Empty Closet, Nov 2010 Sec A

The Empty Closet number 440

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New York State’s Oldest LGBT Publication

a publication of the gay alliance of the genesee valley

november 2010

NewsBrief

Carl Paladino says gays are “dysfunctional”; later apologizes

By Susan Jordan Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino denounced homosexuals as “dysfunctional,” said he had refused to march in a pride parade and that being gay is nothing to be proud of, and repeated his opposition to marriage on the same weekend that 10 Bronx men were arraigned in the torture of three men presumed to be gay.

Massive national criticism of Paladino’s statements followed during the second week in October and a protest took place at Paladino’s Brighton headquarters on Oct. 14, spon-

Section A

sored by Equality Rochester and Marriage Equality New York (MENY) (see below).

Paladino, an attorney and Buffalo real estate developer, met with conservative Jewish leaders in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Boro Park and Williamsburg on Oct. 10. He made the remarks during that meeting. The comments were first reported by WNYC Radio and Newsday, the Long Island newspaper.

After two days of negative national publicity, Paladino apologized and said he is “100 (Paladino continues page 3)

LOCAL & STATE NEWS

Rams, Bears seek toys for children

L-R: Emily Jones, Laurie Mancuso, Jessica Cohen and GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard.

Photo: Laur McSpadden

GLSEN trainings begin in city secondary schools; first district-wide mandatory LGBT trainings in U.S.

By Kiwi Grady, GLSEN National It is hard to beat the excitement of the first day of school, when friends are reunited, new peer relationships begin, classroom subjects and teachers are introduced, and the march towards graduation progresses.

For LGBT students in the secondary schools of the Rochester City School District (RCSD), the first day of school held extra meaning this year.

This is the first year when all certified secondary staff,

social workers, psychologists and administrators, as well as elementary social workers, psychologists and administrators -though not elementary teachers -- were trained on how to support students by creating safe, inclusive and respectful learning environments, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. The goal is to eliminate bullying and abuse which cause youth suicide and dropping out of school.

This remarkable achievement (GLSEN continues page 3)

Make the holidays brighter for a child and donate a toy to the Rochester Rams, or a teddy bear to the Empire Bears.

The Rams will wind up their annual Rich Richards toy drive on Nov. 20. To contribute, bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Bachelor Forum on Rams bar night, Nov. 20, or drop it off at Outlandish in Village Gate any time this month.

Cash donations are also accepted. The toy drive will benefit the Roosevelt Children’s Center.

The Empire Bears are seeking teddy bears to donate to children as part of their annual Steven Chabot Memorial Teddy Bear Drive. Donors can bring bears to the Bachelor Forum on Nov. 6, Bears bar night. ■

ImageOut overview Page B1

photo: ove overmyer

Around 50 protested on Oct. 14 at Paladino’s Brighton office.

Inside

YOU ARE LOVED: The Gay Alliance responded to the devastating news of multiple LGBT youth suicides in September and October with a series of events. On Oct. 4, people came out in spite of the rain to chalk messages of support on the sidewalk in front of Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave., as part of the second annual You Are Loved Chalk Messaging Project. On Oct. 11, the Alliance videotaped messages for the It Gets Better Project at Equal=Grounds, and on Oct. 18, the film “Bullying” was shown at the Youth Center. Photo: Laur McSpadden

The Pride Flag of LGBT visibility flies high at the One Nation Working Together rally on Oct. 2. Around 175,000 activists converged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to call for an end to the divisiveness and polarization that characterize politics in America. Photo: Ove Overmyer

LGBT groups join progressives at DC rally

By Ove Overmyer A wide array of progressive groups brought around 175,000 activists to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on Oct.

Partnerships

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

Platinum: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Gold: Eastman Kodak; Financial Architects; MetLife; Nixon Peabody LLP; Merrill Lynch Silver: Bachelor Forum; Bausch & Lomb: Corning Incorporated: Excellus; Harter Secrest & Emery LLP; Heveron & Heveron; ITT Corporation; Monroe Plan for Medical Care; Out & Equal; Professional Tutoring Services; Sage Advisers of Sage Rutty; St. John Fisher College; St. Lukes and St. Simon Cyrene; Tim Tompkins Enterprises Bronze: 140 Alex Bar and Grill; Bread and Water Theatre; Canandaigua National Bank; Center for Disability Rights; Empire State College; Equal = Grounds; GALAXe; Image Out; Kittleberger Florist & Gifts; MUCCC; Open Arms Metropolitian Community Church; Outlandish; Park Avenue Association; Third Presbyterian Church; Wegmans Food Markets; The Woolbright Group Pride: RIT GLBT Center; Rochester Victory Alliance; Upstate Tattoo

2 for a rally aimed at firing up their members and showcasing the diversity of the movement called One Nation Working (DC Rally continues page 7)

Section A Newsfronts..................................4 Interview: AVP.............................6 Community Forum................... 14 Making The Scene: ImageOut .19 Section B Entertainment: ImageOut overview.....................................1 Columnists..................................5 GAGV News: AVP..................... 12 Groups ..................................... 15 Calendar................................... 18 Classifieds................................ 18 Ongoing Calendar................... 19

2 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010

Perspectives From the Empty Closet Editor Susan Jordan

Defining ourselves as a “community” How can such a large, diverse group of human beings qualify as a community? What is a “community” anyway? Some people responding to the EC online survey last spring said they feel there is no real community in Rochester; others said the community means everything to them.

There’s no argument about our diversity, at least! Our ages, interests, opinions and ethnic, religious, class and economic backgrounds vary significantly.

In many ways, the LGBT community is a microcosm of society. “We are everywhere” is the old slogan – and we are everywhere, from the street corner to the boardroom; from suburbs to rural areas to the inner city. It’s hardly news that we are divided and weakened by our society’s racism, ageism, classism and sexism.

So what do we have in common? What brings us together?

Most would say, our queerness. Whether we are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, intersex, or any other identity – or can’t be labeled at all – we have all known what it is to be an outsider who has violated what conservatives and others (perhaps including our own families and churches) see as the boundaries of what is “normal”.

Nonetheless, we also know that it’s cool and fun to be an

Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley The Empty Closet is published by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500 Rochester, New York 14605 © 2010, All rights reserved.

From the Executive Director Sue Cowell

insider within our ancient subculture. Most of us wouldn’t change even if we could.

Homosexuality isn’t the problem. Homophobia is.

Love isn’t the problem. Hate is.

We’ve all been defined at some point by our genital sexuality or gender expression, rather than by our love, or our own feelings about our identity. Bigots claim that we’re incapable of love, that our families aren’t “real,” that we are sexual predators and freaks. Hatred spews out of rightwing media 24 hours a day. Hate speech causes hate violence and suicide. It is also intended to divide us.

Bisexuals, queens, butch dykes and transgender or genderqueer people are often put down and excluded by gay men and lesbians due to horizontal hostility, or internalized hate.

This is not about who we are, or aren’t, sexually attracted to; we have no control over that.

It’s about turning our backs on our queer brothers and sisters because they are not “straight appearing” -- or else, ironically, “not gay enough”.

Pam Spaulding, an African American lesbian, puts it this way: “When a thug is bashing a transwoman and calling her a faggot, the ignorant, violent assailant isn’t thinking about the finer points of the use of LGBT. As a community we should care that this incident is a reminder that membership in this particular club has a common history of hate, pain and exclusion….

When I see the irrational, personal hostility lobbed within the community over who belongs or doesn’t, I sometimes have questions about our community’s ability to be dispassionate in looking at our own behaviors toward the myriad demographics within.”

Let’s talk! Check out the Community Forum on page A 14 or online at www.gayalliance. org. Click on Empty Closet News and then on “Community Forum” under “Categories.” ■

Never Miss an Issue

Making Life Better

By Sue Cowell This past month has been full of tragic stories of youth suicides. Personally it is heart breaking to think about the pain each of those young people endured.

It is more than a wasted life.

It is an indictment of our society and the political system that puts our lives up for a vote. The pace of “giving” full equality to all Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgendered people is way too slow.

I never contemplated suicide as I was coming out. One difference is, I did not come out until I was 23 years old and had graduated from college in 1974.

It took a while for me to figure things out.

When I was in high school there was a woman I very much wanted to marry. I spent a lot of time with her and thinking about her. But even then I had to control my feelings, because inside I knew it would never be possible. I was lucky to have a great group of friends and in high school it was mostly about group activities. I never felt socially isolated, but I still wanted that one relationship, but was not sure how that could happen.

Having friends can be an important protective asset. In my situation I found love and protection with my friends. I was not bullied. I did not worry about how my life would turn out. I just tried to take care of one day at a time and make good

Editor-in-Chief: Susan Jordan Staff Reporters: Ove Overmyer, Laur McSpadden Graphic Design: Jim Anderson

decisions.

I think it helped tremendously that I was part of the social movements of the late 1960s and into the 1970s. Youth did not accept the status quo and organized anti-war marches, marched for full civil rights for women and for the civil rights movement.

Because of the Vietnam war there was a military draft. I was 18 in 1970 and saw friends drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. The injustice at the time was that you could be drafted at age 18 and sent to war -- but could not vote. We fought for the right to vote.

My message is that life does not magically get better. Every day we make choices and take actions personally. As a society, either we create equality and improve lives -- or we don’t and nothing changes.

The programs of the Gay Alliance have been here since 1973 and we exist to help create connections within the community and to help change the climate that is killing our young people. Please consider ways you can support the Gay Alliance. ■

NOV. 20, 2010

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

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

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

The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. The Empty Closet shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the publication (whether correctly or incorrectly) or omission of an ad. In the event of non-payment, your account may be assigned to a collection agency or an attorney, and will be liable for the charges paid by us to such collection agency or attorney.

Letters to the editor: The opinions of columnists, editorial writers and other contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the collective attitude of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley or The Empty Closet. We will print letters at the editor’s discretion and on a space available basis. Only one letter by the same writer in a six-month period is allowed. We will not print personal attacks on individuals, nor will we be a forum for ongoing disputes between individuals. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. We will print anonymous letters if the name and phone number are provided to the Editor; confidentiality will be respected. Submissions are due by the 15th of the month at: The Empty Closet, 875 E. Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605; e-mail: emptycloset@gagv. us. Online edition of EC available at www. gayalliance.org.

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Phone: 585 244-8640 or mail to the Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main St., Suite 500, Rochester, New York 14605 Home Delivery of The Empty Closet is Free with your annual membership in the Gay Alliance.

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november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

Page One (GLSEN from page 1) is due to the hard work of GLSEN Rochester, a local Chapter of GLSEN, which spent the past two years carrying out the project -- the first LGBT-focused trainings in the entire country to be mandatory for a full school district. In total, 88 trainings were facilitated during that time period, for a total of 2,042 district employees.

“I really enjoyed working on this initiative,” noted Courtney Michie, who coordinated the project for the Chapter.

“It represented a great opportunity for GLSEN Rochester to directly work with and support school staff. We had really great allies in the district who helped us navigate the entire process and implement the trainings in an effective manner.”

GLSEN Rochester worked closely with GLSEN National and RCSD to develop curriculum for the trainings, which included information on terminology, statistics on anti-LGBT student bias, bullying and harassment, and strategies for creating safe schools. As part of the training, an excerpt was shown from I Live – a documentary about their experiences in school that GLSEN Rochester co-chair Erica Eaton supported local LGBT students in making. Pre and post surveys were developed to assess how effective the trainings were in achieving their objectives.

GLSEN Rochester recruited and trained over 50 volunteers from the local community to serve as trainers and classroom assistants. The support of the volunteers, in addition to that of local partner organizations, proved critical throughout the implementation of the project.

Said GLSEN Rochester’s Amy Friend, “One noteworthy day was when we were at East High School, when we had nine classes running at the same time. That meant coordinating 27 volunteers to show up, setting up 15 minutes after the class bell rang, making sure that the AV was working in all nine classrooms, bringing in nine different administrators to introduce each class, training for two hours and then cleaning up. It was amazing!”

Moving forward, GLSEN Rochester is planning to keep its partnership with RCSD going, with regularly scheduled trainings for new district hires and a possible expansion of the trainings into the district’s elementary schools. Best practices from the experience will eventually be shared with other GLSEN chapters and organizations interested in taking on similar projects.

“We are really happy with the success of these trainings to date,” said GLSEN Rochester co-chair Jeff Markarian. “We look forward to seeing the impact it has on Rochester school climates and to continuing our collaboration with RCSD to ensure its staff is properly equipped to support LGBT students in having a safe educational experience.” ■ (Paladino from page 1) percent” in favor of gay rights, except for marriage equality. He said he had been reading from a script put into his hands by his anti-gay hosts (one of whom, Rabbi Yehuda Levin, withdrew support from Paladino after his apology).

According to media reports, Paladino’s campaign manager said that the candidate was “simply expressing the views that he holds in his heart as a Catholic.”

The group Catholics for Equality immediately denounced his statements.

During the Williamsburg appearance, Paladino said, “I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. It isn’t.”

The Daily News reported that Paladino disparaged gay sexuality, although he has an illegitimate child and has admit-

ted forwarding bestiality porn e-mails.

He said, “I didn’t march in the gay pride parade this year. My opponent did. There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual. That’s not how God created us, and that’s not the example that we should be showing our children, and certainly not in our schools.”

Responses Said the Reverend Rebecca Voelkel, Faith Work Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, “In a time when anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender violence has risen in New York City, Carl Paladino’s comments are especially hurtful and dangerous. They incite violence against people for being who they are. That they clothe themselves in religious language is even more disturbing.

Preaching hate from our pulpits, in our politics, or to our pupils is simply unacceptable. It literally endangers lives. And the life and ministry of Jesus always calls us to stand against that which hates, hurts or destroys.”

Cuomo Campaign Spokesperson Josh Vlasto stated, “Mr. Paladino’s statement displays a stunning homophobia and a glaring disregard for basic equality. These comments along with other views he has espoused make it clear that he is way out of the mainstream and is unfit to represent New York.”

Ross D. Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda and Foundation, said, “In the wake of the hate crimes sweeping New York State, including the sickening abuse and torture experienced by three young men in the Bronx last weekend, and the rash of LGBT youth taking their own lives all across our country, it is unfathomable that Carl Paladino could espouse the homophobic position that the lives of gay New Yorkers are not as valid as his. Law-abiding, tax-paying LGBT New Yorkers, and parents of LGBT children, should not have to worry that their governor will be siding with those who feel we are less than, that we are second class citizens living less valid lives than our neighbors. Apparently, Carl Paladino is fine with schools teaching that sentiment as well, and believes that to teach otherwise is brainwashing. Fortunately, what Carl Paladino calls brainwashing most New Yorkers call getting along.

“Will every New Yorker who fails to meet Carl Paladino’s personal morality code have to worry about being deemed invalid? Our extraordinary diversity is part of what makes New York great, and we will all need to work together to address the challenges we face in the coming years. This will be far harder if New Yorkers are divided or distracted by a governor and a government who are making judgments about whether or not some law-abiding citizens are leading ‘valid lives.’

“Carl Paladino seeks to be governor, but by confirming anti-LGBT sentiments, he shows that he is clearly not cut out to be the leader of our state. New York needs a governor who is committed to equal treatment and equal respect for all its citizens, not one who finds a whole segment of the population he would be representing to be invalid and dysfunctional. The days of elected officials refusing to give LGBT people the dignity and respect we deserve as citizens are long over...”

Anti-gay Paladino collected rent from two gay clubs State liquor license records show that Paladino had once collected rent from two gay clubs located in buildings he owned in downtown Buffalo, according to a report in the Daily News on Oct. 13.

The newspaper reported that a club named Cobalt operated as a gay bar in 2004 and most of 2005 and was run by Paladino’s son, William. It was housed in a building owned by one of Paladino’s many companies, Huron Group LLC, the newspaper said. The club was run under another corporate name.

Paladino spokesman Michael Caputo said that this shows that Paladino “doesn’t discriminate against gays in business.”

(Paladino continues page 7)

NewsFronts LOCAL AND STATE Bronx gang allegedly tortures three gay men During Oct. 3 and 4, three men perceived as being gay were held prisoner and tortured by a street gang in a Bronx neighborhood.

Ten suspects have been arraigned. All pleaded not guilty.

Police said that members of a gang called Latin King Goonies were seeking revenge on a member who they believe is gay. They stripped, beat and sodomized him with a plunger handle until he said he had had sex with another man.

The gang then captured and tortured another youth they suspected of being gay and then lured the man, aged 30, to their abandoned house hangout under pretext of inviting him to a party. They burned, beat and tortured him for hours; the torture included sodomy with a miniature baseball bat.

Residents of the neighborhood said they were shocked by the violence, but none of them called police. The victims also did not contact police.

Andrew Cuomo said, “Today, we learned of the horrific details surrounding the attack on three men in the Bronx, crimes driven by hatred that New York will not tolerate. I commend the New York City Police Department and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force for taking immediate action and am confident the suspects will receive the justice they deserve.

“These crimes do not define our society, but our work to prevent them will.

The violence we have witnessed against the LGBT community – in our State and around the country – is a call to action.

We have to stop the abuse of our neighbors, end the bullying of our students, and

fully prosecute those who target individuals because of their sexual orientation.

“As Governor, I pledge to work with law enforcement officials at every level of government, our community leaders, elected officials, and victims to combat hate crimes. Violence against anyone simply because of who they are -- or who they are perceived to be -- is one of the most insidious forms of aggression, and I will not allow it to stand in our State.”

New York City Council President Christine Quinn stated, “These antiLGBT hate crimes are vile, horrifying and unforgivable. These attacks are appalling and are even more despicable because the victims were clearly targeted in acts of hate simply because they are gay. The cowardly few who committed these crimes do not represent New Yorkers and our community will not be cowed by such violence.

“I thank and commend the NYPD and the Hate Crimes Task Force for acting so quickly on this matter. Hate crimes and assault of any kind is something that is not taken lightly in our city. The people who committed these horrific crimes should know that they will not get away with this. Each person involved in this appalling incident will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Gay flash mob shuts down Grand Central Gay City News reports that on Oct. 8, during the afternoon rush hour, several hundred people gathered in a flash mob event at Grand Central Station to protest homophobia and hate violence.

Several minutes after 6 p.m., activist Alan Bounville of Queer Rising brought his fingers to his mouth to issue a loud (Gay flash continues page 14 )

Martin Hiraga, activist, passes in Honolulu at 54 Martin Kazu Hiraga, age 54, resident of Honolulu, son of Arthur and Mary Hiraga, known for sign language interpreting skills in Spanish and English and his advocacy in the deaf community and for gay men, lesbians, and people of color, succumbed to ALL (leukemia) at St. Francis Hospice West on Sept 11.

Martin was a dynamic, passionately dedicated activist for ACT-UP in Rochester in the 1980s. He was also a co-organizer of the first Rochester Pride March in 1989. (See page A 13) He is survived by Madeleine Hiraga-Nuccio, Maureen Nuccio-Hiraga, and Ann and Edward Stevens. Services were held on Sept. 20 at Manoa Valley Church, Honolulu. Dr. Hiraga’s family was with him during his quiet exit and he was surrounded by love.

The Hiraga family expressed their “Mahalo nui loa for taking the time to send your aloha to him in your own way -- whether it was visiting him, giving a call, sending a message, bringing a treat, hugging a teddy bear, keeping him in your prayers, thinking of him, telling a story, finding a photo or remembering him in a special moment. All that you did meant a great deal and brought him comfort.”

Any cards or letters can be sent to 2750 A Lowrey Ave., Honolulu HI 96822.

A donation to a charity of your choice can be made in Martin’s name.

Karen Wilson, the President of the National Asian Deaf Congress (with whom Martin worked), gave the eulogy at his service. She said, “On behalf of National Asian Deaf Congress and respective Chapters in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, we express our deepest sympathies, condolences, and prayers. “…While he served as an RID certified Interpreter, Martin had documented hate violence against Asians, Pacific Islanders, Deaf people, Lesbian and Gay people. He had assisted them with filing police reports and following their cases in the courts. Martin had been the Program Director for the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS in New York City. As the Anti-Violence Project Director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1992 to 1994, he wrote the only annual nationwide report on anti-gay violence.

“Martin is a pioneer in many ways; in an unjust society, he stood up for the gay community and people of color, who, as an oppressed and severely underserved population, suffered terribly from prejudice and racism, giving them a voice so that there would be justice and a better understanding of their experiences and needs.” ■

4 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010

NewsFronts national and international Hate drives at least seven students to suicide in September As all of America has learned, Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers freshman, jumped off the George Washington Bridge on Sept.

22 because of the irresponsible actions of his roommate and another student.

Fresh out of high school, the talented music student was videotaped without his knowledge during a private, intimate moment with another male – a moment which the roommate broadcast on the Internet.

The national media took up the story of Clementi’s suicide and those of three other bullied youth (Seth Walsh, Billy Lucas and Asher Brown) who killed themselves in September, more extensively than they have done with a gay-related-death news story since Matthew Shepard’s murder.

The fifth student, Raymond Chase of Rhode Island, committed suicide on Sept. 29. In early October, the September suicides of two more students, Cody Barker, 17, from Appleton, Wisc. and Chloe Lacey, 18, from Clovis, Calif., were made public. Several other students committed suicide in October. (See articles in this section).

Rutgers collegians Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei secretly set up a webcam in his dorm room and recorded Clementi, 18, engaged in sexual intimacy with another male. They then broadcast the sexual encounter on the internet without Clementi’s knowledge. When Clementi, an outstanding violinist, learned that the sexual encounter had been posted online, he took his life. Clementi’s body was recovered from the river on Sept. 30.

The Empire State Pride Agenda stated, “Our hearts go out to the student and his family. It’s our hope that as more states pass protections such as New York’s Dignity for All Students Act, more students and communities will become aware of the life-threatening costs of cruelty and homophobia.”

NJ Senator calls for anti-bullying law Colleges should adopt a code of conduct that prohibits bullying and harassment, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said at a town meeting on the Rutgers campus.

“No one could have heard about this degradation he suffered without feeling pain themselves,” Lautenberg said. “This is a major problem, and we’re going to fix it.”

Lautenberg, D-N.J., told the crowd gathered Oct. 6 in memory of Tyler Clementi that he would introduce such leg-

islation.

Prosecutors subpoena Rutgers e-mails From the New Jersey Star-Ledger: “Prosecutors asked for the subpoenas after investigators felt some at the state university were not fully cooperating with the investigation into the high-profile suicide, said two officials who were briefed on the probe. The officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak about the ongoing inquiry.

“Campus officials denied they are obstructing the Clementi investigation.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — a federal law that protects the privacy of student records — requires the university protect certain student documents, said E.J. Miranda, a Rutgers spokesman. “‘The university is cooperating with the investigation. In some instances, a subpoena is required before the university can release information protected by federal law,’ Miranda said.”

The Rutgers campus newspaper board (not its student editors) has said that gay activists are “exploiting” Clementi’s death.

The Right blames gays for gay youth suicide Right wing spokesmen denied responsibility for the consequences of their political “culture war” and simultaneously implied that gay people should kill themselves out of shame.

World Net Daily columnist Theodore Beale blamed Clementi’s suicide on gays, who “encouraged him to behave in a way that would fill him with such guilt, remorse and shame.”

Professional anti-gay bigot Matt Barber said that gays working to end gay youth suicide are “political vultures” picking the bones of dead youth for their own “selfish” purposes.

8th grader shoots himself Eighth grader Asher Brown put a bullet in his brain in September, after enduring years of anti-gay taunting and bullying at his Texas middle school.

His parents said they had complained to the school repeatedly. The school claimed no knowledge of such complaints.

Cy Fair ISD officials said Sept. 27 that they had never received any complaints from Brown’s parents before the suicide about the way the boy was being treated at school. School district spokeswoman Kelli Durham said no students, school employees or the boy’s parents ever reported that he was being bullied. That statement infuriated the dead child’s parents, the Truongs, who accused the school district of lying and protecting the bullies and their parents.

Joe.My.God.com commented, “Texas

law does not protect students from antigay bullying, no doubt thanks to the work of Christianist groups like Focus On The Family, who lobby nationwide for the right of Christian students to abuse LGBT kids.”

Rhode Island student dies Sept. 29 Campus Pride, the nation’s leading non-profit organization working with LGBT and ally college and university students, offered its condolences and support to the family of Raymond Chase, who reportedly hung himself in his residence hall room Sept. 29, on the campus of Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI. “The loss of Raymond this week is the second college LGBT-related suicide in a week and the fourth teenage LGBT suicide in three weeks. The suicide of this openly gay young man is for reasons currently unknown; however, the recent pattern of LGBT youth suicides is cause for grave concern,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “Campus Pride demands national action be taken to address youth bullying, harassment and the need for safety and inclusion for LGBT youth at colleges and universities across the country. We must not let these tragic deaths go unnoticed.

Together we must act decisively to curb anti-LGBT bias incidents, harassment and acts of violence.”

NCAVP asks for culture of respect The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) also mourned for Billy Lucas, Seth Walsh, Asher Brown and Tyler Clementi. NCAVP called on LGBTQ people and allies, including educators, parents, administrators and legislators, to take immediate action to prevent such tragedies and to support LGBTQ youth in their rights to safety, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and gender expression.

“In honor of Billy, Seth, Asher and Tyler, NCAVP asks the general public to commit themselves to fostering a culture of respect for all LGBTQ people at home, at school, at work and everywhere. We offer the below resources and action steps to help communities heal and to support you in your work to end anti-LGBTQ hate.”

NCAVP: What you can do “GET SUPPORT: Anti-LGBTQ bullying and hate impacts individuals as well as the public at large. Please contact NCAVP member organizations and our allies for supportive counseling, resources and encouragement; The Trevor Project offers suicide prevention and mental health resources for LGBTQ teens, including their 24-hour Lifeline: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

“To learn more, contact: ieinfo@indianaequality.org or 888-567-0750; Pride Center of New Jersey: info@pridecenter. org or 732-846-2232; The New York City Anti-Violence Project: 24 Bilingual (English/Spanish) Hotline: 212-714-1141.

“TAKE ACTION: Learn about GLSEN’s resources for students, educators, and community members to challenge anti-LGBTQ bullying, harassment

and hate in schools; e-mail info@ncavp. org to connect with an anti-violence program or initiative in your area, or to learn more about starting your own; sign the New York City Anti-Violence Project’s ‘I’m anti violence’ pledge and assert your belief that all people should live free from fear of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.”

Campus Pride research On Sept. 30, Campus Pride offered its condolences and support to the family of Tyler Clementi and the campus community of Rutgers University.

Through its Q Research Institute for Higher Education, Campus Pride released its “2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People.” The in-depth research study is the most comprehensive national LGBT higher education study of its kind.

Campus Pride surveyed more than 5,000 LGBT students, faculty and staff for the report. The group says, “Findings demonstrate that suicide and incidents of harassment are neither rare nor fleeting -- they are REAL.” Among the findings in the report: One quarter (23 percent) of LGBQ staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment (defined as any conduct that has interfered with ability to work or learn). Almost all identified sexual identity as the basis of the harassment (83 percent). An even greater percentage of transgender students, faculty, and staff reported experiencing harassment (39 percent), with 87 percent identifying their gender identity/expression as the basis for the harassment. The form of the harassment experienced by transgender people was more overt and blatant. One-third of LGBQ (33 percent) and transgender (38 percent) students, faculty, and staff have seriously considered leaving their institution due to the challenging climate.

More than half of all faculty, students, and staff hide their sexual identity (43 percent) or gender identity (63 percent) to avoid intimidation. More than a third of all transgender students, faculty, and staff (43 percent) and 13 percent of LGBQ respondents feared for their physical safety. This finding was more salient for LGBQ students and for LGBQ and/or transgender people of color.

For more information about Campus Pride’s “2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People” report, visit www.campuspride.org/research.

Two more youth suicides emerge in October According to the Dallas Voice, 19-yearold Zach Harrington “endured years of struggles due to his sexual orientation in high school” and took his life a week after he attended a “hate-filled recent City Council meeting” in his conservative small town of Norman, Oklahoma.

The meeting was called to decide whether the town should observe LGBT History Month. The vicious anti-gay comments expressed by adults in his community apparently caused Zach to take

november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet his own life. (See story on A 9) 19-year-old ends her life Via Rod 2.0: “Very unfortunate news to report yet another LGBT teen has ended her life. Nineteen-year-old Aiyisha Hassan, a lesbian former Howard University student, took her own life Oct. 12 in California.

“Hassan becomes at least the seventh LGBT teen to commit suicide in the past five weeks. She also becomes the second Black LGBT teen to commit suicide in the past two weeks.”

MetroWeekly: ‘’She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things, but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that.’’

Appeals court issues stay of DADT injunction

By Susan Jordan Dan Choi, the West Point grad and Arabic linguist discharged from the service after he came out, went into the Armed Forces recruiting station in Times Square on Oct. 19 to re-enlist in the Army, after Judge Virginia Phillips issued a stay on enforcement of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Despite having a re-entry code on his DD-214 (discharge papers) that would normally bar him from re-enlistment, the recruiters determined that Choi would be able to return to the army as a specialist.

He may have acted too soon.

Judge Phillips ruled on Oct. 19 against the Department of Justice by denying its request for a stay of injunction in Log Cabin Republicans vs. United States of America. Despite this, LGBT military activists warned service members not to come out yet.

Rightly so, it seems. On Oct. 20, a three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a temporary stay of U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips’s order halting all enforcement of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

In a brief order, Judges O’Scannlain, Trott and W. Fletcher wrote, “This court has received appellant’s emergency motion to stay the district court’s October 12, 2010 order pending appeal. The order is stayed temporarily in order to provide this court with an opportunity to consider fully the issues presented. Appellee may file an opposition to the motion for a stay pending appeal by October 25, 2010. To expedite consideration of the motion, no reply shall be filed.”

Army veteran and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said, “This interim temporary stay means that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is once again on the books, and is likely to be enforced by the Defense Department. Gay and lesbian service members deserve better treatment than they are getting with this ruling. We now must look to the Senate next month in the lame duck session to bring about the swift certainty needed here and to repeal this unjust law that serves no useful purpose.”

Said James Esseks, Director of the

American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project, “We are disappointed that the appeals court has allowed this unconstitutional and discriminatory policy to continue for even one more day, despite the district court’s order to stop enforcement. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has compromised the effectiveness of our military for far too long. We urge the DOJ to drop its efforts to appeal, and to let stand Judge Phillips’ order banning the policy.”

Robin McGehee, co-founder and director of GetEQUAL, said, “This temporary stay, sought by President Obama’s Department of Justice, brings the military’s discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law back from the dead. It is a travesty that after numerous attempts, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder will go down in history as the Administration that breathed life back into ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ The lives and careers of openly gay and lesbian service members are now back in the crosshairs of our government and a renewed commitment to discrimination falls squarely in the hands of this White House.”

Said Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin, “The court ruled that it is not enough for the Pentagon to simply assert that inclusive policy harms the military. They have to show it. But they have no evidence to back up their case.” The Palm Center has established a new web site, www.enormousconsequences.com, to serve as a hub for reporting all negative effects of the suspension of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Palm also submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for documentation of such effects. Palm scholars have not yet been able to identify any problems with regard to unit cohesion, discipline, privacy or other matters.

Judge Phillips had made two points about the government’s assertion of negative consequences that follow from allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. On one hand, she said that the government had an opportunity to present evidence at trial to show that inclusive policy would harm the military, or that discrimination improves it, but declined to do so: “Defendants had an opportunity to, but did not, present any of the evidence or arguments now advanced before the injunction issued… they provided no evidence regarding the alleged disruption…”

On the other hand, she said that the government’s new assertions of negative consequences are not compelling: “Furthermore, to the extent Defendants now submit evidence in the form of the Stanley Declaration, that evidence is conclusory and unpersuasive.” At another point, she referred to the new assertions of negative consequences as “vague.”

To the contrary, Judge Phillips said that evidence presented at trial shows that “don’t ask, don’t tell” undermines the military: “[T]he evidence at trial showed that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act harms military readiness and unit cohesion.”

“Given that seven days have passed since enforcement of the ‘Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell’ policy was halted, those seeking to reinstate the policy have been proven flat wrong in their predictions of ‘enormous consequences.’ Judge Phillips recognized this contradiction in the Justice Department’s arguments and once again refused to abdicate her duty to reach an objective conclusion based on the evidence before her,” said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and the sole named veteran plaintiff in the case along with the Log Cabin Republicans. “Once again, we call on President Obama to stop defending the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in court and we reiterate that it is the President, not the Attorney General, who has the final word on this decision.”

The White House indicated that it wants DADT overturned by Congress, not the courts, and that this may happen during the lame duck session after the election. However, John McCain has sworn to continue the Republican filibuster.

Man in custody after attack in W. Village New York City’s Anti Violence Project on Oct. 18 learned of an attack which occurred at Julius Bar, New York’s oldest gay bar, on West 10th St. in New York City’s West Village neighborhood On the night of Oct. 16, a man who, according to the NYPD, has a known history of luring gay men with the intent to rob and injure them, attacked two people at Julius. The suspect is currently in custody.

“This most recent attack underscores our need to stop the hate speech and antiLGBTQ vitriol that results in this kind of attack. It is unacceptable that perpetrators of anti-LGBTQ violence feel emboldened to come into any neighborhood, including gay-friendly neighborhoods, and attack LGBTQ people because of who we are,” said Sharon Stapel, Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

“We must as a city, and as a country, recognize the real harm and damage that discrimination and anti-LGBTQ hate does to all of us. AVP will not tolerate this kind of violence and we call on all of our friends and allies to speak out against anti-LGBTQ speech of any kind and help us create a world in which LGBTQ people are safe and respected and no longer face this kind of harm.”

AVP is working with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office as well as the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the New York County District Attorney’s Office, which are investigating the attack.

Victory: Florida won’t appeal overturn of gay adoption ban From the Miami Herald: Florida’s gay adoption ban won’t be enforced anywhere in the state after the Department of Chil-

A5 dren and Families decided on Oct. 12 not to appeal the ban’s overturn to the state Supreme Court.

On Oct. 22, state Attorney General Bill McCollum said he would not appeal.

This ends the three-decade-old ban that was considered the strictest in the country.

The state’s third District Court of Appeal last month upheld a 2008 ruling by a Miami-Dade judge, who found “no rational basis” for the ban when she approved the adoption of two young brothers by Martin Gill and his male partner.

Gay-bashing injures man at Stonewall Inn A patron at the Stonewall Inn, a powerful symbol of the gay rights movement since the 1969 riots following a police raid there, was tackled to the floor and beaten in an anti-gay bias attack over the weekend, authorities said on Oct. 4.

Two men were arrested in the beating, which came little more than a day after a group of male friends bidding an affectionate good night to each other were attacked in another anti-gay assault in Chelsea, prosecutors said (see below).

For the Stonewall’s owners, the episode was a sharp and upsetting contrast to its legacy, according to Jennifer Peltz on the Huffington Post.

“We at the Stonewall Inn are exceedingly troubled that hate crimes like this can and do still occur in this day and age.

Obviously the impact of these men’s violent actions is even deeper given that it occurred on the premises of the Stonewall Inn,” an owner, Bill Morgan, wrote in an e-mail.

The victim was using a restroom at the Greenwich Village bar around 2 a.m.

Oct. 3 when a man at the next urinal, Matthew Francis, asked what kind of an establishment it was, prosecutors said. On being told it was a gay bar, Francis used an anti-gay slur and told the victim to get away from him, assistant district attorney Kiran Singh said.

“I don’t like gay people. Don’t pee next to me,” Francis added, according to the prosecutor.

Francis, 21, then demanded money, punched the victim in the face and continued beating him after a co-defendant blocked the door, tackled the victim and held him down, Singh said. The victim was treated at a hospital and was released.

Francis said nothing at his arraignment Oct. 4. A defense lawyer said Francis wasn’t the aggressor and that the episode wasn’t motivated by bias. Francis was held on $10,000 bond. His co-defendant was awaiting arraignment.

For the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which works to combat attacks on gays and others, assaults like this remain all too common. But the attack at the Stonewall Inn reverberates with a particularly disturbing resonance, executive director Sharon Stapel said.

“Even in a bar like the Stonewall Inn, which started a huge part of the gay rights (Newsfronts continue page 8)

6 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010

Interview Kelly Clark and Kelly Baumgartner: What you (probably) don’t know about the Anti Violence Project

By Susan Jordan Between July 1 and Dec. 22, 2009, the Gay Alliance Anti Violence Project served 48 victims of 36 incidents of bias, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other crimes. Their services included accompanying victims to court.

Twenty-four of the incidents happened in Rochester, two each in Canandaigua and Ithaca, and one each in Mount Morris, Fairport, Hilton, Brockport, Attica and Albion. Then there were the two out of state incidents reported to Rochester AVP, because the victims were told they had no, or less effective, local help available.

And those were just the reported incidents. Were they the tip of the iceberg?

The Gay Alliance Anti Violence Project consists of Kelly Clark, Community Safety Director, and Kelly Baumgartner, Victim Advocate. “The Kellys” spoke recently with The Empty Closet about their work and why it is so desperately needed.

Empty Closet: Do you feel that the statistics for 2010 will be greater or less than the 36 incidents in 2009? Is hate violence in particular on the rise here and nationally? Or are these crimes just being reported more now, because of increased outreach? Or are both true?

Kelly Baumgartner: In my personal opinion, the more hate crimes we see across the country, the more out there marriage equality is in the media, the more that stirs anger in those who are against gay rights.

EC: Backlash.

KB: Yes. The more gay issues are voted down, too, the greater the violence – as if, when our politicians support anti-gay agendas, that gives fuel and support to those who would hurt us. “See – even our elected officials believe you aren’t equal to us.” It’s like it gives them permission to be violent.

About statistics – it’s hard to know the reasons why they go up and down. We can never tell if they go up because more people are reporting or because there’s more violence to report. Right now my monthly stats for 2010 seem to be similar each month – about seven to nine calls a month.

Some people call and say, “I heard about AVP and figured you could help me,” or a friend told them about the Gay Alliance. We ask them how they were referred to us. Rarely it’s a service provider. More often it’s word of mouth, or outreach we’ve done via our website, or trainings we’ve done, like Safety 101.

EC: Are the calls mostly about bias violence and harassment, or about domestic violence?

KB: There’s a mixture of hate crimes and d.v. There are also reports of what could be termed police misconduct, usually from men who have been suspected of being in Highland Park to have illegal sex. Some men do this, but others can just be in the park for a walk and they get approached by the Monroe County sheriff’s officers. I don’t know how the police profile those men. But those are the three most frequent types of calls.

EC: What about calls reporting sexual assaults? What kind of assaults take place?

KB: I’ve had a rape of a transgender man by straight men (plural). There was a sexual assault on a gay man by straight men (plural again). We had a heterosexual male cross dresser who was gang raped.

EC: So it’s mostly violence by heterosexual men – or men who identify as heterosexual... What kind of services do you provide to victims of assault or hate vioKelly Baumgartner and Kelly Clark. Photo: Susan Jordan lence? What do people seem to need most?

KB: The services we provide include harassment calls? tion. It’s training law enforcement, lawfree and confidential referrals for legal KB: I had clients a few years ago who yers, nurses and hospital staff and the help; safety planning; court accompanihad been harassed for five years. Their other victim advocates in town. ment; short term counseling and referrals neighbors were violent and one killed Rape Crisis has agreements with Rochto LGBTQ-sensitive legal, medical and some of their pets. On a regular basis ester General and Strong/URMC to be mental health services. over the years they had talked to police notified when there is a rape. They immeIf a client needs support going through but were only told that they should move. diately call for a Rape Crisis volunteer. court or with legal or health issues – if As far as I know the neighbor who had They work with every rape victim who someone wants me to go with them to a destroyed their property was never held goes to an emergency room. Last year I healthcare provider – I’m going. accountable by the authorities. did two trainings for Rape Crisis and one Sometimes I get calls for sexual assault nurse examiners, as they peer counselfrom all over the are called. They work at different facilities ing happens on Very recently I got a call from state and from across Monroe County. the phone. That’s people in other They have to work with great precioften exactly someone whose face was literally states. The Gay sion because there is evidence that must what they need – beaten in and who needed facial Alliance is one of be presented in court. I tell them to ask just to have that the few organizavictims, “Do you think this happened to knowledgeable, reconstruction surgery. tions nationwide you because you’re gay or lesbian?” This friendly voice that that still uses the is admissable as evidence and could be says, “You’re not word “gay” in crucial in getting a crime designated as a alone. I’ll help you.” their title. So when people google “gay hate crime.

EC: What about domestic violence support” or anything with “gay” in it, EC: Do you feel that your outreach to calls? our page comes up. I’ve had clients from the LGBTQ community itself is making KB: Domestic violence runs at the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Mississippi, a difference? How can people get in touch same rate in the LGBT and heterosexual Atlanta, Washington D.C., New Jersey. communities. I get reports from both men with AVP? I refer them to their local gay organizaand women.

KC: Most people who call us now tions, if any. Often people don’t know EC: Heterosexuals don’t realize the know that the Gay Alliance has this prowhere to start searching, so I use my connumber of heterosexual people who are gram, so it’s definitely getting better. tacts across the country to send someone attacked because they are incorrectly perWe have a pretty good website that has to help them. ceived as gay. Do you deal with people information on all the support services EC: It’s amazing and disturbing that like that? so few gay organizations actually use the we provide. People can report any kind KB: I also serve straight clients whose word “gay”! of violence on our online report form – bias incidents happened because they were What are the worst things you’ve seen? including discrimination, which we see as perceived as gay, or their gender wasn’t KB: The movie “Holding Hands” was part of the continuum of violence. presented “properly”. I’ve had straight so important for us to bring to ImageOut, Go to www.gayalliance.org/avp. That men call and say, “I’m straight but I don’t because I’ve had three clients who, like in will take you directly to our page, where know who to call.” A serial case of neighthe movie, had to have their faces reconone option is to fill out the report form. bor harassment turned violent because structed because someone kicked their For us to be able to help, we really need to the neighbors (actually a whole family faces in. I get about one call like this every get the information! and their friends) thought a straight male year. Very recently I got a call from someThe form needs to be really detailed, was gay. one whose face was literally beaten in and but it only takes three to five minutes to EC: Do you get a lot of neighbor who needed facial reconstruction surgery. complete. It isn’t as long as it may seem, EC: We don’t hear about these cases in because it’s a smart form that skips questhe local or national media. tions that aren’t relevant to that particuKB: No, we don’t. We haven’t had one lar case. like this in Rochester in the last few years.

We also have three or four new pages Some make it into local news elsewhere in that have just gone up, all about partner the state. There was plenty of local coverabuse and domestic violence. This can age of Lance Neve, who was attacked in help people determine if they are in an Spencerport a couple of years ago. abusive situation. It’s part education, part EC: It seems that the more attractive self-help and part accessing confidential and white and middle class a victim is, services. the more likely the media are to get excitThe Alliance’s new Partner Abuse ed. In my opinion, if Matthew Shepard and Violence web pages provide educahad been non-white, or working class, we tion, important safety planning tools, and would never have heard about his death. resources to find help. To contact the AVP KB: With all the publicity around bulfor domestic violence support, call 585lying this fall, I hope that will open the 244-8640, email safe@gayalliance.org, or eyes of the powers that be – including the visit the new web pages www.gayalliance. media. org/AVP. Anyone wishing to support the EC: Kelly Clark, can you talk about AVP’s work with domestic violence surthe educational and preventive work that vivors may do so by making a donation AVP does? to the Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main St., Kelly Clark: What I do is professional development for other service providers, Rochester, NY 14605. Donors will receive training providers to deal with LGBTQ a purple “Faith, Hope, Love” bracelet to victims. That’s different from educating help spread awareness of partner abuse in the community about violence preventhe LGBT community. ■

november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

Page One (Paladino continued from page 3) Anti-choice Paladino gets rent, tax exemption from Planned Parenthood Paladino’s property holdings include a Niagara Falls mall with a Planned Parenthood clinic, media reported in midOctober.

Paladino has said he would approve of abortion only in cases where a mother’s life is in peril. Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York President Tracey Brooks accused Paladino of “talking out of one side of his mouth” against abortion while “renting and accepting money from health-care centers he’s looking to cut funding to.”

Paladino even cited the presence of the clinic in a petition requesting a special tax exemption on the complex.

Paladino’s campaign said the Planned Parenthood office was grandfathered into the shopping center’s lease when he bought it and that he can’t do anything about it. But he has used the clinic to ask for special tax breaks.

Rochester’s “Rally for Civility and Respect” On Oct. 14, in pouring rain, around 50 Rochester residents protested what they called Carl Paladino’s homophobic statements outside Paladino’s Brighton office in Loehman Plaza, organized by Equality Rochester and MENY. “Rochester stands for love, not hate; for equality, not discrimination; for rights, not privileges,” organizers said.

Equality ROC organizer Anne Tischer commented, “These slurs are dangerous to gay kids and impact our families.”

Many straight allies were present.

Robin Wilt, candidate for NYS Assembly 56th District, told The Empty Closet, “It is a time when we need to elevate our civil discourse based on the dire situation our state is in. What Carl Paladino is saying is not what our state needs.”

Annette Delahooke said, “I think people need to remember that ignorant homophobic comments like Mr. Paladino’s can’t be taken back. It puts our youth in danger of the homophobic bullying that we’ve seen so much of these days.”

Said Dave Garretson, “I’m here because I believe in people’s civil rights and I take offense when someone says the homophobic things that Carl Paladino said – and then takes two days to figure out he needs to apologize.” ■

(DC Rally from page 1) Together.

More than 400 national groups endorsed the rally, which organizers said drew a crowd of approximately 175,000 -about what was expected. However, there are no official counts of crowds on the Mall, and the National Park Service no longer provides such estimates.

The National Black Justice Coalition, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Stonewall Democrats and Pride At Work were co-conveners of the “LGBTQ Table” for One Nation Working Together. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Deputy Executive Director Darlene Nipper was one of the featured speakers.

Thousands who support the Democratic Party and progressive issues made a bid to rejuvenate the enthusiasm gap of liberal voters and stave off an expected GOP comeback in this month’s midterm elections.

It was the left’s first large gathering designed to counter the conservative tea party phenomenon. Many speakers warned that a Republican-controlled Congress would block or roll back progressive changes. Organizers said they also wanted to show that their supporters represent the majority of the nation.

Diversity was the star of the show “This march was inclusive,” said NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, one of the lead organizers. Jealous told the

Washington Post, “We have seen cabdrivers come down from New York, truck drivers from Oklahoma. This is about moving the country with the spirit of unity and hope, and getting the country beyond the divisiveness.”

The leaders of the march openly celebrated its diversity in terms of race, age, class, sexual orientation and the motivations of the attendees. The march began with an ecumenical faith program, and groups supporting a variety of causes gathered in their own niches before joining together as one.

The range of participants -- including a large contingent of labor unions and everyone from youth groups to the New York City Democratic Socialists of America to the Evangelical United Church of Christ -- showed that the coalition was inclusive.

Saturday’s gathering featured many speakers, including AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, the Reverend Al Sharpton and civil rights legends Julian Bond and Harry Belafonte. Four hours of speeches, poetry and music were sprinkled with testimonials from out-of-work Americans, immigrants, veterans and Native Americans. Speakers focused on education and human rights issues in particular, as well as a robust government-funded jobs program.

It was common to see people from all walks of life mingling on the mall near the Reflecting Pool. The social conservative National Baptist Convention stood beside members of Pride at Work, AFL-CIO; members of the mineworkers union rallied with environmental activists and peace advocates. The conversation touched on how a coalition of this size and diversity can be relevant, stay together and keep the movement strong.

The event occurred about one month after conservatives met on the same spot to unite around Fox television personality Glenn Beck’s vision of a nation returned to what conservatives claim are traditional Christian values.

Ed Schultz, the host of MSNBC’s “The Ed Show,” served as one of the show’s masters of ceremonies and harshly criticized the Tea Party and conservatives.

“They talk about the Constitution, but they don’t want to live by it,” he said to loud applause. “They talk about the forefathers, but they practice discrimination.

They want to change this country.”

Area residents react to rally Blanche Harling, who came from Rochester to D.C. on a bus with social justice advocates and public employees who belong to the Federation of Social Workers IUE-CWA Local 81381, said she was compelled to be there come hell or high water. “I scrambled to find a seat to get here, and I’m glad I came,” she said.

“This day has been so inspiring -- I am here to advocate for civil rights for all Americans, especially when it comes to marriage equality.”

“We have to demand that the Congress represents the common worker, not just the large multi-national corporations,” said Rochester resident Mary Ann Sanford. Sanford is an ordained deacon of the Unity Fellowship Church movement living in Rochester. She is married to T. Judith Johnson, a Monroe County employee and an elected officer of the largest New York State public employee union, the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA). Both Sanford and Johnson made the trip to D.C., adding that this is an important time in LGBT history.

“Frankly, we want to be part of it and we will do what’s necessary,” said Johnson.

Bess Watts, President of CSEA Local 828 and the Rochester and Finger Lakes Chapter President of Pride At Work, AFLCIO, told The Empty Closet that this is really just the beginning, not a one-day event. “Our challenge now is to keep our Congress intact, and move toward making our country a more just and inclusive nation.”

She added, “This rally should be seen for what it could be -- as a launching pad for real policy change for America.” ■

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8 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010 national and international

(Gay bashing continued from page 5) movement – even the Stonewall Inn is not immune to this sort of violence, despite all of the work that they do to create a safe and tolerant atmosphere,” Stapel said. “It’s incredibly sad.”

Chelsea: group of men attacks gays Just before midnight on Oct. 1, several male friends hugging and kissing each other good night in Manhattan’s gay friendly Chelsea neighborhood were confronted by a group of more than five people who used an anti-gay epithet and told them to go home because “this is our neighborhood,” according to a court document filed by prosecutors. Two other men lashed out with fists as Andrew Jackson hurled a metal garbage can into one victim’s head, prosecutors said.

Jackson, 20, was arraigned over the weekend on hate crime assault and other charges. His lawyer, Anne Costanzo, declined to comment. Jackson was being held in lieu of $7,500 bond, according to Gay City News.

A second assailant, who has not been apprehended, is the suspect in the punching of a victim lying on the ground, and a third suspect is sought for punching a third victim.

One of the victims required three staples to close a forehead wound. A second suffered a broken nose, and the third experienced swelling in his head. The two men more seriously injured were treated at Bellevue Hospital.

HRC issues 2011 Corporate Equality Index A record 844 American companies and law firms have been rated as part of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2011 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a survey that assesses American workplaces on LGBT equality.

For the first time this year, all Fortune 500 companies, including those that did not voluntarily participate, are scored on their workplace practices.

Now in its ninth year, the CEI has helped lead change in the workplace practices of corporate America by assessing more than 30 specific policies and practices covering nearly every aspect of employment for LGBT workers from nondiscrimination protections and the training surrounding those policies to domestic partnership and legal dependent benefits to gender transition guidelines and LGBT employee resource groups. See www.hrc. org/CEI2011 for a look at the complete survey.

The survey’s highlights include the fact that corporate America protects LGBT workers from discrimination and provides benefits in ways that the government does not. While only 29 percent of the U.S. population lives in states with statewide non-discrimination statutes that specify sexual orientation and gender identity, 99 percent of CEI-rated companies include

sexual orientation and 76 percent include sexual orientation and gender identity in their non-discrimination policies. In 2002, only five percent of CEI-rated companies included gender identity among their nondiscrimination policies.

In 2004, only three percent of CEIrated companies addressed transgender health with limited benefit offerings.

Today, 79 percent of CEI-rated companies provide this limited coverage and 85 companies specifically, including Google Inc., The Coca Cola Co. and AT&T Inc., offer at least one healthcare plan option to all employees that covers many medically necessary transition-related treatments including hormone therapies and sexual affirmation surgeries.

In 2002, 70 percent of CEI-rated companies provided domestic partnership healthcare benefits. Today, 95 percent of CEI-rated companies provide that coverage.

Next year a new set of survey standards promoting even further LGBT equality in the workplace will apply. These 18 additional standards will seek to end benefits discrimination for transgender employees and dependents, provide full equal benefits for same-sex partners and spouses and promote organizational competency on LGBT workplace issues that go beyond written policies. Visit the website for a complete look at the new criteria.

Companies which did not respond Several high-profile companies have not responded to HRC’s invitation to be rated. Notable non-responders include well-known brands such as Pottery Barn and West Elm (both part of WilliamsSonoma Inc.), Bed Bath & Beyond, Dillard’s, PetSmart, Western Union, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., Tyson Foods, AFLAC, Foot Locker, DirecTV and News Corp., owner of both Fox News and HarperCollins Publishers.

The lack of transparency by these organizations makes the case for the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is familiar to Rochester area residents for its recent attempt to cut pay and benefits for Motts workers, in spite of massive profits for the corporation.

Judge dismisses NOM Rhode Island campaign finance lawsuit A federal court on Sept. 30 dismissed a lawsuit by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) filed in Rhode Island.

NOM, the leading anti-LGBT group in the country, argued that it should be able to run ads on behalf of Rhode Island Republican gubernatorial candidate John Robitaille, who strongly opposes marriage equality, without having to report its expenditures or comply with other campaign finance laws. NOM is embarking on a nationwide campaign this election cycle to defeat candidates who support marriage equality.

“NOM is trying to circumvent campaign disclosure laws in a number of

Elaine Elkins, M.S. Psychotherapist 244-4837

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states,” said Kevin Nix, Director of the NOM Project for the Human Rights Campaign. “They have so far failed in Rhode Island as they have elsewhere. Federal and state officials around the country should sit up and take notice of this fringe group’s shadowy financing and questionable ethics.”

Judge Mary M. Lisi dismissed NOM’s complaint on grounds that it violated federal litigation rules. The court, among other things, found that “the factual allegations in the complaint are buried in… conclusory and argumentative passages” and that it “places an unjustified burden on the court and the [state] to respond to it because they are forced to ferret out the relevant material from a mass of verbiage.”

The court gave NOM until the following week to file an amended complaint that comports with the rules.

In its September court filing, NOM said it intends to “engage in multiple forms of speech in Rhode Island” in advance of the Nov. 2 elections, “including radio ads, television ads, direct mail and publicly accessible Internet postings.” Rhode Island law permits “independent expenditures” from organizations like NOM – but forbids these groups from coordinating any strategy or ads with candidates. Anti-gay candidate John Robitaille stands to benefit most from NOM’s ads.

NOM is fighting campaign finance laws in a number of states, including New York, Washington, California and Maine, where it remains under investigation by the Maine Ethics Commission for failing to register with the state as a ballot question committee and refusing to disclose the donors to its campaign to overturn Maine’s marriage equality law in 2009.

The Human Rights Campaign, in collaboration with the Courage Campaign, has unveiled “NOM Exposed,” a live, interactive website which reveals NOM’s deep anti-gay affiliations, its long connections to the Mormon and Catholic churches and its determination to keep voters in the dark about those financing legal change in their states. The site is at www.NOMexposed.org.

NOM “charity” illegally backs candidate HRC and the Courage Campaign on Oct. 6 called on NOM to explain why its tax-exempt charitable organization, the Ruth Institute – a project of NOM’s Marriage Education Fund – is violating federal laws by intervening on behalf of a candidate for elected office.

On Oct. 4, Ruth Institute President Jennifer Roback Morse spoke on behalf of her organization at a campaign stop of the “Vota Tus Valores” bus tour, a NOMbacked independent expenditure in support of California Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina in San Diego. At the campaign event Morse talked about the role of the Ruth Institute, held up the organization’s signage and closed her remarks by saying, “We’re very glad to be part of this electoral effort.”

Morse’s campaign appearance followed a NOM-issued press release titled “National Organization for Marriage and Ruth Institute Join Bus Tour Supporting Carly Fiorina in California.” The release states, “Brian Brown, president of NOM, and Jennifer Roback Morse, president of The Ruth Institute, a project of NOM’s Marriage Education Fund, will both be supporting the bus tour as it makes its way around California.” In addition to supporting Fiorina, the NOM charitable group has also illegally participated in a campaign to elect California judges.

Pursuant to the federal tax code, a

kconhead@aproposfp.com www.aproposfp.com Phone: (585) 533-1950

charitable organization – which is permitted to receive tax deductible contributions – may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.

Violation of this prohibition can result in stiff penalties against the organization and its officials as well as potential revocation of its tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal and state election laws also require organizations to disclose their campaign expenditures.

“One has to wonder if the Ruth Institute is nothing more than a sham charitable organization designed to use tax-deductible contributions to help secretly fund NOM’s election activities,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “As usual, it’s win at any cost with NOM, which continues to make up the rules, with no regard – and no respect – for federal or state laws.”

“Much as its actions may suggest otherwise, NOM’s radical extremism is not above the law,” said Courage Campaign Chairman and Founder Rick Jacobs.

“Instead of secretly funneling charitable resources into political campaigns that attack families, it’s time for NOM to finally come clean -- with the public, state elections officials, and the IRS.” Morse has previously appeared on behalf of the Ruth Institute at events supporting Fiorina. In July, she boasted on the Ruth Institute’s website about appearing at an event announcing a $1 million campaign for Fiorina. Morse also has used the Institute as a front to participate in other illegal electoral activities, including a campaign to elect judges as part of a shadowy group called Better Courts Now. In April, Morse wrote on the Institute’s website that “we hope everyone … will go to Better Courts Now and seriously consider the candidates they have endorsed.”

More information: “National Organization for Marriage and Ruth Institute Join Bus Tour Supporting Carly Fiorina in California,” NOM website, September 28, 2010 http://www.nationformarriage.org/site/ apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=omL2KeN0

SAGE starts first National Resource Center for seniors Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older adults, has launched its historic National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, the country’s first and only technical assistance resource center aimed at improving the quality of services and supports offered to LGBT older adults nationwide.

“The launch of our National Resource Center on LGBT Aging is an enormous step forward for our aging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. It speaks to the necessary attention that service providers of all types must place on supporting diverse older adults around the country,” said Michael Adams, executive director at SAGE. The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging will connect aging providers and LGBT organizations around the country with technical assistance, training and key resources to support LGBT older adults. Central to the Resource Center is the unveiling of its web site, which over time will grow into a highly interactive, multimedia site that will equip LGBT older adults and their loved ones with information on legal issues, caregiving, lifelong planning and housing, among

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Objective advice for the LGBT community from one of your own!

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november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet other areas.

In February 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a grant to SAGE — and its 10 national partners — to establish the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.

“The U.S. Administration on Aging is proud to have played a part in the creation of a resource center designed to engage, empower and support mainstream aging providers, LGBT service providers and LGBT older adults. It will help ensure that LGBT elders have the supports they need to successfully age in place,” said Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To learn more about the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, visit lgbtagingcenter.org.

Serbian fascists attack gay rights march Thousands of far-right thugs attacked a peaceful gay rights march in Belgrade, Serbia on Oct. 11, chanting “death to homosexuals” and throwing Molotov cocktails and stun grenades at marchers.

Over 140 people were hurt and police arrested more than 200, according to the Associated Press.

Rioters set police cars on fire, broke shop windows, looted stores and overturned garbage bins. They also fired shots, set the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party’s headquarters garage on fire and broke the windows in the state TV building and other political party headquarters.

The fascists also threw bottles, bricks, stun grenades and stones at police, who responded with tear gas guns and armored vehicles. Police estimated that 6,000 rioters fought with 5,600 policemen. Said political analyst Miljenko Dereta, “This was undoubtedly a political message, an attempt to destabilize the government.

The rioters had political support.”

Over half of bullied trans students attempt suicide More than half of transgender and gender non-conforming people who were bullied, harassed or assaulted in school because of their gender identity have attempted suicide, according to just-released findings from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Center for Transgender Equality.

“From our experience working with transgender people, we had prepared ourselves for high rates of suicide attempts, but we didn’t expect anything like this,” says Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Our study participants reported attempting suicide at a rate more than 25 times the national average.”

Forty-one percent of all respondents reported that they had attempted suicide, compared with a national estimated rate of 1.6 percent.

Among those who had been bullied, harassed or assaulted while they were in school, half reported having attempted suicide. Most notably, suicide attempt rates rise dramatically when teachers were the reported perpetrators: 59 percent for those harassed or bullied by teachers, 76 percent among those who were physically assaulted by teachers and 69 percent among those who were sexually assaulted by teachers.

Of those who reported that they had to “leave school because the harassment was so bad,” 68 percent said they attempted suicide. Fully 61 percent of respondents who expressed a transgender identity or gender non-conformity while in school reported significant abuses in educational settings. From elementary through graduate school, the survey showed high levels of harassment and bullying (59 percent), physical assault (23 percent), sexual assault (8 percent), and expulsion from school (5 percent), all on the basis of gender identity or expression.

Other findings

Thirty-five percent of the participants who had been bullied, harassed, assaulted or expelled because of their gender identity or expression while in school said that they used drugs or alcohol to cope with the effects of discrimination, compared to 21 percent of those who had not had similar experiences in school.

Twenty-five percent reported that they were currently or formerly homeless, compared to 14 percent of those who did not report mistreatment in schools.

Those who reported they had to “leave school because the harassment was so bad,” had an HIV infection rate of more than five percent, which is more than eight times the HIV infection rate for the general U.S. population.

The National Transgender Discrimination Survey is the most extensive survey of transgender discrimination ever done. It includes responses from more than 6,400 people from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Healthcare discrimination Transgender and gender non-conforming people face rampant discrimination in health care settings, are regularly denied needed care, and experience a range of health risks because they are transgender or gender non-conforming, according to a report on more than 6,450 transgender and gender non-conforming people.

The National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Report on Health and Health Care was released nationally on Oct. 13 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Nearly one in five (19 percent) reported being refused care outright because they were transgender or gender nonconforming.

Survey participants reported very high levels of postponing medical care when sick or injured due to discrimination and disrespect (28 percent).

Harassment: 28 percent of respondents were subjected to harassment in medical settings.

Significant lack of provider knowledge: 50 percent of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender care.

Despite barriers, the majority has accessed some form of transition-related medical care, but only a minority has had any surgery, despite the fact that a strong majority stated wanting to have it someday.

Respondents reported more than four times the national average of HIV infection, 2.64 percent in our sample compared to 0.6 percent in the general population, with rates for transgender women at 3.76 percent, and with those who are unemployed (4.67 percent) or who have engaged in sex work (15.32 percent) even higher.

Over a quarter of the respondents reported misusing drugs or alcohol specifically to cope with the discrimination they faced due to their gender identity or expression.

Gay youth suicide taints victory in Oklahoma On Sept. 28, the City Council of Norman, Oklahoma, a conservative city made a bold decision in favor of an unpopular proclamation recognizing October as GLBT History Month.

The 7 to 1 vote came after three hours of anti-gay rhetoric from community members opposed to the proclamation.

The victory was followed one week later by the suicide of Zach Harrington, 19, who attended the council session to support the proclamation.

“When he was sitting there, I’m sure he was internalizing everything,” said Nikki Harrington, Zach Harrington’s older sister. “I’m sure he took it personally.”

Harrington, a talented musician, graduated Norman North High School in 2009. He was subjected to constant harassment after he came out as gay.

“He feared for his safety,” stated his father Van Harrington. According to his father, Zach requested to leave high school

Thousands protest LDS leader’s homophobia Thousands of protesters gathered in Salt Lake City’s Temple Square on Oct. 7 to denounce remarks by Latter Day Saints Apostle Boyd Packer, who called gay people “impure and unnatural.”

Packer’s speech, delivered during the LDS Church’s 180th Semiannual General Conference, hit a nerve, protesters say, because it came after a string of gay teen suicides in the national news in September and October. Boys (and one girl) as young as 13 took their own lives after reportedly being bullied by their peers for being gay.

Protest organizers estimated that 4,500 people ringed the two downtown blocks that make up the LDS Church’s headquarters. Participants wore black, and some carried signs. Lying head to toe or sitting shoulder to shoulder, they encircled Temple Square two times.

“Tonight, we are symbolic of all the children who have been killed by messages like Boyd K. Packer’s,” said organizer and Salt Lake City blogger Eric Ethington. “When you hear nothing from (church leaders) but that you are… evil and you need to change the unchangeable nature of yourself, that is a message kids can take for only so long.”

LDS officials shrugged off the protest, merely noting that those thousands of angry people had a right to be there, according to joemygod.com. No apology or retraction is expected from Packer. ■

early in his senior year and finished his diploma in a separate program.

Van Harrington stated that his son experienced a hard reality at the council session as he witnessed the same sentiments that tormented him in high school being shouted and applauded by adults.

Anti gay conservative “culture warriors” such as Maggie Gallagher claimed last month that it is LGBT activists who are “using” gay youth and causing their suicides.

Another anti-gay conservative solicits gay sex in men’s restroom

WTHR Indianapolis reported on Oct. 6, “The commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a public indecency charge. Andrew J. Miller, 40, of Carmel, is accused of soliciting an undercover officer for sex.

“Following complaints of lewd behavior, two plain clothes police officers were conducting an investigation at the men’s public restroom at Claypool Court, a place with a notorious reputation for illegal sexual activity.

“The police report describes Miller exposing himself and twice asking the officer if he wanted to ‘touch it.’

“The report also states that Miller asked the officer if he was married. The officer said yes, and Miller, according to the report, also said he was married and that it would ‘be OK.’” Miller has since resigned.

Pam Spaulding of pamshouseblend. com commented, “…This is the first report I’ve read where the individual, as part of the cruise, actually cops to his marital status (and asks the approachee) in order to justify the same-sex act in his head. Miller wants to ensure that the man ‘touching it’ is also in the same socially compromised position….

“Gay conservatives could exponentially increase their public numbers if these sexual hypocrites would stop their closeted existences and examine their motives for their double lives. But the public busts of men in denial like Miller only highlight how many pitiful social conservatives are

gathering in self-loathing ‘boys toilet clubs’ to form a circle of mutual denial.”

Howie Klein of Down With Tyranny posted, “Andrew Miller, a big-time crony of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels -someone he has continually appointed to high positions in his administration -- first director of agriculture (a position Daniels created for him), then director of the state’s Office of Disaster Recovery and, most recently, his current job as the head of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles -- was arrested in a public toilet, masturbating and soliciting sex from a random passerby (who happened to be a police undercover detective).

“Like most Republican closet cases, Miller has been living a double life. He’s married and has three children. He’s also a big Republican Party donor, most recently to Senate candidate Daniel Coats, but frequently to the NRCC. …(I)t’s the bigotry of (conservative Republican leaders) that drives weak human refuse like Miller into their closets for a lifetime of misery. Miller, of course, was described as ‘an active member of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Westfield.’” ■

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

The Rev. Dr. Greg Osterberg, Pastor Suzanne Gangemi, Family Life Ministries Sunday 10am Communion: First Sunday of Month Worship in Jazz: Second Sunday of Month Children/Youth Christian Education available during Worship Nursery Care Available Accessible and Audio Loop Available 2 Mountain Rise, Fairport NY 14450 (Off Rt. 31 just east of Kreag Road) Phone: (585) 223-2433 www.mtriseucc.org

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Shoulders to Stand On

Remembering Martin Hiraga (1956-2010)

By Evelyn Bailey “We are at war against AIDS. Our front-line soldiers are PWAs (People With AIDS), and we will win this war in time.

Our troops are being betrayed by enemies in the federal bureaucracy.”

These are the words of Martin Kazu Hiraga, spoken in April, 1988. Martin was a co-organizer of Rochester ACT-UP (The AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), and along with many others, was outraged in 1988 by the presidential candidates’ silence on AIDS issues. ACT UP Rochester and New York City planned a militant, non-violent demonstration at the Democratic presidential debates in Rochester on April 16 and 17, 1988.

Martin had been political since he was a teenager. His first arrest for civil disobedience was at age 13 at the DuPont plant where they were manufacturing defoliants during the Vietnam war. In July, 1987, Martin demonstrated against anti-gay Cardinal John O’Connor’s appointment to the President’s Commission on the HIV Epidemic at a protest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

ACT-UP was founded in 1987. ACT UP was committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis, and their demands included better access to drugs as well as cheaper prices, public education about AIDS and the prohibition of AIDS-related discrimination. On March 24, 1987, ACT-UP held their first mass demonstration on Wall Street. The first recognized cases of AIDS occurred in the USA in the early 1980s.

A number of gay men in New York and California suddenly began to develop rare opportunistic infections and cancers that seemed stubbornly resistant to any treatment. At this time, AIDS did not yet have a name or was referred to as GRID – “Gay Related Immune Deficiency”.

Of course, as was eventually realized, it attacks all human beings, not only gay men. In 1987 HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was named.

By 1988, the U.S. Public Health Service added AIDS to its list of diseases for which people on public health grounds could be excluded from the USA. The book by Randy Shilts, “And the Band Played On,” had been published. AIDS, the first disease ever debated on the floor of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, had been identified in 91 countries with 47,022 reported cases in the United States by the end of 1988.

In Rochester, Martin Hiraga was a student at NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf) learning sign language interpretation in Spanish and English. Interpreting and training interpreters would be his primary work in the Nation-

al Multicultural Interpreter Project from 1996 until his death in September 2010.

Locally, Martin was involved in the Deaf Pride Movement. He advocated for the deaf community, gays, lesbians and people of color.

In 1988, an AIDS Hotline and AIDS Rochester were up and running.

In April, 1988 at the Democratic presidential debate, held at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester, Martin and other members of ACT-UP confronted the candidates individually and collectively demanding they address the issue of the unfolding AIDS crisis. Across the country, including Rochester, AIDS activists demanded that the candidates integrate these issues into their campaigns making them a national priority.

“Our concern is that the candidates may choose platitudes instead of concrete plans to fight the epidemic” said member Martin Hiraga. Two days after the debate, five ACT-UP members attended a Dukakis rally on April 18 at the University of Rochester. Dukakis spoke to a crowd of about 5,000 people on the need for a national health insurance system. Rochester ACT-UP members shouted “What about AIDS?” Martin said Dukakis promised a cure for AIDS within his administration if elected. The Reagan administration budgeted 11.5 billion dollars in 1988 for AIDS education and research. Dukakis promised to spend $900 million. “What that says is Michael Dukakis is less willing to work on AIDS issues than Ronald Reagan, and Michael Dukakis is giving his constituents platitudes in order to not address the AIDS issue,” Martin said.

Martin said the empowerment he felt each time he got involved in lesbian and gay liberation actions and in AIDS actions kept him going. Amy Bauer of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and Mark Fotopoulos, PWA (person with AIDS) activist were Martin’s role models.

When Martin felt down about activism, he said, “I take out the scrapbook of pictures I have of Mark in demonstrations to remind myself that day by day the war is won.”

The following excerpts from articles in 1988 issues of The Empty Closet illustrate the broad shoulders we stand on today because of Martin Hiraga’s legacy.

“The greatest joy I experience is seeing others become empowered. A friend was recently arrested and spent his first day in jail. I was gratified by his new-found understanding of prison issues and new willingness to confront the system on the problems of the incarcerated. Another friend, a PWA, felt able for the first time to publicly acknowledge his diagnosis after joining an action. Still another friend came out after participating in the March on Washington. Each time a he or she can confront the patriarchal, racist and heterosexist system by coming out, I feel inspired to work one more day.”

“My anger and rage about the government’s malicious denial of the AIDS crisis leads me to espouse radical actions to get our message across. Sometimes I find that others working with me don’t have the same level of rage and so aren’t willing to go as far out on a limb as I. When this happens, I take myself to New York City to get arrested with other radicals, and I feel better afterward.”

“It would be inappropriate to say that being gay by itself has influenced my work and stands. Being a dual minority has influenced them more than anything else.

I cannot consider any part of liberation without involving all parts of me.

“No matter how hard I try I cannot separate my experiences as a JapaneseAmerican from my experiences as a gay man, nor vice versa.”

“I experience the most tension when whites claim reverse discrimination. My perception is that white people I know have yet to experience real discrimination on the basis of race, and I find it hard to hear such claims as anything other than faux.”

With the many people in the Rochester community who knew and loved Martin, Shoulders To Stand On is grateful for his life and proud to stand on the shoulders of a man whose passionate, intense, selfless life continues to challenge and inspire us to fight for human rights for all. ■

History Corner Celebrate! 40th Anniversary of the Empty Closet coming up

By Evelyn Bailey January 2011 will mark the 40th anniversary of The Empty Closet newspaper.

The EC is the oldest continuously published LGBT newspaper in New York State, and second oldest still-existing paper, next to the recently reconstituted Washington Blade.

In celebration of this momentous occasion and incredible journey, the Gay Alliance will hold an Open House in late February 2011. Look for date, place, time and more detail about the event in upcoming issues of The Empty Closet and on-line at www.gayalliance.org.

A little known fact: The first issue of the EC was produced in 1971 by students at the University of Rochester’s River Campus. An 8.5 x 11 folded “booklet” was first typed, and then photocopied. The writers in that first issue were Bob Osborne, Larry Fine, R.J. Alcala, Brian Tangen and Debbie Lestz.

Other little-known facts will be revealed at The Empty Closet’s 40th Anniversary Celebration!

History Corner November 2010 October 28, 2009: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed into law by President Obama. This bill extended the federal hate crimes statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity along with race, religion, gender, national origin and disability. This bill also provides $5 million per year in funding for fiscal years 2010 through 2012 to help state and local agencies pay for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.

The History Corner remembers the victims of hate crimes and suicide, our brothers and sisters. There were many, many more victims than are listed here.

The Anti Violence and Community Safety Programs of the Gay Alliance ask that you report incidents of violence. In

Seeking past editors, writers, staff of The EmptyCloset

doing so you will break the silence that perpetuates our own victimization.

Oct., 1998: Matthew Wayne Shepard, 21, Laramie, Wyoming; Saskia Gunn, African American lesbian, 16, NYC. July, 1999: Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder, gay couple from Redding Calif.

July, 2000: Arthur “J.R.” Warren, 26, African American gay man from West Va. Aug., 2001: Fred C. Martinez Jr., 16, Two-Spirit Navajo (Dineh), Cortez, Colo.

Oct., 2002: Gwen Araujo, teenage Latina transwoman, Newark, Calif.

July, 2003: Nireah Johnson, African American transgender woman, Indianapolis, Ind. July, 2004: Scotty Joe Weaver 18-yearold gay man from Bay Minette, Alabama.

Jan., 2005: Ronnie Antonio Paris, 3-year-old African American boy in Tampa, Fla. Oct., 2006: Michael Sandy , 29, African-American man from Brooklyn, New York.

April, 2007: Aaron “Shorty” C. Hall 35, called the Matthew Shepard of Indiana July, 2008: Angie Zapata 19, Latina trans woman, Greeley, Colo.

Nov. 14, 2009: Lateisha Green, 22, African American transwoman, Syracuse, NY. Nov., 2009: Jason Mattison Jr., 15, openly gay high school student, Baltimore, Maryland.

Sept., 2010: Cody J. Barker ,17, Wisconsin; Seth Walsh 13, California; Billy Lucas, 15, Indiana; Tyler Clementi, 18, New Jersey; Asher Brown, 13, Texas; Harrison Chase Brown, 13, Texas; Raymond Chase, 19, Rhode Island; Felix Saco, 17, Massachusetts; Caleb Nolt, 14, Indiana.

Oct. 2010: Two adolescents, 15, and a 30-year-old gay man in Bronx, N.Y.C.; Aiyisha Hassan, African American lesbian, 19 in Calif.; Zach Harrington, 19, Norman, Ok. On Sept. 30, Ellen Degeneres said, “This needs to be a wakeup call to everyone that teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country, and the death rate is climbing… we have an obligation to change this… and we have to make it stop.” ■

40

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of The Empty Closet, the Gay Alliance would like to have as many people as possible who have been involved with The Empty Closet at the anniversary open house next February. We are putting out a call to the community to help us find and contact former editors, writers, or volunteer staff members of The Empty Closet. Please contact the EC at 244-9030 or susanj@gayalliance.org, or the Gay Alliance or Shoulders To Stand On program at (585) 244-8640, if you have any information. ■

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Empty Closet Forum

local and state

What does the community have now that you value (please be specific)?

(Gay flash continued from page 3) whistle signaling the start of the action.

A crowd of at least 300 immediately lay down on the floor, as Bounville held up a sign reading “End homo/transphobic apartheid in America.”

The crowd created a blockade for thousands of commuters rushing to and from the subways and Metro North commuter trains in the terminal. Police ordered participants to disperse or face arrest, while Todd Fernandez and Eugene Lovendusky read the names of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of murder or of suicide prompted by bullying and violence. As the men called out each victim’s name, those on the floor shouted back the first name.

Queer Rising also held a “Love-In” on Oct. 15 in Times Square.

“We are NOT threatening. We are NOT scary. We are NOT shameful,” stated lead organizer and Queer Rising member Eugene Lovendusky. “Hate speech is a direct cause of suicide and violence within our community. We are here to demonstrate that there is no distinction when it comes to love.”

Participants (same-sex and straight) stood holding hands, hugging or kissing.

Also, faces of the LGBTQ suicide victims were displayed. Following the action, people were encouraged to scrawl messages of love in chalk on the sidewalk/street.

Formed in the winter of 2009, Queer Rising’s mission is to demand queer rights using nonviolent direct action. For information, see www.queerrising.org.

Are you willing to question your own prejudices and change any negative attitudes towards queer people who differ from you? If not, why not?

Families Conference comes here next spring

Would you volunteer to work with existing community groups, or to work on Rochester area LGBT visibility projects, or to start a new group or project, or to help organize welcoming social events for LGBT families (or others)? If not, why not?

The Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project, together with local and national cosponsors, will hold its fourth LGBTQ Families Conference in spring 2011 in Rochester.

The weekend-long event is an opportunity for adults and children in these families to experience a sense of community and find the support and resources they need to lead full, healthy lives.

The Conference will take place on Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10 at the RIT Inn and Conference Center, 5257 W. Henrietta Rd. Rochester-based cosponsors are AIDS Care, the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Rainbow SAGE of the Genesee Valley, and Visit Rochester.

National co-sponsors are COLAGE and Gay Parent Magazine.

Based on the record of success of our previous conferences, held in Ithaca (2001), Binghamton (2005), and Utica (2009), more than 250 people are expected to gather in Rochester from throughout Upstate New York. Conference highlights will include a keynote address by Dr. Ilan Meyer, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, educational workshops for adults about family building, parenting and all aspects of

Defining ourselves as a community

By Susan Jordan What do we all need from our Rochester LGBT community? What makes us feel safe and comfortable with each other? What makes us feel that someone has our backs?

Can we all agree that we love Pride, ImageOut and socializing at Equal=Grounds and/ or the bars? What else brings us together and lets us venture outside our safe inner core of friends – our neighborhoods -- to the larger group?

Sometimes it is something negative, like losing the marriage equality vote or witnessing a gay bashing. We get fired up and suddenly the differences drop away, for a while at least, as we truly understand the discrimination and oppression we all face and our need to support each other politically and emotionally.

Sometimes, though, we turn on each other – which may often be due to internalized homophobia, a.k.a. self-hate. In the most extreme cases, we internalize the negative messages we get from those who hate all of us, and end up believing, “anyone who is like me can’t be any good,” or, “any organization that represents me can’t be any good.” Or as the great Groucho Marx put it, “I wouldn’t want to join any club that would have me as a member.”

What is a community, do we need one, and how do we build it?

Can we talk?

How would you define “community”?

What do we all have in common as LGBT people? What unifies and connects us?

What are some of the differences that divide us?

Do you feel that racism is a crucial issue that many white gays don’t want to confront in a meaningful way? If not, why?

What kind of support do you need from your community? Have you sought support in the past (for issues like discrimination, hate violence or any others)?

What does the Rochester community need that it doesn’t have now (please be specific)? Are you willing to help bring this about?

“United we stand, divided we fall.” Are gays so well accepted by society that we no longer need to stand united? If not, in what specific ways can we strengthen unity?

For older gays: What kind of community do we want today’s young LGBT people to inherit from us? What did we need when we were teenagers that we didn’t get?

For youth: what kind of queer community do you hope to see in another 10-to-30 years?

How can we get there?

Would you be willing to attend events of non-gay allied groups to show support for them and also show a visible gay presence in Rochester? If not, why not?

Has internalized homophobia – a feeling that “no one like me could be any good” – been a barrier for you to connecting with other gay people? Have you felt isolated?

Can you suggest specific ways to build community?

Mail (EC, 875 E, Main St. Suite 500, Rochester NY 14605) or fax (585-244-8246) your written responses to this print version of the forum. (Use a separate sheet of paper if you wish.) Or join us Nov. 1-Dec. 1 on our EC blog at www.gayalliance.org – go to Empty Closet News and click on “Community Forum” under “Categories”. Selected responses will be printed in upcoming issues of the EC and posted online. Please keep responses under 300 words; abusive comments will not be printed or posted.

Please join in the conversation – we need and want your opinions! And even when this forum is over – let’s keep talking!

living in an LGBTQ family, childcare, programs for children and youth of all ages, intergenerational family activities and entertainment, a resource/vendor fair, a Family Dance and offsite excursions to Rochester-area attractions.

According to Conference organizers, “While we plan to build on our previous successes, the 2011 Conference is somewhat of a departure from our past Conferences. This time around we are looking to include not only LGBTQ-parented families, but all families with one or more LGBTQ members.* LGBTQ prospective parents, LGBTQ couples and single adults of all ages and stages of life (no children required!), parents of LGBTQ children and allied adults are invited and warmly welcome to attend. We think members of diverse LGBTQ families will find plenty of sessions of interest.”

Another change this year is the addition of a pre-conference provider training day: “Straight Talk about LGBTQ Lives: Working with LGBTQ Individuals and Families in Professional Settings” will be held on April 8.

For more information, please visit www.PrideAndJoyFamilies.org, contact Claudia Stallman at lesgayfambldg@aol. com or 607.724.4308, and keep watching the pages of The Empty Closet. *LGBTQ families are defined as those with one or more lesbian/gay/bisexual/ transgender/queer members.

Catholics for Equality rejects Paladino comments on gays In response to comments by New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, the board of Catholics for Equality issued the following statement: “Catholics for Equality calls on Catholics and people of good will in New York and throughout the United States to repudiate the anti-gay comments by Carl Paladino, the Catholic Republican gubernatorial candidate of New York. His comments do not represent Catholic social teaching or the feelings of the majority of faithful American Catholics.

“Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie showed that 51 percent of registered voters supported same-sex marriage while 42 percent opposed it (Dec 3, 2009). More recent polling shows us that American Catholics support LGBT equality, including the freedom to marry, more than any other Christian denomination.

“Catholics for Equality hopes that our bishops throughout New York will call to accountability Mr. Paladino for his words which violate the heart of Catholic teaching that gay persons should be treated with respect and dignity.

“As the U.S. Catholic bishops stated clearly in 1997, ‘Our message speaks of accepting yourself, your beliefs and values, your questions, and all you may be struggling with at this moment; accepting and loving your child as a gift of God; and accepting the full truth of God’s revela(Catholics continues on page 16)

A 15

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(Catholics continued from page 14) tion about the dignity of the human person and the meaning of human sexuality.

Within the Catholic moral vision there is no contradiction among these levels of acceptance, for truth and love are not opposed.’

“With the recent tragic anti-gay bullying, youth suicides around this country, and the horrible attack on three gay men in New York, Catholics for Equality is shocked and saddened that such blatant discriminatory statements would be delivered by a candidate for a major political post.

“Teaching LGBT youth that they are created in the image of God, with dignity and worth, deserving of equal freedom to live, work, serve, and love is not ‘brainwashing’ -- it is good parenting and compassionate counsel. Homosexuality is not, as Paladino asserts, an ‘option.’ He is not entitled to judge whether one’s sexual orientation is ‘valid’ or any relationship ‘successful.’ With so many youth being driven to suicide, Catholics for Equality stands with the majority of U.S. Catholics, who favor of a pastoral approach to LGBT issues.

“Supporting hatred of gay people is at the root of homophobia, and Mr. Paladino must be held accountable for being a part of the problem, instead of the solution.”

Pride Agenda comments on Skelos marriage equality bill statement Ross D. Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, released the following statement in reaction to the comments by New York State Senator Dean Skelos that, if elected to the Senate Majority, he would recommend to his conference that they bring the marriage

equality bill to the floor of the State Senate for an up or down vote.

“It is encouraging news that the democratic process will be allowed to move forward, but ultimately, we need to win. The Pride Agenda encourages both Democratic and Republican candidates to voice their support for LGBT issues like marriage equality before the voters go to the polls and make their decisions on Nov. 2.

“Our community needs to be focused like a laser beam on the upcoming elections and getting committed supporters of LGBT issues elected to office. We welcome allies of all political stripes, even if the last time it came up for a vote, the Senate Republicans were unable to muster a single vote in favor of allowing loving, committed same-sex couples to legally marry in our own state.”

NOM strikes in NYS The extremist anti-gay group National Organization for Marriage (NOM) doesn’t want anybody to know who is paying for their ads supporting Carl Paladino. Therefore they have sued the state of New York to evade campaign finance disclosure laws, a tactic they have used in seven other states. (See page A 8) Federal Judge Richard Arcara has now rejected NOM’s challenge to N.Y. election laws.

Buffalo News reports, “The National Organization for Marriage doesn’t want to conform to state election laws requiring it to register as a political committee and reveal the names of its contributors. The group calls that requirement a violation of free speech rights and has asked a federal judge in Buffalo to declare a section of state Election Law unconstitutional.

The state Board of Elections says the law is constitutional, and U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara was to hear legal arguments on the dispute on Oct. 21.

Based in Washington, D.C., the group -- which refers to itself as NOM in court papers -- says it wants to run radio and

television ads as well as a direct-mail marketing campaign that would support some candidates and criticize others. ■ national and international

(Newsfronts continued from page 14)

Ugandan paper outs “top gays,” calls for hanging The Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone on Oct. 9 published the names and addresses of 100 “top homos” and called for them to be hanged in a front page story, the AP reports: “In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding, according to rights activist Julian Onziema. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors.”

The Oct. 9 article in a Ugandan newspaper called Rolling Stone -- not the American magazine -- came out five days before the one-year anniversary of the controversial “kill the gays” legislation. The article claimed that an unknown but deadly disease was attacking homosexuals in Uganda, and said that gays were recruiting one million children by raiding schools, a common smear used in Uganda.

After the newspaper hit the streets, the government Media Council ordered the newspaper to cease publishing - not because of the newspaper’s content, but rather that the newspaper had not registered with the government. After it completes the paperwork, Rolling Stone will be free to publish again, said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council.

That decision has angered the gay community further. Onziema said a lawsuit against Rolling Stone is in the works, and that she believes the publication has submitted its registration and plans to publish again.

According to the AP, the tabloid is relatively new and only publishes about

2,000 copies, but that hasn’t stopped it from causing havoc since the article’s publication. The paper’s managing editor, Giles Muhame, said the article was “in the public interest.”

“We felt there was need for society to know that such characters exist amongst them. Some of them recruit young children into homosexuality, which is bad and needs to be exposed,” he said. “They take advantage of poverty to recruit Ugandans.

In brief we did so because homosexuality is illegal, unacceptable and insults our traditional lifestyle.”

Members of the gay community named in the article faced harassment and violence from neighbors. Onziema said the proposed bill already has led to evictions from apartments, intimidation on the street, unlawful arrests and physical assault.

The “kill the gays” bill introduced by MP David Bahati is said to have been “quietly shelved,” but the animus toward gays, it appears, is still very active. This hatred has been deliberately encouraged and inflamed by the visits of U.S. anti-gay evangelicals to the country.

ACLU defends officer fired for being gay The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in October on behalf of Andre Cooley, a corrections officer for juvenile detainees with an exemplary record who was fired when his supervisors discovered that he was gay.

The lawsuit claims that Cooley’s constitutional rights were violated by the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department and his superior officers “Andre’s sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability to perform the job of a corrections officer,” said Joshua Block, staff attorney with the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project. “It is well established that a public employer cannot fire an employee

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november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet based on irrational fears and prejudices against gay people. But Andre’s case is also a reminder that people in Mississippi who work for private companies are left almost entirely unprotected from anti-gay discrimination.

There is currently no state or federal law protecting against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”

On June 14, while at home and offduty, Cooley called 911 after his boyfriend became physically violent. Among the officers who responded to the call was Chief of Corrections Charles Bolton, one of Cooley’s supervisors. After Cooley’s boyfriend told Bolton that he and Cooley were in a relationship, Bolton told Cooley not to return to work before speaking with his immediate supervisor.

The next day, Staff Sergeant of Jail Operations Donnell Brannon informed Cooley that he was being permanently terminated. Cooley asked Brannon if he was being fired because he was gay, and Brannon responded, “Yes.” Cooley has never received a written explanation for his firing. He has never been charged or disciplined in connection with the domestic violence precipitated by his former boyfriend the day before he was fired. The official police report of the incident identifies Cooley as the victim.

After firing Cooley, the sheriff ’s department attempted to deny him unemployment benefits by alleging that Cooley had engaged in unspecified “inappropriate conduct and behavior while off duty, unacceptable for an officer.” But after a hearing, an administrative law judge concluded that the sheriff’s department failed to show that Cooley committed misconduct of any kind.

Cooley was raised in the foster care system from birth. He chose to be a corrections officer so he could serve as a mentor and positive role model for troubled teenagers. Cooley earned his bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Southern Mississippi, and began working for the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department in November 2009 where he was quickly promoted to senior corrections officer. At the time Cooley was hired, he was told that he had a better resume than any other person who had applied for the job.

“I loved my job, and I did it well.

It shouldn’t matter whether I’m gay or straight,” said Cooley. “Because I grew up in the foster care system, I know the types of problems faced by the kids in juvenile corrections. As a corrections officer I could give back by helping these kids turn their lives around and build a future for themselves.”

“It is shameful and baffling that the sheriff ’s department would terminate Andre for being gay,” said Bear Atwood of the ACLU of Mississippi. “Andre’s life is a perfect example of what a person can accomplish through hard work and education. As a juvenile corrections officer, he was a positive role model for kids who were falling through the cracks and had no one else they could relate to.”

The lawsuit names the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, Chief Bolton, Sheriff Billy McGee and Staff Sergeant Brannon for violating his equal protection and due process rights guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Cooley is represented by Joshua Block and Leslie Cooper at the ACLU Foundation, Bear Atwood at the ACLU of Mississippi and Lisa E. Cleary and Aron Fischer at the law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. The complaint for this case can be found at: www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/cooley-v-forrest-county-sheriffs-departmentcomplaint A video on Cooley’s case, as well as additional resources, can be found at: www.aclu.org/cooley ■

Opinion I Can’t See Myself on Your Mantel

By Brian McNaught <www.brianmcnaught.com> It became common knowledge among my siblings as we grew older that the photos we saw of ourselves on our grandmother’s living room mantel really hadn’t been there all year. We watched our mother do the same with her grandchildren: pull photos out of drawers and place them prominently for family visits.

Corporations that picture us in ads in gay periodicals or in gay event programs are doing the same. They want us to feel special and welcome during our brief visit. At the recent Out and Equal conference in Los Angeles, several major companies had photos in their ads of two women with their child, two men getting married, two men with their children, and two women with their heads romantically touching. And while those great ads were much more meaningful to me than the ones that celebrated diversity with colored balls or scrabble pieces, I knew that once I left the conference, I wouldn’t see my picture again until I came back next year or opened a gay magazine.

The one recent exception to this practice of pulling the photos out of the drawer for special occasions is the ad by Hewlett-Packard in a recent New York Times magazine supplement that proudly presented to their estimated four million readers worldwide the photo of two black women nuzzling.

There were no innocuous references to “LGBT,” an acronym that is often used by the lazy or embarrassed. There were

A 17 no rainbow-colored figures that winked at the gay readers but were looked over by most others. Hewlett-Packard said quite clearly to me, “We support our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender family members without hesitation throughout the year.”

For many, many years, the vast majority of gay couples living together would “straighten up the house,” when family or co-workers visited. Pictures of the couple together, and of their gay friends in relationships, would be hidden in drawers so as not to alert or offend heterosexual people. That’s called “heterosexism,” the belief that heterosexuality is nature’s intention, and that homosexuality needs to be accommodated politely, but not proudly, as a poor substitute.

Most corporations with which I’m familiar, even those with a 100 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign on their Corporate Equality Index, are heterosexist. Their hearts are in the right place, especially in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, but the homosexuality of some of their employees is not something they’d like to publicly celebrate. One company that comes to mind didn’t want their gay employees to hang a banner celebrating “Gay Awareness Month” outside the factory for fear that passersby might take offense. But they didn’t ask their black employees to keep their Black History Month banner in the drawer.

A next step in the diversity initiatives of corporations needs to be deciding whether or not to keep the pictures of their gay and transgender employees in the drawer except when necessary. While I applaud and appreciate every step that has been taken by companies to create a safe and productive work environment for all of their employees, I’d like it to be as clear to the average person looking at corporate ads in Entertainment Weekly, Ebony, Sports Illustrated and The Economist that companies not only have black, Latino, Asian, and female employees, the family members most often shown in photos, but gay and transgender people too. What might those ads look like?

Companies don’t need my guidance there. They’ve already received it from their gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees, and most of them have already created bold ads that say, “We’re proud of these people.” It’s just that the ads are kept in the drawer for most of the year. ■

18 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010

Making the Scene

OUT AT IMAGEOUT: ImageOUT Board co-chairs Paul Allen (left) and Deanna Baker with writer/ director Jeffrey Freidman (center) on the Oct. 8 opening night. Photo: Gerry Szymanski

SENATOR GILLIBRAND’S STAFFERS Jon Reinish (second from left) and Andrea Taylor (second from rght) with Anne Tischer of Equality Rochester (left) and Gay Alliance staff members Kelly Clark and Sue Cowell.

ImageOUT Programming co-chair Michael Gamilla (second from left) with cast and crew of “Four Faced Liar” on opening night. Photo: Gerry Szymanski

The two actresses in the movie We Have To Stop Now joined fans after the screening at Equal Grounds: Cathy DeBuono, Amie Willard, Jill Bennett. Photo: Garnetta Ely Casper Andreas, director of “Violet Tendencies,” gives an autograph to Lynne Palermo. Photo: Garnetta Ely

Director of “Oy Vey! My Son is Gay” Evgeny Afineevsky. Photo: Garnetta Ely

Academy award-winning writer and director Jeffrey Freidman came to Rochester for the showing of his film “Howl” on opening night of the ImageOUT festival, Oct. 8. Photo: Gerry Szymanski

Director of “Lost in the Crowd” Susi Graf with Jessica Wilkie, ImageOut programming co-chair.

Photo: Garnetta Ely

photo: ove overmyer

Video: You Belong With Me. The Yellowjackets, University of Rochester’s all male a capella group, provide the vocals. Above: Michael Gamilla, Michael Pittman, Matthew Francis, Aaron Sperber. Photo: Garnetta Ely

november 2010 • number 440 • gay alliance of the genesee valley • the empty closet

A 19

photo: ove overmyer

Robin Wilt.

Photo: Susan Jordan

Rosemary Rivera and her partner Sandra.

Photo: Susan Jordan

Wedding March comes to town

By Susan Jordan New Yorkers are used to seeing hundreds of LGBT couples with rainbow umbrellas cross the Brooklyn Bridge every fall in a Wedding March organized by Marriage Equality New York (MENY). In September that tradition came to Rochester and other upstate cities.

Rochester held its first Wedding March on Sept. 26.

Around 300 people rallied in front of the Monroe County office building on Main St. and then marched across the river and back to Genesee Crossroads park for a festival, most carrying rainbow umbrellas. Three other MENY marches were held in upstate cities; Buffalo saw around 100 people march over the Scajaquada Expressway into the rose garden at Delaware Park, according to Outcome Buffalo.

Harry Bronson, Democratic candidate for NYS Assembly, and Robin Wilt, Democratic candidate for NYS Senate, were among the speakers in Rochester.

Young people from Civil Rights Front held signs up for passing motorists to see and cheered loudly when drivers honked to show support.

The Reverend Jim Mulcahy of Open Arms MCC led off the rally speakers, saying, “You don’t get rights by being silent.”

Robin Wilt stated that marriage equality is a civil rights issue. She drew parallels with the struggle over 40 years ago to legalize interracial marriages like hers. Said Wilt, “Change doesn’t always come from the top down.

‘Loving v. Virginia’ came about because of two people… who felt their rights had been violated. Individuals working together CAN create change.”

Harry Bronson proudly reaffirmed his identity as a gay man and said, “Despite the culture war, this is a civil rights issue… It’s time for inclusion, not exclusion. Every step you take today takes you closer to full equality.” He ridiculed the Republican claim that civil unions are an adequate substitute for legal marriage, noting “Separate is NOT equal!”

Longtime activist Rosemary Rivera gave a passionate speech about her experience and that of Sandra, her partner of 17 years. “I am Puerto Rican, she is African Ameri-

Photos above and below: Bess Watts

Harry Bronson. Photo: Susan Jordan

Photo: Susan Jordan

can,” Rivera said, “and we have lots of issues between us.”

She listed some of the issues, such as poverty, discrimination, violence in the neighborhood, police brutality and racism, which affect LGBT people of color just as much as their queer issues. If the white LGBT community genuinely wishes to include LGBT people of color, rather than excluding or marginalizing them, Rivera said, there are solutions available to help bridge communities.

“We can increase support for groups of color,” she said. “We can raise the visibility of leaders of color… we need to assess the needs of LGBT leaders of color… build media community infrastructure and publicize successes of LGBT people of color… and remember, every issue is a two-way street.”

Sarah of Civil Rights Front referred to her marriage in

2009 and to the fact that she and her partner have health issues. “If I weren’t legally married (out of state) and if my marriage weren’t recognized in New York, I wouldn’t be as secure as I am,” she said. “We have to remember we are fighting a national battle, not just in New York State.”

Molly Clifford from Mayor Duffy’s office said, “It’s great to work for an administration that supports civil rights.” She invited all to plan to celebrate their legal weddings at City Hall.

Union activist Tom Privitere noted, “Unions are at the forefront of human rights, people’s rights and workers’ rights. DOMA (the anti-gay federal Defense of Marriage Act) is an abomination to those of us who pay taxes and work every day. We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.” ■

D.C. rally on Oct. 2: One Nation Working Together

Above: Julian Bond.

Left: crowd at the national Mall. Photos; Ove Overmyer

D.C. MARCH; Ove Overmyer with Lt. Dan Choi on the National Mall in D.C. during the One Nation Working Together rally on Oct. 2. Lt. Choi, who is well known for his work to overturn DADT, was sending a message that gay teen suicide is an epidemic that needs to stop.

Rochester residents (left to right) T. Judith Johnson, Deacon Mary Ann Sanford, Tom Privitere and Blanche Harling at the One Nation Working Together rally in D.C. Photo: Ove Overmyer

Evelyn Evans (kneeling, front), president of the Federal of Social Workers Union, with some of her labor colleagues at the D.C. rally.

Photo: Ove Overmyer

20 A the empty closet • the gay alliance of the genesee valley • number 440 • november 2010

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