CHALLENGE The Newsletter of the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County – Serving New Jersey’s GLBTI Communities Since 1972
Volume 36, Issue 5, June 2010
Activism Works! by Andy Skurna I haven’t worked (for pay) in an environment with any more than a handful of other people for many years, maybe 15 or more. But about a month ago I accepted a temporary position working for Census 2010 in one of their “local Census offices.” In my department we have about 60 employees, spread out over three shifts. Due to the sudden and temporary nature of the work, most people frequently change shifts to fit their other obligations. Outside my department, we’ve had another 400 to 500 employees working from the same location. This means I am in the company of more straight people in one place than since I worked for a hospital (1982-1984). I have mentioned my work with a “non-profit” and some have inquired further. I have mentioned that I volunteer, and some have asked for more details. Since I know this to be a short-term position, and I am much older and more secure in who I am than in years past, and since I know New Jersey’s got the strongest ENDA laws in the country, I have not felt the need to hide any part of my life in a Inside Challenge closet. And I happily report that not once has anyone recoiled when I mentioned my participation in GAAMC or the fact that I am gay. Not once! GAAMC Events........................... page 2 The Bulletin Board..................... page 3 My coworkers come from all walks of life, and range in age from 22 to 82. This Month's Contributors............. page 3 Most are white, but every race is represented. Most, but clearly not all, are Pride Weekend Event Checklist..... page 3 straight. My department is made up of intelligent folks that some would call Gleanings................................. page 4 nerds. I can’t say our department, or even the Census Bureau, is representa- Good Eatin'! ..............................page 5 tive of every type of work place. But when I say that I am the president of the Calendar .................................. page 6 Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, most are shockingly supportive. I’ve Notes on the National even gotten a “that’s cool” from a young, macho type. And I have handed out Storytelling Festival.................. page 8 Pride Guides to a few of my (assumed straight) coworkers. Mature Men's Group Begins at GAAMC............................... page 8 My supervisors have been extremely accommodating and allowed my Census Birds...................................... page 8 schedule to yield to my GAAMC, professional, and personal schedules. Getting Personal........................ page 8 Dancing to Architecture............. page 10 These things may not matter very much to anyone else. But I choose to look at GAAMC Information................... page 12 it differently. Returning to this type of work environment after so long affords a unique perspective. I feel as though I have just returned to earth after an extended intergalactic trip. And I will gladly report to the mother ship that the environment in at least one New Jersey workplace is much improved. Things aren’t perfect, and I’ve heard a few comments (not directed at me) that I wish were never uttered. But overall I must say that I feel much more secure in my position. No longer do I fear that I have to filter every word, making sure not to accidentally out myself to someone who may be a threat. I never was much of a shrinking violet, but in the past I have tried to be careful since most of my professional life has been as a representative for someone else. I may not have given the subject a thorough examination here. But as an activist, I report to you that there is absolutely a vast improvement in the attitudes towards gays, at least from what I’ve seen. This will definitely be a great Pride month. Our accomplishments alone provide reason enough for pride. With the continued support of our straight allies, I have every confidence the improvements will continue, here in New Jersey and beyond our borders. Please do all you can to spread New Jersey’s successes nationwide. Call your friends and relatives in all states and ask them to contact their elected officials and support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I’d ask you to call your representatives, but I know you’ve done that already, right?.
Page 2 CHALLENGE June 2010 CHALLENGE Volume 36, Number 5 June 2010 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. 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 7:00 Dining Room Circles-NJ Discussion Group This is a closed discussion group, lasting roughly twelve weeks, with a limited number of participants. Moderator: Gordon Sauer. 7:00 Library OpenTalk Discussion Group This is a regular weekly discussion group, open to all. Moderators: Elias Scultori, Kerry Dinkin, Sherri Rase.
First Monday of the Month 7:00 Room 100 Mature Men's Discussion Group This is a monthly discussion group geared to men age 45 and above. Moderator: Marty Grifone. (See article, page 8)
Main Events May 31: GAAMC's Memorial Day Bar-Be-Q! (See ad, page 9) June 7: A new men’s group, the Mature Men's Discussion and Activity Group, is forming at GAAMC. Tonight you will meet the organizers and hear more of what the group is about. Save the date and bring the energy from yesterday's Jersey Pride Celebration forward to Monday night. You owe it to yourself, men, to start the next chapter in your lives. June 14: June is the month of Pride in many locations around the world. Between the Jersey Pride celebration and the Heritage of Pride celebration in New York is GAAMC’s Pride Social! Meet and greet those new friends and friends to be and find New Jersey’s community of super LGBTI people. Would you © 2009 Stacy Reale Productions like to help organize? Send suggestions and volunteer information to Socials @ GAAMC.org. June 21: GAAMC's Lively Arts Series continues with a workshop by GAAMC member and storyteller Tim Tyler. We are all natural storytellers, and to make our stories more memorable, Tim will guide our creativity to pack more punch into the stories of our lives. Be there! June 28: Dr. Lisa O’Connor returns to GAAMC to answer our questions on health, life and the LGBT experience. Her conversational lectures are mustbe-there and when you attend you’ll know why her evenings are among our most popular. Coming Next Month! July 5: GAAMC presents its annual Ice Cream Social! Join us in the Terrace Room for sweet treats for the season with your choice of toppings! Mmmmmm, roll out those hazy, lazy, crazy days of GAAMC! July 12: GAAMC's Film Festival continues with the sexy, historic, and moving Aimee and Jaguar, a film where love bursts forth between a Jewish journalist and the wife of a German officer among the ruins of World War II.
June 2010 CHALLENGE Page 3
The Bulletin Board
Pride Weekend Event Checklist
GAAMC members and friends will carry panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the Pride Parade in Asbury Park on June 6th. Our goal is to carry 3 of the 12' x 12' panels. This will require 25 volunteers. We'll convene at the parade's starting point at approximately 11:30. After marching the 1.5-mile route to the Pride Festival grounds, we'll take the panels right to The Names Project's tent. Each member of our team will get a white GAAMC tshirt to wear on the march. If you are available to participate, please contact Andy Skurna at President @ GAAMC.org.
Saturday, June 5th
The Legends Dinner, Garden State Equality's annual gala benefit, will occur on Saturday, June 26th at 5:00 pm at the Maplewood Country Club. This black tie event will include an opulent smorgasbord, jazz, and cocktail hour, a sit-down dinner, and an after-party with dancing. Celebrities include Gary Beach, Sandra Bernhard, Christine Ebersole, Lee Roy Reams, Anwar Robinson, and the cast of "Forbidden Broadway". Honorees include Senator Frank Lautenberg, state senators Bill Baroni, Nia Gill, and Raymond Lesniak, and state Senate witnesses for marriage equality John Otto III, Marsha Shapiro, and Louise Walpin. Tickets are on sale now, so please save the date! For more information, or to order tickets, go to gardenstateequality.org/legends2010.html.
This Month's Contributors Carol A. Galofaro is a new member of GAAMC. Monique Rubens Krohn has been telling stories in one fashion or another all her life. Most recently they’ve included tales about Somerset County, New Jersey history for bus tours and other programs run by the Heritage Trail Association, a non-profit organization based in Bridgewater, where for the past 15 years she served in a variety of positions, most notably as Executive Director and President of the Board. Over the span of her career, she was in corporate communications and was a reporter based at the United Nations. She currently reviews federal grant applications for Solix, Inc., a for-profit company in Parsippany. 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. The Easton Farmers' Market is the oldest farmers' market in the United States. The Market, located on Centre Square in Easton, Pennsylvania, is open on Saturdays from May through October, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
7:30 am Ride with Pride, bicycle ride, Asbury Park. Registration at 7:30; ride at 8:00. jpibikeevent1 @ yahoo.com. Noon Foreplay, party for the leather/bear/kink communities, benefitting Jersey Pride. Bond Street, between Cookman and Lake, Asbury Park. www.4playnj.com; dragonslairprod @ aol.com. Noon Day of Pride and Public Service, statewide food drive sponsored by Garden State Equality. Stevenson @ GardenStateEquality.org; kmotto3 @ aol.com. 6:00 pm Pride Jubilee Dinner Dance, sponsored by Jersey Shore Q-Spot. Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Asbury Park. 732-604-1791. 6:30 pm Adam Lambert in concert, Starland Ballroom, Sayreville. Doors open 6:30. www.starlandballroom.com. 7:00 pm Miss Gay NJ Pageant, benefitting Beacon Light Fund. Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Asbury Park. lillarki @ aol.com. 7:00 pm Hedda Lettuce & Xanadu, showing of the film, hosted and with comments by Ms. Lettuce. Asbury L a n e s , A s b u r y Pa r k . w w w. a s b u r y l a n e s . c o m ; https://www.hulahub.com/event?id=101905. 7:30 pm Pride at the Pony, rock concert at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park. Contact Gina at Sunsetwest Records, 201-675-6514; www.stoneponyonline.com. 8:00 pm Patti LaBelle in concert, Community Theatre, Morristown. www.mayoarts.org.
Sunday, June 6th 10:00 am Hedda Lettuce's Drag Brunch, Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Asbury Park. https://www.hulahub.com/event?id=101915. 11:00 am Pride March, Asbury Park. 11:00; march at noon. www.jerseypride.org.
Line up at
1:00 pm Pride 2010, nineteenth annual GLBTI Pride Celebration, Asbury Park. www.jerseypride.org. 4:00 pm After Party T Dance, Beach Bar, Asbury Park. AwwMama.com; 732-869-4370.
Page 4 CHALLENGE June 2010
Gleanings
Queer news from around the world Six organizations filed an amicus brief with the New Jersey Supreme Court in support of Lambda Legal's motion seeking marriage equality in light of the state's civil union law's failure to provide marriage equality for same-sex couples. The brief, filed by Garden State Equality, PFLAG, COLAGE, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Family Equality Council, details the psychological harm that the current law inflicts on children. (GardenStateEquality.org) A suit challenging the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has begun in federal district court in Boston. It is being argued that, by Congress taking the unprecedented step of deciding which marriage licenses are to be recognized and which are not, Section 3 of DOMA violates the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause. (National Public Radio) The Supreme Court heard arguments in a Washington state case, John Doe v. Reed, as to whether the names of residents who signed a petition to put a measure repealing the state's domestic partner law on the ballot should be made public. Justice Antonin Scalia indicated he would be against keeping the names private, saying "You know, you can't run a democracy this way, with everybody being afraid of having his political positions known." (Washington Post; Seattle Times) Three men who played in a championship game at the Gay Softball World Series are suing tournament organizers. Officials claimed the three were "non-gay", leading to a ruling that their team had too many bisexual or heterosexual team members. The suit was filed in federal District Court by the National Center for Lesbian Rights. (San Francisco Chronicle) The New York Court of Appeals ruled that same-sex partners in civil unions will be considered for child custody and visitation rights in cases where couples are separated by death or divorce. This would apply even in cases where the child was not legally adopted by both parents. (New York Times) The Illinois Legislature approved a bill making public schools add protection against bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other classifications. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn (D). (Advocate.com) A Louisiana state Senate committee killed a bill allowing gay couples to jointly adopt children. While single people can legally adopt in Louisiana, their unmarried partners are prohibited by law from joining in the adoption. (TimesPicayune (New Orleans)) Hawaii's House of Representatives approved a civil unions bill granting unmarried couples, gay or straight, the same benefits as married couples. The measure, which had already passed the state Senate, now goes to Governor Linda
Lingle (R) for her signature. (Honolulu Advertiser) Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) signed a law that would allow same-sex couples the right to designate their partners as life insurance beneficiaries. Adam Ebbin (D), the state's only openly gay legislator, was the chief copatron of the bill in the General Assembly. (Washington Blade) Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) said he will veto legislation giving same-sex couples the right to make certain end-of-life decisions when their partners die. The bill passed both houses of the Minnesota legislature. (Minnesota Public Radio) A ballot measure in Washington state seeking to create a new tax on married couples who earn more than $400,000 a year is being amended to include same-sex couples in staterecognized domestic partnerships in the same tax rate. Backers of the revised question have to collect over 240,000 valid petition signatures by July 2 to have the measure appear on November's ballot. (SeattlePI.com) Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC), leader of a group of self-described moderate House Democrats, opposes voting on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act this year. Some Democrats say while a vote is still expected, they expect Republicans will derail the bill by trying to weaken its transgender provisions. (Washington Post; Advocate.com) President Barack Obama will wait for completion of a Pentagon study about repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy before putting pressure on Congress to vote on it. That decision will probably push congressional action back to 2011, since the study is due on December 1. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a statement calling for a halt to discharges under the policy until the Pentagon's study is complete and Congress has a chance to act on repeal legislation. (Advocate.com; Washington Blade) The Air Force, reversing an earlier decision, has decided to honorably discharge a lesbian officer who had remained in the military despite declaring her homosexuality. Lt. Robin Chaurasiya had been denied a discharge earlier when the officer reviewing her case decided she made her declaration in order to avoid military service, which Lt. Chaurasiya denied. (Los Angeles Times) Mary Kay Henry, the out lesbian president of California's nurses union, was selected to lead the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2.2 million workers in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Henry, who had served as international executive vice president of SEIU and helped found the union's Lavender Caucus, is the first woman and first openly gay person to lead the SEIU. (Advocate.com) (continued on next page)
June 2010 CHALLENGE Page 5
Gleanings
(continued from previous page) New York City will begin offering marriage-like ceremonies to domestic partners starting June 3. The decision to offer the ceremonies at the City Clerk's five borough offices comes after 17 years of registering domestic partners in the city. (New York Daily News) State employees in Maryland with same-sex spouses are entitled to the same health care and other benefits as other married couples. The policy change, announced by Governor Martin O'Malley (D), applies to those in marriages or civil unions performed in states where they are legal. (Washington Post) More than half of the same-sex couples married in Iowa are from out of state, mostly from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Over 2,000 gay couples have been married in Iowa to date. (Star-Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul)) A trans woman in Texas may be able to legally marry her female partner. Texas law allows marriage license applicants to supply a certified birth certificate as proof of identification. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force is pressuring officials in Puerto Rico to enforce a 2002 hate-crimes law which includes provisions for crimes based on sexual orientation or gender activity. NGLTF has identified five cases since late last year where the law could have been used, including the recent slaying of a transgender woman. (Washington Post) A bill legalizing same-sex marriages heads to the Argentine
Senate after passage in the House of Deputies. President Cristina Fernandez has said she will sign the bill into law once it clears the legislature. (Associated Press) Portugal is set to become the sixth European country allowing gay marriage. A bill passed earlier this year by the country's legislature and deemed legal by the Constitutional Court is scheduled to be signed by President Anibal Cavaco Silva. (BBC) A presidential committee in Uganda determined that a harsh anti-gay bill pending in Parliament contains mostly unconstitutional and redundant proposals. The committee's chairman said he expects the bill, which calls for the execution of homosexuals in some cases, will be voted down. (New York Times) A judge in Malawi convicted two young gay men to 14 years each in prison with hard labor. The couple had been arrested for holding an engagement ceremony in their home country. (BBC) Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has banned a gay pride march scheduled for May 29, citing security reasons. Organizer Nikolai Alexeyev said he would contest the decision in court. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Moscow's city hall has banned gay pride marches. (Agence France-Presse) Lithuania's first gay pride march drew supporters from across Europe. Police used tear gas to keep about 1,000 antigay protesters away from about 500 marchers. (Reuters)
Good Eatin'!
Recipes from the Easton Farmers' Market Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup grapeseed oil Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper
In a jar with a tightly fitting lid (a pint jar is perfect), combine lemon zest and juice, mustard, honey, and garlic. Close lid and shake to combine. Add the oil in several steps, shaking vigorously between each addition. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields 2/3 cup. This lemon dressing is lovely on any lettuce, and is an especially good foil for spicy arugula & watercress. Its clean, bright flavor makes it excellent for a simple potato salad. Pour over warm boiled red potatoes (quartered), and toss with freshly chopped parsley and dill.
Balsamic Dressing 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Kosher salt 2 tablespoons dijon mustard Freshly ground pepper 1/2 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil In a jar with a tightly fitting lid (a pint jar is perfect), combine vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Add the oil and shake to combine. This dressing will be quite thick, and the consistency can be adjusted by reducing the amount of mustard or thinning slightly with water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields 3/4 cup. This dressing is great for drizzling over a plate of roasted beets. Or toss with fresh spinach and top with toasted pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, and dried cherries.
Page 6 CHALLENGE June 2010
June 2010 Calendar
Recurring Contact Information
*Hackensack Peer Support †Pride Center, Highland
Groups: 800-508-7577; njbuddies @ aol.com Park: 732-846-2232; www.pridecenter.org ‡Hudson County Peer Support Groups: 201-963-4779; HCP @ HudsonPride.org λLGBT 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; 800-947-0020 9:00 am to 11:00 am - The Daily Grind coffeehouse, Princetonλ (suspended until September) Every Monday 7:30 pm - GAAMC, Morristown (see page 2) 10:00 am - "Generation Q", WRSU 88.7 FM; wrsu.org 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-565-0300; info @ hyacinth.org 2:00 pm - Sex in the Center, Princetonλ (suspended until September) 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 - RainboWomen, Pride Center† 8:00 pm - Bowling, Green Brook; 732-388-3548; qcrollers @ aol.com Every Tuesday 12:30 pm - The Wellness Community, Newark; 973-565-0300; info @ hyacinth.org 1:00 pm - HIV Support Group, Hackensack* 4:00 pm - Treatment Adherence Support Group, Jersey City; 201-432-1134; info @ hyacinth.org 6:00 pm - GLITZ, Jersey City‡ 6:30 pm - Fresh Start HIV Trans support group, Jersey City‡ 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 8:45 pm - Bowling, Belleville; 973-256-5936; NJGLB @ aol.com 9:00 pm - Bowling, Jersey City; 201-933-6028; JoeyNJ @ aol.com 01 Tue 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 7:30 pm - PCNJ Board of Trustees meeting, Pride Center† 02 Wed 7:30 pm - Gay Dad's Coming Out/Support Group, Pride Center† 04 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 7:00 pm - Under the Rainbow, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Karaoke Party, Pride Center† 8:30 pm - Time for Me, Pride Center† 05 Sat All Day - Pride Weekend Events (see page 3 for detailed listings) 2:30 pm - HiTOPS 1st & 3rd for GLBTI Youth, Princeton; 609683-5155; www.HiTOPS.org
9:15 pm - Bowling, Edison; 732-548-4550; cnjgbl @ yahoo.com Every Wednesday 10:30 am - The Wellness Community, Jersey City; 201-4321134; info @ hyacinth.org 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 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‡ 7:30 pm - Rainbows on Cleveland Street, Orange; 973-2565936; rbowsoncleveland @ aol.com 7:30 pm - Writers Group, Pride Center† Every Friday 3:00 pm - Tea at Three, Princetonλ (suspended until September) 3:30 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ Every Saturday 3:30 pm - Youth Connect, Jersey City‡ Every Sunday 10:30 am - MCC of Christ the Liberator, North Brunswick; 732846-8227; mccliberator @ excite.com 2:30 pm - Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church, Newark; 973-621-2100 7:00 pm - Women's Coffeehouse, Pride Center† 06 Sun All Day - Pride Weekend Events (see page 3 for detailed listings) 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-857-4040; 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 3:00 pm - Health Center Drop-In, Princetonλ (suspended until September) 8:00 pm - Lesbians and Gay Men of New Brunswick, Pride Center†
June 2010 CHALLENGE Page 7 09 Wed 7:30 pm - TGLCA monthly meeting, Trenton; 609-396-9788; tglca @ aol.com 9:00 pm - Dine with Pride, Metuchen ; jennifer.horsey @ cit.com 10 Thu 7:00 pm - jsQspot Book Q-LUB, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 7:30 pm - Alternate Thursdays, Montclair; kjdinkin@comcast.net 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; 973267-8414; www.pflagnorthjersey.org 4:00 pm - Chillfest film festival, Jersey City; www.myspace.com/chillfestjerseycity 6:00 pm - Gay Men’s Classical Song Club, Kingston; pbrown02 @ worldnet.att.net 14 Mon 7:00 pm - Youth Initiative Teenager's Meetings, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 7:30 pm - PFLAG of Morris County, Mendham; 973-543-7229; craig.bcc @ verizon.net 7:30 pm - PFLAG, Princeton; 609-663-5155; www.pflagprinceton.org 15 Tue 6:00 pm - Gay Pride Business Network, New Brunswick; www.gpbn.net 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; 908-812-1558; pflaghc @ yahoo.com 8:00 pm - PFLAG Bergen County; 201-287-0318; www.pflag-bergennj.org 8:00 pm - NJ Women, Secaucus; info @ njwomen.org 16 Wed 7:30 pm - United in Grace discussion/support group, Jersey City; 201-946-0650; greg.perez @ comcast.net 8:00 pm - Capital Rainbowfest planning meeting, Trenton; capitalr @ capitalrainbowfest.org 17 Thu 7:00 pm - GAAMC board meeting, Morristown; all GAAMC members are invited to attend. 7:00 pm - Art Space, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - NJ Women Coming Out Support Group, Pride Center† 18 Fri 7:00 pm - Positive Women peer support group, Hackensack* 7:00 pm - NJ Furries Art Workshop, 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) 19 Sat All Day - Deadline for submissions to Challenge 2:30 pm - HiTOPS 1st & 3rd 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 20 Sun 4:00 pm - Dignity Metro NJ Mass, Maplewood; 973-837-4040; Dignitymetronj @ msn.com 4:00 pm - TrueSelves trans support group, 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♦ 22 Tue 8:00 pm - Lesbians and Gay Men of New Brunswick, Pride Center† 23 Wed 6:00 pm - Queering the Color Line Family Dinner, Princetonλ (suspended until September) 24 Thu 6:30 pm - RainboWomen, Pride Center† 7:00 pm - Gay Men's Hot Topics, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 25 Fri 7:30 pm - Release from the Closet, Pride Center† 7:30 pm - Crocheting for a Cause, Pride Center† 26 Sat 1:00 pm - Youth Drop-In, Pride Center† 2:00 pm - Strategy Games Group, Edison; www.pridecenter.org 2:00 pm - Youth Support Group, Pride Center† 5:00 pm - 2010 Legends Dinner, Maplewood; www.gardenstateequality.org (see "Bulletin Board", page 3) 7:00 pm - Gay Bowling, Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park; 732-776-6160 7:00 pm - Games Night & Dessert, Pride Center† 28 Mon 7:00 pm - Funny Bingo, Jersey Shore Q-Spot♦ 8:30 pm - Meditation Group, Pride Center†
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@COMCAST.NET
Page 8 CHALLENGE June 2010
Notes from the National Storytelling Festival
Jonesborough, Tennessee, 10/3/08 by Monique Rubens Krohn A drive through a sea of green mountains--the fall foliage has not yet arrived this far south. Each mountain side has its own waves of hills and valleys, making you feel buffeted by the undulating earth. This is countryside — small towns with no McMansions; just cows, horses, and a sheep here and there. Rusty pick-up trucks and large churches. Eventually you arrive in Jonesborough, a cute town of one main street and a bunch of side ones. The buildings are of brick and wood with hints of Victoriana. Oh, some are modern all right, like the library, fire station, and storytelling center that are no doubt tributes to the festival's success. But mostly it's old, chichi, and cute. The first floors of these buildings boast the usual tourist shops: antiques, quilts, restaurants, coffee houses, tchotchkes. Forget about getting into any of the good eateries or coffee shops during the festival unless you're willing to arrive early or wait in a long line. Main Street is blocked off to cars and filled almost to the brim with pedestrians. On certain of those side roads stand huge tents filled with rows and rows of chairs. When it's hot, as it became later today, some of the hundreds of volunteers raise the flaps; when it's cold like at night for the ghost stories and midnight cabaret, they are lowered again to create a world silent but for the storyteller's voice and occasional gales of laughter and hoots of applause. There are all manner of people: young, old, middle-aged, babies, and even very old. On Friday tons of school kids are bussed in. The dress is casual and then some. The smart folks have brought seat pads, food, and drinks. (I forgot about the seat pads.) They come from all over. Today I met Texans, Ohioans, Pennsylvanians, and Arkansasians. Those were only the ones I talked to. Twangs and drawls abound as do 'honey' and 'ma'am.' Above all, everyone is friendly; I guess because we all share the gifts of a good story and much laughter together. Like books, good stories transport you to faraway worlds. Today I heard about slaves making it to freedom with the help of Choctaw Indians (Tim Tingle); climbing Mt Kilamanjaro and getting stomped by elephants in Kenya (Antonio Rocha); using Mom's make-up as a chemistry lesson in Appalachia (Donald Davis); an 8year-old's birthday party in a New York city tenement basement (Erica Lann-Clark) and a 90-year-old's one in Selma, Alabama (Kathryn Windham). The latter was particularly moving as Kathryn is a storytelling matriarch and it was her birthday party that she told about. She kindly invited everyone to her 100th in ten years. I learned about Africa's first female PhD and Nobel Prize winner in literature, Waangari Maahtai (In the Spirit); a father's explanation of the loaves and fishes miracle to his teenage son and friends in the back seat of the car (John McCutcheon); and a Cuban grandmother's delight and initial horror when her granddaughter brings her boyfriend, replete with piercings, to her Baptist church (Carmen Deedy). I ended the day learning why people always have to do the best that they can (Onawumi Jean Moss); and hearing Donald Davis tell about his first house move and family vacation from the Appalachia of North Carolina to Dayton, Florida. Unlike books, however, storytellers can embellish their tales with hilarious facial expressions, nasal twangs, sinuous movement, bellowing songs, and inspiring instrumentation. And they did. Rocha did the most amazing mime I have ever seen, beating out his mentor, Marcel Marceau. Davis had the 500+ people in one tent in hysterical stitches with the nasal twang and child logic of his 12-year-old self and that of his 10-year-old brother. Carmen Deedy did the same with the Spanish accent and body language of her Cuban parents. I laughed until my sides hurt, jumped at the unexpected twists, and hung on the edge of my seat waiting to hear the end. I smiled at strangers and occasionally talked to them. The sky was a deep blue, the sun just hot enough to warrant taking off a
sweatshirt and revel in the fall heat. In short, it was a glorious day. Tomorrow promises to be even better as I will start with John McCutcheon singing his anti-establishment satirical songs. God knows he's had plenty of fresh material to work from this past week. I get to stay put in the same tent (there are six of them) for more of Donald Davis and Carmen Deedy. I've got the rhythm down — how to hold seats while doing bathroom and food runs and how to get to the next tent fast enough for a good seat. I might even venture out for a new teller or two, although it's hard when they're up against tellers you already know, love, and don't want to miss. The really big question is if I stay for the 8-10 pm show. Midnight cabaret is not even in play. People may love their electronic gadgets, but Jonesborough proves that nothing beats or promotes harmony as much as a good story well told.
Mature Men's Group Begins at GAAMC The Mature Men's Discussion & Activity Group will be meeting on the first Monday of every month, beginning June 7th at 7:00pm. The mission of the group is to develop meaningful relationships among its members, whereby they may grow to appreciate each other's vast experiences and interests. Through monthly discussion meetings on topics particular to mature men, and through participation in various activities, fun-filled times and potential friendships will result. The group, open to all mature men (45+), will hold discussions each month, and as part of the action aspect of the group, participate in hands-on activities at GAAMC. Meeting dates for 2010 are July 5th, August 2nd, September 13th, October 4th, November 11th, and December 6th. Discussion topics will include: making friends; transitioning to retirement; dating; becoming socially active; handling life crises; erectile disorder; dealing with health problems; retooling for employment; traveling; estate planning; introduction to computers; and protecting finances. For further information, contact Marty Grifone at: mgrifone @ embarqmail.com, or call him at 201-841-0826.
Birds
by Carol A. Galofaro Birds in the trees. Birds on the ground, Chomping on bits of bread, I throw around. I love to watch them fly from the trees, The grace and beauty as they glide from the trees. I often imagine that when I die, Id come back as an eagle and there id fly. Over high mountains and tallest trees, With grace and beauty id soar in the breeze. © Carol A. Galofaro. Printed with permission.
Getting Personal Apartment for rent in Bound Brook. Two bedrooms, freshly painted, new kitchen floor, new dishwasher, new bath/shower. Within walking distance to mass transit, grocery, laundry, shops, restaurants, theatre, ballpark. Non-smoking only; pets negotiable. Serious inquiries only, to 732-868-5152.
June 2010 CHALLENGE Page 9
START THE SUMMER SEASON OFF RIGHT! JOIN YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY AT THE
GAAMC MEMORIAL DAY BAR-B-CUE MAY 31, 2010 AT 7:30 PM
COME AND FEAST ON HOT DOGS HOME-MADE SALADS HAMBURGERS HOME-MADE DESSERTS CHEESEBURGERS ROLLS CHICKEN CONDIMENTS BAKED BEANS SLICED TOMATOES, SAUERKRAUT ONIONS, & LETTUCE AS ALWAYS, THE FARE WILL INCLUDE VEGETARIAN CHOICES
HAVE MORE FUN — JOIN THE CREW WHO GETS IT DONE! HELP SET UP, COOK, AND CLEAN UP -CONTACT GAAMCSOCIALS.COM OR SEE ED OR CHARLIE
SHOW YOUR CULINARY TALENTS! MAKE A SALAD OR DESSERT AND ENTER OUR CONTEST! BEST SALAD AND BEST DESSERT WIN A PRIZE!
Page 10 CHALLENGE June 2010
Dancing to Architecture™
Music reviews & news with Queer ears by Bill Realman Stella Hole ~ Nobody's Daughter
An unoriginal observation about two originals: Courtney Love is like Yoko Ono, only more recent. Y'know: Widow of innovative rock music poet superstar. Had her own respected art(music) career before coupling. Segment of the world still blames her for numerous sins they hallucinate are her fault, up to and including his violent death. The criticism can be deafening. All that is blather. Like them or not, like their music or not, Ono and Love deserve our respect for, among other things, producing unique music that enriches the world for having been made, that causes me to wonder how different the world would be without them. Ono has received close to her due in the recent past, but disrespect follows Love still. It's not right. "Pacific Coast Highway" performed live on The View (of all places!) was my sit-up-and-reallylisten introduction to the album. Later re-hearings focused my attention on the songwriting: how she juxtaposes 3 stanzas — each with different melodies, 12 lines sketching a unique picture — with the chorus-lyric: "Your whole world is in my hands." Then she does it again, three more stanzas, three variant melodies, with a different intriguing juxtaposition to "Your whole world is in my hands," plus a middle section twist. It's a beautiful accomplishment, transforming personal history into art. You just can't take that kind of songwriting skill for granted. At websites where Nobody's Daughter could be heard, reactions blurred into volley after volley of dismissive comments; Basically, they moaned, she ain't what she was before. Thank goodness. Regurgitating the past is a dead end. Love neither shies away from the loud rock style she commandeered for herself, nor shies from writing songs from her present reality. She's the mother of a 17 year old; It'd be creepy if she tried to pass herself off as one. Courtney has entered Bob Mould territory: She's not reinventing her world from scratch, but does reinvent how she will bring her talents to bear. Patti Smith and Bouncing Souls are other examples of somewhat similar loud rockers successfully creating new work that respects, builds upon, but is not slave to her old oeuvre. I'm always thrilled to hear very good lyrics in a tough-guitars setting. Bottom line: These are very good new songs that negotiate the treacherous territory of artistic reinvention while growing significantly older. I leave you with the killer chorus of "Samantha": "People like you fuck people like me / In order to avoid agony. / People like you fuck people like me / In order to avoid suffering." Nobody's Daughter is a helluva fine album, headed for my 50 Favorite list or better. Hole comes June 25 to the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair. WellmontTheatre.com. www.holerock.net, myspace.com/Hole, myspace.com/courtneylove, fan's video channel: youtube.com/user/sleepinginlife
SONiA & disappear fear ~ Blood, Bones & Baltimore
After a long career of folktinged auteur rock songs, collaborations and restless genre-hopping are features of the expanded palette on the newest album by Sonia Rutstein and her band. Folk blues makes room for bawdy blues, as Sonia visits moods she hasn't frequented before. Standard rock band instrumentation is enhanced by Seth Kibel, who provides new colors on clarinet, tenor sax and flute. "Pack of Newports", an inventive,
inspired image of physical desire, features a big brassy duet vocal. The equally brassy arrangement is just as smoky as the "You can light me up after lunch" metaphor. "Gimme The Keys" alternates sultry with assertive, a neat trick. "Who I Am (Say Amen)" builds on its confident foundation of clean acoustic guitar arpeggios and expressive violin lines interspersed with flute. In a reverie of universal integrity that evokes previous Sonia songs conjuring world peace, she imagines a future out there someplace, after we've lived our welllived lives, someplace soulfully centering. "Don't Make Me Wrong" also returns to familiar territory but with the sweet tinge of a Rhythm & Blues slow dance in three-four t i m e . m y s p a c e . c o m / s o n i a a n d d i s a p p e a r f e a r, D i s a p p e a r F e a r. c o m ; (blog:) soniarutstein.wordpress.com
Adam Lambert ~ For Your Entertainment
A digressive discourse about Adam Lambert. This won't be my typical track-after-track review of lyrics that click (there are many) and riffs that surprise (ditto). For Your Entertainment is the first album by anyone on American Idol that I love unashamedly. (Yeah, he admitted grudgingly, there've been other Idols who made some very good pop songs. But I'm talking entire albums here.) Why mention it now, over half a year since the album came out? Because Lambert defying expectations is Lambert's best move. Isn't it interesting that expectations for Lambert's success have been overshadowed by other performers who reached #1 since the album debuted? After all, in this moment in pop history, if you don't debut in the Top 5 and stay Top 10 for a month, you're not considered a superstar. According to Billboard magazine, after it debuted at #3 — that's enough heat to likely reach #1 — FYE peaked there. Since Soundscan began tracking sales, that kind of thing isn't unusual. But what has been unusual is that for six months FYE never slid off the Top 100, and recently it re-entered the Top 40, following Lambert's guest appearance on Idol in April. Clearly the man's career has legs. It's old-fashioned, hard-working, "Can I show you I can sing that note again please?" appeal. But usually that kind of appeal has the consistency of steely determination — really only palatable when forced down your throat. What else is going on here? What, other than talent, and despite a giant marketing machine, makes Adam Lambert exceptional? Defying expectations is Lambert's best move. Yeah, it surprises me, too. That's part of what I value about great pop music: By virtue of your talent, if you can't reinvent the wheel or transpose one form into another, what's the very least you should do? Upend my preconceptions about how dull pop standards have become. This music gets past my defenses — and, as regular readers know, I've got plenty of them: Please don't sing infantile lyrics. Please don't pander to the latest trends. Say something. Stand for something. Hell, most importantly, *don't* be just about "entertainment"! So what's more surprising than to find that an Idol's album — especially one titled For Your Entertainment no less! — switches my defenses off? Lambert, with due credit to his multiple producers and songwriters, manage to thwart my defenses on all counts almost all of the time. I've refrained from writing much about Lambert (except to list him in my Best of 2009) because I hadn't instantly recognized why his music bypasses my critic's perimeter. But I think it has a lot to do with this: I love pop music. Shocking, huh? I'm an enthusiast and a critic. Where others see contradiction in being both actively, I see none. But my definition of pop music may not be in step with the current one. I think I've been on the planet long enough that my idea of what makes for good pop music has remained consistent, while the pop music marketing machine has latched on to a different standard. For well over a decade now, the groundwork for the Idol standard for pop music was laid by, yes, Radio Disney. We've been living in an era when the average pop listener's age
June 2010 CHALLENGE Page 11 and mental attitude skews ever building began. This is nothing short younger. Maybe half of all current of semi-miraculous, in an era where listeners to pop are under age 15. an interesting image tends to rely on It's no longer the stereotype of shiny/loud eyecatchers, or on "What's largely post-adolescent kids and wrong with this picture?" distractions. young adults breaking away from or Which brings us to an ESPECIALLY imrebelling against their parents, 18portant aspect: Lambert-as-Out-Gayto-25 year olds who set pop music Man in the marketing machine. standards in the 60s-70s-80s. TeenFolks, take a look at TV commercials agers and college kids spent their and advertising: It seems sometimes money on music then. But since at like every other ad uses menleast the mid-90s, after that age together-are-just-wrong as a trope to group placed music below games, get you to pay attention while they movies and computing in their afshill for beer/razor blades/insurance/ fections, pop music has depended what-have-you. Men as fuck-ups (or at on the wallets of widdler ones. Anyleast subservient) is now the counterone older, by and large, either splinpart to the women as sex objects Nevermind Idol. Whatsisname makes it into Challenge. tered off into other genres, or acquitrope. Instead of images getting better, (I kid, I kid! I kid because I love!) esced with an I-Won't-Grow-Up-per's things have just gotten suckier. "Good enough for rock-n-roll!", and went along with their younger Into this fray, Lambert strode, head held high, at first calculatedly siblings' or their own kids' tastes. not-yet-public-announcement-out, but out. It may be karma. After all, in 1964 when I was 5, and the Beatles GAAMC President Andy Skurna, in this issue's front page comments, had just arrived in the U.S., they blew away much of the old definiis 100% right:In NJ we're long past the day when an out gay man has tion of pop — which mostly equated it with the crooner, the stylized to fear working alongside non-gay co-workers — they've long ago gotand smooth romantic singing style. Even then the era of 60s-70s-80s ten over it. But. It's cold news, nearly forgotten already, but the outpop-rock did not yet seem inevitable. ("Meet The Beatles" included cry last November by folks who couldn't handle Lambert's dancing — McCartney crooning on a song from The Music Man ferchrisakes!) It'd That's all it was! — during the American Music Awards dredged up the been a decade since the market's invention of the teenager, but it sizable remains of homophobia. An out gay man performing on natook that long for the balance to shift from the pockets and pockettional broadcast primetime TV coming into your living room?!? He books of 20-somethings — because they were the ones earning the can't possibly do that!: Why, he behaved only just about as sexy with incomes and choosing to use the discretionary part on music — to that another guy as the hetero couples do every week on Dancing With The of post-adolescent kids and young adults. Then in the 90s the balance Stars. <sputter> He must be punished somehow — that's what we do shifted again. A combination of demographics, changes in society that to gay dudes who get out of line, now isn't it? And the attack dogs empowered kids without any but the lamest of ethical or artistic attacked with all the Pavlovian fervor their training allowed, all beguidance, and new technologies' consequences led marketers (always cause a real live gay guy just couldn't be someone we could feel *that too intrusive) to finally usurp the role of tastemakers, spoon-feeding kind* of comfortable with. pablum (something markets are very good at) at the most impressionBut Lambert stood up to that knee-jerk conservatism heroically. He able audience: the youngest possible. went beyond the call of gracious and polite empathy with the ofPop music once meant a romantic, disciplined, but comfortable and fended, kept an even keel, and worked his career just as hard as he limited standard, filled half with crooners and ballads, half with could. It is work to overcome barriers to success, and his prioritization "uptempo" songs frequently sung by the same crooners. For about 30 of career as a road to respect was similar to now-legendary Motown years that changed to be music that shaved the edges off rough but stories, when moments like my grandparents' comment about those undeniably attractive sounds from around the world. Pop molded and uppity N-words while we'd watch The Supremes on The Ed Sullivan pounded into shape every new variation on excitement that could be Show became comments made pathetic compared to The Supremes' appropriated by anyone who could find a cool angle to form something indelible mark on history. local or obscure into a New Sound. It established a tradition of doing But Lambert adds to his reputation by pressing forward in the untraditional things, inventing new sounds from old, being flexible and face of loudmouths with louder bullhorns than 45 years ago. For permeable enough to accept sounds from nearly anywhere. Your Entertainment does it while educating his younger fans (and That's just not true of music that hits the upper reaches of the mathose who've been clueless all their lives) about *camp* — in tweets: jor charts anymore. (Not that there isn't plenty of great music around "I ENJOY CAMPINESS… got it!?", "Campy: being so extreme that it has that continues 60s-70s-80s pop traditions. But by and large the best an amusing and perversely sophisticated appeal.", "CAMP: willfully new stuff in those traditions are no longer created with pop success over-emphasizes certain elements of a genre or theme, creating an intentions.) Pop music is near the end of a second decade of merely almost self-satirical milieu." And: ""Other things CAMP: […] None of stealing from previous pop music. Add any novelty: a gimmick sound, them to be taken too seriously… until they want to be." a jokey hook, a trendy production style, and you have music intended All that, and heaps of glam, front and center. for, and often hitting, the top of the pops. When you put your very public career on the line to stand simply as One might think Lambert's just another hit-manufacturing poseur. what you are, all while working to keep your talent up front as you try But (say it with me): he defies expectations. He has decided to make to remain balanced and prevent the star-making machinery from eata very strong stand, to be part of a very small section of musicians ing you alive, you've accomplished something HUGE. who are trying to appeal to the pop overlords but retain some of their Cue the raw talent: Lest we forget to mention, the man has an adult souls within the music they release. I think I'd be able to come amazing voice, a Freddie Mercury-esque, Lead Actor in A Broadway up with literally most of the last decade's crop off the top of my head: Musical Tony Winner-level voice. Gnarls Barkley. Alicia Keys. Ne-Yo. Christina Aguilera. Maybe Jay-Z. Lambert's in the midst of a tour of theaters and similar-sized Black Eyed Peas want to be included at the adult table (especially venues — not performing as part of an arena tour. The night before Fergie, if her star turn in the movie Nine is any indication), but are Jersey Pride he's playing at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, a stuck with their hard-partiers image. Others' individual songs come to venue of human, not megastar, proportions. mind: Four from Amy Winehouse's last album. "Chasing Pavements" If only we were teenage girls, we'd've all got 2gether 2score tix from Adele. And already I'm running out of steam. Notice the dearth b4 they sold out. F hell yeh. www.AdamOfficial.com of Rock. Maybe I shouldn't overlook My Chemical Romance and Soulkiss again. Folks, my promise last month to Modest Mouse. Coheed & Cambria have been through the crucible, review Good Intentions in full this month was based and matured, but they could thrive without a pop chart. Green Day on my mistaken belief it was released already. I'll have definitely shifted to the adults table in this decade, but their have to beg your patience, and renegotiate my prompop success started too long ago. Yup, the pickings are slim. ise: I'll review it when it's available. One more reBut Lambert has an album with one leg in contemporary pop, one minder: Soulkiss' Tim Dillinger has a very much worth leg in Queen's (yes, the band Queen) gleaming but ballsy arena rock reading blog at timdillinger.blogspot.com (and I'm leaving out several other "legs" Lambert stands on), and trades in a set of songs that wants to have it both ways however you Dancing To Architecture® contents © 2010 Bill Stella.™, ® & © items included want to look at it, in the grand tradition of image confusion and fasciin the column for review purposes are ™, ® & © their respective owners. nation that has existed since invented images and self-made legend-
Page 12 CHALLENGE June 2010
GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE IN MORRIS COUNTY
Officers President....................................................Andy Skurna........................................President VP Community Services.................................... Sherri Rase.............................................. Info VP Operations............................................... John Livoti Secretary .................................................. Gordon Sauer ....................................... Secretary Treasurer (acting)......................................... Andy Skurna....................................... Treasurer
@ GAAMC.org @ GAAMC.org @ GAAMC.org @ GAAMC.org
Trustees Paul Greenberg, Marty Grifone, Mitch Rubin, Mickey Suiter Trustees Emeriti Sue Harris, Robin Schneider, Mark Wydner Committee Chairs Activism.............................................................. open......................................... Activism @ GAAMC.org Archives....................................................Mickey Suiter ........................................ Archives @ GAAMC.org Discussion Group Resources............................ Gordon Sauer ..................................... Discussions @ GAAMC.org Facebook....................................................Andy Skurna Fundraising............................................. Paul Greenberg..................................... Fundraising @ GAAMC.org Information..................................................Mitch Rubin..................................... FreeLibrary @ GAAMC.org Member Services/Front Desk............ John Livoti, Allen Neuner Membership......................................................... open................................... Memberships @ GAAMC.org Pride Guide................................................... Sue Harris......................................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 ................................................. Andy Skurna..................................... Webmaster @ GAAMC.org Yahoo! Group................................................. Sue Harris GAAMC, the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County, has served New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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