Empty Closet, July 2016

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A PUBLICATION OF THE GAY ALLIANCE

JULY 2016

PHOTO: SUSAN JORDAN

NUMBER 502

We Are Orlando… page 4

Roc Pride Timeline: Let’s Make Magic!

Over 700 rally for Orlando outside Bachelor Forum; speakers focus on pain, anger, love, action

FRIDAY, JULY 8

By Susan Jordan Over 700 people gathered at the gay-symbol sculptures outside the Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave., on June 13 to mourn the victims of the Orlando massacre and to share sorrow, anger, comfort and support. It was the largest LGBTQ gathering Rochester has ever seen, outside of Pride events.

Peter Mohr, owner of the Forum, told The Empty Closet, “It’s about respect. I can identify with that guy at the Corner Store (also on University Ave.) who had his wall defaced with racist graffiti. All we need to do is respect each other.”

Rabbi Katz of Temple Sinai gave the invocation, reminding the crowd, “We are all made in the image of God.” Scotty Ginett was m.c. for the rally; he led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence.

Speakers included Mayor Lovely Warren, City Council members Matt Haag, Dana Miller and Elaine Spaull, Charlsey Conybeare representing Assembly member Harry

Rochester Victory Alliance Beach Party. 5-9pm, Ontario Beach Park

SUNDAY, JULY 10

Pride 5K Run. Check-in 7am, Cobbs Hill Park Pride Games – Tennis Tournament. 10am, Cobbs Hill Park Pride Games – Volleyball Tournament. 10am, Cobbs Hill Park

MONDAY, JULY 11

Video Gayme Night. The Playhouse, 820 S. Clinton Ave.

TUESDAY, JULY 12

Euchre Tournament. 5:30-10pm, 384 East Avenue Inn

THURSDAY, JULY 14

• Sassy in the South Wedge. Out & Equal Second Thursdays Networking. In collaboration with Out & Equal, Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, Lux Bar • The Good, The Bad and The Funny trans open mic. 7-9pm, Gay Alliance LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave.

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Pride Flag Raising. 6pm, Cobbs Hill Park

SATURDAY, JULY 15

• Let’s Make Magic – Roc Pride Parade. Starting 1pm Alexander St. and heading east down Park Avenue to Culver. Free Parade/Festival Shuttle; parking available at Monroe Square, 259 Monroe Ave., and First Unitarian Church, 220 S. Winton Rd. • Roc Pride Fest. 1-9pm, Cobbs Hill Park. Emcees Samantha Vega & Dee Dee DuBois. Food Truck Rodeo, Beer & Liquor Garden, SAGE activities, Family Fun, Pride Art Colony, Music, Drag Shows, Performances by RGMC, Frankie & the Jewels, RAPA’s Spring Awakening, Recording Artist Diana King.

SUNDAY, JULY 17

• Roc Pride Fest Part Two. 1pm-6pm, Cobbs Hill Park.

The fun continues! Hostess Mrs. Kasha Davis, featuring the We 3 Queens Show with Darienne Lake and Aggy Dune, Broadway and Recording Artist Johnathan Celestin, DJ Neill MacLeod, and more.

Presented by the Gay Alliance with support from presenting sponsor Trillium Health. Get more information and the latest updates at RochesterPride.com

Pride Grand Marshal Jason Robert Ballard… page 7

Bronson, Bess Watts of Pride at Work, Gay Alliance Executive Director Scott Fearing, Gay Alliance Board Member Colleen Raimond, Adrian Gatekeeper of Black Pride, Rosemary Rivera of Citizen Action, Sady Fischer, Carole Eberhard Weiss (WNY representative of the Human Rights Campaign), Thomas Warfield, Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle, Sandra Frankel, Wanda Martinez-Johncox, Iman Abid representing the Muslim community and trans

activist Shauna O’Toole. No representatives of the Monroe County administration or Republican Party were present.

Charlsey Conybeare of Harry Bronson’s office read a letter from him, which said in part, “…This was an act of terror targeted at our community.

A coward with an assault weapon and hate in his heart has taken our community hostage.

This is another example of the senseless plague of gun violence and its effect on all communities in our country. A hate crime with a gun, with violence targeted at people merely because of who they are, brings about psychological terror aimed at killing our spirit, our PRIDE….

“We must heal and create solutions… The healing process began at Open Arms (where a candlelight vigil was held on June 12) and continues here….

We all deserve respect and the right to live in peace… We will win with love.”

Matt Haag said, “There are those who are willing to use violence to defeat us… We as (Over 700 continues page 3)

Inside

Editorials....................................... 2 Interview: Jason Ballard............... 7 Making the Scene.......................... 10 Opinion: Safe places....................15 Health: ACA ...............................16 LGBTQ Living: Gardens ............17 Shoulders To Stand On ...........21 Columnists ................................22 Community ................................25 Entertainment: Festival.....................27 Gay Alliance: Ride for Pride ......30 Calendar.....................................34 Classifieds..................................34 Comics........................................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 502 • JULY 2016

Perspectives The Empty Closet Editor SUSAN JORDAN

We Are Orlando Among the most powerful responses to the massacre in Orlando were these: From Rachel B. Tiven, Lambda Legal: ….“I felt sick as I read that the shooter had been ‘angered’ by seeing men kissing. Sick that our love and our lives and our pride could be an excuse for murder. Sick that a Presidential candidate encourages violent response to disagreement. Sick that intolerance – unchecked – means that even a night out dancing with friends can end in gunfire.

“Hate has been stirred up by the vicious anti-LGBT laws passed in North Carolina, Mississippi and elsewhere. Since Obergefell, hundreds of antigay and anti-trans laws have been introduced in states and local jurisdictions. While so many Americans have been inspired by our pride and our love, a nasty, opportunistic minority seeks to hurt us.

“This is Pride month, and this year it is also Ramadan – the holiest time in the Muslim year…. LGBT people are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, every other faith as well as none.

No true religion calls for harm to others, and Islam is no exception.

Religion is no excuse for violence, and it is no excuse for bigotry and discrimination.

“We are approaching the first anniversary of the terrible massa-

cre in Charleston, which led the country to soul-searching and change about the symbols of racism. Let us honor the memory of those who died today by ensuring that federal and state laws explicitly protect LGBT people, including a federal anti-discrimination law and LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws across the country.

“Until all LGBT people are accepted fully wherever they live, we will never have real safety and security. … Together we will succeed.”

Kate Kendall of the National Center for Lesbian Rights stated, “We can do nothing to bring back the lives of those murdered, but we can and must bring an end to the anti-LGBT bigotry and discrimination that are still rampant across this country and the world. … (C)owardly and irresponsible politicians have proposed more than 200 anti-LGBT laws — including those passed this year in North Carolina and Mississippi. Make no mistake, these laws and the pandering of so many elected officials to those who promote anti-LGBT bias, foster a toxic climate.

“As we struggle to recover from this devastating attack, we must be clear: there is no place for hate in this country, and no excuse for any elected official to vilify vulnerable communities based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, national origin, religion, immigration status, or any other personal trait. We must be especially vigilant against anti-Muslim bias and shameful attempts to demonize Muslim communities. How we respond to this horrific attack will be a test of our nation’s character, witnessed on a global scale.

“As we reflect on and mourn these terrible losses, let us find the strength to transform our pain and grief into collective action and a deep, unshakeable resolve to hold ourselves and our elected officials accountable for building a world of equality, peace, and justice.” ■

Gay Alliance Board of Trustees David Zona, President W. Bruce Gorman, Secretary Jason Barnecut-Kearns, Paul Birkby, Kim Braithwaite, Jeff Lambert, Jennifer Matthews, Colleen Raimond

Gay Alliance Executive Director SCOTT FEARING

Take Pride Change can be tough, yet in the end, change is often the best thing for us.

As one looks at the 2016 ROC PrideFest it is clear that 2016 is certainly about change!

New weekend venue, new schedule, new look! I want to take this opportunity to provide a few highlights!

Thank you to Pride co-chairs Lora Thody and Sam Brett for the countless hours they have put into helping to make 2016 Rochester PrideFest happen.

They have worked for months on this community event. They hosted community forums met with community members and maneuvered their way around RFP’s, licenses and other requirements. Thanks also to Jennifer Mathews from the Board of Directors for her involvement in the planning.

I would like to share a few significant items. While a “party in the park” is still at the core of the weekend, there is so much more!

The Pride Picnic is not dead!

In fact we have expanded it, and both days of 2016 PrideFest will have a picnic feel -- plenty of grass for blankets and chairs (yes, you can bring your own), plenty of shade to hang out in and relax!

Both days of PrideFest will have a full service bar available within the PrideFest grounds!

Name

(Per City law, you cannot bring your own alcohol into the park.)

In addition to the two stages of entertainment, and all of the vendors, we will have lots of activities -- kickball, volleyball, lawn Twister and more! Local food trucks will be there.

The PrideFest committee agrees, the biggest challenge is parking. You are coming to a huge event in one of the busiest neighborhoods of the city, so parking may not be easy for everyone. We have two free “off-site” parking lots, (Monroe Square (on Monroe near Alexander) and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester (Winton Ave). The University of Rochester will be providing FREE shuttle buses that will be rotating between the lots and the park all day. The buses are air-conditioned and handicap accessible.

You can avoid parking by riding your bike! There will be bike racks within the Fest grounds.

While dogs are allowed, the City requires them to be leashed, and owners must clean up after them. Dogs that misbehave, and their parents, will be asked to leave.

The Pride Committee and the Alliance have worked hard to keep Pride expenses down so that we can keep entrance fee low. A weekend pass purchased in advance is only $10 for both days! At the gate, Saturday costs $10 and Sunday $5.

Pride provides us with an opportunity to take stock of our achievements and the work that still lies ahead. Orlando should remind us of how much we need each other.

One purpose of Pride is to show off the wonderful diversity that is the LGBTQ communities. We can each proudly proclaim our own identity and still work with, and party with, people who may have a different identity. We are strongest when we reach across identities, assume goodwill and work together.

Happy Pride! ■ 07/16

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, 100 College Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607.

Home delivery of The Empty Closet is free with your annual membership.

THANK YOU THE GAY ALLIANCE APPRECIATES THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP OF BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND VISION.

GOLD Bachelor Forum City of Rochester SWS Charitable Foundation, Inc Trillium Health

SILVER Constellation Brands Empire Merchants Lake Beverage Nixon Peabody, LLP Southern Wine & Spirits Victory Alliance Waddell & Reed

BRONZE 140 Alex Bar & Grill Advantage Federal Credit Union Anderson Windows Avenue Pub Bank of America, Merrill Lynch CSEA Empire North Excellus First Niagara Fred L. Emerson Foundation Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP HCR Home Care Hedonist Chocolates Jim Beam John’s Tex Mex Joseph & Irene Skalny Charitable Trust Logical Operations New York Life NYSUT Pride at Work Prudential Rochester Area Community Foundation Rochester Broadway Theatre League Rochester Institute of Technology Three Olives Waldron Rise Foundation Wegman’s School of Pharmacy Woods, Oviatt, & Gilman, LLP

CHAMPION Bohnett Foundation Brighton Dental Canandaigua National Bank Centerlink Jimmy C. Entertainment Group Marshall St. Bar & Grill Out & Equal Park Ave Merchants Association RIT Student Association RIT Women & Gender Studies Department Rochester Kink Society Rochester Labor Council AFL-CIO Rochester Rams MC Third Presbyterian Church

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

PAGE ONE (Over 700 from page 1) a community are better than that.

We represent all races, all creeds, all genders… We will solve nothing by making someone else ‘The Other’…

We know what it is like to be The Other… We will not turn on anyone else.”

Dana Miller said, “I stand with Matt Haag and with all of you. Love and hate are opposites, but what we see is hate because of who we love...

We won’t tolerate that… We will have to be vigilant… but we can’t let this happen again!”

Bill Moehle commented, “I woke up to hear this sickening news…

I went to Open Arms – a beautiful evening… Then I went to the Islamic Center and again saw people in grief and anger… They rejected that hate… We need comprehensive LGBT rights throughout this nation.”

Scott Fearing gave the hashtag #weareorlando. He urged the crowd to take photos of the rally and send them everywhere. “Let’s use this as an opportunity for … all of us to come together instead of fighting among ourselves!”

He introduced Colleen Raimond, who said, “It is with a heavy heart that we gather tonight. We gather to mourn our brothers and sisters in Orlando. To come together in support and solidarity with their families and loved ones. And to talk about what comes next. “‘Sincerely held religious beliefs.’”

These are nice words. These are pretty words. These are words that roll off the tongue and words that are pleasant to the ear. They are much cleaner and tidier than “God hates fags,” for example. But they send the same message. The message is that we are bad. We are less than. We are unworthy of respect and dignity.

“But…’religious freedom’ are such pretty words. Words that can be said in statehouses and on the evening news. But these words, these nice, pretty words fuel fires. They give a pass. They make an excuse. They create an exception.

“These nice words, these pretty words, have allowed business owners in parts of our country to deny LGBTQ people food and drinks at restaurants, lodging at hotels, clothing at apparel shops, and counseling at medical centers.

“These nice and pretty words are used to send an ugly and dangerous message. They are used to set us apart and label us as different and strip us of our rights and our safety.

“When words – especially pretty words and nice words – are used to legitimize fear and discrimination, they will lead to hatred. And hatred will lead to violence.

“So every time I hear an argument that we should allow prejudice to protect someone’s ‘heartfelt religious belief,’ I am not surprised when I hear that someone raised a fist or a knife or a gun against one of our brothers or sisters. Every time I hear someone say that prohibiting a trans person from using the restroom that matches his or her gender because it is a ‘safety issue,’ I am not surprised when I hear that one of our trans brothers or sisters were beaten or murdered.

“In the wake of this tragedy, many people are asking what they can do.

I offer this suggestion: Every time you hear a friend or family member or neighbor or co-worker say nice words or pretty words that endorse discrimination, say something. Have the uncomfortable conversation.

“Say it is not OK. Every time someone on your Facebook page

posts a meme or a link or a comic or an article that endorses discrimination, say something.

Have the uncomfortable conversation. Say it is not OK. And I don’t just mean homophobic and transphobic words. I mean racist words. I mean sexist words. I mean anti-Semitic words. I mean anti-Islamic words.

“Be an ally in action, not just in name.

“Make clear that in this country we do not bow to fear and we do not create barriers between us.

“We stand together and remember all of those that we have lost – including those in Orlando. We think of their loved ones. We are one community and we are all equal. We all deserve respect and dignity. We all deserve happiness and safety and love.”

Mayor Lovely Warren was the next to speak. She said, “When good people stay silent, evil triumphs. Rochester is home to many who refused to stay silent – Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and the LGBT community… Being an African American mayor, I have seen the hatred… projected at me…. Hate will not be tolerated. We must stand together as a community and as a nation….”

Bess Watts said, “Thoughts and prayers are not enough. For me when public officials ask us to pray there is a cognitive dissonance when the majority of world religions promote antiLGBT theology. Such words provide cold comfort to many of us LGBTQ activists. What we need is action.

“Please don’t allow the narrative to be shifted to the dangers of scary Muslims or that this was a target towards all Americans and not directed to the LGBTQ community. It was. We cannot be ignored and be made invisible.

This act of violence was planned and directed towards our beautiful and diverse LGBTQ community in Orlando.

“We cannot forget that for the last six months over 200 anti-LGBTQ legislative bills have been introduced nationwide.

Our transgender brothers and sisters have been marginalized as being a threat to public safety in restrooms due to so called ‘Religious Freedom’ Bills.

“We live in a world that is entrenched in homophobia. Acts of terrorism are committed on LGBTQ people every day and in every country…. We need...

Monroe County to ... fly our Pride Flag and acknowledge our LGBTQ community during Pride Week -- just as the City of Rochester does.

“Pride at Work stands with Orlando in solidarity and we will continue to do all we can to achieve full equality in every state of the Union. We will do so by our actions because we believe that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’.

“Now is the time for us to ‘mourn for the dead, but fight like hell for the living!’”

Shauna O’Toole said, “…I happen to be a pansexual trans woman… We’re not going away and we don’t scare that easy.

What we need to do… is share our stories… We can beat the hate back… We will win this.

We will stand together and we will prevail.”

Rosemary Rivera of Citizen Action led the crowd in a chant: “Beat the Hate Back… With (Over 700 continues page 6)

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NewsFronts LOCAL AND STATE

leyball and kickball games with open signup at the Information tent. We’re also planning to have ladder golf and Kan Jam. “For the more artistic, we’re planning an art wall to share your artistic side on and a sharing wall to share your thoughts on some relevant topics.

“And just for good fun, we’re planning board games, lawn twister, a bean bag toss, bubbles for the kids, a photo booth. Wildlife Educators plan to be there and we’re also hoping to have henna tattoos and face painting.

“These activities will surround the programming, which will include things like dance and yoga presentations and classes, magicians, etc.”

Two Spirit Society to march in Roc Pride Parade Scott Fearing, Colleen Raimond and David Zona with Jim Moran.

Photo: Susan Jordan. More photos on page 10.

Gay Alliance honors Jim Moran at donor event

By Susan Jordan The Gay Alliance hosted a donor appreciation event at the LGBTQ Resource Center on June 8. Around 60 people attended.

Board and staff thanked everyone present and provided information about the Alliance’s latest activities, and then a special announcement was made.

Scott Fearing, Executive Director, said, “Time to honor one special donor: an individual who has donated more financially than any other living individual -- over $38,000 in the past five years. This person is also a member of the Gay Alliance Legacy Society, meaning he has included the Gay Alliance in his estate plans.

“This person is very dedicated to enhancing a sense of community within and between our various communities. As a career educator -- work with LGBTQ youth is important to him -- and as a person active with our SAGE program, he is always encouraging that group to challenge barriers that prevent community development. He pushes the value of inter-generational conversations. He also pushes me, the staff and the board to grow the organization and challenges us to do more and to do everything better. He brings us ideas on how to expand our work and engage others to support the Alliance.

“As a person who does good

work not for recognition, but simply because it is the right thing to do... I know my actions here tonight are a little embarrassing to him, but because of his dedication to the Gay Alliance and the larger LGBTQ communities, we have chosen to honor his support and dedication before you, his fellow major donors.

Please join us in showing appreciation to Mr. James R. Moran...

“You may know of the conference room that is right off our lobby; it is a room that is available for community organizing, committee meetings, planning meetings, board meetings. It is a room dedicated to community enrichment and enhancement. We are proud to announce that a plaque will be installed above the door officially naming that conference room The James R. Moran Community Engagement Room.”

The Gay Alliance thanked Peter Mohr of the Bachelor Forum for donating the drinks. Catering was by Green Zebra.

Pride Festival to include sports, art, fun for kids, music & more The two-day ROC Pride event has been expanded to include a number of fun activities.

Organizers say “For the sporting crowd, we have vol-

VERIZON VICTORY: Nearly 40,000 Verizon workers who had been on strike since April 13 celebrated big gains after reaching a tentative agreement with the company. After 45 days of the largest strike in recent history, Verizon will add 1,300 new east coast call center jobs, and reversed several other outsourcing initiatives that will create new field technician jobs. Above: The Rochester Chapter of Pride at Work AFL-CIO supported the Verizon Strike action by picketing on the strike line every Tuesday.

The East Coast Two Spirit Society is proud to be joining in the Rochester Pride Parade again this year. There will also be an information booth at the festival directly following the parade.

If you wish to join us for the parade, contact Kelly Baumgartner at kkbkelly@outlook.com. Worried you will not be able to walk the distance? We will have a float as well.

The EC2SS provides information to the general public and support and services to Two Spirit Natives, formerly known as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender nonconforming. EC2SS works to increase the positive visibility of Two Spirit communities and to provide safe, supportive opportunities for social, traditional and recreational interactions that are culturally appropriate to them. ■

Rev. Gregg W. Soucie, Roc Pride volunteer, passes at 42 Gregg Soucie passed away suddenly last month at age 42. Gregg was a Reiki Master, a spiritual healer and reader and held an Associate’s Degree in I-T Tech. He volunteered for Roc Pride and a benefit for his family took place at 140 Alex Bar & Grill on June 22.

He is survived by his beloved mother, Virginia Soucie and step-father, Tony Gonzalez; brother Mark Soucie; uncles Ronald and William Polle; cousin Jim Bonsignore and many other cousins; “sisters” Karen Kurchyne and Linda Giuliani; dear friends Bruce Rockwell, Jorge Rodriguez, Roger Pratt Tarotseer; many other beloved friends and the Gonzalez Family.

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

NewsFronts NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

“We are Orlando”: LGBTQ America and our allies respond to massacre

By Susan Jordan It was Pride Month. And in Orlando, Florida, June 11 was Latino Night at Pulse Orlando nightclub. At 2 a.m. on June 12 Omar Mateen turned the celebratory occasion into the most terrible mass shooting America has seen in the 20th or 21st century.

The shooting in Orlando left at least 50 people dead and even more injured.

Gradually the stories started to become known – Brenda Lee Marquez-McCool, the woman who gave her life to save her gay son… the young gay couple about to be married, who were buried together... and the ex-Marine, an Afghanistan vet, who was bouncer at Pulse and saved over 60 lives by opening a side door when he heard the first shots. His name is Imran Yusouf and he is Muslim.

“Last night’s massacre in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub is a powerful reminder for the LGBTQ communities that despite recent advances, challenges remain,” said Scott Fearing, Gay Alliance Executive Director. “We remain a target for bigotry and violence.”

“I am pleased that the Rochester Police Department reached out to us at the Alliance and asked us to inform the Rochester LGBTQ communities that they are ready to work with us on issues

or concerns of community safety,” Fearing added. “Together we will review all of our previously made plans to ensure a safe Pride Celebration in July.”

“Living lives authentically; being out of the closet about our love and our gender can have consequences,” stressed Anne Tischer, the founder of Equality ROC Coalition, a Rochester based advocacy organization that does grass roots organizing and activism on LGBTQ issues.

“Sadly, LGBTQ bias and hatred have been normalized in today’s political discussions, and we are seeing hatred trickle down to touch everyday life,” she said.

“The political conversations that have grown from the so-called Religious Freedom Bills generate attitudes that approve bias, discrimination and hatred,” added Fearing. “It has long been known that hate speech from leaders encourages hate violence from followers, and I think the actions in Florida are an example of what can happen when people act on their fears, ignorance and hatred.”

Colleen Raimond, board member of the Gay Alliance, added the following: “While today the country mourns, remember that yesterday and last week and last month someone in this country worked to pass laws to endorse the marginalization and second class citizen-

ship of LGBTQ people. These laws and endorsements from those who hold our highest offices help to fuel the hatred of extremists - of all religions and all ethnicities. So while today is to mourn. And pray. And share. Tomorrow we need to move to action. And move to action not only in response to the horrors of this action but also the modern movement here in our statehouses to endorse discrimination and fuel hatred.”

On Sunday June 12 at 8 p.m., Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church at 707 East Main St. hosted a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Orlando shooting.

A rally to speak out against hate violence took place here in Rochester on June 13. Over 700 community members met at the LGBTQ sculptures in front of the Bachelor Forum at 670 University Ave. (See page 1) National and local responses From Equality Florida: We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2 a.m. capacity crowd at Pulse leaving (50) people dead and 42 injured according to preliminary reports.

We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country.

Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety. June commemorates our community standing up to anti-LGBTQ violence at the Stonewall Inn, the nightclub that has become the first LGBTQ site recognized as a national monument.

Task Force statement “We are deeply shocked by this appalling act of violence against the LGBTQ community and our friends. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones and with the injured. While the motive behind this crime remains unclear, our resolve to live openly and proudly remains undiminished. Now is a time for the whole nation to stand together against violence,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren: “Last night the City of Orlando experienced what appears to be the worst act of terrorism since the September 11 attacks, and the worst mass shooting in our nation’s modern history.

“I would like to express my support and my condolences to Mayor Buddy Dyer and all the families who were affected in this tragedy. I urge all of Rochester to join me as we keep our friends in Orlando in our thoughts and prayers.

“As a nation, we cannot allow our sense of security to be weakened. We must stand, resilient, for each other, and for Orlando.

“Gun violence in all its forms connects us tragically across the country. We must act now to end this plague for the sake of all of our families and children.

“Nobody deserves to be shot down in the street, on a college campus, in a movie

theater, in a hotel or in a night club. No mother deserves to be woken up in the middle of the night to learn that her child has been shot. It has to end.

“Ten days ago I proclaimed June as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Rochester to send a message that Rochester stands with all of the families whose lives are forever impacted because their loved ones have been killed or injured.

“Tomorrow I plan on wearing orange, and urge others to do the same, to show that we stand together for Orlando, for any family whose loved ones have been injured or taken from them too soon, and against gun violence.

“Because we are strongest when we speak up, and stand together.”

Statement from City Councilmember Matt Haag and New York State Assemblyman Harry Bronson: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their friends and families in Orlando. This is yet another example of the plague of gun violence affecting communities across the country. Although we may never know this particularly troubled individual’s motivations to kill and take these men and women from their family and friends; this horrific act resulted in the death and injury of members of the LGBT community while at a gay nightclub. It is unfortunate that there continues to be some who are willing to take the lives of innocent people, and in this case, members of our community, the LGBT community, possibly for simply being who they are. Acts like these create a dangerous atmosphere where people fear being openly themselves, which perpetuates the cycle of violence. We hope we will be able to heal the wounds this shooting left on our community and create solutions to stop events like last night’s from repeating.”

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) … mourns the senseless, brutal, murderous attack on the LGBTQ community in Orlando, a city where AHF provides HIV/AIDS care and services including free HIV testing. The AHFsupported Impulse Group has one of its largest chapters in Orlando, and the Pulse nightclub is one of its major community partners.

“Our hearts our heavy as we mourn today, standing in solidarity with the Orlando community and the entire LGBTQ community worldwide, as an attack on any one of us is an attack on all of us,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “ As far as we know at this time, all of our AHF and Impulse people are safe. Our staff are giving blood, volunteering and we are dispatching our Orlando mobile testing van to assist in the blood drive at the Center in Orlando. As of tomorrow, AHF will establish a fund to assist victims and survivors, which we will set up and coordinate with and through the Center in Orlando.”

Centerlink statement: The news of the Orlando shooting at Pulse, a popular LGBT bar, has stunned and saddened all this morning. With news of 50 people

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET dead, and more wounded, June 12 will be forever etched in our communities’ history as a day of grief. CenterLink, the community of LGBT Centers, stands with LGBT leadership and our many allies across the country in expressing our deep sadness at this horrific event.

The GLBT Community Center of Orlando opened immediately and has therapists onsite offering free grief counseling for community members. People have been streaming in all day to the Center. If locals are interested in helping, representatives have said donations of food and water are welcome. “The National Association of Social Workers Florida has responded directly offering volunteer therapists in Orlando,” reports CenterLink Executive Director, Terry Stone.

“We are grateful for their support in this time of crisis. We are also grateful for every single mental health provider who publicly lists themselves as LGBT welcoming; our communities will need you.”

The President issued this statement: “Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder -- a horrific massacre -of dozens of innocent people. We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city. Although it’s still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate. And as Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to defend our people.

“I just finished a meeting with FBI Director Comey and my homeland security and national security advisors. The FBI is on the scene and leading the investigation, in partnership with local law enforcement. I’ve directed that the full resources of the federal government be made available for this investigation….

“This is an especially heartbreaking day for all our friends -- our fellow Americans -- who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub -- it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.

“So this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American -- regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation -- is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.

“Today marks the most deadly shooting in American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country

we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.

“In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families -that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more -- as a country -- by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us.

“As we go together, we will draw inspiration from heroic and selfless acts -- friends who helped friends, took care of each other and saved lives. In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another. We will not give in to fear or turn against each other. Instead, we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us…..”

On June 13, President Obama issued a further statement to the press, offering his condolences to the victims of the Orlando shooting and their families….

Q: “Mr. President, is there anything more to the LBGT angle to this?”

THE PRESIDENT: “Well, I think we don’t yet know the motivations. But here’s what we do know -- is organizations like ISIL or organizations like al Qaeda, or those who have perverted Islam and created these radical, nihilistic, vicious organizations, one of the groups that they target are gays and lesbians because they believe that they do not abide by their attitudes towards sexuality.

“Now, we also know these are organizations that think it’s fine to take captive women and enslave them and rape them. So there clearly are connections between the attitudes in an organization like this and their attitudes towards tolerance and pluralism and a belief that all people are created equally regardless of sexual orientation. That is something threatening to them. Women being empowered is threatening to them.

“So, yes, I’m sure we will find that there are connections -- regardless of the particular motivations of this killer -- there are connections between this vicious, bankrupt ideology and general attitudes towards gays and lesbians. And unfortunately, that’s something that the LGBT community is subject to not just

by ISIL but by a lot of groups that purport to speak on behalf of God around the world.”

President Obama also issued a proclamation: “As a mark of respect for the victims of the act of hatred and terror perpetrated on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-

staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, June 16, 2016. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad….”

Harvey Milk Foundation statement: Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, released the following statement in response to the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida: “Last night, the worst domestic terror attack since 911 has tragically hit American LGBT families head on -- children, moms, dads, neighbors, friends -- lives that are changed forever. In the days ahead we will come to know the latest victims of hatred -- mostly young men and women who were simply out for a night of dancing and enjoyment of our community during LGBT Pride month.

These victims of a hate crime targeting an LGBT club had their futures stolen, had their dreams stolen, their potential contributions stolen from us all.

“The LGBT Orlando community and our allies in Central Florida are both strong and unified. We send a world of love and prayers to all who are grieving today and to all who will begin the hard journey to recover from untold wounds, both physical and emotional. But our love and prayers are simply not enough. Hate and separation continue to bring forth too much grief, too many stolen lives across the whole world.

“As we reach out to comfort the Orlando families, and as we support the courage for the injured to heal, may we also have the strength to address and deal with the roots of hatred and separation that target any minority community with violence, anywhere in the world. May we find a way forward to make this act of horrendous violence a commitment to come together and so honor the memories of those who were killed today.”

Rashad Robinson, Executive Director, Color Of Change, National Racial Justice Organization said: “It was horrifying to wake up to the news out of Orlando this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the community waiting for news of their loved ones and mourning this devastating tragedy. We don’t yet know the details surrounding this unconscionable attack, but we do know that no one should be targeted for their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

“Spaces like Pulse aren’t just bars and clubs. They are a lifeline to many LGBTQ people — a place to be free and open.

Falling almost exactly one year after the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, this tragedy is a reminder of all the ways that hate, intolerance and violence show up. As we seek to make sense

5 of this tragedy and so many others, we do so focused on building a culture of inclusion, respect, liberation and love.”

Arianna Lint, CEO and Founder of Ariann@’s Center, Trans Latina@ Coalition SF Chapter and Trans United Fund board member stated: “Many of us were prepared to celebrate Pride today, but instead our hearts are aching for our friends, family and community who have experienced such a horrific act of violence. I was awakened this morning by calls and messages about loved ones who had been injured and friends frantic for news of one another’s safety. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are mourning loved ones and with the injured. Although the details of motive and actor are still emerging, we remain more resolved than ever to live our lives fully, proudly and unapologetically and to refuse to violence and tragedy to be used as an excuse to demonize other communities.”

Everything Transgender in NYC stands in solidarity with the victims that were killed and the survivors that were injured.

“We are working with the NYC LGBTQ community to plan and attend vigils and memorials for the innocent LGBTQ people that were murdered and maimed.

“The first observance (was) Sunday June 12, 2016 at 6 p.m. at Sheridan Park (across the way from the Stonewall Inn, which is located at 53 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014).

“ETNYC has noted that many of the people injured and murdered are black and latina/o people, and some of the victims and survivors appear to be transgender people of color. The 29-yearold, US-born attacker, Omar Saddiqui Mateen, killed 49 people and injured dozens more.

“The incident sheds light on the rise of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the United States. Here are just a few of the ways that this anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ sentiment has proliferated in recent months: The event at the Pulse club… was advertised towards latina/o people with drag queen headliners. Many transgender and gender nonconforming people came out to support the drag entertainers.

“In May, Pastor James Dobson called for the killings of transgender people. In April, Denton County Texas Sheriff Candidate Tracy Murphree called for people to assault transgender people. On June 8, an explosion took place at a Target store in Evanston, IL. The alleged bomb turned out to be the paraphernalia of a 44-yearold woman that had been mixing the drug methamphetamine. In April the American Family Association sent out letters in opposition to transgender people using public bathrooms. The letter described transgender people as child predators and men that would attack wives. It is very clear that the American Family Association has spread terror through the transgender community (see bit.ly/ETNYC58).

(Orlando continues page 6)

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

PAGE ONE (Over 700 from page 3) Love.” She said, “This is meant to make us second-guess ourselves… I’m a Puerto Rican woman married to a Black woman in a world full of hate… This could have happened to any of us.”

Sady Fischer agreed. She spoke about enjoying clubs and bars as safe places to relax and have fun, and said, “I’m feeling what we’re all feeling. Many of us are hurt, many are feeling a lot of anger and pain. This could have been any one of us….” She said that a friend of hers had lost nine friends that night, although he survived. “He heard the first gunshots and was able to get away….

“I can say that many of you have touched me. The one thing everyone is saying here -- love overcomes hate. We are not alone… This was a targeted attack on

Thomas Warfield at the rally. All photos: Susan Jordan

queer people of color… Those of us who identify as Latino/a and queer… must remain visible… I invite you to be brave, out and proud… and vocal.”

Wanda Martinez-Johncox of the VA waved the Puerto Rican and rainbow flags. She said, “This is why we march in the Puerto Rican Parade… We are here…

We have to stop teaching hate.”

Adrian Gatekeeper noted, “This love needs to extend beyond today… Love is an action word… I need you to step up! Being gay is difficult but I promise you, if you have a name like Lateisha or

A floral display outside the Forum.

Jayquan… you aren’t going to get hired!

It’s time for you all to step up and say it loud and proud: Black Lives Matter!” The crowd joined in the chant.

Sandra Frankel said, “I am so sad, and so mad… Today we are Orlando…. We will not tolerate the killing. The hate has to stop. And it stops right here with us.”

Thomas Warfield said, “What’s happening is a WE thing. We together are not afraid. We are strong, resilient, magical, loving. We hold a vision of a better world. … We need each other…. We have to learn to care about and love those who are different from us.”

Carole Ebersol Weiss of HRC said, “This shows how much the LGBT community needs to do…. We cannot let ourselves be paralyzed by anger and fear.”

Iman Abid represented the Muslim community. She explained that most Muslims reject the hate and violence of extremism and the Rochester Muslim community stands in solidarity with the LGBT community.

Jo Meleca Voigt and Anne Tischer read the names of the 49 victims. So many were in their 20s or early 30s. This was perhaps the most moving part of the rally; many people wept and embraced.

Rally speaker Rosemary Rivera of Citizen Action.

Rally speaker Adrian Gatekeeper of Black Pride.

(Orlando from page 5) “ETNYC condemns this violence. We must work together to stem the tide of hatred towards LGBTQ people, people of color, and low-income people.”

The following can be attributed to Jerame Davis, Executive Director of Pride at Work on behalf of the entire National Executive Board and our membership throughout organized labor: “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the victims and their families. Hatred and violence have no place in a civilized society. Our hearts break for the families of the Orlando massacre as we wait for more information about this horrific attack. Until then, we can only honor the victims and their families by working to make sure this never happens again.“ At the United We Dream National Congress, where over a thousand immigrant youth gathered to plan strategy for the coming year and beyond, UWD local group leaders Dani Marrero Hi, with Aqui Estamos, a group of LGBTQ immigrant community youth in the Texas Rio Grande Valley and Roksana Mun, with Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) in New York City, led hundreds in a reflection, chant and moment of silence in honor of those lost and to pledge their commitment to our shared struggle. Of the one thousand youth present at the event, nearly 200 identified as LGBTQ. Dani Marrero Hi, United We Dream Digital Content Fellow and leader with Aqui Estamos RGV, said, “For many of us, gay clubs are the only safe spaces that we know because the world in which we live is so hostile to living life as our true and authentic selves. So when our safe spaces are violated, it is especially shocking and tragic. Violence against LGBTQ people, against people of color, against women, against immigrants -- whether it affects one of us or 100 of us -- is intended to push us into the dark but we refuse to go back. My heart feels heavy today but I know that I am surrounded by one thousand people who believe as I do, that our destinies are linked and that we won’t stop until we all are free.”

Roksana Mun, member of the National Leadership Committee of United We Dream and Director of Training & Strategy with Desis Rising Up and Moving, added, “I am not here to apologize for anything, I am here to say that this is more than a gun control issue, more than an issue about queer or Muslim people alone. It is disgusting that the same people who pass a dozen laws to ban queer people from certain spaces or from being protected from deportation are the same people who are now opportunistically using this tragedy to advance their agenda against Muslims. At United We Dream and in our communities, we fight alongside one another because our struggles are linked and our liberation is linked together.”

GLSEN Orlando Chair Ginger Malcom stated,: “GLSEN Orlando is heartbroken by the senseless attack on the LGBT community that took place last night. We offer our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those affected by what has been characterized as an act of domestic terrorism and a possible hate crime. It is with heavy hearts but also a renewed energy that we continue our work in schools to eliminate anti-LGBT bias and violence. We will not stop until our young people learn that all people deserve respect and that hate and violence have no place in Orlando and in our world.”

From Human Rights Campaign ED Chad Griffin: “Our hearts are broken.

“We are devastated by the senseless act of violence that claimed the lives of at least 50 LGBTQ people and allies in Orlando and injured more than 50 others.

We grieve for them, and for their friends, families, and our entire community….

“Much about this crime remains unclear. But we do know this: Love always

wins. Love will always conquer hate. And our response to this act of terror must be to reaffirm our commitment to defeating the hate that inspired this violence and to continue fighting for the equality, justice and dignity we all so deserve.”

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY10), who represents the site of the September 11th World Trade Center terrorist attacks as well as one of the largest LGBT communities in the country, released the following statement: “We are all horrified by the terrorist attack at a LGBT club in Orlando, leaving 50 dead and more than fifty wounded.

My prayers are with the victims and their families….

“As we celebrate Pride this month, this horrific attack must be investigated as both a hate crime and a terrorist attack. We must, and I am confident that we will, come together as a community to honor these victims and mourn their loss.”

From Rachel B. Tiven, Lambda Legal: “We don’t need to ask whether LGBT people were the targets of the terrible attack in Orlando. We know. This was both an act of terrorism against LGBT people and also a hate crime.

“I felt sick as I read that the shooter had been ‘angered’ by seeing men kissing.

Sick that our love and our lives and our pride could be an excuse for murder. Sick that a Presidential candidate encourages violent response to disagreement. Sick that intolerance – unchecked – means that even a night out dancing with friends can end in gunfire.

“Hate has been stirred up by the vicious anti-LGBT laws passed in North Carolina, Mississippi and elsewhere. Since Obergefell, hundreds of antigay and antitrans laws have been introduced in states and local jurisdictions. While so many Americans have been inspired by our pride and our love, a nasty, opportunistic minority seeks to hurt us.

“This is Pride month, and this year it is also Ramadan – the holiest time in the Muslim year. Lambda Legal has already received expressions of condolence and solidarity from Muslim leaders. LGBT people are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, every other faith as well as none.

No true religion calls for harm to others, and Islam is no exception. Religion is no excuse for violence, and it is no excuse for bigotry and discrimination.

“We are approaching the first anniversary of the terrible massacre in Charleston, which led the country to soul-searching and change about the symbols of racism.

Let us honor the memory of those who died today by ensuring that federal and state laws explicitly protect LGBT people, including a federal anti-discrimination law and LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws across the country.

“Until all LGBT people are accepted fully wherever they live, we will never have real safety and security. Lambda Legal will continue to fight for our communities and protect ourselves. Together we will succeed.”

Statement by National Coalition for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.: “Yesterday’s attack in Orlando was an act of terrifying hate toward our community. The shooter attacked an LGBT bar on Latin night during Pride Month, brutally targeting innocent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of color and others who had gathered to socialize and celebrate. Our entire community and everyone who values human life is reeling from that unfathomable brutality. We are sickened by the loss of precious and irreplaceable lives. Our hearts ache for the families and friends of those murdered and the terrible devastation those losses will continue to bring in the day, months, and years ahead.

“We can do nothing to bring back the lives of those murdered, but we can and must bring an end to the anti-LGBT bigotry and discrimination that are still rampant across this country and the world.

In the past two years, cowardly and irresponsible politicians have proposed more (Orlando continues page 12)

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

Interview

The Measure of a Man: 2016 Pride Grand Marshal Jason Robert Ballard

By Adam Young Perched at a table at Equal Grounds coffee house in a bright blue tank top, Jason Robert Ballard is the epitome of the millennial entrepreneur. The founder of FTM Magazine, a quarterly publication devoted to health and transitional issues for transgender men, Ballard has been named Roc Pride 2016’s Grand Marshal.

Ballard, 29, laughs while contemplating the reason he was selected. “I don’t know. I’ve done the radio and TV a couple times?” Ballard said. But his numerous ventures demonstrate why so many people reach out to him to express their gratitude. Citing a lack of resources at the time, he started a website called Self Made Men as a one stop shop for people interested in transitioning to male to read about the real process involved and steps to take.

Over time with his graphic design background, Ballard desired to give the website a sleek, more polished look like an issue of GQ that focused on issues related to trans* men. FTM Magazine was born.

Since then, The Advocate has described FTM Magazine as “the GQ for trans* men.” Ballard is proud they made the magazine more readily available in medical offices, though he wishes international shipping costs were more reasonable.

Also sprouting from Ballard’s Self Made Men project was the “This is what trans* looks like” campaign, featuring T-shirts sporting the slogan to reshape any stereotypical perceptions of a transgender person.

People curious about transitioning mainly reach out to Ballard via Facebook.

One such person was the mother of Jake, a transgender child from the Midwest, who reached out to Jason to thank him.

Her fears were diminished once she and Jake met Ballard. They still keep in touch via Skype. “He’s like me, but if I had the language at eight years old to say, ‘Hey mom, this is what’s going on with me,’” Ballard said.

Ballard began connecting with others online at 12 as Jason, named after the red

ranger from the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers TV show. He started testosterone treatment at 20 at the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia and had top surgery at 22.

Originally Ballard felt obliged to project traits labeled as more masculine to prove he was a true trans* man. “When I first came out, I felt I had to be super-duper masculine, macho, assholeish. And I thought that anything feminine or female-ish would be what people would point out because, ‘You’re not trans* because of this,’ or, ‘You’re not a man because you like to cuddle.’”

Ballard points out that he now has friends who are kind, bookish men who break the mold of the traditional man.

He wishes they were around while he was transitioning. But he gradually learned to accept that all of his traits combined redefined his ideology of a true man. “I’m going to form my own masculinity and image,” he said.

For this year’s Pride, Ballard hopes people will come out and feel safe. He quoted his friend Jake to sum up his feelings for the event in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, “We are greater than one hate. We are greater than any hate.

We can’t be scared….” ■

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Stop by and enjoy our great happy hour discounts, a great patio and new menu!

JULY EVENTS Saturday, July 9 we will be hosting the 140 Mr. & Mrs. Pageant, please come and support members of our wonderful community as they compete!

Sunday, July 10 Please join us for our Annual Golf Tournament: $85 for 18 holes, golf cart, lunch, raffles, prizes and then a delicious dinner at 140 Alex! All proceeds will benefit the Gay Alliance!

July 15-17 Watch for our float in the parade and the join us at 140 for great specials, delicious food, fabulous drag shows, karaoke, dancing and DJs on two floors!

SPRING SALE IN PROGRESS SAVINGS UP TO 40%!

ART BY BRIAN O’NEILL ON DISPLAY THROUGH JULY 12

DL HOME & GARDEN INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME & GARDEN Visit our new retail store: M-F 10-6, SAT 10-4 225-4663 • 283 Central Avenue One block west of the train station downtown

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Making the Scene

THANKS TO DONORS: David Quick and Paul Allen at the Gay Alliance Donor Appreciation Night, June 8 at the LGBTQ Resource Center.

All photos: Susan Jordan

BARBARA BONIN BEAR HABITAT: On June 12 the Seneca Park Zoo dedicated the new bear habitat made possible by a donation from the late Barbara Bonin. Left: Her partner Karen Monast at the ceremony. That evening 175 people attended the free event for the LGBTQ community. Photos courtesy Seneca Park Zoo.

Bess Watts.

Scenemakers of the Month

Board member Jennifer Matthews talks with David Quick.

BJ Scanlon and Tom Ferrarese.

Robert Day. Samantha Vega (left) and Dee Dee Dubois.

Samantha Vega and Dee Dee Dubois

BIG QUEER PROM: 106 youth attended the “MasQueerade” Prom held at the Resource Center on June 4. Photos: Dawn Balsis

Samantha Vega and Dee Dee Dubois will host the Roc Pride Festival, part 1 on Saturday, July 16. They answered our Scenemaker questions – first Sam, then Dee Dee. SAMANTHA VEGA What’s your favorite color?

Lime Green Your drag icon?

Erica Andrews and Lady Catiria, both Latinas who changed the pageant and drag scene in their days. R.I.P. Favorite fashion trend/ designer?

I’ve always loved the extravagant designs of Alexander McQueen.

Favorite movie?

Dead Poet’s Society. Finding Nemo Music you’re listening to right now?

I have a playlist called DIVAS, and it includes my favorites ladies: Cher, Bette Midler, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Liza, Christina Aguilera, QUEEN, Pink, Elaine Stritch, etc.

Hobbies/interests?

I love to sew, and I love to cook. I also play volleyball on the regular, the Bachelor Forum sponsors my team.

Death Row meal?

Arepas con carne mechada y queso blanco Favorite website/social media?

Xtub; LinkedIn *chuckle* TV show you’re addicted to?

Bones.

Phrase you over-use?

I call everybody “pumpkin” Your worst habit?

I am always late Best pick-up line you’ve heard?

Nice shoes, wanna f*ck?

Signature dance move?

The grandma shuffle.

Worst nightmare?

Right now, the Orlando Massacre. It could’ve been any of us.

Halloween costume?

One of my faves of recent times is Pinhead, from HellRaiser.

Make-up tip?

I am obsessed with Mehron’s barrier spray. I use it on my face. It helps me sweat less,

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET and it holds my makeup for a very long time without having to touch up or reapply.

What makes you laugh?

Children What super power would you like to have?

Mind reading Motto?

Don’t TRY to be nice, just BE nice. It’s my own variation on Star Wars’ “Do... or do not.

There’s no try.”

DEE DEE DUBOIS: What’s your favorite color?

Purple Your drag icon?

I don’t really have a drag icon, but I do have a tremendous amount of respect for those that have helped create such a vibrate drag community in Rochester, NY. Favorite fashion trend/ designer?

This would have to be Samantha Vega! HAHA, since all my clothes are made and for the most part designed by him!

Music you’re listening to right now?

I’m listening to the Pop Country station on Pandora!

Hobbies/interests?

Aside from drag as a hobby, I enjoy being outside, gardening, home remodeling and building things.

Pets?

After my husband and I lost our dog of 15.5 years last summer, we broke down and got a new puppy in February of this year! He is now seven months old; he is a German Shepherd/ Blood Hound mix.

Death Row meal?

A nice piece of filet mignon (cooked medium) with mashed potatoes! By nice piece, I mean a

good 14 ounces, I’m big… 6oz is like an appetizer for me!

Favorite website/social media?

Myspace? HAHA, just kidding, I like Facebook… I have twitter and Instagram but I don’t use it as much as I probably should.

TV show you’re addicted to?

Scandal, House of Cards (I love political shows) Phrase you over-use?

I say “Boys and Girls” a lot Your worst habit?

I don’t know about my worst, but I do have a habit of not taking a compliment well… when someone tells me my makeup looks really great or they really like it, I tend to then point out flaws in it or things that I didn’t like about it!

Signature dance move?

Oh honey, I don’t dance, I sort of clomp around like a horse to the beat!

Halloween costume?

Cruella Deville is one of my favorites Make-up tip?

Put more on! Pretend you are doing drywall and spackle more on your face!

What makes you laugh?

My husband actually makes me laugh daily, he’s much wittier than I am, and sometimes I think he should be the one on stage!

What super power would you like to have?

I would love to fly, which is funny cause I dislike flying in an airplane, but I suppose that’s cause I’m a control freak, but yes… I’d love to be able to fly!

Motto?

Go Big or Go Home ■

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Fist Full of Stories open mic features trans, people of color perspectives on Orlando

By Tristan Wright The Gay Alliance LGBTQ Resource Center was host to a new event series last month, A Fist Full of Stories. Each Thursday evening in June a small group gathered to share stories and experiences with each other.

Every week of A Fist Full of Stories had a theme ranging

Shauna O’Toole. Photos: Tristan Wright

from trans to people of color to allies. The event on June 16 took on special significance, with storytellers talking about the tragedy in Orlando. According to emcee Shauna O’Toole, the purpose of A Fist Full of Stories is to learn from each other, because “what [we] have to say is important… the more we can tell our story the more we can humanize us. It’s harder to hate someone with a face.”

Participants shared their

experiences and reflected on how those experiences have impacted their perspectives. One speaker described being homeless for two years, couch surfing to get by: “It focused me on what does matter: equality.” She described her struggle to find work as a transwoman, but remained optimistic, saying, “It’s been an interesting decade, I’ll tell you that… but it’s been a good one”.

Another speaker, a gay man, talked about his role as a cisgender white person in larger struggles for justice: “I began to see that there were other people under our rainbow spectrum who didn’t have what we had […] my struggle now is to figure out how I can be part of the solution.”

The conversation about race broadened on June 16 when LGBTQ people of color were invited to share their stories.

The event included reflections on Orlando and highlighted the ways identities intersect.

The night was emceed by Miss Ricky, who talked about the challenges of being a black transwoman.

“I know I act like I have it goin’ on, but when are we going to be accepted for who we are?” she asked. She shared her strength and optimism with the audience, saying, “My life is hard, but I wouldn’t change a thing… I am what God created me to be”. On hearing this, the audience burst into applause.

The shooting in Orlan-

Miss Ricky.

do weighed heavily on speakers’ minds. A gay man of color asked, “what is our responsibility because of what has happened? […] Hate exists everywhere, but what is our responsibility?”

An ally woman of color expressed fear for today’s LGBTQ youth: “My fear is that our youth are going to grow up feeling they will never be accepted.” Another speaker brought up an important statistic: that more than half of the victims in Orlando were not only Latino and queer, they were poor.

She talked about being a Puerto Rican transwoman and emphasized that “people of color have always been talking, but we haven’t been listening.”

A Fist Full of Stories continues into July: on July 7 the focus will be on youth who are college age and under. July 14 will be the capstone event, “The Good the Bad and the Funny” at Equal Grounds, as part of the Roc Pride 2016 week of events. ■

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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL (Orlando continued from page 6) than 200 anti-LGBT laws—including those passed this year in North Carolina and Mississippi. Make no mistake, these laws and the pandering of so many elected officials to those who promote anti-LGBT bias, foster a toxic climate. As we struggle to recover from this devastating attack, we must be clear: there is no place for hate in this country, and no excuse for any elected official to vilify vulnerable communities based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, national origin, religion, immigration status, or any other personal trait. We must be especially vigilant against anti-Muslim bias and shameful attempts to demonize Muslim communities. How we respond to this horrific attack will be a test of our nation’s character, witnessed on a global scale. As we reflect on and mourn these terrible losses, let us find the strength to transform our pain and grief into collective action and a deep, unshakeable resolve to hold ourselves and our elected officials accountable for building a world of equality, peace, and justice.”

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), CoChair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, released the following statement: “As we grapple with the horrific events that took place yesterday morning in Orlando, my thoughts are with the families of the victims and everyone affected during Pride Month. The targeting of the LGBT individuals in this heinous act of violence has reignited many fears and uncertainty in our community. As a country, we must stand together to denounce bigotry and hatred and embrace love and acceptance….

“As a Member of Congress I contemplated these thoughts as well, ultimately coming to the conclusion that Congress won’t do a thing about any of these issues again this week. In fact, all too often actions and language here in Congress and on the campaign trail actually exacerbate would-be terrorists. And actions even on the Floor of the House of Representatives all too often reinforce the hate of some people. Unfortunately, this body is too chicken to address the epidemic of military-style assault weapons because that would upset the gun manufacturers and special interests.

“In the end all we will do is have yet another moment of silence, rather than a moment of action. That disrespects the lives of the people who were killed not just yesterday, but every day by gun violence.

There may be blood in the streets, but if Congress continues to fail to act, we will have blood on our hands.”

Rochester Genesee Valley Area Labor Foundation President Dan Maloney said, “It is with a heavy heart that the news of the attack on American soil reaches us in the Mid-Region of Upstate New York. The sullen and somber tone of all of our interactions are noted today.

As our communities condemn any and all acts of terror and bigotry in our cities and towns, we stand in solidarity today and every day forward with the people of the LGBTQ community. Pride at Work Organization leaders and members sit on our boards, they are among our delegates, workers and families. We feel this injury greatly. In the workplace, we should maintain our support for an inclusive environment for all.”

Trans man beaten to death in Burlington Vt., four arrested; 14 victims so far this year San Diego Police have arrested two men and two women suspected in last month’s murder of Amos Beede, a transgender man, in Burlington, Vt. Beede, 38, was found beaten and unconscious by Burlington police on May 22 near a homeless encampment, and died of his injuries a week later.

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016 San Diego officers were working from a tip from Burlington investigators about the whereabouts of the four suspects.

Jordan Paul, Erik Averill, Allison Gee, and Myia Barber, all transients in their early 20s, were apprehended in Ocean City, Calif., without incident, reports San Diego’s KGTV. While police initially indicated that Beede’s gender identity may have motivated the attack, it appears now that the attack was an escalation of a dispute between two homeless camps, which involved one smearing human excrement on the other’s tents. While it was initially reported that he was a transient, Beede was not himself homeless and had an apartment in nearby Milton. However, he frequented one of the camps to provide assistance to those living there and appears to have been caught up in the conflict.

The four suspects will be held in a San Diego jail until they can be extradited to Vermont, where they will face seconddegree murder charges.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) reported the response from the Pride Center of Vermont: “The Pride Center of Vermont was devastated to learn of the fatal attack suffered by Amos Beede of Milton, Vt.,” said Kim Fountain, executive director of Pride Center of Vermont. “Amos visited the Pride Center often and always had a kind word. We are working to support his family and will be holding a memorial for him.”

“We are saddened by the loss of Amos Beede, and send our condolences to his loved ones. We are only beginning to see national visibility around the disproportionate violence that transgender people face in this nation. Violence against transgender men has been largely missing from these conversations, and we must encourage a discussion of the unique ways that transgender men experience violence,” said Emily Waters, NCAVP Research & Education Coordinator at the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

This is the twelfth* reported killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person that NCAVP has responded to this year. Along with Amos Beede, we have lost Mercedes Successful, a Black transgender woman (Haines City, FLA), Reese Walker, a Black Transgender Women (Wichita, KS), Keyonna Blakeney, a Black transgender woman (Rockville, MD), Shante Thompson, a Black transgender woman (Houston, TX), Jasmine Sierra, a Latin@ transgender woman (Bakersfield, CA), Monica Loera, a Latina transgender woman (Austin, TX), Kayden Clarke, a white transgender man (Mesa, AZ), Maya Young, a Black transgender woman (Philadelphia, PA), Demarkis Stamsberry, a Black transgender man (Baton Rouge, LA), and Kedarie/Kandicee Johnson, a Black, gender-fluid 16-year-old (Burlington, IA) and Quartney Davia DawsonnYochum, a Black transgender woman (Los Angeles, CA). *NCAVP is also looking into the death of Veronica Cano, a Black transgender woman, in San Antonio Texas. As of now there is no known cause of death, however, we are continuing to monitor.

Empty Closet update: Goddess Diamond of New Orleans was the 14th reported trans person to be murdered this year, as of June 27.

NCAVP report: Hate violence isn’t random or rare or isolated On June 14 the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) released its annual report Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIVAffected Hate Violence in 2015.

For this report - the most comprehensive of its kind - NCAVP collected data on 1,253 incidents of hate violence against LGBTQ and HIV-affected people from 13 local NCAVP member organizations in 11 states. States reporting were: Texas, Colorado, Vermont, Minnesota,

Missouri, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, New York, Ohio, and Arizona.

Report Overview For nearly twenty years, NCAVP has released reports on the pervasive and sometimes deadly hate violence perpetrated against LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities. The NCAVP LGBTQ and HIV-Affected Hate Violence in 2015 report is being released at a time when sweeping anti-LGBTQ legislation is advancing in the United States and existing protections are being rolled back, leaving already vulnerable communities even more susceptible to violence….

This report is being released two days after the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history, one that deeply impacts LGBTQ communities, Latin@ communities, and Muslim communities, and we join the nation in mourning. While it’s important to understand the unique circumstances of what happened in Orlando, we must not treat this as an isolated event.

Hate violence can be deadly The year 2015 was once again a deadly year for LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities. There were 24 reported hate violence homicides of LGBTQ people, a 20% increase from the 20 reported antiLGBTQ homicides in 2014. Continuing an alarming multiyear trend, people of color and transgender and gender nonconforming people made up the majority of victims of hate violence. Of the 24 reported homicides, 62% were people of color, including twelve people who were black and three Latin@. Sixteen (67%) of the 24 reported homicides were transgender and gender non-conforming people. Of the total number of homicides, thirteen (54%) were transgender women of color.

In 2015, NCAVP responded to the homicides of 22 transgender and gender nonconforming people in total, the additional six of which were intimate partner violence homicides (IPV) and will be included in NCAVP’s 2015 IPV Report to be released in October 2016. ….

Hate violence doesn’t look the same for everyone This year’s report again shows that the majority of survivors identified as gay, youth and young adults, or people of color, and that the risk of hate violence often increases for those who hold multiple marginalized identities. AntiLGBTQ hate violence can no longer be viewed in isolation from other forms of bias-motivated violence that our community members are experiencing based on their identities.

The report found that experiences of hate violence survivors differ greatly based on their identities. For example, people of color and undocumented survivors were more likely to experience physically violent forms of hate violence. The 2015 report found that survivors of color, who made up 60% of self-reported survivors, were two times more likely to experience physical violence compared to white survivors. Similarly, undocumented survivors, who represented 17% of all survivors compared to 6% in 2014, were four times more likely than documented survivors to experience physical violence. Survivors who were lesbian were two times more likely to experience verbal harassment compared to survivors who did not identify as lesbian.

Hate violence doesn’t always come from strangers NCAVP found that the majority of survivors reporting hate violence to NCAVP member programs experienced violence by someone who was known to them, with the most common relationships being landlords, neighbors, employers, and family members. Of the 1,024 survivors who reported information about their relationship to their offenders, 62% of survivors knew the person who committed the hate violence against them.

Similarly, nearly half of survivors reported experiencing violence in either a private residence or a workplace. “We have a collective perception of hate violence as something that happens randomly, shockingly, and is perpetrated by strangers in public spaces, but that’s not the whole

story. Hate violence for LGBTQ people is a day-to-day reality, perpetrated by people we know in places where we spend most of our time – homes, schools and workplaces,” said Eva Wood at OutFront Minnesota. “It can take unexpected forms like verbal or online harassment, workplace discrimination, and bullying in schools.

Furthermore, recent anti-LGBTQ legislation in states across the country target our communities in the very places where our communities report experiencing violence, such as in schools and in workplaces. As a society, we need to expand our definition of what hate violence looks like and where it happens.”

Once again, the 2015 report found that the experience of hate violence survivors differed greatly based on the identities of the survivors. Transgender survivors were two times more likely to report knowing their offender compared to survivors who did not identify as transgender. Survivors who were between the ages of 14-24 were three times more likely to experience hate violence from a relative and three times more likely to experience violence by an acquaintance, compared to those who were 24 years old or older. Survivors who identified as gay were two and a half times more likely to experience hate violence by a landlord than those survivors who did not identify as gay. And Black survivors were two times more likely to experience hate violence by their landlords than those who did not identify as Black….

Hate violence isn’t always reported to the police In 2015 there was a significant decrease in the percentage of LGBTQ and HIV affected survivors reporting their experience of hate violence to police, from 54% in 2014 to 41% in 2015. Of those who did report violence to police, 80% of survivors said that the police were indifferent or hostile. And of the 126 survivors who reported more detailed information on negative police behavior, 33% experienced verbal abuse, 16% experienced physical violence, 8% experienced the police using slurs or biased language against them, and 3% experienced sexual violence…..

Recommendations “We need to shift our cultural understanding of hate violence away from thinking that it’s random and rare, and recognize that violence against LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities is a consequence of homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia that permeates our everyday environments and relationships,” said Emily Waters at the New York City AntiViolence Project…. NCAVP’s 2015 recommendations, expanded upon within the report, include: Build up systems of social and community support for LGBTQ and HIVaffected communities and increase programming that directly addresses homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic beliefs and behaviors.

Address key factors that increase LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities’ risk of experiencing hate violence including poverty, unemployment, lack of safe housing, and lack of non-discrimination policies and protections.

Decrease police violence and over policing of LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities. Increase support for alternative community accountability models to ensure all survivors have access to justice that is safe and appropriate for their unique experiences.

Increase information on how LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities experience violence and increase resources for documenting and evaluating effective LGBTQ and HIV-affected hate violence prevention strategies and models

LGBT groups barred from UN AIDS conference protest

Muri Assuncao posted on Towleroad. com on June 9: LGBT groups barred from a United Nations conference devoted to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 held their own event on (June 8), outside UN (LGBT groups continue page 14)

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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A Weekend in Community – The Philadelphia Trans Health Conference

Gabriel Foster (L) and Marin Watts (R) of the Trans Justice Funding Project, with Arianna Lint (C) of TransLatina Florida

By Rowan Collins, Education Coordinator “I’ve never been so… home.”

I overheard an attendee at the Philadelphia Transgender Health Conference utter this to a friend in passing at 7:30 a.m. on the first day of the conference and it stuck with me throughout the entire weekend.

The Philadelphia Transgender Health Conference is a program of the Mazzoni Health Center in Philadelphia. This year’s conference was its 15th and largest yet; over 4,000 people attended throughout the weekend of June 9-11. This was my third “Philly” experience – conference vets shorten it down to “Philly” or “PTHC” – with my first two times being in 2012 and 2013 respectively. I was absolutely blown away by how much it has grown in the past few years.

The conference had an absolutely jam-packed schedule full of workshops, plenary sessions, breakout groups, and a professional track for practitioners of medicine, behavioral health and law. Over 200 workshops were scheduled in the general track and the conference has continued to be free to all general attendees – a feat that most LGBT conferences have not managed for many reasons.

Three full hallways of the Philadelphia Convention Center were filled to the brim with vendors, non-profits, clothing companies, health centers, justice foundations, celebrities, activists, advocates, trans, gen-

der non-conforming, gender expansive, gender independent, and allied people alike. It was a wonderful experience, as a trans man, to look out at a sea of people for three days and know they were mine.

ACLU, Center for Transgender Equality, Trans Military, FLAVNT Streetwear, The Change Project, TransParent USA, Trans Justice Fund, Flamingo Rampant Press, Whitman Walker Health Center, Valley Youth House, Equality Pennsylvania, Transgender and Proud, TransLatina, Callen Lorde Community Health Clinic, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and Legalize Trans were just a few of the tables I was able to see and where I could take a moment to talk to volunteers and staff alike. Every organiza-

tion there was friendly, dedicated, and beyond excited to be at the conference, make connections, and spread visibility.

I spent a significant amount of time at the FTM Magazine booth helping my friend and roommate Jason Robert Ballard, the founder and mastermind of the magazine. Throughout the weekend thousands of people stopped by the booth to find out more about the magazine, buy “This Is What Trans Looks Like” t-shirts, and connect with their community. I made a point to ask where each person I talked to was from and whether it was their first time at the conference.

Folks had come from all corners of the country and from Canada, Mexico and the West Indies, as well as from overseas.

The look of awe on the faces of first-timers was almost worth the trip alone.

Watching people come together and have hard conversations and share space across race, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, size, ability, socio-economic status, educational background, national origin, language, gender identity, gender expression, and more was absolutely spectacular. My favorite part of the entire weekend, as it has been the previous times I have attended, is watching little trans kids run amok and be just that – kids.

Two mothers of trans boys, around the age of 8 or 9, came up to me as I was folding a t-shirt on Saturday morning.

They asked about the magazine, having not known about its existence before, before one turned to me with another question playing across her face. ■

Schuyler Bailer, first transgender D1 swimmer (studying at Harvard) (L), and Jason Robert Ballard, founder/CEO of FTM Magazine and ROC Pride Grand Marshal (R). All photos: Rowan Collins

Staff and volunteers from the Whitman Walker Health Center of D.C

Conference attendees showing support for homeless LGBTQ youth.

“Are you also a trans man?” she asked me. I nodded, smiling, and the most breathtaking smile burst across her face. “You have no idea how much hope that gives me,” she said before turning to her son, who had latched onto her leg by that point. “Did you hear that, honey? You could grow up to be as handsome and successful as him.”

As someone who grew up without possibility models for what I could be as a trans man, it

made my year to know that my mere existence is a positive influence in the lives of the young boys in my community.

Seeing the sheer resilience, diversity, kindness, generosity, and spirit of my trans siblings is something I hope to never take for granted.

We celebrated, we reveled, we came together, and we found community. We are not going away. ■

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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL (LGBT groups continued from page 12) headquarters.

In April, a letter from Egypt on behalf of 51 countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation requested the United Nations to block 11 LGBT groups from attending the three-day conference….

(On June 8), 200 activists from the excluded groups attended the parallel event and called it “The Impact of Civil Society Exclusion on Ending the AIDS Epidemic by 2030” forum. They protested against countries that have caved to “right-­wingers like Russia, Iran and the Gulf States [by] remaining silent.”

Read the full story on Towleroad.com

VA to lift ban on gender confirmation surgery for trans vets On June 2, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation’s largest organization of LGBT military families, praised the news that the U.S. Department of Veterans (VA) is proposing a rule change to lift its outdated ban on gender confirmation surgery for transgender veterans.

“This is incredibly welcome news for so many transgender veterans and their families,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “So many veterans rely on the VA for important medical care that they have earned serving our nation, including transgender veterans. Gender confirmation surgery is often a critically important and medically necessary treatment for transgender veterans, and lifting this ban is long overdue.”

The proposed rule change states in part, “Due to the prior limited knowledge about both gender dysphoria and effective transition-related procedures, surgical procedures in particular were not deemed to be medically necessary.

However, increased understanding of both gender dysphoria and surgical techniques in this area have improved significantly, and surgical procedures are now widely accepted in the medical community as medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria.

“Additionally, recent medical research shows that gender dysphoria is a serious condition that has had severe medical consequences for certain patients if transition-related surgeries and procedures are not provided. In light of these medical advances and recent research, VA would revise its regulation to remove the prohibition on medical services that are considered gender alterations. In this way, medical decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis about what procedures are medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria.”

For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, visit the website at www.MilitaryPartners.org.

Anti-gay Fla. Attorney Gen. dropped Trump U. investigation after campaign donation Joe Jervis posted on JoeMyGod.com on June 7: Several times in recent weeks I’ve mentioned the suspicious timing regarding Pam Bondi’s decision not to pursue fraud charges against Trump University. Finally this story is getting some traction. Via the Associated Press: Florida’s attorney general personally solicited a political contribution from Donald Trump around the same time her office deliberated joining an investigation of alleged fraud at Trump University and its affiliates.

The new disclosure from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s spokesman to The Associated Press on Monday (June

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016 6) provides additional details around the unusual circumstances of Trump’s $25,000 donation to Bondi. After the money came in, Bondi’s office nixed suing Trump.

The money came from a Trump family foundation in apparent violation of rules surrounding political activities by charities. A political group backing Bondi’s re-election, called And Justice for All, reported receiving the check Sept. 17, 2013 — four days after Bondi publicly announced she was considering joining a New York state probe of Trump University’s activities.

The timing of the donation by Trump is notable because the now presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said he expected and received favors from politicians to whom he gave money.

“When I want something I get it,” the presumptive Republican nominee said at an Iowa rally in January. “When I call, they kiss my ass. It’s true.”

Democrats are calling for an investigation. The Orlando Sentinel reports: Even as another Democratic state lawmaker called for an investigation of a campaign donation given by Donald Trump to Attorney General Pam Bondi, questions arose… about who would conduct such a probe. State Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, wrote to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking the Department of Justice to look into the matter.

“There have been many questions surrounding claims of fraud at Trump University,” Bullard stated. “There is even a greater concern of whether a quid pro quo exists within the office for favorable treatment in exchange for campaign assistance.” But no one, so far, is heeding calls for an investigation.

Bondi’s fellow Republicans control the Legislature and are unlikely to set up an independent panel to look into the matter. Gov. Rick Scott has referred reporters’ questions to the Trump campaign. There are few other avenues to investigate Florida’s top law enforcement official.

Read more on JoeMyGod.com Drew Doggett, Sunlight Foundation, posted on Truthout.com on June 10: In March of this year, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the IRS against the Donald Trump Foundation, alleging it violated its tax status. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) that is barred from political activities, donated $25,000 to “And Justice for All,” a 527 political organization associated with supporting Florida GOP Attorney General Pam Bondi’s re-election.

Read the full article on Truthout.com

Study asks, why don’t more men come out as bi?

Ben Dilks posted on pinknews.co.uk on June 9: A new study has examined why many bisexual men choose to stay in the closet – and in particular why many hide their sexuality from their wives and girlfriends.

In-depth interviews were conducted with a large, ethnically diverse sample of men who had never disclosed their samesex behavior to female sexual partners.

Stats data has previously shown that men were half as likely as women to identify themselves as bisexual.

Many of the men who participated said they wanted to avoid the stigma and homophobia they felt certain would lead to strong negative emotional reactions and profound changes in their relationships.

Eric W Schrimshaw, associate professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said, “Our results clearly identify the need for public education campaigns to dispel myths about bisexual men – that bisexual men are not gay, do not have HIV, and are not necessarily non-monogamous.

“The anticipated negative reactions from female partners suggest the need for strategies to assist behaviorally bisex-

Actor Alan Cumming is out as bi.

ual men disclose their sexual history in ways that minimize negative reactions and work with the couple to preserve the relationship,” he said.

The report found the men did not report a heterosexual identity, identity uncertainty, or other identity issues as reasons for non-disclosure. This was instead linked to wanting to avoid anticipated responses such as “ridicule, rejection, and victimization”.

Earlier research suggested that high levels of emotional distress among behaviorally bisexual men are a result of concealment of their sexual orientation. “The current findings provide new insights into why non-disclosure could result in greater emotional distress”, said Schrimshaw, who led the research. ■ Full findings of the study were published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour. ■

From our readers Louise stands with the LGBTQ community To The Editor: As a longtime supporter of LGBT equality, I couldn’t be prouder of the strides we’ve made as we mark Pride Month.

After generations of struggle, the Supreme Court has finally recognized in its landmark Obergefell v Hodges decision that all LGBT couples should have the right to marry. Eric Fanning now serves as the Secretary of the Army when just five years ago, an openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual person was barred from serving in our Armed Forces. New federal rules have also given transgender Americans more equal access to health care and other services.

That doesn’t mean the fight for equality has been won. The recent tragedy in Orlando -- the largest mass shooting in our nation’s history – is a horrific reminder of the hate and bigotry that still threatens so many today. We’re also continuing to see discriminatory laws passed in states across the country in an attempt to turn back the clock. That’s why I’m going to continue to stand with you and fight alongside of Rochester’s LGBT community as we continue working to achieve a more perfect union in the years ahead.

This progress couldn’t have been made without the work of so many people across Rochester. I’m honored to stand with you as we celebrate this important month.

Rep. Louise Slaughter

Henrietta UCC: “We stand in solidarity with LGBTQ community” To The Editor: Our Church Council met Wednesday night, and wants you to know that we are standing in solidarity with you in the aftermath of the massacre in Orlando.

We know that the gay community was hit especially hard by this attack. We are lifting in prayer the families and friends of the victims and for all of those who are working to provide healing and comfort.

Our NY Conference of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, issued a Joint Statement in Solidarity with LGBTQ and Orlando Communities, which you can read at http://www. uccny.org/news/show/joint-statement-insolidarity-with-lgbtq-and-orlando-communities-171.

We are grateful that we live in a society that is finally becoming more supportive of people of all sexual orientations. But

when something like this hits, it reminds us how far we are from a world where everyone is accepted and celebrated for who they are. We are committed to doing what we can to help create that world.

One of our young members, Henry Stone, wrote the following prayer, based on Reinhold Niebuhr’s well-known Serenity Prayer. We will be using it during worship on Sunday, and we would like to share it with you.

O God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

We cannot eliminate hatred or erase all violent urges or destroy all sources of fear. But we can build a nation which celebrates its great diversity and refuse to paint targets on the backs of any group.

We can keep weapons designed to kill hundreds away from those who intend harm and walk through the valley of shadow together, united in love.

God, grant us serenity when tragedies strike; We need your comfort in our grief.

God, grant us the courage to take peaceful action in the face of violence; We want to follow Jesus’ way of peace.

God, grant us wisdom in prioritizing love before hate, courage before fear, and progress before dispirited inertia; We seek your Spirit to direct and energize us, every step of the way. May these gifts promote your reign of peace, and may we learn to embrace the world you love. Amen.

In God’s peace, Rev. David Inglis, Rev. Martha Koenig Stone, and the Council of Henrietta

Same-Sex Divorce Research Opportunity To The Editor: My name is Aaron Hoy, and I’m a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at Syracuse University, where I am conducting one of the first research studies of LGBT people’s experiences with divorce in the country. My goal is to help other scholars, policymakers, and serviceproviders better understand what divorce is like for LGBT people.

If you have been through or are currently going through a divorce from a same-sex spouse, I would appreciate your help with my study. Please contact me at amhoy@syr.edu or at (315) 751-1325 to schedule an interview. Interviews can take place in-person, over the telephone, or via Skype. Interviews will last approximately 1 hour, and your confidentiality will be protected. Thank you!

Aaron Hoy

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

Opinion Title IX Inclusion for Transgender Students Summary by Rowan Collins On May 13, 2016, for immediate effect, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Department of Education Office for Civil Rights released a letter of significant guidance regarding transgender students.

Both the Department of Justice and Department of Education find that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 encompasses discrimination based on a student’s gender identity – including their status as a transgender person.

Any school that receives any sort of federal financial assistance must comply with all aspects of Title IX. The DOJ and DOE interpretation in their guidance is consistent with the courts and other Federal agencies.

The guidance made it clear that once a student, or their guardians as appropriate, have made it clear they will assert their gender identity as different from what appears on records or “previous representations” it’s off to the races! Below, we have compiled a quick overview of the requirements schools must meet to be in compliance with Title IX, subcategorized for convenience.

Basics No medical diagnosis or “treatment requirement” necessary to be treated consistent with their gender identity Forcing students to produce ID documents that reflect their gender identity is a violation of Title IX Simply put: students don’t need to do anything but tell you they are trans/genderfluid/etc for it to be true and for appropriate action to follow Transgender students must be provided equal access to educational activities and programs even in circumstances in which other students, parents, or community members raise objections or concerns “The desire to accommodate others’ discomfort cannot justify a policy that disadvantages a particular class of students” DOJ and DOE see a school’s failure to treat a student consistent with their gender identity as creating a hostile environment. So not just students and teachers, but entire schools can and will be held accountable.

A school cannot and may not discipline or exclude students from participating in activities for appearing or behaving in a manner consistent with their gender identity or even in a way that doesn’t conform to stereotypical notions of gender expression.

This includes (but not limited to) yearbook photos, schools dances, and graduation ceremonies What about facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms?

Students will be given equal access to facilities consistent with their gender identity. No school can require a transgender student to use a facility inconsistent with their identity OR to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required.

What does this mean for phys ed and athletics?

A school may NOT adopt or adhere to requirements for athletic participation that rely on overly broad generalizations or stereotypes about the differences between trans and cisgender students OR others’ discomfort with trans students.

Students will be allowed to participate in classes consistent with their gender identity and allowed opportunity to join sports teams in the same manner.

What does this mean for privacy concerns?

Nonconsensual disclosure of personally identifiable information, such as a birth

name, or sex assigned at birth is considered harmful and an invasion of privacy according to the Departments. It could also be considered a violation of FERPA. Even when a student has disclosed their trans identity to some members of school, that does not give school personnel reason to disclose this to others who do not have a legitimate educational interest in the information.

What about legal records and documentation?

The Departments recommend that schools honor requests to amend/correct educational records swiftly as records reflecting a student’s gender identity and name (if legally changed) will help protect privacy and ensure consistent identification.

Many states recommend keeping separate folders in the likely event that a student has not legally changed their name to maintain privacy and ensure consistent recognition of the student’s identity.

What about overnight trips?

Schools must offer housing and overnight accommodations (for schools trips) consistent with a student’s gender identity.

Much like bathrooms and locker rooms, they can’t force a student to stay in singleoccupancy rooms if that is not desired.

What can we do to help?

Provide staff, teachers, students, and community members with educational training and resources on these issues! Be consistent in your inclusion and be part of the process. Evaluate your policies and make sure they are up to date and reflect inclusion of gender identity and gender expression.

An open letter about one less safe place

By Ronald Pratt As I look at the list of the victims of the Orlando shooting, I see so many young lives. My heart bleeds and nothing I can say will make this easier for their friends and family. I’m sad, I’m angry and concerned people may not completely understand why I feel this way.

This isn’t just a hate crime. I’m not sure one can truly understand this attack on a safe-haven unless you’ve had to forego holding your significant other’s hand in the name of safety; you’ve pretended to be someone other than who you are to assure your safety; you’ve gone to great lengths everyday to “pass” just for safety.

When I was 21, I was scared, confused and not out yet. The first time I set foot in a Gay club, I felt an incredible feeling of being at home. For many a bar or night club is a place to go for a night out. For a Gay kid not quite comfortable with his attraction to men and his slightly effeminate nature, this was the first place I could let my guard down. It was one of the first places I felt normal, at peace and not alone.

At 43, I’m comfortable in my own shoes and strong enough to deal with the intolerances that still come my way. I no longer feel forced to put on a mask for safety. That said, I may never have grown into the strong person I am today without safe places where I could be myself and build my strength. And, yes this included Gay nightlife.

The attack in Orlando is of particular concern to me. An attack on any night club is heinous. An attack on a gay night club also assaults a safe place. A place where many go so they can be at peace for just a few hours. A place where it’s okay to publicly be with the new love of your life and not worry about being Gay bashed. A place to let free and dance and not be called a fag because you’re moving your hips “like a girl.” A place where one is free to be!

Unfortunately the attack didn’t end with the shooting and lives lost. For many

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otherwise assaulted.

Yes we do still need a LGBT rights movement, we do still need LGBT community center and we do still need safe places. In the words of Martin Luther there is one less safe place for them to be King, “No one is free until we are all free, and this attack will continue every free.” There will be vigils, blood donors day. In addition, certain media’s failure and triage support over the coming days. I to acknowledge this as an LGBT Hate wonder in a month or two, what will we Crime and rather call it a crime against change? How will things be different? I’d humanity only continues to marginalize like to say there is no need for a separate our community. Witnessing the media Gay night life. I’d like to live in a world and politicians take this opportunity to where a gay person doesn’t need a place spread more hatred rather than recognize to escape to after a long day of heterothis as an attack on the LGBT communisexism and yes sometimes judgment and ty only adds insult to injury. hate. However, I can’t say that.

We’ve come a long way in terms The most vulnerable members of our of human rights and marriage equalicommunity are still not safe. The families ty. Since the legalization of Gay marriage and friends of the victims along with our I’ve heard questions like: Do we still need community including our allies need heala Gay rights movement? Are Gay specific ing. We also need change: Can we stop bars essential to our community? Do we preaching hate and calling it religious freeneed community centers? dom? There’s no part of two same gender LGBT Youth are possibly the only loving people experiencing equality that marginalized group takes away from anyone’s that don’t by default religious freedom. Can get the support of their we start to see when we YES WE DO STILL parents. Suicide rates harm one person we among Gay youth are NEED A LGBT RIGHTS hurt all of our collective still as high as they humanity? Can we move MOVEMENT, WE DO were when I came out from hate to love? Can STILL NEED LGBT over 20 years ago. A we let go of our differrecent study perences and just take care COMMUNITY CENTER taining to homeless of each other?

AND WE DO STILL youth released by the As I close this open Department of Health NEED SAFE PLACES. letter, I ponder: What and Human Servicwill I do different? How es found the followwill I support the most ing: Nearly 30 percent of participants vulnerable members of my communiidentified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, and ty? The purple ribbon on my Facebook nearly seven percent identified as transpage, my annual Ride For Pride, volgender. More than half of all homeless unteering at my local Gay Pride, is it youth originally became homeless because enough? I ask this of myself and I hope a parent or caregiver asked them to leave. everyone touched by these events will do The average youth spent nearly two years the same. What can you do to stop hate, living on the streets. More than 60 percreate safe places for our most vulnerable cent were raped, beaten up, robbed, or and heal our community? ■

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16

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Health Healthcare discrimination against trans, LGB people is unlawful

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights – Expanded Nondiscrimination under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act Summary By Rowan Collins Final regulations issued Friday May 13, 2016 – simultaneous release with DOJ/DOE guidance regarding transgender students in public schools. Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act and has been enforced since its enactment in 2010.

However, OCR has extended and clarified the interpretation of the existing text.

To summarize the entire 99-page section (I wish I was joking, and that’s down from the 336-page final reg. ruling): health care discrimination against LGBT people – particularly transgender and gender non-conforming people – is unlawful under existing federal law. Boom.

Important note: the rules detailed below in Section 1557 do not just apply to LGBT people – this section also provides protection based on race, color, national origin, disability, and age. The big thing we’re zeroing in on is the protections based on sex. Sex discrimination has been agreed to be interpreted as including gender identity and “sex stereotyping”. This is critical in its scope, as will be detailed below.

The Nitty-Gritty: Who is covered?

This is one of the broadest scopes of non-discrimination I’ve seen in the States.

Transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, and LGBPQ folks are covered under the new rules.

OCR defines sex as explicitly including gender identity – “an individual’s internal sense of gender, which may be male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female, and which may be different from an individual’s sex assigned at birth”.

OCR goes on to define sex stereotyping as including aspects of what we refer to commonly as gender expression – “behavior, clothing, hairstyles, activities, voice, mannerisms, or body characteristics”.

This also extends to our LGBPQ population – though there is no explicit use of ‘sexual orientation’ as a protected class in Section 1557 OCR notes that sex stereotyping also includes those about “sexual attraction and sexual behavior” (go HHS for acknowledging the difference so distinctly!) and stereotypes related to “deviations from ‘heterosexually defined gender norms’”.

It really can’t get much broader than that. Not only will that protect folks who identify as LGBPQetcetc but also folks who do not, such as men who have sex with men, same-gender loving, straight cis identified individuals in relationships with trans/gender non-conforming partners, etc.

OCR literally says “prohibition on sex discrimination extends to discrimination on the basis of intersex traits or atypical sex characteristics”. Can’t get any more defined about that for our intersex community members.

Where does this apply?

So glad you asked: The rule states – health settings that receive federal financial assistance, every health program administered by HHS, and every health program administered

by Title 1 of the ACA SIMPLY PUT: most hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, labs, and HIV-testing sites across the country. If they participate in Medicare or Medicaid, receive direct grants or loans, are a Federally Qualified Health Center, participate in the Ryan White Care Act, receive CDC funds for HIV prevention programs, or any number of other ways to receive federal funds they, by law, have to comply with Section 1557.

It also applies to INSURANCE! The big bingo: The rule states that Medicaid, Medicare, AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, and individual insurance plans purchased through a state or federal health exchange fall under this rule.

ADDITIONALLY: This rule also applies to insurance plans that have been purchased directly through an insurance carrier or that is an employer-sponsored insurance plan, when any part of the insurance carrier receives federal financial assistance. THIS IS BIG. For example: since MVP and Blue Cross Blue Shield sell plans through our state health exchange, this rule applies to all of their plans and products, regardless of how it was purchased. Even a “private” plan purchased directly from MVP or BCBS has to adhere to Section 1557.

What does this mean now?

Acts of discrimination in clinical settings are against the law.

This can include: a provider or facility refusing to treat a patient, refusing to use

name and pronouns correctly, performing unnecessary or aggressive genital examinations, refusing to room an individual according to gender identity, a pharmacist refusing to fill a hormone prescription, etc.

Blanket exclusions for transition-related car are now unlawful nation-wide in private insurance as well as Medicaid programs*.

It is now unlawful for an insurance carrier to “have or implement a categorical coverage exclusion or limitation for all health services related to gender transition”.

This doesn’t mean insurances are required to offer affirmative coverage, but it does mean that if a plan provides coverage for a treatment for a cisgender person, they cannot deny it for a transgender person on the basis of trans status.

When does this all take effect?

Most of the provisions of the regulation go into effect July 18, 2016.

Exclusionary insurance plans have until *January 1, 2017 to remove and amend their coverage.

Another nice tidbit: Individuals must be treated consistent with their gender identity, including in access to facilities.

However, providers may not deny or limit treatment for any health services that are ordinarily or exclusively available to individuals of one gender based on the fact that a person seeking such services identifies as belonging to another gender.

So OBGYN offices and prostate exam providers better get it together quickly…

Bill would allow gay men more flexibility to donate blood - but will it pass?

Congressman Mike Honda (D-Calif) has introduced the Deliver for Our Nation At Times of Emergency Act, or DONATE Act. The first-of-its-kind legislation directs HHS Secretary Burwell to provide increased flexibility in blood donor screening while maintaining safety in the blood donor pool during times of national or local need.

This bill would help prevent tragic ironies, as in Orlando, where gay and bisexual men were prohibited from donating blood to gay victims.

“It was a horrific irony that gay and bisexual men could not donate in a time of local need,” said Congressman Honda.

“This is not a problem of science; it’s a problem of morality. It’s time for the Secretary to use her authority, while respect-

ing all safety controls, to give our local blood banks resources today so they can respond to the demand of tomorrow.”

This bill helps increase flexibility in blood donor screening, while respecting the quality controls established by the FDA, and would help the FDA adapt to shortages and emergencies. Despite popular opinion, blood banks often face shortages. Just this February, the Red Cross issued an emergency for blood donations, due to the severe winter storms that cancelled 340 blood drives across 20 states, resulting in 10,000 donations left uncollected.

This legislation is supported by Equality California, National Gay Blood Drive, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and California Assemblymember Evan Low. “It should not have taken the tragedy in Orlando to spotlight the idiocy of FDA regulations that bar all gay and bisexual men from donating blood,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “Thousands turned out to help members of our own community, but were told that their blood donations were not needed, thanks to archaic and unnecessary rules that do not reflect modern detection methods of HIV. Congressman Honda’s bill recognizes both modern science and a dire need. We call on Congress to pass it quickly.

“The National Gay Blood Drive proudly supports the DONATE Act. As long as there is a discriminatory policy in place that reduces the available pool of potential blood donors, then there should be a way to ensure that donors who are unnecessarily deferred can contribute to the blood supply in critical times of need,” said Ryan James Yezak of the National Gay Blood Drive. “The safety of recipients is the number one priority. Blood collected under the DONATE Act would still follow FDA standards, ensuring the safety of recipients as is done under normal conditions.”

“The tragedy in Orlando was immediately followed by the sad irony that gay and bisexual men were prohibited from donating blood to save their friends,” said Assemblymember Evan Low. “The FDA cannot be silent again. Congressman Honda’s bill is necessary to elevate the debate on how we handle blood shortages—and who gets to donate—while maintaining a safe blood supply.”

The question remains, how likely is a GOP-dominated congress to pass this bill?

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JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

17

LGBTQ Living Phil’s herb garden.

Above: Gary Hallinan’s and Phil Benier’s garden in Irondequoit.

How does your garden grow?

By Susan Jordan Gary Hallinan and Philip Benier: From the city to the suburbs Gary Hallinan and Philip Benier had a large garden with water features when they lived in the city on Prince St. Mary Chao once did an article about it for the D&C. In April 2015 they moved to East Irondequoit, bringing many of Gary’s favorite perennials with them to a more suburban area.

Their new home has a huge backyard and an original large assortment of perennials, but the garden had become much overgrown. Gary said, “We installed three water features, one with a gargoyle waterspout we had on Prince St., and we added more perennials – one of our neighbors said, ‘You have good bones here.’”

Phil added, “The house was built in 1955. We cleared out a lot of overgrowth and created two new gardens – my herb garden and an Asian garden.”

He said that the greatest challenge they faced was “Getting it organized.”

Gary said, “Clearing it out and deciding where we wanted to put things.”

“The back garden is nice soil, probably backfill,” Phil said.

“But the front yard is clay – try to put a shovel in it and it comes back to you.”

“We had dirt brought in for the two new gardens,” Gary added. “The Asian garden was a totally overgrown area and we had to re-construct it.” They added a Chinese dragon statue, bamboo, etc. He continued,

One of Charlie’s tree peonies.

“I hope we’re done removing rocks – we have black marks on our hands from re-arranging the many rocks that were here to create our new gardens. The previous owner had so many concrete blocks they were choking the plants. We’ve just been lugging rocks and stone all over the place. I hope from now on it’s just weeding and watering! But I do want to add morning glories on poles…”

Phil said, “We’ll rotate things in and out. You don’t want the same thing all the time.”

Gary laughed, “We have a battle – his herbs vs. my perennials!”

Phil is the family cook. He said, “I make infused oils, and vinegars with tarragon, thyme or any of the herbs. I also make my own hot sauce. It’s fermented red peppers. They ferment for six months, then I mix them with vinegar to stop the fermentation.

I make vinegar with red peppers. If I don’t get some perspiration it’s not hot enough! I have a Scorpion pepper – triple X! It’s nice to make things rather than going to the store.”

Gary said, “I prefer the perennial garden. I brought a lot from Prince St. and they’re like old friends. I sit by the firepit and the water feature with the gargoyle, and just look at my plants. My other favorite thing is the big rock cherry – it gets covered with beautiful flowers in spring. It’s like a cherry tree, but no cherries.”

When asked what advice they have for gardeners, Gary said, “Mulch is Number One!” Phil said, “Getting a feel of where you want to put things and how much sun do they need. I think also how you lay it

out – I tend to crowd my herbs together to save space. You need to know the height the plants will reach and what other plants they get along with.”

They are assisted in the work

by Thunder, their Shih Tzu/ Bichon rescue dog. “He supervises – literally!” Gary said.

Gary and Phil’s favorite garden store is Cases on Norton St. in East Irondequoit. “Less money, mom and pop, but good quality and great variety,” they say. Other favorites: Garden Factory in Greece, Sara’s in Brockport and Wayside near Lollypop Farm – one of Thunder’s former residences.

Charlie Lytle, garden professional Charlie Lytle works at Grossman’s Garden Store, Rte. 250 in Penfield. He has worked there in retail sales for a year and a half – “Since I retired – this is just part time fun!” he says.

In the ‘80s and ‘90s Charlie

Charlie Lytle.

had retail florist shops in Scottsville, LeRoy and Batavia, including a greenhouse in LeRoy. He said, “I used to hang out at my uncle’s landscaping business in Pittsford in the ‘60s – I learned a lot.”

At Grossman’s Charlie uses his knowledge of colors and plants to help people who come in seeking information. His advice for beginning gardeners is, “Start small, maybe with a small container garden. I just worked with a woman who has a very small yard in the city, and she got started with containers. The only thing to be aware of is how much sun your space gets and when.”

What common mistake do people make? Charlie said, “They don’t fertilize or water!

Fertilizing depends on the plant.

Gary Hallinan, left and Philip Benier, right.

Photos: Susan Jordan

Gary and Phil’s Asian garden.

I recommend Osmocote. It’s time-release. Just sprinkle it on and it will fertilize for three months – but won’t burn the plants.”

Charlie himself lives in the city. “We have a small lot,” he said, “but our whole backyard is almost all garden. I like the English country look. My favorite plant is flowering tree peony – and for shade, I like hostas and ferns. Last year I put a small water feature in the garden. We have Michelangelo’s David in the middle of the shade garden, and also have a pair of brass cranes and a gazebo. But the gazebo roof has disintegrated and now we have ivy growing up it – eventually the ivy will form a roof. That’s where we have chairs and a table.” ■

Thunder supervises.

18

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

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JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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20

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

$43,000 RAISED

RIDE FOR PRIDE 7 Thank you to our Ride For Pride Bikers: Tim Ackroyd, Julia Acosta, Garrett Argenna, Caroline Atti, Adrian Bartholomeo, Benoit Biteau, Aj Blythe, John Braun, Yovi Bruno, Alice Carver-Kubik, Adrianne Chesser, Tatiana Clader, Rowan Collins, Nick Dennie, Joseph Doty, Les Eisenberg, Scott Fearing, Phyllis Fleischman, Ed Freedman, Laurie Freeman, Bob Freeman, David Frier, Jeanne Gainsburg, Dana Glicksman, Aaron Gorelick, Dustin Hilton, Chad Hulbert, Dawn JohncoxMartinez, Pebble Kranz, Matthew Krueger, Josh Layfield, Karen Managan, Brian Managan, Wanda Martinez-Johncox, Jo Meleca-Voigt, William Merigan, Martin Murphy, Manuel Pena, Allan Phoenix, Anastasia Polashenski, Maya Polashenski, Pamela Polashenski, Ronald Pratt, Peter Pullano, Matthew Ragusa, Pamela Rogers, Craig Ronald, Daniel Rosen, Lilly Rosen, Maggie Rosen, Steve Sanow, Justin Schultz, Benny Serrano, Michael Shuter, Alan Smrcka, Amanda Smrcka, Lynn Tavernese, Deborah Trubatch, Jonathan Wetherbee, Barbara Williams and Chris Wooldridge.

!

S N E PP A H T SHIF July 10 140 Alex Pride Golf Tourney $85 per person includes:

18 holes, cart, lunch at the turn & dinner at 140 Alex Register at 140 Alex All proceeds support the Gay Alliance

Thank you also to those who did not ride, but who fundraised: Bruce Ingersoll, Mike Kelly, Tallis Polashenski, Kellie Ronald, and Owen & Sara Zacharias (who matched all of their donations). You all rock!!!

Thank you to our amazing Ride For Pride support staff and crew Home base/Party Central: Kellie and Craig Ronald • Sag Hags: Tallis Polashenksi, Joe Yokajty and Ben Cook • Breakfast Rest Stop: Sue Delp and Walter Polashenski • Lunch Dude: Bruce Ingersoll • Party Central Assistants: Alan Metelsky, Deb Hartman, Jamie Allen, Jill Frier and Christopher Hennelly • Cheerleaders/End Line Pics: Kat Wiggall, Lorraine Woerner, Jeff, Steve, Martha, Colleen and Bryan • Road Painters: Ed Freedman, Owen Zacharias and Maya Polashenski Massage and Bodywork: Mike Kelly • Memorial Arm Bands and Photo Placards: Matthew Ragusa and Jo Meleca-Voigt Thank you to our official Ride For Pride sponsors Freewheelers Bicycle Shop • Amiel’s Original Submarines • Guerrilla Tees • MiKelly Massage and Bodywork • The Bachelor Forum • Rochester Kink Society • Long Acre Farms • Marshall Street Bar and Grill • ImageOUT • Tryon Bike • Ronald Pratt Acupuncture • Bike Zone • Manuel Peña Photography • Steve Brosnihan Cartoons

Thank you to the over 1,000 people and businesses who supported our riders through donations and use of space, including: Kellie & Craig Ronald, Pam & Walter Polashenski, Jeanne Gainsburg & Ed Freedman, Bruce Ingersoll, Jennifer Mathews, Nicole Strait, Kim Braithwaite from Barilla Pasta, Century Liquor and Wines, Park Ave Bikes, Wegmans, Mellow Madness Tattoo Parlor, Young Sommer Winery, Apple Country Spirits Special thanks to our “first page” top ten fundraisers Jeanne Gainsburg, Bruce Ingersoll, Aaron Gorelick, Pam Polashenski, Pebble Kranz, Scott Fearing, Justin Schultz, David Frier, Ed Freedman, Debbie Trubatch! * It’s not too late to donate!

Rider’s pages will stay active until September 2016 at: www.gayalliance.org/ride-for-pride

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JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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Shoulders to Stand On AIDS in Minority Communities (Continued)

By Evelyn Bailey The year 1986 was a pivotal year in AIDS history. Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, makes his first remarks on the AIDS epidemic. It is three sentences long.

Rock Hudson becomes the first “movie star” to come out as having AIDS. This launches the Foundation For AIDS Research founded by Dr. Michael Gottlieb, Hudson’s physician, and Elizabeth Taylor. AZT Phase II trials begin testing AZT with 300 patients. The First Black AIDS Conference is held. Surgeon General Koop releases his first Report on AIDS. Needle exchange programs began to emerge.

In 1986 here in Rochester, the anonymous testing program was testing 40 people a week with approximately 10 percent testing positive. In 1986, when AIDS was just starting to be recognized as a deadly illness transmitted through sex and intravenous drug use, conservative author William F. Buckley Jr. wrote in the New York Times, “Everyone detected with AIDS should be tattooed in the upper forearm, to protect common-needle users, and on the buttocks, to prevent the victimization of other homosexuals.”

The Rochester Area Task Force On AIDS convened working groups on community education, long term care and legislative issues. In September, 1986 a report entitled, “AIDS Impact on the Minority Community”, was presented to the Task Force resulting in expanded representation on the Task Force. Also in September the University of Rochester was designated by the NIH as an AIDS Drug Treatment and Research Center.

In an article, A Year In Review, in the Dec. ’86 – Jan ’87 Empty Closet written by Joe Pakya, he states that there has been a real change in the number of PWAs from the heterosexual community, particularly women whose only risk for contracting the disease has been through their sexual partners. These women are not IV drug users themselves, but are the wives or girlfriends of IV drug users and/or bisexual men. Their inclusion in the number of PWAs means that now 28 percent of the cases of AIDS that AIDS Rochester was dealing with were heterosexual.

In the April, 1987 issue of JAMA, an article on the Epidemiology of AIDS in Women in the United States reported that women constituted less than seven percent of all AIDS cases as of November 1986. Analysis of the 1819 cases of AIDS in women reported between 1981 1986 showed that the majority of women with AIDS were intravenous drug users.

The second most common risk group was women who had heterosexual contact with a person at risk for AIDS. The proportion of women in this risk group increased significantly between 1982 and 1986 from 12 percent to 26 percent. By 1987, AIDS was the eighth leading cause of death in women aged 15-44 years.

According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of November 30, 1999, stated that in 1988, the death rate from HIV infection was nine times higher for black than for white women. MMWR further stated that these disproportionate rates largely reflect the occurrence of HIV infection among injecting drug users and their sex partners.

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the implementation of numerous health and welfare-related programs including the NIH (National Institute of Health) and CDC (Center for Disease control) as well as many initiatives focused on women’s and minority health

care. Under the CDC in 1987 several actions were already being undertaken in the area of prevention and control directed specifically toward black or Hispanic populations.

Of the 55 AIDS Health Education/ Risk Reduction (HE/RR) Programs, 15 (28 percent) have activities aimed at their Hispanic populations and 21 (38 percent) have targeted informational services to the black community.

Two of the five HE/RR community demonstration projects (Chicago, IL, and Long Beach, CA) included specific elements concerning minorities The fiscal year 1987 prevention of perinatal AIDS initiative ($1.9 million) was targeted mainly at black and Hispanic populations in New York City, northern New Jersey, and Miami.

The school health initiative included $100,000 specifically for one Hispanic and one black national organization to help increase involvement of schools and related agencies in AIDS health education.

An additional $7 million was made available for AIDS education and prevention among minorities in fiscal year 1987, with a similar amount expected in fiscal year 1988 plus $3 million more in direct funding to be awarded competitively to minority organizations for the same purpose.

In the November-December 1987 Public Health Report article AIDS in Minority Populations in the United States. Donald R. Hopkins, MD, MPH Assistant Surgeon General, Public Health Service, and Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) responded to the question asked from a 1987 perspective, WHAT Should Be Done?: “First, we must be careful to understand the enemy clearly. As I have tried to indicate, we are faced with a formidable combination of a deadly virus, IV drug abuse, and sexual promiscuity. We cannot ignore any one of these three factors if we hope to succeed in our battle against AIDS. “Second, we need to use the same interventions being used in the white community, although in different proportions because of variations in the distribution of behavioral risks. Some different channels of communication are also needed. These interventions must be based on science, not sentiment. This challenge calls for reason and resources, not rhetoric or rationalization.

“Third, we need to urge people who are, or may be, at risk to be voluntarily tested. The greatest source of new infections are the hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic infected people who do not know they are infected.

“Fourth, there is a great need to promote cooperation. There is more than

enough work to go around. We must ask not only what the Federal Government can do for us, but also what we can do for ourselves and for all those infected people “Fifth, we should remember that this is an international problem. As bad as our situation is in the United States, some of our kinsmen abroad are even worse off.

Our problem will not be solved until their problem is solved.

“Sixth, we must also remember that this is not the only important public health problem in minority communities.

“Finally, we must keep our eye on the ball, which is to prevent infection with this virus”.

It seems that this is not an old list of what to do. The issue of AIDS still requires the same response. Regardless of whether or not you are a member of a minority community, live on the east coast, west coast or in Rochester, NY AIDS HAS NOT, DOES NOT AND WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE! The history of AIDS in minority communities is far from over. In our next month’s issue, Shoulders To Stand On will look at the history of this epidemic and the Rochester community’s response going forward from 1986. Shoulders To Stand on applauds all of the efforts made to improve the health and quality of our lives through the work of a variety of grass roots efforts, city, state and federal programs on behalf of all of our communities.

History Corner

July, 1975: Rochester gay activists visit the Big Apple, by THE SHADOW: Sheridan Square on that Sunday morning, June 29, was an indescribable riot of color and sound. Blazing banners,

buttons, costumes ranging from lavender lambda T-shirts and jeans to an occasional display of glitter-spangled drag, all counterpointed against the babble of voices, kazoos and whistles, merged into a panorama of humanity at its most joyously alive as thousands of gay women and men awaited the signal to begin the Sixth Annual Christopher Street-Liberation Day March.

Gay Brotherhood of Rochester President Bob Crystal circulates about selling NYSCGO T-shirts as Bruce Jewell takes interviews on his cassette for Green Thursdays. Meanwhile the rest of us assemble the giant Day-Glo green Rochester banner created for the occasion by Kevin Scahill. At last, a few minutes after noon, a great shout goes up as the head of the parade, led by members of New York City’s Gay Activists Alliance, begins to move down Christopher Street a few blocks, a turn, and we are heading down the Avenue of the Americas, bound for downtown New York City and Central Park fifty blocks away.… For the first time I see what we are working and fighting for, and how beautiful it really is. May Our 2016 Pride Celebrations Be COUR AGEOUS, UNIFIED, PROUDFILLED and LOVEFILLED. To read the entire article go to: http://www.library.rochester.edu/ rbscp/EmptyCloset On that page click on: Browse the Empty Closet issues. Go to 1975 – July pg. 9. ■

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

22

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

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 CONDOLENCES

By Eric Bellmann I love Facebook.

As with many technological innovations, I came to it late, anxiety mixed with a desire to be modern, to be like everyone else.

I resisted getting a smart phone until last year; I was worse, much worse getting my first cell phone. I cringe when I have to do anything online.

Now those gadgets are essential to my daily life. I check my email constantly. My heart skips a beat when I hear the “ping” alerting me that someone is leaving me a message. I hit “like” all the time, check Facebook compulsively. I am modern. I am like everyone else.

I was out all day Sunday, June 12, in meetings at church, then in Ontario at a birthday party. On the way home in the evening I checked my phone and yes, I do that while I am driving. So modern, so like everyone else. That’s when I learned about Orlando. Then I found a message from Sally in New York: “I am so sorry”.

That was all, that was enough.

Sally is a formidable woman, a southern raised business woman, a cancer survivor, tough and refined, a trouper. Hell, she manages New York! When I attempt to deepen our relationship by relating an emotional snarl, she most regularly replies, “Everyone goes though that.” The implication that my travails are nothing special, get over yourself.

Her message touched me.

After 9/11 I got an email from a German woman I knew well while I spent many months in Istanbul. She wrote, “I am so sorry.” I was touched. After a terrible earthquake in California I got post cards from a man I met in Turkey, a shopkeeper whose photograph I had taken. He wanted to know if I was all right. He had no concept of how far away from California I lived. It was so sweet, I still have the fading postcard.

Most people would say I’m fairly evolved in expressing myself. I don’t hold back. For all of my abilities in sharing heartbreak or anger, I think I still play some cards close to my chest. If you knew who I was, what was important to me, I would be vulnerable. I am the toughqueen type.

After 9/11 I sat in bed for three days glued to the television. I spoke to no one. Now, after Orlando I watched the cable news programs, so dreadful as they rehashed non-news. And I slithered through Facebook. Many posts were thrilling: the Eiffel Tower lit like the Pride flag, fields of flowers as part of some faroff Pride celebration. All lovely.

And where were my Facebook friends?

By Wednesday, I snapped. I wrote: “I have 109 friends on Facebook. I click ‘like’ or post comments when you post pictures of your pets, babies, gardens, etc. Only Sally sent a message of condolence. Who are you people?” I hit “enter”.

I went back to the news. I was in New York for Halloween only weeks after 9/11.

I remember walking past St. Vincent’s hospital in the Village and seeing the endless wall of photographs of missing people. They were heartbreaking and yet one couldn’t turn away from them. Now I watched the pictures of the dead in Orlando. Young, handsome, and dare I say, not “faggy” looking, not obviously queer, no

green hair or weird piercings. It shocked me to see how “normal” they looked. You may object to my language here but I am from another almost by-gone age and those were my honest reactions. I cried.

Then the emails started to come in.

Ping, ping, ping. They told me how possibly I had missed their posts and of course they were shattered and angry, too. Or that they were so upset that words seemed impossible. Well, my rant paid off. Or so it seemed until I re-read their messages, wrote back to thank them and slowly realized that none of them asked how I was feeling.

Email: EricLBellmann@gmail.com

Cleaning My Closet I HAVE TODAY

By Meredith Elizabeth Reiniger If I were to prance bare-naked down a runway, I would use my stage name, Apocalypse Cartography.

Wrinkle report: my body is a science experiment. Quite frankly, my mind cannot believe what’s going on down there.

Insidiously, all manner of disintegrations are altering my former powers of bendiness and push-pull-lift-lug-nesses. What next? Will taken-for-granted, I-AM-WOMYN skills be disabled?

As it is, my grip-twist-loosen-jar-lids ability has been long gone. Procuring and placing 60-pound bags of birdseed, potting soil, dog food, and such, now depend on the kindness of drop-in younger friends. Sharp steel scissors, not fumbling fossilized fingers, help me open those sealed-in-hell plastic wraps. Fortunately I have little need these days for Make-a-Fist-ness.

I do miss my kneeling ability. Never fear, I-WILL-SURVIVE is a crucial skill.

I have designed an efficient albeit unsightly heave-me-up method. It’s a sequence of drop and roll that allows me to shunt my 868-month-old body to and from garden level. Or back to a standing position after I have had a great fall. (I am making a You-too-tube video. It is a public service for some-day-you-too-will-age youngsters.

They need to witness inevitable, bodily degradation.)

Incidentally, I have graciously accepted evolving athletic exclusions. I obey WARNINGS from my physical therapist: do not cross-country ski; or down hill; doNOT-perform-hopscotch; do-NOT-crossyour-legs; do-NOT-pirouette.

And then there’s my Personal Climate Change relentlessly transforming my exterior topography. Extreme drought has roughened my in-the-beginning, skinso-soft into striated, desert plains where gravity and commercial hot-air-hand-dryers whip my dehydrated nakedness into unsightly, betraying undulations. Recurring wind-chills and hot-flares roll-in without warning. Scattered-brain-showers or sudden-blunder-storms rage across the north face of my head.

I have mirrors. I see reality. I look like a walking Petri dish. My previouslyenjoyed skin fanatically fabricates brown Rorschach tests, generates innumerable, red connect-a-dots, and extrudes extraneous cells to construct jaunty skin-towers.

No microscope is needed to view my bluehighways raised-veins; my stalactite digits; my lava-impersonating flesh-falls; yes, alas, my private-bits’ deforestation.

Ever a teacher, I have lesson plans.

I have agreed to be the centerfold in the Journal of Medicine. I will sign up to be a live model in classes: Geriatric Anatomy 101; Introduction to Truth Underneath Photo Shopping; Beginners Colored-Pencil Pushing. Every session I will bravely display my antique model Yes-I do-look-72.

Enough about my corporeal self. Now I must turn my attention to brain-drain.

Yep, my Old Gray-matter Mare ain’t what she used to be. Stumbles over sidewalk humps, root exposements, twig traps, pebble challenges, and the random whatwas-that… because she doesn’t consider looking where she is going. Which isn’t exactly true. I know where to I am headed; I just don’t always focus on small details.

Old Brain-Mare is also deficient in spatial relationships. Door jambs are surely shoulder jams; walls and other household verticals are toe-rammers; chair legs, especially rockers, are ankle biters; all short furniture are knee-whackers. Each Wham-Ouch leaves my body covered with big, bad, bodacious bruises. Looking on the bright side, I love 50 shades of purple.

As an elder, I am cognizant of the need for Old Gray-Matter Calisthenics.

So I play Words with Friends. I challenge Mr. Solo Computer. So’ has an extensive “acceptable” vocabulary: monetary nomenclature from prehistoric pennies to bitcoins; names, even archaic, of everything, everywhere. Annoyingly, multilingual So’ is especially fond of Scottish words. I’m managing. (I do have concerns.

Like, hey, Mr. Solo Computer. What were you thinking? Your program will not accept “fag”? It will accept “twat”?) Hey, it’s only a game, I remind myself. I win almost always, I gloat. One benefit I must acknowledge… So’ will play with me in the wee hours of darkness … …traditionally followed by a period of light. Ah, another day say I. A birdie with a yellow bill, hops upon my window sill, cocks her shining eye and says “Aren’t you glad you’re not dead?” Which is a good way to start a day.

Self, I say, add a whole bunch of attitude, a handful of happy, and then commence play. (Especially advisable for those of us retired and not quite expired.)

Self, I advise, pay close attention.

Morning sun dapples; coffee in a k-cupminute; sun-sprawling Vegas-dog dozing in his… yes His, white chair. Self, sit gently in your gorgeously funky, I-bought-itfor-my-self chair. Embrace quiet. Let your eyes and mind gallivant. Stay attuned.

Here is another day of everyday miracles.

Self, attend.

In flies a pair of House Finch; he of reddish head, neck, shoulders colored by his diet of berries and fruit; streaked she of soft brown (I do need to mention that wiki-source, like most bird books, refers to a female’s color as “dull brown.”

I refuse to perpetuate even subtle sexism.)

My stars. Visitors. Small miracles arriving for morning ablutions. Settled on the birdbath edge, they move closer, rub their beaks together. First-in propels splashes on my window. Next-in makes only ripples. Nicely drenched, their breasts darken, their wet crown-feathers stand straightly spiked. They take wing.

Bounce on a branch. They shake, rattle, and preen.

Ah, yes, I know their story. (Another benefit of my elder-sageness period: slow down, sit down, learn to watch, watch to learn, and research for fun.)

Once upon a time their entire Fringillidae family flew free through the wafting warmth of Mexico and southern United States (pre-wall times). Tiny (.74 ounces) beauties, they were birdnapped, smuggled to New York City, held captive in cramped cages in breezeless rooms in treeless buildings in a cold, concrete city; alone; forever separated from their families and friends.

Popular in the 1940s, Haemorhous mexicanus were marketed as Hollywood Finches. Until vendors and owners, imminently in danger of arrest under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918,

released their avian slaves. Now, all across the still-great (not quite united) states there are as many as 1.7 billion undocumented H. mexicanus.

Ah, freedom for all. This July in 2016, I celebrate this new day. I still have the gifts of sight and hearing and joy. I look out my window. It is my Day #8,151 and I gaze at two of those 1.7 billion House Finches hopping on my railing.

Two everyday miracles sing. My heart sings. We three have today.

MeredithReiniger@gmail.com

Faith Matters TARGETED ACT OF A TERRORIST’S HATE

By Rev. Irene Monroe June is LGBTQ pride month and parades and festivities abound monthlong. Pride 2016 is particularly important because it marks the one-year anniversary of “Obergefell v. Hodges,” the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

Boston Pride was last week with its signature Pride Parade extravaganza on Saturday. Come Sunday morning I woke up to the devastating news of the Orlando club massacre where the gunman, Omar Mateen, killed 49, and injured 53 LGBTQ revelers and allies who just happened to be patrons at Pulse on its most popular club night, which is Latin Night.

Pulse, like most LGBTQ nightclubs across the country, was more than just a place to dance and drink. Nightclubs functions as multiple sites for the LGBTQ community where we can communion and have community away from the glaring and disapproving eyes of family, church and society, even in 2016.

But when LGBTQs are caught in the glaring or disapproving eyes of homophobes we don’t take for granted that the reprisal acted on us didn’t derive from a momentary glance that has now come back to harm us or someone in our community - even if the murderer, like Mateen, was either gay-curious for himself or gay-cruising for the kill for ISIL. In explaining the probable reason for the carnage his son created, Mateen’s father, Mir Seddique, shared with news media an incident in Miami months before the nightclub shooting where his son witnessed two gay males kissing which repulsed and outraged him, especially since it was done in the presence of both his wife and son.

Also, in trying to deflect attention away from Islamophobes who easily blame everything disapproving a Muslim does on the religion, Mir Seddique flat out stated that his son’s attack had nothing to do with religion. And Muslim groups worldwide followed suit in condemning the act.

Anti-gay theology is not particular to Islam. While the Quran has scriptures condemning homosexuality so, too, does the Christian Bible.

For example, although the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of marriage equality many Republicans still think marriage should be between one woman and one man, because somewhere in their scriptures or holy imagination it says marriage is between “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” And their opposition to last June’s SCOTUS decision wasn’t as hatefully demonstrative and obstructively cynical as that of Kim Davis — the now infamous Kentucky County clerk who not only refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples but also forbade her coworkers to do so.

As a born again Christian, Davis cited that her First Amendment rights protected her actions. And with a movement afoot with bills called “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts’ (RFRA) looking to codify LGBTQ discrimination Christianity doesn’t get a pass, either.

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET “There’s such a cognitive dissonance for me when public officials ask us to pray when the majority of world religions promote anti-LGBT theology,” said Eliel Cruz, executive director of Faith in America, an organization that attempts to end the harm to LBGT youths it says is caused by religious teachings. “This isn’t isolated to Muslim beliefs. It’s seen in Christianity and it’s just as deadly,” added Cruz, a former RNS columnist.

There’s a sundry of intersectional and confounding factors that appear to conribute to Mateen’s murderous act -- mental illness, homophobia, fear of coming out, anti-gay theology, and no doubt his allegiance to ISIL, to name a few. Sadly, we can’t change the hearts of people like Mateen as quickly as we would like to.

However, we can change his behavior or, at least, make him accountable for his behavior with laws in place to protect not only himself but also the American citizenry.

GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump calls for a ban on Muslims entering the US in the wake of this recent shooting, which is absurd, especially in light of the fact that Mateen was born here.

Gun reform continues to be that hot button issue that a country we can’t seem to budge on. And, recent polling suggests support for reform continues to decline.

Aside from the two handguns Mateen had on his person he also had an AR-15, the same semiautomatic rifle used during the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in 2012, and the December holiday party in San Bernardino in 2015.

Recent gun data illustrates there are 88 guns per 100 people. In a country like Yemen deemed as a terrorist, the data shows there are 55 guns per 100 people.

Just one day after the Orlando shooting Smith & Wesson, one of the largest gun manufacturers in the country founded in 1852 in Springfield, Mass, had a seven

percent rise in their stock shares.

Obama has attended nineteen of these mass shootings memorials since his tenure as president. His twentieth was aborted the same day as the Orlando shooting when Santa Monica police stopped a man with weapons heading to L.A. gay pride parade.

A Few Bricks Short TREE TRUMP

By David Hull I’m worried that there is a problem in our country these days – and the problem’s name is Donald Trump.

Sorry if you’re a Trump supporter; in which case you might as well stop reading right now, but honestly, I feel that something’s not right and it bothers me.

Ever since Donald Trump started his political campaign for President I feel there’s far too much anger, hate, and mistrust, too many accusations and lies creeping around our country.

Obi-Wan Kenobi would utter: “I feel a great disturbance in the Force, young Jedi.”

Shaggy would shout: “Zoinks! Let’s get out of here, Scooby-Doo! Something weird is going on!”

The robot on Lost in Space would declare: “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!”

For me, I would say: “Remember Uncle Ed’s story about the Solomon Islands!”

I’m referring to an old story that my Uncle used to tell about the indigenous people of the Solomon Islands; that’s a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, not far (in the global sense) from Australia.

If you’re like me, the easiest way to comprehend a geographic area is to relate it to an old TV show. Back in the late

1970s there was a show starring Robert Conrad called Baa Baa Black Sheep, about a real-life squad of air fighters from World War II called the Black Sheep Squadron.

That show was set in the Solomon Islands.

And this has nothing to do with the topic, but Robert Conrad was hot.

Anyway, getting back to my Uncle’s story – the natives of the Solomon Islands were rainforest loggers and they chopped down trees with hand-axes. However, when they came upon a tree that was too large to be cut by hand, the island’s inhabitants had a unique way to deal with the challenge. The community would gather at dawn, encircle the tree and yell angrily, surrounding the tree with negative thoughts. Supposedly, repeating this practice every day for 30 days would actually damage the tree’s living spirit causing it to die and collapse to the ground.

Now, I have no idea if this story is factual or not; I’m certainly not being objective because I hope it is true, but I think it is a perfect example of the true power of negativity. Just consider that story; for one month that community joined together to expel so much pessimism and cynicism that they were able to kill a living thing.

Wow. But the reason that story has always stuck with me is because I believe we are all quite careless with how we project our individual negativity. Oh, it’s not like a superpower, we can’t go around felling timber with a single blow of our damaging thoughts, but I believe our negativity does have an effect on the world around us, whether we’re aware of it or not.

And all I see Donald Trump doing is spewing loads of negativity and racism and pessimism. And thousands of people are showing up at his rallies to soak it all in. And I’m concerned about the consequences of that.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.”

“They’re bringing drugs. They bring crime. They’re rapists.”

“I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.”

“I, Donald J. Trump, am calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States …”

“The beauty of me is that I’m very rich.”

“The point is you can never be too greedy.”

“I’ve never seen a thin person drinking a diet Coke.”

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese …”

“If Hillary can’t satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy America?”

“Conflict between Japan and North Korea would be terrible, but if they do, they do. Good luck. Enjoy yourself, folks.”

And all Donald’s negative name calling …

Lyin’ Ted, Lil’ Marco, Crooked Hillary, Low-Energy Jeb, “Pocahontas” Warren.

I have to admit, I’ve referred to Donald Trump as “the Tangerine Tornado” and “the Hairspray Labyrinth” quite a few times, so I know I’m not innocent of name-calling, but I’m not running for President of the United States either.

My point is that when Donald Trump speaks it doesn’t feel like presidential politics or strong leadership or anything good; to me it feels to me like a community coming together to create and share negative energy. If it can kill a tree on the Solomon Islands, I wonder what all that negative energy can do to America. That

23 worries me.

You can contact me at Davidhull59@ aol.com

Safer Computing YOUR LETTERS

By David Frier In which I become the Dear Abby of safer computing, except for the part about having a twin who does the same thing.

Simon L. writes, I keep getting all these confusing messages about Windows updates, but I’m sure it just means something is wrong with my computer, so I keep ignoring them. What can I do about this?

Dear Simon: If you are getting lots of messages about updates, there’s a good chance some or all of them are phony.

The first thing to know is, messages about system updates never arrive via email, and they never arrive in your web browser. A pop-up browser window trying to deceive you into clicking on a malicious link may try to hide its identity, but it’s still a browser window. How can you confirm this? There are two ways.

Hover your mouse cursor over the entry on your taskbar that corresponds to the window you are seeing. You should see a little preview box pop up and it will include the title of the application.

If that’s a browser (Edge, IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.), dismiss it; do NOT click on any links or buttons in it.

If taskbar preview doesn’t work for you: Hit Alt-Tab (Cmd-Tab on Mac).

This brings up a menu in the middle of your screen with all open applications.

Tapping Tab while holding down the Alt- or Cmd- key will step through them.

When you get to the one about the system update, if the application title is not your system update application, ignore it and dismiss it.

As for messages that come from your real system update application (Microsoft Update, for Windows users), I strongly recommend that you accept those updates and that you set those to be accepted automatically in the future. Yes, you may hear stories about updates breaking things. But the plain fact is: you are so much more at risk from not updating. Evil hackers specifically seek out systems whose patches are not current. Every month, the patches themselves give the world a blueprint for how to crack into systems whose patches have not yet been applied. Don’t have one of those systems: patch!

Finally, messages that indicate problems with your computer won’t talk about system updates. They will be plainly identified as errors or warnings.

Judy F. writes, How do I change my password to a pass phrase? I hear those are more secure.

Dear Judy: A password is just a string of characters, so a pass phrase is really not different. The limit may be, what the site accepts. Some sites refuse spaces or punctuation in passwords. While I vehemently disagree with that practice, the fact is, you must create a password the site will accept if you want to use that site. But if a site accepts longer phrases with spaces and even punctuation, go for it! More about this topic, soon.

Andrea S. writes: I got a phone call from a nice young man at Microsoft Support saying that they had detected a virus (Columnists continue on page 24)

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

(Columnists continued from page 23) infection on my system, and offering help to clean it up. But when he started giving me the instructions on my end, it seemed odd to be doing the things he was asking, and I was reluctant. Then he began to get very irritated with me, and so I ended the call. Was he really from Microsoft? Did I do the right thing?

Dear Andrea: Heck, no, he was not from Microsoft! And heck, yeah, you did the right thing! Good for you, for recognizing that what they were asking was wrong.

I once read a very detailed account by a security consultant who got a call from one of these scammers. She gave him control of a Windows machine she had handy, just to see what would happen.

She watched as he deliberately damaged the machine’s settings, rebooted and then expressed regret that he had not been able to stop the “virus” in time. But for $75 he could clean it up! She paid him off with a few salty synonyms for bodily functions and parts of the anatomy, then hung up.

The lesson is, nobody is ever going to call you to tell you that you have a virus.

A caller like that should be hung up on immediately. Don’t put your system at risk following any of their instructions, and don’t try what the security consultant above did. She is, after all, a trained professional.

Well, that’s a wrap. Next month, a column dedicated to the humble password.

Or pass phrase. Please keep all your awesome questions coming to questions@ safer-computing.com and I will try to answer at least one every month. No question is silly!

Being Well GRIEF & LOSS PART 2

By John M. Aceto, LMHC Last year I wrote a column about grief and loss. Little did I know that I would need to revisit this topic so soon.

I’m writing this one day after the horrific massacre in Orlando, Fla. My heart is heavy with disbelief, anger, and sadness. I spent most of the day on June 12 glued to the news coverage, in stunned silence, many times tearful for those who lost a loved one, and thinking of those who lost their lives, praying that they did not have to suffer in agony.

This event triggers a different type of grief and feelings of loss. There are people I know who actually knew some of those that lost their lives on that day. Though I should call it what it was, a mass murder. But I would wager that the majority of us did not know any of the victims.

This does not make the loss any less, for it was a loss in our community, which was specifically targeted for the sole purpose of killing people for the charge of being LGBTQ.

Even though I didn’t know any of the victims, this loss feels very personal. I think it’s because I realize that this could happen anywhere, anytime. It is now the world we live in. And it saddens my heart to think this way. I’m a mental health professional for god’s sake! I should be trying my best to put all of this into some healthy perspective and seeking to find ways to make sense of it.

But I cannot do this today. My mind is going towards all of those who lost a loved one. To the parent who doesn’t know if their child is still alive or not. To the person who got out alive but had to witness their friend being shot and killed. In all my years in this occupation of helping others, I will never truly understand what motivates someone to be so filled with hate and rage, that they would believe ending someone’s life would solve anything.

I wish I had an answer, I truly do.

But I don’t, which makes the grief all the more difficult to experience. This event shakes all of us to our core. Let this loss not dissipate too quickly, less we succumb to feeling numb and indifferent. My heart remains heavy. Let us go forward though, in pride, in solidarity, as we celebrate our upcoming event in July here in Rochester. Peace.

What’s Bothering Brandon?

SHAPING LIKEABLE WORLDS, ONE “LIKE” AND “SHARE” AT A TIME

By Brandon W. Brooks It is Pride Month in Rochester, NY at long last. With last month’s hateful attack against the LGBT community in Orlando, Florida, a welcome reminder of the love that remains within the world as a whole cannot come soon enough.

What a chilling event that was; an event that merely shook me to the core, while shattering the lives of hundreds of others. The story of this attack very quickly went worldwide, with letters and statements of support coming from all corners. President Barrack Obama, Her Majesty the Queen, the Pope, and numerous prime ministers offered their prayers and condolences on social media, broadcast networks, and official statements from The Palace.

The times in which we live seem to be cultivating a climate of fear, hatred, and pain at an ever-increasing rate. This tragedy in Orlando is a blatant example of one of the many nightmarish possibilities that could arise from this pathological recipe.

This was an event where several boiling social, political, civil rights, and religious rights issues met in bloody interface: LGBT persecution, Islamophobia, religious freedom, gun control laws, terrori-

PFLAG MEETS 3RD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH Meetings are held from 1 to 3pm at the Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church 707 E. Main Street, Rochester, NY 14605 Questions? 585-993-3297 or RochesterPFLAG@gmail.com Join us!

sm and national security. What a palaver.

The onslaught of messages and posts on social media sites following a tragedy, I find, are quite telling of our internal worlds, these worlds now run by fear, anger, uncertainty, and hatred. They are largely reactive messages, directed at communities of people we see as our enemies, our oppressors, or the cause of our suffering. This “our” possessive adjective I use is purposefully vague – these statements hail from people identifying with numerous, differing groups. That these volatile statements are coming from seemingly opposing viewpoints is part of the fuel that feeds this fire of hatred and fear, accusation-making, and ultimately violence.

But what if we could control what sort of statements we encounter? What if we could decide what reaches our eyes and minds, and what we would not know of?

The idea of controlling information and its manifestations according to what pleases, comforts or validates us may seem ideal – we would never come across hateful assertions or opinions or life experiences that challenge our own. We would not have to live in fear that we may be harassed, attacked or accosted due to the perceived offensiveness of our enemies. We would operate in a society where everyone else is industriously working alongside in friendly, like-minded symmetry. We could all live in the harmony of being compatible, connected and the same.

Much of this is already happening on social media, possibly without our explicit awareness – that is, we are already deciding what we see and what we do not, based solely upon how we feel about it.

Those with whom we are friends on sites like Facebook may create posts that occasionally ruffle some feathers. They may make inflammatory posts about social, political and religious issues facing the globe with which we strongly disagree.

They may upset or offend us, or even participate in so-called “trolling” to get our goat.

So we block them or report them, making it impossible for this person to upset us further. We have the option to erase and ignore those that offend or disagree with us, and we certainly have the ability to sound off in the comments section if we so choose to do so. We have emojis to visually show our approval, disdain, sadness, or amusement. All to show the world, and everyone else around us, how we feel.

And why shouldn’t we show the world

how we feel? We all have the right to express our opinions, do we not? Of course we do, this is America. Taking this a step further, why shouldn’t we block anyone who ever posts something contrary to our personal beliefs? We would never see hateful messages with which we don’t agree. We would never again deign to wage a keyboard battle. We would only see messages of support, love, and understanding. How nice.

This is, of course, unrealistic, and even harmful. Wanting to live in a world where your own personal story is never challenged or questioned is selfish. It denies all others their own life experiences and opinions, and indirectly asserts the superiority and righteousness of your own over theirs. It’s oppressive, and easily leads one down the road of intolerance, hatred, and violence. What’s more, seeing as we live in a country where all of us are meant to support and uphold policies that allow for the freedom to practice religion, the freedom to (safely) arm oneself, the freedom from religious persecution (from both directions), and now the freedom to be openly-LGBT, frankly it’s un-American.

Now, before you decide to block or report this article for challenging your worldview, let me be rightly understood on this score. I am not suggesting that we suffer through an onslaught of harassment, hateful statements or attack on social media, lest we fear being called intolerant or un-American. What I am saying is that life is full of people with whom we won’t agree, or with whom we may never agree, and that’s fine.

That’s normal. That’s healthy. We need to have our opinions and worldviews continually challenged. We all need self-reckoning moments to become fully developed, well-rounded adults. We need to be able to respond to a challenge of our beliefs or faith with patience and cool countenance, while avoiding hatred, fear and violence. Be the voice of reason before you immediately project yourself into the role of offender or offended, authority or dilettante.

The tragic murder of innocent people in Orlando was caused by fear, hatred and a bitter refusal to accept that our worldviews will, and should, be challenged.

Mental illness, misuse of weaponry, and questionable federal policy contributed significantly to Omar Mateen’s decision and ability to end the lives of so many in June, 2016. But instead of immediately pointing fingers, let our thoughts first reflect upon the glass.

Questions, comment, or critique?

Feel free to e-mail the author at: brandonbrooks@mail.adelphi.edu ■

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

Find the friends, fun, and common interests you’re looking for through the various groups listed here.

DIGNITY-INTEGRITY Since March, 1975, Dignity-Integrity Rochester has been welcoming all who come through our doors, worshiping every week at 5 p.m. at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St., at the corner of Broad St. We have the following services and activities for the month of July, 2016.

1st Sunday: Episcopal Mass/Healing Service, with music 2nd Sunday: Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Word, with music 3rd Sunday: Episcopal Mass, quiet 4th Sunday: Prayers to start the Week, followed by a Potluck 5th Sunday: Catholic Service, with music The theme for the July potluck is “Super Summer Salads”. Bring your favorite salad and enjoy a cool and refreshing potluck supper. There is always plenty to share, so don’t worry if you’ve no time to shop or cook. After each service during the remainder of the month we’ll be gathering for fellowship around a tasty coffee hour and going out to a local restaurant for dinner. Join us anytime!

We’re here every Sunday, including Pride Weekend! Join us after the festivities for a quiet Episcopal service and a yummy coffee hour. All are welcome!

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, September 3… Watch the EC for details about our Labor Day Picnic.

Remember that you can always call the Hotline at 585-234-5092 or check our website at www.di-rochester.org/ for updates on services and activities.

EMPIRE BEARS Summer’s here. Camping season is in full swing. Some members are at Jones Pond or Hillside every weekend. Look for us if you’re there.

Bear weekend at Jones Pond is July 15-17. We’ll have a crew there, having fun and hosting a late-night wiener roast. During the week, we continue our Wednesday night suppers. The time is pushed back to 6:30.

On the 6th we’ll be at JB Quimby’s on S. Winton, 13th at Flavors of Asia on Clinton, 20th at Texas Roadhouse on W. Henrietta, and 27th at Winfield Grill.

Come out and meet the BEARS. We like to have fun, play games, and meet furry friends.

OPEN ARMS MCC

Please join us on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. for an exciting and vibrant worship experience!

We blend contemporary and traditional hymns, inclusive language, for a timely and useful message that engages the living word of God as it speaks to us as citizens of the modern world. We celebrate an open communion table - that means you don’t have to be a part of our church, or any church at all to participate. When the service ends, you can join us for coffee, fellowship and a snack in the Community Center.

Open Arms - We are beyond open,

25

Community beyond affirming, beyond welcoming here is where you will find acceptance and the love of Christ in everything we do!

Here’s what’s happening at Open Arms for the next month or two: Sunday School for Teens & Tweens is on the first of each the month at 9:15 a.m. and refreshments are served.

Open Arms will walk in the ROC Pride Parade proclaiming “Pridetide: God’s Magic!” So on Sunday July 3 and July 10, following worship, we’ll be in the Community Center making hats, signs and other “magic” things to wear and carry in the parade. We’ll provide the materials; you just bring your “magical” selves!

On Wednesday, July 20 from 9 to 2 p.m. we will participate in the Red Wings Kids Camp Day, assembling and handing out box lunches.

Then on Friday, August 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. we’ll be at the Pop ‘N’ Hots stand (and you must be at least 21 to volunteer at this concession stand). We do need lots of volunteers so contact Open Arms if you’d like to participate in this FUNdraiser and come join us for fun at the ballgame!

The Wednesday morning Bible study is on hiatus until the first week of September.

Our TR ANSformative Ministry Team is also on hiatus for the summer.

We host a number of community groups in our Community Center: AFTY (Adult Families with Trans Youth) meets the first Tuesday of each month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PFLAG (Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, and Questioning) meets on the third Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. TAGR, Trans Alliance of Greater Rochester meets on the third Saturday of each month from 3:-5:30 p.m.

We have a bin in the Community Center for recycling items like empty ink cartridges, empty toner cartridges, cell phones, chargers, batteries, cords.

You can also drop off your scrap metal to be recycled at Metalico Rochester and you will earn money for Open Arms. Days will be arranged for drop off at church as well. Let your neighbors and friends know they can drop off recyclable metal, too. Just mention that it is for the Open Arms MCC account and the proceeds of the recyclables will come to us.

We have a supply of non-perishable items in stock for when our neighbors stop in looking for emergency supplies. If you are out shopping and can pick up one or two items it would be greatly appreciated. Some ideas for contributions are toiletries, including toothpaste, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, tampons, sanitary pads, and baby wipes. Non-perishable food items that require little preparation including pasta meals, canned meat/tuna, vegetables, and beans, also dry food items such as cereal, pasta and mixes. Pop-top cans are also appreciated, as many homeless persons do not have access to can openers. Pet food is also needed. We also have

ROMANS

some clothing available -- socks, shoes, sneakers and shirts.

Our facilities are also available for rental by any community groups or individuals needing a safe and flexible meeting space. You can see our ad with pictures and rental fees on Craigslist.

At Open Arms MCC we are committed to Building Bridges and Changing Lives. You are welcome, regardless of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, or your religious beliefs. We are located at 707 East Main St., across from the Delta Sonic Car Wash. There is plenty of free parking in front and to the side of our building. For updated information on coming events and to view our facilities, check our website: openarmsmcc.org Our provisional pastoral leader, Brae Adams, has office hours on Wednesdays, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and by appointment (please call first to make sure she’s available). We are also open Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 4 p.m. Our phone number is (585) 271-8478.

ROMANS (Rochester Male Naturists) introduces gay, straight or bi male persons to the nude lifestyle. Through monthly nude gatherings at members’ home and other nude activities like skinny dipping and nude camping, members get to experience the freedom of being naked with like-minded comrades in a safe and friendly environment.

Our June meeting featured a hot tub and massage table, plus good food and 17 sociable naked gentlemen. Our meetings are welcoming and non-intimidating. Summer is a good time to start your nude lifestyle with plenty of opportunities to get naked outdoors.

You can find out more about the ROMANS on our website at www.wnyromans.com. If you are interested in becoming a member, contact us via email at wnyromans@yahoo.com, or by regular mail at PO Box 92293, Rochester, NY 14692 or call us at our message line 585-2814964. ROMANS is a social club for gay and gay-friendly male naturists over 21. ■

Joe Russo, Psy.D., CGP

nge a h to C t e k Roc

Licensed Psychologist Certified Group Psychotherapist 25 Canterbury Road, Suite 313 Rochester, New York 14607 Phone: (585) 506-6096 E-mail: joerussopsyd@gmail.com

Addiction ▼ Anxiety ▼

Depression ▼ Grief/Loss ▼

Trauma ▼ Relationships ▼

▼ Weekly

Bi/Gay Men’s Therapy Group

NOW OFFERING SPECIALIZED CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY AND HEALTHCARE TREATMENT TO THE GAY LESBIAN BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT EXCLUSIVE LGBT TREATMENT GROUP SENSITIVE TO LGBT ISSUES LGBT EXPERIENCED CLINICIAN

585-325-5100

Come worship among Friends…

Rochester Friends Meeting (Quakers) 84 Scio Street (downtown)

Sunday worship, 11:00 am (10:00 am from Memorial Day to Labor Day) Child care, Free parking, Wheelchair access www.rochesterquakers.org • 325-7260

Administrative Offices 360 East Ave. Rochester NY 14604

Huther Hall 801-803 West Ave. Rochester NY 14611

Huther Health Clinic 360 East Ave. Rochester NY 14604

WWW.HUTHERDOYLE.COM

26

ON GARD

The Gay Alliance on-line Resource Directory The online community tool-providing local, state and national resources... twenty-four, seven! www.gayalliance.org

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Legal name change?

Birth certificate amendment?

You’ll need those forms notarized!

Our Notary can help!

Schedule a free appointment today!

Call 585 244-8640 or email: info@gayalliance.org

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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Arts & Entertainment

At the tender age of 20, Johnathan Celestin moved to New York City with $200 and a dream. Since then, Johnathan has performed on several Broadway tours and has written and sung for international recording artists and Grammy Award-winning music groups.

In 2012, Celestin released his freshman EP “...and then the rolling stone fell in love” and toured the eastern seaboard.

His music has been featured on national and international television and has been spotlighted for its honesty, raw emotion and soaring vocals. In 2016, Celestin is scheduled to release two new singles “Quicksand” and “1 n a million n love”.

Johnathan Celestin also graduated from Columbia University and is heavily involved in social causes, using his music to spearhead anti-violence/antibullying, LGBTQ equality, and human rights campaigns. Celes-

tin’s live show is a no-hassle, all tracked, amazing performance.

His website is: http:// johnathancelestin.com/

African American gay drama is on DVD July 5

Jamaican star Diana King to headline at Fest on Saturday, July 16 Diana King, the Jamaican born and raised artist, is a star, with a combination of vocal power and passion, diverse style, edgy lyrics, exotic beauty, sharp and opinionated mind, sex appeal and a down to earth jeans and t-shirt charm and personality to spare.

Also known to her fans as “Kingsinga,” she is responsible for chart topping hits such as “Shy Guy” from the soundtrack of the Bad Boys movie, which starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, “Say A Little Prayer” from My Best Friend’s Wedding starring Julia Roberts, “Love Triangle,” “Summer Breezin,” “L-L-Lies”, “Spanish Town Blues” from Anniversary, the Grammy nominated album

by Sly and Robbie, and she

PHOTO: GERRY SZYMANSKI

Johnathan Celestin will headline at Roc Pride Fest on Sunday, July 17

co-wrote and was featured on “Treat Her Like A Lady” from Celine Dion’s Let’s Talk About Love album. Her distinctive mark can also be found on the Notorious B.I.G album Ready to Die which features King collaborating with the late B.I.G on the track, “Respect”.

The “Kingsinga” has much to look forward to as she embarks on the next phase of her career. Through her own label, ThinkLikeAgirL Music Inc., she signed a licensing deal with Warner Music Japan for the release of her (self-produced) album - Warrior Gurl, (a deal which allowed her to maintain 100 percent ownership of her music).

Her latest album, AgirLnaMeKING (available worldwide) features some of the songs from Warrior Gurl.

In June 2012, Diana became the first Jamaican recording artist to come out as a lesbian.

Jamaica is regarded as one of the most homophobic countries in the world.

She was honored with the Vanguard Award for her bravery by the LGBT Academy of Recording Arts at the 8th annual OUTMusic Awards (Previous honoree was Country Music Superstar Chely Wright).

Out ‘n Art is Gallery Q benefit exhibition July 1-Aug. 17 The Gay Alliance is bringing visual arts into Pride! Dozens of artists from our community and beyond have donated artwork for a special Gallery Q exhibit, Out ‘n Art. All works of art are for sale and proceeds will support the work of the Gay Alliance, including youth and senior programs and the operation of the LGBTQ Resource Center, such as gallery exhibitions, the library and history archives, the education center and community meeting room.

Join the Gay Alliance for the First Friday exhibition opening on July 1, support the Rochester LGBTQ community and the Alliance, and show your Pride!

The exhibition runs through Aug. 17.

Further selected donated pieces will be available at the new Pride Art in the Park event that will be held at the Pride Festival on the morning of Sunday, July 17 in Cobbs Hill Park.

Breaking Glass and QC Cinema are releasing the African American LGBT drama “Luv Don’t Live Here” on VOD and DVD on July 5. “Luv Don’t Live Here” is the feature film debut from writer/director Mikal K. Odom.

“Luv Don’t Live Here” tells the story of Reggie Hamilton, also affectionately known as Reggie Luv, a gay black man whose life takes a 180-degree turn when he becomes severely ill. Not so easily willing to part with the way life was before, Reggie finds himself not only fighting for his health, but unearthing harsh truths about himself and the relationships he holds dear.

“Luv Don’t Live Here” won the audience award at the 2015 QFlix Philadelphia Film Festival and went on to play the Baltimore International Black Film Festival and the Pan African Film & Arts Festival. The film has been nominated for the 2016 African Movie Academy Awards.

Starting July 5, “Luv Don’t Live Here” will be available on DVD and the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant, iNDEMAND, and Google Play.

About the director: A Philadelphia native, Mikal is an accomplished film and theatre writer, director, producer and actor. He received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University in Film and Media Arts. There, he produced his first short film, “Dreamsong,” which went on to play at various festivals nationwide, including the Hollywood Black Film Festival. His second short film, “2nd Shift,” aired nationally on BET’s “Best Film Shorts” Showcase in the fall of 2007, where it was voted favorite short in that week’s episode from a poll on BET.com.

In efforts to expand his skills in project and creative development, Mikal attended American University, where he earned a master’s degree in Producing for Film and Video.

The combination of these experiences serves as the inspiration and launchpad for creating “Luv Don’t Live Here”.

From “Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank”

Two ImageOut screenings will celebrate Roc Pride ImageOut, Rochester’s LGBTQ film festival, is teaming up with the Gay Alliance and the Rochester Jewish Film Festival to screen two unique movies during Pride week.

Free screening of TWO 4 ONE at the

GAGV Education Center Tuesday July 12 at 6:30 p.m.

This delightful comedy was a hit at ImageOut 2015 and has been acclaimed as one of the best trans-themed films of the past year. Adam, played by popular Canadian comedian Gavin Crawford, reluctantly agrees to help his ex, Miriam (Naomi Snieckus), in her frantic desire (ImageOut continues page 28)

28 ( Review from page 27) to conceive a baby (through an internet home insemination kit), while her current partner Julia (Andrea Menard) is away on business for the week. You see, Miriam hasn’t exactly settled the topic of pregnancy with Julia. Things grow even more complicated when Adam and Miriam rekindle their affection during what’s supposed to be a “strictly clinical” endeavor, and to their surprise, they both end up pregnant!

Read more and watch the trailer at http://www.imageout.org/2015/program08.php This sensitive and entertaining movie kicks off a new collaboration between ImageOut and the Gay Alliance to bring (back) movies to a community setting in the Education Center at 100 College Avenue. These movies will be free and captioned when possible to promote accessibility.

“Compared to What: The Improbale Jouney of Barney Frank” at the Dryden Theater Sunday, July 17 at 5 p.m.

Wrap up your Rochester Pride weekend in the air-conditioned comfort of the Dryden Theater. The long-running collaboration between ImageOut and the Rochester International Jewish Film Festival this year brings us the Barney Frank documentary “Compared to What”.

This fresh political portrait provides unparalleled access to one of Congress’s first openly gay Representatives, as well as one of the most captivating public figures in recent history. Born Jewish, and a longtime supporter of Israel, Frank remained in Congress over 40 years.

Tickets are $12 online or at the Dryden Box office, and $10 for ImageOut and JCC members.

There will be a post-film discussion with the directors Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler, moderated by Scott Fearing of the GAGV.

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Travel Travel: Road Trip to Annapolis

WNY Flash hosts Pride Night on July 1 WNY Flash will host a Pride Night on July 1, at 7 p.m., in the Rhinos Stadium.

The Flash takes on the Chicago Red Stars.

The Flash announced, “In light of the recent attacks on Orlando the Flash has partnered with the Gay Alliance to raise money to promote support, safety and acceptance.”

Limited edition WNY Flash #RocUnited Pride T-shirt are available for $20.

Tickets for the game are also available at a discounted rate of $10. T-Shirts will be available to pick up at the game on July 1 and tickets will be at will call under the name on the order.

By Merle Exit We checked into the Westin Annapolis Hotel at 100 Westgate Circle and West Street. I must congratulate myself for choosing such a perfect location. The lobby is bright and inviting with many “stations” including the check in and business. The atmosphere spews tranquility.

I had requested an accessible room, having taken both my rollator and cane.

Pretty spacious. Entering the bathroom, a long shower stall with a shower chair is right there. The shower chair is attached to the wall and folds up. This is smart as it allows me to close the shower curtain. One can opt to stand. The water automatically comes out from a portable shower head.

I requested a refrigerator just in case there were leftovers, although there is a cupboard that does have an area of refrigeration that doesn’t seem as cold. Microwave included.

Westin has a Green program with a reward. If you choose not to use the facilities of the maid service, you are rewarded with a card that allows you $5 voucher for food or non-alcoholic drinks served at the hotel. The lobby has a snack bar called Grab and Go, located just outside the restaurant. They sell the basic coffee, tea, juice, bagels and pastry.

Westin also a program for runners.

They rent the gear that comes from New Balance. Shoes that comes with socks (you keep them) and workout clothing such as shorts, long shorts, and sports bra. I had trouble with getting the shoes as I have a very wide width.

You can saunter to the other end of West Street over at the Docks as the distance is just less than a mile. Needless to say, I had no intention of running… especially in the rain. Neither of us made use of the indoor pool, workout gym, or spa. When you return from exploring, fresh towels and free bottled water await you near the entrance.

New to the hotel is the Rooftop Beehive. They have installed rooftop honey beehives, which can host up to 35,000 honeybees. It hopes to be a haven for the depleted honeybee population. Chef Barnett plans to use the honey in a wide variety of signature dishes once it is harvested. Not sure but I think you can buy a jar.

Baltimore has its crab art. Annapolis has Chicks along West Street. We were hoping to get a photo of all 13 if it weren’t for the rain and figuring out where they are. You can get a map from tourism, and would have been easier doing “rainless”. We got a total of four, two of which were near the hotel.

What’s with the chicks? Gavin Buckley was heading an art project as part of a newly created art district. Going to City Hall he sat in on a heavy debate about people having live chickens in their backyard and if so, how many. It appeared that some people had been fined for doing so. This debate went on for about two years before the decision back in 2012. Gavin thought that the whole thing was ridiculous to spend so much time with. That’s when the idea came up for this project that involved both schools and artists. Due to vandalism and some in total disrepair, not all of the original chicks are around. Tourism has a map of their location and “author”.

Summer of Solidarity: Dryden screens free LGBTQ films In solidarity with the victims of the atrocity in Orlando and with the entire LGBTQ community, the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum presents landmark films dealing with LGBTQ themes.

The Dryden Theatre screened two films in June and this month will continue with an LGBTQ film on July 24 at The Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum.

Free admission to all screenings.

This film series is organized by the George Eastman Museum in partnership with the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, ImageOut: The Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival and the MOCHA Center.

Sunday, July 24, 7 p.m. Victim (Basil Dearden, UK 1961, 90 min., 35mm) This groundbreaking thriller stars Dirk Bogarde as a married but homosexual lawyer who risks everything to track down the blackmailer responsible for a former lover’s suicide. The affecting storytelling in this landmark film—in which “I love you” was spoken between men for the first time—actually helped to bring about the decriminalization of homosexuality in the United Kingdom.

August screenings will be featured in the August Empty Closet. For more information, visit eastman.org/solidarity.

Bill Evans Dance Fest is at Hobart/William Smith in Geneva July 14-17 Bill Evans, whose dance company was based in the Rochester area for 10 years ending in 2014, will give four performances which are part of the annual Bill Evans Dance Teachers Institute and Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.

Evans himself will perform in the first show on July 14. He will act as host in the other concerts.

All shows will be in the Deming Dance Theatre, in the new Gearan Center for the Performing Arts. Each concert is completely different and includes work by leading somaticsbased choreographers from throughout North America.

Performances will take place Thursday, July 14, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 15, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 16, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 17, 4 p.m. Tickets at the door only, half an hour before each show. $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors. For information, call (315)781-3495.

Tegan and Sara talk about their new album Tegan and Sara were featured in NYLON’s annual music issue before the highly anticipated release of their eighth studio album, “Love You to Death,” on June 3. In the interview, the famous and cult-level Canadian twin sisters open up about how the genre of their music has evolved throughout their 17-year career, the struggle of fan connection and satisfaction, thoughts on marriage equality, how their bond has strengthened over nearly two decades of making music together and much more.

Selected quotes: On moving forward as pop artists: The release of the single ‘Closer’ in 2012 provided a new style of music to fans. “Our fans attach to a certain era of our band,” says Tegan.

“I’ve been there. But just like how I can’t go back and look the way I did when I was 24, musically, I can’t go backwards. I don’t want to.”

How fans’ perceptions led them to change their image: “There were so many years where we felt like people would not let us change or evolve. It was like, ‘No, no, you’re the lesbian folk twins that we saw in 1999 and we’re never going to let you live that down,’” says Sara. “As a result we really aggressively pushed back.”

The meaning behind lead single, ‘Boyfriend,’ on LYtD: “You turn me on, like you would your boyfriend/ But I don’t wanna be your secret anymore,” Sara sings of her current girlfriend, Stacy Reader, who was previously dating a man.

Legalization of gay marriage: Sara doesn’t feel pressured to get married. “Part of what I love about being queer, is I don’t have to adhere to any cultural standards.”

Read the full interview at http://www.nylon.com/articles/tegan-and-sara-love-you-todeath-nylon-june-july-2016

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

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GAY ALLIANCE NEWS – JULY 2016

THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

RIDE FOR PRIDE 2016 raised $43,000 for the Gay Alliance, well over our goal. Organizer Jeanne Gainsburg said, “Ride for Pride was an unbelievable success this year!

We had 61 bikers, more than ever before, with the biggest span of skills and ability. The oldest rider was 70, the youngest 22. Jo Meleca Voigt made placards for each of the 49 Orlando victims, Matthew Ragusa made black armbands and each Rider wore an armband and a picture.” Top photo: Jill Frier. Photos from left to right: Riders Pam Polashenski, Maya Polashenski and Yovi Bruno starting the ride (Photo by Jill Frier); Tim Ackroyd and Joe Doty (Photo by Tim Ackroyd); Pebble Kranz and Maggie Rosen (Photo by Pebble Kranz); Memorial photos were created by Jo Meleca-Voigt for the back of the rider’s bikes (Photo by Jeanne Gainsburg)

Meet the Board: President David Zona David has been on the GAGV Board since December of 2011 serving in the Board Officer capacities of Treasurer, Co-Chair and as Board Chair for the last two and a half years. He is a native Rochestarian, having spent a brief stint in NYC following his undergrad degree. David also possesses an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester and works as the Director of Quality at MVP Health Care. He is a proud resident of Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts

(NOTA) and enjoys running, volleyball and home improvement. He is a proud Dad to Poquito and Alpaca, his two 10-year-old (and overweight) cats! You can reach David at davidz@gayalliance. org.

When and why did you decide to join the Gay Alliance Board?

This is an exciting time of exponential legislative progress for the LGBTQ agenda. That said, we must remember that social typically lags behind legislative progress. I want to be a shaping factor in this ongoing work.

There is still much to do and progress to be made in the months and years ahead.

What are your main priorities as Board President? Your vision for the future?

The GAGV has seen some hard times over the last five years. Shrinking Government funding and a growing perception that our services and programming are no longer as needed have taken a toll on our ability to remain relevant and vibrant. The Board and staff have had to make some very difficult decisions in light of these challenges. We have had to cut back in some areas in order to grow as an overall Agency. And we have done this with the love, faith and support of the Community.

We are now in a position of strength and stability, better able to serve our constituents and fulfill our mission. I am proud to say that we now operate almost solely on donations and programming revenue rather than grants, and our continual growth to programming has

engendered a sense that our work is far from complete and remains as relevant as ever.

As a Member of the Board, I am a servant and steward to the protection and growth of our continued relevance, and how that translates to the welfare of a better Community. My goal is and always has been to lead the Board in delivering on this key responsibility - to drive the overall vision of the Agency to touch the hearts and minds of those we serve. To touch the hearts and minds of the Community regardless of which letter of the LGBTQA alphabet you may hail from. I am proud and excited to have the honor to do so and thank the Community for the opportunity and ongoing support.

What would you say to someone who is thinking of volunteering for the Board or in any other capacity?

Do it! Get involved! There are many ways to do so, and you can do so in however large or small a way that you choose! We are happy to have your support whether it be chaperoning an annual event or providing regular support to our ongoing programming.

There is no support too great or small. If you are interested, please call our offices and inquire.

If you have an interest in Board service, you can reach out to me directly at davidz@gayalliance.org, or any other member of the GAGV Board. Regarding Board service, there is a formal vetting process that potential candidates will be subject to.

ANNUAL MEETING: Gay Alliance Youth Group facilitators Dawn Balsis and BJ Scanlon received the Vicki and Vinnie Cups on June 22. The award for the woman and man who have made the greatest contributions during the year was established by the late Arnie Pegish, owner of the Bachelor Forum, in the 1980s. Photo: Susan Jordan

IRONDEQUOIT GSA. Students from the Irondequoit High Gay Straight Alliance and their faculty advisors stopped by the LGBTQ Resource Center last month. Photo: Susan Jordan

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.

Board President: David Zona • Executive Director: Scott Fearing • Education Director: Jeanne Gainsburg Education Coordinator: Rowan Collins • Office Administrator Julia Acosta • Database: Kat Wiggall Bookkeeper: Christopher Hennelly 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; jennieb@gayalliance.org.

The Gay Alliance, 100 College Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607 • Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm Phone: (585) 244-8640 • Fax: (585) 244-8246 • Website: www.gayalliance.org • E-mail: Info@gayalliance.org

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

GAY ALLIANCE NEWS – JULY 2016

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SAGE JULY “Coming Out Under Fire,” sponsored by SAGE Vets & CompeerCORPS, was screened May 26 at the Resource Center. From the left: Mike Buckpitt, Wanda Martinez-Johncox, Rev. Kelly Ayer of Zion House, Alica Lannon, Kelly Baumgartner, Kim Schmidt of the Vet Center, Scott Fearing and Anne Tischer. Photo: Bess Watts Marcie Richer of Coffee Connection offers samples of Sumatran and Guatemalan coffee to Jim Moran and Roza Eisenman. Photo: Anne Tischer

Coffee Connection wants input on “Pride Blend” Coffee Connection, 681 South Ave., was founded in 2001 to provide job training for women in recovery from addiction, working with Project Empower. Coffee Connection sells organic Fair Trade coffee at their South Ave. site and at Greenhouse Cafe, 2271 E. Main St, and The Cannonball Café, 4437 Lake Ave. They also sell to wholesale customers like Parkleigh and Equal=Grounds.

Now Coffee Connection wants to develop a “Pride Blend”. Marcie Richer from Coffee Connection visited the SAGE group on June 7 to get input from SAGE members.

She gave out samples of Guatemalan and Sumatran coffee, and said that the verdict will be decided by a panel, which will include SAGE members.

Trainings & Presentations offered by the LGBTQ Academy in May 2016 • Telling our Stories to Make a Difference at the LGBTQ Academy • The Coming Out Process at Martha Brown Middle School GSA • Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Workplaces for the International Visitor Leadership Program/Rochester Global Connections • LGBTQ 101 at Spencerport High School GSA • LGBTQ 101 at The Harley School • LGBTQ 101 at School of the Arts GSA • LGBTQ 101 at Rochester Association of Family Mediators • Answering Questions Effectively Speakers Bureau Training at the LGBTQ Academy • Understanding Trans Identities at Newark Wayne Community Hospital • Meeting the Needs of LGBTQ Older Adults for the Mental Health Association Annual Older Persons Conference • Trans Panel at the LGBTQ Academy • SafeZone Training at Georgian Court University in New Jersey • SafeZone Training at the Rochester Kink Society • Professional Development Panel at URMC Dept. of Psychiatry • SafeZone Training at Monroe 2 - Orleans BOCES • Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Workplaces at Coopervision • Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Schools at Bay Trail Middle School • Understanding Trans Identities for the Cultural Classics Networking Meeting • Trans Healthcare Panel for local area pharmacists • Understanding Trans Identities at Greece Central School District • SafeZone Training at Gate Chili Middle School • Understanding Trans Identities and Respectfully Communicating for the Criminal Services Division and Family Services Division Monroe County Probation Officers • Creating an LGBTQ Inclusive Agency at Catholic Family Center • LGBTQ 101 for Pittsford Mendon High School health classes • Meeting the Health Needs of LGBTQ Clients at New Visions Rochester General Hospital • Meeting the Health Needs of Transgender Clients at Rochester General Hospital Feedback from our May 2016 presentations: • “I learned that many ‘normal’ aspects of doctor visits can potentially lead to opting out due to how uncomfortable it makes transgender people…and what we can do to help as health care workers.

Absolutely loved the presentation.”

• “I learned how to empower change with education/staff. Powerful/ engaging presenter. The only thing that could have made this better was more time!”

• “I expected a dry and boring presentation and was pleasantly surprised by the openness and humor given to a generally uncomfortable topic.”

• “100% heart and soul. Fabulous for my practice. Absolutely fantastic!”

Saturday July 2: 12noon-4pm Pride Float Building, home of Anne & Bess – call (585) 426-0862 or email annet@gayalliance.org for directions. Bring a dish to pass & stay for dinner.

Tuesday July 5: 10:30-11:30 Yoga with Tom; 11:30am-2pm “Cake Day”. Celebrate July birthdays with catered lunch and cake, $3. donation, euchre/games/hand crafts. Hosted by Jessie.

Thursday July 7: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom in LGBTQ Resource Center; 5:30pm SAGE Leadership Council meets at the Center.

Friday July 8: 7-9pm SAGE Coffee Hour. Pick up a Cup! Equal Grounds Coffee House, 750 South Ave 14620 Hosted by Roza.

Tuesday July 12: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom; 11:30am-2:00pm catered lunch,$3.00 donation, games & hand crafts; 6-11:00pm PRIDE Euchre Tournament, East Avenue Inn & Suites. $30. Entry fee, limited space, cash payouts. Register at Mr.Moxie@hotmail.com Thursday July 14: Yoga 10:30-11:30am with Tom at LGBTQ Resource Center. 10am-noon, Breakfast Club at Denny’s (911 Jefferson Rd, Henrietta). RSVP to Gerry at (585) 730-8772 gkraus@ rochester.rr.com no later than July 10.

Friday July 15: 12noon-4pm Pride Float Building, home of Anne & Bess – call (585) 426-0862 or email. annet@gayalliance.org for directions. Bring a dish to pass & stay for dinner.

Saturday July 16: 12noon, PRIDE Parade: line up at noon, step off is 1 pm. We have two separate contingents: SAGE float & SAGEVets. The Veterans contingent and color guard will be at the beginning of parade. Contact annet@gayalliance.org for information or to reserve a spot in a car. Drivers needed. http://www.gayalliance. org/pride/parade/ Tuesday July 19: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom; 11:30am-2pm catered lunch, $3. donation. Games & hand crafts. LGBTQ Resource Center Thursday July 21: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom, LGBTQ Resource Center; 5:30-7pm LGBTQ Veterans Group with Wanda MartinezJohncox, SAGEVets & CompeerCORPS, Equal Grounds Coffee Shop 750 South Ave, 14620. Information: Mike 585-546-8280 x 207 mbuckpitt@compeerrochester.org Friday July 22: 5-7pm - Fabulous Fish Fry at Golden Fox, 1115 Culver Road 14609. Please RSVP to Jim at 585-354-8009 or by email at Jimz7875@aol.com by July 19.

Monday July 25: 1pm, Monday Movie Meet Up at the Dryden, “In This Our Life”. Free to seniors. Film begins at 1:30pm. Arrive by 1pm to sit together. Contact Roger & Dave by email: rcfdjm@gmail. com Schedule: https://eastman.org/film-series/senior-matinees Tuesday July 26: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom; 11:30am-2pm catered lunch, games & hand crafts, $3 donation. LGBTQ Resource Center Thursday July 28: 10:30-11:30am Yoga with Tom, LGBTQ Resource Center; 5-7pm SAGE Happy Hour & Trivia at 140 Alex, 140 Alexander Street. Drink & food specials.

All are welcome.

SAGE Rochester is a program of the Gay Alliance designed for LGBTQI people over 50. SAGE operates out of the Gay Alliance LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Avenue 14607. All programs are open to the public and all are welcome. Yoga is $5. per person and is offered every Tuesday and Thursday unless specified in calendar. All programs are subject to change and all members are responsible for their own transportation and meals. Become a SAGE member or get information at sage@gayalliance.org or 585-244-8640 x23. We are also on Facebook as “SAGE Rochester a program of the Gay Alliance”.

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

Resources Check our monthly and ongoing calendar and community section for more groups and events. For further information, call the Gay Alliance, 2448640 or visit: www.gayalliance.org.

More SAGE and Gay Alliance Youth Group info: pages 30-31.

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 Available for parties, events, meetings. 707 E. Main St. Parking. Accepting and welcoming of all.

271-8478.

DEAF SERVICES Deaf Rainbow Network of Rochester See Facebook.

Spectrum LGBTIQ & Straight Alliance RIT/NTID student group. <SpectrumComment@ groups.facebook.com

ELDERS Gay Alliance SAGE Rochester Many monthly get togethers, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 244-8640; SAGE@gayalliance.org. See page 31.

FAMILY Open Arms Community Center Open Arms Community Center available for parties, events and meetings; 707 East Main St. Plenty of parking. We are inclusive, actively accepting, welcoming of all people. 271-8478 openarmsmcc.org 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.

Catholic Charities Community Services 1099 Jay Street, Building J (585) 339-9800, www.ccsrochester.org . Offers: Families in Transition services for HIV positive parents with small children, short term/long term housing assistance, employment services, supportive case management, health education and behavioral health education and peer navigation for substance abuse linkages.

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; 585-993-3297.

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.

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: Buell St. Box 624, Bath, NY 14810 607-776-9166. The Health Outreach Project: 416 Central Ave., Rochester, NY 14605; 585454-5556.

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. 189 N. Water St., lower level. (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, multi-

cultural, bilingual staff. 33 Chestnut St., 2nd floor, Rochester 14604. Office hours M-F 8:30 am-5 pm. 585-262-4330.

Anthony Jordan Health Center Jordan Health’s Prevention & Primary Care Department provides personalized care designed to address and treat the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C; and services focusing on the prevention of those diseases.

Bilingual staff serves both English and Spanishspeaking patients. HIV and hepatitis C virus (HVC) rapid testing as well as HIV and HCV education and counseling. Walk-in testing at all Jordan Health Sites. Prevention & Primary Care Department hours are Mon – Fri 830a – 500p.

HIV Clinic hours are Tuesday and Friday 830a – 400p. HCV Clinic hours are Wednesday and Friday 100p – 500p. The Prevention & Primary Care Department has two sites: Anthony L. Jordan Health Center 82 Holland Street, Rochester 14605 585.423.2879, fax 585.423.2876 and Woodward Health Center, 480 Genesee Street, Rochester 14611, fax 585.295.6009 Jordan Health’s Prevention and Primary Care Department is now providing PrEP services. For more information please call 585.436.PREP (7737). We are accepting new PrEP patients at the following sites: Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, Woodward Health Center and Jordan Health at Community Place, 145 Parsells Ave. 585.436.3040 x1764 - 585.454.7530 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 Huther Doyle Healthcare, chemical dependency treatment.

585-325-5100; www.hutherdoyle.com Trillium Health See www.trilliumhealthny.org, www.everybodysgood.com LGBT Healthy Living: Veterans Canandaigua VA, second and fourth Tuesdays, 10-11am, Building One, 2nd floor, room 245. Matt Cokely 585-393-7115.

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.

Q UNDER 40 Q<40 Special Events for LGBTQ people and friends over 20 and under 40. Info at GayAlliance.org

TRANSGENDER Trans Alliance of Greater Rochester (TAGR) Support/educational group for gender variant people and allies. Last Saturday, 3-5:30pm, Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St. Adult Families of Trans Youth (AFTY) First Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30pm, Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St. Trans Lifeline Hotline for transgender people experiencing crisis. Staffed by transgender people for transgender people. Trans Lifeline volunteers are ready to respond to whatever support needs callers might have. The Trans Lifeline number is (877) 5658860. Additional info is available at www.translifeline.org.

Empire Justice Center Milo Primeaux, 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, mprimeaux@ 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 First Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 100 College Ave. Ages 13-18. 244-8640 Genesee Valley Gender Variants Thurs. 7-9pm, Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave. GVGenderVariants@yahoogroups.com Guys’ Night Out Trans* group, 1pm second Saturdays at Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. Transmen and those identifying with trans-masculine experience (including questioning individuals) welcome. Conversations range from topics regarding family life, personal experiences with regard to medically/ socially transitioning and how life is going in general. Contact Adrian at abartholomeo@gmail.com.

WOMEN L.O.R.A Late Bloomers Group E-mail info@loragroup.org Website: www.loragroup.org; L.O.R.A (Lesbians of Rochester & 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 1048 University Ave., Rochester NY 14607 585-473-8177; www.bccr.org; info@bccr.org Programs and services for those diagnosed with breast or GYN cancer. Programs include support and networking groups, Healing Arts classes, book club, writing workshop, monthly evening seminars and a group for those living with metastatic breast cancer. Comprehensive lending library at our office. Community speakers available! All programs and 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. Mammograms.

Self Help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer (SHARE) Breast: 866-891-2392; Ovarian: 866-537-4273.

Willow Domestic Violence Center 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.

YOUTH Gay Alliance Youth Group Monthly Special Events 100 College Ave. 2448640; Ages 13-20. www.gayalliance.org. Check Facebook.com/GayAllianceYouth Gay Alliance Youth Gender Identity Social/Support Group First Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave., Ages 13-18. 244-8640 Trevor Project The Trevor Project offers 24/7 Lifeline with trained counselors, 1-866-488-7386; Trevor Chat, instant messaging; TrevorSpace online where youth can talk to each other, and Trevor Text, now in development, with text trained counselors for support and crisis intervention.

CNY Youth Group Bi-Polar Support.

Second Monday of every month.

315-428-9366. ■

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

Ongoing Calendar DAILY Free confidential walk-in HIV testing M/W 9am-5pm, T/Th 9am-7pm, F 9am-12:30pm Trillium Health 259 Monroe Ave. 585-545-7200 Gay Alliance Library & Archives 9am -5pm. Wed. 6-8pm 100 College Ave. Walk-in HIV testing At all Anthony Jordan health center sites including 82 Holland St. (See Resources)

MONDAYS Women’s Coffee Social Equal Grounds Coffee House 750 South Ave. Monday evenings. 7 pm. Contact: Regina Altizer: reginaaltizer@gmail.com Crystal Meth Anonymous Meeting Every Monday 12-1pm. Huther Doyle, 360 East Ave., Rochester. Starting Monday Oct. 5.

Rochester Historical Bowling Society 7pm. Empire Lanes 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.

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 Adult Families of Trans Youth (AFTY) First Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30, Open Arms MCC Community Center, 707 E. Main St. LGBT Healthy Living Veterans support. 2nd, 4th Tuesdays, 10-11am Canandaigua VA, bldg. 9, room 8, Library conference room. 585 463-2731, 585 205-3360.

Testing Tuesdays at Trillium Health FREE HIV Testing for everyone, STI/STD testing FREE for women and MSM. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave, 5-8 pm. 585-545-7200 Women’s Community Chorus Rehearsals each Tuesday, 6:30-9pm, Downtown United Pres. Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh Street. 2344441, www.therwcc.org Gay Alliance Youth Gender Identity Support Group 5:30-6:30pm, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. Ages 13-20. 244-8640.

SAGE Rochester 50+ Tuesdays and Thursdays, usually 10:30am at venues including LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 244-8640. (See page 31)

WEDNESDAYS 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.

LORA Knitting Group 6:00pm, Equal Grounds Coffee House, 750 South Ave. L.O.R.A. Knitting group meets the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month from Equal Grounds Coffee House. Join Us! Bring your supplies and a sense of adventure! For more info visit www.loragroup.org or Contact Kerry Cater: dressyfemme@ aol.com or email us at info@loragroup.org Lifetime Care LGBT Bereavement Support Group For loss associated with any type of relationship.

Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month from 5:30-7pm at Center for Compassion and Healing (3111 Winton Rd S). No fee. Please call 475-8800 for more details.

Gay Alliance Board of Directors Meets Third Wednesdays, 6pm, 100 College Ave., 244-8640

New Freedom New Happiness AA Gay meeting, 7pm, Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd. Men and women. Open.

COAP Come Out and Play Wednesday game nights. 7-10pm.

Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. coap.rochester@ gmail.com Rochester Rams General Meeting 2nd Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave. www.rochesterrams.com Positive Warriors Wednesdays, 11:30am-12:30pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave. Positive Divas Wednesdays, 11:30am-12:30pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers 6pm, Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org.

Gay Alliance Library & Archives 100 College Ave. 6-8pm.

Empire Bears Every Wednesday. 6pm dinner at various venues. www.empirebears.com

THURSDAYS Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns 6:30pm, first Thursday. Ralph, 271-7649 Pride at Work & AFL CIO First Thursdays, 5:30pm. 1354 Buffalo Road, Rochester 14624, 426-0862.

Depression Bipolar Support Alliance Youth and young adults. LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. dbsa.monroecounty@gmail.com 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 NLIST Transgenger Support Group 5-6:15pm, Trillium Health. Must pre-register.

LORA Late Bloomers Group 4th/Last Thursday of the month. Coming out group for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women of all ages and backgrounds! Last Thursday of each month in a safe private location. For more info visit: www.loragroup.org or contact Jessica Cohen at LGBTHealth@trilliumhealth.org or email us at info@loragroup.org 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 SAGE Rochester 50+ Tuesdays and Thursdays, usually 10:30am at venues including LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave, 244-8640. (See page 31)

FRIDAYS Gay Men’s AA meeting Fridays, 7:30-8:30pm, Closed meeting. Emmanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave.

Gay Alliance Youth Monthly Special Event, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave., 244-8640; Ages 13-20. youth@gayalliance.org. Check Facebook.com/ GayAllianceYouth GLBTQI Motorcycle Group Second Fridays, 5:30pm, Various locations.

RochesterGLBTIQbikers@yahoo.com; 467-6456; bmdaniels@frontiernet.net.

Boyz Night Out Drag king revue. First Fridays, The Firehouse Saloon, 814 S. Clinton Ave. 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 Sapphic Singles – Professional Women’s Group http://www.meetup.com/Sapphic-Singles-Rochester/. Contact: Patty: Email: pattyrdn11@gmail. com. Phone: 585.223.6743. 3rd Saturday of each month. Monthly Dinner Socials for single professional women at various locations in and around Rochester NY area! Join us!

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.

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 PFLAG (Parents Families & Friends of Lesbians And Gays) 585 993-3297; rochesterpflag@gmail.com.

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, Services at: 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 ■

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ROCHESTER AA/NA MEETINGS

Every week there are three 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.

FRIDAYS LGBT 7:30pm. Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave. • Open 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. ■

GAY ALLIANCE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES Now open at its new location at 100 College Avenue, 9am-5pm and on Wednesday evenings, 6-8pm.

Check out our ten thousand-volume library, along with the Bohnett Cyber Center.

Contact us: library@gayalliance.org or at 585-244-8640.

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016

THURSDAY 7

A Fist Full of Stories trans open mic.

This time the focus will be on youth who are college age and under. 7-8:30 pm, Gay Alliance LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave.

FRIDAY 8

Rochester Victory Alliance Beach Party. 5-9 pm, Ontario Beach Park. Pride Week Special Event.

SATURDAY 9

140 Alex Bar & Grill presents Mr. & Mrs. Pageant. 140 Alexander St.

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. 140 Alex Annual Golf Tournament. $85 for 18 holes, golf cart, lunch, raffles, prizes and dinner at 140 Alex. All proceeds will benefit The Gay Alliance.

Pride Games 5K Run. Check-in 7 am, Cobbs Hill Park.

THURSDAY 14

The Good, the Bad and the Funny trans open mic. 7-9 pm, Equal=Grounds Coffeehouse, 750 South Ave. Pride Special Event.

Sassy In The South Wedge. Bar and restaurant crawl, 5-8 pm. Out & Equal Second Thursdays Networking at Lux Bar, 666 South Ave. Drawing to benefit Pride. A Pride Special Event also in collaboration with Hedonist Chocolates.

FRIDAY 15

Pride flag raising. 5:30 pm, Cobbs Hill Park.

Empty Closet deadline for August issue. 244-9030; susanj@gayalliance.org

SATURDAY 16

Pride Parade: Let’s Make Magic! 1 pm.

Assemble at Alexander St., march down Park Ave. to Culver. Followed by Roc Pride Festival, 1-9 pm, Cobbs Hill Park.

Featuring food truck rodeo, beer & liquor garden, SAGE activities, Pride art colony, family fun, entertainment by recording artist Diana King, RGMC, Frankie &

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, 100 College Ave., Rochester, New York 14607.

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 phone number. No personal home addresses or names allowed. 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

Host an AFS exchange student!

Choose from 90 countries. A chance to learn more about a new culture and share yours. To see students coming to your area, contact Jemma at jpowell@afsusa. org or 585-410-2017.

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.

HELP WANTED

Sell ads for The Empty Closet.

Must be energetic and reliable. 30 percent commission. 244-9030.

SERVICES

Lakefront Wedding? Lakefront site available in a beautiful area of Lake Ontario. Five-bedroom house available to rent, large grounds. Non-denominational officiate available. Reasonable. Contact rtony13@aol.com or cell, 703-3894.

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).

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.

TL’s Home Repair Service. Electric, plumbing, home remodeling. Cell: 585224-6279; office: 585-473-7205.

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. ■

THURSDAY 21

LGBTQ Veterans Group with Wanda Martinez-Johncox, SAGEVets and Compeer Corps. Equal Grounds Coffeehouse, 750 South Ave. 5:30-7 pm. Info at mbuckpitt@compeerrochester.org

SUNDAY 24

Summer of Solidarity. Free LGBTQ film at Dryden Theatre. 7 pm. “Victim”, 1961, with Dirk Bogarde. Series continues in August (see page 27).

Dignity Integrity. Prayers to start the week, followed by potluck. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St.

SUNDAY 31

Dignity Integrity. Catholic Service, with music. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. ■

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Euchre Tournament. A Pride Special Event. 5:30-10 pm, 384 East Avenue Inn and Suites. Registration is full!

ImageOut Pride Screening. “Two 4 One,” at LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave., 6:30 pm.

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TUESDAY 12

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Dignity Integrity. Episcopal Mass/ Healing Service, with music. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St.

Video Gayme Night. A Pride Special Event. The Playhouse, 820 Clinton Ave. S.

Roc Pride Fest part two, 1-6 pm, Cobbs Hill Park. More food trucks, performance by recording artist Johnathan Celestin, family fun, beer & liquor garden, etc. Hostess: Mrs. Kasha Davis; We 3 Queens drag show with Aggy Dune & Darienne Lake.

Dignity Integrity. Episcopal Mass, quiet. 5 pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. “Compared To What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank”. Documentary at Dryden Theatre, 5 pm. Part of Jewish Film Festival; co-sponsored by ImageOut Film Festival. Post-film discussion with directors Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler, moderated by Scott Fearing of Gay Alliance. $10 for ImageOut & JCC members, $12 online or at Dryden box office.

SELL SOME ADS...

MAKE SOME MONEY

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SUNDAY 3

MONDAY 11

SUNDAY 17

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First Friday opening of “Out ‘n Art” exhibit at Gallery Q, at Gay Alliance’s LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 6-9 pm. Runs through Aug. 17. Featuring donated work by local, national artists. All proceeds benefit the Gay Alliance.

WNY Flash vs. Chicago Red Stars, Pride Night game. 7 pm, Rhinos stadium.

Proceeds to benefit the Gay Alliance.

Pride Games Tennis Tournament.

10 am, Cobbs Hill Park.

Pride Games Volleyball Tournament. 10 am, Cobbs Hill Park.

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FRIDAY 1

The Jewels, more. Hostesses: Samantha Vega, Dee Dee Dubois. Free Parade/Festival shuttle service with parking at Monroe Square, 259 Monroe Ave. and First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd. S.

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July 2016

JULY 2016 • NUMBER 502 • THE GAY ALLIANCE • THE EMPTY CLOSET

The Empty Closet is published by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley 100 College Avenue Rochester, New York 14607 © 2016, All rights reserved.

Editor-in-Chief: Susan Jordan Graphic Design: Jim Anderson Ad Sales: Jennie Bowker (jennieb@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, 100 College Avenue, Rochester NY. 14605, call (585) 244-9030 or e-mail emptycloset@gagv.us.

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

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

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, 100 College Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607; e-mail: susanj@gayalliance.org. The online edition of EC is available at www. gayalliance.org.

Bed & Breakfast

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THE EMPTY CLOSET • THE GAY ALLIANCE • NUMBER 502 • JULY 2016