Vol. 30, No. 3, February 8 - February 21, 2008

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F E B R U A RY 8 - F E B R U A RY 2 1 , 2 0 0 8 Vo l u m e X X X , N u m b e r 3

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY ADVOCATE EVAN WOLFSON PAGE 28

U-PEOPLE THE MOVIE SCREENING FEB 22ND @ THE GLCCB

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OUT CANDIDATE ROBIN DEIBERT RUNS FOR CONGRESS IN MARYLAND’S SIXTH DISTRICT

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WHAT’S INSIDE Page 3 LOCAL NEWS Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Lose: Out Candidate Robin Deibert Runs for Congress in Maryland’s Sixth District; Marylanders Gear Up for Equality Maryland’s Annual Lobby Day; Montgomery County Court Affirms Decision to Implement Inclusive Health Education Curriculum; Moveable Feast Selects New Executive Director. By Maddy Dwertman Page 5 NATIONAL NEWS Advocates for LGBT Equality Gather to Create Change. By Maddy Dwertman

Page 8 NATIONAL NEW Briefs Foreman to Leave Task Force; Gore Supports Same-Sex Marriage; Lambda Tackles N.Y. Canadian-Marriage Ruling; Bill would Create Harvey Milk Holiday in California; Kennedy Endorses Obama, Both Mention Gays; Bush Tells Barney Frank He’s ‘Open-minded’ toward Gays. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley Page 10 INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS Moscow Pride: Third Time’s a Charm?; Euro Court: Gays Must have Equal Adoption Rights; Swedes Support Full Same-Sex Marriage; Kuwaiti Cross-dressers Arrested, Abused; 13-14 Percent of Canadian Teens Acknowledge Gay Attraction; Swiss Experts Say HIV+ People with No Viral Load Cannot Transmit HIV; Spaniards Support Same-Sex Marriage Law; Argentine Couple Seeks Recognition of Spanish Marriage; Police Close Buenos Aires Bear Club. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley Page 12 FEATURE Do You Know the Candidates?

“You Don’t Get Half a Loaf by Asking for Half a Loaf”: An Interview with Marriage Equality Advocate Evan Wolfson. By Maddy Dwertman Page 18 OPINIONS A Stand-Up Politician. By Leslie Robinson

At Odds with No End. By Gwendolyn Ann Smith

City Options to Think About. By David Placher LGBT Voters Debate the Candidates, Issues.

By Michael K. Lavers

Yes, Black GLBT History Exists. By Monica Roberts IMHO (In My Homo Opinion): Cruising

By Mario Fernandez

Page 22 DEAN’S LIST A Collegiate Calendar of Events. By Garrott Smith

Page 25 CENTER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Baltimore Women Out and About. By Kelly D. McClain GLCCB Launches Pride Business Alliance. By Joel Rosado Page 26 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Page 28 MOVIES U-People—The Movie: A Conversation with Director Hanifah Walidah. By K. Love the Infinite One Fat Girls. By Lamont S. Bryant

Page 30 THEATER Doubt: A Parable at Olney Theatre Center, and La Cage aux Folles at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore. By Maddy Dwertman

Page 31 PENCIL ME IN Calendar By Maddy Dwertman

Page 32 MUSIC Artist Profiles. By K. Love the Infinite One Page 35 Q PUZZLE Queue and A

Page 36 BUSINESS PROFILE Bootcamp in a Brownstone?: Mt. Vernon Fitness Opens Its Doors to Members. By Maddy Dwertman

Page 38 REAL ESTATE Four Ways to Find a Contractor You Can Love. ARAcontent Page 40 Q SCOPES Welcome Debates, Libra! By Jack Fertig

Page 41 DO AS I SAY Gay Marriage: Your Country Needs You! By Miss Prudence Worthington

Page 43 QUOTE UNQUOTE By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley Page 44 BSCENE What are You Doing for Valentine’s Day? Photos by Lamont S. Bryant Super Bowl Parties. By Jay W. Photos

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.

Brian Flottemesch President of GLCCB Editor

editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Michael Nguyen Art Director

241 W. Chase Street Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: 410.837.7748 Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Maddy Dwertman Sales

sales@baltimoregaylife.com

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media 212-242-6863

art@baltimoregaylife.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Lamont S. Bryant Mario Fernandez Jack Fertig Bill Kelley K. Love the Infinite Michael K. Lavers David Placher Monica Roberts

Leslie Robinson Joel Rosado Garrott Smith Gwendolyn Ann Smith Rex Wockner

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LOCAL NEWS prepared you to become an effective legislator?

Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Lose

RD: I’ve seen many issues from both sides. In healthcare, I did both billing and hands-on patient care.

I’ve seen both the mess that is the healthcare system and the impact of patients who are treated. As a veteran, I see what the military is doing and know what needs to be done.

As a business system analyst, I always have to build consensus across the board…. Building consensus is really what an effective legislator does. I know that I’m not going to go in and save the world. It takes building consensus and talking about issues and creating effective solutions that everyone can endorse. This is what it takes to get effective legislation passed.

Out Candidate Robin Deibert Runs for Congress in Maryland’s Sixth District Interview by Maddy Dwertman

obin Deibert was born and raised in Washington, County, MD. A veteran and long-time activist for women’s rights, soldiers’ rights, gay rights, and the environment, she has always held public service as a core value.

Deibert, drawing upon her diverse backgrounds in the military, health care and information technology, is one of five democratic candidates running for Congress in Maryland’s Sixth District.

R

Other candidates filed to run in Tuesday’s primary include: Jennifer Dougherty, former mayor of Frederick; Andrew Duck, the 2006 democratic nominee; Rick Lank, a business executive; and Larry John Smith, an assistant principal.

Gay Life had the opportunity to interview Robin Deibert about her views on key political issues and her decision to remain open about her sexuality while campaigning in an often closeted political arena.

Gay Life: After serving in the military, you worked as an x-ray technician and then as a business system analyst. What event or series of events led you into activism and eventually into politics?

GL: You have very strong opinions about the current war in Iraq. What do you believe are some of the first steps the government needs to take to improve the current situation?

Robin Deibert: The activism started years ago. I’ve always been active for women’s rights, especially reproductive rights. But when “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” came out with Clinton, I really became much more active in the political arena in terms of going and talking to congressmen and saying: “This isn’t right.” As an activist…sometimes you feel like you’re shouting at the rain. The last straw for me to go from activism…to the other side of the desk where I felt I may be able to really affect

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change…was when one of my best friends passed away. He would not go to a doctor because he did not have adequate health coverage…. He had migraines for two weeks…and by Thanksgiving he was found dead…it was completely treatable had he been diagnosed properly and treated. His death motivated me to take another step towards trying to affect change because people are not making changes fast enough.

GL: How has your background in the military, healthcare and business

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RD: The first thing that we need to do is separate the funding for Afghanistan and Iraq. These are two completely separate operations with two completely separate goals. We made promises to the people of Afghanistan and said: “If you let us fight the terrorists that reside in your country, we will help you and protect you.” They have upheld their end but we have not kept our end.

As it stands now, funds designated for Afghanistan can be redirected to Iraq. Once funds are separated, we can continue to fund Afghanistan and Iraq can be dealt with separately.

Militarily we have done all we can do. The Iraqi government needs to stand up and create whatever form continued on page 5

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DEIBERT - continued from page 3

of government works for Iraq.

Democracy is not found at the end of a gun barrel. There are diplomatic solutions. We need to get our men and women out of there as soon as possible…and safely. Safely is the key word….We need to bring them back, especially reservists who have been treated as if they are active duty. They are tired. We need to get them out of this and let the diplomatic solutions start taking effect.

GL: You support a broad vision of democratic changes that includes universal healthcare and education.

Although some might call this idealistic, what do you believe the feasibility of such a vision to be?

RD: You always have to be flexible to get the job done…but sometimes you have to stand up to do the right thing. Knowing the difference between the two is going to be key. In healthcare, the only system that will fix the mess that we currently have is implementing a single-payer system…. We

need to educate people of this and have a grassroots effort. You have to get in at the individual level and have it progress from the citizens to insist that Congress supports this type of system. Citizens across the district I have spoken with are furious that profit has taken the place of health care.

We’re probably going to have to be flexible in education. We can’t repeal No Child Left Behind because it has forty years of history and repealing it may put many needed services at risk. Maybe we can’t get a class size of fifteen but we can get a class size of twenty-five because it’s fiscally possible. That we can be flexible on…but we can’t keep teaching to tests. We have to say no because it’s not the right thing for the students and it’s not the right thing for the future.

It’s about standing up for the right things for the people and being able to bend sometimes in the right areas that don’t sacrifice the best interests of the public.

GL: Why are environmental concerns such a key component of your campaign?

RD: Most people have been focusing more on energy independence instead of climate. The two are different but they go hand in hand.

Environmental concerns are an important part because we have to be forward-thinking when we act today…. When you talk about healthcare and education and climate…you have to pass legislation now, but you can’t forget what effect this legislation has on the future.

That is the way the government should be working….

In 2006, Brazil became energy-independent after only 30-years of investing…. Germany is expected to be energy independent in a few years because its government has asked farmers to use solar energy and has invested in wind-powered energy sources…. We have been talking about [energy independence] since the 1970s but we haven’t really invested in it. We need to stop talking and start doing. The country needs to become independent so our citizens are no longer at the mercy of outside forces.

GL: Many LGBT politicians choose to either remain closeted or not comment on their sexuality in the political arena.

Was it a difficult decision to be open about your sexuality?

RD: No. It’s who I am. I don’t go around saying: “I’m an openly gay candidate.” Instead, I go around saying: “Tell me how I can represent you.”

That is the question I ask because it’s not about me. It’s about representing the people. I have nothing to hide. I have nothing to lose. www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

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I did sit down and talk with my partner of thirteen years and my mom and sister and brother before I decided to run because I knew that I and my family had the potential of being attacked and I wanted to get their input. When I told them I wanted to run, the words out of their mouth were: “Finally.”

GL: What have some of the greatest challenges of running as an "out" lesbian been?

RD: It has not been challenging. It’s been interesting. I was at the Frederick fair and I was meeting people. This gentleman was talking to another candidate and he walked up to me and said: “You’re running”? And I said, “Yes I am.” He started peppering me with questions…where do I stand on Iraq, healthcare, education…just issue after issue. And he looked at me and he said, “Let me ask you this. Are you gay?” I looked at him straight in the eyes and said, “Yes, sir, I am.” He responded, “So is my granddaughter and I’m so happy you’re running.” I had no idea what his response would be or that he had a lesbian granddaughter. I repeat this story because my sexuality was a nonissue. Most people don’t care.

Their attitude is “That’s fine, but where do you stand on this issue?”

They want a candidate who they think has maybe had it a little rough and they think will fight for them. I don’t ever assume though that just because someone is family that they will endorse or vote for me.

GL: What is your position on the same-sex marriage versus civil unions debate and have you been involved in the same-sex marriage battle in Maryland?

RD: My initial response is to say, “If two people are going to ruin a perfectly good relationship by getting married, I’m not going to stand in their way.” Sometimes a little humor helps you get down to the more than 1,000 benefits denied…. And it’s not just gay couples, but also heterosexual couples who choose not to get married…. They want to have taxation benefits, hospital visitation benefits, estate benefits, healthcare benefits, among the over 1,000 other benefits, but don’t want to get married…. So the marriage issue is bigger than just the gay community.

People really aren’t asking me about it. I’ve had it on one questionnaire, but it doesn’t seem to be the focus.

Even when I speak with GLBT groups, their questions seem to be about jobs and healthcare and education and energy independence.

For additional information about Robin Deibert, visit www.deibertforcongress.com.

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LOCAL NEWS Marylanders Gear Up for Equality Maryland’s Annual Lobby Day

On Monday, Feb. 11, an expected 500 LGBT Marylanders and allies will join Equality Maryland, the state’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, for its annual rally and lobby day at the Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet with their delegates and senators just weeks after sponsors introduced The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, a bill that would expand marriage in Maryland to same-sex couples while protecting the rights of religious institutions to choose which marriages they will recognize and perform.

“This is the first time that legislators have had a marriage bill in front of them,” Carrie Evans, policy director at Equality Maryland told The Blade. “Everything before this session was hypothetical. Now there’s a bill that we’re asking legislators to cosponsor and support.”

Local advocates for LGBT rights are stressing that personal interaction, like that facilitated by Lobby Day, will be a key ingredient in influencing legislators to support this critical piece of legislation.

“If we don’t stand up for ourselves, we can’t very well expect others to do it for us. The only way to change legislators’ minds is by engaging them in conversation, and given what’s at stake over the next few months in Annapolis, we must come together to be heard,” said Equality Maryland’s executive director Dan Furmansky.

Lobby Day will begin at 5 p.m. with a rally on the Lawyers’ Mall in front of the Maryland Statehouse.

At the conclusion of the rally, Equality Maryland’s district coordinators will facilitate meetings among participants and their state legislators. In addition to marriage equality, Lobby Day 2008 will also focus on the transgender anti-discrimination bill and domestic partner benefits for state employees.

Furmansky invites Marylanders to take advantage of this “opportunity for us to show our strength as a movement. {Lobby Day] has been cited by some as the largest gathering of a constituent group in Annapolis, and it absolutely makes not just legislators, but the whole state sit up and take notice of us.”

Moveable Feast

Selects New Executive Director

After a nationwide search, the Board of Directors of Moveable Feast, a nonprofit organization that provides meals to individuals in Maryland living with HIV/AIDS, has selected Thomas S. Bonderenko as the new executive director.

With over twenty-five years of experience in the non-profit sector, Mr. Bonderenko was the former executive director of Paul’s Place Outreach in Baltimore, and spent more than ten years as administrator of community services for the Catholic Charities of Baltimore. He most recently served as director of support services for Pennrose Management Company in Philadelphia, PA. Bonderenko is also co-founder of the Greater Baltimore-Washington Resident Services Council and founder of the Baltimore Coalition of Service Providers.

“I am thrilled to be back in Baltimore and have the opportunity to advance the mission of Moveable Feast—a mission which has never

Thomas S.Bonderenko

been more relevant than it is today, Bonderenko told Moveable Feast.

“2008 will be a particularly exciting year for Moveable Feast as we move into our new and permanent home in East Baltimore. With increased capacity, we have an incredible opportunity to expand the nutrition, transportation, and job training services we offer to those in most need in our community.”

Bonderenko will take the place of former executive director, Vic Basille, who retired effective December 31, 2007.

For additional information, including scheduled transportation, or to register for Lobby Day, visit www.equalitymaryland.org.

Montgomery County Court Affirms Decision to Implement Inclusive Health Education Curriculum On January 31, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge William J. Rowan, III ruled to uphold the Maryland State Board of Education’s decision affirming the right of the Montgomery School Board to include information about sexual orientation in the 8th and 10th grade health education curriculum.

The Montgomery County School Board voted during the summer of 2007 to implement the curriculum, recommended by the Citizens Advisory Committee on Family Life and Development, during the 20072008 school year. Opposing groups, including Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, appealed the decision to the Maryland State Board of Education, which ruled against them, and then to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.

The Court’s decision upholding

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the implementation of the new health education curriculum stated that, “The lessons in the health curriculum were prepared by a committee including medical professionals…. The [State] Board of Education’s Opinion stated that the lessons regarding the origins of sexual orientation are not open to an evidentiary hearing and are within the legal purview of the school to include or not include the lessons.

Therefore, this Court finds that there is nothing to demonstrate that the Board of Education’s Opinion is arbitrary, unreasonable or illegal.”

Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director at Lambda Legal and cocounsel for Metro DC PFLAG, applauded the decision. “Schools have a right to create an accurate and educationally appropriate curriculum—not a curriculum guided by individual beliefs,” she commented.

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NATIONAL NEWS Advocates for LGBT Equality Gather to Create Change Compiled by Maddy Dwertman

Over 2,000 LGBT rights advocates from across the nation have gathered to strategize, socialize and mobilize for LBGT equality at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s (NGLTF) 20th Annual Creating Change Conference in Detroit, February 6-10.

Providing training and skill-building workshops to state and local leaders, Creating Change seeks to build political power and community to achieve the overarching goal of full equality for LGBT people in the United States. It is the only time each

year that representatives from all sectors and demographic groups of the LGBT movement come together to socialize, learn from one another and draw inspiration from prominent leaders of social justice movements.

Although the NGLTF is a policyoriented organization, Creating Change offers a diverse array of workshops and seminars to its varied participants. Craig Wiley, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore, commented on its benefit to community-based LGBT leaders. “In the past few years, LGBT community centers have emerged as ideal grassroots partners in the national effort as they reach millions of constituents. As a result, Creating Change also features a track just for community centers on a broad range of topics like standards of care, best practices, administration, and fundraising, to name a few.”

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The 2008 conference includes a dozen day-long institutes, over 130 workshops, keynote plenary sessions, film screenings, meetings, networking sessions and social gatherings.

NGLTF will also recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions and dedication to the LGBT movement. This year’s awardees include: Mandy Carter, a founding board member of the National Black Justice Coalition and grassroots organizer for over forty years; Mia Mingus, coexecutive director of SPARK: Reproductive Justice Now!; John Stryker, founder and president of the Arcus Foundation; and Guy Baldwin, a psychotherapist, author and activist within the leather community.

Among the featured key note speakers are NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, former NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman, Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, and music legends Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon. Comic Kate Clinton will emcee the plenaries.

Although the gathering lasts only five days, attendees return home better equipped to advocate for LGBT rights. As Wiley attests, “I brought away a sense that there really is a unified effort for social change and equality for LGBT indi-

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20th Annual Creating Change Conference will honor, among others, former NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman. viduals…. So much work for LGBT rights goes on behind closed doors or out of the view of most of us that we can often feel disconnected with what is going on, even locally. A national conference is a great way to update many people at once and impart them with the current thinking and strategies that they can take back to their local communities to affect change.”

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NATIONAL NEWS Foreman to Leave Task Force

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman is leaving the organization to head up the Gay & Lesbian Rights Program at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund in San Francisco.

The fund provides more grant support to GLBT organizations than any other non-gay foundation in the U.S. Foreman has been at the Task Force for five years and is credited with growing the staff to 54 full-timers and doubling the organization's budget to $10 million.

Between 1992, when then-Executive Director Urvashi Vaid left the job, and Foreman's arrival in 2003, NGLTF had a revolving door of executive directors -- Torie Osborn, Peri Jude Radecic, Melinda Paras, Kerry Lobel, Elizabeth Toledo and Lorri Jean -under whom the organization was "bedeviled [by] structural problems," as The Advocate put it in 2003.

NGLTF also had money problems during that period.

Foreman put a stop to the cycle. He called working for NGLTF "the greatest honor of my life."

Foreman's frequent public statements have pulled no punches, and his plain-spoken style and aggressive critiques raised the organization's profile and garnered significant media attention.

by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

together in marriage, and I don't understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians."

He suggested that banning samesex marriage amounts to de facto promotion of promiscuity and its associated ills.

"Shouldn't we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one's partner regardless of sexual orientation?" Gore asked. "Because if you don't do that, then, to that extent, you're promoting promiscuity and you're promoting all the problems that can result from promiscuity.

"And the loyalty and love that two people feel for one another when they fall in love ought to be celebrated and encouraged, and shouldn't be prevented by any form of discrimination in the law."

Lambda Tackles N.Y. Canadian-Marriage Ruling

In Jan. 24 arguments before the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, the gay rights group Lambda Legal urged reversal of an

In a video posted at Current.com, Gore said: "I think it's wrong for the government to discriminate against people because of that person's sexual orientation. I think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women to make contracts, to have hospital-visiting rights and to join PA G E 8 •

Funderburke was a teacher in the Uniondale Union Free School District in Nassau County for 25 years before retiring in 1986. He later married his partner in Ontario, requested that his husband be added to his retiree health plan, and was turned down.

Lambda filed suit for Funderburke in 2006, arguing that state law requires government entities to recognize valid marriages performed in other states or countries. The Supreme Court, which is not New York's top court, disagreed and Lambda appealed to the court's Appellate Division. In the meantime, the Department of Civil Service

Accepting the endorsement, Obama mentioned gays too.

In an interview, Foreman said he is very much looking forward to not having to travel so much and to living the more laid-back California lifestyle.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore came out in support of same-sex marriage Jan. 17.

"In the midst of this lawsuit, the Department of Civil Service came into line with New York state law by changing its policy and recognizing Mr. Funderburke's marriage," said Susan Sommer, senior counsel at Lambda Legal. "The lower court's decision [is] out of sync with other court decisions on the issue and the policies of state and local government officials."

changed course and began offering benefits to same-sex spouses of public employees under the New York State Health Insurance Program, which leaves the earlier ruling at odds with current law and practice.

That ruling, therefore, must be "wiped from the lawbooks," Lambda said.

Bill would Create Harvey Milk Holiday in California

California Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, will introduce a bill in the state legislature to make Harvey Milk's birthday a state holiday.

If the measure passes, May 22 would become a "nonfiscal" holiday, which means it should not cost the state any money.

Milk, born in 1930, settled in San Francisco's Castro district in 1972 and opened a camera store. He went on to pioneer a populist gay-rights movement in the city and, in 1977, was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the equivalent of a city council.

Milk was the first openly gay elected official in any large U.S. city and only the third openly gay elected official in

Kennedy Endorses Obama, Both Mention Gays

He also has maintained good relations with progressive and far-left GLBT activists, a task at which many gay organizations fail with some regularity.

Gore Supports Same-Sex Marriage

earlier ruling that allowed a school district to refuse to recognize the Canadian marriage of New Yorkers Duke Funderburke and Brad Davis.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Photo

by Rex Wockner

U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., endorsed Barack Obama for president of the United States Jan. 28.

"With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion," Kennedy said. "With Barack Obama, we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay."

"The dream has never died," he said. "[It] lives on in those Americans— young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight— who are tired of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of common purpose that we had when John Kennedy was president of the United States of America. That is the dream we hold in our hearts. That is the kind of leadership we long for in this country. And that is the kind of leadership I intend to offer as president of the United States of America."

John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline also has endorsed Obama.

Writing in The New York Times Jan. 27, she said: "Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today.

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That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

"My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined," Caroline Kennedy said. "All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

"We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama."

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angry that Moscone wouldn't let him un-resign and that Milk had lobbied Moscone not to reappoint White.

White's lenient sentence for the killings (seven years and eight months with parole) led to the famed White Night Riots in San Francisco on May 21, 1979.

Gay California Assemblyman Mark Leno.

Photo by Rex Wockner

U.S. history—after Elaine Noble, who was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1975, and Kathy Kozachenko, who was elected to the Ann Arbor, Mich., City Council in 1974.

Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot to death inside San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 27, 1978, by then recently resigned city Supervisor Dan White, who was

White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter on the grounds of diminished capacity, which, his lawyer argued, resulted from depression exacerbated by eating too much junk food. This bizarre argument became known as the "Twinkie defense."

In the White Night Riots, a large crowd of gay people gathered at City Hall the evening of White's sentencing and burned police cars, broke windows of cars and stores, and destroyed the overhead electric wires that power city buses. More than 160 people were hospitalized as a result of the mêlée.

Bush Tells Barney Frank He's ‘Open-minded’ toward Gays President George W. Bush has told openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that he's "open-minded" toward gays.

It happened Jan. 28 in the House Speaker's lobby after Bush's State of the Union address, according to the Boston Globe.

Before the address, Bush walked up to Frank, who was chatting on his cell phone, and told Frank to say hello to whomever he was talking to.

Frank relayed the message to his boyfriend on the other end of the line.

After Bush's address, Frank decided to tell Bush who Bush had said hello to.

Frank tracked down Bush and said, "Mr. President, by the way, the person I was talking to when you said to say hello was my boyfriend."

Frank told the Globe that Bush

responded, "Well, I hope you said how open-minded I am."

Bush is a strong supporter of amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage and of the military's anti-gay Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy—even as he is friendly with Mary Cheney, the openly lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mary and her longtime partner, Heather Poe, had a baby together last year, about which Bush commented: "I've always said that we ought to review law to make sure that people are treated fairly. On Mary Cheney, it's a personal matter for the vice president and his family.

I strongly support their privacy on the issue, although there's nothing private when you happen to be the president or the vice president, I recognize that. I know Mary. And I like her, and I know she's going to be a fine, loving mother."

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

Euro Court: Gays Must have Equal Adoption Rights The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled Jan. 22 that gay people cannot be excluded from access to the adoption process based on their sexual orientation.

Front, left to right: Transgender Italian MP Vladimir Luxuria, Dutch European Parliament Member Sophie in 't Veld and Russian MP Aleksei Mitrofanov talk to the media last May near Moscow City Hall after police arrested organizers of a Pride day rally while anti-gay thugs beat up Russian and foreign gays who had gathered for the event. Wockner News photo by Jonas Hansson

Moscow Pride: Third Time's a Charm?

Despite bans from the mayor and violent attacks from neofascists, skinheads, Christians and police in 2006 and 2007, Moscow gays will again try to stage a gay pride parade this year.

"The authorities have no legal basis for banning the event," said chief organizer Nikolai Alekseev. "That is why, even if they ban it again, we will still go on the streets to realize our constitutional right to freedom of assembly."

The parade is set for May 31, after an international human rights conference scheduled for May 30.

A lawsuit over Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's ban of the 2006 parade is presently before the European Court of Human Rights.

Last year, Luzhkov unleashed a harsh attack on the parade, saying: "[In 2006], Moscow came under unprecedented pressure to sanction the gay parade, which can be described in no other way than as satanic. We did not let the parade take place then, and we are not going to allow it in the future. Some European nations bless single-sex marriages and introduce sexual guides in schools. Such things are a deadly moral poison for children."

Activists did not attempt to defy last year's ban. Instead, they gathered near City Hall on pride day to protest the ban. A mêlée ensued and several gays and lesbians were beaten and bloodied by Orthodox Christian and ultranationalist protesters as hundreds of police officers stood by and watched.

Thirty-one people were detained, including members of European parliaments who had traveled to Moscow to support the pride events.

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"On numerous occasions," said the BBC, "nationalists circled gay rights activists as they spoke with journalists, then reached in to punch or kick the person being interviewed. Police intervened to arrest dozens of gay rights activists and only rarely detained their attackers."

"There is no rule of law in Moscow," said British gay leader Peter Tatchell, who suffered a swollen and bloodied right eye in the mêlée. "The right to protest does not exist. This is not a democracy."

Tatchell said "marauding gangs" of "neo-Nazis, nationalist extremists and Russian Orthodox fundamentalists ... infiltrated the gay pride crowd and began indiscriminately attacking participants. The Moscow police looked on and did nothing."

"It was [a] short [pride]," Dutch European Parliament Member Sophie in 't Veld said at the time. "Police did nothing to arrest hooligans. ... I saw a guy with a knife ... and I thought: 'That's it. I'm out of here.'"

Pride participant Claudia Roth, chairwoman of Germany's Green Party, said, "It has been shown once again today that human rights are systematically abused in [President Vladimir] Putin's Russia."

The 2006 pride events met the same fate. After Luzhkov banned the parade, organizers tried to lay flowers at the Kremlin's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hold a rally near City Hall. Participants in both small events were violently attacked by neofascists, skinheads, Christians and riot police, and the pride organizers were arrested. The charges were later dropped.

In a 10-7 decision in the case E.B. v.

France, the court found that France's refusal to let a lesbian apply to adopt violated articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which cover protection from discrimination and respect for private and family life.

The court awarded E.B. $14,600 in damages and $21,200 in costs and expenses.

E.B., a nursery-school teacher, has been with her female partner, who is a psychologist, since 1990. E.B.'s application for approval as a possible adoptive parent was rejected by local officials in Jura département in 1998 and 1999, and the rejection eventually was upheld by France's highest administrative court, the Conseil d'État, in 2002. Officials cited, in part, the absence of a "paternal referent" in E.B.'s home.

The Euro court determined that amounted to anti-gay discrimination.

"This is a significant change in the court's approach towards and interpretation of the rights of LGBT peo-

Swedes Support Full Same-Sex Marriage

Seventy-one percent of Swedes favor moving beyond the nation's 14year-old registered-partnership law and granting gay couples access to full marriage, a new poll has found.

The Sifo poll questioned 1,000 people in mid-January, asking, "Do you think homosexual couples should be able to legally wed and get married or do you think they should not be able to get married?"

Parliament is expected to legalize same-sex marriage by early 2009, making Sweden the seventh nation to do so.

All political parties support the move except for the Christian Democrats. The party holds only 6.6 percent of seats in Parliament but, in a complicating factor, is a member of the governing coalition.

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ple under the European Convention on Human Rights," said Patricia Prendiville, executive director of the European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association. "Today the court firmly established a principle that administrative officials cannot discriminate against an individual on the basis of her/his sexual orientation in the process of applying to adopt a child."

Rulings by the European Court of Human Rights apply in the 47 countries that are members of the Council of Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

A member state's refusal to implement a European Court of Human Rights decision could result in expulsion from the Council of Europe.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has nonetheless been "very clear that there will be a government proposal," said Jon Voss, editor of Sweden's leading gay newspaper, QX. "And the opposition will do whatever they can to take the law to Parliament, and by that create a split between the governing parties," Voss said.

Kuwaiti Cross-dressers Arrested, Abused

At least 14 cross-dressers have been arrested under a new Kuwaiti law that criminalizes "imitating the appearance of the opposite sex ... in public."

They are being held in a special ward of Tahla Prison, where guards have shaved off the detainees' hair and subjected them to other psychological and physical abuse, Human Rights Watch said Jan. 17.

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"Transgender people in Kuwait tell Human Rights Watch that they are now afraid to leave their homes—even for work or to meet basic needs—for fear of arrest and ill-treatment," the organization said in a statement.

"The wave of arrests in the past month shows exactly why Kuwait should repeal this repressive law," said Joe Stork, deputy director of the group's Middle East division.

Article 199 of the Criminal Code, approved by the National Assembly on Dec. 10, states, "[A]ny person committing an indecent act in a public place, or imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex, shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding one thousand dinars," which is about $3,680.

13-14 Percent of Canadian Teens Acknowledge Gay Attraction

Fourteen percent of Canadian teenage girls and 13 percent of teenage boys are attracted to people of the same sex, a survey has found.

The Ipsos Reid poll results appeared in the January issue of Pediatrics and Child Health.

Asked if they were attracted to boys only, 86 percent of girls said yes.

Asked if they were attracted to girls only, 87 percent of boys said yes.

The data was gathered in online interviews of 1,171 teens aged 14 to 17 and is accurate to within 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, the pollsters said.

Swiss Experts Say HIV+ People with No Viral Load Cannot Transmit HIV

Swiss AIDS officials have determined that if you're taking anti-HIV drugs and you always take the drugs on schedule and your HIV blood tests come back "undetectable" for six months in a row and you don't have any other sexually transmitted diseases, it is next to impossible that you could transmit HIV during unprotected sex (barebacking).

The Swiss Federal Commission on HIV/AIDS issued its stunning report Jan. 30, concluding that people with HIV who have no detectable viral load as a result of anti-retroviral treatment apparently are unable to transmit the virus.

The report said an individual becomes noninfectious if he or she has had an undetectable viral load for six months, doesn't skip any doses of HIV medication and has no other STDs. The commission arrived at its position following an extensive review

of scientific literature, after prolonged discussions, and upon recommendation of its Subcomission on Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects.

In an English summary of its report, the agency said: "During effective ART [anti-retroviral therapy], free virus is absent from blood and genital secretions. Epidemiologic and biologic data indicate that during such treatment, there is no relevant risk of transmission. Residual risk cannot be scientifically excluded, but is, in the judgment of the commission, negligibly small.

"The commission realizes that medical and biologic data available today do not permit proof that HIV infection during effective ART is impossible, because the non-occurrence of an improbable event cannot be proven. If no transmission events were observed among 100 couples followed for two years, for instance, there might still be some such events if 10,000 couples are followed for 10 years.

"The situation is analogous to 1986, when the statement 'HIV cannot be transmitted by kissing' was publicized," the commission said. "This statement cannot be proven, but after 20 years' experience its accuracy appears highly plausible.

"Concerning the statement, 'An HIVinfected person on anti-retroviral therapy with completely suppressed viremia ... cannot propagate HIV through sexual contact,' however, the evidence is much better than what was available in 1986 regarding kissing."

Nearly 500 Czech Gay Couples have Registered

By the end of last year, 487 samesex couples had taken advantage of the Czech Republic's registeredpartnership law, the Czech News Agency reported Jan. 28.

Gay-male partnerships outnumbered lesbian couplings 353 to 134.

Eight of the couples later cancelled their registrations.

The law took effect in July 2006 after the Chamber of Deputies overrode President Vaclav Klaus' veto of it.

A new Instituto Opina/Cadena Ser poll found that 74.5 percent of respondents support the law and only 18.1 percent want to see it repealed. The remainder had no opinion.

President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero recently reaffirmed his support for gay marriage, saying, "We will not take one step backward in our defense of tolerance and freedom."

Pollsters questioned 1,000 Spanish adults by telephone on Jan. 8 and reported a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

Same-sex couples also have access to full marriage in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa and the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Argentine couple Seeks Recognition of Spanish Marriage

Argentine gay activists César Cigliutti and Marcelo Suntheim got married in Spain on Jan. 21 and plan to demand that Argentina recognize their marriage.

The Argentine capital of Buenos Aires and the province of Río Negro have same-sex civil-union laws, but there is no established mechanism anywhere in the nation for recognizing same-sex marriages from the six countries that allow them.

Anyone from the European Union can marry in Spain. Suntheim and Cigliutti were able to tie the knot because Suntheim has dual Argentine and German citizenship.

Same-sex marriage also is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa and the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Canada has no citizenship or residency requirements for getting married, and foreign same-sex couples often accomplish the deed in a one-day visit..

Read more International News online @ www.baltimoregaylife.com

Police Close Buenos Aires Bear Club City inspectors and federal police shut down the Buenos Aires Bears clubhouse Jan. 23.

The officials claimed they were verbally instructed by higher-ups to close the building because of a preexisting closure order that had resulted from a noise complaint.

But a spokesman for the club, Marcelo Surano, said the noise complaint had been resolved and the facility has newer paperwork authorizing its operation.

The raiding officers had no documents to back up their claims, so the bears refused to let them into the building. But the bears left nonetheless, and the officers then slapped a "closed" notice on the entrance.

"Under this city government, it seems that the police feel protected in having discriminatory attitudes toward gays and lesbians," María Rachid, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans (FALGBT), told the newspaper Página/12.

Rachid said FALGBT will file a complaint with federal Justice officials over the federal police's attempt "to enter a private place without a legitimate official order."

"This is a violation of human rights," she said.

The group also will send a letter to Mayor Mauricio Macri denouncing the city inspectors' "discriminatory attitudes."

The statute grants many of the rights and obligations of marriage but withholds equality in the areas of adoption, pensions, taxation and joint ownership of property.

Spaniards Support Same-Sex Marriage Law

Three-quarters of Spaniards support the nation's two-year-old law that lets same-sex couples marry.

Spain is one of six countries that have opened traditional marriage to gay couples.

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DO YOU KNOW THE H CANDIDATES?H Hillary Clinton (Democrat) “Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage always has been, between a man and a woman.”

-Clinton quoted in New York Daily News “I strongly believe that anyone who has the courage, strength and valor to serve our country should be able to do so…. [R]epealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ won’t lessen standards of behavior or lower morale.”

– Clinton quoted in HRC Backstory “I believe in full equality of benefits, nothing left out. From my perspective there is a greater likelihood of us getting to that point in civil unions or domestic partnerships.”

–Clinton, quoted in Gay City News n Transgender-Inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA): Supports n HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Supports n Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Supports n Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Supports n Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Supports n Same-Sex Adoption: Supports n Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes n Uniting American Families Act (Immigration): Supports n Federal Marriage Amendment: Opposes

Barack Obama

n n n n n

Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Opposes Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Opposes Same-Sex Adoption: Opposes Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment: Opposes

Mike Huckabee (Republican) “…No other candidate has supported traditional marriage more consistently and steadfastly than I have. While Massachusetts was allowing homosexuals to marry, I got a constitutional amendment passed in Arkansas in 2002 defining marriage as between one man and one woman.”

–Huckabee on www.mikehuckabee.com "In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified…. An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities…be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research.”

–Huckabee, in response to AP-issued Questionnaire n n n n n n n n

Transgender-Inclusive ENDA: Unknown HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Unknown Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Opposes Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Opposes Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Opposes Same-Sex Adoption: Unknown Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment: Supports

(Democrat) “The transgendered community has to be protected. I just don’t have any tolerance for that sort of intolerance. And I think we need to legislate aggressively to protect them.”

–Obama, quoted in Windy City Times “…we should create civil unions for gays and lesbians that allow them to have the same basic rights as all people….

So hospital visitations, the ability of partners to provide health care coverage to each other, making sure they are not discriminated on the job or in terms of housing, their ability to transfer property—those are things that I think are entirely compatible with Americans’ understanding of basic tolerance and fairness….”

–Obama on CNN’s Larry King Live n n n n n n n n n

Transgender-Inclusive ENDA: Supports HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Supports Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Supports Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Supports Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Supports Same-Sex Adoption: Supports Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes Uniting American Families Act: Supports Federal Marriage Amendment: Opposes

Ron Paul (Republican) “Because of the dangers to liberty and traditional values posed by the unexpected consequences of amending the Constitution to strip power from the states and the people and further empower Washington, I cannot in good conscience support the marriage amendment to the United States Constitution.

Instead, I plan to continue working to enact the Marriage Protection Act and protect each state’s right not to be forced to recognize a same sex marriage.”

– Ron Paul Archives n n n n n n n n

Transgender-Inclusive ENDA: Opposes HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Opposes Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Opposes Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Opposes Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Opposes Same-Sex Adoption: Opposes Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment: Opposes

Mitt Romney John McCain

(Republican)

(Republican)

“I'm going to want to see a marriage limited to a man and a woman. I don't want to see civil union either. Of course, if we find ourselves in a setting where the only choice is between civil union and marriage, I will prefer civil union. But I would prefer neither.

– Romney on MSNBC

“The constitutional amendment [federal marriage amendment] we’re debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans…. It usurps from states a fundamental authority they have always possessed.”

–McCain on CNN “The family represents the foundation of Western Civilization and civil society…. [T] the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one women. It is only this definition that sufficiently recognizes the vital and unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of children and the role of the family in shaping, stabilizing and strengthening communities and our nation.”

–from www.JohnMcCain.com n Transgender-Inclusive ENDA: Opposes n HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Opposes n Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Opposes

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Transgender-Inclusive ENDA: Opposes HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: Opposes Repeal of “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell”: Opposes Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Laws: Opposes Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships: Opposes Same-Sex Adoption: Opposes Same-Sex Marriage: Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment: Supports

*Candidates’ positions are based on news sources and surveys administered by the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.

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“YOU DON’T GET HALF A LOAF BY ASKING FOR HALF A LOAF”: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY ADVOCATE EVAN WOLFSON long-time LGBT civil rights leader, Evan Wolfson is founder and Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, a partnership of gay and non-gay individuals and organizations seeking to secure marriage equality nationwide. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Before founding Freedom to Marry, Wolfson served as director of Lambda Legal Education and Defense Fund’s Marriage Project, where he was co-counsel in the historic Hawaii marriage case, Baehr v. Miike, and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale. In 2000, the National Law Journal named him one of “the 100 most influential lawyers in America.” And, in 2004, Time Magazine named Wolfson one of “the 100 most influential people in the world.”

A

Wolfson outlined his argument for full marriage equality in his first book, Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Gay Life had the opportunity to speak with Evan Wolfson from his New York office about his views on marriage equality, the marriage movement in Maryland, and the eleventh annual observance of Freedom to Marry Week, February 10-16, 2008.

Gay Life: You were one of the first individuals involved in the struggle for marriage equality.

How did you first become concerned with the marriage issue and why was it something you decided to dedicate yourself to?

Evan Wolfson: My first real involvement came when I was in law school and I wrote my thesis on gay people’s freedom to marry. Essentially, you can’t say you’re for equality when you acquiesce in exclusion from the central legal and social institution of society.

GL: There are many arenas of exclusion. Why did you choose to focus on marriage?

EW: Marriage is the central legal institution of this [society] and virtually every other society. It is the institution and the vocabulary in which we talk about love and commitment and responsibility and belonging. If we allow same-sex couples and their kids to be excluded from that vocabulary and that institution, we are embracing a view of ourselves as “less-than”, “otherthan” and, in some people’s eyes, as not fully human. We need to claim that inclusion in order to change people’s understanding of who we are, and to have the same opportunities, the same support as our nongay brothers and sisters.

The work to win the freedom to marry moves us along all of the fronts that we care about. It is not just about marriage. It is about claiming our full place, our full protections on a host of fronts that matter to people.

GL: The LGBT movement has faced criticism for devoting too much time and too many resources to the marriage battle. Do you think the marriage issue compromises the struggle for nondiscrimination in other realms, such as employment, housing, education?

EW: There is no civil rights movement that has not had the same criticism. People always criticize struggles for human and civil rights as being inconvenient, untimely… they don’t want anyone to rock the boat.

History, and recent history, however, has proven the opposite. In the times that we have fought hardest for and talked most about the right to marry, we made the most gains in the movement.

Our lives are not either-or net gains where we have to decide to care more about our partner or more about our job. We are entitled to it all. You don’t get half a loaf by asking for half a loaf.

Even if you only expect to get part of what you deserve, you get it by fight-

3When questioned about his focus on marriage, Wolfson responds, “Marriage is the central legal institution of this and virtually every other society. It is the institution and the vocabulary in which we talk about love and commitment and responsibility and belonging. If we allow same-sex couples and their kids to be excluded from that vocabulary and that institution, we are embracing a view of ourselves as ‘less-than’, ‘other-than’ and, in some people’s eyes, as not fully human.”

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marriage for a civil union. They have come to understand the importance of our families, and the marriage movement has been part of them coming to understand this. They are getting the “what” right, which is ending discrimination. They just haven’t gotten the “how” right yet.

ing for all of what you deserve. As Frederick Douglass wrote: People may not get all that they work for in this world, but they certainly must work for all they get.

We have won marriage in one state and are moving that direction in several others. Just a decade ago, many people thought this [movement] was impossible. Every democratic candidate is supporting all but marriage.

That doesn’t happen because it magically drifts in. It happens by engaging in conversation, pushing people to think it through, and not taking “no” for an answer. And, meanwhile, along the way, they give us more and more of what we seek.

Far from putting too many resources into this struggle, we haven’t put enough in. If more funders step up to the plate and more of us break our silence about why we need the freedom to marry, we wouldn’t see courts ruling 4-3 against us, but 4-3 or 5-2 in our favor. More states would be following the lead of California, New York…. We should be putting more resources—human and financial—into this struggle because we have it within our reach.

When the marriage bill is introduced this year [in Maryland], we are going to have a number of sponsors. Just a few years ago, people thought that just putting it on the table was out of reach. We need to engage in the serious work of moving some of the leaders and legislators in the right direction. The only way to do this is to break our silence and ask for what we deserve. Other people have understood the need to fight for their place in society and why should we be any different? The good news is people are responding, but it’s our job to get in there and talk with them and reason with them.

GL: We’re in an election year and there are presidential candidates that favor civil unions but not marriage equality. Does Freedom to Marry support the political strategy of these candidates?

EW: It’s a good thing that they are moving in the right direction. There is no substitute for full inclusion and equality… and that is marriage. I don’t see any of them giving up their

We need to do the heavy lifting to create the climate of public opinion that allows politicians to rise up.

Politicians don’t always lead the way. Sometimes we have to get out and educate the public so that politicians find the courage to do the right thing. Civil unions, partnerships do help solve some of the problems people face, but they are not a substitute for the security and dignity that comes with marriage. In America, people should not have to settle for less or go in the back door when others go in the front.

GL: In September, Maryland’s Court of Appeals refused to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples. What are your views on this hot topic in the 2008 legislative session?

EW: We are going into this work with tremendous momentum despite the court’s stumble last year and I attribute that to the determination of Equality Maryland and Maryland Black Family Alliance and some of the legislative leaders. We cannot give up before we start. We need to have confidence that the people of Maryland are fair and reachable if we do the reaching. I think 2008 can at least be a year of tremendous education about who gay families are in Maryland…with faces and names and local stories that will create the space for the legislature to begin moving in the right direction. And, whether we get all the way the first year or lay the groundwork for progress over a period of time, we don’t know the answer to that yet.

But, we shouldn’t begin a conversation by bargaining against ourselves.

Give people the information they need to rise to fairness… and we should do it in the honor and memory of Senator Britt and others whose visions of equality and a stronger community included gay people’s freedom to marry.

GL: In the past few years, the marriage equality struggle has both celebrated victory and dealt with defeat.

Do you think the victories have been determined largely by location and demographics, or have there been specific strategies that work more successfully than others?

EW: There are many tactics that people can share and learn from each others’ experiences…ideas about organizing, reaching out to people.

Certainly Maryland has tried different ways of working and those meth-

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WOLFSON - continued from page 15

ods have been instructive. Equality Maryland and others have been looking to organizations in states like Massachusetts, California, and Iowa to figure out what they have done, that we might be able to replicate in Maryland to advance the discussion.

But, overall, the core of the work is the same no matter what geographic or demographic community we are talking about. Give people the information they need and enough time to absorb it…. People need to understand that this is about real people, real families, and that when gay people participate in marriage, they don’t use up the marriage licenses. …The messengers may vary, but the core of the work is to have the important conversations with people. You don’t have to be an organization to do that. You just have to break your silence. What Equality Maryland and other groups can do is develop the tools and structures to encourage people to add their voice to the discussion and reach the people around them.

GL: What role did Freedom to Marry play in the Maryland case and other major cases?

EW: Freedom to Marry is the organization that works with all of the other organizations, gay and non-gay, national and local, to help them do their part.

No one organization is going to be able

to do everything. All of the local struggles are part of a larger whole. It’s not just a battle in Maryland because it’s connected to the civil rights struggle across the country.

GL: What exactly is Freedom to Marry Week?

EW: We created Freedom to Marry Day [which has become Freedom to Marry] Week as an opportunity to…highlight the importance of speaking out to the people around us about why marriage matters. What Freedom to Marry Week has been for over eleven years is a series of actions and opportunities, state-by state, for people to break the silence and talk about marriage…all different kinds of actions and events, some very intimate and personal, others more splashy, some in the media, others more educational. It’s about finding your way to engage others in this conversation and use the opportunity to be part of a team around the country reaching out to others.

For additional information about Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry and Freedom to Marry Week Events, visit www.freedomtomarry.org.

What are

you

thinking?

editor@baltimoregaylife.com

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OPINIONS General Gayety A Stand-Up Politician oliticians make us laugh all the time. In the case of one state representative, it’s actually deliberate.

P

Jason Lorber represents the city of Burlington in the Vermont legislature. His profession is stand-up comedy. He's also openly gay.

I'm guessing the guy is rarely short of material.

A recent Associated Press profile explains that Lorber performs standup, runs improv workshops and produces comedy shows. This can't be an easy career in a state with no comedy clubs. Like being a lumberjack in the Sahara.

Lorber has dual passions for legislating and performing. “Politics is about changing society and trying to make the world a better place. And performing makes me feel so alive. I love the creative aspect of it,” he says.

Though he resides in the Green Mountain State, Lorber, a Democrat, grew up in California. This provides more grist for his humor mill, as he eyes Vermont with an outsider’s perspective.

Basically he has no choice but to comment on the frigid Vermont winters. The AP story doesn’t say, but I assume he also has in his repertoire jokes about maple syrup, fall foliage, tourists, cows, Ben & Jerry’s, skiing, Calvin Coolidge, flinty natives and über-liberal flatlanders who’ve emigrated to Vermont.

Regarding the locals’ affection for the good old days, Lorber kids, “I’m used to directions based on what street you're supposed to turn on. In Vermont directions are based on landmarks that burned down 15 years ago.”

His own life is fodder for his humor. That's a good thing. A comedian whose act is solely wisecracking about a state will likely be run out of it. Or at least be defeated at the polls.

Says Lorber about his personal life, “The thing about my partner is, he’s gay. Which I'm fine with. Growing

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up, I never pictured myself being with a gay guy. Now I’ve come to realize that I could never be happy being with a straight guy.”

I love it. And I'm sure some in his audience don’t get it.

Vermont was famously the first state in the nation to provide gay couples with legal recognition, in the form of civil unions. On an official state Web site, Lorber’s bio includes the information that his civil union partner, Nathaniel G. Lew, is a college professor. I assume Lorber wrote the bio, as it also says their son Max, a year-and-a-half old, “has not yet declared his profession.”

Lorber isn't all hearts and flowers about civil unions. Boston.com includes this Lorber quip: “I hate the term civil union. It sounds like a cross between a civil war and a labor union. We just call it a c.u.

That way, if it doesn't work out, it's just ‘c.u. later’, or a ‘c.u. in court.’”

Vermont's civil union law took effect on July 1, 2000. The period before and after that date was a rancorous one in the Green Mountain State. Vermont’s motto, “Freedom and Unity,” could’ve been replaced with “If You're Giving Gays Freedom, Wave Bye-Bye To Unity.”

Now Vermont is exploring the possibility of moving up to same-sex marriage. So far, reports the AP, the debate has been much tamer. But it’s early yet.

It seems to me that a gay comedian in the legislature may be just the ticket for Vermont as it considers granting gay marriage. He can poke fun at himself to humanize gayness.

He can reduce friction by making both sides crack up. When the tension is greatest, Lorber can unite the lawmakers by pointing out that life could be worse—they could live in New Hampshire.

Leslie Robinson might steal some of Jason Lorber's lines. E-mail Leslie at LesRobinsn@aol.com, and read more of her columns at www.GeneralGayety.com.

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OPINIONS TRANSMISSIONS

At odds, with No End

ver the last few months, I've noted a distinct change in tone within the transgender community. I'm not talking solely about the clear anger and frustration you see with the debacle over the Employment NonDiscrimination Act, as well as the Human Rights Campaign and Representative Barney Frank's moves supporting a non-inclusive version of same, but a continuing series of heated discussions that seem to be dominating our community as of late.

O

When Susan Stanton was quoted - possibly out of context, according to her -- many took great offense.

Now I agree that it is more than a little difficult to misquote someone on whether or not some of the transgender people she has been around look like "men in dresses" who might not be worth giving employment rights to, but I take pause with the level of vitriol I witnessed aimed at her over these comments. Misguided as they may well have been, I cannot fault her for deciding to not represent transgender people after some of the anger put her way. Never mind that, as much as she might indicate that she does not represent anyone but herself, she still will be gleefully called on by the press as a "representative

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

of the transgender community."

Beyond Stanton, many transgender individuals an organizations have turned against each other, with some vilified over donations courtesy of HRC, or even assumed ties to it or other larger GLBT rights organizations. There need not be any proof of wrongdoing, any strong suspicion will do.

On one of the larger transgender mailing lists available on the Internet, I've seen weeks of angry exchanges. These debates may have roots in salient topics -- the aforementioned ENDA battle, for one -but often devolve and mutate into attacks on each other, expressions of superiority over each other, or even debates over small issues of terminology. That may well be the way of the Internet, but it certainly does not benefit us as a whole.

Meanwhile, many in the community seeks to purify themselves and the whole of the group, pushing to oust anyone they view as not pure enough as a transgender voice.

Some transsexuals -- although many might opt for terms du jour such as Woman Born Transsexual or might reference Harry Benjamin Syndrome -- still go at cross-dressers, or drag queens, or FTMs, or anyone else outside of a controlled, distinct gender

City Options to Think About alf a century ago, areas of Baltimore spiraled into recession-like conditions and have remained since. These areas are more likely to have high crime rates, low property values and education demographics that are unparalleled to other areas of the city. It is difficult to blame anyone; this has been decades in the making. Any current discussion of revitalization appears to be simply propaganda. I believe it is important for everyone to participate and provide ideas to help end this cycle.

Some of the many options that should be considered are: disbanding the notorious “flashing blue

H

lights”; providing free wireless internet access; and encouraging local community colleges to open more satellite campuses.

On many Baltimore street corners flashing blue lights mark police surveillance video cameras installed to deter crime and record criminal activity. These flashing blue lights have created a “blue light-phobia” among Baltimoreans and businesses by visibly marking certain areas as crime-infested. In these areas, it has become difficult for property owners to either sell or rent properties. The lights also discourage businesses from operating in these

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binary. Some gender queers go after transsexuals as being too mired in conventionalism. Some FTMs go after MTFs. Some MTFs go after FTMs. Even virtual places such as Second Life have seen this on a whole new level, with transgender people being okay, as long as you don't have an interest in BDSM or opt to play a child in that brave new world.

against on this large, political arena?

Or are we too busy arguing with each other to do this work?

This needs to stop. This horizontal hostility will be the end of us all.

These activists understood the value of confrontation, or agitation, and of resistance. Their name, their black t-shirts with dripping, blood red logos, and their press releases all showed The Menace to be unwilling to back down from a fight. Yet, while they might confront, they did it not out with a sense of meanness, but with a sense of understanding and, yes, love. They would prefer you to be an ally, even though they would doggedly press you on the issue at hand. Even -- and especially -- when it was issues within the community itself.

It seems as if no one is okay with anyone else, everyone wants to control the definitions, and no one but no one is willing to be very civil about it.

The community has a strong history of eating its own. Much like the pecking order of chickens, with each attacking only those they perceive as lower than themselves, we're focusing too much of our time on anger and debate amongst ourselves, picking at those we might not view as "trannier than thou," or who's views we might disagree with, or any number of other issues -- while at the same time those with any real power -- our lawmakers, for example -- are unchecked by a community that is unwilling to provide a strong, united front.

This is what we need right now, perhaps more than ever. We are entering an election year, one with politicians on all sides who might, at best, sidestep the issue of transgender altogether, if they weren't going to actively work against us. Were are the members of our community, pressing them on issues of ENDA, the local law enforcement enhancement act, or any other legal needs for all transgender people? Who should we support and -- perhaps more importantly -- who should we work

In the mid 1990s, a direct-action transgender rights group called "Transexual Menace" was formed to provide a face to many issues facing transgender people. Even then they fought for ENDA inclusion, while also addressing the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, allowing transgender athletes into the Gay Games, issues of health care access, and issues of hate violence. One of the wiser things on this group came from its motto: Confront with love.

This is what we need to look at today. We need to regain and retain focus. We need to be out there, confront with love, and demonstrating that we as a community can look beyond the petty and trivial, and work together for each of our common goods.

We need to fight for ourselves, not with ourselves.

Gwen Smith recalls a quotation about hanging together, else we hang separately. You can find her on the web at http//www.gwensmith.com.

by David Placher marked areas because many customers will not travel to an area they believe is high in crime.

Ultimately, the city has created a self-inflicted anti-growth and antidevelopment policy that results in the loss of potential tax revenue because there is little growth and business activity. The city should start by disbanding the flashing blue lights, but leave the cameras.

Cameras are common everywhere throughout the city; whereas, flashing blue lights are not. This action may kick-start the slow process of revitalization.

Baltimore should follow the lead

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of other cities by creating areas where people can access free wireless internet services. Furthermore, the city could broadcast this free wireless internet access where all the current “flashing blue lights” are found. Although one could argue that residents in these areas do not have the extra income to purchase new computers, one could also argue that these individuals can purchase a used or refurbished computer, or even receive a donated computer. This free wireless internet access signal may also enhance individuals’ entrepreneur• PA G E 1 9

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OPINIONS LGBT Voters Debate the Candidates, Issues

by Michael K. Lavers January 28, 2008

With voters in nearly two dozen states going to the polls on the media-dubbed Super (and even Duper) Tuesday next week, this writer found today's article on gay Democrats in the New York Times particularly interesting. The movement for LGBT rights collectively recalls how social conservatives successfully used marriage for same-sex couples to drive their supporters to the polls in 2004. The scene at the LGBT Community Center in lower Manhattan was one of despair and even emotional devastation as this writer recalls his coverage of that night for the New York Blade. This election cycle seems vastly different as LGBT activists and pundits express optimism at the three leading Democratic candidates who support the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' a bill which would add sexual orientation to the federal non-discrimination laws and opposition to the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment.

Neither U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or former U.S. Sen. John Edwards support marriage for gays and lesbians but to assume LGBT voters would determine their support of a particular candidate based on one issue is simply foolish and arguably insulting. LGBT voters, like many Americans, concern themselves with pocketbook issues,

CITY OPTIONS- continued from page 19

ial spirit and encourage them to open a store that sells used and refurbished computers. The ideas and opportunities open to individuals could be endless.

The city should persuade local community colleges to open more satellite campuses in economicallydepressed areas and provide reduced tuition for students that enroll at those sites. The difference between the regular cost of tuition and reduced cost should be subsidized by the city. Federal grants would probably help students cover some or all of the reduced tuition fees. This would create new business opportunities for gas stations, food services, and book-

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Yes, Black GLBT History Exists

by Monica Roberts

“The purpose of studying history is not to deride human action, nor to weep over it or to hate it, but to understand it—and then to learn from it as we contemplate our future”.

—Nelson Mandela

the war in Iraq and other so-called mainstream issues that arguably transcend political affiliation or partisan politics. The fact LGBT issues have not dominated the political discourse of this campaign cycle is certainly no coincidence with a struggling economy, an unpopular war and other issues. But LGBT voters, such as those profiled in the Times and others across the country, will continue to make their choices.

Some will undoubtedly focus on LGBT issues while others may choose to look at the bigger picture... let the games really begin!

Michael K. Lavers is a Brooklyn-based journalist and editor whose work has appeared in EDGE Publications, Gay.com, the Fire Island News and other LGBT and mainstream publications across the country. His blog, Boy in Bushwick, can be found at www.boyinbushwick.blogspot.com.

stores. These new educational opportunities and jobs would enhance area residents and could transform any area in a short time.

There is no doubt that a strong majority of residents in these economic stricken areas are frustrated by the unimaginative, undramatic, dead-level pace of (and often complete lack of) economic growth that has consumed these areas for decades. It is very important for the gay community to understand how this relates to inclusivity in Baltimore as a whole. As Baltimore becomes more educated and culturally-diverse, people will also become more likely to accept the gay community.

s someone who is the child and godchild of historians, I grew up with a healthy appreciation and love of my people's history.

In my house, every month was Black History Month, not just 28 days (29 since it's a leap year) in February.

A

One thing I've been keenly cognizant of is the lack of documentation of African-American contributions to GLBT history. Over the last few years, that seems to be changing for the better, and there are some tantalizing tidbits to this historical buffet that awaits you.

For example, did you know that the first person to go through the now closed Johns Hopkins gender program in Baltimore was an African-American transwoman named Avon Wilson?

Thanks to transgender historian Dr. Susan Stryker and Marc Stein’s 2000 book City of Sisterly and Brotherly Loves: Lesbian and Gay Philadelphia 1945-1972, we now have knowledge of the first organized GLBT protest. It happened in April-May 1965 at Philadelphia's Dewey's Lunch Counter, and the participants were African-American transgender and same-gender-loving (SGL) people.

If you saw the iconic movie Paris Is Burning, you got a glimpse of the New York ballroom community that

has morphed into a nationwide phenomenon. But the roots of these balls go back to the elaborate drag ball events held during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s.

Speaking of the Harlem Renaissance, some of the leading figures in this explosion of culture were African-American gay writers Richard Bruce Nugent and Wallace Thurman.

In Chicago they had the legendary Finnie’s Ball, named after the Black gay man who started it, Alfred Finnie. The Halloween drag ball he created became such a hugely anticipated event on the South Side that Ebony Magazine covered it in 1954.

Of course, there’s the contributions of Bayard Rustin to the Civil Rights Movement. The late Coretta Scott King pointed out during a April 1998 speech to the 25th Anniversary Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund luncheon that “Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, Albany GA, St. Augustine FL and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement.”

So, no, Black SGL peeps weren’t MIA when the GLBT rights movement was coalescing. In many cases we've been the primary actors in the GLB and transgender communities; we just hadn't been getting our props for it.

Over the next 29 days you'll get to see how much we African-Americans have contributed to the GLBT history narrative. Hopefully these stories will help inspire GLBT kids dealing with their own issues to follow these examples and become healthy, happy and productive citizens.

Courtesy of The Bilerico Project: The Daily Experiment in LGBTQ. To read other articles in this series celebrating Black History Month and the Black LGBT experience, visit www.bilerico.com.

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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Mario Fernández

MEET THE WRITERS Mario Fernández is an ad exec by day and well, it’s been a bit of a dry spell, so let’s not talk about what Mario does by night. He’s an accomplished painter, photographer, writer, traveler, and raconteur. He has had two exhibits of his paintings and photographs at the GLCCB and has also had travel photographs published in The Baltimore Sun. He lives in Timonium with his hopelessly spoiled but absolutely adorable canine companion, Hubbell. In his spare time, Mario makes killer cosmos, religiously practices yoga in hopes of staying limber and flexible for his next (and hopefully, last) husband, obsessively frets over how gravity is no longer his friend, watches way too many Project Runway marathons and compulsively moisturizes.

IMHO Cruising

by Mario Fernández

t’s another dreary winter day in Baltimore. It’s cold, gray; the promise of sun and spring warmth seem to be impossibly out of reach. It’s the time of the year where a homo’s thoughts naturally turn to cruising. And I don’t mean the 2 AM sidewalk sale at the Eagle either. I mean cruising as in ships (the big ones) with lots of buff and vacuous twinks (the young ones) and fruity, potent drinks (the overpriced ones).

I

I’ve been on several cruises, some straight, some queer, and one so queer that…well, let’s not call it a cruise. Let’s just call it the bathhouse on the seas.

The name of the cruise was Pillage and Plunder and it was held to benefit Tampa Pride. This ran for about 4-5 years in the late ‘90s and did a run between Ft. Lauderdale and Cozumel/Cancun and back. I went with two friends named Dan and Pat.

On a straight cruise, typical poolside games would be diving and stuffing ping pong balls into bathing suits, jousting contests over the pool, etc. On this cruise, it was, naked twister, biggest rod contest, furthest cum shot contest…you get the idea.

On a straight cruise, there are theme nights for dinner each night…a formal night, French food night, Italian food night, etc. On this cruise, it was toga night, leather night, and black/white underwear night.

On a straight cruise, there’s Broadway-style shows in the auditorium and Caribbean steel drum music and rum drinks on the main deck. On this cruise, there were famous DJs hosting rave-style parties with great light shows every night, Chi Chi Larue filming another porn video, and porn stars performing live sex shows on the main deck.

As sexually charged as the atmosphere was, there were moments of normalcy, moments where you could forget that you were on a ship with 500 very horny gay men.

There were gay men of all types: young, middle-aged, and older. Most were single, ready to mingle, and with the urge to merge. But there were also many couples with partners in committed relationships of long-standing. www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

The first night, Dan and I met this attractive Hispanic looking man on one of the elevators. Dan, who’s always been a sucker for accents (literally) was intrigued. They made some small talk and I just knew they would hook up.

Later that night, Dan came back late to the cabin, as he usually did.

I asked him, “So, did you hook up with what’s his face?”

“Yeah, I ran into him at the bow of the ship,” said Dan.

“Yeah, I bet you ran into him, over and over, I’m sure. What’s his name?”

“I don’t know, but he’s got a Prince Albert!” said Dan.

Typical of Dan. Most people shake hands when they first meet: Dan sucks their stiffy. A very friendly girl, that Dan….

The next day, Pat and I were going into Cozumel and couldn’t find Dan. We stopped at P.A.s cabin ‘cuz we suspected Dan was having some Hispanic sausage for breakfast. One of the other differences between het and queer cruises is that queers decorate their doors.

I know, I know…the decorating thing is a cliché, but certain cultural stereotypes have some basis in fact. Like lesbians and power tools. But I digress.

There was a sign on the door that went into great detail about P.A.’s fondness for Mr. Fist. Now, I have no issue with those folks for whom fist is a verb. Whatever rocks your boat, so to speak. But the mere thought of someone sticking their hand up someone’s butt totally freaks me out. If you want your partner’s gum, ask him to spit it out. Don’t reach for it through his intestinal tract!

Pat and I looked at each other and high-tailed it out there muy pronto.

Dan was on his own. Of course, Dan was no stranger to fisting; he had rather small hands that were apparently much prized by aficionados of Mr. Fist. I remember, on another trip, in a rather seedy leather bar in Paris, when he was approached by a decidedly un-distingué Frenchman who took his hand, held it up for inspection, took him by said hand, and started to walk away with him. Dan turned to me as they were leaving and said, “Don’t wait up for me!” I never did ask him what happened that night; there’s just some things I don’t need or want to know.

In addition to the many other entertainment options, there were two lockdown parties. For those of you who don’t know (or can’t remember) what a lockdown party is, you close the doors, dim the lights to near darkness, and what happens in the room, stays in the room. Just like the dick dock in P’town, but without the sand fleas.

The most surreal moment of the entire cruise occurred on the last night.

There was the usual general announcement highlighting the evening’s activities. The last item went something like this: “And at midnight, the last lockdown party begins in the main ballroom. The first 200 guests with tickets will be let in. No one else will be allowed into the ballroom after the first 200. And the crew respectfully respects, please, no water sports in the main ballroom.”

I don’t think Julie McCoy ever uttered those words on the Love Boat.

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THE CENTER PAGE The official page of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland.

WELCOME TO THE CENTER! Here is our schedule of free or low-cost support groups, meetings, and services. Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the Center at 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore. Please call the Center at (410) 837-5445 for more information unless another contact is provided below.

TRANSGENDER PROGRAMS

ACHIEVE, CULTIVATE, & EDUCATE (ACE) SERIES ACE classes provide learning opportunities for the LGBT community in a safe and affirming environment to enhance and enrich community members’ lives. Visit www.glccb.org for more information.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Every Monday at 8:30 p.m., and every Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in room 201. Visit www.aa.org for information, resources, help, and other meeting times and locations.

GENDER IDENTITY GROUP (GIG) A support group for anyone who transgender, gender queer, or anyone who varies from traditional gender expression. Meets every 2nd Saturday at 8:00 p.m in room 201. For more information e-mail GIG@glccb.org or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/giginmd/ or www.myspace.com/gender_identity_group

GIG: Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance (BTMA) is GIG’s FTM support group that meets on the 4th

BEGINNERS’ YOGA Sunday afternoons at 3:30 p.m in room 201. Gentle beginners’ yoga with instructor Tim Hurley, RYT for $9.00 per person.

Saturday at 6:00 pm in room 202. For more information e-mail BTMA@glccb.org or visit www.myspace.com/ btma.

Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m in room 201. Beginners’ yoga with Kelly O’Neal, CYT for $9.00 per person.

For Wednesday classes only, an eight (8) class Yoga Access Pass can be purchased for $50.00. See www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5445 ext. 10 for details and rules.

GIG: Tran*quility is GIG’s MTF support group that meets on the 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201. For

GAY BINGO Every Wednesday at Club Hippo. Hosted by Roger Dimick. Cash prizes, progressive jackpot, giveaways. Proceeds benefit the GLCCB and AIDS Action Baltimore. Early bird games begin at 8:30 p.m. Call the Hippo at (410) 547-0069 for more information.

HIV and STD TESTING

more information e-mail tranquility@glccb.org or visit www.transworld.org

WOMEN’S PROGRAMS WOMEN OUT AND ABOUT A social group for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women who want to meet new people while doing fun stuff.

Meets the 1st Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in room 201 to plan future activities. For more information about planned activities contact Kelly at BWOAEvents@yahoo.com.

HIV testing at the center is better than ever! In addition to the traditional antibody testing, we offer a viral test that can detect infections within days or weeks after they occur. This test has been used by blood banks for years, and is now being offered to individuals.

WOMEN OF COLOR

Testing is confidential and can be done for HIV, gonorrhea, chalmydia and syphilis. Test results are generally available in two weeks. Testing and results are available during these times:

THE WOMB

Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Testing is provided through a collaboration between the GLCCB Health Committee, Johns Hopkins’ Project LifeLYNES, and the Batimore City Health Department.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Sunday Men’s Rap - Meets every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in room 201. Visit www.na.org for information, resources, help, and other meeting times and locations .

A collective group committed to providing a safe, confidential, and supportive space for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women of all colors. Meets every Thursday in room 201 at 7:30 p.m.

The Womb is going on hiatus while it goes through restructuring to make it better than ever. Check back here or at www.glccb.org for updates about this great program. Kae Love the Infinite One thanks the community for supporting this program.

MEN’S PROGRAMS MEN LIKE ME An open support group for adult males who love other men. Come discuss issues of coming out, homophobia, relationships, etc. in a safe and supportive space. The objective is to empower participants to take better care of themselves and each other. Facilitated by licensed clinicians. Meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month in Room 202 at 6:00 p.m. For more information e-mail Shane at MenLikeMe@glccb.org.

GAY FATHERS’ COALITION

PEER TO PEER This program provides individuals with confidential peer to peer support and referrals via phone, internet, and inperson. Services are available during these times: Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Saturday

6:00 6:00 6:00 2:00

p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m.

-

8:00 8:00 8:00 4:00

GFC-Baltimore is a not for profit organization dedicated to helping gay, bisexual, and questioning men who have children. Our group is a self-help organization. Meetings are open to the public. The group meets the 2nd Friday of each month in room 201. For more information send e-mail to info@gfcbaltimore.org.

p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m.

www.glccb.org

You can contact our peer counselors by calling 410-837-8888 (General Hotline), 410-234-8057 (Youth Hotline) or www.myspace.com/digyts.

PRIDE IN THE ARTS The GLCCB is proud to offer free and low-cost art receptions and movie screenings on the 4th Friday of the month. Art receptions and movie screenings will showcase local GLBT talent as well as our community’s straight allies. Check out the GLCCB’s calendar at www.glccb.org or go to www.myspace.com/glccb for upcoming Pride in the Arts events. Artists interested in submitting work for exhibit or screening should contact 410-837-5445 ext. 10.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT S UFFICIENT A S I aaM M (SAIM) A supportive group for youth and young adults 24 years of age and under. Youth are welcome to drop-in and try out this successful and long-running program which features a rap group, special activities, speakers, trips, and pizza! SAIM meets every Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in Room 201.

Enclosed is my gift of:

PUMP AND VOGUE A youth education group geared towards youth in the house and ball scene. Educational sessions on HIV risk reduction provided by Baltimore Black Pride. Meets the third Friday of the Month from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in room 201.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland. Serving Greater Baltimore since 1977.

President Bryan Flottemesch president@glccb.org Executive Director Craig Wiley exec@glccb.org

Website www.glccb.org info@glccb.org

W

e are a 501(c)(3) grassroots support and social organization serving all GLBT persons in Baltimore and Central Maryland, connecting them to the information, services, and programs they seek. The Center serves approximately 6,000 visitors and 3,000 callers annually. We rely heavily upon support from the community to provide these and other services all year long.

Please consider making a gift today, either by mailing your contribution with this coupon or donating online at www.glccb.org/Main/donate.htm www.glccb.org/Main/donate.htm. Thank you.

Pride w w w . m y s p a c e . c o m / g l c cBaltimore b Website www.baltimorepride.org

Gay Life Website www.baltimoregaylife.com

241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410-837-5445 Fax: 410-837-4114 Part of the GLCCB’s mission is to provide quality support services, appropriate facilities and professional resources for the development and well-being of individuals and groups. While the GLCCB is committed to positive and enriching experiences for all who use its services, the group descriptions listed, content, and the views expressed are those of the facilitators or organizers and do not necessarily reflect those of the GLCCB. The GLCCB is a 501(c)(3) organization.

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$10

$25 $35 $50

$ ___________

Please charge my: Visa MasterCard Amex Discover Card #: Exp. Signature: Name: Address: City Phone: E-mail:

State:

Zip:

Please make your check payable to GLCCB and return this form to GLCCB, P.O. Box 22575, Baltimore, MD 21203. You may obtain, on request, a copy of the current financial statements of the GLCCB at 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, (410) 837-5445. Documents and information filed under the Maryland Charitable Organization Solicitation Act may be obtained from the Maryland Secretary of State for the cost of copying and postage.

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GLCCB Launches Pride Business Alliance by Joel Rosado

Baltimore Women Out and About

by Kelly D. McClain

nterested in meeting other lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered women?

Try BWOA (pronounced “boo-wah”) which stands for Baltimore Women OUT and About. The group, reignited in June of 2007, began and continues to gather with the concept of getting to know others within the community and the surrounding areas by going OUT together. With that concept in mind, I have received many inquires and the number of members is swiftly growing towards 100. Although the majority of the members live in Baltimore, I have the pleasure of knowing women who travel from Annapolis, MD, Silver Spring, MD, and even various parts of Virginia to participate in outings and activities.

I

I moved here from the District Heights, MD, located outside of Washington DC, a little over two years ago. Although I found some clubs in the area that offer lesbians the club atmosphere and some that have once-a-month gettogethers, I was still interested in something other than the club scene. I was doing volunteer work for the Center’s Pride events when I was asked to assume the leadership of an existing women’s group. There the opportunity for BWOA was born! I found it would give me a chance to learn more about Baltimore, while meeting new people. The members of the group have agreed and have bonded together to find OUT things to do together, mostly outside of the club scene, and by getting together more frequently they are perhaps gaining a greater sense of community within the area.

The members of the group meet at the Center, in Room 201, on the third Saturday of every other month to plan future events, one of which is the Come OUT and Meet, a venue that provides members the opportunity to meet and get to know each other in a casual setting. We agree on locations within the Baltimore area, but are not limited to spaces in the surrounding areas. We recently had our first get-together of the year at The Great Sage restaurant in Clarksville, MD.

Although the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (the Center), has been a fixture of Baltimore’s GLBT community for over three decades, many members of the community remain unaware of the scope of the Center’s involvement in the community. The Center produces Baltimore Pride, the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) festival in Maryland, and provides referrals to local businesses and organizations serving Baltimore’s GLBT community for over 6,000 individuals annually. Since 1979, the Center has also published Gay Life, Maryland’s longest continuously-published GLBT newspaper.

Additionally, the Center offers an extensive array of services and programs, ranging from support groups to art gallery openings, yoga to financial planning seminars.

Over the last few years, the Center has been seeking ways to bring cohesion to the many facets of its programming while also fulfilling a critical need for GLBT professional networking opportunities in Baltimore. Out of this dual desire to reintroduce the Center to the community in a more holistic manner, and to provide community members with new and innovative programming, the GLCCB launched the Pride Business Alliance.

Through the Center’s new Pride Business Alliance, individuals, businesses and organizations will be able to connect with Baltimore Pride attendees, Gay Life readers, the Center’s supporting members and the thousands of individuals who connect with the Center for referrals each year.

The Pride Business Alliance combines the Center’s established membership program with a new business initiative to offer local gay and gaycontinued on page 27

An existing website exclusive to BWOA members creates a foundation that puts members in touch with other members. Another benefit of the website is that informs members of dozens of volunteer opportunities within individual communities, providing them with a reason to get to know their neighbor.

Other event postings include member-hosted movie nights, watching the LWord on Sundays at Read Street Books, and a newly created book group that also meets on Sundays beginning February 10. The calendar embedded within the website makes viewing and posting upcoming events easy.

Baltimore Women OUT and About has aspirations of becoming one of the leading women’s groups in the Baltimore area. From hiking, to biking, to traveling to the beach, to finding exciting outings in and around Baltimore, including attending the theatre and exhibits at neighborhood museums, catching a movie, hosting dances…whatever the event, we will find it!

There is no cost to be a member; just contact Ms. Kelly at bwoaevents@yahoo. com or 410-877-5053 to sign up.

Garrott Smith MEET THE WRITERS

Garrott Smith is the new editor of the Dean's List, a collegiate section featuring Baltimore-area colleges and their LGBT organizations. Smith is a second-year student at Towson University studying advertising and cultural studies. He is currently interning at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore working to strengthen the connection between Baltimore-area college students and their surrounding communities. He also hopes to continue to encourage and support the arts in Baltimore through his work at the Center. Need to contact me? Email me at staff@baltimoregaylife.com.. www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

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CALENDAR

Sunday, February 10

COMMUNITY

Beginners Yoga with Tim Hurley, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 9

Arts & Crafts Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4:30-6 p.m.

Gender Identity Group (GIG) Trans Support Group GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.myspace.com/ gender_identity_group 8 p.m.

Movie & Game Night Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-8:30 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.

Community Triangle LGBTQ Book Club Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon Rainbow Connection 14 1/2 E. Washington St. Hagerstown, MD 21470 www.communitytriangle.org 1-4 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.

Social Activity (Varies) Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.

Monday, February 11

Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.

Men Like Me Open Support Group GLCCB, Room 202 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 menlikeme@glccb.org 6 p.m.

Tuesday February 12 Alcoholics Anonymous LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

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.

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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.

Wednesday February 13

Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly O’Neal, CYT 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.

Power Inside Women’s Rap Power Inside Office 325 E. 25th St., 1st floor Baltimore, MD 21218 3-4:30 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 February 14

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.

Women of Color Group GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 7:30 p.m.

Friday February 15

Brothers of Baraza Men of Color Discussion Group The Portal

2419 Greenmount Ave., Suite 1 Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-5241 www.theportalbmore.org 7:30-9 p.m.

Gay Fathers Coalition GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.gfcbaltimore.org 7:30 p.m.

Pump & Vogue Youth Group GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 6-8 p.m.

Saturday February 16

Arts & Crafts Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4:30-6p.m.

Movie & Game Night Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-8:30 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.

Sunday February 17

Narcotics Anonymous Sunday Men’s Rap GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.na.org 11:30 a.m.

Social Activity (Varies) Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.

Monday February 18

PLFAG Parent Forum Howard County/Columbia PFLAG Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way

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Columbia, MD 410-290-8292 (Collette Roberts) www.pflagmd.org 7:30-9p.m.

Tuesday February 19

Alcoholics Anonymous LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30p.m.

Dual Recovery Anonymous Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30p.m.

Chesapeake Squares Club Square Dance Waxter Center 1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.chesapeakesquares.org 8-10p.m.

Consumer Planned Activity Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4-6:30p.m. & 7:30-8:30p.m.

Positive Influence LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30p.m.

Wednesday February 20

Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly O’Neal, CYT 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.

‘Tini Lounge Happy Hour GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar 41 N. Potomac St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 4:30-10:00 p.m.

Town Hall Meeting on Health Reform in Maryland Prince George’s County Oxon Hill United Methodist Church 6400 Livingston Road, Oxon Hill, MD For additional information, contact the Maryland Citizen’s Health Initiative at 410-2359000 or www.healthcareforall.com.

6-9 p.m.

Thursday February 21

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.

Women of Color Group GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 7:30 p.m.

Confidential HIV/STI Testing & Counseling GLCCB Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 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

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PBA continued from page 25

friendly individuals, businesses and organizations diverse venues through which they can network and connect with both Center members and the larger community. Based on a model that has worked well for community centers in other cities, the Pride Business Alliance goes further by folding in two activities that are unique to the Center: Baltimore Pride and Gay Life newspaper.

The Pride Business Alliance will unite the Baltimore-area GLBT community in unprecedented ways. It will provide quarterly networking mixers throughout Baltimore, yearlong exposure through the Center’s e-newsletters, website, Gay Life newspaper and events. It will also offer alliance members new channels to access the communities they serve.

The buying power of the gay and lesbian community continues to increase. Recent studies report that gay and lesbian individuals have higher annual household incomes, higher credit card balances, and are highly responsive to companies that market to them directly (Harris Interactive, Witeck-Combs LGBT Market Research Report & MarketResearch.com). The Center has made it easier than ever to connect to this influential consumer base.

Hilary Neiman, Esq. and the National Adoption and Surrogacy Center, LLC, was one of the first businesses to join the Pride Business Alliance. A long time supporter of the Center, Ms. Neiman has devoted her practice exclusively to family formation through adoption and assisted reproductive technology, including surrogacy, sperm donation, and egg

donation. Based in Maryland, the National Adoption and Surrogacy Center works with clients across the U.S. and throughout the world. When asked what initially sparked her interest in joining the Pride Business Alliance, Ms. Neiman responded, “I had given lectures at the Center on adoption and surrogacy and thought the program was a great way to continue educating the community about family building options…. Many folks turn to the Center to seek information and referrals, so it’s important for the Center to have quality providers of services and professionals that members can rely on.”

A key aspect of the Center’s longevity is its history within, and proximity to, the communities it serves. Agencies and institutions throughout the region have recognized that the most effective way to reach GLBT communities in Baltimore is to connect with the Center. The Center’s long-standing presence in the community enables it to draw on relationships and provide access that would not come easily to other organizations.

The Pride Business Alliance aims to redefine how gay and gay-friendly businesses and organizations in Baltimore network and reach out to the GLBT community.

For more information about the Pride Business Alliance, call 410-8375445 or visit www.GLCCB.org.

Joel Rosado is Development Director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore.

www.glccb.org Services. Groups. Events.

Our calendar is now online.

www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

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MOVIES

there are often of a lack of positive gay role models.

“I think it’s somewhat of a right of passage to find…and define your womanhood,” says Hanifah. “But as a gay woman it’s even that much harder. I mean, it’s hard for young black straight girls to find their womanhood too, but at least they have some options. They might say okay there’s the hoochie mama in the rap video and then there is Oprah. Even if they are bombarded with the more negative images, they still have a range. Gay girls don’t have a range because of the generational gap between the very young and the older lesbians, and because of a lack of seeing us in the media.

“For a lot of the younger sistas, their role models are not other lesbians who are older than them. Their role modes are people they see on TV, or men….in particular the younger doms, or aggressives…. They think of masculine as being defined by men, as opposed to other women.

U-People-The Movie Not just another documentary…

A mirror showing us to ourselves in a new light

A Conversation with Hanifah Walidah

by K. Love the Infinite Gay Life Contributing Writer

“We need to see ourselves reflected in a different way,” comments Hanifah Walidah, out recording artist and director of U-People.

“We wanted to show our community, being black women, but also the age group…the twenty to thirty something crowd…folks who are really clear on who they are…artists and really progressive folks who are trying to break different stereotypes about black lesbians within the gay community and outside the gay community. We wanted it to be funny, be fly and stylish, to make the political points, but not to harp on them. We didn’t want this to be another dry documentary about lesbians. And we did that and had clear intentions to do that.”

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U-People is indeed far from being dry. If anything, it awakens deep emotional responses within all of us that stem from the challenges of creating self identity, harmony in family, and health in community. It follows the intimate conversations and truths of thirty black and Latino women who were involved in the making of Hanifah Walidah’s “Make A Move” music video, which has since been featured on MTV’s gay network, LOGO, and voted into the top 10 video list. Fashioned in all shades of brown, and all degrees of sexuality, from straight women to mohawked masculine mothers, to dred locked lipstick queens, this documentary does more than tell their stories. It gives voice to the voiceless and empowers those women who are seeking to claim their womanhood in a world where

“So I make it a point in everything that I do, whether it’s a music video like ‘Make A Move’ or the U PeopleThe Movie, that whatever we are representing is going to be genuine and going to be an alternative…. I believe there is just as much diversity in the young generation as any other generation, but they need role models, they need a mirror, they need to say I can be this or I can be that in the future, or these are the different types of music that is available to me. They just need options, and then they can make their own decisions for themselves. That’s my intent as an artist, and as a gay black woman.”

All of the women featured in the film and video are just as progressive and dynamic as Hanifah, including Olive Demetrius, her partner and cinematographer of U-People and “Make A Move”, and Spoken Word Artist Red Summer, to name a few. The film presents an array of beautiful positive people who share their intimate thoughts and feelings with the camera in ways that have touched people of all races and genders from all over the world.

Some moments are funny and witty, others are damn near difficult and tear-worthy, but the entire film, at the very least, is an eye-opener that changes, enriches, and adds meaning to existing perceptions of who we think we are.

When asking Hanifah how she managed to accomplish this as the director, she enthusiastically replies, “We grabbed everyone we knew who was beautiful inside and out and put them in the video…and we said if we are going to do this video, we have do set a precedent. So I basically wrote the script so it would be a short

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film masquerading as a video.

“The video went on LOGO and I think it went up to #4, but I think the most beautiful thing that came out of that video was the documentary.

That was the blessing…. It was a two-day shoot in this Brownstone in Brooklyn. We had a couple of friends with cameras and we told them we needed them to be like flies on the wall, because it was an entire cast and crew of women of color and a whole spectrum of sexuality— straight girls, trans folks and lesbians, plus all the in-betweens.

“When we looked at the footage a few months later, we didn’t really know what we had, and we didn’t know that we were going to make a documentary at the end of the day.

But, we saw that we had something really precious, and we had a huge responsibility of re-telling the story of what happened in the Brownstone… keeping true to all that happened, ugly and beautiful in the same, but also making sure everyone is seen in a well-rounded light so that everything is kept in context and no one is exploited.

“We found even more amazing women to get on the soundtrack, and U-People is taking a life of its own. It’s creating a community of its own. With the weekly pod cast on the website, women from all over the world have gravitated to it because it’s refreshing and it isn’t putting us in the same old light, like other documentaries have. Even though they’ve had good intent…we need to see ourselves reflected in a different way.”

“I’m proud of you people,” Hanifah beams. “At this point it’s really about creating community around it.”

To find out more about U-People and to be a part of the growing community around it, come meet and speak with Hanifah Walidah yourself at what could possibly the last screening of the film this year, until after the festival circuit. The screening will take place on Friday, February 22 from 8-10pm at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB). Hanifah will host the screening, bless us with a live performance of her soulful and poetic hip hop fusion style of music, and then have a question and answer session where you can get a feel for this powerful renaissance woman yourself. If you can’t make it out on Friday, there will also be a second screening on Sunday, February 24 from 7-9pm, hosted by yours truly, K. Love the Infinite. For more information, feel free to log onto www.upeople-themovie.com or www.wearehiphoptoo.com.

Be Peace & Be True

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Fat Girls (2007)

For many of us, growing up queer was a challenging ordeal sporadically riddled with adolescent hardships.

However, due to some unknown reason, young gay goslings have always made alliances with fuller-figured ladies. Even today, we continue to adore our girthy sisters (e.g. Margret Cho, Monique) for the strength and dynamism that they embody. Simply stated: Fat Girls Rock! This declaration is made evident by the movie appropriately named Fat Girls (2008). In the first few moments of the film, the writer, director, and actor (Ashley Fink) provokes an eternal question: “Do you know your fat girl?”

Fat Girls take place in a misfit small-town in Texas, where Rodney Miller (Ash Christian) and Sabrina (Fink) are undoubtedly the town’s oddest theater obsessed duo. The film follows the pair through their quest to self acceptance while confronting the woes of their senior year, including finding prom dates, hand-jobs in the closet, coming out and finding themselves amongst an array of uncanny town-folk.

Fat Girls stars Robin DeJesus (Rudy), Ashley Fink (Sabrina), Ash Christian (Rodney), and Jonathan Caouette (Seymour Cox). (Photo: Regent Releasing)

Rodney (Christian) quickly becomes an enduring character by

by Lamont S. Bryant

handling his genuine awkwardness with simplicity. His uncomplicated mannerisms urge viewers to accept a character that is usually easy to forget. Hands down, this kid may be around from some time. The script saves itself by providing the audience with laugh-out-loud bizarre scenes and an overall sense of naiveté.

Fat Girls does not hide the fact that it is an independent film.

Nevertheless, the director of photography, Vincent Wrenn, provides visually pleasing scenes that further enhance a simply hilarious and sometimes unforgiving film.

Boasting awards from Outfest (Ouststanding Emerging Talent Award) and the Indianapolis Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Best Feature, Best Comedy, Best Actor and Best Actress), this movie is currently ranking in honors. With its canned humor and a sense of humility, Fat Girls is the Napoleon Dynamite of gay coming of age films, for the young and old, that is a perfect alternative to the plethora of soggy dream-hell gay teen films. I will say it loud and proud: I’m a FAT GIRL!

& INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF

BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO STOP BY THE GAY LIFE OFFICE LOCATED AT 241 W. CHASE STREET, THIRD FLOOR, ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH FROM 11AM TO 5PM TO RECEIVE A PASS, GOOD FOR TWO, TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING. No purchase necessary. Supplies limited. First-come, first-served. One pass per person. Employees of Paramount Vantage and Gay Life are not eligible. Rated R for language, drug content and brief nudity.

OPENS IN BALTIMORE FEBRUARY 22 www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

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THEATER

La Cage aux Folles

Doubt: A Parable Olney kicks off its 2008 season with John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play about the dangers of moral certainty. (Left to Right) James Denvil, as Father Brendan Flynn, and Brigid Cleary, as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, have a testy discussion. (Photo: Queonna Edmonds)

On the Stage

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company 410-313-8874 www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com

Argonautika Through March 2 The Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. 877-487-8849 www.shakespearetheatre.org

Doubt: A Parable February 12 through March 9 Olney Theatre Center, Olney 301-924-3400 www.olneytheatre.org

The Brother’s Size Through February 10 Studio Theatre, D.C. 202-332-3300 www.studiotheatre.org

Ella Through February 24 Arena Players, D.C. 410-728-6500 www.arenastage.org

The Comedy of Errors February 15 through 24 Baltimore Shakespeare Festival 410-366-8596 www.baltimoreshakespeare.org

The Glass Menagerie February 22 through March 29 The Bay Theatre Company, Annapolis 410-268-1333 www.baytheatre.org

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Through February 16 Maryland Shakespeare Festival, Frederick Cultural Arts Center of Frederick 301.668.4090 www.mdshakes.org

Glory Days Through February 17 Signature Theatre, D.C. 800-955-5566 www.signature-theatre.org

A Doll’s House Through March 2 Howard County Center for the Arts

Hedda Gabler Through March 9 Washington Shakespeare Company, D.C. 703-418-4808 www.washingtonshakespeare.org PA G E 3 0 •

Killer Joe Through March 8 Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Frederick www.marylandensemble.org Light Up the Sky Through February 10 Vagabond Players, Baltimore 410-536-9135 Love, Etcetera: Dances to William Shakespeare and Willie Nelson February 14 through 16 The Davis Performing Arts Center Georgetown University, D.C. 202-687–ARTS performingarts.georgetown.edu Mrs. Warren’s Profession Through February 24 Rep Stage, Columbia 410-772-4900 www.repstage.org No Child Through February 17 Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company 202-393-3939 www.woolymammoth.net

Jerry Herman and Harvey Feirstein’s Tony Award winning musical tells the story of Albin (Larry Munsey) and Georges (Jason Fulmer), a gay couple, living on the French Riviera, where they are the star and producer of a popular night club, La Cage aux Folles. Years of domestic tranquility are shattered when Georges’ son, Jean-Michelle, announces his marriage to Anne, the daughter of a bigoted politician. At Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore through March 9. For tickets or more information, call 410-649-1660 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com. (Photo: Kristine Christiansen)

Off the Map Through February 17 Fells Point Corner Theatre 410-276-7837 www.fpct.org/press Rain: The Beatles Experience February 9 through 10 Hippodrome Theatre 410-547-SEAT www.broadwayacrossamerica.com Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead Through March 9 CenterStage, Baltimore 410-322-0033 www.centerstage.org Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry February 15 through March 8 The Mobtown Players, Baltimore 410-467-3057 www.mobtownplayers.com

www.tobysdinnertheatre.com Swimming in the Shallows Through March 8 Catalyst Theater Company, D.C. 1-800-494-TIXS www.catalysttheater.org Three Ways to Get a Husband February 12 through 17 The Lyric Opera House 410-547-SEAT www.thelyricoperahouse.com The Tricky Part Through February 17 Signature Theatre, Arlington 703-820-9771 www.signature-theatre.org The Turn of the Screw Through February 24 Everyman Theatre 410-752-2208 www.everymantheatre.org

The Sound of Music Through February 15 Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia 410-995-1969

See more theater listings online at www.baltimoregaylife.com.

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PENCIL ME IN Friday, February 8

Fridays at the Walters: Mark Mosley Duo If you’re looking for more than a happy hour, visit the Walters (600 N. Charles St., Baltimore) from 5-8 p.m. to hear Baltimore-based jazz guitarist Mark Moseley and bassist Oliver Albertinni. You can also enjoy guided tours and happy hour prices on beer, white wine and light refreshments. Fridays in February will celebrate Baltimore’s AfricanAmerican musical heritage with jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel and hip hop. Free admission. For information on upcoming performances, visit www.thewalters.org.

Saturday, February 9

A Social Justice Havdalah Celebrate Freedom to Marry Week at Temple Shalom Chapel (8401 Grubb Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815). Attorney Michele Zavos, Rabbi Gerry Serrotta, and Dan Furmansky, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, will discuss the battle for same-sex marriage in Maryland. The panel discussion from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. will be followed by a pot luck dinner. Bring a vegetarian or dairy dish to share. If you have questions or need childcare, call or email Nicole BernerKadish at 301-891-3114 or nicolebk@starpower.net.

Monday, February 11

Equality Maryland Lobby Day Join LGBT Marylanders at the Annapolis state house for Equality Maryland’s annual rally and meet your delegates. The rally kicks off at 5 p.m. on the Lawyer’s Mall with events following until 9 p.m. Visit www.equalitymaryland.org to register or find out more about Lobby Day.

Tuesday, February 12

2008 Argie Awards – Best of LGBT Maryland The R-Group has announced this year’s finalists! Hosted by Baltimore’s own Tia Chambers and Ripped Genes calendar model Michael Burris, the awards ceremony kicks off at 7 p.m. at Grand Central (1001 N. Charles St., Baltimore). Proceeds will benefit AIDS Action Baltimore. For tickets ($10/person; $18/couple), drop by Grand Central or visit www.newgiving.net.

Tuesday, February 12

Give Love Celebrate the introduction of the

Mauntner Project's new executive director, Dr. Leslie Calman. All proceeds of this annual fundraiser will benefit the Client Services Program.

Enjoy conversation, good food, and music from 6-8:30 p.m. at the home of the Mautner Project’s founder, Susan Hester (3649 Warren St., N.W., Washington, DC). For more information or tickets ($125/person), visit www.mautnerproject.org.

Friday, February 15

Dinner by Candlelight If you didn’t (or even if you did) enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner on Valentines Day, join RSVP Event Specialists for an evening of dinner, drinks and entertainment at Martin’s West. Proceeds of the Valentine’s Day Black Tie Charity Ball will benefit UMB Pediatrics AIDS Care and Evaluation Patient Fund (PACE).

For tickets ($80/person) or additional information call 410-243-7787 or visit www.rsvpeventspecialists.com.

Saturday, February 16

For the Love of Wine: Don’t Drink, Taste!

Wine Coach Laurie Forster hosts a Valentine’s Day wine fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore.

Enjoy an evening of romance, wine tasting, educational seminars, food and a silent auction at the Belvedere (1 E. Chase St., Baltimore) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. For tickets and more information, call 410-547-5548 or visit www.vincentbaltimore.org/newsan devents.cfm.

Friday – Saturday, February 22-23

American Masterpieces: A Celebration of American Composers The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington turns classical with this concert featuring Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.”

Both concerts begin at 8 p.m. at Theatre of the Epiphany (1317 G St., N.W., Washington, D.C.) For tickets ($30/person) and additional information, visit www.gmcw.org.

Friday –Sunday, February 22-24 American Craft Show in Baltimore The largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation is coming to the Baltimore Convention Center (1 W. Pratt St., Baltimore). The American Craft Council has gathered more than 700 of the country's leading craft artists to present their latest hiqh-quality, handmade work, including jewelry, furniture, clothing, home décor and more. For tickets and additional information, call 800-836-3470 or visit www.craftcouncil.org/baltimore/.

Saturday, February 23

Out Right Youth Summit: Stand Up, Out and Together The Baltimore Chapter of GLSEN will be hosting its annual “Out Right Youth Summit,” a day geared toward creating a safe space for Maryland LGBT youth. Beginning with a keynote address by Honorable Delegate Heather Mizeur, the day features workshop sessions on topics including: “Coming Out”; “HIV/AIDS”; “Starting and Maintaining a GSA”; “Transgender 101”; and “Religious Perspectives.” Following a full day of education, empowerment, and student organizing, the event will close with a dinner and student dance. Out Right is sponsored by GLSEN Baltimore and Towson University Queer Student Union and will be held in Towson University’s Student Union Building. To register, visit http://www.geocities.com/glsenbaltimore/.

Saturday, February 16

InCrowd Casino Royale Looking to venture out of the Baltimore scene? Join Washington, DC-based LGBT nonprofit InCrowd International for a night of tribute to local and national humanitarians.

Proceeds from this black tie affair will benefit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Building Fund. Among those being honored with trailblazer awards will be UMMAH Endowment Fund, Human Rights Campaign, and Dwight Powell, editor-in-chief of Clik Magazine. The fundraiser will be held at the Galleria at Lafayette Center (1155 21st St., N.W., Washington, D.C.).

For tickets ($65/person) or additional information, visit www.incrowdinternational.com.

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MUSIC

ARTIST PROFILES Interview by K. Love the Infinite One

his issue’s featured artists were chosen because of their dedication to their art, their awesome lyrical ability, performance skills, and their honesty in their music careers. They will both be performing at the Grand ReOpening of Resonance Remix – the ladies club night that feels like a concert, on Thursday Feb 21st at the Turn Table Club (2139 Jefferson St. Baltimore, MD 21213). The party starts at 10pm – show starts at midnight. If you like what these women have to say, you had better believe that you will like what they’ll be giving on stage. So be sure to come out and have a good time. Baltimore’s own Reina Williams hosts.

T

Whats up with the name?

Any special meaning?

Sima.Lee Astrological Sign: Cancer HomeTown: Norfolk,Virginia Age: 27 Sexual Orientation: Lesbian Status: Taken Music Genre: Hip-Hop/Spoken Word

Sima.Lee: I tend to use a lot of similes when I write so I felt it would be a great choice as a stage name…just twist the spelling a bit to make it different.

Spoken Wordz: My name has two connotations. First, hip hop and poetry are my soul mates. They are my first loves and when it comes to my music, I pay homage to both. So, Spoken Word is my dedication to the performance of poetry on stage...the "z" was added to end to give an element of hip hop. When I was growing up...that what us hip-hop kids did...we were always adding "z's" to words (ie. boyz in the hood). My music is hip hop in the most authentic form, but my lyrics are those of a poet. Take a listen, you'll see!

Second, my favorite emcee KRS-1 once said in an interview, "Spoken words are the most powerful weapon known to man." That's very perspective is what I try to embody in my music. My music is positive message music...because once words are uttered...they have the the potential to destroy cultures, nations...the world.

Why should Gay Life readers come see you perform at Resonance Remix? What do you offer that is unique from other rappers/MC's?

Sima.Lee: As a hip-hop fan, I always wanted to hear an intelligent female emcee who was lyrically talented, and socially conscious, but also PA G E 3 2 •

K. Love the Infinite

MEET THE WRITERS

Hello. My name is K. Love the Infinite. I’m a developing hip hop/soul artist who has also proclaimed herself as the region’s ambassador of queer women in hip hop culture.

I’m also founder of “We Are Hip Hop Too!” whose mission is to help advance lgbtq female hip hop artists in visibility, development and education so we can have a better change to thrive in the music industry as we are; without compromise to our sexuality and gender expression.

More than that, I’m a music fan, a movie fan, and fan of women, and of community. So I’m very honored that Gay Life has allowed me the opportunity to do monthly reviews/profiles on area female LGBTQ artists in hip hop, soul, spoken word, and R&B. If you have a CD, performance, or movie that you would like me to review please give me a holla at review@wearehiphoptoo.com.

Spoken Wordz Astrological Sign: Taurus HomeTown: Philly Age: 22 Sexual Orientation: Queer Status: N/A Music Genre: conscious hip-hop street savvy. The icing on the cake would be that she’s a lesbian and also can speak about her experiences through music. Eventually, instead of waiting for that artist, I decided to just be that artist. That is what makes me stand out from other emcees, and what I hope people will enjoy when seeing me perform, especially the LGBTQ community.

We need fresh new voices to express our diversity and creativity. We can do much more than make party tracks….and that’s where I come in.

Spoken Wordz: They should come because my music makes you feel

good. You won't walk away feeling angry and violent. You won't walk away with a silly hook stuck in your head either. My music is good music that has substance. It's definitely enjoyable. I also give a very high energy performance each time.

Many of these rappers have no sense of performance techniques and ways to move a crowd. I'll show you the difference between rappers and emcees with my stage presence.

Fill in the blank: People who like ________ will also like my music.

Sima.Lee: Nas, Wu-Tang, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Common, Lauryn Hill, and Mos Def Spoken Wordz: The Real

Are you out in your music? Do your lyrics ever tell stories of bisexual and/or lesbian experiences? Why or why not?

Sima.Lee: I am out in my music and I try to write songs that reflect what my reality is. It may be a line here, or a line there, or it may be a full song.

When people give me handshakes after a show or send me an e-mail telling me they are proud of me, I know I am approaching this in the

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way that I should. It feels good to be loud and unafraid.

Spoken Wordz: I'm out in my music to a certain extent. I have several love songs that talk of my relationships with women...but the reference is somewhat subliminal. I don't directly use female pronouns when I'm referring to women. The reason for that is because I'm an artist who's gay...my music is not gay music. My music is conscious hiphop. My music is specifically for black and brown people...to uplift my community as a whole. I try to make a bit of a compromise in my music because I have both lgbtq fans as well as heterosexual fans. So that no one is made uncomfortable when listening to my music.... I opt to use general pronouns like "you" and then the message is still received and appreciated.

What's the hardest thing you've had to overcome in your career?

Sima.Lee: Having people underestimate me as an emcee first because I am a woman in a male dominated industry, and secondly because I am lesbian. I feel as if I always have something to prove, but I like chal-

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ARTIST PROFILES - continued from page 32

lenges when it comes to this music…. I feel like I am a soldier on many fronts, so I just step up to the occasion.

Spoken Wordz: I think the hardest thing I've had to overcome in my career is the temptation to give in to the commercialism of the industry so that I can get signed more quickly. Conscious hip-hop is not a top selling music genre. For some reason people would rather nod their heads to degrading messages and the typical. I've had plenty of opportunities to be signed, but only if I changed my genre and style. Because I want this so badly it’s been hard...but I must stay true to myself.

What’s your biggest accomplishment with your music to date?

Sima. Lee: Working with producers from different countries has been a wonderful experience. The internet has allowed me to work with artists from Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. I want my next accomplishment to be that I actually go to those countries and perform.

Spoken Wordz: My biggest accomplishment with my music to date is my recent TV interview on "In Bed With Butch," a lgbtq talk show that

Q PUZZLE

airs on Comcast and Direct TV. I gained a lot of exposure. Random people recognized me when I was just walking down the street!

What's your goal as an artist and a performer? What's the message behind your music?

Sima.Lee: I want as many people as possible to hear my work and to be inspired to be vocal as well, and even bring about change in their lives and in their communities.

Don’t be afraid…that’s my message.

Queue and A

Spoken Wordz: My goal is to get signed to a major label or major distribution. I also would like to change the status of conscious music and make it a major genre heard often on the radio...like commercial rap music is. The main message behind my music is cultural embrace. I talk a lot about Kemet and Black Power because many of my people are not conscious of their history/herstory.

If we truly grasped that we are kings and queens...maybe we would have more respect for ourselves as a community.

For more information about Sima.Lee and Spoken Wordz, and other events by K. Love the Infinite and We Are Hip Hop Too! visit www.wearehiphoptoo.com.

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Across

Down

1 6 10 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 30 33 34 35 36 37 41 42 44 45 47 48 51 53 54 56 58 61 64 65 66 67 68 69

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 23 24 25 26 27 28

It tops the cake Pajama opening Rubber stamp Disney elephant Gave the slip to What you can catch in South Beach Marilyn studying psychology?

Kahlo's that The Mystery of ___ Drood Testicular?

Island of Lost Souls director Kenton Cut out Southerner's transgender name?

Sperm homophone?

Part of a club name Ball holder 50 million Frenchmen's souls Sore throat producer Pork portions One, for James M. Barrie Ending with Pride First letter of the F-word, for Socrates?

Norse race River of the Singing Nun's country Where Bend It Like Beckham is an art film?

Like three men that visited Mary Ford contemporary Spartacus and others My Own Private ___ S.F. clock setting Really quick pregnancy for Angelou?

Get ready for action Laura Nyro's "___ Him on a Sunday" First words of "Satisfaction" Untouchable head Worship service, for Father Mychal Judge Word used in dating

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29 31 32 38 39 40 43 46 49 50 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 62 63

Words before delighted Sticks in a bar?

Point of view intro, at Gay.com Org. for rim jobs?

Jim McGreevey, once Pansy, for one Petty of A League of Their Own Straight ___ arrow Tammy Faye's old club Madonna album Ada author Metropolitan Community Church song Key opening How you lay out Top-secret org.

Wilde's tongue, for short Jethrene Bodine portrayer Max Florence Conrad birth name Enjoys the scenery at a gay bar They're desperate on Wisteria Lane Elizabeth Moberly's Homosexuality: A New Christian ___ One ruled by a queen Blue material, but not porno Gay former NFL player Tuaolo Cathedral of Hope area QAF network Like a smart ass Muscle Mary's pride Maugham's extremes Goes down on a hill Educational level of many fairy-tale lovers Taxpayer's ID Where to see sweaty athletes Debussy's daddy Isherwood's ____ Camera Does a head job?

Pair, to Magnus Hirschfeld 'N ___ (boy band) "See ya," in Soho Soft in the head AT&T rival

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BUSINESS PROFILE

BOOT CAMP IN A BROWNSTONE? MT. VERNON FITNESS OPENS ITS DOORS TO MEMBERS INTERVIEW BY MADDY DWERTMAN

very gym connoisseur seeks out state of the art fitness equipment, top-notch trainers, and an attentive staff ready to aid in pursuing goals of nutrition, weight loss, wellness, and workout basics. Mount Vernon’s newest boutique-style gym, Mount Vernon Fitness, certainly offers members all of this…and more. When you walk inside the early-twentieth-century brownstone at 1016 North Charles Street, you will be surprised to find that jogging on a treadmill and doing crunches does not require staring at dry wall, industrial lights, and twenty-foot-long mirrors. With original hard wood floors, stained glass windows, and ornate chandeliers, you can work out while enjoying an amazing architectural aesthetic. 6,500 square feet may sound small, but a membership cap and staff actively monitoring the ratio of members to the size of the club minimize crowding and long waits for equipment. Perhaps the largest benefit, however, (especially to all of us who fear committing to a gym membership) is the thirty-day risk-free trial period. Mount Vernon Fitness allows all new members to join, test the gym out, and cancel within thirty days with no commitment and nothing to lose.

E

Gay Life had the opportunity to speak with Andrea Shelby, General Manager of Mt. Vernon Fitness, about the gym’s construction and opening weeks of operation.

Gay Life: Why did you choose to open a gym in Mount Vernon?

Mount Vernon has the greatest mix… Its vibrant, urban market is different than all other urban settings in Baltimore… [It has a] certain level of sophistication, resources, nightlife…and people in Mount Vernon are used to shopping in eclectic, upscale, personal settings. I think they can really appreciate a high-style, boutique gym.

Andrea Shelby: I have been in Baltimore for ten years and I love Mt. Vernon…eating, shopping, socializing. It feels right. There is such a

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wide range of people that are part of this market. It is as New York as you’re going to get and still be in Baltimore.

GL: What sets MV apart from other area gyms?

AS: Definitely the environment. Not only in Maryland…but in the whole nation, you can’t find another gym that is historic and preserved with top of the line, brand new equipment, the best trainers in the region, and amazing classes. The main differentiator is the location…the environment, and the level of service.

GL: What were some of the challenges of transforming this space into a beautiful, functional fitness center?

AS: Trying to preserve the historic qualities was very expensive and challenging…especially in the sense that the 100-year-old circuitry for electric and plumbing had to be replaced. It was very pricy and at times almost impossible. Preserving the mantles and rehabilitating the floors and stained glass were part of the product…but it would have been much easier to put up drywall and cover everything over…and much cheaper to make it clean and square instead of working within the nooks and crannies of the building. It was definitely a challenge, but also made it worthwhile.

GL: What has the trend of your clientele been so far?

AS: We have done a lot of corporate sales. The gender of members is pretty even…not necessarily couples, but a shockingly even distribution of men and women. The average age of members is thirtyseven…a little bit more mature clien-

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tele. We have younger University of Baltimore students, high level execs, and the middle ground. Mt. Vernon is a very rich market diversity-wise.

GL: What have some of your most popular classes been?

AS: Hip hop with Cisco Vegas on Tuesday nights has been very popular. Yoga on Monday and Wednesday nights, and afternoon spin have had great attendance.

Kickboxing is always popular…but everything has had a good reception.

Personal training is very popular, which goes along with it being a more mature crowd. Members have more knowledge and interest in working on one particular thing that they can’t buy every place.

Overall, people here are more alive and carefree…which makes for a fun environment and a better experience.

GL: What is the most enjoyable part of managing a gym?

AS: Everyone is happy when [he or she is] here. It’s a fun environment.

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Either they are happy because they have their endorphins running when they leave or they’re happy because they checked it off their list of things to do. Working out is great stress relief. There are no angry customers to deal with. It’s very social, but not a meat-marketing environment.

The funnest part is being in the club.

The least favorable stuff is everything outside of the club, which is the administrative stuff, but it’s worth it. It’s gratifying to see results in people. The transformation is always fun and to be a part of it is

really cool. People here are into the same things that you are on a certain level…. It’s like hanging out with friends all the time even though you don’t really know them.

GL: It seems that Mt. Vernon Fitness offers just about everything that a member could want or need at a gym. Are there any other unique features that members should look forward to?

AS: Gallery Francaise will be doing an installation of sculptures hanging up the walls. The mix of gallery space and the gym is an interesting contrast.

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I am confident that there is nothing that people will not like or that is missing…. The only inhibition to joining is that people have not made the conscious commitment to incorporate working on health and wellness into their lifestyle or schedule. The thirtyday risk-free trial period gives people the easiest way to find out if it’s going to fit in their lives or not.

For additional information, visit www.mvfit.com, email info@mvfit.com, or stop by 1016 N. Charles St. for a tour.

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Hours: Mon-Thurs 6am-10pm; Friday 6am-8pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm Location: 1016 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Membership Types: Annual, Monthto-month, Personal Training, Daytime (reduced rate of $39/month) Class Offerings: Bootcamp, Core Strengthening, Hip Hop, Kickboxing, Pilates, Spin, Sports Challenge, Strength Training, Yoga

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REAL ESTATE protection services, ContractorCheck allows consumers to search for contractors in their area, check a specific contractor's business background and avoid contractor fraud. For each contractor in the database, consumers can check to see if he is bonded, the status of his business license and insurance, how long the company has been in business, and if the contractor has any judgments or liens against him. In December, the site is offering visitors up to 10 free ContractorCheck reports. Visit www.ContractorCheck.com.

Four Ways to Find a Contractor You Can Love

[ARA) - When it comes to sheer potential for relationship disaster, the worst in-laws in the world can't compare to a shady contractor.

Hire a questionable contractor and you could be setting yourself up for serious heartache. Find a contractor you can love and you'll be building the foundation of a lasting, happy relationship - not to mention the home of your dreams.

But the numbers show that many Americans have difficulty finding reputable contractors. In fact, the Better Business Bureau logged more than 9,600 complaints against contractors in 2006. Of the 3,800 different categories of complaints accepted by the BBB, those against contractors rank lucky 13 in terms of prevalence.

Here are four steps towards building a lasting, happy relationship with a quality contractor:

1. Run From . . .

Despite the volume of BBB complaints logged against certain contractors, most are honest and operate within the law. The Federal Trade Commission offers the following tips for recognizing a contractor who possibly isn't on the up-and-up:

n Beware of signs such as soliciting door-to-door, only accepting cash, not having a listed business number in the local telephone directory, or PA G E 3 8 •

offering to do your project with materials "leftover" from a previous job.

3. Talk to People Who Already Love Them During your dating years you probably "checked out" prospective dates by talking to their friends and others who knew them. You need to do the same kind of word-of-mouth research before committing to a contractor. Talk to past clients to determine how reliable, speedy and reasonably priced they think your contractor candidate is. Were they pleased with the work but thought it took too long to complete? Did the contractor deliver on-time and on-budget?

Reputable contractors maintain a list of satisfied contractors who have agreed to act as references. If your potential contractor can't provide the names, phone numbers and email addresses of past satisfied customers, you may want to ask yourself why he can't.

4. Get it in Writing Good contractors will give you a binding estimate in writing. They also won't work without a written contract. The contract should clearly spell out, in easy-to-understand terms, exactly what the project will cost, what will be accomplished and the anticipated time frame for completing the job. Don't hesitate to get an attorney to review the contract before you sign it, especially if you are dealing with a high-price-tag project.

Beware of verbal agreements; as the saying goes, in a court of law, they're often as good as the paper they were written on.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

n Watch out for contractors who want you to obtain required building permits or find them new customers (some will offer discounts if you find them new business).

n If the contractor is offering something that seems too good to be true—like exceptionally long guarantees or offering to do your home as a “demonstration”—it probably is too good to be true. n Finally, if a contractor pressures you for an immediate decision to hire him, or to borrow money for the project through his preferred lender, you may want to take your business elsewhere.

2. Check Them Out Don't hesitate to check out the background of the contractor you're considering for your job; he won't be offended if he has nothing to hide.

Likewise, find out if he intends to subcontract some work, and do a background and financial check of those contractors as well.

Fortunately, there are a number of resources with information on contractors, from the BBB to Web sites that maintain databases of contractors, such as ContractorCheck.com.

Launched by Experian, the company known for its credit reporting and

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Happy New Year from your Village Realty Team!

Alexi Correa REALTOR® Direct: 443-763-2741

Darlene Harenberg, GRI, Broker Agents not pictured: Tony Ruby Joyce Kramer Matthew Kinkelaar Cammie Griffin

www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

Scott B. Gibson REALTOR® Direct: 443-992-3248

Michael Levine REALTOR®, ABR Direct: 443-690-3990

Village Realty, LLC

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3120 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21218

410-366-SOLD

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Q SCOPES "Welcome Debates, Libra!"

by Jack Fertig

The Sun is harmonizing with Mars, pumping up energy all around. Venus offers some focus—a good, productive, and pleasurable challenge—for you to apply all that energy to.

ARIES (March 20 - April 19) If your career goals and political views are in conflict,

talking it out with a friend - even arguing - will help. Adjusting your personal goals may be necessary; an older woman can help you.

(April 20 - May 20) Being responsible and in charge when you need to be can feel more challenging than fulfilling, but there will be a pay-off down the road. Money can be a heated topic, but it's just a tool. Remember your essential values and ideals.

TAURUS

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20) There's always more to sex. Being able to accept that as

all right may be a little out of reach right now. Getting in touch with your own needs for physical expression and spiritual growth can help you make any necessary adjustments in erotic practice.

(June 21 - July 22) Some of your sexual needs aren't being met, but that's true for nearly everyone. Sharing some of your darkest secrets and fantasies with your partner - the scary ones you'd never confess - should help improve the situation.

CANCER

LEO (July 23 - August 22) Issues with your partner (or about wanting one) require

more work than talk, but voicing your hopes and ideals will help. Small adjustments nothing radical - in work, health, or other daily routines can offer huge improvements.

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VIRGO (August 23 - September 22) Resist the urge to argue with authorities and

bosses. Your ambitions will be better furthered if you concentrate on the tasks at hand, winning the enthusiastic support of all who will notice. Some creative innovation that's judiciously and conservatively introduced will also help!

(September 23 - October 22) Arguments come easily now, and you should welcome the debates. Keep them respectful and gentle, but don't be afraid of a little heat to fire up the learning experience. What you learn now can force you to re-evaluate "truths" you learned at home.

LIBRA

(October 23 - November 21) Your keen ear for subtext and hidden meanings will serve you, and you'll be able to express yourself very well nonverbally. By choosing your words carefully and weighing what you hear, you'll find verbal expression just as important.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20) All your wonderfully grand philo-

sophical ideals can be a distraction from details that you should attend to now. Your partner or a good friend can help. Remembering what really counts in life can help you focus.

(December 21 - January 19) You're looking gorgeous, darling. Don't let that distract you from work at hand, which—dull as it may seem to some—actually helps you to glow. This is a good time to know what you're worth, and demand what you're due!

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18) Being playful and assertive helps you to dazzle. Taking a little time out from all that dazzling to enjoy some intimate company— emotionally intimate, but not necessarily sexual—will make you even brighter when you return to the public eye.

PISCES (February 19 - March 19) Holing up at home is good for your soul, but then

what? Use your retreat to consider your future and the world's, and what you can do to improve both. Remember, you benefit most when you're helping others.

Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is a founding member of the Association for Astrological Networking. More info at www.starjack.com..

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DO AS I SAY Gay Marriage: Your Country Needs You!

by Miss Prudence Worthington

Darling Devotees,

Matters of economy rarely enter my homes in East Hampton or Manhattan, but obviously things are getting tight for so many of late.

Even I am not immune, for the unpleasant topic of money invades my domicile by way of daily consultations with my accountants. The Court of Bush has made quite a mess of things and with such a lack of style. I haven’t witnessed a debt grow so fast since I left Traxie at Manolo Blahnik with my American Express.

One assumes that a woman of my means would tow the line Republican, but I do suffer fiscally during their regimes. Gone are the days of the Clinton administration when money was abundant and we drank to celebrate rather than anesthetize. Following the third accounting consultation (and martini) my threshold of pain was breached so I opt for a course of action. I will therefore do what I do best and dispense the wisdom required to rectify our nation’s economic woes! Perhaps my greatest challenge to date.

Initially I thought the legalization and heavy taxation of marijuana would provide the solution. Traxie was a little too enthusiastic about this remedy and further investigation revealed a far more effective means of bolstering our failing economy: gay marriage. It seems such a simple antidote, I am astounded that our government hasn’t thought of it yet! Do allow me to illuminate you.

Gay Weddings: The nation’s cash cow As you may know, retail is a prominent indicator of our economy.

Isn’t it obvious that gay marriage will launch this sector through the roof? Three words darlings: gay bridal registry. Tiffany’s, Bergdorf’s, and Macy’s will show record profits as soon as this is instituted throughout the country. The same could be said for Home Depot thanks to our Sapphic sisters.

Vera Wang will start a new man-sized line for you boys who insist on wearing a dress. The collection will be shown only in ivory as none of you could actually pull off white. The new flannel line for the lesbian crowd will provide a fresh source of revenue as well. Your mothers will be so thrilled when, at last, they can help you select a wedding gown.

Imagine the profits from tuxedo sales, florists, bakers, wedding planners, limo rentals, caterers and all the gifts. Because you people throw such fabulous parties I predict that all your extravagant weddings could lower the national deficit by half! Remember, you are doing this for your country so ladies, no pot luck receptions. Should you honeymoon abroad you will be bolstering the economies of other nations too.

How very smart of you.

Real Estate: Good taste finally reaches the suburbs Now that you are married, purchasing real estate is much simpler and you will want to buy a home together right away. Your newly combined incomes will provide the second wave of economic growth attributed to gay marriage. Since most heterosexuals neglect their interiors, the home décor industry will flourish as you tastefully feather your love nests.

You may comfortably spare no expense in outdoing your friends and neighbors for after all, you are gay and healing the nation’s economy.

Don’t forget to landscape your cozy cottage as tastefully as possible for this particular attribute is so often overlooked by the straights. Set a good example and hire a landscape designer from within your community. The neighbors may just follow your example and finally do the www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

same. One last thought: When you buy a vacation property you may consider yourself a true patriot!

Children: And baby makes three Congratulations! Now that your home is well-appointed and your grounds verdant you may sleep soundly knowing you have reduced our nation’s debt by 75%. You are a true American. At this point you are ready for the ultimate gay accessory: an adopted Asian baby. China provides us with so many wonderful things so importing children in bulk should not be a stretch.

When you consider the cost of raising a child from infancy through college you will begin to realize how this will bandage America’s fiscal hemorrhage. Clothing, furniture, nannies, ponies, dance lessons, therapists, cars, private schools and college are all essential components of the well-heeled adopted child and you wouldn’t want little Joshua or Annie to go without. Raise your child in the Hebrew faith and the bar mitzvah alone could contribute $30,000 to our now booming economy.

Let us not forget the trip to their homeland when they come of age. The airlines may finally recover from their financial woes too.

Divorce: Your new civil right As they say, nothing lasts forever and many a new gay marriage will fall into disrepair.

Before you call it quits I recommend couples therapy. Why shouldn’t the psychiatric community prosper from gay marriage? Ultimately, some of you will end up in divorce court and in doing so, will line the pockets of numerous lawyers. While this is unfortunate, you must remember that every penny spent in the process of unraveling your failed relationship trickles back to our now stellar economy. Thanks to your efforts, the country will once again be a shining example to other nations and you will be free to start the process all over again.

A closing note to the non-gays You obviously have NOT figured this out so allow me to expose two very basic truths: 1. Gay marriage will come to this country sooner or later so resistance is futile. It has been accepted for numerous years in foreign countries and we are lagging tastelessly behind the world. I therefore recommend you devote your energies to real philanthropic causes. Perhaps you could try feeding, clothing and educating children, especially your own. 2. Those of you who vehemently oppose gay marriage will continue to receive bad hairstyles, poorly decorated homes, and spit in your food at most restaurants. In short, you will live a lackluster life. The gays are everywhere, darlings, and they can hold a grudge. Isn’t it just easier to do the right thing and support a fundamental civil right? In closing, I am so gratified to know that my scribblings provide you some source of hope outside of a vodka bottle. Now go forth and do as I say.

Ta Ta,

Prudence Worthington

P.S. You may forward enquiries regarding today’s ever-changing etiquette to prudence@baltimoregaylife.com

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QUOTE UNQUOTE

BY REX WOCKNER WITH BILL KELLEY “[The worst part is] the boredom. You're outside 24/7 in the mud with absolutely nothing to do except talk to people. So, yeah, there were times when I lost my mind.”

“You'll hear Clinton people try to say, ‘Oh, we made such advances [under President Clinton].' We made no advances. We got left with ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,’ and the Defense of Marriage Act. So, were there reasons for that? Yes. However, there's cleanup to do now and we have to move forward and get laws in place."

Todd Herzog, openly gay winner of the most-recent season of TV’s Survivor, to Chicago’s Windy City Times, Jan. 9.

Former Human Rights Campaign President Elizabeth Birch to the Boston gay newspaper Bay Windows, Jan. 10.

“‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,’ as articulated, as I worked it out with Colin Powell, who was then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meant literally that—that people would be free to live their lives. As long as they didn’t go march in gay rights parades or go to gay bars in uniform—in uniform—and talk about it on duty, they would be all right. Now, as soon as he [Powell] left, the anti-gay forces then in the military started using it as an excuse to kick people out.”

Former President Bill Clinton on the campaign trail for his wife, Jan. 18.

“I don't think that's a radical view to say we're going to affirm marriage. I think the radical view is to say that we're going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal. Again, once we change the definition, the door is open to change it again. I think the radical position is to make a change in what's been historic.”

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee when asked by BeliefNet.com on

Jan. 17, “Is it your goal to bring the Constitution into strict conformity with the Bible?”

“Gov. Mike Huckabee is establishing an unfortunate pattern on the campaign trail—making statements about gays and lesbians that demonstrate he's out of touch with the vast majority of Americans. Voters should take a close look at the governor's pattern of illinformed and extreme statements. Gov. Huckabee should remember it's 2008, not 1968, and he's running for president, not preacher.”

Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Sammon in a Jan. 18 statement.

“I don't trust either Clinton on gay issues. Sure, they're better than any Republican on the issues we're confronting. But they know that already.

And they'll never take a risk for gay equality because they assume we have nowhere else to go.”

Writer Andrew Sullivan on his blog, Jan. 17.

“There were, indeed, some factual inaccuracies in President Clinton's statement about ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell.’ ... Military members cannot be out to anyone, at any time, while serving under the law.

Statements to friends, family members or anyone else are grounds for dismissal from the armed forces, as they have been since day one. The law, indeed, practically prevents any gay American, who is out in any way, from serving in the military.”

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, to syndicated gay press columnist Chris Crain, Jan. 24.

“What's a feminist civil-rights supporter to do? This is an embarrassment of riches we have in the Democratic primary. Sure, they all have their limitations, but when was the last time we had some viable, charismatic choices? When didn't you hold your nose to vote for the president....

We feminists are between a Barack and a hard place. Our fantasy presidential teams are flush.”

Tracy Baim, publisher of the Chicago gay newspaper Windy City Times, in a Jan. 16 opinion column.

“I think it's wrong for the government to discriminate against people because of that person's sexual orientation. I think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women to make contracts, to have hospital-visiting rights and to join together in marriage, and I don't understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians. Shouldn't we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one’s partner regardless of sexual orientation? Because if you don't do that, then, to that extent, you're promoting promiscuity and you're promoting all the problems that can result from promiscuity. And the loyalty and love that two people feel for one another when they fall in love ought to be celebrated and encouraged, and shouldn't be prevented by any form of discrimination in the law.”

“I think the majority of the American public cares less about it than reporters like you do.”

Singer Clay Aiken when asked by Time Out New York on Jan. 17, "What do you make of people nagging you about the gay thing?"

“God knows it’s not easy to live here [in San Francisco]. It's way too expensive; you know traffic is awful; there's a lot of drawbacks to living here. But you're so heavily rewarded by your surroundings in terms of both people and scenery— and people who are scenery!"

Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin to The Out Traveler, spring 2008 issue.

“[Newspaper columnist] Herb Caen used to cringe over the years at the term ‘Frisco’, but the only one that really bothers me is ‘San Fran’. It’s the term that visiting flight attendants use. It’s not really a term of affection for locals. It’s increased in popularity in recent years, but I cringe when I hear ‘San Fran.’ It's just a bug up my ass.”

Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin to The Out Traveler, spring 2008 issue.

“It's really sad if people see me like that.

Just because somebody has kinky tastes doesn’t mean that they’re seedy. People who know me and love me would never call me that.”

Boy George to London’s Daily Mail, Jan. 18. George recently was charged with falsely imprisoning a male escort by chaining him to the wall of his flat.

“I wanted 2007 to end, with a line drawn firmly under it, and move on. The last couple of years were shit. I mean, I got arrested twice. I’ll be 47 in June. I've had enough. It affects everything in your life.

I don't ever want to see a policeman again. I have a New Year's resolution.

I'm going to try hard to become a shrinking violet.”

Boy George to London’s Daily Mail, Jan. 18.

read more quote unquote @ www.baltimoregaylife.com

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in a video posted at Current.com, Jan. 17. See tinyurl.com/yrazcf.

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B-SCENE WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR

VALENTINE’S DAY? K: “We are planning our Mediterranean cruise. I haven’t given it much thought.”

R: “How about some sex and champagne at home.”

K: “Oh really? I wasn’t expecting that.”

- Rick and Keith

“If we don’t kill each other by then, that will be a good thing” -Matt and Ed

“Valentine’s Day? Maybe morning.”

-Jim

“Something evil to my boyfriend…if he is still around.”

-Dimitria

“I’m going to find the boyfriend within.”

-Leroy PA G E 4 4 •

“”I will have to give it some thought. Hopefully nothing PG-13.”

-Scott F E B R U A RY 8 - F E B R U A RY 2 1 , 2 0 0 8

“Wake up and have some ‘me’ time.”

-Adam

“I hope she (Janet) comes out of the bedroom topless.”

-Janet and Megan • G A Y L I F E • www.baltimoregaylife.com

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SUPER BOWL

PARTIES AT THE HIPPO & THE DRINKERY

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MARKETPLACE Employment.

Massage

LOVE CANDLES? I'm looking for Fun People to join my team- Be in Business FOR Yourself, Not BY Yourself. Call Laurie 571-723-3053.

GREAT MASSAGE Swedish or sensual, by attractive guy with awesome hands.

Incall/Outcall, reasonable rates, 15 years experience.

LADIES, LADIES, LADIES, Interested in a DJ position? Please send a resume and current (2007) CD of your music to: DJ Search 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201

Roommate Wanted ROOMMATE TO SHARE HOUSE Looking for responsible professional to share 3 bedroom house. Nice neighborhood, close to highway and downtown. $600 utilities included. Call 443-889-0366.

Anytime, online @ www.baltimoregaylife.com

PA G E 4 6 •

Craig 410-336-8956 or Craiginbaltimore@comcast.net

BALTIMORE’S BEST MASSAGE Leave your stress behind & feel your best. Available days, evenings and weekends. $5.00 discount for appointments before 6PM. Gift certificates available. Call Marc @ 410-653-3084.

FULL BODY SENSUAL MASSAGE 6'1 200lbs, Athletic. Sessions for Both Men, Women, & Couples.

Call Tony @ 443-286-8173

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) 695-0141 or baltomann@hotmail.com

It’s easy to place your Market Place ad.

Call us at

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25 words for $20!

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Box it or add a graphic for $5 more.

Find your local number: 1.800.777.8000

C@M< × CF:8C × :?8K Text CHAT to 55455 $4.99/10 min.

InteractiveMale.com 18+ 50% OFF FOR NEW MEMBERS

Solution to puzzle, page 35

reach the local

gay market. advertise in gay life! sales@baltimoregaylife.com

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SERVICE

DIRECTORY

ACCOMMODATIONS Baltimore Tremonts 222 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-561-8886

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

Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore 401 W. Monument St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-669-6222

Laura June, Ph.D. Belvedere Towers, Suite 105A 1190 W. Northern Pkwy.

Baltimore, MD 21210 410-235-7899

Memorial Episcopal Church 1407 Bolton St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-669-0220

Jeff Klug, LCSW The Rotunda, Suite 108 711 W. 40th St. Baltimore, MD 21211 410-241-4215

St. Bernadette Parish 801 Stevenson Rd. Severn, MD 21144 410-969-2785

Samuel J. Kelly, LCSW-C Ellen Schwartz Patterson, LCSW-C The Shell Building, Suite 108

200 E. Joppa Rd. 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

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 A. Allan Gertner, Attorney at Law 814 N. Calvert St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-539-1870 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 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 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

David Ostrowski & Pat Stokeley Long & Foster Real Estate 410-931-6300 www.DaveMovesMd.com

RESTAURANTS / CATERING Café Boheme 401 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-347-9898 Sascha’s 527 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-539-8880 Spice Company 4 W. University Pkwy.

Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-8200 THEATRES Hippodrome Theatre France-Merrick Performing Arts Center 12 N. Eutaw St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-547-SEAT Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore 5625 O’Donnell St. Baltimore, MD 21224 410-995-1969 Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. Columbia, MD 21044 410-995-1969

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 www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E •

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