JUL|AUG 2015
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Lea’s
DeLari-us!
This perennial P’town funny girl is wowing the world
LGBT Summer Sights
Historic homes and fabulous getaways
No Room at the Inn
P’town’s prices keeping leaders from moving in
Levelling the Field
FLAG Flag Football goes deep to help those less fortunate
Peace Keepers
New archive preserves period in women’s activism
Making progress, together.
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From The Publisher Before we get to July and August, I’d like to take a quick minute to reflect on the past few months, May and June. What an amazing time in ‘Boston Spirit world.’ We had an incredible time at our 2015 LGBT Executive Networking Night. Super Bowl Champion Julian Edelman was humble and funny, and just a great guy. Our professional development sessions were informative, engaging, and very valuable. We had a huge crowd, and everyone seemed to have a very good time. Thanks to everyone who joined us. We also had a wonderful Summer Sunset Cruise, and Ink Block was kind enough to host us for a truly great Pride VIP party. And, it was great to see so many of you at Boston Pride and North Shore Pride. It has, to put it mildly, been a busy time. During that time we also had the chance to sit down for a one-on-one interview and photo shoot with the amazing Lea Delaria. Lea was in town to host the Eliot Norton
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Awards. Huge thanks to the W Hotel for working with us on the interview and shoot. And thanks to Lea for being so funny and nice and great to work with. Now we get to look forward to summer, finally!! We’ve got the GLAD Summer Party, the CRI Summer Party, tons of events in Ptown, Ogunquit, Boston, and all around. Hopefully, in the midst of all of this, there is also some time to sit back, relax, and enjoy summer in New England. To all of you who joined us at the Executive Networking Night or on the Sunset Cruise I want to personally thank you for your support of Boston Spirit events. All of us at the magazine are very appreciative. We have more surprises in store for you soon so stay tuned.
David Zimmerman Publisher
Athena Aealth Boston Residential Group Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston University Broadway in Boston Burns & Levinson, LLP Carpe Diem Circle Furniture Club Café Cranwell Resort Destination Salem DJ Mocha Dover Rug Eastern Bank Fenway Health Gardner Mattress GLAD Harbor Hotel Provincetown Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Ink Block South End Jasper White’s Summer Shack Jimmy Fund Johnny Appleseed Trail Association Ketel One Landry & Arcari Lombardo’s Long’s Jewelers Lucia Lighting Marriott Copley Place Osorio Dental Group Partners Healthcare Peabody Essex Musem Portside at East Pier Pride Advisor Conference Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston Seasons Four Seligman Dental Designs Ski Haus Steamship Authority Thought Action Tresca Troy Boston Tufts Health Plan Thought Action Tresca Troy Boston Victory Programs
15 67 36 39 66 52 THE GUIDE 26 49 38 51 THE GUIDE 7 5 COVER 37 29 21 43 18 COVER 73 47 COVER 11 71 3 32 70 9 27 23 13 45 19 44 THE GUIDE 35 46 50 33 17 30 75 63 31 83
Contribute your opinion: editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com
As We Go To Press …
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
What do Neil Patrick Harris, Barbara Cook, Jeremy Jordan, Rosie O’Donnell, Jennifer Holliday, Seth Rudetsky, Bernadette Peters, Melissa Ferrick, Linda Lavin, Lea DeLaria, Shirley Jones, Sam Harris, Alice Ripley, Billy Porter, Deborah Voigt, Kathy Griffin, Charles Busch, Matthew Broderick, and Audra McDonald all have in common? They’re all playing Provincetown this summer. OMG! Our favorite quaint, little gay seaside village is swarming with international celebrities! How the heck did that happen? It hasn’t come without its ups and downs. And the latest down is the challenge the town has had in attracting leaders who can afford the housing costs. (See Rob Phelps’ excellent article on the issue in this issue.) If there is any doubt that the queer golden age is here, it’s that an LGBT-focussed town with a population of under 3,000, has a $2.7 billion real estate market and can attract over 20 internationally recognized performers. Further evidence of the extraordinary times we live in, I recently visited Beauport, The Sleeper-McCann house, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It’s a quirky estate designed by an early 19th Century eccentric named Henry Davis Sleeper, who was one of America’s first interior designers. Gay? Yep! The tour guide tossed off “he was a gay man” just as easily and she told us that the house was built in 1907. We’re here, we’re queer, we’re everywhere. It doesn’t get much better than this. Enjoy!
Wanted to let you know that I find Boston Spirit Magazine refreshing, and a cut above many chronicles. Just wanted to mention that in the article “On the Cusp of Liberation,” the man mentioned in the section about “Sporters” — or as it was called, “The West End Tennis Club” — the gentleman who opened it was Bob White, and he is listed as Bill White. Bob was a pioneer along with Robin McCormick, Elaine Noble, in paving the way for the LBGT community in the decade of the 1960’s and 1970’s into the 1980’s. Bob opened Sporters, Bob White’s 1270, and The Randolph Country Club. (He hired me at RCC in 1978 and I recently left there ending a 36 year career.) Bob also owned the Town House in Provincetown, which later became Steve’s Alibi. Cannot say that I remember the Midtown, but I do remember the same process of flickering lights, changing partners, red sweater day at The Punch Bowl on Stuart Street. Thank you for your publication. I love it.
James Lopata Editor
Michael R. Capone Editor’s note: We appreciate the correction on Bob White’s name.
Corrections
In the May/June 2015 issue story “On the Cusp of Liberation,” two photos of people inside Sporters should have been attributed to The History Project. And in one callout, Helaine Zimmerman’s name was inaccurately spelled as Elaine. Also, in the Scene and photos section of the same issue, the information about the Boston Spirit Red Sox Event should have indicated that it was held at Cathedral Station.
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Contents
We’re All on the Same Team
Ultimately, that’s the moral precept that guides FLAG Flag Football, Boston’s LGBTQ league since 1998 Lack of affordable housing creates vacuum in top leadership spots
Authentic LGBT Marketing
Business strategist Jenn T. Grace turns away high-paying clients who want to market to LGBTs only for money; she explains why the bigger story is more important
Spotlight 8 10 12 12 14 16 18
A new archive preserves an important period in women and lesbian activism
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We’re All on the Same Team
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Seasonal Road Trips & Summer Homes
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Hot Bodies
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Pay a house call to these historic LGBT sites in New England, and add some education to your weekend getaways.
Culture Lea DeLari-us
64
The Neon Lights Are Bright on .... Commercial Street
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The comedienne is experiencing her moment in the global spotlight—and she takes it very seriously
Feature Peace Keepers
24
Is Provincetown in Political Freefall? 28
JUL|AUG 2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 4
Hit List A ‘Hell’ of a Chef Community Cliffnotes The Safe Zone Summer Shopping List From the Blogs Go Figure
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The Safe Zone
Broadway @ The Art House is the next best thing to New York
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Authentic LGBT Marketing
Summer Shopping List
‘All the World’s a Stage ...’
Veteran actor Fred Sullivan returns to Shakespeare on the Common—this time in “King Lear”
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Scene AIDS Walk ACLU Roger Baldwin Award Boston Spirit VIP Pride Party LifeSavor Pride and Passion Outstanding! Annual D&I Awards Gala Dinnerfest Party + Auction
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Calendar New England Events
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Coda Released from the studio Anne Stott rewrites songs from her new album to sing on the road
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Lea DeLari-us
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Rugs, Carpeting, Flooring, Window Treatments and the people who know them. 390 Stuart Street, Boston, MA 02116 721 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760 Dover R ug.c om
Ph: 617.266.3600 Ph: 508.651.3500
SPOTLIGHT Trending STORY Scott Kearnan
Hit List
Boston mayor Thomas Menino marches in the 2011 Boston Pride Parade with Harry Collings PHOTO Marilyn Humphries
NEWS, NOTES AND TO-DOS FOR EVERY GAY AGENDA Gloria Steinem. Moock has previously offered his support for LGBT families through songs like “Two Mommies,” breezy melodies adults and kids appreciate. More: moockmusic.com
HEAD TO BACK BAY HARRY’S,
and raise a glass to the popular restaurant’s eponymous owner, Harry Collings. At June’s inaugural Pride Gala, Boston Pride made Collings the first recipient of its new Thomas M. Menino Award, which honors visibility and advocacy within the LGBT community. Collings worked closely with the late mayor during 30 years at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, simultaneously emerging as a major supporter of organizations like PFLAG, AIDS Action Committee and Fenway Health. Cheers to the deserving honoree! More: bostonpride.org
disco and modern dance music. Moroder just released “Deju Vu,” his first album in 30 years, pairing his trademark synths with cameos by a new generation of gay club icons, like Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears. It’s the perfect summer soundtrack to P-Town party season. And somewhere, Donna Summer is smiling down. More: giorgiomoroder.com
WELCOME HOME THE BOSTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS, which
just became the first gay chorus to tour the Middle East. From June 18-29 the BGMC performed at historic sites in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ein Gedi, Israel Giorgio and Istanbul, Turkey, Moroder where the final show took place during Pride celebrations. “Music DUST OFF YOUR DANCING SHOES, builds bridges, enhances because you’re never too old communication, breaks down to boogie-woogie. Just ask stereotypes and humanizes 75-year-old Italian songwriter and producer Giorgio Moroder, the “other” in powerful ways,” said the Chorus in a statement. whose work with Boston-born Well done, gents. We sing your Donna Summer — including praises. More: bgmc.org hits like “Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance” — is credited with pioneering
CELEBRATE THE CONTINUED LEGACY
Alastair Moock
TURN UP THE AFFIRMING KIDFRIENDLY TUNES of Grammy-
of Womencrafts in Provincetown, one of only a dozen feminist bookstores left in the country, according to “Paste” magazine. Longtime owner Kathryn Livelli recently sold the business to staffer Michelle Axelson, who will continue to operate the iconic shop. Founded in 1976, it sells hundreds of titles related to lesbian fiction and LGBT
nominated artist Alastair Moock. The Boston-area folk musician (and father) just released his latest album for families and children, “All Kinds of You and Me,” which pairs bright, sunny tunes with progressive messages that celebrate, among other things, inclusive themes related to gender and identity; one song invokes the P’town’s work of Harvey Womencrafts Milk alongside original and new owners; Kathryn other social justice Livelli and icons like Martin Michelle Axelson Luther King, Jr. and
PUBLISHER David Zimmerman EDITOR IN CHIEF James A. Lopata MANAGING EDITOR Robert Phelps [rob@bostonspiritmagazine.com] ART DIRECTOR Dean Burchell CONTRIBUTING LIFESTYLE EDITOR Scott Kearnan [lifestyle@bostonspiritmagazine.com] CONTRIBUTING ARTS EDITOR Loren King CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sam Baltrusis, Tony Giampetruzzi, Mark Krone CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joel Benjamin, Marilyn Humphries COVER IMAGE Joel Benjmain ON THE WEB [bostonspiritmagazine.com] TALK TO US [feedback@bostonspiritmagazine.com] EDITORIAL CONTACT [editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com] PUBLISHING AND SALES CONTACT [publisher@bostonspiritmagazine.com or 781-223-8538] THE FINE PRINT Boston Spirit magazine. A Division of Jake Publishing, LLC Published by Jake Publishing, LLC. Copyright
JUL|AUG 2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 4
2004 by Jake Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the written permission of Boston Spirit magazine. Neither the publishers nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. The publishers accept no liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person, organization or business in this magazine does not reflect upon one’s sexual orientation in any way. Boston Spirit Magazine, 398 Columbus Ave #395, Boston, MA 02116
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issues, as well as craftworks from female artisans. Axelson is dedicated to preserving its place. “My journey as a woman and as a lesbian has been made easier by institutions like Womencrafts and women like Kathryn Livelli,” says Axelson, 37. “I am inspired by the shop’s history and excited to keep it dynamic and relevant for generations to come.” More: womencrafts.com
Drew Colleran and Ryan Schulteis
SEND A WARM CONGRATULATIONS to Ryan
Schulteis and Drew Colleran, who after four years together recently married during a ceremony at the Liberty Hotel in Boston. Schulteis, a WHDH-7 news anchor, officially came out in the pages of “Boston Spirit” back in 2009; Colleran is a manager with Fidelity Investments. Their soiree was attended by a bevy of family, friends, and local media types – including longtime
friend and WCVB-5 reporter John Atwater, who officiated the ceremony, and pioneering newsman Randy Price, currently at WCVB and long considered the country’s first openly gay newscaster. (Schulteis cited Price, a former WHDH colleague, as a role model in his “Boston Spirit” story.) Next up for the couple: a Maui honeymoon. Congratulations! FEEL THE POWER of “OUT” magazine’s
recently revealed “Power 50,” a ranking of “the most influential LGBT people in American culture.” The list features a number of folks with strong New England ties: including Rhode Island congressman David Cicilline (#29), Boston University alum and Bravo star Andy Cohen (#10), and MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow (#3), a Western Mass resident. More: out.com
a MOuTh full Of
PRiDE IS TOO
PRETTy TO hIDe.
TAKE A STAND against
bullying. A new study led by Boston Children’s Hospital and published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” confirms what most of us know: “sexual minority” youth are significantly more likely to be bullied than their peers. Most striking is that the study, the first of its kind to follow a sample of young people over several years, found bullying of youth began as early as fifth grade – well before many youth even self-identify as LGBT. More: nejm.org
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SPOTLIGHT Food STORY Scott Kearnan
Nicholas Peters
A ‘Hell’ of a Chef Nicholas Peters cooked up quite a successful run on the justwrapped fourteenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen.” Fox’s hit reality show competition may share a name with NYC’s famous gay-borhood, but Peters was the only gay contestant working to impress star toque Gordon Ramsey this go-round—and he did pretty well, nearly taking home the crown. (Or rather, the toque.)
culinary training into stints at upscale establishments like Harvest in Cambridge and Bergamot in Somerville. Currently he balances his work as a personal chef with a sous chef role at Sea Level Oyster Bar, a hot new spot on the Salem waterfront. So he seemed like the perfect person for Boston Spirit to tap for some recipes that readers can recreate for their own summer entertaining. After all, if he can stand up to the heat in Ramsey’s kitchen, we think he can handle your Provincetown pool party spread. (For more recipes, check out nicholasapeters.com)
Now that cameras have stopped rolling, it’s back to the gourmet grind for this 25-year old rising restaurant star, a Newburyport native who has parlayed his
A SOPHISTICATED SPIN ON STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Homemade cornmeal biscuits, mascarpone instead of simple whipped cream. Little twists make a big difference. FOR THE CORNMEAL BISCUITS
1 1/2 C All‑purpose flour 1/2 C Cornmeal 1 1/2 T Baking powder 1/2 t Baking soda 1/8 C White sugar
1 Stick butter (cold) Buttermilk as needed (start with 1/2 a cup; save some to brush on top prior to baking) Zest of 1 lemon
Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl. Incorporate butter using a pastry blender or fork until the butter is pea sized. Slowly drizzle in the buttermilk until dough starts to form. Roll out your biscuit dough onto a floured surface until about 1 inch thick. Brush with buttermilk and bake at 375 degrees until golden and risen. Let cool.
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FOR FILLING Chef Nick uses strawberries and blackberries tossed with lemon zest, juice and white sugar. (But use what you love: like peaches, cherries or plums!) Instead of traditional whipped cream, whip mascarpone cheese with white or brown sugar, vanilla beans and extract; slowly drizzle in some heavy cream to thin out to your desired consistency.
NECTARINE GALETTE A galette, a rustic and crispy French flat cake, is topped with nectarines for this sweet, shareable and summery treat. FOR THE CRUST
1 1/2 C All‑purpose flour 3/4 C Cornmeal 1/4 C White sugar 1/2 t Salt
1 Stick cold butter, cubed 2 T buttermilk 1 Egg (for that golden brown color)
In a food processor combine all the ingredients, except the egg. Pulse until the butter is small and pea sized, but not too small! (If the butter is fully incorporated it will not achieve the same flaky crispy texture you want.) Pull the dough out of the processor and knead by hand JUST until a ball is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. FOR THE FILLING
6-8 ripe nectarines, sliced 1 vanilla bean, scraped 1 t vanilla extract
c white sugar 1 lemon, juice & zest 2 T all purpose flour
1/2
In a large bowl, toss all ingredients until combined and the nectarine slices are evenly coated. Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out until about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Arrange the nectarines in the center of the dough, leaving about a two-inch border of crust. This will allow enough room to fold up the edges and prevent all that yumminess from seeping out. Fold up the edges of the dough and brush only the crust with your left over egg. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until nectarines are partially cooked and dough is crisp. (Check by CAREFULLY lifting the galette to look for browning underneath.) TOP WITH A FRESH RASPBERRY WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3 tbsp. powdered sugar 1/4 cup fresh raspberry puree SUMMER IN A BOWL
Light, fresh, and absolutely lovely to look at, this summery salad is perfect for a cookout.
4 Ripe avocados, diced 1 Pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 Small red onion, sliced very thin 4 Ears of corn, cut off cob 2 t Chiffonade fresh basil
1 t Chiffonade fresh mint 3 t Extra virgin olive oil 2 t Red wine vinegar Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine! It’s that easy! The trick is to let the salad sit for one hour, allowing the ingredients to marinate in the oil and vinegar. Eat same day.
RUGS AND CARPETING BOSTON
SALEM
FRAMINGHAM
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SPOTLIGHT Community Cliffnotes STORY Scott Kearnan Spotlighting New England LGBT organizations and the work they do. Helping you to discover some new neighbors—and fresh facts—about our diverse community.
Community Cliffnotes The Safe Zone
“If you feel like someone isn’t listening to you, you shut down. You stop going. You don’t follow up.” “We always listen first.” So says Gerald James. He is a medical case manager at the Center for Infectious Disease at Boston Medical Center, and program coordinator for the Peer Program, a BMC initiative that sees peer leaders lend personalized support to those dealing with HIV/AIDS — helping them adhere to treatment and minimize risks. James is discussing why certain populations particularly at-risk for HIV/AIDS aren’t getting the screenings, education and treatment they need. He says it’s because healthcare providers can become so intent on educating patients that they forget to consider how much they have to learn about the communities they serve. And sometimes, says James, you just want “to talk to people who look just like you.” Enter: The Safe Zone, a nearly year-old drop-in center launched by James and a small cadre of BMC staff. It’s goal: to offer space where one of the populations most vulnerable to new HIV infections, young men of color, can meet, get tested, get treatment — and most importantly, get in touch with health care providers who not only care, but listen.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Even as rates of new HIV infection decline in general,
young black men MSM is one of the few groups that continue to see new infections rise. In 2009, CDC stats showed that black communities reflected 44 percent of new HIV infections in the US; another study (conducted in Boston and five other cities) presented at the 2012 International AIDS Conference revealed that young (under 30) black gay and bisexual men were becoming infected at three times the rate of their white peers. The disparities are striking. And the 02118 zip code, which is home to Boston Medical Center, is an “epicenter for these new infections in Boston,” says Safe Zone program manager Emerson Miller. The Safe Zone is a discreet street-side drop-in center in the heart of a community that is in especial need of the kind of services it offers. James
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says that while there are many “amazing organizations in Boston” doing this kind of work, young black men need a space that responds uniquely to their stories and situation. “There’s an expression: ‘Third strike,’” elaborates James. “When you’re already black and poor, you don’t need one more thing against you.” For that reason, some young black men may avoid getting tested to remain in the dark about HIV status. Others, those who have sex with men on the down-low but don’t necessarily self-identify as gay, feel uncomfortable accessing healthcare clinics and HIV/ AIDS-related organizations that are strongly associated with the gay community. “They don’t want to come to a place with rainbow flags or pictures of boys hanging up,” says James.
WHAT DOES IT DO? Privacy is paramount at The Safe Zone, a drop-in center that feels more like a living room. It is outfitted with couches where a rapidly growing community of regulars hangs out to talk about life, sex and status, broaching the big topics on their own timetable and receiving information that is both realistic (focused on risk reduction, not proselytizing) and delivered by educated providers who also reflect the communities they serve. Take Marquis Jamison, an outreach health educator. He helps lead efforts to establish connections that open doors to conversation, education, and HIV testing and treatment. By working with neighborhood community centers, black churches and other Bostonarea healthcare providers, he’s
“ We’re constantly listening for ideas on how to do outreach and get people the information they need. ”
Gerald James
Medical case manager at the Center for Infectious Disease at Boston Medical Center, and program coordinator for the Peer Program
HIV and other STI, or referred for PrEP. It’s been a strong start for the still-new program, and it owes its early success to one thing most of all: Listening to what its community needs. “We’re constantly listening for ideas on how to do outreach and get people the information they need,” says James. “Within reason, we’ll try anything.” Listen up, world.
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built a network that treats the Safe Zone as a gathering spot — which is exactly what his team wants. And along the way there are low-pressure ways to offer information. Jamison even fields text message inquiries to the center, a mode that is inviting to those who may feel less comfortable with a phone call or face-to-face interaction. The Safe Zone also hosts weekly socials and regular events: art shows, ballroom nights and other fun ways to engage the young men. The bonds forged invite natural discussion of important issues, giving Jamison and other educators the ability to clarify misinformation, help reduce stigma, and get men hooked up with testing opportunities for
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SPOTLIGHT Shopping STORY Scott Kearnan
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“Fire Island Pines” by Tom Bianchi. Bring it as a beach read or pop it on the summer home’s coffee table. This nostalgic tome features diary-like recollections and fascinating Polaroids taken by artist Bianchi during Fire Island getaways in the mid-seventies and early-eighties. It captures the heat, hedonism, and joie de vivre of a certain era in gay culture that may have burned out, but will never fade away. ($50 at Sault New England, 577 Tremont Street, Boston)
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Summer Shopping List Vacation? Booked. Beach body? Ready to go. (Well, almost.) You’ve been moving down your summer checklist, but we have a few more items to add. From must-haves for your beach bag to a few backyard barbecue supplies, here are a few things to pick up on a quick summertime shopping spree.
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Inseam ranger short. If you ever crushed on a summer camp counselor, live the fantasy. Uniforminspired trim lends a sexy style to these shorts from the gay-owned, Jamaica Plain-based clothing brand. Psst: Pairs well with a bare chest and a whistle. ($76 at inseamclothing.com)
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Skoah foot spray. If you’re going open-toe, you better be odor-free. Head to th South End skincare spot, run by husbands Jay Judas and Pete Dziedzic, former chair of MassEquality’s board of directors, and grab this minty spray that keeps feet feeling soft and smelling good.($15 at Skoah, 641 Tremont Street, Boston)
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Katya “Red Queen” tank top. She fell just shy of taking the top spot on the most recent round of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” but Boston’s own Katya definitely won hearts, emerging as the season’s fan favorite. Strut your “knew ‘er in the Jacques days” stuff with this pool party-perfect tank. ($35 at huntees.com)
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Booty briefs from Girls Will Be Boys. Because it’s never too soon to start packing for Girl Splash, stock up on stretchy nylon shorts from this lesbian-founded line of active apparel that is inspired by colorful street wear and designed for the “modern tomboy.” Designed for gals who want the comfort of boxers but with a female fit—and sense of sass, these bright briefs work equally well as underwear or, when paired with a sleeveless shirt, short shorts for a day at the beach. ($16.99 at gwbbclothing.com)
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Raw bar in a box from Island Creek Oyster Farm. The Duxbury oyster farm, which produces and harvests the ubiquitous shellfish found at Island Creek Oyster Bar and other upscale Boston restaurants, offers a convenient way to serve guests at summer cookouts. Its raw bar in a box arrives within 24 hours of ordering, so you can serve up a fresh selection of 50 oysters, 20 clams, one pound of shrimp, and plenty of sauces and other accouterments. Slurp! ($150 at islandcreekoysters.com) [x]
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“Bring your whole self to work.” Jonathan Bush, CEO
work as one
athenahealth.com/careers athenahealth.com/careers
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SPOTLIGHT Online COMPILED Rob Phelps
From the Blogs
SMITH COLLEGE REVISES ADMISSIONS TO ADMIT TRANSGENDER STUDENTS
Here’s a quick roundup of some of the pieces from BostonSpiritMagazine.com’s blog. Check there regularly for new stories! COLLINS, KENNEDY GUESTS OF HONOR AT GREATER BOSTON PFLAG FETE
Massachusetts Congressman Joseph Kennedy III and Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA (now retired), were roommates in college and have been buddies every since (Check out a story about their friendship in Boston Spirit’s May/ June issue). Recently, Collins and Kennedy appeared together as special guests at Pride & Passion, the annual benefit bash for PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer people) of Greater Boston on May 11 at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center. UMass basketball player Derrick Gordon also showed his support for PFLGA at the event with “a moving tribute in support of Greater Boston PFLAG’s mission to create environments of understanding, inclusion, and acceptance of LGBTQ people,” according to a recent Greater Boston PFLAG press release, which went on to say: “’Rep. Kennedy and Collins personify everything the organization stands for. Leading by example, Representative Kennedy and Jason Collins are changing hearts and minds, making environments safer for LGBTQ people,’ said [Greater Boston PFLAG President Tom] Bourdon. ‘Their actions and interactions demonstrate the importance of people being supportive of each other, and prove how powerful inclusion and acceptance can be.’”
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Smith College, the “seven sisters” women’s school in Northampton, Massachusetts, announced a change in its admissions policy that would officially accept maleto-female transgender applicants into its student body. According to a recent Boston Magazine posting: ‘[T]he Smith College Board of Trustees revised its admissions policy to include applicants who self-identify as transgender. Smith is not the first female college to do so. Nearby Mt. Holyoke, for instance, already opened its doors to transgender applicants last year. But Smith’s announcement comes after a year of public soul-searching and ‘formal study’ by a board appointed to examine the question. The policy allows for those born as biologically male who self-identify as women to apply, though it excludes people who were born female but now selfidentify as male. (Students who transition away from a strictly female gender identity after being admitted are permitted to stay enrolled. These students already form a notable minority on campuses like Smith.)’”
BOY SCOUT’S PRESIDENT CALLS TO LIFT BAN ON GAY TROOP LEADERS
Looks like the Boy Scouts’ of America’s ban on gay leaders is heading for the history books, as the Scouts’ president, Robert M. Gates, called to ban the ban on May 21 at the Boy Scouts’ annual national meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. He told executives at this meeting that “we must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be.”
In his speech, Gates, who is also a former director of the CIA, evoked his experience as defense secretary. In that role, he helped end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy—which was similar to the current Boy Scouts policy toward Scout leaders— and discrimination against gay men and lesbians. He recalled that in 2010, a federal judge declared the military’s policy to be illegal. The last major movement within the organization regarding LGBT rights went down in 2013, when, with more than 60 percent approval, the Scouts’ leadership voted to halt denying membership to youth on the basis of their sexual orientation.
CHERRY JONES GUEST OF HONOR AT PROVINCETOWN THEATER GALA
Stage and screen star Cherry Jones “meeted-and-greeted” guests as guest of honor at the May 30 Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival’s annual gala. After a sumptuous meal followed by a lively art auction of works donated by Provincetown artists to benefit the festival, celebrating its 10th year in 2015, Jones regaled gala-goers with backstage tales in an interview with David Kaplan, the festival’s curator. In 2014, Jones was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Outer Critic’s Circle award for her performance as Amanda Wingfield in the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie. The production co-starred her fellow LGBT actor, Zachary Quinto, and opened at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge. And before the first course was served Kaplan revealed the theme and line-up for the upcoming long weekend of all-things Tennessee, this year hitting town Sept. 24-27. The theme, “A Decade of Tennessee Williams in Provincetown,” features selected favorites from years past as well as a few new treats for thespian tastes. For tickets and details on the full line-up of parties, talks, special events and, of course, the shows, go to go to twptown.org. [x]
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FEATURE Peace & Justice STORY Scott Kearnan PHOTOS Nancy Clover
Peace Keepers A new archive preserves an important period in women and lesbian activism “He stormed at us, right up against the fence. He was barking and snarling. He was vicious.” Estelle Coleman is describing a security dog she encountered with her friend Hershe Michele Kramer while living at the Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace & Justice, a 52-acre camp adjacent to upstate New York’s Seneca Army Depot that for many years—mainly throughout the 1980s— attracted peace activists in shared protest against nuclear weaponry and American militarism. The camp was
also, says Estelle, a powerful testament to the collective power of female energy: a form of “magic” more powerful than any man-made weapon—or well-trained attack dog. “We put our hands to the fence, and we sang to him,” says Coleman, now 76 years old and sitting in one corner of her quiet Cambridge apartment. She recalls the sweet melody as if it was yesterday: “Animal spirit, come to me; we need your energy to fight the common enemy.” “The dog stopped,” says Coleman, still moved by the
20 | BOSTON SPIRIT
memory. She speaks quietly now, her hands imitating docile outstretched paws. “He stopped barking. He laid down, and he sat there calmly.” Until, that is, an angry security officer swept Fido up and tossed him in a truck. Maybe it was magic, or pheromones, or luck—but the women had won. Their song had muzzled the snarl. “The government is very powerful, but they never quite know what to do with women’s spirituality,” says Coleman, sitting back, satisfied. She should be. Over the last ten years, Coleman and Kramer have spearheaded the creation of the Peace Encampment Herstory Project, a massive archive of oral herstories, photographs, print
collateral and other materials that document the Women’s Encampment. Earlier this year the archive was added to the collections of The Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The duo funded the archive’s creation mostly out of their pockets. And they did it because, despite the thousands of women who took part in the camp, its story has often been relegated to footnote status by male-dominated histories of social justice movements. The stories of woman are “consistently dismissed,” says Coleman. “And lesbians are ignored, vilified and erased. History constantly erases us.”
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The archive offers a permanent rebuttal to those attempts, preserving forever a movement that left an indelible mark for communities of women and lesbians, though it is given surprisingly little attention by contemporary LGBT circles. In the summer of 1983, about 12,000 women from around the country descended on the Seneca Army Depot, spurred by reports that it was a nuclear weapons storage site. What began as a single summer of peaceful protest and acts of civil disobedience turned into a years-spanning semi-permanent settlement of activists who stoked dialogue—and activism— around intersecting issues like militarism, environmentalism, economic injustice, and social prejudices. The Encampment also functioned as a sort of experiment in self-sustaining community: Decisions were made through consensusdriven processes, women built new infrastructure (like septic systems) to accommodate their numbers, and workshops
“ It was this incredible convergence of feminist and queer movements, a very particular moment in history. ” Hershe Michele Kramer were developed. (By the early 90s the Encampment was re-imagined as a not-forprofit land trust, though at least some peace presence remained at the site as late as the early 2000s.) The women sang. They made art. They protested. Spiritualized, they practiced rituals. Energized, they changed hearts and minds. And though they made some enemies (there were 950 arrests in
22 | BOSTON SPIRIT
1983), they made many more friends. For these women who came from all walks of life, the politicking was accompanied by great personal transformation. The Encampment became an epicenter of feminist discourse and a home to a large community of lesbians—from the out and proud to the cautiously emerging, many able to connect with other women like them for the first time.
“On a huge, deep level, as a young lesbian it was validating to know, ‘You’re not alone,’” says Kramer. Now 51 and living in Arizona, she was only a teenager when she arrived at the camp in the ‘80s. She was already out and active in peace, feminist, and antinuclear activism, but being part of the Encampment was “empowering,” says Kramer. “It was this incredible convergence of feminist and queer movements, a very particular moment in history.” The archives exhaustively catalog that era, particularly through its recorded oral herstories offered by over 100 women who passed through the Encampment. Their stories are as diverse as they are: from memories of “actions” (say, infiltrating the depot to paint messages of peace on a water tower) to thought provoking conversations with locals and local government authorities. The Encampment’s reputation as an enclave of radical, tree-hugging lesbians made the women
FIN AL WE EK S!
unpopular with the area’s conservative locals. (Newspaper headlines like “Witches of Seneca” say it all.) And over the years, women who passed through the Encampment have alleged that law enforcement and government officials engaged in a range of alarming activities – from phone tapping to “zapping” the camp with microwaves. Maybe some things haven’t changed. If the Women’s Peace Encampment served as a model for a type of semipermanent peaceful protest community, then its opposition was a precursor to current systems of suppressing dissent. Kramer’s continued peace activism has brought her into circles of Occupy protests that have emerged across the country in recent years, and she says the Occupy movement reminds her in some ways of the Encampment’s spirit. But she’s “alarmed” by the heightened militarized response that greets such protest. “I’m not a naïve person, but I was floored by what
I witnessed: the harassment and the violent response of the police state,” says Kramer. “It was so coordinated to silence dissent. They bring out tear gas when you haven’t even done anything. At the Encampment, we’d be climbing over fences; you couldn’t even come close today.” History—and herstory—is written every day. And while the Women’s Peace Encampment archive is an important collection of artifacts related to a vital yet underreported period in lesbian history, it is also a reminder to new generations of activists: Women who come together wield tremendous power that can be used to build community, advocate for peace, and in the face of adversity, turn tides. Coleman recalls the words of another Encampment motto: “We are the weavers, we are the web. We are the flow, we are the ebb.” [x]
To view the archive online, visit peacecampherstory.blogspot.com
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MEDIA PARTNERS Thomas Hart Benton, Self-Portrait with Rita (detail), about 1924. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack H. Mooney. Photo courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution/Art Resource, NY. Art © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/UMB Bank Trustee/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.
FEATURE Sports STORY Scott Kearnan PHOTOS Courtesy FLAG Flag Football
We’re All on the Same Team Ultimately, that’s the moral precept that guides FLAG Flag Football, Boston’s LGBTQ league since 1998 Yes, FLAG is foremost a sports organization: whether they’re practically pro-level or rookies just starting out, FLAG athletes play hard, have fun—and may even hit a party together after a particularly great game. But FLAG also considers itself a group with a larger mission: To level the playing
24 | BOSTON SPIRIT
field for LGBTQ people by building selfconfidence, fostering a sense of community, and even endowing financial scholarships. These aren’t just athletes—they’re athletic supporters.
Um, you know what we mean. “In gay bar culture, people can be sized up and judged by others so quickly,” says Marc Lewis, FLAG’s treasurer/clerk. “That’s antithetical to what we try to be as an organization. We want to create an environment free of al those judgments that may have alienated people in the past. There’s already so much other messaging in society that makes LGBTQ people feel like they don’t belong.” “Camaraderie” is a word key to the success of FLAG, a league now made of about 300 players—gay, lesbian, bi, trans and yes, straight too—across 20 teams. And it’s not just a buzzword; they walk the walk. A
“ We want to create an environment free of al those judgments that may have alienated people in the past. ” Marc Lewis FLAG treasurer/clerk.
certified nonprofit, FLAG makes community service part of its mission: Last year players spent 730 collective hours volunteering, from working Monday night dinner service at the Boston Living Center to helping Community Servings package pies for its annual Thanksgiving fundraiser. In fact, in 2015 Victory Programs honored FLAG with its annual Manny Jefferson Award for excellence in volunteerism. And FLAG doles out some awards itself. Three years ago the organization established its new scholarship program, annually offering $2,500 to a graduating Massachusetts high school senior who has
made school or community sports more inclusive for LGBTQ youth. Inclusivity is vital for queer teens—because we know what happens when they’re left on the sidelines. According to the most recent National School Climate Survey conducted by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), more than one-third of LGBT students avoided locker rooms because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable; nearly one-third avoided physical education class altogether, and more than one-fifth avoided athletic fields. The result? Well, you’ve heard about our health-endangering childhood obesity rates, right?
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This year the FLAG student scholarship went to Joseph Piemonte, a recent graduate of East Longmeadow High School. When some students hurled anti-gay slurs at Piemonte during a freshman year pep rally, he refused to be silenced. Instead, he came out; established a 50-member strong GSA (of which he served as president) that launched successful initiatives like
an Anti-Bullying Week and Safe Space program; and presented a conference on GSA organizing at the Massachusetts conference of GLSEN. All the while, Piemonte played multiple sports and excelled as captain of his swim team. At first he was his school’s only openly gay student athlete—but by the time he graduated, thanks
to his trail blazing, that distinction was thankfully lost. These are the kind of exceptional future leaders FLAG salutes proudly. “High school locker rooms are legendary for homophobia,” says Lewis. “The scholarship provides us an opportunity to honor the type of leader many of us wish we had when we were growing up.” Like many FLAG athletes, Lewis speaks from personal experience. He was athletic growing up, but played only individual sports— tennis, running, things like that—because of a “visceral” aversion to the “team sports, and all the machismo that went along with it.” Then there was Dave Hamilton, now steering FLAG as the league’s commissioner. Hamilton was a high school football player who surrounded by “homophobic comments in the locker room,” says Hamilton. “I was still struggling with who I was, with being a gay man. It made me want to keep to myself.” After he came out, it was hard to “bridge the gap” between his desire to play and his ability to be out—until about 12 years ago,
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when he discovered FLAG and, eventually, ascended to its helm. For all that the group gives back, says Hamilton, it’s the team members themselves who benefit the most. “The thing I love about this league is that so many adults come into it who have never played football or an organized team sport before, and you see this amazing change in them as individuals,” says Hamilton. FLAG welcomes players of all levels, including those who are trying it out for the first time – and it gives a supportive environment to build the confidence that athletics can engender without the intimidation that may have been faced in younger years. In fact, adds Hamilton, the league’s straight members – who join to play with a friend, relative, or just because the group seems fun!—offer bonds of camaraderie beyond the LGBTQ community. Gay and straight players become best friends, future groomsmen, and hang at FLAG fundraisers held in not-so-gay bars like Dorchester’s Blarney Stone, which always welcome the group with open arms.
At the end of the day, we really are all on that same team. “I remember that first time I played football so clearly,” recalls Lewis, the once solo-only athlete, of his foray into FLAG. “It was exhilarating, like I had just recaptured something. I had once enjoyed games so much: the competition, the
camaraderie, the social experience, and the sport itself. I felt like I had a chance to go back and experience something that I had missed out on during a good portion of my youth.” You’re never too old to play like a kid again. [x]
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FEATURE Politics STORY Rob Phelps
Is Provincetown in Political Freefall? Lack of affordable housing creates vacuum in top leadership spots Two years ago, Provincetown lost both its Town Manager Sharon Lyn and Police Chief Jeff Jaran in a pair of scandals involving corruption and the use of excessive force by the chief. Interestingly, the chief’s use of excessive force occurred on election night just a few hours after his favored candidate lost. A bartender played N.W.A.’s song “F*** Da Police” on the speaker system at Provincetown’s Squealing Pig, where the Chief was having a drink with his wife. Jaran’s ouster came after the Provincetown Banner newspaper repeatedly reported on these two incidents as well as residents’ dissatisfaction over the police department’s widely perceived militarystyle approach under Jaran’s leadership
28 | BOSTON SPIRIT
and other misdeeds, including an incident of sexual harassment by the chief. The barrage of Banner articles caught the attention of the Police Labor Federation, which issued a vote of no confidence, stating: “We cannot condone behaviors, including but not limited to: The ordering of police officers into the Squealing Pig to collect names of employees and patrons who were present when the chief objected to an employee’s exercise of their first amendment right to play music of their choosing; ethical violations regarding the undue influence on employee votes in recent elections, including the distribution of campaign signs from the police station; the disparity administered to union members by the chief of police and
“Monumental Sunset” over Provincetown PHOTO Nancy Bloom
a pattern of continued and sustained contract violations, [and] the unconscionable treatment by the chief of police of a union member who was sexually assaulted in the police station by a uniformed, on duty police officer, including the failure to fully investigate and document the crime, and the subsequent protection of the offending officer which included positive job recommendations to other police departments.” Confidence in town government hit an all-time low. Lyn fired Jaran within days of the Federation’s report and, as pressure increased over her long-term support of the chief, whom she’d hired, resigned herself soon after. These events occurred in 2013. Both posts have yet to be filled. Though tensions calmed in town after the two departed—Lyn moved on to become City Manager of Rehoboth Beach, Del. while Jaran appealed his case
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against the town—efforts to fill their seats revealed yet another problem. The town, it turns out, has become too expensive for qualified candidates of even the highest-ranking leadership jobs to live in. Affordable housing has simply become too expensive for all but the upper-middle class, at best. Case in point: In late 2014 after an exhaustive search, the town selected Richard Reinhard, a candidate from Washington, D.C. with a strong community business development background, to be its new town manager. Yet, after several rounds of contract negotiations to finalize the deal, Reinhard informed the town in an email that, “In visiting Provincetown, I developed a better understanding that the town’s resources would not allow me to be compensated in a way that I had anticipated. I also became acutely aware of the high housing prices in the town.” Almost a year later, similar sentiments were echoed by the town’s choice for a new library director after a similarly exhaustive search. Rebecka Lindau, who had headed the rare books collection at the Lambertville, New Jersey Free Public
The town, it turns out, has become too expensive for qualified candidates of even the highest‑ranking leadership jobs to live in. Library, told the town she could not find a home on the Lower Cape. She filed for two extensions, conducting an exhaustive search herself for an affordable place to live, but to no avail. As for the police department, the general consensus in town is that Acting Chief James Golden is doing a great job and many would like to see him appointed to lead the force. But Golden lives in the slightly more affordable neighboring town of Truro, and the law in Provincetown states that the chief must reside in the town in which he serves. Moreover,
Provincetown’s law stipulates that the chief’s appointment must be made by its town manager and, of course, there is no town manager to appoint the chief. A sense that the town’s leadership is hanging by a thread, if not in full-fledged plummet, abounds. Never have the local blogs been more disparaging. Yet the wheels of government keep chugging along in Town Hall as steadily as the annual Carnival Parade floats down Commercial Street, year after year—after year. Board of Selectman Chair Tom Donegan (who, incidentally, took over the job that
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Provincetown Board of Selectman Chair Tom Donegan PHOTO courtesy of Tom Donegan
Austin Knight, the selectman at the center of the scandal which led to the firing of the police chief ) admits progress is slow but insists that it’s steady. “One of the things we’re lucky about is that when Sharon left, she left behind a really great staff,” he says. “At the time of her departure, there was a lot of friction and that friction took some time to heal so while we’ve been with an Acting Town Manager for some time, I’m not sure that that’s a bad thing at all. Because it has been a great opportunity for the town to come together. We have a dedicated, committed team in Town Hall.” Donegan calls Acting Town Manager David Gardner “a real consensus builder around the really important issues.” The quintessential Provincetown Town Hall employee, Gardner, says Donegan, is as deeply committed to his job as they come, cosistently doing great work and deeply caring about the town. “I think sometimes people in Boston have a sort of adversarial approach with their city,” Donegan says. “You have to wrestle with the city to get what you want,” he says. Not so in P-town, where, when you walk into Town Hall you generally get what you need and pretty fast. The counter-service ethic at Town Hall for second homeowners and residents alike is pretty spectacular,” he says. Potholes, notes Donegan, in his offthe-cuff, casual sit-down with Boston
Provincetown Town Moderator Mary-Jo Avellar jumping out of an airplane over the Chatham Municipal Airport to raise funds for the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, on which she serves as a board member. PHOTO Nancy Bloom
Spirit, are one example. Even with what amounted to practically a blizzard each weekend through most of the winter, the Department of Public Works was out there fixing them plus keeping the streets cleared, and the roads are in great shape. During the worst of it all, Town Hall considered creating a designated phone number for pot hole complaints like they did in Boston. Not necessary in Provincetown. In fact, he says, “ I think the roads in the East End of town haven’t been this good in 10 or 15 years. When we had all the snow in the winter, our pavement was black most of the time.” “So the town government is functioning fully,” Donegan says. “I think where we have yet to go is really articulating the 10-year vision, like what should have been accomplished in 10 years time. We know it’s housing,” he says. The problem with housing, almost everyone from Town Meeting voters to Gardner and other top officials agree, is that the town has so many needs. There are seasonal workers who work in the town’s restaurants and hotels. There are year-round residents who work in the hospitality industry on hospitality wages. There are the emerging artists and writers so important to the arts economy of the oldest arts colony in America. And they are all doing their best to subsist on low or no wages nearly two-thirds of the year in
a largely shut-down town with a Boston real-estate market. Then there’s an aging population in P’town that requires special needs housing. Seashore Point is a great example of a housing facility that is doing a great job at the upper end of the market. The townrun Maushope apartments is doing well at the affordable or low-income level. But Maushope has a several-year waiting list. And there’s really nothing in the middle. Provincetown, like all small towns and cities, has a middle-class population that works in the grocery store, at the post office, at the newspaper, in Town Hall, in the hardware store. And these people are being priced out, leaving the community increasingly on the verge of crisis. An alarming number of townies are packing their bags. This, some argue, has always been the case. Since whaling days, there’s always been a transient portion of the population. But a lot has changed since then. “What’s happening now is people who have year-round rentals are converting them to seasonal or condo-izing them. The reason that’s important,” he says, “is that condos tend to be built and designed as bite-sized pieces of Provincetown for the upper-middle class of Boston and New York. [Buying] a piece of the dream is great. It’s the thing that keeps the real estate market moving, sure, but by the same token it displaces a lot of people.”
JUL|AUG 2015 | 31
“ I have a 23 million dollar budget in town, and we have a 2.7 billion dollar real estate market. So how my little, tiny town budget can change the tiller of that billion-dollar real estate market is tough. ” Chair Tom Donegan Provincetown Board of Selectman
“We aren’t like Western Mass. where we can just change our zoning and grow. We’re surrounded by national Seashore,” he says. “We can’t even put a solar panel in the National Park right now, so we are very constrained in terms of redevelopment. I have a 23 million dollar budget in town, and we have a 2.7 billion dollar real estate market. So how my little, tiny town budget can change the tiller of that billiondollar real estate market is tough.” Working together, town officials and resident groups are addressing the problem by forming new committees, hosting consultants, and, like Dongegan says, crafting a still, very-much-of-a-work-inprogress, multi-faceted, 10-year plan.
One goal is to attract young families to town, gay and straight. “We still have a volunteer fire department,” Donegan notes. “A volunteer fire department in a town without a high school is a big, looming problem.” And yet, the recently reorganized Provincetown Schools, K-middle school, that’s moved into the old high school building, has begun to win awards. Other towns are taking notice and actually asking to bring their kids into Provincetown school system instead of the other way around. Donegan points to at least two successful housing stories that he says serve as strong models to bolster the town’s middle class in the future.
“We have the Grace Gouveia building, which started out as the alms house, became the first senior center, then became DPW headquarters and Council on Aging. Now it’s being converted into condominiums. But three of the 9-to-12 units are going to be affordable housing.” Then, he says, “there’s Stable Path, which is the old stable up by where Connie’s Bakery used to be on Race Point Road. Construction has begun on those, and it looks like they’ll be ready next year. This is really exciting to me—that mix of both affordable and market rate housing.” “So,” he says, “we’ll have housing for people who have been working in the hospitality industry and we’ll have housing for people who work for the Banner and people who work for Outer Cape Health and for the town. We now have enormous amount of those folks who commute into Provincetown because there’s no place for them to live. We’ll have housing for all of these people.” It’s just going to take some time. And consensus among the town boards and committees, its public servants and the public. Donegan asserts that the town has
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both time and agreement about what to do and how to get there. As for the police department, “Not just Acting Chief Golden, but all 19 of [the officiers], have made a conscious effort to be part of the community and to become the sort of community resource that we want them to be,” Donegan says. Working closely with town officials, the department has made a huge cultural transition through community policity initiatives. The department is using a variety of techniques to keep the town safe—not just enforcement—but sometimes with a tap on the shoulder kind of thing—‘it’s time to go home,’—as opposed to an arrest. “That’s a much better experience for our tourists and local residents,” he says. It’s a more accessible, community-policing model in keeping with the fabric of small town. “We joke about our police dept. from Mayberry, but ultimately that’s what the town wants, and that’s what the town is getting right now,” Donnegan says. As for the top jobs, the search goes on. The consensus around town is that the acting town manager and acting police chief are doing their jobs very well. Maybe,
Provincetown summer cops on the beat. PHOTO courtesy of the Provincetown Banner regarding those two roles and other top jobs too, the town might borrow a page from its library by hiring from within, rewarding folks doing a good job who already have local housing: The library recently promoted its Acting Library Director, Matthew Clark, to become its full-fledged director. (A motion to allow the acting police chief to keep his residence in neighboring Truro if he were promoted has, in fact, been raised.) Agreeing that may be part of the solution, Donegan and the other officials say they don’t want to rush the process, even if it has stretched
well into its second year now. They want to get things right this time, keeping their eye on that 10-year plan. In the meantime, Town Hall asks that everyone keeps the faith in the good will of the current leadership that has carried the Provincetown community through ups and downs in the housing market before. Scandals and crises flare up and flame out from time to time, after all, in a community that’s almost four centuries old. [x]
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FEATURE Business STORY James Lopata
Authentic LGBT Marketing Business strategist Jenn T. Grace turns away high-paying clients who want to market to LGBTs only for money; she explains why the bigger story is more important Jenn T. Grace calls herself a professional lesbian who teaches “straight people how to market to gay people and gay people how to market themselves.” She’s written two books on the topic: “But You Don’t Look Gay …: 6 Steps in Creating a Successful LGBT Marketing Strategy” and “No Wait … You Do Look Gay!: The 7 Mistakes Preventing You from Selling to the $830 Billion LGBT Market.” Grace took time to explain some of her secrets with Boston Spirit.
34 | BOSTON SPIRIT
[BS] Tell us a little bit about what you do. [JENN T. GRACE] I moved to Connecticut
11 years ago. When I moved here, it’s kind of a rite of passage, if you will, to have to work for an insurance company. I was in retail management prior to that, and I was looking to get out and use my marketing degree. Since I had come from retail, I was completely out. There was just no hiding who I was. In retail it’s just one of those things that most people don’t really care about. I didn’t realize going back into a corporate
Business strategist Jenn T. Grace
environment that I would have to basically go back into the closet, because I had such homophobic coworkers that I was dealing with. They didn’t know I was gay. They would say stupid things in the lunchroom, like “faggot” and “dyke,” the typical homophobic type of slurs. One day I decided that I just didn’t want to deal with it. I decided I was going to quit. I went to the CEO, and I said, “I don’t want to work here anymore.” And he said, “Well, why not?” I said, “Well, I don’t want to tolerate having to deal with people who are [making] homophobic remarks all over the place.” And he asked me what he could do to keep me there, and keep me happy. So, I said, “Well, I’d like to solve this problem. I’d like to take on trying to market to the LGBT community.” And this was back in 2006.
I put it out there. I had no idea what I was doing, whatsoever, but I figured if I have all this kind of stuff happening internally, there’s got to be a way to use this as a positive. So, he said yes. He gave me like six months to put together this whole marketing plan, and I had a lot of time to research. At the time I came across Community Marketing Inc., Pink Banana, and all kinds of the well-known LGBT marketing and research companies. I started doing all of this outreach. They paid for me to go to conferences, I joined a lot of different organizations, and one of those organizations happened to be the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). I was starting to promote our company externally to the public, saying we’re this great LGBT-friendly company. What ended up happening is that I felt like a fraud, because while I was trying to push that needle forward, nothing was changing internally and people were still being
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homophobic. So, I decided that I would quit again. It took me three times to quit, because they kept trying to incentivize to keep me. But I finally did end up quitting. In the meantime, as part of my involvement with the NGLCC, the local Connecticut LGBT Chamber of Commerce was forming. That was in 2007. Because I had a relationship with NGLCC, they reached out to me and said, “Hey, I see that you’re in marketing. We’re about to form this Chamber
of Commerce, do you want to be the marketing committee chairperson?” At the time, I didn’t really even know what a Chamber of Commerce was. It was really interesting, because I was able to do all of the branding for the Chamber; I was able to do the marketing, the website. The only thing I didn’t do was the logo. So, it was a good experience. I worked with the Chamber before they formed, and then in 2009 I was quitting my job with the insurance company—on a complete leap of faith. I felt so terrible working for that company, being in the closet, and then being out and having people still blatantly discriminating against you. It was tough. While at the same time I was having this great experience in a great environment with the Chamber of Commerce—meeting all these new awesome owners. I said, “You know, I’m just going to quit.” And that scared the crap out of my wife, who was like, “I can’t believe she’s quitting a job.” But she supported me, fortunately. So I just quit on the hope and a prayer that
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the Chamber of Commerce would hire me a month later, which actually did end up happening. I was hired as the Executive Director about a month after I quit my job. Then when I was meeting with the Chamber members for the four years that I was the Executive Director, I found that there were a lot of Chamber members who had good intentions. But they lacked the understanding, or the empathy around the LGBT community, or they just lacked the knowledge on how to properly communicate with the community, or even put together their market. So, I naturally began taking on that role in my capacity as Executive Director. It was something that was really
CASE STUDY
interesting to me. A member would call and say, “Hey, we have this amount of money; we’re deciding between whether we should put [an advertisement] in this magazine, or sponsor this event. What are your thoughts?” It was great to interact with hundreds of different businesses, and corporations, and to do trial and error with them, navigate them through the process. [SPIRIT] How do you determine if they’re genuinely interested? [JG] I have a whole series of questions that
I ask people. It’s a matter of asking why. I’ve weeded out a good amount of business that could easily pay my bills. If you and I were sitting down, “Why do you want to market to the LGBT community?” And
There was a woman that I met a handful of years ago. Someone told her and I that we should get together, and have coffee. I had no idea who she was.
you might say, “Well, there’s a lot of money to be had. I’ve heard that the buying power is really high. Then I would say, “Well, why is that important?” And over time, over a certain amount of questions, people start saying, “Well, oh, a childhood best friend just came out to me, recently,” or, “My son or my daughter just came out.” And they have this really strong personal connection in addition to knowing that the community has a lot of money to spend. That’s the type of story I’m trying to get out of people. I try to teach people to use that story and leverage it within their marketing effort. But sometimes you run across the company where they have nothing. All they care about
She’s a straight woman who has a business that helped women with their fashion—just trying to feel more confident, and that kind women’s empowerment type of thing. So, I’m like, “Yeah, I’ll talk to anybody. I really like learning about different businesses, and hearing people’s business models.”
When I was talking about her, she shares this story with me about how she helped a transgender person. It was 15 years ago in her career, when she was running some high-end women’s boutique store. She was telling me the experience in such deep, and meaningful, and moving way, that she ended up crying.
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is money, and when that happens, I can see the red flag up from a mile away. And I choose not to do business with them. [SPIRIT] Then what do you do? [JG] I have a two-part approach. Actually,
I’m headed out to California on Monday to work with an insurance company that’s pretty large. They came to me because they wanted to market to the community. I said, “That’s all well and good. However, I want to make sure that the inside of your house is in order before we do anything external.”
So, they said, “Yeah, we’re completely on board.” So I’m doing a two-day training with them. First we’ll be going through She had me. I have chills right now, because her story was so genuine, and so raw. She wasn’t telling me because she wanted me to do business with her. It’s not like she was saying, “Well, how can I make this story sound so good and sexy so that I can get Jenn to start shopping with me?” It was her being really genuine and really clear. When I was talking to her about it, I said,
the entire lay of the land of what’s the LGBT community. What are some of those things about the community that make it desirable to you, not just for you as the corporation, but your agents on the ground in different locations across the country? Then I give them all the proper communicational tools. That way they can internally train all of their people. That way—when they do finally start putting out LGBT advertising, whether it’s in a publication, like Boston Spirit, or whether it’s banner advertising—when that LGBT customer gets to that agent that they’re working with, they don’t have to worry about their agent saying something inappropriate, and their cost
of acquisition to that client kind of going out the door. I always do the internal first. Then I focus on the external.
“I don’t know if you realize how powerful your particular story is. I feel you need to share that, because other people need to know that this is the type of business owner you are, and this is the type of service that anyone can expect.” I said, “If you’re willing to go above and beyond for any customer, including the transgender customer that had been turned down through countless
stores prior to reaching yours, then I think anybody would want to do business with you.” She started using the story after we shortened it a little bit. Then she got involved with the LGBT Chamber, and she’s got a good amount of LGBT clients as result of having that story crafted. It’s almost like an elevator pitch specific to LGBT. [x]
[SPIRIT] A number of our readers work in businesses. Sometimes they own their own small businesses; sometimes they work for larger businesses. They’re interested in what their firms can do for the LGBT market. What’s some wisdom that you might share for people to think about? [JG] My number one piece of advice—
always—is to get involved, and get active in the community. That is the number one most logical step. I was doing a book signing event last night. I had a woman from Connecticut ask me about how she’s not really sure how to attract LGBT clients to her spa. At the end of the day, so much of
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example. There’s so many attorneys, or so many accountants, or financial advisors. Those are three of the big ones. A lot of them are following what I’m doing. But there are only a small percentage of them that will actually take the initiative, and actually attend the LGBT events. There are a lot of them that say, “Oh, we’re LGBT friendly, let’s put an ad in this magazine, or in this publication,” but there’s a small minority that actually show up. It’s those people who show up that are the ones that are getting the business. [SPIRIT] What exercises did you take people through? [JG] Two things specifically. The first
is what I was just talking about a few minutes ago. It’s about the why. Before I’m even contracted, I already have a general idea of what’s making them tick and what’s getting them to focus on this particular niche. First, I have them go through that exercise in a more formal capacity. It’s just called, “What’s your why, and why it matters.” I walk them through
it comes back to word of mouth. I advised her, “Go and find the Pride Center, because I know there’s one in the neighboring town from her. Go get involved. Start talking to people. Get active. So much of it requires one-on-one interaction with people. The market is so saturated in so many ways, especially with attorneys, for
a series of worksheets that say, “Get to the bottom of crafting the company’s story of why the LGBT community is important to them.” In terms of the marketing, it has to be very holistic. It has to be very authentic, It has to be honest, especially with the LGBT community. Because no matter who says what, someone finds out, and then the community is up in arms about it. I want to make sure that the companies don’t fall into traps like that. I have the marketing team craft the company “why.” But knowing the company “why” is only half the battle. Every individual person who’s in that company also has to have their own personal reason why they’re marketing to the LGBT community. That reason could be as simple, “I have a son who’s gay.” It could be that simple. It’s a matter of someone who’s sitting down with me, and they’re trying to sell me whatever product or service they have, and they’re able to make that connection in a genuine way with the LGBT community. It makes people trust them a lot easier. Versus
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somebody who’s coming in, and saying, “Oh, yeah. Yeah, I work in this large insurance company, and they told me they want me to market to the LGBT community.” That is not an effective sales pitch at all. If someone starts sharing their story, and saying, “Well, I had my son come out to me a couple of years ago, and to be honest I was struggling with it. It took a little bit of time, but now I’m seeing how much opportunity there is out there for me as a business owner, as influential professional, to be able to make an impact not only for him, but with other people …” That’s a really nice segue into why the community is important, and it’s going to build that rapport a hell of a lot faster.
“ It’s not going to be that you start a campaign tomorrow and you’re going to have a huge market share of LGBT people next week. A lot of people just want that quick fix. Unfortunately, I don’t see it to be a quick solution. ” Jenn T. Grace
[SPIRIT] The second part? [JG] Yes. The second part is evaluating
the marketing strategies that they’re already employing. Instead of telling them that they need to create an entirely new marketing campaign just for the LGBT community, I encourage them to start incorporating the LGBT community
into work they’re already doing—just being more inclusive. I’ve started calling it “inclusion based marketing.” It’s the act of including LGBT people into your marketing, which I’m seeing a lot of companies doing more and more of. There’s a company that did an ad
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campaign. It was probably four years ago. It had different generations in it. It had someone with a disability in it. It had people of all races. It had a gay couple. It had everybody in it. Their message was really simple: that their business is open to everyone. I feel like that’s so much more effective. It’s running in a big-time publication, like Time, where the LGBT person will go through and see, “Oh, wow, they’re representing a gay couple within all these other different diversities.” That’s going to resonate a lot more than just confining the LGBT ad to somewhere where nobody is going to see it. You have to be all in. You can’t just kind of get your toe in the water. You have to be committed, because it’s a long-term thing. It’s not going to be that you start a campaign tomorrow and you’re going to have a huge market share of LGBT people next week. A lot of people just want that quick fix. Unfortunately, I don’t see it to be a quick solution. [x]
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Success is the language we speak. JUL|AUG 2015 | 39
SEASONAL Travel STORY Scott Kearnan
Road Trips & Summer Homes Pay a house call to these historic LGBT sites in New England, and add some education to your weekend getaways. Last summer the US Department of the Interior announced that it would conduct a 12 to 18 month-long study to research LGBTQrelated sites for inclusion in National Park Service (NPS) programs. Dubbed the LGBTQ Heritage Initiative, the effort is designed to ensure that the community is represented within collections of famous places that define America’s history. The study got us thinking: Where in New England might
deserve to be included? Sure, there are plenty of possibilities. But right now, the NPS currently has only one LGBTQ-related New England location on its National Register of Historic Places: the James Merrill House in Connecticut. So as we considered the possibilities to add to the list, we decided to stick to famous homes. Places where queer people in New England were born, raised, worked, and died, leaving behind
40 | BOSTON SPIRIT
legacies that deserve to be celebrated. If you’re a history buff with a penchant for road trips, consider this a guide to roadside curiosities you may want to visit. Some are open to tours, others are now private property (but no one will stop you if you grab a quick selfie). We’ve also included some suggestions on where to stay, eat, and play while you’re visiting. But even if you don’t have the ambition to hit the road, we think you’ll be interested it
discover some fascinating stories of queer New Englanders who have often gone unheralded by the mainstream. Read on, learn up, and hit the road.
Beauport in Gloucester, MA 75 Eastern Point Boulevard He may have been born too soon to star on “Queer Eye,” but Henry Davis Sleeper was the original gay interior
May Sarton
Beauport designer. Raised by a distinguished New England family in the late 19th century (his grandfather was a founder of Boston University), Sleeper was one of the first professionals in his craft—the Madonna of today’s many Britneys, if you will. And this designer’s client roster was mighty impressive. Isabella Stewart Gardner, Henry du Pont and Joan Crawford are among the names that sought Sleeper’s special touch and—well, queer eye. At Beauport, Sleeper’s rambling Gloucester summer home, guides have acknowledged his gayness since 2008, making the shingle-style mansion on the rocky North Shore one of the earliest National Historic Landmarks to directly recognize its LGBT connections. Today guests can tour 40
of the estate’s ornate, inspiring and antique-stuffed rooms, built in stages over the last 25 years of Sleeper’s life and each commanding a totally different theme: English cottage, Chinese trade, Gothic library, to name a few. With Beauport, Sleeper built a showroom for his legacy—and a home to play out his final act as bon vivant. He died in 1934. A tribute to the designer, published in the “Gloucester Daily Times,” was written by former congressman A. Andrew Piatt, Sleeper’s Gloucester neighbor, longtime companion, and (most likely) lover. Stay here: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the refined, Colonial Revival-style Bass Rocks Ocean Inn was built by prominent North Shore hotelier
George O. Stacy as a gift to his bride. (Bright white, it was nicknamed the “Wedding Cake House.”) Now 51 luxurious guest rooms await, with the pool and ocean on one side, cozy fire pit to the other. Eat here: Locals swoon for the magic at Alchemy, featuring artfully presented, nifty New American dinners and a Sunday brunch with live music, where the blueberry sauce-slathered pancakes washed down with bright red Bloody Marys. Do this: Sun and swim at quiet, cove-like Wingaersheek Beach. Tour the medieval-style Hammond Castle (complete with drawbridge!) built by Alexander Graham Bell’s protogee, prolific inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr. Kick back with a pint on the deck of family-owned Cape Ann Brewing Company, one of the region’s most popular craft brewers.
Wild Knoll in York, ME 30 Surf Point Road If you spent any amount of time studying feminism or lesbian literature (and if you haven’t – why not?), you’ve met the name May Sarton. Belgium-born and Bostonraised, Sarton led a fascinating
life: originally bound for a career as an actress, her passion for writing slowly took precedent and visits to Europe brought her in contact with bold-faced names like Virginia Woolf. Soon her own string of memoirs and (often thinly disguised) novels followed, exploring with great emotional complexity themes like aging, solitude, self-doubt, and the nuances of love and sexuality. Among them was 1965’s “Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing,” in which Sarton boldly acknowledged her lesbianism to readers. And then there is “The House By the Sea,” Sarton’s first work written at Wild Knoll, a seaside home within a 41-acre York estate owned by Maine artists Mary-Leigh Smart and the late Beverly Hallam. Sarton rented Wild Knoll for 22 years and lived there until she died of breast cancer in 1995, several years after suffering a stroke that made it difficult for her to write. (Undeterred, she wrote her final three memoirs here with the help of transcription and a tape recorder.) The estate on Surf Point Road is still privately owned, but Smart, now in her 90s, has bequeathed the property to the town for use as an artist colony with nine studios. Thanks to her gracious gift, someday
JUL|AUG 2015 | 41
Sarton’s house by the sea will inspire a new generation of visitors and residents. Stay here: The 58-room Stage Neck Inn, situated right on a rocky peninsula with an adjacent beach, has every amenity you could want during a York getaway. From an 18-hole golf course to tennis courts and spa, you’ll be well occupied and well pampered. Eat here: Surrounded by the countryside of York’s Cape Neddick, Clay Hill Farm is an elegant American fine dining destination that is popular with weddings—including same-sex ceremonies. It’s also the country’s first restaurant to be certified as a natural wildlife habitat and bird sanctuary, with 150 birdhouses dotted among picturesque walking trails. Do this: Spend some time exploring neighboring
Ogunquit, Maine’s gay summer resort town. Warble show tunes around the piano bar at Front Porch. Watch the pros at Ogunquit Playhouse, where shows like “Victor Victoria” play this summer. And walk the cliff side Marginal Way to gay club Mainestreet, where the drinks are cold and the nightlife hot.
Sarah Orne Jewett House in South Berwick, ME
[OPPOSITE AND ABOVE] Sarah Orne Jewett House
PHOTO Courtesy of Historic New England
5 Portland Street Solitude is a writer’s best friend. Though novelist and poet Sarah Orne Jewett spent half her year in a “Boston marriage” with fellow writer Annie Fields, during the other half she would retreat to her family’s home in South Berwick, finding inspiration in smalltown New England that made
her an important figure in American regionalism: a literary sub-field filled with natives of place who capture their small-town local color with pride and romanticism. (Think Robert Frost, Edith Wharton and Harriet Beecher Stowe.) Jewett’s work is often regarded as proto-lesbian
literature because of its focus – unusual at the time – on strong female protagonists sharing intense bonds with other, often older, women. (It’s worth noting that Fields was 15 years Jewett’s senior.) Jewett also served as something of a mentor to the younger novelist Willa Cather, encouraging her
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JUL|AUG 2015 | 43
in letters to ditch her male characters and write from a female point of view. Like Cather, Jewett’s sexuality is a source of conjecture among scholars—and speaks to the shifting, nebulous definitions of LGBT identity. Clearly Jewett’s relationships with women – marked by devoted companionship and heightened emotional intimacy, whether expressly sexual or not—would look like lesbianism today. But given that the rigid definition of gayness-as-identity is a somewhat modern phenomenon, does it make sense to succinctly refer to Jewett as a lesbian? Let the debate flow after a visit to her family home, now owned by Historic New England and housing a visitor’s center, exhibits, and public programs. Stay here: A quaint, quiet respite in South Berwick,
the Academy Street Inn has the studied refinement of a classic New England bed & breakfast. Spacious rooms and warm hospitality greet you the moment you step on the wraparound front porch. Eat here: Reservations aren’t accepted at Thistle Pig, but take your chances on grabbing a seat in the small, cozy neighborhood joint that serves surprisingly sophisticated farm-to-table cuisine (with packaged meats from local farms available for purchase). Do this: Take an easy hike in Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park, a lush gem filled with centuries-old trees and ancient streams. Tour Hamilton House, a mural- and antique-filled Georgian mansion built in 1785 by a wealthy shipping merchant. And hit Hackmatack Playhouse for summer theatre like “West
Side Story” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
St. Paul’s Church in Concord, NH 21 Centre Street Sure, we’re stretching our definition a bit. But to the faithful, the church is the house of God. And this house caused quite a stir when, in a 2003 vote held here, the Diocese of New Hampshire elected Gene Robinson the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church—making Robinson, by extension, the first openly gay bishop in a major Christian organization. (Firm emphasis on “openly.”) Robinson’s election was both historic and contentious. He and his then-partner, Mark Andrew (they have since married and divorced) wore bulletproof vests to the consecration
amid death threats, protests, and a smear campaign targeting the new bishop’s character. Robinson’s election roiled conservative Anglican leaders who warned it would incite a schism in the church—and, presumably, bring the sky crashing down. That didn’t happen. Robinson went on to become a significant public face for gay Christians. Last year, shortly before retiring, he publicly called on Pope Francis to change Roman Catholic Church doctrine that brands gays as “intrinsically disordered.” We’re still waiting for that progress, but in the meanwhile St. Paul’s stands as architectural testimony to one of the most significant moments of LGBT-related progress in religious history. (And if you don’t have the chance to pay a visit here, check out the award-winning
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2012 documentary about Robinson, “Love Free or Die.”) Stay here: A historic downtown Victorian houses The Centennial, but the 32 guest rooms skew contemporary with large LCD TVs and in some cases, private balconies. Downstairs its Granite Restaurant & Bar is a perfect place to kick back with a martini after touring the town. Eat here: It’s not fancy, but locals love Beefside, famous for its cheese- and peppertopped steak and roast beef sandwiches, plus an array of BBQ meats pulled straight from the smoker. Do this: Catch an indie flick, documentary or sing-along musical screening at the nonprofit Red River Theatres. For live performance, visit the Capitol Center for the Arts, staging shows like “Legally Blonde: The Musical.” And
St. Pauls Church
just 20 minutes away is New Hampshire’s largest city, home to gay bar Element Lounge, which hosts karaoke, comedy shows and dance parties.
Vermont State House in Montpelier, VT 115 State Street Remember Civil Unions? The term sounds positively quaint today, as we stand (long overdue) on the threshold of attaining full marriage equality nationally. But it wasn’t so long ago—just July 2000, in fact—when Vermont became the first state to introduce civil unions. Those pseudo-equivalencies to marriage began as a well-intentioned and practical solution for same-sex couples without any legal protections; once Massachusetts afforded equal marriage in 2004, civil
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unions became a compromise measure bartered by conservative parties unwilling to extend the real deal. Eventually, the pendulum of progress swung far enough that we no longer felt obliged to entertain them as an option. (Marriage or bust, baby.) No maligned minority should aspire to “separate but equal” status. And in 2013, when the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, the disparity between civil unions and marriages became starker. (Federal benefits: Marriage yes, civil unions no.) Yet at the same time, we shouldn’t underestimate the impact that was made when this house—the people’s house—in America’s smallest state capital chose to extend greatly symbolic and equal-inspirit legal status to same-sex couples. It galvanized excitement within political circles about what was possible, and it probably primed other states – including Massachusetts – for saying “I do” to marriage. It’s been a long walk down the aisle, and it started here. Stay here: Just steps from the State House is the Capitol Plaza Hotel, featuring 68 rooms that range from traditional doubles to two-room luxury suites with wet bars, Jacuzzis and full living rooms. The ground floor restaurant, J. Morgans Steakhouse is a local favorite for prime cuts and its famous running trains that wind around the room. Eat here: You’re fated to visit Kismet Farm & Table, a cool chef-owned restaurant specializing in responsibly raised foods, artisan ingredients and organic wines. Do this: Find great entertainment at Lost Nation Theater, now staging “Stone,” a piece about the community’s granite history. Pick up a weird but
wonderful souvenir at Spider Web Farm, where woodworker Will Knight collects, spray paints and frames elaborate spider webs found at his farm. And discover some new craft beers at Three Penny Taproom, known for its eclectic selection of topnotch suds.
Buxton Hill in Williamstown, MA 1411 Main Street Musical theater: is there any gayer genre of music? (Besides Cher’s discography, of course.) If you’ve ever engaged a show tune sing-along at a piano bar, you’ve encountered Cole Porter: the gay songwriter responsible for “Kiss Me, Kate,” the 1949 winner of the very first Tony award for Best Musical. (Yes, a gay man wrote the first winning musical. Stereotypes aren’t always wrong.) Though Porter was married for 35 years to wife Linda Lee Thomas, she was fully aware he was gay. It was a marriage of utility: Thomas, a socialite divorced from an abusive first husband, found friendship and stable social standing in Porter, who came from a wealthy Indiana family. Porter, known in private to throw wild gay parties (with favors) and cruise for young sailors, was able to preserve the “respectability” of publicfacing heterosexuality. Porter wrote some of the stage world’s most famous musicals—like “Anything Goes”—and songs, like “Night and Day,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Some touched upon his sexuality, like “Live and Let Live” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” inspired by his relationship with choreographer Nelson Barclift. In 1940, Porter purchased an estate at 1411 Main Street in
JUL|AUG 2015 | 47
College Museum of Art. Hike (or drive) to the summit of Mount Greylock, Massachusetts’ highest peak, where a small cabin even offers overnight stays.
The Glass House in New Canaan, CT 199 Elm Street Cole Porter’s home
Cole Porter Williamstown, dubbed “Buxton Hill,” as a summer home and working space. (Here he wrote, “Kiss Me, Kate.”) After the death of his wife Porter lived here, largely as a recluse, until his own passing in 1964. Buxton Hill was subsequently operated as an inn; it was recently sold, but still worth a drive-by for musical theater lovers who want to pay homage to a true American original. Stay here: The Guest House at Field Farm, a 316-acre property managed by The Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit that is the largest private holder of conserved land in the state. It’s a six-room bed & breakfast once owned by the Bloedel family, passionate art
collectors whose collection of Bauhaus, mid-century furnishings outfit the accommodations like an architectural period piece. Eat here: American brasserie Hops and Vines, which offers craft brews and eclectic wines for sipping in a garden with roaring fire pit. Do this: Scope the shows at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the esteemed summer stock stop for famous names and big talent. (Bi “Sex & the City” star Cynthia Nixon appears in “Kinship” this summer.) Take an art tour of the classics-filled Clark Art Institute, with grounds of picturesque walking trails, or modern-skewing Williams
48 | BOSTON SPIRIT
“I have very expensive wallpaper,” once quipped famed architect Philip Johnson about his Glass House, a minimalist triumph in the woods of an extremely wealthy Connecticut town. Perhaps you know the designer? Her name’s Mother Nature, and her work is viewed everywhere inside the transparent weekend retreat where Johnson and his life partner, art critic David Whitney, lived for many decades. Johnson, considered America’s best-known gay architect, had an illustrious career: He founded the Department of Architecture and Design at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art (where he designed the sculpture garden and east wing) and among his more prominent designs were Manhattan’s AT&T (now Sony) Building and the interior of the Seagram Building. Largely inspired by his studies in Germany, Johnson is credited with introducing modern architecture to mainstream America. Johnson’s Glass House, built to satisfy a personal competition with his German mentor, Mies van der Rohe, was probably the greatest architectural ambassador for minimalism. Used for entertaining, the 1800-square foot rectangle – comprised of clear glass sheets framed by eight black steel columns—wound up securing mass attention, covers of mainstream magazines, and celebrity status for its designer, who died in 2005. Declared a National Historic
Landmark, it is now open to tours from May 1 through November 30, including several other buildings that Johnson erected on his acres of land: a brick guest house and underground art gallery, among others, all featuring fascinating collections of furniture an art. Stay here: The historic Roger Sherman Inn is among Connecticut’s oldest homes, and boasts some grand touches— like wallpaper from famed Jean Zuyber, whose coverings adorn the White House. Its Yankee fare-serving restaurant and thoughtfully appointed guest rooms are a relaxing respite. Eat here: Elm Restaurant offers an elegant, modern approach to seasonal farmfresh dining, with an artfully presented selection of small, large, and shared plates. Do this: Check out an exhibition or sign up for a summer class at the Silvermine Arts Center. Stroll through the botanical gardens, birds of prey exhibit and hiking trails at the New Canaan Nature Center. And visit some of the independently owned shops in the adorable downtown of neighboring Darien.
James Merrill House in Stonington, CT 107 Water Street One of only six places in the country listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its relation to LGBT history, the James Merrill House also has a significant place in literary history. It was here that Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Merrill, Connecticut’s first poet laureate, lived with his partner of more than 40 years, fellow writer David Jackson. Merrill wasn’t just one of America’s most celebrated poets—he was one of
its most innovative. Among his most famous works was “The Changing Light at Sandoval,” an apocalyptic epic poem (one of the longest in any language) published in three volumes from 1976 to 1980. The poem incorporates twenty years’ worth of supernatural communications that Merrill and Jackson documented during séances with their Ouija board in the turret dining room of the home. After the much-lauded poet’s death in 1995, the Stonington Village Improvement Association inherited the home. Looking much the same as Merrill left it, it now serves as a museum and offers a writerin-residence program. Every year talented wordsmiths apply for one of very few annual residencies – ranging from two weeks to four months—to live rent-free and
The Glass House PHOTO Robin Hill Photography
JUL|AUG 2015 | 49
James Merrill House work in quietude in the same space where Merrill created his famous work. The house is open to the general public a handful of afternoons per year, but also arranges for visits by appointment. Pro tip: Bring your Ouija board. Stay here: Small but mighty, The Inn at Stonington is an 18-room waterfront hotel full of warmth and charm. It doesn’t hurt that it hosts a
massage program and partners with a local sailing center to hook guests up with private lessons. Eat here: It’s cheap, it’s right on the water, and it’s a local favorite for a reason. Dog Watch Café is a classic shore side joint slinging simple but delicious hot dogs, nachos, and burgers with cold beers and ocean breezes.
Do this: Discover some of the Connecticut Wine Trail, a region comprised of about 25 wineries, by stopping for tastings at Stonington Vineyard. Then make your way to historic neighboring Mystic, to discover Mystic Seaport, a living museum filled with 17 acres of exhibits about early New England history, the fun and flipper-filled Mystic Aquarium, and of course, Mystic Pizza, the cheesy joint that inspired the famous flick.
Bates Family Home in Falmouth, MA 16 Main Street Here’s an idea: The next time that a right wing, chauvinistic, god and country-loving bigot says something ignorant about gay people, remind him that “America the Beautiful” was written by a feminist lesbian.
It’ll go over well. It’s the truth, though: Katharine Lee Bates wrote the words to that patriotic anthem in a notebook during the summer of 1893. And it’s not her only surprising contribution to history and pop culture. The daughter of a pastor, Bates is also responsible for popularizing the character of Mrs. Santa Claus through her poem “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride.” That intro to the bespectacled spouse is revealing of Bates’ 19th-century feminist sensibility: Mrs. Claus, not content to be left at home, argues to Santa that her responsibilities—like tending turkeys by the hearth—are as important as his to making the holidays happen, and convinces him to take her along for some sleighing and chimney dropping work too. (“Home to womankind is suited? Nonsense,
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Goodman! Let our fruited Orchards answer for the value of woman out-of-doors.”) Bates had her own modern relationship, a 25-year “Boston marriage” with Katharine Coman. Coman, a social activist, was dean of Wellesley College; Bates became an English professor. Beyond her most famous works she was a prolific in poetry, travel writing and children’s stories—and her own childhood home in Falmouth was, until recently, preserved by the local historic society. Now privately owned, it’s worth driving by for a photo op—or pay tribute to this influential female writer at her final home: Falmouth’s Oak Grove Cemetery. Stay here: Relax in the refreshing, briny air at Beach Breeze Inn, a 150-year old property just 100 yards from the beach. The front lawn is
Bates Family Home
full of games, the grill is always stocked, and the Adirondack chairs always begging to be filled. Eat here: The Glass Onion, which is a bit pricier than some of the options in town, but totally worth it for the
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imaginative American cuisine in elegant environs. Do this: Visit the internationally-famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world’s largest non-profit research facility of its kind. Rent a bike and explore the
11-mile Shining Sea Bikeway, meandering along the picturesque Cape shoreline. And hop a nearby ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, where plenty of summer fun awaits. [x]
A National Historic Landmark... An American Masterpiece In 1668, John Turner built a house destined to become one of the most famous structures in America. Join us as we celebrate more than 340 years of American architecture, Salem’s maritime history, and the life and literary legacy of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. Discover the secret staircase. Stroll the three seasons garden. Shop for unique gifts and books.
Known for the Witch Trials of 1692, Salem’s stories also include the Spice Trade, Nathaniel Hawthorne and thriving contemporary art, cultural and dining scenes. Just 16 Miles North of Boston. Easy to reach by car, train, or seasonal ferry.
@DestSalem #SalemMA
Learn more about Salem, Massachusetts at Salem.org
115 Derby Street | Salem, Mass 01970 978-744-0991 | www.7gables.org Audio and written translations of the tour are available in Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish.
JUL|AUG 2015 | 51
3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS’
NEW SICK TIME LAW
RENEE INOMATA - Partner, Burns & Levinson LLP rinomata@burnslev.com l 617.345.3340
Massachusetts is known for being on the cutting edge when it comes to protecting employees, whether it’s with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, affiliation with protected individuals, or disabilities. In November, Massachusetts added to that list by voting to approve a referendum that makes job-protected sick leave mandatory for all employees.
Many employers were taken by surprise by the referendum, as it isn’t common for law to be made by popular vote. The
■ Address the effects of domestic violence on them or their dependent child
new law requires that, effective July 1, 2015, all employers, whether located within Massachusetts or not and regardless
The child need not be biological or adopted, and includes
of size are required to provide job-protected sick time to
foster children, legal wards or children for whom the
employees who work primarily in Massachusetts. The new
employee has assumed parental responsibility.
Earned Sick Time Law also protects absences arising from domestic violence.
Because the Earned Sick Time Law probably applies to you, here are three steps you can take to comply.
Conceptually, most businesses are likely to agree that employees should be allowed sick time to address these types of issues. However, the new Earned Sick Time Law creates additional procedural and intangible burdens on businesses, especially small businesses. How does this impact you? If you own your own business and employ even one person, you now have new obligations for allowing your workers to take sick time. Under the new Earned Sick Time Law, employees working in Massachusetts are entitled to accrue and use up to 40 hours of sick time each calendar year to: ■ Care for a physical or mental illness, injury or medical condition affecting them or their child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse ■ Attend routine medical appointments or those of their child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse
1
POST NOTICES AND UPDATE POLICIES Employers are required to post the Attorney General’s new Earned Sick Time Law and regulations notice. Additionally, employers are required to provide an
employee upon the start of their employment with written notice of what the “calendar year” will be for the purposes of the Earned Sick Time Law. Also, if the employer does not wish to pay out any earned sick time upon termination of employment, the employer must include this in its earned sick time policy. Employers should also consider putting in its earned sick time policy what procedure an employee must follow and what verification the employee is to provide when taking earned sick time and when an employee may be required to take time greater than he or she may have intended. The new law may also create conflicts with what was allowed under other laws, so employers should review their other policies with potentially overlapping obligations, such as the Small Necessities Leave policy.
2
UPDATE PROCEDURES FOR TRACKING ACCRUAL AND USE OF EARNED SICK TIME For employers who have 11 or more employees
in any 20 weeks or in 16 consecutive weeks during the year, sick time must be paid. For purposes of counting employees, all employees must be counted, including those located outside Massachusetts and those that are parttime, seasonal or temporary. Employers who do not have at least 11 employees are still required to provide unpaid sick time. Employees are entitled to accrue sick leave at a rate of one hour of sick leave for every thirty 30 hours that they work, up to a cap of 40 hours during a calendar year. A few additional things to consider: ■ Exempt,
full-time
employees
are
considered
to
part-time employees are assumed to have worked hours
in
a
week
As
with
most
laws
addressing
leaves,
a
critical piece of the Earned Sick Time Law is
bringing the employee back to work. Discriminating or retaliating against employees for taking earned sick time or for complaining about the employer’s possible failure to comply with the law is prohibited. For instance, a manager who may be frustrated because he or she has to ask other employees to cover an employee’s last minute use of earned sick time may be tempted to take out their frustration in a performance review or in scheduling that employee for future shifts; or may push the employee to provide more information about the reason for using earned sick time than the employer may be entitled.
have worked 40 hours each week, while exempt, the
3
MAKE SURE MANAGERS HANDLE SICK LEAVE CORRECTLY
that
they
are
regularly
scheduled. Non-exempt employee hours are actual hours worked, including those hours eligible for overtime payment.
In some instances, employers already have policies that are more generous than what the Earned Sick Time Law requires. If you are one of those employers, keep in mind that you have until Jan. 1, 2016, to revisit your policies. This “safe harbor” applies only to those employers who had a paid sick time policy as of May 1, 2015, which allows for 30 or more hours of paid time off in the course of the
■ If an employee works for a company both in and out of Massachusetts, then the total number of hours must be counted for purposes of accrual calculations.
2015 calendar year. Even if the policy only applied to fulltime employees, you may still fall under the “safe harbor” protections, if you extend the policy to all employees or start complying with the new Earned Sick Time Law for
■ Employers should make sure that their payroll systems reflect the use of earned sick time in the smallest increment used to account for other time, and that they are paying at the appropriate hourly rate. How
employees who aren’t eligible for paid time off under the existing policy. Although the “safe harbor” gives additional time for employers to revisit their existing policies, every employer with Massachusetts workers should take time to review their sick time policies.
hourly rates are calculated can be complicated, so it’s best to check with your legal counsel on what is the
Though there are some grumblings about potential change
proper rate.
or repeal of the new Earned Sick Leave Law, until that happens employers will need to comply.
This article was written by Renee Inomata, Partner and Chair of Burns & Levinson’s Labor, Employment & Employee Benefits Group. For more information, please contact her at rinomata@burnslev.com / 617.345.3340.
Burns & Levinson is a Boston-based law firm with over 120 attorneys and offices in Providence and New York, as well as in the Merrimack Valley/North Shore, Metro West and South Shore areas of Massachusetts. We work with entrepreneurs, emerging businesses, private and public companies and individuals in sophisticated business transactions, litigation and private client services.
burnslev.com
617.345.3000
MASSACHUSETTS l NEW YORK l RHODE ISLAND
The Firm’s LGBT Group: Lisa M. Cukier l Scott H. Moskol l Deborah J. Peckham l Laura R. Studen l Donald E. Vaughan l Ellen J. Zucker
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THESE SEXY BOSTONIANS ARE HOT BUT THEY ARE MORE THAN JUST PRETTY FACES
SPOTLIGHT Ricardo’s List CREATIVE Ricardo Rodriguez PHOTOS Joel Benjamin
Bobby 49 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am resilient and not afraid of challenges. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
My great relationship with my family. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
The sky is the limit.
[MAKE-UP] Tavi de la Rosa [HAIR] Bianca Beaumont for Salon Mario Russo [PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT] Josh Campbell [SWIMWEAR FOR BOBBY, KEEGAN, DANN, CHRISTINE, PATRICK] Daniela Corte”:
Keegan 28 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My sense of adventure and optimism. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Being 100% myself and proud of it. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Adventure.
Dann 24 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’m loyal and someone you can count on. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Receiving my seconddegree black belt in competitive martial arts. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Graduating college and traveling.
Paula 40 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I love that I am my own unique person, a strong woman who can always make myself and others laugh. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Completing marathons and beating my own personal records. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Enjoying my life, continuing working on my personal training business and traveling, traveling and more traveling! The world is meant to be seen and experienced.
Christine 27 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My determination to succeed. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
My physical and mental accomplishments in CrossFit. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Hopefully a lead Hollywood movie role!
Matthew 32 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am always up for an adventure and can find fun in just about anything. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Buying my first home with my boyfriend. It’s been a labor of love for us both. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
I’m super impulsive, so the future isn’t too far past the upcoming weekend.
Bianca 25 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
That I am honest. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Being the mother to my 3 year-old son. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
To be the best hairstylist in town and the best mom to my son.
Patrick 22 FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am adaptable, resourceful and feel comfortable in most situations. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?
Reaching a point in my life in which I am independent and happy. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Lots of traveling.
CULTURE Comedy STORY Loren King PHOTOS Joel Benjamin
Lea DeLari-us The comedienne is experiencing her moment in the global spotlight—and she takes it very seriously Popular culture has finally caught up with Lea DeLaria. For years, the no-holds-barred stand up comic and acclaimed jazz singer was one of the few entertainers with “openly gay” in front of her name. Select audiences followed DeLaria from the comedy clubs of Provincetown to Broadway which DeLaria took by storm when she knocked it into the rafters as Hildy Esterhazy in the 1998 revival of “On the Town.” But it’s her role as Big Boo on the Netflix series
“Orange is the New Black” that has endeared DeLaria to a new global generation that’s embracing the bawdy, 56 yearold butch lesbian who also happens to play one on TV. “It’s about fame in the digital age. I’ve been very regularly on American television since 1993—I was on ‘One Life to Live’ for a decade—so I’m used to all aspects of what happens to you on television,” DeLaria says. “But no one knew what was going to happen with ‘Orange’; it just exploded.
64 | BOSTON SPIRIT
No one expected that. I am humbled that people love the character and [Big Boo] has become part of what the show is. I’m thrilled and honored and, just as a human being who’s an actor, so fucking happy to make a paycheck.” Of course DeLaria knows that OITNB is more than that. Big Boo, a multi-dimensional, funny, butch lesbian character, is a rarity in any medium. With season three now airing (“It’s the best season yet. The whole cast believes that,” she says) and Big Boo upgraded to a series regular for season four which is currently shooting, DeLaria is assured of not just continued paychecks but increased recognition.
DeLaria got the job the oldfashioned way: by earning it in an audition. She so impressed series creator Jenji Kohan that Big Boo was written for her. “The minute [Kohan] saw me and what I could do ... she felt I had to be part of the show, so the next thing I knew they made [Big Boo] part of that prison family. ... There are a lot of butch dykes among lesbians and a lot of them in prisons [but] we could have been left out again, or they could have made [Big Boo] a buffoon. But instead, they made her the one who makes fun of everybody else and the only person who’s formidable to her is Nicky [the character played by Natasha Lyonne],” says DeLaria. Most
of DeLaria’s scenes are with Lyonne, whose Nicky Nichols is also a lesbian, or with Taryn Manning, who plays religious zealot Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett and DeLaria has high praise for both actresses. “Taryn is fab; she’s such a warm and giving actor. It’s different than what happens with that asshole Natasha Lyonne! I’m joking. Natash and I spend whole scenes trying to make one another laugh on camera.” But the kind of worldwide attention DeLaria is experiencing brings with it a huge responsibility, she says. “I get direct messages every day, 10 to 20 messages, from young lesbians around the world asking my advice. Honestly,
really scary stuff like, ‘I’m a lesbian but I can’t even think of telling my family because in my county they’ll stone me to death.’ Stuff like that. I try to help as much as I can ... I used to laugh off that responsibility when I was younger; I’d been around, I had a modicum of fame, and I’d make jokes [like] ‘If I’m an icon or a role model, then lesbians are in a lot of trouble.’ But I take it seriously now because it reaches so many more people. When you get messages like that, you can’t brush it off with a joke.” DeLaria and Laverne Cox, who plays trans character Sophia on the show, are both breaking ground on mainstream television and serve as
“ I get direct messages every day, 10 to 20 messages, from young lesbians around the world asking my advice. Honestly, really scary stuff like, ‘I’m a lesbian but I can’t even think of telling my family because in my county they’ll stone me to death.’ Stuff like that. I try to help as much as I can ... I used to laugh off that responsibility when I was younger … But I take it seriously now because it reaches so many more people. ” Lea DeLaria
JUL|AUG 2015 | 65
"Cyndi Lauper delivers
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magnets for LGBT viewers. So the two often “end up at the bar together at end of the night,” says DeLaria. “We have a camaraderie as part of the queer community, so often we’re hanging out and talking about life. Believe me, I love every woman in this cast and I think they all love me. There are no issues; everyone is a cool person and we all get along. But Laverne and I have a little more in common,” she says. So tight is the cast and crew of OITNB that DeLaria is setting the date of her wedding to fashion editor Chelsea Fairless by the show’s shooting schedule. “We’re getting married next year so the cast can come,” she says. “We are filming all summer and fall so there was no way we could get a wedding together this year.” In May, DeLaria was the guest of honor at the annual Elliot Norton Awards for Boston’s theater community. The city has been a big part of her life and career, particularly DeLaria’s role in the American Repertory Theater’s 2011 production of Prometheus Bound directed by Diane Paulus. DeLaria says she and the other original cast members—among them
Gavin Creel, Gabe Ebert and Uzo Aduba (who plays “Crazy Eyes” on OITNB) —have not given up the idea of reviving it on Broadway. “If ‘Fun Home’ can be on Broadway, our show can be, too. ‘Fun Home’ has restored my faith in musical theater; it’s one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen. I feel the same way about Prometheus Bound. Some people didn’t like the hardcore rock sound but it served the purpose of the piece really well. It was an amazing piece of theater. I can’t wait to do another show at A.R.T.” She’ll get that chance in September when she performs “House of David,” her new recording of David Bowie songs, at Oberon. Although DeLaria is part of the Broadway series at the Art House (appearing July 11 and 12 ), her OITNB shooting schedule won’t allow her usual late-summer performances in Provincetown, a place with which she’s closely identified. “Nothing makes me happier than when people walking down the street in Provincetown say, ‘Welcome home, Lea.’ If I consider anything a home, it’s Provincetown where I’ve been on a regular basis since 1994.
“ Nothing makes me happier than when people walking down the street in Provincetown say, ‘Welcome home, Lea.’ If I consider anything a home, it’s Provincetown where I’ve been on a regular basis since 1994. ” Lea DeLaria
That’s a long time.” Her many friends there “are so happy for me. A lot of other lesbian comics are not. Jealous bitches! Let me be clear: not Kate Clinton. She could not be more thrilled for me. I adore her.”
When DeLaria is asked performing, and I get very What would she do if she to reflect on her long and tired. It’s been thing after thing retired? diverse career, don’t expect to after thing, and I go, ‘When can “I would own a little club, hear words like “pioneer” or I retire?’ No one does, in his a jazz club and sing once a “trailblazer.” business. I’ll either die telling week,” she says. “Other than “I look at my resume and a joke, belting a D sharp, or try- that, I’d sit by the door and let at everything I’ve done ing to hit my mark on the set.” people in.” [x] Financial Serving the Gay and Lesbian Community since 1982 when IProfessionals started
PridePlanners
PridePlanners
Financial Professionals Serving the Gay and Lesbian Community
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CHANGING L ANDSC APES : CHANGING CHANGING CHANGING CHANGING : : LANDSCAPES L ANDSCAPES ™
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PridePlanners™ Presents PridePlanners PridePlanners FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, Financial Financial Professionals Professionals Serving the Gay Serving and Lesbian theCommunity Gay and Lesbian Community Historical & future Financial Financial Professionals Professionals Serving the Gay Serving and Lesbian theCommunity Gay and Lesbian Community perspectives for LGBT ATTORNEYS & ACCOUNTANTS PridePlanners Presents families – marriage, workplace issues, children CHANGING Socially Responsible : –a Investments Panel LANDSCAPES ™ ™ PridePlanners Presents PridePlanners Presents ™ ™ number of mutual PridePlanners PridePlanners Presents Presentsfund and investment FINANCIAL PL ANNING FOR LGBT CLIENTS AND/OR UNMARRIED COUPLES
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Since 1999, PridePlanners™ has been a leader among professionals working with LGBT and non-traditional clients. This year, 2015, may be the hallmark year in the United States with marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in all fifty states — we’ll know in June when the U.S. Supreme Court addresses the issue. No matter their decision, complexities and issues remain.
❱〉 Whether among to wed , ChFC , CLU , ADPAa , CEP,leader CLTC, Charles CFPbeen Since 1999, PridePlannersJT Hatfield has Fred Hertz, J.D., and many more to address important Financial Professionals Serving the Gay and Lesbian Community ❱〉 Estate Planning SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 25, 2015 professionals working with LGBT and issues facing same-sex and unmarried couples.non-traditional REGISTER AT www.prideplanners.org Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg ❱〉 Elder Law PRESENTED PRESENTED AT FPA AT BE BOSTON FPA BE 2015 BOSTON 2015 clients. This year, 2015, may be the hallmark year in the will provide Welcome Remarks. ❱〉 Financial planning for HIV positive United States with marriage equalit y for gay and lesbian WESTIN WESTIN BOSTON BOSTON WATERFRONT WATERFRONT The cost of the & chronic care REGISTER AT www.prideplanners.org This fee is illnesses separate from the FPA $ preconference is $275 conference fee. Attendees are not 275 early bird The cost of the preconference is couples in all fif t y states — we’ll $ know in June when ❱〉 Retirement Planning regular rate. rate (before June 25)early and 325 bird rate ™ Presents required to register for FPA but there is PridePlanners ❱〉 MarketingNo to LGBT clients This fee is separate from the FPA conference fee. the U.S. Supreme Cour t addresses the mat ter ™ has been ™ a (before June 25) andissue. a 20% discount for theTOPICS FPA event if you Since Since 1999, 1999, PridePlanners PridePlanners has leader been among a leader among INCLUD Attendees are not required to register for FPA TOPICS INCLUDE ❱〉 CEUs Pending register for both. $325forissues regular rate. their decision, complexities remain. but there is aand 20% discount the FPA event if professionals professionals working working with LGBT with and LGBT non-traditional and Professionals non-traditional Financial Serving the Gay and Lesbian Community you register for both. ARE YOU PREPARED TO HANDLE THESE ❱〉Information ❱〉 perspectives Historical & future for LGBT families – Historical & future perspective clients. clients. ThisThis year, year, 2015, may 2015, be the may hallmark be the yearhallmark in the Hotel &year in the Travel IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR ALL OF YOUR CLIENTS? hosting a full day PridePlanners™ is once again JUL|AUG 2015 | 67conference marriage, workplace issues, children workplace issues, childr marriage, Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring? United United States States with marriage with marriage equality for equality gay and lesbian for gay and lesbian before the Financial Planning Association’s National Please contact Dana Levit at (617) 641-2446
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CULTURE Theater STORY Loren King
The Neon Lights Are Bright on ... Commercial Street
“ Provincetown is beautiful and the artists really respond to the idea of coming here in July and August. They get to be on the water and work with Seth [Rudetsky] whom they adore.” Mark Cortale
Broadway @ The Art House is the next best thing to New York
This summer’s dazzling line-up for the fifth Broadway @ The Art House series at Provincetown’s Art House and Town Hall brings to the Cape Tip performers that one rarely sees outside of Manhattan. And for such an entertainment coup, Provincetown itself deserves at least some of the credit. Yes, it’s producer Mark Cortale and performer and host Seth Rudetsky who have the connections, the reputations and the vision. But the town plays no small role in luring A-listers like Audra
McDonald, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and Neil Patrick Harris for the one-of-a-kind, intimate shows that mix signature songs and repartee. With largely gay, enthusiastic audiences, a scenic environment, and the chance to mix business with lots of pleasure, Cortale and Rudetsky seem to have hit on a winning formula for bringing such an impressive roster of talent to both the cozy Art House and the larger but no less intimate, historic Town Hall.
[OPPOSITE] Jane Krakowski, Matthew Broderick, Neil-Patrick Harris and Sarah Jessica Parker
“Provincetown is beautiful and the artists really respond to the idea of coming here in July and August,” says Cortale. “They get to be on the water and work with Seth whom they adore.” Cortale, a New York native and former opera singer, took over as producing artistic director of the 128-seat Art House in 2011. He booked his longtime friend, Sirius XM radio star Rudetsky, as a performer and piano accompanist. Broadway maven Rudetsky cultivated the series’ unique format — he
interviews the performer, who shares anecdotes and sings about 10 songs from his or her Broadway oeuvre. “Audiences respond to the format and embrace it. It’s not a scripted show; it changes concert to concert,” says Cortale. “It’s fun, spontaneous and fresh.” In its first few seasons, Broadway superstars including Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, Megan Mullally, Megan Hilty and Christine Ebersole played the Art House. “The collaboration has grown beyond my wildest
Audra McDonald PHOTO Autumn de Wilde expectations,” says Cortale, who divides his time between Provincetown and New Orleans with husband Mark Collins, a not-for-profit attorney whom Cortale credits with “being incredibly supportive in helping me build this series. “The Broadway community is small,” he notes, “so artists go back to New York and say what a blast it was to performer here. Last year, Kristin Chenoweth, from the Town Hall stage, said, ‘This is the best audience ever. Carnegie what?’ It brought the house down. The enthusiasm and love from the audience is really extraordinary. We sometimes take it for granted. But the entertainers who play other venues and then come to this welcoming and amazing place, don’t.” Booking the stellar lineup for this season began on April 1, says Cortale. At that point, with only one firm commitment, panic set in. “People don’t know their schedules yet; they might be waiting to hear about a new show, or a film. You just have to wait. But between April 1 and 15, everyone was in,” he says. That includes three superstar couples who will be
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performing together. Tony and Emmy Award-winner Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka will join Rudetsky on piano for two shows only August 10. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker will perform on stage together for the first time in nearly two decades on August 17, also accompanied by Rudetsky. Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald and her husband, actor Will Swenson, fresh from their run in Eugene O’Neill’s “A Moon For The Misbegotten” at the Williamstown Theater Festival, headline on August 24. Sometimes the “get” is simply a matter of the stars being aligned. “Seth asked Matthew Broderick about appearing in August and Matthew said, ‘that’s family time,’” recalls Cortale. “So I told Seth to tell Matthew to bring Sarah and do a show together. The next day, they were both on board. Sometimes you just have to ask.” Sometimes, you have to ask more than once. Cortale said Rosie O’Donnell, who appeared in May, was invited four times before her schedule allowed her to say yes. Norm Lewis, Tony-nominee for
Sutton Foster “Porgy and Bess” and star of Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera,” will perform August 7 and 8 — after four years of requests. Also making her Provincetown debut is Tony winner and star of “30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Ally McBeal” Jane Krakowski on August 30. Cabaret legend and Provincetown favorite Marilyn Maye, at 87 the grand dame of the series, returns for her fifth season, with Billy Stritch at the piano, August 25 - 29 at 7 p.m. “Marilyn is the only artist who’s been here every summer since the series started. She is such a joy; she’s just phenomenal and gets better every year,” says Cortale. One of the mainstays in the Art House lineup in Varla Jean Merman, a/k/a/ Jeffery Roberson, Cortale’s longtime friend. They met more than a decade ago when Rudetsky took Cortale, then a budding talent manager, to Provincetown’s Post Office Cabaret to see Merman’s show. Merman became Cortale’s first client. “I can trace all my success as a producer to working with [Roberson] and Seth,” says Cortale. Merman will debut her new solo show “Varla
Jean’s Big Black Hole” through September 7 with Gerald Goode at the piano. Merman also stars with Ryan Landry in the new drag comedy “Designing Women Meets the Golden Gals” to September 5. WellStrung, the singing string quartet that Cortale founded with violinist Christopher Marchant, returns for a fourth consecutive summer to debut its new show “Summer Lovin’” directed by Richard Jay-Alexander through September 2. Cortale says he starts with a “wish list” but credits Rudetsky with making most of it come true. “Seth makes the calls because of his relationships with the artists. They trust him and enjoy him. ... As a producer, it’s important to me that the artists want to come back so I want to present them in a professional setting,” he says, noting the well-crafted sound quality at the Art House. “What keeps them coming back is the beauty of Provincetown and the quality of the venue.” [x]
For tickets and information go to www.ptownarthouse.com
CULTURE Theater STORY Loren King
‘All the World’s a Stage ...’
Outstanding Actor, Large Theater: Fred Sullivan, Jr., Twelfth Night (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) with Kerry O’Malley PHOTO Andrew Brilliant-Brilliant Pictures
Veteran actor Fred Sullivan returns to Shakespeare on the Common—this time in “King Lear” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) celebrates its 20th season of free Shakespeare on the Common with a production of “King Lear” July 22-August 9. If full-scale productions of Shakespeare beneath the stars and in front of a blanket of humanity produces goose bumps for the audience, it does the same even to the most seasoned actor. It’s a feeling that Fred Sullivan, Jr., who plays Gloucester in “King Lear,” knows very well. A self-described “Shakespeare geek” since his days at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Sullivan, 54, has acted in or directed 25 of the Bard’s 37 plays, some multiple times.
A CSC regular and a resident actor with Trinity Rep of Providence since 1984, Sullivan’s long and varied resume includes Sir John Falstaff in both “Henry IV” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” It was while performing Falstaff at Trinity Rep in 2004-5 that CSC founding artistic director Steve Maler tapped Sullivan to play Nick Bottom in CSC’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It became one of Sullivan’s prized roles with CSC, a long association that “changed my life,” he says. “I fell in love with Steve [Maler]; with the venue, the approach, the audience. He’s a visionary.
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“It’s magical,” says the actor of the CSC Boston Common productions. “During ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ there were dogs barking and frisbees; it’s a challenge [for actors]. But when you look out at that audience and see how much it reflects the world we live in—that was so inspirational to me.” Last season, Sullivan’s Malvolio in “Twelfth Night” earned him a Norton Award nomination. He’d previously won the Norton Award for outstanding actor for playing Jaques in “As You Like It.” Other of Sullivan’s CSC roles over the years include Menenius in “Coriolanus,” Brabantio in “Othello,” Ageon
in “Comedy of Errors,” First Gangster in “Kiss Me, Kate” and Parolles in “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Oh, and he regularly performs in musicals and contemporary plays, too; recently Max Prince in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” for the Ocean State Theatre Company in Warwick, RI. Sullivan brushes up his Shakespeare on both sides of the stage. As a resident director at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI since 1996, he has staged “Hamlet” and “Much Ado About Nothing” (each twice) as well as “Macbeth,” “King Lear,” and “The Tempest.” “I love his elasticity. Shakespeare works in a tiny theater
“ Gloucester has some of the most beautiful lines ever written. [Words of ] terrible beauty, as we Irish like to say. He’s been my favorite character ever since high school. Even at 16, I knew I wanted to say those gorgeous words someday. ” Fred Sullivan, Jr., like the Gamm with just 100 seats and it works with the huge crowds overflowing the Common at CSC,” says Sullivan. A native of Chelsea, Sullivan has long made his home in Providence where he lives with husband, Americo Carroccio, an artist and designer. They’ve been together for 19 years. Long before Maler had settled on “King Lear” as CSC’s 20th free outdoor production, Sullivan says he’d told him, ‘If you need a Gloucester, call me.’ Maler did. “Gloucester has some of the most beautiful lines ever written. [Words of ] terrible beauty, as we Irish like to say. He’s been my favorite character ever since high school. Even at 16, I knew I wanted to say those gorgeous words someday. This one goes on the charm bracelet,” he says. “Gloucester is gullible and well-meaning; he has power but is foolish. Malvolio and Parolles go through [similar conflicts] but in a comedy; this is a tragedy.” After he was cast as Gloucester, a figure whose relationship with his own sons parallels Lear’s with his daughters, Sullivan jokes that he kept calling Maler to ask ‘do you have my sons yet?’ Maler, says Sullivan, “is meticulous in his casting. I direct too, so I know
sometimes you must book an actor a year in advance. This [CSC] ship could have gone down so many times—and it almost did. But [Maler] has made it rock concert Shakespeare. That kind of scope can reinvigorate a production. I had the time of my life playing Malvolio and Bottom. [As Parolles] in “All’s Well That Ends Well,” I had a speech at the end that’s as beautiful and heartbreaking as anything Shakespeare’s ever written.” Sullivan says his family comes from all around the region “to see [the productions] and they’re overwhelmed and impressed.” As Jacques in “As You Like It,” he got to recite one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches, the “seven ages of man” (“All the world’s a stage ...”) “Those words were bouncing off the Boston Common on a beautiful night,” he recalls. “My brother wept. He told me later, ‘if our parents could have seen you do this.’ It’s not always a breeze for a working actor to commute into Boston for nightly shows. But Sullivan wouldn’t have it any other way. “I find it incredibly rewarding on so many levels,” he says. “It’s part of my life. It’s my profession and my passion.” For tickets and information go to commshakes.org [x]
You can create a legacy for a world without cancer. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is proud to be recognized again as a 2014 Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Include Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund in your estate plans and support cutting-edge research and compassionate care for all patients.
Dana-Farber patient Meg and her nurse practitioner, Jennifer McKenna, RN, MS, AOCNP
INVEST IN TOMORROW’S CURES TODAY Learn more: Alice Tobin Zaff, Assistant Vice President, Gift Planning 800-535-5577 • alice_zaff@dfci.harvard.edu
Dana-Farber.org/spirit
SCENE Benefit PHOTOS Marilyn Humphries
AIDS Walk Esplanade | Boston | June 7
Thousands gathered to raise funds toward a zero AIDS infection rate and to support other AIDS-related services and activities at the 30th Annual AIDS Walk.
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SCENE Networking PHOTOS Ryan Stranz
Boston Spirit Executive Networking Night Copley Marriott | Boston | May 21
Over a thousand LGBT networkers and allies came out to hear New England Patriots’ Julian Edelman at the Boston Spirit Executive Networking night.
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SCENE Benefit PHOTOS Derek Kouyoumjian 2
ACLU Roger Baldwin Award Westin Copley | Boston | May 21
The ACLU of Massachusetts awarded George Takei its Roger Baldwin Award, named for the Massachusetts-born founder of the national ACLU, in honor of Takei’s lifetime of work for social justice. Past Baldwin Award recipients have included Harry Belafonte, Kurt Vonnegut, Rosa Parks, Sister Helen Prejean, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, and Sen. Ted Kennedy.
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SCENE Reception PHOTOS Staff
Boston Spirit VIP Event Royal Sonesta | Cambridge | June 3
Boston Spirit magazine took the opportunity to thank advertisers and other supporters.
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SCENE Benefit PHOTOS Courtesy Community Servings
LifeSavor The Langham | Boston | April 30
Community Servings hosted its 23rd annual LifeSavor. The event raised $520,000 which will help Community Servings serve more than 1,500 individuals in 20 communities in Massachusetts.
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SCENE Benefit PHOTOS Courtesy Greater Boston PFLAG
Pride and Passion Seaport World Trade Center | Boston | May 11
Attracting over 600 attendees, Greater Boston PFLAG held its annual fundraiser and gala honoring Representative Joe Kennedy III and first openly gay retired NBA player Jason Collins.
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SCENE Benefit PHOTOS Meri Bond Photography/Keshet
Outstanding! Artists for Humanity Epicenter | Boston | April 30
Over 200 people attended Keshet’s Annual Awards Dinner to raise money to support work for the full equality and inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life.
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SCENE Gala PHOTOS Courtesy NEHRA
Annual D&I Awards Gala Westin Copley | Boston | April 28
This year, the Northeast HR Association (NEHRA) celebrated 20 years of welcoming, promoting and leading Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace at the Annual D&I Awards Gala—an evening to recognize the past, present and future of diversity in the workplace! This year’s Diversity Champion award, named after Frank X. McCarthy, was presented to David Casey of CVS Health in recognition of his work ensuring that diversity and inclusion are embedded in CVS Health’s recruitment, talent development, performance management and succession planning efforts.
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SCENE Benefit PHOTOS David Fox 1
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Dinnerfest Party + Auction
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Red Lantern | Boston | April 26
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The Imperial Court of Massachusetts Larry Kessler, Rose and Phylee Michaelson Stan Leven and Mary Richardson Representatives from Presenting Sponsor, Eastern Bank, with Victory Programs President & CEO Jonathan Scott and the Hat Sisters Jarrett Hanley and Kelly Lynch of the Red Lantern restaurant Reyes Coll-Tellechea and Pam Nicholas
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Nellie Carreno, Sister KrisTall Mighty, Laura Baldini and Scott Galinsky [8] Team Victory Boston Marathon Runners with Jonathan Scott [9] Jim Seligman, Joe Castellana, David Brown and Benjamin Perkins [10] The Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [11] Jim Clerkin [12] Victory Programs’ Sarah Porter and Jonathan Scott with Michael Goldrosen
Victory Programs held its Dinnerfest RED Party + Auction on Sunday, April 26 at the Red Lantern in Boston. Red was the theme of the day in honor of the agency’s 40th ruby anniversary. Dinnerfest raised nearly $88,000 for the nonprofit that provides housing and health programs for people struggling with homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS.
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CALENDAR Kinky Boots
Margaret Cho: The PsyCHO Tour Margaret Cho is mad as hell—luckily, she’s still funny as all hell too. The queer comedian has never been one to shy away from politically charged, socially conscious humor. And she’s not going to start with her new national tour, which finds the funny-woman riffing on all the infuriating issues that are on her mind right now: from racism to police brutality, the war on women to—well, given her longstanding rep for LGBT politicking, we expect some opining on that front too. She’s crass, she’s politically incorrect, and she’s a little crazy too. But then again, it’s a mad, mad world—you might as well laugh about it. WHEN
WHERE
HOW
August 13 & October 10
Provincetown Town Hall & The Wilbur Theatre, Boston
margaretcho.com
An Evening With David Sedaris If humor is hot, then David Sedaris might be the sexiest guy around. Armed with wit, incisive cultural observation and a healthy (mostly) dose of self-deprecation, Sedaris has entertained millions through best-selling books and countless appearances on National Public Radio. Now fans have the chance to enjoy a more intimate evening with the humorist, whose tour sees him swing through New England’s most popular summer resort towns for some one night stand-up.
Broadway in Boston brings to the Hub the touring production of “Kinky Boots,” the multiple Tony-winning musical that made Cyndi Lauper the first woman to score the award solo in the Best Score category. (Harvey Fierstein penned the show’s uproarious book.) “Kinky Boots” follows the unlikely camaraderie between Charlie, the hapless inheritor of his father’s English shoe factory, and Lola, a towering drag queen whose knack for designing high-heeled sequined boots might be the key to saving the business. Along the way, Charlie and Lola must contend with a few workplace hazards—like some homophobic townies that staff the factory. But ultimately, “Kinky Boots” is a rousing, kicky affair that leaves audiences inspired. If the shoe fits, strut in it. WHEN
August 11–30
WHERE
HOW
Boston Opera ticketmaster. House com
WHEN
WHERE
July 28
Ogunquit
July 29, 30
Provincetown
July 31
Nantucket
August 1
Martha’s Vineyard HOW
davidsedarisbooks.com
PHOTO infinityportraitdesign.com
GAYLA XXXVII GLAD Summer Party It’s pretty hard to overstate the importance and impact of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). The work of this Boston legal advocacy organization reverberates around the country – and the world. Its successes in landmark cases have created new benchmarks for LGBT rights, including issues like equal marriage; it was GLAD’s Mary Bonauto who argued the case that made Massachusetts the first state in the country to welcome same-sex marriage, and it was Bonauto who stood before the Supreme Court in April to make the same case there. So sign us up to support GLAD at is annual summer fling in Provincetown, an always-fabulous fete filled with mixing, mingling, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and some exciting auction items. Sold! WHEN
WHERE
HOW
July 25
Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum
$75, glad.org
Bianca Del Rio, Courtney Act & Jinkx Monsoon It’s a star-filled season in Provincetown, especially if you’re a fan of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” This summer you’ll find not one, not two, but three high-profile alums from the hit reality show setting up residencies. Blonde bombshell Courtney Act, a season six finalist and bona fide pop star in her native Australia, brings stunning looks and hooky songs with her show “Boys Like Me” from June 30 through August 20. Season five winner Jinkx Monsoon stages a one-woman show (“The Inevitable Concert”) from July 15 through September 18, and costars with Peaches Christ in the spoofy “Return to Grey Gardens” from August 21 through September 20. And last season’s winner, insult comic Bianca Del Rio, brings her biting and boisterous tour, “Rolodex of Hate,” from August 10 through September 4. Tuck in for a drop-dead hilarious season of drag. WHEN
WHERE
HOW
All summer long
Provincetown Art House
ptownarthouse.com
At this annual summer conference you won’t find PowerPoint presentations, briefcases, and a persnickety HR department. But you might find sharing circles, hatboxes (for drag wigs!), and an environment that fosters spiritual and sexual growth. Founded in 1979, GAYLA is a gay men’s retreat that combines the convenience of an all-inclusive vacation and the charm of a grown-up summer camp with the spirit of gay brotherhood and bonding. Traditions include summery fun like a talent show, bonfire, volleyball tournament and lobster fest, while others are particularly poignant— like the Remembrance Service, held since 1987, when the names of GAYLA brothers who have passed from the AIDS epidemic are read aloud by the seaside. And still others are sensual. GAYLA is also a sex-positive environment that hosts workshops surrounding intimacy and touch and has a clothing-optional dorm. What everyone bares: soul. WHEN
WHERE
HOW
July 11–18
Ferry Beach Conference Center in Saco, Maine
ferrybeach.org/ gayla
Fascination Upstairs at Jacques Cabaret, the glittery drag queens reign supreme. But descend to Jacques Underground, the Bay Village bar’s grittier subterranean spot, and you’ll now find Fascination — a new monthly nightlife option for Boston’s leather and kink community. Created by Boston actor and artist Michael Flowers and DJ Colby Drasher, Fascination channels the spirit of William Friedkin’s flick “Cruising,” John Rechy’s novel “City of Night,” and the kind of music you might have heard at the late great Manray to create a singular experience that feels edgy and erotic. (There’s no dress code, but gear and creative dress are encouraged.) Dark electronic music pulses and wild video projections entrance. We’re – well, fascinated. WHEN
WHERE
HOW
July 13, August 10, and every second Monday
Jacques Underground at Jacques Cabaret, Boston
$7 cover at the door
CRI Summer Party Last year’s Summer Party, an annual fundraiser for Community Research Initiative of New England, broke records: $85,000 raised in a single day to enhance research, treatment, and education of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. But we never back away from a big challenge – so we’re intent on making this year’s event an even bigger success. Get your brunch pants on and ante up for a fun afternoon of noshing, cocktails, and socializing with fellow supporters by one of the best views in P-Town. Records, like rules, were meant to be broken.
WHEN
July 18 WHERE
The Red Inn, Provincetown HOW
Tickets are $125 in advance at crine.org, $150 at the door
Provincetown Carnival Break out your peppermint stick and prepare to lick some lollipops: Provincetown’s annual carnival is here, and this year’s theme is “Candyland.” The sweet, sticky, storied fun is headlined by a massive parade down Commercial Street, of course. (This year’s grand marshal is actress and comedian Kathy Najimy, who will also perform her show “Lift Up Your Skirt” on August 18 at Town Hall.) But every year Provincetown bars, restaurants and other businesses do it up to the nines with special parties and promotions. Among this year’s attractions, you’ll find a “Sugar & Spice Costume Party” at The Boatslip, a “Liquid Candy Pool Party” at Brass Key Guesthouse, and even a “Shake Your Bon Bon Boat Cruise” out on the harbor. Sweet!
WHEN
August 15—21 WHERE
Throughout Provincetown! HOW
ptown.org
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BEAUTY | BODY
Beauty Medicine Boston
Botox®, Dermal Fillers & Skin Therapies Rejuvenate yourself with state of the art cosmetic injections and advanced skin therapies and treatments, including: Botox®. Juvederm®, Radiesse®, Belotero® and Ultherapy. Personalized, artistic and compassionate skin care administered by Advanced Practice Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Nelson Aquino. Two convenient locations: Office of Joseph Russo, MD, FACS: 575 Boylston Street Newton Centre, MA 02459 and 1318 Beacon Street, Ste. 7 (2nd floor) Brookline, MA 617-953-6261 www.beautymedicineboston.com
Elizabeth Grady
Because the world sees your face first Elizabeth Grady provides an innovative approach to beauty and skin health through our products, services, schools and franchises. The expertly trained estheticians, massage therapists and make-up artists at our many locations will prescribe the worlds best face care products and treatments that are right for you. At the Elizabeth Grady Schools, we also educate and nurture the next generation of highly-qualified professionals. 1-800-FACIALS www.elizabethgrady.com www.elizabethgrady.edu
Osorio Dental Group
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We offer exceptional dentistry in a caring, non-judgmental environment. Our LGBTQ supportive dentists and staff will ensure your comfort. www.osoriodentalboston.com
Seligman Dental Designs
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Personalized dental care; healthy, beautiful smiles; comfortable, caring service in our state-of-the-art dental facility in the heart of the South End. It’s no secret that healthy teeth and a radiant smile can improve your appearance, your self-esteem and your overall health. Whether your goal is to restore your smile or maintain good oral health, you can benefit from Dr. James R. Seligman’s comprehensive approach to dental care. 617-451-0011 SouthEndDental.com
Friendly, personalized dental care
State of the Art Technology
James R. Seligman, DMD
“Best of the South End” — SOUTH END NEWS
SouthEndDental.com
1180 Washington Street Boston, MA 02118 617.451.0011
Wellspring Weight Loss
Your Weight. Your Life. Take Control. The country’s largest and most respected network of weight loss programs, includes an adults-only residential facility with upscale amenities, state-of-the art facilities, and chef prepared meals. or call us at 1-866-364-0808 wellspringweightloss.com
COMMUNITY | NONPROFIT Planned Giving at DanaFarber Cancer Institute
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Invest in a future without cancer Include Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund in your estate plans to reach your financial goals and help fight cancer. 800-535-5577 Dana-Farber.org/spirit
HOME | GARDEN Circle Furniture
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Furniture ... Made for Real Life Circle Furniture offers an eclectic selection of furniture for traditional and contemporary homes, fast delivery times for made-to-order items, corporate philanthropy, support of the regional economy, and most of all, fun. 31 St. James Ave. Boston, MA 617-778-0887 www.circlefurniture.com
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Portside at East Pier
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Looking for a beautiful apartment with stunning views of the Boston Harbor, a building full of first-class amenities and a vibrant community to live in? Get it all at Portside at East Pier. Whether you want to relax in comfort at home, walk the waterfront, explore the outdoors or find some of the best food in Boston, there’s plenty of action to be had here. Plus, with convenient access to the T at Maverick Station, the rest of the city is just a short train ride away. Come experience a place where discovery lies around every corner. It’s East Boston. But when you live at Portside at East Pier, you’ll just call it home. GoEastPier.com
Dover Rug
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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. Dover Rug & Home is headquartered at 721 Worcester Road (Route 9), Natick, MA 508-651-3500. Dover-Boston is located at 390 Stuart Street in the Back Bay, Boston 617-266-3600. 721 Worcester Street (Route 9) Natick, MA 508-651-3500 www.doverrug.com
Gardner Mattress
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Gardner Mattress Corporation A New England favorite for generations, Gardner Mattress has been manufacturing quality custom-sized, odd-sized and handmade mattresses in their Salem factory for over 70 years! Though their landmark location is North of Boston in Salem, they also service satisfied customers throughout New England. At Gardner Mattress, you’ll find mattresses including lace-tufted, layered latex, pocketed coil, quilted cotton and ivory plush, all handmade with natural materials. Located in Salem, Woburn and Newton, MA and Rye, NH. www.GardnerMattress.com
Lucia Lighting
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bright ideas begin at lucia Lucia Lighting & Design Our unique lighting store features 12 showrooms in 8,000 square feet of a lovingly restored mansion staffed with certified lighting specialists who are both educated and customer focused. Whether you want to visit our showroom or have one of our team visit you at your location in the Boston area, lucÃa lighting & design is the answer. 311 Western Ave. (RT-107 Lynn, MA 781-595-0026 www.lucialighting.com
Seasons Four
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The Outdoor Living Store For over 40 years, Seasons Four has been a destination for everyone in New England that values outdoor spaces. We are a trusted source for quality, heirloom furniture for your sunroom, porch, patio, deck, and garden. We also provide unique plant material, statuary, fountains and garden accessories to complete your outdoor room. 1265 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA 781-861-1200 seasonsfour.com
PROFESSIONAL | SERVICES Burns & Levinson, LLP
94 | BOSTON SPIRIT
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Harvard University Careers If you can work, you can work at Harvard! We are so much more than just students and professors. We are the 5th largest private employer in Massachusetts, with over 16,000 employees. Almost any job you can think of exists at the University. employment.harvard.edu
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Peter Hamilton Nee and Robert S. Edmunds UBS is proud to support Boston Spirit magazine, and salutes Fenway Health for their faithful service to our community. Please contact us any time. Peter Hamilton Nee, AIF, CRPC, VP, Investments and Robert S. Edmunds, CFP, CRPC ubs.com/team/neeedmunds. Wellesley, MA 781-446-8918 or 800-828-0717 ubs.com/team/neeedmunds
TRAVEL | ADVENTURE Marriott Copley Place
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Great Location. Great Amenities. Boston Marriott Copley Place Located in the Back Bay and a few blocks from the South End, the Boston Marriott Copley Place is perfect for business or leisure travel. The hotel features deluxe rooms, Champions, Connexion Lounge, Starbucks, indoor pool, fitness center, 70,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and is minutes from top attractions. 110 Huntington Avenue (Boston) , MA 617-236-5800 goo.gl/soiy38
Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston
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Spectacular city views, luxury accommodations, regional cuisine, and contemporary art All of our 400 well-appointed guest rooms and suites offer guests the comforts of home with first-class amenities and overlook the Charles River, Cambridge or Boston's stunning skyline. The Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston features both casual and elegant dining and delicious inspired cuisine in two highly acclaimed riverfront restaurants with seasonal patios, ArtBar and Restaurant Dante. 40 Edwin H. Land Boulevard Cambridge, MA 617-806-4200 www.sonesta.com/Boston/
WEDDING | EVENTS Accent Limousine
LGBT Owned & Operated Accent Limousine & Car Service We provide professional transportation services throughout Greater Boston and the Metro-West. We grow our client base every year because we care for our clients as only a ‘Family’ business can. Our chauffeurs are professionally attired, knowledgeable, reliable, and friendly, and their professionalism and driving abilities will immediately earn your trust and confidence. We look forward to driving you on your next special occasion. www.accentlimo.com/spirit
DJ Mocha 52
Burns & Levinson LLP, a leading mid-size law firm with a client-centric culture, has over 125 attorneys in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia. We work with entrepreneurs, emerging businesses, private and public companies and individuals in sophisticated business transactions, litigation and private client services—family law, trusts & estates, marriage and divorce law. 617-345-3000 www.burnslev.com
Harvard University
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Affordable great music for your party! Boston Spirit’s official Cruise DJ for four years. Bringing, Great Music and Fun to your Events! All genres: pop, jazz, techno, world beat, swing, disco & more! 617-784-1663 MochaDJ.com
Gourmet Caterers
Peace of mind. Now that’s a wedding vow. This is a day when only perfection will do. GourmetCaterers’ attention to detail means peace of mind, so you can enjoy your wedding along with your guests. Whether your dream wedding is a large event or intimate affair, Gourmet’s team of innovative planners, chefs, stylists and servers will be by your side to ensure that everything is perfectly, uniquely, your own.
ha c o M DJ
GourmetCaterers.com
Konditor Meister
Konditor Meister—Voted #1 Wedding Cakes in Boston Extraordinarily Beautiful & Elaborate Wedding Cakes & fine European pastries. Delicious Custom Holiday & Party Cakes for all occasions. 32 Wood Road (Just South of Boston) Braintree, MA 781-849-1970 KonditorMeister.com
Lombardo’s
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Lombardo’s has been providing the highest quality of hospitality and cuisine for over 50 years. From innovative menus to an upscale atmosphere, Lombardo’s ensures every wedding will exceed their client’s expectations. 781-986-5000 www.lombardos.com
Long's Jewelers
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Your Source for Diamonds, Wedding Rings, Fine Jewelry & Watches Long's Jewelers has been in the business of happy moments since 1878. We're honored to help our customers celebrate milestones like engagements, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and retirements and not to mention "just because" moments! Whether you're looking for diamonds, wedding rings, fine jewelry, Swiss watches, awards, or corporate gifts, Long's has you covered.
HAPPY PRIDE! www.mochadj.com
Boston, Braintree, Burlington, Natick, and Peabody, MA 877-845-6647 www.longsjewelers.com
Ptown Parties
Catering | Events The premier caterer on the lower cape, Ptown Parties is a full service catering and event planning company. Let them cater your next cocktail party, clambake or wedding, in your home, inn, rental condo or yacht. Let Ptown Parties take care of all the hassles, so you can enjoy a carefree day in Provincetown, and a great party that night!
RELAX | RENEW | REFLECT
World-Class Luxury Guesthouse and Spa
508-487-6450 Ptownparties.com
Your Source for Equalityminded People, Places, Services and Adventures in New England and beyond. 14 Johnson Street, Provincetown | 800.487.0132
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CODA Music STORY Rob Phelps
Released From the Studio Anne Stott rewrites songs from her new album to sing on the road Indie rock poet Anne Stott’s work is perpetually in progress. The Provincetown-based singer songwriter just released her third album, “Love Never Dies,” and she’s already rewriting every track. “Love Never Dies,” by the way, doesn’t need a bit of tweaking. It’s a lush, raw, hard-driving exploration into the artist’s courage to confront the fears and tough little pains of life head on. Even its most vulnerable song, “Mostly I’m Not
Around,” turns loneliness into a life-affirming anthem, and its upbeat “We Are Here” and “Do You Have a Song in Your Head” dig down deep into your happy place. These are the kind of tunes that make you want to open all the windows, crank up the volume, and sing along for the whole world to hear. With characteristic humility, Stott says, “I do feel the album represents the range of what I can feel in an average week. I know that I captured a way that
I experience life on this album, and I feel good about it.” So what’s with the rewrite? Stott is packing up the big sounds she produced in the studio and taking the album’s songs on the road with just her guitar and a keyboard to back up her strong, sweet vocals. “There’s a lot of talk right now in the music industry about the fact that people are recording albums you could never perform live,” she says. “I embrace the idea that the studio is one medium of expression and live performance is another.” In the studio, she says, “as long as you’re not just throwing layers of effects and instrumentation on a bad song, if you’re really embracing all that’s exciting about the studio recording process, that’s fine. That’s actually great. I don’t want to clamp down or cut off that process because I won’t be able to perform the music live.” Stott’s not a big fan of playing live with recorded tracks. She’s neither Milli nor Vanilli about her music. Naturally, there’s no lip-synching in her shows and she goes a lot further than putting the “unplugged” spin on them. Performing live, she says, is a chance to reengage with each song, to bring the full force of her creative spirit back to each and every note. The result? A completely fresh set that gives her audiences new takes on familiar tunes. The scary part, she adds, is that she isn’t finished yet, and she’s already out there performing them. The treat for her audiences, though, is they get to participate in these moments of re-creation. There’s a lot of joy here. Still, her album has given Stott a tough act to follow. Stott produced “Love Never Dies” with Jon Evans of Orleans, Mass., New York City, and San Francisco. Evans also produces and plays on
tours with Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, and Linda Perry. And in Evans’ work on Stott’s album you can hear shades of Amos’ out-on-a-limb poetry, McLachlan’s emotional ballads and Perry’s ballsy passion (think “What’s Up,” which Perry wrote as lead singer for 4 Non Blondes). “Jon Evans was the exact right person to co-produce ‘Love Never Dies’ with me,” Stott says. “Between his guidance as a producer and his killer instrumental work on guitar and bass, his presence is huge.” “He embraced all my quirky ideas and minor-key moodiness,” she says. “Because I felt like he understood what the album was about, I could trust him when he said something wasn’t right or we should try a sound or arrangement that I wouldn’t have thought of. And then we just had a lot of fun.” But as solid this album’s production may be, it’s Stott’s voice and what she’s got to say with it that command every track. And this is exactly what Stott is using now to rework and perform live all over the country with many New England dates set and in the works. For starters, New Englanders can catch her at a CD signing with some songs at Muir Music in Provincetown at 5 p.m. on July 24; a concert at Flat Iron Exchange in Bellows Falls, Vermont at 6 p.m. on July 29; another full show at Radio Beam in Burlington, Vermont at 7 p.m. on July 30; a gig at Gulu Gulu Café in Salem, Massachusetts at 9 p.m. on August 7; and as feature performer at The Writer’s Voice Café back in Provincetown on September 12. Stott’s adding more shows all the time; check out her website, www.annestott.com, to keep up with her busy touring schedule all summer long and into the fall. [x]
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