OUT
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES
MD High Court Considers Visitation Rights of Same-Sex Parents
BY ATTORNEYS CHERYL A. JONES & ANNA S. SHOLL This spring, Maryland’s Court of Appeals will review the case of Conover v. Conover to decide whether to uphold the rulings of two lower courts which denied visitation rights to a non-biological, non-adoptive same-sex parent. The case will provide Maryland’s highest court with an opportunity to review existing state law and, LGBT advocates hope, expand and clarify the legal rights of same-sex parents. Background of the case As readers may recall, Conover v. Conover originated as a same-sex divorce case. The parties, Brittany Conover and Michelle Conover, were in a relationship for nearly a decade from 2002 to 2011. During that time, they decided to have a child together. Brittany underwent artificial insemination from an anonymous sperm donor and gave birth to their son, Jaxon,
in April, 2010. Brittany, Michelle, and Jaxon lived together as a family, with Brittany and Michelle co-parenting Jaxon, and in September, 2010, Brittany and Michelle were married in Washington, D.C. (Maryland did not recognize same-sex marriages until January 1, 2013). Michelle never legally adopted Jaxon because the parties felt that they could not afford the expense. In September, 2011, Brittany and Michelle separated, but Michelle continued to be involved in Jaxon’s life with overnight and weekend visitation. In July, 2012, Brittany cut off Michelle’s visits with Jaxon, and in February, 2013, Brittany filed for divorce from Michelle. During the divorce proceedings, Michelle requested visitation rights. The Circuit Court looked to existing Maryland case law to determine what standing, if any, Michelle had to assert visitation rights and found that, although Michelle was a de facto parent to Jaxon, as someone who acts and is recognized by
BY BALTIMORE OUTLOUD STAFF In a move with potential to boost the advocacy and political clout of the LGBT communities of Baltimore and Maryland, two of the most influential LGBT organizations in the state have indicated their intent to merge. On Wednesday, the boards of directors for Equality Maryland Foundation, Equality Maryland, and FreeState Legal Project announced in a press release that the organizations will merge to form a comprehensive, statewide direct legal services and policy advocacy organization that addresses the needs of LGBT Marylanders, with a continued focus on the needs of low-income LGBT Marylanders. Both organizations have played major roles in protecting sexual minority,
transgender, and gender non-conforming people from discrimination and bias and advocating for our complete equality. FreeState Legal is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2008, that has served hundreds of low-income LGBT people in Maryland through direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy and outreach and training activities. Through its legal and advocacy work, FreeState Legal has expanded access to health care for transgender Marylanders and ensured that state prisons treat transgender inmates humanely. Equality Maryland is Maryland’s largest LGBT civil rights and political advocacy organization. For 25 years it has lobbied in Annapolis and across the state to create equal protection under the law for
January 8, 2016 Volume XIII, Issue 20
others as his parent, she was neither his biological nor legal parent. Rather, she was merely a third party (akin to a grandparent or a stepparent) for purposes of the visitation analysis. Is Michelle a parent – or a third party? The distinction between legal parent and third party is Maryland s Court of Appeals critical, and the crux of the Conover case. When a legal or third party is in the child’s best interests. adoptive parent asserts visitation rights, This is a difficult standard to meet and, in the courts determine whether or not such Michelle Conover’s situation, it meant that visitation would be in the best interests because she was neither a legal or adopof the child. However, when a third party tive parent, then since the record did not seeks visitation rights, there is a two-part show that Brittany was an unfit parent or test. Because the law protects the rights that there were exceptional circumstances, of legal parents to raise their children as the court never even considered whether they see fit, a third party must first show or not it would be in Jaxon’s best interests that the legal or adoptive parent is unfit for Michelle to have visitation rights. or that exceptional circumstances exist So what’s the legal issue? Maryland before the court will undertake the consid- law presumes that a child born during eration of whether or not visitation by the —continued on page 3
Equality Maryland and FreeState Legal to Merge LGBT Marylanders and their families, and worked to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against LGBT Marylanders through public education, outreach, training and organizing. It helped develop and lead the successful strategies to preserve marriage equality at the ballot and pass laws to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. “We are excited to better serve the LGBT community across all of Maryland,” said Patrick A. Paschall, executive director
of FreeState Legal. “By combining FreeState Legal’s team of attorneys providing direct legal services with Equality Maryland’s longstanding history as the voice and political arm of the LGBT community, we are creating a comprehensive LGBT civil rights organization that will work throughout the state to end prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.” “While Maryland’s LGBT community —continued on page 3
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NEWS // LOCAL VISITATION RIGHTS OF SAME-SEX PARENTS – continued from page 1 marriage is the child of both spouses. The effect of this is that both spouses are presumed legal parents unless and until that “presumption of parentage” is rebutted – and the court will only consider rebutting that presumption of parentage if it would be in the best interests of the child. Michelle was unable to establish her standing as a legal parent based on that presumption because Jaxon was conceived and born before the parties were married. Instead, Michelle argued that a particular provision of Maryland’s estates and trusts law that establishes paternity creates the same rebuttable presumption of parentage, and that, because she meets the factors for establishing paternity, she has standing as Jaxon’s legal parent and need not show that Brittany is an unfit parent or that exceptional circumstances exist before the court can decide on her visitation rights. Neither the Circuit Court nor the Court of Special Appeals agreed with her. FreeState Legal is now representing Michelle in her appeal to Maryland’s highest court, and in the initial Petition to the Court of Special Appeals, has argued that this holding by the lower courts will throw Maryland parentage laws into confusion for all families where a parentage presumption applies, not just same sex couples. FreeState is also asking the Court to reconsider its holding in the case of Janice M. v. Margaret K., 404 Md. 661 (2008), in light of the changes in the law and the legal and social landscape, including the passage of nationwide marriage equality laws. In Janice M., the Court considered whether a de facto parent has the same legal standing for purposes of visitation and custody as an adoptive or biological parent, thus eliminating the de facto parent’s need to show that the other parent is unfit, or that exceptional circumstances exist. This would have allowed the Court to simply consider the best interests of the child in determining visitation or custody. The Janice M. court, however, declined to recognize a de facto parent as anything other than a third party for these purposes, and this became a pivotal aspect of the Conover case, as the lower court relied on the Janice M. decision to hold that Michelle must show that exceptional circumstances exist (or that Brittany is unfit) to assert visitation rights. Michelle (and FreeState Legal) argue that this holding is inconsistent not only with Maryland’s marriage equality law, but also with a majority of other
states that recognize de facto parentage for non-biological, non-adoptive parents and allow an inquiry into the child’s best interests without a preliminary finding of unfitness or additional exceptional circumstances. What’s ahead? Arguments before the Court of Appeals will likely occur sometime in April, and a decision should be issued late this summer or early fall. In the interim, married (or unmarried) same sex couples with children should take a lesson from the Conover case, and solidify the non-biological parent’s rights by undertaking a second parent adoption – or risk a protracted, public, and expensive legal battle if the non-biological parent’s status is ever questioned. t Cheryl A. Jones, Esq. and Anna S. Sholl, Esq. are attorneys at Pessin Katz law, P.A., whose practice includes estate planning for same-sex couples, second parent and stepparent adoptions, and other family building issues. Cheryl can be reached at 410-769-6141 or cjones@ pklaw.com, and Anna can be reached at 410-769-6152 or asholl@pklaw.com.
EQUALITY MARYLAND AND FREESTATE LEGAL TO MERGE – continued from page 3 has enjoyed many recent successes like the passage of a transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination law and achieving marriage equality, we know that the struggle for equality is far from over, particularly for LGBT people of color and those who are low-income” said Jessica P. Weber, board president of FreeState Legal. “Both FreeState Legal and Equality Maryland receive calls on a daily basis from LGBT Marylanders who continue to experience discrimination in housing, health care, employment, and public accommodations, discrimination or harassment in schools and foster care, or the risk of losing custody of their children.” Paschall, who will lead the combined organization, told Baltimore OUTloud, “This is such an exciting opportunity for Maryland’s LGBT community. With today’s announcement, we kick off a six-month merger process that will include community listening sessions throughout the state where we hope to hear feedback from the community about what issues we should prioritize, what messages the community wants to see in our new mission and vision statements, input about what our name should be, and how —continued on page 4 BALTIMORE OUTLOUD JANUARY 8, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM t
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Hookers & Boys Celebrating Kwanzaa Throw 17th Annual ‘12 at the GLCCB Days of Christmas’ BY JACOB PIERCE On December 12th, Hooker & Boys celebrated 17 years of their annual fundraiser event. “The 17th Annual 12 Days of Christmas: Ease on Down the Road.” The Conference Center at the Maritime Institute set the stage for this combined effort of the drag, leather, straight, bisexual, and transgender communities. As usual, the event was standing room only. People came from near and far donating their money, time, and talent to make this year’s program a success. Shawnna Alexander and David Allen, along with ASL interpreters Deb Jones and Susan Weinstein MCed a multitude of acts, including singing, illusion, dancing, and skits. During the production there was also a silent auction, bootblacking, and pictures taken with Mr. & Mistress Santa Claus. Special thanks go to all those who performed, volunteered, or attended; and to the sponsors and kind contributors. All money raised is being donated in memory of departed family, friends, and loved ones, and in honor of all of our 17 years of attendees, performers, supporters, and volunteers. The 17th Annual 12 Days of Christmas raised a total of $13,440. This breaks down to $3,360 to beneficiaries: • AIDS Actin Baltimr, Sctt H. Stamford Memorial Fund; • Th Lady Lisa Drag Stag & GLCCB Building Fund (GLCCB: Baltimore Pride 2015), • Dg Rscu f Maryland • Th IMsL Fundatin Histry Prjct. “We sincerely thank each and every one of you that has helped to make this event such a huge success every year,” said Rik Newton-Treadway. “Whether it’s your time, talent, monetary token, goods, services, or that you are one of many who have traveled from near and far to attend our event, you are the reason this event is known around the world.” December 10th, 2016, will see the 18th annual “12 Days of Christmas.” t
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day began by creating a mellow poetic vibe in which people swayed, clapped, and hummed to a guitar while singing “To be young, gifted and black,” with the ending phrase “that’s where it’s at.” Ti Coleman, transman artist and Baltimore Improv Group teacher, embarked on n a riff f strytlling abut signi cant but little-known African-American LGBT events and activists in history, among them, 1965’s Dewey’s Lunch Counter sit-in and Marsha P. Johnson (Stonewall activist). “I didn’t know how much black queer people affected black
“Ashe,” (pronounced ah-shay and meaning “so be it” in Swahili) says Rev. Merrick Moise. He is instructing the crowd to repeat as he gives symbolic praise to African ancestors of the diaspora and deceased LGBT African-American pioneers. Next he pours libations, the Kwanzaa tradition of placing water into a bowl. Audience members then take part in the holiday by speaking their ancestors’ names to remember and evoke their spirits in “Celebration of Colors: An LGBT Kwanzaa Event” at GLCCB on December 30th. Kwanzaa, derived from “matunda ya kwanza,” means “first fruits” of a harvest and was helped to be established by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The practice follows the Ngo Saba or “Seven Principles.” Each day a candle is lit from December 26th through Happy Kwanza, at the GLCCB January 1st that represents a principle which follows an activ- history or queer history,” Coleman said, “and ity. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are I think that we don’t get enough reminders.” The Sons of Baldwin, a same-gender lovumoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and respon- ing spoken-word group, performed a provocsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), ative routine about suicide, with black gay nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and men all dressed in black. Kenneth Morrison, GLCCB’s director of programs and a fellow imani (faith). The event was made possible by Saida member, said that the group started because Agostini (Free State Legal), Jabari Lyles of “no safe spaces to share their truth,” add(GLCCB), and Michael Franklin (Star Track ing that “in the spirit of James Baldwin” they at University of Maryland School of Med- “created important dialogue.” Black LGBT activists Monica Yorkman icine). Lyles says organizers aimed to remix the Kwanzaa experience with the black (founder of Sistah with T) and Alexander LGBT experience in mind. “We wanted to Blue (Star Track) received recognition during really queer Kwanzaa. We wanted to queer the program. The evening ended with a lighting of the ceremony. Queer the tradition and really create our own space to celebrate black candles, creating a peaceful ambiance where the dissonances of being Afro-centric LGBT life,” he notes. With that in mind, the balloons, table- and gay were harmonized. “We [black gay cloths, and awards were in the green, black, queer people] are powerful; we are loved and red colors of Black Nationalism, and and we don’t have to give up any part of such central black cultural forms as spoken ourselves to be here today,” said Agostini. “We have to unify regardless of our word, performance, singing, and soul food were highlighted. Macaroni and cheese, differences, whatever they may be,” said spinach dip, sweet potato casserole, and Rev. Moise, and “achieve the freedom that we want” by “total liberation of our body, chicken were served prior to libations. Jasmine Pope of J Pope and Funk Fri- minds and spirits.” t
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EQUALITY MARYLAND AND FREESTATE LEGAL TO MERGE – continued from page 3 we can best serve the needs of LGBT Marylanders. We will then take that feedback and conduct a comprehensive strategic planning process with our boards and staff, with a plan to host a celebration event in June where we will unveil a new name, mission, and vision for the future of LGBT equality in Maryland.” A schedule of the statewide community listening sessions will be announced shortly. “Bringing together the expertise and experience of Equality Maryland and FreeState Legal will put us on the path to achieving the goal of full equality for all LGBT Marylanders,” said Lawrence S. Jacobs, board chair of Equality Maryland. “This merger creates a statewide social justice organization that provides direct legal services to low-income LGBT Marylanders, implements and defends legislative protections against discrimination, engages in policy advocacy, organizes and
“FreeState Legal could not be more excited to join forces with Equality Maryland, an organization that has such a deep history and strong track record of success serving Maryland’s LGBT community.” empowers communities, educates and trains individuals and groups on LGBT cultural competence issues, and serves as a watchdog on behalf of Maryland’s entire LGBT community.” “For decades Equality Maryland has led th ght fr LGBT quality in th stat lgislature,” said Paschall. “FreeState Legal could not be more excited to join forces with Equality Maryland, an organization that has such a deep history and strong track record of success serving Maryland’s LGBT community.” “Equality Maryland sees this partnership with FreeState Legal as the best way to meet the needs of Maryland’s LGBT community,” said Rabbi Stephanie Bernstein, board chair for Equality Maryland Foundation. “We are excited about the ways in which our new, combined organization will better serve LGBT Marylanders.” t Press releases from FreeState and Equality Maryland contributed to this report.
®
New Genvoya is now available Actual Size
One pill contains elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).
Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you. To learn more visit GENVOYA.com
Please see Brief Summary of Patient Information with important warnings on the adjacent pages.
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Brief Summary of Patient Information about GENVOYA GENVOYA (jen-VOY-uh) (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. There may be new information about GENVOYA. This information is only a summary and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis may happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms, which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • • • • • • •
feel very weak or tired have unusual (not normal) muscle pain have trouble breathing have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting feel cold, especially in your arms and legs feel dizzy or lightheaded have a fast or irregular heartbeat
• Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take GENVOYA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large and you may develop fat in your liver. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. GENVOYA is not for use to treat chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). If you have HBV infection and take GENVOYA, your HBV may get worse (flareup) if you stop taking GENVOYA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of GENVOYA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your GENVOYA is all gone. • Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider. • If you stop taking GENVOYA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking GENVOYA.
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What is GENVOYA? GENVOYA is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: • who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past or • to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months, have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. GENVOYA contains the prescription medicines elvitegravir (VITEKTA®), cobicistat (TYBOST®), emtricitabine (EMTRIVA®) and tenofovir alafenamide. It is not known if GENVOYA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age. When used to treat HIV-1 infection, GENVOYA may: • Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood. This is called “viral load”. • Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections. Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections). GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 infection to others: • Do not share or re-use needles or other injection equipment. • Do not share personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them, like toothbrushes and razor blades. • Do not have any kind of sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to other people.
Who should not take GENVOYA? Do not take GENVOYA if you also take a medicine that contains: • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • midazolam, when taken by mouth • phenobarbital (Luminal®) • phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? Before taking GENVOYA, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B infection • have kidney or bone problems • have any other medical conditions • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1 medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take GENVOYA. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. – At least one of the medicines in GENVOYA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in GENVOYA can pass into your breast milk. – Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Some medicines may interact with GENVOYA. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with GENVOYA. • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take GENVOYA with other medicines.
How should I take GENVOYA?
• Take GENVOYA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. GENVOYA is taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.
• GENVOYA is usually taken 1 time each day. • Take GENVOYA with food. • If you need to take a medicine for indigestion (antacid) that contains aluminum and • • • •
magnesium hydroxide or calcium carbonate during treatment with GENVOYA, take it at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. Do not change your dose or stop taking GENVOYA without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking GENVOYA. Do not miss a dose of GENVOYA. If you take too much GENVOYA, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. When your GENVOYA supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to GENVOYA and become harder to treat.
What are the possible side effects of GENVOYA? GENVOYA may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA?” • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking GENVOYA. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Bone problems may include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of GENVOYA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. • Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. General information about the safe and effective use of GENVOYA. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use GENVOYA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give GENVOYA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about GENVOYA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about GENVOYA that is written for health professionals. For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.GENVOYA.com. Keep GENVOYA and all medicines out of reach of children. Issued: November 2015
EMTRIVA, GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, TYBOST, and VITEKTA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0006 11/15
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BEYOND THE BELTWAY compiled by Jim Becker
2015 saw increase in murders of transgender people in U.S. Dallas, Texas – At least 23 transgender / gender-nonconforming people were murdered over the last 12 months in the U.S., making 2015 one of the worst in recent years in terms of anti-trans violence. Worldwide, at least 81 trans people were murdered in 2015. And those are just the victims who are reported and acknowledged as trans women and men. Many trans people are mis-gendered by police, media and by family members who have refused to accept their identities. The year started with four trans women being murdered, including 24-year-old Ty Underwood in Tyler, Texas. Underwood was shot to death in her car as she tried to drive away from her ex, Carlton Ray Champion. Champion was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison during a December trial. Six months later, on July 29, the body of Dallas trans woman “Miss Shade” Schuler, 22, was found in a field near Dallas’s Medical District. So far, Dallas police say they have no information and no suspects in her murder. The trans murders this year intersected with the very public transition of Caitlyn Jenner, the former patriarch of the Kardashian clan and Olympian whose story certainly put transgender people and issues in the public eye in an unprecedented way. However, there were many longtime trans activists who felt that her right-wing, conservative tendencies, fame and more than healthy bank accounts, proved that These news notes have been compiled, with permission, from the online version of various newspapers and other web sites. We thank these publications for allowing us to bring you their news stories. Usually the reports have been signi cantly edited and you can read the full story by going to the web site mentioned following the item. Comments are strictly the opinions of Jim Becker and not of Baltimore oUtloUd or Pride Media.
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she was more than a little out of touch with the plight of most transgender people. It is important to note that the majority of those killed this year were transgender women of color, prompting activist to take up the mantra of “Black trans lives matter.” It is also important to point out that many activists include a number of trans people who committed suicide this year in the roll of those lost to anti-trans hatred. (Dallas Voice at Dallasvoice.com)
Gay marrage in their sights
GOP prez hopefuls support antiLGBT marriage proposal Washington, D.C. – Ever since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, anti-gay crusaders have been touting a piece of legislation called the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which would prohibit the federal government from “taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: 1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or 2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.” In other words, the First Amendment Defense Act would let both individuals and businesses discriminate against gay people and others under the banner of “religious liberty.” As Right Wing Watch reports, anti-gay groups have been eager to show their support for the legislation. The American Principles Project, Heritage Action for America and Family Research Council Action – just
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made the announcement that a total of six GOP presidential hopefuls have signed a pledge promising to push for the passage of the FADA within their first 100 days in office should they be elected. American Principles Project has joined together with Heritage Action for America, the action arm of the Heritage Foundation, and FRC Action, the legislative affiliate of the Family Research Council, to invite each of the candidates running for president to sign the following pledge: “If elected, I pledge to push for the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) and sign it into law during the first 100 days of my term as president.” So far, six candidates have signed the pledge: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Dr. Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), and former governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas). Maggie Gallagher, senior fellow at American Principles Project, released the following statement: “It has become clear that the First Amendment Defense Act is rapidly becoming a signature issue that unifies the GOP. Three out of the four top contenders for the nomination – Carson, Cruz, and Rubio – have pledged to prioritize passing FADA in their first 100 days of office. Additionally, Bush, Graham, Paul, and now for the first time, Donald Trump, have publicly expressed support for FADA. Real, concrete protections for gay marriage dissenters appear to be just one election victory away.” (Q Notes Online – Chris Tittel at gnotes.com & LGBTQ Nation at Lgbtqnation.com)
Some Mummers mar efforts at a more inclusiveness parade Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The Mummers Parade dates back more than 100 years and used to require a certain number of original charter members to allow changes for parade participants. Current organizers want the parade to reflect the makeup of the city, Ian Morrison, who performs as Brittany Lyn, said. Morrison an organizer of the Miss Fancy Brigade, an LGBT group led by local drag performers that helped paved the way for the debut
Mummers parody: Some were not amused
of the Philadelphia Division, a full diversity division this year. Our group broke down the barrier in 2013,” Morrison said. “We’re opening up doors so other communities can enjoy the Mummers experience and keep the tradition alive.” The Philadelphia Division includes the Miss Fancy Brigade; San Mateo Carnavaleros, who celebrate the victory at the Battle of Puebla in Mexico; and the Second 2 None Drill Team from West Philadelphia that features black dancers. “The more communities are invited, the bigger the experience for the whole city,” Morrison said. Unfortunately, not all Mummers got the message. Despite the city’s efforts to make the parade more inclusive for communities like Latinos, African American, and LGBT folk, this year the annual parade was mired in a series of racist and homophobic acts along the parade route. One group ridiculed the transition of Caitlyn Jenner and carried signs with a picture of Bruce Jenner on a Wheaties Cereal box and Caitlyn Jenner on a Fruit Loops box. A man who was walking a small Shih Tzu dog said he was attacked by people he believes were members of the same group and called a faggot. Another group had some participants dressed in brown face wearing sombreros and ponchos. A few Mummers carried signs saying “Mummers Lives Matter.” NBC10 reported that incoming Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney blasted the Jenner act. “It was bad,” he wrote. “Hurtful to many Philadelphians. Our trans citizens do not deserve this type of satire/insult.” Rue Landau, director of the city’s Commission on Human Relations, said the acts had no place in the parade or city. “While the Commission appreciates that Mummers’ leadership took steps for a more diverse parade, more needs to be done to end these public displays of bigotry,” she said. t (Philadelphia Gay News – Paige Cooperstein at epgn.com & NBC10.com at Nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/MoreDiverse-Mummers-Parade-Mired-by-Homophobic-Racist-Acts-364008161.html)
OUT IN THE VALLEY
Being Tested This past week has brought some new challenges to our family unit. The baby was released from the NICU and allowed to come home. She’s almost seven weeks old and is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I’m a little biased. The doctors started calling just before Christmas to let us know that she was getting close to being discharged. Her medications were being weaned and she was getting stronger. She’s eating well, gaining weight, and growing like a weed, as grandma used to say. They discussed the timeline for the discharge and agreed that I should plan to be there for a Tuesday discharge. I said I would leave after church on Sunday and would be there for her late night feeding on Sunday night. That’s wonderful, they said. Sounds perfect, I heard. And then, they dropped the bomb. times over the years. Would I rather spend the night on Sunday And, here’s what I learned. First of all, I night or Monday night? Wait! What? Spend the learned that the nurses in pediatrics are genernight where? And, why would they care where ally nicer than the ones on the NICU. I learned I sleep? That’s when that even babies can’t I learned that things sleep in the hospital. have changed since I I learned that the unlast had a baby in the written rule that says NICU. you never wake a Then, I had to take sleeping baby doesn’t a special CPR class, apply to nurses. I even though my CPR learned that babies crti catin was curRev. Kelly Crenshaw get frustrated, too. rent. Then, I had to And, I learned that evhave my infant car seat eryone thinks they are inspected. Then, I had to purchase a differ- the world’s authority on raising children. ent insert for the car seat. Then, I had to be The goal of this test was to see if I was wheeled out of the hospital as if I’d been the going to be able to handle this new stage of patient. Now, the game had different rules. my life. None of the people “testing” me had No one inspected my car seat. They gave ever had a drug addicted baby in their home. m a frm t g t th lcal r statin t hav They have no idea how this child will change that done. They didn’t care that my CPR cer- the way my family works for the foreseeable ti catin was currnt. Thy didn’t vn ask. future. And, in many instances, they contraWhen I was allowed to leave, I walked out on dicted each other on the best way to parent my own, carrying the baby in her car seat. No this child. I received a million pieces of advice one walked with me. But, the one thing they in a 36-hour period. None of which were new required was that I be observed caring for the ideas. Some of which would only work if the baby for hours on end. baby responded a certain way. Most of which No one explained this process until it was would not work with my household. happening. I had three teenagers with me and Apparently, I passed the test. They let had to do some quick rearrangements to make me leave with the baby. We made the long sure they were in good hands. Because, once drive home and dropped into bed, thoroughthe hospital staff got me in the hospital room, ly exhausted. The baby slept most of the way they wouldn’t let me leave. home. I fed her, changed her, and we went to I ended up in a hospital room for the night. sleep. And, she didn’t have the three hours It was supposed to be just me and the baby. of screaming frustration that she’d had every I thought they would be watching to see if I night in the NICU. She woke to drink her bottle could handle the medications. No, the nurses and dropped right back to sleep. In fact, she continued to do that. I thought they’d want to hasn’t had any scraming ts lik th ns that see if I could mix her special formula mixture. kept her in the NICU for six weeks. No, the nutritionist did that. All I got to do was So, here’s the most important thing I sleep in an unfamiliar bed, feed, and change learned. The best thing for your baby in your the baby, something I’d done hundreds of home is to make sure you are doing what
Parenting
works for that baby. Each baby is different. Each baby responds in his or her own way. So, despite what all of the experts said, she’s doing really well. She’s happy. She’s loved. And, she’s thriving. Every parent will be “tested” over time, whether it’s by the other parents in your child’s social circle or in a professional setting like a hspital. B cn dnt and trust yur instincts
with your child. Learn what you can, but do not change who and what you are to make them happy. Your child’s happiness is what really matters. t Rev. Kelly Crenshaw is the mom of 16 adopted kids, two biological kids, and guardian of one baby girl and foster mom of dozens. Feel free to send your parenting questions to her at pastor.kelly@comcast.net.
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OUT IN THE VALLEY
Dr. Tekk Dr. Tekk
What’s New for 2016? Happy New Year to you all! We made it to 2016. This New Year is going to bring about some cool new technologies and consumer electronic goodies so here are a few highlights that I think are worth mentioning. Breaking the communication barrier: Messaging and voice call services. Skype recently released a live translation tool, Japan is testing a live translation megaphone to use during the 2020 Olympics, and Google’s Translate app translates street signs and real-time conversations. It looks like tchnlgy may nally b braking dwn th nal barrir in wrldwid cmmunication. The idea of a universal translator will be here sooner than you think. Sorry, Trek fans – no warp drive yet, but space propul-
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sion technologies are advancing rapidly as well, but that’s another topic. Computer gesture control: Earlier this year Apple patented a motion-sensor technology that would let you control your computer by just moving your hands in the air. The technology has been around for a while – HP’s Leap Motion laptop was launched in 2012 – but as we spend more and more time in front of computers, it’s growing ever more appealing. Soon we will have gesture and voice control over our home appliances. Convenience or laziness? Digital Personal Assistants: Microsoft, Appl, and Ggl all hav arti cial intelligent assistants that are on our smartphones, making it easier to perform tasks that rquir us using ur ngrs. But nw we have in-home personal assistants such as the Amazon Echo that allow the same voice interaction and control at home. Expect to hear more about this because the Echo can interface with home automation devices. I have a family member who is a proud owner of the new Echo and she talks to it all the time. Flexible LED Displays: LG, Samsung, Sony, and other display manufacturers hav unvild xibl scrns bfr, but this concept is more advanced, and frankly, stunning. The company is showing off at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 an 18-inch rollable display that can be rolled up like a newspaper. What’s interesting about this is the sheer size of the panel, if you can call it such; most manufacturers have shown off bendable displays at various smaller sizes in the past, and of course curvd (but xd) HDTVs hav bn in stores for several years now. Instead of this tting a smartphn that yu culd put in your pocket, a display like this is much tougher to pull off, and removes the hard barrir yu wuld nd n a larg tablt r convertible laptop that sets its form factor a certain way. The imagination can run wild with the possibilities. A few off the top of our heads: it could be a second screen for a smartphone, or eventually, a full-blown tablet with an on-screen keyboard that you could just unroll onto a table and start working with. How cool is that? There are so many new technologies and gadgets coming that we could write forever on the topic. A few I didn’t mention are autonomous driving cars, waterproof smartphones, new wireless technologies and wireless charging. So let’s get ready for 2016 because we have some really cool stuff coming. t If you have and questions for Dr. Tekk please e-mail me at drtekk@baltimoreoutloud.com.
JANUARY 8, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM
Health Chat
Debbie Anne
Gray Days, Dark Moods January and February... could there be any more dismal time of year? Summer is long gone as well as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Day-in and day-out the landscape is monochrome gray. Yuck. It’s really easy to get into a funk during the dead of winter. Some people actually suffer a very real and debilitating disorder during this time of year called Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D. People who have the disorder may feel sad, irritable, moody, or anxious. They may lose interest in their usual activities, sleep more but have less energy, and crave comfort foods such as bread, pasta, and sweets. Those most at risk for S.A.D. are younger women, although older women can get it too, and when men get it, they tend to have more severe symptoms. S.A.D. can also run in families, especially if there is a familial tendency towards depression. In people who have depression, S.A.D. will make their symptoms get worse during winter months. Interestingly, the further one lives from the equator, the more likely S.A.D. can occur, and it rarely occurs in populations in close proximity to the equator. Not surprising then that S.A.D. is strongly associated with a decrease in daylight which can trigger a drop in one of our feel-good neurotransmitters called serotonin. A decrease in daylight also reduces the body’s level of melatonin, which can affect sleep patterns and mood. The mainstay of treatment for S.A.D. is light therapy. It’s thought that light is helpful in resetting the biological clock and restoring normal levels of serotonin and melatonin. A light box using fluorescent bulbs providing a broad spectrum of light is used while reading, working on a computer, or during mealtimes. The light needs to be positioned in front of the eyes as it’s thought that the light must come directly into the eyes to communicate with the brain to restore these neurochemical levels. It’s usually prescribed for between 30 minutes to two hours daily depending on the strength of the light. Most insurance companies will cover
the cost of a light box, but it’s best to call the number on the back of your insurance card to confirm coverage before purchasing, and you’ll want to purchase from a durable medical goods store. A good light box can cost anywhere from about $150 to $300. You’ll need to keep up the light therapy throughout the winter months or symptoms may get worse again. Please be aware that the light from tanning beds and other types of light do not provide the same restorative properties. In addition to the use of a light box, some physicians may also encourage the use of certain anti-depressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). As the name implies, these drugs assist the body to maintain a higher level of that feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Brand names of the two most commonly used SSRIs are Paxil and Zoloft. There are also some things you can try at home. There is strong evidence that exercising regularly raises Serotonin levels. Melatonin of course is the other neurotransmitter thought to be depleted by S.A.D. It comes as a supplement in one to three milligram tablets, and you can increase safely to ten milligrams a day taken at bedtime. Finally, two-thirds of people are known to be deficient in vitamin D, and it’s known that vitamin D deficiency can also affect mood. Our bodies naturally make vitamin D when we are exposed to sunlight. With much less exposure to sun during the winter months, supplementing with vitamin D can make a difference. Current recommendations for vitamin D are between 600-800 IU per day. Your doctor can test your vitamin D levels and prescribe the formula and dose that is right for you. For more information about S.A.D. and its treatment, visit the following sites: • Mayclinic.rg/disass-cnditins/ seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20021047 • Wbmd.cm/mntal-halth/tc/sasonal-affective-disorder-sad-topic-overview • Lightthrapyprducts.cm/pags/ seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-information.html • Vitamindcuncil.rg/abut-vitamin-d/ how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-bodyneeds/ • Mntalhalthamrica.nt/cnditins/ sad t Debbie Anne is a public-health nurse with Frederick County Health Department in Frederick, Maryland. In 2014 she was awarded a Governor s Citation for her work with Marylanders living with HIV/AIDS.
THINKING OUTLOUD way individually or specifically, but there their words were, addressing me, inviting me in, enveloping me, and connecting me to the singular complexity of holiday emotions: “I hope all my friends are hanging in there. I By Sage Piper know this time of year isn t always the easiest. I m around and have lots of snooty alcohol.” “Friends who are grieving, hurting, or just generally having a shitty holiday, I see you and am thinking of A fierce welcome to the bracing winds of you and love you.” the first week of January. I say, bring it on. Now neither of these Perhaps for you, too, the end of the holi- posts were from anyone day season and the dawning days of the with whom I am personally Sweet ’16 New Year brings forth gusts of close. In fact, both are peoemotional salve, however fleeting, or the ple I know only from brief exhint of an approaching healing embrace. periences in my life, met in the If, by chance, you breathe out a simple course of a job or a pleasurable extracurricsigh of relief when holiday decorations ular activity. In the normal scheme of things start coming down in the neighborhood, or we would not have kept up with each other when items which embodied such promise as ur paths bri y crssd and thn dimere days ago are relegated to the 75% off verged, let alone share private life details or bin of instant ancient history, then perhaps irreverent or balmy words of friendship and it is also true that, encouragement. And for you, the holiday yet, thanks to the “How do I know, with season embodied created such undaunted certainty, mammoth a year in which perby Mark Zuckerberg sonal loss, darkness, that you were not alone, & Co. these are not perhaps even primal normal scheme when it feels as if everyone the pain was the lair in of things; these are around you was awash which you spent your times wrapped in a days. Perhaps you’re sometimes smarmy, in good cheer, safe and not even quite sure sometimes trivial, warm in the embrace of sometimes how you survived the inforholidays at all. If so, their loved and cherished mative, sometimes you are not alone. campy, sometimes people? Well, I know How do I know, arti cial, smtims with such undaunted because Facebook told me inspiring Facebook certainty, that you world, and as a reso.” were not alone, when sult these good folks it feels as if everyone were right there, around you was awash in good cheer, safe reaching out and speaking to me on a rainy and warm in the embrace of their loved Christmas night in a galaxy far, far away and cherished people? Well, I know be- and (who’da thunk it?) helping me. cause Facebook told me so. Yes. Don’t According to the Oxford Dictionary, a scoff or look aghast. This holiday season, social network is a “platform to build social there was an unexpected gift to be had, a networks or social relations among people small salve for the soul, if one looked care- who share similar interests, activities, backfully enough and with the right spirit, in the grounds, or real-life connections,” and enmost unlikely of places, in the posts of fel- ables users to communicate with each othlow travelers on Facebook. er. And yes, Facebook is such a platform, When I sat down on Christmas night and less. But it’s also more. It’s a place and started to breeze through Facebook, brimming with opportunity, a space to learn amidst the photos of beaming faces around about all the incredible people out there elongated tables, in front of the tree, or in whom you don’t have the time or the access some exotic tropical locale, there were or the opportunity to get to know, or mayposts from Facebook friends, talking to be even those who don’t necessarily share me. Well, they weren’t talking to me per- your similar interests and backgrounds. sonally, they weren’t talking to me in any Facbk ffrs th pprtunity t nd
Pointing it Out
A Holiday Gift from Facebook
what you seek, as master of your own fate. If yu g in t nd vidnc that vryn else but you is living a deliriously happy life which is beyond your reach, you will no dubt nd mountains of corrobo r a t i n g evidence, and sign off feeling empty, envious, and lacking. But if you go in seeking to experience our shared humanity and learn the different faces of journey, struggle, and compassion, then you can come away feeling all kinds of lovely things; humor, comfort, connection, and joy. For me, I continually learn about social conscience following my friend Perry’s posts, which track his struggles to become a social aware and compassionate citizen of the world, ranging from anguish and shock
that we can stand by and let the injustices of the world keep happening, as well to his exuberance following a day in which he did some good in the world. I have felt the simultaneous exhaustion, comfort, and belonging when my friend Regina posts pictures of a full tray of whipped butter shortbread cookies with apricot preserves that she just baked on a Friday night at home after a long week. I have learned more about living an exuberant life in all the little ways from the posts of the Midwestern mother of a friend of mine, whose spirited posts never fail to make me smile and who, without Facebook, I wuld hav mt fr a ting mmnt n hot June day two years ago and never heard from again. I could go on, as could you I’m sure. This exposure to other people can transform you in the same way reading a book does, that entrance into different experience and the inevitable opening up and recognition which ensues. And that is a gift. Maybe this shared humanity was not the idea behind Facebook, maybe it was just created to give people information about what their trendy friends were up to, but if you can use it as an agent for a deeper level of awareness and connection, then it’s a gift for the ages. t
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QUALITY OF LIFE
Lesbian Love
Barb Elgin
Happy 2016 to Baltimore Women Loving Women As I r ct back n 2015 and th last fw years, I am of course so amazed and grateful for the gains we’ve made in LGBT rights. But we need to take stock as a community here in Baltimore and consider “What’s next?” “What is most important for us, as women-who-lovewomen, to coalesce around?” I knw that fr many f us nancs ar paramount. If you are like me, retirement is looming and many of us haven’t had the chance to save more, if we’ve saved any, for our golden years. On the whole, we still make less than men and many of us, as heart-centered women, are in careers that pay less. Many f us hav als mad sacri cs vr the years to take care of sick family members and animals. S, I’ll bt yu agr yur nancial health is a rich area to cultivate in 2016. Most of us can do much better in valuing the work we do and most of us can become better savers. These strategies are more important than ever due to the rising costs of housing, health care, and more. Spaking f nancs, thr rich areas for me currently are time management and life/ career balance. I already thankfully work in a career I love, so my problems tend to center around striking a balance between work and life. I remember some laughing at this idea but I still believe it’s possible and, indeed for my health, absolutely necessary. So I believe these three quality of life issues are vital to support each other in, in 2016. For example: Do you have a balance between your work and your play? Or, are you bitten by the entrepreneurial bug to the point you need to restore a sense of balance to your life and bank account? And, what becomes of one’s body when one is so engaged in their work? I know that I am now in a phase of life where I am stepping back, slowing down and simplifying. Self-employment is so much fun I like to say it can become an unhealthy addiction. Running your
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own business is a recipe for sure burnout unless you daily remember to put yourself, not yur businss, rst. Nw I knw hw wrking moms must feel. Lastly, one of the best pieces of wisdom I’ve learned in life so far is the danger of isolating. And, I’ve felt some of the not-so-positive results of isolating myself, so I can speak from experience. Do you isolate yourself mtinally, nancially r physically? Financially, that could mean spending that doesn’t focus enough on your basic needs or not asking for help when you can’t meet your expenses. Do you eat junk food or gain weight too often, because no one is there to care enough to say something? Do you stay home and self-medicate untreated depression by drinking, instad f nding halthir ways t cope? There are countless other examples of ways we hurt ourselves by isolating. As for many lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women, it’s perhaps even more a habit not to share, given the negativity we’ve experienced in the past when we’ve opened up. But we often isolate to our peril. So in 2016 I want to offer you opportunities to stop isolating and start communicating. About who you are and what you want and need. In safe places and spaces where you will be supported for taking better care of yourself. So kick off your new year on a happy, healthy, wealthy note, why not join me for “Lunch with Barb Elgin,” Sunday, January 31st, 2016, at noon at a location to be announced (but somewhere in the White Marsh/ Perry Hall/Nottingham areas). This rst gathring will b vry simpl. If I rciv nugh RSVPs, I’ll chs a lcatin with a private room. If we have only a small group, we’ll reserve a big table somewhere. To keep it simple, food/drink costs will be dutch, on your own. Invite your friends. These lunch are open to all women-who-love-women. Each must RSVP as dscribd blw. What will we do during our lunch? Socialize. Network. Have some fun. Relax and get to know one another. Throughout 2016 as I hold more monthly gatherings, we’ll grow in numbers and sophistication of events, based on what our attendees want. I look forward to talking with you. T RSVP, it’s asy – just g t my Lasting Lesbian Love Facebook Group here and let me know if you will be attending by choosing going or if you may attend interested. You can also note you are not going at; Facebook. com/events/879283765525309. t Barb Elgin has been helping lesbians thrive since the mid-1980 s as a psychotherapist, life/love coach, matchmaker, author, radio show host and more. Learn more about her work and upcoming projects here: barbelgin.com and lastinglesbianlove.com.
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LIVELY ARTS // OUT ON SCREEN
Ten Favorite Movies of 2015 own falls. Enter Harry Hart (code name: female-driven comedies out in the summer BY CHUCK DUNCAN The old year has passed and the New Year Galahad) and his recruit Eggsy (Taron of 2015, this one just edges out Trainwreck is just beginning, and this is the time when Egerton), who seems to be a bit less than for its sometimes subtle, sometimes overwe look back and reflect on the highs and Kingsman material. The film nicely jug- the-top comedy. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation lows of the old year. For movie fans, we gles the rigorous training with the terrorist compile our lists of personal favorites and thrat f lisping villain Valntin (Samul – Tom Cruise returns once again to the then argue with our other friends who have L. Jackson), who plans to combat climate role of Ethan Hunt in the M: I franchise, quite different opinions. We read the main- change by eliminating the cause: humans. now on its fifth installment. After the first stream critics lists and shake our heads in The film is clever, dramatic and acdisbelief most of the time, since their lists tion-packed, but nothing can top Mad Max: seem so out of touch with what the aver- a scene featuring Harry battling a Fury Road church full of rage-induced conage person likes, if it’s got subtitles or is – The most a documentary, you can bet it’s going to gregants, which is both graphically exhilaratbe on some highfalutin’ critic’s top ten list. horrifying and insanely funny at the ing movie This list is made up of the movies that same time, culminating in one of the of the year entertained me, movies that made me en- most shocking moments in any film joy leaving the comfort of my home and go- this year. For a movie that isn’t a seing to a theater full of strangers. They may quel, prequel or reboot, this one had not all be critical darlings, and you may or people talking and was successful may not agree with me, but I present to enough to warrant a follow-up. you without apology my ten favorite mov- They’re just going to have one little ies of 2015, in no particular order except plot problem to deal with, and hopefully they won’t muck it all up. for scoring. Spy – I go into a Melissa McCaMovies that scored a ten for me are: Mad Max: Fury Road – It really never rthy movie these days with a bit of trep- two duds (story wise, although they made seemed like director George Miller would idation. Ever since really hitting it big on a ton of money), J.J. Abrams stepped in for ever get this film made after the original the big screen with her scene-stealing th third film and brught it back t its TV start date was curtailed by the economic turn in Bridesmaids, McCarthy has been show roots (even though some fans have collapse of 2007, and then the Australian stuck in a rut playing basically the same never forgiven the franchise for making desert location experienced more rain than unpleasant, slovenly, loud character in film TV lad Jim Phlps th villain in th first ever before and became an oasis. Miller after film. It worked in The Heat where she movie), garnering praise from audiences was forced to move the shoot to Namibia was paired with an uptight Sandra Bullock, and critics alike. Brad Bird stepped in for but it totally did not the fourth film and upped the game as far with stars Tom Hardy work when she was as action, and Christopher McQuarrie has (replacing original “They may not all be paired with the up- successfully kept the ball rolling with great Mad Max star Mel Gibson) and Char- critical darlings, and you tight Jason Bateman storytelling and some breathtaking action lize Theron in tow. may or may not agree with in Identity Thief. scenes, almost all featuring Cruise doing When the trailers his own stunts, from hanging on to the side In a year of some me, but I present to you for Spy were first re- of an airborne plane to holding his breath physical, but mostly CGI car stunts (Fuwithout apology my ten leased, it looked like underwater for three minutes. The story more of the same is almost incidental to the action, but Mcrious 7), Miller and favorite movies of 2015.” from McCarthy, but Quarrie ties it all together perfectly, giving his team built real it turns out she was us another great summer thrill ride. vehicles and drove The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – Yes, this playing a character them across a desert doing the most amazing physical stunts within a character. McCarthy stars as Su- was the year of the spy as four of my six ever committed to film, with a minimal of san Cooper, an accomplished, intelligent ten-scoring films feature some type of seCGI (watch the extras on the Blu-ray to see female agent who works as the eyes and cret agents. Like Mission: Impossible, this for yourself). The shoot took its toll on the ears of another agent who fancies himself is also based on an almost forgotten 1960s actors, but Theron gives a terrific perfor- as James Bond (Jude Law doing a nice spy series (back in the spotlight thanks to mance, basically stealing the movie from riff on 007). When he goes missing, Su- DVD and TV ntwrks srving up classic Hardy, who then takes it all back from her san is the only person who can help and television) that brought some heat to the with five words: “Max, my name is Max.” she is unwittingly thrown into the field to Cold War as an American agent, NapoIt was a heart-tugging moment in a sea of track down the person she believes has leon Solo, is forced to work with a Russian sand and fire, and it was the most exhila- her co-worker (it’s here she gets to play a agent, Illya Kuryakin, to thwart the other bit of that familiar character of hers). The bad guys. The new movie takes us back rating movie of the year. Kingsman: The Secret Service – A movie is hilarious from start to finish with to the 60s, with some spot-on costume, clever take on the spy movie formula orig- a wonderful performance from McCarthy, hair and production design, as Solo (Henry inated with the Bond films of the sixties, and shockingly funny turns from Rose By- Cavill) and Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are this centered on a secret organization that rne and Jason Statham, hilariously send- forced together for the first time to take recruits new members when one of their ing up his own screen persona. With two down an organization attempting to build
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and sell nuclear weapons. Director Guy Ritchie keeps things moving with some very stylish direction and editing choices, and punctuates it all with a terrific era-inspired musical score by Daniel Pemberton. It’s a terrific caper movie that unfortunately suffered from a bad release date in the dead of August, coming on the heels of the then still hot Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Strangely enough, the organization U.N.C.L.E doesn’t even exist until the film’s final moments, but with the poor box office reception it seems doubtful we’ll see any further adventures of these Swingin’ Sixties Secret Agents. The Martian – The last perfect ten on my list starred Matt Damon as a U.S. astronaut left for dead on Mars as a storm forces his team to retreat to their ship and get off the planet before the storm makes it impossible to do so. Damon’s Mark Watney finds himself alone on the planet with whatever rations were left behind, desperately in need of a way to make oxygen, water and food, as well as construct something to communicate with NASA. When he does, the suits decide not to tell his crew members for fear that they will turn around and risk the lives of them all, but after one failed attempt, there is no other choice but to reveal the truth to them. But can they make it back to Mars on the limited fuel they have, and even if they do, can they retrieve Watney and get home safely? The Martian is probably the most fun you can have at a movie that does its best to get the science right without turning it into a lecture. The movie is dramatic, humorous, and filled with tension, anchored by a great performance by Damon, who comes off as a more affable character in a direr situation than Tom Hanks’ Chuck Noland was in Cast Away. A terrific film from beginning to end, with the only question being why on earth do the Golden Globes voting committee think the film belongs in the Best Comedy category? With eight films on my list scoring a nine, I’ve had to whittle those down to the ones that entertained or touched me the most. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – After George Lucas did his best to kill the franchise that made him a billionaire, Disney stepped in and bought his whole company with the main mission being to breathe new life into the Star Wars franchise. And who better to accomplish that than the man who breathed new life into the Star Trek franchise (and the Mission: Impossible franchise), Mr. J.J. Abrams himself. Abrams’s obvious love of the original films infuses every frame of The Force Awakens, eschewing the all-digital look of
LIVELY ARTS // OUT ON SCREEN Lucas’ three prequels for something that seems more akin to the original trilogy. Abrams and his writers have found a way to continue a story we left 30 years ago with the end of Return of the Jedi, bringing in new characters (Finn, Rey, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, BB-8) and inviting the beloved stars of the originals back as well (Han Solo, Princess (now General) Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, Luke Skywalker, even Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb). Fans have fallen all over themselves with praise and upon first viewing; I felt like my 14-year-old self from 1977 all over again. Reflecting on what started out as a perfect ten, I am now just a little (a tiny, tiny bit) perturbed by the almost slavish, by-the-numbers beats the story takes with the original, right down to the First Order (formerly the Empire) building yet another variation on the Death Star. The film does pack one huge emotional punch to the gut, and leaves more than enough questions open for the next two films in this trilogy. It may not be perfect, but it’s close enough. The Night Before – A few years ago, we got a holiday film starring the stoners Harold & Kumar, and this year we got a holiday film that looked from the previews to be following in those stoner footprints. Unfortunately, a bad trailer really undersold what turned out to be a pretty decent, charming, funny and heartfelt holiday film, and only one of the characters was stoned. The Night Before follows three long-time friends as they go on one last Christmas Eve outing together, as their adult lives are finally catching up with them. One is a (questionably) successful athlete, one has a baby on the way and one, seems a little lost in the world. But one wild and crazy night brings out the best and worst in them all, showing them the real meaning of friendship and the holidays. With some nice performances by the three leads – Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie – and a pretty spectacular supporting role by Michael Shannon, the film ends up being not only a stoner comedy, but equal parts How the Grinch Stole Christmas, It s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, tickling your funny bone and tugging your heart at the same time. Bridge of Spies – Steven Spielberg does what he does best here in constructing a historical drama of a vaguely known incident that happened during the Cold War era when the U.S. had a Russian spy under observation and then under arrest. With tensions high, it seemed the people wanted justice in the form of the death penalty but a lawyer brought onto the case, James Donovan (Tom Hanks),
argued that the prisoner could be used as leverage should he be needed. And needed he was when the Russians shot down and captured Francis Gary Powers as he flew over targets on a spy mission. Hanks once again excels as the Everyman put into an extraordinary situation completely out of his professional wheelhouse, and then left completely on his own as it could not look like the government was involved in any deals made with the Russians. It’s a taught situation depicted extremely well by Spielberg with some glorious period detail, but the real star of the film is Mark Rylance, rightly being recognized for his performance, as the Russian spy whose response to any question of him being worried about one thing or another is, “Would it help?” Bridge of Spies isn’t exactly Schindler s List, but it tells an obscure story very well without getting too nostalgic. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse – I’m sure I’ll take some heat for this one since the movie was critically reviled and bombed at the box office, but once in a while it’s okay to turn off your brain and enjoy some good, mindless humor. In 1985, the horror comedy Return of the Living Dead was released, bringing us a new genre of zombie comedy. That was pretty quickly killed by a bunch of direct-to-video sequels. But the original still holds up today, and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse manages to be a pretty good companion piece to that classic. In this, three Scouts are on their last outing together (two of them are at an age when it’s no longer “cool” to be a Scout), but when their Scout leader fails to arrive at camp, they think it may be a test. Two Scouts sneak off in the middle of the night to go to a top secret senior party, unaware that a zombie apocalypse is brewing around them, until it’s almost too late. With the aid of a stripper; excuse me, cocktail waitress, the boys have to reunite with their friend, find their Scout Leader and the location of the party (they were duped by the seniors) before all hell breaks loose. Yes, the film has more than enough eye-rolling, juvenile humor, but I still laughed my ass off. The leads are all terrific (and pretty much age appropriate), the blood and gore is over-the-top absurd, and it was a whole lot funnier than many of the bigger comedies released in 2015. If you want an evening of zombies and stupid fun, this is the movie for you. Honorable mentions: Disney’s live-action Cinderella, The Gallows (which put a new spin on the played-out found footage genre), Marvel s Ant-Man (with a winning performance from Paul Rudd), and Trainwreck (that only falters when it veers into some maudlin territory). t
Fraught Exploration of Identity BY RYAN CLARK To celebrate the New Year, I went to see a movie that is getting a lot of buzz and causing quite the stir in the LGBT community, The Danish Girl. Based on David Ebershoff’s biographical book, Eddie Redmayne (a straight male actor) takes on the role of Lili Elbe, a transgender Danish woman who revolutionized the conversation about gender identity in the 1920’s. Elbe, born Einar Wegener, starts th lm as a man marrid t his wif Grda playd by Alicia Vikandr. Bth ar bhmian artists with varying levels of success travelling between Copenhagen and Paris. One day, Gerda uses Einar as a leg and shoe model for a portrait she is completing of a ballerina. This drives the narrative of gender exploration forward, resulting in Einar’s gender reassignment surgery. Redmayne is a chameleon-like actor who appears to effortlessly morph in and out of characters as was evident in his Oscar winning turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He delivers an equally engaging performance in this lm albit with xcssiv tars at tims. Th tru standut prfrmanc in th lm is that f Alicia Vikandr (frm last yar’s Ex Machina) as Einar’s suffering wife Gerda. In many ways, Gerda is The Danish Girl, constantly attempting to navigate the complex set of variables that life has presented in her path. This leads me to the aforementioned “stir.” First, casting a cisgendered (straight male) actor in the role of Lili Elbe is fraught with challng. Rdmayn is a n actr wh treats the role with respect and again delivers a wonderful performance. But were there no transgender actors to take on this role? Perhaps it is hrribly naïv f m t think this lm would have been made without Redmayne’s “star power.” Perhaps it is better that the story be told regardless of the gender of the lead actor. I wonder however, what is lost by not having a transgender actor take on this role? In actor training, one learns that acting
is based in truth. An audience can spot a lie a million miles away (or ten feet in the theatre.) If one holds this to be true, than surly a transgender actor would bring a unique truth to this role that would be worth watching. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, there is an empathy woven into the role of Gerta. This makes her the protagnist f th lm which can, at tims, imply that Lili the antagonist. Having Lili as the antagonist is interesting but truly “others” her which does not sit well from a LGBT equality standpoint. When th lms dirctr, Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), tells his story through the lens of Gerta, the straight female character, It takes away from the impact/journey that Lili goes through on her own t nd her authentic self. Again, this is not a r ctin n th n prfrmancs in this lm rathr, simply an observation about the unfolding of the narrative. Hooper explores his usual fascination of the close-up shot throughout the lm dtailing very freckle on Eddie Redmayne’s face. I did however enjoy his exploration of fabric, clr, and lighting in th lm. The compositions of some of his shots are pure pieces of art that I would love to hang on my wall. The landscapes of Denmark, France, and Germany are beautiful and break-up Hooper’s closeup obsession. In th nal analysis, I bliv The Danish Girl will probably take its place in the LGBT cannon along side, Philadelphia, Brokeback Mountain, and The Crying Game. All f ths lms ar smwhat awd but still rsnat and contribute to the LGBT conversation, which is a very good thing indeed. t Ryan Clark is an assistant professor and program coordinator of Theatre and Media Performance at Stevenson University.
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LIVELY ARTS // BeTWeeN THe CoVeRS
Boystown: Season 4 BY MEGAN SANDWICK Reading Jake Biondi’s Boystown: Season 4 during the holidays was a true gift. Spending time with these yummy, hot, fun characters was a perfect reminder of everything we want to get when we open our stockings this year. My anticipation waiting for this installment of the Boystown series was like waiting for the next season of “Bloodline” on Netflix, I found myself re-reading past seasons for a fix of Boystown hotties. The closing pages of Season 3 were the ultimate cliffhanger, leaving so many questions and issues unresolved. What was so important about that painting, what is going on with Emmett and can my disdain for Derek Mancini as he laid on the ground shot, grow anymore? The answer is yes, Biondi has developed a truly handsome, ego-driven, villain-in-a-suit who regularly makes my skin crawl in anger. The intense opening chapters picked up where Season 3 left off with drama and mayhem happening in every section of Boystown. As quickly as questions were answered about who survived the night, where the story begins, we are also treated to new characters, plots, and twists. Watching the drama unfold, with an attempted takeover of Mancini Global, I am reminded of some f my favrit classic TV sap family dramas including “Dallas” and “Falcon Crest.” One of the exciting central themes of this book is the growing love and feud between the expanding Mancini’s and Ciancio’s families. As we learn of the deep history of the family war that started with previous generations it makes us realize that our hope of a happy union between Gino and Justin is not a reality we’ll soon see. My hope is to learn more about the wise woman who is Marco and Gino Ciancio’s mother in the future. I love that Boystown is an extended family of characters who are flawed, messed-up, and confused yet support each other the best they know how. Sometimes, as I am rolling my eyes at their ways, I think they may not ever want to attend a group function again, but what fun would that be? Having connected with the stories and people over four seasons reading about the trials, heartbreak, and new loves heightens the emotional excitement and reactions as the plot thickens. I truly have a growing like for Jensen Stone. While his introduction to the group was less than ideal, his desire for love and acceptance is understandable. As he started dancing at
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Rebound, picturing his fine body shaking his ass, I cheered for him. Plot lines that have been unfolding over the last few seasons take some fascinating turns as facts are revealed with heartbreaking results for relationships. Surprisingly I now find myself cheering for characters that I disliked in previous seasons. Reading the intense scene with Michael and Keith allowed me to feel the
anguish and pain of both men. While sometimes it is hard to keep up with who has in the past and is currently having sex, such details are not important in Boystown. The quick-paced, action-filled plot line keeps you focused on this group of people whose lives are connected in the good times and bad. Through detailed explanations of each person’s physical features, quirks, and desires, Biondi has brought each character to life in my imagination. I can’t wait for the next season to see who is lying in the middle of the street, who falls of the balcony, and I am not even thinking of that plane taking off! t
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LIVELY ARTS // PERSONALITIES
Through Narrow & Shining Doors BY GREGG SHAPIRO The Narrow Door (Graywolf, 2016), Paul Lisicky’s new memoir, is an intimate and emotionally charged portrait of loss. Writing about the death of friend and writer Denise Gess and the end of his relationship with his partner the writer Mark Doty, Lisicky opens a personal door for readers to pass through and share in his life-altering experiences. Moving back and forth in time, while incorporating his commentary on singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, Lisicky also makes it clear that he is a survivor; one who will live to love and write about life again. I spoke with Lisicky shortly before the publication of The Narrow Door. Gregg Shapiro: Paul, as writer of both ction and memoir, please say something about how you go about deciding whether to tell a story such this in the memoir format versus ction. Paul Lisicky: I used to say I leap genres from book to book so I won’t repeat myself, repeat the same atmosphere, voice, imagery. But this book was different. It insisted on bing nn ctin. In part I wantd t mak a grave marker for my friend. In part I needed to understand our friendship – why did the loss of her cut so deep? That was its urgency. I think the culture at large undervalues long friendships – often those relationships are more intimate than our romantic and familial ties. So at its root the book was driven by inquiry – a need to nd out – rather than pure dramatization, which requires a kind of disappearance into invented characters. I think of th frmr as th wrk f nn ctin. GS: You are very speci c about dates/ years throughout the book. Were you keeping a journal or diary? Or do you just have a fantastic memory? PL: No, never kept a journal. The closest I came to diary writing was a blog, but that’s sort of different, as it’s public: mediated, curatd, nt rally th raw and un ltrd, thugh it might compose itself as such. Fantastic memory [laughs]? I’m okay with remembering dates, but there’s so much I don t remember. For instance, my twenties. This was the rst tim I’d lkd int that part f my lif – and doesn’t the book refer to those years as a “frozen hole?” I was trying to make up my life, which just about used up every nerve and synapse. It used up my ability to remember. So I thought it would be interesting to focus on a time I didn’t have full access to – and possibly think about why and why not. GS: Natural disasters – such as vol-
cano eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes – and man-made disasters – such as the Deepwater Horizon event are interwoven with personal disasters – including the death of your friend Denise, the decline of the health of your parents, the verbal attack and threat of violence in San Francisco, and the end of your relationship with your partner Mark gure prominently in the book. Please say something about disaster as device. PL: Disaster isn’t exactly willed into the book. On a certain level we all know that disasters are happening all the time, not just overseas, but in our neighborhoods, on our blocks. I guess I was in a state of mind when I became more attuned to them. Grief can have that kind of power. And I hope those passages don’t simply function as conduits of feeling. I want them to suggest a connection between the world outside and the world of our own relationships. How do we have solid relationships at a time when the planet is increasingly precarious, when ongoingness isn’t exactly a given? GS: In the “Artist Colony” section you write about “the whole drama of disclosure and hiddenness” in regards to coming out to Denise and others, and it is something echoed in the “Windstorm” section during the affair confession. Do you feel like “disclosure and hiddenness” are still elements in your life or have you moved beyond that? PL: I don’t think I ever sit around the table at a dinner party without wondering afterward if I’d said too much. TMI is probably a more accurate way to describe me – in certain circumstances. It’s weird. I’m certainly open about my identity and sexuality and values – but moving beyond hiddenness? That’s hard to answer. I try not to keep secrets. But have I always been the best communicator in my wn rlatinships? Cn ict will always be hard for me. Openness is life-long work, as I guess it is for most people. It’s not like you step through the shining door and you’re open and free. GS: During the break-up process, you are given permission to write about what has occurred, to which you respond, “but I don t want this in my book!” Nevertheless, it is in the book. PL: Mostly “the book” in that context refers to life story. I couldn’t accommodate one more change, losing one more person I cared so deeply about. I’d already had my hands full, but life had another plan for me.
An interview with Paul Lisicky
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GS: The loss of Denise in 2009 came at a time when losses from AIDS were subsiding somewhat in the lives of gay men, who had become so accustomed to losing friends. In fact, in the “The Freedom of Failure” chapter, you write that M says “he is used to illness…he does well…in the company of those who are sick.” Do you think that the losses you had suffered before Denise s passing made any difference in the way you dealt with her death? Paul Lisicky
PL: I’m sure I could only experience Denise’s death the way I felt the deaths of all those men who had died too soon. Did I unintentionally write an AIDS narrative, but with different variables guiding the story? I’ve wondered about that in retrospect. Denise was a great reader of those narratives. One of her favorite books was (Mark Doty’s) Heaven s Coast – she taught it to her students all the time. Did she die hoping she’d be at the center of such a book? That’s a question I’ve been obsessed with lately, and I wish I had more to say on it. GS: Anyone who knows you or is familiar with your work knows about how important Joni Mitchell is to you. How has the news of her stroke and her recovery affected you? PL: She’s always had pretty serious health problems and until recent years managed to keep them out of the public eye. She’s incredibly strong, so brave. Maybe I’ve let go of my desire for her to come out with a later-in-life Hejira. She’d already done enough, and I’d just rather her be in a place where she’s herself again. GS: In the opening paragraph of the “High Maintenance” section, you write about the way people “talk about her career as if her best songs…were written and performed in the 1970s,” which made me think of the way that artists who cover Joni mainly stick to her early work and rarely venture past Court and Spark. Why do you think that is? PL: I think the great music from the
mid ‘70s – The Hissing of Summer Lawns through Don Juan s Reckless Daughter – is so personal, from the lyrics through the harmonic patterns, that it’s hard to imagine anyone else writing it, performing it. It’s all incredibly subtle, nuanced, shaded. There are no broad strokes, nothing instantly hummable. Melodies vary from verse to verse. I have heard brilliant covers from that work but it’s much harder to play, much more demanding for the audience than, say, anything from Ladies of the Canyon. GS: Do you know if Joni has ever read any of your books or anything you ve ever written about her? PL: She might have read a part of my piece “The Wolf That Lives in Lindsay,” which takes its title from her beautiful, disturbing song from Mingus. I don’t know that for a fact, but it’s in an anthology that she apparently approved of. I have a signed copy from her. GS: You write about writers workshops, which have been creeping into pop culture lately and can be seen in movies such as The End of The Tour – the movie about David Foster Wallace, whom you also mention in your book – as well as in Wonder Boys and Storytelling, in addition to on TV in Girls. Do you think they have been done justice in these portrayals? PL: I’ve seen a few of those scenes from Girls and, well – I instantly knew why I summarized instead of dramatized those Iowa classes. The tension of a writing workshop is pretty much beneath the surface. So much is at stake for the writer, on multiple levels. So many possibilities of exposure, screwing up. I’m not just talking about content but expression, word choice, all of it. So I think writers around the table often take great pains to be poised and sane and articulate. It’s always a hair’s breadth away from chaos. And people most often come to that situation with great professionalism and seriousness – not that we don’t pretend that it’s effortless and make jokes. So the drama of the situation is really submerged and pretty impossible to externalize, which is why Hannah’s overt reactions on Girls end up looking a little fake. No one who’s being workshopped ever wants to look like she’s been wounded. GS: Lastly, Paul, have you started thinking about or working on your next book project? PL: I’ve been working on two books simultanusly. on is a mmir st in my rst years in Provincetown, in the early 90s, and the other is a collection of parables and fables, a bit of a sequel to my Unbuilt Projects. t Read the complete interview at Baltimoreoutloud.com
QUALITY OF LIFE
Violet’s Vet
Dr. Tony Calo
Gay Folks & Their Pets Nt nly am I Vilt’s vt, I am vtrinarian to many other dogs. This has given me the opportunity to meet many types of pet owners, including LGBT individuals and couples. Having a keen interest in the human-animal bond, many questions regarding the importance of animals in our lives have crossed my mind. From my own lif, I knw that Daisy, Vilt, and Hnry, mean the world to Connor and me. In most ways, our world revolves around them. We arrange our work schedules and our vacations around them. We make sure that they are walked and fed on schedule, that they get treats, that they have play time and quiet time, and that they go to bed on time. They are our family. We are responsible for
py and enthusiastic friends their well-being and their happithat are always available. ness. We take all of these things Dogs can also be a great very seriously and of course our way to meet people. For a dogs love the attention and all of single person, dogs can be our dedication to spoiling them. an ice-breaker at the park. Because of how very important Most people are much more these dogs are to me and Conwilling to come say hello nor and because of what I do at and introduce themselves work, I have often thought about to a loveable furry face. the relationship between other This in turn opens up the LGBT people and their very own conversation to the dog’s fur-babies. owner and lead to a personSo why are pets so important to the LGBT community? The family patiently wait- al connection. A dog brings an immediate friendliness The obvious answer is for the ing to open presents to any situation. same reason that pets are so For coupled LGBT famimportant to everyone else. Dogs are cute, fun, and full of love. Seems ilies, dogs can act as surrogate children. pretty simple. For many LGBT people Owning a dog is an opportunity to live behowever, the bond with an animal can be yond the coupling and to be responsible more complex and in many ways, more for another living being. LGBT couples are complete. First and foremost, some LGBT notoriously loving and devoted to their capeople are not inclined to have traditional nine family members. This love and devofamilies composed of a partner or a partner tion to a pet is an especially good match and children. For the single-minded LGBT for a LGBT couple in which children are not person, a dog can provide daily compan- a viable or reasonable option. Dogs love ionship. A dog is always ready and willing having all the attention of both parents and to go for a walk, play at the park, or cuddle they do not care if the parents are of the up on the couch to watch some television. same gender. The couple gains a willing As an added bonus, dogs rarely have an object of their affection. The dog is willingopinion on what to watch. Dogs make hap- ly spoiled and the dog has no two-legged
children as completion. In return, the dog is loyal, attentive, and generally do not talk back when they are teenagers. A dog is the perfect “child.” The companionship provided by a dog is often a very special bond. For a LGBT person, this can be an even more important relationship. The love that a dog offers is unconditional. This means that the dog has the ability to give and receive love, share happiness, and provide comfort and support but without the parameters of knowing prejudices. Dogs offer acceptance and tolerance on all levels. There is no judgment for who you are or who you love or who you sleep with. The dog will not criticize or fight, will not ignore, and will not disown their gay owner or gay parents. These are all issues that many LGBT may have experienced either from their own family or society at large. When a LGBT person has felt disconnected from other humans due to their sexuality, dogs can provide the meaningful and unconditional connection that has been absent from other people. I feel that this is the basis for the strong bond between the LGBT community and their canine companions. t Please share your stories about you and your dogs with Violet and her veterinarian, at violetsvet@baltimoreoutloud.com.
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QUALITY OF LIFE
Ask
Dr. J
Janan Broadbent, Ph.D.
2016: Reset to Zero?
.
What if we all decided to start the New Year with a new and fresh perspective? What if we understood that we could ditch all negative baggage from the past, and reset the life watch to zero, just as we do when the smart gadget misbehaves? Setting aside the issue of whether this is possible, since we are in the nirvana state of th rst wk f 2016 with all rnwd hps and resolutions, would this bring more upsides than downsides? Take a look at the themes that cause cn ict btwn yu and ths wh ar close to you. Is there a theme? The cliché is that money and sex are the two subjects ppl argu r ght vr, and thr is d nite validity to this in my experience. But do consider what makes you upset, irate, or out of sorts, because this is where our Achilles’ heel resides. And then, challenge your mind as to what is at the root of this. For our health, physical and mental, it is crucial to knw what maks us y ff th handl and how we can deal with such events in our relationships so we can maintain a stable sense of content and well-being. Take a look at this excellent TED talk: Ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_ makes_a_good_ It is presented by Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist, and the content has to do with a 75-year study, yes, you read that right. The study had started 75 years ago investigating
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what makes for a good life. End result: It is rlatinships, and spci cally, gd, strng, reliable partners and friends that make for a good life. It is not the huge number of people around you, or that loneliness comes from too few connections. I certainly know marriages or partnerships where there is a body there but loneliness presides. You can be at a party of several people and still feel isolated. So the key is having a person(s) you can count on to hold your hand or give you a hug when you need emotional support. Which is what each human being will need as life presents all kinds of challenges regardless f hw cmptnt r f cint yu may b. So back to my question of resetting to zero, have you come up with what that would do for you to make life easier and what would create problems? I want to clarify that I am not referring to forgiveness here. I am talking about deleting all negative thoughts and experiences from your cache. Basically, empty the trash. While on my computer that opens up new memory capacity, in our brains, it wipes out all the positive learning from failures and bad experiences. Sure, that fender bender you had to deal with, 100% other’s fault, which would be a relief to delete. But if that had happened because you were texting while driving, I hope you learned a good lesson and don’t make that mistake again. Unfortunately, we can’t pick and choose what to delete in our minds as we do with the computer. What we can do is, focus on what the lessons learned are and not obsess over wrongdoings over and over. That amounts to just beating ourselves up, or in the case of a partner’s mistakes, heaping destructive blame on him/her. Goal: A good, long life… t
JANUARY 8, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM
The Law & You
Lee Carpenter
Your Important Papers As the New Year begins, you’ve talked about losing weight, spending more time with the family, and maybe even running a marathon. There is one more resolution to add to the list, and this one’s attainable, organizing your important household papers. This can seem like a daunting task. One of the biggest challenges is sorting out what’s important and what’s not. Documents like insurance policies, birth certificates, and wills are obviously essential. But what about old tax returns, bank statements, and credit card receipts? Research has shown that taming the paper tiger by organizing your household papers is a key to personal happiness. It’s also easier than you might expect. So let’s get started. You’ll need three things; a wallet, a filing cabinet, and a home fire safe or safe deposit box. You probably already have a wallet, which should hold the cards you use often. These include your driver’s license, ATM card, one or two credit cards, your health-insurance card, and maybe a card with emergency contact information. One item not to include in your wallet is your Social Security card, or anything with your Social Security number on it. These can be easily misused if your wallet falls into the wrong hands. It’s a good idea to make a photocopy of everything you keep in your wallet. This will make it much easier to cancel and replace these items if the wallet ever goes missing. Next, your filing cabinet holds important papers you need frequently. The top drawer is for bank and credit card statements, paid and unpaid bills, and medical information. These items should be kept for a year, or at least until the bills have been paid and the receipts reconciled with
your statements. One excellent way to organize these items is to have one folder for each month of the year. Add each month’s statements and receipts to the corresponding folder. At the end of the first year of using this system, simply empty the folder for the coming month and shred the contents, which are now a year old. A month later, repeat the process with the next folder. The bottom drawer of your filing cabinet holds papers you access less often: Tax returns and their supporting documents, which should be kept for at least three years; the title to any cars you own; your mortgage information, and copies of your insurance policies. This drawer also holds employment and education records, and copies of your personal property inventory. Your home fire safe or safe deposit box is where you keep papers that need to survive a fire, flood, or burglary. These include birth certificates, wills, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, passports (or a photocopy if you travel often), real estate deeds, an inventory of your personal property, and original insurance policies for your life, home, and car. If you use a safe deposit box, keep a list at home of the items it contains. One word of caution: Don’t keep your will or other estate-planning documents in a safe deposit box. Upon your death or incapacity, it can be next to impossible for your designee to retrieve them. For your will, one solution is to place it in “safekeeping” with the Register of Wills for a nominal fee, or your attorney may provide the same service at no cost. For powers of attorney and advance medical directives, ask your attorney to prepare multiple copies so you can keep one original at home and a backup in your safe deposit box. Getting your ducks in a row is well worth the effort. It will make your life easier both now and in an emergency. The final step in the process is to enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your affairs are in order. t Lee Carpenter is an associate attorney at the law firm Semmes, Bowen & Semmes and can be reached at 410-576-4729 or lcarpenter@semmes.com. Learn more about LGBT estate planning at Mdlgbtestateplanning.com. This column offers general legal info, not specific legal advice.
Getting those ducks in a row
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Giving New Life to Baltimore’s Theatres BY HARVEY O I have talked about restoration and adaptive reuse before and I am going to do it again. But this time there is a theme, theatres. Baltimore is blessed with an amazing theatre scene. We have a large pool of talented actors, directors, and stage mangers. There are wonderful vocalists, instructors, and educators, along with gifted set, lighting, and sound designers and operators. Equally as impressive are the theatre performance spaces. And in
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recent years, it has gotten even better. Some of Baltimore’s most amazing structures have been renovated to give new life to beautiful ld buildings lld with charactr and histry. In 2004 the Hippodrome Theatre – with its large and impressive brick and terra cotta façade on Eutaw Street – reopened with a complete renovation as the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. It was a glorious day for an impressive structure. The theatre had closed in 1990 when it was the last operating movie theatre in downtown Baltimore. The theatre originally opened in November of 1914 with 2,300 seats as a movie palace and vaudeville performance stage designed by noted theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb. At the time, it was the largest theatre south of Philadelphia and is one of the last opulent designs from Lamb’s early period. It is an outstanding example of early 20th century theatre design with its richly textured façade of ornamental brickwork and an expertly crafted terra cotta frieze and cornice that crowns the building. The interior is lavishly decorated and includes accents in silver and gold. But the focus is the elaborate proscenium arch and stag tppd with Vincnt Maraglitti’s richly colored mural that is the building’s hallmark. The mural composition is an allegory, featur-
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ing goddesses from Greek mythology. The $70 million renovation combined three existing contiguous buildings and a new structure into one state-of-the-art performing arts complex. The three buildings were the Western National Bank Building (1887), the Eutaw Savings Bank Building (1888), and the Hippodrome. The newest constructed building is at the corner of Baltimore and Eutaw Streets. The complex quickly became an integral part of the Bromo Tower Arts & Entertainment District. Though it may seat nearly 2,000 fewer people than the Hippodrome, Everyman Theatre is no less impressive and is located only one-half block to the east on West Fayette Street. In 2013 Baltimore’s Everyman opened the doors to its new space in a building that had started life as the 2,200 seat, Empire Theatre, another of Baltimore’s vaudeville performances stages. That original structure was built in the BeauxArts style and was designed by local architect, Otto Simonson. It had opened in 1910. This building has had a very interesting and colorful history. Though it started life as a vaudeville stage, sometime during its early years, the building also hosted Yiddish theatre, boxing, and even bingo parties. Later it became a burlesque theatre known as the Palace Theatre. After the Palace closed in 1937 because of a public “indecency” uproar, the structure was converted to a parking garage. In 1947, the building was again converted into another use; this time it became a 1,550 seat movie house known as Town Theatre. It was designed by a major east coast theatre architect, John Zink. By 1990 “The Town” was in disrepair, closing its doors and remaining vacant until it was sold by the Bank of America and the Harold A. Dawson Trust to Everyman Theatre in 2006 for the sum of $1. The interior was in bad shape and was gutted to make way for the black box theatre and its accessory functions. During the $18 million renovation and restoration of the building’s interior and granite façade, an interesting discovery was made: a capital letter “E”. That “E,” there since the earliest days of the Empire theatre, now has a new life on the sign of Everyman. It looks like Baltimore may potentially have another renovation to look forward to. This one would be a little different. It is not a theatre looking to go into a theatre. It is a the-
atre looking to go into a pharmacy. The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre is putting in a bid for the former Read’s Drug Store at Howard and Lexington Streets. The location of the building is one block north of Everyman and will help contribute to the arts and theatre scene in the west side of town. Former The building may Read s not be rich with orDrug namental detail but Store at Howard & it is rich with histoLex ry. In 1955, with an eye or desegregation, Morgan State students staged a sit-in demonstration at the store’s lunch counter. Any proposal submitted for the building is required to honor that history. It would be Spotlighters’ intention to re-create the lunch counter as part of the theatre’s concession area. Spotlighters Theatre has been located in the basement of The Madison at 817 St. Paul Street for 54 years. Now, that lease is coming to an end. With this move, it is the goal of Spotlighters to enhance its mission to stimulate and entertain both audience and artist. The additional square footage will provide artists with much needed rehearsal space. It will give crew more building and storage area and prvid additinal f cs and administratin space. It will also provide additional space to expand the educational program with classrooms and workrooms. But most of all it will continue to provide audiences with what they have come to expect of Spotlighters, an exceptional theatrical experience in the round. The new theatre will not only have increased seating capacity, it will also have a larger stage area. Full disclosure, I volunteer my time at Spotlighters. I am not an actor. My work is behind the scenes, and that is help I hope to get from those of you reading this article. Spotlighters is in the process of raising money. There are a lot of expenses even before the construction phase of the work. The project is estimated to cost as much as $5 million. Though that is only a small fraction of the Hippodrome or Everyman, it will have just as much impact on our city. Another notable building saved, another amazing theatre continuing to operate. If you are in a position to help Spotlighters, or any theatre in Baltimore, I ask that you do so. The people that work, act, and build in these spaces contribute to the artistic history and strength of our city and do it for little, and more often, no pay for our enjoyment and education. By helping them, we are helping ourselves. t
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Tech
Talk
David Sugar
Cellphones Beyond Borders While in Aruba this week I was thinking about how many of us have smartphones whether an iPhone or an Android device. These devices allow us to connect to the Internet. We can view our e-mail, view webpages, pull up stock quotes, and do just about anything you can with a full size computer. Unfortunately being able to use the data services your cell phone company provides comes at a premium especially when you are travelling internationally. So how do you save money and not incur high fees for
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data usage. The first and probably easiest option for most is to go to our cell provider and pay international data. Within the U.S. gone are the days of roaming fees. Unfortunately once you travel internationally these roaming fees appear again, not only for calls you may make but also the data you use. These fees are charged per megabyte, so if you aren’t careful with how much data you use then you will be hit with high fees. By paying for international data you avoid some of these higher fees allowing you to access your e-mail and the Internet without worrying about the amount of data you are using. The next option is for those that may have an unlocked that takes a SIM card (phones on the T-Mobile and ATT networks d; Sprint and Vrizn phns, fr xample, do not). If you are one of these lucky few, then consider buying a SIM card for your phone in the country you are visiting. The SIM card in your phone will determine which network you are using, so when you switch out the SIM
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card with another one you can use your phone as normal with whichever cell company is local to the country you are travelling to. Unfortunately most phones aren’t unlocked and we are limited to using a SIM card from the cell provider we signed up with. Maybe your phone isn’t unlocked and you don’t want to pay for the international data. Well the final option is enabling
Saving money on your smart phone while travelling internationally
airplane mode on your phone. This turns off all the radios in your phone. Afterwards turn on only the wi-fi radio and use wi-fi to get on the Internet. You can also make calls through services like Skype without having to worry about cell service charges while abroad. No matter which option you choose do the research before you leave so you aren’t hit with data fees while abroad. Hopefully this will help save you money the next time you travel abroad. t E-mail your tech questions to outloudtech@gmail.com
Leather
Line
Rodney Burger
Schedule a Super 2016! I hope your New Year is off to a good start. I started my year by toasting the first New Year’s Eve held at the new D.C. Eagle. It was also a chance to support Mr. D. C. Eagle 2016 Danny Hawkins as he held his first bar night, worked the club bar and sold some killer Jell-O shots. I love the start of the New Year. I get to take out my fresh, clean calendar book and write down some coming events. Hey, at my age if I want to remember anything I have to write it down, like my name or address. This is already looking like a really fun year filled with some exciting new leather events and some old favorites. So take out your calendar or smartphone and note these dates. The event I am looking forward to most in 2016 has not yet been officially scheduled. They say that good things come to those who wait and the area’s leather community has been waiting a long time for the opening of the Baltimore Eagle. It looks like the big day will be in March or April. You can bet that I will be helping to spread the word. For many people the year starts when the ball drops in Times Square. For the leather community the year starts when the Centaur MC ceremonially drop a cock ring into a cocktail glass at their annual Leather Cocktails party held on Saturday night during Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend. MAL is scheduled at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Avenue NW) on January 15th through the 18th. It is worth the trip to D.C. just to shop the huge leather vendor mart. The Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2016 contest will be held on Sunday, January 17th at 1 p.m. at the hotel. Those who wish to attend just the contest may do so for $25. The Dark & Twisted dance with music provided by DJ Ultra Nate’ will be held Sunday evening from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. at th 9:30 Club (815 V Strt NW) For more details and a full schedule of MAL events visit Leatherweekend.com. While the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest started in 1985, our area will also be treated to a new leather contest this year with the start of the Atlantic States LeatherSIR / Leatherboy / and Communi-
ty Bootblack 2016 Contest. Although the contest is not scheduled until August 19th through the 21st at the Baltimore Eagle, the event will kick off on Friday, February 19th at 10 p.m. at Grand Central as Baltimore welcomes the current International LeatherSIR / Leatherboy / Community Bootblack titleholders to town. There will be a 50/50 raffle, Jell-O shots, and more. Speaking of Grand Central, stop in between 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 24st to meet Mr. Maryland Eagle as seen from Charles Street Leather 2016 Sir Eli and to learn about a new nonprofit rganizatin calld HIV Smart. Thr will land Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW) b raffls, givaways, and fr HIV tsting. will be held on April 28th through May 1 st Last February I had a fantastic time at at the Holiday Inn Cleveland South and the the Southeast Conference of Clubs (SECC) Embassy Suites Independence. CLAW is Leather Weekend at the Parliament House packed with over 50 skills and educationResort in Orlando. In fact I am thinking al workshops, a big leather vendor mart, about going again this year on February and countless parties and functions. Go to 11th through the 15th. This is the 20th year clawinfo.org for all the details. for this event and the weekend pass which Also coming up in April is another new includes cocktail parties, a formal leather leather contest. Leather folks from all over dinner, the Mr. & Ms. SECC Leather and SECC Bootblack Contest is only $69. If you want to escape the cold a little sooner, the Drummer North America Contest has moved from February in Florida to January 28th through the 31st at the Alxis Park All Suit Rsrt in Las Vgas. Rooms start at $109 and the weekend package is just $79. This new event that just started last year will include hospitality suites, interactive skill workshops, a cigar and bourbon social, a comedy and hypnosis show, and the DNA Drummer, Drummerboy, and Bootblack Contest. There is another fun event a lot closer to home on March 31st through April 3rd as the 6th annual Bears, Bikers & Mayhem kicks off at the Eisenhower Inn & Conference Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This fun gathering gets bigger every year. This year you will meet porn star Aleks Buldocek, enjoy stand-up comic Brad Loekle from Last Comic Standing, cheer on the contestants in the Mr. Mayhem Leather 2016 Contest, shop the leather vendor mart, and dance the night away at the Boots to Briefs Blackout Glow Party. Tickets for the full weekend are $135. Find a complete schedule and more information at Bearsbikersandmayhem.com. BB&M is becoming a really popular event. There are two other big events that are always a part of the leather calendar, CLAW and IML. The 16th annual Cleve-
the area will gather at the Jersey Shore as the DNA Mid-Atlantic Drummer / Drummerboy / Bootblack 2016 Contest is held at the Paradise located at 101 Asbury Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey on April 8th through the 10th. The biggest event on the leather calendar always comes over the Memorial Day Weekend as International Mr. Leather will bring thousands of leather folks to Chicago as it has since 1979. This is the leather Super Bowl. It is huge, crowded, and expensive, but you will create memories that will last a lifetime! The Congress Plaza Hotel is this year’s host hotel and you can make plans to be at IML 2016 by going to Imrl. com. These are just some of the leather events coming up this year. You will also want to attend the many bar nights held by area leather clubs and while you are waiting for the Baltimore Eagle to open, check at the D.C. Eagle as it continues to grow and improve. An outdoor deck was recently added, there is now an upstairs area, and a cigar bar is in the works. Happy New Year! I am excited to bring you another year of leather brotherhood. Note these dates on your calendar and come out and join the fun. Make your 2016 super! t
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