Baltimore OUTloud • September 30, 2016

OUT 37 YEARS Y YEAR RS OF

LGBT L LG GB BT HISTORY HIST IST RY

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNI-

Catching Up with Chase Brexton’s ‘Fired Five’

by Mark S. King The five managers who were abruptly fired last month without notice by Chase Brexton, Baltimore’s largest healthcare provider to the city’s most vulnerable populations, met for lunch earlier this week. It was the first in-person meeting of the group since their dismissal in early August.

They traded job search updates and mutual empathy. A couple of them had tentative leads, but finding positions with an HIV or LGBT component, areas in which they are all uniquely qualified, has been a challenge.

They were hopeful during their lunch, sharing laughs and maybe a little gossip about their former employer, but the shock of the last month still registered on their faces. They all know they may never have the opportunity to serve the kind of clients they adored during their tenure at Chase Brexton.

During an internal battle this summer over an effort by their healthcare practitioners to

by Jacob Pierce As fall begins, Baltimore has witnessed the horrendous death of yet another trans woman (Crystal Edmonds), more police-involved From Baddd Sonia Sanchez

September 30, 2016 | Volume XIV, Issue 11

unionize, Chase Brexton leadership did something unthinkable for an agency founded as a community clinic for gay men. They fired the five management-level employees, two of whom had worked for the agency for more than 20 years, in a transparent attempt to intimidate employees into rebuking the union. The cynical move backfired miserably when, a few weeks later, healthcare practitioners voted 87-to-9 in favor of joining the union.

The fired managers were Warren Conner, Jill Crank, Catherine Fowler, Bethany Henderson, and Ken Ruby. They received no severance pay beyond vacation days owed them.

Their crucial expertise included serving LGBT people facing addiction, HIV, and medical issues surrounding gender transition. They all claim without hesitation that nothing in their personal records warranted their dismissal. None of their positions have been replaced.

During their lunch together, amidst mo-

ments of good humor, feelings of confusion and abandonment ran high. “I feel as if I’ve suffered a major loss in my life,” said Catherine Fowler.

“In one moment my job, my team, my co-work-

killings of black men, and the continuing issue of homelessness among LGBT youth. Film remains a key medium to facilitate dialogue and is more important than ever. Witness the 2016 Baltimore International Black Film Festival (BIBFF), with the theme this year of “Reel Unity.”

Running October 5th to 10th, at locales including the Charles Theater and the Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University, over 80 films will be shown, including many dealing with the African diaspora and the black LGBT community.

BIBFF was founded by SOGAA, a group started in

2014 for “black men who love men,” and dedicated to enhancing the “social, economic, physical, and mental wellness of its members and community.” Now in its third year, the mission of the festival is to “inspire, entertain, educate, unite and stimulate conversation.”

The festival opens up Wednesday, October 5th with reception at Nancy

by SNAC restaurant in the Station North neighborhood followed by the documentary Baddd Sonia Sanchez, based on the prolific activist and author. “Audiences of all ages, races and sexual orientations will see

The Chase Brexton ‘Fired Five’ include (left to right) Jill Crank, Warren Conner, Catherine Fowler, Bethany Henderson, and Ken Ruby

3rd Annual Baltimore International Black Film Festival

ers, my work with patients, was all taken away from me. It was a shocking, devastating event.”

“My initial reaction was to run away from —continued on page 3

Camera Power! themselves in this film and be inspired by an extraordinary woman who has devoted her life to the struggle for liberation,” says BIBFF founder and director Kenneth Moore, Jr. In addition to the many shorts, documentaries and features being shown, the festival has collaborated with Arts Every Day to convene a Youth Film Festival Night. Baltimore filmmakers under age 18 will show their films to an audience of their peers and adults at the Motor House, Thursday, October 6th.

—continued on page 3

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news // LOCAL

Catching Up with Chase Brexton’s ‘Fired Five’ —continued from page 1

Baltimore because I felt like I was being kicked out of my own LGBTQ community,” said Bethany Henderson. It has only been the support of her former staff, friends, and the community that has kept her spirits lifted.

Without exception, the former managers support the vote to unionize. But they know that these developments have lulled the community into a sense that leadership problems at Chase Brexton have been resolved – or that their personal struggles since being caught in the crossfire of the conflict will be forgotten.

“The biggest impact has been emotional, to be honest,” said Warren Conner, who met his husband at Chase Brexton during his 20-year tenure there. The couple recently bought a new home, intensifying the urgency for Warren to find work. All of their life plans have been put on hold. “I’ve had a job since I was 14 years old. I have never not worked and being unemployed really plays with my self-confidence.” At lunch, Warren’s salad sat in front of him, untouched. “My anxiety has flared up quite a bit,” he explained.

Even with their personal trials, the impact on their former patients weighs heavily on the fired managers. “We cannot forget that the people who will suffer the most in the end are not those of us who were fired,” said Jill Crank. “It’s the patients who lost their most precious health care advocates.”

Since mounting a large protest in front of

Camera —continued from page 1 Also this year, there will be Power a Black & Blue shorts program

on Saturday, October 8th dealing with the issue of the disproportionate use of deadly force against black men by police officers. “Independent filmmakers are essentially the modern journalists,” says Moore.

The LGBT films at this year’s festival focus on a wide variety and range of issues – with a specific emphasis on the “T.” One of the feature films is Free Ce Ce, produced by “Orange is the New Black’s” Laverne Cox, a documentary that tells the story of Ce Ce McDonald in 2012 following a conviction for manslaughter after fighting for her life amidst a racist and homophobic mob in Minneapolis.

Tracey Africa – the first African-American trans woman model – will be presenting the film.

Dealing with homelessness, A Road to Home presents seven LGBT youth striving to survive in New York City. It reminds us of how vitally important such youth organizations such

Chase Brexton’s Mt Vernon location after the firings, local activists, including many associated with a dozen LGBT agencies that signed an open letter critical of Chase Brexton leadership, have continued to discuss further activism. Their demands include the reinstatement of the managers and the removal of Richard Larison, the mercurial CEO largely viewed as the architect of the anti-union efforts. His four-year tenure, according to staff reports, has been littered with vindictive firings and a high level of distrust.

Whatever the outcome of ongoing community pressure for change at Chase Brexton, it may have little impact on five lives that are forever changed — and on those they served with heart and dedication.

“I am trying to see the positives in this experience,” said Catherine Fowler, “but at the end of the day it was a life-changing event that has been tremendously difficult.”

Posing for a photo together following lunch, the five former managers initially seemed unsure of the emotion they wanted to project. One or two smiled at first, and then thought better of it. A moment later, independent of one another, they all settled into strikingly similar expressions.

Their faces were unified in defiance and pride. Only their eyes, caught in the worry of an uncertain future, betrayed them. t

as GLSEN and StarTrack are to engage and help LGBT youth that are kicked out of their homes or in need of basic resources.

BIBFF will also premiere Check It, a film about a LGBT gang in D.C., at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on Sunday afternoon. “We are so excited to bring this film to Baltimore, because it speaks to the transformation our young people can undergo when we empower them and support their interests,” says Moore. Other LGBT films to look out for are The Surf Reporter, Transcend, Vámonos, and US (a quirky LGBT web-series featuring a pair of “besties” in Los Angeles).

Finally the festival closes with a film that premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; How to Tell You’re a Douchebag, which deals with the mind games of dating. Just imagine the 1992 film Boomerang but in New York and with bloggers.

For more information about how to purchase tickets for the film festival and for a complete schedule of the 2016 BIBFF, visit Bibff. com or call 844-4-BIBFF-1 (844-424-2331). t BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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news // LOCAL

Grand Opening: GLCCB Celebrates its New Home

By Bill Redmond-Palmer On October 16th, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) will hold a grand opening of its new space in lower Charles Village. The Center now occupies the entire third floor of 2530 North Charles Street, fully accessible by elevator, which they share with Bank of America, leaving behind their space at the Waxter Center, almost universally panned by the community as being unwelcoming.

“We are excited to be a part of our new neighborhood,” said Jabari Lyles, GLCCB board president. “We did a walk through in the community after we settled in to introduce ourselves to our neighbors. We were warmly welcomed, and developed several key contacts, including with Manna House (the Afro-American newspaper), CVS, and the NAACP. .

Asked how the new space contrasts with

So cozy!

the former location, GLCCB director of programs Kenneth Morrison laid out his goals.

“Our vision is to be able to provide a much longer day of services during the week,” he said. “In the Waxter we had mostly evening access, and only two meeting rooms. We had to choose only one or two programs to host each day. Now we have tripled the available space.”

The location now offers a conference room and three meeting rooms, that hold between 20 and 80 people, a confidential HIV testing room, as well as a community room with a library and computers – which can also be rearranged to facilitate meetings. Community groups wishing to use a space to hold a meeting, are invited to contact the Center to schedule a room for their use. The space offers two gender-neutral toilets, one private and the oth-

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er public, something lacking at the Waxter.

At the Waxter Center, the GLCCB served approximately 400 people per month and they hope to be able to double that number in the new space. They are working to grow their current programs such as yoga classes, the clothing closet, Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous groups, and youth and trans programs. They have applied for grant funding to expand their existing HIV testing capacity, and are providing case management services, to help link community members to support services ranging from social activities and dating, to housing and employment. “Our goal is for our case managers to essentially be a walking resource guide,” said Morrison.

At the same time, they are working to create expand the variety of programs they offer, by hosting new programs like vogue nights, an open mic night, and “Slay Camp,” that offers an opportunity to engage in aerobic exercise in a space where people can feel safe and comfortable. These join numerous other programs serving the LGBT community. In the future, the Center hopes also to partner with groups serving elders to offer day services.

Morrison is working to encourage both programming that supports “healing spaces,” where like-minded people can discuss their issues and interests, but also spaces with diverse participants where we can learn and grow together. “Here we can offer a safe space for the community, but more importantly an affirming space, where we can celebrate you,” he said.

The one detriment the Center has acknowledged with the new location is a reduction in accessibility to public transit.

“Young people are saying it’s harder to get to the Center,” said Morrison. “At the Waxter we had the subway, light rail, and about 15 bus lines in our proximity, where now we only have maybe five bus lines. We need to be dedicated to recognizing our challenges in order to overcome them.”

While these hours are subject to change, the Center is currently open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday the Center is currently closed, except for rental by the community for special events. “Fortunately in this space,” said Morrison, “we have the capacity to expand our service hours when we exceed our current capacity.”

The GLCCB Grand Opening will be from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 16th, with a rain date of October 23rd. It will be an alcohol-free event.

For more information about the Center call 410-777-8145, email info@glccb.org, or visit Glccb.org or Gacebook.com/glccb. t

september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com

Celebrating Baltimore Black Pride

By Bill Redmond-Palmer “Respect the Power Within You” is the theme for Baltimore’s 14th annual Baltimore Black Pride celebration, with events hosted around the city by numerous groups, between Sunday, October 2nd and Tuesday, October 11th. The variety of events offers something for everyone, with the following among the highlights.

Wednesday, October 5th – Events kick off at the Charles Theater at 7 p.m. with the opening night of the third annual Baltimore International Black Film Festival, presented by SOGAA Upendo. The festival continues through Monday, October 10th. Tickets are available at Bibff.com or call 844-424-2331.

Thursday, October 6th – The Living Well Studio (2443 North Charles Street) will host an open mike night titled “Sex & Art.” For infoLivewellbemore.com or call 410-212-5953 or email admin@livewellbemore.com.

Youth can hang out, paint, and have mocktails with Star Track at the free Sip ‘n’ Paint event at the GLCCB (2530 North Charles Street) from 6 to 9 p.m. Call 410-706-1006 or visit Facebook.com/ events/566571986861991.

For a more formal affair, JoyBaltimore presents The Unsung Legends of Baltimore awards, at the Eubie Blake Cultural Arts Center (847 North Howard Street) from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. For info and tickets, call 443-522-8553 or email lwalker@joybaltimore.org.

Friday, October 7th – The Center for Black Equity Baltimore will host the free Baltimore Black Pride Community Celebration “Happy Hour” reception at Club Bunns (606/608 West Lexington Street) from 6 to 9 p.m. For info, call 443-218-2478 or email bmoreblackpride@yahoo.com, or visit Facebook.com/ events/1748807408701331.

What’s your safe word? Young people

18 and over can learn more about how to practice bondage safely, and incorporate PrEP into their sex lives, with #PrEP After Dark Volume Two, hosted by Star Track, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., at The Attic @ Flavor (15 Centre Street). Admission is free.

For info, call 410-706-1006 or visit Facebook.com/events/182409658851914.

The GLCCB will host their Open Mic night, Giovanni’s Room, at 2530 North Charles Street, from 7 to 10 p.m.. Tickets aGlccb.org and visit theirFacebook.com/ glccb.

Ladies are invited to eat, drink, and party with DJ Big Rel and a special guest emcee, at the Uncensored Black Pride Kickoff, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., at Flavor Restaurant and Lounge(15 East Centre Street). A full menu will be available, and the kitchen is open until midnight. There is no cover before 10:30 p.m.; $8 cover before 11:30 p.m.; and $10 cover afterwards. For advance tickets, birthdays, VIP service and more information, visitUncensored2k16.eventbee.com.

Saturday, October 8th – The Maryland / D.C. Chapter of Black Trans Advocacy will host their Regional Black Trans Advocacy Conference at Hearts & Ears (611 Park Ave, Suite A) from 12:30 to 9 p.m. For more info, call 855-255-8636 x51 or email vmillhouse@blacktransmen.org.

Read the full article about the event in this issue.

There will be a Community Day of Service, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., coordinated by the Center for Black Equity Baltimore. For details, email bmoreblackpride@yahoo. com, or call 443-218-2478.

The Center for Black Equity Baltimore will host the Baltimore Black Pride Community Cocktail Party with dancing, entertainment and light refreshments, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center (847 North Howard Street).

Ladies, dress in your sexiest black attire and join the Blackout, with a special guest DJ and , from 10 p.m. 2 a.m. at Oxygen Ultra Lounge (10 South Calvert Street).

Advance VIP sections will be available, along with drink specials and unlimited hookah. $10 cover before 11 p.m., $15 cover after. For advance tickets, birthdays, VIP service, and more information, visit Uncensored2k16.eventbee.com.

Sunday, October 9th – Come mingle with the KAPtivating Ladies of the Beta

news // LOCAL Kappa Chapter of Beta Phi Omega Sorority at the Baltimore Black Pride Ladies Luncheon. This free event will take place at Hotel Indigo (24 West Franklin Street) from noon to 2 p.m. and will focus on connecting women from all across the area with some great conversation over brunch. The guest speaker will be family nurse practitioner Hazel Jones-Parker, who will discuss “Living Well with HIV.” RSVP is required: email betakappaevents@yahoo.com.

The Baltimore Coalition of HIV Providers will present a free community education forum entitled “Removing Your Mask, Respect the Power Within You,” at KYCC (1207 Eutaw Place) from 4 to 9 p.m. Must be age 21 or over to attend. Sponsored by Gilead and Walgreens. For more information, contact 410-961-4631.

The Baltimore Black Pride Annual Block Party will be from 4 to 10 p.m. at Club Bunns (606/608 West Lexington Street). Admission is free with sponsors’ arm bands, which can be picked up at all Club Bunns events between Sunday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 8th.

The Closing Night Film for the Baltimore International Black Film Festival will be held at 8:30 p.m. at the Murphy Fine Arts Center (2201 Argonne Drive). The closing reception will be held at 9:30 p.m., at the Motor House (120 West North Avenue). Tickets are available at Bibff.com.

For more info, call 844-424-2331.

Tuesday, October 11th – Standup Baltimore will host a free screening of the film Check It at 7 p.m. at the Charles Theater.

RSVP required: email standupbaltimore@ gmail.com.

For event updates, visit the Center for Black Equity Baltimore Facebook page at Facebook.com/centerforblackequitybaltimore. t

Chase Brexton Charm Ball Raises Hardship Funds

By Bill Redmond-Palmer More than 300 guests enjoyed dinner and dancing on September 17th at Baltimore’s B&O Railroad Museum at the second annual Charm Ball. The event, sponsored by Chase Brexton Health Care raised over $162,000 for their Hardship Fund that supports the patients most in need – an amount up 30 percent over last year.

The Hardship Fund is an entirely donor-funded resource that provides neces-

The Chase Brexton Charm Ball

sities ranging from bus tokens to emergency rent and utility payments for patients in need. This year the hardship fund has assisted more than 300 individuals.

“These funds will make a crucial difference for many of our patients, the majority of whom live at or below the poverty line,” said Chase Brexton’s Becky Frank.

“Some of our patients are forced to choose between essentials such as medication or groceries. Thanks to the gracious support shown by our donors and partners at the Charm Ball, we can ensure our patients are able to access their health care and get the necessities they need to be well.”

Jenine Coleman, with the Chase Brexton behavioral health team, and Dr. Brooks Woodward, director of dental services, both received the Dr. Ronald Taylor Award at the event for their contributions to patient care.

The Corporate Partner Award was presented to the Wilmer Eye Institute who provides free eye exams to Chase Brexton patients over 50, and the Presenting Sponsor Award was given to Allied Universal Security Services for their donation to the Hardship Fund. t

Lunch & Learn: Polypharmacy

Alison Livingston, a registered nurse from Chase Brexton’s medication support team will show participants the best way to manage their medications.

The event happens Thursday, October 13th from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Chase Brexton Community Room (1111 North Charles Street, first floor). The event is free, and lunch will be provided, however an RSVP is required: email lgbt@chasebrexton.org or call 410-837-2050 x1107.

For more information about this and other events at the LGBT Health Resource Center visit them on Facebook or at Resourcecenter.lgbt. t

Regional Black Trans Conference: Oct. 8th

By Bill Redmond-Palmer The Maryland / D.C. chapter of Black Trans Advocacy (BTA) will host a “Regional Black Trans Advocacy Conference” on Saturday, October 8th, in conjunction with Baltimore Black Pride. The one-day event runs from 12:30 to 9 p.m., at Hearts and Ears (611 Park Avenue, suite A, in Baltimore).

The event is timely, with police abuses of trans people of color in the city a focus of the recent U.S. Department of Justice report on Baltimore policing. The conference will include a listening session for airing individuals’ experiences law enforcement to be heard.

This will be the first conference hosted by the local BTA chapter, formed in 2011.

The chapter has worked for the past five years in Baltimore and Maryland under the name of Black Transmen, Inc. (BTMI), to assess and deliver services to trans, gender non-conforming people of color. The chapter

was part of a recent national rebranding under the new name of Black Trans Advocacy.

Among the other events will be a discussion about HIV and transmasculinity with Achim Howard of the BTA and Brenda Hicks, a graduate student in social work at Morgan State University. This session is at 2 p.m. and is open to the public.

Other sessions include a discussion about mental health and gender variance by Iden Campbell, of the Campbell Center in Washington, D.C.; a workshop by Deb Dunn of Chase Brexton on trans health care; and a discussion on trans parenting and grandparenting hosted by the BTA’s Ken Jiretsu; and a session where BTA members and Sistas of the T to discuss mature trans communities.

The keynote address is by BTMI founder Carter Brown, now of Dallas. “One of the most important purposes for this conference, is for us to engage with the community in order to identify their wants and needs,” said Vann Michael, president of Baltimore’s BTA chapter. “We hope to gain more involvement from queer transmasculine communities and engaging black transfemme persons who are dedicated visionaries, and are willing to enroll in the BTA leadership academy to help empower transwomen in Baltimore and Maryland. We look forward toward engaging community members, and inviting them to join BTA and to learn about upcoming plans for the Maryland / D.C. BTA chapter.”

The conference is supported by AIDS Action Baltimore, and the Lead Ministry of St. Matthews Church, which will provide the hospitality, and the Baltimore City Health Department, offering confidential testing.To register, visit Eventbrite.com/e/black-trans-advocacy-regional-tickets-26984204482. Registration is free, but help the conference planners by signing up as soon as possible. t Visit BTA on the web at Blacktrans.org or on Facebook at Facebook.com/blacktransmaryland, or call 855-255-8636 or email vmillhouse@blacktransmen.org.

By Bill Redmond-Palmer SAGECAP focuses on LGBT elder issues, and “Polypharmacy” is the title of the October installment of the program’s “Lunch & Learn” series, sponsored by the LGBT Health Resource Center at Chase Brexton Health Care, and set for October 13th at noon at their Mt. Vernon location.

Polypharmacy refers to managing multiple medications and their potentially dangerous interactions. Polypharmacy is most important to those living with complex chronic disease such as HIV, and for all people over 50, as the likelihood of needing simultaneous multiple meds to treat different challenges increases with age.

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

5

TRIUMEQ is a once-a-day pill used to treat HIV-1. In some people, TRIUMEQ should not be used by itself.

Take TRIUMEQ exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.

APPROVED USES TRIUMEQ is a prescription HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus-type 1) medicine used alone or with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. TRIUMEQ is not for use by itself in people who have or have had resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine. TRIUMEQ should not be used in children under the age of 18.

TRIUMEQ does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRIUMEQ? TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. Your pharmacist will give you a Warning Card with a list of these symptoms. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times.

If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravir-containing medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavircontaining medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get lifethreatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one.

• A buildup of acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take TRIUMEQ. This serious medical emergency can cause death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel very weak or tired; have unusual muscle pain; have trouble breathing; have stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy/light-headed; or have a fast/irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems can happen in people who take TRIUMEQ. In some cases, these serious liver problems can lead to death. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking nucleoside analogue medicines for a long time. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: • yellow skin, or the white part of the eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark urine; light-colored stools; loss of appetite for several days or longer; nausea; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area • Worsening of hepatitis B virus in people who have HIV-1 infection. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV), your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. A “flare-up” is when your HBV suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without first talking to your healthcare provider, so he or she can monitor your health.

• Resistant hepatitis B virus. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant).

©2016 ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved.

Printed in USA. 723601R0 August 2016

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• Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. If you’re taking TRIUMEQ and interferon, with or without ribavirin, tell your healthcare provider about any new symptoms. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C who were taking antiretroviral medicines and interferon.

Who should not take TRIUMEQ? • Do not take TRIUMEQ if you: • have the HLA-B*5701 gene variation • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ • take dofetilide (Tikosyn®) • have liver or kidney problems What are other possible side effects of TRIUMEQ? • People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver function before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. • 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 new symptoms after you start taking TRIUMEQ. • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicines.

• Some HIV-1 medicines, including TRIUMEQ, may increase your risk of heart attack.

The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ include: trouble sleeping, headache, tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRIUMEQ? • Before you take TRIUMEQ, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know whether or not you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701 • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection; have kidney problems; have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes; drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take TRIUMEQ • You should not take TRIUMEQ if you also take: • abacavir (EPZICOM®, TRIZIVIR®, or ZIAGEN®) • lamivudine (COMBIVIR®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR) • emtricitabine (Emtriva®, Atripla®, Complera®, Stribild®, or Truvada®) Important Safety Information continued on next page

Peter Diagnosed with HIV in 2015

Garland Diagnosed with HIV in 2016

Leopold Diagnosed with HIV in 2003

Jeannette Diagnosed with HIV in 2011

Jack Diagnosed with HIV in 2010

T:9.6”

Real patients with HIV-1 taking TRIUMEQ as of 2014 or later. Individual results may vary.

Individuals compensated for their time by ViiV Healthcare.

• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and overthe-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements (for example, antacids or laxatives; vitamins such as iron or calcium supplements; anti-seizure medicines; other medicines to treat HIV-1, hepatitis, or tuberculosis; metformin; methadone; or St. John’s wort). Some medicines interact with TRIUMEQ. Keep a list of your medicines to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

Ask your doctor about

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRIUMEQ on the following pages.

learn more at

triumeq.com

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

7

IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about TRIUMEQ and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(TRI-u-meck)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRIUMEQ

BEFORE TAKING TRIUMEQ

TRIUMEQ may cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HL A-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times.

• If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravir-containing medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get life-threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one.

• Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools (bowel movements), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain on the right side.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking nucleoside analogues for a long time.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

• Resistant HBV. If you have HIV-1 and HBV, the HBV can change (mutate) while you’re on TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant).

• Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus who are taking antiretroviral medicines and are also being treated for hepatitis C with interferon with or without ribavirin. If you are taking TRIUMEQ and interferon with or without ribavirin, tell your HCP if you have any new symptoms.

Tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know if you have a particular gene variation called HL A-B*5701.

• have or had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection.

• have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

• drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby.

• are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRIUMEQ. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider

®

ABOUT TRIUMEQ • TRIUMEQ is a prescription HIV-1 medicine used alone or with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults. TRIUMEQ is not for use by itself in people who have or have had resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine. TRIUMEQ should not be used in children under the age of 18.

• TRIUMEQ 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.

DO NOT TAKE TRIUMEQ IF YOU • have a certain type of gene variation called the HL A-B*5701 allele. Your HCP will test you for this before prescribing treatment with TRIUMEQ. • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ. See the full Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in TRIUMEQ. • take dofetilide ( Tikosyn®). Taking TRIUMEQ and dofetilide ( Tikosyn) can cause side effects that may be life-threatening.

• have liver or kidney problems.

• If you also take: abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN); lamivudine (COMBIVIR ®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR); emtricitabine (Atripla®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Stribild®, or Truvada®) abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN)

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MEDICINES THAT MIGHT INTERACT WITH TRIUMEQ • antacids, laxatives, or other medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium, sucralfate (Carafate®), or buffered medicines. TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines.

• iron or calcium supplements taken by mouth may be taken at the same time with TRIUMEQ if taken with food. Otherwise, TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines • anti-seizure medicines: oxcarbazepine ( Trileptal ® ), phenytoin (Dilantin ®, Dilantin ® -125, Phenytek ®), phenobarbital, carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Equetro ®, Tegretol®, Tegretol® -XR, Teril®, Epitol ®) • any other medicine to treat HIV-1, medicines used to treat hepatitis virus infections (such as interferon or ribavirin), a medicine that contains metformin, methadone, rifampin (Rifater ®, Rifamate ®, Rimactane ®, Rifadin ®), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRIUMEQ TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects including: • See “What is the most important information about TRIUMEQ?” section • Changes in liver tests.

• Changes in your immune system • Changes in body fat • Some HIV-1 medicines including TRIUMEQ may increase your risk of heart attack.

The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ are: trouble sleeping, headache, and tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

GET MORE INFORMATION • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist • Go to TRIUMEQ.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved product labeling COMBIVIR, EPIVIR, EPZICOM, TIVICAY, TRIUMEQ, TRIZIVIR, and ZIAGEN are registered trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

EPIVIR-HBV is a registered trademark of the GSK group of companies.

The other brands listed are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. The makers of these brands are not affiliated with and do not endorse the ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its products. ©2016, the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved.

April 2016 TRM:4MG

beyond the beltway compiled by Jim Becker

Philly gay police slam union’s plump for Trump Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The president of the Greater Philadelphia Gay Officer Action League (GOAL) took to Facebook this week to publish a nearly 800-word post disagreeing with the city’s police union for endorsing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“GOAL is in the unique position of not only representing various law enforcement agencies, but representing lesbians, gay men, trans-identified officers, non-binary officers, people of color and all the various beliefs, life experiences and situations a police officer can live,” wrote Jo Mason, GOAL president. “It is my personal belief that not only does Trump not represent

most of us, but rather, he represents none of us.” Mason said the post was speaking for Mason and not every member of GOAL. “To try to get everyone to agree on one thing politically is nearly impossible,” Mason said. While members support various political parties, the majority of them agreed with Mason’s post, according to 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 significantly 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.

Mason. They also heard from the Guardian Civic League, an organization for black police officers in Philadelphia, and SALEA, an organization for Latino officers in the city, which similarly did not feel supported

by Trump. More than 50% of the force in Philadelphia comes from a minority background, Mason said.

Speaking to CBS News September 19th, John McNesby, president of the Philadelphia police union, said the campaign for Democrat Hillary Clinton refused to participate in the endorsement process. “We went in and we participated with the candidate that cooperated. He filled it out. We met with him.”

Mason’s post said Mason respected McNesby and the entire board of the local police union, Lodge 5. Mason told Philadelphia Gay News that McNesby was the first to pledge money and support a safe space for the GOAL chapter that started here last year. Mason talked with McNesby about the Trump endorsement. “I don’t fault John for the decision he made,” Mason said. “He fell in line with the national organization. He’s thinking of the officers he represents.”

The national union endorsed Trump September 16th. A Change.org petition urges the Baltimore FOP to refrain from endorsing Trump. (Philadelphia Gay News – at Epgn.com)

Anger over spouse’s murder leads to compassion Miami, Florida – When his married spouse, Tom Lang, was attacked and killed earlier this month on a downtown Miami street, Steve Dutton said he went through the various stages of grief. His first thought was to pack up and leave the city that he and Lang had quickly grown to love. But then he decided to do something different.

He decided he would turn Tom’s murder into a lasting legacy of hope that would help other people. And Dutton, formerly of Ft. Worth, Texas, was just the one with the experience to do it. Before retiring to Miami, he spent 20 years as CEO of Samaritan House in Fort Worth. The facility was originally an AIDS hospice, but now provides affordable housing, nutrition, social services, substance-abuse recovery, life-skills training, and follow-up care for

Steve Dutton & Tom Lang

people with HIV. During his last two years in Fort Worth, Dutton also served as CEO of Fort Worth’s Mental Health Housing Development.

On September 7th, Lang and Dutton took their dogs out for their morning walk.

A homeless man – later identified as Evans Celestin – was panhandling, yelling, and cursing at anyone who didn’t give him money. Dutton said a woman who was with Celestin was seemingly cowering in fear.

“I’ve seen him hitting her and screaming at her in the past,” Dutton said. Dutton snapped some pictures of Celestin, intending to pass the photos along to the police along with a complaint about the man’s behavior. But Celestin noticed Dutton taking the picture and became infuriated, stormed across the street toward the couple, approaching Dutton, who defended himself, then moved around Dutton and pushed Lang, 72, to the ground where he hit his head on the concrete, began to bleed profusely from his ears and died of his injuries three days later.

By a few days after the attack in Miami, Dutton said his anger over his husband’s death quickly turned to compassion. He said he understands that homelessness combined with mental health and drug issues were what killed Lang – the same issues he dealt with as CEO of Samaritan House. So Dutton began the process of establishing the Thomas P. Lang Jr. Foundation, with plans to turn his fledgling organization into a resource for the homeless. He explained that he’s currently on a mission of discovery – not trying to replace any existing services for the homeless, but looking for ways he can supplement and build on the efforts of others.

“My goal is to raise funds to help inspire more efforts to make the urban core of Miami safer for everyone – including the homeless, residents, visitors and businesses,” he said. “I’m going to be an advocate who isn’t going to go away,” Dutton pledged. (Dallas Voice – David Taffet at Dallasvoice.com)

Anti-gay Reggae star to perform in Dallas Dallas, Texas – Reggae anti-gay star Sizzla Kalonji and the Firehouse Band are scheduled to appear at Heroes Lounge in Dallas on October 7th. Sizzla is known for virulently homophobic “murder music.” According to the website 18 Karat Reggae (based in Kingston, Jamaica) Sizzla has been denied a visa to enter the U.S. to perform for about ten years. Earlier this year, the site reported “Sizzla triumphs over the homosexual community.” The website complains, “While the church and Christianity overall have been extremely anti-homosexual and unapologetic about it, the gay community has never boycotted the church.”

Sizzla is known not only for his anti-LGBT lyrics, but also Sizzla for making homophobic Kalonji remarks during his concerts. In 2014, he was banned from performing at the Sting Festival, one of Jamaica’s biggest music festivals, after he defied organizers by including anti-gay lyrics in his performance at the December 2013 Sting Festival, after having been warned by organizers against including anti-LGBT lyrics in his performance.

During the performance he screamed “Battyman,” Jamaican slang for “faggot,” while jumping up and down.

This was not the first time Sizzla had been banned from performing over his anti-LGBT lyrics and his brand of Jamaican dancehall music that has come to be called “murder music.” Sizzla was barred from entering the U.K. in 2004, Toronto and Montreal in 2007, Germany in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and Madrid, Ghent, Belgium, Stockholm, Sweden, and Lisbon in 2012. But concerts in 16 other cities on the 2012 tour were sold out. One of his songs “Nah Apologize,” is an anthem declaring that “Rastaman don’t apologize to no batty-boy,” and saying gays and lesbians should be / will be shot and burned. In 2009, House of Blues in Dallas canceled an appearance by singer Buju Banton, another Jamaican singer whose songs encouraged violence. Banton’s concert was then moved to a now-closed club on Main Street in Deep Ellum. LGBT rights advocates staged a rally outside the venue and few people attended the concert.t (Dallas Voice – David Taffet at Dallasvoice.com)

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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Minutes in a Minute Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2016 Meeting called to order by President Lyles at 6:31p.m.

Members present: Rik Newton-Treadway (Vice President), Shelly Higgins (Member-at-Large), Jabari Lyles (President), Jessi Merriken (Treasurer), David Sugar (Secretary), Selina Scipio (Member-at-Large) *GLCCB Board of Directors is looking for new members. President Lyles will begin to advertise in September. *Pride 2016 was successful thanks to staff and volunteers. Pride accounting will be initially reported at the September board meeting and officially reported at the next Town Hall. *GLCCB enjoyed 549 walk-ins during month of July. 30 family members are currently receiving case management. Youth Against Oppression served 18 members last month, Poetry Workshop served 16 participants.

Vogue Night with STAR TRACK is currently our most well-attended group. *Shawnna Alexander Helping Hands Clothing Closet to re-open on August 29th. Kevin will train new volunteer outreach street team for events. *Command MC raised $1200 for GLCCB/Baltimore Pride *A Pride follow-up meeting will be scheduled for the committee. 2017 King and Queen of Pride event will be held November 19th at the Baltimore Eagle. *Next GLCCB Town Hall will take place October 26th, 6:00-8:30pm at GLCCB. *Grand Opening event on October 16th. Board needs to coordinate and plan. *Finalized budget for FY17 needed for approval. President, Treasurer and Directors will collaborate. *Next board meeting will be held October 4 in observance of Yom Kippur.

Motion to adjourn made at 7:56 by Rik Newton-Treadway. Motion passed.

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Program Highlight Youth Against Oppression

By Jennifer Eden

The GLCCB has a group for LGBTQ youth to socialize, network, and build community called Youth Against Oppression. More succinctly called YAO, and pronounced “yow,” the group facilitates engaging activities catered to those ages 14 to 21.

According to its mission statement, this youth-led organization is “dedicated to creating safe space, fighting oppression and supporting queer youth’s personal development.”

Formed in February 2016, the organization developed organically. The 12 original members were youth who spent time regularly at the GLCCB’s former Cathedral Street location. The youth saw a need for a dedicated space for queer youth to gather and decided it was important to create such a space for youth of all races, genders, and backgrounds to meet.

“Today this group has developed into a program with clear direction and purpose, comprised of and led by dedicated queer youth from Baltimore,” YAO’s mission statement states.

The group seeks to increase membership through outreach throughout the Baltimore City area and beyond.

Discussion groups, movie night, game nights, and workshops are among YAO’s current programs. They also plan to have social outings like trips to area ice rinks, bowling alleys, and museums.

YAO prides itself on educating its members and surrounding community on queer life and the laws, policies, and attitudes that affect the everyday lives of youth.

Youth have emerged as some of the strongest voices against prejudice, discrimination, and injustice.YAO seeks to broaden its impact in these areas by partnering with area organizations to engage in activism around issues pertinent to queer youth.

“I would like to see YAO be the LGBTQ youth activist group it was designed to be,” says current YAO President, Rodney Moore. “I want to see YAO actively fighting for gay/queer rights and gay/queer lives.”

YAO is open to new members and meets at the GLCCB every Thursday at 4:30pm.

At the Center of it All

By Jennifer Eden

Since we opened the doors of our brand new location, the GLCCB has been updating our program schedule to include new programs to engage the area LGBTQ community.

From dance classes to discussion groups, we’re consistently striving to make sure there’s something for everybody.

While game nights and support groups may be just what some community members need, others may benefit from a one-on-one session with one of our peer navigators. Peer navigators are individuals who have been trained to help people with mental and physical health care and wellness needs.

Our peer navigators are here for you six days a week. We’re able to help with everything from job hunting to PrEP linkage. Your information stays confidential as we connect you with our partner organizations to receive the services you need.

The GLCCB is truly here for you, the community. Every program, event, and initiative is designed with you at the center. If you’d like to meet with a peer navigator, call the GLCCB at 410-777-8145 or come visit us anytime.

Program Schedule

(All programs are free unless otherwise noted)

Day

Frequency

Time

Program

Sunday

Every

11:00am – 1:00pm

Narcotics Anonymous [NA]

Sunday

Every

3:30pm – 5:00pm

Yoga ($10 drop-in)

Sunday

3rd

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Mind Travel Meditation

Sunday

3rd

2:00pm – 5:00pm

Listen & Learn Support Group

1:00pm – 6:00pm

Helping Hands Clothing Closet

Monday

4th

Tuesday

2nd & 4th

6:30pm – 8:30pm

HIV Testing

Tuesday

1st & 3rd

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Poetry Workshop ($5 suggested donation)

Tuesday

1st & 3rd

7:00pm – 9:00pm

SILhouette – Spiritually In-tune Lesbians

Tuesday

2nd & 4th

6:30pm – 8:00pm

SLAY CAMP – Dance Fitness Class ($5)

Wednesday

Every

6:30pm – 8:30pm

HIV/STD Testing

Wednesday

Every

6:30pm – 8:30pm

The Mankind Project

Wednesday

1st & 3rd

7:00pm – 9:00pm

Trans Baltimore

Wednesday

2nd & 4th

3:00pm – 5:00pm

FreeState Justice Legal Clinic

Wednesday

4th

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Vogue Night

Thursday

Every

4:30pm – 7:00pm

YAO – Youth Against Oppression

Thursday

2nd, 4th & 5th

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Sisters of Pride – Women’s Group

Thursday

3rd

6:30pm – 9:00pm

Baltimore Trans-Masculine Alliance

Thursday

4th

6:00pm – 9:00pm

Game Night

Friday

1st

7:00pm – 10:00pm

Giovanni’s Room Open Mic ($5)

Friday

3rd

7:00pm – 10:00pm

Drag Show

Friday

2nd & 4th

6:00pm – 8:00pm

Black Men’s Xchange

Saturday

Every

5:00pm – 8:00pm

Alcoholics Anonymous [AA]

Open House Sunday October 16th (Rain date Sunday October 23rd) 1pm to 5pm

2530 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21218 BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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thinking outloud

Pointing it Out

By Sage Piper

Ramps to Success If you happened to be driving around town last week, say down Greenmount Avenue or across Oliver Street on your way to the east side, you may have assumed that life was pretty much business per usual on these unassuming Baltimore streets. Nothing to sing about. But happily, I’m here to tell you differently- oh yes, how wrong you would have been!

For last Tuesday morning two inspirational happenings were being celebrated that are enough to give hope to even the most cynical and downtrodden Baltimore heart ... signaling that opportunity, creativity, and investments

are underway in the city... and the cries of the last year and a half have not fallen on deaf ears.

First stop: the ribbon cutting celebration at Open Works Baltimore in the 1400 block of Greenmount Avenue. This amazing space – the newest “makerspace “in a city that now boasts several – is the culmination of a $12-million makeover of a former distribution warehouse and Goodwill store.

Open Works is a community artisan lab for the city’s creative makers, small manufacturers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and craftspeople. It will offer work space and tools to members (or anyone who wants to buy a $25 one-day pass) who might otherwise not be able to afford it, and they will be able to share not only tools but machines, rooms, experience, and ideas in a space that boasts a woodworking shop, computer lab with 3D printing, digital media lab, paint room, sewing room, and a metal shop with laser cutting machines. They will also offer open classes and workshops and provide educational opportunities to the near-

by public elementary and middle schools.

Open Works’ goal is to lift not only the city’s growing creative community but the entire community as well – as part of a number of Food Hub

buildings nearby which are transforming “gritty” Greenmount into a blossoming arts district and breathing new life into the area.

Congressman Elijah Cummings was on hand for the Open Works celebration – and he spoke eloquently of his own father-inlaw – a smart, creative, and entrepreneurial man – whose mind teemed with ideas all of his life, but who never had the means to do anything tangible with those ideas. Cummings realized that what his father-in-law lacked was the ramp that would enable him to link his ideas to reality, and thus he was always “on the outside, looking in.” Cummings’ eyes shone as he praised Open Works for being the ramp that would take so many young artists, architects, and creative people over that vital bridge to access and opportunity to thrive, succeed, and follow one’s ideas through to the next step.

Well, the ribbon had barely been cut (with scissors printed out by Open Works’ 3D printers) and refreshments dipped into when it was time to leave Open Works and head out – to 1801 East Oliver Avenue in East Baltimore. There city, federal, community, and business leaders were gathering to break ground on the site of the new Baltimore Food Hub project.

A $32.5 million historic renovation project, the Baltimore Food Hub is located on a 3.5 acres of abandoned and dusty brown land in the heart of Baltimore’s Broadway East community that has been disinvested and unused since its days as the Baltimore City Water Works Pumping and Repair Station. In fact, it is so bleak, it was chosen for scenes in The Wire, and Cutty’s gym was fashioned in one

of the existing buildings on site. The heart of this exciting project is to bring a large-scale food hub to East Baltimore and to set up teaching kitchens and a catering social enterprise that will provide jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities to the low-income residents in the community.

Baltimore Food Hub’s renovation plans are many, including a connected campus with commercial and teaching production kitchens, space for food manufacturing, job training, an urban farming operation, and an all-season market.

By “clustering” several food services in a single site – the constellation of food businesses in a particular area that are responsible for getting food from the farm to the dining hall – the project will link the East Baltimore community to Maryland’s greater food manufacturing economy.

It will be a powerful job creation engine bringing new life to the area, and it will provide opportunities for workforce development, education, microenterprise, and local economic opportunity. Baltimore Food Hub envisions more jobs for minority and women owned businesses through a catering business serving anchor institutions in Baltimore and beyond.

The onsite urban agriculture and all-season market will provide a source of fresh produce to the East Baltimore community now living in crippling food deserts.

Open Works Baltimore and the Baltimore Food Hub offer the best of innovative planning and investing in economic development that empowers local Baltimore communities without displacement or dispossession. These projects feed the soul of all of us who work every day for the healing and thriving of every sector of our city. So no – it was not such a regular Tuesday morning in Baltimore, after all! t

Two vital projects will energize and transform Baltimore neighborhoods

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Open Works

Thinking OUTloud // mark my words

Homelessness | An ignored community issue

by Mark Segal You most likely thought I’d be talking in this column about the race for president but I’m not. This column is instead about a subject close to my heart: our homeless LGBT youth and homeless transgender people.

It’s a subject I’ve been involved with since 1969 and my days in New York City with Gay Liberation Front. So why write about this now during a heated presidential race?

Simple question, simple answer.

Have you heard either presidential candidate speak about the homeless problems in our LGBT community? You might ask, We have a big homeless problem in our community? Yes, we do and the two segments

Narratives on

New Beginnings Merrick Moses

In the Valley of the Shadow of Death “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” So reads Psalm 23, in part. Violence against black people, especially black men, continues unabated.

We are living in crazy times. There appears to be heighten racial tensions with a candidate of a major party courting the white supremacist vote and giving voice to the KKK. And as we see extrajudicial killings of black men and women on social media, the angst and anxiety of many black men grows. As a black trans man, I must say we are included in that number among the anxious.

When I saw the shootings in Tulsa, Charlotte, Minnesota, and Baton Rouge, my heart hurt. These black men were like my brothers, my cousin, my uncles, and father figures. When I step out of my home and walk the streets of Baltimore, I am a black man period. There is no equivocation. I do not wear my gender history on my sleeve.

I am a black man at the start of the 21st

of our community to be most affected are youth and trans people. Both are the most endangered populations in our community, yet at times our own community doesn’t seem to care enough to do anything about it. We’re so fixated on middle-class issues.

Let me use my own city as an example. In Philadelphia, there is a struggling home for our homeless called LGBT Home for Hope. The home was started last year

by Sakina Dean, with programs run by Deja Lynn Alvarez, a local trans woman.

Home for Hope was funded out-of-pocket

by Dean and Alvarez is fighting to get outside funding. In short order, they rented a building, have attempted to house and feed our homeless and set up programs to help

century. I am a black man in a mirror historical period which saw lynching. Although technology has changed things, the spirit of white supremacy has not. Its deadly paradigm is the dominate cultural program of this society. No American is immune to this program; however, we are not all affected by it in the same way. It is patently clear that black and brown men, women, and children face the brunt of the racist program by being dehumanized in ever sphere and facet of American life. But even in the deadly specter of this reality, there is hope.

What the black trans man offers is a unique view of living at the intersections of gender and race. Having lived on both sides of the gender line, the black trans man has a unique gift of perspective, that when effectively amplified and acknowledge, can contribute to the healing of our nation. As it stands now, I believe that the black trans man is emerging as the Invisible Man of the 21st century. His testimony is often obscured, even in the LGBT community. He needs are ignored by institutions which serve black men and institutions that serve LGBT communities. Even when he does tell his stories, he is ignored. I know because it has happened to me. However, my resolve to give voice to the concerns of black trans men, remains stalwart. We must speak up and out. The world needs our voice. t

them with education, employment, and other social issues they face.

The small project has grown to the point that Home for Hope now houses more than 30 individuals at any given time and it really needs more room. The building and services need upgrades, but it is a start, and you would think most caring people would pitch in to assist and make it better. But many in our community walk away, perhaps because they think the people who access services at Home for Hope do not portray the right image for our community.

Upon hearing about the issue at a summit, I helped arrange for U.S. Sen. Casey to send a task force to see what can be done on a federal level.

After hearing about the daily plight of the lack of funding, Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams’ office put out a collection and representatives of the office brought bags and

baskets of food and supplies to Home for Hope. Others from the state have also been attempting to get the gears moving.

Here’s the simple point: City departments must pitch in and help Home for Hope. It needs funds, the team needs a helping hand of volunteers and a system to get it on the right track to move forward.

In 1969, as the 18-yearold president of Gay Youth New York, I often took in homeless to get them off the streets; so did Silvia Rivera when she had a place to stay. She, as you may know, started Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries, the nation’s first trans organization. Our fellow GLF members helped with funding out of their pockets.

Wouldn’t you think that, 47 years later, we would have progressed a little further in caring for the most endangered in our community? t Mark Segal is publisher of Philadelphia Gay News. His new memoir And Then I Danced is out now. You can follow him oat Facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter. com/PhilaGayNews.

“In 1969, as the 18-year-old president of Gay Youth New York, I often took in homeless to get them off the streets.”

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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quality of life Protesters

to her table and removed her from her tween Chase Brexton and their seat for a tense chat. She was told that own guests. Really. The orgaEnglander had attempted to re-enter the nization can’t seem to make a Charm Ball “with contraband,” and that she gracious move these days, even had “gone with the protesters.” on their most elegant night of the Englander’s wife could not have been year. more flabbergasted if she had been told About 30 protesters, most of

By Mark S. King that her partner had left the Charm Ball to them patients of Chase Brexton, now. join the traveling circus. But security wasn’t gathered outside Baltimore’s RailItta En- done with her. “They wanted to know if I road Museum on Saturday night, glander, a Baltimore City resident was going to cause a scene,” Englander’s waving signs to cars as they entered a private parking area. As guests who attended the event with her wife, had wife said, “and they wanted assurance I made their way toward the entrance, pro- donned a lovely black gown for the Charm would not be disruptive before they would testers called out “Rehire! Reform! Re- Ball, and even indulged in high heels, de- allow me to return to my seat. They never place!” in reference to rehiring the five spite her pregnancy. She wanted to look told me Itta was waiting for me outside.”

And yet she was. For more than 30 managers who were fired in an great for her wife and for others at their table, all of whom were associated with a minutes, Englander uncomfortably stood in When this blogger chose to join effort to intimidate remaining Protesters that donates to Chase Brexton. protesters at Chase Brexton’s her heels on the sidewalk outside, waiting staff out of joining a union, and company “I’ve been reading about annual “Charm Ball” to voice anxiously for her wife and findto replace CEO Richard Larison concern over the direction of ing nowhere to sit in her gown for creating an atmosphere of what has been going on with the Baltimore’s largest healthcare and rest. When she attempted embarrassment and distrust at firings of managers there,” Englander said in an exclusive inprovider to the LGBT commuto speak to Charm Ball organizthe health center. nity, there was little doubt there ers about her plight, they found Soon, event organizers in- terview. “We saw the protesters would be some tension at the elegant af- stalled a black-paneled curtain to partial- when we were driving in, and I her presence so noxious they fair. literally turned their backs and ly block the guests’ view of protesters. It wanted to talk to them. I know Sure enough, urgent concerns were ig- was a terribly ironic sight, watching Chase the situation has been really, walked away. nored and belongings were policed. There Brexton’s attempt to literally blot out their really tough.”

She eventually received So, after being seated at her were stern warnings from security and own patients from view, but we’re dealing help from the protesters, one Itta more than one intimidating confrontation. with an agency that has been tone deaf table and enjoying some of the Englander of whom lent Englander a cell And that’s only what happened be- to community concerns for many months program, Englander strolled out phone to contact her wife, who of the venue to have a chat with promptly came outside. The two protesters. She listened to the concerns of of them left immediately.

Approved February 29, 2016 several patients and met the wife of fired “I know there are always two sides nurse practitioner Jill Crank, who spoke to an issue,” Englander said about her emotionally about the personal toll of the charmless evening, “but when one side is firings. Englander accepted a few print- so guarded and paranoid, they just come ed flyers about the controversy and took off as unwilling to listen, and even uncivil some baked cookies to share with her ta- – even to their own donors or people who ble. are part of your core group. There were a Those few minutes, and her sympa- number of ways the whole situation could thetic chat, would have harsh consequenc- have been handled better.”

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE es.

There are few sights this blogger has CENTER FOR LEARNING AND HEALTH When she attempted to re-enter the witnessed in 30 years of HIV activism as Charm Ball, Englander was stopped by or- outrageous as an organization literally IF YOU ARE LIVING WITH HIV, ganizers. “They wanted to know my name constructing a curtain to hide their own, aland my table number and see my ticket, all ready marginalized patients from the view YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS STUDY of which I produced. Then they said I was of donors. Or the smug smiles on their faca ‘disruptive influence’ and they would not es as they did it. I will not soon forget it, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE IN MEDICAL CARE TO QUALIFY let me back in.” and neither should you.

WHAT CAN YOU GET IN THE STUDY? Itta Englander was treated as if her It brings back memories of a gener• We will refer you to medical care if needed time with protesters had exposed her to ation ago, when HIV was new and ignosomething terrible, a fast-spreading stom- rance was king, when fear and self-pro• Learn the benefits of taking HIV medications ach virus perhaps, and nothing short of im- tection prevented the self-serving from • Earn up to $1,030 for completing assessments mediate quarantine would protect the oth- hearing the facts of the matter, when the • Some people may earn up to $7,300 over 2 years for providing er guests from heaving their soup course diseased unfortunates were hidden and igblood samples that show that they take HIV medications regularly onto reams of black taffeta. nored, when small-minded people simply Without her phone or car keys, En- turned their backs on needful voices. glander asked that word be sent to her HOW CAN YOU APPLY FOR THE STUDY? But as has been clearly established, wife that she had been barred from com- that kind of irony is lost on the leadership Call the Center for Learning and Health at ing back inside. That’s when event secu- of Chase Brexton Health Services.

1-866-857-9851 rity decided to intimidate a second Charm (Itta Englander and her wife have rePrincipal Investigator: Kenneth Silverman, Ph.D. Ball guest. ceived no apology from Chase Brexton. No Protocol Number: IRB00044740 According to Englander’s wife, who one from Chase Brexton responded to a asked not to be identified, security came request to comment for this story.) t

My Fabulous

Disease

Pregnant Guest Kicked Out of ‘Charm Ball’

After speaking to protesters

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BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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Lively ArtS // qmusic

High on Solos

By Gregg Shapiro Beyoncé (Knowles) first came across our radar as the dominant diva in the all-female, modern R&B group Destiny’s Child.

But it didn’t take long for Queen Bey to fly the hive and make honey as a solo artist beyond measure. Thirteen years and six albums into her solo career, Beyoncé has exceeded all expectations with her latest release, Lemonade (Parkwood / Columbia). Her excellent eponymous 2013 disc was going to be a hard act to follow, but squeezing a thirst quenching song cycle out of domestic distress has turned out to be her forte. Beginning with the “dishonesty… all over your breath” in “Pray You Catch Me,” it’s fair to say that this drink is going to be tart. It’s also worth noting that the disc is a testament to working with the right collaborators, such as James Blake (“Pray You Catch Me” and “Forward”), Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (“Hold Up”), Jack White (“Don’t Hurt Yourself”), The Weeknd (“Six Inch”), Wynter Gordon (“Daddy Lessons”), Kendrick Lamar (“Freedom”) Proper placement of classic samples (including “Can’t Get Used to

Losing You,” “When the Levee Breaks,” and “Walk on By” ) also go a long way in setting the tone. Finally, dramatically delivered number such as “Sandcastles” and “Formation” are too powerful to forget.

Would you look at that? The kids from Nickel Creek are all grown up! Chris Thile, for example, is a dad and is about to take over A Prairie Home Companion hosting duties following Garrison Keillor’s impending retirement. Fiddler and singer Sara Watkins has just released her third album, the interestingly titled Young In All the Wrong Ways (New West). Watkins rocks us (and herself) on the title track and “Move Me,” with strong results. Even when she finds her way back to her modern Americana roots, as she does on the delightful “One Last Time,” the foot-stomper “The Truth Won’t Set Us Free,” and serious numbers such as “Like New Year’s Day,” ”Without a Word,” “Tenderhearted,” and “Invisible,” she puts a distinctive spin on what we hear.

Thirty years after the release of Graceland , and at almost 75 years old, with Stranger To Stranger (Concord), Paul Simon continues the 21st century streak of creative brilliance that began with 2006’s Brian Eno-produced Surprise and

2013’s Phil Ramone-produced So Beautiful or So What. Reunited with “his old partner” producer Roy Halee (co-producer of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Waters, as well as numerous Simon solo efforts), Simon sounds as fresh and modern as ever. Simon, who has incorporated international influences in his music since his first post-Simon & Garfunkel album in 1972, continues to expand his musical palette with this album. Still our greatest living story-songwriter, Simon reels us in immediately with the terrifying (on many levels)“The Werewolf,” and doesn’t release us for nearly 40 minutes. The humorous “Wristband,” the ominous instrumental “The Clock,” “Street Angel” (which makes great use of samples), the exhilarating “In a Parade” (which could be a massive club track with the right remix), and the three breathtaking tunes that close the album (“The Riverbank,” “Cool Papa Bell,” and the devastatingly beautiful “Insomniac’s Lullaby”) automatically qualify this album as one of the best of 2016.

In case we forgot that Alice Bag was the former lead singer of L.A. punk legends The Bags, she opens her long overdue eponymous solo debut (on Don Giovanni) with the searing “Little Hypocrite.” However, it’s what follows that tune that really rocks our world. The girl-group retro of “He’s So Sorry,” is a kind of brilliant answer song to the unfortunate 50 year old Carole King / Gerry Goffin number “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) .” Bag also bags it on the intelligent punk of “Programmed” (“We’re on an ocean and the boat is sinking / no knowledge without critical thinking”) and the infidelity heartbreaker “Suburban Home.” The presence of queer musicians Kristian Hoffman and Allison Wolfe only makes this disc even more essential to your music library.

Highly regarded queer musician Lou Reed’s life as a solo artist was far lengthier than the time he spent in The Velvet Underground. Nevertheless, the influence of the

short-lived Velvet Underground can still be felt today. Reed also provided plenty of inspiration to others when he went out on his own, beginning with his transformative 1972 disc Transformer, which included the massive and subversive hit single “Walk on the Wild Side.” For the next 40 years, the late Reed would go on to constantly surprise and challenge with each subsequent recording. Due to be released in October, three years after Reed’s passing, the 17 disc box set The RCA & Arista Album Collection (Legacy / RCA / Arista) compiles 17 albums, including masterpieces such as Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle, The Bells, The Blue Mask, and New Sensations.

Richard Ashcroft, of The Verve fame, returns with These People (Harvest / Cooking Vinyl / RPA) his first solo album in six years.

Easily one of his most accessible efforts, Ashcroft bravely (daringly?) traverses electronic dance territory on “Hold On” and “Out of My Body,” with surprisingly satisfying results. He also doesn’t shy away from the kinds of statements he’s known for as is clear on “They Don’t Own Me,” “Songs of Experience,” and “Everybody Needs Somebody To Hurt” (which is reminiscent of “Bittersweet Symphony”).

We Were Wild (Grand Jury), the latest solo album by Esmé Patterson of the Denver band Paper Bird , is equal parts wild (“Feel Right,” “Moth Song,” “Come See Me” and “The Waves” ) and tame (“Guadalupe,” “Wantin’ Ain’t Gettin’,” and “Yours and Mine”) and thoroughly enjoyable. Formerly of Titus Andronicus, Amy Klein, whose vocal style is reminiscent of Romeo Void’s Debora Iyall, burns it up on her solo debut Fire (Don Giovanni), particularly on the title track, “27,” “Yes Men,” “You are the One,” “Parallels,” “American City,” and “Runaway.” t Sara Watkins performs on October 6th in Washington, D.C., at The Hamilton.

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Lively Arts // out on STAGE

Blood, Gore, Horror at Milburn Stone Theatre Imagine

Ferd and his plan to clean up his town, brought to a halt when the mayor’s henchmen dump him into a vat of toxic waste. He re-emerges as a seven-foot tall mutant freak with superhuman strength, called, yes, the Toxic Avenger.

Andrew Mitchell, director of Avenger, explains, “Those who love the Toxic Avenger will find it doesn’t follow faithfully to the movie. They’ve created a brand new background and story. It delves deeper into the backstory of many of the characters you have seen in the movie. If you come expecting the original production, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised that it captures the spirit of the movie, but will enjoy how it’s been expanded for the theatrical stage.”

Mitchell, who is also helps with Milburn Stone Theatre’s marketing and development, went on to share what audiences can expect from the upcoming 2017 season.

“We’ll have productions that will appeal to just about everyone. For those that enjoy shows on the cutting edge, or on the fringe, we have Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson in January. We also will have Rock of Ages in February, for those who loved the movie and rock music.

In March we have Singin’ In The Rain, complete with a live rainstorm happening every performance. That will be fun to pull off technically and fun for audiences who will see Hollywood standards brought to life. In August we’ll have The Last Five Years, which is a small musical.

It’s a show that may not be for everyone but we’re willing to embrace difficult material to help bring on stage and find a home.”

Adds Mitchell, “Also in August we’ll have Hairspray. We dubbed it not the ‘Broadway musical,’ but the ‘Baltimore musical.’ There’s so much Baltimore within Hairspray. Everyone in Maryland has an affinity to that production. In October, we will have Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which is another collaboration with the Brothers Denton. We will also have two family musicals that are to be announced at a later date. We know that our patrons will certainly be excited when we announce those shows!”

The Evil Dead: The Musical runs October 7th, 8th, 15th (at midnight), 22nd, and 28th; The Toxic Avenger runs October 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, and 29th. t For more info visit Milburnstone.com

Halloween all season!

By Frankie Kujawa Tucked in the corner of the state lays a hidden jewel of the Maryland theater community.

The Milburn Stone Theatre at Cecil College, in North East, Maryland, has garnered quite a bit of buzz lately for their high-caliber productions and talented casts. Their upcoming performances of The Evil Dead: The Musical and The Toxic Avenger are set to have audiences intrigued with blood, violence, and a splatter zone.

Bob Denton, director of The Evil Dead explains that the musical is based on Sam Raimi’s series of a cult classic horror film which originally starred Bruce Campbell in the role of Ash, the arrogant, chainsaw-wielding protagonist. After embarking on a vacation to a cabin in the woods, Ash is eventually forced to dispatch his demon-possessed friends – in a number of bloody ways – before finding a way to

destroy the demonic threat once and for all. Denton adds, “The show is a parody of both horror flicks and musicals, and George Reinblatt’s script is as ridiculous as it is hilarious, constantly self-aware and pushing itself further and further into the ridiculous.”

Denton also gives audiences a head’s up on what to expect from the show.

“Blood. Lots of it. And vulgarity. And chainsaws. And air-sex. And more blood. The show makes use of a Splatter Zone, where audience members are guaranteed to be drenched with blood as the violence happens onstage. The first three rows and stage-side cabaret tables are expected to be a mess by the time the show is done.

It’s stupid, it’s asinine, and it will be fun.”

Running in rep with The Evil Dead is The Toxic Avenger, another cult film which becomes a cult musical in this production. Based on the original tale of Melvin

// out on DVD

Fabulous After 50 Advanced Style proves it!

by Chuck Duncan It’s fair to say that our society has an age problem.

Rather we seem to have a problem with women over the age of 50. There is still a stereotypical view of women that says they should dress appropriately (i.e. dowdy) as they get older and behave in a more genteel manner. Women “of a certain age” are regarded as “elderly” and “frail” regardless of how they truly carry themselves (look at how Hillary Clinton is treated regarding her age and health as compared to Donald Trump, who is five years older).

The new documentary Advanced Style – produced in 2013 and now getting a DVD release – proves that women over 50 (and older) can still be fabulous. The idea for the film grew out of a blog by Ari Seth Cohen, who would walk around New York City admiring the fashion sense of the older women walking through the city. Cohen would compliment the women and ask is he could take their picture and an internet sensation was born.

The popularity of the blog led to the publication of a book of photos, and now a new documentary featuring several of Cohen’s subjects.

Advanced Style takes a look into the lives of Joyce Carpati, Lynn Dell, Zelda Kaplan, Jacquie Murdock, Debra Rapoport, Tziporah Salamon, and Ilona Smithkin. All of these ladies, whose ages range from 60s to mid-90s, live life to the fullest and use their fashion sense to express themselves. Some of the women have owned boutiques for years, some are artists, but they all have their own unique voice and a way with mixing and matching various items of clothing.

The film itself doesn’t really have a narrative to follow, basically just allowing the viewer to be a participant in the lives of these women, at their shops, classes, events and even to Los Angeles where a

few of them appeared on The Ricki Lake Show (the 2012 version). It’s not made clear if any of the women have known each other outside of this production, but a couple of them seem friendly with each other. There is one scene with the women in Los Angeles that has a palpable sense of tension when one of them, Lynn, seems to not know when to shut up. Cohen himself has to address the issue as she seems unaware but aware of the fact that she can be a bit overbearing and he doesn’t want her co-opting everyone else’s time on the show.

It’s interesting to see

Mavens

the personalities of each woman, from the more well-to-do, put-together Joyce Carpati to the more bohemian Ilona Smithkin,with the bright red hair and matching false eyelashes made also from red hair, who teaches art classes and even performs an intimate cabaret act. It’s also inspiring to see the pure joy of living these women have regardless of their ages or physical ailments (Ilona says at one point when the proposition of being cast in an episode of a reality TV show re-enactment comes her way that from the waist up she’s fine, from the waist down “don’t ask, don’t tell.”). To them, age is just a number. They live and dress how they feel, not how society tells them how they should and that’s a message we should all take to heart. Be true to yourself.

Advanced Style is now available for digital purchase or rental at Amazon.com.

The DVD will be released October 25th and is available for pre-order at Amzn. to/2diFiez. t

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

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out in the valley

Parenting OUTloud

Rev. Kelly Crenshaw

Baby is Drug-Free!

By the time you read this article, our family will have celebrated an amazing milestone in the life of our youngest daughter. She will have 30 days of sobriety.

This may seem a strange thing to write about an infant. After all, she’s only ten months old. But, to a baby that was born addicted to eight different substances, this represents the first time since conception that she has been completely drug-free.

Baby Cassandra’s biological mother, my cousin, is a drug addict. Some of the prescription medication she takes is prescribed for legitimate medical situations. Other medications have been prescribed for situations that have arisen after years of drug abuse. Some she took as prescribed. Some she did not. And, when the prescription drugs ran out, she used street drugs to fill the gaps. And Cassandra unfortunately, when she became pregnant, things didn’t change.

She tried. I saw that she tried.

She wanted to protect her unborn baby from the effects of drug use. She went into an opiate addiction program, where they prescribed medication to prevent her from craving other medications. And, while this was a great start, it still put drugs into the developing baby’s system. She continued taking prescriptions that she needed in order to be healthy, but those drugs weren’t healthy for the baby. She talked to her doctors and twisted what they said to justify her choices. Meanwhile, little Cassandra was developing inside her, feeling the impact of every pill.

The day Cassandra was born, I was there. Cassandra was her mother’s seventh baby. None of them live with her. Child Protective Services has seen to that. The birth was relatively uneventful. And, at first, she appeared happy and healthy. So, we watched and waited.

It didn’t take long before we saw her body react to the withdrawal. She began to stiffen and shake. She cried uncontrollably. The doctors started her on morphine and her little body craved those meds. One of the NICU

nurses demonstrated that craving by showing me that Cassandra wasn’t hungry, so she rejected a bottle with formula, however when a bottle containing morphine was offered a few seconds later, little Cassandra drank like she was starving. The nurse explained that they all do it. They know what their little, day old bodies crave. They are drawn to it.

Because Cassandra was addicted to so many substances, her experience became pretty scary. The morphine was increased and still it wasn’t enough to ease her pain. She would do well for a while and we were hopeful that she would come home soon. But, as soon as they tried to decrease her dosage and begin to wean her off the prescriptions, she relapsed. They added clonidine, but that wasn’t enough either.

Finally, they added phenobarbital.

We waited eagerly as the morphine was decreased, little by little, until she no longer needed that drug. Then, the clonidine went away. We brought her home on phenobarbital.

It was hard bringing her home. We had a number of pediatricians refuse to see her because of her addiction issues. We were lucky to find a doctor with NICU experience. As we tried to wean the baby from her medication, we found that it was going to continue to be a fight. She needed these drugs. When she was suffering, her cries were inconsolable.

She couldn’t handle any stress at all. Her little body would shake and she would vomit up everything in her system. And, nobody could make it any better for her.

So, the wean went slowly. We added homeopathic options and found that they helped.

Then, one day, a couple of months ago, Cassandra began to refuse the homeopathic options. She just wouldn’t take them. And, when we stopped offering them, there was no change. She was ready for that part of her treatment to go away. Bit by bit, the phenobarbital dosage continued to decrease.

So when, a month ago, she started refusing the tiny little amount of phenobarbital that

was left, we agreed that we would stop the meds altogether. She did well – really well.

And now, a month later, she is completely drug free. When she bumps her head or pinches a finger, she cries like most any other baby. She can be consoled. She doesn’t burst into tears for no reason. We can take her out in public.

For this little baby, being drug-free is a huge accomplishment. She has fought and struggled to get to this point in her life. She had to go through this without understanding what was happening or why.

She, like many other babies like her, is amazing.

And this, my friends, is something to be applauded. Hooray, baby!! t

Rev. Kelly Crenshaw is the mom of 16 adopted kids, two biological kids, guardian of one baby girl and foster mom of dozens. 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

Brian’s

Brain

Brian George Hose

Everyone’s Got One I haven’t always enjoyed being afraid. As a child I was sheltered from most scary things, things like vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. I was aware of these things because I’d seen them in episodes of Scooby Doo, but I was always assured by my parents and other adults that such creatures lived only in the imagination. They weren’t real and couldn’t hurt me; there was nothing to be afraid of. I mostly believed what I was told, but there was always a small part of me that remained unconvinced. Logic and certainty thrive in daylight but are quick to vanish in the dark hours after bedtime, when shadows reign and the mind wonders, Was the closet door partially open when I turned out the light?

In elementary school I was introduced to the scary and exciting world of ghost stories. A friend,whose grandfather had died the previous year, told me stories about mysterious happenings in her grandmother’s house. Doors opened and closed on their own. The TV turned itself on after everyone was asleep. Objects disappeared, only to be found in unlikely places. Part of me reasoned that there were plausible explanations for these events, but that didn’t explain my friend’s sincerity and the frightened look in her eyes.

I was skeptical, but loved the way her scary stories made me feel that anything was possible, that adults don’t know everything, that maybe I should be afraid after all. I became hooked on scary stories and began asking everyone if they had a story to tell. Each story was subjected to a vague, nebulous test of my own making. Stories “passed” if the creepy content was greater than my innate skepticism; stories “failed” if I could provide a non-supernatural explanation for the events. Either way, I loved each

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BALTIMORE OUTLOUD

and every story.

Over the years I’ve heard hundreds, if not thousands, of scary stories. When I meet a new person I patiently wait for an opportune moment to ask if they have a scary story to tell. The answer is always yes. I’ve been told stories about ghosts, poltergeists, clowns, UFOs, werewolves, trolls, scary strangers, demonic possession (and exorcism), dolls, strange occurrences, and nearly anything else you can conjure up in your imagination. Each story is the same and each story is different. The details may change but at the heart of each story is a common thread: something has happened that could not or should not have happened within the norms and structures of our daily lives. This thread is where fear lives.

Even skeptics have scary stories. After all, you don’t need to believe in ghosts or the supernatural to be afraid. When asked for a scary story, skeptics will often tell a story involving people and not the paranormal. These stories are always unsettling because they remind us that the world can be a scary place without the aid of ghosts and demons.

Imagining there’s a ghost in your attic is o n e thing, but being followed home from the grocery store by a stranger is something else entirely, something abnormal that isn’t supposed to happen. Something scary.

As Halloween approaches, I’m reminded of what I love about scary stories. I love the idea that there are things in this world that can’t be explained, things that challenge our perceptions of reality and what is and isn’t possible. Each story asks questions that aren’t always easy to answer, whether or not you believe in ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. Each story tells us that we may experience something we never thought possible and that life is full of new adventures and experiences to be had. It’s a lot like falling in love, an inexplicable moment that catches you off guard and shows you a world you’ve never seen before, a reminder that there is still life to be lived.

This Halloween, ask the people in your life for a scary story. After all, everyone’s got one. t

september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com

Beyond the Ice

Machine L:aura Anderson

The Ten Year Milestone This past summer marked my ten-year anniversary as Laura. It was June 12, 2006 that I stepped out of a Pennsylvania courthouse with my legal name change document in my hand. That afternoon I went to the Social Security office to change my name and then to PennDot for my updated driver’s license – new name and new photo. (It would not be until a year later that I was permitted to change the “M” to “F” on my license.)

This decade has been one of extraordinary events for me and for our community.

Within a year of embarking on my 24/7 journey as Laura I made that unforgettable road trip to Colorado to visit Dr. Bowers where she did her magic. After that, everything became legal – my Social Security gender marker was changed, I returned to the Pennsylvania courthouse for the court- ordered gender change which then allowed me to change my birth certificate as well as the all-important “M” to “F” on my driver’s license. A distant impossible dream was actually coming true.

Yet, it was all so new and so scary.

How could I ever get by as a woman after living half a century as a guy? I had trouble finding employment. I was told that my university transcripts could not be updated with my new name because they were on microfiche. How could Laura ever get a job using Michael’s transcripts? It could not be done. I was essentially stripped of my college degree until I convinced them that they were a university – smart people who can figure things out ... eventually, they did. (They told me that no one had ever requested this before except for a few alumni in witness protection.)

Somehow I got a job as a substitute teacher, applying and working in stealth.

I had successfully changed my Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate to reflect my new name. My criminal background check would have revealed my old male name to future employers, so instead of my male first name I used only the initial on the application, thinking it would surely be bounced back. It was not. I was actually able to work successfully in elementary classrooms as Ms. Anderson. This was all beyond my wildest dreams.

Eventually I went on to earn my master’s degree and to teach at a university – all as Laura. Thinking back to that ice machine which had been such a milestone so long ago reminded me of just how far I had actually come. I am living the dream of a little girl in the 1950s forced to live her life as male; persevering to eventually find her true self so many years later in life.

But this is only part of the story of this remarkable past decade. The world around me has also been changing in astounding ways.

Although strides have been made in transgender rights, we are still a marginalized group. When I first began my transition we were largely unnoticed – pretty much off the radar. No one was passing legislation that defined us in negative ways or that was designed to restrict our rights. No one noticed or seemed to care what restrooms we were using. No one in authority was attacking transgender children in our schools.

Things have indeed been changing.

In the next article we will examine the momentous events that have rocked the lives of transgender people in this past decade – both amazingly good and also not so good. We will look at some of the ways our society has been shifting to more fully value and welcome us, and how for so many transgender people the increased visibility of this past decade has led to ever more danger ... danger from others and also from ourselves. 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 // faith

Spirit Speaks

Rev. Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor

The Art of Contentment In his book, Searching for Happiness: How Generosity, Faith, and Other Spiritual Habits Can Lead to a Full Life, Pastor Martin Thielen examines how to be happy in a society that often defines happiness through beauty, wealth and success. But does that really make us happy? Nearly every major world religion defines happiness in terms that go directly against these values. For Thielen, (and for most world religions) happiness is measured in direct proportion to contentment.

Contentment is defined as wanting what you have and not having what you want. We are taught from an early age that having everything we want is a good goal. From the commercials and media, we watch to the Sears Christmas catalogue, we are raised to be a people who constantly want more.

Our faith reminds us that while things in and of themselves are not bad, they are not the means to happiness. Things can be good, and even necessary, but they do not make us happy in the long term. Cultivating contentment in life is a discipline; something we have work at.

Contented people use trials as growth opportunities. No one said life would be easy and boy, was no one right! Life can be hard.

But even our trials can help shape us positively if we let them. Contented people cultivate optimism. We know things are hard, but we also know that life brings with it amazing blessings. Sometimes the way we look at a situation can change both our perception and our experience. Contented people focus on the present. Dwelling in past shame and regret or worrying about future failures will only rob us of contentment. Then why do we do it?? I am still trying to figure that one out.

Practicing forgiveness makes us contented people. Living in anger and bitterness only hurts us, not those with whom we are angry.

Are you really angry with someone?? You want to get even?? Then forget about them, move on, and be truly happy! That will really make them mad! Don’t give people the satisfaction of your bitterness. (Yeah, I’m still working on that one here, too…)

Contented people practice generosity.

Nothing blesses you like blessing someone

else. Mohammed Ali said, “Serving others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Contented people nurture relationships. NOTICE: we don’t enjoy relationships, we don’t have relationships…we cultivate them. That means we care for them, we tend them, we feed them, we help them grow.

Contented people express gratitude. We are thankful people. We recognize those daily blessings we receive and we make them our focus. You want to learn to be grateful?

Keep a gratitude journal and every day, make a mental note of three things that happened that day to bless you.

Contented people care for both their body and their soul. We need to be healthy. It’s hard to be content if you are stressed out, sluggish, and tired. Proper rest, good nutrition, exercise and the like will help us become more content people. Nothing relieves daily stress like a good workout. And nourishing our soul is just as important. Do those things that feed your soul. A spiritually healthy community of faith should nurture and support you in the spiritual journey. Take time for the things that nourish your spiritual side: trips to the mountains, a cup of coffee at sunrise, some quiet meditation or beautiful music.

The way to happiness is not through things but through relationships, the chief one being your relationship with yourself.

That’s the art of contentment. And it’s hard work. What are doing today to care for you? t

Spirit Speaks Trunk or Treat

By Rev. Kelly Crenshaw Believe it or not, the holiday season is approaching – the Halloween holiday season.

At New Light, we recognize that part of our mission as a church is to be an active part of our community. As such, we often participate in community events.

So this year, as we did last year, we will be participating in Hagerstown’s Trick of Treat night on Monday, October 31, by holding a Sweet Trunk of Treat in our parking lot. & scary It’s always a lot of fun. Members decorate their cars with a theme. Last year, we had a pirate car and a Finding Nemo car, among other spooky options. The neighborhood families enjoy seeing our decorations and we enjoy meeting the children.

We hand out candy to all those who come by. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that we are a part of the community. And, it is an even better opportunity to let the neighbors know that we are a friendly group of folks.

So, plan out your Trick or Treat night and include a stop at New Light. We look forward to seeing you there. t For more info about New Light contact one of the co-pastors at 301-797-5698 or newlightmcc@hotmail.com.

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

21

quality of life // health & WELLNESS

Open Wide ask Dr Eva

Dr Eva Hersh

Symptoms of Headaches Dear Dr. Eva, Please write about the different types of headaches. How do you tell what is causing a headache, and whether or not it is dangerous?

J.B.

Tension headache is the most common type of headache. Migraine is the second most common. Migraine is now recognized as much more common than was thought in the past.

Tension Headaches got their name because the pain was thought to be caused by tension in the muscles of the face, head, neck, and shoulders. These headaches can also be caused by many types of stress, including emotional stress, hunger, lack of sleep, eye strain, and physical exhaustion. Pain elsewhere in the body, such as backache, can also trigger a tension headache.

The pain of tension headache is usually on both sides of the head and has a squeezing quality. Most people will have tension headaches at some time in their life. They are not a sign of a serious condition.

They can usually be handled with rest, muscle massage, relaxation techniques, and over-the-counter pain medicines such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

Migraine is also called vascular headache. It is caused by an initial dilation or widening of small arteries in the brain, followed by a contraction, or spasm, of those same arteries. The arterial spasm causes the pain. Migraine pain is usually pounding or throbbing. Often the pain is made worse by bright light and loud sounds. Typically, the pain is on one side or in the back of the head, but some people do have migraines with pain on both sides of the head. The initial arterial dilation causes the other symptoms of migraine, which vary depending on what part of the brain the affected arteries flow to. Migraine symptoms that appear before the pain starts are called prodromal.

The most common prodromal symptoms are nausea and vomiting, vision changes, or both. The visual changes include sudden onset of tunnel vision in one eye or onset of patterns like spots, spirals, or a grid over the visual field of one eye. In some cases, there is complete, but temporary, loss of vision in one eye. Migraines usually will resolve within a few hours, but while they last they can be very painful. In some people, migraines can recur day after day.

This situation is called cluster migraine.

If migraine pain cannot be controlled with the over-the-counter medications listed above, the person should see a physician for a trial of triptans, a class of medicine including sumatriptan and others. Triptans are specifically effective for migraine headaches, because they work by opening up the arteries in spasm. Because of the risk of dependency or addiction, narcotic med-

Tension and Migraine

Dear J.B., This is a big topic. If the information below doesn’t answer your question, please write again.

Here are some basics about headaches: Headache Red Flags: some situations in which the person definitely needs medical evaluation.

Headache that is more severe or has different characteristics compared to that person’s past headaches.

Headache with fever: possible infection of the surface covering of the brain (meningitis), infection of the brain itself (encephalitis), or other serious infections such as pneumonia. Severe stiff neck, inability to touch chin to chest, and pain with bending head towards chest are typical of meningitis.

Headache with dizziness, nausea, vision changes or vision loss, or weakness on one side of the body, unless the person has a history of similar headaches: possible stroke. Although in younger people this is more likely to be migraine (see below), the first headache of this type should be evaluated.

“Worst headache of my life”: several possible causes, should be medically evaluated.

Headache preventing sleep or waking a person from sleep.

Headache following a fall or blow to the head, or in a person taking anticoagulants (“blood thinners”): possible bleeding in the brain, needs CT or MRI of brain to diagnose.

Headache caused by a serious illness, like a brain tumor or bleeding in the brain, is less likely in young people and more likely in people over 60.

22 t

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD

september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com

Ask

Dr. J

Janan Broadbent, Ph.D.

How Feed the Soul What do you do when you or your partner feel exhausted, fed up, tired, and plain depleted from the daily demands of life, work, friends, and family? How do you rejuvenate and refresh your resources? How do you help your partner do the same? Or conversely, how do you want your partner to help you refuel?

Physical exercise, meditation, yoga, and similar activities definitely provide a sense of renewal. But a resource we have all around us is what I want to focus on: Music and art. Whichever genre(s) you may prefer, music and art are what the right brain responds to, the hemisphere that houses our emotions. This is why stores play a certain kind of music. Last week, in a local grocery store, I found myself almost wanting to dance, which of course was from the energizing music, which may have influenced my buying decisions!

On the relaxing side, you may have noticed that meditation apps, spas, or massage salons use the calming and softer selections. Even our associations can affect, though temporarily, our body reactions.

Having just read the sad news that Buckwheat Zydeco had passed away, I could almost hear the upbeat accordion music he was known for and taste the Cajun food!

Then there is the issue of the soul

going wanting because one partner has more time on his/her hands than the other, whether it’s due to work, volunteering, or family commitments. How to deal with that without harming the relationship? How to close the attention gap? A good way to start is to look at priorities and expectations, which may differ widely. This imbalance can have its roots in how life was like at the beginning of a relationship and how needs and wants change over time. The road to resolving this kind of discrepancy starts in communication and time management. And beginning a good exchange of feelings and thoughts can be facilitated after an inspiring concert or time spent together listening to music, or for that matter, going on any art-related venture. Visit a gallery or museum? Use the artwork to stimulate a good discussion of your reactions and then, segue into what is going on in your lives.

Most importantly, to be nourishing each other in all ways and primarily in the emotional sphere, do not forget how important it is to schedule a date night. It may be weekly or less often, depending on the circumstances, but do set it up on a regular basis. I can’t stress how crucial this is. Time for each other without distractions (I am looking a you, cellphone addicts!) makes a huge difference in the present and for the long run. You do not want to find yourself, some years down the road, wondering who this person is who is sharing housing and food with you, because you have grown apart without that regular shared time.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles Dickens t

Yours and others’

ications such as Percocet and Fiorinal or Fioricet are no longer recommended for migraine or tension headaches.

Next issue, this column will review several more unusual types of headache, including Coital Migraine, Altitude Headache, Temporal Arteritis, and Cerebral Aneurysm. t Eva Hersh is a Baltimore family physician. Please send questions and comments to her by email at dr.eva@baltimoreoutloud.com.

quality of life // health & WELLNESS

PrEP Shines at the International AIDS Conference

By Lynda Dee There were a number of interesting PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) presentations at the International AIDS Conference, which was held in Durban, South Africa, from July 18th to 22nd, 2016. Scott McCallister from Gilead presented 2016 CDC HIV transmission risk data in the U.S., an overview of 32 international studies of FTC/TDF (Truvada) usage for PrEP since it was licensed in the U.S. in 2012, and U.S. PrEP utilization data.

Truvada, which is part of a cocktail regimen for people with HIV has demonstrated as much as a 90% effective rate in reducing the risk of HIV transmission when it is taken properly.

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that an individual living in the US has a 1 in 99 chance of HIV infection during their lifetime, the risk of HIV infection differs from state to state. The risk of HIV infection is 1 in 49 in Maryland.

Lifetime risk of HIV infection by race/ethnicity and gender is as follows: • Black men, 1 in 20; black women, 1 in 48 • Hispanic men, 1 in 48; Hispanic women, 1 in 227 • White men, 1 in 132; white women, 1 in 880 But the risk of HIV infection is much higher in some sub-groups. The lifetime risk of HIV in black and Hispanic men who have sex with men (MSMs) is astronomical!

Black MSM have a 1 in 2 chance of contracting HIV. Hispanic MSM have a 1 in 4 chance of contracting HIV. Data was reviewed from the 8,478 people who participated in 32 Truvada for PrEP studies, including 7,002 men with 64 seroconversions, 1,388 women with two seroconversions and 76 transgender women (TGW) with one seroconversion, equaling a total of 7,061 cumulative patient years of PrEP use.

The total number of HIV seroconversions was 67 in 8,478 people. This equals a rate of 0.95 of 100 HIV infection per person year.

The lowest person rate occurred in an African PrEP study of discordant couples (one person is HIV-positive and one person is not).

The IPERGAY study conducted in MSM in France and Canada had a 0.9% person year rate of risk of HIV infection. The PROUD study in MSM in the United Kingdom had a 1.2 % rate and the IPREX study in MSM and TGW had a 2.2% person year rate of HIV

infection. The highest rates of 4.7% person year risk were seen in two studies of women conducted in Africa.

Again, some studies have shown as high as a 90% risk reduction rate of HIV transmission when PrEP is taken as indicated. This means that PrEP may work up to 90% of the time if you take it properly. The CDC still recommends condom use even when using PrEP. All Truvada study participants received this information during counseling sessions.

But many reported condomless sex.

PrEP usage data in the U.S. by geographical regions was also presented. The highest percentage of PrEP use in the Northeast was in New York, with 15.9%; and the lowest was Vermont, with 0.1%. The highest in the west was in California, with 16.7%; and the lowest in Alaska, with 0.0%. In the Midwest, Illinois was the highest, with 5.4%; and South Dakota was the lowest, with 0.0%. In the South, Texas was the highest, with 6.8%; and West Virginia was the lowest, with 0.1%.

Maryland is listed with the Southern states and rates at number 6 of 17 states in the South, with 1.5% PrEP use. Hopefully this will change since the Baltimore City Health Department recently received a CDC grant to promote PrEP use.

Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois have highest rates of Truvavda for PrEP use per population, but some states with highest lifetime risk of an HIV diagnosis still have very low numbers of people on Truvada for PrEP. This includes states with high populations of black men, who have a 44% rate of a new HIV infections even though they represent only 12% of the population, and states in the Southeast with high populations of young gay and bisexual men.

The number of unique individuals starting Truvada for PrEP has increased to 79,684 people (60,872 men and 18,812 women) through the end of 2015, which is a 738% increase from 2012 to 2015.The highest rate of Truvada for PrEP use is in men (76.4%) and in those age 25 and up (85.0%).

Despite this increasing trend of Truvada for PrEP use in men, barriers must still be addressed in women, especially women under 25, who have historically high infection rates of HIV infection. In spite of the high uptake of PrEP in men, PrEP use in women has decreased by approximately 25% from 2012 to 2015.

Unfortunately, the Gilead PrEP utilization data was limited because it did not include the numbers of prescriptions filled by Medicaid patients and in people enrolled in some private insurance companies, such as Kaiser Permanente.

There was also interesting data from the ATN 113 study for PrEP, a demonstration project in the U.S. presented by Sybil Hosek.

This is the first study of its kind in adolescent MSM ages 15-17. The study was conducted in Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Participants were accrued online and received open-label Truvada once daily as well as behavioral risk interventions and adherence support. Between August 2013 and September 2014, 78 adolescents were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 16.5. There were 33.3% mixed race participants, 29.5% black, and 20.5% Latino participants. Men self-identified as MSM (58%) and bi-sexual (28%).

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were diagnosed and treated in 15.4% of participants when the study began. STIs decreased during the study and were diagnosed in 12.3% of participants at week 24 and 10.6% at week 48.

A majority of participants had sufficient PrEP drug levels when they were on a monthly visit schedule, which means they were taking their PrEP. But adherence decreased when they were switched to quarterly visits.

Unfortunately, three persons seroconverted, which is a person-year rate of 6.41%, the highest infection rate seen to date. The HIV transmission rate in ATN 113 in MSM 15-17 is twice as high as in the ATN 110 study in MSM 18-22 presented by Dr. Hosek last year.

Condomless sex was reported by the majority of participants throughout the study.

There was no significant correlation between condomless sex and PrEP adherence. People who feared that others would think they had HIV were more likely to be non-adherent. The main reasons for missing PrEP does was being away from home (32%), being too busy (28%), forgetting (26%), and changing routines (19%).

The purpose of ATN 113 was to collect PrEP safety data in MSM adolescents 15-to17, data which were previously non-existent.

The ATN 113 data will be presented to the FDA in an effort to expand FDA approval of Truvada for PrEP in people between 15 and 17 years old. Truvada for PrEP is currently only approved for people over 18. Until the FDA approves Truvada for PrEP in adolescents, it will not be available in youth-friendly settings where adolescents feel more comfortable receiving PrEP care. This study also suggests that young adolescents will need more support services to remain PrEP adherent. t

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com t

23

quality of life

Fit

for

Life

Joshua H. Buchbinder

Nutrition 101 As fall begins we will are inundated with more family gatherings, sweets, and tough choices. I decided to ask nutrition coach, trainer, and registered nurse Elyse Buchbinder (who happens to be my wife) what the best choices and methods are to stay healthy, lean, and fit as the weather shift.

Joshua: What’s the healthiest and best diet during the Fall months? Paleo, Zone, Mediterranean?

Elyse: None. Diets are almost never “healthy,” they are crash courses to help with some mild weight loss. However, the weight usually finds us again! It’s like cramming before a test – yes we will get some temporary results but it won’t last.

Joshua: If diets aren’t the answer what is? How about eating less and moving more?

Elyse: Diets fail because it’s they’re not sustainable, they don’t teach you how to eat the right way for the long term.

You don’t learn to find or make healthy, enjoyable foods.

I want my clients to learn how to be successful for the long term, not just for a few months.

Often I hear, “I lost 25 pounds and a few months later gained 40.” They felt great for a few months but now they feel worse than ever. The problem, they never really learned how to shop, cook, and eat healthy. When our weight goes up and down like a Yo-yo we tend to feel defeated and like it’s not worth the effort. As for your second question, yes, eating less and moving more will work to a point, but if you’re calories are coming from three candy bars and a soda, you’ll lose weight but it won’t be fat! In fact, when you reduce calories drastically your body

stores fat to protect your vital organs so can continue to function. And this can happen even if we are making healthy choices and eating too little.

Joshua: So what’s the answer? Are overweight people just doomed to be on a roller coaster with their weight?

Elyse: No one has to stay on the roller coaster… you can get off whenever you choose. But there is no easy solution. There’s no quick fix, no “30 days to the whole new you” nonsense. Look, everyone knows pies, cakes, and chips are unhealthy and fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish are. At some point you have to make a decision and follow it with action. Lip service won’t get you anywhere, stop talking and start doing. The answer for sustainable weight loss and healthy nutrition is relatively simple – keep it close to the earth. This means whole foods like vegetables, carbohydrates that aren’t processed (i.e. whole grains, potatoes, squashes, corn, etc.), organic meats and open water fish, healthy fats (like nuts, seeds or avocados) and some fruits. Essentially, your plate should be very colorful and natural. More vegetables than not! Every meal should have protein, carbs, fats and vegetables. Don’t fear healthy fats or carbohydrates as long as they’re from the right sources.

Joshua: What’s the best tip you can give?

Elyse: Start slow.

Make small changes to your eating habits and over time incorporate more changes. If it’s too much too quick – you’ll quit!

To sum it up, diets are Band-Aids on bullet wounds: they don’t solve the real problem. Just eating less doesn’t equate to fat loss. Keep your food simple, real, and colorful. Take action to change but in baby steps – learning to eat well is a process and never perfected we all fall short so cut yourself some slack! t Joshua and Elyse Buchbinder are co-owners of B-Strong Athletics in Baltimore.

They have been coaching and training for a combined 30 years of experience and are always here to help. Feel free to contact them at 410-967-9699 or jbuchbinderfitness@ gmail.com

Joshua Buchbinder interviews Elyse Buchbinder

“Diets are Band-Aids on bullet wounds: they don’t solve the real problem. Just eating less doesn’t equate to fat loss. Keep your food simple, real, and colorful.”

24 t

BALTIMORE OUTLOUD

september 30, 2016 • baltimoreoutloud.com

The Law & You

Cheryl A. Jones

Jointly-Owned Property: Not Always the Right Plan For any number of reasons, you have decided to add a partner, child, or close friend as a joint owner on one or more of your assets. Perhaps you are concerned about becoming disabled, and want to know that your loved one can easily pay your bills and manage things for you.

Perhaps you want to ensure that when you pass away your partner will inherit the home you share without having to go through the hassle of opening and administering an estate.

What’s not to like about such an easy plan?

Well, unfortunately – a lot. That’s because joint ownership can produce some nasty tax and other consequences.

Benefits of joint ownership The typical form of shared ownership between unmarried individuals such as domestic partners, parents and children, and siblings is “joint tenants with rights of survivorship,” often abbreviated as “JTWROS.” With this arrangement, each owner can access and manage the property, and if one owner dies, the property passes automatically to the surviving owners in a simple and efficient manner.

Problems with joint ownership However, there are a number of significant consequences to adding a joint owner to your assets. Here are just a few: You’ve exposed your asset to new creditors – When you add an individual as a joint owner to your property, you are exposing your property to their creditors. Want to add your son to your bank accounts so he can pay your bills? If he has creditor problems, gets divorced, files bankruptcy, or gets into a car accident, those creditors can come after his ownership interest in your nest egg. Same thing if you add his name to the deed for your house.

You’ve made a gift to the joint owner.

When you add a joint owner to your assets, you are making a gift to that individual of onehalf of the asset (if you add two owners, you’re making a gift of a third to each, four owners, a gift of a fourth, etc.) And, if you give more than $14,000 to an individual in any given year

(easy to do if you’re giving them an interest in your house), then you are required to report those gifts to the IRS on a gift tax return (Form 709) and pay any gift tax that might be due.

You’ve forfeited an important tax benefit. When you die owning appreciated property, your heirs receive one of the most important benefits in the whole tax code, called a “stepped up basis” in the property. This stepped up basis can eliminate some or all of the capital gains tax that could be due if the property is sold when it is worth more than what you originally paid for it. For example, if you bought your house for $150,000 and it is worth $250,000 when you die, then your children will inherit the property from you at its “stepped up” basis ($250,000, the value on your date of death). If they later sell the property for $250,000, then, poof! That $100,000 worth of capital gain just disappears. Unfortunately, lifetime gifts don’t get a “stepped up” basis. Instead, those lifetime gifts pass your basis in the property to the recipient (called a “carryover basis”). So, using the same example, if you’ve added a child to your deed as a joint owner, then he or she will receive your $150,000 basis in the property, and when the property is later sold for $250,000, there will be taxable gain of $100,000 on the sale.

You’ve potentially caused an estate tax problem for the joint owner. When a joint owner (other than a spouse) dies, the tax law treats him or her as owning 100% of the value of the jointly held property, and includes the entire amount in his or her estate to determine whether estate taxes will be due. This can be rebutted by showing what (if anything) the deceased owner actually contributed to the property, but proving that with documentation can be difficult, if not impossible, especially if years have passed.

You’ve possibly disinherited your other children. Making your daughter a joint owner with rights of survivorship on your account ensures that, when you die, the account will pass directly to her. However, she will be under no legal obligation to share that money with your other children. What if your daughter wants to share those assets? Those transfers will be gifts from her to the recipients, triggering her own potential gift tax issues.

What’s the solution? Fortunately, there are planning options that can provide you with the same convenience as joint ownership, without the tax issues and other risks. Stay tuned for next month’s column. t Cheryl A. Jones (410-769-6141 or cjones@pklaw.com) is an attorney at Pessin Katz Law (PK Law), whose practice includes estate administration, estate planning for same-sex couples, second parent adoptions, and other family building issues.

quality of life

The Queen of Baltimore Rescue

by Maureen Thomas For years, Thomas Butler rescued cats from the streets of Baltimore. He would take in strays, have them vetted, and care for them until he could find a home for them. Sometimes they stayed.

He spent time volunteering at many rescues in Maryland and Pennsylvania, doing his homework, finding out what worked and didn’t in the world of rescue.

He finally decided to start his own rescue, and a year and a half ago, in a whimsical moment, he thought of the name. Part homage to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and part an acknowledgement to the LBGT community, he founded My Big Gay Animal Rescue.

To rescue and re-home homeless animals. Based in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, we know too well the isolation, frustration and pain from being on the “outside.” We want to connect LGBT individuals, families and our friends with animals in need of a home, and we welcome anyone else interested in helping us save innocent animals from an uncertain future.

This is a growing sentiment, and so im-

Violet’s Vet

Dr. Tony Calo

Baby, it’s Cold Outside This morning when we woke up, there was a decided chill in that air. It was the first sign of autumn’s approach and the looming cold winter months. For Violet, this means getting ready to break out her clothes. She spends the spring and summer months au natural.

She’s very much a warm-weather girl. She loves the heat of the sun and spending as much times outside as possible even in July and August. As soon as the season starts to change however, so does her relationship to the weather. In short, she hates the cold.

So what’s a girl to do? The answer is simple: stock up on fashionable warm clothes.

It helps having two gay dads. The fact Connor and I have a cold-weather hating dog works out well for us because we get to pick

portant in both the world of rescue and for the LBGT community. As fashion designer John Bartlett wrote in a recent Huffpost Blog, “Rescue Pets and the Gay Community, a Natural Match?”

I wanted to do something with impact, move out of my comfort zone, and be responsible for another creature besides myself for once. Adopting a homeless pet was the solution for me, and almost instantly upon meeting Tiny Tim, my life began to take shape for the first time.

My Big Gay Animal Rescue focuses on cats and small dogs, especially those that are hard to place, such as animals with medical conditions, or those who have become kennel aggressive due to being in a long-term kennel environment. At this point, like many small rescues, it is based out of Thomas’s home and a network of fosters, who care for animals like Gigi, a MinPin, who has a degenerative disc disease and knee problems, and was slated for euthanasia. While surgery is not an option for Gigi, Thomas keeps her happy and pain-free. However, when taking in animals from private citizens, there is always a dialogue about ways to prevent the sur-

render, such as help with vetting, food, and other expenses related to having a dog or cat. Keeping an animal in their home is the ultimate objective, and if there is any way to do that, the rescue helps the owner to do so.

He works with Dr. Tuckerman at Aardmore Veterinary Hospital, who has been caring for Thomas’s animals for 12 years, as well as Dr. Key at Everhart Veterinary Hospital for specialty diagnostics and herbal and Chinese medicine treatments.

Rescue is expensive and fundraising is a challenge. Thomas specifically does not blow up social media with tragic pictures of injured animals in the hopes of fundraising.

He doesn’t want to “make everybody cry,” as we all did when the (in)famous Sarah McLachlan video first appeared on TV several years ago. Instead, he wanted to put a fabulous touch to his fundraising efforts.

And what could be more fabulous and fun than drag shows?

For the rescue’s first major fundraising effort, Dragon Shawnna Alexander arranged and hosted a drag show at The Rowan Tree, in Baltimore. The event was a success, not just because of the money raised, but because of raised awareness and positive reactions. In addition, it appealed to Thomas because, “I need to

out cute canine clothes in all shades of purple. She has several hats, sweaters, coats, and even a rain jacket. Getting Violet dressed for winter serves several purposes.

The first reason is quite functional. It helps keep her little body warm and comfortable. For smaller dogs losing body heat often occurs quickly and can be significant. They are close to the cold ground which make them more prone to heat loss.

Also, with her short coat, and trim body, there is not much in the way of natural insulation. Violet has learned that clothes keep her body temperature closer to normal. She loves being cozy!

The second is that gives Connor and I a way different way to bond with her. She loves the extra attention that getting All snuggly in here dressed allows for.

First, we have to pick out the clothes with her there with.

She does have to give final approval after all.

Then the act of getting her dressed allow for more contact time. Walking when it’s warm outside is just a few minutes of prep time – put the harness on, attach the leash, and out the door. Getting the choosing a sweater, then putting on a coat, and then finally, the harness makes for 15 to 20 minutes of Dad

and Violet quality time. She loves being with her Dads especially when it is one on one. It’s fun to be special.

For everyone wondering about Daisy and Henry, they too have coats for the winter months, but this may be more for our benefit than for theirs. They both have natural thick warm coats of their own. They are also both well-muscled, which helps maintain their body temperature. They would likely do well without getting dressed up in cold-weather gear, but they look adorable and they love the attention as much as Violet does. Daisy is usually in pink.

Henry’s color is blue. Having a special color for each dog helps keeps things easy and cuts down on grabbing the wrong thing for the wrong dog.

Some people may think it silly to dress your dog but I disagree. Connor and I get to pick the clothes. The dogs get to feel warm and special at the same time. We all get to be a family even in the cold winter months! t

have fun, as we all do. Any time I can have a chuckle, especially about something serious like rescue, I want to.”

He is planning another event for this October, tentatively titled, A Night of Scary Dragons. This idea has gone over well with the dragons, who are, according to Thomas, “good natured girls.”

His other fundraising efforts include “Five Dollar Fridays,” where sponsors can donate through Paypal directly to the vet or to the rescue. He estimates he spends approximately $800 a month of his own money on rescue. Thomas believes in the power of numbers and having a lot (his group has a new website and 1300 supporters on social media,) give a little. He is a rescue partner with BARCS and receives “plea” emails from them on a daily basis, as do all rescue partners. While Thomas’s rescue is relatively small, it fills an important niche, the hard-to-place animals, who are waiting for, in the words of Christine Sandberg, founder of Baltimore-based Rescue Well, “the unicorn adopter”; that rare adopter for special needs animals. And he will continue his mission to bring, in the words of Jennifer Carle, author of Raising Raven, “more sass and less ass” to the world of animal rescue. t

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out & ABOUT // David’s Thoughts

Ireland | A Rainbow Shamrock The George,

By David Placher Dublin After staying a few days in Reykjavik, Iceland, I departed on Wow Airlines and arrived in Dublin, Ireland.

Ireland is a unique country, both geographically and historically. It is located on a large island that is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially known as Ireland) – an independent country – and Northern Island, which is part of the United Kingdom.

(The U.K. comprises of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island.)

Ireland’s history is epic and the castles antees the right to privacy in personal afand churches peppered through the coun- fairs. Five years later, the Oireachtas (Irish tryside only add to its awesomeness. With parliament) decriminalized homosexuality. all of its history and structures, its LGBT On May 22, 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marhistory and culture riage by popular vote. That same places it in a class of year, transgender people in Ireits own. land were allowed to self-declare In 1988, Senator their gender for passports and David Norris from the driver’s licenses. Gay adoption is Senate of Ireland, legal and people that serve in Ireand the Campaign land’s military can serve openly. for Homosexual Law The two cities I visited play an Reform went to the important role in the LGBT history European Court of and community. Dublin is home to Human Rights, in the several of the greatest LGBT writcase of Norris vs. IreKilmainham ers, such as Oscar Wilde, Elizaland, and it ruled that Gaol beth Bowen, and Mary Dorcey. It the criminalization of is also dominated by the Catholic homosexuality in the Ireland violated Article 8 of the European Church and at one time, was extremely Convention on Human Rights, which guar- conservative.

In fear of religious persecution, in the 70s, Dublin had a seRiver cret gay Corrib scene that was centered around the theaters, with many in the community labeling some theaters as “Fairyhouses.”

The term “Fairyhouses” and the secret meetings no longer exist: the venue for gays to meet openly are two

thriving gay bars. The George (Thegeorge. ie), a large two-floor gay bar that provides almost nightly drag shows and great music. The drinks are cheap, especially the beer. A more quiet evening is at the Panti Bar (Pantibar.com), which provides a relaxing environment that promotes social interaction with little noise distraction. At these places, it is not uncommon to encounter flamboyant leprechauns that use childish humor to describe the male anatomy as a “snuggle stick” and the anus as a “yummy box.”

In addition to walking around Dublin and seeing its beautiful buildings and meeting its friendly people, there are several popular tourist attractions. The Guinness Storehouse and Brewery Tour takes you through a visual process of making Guinness as you travel up seven floors to the Gravity Panti Bar, Dublin

Bar. There you see your bartender perform the perfect pour (takes 11.5 seconds at a 45 degree angle) of your complimentary pint. The Kilmainham Goal, a former prison, is also a popular destination where many Irish revolutionaries were imprisoned and executed in the prison by the British more than 100 years ago.

Galway is a beautiful harbor city on Ireland’s west coast that resides where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. Galwat is

“On May 22, 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.”

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A factory tour with benefits

filled with cafes, boutiques, and art galleries, especially in the Latin Quarter, which retains some of its medieval city walls.

Rainbow flags can be seen hanging from several businesses.

The exchange rate in Ireland is not too bad: one euro is around 1.12 U.S. dollars.

The cost of hotels and to eat is substantially similar to the cost in Baltimore, and the cost to travel to Ireland is reasonable, especially if you take Wow Airlines (Wowair. com) – I cannot say enough great things about this airline.

A word of caution: Wow Airlines charges you for extra items on the flight, so bring your own drinks and food, and you are limited to one carry-on bag that should weigh less than 22 pounds and one personal item (e.g. backpack, purse); if you have more, you will be charged a fee.

If LGBT friendly Ireland is not on your travel destination bucket list, it should be. t

Williamsgate, Galway

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leather line

Leather

Line

Rodney Burger

Eagles, Flamingos, and Other Birds of a Feather As you may have already heard, on September 22nd the Baltimore City Liquor Board approved the transfer of the liquor license from the Club Hippo to the Baltimore Eagle. Work on the Baltimore Eagle is being completed and the new Baltimore Eagle will be taking flight soon.

In fact I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with one of the investors at an office in Hamilton where our leather community artifacts from the Baltimore Eagle have been stored for the past few years.

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Since the new managers are not overly familiar with the history of Baltimore’s leather community and since many of the items displayed at the old Baltimore Eagle were presented to the ShipMates Club many years ago, this old member of the ShipMates was happy to help. My first thought was that there really was not that many boxes.

There was a good number of club colors. These banners and plaques contain the logos of various leather clubs.

Some are so old that they were brought to the Baltimore Eagle when it first opened in 1991 and came out of the Gallery Bar, where the ShipMates Feel the were founded in 1974. history!

The Centaur MC’s colors are so old that they read: “Richmond, Virginia.” (The club was founded in Richmond in 1970 but after a few years relocated to D.C. where most of the members resided.) Some of the leather clubs represented now only exist is my memories, but others are still going strong.

The folks at the Baltimore Eagle plan to invite the current leather clubs to rededicate their colors in the new space. Many may re-

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member the three large pin cases that were on the wall outside of the men’s room. One held run pins from every ShipMate anniversary and event, one held a complete collection of COMMAND MC’s pins, and the largest one was an impressive collection of pins from leather bars, clubs, and events going back to the 1970s.

These cases, which were built by ShipMates’ founder Marty Puritz are still very much intact.

As Maryland Mr. Drummer 2001, it was very nostalgic for me to come across the Maryland Drummerboy, Mid-Atlantic Drummerboy, and 2001 International Drummerboy sashes. These sashes were last worn by my title partner, Baltimore’s own Mark S. Greene. I’m not sure how they ended up with the Baltimore Eagle memorabilia, but there will be a showcase at the bar where items from our leather history will be displayed.

The artifact that I was most excited to see again was an old red neon sign. This sign also came out of the Gallery and was above the door between the front bar and the back bar. It simply read: L / L and it indicated that the back bar at the Gallery had a leather / Levi dress code. I first saw this sign in 1984 when I moved to Baltimore.

At the Baltimore Eagle the word “patio” was added and it hung over the entrance to the patio. I had asked one of the former Baltimore Eagle bartenders about this sign years ago and was told that it had “disappeared” and no one knew what happened to it. It was not in any of the boxes that held the Baltimore Eagle memorabilia, but when we asked building owner Charles Parrish about it, he took us to another area of the office where it was sitting in a stairwell. Although it looked rather fragile with frayed wires, we excitedly plugged it in anyway. It glowed dimly. Mr. Parrish called a neon sign repair shop in Parkville for us and we rushed it over. Look for it to shine again

soon at the new Baltimore Eagle.

People sometimes asked me where the leather community is hanging out these days with the Baltimore Eagle closed. Friday nights at The Loft @ Grand Central is “Leather Night” and now that summer vacation season is over the last few Fridays have been very festive.

The ShipMates had a bar night at The Loft on September 9th, COMMAND MC hosted a bar night there on September 23rd, and on September 16th Baltimore’s newest team hosted an event.

They may not be a leather club but the Baltimore Flamingos sure know how to hold a bar night. Founded just a few months ago, the Baltimore Flamingos is a LGBT-inclusive rugby team and is sponsored by the Baltimore Eagle. Washington and Philadelphia have had an LGBT rugby team for years and there was enough interest in this area to form a Baltimore team. In fact the team already has twenty-three players and is practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. in Druid Hill Park, Field #3. They are a really fun bunch of guys and will soon play their first match against the Philadelphia Gryphons. Check them out on Facebook.

Speaking of Philadelphia, the Philadelphians MC will toast their 42nd anniversary on Saturday, October 8th from noon to 3 p.m. at Moriarty’s Irish Pub located at 1116 Walnut Street in Philadelphia. Tickets are $40. There will be a buffet-style lunch and a cash bar. Details can be found on Facebook under: Philadelphian MC 42nd Anniversary.

You don’t have to wait until October for a leather event. This Friday evening at The Loft (September 30th) is the sendoff for three Maryland leather folks who will be representing our area as contestants for American Leatherman, American Leatherwoman, and American Leatherboy in Chicago on October 7th to 9th. Come out and wish Sir Kevin Lowery, Margaret Irene, and David Zeidler all the best at ABW. On Fridays you can find the leather community at The Loft. Birds of a feather flock together! t

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