OUT
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNI-
Liquor Board Reverses Decision and the Drinkery Reopens BY JIM BECKER Last Saturday night, a crowd of customers ockd to th Drikry, a gay istittio i Mt. Vernon for more than 44 years, to celebrate its reopening after it had been shut down by the Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners on May 19th. The Commissioners reversed the earlier decision on June 2nd and voted to renew the bar’s liquor license. The Mt. Vernon Belvedere Associatio had ld a protst to th Drikry’s application for renewal and that protest led to the May 19th closure. Both the decisions to close and to reopen the bar were made by a divided Board in a two-to-one vote. The June 2nd decision came after the Drinkery’s attorney, Melvin Kodenski, allgd i docmts ld with th Board that one of the witnesses in opposition to the bar, Jason Curtis, owned a liquor license
Sergeant Kevin Bailey, Baltimore Police LGBT liaison
and should not have been allowed to testify. Mr. Curtis is a past president of the Mt. Vernon Belvedere Association and current chair of the association’s Safety Committee. In his testimony he said that the association received so many complaints in the area of the Drinkery that th b ts district spent $30,000, to install City Watch cameras in the area. However, Mr. Curtis did not disclose that he had a liquor license, which two of th Commissiors said disqali d him from testifying at the hearing. This new information persuaded Commissioner Dana P. Moore to change her vote. At the June 2nd meeting of the Board,
Iconic Mt. Vernon bar spared by city
BY BILL REDMOND-PALMER A diverse group of LGBT community members met with Sergeant Kevin Bailey, the Baltimore City Police Department’s (BCPD) new LGBT liaison, at Chase Brexton Health Services in Mount Vernon on June 1st, 2016. The meeting provided an opportunity for Sgt. Bailey to introduce himself to the community, and begin what he stated he hoped would be an ongoing dialogue. Those attending represented many constituencies, groups and organizations, incldig th Of c of th Mayor, ad th Baltimor Stat’s Attory’s Of c. Sgt. Baily is th rst fll tim polic mployee to hold the position of LGBT liaison, as part of the Community Collaboration Division. His portfolio includes his role as LGBT liaison, support for investigating LGBT-related crimes, some training for new recruits, as well as responsibility for the area of hate crimes. Previous LGBT liaisons have all only been tasked to
June 10, 2016 Volume XIV, Issue 3
Commissioner Moore said that she had been persuaded by Mr. Curtis’s testimony at the original hearing, he should not have been allowed to testify, and that fairness required her to reverse her decision to close the bar. Commissioner Aaron Gr ld, th oly commissioner that supported the bar at the May 19th hearing, agreed with her. Board The Drinkery – open again after serving community for 44 years Chair, Commissioner Albert Matricciani, Jr., was not persuaded to I’m forgetting the name of the hotel... but it’s change his opposition to the bar. The June 2nd nearby in the same area, Mt. Vernon neighdecision to reconsider was based upon writ- borhood – Hotel Indigo. And I know Mr. Curten documents in support and opposition to tis, I’ve known him for a number of years, and the motion without additional testimony. his testimony was very persuasive for me. In explaining her change of position, I feel that we should not have received that Commissioner Moore said, “... Mr. Curtis tes- testimony; per our rules that he was not perti d at lgth abot cocrs ivolvig th mitted to participate as a licensee but he did Drinkery and he’s not just a licensee, he’s a anyway. For that reason, I feel it’s only fair to competing licensee. He holds a license for... —continued on page 7
Meeting BCPD’s New LGBT Community Liaison
the position part time. The issue at the forefront of much of the discussion was how police interact with members of the transgender community. This includes concerns that police automatically assume that all trans women are sex workers; ongoing harassment of tras popl; ad th rfsal by of crs to use requested pronouns, gender and names. Sgt. Bailey made it clear that such behavior is inexcusable and should be reported to the department. Sgt. Bailey told the community members that wh of crs wr disrspctfl, ad for example, ignored requests to use requested names, pronouns and / or genders, that
they should contact the Internal Investigation Section of the BCPD, at 410-396-2300 and l a complait. H strssd th importac of following up on complaints when contacted by police detectives, to ensure that bad behavior is properly addressed. When asked what can be done when complainants did not feel safe following through with complaints, he recommended they contact him directly. Other concerns noted by those in attendac wr th lack of traiig of of crs i dealing with, and de-escalating situations re—continued on page 8
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june 10, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM
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Brief Summary of Patient Information about ODEFSEY ODEFSEY (oh-DEF-see) (emtricitabine, rilpivirine and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with ODEFSEY. There may be new information about ODEFSEY. 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 ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY 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 ODEFSEY or similar medicines. 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 ODEFSEY. 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 – nausea – pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking ODEFSEY or a similar medicine for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. ODEFSEY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and take ODEFSEY, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking ODEFSEY. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. – Do not run out of ODEFSEY. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your ODEFSEY is all gone. – Do not stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking to your healthcare provider. – If you stop taking ODEFSEY, 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 ODEFSEY.
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What is ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY is a prescription medicine that is used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: • who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past and have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL, 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 a viral load that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment. It is not known if ODEFSEY is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age or who weigh less than 77 lb (35 kg). When used to treat HIV-1 infection, ODEFSEY may help: • 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). ODEFSEY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or re-use needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have 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.
Who should not take ODEFSEY? Do not take ODEFSEY if you also take a medicine that contains: • carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®) • dexamethasone (Ozurdex®, Maxidex®, Decadron®, BaycadronTM) • dexlansoprazole (Dexilant®) • esomeprazole (Nexium®, Vimovo®) • lansoprazole (Prevacid®) • omeprazole (Prilosec®, Zegerid®) • oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) • pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®) • phenobarbital (Luminal®) • phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin-125®, Phenytek®) • rabeprazole (Aciphex®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater ®, Rimactane®) • rifapentine (Priftin®) • the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking ODEFSEY? Before taking ODEFSEY, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B or C virus infection • have kidney and bone problems • have had depression or suicidal thoughts • have any other medical conditions • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ODEFSEY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking ODEFSEY.
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 ODEFSEY. – 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 ODEFSEY can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in ODEFSEY 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. Some medicines may interact with ODEFSEY. 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 ODEFSEY. • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take ODEFSEY with other medicines. How should I take ODEFSEY? • Take ODEFSEY exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. ODEFSEY is • • • • •
taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection. Take ODEFSEY 1 time each day with a meal. Do not change your dose or stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking ODEFSEY. Do not miss a dose of ODEFSEY. If you take too much ODEFSEY, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. When your ODEFSEY 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 ODEFSEY and become harder to treat.
What are the possible side effects of ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about ODEFSEY?” • Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Skin rash is a common side effect of ODEFSEY. Rash can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get a rash. In some cases, rash and allergic reaction may need to be treated in a hospital. If you get a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop taking ODEFSEY and call your healthcare provider right away: – fever – skin blisters – mouth sores – redness or swelling of the eyes (conjunctivitis) – swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat – trouble breathing or swallowing – pain on the right side of the stomach (abdominal) area – dark “tea-colored” urine
• Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have
any of the following symptoms: – feel sad or hopeless – feel anxious or restless – have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself • Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with ODEFSEY. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with ODEFSEY in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with ODEFSEY. • 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 ODEFSEY. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking ODEFSEY if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take ODEFSEY. 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 effects of rilpivirine, one of the medicines in ODEFSEY, are depression, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and headache. The most common side effect of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, two of the medicines in ODEFSEY, 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 ODEFSEY. 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. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about ODEFSEY. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ODEFSEY that is written for health professionals. For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.ODEFSEY.com. Keep ODEFSEY and all medicines out of reach of children. Issued: March 2016
ODEFSEY, the ODEFSEY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and GSI are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. ODEC0005 03/16
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NEWS // LOCAL LIQUOR BOARD REVERSES & DRINKERY REOPENS – continued from page 1 grant the motion for reconsideration and so... I would grant the motion for reconsideration for that reason.” Commissior Gr ld cocrrd that Mr. Curtis should not have been allowed to testify. “I, too, am concerned that Mr. Curtis’s testimony occurred. I do think it’s in violation of the rule,” he said. Although the Drinkery has survived this skirmish with the local neighborhood association and some of its neighbors, the commissioners warned that the bar must take steps to address issues raised at the May 19th hearing. After voting to renew the license, Commissioner Moore said, “Can I just do a footnote, if I might. And it’s not to say that there aren’t problems at the Drinkery. The testimony from the others, other than Mr. Curtis, did certainly amplify problems ad th thigs that d itly need to be addressed very very quickly or else they will be back in front of us.” Commissior Gr ld agrd, “If I could just add as well, I agree with Commissioner Moore. While I was in the minority initially on the 19th, I am very concerned about how the Drinkery is operated, and as I said a few weeks back, I would not like to see … the operator back before this body again for any violation.” At the May 19th hearing, in addition to Mr. Curtis, the Mt. Vernon Belvedere Associatio prstd th tstimoy of v othr witnesses in opposition to the bar, including three Mt. Vernon residents and two police ofcrs. Cocilma eric Costllo ad othrs opposing the license were in attendance but did not testify. Among the letters objecting to the bar’s continued operation were ones from Councilman Costello and City Council President Jack Young. The witnesses against renewal of the license, three of them gay men, complaid of ois, loitrig, ghtig ad a unwillingness of the management of the bar to do anything about it. The licensee, Fred Allen, 87, has run the Drinkery for 44 years. At the license renewal harig, h tsti d that h has vr had a arrest inside the bar during those 44 years and had never been before the Liquor Board for a protest of the renewal of his license or for a violation. He said he has had security cameras for 20 years, long before the city did. Chief Liquor Board Inspector Mark Fosler testi d that th Drikry l iclds oly thr
complaints over the past year and all were sbstatiatd. Thr cstomrs tsti d i support of the bar and challenged the negative description of its patrons painted by those protesting the license renewal. Becky Witt, the Community Law Center attorney who represented the Mt. Vernon Belvedere Association before the Liquor Board, declined to comment on the Board’s decision to grant the license in an email to Baltimore Outloud. However she said, “MVBA just postCoveted license ed a lengthy statement to serve to their Facebook page, which may be helpful to you – I don’t think they will be commenting other than that.” In its Facebook page comments, the association defended the decision to protest the license renewal, repeated many of the concerns addressed at the initial Liquor Board hearing, criticized the Liquor Board’s investigation and enforcement record, and expressed concerns that some of those who were challenging the Drinkery’s license were being bullied. However, the statement also extends and olive branch to the Drinkery management. “With the Liquor Board’s decision to reverse its earlier ruling, and renew the Drinkery’s liquor license, the MVBA looks forward to working with the management of the Drinkery to help ease the concerns of many of the residents who live near this establishment. We hope that, togthr, w ca d soltios that will enable the Drinkery to remain the cherished establishment it is to its patrons, while making it a better neighbor to the people who live nearby.” (See the full statement and comments at Facebook.com/MVBA1938/?fref=ts). Clearly, however, the association’s decision to challenge the Drinkery’s license continues to generate controversy. A petition initiated by Brian Gaither on Change.org, is urging the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center to move Pride from Mt. Vernon next year claiming that the neighborhood “is no longer the welcoming gathering place for the LGBT Community that it once was” and citing the Mt. Vernon-Belvedere Association opposition to the Drinkery as an example. Find the petition at Change. org/p/glccb-leadership-move-baltimore-prideout-of-mt-vernon) When contacted by Baltimore OUTloud,
Mr. Allen, the bar’s owner, said he was quite shocked by the license renewal protest because the Mt. Vernon Belvedere Association had not sent him a letter to raise concerns about the bar, adding “in 45 years, I have never had a citation.” He also said in the last couple of years he has become aware that there are real estate interest with eyes on his property and that this may explain some of the increased scrutiny that the bar is receiving. Nonetheless, he said that he sat through the hearings and will address the legitimate issues raised by those protesting the license. He said, “In all of the years I have operated the Drinkery, I have always strived to be a good neighbor. My granddaughter is exploring companies that can provide security and I will take the necessary steps to address the problms idti d.” Shortly after the Liquor Board’s decision, the Drinkery manager, Larry Evener, expressed relief and satisfaction that the bar was being allowed to reopen, in an interview with Baltimore OUTloud. “We are delighted by the Liquor Board’s decision and look forward to getting back to work serving the community,” he said. Mr. Evener acknowledged the community concerns and the admonishment of the Liquor Board Commissioners to improve the operation of the bar. He said the
bar is taking steps to address them, including the hiring of security. He noted that the state’s no-smoking policy is a challenge because it forces customers outside, but bar staff will remind customers to be respectful of the neighborhood when smoking outside of the bar. The reopening of the Drinkery can be seen as a victory for diversity. Of the three remaining gay bars in Mt. Vernon, it is the only one with predominantly African-American patrons. Among some of the bar’s supporters, there has been concern that this predominantly African-American customer base provided an undercurrent to the protest, perhaps sbcosciosly. O cstomr tsti d in support of the bar at the May 19th hearing that he thought that the change in the bars demographics to majority African-American may explain some people’s opposition to the bar. Jabari Lyles, president of the board of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore, commented that the activity around the Drinkery has never matched the weekend debauchery that occurs in Federal Hill and Canton Square. However, clearly the protesters struck a chord with the Liquor Board, which only reversed its decision when it came to light that a witness against the bar held a liquor license and had tsti d i violatio of th rls. t
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NEWS // LOCAL
BTMI Helps Clothes Make the Man BY BILL REDMOND-PALMER When William Shakespeare wrote “Clothes make the man” in Hamlet, he did so in the cotxt of highly strati d socity whr one’s class controlled every aspect of their lives. While we may not think so, even today, while we do not have the same social ranks, appearances still mean a lot. They speak to others about who a person is, and suggest their level of importance in society. “Clothing is a thing that society uses to make assumptions about people,” said Vann Michael, a representative of the Maryland/D.C. Chapter of Black Transmen, Inc. (BTMI). “Looking at the current climate of
Merrick Moses – fashion by Knot You Vintage
assumptions about black masculinity, when it shows up in different types of clothing, it is the difference between life and death.” To support the Baltimore-area transmasculine community, the local BTMI Chapter is hosting a mixer and networking event called I AM ME, (Inner Active Masculinity: Masculinity Exchange) that will provide an opportunity for transmen to develop their selves and a positive self-image. The event will be held on Saturday, June 18th, 2016, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at Knot You Vintage (716 B York Road, Towson). The event is open to all in the transmasculine community and their allies. Knot You Vintage, is owned and operated by fashion stylist, curator and tailor Devlon E. Waddell, who helps his clients put together a personalized style just for them, together with prsoal ttigs. Yo ca chck ot his work at Knotyouvtg.com, and at Facebook.com/ KnotYouVtg Kot Yo Vitag “is a af rmig spac for transguys and our masculine allies because it is often hard for our community to shop for clothing,” said Merrick Moses, local BTMI chapter representative. “We are pleased to partner with a business that afrms commity ad rspcts all popl.” “Society has imposed a very rigid frame-
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work about masculinity, maleness and the way it should be presented in society,” said Michael. “I AM ME is aimed at deconstructing these hetero normative ideals, giving space for all who carry variations of masculinity to develop their own sense of self.” Admission to the event is $5. Half of the admissio pric gos toward cstomrs’ rst purchase from the shop. To learn more about BTMI, visit them at Blacktransmen.org. For more information about the local BTMI chapter, or to make a donation to support their work, email vmillhouse@blacktransmen.org or visit Facebook. com/btmimd. t
Stonewall: A Family Reunion BY BILL REDMOND-PALMER Have you ever wanted a chance to feel and taste what life was like during Stonewall and the decade that followed? Maybe you think it’s about time we bring back the Sunday afternoon Tea Dance? You’ll get both at the Stonewall Family Reunion Tea Dance, planned for Sunday, June 26th from 1 to 5 pm, at Flavor Restaurant and Lounge (15 East Centre Street, Baltimore). The event will have games and prizes, ad will fatr msic clbratig th rst dcade after Stonewall. You can help create the playlist for the dance by sending your favorite song from the years 1969 to 1979 to lgbt@ chasebrexton.org. There will be a buffet of family reunion / picnic themed food, as well as a signature cocktail, as created by the amazing executive chef of Flavor, Julia Belton. “It shouldn’t be that we only run into friends once a year at Pride,” said Bethany Henderson, the SAGECAP program manager at the LGBT Resource Center (LGBTHRC) of Chase Brexton Health Services. “The Stonewall Family Reunion is a celebration halfway between Honor Our LGBT Elders Day and Baltimore Pride, and it brings us together around an important time in our history.” SAGECAP is a program of the LGBTHRC, that aims to provide greatly needed services to LGBT elders and informal caregivers who identify as LGBT themselves and/ or care for someone who is LGBT. SAGECAP Baltimore is a unique partnership between the LGBTHRC and SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders). Their many programs and services are designed to help address the critical issues faced by LGBT older adults. The SAGECAP (Caring and Preparing) program offers one-on-one counseling, support groups, monthly workshops, assistance with acial ad lgal isss, rfrrals to ag-
june 10, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM
ing services, and linkage to medical care for LGBT older adults and caregivers. You do not need to be a patient of Chase Brexton to take advantage of SAGECAP services The idea for a tea dance came from the LGBT Caregiver Support Group, and the theme was chosen by the Community Advisory Board of the LGBTHRC. The event is a fundraiser for LGBT Older Adult Services at the LGBTHRC. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets are available at Tinyurl.com/stonewallreunion. t
Mahj Jong Madness Gather up your friends and join in the madness… Mahj Jong Madness. On Wednesday, June 22nd, at 7 p.m. at the Bolton Street Synagogue (212 West Cold Spring Lane), join Baltimore / Washington area’s only certified mahj jong instructor, Marc Wernick. He will be teaching the basics of the game. Spend the evening learning to play this well-known Jewish tile game. This game of strategy and socializing is
Ladies of the tiles
making resurgence among all genders, ages 12 to 120! The evening will start with a short, lighthearted, moving documentary about women who play this centuries-old game. The film explores the shared experiences of the players and their families, and chronicles the very social aspect of the game – food, camaraderie, gossip, and most importantly, the life-long bonds that form between its players. Experienced players are invited to come and play in a separate parlor. You will come away not only knowing your “cracks” from your “bams,” but you will also be convinced that mahj jong is not just a game, it is a lifestyle. Contact Erin Bolan, Bolton Street Synagogue administrator at ebolan@boltonstreet.org or 410-235-5354. Reservations highly recommended, and cost is $10. t
MEETING BCPD S NEW LGBT COMMUNITY LIAISON – continued from page 1 lated to individuals with mental health issues, and domestic violence, prior to resorting to potentially lethal violence. Sgt. Bailey noted that of crs ar ow rcivig traiig o these concerns, and that there are currently several mental health professionals riding with patrols to provide advice and counsel. While making clear that those present did not question Sgt. Bailey’s commitment or sincerity, one of the toughest issues raised, was the community’s concern about the seriousness of the department’s commitment to change, with several community members noting that these meetings have been happening for many years, without noticeable impact on the way police interact with the LGBT community. “I’d like to see substantial intention from the police department to improve practices related to marginalized communities, including people of color, people with disabilities, and those in the LGBT community,” said Jabari Lyles, president of Balitmore LGBT community center. “I’d like to see that they are taking us seriously. We are looking for urgent plans for a transformational culture shift.” So far, sensitivity training on LGBT isss has b prstd to oly 200 of crs out of the BCPD’s total 2,200 existing staff. There is currently no timeline for when all or v a maority of of crs will rciv th training, which new recruits receiv as part of thir idctio. Thr is also o spci c syllabus for the training at this time, though one is in the works. Community members recommended the department could improve community relations by holding focus group style meetings with spci c costitcis, icldig ad especially LGBT youth. They also strongly recommended that department leaders meet with the community, not to instruct, but to listen and to engage in open and honest dialogue. The LGBT liaison works with an advisory board made up of consumers and representatives of other government agencies, and community organizations. The board is currently recruiting new members. Anyone with a stake in the LGBT community is welcomed to apply, and will be chosen by vote of the board. For more information, contact Sgt. Bailey at 410-396-2553 or kevin.bailey@baltimorepolice.org. Sgt. Bailey hopes to schedule many meeting with the community in the future, with the next meeting being held in July of this year. t Bill Redmond-Palmer is the community outreach liaison for Baltimore oUtloUd. Have a news story idea? E-mail bredmondpalmer@baltimoreoutloud.com.
BEYOND THE BELTWAY compiled by Jim Becker
People having same-sex experiences has doubled Chicago, Illinois – The number of Americans who have had same-sex sexual encounters has doubled since 1990, and the number who say there’s nothing wrong with that has almost quadrupled in the same time period. Thos ar th digs of a w stdy by th National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. Titled “Changes in American Adults’ Reported Same-Sex Sexual Experiences and Attitudes, 1973-2014,” the report was published June 1st in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Doing it double
For the study, a team of researchers from three American universities analyzed the prevalence of men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women, as well as the acceptance of such behavior nationally, from 1972 to 2014. The change they noticed was dramatic. For example, the percentage of adults who believed that same-sex activity was “not wrong at all” went from 11% in 1973 to 13% in 1990 and to 49% in 2014. The change in attitudes toward gay sex went hand in hand with a change in sexual behavior. According to the report, “the number of U.S. adults who had at least one same-sex partner since age 18 doubled between the early 1990s and early 2010s from 3.6% to 8.7% for women and from 4.5% to 8.2% for men. Bisexual behavior (having sex with both male and female partners) increased from 3.1% to 7.7%, accounting for much of the rise, with little consistent change in those having sex exclusively with same-sex partners. The change was mostly due to people having sex with partners of both genders. Changes in sexual attitudes are also generational, the
study found, but all generations changed their sexual attitudes over time. “Millennials are markedly more accepting of same-sex behavior than Gen Xers were at the same age – but then, so are most adults,” co-author Ryne Sherman of Florida Atlantic University told the Washington Post. (Seattle Gay News – Mike Andew at Sgn.org)
Texas GOP says majority of Texans gay Dallas, Texas – As reported by Reuters, a Texas-based LGBT advocacy group helped spark a grammar debate over whether an errant comma in the stridently anti-homosexual Republican Party of Texas platform can be read as saying the majority of Texans are gay. The plank that was approved by delegates at the party’s convention last month reads: “Homosexuality is a chosen behavior that is contrary to the fundamental unchanging truths that has been ordained by God in the Bible, recognized by our nations founders, and shared by the majority of Texans.” Lone Star Q, which describes itself as the state’s “No. 1 source for LGBT news,” asked on Twitter to have a “grammar debate” over the wording. In response, grammarians pointd ot that placmt of th al comma i the plank could lead to understanding it to mean that homosexuality is a chosen behavior shared by the majority of Texans. They also noted that “nations” should have an apostrophe and that by using “has been,” the plank gives the impression that homosexuality has been ordained by God. Party of cials did ot rspod to rqsts to comment. The party, which dominates Texas politics, has been hostile toward homosexuality
for years. Its platform has said homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable lifestyle and gays should not be allowed to marry. Over the years, the party’s platforms have favored a number of hard-right positions, such as cutting off funding for about a dozen U.S. government agencies, including the Internal
Revenue Service, abolishing the Federal Reserve, a return to the gold standard, and U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations. (Reuters Online – Jon Herskovitz at http://www.reuters. com/article/us-texas-lgbt-idUSKCN0YA2RQ)
Now with less silver...
Man charged with drugging, robbing gay men Norwood, Mass. – As reported by the Associated Press, a Norwood man has been indicted on kidnapping and other charges for allegedly drugging gay men at their homes and then stealing their possessions. Authorities said that 50-year-old Riccardo D’Orsainville is facing charges including poisoning, larceny over $250, and receiving stolen property. He allegedly pretended to be a wealthy European émigré and one victim reported that he met the alleged robber on a web sex site called Silver Daddies. D’Orsaivill is accsd of sig a ctitious persona with at least three men between March and April 2013 before going to their Boston homes to drink alcohol with them. The men told police they were drugged ad passd ot. Thy said thy awok to d thousands of dollars’ worth of belongings, including valuable artwork, had been stolen. Police say they executed a search warrant at D’Orsainville’s home and recovered the stolen items. His arraignment has not yet been scheduled. His attorney declined to comment. In 2014, D’Orsainville pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $60,000 and misuse of a passport, according to U.S. Attory Carm Ortiz’s of c. norwood is 26 miles south southwest of Boston. (Bay Windows, The Associated Press at Baywindows. com & Masslive.com)
A mile-high Pride celebration in Arizona Bisbee, Arizona – If there were awards given out to Pride festivals, Bisbee’s pride festival might well qualify in the “Small But Mighty” category. Arizona’s mile-high former
mining town (nestled as it is at 5,000 feet above sea level) has a total population of only 5,000, but its cool June temperatures and its strong integration between the LGBTQ and ally communities create a near-perfect festival venue that literally involves all of downtown. Bisbee was salvaged by hippies and artists when the mines closed in 1974. “Our pride festival becomes part of the Bisbee community – we’re not behind a fence,” said Kathy Sowden, owner of Finders Keepers antique shop in Bisbee and festival organizer since 2009. “I think it’s really freeing for attendees to be in a small town where they can be themselves. We did a srvy last yar for th rst tim ad asked people what they like about Pride,” Sowden explained. “More than 50 percent said ‘community,’ ‘town,’ or ‘acceptance.’” This year, Bisbee Pride will take place from June 17th to 19th, with festival activities (many of which are free) spread throughout the town. That level of community involvement may very well be the secret ingredient that keeps attendees coming back, year after year. Sowden, who has lived in Bisbee for 11 years, said although the town has o of cial gay bars, LGBT rsidts ad visitors feel comfortable showing affection and being themselves, everywhere they go. It’s a dynamic that’s not gone unnoticed by Pride attendees, she said. t (Echo Magazine – Liz Massey at Echomag.com)
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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THINKING OUTLOUD
Pointing it Out
By Sage Piper
Akil Patterson, John Waters, & Not Stopping the Beat This past week, Charm City was treated to an exquisite and unexpected surprise – call it an early burst of infectious Gay Pride. For at the same time two vastly different local gay men reached out in vastly different ways to move the minds and hearts of Baltimorons everywhere, and it was quite a sight to see. On the one hand, Akil Paterson, the Frederick High School graduate, former Terp football star, and pro athlete published a passionate edito-
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rial in the Baltimore Sun (“U.S. Equality Problems Encompass More Than Race”) in which he called on the black community to embrace the fight for LGBT rights as its own. Powerful stuff, coming from a man who spent years hiding his sexual identity from the world and has now found his voice. Meanwhile downtown, John Waters was busy narrating a one-week concert edition of his classic musical Hairspray, reigniting the story of the large white girl who battles discrimination and sparks an integration movement. Patterson and Waters: one young, black, physically powerful and idealistic – the other white, quirky, pencil-thin, droll and joyfully celebrating his 70th year – and taken together they packed a powerful punch. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my city…
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In his high-profile college days, Akil Patterson lived the torturous double life of the black gay athlete buried in the closet, fearful of coming out and inciting the censure of teammates, coaches, family, and his wider community. How things have changed. These days, Akil is a confident and vocal community activist and organizer who spends his days directing Youth Programs for Athlete Ally, a national nonprofit dedicated to making sports inclusive for everyone. “I’m an Athlete Ally because sports knows no sexual orientation,” is the organization’s mantra, and Patterson works to provide public awareness campaigns, educational programming, and resources to foster inclusive sports communities. Patterson has found himself through taking a stand against homophobia and transphobia in sports among youth and communities of color – and bringing the message of respect, inclusion, and equality to athletic communities everywhere. He does not for a moment forget the pain of his own youthful experiences, and he realized that athletes like Michael Sam have had an easier time coming out because of the trials of people like him. But while he’s proud to be a part of the struggle, he’s most concerned with publicizing his own story because it might help some young athlete today who is isolated and wary of being himself in the world. Patterson does not want anyone else to lose the time he did. So he’s championing respect in his own way, riding the tide of equality progress while reaching out to African-American men in particular to take on the ongoing fight for LGBT equality, in the context of the great civil rights struggles – past and present. And then there’s John Waters. The Baltimore son was in full regalia at the narrator’s podium for Hairspray, basking in the love of his hometown audiences and Akil Patterson
delighting the troops with bits of juicy Baltimore trivia and real-life inspirations for the show’s characters and settings. No one seems more surprised than Waters about the relevance of his well-worn play, which is set in 1962 Baltimore, as well as its many reincarnations (a movie, a Broadway show, another movie based on the Broadway show … and a soon-to-be-live-TV-version in December) – and the fact that it hits a bigger nerve than anyone could imagine, given today’s political climate. Hairspray s main character Tracy dreams of being famous and integrating a local variety show – The Corny Collins show, a Waters standin for the Buddy Deane Show. In real life, there was an integration push for the Buddy Deane show in the early sixties … and it was then cancelled for good the next year. There was no happy ending – no people joining together, kicking up their heels in brotherhood and celebrating the common humanity which connects us all. So Waters did what he could do, controlled what he could control – he wrote that happy ending into his show. And he believes that it is exactly that common sense should-be ending which captures people today and give Hairspray continued life, hungry as we are for reconciliation. Waters offers that Hairspray has been successful for so long because “it stands for everybody who has been hassled. And Hairspray has a happy ending, the kind you wish would happen all the time.” Hairspray is, at heart, a civil rights story. It is John Waters using words and lyrics and cosJo hn tumes and over Waters the top hairdos to change the way people see the world. He’s exhorting us still: it’s an exciting world out there – go and embrace it, feel the beat, be a part of it, rise up. Akil Patterson is saying the same thing to the sports world: “you can do anything you want to … so knuckle up, stand strong, be independent, grow, develop, and become the man or the woman you were meant to be.” And his message to fellow black males in this country – as long as one LGBT American is discriminated against, we must all fight for the freedom from that infinite oppression. The message is one of uplift. You can’t stop the beat. t
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THINKING OUTLOUD people living with HIV is the goal, along with condemning the social and legal systems responsible. HIV advocacy has always been driven by those with the most to lose. An argument could be made that gay white men, now decades after the plague years, have increasBy Mark S. King ingly exited the activism scene and are off somewhere getting gay married and enjoying access to HIV treatment and PrEP. Left behind to do the heavy lifting are women and people of color. They have been core advocats i th ght all alog, of cors, bt have had to watch as other populations got what they came for and then peeled away. If you go with that thesis, then the prominence of women and people of color at HIV is Not a Crime is as bittersweet as it is triMarco Castro-Bojorquez (Lambda Legal), umphant. Produced by The Sero Project and the Maxx Boykin (HIV Prevention Justice Alliance), and Naina Khanna (Positive Wom- activism powerhouse Positive Women’s en’s Network) at HIV is Not a Crime (II) Network USA, the conference served as a Training Academy held May 17th to 20th in training academy for advocates working to reform or repeal State-wide HIV criminalHuntsville, Alabama. The issues of race, gender and privilege ization statutes, and the work of organizers is a testament to our common bond: the empowerment of people living with HIV, speaking about ourselves, for ourselves. The intersections of race, gender, and sexuality were given as much weight as strategy sessions on working with legislators and lawyers, and the program repeatedly drove home the fact that criminalizing behaviors relatd to spci c grops Marco Castro-Bojorquez (Lambda Legal), Maxx Boykin (HIV of people is as AmeriPrevention Justice Alliance), and Naina Khanna can as apple pie. Ple(Positive Women s Network) at HIV Is Not a Crime (II) nary speakers included crackled through the recent HIV is Not a advocates for women (including transgender Crime (II) conference like a live wire, throw- women), current and former sex workers, ing sparks at every turn. From the main stage immigration reform and drug legalization adto the hallways, attendees called out white vocates, and, most powerfully, people who classism, the utter failure of the criminal jus- have been prosecuted under HIV criminaltice system (unless its purpose is solely to ization statutes. My video coverage of the HIV is Not imprison black men), and what it truly means a Crime (II) Training Academy provides a to be an ally of marginalized communities. It was at turns exhilarating and a little glimpse of the demographic landscape the unnerving. White male advocates like myself conference offered, even if I managed to might have lost our bearings from time to chronicle remarks by elevated HIV advocate time, wondering why we felt self-conscious Mary Fisher while not capturing enough of the at a conference devoted to an issue we care electrifying words of grassroots activists like deeply about. No matter. The anti-criminal- Maxx Boykin, Ashton P. Woods, and Marco ization movement is largely populated by Castro-Bojorquez, or criminalization survivors women and people of color, and their job like Ken Pinkela and Monique Moree (add isn’t to make me comfortable (activism rare- them to your Twitter feed anyway). It is tough to describe the experience ly is). Changing laws that imprison innocent
My Fabulous
Disease
Checking Privilege at ‘HIV is Not a Crime’ 2016
// MARK MY WORDS
Corporate equality, from Comcast to Charlotte BY MARK SEGAL When you’re in the media, you get invited to events where you see other media professionals with whom you work. So it was no surprise when I showed up at a press conference last month to preview the Fourth of July Wawa Welcome America celebration that I saw my friend David L. Cohen, who is Comcast’s senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer. Diversity is an issue he takes very seriously. He asked me, “Did you hear what happened at the shareholders’ meeting?” When I said no, with a smile, he suggested I look it up. Here’s the gist of what happened, according to the Hollywood Reporter: “Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts answered questions about the liberal bent of MSNBC and the presence of company staff at the GLAAD Media Awards. Comcast ‘must appeal to all sectors of the population,’ said one shareholder in a submitted question, arguing it shouldn’t take positions on any cultural issues that ‘divide’ people. ‘The recent Xfinity LGBT presence at the GLAAD Awards was ‘no more neutral than it would be for Comcast to hire picketers at an abortion [clinic],’ the shareholder argued. Xfinity is Comcast’s digital cable service. Roberts responded: ‘We are a diverse and inclusive company, and we respect all perspectives and points of view’ of employees and customers, he said, adding: ‘Thank you for your point of view.’” If I can be so bold to translate corporate speak, that was a diplomatic way for Roberts to say that Comcast Corporation, the nation’s largest media company – yes, larger then News Corporation or Disney –
of being on the campus of University of Alabama i Htsvill with ths rc advocates for four days, living together in dorms and taking our meals in the cafeteria. HIV is Not a Crime may be the most perk-free conference any of us have ever experienced, with no exhibit hall or pharmaceutical sponsors bearing swag bags, and I don’t believe we would have it any other way. For more information on HIV criminalizatio, ad why this cotis to b th d ing moral HIV issue of our time, I urge you to visit The Sero Project for video interviews with those who have been prosecuted and a state-by-state map of HIV statutes. Meanwhile, my friends, please be well.t
is proud of winning awards from GLAAD, just as it would be proud to win awards from organizations representing the African-American or Latino communities. Roberts’ reaction also makes a very clear point: Those who support LGBT equality are not apologetic. And there’s another important issue Roberts raised. When President Obama referenced in his second inauguration speech, “Selma, Seneca Falls, Stonewall,” he made it clear that LGBT rights should be put on the same level as the fight for all human rights. Roberts’ polite reply made that same point. I serve on Comcast’s Joint Diversity Council as the LGBT representative. The council advises the company on issues of diversity. I’ve watched this company excel in diversity: addressing the inclusion of African-Americans, Latinos, Asian Pacific Islanders, disabled people, Native Americans, LGBT people, and many more. Comcast not only meets the challenges of inclusion, in many areas it is now a corporate leader; besides advancing diversity inside the company, Comcast invites diverse groups, including the LGBT community, to bid for company business as outside vendors. So let me take it a step further: Corporations that step forward are the new front in our struggle for equality, and they should be welcomed when they do so in meaningful ways, other than those who look at LGBT inclusion as just window dressing – especially in areas where little or no LGBT rights exist, or the government has taken away LGBT rights, like in North Carolina. While many performers have boycotted the state, thus far the corporations that have major businesses in the state have only just signed on to the weak Human Rights Campaign letter. PayPal, to its credit, pulled a planned expansion in the state, but others must step forward. American Airlines has its number-one hub in the nation in Charlotte, the sixth-largest airport in the country; maybe it would help if they did more than simply sign on to the tepid HRC letter. The Charlotte Airport is the engine that propels North Carolina’s economy, so American Airlines’ help in this area could move North Carolina. t Mark Segal is publisher of PhiladelPhia G ay N ews . His new memoir a Nd t heN i daNced is out now. Follow him at Facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter.com/ PhilaGayNews.
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QUALITY OF LIFE
Ask
Dr. J
Janan Broadbent, Ph.D.
Authentic? Maybe Not We have all been bombarded by this phrase: Telling it like it is. It has become the mantra du jour; always stated with an implied positive connotation. In that vein, there can be no filters, or no concern given to the impact on the other person’s well-being. Why is that good? Along comes an excellent article from Adam Grant, Wharton professor, New York Times writer, author of Originals and Give and Take), published on the LinkedIn site (Linkedin.com/pulse/dangers-being-authentic-adam-grant). Now you see what research shows about the effect of telling it like it is on one’s business life. Grant states that based on an analysis of 136 studies
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on 23,000 workers, lower performance evaluations and less chances of promotion into leadership roles may accompany the careers of those who answer the survey questions “authentically.” It is not a huge jump to look at how too much authenticity affects relationships. The classic example is that question: Does this outfit make me look fat? Leaving aside the concern over looks, what is the authentic answer? In Grant’s terms, what is the sincere answer? What would you say? How do you deal with the impact of your true opinions and thoughts on the well-being of the person you care about? This does not mean dishonesty. If you have stopped loving someone, continuing to say you do love him/her is not the truth, no matter how badly you think it might hurt them. You have to find a way of expressing yourself with the true feelings. Basically, you have to search within yourself, to understand what is happening in the relationship, why
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you have reached this point, and how to resolve the conflict of feeling one way and behaving another. It may be the tug-of-war between the heart and the mind, feelings versus ratio- nal thought. I recently listened to someone say: “During the first week of our dating, my partner disagreed with what I said at dinner, so she left the restaurant and stormed away. I should’ve been warned, but I was in love with being in love and disregarded what my head was saying.” Yes, your heart overruled your head. It is not easy to discern between trusting your intuition and your heart and choosing to go with your head. We do not control feelings, but we can examine them, and in an ideal world, merge the thinking and the feeling. Which is how we can negotiate that elusive balance. So the magical word is: Balance. To know when to be authentic, to express what is in your inner world, to acknowledge
the vulnerability that it introduces. One cannot love sincerely without being vulnerable. That same vulnerability, however, also brings in strength. If I tell you I love you, I
“So the magical word is: Balance. To know when to be authentic, to express what is in your inner world, to acknowledge the vulnerability that it introduces.” am making myself open to being hurt (rejected?) by you, but I also know that if I am hurt, I will recover. It will not destroy me. It may make me miserable, depressed, sad, angry, you name it. But I will survive. t “When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability....To be alive is to be vulnerable.” – madeleiNe l’e NGle
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QUALITY OF LIFE
Open Wide ask Dr Eva
Dr Eva Hersh
Can We Legally Define Gender? Dear Dr. Eva, What’s going on with these Bathroom Bills in North Carolina and some other states? I thought that transpeople were getting more rights these days, not less. D.L. Dear D.L., Let’s take stock of recent events... Bathroom Bills – At last count, “bathroom bills” have been proposed in eight
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state legislatures, but so far one has been passed into law in only one state: North Carolina. Bathroom bills are proposed laws which would require that people use only the bathrooms meant for the sex listed on their birth certificate. That is, transmen would have to go to women’s bathrooms regardless of how masculine they feel and look, and transwomen would have to go to the men’s bathroom regardless of how feminine they are. How do they plan to enforce that? Since they didn’t designate any funds to post guards at bathroom doors to check birth certificates or examine genitals, it can’t be consistently enforced. It could happen that someone might think another bathroom-user is trans and attempt to check and see. In that case, I don’t know whether the punishment would be greater for the person who is in the “wrong” bathroom or the person who assaulted them trying to find out. I hope most people who were ever taught manners would be embarrassed to ask a stranger about their gender – but you never know. What’s the point? The reason that is
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Do we need to?
being given is that transwomen, who these lawmakers are calling “men in dresses,” might go into women’s rooms to molest girl children and embarrass adult women. Once it was pointed out that there are no known cases of trans sex offenders, the line was changed to say that although transwomen might not molest children, heterosexual non-trans men might dress up as female exactly for that purpose. However, there are no known cases of this occurring, either. It’s interesting that there does not seem to be any concern about transmen molesting boys and embarrassing men in the men’s room. There have been multiple assaults on both transwomen and transmen in public bathrooms, most of which have not been reported to police for fear of further abuse. Forcing transmen into female and transwomen into male bathrooms might very well make people upset. It also will put transpeople at risk of verbal and physical abuse. This is because after hormone treatment is given for some time, most transpeople look exactly like people born into the sex the transperson has transitioned to. Why doesn’t someone tell that to the legislators? They’ve been told, in testimony from transpeople who bravely took the risk of publicly talking about their gender transitions. The problem is that people who are prejudiced have trouble assimilating information that contradicts their prejudices. After the North Carolina law was passed, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch made a strong statement in defense of the civil rights of transpeople. She announced that the Federal government is suing North Carolina for violation of civil rights law. She pointed out how similar bathroom bills are to racial segregation laws. In response, the governor of North Carolina essentially said he will stand in front of bathroom doors to prevent transpeople from entering the appropriate one, the one where they wouldn’t stand out, and
be embarrassed or assaulted. It is amazing to me how similar this is to Governor George Wallace’s statement over 50 years ago that he would “stand in the schoolhouse door” to prevent little black children from going to school with little white children. He did stand there, with an axe handle, but he failed to prevent progress towards civil rights and justice. Why are they suddenly interested in this? A few reasons. First, progressive social change is usually followed by backlash, an outburst from socially conservative groups that don’t agree with the change. Second, part of it is “monkey see, monkey do.” Once th rst bathroom bills wr proposd, som legislators in other states liked the idea and copied it. Finally and most insidious there is the problem that some socially and politically conservative groups maintain cohesion by dig othrs to hat. Althogh ths grops are furious about the recent legalization of same-sex marriage, they can’t strike back directly because in recent years, it’s gott lgally dif clt ad socially lss accptable to attack gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Transpeople were the natural next choice. They are a tiny group, about one third of 1% of the population. Most people don’t know any transpeople well. They look like a safe group to bully. That idea is supported by the fact that transpeople suffer more hate crimes tha ay othr grop. For th rst tim, transpeople are being protected under the federal Civil Rights Act. Despite the current backlash, we can hope to see some positive changes over time.t Eva Hersh is a Baltimore family physician. Please send questions and comments to her by e-mail at dr.eva@baltimoreoud.com
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LIVELY ARTS // OUT ON STAGE
A Fool’s Paradise BY RYAN CLARK Theatre Editor Last Thursday night, I was treated to a wonderful dose of Shakespeare in one of the most innovated ways imaginable – a bingo game. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company hosted a group of five theatre artists (and one guest) in their production of A Fool s Paradise. This independent group boasts 30 Shakespeare scenes in 60 minutes all using the devise of a bingo game. Audience members call out the numbers, which are associated with various Shakespearean scenes and monologues. Stand-out performances were “Titus Andronicus: A One Person Titus summary” where the actors literally performed a “dumb show” of the bloody
Chesapeake Shakespeare
audience interaction and finally the quality of the five actors who were clearly steeped in classical training. The bingo game didn’t hurt either as audience members were treated to various prizes for wins. A Fool s Paradise (a 2015 Charm City Fringe award-winner) is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. For more information about A Fool s Paradise, check out the company’s website at Afoolsparadiseshow.com. t
Celebrating 44 Years of Live Theatre BY RYAN CLARK Forty-four years ago, Virginia native F. Scott Black had a dream to bring quality theatre and exciting performing opportunities for artists to the Baltimore area in the summer. He, along with his other colleagues at Essex Community College (now CCBC), began this experiment called, Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre. While theatre trends and tastes have changed over the last four decades, countless thespian folk (including this writer) walked the boards of the Cockpit stage that has expanded over the years to include three venues on the Baltimore County Campus. At one time boasting eight performances a season, which included everything from Shakespeare to Rogers & Hammerstein, now, Cockpit prsts v prodctios a saso. Under the leadership of Cockpit veteran actor, director, and choreographer, James Hunnicutt, this season is boasts some very exciting and crowd-pleasing theatrical offerings. The season opens with Stephen Schwartz’s (the creator of Broadway’s Wicked), Godspell, which is a musical-theatre re-telling of the last days of Jesus Christ loosely based on the gospel of Matthew. In the Upstairs Cabaret space, Cockpit is featuring an Agatha Christie murder mystery, Towards Zero. Later in the season, young theatergoers will be treated to Disney s Mulan, Jr. Wrapping up the season in the Cabaret will be another mystery offering in Alec Coppel’s The Gazebo. Finally, the Mainstage season concludes with Monty Python’s mega-Broadway hit, Spamalot. Community theatre has a challenging tightrope to walk. Not only does it offer the-
Cockpit in Court
plot of one of Shakespeare’s most violent plays. Another featured performance was Logan Davidson’s portrayal of Bottom / Pyramus in A Midsummer Night s Dream. I still feel haunted by Lisa Hodsoll’s “Out Damn Spot” speech from Macbeth. Sabrina Sikes Thorton’s Cordelia from King Lear was heartbreaking. Finally, Jenna Rossman’s Gloucester from the same play was arresting. Director and actor Sarah Curnoles, whose brilliance and ingenuity brought this piece to life, round out the company. A Fool s Paradise is similar to the 1987 hit, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. The concept is to bring short pieces of Shakespeare to life for an audience while maintaining a distance in knowing that we are not seeing the entire play in context. I felt A Fool s Paradise worked better than Complete Works because of the choices of text, the actor/
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atrical productions to an audience, it also offers theatrical performing opportunities for the community. Different from regional theatre, all of the actors on stage come from the community itself, providing local actors with an outlet for their creative energy and impulses. Managing and artistic director James Hunnicutt always has the latter of these goals in mind when picking a season. In choosing Mulan, Jr., Hunnicutt says, “(it) seemed to offer a variety of roles for various-aged kids – and come, on it’s Disney.” Cockpit is attempting to not only please its huge subscriber base but it also is trying to bring a younger audience to the theatre. “We have been trying for years to push the age demographic of our audience. We try to pick one show that we know will please our subscribers, who tends to be the over-40 crowd, and then pair it with a newer show, hoping to bring in younger audiences to experience live theatre. This year’s Godspell is a revamping of th origial with a modr air. Othr shows we’ve done to even the age gap over the past few years include The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, and Hairspray,” says Hunnicutt. “Cockpit is your neighborhood theatre that has a good reputation for doing shows well and at one of the cheapest prices in town,” he adds. Godspell opens on the Mainstage Theatre Friday, June 10th at 8 p.m. and Towards Zero opens in the Cabaret Theatre Saturday, June 11th at 8 p.m. For more information about the entire Cockpit season and to get tickets, call 443-840-ARTS. t Ryan Clark is an assistant professor and program coordinator of Theatre and Media Performance at Stevenson University.
Maryland Native Reprises Role in Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s Hairspray BY FRANKIE KUJAWA Grab your Aqua Net and teasing comb because Hairspray returns to Maryland this month at Toby’s Dinner Theater. Actor and performer Larry Munsey, recently sat down with Baltimore OUTloud to discuss his return as Edna Turnblad, the lovable Baltimore housewife who has charmed the hearts of both Charm City and the world.
“When they did this on Broadway they did not put much of the Baltimore accent in it.” Frankie Kujawa: What can audiences expect from this performance? Larry Munsey: It will be colorful and bright. Fun and energetic. It will be a blast to the past filled with great 1960s sound. FK: How will your version of Edna be different than others? LM: I don’t know if it’ll be that different, however I approach it how this woman would feel in the 60s. It’s never as a man. This is a living, breathing woman who has a daughter and husband she loves and isn’t happy with the way she looks. Just as Tracy makes her journey, Edna makes her way from being a housewife. She had her dreams of being a clothing designer and she put that on hold. Once she was married and had a kid those dreams took second place. So she’s able to almost be reborn again. She’s discovering what she’s able to do. FK: Do you think you have a bit of an advantage being a Marylander playing someone from Maryland? LM: The funny thing is when they did this performance on Broadway they did not put much of the Baltimore accent in it. It’s hard to believe that an accent like that really exists. It’s such a made-up sound. So for Maryland, when you are here, you can do it and everyone gets it. Everybody knows a ‘hon.’ I can go into Highlandtown
LIVELY ARTS // OUT ON SCREEN
More Chills on a Grander Scale BY CHUCK DUNCAN Director James Wan knows how to do horror films. After his big break with the original Saw, he followed that up with the not-well-received Dead Silence, the pretty good Insidious, and the excellent The Conjuring which hearkened back to the classic haunted house movies where visual scares were more important than overly loud music cues and sound effects. Wan applied what he learned to Insidious 2, and made a sequel superior to the original. Wanting to expand his horizons, Wan took a detour with Furious 7 in 2015, and is now back with Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring 2. The Warrens are the (in)famous demonologists (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who become media stars and pariahs after their involvement with a haunting case in Amityville, New York. They insist the haunting was real, but many
others insist it was all a hoax. As The Conjuring ended with the Warrens being told about the Amityville case, The Conjuring 2 opens with that investigation in progress although this is not the film’s major haunting. After a harrowing experience at the Amityville house where Lorraine saw a vision of Ed’s death, she begs him to not take on any more new cases. But fate has more in store for them as their contact from a local church approaches them with a new, urgent case in England (known now as the Enfield Haunting) which became their most celebrated case of all. At a small home in northern England, a mother and her four children become terrorized by something in their home, something that is focused specifically on young Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe), second oldest of the children. Janet finds herself
and [in a thick Baltimore accent] listen to dem’ and listen to dem’ O’s. [Speaking normally] I play it up more so than other productions. FK: Did you always want to be a performer? LM: I actually started out as competitive figure skater. That was my career goal from the time I was probably about six- or seven-years old. I competitively skated all through college when someone said that Toby’s needed a dancer in their production of 42nd Street. That was 1987. I then let skating go to the wayside and started my career at Toby’s, performing all the time. FK: Have you been performing there since? LM: From there I went on several national tours. I performed in Gypsy, Grand Hotel, State Fair, etc. Then I opened the original company of Starlight Express in Las Vegas for Andrew Lloyd Webber. I was out there from 1993 to 1995 and in that time I did Starlight Express and then City Lights at The Flamingo. From there I came back to Maryland and started costum-
ing, as well as performing and doing hair and wigs. I went to New York for a bit and came back when Toby opened the new theater in Baltimore. I came back as an associate artistic director here and that’s where I ended up. FK: Do audiences enjoy the dinner theater experience? LM: Absolutely! We have a different view of dinner theater. I think we do very high quality productions. We do a theater production… it just happens to be serving dinner. And the dinner is good, as well. You get to come have a good meal and a great show! t hairsPray runs June 16th through September 4th.
Larry Munsey as Edna Turnblad in Toby s Dinner Theater s Hairspray
Goosebumps galore
being transported to different rooms of the house while she sleeps and becomes possessed by what sounds to be a 72-yearold man (and he’s either a very heavy smoker or a demon or a combination of both). The Warrens arrive to try to find an answer so the church can get involved, but others question the motives of the mother Peggy (Frances O’Connor) and if she put her child up to pretending to be possessed in order to get government assistance for their family. After the opening scenes in Amityville and right after some family time with the Warrens, the story moves to England to set up the Enfield haunting and it’s quite some time before we see the Warrens again. Wan does a terrific job of letting us get to know the Hodgson family, Peggy and Janet in particular. When the Warrens arrive it’s nice to see how caring they are with the family, and each other, and how closely they bond but even when they see and hear things happening in the house, Lorraine just cannot detect any real malicious spirit at work. We’re left wondering at one point if it was indeed a hoax all along. Farmiga and Wilson give terrific performances once again. The actors have genuine chemistry together and because we can see and feel that on screen, it helps show the strong love and devotion the pair have for each other. Even when being put through the wringer by a demonic spirit, the two still have each other’s back no matter what. O’Connor is also good as Peggy, having to go from skeptic to believer over the course of the story, and Franka Potente is the true skeptic out to prove Janet is faking the whole episode. She’s so good at being so callous that you keep wishing for the demon to manifest itself and give her a what for. The standout, however, is Wolfe, who has to go from a normal little girl getting in trouble at school for having a cigarette to channeling the evilest of spirits. Aided by an appropriately demonic voice, Wilde’s facial expressions and tics really help sell the possession. She gives Linda Blair a run for her money in the demonic child category. As always with Wan’s horror films, the CGI is kept to a minimum with the scares sold by actors in makeup, sound effects and clever camera work that builds the tension. Many times Wan’s camera moves around from one place to another and you’re just waiting for that scare that never comes. And when it does ... well, Wan
The Conjuring 2
seems to have slipped back into some old, bad habits by allowing extra loud music cues dictate when you should jump instead of allowing the visuals to do all the work. The sound wasn’t as out of control as it was in the first Insidious movie, but there are some occasions in the movie when it’s totally uncalled for. The Conjuring was a huge step forward for Wan and his use of subtlety, and here he’s taken a couple of steps back (and, who knows, it could have been something the studio bigwigs forced on him). It’s fine to use a bit of music or sound effects to help sell a scare, but it doesn’t have to assault the auditory senses while doing so. It just cheapens the effect of the scare. That being said, The Conjuring 2 is still better, and classier, than most of the low-budget horror fare out there today, and for that it should be applauded. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of the Warren’s cases on the big screen, and more of that Wilson/ Farmiga chemistry at work whether Wan continues with the franchise or not. t
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LIVELY ARTS // PERSONALITIES
Have you met Mr. Jones? BY GREGG SHAPIRO What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the longstanding British new wave musical influences of the 1980s? The holy trinity of The Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths? Of course, you’d be remiss if you left out Howard Jones. A vocal presence since the early 1980s when his first hit single “New Song” was in rotation on the radio and on MTV, Jones lived up to the promise of that track with a series of unforgettable singles. Songs such as “What is Love?,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life in One Day,” “Everlasting Love,” and his biggest hit, “No One is to Blame,” established his lasting legacy. Not one to sit on his laurels, Jones continues to make music to this day, including songs heard in the 2016 Hugh Jackman film Eddie the Eagle. I recently spoke with Jones, who is currently on a U.S. concert tour, about his career and more. Gregg Shapiro: In “New Song,” your first single as a solo artist, you sing “I don t want to be hip and cool.” But, in a way, that happened regardless because of “New Song” and your music which was very much of the 80s new wave moment. Do you think that s a fair assessment? Howard Jones: Yes. We were doing something different. We were using new technology. We were using video. It was new, and I guess, quite cool and hip [laughs]. But it wasn’t the intention to do that. It happened by accident. GS: Speaking of “New Song,” it was heard in an episode of the popular Breaking Bad series. As a musician, how do you feel about the way songs, old and new, are increasingly incorporated into TV shows and movies, usurping radio as a means of introducing listeners to music? HJ: I think it’s part of music being sidelined quite a bit, to be honest. Music is now co-opted into other art-forms, whereas it used to be its own thing. Now music is just associated with other things. What you said is just another example of that. It’s just the way it is. I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about it. The focus has gone away from the audio side, from what music can do for you. GS: Echoes of 80s synth-pop and new wave continue to be felt today, es-
pecially with the popularity of electronic dance music. What does it mean to you to be a part of the musical legacy that played a part in launching that trend? HJ: [Laughs] Obviously I had no conscious awareness of doing that. I just loved the new technology and I wanted to make sounds that people hadn’t used before. I wanted to use it in pop. I really didn’t think any further than that. What happened was that loads of young kids went out and bought synthesizers and drum machines and started making music in a very different way. That evolved into electronic dance music. Right now that’s a massive scene which has its own momentum. I’d grown up with songs and that kind of thing. I wanted to do something with these sounds and invent new ways of playing it live. I was trying to do something different. I suppose it did contribute to people being interested in the new technology. GS: Are there any EDM artists with whom you might consider collaborating or with whom you have already collaborated? HJ: I really like an American artist called BT. I’m a huge fan of his and I think he’s super talented and wonderful. Cerdri Gervais recently did a great remix of “Things Can Only Get Better,” which I really like. People do send me requests. I don’t really have many people remix my stuff because I’m not keen on a lot of it. I wait until there’s somebody I really think is good and then I work with them. I very much like to do things myself. I work with a small team of people. I get offered lots of things to work with people outside, but I want to do it in my own way. I feel I’ve earned the right to be independent and enjoy that independence. Set the agenda and the direction and go for it. GS: With nine full-length studio al-
An interview with Howard Jones
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bums to your name, do you have an alltime favorite? HJ: No, I don’t. That would be impossible for me to say. They’re all very different, that’s for sure. I used the opportunity to make a new record to try something different and work in a different way and try and learn new things. They’re all part of the picture, really. I really do love them all, honestly. Otherwise they wouldn’t be out there. GS: Some of your biggest hits, including “Life In One Day,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “No One is to Blame” and “What is Love?,” could be considered “advice” songs. What s the best
Howard Jones credit: Simon Fowler
advice you were ever given? HJ: I suppose one of the things you could say is that in those songs I’m probably talking to myself just as much as to anyone else [laughs]. There’s a lot of sort of self-therapy going on there. For me, it was always reacting to something, rather than taking advice. I always thought it was very important to be yourself and do what you do. It doesn’t matter what other people
do. They do what they do. Only one person can do what you do. I don’t know where I got that philosophy from as a young person, but I definitely live my life like that. I was always trying to be different to what other people were doing, especially as an artist. You don’t want to be copying people. You want to be striking out in a new direction. That’s the way things move forward. GS: As an artist who tours regularly, what do you like best about the live performance experience? HJ: Live performing is dangerous [laughs]. It’s very much in the moment. You have to be on your game all the time. If it goes wrong, it’s up to you. It’s about risk-taking and enjoying that. It’s life on the edge a bit, really. Even though you may have done this for many years, you still get nervous. “Suddenly, tonight, it’s all going to go wrong! I won’t be able to sing! I won’t be able to remember anything!” I enjoy that walking on the edge; it’s exciting. It’s a great way to live. GS: In addition to hits and fan favorites, have you also been incorporating music from Engage in your sets? HJ: Yes. When I get to do my own shows, which I’m doing quite a bit on this tour, there’s new music from Engage. There’s also brand new music from the Eddie the Eagle film for which I wrote a couple of new songs, that I’m playing. It covers the whole career. I think it’s important to be playing new things that you’re doing, as well. It would be wrong not to play all the big hits. People really want you to do that; I totally get that and I enjoy it. GS: Speaking of touring, I understand that you did a tour with Andy Bell, Erasure s gay front-man, a few years ago. What was that like? HJ: It was great! I love Andy. He’s such a lovely man. We got on very well together. I’ve been seeing him a bit more recently. We did that tour together and I see him at the English festivals that we do. He also had a track on the Eddie the Eagle film. I saw him at the launch of that. I think Andy’s brilliant! GS: Are you aware of your own following in the LGBT community? HJ: Yes, I am. I’m extremely honored! GS: Finally, the question that is on many people s minds – do you still think “no one is to blame”? HJ: The way I try to live my life is that I am responsible for what happens in my life. I don’t look to blame other people and things outside of myself. It’s my life, it’s happening to me, I’m responsible. That still works. No one is to blame, except me. t
OUT IN THE VALLEY
Parenting OUTloud
Rev. Kelly Crenshaw
Summer Break Well, it’s time. Time to find activities to occupy the minds of our children until school starts again in the fall. For many kids, summer break is a time for relaxation and sleeping in. For others, it’s filled with summer camp and scheduled activities. And, for others, it’s a short break between semesters that run year round. About a year ago, I had a conversation with a parent who was determined to fill every week with a different activity. Her kids were scheduled for no less than three different sleep-away camp experiences, several weeks of vacation with extended family and, when at home, activities designed to enlighten and enrich. She was very proud of the fact that her kids wouldn’t have to be at home one single day during the entire vacation. There were no trips planned for the family to take together. Even the time with extended family was designed so that each child had his or her own separate experience. She was looking forward to giving her children memories. As we talked, it dawned on me that she was just also excited about them going away. She looked forward to the break from parenting. She was anxious to have some alone time for the entire summer vaThe activity cation. The more we talk- scheduled ed, the more I real- for 3:45 p.m. ized that she was so – Ryan on the slide focused on being the perfect parent that she could never actually enjoy her children. She was able to talk about their grades and their batting averages and the parts they danced in the last ballet recital, but had no idea what her kids really enjoyed.
The longer we talked, the more she realized that she didn’t know her own children. She began to recognize that her children didn’t know her either. And, that made her sad. I think scheduled activities and team sports are great for kids. However, I also think that kids need to learn to enjoy life. And, for many kids, having a busy schedule means they may not be able to focus on what actually makes them happy. I was that scheduled kid. I was a cheerleader and on swim team and in a million clubs and in Scouts and a musician. Well, you get the point. I left the house in the wee hours of the morning and often didn’t come home until late each evening. I have all kinds of memories of those times, but what I don’t have are the memories of family time. I remember the band concerts and the football games. I remember all the things that kept me busy, but I don’t have many memories of what I did with my brother and parents. I encourage you to spend time with your kids. Play a game or take a walk. Spend a vacation together and make memories. Give your kids something to re-
member forever. Show an interest in the silliness that is childhood. Praise them for their creativity and enthusiasm. And, above all else, let them learn about you and what it is that makes you unique. t Rev. Kelly Crenshaw is the mom of 16 adopted kids, two biological kids, Guardian of one baby girl and foster mom of doz-
ens. Some are lesbian, some gay, some straight, and some bisexual. Kelly founded a K-12 day school where kids could have a safe, bully-free environment for learning. She is co-owner of a counselling agency that works with children and their families. Send your parenting questions to her at pastor.kelly@comcast.net
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OUT IN THE VALLEY
Beyond the Ice
Machine L:aura Anderson
Support for Parents of Trans Kids Being a child and also being transgender has never been easy. You know you are different. You know you are not like the other kids in your class. If people find out you hope they will still like you. You are forced to live with a secret so huge that it can be crushing. If your parents are supportive and help you to transition, you try to get by at school with no one else knowing. If your parents are not supportive, life is a living hell and your darkest thoughts haunt you daily. Until recently, transgender issues were quietly set aside. No one noticed us or seemed to care. That was good... sort of. Today, however, our trans children are hearing far too much. The headlines speak of state legislatures and religious groups expressing how horrible transgender people are. The children are not stupid – trans kids hear people saying they are perverted and are a threat. How can a little six-yearold trans girl be a threat to anyone? Yet, she must hear adults talk and debate and have meetings about trans kids and school facilities. She sees other girls in her class using a restroom to which she is barred. She sees parents picketing and protesting about her own identity while the identities of her classmates are never questioned. She goes to shop at a Target with her parents and must pass a gauntlet of haters with signs and shouts about how horrible transgender people are – about how terrible she is. Our transgender boys and girls have been thrust into the eye of this storm and those of us who care are trying our best to keep them safe. The parents of transgender children are being challenged as well. First, there is the realization that my child is trans – nei-
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ther she nor we chose this. Then, once we accept that reality, there is the task of finding support – from other family members, neighbors, the school, health providers. Away from urban areas this can be difficult. A new support group for parents of transgender and gender-nonconforming children is forming in the Cumberland Valley (Hagerstown, Chambersburg, Shippensburg, Carlisle areas). The group is associated with TransParentUSA, a non-profit organization begun in St. Louis by several parents who had nowhere to turn for assistance. They found that by seeking support and connection with other transforming families, understanding and acceptance was enhanced. Not only working together to find resources and community support, TransParent has been busy providing education opportunities for others. As advocates for transgender children, these parents are countering the hate and ignorance spewed forth by the uncaring adults who have no idea about the difficult
struggle being transgender can be – a struggle not only endured by the trans children, but also by the families who love them. Monthly meetings of TransParent have included parents, grandparents, caregivers, and others. The group meetings are a time for the sharing of experiences and resources, a time for parents to express their fears and concerns, and a place to examine what it means to be young and transgender. The meetings are also a place for parents to discover that they and their children are not alone and that there are other parents and children in their community experiencing similar struggles. To learn more about the Cumberland Valley / Chambersburg Chapter of TransParentUSA, contact the group at transparentcmb.pa@gmail.com. New members and visitors are always welcome! t Laura Anderson is an educator, author, researcher, parent, and granddad. Her years teaching in public school classrooms as male provided the foundation for her more recent role educating future teachers. Living female for the past decade, she has come to appreciate the privileges she once held – both male and cisgender – privileges now replaced with the fulfillment of living as her true self.
OUT IN THE VALLEY // BRIAN’S BRAIN
Proud Dynamite BY BRIAN GEORGE HOSE I remember my first day of elementary school quite clearly. My desk was in the front row and my eyes focused on the friendly blue octopus beside the letter “O” on the alphabet above the blackboard. As the teacher explained the rules of the classroom and what we would be learning, I started to feel overwhelmed, like I didn’t know what I was doing or how to adjust to big-kid school. My eyes stayed on the octopus, whose smile and waving tentacle assured me everything would be alright. The octopus was right and I soon gained confidence, even pride in myself. But each year brought new challenges and the bar continued to be raised higher and higher. Each year started with self-doubt. I began telling myself that I would know what I was doing when I was older. Now that I’m in my late early-30s, I find myself wondering how I’m really doing at this grownup business. Should I be proud of myself? Which brings me to Maria Bamford. I’ve been a fan since Bamford entered the comedy scene in the late 90s. Now, Bam-
ford has a critically acclaimed series on Netflix called “Lady Dynamite.” The series is loosely based on Bamford’s own life as an unconventional comedian trying to make a career in Hollywood as she learns to live with mental illness (bipolar type 2, “The Deuce”). Each episode features a chorus of voices singing, “I don’t know what I’m doing more than half of the time,” in four-part harmony in the style of a vintage bubblegum ad. Part of the appeal is that this is a sentiment most of us can relate to, and for good reason. We can plan and organize every detail of our lives, but we do not exist in a vacuum. Life is constantly changing with new and different challenges appearing every day. Someone else’s actions affect us and our plans; an unexpected detour makes us late, despite having left early. All these things can affect our confidence in
ourselves, sometimes making us feel that we’re faking it or barely scraping by in life, like we don’t know what we’re doing. It’s no wonder pride can feel so elusive. It’s always easy to find something wrong in life. Even when things are going well, we may think we could and should be doing better. We don’t feel proud of ourselves because we haven’t met the standards of society or the standards we’ve set for ourselves. When we do meet those standards, we often raise the bar and the self-doubt cycle begins again. When self-doubt sets in, we can use our mind to change the feelings of our heart. We can use logic to remind ourselves that we’ve overcome challenges in the past, proving that we aren’t completely helpless and powerless. We can use reason to identify tactics that have and haven’t worked in the past to decide how to handle new problems, giving us a sense of control. We
can also look at ourselves from a different perspective that changes the way we think of ourselves, such as shifting from the mindset of a victim to that of a survivor who beat the odds. Let’s use Bamford as an example. What does “Lady Dynamite” mean? A literal definition of dynamite would be the volatile, deadly explosive substance used in bombs. But, from a different perspective, dynamite is slang for “awesome” and “amazing.” Perhaps this is Bamford’s message, that our darkness can also be the source of our light. Sometimes the things we’ve been told not to be proud of are the very things that make us special, just as Bamford’s struggles with mental illness led to her unique perspective and current success. Not knowing what you’re doing is okay because everyone feels this way sometimes, meaning you’re not alone. Eventually we figure things out and move on to the next challenge, better prepared and bringing lessons we’ve learned to new situations. It’s in learning to solve our problems and face our challenges that we grow, moving from the darkness of night to the light of day. Embrace your dynamite, and be proud. t
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OUT IN THE VALLEY // FAITH
Spirit Speaks
Rev. Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor
The Word of the Lord We’ve been spending the last few issues looking at Progressive Christianity and what it means. Last time I wrote about a progressive view of God and Jesus, one not based in judgment and guilt but one based in relationship and love. In this column I want to address probably the biggest difference between Progressive and Evangelical Christians, namely the Bible. You may have heard all the hullabaloo in the past few weeks with regard to the United Methodist Church and the inclusion of GLBT people. As a former United Methodist pastor who had to leave because I was gay, I really believe the issue for most church folk is not sexuality, but their understanding of the Bible. Here’s why: There are two schools of thought about the sacred scriptures. One says they are God’s word, plain and simple. Some use words like inerrant (without error), inspired, or infallible. For these people the Bible is the beall and end-all of their faith authority. “The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!” their bumper stickers sometimes read. I remember seeing a bumper sticker once that read: The King James Bible… Good enough for Jesus, Good enough for me!” Really? I wasn’t aware jss spok elizabtha eglish i rst-ctury Palestine (stupid me!). The problem with this view (in my opinion) is that it is, frankly, naive, and uninformed. The Bible was not created in seven literal days ad w hav sciti c proof that th earth is more than 10,000 years old. I remembr big taght that Moss wrot th rst v books of th Bibl. I always wodrd how Moses wrote about his own death and brial bfor th fth book dd. That’s o spectacular author! The reality is that the Bible is not meant to be taken literally. It is not a book of history or science. It is a book of theology. Science asks how something happened, History asks when something happened. Theology and philosophy ask another question: why? The purpose of the creation story then in not to answer the how things were created. That would be sci-
... Well, sort of
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ence’s job. Nor is it to answer the when, that would be history. The creation story’s intent is to answer the why. Why were we created. What is the meaning of our existence in and with the world around us? To read the Bible as a book of history or science is a misuse of the scriptures and irresponsible theology. A contrasting view of the Bible would be a contextual view. The Bible in this view is still a holy and inspired book. It’s not mere literature of its day, but it does share a message that has real meaning for our lives. But that meaning comes not from its historical accuracy, but in its interpretation and understanding in the community of faith in every generation. A contextual reading of the Bible approaches the scriptures from the perspective of their context and culture. What did it mean to them in their day? How do the stories of th Bibl r ct a drstadig of God i those days and how can we learn from them today for our faith journey? The Bible is not the inerrant, infallible Word of God, but the collected stories of faithful men and women who have struggled with what it means to live out their relationship with God and their world. Sometimes they got it right and sometimes, well, they made a royal mess of it all. In either case, we can learn from it. And most importantly a progressive, contextual view of scriptures recognizes that our understanding of God is never complete. We understand life differently than people did 50 years ago let alone 6,000! We understand mental-health issues in a way that they did not when they attributed everything to demonic possession. We understand gender roles in very different ways than did the Apostle Paul when he wrote about women being subjected to men or than the Old Testament writers who believed that a woman’s monthly cycle made her ritualistically unclean. The Bible validates the owning of slaves and the stoning of just about everyone! Did you know you could kill your disrespectful children? It’s in the Bible! (Thank God my parents didn’t follow every law to the T!) And of course we understand sexuality and gender identity in vastly different ways than did the ancients. I have been told by evangelical pastors that this denigrates the authority of the Bible? My answer? It sure does! But you see, I don’t worship the Bible, I worship God and God is not bound by or in the scriptures. God is bigger than their understandings and believe it or not, even bigger than your or mine. When you worship the Bible over the God of the scriptures, you commit Bibliolatry. And that’s exactly the problem with fundamentalism: The Bible has become their God. (I am not very popular in Evangelical circles, as you might imagine.) Progressive Christianity does in fact val-
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Thoughts on Pride BY REV. KELLY CRENSHAW This month begins Pride season for the LGBT community. And, at New Light MCC, Pride extends to the life of the church. This past week, we celebrated our Pride Service. It’s one of our most important services of the year. Some years, we’ve had guest speakers. Others have featured special music. This year, we saw a movie. It was created by a group of men and women in an organization for gay Christians. It was a musical parody about the struggle that many people experience when trying to balance being gay and Christian. The main character had always been told that being gay is sinful and therefore not Christian. He struggles with being true to himself and true to God. On one hand are the people who are trying to turn him straight. On the other are the ones who are trying to convince him that in order to embrace his sexuality, he had to turn from God. By the end of the production, he realizes that loving God has nothing to do with being straight or gay. Loving God has everything to do with loving God. At New Light, we celebrate and praise God. This God loves each one of us and embraces us as children. We know that God made us all just the way we are and that the way we are is good. Our congregation will continue to celeue the scriptures. It is the sacred story of how the Spirit of God was at work in faith communities throughout time. God continues to be revealed to us in many ways and our understandings of faith are enhanced by their witness. Is the Bible factual? In some parts I am sure it is, in others, clearly not. But even in those places where facts give way to metaphor, there is truth. And our job as people of faith is not to seek facts, but to seek truths. And to let those truths help us live in more loving, authentic relationship with our world. t Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor is pastor of Grace United Church of Christ, Frederick, and Veritas United Church of Christ, Hagerstown.
brate Pride month throughout the summer by participating in Pride events throughout the region. Won’t you come and celebrate with us? t For more info about New Light contact one of the co-pastors at 301-797-5698 or newlightmcc@hotmail.com.
OUT IN THE VALLEY // REAL ESTATE
How to Stage Your Home for Sale BY CHARLOTTE ASHTON Thinking of listing your home? What should you do to get ready? Here are a few suggestions. No matter what your objective – whether it be to sell “as-is” (putting little to no money into it) to totally updating to get top dollar – there are things you can do to help you get more profit. I suggest that you minimize, depersonalize, declutter, and clean all properties whether selling “as-is” (making no repairs) or not. Now is the time to sort through belongings and get rid of things you are no longer using and then organize what is left. It is best to remove family pics that are hanging on the walls as potential buyers may have difficulty picturing themselves there. Clean
and freshen up floor and wall surfaces. Paint and replace older carpeting or other floor surfaces if in worn shape or dated, if budget permits. Also cupboards, cabinetry, countertops in kitchen and baths may be best updated depending on age and condition and of course your budget and your objective. Lighting fixtures are relatively inexpensive and go a long way to update a property, as well as appliances. Make sure all mechanical systems are in good working order (unless selling “as-is”). Make sure the exterior appears to be well kept. Clean and freshen up. Paint if needed. Straighten up the yard, trim up any overgrown shrubbery, and do a little landscaping. Maybe add a couple plants or flowers or small trees or bushes and mulch if landscape is lacking. First impressions are so important. Update doors and or shutters if budget permits. If not well kept on the outside often folks won’t bother to set up an appointment to see the inside. Even if you are selling a family home that is in need of updating, it is important to clear it out and clean it. Buyers can get so distracted if there are personal belongings everywhere and wonder what happened to the person or people living there. It is also really hard to get a real good look and in some instances can actually be a hazard to the buyers looking if there are belongings strewn everywhere. If you are interested in doing some updates it is wise to have a knowledgeable agent suggest updates then get estimates. Be sure you can actually make a decent profit before rushing to make some upgrades. It has to make sense to put in the time and effort before making a commitment. This is obviously the best-case scenario if you are in a position to make upgrades as usually the more move in ready properties are the ones that move quicker as long as they are priced right. Plus who doesn’t want to make a little extra profit? Word of advice is to make sure improvements are not overdone. For example if the neighboring homes are all similar in age and condition with no real high-end improvements, you don’t want to
add all high-end upgrades. Though the upgrades with help sell it, it won’t add that much more dollar value to the home and will lesson your return. Besides you don’t want to make it the most expensive house in the neighborhood. If, however, for example granite and stainless appliances are an expectation in your neighborhood and
you can afford to do it, then I would recommend it. So minimize, depersonalize, declutter, ad cla as a miimm. upgrad ad x p if yo ca ad it maks good acial sense. t Charlotte Ashton has been offering full-time services in the tri-state area since 1997, with an emphasis on quality customer care. She is licensed in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Contact her at 240-707-3200 or cashton61@yahoo.com
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LIVELY ARTS // B’MORE IN THE KNOW
Survivor and Thriver: Cinnamon St. Michaels BY FRANKIE KUJAWA Entertainer. Optimist. Survivor. Those are just a few words to describe the indelible Cinnamon St. Michaels whose documentary, Spice Girl of cially prmirs at th Crativ Alliance on Wednesday, June 15th at 6 p.m. The documentary celebrates the legendary Baltimore drag queen and her career spanning more than four decades in drag. “We say ‘documentary’ but it really is a fll lm.” St. Michals xplais. “Th lm startd ot as part of aothr origial lm called Dragged, a documentary about drag queens and what ‘makes a drag queen.’” St. Michaels went on to describe that the original documentary delved into many of the “club girls” of the late-night club circuit. “Off of that documentary, Christopher [Birk, Spice Girl director] found me by posting an ad on Facebook looking for others who have done Cinnamon St. Michaels credit: Graham Snodgrass Photograpy
drag. So I got involved in it before th lm was ishd. I was i it as part of the interview system. From that, he felt that my life warranted being told and he made a secondary project calling it Spice Girl.” Both Dragged and Spice Girl are part of a trilogy created by director and producer Christophr Birk. Th third lm, A Queen for the People, covers the story of Bob the Drag Queen, who was recently crowned winner of RuPaul s Drag Race. The documentary covers both his life and career before, during ad aftr his victorios al. Spice Girl, however, delves into the lifestyle of an aging drag queen and what
it means to be a “senior gay.” “I felt that it wouldn’t hurt Christopher to have a senior who has lived the drag system from the 60s.” St. Michaels explains. “I’m still performing fdraisrs. Th lmmakrs flt that thr was so much material that we had to make something. We thought we were putting a face to something that we know so little about, a senior gay. I’m 72 years-old and I’m still performing. Some of the kids today may not know about that kind of struggle.” Originally from Detroit, St. Michaels moved east in 1973. “Most of my drag, in both Detroit and on the East coast, was for straight popl. It wt ovr somthig rc for 17 years. But my health was starting to decline and I had to back up a bit from doing big production shows.” St. Michaels faced m a n y health scares in the upcoming years, ironically right after a conscious effort was made to get sober. “Alcohol ran rampant through my life. An intervention was done, and I got sober. My health deteriorated once I got sober. I then became really focused on HIV and AIDS. This was, of course, all before I found out that I was HIV-positive.” St. Michaels explains that though initially there was immense hesitation to take any of the medications available at the time, the disease had eventually compounded into full-blown AIDS and AIDS-related cancer. “Soon, no one was focused on the HIV, they were just hunting down this tumor and killing it. And it said a lot about the medical community at the time. I was treated as a leper. They sent me home to die and hospice was here. Eventually, I had this brilliant idea to call my HIV guy at Johns Hopkis, ad h hlpd m d a mdici combination that I could tolerate. It brought my T-cells up. This all took time, and eventually years later I found out that I had horrendous complications from the illness. There is a connection between the HIV combos and the heart damage and disease I then had many years later. They do believe that was my HIV
meds that may have caused it. There sadly haven’t been enough of us around to know what kind of complications we might face.” St. Michaels anticipates a lot of excitement for the premier at the Creative Alliance. “Aftr th 90-mit lm, thr will b a Q&A with Christopher and myself, and then there will be an intermission. Once that is
ishd, thr will b abot a hor cabaret-style show afterward in which I perform.” St. Michaels laughs. “Don’t worry, I’m going to leave my fur and sequined walker on the sidelines.” t For information about the sPice Girl premier, visit: Facebook.com/ events/283605665317472
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QUALITY OF LIFE
Violet’s Vet
Dr. Tony Calo
Connor’s Path to Animal Lover Connor and I have a mixed marriage. I am an animal person. He is not, or at least, he was not one when we first met. He was not an animal person even when we first moved into together. Over the years however, he has developed a very deep and personal connection with each of our animals. For me, this was innate – it something I was born with. I love animals without ever really knowing what that meant. I was fascinated by a dog’s eyes, by a cat’s whiskers, by a horse’s tail. I wanted to learn all there was to know about them. For Connor, animals were fun but were not a part of his day to day life. Then he met me, a veterinarian and a sworn animal
lover. So I thought it would be interesting to hear his thoughts and opinions about walking into my life and my menagerie of pets. So I thought I would ask him. My first question to him as we are sitting in bed, what did you think about meeting and then dating someone with pets? He tells me, “At first, I was indifferent. I did not have pets, I did not want pets, but I also did not think it would ever be an issue.” As our relationship became more serious so did the issue of the animals. This led to my next questions to Connor. When did this start becoming an issue for you. He thought for a few moments and then told me, “Once I truly starting know what each and every animal meant to you. When we met, you had two dogs and three cats. That’s a lot of animals and it can be overwhelming to someone who never lived with animals as an adult. I also thought there would be an endpoint. I thought that five was a cap. I didn’t quite understand that your job would provide with a constant source of adoptable animals.“ I know Connor had some specific issues with Jake. Can you explain this to me? I asked. Connor’s answer: “Jake did not seem to understand that there was someone new in the pack. He was obviously Tony-centric and anything that came
in between the two of you – namely me – became his problem. So I was Jake’s problem more than he was mine. Still, he made things difficult for me at times. For example, when we first moved in together if you were at work, and I was walking the dogs, Jake would try to get into any car that looked like yours. I couldn’t control him and it was embarrassing trying to get him out of some stranger’s car as they were unpacking their groceries. I hated walking him for months and months. The worst part was that you didn’t believe me because he was an angel with you.” I believed you Connor, sort of. But it was hard for me to see that side of him because I never saw him do one bad thing ever. So when did things start to shift for you? Connor’s reply was, “I started to like him once he started acknowledging that I wasn’t going anywhere. It took a long time, years actually, before that dog liked me. Once he respected me, I started seeing the better side of Jake – the sweet side, the funny side. He was beautiful, too. He
Violet’s New Friends Violet would like to have you meet some of her friends that are looking for a Forever Home. She will be inviting them to share her page in Baltimore OUTloud hoping that Violet’s readers will see her friends and give them a new home, a loving home just like she has. This week we will meet: Rey. Hi, I’m Rey. a beautiful, friendly and active lady in search of my forever home. I love going for long walks, running, and A new Rey of sunshine in your home?
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was loyal to you, which made me loyal to him. Things had some full circle at some point and we became a family. He was a major part of that.” So things were easier between Connor and Daisy. Why? “Daisy is so loving and so open. She made me a part of her world right away. She was very easy to like and then to love. She is one of the most life-loving spirits in this world. She was also younger than Jake so she grew up as our relationship grew up. She was very much a part of us whereas Jake was all about you. Plus Daisy had more bonding time. Do you remember, she would be running with me so we spent a lot more quality time alone that I ever did with Jake.“ The conversation Connor and I had was enlightening but this was just the beginning. Tune in to the next column to hear more about Connor and his relationship with our first dog together… that’s right… Miss Violet herself! t Please e-mail your stories and questions to violetsvet@baltimoreoutloud.com.
I know how to sit and my previous owner was teaching me other commands like down, paw, and come.
meeting new canine friends. I know how to sit and my previous owner was teaching me other commands like down, paw, and come. I enjoy food, treats, and kongs. I’m also a very lovable girl who will give you kisses and put my paws on your shoulder. I h a v e lived w i t h t w o other dogs in my previous home, but I was just too energetic for them. If you need to add a four-legged friend to your household, please let it be me. I won’t disappoint! My adoption fee is $100 and I can be found at the Baltimore Humane Society. For more information, visit Bmorehumane.org. or call 410-833-8848. t
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QUALITY OF LIFE The More you Know About
Business
Richard Finger
Principles of Leadership After quite a long break, I’m excited to be writing once again. I became inspired just last week after listening to one of my company’s board members who came to speak with us about his views on leadership. As he eloquently sad right from the start, none of the concepts are innovative or overly complicated. These Principles of Leadership are based completely on the simplicity of common sense. Imagine the principles are laid out in a pyramid formation, like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the bottom of the pyramid, the first principle is one that I had written about in the past, the importance of ethics and integrity. When employees see leaders
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living these values each and every day, they are building a foundation of trust. If people do not trust you, they will not follow you. In the business world, trust is equivalent to Maslow’s most basic human needs; without it, existing will be problematic. Next up in order of importance is vision. Leaders need to articulate for an organization (or functional area within an organization) a vision of the future. In other words, leaders need to answer the question, “Why are we here?” Without a purpose, there is always potential for chaos. Employees like to feel as if they are aspiring towards something. For one organization I worked with in the past, the mission was to “Extend and enhance human life.” It doesn’t get any more powerful than that. This mission mobilized 44,000 employees around the world into action. Granted, most organizations will not have such a motivational mission, but I venture to say that people do want to understand how their work fits into the grand scheme of things, and have a sense of what they are working towards. Third on the list of leadership principles is the importance of building the right team. Oftentimes, I’ve heard it said that
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great leaders surround themselves with people to complement their own skill deficiencies. Building a team of experts can be most effective when there are shared objectives, and every player knows their respective role to accomplishing the goal. This team should be experts in t a l e n t and performance management, not shying away from making the very best hiring decisions, and knowing how to develop and retain people. Additionally, team members need to be able to provide feedback and coaching, when things are going well, and when things are going not so well. Decision-making is another essential quality of leadership. For better or for worse, employees like a decision to be made one way or another. I’ve found through my own experiences that wishy-washy decisions can sometimes make a leader look weak. Once the steps are taken to obtain the right information and conduct an analysis of this information, be decisive. Moreover, be accountable for the decision taken. Some decisions will be more critical than others, and some will have greater impact than others, but the ability to take decisions with good judgment will be noticed by those who follow. It is important to note, if a leader is demonstrating ethics and integrity, and has invested in building a large “trust bank,” when a bad decision is made, followers are more likely to forgive than they would be in an environment of low trust. A sense of optimism is always important in a leader. Hearing and feeling that a leader has a sense of “We can do it” creates a lift in the organization. When I heard
our boardmember talk about this principle, it took me back to the 2008 presidential election. Obama’s campaign slogans were “Change we can believe in” and “Yes we can.” Both of these slogans worked at elevating expectations of a better tomorrow. A clear vision and a sense of optimism to achieve it are always a great combination for success. Lastly, the final principle of communication. Leaders can never communicate their vision, their goals, their messages often enough. Oft times in employee satisfaction surveys, the lowest scoring indicator is “communication.” Leaders should ensure employees can obtain key information by multiple means. With today’s technology it is much easier to keep people up to date than decades ago. Leverage technology to get the message of your vision across. The average person needs to hear and see a message seven times before he or she remembers it! Overlaying these six principles of leadership, is the ability of a leader to manage through change. Think of Kodak… while they owned the digital technology to advance the company into this future trend, their leaders believed the public still valued printed photos at the local pharmacy. We all know how the Kodak story ends. In general, people are frightened by change. Great companies are successful with leaders that can help people get over and get through change, and do this with integrity, ethics, have clear vision, can build the right team, are decisive, optimistic, and can communicate effectively. t
YOUR MONEY
Medicare Basics BY WOODY DERRICKS My clients often report Medicare as the most confusing aspect of their retirement financial picture. With all of the options available through Medicare, just deciding on which coverage to elect can get someone’s head to spin. Understanding the basics can help you feel more comfortable as you sort through the decision process. In this article, I’ll cover some of the main aspects of Medicare as well as providing some resources where you can learn more. When can you sign up? Most people will become eligible for Medicare at age 65 and can sign up as early as three months prior to their 65th birthday and as late as three months after. If you apply prior to the month in which you turn 65, coverage should begin the first day of your birthday month. Otherwise, your coverage should begin the month after you apply. If you miss this initial seven-month window, you may have your benefit start date delayed and/or face additional costs. Some people may qualify for Medicare earlier due to a health condition or disability while others with group coverage through their employer might be able to delay applying. Essentials on coverage options Part A – Medicare Part A covers hospital stays, some of the care you receive while in the hospital, and, in some cases,
can cover a portion of skilled nursing and hospice care. Part B – Medicare Part B covers some of what Part A doesn’t and includes some preventative and medically necessary services. Those can include doctor’s visits, blood tests, surgeries, and items such as wheelchairs. Part D – Medicare Part D provides pre-
scription drug coverage. Part D has a list of prescription medications that are covered and tiered pricing for those medications. Part C – Medicare Part C is essentially an option that allows you to combine Parts A and B as well as the option to include Part D. What are the costs? Part A – While there is an annual deductible and some other potential costs, Medicare Part A is free for anyone who has worked (or who has a spouse who has worked) for ten years (40 quarters). Those who have not worked for 40 quarters may pay a premium in order to get Part A coverage. Part B – The premiums for Medicare Part B are based on your annual income. In 2016, the premiums are as follows: 2014 modified adjusted gross income & monthly premium • up to $85k sigl / $170k marrid – $121.80 • Abov $85k to $107k sigl / $170k to $214k married – $170.50 Above $107k to $160k single / $214k to $320k married – $243.60 Above $160k to $214k single / $320k-$428k married – $316.70 Above $214k single / $428k married – $389.80 As you might expect, you’d also have a deductible and some benefits for which you’d have co-insurance. Part D – Medicare Part D’s costs will vary based on the plan you purchase, the medications you need, and where you go to get your medications. This area can be extremely complex and confusing. Make sure to fully evaluate your coverage options before you apply and understand your benefits before getting your medication. Other plans – Medicare Advantage plans and Medigap (supplemental) policies offer additional options to the standard plans. These plans can combine the coverage offered through Medicare and/or provide you with additional coverage to fill in some of the gaps in Medicare (deductibles, co-pays, and additional services). Resources You may want to start by contacting your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). SHIP offers free assistance to help individuals and couples sort through their Mdicar optios. Yo ca d yor local of c hr: Shiptactr.org.
You can also find additional information at the Medicare website: Medicare.gov/ your-medicare-costs/index.html UnitedHealthcare has a site with a PDF book and some videos that help explain the basics: Uhc.com/individual-and-family/ what-is-medicare/medicare-made-clear. t The author works with Partnership Wealth Management, a comprehensive financial services company, with long experience offering financial planning and estate planning for gay and lesbian couples. Visit Partnershipwm.com or call 410732-2633. This column offered for informational purposes only and is not intended as specific advice. BALTIMORE OUTLOUD june 10, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM t
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REAL ESTATE
The Road to Ruin? BY WAYNE CURTIS There have been several positive reports on the real estate market to hit the headlines in the last 30 days, showing marked improvement in price and inventory in the national statistics. One news item even calculated that in 2016 the U.S. will surpass the number of existing housing units sold in the previous record-holding year of 2006, before the financial crisis. Whenever the news focuses on previous records being broken, there will always be a section of the analytical press that will then question whether or not a downturn is nigh. Because the housing crisis was so severe and long-lasting, this chorus of worriers has been especially loud lately. This frightened mob has forgotten several very important things that ensure we are nowhere near the type of collapse that we all recently lived through. Since an entire generation of homebuyers also knows nothing more than the boom and bust cycle of the 21st century, it’s a good idea to re-
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mind everyone why we are not heading to catastrophe. At least not yet. First: The numbers should be breaking records. The Millennials now coming into their peak “first home” years outnumbers the Baby Boom generation and will continue to have a just as revolutionary an effect on American society as their forebears as they mature, age, and retire. Many of them were scared away from the housing market by what recently took place, but they could not postpone home ownership forever. As
“Record-breaking numbers are a good thing, because the demographics support it.” the economy has recovered, regulation has put some sanity back into the lending markets and their lives have progressed, they have realized they could not afford to rent forever, especially at today’s rental rates. Record-breaking numbers are a good thing, because the demographics support it.
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Second: The lending markets have – at least for home mortgages – returned to a regulated sanity, perhaps even parsimony! Lenders are tight-fisted, appraisers are terrified of too much equity inflation in home values. New guidelines and government oversight has everyone from the loan officer up to the bank president reacting cautiously to market conditions. Responsible restraint permeates the housing market right now, and that’s never going to recreate the pandemonium we experienced a decade ago. Finally, third: Even buyers themselves have been much less willing to spend whatever it takes to get into their dream home. Yes, we’re routinely having multiple offers because of the tight inventory, but these price contests are usually competing in the hundreds of dollars, not the tens of thousands of dollars as they were in 2004 or 2005. Even though we will most likely continue in a strong seller’s market, nobody is looking for buyers
to start loosening their purse strings, or for banks and appraisers to go along with big price jumps. Our gains will be significant, but modest. And what about the election? It’s true that in a presidential election season excessive trumpery can make the markets jitter and quake; even some famous conservative businessmen have publicly acknowledged that fact. None of that will be good news for the housing market, because its recovery is still spotty and fragile. Public confidence in the future has to be strong for people to feel good about taking on a 30-year mortgage. So, stay tuned as you go to the beach this summer, or relax on the shores of the lake. The decision you make in November will have an enormous – even huuuuge – impact on the future economy. t Wayne Curtis has been selling real estate in Baltimore since 1997. He can be reached at wayne@charmcityrealestate. com.
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LEATHER LINE
Leather
Line
Rodney Burger
Schedule Something S EX Y this Summer! For most folks the Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, but for the leather community it also means IML. As they have since 1979, thousands of leather folks gathered in the great city of Chicago to select International Mr. Leather. Taking home the title of International Mr. Leather 2016 was Mr. New Jersey Leather 2016 David “Tigger” Bailey. Tigger was selected from a group of 59 contestants who hailed from 25 states and seven countries, including for the first time a Mr. Leather Israel. Mr.
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Chicago Leather 2016 Todd Harris took home the first runner-up medallion and Mr. Midwest Leather 2015 Adam “Pup Vino” Henderson came in second runner-up. Other area leather titleholders who reached the coveted top 20 were Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2016 Todd Leavitt, Mr. D.C. Eagle 2016 Daniel Kaylor-Hawkins, Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2015 Jason Hall, and Mr. Eagle NYC 2016 Q. Ellis-Lee. The International Mr. Bootblack 2016 title was awarded to Erick Joseph from Anchorage, Alaska. It also must be noted that during IML the Centaur MC presented a donation of $20,000 for the Leather Archives & Museum. It is no secret how much I enjoy MAL, but the Centaur’s Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend each January is not just about having a great time, the money raised also goes to a good cause. Summer also means baseball season and on Tuesday, June 14th area leather folks are planning an evening at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Details can be found on Facebook under: “Leather Invasion at Night Out at the Nats.” Tickets are just $25. D.C. Leather Pride is a sponsor for the annual night out at the ballpark.
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tants will compete in interview, hot wear, onstage question, and speech / leather image. Those competing to be Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman 2016 will also perform a short onstage fantasy. The Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman Bootblack contestants will not be required to perform a fantasy, but will be judged on their boot blacking skills. There will be a Meet & Greet event at the bar on Friday, August 26th, the contest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 27th followed by a silent auction and a dance in the evening. On Sunday, August 28th the ladies will host a cookout starting at noon. All events are scheduled to be at the Baltimore Eagle. This should be a really fun weekend. I IML 2016 – wouldn’t miss it. winners all credit: Richard Puller The weekend of July 22nd to 24th is Baltimore Pride and it keeping with tradition Maryland’s oldest leather club the ShipMates will be getting the party startHo ho ho! It may seem way too early to think ed selling Jell-O shots during happy hour about Christmas, but the ShipMates will at Leon’s, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar. The be kicking off their annual Daddy Christ- fun starts at 7 p.m. At 10 p.m. the party mas fundraiser with “Ho Ho in the Heat” moves over to The Loft @ Grand Central on Friday, June 17th at The Loft @ Grand as COMMAND M.C. presents “Lust: The Central. The fun starts at 9 p.m. This year’s Official Leather / Fetish / Bear Event of BalDaddy Christmas will benefit the Audrey timore Pride.” There will be a DJ and the $7 donation at the door will benefit the GLCHerman Spotlighters Theatre. A little bit of San Francisco comes east CB. There is also another leather contest on Sunday, June 19th as the 19th annual planned at the Baltimore Eagle in August. Folsom Street East festival is held in New Atlantic States Leather Weekend is schedYork City from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 27th uled for August 19th to 21st and will include Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. the Atlantic States LeatherSIR / Leatherboy and Atlantic States ComAdmission is $20 at the munity Bootblack Contest entrance. There has been at 8 p.m. on Saturday, much talk in the news about August 20th. I am delightNew York values. The folks ed to have been asked to at Folsom Street East state judge the inaugural Atlantic that their values are: “IndiStates LS / Lb Contest. It viduality, respect, tradition, should be another wonderrebellion, difference, comful weekend in Baltimore. munity, pain, and pleasure.” Details can be found at Works for me! AtlanticstatesleatherweekOn Friday, June 24th end.com and on Facebook. the Philadelphia LeathIt is always fun to ater Women’s Bar Night is tend leather events and scheduled at The Bike Stop watch the contests, but it is (206 South Quince Street) even more exciting to be on in Philadelphia. It will be a the stage. It is not too late hot night for the ladies in to be a contestant in these the leather community or August contests. Make this for those who want to meet a summer that you will althe great ladies in the leathways remember. Take that er community. big step and sign up to be Speaking of leather a contestant. You will make women, the 8th annual new friends, learn things Mid-Atlantic Leather Womabout yourself, and who an and the first ever Mid-Atknows what might haplantic Leather Woman Bootpen. This summer could be black Contest is scheduled the start of something big! right here in Baltimore over The warm weather is here. the weekend of August 26th David Tigger Bailey, to 28th at the soon to open International Mr. Leather 2016 What have you scheduled credit: Richard Puller this summer? t Baltimore Eagle. All contes-
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june 10, 2016 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM