Empty Closet July 2011 Sec. A

The Empty Closet

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Partnerships The Gay Alliance appreciates the continuing partnership of businesses within our community who support our mission and vision.

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juLY 2011

Victory!

Gold:

Silver:

At the vigil in Washington Square Park on June 24. The celebration rally took place there the next day. Photo: Jim Wilkins

photo: ove overmyer

Anne Tischer & Bess Watts.

photo: ove overmyer

Champion:

By Ove Overmyer In a historic landmark victory for LGBT rights, the GOP-led New York state senate approved a same-sex marriage bill on June 24, making New York State the sixth and largest state to allow gays and lesbians to marry.

The 33-29 vote is an enormous victory for first-year Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who pledged during last fall’s campaign to push for gay marriage. It comes after an intense public and private lobbying campaign from a wide cast of politicians, celebrities and athletes, including Lady Gaga and former President Bill Clinton. It also comes after the separate organizations fighting for marriage equality, urged by Gov. Cuomo, decided to combine

Harry Bronson on the Assembly floor.

Friend:

their efforts as New Yorkers United for Marriage.

Cuomo signed the bill almost immediately, handing souvenir pens to Sen. James Alesi, Sen. Tom Duane, Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy and others crucial to the victory. The bill will become law

riage is specifically banned in 39 states.

In California, a judge last year overturned a ban on gay marriage. No weddings can take place while the decision is being appealed. It could set national policy if the case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.

Three states -- New Jersey, New Mexico and Rhode Island-do not explicitly prohibit gay marriage but have not endorsed it, according to DOMA Watch, an advocacy group that supports limiting marriage to men and women.

This marks the second time that the GOP has stamped its approval on the most important gay rights legislation in New York state history. In 2002, the New York senate Republican majority approved SONDA, the Sexual Orientation Nondiscrim-

Todd Plank & Jo Meleca Voigt.

over the last session of the senate when the marriage bill finally passed the legislature.

Suspense and drama up until the last minute After weeks of suspense, on June 24 Sen. Stephen Saland, a Poughkeepsie Republican, announced himself on the senate floor as the 32nd senator to back the legislation, tipping the balance in favor of passage. Saland defined his vote as a matter of conscience during a stirring legal defense of an amendment exempting religious organizations from the law.

“I have defined doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality,” Saland said. “And that equality includes the definition of marriage. I fear that to do otherwise would fly in the face of my upbringing.”

Saland was joined in announcing his newfound support for gay marriage on the senate floor by Mark Grisanti, a first-term Buffalo Republican who did not declare how he would vote until his floor

speech Friday night. Grisanti had been against same-sex marriage when he was elected last year, but changed his mind after an intense lobbying campaign.

“I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage,” Grisanti said.

Two other GOP senators came out early to support the bill, including Sen. Jim Alesi of the Rochester area, and Sen. Roy McDonald.

The senate bill’s sponsor, openly gay Democrat Tom Duane, introduced the legislation with a tearful speech detailing his life from when he came out to his Catholic parents as a teen to his adult life fighting for gay rights and his partner. “Marriage says that we are ( Victory! continues page 3)

photo: ove overmyer

The NYS Senate.

ination Act. Republican thenGov. George Pataki signed that bill into law. It became effective on January 16, 2003, and protects individuals who are discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation.

The NYS Assembly passed a gay marriage bill four times, most recently on June 15. Former Rochester Mayor and now Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy presided

in 30 days. All over the state city clerks are preparing for what will certainly be a flood of marriage license applications on July 24.

The state-by-state battle over gay marriage has become a contentious U.S. social issue ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. Now, New York joins Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia to allow same-sex marriage. Four states including Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey have approved gay civil unions. Same-sex mar-

photo: ove overmyer

photo: jim wilkins

Bronze:

New York becomes the sixth state to legalize same–sex marriage; vote is 33-29

At the June 24 vigil.

See Pride Guide within

Inside

Section A Newsfronts..................................... 4 Interview: Jay Rudman................... 6 Buffalo Pride.................................. 9 Opinion: Victory Alliance...............17 Making The Scene.......................18

Section B Entertainment: ImageOut Pride..... 1 Travel: Memorial.............................. 4 Columnists..................................... 5 GAGV News: Proud Youth............12 Groups .........................................15 Ongoing Calendar.......................18 Calendar.......................................19 Classifieds....................................19

2 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley

Perspectives From the Empty Closet Editor Susan Jordan

the drama of the night before, asked “Can you believe it?” and shed the occasional tear.

Anne Tischer had produced more of her signs, including some saying, “Marriage: That’s so gay.” The RGMC and RWCC sang “Going to the Chapel.”

There were lots of hugs. Lots of proposals being made and accepted. Lots of happy, stunned smiles. In fact people couldn’t stop smiling.

Sen. Jim Alesi and the other three Republicans who voted yes were the heroes of the day; speakers urged the crowd to back them at the polls in November. Listening to people’s opinions, the need to pass GENDA next came up repeatedly. Manhattan gay Democratic Sen. Tom Duane’s remarks on the Senate floor were criticized as long-winded, while Buffalo Republican Sen. Mark Grisanti’s comments received universal praise.

Senators Saland and Macdonald also showed that they are capable of objective, rational thought, and of compassion.

Clearly, not all Republicans are bound by the p.c. conservative party line or threats of retaliation.

Assemblymember Harry Bronson, Jo Meleca Voigt, Anne Tischer, Bess Watts, Todd Plank, Matt Haag, Sue Cowell and other leaders talked about how the vote will affect us all.

Longtime allies, including Sandra Frankel, Jim Bertolone and Dick Beebe, expressed their support.

This is written at the last minute before the July EC goes to press. Check the EC News on the Gay Alliance website, and the August EC, for analysis, updates, photos of the June 25 Rochester celebration and of Rochester Pride (can’t wait!), wedding announcements and photos (please send!) and even some shots of the madness in NYC on Pride weekend, June 25-26, when the city went oncein-a-lifetime wild.

As well they should — and as Rochester will this month at Pride! ■

A long week and a moment of transformation It was a long, long week, the week of June 17-24. It seemed more like a decade. Then, when the vote came so abruptly on the evening of June 24, it was hard to take in. Suddenly everything had changed.

It has been almost a decade since “gay marriage” became a hot national issue in 2002. It has been seven years since Massachusetts passed the first marriage equality law. Looking at page A 13 in this issue, under “History Corner” you will see that on July 18, 1971, there was a presentation/discussion on “Gay Marriage and Role Playing in the Gay Community.” That was 40 years ago.

In fact, the discussions and dreams of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals have included the freedom to marry and have a family for hundreds if not thousands of years. Queers have created extended families in ingenious ways over the centuries. Now we are “legal” -- in some places.

This is a historic, once-in-alifetime moment. People of all orientations are watching, all over the country and around the world, as one of the largest American states says that LGBT love and families are REAL. At the celebration rally in Washington Square Park on June 25, around 350 people savored the moment, rejoiced, hugged, laughed, talked about

Many things

From the Executive Director Sue Cowell

Marriage Equality—the time has come The time has finally come when all citizens, and all families, will be treated as equal in New York State.

The June 24 vote means that something fundamental has changed in our society. Straight people have begun to realize that the relationships and families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers are as “real”, as close and as loving as any heterosexual marriage or family. Stereotypes full of hatred will continue to be used to demonize and dehumanize gays, and to deny us the most fundamental right of all – the right to be recognized as human beings, capable of love and of creating loving families.

But now the state of New York has rejected that bigotry.

No one’s religious beliefs will be affected. Churches and religious groups will still be free to deny couples marriage ceremonies if they wish to do so; they are exempt under the currently proposed bill. Today, many denominations are glad to unite same sex couples. And it is hard to imagine that any same sex couple would wish to be married in a church that rejects their humanity.

The fact is that in our society, marriage is not just a religious rite, it is a civil contract – hence the need for marriage licenses. Not even heterosexual

church weddings are legal without that piece of paper from the state.

Marriage equality will create legal standing for our families. Now insurance companies, employers, hospitals and many other entities will acknowledge that our families are “real”.

There are over a thousand marriage-related rights – and responsibilities – that LGBT people, as second-class citizens, have been denied. This constitutes discrimination. All the attempted justifications for that amount, in the end, to prejudice and hatred.

I want to share a call I received on June 24, as we were all anxiously waiting for the vote.

An 82-year-old woman called to talk about a marriage opinion survey she did over the phone.

The first question asked was, do you support marriage between a man and a woman. She said yes, because she had been married to a man. That was the end of the survey! Then a message came thanking her for not supporting gay marriage rights.

She was so upset she tried to talk back to the recording and say she did support gay marriage. She felt angry that her vote would be counted as not supporting equal marriage.

She had to tell someone, so she called the Gay Alliance.

She told me she had a dear gay male friend and a lesbian friend from her growing up days. When her lesbian friend passed away, she called the family to give condolences and was rewarded with a tirade from her friend’s father in words not worth repeating.

She felt so bad, but I told her I was glad she had called. Her call made my day, proving that by being visible, we have come a long way with the invisible people who support our civil rights.

The real meaning of marriage equality is that we are regarded, not as stereotypes or pariahs, but as human beings who deserve equal human and civil rights.

The time has finally come. ■

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Editor-in-Chief: Susan Jordan Staff Reporters: Ove Overmyer, Laur McSpadden Graphic Design: Jim Anderson Intern Photographer: Jim Wilkins Advertising policy: The Empty Closet does not print advertisements that contain nude drawings or photographs, nor does it print advertising that states that the person pictured in the ad is for sale, or that you will “get” that particular person if you patronize the establishment advertised. Advertisements that are explicitly racist, sexist, ageist, ableist or homophobic will be refused; advertisements from organizations that are sexist, racist, ageist, ableist or anti-gay will also be refused. All political advertisements must contain information about who placed them and a method of contact. Additionally, The Empty Closet does not print negative or “attack” advertisements, whether they relate to a product or politics and no matter in whose interest the ad is being produced. A negative advertisement is defined as one that focuses upon a rival product, or in the political area, a rival election candidate or party, in order to point out supposed flaws and to persuade the public not to buy it (or vote for him or her). The Empty Closet maintains, within legal boundaries, neutrality regarding products, political candidates and parties. However, “attack” ads that fail to provide undisputable evidence that the information in the ad is true do not further in any way the objectives and policies of the Gay Alliance or The Empty Closet, including the primary tenet that The Empty Closet’s purpose is to inform the Rochester gay community and to provide an impartial forum for ideas.

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Design services for non-camera ready ads are available for a fee. (www.emptycloset@ gagv.us) Publication Information: The Empty Closet is published 11 times a year (December and January combined) by The Empty Closet Press for the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Inc. Approximately 5000 copies of each issue are distributed during the first week of the month, some by mail in a plain sealed envelope. The publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles is not an indication of the sexual or affectional orientation of that person or the members of that organization. For further information, please write to The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main St., Rochester NY. 14605, call (585) 244-9030 or e-mail emptycloset@gagv.us.

The Empty Closet is the official publication of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Inc., as stated in the bylaws of that organization. Its purpose is to inform the Rochester gay community about local and national gay-related news and events; to provide a forum for ideas and creative work from the local gay community; to help promote leadership within the community, and to be a part of a national network of lesbian and gay publications that exchange ideas and seek to educate.

Part of our purpose is to maintain a middle position with respect to the entire community. We must be careful to present all viewpoints in a way that takes into consideration the views of all – women, men, people of color, young and old, and those from various walks of life.

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NewsFronts

july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

Page One

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LOCAL AND STATE Rochester City Council member Dana Miller.

( Victory! from page 1) family,” Duane said. “Louis and I are family. And marriage strengthens all family. It’s going to strengthen my family and all New York families.”

Day of the vote, June 24 It was not clear until late Friday afternoon whether a vote would even take place on the matter, after a week’s anxious wait. Rochester residents gathered downtown at a candlelight vigil and waited for news from Albany. The crowd grew to almost 200 and sang songs, lit candles and prayed. Other groups waited at Equal=Grounds and the Bachelor Forum.

But shortly before 6 p.m., the state senate’s Republican majority leader, Dean Skelos, announced he would call a vote on the legislation. That was good news to the crowd, who burst into spontaneous applause.

The message was clear -- Cuomo would never let a bill come to the floor of the senate if it did not have enough votes to pass.

While party leaders almost always direct their members how to vote in the New York legislature, Skelos said decisions on the gay marriage bill would be “a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate.”

Local reaction from elected officials Minutes after the senate voted on the bill, Rochester area NYS Assembly member Harry Bronson (D-131) talked with The Empty Closet. He said, “Like many of you, it is difficult for me to put into words the emotional tide engulfing me at this historical moment. For years, many of us have fought to have our love, our commitments and our relationships treated with the respect and dignity opposite sex couples enjoy.”

He added, “It is a proud day for New York as we now recognize the legitimate union of two loving adults without discrimination. With the passage of marriage equality, we will not longer be treated as second-class citizens. With pride, I thank you for giving me the privilege to be part of this landmark legislation that honors our ideals that all people are to be treated as equals.”

Rochester City Councilman Matt Haag also sent a prepared statement to The Empty Closet.

He said, “No matter how long it has taken, no matter how painful the fight, no matter the fears attempted to be incited, no matter the dire predictions of demise pronounced, we as a state, a nation and a people have fought, stumbled, crawled and now walked back onto the path of justice, liberty and freedom.”

Area activists warn the fight is far from over At the June 24 Rochester vigil on the day of the senate vote, Rochester Equality founder ( Victory! continues page 7)

Who won Marriage Equality?

Kitty Moran and Deb Heinz in Albany on May 9. Photo: Ove Overmyer

Faith leaders speak to the media at Third Presbyterian Church on June 14. Photo: Susan Jordan

Committed activists

Faith and labor leaders

By Susan Jordan Thousands of committed activists – gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and gender variant people and heterosexual allies – have worked for years to bring about marriage equality in New York State.

Individuals like Kitty Moran and Deb Heinz (pictured above at Equality and Justice Day in Albany on May 9) have given many hours of time and energy, picketing, lobbying, phone banking, letter writing and much more. Setbacks, obstacles and disappointments never made them give up; many have worked on the issue for years.

Organizations including the Empire State Pride Agenda, Human Rights Campaign and Marriage Equality NY (MENY) have devot( Who won continues page 7)

Faith and labor leaders both provided crucial support in New York City and across the state. Here in the Rochester area, clergy announced their support for marriage equality legislation at a press conference on June 14, at Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs St. Approximately a dozen clergy were present, representing, according to the Empire State Pride Agenda, 734 faith leaders around the state who support marriage equality. The area clergy persent included Bishop Prince Singh, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester; Rev. Jon Wilkinson, Third Presbyterian Church; Casey and Mary Ellen Lopata, Fortunate Families; Rev. Denise Donato, Mary Magdalene Church; Rev. Michael Hopkins, St. Luke St. Simon Episcopal Church; Rev. Jen Crowe, First ( Who won continues page 7)

Mayor Tom Richards at the NY Business for Marriage press conference on June 7. Photo: Susan Jordan

Jason Curtis. Photo: Bethany Young

Political and business leaders

…and a 14-year-old in Fairport

Governor Andrew Cuomo has been the chief political supporter of marriage equality, seconded by Lt. Gov Bob Duffy. The campaign has also been led by gay elected officials like NYS Sen. Tom Duane, and Assembly members Danny O’Donnell and Rochester’s Harry Bronson, and by many straight supporters in the NYS legislature, like Sen. John Sampson, and political leaders in cities and counties around the state, including NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rochester Mayor Tom Richards.

Latino/a elected officials held a press conference on the steps of NY City Hall on June 8 to declare support. A Siena poll last spring indicated that a majority of Latino/as support marriage equality. ( Who won continues page 7)

All over New York State, heterosexual allies of the LGBT community have been stepping up and speaking out for equal rights. Many allies, of all ages, races and genders, were visible in Albany on Equality and Justice Day, holding signs that read “Another Straight New Yorker for Marriage Equality.” Other individuals turned up all over the state, sometimes in unexpected places.

On the weekend of June 4 in Fairport, Jason Curtis, 14, counterprotested the red-caped extremists of the Catholic Society for Defense of Tradition, who were demonstrating against marriage equality.

“I know kids that are gay and I don’t want them to be criticized,” Jason said.

-JoeMyGod.com ■

4 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

NewsFronts national and international Federal jury says Walker ruling on Prop 8 cannot be overturned

A federal judge on June 14 refused to invalidate last year’s ruling against Proposition 8, deciding the gay jurist who overturned the same-sex marriage ban had no obligation to step aside because of a possible conflict of interest.

The decision by Chief Judge James Ware of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco left the ruling by retired Judge Vaughn R. Walker in place. Walker’s decision remains on hold pending a separate appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Proponents of Proposition 8 argued that Walker’s conflict was not his sexual orientation, but the fact that he was in a serious same-sex relationship that could conceivably lead to marriage.

Prop 8 opponents argue that if a gay judge must be banned from ruling on cases involving homosexuality, so must heterosexual judges, who presumably have their own agendas and biases. They ask if African American judges must be banned from ruling on cases involving African Americans, if female judges should be forbidden to rule on cases involving women, etc. – and if white heterosexual male judges are presumed to be objective in all such cases, which also affect whites, heterosexuals and males.

ACLU honors Constance McMillen, Edie Windsor The American Civil Liberties Union presented the Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty award to Constance McMillen, the teenager who successfully challenged her high school when it canceled the senior prom rather than let her attend with a girlfriend, and Edith Schlain “Edie” Windsor, 82, who is challenging the discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act,” which forces her to pay hefty estate taxes after the death of her spouse and partner of 44 years.

The award is one of the highest honors in the country for people dedicated to defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The award ceremony took place June 10, at The Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Fla. McMillen’s case made headlines worldwide when her Fulton, Miss. high school canceled the senior prom rather than allow McMillen to wear a tuxedo and escort her girlfriend to the dance.

McMillen’s successful challenge resulted in the first public school policy protecting

LGBT students from discrimination in Mississippi’s history.

Windsor became engaged to Thea Spyer in 1967, and they finally married in 2007. Throughout that time Windsor and Spyer created a home together, and Windsor cared for Spyer through her long battle with multiple sclerosis. Although their home state of New York recognized their marriage as legal, DOMA prohibited the federal government from doing the same.

After Spyer’s death in 2009, Windsor was forced to pay over $350,000 in estate taxes – a sum she would not have had to pay if she were married to a man. Windsor filed a lawsuit against the government with the assistance of the ACLU and the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, LLP.

Iowa City gay man alleges violent assault Eddie Kirsch wrote on June 14 that Iowa City Police are investigating an alleged assault on a gay man, reported to have occurred in an alley on June 11.

The alleged victim told police he was confronted by an African-American male who struck him in the face. The man told police he then fell back against the wall, sustaining cuts to his face, knee and ankle.

The release said the area of the incident was checked by officers along with the victim, but the suspect was not located. Police said the victim declined medical assistance.

In an interview with The Daily Iowan, the alleged victim said he was walking along Clinton when greeted by a stranger walking the opposite way.

The victim, who has requested anonymity due to a fear for his safety, recalled the stranger called him a “fucking faggot.” The victim, who said he is an openly gay man, said he dismissed the comment and turned toward the direction he was headed. Then the assailant reportedly punched the man in the eye, threw him into a brick wall, and kicked him several times.

The 30-year-old UI graduate student said he suffered a severe concussion, a shattered knee, a broken hand, and three fractured ribs, among other injuries.

Adam Lewis, friend of the victim and former graduate assistant manager of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center at the University of Iowa, said this was the second friend of his who has been beaten and sent to the hospital.

“Working [at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center],

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I knew about one other incident,” said Lewis. “I’ve never felt too concerned walking around downtown.”

Bill would end unfair health insurance tax Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are introducing the Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act in the United States Senate.

The bill would end the unfair taxation of employer-provided health insurance for domestic partners. A companion measure was introduced in the House of Representatives the first week in June by Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Nan Hayworth (R-NY).

Under current law, although employerprovided health coverage for different-sex spouses is excluded from an employee’s gross income, domestic partner benefits and coverage for same-sex spouses are not. As a result, an employee who elects to cover his or her domestic partner or samesex spouse pays more income and payroll tax than a similarly-situated employee with a different-sex spouse. Moreover, because of this inequitable treatment, employers who offer benefits to domestic partners face the administrative burden of calculating taxes separately, and they also pay additional payroll taxes.

“Many American families continue to struggle to make ends meet, put food on the table and pay for healthcare – but LGBT families face an additional barrier to securing affordable health insurance coverage,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “This legislation would remove that added tax burden, which can be as much as $2,200 per year, as well as the penalty imposed on fair-minded employers who provide equal benefits to their LGBT employees.”

The number of major companies providing family benefits for domestic partners increases each year. In fact, nearly 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer these benefits as a matter of fundamental fairness. That is why a coalition of top employers, like Dow, Corning, Chubb, IBM, Microsoft, Nike, and dozens more, support ending the taxation of health benefits, and endorse the Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act. To see a full listing of businesses which have publicly stated their support for this legislation, go to: http://www.hrc.org/issues/ workplace/benefits/business_coalition_ benefits_tax_equity.htm

Calif. Bankruptcy Court rules DOMA is unconstitutional The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News staff wrote on June 13: The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California ruled... that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, granting a legally married gay couple a joint Chapter

13 bankruptcy.

The case involves a bankruptcy filing by Gene Douglas Balas and Carlos A. Morales of Los Angeles, who were married on Aug. 20, 2008. Balas and Morales were among about 18,000 same-gender couples who legally wed until the passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008 took away marriage equality in California.

The court concluded, “The Debtors have demonstrated that DOMA violates their equal protection rights afforded under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, either under heightened scrutiny or under rational basis review. Debtors also have demonstrated that there is no valid governmental basis for DOMA. In the end, the court finds that DOMA violates the equal protection rights of the Debtors as recognized under the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.”

The case was filed on Feb. 24, one day after Attorney General Eric Holder outlined the Obama administration’s position that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional and that the federal government would no longer defend DOMA cases in court. Holder sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, and he and his fellow Republicans decided they would defend DOMA in court.

Apparently to stress how strongly the Bankruptcy Court felt on this ruling, the opinion was signed by 20 bankruptcy judges in the Central District of California, an overwhelming majority on the court.

Calif. moves on trans anti-discrimination bill On June 14, the California State Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887) in a 3-2 vote.

The bill is authored by Assemblymember Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and is sponsored by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center. If passed, AB 887 will strengthen employment, housing, and other civil rights protections for all Californians, especially those who face discrimination based on gender identity and expression.

“AB 887 protects all Californians. No matter your skin color, your age, where you come from or whether you’re gay, straight, or transgender; we are all protected by the same rights. We share equal protection in employment, housing, and education. This bill ensures that no one is left out,” said Assemblymember Atkins.

AB 887 takes existing protections based on gender identity and expression and enumerates them as protected categories in non-discrimination laws. In addition, while California non-discrimination laws already define “gender” to include a person’s gender identity and gender expression, the bill clarifies that gender identity and expression are included in the definition of gender and sex in all California codes.

“Treating all Californians fairly where

A5

july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet we work and live is a core American value,” said Jim Carroll, Interim Executive Director for Equality California.

“Californians have rejected discrimination based on race or religion, and this bill would codify our rejection of discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. Everyone deserves an equal chance to work and to live in California free of bigotry and intolerance.”

In 2009, the Transgender Law Center released its State of Transgender California report. The report revealed overwhelmingly that Californians who experience discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression at work or elsewhere often do not file complaints because they are unaware that they are protected by non-discrimination laws.

“California is at its best when we work together to realize the ideal that everyone should be treated fairly and equally,” said Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. “Unfortunately, transgender people and others who don’t fit narrow gender stereotypes continue to face discrimination that undermines our common human dignity. AB 887 is a simple, common sense bill that would clarify California’s non-discrimination laws, and promote the equal treatment of all people throughout our fine state.”

More than 100 cities across America (including Rochester) and hundreds of employers already provide clear non-discrimination protections based on gender identity and gender expression. California cities that list them as separate protected categories in non-discrimination ordinances include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Oakland and West Hollywood.

The bill will make its way to the State Senate floor in the coming weeks.

would become the 15th U.S. state, along with the District of Columbia, to provide protections based on gender identity or expression. Earlier this year, Hawaii and Nevada passed similar protections.

“Today is a great day for all residents of Connecticut,” said Brian Rice, a member of the HRC Board of Governors from Connecticut. “Providing protections based on gender identity or expression is a victory for civil rights, and for the people of our great state. No one should ever have to worry about their employment, housing, credit or other things, simply because of who they are.”

Connecticut passes transgender antidiscrimination bill

Three LGBT Puerto Ricans were found dead over several days in early June; 18 LGBT Puerto Ricans have been murdered over the last year and a half.

On June 7, it was reported that Ramón “Moncho” Salgado was found dead along the side of a highway; Karlota Gómez Sánchez, a transgender woman, was found shot to death at an intersection on June 6 and Alejandro Torres Torres was found stabbed to death earlier in the weekend.

“The alarming rate of violence against LGBT Puerto Ricans cannot be tolerated,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Puerto Rican government officials and law enforcement, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, must ensure that LGBT people have the protection they need to survive.

When a community has to live in constant fear of violence and even death for who they are, everyone suffers.”

Pedro Julio Serrano, Founder, Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Communications Manager, stated, “The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force stands in solidarity with the LGBT community in Puerto Rico and sends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of Karlota Gómez Sánchez, Ramón Salgado and Alejandro

The Connecticut Legislature passed HB 6599: An Act Concerning Discrimination by a vote of 20-16 in the state senate on June 4, following a 77-62 vote in the house last month.

The bill, which provides anti-discrimination protection for gender identity and expression, now moves to Governor Dan Malloy’s desk for his signature – which he has indicated he will do.

“We congratulate the Connecticut legislature for recognizing every resident of the state should be treated equally in the workplace, housing, public accommodations and credit,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

“Being free from discrimination based on gender identity or expression, judged solely on your merits, is a principle of American society that should be universal in its application.”

Governor Malloy called it a “step forward in the fight for equal rights for all of Connecticut’s citizens and it’s the right thing to do.”

When signed into law, Connecticut

Gay men kicked out of Kentucky public pool Activists in Kentucky planned a peaceful response after two gay men with developmental and intellectual disabilities were kicked out of a public pool.

A maintenance technician reportedly cited the Bible while telling the two men they couldn’t swim at The Pavilion, a government-funded recreational facility in Hazard, Kentucky.

“We own this place and can tell you to leave if we want to,” the couple was told, according to the Kentucky Equality Foundation.

“The Pavilion staff immediately entered the pool area and asked my clients and their staff to leave the Pavilion,” Mending Hearts Executive Director Shirlyn Perkins recalled. “My staff asked The Pavilion staff why they were being asked to leave, and they were informed that ‘gay people’ weren’t allowed to swim there.”

LGBT death count rises in Puerto Rico

Torres Torres. As someone who grew up in Puerto Rico and has been very active in its LGBT community, this is a heartwrenching moment. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to all of the victims’ loved ones at this difficult time. Justice must prevail. This is about members of the Puerto Rican LGBT community feeling safe in their communities and being able to take care of the ones they love.

We call upon the authorities and political leaders to effectively address this epidemic of anti-LGBT violence. This must stop now.”

Puerto Rico has a hate crime law that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, federal law prohibits hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice entered an agreement with the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Colegio Universitario de Justicia Criminal in 2010 to create a cooperative effort to develop and implement hate crime training initiatives and civil rights curriculum for the Puerto Rico Police Academy and Puerto Rico Police Department.

Despite such legal protection and ongoing efforts to address hate violence, the murders of LGBT individuals continue.

U.S. puts Choi on trial for White House protest

The government will put Dan Choi on trial in August for chaining himself to the White House last November in protest of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” because Choi refuses to accept a plea deal.

On Aug. 29 Dan Choi will be tried for DADT-related civil disobedience at the White House. Chris Geidner reported at Metro Weekly: “Former Lt. Dan Choi was in federal court today, the lone individual still facing charges from any of the 2010 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell protests that took place at the White House. He also was in uniform, a reminder of the symbol for repeal that Choi and other active servicemembers became during the course of the 2010 debate over ending the 1993 policy and instead allowing out gay, lesbian and bisexual service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Sitting at the defense table in Courtroom 7 of the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, Choi was silent throughout today’s brief conference where U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay set an Aug. 29 trial date for Choi on federal charges of violating a federal regulation prohibiting ‘interfering with agency functions,’ specifically disobeying a lawful order of the National Park Service.”

Jane Hamsher at FireDogLake was in the courtroom on June 14: “...Today (Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela) George faced an equally skeptical Judge Alan Kay, who had little patience for George’s assertions that she did not know until today that Choi was refusing the government’s deal, and was

Dan Choi.

thus unprepared to proceed. At the the previous hearing, George spent considerable time complaining that Choi was not accepting the government’s deal and removing his name from the settlement documents.

“Choi is represented by Kurland and Christopher R. Lynn, who came prepared to argue their case today. Although Judge Kay said repeatedly he thought it would take a half day for the trial, George said she expected it to take two days, as she was prepared to call multiple witnesses.

She also told Choi’s attorneys that there was no way he could have failed to hear the order to disperse issued by the park service ‘unless he’s hard of hearing.’”

Read more: http://www.towleroad. com/#ixzz1PM60BmpN

Mariela Castro meets with U.S. women Mariela Castro is the head of Cuba’s National Sexual Education Center. She is also a champion for LGBT rights in that island nation.

She is also the daughter of Raul Castro and niece of Fidel Castro. She met with a delegation of women from the United States that included Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and former US Representative Jane Harman, who now heads the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

They met in order to discuss topics such as gender, reproductive health and gay rights. Harman stated, “I believe that Cuba is our immediate neighbor and it is time to liberalize US policy towards Cuba.”

She also said “It is very exciting to hear about some of the social changes going on in your country.”

The Communist Party has approved several economic reforms intended to boost Cuba’s flagging economy. They have not been enacted into law yet, but they are intended to loosen the government’s control over economic matters and allow… some free-market activity.

Ms. Castro showed the group a report (NewsFronts continues page 7)

6 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

Photos: Susan Jordan

Interview

Jay Rudman, CEO of AIDS Care

By Susan Jordan June 5 was the 30th anniversary of the appearance of the AIDS epidemic, in the form of an article in “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report” about five young L.A. gay men who had mysterious immune system damage. Thirty years later, the lessons learned from dealing with this unprecedented national (and global) emergency are influencing the new direction of American health care.

Jay Rudman is CEO of AIDS Care, the organization formed by the merger 18 months ago of AIDS Rochester and ACHC (originally Community Health Network). He told The Empty Closet, “After having come through our first 18 months together, we are now engaged in a strategic planning process. We’re talking about the next chapter – where do we go from here?”

AIDS Care is undergoing an in-depth analysis of environment, in terms of public sector support, the future of health reform, the demographics of Rochester, and the state of the epidemic itself. Rudman said, “We need to rethink the scope of our mission and vision, in order to achieve long-term viability.”

He believes that moving to more comprehensive models of providing care is the wave of the future, and that the lessons learned by ARI, ACHC and now AIDS Care fit into the new vision for primary and specialty medical care in general.

Almost from the first, it was clear that caring for people living with HIV would entail more than just dealing with

the virus itself. “The impact on communities affected by HIV is greater than the infection alone,” Rudman said, “The AIDS epidemic, unlike past public heath emergencies, involved homophobic stigma and often patients were rejected by their families and those who would normally have cared for the ill.” AIDS clinics and agencies had to combine social work case management with health care, and with prevention education. They found themselves required to provide in home support, housing, transportation, grocery shopping, counseling and much more.

Jay Rudman says that this type of patient-centered approach to care is where the future lies. “Historically, many health care delivery systems and resources were developed around caring for individuals with specific conditions. Large bureaucracies such as those created for HIV/AIDS

and other chronic conditions are unlikely to be the approach to future health care delivery.”

He continued, “We have been taking a hard look at what makes our organization special. Providing HIV care and services is not what makes us unique. The model and the approach – not the condition – make us exceptional. This type of coordinated and consumer-centered delivery system is being considered the future foundation for the national health care delivery.”

An example of this new focus is the creation of a designation for Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), which establishes a set of standards for bringing together quality processes, good health data and information. Federal and state governments provide financial incentives for organizations that satisfy the requirements of patient-centered medical homes.

Known for its work in developing HMO standards, the National Council on Quality Assurance (NCQA) is responsible for developing standards of care, measuring outcomes, and approving and regulating the new medical homes. The medical home will be a model of care that is accessible, comprehensive and delivers services around the needs of the patient and family. Patients will have efficient access to appointments, preventive care, appropriate medications and electronic information. “AIDS Care has all the components in place to obtain PCMH designation,” Rudman said.

Rudman explains, “Those who meet the standards get increased funding through reimbursement rate adjustments.

Healthcare policymakers believe these models will actually reduce health care costs and also improve quality. This is only one of many new designations created to reward organizations for this change in behavior through these improvements.

“AIDS Care and its legacy organizations have embraced these principles throughout their history. Caring for consumers with complex medical and psychosocial needs where access has been a problem due to lack of resources – this is where we have already provided value.”

Rudman feels that AIDS Care has inherited the coordinated, patient-centered approach from both its legacy organizations. “ARI took the social model and expanded it,” he said, “along with case

“We already have our mission, vision and values… Now we are working on an operating plan for the first year, and determining what imperatives must be addressed in order to be the center of excellence for populations new to us. We want to maintain our level of comprehensive care and continue to provide the ‘one-stop-shop’ for people living with HIV.”

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management and prevention, ARI provided people with supportive services such as housing, meals and transportation to medical care. ACHC enhanced primary and specialty care by adding nutrition, medical case management, treatment adherence, behavioral health and pharmacy services. Eighteen months ago we took these two organizations, models that were already successful as separate entities, and combined them to create a ‘one-stop shop’ – our medical home.”

AIDS Care will not change that onestop-shop, but will become more inclusive of populations served. Individuals with similar risks and challenges could be provided primary care and all needed support services in one place.

AIDS Care already provides treatment with Hepatitis C and testing for STDs such as syphilis. “We’ve had dialogues with the county health department officials about the potential to complement county treatment for STDs,” said Rudman, “AIDS Care has a proven record of working with people who have been stigmatized. We’re open to thinking about expanding access to services – we currently serve a large LGBT client population and do a significant amount of health promotion/education and harm reduction that is not limited to HIV. The prevention work we do is really key – but we could also move into primary care.

Some of our patients aren’t HIV positive, but are mono-infected with Hepatitis-C, and we also serve some who are partners of HIV positive patients. We’d have to research what the community needs and then ensure we’d have the capacity and resources to meet them. The strategic planning process will supply information on that, and how we can fill the gaps in care delivery without duplicating efforts that already exist.

“Another change impacting care is the aging of our patient population,” Rudman continued. “There are patients who may be stable with HIV, but are still subject to other conditions of aging, such as hypertension or diabetes. Sometimes these conditions can strike earlier in those who have HIV and immune system issues, and medication issues.”

One of the most disturbing and alarming recent trends is the increased transmission in persons under the age of 25 in Monroe County. AIDS Care has identified this and is responding to it through outreach and prevention education, “The diversity of our present organization allows us to effectively reach and engage a wide range of ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds,” Rudman said.

The recently completed strategic plan encompasses very critical issues. “We already have our mission, vision and values,” Rudman said. “Now we are working on an operating plan for the first year, and determining what imperatives must be addressed in order to be the center of excellence for populations new to us. We want to maintain our level of comprehensive care and continue to provide the ‘onestop-shop’ for people living with HIV.” ■

july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet ( Victory! from page 3) and long-time community activist Anne Tischer, along with her wife Bess Watts, took the opportunity to tell hundreds of marriage equality supporters a personal story about how they became accidental activists.

“In 2004, Bess Watts and I were the first same-sex couple to request and be denied a marriage license in the City of Rochester. Former City Clerk Carolee Conklin had a folder of information ready and encouraged us to find a way to fight the denial. The next day a dozen supportive clergy participated in our public wedding ceremony right here in this park. With such demonstrated support, Bess and I knew then that marriage and ultimately full LGBT equality was inevitable. All that is needed is the persistence to keep demanding the rights we are guaranteed as American citizens.

Today is a good day.”

Watts, a local labor leader, who is president of CSEA Monroe County Local 828 and the president of the Roch-

Left: Assemblymember Harry Bronson, Brighton Town Supervisor and candidate for Monroe County Executive Sandra Frankel (also above right), Tom Privitere, Jo Meleca-Voigt and John White on June 25. Photos: Ove Overmyer.

ester and Finger Lakes Chapter of Pride At Work, said, “This is the culmination of years of activism by labor folks who have always been on the forefront of equality for LGBT people. It really takes everyone to create social change and I’m proud to be a part of an organization that models inclusion.”

Deacon Mary Ann Sanford of Unity Fellowship Church of Rochester and a Pride At Work, AFL-CIO member, who is married to T. Judith Johnson, took a more pragmatic look at the nature of politics. She told The Empty Closet, “It’s about time. I am not real big on handing out awards for politicians doing their

A7 job and representing me which they promised to do when I voted for them -but in this case it took courage. I applaud them for making history.”

Despite all the celebration surrounding this landmark legislation, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reminded New Yorkers and the nation there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to achieve full equality.

In an email to constituents dated June 25, Sen. Gillibrand said, “The Defense of Marriage Act is truly damaging. Every day, thousands of legally married LGBT men and women around the country are unable to take advantage of rights and privileges, from hospital visitation to inheritance rights to health benefits, that straight married couples take for granted.

We must end this unjust policy.”

She added, “But much like the historic vote last night in New York, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and our collective grassroots advocacy. And I believe it’s going to take telling more of our stories.” ■

Photo: Susan Jordan

Photo: Susan Jordan

Photo: Susan Jordan

Who won Marriage Equality? All of us.

At the NY Business for Marriage press conference, L-R: KaeLyn Rich and Pam Barres; Emily Jones and Matt Haag; Ralph Carter, Peter Mohr and Sue Cowell.

(Activists from page 3) ed ingenuity, money, and countless staff and volunteer hours to the campaign for equal rights. Michael Barbaro wrote in the New York Times on June 26 that Gov. Cuomo basically ordered all the competing marriage rights groups to form a single organization, New Yorkers United for Marriage. Clearly that’s what it took to get the job done.

Here in Rochester, outstanding organizing has been done by Jo Meleca-Voigt of MENY, Bess Watts of Pride at Work, Anne Tischer and Todd Plank of Equality Rochester and too many others to name here. These grassroots activists are just ordinary people reaching out to others – their families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, elected representatives and fellow New Yorkers – to send the message that LGBT people are human beings and responsible citizens who deserve equal rights, not discrimination and secondclass citizenship. ■ ( Political/Business from page 3) The officials, including NY City Council members and U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, said they disagree with the anti-gay position of “some religious and political leaders in our community.”

Business leaders back equality New York business leaders have also shown strong support. Here in Rochester, Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, Chief Technology Officer at Xerox and president of the Xerox Innovation Group, said that her company “strongly supports gay marriage.

Dr. Vandebroek was speaking with The Empty Closet on June 7 at a press conference held at City Hall, which highlighted the economic benefits to New York State that have been lost, as thousands of same sex couples go out of state for their weddings.

Mayor Tom Richards said that while the economic benefits are important, “It’s the right thing to do anyway. It’s an issue

whose time has come.”

Dr. Vandebroek told the EC, “Our company, currently led by CEO Ursula Burns, has truly supported inclusiveness and diversity – age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. – for three or four decades, and we support this bill because we expect the same kind of support for diversity from the communities we work in.”

She said that she is corporate champion for the Xerox LGBT Caucus. “We want them to have the same rights as all other Xerox employees,” she said.

Other area business leaders who announced support for marriage equality include the chief executives of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Tishman Speyer.

At the June 7 press conference, Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, announced the formation of NY Business For Marriage, a coalition of businesses and business people around the state who agree that “marriage equality is good for NY business.”

Levi said that as much as $395 million stands to be gained in this state if same sex couples are allowed to marry legally here.

“Weddings also generate millions in local revenues, in licensing fees and sales tax,” Levi pointed out. “Welcoming diversity is an essential element in recruiting talented employees, especially when many neighboring states permit same sex marriage. Economic revenue is literally flowing across the borders, which should stay here in New York. The businesses in New York Business for Marriage are being leaders and standing up for equal rights.”

City Council member Matt Haag said that City Council is currently dealing with a $50 million budget deficit. “I don’t know any better way to help with budget problems than encouraging talented people to work in New York,” he said. He acknowledged the fear felt by those prejudiced against gays, and urged trust in each other and in the civil rights ideals of our

democracy.

Other Council members present included Adam McFadden, Elaine Spaull and Dana Miller.

Susan Schultz Laluk of the Monroe County Bar Association said that the group has joined with 20 other bar associations across the state, including the NYS Bar Association, to back marriage rights. “Marriage is a legal relationship – a contract,” she said. “Gay couples are second class citizens. Emotion and religion cloud the debate. But make no mistake – same sex marriage is a matter of legal rights.”

Emily Jones, a research chemist who is retired from Kodak, and a member of Out & Equal, told the media that the “creative class” of young professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs, shop floor workers, etc., according to a study by Carnegie Mellon, now account for 35 percent of our working population and half of the wealth generation in American business. One indicator of a city with a thriving creative class is a thriving LGBT population.

“We want to create an environment in New York State that will attract the best and brightest of the creative class, who will create the innovation needed to grow our future,” she said.

Jones and her life partner Deborah Hughes told media that they will be married next June, and would love to be able to marry in their home state. Now they can. ■ ( Faith/Labor from page 3) Unitarian Church; Rev. Peggy Meeker, the Unitarian Universalist Church; Rev. Eleanor Celentani, Christ Church Unity; Rev. Lee Ann Bryce, Community Christian Church and Rev. Alicia Heath-Toby, Unity Fellowship Church, Rochester.

Bishop Singh distinguished between the issues of church weddings (which the Episcopal church still does not do) and state issuance of marriage licenses,

and said, “The marriage equality bill is a human rights bill.” He warned against demonizing gay people and said, “My faith teaches that all people are children of God… When same sex couples are treated as ‘less than,’ it’s my problem – my religious problem…. I have been happily married for over 20 years… and I pray that my LGBT friends, including members of our diocese, who desire to be in a committed, monogamous relationship, will be able to have the same privilege, support and joy.”

Rev. Jen Crowe, who is openly lesbian, said, as a parent of two small children, that her loving family is not afforded the same rights as other families. “Our children are being told by the laws of the state that our family is not worthwhile.”

Labor backs equality Area labor leaders made an announcement of support on June 9.

Leadership from organized labor included the Pride at Work, Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter; Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA-AFSCME 1000), New York State Public Employees Federation (SEIU/AFT); International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF); Workers United; New York State United Teachers; Rochester Police Locust Club and American Postal Workers Union (APWU).

Jim Bertolone, president of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, said, “Coalitions have formed throughout New York State, opinion polls are overwhelmingly supportive, and lawmakers are beginning to see the light. Marriage Equality is a civil right, a moral right, and an ethical right… we will stand together, as labor, to voice collectively our call to action.”

Bertolone also gave a powerful speech at the June 25 celebration rally in Washington Square Park. He noted that labor has given complete support to the LGBT campaign for justice and equality. ■

8 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

NYC rally launches drive to get shelter for homeless youth

local/state

Youth Group member goes to White House Dontaee Williamson, youth program participant, was selected by GLSEN to go to the White House for an LGBT Pride Reception on June 29.

He asked Youth Services Coordinator Jessica Cohen to go as his chaperone.

The President and First Lady attended the reception.

GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) is a national group supporting LGBT youth.

Faux News chair Roger Ailes: Paranoid much?

From the May Rolling Stone profile on Fox Chair Roger Ailes and “how he built the Fox News fear factory”: “(Rupert) Murdoch installed Ailes in the corner office on Fox’s second floor at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. The location made Ailes queasy: It was close to the street, and he lived in fear that gay activists would try to attack him in retaliation over his hostility to gay rights. (In 1989, Ailes had broken up a protest of a Rudy Giuliani speech by gay activists, grabbing a demonstrator by the throat and shoving him out the door.)

“Barricading himself behind a massive mahogany desk, Ailes insisted on having ‘bombproof glass’ installed in the windows – even going so far as to personally inspect samples of high-tech plexiglass, as though he were picking out new carpet. Looking down on the street below, he expressed his fears to … the editor he had tasked with up-armoring his office.

‘They’ll be down there protesting,’ Ailes said. ‘Those gays.’”

How Roger Ailes Built the Fox News Fear Factory [Rolling Stone] Read more: http://www.towleroad. com/#ixzz1NZfFKrVf Ailes also apparently spies on his employees, carries a concealed weapon and travels with a retinue of bodyguards who will presumably protect him from glitter-tossing gay activists like the one that got Gingrich and Santorum.

MOCHA Center names new Executive Director The MOCHA Center, a community-based organization committed to improving the health and wellness of communities of color with an emphasis on LGBT programming, has appointed Bruce E. Smail to serve as its new Executive Director.

“Bruce’s arrival marks an important and exciting moment for MOCHA,” stated Ed Brockenbrough, President of MOCHA’s Board of Directors and a faculty member at the University of Rochester. “After spending the past six months rebuilding our Board, we now have another key piece in place—a permanent Executive Director. Bruce’s dynamic vision and multiple areas of expertise will help MOCHA to begin a new chapter in its efforts to serve communities of color, with an LGBTQ emphasis, in western New York.”

“I am very excited to join the MOCHA Center in July,” stated Mr. Smail. “It is a rare opportunity to find a position where I can utilize my passion, commitment, experience, and advocacy for HIV/AIDS, people of color, and LGBTQ communities in one organization. I look forward to working with the staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and the community to address the realities of HIV/AIDS in western New York. Change happens when we collectively work together, and HIV/ AIDS is a community issue that impacts us all.”

Bruce Smail has more than 20 years of experience as a social justice advocate for people of color, LGBTQ communities, and people living with HIV and AIDS. Prior professional experiences

WELCOME TO REV. HEATH-TOBY: The installation service for the Reverend Alicia Heath-Toby (above, with Senior Bishop Zachary Jones), new pastor for Unity Fellowship Church, took place May 23 at The Lutheran Church of Peace. Photo: Jeane Kennedy

At the installation service, from left to right: Rev. Janyce Jackson, Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church in Newark, NJ; Senior Bishop Zachary Jones, Unity Fellowship Church Movement; Bishop Jacquelyn Holland, Unity Fellowship Church Movement and Rev. Gerard Williams, Unity Fellowship Church of Buffalo. Photo: Jeane Kennedy

include serving as CEO of VICARE, the largest HIV/AIDS nonprofit agency in the Virgin Islands, where Mr. Smail’s programming, fundraising, and outreach leadership helped the organization to earn the 2008 Nonprofit of the Year Award from the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. His nonprofit work, along with prior positions in higher education, the federal government, and business, reflects Mr. Smail’s unwavering commitment to working for equity and social justice with diverse marginalized communities.

Mr. Smail was appointed as the MOCHA Center’s new Executive Director after a rigorous search process that included interview sessions with and feedback from MOCHA staff, clients, and community members. “Input and involvement in the search process from all of the key stakeholders was a priority for the Board of Directors,” stated Thaddeus Price, Vice President of MOCHA’s Board of Directors and Community Health Educator at Highland Family Planning. “We developed tenets of our process to actively engage each constituency, and their participation has proved to be invaluable.”

Mr. Smail’s appointment as the MOCHA Center’s new Executive Director will go into effect on July 1, 2011.

NY transgender woman wins disability benefits from 2005 claim

A Jefferson County woman has won a six-year battle with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board to receive short-term disability benefits for the time she couldn’t work while recovering from gender-reassignment surgery.

Denise Rhone, a 57-year-old Dexter resident, and her attorney, Catherine J. Palermo, will go before the board sometime in the future to find out how much in back-benefits Ms. Rhone will receive.

She said the original disability claim was denied by the Workers’ Compensation Board, even with a letter from Montreal surgeon Dr. Yvon Menard, who said the male-to-female gender-reassignment surgery he performed on Ms. Rhone was medically necessary.

“They deemed it elective,” Ms. Palermo said.

-- Rebecca Madden, Times Staff Writer (via Towleroad.com)

On June 24, LGBTQ advocates, providers, and allied politicians and celebrities joined homeless LGBTQ youths in front of the Stonewall Inn to announce the launching of a campaign calling on New York City and the State of New York to commit to providing shelter to every homeless youth in New York.

The event followed a June 17 meeting between “30 Rock” star and comedian Tracy Morgan and several homeless LGBTQ youths from the Ali Forney Center. At the June 17 meeting, coming after Morgan’s virulent anti-gay remarks at a performance in Nashville, including the statement that if he had a gay son he would stab him to death, Morgan (who has apologized) had the opportunity to learn from these youths and their experiences of rejection at the hands of homophobic family members.

A recent report indicated that every night, almost 4,000 youths go without shelter in NYC. LGBTQ youths make up 40 percent of the homeless youth population, and face enormous risk of violence, HIV infection, and suicide as they struggle to survive on the streets without shelter. These youths make up such a disproportionate percentage because so many are rejected by their families because of their sexual orientations and gender identities. New York State recently cut its funding for youth shelter beds by 50 percent, despite there being far too few beds to begin with.

A group of providers and advocates including the Ali Forney Center, The Bronx Pride Center, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services, The Empire State Pride Agenda and Green Chimneys have determined to carry out a campaign to engage the LGBTQ community and the broader community in calling upon the city and state-level politicians to implement a plan to provide shelter for every homeless youth.

The launch event occured in front of the Stonewall Inn during Pride Week to call attention to the central role that homeless LGBTQ street youth played in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which set in motion a movement that has so greatly improved the lives of so many LGBTQ people. The presence of this event on this historic site symbolized the need for the LGBTQ community to make the protection of its most vulnerable youth a core priority in the movement for freedom and equality.

Said Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, “Too many teens come out of the closet, only to be thrown out of their homes. I am sick and tired of seeing so many kids stranded out on the streets of NYC without shelter.

The time is long overdue for our community to stand up and demand our youths be protected.”

“We are gravely concerned about the unmet needs of LGBTQ runaway and homeless youth and are committed to continuing our advocacy for adequate, culturally competent shelter, along with the members of the New York State LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Ross D. Levi. “It is our duty as a community and as a movement to work with the city and the state to ensure that our most vulnerable are not left behind.”

Said Margo Hirsch, Executive Director of the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services: “Every night in our city, 3800 adolescents have no place to call home. These young people represent the diversity of our town, they are Black, Latino, White and Asian; gay, straight and bi-sexual; male, female, transgender and intersex; they are our citizens and they are undocumented; they were born here and they come from every part of the world. Despite this diversity, these young people have one thing in common; they are young and homeless in the city.”

national and international

( Mariela from page 5) on Cuba’s recent campaign against homophobia, but that was not open to reporters. She did say that such encounters can help improve relations between the two nations.

Castro said, “This strikes me as the healthiest thing there is. We want there to be transparent relations that respect our sovereignty and are not manipulative or based on conditions. I believe there is a great affinity between our people, that we have a great desire to transform the world and that we can work together to achieve it.”

According to EdgePTown.com: The visit was organized by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, which studies U.S. policy toward countries in the region and opposes Washington’s decades-old trade embargo on Cuba.

“Our hope is that we will learn from the Cuban women and that maybe we have something to offer in exchange,” said Sarah Stephens, the group’s executive director. “We look forward to many more meetings with women in the government, women in the religious community, ordinary women on the street.”

Jennings to bullies: “You have completely failed”

By Jess Levin, Media Matters for America Kevin Jennings has a message for the people who tried to destroy him: “I’d like you to know that you completely failed.”

I’d reached Jennings last week as he was cleaning out his office on his final day as the head of the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools -- a position from which anti-gay activists and conservative media outlets had tried unsuccessfully to oust him.

Now that Jennings is leaving on his own terms -- next month he’ll become president and CEO of the national nonprofit group Be the Change -- he wants to make sure his detractors understand that they didn’t keep him from carrying out his job.

“Despite all of your lies, despite all of your attacks, we managed to galvanize a national campaign against bullying that culminated with the president himself convening a summit on it in the East Room of the White House, which he personally keynoted,” he says. “So despite your best efforts to derail what I was brought here to do, we were able to bring an unprecedented level of attention and energy to fighting bullying in a way never before done in this country.

“So, in the end, anybody looking back over the last two years would have to conclude that it is a complete and total victory for us and a complete and total defeat for our opponents, because they tried to derail -- and they used defamation to try and derail the work I was brought here to do, and they completely failed to do so.

They completely and totally failed. And I want them to know that.”

Jennings isn’t exaggerating when he refers to “defamation.”

Throughout the fall of 2009, Jennings -- who had spent the previous 19 years running the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) -- was the target of what he calls a “completely stunning” campaign of character assassination. Years-old lies, many of which had been recycled from an obscure Massachusetts hate group, were suddenly blasted out to the country by Fox News, The Washington Times, Andrew Breitbart’s blog empire, and the rest of the conservative media.

Jennings was falsely accused of “encouraging” and “covering up” statutory rape. He was falsely accused of being a “pedophile.” He was falsely accused of having “personally pushed books that encouraged children to meet adults at gay bars for sex.” Karl Rove falsely claimed Jennings had engaged in “high-profile, in(Jennings continues on page 14)

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Buffalo Pride 2011

Buffalo’s Pride Parade was June 5. Photos: Jim Wilkins

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Real Talk from the Anti-Violence Project

Everyone agrees that Pride 2011 is especially sweet, with marriage equality becoming reality this summer in New York State. But while we are celebrating, there are many who are unhappy and maybe even downright angry about it.

While we have had no threats, we are concerned that the recent passage of marriage equality may intensify the level of protest that we normally see at the Pride Parade or other events. It is vitally important that Parade participants and onlookers physically distance themselves from any protesters and not engage in any verbal exchange or body movements/hand signals toward them. This is our victory, our time to shine!

Let us respect ourselves and keep our dignity by NOT stooping to their level.

Anyone who is a victim of or witness to homophobic/transphobic violence, or pick-up or Pride-related crimes, is encouraged to report it to the Gay Alliance AVP at 585-244-8640 or online at www.gayalliance.org.

PFLAG meets the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Meetings are at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church 740 Marshall Road Rochester, NY 14624 from 1 to 3 pm Join us!

Questions? Call: 585-244-8640 and leave a message, or e-mail: pflag@gayalliance.org and we will get back to you.

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Shoulders to Stand On Gay Pride – Why?

By Evelyn Bailey All over the world, gay pride parades, picnics and festivals are held to remember and celebrate an event that changed the course of history – Stonewall!

What really happened that Friday night 42 years ago? What follows are excerpts from an eyewitness account given

by Morty Manford, taken from “Making Gay History” by Eric Marcus.

In the fall of 1968, Morty Manford began his freshman year at Columbia.

One of the first things he did after arriving was to call the Student Homophile League. Morty attended a meeting but was not “terribly inspired by what I saw, and nothing they were doing really interested me.”

By this time Morty had already discovered the bars. He said, “I suppose my gay life pretty much revolved around going to the bars. There was always the threat of bar raids. Everyone heard about them. But the only raid where I was actually inside the bar was at Stonewall.”

Mort continued, “The Stonewall was a dive. It was shabby, and the glasses they served the watered-down drinks in weren’t particularly clean. The place attracted a very eclectic crowd: some transvestites, a lot of students, young people, older people, businessmen. I met friends at the Stonewall regularly. There was a dance floor and a jukebox. There was a back room area which in those days meant there was another bar in back. There were tables where people sat.”

On the night of June 27, 1969, Mort said, “Some men in suits and ties entered the place and walked around a little bit.

Then whispers went around that the place

was being raided. Suddenly the lights were turned up and the doors were sealed, and all the patrons were held captive until the police decided what they were going to do. Everybody was anxious, not knowing whether we were going to be arrested or what was going to happen. I was anxious, but I wasn’t afraid.”

Morty continued, “It may have been 10 or 15 minutes later that we were all told to leave. We had to line up and our identification was checked before we were freed.

People who did not have identification or were under age and all transvestites were detained. Those who didn’t meet whatever standards the police had were incarcerated temporarily in the coat room. The coat closet. Little did the police know the ironic symbolism of that. But they found out fast.

“As people were released they stayed

outside. They didn’t run away. They waited for their friends to come out. People who were walking up and down Christopher Street, which was a very busy cruising area, also assembled. The crowd in front of the Stonewall grew and grew. And the tension started to grow.”

Mort recounts, “As some of the gays came out of the bar, they would take a bow, and their friends would cheer. It was a colorful scene. After everybody who was going to be released was released, the prisoners – transvestites, bartenders and the bouncers -- were herded into a paddy wagon parked right on the sidewalk in front of the bar. The prisoners were left unguarded by the police. They simply walked out of the paddy wagon to the cheer of the throng.”

Morty clearly stated, “There is no doubt in my mind that those people were deliberately left unguarded. I assume there was some sort of a relationship between the bar management and the local police, so they really didn’t want to arrest these people. But they had to at least look like they were trying to do their jobs. Once all of the people were out and the prisoners went on their merry ways, the crowd stayed. I don’t know how to characterize the motives of the crowd at that point except to say there was curiosity and concern about what had just happened.”

People in the crowd then began to throw coins at the Stonewall. A rock was thrown, breaking a second floor window.

Mort said, “It was a dramatic gesture of defiance. For me there was a slight lancing of the festering wound of anger that had been building for so long over this kind of unfair harassment and prejudice It wasn’t my fault that the bars where I could meet other gay people were run by organized

crime. Because of the system of official discrimination on the part of state liquor authorities and the corruption of the local police authorities, these were the only kind of bars that were permitted to serve a gay clientele. None of that was my doing.”

“More rocks went flying. From inside the bar, someone opened the door and stuck a gun out. Yelling for people to stay back, he withdrew the gun closed the door and went back inside. Someone took an uprooted parking meter and broke the glass in the front window and the plywood board behind it broke. Somebody else took a garbage can, one with wire mesh, set it on fire and threw the burning garbage into the premises. The area that was set afire is where the coat room was.”

Morty continues, “They had a fire hose inside, and they used it. It was a very small trash fire. Then they opened the front door and turned the hose on the crowd to try to keep people at a distance.

That’s when the riot erupted.”

Morty recounts, “Apparently a fire engine had been summoned because of the trash fire. As it came down the block, uniformed police started to arrive. They came down the street in a phalanx of blue.

They had their riot gear on. In those days the New York City police and a cadre known as the Tactical Police Force, the TPF. Who knows whether the violence would have escalated in the way that it did if the TPF had not come in? That’s what they always looked for; they wanted confrontation. Chasing after people and hitting them with their billy clubs, I think, provoked a greater response than there would have been otherwise. One way or the other, though, gay people had stood up and rebelled.”

This is why we celebrate Gay Pride!

The call to be free and equal went out spontaneously from Stonewall – it was heard and still lives on in all of us!

Come and join the Rochester Pride festivities this year -- be out, be alive, have fun and BE PROUD! ■

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july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

History Corner

July 1971

What was our history 40 years ago – what were some of the significant events of July 1971 here and around the world?

Rochester July 4: American Independence: George Washington Died For Us

GLF Dance at U of R, plus other festivities July 11: DRAG BAG – A discussion of transvestites and Rochester Drag scene July 14: Channel 21’s TV Show “Call 21” hosts call ins for three speakers from U of R GLF: R.J. Alcala, Karen Hagberg, and Jim Fishman July 18: Gay Marriage and Role Playing In the Gay Community Presentation/Discussion (Yes, we’ve been discussing this for 40 years…)

July 25: Emotional Security For Gays. Presentation/Discussion New York State July 2: 78th Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Evonne Goolagong beats M Smith (64-61) July 6: Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, dies in New York City, age 69 U.S., World • “Marijuana Revolution” by John Sinclair. Essay first published in July • State of Washington becomes 1st state to ban sex discrimination • Secretary of State Henry Kissinger lays groundwork for first meeting between Nixon and Mao. • 26th amendment certified (lowers voting age to 18) • Baseball all star game MVP: Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) • Bengali genocide reaches 1 million • Apollo 15 launched (Scott & Irwin) to 4th manned landing on Moon

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(Jennings from page 8) your-face advocacy of things like NAMBLA.” “I chose to ignore it [at first] because I thought it was a bunch of extreme rightwing stuff that nobody would ever pay attention to, and then the next thing I knew, it was on Fox News every night,” says Jennings. He remembers being at a Department of Education meeting about preventing drug abuse when the story first hit Fox in September 2009. He says he entered “a state of shock, like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening to me.’ “ “There were times when I questioned, ‘Is this worth it?’ “ explains Jennings.

“Because when you’re seeing your entire character being systematically destroyed by a defamation campaign, you begin to ask yourself, ‘Is this worth the price?’ “ “There were times in the fall of 2009 when I really went home and curled up in a ball in my bed and didn’t want to get out of bed the next day,” he says. “But I got out of bed every day. I went to 33 states and three foreign countries doing this work in two years, and we succeeded in doing what we came here to do.”

At one point, 53 House Republicans signed a letter to President Obama claiming that Jennings had “played an integral role in promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools.” They demanded that Jennings be fired.

But Jennings says he “never felt pressure” from his bosses to resign, and he credits the White House with standing by him. “I’m really proud to have had the chance to serve in this administration,” he tells me. “I’m really proud of the White House for standing by me when a lot of people might have wanted to cut me loose.

It might have been smarter politically for them to cut me loose, but they chose to stand by me because they valued the work

I was trying to do here, and I’m incredibly grateful to the White House for that.”

Jennings says that he’d made up his mind early on that no matter how bad the smears got, he wouldn’t resign. In fact, he sees the attacks on him as analogous to the schoolyard bullying that it was his job to confront.

“I’d come here to do something very important, and that was to galvanize the national campaign against bullying. And I wasn’t going to be derailed from that work by a bunch of bullies and liars, which is what I was dealing with. ... I thought it’d be ironic if I came here to fight bullying and I let the bullies win.

“So at the very beginning of this, my partner and I talked, and we said, ‘No matter how bad it gets, I would not resign.’ Under no circumstances would I ever give in. And I’m proud to say that the White House never even raised that as a possibility with me, so it was never a decision I was ever asked to make. But we decided -- I remember the day the first attacks came out, Jeff and I talked, and we said no matter what happens, we’re not going to quit. We’re not going to let these type of lies, these type of bullies continue to run the show. We were going to stand our ground.”

It’s clearly a deeply personal issue for Jennings. In his memoir, he writes about being tormented as a child by other students who would call him “faggot” and “queer.” As an adult, he founded GLSEN, an organization that has helped establish gay-straight alliances in schools across the country.

Jennings tells me he accepted the Department of Education job after reading a news story about Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old boy from Massachusetts. Walker-Hoover, who didn’t identify as gay, hung himself in April 2009 after enduring repeated antigay harassment at school.

“On my first day here, I’d had buttons made up with Carl’s school picture on them, and I handed them out to all the

staff and told them that that’s why I had come. It was because I wanted to make sure there would never be another Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover,” says Jennings.

Last year, Jennings was confronted with a highly publicized series of teen suicides that were linked to anti-gay bullying.

“I know the families of an enormous number of the young people who died,” says Jennings, explaining that the families sought him out after their children died.

“It was really personally draining because I do care very much about this on a personal level, and I knew how much these parents were counting on me and counting on the president to actually do something. ... They’d lost their children, they’d been through the greatest tragedy I think any human being can experience, which is the loss of their child, and they came to us, to this administration -- came to me and, by extension through me, to the president -- and said, ‘Please do something.’

So talk about feeling an enormous burden to do something and to do it right when you know that you’re doing this on behalf of people who have lost their children. It was this enormous sense of responsibility, an enormous feeling of -- we had to succeed because there was so much at stake.”

Jennings says the crisis “threw a spotlight” on the urgency of the issue, which he had been working on since he joined the administration in 2009. “People were much more willing to listen to us and to do what we were suggesting because what was at stake became so tragically clear.”

In the end, Jennings views his work as a success. “We have forever changed the national dialogue around bullying,” he says. “I think that we had our tipping point moment around bullying in the last two years, where bullying became something that the United States simply said, ‘No more.’ Now, that doesn’t mean bullying has gone away -- it’s still there -- but I think we have achieved a gigantic shift in national consciousness, that we have turned the tide. I see school officials at all

levels, from state, local, and federal, have dedicated themselves to doing something about this. Unprecedented levels of activity from the government itself. I think that we have forever shifted the dialogue around bullying in this country.

“And so when I look back on my two years here, I will leave feeling completely vindicated and proud of what we were able to do, that indeed I did come here for the right reason, and we were able to do what we set out to do -- despite the lies and despite the defamation.”

Michigan court rules against “gay panic” defense in 2009 case The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled against the “gay panic” defense, used for decades to justify violent attacks on gays. From the court’s ruling: The case arose from the beating of Ryan Young. In the early morning hours of June 11, 2009, Young was celebrating his birthday with friends at a local bar.

Defendant was also at the bar. Young did not know defendant, but defendant joined Young and his friends at their table and defendant and Young talked and became acquainted.

At about 3:30 a.m., Young and defendant were dropped off at Young’s apartment. Young testified that he went into his bedroom to change and asked defendant, “Did you want to do anything or did you just want to go to bed,” to which defendant responded: “Yeah, I’m going to do something you fucking faggot.”

Young testified that defendant choked him “so bad” that he “could not get away from him” and Young thought he was going to die because defendant “wouldn’t get off me and just stop punching me.”

Young believed that he was fighting for his life. Young remembered defendant cutting off his oxygen until he passed out and that, when he came to, defendant was (Michigan continue on page 16)

july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

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( NMichigan from page 15) “just still bashing my face in” until he went unconscious again. Young believed defendant hit him “a good 30 times.”

According to Young, he never tried to touch defendant and neither of them ever fell asleep, except when Young went unconscious from the assault. Young testified that there was no discussion about flipping the television on or anything and that he believed this was because defendant had the assault already planned.

Minn. Methodist minister defies church, supports marriage equality Laurel Ramseyer posted on pamshouseblend.com on June 7: With the ongoing debate within the United Methodist Church (UMC) over its problematic “Position on Homosexuality”, and the recent news that an antiequality marriage amendment will be on the ballot in Minnesota in 2012, Rev. Bruce Robbins decided to speak out.

Robbins is pastor of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. Hennepin belongs to the Reconciling Ministries Network, “a growing movement of United Methodist individuals, congregations, campus ministries, and other groups” working for the full participation of LGBT people in the United Methodist Church.

The first weekend in June, at an afternoon clergy meeting during the Annual Conference of the Minnesota UMC, Rev. Robbins invited fellow clergy to sign the Equality for All in Christian Marriage Statement. According to the UMC news service, “about a dozen clergy members” initially signed, but “by 9:30 p.m., the total signers had increased to about 40.

As of June 3, the number had reached 70.” There are 365 UMC churches in

Minnesota.

Rev. Bruce Robbins’ Equality for All in Christian Marriage statement: “We joyfully affirm that we will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage. We are convinced by the witness of others and are compelled by Spirit and conscience to act. We thank the many United Methodists who have already called for full equality and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of the Church.

“We repent that it has taken us so long to act. We realize that our church’s discriminatory policies tarnish the witness of the Church to the world, and we are complicit. We value our covenant relationships and ask everyone to hold the divided community of the United Methodist Church in prayer.

“Any United Methodist person in Minnesota Conference who conducts Christian marriages is welcomed to sign.

“I have chosen to sign the Equality for All in Christian Marriage Statement and I belong to the Minnesota Annual Conference.”

The Statement doesn’t address the secular question presented by the 2012 ballot measure of whether same-sex couples should be constitutionally barred from getting a civil marriage license. What the Statement does do is protest the UMC’s church law, which states that “Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.”

As Rev. Dr. Melvin Woodworth said regarding his congregation’s recent endorsement of a similar statement, “I can’t in good conscience perpetuate an injustice. I can’t get around the injustice of the state law -- I don’t have power over that. But I can get around the injustice of the church law, and I’m doing that.”

While the focus of this act of loving disobedience is church law, not civil law, this action will undoubtedly spark discussion about the anti-equality ballot mea-

40 percent of their straight counterparts).

Despite a rise in anti-discrimination protections for LGBT employees, 48 percent of LGBT survey respondents reported being closeted at work. Staying in the closet has huge consequences. Those who are out flourish at work, while those who are in the closet languish or leave.

LGBT employees who are not out reported significantly greater feelings of being stalled in their careers and greater dissatisfaction with their rates of promotion and advancement.

LGBT employees who are not out are 40 percent less likely to trust their employer than those who are out.

Employees who remain closeted and isolated are 73 percent more likely to leave their companies within the next three years.

This is a group with economic clout and loyalty to gay friendly brands. A recent study estimates the LGBT community’s collective buying power at more than $700 billion in the U.S. alone. This is a constituency with economic firepower companies should not ignore.

According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding President of the Center for Work-Life Policy and a coauthor of the study, “Organizations that encourage all of their employees to bring their whole selves to work have the greatest opportunity for innovation and growth.”

“Being ‘out’ on Wall Street has gone from unimaginable 30 years ago to being widely accepted today with Wall Street helping lead this change,” said Todd Sears, an advisor to this study and founder of “Out on the Street,” the LGBT Wall Street leadership consortium, which held its first event on March 30, 2011.

As Sears points out, “This study clearly shows that there is still a tremendous gap between implementation of LGBTfriendly policies and the ability and decision of employees to come out at work.

For us to move forward, it is going to take gay leaders sharing their coming out stories and straight leaders going beyond

sure in each of Minnesota’s 365 United Methodist congregations. That can only benefit those supporting civil marriage equality, especially since the conversation is starting now, 18 months before the 2012 elections when voters are open to persuasion.

Within the UMC context, the protest represented by the Equality for All in Christian Marriage Statement is significant because clergy who break church law can be removed from the pulpit. But the signatories to this Statement do not stand alone within their denomination. In the past few years, 68 Methodist pastors in California and Methodist congregations in District of Columbia and Washington state have very publicly signed similar statements.

The Methodist Church continues to punish clergy who marry same sex couples. Robbins may be suspended, like the Rev. Amy Long, convicted June 22 of marrying two lesbians in 2009. The next opportunity for denomination-wide change will come during the UMC’s 2012 General Conference next spring.

Study: results are poor for closeted workers A new study by the Center for WorkLife Policy, featured in the July/August issue of the Harvard Business Review, quantifies the loss to individuals and to the bottom line when organizations fail to create a workplace hospitable to their LGBT employees.

The data, based on a survey of 2,952 respondents, show the consequences when LGBT employees are forced to keep their lives and loved ones a secret from colleagues.

Among the findings: This is a highly desirable labor pool: ambitious (71 percent), committed (88 percent are willing to go the extra mile for employers) and better educated (48 percent of LGBT respondents have graduate degrees versus

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july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet statements of support to action, to put real faces to the discussion. Only then will companies truly get the best out of their LGBT employees and win the support of the LGBT community and marketplace.”

Methodology Sponsored by American Express, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Cisco, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, and Google, research for this study comprised of focus groups, Virtual Strategy Sessions, one-on-one interviews, and a US national survey (January and February 2010 with 2,952 respondents) conducted by Knowledge Networks under the auspices of the Center for Work-Life Policy, a nonprofit research organization.

Center for Work-Life Policy The Center for Work-Policy is a nonprofit think tank based in New York City.

CWLP’s flagship project is the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force—a private sector task force focused on global talent innovation. The 67 global corporations and organizations that constitute the Task Force, representing four million employees and operating in 190 countries around the world, are united by an understanding that the full realization of the talent pool is at the heart of competitive advantage and economic success.

About the Authors Sylvia Ann Hewlett is an economist and the founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy (a nonprofit think tank), where she founded and now chairs the “Hidden Brain Drain” Task Force, a group of 67 global companies and organizations committed to fully realizing female and multicultural talent. She leads the CWLP’s advisory services practice Sylvia Ann Hewlett Associates. She also directs the Gender and Policy Program at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Women’s Empowerment.

She is the author of nine Harvard Business Review articles and eleven critically acclaimed nonfiction books.

Karen Sumberg is senior vice president, director of projects and communications at the Center for Work-Life Policy and a director with the CWLP’s advisory services practice Sylvia Ann Hewlett Associates. She leads research projects for the CWLP including “The Sponsor Effect,” “Bookend Generations: Leveraging Talent and Finding Common Ground,” and “Sin Fronteras: Celebrating and Capitalizing on the Strengths of Latina Executives.”

She is coauthor of Harvard Business Review article “How Gen Y & Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda,” as well as the Harvard Business Review Research Reports The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology and The Sponsor Effect, CWLP reports The Under-Leveraged Talent Pool: Women Technologists on Wall Street and Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Revisited and a Harvard Business online blog. ■

Opinion URMC still hunting for effective HIV vaccine

By Carole Dowling Thirty years ago, when the Centers for Disease Control reported on the first cases of what would later be known as AIDS, it was all bad news. The unidentified disease was 100 percent fatal. There was no treatment, and no one knew what caused it.

Fast forward to 2011. Though more than 34 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS, the outlook today is better thanks to the dogged resolve of clinicians, researchers, public health officials, thousands of relentless activists, and patients themselves. The United Nations reports that the overall incidence of new infections has dropped by nearly 25 percent between 2001 and 2009. And today, if you live in a developed country and have access to antiretroviral medication, a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS is no longer a death sentence.

Although medical advances have greatly extended the life expectancy of a person infected with HIV today, a cure evades us.

More than 20 million people have died from AIDS worldwide, and 7,500 more people become infected every single day, according to the U.N. And though infections are dropping overall, they’re rising in some groups. The impact of HIV on many urban African American communities in the US continues to rival that seen in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, sex workers, intravenous drug users, and gay men are experiencing an alarming spike in new cases. For instance, there has been a 30 to 36 percent increase among gay men, especially young African American men who have sex with men.

As HIV and AIDS continue to impact countries, finding an effective vaccine remains the Holy Grail of AIDS research.

Since 1988, the University of Rochester Medical Center’s HIV vaccine trials unit, known as the Rochester Victory Alliance (RVA), has conducted more than 50 trials involving 1,300 volunteers from the western New York community. The RVA has worked steadily as part of a global alliance with the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Because of promising results from studies like the recent “Thai” trials (involving more than 16,000 participants from Thailand), a vaccine seems tantalizingly within reach, according to Michael Keefer, M.D., principal investigator and director of the RVA. “Today there is a degree of optimism in the HIV vaccine field that I have not witnessed during my 20 years of work at URMC,” Keefer said. “The Thai trial has shown that developing a preventive vaccine is indeed possible; the trial has provided numerous clues that will lead to a better understanding of what we’ll need a vaccine to do to guard against different types of exposures.”

In their efforts to educate the public about HIV, RVA has expanded the scope of their work to include community outreach. RVA has opened an office in Buffalo, another urban community whose African American and LGBT populations have been hit hard by the disease, and has also reached out to faith leaders in the Rochester African American community to change discriminatory attitudes toward individuals most at risk of infection – young black men who have sex with men.

RVA conducts ongoing trials in both people who are at high-risk for HIV as well as those who are at low-risk, and is currently seeking young men who have sex with men. Vaccines used in the studies are synthetic, so you cannot get AIDS from them. If you would like information about volunteering in a vaccine trial, contact the Rochester Victory Alliance (www.rochestervictoryalliance.org) at (585) 756-2329.

Your call will be confidential.

A student speaks out on the right to marriage

By Amanda Bentley It is in the United States Declaration of Independence that we find “...the pursuit of happiness” to be an unalienable right of all men. It is this argument that supports the notion that all people should have the right to marry, regardless of whom they are marrying.

This article will provide evidence as to why the benefits that apply to married heterosexual couples should also be made available to married homosexual couples.

Lastly, the denial of marriage benefits to same-sex spouses will not ‘further the wellbeing’ of families, but will rather deprive families of receiving benefits.

Firstly, the “pursuit of happiness,” as stated in the United States Declaration of Independence applies to all men. Not only this, but this is an “unalienable” or innate right. However, when debating the subject of equal marriage rights, as it pertains to gay and lesbian couples, the right to pursue happiness does not apply.

In 1996, the federal government ruled on the subject of marriage. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, “an act to define and protect the institution of marriage”. This federal Act defined marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife” and the word spouse as “a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife”. Both these statements unquestionably restrict the right to marry for homosexual couples.

Multiple states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida and at least 30 other states have either accepted DOMA as the state law, or have written DOMA into the state constitution. However, in 1958, in the case of Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized marriage as a fundamental right, stating, “the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness”.

Does this not apply to all people?

How is it that gay and lesbian people are excluded from a “vital personal right?” The conclusion the court case presented has obviously been forgotten and ignored in many states.

Amidst the negative attitudes resonating from multiple states, Massachusetts continues to successfully fight for gay and lesbian rights. On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts was the first to lawfully unite same-sex couples in marriage. Even previous to 2004, Massachusetts has been on the forefront of equal rights for gay, lesbian, transgender and bi-sexual people. In 1972, the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill prohibiting discrimination in job and housing settings.

In 1980, the state Supreme Court ruled that child custody could not be limited to either parent based on sexual orientation.

In 1989, the state legislature amended the bill relating to hate crimes and discrimination based on sexual orientation within public school systems. The Massachusetts state government has made it obvious that they wish to exclude discrimination from their state constitution. Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, of Massachusetts wrote, “Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code”.

Benefits given to married heterosexual couples by the state and employers are not the same as given to homosexuals participating in civil unions or same-sex marriage. Couples joining in heterosexual marriage receive many state benefits, as well as corporate benefits. These generally include, however varying from state to state: tax benefits, family benefits, death benefits, insurance benefits and consumer benefits. In the corporate world exclusively, spouses receive the benefits relating to health insurance and company specific employment benefits.

The benefits extended to civil unions or same-sex marriages are limited and depend upon the state, as every state has a different law pertaining to the issue.

Civil unions are the closest to receiving

A 17 similar benefits as married heterosexual couples.

However, there is one fundamental difference: civil unions and same-sex marriages are not portable. A couple joined in civil union may move to a different state, however, as a result of DOMA, that state is not required to recognize the civil union and grant the same benefits.

A chief argument made by anti-gay groups and by politicians opposing gay and lesbian marriage is the destruction that same-sex marriage will inflict upon families, and ultimately children. In 2006, after Washington state decided to uphold its 1998 ban on same-sex marriage, Justice Barbara Madsen reported to the Seattle Times that DOMA is constitutional because it “furthers the state’s interest of stable, child-producing unions”.

She also wrote, “The Legislature was entitled to believe that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers procreation, essential to the survival of the human race and furthers the well-being of children by encouraging families where children are reared in homes headed by children’s biological parents”.

This argument is illogical for the following reasons: past and present marriage licensing laws do not require the ability to procreate, fertility has never dictated the ability of heterosexuals to marry and spouses who do not procreate are able to stay married without question. Why, then, are these arguments being made about gay and lesbian marriage?

In truth, the benefits withheld from same-sex unions ultimately deprive the children and families involved, the opposite of the effect stated by Justice Barbara Madsen. With the denial of marriage to same-sex couples, children are divested from “State benefits because the State disapproves of their parents’ sexual orientation”. It is inevitable to have families composed of same-sex couples and children either adopted or biologically related to one adult involved. With this knowledge, how is Justice Barbara Madsen’s comment plausible? It is not for reasons stated above. It then begs the question as to why this is a major argument against gay marriage if it is erroneous? Could it be because there are no other factual arguments?

The debate over same-sex marriage is not a new topic in the United States. It will continue to be the center of discussion within states’ government, and maybe even in the federal government, as they already once interfered. The real question to be considered: is do all people deserve the right to marry whom they wish? Is the “pursuit of happiness” really an innate right, as our forefathers once wrote? States that have granted these rights, like Massachusetts, understand equality more than states with anti-gay and lesbian legislature.

Maybe the rest of the country, including the federal government should listen.

Amanda Bentley recently graduated from Nazareth College and is going to University of Pittsburgh Medical School. While a senior at Nazareth she wrote this article on marriage equality, which was published in Alaska and New York. ■

Mountain Rise United Church Of Christ in Perinton No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here!

The Rev. Dr. Greg Osterberg, Pastor Suzanne Gangemi, Director of Family Life Ministries Summer Worship Sunday 9:30am in the Outdoor Accesible Sanctuary (weather permitting) July 3 – September 4 Communion: First Sunday of Month Children/Youth Christian Education available during Worship Nursery Care and Audio Loop Available 2 Mountain Rise, Fairport NY 14450 (Off Rt. 31 just east of Kreag Road) Phone: (585) 223-2433 www.mtriseucc.org

18 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

Making the Scene

Duffy Palmer, Rich Ognibene and Pam Barres. Photo: Jim Wilkins

The dinner was held at the Riverside Convention Center. Photo: Jim Wilkins

Around 700 people attend Pride Agenda Spring Dinner

By Susan Jordan Attendance was at an all-time high – approximately 700 people attended the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Spring Dinner on May 21 at the Riverside Convention Center.

Among the elected officals attending the dinner were Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and NYS Sen. Jim Alesi, who stopped by briefly to congratulate Rich Ognibene.

NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a longtime LGBT rights supporter, said in his keynote address, “Justice belongs to everybody… Discrimination hurts every family.

Injustice hurts every one of us.” He said that making the Constitutional promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” come true has always involved a struggle. “Every generation has been called to live up to the challenge.”

Duffy Palmer and Pam Barres presented the Community Service Award to Rich Ognibene, who is openly gay and was named NYS Teacher of the Year in 2008.

Rich said that, as an advisor to the Fairport Gay Straight Alliance, he and others decided that due to the high rate of youth suicides around the country, an after-school club was no longer sufficient. He arranged a meeting with students and district administrators.

“The students were quiet at first,” he said, “but then spoke from the heart… ‘We need more from you’.” He said that the stories of harassment made him think of how much things have changed in the past 20 years.

“What we have learned as a community,” Rich said, “is that each risk we take leads to a reward… I want to challenge you to continue to take risks. If we can find the courage to push beyond what is safe and comfortable, then inch by inch we can change the world – for ourselves and for gay youth.” ■

M.C. Clinton Kelly of “What Not to Wear.” Photo: Jim Wilkins

Table Captains: Michelle Chin and Marybeth Cerrone. Photo: Garnetta Ely

ESPA Spring Dinner co-chairs Kevin S. Weekley and Julia GreenSewruk. Photo: Jim Wilkins

From Buffalo’s Gay and Lesbian Youth Services: Mellonie Scott and Sue Gardoso. Photo: Garnetta Ely

Auctioneer Howie Jacobson.

Photo: Jim Wilkins

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Photo: Jim Wilkins

Harry Bronson. Photo: Jim Wilkins

Mark Siwiec. Photo Jim Wilkins

Seated: Liz Robinson, Michele Tsang; standing: Alexandra Gasparre, Dontaee Williamson, & Stephanie Colton. Photo: Garnetta Ely

Wedding announcement: Mark Valentino Lenzi and Paul Michael McAndrew On May 27, 2011, Mark Valentino Lenzi and Paul Michael McAndrew of Park Ave., Rochester, were married in Pittsfield, Mass. by Linda Tyer in an outside ceremony.

Gold and diamond rings were exchanged and blue and purple orchid boutonnières by Maura at Sassafras Flowers were worn. Both grooms wore black suits with Mark in purple tie and shirt, and Paul in blue shirt and tie. Almond raspberry cake from Savoia and sparkling water were served.

Evening cocktails on the terrace overlooking the Berkshires, and dinner reception in the Wyndhurst dining Room were at the Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox. Dinner consisted of veal chop and rack of lamb, all served with champagne. The world-renowned photographer Edward Acker of Lenox recorded the evening celebration.

The couple spent the weekend at the Historic Inn at Laurel Lake in Lee. A local reception will be held in summer 2011, and the honeymoon will be in October in Provincetown. ■

july 2011 • number 447 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

My Own Private Rochester

Kevin Indovino with the Henry Moore sculpture at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Photos: Susan Jordan

Kevin Indovino

By Susan Jordan Kevin Indovino is a producer and director at WXXI, where he has worked for the past 20 years. He says, “I wear many hats but my main duties now are producing and editing the promotional spots and other items you see between shows.”

Kevin’s interest in amateur theatre, and his skill as a lighting designer, helped get him hired as a production assistant at WXXI, “literally sweeping the floor. Gradually I learned the trade.”

Born in Rochester and raised in Brockport, Kevin has many interests and community commitments. He is a producer and director with Shoulders to Stand On, using the digitized Empty Closets and other archival materials, as well as cur-

rent footage, to make a digitized videotape of an overview of LGBT history in the Rochester area and western upstate New York. “It’s all coming together,” he says. He appeals to anyone who may have historic documents or artifacts of any kind to get in touch with Shoulders to Stand On. Kevin has lived in the city for over 20 years, and currently resides in the Maplewood neighborhood, which he describes as an old historic neighborhood, diverse and still very much a family neighborhood. He travels a lot, mostly for pleasure.

Kevin said, “Rochester is a large town masquerading as a city – in a good way. It has a lot going on, but it’s manageable. The Memorial Art Gallery to me is one of the great treasures of Rochester. I always go to museums in major cities when I travel and

they are phenomenal, but so big. Here at MAG they have many things that the big museums have, but it’s manageable. It’s a fantastic little gem, one of Rochester’s best-kept secrets. I often come here to get my creative juices flowing.” Kevin says he “dabbles” in painting.

As a co-chair of ImageOut in 20062007, the film festival is of course his favorite local LGBT event. “I have been involved with ImageOut since 2002,” he said.

“That’s another great example of Rochester giving us what you’d think would be found only in a larger city. ImageOut has put Rochester on the international film festival map. We also do partnerships with area festivals like the Jewish Film Festival at JCC, 360/365 Film Festival at High Falls, the new Reel Mind festival, etc.”

Kevin’s favorite place, along with MAG, is the AIDS Garden in Highland Park. “In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s I started being a volunteer with AIDS Rochester, Helping People with AIDS (Dining for Dollars), and Community Health Network,” he said. “In ’93 someone asked me to come to a meeting about an AIDS Garden planned for Highland Park. I eventually became president of their board and for five or six years we worked on getting that garden planted, cooperating with the Vietnam vets memorial. The AIDS Garden pays tribute to the people we have lost and to HIV/AIDS caregivers as well.

“We wanted it to be a serene place where people can go and reflect on their loved ones. It’s a way for me to give back to the community in a way that validates and marks my place in the Rochester community – when I’m gone, it will be something to give to the people of the future.” The garden consists mostly of beautiful, rare trees and shrubs and is an oasis of tranquility off busy Highland Ave. “I love gardening and being outdoors,” Kevin says. “I have a big garden. I hate grass and evergreen bushes, so I moved them out and replaced them with flow-

A 19

Kevin with the Purple European Beech planted around 20 years ago in the AIDS Garden in memory of the late Bobby Moore.

erbeds. My house is covered in wisteria and you can smell the fragrance down the street.” Kevin’s garden has been honored by the Maplewood Neighborhood Association.

His other great interest is theatre. “I’m very active in the local theatre scene,” he said. “I’ve acted and directed at Blackfriars and JCC, and next spring may direct for GRRC. The last thing I did that people may remember was in spring 2009, when I was in a one-man show, ‘Oscar Remembered,’ at MuCCC. I did most of the fundraising for the AACTFEST (festival of local theatre from around the country) last month.” ■

In the AIDS Garden: Kevin at the base of the sculpture “The Guardian”

by Rochester artist Leonard Urso.

The 2011 Miss and Mr Gay Pride Pageant

GAY PRIDE PAGEANT WINNERS: Congratulations to Keke Velasquez-Lord, Miss Gay Pride 2011, and Nouveo Orleans, Mr. Gay Pride 2011. The pageant was held June 18 at ONE, 1 Ryan Alley. Photos: Jim Wilkins

V’ta Valentino, Miss Gay Rochester; Aneal Pleasures, Miss Club Marcella; pageant organizer Wayne Esposito (Liza); Veronica Lace, Miss Pride Buffalo and Vanity Faire, Miss Rochester Gay Pride 2010.

20 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 447 • july 2011

35 Bikers + 100 Kilometers + Food/Drinks =

$10,000 Thank you to our Ride For Pride Bikers:

Beth Bacon, Brian Bacon, John Braun, Adrianne Chesser, Kelly Clark, Jess Cohen, Jason Croft, Tina Croft, Joe Doty, Bobby Emerson, Ed Freedman, Jeanne Gainsburg, Bonnie Hallman-Dye, Chuck Hallman-Dye, Terry Hanney, Katie Hibbard, Deborah Hurley, Michael Kelly, Bekka Lebowitz, Markijan Lylak, Sara Lynch, Jesse McCarthy, Laur McSpadden, Deborah Monette, Manuel Pena, Jim Petretta, Pam Polashenski, Dan Quintana, Steve Santacroce, Aisha Siebert, Justin Waas, Brigid Waterhouse, Dontaee Williamson, Owen Zacharias and Zach for taking the time to fundraise, train and ride! You guys rock!

Thank you to our Ride For Pride donors:

Thanks to your generous donations, together we raised over $10,000 for the Gay Alliance!*

Thank you to our Ride For Pride sponsors:

Roger Levy at Freewheelers Bicycle Shop (www.freewheelersbikes.com) for sponsoring our ride at the $250 level!

Park Ave Bikeshop (www.parkavebike.com) for donating a $150 gift card.

Eric Marshall, Designer, at Guerrilla Ink (www.guerrilla-ink.com) for donating the printing on our Ride For Pride tee shirts!

Scott Likely at Towpath Bike Shop for the “drive by” donation of inner tubes.

Justin Waas, Scott Doody and MillerCoors for setting us up with some cold brewskies!

Scotland Yard Pub for hosting the Guest Bartender Fundraiser.

Thank you to our Ride For Pride support staff:

Walter Polashenski and Tallis Polashenski for filling our tanks with an amazing lunch and “Sweat of a Pagan Bride” home brew!

Scott Fearing and Todd Gordon for the wonderful food, the Ride For Pride home brew, the refreshing garden spritz and the best frozen mojitos north of the border!

Pauline Braun, Lisa Nolan and Heidi Klossner for being our amazing Sag Hags (LOL) and Maya Polashenski and Heather Fields, our Backup Hags.

Bruce Ingersoll for sitting all alone in a trailer park with his cooler waiting patiently to serve us cold drinks and for cleaning up wherever we needed it.

Pam Polashenski and Jason Croft for co-facilitating the event and for coming up with the great idea in the first place!

Evelyn Bailey for finding our Ride For Pride bike shop sponsors and for the beautiful flowers at the end of the ride!

Owen Zacharias and Heather Fields for the beautiful photography.

Laur McSpadden for the office support, media and Facebook visibility.

Owen Zacharias, Ed Freedman and Jason Croft for helping with all the technical difficulties.

Sue Cowell for supporting us all and ensuring that the planning and prep work for the event was smooth riding!

and a Special thanks to:

Pam Polashenski for being our top (non-Gay Alliance staff member) fundraiser, bringing in over $1,190!!! * It’s not too late to donate! Rider’s pages will stay active until September 18, 2011 at http://www.gayalliance.org/events/ride.html

Photo: Lisa Nolan

GAY ALLIANCE BIKE RIDE FUNDRAISER A HUGE SUCCESS!!!