Nov|Dec 2012
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Rebel Yell ‘80s fashion takes over nightlife
Scouts’ Honor
Local Boy Scouts quietly resist anti-gay policy
Queer Eye for Lynn Gays help make over the former ‘city of sin’
Celtics Pride Doc Rivers talks John Amaechi, diversity, and the NBA The Gay ‘Espys’ New England LGBT sports awards banquet set
Jocks Seeking Gay in Northeastern U. leadets es welcoming out athl
Celebrate
DIVERSITY
Please take a stand (and a seat) to join our mission to make the world a more comfortable place: for everyone.
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From The Publisher It seems like each year at around this time I write my ‘year in review’ letter for this page. Looking back over the past couple there seems to be a running theme. The theme is basically ‘this was a pretty good year.’ Sometimes it has been for professional reasons, sometimes for personal reasons, but mostly it’s a combination of both. Guess what? 2012 has also been a pretty good year — or as my friend Steve Buckley at the Boston Herald would say, “a wicked good year.” We have had some great successes at the magazine. Our blog on Boston. com has taken off — did I mention that we had more than 117,000 views in September alone? If you haven’t visited, give it a look at www.boston.com/lgbt. And our events are bigger than they have ever been — thanks to the more than 1,300 of you that came to hear Chaz Bono at our LGBT Executive Networking Night in March, and the 750 of you on board for our Summer Sunset Cruise. Not to worry though, we have no desire to sit back and rest on our achievements. In fact, we plan on using them as the baseline for moving forward and getting even bigger and better. We are already hard at work on some amazing stories — including Scott Kearnan’s piece in this issue on the Massachusetts Boy Scouts — some equally great events, and lots more timely content on the blog. So stick around and join us. In fact, if there is something that you think we can do better let me know. The most fun we have at Boston Spirit is when we get to meet all of you at our events. Hearing your feedback — mostly positive thankfully — is not only welcome, it’s requested. Finally, with the holidays approaching let’s pay particular attention to those who might be struggling at this time of year. For many the holidays are a joyous time of year, but for others it can be a difficult time. Be sure to take that extra minute to check in on friends and family who might not be feeling all that festive this year. You’ll be amazed at how much a call or visit can make a difference. Happy Holidays,
Boston Spirit Magazine supporters 5 Star Travel Services Accent Limousine Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Bavarian Chocolate Haus Beaconlight Guesthouse — Provincetown Bonafine Jewelers Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston University Burns & Levinson, LLP Cambridge Tourism Centers for Disease Control Club Café Columbus Hospitality Group Designer Bath Destination Salem DJ Mocha Eastern Bank EMERGE Spa & Salon Fenway Health G2O Spa & Salon Gardner Mattress Gourmet Caterers Institute of Contemporary Art Jasper White's Summer Shack Ketel One Konditor Meister Long's Jewelers Lucia Lighting Lux Bond & Green Macy's Marriott Copley Place Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Nordstrom North Shore Music Theatre Oraquick Pernod Ricard Portside Family Dental Post 390 Provincetown Business Guild Reproductive Science Center Royal Sonesta Boston Seashore Point Seasons Four The TJX Companies, Inc. UBS Financial Services, Inc.
David Zimmerman Publisher
Celebrating Another Marriage Victory!
2 | BOSTON SPIRIT
You can now get your dose of Boston Spirit on New England’s online leader, Boston.com. Visit Boston.com/lgbt where Boston Spirit brings you all things LGBT-related, including breaking local and national news, party and event updates, and lots more! Visit Boston.com/lgbt today.
29 91 The Guide 77 The Guide 15 11 69 46 65 17 80 25 7 66 The Guide 33 39 Cover 39 73 71 18 35 Cover/19 14 1 75 5 3 31 Cover The Guide 9 62 13 23 10 21 59 The Guide 32 27 61 37 The Guide
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As We Go To Press … What’s the score? Unfortunately I can’t predict the future, and the print deadline for this issue occurred three weeks prior to the electoral finish line. So you’ll have to fill in the scorecard. Did marriage equality win in Maine? Maryland? Washington? Minnesota? Whatever the tally, it has become clear over the past several years that in virtually every aspect of society, LGBTs are pushing through barriers, surmounting obstacles, and heading toward an increasingly inevitable virtually complete victory. The natural integration of LGBT people is becoming the norm rather than the exception — in television, movies, the arts, business, medicine, health, politics, religion, and even the military. I mean, come on! Some huge milestone has occurred when a black rap artist — Frankie Ocean — comes out publicly. But distinct holdouts remain. Even as many religious institutions begin to embrace their LGBT brethren, many stay stuck in outdated belief systems — significantly, the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Iranian Shia clerics, and the Mormon Church. Even as the armed forces have officially welcomed in lesbian and gay soldiers, the Boy Scouts of America leadership continues to be uniquely out of step in denying membership to young gay boys — though not without resistance. (See the story “Morally Straight” in this issue.) But the Boy Scouts clearly sit off the trend lines set by other community organizations that welcome LGBT members. Even the Catholic, Mormon, and Iranian Islamic leaders appear as laggers behind other religious denominations that have already been ordaining openly gay leaders, most notably, Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson. So while individual components of major sectors of civilization may
4 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Contribute your opinion: editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com
continue to bring up the rear, there is no sphere of human activity that doesn’t have some significant, high level of out leadership, except one: sports. Yes, there are now individual out players like Billie Jean King, out active women’s team sports players like Sheryl Swoops, former National Football League (NFL) players like David Kopay, former Major League Baseball (MLB) players like Billy Bean, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) players like John Amaechi. But there is no Bishop Gene Robinson of sports. There are murmurs, innuendo and rumors. And there is a great deal of important, encouraging talk from allies. The Boston Celtics’ popular coach Doc Rivers waxes eloquently about how supportive he is and he believes his team is in an interview in this issue. And a few issues ago, Boston Spirit got Bruins‘ Shawn Thornton on the record expressing similar sentiments. That’s all great! Kudos! But there still are no, healthy, out open role models. The one important segment of our culture that stands out for its entire recalcitrance when it comes to embracing LBGTs is major, organized, national team sports. If these sports franchises were really as LGBT-friendly as many of them claim, then, why, oh why, has no active sports player come out yet? The NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL — some of today’s most revered, richest, and influential organizations — can’t boast one single, out, open active athlete. In this day and age? Consider that major universities like Northeastern are stepping up — see the story “Huskies Seek Gay Jocks” in this issue. Consider too that amateur LGBT athletes have been out loud and proud since long before Tom Waddell minted the first Gay Games in
1992 and that there are currently 18 organized LGBT sports leagues serving thousands of athletes in the Greater Boston Area alone. See the story in this issue about how these leagues are uniting for an inaugural regional LGBT awards banquet. The urgency is not that an out Tom Brady or Jacoby Ellsbury would be cool. Rather, the devastating impact of not having an out player of such national prominence is illustrated by statistics that show that 80% of LGBT students still report being verbally abused because of their sexual orientation or gender identity (see this issue’s “Go Figure” column). If you doubt the impact that one household-name, out player can have on the populace, then consult the history books to see the effect that Jackie Robinson had when he broke the baseball color line. Any future Boston Spirit cover story and photo image is open to any athlete of a major league sports franchise — Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, Celtics — who wants to come out with the dignity and respect due to him and to his fans and to the countless others he will undoubtedly benefit from the better, more open and accepting world his outing will create. Yes. It’s great that — as the popular YouTube campaign notes — You Can Play if you can play. But if you can play and be out, you can make a world of difference. And you’ll score big, big points, not just for you and your team, and not just for the LGBT civil rights movement, but for young people and for generations to come. Touchdown, home run, basket, or goal — whichever it is and whoever you are — we urgently wait for you to score. We still really, really need the points. And you, in particular, can rack up a bunch.
James A. Lopata Editor in Chief
What do the Little Black Dress and the White Dinner Plate have in common? We all love the Little Black Dress, famous for its versatility. With the right accessories you can create hundreds of different styles. The White Dinner Plate is to the table what the black dress is to our wardrobe: a basic. See what we’ve done just by changing the accessories with three of our favorite white dinner plates, to create nine totally different dining experiences. Take the Little Black Dress or the White Dinner Plate and make it yours. Which setting is your favorite? White Dinner Plates by Bernardard Napkins, Napkin Rings and Placemats by Deborah Rhodes Stainless Flatware by Puiforcat, Ricci and Sambonet
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Contents
Saturday January
Nov|NOV 2012 | volume 8 | Issue 6
68
January Saturday
26 26
New England’s Gay ‘Espys’
54 Ricardo Recommends
20 Boy Scouts Seek to be ‘Morally Straight’
Spotlight A New Chapter for a Fairy Tale B&B 8 Forget the Sugarplums 10 Holiday Style 11 Slope Scene 12 A Cure of the Curse of Growing Up 14 Go Figure 16 Word Is Out 18
Feature Boy Scouts Seek to be ‘Morally Straight’
New England LGBT allies seek ways to resist the national organizations’ discriminatory policy against gays
Boston-based Northeastern University takes the lead in making it clear that out athletes are more than welcome
Tee Dance
Founder of a scary, movie-inspired fashion line fights the real boogeyman: bigotry
20
On t h e C o v e r Gonna Dress You Up In My Love
26
28
30
Into the Woods and On Toward the Shore
34
The good, the bad, the in-between — what made the news for New England LGBTs in 2012
Gonna Dress You Up In My Love 40 ‘80s’ Fashion Takes Over Nightlife
Ricardo Recommends
54
Culture Queer Renaissance in Lynn, Massachusetts? 58 The formerly maligned suburb is turning around, and LGBTs are leading the way
6 | BOSTON SPIRIT
68
A Tip of the Hat
70
A Chanticleer Christmas
72
Secrets and Lies
74
‘Hi, I’m a Gay Atheist’
76
A Bishop, Barbra and London Calling
78
Boston’s LGBT athletic leagues set to host first awards banquet for the area’s over 2,000 out athletes; Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley to host on January 26 Peabody Essex Museum’s joyous exhibition of millinery arrives from the Victoria and Albert Museum San Francisco’s treasured all-male chorus performs holiday concert in Boston Scott Edmiston and stellar cast bring Other Desert Cities to the SpeakEasy Stage Faithiest, a new memoir by local author Chris Stedman, promotes a warm, loving, and witty serving of intercultural dialogue
Calendar New England Events
The Year in Review
A holiday celebration of old world traditions Arrows Restaurant
40
New England’s Gay ‘Espys’
Five books to stir the spirit this holiday season
Seasonal
33
64
Andy Warhol, Paul Cadmus and Keith Haring show up in Biddeford via New York’s LeslieLohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
Huskies Seek Gay Jocks
Into the Woods and On Towards the Shore
Big City Homoerotic Art Comes to Small Town Maine
81
Scene 2012 AIDS Vaccine Conference Faculty Dinner David Brown and Ben Perkins’ Wedding Harbor to the Bay Keith Boykin Visits Boston History Makers Mr. Boston Bear Contest 2012 Wainwright Social Justice Award Taste of Provincetown
86 86 87 88 88 89 90 91
Coda Celtics’ Pride
Boston’s head basketball coach Doc Rivers explains how much of a non-issue sexual orientation is for him and his team — in the locker room and out
96
Nov|NOV 2012 | volume 8 | Issue 6 Publisher
David Zimmerman Editor in Chief
TALK TO US Send comments, questions and encomia to feedback@bostonspiritmagazine.com
James A. Lopata
Editorial Contact
Art Director
Publishing/Sales Contact publisher@
Dean Burchell
Director of Advertising
Jennifer Cullen Dettmann
Account Executives
Chris George, Michael Poulin
editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com
bostonspiritmagazine.com 781-223-8538 Mailing address 236 Huntington Avenue, Suite 218, Boston, MA 02115
Boston Spirit magazine. A Division of Jake Publishing, LLC Published by Jake Publishing, LLC. Copyright 2004 by Jake Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Contributing Arts Editor No part of this periodical may be reproduced Loren King without the written permission of Boston Contributing Writers Erik Borg, Spirit magazine. Neither the publishers nor Scott Kearnan, Brian McClusky, the advertisers will be held responsible for any Alan Tran errors found in the magazine. The publishers accept no liability for the accuracy of statements Contributing Photographers Joel made by advertisers. Publication of the name Benjamin or photograph of any person, organization or Cover photo Photographer: Joel business in this magazine does not reflect upon one’s sexual orientation in any way. Benjamin. Model: Christine. Contributing Lifestyle Editor
John O’Connell
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In our S.P.I.R.I.T.S. story in October/ November, one photograph carried an inaccurate caption. It should have read: From left to right: Ellen MacNeil, founder; Sarah Campbell, tech Assistant and investigator; Jack Kenna, assistant case manager, tech specialist, and lead investigator, and Sharon Koogler, co-founder, tech manager, and lead investigator. More information on the organization can be found at www.spiritsofnewengland.org.
97 River St. Beverly • 877.559.2284 www.designerbath.com/spirit
C
Correction
3
years Ge
n e r ati o
ns
ST B E of
spotlight Travel story John O'Connell
A New Chapter for a Fairy Tale B&B Beloved Highlands Inn Gets New Owners
Highlands Inn, the much-loved lesbian bed and breakfast in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, could have faced some drastic changes over the past twelve months. After over twenty-five years of service to the resort, founding inn-keeper Grace Newman decided to sell the property in 2011. As is typical with the warm and welcoming nature of the property, Newman sat down to explain her decision to long-term, repeat guests, such as Jenny Wackerle and Gia Koumantzelis. “We were there last July for vacation and Grace sat us down and said she was retiring,” explains Wackerle. “Our first reaction was, ‘Oh no!‘ But on the way home we said to ourselves, ‘Wait a minute. Is this something that we should do?’” After ten months of soul-searching and research, the Newburyport couple decided to become the resort’s new care-takers. “The opportunity came in front of us and it was something we were supposed to do.” When asked about fears regarding the change in their careers from social work to the new direction as inn-keepers, Wackerle responded, “Any life change involves fear. We’re grounded in our love of this place. It’s a wonderful place [and an] important piece of our community. Grace built a beautiful place.” Loyal guests come from as far away as Canada, Seattle, Florida, and California for what has become a destination resort. “It’s wonderful to be in a place where we can be who we are. [Much of ] society gives us tolerance and acceptance, but [this inn] gives us a place of joy in a way that’s truly
8 | BOSTON SPIRIT
“ We’re grounded in our love of this place. It’s wonderful — a wonderful place [and an] important piece of our community. Grace built a beautiful place. ” Jenny Wackerle special.” In addition to the idyllic and serene mountain setting, guests come for the local attractions of golfing, zip-lining, moose watching, white water rafting, hiking, crosscountry skiing, and the close proximity to Bretton Woods and Cannon Mountain ski resorts. But for all there is to do, Wackerle holds that it’s the inn’s unique atmosphere and the relationships that develop there that are its most important traits. “People come here to relax and be with other people, to settle around the fireplace for conversation, to recharge and relax in a reaffirming environment.” Wackerle and Koumantzelis are continuing the inn’s Women’s Concert Series, now in its 13th year. Highlights this winter include indie-folk artist Emily White (November 12–18) and Sister Funk (November 30– December 2) with its signature provocative, high energy. Thanksgiving weekend offers a special feast-focused package. New Year’s is celebrated with a special weekend of food, relaxation and music with Emily Nyman and Lynn Berry. The resort continues to host weddings with original owner Newman’s partner Maria available as a Justice of the Peace! The couple speak of their new venture almost as if it was a calling. “It’s not about
New Year’s with Emily Nyman
Jenny Wackerle and Gia Koumantzelis
The dining room at Valley View Lane us, it’s about the inn,” says Wackerle. “The inn is her own entity and we’re just here to move her forward. I’m so grateful for our community. People are calling to see how we’re doing, to make reservations, The community wants us to be successful! [They’re grateful] someone from the family took it over.” [x] Highlands Inn
Bethlehem, New Hampshire 603-869-3978 highlandsinn-nh.com
OWNIT
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BURLINGTON
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spotlight Foodie
Make your
first iMpression count with a world-class
sMile
Forget the Sugarplums Modern Sweets for the Holidays
iMplants, cosMetics and faMily dentistry
Salem’s Harbor Sweets has done it again. This shop’s line of sophisticated confections is guaranteed to appease the decadent-demanding child in us all. The elegantly presented Four Tier Box offers up a delicious assortment of Sand Dollars (pecan and caramel in dark chocolate), Marblehead Mints, Sweet Shells (a perfect blend of orange and dark chocolate) and Salem Harbor’s signature Sweet Sloops (a sailboat shaped almond buttercrunch with a mainsail and jib in white chocolate floating in dark chocolate with a pecan spindrift). The budget-friendly price makes it an ideal Secret Santa or host/ ess gift.
Ice cream aficionados, both young and old, will love the Ice Cream Sundae Kit. A cheery red- and white-striped hat box is filled with delectable toppings of Sweet Sloops crunch and creamy caramel and dark chocolate sauces. A gourmet ice-cream scoop tops off the packaging. Perfect for either romantic evenings in front of the fireplace or family gatherings around the tree. Don your ‘kerchief and caps to settle in for a joyous holiday night! [JOC] Harbor Sweets
Palmer Cove 85 Leavitt Street, Salem, Massachusetts harborsweets.com
[above] Ice Cream Sundae Kit $49 [below] Red Four Tier Box $34
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spotlight Fashion 1
3
4
5
2
6
Holiday Style Putting Your Best Foot Forward The next few weeks are packed with holidays, parties, and get togethers. Finding the perfect shoe can help pull your outfits together, setting just the right tone and accenting your gorgeous legs. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving at the family home, snuggling fireside with your cutie during a snowbound Christmas retreat, or cutting a rug at an elegant New Year’s soirée, check out these glamorous options from Nordstrom. Starting at the bottom may be exactly the right place to start. [JOC]
[1] UGG® Australia “Classic Short Sparkle” Boot $190. Rows of shimmering sequins cast an iconic style in a glamorous new light. [2] Jimmy Choo “Vero” Pump $750. Fluid curves gild this seasonsavvy, single sole pump.
[3] Jimmy Choo
“Taste” Sandal $995. Delicate details balance the knock-out color of this startling, architectural sandal. [4] DV by Dolce Vita “Bianka” Pump $98. Mirrored metal shields the heel of a narrow pump with utilitarian undertones.
[5] Michael Kors “Gideon” Wedge $175. A golden glow mirrors the season. Spotlight opulence in a lusciously svelte wedge. [6] Sam Edleman “Skyler” Boot $275. A crafty, cutoff shaft studded with sparkle elevates rustic boot.
Available at Nordstrom
locations in Braintree, Burlington, Natick, Peabody, and Providence shop.nordstrom.com
2012–2013 season sept 22–may 4
It’s your BSO.
THE BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA THE BOSTON POPS ESPLANADE ORCHESTRA KEITH LOCKHART CONDUCTOR TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS JOHN OLIVER CONDUCTOR
December 5–24
SANTA APPEARS DURING ALL CONCERTS.
bostonpops.org 617-266-1200
bso.org • 617-266-1200 Hospitality Partners: Official Hotel
Official Chauffeured Transportation
Nov|Dec 2012 | 11
spotlight Gear
Lip-stick $480 No matter the conditions, this flat-top-style board provides a fast base before giving rise to ample rocker on the tip and tail, allowing for maximum diversity.
Feelgood $530 Burton’s lightest women’s board, blends of rocker and camber styles, for a more relaxed and forgiving ride that’s loose and laid back. Cheetah $600 The men’s Powder Cannon — precision profile, honed for speed and flotation on loose powder.
Slope Scene Hot tech combined with cool style
Snowboarding is no longer solely the sport of skateboarders and surfers. Sophisticated technology now peacefully coexists alongside laid-back vibes, creating a unique combination of style and substance. Made in Vermont, Burton snowboards perfectly join the dual purpose. Visually, the boards have cool graphic designs reminiscent of both street art and cutting-edge computer graphics. What may not be initially evident is the sheer amount of technology that goes into the subtle detailing, making one board perfect for a relative beginner interested in boarding in packed conditions of a park setting and another ideal for a professional tackling the loose powder of the trails of Montana. [JOC]
Flying V $420 With a design that dampens vibrations, it’s ideally suited to the park/freestyle rider, but is capable of all-mountain action.
12 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Burton.com Burton snowboards available at: East Coast Alpine 860 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston 617-232-9800 REI-Boston
401 Park Dr, Suite 3, Bosto 617-236-0746
Vapor $1200 This space-age design gives an expert, precisely tuned ride.
Social $370 A woman’s true twin design is equally skilled, no matter which way you point it. Edges allow you to grip and control hard or soft snow.
Blender $450 This women’s board is perfectly blended for park or powder and built for all-terrain freestyling.
Buron
© 2012 OraSure Technologies, Inc. OQ-C008 0712
It’s not a black thing. It’s not a white thing. It’s not a gay thing. It’s not a straight thing. Testing for HIV is everyone’s thing.
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• A positive result with this test does not mean that you are definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting. • A negative result with this test does not mean that you are definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous 3 months. • If your test is negative and you engage in activities that put you at risk for HIV on a regular basis, you should test regularly. • This product should not be used to make decisions on behavior that may put you at increased risk for HIV.
spotligHT Fashion
Beautiful Wedding Cakes
speCial OCCasiOn and HOliday Cakes
& fine eurOpean pastries
A Cure of the Curse of Growing Up 1
2
GANT’s Flagship Store Opens on Newbury StREET We need to acknowledge that it’s getting harder and harder to buy great casual looks. The current trend for classic- and collegiate-inspired fashions can look, shall we say, “a little forced,” if not done properly. Thank goodness then for Gant’s newest flagship location on Newbury Street. Boston-area adults can now find modern American sportswear pieces that are fresh and current without looking like we raided our teenage children’s closets. All constructed with a heritage-level quality that we’ve come to expect, these are timeless pieces with just enough of a twist to make them cool and current. Go ahead. With these fabulous looks, you’ll never once hear the phrase “ageinappropriate” cross our lips. [JOC] Gant Boston
324 Newbury Street, Boston us.gant.com 4
781.849.1970 www.konditormeister.com 14 | BOSTON SPIRIT
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[1] Bradley watch with interchangeable band $185 [2] Tartan Hugger Fit Original Button Down $135 [3] The Herringbone Skinny Cargo $295 [4] The Racer Down Parka $480 [5] The Knit Fullzip $320 [6] The MB Gray University Blazer $690 [7] The Tuxedo Bib Sam Shirt $190 [8] The MB Twist Closure Coat $790 [9] The Cropped Padded Parka $350 [10] The Mini Striped Turtleneck $120
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spotlight Numbers compiled Alan Tran
Go Figure
6 486
46%
Number of LGBT delegates at the 2012 Democratic National Convention — at least one from every state.
African-American voters reported supporting legal marriage for same-sex couples in 2012, an increase from 17% in 2007. [Source: Harris
[Source: National Stonewall Democrats]
60%
Number of LGB characters on True Blood, making it the most LGBT inclusive show on cable this season. [Source:
GLAAD report, Where We Are on TV: 2012-2013 Season, October 2012]
Interactive/Logo TV Presidential Election Benchmark Analysis, August 2012]
Latinos who said they agree that same-sex couples have a right to marriage, vs. 38% who disagreed. [Source: NBC Latino/IBOPE Zogby Survey, October 2012]
80% LGBT students who reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation. Nearly 40% reported being physically harassed, and nearly 20% reported being physically assaulted. [Source: GLSEN report,
2011 National School Climate Survey, September 2012]
16 | BOSTON SPIRIT
7
Number of regular or recurring black LGBT characters on broadcast television, up from 0 last year. [Source: GLAAD report, Where We Are on TV: 20122013 Season, October 2012]
I am a partner, an editor, and a runner. And I am living with HIV. TM
Oriol (left) has lived with HIV since 1992.
Get the facts. Get tested. Get involved. www.cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS
spotlight News compiled Alan Tran
Word Is Out The Supreme Court chose not to hear an appeal by the National Organization of Marriage (NOM), meaning that the antigay rights group has to release the names of donors to their 2009 campaign to overturn legal marriage for same-sex couples. The group has already funneled $250,000 to Protect Marriage Maine in anticipation of this fall’s ballot vote, which has the potential to make same-sex marriage legal again in the state of Maine.
and Mary O’Relly said that they had since independently decided to stop hosting weddings and receptions. Following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf that, by law, prison inmate Michelle Kosilek must receive sex reassignment surgery, the state of Massachusetts announced it will appeal the decision.Love is a song we should all sing.
At the twentieth anniversary concert of Boston University Owners of the Wildflower Inn singing group the Dear Abbey’s in Vermont agreed to pay the Ver- Kyle Piers proposed to the formont Human Rights Commismer music director of the chorus sion $10,000 and donate $20,000 Tommy Barth. It was all capto a charitable trust as part of a tured on a video that went viral settlement reached with lesbian with over 100,000 views. This couple Ming and Kate Linsley, fall the couple tied the knot on who were denied the ability to October 12, in honor of Matthew hold their wedding reception at Shepard’s life and legacy. [x] the inn in 2010. Innkeepers Jim
[above] Tommy Barth and Kyle Piers and [below] during the proposal
This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Lead support for this exhibition is provided by the Harris Family Foundation in memory of Bette and Neison Harris. Major support is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Helen and Sam Zell. Major support for the Boston presentation is provided by Jodi and Hal Hess. Additional support is provided by Saks Fifth Avenue.
Nov|Dec 2012 | 19
feature Youth story Scott Kearnan
Boy Scouts Seek to be ‘Morally Straight’
“ Adult leaders in our troop don’t want to be perceived as homophobes. We’re not. And we’re sensitive to what people in the community think. ” Matthew Christensen
New England LGBT allies seek ways to resist the national organizations’ discriminatory policy against gays On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. — The Scout Oath
20 | BOSTON SPIRIT
The date is not set yet, but the invitation went out. A leader of Boy Scout Troop 6 in Brookline, Matthew Christensen, reached out to Greater Boston PFLAG (Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays) to speak to the membes of his troop. “It make would make a lot of sense for what we’re trying to push, which is for scouts to be leaders in anti-bullying,” said Christensen in a recent phone interview with Boston Spirit. And, he said, it reinforces the idea of the troop being a “safe space.” Christensen is walking a fine line. When the national office of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced this past July — less than a year after the US military
Leader of Boy Scout Troop 6 in Brookline
successfully repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell — that it would reaffirm its longstanding policy that prohibits the inclusion of openly gay scouts and scout leaders, a policy first officially articulated in 1991, councils and council leaders across the United States had to decide how to respond. In New England, where LGBT rights are mainstream, many local councils — which oversee local troops, like Brookline’s Troop 6 — are wrestling with the policy. Six area Boy Scout groups are listed as “supporting councils” on the web site of Scouts for Equality, an organization that advocates for LGBT inclusion in the BSA. But only one other council leader responded to interview requests from Boston Spirit: Sean Martin, from Boston Minuteman Council. “The Boston Minuteman Council has a non-discrimination policy, adopted in 2001, that is straightforward and clear,” said council spokesperson Martin in a succinct e-mail. “It has been and will continue to be our practice.” Boston Minuteman’s anti-discrimination policy was adopted in 2001 in response to Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, a Supreme Court case that upheld the BSA policy of banning openly gay members and leaders. The Boston Minuteman Council’s policy states that members of the council “pride ourselves on the diversity of our members” and will “pledge to respect all people and to defend the rights of others.”
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It further claims that “bias, intolerance, and unlawful discrimination are unacceptable within the ranks of the Boston Minuteman Council," and concludes by affirming that the council serves youth “without regard to color, race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation or economic status.” Scouts for Equality founder and Eagle Scout Zach Wahls said that carefully crafted responses to the national policy, like Martin’s, are not surprising. “Supportive councils don’t necessarily want to talk to media or the national organization,” said Wahls, 21, the author of My Two Moms who first garnered national attention through a viral video that showed him eloquently addressing Iowa lawmakers about same-sex marriage. If local groups are seen as flouting the anti-gay policy, the BSA could revoke a charter. Troop 6‘s Christensen considers that threat to be devastating. He said that people often ask why troops that disagree with the national policy don’t simply defect and continue on as unaffiliated community camping groups. He answers them by explaining that being affiliated with the Boy Scout facilitates access to certain opportunities for the kids and offers important liability protections for the leaders that wouldn’t otherwise be available. On the other hand, “Adult leaders in our troop don’t want to be perceived as homophobes. We’re not. And we’re sensitive to what people in the community think,” said Christensen. He added that national BSA policy has been a hindrance to enrolling more scouts. Families in the community don’t want to be affiliated with an organization that is widely perceived as having bigoted, anti-gay policies, said Christensen.
The Current National Terrain Here are a few recent incidents that have occurred in the wake of the BSA’s July decision: • Greg Bourke of Louisville, Kentucky was forced to step down as a leader of his son’s Boy Scouts troop, after writing a letter to BSA executives protesting the policy and revealing he was gay. • 22 year-old Eagle Scout Timothy Griffin was fired from a California Boy Scouts’ camp ostensibly due to dress code
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violations. But some say that was merely “code” for ousting him for being gay. “Specifically at issue were his painted fingernails and earrings, although one senior official said there were also complaints about his mannerisms and behavior,” a BSA official was quoted as saying in the Sacramento Bee. The same month, 19 year-old Eagle Scout Eric Jones was fired from a Missouri Boy Scout camp after telling its director he was gay. • Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell was forced out of a role as den leader in her son’s troop because she was a lesbian. She has since delivered a petition with over 300,000 signatures to BSA headquarters in Irving, Texas, and has become a highly visible activist, appearing at Pride events and the GLAAD Awards. In many of these and similar cases, gay scouts and leaders actually receive substantial personal support on the local level. For example, a dozen camp employees resigned in protest of Griffin’s firing, and a council board member stepped down after Tyrrell was ousted. But regional scout councils often have their hand forced, and are threatened with revocation of a charter if they do not adhere to the national BSA policy. Many local councils are determined to find ways to continue to work with the national organization even while signaling inclusion. The Green Mountain Council in Vermont also adopted its own non-discrimination policy in 2001, which states that it “does not inquire into the sexual orientation of existing or prospective members, youth or adult.” Some critics have suggested that this policy kind of policy only reiterates the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell approach of the national organization. Others suggest that bothering to create a local response to the BSA, however cagily worded it may be, is a winking signal of acceptance. In fact, the recent reaffirmation of the anti-gay policy by the BSA has encouraged a new, assertive set of responses from Massachusetts scouting units this year. In July, Boy Scout Troop 500 in Amherst sent a letter to a local paper that stated, in part, “We want to reassure you, our friends, neighbors and colleagues, that local Boy Scouts Troop 500 in Amherst does not support BSA’s policy … Troop 500 invites the participation of all interested
11-to-17-year-old boys and their parents or guardians without regard to sexual orientation.” In August, Cub Scout Pack 79 in Marblehead adopted a “Policy of Acceptance.” The policy reads: “We openly reject the national policy put forth by Boy Scouts of America barring gay boys from membership and gay or lesbian adults from serving as leaders.” “As far as we’re concerned, it goes against everything scouting stands for,” elaborated Pack 79 den leader Matt Lloyd to The Marblehead Reporter. And in September, more than half the parents of Cub Scout Pack 12 in Framingham signed a letter to the leaders of their region’s council stating that “We do not and never will discriminate on the basis of race, religion or sexual orientation.”
Badges of Honor While even supportive scout councils are dodgy about elaborating on their policies, plenty of individual scouts are more vocal about directing anger and disappointment at the BSA. Thousands have signed online petitions urging the national organization to again reevaluate its policy — nearly half a million through assorted Scouts for Equality petitions alone. But perhaps more dramatically, hundreds of Eagle Scouts — the elite, three-to-four percent of scouts who attain the highest rank within the organization — are mailing their badges back to BSA headquarters in a grassroots effort to show solidarity against the organization’s policy. Scouts for Equality lists about 300 “renounced Eagles” on its website. And a Seattle-based site, eaglebadges.tumblr.com, has sprung up to collect even more images of badges and letters, largely written by straight scouts, being sent to the BSA. “Eagle Scouts are trained to think about justice, and to be thoughtful people,” explains Ben Howe of Somerville. The 26 year-old sent back his badge this summer. Howe, who is straight, said he discussed the act with gay Eagle Scouts he knows. While he said his gay Eagle Scout friends decided to keep their badges, he decided to return his. “I was recently looking through my old handbook,” elaborates Howe. “The ideals expressed in it are very egalitarian, very liberal. I can see how it shaped my worldview.” But, said Howe, that worldview is at odds with the type of policy that the BSA
has now reaffirmed. Howe knows that anti-gay sentiment may not be reflective of individual councils, “but I question whether the national leadership has the same values I’d want to be part of,” he explains. “I even wanted my kids to be involved in scouting, because it meant so much to me. But I’m not going to involve them in it, if things don’t change.” Leo Giannini, who co-created the Scouts for Equality website with Wahls and grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, echoes Howe’s sentiments. “I can’t stand for and be associated with an organization that was one of love, honor and respect for me, and in the same breath affirms this policy,” said Giannini, 24. He said that scouting provided an important sense of community with other boys that, growing up without a father, was difficult to find elsewhere. Giannini began working with Wahls and returned his Eagle badge because, he said, he can’t abide young gay scouts losing a sense of community he knows to be so important. “There are boys turning 14 years old and coming out every day. That’s a huge step for a young man to take,” said Giannini. “To think that they could potentially lose something so important in life, a place of connection, that’s brutal and intolerable.” Encouraging social justice goes hand in hand with scouting values, said Giannini, even if you’re not part of the group being discriminated against. Giannini said he’s only received a few questions about why, as a straight man, he is so impassioned about the issue. “I initially expected more people to be asking, ‘Why are you doing this? You don’t have a dog in this fight,’” he admits. But he’s only received a handful of negative reactions since Scouts for Equality was launched, and he said most who discover he’s renounced his badge agree it is the right thing to do — whatever your sexuality. “I’ve only been asked ‘Why?’ once or twice. People look at as, ‘Of course you’re fighting against an exclusionary policy like this.’”
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“ This isn’t about targeting the Boy Scouts. They’ve done wonderful things in this town, and that’s not debatable. … But I don’t think we should allow any organization that discriminated against any individual to use facilities funded by tax money. ” Glenn Kemper West Newbury Selectman
Space for Inclusion While many Eagle Scouts are taking symbolic steps to pressure the BSA into changing its anti-gay policy, other allies are taking a different approach in addressing the issue. “This is not about me trying to change a private organization. This is about discrimination in general,” said Glenn Kemper, a selectman in West Newbury. This summer Kemper proposed a ban that would prevent groups that discriminate from using town facilities. This would impact a local scouts troop, which holds meetings in a parks and recreation meeting. The ban is still being discussed. Kemper said the proposal is in line with similar guidelines that the town has in place for things like hiring policies. But it has elicited extremely strong reactions from the community. Kemper said he has received very positive feedback from those who say his proposal is a fair one. But he has also received vitriolic voicemails, and even death threats. Still, a ban is a no-brainer, said Kemper, who is a straight, married father. “This isn’t about targeting the Boy Scouts. They’ve done wonderful things in this town, and that’s not debatable. … But I
don’t think we should allow any organization that discriminated against any individual to use facilities funded by tax money.” Excluding gays should not be “the last acceptable form of discrimination,” he said. Whether the West Newbury ban comes to pass remains to be seen. But a similar situation has already played out in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. This summer, lay leaders at St. Luke’s Episcopal Parish unanimously decided that a local Cub Scout pack could no longer use church facilities for meetings, due to the national BSA policy. The decision was a matter of putting faith into practice, said rector Tim Rich, whose last position was as an assistant to Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. “I had recently preached a sermon about what happens when you reach moments where the safe thing to do is not necessarily the right thing to do,” said Robinson. Shortly thereafter, the BSA publicly reaffirmed its policy. “It opened a discussion. Could we in good conscience sponsor a troop that has an institutional policy of discrimination?” explains Rich. “In the gospel stories, Jesus cared for the people who were being excluded. He brought them in off the margins and said, ‘My love is for everyone.’” Rich said that while the scouts no longer use the facility for meetings, the parish still supports the good work of individual scouts who perform community service hours there. Rich said he knows that some parishioners may have a problem with the decision, but that the reaction has been mainly positive. In fact, he said, the church may have gained a few new members as a result. “We’ve had visitors to the church fill out comment cards that say, we’re here because you are an inclusive community,” said Rich. Meanwhile the BSA lost membership for eighth consecutive year in a row in 2011. Though its subcommittee may have reached a unanimous decision about the anti-gay policy, allies at large are showing themselves to be “morally straight” — but not narrow-minded. [x]
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feature College Sports story Erik Borg
Huskies Seek Gay Jocks “ If you are a young LGBT athlete looking for a place to play, we invite you to consider Northeastern University. ” Peter Roby Northeastern Athletics Director
Boston-based Northeastern University takes the lead in making it clear that out athletes are more than welcome Gay athletes are used to being singled out. When it’s in a good way, it comes as a pleasant surprise. Northeastern Athletics Director Peter Roby recently made it clear just exactly what the athletics department at one of Boston’s largest universities thinks of them: “If you are a young LGBT athlete looking for a place to play, we invite you to consider Northeastern University,” he proclaimed in a statement echoing support for a studentathlete-led initiative to take a stand on GLBT equality in sports. His statement, at once bold in its significance and understated in its delivery, is likely the closest any university has come to using a stance of openness and acceptance toward sexual orientation as a tool for recruiting in athletics. Roby calls it “just doing the right thing.” In July, more than 50 Northeastern student-athletes, coaches, and administrators came together to film a video for You Can Play, an organization that promotes quality, respect, and safety in sports regardless of sexual orientation. Northeastern’s video was the first by an entire collegiate athletics department and one of more than 20 by professional and
collegiate athletes and organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Their message in the video is simple. “If you can play, you can play,” they say, regardless of sexual orientation. If it’s a surprise to outsiders that a collegiate athletics department would proactively and publicly rally around such a message, it was no shock to Roby that it was Northeastern. “We have a fair amount of GLBT athletes, students, and staff, and it just seems a very natural thing to do,” he said. “No one has to be victimized before you decide it’s important.” It was also a way for the athletics department to live its espoused values, said Roby, who is the former executive director at the Center for the Study of Sport in Society, a think-tank at Northeastern that seeks to achieve social change through the power and influence of athletics. Roby has used the center’s mission to help imbue the Huskies’ athletics department with core values, like the concept of “coach as educator,” the importance of leadership, critical thinking, and community service, and — most relevant to LGBT inclusion — an “appreciation of difference.” The term “difference,” Roby said, is intentionally used instead of the typical categorical
Out Northeastern athlete, Kelly Wallace, who appears in the NU video
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demographics for diversity like sexuality, race, and gender. “It’s specifically phrased that way because ‘diversity’ is too static. It’s not actionable,” he said. “If you can’t live the way you want to live, it doesn’t matter how diverse you are.” Northeastern’s You Can Play video was first championed by Sarah Cahill, an assistant strength and conditioning coach, who had two student-athletes come out to her last year. “It was an important time for them to feel safe,” she said. The You Can Play video marks a growing partnership with G-Force Sports, an organization that began with a citywide forum last October that drew athletes from multiple sports and neighboring colleges and universities. After Northeastern hosted a second seminar with G-Force, a You Can Play partner-organization that holds workshops on issues surrounding sports and sexual orientation, Cahill began to approach others in the athletics department she thought would be interested. From there, the effort snowballed.
Northeastern's assistant strength and conditioning coach Sarah Cahill “The response I got was unbelievable,” Cahill said. “I really think it says a lot about the culture at Northeastern.” Mike Zawilinksi, an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Northeastern who also trains Team USA powerlifters, was one of the people recruited to participate. He said that for many coaches and athletes in the department, including himself, there’s been a shift toward awareness on the issue that has been slowly growing over the past few years.
There were still those who didn’t feel comfortable participating in the video, Cahill said. But even their reluctance became a positive thing, she said, because it began a dialogue. Roby said Northeastern is quite comfortable being a leader on the issue. “I think it’s a big need because you perform your best when you’re comfortable in your own skin,” Cahill said. “Hopefully it becomes the norm.” [x]
Nov|Dec 2012 | 27
features Business story Scott Kearnan
Tee Dance Founder of a scary, movieinspired fashion line fights the real boogeyman: bigotry For Alex Dakoulas, Friday the 13th was a very lucky day. That was the day this entrepreneur left a good, steady job to dedicate himself full-time to growing his own burgeoning business. Most would take it as a bad omen that their final day of reliable work fell on the one date specifically associated with misfortune. But in Dakoulas’s case, it happened to be a cool coincidence. You see, Dakoulas’s self-started business is Dance Party Massacre (DPM), a line of t-shirts and accessories inspired by his fond affection for scary movies. Now wait. These aren’t the type of gory and gruesome horror flick-inspired tees that you’d expect to see on heavy metal headbangers. (At least, not necessarily.) DPM designs seem equally inspired by ‘80s and ‘90s thrillers, a fondness for nostalgia and streetwear aesthetics, and a winking and referential sense of humor. Imagine a teal t-shirt that boasts boogeyman Freddy Krueger grabbing his crotch a la Michael Jackson. (The accompanying text reads, “The other gloved one.”) Or picture a purple shirt featuring horror icons like Elvira, Stephen King, and Teen Wolf recreating the poster image of The Breakfast Club. There’s a pop culture-savvy, party-loving spirit that pervades, and best captured in DPM’s motto: “Live While You Can.” “I’ve always loved horror movies. I always related to the survivor, and to the idea of fighting for your life and
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“ Being gay is definitely embedded into why I relate to horror movies. Some of DPM’s biggest fans are gay guys. … I think gay guys can relate to the idea of being survivors and overcoming something. ” Alex Dakoulas overcoming obstacles,” says Dakoulas, 28. His struggle was against imposed limitations. He enjoyed school growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire; he was class president, and his parents, business owners themselves, supported his passion to pursue graphic design. But while studying at MassArt, he began to feel confined. “You’re supposed to be expressing yourself, yet the program was so strict,” says Dakoulas. In between designing bank pamphlets and websites, he birthed the first designs for Dance Party Massacre—a brand concept he’d long wanted to launch. “Just like
the kids in a slasher movie want to have a good time, and the killer is there to stop them—I had people pulling me down, and I said, ‘Screw you guys, I’m going to do what I want!’” The DPM line launched in 2007, and grew during five years Dakoulas spent as a footwear designer at sneaker giant Converse. It was a great gig, but he began to bristle at the corporate confinement—so he left in April 2012 to immerse himself fully in running DPM out of The Distillery in South Boston, an artist live-work building. Dakoulas designs his line,
develops marketing partnerships, and even packages mail orders as a one-man operation in his funky studio, tricked out with a massive movie collection, graffiticovered walls, a ‘80s arcade game and big HD TV. (The very same TV on which, as a teenager, he’d watch all-night scary movie marathons with friends.) Entrepreneurial fears: conquered. But there’s another struggle paralleled by the heroes of horror films, says Dakoulas: the struggle of the gay community against the monster of bigotry. “Being gay is definitely embedded into why I relate to horror movies,” adds Dakoulas. “Some of DPM’s biggest fans are gay guys. … I think gay guys can relate to the idea of being survivors and overcoming something.” Dakoulas didn’t have a bad experience coming out—it was no problem for friends, and his parents are both supportive. (“I sat them down and told them. I was probably crying. They were like, ‘Oh. Is that it?’” He chuckles.) But he knows that, like the bullied lead character of “Carrie,” gays are often viewed as if they’re the “freaks, outcasts and weirdo-s” portrayed in a horror movie. “I think there’s
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feature News story Brian McClusky
The Year in Review The good, the bad, the in-between — what made the news for New England LGBTs in 2012
January Kicking off the year was yet another national first for Fenway Health: The Health Resources and Services Administration, of the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, awarded a $248,000 grant to The Fenway Institute to fund the creation of a national training and technical assistance center for LGBT health issues, marking the first time the HRSA has funded an LGBT-focused cooperative agreement of this scale.
January It was no surprise to find The Advocate ranking Cambridge as the 3rd-gayest city in America in its annual report. The designation came with references to the town’s having nude yoga classes, WNBA teams, and appearances by bands such as the Veronicas and the Cliks. (In case you who were wondering, Boston received an honorable mention at 24.)
January Mayors for the Freedom to Marry organization launched
with 116 New England mayors and counting. The bipartisan coalition affirmed their support of same-sex couples to marry, saying “it enhances the economic competitiveness of our communities, improves the lives of families that call our cities home, and is simply the right thing to do.” Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is one of the five co-chairs.
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Advocate's 2012 Top 25 Gayest American Cities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
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Salt Lake City Orlando, Fla. Cambridge, Mass. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Seattle Ann Arbor, Mich. St. Paul and Minneapolis Knoxville, Tenn. Atlanta Grand Rapids, Mich. Little Rock, Ark. Portland, Ore. Austin Long Beach, Calif. Denver Washington, D.C. New Orleans San Francisco Pittsburgh Salem, Ore. Madison, Wis. Eugene, Ore. Oakland, Calif. Boston Kansas City, Mo.
February The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) awarded Bostonbased State Street Corporation one of its top Diversity Leadership Awards. NLGCC called attention to the fact that all of the bank’s top-level management participated in training that introduced employees “to new ways of thinking around inclusion and unconscious biases.”
February On February 21, the AIDS Action Committee (AAC) opened a new drop-in center and an on-site MOMS Pharmacy, specializing in HIV/ AIDS treatment, at its Jackson Square location.
February On February 29, Lady Gaga officially launched the
Born This Way Foundation, focusing on empowering youth and standing up against bullying, at Harvard University. On the same day, a Harvard University student organization called Their Day in the Yard staged a rally in order to bring attention to the historical injustices brought against gay students in the 1920s, known popularly as Harvard’s “secret court.”
March In Massachusetts, the Senate passed a bill on March 1 to make HIV testing easier by removing written consent requirements while maintaining patients’ privacy. Currently the only other state that requires written consent is Nebraska.
March On March 6, Eastern Bank announced the election of three prominent LGBT leaders to positions on their boards. Rebecca Haag, CEO of AIDS
Action Committee, was elected to their Board of Trustees, and Kara Suffredini, Executive Director of MassEquality, and Gunner Scott, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, were elected to their Board of Corporators, where they will represent the local community.
March The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted on March 21 to kill a bill that would have replaced legal marriages for same-sex couples with civil unions, meaning that New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage laws remain intact.
April
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Todd Giroux, former candidate for Rhode Island governor, became one of a handful of openly gay candidates running for U.S. Senate. He ran as a Democrat and announced his bid to take fellow Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse’s seat.
June
May In Rhode Island, gay outof-state marriages became fully recognized, according to an executive order issued by Governor Lincoln Chafee on May 14.
May On May 31, a federal appeals court in Boston upheld a lower court’s ruling that said DOMA was unconstitutional for interfering with the right of a state to define marriage. This ruling follows the Obama administration’s announcement last year that they believed DOMA to be unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in federal court.
The HRC released the 2012 Healthcare Equality Index, rating 11 Boston area healthcare facilities. Eight were named “Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality” for their perfect scores: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Faulkner Hospital, Fenway Health, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Mount Auburn Hospital, and Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
June A new source of funding became available for Boston organizations seeking to provide support and services for the LGBTQ community with the Boston Foundation launching the Equality Fund. This is one of a myriad of funds that the Boston Foundation offers to provide ongoing support to advance equitable treatment for LGBTQ people and their families.
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July Massachusetts’ Transgender Equal Rights Bill came into effect on July 1. Hailed as a major step forward in the rights of transgender people, it bars discrimination in employment, housing, education, and lending, but does not address the controversial right to access public accommodations.
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September In Massachusetts, a Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth was approved for the 2013 fiscal year. LGBT rights advocates such as MassEquality Executive Director Kara Suffredini, Esq. expect it to have a large impact on LGBT youth, with up to 40 percent of homeless youth estimated to be LGBT.
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Barney Frank Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank married Jim Ready on Saturday, July 7, making Frank the first member of Congress to be married to a partner of the same sex. Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts officiated, and guests included House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator John Kerry. Frank announced last year that he will retire from office in 2012.
In Connecticut, DOMA was once again found unconstitutional for denying tax, health and other benefits to married gay couples. This follows a Massachusetts ruling which found DOMA unconstitutional. The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group has filed a petition of certiorari, meaning the group wishes it to be judged by the Supreme Court during its 2012-2013 term.
August Political newcomer Jon Restivo announced himself as an out, gay Democraticallyendorsed candidate running for Rhode Island’s District 40 State Representative position. 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA 02142.
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Seasonal Travel story John O'Connell
A vintage Christmas at Strawbery Banke Museum
Into the Woods and On Toward the Shore A holiday celebration of old world traditions We probably should just admit how spoiled we are here in Metro Boston. Everything we could possibly need — and more — is right at our fingertips. Even in an area steeped in history, sophistication, and charm it’s easy to develop a been-there-donethat attitude. Maybe that is what’s so refreshing about parts of New Hampshire and Maine. While there’s no lack of sophistication, there is an honest effort to live within and honor traditions and legacies from bygone eras. From a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Ogunquit, to one-of-a-kind
museum in Portsmouth to a rustic Christmas celebration high in the lake region of New Hampshire, there’s a rustic elegance just waiting to refresh your sensibilities.
Arrows Restaurant Routinely lauded as one of the best fine-dining experiences in the the country, Ogunquit’s Arrows Restaurant is the beloved child of James Beard Best Chefs of the Northeast, Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, partners in both the kitchen and at home. The couple was
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recently thrust further into the national spotlight as contestants in Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters, competing not only against 10 of the best chefs in the country but each other as well. “We were both asked at the same time,” says Frasier. “Competing against each other was very weird. We’ve spent our whole pro lives collaborating.” While the chefs weren’t awarded the final title, Frasier chalks it up as a learning experience. “We had done a lot of TV [before Top Chef], but I learned a lot. You have to learn a lot really fast.” The couple met while working at Jeremiah Tower’s legendary restaurant Stars, notable in it’s role in the
development of California Cuisine, marked by fusing disparate cooking styles in the use freshly prepared local ingredients. “In 1984 that was unheard of in this country,” explains Fraiser. “It changed the face of American dining. There was an amazing crew of talented people. It was kind of a boot camp.” Fraiser admits to being attracted to both Gaier and his talent. “Of course, he’s very handsome! but you could tell he was very talented and motivated.” In many ways, the principles at Stars, a fusion of styles and fresh local ingredients, has become the essence in the chef’s establishment of a Maine Cuisine.
An image from ‘Maine Classics Cookbook’ photo Ron Manville Arrows is the perfect location to make it happen. Located a few miles off Route 1 in Ogunquit, the converted farm house has the ideal spot to grow vegetables and herbs. “The garden started out of necessity. We couldn’t get the produce we needed,” says Fraiser. “Gardens are really funny because they don’t behave the way you want. Not as much, not enough. One year we grew all these Napa cabbages. We thought to ourselves, ‘What the hell are we going to do with all this cabbage?’ New Englanders tend not to like New England fare. We decided to do Seared Orange and Cabbage Salad, pickled a ton of it and it was a real hit.” The salad is also a terrific example of the fusion of styles at Arrows. Fraiser has a passion for Asian cooking developed after studying Chinese in Taiwan and Beijing. Often these flavor notes are partnered with Gaier’s mid-west, tradition-based influences. However, Fraiser calls the
simple house-cured proscuito the house speciality. “We try and keep two years ahead. It’s 2011 that we’re serving now. They hang in the [restaurant’s] rafters during the winter when we’re closed. It’s very simply served with vegetables from the gardens. It’s something we’ve been doing for years.” The restaurant is the epitome of rustic elegance. Wide plank floors are burnished each winter to a high sheen. The fusion of mission style and asian lines perfectly compliment the original architecture’s exposed beams. The main dining room overlooks the lush gardens and two smaller rooms are available for busy evenings and special events. Fraiser says that Arrow’s tone developed naturally. “Here’s the space; here’s teh design, and it was a work in progress. The setting is so incredibly beautiful. [Guests] weren’t in a rush, there were here for an experience and to relax. It moved very organically to the high end.” Originally the chefs lived
36 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Arrows' chefs as well as partners, Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier photo Ron Manville in area above the restaurant. “We were there for 7 years which was 7 years too long,” says Fraiser with a laugh. Tradition plays a huge part in the Arrows repetoire. Each year the couple serves a classic Thanksgiving dinner with a brined turkey and cornbread sausage stuffing with a roast pear gravy. Says Fraiser, “Thanksgiving is Mark’s day. He grew up in the mid-west, so it’s always been a special day. Lovely, but traditional American-style food.” On December 2 the chefs prepare their annual Titanic Sails Again evening a recreation of
the Grand Salon an a la carte menus in the style they were served. “We do have to pare the 18-to-20 courses down,” admits Fraiser. “It’s an interesting vision into the past and what high-end food was like. Oranges were very special. No one had oranges on board a ship in April [the month the Titanic sank].” Guests are encouraged to dress up in the style of the era. The marking of a new calendar is another exquisite night at Arrows. “New Year’s Eve is a very special, elegant evening with a black and white theme. It tends to be one of the worst evenings in restaurants, but we do one, staggered seating. It’s an unhurried, elegantly beautiful night,” promises Fraiser. Although Marriage Equality was one of the beneficiary charities during the chefs’ tenure on Top Chef, marriage is not a person goal for the couple. “If we were straight we’d be the old hippy couple that didn’t get married just because. We’ve been together for 27 years as committed
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Nov|Dec 2012 | 37
Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, NH as two people can be. The legal aspect is very important as a civil rights issue, but a piece of paper wouldn’t change us on a person level.” Gaier and Fraiser are also the owners of MC Perkins in Perkins Cove, Maine and Summer Winter in Burlington, Massachusetts. Arrows Restaurant
Berwick Road, Ogunquit ME 03907 207-361-1100 www.arrowsrestaurant.com
Solid Foundations of American Customs Candlelight Stroll at Strawbery Banke Museum In the quaintly bustling city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire sits a museum unlike any other in New England, perhaps the world. Strawbery Banke is an entire actual community of buildings dating as far back as the early 18th century each restored to reflect the daily lives of it’s inhabitants, tracing 375 years of history in one of America’s oldest continuously occupied neighborhoods. The shops and homes are brought to life through time-accurate interior designs and period gardens as well as being populated by costumed role-players fully inhabiting each building’s specific era. The community, originally named Strawbery Banke by the British settlers for the wild berries growing there, was saved from widespread urban renewal policies of the 1950s and is instrumental in the creation of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Strawbery Banke celebrates the holiday season with an annual Candlelight Stroll. The lanes and landscapes of the 10-acre
38 | BOSTON SPIRIT
property are romantically illuminated with hundreds of flickering candle as horse-drawn carriages, decked out in full festoonery, amble between the buildings and along the green where visitors can gather around a raging bonfire with a cup of hot-cider. Live-music and seasonal decoration demonstrations keep the atmosphere festive while the scents of 18th century holiday hearth cooking waft from the Wheelwright House. The Shapiro House, built in 1795, has been outfitted to reflect the lives of a Russian-Jewish immigrant family at the turn of the 20th century. Often, Mrs. Shapiro is on hand to discuss her families Chanukah traditions and demonstrate cooking techniques. While the experience may sound precious, it is presented with such lack of pretense that visitors cannot help to influenced by its charms. A signature showpiece of the Museum is the Goodwin Mansion, built between 1811. The Home of Civil War governor Ichabod Goodwin and his wife, Sarah Parker Rice Goodwin, was moved to the museum grounds from nearby Islington Street to save it from demolition. The lavish Victorian decorations illustrate the root of many of our current holiday customs. The showstopping Chase House, built in 1762, is decorated to reflect the Georgian era and, since the original owners were not likely to celebrate Christmas as one might expect, the home is often set up for a Winter Ball. The dramatic staircase features the unique Piscataque Triple balusters, a sequence of three distinct hand-carved supports. More recent eras are re-created in the Marden-Abbott House, Store and Garage featuring World War II-era family-run
grocery store and the Shapley-Drisco House, a duplex that contrasts home life in the 1790s and the 1950s within the same architectural style. The 1950’s side is full of timely references like paint-by-number artwork, portable record players and a silver tinsel tree. Candlelight Stroll
Dec 1 -2, 8-9, & 15-16 Strawbery Banke Museum 14 Hancock St, Portsmouth, NH 03801 www.strawberybanke.org
Rugged History Overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, the historic Lucknow Estate home of Castle in the Clouds, opens its doors for the holiday season. The restored mansion interprets circa 1914 Arts and Crafts architecture and lifestyle, unusual for New England and also notable for the number of technological innovations of the early 20th century. Originally home to Tom and Olive Plant, the castle opened its doors to the public in 1959. “We invite our guests to experience what it would be like to spend the holidays with the Plant family as Christmas traditions changed from 1915 through 1940,” says Michael Desplaines, the out man who serves as the estate’s executive director. Additionally, the museum will have a variety of craft vendors and offer a lunch with spectacular views of the lake in winter. [x] November 16-18, 23-25.
Castle in the Clouds 455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, NH www.castleintheclouds.org
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Kellye: Pleated leather skirt by Alice & Olivia, Nordstrom, $395. Lizabeth Crew Sweater by Rag & Bone, Nordstrom, $450.
‘80s’ Fashion Takes Over Nightlife Can there be a better dance floor statement of rebellious glamour than the resurgence in 1980s’ influenced fashion? Color blocking, prominent shoulders, slick textures of leather and silk playing against denim and knits. It’s all about the accessories. Strong statement jewelry in neon — née florescent for those of us from the original period — studded belts, half-gloves, patterned hosiery, and killer shoes. Photographer Joel Benjamin transformed local hot-spot Machine — site of Kristen Porter’s alwayspacked second-Saturday hot spot Dyke Night — into the legendary New York night club Danceteria, where the street mingled with the elite to the ground-breaking music of Madonna, Soft Cell, Sade, and Billy Idol. We love the mix of high-end and affordable fashion with pieces from Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, as well as Cambridge institution The Garment District. Get seduced by the decadence. Embrace the opulence.
, pt together er if we sle that says t et b u o y e I might lik omething in you eyes er. ev ss But there’ never... Never say n Say Never ’s r at e h v t e e N b May oid— Romeo V
Nov|Dec 2012 | 41
No place for beginners or sensitive hearts Sentiment is left to chance No place to be ending but somewhere to start Sade—Smooth Operator
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nza skirt dress with Christine [left] Black orgaLela Rose, Nordstrom, embroidered lace bodice by allic toe pump, met an tzm Wei art Stu 95. $1,7 , Bloomindales. Bloomingdales, $365. EaringsNor dstrom. ch, clut and belt Michael Kors ] : Gold metallic dress by [right ah Sar 7. Alice and Olivia, Nordstorm, $29 by Red Glitter peep toe platform pumps Valentino, Nordstom, $450.
Kellye: P Denim Vest, No rds Leather high low pullov trom, $49. James, Nordstrom, $3 er by Elizabeth 65. Florescent necklace, No rdstrom.
There’s no time for her to be afraid So instead, she takes care of business Keeps a cool head. Romeo Void—A Girl in Trouble is a Temporary Thing
Nov|Dec 2012 | 43
Bloomingdales $120. Nordstrom. $297. Black suede pumps by Sam Edelman, Christine [left]: Sweater dress by Alice and Olivia, $120. es ingdal pumps by Luxury Rebel, Bloom ed pumps by Sam Edelman, Bloomingdales, $120. Sarah: Dress by Alice and Olivia, Nordstrom. $297. Silver ed leggins in neon pink, Bloomingdales, $159. Black studd cropp A.G $525. trom. Nords Liam, Phillip by dress Kellye: Fading houndstooth
44 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Isn’t it nice? Sugar and Spice Luring disco dollies To a life of vice. Soft Cell—Sex Dwarf
Keeley dress by Sachin & Babi, Bloomingdales, $350.
You were a souped-up car in a rent a go-cart town. Sade—Maureen
Nov|Dec 2012 | 45
marriage marriageby by byestoppel: estoppel: estoppel: marriage When When‘I‘I‘IDo’ Do’ Do’Doesn’t Doesn’t Doesn’tDo DoItIt When LISA LISA LISA M.M. CUKIER M.CUKIER CUKIER Partner Partner Partner and and member and member member of of the ofthe the Firm's Firm's Firm's Private Private Private Client Client Client Group Group Group
LORRAINE LORRAINE LORRAINE PEREIRA PEREIRA PEREIRA Associate Associate Associate and and and member member member of of the ofthe the Firm's Firm's Firm's Private Private Private Client Client Client Group Group Group
AA straight Astraight straight couple couple couple who who who thought thought thought they they they were were were married, married, married, butbut but who who who were were were notnot not technically technically technically married married married byby law, by law, law, was was was recently recently recently deemed deemed deemed byby our byour our Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Appeals Appeals Appeals Court Court Court to to be tobe married bemarried married under under under a legal a alegal legal doctrine doctrine doctrine known known known as as “Marriage as“Marriage “Marriage bybyEstoppel.” byEstoppel.” Estoppel.” This This This case case case may may may have have have farfarfarreaching reaching reaching consequences consequences consequences forfor for Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts same-sex same-sex same-sex couples couples couples who who who areare are notnot not technically technically technically married, married, married, or or have orhave have “deficiencies” “deficiencies” “deficiencies” (such (such (such as as aas aa lack lack lack of of presence ofpresence presence of of an ofan officiate anofficiate officiate and and and witness witness witness during during during thethe the marriage marriage marriage ceremony) ceremony) ceremony) in inin thethe the formality formality formality of ofmarriage ofmarriage marriage outlined outlined outlined byby by state state state statute. statute. statute. The The The facts facts facts governing governing governing thethe the decision decision decision in inthis inthis this case, case, case, Bedard Bedard Bedard v. v.Corliss v.Corliss Corliss (2012), (2012), (2012), areare are as as follows: as follows: follows:
survived survived survived byby by herher her husband husband Ethan Ethan Ethan and and and three three three adult adult adult children children children from from herher previous previous previous marriage. marriage. marriage. NoNo No surprise, surprise, surprise,it itwas wasa adispute dispute disputebetween between between Carol’s Carol’s Carol’s children children children and and Carol’s Carol’s Carol’s husband husband husband that that that eventually eventually eventually brought brought brought this this family family family toto to court. court. court.
Like Like Like many many many couples, couples, couples, Carol Caroland and and Ethan Ethan Ethan held held held their their their money money money in in a joint a joint account account account throughout throughout throughout thethe themarriage. marriage. marriage.AsAssuch, such, upon upon uponCarol’s Carol’s Carol’s death, death, death, Ethan Ethan Ethanbecame becamethethesole sole soleowner owner ownerofof of thethe the account. account. account. However, However, However, thethe account account account did did did not not not exclusively exclusively exclusively contain contain contain money money that that that the the the couple couple couple earned earned earned during during during thethe marriage. marriage. ToTo To the the the contrary, contrary, contrary, that that that account account accountheld helda a$120,000 $120,000 $120,000inheritance inheritance inheritance that that that Carol Carol Carol had had hadreceived receivedfrom from fromher her herfather, father, father, and and and Carol’s Carol’s Carol’schildren childrenfeltfeltentitled entitled entitledtoto tothe the the Ethan Ethan Ethan and and and Carol Carol Carol were were were married married married in in Tijuana, inTijuana, Tijuana, inheritance inheritance inheritance money money money since since it was it was was passed passed passed down down down Mexico Mexico Mexico onon April onApril April 19,19, 1983. 19,1983. 1983. AA man Aman man claiming claiming claiming byby by their their their own own own grandfather. grandfather. to to betobe an bean attorney anattorney attorney conducted conducted conducted thethe the wedding wedding wedding Knowing Knowing of of of and and and respecting respecting Carol’s Carol’s Carol’s wishes, wishes, wishes, ceremony ceremony ceremony with with with hishis his secretary secretary secretary acting acting acting as as as a aa Knowing Ethan Ethan accordingly accordingly accordingly distributed distributed distributedthe the the $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 witness witness witness to to the tothe nuptials. thenuptials. nuptials. The The The couple couple couple signed signed signed Ethan inheritance inheritancefrom from fromthetheaccount account accounttoto toCarol’s Carol’s Carol’s paperwork paperwork paperwork which which which had had had been been been written written written in in in inheritance children. children.Each Each Each of of thethe children children children accepted accepted accepted the the the Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, a alanguage a language language neither neither neither Ethan Ethan Ethan nornor nor children. payments payments and and and agreed agreed in inwriting writing writing toto to allow allow allow Carol Carol Carol understood. understood. understood. The The The marriage marriage marriage certificate, certificate, certificate, payments Ethan Ethan to to to bebe be administrator administrator administrator of of of Carol’s Carol’s Carol’s estate. estate. estate. written written written in in English, inEnglish, English, was was was later later later mailed mailed mailed to to their totheir their Ethan In In In February February February 2007, 2007, 2007, Ethan Ethan was was was appointed appointed appointed byby by home home home in in Massachusetts. in Massachusetts. Massachusetts. thethe the court court court to to to serve serveas asestate estate estateadministrator administrator administrator They They They lived lived lived as as a as married a amarried married couple couple couple forfor for 2121 years, 21years, years, and and and “domiciliary “domiciliary “domiciliary foreign foreign foreign personal personal personal with with with nonoreason noreason reason to tothink tothink think they they they were were were notnot not representative” representative” representative” of of a lakeside a lakeside lakeside cottage cottage cottage which which which technically technically technically married. married. married. When When When Carol Carol Carol passed passed passed Carol Carol Carol had had had owned owned owned in in Maine, Maine, Maine, along along along with with with a aa away away away in in September in September September of of 2004, of2004, 2004, sheshe she died died died without without without vacant vacant vacant lotlot lot and and and personal personal property. property. property. a will, a will, a will, also also also known known known as as “intestate.” as“intestate.” “intestate.” She She She was was was
After After Aftera aayear, year, year,Carol’s Carol’s Carol’sdaughter daughter daughterDeborah Deborah Deborah decided decided decidedthat that thatshe she shewasn’t wasn’t wasn’tsatisfied satisfied satisfiedwith with with Ethan Ethan Ethanacting acting actingasasasher her hermother’s mother’s mother’spersonal personal personal representative representative representative ininin Maine. Maine. Maine.In InIn August August August of ofof 2008, 2008, 2008, Deborah Deborah Deborah filed filed filed aapetition apetition petition requesting requesting requesting Ethan’s Ethan’s Ethan’s removal removal removal – –and –and and her her her appointment appointment appointment –– as –asas estate estate estate administrator. administrator. administrator.To ToTo counter counter counter Deborah’s Deborah’s Deborah’s action, action, action, Ethan Ethan Ethan filed filed filed an an an affidavit affidavit affidavit and and and aa copy acopy copy of ofof his hishis marriage marriage marriage certificate certificate certificate tototo show show show the the the court court court that that that hehe he was was was the the the decedent’s decedent’s decedent’s husband husband husband and and and should should should bebe befirst first firstinininline line linefor for forappointment appointment appointmentas asasestate estate estate representative. representative. representative. Through Through Through deposition deposition deposition testimony testimony testimony itit it was was was soon soon soon determined determined determinedthat that thatalthough although althoughEthan Ethan Ethantestified testified testified tototo having having having married married married ininin Tijuana, Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico, Mexico, Mexico, his hishis marriage marriage marriage certificate certificate certificate stated stated stated that that that he hehe and and and Carol Carol Carol were were were wed wed wed ininin Guerrero, Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico, Mexico, Mexico, aastate state a state nearly nearly nearly 2,000 2,000 2,000miles miles milesaway away awayfrom from fromTijuana. Tijuana. Tijuana. Further, Further, Further, the the the date date date referenced referenced referenced on onon the the the certificate certificate certificate was was was three three three days days days later later later than than than the the the actual actual actual date date date of ofof the thethe wedding wedding weddingceremony. ceremony. ceremony.These These Theseerrors errors errorscreated created created anan anirreparable irreparable irreparabletaint. taint. taint.The The Therequirements requirements requirementsfor forfor proving proving proving the the the existence existence existence of ofof aamarriage amarriage marriage had had had not notnot been been been met, met, met, and and and the the the marriage marriage marriage was was was invalid invalid invalid due due due tototo deficiencies deficiencies deficiencies ininin those those those formalities! formalities! formalities! Carol’s Carol’s Carol’s children children children also also also hired hired hired experts experts experts to toto look look look into into intothe the thevalidity validity validityofofofEthan Ethan Ethanand and andCarol’s Carol’s Carol’s marriage marriage marriageand and anddiscovered discovered discoveredthat that thatthere there therewas was was nono no valid valid valid record record record ofofof aa marriage amarriage marriage having having having ever ever ever taken taken taken place place place between between between the the the couple. couple. couple.In InIn October October October
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of of 2009, 2009, the the children childrenfiled fileda apetition petitiontotorevoke revoke Ethan’s Ethan’sadministration administrationofofCarol’s Carol’s estate estate inin Massachusetts. Massachusetts.The Themarriage marriagewas wasaahouse houseofof cards…and cards…and it itwas wastumbling. tumbling. Referencing Referencingprior priorcase caselaw, law,the thetrial trial judge judge concluded concludedthat thatEthan Ethanand andCarol’s Carol’s 21-year 21-year union union would would not notbeberecognized recognizedasasaamarriage marriage because becausethe thestate stateofofMassachusetts Massachusettsdoes doesnot not recognize recognize common commonlaw lawmarriage. marriage. The Thejudge judge also also determined determinedthat thatsince sincethe themarriage marriagewas was invalid invalidunder underMexican Mexicanlaw, law,ititwas was invalid invalid in in Massachusetts Massachusettsasaswell. well. As Asa aresult resultofofthe the judgment, judgment,Ethan Ethanwas wasstripped stripped ofof his his role role and andresponsibilities responsibilitiesasasthe theadministrator administrator ofof Carol’s Carol’s estate estateand andremoved removedfrom fromCarol’s Carol’slist list of of heirs. heirs.Deborah Deborahwas wasappointed appointedtotoserve serveas as thethe successor successoradministrator. administrator. Once OnceCarol’s Carol’schildren childrenfiled filedaction action toto strip strip Ethan Ethan ofof allall statutory statutorymarital maritaland andinheritance inheritance rights, rights, Ethan Ethan filed filed anan equity equitycomplaint complaintagainst against thethechildren, children,alleging allegingthat thatthe thecourt courtshould should consider considerthe theunfairness unfairnessofofthe thesituation situationand and notnot strictly strictly interpret interpretthe thestatutes. statutes.On OnEthan’s Ethan’s equity equityaction, action,the thejudge judgefound foundthat thatEthan’s Ethan’s mistake mistakeofoffact factregarding regardingthe thelegality legalityofofthe the marriage marriage led led totoa awindfall windfalltotoCarol’s Carol’schildren children in in thetheamount amountofof$120,000 $120,000(the (theinheritance), inheritance), which whichEthan Ethan had had previously previously distributed distributed at atthethetime timeofofCarol’s Carol’sdeath. death. The The lower lower court court found foundthat thatit itwas wasonly onlyon onthe thebasis basisofof mistake mistakethat thatEthan Ethandistributed distributedthe thefunds fundstoto thethe children, children, and andthat thatthe thefunds fundsininthe thejointly jointly held held account account had hadrightfully rightfullybeen beenEthan’s Ethan’ssole sole property property once onceCarol Caroldied. died.Although Althoughmuch muchofof thethemoney moneyininthe thejoint jointaccount account originated originated as asananinheritance inheritancefrom fromCarol’s Carol’s father, father, the the children children had hadnonolegal legalright rightororentitlement entitlementtoto that that money. money.The Thejudge judgeordered orderedthe thechildren children to to return return the the full fullsum sumtotoEthan. Ethan.
believed believed they they were were married for for 21 21 years, years, and and while while alive, alive, Carol Carol received benefits benefits of of the the marriage. marriage. He He pointed out that that the the children children agreed agreedin in writing writing to Ethan’s administration administrationof of Carol’s Carol’s estate, estate, acknowledging acknowledging in in writing writingthat that Ethan Ethan was was Carol’s Carol’s spouse. The The children childrenthen then took took measures measures in the lower court court to to prove prove the the invalidity invalidity of their mother’s mother’s marriage marriage to to Ethan. Ethan. However, However, because because the the children children had had previously previously taken the position position affirming affirming the the couple’s couple’s marriage marriage and benefitted benefitted with with $120,000 $120,000 from from that affirmation, affirmation, they they were were later later estopped estopped from denying the the validity validity of of their their mother’s mother’s marriage. marriage. The The appellate appellate court court agreed that that the the children children were were estopped estopped from denying their their mother’s mother’s marriage marriage to to Ethan Ethan and ruled ruled in in Ethan’s Ethan’s favor, favor, reversing reversing the lower court court judgment. judgment. The The court, court, however, however, was not not so so quick quick to to reverse reverse the the equity equity case, which which would would return return the the $120,000 $120,000 to to the children. The The equity equity case case went went back back to to the the probate court court to to determine determine the the rightful rightful owner owner of the $120,000 $120,000 in in aa manner manner consistent consistent with the appellate appellate court court ruling. ruling. We We are are still waiting for for the the outcome outcome of ofthat that remand. remand. We Wehave have yet yet to to see how this case case will will be beused used in in connection connection with with non-marital non-marital relationships relationships in in the the gay gay community, community, but we we anticipate anticipate that that we we will will hear arguments arguments portraying portraying non-marital non-marital relationships relationships as “Marriages “Marriages by by Estoppel” Estoppel” in in order order to secure alimony alimony awards awards
Ethan Ethanthen thenappealed appealedininthe theadministration administration case case seeking seeking reappointment reappointment asas estate estate administrator, administrator,and and the the children children appealed appealed thethe equity equitycase caseseeking seekingtotokeep keepthe the$120,000 $120,000 Ethan Ethanhad hadpreviously previouslygiven giventhem. them. Ethan Ethan argued argued that thatthe thechildren childrenshould shouldbe beestopped estopped from from challenging challengingthe thevalidity validityofofhis hismarriage marriage to toCarol Carolbecause because both both Ethan Ethan and and Carol Carol
and and equitable equitable division division ofof property, property,and and as as aameans meanstotocorrect correctinjustices injusticesthat thatfall fallonon surviving surviving same-sex same-sexpartners partnersininconnection connection with withthe theestates estatesofoftheir theirlate latepartners. partners. The The results results ofof this thiscase casemay mayalso alsostretch stretch toto apply apply toto same-sex same-sexcouples coupleswho whomove move toto Massachusetts Massachusettsand andhad hadcivil civilunions unionsoror registered registered domestic domesticpartnerships, partnerships,but butwho who could couldnot notmarry marrybecause becausecivil civilmarriage marriage was was not notthen thenavailable availabletotothem theminintheir their prior prior state state ofofresidence. residence.Knowledge Knowledgeofofthis thiscase case may may bebe useful usefultotoyou youififyou youwind windupupinincourt court in in anan action actiontotoend endyour yournon-marital non-maritalrelationship, relationship, or orififyour yournon-marital non-maritalpartner partnerpasses passesaway away without without an an estate estate plan planthat thatis isfavorable favorable totoyou. you. We Weknow knowthat thatwe wewill willbebeciting citingthis this decision decision inin our oursubmissions submissionstotothe theCourts. Courts. Call Calloror email email us us ififyou youhave havequestions questionsabout aboutthethe applicability applicabilityofofthis thisdecision decision toto your your situation situation now nowororininthe thefuture. future.
This This article articlebybyBurns Burns&&Levinson LevinsonLLP LLPprovides provides general generalinformation informationand anddoes doesnot notconstitute constitute legal legal advice. advice. All Allviews viewsexpressed expressedhere hereareare those those of of thethe authors authorsand anddo donot notnecessarily necessarilyrepresent represent thethe views views ofofBoston BostonSpirit SpiritMagazine. Magazine.
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Christine: Twilight dress by Lida Baday, Nordstrom, $1,695. Hand-painted sofa by John Dellarocco.
48 | BOSTON SPIRIT
nse for love She said, “Come on, baby, I got a lice ve.” abo from help pray res expi if And re, more, more” In the midnight hour she cried, “mo more, more.” With a rebel yell, she cried, “more, l Yel Billy Idol—Rebel
Nov|Dec 2012 | 49
Kellye [left] Chloe Top by Sachin & Babi, Bloomingdales $450. J Brand Waxed Leggings, Bloomingdales, $218. Trianne fur scarf by Theory, Bloomingdales, $615. Metallic toe pump by Stuart Weitzman, Nordstrom, $365. Christine [middle] Aqua Lux Label Leather Dress, Bloomingdales exclusive, $328. Biker Jacket by All Saints Valley, Bloomingdales, $495. Bow-tie pump by Christian Dior, Bloomingdales $800. Sarah [right] Milly Skirt from Nordstrom. Leather Moto Jacket by June, Nordstrom, $495. Spiked heels by Sam Edelman, Bloomingdales, $120.
Boys may come and boys may go And that’s all right you see... Madonna— Material Girl 50 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Glitter peep-toe platform pumps by Red Valentino, Nordstrom, $450.
r so long fo Well I waitibration my love v yself. cing with m And I’m dan —Dancing l Billy Ido self With My
Nov|Dec 2012 | 51
t’s own. Christine: Gold Metallic Cut Out Sweater, stylis
52 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Don’t touch me, please I cannot stand the way you tease Soft Cell— Tainted Love
Models
Christine Stripinis Kellye Crittenden Sarah Papa from Maggie’s Styling
Mariama Jabbie Styling Assistant
Frances Ramirez, Kristle Hynes Hair
Heather Cohen from TEAM Make-up
Dianna Quagenti Photographer
Joel Benjamin Assistant
Josh Campbell Producer
John O’Connell Fashion Provided by
Nordstorm, shop.nordstrom.com Bloomingdales, bloomingdales.com The Garment District, garmentdistrict.com Dyke Night, Second Saturdays
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er by L’Agence, Kellye: Color Block Boyfriend Blaz Bloomingdales tier, Bus ss Gue 5. $69 om, Nordstr mingdales, Bloo , ings egg ed Wax nd $98. J Bra art Weitzman, Stu by ps Pum de $218. Maroon Sue own. ist’s styl an, Turb Bloomingdales, $365. rict $10. Gayatri Dist t men Gar , suit p jum k Blac Christine: 5. Mary Jane $59 om, dstr Nor from e Bon Blazer by Rag & stylist’s own. , Hat 0. $99 les, gda min shoes by Prada, Bloo
If you want me, let me know Baby let it show und Honey don’t you fool aro e lin der Bor Madonna— Mmm, come on, shine your heavenly body tonight ‘Cause I know you’re gonna make everything all right. ar Madonna—Lucky St
seasonal Gifts story Ricardo Rodriguez photos Joel Benjamin
The perfect host gift, these holiday ornaments are colorful, daring and exciting. Just like the party you are attending. Available exclusively at Neiman Marcus Glass ornaments starting at $14 each
Ricardo Recommends A Very Glitzy Holiday Special one-of-a-kind gift ideas for everyone, or maybe just for you…
Ricardo Rodriguez
Is a celebrated and award-winning real estate and lifestyle expert based in Boston. He regularly appears in local and national TV shows, contributes to various publications in the areas of real estate, home, living and fashion, and is a tireless advocate and supporter of many and various charitable causes.
The holidays are here and what better way to celebrate the season with your friends and family than with some amazingly fabulous gifts. And of course, some love and carols too. All special. All unique. And all perfect.
If you want to give a truly special gift, this is it. The creative team at Bodega, spearheaded by creative maven Jay Gordon, has collaborated with renowned shoe designer Mark McNairy to offer this very limited series. Crafted with a mix of leather, suede and textiles, this is the most beautifully unique shoe you could ever see. Only 20 pairs of each handmade style to be sold worldwide have been produced. Available exclusively at Bodega Mix Suede, Leather & Fabric boot $510 Almond & Olive Tweed shoe $400
This strong and sexy Nixon watch is a total winner. Made with raw steel, the rough finish and substantive weight make it a great choice for that strong and stylish person in your life. Available at Bodega Nixon Chrono Raw Steel watch $500
Not your standard candle. No sir. These scented masterpieces are luxurious, with a lead-free wick and long lasting fragrances derived from rare and natural extracts like sake, cannabis santal and citron de vigne. You almost want to eat them. Available at Fresh Scented candles $50 each 54 | BOSTON SPIRIT
The cold weather is here so I am sure any of your (adult) loved ones would appreciate any help they can get staying warm. Here is where you come to the rescue. An unusual and fun choice, this needlepoint covered flask is whimsy and useful. Available at Jonathan Adler Needlepoint flask $98
In an era when mail is mostly relegated to electronic forms, these bronze, antique inspired letter openers feel warm and old school. Just in time for those holiday cards. Who wouldn’t want one? Available at Hudson Bronze letter openers $12 each
With celebrities clamoring to wear her designs, British shoe designer Charlotte Olympia has fast become the brand to wear. Almost impossible to find, her gravity-defying creations are sure to kick the jingle bells out of anyone on the receiving end. In Boston, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus
This cuff by Argentinian design house Tramando (known for their handmade textiles) is a one-of-a-kind gift. In the US it can only be found in Boston, and quantities are very limited. Available at Daniela Corte store Tramando cuff $125
Bonnie calf boot in black & gold $1,195
Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? No need to look further. This full set of golden playing cards has to be chicest thing you could ever lay your hands on. With these babies, even I want to learn how to play poker. Available at Patch NYC Golden cards $18
Nov|Dec 2012 | 55
Despite its very unattractive name, houndstooth is becoming all the rage. Set your tie-wearing loved ones ahead of the game with these Tom Ford pieces in several size variations of this print and tones of burgundy (the color of the season). In Boston, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus Various
selections $240-$245 each
This one-of-a-kind handcrafted necklace is the collaborative brainchild of jewelry designer Miriam Haskell and the creative geniuses behind Patch NYC, John Ross and Don Carney. Talk about a bold statement, delicately crafted with rhinestones and pearls. Available at Patch NYC MH Floral Necklace $860
Turn your loved one into the hottest hipster around. This classic wayfarer silhouette has been crafted with a selection of luxurious hardwoods and the protection of imported Italian lenses. Made in Oregon, only 250 pieces are available worldwide. Talk about a special gift! Available at Bodega Shwood Canby Two-Tone glasses $225
56 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Since the fateful evening this spring when supermodel Karolina Kurkova wore one to the Met Gala, turbans have fashionistas spinning their heads around. This is your chance to make your fashion-forward loved one be right on trend. Built in two tones of sequin, antique gold and gun metal, it stretches and fits all sizes. Available at the Daniela Corte store R.U.S.H. turban $85
Don’t forget about your pooch. The chevron inspired multicolored leash and harness will make your four-legged best friend look proud and out all year long. Available at Jonathan Adler Small dog leash $16 Toy dog harness $16
This beautiful dress from local powerhouse designer Daniela Corte, stitched by hand right here in Boston, will have your loved one looking like a million bucks. The Italian wool A-line base contrasts perfectly with the fitted French antique gold sequin top. Lets get the party started! Available at the Daniela Corte store Daniela dress $825 (as shown)
Bodega
The most amazing gift for anyone on your list. This ceramic bowl, designed by Waylande Gregory (1905–1971) features a handpainted leopard with 22kt gold detail in the exterior and interior. Absolutely exquisite. Available at Patch NYC Leopard medium bowl $320
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129 Newbury Street, Boston jonathanadler.com Chocolate Thunder Cakes
Celebrities and local chefs go crazy for a slice of Chocolate Thunder, and now so can you. Originally available through a very secret process, this velvety chocolate cake with a peanut butter cream filling and topped with a bitter sweet chocolate ganache is available to the public. Go to the website and check for times when the cake will be sold. They are usually offered once a month and only 20 cakes at a time. So hurry. You will officially become the favorite grandchild at the family holiday dinner. Available exclusively through via the web
chocolatethundercake.com
Chocolate Thunder 14-inch cake $175
Nov|Dec 2012 | 57
Culture Gayborhood story Scott Kearnan
Queer Renaissance in Lynn, Massachusetts? Yep, that’s right, just ask the leaders of NAGLY, Go Out Loud, Art After Hours, Lesbiatopia.com and other locals—the formerly maligned suburb is turning around, and LGBTs are leading the way “Everyone deserves a second act.” So says DJ Brian Halligan. Halligan stepped away from spinning for nearly a decade. But dance music remained a passion, so last year he decided to get back into the groove. He had few connections in the current local landscape, but networked away. Gig by gig,
doors reopened. Now he’s not only a regular on the Cambridge and Boston scenes, but has a Friday night residency at gay club Cirque—a revamped version of gay bar 47 Central in Lynn, Massachusetts. Halligan sees a certain commonality between his own experience, and that of the city.
58 | BOSTON SPIRIT
“I feel like my story is a parallel to Lynn’s,” says Halligan. “There can be a certain condescension that comes across from people outside it. But it deserves that second act.” Ah, Lynn. She’s sort of like Boston’s hardscrabble little sister: only a fraction of the size (about 90,000 people) but with a big reputation. That rhyme “Lynn, Lynn, city of sin,” is ubiquitous enough to go on coffee cups, and associations with high crime rates and economic malaise have been hard to shake. But as one of the largest cities in Massachusetts, and located just a few miles outside Boston, Lynn has a thriving gay community. It’s becoming an
Lynn Memorial Auditorium
increasingly popular pick for LGBT folks seeking a costeffective alternative to living in the Hub, and those looking to enjoy the city’s revitalized dining, entertainment, and arts scene as a visitor. The city is clearly pushing a renaissance: sinking money into building artist live-work spaces and residential lofts in Lynn’s downtown, a Massachusetts historic district. It has relocated EDIC power lines by the shore, opening up dozens of acres of land to exciting development opportunities. And it’s prepping a daily ferry system between Lynn and Boston to help commuters and boost
tourism. (Expect to set sail in about two years.) But also at the forefront of Lynn’s improving rep is a gay group that takes a lot of pride (pun intended) in the city: Go Out Loud. “My introduction to Lynn was through the gay community,” says Kevin Sampson, part of the team behind Go Out Loud, a new collective that organizes events and other opportunities for the region’s LGBT community that are designed to stimulate networking—and the local economy. And there is definitely a diverse gay community in Lynn, reflecting the older side of the spectrum (the Diamond District, an area of historic Victorian homes, is popular with gay couples), and younger. In fact, nearly half the membership of the North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth is from Lynn, says Coco Alinsug, NAGLY executive director. (The group is actively seeking space for a youth dropin center, and Lynn is on the list of possibilities.) Sampson and his husband moved to Lynn in 2006, house hunters lured by the affordability of the city. “At the time I was very Boston-centric and lived downtown. My husband met a friend who lived in Lynn, so we went up for a party. We stepped into his loft and my mouth hit the floor. I thought, ‘I could live in a place like this?’” They sure could—for a fraction of the price of, say, a South End condo. Sampson wound up on the board of Art After Hours, a nonprofit organization that has emerged as a leading force in Lynn. At a meeting last year, board members were sharing ideas for a fundraising cultural initiative they could trailblaze. “I don’t know how to paint, but I’m good at organizing things,” chuckles Sampson.
“So I raised my hand and said, ‘I’m gay. I could throw a Gay Pride party.” He did, pulling together “Sinful BBQ” in June at the Lynn Museum, the downtown’s first annual pride event. (It happened to coincide with the first North Shore Pride Parade, in nearby Salem.) From sponsors to volunteers, Sampson was overwhelmed by the support he received and realized that Lynn’s gay community was “hungry” for social outlets. So he formed an initiative, dubbed Lynn Out Loud, to encourage camaraderie via regular meet-ups at various venues. Soon Sampson got in touch with Kevin Letourneau, organizer of the longer-running Salem Out Loud series, and decided to pool resources. With an expanded team, they incorporated Go Out Loud, which officially launches in November, as a single resource galvanizing the area’s gay community. But the goal of Go Out Loud goes beyond just enabling an excuse for cocktail hour. “We want to encourage new development and prospective businesses,” says Sampson. “Everything we do develops community and has a business impact. We want to show that building and fostering community has a positive, strong impact on local businesses … and therefore, it is in the interest of local businesses to attract us. We’re a really viable demographic.” Encouraging engagement with the LGBT community is important to the city, says Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy. “I think when I took office, Lynn was a pretty insular community,” says Kennedy. “I’ve made a conscious effort to make Lynn welcoming and inclusive to all diversity groups, and I think it’s starting to be noticed.”
PROVINCETOWN
Like Nowhere Else
DECEMBER
November 30-December 2 Holly Folly – ptown.org TBA Outer Cape Chorale Concert – outercapechorale.org 1 World AIDS Day – asgcc.org 1 Soup Kitchen benefit – ptownsoup.org 9 David Asher Senior Dinner – ptown.org 13 Holiday Open House – coastalstudies.org 22 PAAM Holiday Jazz Concert – paam.org 31 New Year’s Eve
JANUARY
1 New Year’s Day 19-21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
FEBRUARY
14-18 – Valentine’s Day & President’s Day weekend 22-24 – Snow Bound Weekend
www.ptown.org
DJ Brian Halligan photo Lynnhappens.com Kennedy has certainly made it apparent that she’s an ally. Several gay city officials serve in her administration, she’s made public appearances in support of the LGBT community (even at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Northern Nights, a new gay bar), and she recently went to bat for a Lynn high school student who was barred by her vice-principal for wearing a t-shirt that read, “All the Cool Girls Are Lesbians.” The story made national headlines, and Kennedy took up the matter with the school committee on the girl’s behalf. (“The people administering those rules should know about
First Amendment rights,” chides Kennedy.) Kennedy says she’s been supportive of the community for many years, ever since two old friends came out to her. “We used to go out after work, and they said, ‘Would you mind going somewhere where we feel more comfortable?’” The group wound up at Fran’s Place in Lynn, one of the area’s longest-running gay bars, and Kennedy—who had never known any out friends—was suddenly rubbing elbows with drag performers. Today as Mayor, she hopes to make the gay community feel as safe and welcome in Lynn as she felt
60 | BOSTON SPIRIT
that night at Fran’s. “At first I felt awkward and out of place, but then I felt protected in there. That world was always very welcoming to me, and I felt very grateful for that.” In return, the gay community is increasingly embracing Lynn. “There’s a strong gay presence and sense of community in Lynn, and a lot of diversity,” adds Renee Gannon, who works at a North Shore college and also runs Lesbiatopia.com, a lesbian-focused pop culture and entertainment website. Gannon is 30, and couldn’t resist the opportunity Lynn offered for a young professional to live large. The surfer wound up with a two bedroom, 1300 square-foot spot with a private porch and ocean views. Her monthly rent is $1,250. (For comparison: according to numbers released in August, the average rent for a tiny two-bedroom in the Back Bay is $2,857. In Jamaica Plain, $1,536.) And even if you’re not looking to relocate, exploring Lynn’s scene is worth the quick drive or T trip on a weekend says DJ Brian Halligan, who has been luring plenty of Boston friends to his Friday nights at Cirque. “There’s a pioneering spirit at work in Lynn, and it’s
important not to underestimate what the city is capable of,” he says. Consider this a round of applause for a solid second act.
Culture Lynn Arts (25 Exchange Street, 781-598-5244, lynnarts. org) Long at the forefront of downtown’s revitalization, the organization’s headquarters houses gallery space, a black box theater, and classroom space for aspiring artists. It also hosts a Holiday Art Show, where you can snap up original pieces that are all priced under $300. Arts After Hours (781-2054010, artsafterhours.com) An at-large art org run by Corey Jackson, a man-about-town who also covers the city’s happenings on his downtownlynn. com blog. Leaning toward the cool and cutting-edge, this arts nonprofit produces stage shows, concerts, and culture vulture social events at venues around town. Lynn Memorial Auditorium (3 City Hall Square, 781-581-2971, lynnauditorium. com) After years of disrepair, the 2100-seat auditorium was reopened in 2006 following a
a virtual preview, check out “Lynn Legacies” : a comprehensive primer on the city’s firsts, bests, and superlative accomplishments.
Dining
[above] the Lynn waterfront and [left] downtown Lynn
full refurbishing. It now hosts major talent on both the local (Boston’s Gay Men’s Chorus) and national scale. Lynn Museum & Historical Society (590 Washington Street, 781-581-6200,
lynnmuseum.org) The exhibitions here illuminate global affairs and celebrate local history. (“Shoes: A Step Back in Time” illuminates Lynn’s massive footprint in the shoe-making industry.) For
The Blue Ox (191 Oxford Street, 781-780-5722, theblueoxlynn.com) No, it’s not a Paul Bunyan-themed pizzeria. The Blue Ox offers casual elegance and an upscale but accessible American menu by chef Matt O’Neill, who worked with Barbara Lynch in her esteemed Boston restaurant empire. It’s a gay-friendly spot, so maybe you’ll spot yourself a babe at the bar – with the broad shoulders of a lumberjack, if you’re lucky. Tatiana’s (70 Market Street, 781-477-0700, tatianasrestaurant.net) Kevin Sampson picked Tatiana’s for his first Lynn Out Loud
gathering, and it’s obvious why. With a taste-bud tingling menu that includes Mexican fare, brick oven pizza, and sumptuous seafood, there’s something here for every stripe. Christopher’s Café (25 Lewis Street, 781-596-2200, christopherscafe.net) Formerly of Boston’s South End, Christopher’s Café relocated several years ago to the Diamond District, a “gay-borhood” nexus in Lynn. The gourmet breakfasts are legendary, but lunch is served until 2 p.m. Mildred’s Corner Café (45 Lewis Street, 781-595-4600) Another gay favorite in the Diamond District, it’s a (very!) cozy little breakfast and lunch spot with a kitschy vibe, copious Hollywood paraphernalia, and reputation for the friendliest service in town. (Try the pumpkin pancakes. Now.)
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High Rock Park, Tower And Observatory
Bars and Clubs Cirque at 47 Central (47 Central Avenue, 781-586-0551) Gay bar 47 Central was a longtime local favorite. But following a major renovation, the spot reopened, and re-branded, as Cirque last November. The vibe and décor have been elevated, a full kitchen has been added, and Cirque now boasts a killer sound system for resident DJs and guest performers. (Cirque consultant Frank Balboni has his own artist management company, and lures in divas like Martha Wash and Crystal Waters.) See? Change is good. Fran’s Place (776 Washington Street, 781-598-5618, gofrans.com) After 60 years, Fran’s feels like an old friend. It’s a local institution, one of the longest-running gay bars around, and has a totally casual charm. Shoot pool, command
the jukebox, and trade glances over cheap drinks before leading your prey onto the dance floor. Bonus: on fourth Thursdays, Fran’s hosts Allure, a rare all-female night for the North Shore. Northern Nights (649 Lynnway, 781-595-1900, northernnights.net) Lynn’s latest gay nightspot is located in a former McDonald’s. (Please, no jokes about “drive-through service.”) Now Northern Nights serves up its own snacks until 10 p.m., sure to help you fuel up before hitting the dance floor or catching a drag show. Plus, every night has a different theme—so check the website before heading up. (But mark your calendar for the 4 p.m. Sunday tea dance.) [x]
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culture Art story Tony Giampetruzzi
Big City Homoerotic Art Comes to Small Town Maine Deni Ponty, “Study for the Edge of the West,” 1992, Oil on canvas, 16 x 24 in., Andrew Sie Collection
Andy Warhol, Paul Cadmus and Keith Haring show up in Biddeford via New York’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art Biddeford, Maine is the embodiment of the typical, not-quite-yet rehabilitated New England mill town. A handful of the seemingly ancient textile factories have been completely polished-up and inhabited by both the young professionals looking for inexpensive lofts and the entrepreneurs who enjoy the reasonable rents they won’t find in Boston or Portland for their cafés and galleries. But, despite the gentrification, this still-largely FrancoAmerican Catholic community is the last place you’d expect to find an exhibit featuring a series of explicit, homoerotic Andy Warhol screen prints from the ‘70s; an equally provocative Keith Haring original ink on paper titled “Three Men” (use your imagination) from the ‘80s; a Paul Cadmus etching from the ‘30s; and dozens of other pieces of homoerotic art, all on loan to the The Kymara Gallery from
64 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Kymara Longran, the show’s curator and a director on the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation’s board, stood guard at the entrance to the collection during a recent First Friday event, informing (not warning, she says) visitors what they were about to see. the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York. Tucked well inside a maze of hallways at the North Dam Mill complex, the gallery, which originated in nearby Kennebunkport (home of George H.W. Bush) recently opened Two Loves—Sex, Art, and the Love that Dare not Speak its Name. Comprised of selections from the Leslie-Lohman Museum’s permanent collection of important original paintings, sculpture, and photography ranging from the years 1650 to 2010, visitors to Biddeford can visually feast on rarely seen works by the likes of Warhol and Haring, as well as a host of other artists who worked in various mediums. Kymara Longran, the show’s curator and a director on the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art
Foundation’s board, stood guard at the entrance to the collection during a recent First Friday event, informing — not warning, she says) — visitors what they were about to see. “Here in Biddeford, because of the way it’s set up, I kinda like to let people know,” says the self-described gender-fluid aesthete who cut her chops on gay culture as a teen-ager in the Village in the late 1970s when the scene was as gritty and raw as the city itself. “But it works great for me. I have my niche here, and I’ve had it since 1985. To most people, I’m just Kymara, and people know me as the person who drives the weird pink car around. But, I know that sometimes people do have a problem with sex parts, so I have to warn them.”
Pride Parade, Greenwich Village, 1976
To be sure, there is a lot of nudity, and nothing is left to the imagination where the sex is concerned, but that’s just the way Longran likes it. The collection represents just a fraction of the Leslie-Lohman Museum’s permanent collection, which houses over 6,000 works of art. The Museum is named after co-founders Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, who began showing and collecting art in their SoHo loft in 1969 to provide an outlet for gay artists. According to leslielohman.org, the rise of AIDS and the death of so many artists and collectors prompted Charles and Fritz to recover many important works of art “that were being destroyed by families who, because they didn’t know what to do with this type of art or didn’t want to acknowledge the sexuality of their loved ones, threw amazing collections of art in the dumpster.” What has developed is a remarkable resource with an artist archive of information on over 3,000 LGBTQ artists; 2,000 volumes representing the most comprehensive collection of published books, catalogues and pamphlets on LGBTQ art; and, most recently, traveling exhibits
Pristine Condition, member of the “Cockettes,” New York City, 1972 image /Charles Gatewood which allow people like, well, Mainers, for example, to take a peek at not only the history of art produced by the GLBTQ community over the past century, but a snapshot of the history of the GLBTQ community itself. Longran’s passion for exhibiting what she calls “avante garde” art is nearing the
Nov|Dec 2012 | 65
Forrest Williams, “Two Men on a Porch,” 2006/7, Oil on panel, 44 x 72 in., Collection of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art 30-year mark, with her first gallery opening in Maine in 1985. “It was a natural progression of who I was at the time and the self confidence to be able to sell and work in the realm of gay art,” she says, invoking the AIDS crisis of the mid to late
‘80s. “I felt gay art was so homogenized, that the sexuality was taken out of the art and the artist. It’s not always true that you need to state your sexuality, but in the case of [Andy] Warhol, not only do a lot of young people not know who he is, but they
don’t even know that he was gay. I guess they thought he was like a Ken doll, kinda neuter.” As for the timing of the exhibit, during the state’s second go at passing gay marriage at the ballot box, Longran says it’s a coincidence, but that, if anything, the collection shows the parity between straight and gay couples. “There is no action of sexuality in any one of these pieces that’s prohibited to be done by a heterosexual person. And, having two people of the same sex doing it doesn’t make it wrong and often times, people who are heterosexual go a lot farther than any of this,” she says, referencing an upcoming S&M-themed exhibit. “Believe me, none of this is extreme compared to what you’ll find in the underground sexual art community.” In terms of what you might find at a gallery in Biddeford, or even Maine for that matter, the exhibit is breathtaking, both for those who rarely get to see the type of art that speaks to them in a very positive and personal way, and for those who may be shocked by its frank, if not explicit, homoeroticism. [x]
Discover the
CRAFT oF Cooking
During Salem Restaurant Weeks and throughout the year. For more information visit
Salem.org
PrideSPortS
Saturday January
26
7:30 pm-midnight WeStin Waterfront hotel ticketS are $60 ViSit bostonspiritmagazine.com
Join Boston Spirit, PrideSports Boston and Master of Ceremonies Steve Buckley, sports columnist from the Boston Herald, as we honor Greater Boston’s LGBT athletes at the party of the year! Enjoy great food, mix and mingle with hundreds of athletes from the area, and dance the night away to the music of DJ Mocha.
Awards will be presented in a wide variety of categories including the first ever icon award. The Icon Award will be given to a national sports figure who has shown a devotion to LGBT inclusion in the world of professional sports.
preSented by
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culture Sports story Erik Borg
New England’s Gay ‘Espys’ Boston’s LGBT athletic leagues set to host first awards banquet for the area’s over 2,000 out athletes; Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley to host on January 26 There are more than 2,000 athletes across Boston’s 18 LGBT sports organizations, and it’s pretty safe to say they’ve never all convened for the same event. That could change next year, as plans for the first-annual LGBT New England Sports Award Banquet finally come together almost four years after it was first dreamed up. The event, modeled to be a gay cousin of ESPN’s Espy sports award show, is scheduled for Saturday, January 26 at the Westin Waterfront hotel. It is the brainchild of Boston Spirit publisher David Zimmerman and Marc Davino, a prominent LGBT organizer and athlete. The two aimed to create an event that would align the entire community in a fun way. “The thought was that, although each league does an annual banquet, wouldn’t it be great to get all the athletes together for a really special night?” said Zimmerman. So far, 17 of the 18 identified LGBT sports organizations have come on-board to promote and participate in the project. Steve Buckley, a well-known, out sports columnist for the Boston Herald, will be the night’s emcee. If Buckley and Zimmerman have their way, a few other local sports celebrities will partake in the festivities as well, Zimmerman said.
68 | BOSTON SPIRIT
The Espy-like event will feature four awards categories. The first, aimed at highlighting the activities of each participating organization, is an open award for
“ The thought was that, although each league does an annual banquet, wouldn’t it be great to get all the athletes together for a really special night? ” Boston Spirit magazine publisher
David Zimmerman
each organization to recognize one of its own participants, supporters, or sponsors. Each organization will also be able to nominate one person for the all-sports Sportsmanship, Spirit, and Overcoming Adversity awards. The hope is that the latter recognizes someone in the community who has leveraged LGBT sports in a challenging personal situation such as coming out, said Davino. Along with the awards, each organization will have the opportunity to create and submit a five-minute video that represents their league. The videos will be voted on via Facebook and other channels leading up to the event, and they will be shown intermittently during the evening before a winner is announced. Finally, an Icon Award will be given to a national sports figure who has worked on behalf of the LGBT community. The event, quite possibly the first of its kind in the country, will hopefully become an annual occasion to recognize the impact of the LGBT sports community, Davino said.
Saturday January
26
The participating leagues — ranging from football to darts — indicate the wide gamut of interests and activities made available to the LGBT community throughout New England. “The work that’s done out there by LGBT sports, on an individual and volunteer basis, is pretty phenomenal,” Davino said. If the event is a success, it will morph into a fundraising event for an LGBT cause the following year, Davino said. The event it’s also about having something fun to do in the middle of Boston winter.
The ceremony will start with food, cocktails, and a space for each organization to promote itself and register new participants. Following the awards ceremony, there will be a DJ and dancing. Tickets are on sale now for $60. Davino said he also hopes the event will help to reinvigorate the now-defunct Pride Sports Boston. The organization had acted as a loose umbrella organization for Boston’s LGBT sports groups throughout the 90s before falling apart in recent years. It’s a presence that’s missing in the community, said Davino.
“The number one reason is to have something that unites all the LGBT sports groups,” he said. [x] PrideSports Awards Gala
January 26 7:30 p.m. to midnight Westin Waterfront Hotel Tickets available at BostonSpiritMagazine.com
You know what you want to achieve. Find out how Metropolitan College can help you realize your vision.
Join us at an Open House Discover more than 60 part-time, evening programs for busy adults—plus, hear about financial aid and admissions. Undergraduate Open House Charles River Campus Saturday, November 3, 10 a.m.
Graduate Open House Charles River Campus Saturday, November 17, 10 a.m.
Sign up at bu.edu/met/info. Spring classes begin January 16.
Learn from the BEST.
culture Art story John O’Connell
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A Tip of the Hat Peabody Essex Museum’s joyous exhibition of millinery arrives from the Victoria and Albert Museum Stephen Jones, one of the world’s most adventurous milliners since the 1970s, was rifling through the Victoria and Albert Museum’s vast collection of hats, an archive of close to 2000 hats, in a search for inspiration for his own line. After looking at hat after hat, Jones, along with the V&A’s fashion curator Oriole Cullen, came upon the idea of an exhibition to celebrate the life cycle of a hat: from inspiration to creation, from the salon to the client. The resulting show — Hats: An Anthology — includes over 300 hats from the V&A’s archives as well as Jones’ private collection. Jones initially made a name for himself during the explosion of street style in the late 1970s establishing
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a millinery salon with clients from Boy George to Princess Diana to Dita Von Teese to Madonna. As Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, the Chief Curator at Peabody Essex Museum explains, “Millinery is an art form that creates decorative fashionable statements or accessories rather than merely the functional or symbolic pieces of a hat.” The installation is a gathering of hats as flowers in a fantastical classical garden. Throughout the museum, PEM has installed great hats from its own collection to counterpoint and compliment existing exhibits. Jones, always a champion of developing milliners, urged PEM to also show a display of New England milliners. Even with the 300 hundred hats, the exhibition is contained in just two exquisitely designed, consolidated galleries. Reflecting the initial life of a hat, the show opens with a discussion of inspiration. Many have asked Jones if he ever fears of running out of ideas. His answer, in the
exhibition, is that editing may be a bigger issue; that anyone creative may get inspiration from anywhere, at any time. One of Jones’ signature pieces, a shrunken top hat covered with bandages dyed to create the image of the Union Jack, was created for Italian Vogue editor Anna Piagi. Created in 2009, the hat is a statement on how the British “soldier” on through tough times. There’s also a notion of tradition having gone wild as Jones plays with the scale of the traditionally masculine accessory and adds a whimsical poof detail to further feminize the piece. Another standout is an interpretation of a mourning bonnet, Kiss of Death, by artist Jo Gordon. Dramatic raven feathers are attached to what appears to be a traditional bonnet usually designed to cut the wearer’s peripherally vision, shielding the wearer by creating a sense of privacy or calm serenity in the face of mourning. Kiss of Death, however is incredibly active, taking what was originally meant
[1] Stephen Jones, Peter Ashworth 2008
[2] Jo Gordon, Kiss of Death, 1994, Victoria
and Albert Museum, London [3] Caroline Reboux, Hat worn by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, about 1865, Victoria and Albert Museum London [4] Elsa Schiaparelli, Shoe Hat, 1938, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
to be a private moment and enhancing that notion to dramatic effect. Further in this section, hats become works of sculpture in pieces designed in reaction to the Guggenheim Museum (Balenciago’s 1962 Spiral hat), as a solid cube of Swarovski crystals that completely cover the wearer’s face (Mazhar’s 2008 crystal cube hat). The wearer is merely a means of support for the physical art as milliners play with the concept of forms and composition. In the Creation portion of the exhibition, a mock-atelier dominates the center of the room surrounded by display windows fashioned as store fronts. Hartigan says that Jones describes the section as Jones’ notion of an ideal milliner’s studio, “somewhere between Aladdin’s cave and an artist’s studio.” A milliner’s play of materials is immediately apparent in a collection of feather-based designs. An
18th-century creation of white guinea fowl feathers creating a delicate painter’s palette for dyed cockrel feathers is placed adjacent to a Philip Treacy 1995 creation of dyed pink goose feathers, a thoroughly modern and aggressive application of the materials. One of the highlights in the section is Jones’ creation, Vlada #7, a full body covering of ostrich feathers that completely stretches the idea of what a hat can be. The idea of technology’s influence on millinery is perfectly illustrated in Wash n’ Go, a piece of plastic molding with applied heat stripping gun and a pair of pliers. The result is a notion of a splash of water enveloping the head, playing with the idea of what a hat can be made with, how technology invades the hand-made art form. For all of the fantastic creations, it may seem that the hat itself is the piece de resistance, topping off an ensemble or look. However Hartigan states it’s Jones’ contention that a hat comes into its own only after its debut in salon or showroom. The hat truly comes alive by who chooses and who wears it, the client. Sprinkled
Stephen Jones, Anna P, spring/ summer 2009, Peter Ashworth throughout the exhibit are immediately identifiable pop culture references from George Lucas films, Janet Jackson’s tours and album covers, and Sex and the City. A significant must-see piece is the Else Schiaparelli shoe hat created in 1938, a famous Surrealist icon that paved the way for radical headwear designs to come. [x] Peabody Essex Museum
Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones On exhibit through February 3, 2013 pem.org
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culture Music story Loren King
A Chanticleer Christmas
San Francisco’s treasured all-male chorus performs holiday concert in Boston San Francisco-based Chanticleer, called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker, returns to Boston November 30 at 8 p.m. at NEC’s Jordan Hall for its first Christmas show in the region in several years. Chanticleer, a 12-member ensemble, is known throughout the world for its seamless blending of vocals, from countertenor to bass, that can make 12 individuals like one voice or an entire orchestra. Although the chorus performed a spring show in Boston two years ago, its much-heralded holiday concert has not been heard live in
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Boston for at least five years. The Celebrity Series of Boston event, “A Chanticleer Christmas,” is part of the choir’s Christmas tour that includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and churches and missions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides live performances, audiences are familiar with Chanticleer’s Christmas show since “A Chanticleer Christmas” is broadcast annually on more than 300 affiliated public radio stations nationwide.
“We feel fortunate to have a following in Boston where there is such a rich musical culture. They’re with us every second and that’s thrilling as a performer,” says Jace Wittig, Chanticleer’s interim music director. The Christmas shows are always crowd favorites, he says, describing the dramatic way Chanticleer enters the halls in dim lighting (or candlelight if fire laws permit it) performing a Gregorian chant. The holiday program includes early music, modern composers and traditional carols such their beloved version of the “Ave Maria.” “It’s cheesy to say it, but we love Christmas. It can be a religious experience; it certainly is a spiritual one,” says Wittig, an Indiana native who joined Chanticleer seven years ago and who as music director is responsible for the group’s repertoire.
“There is something about the music Kong, and Taiwan have offered concerts that is very transcendental, regardless of regularly, and in 2009 Chanticleer made religion.” its debut in the People’s Republic of China. This season’s show is especially notable Chanticleer doesn’t identify specifias the Grammy-winning Chanticleer cally as a gay chorus but is proud of its celebrates its 35th season — a remarkable San Francisco roots. It has grown into an achievement for a nonprofit chorus with a institution in the Bay Area. “There are classical repertoire steeped in music from people who’ve been coming to our Christthe Renaissance. mas concerts since the first one in 1978. Chanticleer was famously born around Our home base is crucial to the health of a dining room table in San Francisco in the organization,” says Wittig. Of the 100 1978. Tenor Louis Botto, who sang in to 120 concerts that the group performs the ensemble until 1989 and served as each year, 30 are in the San Francisco Bay artistic director until his death in 1997, Area. “In the early days, all the shows were conceived of a classical chorus that here,” adds Wittig. “Now we all over the would sing a much-neglected early music world.” repertoire, using only male voices, as was Although there have been many changes the tradition in most churches during the in the ensemble personnel over 35 years, Renaissance. one singer has the longest tenure. Eric Today, Chanticleer’s repertoire includes Alatorre, who sings bass, has been a every music form imaginable, from opera member of Chanticleer for 23 years. “He to jazz. Besides singing in venues all over has his own following by now. His voice is the United States, the ensemble regularly an extraordinary instrument,” Wittig says. tours Europe’s most prestigious conAll 12 members are highly trained singers cert halls, including the Musikverein in from around the country who go through Vienna, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, a rigorous audition process. Chanticleer’s Prague’s Rudolfinum, Budapest’s Bela trademark sound that weaves deeper Gardner_SpiritAug2011 2:34 Hong PM Pagevoices 1 Bartok Hall, among8/5/11 others. Japan, with highly developed falsettos
creates a crystalline sound most often found in boy choirs. “The variety of colors we create and are expected to create is really stimulating for a singer,” says Wittig. In late October, Chanticleer released a live concert recording of its 35th season anniversary opening concert, “The Siren’s Call.” It was recorded in front of a live audience on September 14 and 16, 2012, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and includes works by renowned Chinese composer Chen Yi, celebrated Irish composer Michael McGlynn, and selections by Bates, Gabrieli, Palestrina, Gesualdo, and Vince Peterson’s arrangement of “Temptation,” written by Tom Waits. More than 100 men have sung in the ensemble, each leaving an individual legacy, says Wittig. “We owe a lot to our early members; they established a legacy and created something new at the time. In the United States we’re the only group performing the variety of music we do and in the style that we do it in. It’s a wonderful privilege.” [x] Chanticleer
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Culture Theater story Loren King
Secrets and Lies
Scott Edmiston and stellar cast bring Other Desert Cities to the SpeakEasy Stage Explosive family secrets are a drama tradition that dates back to the Greeks and Shakespeare. Modern practitioners range from Tennessee Williams to contemporary playwright Jon Robin Baitz, the openly gay author of Other Desert Cities. And few directors on the Boston scene are as experienced with plays packed with family secrets and surprise revelations as Scott Edmiston. Edmiston helmed Eugene O’Neill’s searing, autobiographical classic about family dysfunction, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, in March at New Repertory Theatre. In 2011, he directed Geoffrey Nauffts’ heartbreaking drama Next Fall, about a gay couple whose love and pain is revealed to family members in a hospital waiting room, for the SpeakEasy Stage Company. This month, Edmiston brings Other Desert Cities to SpeakEasy, continuing the company’s current season of producing shows fresh from successful Broadway runs. In Other Desert Cities, daughter Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs after a six year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, high powered Republicans who are former
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Scott Edmiston
members of Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s inner circle. At a holiday gathering that includes her TV-executive brother and liberal, lush of an aunt, Brooke reveals that she is about to publish a memoir that will dredge up a tragic event in the family’s history. On Broadway, Other Desert Cities boasted a formidable cast that included Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Rachel Griffiths and Judith Light, who won the Tony Award for her role as Aunt Silda. The SpeakEasy production, which runs January 11 to February 9, will allow some of Boston’s best actors to sink their teeth into these juicy roles. Nancy E. Carroll will
play Silda with “no holds barred,” promises Edmiston. Karen McDonald, who played Mary Tyrone in Edmiston’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, will star opposite Will LeBow as Polly and Lyman Wyeth, the Reagan-esque parents. McDonald and LeBow will be able to draw on their long stage relationship including their musical work with Edmiston on A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration in 2007 at the American Repertory Theatre. Also reunited with Edmiston is Anne Gottlieb as Brooke. This is their sixth show together, says Edmiston, who most recently directed the actress in Sarah Ruehl’s In the Next Room at SpeakEasy.
The dysfunctional, politically divided family will have resonance for gay audiences, although Other Desert Cities isn’t a “gay play.” Baitz is openly gay (and had a very public relationship with actor/ director Joe Mantello) but his work is not overtly gay the way, say, Terrence McNally’s or Paul Rudnick’s is. Edmiston, who founded the Office of the Arts at Brandeis University in 2003, teaches a course at Brandeis called “Queer Theater: Wilde to Fabulous” which exposes students to plays by Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, Lillian Hellman, Rudnick, McNally and Tony Kushner. “It is a measure of how our community has grown that we’re now represented in so many places; we’re invited to see ourselves in a broader narrative,” says Edmiston. “There was a time when the only place that happened was the theater, not movies or TV. It was a private and safe place where our stories could be told.”
“ It is a measure of how our community has grown that we’re now represented in so many places; we’re invited to see ourselves in a broader narrative. ” Scott Edmiston Baitz wrote the plays Fair Country and The Substance of Fire but is perhaps better known for creating the TV series Brothers and Sisters — which ended in a dramasoaked debacle when he was fired by ABC and fled back East. Baitz has said in interviews that he suffered a breakdown after the experience and that Other Desert
Cities helped him put his creative and personal life back together. The play also represents what Baitz hoped to do with Brothers and Sisters but was prevented from doing by the confining simplicity of network television. “Paul Daigneault got the rights to Other Desert Cities while it was still on Broadway,” says Edmiston. “He thought it would be good for me. I’ve been directing for so many years, he knows my aesthetic, my value system, the things that interest me and he offered it to me.” Other Desert Cities will give Edmiston the chance to again explore questions of identity and characters with depth. “I like plays that take risks, that do on stage what can’t be done in other mediums,” he says. “I’m attracted to plays and musicals that capture what it means to be human and that have the capacity for grace.” [x] Other Desert Cities
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culture Literature story Scott Kearnan
‘Hi, I’m a Gay Atheist’ Faithiest, a new memoir by local author Chris Stedman, promotes a warm, loving, and witty serving of intercultural dialogue Understand differences. Listen to new points of view. Respect the identities of others. Most LGBT people would probably profess these are important commandments to honor. But when it comes to interacting with communities of faith, how many of us practice what we preach? Chris Stedman does. The 25 year-old Cantabrigian is a gay atheist. But he’s also an interfaith activist working hard to promote dialogue between the faithful and the nonreligious, fostering communities that emphasize a shared focus on social justice instead of theological differences. In November, Stedman releases his memoir Fatheist, a smart, funny, and insightful look at a twist- and turn-filled life story that saw this former born again Christian become a seemingly unlikely poster child for cultural pluralism. “In a world that is polarized along lines of religious difference and LGBT identity, I thought it was important to tell my story as someone who has stood on every side at one point or another,” explains Stedman. He grew up in an irreligious Minnesotan household, but immersed himself
in an evangelical church after his parents’ divorce. It offered a sense of belonging and community that was hard to find at school — where, Stedman admits, he wasn’t generally counted among the cool crowd. He became devout: fasting in the classroom during high school lunch breaks, withdrawing to his bedroom for personal bible study after school. And as Stedman’s burgeoning sexuality began to conflict with his understanding of church teachings, the once-gregarious teen became sullen — even suicidal. Stedman’s supportive mother introduced him to an affirming Lutheran church, and he began to consider entering the ministry to do pro-LGBT work. But by the end of his first year in college, studying religion from an academic perspective forced him to reevaluate his reasons for believing in God – and Stedman affirmed himself a new identity as an atheist. He didn’t arrive at that lightly. “At first, I felt like all those other years were wasted,” says Stedman. “I had spent all this time reconciling things only to ultimately abandon my beliefs.” But not, he realized, his belief in the value and importance that religion has to so many.
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Stedman says that in order to truly address global social justice issues, including those of great importance to the LGBT community, it’s vital that there be a productive, respectful back-and-forth between believers and nonbelievers. “I think we do ourselves a disservice when we hold polarizing attitudes, and stop engaging people who hold beliefs that are counter to our own,” says Stedman. “We dehumanize them the moment we decide they’re not worth talking to.” So as an activist, in-demand speaker and assistant chaplain in the Humanist Community Project of Harvard (where he is also the inaugural Interfaith and Community Service Fellow), Stedman encourages atheists to engage in interfaith community – rather than dismiss religious adherents as unsophisticated bigots. At the same time, he strives to remove the stigma widely associated with atheism – maybe not in Cambridge, but in places like the Midwest, where his mother is more likely to hesitate when telling folks that her son is an atheist than that he is gay. In Faitheist, Stedman explores with wit, candor, and vulnerability everything from gay crushes at Christian youth group to how he arrived at atheism; from being the
victim of an anti-gay assault on a Chicago subway, to the ways in which the LGBT community and oft-maligned religious groups — like Muslim-Americans — can work together toward acceptance. He knows he might seem, for several reasons, an unusual candidate to be building interfaith bridges. “I’m 25, with tattoos and stretched earlobes,” says Stedman, who looks like a sunny hipster more likely to debate indie bands than the Bible. “At first I thought, I’m going to walk into a mosque and say, ‘Hi, I’m a gay atheist. Let me tell you some of my stories.’” “But I’ve been surprised by how welcoming and openminded religious communities have been,” says Stedman. And telling his atheistic identity in Fatheist, with all its soulbaring idiosyncrasies and too-complex-to-categorize perspectives, only seems to be helping. It certainly helped him. “I’m much less concerned about how people perceive me now,” says the one-time evangelical. “A lot of LGBT people can relate to the idea of living life as something you’re not, and the great relief when you learn to let go of that.” The truth will set you free. There’s something we can all agree on. [x]
[Dance Party Massacre From 29]
a connection with being gay, and having to overcome what people might think of you.” Dakoulas is doing his part to help his community surmount obstacles. “Those angry mobs in the movies are real, and it’s scary to think you’re the one they consider a freak like Frankenstein,” wrote Dakoulas on his website this summer, explaining why he was donating proceeds from the sale of a special edition shirt to Minnesotans United for All Families, an organization fighting a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages in Minnesota. That’s where Dakoulas’s boyfriend, Chris, is from. (They met last year, on the day before Halloween.) “If we ever wanted to get married back in his home state, would you really want to deny this cute couple from making a loving commitment to each other?” continued Dakoulas on his site, alongside a photo of the smiling pair. He admits “coming out” to his brand’s fans was a little scary—but in a world where huge corporations like Target and Chick-fil-A are increasingly scrutinized for political donations, it’s important for even small businesses to take a stand.
“ I was thinking one shirt may say, ‘The end is near’ on one side—and ‘The beginning is near’ on the other, ” Alex Dakoulas Explains Dakoulas, “If you want a t-shirt, there are a million t-shirt companies. If you want shoes, there are a million shoe companies. It’s not just about what people are selling. It’s about who runs the company, and who are you supporting?” And support is something Dakoulas certainly has. DPM is doing better than ever now that he’s dedicated to running it full-time. Sales are strong; though the line is placed in a few brick and mortar shops like MassArt Made and Brookline’s Thuro, he’s pushing the product mainly through artisan festivals and online at dancepartymassacre.com. He had a huge summer sales spike when the line was
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picked up by big e-retailer Fab.com. And he’s rolling out the designs for his fall line (themed “Life is a Horror Movie,” and featuring screen shots from favorite flicks) and a holiday collection. Designs for the latter will have an apocalyptic bent to them, in cheeky reference to 12/21/12—a supposed Mayan doomsday. “I was thinking one shirt may say, ‘The end is near’ on one side—and ‘The beginning is near’ on the other,” says Dakoulas. Which would make perfect sense— because even if he closed one chapter of his career on an unlucky date, it doesn’t take a fortuneteller to see an entrepreneur with a bright future ahead. [x]
Culture Literature story Loren King
A Bishop, Barbra and London Calling Five books to stir the spirit this holiday season From stocking stuffers to a sumptuous coffee table tome, books for every budget and taste abound this holiday season. Forget the latest electronic device — check out this sampling of print books large and small. They make the perfect companion to curl up with on a winter’s day or night.
Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand by William J. Mann
[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt].
Gay author William J. Mann, who lives in Provincetown, follows up his lively, well-researched books about Katherine Hepburn (Kate) and Elizabeth Taylor (How to be a Movie Star) with his best
celebrity bio yet. Rather than an overview of Streisand’s peerless career, Mann’s book concerns itself with her formative years when she moved to Manhattan from Brooklyn in 1959 at age 17. She was hell bent on becoming a serious actress but, needing to earn a living and encouraged by gay friends like Barré Dennen (Streisand’s first serious boyfriend), Bob Schulenberg and Terry Leong who shared her taste and sensibility, her voice proved her ticket to fame. Her gay pals helped Streisand cultivate her image and hone her material as she quickly wowed the crowds in Greenwich Village nightclubs The Lion and the Bon Soir. Four years later, she took Broadway and the world by storm as the star of Broadway’s Funny Girl. That’s where Mann closes his book. The rest of Streisand’s career has been well documented elsewhere. Without any cooperation from Streisand herself, of course, Mann relies on his extensive research and interviews with those still alive that were present at the creation. Streisand was blessed with extraordinary talent, style and charisma, but Mann’s portrait of the artist as a young girl shows how sharp her instincts were, even as a teenager, and how Streisand knew to rely on them, from her choice of material to her wardrobe. She also knew how to trust creative
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friends — though she wasn’t always so gracious about reciprocating their help — and hire savvy management. We get an understanding of the forces that drove her (including her fraught relationship with her mother, herself a frustrated performer). The book offers solid, behind-thescenes show biz reporting. But by recreating New York City in the early 1960s, Mann paints an indelible moment in time that allowed Streisand to emerge as a star — a time that has vanished and will never be again.
God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage by Gene Robinson [Knopf]
If ever there was a theologian uniquely qualified to make a case for marriage equality, it’s Robinson, the first openly gay person elected (in 2003) as an Episcopal Church Bishop, serving the Diocese
of New Hampshire. In his book, Robinson traces his own journey from his upbringing in Kentucky, his conflict over his homosexuality, his 13 year marriage to “Boo” Martin, a woman he genuinely loved, the births of their two children, their divorce, his coming out and his 25 year union with Mark Andrews, whom Robinson married in 2010 when marriage equality came to New Hampshire. Through 11 cogent chapters, Robinson discusses some of the questions routinely used by “religious” people to undermine marriage equality, such as “Doesn’t the Bible Condemn Homosexuality?” and “What’s Wrong with Civil Unions?” In each section, Robinson discusses each issue with reasoned arguments based on his understanding of the Bible, common sense and compassion, On a side note, Robinson’s life accomplishments and his fight for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in church and state are detailed in the documentary Love Free or Die which played many film festivals this past year and aired in October on PBS’s Independent Lens series. Check local listings for repeat showings of this excellent film.
October Mourning A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesley Newman [Candlewick Press] It’s been 14 years since the murder of gay, 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard shocked the LGBT community
strangers who did not. Newman includes a prologue and epilogue that details her own personal journey to this material as well as notes explaining sources for her poems. “October Mourning” would be a useful teaching tool for young people who are at risk of never knowing who Matthew Shepard was and why he must be remembered.
Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay by Paul Vitagliano [Quirk Books]
and the country. For author Lesley Newman, it was a lifealtering event that haunted her from the day it happened and continued for years afterward. Newman, poet laureate of Northampton, used poetry to process her grief. The result is a collection of 68 poems in various styles of verse — haiku, rhymed couplets, prayers — all dealing with Newman’s response to Shepard’s murder and its aftermath. She explores the tragic event from several points of view, including three poems about the fence that his killers tied Shepard to, animals in the Wyoming field the night Shepard was dying, even lawyers and jurors at the trial of the two young men who beat Shepard to death. Other poems are more abstract, using the murder to explore anger and disbelief, sadness and longing. They imagine the reactions of people who might have known Shepard and of
dozens of flamboyant little boys and butch little girls with commentary from the authors. Included are several wellknown figures: Congressman Barney Frank with his parents at his Bar Mitzvah at age 13; eight-year old Kent (later known as Jackie Beat) kissing a Roman statue; Perez Hilton in a sailor suit; Broadway and film composer Marc Shaiman in a campy pose outside the family home in New Jersey in 1967. Some, like journalist Noah Michelson, write about being taunted and tormented in school, which becomes more poignant when paired with a photo of him as a smiling seven-year old, arms spread wide. Whether famous or not, whether their homosexuality was obvious at a young age or not, the subjects in the book offer a celebration of the youthful innocence and joy of being who you are.
London: Portrait of a City by Reuel Golden [Taschen]
If big things come in small packages, I can think of no better testament to growing up LGBT than this slender volume adorned with posedfor and candid photos that will make you laugh with recognition and connection. Vitagliano — aka DJ Paul V. — is a Boston native who since 1988 has made a name for himself in the Los Angeles and Silver Lake club scene. He’s put together this book of essays and photos that expands upon Vitagliano’s Born This Way Blog (www.BornThisWayBlog. com), a photo/essay project for gay adults to submit their childhood pictures and stories and share their memories of growing up. The book features
If the summer Olympics and the sight of the Queen goodnaturedly participating in an opening ceremony spoof whetted your appetite for more of London, here’s the coffee table book to peruse again and again. At 550 pages, it’s a feast of breathtaking photographs,
many full and double-page, that trace the city’s remarkable history from the Victorian era to the industrial age to World War II resiliency to the swinging 60s into modern times. The accompanying text offers rich historical overview, lively quotations, essays, and references from key movies, books, and records. Both the images and the writings explain how vast, sprawling London evolved and continues to do so. But it is the images that make this volume sing with beauty and intelligence. We get Dickensian foggy docks and cobblestone streets, pubs and outdoor markets, Fleet Street bustle, subway advertisements, East End squalor and Royal celebrations such as Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation at Westminster Abbey. The wide range of pictures, by internationally renowned photographers Eve Arnold, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Donovan, Walker Evans, Roger Fenton, Bert Hardy, Evelyn Hofer, Tony Ray Jones, Nadav Kander, Roger Mayne, Linda McCartney, Don McCullin, Norman Parkinson, Martin Parr, Irving Penn, Rankin, Grace Robertson, Lord Snowdon, William Henry Fox Talbot, Juergen Teller, Wolfgang Tillmans, and many others, depict London’s people, streets and events by ordinary and dramatic with such a keen eye that they deliver subtle commentary on social mores and class structure. Edited by Reuel Golden, a photography book editor at Taschen who edited New York: Portrait of a City, this is a dynamic, sumptuous, historically vital book that allows the reader to visit London, past and present, again and again. [x]
Nov|Dec 2012 | 79
[Celtic Pride From 96]
help if it were a good player [laughing]. If you’re a bad player the team doesn’t care what your sexual orientation is, and if you’re a good player the team doesn’t really care what your sexual orientation is — that’s the bottom line. BS: How about the players on the current Celtics, do they talk about a topic like this? DR: Sexual topics come up all the time. Honestly, I try and stay out of the locker room, but I’ve heard them talk about everything. They argue about things. They laugh about things. And they laugh about every orientation. That’s what people do in locker rooms. But at the end of the day I think they would handle it great. BS: Shaun Thornton of the Bruins told me that if one of the Bruins came out, he would fully support that player and he felt the rest of the team would too. He compared the team to a family. Do you feel the same thing would happen with your team? DR: Absolutely. They would support him first, and then harass him second [laughing] — in a locker room fun way, not in a bad way. He would get razzed just like his teammates would get razzed. There would be no difference or change. I think it would be a one week story at home. Eventually one of the
players would get upset because every time you go to a road game, the road reporter who hadn’t had a chance to ask the question would want to ask it and the player would finally say, “I’m done with this,” and that’s what would happen. BS: You’ve played on and coached a lot of professional basketball teams over a number of years. How has the culture, as it relates to gay issues, changed (or not changed)? Any examples? DR: Well, thinking in the world has changed and so if it’s changed in the world, it’s changed in the locker room. I’ve always thought that sports is the leader, not the follower. For example, when you think of racial divisions, sports led the way, long before the active community. The reason is that we’re part of a team, and when you’re part of a team that is trying to win, [teammates] don’t care what color you are; they don’t care if you’re green. They just want to win. I remember in the ‘60’s, the high school I went to had a big racial riot and the thing that brought everyone together was the Proviso East basketball team that won the state title in Illinois, and all of a sudden, instead of having the state police split the road so the whites could walk on one side and the blacks on
the other — they literally did that, it was on 60 Minutes — all of a sudden everybody was embraced because the team was mixed. I think that happens a lot in sports. BS: What has shaped your way of thinking on this whole topic? Did you have any particular influences? DR: You know, I am interracially married. I’m open minded, I’ve always been open minded. I don’t think there was one thing that influenced me. My father was a cop, my mother worked on an assembly line. I don’t like anyone that is prejudiced. I dealt with it growing up in Chicago. I don’t think you should be judged by anything except for your actions and what you do. That’s just the way I was brought up. Look, there are going to be people who hate in everything. There are people who hate me for being an awful coach or for being black or being whatever. That’s just the way it is. Like Bill Cosby said, he had the number one show on television for five or six years and he got 100,000 hate letters a year. So it goes to show, you’re not going to please everyone. [x]
Calendar Community Holly Folly - The Snow Ball
Fri Nov 30
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
The A-House, great music and fun to start the weekend off. 10:00 PM. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Holly Folly - Tis the Season for Giving
Fri Nov 30
Provincetown | Crown and Anchor
Some Provincetown's most talented entertainers come together to benefit the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Crown and Anchor | onlyatthecrown.com
Holly Folly Toy Drive
Fri Nov 30 - Sun Dec 2
Provincetown | Crown and Anchor
Annual Toy Drive to benefit St. Peter's Kitchen Angels Toys and Necessities Fund. Crown and Anchor | onlyatthecrown.com
Provincetown's Holly Folly
Fri Nov 30 - Sun Dec 2
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
Sharing is the theme for this year's merriest of merriest! In addition all of the fun and frivolity that you've come to expect, there are plenty of chances to give back to some of the charities that benefit your friends and neighbors. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Holly Folly - Holiday Drag Bingo
Sat Dec 1
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
The Crown and Anchor hosts this annual tradition benefitting Cape and Islands PFLAG division and the Provincetown Business Guild. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Visit our online calendar for the latest events and submit listings for upcoming events: BostonSpiritMagazine.com
Holly Folly Ornaments for Outreach
Sat Dec 1
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
Ornaments made by local artists will sold with 100% of proceeds going to Lower Cape Outreach Council. Blue Gallery, 389 Commercial St. Sale starts at noon. Silent auction starts at 10:00 AM. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Holly Folly Souper Saturday
Sat Dec 1
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
Frappo 66 serves up delicious soups from many local restaurants with proceeds benefitting the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown. $5 a bowl. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Ogunquit Christmas by the Sea
Sat Dec 1 - Sun Dec 9
Ogunquit | Ogunquit Chamber of Commercce
Cookie walks, scavenger hunts, skating parties, Santa's village and a stroll through Scrooge's House to convince you to stay on Santa's "Nice" list. Ogunquit Chamber of Commercce | visitogunquit.org
Holly Folly 1mile Reindeer Run and Walk
Sun Dec 2
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
Register at the Mews for in this event in support of Camp Lightbulb, a summer camp for LGBT Youth. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
October 19 to November 17, SpeakEasy Stage will proudly present the Boston premiere of the acclaimed rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson www.SpeakEasyStage.com
Nov|Dec 2012 | 81
Editor's Pick
Madama Butterfly
Ongoing thru Sun Nov 11
Boston , MA | Boston Lyric Opera
One of the most devastating love stories ever told on the stage. A young geisha turns her back on everything she has ever known by marrying an American Naval officer. Boston Lyric Opera | blo.org
Janis Ian
Fri Nov 9
Ogunquit | Jonathan's Restaurant
One of the greatest songwriters in America today. This out lesbian is an icon for the women's music industry. Jonathan's Restaurant | jonathansrestaurant.com
Mozart Jupiter
Fri Nov 9, Sun Nov 11
Artistic Director David Hodgkins' 20th season kicks off with 20th century masterworks by Kodaly, Poulenc, Pinkham, Britten and Van Ness. Coro Allegro | www.coroallegro.org
A Chanticleer Christmas
Dance Mikko Nissinen's
Editor's Pick
The Nutcracker
Sat Jan 12
Boston | Boston Ballet
allows the world's best tap dancer to pay respect to the art of the dance through a craft that he has perfected. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org
An evening dance and jazz meditation on the search for love. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org
Editor's Pick
Fri Mar 22 - Sun Apr 7
Fri Nov 23 - Sun Dec 30 The annual tradition returns with completely new sets and costumes designed by Robert Perdziola. Nissinen has revised scenes and placed fresh choreography. See it for the first time! Boston Ballet | bostonballet.org
Grupo Corpo
Editor's Pick
Mummenschanz
Wed Dec 5 - Sun Dec 9
Boston | Schubert Theatre
Sat Mar 16 - Sun Mar 17
Boston | Boston Opera House Boston | Tsai Performance Center The barebones production
The 40th anniversary tour. The Swiss performance troupe continues to captivate the world with its groundbreaking non-verbal theatre of movement. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org
The Sleeping Beauty Boston | Boston Ballet
One of Boston Ballet's trade Mon Feb 18 - Sat Mar 2 mark works. Marius Petipa's Boston | Schubert Theatre beautiful ballet features One of Brazil's most esteemed original costumes and lavish and electrifying dance comsets by David Walker from The panies. Royal Ballet. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org Boston Ballet | bostonballet.org
All Kylian
Thu Mar 7 - Sun Mar 17
Boston | Boston Ballet
Jiri Kylian's Wings of Desire, Tar and Feathers, and Symphony of Psalms, considered some of his most iconic ballets. Boston Ballet | bostonballet.org
82 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Music
Hallelujah Celebrations of Light
Sun Dec 9 - Mon Dec 17
Boston | Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory
This cornerstone of Boston's LGBT holiday scene celebrates the beginning of winter and the emerging of darkness into the light. A special appearance by Les Freres de St. Francis de la Sissies!! Boston Gay Men's Chorus | www.bgmc.org
Bach Christmas Oratorio Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Boston | Church of the Covenant
Danish Dance Theatre, Love Songs
The perfect kick off to the Holiday Season! A Holly Folly tradition! Town Hall, doors at 7:30. Concert at 8:30 PM. Boston Gay Men's Chorus | www.bgmc.org
Editor's Pick
20th for 20th
Editor's Pick
,| Boston Gay Men's Chorus
Thu Dec 13, Sun Dec 16
Sun Nov 18
Savion Glover SoLe Sanctuary
Sat Dec 1
Boston | Symphony Hall Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Pippin: American Repertory Theatre’s bold new staging of the dark and existential musical about one young man's quest to find his own "Corner of the Sky."December 5 – January 20 www.americanrepertorytheater.org
Holly Folly - Boston Gay Men's Chorus
Fri Nov 30
Boston | Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory
Boston | Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory
Purcell The Indian Queen
Fri Jan 25, Sun Jan 27
Boston | Handel and Haydn Society
At NEC's Jordan Hall on the 25th, at Sanders Theater on the 27th. Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Renee Fleming and Susan Graham
Sun Feb 3
Boston | Symphony Hall
Two of the greatest opera stars of our era share the stage in a Considered the world's reign- rare duo recital. ing male chorus performs both Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org classic and contemporary holiday selections. Clemency Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org Wed Feb 6 - Sat Feb 9 Editor's Pick
Handel Messiah
Fri Nov 30 - Sun Dec 2
Boston | Symphony Hall Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Holly Folly - Jest and Jazz
Fri Nov 30
Provincetown | Provincetown Business Guild
At Town Hall, featuring Loretta Laroche and Kenny Wenzel. Proceeds going to The Baobab Home in Tanzania, East Africa. Sponsored by The Land's End Inn. Provincetown Business Guild | www.ptown.org
Boston , MA | Boston Lyric Opera
Drawn from the book of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah are approached by three travelers with both joyous and dark news. Boston Lyric Opera | blo.org
Haydn in Paris
Fri Feb 22, Sun Feb 24
Boston | Symphony Hall Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Jeremy Denk piano
Sat Mar 2
Boston | Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory
One of the world's most compelling pianists performs selections from Liszt, Wagner, and Brahms. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Fri Mar 15, Sun Mar 17
Boston | Symphony Hall Handel and Haydn Society | handelandhaydn.org
Cosi Fan Tutte
Fri Mar 15 Sun Mar 24
Boston , MA | Boston Lyric Opera
A light and airy romp that proves that love is indeed a serious game. Boston Lyric Opera | blo.org
Performance
Roz Chast, Theories of Everything
Fri Jan 25
Cambridge, MA | Sanders Theatre
In this unique multi-media presentation, New Yorker cartoonist Chast takes the audience on a guided tour of brilliant interpretations of the everyday. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org Editor's Pick
An Evening with Christine Ebersole
Sat Jan 26
Cambridge, MA | Sanders Theatre
One of New York's brightest cabaret stars, Ebersole is a Tony Award winner for her roles as both Edith Beale and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens and as Dorothy Brock on 42nd Street Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org Editor's Pick
David Sedaris
Sun Apr 7
Boston | Symphony Hall
The writer and cultural observer returns to Boston for his annual appearance. Sure to be a sell-out. Celebrity Series | www.celebrityseries.org
Theater Anne of Green Gables
Ongoing thru Sun Nov 18 Musical based on the book by Lucy Maud Montgomery. balletrox.org/urbannutcracker/
Editor's Pick
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Chesapeake
Sun Nov 25 Sun Dec 16
Ongoing thru Sat Nov 17
Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
History gets all sexy-pants in this recreation of "Old Hickory," from his humble beginnings on the Tennessee frontier to his days our the seventh President all told to a emo-rock score. SpeakEasy Stage Company | www.SpeakEasyStage.com
The How and Why
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
Editor's Pick
Guys and Dolls
Ongoing thru Sun Nov 11
Beverly, MA | North Shore Music Theatre
Featuring dancing gamblers, tempted missionaries, and chronically ill showgirls, Guys and Dolls is considered by many to be "the perfect musical comedy". OUT at the North Shore on November 8. North Shore Music Theatre | www.nsmt.org
Now or Later
Thu Nov 29 Sun Dec 30
Providence | Trinity Repertory Theater
A brilliant mentor and her protege bond and spar over differing controversial theories regarding evolution. Trinity Repertory Theater | www.trinityrep.com
Chinglish
Fri Dec 7 - Sun Jan 13
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
Do not miss this revelatory production of this American classic. The story of Grover's Corners' Emily and George is retold in a fresh and startling way. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
Holiday Memories
Sun Dec 9 - Sun Dec 23
Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
For those of us tired of A Christmas Carol, this heartfelt drama is a combination of Truman Capote's "The Thanksgiving Visitor" and "A Christmas Memory." New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
Fri Nov 30 - Sun Dec 23 Memphis An American businessman looks to cash in on Tue Dec 11 - Sun Dec 23 the growth potential of a Boston | Citi Colonial bustling Chinese province. Theater BLO-BOSTON-SPIRIT-MAGAZINE-BUTTERFLY.pdf 1 8/15/12 A comedy of mistranslation A rousing story of a radio and manners. DJ who wants to change the Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon St, Boston 02116, 617-585-5678, | lyricstage.com
Fri Jan 4 - Sat Feb 2 Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project) has written a play about parenthood, Beethoven's genius, and the moments of beauty that can transform life. Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon St, Boston 02116, 617-585-5678, | lyricstage.com
Invisible Man
Fri Jan 4 - Sun Feb 3
Boston | Boston University Theatre - Mainstage
An idealistic young AfricanAmerican man searches for identity and his place in the the world in an epic journey through 1930's America. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
Marry Me a Little
Sun Jan 6 - Sun Jan 27
Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
An exciting, updated take on Sondheim's charming musical 2:18 PMrevue on modern day marriage. Contains songs from Sondheim's vault of
La Belle et La Bete
Ongoing thru Sat Nov 10
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
In this edgy political drama, a presidential candidate's son has some controversial photos of him at a college party released onto the internet on election night. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
The Chosen
Ongoing thru Sat Nov 17 Two boys from different cultural groups evolve in their relationships with their families, their spiritual beliefs and each other in 1940s Brooklyn. Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon St, Boston 02116, 617-585-5678, | lyricstage.com C
M
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CM
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Editor's Pick
A liberal performance artist hatches a plot to kidnap the dog of a conservative southern senator. Sometimes karma bites back. New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
33 Variations
Editor's Pick
Our Town
K
A Christmas Carol
Fri Nov 9 - Sat Dec 29
Providence | Trinity Repertory Theater
Our favorite of the local institutions, the production has been completely sold out for the past three years! Trinity Repertory Theater | www.trinityrep.com
Betrayal
Fri Nov 9 - Sun Dec 9
Boston | Boston University Theatre - Mainstage Playwright Harold Pinter explores love, guilt, and duplicity in one of his greatest plays. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
Wed Dec 5 - Sun Dec 9
Boston | Cutler Majestic Theatre
A contemporary take on the original tale of Beauty and the Beast, this multi-disicplinary work blends real and virtual imagery. ArtsEmerson | artsemerson.org
Pippin
Wed Dec 5 Sun Jan 20
Cambridge, MA | Loeb Drama Center
O bold new staging of the dark and existential musical about one young man's quest to find his own "Corner of the Sky." Original Bob Fosse will be re-created by Chet Walker. American Repertory Theater | www. americanrepertorytheater.org
A Christmas Carol
Fri Dec 7 - Sun Dec 23
Beverly, MA | North Shore Music Theatre
Former NSMT Artistic Director Jon Kimbell's original adaptation of the Dickens' classic only gets more dazzling over time. OUT at the North Shore Thursday December 14. North Shore Music Theatre | www.nsmt.org
A young geisha turns her back on everything she has ever known by marrying an American Naval officer in Madama Butterfly. November 2 – November 11 at the Boston Lyric Opera blo.org world and a club singer ready for her big break. Broadway In Boston | www. broadwayinboston.com
unproduced shows as well as selections from his famous works. New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
Wed Dec 19 Sun Dec 30
Other Dessert Cities
Fully Committed Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
This wry-witty comedy follows an actor-slash-reservation clerk at a four star Manhattan restaurant who is trying to get home for the holidays while handling a snitty chef and demanding New Yorkers. New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
Nov|Dec 2012 | 83
Editor's Pick
Fri Jan 11 - Sat Feb 9
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
While celebrating Christmas in Palm Springs, a once promising young novelist announces to her family she is publishing a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event that the family, members of Reagan's inner circle, would rather remain hidden. From playwright Jon Robin Baitz. SpeakEasy Stage Company | www.SpeakEasyStage.com
PrideSports
Editor's Pick
Crime and Punishment
Editor's Pick
The Glass Menagerie
Thu Jan 17 - Sun Feb 24
Sat Feb 2 - Sun Mar 3
A 90-minute three actor tour-de-force with a modern, poetic flair. Trinity Repertory Theater | www.trinityrep.com
Tennessee William's exquisite memory play about a woman desperately trying to provide her daughter with one "gentleman caller" while her son dreams of escape. Featuring out-actress Cherry Jones as Amanda. American Repertory Theater | www. americanrepertorytheater.org
Providence | Trinity Repertory Theater
Sister Act
Tue Jan 22 - Sun Feb 3
Boston | Boston Opera House
This gloriously campy brings musical the hysterical movie to life. Wanna-be diva Delores Van Cartier's life take a drastic turn when she witnesses a violent crime and the cops hide her in a convent. Hilarity ensues. Broadway In Boston | www. broadwayinboston.com
Oliver!
Fri Jan 25 - Sun Feb 24 Musical based on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. balletrox.org/urbannutcracker/
Jersey Boys
Wed Jan 30 Sat Mar 9
Boston | Citi Colonial Theater
This modern family favorite tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons through their own music. A jukebox musical at its finest. Broadway In Boston | www. broadwayinboston.com
Cambridge, MA | Loeb Drama Center
Lungs
Sun Feb 17 - Sun Mar 10
Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
A young couple agonizes over having children in a world of overpopulation and global warming. An intimate, laughable look at the really important decisions we make in our lives. New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
Metamorphosis
Wed Feb 27 Sun Mar 3
Boston | Paramount Theater
A family's world is turned upside down when their son emerges one morning to find he has inexplicably been transformed into a giant bug. Kafka's terrifying but comic story bursts onstage in this new production. ArtsEmerson | artsemerson.org
Clybourne Park
Fri Mar 1 - Wed Mar 20
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
Visit our online calendar for the latest events and submit listings for upcoming events: BostonSpiritMagazine.com
Set in the same house 50 years apart, the play examines race, real estate and the values of each through discussions of diversity and gentrification. SpeakEasy Stage Company | www.SpeakEasyStage.com
84 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Editor's Pick
A Raisin in the Sun
Fri Mar 8 - Sun Apr 7
Boston | Boston University Theatre - Mainstage Lorraine hansberry's groundbreaking 1959 drama is an inspiring and moving portrait of people whose dreams are constantly deferred. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
Social Creatures
Thu Mar 14 - Sun Apr 21
Providence | Trinity Repertory Theater
In the latest world premiere written specifically for Trinity, seven survivors are holed up after the end of the world, barricaded against contagion. They try to preserve civilization until one of their own begins to change... Trinity Repertory Theater | www.trinityrep.com
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Thu Mar 28 Sat Apr 27 A headstrong AfricanAmerican maid is cast in the same movie as her boss, a Hollywood star desperately grasping to hold onto her career. Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon St, Boston 02116, 617-585-5678, | lyricstage.com Editor's Pick
"M"
Fri Mar 29 - Sat Apr 27
Boston | Boston Center for the Arts
Adapted from the Fritz Lang film by Ryan Landry. Lang's film noir masterpiece gets the Landry treatment in a squeamish tale about a child killer brought to justice by the criminal underworld. Features Boston favorite Karen MacDonald. Huntington Theatre Company | www.huntingtontheatre.org/
Editor's Pick
Master Class
Sun Mar 31 - Sun Apr 21
Newton, MA | New Repertory Theatre
Terrence McNally's TonyAward winning play about the life and art of diva Maria Callas. Featuring Amelia Broome as Callas. New Repertory Theatre | newrep.org
Visual Arts
Dianna Molzan: GRAND TOURIST
Ongoing thru Sun Nov 25
Boston | Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Dianna Molzan deconstruct the very materials of painting and alter the viewer's expectations of what a painting can be. Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston | www.icaboston.org
Edward Weston Leaves of Grass The Glass Menagerie
Ongoing thru Mon Dec 31
Boston | Museum of Fine Arts/Boston
A series of wide-ranging photographs, with a particular focus on urban and man-altered landscapes, commissioned to accompany Walt Whitman's epic poem Leaves of Grass. Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org
FreePort [No. 005]: Michael Lin
Ongoing thru Wed Mar 27
Salem, MA | Peabody Essex Museum
Lin has created a sprawling mural of original armorial and heraldic motifs inside the museum as well as a large-scale installation animating the history of trade between China and the West. Peabody Essex Museum | www.pem.org
Editor's Pick
Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones
Ongoing thru Sun Mar 3
Salem, MA | Peabody Essex Museum
Plumed bonnets, silk turbans, sequined caps, embroidered crowns, and stunning fascinators. Over 250 elegant and outlandish styles displayed by British milliner-to-the-stars, Stephen Jones. Peabody Essex Museum | www.pem.org
Holland on Paper: The Age of Art Nouveau
Ongoing thru Sun Jul 7
Boston | Museum of Fine Arts/Boston
Early drawings by wellknown artists such as Mondrian and Bart van der Leck as well as many fascinating artists little known outside of Holland. Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org Editor's Pick
Mario Testino: In Your Face
Ongoing thru Sun Feb 3
Boston | Museum of Fine Arts/Boston
A provocative inside look at some of today's most elusive and exclusive subjects through the lens of renowned fashion and portrait photographer Mario Testino. Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org
Saturday January
26
7:30 pm-12 AM Westin Waterfront Hotel
Join Boston Spirit, PrideSports Boston and Master of Ceremonies Steve Buckley, sports columnist from the Boston Herald, as we honor Greater Boston’s LGBT athletes at the party of the year!
Presented by
Sponsored by
O
5 STAR TRAVEL
TH
$60 Tickets are available at bostonspiritmagazine.com
ANNIVERSARY
Ori Gersht: History Repeating
Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org
The Invention of Glory: Afonso V and the Pastrana Tapestries
Ongoing thru Sun Jan 6
Boston | Museum of Fine Arts/Boston
Gersht examines the evolving relationship between cultural, political, and art histories in a series of largescale photographs taken from the late 1990s to today. Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org
Ongoing thru Mon Dec 31
Salem, MA | Peabody Essex Museum
The four, 36-foot-long tapestries constructed in the late 1400s are some of the finest examples of Gothic tapestries in existence with a vivid scene of military pomp and conquest. Peabody Essex Museum | www.pem.org
Os Geeos
Ongoing thru Sun Nov 25
Boston | Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston The first solo exhibition of works by Brazilian twin brithers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, a major force in graffiti and urban art. Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston | www.icaboston.org
Editor's Pick
The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection
Ongoing thru Sun Apr 14
Boston | Museum of Fine Arts/Boston
Editor's Pick
Perfect Imbalance, Exploring Chinese Aesthetics
An array of over 400 cards from the decades surrounding 1900 illustrate how big historical and cultural themes play out on a small canvas. Museum of Fine Arts/ Boston | www.mfa.org
Ongoing thru Thu Jan 31
Salem, MA | Peabody Essex Museum
The exhibition offers an understanding of Chinese culture through this study and celebration of Chinese Art. Peabody Essex Museum | www.pem.org
Editor's Pick
THIS WILL HAVE BEEN: Art, Love, & Politics in the 1980's
Swoon
Fri Nov 16 - Sun Mar 3
Ongoing thru Sun Dec 30
Boston | Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Boston | Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
The ICA's fifth installation in the Sandra and Gerald Fineberg Art Wall, Swoon's intricately cut, life sized portraits have covered abandoned buildings and warehouses around the world. Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston | www.icaboston.org
The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection at the Boston Mueum of Fine Arts, October 24 – April 14. Male gymnast in eagle pose on the high bar, from a series of gymnasts on apparatus photo Leonard A. Lauder Postcard Archive—Promised gift of Leonard A. Lauder, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Allure of Japan
Ongoing thru Mon Dec 31
Boston | Museum of
Fine Arts/Boston
A celebration of 1900's fascination with all things Japanese with a rich display
of rare American prints, posters, watercolors, and decorative arts expressing the call of far away lands.
Nov|Dec 2012 | 85
The ambitious collection, organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, presents the diversity and complexity of art produced in the 1980s showing influences of Reaganomics, the rise of postmodernism, and the growing voices of people of color, women and gay artists. Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston | www.icaboston.org
scene Conference photos Victory
Program staff member Alison Merrill
scene Marriage photos Tom Driscoll
2012 AIDS Vaccine David Brown and Ben Perkins’ Conference Wedding Faculty Dinner Boston Living Center | Boston | September 11
AIDS vaccine researchers from around the globe enjoyed dinner at the BLC.
Victory Programs’ President and CEO Jonathan Scott
Victory Programs staff members: Alison Merrill, Marc Davino, Lori Manzelli, and David Wholey
Mark P. Ingaciola from Harvard University Center for AIDS Research and Harvard Global Health Institute; Victory Programs’ Vice President Jim Pettinelli; and Galit Alter, PhD, Co-Chair of AIDS Vaccine 2012 Conference and Executive Committee member of the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research
BLC Peer Leader Justin Jones
86 | BOSTON SPIRIT
NewFound Lake | Bridgewater, New Hampshire | August 9
Surrounded by family and friends Ben Perkins, of Fenway Health, and David Brown, of Boston’s WCBVTV Channel 5, were married on August 9th in Bridgewater New Hampshire over looking NewFound Lake. Brown’s 12-year-old son Matt Kaufman served as best man and his 9-year-old daughter Abby was flower girl.
scene Benefit photos Brett Terrien and Jeremy Winnick
Harbor to the Bay Massachusetts | Boston to Provincetown | September 15
The Boston to Provincetown bike ride to benefit those with AIDS and their service providers benefited from beautiful weather this year. Riders raised almost a million dollars.
Nov|Dec 2012 | 87
scene Book Tour photos Quincey Roberts
Keith Boykin Visits Boston Club Café | Boston | September 8
The Hispanic Black Gay Coalition hosted Keith Boykin for his book tour promoting “When For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Still Not Enough.” A standing-roomonly crowd filled the Napoleon Room at Club Café.
scene Awards photos Darren McCollester
History Makers Goethe-Institut | Boston | September 20
BAGLY Executive Director Grace Sterling Stowell and Driving Equality’s Chris Mason were honored with the top awards at the The History Project’s annual awards event and benefit. Sterling Stowell won the coveted History Maker Award, and Chris Mason won the Lavender Rhino Award for his work as an emerging LGBT activist.
88 | BOSTON SPIRIT
scene Community photos Joe Tocio
Mr. Boston Bear Contest
1
Alley Bar | Boston | August 25
At the culmination of an evening that started with a bagpipe player and 12 men in kilts, MASSBEARZ awarded the title of Mr. Boston Bear to Dorchester’s Mark Butler. The contest was a day-long effort that included a series of formal interviews, as well as rounds that measured stage presence, community leadership and potential fundraising abilities. Butler was chosen from a field of 12 contestants with Solomon Balaban as first runner-up and Butler’s partner, Nelson Fernandes, as second. Balaban was also honored with the Brother Bear Award from his fellow contestants. The evening was sponsored by the Fenway Institute and Club Cafe and judges included prior and present title holders from around New England, author Ron Suresha, and Boston Spirit’s own John O’Connell. The evening was expertly emceed by the then current Mr Boston Bear, Stephen Hogan. 2
3
4
5
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[1] Andrew Mannone and Ron Thibodeau in the opening number. [2] Judges Richard Shepard, Rob Devitt, and David “Skeeter” Bielski. [3] The contestants take the stage. [4] Andrew Mannone and Ron Thibodeau in the opening number. [5] Mark Butler in an early round of the competition. [6] Fellow area title holders welcome Butler into the fold.
scene Awards photos Courtesy Eastern Bank 1
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2012 Wainwright Social Justice Award Copley Marriott | Boston | October 4
Eastern Bank honored Rebecca Haag and AIDS Action Committee with the 24th annual Wainwright Social Justice Award. Eastern also honored 30 Massachusetts community health care organizations before more than 500 people in an evening reception in downtown Boston. Haag is the President and CEO of AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England’s largest AIDS service organization. 2
The Social Justice Award recognizes nonprofits and affiliated individuals who have achieved outstanding success in addressing social justice issues. The Celebration of Social Justice Award was originally created by Wainwright Bank. When Eastern Bank acquired Wainwright Bank in 2010 it pledged to continue the award, and raised the accompanying donation to $25,000 from $10,000.
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[1] Eastern Bank chairman and CEO Richard
Holbrook with the 2012 Wainwright Social Justice Award winner Rebecca Haag [2] Steven Patrick, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network; Lee Swizlow, GLAD [3] Colleen Eagan and Alicia Lochard from Boston Health Care for the Homeless with Rich Holbrook (center) of Eastern Bank [4] Gunner Scott, Transgender Political Action Coalition; Nancy Stager, Eastern Bank [5] Eastern Bank’s Bob Glassman with Suzanne Kenney of Project Place [6] Jonathan Scott, Victory Programs; Julie Marston, Community Research 90 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Initiative; and Douglas Brooks, JRI Health [7] Nancy Farrington, Rebecca Haag, Erin
Messier, Carola Cadley, Margaret Sullivan [8] Cathy Kujala, AIDS Action; Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action; Robbie Samuels, GLAD; Mary Hull, AIDS Action [9] Sean Curran, MassEquality; Gunner Scott, Transgender Political Action Coalition; Arline Issacson, MA Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus; Susan RyanVollmar; Kara Suffredini, MassEquality
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scene Benefit photos Courtesy MassEquality
Taste of Provincetown Town Hall | Provincetown | August 25
Some of the Cape’s best restaurants unite for a great evening of food and drink to support MassEquality.
Kara Suffedini and John Affuso
Jackie and Valerie Fein-Zachary Sergio Mazon and Robert Wilson
Julian Cyr, Marc Solomon, and Massachusetts state Rep. Carl Sciortino
Tiffani Faison, Lucio Garnica, Kara Suffredini
Rich Cobb and Jade McGleughlin Competing in The Cook Off Challenge
Unknown, Debbie Lewis, Kara Suffredini, and Lisa Drapkin
Auto Sales | Service Accent Limousine & Car Service
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Enjoy the latest revolutions in spa + salon services
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Bath and kitchen products, since 1945. Experience our beautiful 4,500 square foot showroom, north of Boston. 877-559-2284 www.DesignerBath.com/spirit/
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For information on including Avyour business, e-mail Jenn@BostonSpiritMagazine.com 92 | BOSTON SPIRIT
Dover Rug
New Showroom Now Open Dover Rug & Home
Dover Rug & Home offers the largest selection of fine floor coverings and window treatments in New England. Visit their BRAND NEW location at 721 Worcester Street in Natick (RT-9) As the “Best of Boston Home 2011” recipient, their larger showroom has something for every budget. Natick, MA and Hanover, MA locations. 721 Worcester Street (Route 9) Natick, MA 508-651-3500 www.doverrug.com
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Fast Frame
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Family-Owned & Operated for Over 55 Years
Remodeling, carpentry, handyman, plumbing, heating, cooling, electrical & more. Residential & commercial. Serving Greater Boston & beyond. 617-864-2625 PannHomeServices.com Paula@PannHomeServices.com
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S+H Construction, Inc.
S+H Construction - a multi-award winning firm - specializes in residential and historic renovations, custom home building, renewable energy, landscaping and site work. Their work is consistently seen in both regional and national home and design publications. Recently honored by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) with the 2010 Silver Award in the category of Whole House Renovation, S+H Construction was also named Best of Boston Home 2011 in the ‘Best Transitional Contractor’ category. Visit us at www. facebook.com/shconstruction
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Frank X Addonizio, CFP®, CRPC®, CLTC Financial Advisor
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Financial planning for same sex couples Similar goals. Different challenges. Financial planning for Same sex couples face unique challenges when it comes to financial planning. We will help you develop a plan that’s Financial planning for successful professionals appropriate to your needs—one that takes into account not only where you want go, but also how you want to get there. same sexto couples Similar goals.
Different challenges. Advice you can trust starts with a conversation. Same sex couples and the LGBT Similar goals. Different challenges. community share similar goals with other Same sex couples face unique challenges when it comes to successful professionals, yet we may financial planning. will help you develop a plancontact that’s For information, For We information, face unique challenges when it comes contact ® ® ® Peter Hamilton Nee, AIFnot , CRPC appropriate to your into account only Peterneeds—one Hamilton that Nee,takes CRPC ® ® to financial planning. We will help you Robert S. Edmunds, CFP , CRPC where you wantVice to go, but also how you want to get there. President–Investments develop a plan that’s appropriate to your William Street, 3rd Floor needs—one that takes into account not 3rda55 Advice you can starts with conversation. 55trust William Street, Floor Wellesley, MA 02481 only where you want to go, butMA also 02481 how 781-446-8918 | 800-828-0717 Wellesley, 781-446-8918 800-828-0717 you want to get there. ubs.com/fa/peternee peter.nee@ubs.com ubs.com/fa/robertedmunds Advice you For can trust starts contact information, with a conversation. Peter Hamilton Nee, CRPC®
Vice President–Investments ubs.com/fa/peternee 55 William Street, 3rd Floor Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and CRPC® are registered service marks of Wellesley, MAand 02481 Chartered Planning Counselor UBS CRPC areServices registeredInc. service of the of College the CollegeRetirement for Financial Planning®. Financial is amarks subsidiary UBS for AG. 781-446-8918 800-828-0717 . UBS Financial Services Inc. isreserved. a subsidiary of UBS AG. FinancialUBS Planning ©2010 Financial Services Inc. All rights Member SIPC. ©2010 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. 12.00_Ad_4.5x7.5_WF1110_NeeP peter.nee@ubs.com SM
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Nov|Dec 2012 | 93 ubs.com/fa/peternee 12.00_Ad_4.5x7.5_WF1110_NeeP.indd 1
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Professional | Services Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
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Frank Addonizio, CFP®, CRPC®
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Burns & Levinson, LLP
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Leading Boston-based, mid-size law firm, works with businesses and individuals in sophisticated matters in both MA and RI. 617-345-3000 www.burnslev.com
Eliomar Nascimento – Music lessons Music | Teacher | Voice and Piano
10 plus years experience teaching children and adults of all ages and levels in the Metro West area. 857-540-6385 www.enascimento.com
Strategic Employee Benefit Services Kevin O'Connor — Employee Benefit Specialist
Health, dental, disability and life insurance programs to suit your company’s needs. 781-431-4719 kevin.oconnor@nmfn.com
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
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Peter Hamilton Nee and Robert S. Edmunds
Caring for yourself, your family, your community. It might not be possible without a plan. Wellesley, MA 781-446-8918 or 800-828-0717 ubs.com/team/neeedmunds
Travel | Adventure 5 Star Travel Services
Wedding | events 94 | BOSTON SPIRIT
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Since 1982, 5 Star has been providing optimal travel services to our Community, and is one of the most respected and prestigious gay travel companies in the country. www.5star-travel.com
Anthony’s Food Shop
En route to Ogunquit? Don't miss Anthony's! Your one-stop shop for everything from variety market goods to fresh deli sandwiches, sport-style catering and homemade pizza- great stop for a day on Ogunquit beach! 679 Route 1 York, ME 207-363-2322 www.anthonysfoodshop.com
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Call us for all your special event needs, and experience our Vintage Room tastings! 418 Lagrange Street West Roxbury, MA 617-327-1400 www.blanchardsliquor.com
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Gourmet Caterers
When booking use code: SPIRIT and you’ll leave us with a Lovely “Kiss My Face” Travel Pack (12 piece).
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Konditor Meister
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Konditor Meister — Voted #1 Wedding Cakes in Boston
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Let us handle all the details so you can relax and enjoy your Outer Cape wedding, event or party. Official Caterer of Boston Spirit Magazine. 508-487-6450 Ptownparties.com
Reservations 800-696-9603 www.beaconlightguesthouse.com 12 Winthrop St., Provincetown, MA 02657
Planning for the needs of same-sex couples Catherine Burgess, Financial Advisor, of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is now an Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor.SM
Catherine D. Burgess, CFP,® ADPASM Financial Planning Specialist Financial Advisor 978-739-3927 catherine.burgess@mssb.com
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For information on including your business, e-mail Jenn@BostonSpiritMagazine.com Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. © 2011 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC NY CS 6926010 10/11
Nov|Dec 2012 | 95
coda Sports story David Zimmerman
Celtics’ Pride Boston’s head basketball coach Doc Rivers explains how much of a non-issue sexual orientation is for him and his team — in the locker room and out Glen ‘Doc’ Rivers is about to begin his ninth season as head coach of the Boston Celtics. During that time he has seen his share of ups and downs and has handled them all with a sense of class that has restored the time honored tradition of Celtic Pride to its rightful perch in the NBA. Rivers led the Celtics to first place finishes in the Atlantic Conference for the past five years, advanced the team to the NBA Finals twice, and won the championship in 2008. Rivers lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Kristen and their four children. His oldest son Jeremiah plays basketball for Indiana University, while his daughter Callie played volleyball for the University of Florida. Rivers’ younger son, Austin, played basketball for one year at Duke University before being drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in June of this year. Recently Rivers sat down with Boston Spirit magazine to discuss former NBA player John Amaechi, the prospect of a gay player in the NBA, dealing with racial prejudice, and more.
Boston Spirit: You were one of the first people to come out and stand behind John Amaechi when he came out. Did you have to think about that at all? Were you worried what people might think? Doc Rivers: No, I could care less what people thought and I didn’t worry about it at all. It’s not one of those things where we had to have a front office discussion. It’s funny, I actually think someone in the front office wanted to
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Boston Celtic's head coach ‘Doc’ Rivers
have a discussion and I said ‘For What?’ And that’s how I felt about it. It was easy for me. John’s a great, great guy. BS: Was it a surprise to you when John came out? DR: No, not really. Sexual orientation is always talked about in locker rooms just like everywhere. I was happy that he came out. It wasn’t a surprise to me that he came out because he hadn’t shared it — but he had [shared it], if you know what I mean. It probably was a surprise for others. BS: Was it a surprise for his teammates? DR: I would say it was about half and half. Later on I got some calls from some of his teammates. Some of them brought it up and some didn’t, some said they were surprised and some said they weren’t surprised at all. What I was happiest about is that you could tell it wasn’t a big deal for them. Obviously he was a bit removed because he made the
announcement when he wasn’t playing for us, it was later, but not one guy made a bad comment. It really wasn’t a big deal. BS: Is that your only experience during your time playing and coaching basketball with ‘the gay issue?’ DR: It’s the only experience as far as someone coming out. BS: ESPN asked some ‘experts’ recently which league would be the worst at handling a gay player and the NBA was the pick. Do you think that’s the case? DR: I think the NBA might have been named as worst, and I don’t think it should be, because the NBA has always had an image problem, because people know who you are. They see you, the players are in shorts and tank tops, everyone sees your face and there’s only twelve of us. When you have people with baseball hats on, and helmets, you don’t really get to see them. People know us and I think that might be why the NBA got picked. I think the reaction by all the sports would be about the same. I don’t think one would be better or worse than the other. Hockey has its ethics code; baseball has its own clubhouse rules, and football does too. I personally think people are more open-minded than they get credit for. I’ve always believed that. I remember when I was playing for the Knicks and I was doing something on Imus [the Don Imus radio program] — I think I was injured at the time — he asked me if there were any gays in basketball and I said “yeah, absolutely.” The next day I got a call from the league and said “Did you say that?” And I said, “Listen guys, it’s a ratio, just look at the numbers.” It was an obvious answer, it was easy. BS: David Stern and Charles Barkley have both said that the NBA is ready for an openly gay player. In your opinion, is the league ready? DR: I think it is. I think it would depend on the team but even with a bad team, I think it would be a story for about a week and then it would go away. It would really [continues 80]
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