CommUNITY Magazine Feb '13 by Pride Center of the Capital Region

“BENEATH ALL THAT GLITZ BEATS A

GREAT BIG SEQUINED HEART.” – NY1

FEATURING THESE HIT SONGS! “Finally” “We Belong” “Material Girl” “It’s Raining Men” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” “I Say A Little Prayer”

LOCAL INFORMATION HERE

New Year! New CommUNITY!

By Michael Weidrich, Editor

Welcome to the first issue of CommUNITY in 2013 and welcome to our new format! The CommUNITY newspaper has been a monthly staple in LGBT housesholds and businesses around the Capital Region for decades, providing a platform to share information and stories throughout our community. As digital news media outlets continue to grow and we look at the channels through which we convey our stories, the time has come to give CommUNITY a much needed facelift. With more special features, more in-depth articles, and more photos of our community; our new magazine

Message

from

format promises to better showcase and highlight what is going on in the Capital Region and be a must-read publication every month. I hope you enjoy our first NEW issue and please feel free to email me your feedback, comments and suggestions for future issues- mweidrich@ capitalpridecenter.org. Happy New CommUNITY!

Outgoing Board President

By Gwen Wright

As I write this final message a new President and officers are being installed at the Pride Center. I would like to congratulation incoming officers especially to Ken Mortensen as President. I know that I leave the Pride Center in good hands as I close out this chapter of my life. I look forward to great things in the months and years ahead. I also leave having participated in the appointment of Curran Streett as the new Executive Director of the Pride Center of the

The Pride Center of the Capital Region as new Executive Director The Board of Directors of the Pride Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Curran Streett as the new Executive Director. “Curran brings great energy and a strong personal connection to the Pride Center. She has a deep understanding of our mission and a great vision for the future of the agency” said Gwen Wright, Board President, continuing, “We are thrilled to have her on board.” Judy Disco, along with Jeff Baltes, co-chaired the Executive Director Search Committee and, after a national search, Baltes said, “The Pride Center was fortunate to attract a strong pool of candidates for the Executive Director position. In weighing the strengths, assets, and backgrounds of each, we clearly felt that Curran Streett was in the best position to lead us forward to meet future challenges and to seize new opportunities. “ Upon receiving news of her appointment,

appoints

Capital Region! Curran brings to this position energy, vision, innovation, and most importantly, great insight! I wish her well and know that I leave a dynamic young woman to move the Pride Center. Finally, I wish to thank everyone who has supported me as a member of the board and as the President of the Pride Center these past two years. I look forward to seeing you around as I turn a new corner!

Curran Streett

Curran said, “I am beyond honored to accept the position of Executive Director at the Pride Center. Since I was a teen, I’ve witnessed first hand the incredible impact of the Pride Center’s programs and feel fortunate to work in such an empowering organization. The work we do here changes lives and has created a vibrant and connected LGBT community in the Capital Region. As Executive Director I look forward to working with the board to advance the mission of the Pride Center.” The Board of Directors was unanimous in their decision to appoint Curran, pointing to her strong leadership throughout her recent tenure as the agency’s Interim Executive Director. Curran previously served as a member of the Center’s senior team where she managed all Pride Center programs, coordinating over 200 volunteers and working collaboratively with community partners,

educators and health and human service agencies. Before joining the Pride Center, Curran worked in the field of HIV prevention and testing, holding positions in both the non-profit sector and state government. Curran has a Master of Public Health degree from the University at Albany, and a Bachelor of Cultural Interdisciplinary Studies degree from Antioch College. The Pride Center of the Capital Region is the oldest continuously operating LGBT community center in the country. Located at 332 Hudson Avenue in Albany, the Pride Center serves LGBT people of all ages. The mission of the Pride Center is to promote the well being of all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer identified people and those discriminated against based on gender identity and expression. www.capitalpridecenter.org

Director’s Note

By Curran Streett, Executive Director

The early months of the New Year are some of the most exciting for me. I relish in the opportunity to revisit the past year’s successes, challenges and moments of both personal and community growth. This past year marks one of the most exciting for me personally, having been appointed as the Pride Center’s new Executive Director, and marked an important year for the Pride Center as we launched our first ever Strategic Planning Initiative. Having a longstanding connection to the Pride Center as one of the first Alternative Prom attendees, I know firsthand the importance of the Pride Center for people of all ages in the Capital Region. I was out at an early age but isolated from other LGBT youth. Having few images of LGBT people and no exposure to out community members, I think I was 12 before I knew that women could be gay, because I had never heard the term “lesbian” and had only heard a narrowly defined description of “gay” in a non-derogatory context. The Alternative Prom was a transformative event for me, because for the first time in my life, I saw that my experience was more common than I believed, and that there were adults present who supported and affirmed that experience by hosting this dance. That experienced opened the world up to me, prompting me to attend a very LGBT af-

firming college where I developed a very strong LGBT community and met my partner of 9 years. Fifteen years after that first Alternative Prom I was hired as Program Director at the Pride Center and helped grow the event to welcome over 350 adolescents, many as isolated as I once was, to a prom where they can be themselves and find their community. Professionally, I have always worked with the LGBT community, though formerly in the context of HIV prevention, education and testing. Before joining the Pride Center team I was an HIV test counselor for the New York State Health Department, working mostly in state prisons. Many of the gay men and transgender women I interfaced with in this setting elected to spend their incarceration in what is called the “protective custody unit”. They endured 23 hours a day locked in their cell because as LGBT identified people they felt unsafe. After two years of working in this capacity, I sought out opportunities to continue my work with and for LGBT people in an equally meaningful, but also more empowering context. That is when I began my work with the Pride Center. I could not be more excited to be leading the agency into its next phase.

The Pride Center has a long history in the Capital Region LGBT community, and as the agency has evolved and professionalized, we have continued to serve and empower people of all ages in many different contexts. Some of the things I am most proud of is how much the Pride Center does with the help of our dedicated volunteer base, the breadth and scope we cover with such a small staff, and how relevant our programs, services and events are to the community. We are at a point in our history where our programs are driven by data, community trends and sound research. Our special events and new initiatives are consistently well attended and well received. So what’s next? You’ll find many new events are on the horizon, some are exciting and already evident- like the makeover of CommUNITY, and others are yet to be unveiled, like the outcomes of our Strategic Planning Initiative. In the context of challenging fiscal times, as a non-profit the Pride Center is charged with being more adaptable and frugal than ever with our resources, and I can ensure our readers that the staff and board are up to the challenge. With a fantastic team and community, we have a lot to be excited about in 2013!

Introducing the Pride Center’s Newest Addition Steven Minchin, Administrative Assistant Originally a son of Pittsburgh I was transplanted to the capital region by the economic turns of the 1980s. After hunkering down in the suburbs during my youth I eventually made my way to what would become home- the Lark Street neighborhoods. Naturally I spent my 20s enjoying the finer aspects of Lark’s many bars, but after a tenure with the Federal Emergency Management Agency realized that I wanted to commit to serving locally. Pursuing this commitment lead to my becoming President of the Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association and a Founder and Chairman of Neighbors for Safety. I served in these roles for many years, until a mid life head first dive into full time academic pursuits left no room in my schedule to give as much attention as was needed to every aspect of my life. But I’ve always retained a sense of service and the belief that charity starts at home. Eventually, as

general manager of Lark Street’s only gay bar, Oh Bar, I worked to build an inclusive space for all LGBTQ people and our allies. It was in this position that I strived to provide a public venue for many of the organizations serving the community to increase the ways in which Oh Bar assisted them in building awareness and fundraising. I’ve studied both Information Design and Creative Studies- Writing at the Sage College of Albany, and have also pursued studies at the Museum of Modern Art. I’m a poet with nearly 50 pieces published as well as a visual artist. I also travel, food, and yes a bit of science fiction. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the Pride Center team and I’m very excited to lend my time, skills and talent to a position in an organization that does such great work for the LGBT community.

Center Business Alliance Members: Albany Foreign Auto (518)462-0952

Janney Mongomery Scott, LLC (518)426-6255

Bombers Burrito Bar (518)463-9636

Joseph Dalton Prudential Manor Homes (518)573-1093

Broughton Properties Keller Williams Realty (518)724-5996

Latimer/Stroud, LLP (518)785-9702

Communication Services (518)438-2826

L&P Media (518)880-0300 x320

Consumer Optical (518-355-0795

Merrill Lynch (518)462-8344

CUSTOMERicity, LLC 716-983-4239

Minuteman Press (518)377-1700

Crisafulli Brothers (518)288-5816

Pierro Law Group 518-459-2100

Geri Pomerantz, Attorney at Law (518)479-3713

Sean M. Endress, MA LCSW (718)887-1378

Security Supply Plumbing and Heating (518)488-0506 State Farm, Stephen Cook Agency 518-581-8240 Skyland Services (518)488-0506 SoHo Pizza (518)265-1191 Tower Square Securities (518)862-6600 TriCity Rentals (518)862-6600 United Hearts Ceremonies 518-212-7385 Wolffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biergarten (518)427-2461

My Big Gay Ears

By: Joseph Dalton

Where will you find music theater queens this month? Proctors Theatre, of course.

er understood why so many critics considered it to be an opera.

The landmark house in the heart of downtown Schenectady has long been the go-to destination for Broadway shows (short of a trip to the Great White Way itself). It’s said to have the largest stage between Manhattan and Montreal and its expansion and renovation almost 10 years ago was specifically aimed at accommodating today’s lavish touring productions of big musical shows.

Transferring the whole thing onto the Broadway stage apparently made sense though and resulted in pretty good commercial success. The show opened in April 2010 at the St. James Theater and ran for 422 performances. It received a Tony nomination for best musical and earned a Grammy Award for best cast album. Green Day’s lead singer Billy Joe sometimes appeared in the Broadway run and if the producers are smart they’ll have put another petite male lead with the same spiky hair and guyliner in the touring cast. “American Idiot” runs for three performances, Tuesday February 5 to Thursday February 7.

This month Proctors has not one but two back-to-back offerings and both are of recent Broadway vintage. First up is “American Idiot.” It’s a 90-minute tale of finding adulthood in a post-9/11 world with a rock score taken from Green Day’s 2004 album of the same name. The songs include “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” Hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since Green Day’s breakout album “Dookie,” but I can still sing most of the song “Basket Case” from memory (“Do you have the time to listen to me whine? …Sometimes I give myself the creeps…” etc.) The smash release of “American Idiot” brought my attention back to Green Day. Though I liked the material and its anti-Bush attitude, I nev-

You won’t need to know recent rock history in order to sing along with the next show headed to Proctors, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.” Based on the legendary film, it includes disco hits like “It’s Raining Men” and “I Will Survive.” Ah, can’t you just picture those revolving mirror balls? Did you know the movie’s full title was “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”? Yep, just checked it on IMDB.com. I think the last time I saw the film I was actually on a bus. It never occurred to me til now how appropriate that was since the film itself is about a

bunch of gay guys on a road trip with copious amounts of drag in tow. (Did I have a suitcase of drag with me on that bus, you ask? And just what kind of bus ride was it anyway? That’s another story…) Anyway, “Priscilla” the movie dates from 1994 and “Priscilla” the musical debuted in Sydney in 2006. It went to London’s West End in 2009 and finally made it to Broadway in 2011, where it played for 526 performances at the Palace Theater. It’s been touring -- by bus, I hope -- ever since. Proctors presents eight performances, Tuesday February 12 through Sunday, February 17. There’s still more ahead in Schenectady. In March comes “Fela!” based on the life of the Afro-pop star Fela Kuti, who died of AIDS in 1997. It was staged by the gay choreographer Bill T. Jones. And in April Cathy Rigby stars once again in “Peter Pan.” The Proctors box office can be reached at 346-6204. Go to www. Proctors.org for more information on all these shows. See you on opening night? Joseph Dalton writes about the arts in the Times Union and sells houses across the Capital Region. Check out all his ventures at: www.JosephDalton.net

The Fashionable

and

The Frivolous

Most of us have one. We don’t always take it out, we don’t always show it off, but it comes with us wherever we go in the world – surviving moves, plundering boyfriends, fluctuating waist sizes, and changing styles. It’s a favorite piece of clothing. Maybe it’s a tailored suit you got in a now-closed store that knew every quirk of your measurements, maybe it was a pair of jeans that fit better than anything you’ve ever known, or maybe it was a scarf that was the first present you ever received from the love of your life. For me, it’s a simple denim jacket. More than a few years ago, when I was living in Boston, my retail buddy Seamus took me out shopping one day after work. Walking along Newbury Street, he brought us somewhere between what is now Banana Republic and Giorgio Armani, in a building fronted by marble, and a filigreed iron entry door. (I’ve since tried finding the place, but have never been able to locate it. In some ways, it was like a magical portal, only to be accessed once, then gone forever. If it wasn’t for the jacket, I’d wonder if it ever really happened.) We were buzzed in, and went down a short narrow flight of stairs, into a tiny

By Alan Bennett Ilagan

showroom, where another small entryway led into a closet-type space. Seamus embraced the owner, and introduced us. There was some small talk, then Seamus asked his friend to show me the jacket. It was denim, slightly worn, slightly faded, both retro and classic at the same time. The handprint of the logo, and the inside tag, read ‘Jean Paul Gaultier’. The man who designed some of Madonna’s most memorable looks had designed this jacket. It couldn’t possibly be mine. Seamus said it was much too small for him, but it might work on me. Before I knew it, his friend had helped me into the jacket. It fit perfectly. I looked at myself in the mirror. The praise and smiles from the gentlemen in the room faded away, the rest of the store grew dim, and in that moment I knew I had found an enduring love. I apprehensively inquired as to the price, certain it was beyond my retail clerk means. He said, and I will never forget it until the day I die, “Seventy-five.” I wondered if he meant seventy-five hundred, but figured that would be insane even for Newbury Street (at least in 1998). I held my gasp in check and scraped up the cash in my pocket. While it would not be my last Gaultier piece, it remains my favorite.

In that jacket, I felt perfect. I felt invincible. I felt that all those boys who never gave me the time of day didn’t even matter. In some strange, and perhaps slightly-sick way, I felt loved. It was probably that I just felt a little bit better about myself, and it’s amazing what kind of power that holds, but it was something more too, something that ran deeper than mind tricks. In a piece of perfectly rendered fashion, I found beauty, and in donning that jacket some of that beauty had to rub off. I’m not your traditional pretty boy, I can admit that. Like most of us, I need all the help I can get. Yet in wearing something so beautiful, I came by a bit of that beauty simply through approximation. It’s not always about the item itself. Sometimes it’s the way it was procured, or the person you were with when you found it, or simply your frame of mind when you first saw it. Sometimes, fashion becomes imbued with more than what it seems - and at those moments it becomes more than a piece of fabric – it becomes a piece of your history, a piece of yourself.

Gay Money Matters

By: Thomas J. Walling

Marriage Equality was a big step in normalizing GLBT relationships. It changes things. In the past, marriage and Domestic Partnership in its current form did not exist. A Domestic Partnership was the drafting of legal documents in the case your relationship ended. In essence, your break up was your union. Get used to the new norms. We meet, we fall in love, we move in together, and we eventually marry (at least in the civilized states). This month, I will be discussing the financial side of the decision to give it a shot, and move in together. Moving in together is a big step. Keep in mind that this is the point in your relationship where you see if you are compatible enough to build your lives together, maybe leading to engagement or marriage. Just as everyone has baggage, everyone makes a different amount of money. When the two of you decide to take your relationship to the next level (moving in), take that decision very seriously. Have frank and open discussions about all the money things. Try to keep an open mind and understand your situations. Things to discuss include; homeownership, income, bill paying habits, and the biggest potential problem of allâ&#x20AC;Śdebt. Keep your debt separate at this point. Understand that one of you may clip coupons while the other is accustomed to eating in restaurants the nights when not ordering in. One of you may iron while the other sends it all out. These are the things you

must figure out during this trial period. Remember that you should complement each other, which means you must deal with your differences in a non threatening way. Appreciate your differences and take advantage of them. No two people make the same amount of money and have the same financial resources. Paying the bills in relation to the percentage of income brought to the table makes sense. If one of you makes 20% more than the other, they should pay 20% more of the bills. Sometimes, out of pride, the less financially solvent will want to split the expenses. Sometimes, out of greed or misplaced logic, the more financially solvent will want to split the bills. This hurts your chances for success. You are a team. Ensure you are insured. If one of you owns the house, make sure the Homeowners Insurance will cover the property of the other. This may involve getting a Renters Policy from your Property and Casualty

agent. If you are renting, ensure you have a Renters Policy in place for both of you. If something like a fire or break in occurs, these can be a great help. These policies are relatively inexpensive and warrant looking into. In most cases, the policy of the landlord will not cover anything of the renter. That was most of the negative. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the good part. Being in a relationship that is solid, healthy, and long term gives you the stability to plan your future as a team. Relationships move at different speeds. Take your time. If you are not in a relationship, plan your financial future as a single. This way, when Mr. or Ms. Right comes along, you are in a good financial place. This will help avoid the reason many relationships fail, which is stress caused by financial issues.

Welcoming Congregations

Join Us In Exploring Your Spiritual Side At One Of The Welcoming Congregations Below: Community Congregational Church (UCC) 221 Columbia Tpke, Rensselaer, NY www.clintonheightsucc.org Community Reformed Church of Colonie 701 Sand Creek Road, Colonie, NY www.coloniereformed.org (518)869-5589 Congregation Agudat Achim (Conservative) 2117 Union Street, Schenectady, NY www.agudatachim.org (518) 393-9211 Congregation B’nai Shalom (Reform) 420 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY www.bnaishalom.albany.ny.us (518) 482-5283

Emmanuel Baptist Church 275 State Street, Albany, NY www.emmanuelalbany.net (518)465-5161 First Church in Albany 110 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY www.firstchurchinalbany.org (518)463-4449 First Congregational Church of Albany UCC & NACCC 405 Quail Street, Albany, NY www.firstcongregationalalbany.org / (518)482-4580

Congregation Berith Shalom (Reform) 167 Third Street, Troy, NY www.berithshalom.com (518)272-8872

First Lutheran Church 181 Western Avenue, Albany, NY www.FirstLutheranAlbany.org (518)463-1326

Congregation Beth Emeth (Reform) 100 Academy Road, Albany, NY www.bethemethalbany.org (518)436-9761

First Presbyterian Church 362 State Street, Albany, NY www.firstpresalbany.org (518)449-7332

Congregation Gates of Heaven (Reform) 842 Ashmore Avenue, Schenectady, NY www.cgoh.org (518)374-8173

First Reformed Church 8 North Church Street, Schenectady, NY www.1streformed.com

Congregation Ohav Shalom (Conservative) 113 New Krumkill Road, Albany, NY www.ohavshalom.org

First Unitarian Society of Schenectady 1221 Wendell Avenue, Schenectady, NY www.fussonline.org (518)374-4446

Congregation Temple Sinai (Reform) 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY www.templesinai-saratogasprings.org (518) 584-8730

First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY www.albanyuu.org (518)463-7135

Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church 943 Palmer Avenue, Schenectady, NY www.easternparkway.weebly.com (518)374-4306

First United Methodist Church 603 State Street, Schenectady, NY www.gbgm-umc.org/schenectady (518)374-4403

St George’s Episcopal Church 30 North Ferry St., Schenectady www.stgeorgesschenectady.org

First United Presbyterian Church 1915 Fifth Avenue, Troy, NY www.unitedprestroy.org (518)272-2771

Friends Meeting (Quaker) 727 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY (518) 436-8812 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 501 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY www.goodshepherdchurchloudonville.org (518)458-1562 Holy Trinity National Catholic Church 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY www.NCCofA.org/holytrin.html (518)434-8861 Journey United Church of Christ 500 Kenwood Blvd, Delmar , NY www.journeyucc.com Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY www.saratogaspringsumc.org / (518)5843720 St. Andrews Episcopal Church Main at Madison Avenue, Albany, NY www.standrewsalbany.org / (518)489-4747 St. John’s Lutheran Church 160 Central Avenue, Albany, NY www.stjohnsalbany.org (518)465-7545 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga 624 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY www.saratoga-uu.org (518)584-1555 Unity Church in Albany 21 King Avenue, Albany, NY www.unitychurchinalbany.org (518)4533603 Woodstock Jewish Congregation (Reconstructionist) 1682 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock, NY www.wjcshul.org (845)246-1671

Proud To Be Open! Affirming! Welcoming! Joyous! 11

Ask The Lawyer

By: Geri Pomerantz

Dear Geri: Is there something I should do to protect my right to a tax refund in the hopeful event that DOMA is declared unconstitutional? I am legally married to my same sex spouse, and live in New York. Short Answer: Yes, you can file a protective claim for a refund if you believe that you overpaid taxes based on an expected change in the law. However, you should consult with a tax professional about your particular circumstances before doing so. Long Answer: The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a federal law that was passed in 1996. DOMA section 3 defines marriage as only a legal union between one man and one woman, and defines “spouse” as a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. DOMA section 3 is binding on all Federal agencies. Thus, it deprives same sex married couples of many federal benefits and entitlements that are allowed to heterosexual married couples, such as social security benefits, immigration benefits, federal employee and military spousal benefits, and tax deductions. Gay and lesbian married couples are treated by the Internal Revenue Service as unrelated, and therefore can not file federal tax returns as “married” (although they must do so on their New York State taxes). The filing status of “married filing jointly” could potentially save thousands of dollars for a married couple on their taxes. Additionally, when an employee covers her same sex spouse on her employer provided health insurance plan, the value of the insurance is taxable income to the employee for federal tax purposes (not NY State tax returns). This is because the IRS does not recognize the legal relationship. Moreover, there can be significant estate and gift taxes that are not applicable to opposite sex couples. A deceased spouse’s estate is subject to federal estate tax upon transfers to a same sex

spouse because the marital deduction does not apply. Similarly, gifts between same sex married couples are subject to the annual gift tax exclusion, not the marital exclusion, treating gifts in excess of that exclusion as income to the recipient. Further, upon divorce, spousal maintenance payments from one spouse to the other are usually deductible by the payer and taxable income to the recipient. This does not necessarily apply to same sex divorcing spouses. These are but a few of the examples of the ways in which DOMA discriminates against same sex spouses in the area of federal taxation. The constitutionality of DOMA section 3 is at issue in the case of Windsor v. US. Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer were married in 2007 after an approximate 40 year relationship. They lived in NY, and were NY residents at the time of Ms. Spyer’s death. Under NY law , Ms. Windsor is recognized as a surviving spouse. Property that passes to a surviving spouse is generally exempt from taxes. As the survivor, she inherited property, including the marital home. Because of DOMA, Ms. Windsor, as the primary beneficiary and executor the estate of her deceased spouse, was required to pay $363,000 in federal estate taxes because the IRS refused to allow the marital deduction for the transfer of property upon death. Ms. Windsor sought a refund. The Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York held that Ms. Windsor was entitled to a refund because DOMA section 3 is unconstitutional. This court found that DOMA violated the guarantee of equal protection of law because there was no rational basis to support the discriminatory treatment. This is a very low level of judicial scrutiny, and many otherwise discriminatory laws are found to pass constitutional muster when this low level of scrutiny is applied. Although the Obama Administration did not defend DOMA in federal court, the Republican Majority of

the House of Representatives (BLAG) did. BLAG appealed the favorable district court decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The Obama administration also appealed, because it wanted the Court to apply a higher level of scrutiny to DOMA. Meanwhile, Ms. Windsor asked the US Supreme Court to review the case, which was stayed pending the appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (so she couldn’t get her refund). In October 2012, the Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that DOMA section 3 violates the equal protection rights of same sex married couples under a more heightened standard of scrutiny. The Appellate Court ruled that there is no compelling or substantial government interest to justify barring same sex married couples from federal rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite sex couples. Under this higher level of judicial review, DOMA section 3 is clearly unconstitutional. (Under this higher level of review, DOMA section 2 would also likely be declared unconstitutional. DOMA section 2 allows states not to recognize same sex marriages from other states. Proposition 8, or any other state law that that prohibits same sex couples from getting married, would similarly likely fail under heightened judicial scrutiny. ) On December 7, 2012, the US Supreme Court granted Ms. Windsor’s petition to review the case. The Court directed the parties (Ms. Windsor, the Justice Department/Obama Administration and BLAG) to address three issues: (1) on the merits, whether DOMA section 3 violates the equal protection rights of same sex married couples; (2) whether the Supreme Court has the authority to decide the case since the Justice Department (and Ms. Windsor) agrees with the Court of Appeal’s decision; and (3) whether BLAG has standing (or the right) to defend DOMA. (continued on page 13)

Ask The Lawyer (continued) The last two jurisdictional issues were raised by the Court. The Court appointed a Harvard constitutional law professor as a neutral friend of the court to argue that the US Supreme Court does not have the authority to rule on the constitutionality of DOMA in this case. The final written legal briefs from all parties on all issues are due at the end of February, and as of the date of this writing, the Court has not yet scheduled a date for oral arguments. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court also granted review in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the California Proposition 8 case. Proposition 8 was a state ballot initiative that amended the California state constitution to override a court ruling requiring marriage equality. The Federal Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the State of California can not grant a right to marry to same sex couples and then take that right away without a rational justification for doing so. Because there is no rational basis, Proposition 8 violated the constitutional rights of same sex couples. The lower federal District Court had previously ruled that Proposition 8 should be subjected to a higher level of judicial scrutiny, and that it failed under that higher standard. Unlike the 9th Circuit decision, the District Court went a big step further and held that there is a constitutional right to same sex marriage. Like the Obama administration in the Windsor case, the Governor of California did not defend Proposition 8. It’s proponents are private citizens. The US Supreme Court directed the parties in Hollingsworth v. Perry to address two issues: (1) on the merits, whether the constitutional right of equal protection under law prohibits the State of California from defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and (2) whether the petitioner, private citizens, have standing to defend Proposition 8. If the Court answers “no” to the second question, then it will not reach the first question. If that happens, it is unclear which of the lower court decisions

would remain. If the 9th Circuit decision stands, Proposition 8 will be invalidated, but it would only apply to the particular circumstances that exist in California. If the broader District Court decision stands, recognizing a constitutional right to same sex couples to marry, it might only be applicable within that district. The Supreme Court could also narrowly reach the merits. The Court could uphold the 9th Circuit decision invalidating Proposition 8 because the voter revocation of rights has no rational basis. This would only apply to the circumstances that existed in California. The legal pundits are predicting various outcomes regarding both cases. Many opine that there will likely be a vary narrow invalidation of Proposition 8, that will not be applicable in other states. The Windsor case presents a far more open field. Now, to directly address your question. If DOMA section 3 is declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court, a legally married same sex couple could be entitled to a refund for taxes paid in years they were married and denied marital benefits (and arguably, if DOMA section 2 is still intact, the couple would have to reside in a state that recognizes the marriage). The couple would need to file an amended tax return to claim the refund. (If the issue is estate taxes, the surviving spouse would be the one to file the amended return). The refund would be the difference between the tax that was paid under DOMA, and the tax that should have been paid if the same sex marriage were recognized by the IRS. In general, a taxpayer has three years from the date she filed her tax return to file an amended return seeking a refund. ( If you filed your 2009 tax return on April 15, 2010, you would have until April 15, 2013 to amend that return). The IRS allows taxpayers to file a “protective claim for a refund”. See IRS Publication 556. You can file a protec-

tive claim when your right to a refund is contingent on a future event, such as the outcome of current litigation or a potential change in the tax laws. The outcome of the Windsor case is such a contingency. The protective claim must be filed before the time to apply for a refund expires.. Because Windsor might not be decided until after your time to file a claim for a refund for a particular tax year expires, the taxpayer can file a protective claim for a refund. Windsor will not likely be decided before April 15, 2013. Filing the protective claim preserves your right to claim a refund in the event Windsor is decided favorably. Before you file a protective claim for a refund, or an amended tax return, you are urged to consult with a tax professional. Although many same sex married couples will benefit from filing a joint return if DOMA section 3 is declared unconstitutional, others may not. Also, there are specific rules which apply to protective claims, and amended tax returns, that go well beyond the scope of this article. The legal rights of LGBTQ families are an ever-changing landscape, to be addressed monthly in this column. The material in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to give legal advice, and should not substitute for the independent advice of counsel. Geri Pomerantz is an attorney in the capital district with a practice focused on family and matrimonial law, specifically including LGBTQ issues. Geri also conducts continuing legal education training for other lawyers on issues of importance to the LGBTQ community. Amongst other things, Geri is a member of the Collaborative Divorce Association of the Capital district. Geri can be reached at pomerantzlaw@albany. twcbc.com The views expressed in this column are solely those of Ms. Pomerantz and do not reflect the opinion of the Pride Center.

School Visit Reflections

By, Nick Delehanty, Center Youth Action Team Member

My name is Nick Delehanty and I’m a senior at Colonie Central High School. I’m proud to be a member of the Center Youth Action team because I feel that there is nothing more important than equality, and being able to speak about this is a privilege. I’m active in my own school’s GSA, which has about 8 members, and walking into Shaker High’s GLASS Club meeting, I expected the same thing. Instead I was met with at least 25 kids, who were going around the room, introducing themselves and announcing their preferred gender pronoun. I was totally not expecting a meeting of this size and

level of participation, so it came as a pleasant surprise to me. In the “Trans 101” presentation which James Shultis, Pride Center Youth Program Assistant led with us (the Center Youth Action Team), I was impressed at the discussions I heard and was able to take part in. Many of the gathered members had great ideas on how to be allies for the “T” in LBGTQA. I also think that the presentation was run very smoothly and that the GLASS club took a lot away from it. The exercise where a square was drawn on the board with the words “active ally, passive ally, active oppressor, and passive oppressor” written in one

of the four corners was especially significant because it helped to demonstrate how there are not too many differences between being a passive ally and a passive oppressor. Personally, this aspect of the meeting has stuck out in my mind the most. In closing, my experience at Shaker High School’s GLASS club meeting as a member of the CYAT was overwhelmingly positive. I was impressed by the size and engagement of the club and the receptiveness of the faculty advisor as well. I’m looking forward to future CYAT meetings and presentations even more after this great gathering.

Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship Available to LGBTQ High School Seniors! By: James Shultis, Youth Program Assistant The Pride Center of the Capital Region is proud to announce the continuation of the Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) graduating seniors! The Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship was created in 2010 by local philanthropist Joshua Dunning Powell to support LGBTQ students who are in need of financial support to defray

the cost of a college education. To date, the Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship has helped make affording college easier for twenty LGBTQ youth! We look forward to providing this opportunity for 2013 LGBTQ graduating seniors, and need your help to ensure all eligible youth are aware of the Joshua Dunning Powell Scholarship. The deadline for applications is April 12th. Please help us spread the word before then! If you know an LGBTQ identified senior in high school who would be a good candi-

date for this scholarship, please contact James Shultis, Youth Program Assistant by email at jshultis@capitalpridecenter. org, or call 462-6138. More information, along with the scholarship application can also be found on our website at www.capitalpridecenter.org. Applications for the 2013-2014 academic year will be accepted until 5 PM on Friday, April 12th, 2012.

Pride Center Volunteer Spotlight

The Pride Center of the Capital Region has worked to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for the past four decades. Our success in the Capital Region has been made possible by the diligent and spirited work of the Pride Center’s community volunteers. All year round, our volunteers help to support the Pride Center by contributing their time and efforts in helping the Pride Center function and thrive. Our wonderful volunteers help the Pride Center to facilitate peer support groups, staff the Rainbow Café, organize and implement Pride Center events, assist with mailings and advertisement, and so much more. In order to show our appreciation to those volunteers who have gone above and beyond for the Pride Center and their community, we will be highlighting one of our own, vital volunteers each month in CommUNITY. This month, the Pride Center of the Capital Region is delighted to spotlight our Youth Group facilitator, Jessa Rowan! Jessa grew up in the Peterborough area of New Hampshire and attended the University of New Hampshire where she graduated with a BA in Theater. After graduating she joined the Peace Corps- landing in Togo, West Africa. While there, Jessa founded three dra-

by:

Samantha Armer

ma clubs for girls in secondary school, wrote a grant to fund a high school theatre group which toured the region to educate youth about forced marriages, and incorporated theatre training into the Peace Corps in Togo to use the arts for community empowerment. Speaking about that time, Jessa said, “It is beautiful there, and the people are so kind.” After the Peace Corps she relocated to New York City where she worked with a variety of theatre groups. Primarily she focused her time and considerable energy to working with youth as the theatre director at OFF THE HOOK, Brooklyn, NY, directing one-act plays written by inner city Red Hook teens. Soon she found herself happily ensconced at the Hetrick- Martin Institute working as an education specialist coordinating an after school program serving at-risk LGBT youth (ages 12-21). In addition she co-facilitated a youth internship that used theatre to educate about healthy relationships, safe sex, and other issues affecting teenagers. While still in New York City, she received an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College and a Graduate Teaching Certificate Program from Brooklyn College. Wanting to grow in her career and exhausted by the financial strains of NYC, she moved to the Capital Region in the summer 2011 for a teaching position. Once here she found she missed her connection to the LGBT community and more specifically the young people of the community who remind her about the vast potential and resilience they demonstrate. Soon after arriving Jessa contacted the Center and was thrilled to hear about our weekly Youth Group on Friday evenings. “They want to express themselves through the [theatre games] framework, and they go to such deep places.”

Currently she is the theatre director at the Emma Willard School, where she just finished the annual production of the Revel. This is the biggest traditional (98 years and counting) of the school and the entire senior class of 87 participate, with only a week to put it on! “It was amazing and powerful!” says Jessa. She also teaches English and acting classes, acts as the technical advisor for the dances, and is the faculty advisor for the school’s GSA. In her sparse free time, Jessa likes seeing other theatre productions, doing yoga and running. Jessa says about the youth group: “It’s always exciting and surprising. I am always smiling when I leave, I feel at home there. I would love to do more than once a month. I wish there could be programs every day after school but I know that’s not possible – at least not now! I want to be involved in the youth programming growing.” She feels positive not only about the youth who come to the group but the entire staff and other volunteers at the center. About encouraging others to volunteer she says it’s important to remember what it was like to be a young person with role models. She knows about how crucial it is to be able to express one’s identity and how by supporting the youth, we create future leaders who continue the work we do as volunteers now. For more information on how to become a Pride Center volunteer, please visit our website at http://www.capitalpridecenter.org/getinvolved.cfm.

Romaine Brooks Gallery: February Artist - Mary Pierce LaFleur www.pinewoodspotters.net the

I began making pottery 35 years ago at the Boston Center for Adult Education. I studied for 3 years with Dorothy Mayzel. In 1975, I moved back to Troy, NY when I married my husband, Bob. One of our first purchases was a potter’s wheel, followed the next year by an electric kiln and I was in business. Pinewoods Potters was established in 1977 on Pinewoods Avenue in Troy. I enjoy making functional pottery with a quirky twist. My education background is in music education. The forms and patterns that I like to use remind me of the movement and ornamentation in music. Another influence has been my gardens which bloom with vibrant color and unique textures.

Going to my studio every day is an adventure. I love creating new, one-of-akind pieces. My new work is influenced by the classes I’ve taken in the last few years. I studied hand building at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina taught by Lana Wilson, using the extruder in hand building taught by Hayne Bayless at Arrowmont, two raku workshops at Sugar Maples taught by Randy Brodnax, and a saggar class at Snow Farm taught by Bob Green. In October I traveled back to Arrowmont to take a hand building class with Sandy Blain. Recently I have become very interested in saggar and raku firings. The results are so unique, but also very random. I find it exciting. I have just begun mixing my pit fired pieces with wood and wire.

I love the mixed media textures and the organic feeling of combining different media. I teach hand building and raku classes at River Street Pottery in Troy, NY, one floor above Northeast Ceramics at 621 River Street. I also volunteer in the pottery program at Roarke Center in Troy. My work can be seen at The Broken Mold in Troy, Great Finds in Valatie, Departure at the Albany Airport, Mimosa Gallery in Saratoga Springs, The Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany, Bennington Potters at Sterrup Square in Pittstown, Elissa Halloran on Lark Street, The Lamp Post in Latham, Art de Cure in Albany, and at ART 200 First Street in Troy.

These Presbyterian Churches Welcome You Where you can find a place ~ come as you are!

Albany First Presbyterian 362 State Street (at Willett) 518-449-7332 www.firstpresalbany.org Sunday Worship 8:30 am & 10:45 am

Hudson Falls First Presbyterian Church 5 River Street 518-747-3013 www.hudsonfallspresbychurch.org Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Scotia Trinity Presbyterian Church 185 Swaggertown Rd. 518-399-8782 www.scotiatrinity.org Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Albany West End Presbyterian 585 Central Avenue 518-438-7493 westendpc@nycap.rr.com Sunday Worship 11:00 am

Lansingburgh Cornerstone Community Church 570 3rd Avenue (Troy) 518-235-3851 www.cornerstoneccl.org Sunday Worship 10:30 am

Spencertown St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church 5219 County Route 7 518-392-3386

Albany Westminster Presbyterian 262 State Street / 85 Chestnut Street 518-436-8544 www.WPCalbany.org Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Putnam Station Putnam United Presbyterian Church 365 County Route 2, PO Box 8 518-547-8378 Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Stillwater Stillwater United Church 747 Hudson Avenue 518-664-7984 www.stillwaterunitedchurch.org Sunday Worship 9:15 am & 10:30 am

Colonie Roessleville Presbyterian Church Elmhurst and Central Avenue 518-459-2816 Sunday Worship 9:30 am

Rensselaerville The Presbyterian Church of Rensselaerville Main Street at Methodist Hill Road 518-797-9303 (June 24 - Sept 2) Sunday Worship 11:00 am (Summer only)

Troy First United 1915 Fifth Avenue (downtown) 518-272-2771 www.unitedprestroy.org Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Glens Falls First Presbyterian Church 400 Glen Street 518-793-2521 www.fpcgf.org Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Saratoga Springs Presbyterian-New England Congregational 24 Circular Street 518-584-6091 www.pnecc.org Sunday Worship 10:45 am

West Charlton West Charlton United Presbyterian 1331 Sacandaga Road 518-882-9874 www.westcharltonUPC.org Sunday Worship 10:30 am

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Schenectady Union Presbyterian Church 1068 Park Avenue 518-374-4464 www.unionpres.org Sunday Worship 10:30 am

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Waiting For Guffman By: Patrick White “Something New” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. More and more often my favorite, most treasured moments in a theatre are when I’m confronted with the shock of the new. A voice. An actor. A new play. A playwright I’ve never heard of. A company taking on challenging material you never thought they were capable of. A theatre I’ve never been to before. A school enjoying their freedom from commercial constraint and reveling in their spirit of artistic exploration by producing provocative material for their students and audiences that we might not otherwise encounter. Projects that, at first glance, make you scratch your head and wonder what’s that or how’s that going to work? There are new play festivals annually at The Glove Theatre in Gloversville and Confetti Stage at the Masonic Hall in downtown Albany and this past year saw Capital Repertory Theatre and Proctors teaming up to produce a weekend of readings, Next Act New Play Festival which featured plays and a musical. All world premieres sometimes by first-time writers acted and directed by dozens and dozens of local artists. In the past year there were a number of new physical spaces I entered as a performer or an audience member for the first time, sometimes a theatre, sometimes a hall or space fashioned into a theatre. I was lucky enough to perform with one of the last classes of UAlbany’s theatre majors on writer/director Chad Larabee’s new adaptation of Dickens’ “Great Expectations.” How exciting for the students and I to be in the room with the artist who transposed the classic story to the settings of West Virginia coal mines and halls of D.C. academia. It brought the tale of choices and oppurtunities to thrilling life in a way that another production of “Twelfth Night”

would have a hard time matching. As an audience member I was gratified to see extraordinary productions in theatres I had never before in Dorset, VT, Merrimack, MA and a truly exceptional “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Huntington in Boston. That is a play that you would be lucky to see cast and produced well once in your lifetime and when it’s revived well, you should jump at the opportunity to catch it. A trip I’ll always remember is the 25 mile trek I took by bike on Mountainview Road to see Chester Theatre Company’s “Animals Out Of Paper” by Rajiv Joseph. Locally, schools were a great place to find new plays and playwrights. I saw a fun production of one of Ken Ludwig’s lesser produced “Shakespeare in Hollywood” at Sayles HS in Schenectady, SCCC had Adam Rapp’s “The Metal Children” with their second to last production with a theater department and BCCC surprised with Stephen Yorkey’s “Cartoon.” Best of all, my peripatetic playgoing was rewarded with a luminous production of Annie Baker’s “Circle Mirror Transformation” at UAlbany directed by veteran local actor Yvonne Perry. There were many Capital Region companies which took risks that challenged themselves and their audiences last year with their scheduling which deserve to be recognized: ACT’s “The Farnsworth Invention” and “The Shape of Things,” SCP’s “Miss Mannerly,” Capital Repertory Theatre’s “Black Pearl Sings” and “Pride @ Prejudice,” Curtain Call’s “Next Fall” and “Opus,” C-R Productions’ “In the Heights,” TIS,s ”Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” The Theatre Barn’s “The Little Dog Laughed.” All were exceptional perhaps because they were brave programming done because

the producers believed in the value of doing them not that they were safe bets for selling tickets. Three summer companies which regularly feature new writing hit the jackpot this summer: Barrington Stage’s new Joe Iconis musical “The Black Suits,” Shakespeare & Co.’s hosting of Split Knuckle’s “Endurance” and Stageworks/Hudson’s “Tomorrow in the Battle.” The plays, playwrights and composer were all new to me and they literally had me on the edge of my seat because I had no idea what would happen next. Thrilling! The year to come promises more discoveries. My list of most anticipated would have to include: Channel Z’s “The Pillowman,” Capital Rep’s “Red,” Our Own Productions’ “Spring Awakening,” Proctors “Fela,” SCP’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” ACT’s “The Oldest Profession,” Curtain Call’s “These Shining Lives,” Soul Rebel Performance Troupe’s “Camp Logan”… But of course this time next year the strongest memory will be of something unknown to me as of now, unforeseen and completely unexpected. As Tennessee Williams had his Lord Byron exclaim in “Camino Real” “Make voyages!-Attempt them!-there’s nothing else…”

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V INTAGE P RIDE February Potluck Lunch

Sunday, February 17th, 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;3 PM First Presbyterian Church 362 State Street, Albany A casual social opportunity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people 55 and older. Bring a dish to share, and enjoy drinks and dessert provided by the Pride Center. For more information, please call 462-6138

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You Can Too!

About twelve years ago, I met a guy named Mike McDonald who worked in the Senate office next to mine. One day we began talking about our mutual interest in Louisiana culture, especially zydeco music and Creole and Cajun cooking. This led to a spur of the moment decision to throw a Mardi Gras party. We invited everybody we knew, we divided up the cooking and it turned out to be the biggest, best party I ever had. We made gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, po-boy sandwiches, alligator stew (okay, we cheated and used chicken, don’t tell anybody) and syrup cake. Everybody came early, stayed late and the only thing more fun than the food was the music. This year, Mardi Gras falls on February 12 and if you need a good excuse to cut loose, have some fun and beat the midwinter blues, look no further. A bunch of friends, some spicy food and some bouncy music and you’ve got yourself a party to remember. And if you’ve never cooked Louisiana-style, you’re in for a treat. It’s easy, it’s fun and any recipe can be stretched to feed as many people as you can crowd into your kitchen. Laissez le bon temps roulez! Classic Louisiana cooking developed from two different, but overlapping cultures. The Creoles were French and Spanish settlers who inhabited the area which eventually grew into New Orleans. The Cajuns are the descendants of the Acadians, French Canadians who were driven out of their homeland by the British and forcibly relocated to the Louisiana bayous.

By Michael Meade

What is the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking? Most Louisiana chroniclers claim the answer is simple. Many Creoles were rich planters and their kitchens aspired to grande cuisine. Their recipes came from France or Spain, as did their chefs. By using classic European techniques with local foodstuffs, they created a whole new cuisine, Creole cooking. On the other hand, the Cajuns were a tough people used to living under strenuous conditions. They tended to serve simple country food prepared from locally available ingredients. It was pungent, peppery and practical since it was all cooked in a single pot. Thus Cajun cuisine was born. While both cuisines are distinct, there are cross references. Rice is a staple of both and Creole and Cajun cooks usually start a dish by making a roux of oil and flour. In addition, there are many common ingredients such as crab, shrimp, oysters, crawfish (a small crustacean similar to lobster), squirrels, ducks, frogs, turtles, pork, homemade sausages, beans of all kinds, tomatoes, okra, yams and pecans. The one thing that both the Creoles and Cajuns agree upon is that there is no one rule and no one recipe when it comes to matters of food. There are hundreds of different recipes for gumbos, jambalayas, and etouffees and they are all right because no one is wrong. This is a cuisine of creativity and experimentation and it’s pretty foolproof. As long as you’re using lots of onions, peppers and garlic sautéed in butter, you can’t possibly go wrong.

Crawfish Etouffee 1 stick butter 1 medium onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound crawfish tails, peeled 1 tablespoon paprika Cayenne pepper (to taste) Black pepper (to taste) Salt (to taste) 2 cups water 1/4 cup white wine 3 tablespoons flour Hot cooked rice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Melt butter in a deep, heavy frying pan over low heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent (about ten minutes). Season the crawfish with paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Add the seasoned crawfish to the pan, then add the water and wine and cook slowly. As the water cooks down, add the flour, one tablespoon at a time and stir until it forms a golden brown sauce. Add more water if it gets too thick. Cook until crawfish are soft to the bite (about forty minutes). Serve over rice, garnished with parsley. Serves four. Note: If crawfish are not available, you can easily substitute shrimp, scallops or lobster. (continued on page 25)

Michael Cooks (continued) Chicken and Sausage Jambayala 3 cups of chicken breast meat, cut into bite-sized pieces Cayenne pepper (to taste) Black pepper (to taste) Salt (to taste) 2 tablespoons butter 2 large onions, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic. minced 2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce 1 8-ounce can of stewed tomatoes 1 lb. pork sausage links, cooked and sliced 2 cups raw rice 1/2 bunch green onions Water Season chicken pieces with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces. Remove the chicken and brown the onions, bell

pepper and garlic. Add the tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes and simmer for about fifteen minutes. Add the chicken and sausage pieces. Cook until chicken is tender. Add the raw rice and green onions. Stir thoroughly and add enough water to cover ingredients by about one inch. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for about thirty minutes or until rice is tender. Serves four. Note: If you want to be really authentic, use andouille sausage, which is expensive and often hard to find. Feel free to substitute hot Italian sausage links or Polish Kielbasa. Cajun Syrup Cake (Gateau de Sirop) 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, well beaten 1 cup molasses 2 & 1/2 cup sifted flour 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbs cinnamon 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup hot water Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mixing well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to first mixture. Add hot water and beat until smooth. Pour into lightly greased and floured 9 inch square pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Michael Meade studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, worked at Jack’s Oyster House in Albany and is currently souschef for Thunder Mountain Curry in Troy. Send questions or comments to Mmeade1215@aol.com

Pride Center Now Offering Free, Confidential, Rapid HIV Testing by:

Lauren Ford The Pride Center is excited to announce the expansion of our Center Support program which provides direct and supportive health and human services to our community. Center Support, which includes the Rainbow Café, Men’s & Women’s Peer Support Groups, Center Support Counseling, Case Management Services, the Capital Region LGBT Mental Health and Substance Abuse Network and now – free, confidential Rapid HIV Testing. As an authorized testing location, the Pride Center is now able to offer on-site testing and counseling administered by the Mental Health Specialist. Testing is offered in a welcoming, private office on the 3rd floor of the building. Reliable results are available in just 20 minutes with the OraQuick rapid oral test. Free information, resources and support about

HIV prevention and risk reduction are available for all who are tested. Direct support and confirmatory testing through Albany Medical Center are available for those with a positive rapid test. No judgment. Drop by during our open testing hours the 1st & 3rd Mondays and 2nd&4th Fridays from 4-7pm and be seen, first come first served, by the Mental Health Specialist. Do you have questions about how to reduce your risk for contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted infections? We can answer them! Free confidential testing available for all – no fee, insurance or parental notification needed. The Centers for Disease Control recommends incorporating routine HIV testing into your current health and wellness plan. People who are infected with HIV

but not aware of it are not able to take advantage of the therapies that can keep them healthy and extend their lives, nor do they have the knowledge to protect their sex or needle-sharing partners from becoming infected. Knowing whether one is positive or negative for HIV confers great benefits in healthy decision making. Rapid HIV Testing Drop-In Hours: 1st & 3rd Mondays: 4PM-7PM 2nd & 4th Fridays: 4PM-7PM None of these times work for you? Testing is also available by appointment. Call 518.462.6138x12 or email casemanagement@capitalpridecenter.org for more information or to make an appointment for testing. Know your status!

The Gaybyboomer Diaries

By: Dr. Raymond H. Werking, Jr.

Where Do I Go from Here? - What Goes Around, Comes Around. . . This month’s column of The Gabyboom- Damn! The note would have to be typed. er Diaries presents the twenty-sixth in- We couldn’t even analyze the handwritstallment of my 1985 young adult novel, ing. (Deep Throat references the inforWhere Do I Go from Here? As the nar- mant in the Watergate scandal.) I know rative resumes, Brian and Mr. Cassidy one thing for sure. The kid responsible have been unfairly blamed for an inci- for the mysterious communication is no dent in which Principal Pomeroy was dope. Reading that non-fiction stuff is physically attacked after ordering the about as easy as wading through mud. band called Randy Radar and the Ro- My bet is one of the student council ofdents to leave the building for inserting ficers from Troy Hall got fed up with the obscene words into the lyrics. . . intimidation routine and decided May 19 The weekend didn’t erase any memories of Friday night’s disaster. By Monday morning, the ill-fated dance was just about the only topic of conversation. Mr. Cassidy reported Wild Child’s unexpected appearance to Pomeroy, but it didn’t do any good. Rodney Shufelt denied having any part in the scheme to destroy our special project. I doubt if anyone believed the denial, least of all Brian. The president of Albany Hall has a unique sense of fair play. I’ve never known him to cheat anyone unless he was wronged first. (Of course, this doesn’t include his brief shoplifting career last summer. That was a different matter.) After somebody crosses Brian though, there’s no limit to the “wrath of Devlin.” As he said this morning before homeroom, “Once I find out who’s responsible, the gloves are off.” The mystery thickened when I found an anonymous note in the locker shared by Brian and me. Some kid must have slid it through the vents while we were at lunch. Dear B., R.S. and J.T. ruined your dance. R.S. bribed the band with money from J.T. Get the creeps for all of us! Deep Throat

to get even. We’re all sure the R.S. refers to Rodney Shufelt, alias Wild Child, but who is J.T.? At my request, Ted Lasher made Xerox copies of all the homeroom lists in Troy Hall. Brian took them home to study. He called me at about 8:30 with the results of his detective work. The initials J.T. belong to only three students in Troy Hall. Two of them are girls. A friend of Martha’s checked out the trio of suspects. Brian is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the guilty party is not among them. As for the initials R.S., only Rodney Shufelt filled the bill. Now all we have to do is find Wild Child’s accomplice! P.S. I’m glad my initials aren’t R.S. or J.T.! May 25 Brian’s temporary placement with Mr. Cassidy seems to be working out really well. Brian doesn’t exactly hide the fact, but he isn’t advertising it either. Being “semi-adopted” by your English teacher is the sort of thing the wrong kids could make a big deal out of. This doesn’t stop Brian though from telling Martha and me at lunch about the crazy things Jason does. “For a little kid, he sure gets into big trouble,” is how Brian described Mr. Cassidy’s son the other day. (It must

seem funny to play the part of an older “brother” after being an only child for fifteen years.) After school Brian came over to my house, and we planned a strategy for the upcoming track meet. I don’t know how he remains so optimistic about winning the trip to Washington. After the mess with the dance, I figure our chances for victory are slim and none. Even a first place finish in the track meet won’t save us unless the board of education awards Albany Hall an extra point for exemplary behavior. (FAT CHANCE!) I have an uneasy feeling Brian has a trick up his sleeve. P.S. If there is a plan in the works, maybe it’s just as well I don’t know about it. As my father always says, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” May 28 Just when it appeared as if the mysterious note might have been a phony to throw us off the trail of the guilty party, the riddle solved itself. An old, blue Pontiac convertible filled with rowdy high school kids came to a screeching halt in front of the school this morning. Wild Child and John Tario climbed out of the back seat. The way the dynamic dumbos carried on you’d have thought they were long, lost buddies. Brian gave them an icy stare. Actually, it was more like a penetrating death ray. Brian remained quiet, however, and continued to walk forward. “So Tario’s a traitor,” I said, breaking the silence. “I’m surprised you didn’t break his neck!” “Sometimes actions speak louder than words,” Brian responded. From the tone of his voice, I knew he meant business. The conversation ended abruptly, but the case is far from closed.

Gaybyboomer Diaries (continued) June 7 Probably nothing makes junior high teachers and principals more fidgety at the end of a school year than the possibility of a food fight. It was just such an event that put us back into the running for the Washington trip. Our cafeteria is divided into two equal halves, one for each hall. Anticipating problems, Pomeroy doubled supervision in these areas over a week ago. He stationed a faculty member in every corner of the room. I figured starting anything under these conditions would be about as easy as breaking out of a maximum security prison. Well, I was wrong! Hot meals were served today for the last time. (They always close the kitchen for the final few weeks of school to clean and take inventory.) If a food fight were to occur, this was the last chance. Pomeoy made a rare personal visit just to make sure everyone was at his proper post in the dining room. Brian, Martha, Ted Lasher, and I sat at our usual corner table discussing Albany’s prospects in the upcoming track meet. (Mr. Cassidy put Martha in charge of the girl’s division.) I happened to be looking in the direction of the food line when three strangers entered the cafeteria. Without any warning, each one dumped his tray on the kids seated at Wild Child’s table. Since the meal consisted of turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes, it was not a pretty sight. The culprits exited quickly through a side door without detection by a single teacher.

of throwing. The little, green balls make perfect missiles which splatter on contact. Temptation on the part of Albany Hall kids to enter in the fun was almost more than some kids could stand. A number of individuals already had food in their hands ready to throw. Brian waited until it was almost too late and then stood calmly in the center of our section. Mr. Pomeroy saw a chance to avoid further disaster and quickly handed him the mic. “Remember the Washington trip,” Brian said with a smile. “Let’s not allow childish behavior to spoil our chances.” His announcement worked like a charm. The Albany Hall kids sat with their hands folded for the remainder of the lunch period. You’d have thought they were playing angels in a Christmas pageant. In the meantime, detention notices were handed out by the dozen as Pomeroy attempted to nail every single student who participated in the food fight.

COMING UP NEXT: The Ultimate Revenge . . . Dr. Raymond H. Werking, Jr. is a lifelong educator and published novelist who is in the midst of writing his new tell-all autobiography, “Unapologetically Alive.” He has a doctoral degree in English from the State University of New York at Albany. The Pride Center presented Dr. Werking with their Community Service Award in 2009. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Capital Region Chapter of GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. He also volunteers as Executive Producer of HomoRadio which is now in its twenty-second year of service to our community. Don’t miss this awardwinning LGBT news and public affairs program’s live broadcasts every Sunday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm on WRPI 91.5 FM, on www.wrpi.org, or via iTunes. Ray would love to hear your comments, questions, and feedback at DrRayWerking@yahoo.com.

P.S. I’m not about to question our good fortune, but the coincidence of what happened today is a little hard to swallow. I think one of the kids who sneaked in and started the whole thing was Davie the Dreamer, Brian’s friend from Vista Village Apartments. Maybe actions do speak louder than words.

The ambush came from the rear, so none of Troy Hall’s “finest” knew what happened. Believing the kids at the table behind him to be responsible, Wild Child retaliated. Food flew through the air in every possible direction. Before long, all of Troy Hall was involved in the battle. As luck would have it, the vegetable of the day was peas. I doubt if a better food exists for the purpose

The Capital Region

launches “Real Talk” - A series on LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence & Abuse In Our Own Voices, Equinox Domestic We know LGBTQ people are experiencViolence Services, and Pride Center of ing intimate partner violence and abuse the Capital Region formed a planning in their relationships and we know that committee this past fall to discuss ideas many young people face family viofor engaging in community-wide dis- lence when they come out; we know cussions about intimate partner violence because our agencies work to assist surand abuse experienced by LGBTQ peo- vivors every day. What can we do to ple living in the Capital Region. address violence and abuse? How can people recognize “red flags” and avoid The planning committee is developing potential abusers? What happens when a series of events we’ve named “Real police show up and try to figure out who Talk” because we believe that’s what the abuser is in a same sex relationship? needs to happen – some REAL TALK People have told us they want to learn about how intimate partner and family what to do – not just for themselves – violence impacts our lives and the lives but also for friends who are experiencof our friends. ing violence and abuse.

The first Real Talk event is Queer Tango: An LGBTQ Speed “Friending” Event happening on Friday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm at the University at Albany and is geared for LGBTQ young adults. We’re planning an interactive, fun program to engage in a discussion about healthy vs. unhealthy relationships and what people can do to get and stay safe. Details are being finalized. If you would like more information or to be involved in the planning for the Real Talk series, please contact: Lindsay Farrar at lfarrar@equinoxinc.org or (518) 434-6135.

TransView #109: GENDA

Governor Cuomo in his 2013 State of the State address to the New York State Legislature on January 8, 2013, once again as in 2012 made no mention of transgender New Yorkers, the fact that there is a hodge podge of local ordinances (with New York City being the largest and oldest law [4/02]) which make for inordinate amount of difficult for transgender people, and the urgent need for the passage of the statewide transgender civil rights law, called GENDA, Gender Non Discrimination Act, first introduced in 2003. We could play, “Gee, I wonder why the Governor appears to be so transphobic...” until the cows turn purple, but I don’t think we’ll ever get a straight (literally) answer about his phobia about this important civil rights issue. That’s the problem. With a Governor who is perfectly willing to do what is necessary from cajoling to manipulating to being a spinmeister to an outright bully to get what he wants done, he is strangely avoidant on this issue. It’s not like transgender rights is unpopular issue--an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers favor the legislation. As we know all too well New York is not a state which can pride itself on doing what’s right and putting politics aside when people’s lives, livelihoods and families are at stake. We do have some small hope with the Independent Democrat Caucus’ appearance on the scene. It does appear by initial word floating around that they support much of the pro-

By: Moonhawk River Stone

gressive agenda of the Legislature and the Governor. Now getting them to twist Republican arms in favor of GENDA is another matter. Allowing Republicans to vote their conscience and not their party or prejudice is not a likely scenario. After all, we do have those who have been “made an example of” for voting for same sex marriage and are no longer in office, replaced by those who are frankly “proud” of their bigotry. I’m sure the same threat applies to those Republicans who might vote for GENDA. Gee, and I thought we lived in a democracy... What is critical here is how the GENDA Coalition of progressive partners working to pass the bill can engage allies and LGB people to move the bill forward. As always, it’s the vast silent, uninvolved majority in the middle that, if activated, could bring success which needs to awakened, galvanized and directed to grassroots action and education of their communities to force the Legislature (the Senate mostly) to a vote on GENDA. So, what are we waiting for? Purple cows? For the Governor to say “transgender” or do we take matters into the hands of the people and make it happen?

What I will give to the Governor is that his progressive agenda regarding his 10 point Women’s Equality Act is quite impressive and long overdue. It remains to be seen what, if any of it, is enacted. Finally, what is truly disappointing with the fact that so many inequities remaining with the continuing marginalization of LGBT New Yorkers, that Governor Cuomo only spoke retrospectively about the LG part of the LGBT community and did not include any further initiatives for the community. I’m wondering just how bad our social amnesia will be in 2014 when it comes time for the LGBT community to decide whether to support him or just how much support to give to him toward his reelection. I think we can look forward to this legislative season heralding in a renewed, intensely invigorated and tenacious and creative time of advocacy for the passage of GENDA. I’m sure us transgender advocates will welcome, you all, the silent majority with open arms. Maybe you’ll give us a nice Valentine’s present, what do you say? Until next time...T

11 years after the passage of transgender civil rights in New York City, and 10 years after the inaugural introduction of GENDA into the legislature, it would be good to get the job done. Transgender people have suffered enough. Time to get it done!

Hudson Pride Foundation Hosts the Second Annual Love Ball! On Saturday, February 16, 2013 The Hudson Pride Foundation hosts its Second Annual Love Ball at Club Helsinki, in Hudson NY! We are currently looking for couples to get married. The FREE wedding package includes: The FABULOUS Club Helsinki in bucolic Hudson, New York; Officiator; Cocktail Hour with Live Music; Wedding Cake; DJ Reception; Decorations and Flowers. For more information on this event, please contact Rob Bujan at robhpf@gmail.com or visit the website at http://hudsonpridefoundation.org/loveball.html

To Be A Blessing: An Advocate Evolves

By Cathy Parker

I wasn’t born an advocate. It was more of an evolution.

was relegated to other parts of the country and other religions. I was naïve.

I was raised to respect people who were different from me but we all know that respect isn’t the same as honoring. It is just one step above tolerating. While growing up and throughout college, I didn’t have any openly gay friends. It was the ‘70’s and ‘80’s so that was not unusual. I am sure I had gay friends, but they did not feel safe enough to come out to me.

Then I moved to Albany. When we told our priest in Kingston that we were moving to Albany, he told us we might want to become Lutheran. He was not joking. You see, Kingston is part of the New York City diocese. I had no idea that just a bit north of us was a conservative Episcopal diocese. I was proud of my NYC bishop when he supported the election of Gene Robinson to be the bishop of NH. I was proud of my old home state of New Hampshire, too.

In the ‘90’s one of my friends did come out to me and, as you might expect, we became even closer because he no longer had to hide parts of himself from me. Through that friendship I moved from respect to honoring. That came naturally as I learned that he wasn’t actually all that different from me. I know – duh! That experience didn’t spur me on to advocacy though. You see, I was living in New Hampshire and then New York. I had always worked for technology companies who are known for celebrating diversity. I eventually left the Catholic church and became Episcopalian. I didn’t leave just because of their stance on LGBTQ people, but I made sure the church I went to was welcoming. I was sort of living in this liberal bubble. I thought homophobia

When we moved to Albany, we came with some reliable information about a couple of welcoming parishes here. We settled in at St. Andrews and there I learned more about both the nature of my new diocese and a special organization called Advocates for Welcoming Congregations. The former presented me with a challenge and the latter with an opportunity. A new advocate was born. After I heard my bishop speak for the first time, I knew I had to do something. That was the beginning of a realization that everything wasn’t okay and homophobia was not just somewhere else. Once you realize that, there is no going back.

I joined Advocates for Welcoming Congregations and have had the opportunity to support LGBTQ folks on their spiritual journeys. I was fortunate enough to also be able to do advocacy work at my job at the University at Albany. As a career counselor I began to read about workplace issues and employment equality. Now I have an opportunity to not only help the LGBTQ students understand about these issues, but straight students as well. During all of my resume workshops I remind students that they cannot be discriminated against for their race and ethnicity, but in the majority of states they can be for their sexual orientation. I know that when I see their shocked faces I am poking holes in their liberal bubbles too. Maybe I am creating one more advocate too. Cathy Parker is a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, a career counselor at UAlbany and a Certified Life Coach. This article is one of a series provided by Advocates for Welcoming Congregations, a Capital Region group that encourages the welcoming of LGBT persons into the full life and leadership of communities of faith. The group also

works to make visible for members of the LGBT community opportunities for practicing their faith traditions.

Out In The Garden

By: Judith Fetterley

As gardeners, we have to change how we think about bugs. There are over 100,000 species of insects in North America alone and the vast majority of them are beneficial. They pollinate our plants, decompose our waste, control each other’s populations, and of course compose a key link in the food chain. Sure, there are some bad guys and some of them are really really bad, but many of the bad guys aren’t as bad as we think. A lot of us see a bug, panic, and reach for the nearest insecticide. This is not the best approach. Far better is the approach labeled Integrated Pest Management or IPM. The essence of IPM is: prevent the problem, tolerate the pest, minimalize the control, record your actions. PREVENTION. The key to preventing the arrival of insect pests (or diseases, for that matter) is contained in the mantra, “right plant, right place.” Choosing a plant that will thrive in the conditions you have in your garden (soil type, sun or shade, wet or dry, e.g.), or placing a plant in the conditions it requires to grow and flourish maximizes the likelihood that you will produce healthy plants. Healthy plants are more resistant to pests than are unhealthy plants. Choosing plants that are pest resistant is another key to prevention. Monitoring plants so that you discover problems in the early stages and can treat them then also helps to prevent situations that require major chemical intervention. TOLERATION. Despite the fact that we live in a world which includes thou-

sands of insects, we want to be bug free. “Bug” is by definition a bad word. We need to change this usage. Next time you have the flu, don’t say, “I’m in bed with a bug,” unless you mean to let people know that you subscribe to the IPM philosophy! In addition to realizing that most bugs are beneficial, we need to develop a greater toleration for those that are problems. IPM proposes the concept of “acceptable levels of damage.” Most of us who garden have probably experienced what this means, even if we have not used the IPM label. Who, for example, can possibly remove every Japanese beetle from their oakleaf hydrangea? I know I can’t, even though I dutifully go out every morning with my bottle of soapy water and gloves. So, many of the hydrangea’s leaves are chewed and some of the blossoms never open. I find the level of damage acceptable, especially when I consider the unacceptable level of damage that pesticides are doing to our planet.

trol. In bug-induced panic, people often reach for an insecticide without actually knowing if it will have the desired effect. What will work for one insect might not work for another; moreover what will work for an insect at one time in its life cycle might not work at another time. Once you have correctly identified the insect that is causing the problem and know something about its life cycle, you can choose your control, starting with the least toxic possible.

MINIMALIZE. If we can’t prevent the arrival of the problem insect, and if the damage it does is truly intolerable (for example, lethal to a plant that we cannot easily replace with a resistant variety), and if we can’t control it by nonchemical means (hand picking, water spray, predatory beneficials that will eat the pest), then we must consider some form of chemical control. Here the mantra is “least toxic first, most toxic last.” Knowing the insect you are trying to eliminate is important in prevention and toleration, but it is crucial to con-

IPM represents a sensible approach to insect problems. Indeed, IPM advocates argue that most of the insect problems encountered in our home landscapes can be successfully managed without recourse to chemical pesticides. Given that a substantial portion of the pesticides in use in “agriculture” today are used in our own backyards, this is an important position. IPM requires us to recognize that what we do in our backyard affects a much larger ecological system. If we change our approach to bugs, perhaps we can do our part to save the planet.

RECORD. The last step in the IPM system is record keeping. Keep a record of what problem insects have appeared on what plants and when. Keep a record as well of what steps you took to address the problem and what results you got from your remedies. Such record keeping will not only let you know which remedies worked and which didn’t; it will also help you to become better at monitoring and hence preventing problems from developing in the future.

February 2013

Pride Center featured events Tuesday, February 5th: LGBT Professionals Networking Mixer at Grappa ‘72 Ristorante, 6 – 8 pm 818 Central Avenue, Albany. Networking, appetizers and cash bar. $5 suggested donation. Presented by the Pride Center Business Alliance. Friday, February 22nd: Frostbite Ball 2013: LGBTQA Youth Dance & Karaoke Showdown, 7—10 pm! The Pride Center of the Capital Region is throwing our annual Frostbite Ball for LGBTQA youth between the ages of 13-18. Bring your friends, dancing shoes and singing voice; we’re going to take over the whole building with this event! Snacks and drinks served. Free!

Pride Center Calendar February 2013 Friday, February 1st: 1st Friday at the Romaine Brooks Gallery, 5-9 pm. Come to the Romaine Brooks Gallery, the Pride Center’s very own art gallery! Featuring the work of Carole Fults. Wednesday, February 6th: Pride Center Board Meeting, 6 pm. Open to the public. 3rd Floor. Saturday, February 9th: Albany All Stars Roller Derby Bout Benefits Center Youth Program, 7—9 pm (Doors @ 6) Washington Avenue Armory, Albany. Come to the bout and buy a raffle ticket to support our Youth Program! Watch the Albany All-Stars go against Watertown. Tuesday, February 12th: Pride Center Info Session and Volunteer Orientation, 6-7 pm. Want to learn more about the Pride Center, or consider volunteering with the Pride Center? Come to our Volunteer Orientation to learn about our programs, ways to get involved and meet new people! Wednesday, February 13th: Poetry Night, 7-9 pm. Thursday, February 14th: Capital Pride Planning Committee Meeting, 6 – 7:30 pm. Join us to be a part of the planning for 2013 Capital Pride! Sunday, February 17th: Vintage Pride Potluck, 1-3 pm. Bring a dish to share and enjoy drinks and dessert provided by the Pride Center. A casual social opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people 55 and older at the First Presbyterian Church, 362 State Street, Albany. Free! Sunday, February 17th: Movie Night, 7-9 pm. Join us for a screening of “Paris is Burning” the documentary film about the NYC ball scene in the 1980s in Rainbow Café. Free! Wednesday, February 20th: LGBT Book Club, 7-9 pm. Meets in Rainbow Café. All are welcome! The book is The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal. All events take place at the Pride Center (332 Hudson Avenue, Albany) unless otherwise noted.

February 2013

Pride Center ongoing events Saturdays

Tuesdays Cont’d

LGBT Alcoholics Anonymous Garden level meeting room, 7-8:30 pm

Capital Region Support Group for Family and Friends of LGBT People 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7 pm 1221 Wendell Avenue, Schenectady For more info, contact Julia Helfman, 3729911

Sundays Rainbow Café Drop in, 6-9 pm Bisexual Potluck Brunch Meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month 1st Floor, 11 am—1 pm Bring a brunch item to share! LGBT Alcoholics Anonymous Garden level meeting room, 7-8:30 pm Mondays Men's Peer Support Group 1st Floor, 7-8:30 pm Gay Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Garden level meeting room, 7:30-8:30 pm Free Confidential HIV testing 1st and 3rd Monday, 4-7 pm Tuesdays Women's Peer Support Group Garden level meeting room, 7-8:30 pm Trans Pride Meet and Greet 1st Tuesday of the Month 1st Floor, 7-9 pm Trans Pride Discussion Group 3rd Tuesday of the month 1st Floor, 7-9 pm

Wednesdays LGBT Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous Garden level meeting room, 6:30 pm Thursdays Rainbow Café Drop in, 6-9 pm Thrive LGBT Youth Group - Ages 16—24 3rd Floor, 6-7:30 pm Rainbow Nights Schenectady LGBTQA Youth Peer Support Group - Ages 13—18 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month, 6-7:30 pm Proctors Theater, Underground Space, 432 State Street, Schenectady LGBT Narcotics Anonymous Garden level meeting room, 7:30-8:30 pm Friday Free Confidential HIV testing 2nd and 4th Friday, 4-7 pm LGBTQA Youth Peer Support Group Ages 13 – 18 1st Floor, 7-8:30 pm *Questions? Call (518) 462-6138 or email programs@capitalpridecenter.org

Continued Pride Center Events Friday, February 22nd: Queer Tango: An LGBTQ Speed “Friending” Event, 7—10 pm at SUNY Albany, Campus Center Ballroom, Albany. A component of the “Real Talk” about healthy relationships, this event is sponsored by the Pride Center of the Capital Region Equinox, In Our Own Voices, and SUNY Albany. Sunday, February 24th : Supper Saturday in the Rainbow Café. 6:30 PM. Come and enjoy a delicious meal provided by one of our stellar volunteers. This event is re-occurring every last Sunday of the month. Free! All events take place at the Pride Center (332 Hudson Avenue, Albany) unless otherwise noted.

February 2013

Affiliate & Community Partner Events Sunday, February 10th: Hudson Pride Men's Discussion Group 2-3:30 pm, 603 Warren Street - 2nd Floor, Hudson. Meets the 2nd Sunday of every month. Saturday, February 16th: Hudson Pride Woman's Discussion Group 2-3:30 pm, 603 Warren Street - 2nd Floor, Hudson. Meets the 3rd Saturday of every month. Saturday, February 16th: Hudson Pride’s 2nd Annual Love Ball! 6—8 pm Cocktail Party, 8—10 pm Weddings, 10 pm—2 am DJ Dance Party & Reception, Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street, Hudson. For more information please visit www.hudsonpridefoundation.org Sunday, February 24th: Hudson Pride Youth Discussion Group 1-2:30 pm, 603 Warren Street - 2nd Floor, Hudson. Meets the last Sunday of every month for LGBTQ and allied individuals between 13-20. Hudson Pride is an affiliate of the Pride Center of the Capital Region. Wednesday, February 6th: Saratoga Pride Men's Group meets at Virgil’s House, 86 Henry Street. Saratoga. 6 pm. This group meets the first Wednesday of each month. Thursday, February 21st: Saratoga Pride Lesbian Breakfast meets at Country Cafe on High Rock at 7:30 am, 165 High Rock Ave, latecomers welcome. This group meets the third Thursday of each month. Saratoga Pride is an affiliate of the Pride Center of the Capital Region. Wednesday, February 2nd & Wednesday, February 16th: In Our Own Voices’ Outofthecloset I Am 6-8 pm. An group for Women who have sex with Women. Join us for a night of good conversation, food, and fun! Facebook: outofthecloset I Am Tuesday, February 12th: In Our Own Voices’ Youth Development Network Meeting, 12-1:30 pm. The Youth Development Network is a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to empowering LGBT POC Youth in the Capital Region. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP. Wednesday, February 13th & Wednesday, February 27th: In Our Own Voices’ TransCare, 6-7:30 pm. TransCare is a social group for Transgender People of Color to share their voices about the issues affecting their community. Wednesday, February 27th: Healthcare Kits & HIV testing, 4-6 pm at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue, Albany. Free personal hygiene and safer sex kits for LGBT individuals and families in need. Free confidential HIV testing is also available, provided by the Michael Bright Drop-In Center. In Our Own Voices’ Black and Latino Gay Pride 2013 Planning Committee Meeting, 6-7:30 pm. Date TBD. Come have your voices heard and help make Black and Latino Gay Pride the best yet! All In Our Own Voices events take place at 245 Lark Street, Albany unless noted.

Have an event for CommUNITY? If you would like to have your events posted in the CommUNITY newsletter, please visit our website at capitalpridecenter.org and click on the events tab and select calendar of events. From there you can submit your own event. You can also submit an event to jshultis@capitalpridecenter.org for approval by the 5 th of the month.

Community Resource Guide ENTERTAINMENT/SOCIAL

Albany Bombers the Capital District’s gay and gay friendly ice hockey team. Skating/ hockey lessons and scrimmages are held at Albany’s Swinburne ice rink. All levels of skaters welcomed. We can teach you how to play hockey. Contact Albany@gayhockey.org. Albany Front Runners and Walkers a local running and walking program Two Rivers. Meets Sat.s at 9 am for runs and walks at Buckingham Lake Park followed by a bagel brunch at Uncommon Grounds. Contact Terry at 4351704, or email terrytamer7@gmail.com Alternate Universe Science fiction/fantasy group for LGBTs and their friends. 767-9722. Bisexual Brunch First and third Sun.s of the month, 11am –1:00pm at the Rainbow Cafe. 332 Hudson Ave, Albany Viktoria 438-6315. Bagel Bunch Older gay men’s social and discussion group. Tues.s, 10:30am at Bruegger’s, Hannaford Plaza, Central Ave., Albany. Capital Area Pride Bowlers Come join a LGBT-friendly bowling league! We bowl every Sun. night at 6pm at Sportsman’s Bowling Alley in Schenectady. You don’t have to be a good bowler! It could be your first time! Come and meet new people and make new friends! http:// www.capitalareapridebowlers.com/ Capital Pride Singers LGBT/LGBT-affirming mixed chorus. Rehearsals on Mon.s, 7pm, St. Andrew’s, Episcopal Church, 10 No. Main St., Albany, 12203. Call 435-4636. Lesbian Business and Professional Network (LBPN) Breakfast. Fourth Fri. of every month, 7:30am, Country Corner Café on Church Street in Saratoga LBPNBreakfast@aol.com. Saratoga Lesbian Business and Professional Network Breakfast Third Thurs. of every month, 7:30 am, new comers and late comers welcome. Contact lbpnbreakfast@aol.com Lesbian and Gay Havurah Informal group of LGBT Jews. Potluck gatherings at members’ homes on the third Sat. of each month at 6:30pm. 272-8872. Monthly men’s coffee night First Wed. of every month, 6-8p Virgil’s House (coffee shop), 86 Henry St. Saratoga Springs contact: pmarino300@yahoo.com or Mike at michael58785@msn.com Our Brothers’ Keepers Foundation Box 1872, Albany, 12201, OBKF.ORG@gmail.com Roller Skating Every Tuesday night at Rollerrama on Hamburg St in Rotterdam NY. Times are from 7pm to 930pm Contact David Bonitatibus for info: 573-3962. Roller skating & rollerblades can been rented on site. Two Rivers Outdoors Club The Capital District’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender

outdoors club. Call 449-0758 or mail to: Two Rivers, P.O. Box 6217, Albany, NY 12206. Albany Gay Men’s Chorus - Men of all ages and levels of experience welcome. Rehearsals are Tues.s at 7 pm. Visit our website www. albanygmc.org; e-mail us at Albanygmc@ yahoo.com or call 518-462-6138, Ext 17 for information and rehearsal site. Capital District Country Dancers. GLBT country western dance group meets every Thurs. from 7:30 – 9:30 PM at Waterworks Pub, 76 Central Avenue Albany, N.Y. 12206. Lessons and open dancing, no partner needed, beginners welcome. Great way to exercise and meet new friends. For more info call Bruce at 518-330-0057 for additional information.

HIV/AIDS RESOURCES

AIDS Council of Northeastern New York A community-based, not-for-profit human service agency established in 1984 whose mission is to reduce the risk, fear and incidence of HIV infection, encourage the independence of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and promote understanding of their needs. www. aidscouncil.org. Albany, 434-4686; Hudson Falls, 743-0703; Hudson, 828-3624; Plattsburgh, 563-2437; Project HOPE, 434-4686, Schenectady, 346-9272; Confidential HIV Testing, 518-HIV-TEST; AIDS Hotline, 1-800-201-AIDS Albany Medical Center AIDS Program. 262-4439. AIDS Outreach Project Unity House. HIV testing, second and fourth Tues.s, Noon–4pm. Troy 272-2352. Albany Damien Center Albany, 4497119, Drop-in community center for persons living with and affected by HIV/ AIDS. Call for our monthly calendar. Testing: Drop-in Oraquick Testing Every Mon. from 6-8 PM, results in 20 minutes. www.AlbanyDamienCenter.org Anonymous HIV Antibody Testing For a FREE 10-minute test call 1-800-962-5065. The HIV Services Department of Whitney M. Young, Jr., Health Services provides access to primary and specialized medical care, Medical Case Management, Diffused Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBIs), health literacy and treatment adherence education, mental health/psychiatry, outreach and prevention education, confidential HIV counseling, testing and referral and supportive individual and group sessions.

Hours are Mon. through Fri. 8:30 until 5:00pm. 518-465-4771 ext. 4621 Focus Group in Fulton and Montgomery Counties on HIV Only for HIV-positive individuals. Meets the last Wed. of each month. For more information about the group or about HIV-related concerns and testing issues, call 842-3762, ext. 228. The NAMES Project New York Capital Region Chapter Provides HIV/ AIDS education and raises AIDS awareness through the AIDS Memorial Quilt as an artistic response to the enormity of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For more info contact 462-7906. NETWORTH/Positive Action A nonprofit, grassroots, community - based membership organization promoting specialized AIDS Care Services and creative HIV Prevention Awareness initiatives in the Hudson Valley. 518-339-AIDS(2437). Support Ministries for Persons With AIDS, Inc. Albany, (518) 463-5373. Schenectady Damien Center For more info call (518) 374-0848. Troy Damien Center For more info call (518) 270-9170.

ORGANIZATIONS

Gay Men of Color Alliance (GMOCA) Support group for People of Color. Meets the second and fourth Thurs. of each month, 6pm, GMOCA has moved to 388 Clinton Avenue SEFCU bldg , Albany New York 12206 Contact Harry Davis (518) 465-4771 ext 411. GLSEN NYCR (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, New York Capital Region). Teaching respect for all in our schools, PO Box 5392, Albany, NY 12208. (518) 448-7777. www. glsennycr.org. In Our Own Voices (IOOV) Programs and services for LGBT communities of color. For more information call 432-4188. LAMBDA Family Circle Social and support group for gay and lesbian parents, their children and those interested in starting a family. LAMBDA sponsors events monthly. Email lambda_familycircle@yahoo.com. Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Centers. Albany, Troy, Latham, Hudson. HIV testing and counseling. OBGYN exams, emergency contraception, education programs. Call 800-230-PLAN

Community Resource Guide RECOVERY GROUPS

Gay AA. Sun.s, 7:30pm, Pride Center of the Capital Region - All Genders Gay AA Discussion Meeting. Fri.s, 7:30pm, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 160 Central Ave., Albany. Gay and Lesbian Al-Anon Meeting. Fri.s, 7:30pm, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 160 Central Ave., Albany. Gay Men’s AA. Mon.s, 7:30pm, Pride Center of the Capital Region GLBT AA Meeting. Live and Let Live North, Sat. nights 6 pm, Christ Church, Episcopal Parish Center, 431 Union St., Hudson, N.Y. All are welcome. Lesbian and Gay Narcotics Anonymous. Thursdays 7:30PM Pride Center of the Capital Region LGBT AA. Saturdays, 7:30-8:30, Pride Center of the Capital Region Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous Wed.s, 6:30PM, Pride Center of the Capital Region

RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL

Albany Friends Meeting 727 Madison Avenue, warmly welcomes all to participate in meeting for worship Sun. at 10am. First United Methodist Church 603 State Street, Schenectady, warmly welcomes all to particpate in the life of the church community. Services 10:00 am on Sun. and 12 Noon on Wed.. Sun. school for children up to grade 5 at 10:20 am and for middle/high school students at 11:15 am. Handicap Accessible Call 374-4403 for more information. Congregation B’rith Shalom (Spirited. Tradition-leaning reform) 167 Third Street Troy, New York 12180 (518)2728872. Office hours 10:00am-2:00pm Mon-Fri. Services 7:30pm Fri.. Rabbi available by appt. Emmanuel Baptist Church 275 State St., Albany. Worship10:00 a.m. Sun.s followed by church school for all ages. (518) 465-5161. First Congregational Church of Albany 405 Quail St, Albany, NY. 12208 The purpose of First Congregational Church is to celebrate God’s love and to build a vibrant and vital church through worship, fellowship, education, service

and outreach in an inclusive and diverse community. Sun. worship at 10:30 AM with coffee fellowship following. More info at www.firstcongregationalchurch. org at 518-482-4580, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany 405 Washington Ave., Albany. A welcoming congregation invites gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to services and fellowship. Services at 10:00 a.m. Please stop for our coffee hour too. 463-7135. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady Wendell Ave., Schenectady. Welcoming congregation invites gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to services and fellowship. Services at 10:30 a.m. Sun.s. Please stop for our coffee hour too. 374-4446. First Lutheran Church 181 Western Avenue, Albany-463-1326, www.firstlutheranalbany.org. Sun. worship schedule: Sun. School and Adult Forum at 9:00 AM; Worship and holy communion at 10:00 AM. First Lutheran is a Reconciling In Christ Congregation. All are welcome. First Reformed Church of Schenectady Church and Union Streets, Officially Welcoming, Sun. Worship 10 am, Jazz Vespers every 3rd Sun. at 5 pm. www.1stReformed.com First Presbyterian Church State and Willett Sts., Albany. Call 449-7332 for schedule. First United Presbyterian Church Sun.s, 10am , 1915 5th Ave., Troy, call 272-2771. Heart of Hope Fellowship Emmanual Baptist Church, 275 State Street, Albany. Sun. service at 1PM with guest ministers from the area or members of the group. All are welcomed! Please call 518-785-7941, email heartofhopealbany@gmail.com or visit www.myspace. com/heartofhopealbany. Holy Trinity National Catholic Church. Church Office, 166 Jay Street, Albany, NY 12210. Sun. Mass 6:00 p.m. at 405 Washington Ave., Albany with social hour following mass. Healing Service, 1st Sun. each month; Candlelight Benediction Service, last Sun. of each month. Phone: (518) 434-8861 or email: NatCathCh@aol.com. NCCA Website: www.NCCofA.org/holytrin.html

The Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church 24 Circular Str, Saratoga , NY 12866 / Service Sun: 10:30 am / www.pnecc.org, 518-583-3988 Slingerlands Community United Methodist Church Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are invited to participate in the life of our congregation and beyond helping the church honestly be a healing presence in the 21st century. Worship 10 am Sun., children’s Sun. school 10 am, adult classes tba, choir Wed. evenings. Spiritual Direction Group for Lesbians meets monthly in Albany on a Monday evening. Contemplative atmosphere for listening for and attending to the sacred in everyday life; sliding scale fee. Call Audrey Seidman, 459-0661 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, North Main at Madison Ave., Albany. 489-4747. Sun.s: Worship 8am and 10:00am Sun. School at 10am. “ An inclusive community.” and all are welcomed. www.standrewsalbany.org Trinity United Methodist Church “on the corner of Lark and Lancaster” 235 Lark St, Albany, NY 12210 / Phone: 518-463-1293 / email: officetrinumc@aol.com Web: www. gbgm-umc.org/trinitychurchalbany / Sunday schedule: (enter at the upper Lancaster Street door) 9 AM - Adult Bible Study 10 AM - Worship Service and Children’s Church School 11 AM - Fellowship and refreshments / Thursday Mid-Week Worship - 30 minute service 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 6:30 PM - Kermani Chapel (enter at the Lark Street door) / Call to ask about other scheduled events. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs. Services and religious education, Sun.s 10:00 a.m., 624 Broadway, Saratoga. (518) 584-1555. Web site: http://www.saratoga-uu.org “Affirming and promoting the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” (continued on page 37)

Community Resource Guide RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL

Unity Church, 21 King Avenue in Albany, NY invites gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to join us in worship and fellowship. Unity is a non-denominational Christian church that celebrates the spirit of God, which lives in every person. Sun. worship at 9 & 11 AM. Wed. prayer at 6:30 PM. 581-453-3603 or www.unitychurchinalbany.org Watervliet United Methodist Church 1401 First Avenue, Watervliet (Handicap Accessible)Warmly welcomes all persons of diversity. Services 10am on Sun.. Soup Kitchen Wed. 4pm to 5:30pm. Peer Support Drop in Center environment to promote a “Peer” support approach for past and/or present consumers of mental health services Thurs.s 10am to 2pm “all are welcome for lunch”. Thrift Store Thurs. 10am to2pm. Questions, call 273-0191 or Email: rmccauley@nycap.rr.com. Integrity, Albany GLBT Episcopalians and friends working for understanding and inclusion in the Episcopal Church and Albany Diocese. Contact Rich Angelo, Diocesan Coordinator at albanyintegrity@gmail.com

Kingfisher Buddhist Sangha, a completely welcoming group, meets Sun.s from 4:30pm – 6:00pm in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, for meditation, teaching and discussion. Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church, corner of Eastern Parkway and Palmer Ave, Schenectady. Another weekly meeting is near Saratoga. Website: kingfishersangha.com. Call Karen at 459-3691 for more information.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Capital Region Support Group for Family and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People. Group supports family of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people. Its purpose is to offer support and information about coming to terms with their lgbt family member or friend. This groups meets the second Tues. of each month 7:00 PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Society Building, 1221 Wendell Ave. in Schenectady. Contact Julia Helfman at 518-3729911 for more information. GB&T Men’s Support Group for GBT men to talk about coming out, sex, religion, dating, relationships, and other issues affecting men in the GBT community. Meets Mon.s at 7:00 p.m.

in the 3rd floor gallery at The Pride Center of the Capital Region, 332 Hudson Ave. Albany. Call 518/4626138, or email programs@capitalpridecenter.org for more info. LBT Women’s Peer Support Group. For LBT Women who partner with women to talk about coming out, relationships, sex and other issues. Every Tues. at 7:00PM at the Pride Center of the Capital Region, 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany. Call 518-462-6138 or email programs@capitalpridecenter. org for more info. Youth Peer Support Group Ages 13– 18. Fri.s at 7:00pm at the Pride Center of the Capital Region. Call 518-4626138 or email programs@capitalpridecenter.org for more info. Voice Modification Classes for Transgender Individuals: Offered by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of the College of Saint Rose, this Voice Modification class focuses on enhancing communication for male-to-female transsexuals. The class runs each Mon. from 5-7pm at St. Rose College, the cost for 2 hours of voice training is $10/class. If interested, please contact Jack Pickering directly at PICKERIJ@mail,strose. edu or 518.454.5236.

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