Volume 33, Number 20 by Baltimore Gay Life

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1979

MARYLAND’S LGBT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011 VOLUME XXXIII, NUMBER 20 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

MUSICAL

SALONS PAST TO PRESENT PLUS:

OPEN STUDIO TOUR’S

TRANSGENDER ART

ROCKY HORROR & HEDWIG NABOKOV’S GAY BROTHER DAY OF ACTION FOR

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

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ANI FOLK SINGER

DIFRANCO

10/12/11 7:14 PM

www.reelaffirmations.org THU OCT 13

Opening Night: Screening of Dirty Girl 7pm, Lisner Auditorium Opening Night Gala: Immediately following film

OFFICIAL AFTER PARTIES

Follows each night of the Festival at a different bar or restaurant. Check the Official Reel Affirmations Program Guide or reelaffirmations.org for details.

SUN OCT 16

Women & Filmmakers Brunch: 11am, US Navy Memorial, 7th & Pennsylvania Ave NW (Navy Memorial Metro). Followed by 1pm screening of Hannah and the Hasbian

SAT OCT 22

Closing Night: Screening of Loose Cannons, Lisner Auditorium Closing Night Gala & Audience Awards: Immediately following film Official After Party at TOWN: Discounted admission to all RA20 ticket/pass holders

festival sponsors:

Visit www.reelaffirmations.org for all the festive details!

OCTOBER 13-22, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER 9/22/11 10:23 PM

10/12/11 7:14 PM

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 3

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r Beginner Yoga As LGBT individuals, our experience in the cyber-speed world around us becomes more integrated and fluid when we regularly create time to center, focus, and enjoy therapeutic activities that “re-boot,” strengthen, and support us. Join Registered Yoga Therapist Tim Hurley (Yoga Alliance Certified E-RYT-500) weekly for Gentle Hatha Yoga at a slower, more human pace and re-encounter your own natural state of integrity and harmony. Sundays at 3:30pm (please arrive a few minutes early) Room 201 at The Center Cost is $9

HOME

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letter editor’s

Whether you’re a life-long Baltimorean or just visiting Charm City, if you like culture you picked up the right paper. We’ve got high culture, low culture, and a bit of everything in between. Our feature story this issue centers on the musical and literary salons of the Belle Époque Paris. Not only did these salons serve as the settings for some of the most romantic gay and lesbian relationships we know, they inspired salons that are taking place in our very own neighborhoods today. Read about the history and learn how to become a salon host yourself. Just imagine: you could inspire paintings, sonatas, or the budding (perhaps even forbidden) romances of our time. Sound like too much work? Then how about catching the latest dining bargains (p. 6) and heading to the theater for an evening Hedwig or Rocky Horror (p. 7). Or maybe you’d like to stay in with a good book (p. 8)—while you’re there you can plan your weekend tour of the city’s 108 free art galleries with the Open Studio Tour’s Interactive Map (School33.org). Check out one amazing artist who gave GL a preview of her transgender art (p. 9). Whatever your pleasure, this issue has it all and more. In fact, even our ads have events: check out the Antiques Expo at the Timonium Fairgrounds (ad p. 3) or the Halloween festivities coming up at Club Hippo (back page). So go hit the town! Or sit back, relax, and read about some upcoming fun. Maggie Beetz, Editor

ON THE COVER:

Ani DiFranco. Cover Photo by Rhea Anna Vist us at www.baltimoregaylife.com

www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5447. A portion of the cost is donated back to The Center

PAGE 4 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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CONTENTS

Out Front

Out Going

PAGE 5 COMMUNITY: Marriage Equality Group Organizes Day of Action,Video Campaign. By Anthony Moll

PAGE 15 SPOTLIGHT: “Sara Steele: Watercolors” Artist Reception at Tai Sophia gallery. By Rachel Roth

PAGE 6 DINING OUT: Bargain about town for every day of the week. By John Cullen with Marty Shayt

DATEBOOK: Calendar of Events. By Rachel Roth

PAGE 7 THEATER: Hedwig returns to Creative Alliance. By Querin Brown

After Hours

Rocky Horror Picture Show(s)! By Candice Morgan Shree PAGE 8 BOOKS: Nabokov’s gay brother comes to life in Paul Russell’s novel. By Terri Solomon PAGE 9 ART: City-wide Open Studio Tour includes artist with a flare for transgender themes. By Kelly D. McClain MUSIC: Singer, feminist, music industry vanguard Ani DiFranco comes to town. By Kristi Metzger

PAGE 17 HUNTER ON THE PROWL!: Bars, Crab Feast & Miss Youth Princess Contest PAGE 18 BSCENE: Black Pride Cultural Affair and Festival. Photos by Jay W Anniversary Bingo at Club Hippo. Photos by Jay W GLCCB and Gay Life at Baltimore Book Festival.

Headline News PAGE 10: NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS: By Rachel Roth

FEATURE PAGE 12:

First Person PAGE 14 MONEY MATTERS: A quick guide to refinancing. By Richard Pazornik

The Art of Dinner and Music: Salons from Paris 1880 to Baltimore Today By Samantha Buker

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

Maggie Beetz, Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Gay Life is a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Gay Life is published every other Friday in Baltimore, Maryland, with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Gay Life is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Gay Life or its publisher.

Scott FitzPatrick, Advertising sales@baltimoregaylife.com 410.837.7748 National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863

Michael Nguyen, Art Director art@baltimoregaylife.com

Marty Shayt Senior Volunteer

Contributors Querin Brown, Samantha Buker, John Cullen, Mark Hunter, Kelly D. McClain, Kristi Metzger, Anthony Moll, Richard Pazornik, Rachel Roth, Marty Shayt, Candice Morgan Sheree, Terri Solomon Photographers: Jay W Photos Newspaper Committee: Trevor Ankeny, Bud Beehler, Kelly D. McClain, Terri Solomon

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:14 PM

OF COPY.. DOES THIS HAVE AN AUTHOR?

outfront COMMUNITY

Marriage Equality Group Organizes Day of Action, Video Campaign BY ANTHONY MOLL

Coalition group Marylanders for Marriage Equality is joining with powerful allies as it moves forward in the fight for same-sex marriage in the Free State. In a video released by the group, Governor Martin O’Malley publicly reaffirmed his support for marriage equality in Maryland, and outlined his plan to introduce legislation to the state’s 2012 legislative session. The video is the first in a series to be produced by the group that will feature prominent Marylanders coming out in support of marriage equality. The video follows a similar format to those produced earlier this year by coalition member Human Rights Campaign during the successful push for marriage rights in New York. The group also recently announced that the Baltimore chapter of the

NAACP would be joining the alliance of union, faith, and civil-liberties organizations. The coalition consists of both local and national groups, including: Progressive Maryland, Equality Maryland, National Black Justice Coalition, SEIU, ACLUMaryland, Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Family Equality Council, Catholics for Equality, Maryland Faith for Equality, PFLAG, and Maryland NOW. Next up on the group’s schedule is a Day of Action in Annapolis on October 17 to talk with lawmakers about the need for extending marriage rights to all Maryland couples. As part of the action, the group will provide training on how to speak with elected representatives. The complete video can be viewed on the group’s website, MarylandersForMarriageEquality.org. Those interested in taking part in the day of action should contact Meredith Moise at MaryFrancisMoses@gmail.com. n DETAILS: Marylanders for Marriage Equality’s Day of Action. Monday, October 17, 10am. Lawyers Mall, 100 State Cir. Annapolis. 410.900.2021. MaryFrancisMoses@gmail.com.

Serving the Gay Community Since 1981 ◆

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Criminal Traffic DWI MVA Hearings Estate Planning Wills Power of Attorney Personal Injury Automobile Accidents Worker’s Compensation Family Law and Divorce Second Parent Adoption

201 N. Charles Street, Suite 2300 Baltimore, MD 21201 Office: 410-332.1170 • Fax 410-837-0288 Lyndamdee@aol.com • www.lyndadeelaw.com

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

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 5

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Continued on page 18

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outfront DINING OUT

A Bargain is a Bargain is a Bargain! BY JOHN CULLEN WITH MARTY SHAYT

crab cakes. Tuesday can be very popular, so make a reservation! As Gertrude Stein might have said, “A bargain is a bargain is a bargain.” $12 Dinner – Hull Street Blues (Locust Point): We always find something that we enjoy on the list of special entrees. The real dilemma is whether we blow our savings on the memorable homemade soups or desserts! Wednesdays $11 Crab cake & two sides – Candlelight Inn (Catonsville): Bargains like this are only available in the bar/lounge area, but it’s a pleasant space and the food is good! In a tight economy, dining out bargains are more important than ever. Here are some of our favorites: Mondays $5 Burgers – Hull Street Blues (Locust Point): A friendly pub full of atmosphere and the burgers are good! $5 Burgers – Glory Days (Towson): These are not just plain burgers, plus they come with your choice of fries, cole slaw or—our favorite–-whole red skin potatoes. $7 Burger w/fries & a beer – Rocket to Venus (Hampden): A good burger, fries and a cold beer in an interesting Hampden joint with an intriguing clientele is worth a try! $7 Full rack of ribs – Mt. Vernon Stable (Mt. Vernon): Ask for the “Just the Meat!” special; sides are extra but the ribs are so good that John ends up sucking every morsel off the bones! Tuesdays $7 Burger & beer – Mother’s Grille (Federal Hill): A great burger (even your pick of “specialty” burgers!) with a brew is winner at this price! $12 Dinner – Gertrude’s (Charles Village): You’ll find 12 entrees at $12 from 5–9pm. John recommends the “Can’t believe it’s not Crab” faux PAGE 6 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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Thursdays $15 Pitcher of beer & pound of wings – Joe Squared (Station North): A pitcher of beer with a pound of wings to munch, plus free live music later on may just help you forget that your wallet is feeling empty. Happy Hour ½ off appetizers 5-7pm – Sascha’s 527 (Mt. Vernon): Make a meal of Sascha’s creative and tasty half-price appetizers during weeknight happy hour. Tempting appetizer bargains include fried calamari for $4, grilled snapper tacos for $5, and three bison sliders for $6. Every Night! $5.99 “All you can eat” pizza & salad – Cici’s Pizza Buffet (Rosedale): Allyou-can-eat pizza buffet and salad bar with sweet apple pizza for dessert. Marty thinks the Rosedale location has the noticeably best pizza and service, but there are also branches in Catonsville and Glen Burnie. DiningOUT’s Tight-on-Cash Tip: Order water with lemon instead of an overpriced soft drink and save yourself $2-3! n Did we miss your favorite bargain? Email us at diningout@baltimoregaylife.com or find us at BaltimoreGayLife-DiningOut.info BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

THEATER

BY QUERIN BROWN

As the Berlin Wall has tumultuously divided Germany, so has inner conflict separated Hedwig from herself. In the late 90’s a young American solider, Luther, falls in love with Hansel Schmidt (Adam Cooley), who undergoes an unsuccessful sex change in order to get married as a woman and move to America. The bungled operation leaves Hansel, now Hedwig, with a one-inch mound of dysfunctional flesh between her legs, the “Angry Inch.” Luther and Hedwig return to Junction City, Kan. as husband and wife. On their first anniversary Luther leaves Hedwig for a man almost at the exact same time the Berlin wall is tumbling down. To help recover from this separation, Hedwig forms a rock band with Tommy Speck who eventually walks off with Hedwig’s songs and materials to great success. Feeling betrayed again, Hedwig and her band are left playing coffee bars and strip malls. “I put on some make-up and turn up the eighttrack. I’m pulling the wig down from the shelf. Suddenly I’m Miss Farrah Fawcett from TV until I wake up and turn back to myself.” Lyrics from “Wig In a Box” play in a scene where Hedwig is watching the Berlin wall come down and realizing that leaving Berlin for love and freedom was in vain now that Germany is undivided and has become one. “Tear Me Down,” “Hedwig’s Lament,” and “The Origin of Love” are just a few lyrical jams that Hedwig uses to go deep into her rock star soul and share her poetic conflict within. In “The Origin of Love,” Hedwig captures the tale from Aristophanes’ speech in the Symposium that explains how homosexuals and heterosexuals were created. Two women, two

men and a woman and man, each connected and then unruly detached by angry gods. These beings then spend their lives feeling voided and in search of their other halves. Hedwig seems to carry us with her in this experience, while using her love of music as her light that guides her back to wholeness. Similar to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Hedheads” get to join in on this energetic show as if they were live in concert with Hedwig and her band. Patrons sing with the band, belting lyrics and sporting Hegwig gear to boot. Her large blonde locks of curls and candid personality keep fans coming back for more. Last January, Cooley brought Hedwig to Baltimore with a sold out performance. Now back by popular demand, Creative Alliance will host a 2-day encore of the phenomenally fun musical. Cooley has been passionately acting offBroadway, on TV and in film for over 10 years. He’s traveled with Cindy Lauper’s True Colors tour, and when he is not gracing the stage he is a dedicated friend and nurse. When asked what moved him toward choosing Hedwig as the object of his artistic desires Cooley responded: “I get to be a rock star… The character is also relatable as a gay man in my teenage years trying to get clear about who I am and how to accept myself. This musical is appealing to all races, genders and orientations desiring to join their other halves within.” n DETAILS: Hedwig and the Angry Inch. October 22-23. 8pm. $15-20. The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org.

Rocky Fun BY CANDICE MORGAN SHEREE

I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey. You will witness extraterrestrials with voyeuristic intentions, sexually confused youngsters, and the perfect man who only took seven days to create. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a musical parody coming to a theater near you. Rocky originated as a stage production before it was adapted for the 1975 film starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Richard O’Brien, who wrote the play. The movie was a flop and so was its sequel, “Shock Treatment.” However, due to frequent midnight showings, it became a cult classic. Now, every Halloween, and in some places every weekend, cities nationwide re-enact the movie in front of the screen, playing parts along with the film. This is called shadow casting.

Want to give yourself over to absolute pleasure? Tell us in 100 words or less why you deserve to do the Time Warp again and you could win two free tickets to Factory Edge Theater Works’ October 22 (8pm) showing! Email: 1viciousbunny@gmail.com n DETAILS: Rocky Horror Picture Show (stage production). Oct 20-Nov 6. 8pm, midnight. $19-25. Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. 410.539.3091. BrownPaperTickets.com. Gay Life readers can get $10 tickets. Enter code: TRANSVLVANIA 6-5000. Also: JHU’s Rocky Horror Picture Show. Oct. 29. Midnight. $4 for full dress, $2 for costumes, and FREE if appropriately (un)attired. Arellano Theater, Levering, JHU, 3400 N. Charles St. Info: emily.gelfand@gmail.com ©2011 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

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Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Directed by Adam Cooley

So, what can you expect at Rocky Horror? If you are a Rocky Virgin, just know that the show isn’t about the plot. It’s about the audience partici… pation. Participation in Rocky Horror, whether by the performers, crew, or the spectators, is about expressing yourself, giving yourself over to absolute pleasure, and joining as a community to share a common fixation. Feel free to come inappropriately dressed.

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1057 S. Charles St Baltimore, MD 21230

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 7

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BOOKS

‘The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov’ REVIEW BY TERRI SOLOMON

Paul Russell’s newest novel imagines the delicate inner life of Sergey Nabokov, the lesser-known gay brother of Vladimir, of “Lolita” fame. It’s a work rich in details—the air-raid sirens of 1943 Berlin serenade Sergey as he remembers his childhood in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1915, where revolution and violence exist amid the ethereal beauty of the ballet, the “gauzy light out over the Bay of Finland” and scenes of pastoral stillness on the Nabokov county estate. At the heart of the book is Sergey, a sensitive teenager discovering that his “most cherished emotions…constitute a defect” in the eyes of his father, the medical profession, and society in general. Even more upsetting is his budding same-sex obsession, a school acquaintance who taunts Sergey while parsing out small sexual favors, interspersed with physical abuse. “My loves have always ambushed me,” Sergey laments. Russell excels in his portrayal of an idealistic young man caught between “confusions and exhilarations” as he has his first complete sexual experience with an older soldier, at the urging of a more experienced gay friend. Sergey’s musings after his messy bathhouse exertions are perfectly captured in all their incongruous mix of innocence and newly discovered carnal knowledge. “I did not know how I felt. Abjectly sorry, deliciously manhandled, rapturously fallen, defiantly unguilty, well-nigh shattered, I walked through the streets of an unchanged city a changed person, a traveler returned from a foreign and fantastical land,” he says. And then his world—the Russia of his childhood—changes as St. Petersburg is overcome by revolution. For their protection, the brothers are sent to university in Cambridge, England; the Nabokov family moves to England and then Berlin. After several years of study, Sergey finds his new home charming, while Vladimir PAGE 8 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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attempts unsuccessfully to recreate in his mind all the landmarks of Saint Petersburg, which are “beginning to disappear before our very eyes.” The rift between brothers is a theme Russell returns to throughout the novel, depicting Vladimir as a cold, unsympathetic and largely unavailable figure in his brother’s life. After an unexpected family tragedy, Sergey takes a job offer in Paris, and begins an expatriate life that puts him in social circles with Jean Cocteau, Serge Diaghilev, Pavel Tchelitchew, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He also encounters the whirlwinds of “the kind of beautiful flower opium” and a variety of attractive sexual “diversions.” Russell’s telling of Sergey’s troubled twenties reads as the novel’s most forced feature, with his protagonist inserted into the lives of larger-thanlife men and women familiar to most readers. This period in Sergey’s life contains interesting scenes and unexpected reunions, which Russell presents well, but I would have enjoyed less focus on prominent individuals and more devotion to Sergey himself, who is by far the book’s most captivating personality. Although Sergey does eventually find some measure of happiness in his life, it is short-lived. “I will not bore my reader with a honeyed account of that time,” he says. “As Tolstoy knew well, there was no story to tell in Eden—only afterward, once it had all come to ruin, once history had begun.” “The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov” displays linguistic artistry through portraying ruin in all its forms—the scattering of family ties, the loss of one’s country, and the consequences of war, death, addiction, and forbidden love. It’s a life story that does, in fact, seem “unreal,” and is made all the more remarkable for its veracity. Kudos to writer Paul Russell for presenting the historical persona of “the gay Nabokov” in a fictional format that succeeds at drawing the reader into Sergey’s improbably true life. n DETAILS: “The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov” a novel by Paul Russell.Cleis Press. ISBN: 978-157344-719-5. Paperback, $16.95, 384p. BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

Photo by Kelly D. McClain

ART

Transformation, 2009-2011 Lania D’Agostino with Jack Rabbit, acrylic, 2011

Gender Flexing Art Studio Walking off Federal Hill’s Light Street during a busy rush-hour afternoon and onto a quiet street where a clean brown building sits demure and nondescript, no one would suspect the top level would hold the creative goings-on of one person: Lania D’Agostino. The door opens to a stairwell that ascends to a throughway full of nude mannequins who seem to be stuck in traffic. Their feminine made-up faces all convey the same emotionless thought. On the contrary, D’Agostino’s work communicates energetic amounts of personality as will be seen in her studio on Saturday, October 22 as part of the two-day School 33 Art Center Open Studio Tour which is free to the public.

Photos by Rhea Anna

“Lania has a remarkable studio,” said Renè Treviño, exhibitions coordinator for School 33 Art Center, “so much

BY KELLY D. MCCLAIN

to see and experience, so many big projects. Her work is very ambitious and far-reaching… highly detailed body casts from live models, thousands of mannequin parts in arranged chaos and a full painting studio.” D’Agostino, who arrived in Baltimore from Michigan in 1982 to study at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), is excited about her transgender work. The tall canvases are life size and imbued with brightcolored acrylics. For example, the Pattern Maker, 2011 collection consists of four individual canvases of unidentified naked bodies from the neck down. All have similar statures, though the use of colors and angles of the body are different. None can be recognized as simply female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF).

Emily, 2009

D’Agostino uses glass fiberreinforced resin to cast live models in various stages of their “gender flexing” as she called it. Transformation, 200911 reveals three full body casts of a woman who underwent breast-removal surgery to express her masculinity. “You see the rounding of the shoulders in the feminine body of the first cast,” she said, “a slight shift after beginning to take male hormones in the second, and the transformation to the masculine after the surgery.” “It is a visual feast for the eyes,” said Treviño about D’Agostino’s studio, “and when you combine that with her charming demeanor and her welcoming persona, it makes for an ideal Open Studio Tour experience.” n DETAILS: Lania D’Agostino’s Open Studio: Sat. Oct. 22, 1-6pm. 1440 Light St. 410.727.6874. DAgostinoStudios.com. School 33 Art Center’s Open Studio Tour: Oct. 22-23, 12-6pm. FREE. BaltimoreOpenStudioTour.com.

Childhood Dreams, acrylic

Pattern Maker, acrylic, 2011

MUSIC

Ani DiFranco Comes to Rams Head Live Some people say that music artists these days simply do not have the staying power like those of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, for example. Ani DiFranco shatters the stereotypical all-male rock band career longevity phenomena. Self-producing and releasing albums since 1990 with absolutely no signs of slowing down, she has written hundreds of songs and played thousands of shows. Some of her musical influences include Utah Phillips, Bruce Springsteen, Indigo Girls, Woody Guthrie, and Miles Davis. DiFranco is openly bisexual, a green energy user and supporter, and a feminist icon. Her song “In or Out” addresses the controversy about her sexuality. She is also a National Organization of Women (NOW) “Women of Courage Award” recipient as well as a 2004 Grammy Award winner for Best Recording Package.

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BY KRISTI METZGER

When asked about being a feminist she stated, “All decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently inferior or undeserving of the respect and opportunity afforded men. Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/ misogynist. There is no box marked ‘other.’” Ani is a hardcore do-it-yourselfer, founding her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, to release her music in 1990. She wanted to be free from the constraints of giant corporate record labels so she could have total artistic and musical freedom. Without the large publicity and marketing budget like that of a much larger label, she relies on word of mouth and her street team of die hard fans to help spread the word and promote her work. She is actually seeking more street team members in the Baltimore/DC Metro

area. The street team is a group of volunteers that promote Righteous Babe Records in their town by visiting coffee shops, music venues, universities, bars, and art spaces. (Learn more at RighteousBabe. com/street_team). On October 22, Baltimoreans can see Ani perform a sampling of her many songs which could include the breakup anthem “Untouchable Face” and upcoming tracks from her 2012 release of her new album “Which Side Are You On?” Her fall leg of the tour has special guest Anais Mitchell as the opening act. If one Ani show just isn’t enough, her tour swings back around to Bethlehem, Pa. on November 15 at Lehigh University. Her winter tour dates include opener Melissa Ferrick. DETAILS: Ani Difranco with guest Anais Mitchell. Saturday, October 22. Doors 7pm. $40. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl.Tickets.RamsHeadLive.com. VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 9

10/12/11 7:15 PM

headlinenews Photo by Rex Wockner

NATIONAL

LGBT Icon Paula Ettlelbrick Dies

On October 7, Paula L. Ettelbrick died of causes related to cancer at the age of 56. Ettelbrick was the executive director of NYC’s Stonewall Community Foundation. From 2003 to 2009, she was executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. She also served as the legal director at Lambda Legal, policy director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, legislative counsel for the Empire State Pride Agenda, and family policy director at the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

E F G

In a statement from GMHC: “For more than a quarter of century, she was a tenacious fighter for the rights of LGBT people. Paula Ettlelbrick Many of us at GMHC had the honor of partnering with her when she worked at the Empire State Pride Agenda, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and more recently when was the Executive Director of the Stonewall Community Foundation. Not only was she concerned about human rights in the United States, she advocated globally for the rights of LGBT people, particularly those impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

Gay Chicago Attorney Gets Political Openly gay Chicago city attorney John Ehrlich is running for office. The Northwestern School of Law alum is running for judge in the 8th Judicial Subcircuit, a position he vied for in 2003, but lost. Currently, he is head of the city’s Torts Division, which defends personal injury and wrongful death cases. According to the Windy City Times, Ehrlich is a long-time AIDS activist and is a member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago. In this role, he is asked to report LGBT biases or depravation on rights under the law, which he claims are “much more subtle” today than in the past.

From Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission: “Paula was IGLHRC’s third Executive Director and took our organization to whole new places in terms of our capacity and depth. Paula was so many things to so many people--her family, the movement, the New York City and global queer communities. First and foremost I can say that I found her to be so genuinely deeply unfalteringly committed to our liberation as LGBT people. She also had a deep respect for all progressive movements and causes.”

CA Gov. Signs Two Transgender Rights Bills Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills to protect and benefit transgender Californians. The Gender Nondiscrimination Act the Vital Statistics Modernization Act, were signed on October 9. The former will strengthen employment, housing, and other civil rights protections for all Californians, particularly those who face gender identity and expression discrimination. The latter bill will streamline the process for Californians to obtain and update birth certificates.

Gay-rights Activists in North Carolina Fight Back The Campaign for Southern Equality launched the WE DO campaign in Asheville, N.C. amidst intense debate surrounding the proposed amendment to the state’s constitution to ban marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. According to the group’s website, SouthernEquality. org, WE DO is fighting for full equality under the law and has the support of elected officials, clergy, and community members.

“I’m taking part in the WE DO Campaign because we ought to be celebrating families rather than devaluing them,” says Gordon Smith, Asheville city council member in a statement on SouthernEquality.org. “Committed couples who want to access legal benefits that go along with a state-recognized relationship ought to be able to do so.” WE DO is encouraging same-sex couples to request marriage certificates between October 3 and 14. While they will be denied, the idea is to “resist state laws that prohibit marriage equality in North Carolina.” The website states that on October 14, the last day of the campaign, Rev. Joe Hoffman and Rev. Kathryn Cartledge will lead a public, interfaith blessing of all LGBT families in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse.

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“I think where problems have arisen is not necessarily overt prejudice or bias against LGBT people,” he said in an interview with the Windy City Times, “and I think it’s motivated now by a lack of understanding.” Ehrlich goes on to say that “I think that judges need to be more sensitized to understand where people are coming from, including members of the LGBT community and their stories.” If elected, Ehrlich would seek to add an addendum to cautionary instructions in Illinois, which is list of instructions read to the jury by the judge telling them not to allow any biases or prejudices influence their decision. He would like to include a sentence that defines bias and prejudice, explicitly including gender, sexual orientation, race and religion.

State, Federal Politicians Fight LGBT Discrimination Politicians are fighting LGBT discrimination in housing, employment and credit at both the national and state levels. Rep. John Kerry (D-Mass) has introduced the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, which would amend the Fair Housing Act to prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or source of income. It would also amend the Equal Opportunity Credit Act to prohibit LGBT discrimination in credit decisions. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) is introducing the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, Rep. Ross McGregor, (R-Springfield) has reintroduced legislation that would ban discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “If we’re really intent of creating a 21st-century economy, then we have to be welcoming to those people with the talent and creativity to take these jobs,” McGregor said at a press conference outside the Statehouse. According to the Dayton Daily News, the bill is identical to one that passed the House in Ohio’s last session of the General Assembly, but died in the Senate.

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

INTERNATIONAL Photo courtesy White House

Fifth Victim Reported in a String of Gay Killings Reports of a gay man, found bound and bludgeoned in his home, have the Commission on Gender Equality (CEG) concerned that there is a homophobic serial killer at large in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to a report in The Star, Manolis Veloudos is the fifth victim in a string of unsolved crimes that have taken place over the last ten months. In each instance, the victim has allegedly been bound and murdered in their homes. There are apparently no signs of forced entry, indicating that the five victims willingly let their alleged murder into their house. A lack of leads and arrests in the five murders has the CEG concerned that there is a lack of urgency in cases involving LGBT issues. Javu Baloyi, the commission’s spokesperson said in a statement that; “Cases of this nature are not taken seriously by the police or the justice department.”

Gautam Raghavan

New LGBT Liaison to the White House Announced Gautam Raghavan has been named the new LGBT liaison in the White House Office of Public Engagement. The former Defense Department official was involved in the effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” working as a deputy liaison to the White House at the Pentagon. According to White House Spokesman Shin Inouye, Raghavan, who is gay, will serve as the “point of contact for the LGBT community in his new role.”

House Republicans Triple Salary for Lawyer Defending DOMA In a new contract between House Republicans and Paul D. Clement—former solicitor general for the George W. Bush administration hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—the salary cap for Clement has been raised from $500,000 to $1.5 million. In a statement on Oct. 5, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lashed out at the pay increase, stating; “At a time when Americans are hurting and job creation should be the top priority, it just shows how out of touch House Republicans have become that they would spend up to $1.5 million dollars to defend discrimination in our country.”

NFL Adds LGBT Protections

EU Calls for an End to Classifying Trans People as Mentally Ill The European Parliament has voted on a resolution calling for the end of classifying transgender people as mentally ill. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers those with “gender identity disorders” —or gender disphoria—to have a “mental and behavioral disorder.” In a statement, writer of the amendment, Dutch MEP Emine Bozkurt said; “Transgender people wishing to live in a body that matches their identity are of course entitled to medical treatment and its benefits, but the negative stigma surrounding them must stop.” A European Parliament press release said a resolution to end homophobia and transphobia in member states, joining the United Nations’ call for safeguarding the human rights of LGBT people around the world also passed.

The United Nations Pledges Support for Gay, HIV+ Haitians The devastating earthquake in January 2010 brought to light many problems specific to the LGBT community of Haiti. As a result, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has worked extensively to

The NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) bans discrimination on the “sexual orientation” of athletes. Discrimination of sexual orientation was noticeably absent from the 2006 CBA. The clause in the new CBA is as follows: “Section 1. No Discrimination: There will be no discrimination in any form against any player by the Management Council, any Club or by the NFLPA because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or activity or lack of activity on behalf of the NFLPA.”

document the “secrecy, isolation, discrimination and violence” that Haiti’s “vulnerable” LGBT population faced. With the aid of SEROvie, the country’s sole organization dedicated to LGBT issues, the IGLHRC produced a report, proposing guidelines for the UN, governments, civil society organizations, and human rights groups to protect the human rights of LGBT people in disaster situations. The report, “The Impact of the Earthquake, and Relief and Recovery programs on Haitian LGBT People” is online at iglhrc.org.

Ugandan Gay Bar Closed Uganda’s first and only openly gay bar has been shut down, the latest blow to the LGBT community of this notoriously conservative African Nation. The Mask. org, a website that claims to be the voice of the LGBTI community, reported that the bar, Sappho Island, was closed after one year in operation because the landlady complained about the “strange” people who frequented the venue. She allegedly padlocked the door, preventing the bar’s owner from entering. Jacqueline Kasha the Ugandan LGBTI activist who was instrumental opening Sappho Island said in a statement to Mask.org, “The closure of Sappho doesn’t mean it’s the end of us having a social space... More than ever I am very determined [that] the next [bar] will be bigger and even better.”

South Australian Premier Supports Gay Marriage Uganda’s first and only openly gay bar has been Mike Rann, the outgoing Premier of South Australia has one final message: allow same-sex couples to marry. Rann, who steps down in ten days, made the call to action during one of his final speeches in Adelaide, South Australia, one day after the Victorian Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) passed a resolution supporting marriage. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the current Prime Minister, Julia Gillard is opposed to changing the federal Marriage Act to allow gay marriage, but has agreed to a debate on the topic at the ALP conference in December.

HEADLINE NEWS BY RACHEL ROTH

FDNY Hires First Trans Firefighter FDNY has hired the first transgender firefighter in the city’s history. The move is significant for the department, which has faced criticism for its lack of diversity. According to the NY Post, Brooke (last name withheld) has been “openly welcomed” by the FDNY. While reaction to the new hire—a third-generation firefighter—has been mostly positive, there has been some push back. The Post reports that some department sources have claimed that few “insensitive” colleagues have referred to Brooke as “it.”

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habitués devoured over their morning coffee. (It also gave Proust some cash to spend on wine and lovely long lunches with Hahn.) Hostess Geniève Straus is the one to thank for starting Proust on the path to writing his epic novel, “Remembrance of Things Past.” In 1908, she gave Proust five small notebooks in which he began documenting salonistas under fiction’s thin guises.

Hahn

Proust

Brooks, self portrait

Barney, by Brooks

YThe Art

of Dinner &Music Z Salons from Paris 1880 to Baltimore Today BY SAMANTHA BUKER Having trouble meeting someone? Or the right people? Maybe you’re not going to the right house. Try a salon. It worked for writer Marcel Proust in 1894. He found one of the great loves of his life, the pianist and composer Reynaldo Hahn. In 1917, exotic society painter—and lesbian— Romaine Brooks found Marcel Proust a long-time companion in hostess and poetess Natalie Barney. No less does Baltimore pair and mingle in lovely homes around town. Art, friendship and food inspire rich gatherings. Like many good things, from wine to leather, the salon is an Italian import. Salone means room, usually referring to the place where a person of taste or prince(cess) of the blood would hold court. We can thank the lovely Isabelle d’Este of Mantua for that. Called “First Lady of the World” by one of her ambassador admirers in the early 1500s, she sparked the trend that soon spread to France. France takes the prize for influential salons, in no small thanks to Paris. In the decadent Second Empire and the wild morals PAGE 12 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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of the Belle Époque, we find the magical moments of gay and lesbian couples navigating high culture and societal expectations with the help of salons.

Highbrow Drama When Proust strolled into a salon on May 22, 1894, his eyes fell on the nineteen-year-old Reynaldo Hahn, a composer of promise. Proust wrote Hahn first. Soon notes like “my place or yours?” began to pass. Hahn called Proust “my little pony” as the French call their dear ones. The lives of the pair, thanks to salons, were filled with princes, counts, and the likes of French actress Sarah Bernhardt. The nights were heady with drink, beauty and song. Reynaldo Hahn

“For a few hours,” writes Proust in an article for the French daily, Le Gaulois, “we believed we were living in the days of Louis XIV.” He signed his article “the Man about Town” and filled it with details salon

Not all salons warm the heart. In fact, salons were divisive circles. Princesses competed with courtesans for the best talent and the writers with the best gossip. Politics surfaced rudely and abruptly, severing decade-long friendships (as Proust portrayed in his epic work straddling wars and much snobbery). Music too, split the crowd. You were either a devout Wagnerite, or you’d been lambasting him ever since his opera Lohegrin’s disastrous 1887 premiere. Proust loved Wagner. Hahn preferred Mozart.

Sham Marriages Further Salon Tradition But another princess, La Princesse de Polignac (born Winaretta Singer), would bring salons into the 20th century. Born in Yonkers, Singer took her share of her father’s sewing machine fortune and lived la vie Parisienne with her second husband. (Of the first, little is known; biographer Sylvia Kahan claims Singer climbed atop an armoire on her wedding night and wouldn’t come down, telling the unfortunate groom that she was ready, willing, and able to kill him.) Yet, this formidable lesbian managed to marry well. Husband No. 2, the penniless Prince Edmond do Polignac preferred his own sex and knew exactly how she felt. Proust’s favorite male salon host, poet Comte Montesquiou, fixed them up. Their lavender marriage proved a match for music. Edmond composed. By day, Singer painted; by night the couple hosted up to 100 people there to hear the music of Polignac, Fauré, Stravinsky, de Falla, Ravel, and others. Proust came there on Hahn’s arm, crediting the Polignacs for his musical education. According to writer Kennedy Fraser, Singer was “stout, middle-aged and far too grand for scandal to stick to.” Or as sometime attendee Virginia Woolf put it: “to look at her, you’d never know she’s ravished half the virgins in Paris.” But if you play the six degrees of separation game, you can unite the private, poised Princesse de Polignac and the flamboyant salonista, Natalie Barney, with a single link: lesbian Painter Romaine Brooks was loved by both women. Romaine got together with Singer, ten years her senior, in 1908. She met Natalie Barney at Lady Anglesey’s salon after WWI. Barney’s salon culture brought Brooks the ladies that inspired the brightest paint strokes in her career. Poet Montesquiou called Brooks a “thief of souls” because her paintings could reveal truth beyond outer appearances. Many of her subjects were lesbians (of various degrees of out) some like Romaine, who’d experienced sham marriages. We

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

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Belle Époque. Performers range from folk musicians like Celtic guitar god Robin Bullock, Ugandan instrumentalist Kinobe, or songs from a coal miner’s daughter to the more classical.

Natalie Barney & Romaine Brooks

Smalltimore, but Brooks and Proust’s crowd knew the feeling. Montesquiou, ever the poet matchmaker, also introduced Brooks to dancer Ida Rubenstein. She adored Ida even after the affair’s end. Her last painting of Ida, “Le Trajet,” haunts the National Museum of American Art in icy serenity to this day. Another portrait, of the Marchesa Casati (known for walking a leopard on diamond leashes around Venice) was a semi-nude so revealing that Brooks kept it rolled under her bed. The Marchesa didn’t like it so much: “You did not make me beautiful.” Brooks replied: “No, but I made you noble.” (This nobility made its public appearance only in 2000 at a longoverdue retrospective of Romaine Brooks work.) Meanwhile, her partner Natalie Barney’s “Fridays” lasted for 60 years. She mixed with Edith Sitwell, Colette, and Gertrude Stein. Male writers like Proust were welcome too. She loved Oscar Wilde’s wild niece, Dolly. She inspired a character in the century’s best known lesbian novel, Radclyffe Hall’s “Well of Loneliness,” which like Oscar Wilde’s work, endured its own obscenity trial. Not bad for an expat girl from small town Ohio.

Salons in Baltimore So as you see, salon hosts (and their guests) are likely to be larger than life characters. Or as Greenspring Ave. salon host Paul Cassedy put it in a recent interview: “None of us is particularly shy.” Some are bolder than others. In an invitation to his last salon in Baltimore, former Guilford Ave. host, David Ponder wrote: “Bring friends, but remember my parties usually get an ‘R’ rating after the concert ends.” This may have something to do with the shirtless young man he sometimes hires to handle the drinks. The party always grows more intimate as friends gather round his 1930 Steinway grand after the main performance to sing jazzy standards. Baltimore’s salons could well beat Paris of the

Just like the old Parisian salons, visual art enjoys intimate display. Cassedy curates shows from his stunning collection of prints. Framed wonders grace the two main rooms in his house and run all the way up the stairwell with hardly an inch of space to spare between prints and books. Charles Villiage host John McLucas, also a collector, has even been known to dedicate his parties to celebrate the purchase of a new painting. Whatever your tastes, chances are you have plenty of friends who’d love to share them with you in your own home. Catonsville salon hostess Barbara Svoboda puts her house concert goal simply: “to bring great music to the area at a good price.” The success of such endeavors is the tight-knit musical circles Baltimore thrives on.

TEN TIPS FROM

BALTIMORE’S HOSTS & HOSTESSES: 1. DEMAND RESERVATIONS. 2. DRAW ATTENTION TO YOUR DONATIONS BASKET. SOMETIMES LISTENERS ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN BETWEEN FOOD, WINE, CONVERSATION, AND MUSIC THAT THEY FORGET. 3. PAY YOUR MUSICIANS WELL, BUT CHANCES ARE THE APPLAUSE WILL BE THE THING THAT BRINGS THEM BACK. THE GOING RATE IS AT LEAST $200 PER MUSICIAN. 4. INVITE FRIENDS TO BRING FOOD OR DRINK, OR COLLABORATE IN THE KITCHEN WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO COOK. 5. CLEAN YOUR BATHROOM AND HAVE EXTRA TOILET PAPER ON HAND.

Salon Host Paul Cassedy

Hosting Your Own Salon If you’d like to be part of the action, there are plenty of ways to get involved. One is to make friends with some of the hosts above. You are likely to find several of them at two upcoming An Die Musik events (see sidebar). The other way is to take the plunge and put on a salon yourself. It’s easier than you think. Folk hostess Wendy Shuford’s advice should put you at ease: “The event actually takes care of itself, once you get things started.” She also suggests ensuring adequate chairs are on hand. Performers love salons and they’re eager to take part. It’s their chance to really connect with their listeners. For them, it’s an honor. After a performance at Cassedy’s or McLucas’ St. Paul St. house, you can see a cluster around the musicians with one phrase on their lips: “tell me the next time you’re performing.”

6. GET A CD BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR TALENT, OR HAUNT A FEW AUDITIONS LIKE BALTIMORE CONCERT OPERA’S. 7. USE THE PEABODY MUSICIAN REFERRAL SERVICE (410.234.4650). THEY’LL CONNECT YOU TO AVAILABLE ALUMNI. 8. PIANISTS LOVE A GOOD PIANO. TWO PERFORMERS ONCE TOLD CASSEDY, “KEEP THE FEE AND PUT IT TOWARDS A PIANO.” 9. USE FACEBOOK EVENTS TO INVITE AND KEEP TRACK OF WHO IS COMING. DON’T BE SHY ABOUT REMINDERS THE DAY BEFORE YOUR EVENT. 10. EMBRACE SERENDIPITY.

Continued on page 19

AN DIE MUSIK’S 2ND ANNUAL LIEDER WEEKEND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 (7:30pm) Opening Concert: Works by Haydn, Mozart, and Tomášek Ah Hong, soprano; Ryan de Ryke, baritone; and Daniel Schlosberg, piano WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23

Masterclass (1pm) and Lecture (4pm): “Goethe’s Understanding of Nature” with Deen Larsen, of Austria’s Franz Schubert Institut

Three poems, three poets (2pm): “Das Rosenband” (Klopstock),”Heidenröslein” (Goethe), “Gruppe aus dem Tartarus” (Schiller) Deen Larsen, Ryan de Ryke, and Daniel Schlosberg

Concert (7:30pm): Works by Kreutzer and Schubert Ryan de Ryke and Daniel Schlosberg

409 N. Charles St. / AndieMusikLIVE.com / 410.385.2638 / FREE, $10 suggested donation VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 13

10/12/11 7:15 PM

SPOTLIGHT

firstperson MONEY MATTERS tant should work hand-in-hand with your financial planner, if you have one, to determine what works best for you. One option is to take the route of the “same payment” refinance, and actually pay off the loan faster and save money on interest fees in the long-run. If refinancing results in a lower monthly payment, the borrower can still continue making the same payment they made in the original loan, and the extra money will be applied to the principal balance.

www.embracehomeloans.com Licensed as Embrace Home Loans, Inc. NMLS# 2184

Refinancing Can Reduce Rates and Payments BY RICHARD B. PAZORNIK, ESQ.

Question: When is refinancing back into a 30-year loan the right course of action? Answer: By refinancing, you pay off your existing mortgage and replace it with a new one. Two of the biggest reasons to refinance a mortgage are to obtain a lower interest rate and to lower your monthly payments. People generally refinance when mortgage interest rates drop significantly, but borrowers with recently improved credit scores (from paying off credit card debt, making mortgage payments on time, etc.) are often candidates for better interest rates as well. If you haven’t checked your credit score in a while, it’s a good time to call a mortgage consultant. You are entitled to receive a free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. (Visit AnnualCreditReport.com.) The question most asked is, “Why should I go back into a 30-year loan?” There are two schools of thought on this subject, and your mortgage consulPAGE 14 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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For example: Let’s say you have 25 years remaining in your current loan, and you refinance back to a 30-year loan with a slightly lower interest rate, resulting in a payment reduction of $200 per month. You could then take that extra $200 per month and apply it toward the principal on the new loan. At this rate, the loan will be paid off in 22 years and 4 months, which is 2 years and 8 months less than the original loan. (Note: This is an example; actual amount could vary.) On the other hand, if the borrower’s financial planner is a proponent of best-selling author and investment guru Douglas Andrew’s philosophies (see Missed Fortune), he or she may suggest investing the extra money in a side-fund that could earn a better rate of return and grow to the amount of the mortgage (and beyond) in even less time. This method provides excellent liquidity, but having more direct access to this money may be too tempting for some homeowners. Regardless of the reason for the refinance, the mortgage consultant will need to know what the existing loan scenario entails, review the homeowner’s long-term goals, and provide a comprehensive spreadsheet that compares and contrasts the various loan programs available. The downside? Refinancing to obtain a lower interest payment could also result in a lower deduction at tax time. Your mortgage consultant and financial planner should work hand-in-hand with your best interests in mind. n Richard Pazornik is Sr. Mortgage Consultant affiliated with Embrace Home Loans. Visit www. RichardPazornik.com or call (443) 600-1282 for more information. BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

outgoing EMAIL YOUR EVENT INFO TO CALENDAR@BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Saturday October 15

Friday October 21

National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: The Latino Commission on AIDS, the Hispanic Federation and others organize this day of outreach and awareness. NationalAIDS.gov

Hedwig & the Angry Inch: (See article p. 7) $15-20. 8pm. Thru 10/22. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Baltimore Frontrunners: Running/walking club for LGBT individuals and friends. Assemble 8:45am, run 9am. Reassemble for brunch 10am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org

Firefly Presents Tease... “Experience the Difference”: DJ Neo Soul and Jada, the UK’s #1 recording artist, perform. $10 before 10pm. Lux Nightclub, 10 S. Calvert St. LuxBaltimore.com

DogFest: A dogapalooza presented by the Baltimore Humane Society to benefit the animals in need of care and shelter. Come for they day and enjoy games, prizes and adoption opportunities. Dogs welcome! $10. 9am-6pm. Baltimore Humane Society, 1601 Nicodemus Rd, DogFest2011.org

SPOTLIGHT

BY RACHEL ROTH The Himmelfarb Gallery is hosting an Artist Reception in honor of her show; “Sara Steele: Watercolors.” Her “intense palette” is evident in images of dramatic images of flowers, evocative still lifes, expansive abstractions and ethereal landscapes.

WATERCOLOR RECEPTION AT WELLNESS CENTER Self-taught artist Sara Steele is one of America’s most renowned water colorists, and you have a chance to meet her and discuss her work.

“Her paintings speak with a voice that is emotionally charged and intellectually argumentative,” said John C. Wilson, director of publications for the Tai Sophia Institute. In addition to painting, the Philadelphia-based Steele is an activist, working in the areas of ecology and climate change, women’s issues, peace and social justice, and domestic violence prevention. She often uses her artistry to raise money and bring attention to these causes. EVENT INFO: “Sara Steele: Watercolors” Artist Reception Tuesday, Oct. 25, 5-7pm. FREE Himmelfarb Gallery, Tai Sophia Institute, 7750 Montpelier Rd, Laurel, Exhibit runs thru Nov. 30

Saturday October 22 Baltimore Open Studio Tour: 108 artists open their studios for this self-guided, citywide tour throughout Baltimore City. FREE. Thru 10/23. Various hours/locations. 443.263.4350. See the Open Studio Tour’s Interactive Map: School33.org.

Travelin’ Shoes: Black Male Identity Project Exhibition: Artists’ reception for Rams Brisueno, Schroeder Cherry & Kylis Winborne. 5-9pm. Fleckenstein Gallery, 3316 Keswick Road FleckensteinGallery.com

Antiques & Collectibles Expo: The Mid-Atlantic’s largest market with antiques and collectibles at bargain prices. Plus music and food. $8. 9am-6pm (10/23 11am-5pm) Timonium State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd. 757.961.3988. DamorePromotions.com

Tony Bennett: The music legend takes the stage, performing some of his greatest hits. $46-116. 8-10pm. Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W Mount Royal Ave. Ticketmaster.com

Ani DiFranco: (See article p. 9) $40. Doors 7pm. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl. RighteousBabe.com

Kitty Club 10th Anniversary: Gay cabaret, queer performance art, and for the first time two shows in one night! $10-15. 7&10pm. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Sunday October 16 Monster Grill Art to Dine For: Finger-licking Monster BBQ with sculptors David Friedheim and Trisha Kyner. Taste delicacies plucked out of the cavernous jaws and bountiful bellies of David’s fanciful yet functional monster shaped grills. $55. 4-7pm. Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org PFLAG Westminster-Carroll County: Relationship counselors discuss Marriage Equality and its effects on LGBT Youth. Local officials have been invited to attend, so now is your chance to be heard. FREE. 5pm. Fellowship Hall, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Bond & Green Sts., Westminster PFLAGWCC.org

Monday October 17 Day of Action: (See article p. 5) 10am. Lawyers Mall, 100 State Circle Annapolis MaryFrancisMoses@gmail.com Black White & Gay in America: Call-in radio show explores human experience of being gay from various perspective. Today’s guests: Rev Jamie Washington and partner Sam Offer. 4-5pm. Mondays. AM 1010, WOLB Facebook.com/BlackWhiteandGay PFLAG Howard County Parent Forum: Support group Q&A for parents of LGBT children. FREE. 7:30pm. Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, PFLAGmd.org

Tuesday October 18

Charm City Roller Girls Home Team Championship: Watch the rematch of one of the season’s most exciting matches. Stay for the Speed Regime vs. Junkyard Dolls. $12-25. Doors 5:30. DuBurns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Ave. CharmCityRollergirls.com Halloween Party: It’s that time of year, time for Harford Rainbow Society’s annual Halloween extravaganza. This year’s event features Shawna Alexander, Drag Queen Extraordinare, and karaoke. FREE. 7pm. RSVP: harfordrainbow@gmail.com “The Mechanics of Seduction”: The solo show of Glenn Arthur, features a series of paintings that explore the fascination, power and sensuality found within the human machine. FREE. 8-11pm. Thru 11/13. Art Whino Gallery, 120 American Way, National Harbor ArtWhino.com

Sunday October 23 Author R. Tripp Evans: Assistant professor of art and art history shares the story of “America’s Painter,” Grant Wood. Get lost in the first biography of the artist in almost 70 years, and the only one to explore his closeted sexuality. FREE. 2pm. Enoch Pratt Free Library, Poe Room, 400 Cathedral St. PrattLibrary.org

Tuesday October 25 Artist’s Reception: Sara Steele’s Watercolors (See Spotlight left) Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County: A support group for LGBTQ youth and allies. 7:30pm. To confirm location, contact: rya_leaders@hotmail.com PFLAG Baltimore County General Meeting: Support group Q&A for parents of LGBT children. FREE. Towson Unitarian Church, 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd, Lutherville PFLAG.org

Wednesday October 26

DATEBOOK

Chesapeake Squares Club Square Dance: Gays, straights and everyone in between can do-se-do at Baltimore’s premier square dancing club. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or seasoned pro, ALL are welcome! $8. 8-10pm. Tuesdays. The Waxter Center, 1000 Cathedral St. ChesapeakeSquares.org

Friday October 14

Wednesday October 19

Melinda’s Haunted Woods: Haunted trail winds throughout the woods with many spooky surprises! Proceeds support no-kill animal rescue shelter. $5-20. 8-11pm. 10/15, 10/21-22, 10/2829 (kid-safe trick-or-treating, 5-7pm), 10/30-31. Association for Animal Rights, 67 Main St. 410.526.5224 AARCenter.petfinder.com

Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Reception: Latino GLBT History Project hosts 6th annual reception with apps, refreshments, and opportunity to meet community leaders. $5 suggested donation. 6-8pm. Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC.

Transgender Issues Working Group: Meets every other Wednesday. Registration required. FREE. 7pm. Equality Maryland, 1201 S. Sharp St. Contact OwenSmith@ EqualityMaryland.org

Monster Mash-Up: Costume making, monster mash dancing and refreshments. Plus, will learn the origins of you favorite monsters from UMBC Anthropology Prof. Erik Kjeldgaard. FREE. 6pm. Strand Theater, 1823 N. Charles St. Register at Strand-Theater.org.

Thursday October 20

Friday October 28

The Rocky Horror Picture Show preview: (See article p. 7) Preview show is FREE. Thru 11/6. $18.50-25. 8pm. Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St. TheatreProgect.org

All Hallows’ Eve Masque: MD Shakespeare Festival hosts its annual gala. Enjoy drinks, music, hors d’oeuvres, a silent action and more. Costumes a must. $50. 7:30pm. Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St, Frederick Delaplaine.org

Godspell: Cheerfully irreverent, high-spirited musical retells Gospel according to Matthew with rock, pop, and Broadway. $20. 8pm. Thru 11/13. Vagabond Players, 806. S. Broadway 410.563.9135 VagabondPlayers.org Second City: Charmed and Dangerous: Last chance to see the famed improv troupe before they head back to Chicago! Show closes Sunday. $20-50. Fri: 8pm, Sat: 2 & 8pm, Sun: 2 & 7:30pm. CenterStage, 700 N. Calvert St. CenterStage.org

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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Baltimore’s Only Gay Male Review: Upscale nightclub/lounge with a full menu, drink specials and giveaways. Thursdays at 8pm. The Backdoor Lounge, 5801 Pulaski Hwy. 410.483.3356 BackdoorLoungeBaltimore.com

BINGO! Hosted by Roger Dimick. Enjoy drink specials, appetizers and raffles all night. Come for happy hour, stay for Bingo and receive $5 off your Bingo package! Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. ClubHippo.com Lucinda Williams: Named one of “America’s Best songwriters” by TIME magazine in 2002, Williams stops in Baltimore as she rocks her way through the country. $35. 8pm. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place LucindaWilliams.com

Thursday October 27

Murder Ballads: Bob Friedman gathers a “who’s who” of altcountry, blues, and folk music players to croon generations of songs about murder and mayhem.$11-16. Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 15

10/12/11 7:15 PM

COMPILED BY RACHEL ROTH

Building Community Since 1977 The GLCCB is proud to offer a wide range of free and low-cost programs, events, and services to the community. . Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the GLCCB located at 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore. For more information please visit www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5445.

WOMEN’S PROGRAMS PEARLS OF WISDOM (POW)

A coming out/peer support group for ALL womyn of the LBTQ community, engaging in open and confidential discussions on relationships, family, self-identity, coming out, peer relationships, and more. Meets 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 11:00am in room 202 For info contact POW.Lesbian@yahoo.com

WOMEN OF COLOR

A collective group committed to providing a safe, confidential, and supportive space for LBTQ women of all colors. Meets 2nd, 4th, and 5th Thursdays at 7:30pm in room 202 For info contact WOC@glccb.org

TRANSGENDER PROGRAMS GENDER IDENTITY GROUP (GIG)

A support group for transgender, gender queer, and anyone who varies from traditional gender expression. Meets 2nd Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201 For info contact GIG@glccb.org

GIG: Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance A support group for FTMs.

Meets 4th Saturday at 6:00pm in room 202 For info contact BTMA@glccb.org

GIG: Tran*quality

A support group for MTFs

WOMEN OUT AND ABOUT

A social group for LBTQ women who want to meet new people while enjoying fun activities.

Meets 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 201 For info contact Tranquility@glccb.org

GIG: SOFFA-T

Meets off-site, dates and times vary For info contact BWOAEvents@yahoo.com

MEN’S PROGRAMS MEN LIKE ME

An open support group for adult men who love other men with the objective of empowering participants to take care of themselves and each other. Topics of discussion include coming out, homophobia, relationships, and more provided in a safe and supportive environment.

A support and resource group for significant others, friends, family, and allies of transgender persons. Meets 4th Saturday at 8:00pm in room 202

HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS BEGINNERS’ YOGA

Gentle beginners’ yoga with instructor Tim Hurley, RYT. Drop-ins WELCOME!

Meets 2nd and 4th Mondays at 6:00pm in room 201 For info contact MenLikeMe2glccb.org

$9.00 per person, per class EVERY Sunday at 3:30pm in room 201

POZ MEN

HIV & SYPHILIS TESTING

Meets EVERY Wednesday at 7:00pm in room 202 For info contact POZMen@glccb.org

EVERY Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on 3rd Floor

FREE and confidential testing provided by the Baltimore City Health Dept.

A peer support group for men who are HIV+.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM SUFFICIENT AS I AM (SAIM)

A supportive group for youth and young adults 24 years of age and under. Youth are welcome to drop-in and try out this successful long running program that features discussion sessions, special events, guest speakers, and trips. Meets EVERY Saturday at 12:00pm in room 201 For info contact SAIM@glccb.org

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS The GLCCB offers a wide range of community events including art shows, musical performances, variety shows, special events, and projects. For more info visit our website at www.glccb.org or look for separate ads in the Gay Life newspaper.

The GLCCB is the publisher of

The GLCCB is the producer of

RECOVERY PROGRAMS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

LGBTQ centered AA recovery groups, welcoming to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Meets EVERY Monday at 8:30pm, Thursday at 8:30pm, and Saturday at 6:30pm in room 201

AA—POSITIVELY SOBER

an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, which provides a safe place for those with HIV or other health related issues. All are welcome. Meets every Sunday at 6:15pm in room 201 For info contact woodylightandlove@gmail.com

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Men’s Rap group for men in recovery. Meets EVERY Sunday at 11:30am in Room 201

CHANGE—SEXUAL COMPULSIVES ANONYMOUS Group for individuals recovering from sexual compulsion.

NOW MEETING at Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore on Mondays at 8:00pm

www.glccb.org PAGE 16 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

afterhours HUNTER ON THE PROWL!

Bars, Crab Feast & Miss Youth Princess Contest

Bingo

8:30 pm wednesdays

BY MARK HUNTER

HUNTER was on the Prowl to let you know of the entertainment that Baltimore and beyond has had for you! On Friday, September 23, at the Hippo was the Miss Central Maryland 2012 contest. There were four contestants and a lot of entertainment. By the end of the night Miss Central Maryland 2011, Miss D’Meaner gave a fantastic final give up number. All contestants did an amazing job. 1st Alternate is Miss Lulu Ladiva and your new Miss Central Maryland 2012 is Miss Eva Couture! Saturday, September 24, I met up with Melissa Ray, bartender from PW’s Sports Bar in Laurel. Melissa was having a get together at Grand Central Station for her going away party. She is moving to Virginia but will still be bartending at PW’s (only fewer days). We all decided to head over to the Hippo which was having their “Wonderland” event. As we entered from the Charles Street entrance the bar was decorated from floor to ceiling in a Wonderland of candy. They had a cotton candy machine and all kinds of candy, some that you may have forgotten about since childhood. High Five to the Hippo for an amazing job on decorating and music! On Sunday, September 25, I wondered up to Mixers for a drag show hosted by Miss Victoria Blair. Miss Blair put on an amazing show and a couple surprise guests. Anita Minett made her first appearance since she moved out of Baltimore.

Along with Anita, Dimitria Blackwell made her first appearance in several years. Another great show for Mixer’s and Miss Victoria Blair! On Saturday, October 1, (Where has the summer gone?!) the Quest Bar had their annual Crab Feast. Along with myself, my family attended and of course a lot of other people. Tom the owner put on a great feast. Not only crabs, there was all kinds of other food. Tom always gives away prizes throughout the day. It was a good time for all. Later on that evening upstairs at the Quest Bar, Miss Shawnna Alexander hosted a new event for young people, the Miss Youth Princess 2011 Pageant for contestants 18 to 22 years of age. There were two contestants and a lot of entertainers. The winner is Krystal Nova Blair and 1st alternate Miss Elecktra Knight. Because of the age of contestants there was no alcohol served upstairs but soda, juices, and water was served by your Pop-Tender, Miss Marketta M. Buffet and the DJ Lord Byron took care of the music for the evening. This event was also to raise some monies for The Den and S.P.E.A.K. which are groups that help kids that are being bullied along with suicides in our youth communities through out Baltimore area. This was a first of a kind event and I hope not the last. Great job Miss Shawnna!

by Roger Dimick with Prizes and Progressive Jackpot. Proceeds Benefit

Club Hippo, 1 W. Eager St. 410.576.0018

Please be safe while you are out and about! Until next time boys & girls, see you when Hunter is on the Prowl! n

TAKING PRIDE IN OUR MENU SINCE 1996

400 east pratt street baltimore md 21202 bohemecafe.com weekdays 7 - 3 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 20 PAGE 17

10/12/11 7:15 PM

afterhours BSCENE

BLACK PRIDE FESTIVAL

PHOTOS BY JAY W

BLACK PRIDE CULTURAL AFFAIR

PHOTOS BY JAY W

BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL

ANNIVERSARY BINGO AT THE HIPPO

PAGE 18 • OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 27, 2011

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BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

10/12/11 7:15 PM

SALONS from page 13

Mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen loves the format so much that she’s started her own series. The Federal Hill Parlor series idea came to Ihnen while she was walking her dog and passed by so many windows revealing lovely—potentially unused—pianos. But you can expect adventurous programming from Fed Hill Parlor series, like classical voice paired with turntable. Many events take place at Jordon Faye Contemporary, where you can explore local artists’ work during the musician’s breaks. Or, if you’re feeling bold, contact Ihnen, and she’ll fix you up with your own house concert. Kelly and Jason Trumpbour are hooked after working with Ihnen. As Kelly put it, Ihnen really “takes the load of the hostess.” Jason called it “a revelation.” The next Fed Hill Parlor Series concert will take place on Oct. 28. Halloween costumes are a must! Just as Reynaldo Hahn was a fixture of many a Paris salon, so soprano Ah Hong is a performer who connects many Baltimore hosts. You can hear her at An Die Musik’s upcoming musical festival, the 2nd Annual Lieder Weekend. Pick from one of three evening performances and enjoy your first taste of the cream of Baltimore’s salon culture.

marketplace PART TIME PSYCHOTHERAPIST NEEDED Employer: Women’s Growth Center. Email resume to womensgrowthcenter@gmail.com or fax to 410.532.2747

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