New Board, New Year, New Opportunities to Volunteer! See back cover for contact info!
CHALLENGE The Newsletter of the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County – Serving New Jersey’s GLBTI Communities Since 1972
Volume 37, Issue 1, February 2011
Are We There Yet? by Mickey Suiter
Every now and then someone asks me why GAAMC is still around. Nearly all of the other organizations like GAAMC that started in the 70's and 80's have closed their doors over the years. Why hasn't GAAMC? Is there still a need for this type of organization? Right from the start, the ultimate goal of GAAMC was to go out of business, for the position of GLBTI people in society to improve to such a point that an organization like ours was no longer necessary. When one looks at where we were in 1972 compared to 2011, the change is profound. When GAAMC started, gay bars had been legal in New Jersey for less than five years. All sex acts between two men were illegal. There were no protections from discrimination in employment, housing, or public accommodations. Domestic partnership, civil unions, and marriage equality weren't even Save far-off dreams.
Far more people are out now, with many young people coming out in high school . There are dozens of Gay/Straight Alliances in New Jersey's high schools, something not thought possible even twenty years ago. Gay men and lesbians are everywhere on television, in the movies, and on the news. So maybe it's time to ask, are we there yet? Have we reached a point where an organization like GAAMC is no longer needed?
Things are tremendously better now, but there are still problems. Many people still have a the hard time coming out. There remains Febr Date uar y ! some prejudice towards our 7, 20 community and our political battles Stat 11 e Se are not over. Ra na
And that was just our legal status. Socially, almost no one was completely out. In fact, the idea of being out tor ymo publicly was only a few years old and nd w Lesn ill b only a few activists in large cities were iak e at willing to take that step. When asked, For GAA m the overwhelming majority of ore MC! GAA deta Americans said they knew no one who MC i ls, s Eve was gay. The medical community still ee nts, considered homosexuality an illness. pag So the GLBTI community has made significant progress over the years, especially in New Jersey. We have made tremendous legal strides — a non-discrimination law, a domestic partnership law, and then a civil union law. Society views us much differently than it did just a few decades ago.
Inside Challenge Challenge Information............. page 2 GAAMC Events........................page 2 Cell Phone Fundraiser at GAAMC... page 2 The Bulletin Board................... page 3 Gleanings.............................. page 4 Many Happy Returns!................ page 5 DADT III................................ page 5 Calendar ............................... page 7 Hey, Kids! GAAMC Has Ads! ........ page 9 Gay Inmates' Options: Whore, Hermit, Punching Bag, or Body Bag? .... page 11 Want Employment Rights? Buy Them! ...... page 11 Good Eats!........................... page 13 This Month's Contributors......... page 13 Dancing to Architecture........... page 14 GAAMC Information................. page 16
While politics has never been GAAMC's primary focus, we have been involved in all legal efforts to secure our rights, from working to stop the re-criminalization of sodomy in the 70's to providing manpower and funding to the New Jersey Lesbian and e 2! Gay Coalition's efforts, to amending New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination in the 80's and 90's, to hosting Garden State Equality's first town hall meeting on marriage equality just a few years ago. A few years ago, when we disbanded GALY due to a lack of interest on the part of the young people who had been attending, we assumed that problems were over for the younger generation. We learned differently in the recent media attention to bullying and teen suicide. GAAMC has responded to that with a new program of outreach and support to our youth. The turnout for our discussion groups — Open Talk, Circles, and Mature Men — has shown that there is still interest in a place for men and women in our community to gather, talk, and share with each other. So my answer to the question "Are we there yet?" is "Not quite." We've come so far and things are vastly better for so many GLBTI people, but we haven't achieved all of our legal protections and many of us of all ages are still having problems coming out and facing discrimination. And so, as long as there is a need for a safe space for men and women in our community to meet, talk, and work on our issues, GAAMC has a purpose and will continue to be here.
Page 2 CHALLENGE February 2011 CHALLENGE Volume 37, Number 1 February 2011 ISSN 0277-1675 Staff Editor .....................Allen Neuner Assistant Editor ............. Bill Stella Advertising Manager ............. open Circulation Manager ............. open List Manager ................ Sue Harris Submissions The deadline for all articles, inserts, and advertisements is the fifteenth of the previous month. All submissions must be provided as electronic files. E-mail submissions to Challenge @ GAAMC.org. Ad Rates Single issue: Full page, $125.00; Half page, $85.00; Quarter page, $45.00; Business card, $25.00. For multi-issue rates, contact the Editor at Challenge @ GAAMC.org. GAAMC members may place one free classified ad per month, of no more than 200 characters in length. Change of Address Please let us know your new address! All address changes should be sent to the List Manager at ChangeAddress @ GAAMC.org. Challenge is © 2010-2011 by the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation. All rights reserved. All articles reflect the views of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of GAAMC, its officers, or executive board. All copyrights revert to the original contributors upon publication. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the contributor. All articles, contributions, and advertisements are printed at the discretion of the Editor and/or GAAMC Executive Board.
GAAMC Events Every Monday OpenTalk Discussion Group This is a regular weekly discussion group, open to all. Moderators: Elias Scultori, Kerry Dinkin, Sherri Rase. 7:00, Library First Monday of the Month Mature Men's Discussion Group This is a monthly discussion group geared to men age 45 and above. Moderator: Marty Grifone. Discussion topics: February 7, "Avoiding Cabin Fever"; March 7, "Appreciating Family and Friends". 7:00, Terrace Room Main Events February 7: Meet New Jersey State Senator Ray Lesniak for a signing of his book, What's Love Got to Do with It? The Case for Same-Sex Marriage. Also expected to appear are State Senator Loretta Weinberg and Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director for Lambda Legal and the lead counsel in the marriage equality fight in New Jersey! They will share with us their part in the struggle for LGBTI equality in New Jersey as well as how YOU can help. This is an unprecedented opportunity to personally meet some of New Jersey's strongest champions for your rights. Don't miss it! February 14: GAAMC Gala Valentine's Day Social! Whether you are bringing a sweetheart or plan to meet one there, this is the way to get happy and show your love for GAAMC! We're looking for volunteers to help share the love - contact one of the board members at a Monday night meeting! February 21: GAAMC Film Festival continues with a special presentation of Bullied, the latest release on anti-bullying education by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Morris Dees, founder of SPLC, was the keynote speaker for the Kean University Human Rights Conference in 2010; SPLC does important work on human rights and civil rights for all groups, including the GLBTI community. Come see the film, then find out how GAAMC Speaker's Bureau can help your schools and neighborhood organizations. February 28: Join us for a visit from a group of students from Americorps, who will discuss their project to promote LGBTI awareness in their school. Coming Next Month! March 7: Music and Sex: What's the Connection? If music be the food of love, quoth Shakespeare, then (ahem!) play on! Tonight GAAMC takes up the topic to start Sex Month off with a bang. What's on your playlist? What always gets your motor running? Be frank, be earnest, be prepared to share! Open your mind, and the rest will follow... March 14: Popular speaker Ray Sette returns to GAAMC! With all the fuss over the "new" Zodiac, Ray will explain just what it all means to the world of astrology, and will be able to answer your questions.
Cell Phone Fundraiser at GAAMC Spring cleaning can come a little early this year! Do you have any old cell phones, smart phones, or PDAs lying around the house? Bring them to GAAMC any Monday night and deposit them in the box at the Info Table. GAAMC has contracted with a recycling operation to turn those unwanted phones into cash — and we're going to use that cash to purchase a new couch for the library at MUF! So dig through your closets, look inside your desk drawers, check under the sofa cushions, and bring your unwanted cell phones to GAAMC!
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 3
The Bulletin Board Paper Mill Playhouse invites you to their next Lavender Night event for the LGBTI community on Sunday, January 30th. Lavender Night begins at 5:30 pm with a private pre-show cocktail party in the F. M. Kirby Carriage House across the courtyard from the theatre, featuring delicious hors d'oeuvres from New World Catering, specialty cocktails, and a selection of fine wines. Immediately following the party is the evening performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at 7:00pm. Admission prices, ranging from $56 to $84, include entry to the party and tickets to the performance. To reserve your tickets, contact Group Sales by calling 973.379.3636 ext. 2438 or email Kendell Henle at KHenle @ papermill.org by Friday, January 28th. Morristown's own Bickford Theatre, located inside the Morris Museum (just down the street from where GAAMC meets), welcomes you to its production of the riotous comedy The Little Dog Laughed, playing now through February 13th. A handsome and talented actor is poised on the brink of super-stardom — if only he would heed his agent's advice and keep quiet about his sexual orientation! A special ticket price of $30 — a 25% discount! — is available to GAAMC members. For more information, see the ad on page 10. The North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI)'s Project WOW! Youth Center is planning a health fair in Newark on Saturday, February 5, 2011 starting at 12 noon. Events planned include on-site vision screenings, dental screenings, HIV testing & STI screenings, health educational materials, and much more. Project WOW! Youth Center provides HIV/STI prevention and substance abuse services to LGBTQ youth between the ages 13 and 24 at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV/STIs residing in Essex and Union counties. The Drop-in Center provides opportunities for young men to socialize and build supportive networks while learning new HIV prevention skills in a safe space. Project WOW!’s goal is to educate and reduce the number of HIV/STI infections in Essex and Union counties. Please contact Ralston Blair, Health Education Coordinator at 973-412-7080, ext. 179 or r.blair @ njcri.org for more information. Jersey City's Chillfest Film Series continues its sixth season at LITM in Jersey City on February 13th at 4 pm. (The title of this month's featured film was not available at press time.) For more information, or to order tickets, go to www.chillfest.org. The George Street Playhouse invites you to a Pride Party on Friday, February 24th! The fun starts at 6:30 pm with a pre-show dinner, with drinks, door prizes, and live entertainment, followed by the
evening performance of The Subject Was Roses, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play about the relationships between a husband, his wife, and their WWII-veteran son. The all-inclusive ticket price is $50, with student tickets selling for $20! For more information, see the ad on page 6. Join Ed Schell and members of GayOutdoors.com on February 26th in nearby Morris Plains, NJ, for a fun and informative tour of the Gustav Stickley Museum and the lovely grounds of Craftsman Farms. We’re gathering at 11:00 for an 11:30 tour, which lasts approximately 1 hour. The fee for the tour is $8.00 per person, payable to Ed before the tour begins. Afterwards, we’re grabbing lunch at a nearby eatery. Each attendee will be responsible for paying for their own meal, tax, and tip. To attend, you must first create a free profile on GayOutdoors.org, and search the calendar for 2/26 events. You’ll see us there, along with all the pertinent information including driving directions. You must sign up for this event no later than Friday, February 11th! WomenTwoWomen is pleased to invite you to an appearance by comedy legend Kate Clinton on February 26th at 8:00 pm at Montclair State University. WomenTwoWomen is a lesbian organization offering entertainment events in the New York metro area, providing an alternative venue for women to come together, network, and provide support to the community. For more information, see the ad on page 9.
New Jersey Buddies is celebrating 25 years of service to the community at a gala event, "The Reality of Hope"! The event will be held March 18th at 7 pm at the Clinton Inn in Tenafly. For more information, go to www.njbuddies.org, or call 201-489-2900. The New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus (NJGMC) plays its part to combat bullying and teen suicide by hosting It Gets Better: A Journey of Courage in Song at 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 2nd, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park. The event starts with a no-admission-charge information exchange, where statewide organizations which deal with GLBT youth and young adults will be available to provide information and make connections. The concert itself starts at 8:00 pm; tickets for the concert are $20 in advance and $25 at the door; $5 student tickets are available at the door only. For more information, go to www.njgmc.org, or contact Doug Worthington at douglas.worthington @ bms.com, or by phone at 609-781-0410.
Page 4 CHALLENGE February 2011
Gleanings
Queer news from around the world President Barack Obama, during an emotional ceremony at the Interior Department's headquarters in Washington, DC, signed into law a measure that will repeal the policy that prevents gay and lesbian members of the military from serving openly. Obama placed the law in the context of other landmark civil rights achievements, saying it "will strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend." (New York Times; Washington Post) Federal rules mandated by the Obama administration went into effect that require most hospitals to allow same-sex partners to visit one another. Many hospitals previously allowed only relatives to visit critically ill patients. (KABC-TV (Los Angeles)) Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) has signed the AntiBullying Bill of Rights. The new law requires teachers and school administrators to be trained on how to spot bullying in schools, and mandates "safety teams" to address bullying complaints in each school district in the state. (New Jersey Online) The U.S. Department of Justice is arguing that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional, in spite of a district court's ruling to the contrary. DOJ lawyers filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on Thursday, saying the law is "supported by an interest in maintaining the status quo and uniformity on the federal level, and preserving room for the development of policy in the states." (Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)) Activists and congressional staffers say consideration of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate this year isn't out of the question, but any vote would likely be symbolic because the House leadership is unlikely to allow the measure to come to a vote. Some sources say a number of Republican senators would support the measure. (Washington Blade) The U.S. Supreme Court should not accept an appeal of a case pertaining to Washington, D.C.'s marriage equality law because the matter "lacks national importance as it is confined in effect" to the nation's capital, according to a brief by the city's attorney general, Peter Nickles, and other city attorneys. Bishop Harry Jackson has petitioned the high court to overturn a federal appeals court decision allowing the District to block a referendum on its marriage equality law. (Washington Blade) Daniel Hernandez Jr., an out intern for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), helped apply life-saving first aid to the lawmaker after she was shot in the head at an event in Tucson. Hernandez, 20, who is a University of Arizona student and member of Tucson's Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, started working for the congresswoman just one week prior to the shooting. (Dallas Voice)
Reince Priebus, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, recently told the National Organization for Marriage that he fully supports the current GOP platform language on marriage, citing the effect on children if same-sex couples were allowed to marry. "I believe marriage is a gift from God, and the sanctity of marriage should be protected," Priebus said. (Washington Post) Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) has joined Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA), and Jared Polis (D-CO) as the only openly gay and lesbian members of the U.S. Congress. The Washington Post named Cicilline one of its 10 freshmen to watch. (Washington Blade; Washington Post) The new governors of New York and Rhode Island, in their inaugural speeches, each called on their state legislatures to pass bills that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples. "When marriage equality is the law in Rhode Island, we honor our forefathers who risked their lives and fortune in the pursuit of human equality," said Governor Lincoln Chafee (IO-RI). "I want to be the governor who signs the law that makes equality a reality in the state of New York," said Governor Andrew Cuomo (DNY). (Providence (RI) Journal; The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)) The Maryland legislature will be taking up the issue of marriage equality once again, after the election of two new Democratic state senators and changes in committee line-ups. Governor Martin O'Malley (D) has said he will back a marriage equality measure that exempts religious organizations from having to preside over such ceremonies. Maryland Senate Minority Leader Allan H. Kittleman (R) says he will co-sponsor a bill that would establish legal civil unions for state residents, including same-sex couples. (The Washington Post; The Gazette (Gaithersburg, MD)) New Hampshire Republican leaders did not include a repeal of the state's marriage equality law on a list of their top legislative priorities. However, those opposed to same-sex couples marrying say that doesn't mean the state Legislature won't vote on the issue. (Boston.com) Democrats in Virginia's legislature are hoping to translate momentum from the successful national repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy into new traction for legislation that would explicitly ban discrimination against gays in the state workforce. Similar measures have been sponsored for years, each time blocked by Republicans in the House of Delegates who argue that there is no need for a law because there's no evidence the state discriminates against gay employees. (Washington Post) Tennessee State Rep. Glen Casada (R) plans to introduce a bill that would prohibit the state's towns and (continued on next page)
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 5 cities from adopting ordinances that would require contractors to offer LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policies. The move is in response to a proposed Nashville ordinance. (The Tennessean) The state of Texas lacks standing in a divorce case involving two women and therefore has no grounds to intervene in the proceeding, according to a federal appeals court decision. State Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) had cited Texas' constitutional marriage ban in his attempt to block the divorce proceeding for a 2004 marriage performed in Massachusetts. (365Gay.com) North Carolina's Supreme Court has invalidated the 2005 adoption by State Senator Julia Boseman of her expartner's biological son because the biological mother had not given up her parental rights. Melissa Jarrell, the biological mother, had filed suit to overturn the adoption after the couple ended their relationship. The high court kept in place a lower court order ordering establishing joint custody for the boy. (The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)) Alameda County, CA Superior Court Judge Vicky Kolakowski said her election was about her qualifications, not the fact she is transgender, but attendees at her swearing-in ceremony said the moment carried great significance for transgender people. "It makes us feel not just that we're entitled to equality, that we also have something important to offer and to contribute," said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. (LGBTPOV.com) Human rights advocates welcomed the vote by the United Nations General Assembly to reintroduce language condemning the killing of someone because of his or her sexual orientation into a resolution on the unjustified killing of minority groups. Some Arab and African member states had successfully lobbied for the removal of the clause in the resolution, which is renewed every two years. (BBC) The British government could consider a bill that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples next year. Gays and lesbians are currently allowed to register civil partnerships, which provide many of the same rights afforded to married couples but which some have called a "second-class" relationship status. (The Daily Telegraph (London)) Couples who have entered into legal marriages or civil partnerships abroad will be recognized under Ireland's new civil partnerships law. Irish citizens will be allowed to form their own same-sex civil partnerships beginning in April. (PinkNews.co.uk) Nepal will include a third gender category for transgender people for the first time on its May national census. "This shows that the government has started to recognize them. I hope this will help to ensure their rights," said Sunil Babu Panta, Nepal's first out member of parliament. (Agence France-Presse)
Many Happy Returns!
Tips for Saving Money This Tax Season by Kevin Suszko, CPA, PC Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when you are preparing to file your taxes for 2010: Consider using your tax refund to pay down any high-interest debt and build your savings. Consider buying a US savings bond. You have the right to request that your refund be directly deposited to your accounts, in up to three different financial institutions. Stay away from “Refund Anticipation Loans”. These are highway-robbery-expensive loan product arrangements offered by tax preparers for people who file their taxes electronically and who don’t want to wait for their tax refund. The actual cost of money for these loans is astronomical and a very bad economic move for the taxpayer. Remember, if you file electronically and file early in the season, you can expect your refund to be deposited into your account within 10 days! Why would there be a need for any loan? Watch out for scam emails falsely claiming to come from the IRS, intended to trick the taxpayer into revealing personal information. Any tax preparer who promises a “large” refund should be avoided. Fraudulent errors can expose victims to costly fees and penalties. “Tax scams” at www.irs.cov/newsroom will give you more tips to avoid scams. If you earned $58,000 or less, the IRS offers “Free File”, a tax preparation software program at the IRS website, which enables you to file free. You may qualify for unusual tax breaks, if you started a business, were unemployed, or lost property because of a natural disaster. Either check with the IRS, or consult a tax advisor. I am well-versed in the financial laws impacting our community. I am available 7 days per week during tax season, with day and evening hours. Please see my advertisement on page 9 of Challenge if you would like to contact me.
DADT III 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. What's the buzz this day? Did I hear its death knell, hey G I, all's O K. Yes, my son, I know you're gay and my lesbian daughter too. Serve out in the sun's ray, proudly for the red, white and blue. Puma/MMX
Page 6 CHALLENGE February 2011
J OIN
US! PRIDE PARTY AT GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE
Th e S u b je c t Was 5 ses by Frank Gilroy directed by Michael Mastro with LEE SELLARS from GSP’s The Pillowman, CHRIS WENDELKEN, and STEPHANIE ZIMBALIST from TV’s Remington Steele.
There are three sides to every story. Buried truths and old emotional wounds resurface when a young soldier returns to his parents’ home after World War II. Caught in the crossfire of unresolved tensions over money, love and heroism, the new veteran finds himself engaged in a battle on the home front – where all three family members ache for a peaceful détente. A stunning, beautifully written Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about the relationships between a husband and wife and their young adult son.
Join us for pre-show dinner, drinks, door prizes and live entertainment at GSP’s PRIDE PARTY Thursday, February 24 The fun begins at 6:30 and is followed by the 8pm performance of
The Subject Was Roses All inclusive ticket price is $50 * Use coupon code: PRIDE when ordering online, or by phone call 732-846-2895 x155 * one drink is included
College students use code: PRIDESTUDENT for $20 tickets ( Student ID required to pick up tickets )
F E B RUARY 8 — MAR C H 6
Lee Sellars
Ch r i s We n d e l ke n
S t e p h a n i e Zimb alis t
Box office: 732.246.7717 • Online: www.GSPonline.org GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE 9 Livingston Avenue , New Brunswick D av i d S a i n t , A r t i s t i c D i re c t o r
PRODUCTION SPONSORS: The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Regina and John Heldrich
This Program is made possible in par t by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Departments of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Pride Party Sponsor Barefoot Wines
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 7
February 2011 Calendar
Recurring Contact Information
* Hackensack Peer Support Groups: 800-508-7577; www.njbuddies.org † Pride Center, Highland Park: 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org ‡ Hudson Pride Connections Center: 201-963-4779; HudsonPride.org λ LGBT Center Rainbow Lounge, Princeton: www.princeton.edu/lgbt ♦ Jersey Shore Q-Spot, Asbury Park: www.jsqspot.org Monday – Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm - HIV testing, Asbury Park; 800-9470020 9:00 am to 11:00 am - The Daily Grind coffeehouse, Princetonλ 10:00 am to 5:00 pm - HiTOPS Health Center, Princeton; www.hitops.org; 609-683-5155 x 211 Every Monday 7:00 pm - GAAMC, Morristown (see page 2) 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-5650300; info @ hyacinth.org 7:00 pm - Bowling, Union; merenl @ comcast.net 7:30 pm - S.E.L.F. HIV Men’s support group, Hackensack* 7:30 pm - New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus choir practice, Princeton; 609-396-7774; www.njgmc.org 7:30 pm - Overeaters Anonymous, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Stitch n B*tch, Pride Center† 8:00 pm - Bowling, Green Brook; 732-388-3548; qcrollers @ aol.com Every Tuesday 12:30 pm - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-5650300; info @ hyacinth.org 3:00 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ 4:00 pm - Treatment Adherence Support Group, Jersey City; 201-432-1134; info @ hyacinth.org 7:30 pm - Tuesday Night Lesbian Connection, Bound Brook; 908-791-3764 7:30 pm - Men’s HIV support group, Asbury Park; 732-7755084; apstillpoz @ yahoo.com 7:30 pm - Positive Yoga, Hackensack* 8:45 pm - Bowling, Belleville; 973-256-5936; NJGLB @ aol.com 9:00 pm - Bowling, Jersey City; 201-933-6028; JoeyNJ @ aol.com 9:15 pm - Bowling, Edison; 732-548-4550; cnjgbl @ yahoo.com
01 Tue 4:00 pm - HIV Testing & Needle Exchange, Jersey City‡ 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, New Brunswick; www.gpbn.net 7:00 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Quesdays, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 7:30 pm - LGBT Fellowship, Belleville; 973-751-0616 02 Wed 6:00 pm - North Jersey Prime Timers' monthly meetup, Little Falls; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 03 Thu 2:00 pm - The Little Dog Laughed, Morristown; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers
Every Wednesday 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Jersey City; 201432-1134; info @ hyacinth.org 2:00 pm - "Generation Q", WRSU 88.7 FM; wrsu.org 3:00 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ 6:00 pm - Positive People peer support group, Hackensack* 7:30 pm - Men’s Living Out group, Pride Center; njwarrior @ aol.com† 7:30 pm - Gay Men’s Coming Out group, Pride Center; njwarrior @ aol.com† Every Thursday 3:30 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ 6:00 pm - Pride Thursdays, Hard Grove Cafe Bar, Jersey City; jclgo.org 6:00 pm - Our Youth weekly support group, Jersey City; www.myspace.com/our_youth 6:30 pm - Double Jeopardy peer support group, Hackensack* 6:30 pm - Living Beyond HIV Men's peer support groups, Jersey City‡ 7:00 pm - C.R.A.V.E., Jersey City‡ 7:00 pm - Sexual Assault Survivor Support, Princeton; www.hitops.org 7:30 pm - Rainbows on Cleveland Street, Orange; 973256-5936; rbowsoncleveland @ aol.com 7:30 pm - Writers group, Pride Center† Every Friday 3:00 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ Every Sunday 10:30 am - MCC of Christ the Liberator, North Brunswick; 732-846-8227; mccliberator @ excite.com Noon - St. Francis of Assisi Church, Glen Ridge; 973-7317765; stfrancisnj.org 2:30 pm - Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church, Newark; 973-621-2100 7:30 pm - Alternate Thursdays, Montclair; kjdinkin @ comcast.net 7:30 pm - Coffee Night, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 04 Fri 4:00 pm - Rainbow Mountain weekend, Marshalls Creek, PA; www.njhav.org 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Karaoke Party, Pride Center† 05 Sat Noon - Health Fair, Newark (see Bulletin Board, pg. 3)
Page 8 CHALLENGE February 2011 05 Sat 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 06 Sun 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-8574040; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 6:30 pm - Gay Men’s Opera Club; 732-249-9034; hagol @ msn.com 07 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero AT umdnj.edu 7:00 pm - Lesbian Hot Topics, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 08 Tue 7:30 pm - Bisexual Social Support Group, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - PCNJ Board of Trustees meeting, Pride Center† 8:00 pm - Lesbians and Gay Men of New Brunswick, Pride Center† 09 Wed 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, Asbury Park; www.gpbn.net 7:30 pm - TGLCA monthly meeting, Trenton; 609-3969788; tglca @ aol.com 9:00 pm - Dine with Pride, Metuchen ; jennifer.horsey @ cit.com 10 Thu 6:00 pm - Visit to Sussex County Health Club, Sussex; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 7:00 pm - Qspot Book Club, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 7:30 pm - PFLAG of North Jersey, South Orange; 908-7897489; pflagwaver @ aol.com 11 Fri 7:30 pm - NJ LGBT Cancer Support Group, Pride Center† 12 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Movie Social, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick gay Catholic liturgy; 732968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 13 Sun 1:30 pm - PFLAG Northern New Jersey, South Orange; 973-267-8414; www.pflagnorthjersey.org 4:00 pm - Chillfest, Jersey City (see Bulletin Board, pg. 3) 6:00 pm - Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02 @ worldnet.att.net 14 Mon Noon - "Life Among Men", discussion, Princetonλ 7:00 pm - Youth Initiative Teenager's Meetings, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-7275288; pflag.morris @ verizon.net 7:30 pm - PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 15 Tue 4:00 pm - HIV Testing & Needle Exchange, Jersey City‡ 7:00 pm - Movie Night, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦
7:00 pm - ComeOUT & Play, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Lesbian Alliance of Princeton; 609-924-8174; Loisj @ msn.com 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Hunterdon County, Flemington; 908752-1370; pflaghc @ yahoo.com 8:00 pm - PFLAG of Bergen County, Paramus; 201-2870318; www.bergenpflag.org 8:00 pm - NJ Women, Secaucus; info @ njwomen.org 16 Wed 6:00 pm - Queering the Color Line Family Dinner, Princetonλ 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez @ comcast.net 8:00 pm - Havurah board meeting, Edison; njlgh.onefireplace.com 17 Thu 7:00 pm - GAAMC board meeting, Morristown; all GAAMC members are invited to attend. 7:00 pm - Hudson Pride 2011 Festival meeting, Jersey City‡ 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support Group, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Northwest NJ, Sparta; 973-729-9909 18 Fri 6:00 pm - North Jersey Primetimers dinner, Wayne; www.meetup.com/North-Jersey-Primetimers 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 7:00 pm - NJ Furries Art Workshop, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Support Group for Parents of LGBTIQ Youth/ Young Adults, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Dignity New Brunswick social; 732-968-9263; dignitynb @ earthlink.net 8:00 pm - Out of the Box open mic night, The Cave, 19-21 Second Avenue, Highland Park (sign-up begins 7:30) 9:00 pm - DJ Chiono Dance Party, Pride Center† 19 Sat 2:30 pm - First and Third for GLBTI youth, Princeton; 609683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org 7:00 pm - Rainbow Bowling, Bradley Beach; 732-774-4540 7:00 pm - NJ Gay Film Society & Potluck Dinner Club, location TBA; gayfilms @ bigfoot.com 7:00 pm - OA Games Night, Pride Center† 20 Sun 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-8374040; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 4:00 pm - TrueSelves trans support group, Pride Center† 4:30 pm - Torah Queries, Pride Center† 21 Mon 7:00 pm - Support Group for Lesbians with Cancer, New Brunswick; 732-235-6781; slirzero @ umdnj.edu 7:00 pm - Lesbian Hot Topics, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 8:00 pm - LGBT Activist Forum, Pride Center† 22 Tue 3:00 pm - Health Center Drop-In, Princetonλ 8:00 pm - Lesbians and Gay Men of New Brunswick, Pride Center†
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 9 23 Wed 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, Asbury Park; www.gpbn.net 24 Thu 6:30 pm - Pride Party, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick (see ad, pg. 6) 7:00 pm - Gay Men's Hot Topics, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 25 Fri 7:00 pm - Rock Hero, Pride Center† 8:00 pm - Shabbat service, Edison; www.njhav.org 26 Sat 11:00 am - GayOutdoors.com tour, Morris Plains (see Bulletin Board, pg. 3) 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Pride Center† 2:00 pm - Youth Support Group, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732776-6160 7:00 pm - Games Night & Dessert, Pride Center† 8:00 pm - Kate Clinton, Montclair (see ad, lower right) 28 Mon 7:00 pm - Funny Bingo, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 8:30 pm - Meditation Group, Pride Center†
Hey, Kids! GAAMC Has Ads! As you're looking through this month's Challenge, you may notice more paid advertising than usual. This month we welcome the Bickford Theatre in Morristown (page 10) and WomenTwoWomen (see right) to the list of Challenge advertisers, as well as returning advertisers Kevin P. Suszko (see right), David C. Gifford (see below), and the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick (page 6). By taking out paid ads in Challenge, our advertisers support not only the newsletter but also GAAMC as a whole. So in turn, I ask you to support our advertisers whenever possible! Speaking of ads, did you know that GAAMC members can place a three-line ad for free in each issue of Challenge? Contact me at Challenge @ GAAMC.org to find out how you can reach the most sophisticated, stylish shoppers in New Jersey!
KEVIN P. SUSZKO, PC Certified Public Accountant
-TAX PLANNING & PREPARATION -FINANCIAL PLANNING -ACCOUNTING SERVICES -DAY & EVENING APPOINTMENTS -OFFICES IN NEW JERSEY & NYC Phone: 973–376–4121 P. O. Box 701 Short Hills, NJ 07078 E-Mail: KPSCPA@GMAIL.COM
Page 10 CHALLENGE February 2011
Who’s Gay In Hollywood? Find out Now through Feb. 13!
Directed by Eric Hafen
Mark Irish*
Liz Zazzi*
Cindy Fernandez
Scott Tyler
Rising film star, Mitchell Green, is soon to become a household name, thanks to his devilish agent Diane, who excels at navigating the choppy waters of Hollywood. Diane’s problem: she can’t keep Mitch from coming out of the closet! Enter Mitchell’s new 'friend' Alex, and Alex’s beautiful girlfriend Ellen (yes girlfriend!) This naughty comedy hilariously satirizes the superficial world of show-business and Hollywood.
The Little Dog Laughed contains strong adult language, sexual content and adult situations. Not recommended for children.
Mention Code “GAAMC” for $30 Tix (Save $10!) Performances: Thurs. Jan. 20 & 27 @ 7:30pm ALL Fri., Sat. @ 8pm; Sun. @ 2pm (No perf. Sat. Jan. 29) Special Thursday Matinees: Feb 3 & Feb. 10 @ 2pm * members of Actors’ Equity
For tickets: 973.971.3706 Or
visit www.BickfordTheatre.org
Bickford Theatre is located within the Morris Museum 6 Normandy Heights Road Morristown, NJ 07960
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 11
Gay Inmates’ Options: Whore, Hermit, Punching Bag, or Body Bag?
Want Employment Rights? Buy Them!
Homophobia runs rampant in prisons today. In a shutaway world estranged from modern society, a lingering stubbornness to accept what is a fact of life isolates and makes a target out of each incarcerated homosexual. Regardless of an inmate’s societal offense, he or she is paying their owed debt and, just as any human being with hopes and dreams would yearn for a second chance, each rehabilitating inmate deserves to be offered that second chance (along with the accountability and responsibility that accompanies a successful re-entry into society.) Incarcerated members of the LGBTI community are in need of that second chance, especially if they have withstood the intense pressures and challenges singular to survival in prison, taking what could have been an emotionally crippling time and converting that experience into a positive state of mind and rehabilitative way of life. A positive outlook along with the gift of a second chance is what will enable a released inmate to contribute in a unique and lasting way with renewed vigor to an upstanding community – maybe even your own. A sadly common misconception “in the joint” is that a homosexual is a promiscuous, disease-ridden lower life form that is good for little else than keeping a clean prison cell and getting someone off. As long as we “know our place” there will be few problems. Excuse the hell outta me, you ignorant bigot, but who is the one with the more refined culture?! “Know my place?” Indeed! That’s the problem; we DO know our place and the ignoramuses of the general prison population don’t like that. It’s not only homophobia we’re fighting in here, but also ignorance and superstition. Prison is a closed-minded environment preaching survival of the fittest and a twisted sense of democracy. If we’re not wanted or tolerated in a certain cell or dormitory, we have two options: a physical altercation, or a “refusal to reside,” involving voluntary, temporary inmate isolation until other living arrangements can be made. Too many refusals results in disciplinary action. We are continually subject to verbal harassment and the threat of sexual assault. Even those LGBTI inmates who would find solace in their faith are subjected to various religious discriminations. What can we personally do? We can fight back (this leads to a negative prison record and harsh disciplinary sanctions); we can ignore 95% of what comes our way (this paints us as weak prey); or we can request protective custody (this is a sentence of loneliness and isolation). Is it a wonder that so many “salvageable” individuals emerge as “monsters?” Not only must we tolerate intolerance amongst our “fellow” inmates, we have barely any choice but to turn a blind eye to the glaring misconduct of prison administrative authorities and security personnel. We are generally viewed as bitches, whores, and prostitutes. We are all somehow the brunt of STD, homophobic, and sexually perverted jokes. A beautiful sexuality and a genuine (continued on next page)
Activism doesn’t always require picket signs, calls to elected officials or town-hall meetings. You have more power than you know, and you flex your muscles every time you open your wallet. Due to the pathetically weak representatives America sent to Washington, DC, it is still legal to get fired for being lesbian or gay in 29 states. Our transgender brothers and sisters risk legalized employment discrimination in 38 states.
by Michael J. Dodgens
By Andy Skurna and Claire Pompei
Human Rights Campaign's Buying for Workplace Equality 2011 is a guide to companies, products, and services which provide equality in the workplace. Businesses are rated from 0 to 100 based on their policies supporting LGBT employees. While not all businesses are represented, more than 1800 are included, including businesses which have not responded to HRC's inquiries! To help you to make purchasing decisions that may help you and your community, GAAMC is making Buying for Workplace Equality 2011 readily available to our members and friends. The free, online version can be accessed directly from the home page on GAAMC.org. Take a look; it’s in the left navigation menu bar. Until you can get online, below is a tiny sampling of the wisdom it holds. The following excerpt from HRC’s president, Joe Solmonese, in his introduction to Buying Guide for Workplace Equality 2011 makes a great point: Whether you are buying a cup of coffee or renovating your home, by supporting businesses that support workplace equality you send a powerful message that LGBT inclusion is good for the bottom line. We hope that you will use this guide as one component when determining if a business’s social practices make it worthy of your dollars. HRC’s 44-page guide contains a wealth of information, both good and bad. For example, a record 337 companies scored 100% on HRC’s equality index. While huge advances are being made there still are many popular brands with extremely disappointing scores. I was shocked at some of what I read. The table on page 11 gives just a sample. The guide is available on the web at www.hrc.org/buyersguide, and in a mobile version at www.hrc.org/iphone. You can also request a free printed copy of Buying for Workplace Equality 2011 directly from HRC Foundation by going to http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide2011/request-guide.html
Page 12 CHALLENGE February 2011 Dancing to Architecture (continued from page 15)
There have already been a flurry of very good new albums released in 2011 from Dolorean: gorgeous lyrics, Cake: a substantial comeback, Gregg Allman: covers nearevery bluesy corner on a rare solo album, The Decemberists: ever more accessible Brit-Folk flavored Portland Oregon Rock, and Kendall: a more serious spin from the Out bear musician. More Albums To Anticipate are coming soon from Iron and Wine, The Go! Team, Martin Swinger, Bright Eyes, Geoff Baker, Adele, R.E.M. and (Oooo! Oooo!) more Drive-By Truckers already! I can only squeeze in a bit on an intriguing Concert Music album of compositions by Graham Reynolds called The Difference Engine. It's a glimpse of "Classical" music's future. Plus "a remix of each movement forms the album's second half with contributions from DJ Spooky, Octopus Project, Grammy-nominated Adrian Quesada, Golden Hornet Project's Peter Stopschinski, and the composer himself," according to Reynolds' label, Innova. But the standout, the first great album of the year is
Abigail Washburn ~ City of Refuge
I yield the stage to Elena See of NPR Music: "She was going to head to Beijing, study law and continue to make music on the side. Instead, she got a record deal, her group Uncle Earl took off and her debut solo recording, The Song of the Traveling Daughter, blew everyone away. […] Washburn still showcases her signature clawhammer banjo playing on City of Refuge. Those moments are mixed with quietly lush orchestration, standout guitar riffs from Bill Frisell, a guzheng (a Chinese zither) played by master Wu Fei, and backing vocals from Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor and Morgan Jahnig." Top Songs: "Bright Morning Stars," "Bring Me My Queen," "City of Refuge," "Burn Through," "Ballad Of Treason"
Sacha Sacket WATCH: The latest new songs from The Viscera Project
A few of my friends were delighted by "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Christmas in LA" when I sent them the link via Facebook. Next, appropriately titled "Start Again," Sacket's first addition of the new year, is another stunner, like a shimmering evocation of The Doors. "Interstate" brings us up to date, a noisy, fantasy road trip of a track. Follow as new songs are posted weekly at sachasacket.bandcamp.com.
Q Drew Paralic ~ Roll With It, Baby
New Jazz originals by Outmusic Award winning composer Drew Paralic found their way to my mailbox and I'm happy to report his sense of melody and intrinsic songcraft remain strong. Paralic is a "non-performing musician" (as he puts it), a master piano tuner by trade. James Newman is piano soloist on "Drew's Blues." On all other tracks reeds are handled by Mike McGinnis, and Elias Bailey is the bassist. A quartet on half the album consists of McGinnis and Bailey, Art Hirahara: piano, and Vinnie Sperrazza: drums. The trio on the remainder is McGinnis, Bailey, and David Pearl on piano. One of the trio numbers, "How Bill's Heart Sings," lyrics by Thomas Raniszewski, is sung by Laura Kenyon. "How Bill's Heart Sings" has a lovely melody. That said, Raniszewski's skills with the English language have never impressed me, and it's simply wrenching to hear lines that remove the listener from the flow like "lovers strolling arm-in-arm/in mind, there's no one there." Much as the title obviously finds a place close to my heart, the lyrics and the way the lyrics are placed in the melody do not work for me. McGinnis plays best on "Dizzying New People Color" and "When Midnight Rolls Around" I understand he's a sought-after sideman, but I'm underwhelmed by his tone and style elsewhere here. I'm more comfortable with the performances of Bailey, Hirahar, Pearl and Sperrazza, which are clean, understated and classy. Top Songs: "Dizzying New People Color" on which presumably McGinnis plays flute (not a reed instrument), "Steps," "The Sweetest Crime," "Drew's Blues," "Prelude d'Ennui" Dancing To Architecture® contents © 2010 Bill Stella.™, ® & © items included in the column for review purposes are ™, ® & © their respective owners.
Gay Inmates’ Options: Whore, Hermit, Punching Bag or Body Bag? (continued from previous page)
healthcare need are slanted, degraded into a dirty joke. We may be refused our right to timely medical care or subjected to undue disciplinary action based on an officer’s having a bad day. Many reported sexual assaults are not taken seriously simply because, “well, the inmate shouldn’t have been gay.” If two inmates are discovered to be sexual partners, they will be transferred to separate institutions and forced to pay exorbitant fees for STD tests. Chaplains commonly forbid gay inmates religious participation, excluding and singling out those congregants for eternal damnation. Is it a wonder that many kind, loving men and women emerge bent on revenge? What would your involvement in our lives accomplish? What would you want us to do, were it you in our shoes? We need your moral support. Be a pen pal; visit one of us; give us some encouraging news from the real world. Volunteer to start an LGBTI support group or discussion circle in a local prison. Help us maintain our sanity by establishing with us realistic views, goals and expectations. Get active! Lobby for specific laws to protect gay inmates’ personal and religious rights and to legalize safe-sex practices in prisons. Educate yourself and the public. Tell a friend what we endure in here. Help us to rehabilitate. We can only work with what rehabilitative tools we are given. Help us to acquire the right tools! Today’s inmates are tomorrow’s neighbors.
Want Employment Rights? Buy Them! (continued from previous page)
The following table contains sample ratings of companies from HRC's Buying Guide for Workplace Equality 2011.
Successes 100% Acme Supermarkets
Failures A&P Supermarkets
0%
100%
Bank of America
ExxonMobil
0%
100%
Barnes & Noble
Outback Steakhouse
0%
100%
Costco
Adidas/Reebok
15%
100%
Johnson & Johnson
BJ's
15%
100%
Levi Strauss
Calvin Klein
15%
100%
Shell Oil
Harley-Davidson
15%
100%
Staples
Nestlé
15%
100%
TGIFriday's
Trader Joe's
15%
95%
Home Depot
Cablevision
30%
95%
Kenneth Cole
Lowe's
30%
95%
Kraft Foods
Polo Ralph Lauren
30%
85%
Bayer
Williams-Sonoma
30%
85%
Whole Foods
Office Depot
45%
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 13
Good Eats!
by Chef Charlie Murphy Here are two recipes for the perfect Valentine's breakfast to please the palate of that special someone!
Stewed Berries 3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided Half-pint fresh blueberries ¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon orange zest 1/3 cup water 2 teaspoons framboise (raspberry brandy), optional
Combine a half-pint of raspberries, all the blueberries, sugar, orange zest, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise, if desired. Serve slightly warm in a small decorative glass bowl on the side or over toast or French toast.
Panettone French Toast Syrup: 1 cup water 1 packed cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons whipping cream ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
French Toast: 1 one-pound panettone, paper removed 6 large eggs 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream ¾ cup whole milk ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided ½ cup mascarpone cheese
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil about 10 minutes until the syrup reduces to 1 cup. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon. Keep the syrup warm over low heat until ready to serve. (Note: the syrup can be made the day before. Let the syrup cool, then cover and refrigerate it. Reheat before serving.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Preheat a nonstick griddle or large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Using a serrated knife, remove the top of the panettone. Cut the bottom of the panettone in half crosswise. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces. In a large bowl, create a custard by whisking together the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar until smooth. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle. Working in batches, dip slices of panettone into the custard, turning to allow both sides to absorb the custard. Cook the soaked panettone slices until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and panettone slices. Transfer the French toast to plates. Drizzle the cinnamon syrup over the French toast and place a dollop of mascarpone on top. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and serve with either fresh berries or stewed berries. (Cook's note: The top of the panettone can be reserved and used for toast.)
This Month's Contributors Michael J. Dodgens is an inmate at the Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio. He can be reached at mjdodgens @ gaamc.org. Charlie Murphy is a past President of GAAMC and currently serves as the head of the Social Committee. Claire Pompei is a member of GAAMC's Board of Directors. Tony Puma: A career in sales/marketing/advertising and public relations influence my poetry style: less abstract and more to-the-point. Degrees from New York University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. A member of various poetry groups including Italian-American Writers Association, Red Wheel Barrow Poets, Paulinskill Poetry Project, Poets House (NYC), South Mountain Poets, and Hudson Valley Poets-on- the-Loose. A view of life through the prism of poetry; seeing, hearing, and feeling, trying to capture emotions and relate them via words.
Andy Skurna is GAAMC's Webmaster, a member of the GAAMC Board, and a past President of GAAMC. Bill Realman Stella writes Dancing to Architecture because writing about music is like that. He hosted the eclectic pop music show Highest Common Denominator in his mind for twenty years before getting it on the radio for six, and will host it again. Bill has been collecting music since age 4, when for each song he'd hear on the radio, he'd ask his mom, "Do they have a record?" Making a record good enough to play on the radio remains a small miracle after all these years. If you'd like Bill to write, DJ, or promote for you, get in touch. Comments and suggestions also welcome. Please send your correspondences to bearealman @ gmail.com. Kevin Suszko, CPA, PC, is an accountant, financial planner, and tax preparer with particular expertise in the field of LGBT financial planning. He can be reached at KPSCPA @ gmail.com.
Page 14 CHALLENGE February 2011
Dancing to Architecture
Music reviews & news with a Queer ear by Bill Realman Stella We welcome in 2011 with a final look at 2010! Below are albums from the "Top 10" list which now see print for the first time. And Plastiq Passion and Micah Barnes' reviews come with additional material not included in the online version. Speaking of which, look for the new, final, rev is ed and e x p a n d e d version of the complete list! Yes, that's right: I never rest when it comes to bringing good music to your attention —It now approaches the scope of a small book! Find the Challenge Winter 2010 "Dancing to Architecture" Revised Supplement at issuu.com/ gaamc . DTA concludes with a glimpse at what's new in 2011—because good music just keeps on coming! And we begin our Sacha Sacket Watch segment, to keep up with the new songs Sacket—one of DTA's #1 artists of 2010—posts weekly until at least May as part of his The Viscera Project. More great selections from 150 Favorite Top 10 Albums of 2010 Read about them all at www.issuu.com/gaamc
Q Plastiq Passion ~ To Be A Blade Of Grass In Cracked Cement
Featured performers at this year's JCLGO pride event, these cool Lesbian-led rockers follow in welltravelled footsteps, but satisfy by filling a spot left nearly empty, with too few allwomen rockers taking the New Wave path between Punk and Arena Rock. That's a spot on the spectrum where too few go, and where too many go missing-in-action. Their set of short, shorn-close cuts crackles, generating sparks in the act of sharpening their chops. With one of the very best album titles of the year (and damn good cover art), its subversive power alone sends that little chill at the back of my neck that comes when I recognize talent. Best, they don't shy away from having fun. I can place myself bopping in the sand along with the B-52s-y "Angel," imagine bouncing in cramped clubs with Thin Lizzy-ish "Not Long Ago," and happily air-drumming along approximating the Clem Burke (Blondie) style of Stacey Lee on "Girl." Usually rock bands arrive on the scene, put out one CD, play gigs, and disappear—"Whatever." Plastiq Passion have stuck to it since the grrl group sound of their first 2006 EP, and now reveal an affinity for predecessors like Blondie and X, and Next Wave Brit Pop like The Cure. (Plastiq Passion adapted their name from one of The Cure's songs, which may or may not be about a sex toy.) They recently shared a bill on an Asbury Park, "Rock 101.9" WRXPFM-promoted stage with one of 2010's buzz bands Girl In A Coma and classic 80s band Dramarama. Good move, but they're good enough that they deserve even better. Get PP on tour with The B52s or R.E.M. or Joan Jett. (I know, easier said than done, but you never know: Girl In A Coma are on Jett's Blackheart Records.) There's potential here. If they can deliver on the tempting promise of these recordings and build a following based on killer live
shows, Plastiq Passion will break the odds, create their own buzz and become better known. Lets start some buzz right now. They have a number of area gigs this winter. The band posts all their dates at their site, PlastiqPassionTheBand.com . I encourage you to go out and support the most promising queer New Jersey band of today. Top Songs: "I Said," "Girl," "Tragic (Just Like Me)," Not Long Ago" (in which a drag queen makes a cameo appearance), "I Can't Wait," "Angel" EXTRA: I simply love how they describe themselves online. Here, take a look: "The members of plastiq passion saw an opportunity to take an older genre near and dear to their hearts (new wave) and add to it a modern edge (a la Sleater-Kinney). Add a little blood, sweat, and tears and from the fires plastiq passion was born […]. Since their immaculate conception they have played every respectable establishment (and also dive) that New York City has to offer including (but not limited to) CBGB’s, The Mercury Lounge and Pianos. They have also played some well known New Jersey establishments like Maxwell’s and The Whiskey Bar. […] "In March 2010 they released their first full length album TBABOGICC which showcases their growth as a band since I CAN’T WAIT, their initial EP. […] their high-energy and passionate live show will make sure you don’t regret it. plastiq passion is Jessica Chaos (heart), Susan Therancy (fire), Deborrah Sanchez (water), and Stacey Lee (earth), and harnessing the power of Gaia together they create CAPTAIN PLANET… on stage."
Q Micah Barnes ~ Domesticated
Barnes is the man who wrote, sung, and produced my all-time favorite Out music album, Loud Boy Radio. (Available, as I write, from Amazon aStores for $.01 + p/h.) I was introduced to it quite magically, when in 1999 I uncharacteristically attended a Beltane weekend gathering in the Tennessee hills retreat of a close-knit commune of Faeries. Barnes' singular, charismatic performance before 100 friendly Faeries in Pistol Pete and Popgun Paul's barn of a home was so excellent, it and his songs, the Loud Boy Radio songs I soon played on the radio whenever I could, were the single most important motivations for me to take up promoting Out music—which led to all that you're reading right now. Why then does his first new album in many years not stand among the leaders on the >150 Favorite Top Ten Albums of 2010 list? I attribute that to 1) Domesticated has only five new songs and 2) although they're often crafty, a mellow shadow has fallen on his outlook. Not a little bit of nostalgia, plus a case of creature comforts has crept in to lie alongside the living-life-to-its-fullest Loud Boy. Those are new-to-Micah bedmates, and they come dressed in romance and sentiment borrowed from the confident positivity of the 1950s, replacing the cutting-edge electronica he's identified with. Barnes' lyrical panache is as awesome as ever. Barnes' strength is his lyrics, lyrics which he delivers with an undefeated spirit, lyrics which express the unexpressed, and speak to me in ways so unusual, it's hard to communicate how deeply they impact me. When I listen to him sing I experience the words and emotions being plucked out of me—mind, heart and soul. It's a rare talent. I'll allow him to speak for himself in his own words: Top Songs: "Domesticated": "Never was one to be thinking 'bout settling down / You walk in and suddenly—the thought's in my head / You make me realize there's more than the single life… // I've seen too many downs from the wrong side / to be anybody's idea of a good guy / You're so beautiful, you know I gotta try… / I can hardly wait to get Domesticated"
February 2011 CHALLENGE Page 15 "One Last Hurrah": "You took our broken hearts and sharpened them with knives / You beautified our lives / See them sparkle and shine / Here's to the love we made and all the love we lost / Will we never pay the cost for our perfect crimes? // …One more round in the dirty underground / One Last Hurrah / One last bang of the drum " "My Teenage Heart": "It's all my fault / I can't stop myself from hurting all the ones I love / With words so sharp they slice the heart and soul / It's all my fault / I just can't hold back when I see something beautiful / I got to have it in my hand to hold / My Teenage Heart / It wants what it wants just when it wants it / I can't seem to stop My Teenage Heart… // It's all my fault / Cause I say the wrong things at the wrong times to the wrong folks / Seems like I gotta always apologize / It's always my fault / Cause I hurt so much, and I want so much, and I need so much / I never seem to get enough love " "Falling": "I never understood those simple love songs / Used to make fun of the words but now I sing along / Babe, I used to be cool / You made me Into a romantic fool // Now I know why they call it Falling." EXTRA: I'd like to share with you excerpts from a recent Micah Barnes blog entry. It serves to tell how he gained insight about himself, so it's a story which tells us something insightful about him. Naked Singing "I have a lot of masks I wear as a singer. Born of insecurity. About my voice, about myself. About whether people will love me. Just human being stuff really but for performers that can be trouble. If I build a performance from my need for you to be impressed then I'm not really singing from the truth of the material am I? I might impress you but ultimately what am I really communicating about the song? "Producer Gavin Bradley helped me identify a habit I had of over singing to try and communicate the intensity of feeling in the material…like a stage actor who is a ham and goes over the top. He pulled me back to being more like a screen actor who feels the emotions in a scene and allows the viewer to go on the journey with him. That's how we approached the vocals on Domesticated, and it was a real adventure of trust and faith for us. "Gavin asked me to trust him enough on one complete vocal to prove to me that this more vulnerable approach would suck the listener into my world in a more compelling way. […] "The experiment worked […] and launched us into the rest of vocals which we recorded at Gavin's home studio "Afternoon Tea" where we could take our time to develop the approach that would work best. "I like long takes as much as possible..and although at the beginning Gavin had to work me hard to keep me naked and open in my performance we got to a shorthand by the end of the disc. By the end of summer 2010 we were flying along stacking those back up vocals, sweltering in the August heat and surrounded by a Futon for sound baffling. At one point it was actually close to "naked" singing with me stripped down to my underwear having been caught in a rain storm while biking over."
Q Antony & the Johnsons ~ Swanlights
Antony Hegerty seems little interested in becoming a star. His focus is on his art. When the results are as successful as this, that is how it should be. If I were you, I wouldn't put this on as entertainment to decompress by after a hard day, but if you're open to the pure experience of music as fine art, the somewhat challenging but directly affecting impact of Swanlights will be rewarding. Top Songs: "Thank You For Your Love," the closest thing on this set to a pop song, resists categorization as it turns into a frantic, downbeat-defying extended end-chorus. It'd be easy to dismiss "The Spirit Was Gone" facilely as an Art Song gone missing on a pop album, but it's a legitimately engaging piece. On "Fletta" I don't know what Antony and Bjork are singing, neither the language (Icelandic?) nor the meaning, but their voices blend beautifully, urged on by an arrangement that's surely what Steve Reich sounds like in a good mood. "Christina's Farm" is almost a duet for voice and piano until about 4½ minutes in, when strings introduce a full-fledged small orchestra of emotionally shaded and welling layers of themes and harmonies, accompanying Antony singing "Tenderly renewed / Tenderly renewed / Everything is new / Every sock and shoe/ My faith and your faith / Tenderly renewed."
Regina Spektor ~ Live In London
Much of the craft coming to us from Spektor's unique perspective on the world seems a creation of the studio: The voice that both emanates strength and vulnerability, the fine-honed string sections, the very rich melodies and melodic accompaniments. But, reminding us all how a
live performance can be immediate and also beautifully practiced, Spektor nails the definitive version of song after song live. Live concert albums once embedded themselves in my memory not for their technical proficiency or flights of long-winded fancy but because the songs never sounded better before—Think: Elton John's 11-17-70, Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive, Woodstock. Lately, not so much. (I'd try to come up with something more recent, but that makes my point, doesn't it?) Top Songs: "Eet," "On The Radio," "Sailor Song," "Dance Anthem Of The 80s," "Bobbing For Apples," "Ode To Divorce," "Laughing With," "Hotel Song," "Us," "Fidelity," "The Call," "Love, You're A Whore (Kisses Hard On The Mouth)"
Q Deerhunter ~ Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter is a band that showed promise, who but for a few exceptional tracks hadn't previously delivered more than the kind of subgenre-specific results only zealot fans could love. On Halcyon Digest they step up, with innovative dream-delayed rhythms and a rich chromatic palette of applied noises darting about and emanating from non-major chords. Especially thrilling are these … Top Songs: …the already-in-flight hovering momentum throughout "Helicopter," the spinning-into-the-cosmos multiple codas of "He Would Have Laughed," "Fountain Stairs," "Desire Lines," "Memory Boy" At Spinner.com, their live session video reveals the beauty and stature that these songs should have when they're well rehearsed and the band's creative juices are flowing. It's a surprisingly confident breakthrough performance, and I suggest you hear and watch it. FYI, from Atlanta, Ga's weekly arts magazine/institution "Creative Loafing": "Deerhunter [frontman and songwriter Brandon] Cox has appeared on stage in a dress a few times, [which] complemented a fantastic live show. With Cox's spectral, reedy-thin presence in the forefront, Deerhunter's music, both grungy and ecstatic, made for revelatory and powerful concert performances. Adding to the controversy, Cox often decorates his albums with images of young men. The [previous] Deerhunter album cover features Cox's close friend Cole Alexander from the Black Lips. Alexander is naked, and the photo of him is a double negative made to look like two men whose penises are touching. […] Visuals like these have led some music fans to assume Cox is gay. But he prefers to call himself asexual, saying he doesn't pursue romantic relationships with anyone, male or female." Later, in April 2008, he confided to Spin, "I'm a 26-year-old gay virgin who eats barbecue and watches Braves games." Like I said, FYI.
Q Adam Lambert ~ Acoustic Live!
If you somehow have come to believe that Lambert is about to turn into last year's news, all I can say to that is: nuh-uh. Even this set, with no new songs, is evidence Lambert will not depend on past successes for his future directions. Creative choices for how to approach the material from new angles don't transform his songs—they don't have to—but it's not easy to prevent unadorned songs from settling into rote renditions, and this set allows no cobwebs. I'm surprised and impressed by the state of Lambert's voice alone. The man, rightly, is treating his instrument like he's an opera singer, because it has to be there to hit some unbelievable notes on-demand, if not night after night then damned often. He hits notes on this EP that astound, more so for when the instrumentation is sparse. Top Songs: "Whataya Want From Me," performed quietly(!), "Music Again" and "Aftermath," on which Lambert hits stratospheric notes with no other apparent support but some echo and what must be a golden diaphragm, a somewhat less acoustic than the rest, very enjoyable version of Tears For Fears' "Mad World" (a great song choice for him), and "Soaked," accompanied only by piano (and a rapt audience), on which he channels the spirit of Freddie Mercury, but burns even brighter, if you can imagine.
Q ✩ Brady Earnhart ~ so few things
Pure songwriting mastery. Top-notch poetic lyrics, entrancing melodies, understated apt arrangements. If he sang stronger and his acoustic guitar stayed in tune longer, wishes would come true. RIYL: Nick Drake, Dylan Top Songs: "Wild Nights," "As You Were," "Everywhere," "Elkton," "Lullaby" That's it for the >150 Favorites! Moving on. (continued on page 12)
Page 16 CHALLENGE February 2011
GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE IN MORRIS COUNTY
Officers President.................................................. Mickey Suiter ....................................... President @ GAAMC.org VP Community Services........................................... Open.............................................. Info @ GAAMC.org VP Operations...................................................... Open Secretary .................................................. Gordon Sauer ....................................... Secretary @ GAAMC.org Treasurer ................................................... Andy Skurna....................................... Treasurer @ GAAMC.org Trustees Kerry Dinkin, Marty Grifone, Claire Pompei, Mitch Rubin, Ed Schell, Bill Realman Stella, Alexa Vasios Trustees Emeriti Sue Harris, Sherri Rase, Robin Schneider, Mark Wydner Committee Chairs Activism................................................... Gordon Sauer ........................................ Activism @ GAAMC.org Archives....................................................Mickey Suiter ........................................ Archives @ GAAMC.org Discussion Group Resources............................ Gordon Sauer ..................................... Discussions @ GAAMC.org Fundraising................................................. Andy Skurna..................................... Fundraising @ GAAMC.org Information..................................................Mitch Rubin..................................... FreeLibrary @ GAAMC.org Member Services/Front Desk........................... Allen Neuner Membership ................................................ Andy Skurna................................... Memberships @ GAAMC.org Pride Guide................................................. Andy Skurna......................................PrideGuide @ GAAMC.org Programs..................................................... Sherri Rase........................................ Programs @ GAAMC.org Public Relations............................................. Sherri Rase.............................................. Info @ GAAMC.org Socials................................................... Charlie Murphy........................................... Socials @ GAAMC.org Speakers Bureau........................................... Chris Selitto................................ SpeakersBureau @ GAAMC.org Volunteerism.................................................Sherri Rase....................................... Volunteer @ GAAMC.org Webmaster (inc. Facebook, Issuu, Yahoo!) ............ Andy Skurna..................................... Webmaster @ GAAMC.org GAAMC, the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, has served New Jersey’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and intersexed community since 1972. GAAMC is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organization that provides social, educational, and outreach programs. GAAMC also offers opportunities for individuals to become politically active on issues related to the GLBTI community. Our intent is to maintain a positive, healthy, respectful, and supportive environment in a safe space. Meetings are held every Monday evening at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, NJ (near the Morris Museum). Discussion groups meet from 7:00 to 8:00. The evening's program starts at 8:00 pm. Refreshments are available. For program information, call our information line or check our homepage (see below). Members and non-members are always welcome. Annual membership dues are: Regular, $40/single, $70/couple; Students/Seniors, $30/single, $60/couple. Those looking to help out at GAAMC can contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Sherri Rase, at Volunteer @ GAAMC.org. How to reach GAAMC Mail: PO Box 137, Convent Station, NJ 07961 Telephone: 973-285-1595 E-Mail: info @ gaamc.org Home page: http://www.gaamc.org Mail List: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/gaamc