The Community Voice - April 2009 by Aaron Whippo

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Literature course discusses sexuality

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April, 2009

Volume 1, Issue 6

Great shopping experiences don’t have to involve a mall

By Bob Howden The Community Voice

The next time you head down Interstate 79 destined for the Grove City outlets, do yourself a favor and take a side trip to the village of Volant, PA. Located less than 10 miles from Grove City, Volant has a great deal to offer visitors. From quaint shops and restaurants to a grist mill and winery, it is easy to wile away the day in Volant. Volant has a rich history dating back to 1784 when the land which the town currently occupies was purchased from the Indians. The first grist mill was built on the Neshannock Creek in 1806. It was abandoned after a few years and a new mill was built in 1812 at its present location just downstream for the original mill. In 1868, J.P. Locke purchased the mill and 100 acres of land and laid out a settlement (called Lockeville) of 30 lots. With the help of the railroad, Lockeville began to grown and prosper, and in June 1893 the settlement changed its name to Volant. The first store was built in 1877 and by the turn of the century, the village was a bustling commercial community. Thanks to the New Castle-Franklin railway line, Volant became a popular shopping district with the mill remaining the nucleus of the town. People would come

Bob Howden, Community Voice Built in 1812, the grist mill in Volant has always been the hub of the community. Today, the mill has been turned into a wonderful shopping experience, filled with country crafts, furniture and other gifts. to have their grist milled and to shop in the local stores with included harness shops, a post office, bank, various clothing stores, a drug store, a blacksmith, hotel, even a doctor’s office. A stone quarry was begun around 1900, as well as a lumber mill and brick company. The growing need for petroleum spurred an oil boom north of Volant and the drilling continued until the beginning of World War I.

The Great Depression brought a gradual decline in the town’s economy and the business district diminished. The mill closed its doors in the early 1960s and the trains stopped running through Volant in 1975. The town gradually became a forgotten, rural community. All that began to change in 1984 when the old mill opened its doors for the first time in over 20 years, this time as a country gift and antique store. Once again,

the mill became the centerpiece of the town, as it paved the way for a business revival that still continues. Encouraged by the mill’s success, other shops opened along Main Street. After several years of rapid growth, there are now over 50 shops and restaurants turning the sleepy little village into one of western Pennsylvania’s most See Volant

April, 2009

The Community Voice

Film has Important Message:

A Powerful Noise packs a powerful punch By Kathy Czarnecki Special to The Community Voice

I recently saw the trailer for A Powerful Noise while at Tinseltown to see another movie and I knew immediately that I wanted to be present for this film’s onenight special presentation. It begins with many stunning facts regarding the economy of third world countries and the daily T h e

C o m m u n i t y

The Community Voice is a monthly newsletter published by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. and four29media. The newsletter is designed to present news, features and other content of interest to the Erie regional GLBT community, its supporters and friends. If you have items to submit for publication consideration, please email them to content@ eriecv.org or mail them to The Community Voice, Erie Gay Pride, Inc., P.O. Box 8027, Erie, PA 16505. CoEditors: Kim Young and Bob Howden.

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living conditions of women and young girls, indicating they are the most impoverished, discriminated-against group in the world. v Of the 1.3 billion people living in absolute poverty around the globe, 70 percent are women and girls. v Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, yet only earn 10 percent of the income v Women produce half the world’s food, yet own only 1 percent of the land. v Women make up two-thirds of the estimated 876 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write; and girls make up two-thirds of 77 million children not attending school. v One-quarter to one-half of girls in developing countries become mothers before age 18. v Pregnancy is the leading cause of death among girls ages 15 to 19 worldwide. v Seventy-five percent of HIVinfected youth in Africa are girls. v Without a birth certificate or ID, a girl in a third world country doesn’t know and can’t prove her age, protect herself from child marriage, open a bank account, vote or get a job. v Seventy percent of the world’s out-of-school children are girls. vChild marriage is a norm in many cultures where a woman’s body is not even considered her own property. This event, hosted by Ann Curry of NBC News, was actually broadcast live in 450 theaters across the country. Once the opening was done, the movie was shown. It highlighted the lives of three women who used the circumstances they lived in and turned them into positive situations to help fight poverty and oppression in their own villages.

Hanh is fighting to educate her village about the ravages of AIDS after she lost her husband and daughter to the disease. She began a group called the Immortal Flower, which gives people living with AIDS support, education, counseling and health care. Nada, who is a Bosnian War refugee, began an agricultural cooperative that offered employment to war widows. She worked with local governments to create fair trade markets for the families that are returning as they sell their crops and manage livestock. Jacqueline, also known as Madame Urbain, is fighting forced labor in the slums of Bamako and Mali. She is working to provide girls with a basic education and vocational skills, then helps to place them in safe work environments. All of these women are working to end exploitation, discrimination and exclusion that are universal factors in the extreme poverty experienced around the world. They have determined that empowering women to change their lives and communities, rather than seeing themselves as simply victims of the poverty in which they exist, will create a pathway out for them and their families, which will ultimately change their villages. Since the majority of the world’s

poor are women and girls, these women see the empowerment of this population as most vital to accomplishing the UN Millennium Development goal of cutting poverty in half by the year 2015. It was interesting to learn that: v When a girl in the developing world receives an education, she marries four years later, and has 2.2 fewer children. v Educated girls grow into educated women, who have healthier babies and are more likely to educate those children as they grow up. v When girls and women earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 – 40 percent for a man. v An extra year of primary school boosts a girls’ future wages by 10 to 20 percent. v An extra year of secondary school boosts a girls’ future wages by 15 to 20 percent. After the movie, a live panel discussion was also hosted by Ann Curry. It concluded with a request for people to join The Powerful Noise campaign, or The Girl Effect. These campaigns were showcased at the World Economy Conference as ways to work within developing counties to empower See Noise

The Community Voice

April, 2009

Assumptions about sexuality and relationships discussed in Penn State literature course

By John Champagne

Special to The Community Voice

When is a lesbian not a lesbian? Can a straight man have sex with another man and still be straight? In a course I regularly teach called “The Theme of Identity in World Literature: Race, Class, and Other Issues of Diversity,” we examine these questions through two particular novels from two very different cultural and historical contexts: Ghanaian novelist Ama Ata Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy and Argentinian writer Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. Both novels require that we reconsider our common assumptions about gender, sexuality and the relationship between the two. Both ask their readers to question what it means to be “really straight” (or gay, for that matter). Our Sister Killjoy tells the story of Sissie, a privileged, educated Ghanaian student who receives a scholarship to travel to Europe. Sissie is well aware that the scholarship is an attempt by Europeans to redress the historical atrocities of slavery and economic exploitation, but she also sees that this scholarship comes with a heavy price tag: Africa’s continuing dependence on the West, and the West’s continuing pursuit of African resources. Sissie realizes that, in their roles as mediators between Africa and Europe, European-educated Africans are used by the West to secure African cooperation in its own continuing exploitation. The novel is thus heavy with irony, as Sissie sees what so many others — both the handful of privileged Africans who receive the goodies handed out by Europe, and the Europeans who think they are doing Africa a favor by helping themselves to her resources — will not or cannot see. On her journey, Sissie befriends a lonely German housewife named Marija. Marija and Sissie spend long hours together just walking and talking, often accompanied by Marija’s infant son, Little Adolph. At the end of each visit, Marija offers her friend a bag of plums. These plums come to symbolize a number of different things simultaneously: sensual pleasure; a gift that, like all such gifts, solidifies the relationship between the giver and the receiver; the lure of Europe for Sissie; the lack of love in Marija’s married life; love between women and its status as “forbidden fruit,” and so forth. Other people in the town

Most people are familiar with the movie or theatrical version of Kiss of the Spider Woman, but the original novel is being used in an interesting course at Penn State –– Erie, which deals with sexuality and relationships. become jealous of their friendship — they wonder why the exotic African miss should take such an interest in a plain housewife like Marija — and their jealousy turns to suspicion that something is not right between the two women. One night, while her husband is still at work, Marija decides to show Sissie her home. Overwhelmed by loneliness when she sees her marital bed, Marija touches Sissie’s breast and kisses her. As if from a bad dream, Sissie shakes free of Marija’s embrace, accidentally striking her. The two women do not discuss what has occurred, but Sissie begs out of their plans to have a farewell dinner prepared by Marija, easing the German woman’s disappointment by joking with her that she shouldn’t cook such rich foods for another woman. When I teach this novel, students sometimes assume that Sissie is a closeted lesbian, and that only her fear prevents her from acting on her sexual desires. But the novel is more complicated than this. While it is clear that Sissie feels affection for Marija, we have no clue whether or not that affection includes sexual desire. Although we are given ample

access to Sissie’s thoughts, often in the form of poems that comment upon the situations she faces, these poems never mention any sexual desire for Marija. Sissie, however, does say at one point that she sometimes thinks about what a delicious but doomed (and here she is being somewhat ironic) affair she and Marija might have had, had she been an African man. (She compares her relationship with Marija to those of African male students who take up with White girls.) And in one of her poems, she tells the story of a White missionary schoolteacher who was scandalized when she caught two young African girls wrapped in each other’s arms. When Marija makes advances toward her, Sissie simply notes how difficult it would be to explain her relationship with Marija to the people back home. Students often read Sissie’s musings about what might have happened, had she been a man, as evidence that Sissie is incapable of imagining lesbianism as the love of two women for each other. (Significantly, the word lesbian is never used in the novel.) Later, when she accidentally strikes Marija, she describes the pleasure she feels in causing another person pain as distinctly masculine. This, too, leads students to conclude that Sissie is confused about her sexual and gender identities. They see her as a lesbian who can’t accept her desires for Marija and so mistakes her feelings for those of a man. At the same time, however, they often argue that Marija is not “really” a lesbian; she is simply lonely and so reaches out sexually to someone who provides her with the love and affection her husband does not. In class, we note the irony of the fact that we call the woman who actually grabs another woman’s breast and kisses her “not a real lesbian,” but the woman who does nothing but befriends another woman and wonders what it would be like to be with her sexually “a real lesbian.” As a teacher, I try to emphasize the way this book wants to complicate any simplistic sense of the relationship between gender, love and sexual affection. The novel sees both of these women sympathetically. It also insists upon the impossibility of their relationship. This impossibility is not simply the result of personal See Sexuality

April, 2009

The Community Voice

Legislation introduced in Pa. to end sexual/identity discrimination Legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in housing, employment and public accommodations has been introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny County) introduced the bill, House Bill 300, which would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes. To date, the bill has a record 79 co-sponsors from both parties and from across the Commonwealth, including Rep. Flo Fabrizio of Erie and Rep. John Hornaman of Millcreek. The bill was referred to the House State Government Committee, where it was approved March 11 on a close 12-11 vote. It now goes before the full House

for approval. If approved there, it will go to the state Senate for consideration. “This legislation is critical to thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians who are trying to work and have a roof over their heads, and it enjoys substantial support from Pennsylvanians from every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Jake Kaskey, policy and outreach coordinator of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania. “At a time when more and more people across the state find themselves unemployed, we need to make sure every Pennsylvanian who wants to work has a fair chance at work,” Kaskey added. “It’s time for us in the legislature to take a stand against this kind of discrimination,” Frankel said. “The passage of House Bill 300 would bring our state in line with several of our neighbors

who already offer these basic protections to their citizens, and it would establish Pennsylvania as a just, fair and competitive place to live and work.” “We are very encouraged by the record number of legislators who have signed on as co-sponsors of this bill and we think it is a good sign for future progress,” added Andy Hoover, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Current Pennsylvania law provides basic legal protection against discrimination on the bases of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, handicap or disability, education and the use of a guide dog. Thirteen Pennsylvania municipalities have already enacted civil rights laws including protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. These municipali-

ties are Allentown, Easton, Erie County, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lansdowne, New Hope, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Swarthmore, West Chester and York. State College also has an ordinance that only covers sexual orientation discrimination in housing and employment. Nearly 80 percent of the state’s 12 million residents live or work in communities that do not provide these protections. Twenty states in the country have similar laws, including our neighboring states of New Jersey, Maryland and New York. Because of the close nature of the vote in the House State Government Committee, local residents are urged to write or call their state legislators and urge them to support House Bill 300. Such direct contact is critical to getting the bill passed into law.

It is a sure sign of spring. Jones Pond Campground and RV Park in Angelica, NY, will be opening for the season the weekend of April 24-26. If you are not familiar with Jones Pond, it is a gay-owned, members only, adult male (21 and up), clothing optional camping facility located on 100 acres

in the beautiful rolling hills of the Genesee Valley in Western New York. There is a 65 foot in ground pool for swimming and sunning, hiking trails, lots of amenities and great opportunities to socialize or just get away from it all. At Jones Pond, there is a variety of camping options. You can rough it in a tent in

the woods, park you camper or RV, or rent one of the cabins or seasonal rental sites. It’s all about being yourself and having a good time. Jones Pond is open through the last weekend in September, and most of the weekends feature special themes. You can enjoy “Mardi Gras Weekend”

and “Cowboy Weekend,” or how about “Bear Weekend” or “Beach Party Weekend.” There is something for everyone’s taste and enjoyment. To find out more about Jones Pond or to make reservations for the upcoming season, log on to www.jonespond.com or call (585) 567-8100.

Jones Pond Campground getting ready for opening weekend

The Community Voice

April, 2009

Book Review

Years later, can love be Forever Found? By Twila Special to The Community Voice

In Jlee Meyer’s first novel, Forever Found, soulmates from preschool, Dana Ryan and Keri Flemons are torn apart at the age of eight. Dana’s father is an alcoholic and takes her (Scooter as she is called by her bff) away from the life she has known. Mr. Ryan had worked for the Flemons’, but was fired for his drinking and the belief that his wife had had an affair with Mr. Flemons. He blamed her for abandoning Dana and him. These two girls made a promise to each other before they were pulled from each others lives, that someday they would be married to each other. Twenty years later, a terrible turn of events led them back to one another. Dana had been a pro soccer player until a tragic auto accident killed her father and also her chance to ever play soccer again. She

was directed to the office of the Pixaxes, a pro football team owned by the Flemons. She was sent there to receive a settlement from the accident because it was one of their executives who was driving the other car that claimed her father’s life. She agrees to go to this meeting only because she knows that the eight yearold-love of her life (Keri) is going to be there. Wanting very much to see her again and still being infatuated with that young love, she has to see what kind of woman Keri has turned out to be. When she gets to the meeting and Keri finally arrives, Dana doesn’t like what she sees. Assuming her to be the spoiled, rich kid who never really had to work for anything, she decides that Keri is really not the person she had hoped she would be. Discovering that Keri was the one driving the

car that fateful day, Dana tells Keri to pound salt after she tries to buy her off. Three years later, Dana is barely making ends meet when she decides to take up photography. She is getting some work, but needs something steady when a job opens up at none other than the Pixaxe’s. She applies, but doesn’t know if she will accept the job if offered. She believes she would be working with a photographer that has been on the job for years, but then finds out that it would be a job working for Keri. Her father had been killed in a plane crash a year earlier, and Keri has taken over his position. Traditions being what they are, what does a woman know about running a football team? Keri has her work cut out for her. Dana’s position will be to shadow Keri for a year and take candid photos for a book

about Keri. This is troublesome for Dana to accept after the day in the boardroom three years ago, because she just doesn’t like what she sees in Keri. Times being what they are, Dana takes the job and the two women seem to get along fine as long as they leave the past in the past. As luck would have it, someone tries to hurt Keri, she ends up in the hospital and Dana won’t leave her side because all the feelings from their younger days have started to come back to her. Dana is afraid to leave Keri, but also doesn’t know if she can trust her, and the longer they spend together, the closer they become. Dana starts to think and feel that if she can get over her feelings of rejection and the two can start over as adults, maybe they can truly be together and their love for one another can be Forever Found.

April, 2009

The Community Voice

And the Beat Goes On...

Head for the dance floor with these great single releases By DJ Sparkplug The Community Voice

This month is packed with lots of new CD singles releases. Thanks to one of dance music’s favorite Italian labels, D: vision, there is lots of new music sure to please everyone. A few highlights include 2009 mixes of Down, Down, Down by Gambafreaks and King of My Castle by Wamdue Project, and a few great covers like Send Me An Angel by Lovematic featuring Sharon May Linn, Don’t Go Lose It Baby by Mowo vs Fratty & Presti, and Blue Monday by Kurd Maverick. Some other stand outs include, If You Knew by Chris Lake featuring Nastala, Life Goes On by Erick Morillo, and Who You Wanna Be by Kevin Bryant. A great batch of releases needless to say! We also have some older titles that have been out for a while making a return, including Get It On by Eyereel Allstars featuring Lucy Clarke, I’m Done With The Pain by John Kano featuring Sarah Mattea, and Everybody by Gambafreaks featuring Nicole. And for you DJs out there, check

out the special unmixed 2CD set, D;vision Presents: Club Sessions Volume 9. All full length versions! Great club music! Here are some of the great new releases out there. Jimmy D Robinson Presents Ceevox: In The Night Part 2. Brian Kent, Whatcha Doin’ To Me; Sandra Bernhard, Perfection; Dee Roberts, Disappear; Liah Reneev, IBF (Imaginary Boyfriend); Pussycat Dolls featuring Missy Elliott, Whatcha Think About It; Chris Lake

featuring Nastala, If You Knew; Aurora featuring Amanda Wilson, Love Resurrection; September, Can’t Get Over It; Cascada, Perefect Day. One of my personal favorites is Wamdue Project’s King Of My Castle, as well as some great 2009 mixes by Mischa Daniels and Rowald Steyn. Also the original Roy Malone mix is awesome. Kurd Maverick’s Blue Monday and Mowo vs Fratty & Presti, Don’t Go Lose It Baby. What a classic track! It was originally done in 1984 by Hugh Masekela, with Rozalla covering it in 1997. Here’s one that a must hear, Omar Labastida’s Push It. Who said that drums were dead? Ok, I’ll wind it up here for now with three last hot tracks. If you’re looking for a Hi NRG version of a great Mariah hit, you found it with the Almighty Cover Girlz take of Hero! The last two are Almighy VS Olivia, two great remakes of Xanadu and Physical. You know you wanna hear these! That’s it for this month. See you on the dance floor for some great dance music!

Spring Cleaning in the Bathroom By Eric Rogers The Community Voice

Spring is right around the corner, so here are a couple of Spring Cleaning tips you might find useful. What room of the house, besides the kitchen, is the most important room? Your bathroom! Here are a couple tips to keep your bathroom looking neat and tidy. Noise, from

women, as they recognize the importance of educating, rather than subjugating them. I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend this event.

• Tip #1: After you scrub your toilet, spray furniture polish around the bowl to keep that “fresh scrubbed” look for about a week. • Tip #2: I had an extra

Crest SpinBrush lying around and didn’t know what to do with it. I discovered that it is perfect for getting in those tight, hard to reach places. i.e. around the faucet, tub caulking, and around the toilet. A regular toothbrush also works, but you will have to use more elbow grease. • Tip #3: What about that unsightly mold on the grout

and caulk on the bathtub? Take a cotton ball and stretch it out and soak it in bleach. Then just press and “paste” onto the mold and let it sit for about a half hour. Peel off and the mold is gone! If you have any tips you would like to share, please feel free to email them to me at helpfulhints@eriecv.org. Until next time, happy cleaning!

It was eye-opening to say the least. I encourage you to take the time to look this film up on the Internet. I believe you can watch portions of it, if not all of the film at this point. It is a stark reminder that though we

fight for the right to marry our partners here in America, many women in third world countries do not even have ownership of their own bodies, and are harmed for even attempting to attend school or leaving their

village. The film also serves as encouragement… if not for this cause, maybe it will be local legislation regarding LGBT issues. Either way, whatever your passion, take the time… and take a stand.

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Unmasking the Faces

www.UnmaskingtheFacesofDomesticViolence.com A Collaborative Project Sponsored by United Way Women in Action

April, 2009

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Find the answers online at www.eriecv.org/gaymes

National News Notes . . .

Army dismisses 11 gay soldiers

Eleven U.S. Army soldiers fell victim to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in January, according Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, who has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. In a statement, Moran, a Democrat, said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motortransport operator and a watertreatment specialist. “How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?” asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending. According to Pentagon statistics, the military discharged nearly 10,000 service members under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a 10-year period from 1997 to 2007. The number fired each year dropped sharply after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, when forces were stretched thin. More than 1,200 were dismissed in 2000 and 2001 for violating the policy, compared to 627 in 2007. Figures for 2008 have not been released. The White House has said President Barack Obama has begun consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen on how to lift the ban. But the administration won’t say how soon that might happen. Democratic leaders in Congress also support repealing the ban but have not promised to press the issue anytime soon.

School must allow tolerance club

A federal judge in Florida has ruled that a high school must allow a student club that promotes

April, 2009

tolerance for gays to meet. U.S. District Judge Henry Adams issued the decision in a case involving two students from Yullee High School near Jacksonville. The judge ordered the local school board to grant official recognition to the GayStraight Alliance and give it the same privileges as any other student organization. The school district had argued in court that it would grant school access to the group if its name were changed, citing the name as its chief objection. But the judge ruled that the group did not need to make a change. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit on behalf of two gay students.

Church leaders urge end to ban on gay ministers Leaders from the majority

of Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations in Central and Eastern Kentucky want to see an end to the church’s national ban on gay ministers. The move came when the commissioners of the Presbytery of Transylvania, which includes 56 Central and Eastern Kentucky counties, voted 83-61 to approve an amendment that could open the door for gays and lesbians to be ordained as pastors, elders and deacons. The proposal is being considered by each of the nation’s 173 presbyteries. It would have to be accepted by a simple majority of them to take effect. This is not the first time the Presbyterian Church (USA) has considered such amendments to its Book of Order. Several attempts have occurred since 1996, when an amendment was enacted requiring church officers to live “in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” Each time, amendments to change

that language have failed, but a close vote is expected this year. Under the amendment, individual churches would be able to choose a gay or lesbian person for ordination under “really tight circumstances,” said Richard Smith, general presbyter for the Transylvania presbytery. “We’re not going to be ordaining anybody who’s not a confirmed, solid Christian person. It’s not a wide open door by any means,” he said. “We take the question of ordination very seriously.” The amendment has many critics within the church and Smith acknowledged that some congregations and individual members will probably leave the denomination if the amendment is approved. Forty five more “yes” votes are needed from presbyteries across the country in order for the amendment to take effect.

Vermont, Maryland eye gay marriage

As the California Supreme Court deliberates on the fate on gay marriage in that state, legislators in Vermont and Maryland are engaged in debates over legalizing gay marriage in those states. Hearings begin in March on the proposal introduced in the state Senate that would make Vermont the nation’s third state to allow gay couples of marry. Since 2000, Vermont has offered civil unions for gay couples, a system patterned after the state marriage statute. Many clergy members in the state support the move. The Rev. Linda Maloney, an Episcopal minister said, “Civil unions are a good thing, but are still not equality.” Maloney joined about 25 colleagues of varying Christian denominations at a news conference at City Hall in Burlington to voice their support for marriage equality. They

released a roster of Christian and Jewish clergy from across Vermont who signed a statement of support for same-sex marriage rights, framing the issue as one that protects their religious freedoms. In Maryland, openly gay state Sen. Richard Madaleno Jr., is sponsoring the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. The measure gives same sex couples the right to marry, but stipulates religious leaders could not be forced to perform marriage ceremonies that are inconsistent with their faiths. “Just 45 minutes ago I was in the Senate chamber, one of 47 equals with all of the rights and privileges I share with my colleagues as an equal member of the state Senate,” Madaleno said at a press conference. He added, “In another 45 minutes, I will be before the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee as a second class citizen in the state of Maryland, one of thousands of gay and lesbian people who are unable to marry.” Dr. Chris Beyrer, the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Public Health and Human Rights, said denying same sex couples the right to marry harms community health. “And we know for certain that lesbian and gay individuals suffer harm to their physical and psychological health, and to their relationships and quality of life, as a result of the shame, isolation and stigma accrued from their social and legal disenfranchisement,” Beyrer said in written testimony for the bill. In 2007, Maryland’s highest court ruled that lawmakers See Nation

The Community Voice

april, 2009

In your community Splash Lagoon event part of Drenched Fur Weekend

Ever thought it would be great to have a private event evening at Splash Lagoon? Well here is your chance! On Saturday, April 4, Drenched Fur 5 (DF5) will host an exclusive event at the Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort. The event is from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. and the cost will be $40. There is also an option to have a Buffet Dinner and Splash Combo for $60. The Buffet Dinner will be at the banquet room of the Quality Inn and Suites on Perry Highway and I-90. It is preceded by a cash bar Cocktail Party at 5:30 p.m. and Buffet Service begins at 7:30 p.m. The buffet menu includes a wide variety of chef prepared items. If community members wish to participate in the evening, either Splash Lagoon or the Buffet Dinner and Splash Combo, please visit the Drenched Fur 5 website at www.denchedfur.com and click on Registration. The Splash Lagoon Event is sponsored by Drenched Fur 5 and is part of Erie’s Bear Run Weekend. Approximately 200 visitors are expected from around the USA. The full listing of events for the weekend can be found at the Drenched Fur website and include a bar crawl, a winery tour, casino visits, charity auction, vendor mall and more! Commemorative DF5 beach towels are also available to order via the website. If you have questions, please contact the DF5 Run Coordinator, Gary at gnsnyder@ drenchedfur.com or leave a message at (814) 384 0463.

G2H2 gathering April 3 at Nelson’s in Erie

The next G2H2 (Gay Guy/Girl Happy Hour) is Friday, April 3 from 6-8 p.m. at Nelson’s, on the corner of 11 and State streets in downtown Erie. G2H2 is modeled after similar regional groups in Cleveland and Pittsburgh where GLBT professionals, their colleagues and friends meet once a month for happy hour at a local bar for networking. It’s also a great opportunity to continue to improve the image of the local GLBT community. And it’s been great fun.

More than 50 people have attended the last few G2H2 events, with the list of new participants growing each month. Please spread the word to other GLBT professionals and friends (gay and straight alike) that aren’t included on this distribution list. Those interested may also visit our G2H2 ERIE group on Facebook. Come join the fun on April 3.

SafeNet plans second annual legal conference

SafeNet and Protection From Abuse Coordinated Services, Inc. will be presenting the Second Annual Legal Conference entitled “Domestic Violence: The Change Process,” featuring nationally known author and lecturer Lundy Bancroft. This year’s conference will take place Wednesday, April 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bel-Aire Hotel and Conference Center in Erie. Continuing education credits will be offered. For more information, call SafeNet at 455-1774 or visit www.safeneterie.org.

Lecture to focus on hate crimes, human rights

The Edinboro University President’s Commission on the Status of Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender People, and Allies continues its spring 2009 Lecture Series April 16 with a presentation by Elvage Murphy, a member of the university’s department of political science/criminal justice. Murphy’s talk will deal with “GLBT, Hate Crimes and Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System.” It will be presented at 11 a.m. in room 200 of Hendricks Hall on the Edinboro campus. All are welcome to attend this lecture which is part of Criminal Justice Day observances.

Champagne Emcee for Cabaret at Penn State

Dr. John Champagne slips into the role of the Kit Kat Club Emcee for Cabaret, the spring Studio Theatre production at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The show opens Thursday, April 16, at 8 p.m. with additional evening performances on

April 17, 18, and 22-24. A 2 p.m. matinee will be offered on Sunday, April 19. Champagne, an associate professor of English at the college, joins a cast of 16 undergraduate students and one soon-tobe Penn State Behrend freshman for the Masteroff-Ebb-Kander musical directed by Chrystyna Dail, lecturer in theatre at the college. Dail has pushed the setting of the original Broadway show up four years, to 1933-34 Germany, “in order to punctuate what was occurring socially and politically during the first few months of Hitler coming to power,” she said. Theatre critic and historian Martin Esslin called this era of rising Nazi power “a seething cauldron of lust, greed, and corruption”—much like the show’s Kit Kat Club itself. Cabaret’s original 1966 Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Featured Actor for Joel Grey, who originated the Emcee role on Broadway but made his indelible mark upon it in the show’s 1972 film adaption starring Liza Minelli. Tickets for Cabaret go on sale Monday, April 6, at the main desk in the college’s Reed Union Building. General admission seats are $10. For additional information, phone (814) 898-6304.

Domestic violence increased in January

All over the nation men, women and children will participate in activities and events to raise the national conscience about domestic violence. People from all lifestyles, all economic, cultural and social backgrounds can became a victim of domestic violence. Sadly children are often the indirect victim. Just witnessing violence affects a child’s life, especially if it takes place in the home, a place where children should feel safe. If children have been exposed to domestic violence, it increases their chances to be either a batterer or victim. During the month of January 2009, SafeNet served: vHotline Calls 140 vVictims – Women 239; Men 7; Children 54 See Community

The Community Voice

Volant, from

popular tourist attractions. The shops of Volant offer a wide variety of interesting products and hard-to-find items. Looking for unique kitchen gadgets, specialty gourmet foods, American-made furniture, Amish crafts and baked goods? Head to Volant! There is also a winery, antique shops restaurants and much more. Most of the shops and businesses are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Hours may vary during the Christmas and winter seasons. If you get tired of shopping, take a scenic drive through the Lawrence County countryside. The area around Volant and nearby New Wilmington is home to the third largest Old Order Amish community in the United States. Some 1,500 Amish make up the community, living on agricultural or dairy farms that are Sexuality, from

april, 2009

usually passed from one generation to another. Horses are used to plow the fields. Some Amish subsidize their farm income with woodworking and construction. Traveling the back roads of Lawrence County will give you a glimpse of the Amish way of life, but remember, the Amish do not like to be photographed or video recorded. Throughout the year, Volant offers seasonal celebrations that add to the town’s quaint atmosphere. The annual Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled for April 4, offers fun for the entire family. In May, there is the Spring Garden and Tea Party. The Autumn Harvest celebration takes place in August, followed by the “Witches Night Out” in September and the Autumn Pumpkin Festival in October. One of Volant’s most popular celebrations, “Christmas on Main Street,” occurs in November. Santa Claus officially opens the

or psychological issues. Rather, it is the result of a historical situation neither of the women has the power to alter. Sissie can never escape the fact that Marija is white and Sissie is black. She sees that, regardless of how close they may become, the world’s racism will always come between them. In other words, my students, accustomed as they are to imagining that we are all free of the constraints of culture and history, can only imagine the failure of Marija and Sissie to connect sexually as the result of Sissie’s own personal hang-ups. The novel asks us to question our common assumptions about the supposed differences between friendship and love, sensuality and sexuality, curiosity and desire. Rather than wonder which of the women is the “real” lesbian, we might instead ask why we are so determined to decide that everyone must be heterosexual or homosexual, either capable of feeling sexual desire for someone of the same gender or interested only in same-sex friendship. Puig’s, novel is familiar to most people today through its film and theatrical adaptations. Unfortunately, neither the film nor the stage musical is capable of capturing the richness of the book, which mixes fact and fiction. Specifically, Puig’s novel contains extensive footnotes drawn from real

Bob Howden, Community Voice The countryside around Volant is home to some 1,500 Old Order Amish. Buggies and Amish families are frequently seen in town and tending the fields in the neighboring farmlands. Christmas season by hosting his annual breakfast for children. He then enters Volant in grand style on a horse-drawn carriage. Strolling carolers, musicians and more help visitors enjoy Christmas as it

sources. These footnotes argue that there is a relationship between the individual’s gendered and sexual development and larger cultural and historical forces. In Puig’s novel, an ostensibly heterosexual man—Valentin, a political prisoner—ultimately makes love to a homosexual, Molina. The two are cellmates, and, over the course of the novel, have come to share a bond. Part of this bond includes a discussion of gender. Interestingly, in this case, it is Molina, the gay character, who cannot imagine two men making love to one another. He specifically calls himself a woman, and differentiates himself from other gay men who think of themselves as male. Valentin insists that Molina is as much a man as he is, and even suggests that he might be willing to be penetrated by Molina, if it would help the latter to give up this idea that there is something womanly in giving one’s self to another man. In a sense, there are ways in which Valentin, the “straight” character, is more “queer” than the homosexual Molina. Students usually read Valentin as someone who is not “really” gay but who simply has strong feelings of affection for Molina. My role as teacher is to ask students when love and affection end and sexual attraction begins. Are they really so distinct as we sometimes like to believe? Is it impos-

was meant to be, on an old-fashioned Main Street. A trip to Volant is easily done in a day. However, you may become so enchanted with the community that you won’t want to leave.

sible for us to imagine, for example, that someone’s sexual orientation might change over the course of his or her lifetime? We are taught by culture and the media to believe that sexual orientation is either a matter of biology or a choice, but isn’t there another option, somewhere between those two poles? These two novels ask all of us –– gay and straight –– to think about the ways in which the identity categories we embrace may trap as well as liberate us. They resist our attempts to pigeonhole the characters in terms of both sexuality and gender, and ask us to consider how our intimate relationships are structured by larger forces like politics and history. But neither novel suggests that we are simply trapped by these larger forces. Rather, they also emphasize the ability we have to act. Despite their differences, Sissie and Marija and Valentin and Molina manage to create friendships that enrich one another’s lives. While neither of the “couples’” stories ends happily, both learn important things about themselves and their values as a result of their encounters with the other. And in both cases, identity is never something that is simply “achieved” but is rather a constant opportunity for growth. Dr. John Champagne is Associate Professor of English at Penn State Erie.

april, 2009

The Community Voice

Community, from

vCounseling Hours – 805 adults; 109 children As part of SafeNet’s mission to raise awareness of the national and regional domestic violence issue the organization continues to plan several events and programs. SafeNet is not a homeless shelter, but a safe and confidential place specifically for men, women and children who are victims of domestic violence. From every city and township in the area, victims come to SafeNet seeking support, safety and shelter from physical abuse and threats of violence occurring at home. After 35 years of providing shelter and many other supportive services, SafeNet knows first-hand that there is hope and there is help. SafeNet is Pennsylvania’s oldest continuous running domestic violence shelter

Erie Gay Pride launches t-shirt design contest

Plans are underway for this year’s Erie Gay Pride celebration on the weekend Nation, from

may change state law to allow same-sex couples to marry. A similar gay marriage bill was introduced last year, but lawmakers have yet to vote on such a proposal. At the same time, state Sen. Janet Greenip is urging lawmakers to amend Maryland’s constitution to require the state to only recognize marriage between one man and one woman.

of July 25-26, sponsored by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. For this year’s event, the Pride Planning Committee is sponsoring a contest to design this year’s official Pride T-shirts. Area graphic artists, designers and creative souls are encouraged to submit designs for the T-shirt. The winning design will be selected by the members of the Pride Planning Committee. Here are the rules for entering the contest: The artist must be a member of the local GLBT community; all designs must be tasteful since they are to be worn publicly; the design is limited to the front of the shirt only; the design must incorporate the Erie Gay Pride logo (which can be seen at www.eriegaypride. org), the slogan “One Community, One Voice” and the year 2009; the design should include rainbow colors somewhere and the artist’s signature. Contest submission must be in JPEG or PDF format only. They should be emailed to eriepride@gmail.com or mailed to Erie Gay Pride, Inc., P.O. Box 8027, Erie, PA 16505. The deadline for submission is April 30. If you have questions about the contest or the rules,

If passed by lawmakers, voters would then need to approve Greenip’s bill at the polls because it requires a change to the state constitution.

Gay pride flag desecrated in Pa.

Police in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, are investigating the vandalism of a gay pride flag as a possible hate crime. The rainbowcolored flag was stolen from

please contact Pride Planning Committee chairman Don Craig at eriepride@ gmail.com. Anyone who is interested in becoming involved in planning this year’s Erie Gay Pride Weekend is welcome to attend the committee meetings. Contact Don Craig for dates and times.

Add Your Voice to The Community Voice

The Community Voice, the Erie region’s new GLBT monthly newsletter, is always looking for new volunteers and writers to help the publication serve the needs of the community. If you would be interested in helping with photography, writing articles or soliciting advertising for the publication, we are anxious to hear from you. You may email us at eriegaypride@ gmail.com or call us toll free at (866) 399-3169. We welcome you input and assistance. The Community Voice is published by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. in cooperation with four29 media and all advertising proceeds go to support GLBT community efforts.

the front porch of a lesbian couple’s home in Ferndale, about 35 miles northwest of New Hope, a popular gay travel destination. According to reports, when the flag was returned to its owners, partners Mary Shaffer and Shelly Sickbert, a few days later, it was balled up in the front yard with a giant X painted on it from corner to corner. The flag also was slashed, covered with tire

marks, and reeked of urine. A defiant Shaffer, who has lived at the location for 10 years, told a local TV station that the person who took the flag should have “had the cojones to come back when it was light outside and talk with me,” she said. “If he thinks this is going to make us go away, I’m buying these things in bulk now, and every time one disappears, five new ones are going up, because I’m sick of this.”

JOHN E. COOPER, ESQ.

Attorney at Law 305 French Street Erie, PA 16501 SSSSS Phone: (814) 455-3436 Fax: (814) 455-2680 Email: johncooperlaw@msn.com Toll Free: 866-803-0490

APRIL 1

April Fool’s Day

Good Friday

Easter Sunday

Earth Day

April 1 vThe Spitfire Grill at the Erie Playhouse. Musical adaptation of the movie. Call (814) 454-2852 for ticket information and performance times or go to www.erieplayhouse.org. Through April 5. v Monty Python’s Spamalot, Palace Theater, Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. (April 1-4), 1:30 p.m. (April 4), 1 p.m. (April 5). The hit Broadway musical comedy based on the movie Monty Python and The Holy Grail. For ticket information call (866) 546-1353 or go to Ticketmaster. Through April 5. April 3 v G2H2 (Gay Guy/Girl Happy Hour), 6 to 8 p.m., Nelson’s, corner of 11th and State streets, downtown Erie. vDrenched Fur, Quality Inn, I-90 and Perry Highway (host hotel). Activities include Friday night meet & greet party, bar crawl to the Zone and Craze, Saturday excursions, evening banquet and a private evening party at Splash Lagoon, Sunday brunch. For information/registration go to www.drenched fur.com or call Gary at (814) 3840463. Through April 5. April 4 vVertigo, 300B E. Jefferson St., Butler (corner of Franklin Street), bottom door. BYOB, $5 cover, 18 and over. Drink mixes for sale, soda, juice, tonic, chips, candy bars. Cups and ice are provided and a Fridge to keep your beer cold. Great dance music, and a comfortable place to hang out. For information go to: myspace.com/butlervertigo. Also April 10, 18, 24. April 5 vLBT Women of Erie, Presque Isle Gallery and Coffeehouse, 35 Peninsula Dr., 2 p.m. Social group for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. For information, email womynspace-owner@eriegaynews.com or go to http:// womynoferie.wetpaint.com/ vOne Night of Queen, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. The spirit and passion of rock icon Freddie Mercury lives on with this spectacular rock tribute.

Arbor Day

For ticket information call (412) 456-6666 or visit www. pgharts.org. April 7 vJesus Christ Superstar, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. The first masterpiece from the legendary writing team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Tickets available through Ticketmaster. vk.d. Lang in concert, The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. For ticket information call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pgharts.org. vA Chorus Line, Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. For performance times and ticket information, call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pgharts.org. Through April 12. April 13 vPFLAG Erie/Crawford County, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie, 7 to 8:30 p.m. For information, call (814) 454-1392 or email: pflag.erie.crawford@gmail. com. April 14 vRent, The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh. Starring original Broadway cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. For performance times and ticket information, call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pgharts.org. Through April 19. April 15 vSafeNet’s second annual legal conference, “Domestic Violence: The Change Process,” Bel-Air Hotel, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The featured speaker is author/advocate Lundy Bancroft. For information, call SafeNet at (814) 455-1774, or go to www.safeneterie.org. April 16 vLecture “GLBT, Hate Crimes and Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System,” presented by Prof. Elvage Murphy, 11 a.m., Room 200, Hendricks Hall, Edinboro University. vThe 13th of Paris, Directors Circle Theater, 1001 State St. (Renaissance Centre), 8 p.m. (2 p.m. matinees on April 26 and May 3). A troubled young man meets the ghost

of his grandfather in his Paris apartment. Call (814) 4511153 for ticket information. Through May 3. vApril 16-19, 22-24: Cabaret, Studio Theatre at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. 8 p.m. (2 p.m. April 19). Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the main desk in the college’s Reed Union Building. For additional information, phone 814-898-6304. April 17 vBuffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, Lancaster Opera House Theater, Lancaster, NY, 7:30 p.m. The Chorus performs a wide variety of Choral music, from the great classics for men’s choruses all the way to joyous show tunes and touching songs composed just for the BGMC. Purchase tickets online at www.lancopera.org. vFleetwood Mac in concert, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, 8 p.m., tickets available through Ticketmaster. April 20 vThe Wizard of Oz, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, 2 p.m. There’s no place like home as the greatest family musical of all time twists its way into Buffalo. Tickets available through TicketNetwork. vIndigo Girls in concert, Center for the Arts, Buffalo, 8 p.m., tickets available through Ticketmaster. April 24 vGeorge Benson in concert, Allen Theatre, Cleveland, 8 p.m., For ticket information call (866) 546-1353. vCirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Palace Theater, Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. (April 24), 1:30 p.m. (April 25 and 26), 6:30 p.m. (April 26). Direct from Broadway, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is an exotic encounter inspired by nature’s unpredictable creations that are brought to life by an international cast. For ticket information, call (866) 5461353 or go to Ticketmaster. Through April 26. April 26 vAni DiFranco in concert, House of Blues, Cleveland, 7 p.m. For ticket information, call (216) 523-2583 or go to Ticketmaster.