The Empty Closet
ROC PRIDE 2014 ED K S A M N U
F O L L O W U S O N FA C E B O O K AT E M P T Y C L O S E T N E W S • F O L L O W U S AT W W W.T W I T T E R . C O M / E M P T YC L O S E T N E W S
NUMBER 481
A PUBLICATION OF THE GAY ALLIANCE
AUGUST 2014
PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER
The Central Library was illuminated with rainbow lights again this year to honor Pride.
Rochester celebrates 25 years of Pride
PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER
By Susan Jordan Despite persistent drizzle, over 1,000 people marched in the Pride Parade on July 19, while many more watched along the route and gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Manhattan Square afterwards for the Festival. Many young members of the community took part, either marching with the Gay Alliance Youth Group or other groups, or attending the Festival. Longtime Pride participants were impressed by the large numbers of youthful faces, and by the self confidence of the younger queer generation, so different from the world of a quarter of a century ago. The large crowd also provided a powerful contrast to the small downtown Pride March in 1989 that started it all. Evelyn Bailey, executive producer of Shoulders to Stand On, served as Grand Marshal, and elected officials including City Council members Matt Haag
THE GAY ALLIANCE APPRECIATES THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP OF BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND VISION. OUR PLATINUM LEVEL PARTNERS ARE:
(PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUE ON PAGE 2)
and Elaine Spaull, NYS Sen. Ted O’Brien, Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle and NYS Assemblymember Harry Bronson were among the marchers. Parade award winners were Muther’s Favorite: Tilt Nightclub and 140 Alex; Stonewall Award: GVA UCC Churches; Rainbow Award: Pop Show Band; Community Award: Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus; Ruby Slipper Award: University of Rochester. Videos of the parade and other Pride events, by Ove Overmyer, are available on Facebook at EmptyClosetNews. At the Flag Ceremony the night before, the Gay Alliance’s 30x50’ rainbow flag flew from the superstructure above MLK Jr. Park. Latino/Latina LGBT Voices performed to loud applause. Harry Bronson read a proclamation from the NYS legislature, while Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren read a proclamation from her office and City Council, recognizing Pride Weekend and the role the Gay Alliance has played for over 40 years in what Warren called “bringing our community together”. Harry Bronson talked about the gains in LGBTQ civil rights since the days of bar raids by police and the Stonewall Riots. Matt Haag spoke about the city’s commitment to LGBT rights; his mention of “health benefits for our transgender employ-
PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER
The Pride Performance Ensemble performed during the Flag Ceremony on July 18.
PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER
By Adam Young Braving increasingly murky Rochester skies, people crowded into Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square for the annual Pride Festival on July 19. While ambivalent rain drizzled on and off, the spirit of Pride remained buoyant throughout the sea of smiling faces clustered under rainbowcolored umbrellas. “It’s Pride… I always do it. I’d come if it was snowing,” said Dean LaBarge of Pittsford. Though the weather may not have been ideal, LaBarge praised the newer location of the Pride festivities at Manhattan Square over the Auditorium Theatre parking lot, where the event was formerly held. The “people-watching” is another incentive, LaBarge said. Pride-goers could indeed be seen in various states of colorful dress weaving among tents with vendors offering anything from Pride-themed rainbow trinkets to replacement windows. The Trillium Health tent became increasing busy as “stress breasts,” squeezable stress relievers in the likeness of breasts, were a wildly popular prize for completing a survey about one’s health care experiences. Although as popular as the stress breasts were, some survey takers preferred a bright pink or aqua-colored t-shirt for their time instead. On her way in, Samantha F. said she attended college here in Rochester, and came back specifically for Pride. “I discovered myself in Rochester. I would love to be here permanently,” she said. Unlike some smaller communities, Samantha described Rochester Pride as an event (Perspectives continues page 3)
PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER
Perspectives from Pride 2014: self discovery and having a good time
At the Picnic.
ees and their families” got the biggest round of applause. Haag said that the City Council Finance Committee would amend the city charter to clarify
transgender rights. “There is one item left,” he said, stating that those who do business with the city should be required to give LGBT employees equal benefits. On July 22, City Council voted unanimously to pass updated language to Rochester’s trans* non-discrimination policies, strengthening the language on gender expression and identity. Trans* community activists Laine Glaistig and Pamela Barres and Gay Alliance ED Scott Fearing spoke in favor of (25 years continues page 3)
Gay Alliance CyberCenter re-opening reception is Aug. 18 The Gay Alliance announces the re-opening of the David Bohnett CyberCenter. The re-opening reception, with members of the staff and board, will take place Aug. 18, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Gay Alliance lounge, fifth floor, 875 E. Main St. Executive Director Scott Fearing said, “We are very excited to announce this upgrade to the computer systems that we provide for the LGBTQ community to use. The David Bohnett Foundation’s generous donation of six computer systems allows The Gay Alliance to provide a valuable service to the LGBTQ communities. From homework to job applications to researching LGBTQ issues, these computers are here as a resource for those who need safe access to a computer work station.” (CyberCenter continues page 3)
Inside Maurice Tomlinson at Toronto World Pride Page 15
Editorials....................................... 2 Local/State News........................ 3 National/International News..... 4 Pride 2014................................ 7-11 Making the Scene......................17 Shoulders To Stand On ...........21 Columnists ................................22 Community ................................25 Entertainment: Stories...............27 Gay Alliance: SafeZone..............30 Calendar.....................................34 Classifieds..................................34 Comics................................ 34, 35 The Gay Alliance is publisher of The Empty Closet, New York State’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper.
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
Perspectives The Empty Closet Editor SUSAN JORDAN
We are winning because… “Same sex marriage is a tool of Satan.” – Hate group leader Matt Barber Same sex marriage “disregards the laws of Nature.”— St. Louis Catholic Diocese “We won’t baptize children of same sex couples.” – US Catholic Bishops “The gay movement reminds me of the Nazis.” “Gays are like the KKK.” – Hate group leader Tony Perkins “Fighting gay rights is like D Day.” – Hate activists the Benham Brothers “Gays are like necrophiliacs.”-- Hate group leader Bryan Fischer “Gay marriage will cause incest.” -- Wisconsin Republican candidate Karen Mueller The above quotes represent just one Internet day’s worth of homophobic hate and lies from conservative extremists, patriarchal churches and professional bigots who get paychecks for attacking LGBTQ rights and families. Messages like these are broadcast 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, on TV, the Internet and hate radio, funded by tax-exempt churches or a few wealthy extremists who don’t want their names publicized – hence NOM’s conviction for violating Maine’s election laws by refusing to reveal the names of their anti-marriageequality funders. Perhaps most despicable is the conservative attempt to re-write history/reality – i.e. pretending
that the Nazis didn’t murder thousands of gays and weren’t homophobic extremists just like Tony Perkins, the Tea Party and neo-Nazi militias. Or pretending that gays (including gay African Americans) fighting for their civil and human rights are the same as the KKK, which exists to take away the civil and human rights of African Americans, gays and every group on the White Power/ Tea Party hate list. Or whining that conservative extremists are the ones in danger of discrimination and assault – when the truth is, every day, around the world, trans people, gay men, lesbians and bisexuals are discriminated against, beaten, jailed, tortured, have ammonia thrown in their eyes, or are shot, stabbed or bludgeoned to death, often by neo-Nazis (see above). The amazing thing is that the LGBTQ movement continues to make progress, despite the endless barrage of hate propaganda. Federal and state judges including Bush and Reagan appointees have ruled 29 times that there is no constitutional justification for banning marriage equality. At least 55 percent of all Americans, and 77 percent of those under 30, are in favor of marriage equality. How can it be that our movement has not only survived, but is thriving? It didn’t just happen. We are winning because we have resisted. LGBTQ activists have come out, stood together, organized effectively and taken enormous risks for over 40 years. One major way we resist homophobia is by being visible at Pride. Last month police estimated that Rochester Pride drew over 1,000 people. The crowd included all races, classes, orientations, genders and generations: elders, veterans, drag queens and kings, church groups, leather people, suburban families, the trans* community, activists, young professionals, Gay Alliance Youth, children with painted faces… it was easy to feel proud of Rochester’s strong and creative community! ■
Name
Gay Alliance Board of Trustees David Zona, President, Jessica Muratore, Vice-President, W. Bruce Gorman, Secretary, Peter Mohr, Treasurer, Jason Barnecut, Chris Hilderbrant, Emily Jones, Jeff Lambert, William Schaefer
Gay Alliance Executive Director SCOTT FEARING
Champions for LGBTQ Life and Culture Many times in recent months I have talked about how the Gay Alliance is striving to change its work to keep up with the times in which we live. I have stressed how we are adapting our work from programs that focused on helping people to survive to programs that help people and our communities to thrive. We still face inequitable laws and sources of bias and more violence than our cisgender and straight brothers and sisters, and, the steps of improvement in LGBTQ lives have not always appreciated our need for each other as a complex community. The Gay Alliance is embarking on the process of recreating ourselves with a renewed focus on the common imperative shared by all members of the LGBTQ community: living out, open, and honest lives. The dizzying array of LGBTQ identities and expressions include as many differences and contradictions as it includes similarities, but when we come together as LGBTQ people, we seek balance by honoring the authenticity of the joy and fear, frustrations and pride of each and every member of our community. Our first step was to create new mission and vision statements to guide our work.
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Address City/State/Zip Phone E-mail Gay Alliance Membership Levels: ❏ $30-99 Advocate ❏ $100 Champion ❏ $1,000-4,999 Triangle Club ❏ $5,000+ Stonewall ❏ Check enclosed in the amount of _________ (check #______) Please charge my credit card in the amount of __________ To: ❏ American Express, ❏ Discover, ❏ MasterCard, ❏ Visa Credit card # ____________________________Exp. Date: _______ ❏ I would be proud to have my donation publicly acknowledged. Benefits: Subscription to The Empty Closet mailed to home or work, plus privileges at each level. Phone: 585 244-8640 or mail to: Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main St., Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605. Home delivery of The Empty Closet is free with your annual membership.
Using different words, I told you about them last month, but now let me make it public, our mission is to be “Champions for LGBTQ Life and Culture.” From classrooms, homes and workplaces, through media and community events, all that we do will be measured by considering how meaningfully it champions the value and diversity of LGBTQ lives and cultures. Our vision statement? Glad you asked: “We envision a future were all members of the greater Rochester LGBTQ communities, at all stages of their lives, are free to be fully participating citizens living lives in which they are safe, stable and fully respected.” We hope that you can feel the power behind our new vision and mission statements. We are here with you because we are you, and our work is best when we do it with you, our community. We want to ensure that you are a part of every social discussion in Western NY, that your identities are fully included and respected. We will use all the resources that our 40-year history provides to advocate for you and your family. When we first began, the Gay Alliance was often the lone voice standing up against great opposition, asserting that we were not sick, we needed no doctors to cure us. That we were not criminals, and that our love was legitimate. While some laws and opinions have changed, and we have been joined by countless organizations in our journey the Gay Alliance is uniquely positioned to build the necessary alliances. Now we need each of you to join us in the creation of the New Gay Alliance. Our new mission and vision establish a framework of community engagement that can’t exist without you, because it exists through you. We need you to share with us; share your thoughts about us, share some information about what you want, and share your ideas for what the communities need. We are now conducting a community survey and until Sept. 1 we would like to hear from as many different voices from the LGBTQ communities as possible. You can complete the survey online, or we would be glad to mail you a copy to complete. (Call us at 585-2448640 between 9-4 any day and request a Community Survey.) If you have access to the internet simply go to https://www. surveymonkey.com/s/GayAlliance2014 or follow the link from our home page. Our new mission statement is about all of us; by taking this brief survey, you’ll be helping us learn how we can use our resources to their fullest to serve all of our communities. ■
Gay Alliance partnerships continued from page 1
THANK YOU GOLD LEVEL
City of Rochester Absolut/Malibu
SILVER LEVEL 3 Olives Baccardi
Barefoot Wine Hedonist Artisan Chocolate John’s Tex Mex
BRONZE LEVEL Ameriprise Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Corning Inc. Equal Grounds Coffee House Harter Secrest and Emery LLP ImageOut Jaegermeister Kittleberger Florist and Gifts Labor Federation Macy’s New York Life Out and Equal NY Finger Lakes Outlandish Sky Vodka St. John Fisher Tompkins Enterprises Victory Alliance Wegmans Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
CHAMPION LEVEL Mass Mutual of Buffalo Park Avenue Merchants Association Pride @Work Third Presbyterian Church The Woolbright Group HCR Home Care
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
PAGE ONE (25 years from page 1) the decision. Empire State Pride Agenda Transgender Rights Organizer Eoghann Renfroe commented, “We commend Rochester for leading the way yet again on transgender equal rights by further defining the City Code to explicitly include protections on the basis of ‘gender identity and expression.’ While Rochester was the first city in New York State to extend non-discrimination protections to transgender individuals, last night’s actions by the City Council further strengthened and clarified the effects of the city’s human rights law by expressly identifying gender expression and identity as protected from discrimination. It also brings the language of the law into alignment with laws recently passed in states like Maryland and President Obama’s Executive Order protecting LGBT federal contractors.” Pride 2014 also included free Family Fun Time at MLK Jr. Park on Saturday afternoon (see page 7) and Roc Pride sports – although the run had to be canceled due to the bad weather. The Gay Alliance’s fundraiser picnic took place Sunday, July 20 at Genesee Valley Park. The weather was mostly sunny. Over 2,000 joined in the party by the riverside. City Council President Loretta Scott was one of the elected officials in attendance. Judges Michael Gamilla and Thomas Warfield gave the Picnic Site Decoration prize to Kate Sweeney and crew, for their funny creation “Taste the Rainbow, Bitches!” Second place went to Jo and Chris Meleca Voigt for “True Colors” and third place to Jessie Lee Gibson and Rainbow SAGE. (see page 10). After the rain, the rainbows…■
(Cyber from page 1) The Gay Alliance CyberCenter consists of six computer stations loaded with a broad range of updated programs and software. Four of the Gay Alliance CyberCenter workstations are in the fifth floor Community Room, and two are in the Library on the first floor, but all are on moveable work stations allowing them to be relocated for community education and training. ■
(Perspectives from page 1) where everyone can comfortably express their true nature, saying, “It’s OK to be who you are.” Samantha Vega and Deedee DuBois emceed the festival. As Darienne Lake and other drag stars and JCC’s Hairspray cast performed and music from the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus and Rochester Women’s Community Chorus echoed from the main stage, the mood inside the history display exhibit was more somber. Pride-goers read about the history of the Gay Alliance and the Rochester LGBTQ community portrayed on large banners. Certain historical facts acted as a gentle reminder of how far the community has come, such as the Chamber of Commerce’s abrupt cancellation of an agreement for use of their
ballroom for a Gay Alliance event in 1983. “It’s been fantastic to see our community grow. It’s a level of acceptance we’ve never seen before,” said Shelly Sands of Rochester. The exhibit also included materials on transgender history, from Ft. Lauderdale’s Stonewall Museum, brought to Rochester with the help of City Council member Matt Haag. Headliner Betty Who enthusiastically took to the stage to round out the event and soulfully sang out some crowd favorites, culminating with her hit, “Somebody Loves You.” Toward the end of her set, she pulled soggy fans on stage to dance with her and help finish the song. “I just come to have a good time,” said Edison Santiago of Rochester. “And I did.”
NewsFronts LOCAL AND STATE
More Pride perspectives By Ove Overmyer Jodi Jensen, who is president of a jewelry design company that travels to various Pride events throughout the country, says Rochester Pride organizers are some of the best they have ever encountered. “We love Rochester,” says Milwaukee, Wisc. resident Jensen. “The Pride vendor volunteers here are absolutely awesome. They go the extra mile for you—and they are just really nice people.” Jensen’s company, called Wire Works Etc, has already visited Cincinnati, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Houston. She added, “I can tell Rochester is a wellrooted community, it’s very established and is very aware of its own history.” Asked whether this has been a lucrative stop for her crew, she quipped, “Well, the rain didn’t help during the festival hours on Saturday. However, we made up some ground today at the picnic.” On Sunday afternoon at Genesee Valley Park, the EC ran into some folks sitting under a large maple tree ready to unpack some fruit and snacks. Henrietta NY resident Charity Towsley, 38, told the EC that 2014 was her very first Pride. “I watched the parade yesterday, then went over to the festival site. My friend and I could have cared less about the rain at the time. Today, we wanted to make sure we attended the picnic, and the weather has been cooperative so far.” Asked about her first Pride experience, Towsley could hardly contain her excitement. “The parade was so much bigger than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be tiny, and it so wasn’t! The parade was so much fun and everyone was so happy. What really surprised me this weekend is the extraordinary diversity within the community. Everyone is so loving and caring — I’m not really used to that. The amount of love and support people show each other is amazing -- even toward total strangers. It is a wonderful feeling to witness such kindness.” As the Pride Picnic was winding down, Tyshan Coleman and Sasha Carter were standing under a shade tree near the Roundhouse. Coleman told the EC, “This picnic has been a lot of fun today. I’m here with my friend, we’re eating a lot, we’re drinking a lot and the music is really great. What more could you ask for?” ■
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Dr. Bill Valenti talks about the loss of HIV research leader Prof. Joep Lange By Susan Jordan At the 20 July opening session of the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia, there was a moment of remembrance for those who lost their lives aboard the Malaysian Airlines flight which was shot down over Ukraine. Prominent AIDS expert Professor Joep Lange, former president of the International AIDS Society was among them. He boarded the plane in Amsterdam to fly to Kuala Lumpur to join another flight to Melbourne. Lange, a Dutch citizen, headed the department of public health at the University of Amsterdam. His partner, AIDS communication specialist Jacqueline van Tongeren, was also on the flight. They had five children. Dr. Bill Valenti, head of the medical staff at Trillium Health, who has been active in AIDS patient care since the 1980s, was a friend of Prof. Lange and usually met with him at the annual International AIDS Conference, which he did not attend this year for the first time in 20 years. Dr. Valenti respected Prof. Lange both as a great scientist and a great activist. He said, “He stood out as an internal medicine doctor in the ‘80s in Amsterdam and became involved in HIV patient care and HIV research. “As an activist, he was a visionary because he could see even in those early days that there was more happening than a serious illness among gay men in Amsterdam. He knew it was a global concern. In Amsterdam he would see more people from Africa than we would here in the U.S. He did a number of early studies defining HIV in gay men using the Amsterdam Cohort, which helped understand transmission very early on. He did very important work studying patients – asking how was this transmitted and what can we do about it. He saw this as a human rights issue right from the beginning.” Dr. Valenti listed some of Prof. Lange’s major accomplishments, starting with the early development of the HIV test that allowed for faster identifica-
tion of people with HIV. “The p24 antigen test,” Valenti said, “has come back today to be incorporated in the newest version of the HIV test. “He studied and helped us understand the importance of the three-drug combination in the early ‘90s. His saying was ‘three drugs are better than two are better than one.’” Dr. Valenti added that due to Lange’s global study of preventing mother-baby HIV transmission, “he saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.” Also, Dr. Valenti said, Prof. Lange was crucial in bringing HIV medications to the developing world. His statement, “If we can bring a bottle of Coke to every corner of Africa, we should be able to deliver antiviral drugs” was brought up again at the conference this year. Finally, Dr. Valenti said, “He made a major contribution to the effort globally and was very much on board with the eradication theme – that AIDS will be completely eradicated by 2030 – and also with PrEP.” PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxsis (or Prevention), known by the name Truvada, was approved in 2012. Lange said, “Even if you have doubts about it, it’s only ethical to make it available to people.” And, Dr. Valenti said, “He was talking globally. He founded an agency that was a consortium of big pharma to make the drugs available in the developing world. He mobilized everyone from pharmas to the grassroots level. He’s credited with recognizing very early on the importance of people with HIV participating in the movement to get the job done. “He supported ACT UP and several global organizations, many headquartered in Amsterdam, that had local impact in getting us where we are. It has taken many people on many levels, from lab researchers to patient care to activists, to get the job done. He helped define the activist movement around HIV. Between 11.7 and three million low and middle income people in the developing world now have access to drugs. Twenty-eight million qualify – so there’s still work to be done. Since 2003, though, the number of people in treatment has doubled.” Dr. Valenti believes that HIV transmission can be interrupted completely by 2030. “It’s a multi-pronged approach,” he said. “You can’t sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to test people and keep the negative people negative. Vaccine, condoms, education, de-stigmatization.” He feels that the current wave of homophobic hate and anti-gay laws sweeping Africa is a major obstacle to ending the epidemic. Dr. Valenti has many personal memories of his friend. “We were on two committees together,” he said, “and he was always
very dignified, generous – and stubborn. Watching him moderate an international conference, he commented on a presentation, ‘That was a very elegant presentation.’ He was very cultured and well-read and very smart. “He referred to me as ‘Professor Valenti,’ I always thought that was so old-school and European. The other thing was, he really got it – he was a straight man but he cut through all the homophobia.” A phrase often heard during media coverage of the destroyed aircraft was, “The cure for AIDS might have been on that plane.” Dr. Valenti said, “The insight and vision to find a cure were on that plane. It’s up to the rest of us to finish the job.” (See the September Empty Closet for an interview with Dr. Valenti on Trillium’s new PrEP information and enrollment campaign.)
Coming in September: Intersections Community Dialogs By Anne Tischer They are not the type of stats anyone wants to hear applied to their hometown: a 2013 study by ACT Rochester ranked Rochester fifth in poverty nationwide and rated us the poorest urban school district in the state. According to the New York State Education Department in 2014 only 43 percent of city school students graduate from high school. Even as the gains in LGBT civil rights rapidly escalate it seems the well-being of many people of color in our community is retreating. People of conscience ask “Why?” and “What can we do”? Somehow, leaving any child or family behind, whether black, white, gay or straight, gnaws at us. We know that we are better as a community when we all rise together. Coming this fall, the Gay Alliance InQueery program will feature a series of community dialogs navigating the intersections of love, race, faith and class in an effort to build a stronger community based on understanding and respect. We hope to start conversations that will challenge assumptions, find commonalities, reconcile past hurts and encourage people to find a new normal of unity. Last Sunday I attended a traditional African American church service where I was the only white person… and most likely the only married lesbian. I had been there before and was welcomed warmly by the pastor and the congregation as well. Reverend Marlowe Washington of Christ Community Church of Rochester practices what he preaches in his church on Joseph Avenue: love and inclusion. But that was not always true. Reverend Marlowe, like most people, had to evolve in his understanding and acceptance of LGBT people. As a panel speaker after the recent WXXI showing of the documentary “The New Black”, Reverend Marlowe shared his journey learning about LGBT oppression. He had embraced rigid church dogma until a series of life experiences made him rethink his beliefs. When a significant person came (Dialogs continues page 6)
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
NewsFronts NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
Judges strike down marriage bans in Florida, Virginia On July 18 a Republican-appointed state judge struck down Florida’s ban on marriage for committed same-sex couples. The ruling was stayed until July 22. Chief Circuit Judge Luis Garcia was appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush and reelected in 2002 and 2008. The case, Huntsman v. Heavilin, was filed in Key West, and as of now the ruling only applies to Monroe County. In his ruling, Judge Garcia wrote, “This court concludes that a citizen’s right to marry is a fundamental right that belongs to the individual.” On July 25, a state trial court in Miami issued a decision striking down Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples and ordering Miami-Dade County to allow same-sex couples to marry. The court stayed the order pending appeal. On July 28 the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. ruled in favor of same-sex couples’ freedom to marry, upholding a lower court’s February decision that found Virginia’s marriage ban unconstitutional. This was the 29th ruling to find state bans unconstitutional, and it may apply to W. Virginia, North and South Carolina. The N.C. attorney
general says he will not defend the ban. AFER reacts: “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has affirmed that Virginia’s marriage ban is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Today’s decision sends the message that loving couples like our plaintiffs – Tim Bostic and Tony London and Carol Schall and Mary Townley – are entitled to the same basic rights and protections as every other American... Today’s decision is monumental as it also paves the way for West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to strike down their marriage bans as those states fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by the Defendants is expected, and it will be costly.” USA Today noted on the Va. ruling, “Like the first appeals court panel to rule on the issue this year in Utah and Oklahoma, the three-judge panel was deeply divided, but the swing judge -- in this case Henry Floyd, who was named to the bench by George W. Bush and elevated to the circuit court by President Obama in 2011 -- came down on the side of samesex marriage.” Said NCLR Legal Director Shannon
Minter about the Miami-Dade ruling: “Today’s decision affirms the fundamental principles of equality and fairness and the common humanity of gay and lesbian people. As the Court recognized, these families are part of Florida’s community, and equal protection requires that they be given the same legal protections and respect as other families in this state. The Court’s ruling is a victory not only for the courageous couples who brought this case, but for everyone who cares about freedom and fairness.” Human Rights Campaign There are over 70 court cases challenging discriminatory marriage bans across the country in 30 of the 31 states where such a ban exists, plus Puerto Rico. Cases from 12 states are currently pending before six federal appeals courts. The Sixth Circuit holds the distinction of being the only federal appeals court to date that will consider marriage cases from all states within its jurisdiction. In total, 33 states either have marriage equality or have seen state marriage bans struck down as unconstitutional in court. Gallup puts support for marriage equality at 55 percent with other polls showing support at even higher margins. And support for same-sex marriage rights continues to grow in virtually every demographic group. According to ABC News / Washington Post, 77 percent of adults under age 30 favor marriage equality. 40 percent of Republicans – an alltime high and jump of 16 points in under two years – now support marriage for gay and lesbian couples, while the number of Catholics supporting marriage has grown to 62 percent, according to the New York Times. These numbers continue to grow, with no indication that support will slow down. Same-sex couples can legally marry in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while 31 states have a law or constitutional amendment restricting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. Learn more about this and other marriage equality cases at www.americansformarriageequality.org. More about Florida page 13.
President signs order protecting LGBT federal employees from discrimination In a White House ceremony July 21, President Obama signed a sweeping executive order protecting LGBT workers from job discrimination. Executive Order 11246, issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibits federal contractors from discriminating “against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” President Obama’s Executive Order will add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories. President Obama’s Executive Order does not allow for any exemption beyond
the one added by Executive Order 13279, issued by President George W. Bush, which permits religiously affiliated contractors to favor individuals of a particular religion when making employment decisions, by specifying that Executive Order 11246, “shall not apply to a Government contractor or subcontractor that is a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society, with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities. Such contractors and subcontractors are not exempted or excused from complying with the other requirements contained in this Order.” In addition, under the First Amendment, religious entities are permitted to make employment decisions about their ministers as they see fit. Executive Order 11246 governs only federal contractors and federally-assisted construction contractors and subcontractors who do over $10,000 in Government business in one year. It does not affect grants and President Obama’s Executive Order does not impact the administration of federal grants. The Order is administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). As part of these duties, OFCCP conducts compliance reviews, receives complaints from individuals who believe they have been discriminated against, and provides technical assistance to contractors regarding their contractual obligations. More information can be found at www.dol. gov/ofccp. Executive Order 11478, issued by President Nixon, bars discrimination against federal employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and age, and was amended by Executive Order 13087, issued by President Clinton, to include sexual orientation. President Obama’s Executive Order adds gender identity to the list of protected categories. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other federal agencies already apply Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect federal employees from discrimination on the basis of gender identity as a form of sex discrimination. The President believes it is important to explicitly prohibit – in both Executive Action and in legislation – discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Read more: http://www.towleroad. com/#ixzz386pblM6L Human Rights Campaign The order, profoundly consequential in its own right, dramatically underscores President Obama’s own LGBT legacy of achievement, unmatched in history: three landmark pieces of legislation; 90 significant policy or regulatory changes, including the largest conferral of rights in history to LGBT people via the implementation of the Windsor decision; and 15 federal judicial and seven ambassado-
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET rial appointments. In the executive order, President Obama explicitly protects transgender federal employees from workplace discrimination by amending an order issued by President Bill Clinton banning sexual orientation discrimination within the federal workforce. In the same order, President Obama will set strong new standards for federal contractors, which employ 20 percent of the American workforce. In so doing, the Obama administration has guaranteed that 14 million more American workers will be protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In the part that applies to federal contractors, the Obama administration declined to create a separate carve-out or standard for LGBT employees. Instead, the President elected to narrowly amend Executive Order 11246, first signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965— placing sexual orientation and gender identity on equal footing with race, color, religion, sex and national origin, and thus making these protections virtually politically impossible for a future administration to undo. These two acts can be viewed as the keystone act of a concerted, six-year effort by the White House to dramatically advance the cause of LGBT equality. When President Obama was inaugurated in 2009, the Human Rights Campaign presented him with the Blueprint for Positive Change — a checklist of actions the Obama administration could take to change the lives of LGBT Americans for the better. In the years since, President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and leaders within every cabinet agency have spearheaded and achieved unprecedented progress on almost every front. HRC Executive Director Chad Griffin issued the following statement: “With this action, President Obama has cemented his legacy as a transformative leader. Consistently, this administration has taken unprecedented and historic executive actions to advance LGBT equality in this country and around the world.” Viewed in full, President Obama’s legacy of achievement is unmatched in history: three landmark pieces of legislation; 90 significant policy or regulatory changes, including the largest conferral of rights in history to LGBT people via the implementation of the Windsor decision; and 15 federal judicial and seven ambassadorial appointments. President Obama has signed the only signature pieces of LGBT-inclusive legislation to be passed by Congress—the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the first-ever LGBT-inclusive Violence Against Women Act re-authorization. The administration has also proactively instituted 90 far-reaching administrative and regulatory policy changes that have dramatically improved the lives of LGBT people in all 50 states and around the world. In the wake of the 2013 Windsor decision, the Obama administration worked across all cabinet agencies to ensure the fullest and broadest implementation of the decision possible under the law— resulting in the largest conferral of LGBT rights in history. The Obama administration has made a record number of appointments of LGBT judges and ambassadors—and a broader 250 LGBT appointments to fulltime and advisory positions in the federal government. There is still a great deal more the Obama administration can do to improve the lives of LGBT Americans through the exercise of executive power or the President’s bully pulpit, HRC said. The President must continue to exert maximum pressure on Congress to act on essential pro-equality legislative priorities, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In addition to workplace discrimination protections, there is no federal law that protects LGBT from discrimination in housing and public accom-
modations. Several executive actions requested in the Blueprint for Positive Change remain incomplete, and HRC continues to stress that the Obama administration must incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity as enumerated categories in all cases when providing protections under federal regulations or distinguishing populations for research and funding. “As cabinet vacancies emerge, I strongly encourage President Obama to choose among the many highly qualified, openly-LGBT Americans who would make exceptional appointments,” Griffin said. “The President has a responsibility to ensure the diversity of his cabinet reflects the diversity of the country he serves. Just as importantly, the first-ever appointment of an openly-LGBT cabinet secretary would send a vitally important message to LGBT youth about their equal ability to serve their country at the highest levels of government.” The federal contractor executive order is broadly supported by the American public. A 2011 poll of likely voters conducted for HRC by GQRR found that 73 percent favored such an order and support was strong regardless of age, race, education, political ideology, and a number of other demographics. Williams Institute President Obama broadened a federal nondiscrimination executive order to prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity— a move that will protect approximately 22 percent (or 34 million) civilian workers in the U.S., according to research by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute. “The executive order will reach workers not protected by the patchwork of existing state-level nondiscrimination policies,” said Williams Institute Executive Director Brad Sears. “Less than half of the states prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, leaving a majority of American workers without protections.” An estimated 11 million more workers will be protected from sexual orientation discrimination when taking into account those already protected by state law or employer policy. An additional 14 million workers will be protected from gender identity discrimination. Estimates take recent changes in state nondiscrimination laws into account. As of May 2014, 86 percent of the top 50 federal contractors prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 61 percent prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. All but two of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation (96 percent) as of May 2014, and 70 percent prohibited discrimination based on gender identity.
Judge overturns Colo. marriage ban; ruling is stayed until Aug. 25 On July 23 U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore ruled against Colorado’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. In Burns v. Hickenlooper, attorneys with Kilmer, Lane and Newman, LLP sued the state on behalf of six same-sex couples who argue that Colorado’s ban on marriage equality violates the U.S. Constitution. Judge Moore stayed his ruling until Aug. 25 to allow the state time to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which has already struck down bans on marriage equality in Utah and Oklahoma. “Today’s ruling from Judge Moore provides even further confirmation that Colorado’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Through civil unions, Colorado has already recognized the need for same-sex couples to have equal access to the benefits and obligations of marriage. (Judge continues page 6)
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LOCAL AND STATE
“THE NEW BLACK” PANEL: The Gay Alliance hosted a speakers panel following the WXXI screening of The New Black documentary at the Little Theatre on June 23. L-R: Rev. Marlowe V. N. Washington of Christ Community Church, Barbara Turner (facilitator), Bruce Smail, Executive Director of The MOCHA Center, Deacon Paulette Hall of Unity Fellowship Church. Photo by Bess Watts
(Dialogs continued from page 3) out to Reverend Washington, he said, “I realized at that moment that I either had to accept her wholly or reject her wholly. I chose love.” A social justice activist, Reverend Washington likewise shares stories of racial oppression and the toll that poverty takes on the human spirit. It is no accident that his church is planted in an area of great need. Reverend Marlowe will be one of the clergy, community leaders and ordinary people who engage in the up-coming Intersections Community Dialogs. We hope you too will join us as we begin the thoughtful conversations that are an essential first step to advancing human understanding and creating useful change. For more on Inqueery programs call (585) 244-8640 x13.
Cuomo says plan will “end AIDS epidemic in New York State” At a press conference held June 29, shortly before he marched in the NYC Pride parade, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new plan to “end the AIDS epidemic” in New York state. Borrowing an idea from leading AIDS researchers, the Cuomo administration said on Friday that it had developed a plan to aggressively identify, track and treat people with HIV infection with the aim of reducing new infection to the point that by 2020, AIDS would no longer reach epidemic levels in New York State. The state’s acting health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, said that he
Pride Agenda endorses 2014 candidates The Empire State Pride Agenda has announced its first round of endorsements for the 2014 election season. The Pride Agenda said it is proud to endorse qualified, pro-LGBT candidates for statewide offices throughout the Empire State. The first round of endorsements includes: Assembly: AD 44 (Kings) Jim Brennan (D) AD 61 (Richmond) Matthew Titone (D) AD 66 (New York) Deborah Glick (D) AD 69 (New York) Daniel O’Donnell (D) AD 75 (New York) Richard Gottfried (D) AD 88 (Westchester) Amy Paulin (D) AD 115 (Clinton, Franklin) Janet Duprey (R) AD 138 (Rochester) Harry Bronson (D) Senate: SD 12 (Queens) Michael Gianaris (D) SD 22 (Kings) James Kemmerer (D) SD 26 (New York/Kings) Daniel Squadron (D) SD 27 (New York) Brad Hoylman (D) SD 33 (Bronx) Gustavo Rivera (D) SD 35 (Westchester) Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) SD 41 (Dutchess, Putman) Terry Gipson (D) SD 46 (Albany, Greene, Montgomery, Schenectady, Ulster) Cecilia Tkaczyk (D) SD 55 (Monroe) Ted O’Brien (D) “The outcomes of this statewide election year are critical to the future of equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer. “We’re proud to endorse in this first round candidates who have shown leadership on issues important to our community and look forward to seeing them lead legislative change that will make New York a safer place for us all.” This is the Pride Agenda’s first round of endorsements for the 2014 election year. Additional endorsements are anticipated later this election season. The Pride Agenda is nonpartisan and considers candidates from all parties for endorsement. Candidates request consideration of an endorsement by completing and returning a Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire which is publicly accessible at prideagenda.org. The deadline for the next round of endorsements was July 25, 2014. Endorsements are made by the Pride Agenda’s Political Action Committee (PAC) and are based on: responses to the Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire; an examination of a candidate’s voting record (for those who have previously held elective office) and the voting record of their opponent(s); and a review of public acts, statements, and consultations with other organizations throughout New York State, including local LGBT organizations. Non-incumbents are evaluated based upon the criteria above as well as the viability of their campaigns.
believed that by 2020, New York could reduce its annual incidence of new HIV infections to about 750 from the current 3,000, bringing the number of new cases below the number of annual deaths, or as he put it, “bending the curve” in the direction of ending the epidemic in the state. This would put the number of new HIV cases on a par with that of new tuberculosis cases, he said. “No one views tuberculosis as an epidemic — it’s a manageable disease at this point,” Dr. Zucker said. The governor’s plan builds upon “key policies already enacted,” the administration said, to track those infected, identify those who do not know they are infected and make sure they all get the treatment they need. The prospect of ending the AIDS epidemic is gaining momentum in epidemiological circles. It is based on studies showing that AIDS drugs have a double-barreled effect not just as treatment but as a means of blocking transmission. On June 24, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a leading AIDS researcher, argued at the Aspen Ideas Festival that “we can end the AIDS pandemic in the next 10 years.” Treatment Action Group applauds: With this bold initiative, New York State—long the epicenter of the nation’s HIV epidemic—becomes the first jurisdiction anywhere in the world to publicly declare a goal of ending AIDS as an epidemic with the launch of a comprehensive effort to end AIDS deaths and halt new infections by employing state-of-theart testing, preventive technologies, treatment, and supportive services. “The goal is ambitious, but grounded in reality,” said Mark Harrington, executive director of TAG. “New York State has always been a leader and center of innovation in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. We have seen an almost 40 percent decrease in new HIV diagnoses in the last decade, with fewer new infections each year, while nationally there has been no decline in the annual number of new HIV infections. With continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the state’s successful Medicaid reform, we’ve gained the momentum necessary to put more people living with, and at risk for, HIV into primary care, and to give them the support services necessary to achieve success.” ■
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL (Judge from page 5) Now its time for the state to stop its appeal and allow these families the dignity that comes with full marriage equality.” In June clerks in Boulder, Denver, and Pueblo counties began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after several recent court rulings deemed marriage bans unconstitutional. But the Colorado Supreme Court ordered Denver to stop issuing the licenses while the state ban remains in place and rulings are on appeal. The Pueblo clerk also stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, earlier on July 23 the Colorado Supreme Court declined the state’s request to force the Boulder clerk to stop issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
Finland archbishop apologizes to gays for church’s cruelty By Joe Morgan on gaystarnews.com The head of Finland’s Lutheran Evangelical Church has publicly said sorry to LGBTI people for the cruelty they have faced from religion. Kari Mäkinen has said the Church has been guilty of “cruel” treatment towards gays for “decades” and it is still continuing. “When I think of the outside pressure and treatment that we have been guilty of displaying towards sexual minorities as a church and as a society for decades and
how it still continues, I think it’s time for an apology. Without any explanations or prevarications,” he declared. He added “cruelty is cruelty” even if it has become more subtle than before. He said he hoped that his apology would encourage others in the church and in society to follow suit. Two years ago on Finnish TV, a gay rights panel was held to discuss the citizens’ petition calling for same-sex marriage. It remains the only Nordic country without marriage equality. As a result of some of the homophobic comments made by some of the religious panelists, 30,000 left the state church, according to official statistics. Several Christian groups, which had funding from the Lutheran Evangelical Church, released video campaigns calling for gay people to be “cured”. Mäkinen opposed the campaigns, saying God had made LGBTI people as they are and they were not sick. He also became the first archbishop in the world to vote in favor of civil unions. Mäkinen also supports equal marriage, saying, “All people should be treated equally. “Marriage adds to the value and the foundations of society, and we should not ban anyone in a long-term loving relationship from contributing. Same-sex marriage is vital to society.” - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews. com/article/finland-archbishop-says-sorry-gays-churchs-cruelty160714#sthash. BkVWlIIH.dpuf
10th Circuit Court upholds Oklahoma freedom to marry On July 18 the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled in favor of samesex couples’ freedom to marry, upholding a marriage ruling out of Oklahoma back in January. This is the second consecutive ruling in favor of marriage by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals; the same three-judge panel also found Utah’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples is unconstitutional. Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement: “Today’s ruling arises out of the oldest active marriage case in the country, filed in Oklahoma ten years ago; and follows more than two dozen favorable rulings for marriage in the past year. The legal consensus is clear: marriage discrimination is unconstitutional and inflicts concrete harms on committed gay and lesbian couples and their families. From the heart of the Southwest and as far as the Mountain West, the federal rulings from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals from Oklahoma and Utah affirm that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry. It is time for the Supreme Court to end this patchwork of discrimination and bring our country to national resolution as soon as possible.” In total, 27 rulings since last year’s decision in U.S. v. Windsor have found that state bans on marriage for same-sex couples are unconstitutional. “For years, the plaintiffs in this case and their attorneys have argued on behalf of equality and justice in the court room. Today’s victory brings us ever closer to the day when all committed and loving gay and lesbian couples have the right to marry the person they love, regardless of what state they call home,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “There’s no question that the U.S. Supreme Court must take up the issue to decide once and for all whether or not states can continue to treat committed and loving gay and lesbian couples as second class citizens.” On June 25, the same three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit issued a similar ruling in a case out of Utah – Kitchen v. Herbert – in which the court struck down Utah’s marriage ban. The state of Oklahoma now has the option to request an en banc appeal before (10th Circuit continues page 12)
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Roc Pride 2014: Unmasking our True Colors The Flag Ceremony took place on July 18 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Manhattan Square. Photo: Ove Overmyer
Mayor Lovely Warren speaking at the Flag Ceremony, with City Council members Matt Haag and Elaine Spaull. Photo: Ove Overmyer
Kat, Sandra and Elijah love family time at Pride.
A Time to Celebrate Family By Lorraine WoernerMacGowan Togetherness and an abundance of smiles could be found at this year’s Pride Family Fest time, a free event featuring entertainment by the Mambo Kings, along with games, crafts and stories that catered to all ages. Despite a light rainfall, the afternoon event at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Manhattan Square attracted many LGBT families and allies. Wearing his rainbow balloon hat crafted by balloon artist Lisa McTwister and her (trans) son, Mike, Dominick and two other children sat quietly as a GAGV volunteer read them a story. His mother and grandmother looked on.
“It’s wonderful that there are things for kids to do here,” said Roseanne, Dominick’s mother. Her mother, Linda, is a member of the LGBT community. “Now that he’s old enough, I’m so happy to be able to enjoy Pride with him,” Linda added before she and Dominick went to play with the giant bubble wand.
This year the History Exhibit included a display on trans* history from the Stonewall Museum in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Photo: Ove Overmyer
Little Annalise carried a rainbow flag in each hand while her big sister, Eleanor, was busy coloring a mask at the craft table. Aunt Alice kept careful watch over both of them until their mom and grandmother arrived. Pride has become an annual event for Aunt Alice since she moved to Rochester. This year her family traveled from Indiana to share in the celebration. “We’ve come to visit Alice and her wife,” explained Alice’s mom, Ann. “We are always happy to be together, and Pride is a great reason to come together.” Five-year-old Chloe sat with GAGV youth volunteers who helped her create a unique face mask with feathers, color and jewels to wear at the festival. “Chloe is going to Kindergarten in the fall,” explained her mom, Jennifer. “Angela and I want her to know that there are other families like us. Pride is a great place for her to see that there are lots of kids with two moms or two dads.” Ilana and Jeremy traveled from Ithaca with their son, Noah, and enjoyed checking out the festivities. “We are proud allies and, wherever we live, we always go to the Pride celebrations to show our support of LGBT families,” said Jeremy. Many parents appreci-
Mick, Andrew, Lynn, Michelle and Caitlyn enjoy Pride Family Time.
The Rainbow Riders arrive at the Flag Ceremony. Photo: Manuel Pena
Five-year-old Chloe at the mask table with Jayquan, Olivia and Zhane
ated being able to include their children in their plans. “We love coming to Pride but don’t always have a sitter, so it’s awesome that we can bring Elijah and that there are things for him to do and other kids to play with,” said Sandra. Young or grown, LGBT or straight, everyone appreciated that the Gay Alliance made it easy to spend time together with their loved ones and celebrate the many types of families that make up our diverse community. ■ Borinquen performs during PRIDE Family Fun Time.
Jerry Mahoney, author of “Mommy Man,” with his partner Drew Tappon and their twins Bennett and Sutton, at Jerry’s book signing at Barnes & Noble on July 18. Jerry helped out with Pride Family Time on July 19. Photo: Jill Frier.
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
Roc Pride 2014 Parade & Festival
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Rochester/Canandaigua VA. Photo: Jill Frier
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U. of Rochester Yellow Jackets won the Ruby Slipper Award. Photo: Garnetta Ely
Harry Bronson.
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Grand Marshall Evelyn Bailey. Photo: Ove Overmyer
140 Alex float. Photo: Jill Frier
Pride co-chairs Michael Lill and Christopher Hennelly. Photo: Ove Overmyer
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Pride at Work AFL-CIO float. Photo: Ove Overmyer
PHOTO: GARNETTA ELY
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Genesee Valley Gender Variants. Photo: Jill Frier
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
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PHOTO: GARNETTA ELY
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PHOTO: OVE OVERMYER PHOTO: SUSAN JORDAN
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Betty Who. Photo: Ove Overmyer
PHOTO: GARNETTA ELY
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Roc Pride 2014 Parade & Festival
Divinity, Miss Gay New York, and Mercedes Sulay, Miss Gay Rochester, at the Festival.
Festival emcees DeeDee DuBois and Samantha Vega. Photo: Ove Overmyer
Tangents. Photo: Jill Frier
PHOTO: GARNETTA ELY
The Tilt float. Photo: Jill Frier
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
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Roc Pride 2014 The Picnic
Anne Tischer and Todd Plank. Photo: Ove Overmyer
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City Council President Loretta Scott at the Picnic.
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Kate Sweeney’s first-place-winning picnic site. Photo: Garnetta Ely
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
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Roc Pride 2014 Unmasked
You’re the One Who Colors Me By Jojo Oberholtzer Out of blue, you’re the one who colors me. Red- Life is what we’re having, bad and good times. Orange- Healing is what we need for pains. Yellow- Sun is the brightest and warmest smile. Green- Nature is all forests and mother-nature. Blue- Harmony, Love is about the butterflies you are feeling. Everything happens for a reason You are the one who colors me Just follow your heart and dream Wherever you go, I’ll miss you, I don’t have to go far, all I do Is look inside my heart, that’s where I’ll find you. Love is full of surprises, Sometimes, it’s too good to be true. You will never understand how much you mean to me, You don’t know how many sides of me you’ve seenBut I’ve seen a few sides of you.
PHOTO: SUSAN JORDAN
I’m just telling you: that’s your colors Deep inside of me, that I admire you, You’re the one who colors me.
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Evelyn Bailey and Barbara Moore.
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Betty Who. Photo: Ove Overmyer
The Pride Performance Ensemble waits to go on at the Flag Ceremony.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL (10th Circuit from page 6) the full bench of the Tenth Circuit, which decides whether or not to grant that request. It may also bypass an en banc session and appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this month the Utah attorney general announced the state would appeal the Tenth Circuit’s ruling in the Kitchen case to the Supreme Court. In November of 2004, two couples – Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin and Gay Phillips and Susan Barton – sued the state of Oklahoma for enforcing an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that prohibits the state from performing or recognizing marriages between same-sex couples. The suit also initially challenged the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was later mooted by the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor, which struck down key sections of the law. Two days after Judge Kern’s January 14, 2014 ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, the state filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The Bishop case in Oklahoma was scheduled for appeal with a similar marriage case – Kitchen v. Herbert out of Utah. The appeals on both cases were heard by the same three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit, with Kitchen on April 10, 2014, and Bishop on April 17, 2014. Judge Paul Kelly Jr. was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and was confirmed to the Tenth Circuit in 1992. Judge Carlos Lucero was nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed to the appeals court in 1995. And Judge Jerome Holmes was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed in 2006. Judge Holmes was one of two judges who denied Utah’s request for a stay on same-sex marriages underway in Utah after a district judge ruled the state’s marriage ban unconstitutional. Cases pending before federal appeals courts: • Bostic v. Schaefer, Virginia [Arguments at the Fourth Circuit heard May 13, 2014] • DeLeon v. Perry, Texas [Argument date at the Fifth Circuit not set] • Tanco v. Haslam, Tennessee [Arguments at the Sixth Circuit set for Aug. 6] • Bourke vs. Beshear, Kentucky [Arguments at the Sixth Circuit set for Aug. 6] • Obergefell v. Kasich, Ohio [Arguments at the Sixth Circuit set for Aug. 6] • Henry v. Himes, Ohio [Arguments at the Sixth Circuit set for Aug. 6] • DeBoer v. Snyder, Michigan [Arguments at the Sixth Circuit set for Aug. 6] • Wolf v. Walker, Wisconsin [Arguments at the Seventh Circuit set for Aug. 13] • Baskin v. Bogan, Indiana [Arguments at the Seventh Circuit set for Aug. 13] • Sevcik v. Sandoval, Nevada [Argument at the Ninth Circuit set for Sept. 8, 2014] • Latta v. Otter, Idaho [Argument at the
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014 Ninth Circuit set for Sept.8, 2014] • Jackson v. Abercrombie, Hawaii [Argument at the Ninth Circuit set for Sept. 8, 2014] Cases petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court: • Kitchen v. Herbert, Utah [Tenth Circuit struck down marriage ban June 25]
Gay “undocumented” journalist arrested at US/Mexico border Jose Antonio Vargas, the openly gay Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who came out as an “undocumented immigrant” in a high-profile piece in the New York Times back in June 2011, was detained on July 15 by U.S. Boarder Patrol agents in McAllen, Texas. The Washington Post reports: Define American, the nonprofit U.S. immigration-reform campaign founded by Vargas, announced the detainment. In a statement Tuesday, Define American campaign director Ryan Eller said: “This morning, Mr. Vargas attempted to board a plane to Los Angeles, where we are scheduled to screen our film ‘Documented.’ Mr. Vargas did not make it through security at the airport. Our understanding is that he is currently being questioned by border patrol. The community leaders standing with me work with constituents and live this reality each and every day.” Eller called on President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson “to exercise prosecutorial discretion and immediately release Jose Antonio Vargas from Customs and Border Protection custody.” White House and U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesmen declined to discuss the detention further however. The Post adds: Last week, shortly after his film, “Documented,” aired for the first time on CNN, Vargas wrote in a Politico magazine piece that he’d gone to the U.S.-Mexico border “to visit a shelter for unaccompanied Central American refugees and participate in a vigil in their honor.” He wrote: “I realize that, for an undocumented immigrant like me, getting out of a border town in Texas — by plane or by land — won’t be easy. It might, in fact, be impossible.” Vargas was held for eight hours, according to the Washington Post. He was ordered to appear before an immigration judge. -Towleroad.com
Anti-gay party fails to stop Budapest Pride By Andrew Potts on gaystarnews.com Photo by Budapest Pride Festival/Facebook The 19th Budapest Pride Festival closed successfully with over 10,000 taking to the streets to march for LGBTI equality in Hungary on July 12. However the event was loudly con-
demned by the far-right ultra-nationalist Jobbik party who also blasted foreign diplomats for showing their support for the event. The embassies of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US signed a group statement of support for the event. However Jobbik spokesman Ádám Mirkóczki called their support “appalling,” complaining that some embassies had even helped sponsor the event. Jobbik labelled the event a “provocation to the majority” and “perverted.” However that didn’t stop the Jobbik mayor of Érpatak, Mihály Zoltán Orosz, trying to join the pride march along with around 30 “family values” demonstrators. Orosz had demanded that he be allowed to join the parade holding a sign covered with biblical quotations attacking homosexuality, but was not allowed to by police. More successful in his attempt to rain on the parade was Jobbik MP Előd Novák who hung a banner from a window in the parliament building which read “This house does not want your deviant propaganda.” When the parade reached Budapest’s Heroes’ Square some homophobic counter-protesters broke through a cordon but they were quickly dealt with by police. The Jobbik party are a far right racist and homophobic political party and as of April this year the third largest party in Hungary’s National Assembly after garnering 20.5 percent of the vote. - See more at: http://www. gaystarnews.com/article/farright-jobbik-party-nationalists-failruin-hungary%E2%80%99s-budapestpride140714#sthash.L5KgkpjY.dpuf
ACT UP protests high pharma co. prices for Truvada, Sovaldi ACT UP activists dressed as Gilead vampires took to the streets of Manhattan at June’s Pride march to protest what they called the big pharma companies’ bloodthirsty prices for the lifesaving drugs Sovaldi and Truvada. Life-Saving Drugs at Bloodsucking Prices Gilead charges $1000 per pill for Sovaldi, the profitable new cure for Hepatitis C. The necessary regimen of 84 pills adds up to an $84,000 cure that actually costs $40 to manufacture. That means Gilead makes a 2800 percent profit on the backs of dangerously ill people with no alternatives. Since Gilead charges as low as $2000 for the drug regimen in developing nations, ACT UP demands that the company regulate its pricing policies at home. Big pharma monopolists like Gilead are engorged with blood money due to their unfair pricing, ACT UP says. Gilead’s first quarter sales of Sovaldi for 2014 raked in $2.3 billion worldwide— the most profitable drug launch in history. Gilead’s total revenues for 2013 were $11 billion with over $9 billion in antiviral sales alone. PrEP Every Day Keeps HIV Away Gilead’s drug Truvada was approved two years ago by the FDA and recommended by the CDC to prevent HIV when taken daily as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Currently, Gilead is charging over $35/day for this pill that costs 35 cents to make. Should safer sex pills that help prevent HIV come with a $14,000/ year price tag? In a market-based system, Gilead can charge whatever it wants, but should corporations dictate the cost of our lives? Veteran AIDS activist Jim Eigo says
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET that Truvada-as-PrEP will not result in a significant epidemic-wide reduction in new infections until many more people have access to Truvada. “I cannot see the U.S. healthcare system as currently constituted prescribing a drug that costs $14 thousand a year to 250,000 individuals,” he said. “I can only see us getting anywhere near half of those individuals on PrEP if there is a significant price reduction from the current cost.” Patent Override for a Health Care Emergency An estimated 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic Hep C and about one quarter of HIV-infected persons in the United States (275,000 out of 1.1 million) are co-infected with Hep C. 15,000 annual deaths from Hep C surpass 13,000 deaths from HIV. During a health emergency, the U.S. government can threaten and pursue a patent override for a lifesaving drug with unfair pricing. This happened with the antibiotic Cipro during the Anthrax scare in 2001. ACT UP believes Congressional leaders need to push for such an action immediately to lower the costs of Sovaldi and Truvada.
Trans woman alleges discrimination by Illinois Hobby Lobby By Mitch Kellaway on The Advocate As many wait anxiously to see whether June’s Hobby Lobby ruling will lead to negative fallout for LGBT employees — including fears that the ruling would allow companies to use a religious freedom argument to justify job discrimination or exclude HIV medications from health care coverage — one employee of the craft-store chain says she’s regularly experienced anti-trans prejudice for the past three years. Meggan Sommerville, a transgender frame shop manager who has worked at Hobby Lobby’s Aurora, Ill., location for 16 years, first filed a complaint against the store in 2011 when, she says, management wrote her up for using the women’s restroom. Her complaint alleging discrimination in employment and public accomodations was initially dismissed and then reinstated, and is still pending with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, reports GLAAD. Sommerville, who began her gender transition in 2009, recently expressed her frustration to Newsweek, saying, “I’m just looking to be treated equally with every other female in the company — not just in the store, but in the company.” She says the Aurora Hobby Lobby acknowledged her as a woman once she legally changed her state ID and birth certificate in 2010, yet management continues to deny her access to a genderappropriate bathroom. “If they recognize me as female for certain things, why can’t they recognize me as female for everything?”she wonders. The answer, in this case, comes down to a requirement that her attorney, Jacob Meister, calls “absurd” and “unlawful”: that she first undergo genital reconstruction. “There’s absolutely no support in the law for this,” he says of the company’s stance that without the costly, extensive procedure, Sommerville cannot use a women’s restroom. “But [the company] is being adamant.” Though some may speculate that the Christian-owned company’s alleged discrimination has religious roots, Hobby Lobby has refused to comment publicly.
LGBTQ rights groups drop ENDA support due to exemptions Following the statement that the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) dropped their support for ENDA, four more major LGBT rights organizations followed suit by July 10. Via the ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union today announced that it is withdrawing its support for the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act in a statement also signed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Transgender Law Center. The ACLU objects to a provision in the bill that would allow religiously affiliated employers to continue to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “Federal legislation to protect LGBT people from workplace discrimination is way beyond overdue, but Congress has no place giving religiously affiliated employers a license to discriminate against LGBT workers,” said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office. “We can no longer support a bill that treats LGBT discrimination as different and somehow more legitimate than other forms of discrimination.” President Obama has signed an executive order that would ban discrimination against LGBT people employed by federal contractors. The ACLU opposes any inclusion of a discrimination exemption in this executive order. The Human Rights Campaign, which held out the longest, issued a qualified rejection of ENDA on July 10. In related news, 45 LGBT groups had written a letter to President Obama asking him to ensure that the executive order he has signed on July 21 barring anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors “not contain any exemption beyond what is provided by the Constitution and Title VII.” Co-signing the above statement were Lambda Legal, GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders), the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Transgender Law Center. Earlier the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force had also dropped their support for ENDA. Years and years of hard-fought battles resulted in the Senate passage of ENDA in November 2013 by a vote of 64-32. But no hope of the bill progressing in the GOP-dominated House coupled with the Hobby Lobby ruling means that the entire LGBT rights movement must now focus on having LGBT Americans included under the broad protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Some are loudly arguing that LGBT opposition to ENDA is yet another case of the perfect being the enemy of the good, a cry that was also made when many objected after transgender protections were stripped from the 2007 version of ENDA. But as some… have pointed out, exempting the very people most likely to discriminate from an antidiscrimination bill just does not make sense in the post-Hobby Lobby world.
VA has guidance for same sex married couples’ benifits After close consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing guidance to same-sex married couples on the benefits and services to which they are entitled under current laws and regulations. “VA worked closely with DOJ to develop guidance to process cases involving same-sex marriages and to implement necessary changes swiftly and smoothly in order to deliver the best services to all eligible Veterans,” said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan D. Gibson. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which governed the definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” for all federal agencies. However, there remain certain provisions of federal law governing Veterans’ benefits and services that, like DOMA, define a spouse as a member of the opposite sex. In September 2013, the U.S. Attorney General announced President Obama’s directive to cease enforcement of those VA-spe-
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Ft. Lauderdale backs overturn of Fla. marriage ban The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau on July 10 announced its unconditional support for the overturning of bans on same-sex marriage in Florida. Florida’s prohibition of same-sex marriages, including a ban on recognizing same-sex marriage performed in states where it is legal, may be repealed this year pending the outcome of two separate lawsuits currently before state and federal courts. Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki E. Grossman said, “After years of seeking equal rights for the LGBT community in Florida, it is the right time to do the right thing and allow same sex marriage throughout the state.” With the highest number of same-sex couples in the country, and as one of the top LGBT vacation destinations in the world, Greater Fort Lauderdale has long been a pioneering advocate of the LGBT community in Florida. “The rainbow flag flies loud and proud in Broward County and we can’t wait to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage with couples from all walks of life and from all over the country,” Ms. Grossman said. The destination’s open and welcoming relationship with transgender, lesbian, gay, and bi-sexual residents, tourists and businesses, has been gratifying with a resulting record-breaking 1.3 million LGBT visitors in 2013. Marriage hearings have already been head in the cases brought against Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. A judge overturned the later ban on July 18 and another judge overturned the Miami-Dade ban on July 25. Both ruling were stayed. The cities of Orlando and Miami Beach have also issued resolutions endorsing the overturn of the ban.
cific definitional provisions. However, another provision of the law governing VA – 38 U.S.C. § 103(c) – requires the Department to look to the place of residency rather than the place of celebration to determine whether a Veteran’s marriage is recognized for the purposes of VA benefits. This statutory requirement to look at the laws governing marriage in the place where the Veteran or Veteran’s spouse resided at the time of the marriage or at the time they filed their claim or application precludes VA from recognizing certain same-sex marriages, such as when a couple has never lived in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages. VA has worked with DOJ to develop guidance to process claims and applications for same-sex married couples while still following the statutory requirement to look to the place of residency. VA is committed to treating all Veterans and their spouses as equally as possible under the law. Since the Windsor decision, VA has worked with DOJ to develop guidance to process claims and applications for same-sex married couples while still following the statutory requirement to look to the place of residency. Importantly, the administrations within VA will aim to apply the same level of scrutiny to all Veterans’ marriages, regardless of whether it is a same-sex or opposite-sex marriage. VA will therefore process claims and applications involving same-sex marriage in the same manner that VA processes claims based on opposite-sex marriage without any additional scrutiny or development. This means generally that VA will accept a claimant or applicant’s assertion that he or she is married as sufficient evidence to establish a Veteran’s marriage for the purpose of VA benefits. VA has made efforts to ensure that claimants will not be negatively impacted as a result of the time that has passed while developing this guidance. VA is now processing all claims and applications involving same-sex marriages that were previously being held by the program offices. VA launched a
new website and is continuing to update forms to inform Veterans and beneficiaries of the recent changes in the law and procedures. The new website provides important information to help Veterans and beneficiaries understand the eligibility requirements under federal law and VA regulations, and answers frequently asked questions. “Our commitment to provide all eligible Veterans and their families with their earned care and benefits will continue to be our focus as VA begins recognizing same-sex marriages to the extent the law will allow.” Gibson said. “We will work with lawmakers to address the changes that are necessary to allow all veterans and their families to access the benefits they have earned and deserve.” Veterans can learn more about VA’s guidance regarding same-sex marriages at http://www.va.gov/opa/marriage/ or by reaching out to one of our Call Centers at 1-800-827-1000.
Presbyterian Church affirms marriage equality on June 19 The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), a church with nearly two million members, made history on June 19 by affirming the marriages of same-sex couples. By a 71-29 percent vote (429-175) the General Assembly passed an amendment to change the description of marriage in the PCUSA church constitution from a relationship between “a man and a woman” to that between “two people.” This amendment will only become church law when approved by a majority of the church’s 172 presbyteries. At that time, all couples can be married in their home congregations. In another measure, by a 61-39 percent vote (371-238) the General Assembly passed an amendment now allowing clergy in marriage equality states to perform marriages. “This is a giant step forward for the PCUSA Church and for people of faith (Presbyterian continue page 14)
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL (Presbyterian from page 13) everywhere. Presbyterian LGBT couples are now one step closer to being able to get married in the church of their choice,” said Sharon Groves, Director of HRC’s Religion and Faith Program. “Perhaps even more significantly, young people and their families can go into a Presbyterian church and know that their denomination has not turned a blind eye to them but has instead taken a giant step toward becoming a more loving and more welcoming place for all people to worship. We at HRC congratulate the Presbyterian Church (USA) on a job well done and thank the good people at More Light Presbyterian, The Covenant Network, So We May Freely Serve and Presbyterian Welcome for their years of dedication that got us to this point.” The PCUSA General Assembly meets biennially and consists of commissioners elected by each of its 172 presbyteries nationwide. The proposal voted on was originally submitted to the Assembly by the Oregon-based Presbytery of the Cascades. The written proposal explained: “We believe that God created each of us with many differences, including sexual preferences, and that those differences are to be celebrated as part of the creative plan of God.” The final vote took place after days of testimony and reflection, question and answer, and thoughtful meditation from the members of the General Assembly. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) congratulates the Presbyterian Church USA on opening its doors to LGBT individuals, couples and families. Groves added, “HRC remains committed to doing all we can to help the Presbyterian (USA) reach the finish line as it moves into the next phase of seek-
ing approval from presbyteries around the country.” The Presbyterian Church (USA) joins other mainline churches in sanctioning same-sex marriage. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in February, 62 percent of mainline Protestants said they favor of marriage equality.
Judge rules against Kentucky marriage ban In Love v. Beshear, two same-sex couples in Kentucky sued the state, arguing that Kentucky’s refusal to grant them marriage licenses violates the U.S. Constitution. In his July 1 ruling, Judge Heyburn wrote, “Assuring equal protection for same-sex couples does not diminish the freedom of others to any degree. Thus, same-sex couples’ right to marry seems to be a uniquely ‘free’ constitutional right.” The judge stayed his ruling, pending appeal to the Sixth Circuit. The Kentucky ruling was the 23rd by a federal judge to find marriage equality bans unconstitutional. “It seems that not a day goes by where we don’t see clear evidence of America’s untempered momentum toward equality,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Today’s marriage ruling makes clear that Kentucky should not be denying committed and loving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. We congratulate the plaintiffs and their attorneys and thank them for making today’s victory possible.” In February of this year, Judge Heyburn ruled in Bourke v. Beshear that Kentucky’s marriage ban violates the constitutional principle of equal protection and that the Commonwealth cannot refuse to recognize valid same-sex marriages conducted in other states. The judge, who was appointed to the bench by President George
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H. W. Bush, sided with four plaintiff couples who had legally married elsewhere before seeking state recognition in Kentucky. The Bourke case is on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and argument has been set for August 6. Nationally, Gallup puts support for marriage equality at 55 percent – an astonishing 15 points increase from just five years ago – with other polls showing support at even higher margins. And support for same-sex marriage rights continues to grow in virtually every demographic group. According to ABC News / Washington Post, 77 percent of adults under age 30 favor marriage equality. 40 percent of Republicans – an all-time high and jump of 16 points in under two years – now support marriage for gay and lesbian couples, while the number of Catholics supporting marriage has grown to 62 percent, according to the New York Times. These numbers continue to grow, with no indication that support will slow down. There are over 70 court cases challenging discriminatory marriage bans across the country in 30 states and Puerto Rico. So far six federal appeals courts are presiding over 11 marriage equality cases over the coming weeks and months. The Sixth Circuit holds the distinction of being the only federal appeals court to date that will consider marriage cases from all states within its jurisdiction. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic marriage rulings last year, no state marriage ban has survived a federal court challenge. Same-sex couples can legally marry in nineteen states and the District of Columbia, while 31 states have a law or constitutional amendment restricting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. Learn more about this and other marriage equality cases at www.americansformarriageequality.org ■
From our readers Trans people and pharmacies To the Editor: Thank you for the article “Gay Alliance panel at St. John Fisher Pharmacy School educates about transgender issues”. That is a vitally important topic! I could tell horror stories about buying estrogens at pharmacies. I’ve been disrespected by both pharmacy techs and pharmacists. We trans people are so often treated by pharmacy staff as “strange others”. I am so happy that shock jocks Kimberly and Beck were fired after making transphobic remarks. GLAAD was quoted in the article about the firing of the shock jocks. GLAAD said that medical treatments are necessary for transgendered people. GLAAD seems to think that all trans people require hormones/surgeries. There are transvestites, pre and post op and noops transsexuals. There are drag queens/ kings and female maskers. My wife and I are never-op trans women. We take hormones and have electrolysis, but intend to keep our penises and testes forever. We are both women! Finally, I am not trying to force my views on anyone but I would urge both trans-women and ciswomen to consider estrogen alternatives to premarin! Premarin stands for pregnant mare urine. The hormone is taken out of pregnant mare urine. It is a horrible industry that causes the torture and death of mares and foals. Go to www.peta.org or just google “premarin and animal abuse”. Terri Goldman, Tulsa, OK ■
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
Opinion
I hope that this and every other World Pride will serve as an opportunity for a much more engaged response to the rising tide of global homophobia. Because when the parties end, some of us have to return to very grim realities.
My WorldPride Musings By Maurice Tomlinson WorldPride 2014 drenched Toronto in a kaleidoscopic deluge. Everything from ATMs to Zebra crossings was emblazoned with rainbow flags, and the city simply pulsated with the energy of nearly 2.5 million additional rainbow revelers. It was, to put it mildly, electrifying to see my adopted hometown celebrate my LGBTI siblings and me in this very public way. At points I was overwhelmed thinking how incredibly fortunate I am to have witnessed this historic event, which is the first time the world’s largest festival of all things queer was being hosted on the North American continent. Technically, my own country, Jamaica, is a part of North America, but the realities for LGBTI people there could not be more different from Canada! Sadly, while the build-up for WorldPride was taking place in Toronto and politicians, policy-makers, and preachers were tripping over themselves to testify to their inclusive bona fides, the reverse was true just four hours away by plane in Kingston. An unprecedented anti-gay moral panic has gripped Jamaica and LGBTI people are being accused of fomenting a sinister “gay agenda.” This aggressive fearmongering, supported by the media and some irresponsible government ministers, has mobilized and unified traditionally irreconcilable faith communities on the island. Such is the power of us gays. Despite these challenges back home, WorldPride filled me with a sense of the possible. My country will change. After all, Canadian Pride began as a result of horrific raids on gay establishments by police. The long road to WorldPride was littered with many broken bones, bodies and dreams. But here we were! With all the events during the weeklong celebration, I had to pace myself. In addition to the countless official happenings that I had the good fortune of being invited to, there were several that sought to capitalize on the presence of such a smorgasbord of global sexual and gender diversity in old Cabbage Town. I deliberately mixed my revelry with reflection, and participated in an amazingly insightful human rights conference put on by the University of Toronto. In addition, I attended the interment of the ashes of a long-time Pride volunteer. There were also thoughtful, quiet meals with friends from across the globe, especially those who nearly missed Pride because of an arbitrary imposition of visa rules by the Canadian government. I left my big partying for Sunday’s parade, because, let’s face it, I am NOT 24 anymore. Perhaps my most poignant revelation at WorldPride happened a full week after the festivities ended. I was asked to partic-
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Maurice Tomlinson at WorldPride 2014.
ipate on a panel looking at LGBTI rights worldwide, which took place in a very conservative section of the city. My copanelists included a Ugandan colleague, Bryan. He had initially been denied a visa to come to Canada because the government surmised that he would not return home. Of course, listening to this brave warrior, nothing could be further from the truth. He was responsible for composing the unofficial anthem of the LGBTI liberation movement in his country, and he uses music and culture to both motivate gay Ugandans and educate the society about LGBT people. Most impressive to me is that he heads an innovative outreach program that provides critical HIV services for men who have sex with men (MSM). A similar program run by the US government was recently shut down as a result of Uganda’s draconian anti-gay law, but Bryan’s program persists. As an activist I recognize a committed warrior when I see one. When Bryan was asked what being at WorldPride meant to him, he shared that he was often brought to tears as he observed gay partners publicly showing affection for each other. At the same time, his own partner in Uganda has had to take extreme measures to avoid being associated with him, such as de-friending
him on Facebook. This is because the country’s new Anti-Homosexuality Act requires anyone who knows of a homosexual to report them to the police, or face imprisonment. So, to protect his lover, this activist has had to disown him. There are times I get depressed about the fact that my own country seems to be marching decidedly backwards on LGBTI rights (for example, on the same day that WorldPride was taking place, there was the largest anti-gay demonstration in Jamaica’s history, orchestrated by the churches). However, Bryan’s story humbled me. What is even more inspiring is the fact that he is going back to Uganda, knowing that all his activities in Toronto would effectively make him a criminal. Yet, he proudly posted photos of his many Pride activities on social media,
well aware that his movements are being monitored by his government. The Ugandan government has clearly been feeling international pressure because of the barbaric Anti-Homosexuality Act. After a proud boast by the President that the country does not need the foreign aid that was cut as a result of the dreadful law, there was a weak attempt at back-pedaling. In a release in a July release a government spokesperson said that the law is being “misinterpreted” and does not penalize adults, but rather the recruitment of children into homosexuality. Of course, all of this is a confusing and convenient farce. There is absolutely no credible evidence that any LGBTI Ugandan is engaged in recruiting children. On the contrary, there have been painful stories of gay Ugandan children being forced out of their homes and left with nowhere to turn for advice about their sexuality. And the number of attacks against LGBTI Ugandans has skyrocketed. (Five men were arrested in early July for supposedly “promoting homosexuality to children”.) For me, the desperate situation of LGBTI people in Uganda, Jamaica and elsewhere around the world means that Pride must remain political for the foreseeable future. The presence of corporate sponsorship at this festival must be used as a catalyst to push for equitable standards for queers wherever these large multi-national companies operate. These conglomerates must never be allowed to buy our silence, because we are speaking, and marching, for those who cannot. I also hope that this and every other WorldPride will serve as an opportunity for a much more engaged response to the rising tide of global homophobia. Because, when the parties end, some of us have to return to very grim realities. As Bryan shared on the panel, he was genuinely irritated with Canadian LGBTI people who avoided participating in the WorldPride celebrations because of apathy. In his country, gays would die for the chance these Canadians took for granted. Hopefully, no one will in fact have to die when LGBTI Ugandans hold their own Pride celebrations later this year. The theme for Uganda’s post AntiHomosexuality Act Pride will be “Still Here, We Won’t Stop.” This event will be executed without major corporate sponsorship, and with only modest contributions from a crowd-sourcing campaign. Despite these challenges, the activists plan to send a message that three years after their first Pride (which I was also privileged to lead as Grand Marshal, and which was broken up by police) they WILL continue to fight for LGBTI equality. That was, and is, the true essence of Pride, and I hope we never forget that. ■
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Health
Study shows visits by nurses help reduce premature deaths in childbirth The University of Rochester and Nurse-Family Partnership announced a JAMA Pediatrics-published study showing visits by nurses to the homes of at-risk moms help reduce premature death of both mothers and their first born children. The study is available at http:// archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.472. The results outlined in the study further what we already know – home visitation programs have long lasting positive results for new parents, babies and the entire community. An infographic is also included, outlining other benefits of home visitation programs. United Way of Greater Rochester provides the majority of funding for local parenting and home visitation programs in Rochester ($1.65M annually; $355K to the Nurse-Family Partnership program.) Since 2006 United Way has provided $2.6M in funding to NFP alone. United Way says, “We are very proud to be a partner in this work and will continue our focus on strategic investments like Nurse Family Partnership that are proven to improve the lives of local people.”
CDC says tobacco causes serious problems for HIV positive people The CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers Campaign marks a historic partnership between the CDC’s tobacco and HIV divisions to spread the news about the synergistic bad effects of smoking while HIV+. CDC has been hosting national webinars with all of their tobacco grantees, all of their HIV grantees, and directly with HIV community based organizations to highlight the new Tips From Former Smokers ad featuring Brian, a gay HIV+ man who suffered a stroke from smoking. On the webinars CDC’s Dr. John T. Brooks, a medical epidemiologist in their Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention explains how we now understand that HIV and smoking both exacerbate each other. “Even when your HIV is well managed, there’s still a level of chronic inflammation. This HIV-related inflammation is a risk for many of the same health problems that smoking causes. When a person has HIV and smokes, emerging data suggest there is a combined negative effect.” According to Dr. Brooks “If a person’s HIV is under control, the risk of smoking remains and becomes a greater and often leading preventable risk for illness and death.” In 2009, an estimated 42 percent of HIV+ individuals smoked, compared with
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014 20 percent of the general population. CDC has also partnered with the American Academy of HIV Medicine to promote the new ad. The Academy will be running a series of articles on the campaign and offering special posters promoting the ad to their membership. Dr. Tim McAfee, the head of CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health, stated “We’re especially concerned with how people with HIV overlap with the LGBT communities, another population we know smokes at much higher rates than the general public.” Dr. Scout, the Director of CenterLink’s Network for LGBT Health Equity, is especially pleased with the media investment accompanying the ad campaign. “Three years ago CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers Campaign created one little rainbow ad. Last year they created a print ad featuring two lesbians. This year we see them not only creating this new ad featuring an HIV+ gay man, but also buying placement for it in dozens of LGBT specific regional and national media outlets.” The new Tips campaign features Brian, a gay HIV-positive spokesperson who suffered a stroke as a result of complications from having HIV and smoking. In the video Brian talks about his experience rebounding from advanced HIV infection, how despite successfully controlling his HIV he continued to be a smoker, and how he went on to develop a stroke that required surgery on an artery in his neck. “It took a stroke for me to actually stop smoking,” said Brian, “smoking is something that you do have control over. You can stop. And it’s worth your life to stop smoking.” The video educates people that smoking with HIV increases the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, information on the CDC’s Tips website states that HIV-positive smokers are more likely to develop HIV-related infections than a nonsmoker with HIV; including thrush and Pneumocystis pneumonia, a dangerous lung infection. The print ads will run for the next seven weeks as part of the larger Tips From Former Smokers campaign. Digital versions of the ad in English and Spanish as well as social media buttons featuring Brian are downloadable from the CDC website. Dr. Brooks noted that there appear to be no major drug interactions between medications for HIV and smoking cessation that would limit using cessation medications in most HIV-infected smokers. The ads urge smokers to talk to their doctors or call 1-800-QUITNOW for more information on how to quit. The Network for LGBT Health Equity has been working with quitlines to ensure staff serving many of the states in the country are trained in LGBT cultural competency. “Again, that’s all through CDC funding,” says Dr. Scout. “Many people in my communities don’t trust that they will be welcome when they call quitlines, but CDC is making a demonstrated effort on many fronts to eliminate our smoking disparity.” Concludes Dr. Scout: “These new Tips ads speak to vitally important information
that HIV-positive tobacco smokers need to hear; that once your HIV is under control, the next greatest threat to your health has a cure.”
Us TOO and prostate cancer: local events Several events are coming up this month and in September that will be of interest to men who are concerned about prostate cancer. August 16--17 (9am-6pm): The 2014 Kwik Fill Rochester International Air Show at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Tickets are required and the cost range is $20-50. Proceeds-in-part will benefit the Camp Good Days Prostate Cancer Program. For tickets and more information, visit: www.kwikfillairshow. com or call (585) 348-8075. August 23 - 24 [Free] A Summer Retreat! - For the first time ever, men diagnosed with prostate cancer from the tri-state region are invited to enjoy a twoday summer retreat sponsored by Camp Good Days & Special Times and Us TOO Rochester NY. All meals and comfortable overnight accommodations in cabins with indoor plumbing are provided at no cost. This is a great opportunity for survivors to get away from daily obligations or chores and enjoy the company of like-minded others. The retreat takes place at the 13-acre recreational site for Camp Good Days located in the middle of wine-country on beautiful Keuka Lake in Branchport NY. Plan to attend one or both days and enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, ropes course, educational discussions and much, much more. Advance registration is required. Register online or get more information now, at: www. campgooddays.org or call (585) 624-5555 and ask about the prostate cancer retreat. September 6 (8am-2pm): [Free] Cars for Cancer ~ It’s a Guy Thing! - In recognition of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Us TOO Rochester NY, East Coast Hot Rod and the DiMarco Group invite the general public to witness a grand collection of 200-400 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles where important information about many aspects of prostate cancer and men’s health will be available, and a no-cost PSA-screening clinic identified. Major health agencies and pharmaceutical organizations are invited to register and provide exhibits [setup by 10:30a]. Car registrations begin at 8 a.m., the health fair starts at 11 a.m. This event takes place in the parking lot of BayTowne Plaza, 1900 Empire Blvd. in Penfield/ Webster. Judging (by celebrity judges!) begins at noon; awards and prizes at 2 p.m. For more information or to request an information table, visit: www.baytownecarshow.com or call (585) 787-4011, and ask for Patrick. September ONLY: [Free] Prostate Cancer Screening! - At last, a community wide PSA screening clinic in Rochester at no cost to participants! Prostate cancer may be curable, but ONLY if detected early. Men concerned about prostate cancer, especially those in categories of greater risk or ‘watchful waiting’, are encouraged to be tested. The Prostate Conditions Education Council and the Pints for Prostates organization sponsor this event and the screenings will take place only at participating clinics [Center for Urology & URMC Urology] and only during selected weeks of September. Medical insurance is not required but advance registration is necessary. For appointments, visit: www. prostateconditions.org or call: (303) 9992574, and ask for Renee. About prostate cancer In 2014, the National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 233,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States and an estimated 29,480 men will die of this disease. According to the New York State Department of Health, approximately 13,360 men are currently diagnosed with prostate cancer in Rochester and eight surrounding counties of the Finger Lakes region. These men are our family and friends, taxpayers and consumers. Many are mili-
tary veterans. All deserve our time and knowledge, and can benefit by our support. While prostate cancer is curable if detected early, there are often no symptoms and since 2012 the United States Prevention Services Task Force recommends against routine testing. Since the USPSTF decision, some urologists indicate a rise in the number of men showing advanced disease at the time of initial diagnosis. Yet access to unbiased information that helps men make fully informed decisions regarding their health is limited at best and support groups for prostate cancer survivors are few. For these reasons, men need to be more involved in their prostate health especially men in categories of greater risk including those in ‘watchful waiting’. When diagnosed, medical providers often do not have the time or cannot make the time to discuss pathology implications in detail, let alone identify the surgical, radiation or drug treatment options best suited to a patient and the possible outcomes of each. A majority of men diagnosed with prostate cancer look to the Internet as their trusted resource overlooking the fact websites often project an organization’s own best interest. That’s why Us TOO International and affiliate chapters like Us TOO Rochester NY are so important. These organizations want to increase public awareness about the changing landscape of prostate cancer ~ especially early detection and current treatment options. US TOO ROCHESTER NY is an affiliate chapter of Us TOO International, the country’s only nonprofit 501c3 prostate cancer support organization founded by survivors, for survivors. The Rochester chapter reaches out to patients and providers from urology centers across Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region to provide support, education and awareness for those affected by prostate cancer. Chapter members attend meetings, staff information tables at neighborhood health fairs, and provide peer mentoring for men distraught over a recent diagnosis. Monthly meetings are open to the general public; and life partners, family members and students are encouraged to attend. Medical providers or subject matter experts who share their knowledge to keep men informed facilitate meetings. No one is too young, or too old, to attend. Attendees always learn something they didn’t know before. These monthly seminars are now part of the Camp Good Days Prostate Cancer Program and provide life-saving information at no cost to men newly diagnosed and those whose cancer has metastasized. Chapter meetings take place at Camp Good Days Headquarters, 1332 Pittsford-Mendon Road in Mendon NY. Here, men get answers to questions they didn’t even know to ask while providers, oncologists and pharmaceutical representatives get quality time with their patients and consumers. Today, there are more than 300 Us TOO chapters worldwide giving prostate cancer survivors access to unbiased information that allows members to make fully informed decisions about their prostate health. One way readers can show support for those affected by prostate cancer in WNY is by attending these local events: Who may be at greater risk for prostate cancer? • Caucasian men over age 50 [including trans~women], • African American men over age 45 [including trans~women], • Men with a family history of the disease, • Men taking testosterone supplements, and • Military veterans exposed to Agent Orange [esp. Vietnam Veterans]. For more information about Us TOO Rochester NY, call (585) 787-4011 or visit www.sites.google.com/site/ ustoorochesterny Patrick Fisher is Chapter Leader of ‘Us TOO Rochester NY’. He is a prostate cancer survivor and Vietnam era veteran living in Penfield NY. ■
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
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Making the Scene
DRAG AUCTION 2: The second Drag Auction took place June 26 at South Wedge Wines and Spirits, to benefit the Gay Alliance. Shown are auctioneers Judson Stylez and Gloria Schaft. Photo: Jill Frier
DRAG BRUNCH: The Frog Pond on Park Avenue kicked off Pride Week with a Drag Brunch Sunday, July 13, featuring the inimitable wit of Poison Waters the unsurpassed energy of the lovely Lady Dee, and the elegant beauty of Vivian Darling. Photos: Jill Frier
Poison Waters
Lady Dee.
Vivian Darling.
O’BRIEN VISITS OPEN ARMS: Sen. Ted O’Brien joined Open Arms MCC in worship on June 22. During the coffee social he chatted with those in attendance. L-R: Jeff Myers (Moderator), Sen. O’Brien, JoAnne Metzler (office coordinator), Terry Kelly (Clerk), Deb Krusemark (Board member), Jerry Murphy (Board Member).
GRAND RE-OPENING
of the David Bohnett Cyber Center August 18, 2014, 5:30-7:30pm Opening Reception with members of the Gay Alliance Staff and Board. Gay Alliance Lounge Auditorium Theatre Center 875 E. Main St., 5th floor
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
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JASON KLAUM, STYLIST 585.732.7676 90 Canal Street, Suite 308 Rochester 14608
Come to History’s Hometown Stay at a charming B&B just 2 blocks from Downtown Auburn Enjoy theater, music, art, shopping, wine, history and fine dining
Tuxill House 5 Tuxill Square, Auburn 315 / 252-0055 www.tuxillhouse.com www.tourcayuga.com
Only 1 short hour from Rochester
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
PFLAG MEETS
3RD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH
(585) 880-1184
Located in Village Gate Square right next to Outlandish!
HOURS
Wednesday–Thursday 1-6pm Friday–Saturday 1-8pm Sunday 1-6pm
Meetings are at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church 707 E. Main St., Rochester, NY 14605 from 1 to 3pm. Questions? Call: 585-813-5081 RochesterPFLAG@gmail.com Join us!
766 S. Clinton Ave. 585-530-3371 M-F 10-7 Sat. 10-5
Celebrating 12 years helping people make diet choices for their dogs and cats info@naturalpetfoodscompany.com • www.naturalpetfoodscompany.com
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
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Shoulders to Stand On Trans* history part I By Evelyn Bailey The history of transgender stretches back to the beginning of time, in all parts of the globe -- the Far East, the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Africa, the Greek and Roman Empires, Europe and the Americas, where some Native nations, such as the Navajo (Dineh), have long believed there are four genders. In many ways there is nothing new about the gender variant identities of men and women in the 21st century. Records dating back as early as 1503 BCE (Before Common Era) document transgender or transvestite royalty. The Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut ascends the throne, the second Egyptian queen to rule (the first was Queen Sobekneferu of the 12th Dynasty). Learning from the disfavor shown to her predecessor, Hatshepsut dons male clothing and a false beard signifying kingship, and reigns until 1482 BCE, sending explorers down the east coast of Africa and building a magnificent temple-tomb at Deir al-Bahri, still visited today. She has one daughter, Neferure, who she grooms as successor (male clothing, false beard and all), but Neferure does not live into adulthood. In the seventh century BCE, King Ashurbanipal (Sardanapalus) of Assyria spent a great deal of time in women’s clothing, something that was later used to justify overthrowing him. Between the 6th and 1st centuries BCE, in the Greek Hippocratic Corpus (collection of medical texts), physicians propose that both parents secrete male or female “bodies” and that if the father’s secretion is female (rather than male) and the mother’s is male, the result would either be a “man-woman” (effeminate male) or a “mannish” female. No documentation has been found to determine if this is an attempt to classify homosexuality or bisexuality or an indication of some familiarity with intersex conditions. In ancient Rome, circa 60 CE (Common Era), Emperor Nero reportedly has a young slave boy, Sporus, castrated (eunuching, in early times, was believed to be the primary mechanism of gender change -“eunuchs” ranged in form from males whose testicles had been removed to those also given a total penectomy), and takes him as a wife in a legal public ceremony. Sporus is from then on clothed as an Empress, and accompanies Nero as such. Some eunuchs may have been what we would think of as trans, while some were castrated unwillingly. In 218 CE, the Roman Emperor Elgabalus (or Heliogabalus), becomes known for wearing makeup, eccentric habits, behaving as a prostitute, and numerous bisexual escapades. He reportedly offers a large reward to any physician who can give him female genitalia, a reward which is apparently never collected (although this may be myth). Phrygian worshippers of the goddess Cybele would choose their gender and cut off their genitalia. They would run through the streets in a religious frenzy and throw their genitalia away. After being nursed back to health, the Phrygian transsexuals were dressed in female clothing and assumed female names and gender roles. A practice much like this has survived into the 20th century in India among a sect called the Hijras. After undergoing a form of Sexual Reassignment, they are recognized as true females or most recently as a third gender, made legal by the Indian government. Hijras are looked down upon by patriarchal Hindu society -- yet are also believed to be capable of giving blessings. The only surviving legal records from the 14th century which mention samesex intercourse and/or cross-dressing were those of John Rykener, known also as Johannes Richer and Eleanor, a transvestite prostitute working mainly in London (near Cheapside), who was arrested in 1395 for cross-dressing and interrogated. Rulers of nations such as King Henry
III of France, in 1577, frequently crossdressed and, while dressed as a woman, was referred to as her majesty by his courtiers. Even his male clothes were considered outrageous despite the flamboyant standards of 16th-century France. Nzinga, King of Angola from 1624 - 1653, crossdressed and led several successful military battles against the Portuguese. Queen Christina of Sweden (often considered bisexual) in 1654 abdicated the throne, dressed in men’s clothing and renamed herself Count Dohna. Greta Garbo played her in a famous film of the ‘30s. During the 18th century “molly houses” provided a space for the English gay community to meet, carouse and relate to one another. “Mollies” were men who often cross-dressed and developed their own queer culture. Many prominent historical personages were possibly transgender. The memoirs of MTF transsexual Abbe Francois Timoleon de Choisy, who attended a Papal inaugural ball in female dress in 1676, offer the first written testimony of cross-dressing. Chevalier D’Eon, born Charles d’Eon, was a famous French spy/ambassador who was born male but lived a significant part of his/her life as a woman. The Chevalier’s birth sex was a hotly debated question. Female to male transvestites, some of whom were quite possibly transgender, joined Nelson’s Navy, and were only discovered when they were flogged. They were never punished when they were discovered and often went on stage and became celebrities, wowing audiences backed by an all singing and all dancing group of cross-dressed transvestite tars. Mary Lacy, known as William Chandler, who served on the Sandwich as a carpenter, is one of the most famous, as he wrote a biography. Others include William Brown who served on the Queen Charlotte until being outed by a newspaper in 1815, and Alice Snell aka James Gray, who served as a navy marine until 1750. In England, the first openly lesbian and transgendered person, Charlotte Clarke, comes out by publishing A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Clarke (Youngest Daughter of Colley Cibber, Esq.) in 1755. In the autobiography, Clarke, a flamboyant cross-dressing actress during a time in which male impersonation was a popular form of entertainment (even if still very much taboo), relates many scandalous things, including her relationship with her “wife,” “Mrs. Brown.” The most famous trans person of the 18th century, French diplomat Chevalier Éon de Beaumont, lived the first half of her life as a man and the second as a woman. Charles de Beaumont, Knight of Eon, 1728-1810, was a secret French agent, went to Russia on a secret mission for Louis XV, and was lady companion to the Empress Elisabeth. She fought in the Seven Years war, and was later secretary to the French ambassador to London. On her return to France (1777) Eon was ordered to dress permanently as a woman, which she did until her death. In the 1800s, an ancient Transsexual (Transgenderist) custom was discovered in the Balkans. It seems that, from the most ancient times, it was possible for women to become men, legally and socially. When a male heir was not available, the law allowed a woman from the family to legally become a male to preserve the family’s land. All the female had to do was swear to remain a virgin. From that moment she was expected to act and dress like a man. In return, she was granted male privileges and treated like a man. The 19th century saw the first woman, George Sand, born Amandine-AuroreLucile Dupin, an accomplished French romantic writer, in modern European history to frequently wear men’s clothes, shocking her contemporaries. She was not, apparently, transgender or lesbian. Of
course today with the change in women’s fashion, cross-dressing in male attire for women no longer exists, and drag kings, genderqueer people and transmen simply wear their own male clothing. In 1867 Karl-Heinrich Ulrichs (who relates in his memoirs that as a child, he wore girls’ clothing, wanted to be a girl and most enjoyed playing with other girls) becomes the first “Uranian” (he refers to “Urning” as a male who desires men, and “Dioning” as a male who is attracted to women; it is not until two years later that Karl-Maria Kertbeny coins the word “homosexual”) to speak out publicly in defense of GLBT causes. Late in the 19th century, Eugene Schuyler visits Turkestan and observes, “here boys and youths specially trained take the place of the dancing-girls of other countries.” The Bacchá are androgynous or cross-dressing Turkish underclass boys, trained in erotic dance, but also available as prostitutes. This tradition continues until around or shortly after WWI. During the 19th century in England, “madhouses” and asylums were established for those who were identified as “unstable,” which included those whose behavior and/ or actions were not considered appropriate for binary men and women. Often gender variant people of means could live without help from public assistance. Those who could not were kept behind closed doors so as not to disturb the citizenry. Next month we will pick up the history from here and bring it into current day. Shoulders to Stand On recognizes the courage of these early pioneers who dared to live openly.
August Prides/Festivals Gay Pride marches and LGBTQ festivals are held in every month of the year somewhere in the world. Here are some to take note of for August: England, Brighton: Aug. 2 Brighton Gay Pride Spain, Barcelona: Aug. 2-12 Atlantis All Gay Med Cruise Canada, Toronto: Aug. 3-10 Leather Pride Weekend Iceland, Reykjavik: Aug. 5-10 Reykjavik Gay Pride
Ohio, Cleveland: Aug. 9-16 2014 Gay Games New York, NY: Aug. 15-17 Ascension Fire Island Germany, Munich: Aug. 16 Schwules Strassenfest Mass., Provincetown: Aug. 16-22 Carnival Canada, Calgary: Aug. 22-Sept. 1 Calgary Gay Pride Denmark, Copenhagen: Aug. 26-31 Gay Pride Copenhagen We truly are everywhere – be Proud, Be Visible, BE WHO YOU ARE!
Partners Advocating for Community Change comes to the rescue By Evelyn Bailey, 2014 Pride Picnic CoChair About five weeks ago I was thrust into Co-Chairing the 2014 Pride Picnic. Volunteers were slow in coming especially to do Parking. I asked Kim Smith if she would consider volunteering again this year and also asked if she knew of anyone who could help her. WHAT AN AMAZING RESPONSE – Kim asked how many people I needed, I said about 20. Kim said I can get 20 volunteers, AND SHE DID! Her volunteers come from the board of an organization Kim began six months ago. Partners Advocating for Community Change (PACC) promotes the concept that each community and individual has strengths that are often under-utilized. In recognizing these strengths we have the ability to decrease social determinants and create a paradigm shift. PACC’s mission is to combat the social, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence health disparities among vulnerable populations within the greater Rochester region. Helping out with Parking at the 2014 Pride Picnic seems to fulfill this mission by providing positive social patterns of behavior and positive environmental influences. For this 2014 Pride Picnic Co-Chair, PACC certainly came through for the LGBT community and personally for me. Thank you. You can also thank them on Facebook. ■
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
Columnists The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet.
Growing Up SATISFACTION By Eric Bellmann One morning towards the end of an eight-day visit to New York for Gay Pride and the Fourth of July, I stood outside a Starbucks in Chelsea, happy of course to be in gay Mecca and I noticed a handsome man ready to cross 8th Avenue. I scanned him as one does and stoped cold when I looked at his shoes. Wonderful blue sneakers. I wanted those shoes. If only I had those shoes, I would be happy. I’d be like him: perfect. Amazing how fast one can sink into this kind of selfjudgement. And it happens all the time, sometimes unconsciously, sometimes with lights flashing and sirens blaring. I hadn’t even realized I was dissatisfied with myself! I suppose the seeds for this habitbehavior were planted in childhood or early adolescence when I realized I was not like other boys. I didn’t trust myself to be myself; how could I? There were no gay role models, no media icons the way there are today. I looked at other kids for clues on how to dress and behave. Once it was intended to mask the queer me. Over time the goal changed. It became a search for the gay norm, tribal identity. Whatever. It’s proved to be tiring and tiresome, totally worthless and largely unpleasant. I grew up with an attitude of less than, not good enough. Not athletic, not sexy, not smart enough, the list is endless. I don’t think the gay culture I found as a young man was very kind. It was not inclusive. Everything was judged. How you looked, the neighborhood you lived in, what you owned, who your friends were, the size of your dick. Admittedly it was a young culture and materialism made a kind of sense. It provided status, implied security. The beginning of the wake up was realizing an essential phoniness of a lot of gay culture way back once upon a time. Realization came slowly and not without considerable cost. Ultimately I got lucky. I had a long stretch of time when I distanced myself from gay society. I didn’t go to bars, drifted away from the few gay people I knew. I got absorbed with alternate life styles, for lack of a better term. An art career, a spiritual discipline, travel. All of those gave me time and space to grow, to figure out who I was, what my real interests were. There was a lot of therapy, too. I remember once at a conference a gay colleague looked at the shoes I was wearing. They were really quite cool, I thought. Sandals with cut-out designs of different colored shapes of leather. Actually they were the kind of shoes cool black men wore. This guy said, “No self respecting gay man would wear those.” This, by the way, was a man I called my friend. He was embarrassed. I have a hunch he carried a bit of shame about himself tucked deep inside. Well, not that deep. He, by the way, could not face the world without a baseball cap, 401 Levis, a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up just so. An acceptable uniform. Gay drag. Largely I’m OK with who I am. Yet when I find myself in an all-of-a-sudden state of discontent, I reflect why I’ve done that to myself. Lately I’m more interested in the “how” of getting into that state and the “how” of getting out of it.
I can start with wondering what I want. Is there something missing that will make me happy? Forget all that; it’s an endless unhappy quest. Nothing ever is enough. The fact of the matter is that wanting is the problem. When I am wanting something I am in fact ignoring what I have. The trick is to quickly inventory the pleasures and delights of the present moment, which actually is all I have. I can enjoy the birds feeding outside my kitchen window. I can then forget about the phone call or email I am waiting for, the phone call that hasn’t come, may never come, that by its absence confirms my baseless fears of unworthiness. I can drift from the bird feeder and watch the leaves ripple in the wind, the slowly moving clouds in the sky. I learned in meditation to be grateful for red lights, stop signs. They provide a chance to look at the horizon, enjoy the sunshine, and breathe in slowly, to live in reality, not in a state of mind crammed full of speculations and anxieties. Wanting, or craving is poisonous, just a list of what’s missing, what is thought to be needed, necessary and it ignores what is present, what is real in the moment. Being conscious of breathing in and breathing out turns out to be the way to experience life, to pull myself away from wanting, to enjoy the present moment. I cannot tell you how hard that was to learn and how very worthwhile. Email: ericlbellmann @gmail.com
Cleaning My Closet ARCHIVES By Meredith Elizabeth Reiniger I am in possession of two 1956 spit balls. I had noted, in my sprawling, globular cursive, the spitters: Mickey and Steve. I
also have mildew. About the mildew: First question I might ask myself is why would anyone store three paper scrapbooks in a 1934 basement? (lack of foresight). For 14 years. (failure to apply principles of science.) The same answer to why I would think that I could have my art studio in my 1834 basement: I forget. Which question should I pursue next: where, what, or why. Even: what next... ah ha, column fodder. The WHERE. I am familiar with cellars. I have experiences with seven. I know that my father built his world class HO gauge model railroad, the Effluvia & O’Western, in our 200 year old, crawlspace-only house that required hundreds of friend-hours to dig out old (1750 earth that probably had artifacts, overlooked), very old dirt to create a cellar so that my 6 ft. 2 in. father could stand up and play trains with his fellow enthusiasts. The caboose never smelled like mildew. The WHAT. I have three bulging memory-jogging books filled with scraps from my early life. Paper Stuff: having a wonderful time! postcards; cards like “My first love valentine. From James Edward Carey Jr.”; letters on old timey stationery, all connecting me to people who cared about me; my report cards, proof of a less than straight A student, despite mommy’s bragging; certificates that track my many and lots of activities; programs and playbills charting my social life; scripts we kids wrote, very funny and exceedingly witty we thought;
name tags we designed, deemed clever. Now of some historical interest. I imagine young people of this century create personal histories, stored in clouds and bytes and thumb drives. There are five-year-old story keepers, technologically adept, who produce clever, enhanced slide shows. And design narrated videos with sound-tracks, animation, and fancy twirling, fading, bleeding stuff. Ah ha, but do contemporary people have the actual Things? Do they have three-dimensional, hold-it-inyour-hands objects? I think not. Consider this. In my by-gone-days, I (an undercover gay girl) saved corsages. Properly labeled to remember always!!! the boy!!-giver’s name, date and details. It was an era when we adolescents selected suggestive songs… Misty; Moon River; Crimson and Clover… for our dances and their décor (we spent hours after school twisting crepe paper swags and fluffing Kleenex flowers. And laughing). I, fervent recorder of events, added the brief and always the same summary: “I had a BALL !!” (It seems that my adolescent writing gene required frequently employed, serial exclamation points!!!! What was I thinking?!!!) Fifty-eight years later, I still have my collection of wax paper bundles encasing brown and be-ribboned decayed vegetation. (I now realize that the proliferation of dead carnations is indicative of my dates’ finances, not botanical preferences.) Today I can, with sweet delight, clutch my then-stylish wrist-corsages to my heart. Does that count for anything? Other last-century artifacts, faithfully tagged: Bazooka bubble gum and a razor blade, original wrappers; 16 inch wooden stick from a giant lollipop; “the wire from first sparkler I ever had 1956”; “FAT toothpick that I found in the pack (for people with big mouths) 1957”; “Piece of wood my father gave me. Very thin. 1957. (the wood)” and five sugar cube wrappers (only) that my big sister brought back
from her 1956 honeymoon. There’s more. Travelers brought back souvenirs for cute little Merry. Things easy to send through the mail and easy for collector-me to scotch-tape into my big, red leatherette book: “The Beginning of Memories.” Free stuff, more fitting for our economic reality… toothpicks wearing green cellophane curls; logo-printed cocktails napkins and paper coasters from Hotel Rochester, Buffalo Hotel, Mark Twain Hotel, and other notpreserved, long-gone buildings. Every memento pleased me because each was a storable thinking-of-you. Now those gifts help me remember them, my longgone persons. While under construction, my collection was a celebration of the present. My hobby was an engaging activity for me. I was gladly alone. Peaceful in my room late at night when the house was silent and the sleeping others would not interrupt their artist in residence. I could not have guessed that many decades later I would appreciate archives from my postWWII childhood. I am glad I saved examples of my teachers’ kindnesses. “Piece of glass Mr. Granite Gen. Ed. Teacher gave me. 1957.” A thank you note from Mrs. Stein who brought her miniature collie to class whenever she read a Lassie book to us. I kept my 8th grade Valentine sticker. Duly noted: “Mrs. Barker my homeroom teacher passed these out to us.” It shows a little boy (1958 sexism). Written in the clouds: luv. (Spelling assures recipient understands it signifies merely a friendly greeting, not a LOVE love. To represent “you” the boy holds a horseshoe [which I recognized from my Dale Evans fan-ship period). Also on that page, a rotted rubber band. Label: “I had my hair cut. My last rubber band. February 15, 1958. ” I remember that I, close to fourteen, wanted to give up my little-girl ponytail that was bigger than Buttermilk’s tail.
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET Some artifacts elicit heart-stored movies. The trigger: Yellowed tape holding my 1951 Rochester Savings Bank deposit ticket. Under it, my caption: “Some mean kids walked by my desk and made fun of my printing. They hurt my feelings.” Even today I can see second grade me, at my tiny desk, arduously printing all fifteen letters of my name in large, rambling letters. I can see beautiful Mr. Marino at his big desk. Even today I can hear my teacher gently coax me to bring up my deposit slip. Head down, I did. When he returned our deposit slips, on the back of mine, there was a smiley face. He had written a note: “Merry, your handwriting is fine. Smile! Mr. Marino.” Today my Inner Child lets fall new tears. From ancient humiliation. And Mr. Marino’s warmth. Ah. I have found the treasures. While some of my memory has harbored wrongs, some of my artifacts have sheltered affections. From my mother, an apology. 1956. “I was helping mom in the kitchen…” Yes, at the stove as we prepared “Swiss steak” which was really a cheap cut of beef beaten, literally, with a wooden mallet until it resembled real steak. “... and some fat splashed on my face (over my eye).” Today I run my fingers over the purple crayoned heart: K.P. Exploding FAT. “So mom made me a purple heart.” I wore it at the dinner table. “I wore it to school.” From our father. For big sister and me. 1952. A purple construction paper sign. HAPPY NEW YEAR spelled out in green and orange dots. Caption: “Daddy made this!” Yes, Daddy made 149 tiny dots with a paper punch. I can see him in his cellar, bent over his workbench, late at night (his favorite quiet time), tweezers in hand, patiently gluing his love note. That’s it. The gift I gave to my future self. My scrapbook has captured forgotten moments of tenderness. MeredithElizabethReiniger@gmail.com
Faith Matters IN 2014 STILL NOT INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR WOMEN By Rev. Irene Monroe Last month we celebrated the Fourth of July with rounds of festivities marking America’s 238 years of independence. People sang the “Star Spangled Banner” or recited the Pledge of Allegiance or reenacted the Continental Congress of 1776; or simply watched reproductions of the “rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air.” All of this and more was done on a grander and highly commercialized scale to show us, and the world, our mettle since 9/11. All this as our American troops continue to soldier on. But despite America’s need to showcase her indomitable spirit of heroism, this July 4th celebration arrived mired by the two recent Supreme Court rulings —both highlighting a “war against women.” The first salvo was the decision rendered in the “McCullen v. Coakley” case. The Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law that a 35-feet fixed abortion buffer zone violates protestors’ First Amendment Right of free speech. But Massachusetts’ 2007 abortion buffer zone law was simply to protect the reproductive rights of women headed toward clinics without the interference, intimidation, false medical counseling, judgment, violence or physical confrontation from zealous and self-righteous pro-lifers known as “street counselors.” “The hypocrisy, mean-spiritedness and insult to women exhibited by the
U.S. Supreme Court are what we would have expected during Reagan’s tenure. I woke up with nightmares of being back in front of the reproductive health care clinics to literally keep them open by putting our bodies/lives on the line,” stated Toni K. Troop, Director of Communications at Jane Doe Inc. The even bigger shocker for us women advocates like Troop was the position the women on the Court took. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Breyer, and Ginsburg voted down the law along with their six brethren, with Ginsburg stating -- what would have been best served as a dissenting vote than voice -- that one “doesn’t know in advance who are the well-behaved people and who are the people who won’t behave well.” The second blow was the decision rendered in the “Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.” case. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that family-owned corporations citing religious objection could now opt out of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act requiring employers to cover certain contraceptives for women. These two Supreme Court decisions are game-changers in the worst way, harkening back to antiquated laws and misogynistic beliefs that women do not have a right to decide what to do with their bodies, and our “biology is destiny.” Sadly, little is understood about the harsh reality of domestic violence and unwanted pregnancy women confront when access to contraceptives is prohibited. “I woke up worrying about the rape survivor who needs access to emergency contraception, an abortion or HIV and STD testing. I woke up angered that the reproductive health of all of us – LGBQ/T, straight, cis-gender – is not valued and our rights not ensured,” Troop continued to tell me. Citing religious freedom has become a catch-phrase to discriminate in our
23 present-day culture wars concerning reproductive justice, marriage equality, immigration reform, and the yearly kerfuffle from the Right’s continuing claim of a “war on Christmas,” to name a few. For example, Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly talked up boycotts of retailers like Walmart and Target for not using the words “Merry Christmas.” And as a matter of fact, a customer looking to purchase Hanukkah items at one of the Hobby Lobby stores in New Jersey was told, “We don’t cater to you people.” While some gay males rejoiced in thinking the two recent Supreme Court decisions do not encroach on our community, they do — the women in our lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. However, this is not the first time America’s Independence Day celebration has overlooked a sector of its population. I am reminded, for example, of the African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ (1818-1895) historic speech, “What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July?” In it he stated to a country in the throes of slavery, “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence... I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us... This Fourth of July is yours, not mine.” One of our most famous American heroes is Patrick Henry, who we all know for his famous final words, “Give me liberty or give me death,” in his speech on March 23, 1775, in which he explained how he views himself as the “other.” “No man thinks highly than I do of patriotism... but different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs.” As the “rockets’ red glare and bombs
24 burst in the air” this July 4th, American women still did not have the unfettered right to decide what to do with their bodies -- a very American core value inextricably linked to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Trans*missions CONTROLLING OUR NARRATIVES By Laine DeLaney I have a new message that I’m going to repeat until everyone is tired of hearing it. I’m also going to repeat it after everyone is tired of hearing it, because it is something that has become obvious to me and has been ringing through my mind for a while now. Trans* people need to start controlling their own narratives. For the longest time, the people who presented trans* narratives in popular culture fell among those who were hostile, or bigoted, didn’t try to understand, or wanted a convenient and socially acceptable scapegoat for whatever story they were presenting. More often than not what was presented was a deceptive, conniving, or psychopathic individual, manipulating and fooling those around them. Occasionally a sympathetic story would surface in the media, but it was always through a cisgender lens. Over the last ten years or so, allies have been presenting trans* narratives. Documentaries such as Trans and more recently Just Gender, and movies such as TransAmerica were made by sympathetic individuals who may have had some experience with transgender people. The problem is that the narratives that they have chosen to use to represent trans* people are an outsider view. The stories are the ones about trans* people that they know and are comfortable with, rife with stereotypes and tropes that, while accurate for a portion of the population, do not represent all or even most of the stories of those in the trans* community. We have the power to present our own stories and our own narratives. The stereotypes that cisgender people tend to present are the ones that they prefer because they are easily accessible, culturally acceptable, and visually pleasing to them. They are often simplified and made predictable. The stories that end up on the cutting room floor are the ones that most deeply challenge the binary, include complexities that make people uncomfortable, and challenge audiences. These are the stories that need to be presented. These are the voices that need to be heard. These stories are the majority, and even the ones that are presented as stereotypes are often altered or streamlined to make
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014 them “more approachable” or “easier to understand”. Until we start presenting our own narratives rather than allowing cisgender people to pick and choose which ones are shared, people will continue to experience confusion about themselves. Until more of us come forward and tell our own stories, there will be kids out there watching television and movies and absorbing popular culture who will be whispering to themselves, “That isn’t me. That isn’t me. That isn’t me. But I know that something isn’t right.” They will continue to wonder if they are “just gay” or if they are abnormal because they don’t fit the culturally approved stereotypes of trans* people. Cisgender people will continue to be confused when a trans woman prefers boots to heels, when a trans man likes glitter, and when non-binary folks are visible at all. That’s why trans* people need to grasp a hold of the creative process as much as possible when it concerns telling our stories and presenting our realities to the public. We need to inject ourselves into media consultation and focus groups and advocacy organizations. We need to write our own articles and books, and make our own documentaries and movies. The polished stereotypes that our society has developed and that so many are comfortable with have opened the way for dialogue, but it’s time that we steer the dialogue toward reality.
What’s Bothering Brandon? WHAT TO WEAR WHEN NOBODY CARES By Brandon W. Brooks As my readers may have surmised by now, I have a cherished affinity with all things noble, aristocratic and royal, especially the clothing or court attire associated with these offices. I, myself like to sport tweed threepieces during the daytimes of winter, only to move over to white-tie once Mr. Carson has rung the dinner gong. I try to stick to natural fabrics and textiles, both because they lie and wear better over time, and also because (and I do hate to be vulgar) this durability saves me money in the long run. All of our lives revolve around what we choose to wear, for some more than others. And I do want to emphasize the idea of choice in this wearing of clothing (at least in the western First World). Clothing comprises a large part of our identities, displaying and broadcasting our professions, social stati, gender (or fluidity of gender), our sense of personal
style or taste, our attitudes, or even our rebellion against the so-called “mainstream.” What we wear acts as a means of nonverbal communication, where we tell the world who we think we are, who we want to be, and what we want others to think about us. If I had my way, I would be dressed every day (by my valet) in the finest silk breeches, waistcoat and jacket the world has ever seen, but this simply would not be appropriate to our time nor my (temporary) lack of social position. As Americans we do not actually have a stratified social ranking or hierarchy of titles, peerages or hereditary styles. Had we these social denominations, we would in turn be prescribed an appropriate style of dress according to our station. In the land without monarchy, money is king; it is what primarily separates us from one another (to say nothing of race, gender or religion). Because of this lack of clear social ranking and ordering we can all wear essentially whatever we want, when we want. Enter Generation X. We now live in a time referred to by some as the “post-t-shirt-generation” where all one has to do to greet the day is (you guessed it), throw on a t-shirt. It refers to the fact that, not only have we undone rigid and sometimes debilitating dress guidelines for men and women, we have also lowered the standards of what is acceptable for “everyday wear.” I long for the days when women wore hats and gloves to every occasion, when dinning out and going to the theatre were considered occasions for which to dress up, or put on our Sunday best. We used to have entire wardrobes just for traveling, as one never knew with whom we could rub our shoulders while we were out. Travelling now, if anything, is considered an occasion to actually dress down for mere personal comfort. My grandmother often laments the young 20-somethings one can see walking all about town these days, dressed (hardly) in pajama pants and baggy graphic tees, all the while dragging their now-dirty feet in plastic, noisy flipflops. I hate to add to her horror, but many a middle-aged adult can be seen sporting the same appearance, and let me tell you, that’s quite a look indeed! We live in the age of the jumpsuit, where what we wear focuses on how comfortable one is, instead of how comfortable those witnessing our attire may
be. We live in a time where what we feel is most important, and who we are wearing is brandished on our velourcovered asses like cattle. And I hate the smell of livestock. So why did this split between style and respectability take place? I’m afraid the answer to that question could provoke more ire than sympathy in my readers, so I will leave it up to you. What is certain however is that (besides my grandmother and myself) most people are not fazed or even put off by these lapses in clothing judgment. We are no longer shocked or dismayed by the offending whale-tale of a young woman’s visible thong, or the tween girl dressed like a fille de joie with her mother of similar appearance. A glimpse of a woman’s slip or stocking, which are deemed altogether unnecessary nowadays, no longer shocks us or even prompts us to self-monitor more closely. And don’t even get me started on “dress jeans.” We no longer use the unfashionable foibles of our neighbors as warnings to our own egos, lest we commit to wearing the same atrocities. In fact, we now celebrate these God-awful digressions from decorum on social media, on websites like peopleofwalmart.com, and through newscasters placing unneeded and unwarranted attention on celebrities’ departures from propriety and basic civility in dress, instead of actual news. Do I need to mention Ukraine? I may be (again, temporarily) a lowly young professional, surfing the waves of middle-American academia on a pitiful excuse for a budget, but even I can suture together something appropriate for the occasion, whatever that might be. And no, I don’t have a hoard of mice friends to help me either. We can all agree that making that first impression is important, but what about the countless other impressions thereafter? Is this yet another symptom of the current of apathy passively rolling through our nation? Whatever the case, I think that we can also agree that we can all put forth a bit more effort, at least for the sake of others, if not for ourselves. And just to hem this article; if you haven’t got a stitch to wear then don’t bother going out tonight (Morrissey eat your well-dressed heart out). Questions, comments or critique? Please feel free to e-mail the author at: brandonb@gayalliance.org ■
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
Community Find the friends, fun, and common interests you’re looking for through the various groups listed here.
BUTCH FEMME CONNECTION; LORA KNITTING GROUP The Rochester Butch Femme Connection dinner group will have two events in August. On Saturday Aug. 9 we will meet at Bill Gray’s/Abbott’s on Culver Road in Seabreeze at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 23 we will meet at Peppermints Diner on Route 15 (West Henrietta Road) in Henrietta at 7 p.m. Any questions, call Kerry/Max at (585) 957-6627 or email DressyFemme@aol. com. The L.O.R.A. Knitting Group will resume in September 2014 after a summer hiatus. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Crossroads Coffeehouse. Email Kerry at DressyFemme@aol.com for further details.
DIGNITY-INTEGRITY D-I Rochester meets weekly at 5 p.m. at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St., corner of Broad St. We have the following services and activities for the month of August 2014: 1st Sunday: Episcopal Mass/Healing Service 2nd Sunday: Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Word, with music 3rd Sunday: Episcopal Mass 4th Sunday: Evening Prayer, followed by a Potluck Dinner 5th Sunday: NO SERVICE at church on Aug. 31. Picnic in Lima (see details in article) Our fourth Sunday Potluck theme for
August is “Farmers’ Market Fare”. With the bounty of summer readily available, we thought it would be fun to see how many great dishes we could make using ingredients from everyone’s favorite farmers’ markets or the Public Market. No time to cook? Don’t worry, there is always plenty to share so get a friend or two and join us for a great meal! August 31 is the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so we’ve got a Picnic with Liturgy planned at our friends’ home in Lima. Dignity Buffalo will be joining us as well. We’ll be gathering at 2 p.m., liturgy at 3 p.m. and a potluck picnic will follow the liturgy. All are welcome, so contact us through the website/email or call the Hotline to get further details. You can call the Hotline at 585-2345092 or check our website at www.dirochester.org/ for updates on services and activities.
GAY GAMES CLEVELAND The Gay Games are here! The Games take place Aug. 9-16 in Cleveland, Ohio -- come enjoy the events and support Team Rochester! All events scheduling can be viewed at gg9cle.com, but here are some highlights: Saturday Aug. 9, 7 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies at Quicken Arena, with Lance Bass, the Pointer Sisters and Alex Newell from GLEE. Sunday, Aug 10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Gay Rodeo. Most sports begin competition. Other events during the week include shows with Hal Sparks, Gay Cruise, White Party, Gay Choral Concert, Gay Night at the Cleveland Indians, Closing Ceremonies and many other exciting events.
Learn the history of the LGBT community in Rochester... ...from the people who made that history. The Gay Alliance invites you to celebrate 40 years of LGBT history in Rochester with your very own DVD/BluRay of this powerful film. Shoulders To Stand On Evelyn Bailey, Executive Producer Kevin Indovino, Producer/Director/Writer Standard DVD $25 / BluRay DVD $30 Order at: www.GayAlliance.org
Team Rochester shirts are still available for purchase for $29. Contact thomaso510@mac.com
OPEN ARMS MCC COMMUNITY CENTER Our Sunday Services begin at 10:30 a.m. and are followed by our coffee time and some good conversation! On Tuesday and Thursday mornings Rainbow SAGE does Yoga with instructor Tom Somerville (read the interview: “My Own Private Rochester: Tom Somerville” in the June 2014 issue of The Empty Closet) from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and there is a $5 fee to participate. Since we’re talking about Yoga , there is also Yoga class with Tom Somerville every Thursday at 6 p.m. This is a class for mixed levels and beginners are welcome. BTW BYO Mat (if possible). Cost is $15 per class. On Tuesday evenings we sponsor Coffee Chat and Game Night. Catch up with the week’s happenings and enjoy some games and good conversations! This starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes to 8 p.m. and meets at Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. Open Arms is, as our name says, inclusive, actively accepting, and welcoming of all people. Open Arms MCC & Community Center is located at 707 East Main St., almost right across from Delta Sonic. There is there is plenty of parking in front and to the side of our building. For updated information on these and other exciting upcoming events, check out our website at openarmsmcc.org. Our phone: 271-8478.
ROMANS August has always been an exciting month for ROMANS. Members of the Rochester Male Naturists join a few hundred male nudists from around the world in the annual all male nude camp organized by the Gay Naturists International (GNI NakedFest http://www.gaynaturists.org) for a 10 days 24 hours all nude experience. By living together in a cabin of 10 beds, ROMANS build special bond with one another and learn how to be a real naturist in a natural and completely clothes free environment. Some ROMANS members visited the nude beach in Toronto recently and had a pleasant day swimming in the fresh water of Lake Ontario. The nude beach is easily accessible by taking a 10 minutes ferry ride in downtown Toronto to Hanlan’s Point Beach. A short walk from the ferry pier through the beautifully maintained park leads to a stretch of sandy beach designated for clothing optional sunbathing (Friends of Toronto Islands - http://www.torontoislands.org/ index.php?option=com_content&view=a rticle&id=41)). It’s the nearest beach in the Rochester neighborhood where you can legally enjoy the sun caressing every inch of your body.
25 ROMANS is a social club for gay and gay-friendly male nudists over 21. Please check out our website at www.wnyromans.com. You can also contact the ROMANS at message line 585-281-4964, by E-mail wnyromans@yahoo.com or via regular mail at PO Box 92293, Rochester, NY 14692.
TRANS* ALLIANCE OF GREATER ROCHESTER (TAGR) We will have our regularly scheduled LAST Saturday of the month meeting, which will be Saturday, Aug. 30 from 3-5:30 p.m. We are planning to show a movie with a positive view of trans people and our lives (not easy to find and that’s not another documentary, or something campy!) We will have refreshments and we’ll be asking for at a $1.00 donation (only if you can afford it) to cover the costs of the refreshments that we all enjoy so much. We will be meeting at the Open Arms MCC Community Center at 707 East Main St., almost across the street from Delta Sonic. Please note that we will NOT have a planning meeting on Saturday, Aug. 9 because of the wedding of Raquel Acevedo-Pagan and Shauna O’Toole. Everyone at TAGR says CONGRATULATIONS! And we give them our best wishes for long and joyous life together! See you on Saturday, Aug. 30!
US TOO Us TOO Rochester NY now provides support, education and advocacy for the Camp Good Days Prostate Cancer Program. Our monthly prostate cancer education meetings are free and open to the general public. We assemble at 7 p.m. every second Thursday in the Camp Good Days Conference Hall, located at 1332 PittsfordMendon Road in Mendon 14506. For more information about Us TOO Rochester NY, visit www.sites.google.com/site/ ustoorochesterny or call (585) 787-4011 [ask for Patrick]. Additionally, the first annual twoday retreat dedicated to men diagnosed with prostate cancer [with or without treatment] takes place Aug. 23/24 at the 13-acre recreation site for Camp Good Days & Special Times, situated in the middle of wine country on Keuka Lake in Branchport. Prostate cancer survivors from across NYS can attend either day, or both days. All meals and overnight accommodations are provided at no cost. Plus: access to boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, ropes course, educational discussions, and much, much more. To register for the retreat online, go to www.campgooddays.org and follow the links for “Prostate Cancer Retreat REGISTRATION “; or call: (585) 624-5555 [Ask for James]. ■
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
The Avenue Pub 39 Year Landmark in the Gay Community
The Avenue Pub 522 Monroe Avenue 585-244-4960
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
Arts & Entertainment Laverne Cox nominated for Emmy; will guest on Bravo series
Nathan Manske
“I’m from Driftwood”: Sharing our stories By Susan Jordan Nathan Manske of I’m From Driftwood LGBT Story Project, an archive of LGBTQ firstperson stories, talked with The Empty Closet about how I’m From Driftwood was created and what he is trying to achieve. Empty Closet: How and why did the LGBT Story Archive come into being? Nathan Manske: I started I’m From Driftwood primarily to help LGBTQ youth feel not so alone. Growing up gay in Driftwood, Texas, I remember what it felt like to think I was the only gay person in the world. My family is loving and accepting, so my struggle didn’t come from them, but I also grew up on 40 acres of land with not much access to cultures that were different from what I was surrounded by. I know looking back that if I had had access to first-person stories that documented queer life, I would have known that there were others like me out there and that I was part of a larger community. EC: Why is it called “I’m From Driftwood”? NM: I was inspired by a photograph of Harvey Milk. He was riding on the hood of a car in the San Francisco Pride March and he was holding a sign that read, “I’m From Woodmere, N.Y.” The sign showed just how far people came to attend the Pride March, but it meant something more to me: It meant that there are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in every small town and every big city across America and the world. Sharing our stories and where we’re from sends a powerful message to LGBTQ folks everywhere: you are not alone. EC: What kinds of reac-
The photo of Harvey Milk that inspired Nathan.
tions has “I’m From Driftwood” received so far? NM: We have received a lot of feedback that is testament to the power of storytelling. The stories on I’m From Driftwood have saved young lives, empowered older LGBTQ folks to finally come out, and even helped change laws and policy. Just last week I found out through a report that because of the stories on I’m From Driftwood, 97 percent of survey respondents have a deeper understanding of issues facing the LGBTQ community. What’s especially impressive about that high number is that most people in the survey were LGBTQ themselves. That means that the community is so diverse, and everyone’s story is so unique, we can still learn so much about each other. What’s it like to live as a trans person? What’s it like to grow old as a queer person? What’s it like to battle sexism or racism in the LGBTQ community? There’s no better way to learn about each other, to understand each other, and to learn to care about each other, than by sharing first-person stories. “What Is I’m From Driftwood?” Video: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=97cylncqFo4 ■
On July 10, the Television Academy announced its nomination of Laverne Cox for the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for her performance in “Orange is the New Black.” “Laverne Cox is a true champion of freedom and justice for all LGBTQ people. We are very excited to join her in celebrating her well-deserved Emmy nomination. Earlier this year, Laverne gave one of the most memorable speeches at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change Conference in Houston, which left an everlasting impression on thousands of LGBT equality activists from across the nation. Laverne sometimes likes to call herself a ‘possibility model.’ We wholeheartedly agree. We look forward to more moving acting performances and more compelling activism from her for many years to come,” said Russell Roybal, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Deputy Executive Director of External Relations. Via GLAAD: GLAAD today applauded the list of nominees for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, which was among the most LGBTinclusive list in Emmy history. Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category. Cox received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sophia Burset in the hit Netflix Original Series Orange is the New Black. This year’s list of nominees also included many openly LGB actors. Matt Bomer, Joe Mantello and Jim Parsons are all nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-Series for their work in The Normal Heart. Parsons was also nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Big Bang Theory. Out comedian and actress Kate McKinnon received her first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in
Laverne Cox
27 a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. Sarah Paulson received a nomination for Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series for American Horror Story: Coven. Jesse Tyler Ferguson received another nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for playing a gay dad on Modern Family and Nathan Lane received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Modern Family. Cox talks about negative responses to her Time cover Laverne Cox’s cover on the June edition of TIME Magazine solidified the actress-cum-activist’s position as one of the country’s leading voices in the fight for trans rights. While TIME’s exposure strengthened Cox’s ability to amplify her message, the increased attention hasn’t been entirely positive for the Orange Is The New Black star. “I’ve felt it since the cover of TIME Magazine, like all of a sudden like my Twitter feed and my Instagram, there’s all this negativity,” she told BET. “I was getting Google Alerts about me [somehow being in league] with Satan.” Fame monster notwithstanding, Cox’s star is on the rise. In addition to being nominated for an outstanding guest actress Emmy, she’s producing “Free CeCe!”, a documentary chronicling the life of CeCe McDonald, a transwoman sentenced to 41 months in prison after surviving her own bashing. Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz375nfz0uh Cox to guest star on Bravo’s “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce” By Greg Hernandez on gaystarnews.com Bravo, the network best known for its Real Housewives franchise, is launching its first scripted series and has lined up Laverne Cox as a guest star. Cox, who was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, will appear in an episode of Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce which stars Lisa Edelstein as a recently divorced self-help writer. Cox will portray a character by the name of Adele Northrop who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning war journalist and LGBT advocate. Northrop will be presenting an award at a marriage equality gala. Cox tweeted photos from the Vancouver set of the show and described herself as “hav-
ing a blast”. It’s the latest success in a remarkable 12-month stretch for the trans actress who became a star through her portrayal of incarcerated trans woman Sophia Burset on the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Her fame later skyrocketed when she appeared on The Katie Couric Show and educated the host about what kinds of questions are inappropriate to ask a trans person. ■
Pandora Boxx
Follow Pandora Boxx’s online series through Vimeo On Demand People you Know welcomes Pandora Boxx and Steve Hayes to the cast in ”Moving On,” on the series website (www.peopleyouknowtheseries.com) through Vimeo On Demand service. The show follows the exploits of nine friends who are struggling to create the life they dream of, when at every turn they are pushed to the limit and run the risk of losing all they hold dear. Pandora plays Adora Jarr, a twisted bartending version of herself, who can always be counted on to sling the booze and spill the “T.” Steve joins as Patrick Carter, a legendary Broadway performer who is coming off a disastrous tour and is in serious need of distractions. Though Patrick often acts as the voice of reason in the series, he struggles to listen to his own advice. Former Rochester resident and EC contributor Pandora Boxx is best known nationally from RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she was named by Entertainment Weekly as their “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” Steve is a three-time MAC award winner best remembered for his performances in the film Trick and host of the highly popular web show Steve Hayes: Tired Old Queen at the Movies. “We’re really ambitious with the size and scope of the series,” says co-creator John Dylan DeLaTorre. “This is what has attracted such great talents to the project, like Pandora and Steve.” “There is a real demand for LGBT content and our series is fresh and features complex and compelling characters,” co-creator Baltimore Russell says. Purchase the third episode now on the series website. Individual episodes are available throughout the summer, but for those of you who don’t like waiting for episodes to come out you can binge watch season one, part one immediately. Connect with People you Know on the following social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Instagram and PyK website Link: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/16956/100240803 ■
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Jennifer Finney Boylan
Trans women share wisdom “by us, for us” By Mitch Kellaway on The Advocate “If you could write just one letter to someone who is beginning their gender transition or to your younger, pre-transition self, what would you say?” A new anthology, Letters for My Sisters: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, asked transgender women to answer this question, according to publisher Transgress Press. The result is a heartfelt collection of advice, confessions, regrets, and triumphs from 35 women — the largest number of contributors to a collection by trans women yet published. Edited by engineer Deanne Thornton and film producer and activist Andrea James, the collection was inspired by a 2011 companion book for trans men titled Letters for My Brothers. The collection includes well-known writers, including GLAAD cochair Jennifer Finney Boylan,
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014 and many emerging voices who wish to comfort and help their trans sisters by sharing their own stories. “For too long now we have let others define and describe us,” Thornton and James explain in the book’s introduction. “This [collection] excludes the voices of others. The only voices here are our own. ... This book isn’t biographies, but a distillation of our thoughts and feelings about who we are, where we have come from, and how we got there.” Full disclosure: Mitch Kellaway is an assistant editor for Transgress Press. He was not involved with this book’s production. “Dear Jim” by Jennifer Finney Boylan Listen, I know you’re afraid right now. Don’t be ashamed of that. Fear is a human emotion, and while in future years, people will tell you how brave and courageous they think you are, it’s also true that it takes courage to survive the pre-transition time as well. Quite frankly, this condition can peel the bark off anyone, and I think of you as a hero, you sweet man you. If it weren’t for you, you big goofball, I wouldn’t even be here. Let’s hear it for the boy! I wish there was something I could say to you that would make it easier, that would take away all the pain, but like a lot of things in life, advice about transition is probably wasted on people who need it most. You have to stumble through it, making all your mistakes, if you’re going to learn anything. It’s the mistakes that make us human, not eluding them. Still, here are a few thoughts. I don’t know if these will help,
but they are things that come to mind, here in the heart of my middle age. First, stay off of the television, and keep your name out of print until you are absolutely sure that your story is going to be the one worth telling. I have seen a lot of our sisters rush before the cameras before they were ready, and the result was that yet another trans girl was forever captured in the public eye as vulnerable and uncertain. For a lot of trans women, a television camera can be kind of like The Biggest Mirror in the World. Make sure, if you’re going to be on TV, that you’re doing it in order to do well by others, and not in order to puff yourself up like Furious Frog. And if you do wind up on TV, remember that you set the agenda. Without you, they don’t have a show. So if they try to put you on the defensive, just tell them, Hey. We’re not doing that. Make sure you know what your message is going to be, and don’t be afraid of practicing it. Before talking to a reporter, memorize the two or three things that you know you want to come out of your mouth. Then, no matter what they ask you, say the things you want to say, regardless of the question. … In the meantime, if you have the chance, try to turn the conversation away from yourself. I know you are very interesting right now, but try to bear this burden with humility. In some ways being so interesting is a little bit like having a disability. You can find a cure, though, by opening your heart to other people. Practice saying the phrase, “But enough about me…” You
may find that strangers want to pour their hearts out to you right now, and you can do a lot of good in the world by listening.
http://www.advocate.com/ politics/transgender/2014/07/16/ trans-women-share-wisdom-usus?page=0,1
Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint
Lesbian Silurian character returns to Dr. Who as 12th season arrives Aug. 23. By Jean Paul Zapata on gaystyarnews.com Photo via BBC Whovians rejoice as the Time Lord returns in his twelfth incarnation on 23 August. Returning to TV screens are companion Clara, omnipresent foe the Daleks, and the scaly and spicy Silurian Madame Vastra, presumably along with her human wife Jenny Flint and short but mighty Sontaran Strax. Vastra appears briefly in the newly released trailer for the new season. “Here we go again,” she flashes the knowing and fearless smile viewers have come to know and love. The same-sex, sword-wielding lovers have become a popular pair for their witty one-liners, emotional connections to the Doctor and of course, their inter-species romance. - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lesbian-humanoid-returns-sci-fi-favorite-dr-who140714#sthash.mttXorUb.dpuf
Book review: Olive Oil & White Bread By Eileen Fay Georgia Beers was born and raised in Rochester, where she still lives with her partner Bonnie. She published her first novel, Slices of Life, in 2000. Since then, Beers has received numerous honors, including the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Romance, the Gold Medal for LGBT Book of the Year from Foreword Reviews, and several awards from the Golden Crown Literacy Society. Her twelfth novel, Olive Oil & White Bread, was released in May 2014. Beers’ oeuvre has focused largely on love stories exploring the initial meeting between two women and the subsequent twists and turns that finally resolve into the anticipated happy ending. Olive Oil & White Bread, on the other hand, answers the old question of what happens afterwards. It is an inversion of the typical romance novel, with a happy beginning for Jillian Clark and Angie Righetti, who meet at a softball game, fall in love, and embark on a new future together. Related in simple, straightforward prose with minimal embellishment, their story is a psychologically rich one that follows their respective career paths, move to the suburbs, a drinking problem, long work hours, and, finally, infidelity. Jillian and Angie are an Everycouple – distinct enough to carry a character-driven novel yet ordinary enough to be you or someone you know. This intense focus on such commonplace people does cause the book to drag in places, however. Personally, I was disappointed in the complete lack of local color or any sense of place, except for a reference to the Starbucks on Jefferson. This detachment from a setting – in other words, a lack of physical context – makes it difficult to anchor the characters. Though for some, having to fill in the blanks yourself might make it easier to view the story through the prism of your own life. The release of Olive Oil & White Bread coincides with Georgia and Bonnie’s twentieth anniversary. “That’s right. I said TWENTY. Like ten times two,” says Beers on her website. “Like two decades. Like, the same amount of time it takes for a child to be born, grow up, and finish her sophomore year in college. THAT LONG.” Beers’s experiences in a successful life-long relationship give Jillian and Angie’s story an authenticity and realism often lacking the fantasy world of the romance novel.
Library & Archives Hours: Every Monday & Wednesday: 6-8pm 875 E. Main St. ,1st Floor (off Prince St. lobby) Phone: 585 244-8640
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
Travel
Lancaster Arts Hotel Stay And Dine By Merle Exit Lancaster, Pa. has a fabulous “stay” called the Lancaster Arts Hotel. Brick walls, heavy wooden beams and a very comfortable bed set the mood for an overnight or two. This former tobacco warehouse features the works of local artists and sculptures all about the hotel, including a separate gallery. I stayed in one of their suites, which had one room equipped with a refrigerator and microwave, a couch and desk as well as having robes and slippers awaiting me in the closet. Two bottles of water were placed next to my bed. A Jacuzzi is in the bedroom area and there’s a huge bathroom with a very roomy walk-in shower. Not only does this hotel provide free indoor parking, there is a complimentary taxi service that will take you within a five-mile radius. This not only covers the downtown area of Lancaster, but a whole bunch of boutique places and outlet stores to shop. No meters or parking lots to contend with and they will arrange for your return. Talk about romance, they place a long stem rose on your pillow along with the usual chocolate. Local phone calls are gratis, but if you just can’t wait to tell a more distant someone about this gorgeous place, you have free use of the internet in their business center as well as free wifi. A “Continental Plus” breakfast is included. There is a separate designated room set up with everything you would get in a continental breakfast and so much more. Hard boiled eggs and pre-cooked omelets were available along with a microwave to heat them up. www.lancasterartshotel.com. Since we’re here we might as well eat at John J. Jeffries, the restaurant that is on site, although not owned by the hotel. I love when the chef sends out an amuse bouche. Chef Michael Carson was doing the preparations this evening and sent out a spoon of black bean soup. Rather than requesting an entrée, Laurie and I went for a number of “small plates”. It gives me the opportunity for a better menu tasting. What I love about the food is the use of farm fresh products as well as the talent to cause my taste buds to dance the horah. We began with the Poached Beet, Carrot and Bacon Salad that had micro greens and a tarragon vinaigrette. Next up was the Lil’ Ponderosa Farms Grass-Fed Dry-Aged Steak Tartare with Crostini. Wild caught shrimp and heirloom grits: Tasso ham, Andouille sausage, seasonal vegetables, white wine butter sauce and
organic heirloom stone milled grits was followed by Sherry shrimp bisque of butter poached shrimp and creme fraiche; a Surf and Turf of salt cured Bering sea scallops, shaved raw dry-aged beef sirloin, and herb relish. Grilled asparagus with Linden Dale farm goat chevre and bacon-herb beurre blanc. Got to have my vegetables. There is always room for dessert when the chef makes his own ice cream. A sampling appeared with Singing Dog vanilla, organic coconut, local blueberry, and a butter cookie. I only had half of the cookie as I’m trying to lose weight. www. johnjjeffries.com ■
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GAY ALLIANCE NEWS FOR AUGUST 2014
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
The Gay Alliance unit in the Parade. Photo: Ove Overmyer.
Gay Alliance SafeZone Trainthe-Trainer Certification Program set for Oct. 10 at Red Cross By Jeanne Gainsburg On Friday, Oct. 10, the Gay Alliance will be offering their SafeZone Train-the-Trainer Certification Program open to the community. This full day, interactive workshop will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Rochester Red Cross. The purpose of this training is to develop confident, knowledgeable and effective SafeZone trainers, who can then run SafeZone trainings at their school, faith community or workplace. Each participant will receive a SafeZone Training manual that provides a complete course guide for running SafeZone Trainings, a review of material from the course, handouts to use in future SafeZone Trainings, suggestions for keeping your training fresh and updated and on-going support from the Gay Alliance. Registration is $125 per person, which includes breakfast, lunch and a SafeZone Training manual. To register click on the SafeZone Train-the-Trainer slide on our website at: www.gayal-
liance.org. Please contact me at JeanneG@GayAlliance.org or 585244-8640 with questions. Feedback From Our Most Recent SafeZone Certification Program in Rochester “Unlike any conference I’ve been to! I can’t wait to share my knowledge. Don’t change a thing! THANK YOU!” “Fantastic. Thank you for the opportunity. The presenters, topic, location, materials were all awesome. Very affirming. Very helpful. The whole thing was great. Applicable, transferable, relevant.” “The quality of the presenters was outstanding. I am so thankful for this training. It will make a difference in the lives of people, especially GLBTQ youth.” “The best part of this workshop was the activities and the presenters! I am much more fired up to train others. Can’t wait to go back to school and use this knowledge.” “The best part was the facilitator tips and tricks, as opposed to basic SafeZone info. It was wonderful. Great techniques to create groups, great facilitation, spoke clearly, used inclusive language, open to discussion/different points of view, able to answer questions. You guys are rock stars :)” “Safe, informative and interactive presentation! They all were very respectful and knowledgeable. Glad there was the manual to refer to as there was so much good info. Excellent presentation!!” “Amazing! Worth the drive. Leveled with all of us and kept everyone included. Humor and friendliness. Continue doing what you’re doing and broaden your reach!” “Oh my goodness, amazing. The presenters kept control of
the room, made people feel safe to ask and figure out, fostering conversation, digging deeper, engaging everyone, well-timed breaks, well-timed standing and sitting. Thank you so much for all of the information and stories! You’re such lovely people! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!” “This was a great workshop! The focus, content and activities were among the best I’ve ever seen.” 100% of the participants in our most recent training rated the content of the presentation, the workshop as a whole and the presenters “very good to excellent!”
Jeanne Gainsburg at the Picnic. Photo: Ove Overmyer.
Reviewer blasts young author for homosexual content By Jeanne Gainsburg Last month we shared an article with you about the new book, X Greene, Rebecca Gainsburg’s second book in her Dragon Chick Trilogy. During the interview, the author shared that even though including gay characters in her book might influence sales, she felt that she had to be true to herself and include them. Interestingly, the first review on Amazon is currently in and it is a 1 star, due to “homosexuality” in the book. This reviewer was so angry that she went back and changed her previous 5 star review of book one to 3 stars. Here is her comment: “I anxiously awaited this book after reading the first one. I loved the first book. This second book started out just as great as the first, but then less than halfway through, the author threw a twist in the story. An interesting, yet extremely disappointing, twist. Readers, be advised,
Rainbow Riders at the Festival. Photo: Susan Jordan.
there is homosexuality in this book. I was shocked, heart broken, disappointed, and offended at such an addition to this story. As soon as I read that two of the main male characters were gay and kissed and were once intimate lovers, I stopped reading the book. I will NOT finish this book and I will NOT come back to buy the third book when it is released. You just lost a reader, Miss Gainsburg. Fellow fantasy fans, if you don’t like homosexuality in your fantasy novels, then don’t waste your money on this book…controversial issues have no place in fiction. If you don’t
want to anger and alienate certain readers, then you leave such things out of fictional novels.” Rebecca, 17, is unhappy that her book has gotten such a low rating but proud of her choice and she does not regret her decision. She says, “Literature and books are today where film and TV shows were years ago. Like the first interracial kiss on Star Trek. That was huge. There needs to be people who are willing to take risks. “People need to see that being LGBT is normal. Putting characters into books in a way that is not a big deal is important.”
The Gay Alliance is a non-profit agency, dedicated to cultivating a healthy, inclusive environment where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) people are safe, thriving, and enjoying equal rights. We are a coalition of individuals and groups working to empower LGBTQ people to affirm their identities and create an atmosphere where the diversity can thrive both collectively and separately. We educate and advocate for civil rights for all and for the eradication of homophobia. The Gay Alliance, 875 East Main Street, Rochester, New York 14605 • Phone: (585) 244-8640 Fax: (585) 244-8246 Website: www.gayalliance.org E-mail: Info@gayalliance.org Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm • Board President: David Zona Board Vice President: Jessica Muratore Executive Director: Scott Fearing Education Director: Jeanne Gainsburg Database: Kat Wiggall Youth Intern: Dawn Balsis Bookkeeper: Christopher Hennelly Office Administrator: Tristan Wright The Empty Closet: Editor: Susan Jordan E-mail: susanj@gayalliance.org Phone: (585) 244-9030 Designer: Jim Anderson Fax: (585) 244-8246 Advertising: (585) 244-9030 Ad Sales: Brandon W. Brooks E-mail: brandonb@gayalliance.org
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
GAY ALLIANCE NEWS FOR AUGUST 2014
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Photo: Ove Overmyer.
Youth Update: Take Back the Night on Aug. 16 By Dawn Balsis First I want to thank all of the youth and adults who helped make Pride an amazing event. To follow up Pride we held a cool and fun learning experience for the youth. It taught leadership skills, team building, the history of the LGBTQ movement and allowed the youth to talk about the ideas for the future. It was called “Our Fabulous Future”. As part of that the youth decided to lend their newfound skills to supporting victims of sexual assault and abuse. This has been in the works even before the leadership training program. After a wonderful and informative presentation on Teen Dating Violence by Sarah Keller from Chances and Changes in February of 2014, the youth decided they wanted to do more for survivors of sexual assault and violence. We discussed various ways the youth could raise awareness while supporting survivors and victims of sexual assault and violence. It was decided that the youth would coordinate a “Take Back the Night Walk”. “Take Back the Night” is an event that gathers survivors, their families and those who want to get the word out about sexual assault and be a support to survivors and their families. So often when we think of sexual assault we picture heterosexual women but the statistics show that sexual violence does not discriminate. Studies show that 64 percent of all transgender individuals have experienced sexual assault in their life. One in eight lesbians has been sexually assaulted or abused and for bisexual women the rate is one in two. The sexual assault/abuse rate for heterosexual women is 1 in 6. Sexual assault doesn’t just happen to women either. Studies show that 16 percent of males will be sexually abused before the age of 18. The walk will start at Open Arms MCC (707 E. Main St.) and go around the surrounding area. During this walk participants will be holding signs and chanting in support of victims and survivors of sexual assault.
We are happy to be partnering with Open Arms MCC, Restore and Alternatives for Battered Women in this initiative. The walk is scheduled for Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Please join us in letting the community know that we will no longer be afraid of the night and that we are taking it back. We need to band together to stop sexual assaults and abuse. It isn’t a male, female, homosexual, heterosexual, cisgender, transgender problem -- it’s a human problem. Please consider joining us Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. to “Take Back the Night”.
SAGE member Greg at last year’s Pride. It was his first time marching in the parade and he walked the whole way and loved every minute of it. He also carried the banner, which was very heavy! He will be the second member to be moving out of the area this month. We’ll miss you Greg!
SAGE AUGUST CALENDAR Tuesday 8-5: .......6-8pm- Enjoy an evening program with SAGE at Equal Grounds. Play a game and share a summer story while Roza will be your host for the evening.
Youth
Gay Alliance Youth Program Our program empowers today’s teens to meet today’s challenges! It provides a safe space to explore their identity, make friends, build community, gain life skills, become a leader and have fun!
Gay Alliance Youth (Ages 13-20) Fabulous Fridays, 7-9pm, Gay Alliance, 5th floor, 875 E. Main St. Rochester, NY 14605 Gay Alliance Youth Gender Identity Support Group (Ages 13-20) Thursdays, 5:30-6:30pm Gay Alliance, 5th floor 875 E. Main Street For more information: dawnb@gayalliance.org The Gay Alliance 875 E. Main St. 5th Floor (Auditorium Theater) Rochester, NY 14605 Phone: 585 244-8640
Thursday 8-7: ......NO YOGA in the a.m. Meet at OAMCC no later than 10:30 a.m. sharp to car pool to Canandaigua Lady (205 Lake Shore Drive, Canandaigua), ship boards at 11:45 am. Lunch and cruise is $36 per person (price includes upper deck seating, lunch and two hour cruise). Please note refunds are not given out by the Canandaigua Lady if the cruise is cancelled but a RAINCHECK is handed out for future use. Jessie will be your host for this summer day on the lake; please bring a hat, sun tan lotion, medications, sunglasses and other required summer attire for it will be a hot day. RSVP 8-3-2014 (Call 585-396-7350 if you need help with driving instructions.) Tuesday 8-12: .....Meet at Genesee Brew House (25 Cataract St.), for lunch on the patio at 11:45 a.m. Tour of the brewery is optional. Call 585-263-9200 for driving instructions to Brew House. Thursday 8-14:.....10:30am- (NO YOGA in the a.m.) Audet will host Breakfast club at Friendly’s (2425 West Henrietta Rd ). Tuesday 8-19: .....Brown bag lunch (11:30 am-12:30 pm) with our first ever inspirational Rainbow SAGE cold food challenge. Contestants will choose groups and have one hour to create the most creative fruit centerpiece using various fruits such as a watermelon, cantaloupe and other fruits for beauty and building. $3 requested donation per person for entry fee and the enjoyment of eating the centerpieces after the contest. Jessie and Roza, Rainbow SAGE hosts, will introduce a special guest for the judging of the contest. RSVP if you plan on participating in the challenge. Sunday 8-24: ......Ready for a pinch hitter? Red Wings game with a 1:05 start time, meet Jessie your host at 12:30 pm at Red Wings stadium by main gate. Gate is on Oak Street across from Lot D. Tickets will be bought in advance so please RSVP to GAGV and specify event and Rainbow SAGE program.(Accessible seating is available and cost will vary depending if you are a ticket holder or buying a ticket.) Rainbow SAGE meets at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Center, 707 East Main St. We have chair yoga with Tom for $5 per session from 10:30-11:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. All programs are subject to change and Rainbow SAGE members are responsible for setting up their own transportation to and from any program. Please update member information or like FACEBOOK page for updates, cancellations, program changes and informative information. Please note there will be no Euchre or Rainbow SAGE picnic in the month of August. ■
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Resources BISEXUALITY RESOURCES AMBI Los Angeles; American Institute of Bisexuality (Journal of Bisexuality); Bay Area Bisexual Network; ; BiNet USA; Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP); Biversity Boston; Boston Bisexual Women’s Network; ComBIne - Columbus, Ohio; Fenway Health’s Bi Health Program; Los Angeles Bi Task Force; New York Area Bisexual Network; Robyn Ochs’s site; The Bi Writers Association; The Bisexual Resource Center (email brc@biresource.net)
CULTURAL Rochester Women’s Community Chorus 234-4441. (See Ongoing calendar). Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus www.thergmc.org Open Arms Community Center Availabel for parties, events, meetings. 707 E. Main St. Parking. Accepting and welcoming of all. 271-8478.
DEAF SERVICES Advocacy for Abused Deaf Victims Mailing address: c/o ASADV, P.O. Box 20023, Rochester, NY 14602. 24-Hour Hotline: ASADVhope@gmail.com; VP: 866-936-8976; TTY/FAX : 585-232-2854. Lilac Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf (LRAD) Meets second Saturdays, 6-9pm. For location, information: rcoaster@rochester.rr.com Spectrum LGBTIQ & Straight Alliance RIT/NTID student group. <SpectrumComment@ groups.facebook.com
ELDERS Gay Alliance Rainbow Sage Many monthly get togethers, some at Open Arms MCC 707 E. Main St. 244-8640; SAGE@gayalliance.org
FAMILY Open Arms Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church Community Center available for parties, events and meetings; 707 East Main St. Plenty of parking. Inclusive and actively affirming, welcoming all people. CNY Fertility Center Integrative Fertility Care. Support meetings, webinars, workshops. Information: cbriel@cnyfertility. com; www.cnyhealingarts.com Rochester Gay Moms’ Group Support group for lesbian mommies and wannabe mommies in Rochester and surrounding areas. Subscribe: RochesterGayMoms-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com. Lesbian & Gay Family Building Project Headquartered in Binghamton and with a presence throughout Upstate NY, the Project is dedicated to helping LGBTQ people achieve their goals of building and sustaining healthy families. Claudia Stallman, Project Director, 124 Front St., Binghamton, NY 13905; 607-724-4308; e-mail: LesGayFamBldg@aol.com. Web: www.PrideAndJoyFamilies.org. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) PFLAG’s threefold mission: supporting parents and family members in coming out process; educating the community; advocating on behalf of LGBT family members. rochesterepflag@gmail. com; 585-813-5081. Adoptive Parent Support Group Monthly potluck lunches. For information, location, call Shari, 350-2529. Angel Food Ministry Box of fresh/frozen food for $30 in advance. Menu changes monthly. For information and distribution sites, call 585 861-4815.
HIV/AIDS Free testing for HIV exposure is available from New York State Department of Health: call Rochester Area Regional Hotline at (585) 423-8081, or 1 800 962-5063. Deaf or hearing impaired people should call (585) 4238021 (TDD.) Available from NY Dept. of Health: HIV and STD resource testing site. Rapid testing in only 10 minutes. STD testing provided by Bullshead Clinic, 855 W. Main St., Rochester. Contact: Narissa @ Rochester hotline. Volunteer Legal Services Project (585) 232-3051; www.vlsprochester.org. 1 West Main St., Suite 500 Rochester, NY 14614. Free legal services for low-income HIV positive clients. No criminal cases. Appointments are scheduled at area medical provider locations or by calling 295-5708.
THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
Trillium Health Trillium Health is the leading provider of HIV/ AIDS services in Rochester and the Finger Lakes. On-site services include HIV testing and limited STD screenings, Primary and HIV Specialty Medical Care, Pharmacy, and many more. Satellite offices in Geneva and Bath. Trillium Health is also a leader in providing services and education to members of the LGBT community. Contact Information: Website: www.trilliumhealthny.org. Main Office: 259 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14607; Main Phone: 585-545-7200, Health Services After Hours: 585-258-3363; Case Management After Hours (Lifeline): 585-275-5151; Fax: 585244-6456. Finger Lakes Office: 605 W. Washington St., Geneva, NY 14456, 315-781-6303. Southern Tier Office: 122 Liberty St. Box 624, Bath, NY 14810 607-776-9166. The Health Outreach Project: 416 Central Ave., Rochester, NY 14605; 585-454-5556. Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Referrals to physicians and service agencies. (585) 244-8640; www.gayalliance.org. Victory Alliance University of Rochester Medical Center. One of several research sites worldwide that comprise the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Rochester site conducts research vaccine studies sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH). 585-7562329; www.vaccineunit.org. Threshold At The Community Place, 145 Parsells Ave., third floor, 585-454-7530. Provides confidential HIV, STD testing and General Health Care, ages 12-25. Sliding fee scale, no one denied, most insurances accepted. Mon., Wed., Fri. 9am-5pm; Tues., Thurs., 9am-7pm; Sat. 10am-2pm. www.ThresholdCenter.org Center for Health and Behavioral Training of Monroe County 853 W. Main St., Rochester 14611. Collaboration of Monroe County Health Department and U.R. Provides year-round training in prevention and management of STDs, HIV, TB and related issues, such as domestic violence and case management. (585)753-5382 v/tty. Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region 114 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14605; Tollfree Helpline: 1 866 600-6886. Offers confidential HIV testing and information. When you make your appointment, be sure to ask about our sliding scale fees. No one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS A collection of agencies providing a multiplicity of resources and services to the upstate New York community. Their offices are located through the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, which also provides medical literature and newspaper clippings, as well as demographic and statistical data for use in developing health care services. (585) 461-3520. The MOCHA Center of Rochester Our mission is to improve health and wellness in communities of color. Youth drop-in center, HIV testing, peer education, support groups, computer lab, referral services and more. 107 Liberty Pole Way (corner of Pleasant). (585) 420-1400. Monroe County Health Department at 855 W. Main St., offers testing and counseling for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. (585) 753-5481. Hours: M-W 8:30-5:30; R: 8:30-11 am; F 7:30-2:30. Strong Memorial Hospital provides a complete range of HIV medical care, including access to experimental treatment protocols, and HIV testing. Also provides individual and group psychotherapy. Training of health care professionals also available. Infectious Disease Clinic, (585) 275-0526. Department of Psychiatry, (585) 275-3379. AIDS Training Project, (585) 275-5693. Planned Parenthood of Rochester and Genesee Valley Offers testing and information (585) 546 2595. Rural HIV testing Anonymous and confidential, in Allegany, Livingston, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne or Yates Counties, call 1 800 962-5063. Action Front Center (Action for a Better Community.) Provides HIV, STD, viral hepatitis prevention counseling, risk reduction counseling. Tailored programs available to incarcerated, ex-offender individuals. Services for people living with HIV; case management, peer support groups, United Colors support group for MSM of color, educational groups, peer educator training and leadership development, multicultural, bilingual staff. 33 Chestnut St., 2nd floor, Rochester 14604. Office hours M-F 8:30 am-5 pm. 585-262-4330.
Check our monthly and ongoing calendar as well as the community section for more groups and events. For further information, call the Gay Alliance at 2448640 or visit: www.gayalliance.org. Gay Alliance Youth Group info: pages 30-31.
Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, Prevention and Primary Care. HIV walk-in testing Tues. & Fri.; Hep C walk-inn treating Weds. & Fri; Meet clinician by appointment. 82 Holland St., Rochester 14605. 585-4232879; fax 585-423-2876. www,jordanhealth.org CDC National STD and AIDS Hotline 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) 24 hours a day. TTY service: 1-888-232-6348. E-mail address: cdcinfo@cdc.gov. Fair Housing Enforcement Project of Monroe County 585-325-2500; 1-800-669-9777. Deals with housing discrimination on basis of race, orientation, HIV status, etc. Public Interest Law Office of Rochester 1 W. Main St., Suites 200 & 300. Free legal services to HIV positive persons, families. Spanish bilingual advocates available. All civil cases except divorce; no criminal cases. Ask to speak to someone in PILOR. 454-4060. Westside Health Services Brown Square Health Center, 175 Lyell Ave. (2546480); Woodward health Center, 480 Genesee St. (436-3040). HIV/AIDS services, support, more. McCree McCuller Wellness Center at Unity Health’s Connection Clinic (585) 368-3506, 89 Genesee St., Bishop Kearney Bldg., 3rd floor. Full range of services, regardless of ability to pay. Caring, confidential and convenient. Geneva Community Health 601 W. Washington St., Geneva. Provides HIV testing, HIV specialty and primary care for residents of Ontario and surrounding counties. M, W, R, F 8am-8pm. 315-781-8448.
LGBT HEALTH Trillium Health See www.trilliumhealthny.org, www.everybodysgood.com LGBT Healthy Living Veterans support. Second, fourth Tuesdays, 10-11am Canandaigua VA, bldg. 9 room 8. 585 463-2731, 585 205-3360. HCR Home Care We provide a full multidisciplinary team consisting of nursing, social work, physical, occupational, and speech therapies as well as home health aides who have completed the eight-hour cultural competency program provided by the Gay Alliance. For more information, contact us at 585272-1930 or visit us online at HCRhealth.com. Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley See www.gayalliance.org Resource Directory under “Health” for Gay Alliance referrals to physicians and service agencies. CNY Youth Group Bi-Polar Support. Second Monday of every month. 315-428-9366.
TRANSGENDER Trans*Alliance of Greater Rochester Support/educational group for gender variant people and allies. Last Saturday, 3-5:30pm, Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St. Empire Justice Center Julia A. Sáenz, Esq. Hanna S. Cohn Equal Justice Fellow, Empire Justice Center, LGBT Rights Project, Telesca Center for Justice, 1 West Main Street, Suite 200, Rochester, NY 14614. (585) 295-5721 Fax (585) 454-2518, jsaenz@empirejustice.org, www.empirejustice.org.
Volunteer Legal Services Project (585) 232-3051; www.vlsprochester.org.1 West Main St. Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14614. Free legal services for low-income clients seeking a name change. Other legal services for lowincome clients include family law issues, bankruptcy, unemployment insurance hearings, wills and advance directive documents for clients with serious illnesses. Gay Alliance Youth Gender Identity Support Group Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 Gay Alliance office, 5th floor. 875 E. Main St., Ages 13-18. 244-8640 Genesee Valley Gender Variants Thurs. 7-9pm, Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. GVGenderVariants@yahoogroups.com Guys Night Out Social group for transmen. Second Saturdays, 1pm, Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. tguysnightout@gmail.com
WOMEN Highland Hospital Breast Imaging Center 500 Red Creek Drive, Rochester 14623; 585487-3341. Specializing in breast health, diagnostic breast imaging and treatment and mammography outreach and education. Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester 840 University Ave.; 585-473-8177; www.bccr. org; email: info@bccr.org. Breast Cancer Coalition provides support services that include programs designed to help those coping with a recent breast cancer diagnosis and those coping with an advanced breast cancer diagnosis, such as the Advanced Breast Cancer Support Group to support women living with metastatic breast cancer. Information about breast cancer, lending library, a monthly educational program. All BCCR programs, support services free. Center for Community Health (585) 224-3050. Comprehensive breast cancer screening services for uninsured and underinsured women. Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic 170 Sawgrass Drive. 442-8432. Dr. Wende Logan-Young and an all-woman staff provide mammograms. Self Help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer (SHARE) Breast: 866-891-2392; Ovarian: 866-537-4273. Alternatives for Battered Women 232-7353; TTY 232-1741. Shelter (women only), counseling. Lesbians, gay men welcome. Victim Resource Center of Wayne County Newark N.Y. Hotline 800-456-1172; office (315)331-1171; fax (315)331-1189. Mary Magdalene House Women’s outreach center for HIV positive women and women at risk. 291 Lyell Ave. Open Mon-Fri. 6:30-9:30pm. Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/ Syracuse Region 114 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14605; Toll-free Helpline: 1-866-600-6886. Planned Parenthood has led the way in providing high quality, affordable reproductive health care since 1916. All services are confidential. Accept most insurances; including Medicaid. You may qualify for low- to no-cost family planning services. When you make your appointment, ask about our sliding scale fees. No one turned away for lack of ability to pay. Women’s Shelter YWCA, 175 N. Clinton Ave. 546-5820.
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
Ongoing Calendar DAILY
WEDNESDAYS
Free HIV Testing 9am-7pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave.
Identity Group The Identity Group is for LGBT identified individuals who have a developmental disability diagnosis. The group meets Wednesdays 3-4 pm at ARC Health Services (2060 Brighton-Henrietta Townline Rd. 14623). The goal of the group is to provide a safe space to discuss identity issues, share personal experiences and increase selfesteem. The group is facilitated by Delaina Fico. LMSW. For more information, please contact Delaina Fico at dfico@arcmonroe.org or 585271-0661 ext. 1552. Gay Alliance Board of Directors Meets Third Wednesdays, 6pm, 875 E. Main St. 244-8640 New Freedom New Happiness AA Gay meeting, 7pm, Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd. Men and women. Open. Support Group for Parents who have lost Children First, 3rd Wednesdays, 11am-12:30pm, Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs St. Genesee Region Home Care. Free. 325-1880 COAP Come Out and Play. Wednesday game nights. 8-11 pm. Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. 7pm, woody14619@yahoo.com. Rochester Rams General Meeting 2nd Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave. www.rochesterrams.com HIV+ Mixed Men’s Group Wednesdays, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers 6pm, Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org. Gay Alliance Library & Archives, David Bohnett Cyber Center. Every Mon./Wed. 6-8pm. First floor, 875 E. Main St. 244-8640 Empire Bears Every Wednesday. 6pm dinner at The Wintonaire. www.empirebears.com
MONDAYS L.O.R.A. Coffee Social Weekly on Monday Nights, 7 pm. Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. Rochester. Family, Friends & Allies Welcome! Contact Person: Cathie Timian. More info: www.loragroup.org. Events: https://www. facebook.com/groups/L.O.R.A.14464/. Email: info@loragroup.org LORA Late Bloomers Coming Out Group for Women 2nd & 4th Mondays of the Month. 7 pm, Private Location. Call for info! Contact Person: Wanda Martinez. Email: sanlorenzena@yahoo.com. Phone: 585.414.9164. More info: www.loragroup. org. Events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ L.O.R.A.14464/ Gay Alliance Library & Archives, David Bohnett Cyber Center. Every Mon./Wed. 6-8pm. First floor, 875 E. Main St. 244-8640 Born That Way Formerly 3rd Presbyterian LGBT Support Group. First, 3rd Mondays, 7:30-9:30pm, 34 Meigs St. Carol, 482-3832 or Kaara, 654-7516. HIV Positive Men’s Support group Every Monday, 5pm, Trillium Health Center for Positive Living, 259 Monroe Ave. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Mondays, 6pm, George Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org. Steps Beyond Stems Crack Support Group, Mondays, 7-8pm, 289 Monroe Ave.
TUESDAYS The Social Grind 10am-12noon and again 7:30-9pm at Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. Email: DHutch457@aol. com for information Coffee Chat and Game Night Catch up with the week’s happenings and enjoy some games and good conversations! 6:30pm -8:00pm Equal Grounds 750 South Ave. Sponsored by Open Arms MCC & Community Center. 271-8478 LGBT Healthy Living Veterans support. Second, fourth Tuesdays, 10-11am Canandaigua VA, bldg. 9, room 8, Library conference room. 585 463-2731, 585 205-3360. Free syphilis testing Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave., 5-8pm. 442-2220. Women’s Community Chorus Rehearsals each Tuesday, 6:30-9pm, Downtown United Pres. Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh Street. 2344441, www.therwcc.org LORA Knitters Group 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the Month. 7pm-9:30pm, Crossroads Coffee House, 752 S. Goodman St. Rochester. Contact Person: Kerry Cater Email: dressyfemme@aol.com. More Info: www.loragroup.org Events: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/L.O.R.A.14464/ Trans* Youth Support Group 5:30-6:30 pm, GAGV office, 5th floor, 875 E. Main St.
THURSDAYS Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns 6:30pm, first Thursday. Ralph, 271-7649 Gay Alliance Youth Gender Identity Support Group Thursdays, 5:30-6:30, GAGV Library, 1st floor, off Prince St. lobby. 875 E. Main St. Ages 13-18. 244-8640. Pride at Work & AFL CIO First Thursdays, 5:30pm. 1354 Buffalo Road, Rochester 14624, 426-0862. GLOB&L (Gays & Lesbians of Bausch & Lomb). Meets every third Thursday in Area 67 conference room at the Optic Center. Voice mail: 338-8977 Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. 6:30-9pm, 423-0650 Free confidential walk-in HIV testing M, W, R, F 9 am-7 pm; T 9a,-5pm., Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave. 442-2220 Out & Equal Second Thursdays Social/business networking, 5:30-7:30pm. Changing venues. E-mail: fingerlakes@outandequal.org
Genesee Valley Gender Variants 7-9pm, Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. GV GenderVariants@yahoogroups.com LORA - Buffalo Women’s Coffee Social Weekly on Thursday Nights, 6pm. Spot Coffee, 765 Elmwood, Buffalo. Contact Person: Barb Henderson Email: Morningstar5588@yahoo.com More Info: www.loragroup.org. Events: https:// www.facebook.com/groups/buffaloles/
FRIDAYS Gay Men’s AA meeting Fridays, 7:30-8:30pm, Closed meeting. Emmanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave. Gay Alliance Youth Fridays, 7-9pm, Gay Alliance, 5th floor, 875 E. Main St., 244-8640 GLBTQI Motorcycle Group Second Fridays, 5:30pm, Various locations. RochesterGLBTIQbikers@yahoo.com; 467-6456; bmdaniels@frontiernet.net. LORA GaYmes Night Meets 4th Friday of the Month, 7-10pm, Equal Grounds Coffee House, 750 South Ave. Rochester. Contact Person: Christine O’Reilly. Email: irishfemmerochester@yahoo.com. Phone: 585.943.1320. More Info: www.loragroup.org. Events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ L.O.R.A.14464/ Monthly LBTQ Womyns Bingo Night Third Fridays, 7 pm, at Empire Bingo. Contact: Christine, IrishFemmeRochester@yahoo.com; 585-943-1320 text/talk.
SATURDAYS Rochester Rams Bar Night Third Saturdays, 8pm-2am, Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave. 271-6930 Trans*Alliance of Greater Rochester Support/educational group for gender-variant people, allies. Last Saturdays, 3-5:30pm, Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers 9am, George Eastman House parking lot.www. rochesterfrontrunners.org. Guys Night Out GNO, social group for transmen, now meets on the second Saturday of the month, @ 1pm @ Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. Saturday Night Special Gay AA 7pm, Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd., S. Men and women. Open meeting. Lilac Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf (LRAD) 2nd Saturdays, 6-9pm. rcoaster@rochester. rr.com Sophia’s Supper Club First, third Saturdays, 25 Bernie Lane, 6:30 pm. Men’s Cooking Group Third, fourth Saturdays. 585-355-7664; mcgofrochester@aol.com.
SUNDAYS Parents Families & Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) For location: 585 813-5081; rochesterpflag@ gmail.com. Unity Fellowship Church Sundays, 1:30 pm, Second, fourth Sundays 12;30 pm. South Wedge Mission, 1125 Caroline St. 14620. 520-6188.
33 Dignity-Integrity 1st Sunday: 5pm Episcopal Eucharist with music; 2nd Sunday: 5pm Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Word with music; 3rd Sunday: 5pm Episcopal Eucharist (quiet); 4th Sunday: 5pm Prayers to start the week, followed by potluck supper. Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church 707 E. Main St. Rochester, 10:30am, 271-8478 Gay Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous St. Luke’s/St. Simon Cyrene Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. 8pm, 232-6720, Weekly. Closed meeting LORA Sunday Brunch 1st & 3rd Sunday of the Month, 11:30am 1:30pm. Jays Diner, 2612 W. Henrietta Rd., Rochester. Contact Person: Cathie Timian. More info: www.loragroup.org. Events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/L.O.R.A.14464/. Email: info@ loragroup.org Gutter Gals - Bowling 2nd & 4th Sundays, 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Bowl A Roll, 1560 Jefferson Rd. $5.70 for 2 games & $2.50 for shoes. For more info: http://www. facebook.com/groups/guttergals/Contact Person: Cathie: Email: ctimian@l-o-r-a.com; Phone: 585.313.3037
ROCHESTER AA/NA MEETINGS
Every week there are four regularly scheduled GLBTI AA and two inclusive NA meetings in Rochester.
TUESDAYS Narcotics Anonymous 6-7:30pm. AIDS and Recovery 1124 Culver Road (Covenant United Methodist Church) This is an NA meeting that is open to all addicts who have a desire to stop using. Although it is not specifically a gay-oriented meeting, it is welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as to anyone who is affected by HIV and AIDS.
WEDNESDAYS New Freedom/New Happiness Group 7pm. First Unitarian Church, 220 S. Winton Rd. Bus riders: Take the last #18 University bus to 12 Corners. Use the stop just past the top of the hill at Hillside Ave. and before Highland Ave. Or take the #1 Park Ave. to the corner of East and Winton, then walk five minutes south (uphill) on Winton. This is an open discussion meeting. All issues – as they relate to our alcoholism/addiction and recovery – are fair game.
FRIDAYS Gay Men’s 7:30pm. Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave. • Closed meeting, restricted to alcoholics and addicts • Men’s meeting • Handicapped accessible This is a round-robin discussion meeting. If you are shy about meeting people or speaking up in a group, you will find this meeting particularly warm and inviting because everyone gets their turn to speak (or pass). As a result, this meeting often runs long, so plan on more than the usual hour.
SATURDAYS Saturday Night Special 7pm. First Unitarian Church, 220 S. Winton Rd. Bus riders: The #18 University Ave. bus does not go by the church on weekend evenings. Take the #1 Park Ave. bus to the corner of East and Winton, then walk five minutes south (uphill) on Winton. • Open meeting, all are welcome, “straight friendly” • Mixed men and women • Handicapped accessible, take elevator to basement Meeting begins with a speaker, followed by open discussion.
SUNDAYS Step in the Right Direction 7:30-9pm. 1275 Spencerport Road (Trinity Alliance Church) This is an NA meeting that is open to all addicts who have a desire to stop using. Although it is not specifically a gay-oriented meeting, it is welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Each week features a reading from NA literature, followed by discussion. Rochester Gay Men 8pm. St. Luke/St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh Street. Bus riders use the Fitzhugh Street stop on Main Street at the County Office Building and walk south one block. • Closed meeting, restricted to alcoholics and addicts • Men’s meeting • NOT handicapped accessible Meeting begins with a speaker, followed by open discussion.
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
August
MONDAY 18
David Bohnett Cyber Center reopening. Reception with members of board and staff, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Gay Alliance lounge, fifth floor, 875 E. Main St.
SATURDAY 23
FRIDAY 1
Lughnasad, Lammas. Ancient Celtic Fire Feast of Harvest. Sacred tree: hazel, tree of wisdom.
SUNDAY 3
Dignity Integrity. Episcopal Mass/ Healing Service. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Hotline at 585-234-5092 or website at www.di-rochester.org/ Pride & Joy Families Picnic, Syracuse area. 1-4 pm, Jamesville Beach, Dewitt. Point Tent Shelter. RSVP 609777-3717; rswvpprideandjoyfamililes.org.
THURSDAY 7
Rainbow SAGE cruise on Canandaigua Lady. Meet at Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St. by 10:30 am, car pool to 205 Lake Shore Drive, Canandaigua. Boarding 11:30 am. $36/person, includes upper deck seating, lunch, two hour cruise. Bring a hat, sun tan lotion, medications, sunglasses. RSVP by Aug. 3; call 585- 396-7350 if you need help with driving instructions.
SATURDAY 9
Rochester Butch Femme Connection dinner at Bill Gray’s/Abbott’s on Culver Road in Seabreeze at 7 pm. Kerry/ Max at (585) 957-6627 or email DressyFemme@aol.com Gay Games, Cleveland Ohio. Through Aug. 16. Opening Ceremonies at Quicken Arena, with Lance Bass, the Pointer Sisters, Alex Newell from GLEE. Team Rochester shirts are still available for purchase for $29. Contact thomaso510@mac.com
SUNDAY 10
Dignity Integrity. Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Word, with music. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Hotline at 585-234-5092 or website at www.di-rochester.org/.
THURSDAY 14
Out & Equal Second Thursdays. 5:30-8:30 pm. St. Joseph Park hosted by the Landmark Society (Rain location RoCo) $10 entry.
SATURDAY 16
2014 Kwik Fill Rochester International Air Show at Greater Rochester International Airport. Also July 17. Tickets $20-50. Proceeds-in-part benefit the Camp Good Days Prostate Cancer Program. For tickets and information, visit: HYPERLINK “http://www.kwikfillairshow.com” www.kwikfillairshow.com or call (585) 348-8075. Take Back the Night, with Gay Alliance Youth Group. The walk will start 7 pm at Open Arms MCC (707 E. Main St.) and go around the surrounding area. Participants will hold signs and chant in support of victims and survivors of sexual assault. Partnering with Open Arms MCC, Restore and Alternatives for Battered Women.
SUNDAY 17
Dignity Integrity. Episcopal Mass. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Hotline at 585-2345092 or website at www.di-rochester.org/.
Classifieds Classified ads are $5 for the first 30 words; each additional 10 words is another $1. We do not bill for classifieds, so please send or bring ad and payment to: The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, New York 14605. Paying by check: checks must be made out to Gay Alliance. The deadline is the 15th of the month, for the following month’s issue. We cannot accept ads over the phone. Pay when you place your ad. We will accept only ads accompanied by name and phone number. Neither will be published, but we must be able to confirm placement. The Empty Closet is not responsible for financial loss or physical injury that may result from any contact with an advertiser. Advertisers must use their own box number, voice mail, e-mail or personal address/phone number. Classified ads are not published on The Empty Closet page of our website. However, each issue of the paper is reproduced online in its entirety.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Children’s Ministry thriving at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church for toddlers to ‘tweens. Join us for vibrant, inclusive, progressive worship on Sundays at 10:30 am, 707 E. Main St. info@ openarmsmcc.org; (585) 271-8478.
SERVICES
Rochester’s Best Man to Man Rubdown. Unwind with this degreed, employed, fit, friendly, healthy, Italian GWM. Middle aged, 5’8”, 165 lbs., 32” waist, nonsmoker, d & d free, HIV negative. My 10-plus years experience guarantees your relaxation and satisfaction. Hotel visit, in call in my home or out call in your residence. Reasonable rates. Discretion appreciated and practiced. Don’t delay, call me today at 585-773-2410 (cell) or 585-235-6688 (home) or e-mail me at: magichands@rochester.rr.com.
Handyman: Simple repairs or full renovations, no job is too large or small. Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical, Interior & Exterior. 35 years experience. Call Alan & Bill 585-204-0632 or cell 304517-6832. Martin Ippolito master electrician. Electrical work, telephone jacks, cable TV, burglar alarm systems, paddle fans. 585-266-6337. Hate to paint or clean gutters? I have tall ladders! Dale’s Pleasure Painting and Gutter Cleaning has very reasonable rates for painting year round and gutter cleaning in spring or fall. 585-576-5042. Email dale.furlong@yahoo.com. Wedding Space and clergy services available. Celebrate your special day at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church, 707 E. Main St. info@ openarmsmcc.org (585) 271-8478. ■
Summer Retreat for men diagnosed with prostate cancer from tri-state region. Two-day summer retreat through Aug. 24, sponsored by Camp Good Days & Special Times and Us TOO Rochester NY. All meals and overnight accommodations in cabins with indoor plumbing provided at no cost at 13-acre recreational site for Camp Good Days located on Keuka Lake in Branchport. Plan to attend one or both days and enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, ropes course, educational discussions, more. Advance registration required. Register online or get more information, at www.campgooddays.org or call (585) 624-5555 and ask about the prostate cancer retreat. Butch Femme Connection dinner, Peppermints Diner on Route 15 (West Henrietta Road) in Henrietta at 7 pm. Kerry/Max at (585) 957-6627 or email DressyFemme@aol.com.
SUNDAY 24
Rainbow SAGE at Redwings game. Meet Jessie your host at 12:30 pm at Red
Wings stadium by main gate on Oak Street across from Lot D. Tickets will be bought in advance so please RSVP to GAGV and specify event and Rainbow SAGE program. (Accessible seating is available and cost will vary depending on if you are a ticket holder or buying a ticket.) Pride and Joy Families Picnic, Binghamton area. 1-4 pm, Cole Park, Harpursville. Shelter # 4. RSVP 609-777-3717; rswvpprideandjoyfamililes.org. Dignity Integrity. Evening Prayer, followed by a Potluck Dinner: “Farmers’ Market Fare”. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Hotline at 585-234-5092 or website at www. di-rochester.org/.
SATURDAY 30
Trans* Alliance of Greater Rochester (TAGR), 3-5:30 pm. Film, refreshments, $1 donation if able. Open Arms MCC Community Center at 707 East Main St.
SUNDAY 31
Dignity Integrity. Picnic with Liturgy at friends’ home in Lima. Dignity Buffalo will be joining us. Gathering at 2 pm, liturgy at 3 pm and potluck picnic will follow. All welcome. See website, email or call Hotline to get further details. Hotline at 585-234-5092 or website at www.dirochester.org/. ■
AUGUST 2014 • NUMBER 481 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET
The Empty Closet is published by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500 Rochester, New York 14605 © 2014, All rights reserved. Editor-in-Chief: Susan Jordan Staff Reporter: Ove Overmyer Graphic Design: Jim Anderson Ad Sales: Brandon Brooks (brandonb@gayalliance.org 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. Submissions: For publication, submit news items, ads, photos, letters, stories, poetry, ads, photographs or art by mail or in person to The Empty Closet office by the 15th of the month. Design services for non-camera ready ads are available for a fee. 244-9030, susanj@gayalliance.org 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 gayrelated 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. The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. The Empty Closet shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the publication (whether correctly or incorrectly) or omission of an ad. In the event of non-payment, your account may be assigned to a collection agency or an attorney, and will be liable for the charges paid by us to such collection agency or attorney. Letters to the editor: The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. We will print letters at the editor’s discretion and on a space available basis. Only one letter by the same writer in a six-month period is allowed. We will not print personal attacks on individuals, nor will we be a forum for ongoing disputes between individuals. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. We will print anonymous letters if the name and phone number are provided to the Editor; confidentiality will be respected. Submissions are due by the 15th of the month at: The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605; e-mail: emptycloset@gagv.us. The online edition of EC is available at www.gayalliance.org.
Bed & Breakfast
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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 481 • AUGUST 2014
Roc Pride 2014 Thanks You! Pride Co-Chairs Michael Lill, Christopher Hennelly Pride Committee Evelyn Bailey, Dawn Balsis, Scott Fearing, Jeanne Gainsburg, Peter Mohr, Darya Nicol, Justine Pruss, Kellie Ronald, Steve Santacroce, Lora Thody, Kat Wiggall, Jillian Wilton, Tristan Wright Leadership Team Jeff Allen, Kristy Angevine-Funderburk, Hector Anguinzoni, CD Baginski, Jason Barnecut, Scott Bell, Tree Blair, Sam Brett, Travis Carroll, David Chappius, Jeff Christensen, Pat Cloonan, Gregory Cooper, Jen Dawson, Elizabeth Doyle, Jeff Folwer, Hayden Freedman, Steve Fuhn, Julie Gainsburg, Cody Gardner, JessieLee Gibson, Bruce Gorman, Todd Gustafson, Chris Hilderbrant, Dustin Hilton, Emily Jones, Susan Jordan, Amanda Kelley, Robin Khakpour, Jason Krenzer, Jeff Lambert, Tina Lindner, John Lukach, Christina Mannices, Jenn Mathews, Lizz McPhee, Chris Monahan, Karen Morris, Jessica Muratore, Joe Murphy, Jeff Meyers, Leonides Oriz, Ove Overmyer, Ron R., Annette Ramos, Tad Ranous, Robert Rogers, Kyle Ronald, Diane Root, Pat Santacrose, Bill Shaefer, Mohammad Seraji, Amy Shema, Greg Soucie, Anne Strachan, Serena Thody, Sean Thody, Stephen Tucker, Jenna Vanas, Anne Wakeman, Matt Wakeman, David Williford, Chris Woodworth, Bruce Wolley, David Zona, Eric Zukaukas
shall St. Bar & Grill, Lisa McTwister, JoAnne Metzler, MSP Productions LLC, OUTlandish, John Piccone, Mike Pish, Rundell Memorial Library, South Wedge Spirits and Wine, Marilyn Traver, Water Street Music Hall, Mayor Lovely Warren, Wegmans School of Pharmacy Entertainment Hector Anguinzoni, Megan Carter, Borinquen Dance, Paul Deleon, DeeDee Dubois, Darienne Lake, JCC Center Stage, Taylor Mayde, Neil McCloud, Nova Premium Entertainment, Pride Performance Ensemble, Radio Nation, Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus, Rochester Latino Theatre Company, Rochester Women’s Community Chorus, Tilt Nightclub Dragtopia, Gloria Shaaft, Justin Styles, Samantha Vega, Spiritus Christi, Betty Who
Sponsors Absolut Vodka, Advantage Federal Credit Union, Anderson Windows, Avenue Pub, Baccardi, Vivil Service Employees Union, City of Rochester, Canandaigua National Bank, First Niagara, Genesee Co-op, Matt Haag, Pride Guide Hedonist Ice Cream, Jim Beam, John’s Tex “True Colors” Authors Mex, Kohls, Lake Beverage, NY Life Insurance, Foula Dimopoulos, Erin Hayes, Leonides Ortiz, K., Park Avenue Merchant’s Association, Pride at Lauren Shiro, Allison Steinberg, Vilma Vendrell Work, Print Roc, Prudential Life Insurance, Rochester Institute of Technology, Roches- Volunteers ter Labor Federation and AFL-CIO, Rochester Aaron Ajegba, Liz Alicea, Paul Allen, Jeff Victory Alliance, Sky Vodka, Smirnoff, Strathal- Andrews, Chelsea Angelo, Robin Angevinelan, Thompson Reuters, Three Olives, Trillium Funderberk, Margaret Aubel, Addison Ault, Health, University of Rochester, Wegmans Kaelen Austin, Stefan Baer, Ashley Behnke, School of Pharmacy at St. John, Fisher, Yelp, Danie Bendesky, Sara Benson, David Bergmann, Michael Bernola, Vanessa Bishop, 98 PXY Keturah Bixby, Edward Brockenbrough, Christa Brumfield, Laura Buttiglieri, Maritza Cabera, Supporters 140 Alex Bar & Grill, Airigami, Avenue Pub, Mahalea Cabera, Emily Call, Alice CarverBachelor Forum, Boulder Coffee, Assem- Kubik, Sarah Caternolo, Steve Cooper, David blyperson Harry Bronson , Joel Cera, Crazy Copeland, Peter Corey, Pam Cornish, Nick Dog T-shirts, Executive Security, Equal Cornish, Jeffrey Cougler, LaRosa Crawford, Grounds, Frog Pond, Lucille Haley, Council- Caryn Davis, Jodie Dawson, Joey DeGrass, member Matthew Haag, Cat Hardesty, Mar- Barb Deitz, Mike Dejesus, Mike Delaney,
David Desiato, Bill DeStevens, Kelly Diaz, Chelsey Donahue, Daniel Eastman, Eileen Faye, Alicia Fioco, Sady Fischer, Brad Flower, Mallissa Fountaine, David Frier, Jill Frier, Curtis Gainy, Joanne Gallichio, Ami Garnish, Austin Gehret, Judy Glaubinger, Michael GoingsBenjamin, Todd Gordon, Aaron Gorelick, Shimona Gorelick, Neisha Green, Andy Griffy, Matthew Guzzetta, William Hall, Kerry Hanratty, Mikako Harata, Kathy Hart, Emily Henniger, Dee Herrera, John Hogan, Rachel Hollar, Pete Horrocks, K Hosimer, Nicole Howley, Bridget Hurley, Debra Jimenez, Dawn Johncox, Craig Johnson, Sam Kelly, Darrell Killingsworth, Thomas Krueger, Matthew Krueger, Chrysten LaClair, Bekka Lebowitz, Neisa Lipton, Mindy Lull, Nicole Lupinetti, Tori Madway, Brian Managan, Karen Managan, Jacob Marling, Wanda Martinez, Andra Martusciello, Erin Mast, Dennis Mazur, Cam McDermid, Amy McDonald, Beth Melendez, Kareyene Mendez, Ivellise Millan, Robert Morales, Katie Mueller, Shivali Mukerji, Dee NepomucenoMurray, Stephanie Nugroho, Jojo Oberholtzer, Deb Oppenheimer, Shauna O’Toole, Motunrayo Olaniyan, Reid Papke, Angelica Paucar, Bridgitt Paucar, Mike Pecka, Maria Pellonegro, Alexander Pena, Manuel Pena, Tony Perri, John Pilato, Sarah Pisaniello, Ana Polashenski, Maya Polashenski, Pam Polashenski, Walter Polashenski, Ronald Pratt, Audet Price, Gerard Pritchard, Renee Proia, Leslie Radka, Michelle Reaves, Whitney Rhodes, Kaelyn Rich, De-Von Richardson, Dave Rine, Shandi Rine, Kathryn Rivers, Kiree Robinson, Lourdes Roca, Thomas Rodwell, Timothy Rollins, Jeff Rudolph, Kieran Sahasrabudhe, Christine Snborn, Luke Sanna, Victor Santiago, Ramil Sapinoro, BJ Scanlon, Adam Schadt, KT Schwartz, Danny Seiler, Tori Snyder-Colbert, Kris Spencer, Farrell Sprague, Clark Stanley, Emma Strujo, Tierney Sullivan, Casey Sullivan, Lucky Summer Light, Ryan Thomas, Christopher Thompson, Angela Torez, Max Tsark, Natalie Turner, Lewis Vallone, Asia Vanderveen, James Vesper, Thomas Vincent, Zahiana Vongphachanh, Zach Waffle, Dana Wakeman, Alexander Warren, Brooklyn Welden, Nicole Wenzel, Jonathan Wetherbee, Steven Winkelman, Tara Winner, Lorraine Woerner-MacGowan, Kat Womack, Adam Young, Jeanne Zan Epps, Neka Zimmerman With over 400 sponsors, supporters and volunteers we know that we have probably forgotten to thank some people. Please know that we appreciate all of your support and we apologize in advance for any errors or omissions on this list. Thank you for making Roc Pride 2014 the best ever!