in Bangalore, India, arrested more than 40 transgender people and GLBT activists, and mistreated several of them Oct. 20, Human Rights Watch reported. The events began with the arrests of five "hijras" (transgender people, intersex people and eunuchs who have no precise corollary in Western cultures).
Australian Activists Seek Apology from Jerry Lewis The Australian Coalition for Equality called on U.S. comedian Jerry Lewis to apologize Oct. 26 for using the word "fag" at a press conference in Sydney two days earlier. Asked his opinion of the game cricket, Lewis said: "Oh, cricket? It's a fag game. What are you, nuts?" He then reportedly flounced about effeminately handling an imaginary cricket bat. "Mr. Lewis owes an apology to the gay community, to cricketers, and to comedians for debasing their trade with his cheap homophobia," said ACE spokesman Rodney Croome. Last year, during his annual Labor Day muscular-dystrophy telethon, Lewis referred to a production crewman's imaginary son as an "illiterate faggot." He later apologized, saying, "I obviously made a bad choice of words."
Trans Marriage Case Begins in Malta A Constitutional Court case began in Malta Oct. 22 challenging a Civil Court decision that a postop transsexual woman could not marry her fiancé because she is still male. The Malta Gay Rights Movement said the case is the last stop before an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
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Remembering the Lost
and Looking Forward: Transgender Day of Remembrance to be Observed on Thursday, November 20 November 20 marks the 10th observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), dedicated to raising awareness about violence against transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals while remembering and honoring the victims of such crimes. TDOR is held each November to honor Rita Hister, whose murder on November 28, 1998 led to the creation of the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a 1999 candle light vigil in San Francisco. Hester’s murder—like the majority of transgender murder cases—has yet to be solved. At least one transgender individual is murdered in the United States each month. And, according to a report of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (1999), a nationwide survey of bias-motivated violence against LGBT people from 1985 to 1998 found that incidents targeting transgender individuals counted for 20% of all murders and about 40% of all policeinitiated violence. These trends show no sign of abatement. The news should be filled with reports of anti-transgender violence. Those brutalized and murdered should be known by name in the community. Outrage should spark protests and demands for legal protections and equal protections across the nation. Yet, silence continues to prevail. It is up to the community to remember and memorialize these individuals, as their murderers, law enforcement officials and the media seek to erase their existence. Why the silence? As Ian Gilmore, member of Baltimore’s TDOR organizing committee and Programs Manager at the GLCCB explains, “Anti-transgender bias is thoroughly entrenched in every segment of society. In many ways, it is the last “acceptable” bias out there. Someone who wouldn’t dare utter a racial epithet in pub-
lic, or who realizes that making a joke about a coworker’s sexual orientation is beyond the pale, may nevertheless not think twice about openly ridiculing a transwoman walking down the street.... This bias is EVERYWHERE and no segment of society, public or private, is held accountable for it. The power structures of our society— legislature, courts, law enforcement, hospitals, schools, employers, etc.—communicate to the world, through their denial of basic services and courtesies to transgender people that are automatically available to gender conforming people, that transgender people are not only socially “less than” so-called “normal” people, but that we don’t even deserve to have our basic survival needs met-that we deserve to die. Is it any wonder, then, that we do die in such huge numbers?” Many transgender individuals here in Maryland have lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence or medical neglect. While some individuals are known by name, it was not possible to compile a comprehensive list. These statistics are not collected by, and hence not available from, our local police department. And, the community itself, while a good source of information, has its own silences. “Unless you can track down everybody,” explained Jean-Michel Brevelle, a member of the organizing committee for Baltimore’s TDOR, “you’re missing a whole lot of bodies. In a city where the murder rate is something that is talked about with great frequency, a great proportion of the number of people that are murdered are transgender. There should be a lot of transgender individuals that we’re talking about—just statistically—and we’re not. While we wish to honor specific people, we don’t want to add another layer of invisibility by leaving out others. For me, TDOR is so important because it’s a day where you’re really not invisible.” Members, family, friends and allies of Baltimore’s transgender community will gather at the War Memorial Building (101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD 21202) on Thursday, November 20
from 6-9 p.m. to memorialize and celebrate those who have been killed due to anti-transgender violence and prejudice. A candle lighting ceremony will be followed by a reading of names— although countless victims remain unknown— and speeches from members of the transgender community and allied communities. People will also have opportunities to learn more about services that are available for transgender individuals and different community-building opportunities. While remembering the lost, members of the TDOR organizing committee are also concerned with education and advocacy as they look forward to changing both legislation and the culture of silence around anti-transgender violence. “Our legislators and community leaders are way behind when it comes to our population of people,” explains Sandy Rawls, Director of Trans-United, a local organization dedicated to securing resources and political rights for transgender individuals. In fact, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reported that only 4 states, 57 cities and 10 counties in the United States include transgender individuals in antidiscrimination laws. This leaves approximately 75% of the U.S. population unprotected from any form of transgender discrimination. “This is why these violent acts can happen right under their noses,” Rawls continues. “We must take the responsibility of doing the education ourselves. We need to work on healing the divisions among us—economically, educationally, socially, racially—as we strive to educate the outside community and wipe away existing stigmas. Things will only change when people who feel like there is a lack of justice for trans people do something about it.” All are welcome and invited to join the transgender community as they express love and respect for those who have died as the result of anti-transgender hatred and violence in the face of national indifference and hatred. For additional information on Transgender Day of Remembrance, visit www.eqmd.org/tdor.
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COMING FROM WHERE I’M FROM by Nicole Bettis lot of us have questions about relationships, coming out and family issues, but we just don’t feel comfortable talking to the people in our circle. The fear of being judged and mistreated is enough to stop any of us from seeking the advice we need. I know. I’ve been there. I didn’t have a space where I was free to ask whatever I wanted and to receive great feedback, but you do. This article is dedicated to you. You can ask absolutely anything you want from, “How do I tell her that I like her?” to “When do I tie the knot?” You can even write in anonymously. It's totally up to you. There are no limits. In each issue you will receive advice from yours truly and maybe even realize that there is someone out there in your exact situation. If I haven’t been there, I know someone who has. Coming from where I’m from, that means a lot.
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Nikki, I know this sound sounds kind of stupid, but I really need to know what I can do to become beautiful. I’ve went on diet after diet, but compared to the models in the media I’m still a big fat slob! I hate the way I look! Ashley 21, female Baltimore, MD You only hate the way you look because it differs from what the media say is beautiful. I don’t want to sound harsh but, seriously, I think you should stop focusing on what society’s beauty standard is and focus on your own. That’s what I had to do! Come on, I’m African American, dark-skinned with dark kinky hair and dark brown eyes. Society as a whole still hasn’t realized my beauty, but I have patience. I know that one day they will see the same Afro-centric, chocolatetoned women with sexy coiled hair, and coffee brown eyes that I see. And, if they don’t, oh well! Love yourself enough to find YOUR beauty, instead of blindly following society’s criteria…. You don’t owe society a thing. Nikki, I’m a dominant female and I dress the part. I went to Lexington Market the other day and a man came up to me asked me what NAACP meant, when I told hi,m he said he was surprised I knew. When I asked him what he meant, he said, “A lot of you people don’t know what NAACP stands for, but as soon as you people have a problem y’all come running.” Later, I found out that he was actually a board member! I think he was way out of line. Should I write a letter to
inform the board of his actions or am I over-reacting? Jaydee 26, BLACK Female Maryland Jaydee, if I were you, I would write the letter! He was totally out of line. Do you know his name? Be sure to include that, along with the time and date of this incident in the letter. I think it’s so sad that some people that are in positions to help others choose to judge them instead. Although you know what the acronym stands for, I’m sure there are people who don’t, and that does not make them bad people! So, in my opinion, he should have been giving info about the organization to people instead of forming opinions about them. My girlfriend and I have been arguing constantly for about a month now. She has even hit me a few times. I really think we should see a counselor be she refuses. What should I do? Kim, 36, female Washington, DC Kim, the hardest thing to realize about being in a relationship is that you can only change you. Sounds simple enough, but so many of us stay in a relationships in hopes of changing the other person. When it’s all said and done, we’re the ones left crying on the sofa watching Lifetime, wondering what the hell we did wrong. If you think seeing a counselor will help, go and see one. Maybe by taking the first step, she will figure out that you’re serious or you’ll figure out that you’re better off without her.
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OPINIONS transmissions Making Up My Mind by Gwendolyn Ann Smith ecently, new stories were abuzz with information that transgender people have sought for, well, as long as there have been transgender people. A genetic link to transsexuality was discovered. To me, this is significant—and irrelevant.
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A team of Australian researchers made the connection after studying 112 male to female transsexuals, finding that they were more likely to have a longer androgen receptor gene. This longer gene receives weaker signals from testosterone. These weaker signals may indeed have an effect on the development of gender within the womb itself. This study may also explain why, in
a separate 1997 study from The Netherlands, a small rest group of male to female transsexuals showed actual physical differences to the brain—differences more in line with females than males. The belief is that this study shows how the brain might develop into a more "female " brain due to the actions of these receptors. This most recent finding is huge. Unlike assumptions that transsexuality is based out of development after birth, whether through social conditioning or some form of mental "deviance", it indicates that transsexuals may well be predisposed long before any social conditions were allowed to play a part. It is saying that transsexuals, in effect, have no choice over their own transsexuality.
Take a deep breath… It’s a busy world, to say the least. Whenever we find ourselves multi-tasking - whether out of choice, necessity, or habit - our bodies, minds and emotions race in many directions at once. For many of us, this high-speed, chronically stressful engagement begins the moment we awaken until we collapse back into bed at night. We can’t sustain this level of constant busy-ness without experiencing negative consequences, and often we find ourselves feeling scattered, depleted, and breathless. It’s important to create time to slow down and re-center ourselves regularly in order to return to a place of physical, mental, emotional, and subtle balance. Hatha Yoga practice links deep, regular, soothing breathing with gentle, fluid, mindful movement to return body, mind, emotions, and spirit back to a place of balance and wellness. Join Certified Yoga Instructors Tim Hurley and Kelly D. McClain each week at the Center for Gentle Beginner Yoga and enjoy the priceless benefits of feeling balanced, centered, and deeply relaxed. Classes are held on Sundays at 3:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. (please arrive a few minutes early) in Room 201 at the Center. Classes cost $9.00 each, and a portion of that cost is donated back to the Center. For more information, check the Programs link at www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5445. Breathe easy.
The implications of this are quite a big deal. This would imply that every other theory in play, from old school "distant father/nurturing mother" theories of the 1970s to the oddball "feminizing fetish" that is J. Michael Bailey's "autogynophilia" construct can be tossed to the side. It would create a completely new look at the treatment of transsexuality as a mental issue, and reframe "gender identity disorder" as a physical condition. It could serve to legitimize the care and treatment of transsexuals in ways not seen since Harry Benjamin's groundbreaking 1966 book, The Transsexual Phenomenon. This could also change the way the insurance industry has treated expenditures for transsexual procedures, making it harder for them to claim these are purely cosmetic, or at least unnecessary. Doctors treating transsexuals could end up being "legitimized", allowing for new methods and oversights not before seen in the field. Perhaps more than all this is the effect on transgender people themselves. While discrimination and prejudice would not end—as if it ever does—one would have a clearer way to show that his or her condition is well beyond individual control. It could slowly change the view of transsexual-as-freak into transsexual-as-victim. Still not preferable to transsexual-as-human-being-whodeserves-the-same-rights-as-all, but at least more sympathetic to transgender people overall. In short, a genetic link could completely redraw the map, making people look at transsexuality in a whole new light. Arguably, a better one. All that said, it's irrelevant. The study is not 100% conclusive, and the researchers themselves indicate that this is only one possibility: There may well be other explanations. While a majority of female-to-male transsexuals they studied showed this long receptor, not all of them did—and all of the above are nevertheless male-to-female transsexuals. This means that the J. Michael Baileys of the world still get to tell us how transsexuals are simply fetishists. It means insurers can still treat this as unworthy of coverage and elective, and it can do nothing to really reframe the issue in the mind of the public. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really change anything
Ultimately, while it does provide some compelling evidence that there is more than social conditioning behind transsexuality, it is still more complex than the length of a receptor. It remains something that *might* indicate transsexuality, but by no means *the* thing that proves it. You can't simply do a blood test to show that someone is or isn't transsexual. Of course, this study did not cover the rest of the transgender spectrum, nor did it cover female-to-male transsexuals. While that does not invalidate what they are saying, it definitely makes the study far less than perfect. The thing is, the only sure fire way to know if one is transsexual remains the simplest. You just know. It isn't something entered into lightly by any means. For many, it can take years—even decades—of soul searching in order to even admit being transgender. In a lot of ways, too, it is like trying to define "man" or "woman". How do you know you are one or the other? How do you know someone else is? Every way of "knowing" is inconclusive, from genital configuration and secondary sexual characteristics all the way to genetics. But you know what you are, regardless of the inconclusive nature of it all. It is simply a sense to you, much like it is to me. The same applies here. You simply know you are transgender, in spite of any study. Studies may help to prove one's own convictions, but they can hardly replace them. Besides, there are also non-transsexual men out there with this long receptor who are quite happy being men. It's not conclusive either way. For myself, I'm not interested in a genetic test to tell me what I already know. I am a transgender woman. I would suspect that there's a better than average chance that such a study would show that too, but why does it matter? I know I am, and that is good enough for me. Really, it should be good enough for anyone. Gwen Smith feels that, when it comes to receptors, size doesn't matter. You can find her on the World Wide Web at www.gwensmith.com.
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VOICE OF ONE
The Once Powerful, but Now Pipsqueak Magician people believed that the minority should be fully accepted, but others agreed with the red wizard.
by David Placher he red wizard rode into town on a white horse. His uniform consisted of a brightly-colored red, baggy robe and a widebrimmed hat. Resembling the shape of a cone, the hat was bright red with white elephants and astrological symbols. In the wizard’s left hand, he tightly held a magic red walking stick; tucked under his right side, he had a red book. As he approached the town, many townspeople welcomed his arrival. The townspeople were very impressed with the details of his attire, physical appearance, friendly smile, and worldly knowledge.
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The red wizard’s ability to capture the townspeople’s attention with his powerful rhetoric intertwined with his magic was astonishing. With his magic walking stick, the red wizard had the ability to start and control fire. “Hocus pocus, watch me start a fire in unimaginable conditions,” he yelled. As he looked to his left, there lay a small pool of water. The red wizard touched the water with his magic stick and fire suddenly appeared. Some of the townspeople were so impressed that they convinced other townspeople to elect him as town leader. Understanding the responsibilities and obligations, the red wizard eagerly accepted the position. Not everyone was impressed with the red wizard, nor did they agree with the decision to elect him town leader, but majority ruled in this town. Among population was a minority group that had divergent opinions and desires. Although several theories existed as to why this small group liked something different, no one really had the answer. Constant debate about whether to accept, tolerate or ignore the minority consumed the town. The red wizard tolerated the minority, but refused to grant them the same privileges that the majority enjoyed. Some towns-
Within three years of the red wizard assuming leadership of the town, the village became scorching hot. Some townspeople did not mind the heat; others hated it. During those three years, the red wizard also developed a reputation as being arrogant on certain issues and intolerable to the minority. As the days grew hotter, more and more people wanted change. On one hot day, a shadow emerged from the north. Within seconds, the townspeople noticed it was another wizard, but in dressed in blue attire instead of red and riding a donkey rather than a horse. The townspeople were overjoyed with the blue wizard because the he possessed the ability to freeze water and cool temperatures. The blue wizard also showed greater acceptance toward the minority, the single group the red wizard continued to frustrate.
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United WE ARE A TRANSGENDER GROUP THAT FIGHTS FOR YOUR RESOURCES AND POLITICAL RIGHTS First & Third Sundays 6 - 8 p.m. GLCCB, 241 W. Chase St. E-MAIL: Trans.United@yahoo.com PHONE: 443-904-3401 or 443-904-3401
The red wizard and blue wizard had several verbal skirmishes on how the town should be governed. In the red wizard’s fourth year of power, the majority of townspeople decided the town was too hot and decided upon a change in leadership. To the delight of the minority group, most of the townspeople agreed that the blue wizard should govern the town and become town leader. Hurt, shocked and saddened, the red wizard journeyed to the south side of town. “Did I make wrongheaded decisions about social issues, tax, regulation, and other matters?” he repeatedly asked himself. Although he still had followers that enjoyed seeing his tricks, his magic shockingly began to fade. With the remaining followers, the red wizard would say the famous “hocus pocus”, but nothing would happen. No magic. No fire. Just a saddened red wizard holding a walking stick, surrounded by a small group of dedicated followers. It has been two years since the blue wizard became town leader and the town is starting to become uncomfortably cold. There is speculation the blue wizard will distribute blankets soon, but nothing has been confirmed. There are fluctuating rumors that the red wizard will try to become the town’s leader again, but the red wizard’s daily actions send mixed signals. Has the red wizard www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E • N o v e m b e r 1 4 - N o v e m b e r 2 7 ,
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(Let’s Have A Conversation)
He is the Chosen One: Barack Obama & still brings tears to the heart of many. I know that this is what Dr. King saw in his vision for us all... as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking out at the sea of people that he spoke to that day.
by Marvelous Marva ow does one begin to put into words the emotions that spread throughout the world on November 4, 2008? Tears of joy... hope.... possibility... & unity of all people ran down the cheeks and through the hearts of us all.... What a glorious day. What a beautiful future we all sense coming. What new visions so many of us now have. What deep feelings of comfort come from being united as one....
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Strangely, I feel safe with our new leader. I trust in his ability to bring world peace.... I believe his demeanor will be contagious with other leaders of this world. As it should be, I believe our new leader will motivate all men... I believe that not only was this nation blessed, but also the world as a whole will be blessed by our new leader—PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA! I know that so many who suffered, sacrificed & died for this day are now truly resting in peace and their spirits smile upon us... because what was given by them has not been in vain. Those of us who just witnessed history are those whom were loved so much by so many who sacrificed their lives so that we could live in the world we now have.... On August 28, 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said to this nation: “I HAVE A DREAM. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” The sea of people who I watched snuggled together on November 4th 2008... united as one to witness history…was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. It brought
It was said about Dr. King that “by speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations.” I have to say the same quote applies to Barack Obama When he speaks, it is a truly amazing experience.... And what is more amazing than to live at this time... when this world will change right in front our eyes? This is the ultimate reason for always believing in keeping hope alive. I want to share with you some interesting & profound quotes: “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex.... It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.... Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism—how passionately I hate them!... Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.” –Albert Einstein “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response? ... There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask ‘why?’ I dream of things that never were, and ask ‘why not?’”—Robert F. Kennedy “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.... Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”— John F. Kennedy “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.... Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you
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doing for others? Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today. The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”—Malcolm X “I have desired as sincerely as any man—I sometimes think more than any other man—that our present difficulties might be settled without the shedding of blood. I do not mean to say that this government is charged with the duty of redressing or preventing all the wrongs in the world; but I do think that it is charged with the duty of preventing and redressing all wrongs which are wrongs to itself.”—Abraham Lincoln “I believe that everyone is the keeper of a dream—and by tuning into another’s secret hopes, we can become better friends, better part-
ners, and better lovers. My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” —Oprah Winfrey “I am also very proud to be a liberal. Why is that so terrible these days? The liberals were liberators—they fought slavery, fought for women to have the right to vote, fought against Hitler, Stalin, fought to end segregation, fought to end apartheid. Liberals put an end to child labor and they gave us the five day work week! What's to be ashamed of? The moral immune system of this country has been weakened and attacked, and the AIDS virus is the perfect metaphor for it. The malignant neglect of the last twelve years has led to breakdown of our country's immune system, environmentally, culturally, politically, spiritually and physically.”—Barbara Streisand “If you're black in this country, if you're a woman in this country, if you are any minority in this country at all, what could possibly possess you to vote Republican? Hate crimes are the scariest thing in the world because these people really believe what they're doing is right.”... Cher “While I know myself as a creation
of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”—Maya Angelou “I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were. Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death.”—Lena Horne “I think Bush has a very selfish, arrogant point of view. I think he is interested in power. I think he believes his truth is the only truth, and that he will do what he wants to do despite the people. You can cage the singer but not the song.”—Harry Belafonte “I have always believed that...We Are Our Brothers & Our Sisters Keeper... and now we have a president who feels that same. I believe in love with all of life. It’s what keeps me going.”—Marva Laws I found this column somewhat difficult to write because words are not enough to express how I feel about
the historic time in the world today.... So sharing with you what I think are very interesting quotes was a way to further open our minds to a different way of thinking & looking at life. What I will always remember is the positive effect this win had on so many other countries... and the reactions of joy and happiness from people across the world. It makes one believe that one day we can have peace and good will towards all people in this world. What an awesome possibility... the idea of peace & fairness for everyone...starting here in our own country—The United States Of America…and the possibility of Our President setting an example for others in this world to go by. That is what a leader does... and that is what Barack Obama will do. We, and I mean all of us, now have a President that will look out for everyone. How wonderful is that? Barack Obama is a man who has been elected by the people... because he is for All People. I’d have to say.... We’re in Good Hands!
–Marva! Email me with any questions or comments at Marvelousmarva@baltimore gaylife.com.
SPEAKING OUT!
Proposition 8 is Not about Black Homophobia Constitution eliminating marriage equality for same-sex couples after the California Supreme Court ruled in May that a “separate and unequal” system of domestic partnership for same-sex couples is not only blatantly discriminatory, but it also unconstitutional.
by Rev. Irene Monroe ast week we saw democracy work with the election of Barack Obama as our country's first African American president. My enslaved ancestors who built the White House could have never imagined that one of their progenies would one day occupy it. But, we also saw on the same day last week how democracy didn’t work for its LGBTQ citizens with the passing of Proposition 8, an amendment to the California
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While California’s gay community places blame on African Americans for the passing of Proposition 8, we were one of many interest groups backing the amendment. And although we are just 6.2 percent of the state’s overall population we can’t wash our hands clean by saying other interest groups are just as culpable. Seven out of ten of us pulled a lever to deny another minority groups their civil rights. And, while the pollsters and pundits say that religion was our reason, as African Americans we have always discarded damning and damaging statements and scriptures about us in the name of religion, including biblical
passages that either cursed all people of African ancestry (The Curse of Ham, Genesis 9:18-27) or advocated slavery (Ephesians 6:5-8). Many Proportion 8 supporters voted “yes” believing the future traditional family was at stake. But, when society narrowly defines marriage as solely the union between a man and a woman, it ignores the constantly changing configuration of today’s family units. And the African American community knows this best. While African American ministers will argue for the traditional nuclear family, the stresses and strains of racism have and continue to thwart the possibility. So we created our own family structures. Therefore, multiple family structures presented by same-sex marriages should not pose a threat to the African-American community because they are what have sustained, saved and continue to save African-American families. A grand-
ATTENTION! Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the GLCCB or Gay Life. We welcome your letters and opinions. Submissions should include a name, address and phone number for verification and may be edited for content and length. Send submissions by e-mail to editor@baltimoregaylife.com or fax to 410.837.8889 or by mail to Editor, 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.
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IMHO What Price Beauty?
was having my Daylight Savings biannual lunch with one of my hags, Melissa, when she made the remark that for a fag of a certain age, I looked fabulous.
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"You don't have a single line on your forehead and no crow's feet to speak of, you prick. Are you sure you don't have a painting of a really old-looking you hidden away in one of your closets?" she asked. "Sweetie darling, how many times have I told you that prick is not a suitby Mario Fernández able abbreviation for Puerto Rican. Don't make me perpetuate a cultural stereotype and pull a knife on you. No, darling, I, like all good little fags, moisturize compulsively," I purred. "Are you sure you haven't had any work done? Let me check behind your ears!" she demanded. "You will not find staples or duct tape behind my ears, you hateful trollop. I've been blessed with good genes, I stay out of the sun, I moisturize, and I get regular facials" (and no, you nasty bitches, not THAT kind...I only wish!). "Well, it's working because you haven't aged in the 10 years I've known you. I hate you. Are you sure you don't get THAT kind of facial? I'd do it more often but it really clumps up my mascara." This little discourse got me to thinking about the high price of beauty we homos pay. We eschew carbs, starve ourselves (well, me not so much), brush, scrub, wax, pluck, shave, style, bleach, trim, cut, apply product, spray cologne... anything to make us appear more youthful and by extension, more desirable. Now, I don't need to psychoanalyze our preoccupation and glorification of youth. It's not even a particularly gay phenomenon; American culture in general is preoccupied with youth and maintaining it. Just look at all of the extreme makeover shows on the tube if you don't
believe me. But the pain that we put ourselves through in order to maintain the illusion of youth is worth examining. Waxing, for example. There are ample examples of male waxing in the popular media (think Steve Carell in The 40 Year Old Virgin). Having been on the receiving end of this particular procedure, I can only describe the experience as one that is very much love/hate. Love because the feel of hot wax on your skin is heavenly; hate because the ripping of your top layer of skin and all accompanying hair follicles makes one suck his thumb and cry for his mommy. I've been known to bite a pillow or two in my time; getting a back wax is not a fun way to bite a pillow. I honestly don't understand how women would ever subject themselves to bikini waxes. I suspect that the idea of bikini waxes probably originated with Dr. Mengele. The mere thought of a wax in that area (and worse yet, a Brazilian wax) makes me want to cower in a dark corner like a drooling, sniveling, whimpering dog. Facials are also love/hate thing with me. I love the steam vapor treatment, the hand and foot massage, the cold and warm fruit masks and scrubs, and the hot towels on the face. The extractions, however, are a totally different matter. I especially hate it when they're extracting on the tip of your nose; I'd sooner be circumcised with a dull set of nail clippers. And, of course, you always hurry home after a facial. I don't want any one pointing at my glowing, fresh scrubbed face and mistaking the red dots for a case of the measles. Manscaping I totally understand. I believe the appeal of smooth bodies is two-fold. The first is definitely rooted in our desire to appear as young as possible and a smooth, hairless, body is definitely a readily recognizable, albeit creepy, sign of that. The second is the obvious fact that a trimmed and neat nether region makes the parts seem bigger than they truly are. And we all know that homos are all about the illusion. The fact that I understand manscaping does not make it any less of a chore. Shaving down there is an acquired skill and it takes time to handle a razor skillfully around the boys. A nick down there bleeds like a cut on the head. I don't know about you, but I tend to freak out way more over a nick to the boys than a cut to my head. I get all of these crazy thoughts like all of my manhood is rushing out in the (imagined) torrent of blood or that I have performed a self-vasectomy, all just because I wanted a clean set of nuts. The one trend in beauty regimens that I do not understand is anal bleaching. Why would anyone apply a cream containing a suspected carcinogen banned by several countries as an active ingredient? Well, I suppose it's not that different than injecting botox into your forehead. But it just seems like a totally stupid thing to do. Unless you are especially limber and exhibit considerable dexterity with a hand mirror, where's the payoff? It's not like you can see the results of the treatments readily. And I just don't get the payoff for your partner. In fact, I would think anal bleaching would make it harder to hit the target, if you know what I mean. What price beauty indeed! P.S. Goodnight Ari, wherever you are, You can E-mail Mario at mfernandez@baltimoregaylife.com.
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Find luxury, comfort, convenience and style in both of our beautifully appointed all-suite hotels. We're just footsteps off historic Charles Street in downtown Baltimore. Our suites are filled with world-class amenities and our personal attention to detail will make any stay a memorable experience. In addition to our comfortable features, we offer complimentary high-speed internet in every suite and your choice of two restaurants, a lounge, a gourmet deli and a dessert shop.
410.727.2222 www.TREMONTS.com
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THEATER
Filthy Rich on stage at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore through December 14.
ON THE STAGE
Every Christmas Story Ever Told!
301-924-3400 www.olneytheatre.org
Baltimore Shakespeare Festival December 5 – December 21 410-366-8594 www.baltimoreshakespeare.org
Phantom of the Opera
Air Dance Bernasconi
The Fantasticks
November 28 – December 7 Baltimore Theatre Project 410-752-8558 www.theatreproject.org
December 12 – January 17 Bay Theatre Company, Annapolis 410-268-1333 www.baytheatre.org
All’s Well that Ends Well
Filthy Rich
Through December 7 Washington Shakespeare Company, Arlington 703-418-4808 www.washingtonshakespeare.org
Through December 14 Everyman Theatre, Baltimore 410-752-2208 www.everymantheatre.org
Boom
Through November 30 Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theatre, DC 202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org
Through November 30 Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company 202-393-3939 www.woollymammoth.net
Caroline, or Change December 10 – January 11 CenterStage, Baltimore 410-332-0033 www.centerstage.org
A Doll’s House Through November 22 Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Frederick 301-694-4744 www.marylandensemble.org
The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Harold the Nut & the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree December 3 – January 4 RepStage, Columbia 410-772-4900 www.repstage.org
Dracula Through November 23 Vagabond Players, Baltimore 410-563-9135 www.vagabondplayers.org
Frost/Nixon
Grey Gardens Through December 21 Studio Theatre, D.C. 202-332-3300 www.studiotheatre.org
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical Through November 23 Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore 410-837-7400 www.france-merrickpac.com
Isn’t It Romantic November 20 – December 21 MetroStage, Alexandria, VA 703-548-9044 www.metrostage.org
Next to Normal November 21 – January 18 Arena Players, Crystal City, VA 410-728-6500 www.arenastage.org
Peter Pan November 19 – January 4 Olney Theatre Center
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Through November 16 Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore 410-649-1660 www.tobysdinnertheatre.com
Picnic, a Summer Romance November 21 – December 21 Spotlighters Theatre, Baltimore 410-752-1225 www.spotlighters.org
The Ruzante Project November 19 Germano’s Trattorio, Baltimore 410-752-4515 www.germanostrattoria.com
The Sisters Rosensweig Through December 7 Fells Point Corner Theatre, Baltimore 410-276-7837 www.fpct.org
Snow White December 6 – December 21 Pumpkin Theatre, Baltimore 410-828-1814 www.pumpkintheatre.com
Twelfth Night December 2 – January 4 Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. 202-547-1122 www.shakespearetheatre.org
The Way of the World Through November 16 Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. 202-547-1122 www.shakespearetheatre.org
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Through November 30 CenterStage, Baltimore 410-332-0033 www.centerstage.org
MONROE - continued from page 21
mother or an aunt and uncle— straight or gay—raising us in their loving home has anchored our families through the centuries. And, these multiple family structures, which we have had to devise as a model of resistance and liberation, have always, by example, shown the rest of society what really constitutes family—its spiritual content and not is physical composition. Unfortunately, civil rights struggles in this country have primarily been understood, reported on and advocated within the context of African American struggles. The present-day contentious debate between black and queer communities concerning what constitutes a legitimate civil rights issue and which group owns the right to use the term is both fueled and ignored by systemic efforts by our government that deliberately pit both groups against each other rather than upholding the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution that afford each of these marginal groups their inalienable rights.
While it is true that the white LGBTQ community needs to work on its racism, white privilege, and single-issue platform that thwarts all efforts for coalition building with both straight and queer communities of color, the African-American community needs to work on its homophobia. The blame of the passing of Proposition 8, however, should not be placed on the shoulders of blacks, Latinos or even religion. Blame should rightly be placed on the shoulders of our government. To have framed our civil rights as a ballot question for a popular vote was both wrong-hearted and wrongheaded. If my enslaved ancestors had waited for their slaveholders to free them predicated on a ballot vote, we all wouldn’t be living in the America we know today. And Barack Obama would not be our president-elect. A native of Brooklyn, Rev. Irene Monroe served as a pastor at an African-American church before a Ford Fellowship took her to Harvard Divinity School for a doctorate.
What are you thinking? editor@baltimoregaylife.com
www.glccb.org Services. Groups. Events. Our calendar is now online.
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FICTION
believe you are sitting there laughing, while I'm over here stitched up from fucking gun shot wounds! That shit ain't funny," I looked away from her.
"Oh, it’s fucking hilarious, Pico. When are you going to learn? You can't go around fucking whoever you want, whenever you want, and not expect there to be consequences." "So, what? I deserved to get shot? Is that what you think?" "No, that's not what I think. I'm just saying...."
Death Defier by Shayna Rockswell "You look like shit," Ce Ce groaned to me from the other side of a big plate of syrupy pancakes. "Fuck off," I gurgled back, coming to a seat across from her at the lengthy dining table, setting my sits bones lightly to avoid any more pain than necessary. Ce Ce raised her hands in defeat and shoved another neat piece into her mouth. Several people buzzed around the large room that held the large table at which we sat. Blue Building was undergoing renovations so all of Asha's "invited" staff had been given accommodations in La Maison's main house where most of Asha's "devoted" staff had already set up shop. This meant that her crack team of journalists and doctors were made to share bathrooms and dining tables with her dog trainers, and worse yet, her whores. The clash between the two hardly went unnoticed, mostly because the new living situation was a stiff reminder that at the end of the day, we were all paid just the same. So it wasn't out of the ordinary that of the 20 or so people coming in and out of the room, none of them ever looked in my or Ce Ce's direction. Most of them carried plates of breakfast food and cups of coffee. Others chatted on Zee phones or popped in and out with notepads pressed to their chests. Never greeting one another or even acknowledging each other's presence, they went about their tasks with quick and determined steps. Ce Ce started to chuckle. I glared at her. Soon she was gripped by a full blown howl of laughter, putting down her fork and covering her mouth to contain what she could. "You're a fucking asshole! I can't
"What? If I remember correctly, you're the one who got me involved in all this in the first place, so I don't really think you have any room to judge." Ce Ce raised her fork again and began stabbing at the soppy mess in front of her. Once she caught a good bit on its edge, she brought it to her mouth. "I'm just saying..." she said again before plopping the stuff in her mouth. Suddenly, a bowl of cereal appeared in front of my face. It was attached to a hand that was attached to an arm that was attached to Asha. "Glad to see you out of bed today," she said, kissing my forehead. I smiled. "Good morning, Ce Ce. Was you flight okay?" she asked as she walked to the far end of the table and took a seat at its head. "As always," Ce Ce said back casually. "Good to hear it," Asha said unfolding the day's copy of the New York Times and beginning to read. Ce Ce started to laugh again. I kicked her as hard as I could under the table. Her eyes got big. In an instant, someone pulled the chair next to me from under the table. A big belly came down into it. It belonged to Evvi. She scooted back up as close to the table as her stomach would allow. "Good morning, Pico," she said. I avoided looking at her. "I'm so glad you’re okay. It’s good to see you." "Is it? Is it good to see me? I have a hard time believing that," I replied coldly. "Don't be like that. You know I love you," she spat. "Really? Well, last time I checked, you don't take off without warning, show up months later and lie about carrying their baby when you love someone," I glared at her.
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"I wanted to see you, is that a crime?" She leaned closer to me. "I didn't think you would want to see me unless I had good reason, so I said what I said. It's not your baby, okay, and I'm sorry for lying to you. But you have to believe that I love you. All the time spent before has to mean something, doesn't it?" "It did until you walked away!" "I was approached by...," she took a quick breath, "...someone and they offered me a job and I took it. I couldn't pass it up. I don't have to tell you, it was just too much to not pursue," she finished matter-of-factly. "Even if it meant hurting me?" "I said I was sorry. What else can I say?" Evvi's voice rose at the last question. I looked away from her only to notice Asha's dark eyes staring at us. She took a sip of her coffee without blinking and then finally turned back to her paper. I let out a long exhale. "Listen, let's just talk about it later," I said back to Evvi. "Fine," she yielded. "I need a spoon," I mumbled and got up as quick as I could. Evvi's hand came up to help me out of the seat, but I pushed it away with an elbow. "I can do it myself," I huffed. I made my way to the formal kitchen were five or so chefs worked hurriedly to keep the plates and bowls splayed on a table there filled with eggs, bacon, grits, and potatoes. In a secondary kitchen, other chefs sliced melons and peeled oranges. Walking through, one of them stopped me. "Can I help you?" he said. "Yeah, I just need a spoon," I said. "Here," he said, producing one from out of nowhere. "Anything else?" Apparently, word had gotten round to the kitchen that Asha's harem had moved in and like other members of the "devoted" staff, the chefs were none too pleased. "No, that's it. Thank you." I smiled. The chef rolled his eyes and returned to his onions. I wobbled back down the narrow hallway to the dining room feeling weaker and weaker at each step. Finally making it back to my seat at the table, I didn't notice the person sitting across from me and next to Ce Ce, nor the one at the opposite end of Asha's spot at the head. I went to dig in my spoon and realized I had no milk. "Shit. Evvi, will you do me a favor..." I started to ask. "I'll get it for you," Lee said to me. I looked up from my bowl to see
her smiling. Ce Ce, next to her, shook her head disapprovingly. "Yeah, I'll get it for you," Lee said again, rising from her seat and walking around the table still holding my gaze. I watched her until she passed behind Claire's chair. Claire! I almost fell out of my own, but Evvi caught me and pushed me back into it. Under the table, she caught my hand in hers and held it. “Good morning, friend,” Claire spoke in an even tone. I forced a smile and gripped Evvi’s hand tighter. I looked to Asha who sat still sipping, head bowed and reading. Ce Ce pushed her face closer to her plate and shoveled in her last bites. I gulped hard. “Claire, honey, I was just about to tell Pico how sorry you were for how you acted at the Ball,” Evvi said all of a sudden. Puzzled, I whispered to Evvi, “Honey?” “Yes, Darling, I am very very very sorry for the way I acted that night. I must have looked like a fool, chasing you around like that. I had had a bit to drink and a few bumps…there’s just no excuse and I am sorry,” Claire said. “Lee and I would still love to have you, if you would come.” “Come where? I don’t understand,” I gulped again. “Has no one explained the arrangement to you?” Claire asked looking around the table. “Well, I’ve been unconscious for some time so, no, no one’s explained anything to me,” I replied sharply and against my better judgment. “Asha, what the fuck is she talking about?” Asha finally looked up from her read. She carefully folded the Times into a bundle and slipped it under her arm. She grabbed her coffee cup with her right hand, stood, and walked out of the room. “Pico, listen to me,” Evvi said slowly. She brought my hand to her chest. “Claire and Lee are friends of Asha’s. Lee’s from Baltimore, actually. I met her there at an ice cream shop in Fells Point one day.” Just then, Lee placed a glass of milk down in front of me. She strode back around the table to her seat as Evvi continued. “They were both very kind in offering me a job many months ago. And then, at a party of theirs, I met Asha and she was kind enough to offer me another job. But before I could accept, I had to be sure that Claire and Lee were okay with me leaving them. The only way they were, was if I was willing to find a replacement, you know, someone continued on page 31
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PENCIL ME IN DININGOUT Friday, November 14
Charm City Kitty Club Presents Charming Hostess A four-course feast of fantastic female entertainers hits the Strand Theater (1823 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD) just in time to whet your appetite for the coming holiday season! Charming Hostess, featuring the world-famous Nerdy-Sexy-CommieGirlie vocal powerhouse Jewlia Eisenberg, revisits Baltimore with their harmonic convergence of mysticism and music. Adrienne Anemone, a hit at this year's Transmodern Festival, returns with her dark folk songcraft and performance art. Local theater phenomenon Theresa Columbus presents a new piece, and Good Morning Heartache, the new Billie Holiday cover band featuring Nikki Smith (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and Santina Gutierrez, debuts. For additional information, visit www.strandtheatercompany.org.
Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore 8th Anniversary The number eight represents new beginnings. Join UFCB for its anniversary celebration at 7:30 p.m. at Pier 5 Hotel (711 Easter Ave., Baltimore, MD). UFCB’s very own Bishop Jacqueline Holland will deliver a keynote speech during this wonderful evening of praise and celebration with a fellowship that works to create a world where the divinity of all people is recognized and honored. For tickets and additional information, call 410-244-0884.
Saturday, November 15 & November 21 Elle @ The Genie Room Firefly Entertainment presents Baltimore’s premiere women’s night. Exclusively feminine. Innovatively unique. You won’t want to miss this weekly women’s party from 9 p.m. til 1 a.m. at the Genie Room @ The Kasbah (2324 Boston St., Baltimore, MD). Free b4 11 p.m. For additional information, visit www.myspace.com/fireflyent.
Saturday, November 15 A Day of Peace Soul Purpose Productions and Sid McNairy’s Lifeline Power Yoga presents a Day of Peace at Goucher College (Sports and Recreation Center, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson, MD 21204) from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Designed to foster peace in you, your community and your world, the day features yoga, meditation, lectures, and music.. Also available will be holistic modalities such a massage, reiki and reflexology, as well as vendors providing crystals, jewelry, books and more. For additional information, visit www.karmafest.com.
Grand Opening of Lace—DC’s Premiere Women’s Club Ladies, there is finally a places “where every night is ladies night.” With its ultra-modern furnishings, ornate chandeliers and sophisticated detailing of everything from the pink lit bar to the paisley print wall paper, Lace (2214 Rhode Island Ave. NE, Washington, DC) is the spot to check out. Opening night will feature drink specials from 5-7 p.m., a complimentary champagne toast and partying until 2 a.m. $10 Admission. No athletic wear. For additional information, call 202-832-3888.
Monday, November 17 Pride Business Alliance Networking Mixer The GLCCB invites you to the Pride Business Alliance (PBA) networking mixer at Lucy’s Irish
Pub and Restaurant (21 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore, MD—opposite the Hippodrome Theatre). Come network with LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and the broader community while enjoying free appetizers and happy hour drink specials from 5-8 p.m. Bring a friend or colleague and some business cards. You never know who you will meet! RSVP to Paul Liller at 410-837-5445 x17 or pliller@glccb.org. Admission: Members free; Nonmembers $5.
Wednesday, November 19 Turkey Bingo @ Club Hippo The tradition continues! In addition to all of the regular fun and prizes, Club Hippo (1 W. Eager St., Baltimore, MD) will give away 20 turkey dinners— that’s one for every regular game. If you really want to get into the spirit, come as your favorite Thanksgiving character. Games begin at 8:30 p.m. Proceeds to benefit the GLCCB and AIDS Action Baltimore. For additional information, visit www.clubhippo.com.
Thursday, November 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance Come out to the War Memorial Building (101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD) to memorialize those who have been killed due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice. Remember members of the Maryland community who have been killed because of their actual or perceived identity or expression. Honor their lives by joining a discussion on how to counteract these acts of hatred and violence. Everyone concerned about the level of violence perpetrated against the LGBT community is welcome and encouraged to attend from 6-9 p.m. For additional information, visit www.eqmd.org/tdor.
Wednesday, November 26 Gay Life Happy Hour Gay Life and Firefly Entertainment have teamed up to bring you the next Gay Life Happy Hour! Come early to the 13th Floor @ The Belvedere (1 E. Chase St., Baltimore, MD) for happy hour drink specials ($3 Domestic Drafts, Rails & House Wine), raffles and prizes from 6-9 p.m. Stay for the after-party from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Firefly Entertainment presents Taboo: Thanksgiving Eve Edition! A portion of all proceeds will be donated to GLCCB programming.
Transgender Awareness Week 2008 @ Towson University Monday, November 17 Red Without Blue Film Screening, 7p.m., UU 313
Tuesday, November 18 “Trans On Campus” Panel, 6p.m., UU306
Wednesday, November 19 Donna Rose Speaks, Keynote Address, 7p.m., UU Potomac Lounge
Thursday, November 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil, Noon, Speaker’s Circle
Friday, November 21 SUGAR: Exploring Gender Through Sexuality, 79p.m., UU314-315 For additional information, visit www.towson.edu/lgbt.
Joe Squared
by John Cullen and Marty Shayt ince we’re not fans of tapas or crepes, finding a place to eat within walking distance before or after a movie at “The Charles” has become a challenge ever since the Zodiac closed. Less than two blocks away, the new “Joe Squared” was a place we had to check out. (The name seems to originate from the fact that owner, 28 y/o Joe Edwardsen, likes to make square pizzas! Why square pizzas? “Because the box is square, of course” is Joe’s most rational answer…). Joe Squared is: a bar, a place to hear live music (7 nights a week – no cover!), a place to get pizza (and sandwiches and salads and soups and risotto) and has a mostly younger following—easily more than half of the customers appear to be under 35. (Despite the fact that Marty was last under 35 more than 35 years ago, he doesn’t feel out of place here….) It’s a deep narrow space (in a past life, it was the “Pump Room” restaurant). The front has been opened up with large sliding glass doors (when it’s warm out, Joe Squared takes advantage of the vast deep sidewalk in front and has created a pleasant outdoor eating area cordoned off by some potted evergreens). The musicians (live music normally starts around 10 p.m.) are positioned right at the entrance; there’s a long bar with adjacent lounge area tall tables; and then there’s the restaurant at the rear. Seating in the dining area is snug and there’s interesting local art displayed on the walls. There are 3 booths against one wall, banquette seating against the other wall and a row of 6 tables positioned close together in the middle. (If this feels a tad too “intimate” and you’re averse to getting into a conversation with the people sitting next to you, you can also get food at the tables in the lounge or at the bar.)
S
There’s a lot on the menu to look over. Pizza is the star here. (An extraordinary new pizza oven that heats up to 2,000 degrees and cooks a pizza in like 3 minutes was just being installed our last visit here.) There are 15 “signature” pizza combos that come in sizes from 10” to 16” ($10-$22), but the menu wonderfully lets you design your own pizza from a mix of doughs and toppings—cheeses, meats, veggies, fruits and fresh herbs. (But with so much to choose from, John wonders why there isn’t soy cheese as an option too???) There are 15 starters/appetizers ($4-$8), a couple
dozen sandwiches ($8-$11)—all of which come with a side salad or fries and also come in a “small” sandwich size or “large” sub size, 10 entrée salads ($9-$12) and 10 variations of risotto ($7-$15) plus nightly specials! We’ve visited here twice and enjoyed the food. We’ve tried the “Fried Zucchini” starter ($5) and both enjoyed the thin slices cut on the diagonal, dipped in batter and deep fried with marinara sauce for dipping! Marty’s tried a small “Flag Pizza” ($13)—it’s supposed to look like an Italian flag—and liked it! (though wished that he tried one with some of the unusual available toppings). He’s also tried the small Lamb Cheese Steak sandwich ($9), opting for the fries, and loved it. John tried the large Calamari Parmigianino ($10) sandwich with a side salad; he thought it was different and scrumptious and the included side salad with mixed greens was darn good too. (Geez! There’s 7 other “Parmigianino” sandwiches variations to try too!) John also enjoyed the Steak & Pepper Salad ($12) with lots of freshly grilled steak, roasted peppers and feta over fresh spinach. This made for one heck of an entrée salad. Service was slow because there was so much take- out/delivery service going on. The new super hot oven should help speed things up! With good, reasonably priced food, live music and a location near “The Charles” and the new “Load of Fun” art gallery and “Single Carrot theater across the street, Joe Squared has a lot going for it. BASICS: Joe Squared (Station North Arts District), 133 W. North Ave., 410-545-0444 www.joesquared.com.(Open 7 days a week, Mon. to Fri. 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sat. & Sun. 4 p.m.-2 a.m.) Conveniently located between “The Charles” and the new “Single Carrot Theater” and “Load of Fun” art gallery at 120 W. North Ave. Free parking in large lot close to corner of North & Maryland (but not in the lot adjacent to the restaurant where you expect it to be). Take-out and local delivery also available. Feedback or suggestions? Email us at diningout@baltimoregaylife.com. Missed a review and wish you could find it? Visit http://hometown.aol.com/ gaylifediningout/.
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FICTION - continued from page 29
who would do as good a job as I did, and of course, I thought of you. So they agreed to make a trade.” I threw up in my mouth a little. “Jesus fucking Christ!” Ce Ce erupted. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I said. Ce Ce was up and around the table faster than I had ever seen her move. She lifted me out of the chair and carted me out of the room. “What? What’s happening?” I murmured. The space around me was starting to swirl.
Ce Ce pushed on quickly through the hallways and corridors until we finally reached the front door. Ce Ce pulled it open. In front of us was a striking lady who looked like someone I had seen in a movie. “Hi, Pico. I’m Christabella JordanHipp, Goodwill Ambassador of H.A.V.O.C.,” she said. I threw up on her pointy shoes. Need to catch up? Read the full story at theadventuresofpicodarling.blogspot.com. Send your thoughts to picodarling@baltimoregaylife.com.
We don't debate, or simply tolerate; we celebrate your sexuality and spirituality!
Sundays 9 AM
Traditional Celebration
10 AM Hospitality Time - Community 11 AM Praise Celebration & Family Service Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore - (410)NOW-MCCb Cb 401 W. Monument Street (at Eutaw) www.mccbaltimore.org
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MUSIC Brazilian Girls and Guys that the music has been described as “melting pop.” Whether or not the whole album appeals to you, there is definitely something here for every kind of person and every state of mind. I don't usually recommend cherry-picking, but I have to do so here.... Log onto your favorite music service, take what you like and leave the rest..
João Gilberto - João by DJ Alex Funk
Brazilian Girls - New York City Verve Forecast Records 2008 I've never felt the urge to use the word “bohemian” to describe a musical experience, but there really aren't any other words that come to mind while listening to the Brazilian Girl's 2008 album New York City. The band has been around in some form since 2003 and released their initial self-titled full-length album in 2005. If you're a TV consumer, you've probably heard their song “Lazy Lover” featured in the Axe commercial with the young couple rolling down a grassy hill through all kinds of madcap scenes. The band formed initially out of jam sessions at a local NYC club and their initial release includes songs that were created during these sessions. Since their humble start, the band has gone on to tour the world and headline major music festivals like Bonnaroo. The band sought to capture the “live” sound on the first two albums, but this third album represents a more refined studio approach. So what is the sound of the current Brazilian Girl's album? That's a tough call to make. The sounds on New York City are as diverse in experience as the city itself. The album begins with “St. Petersburg”—a rolling theatrical piece with an insatiable drum line and whistling hook. “Losing Myself” has a down-tempo surf-rock feel with a basic rock drumbeat and organ stabs backing Sciubba's multi-lingual vocals. The rest of the album rolls through styles as diverse as circus-style orchestral arrangements, classic French jazzpop sounds, dance-punk electronica, and the high-energy “Good Time” (inspired by Blur's “Parklife” according to the singer). There is a reason
Polygram do Brazil Ltda. 1991 There are Brazilian Girls (none of whom are Brazilian and only one of whom is a girl) and then there are Brazilian guys... specifically, in this case, the father of the “bossa nova” style, João Gilberto. You've heard bossa nova even if you didn't know the genre name; “The Girl from Ipanema” (1962) by Stan Getz and João Gilberto featuring Astrud Gilberto singing is the most famous bossa nova track ever recorded and is a good reflection of the style. The Brazilian's love bossa nova. It continues still to be one of the dominant forms of pop music—as it has since the 1950s. Gilberto's discography is extensive and extends from 1959 all the way up to 2004, but this album has always been a favorite of mine. Where much of his other work is stripped down to a basic jazz trio format, this album is a big production with lots of instrumentation and orchestral string section backing. Gilberto's voice and guitar work is beautiful. The music is dripping with romantic overtones and has the power to soothe the worst moods. If you have a heart, this music will reach it.
Raymond Bell - Jump in Line (Shake Shake Senora) Remix by John Bourke 2008 I love this song as the original and as this Baltimore Club remix by John Bourke out of Oklahoma City. Most of us remember the original as the music for the final scene in Beetlejuice where Lydia Deets is flown into the air to dance to with ghostly football players behind. This is not authorized, nor should it be....but it's so ridiculously danceable and good. You can track it down on a variety of blogs or Mr. Bourke's MySpace page.
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We have something in common already—our best friends are black girls! My friend's name is Shenel; we've been together for 20 years, and we're still going strong. She taught me the meaning of jungle fever and how to do the "Electric Slide." How stereotypical, right? Tell me about yours. I hear there some doubledutch involved. Congrats on the 20-year friendship— that's incredible. I really miss my girl, Celisse. She's not your "stereotypical" black girl; more like a soul sister. She's a professional singer in New York, preparing to make her debut on Broadway as a lead in the revival of Godspell. Part of the audition required her to retell one of Jesus' better-known parables via an original song. When Celisse came to visit me in L.A. last spring I invited her to be a guest speaker in my 6th grade after-school music program and she performed her parable for my class using just her voice and a djembe drum. She has so much soul that it's contagious—you can't help but feel what she's feel-
A Few Qs:
Matt Alber The former Chanticleer crooner dishes about diversity, not-sodivine intervention, and his debut album, Hide Nothing by Mikey Rox
ing when you hear her sing. I gravitate towards people like that, hoping it will rub off on me. When you joined an off-campus evangelical Christian club during your college years, you were already out of the closet. But after a two-year stint on the worship team, you were asked to leave because you're gay. It's clear why they kicked you out, but why did they allow you to join in the first place if your lifestyle wasn't in line with their teachings? How did that experience ultimately affect your faith? Your question speaks to the confusion and betrayal that I imagine a lot of gay Christians still face today. This cycle of being welcomed into a church community exalted for your passion and talents and then ultimately excommunicated is common in American fundamentalist churches. When I first joined Campus Christian Fellowship, it was in its infancy and they were hungry for any members they could get. My first meeting was during freshman week orientation. They quickly adopted me into the fold, and when they learned I could sing, I was immediately called upon to lead the praise and worship team and become a soloist during the offertories. I was definitely out, but the leadership was willing to overlook that fact since my singing was contributing to their membership growth. In two years, CCF became the largest organization on campus, outsizing even the largest fraternity. With that kind of notoriety comes scrutiny, and they had to deal with the gay guy on the microphone. See, it wasn't really that fact of my being gay that posed them a problem. It was the fact that I wasn't trying to change. Most churches will welcome gay people into their congregations as long as they are coming to "deal with their sin"—but a gay person who wants fellowship and to worship alongside them as an equal is an uncomfortable thorn in their side. The leaders sent two "student ministers" to get my confession. What had been tacitly accepted as a personal thing between God and me was now a political matter—either I confess to them my intentions to change into a heterosexual Christian or I would be excommunicated from the organization. I knew I was on my way out, but I wanted make them force me out and admit their bigotry. I asked them on what grounds they were accusing me, and they produced the same six Bible verses ignorant Christians have used for decades to shove gay people out the front doors. The thing is, I knew those continued on page 40
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HEALTH Find Your Feet… by Kelly D. McClain
How can yoga prevent me feeling ill? llnesses such as colds and the flu, even diabetes and high blood pressure are preventable. Yoga is the foundation on which you are a planted tree. If you are not watered and fed, you die a slow death. That’s what happens if you don’t eat properly and drink plenty of water.
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Be mindful of your consumption.
Be one with nature regularly. Plant or work in a garden. Take a walk on the local trails. Listen to the birds. Smell the flowers. Sit under a tree.
Keep a journal. Record your thoughts. Close the book and let them go.
Be mindful of your breath.
Watch the portion sizes of food. Fill half the plate with vegetables (or fruit at breakfast) and the other half with equal portions of carbohydrate and protein foods. Eat what you like in moderation. Chew your food completely for easy digestion. Gas is sometimes caused by indigestible chunks of swallowed food. If you drink alcohol, eat before you drink and follow-up with water before going to bed to rehydrate your body.
Exercise at least 2-3 times a week. Do anything that raises your heart rate for more than 20 minutes. Walk. Walk swiftly, or add intervals of 2-minute runs every 5 minutes. Walk up and down the staircase inside your home. Go for a bike ride. Play a sport. Stay active.
Take time to look inward. Meditate 10 minutes daily. Turn off the television. Turn off the radio. Go to a quiet place. Focus on your breath while letting go of your thoughts. If you think of something, bring your awareness back to your breath.
Begin a regimen of breathing with your belly. Locate your belly above your navel and be mindful to, when you inhale, allow your belly to expand and contract as you exhale. Doing this not only helps with digestion; it helps circulate oxygen throughout your entire body, as opposed to breathing in your chest.
Find and do things you enjoy. Spend time with friends and family. Meet new people. Try new things. Laugh! Yoga is all of these things. Physical, mental, and spiritual fulfillment provides balance to the body, mind, and soul. It keeps you in tune with your body. Listen to your body. You only have one. You will have a strong defense against any illness. Kelly D. McClain is a registered yoga teacher (RYT) currently teaching Beginner's Yoga on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. at the GLCCB. Send your questions or requests for more information at HaYoga.Kelly@yahoo.com. Also, visit Tim Hurley, RYT at the Center on Sundays at 3:30 p.m.
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TRAVEL
O NE BIG TRIP An Interview with Raphael Kadushin by Tim Miller ll gay people imagine the “Big Trip” that may break open the doors, lead to romance, that perfect beach or perfect love. Is there something about gay folks and travel that makes us always ready to "get out of dodge"? When we think of famous 20th-century queer travelers and adventurers—Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Richard Burton, Amelia Earhart, Richard Halliburton—it almost seems as if something compels gay people to push themselves beyond boundaries and look for love and ourselves. The extraordinary new anthology BIG TRIPS: More Good Gay Travel Writing, edited by Raphael Kadushin, builds on the earlier anthology Wonderlands and digs even deeper in to the psychic, emotional and sexual adventures of travel in a rich variety of stories and essays by such luminaries as Edmund White, Dale Peck, Martin Sherman and many other remarkable literary voices. It all comes together in an anthology of dynamic writing about travel that makes us want to book our next flight, or at least gets us dreaming of other places—our own personal "Big Trips". I had the opportunity to speak with editor and author Raphael Kadushin about gay lives and journeys.
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There seem to be so many travel books coming out these days? What sets this apart from the pack? Well, I think three things. First I think it’s just the range of strong writers, really the best of both young gay voices and established gay writers. So you have everyone from Mack Friedman,
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Aaron Hamburger and Cliff Chase to people like Edmund White, who of course if one of our finest American writers, and Andrew Holleran and Dale Peck. And Martin Sherman, who is probably best known for his play Bent. I always wish I’d had the chance to see the Broadway production of that play when Richard Gere starred in it. And these aren’t just great gay writers, but great writers period, so they each have a distinctive voice that goes through you. The second thing that was fun for me, in editing the book, and that distinguishes it is the range of destinations the writers took on. I didn’t try for any geographical balance; I thought I’d just see what came in when I asked people for pieces. But what came in was just naturally balanced and no writer wrote about the same place. So, the anthology jumps all over the world, which if great for vicarious travel readers, since none of us can really afford to travel much right now. It skips from Corfu to Sicily, San Francisco, Egypt, Provincetown, Mexico, Vienna, Rome, Prague, Florida, the English countryside, London, Dordogne, Paris, Morocco, the Greek islands, and northern Spain. It’s like a grand tour on paper. And the third thing that makes the book worth reading I think is the depth of the pieces. These aren’t consumer travel pieces, which you can get in any magazine or website. You’re not going to find the ten best bistros in Paris kind of travel writing here, or the thread-count story or 18 hours in London. Each writer is really exploring the sensibility of the place they visit, so if you can’t travel now, or if you’re thinking about future trips, you get a sense of immersion in the place…what it really feels like to be in Prague or Cairo. And you get a real narrative story as well, so you can read the pieces in Big Trips as travel stories or as really short stories. In fact, some of them are short stories, in the sense that you are mixing fiction and nonfiction in this anthology. How do you justify that? Well, I think most travel writing is a form of fiction, in the sense that most travel writers are just seeing a fragment of a place and projecting their own fictions onto that place. You don’t really know Vienna or Paris or Marrakech in a week or two, so you are always creating a story, even if you are pretending to be an objective journalist. You’re partly seeing what you want to see or what you are looking for. And in some ways, fiction, because it doesn’t have to stick to any rules or conventions, can capture the emotional reality of a place better, and it can take on bigger themes. A
lot of the pieces in Big Trips, in the end, aren’t just about a single trip. They tackle universal issues too, like why we travel, what drives our wanderlust, what we are really looking for when we travel, and even how we define our sense of home. And also issues like how and why we fall in love. I was surprised at how many pieces in the anthology are half travel story and half romance. Aaron Hamburger’s story about his infatuation with Lucas, the perfect Czech porn star, and Duncan Fallowel’s subtle, erotic flirtation with a man in Sicily, and Michael Klein’s poetic story about his affair during a perfect Provincetown summer, are as much love stories as anything else. Were you consciously looking for that intersection, between travel and romance? No, but I think it’s sort of inevitable. I think the impulse that fuels our wanderlust, the hunger for new experience and sensation, is to some extent a sensual, erotic impulse and it’s the same thing, in a way, that drives our search for sex, and love, and a real personal connection. So I think it becomes a natural part of a lot of travel writing and probably half the stories in here have some elements of a love story. Edmund White’s piece is probably the truest love story because it’s a doubledecker love story about an American writer living in Paris who falls in love first with a French man and then with a young American from Georgia, who is an expat like himself and who, in some ways, is more French than the French. White describes him as loving everything French—French manners, clothes, food. And together the two Americans go from Paris to Morocco where they become pure outsiders, exotics, together. So the romance and the travel become intertwined; the travel in some ways heightens the romance. The other thing about the way travel stories and love stories intersect has to do with the quality of the writing. Travel writers have to be sensual writers if they’re good; they have to capture the smell of a place, the taste of it, the quality of the local beauty. And that talent for sensual, sensory description makes for good romances. White’s story ends with a wonderful, poetic description of his French lover’s ass and Fallowel describes his Sicilian crush, a man named Riccardo, as having the black curls and startled-looking arched eyebrows that you see on statues of ancient Greeks. Your own story, which focuses partly on the narrator’s affair with a British man, is also a love story, but a sad one. continued on page 40
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QPUZZLE We Always Get Our Mantra
Across
Down
1 Shore of Palm Springs 6 Cross-dressing 10 Was active in B&D 14 My Own Private ___ 15 Baldwin staffer 16 Victim of Jacob's tricks 17 Blues singer into the arts? 19 Crabs residue 20 Tongue ending 21 Kennedy Cabinet member 22 Shakespearean poem 24 Lacking meat 25 Chloe of Boys Don’t Cry 26 Ted Allen to Carson Kressley, e.g. 29 London mayor Johnson 30 Bicolor bite 31 Put the finger on 33 With this you can pass barely 37 Palm Springs' ___ Sands Drive 38 Swashbuckling Flynn 40 Hitchcock thriller based on Leopold and Loeb 41 Andrew ___ Webber 43 Foundation for Humanity name 44 Penetrating reed 45 One of Sheehan's irons 47 Marc of pop music 49 Judy Garland's Meet Me in ___ 52 Threesome 53 Gives a bad name to 54 Claire of the Moon writer/director Nicole 55 '50s idol Hunter 58 How you don't want to find your lover and your best friend 59 Schedule a Wilde play? 62 One on Bernstein's staff? 63 Not straight 64 One whose ass is in a sling 65 Closet opening 66 Tow job 67 Enjoying a hottie visually
1 Bas relief of Eleanor's husband 2 Exchange at Provincetown Town Hall 3 Dick, for one 4 You might say it when you get it 5 Clive Barker genre 6 Henry James title character 7 Button's place 8 Fruity drink 9 It regularly blows its top 10 Billie Jean King ad? 11 Of Thee ___ 12 Enjoyed Nick Malgieri 13 Singer Springfield 18 Mame, for one 23 Exiled Roman poet 24 Jim Nabors as a singer? 25 "Same here!" 26 Part of Batman's costume 27 By mouth 28 Mark Bingham of United Flight 93 29 Sometime cross-dressing comic Milton 32 Barrel bottom bits 34 WNBA star Rebecca 35 Second word of a fairy tale 36 It gets spilled at wild parties 39 Masters 42 Bible bk. at Beth Simchat Torah 46 Bounce from the Eagle? 48 _Advocate_ article length, e.g. 49 Bear 50 Homosexuality, in many societies 51 "Of course I ___ people ..." (Quentin Crisp) 52 Samurai's capital 54 Disney, e.g. 55 Actress Collette 56 Sherman Hemsley religious sitcom 57 It made the Titanic go down 60 Be in the hole 61 Myrna of The Thin Man
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LEATHER is when the strands of the flogger curl around the sides of the body. Should this happen in the lower back area it could be harmful to the kidneys due to their location on the side of the body.
by SirK
From the Top didn’t plan to be the Baltimore Eagle’s “bandleader” at the 2008 Pride parade. It just happened. With flogger in hand, I gave anyone who wanted a taste of it. It was a thrill and many people enjoyed the touch of deerskin against their backs and bottoms—whether they were exposed or not.
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The flogger has a sordid history because it was an instrument of discipline and torture. Flagellation (flogging) has been used in the military regimes, Australian penal colonies, slavery and periodically by various religions. Indeed, in Roman times, rough stones were attached to the ends of floggers that we often refer to as a “cat of nine tails”. Sadly, in some third-world countries, flogging is still a method of interrogating. Makes Guantanamo look like a beach party, eh? Today’s flogger is usually made of leather, suede, rubber or rope. The paradigm has shifted and the flogger is very popular, necessary item in the Leather community—in particular the Dom/sub fetish group. Even the type and thickness of the leather varies. Whether or not the sub is bound, standing, kneeling or a combination thereof, the target area for flogging is predominantly the upper back, just under the shoulder blades. Otherwise, you might encounter what is called “wraparound.” That
Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR 2008
What makes it such a thrill? It’s the very tips of the flogger that graze the skin. Each flagellate stirs a single sensation as it strikes within milliseconds of the others, creating a ripple effect. Don’t forget the scent of the leather or stroking the body with the flogger, softly as a precursor to the next step in the scenario. In my opinion, that is the best part of the entire experience. (Well, a blindfold for the sub might be a nice touch, too!) As for other regions of the body, the same cautions apply. You may even consider practicing on a willing and patient sub or on a prepared target first. Watch the sub’s knees and lower legs as this is a telltale sign of endurance. If they start to quiver, stop for a bit, investigate your work, caress your “work space” and possibly continue with time. Afterward, apply lotion to the red areas. That, in and of itself, can be a great experience after all is done. There are two ways to wield the flogger (though these are not the only ones.) The first is the traditional single-stroke method, the tips of it land on each shoulder blade, one side and then the other. Repeat. Second, is a stroke that is an “8” configuration. When you relax the wrist and fully concentrate you can switch between patterns. The element of surprise is always welcomed. When you look for your flogger, don’t be shy. Give it a whirl. Literally. The most important aspects of your flogger to evaluate are the grip (the handle) and the throw (the length of the flagellates.) Take into consideration the landing (how it hits.) And, last but not least, the sound that it makes. Remember: Even Harry Potter tried out several magic wands before he found the right one.
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Flogger Tales com), a wonderful bar and dance club combination. The contest was a well orchestrated affair, with an opening number that featured Mr. New Jersey Leather 2008 himself, Spanky. We had two contestants for Ms. New Jersey Leather, and 5 contestants for Mr. New Jersey Leather. The end result? Caren Cunningham is your new Ms. New Jersey Leather 2009, and John Nowak is your Mr. New Jersey Leather 2009.
by Sir Andy Liu Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR 2008 ver notice how people decorate for the holiday season? Some of us go all out, at the risk of blowing the local power grid, and some of us throw a wreath on the door and call it a day. What’s right for some is not right for others, and that’s one of the great things about our Community.
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What works for one Sir/boy couple may not be the answer for another one. What’s right for me may not be right for you. This exemplifies the fact that though we are one Community, we are diverse and on our own individual journeys. This diversity was reflected in some of the events I’ve been to recently. The first was Mr. Old Dominion Leather 2008 in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia. The venue was Freddie’s Beach Bar (www.freddiesbeachbar.com), a cozy bar and restaurant that you can smoke inside! That notwithstanding, the contest was intimate with 3 contestants, a stage the size of two 4’ x 8’s put together and a very enthusiastic crowd. After all was done, Joel Shotwell is your newest Mr. Old Dominion Leather. Compare and contrast this with Mr. & Ms. New Jersey Leather 2009, put together by Daddy Sal, Daddy Dion, and boy tom of Dragonslair Productions (www.leathernjonline. com). I had the privilege of being a Judge at this contest, along with boyshark (my Title boy, Mid-Atlantic Leatherboy 2008) and ScottDaddy (Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2008) as Tally’s boy and Master. The venue was Crusin’ (www.cruisinthecircuit.
September 19, - October 2, 2008
Leather Sabbat was awesome! Think Halloween costumes and Leather thrown into a blender and the glorious concoction is Leather Sabbat. A benefit thrown annually at the DC Eagle (www.dceagle.com), it’s a great way to celebrate All Hollow’s Eve and catch up with old friends, in Leather!! Thank you to Potomac MC, Highwaymen TNT (www.trashandtravel.com), and DCBC (DC Bear Club – www.dcbearclub.org) for throwing this years bash! C.O.M.M.A.N.D. MC (www.commandmc.org) threw their 20th Anniversary Run, and as part of the festivities was the Mr. Maryland Leather 2009 Contest. The surprise contestant (and winner!) out of 6 men was none other than Baltimore’s own Rik “Hooker” Newton-Treadway, of Hooker & Boys. The festivities were held at The Club Hippo (a wonderful space with a nice dance floor and separate saloon - www.clubhippo.com), with offsite cocktail parties thrown by The ShipMates Club of Baltimore, (www.shipmatesclub.com), Harbor Masters of Maine (www.harbormastersofmaine.com), C.O.M.M.A.N.D MC, the DC boys of Leather (www.dcboysofleather.org), and Centaur MC (www.centaurmc.org). Your Mid-Atlantic Titleholders (boyshark, David Spellman [Community Bootblack], and me) had the honor of hosting the CLAW (Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend – www.clawinfo.org) Nation Benefit, and the first cocktail party before the contest! For more information about Leather/Levi Clubs in your area, check out www.amcc76.org for more information. Speaking of clubs, the number of boys of Leather Clubs
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ALBER - continued from page 33
verses inside and out and could speak about them as a scholar. I challenged them to a roundtable discussion on the verses and they accepted on the condition that the meetings be confidential. These secret meetings were quite frustrating for them, as my answers were logical and Biblically-based. After three of our five scheduled meetings, they ended the discussion on grounds that "we weren't getting anywhere." In fact, we were getting somewhere, just not to somewhere they were expecting. One of them ultimately admitted to me that my answers made more sense, but the head honcho explained away my scholarship as "reaching for a way to rationalize my sin." When the Biblical hullabaloo gets cleared away, this is generally the answer that fundamentalist Christians use to exclude us. It boils everything down to a personal unwillingness to seek the truth. While I don't understand the benefit, I respect their right to cling to a doctrine that requires blind submission. My problem with fundamentalist Christians is their attempt to cloak their bigotry with moral superiority and called it spirituality. I couldn't stomach the two-faced duality anymore. I found a better community of spiritual people called Soulforce. The name sounds kinda New Age-y, but it's grounded in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Soulforce welcomes people from all faith traditions and is a haven for anyone rejected from their communities. Joining that group took me to Lynchburg, Va., where I met with Jerry Falwell and 200 students from his university to dispel myths about gay people. It's an uphill battle, but it's the only way I've found to let go of the hate and still live with integrity. And I guess now you know better than to get me started on Christianity. After college, you spent five years performing with Chanticleer, the elite classic men's ensemble. How did that training prepare you for this new chapter in your career as a solo artist? Singing in Chanticleer is like playing for Yankees or making the U.S. Olympic Team. When you walk on the stage in your white tie and tuxedo tails and 3,000 college students are screaming like The Strokes just hit the room, you feel like a rock star. But it wasn't about that. When you make it into Chanticleer, it's like the universe just said, "Here, you get the chance to take the art of singing together to ultimate heights and offer a sound to the world it has never heard." I got to experience the height of human potential much the same way a kid in Brooklyn feels
after years of perfecting his skills on street courts, he makes the NBA, and is ushered into a rare community of artisans upholding the integrity of the sport. One of the most important things I learned was that when you place yourself in a situation where you're not sure if you'll succeed, something new inside of you emerges and usually surprises you. What I find most interesting about your debut album, Hide Nothing, is that its tracks weren't selected from an extensive catalog you've kept for years. These songs are literally the only songs you've ever written. As an artist, how did you decide that, yeah, these are good enough to lay down on an album. I guess I did all this backwards. I started writing songs at the same time I began learning how to record at home. I really didn't set out to record an album. Every song was like a study or an etude. I was really relying on my ear, and most of the first year was just banging my head against software and audio interfaces. But since I didn't have a deadline, I just took my time. It wasn't until I started collaborating with Jeff Crerie at Utmosis Studios in San Francisco that I began to see the potential for an album to emerge. Jeff is unlike any producer or songwriter I've ever worked with. My choral background and his intellectual electronic genius were incredibly well-suited for collaboration. I am lucky to have been surrounded by sensitive musicians who wait for the music to show itself rather than filling in the spaces with whatever paint is just laying around. When I listen to your music, specifically songs like "The Slow Club," I get a European vibe from you. Your music has a British sort of sensibility to it. Is that deliberate? Are you even aware of it? If you think my songs have a British sensibility, you should hear my brother's music (myspace.com/wreckandslender). I definitely resonate with singers like Annie Lennox, George Michael, the bands Keane and South. I think European musicians and music lovers care more about melody than a hook. I've never heard anyone compare me to British music, but then hardly anyone has ever heard my songs, so I'm honored you would consider me a member of their troupe. I do love me some fish & chips though, so maybe that's what you're hearing. Who is Mikey Rox? Who gives a fuck! But you can find him at www.mikeyrox.com.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday November 14 Gay Father’s Coalition GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 7:30 p.m.
Saturday November 15 New Image (Narcotics Anonymous) LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6-7:30 p.m.
Sufficient As I aM (SAIM) Youth & Young Adults 24 & Under GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 12:30 p.m.
Volleyball Out for Fun War Memorial Park Martinsburg, WV Email HOTTT@nationwide.com for details 3 or 4 p.m.
Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.
Trans-United GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 443-904-3401 6-8 p.m.
Monday November 17 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.
Marylanders of Color Book Club Meeting Spiral Dance Womyn’s Center 2505 E. Oliver St. Baltimore, MD 21213 www.thespiraldancebookstore.com 8 p.m.
Tuesday November 18 Alcoholics Anonymous
Sunday November 16
LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Boyds Al-Anon
GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 6:30 p.m.
Open Door Metropolitan Community Church 15817 Barnesville Rd. Boyds, MD 20841 www.al-anon.orgwww.opendoormcc.com 7:30 p.m.
Beginners Yoga with Tim Hurley, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 3:30 p.m.
Living Sober (AA) Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church 100 W. Washington St. Shepherdstown, WV 25443 3 p.m.
Narcotics Anonymous Sunday Men’s Rap GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.na.org 11:30 a.m.
Sailaway Pride Night Weather Rail Bar Loews Hotel 126 West St. Annapolis, MD 5-9 p.m.
Social Activity (Varies) Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St.
Dual Recovery Anonymous Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Chesapeake Squares Club Square Dance Waxter Center 1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.chesapeakesquares.org 8-10 p.m.
Consumer Planned Activity Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4-6:30 p.m. & 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Positive Influence LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Pre-natal Yoga Lifeline Power Yoga 111 Allegheny Ave. Towson, MD 21204 www.lifelinepoweryoga.com Suggested Donation 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday November 19 Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly D. McClain, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 7:15 p.m.
Gay Bingo (to benefit GLCCB & Aids Action) Club Hippo 1 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-547-0069 8:30 p.m.
Gay Men's Support Group
Cabaret @ Germano’s Baltimore Theatre Alliance Presents: Song’s I’ll Never Get to Sing on Stage 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 7:30 p.m.
Gay Argentine Tango w/ Max Gonzalez Studio DNA 1301 Baylis St. Baltimore, MD 21224 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
JUMP (Just Us Making Progress) Confidential HIV Support Group The Portal 2419 Greenmount Ave., Suite 1 Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-5241 www.theportalbmore.org 7-8:30 p.m.
Support Group for Individuals with Mental Health Issues Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.
For individuals living with HIV or AIDS HAVEN Annapolis Annapolis, MD 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. www.havenannapolis.org 410- 224-AIDS (for meeting location)
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Opera & Entrees
Friday November 21
My Funny Valentine 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 5 p.m.
Power Inside Women’s Rap Power Inside Office 325 E. 25th St., 1st floor Baltimore, MD 21218 3-4:30 p.m.
Rapscallion Radical Art Collective 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 www.rapscallionart.org/ 7 p.m.
‘Tini Lounge Happy Hour GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar 41 N. Potomac St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 4:30-10:00 p.m.
Thursday November 20 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.
War Memorial Building 101 N. Gay St. Baltimore, MD 21202 www.eqmd.org/tdor 6-9 p.m.
Brooklyn Park Lunch Bunch Lunchtime support group for anyone living with HIV/AIDS HAVEN Annapolis www.havenannpolis.org 410-224-AIDS (for meeting location) 12:15 - 1:45 p.m.
Opera & Entrees My Funny Valentine 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 5 p.m.
New Image (Narcotics Anonymous) LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6-7:30 p.m.
Sufficient As I aM (SAIM) Youth & Young Adults 24 & Under GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 12:30 p.m.
Volleyball Out for Fun War Memorial Park Martinsburg, WV Email HOTTT@nationwide.com for details 3 or 4 p.m.
Sunday November 23
Alcoholics Anonymous LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Boyds Al-Anon Open Door Metropolitan Community Church 15817 Barnesville Rd. Boyds, MD 20841 www.al-anon.orgwww.opendoormcc.com 7:30 p.m.
Cabaret @ Germano’s Baltimore School for the Arts 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 7:30 p.m.
Chesapeake Squares
Beginners Yoga with Tim Hurley, RYT
Consumer Planned Activity
GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 3:30 p.m.
Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4-6:30 p.m. & 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Living Sober (AA) Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church 100 W. Washington St. Shepherdstown, WV 25443 3 p.m.
Narcotics Anonymous Sunday Men’s Rap GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.na.org 11:30 a.m.
Sailaway Pride Night Weather Rail Bar Loews Hotel 126 West St. Annapolis, MD 5-9 p.m.
Social Activity (Varies)
GLCCB, Room 202 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.myspace.com/btma 6 p.m.
Monday November 24
GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.transmaryland.org 8 p.m.
Tuesday November 25
Club Hippo 1 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-547-0069 8:30 p.m.
GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 6:30 p.m.
Alcoholics Anonymous
GIG: Baltimore TransMasculine Alliance
GIG: Tran*quility
Gay Bingo (to benefit GLCCB & Aids Action)
Club Square Dance Waxter Center 1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.chesapeakesquares.org 8-10 p.m.
Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.
Saturday November 22
menlikeme@glccb.org 6 p.m.
Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.
Men Like Me GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201
Dual Recovery Anonymous Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Positive Influence LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Pre-natal Yoga Lifeline Power Yoga 111 Allegheny Ave. Towson, MD 21204 www.lifelinepoweryoga.com Suggested Donation 1:30 p.m.
Rainbow Youth Alliance, Columbia Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way Columbia, MD 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday November 26 Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly D. McClain, CYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 7:15 p.m.
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POZ Men GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 6 p.m.
‘Tini Lounge Happy Hour GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar 41 N. Potomac St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 4:30-10:00 p.m.
Thursday November 27 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.
Gay Argentine Tango w/ Max Gonzalez Studio DNA 1301 Baylis St. Baltimore, MD 21224 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
JUMP (Just Us Making Progress) Confidential HIV Support Group The Portal 2419 Greenmount Ave., Suite 1 Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-5241 www.theportalbmore.org 7-8:30 p.m.
Support Group for Individuals with Mental Health Issues Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle Street Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Confidential HIV/STI Testing & Counseling GLCCB Tuesday, Wednesday 5-8 p.m. 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-837-5445
HERO Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-4 p.m. Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 1734 Maryland Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201 410-685-1180
FLOGGER TALE - continued from page 39
HOMOSTROLOGY by Marry Elaine
SCORPIO
GEMINI
(October 23 - November 21) As much as possible, surround yourself with the sounds of lapping water. You smell incredible. Offer your soft cheek every chance you get. Spending time with a cuspy Pisces will feel luscious and bring a lot of wonderful into your life.
(May 21 - June 20) An intimate, silent dance you routinely perform is tense. Be clear and be kind. Your steady patience allows you to maintain a vision with a grand scope. Tend to your health. Momentary excitements and long-term commitments can coexist.
SAGITTARIUS
CANCER
(November 22 - December 20) Refrain from bathing with lovers. Don’t be afraid to touch.
(June 21 - July 22) Now is a time to make family and enjoy the family you have made. If you feel lonely in your pursuits, it is only because you are pursuing in the wrong directions. Make time to feel the love people are sending to you. French kiss as much as possible. Success wants very badly to come your way.
CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19) Don’t be scared to feel good. Be as accepting towards yourself as you are toward others. Get to know people better this week. Let people speak for themselves, and believe them when they do.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18) Draw your supporters near to you. You offer a lot of strength to others. Pull from the strength they want to offer you right now when you need it. Eat a big tuna melt.
PISCES (February 19 - March 19) Focus on creation and followthrough right now. You are pretty much unstoppable: Make sure to see your successes so that you can celebrate them.
ARIES (March 20 - April 19) Have confidence: You move and choose with grace. Someone understands you beyond knowing and outside of words. Do not hesitate to lean, to feel love and to find strength.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) Wear copper and carry current. You know people, but what about and how do you really know them? Get to know people better this week. Let people speak for themselves, and believe them when they do.
LEO (July 23 - August 22) Instead of feeling jealous, figure out what you want and what you can do to get closer.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22) Open yourself up to all the many ways you can relate; it will be easier to feel that you are already touching than to reach out.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22) Dance all the time. Fidget nonstop. Your rhythm quickens as the heat approaches. Your prowess amplifies and your senses are acute. Where you are usually Moderation, you might feel off calibration. Don’t hold back—you will gain a lot of insight from this quickness. Marry Elaine is very psychic and a huge fag. Email her at letspretendweremarried @baltimoregaylife.com.
have been increasing, and this is a good thing! boys of Leather Clubs in the Mid-Atlantic Region (DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, southern New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania) include the Keystone boys of Leather (www.keystoneboysofleather.org), the DC boys of Leather, and the newest addition, Jersey boys of Leather (jerseyboysofleather.com)! All Leather/ Levi Clubs serve as networking, social support, and Community service groups. They are a good resource of information regardless of how you identify, and a safe place to explore if you are new to the Community. Who knows where the next boys of Leather Club will pop up.
Daddy Christmas – 11.06.08 – www.shipmates.com – Baltimore, MD 12 Days of Christmas – 11.13.08 – www.clubhippo.com – Baltimore, MD Mid-Atlantic Leather – 01.16.09 to 01.18.09 – www.leatherweekend.com – Washington, DC So, are some things static? Sure! Protocols, Traditions, Code of Conduct, and caring for our fellow human beings are a given. But can we exercise a little flexibility and individuality in our codified world? Absolutely.
Upcoming events include (and I hope to see you all out and having a great time!): Philadelphia Leather Weekend (Mr. & Ms. Philadelphia Leather 2009) – 11.14.08 to 11.16.08 – www.thebiketsop.com – Philadelphia, PA Mr. DC Eagle – 11.22.08 – www.dceagle.com – Washington, DC Santa Saturday – 11.29.08 – www.bucksmc.org – Asbury Park, NJ
Mr. Maryland Leather 2009 - Rik "Hooker" Newton-Treadway (Photo: Andy Liu)
BIG TRIPS - continued from page 37
It starts out as sort of a burlesque, as this series of almost comical accidents happen to this young American boy living in London. He meets this very handsome, slightly older British journalist who is being kept by a sugar daddy, and they go off on this tour of Yorkshire, past all these odd literary sites—Whitby, where Bram Stoker’s Dracula landed, and Beatrix Potter’s house, and Byron country. So it’s sort of a literary tour. But the story is really about in some ways the two different sides of travel. One side is that sense of euphoric adventure we have when we set off for a new place. But the other side is that sudden sense of vulnerability you feel when you are lost in the world, and the search for home that can result. Do you feel that split personally? I know how much you travel yourself, as a journalist for a lot of the travel magazines, and I would think that gets exhausting. Well, you know, it does. You probably travel as much as I do. But I feel it more and more, and that sort of informed how I divided the pieces in Big Trips. There are two parts to the anthology. The first part is called “Going Out” and it focuses on the wonderful rush you get from traveling, so it has pieces like Michael
Klein’s description of a golden summer in Provincetown and Phil Gambone’s excitement over being in Mozart’s Vienna. But the second part, called “Coming Back”, is about travelers who are really tired of traveling, who are looking for some sense of a home. Those are less romantic pieces, but in some ways, for me, more moving. So you have a wonderful story by Andrew Holleran about his visit to these gated retirement communities in Florida that he realizes could never be a home. And Mack Friedman’s elegiac story about a man traveling with the ashes of his cremated mother, back to Mexico, where they once vacationed. And then the first act of a relatively unknown play by Martin Sherman that starred Vanessa Redgrave when it was produced in London. It’s the perfect ending to Big Trips because it’s a two-person play set on a Greek island and it becomes this almost debate between a young boy who is just starting his travels and an older woman named Mrs. Honey who is the spent, tired traveler looking to land anywhere, somewhere. She just wants to go home. Tim Miller is an internationally acclaimed solo performer and the author of Body Blows and 1001 Beds. He can be reached at his website: www.timmillerperformer.com.
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QUOTE UNQUOTE
BY REX WOCKNER WITH BILL KELLEY and more time yet to form any kind of stable emotional bond with another man. Because my sexuality had emerged in solitude — and without any link to the idea of an actual relationship — it was hard later to reconnect sex to love and self-esteem. It still is. But I persevered, each relationship slowly growing longer than the last, learning in my 20s and 30s what my straight friends had found out in their teens."
"Oh, cricket? It's a fag game. What are you, nuts?" —Comedian Jerry Lewis, when asked his opinion of the game cricket at a news conference in Sydney, Australia, Oct. 24. Lewis then reportedly flounced around effeminately handling an imaginary cricket bat. "The house mostly reflects Susan's style, but I have to put my stamp on things. Once, I found a sculpture of a big, fat squirrel holding a reflector. You're supposed to put it at the end of your driveway. We have it near the kitchen table; it's the house mascot." —Openly lesbian MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow to The New York Times, Oct. 17. "Susan cooks dinner; I make drinks. We stay up all night talking or watching movies. Since we don't have TV, we watch movies on the laptop. I do this whole arcane thing where I get cords and connect the laptop and the speakers to an outlet. It takes 10 minutes." —Openly lesbian MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow to The New York Times, Oct. 17. "Poor man. There is such a sickness there. It's so patently obvious that there is a psychosis there. I don't know what his original thing about me was. I have no idea. ... Obviously, hiding his homosexuality—talk about festering and not living the truth of your life and feeling badly about yourself—and being fearful somebody would find out about this terrible, terrible secret, so he thought. Finally at the age of, I think, 70, he decides to come out of the closet and say, 'I'm gay.' Like, who cares? Be gay. Don't be gay. That's up to you, George." —Actor William Shatner (Captain Kirk) on actor George Takei (Sulu), in a video posted on Shatner's Web site, Oct. 22. Shatner was responding to Takei's having said in June: "Our contact list (for our wedding) has, like, 3,500 names, so we have to whittle it down and I don't know if William Shatner is going to make the cut. ... Kirk and Shatner both have this grand ego of sense of self. He sits there in the center of the set and he revels (in) it." Watch the video at tinyurl.com/5qw7mh. "It is unfortunate that Bill was unable to join us for our wedding as he indeed was invited to attend.
—Gay writer Andrew Sullivan, on his blog, Nov. 1, in a reprint of an essay he wrote for Time magazine in 2004. Lesbian tennis great Martina Navratilova, right, with lesbian comedian Kate Clinton at a recent Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) event. Photo by Donna F. Aceto
"We've been losing so many freedoms in the name of security; we're losing all of our freedom — what kind of a life is that? You can't look at a policeman funny for fear of being called a combatant, and thrown into Guantánamo and never be heard from again. It's insane what's been going on. The true reflection of a nation is how it responds when it's threatened, and we've not been responding very well, I don't think. We're too ready to give up a lot of our freedoms that we fought so hard for—for hundreds of years—in the name of what? Fear?" "It (homosexuality) was always kind of acceptable on the tennis tour anyway, at least among the women. The guys are very closeted. In fact I don't know any men that are gay that are in the closet. That's how closeted they are — I don't even know who they are. But women, I think, have been more forthright about that for whatever reason." "I think the more visible we are, the more difficult it is for people to be prejudiced, and it just spreads; it's going to spread like a good virus around the world. Unfortunately there are still countries in this world where homosexuality is punishable by death and there's dozens of them that can put you in jail and will put you in jail. So we've got a long way to go. Here we are complaining that you can't get married, and if you're in Nigeria they'll hack you to death. So there's still a long ways to go. The easiest way to support it is to be out and be active here." —Openly lesbian tennis great Martina Navratilova to the Vancouver gay newspaper Xtra! West, Oct. 23. It is our hope that at this point he joins us in voting no on Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminate the fundamental right for same-sex couples to marry in California." —Takei, in response to Shatner, Oct. 22. "I don't know what people are scared of. Maybe they think their children will be influenced (by gay marriage), but I've got to tell you, I was raised by two heterosexuals. Everywhere I looked — heterosexuals. And they did not influence me." —Ellen DeGeneres on her TV show, Oct. 22.
"Until 'marriage' has its proper day in the Supreme Court of the United States of America you can count on decades of June and November state by state elections where bigots—by whatever nom de plume — will have some proposition or amendment on the ballot that would deny everyone basic human dignity and rights. Get used to it. Get used to fundraisers and getout-the-vote rallies and fighting the good fight." —Poet Rod McKuen writing in the Palm Springs magazine The BottomLine, Oct. 24. "It took years for me to realize that I was gay, years more to tell others
"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle, including dressing in the clothes men wear. (It) becomes clearer when they start to have sex with someone of the same gender, that is woman and woman. (We) have decided ... that such acts are forbidden and banned." —Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, after it issued a fatwa Oct. 23 banning "tomboyism" and lesbian sex. Gaymale sex is banned by civil law. "It's often said that Tom (of Finland's) greatest achievement was in drawing gay men who were masculine, happy and proud at a time when they were supposed to be effeminate, neurotic and shameful. This is certainly the reason why so many gay men are Tom devotees, wittingly or not. Today's gay porn is merely footnotes to Tom, endlessly replaying the narrative of 'regular guys' with very irregular-sized penises and pectorals having spontaneous, shameless sex at the drop of a monkey wrench." —Martin Simpson, writing in The Times of London, Nov. 3. "Tom (of Finland's) big break came in the 1950s from Physique Pictorial, an underground, semi-legal gay American fanzine disguised as a straight men's bodybuilding magazine, which frequently put Tom's men on the cover. Half a century later, and 17 years after his death in 1991, the world is inverted: fleshand-blood men who look like Tom's drawings appear on the cover of bestselling corporate mags such as Men's Health. Flick one open, and you'll find it full of advice on how straight men can turn themselves into something Tom-ish." —Martin Simpson, writing in The Times of London, Nov. 3.
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POSTAGE
Dear Editor,
Congratulations to the new President-Elect Barack Obama! He has become an inspirational figure for all Americans and especially African-Americans. Although, it was very disappointing to see many of the African-American voters in California who voted for Mr. Obama, a symbol of change in our world, were the same voters who voted for banning gay marriage in California. It will be the President-Elect Obama’s responsibility to push for LGBT equality under the law. One sector of the American electorate that should understand the plight of gays and lesbians in this country is African-Americans. However, according to the recent exit polling in California, there is a disconnect between our causes and their perspectives. The President-Elect needs to show the African-American community that the same oppressors of civil rights for them are the same oppressors for us. We share this injustice together. Those more inclined to not vote for a candidate based on the color of that candidate’s skin are the same people inclined to vote against giving gays and lesbians equal protection under the law. President-Elect Obama has the power to do this. His status among AfricanAmericans can lend much credibility to issues such as gay marriage. He has asked Americans to keep hope alive, and regardless of Californians’ decision to ban gay marriage again, I will be doing just that—keeping the flame of hope burning for our community. Thank you. Kind Regards, Justin Cuffley
What are
you thinking?
editor@baltimoregaylife.com
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ACCOUNTING Heiffner & Associates 6706 German Hill Rd. Dundalk, MD 21222 410-285-3920 AUTOMOTIVE Meineke Car Care Center 7604 Harford Rd. Parkville, MD 21234 410-665-0710 Tate Mini of Annapolis 25 Old Mill Bottom Rd. N. Annapolis, MD 21409 410-349-2131 BARS / NIGHTCLUBS Baltimore Eagle 2022 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-685-3219 Club Hippo 1 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-576-0018 Club Phoenix 1 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-837-3906
CHORUSES
New Wave Singers PO Box 2012 Baltimore, MD 21203 410-558-4692 CHURCHES Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 20201 410-547-5486 First & St. Stephen’s United Church 6915 York Rd. Baltimore, MD 21212 410-377-5224
St. John’s of Baltimore 2640 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21218 410-366-7733 COMPUTER / TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING Computer Handyman of Maryland 443-827-0433 CONSTRUCTION Laurence Construction David Meltzer 6999 Reiserstown Rd., Suite 1 Baltimore, MD 21215 410-764-7100 NLT Construction 9216 Liberty Rd. Randallstown, MD 21133 410-922-6475
First Unitarian Church 1 W. Hamilton St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-685-2330
COUNSELING / THERAPY Patti Desert, LCSW-C Singular Pathways 208 E. Melrose Ave. Baltimore, MD 21212 410-435-3755
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Memorial Episcopal Church 1407 Bolton St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-669-0220
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Towson, MD 21286 410-583-8846 Robin Richardson, LCSW-C The Rotunda, Suite 412 711 W. 40th St. Baltimore, MD 21211 410-261-3323 Women’s Growth Center 5209 York Rd. Baltimore, MD 21212 410-532-2476 FINANCIAL SERVICES Yoshiko Hayakawa First Financial Group 401 Washington Ave., 6th floor Baltimore, MD 21204 410-828-5400 x4178 FITNESS Mt. Vernon Fitness 1016 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.mvfit.com FRAMING Fast Frame of Bel Air 1431 Rock Spring Rd. Bel Air, MD 21014 410-836-0017 HEALTH / DENTAL Chase Brexton Health Services 1001 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-837-2050 Dr. Samuel Westrick 3100 St. Paul St., Suite 5 Baltimore, MD 21218 410-243-5544
HEALTH INSURANCE Trey Ellison III Alliance for Affordable Services Baltimore, MD 443-468-6171 JEWELERS Craig Coyne Jewelers 8113 Main St. Ellicott City, MD 21043 410-243-5544 LEGAL SERVICES Law offices of Constandin Alivizatos 111 S. Calvert St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-385-5397 Lynda Dee, Attorney at Law 201 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-332-1170 National Adoption and Surrogacy Center Hilary Neiman, Esq. 30 Courthouse Square, Suite 106 Rockville, MD 20850 301-340-7228 Mark Scurti Hodes, Pessin & Katz, PA 410-938-8718 www.hpklegal.com Zavos Law Group Washington, DC Baltimore, MD 443-570-6205 LOCKSMITHS Robert’s Key Service 217 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-728-7484
MORTGAGE SERVICES Marva J. Laws American Financial Resources Bel Air, MD 410-734-6688 1-888-553-5513 marva@afronline.com Richard Pazornik SunTrust Mortgage 410-561-4139 www.suntrustmortgage.com/rp azornik NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Hearts and Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 PHARMACIES Mount Vernon Pharmacy 900 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-539-8030 Park Avenue Pharmacy 1535 Park Ave. Baltimore, MD 21217 410-225-0800 Real Estate Nancy Corporon RE/MAX Advantage Realty 8815 Centre Park Dr. Columbia, MD 21045 410-740-1200 Stephen Johnson Long & Foster Real Estate 10805 Hickory Ridge Rd. Columbia, MD 21044 410-715-7891
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MT. WASHINGTON Quaint cottage—living room, bedroom, kitchen, sun room and bath. Working fireplace, central air. Secluded street. Call 410-664-4242.
BRAD'S SPECIAL TOUCH A hot full body/full satisfaction massage in your home, hotel, or my NEW waterfront studio. Guys or couples. Visa/MC. 443-6950141, or www.specialtouchmassage.com
GREAT APARTMENT FOR RENT (HISTORIC LAURAVILLE) Huge 1 BR Apt. on 2nd foor of very appealing and very well maintained detached house. $770 per month includes water, heat, fuel for cooking, security, and satellite TV with HBO and Showtime. Convenient parking. Small pets OK & Welcome. Call 410-404-9411. ROLAND PARK, BALTIMORE CHARMING 3 BR HOME Remodeled bath and kitchen, hardwood floors throughout, washer/dryer, dishwasher, back yard and deck, front porch, 3rd floor loft/office, vintage chandeliers, fine woodwork, plaster walls, hot water radiators, natural gas. Newly painted, tree-lined street, walk to restaurants, schools and universities. Looking for someone who appreciates craftsmanship. Three people maximum, no dogs. $1480/mo. Dave, 410662-1236 or 443-255-6770 or
GREAT MASSAGE Swedish or sensual, by attractive guy with awesome hands. Incall/Outcall, reasonable rates, 15 years experience. Craig 410-336-8956 or Craiginbaltimore@comcast.net
Services CLEAN IT UP CLEANING SERVICES LLC esidential cleaning services. Free estimates. Low rates. Discounts for Seniors. 410-444-8198 HERE 2 HELP INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES LLC Affordable part-time care for elderly and adults with special needs. 410-800-2108..
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www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E • N o v e m b e r 1 4 - N o v e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 0 8 • PA G E 4 7