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Good Company We appreciate the continuing partnership of our community – whose support of our mission and vision is so important. 550 East Ave LLC Abundance Cooperative Market Action for A Better Community Allstate Giving Campaign Amiel’s Original Submarines Anthony Jordan Health Center Anthony Mascioli Revocable Trust Arena Art Group Avenue Pub Bachelor Forum Bank of America Employee Giving Campaign Barilla America, Inc Bike Zone Body Knead Massage Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester Bright Funds Foundation Broccolo Garden Center - Penfield Brown & Hutchinson Buitrago for Family Court Camden Group Canal Town Photo Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Cat-Ears Catholic Family Center Century Pittsford Wines & Liquors Cheesy Eddie’s City of Rochester Combined Federal Campaign - Niagara Frontier Community Christian Church COX Subscriptions CSEA Cutting Edge Double Sundog Downstairs Cabaret Theatre East Avenue Inn & Suites EBSCO Publishing Elizabeth Empire Merchants North, LLC Empire State Pride Agenda EvenOdd Excellus Blue Cross & Blue Shield Management Development Association Excellus Health Plan, Inc Fidelity Charitable First Niagara FM Fitness Fred L. Emerson Foundation Friends of Elaine Spaull Friends of Harry Bronson Friends of Matthew Nafus / Monroe Co. Court Judge Friends of Molly Clifford Frisbee Benefit Tournament Galaxe Genesee Valley Medical Foundation, Inc Gilead Sciences Girls Rock! Rochester Inc Greater Rochester Eastern Area Tournament Greater Rochester Now H. Darrell Lance Management Trust Harris Corporation Harter Secrest & Emery LLP HCR Home Care Hedonist Artisan Chocolates Imageout Jescorp, Inc Key Bank National Association Kodak Lake Avenue Baptist Church Lake Beverage Corp Lechase Construction Services, Llc Levy Sporting Goods Inc. Long Acre Farms Louise and Henry Epstein Family Foundation, Inc. Marshall Street Bar and Grill Mellow Madness Memorial Art Gallery Mental Health Association of Rochester Metro Justice Miss Gay Rochester Morgan Stanley Munchies Empanada MVP Health Care N.Y. Civil Liberties Nenos Mexican Rest Nixon Peabody LLP NYS LGBT Health And Human Svc Orb’s Restaurant & Bar Out & Equal NY of The Finger Lakes Owl House Papa Gig’s Park Ave Bike Shop Park Ave Merchants Association Pavilion Gift Company PayPal Planned Parenthood Plymouth Spiritualist Church Pride At Work Print Roc Professional Tutoring Prudential Financial Rochester Area Community Foundation Rochester Broadway Theatre League Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Kink Society Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO Rochester Victory Alliance Rochester Women’s Community Chorus Ronald Pratt Acupuncture Services, Advocacy for GLBT Elders, Inc Spiritus Christi Church St. John Fisher College Diversity Office Sundberg ATM Associates Taco Johns LLC Tangent’s Pole & Aerial The Revelry Third Presbyterian Church Thomson Reuters Thread Trillium Health Tru Yoga Tryon Bikes United Way of Rhode Island Van Bortel Motorcar, Inc. Vanguard Visit Rochester Waldron Rise Foundation Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Wepay Wilton Enterprises Women Gynecology & Childbirth Associates, PC Wraps on Wheels WXXI Public Broadcasting Council Young Sommer Winery YourCause, LLC
3 COVER ART BY A3 DESIGN, INC. This poster celebrates the new brand with a kaleidoscope of colors representative of the inclusivity and welcoming mission of the Out Alliance. It exudes the energy and excitement of pride and is abstract enough to allow the viewer to impose their own interpretation.
Contents
Out Alliance • ImageOut’s 25th • Talking About Racism • Drag Story Hour • Transfusion Concert • Fun Home • New Trans Programming • Pulp Fiction • Witches & Pagans • New Youth Programming • Scenemaker
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Address City/State/Zip Phone E-mail Out Alliance Membership Levels: ❏ $30-99 Advocate ❏ $100 Champion ❏ $1,000-4,999 Triangle Club ❏ $5,000+ Stonewall ❏ Check enclosed in the amount of _________ (check #______) Please charge my credit card in the amount of $__________ To: ❏ American Express, ❏ Discover, ❏ MasterCard, ❏ Visa Credit card # ____________________________Exp. Date: _______ ❏ I would be proud to have my donation publicly acknowledged. Benefits: Your annual Out Alliance membership, aside from the good feelings, entitles you to a free subscription to New York state’s first gay publication: The Empty Closet – mailed to your home or work. There are also exciting privileges at each level. Phone: 585-244-8640 or mail to: The Out Alliance, 100 College Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607.
Perspective 4
The film “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson,” directed by David France, which looks at Johnson’s mysterious death in 1992, will be screened by ImageOut on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 12:30 p.m. at the Little Theatre. It will come to Netflix on Oct. 6. Marsha P. Johnson, a trans icon
Remembering Marsha P. Johnson
PHOTO CREDIT: BY SOURCE (WP:NFCC#4), FAIR USE, HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/W/INDEX.PHP?CURID=47771737
By Susan Jordan, Empty Closet Editor
whose central role in the Stonewall Rebellion was chronicled in historian David Carter’s definitive 2004 book about the 1969 uprising, was also remembered in a July 27 memorial on the Christopher Street Pier. Johnson, who with friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera founded STAR, the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, was found dead in the Hudson River on July 6, 1992, six days after being seen at that year’s Pride festivities. Some called it suicide; others speculate it was murder by the mob – or by the kind of killers still murdering trans women today. A founding member of the postStonewall Gay Liberation Front, Johnson, who was 46, was later a member of ACT UP, and also worked with Andy Warhol and the performance troupe Hot Peaches. The July 27, 2017 memorial was organized by Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the Translatin@ Network, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Make the Road New York, the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), Destination Tomorrow and NYC Councilmember Corey Johnson’s office. See Donna Aceto’s photos of the
OCTOBER 2017
Marsha P. Johnson, trans activist heroine, who died mysteriously in 1992, is the subject of an ImageOut film set for Oct. 8.
memorial on GayCityNews.com. What did the “P” stand for? Johnson, who had been arrested for hustling (one of the few ways for trans street people to survive), told a judge it stood for “Pay It No Mind.” Her humor persuaded the judge to release her. According to Wikipedia: Following the Stonewall uprising, Johnson joined both the Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance and participated in the first Christopher Street Liberation Pride rally on the first anniversary of Stonewall in June 1970. One of Johnson’s most notable direct actions occurred when she and fellow GLF members staged a sit-in protest at Weinstein Hall at New York University in August 1970; administrators had canceled a dance when they found that it was sponsored by gay
organizations. Shortly after that, she and Sylvia Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) organization (initially titled Street Transvestites Actual Revolutionaries), and the two of them were a visible presence at gay liberation marches and other radical political actions.[3] In 1973, Johnson and Rivera were banned from participating in the gay pride parade by the committee administering the event, which stated they “weren’t gonna allow drag queens” at their marches, claiming they were “giving them a bad name”. Their response was to march defiantly ahead of the parade. During one LGBT rally in the early ‘70s, a reporter asked her why she was there; Johnson shouted to the microphone, “Darling, I want my gay rights now!”
Out Look OCTOBER 2017
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It’s time to party with the Out Alliance!
Don’t miss the fun – the music, the food trucks… It’s all happening Oct. 11, 5:30-7:30 pm at the LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave.
Nobody but yourself- honest living and loving
By Scott Fearing, Out Alliance Executive Director to be nobody but myself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make me somebody else – means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight, and never stop fighting – ee cummings We exist in a time of great change. Our political climate has reached a tumult many of us have not seen in our lifetime. We continue to see homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, antiSemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, ableism, poverty, and so many other systems impact our commu-
nities. As we examine the ways we show up for each other in solidarity, the Alliance will embark on the next chapter of our organization’s long history. On October 11, 2017, the Gay Alliance will become the Out Alliance. The community and culture we live in and serve has evolved. It is
A3 Design changes Alliance brand: meet the owners
ter area to start their family. They settled amongst the apple orchards of Sodus in November 2009 and continued to serve their clients and build their business. Today, they work with clients around the world from their home offices, surrounded by nature and connected through creativity. Living and working together has garnered such success, in part, because of their balanced personalities. “Alan is the introverted creative genius behind all our design work, including the front cover of this publication! I’m the extroverted face of the company in charge of all things business. We fill each other’s gaps and keep each other balanced both in work and home life,” Amanda notes. The family now includes two sons, 5 and 3, and a 3-month-old daughter. “We are in the thick of parenthood right now and loving every exhausting minute of it.” When the Alliance looked to rename and rebrand, A3 was a natural fit – and they took their role seriously. “We are proud allies of the LGBTQ community. We personally support all efforts to build a supportive, encouraging and welcoming community for everyone in any way we can. Being able to serve the new Out
If you’ve noticed the new Out Alliance logo, rebrand, or even the front page of this month’s EC, you’ve seen the work of A3 Design. Husband and wife duo Alan and Amanda Altman, dedicated and involved allies to the LGBTQ+ community, bring 15 years of strategy-driven design process with a focus on authentic branding to the table. Their agency delivers results with an impact for domestic and international clients. Both Amanda and Alan grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, with Amanda hailing from Greece and Alan from Victor. They met while pursuing degrees in graphic design at SUNY Fredonia and are, as Amanda says, “living proof that opposites attract.” After short runs at other agencies that followed graduation, and no money, they moved to a 1-bedroom apartment in Charlotte, NC – sight unseen – to start their own design studio. For seven years they worked to build a successful design business from the ground up in Charlotte before relocating back to the Roches-
time for us to have a name which reflects our mission and work in today’s world. Out represents our aspiration to create a world where we can all be truly authentic. Out means that authenticity. That each member of our community – at all stages of life and identity – feels respected and validated. A long-time member and former board member said it best: “Out reflects a change in our times… that the work our founders and trailblazers did has created a new world where so many can be out and authentic, while detailing the work we still need to do.” Everyone deserves authenticity. At our beginning, “gay” encapsulated so many of our community members. Today, we serve gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, pansexual, asexual, queer, questioning, intersex, nonbinary, ally identified people and so many more. People of all identities, in all parts of their lives, find us and participate in our programming and events. Language has evolved over the years of our movement and will continue to as we work towards our future. While we shift those three letters from G-A-Y to O-U-T our existence as an alliance remains strong. We were founded with the vision to be an alliance of community groups and identities and we will expand that vision as we become the Out Alliance.
As we share this moment in our history with you, we renew our commitment to work toward a future where all members of the greater Rochester LGBTQ communities, at all stages of their lives, are free to be fully participating citizens, celebrating their lives in which they are safe, stable and fully respected. The Out Alliance will continue to be the safe, supportive, and open place that our community members have loved for decades. We will affirm, include, and welcome all age groups and abilities through our programming. We will remain steadfast in our fight for all our community members to be fully participating citizens, celebrating their lives in which they are safe, stable and fully respected. Out represents authenticity. Out represents discovering your truth. Out represents living that truth. We invite you on this journey as we work for a world filled with authentic lives.
Husband and wife team Alan and Amanda Altman of Sodus own A3 Design, and have created award-winning branding for over 15 years.
Alliance with our skill set and talents was fate. It allowed us to become more invested in the efforts of the organization and gave us the opportunity to learn about the community’s needs and concerns. It was a gift to be able to better connect with and
support the people we care so much about.” Find more about A3 Design and their work at a3-design.com. Be sure to say hi to them at the Coming Out Block Party at the LGBTQ Resource Center on Oct. 11!
The Scene
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OCTOBER 2017
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1.) The Last Hurrah volleyball tournament. Photo: Manuel Pena 2.) Valentino Rose and Mo’ Shun D’Bleu, Mr. and Miss Gay Pride 2017. For Mo’ Shun’s Scenemaker interview, see page 13. 3.) BJ Scanlon, RISE brunch host, with Jeff Andrews (left), displayed his dry wit. Photo: Doug Meszler (Article on p. 9) 4.) Lesbians Who Tech (LWT) conference at the LGBTQ Resource Center. 5.) Peter Mohr and friends at the Rochester Police Foundation Blue & Gold Gala. 6.) HRC’s Second Thursday Networking at Skylark Lounge. 7.) Ambush at Hogan’s Hideaway. 8.) Big Wigs on the Fringe: Mrs. Kasha Davis and Aggy Dune in the Fringe Festival. Photo: Doug Meszler
OCTOBER 2017
LGBTQ Life
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Mark Ellenwood By Susan Jordan Electrician Mark Ellenwood has run his business, Ellenwood Electric (“We do it without shorts”), for 37 years. In the early years he helped to defy the stereotype that gay men can’t be masculine and do “butch” things. Before starting Ellenwood Electric, Mark was a DJ and also installed light shows at gay clubs. He said, “I was a DJ in the ‘70s and one place I worked at was Jim’s Bar. Ducky, the owner, asked if I could install a light show, and so I did. “Fixing electrical things was just a hobby. My father was a jack of all trades and was good at everything. He taught me little bits of being an electrician. Ducky needed a licensed electrician and he hired one to work with me installing the light show. He taught me a lot. “This was before computers. Light computers were just coming in and electricians had no experience wiring them, and they were blowing light fuses. I read manuals on wiring light computers, so I had that knowledge, and the licensed electrician had the electrician knowledge, so together we got it done.” Mark continued, “Then I did light shows for Friars, Rosie’s and the old Bachelor Forum on E. Main St., where I was employed as manager. Eventually I went full time as an electrician, doing residential work. I started the business part time in 1979 and went full time in 1982.” Mark has hired both gay and straight men to work at Ellenwood. “The straight employees have always been very accepting. I’ve never had an issue. Over the last 37 years I’ve found I’ve never had to pretend I’m straight to get business. Now it has gotten to the point where I can be totally open with straight customers. I’ve only ever had one customer who hired me and then told me to leave when he learned I was gay. I’ve had over 16,000 jobs over the past 37 years. “(Contractor) Rick Fenwick and I have always made sure that we were in the Pride Parade and had ads in The Empty Closet. I used to be convinced that gay men could only be hairdressers or florists. Then I learned you could also pick up tools and do whatever you wanted. But back in the day that wasn’t represented. Now it’s a non-issue!”
Challenging stereotypes about masculinity: For 37 years electrician Mark Ellenwood has challenged the stereotype that gay men can’t do “masculine” things – like being an electrician. These photos follow him through the years of change and challenge. Below left: Mark today. Photo: John DeHaas.
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News to use Students receive RISE scholarships By Susan Jordan “I am an 18-year-old queer-identifying black girl and am very proud of being so! I will use (this scholarship) … to make both my college and home communities more inclusive spaces for people like
Clifford Earl Terry with Scott Fearing.
me, and different from me.” So writes Rahel Gebrezghier, one of four students to receive scholarships at the RISE (Rochester Initiative for Scholarship and Education) brunch on
OCTOBER 2017 Sept. 24 at the Rochester Yacht Club; 160 people attended the event. Rahel is recipient of one of two Rochester LGBTQ Scholarships. She is studying computer and information science at Niagara University. Rahel and the other LGBTQ Scholarship winner, Tina Harper-Ricks, were not able to be at the brunch. Tina is majoring in social work and mental health at SUNY Brockport. The two students at the brunch were Nora Foster, a pre-med freshman at Ithaca College, who hopes to become a child psychologist and won the Susan A. Cowell Scholarship, and Clifford Earl Terry, winner of the new James R. Moran Scholarship, who majors in sign language education at Gallaudet University. Both received their awards from Alliance Executive Director Scott Fearing. Josh Stapf, Alliance Development Director, thanked the sponsors and volunteers, especially lead organizers Emily Jones and Bruce Gorman. He noted, “We worked with the Rochester Area Community Foundation to pick the recipients: on the committee were Bruce Woolley, Judy Lawrence, Bill DeStevens and Marta Maletzke. We have now endowed the Rochester LGBTQ Scholarship and Fund.” Next year, on Sept. 23, 2018, the brunch will move to Artisan Works, a larger space.
Nora Foster receives her scholarship from Scott Fearing.
Remembering a beloved community member: Alan Davidson at a rally in 2013.
Celebrate Alan Davidson’s life on Oct. 15
A record 160 people came to the RISE brunch on Sept. 24 at the Yacht Club. Photos: Doug Meszler
The late Alan Davidson will be celebrated and remembered on Oct. 15 at Bushman Cabin, Veterans’ Memorial Park, 595 Calkins Rd. in Henrietta. The potluck celebration will last from noon until 6 p.m. Alan’s friends (a stranger was just a friend he hadn’t met yet) are encouraged to bring a dish to share, board games, cards or outdoor activities, and to wear “a silly outfit and/or hat”. Alcohol is OK, but NO SMOKING! If anyone has ideas for activities or entertainment, please email beachgirl92648@ yahoo.com.
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OCTOBER 2017
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H E A D L I N E S National and International News
Read the breaking national and international LGBTQ news five days a week on EmptyClosetNews/Facebook and gayalliance.org, click on Empty Closet.
Trump administration ends DACA; thousands of LGBT youth at risk National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell stated on Sept. 5: “Today, the Trump administration needlessly took aim at the estimated 800,000 young people, including over 75,000 LGBT people, who came to the United States as children, work, pay taxes, and are protected from deportation under DACA... For the 11 percent of DACA recipients who identify as LGBT, this announcement is even more chilling…. This administration just turned the lives of tens of thousands of our community members upside down, putting their dreams, their futures, and potentially their safety at risk.”
60 percent of Americans support marriage equality
According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 60 percent of Americans say they support same-sex marriage, which is up from 59 percent in 2015 and 53 percent in 2013. Read more: http://nbcnews.to/2xaacPI. Mandatory Credit: NBC News/Wall Street Journal
Give where you live: Chuck Lundeen & John Williams invest in Rochester.
Community Foundation honors Lundeen, Williams Chuck Lundeen and John Williams were honored by Rochester Area Community Foundation with an award for their philanthropy, community volunteering, and the various ways they give back to the community. At a luncheon on Sept. 19, Lundeen and Williams, another couple and two individuals received Philanthropy Awards and the Foundation celebrated its 45th anniversary year before a record crowd of 650 at the
Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The Foundation has been recognizing outstanding local philanthropists every year since 1991. Give where you LiveSM, one of the Foundation’s slogans promoting local giving, resonates strongly with Lundeen and Williams. “We feel we were given a certain amount of economic means … and we choose to invest in Rochester,” Williams says.
Calif. soldier, two others file fourth lawsuit against Trump trans ban
According to Joseph Patrick McCormick on pinknews.co.uk: A fourth lawsuit has been filed against President Trump over his ban on transgender people serving in the military. The lawsuit was filed by Equality California on behalf of a 27-year-old soldier and two trans people who had been hoping to enlist in the military.
Task Force condemns DeVos reversal of campus sexual assault protections
Stacey Long Simmons, Director of Advocacy and Action, National LGBTQ Task Force, stated on Sept. 5, “Today’s announcement by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration to revise guidance on campus sexual assault points to a reversal of needed protections, especially for LGBTQ students and students with disabilities. Shame on DeVos and the Trump-Pence Administration for yet another example of their utter disregard for those who are most marginalized.”
Edie Windsor, marriage equality heroine, passes at 88
Kashmire Redd. To read about the memorial gathering for Kashmire on Sept. 7, see page 21.
Trans man killed in Gates is 19th known US victim this year A transgender man has been stabbed to death in Gates, the 19th known transgender person killed this year in the U.S. Kashmire Redd, 28, was stabbed several times in the upper body on Sept. 4, allegedly during an argument between him and Doris Carrasquillo, who he shared an apartment with.
Carrasquillo, 40, has been arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. After being attacked, Redd left the apartment and collapsed on the front lawn. On Sept. 7 the Alliance hosted a gathering at the Resource Center to remember Kashmire and discuss feelings and needs in the community (see page 21). A memorial service was held by the family the following week. The Alliance issued the following statement: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Kashmire Redd, who died of stab wounds early Monday morning. Redd identified as a transgender man and was a new resident of Gates…. Gates Police confirmed the tragedy was an incident of intimate partner violence.” “Transgender people face high rates of domestic violence and the discrimination they endure in our society adds to the isolation and fear they experience in these situations. This loss is a reminder that we need to break the stigma about domestic and intimate partner violence in our community,” said Alliance Education Coordinator Rowan Collins. The Alliance urges the LGBTQ community to reach out if they or anyone they know is living in a violent situation or relationship. Help is available and confidential. Call the Alliance at 585-244-8640 or Willow Domestic Violence Center’s 24-hour hotline at 585-222-SAFE (7233) (TTY: 585-232-1741).
According to Mollie Reilly on The Huffington Post: Edith Windsor, the LGBTQ activist and lead plaintiff in a landmark Supreme Court marriage equality case, died Tuesday, Sept. 12 at age 88, The New York Times reports. Windsor… sued the federal government for not recognizing her marriage to her late first wife. Her case, United States v. Windsor, ultimately made it to the Supreme Court in 2013. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which said the legal designation of “spouse” only applies to marriages between a woman and a man, was unconstitutional.
Derricka Banner is 20th known trans person killed this year
She was 26 years old, a black trans woman living in Lenoir, North Carolina. Originally from New York City, she had studied at Caldwell Community College. According to GoQNotes.com, Derricka was found shot and killed in a vehicle near 3 a.m. Tuesday morning (Sept. 12) in Northwest Charlotte. – GLAAD
Ga. student killed by police was non-binary head of Pride Alliance
According to Andy Towle on Towleroad.com: Scout Schultz, a 21-year-old fourth-year engineering student at Georgia Tech, was shot and killed by police on Sept. 16 after brandishing a knife and telling officers to shoot. Schultz, president of Georgia Tech’s Pride Alliance, identified as non-binary and intersex and preferred to be referred to with they/them gender pronouns, according to the alliance’s website. A vigil for them turned into an angry protest against police violence.
Here are some of our favorite blogs and websites for national and international LGBTQ news: • pinknews.co.uk • Towleroad.com • queerty.com • JoeMyGod.com • GayCityNews.com • TheAdvocate.com • gaystarnews.com • LGBTQnation.com
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OCTOBER 2017
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OCTOBER 2017
Conversations
ImageOut Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Above: Paul Allen at the ImageOut office. Photo: Susan Jordan
Paul Allen of ImageOut By Susan Jordan Rochester’s ImageOut Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this fall. The Empty Closet recently spoke with Board Chair Paul Allen about the past, present and future. ImageOut was founded in 1992 by Larry Champoux, following an LGBT convention called Purple Hearts and Pink Flamingos. Larry and others screened movies during the convention and there was a clear excitement in the community for gay-themed cinema. Twenty-five years later, the Festival draws around 6,000 people, and this year includes 65 films from 20 countries. Paul Allen notes, “Larry has talked about how the early ‘90s were a time of cultural tumult. There was a lot of activism connected with AIDS, like ACT UP. The arts were being defunded – art in itself is political.” What do the early ‘90s tell us now? Paul said, “That time was the watershed for the LGBT community. It was clear there was a hunger for films that featured gay people. Larry was at Pyramid Arts Center and had connections with NYSCA (NYS Council on the Arts). There were an active arts community in NYC who were looking with horror at what was happening in Washington DC and wanted to take a stand for gay voices. When Larry went to NYSCA and had a chat with his contact about getting funding for lesbian and gay films in Rochester, the climate at the state level was very receptive. “He secured the funding and people came out to see the movies. This didn’t happen in a vacuum. It happened with the support of local people in Rochester and people in NYC – the heart of the LGBT art world. And there was a crop of gay movies to watch. The New Queer Cinema emerged in the early ‘90s and was global. For me personally in Australia, I started college in 1991 and I saw some of these same movies. One of my favorites was the lesbian movie ‘Go Fish’, which was fabulous and ground-breaking. The really radical thing was simply films about how people really lived their lives.”
ImageOut got its name in 1996, although it was born in 1993 as a program of the Gay Alliance. Paul said, “It was really born out of the Gay Alliance. In 1993 people in Rochester were ready for this and Larry got the Alliance to agree to make the Festival a program. For example, in The Empty Closet for October 1993 you can see that first Festival program, while in December there’s a review of the first Festival. “A festival is a lot of work and quickly other people stepped up to help, such as David Emert and Susan Soleil. They really professionalized how the festival was run – as Larry says, ‘it’s a professional organization run by amateurs.’ Then there were money tensions between the GAGV and the Festival, eventually leading to a split. That put the Festival in danger as far as surviving as a non-profit. Fortunately the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus took us under their wing – they were our fiduciary to secure state funding in our gap year. The Festival got non-profit status at the end of 1995, and 1996 saw the first Film Festival with the
ImageOut name.” Although the Festival drew 5,700 people in 2016, Paul says that 2010 was so far the year of peak attendance. He comments, “When we were coming up, this was the only place you could see LGBTQ films. As we all know, these films are widely available online and streaming. In the face of these cultural changes, the ImageOut board had to ask, why have a film festival? We think the answer is community building. Coming together in a dark theatre and watching together as a community – I think that’s what makes people come back. That’s the key thing that ImageOut offers the Rochester LGBTQ community. “In those early years the festival was called the Rochester Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival and there was not a lot of trans content. We’ve had trans patrons and volunteers from the beginning, so it was distressing not to be able to offer them stories that could reflect their lives the way we were able to do for gay men and lesbians. I would say that in the last five years we’ve seen some really great programming that allowed us to claim to really be LGBT. “In that same spirit our programmers are deliberate in selecting films that can truly represent the community, especially promoting movies made by people of color and women, who we know face the most barriers getting their films made and distributed. “Also we’ve made an effort to push production companies to include captioning with their films so
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the Deaf community and hard of hearing people can enjoy the films. It’s important for accessibility and we have to pressure the companies to add captioning.” What does the future hold? Paul said, “Most the video people (especially young people) watch today is YouTube or other online and streaming formats. There’s been an amazing explosion of non-traditional formats like web series. So that’s how younger people consume LGBTQ-themed media. I see a future role for ImageOut in curation and making people aware of what the best LGBTQ video content is and getting people together to enjoy and discuss it. The barriers to making interesting video have tumbled because the technology is in everyone’s phones. Like what we saw with Vine, especially minority filmmakers are using this to get their stories out. “Meanwhile feature films are not on the Festival Circuit the way they have been in past years. After a debut at a big festival a lot of movies quickly cut distribution deals that pull them out of festivals like ImageOut. In Rochester we might get to see them during a theatrical run at The Little, but otherwise it’s online only. That is super for accessibility but maybe not so great for film makers to build up a relationship with their audience. “In some ways this ties again back to ImageOut continuing as a festival as long as people are interested in coming out to see films, and want to be with others in a theatre rather than watching at home alone.”
ImageOut 25th anniversary pride: Michael Gamilla and Paul Allen take to the streets at Pride 2017, where ImageOut was an Honorary Grand Marshal. Photo by Bess Watts.
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Community
OCTOBER 2017
Dignity-Integrity Since March, 1975, Dignity-Integrity Rochester has been welcoming all who come through our doors, worshiping every week at 5 p.m. at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St., at the corner of Broad St. We have the following services and activities for the month of October 2017. October Services: 1st Sunday: Episcopal Liturgy, with music and Healing Service 2nd Sunday: Catholic Liturgy, with music 3rd Sunday: Quiet Episcopal Liturgy 4th Sunday: Prayers to start the Week followed by potluck 5th Sunday: Catholic Liturgy, with music The theme for the October potluck is “Sand-Witches”-- little play on words for the month of ghoulish delights. Make your favorite sandwich filling and bread and bring it
ROMANS Rochester Male Naturists (ROMANS) holds regular indoor social meetings throughout the year so that members can enjoy nudity with like-minded friends in a safe and no pressure environment. Our September meeting was held at a member’s home that was equipped with an eight person hot tub and a massage table. Members mingled with one another, ate a pleasant meal and enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hot tub or received a wonderful multi-hands massage. Many members talked about the upcoming popular indoor nude swims organized by Naturist Rochester. Mixed nude swims are held at a local spa and Men Only swims are held in the basement of a member’s home. The swim schedule for this season from October to April has been updated on ROMANS website at http://www.wnyromans.com. Nudity is not for everyone but if you are curious you need to try it your-
DI’s 42nd anniversary is here, with a dinner celebration on Oct. 15.
along to share! There is always plenty, so don’t worry if you’ve no time to shop or cook. All are welcome! After each service during the remainder of the month we’ll be gathering for fellowship around a tasty coffee hour and going out to a local restaurant for dinner. Join us anytime!
IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY! Join us on Sunday, Oct. 15 as we celebrate our 42nd year of service to the LGBTQI community. We’ll have an Episcopal Mass to celebrate, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Reservations required by Oct. 9 for dinner. For more information or to make a
reservation, contact Pat at 385-2609 or leave a message on the D-I Hotline. Remember that you can always call the Hotline at 585-234-5092 or check our website at www.di-rochester.org/ for updates on services and activities.
self. We are here to help you make your choice ROMANS is a social club for gay and gay-friendly male nudists over 21. For more information, contact us at message line 585-354-8979, by E-mail at wnyromans@yahoo.com or via regular mail at PO Box 92293, Rochester, NY 14692.
range from topics regarding family life, personal experiences with regard to medically/socially transitioning and how life is going in general. In addition to the set meeting at EG the group takes part in things like going to the movies, laser tag, pool and bowling. This happens almost monthly with the ideas of where to go coming from the group. The activities out are a mix of events just for the guys and some that are open for friends/family/partners to come and join in!! PS if you have some social anxiety, know you would be sitting at a table with people who can relate… you can come and share your life story or sit quietly taking in those around you. If you would like to know more contact Adrian at abartholomeo@ gmail.com.
ic newsletters. We also have our Community Center and Sanctuary available for rental - check our Craigslist ads for prices and pictures of our spaces. Our Pastor, Brae Adams, has office hours on Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. and by appointment. (Please call first to make sure she’s available.) Open Arms regular office hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 4 p.m. and our phone number is (585) 271-8478.
Guys’ Night Out Guys’ Night Out is a local trans* group that meets at 1pm on the second Saturday of the month at Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. Transmen and those identifying with trans-masculine experience (including questioning individuals) are welcome. Please know this is a welcoming space with no set expectations on what it means to identify as a “transman,” each of us has such a diverse background and life experiences! There is no commitment to attend each month. There will sometimes be a few people or a tableful of amazing people who attend. Conversations
Open Arms MCC We are committed to building bridges and changing lives. We are open and accepting and believe that there are many paths to God. We believe that within every person is the spark of the divine and therefore everyone is welcome no matter their gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, color, ethnicity, faith, etc. No matter who you are or what you believe you are welcome to come and be a part of Open Arms. Our morning service and Sunday School are at 10:30 a.m. Weekly Bible study is on Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. We are located at 707 East Main St., across from the Delta Sonic Car Wash. There is plenty of free parking in front and to the side of our building. For updated information on coming events and to view our facilities, check our website: openarmsmcc.org. Call the church if you would like to receive our monthly electron-
Livingston Co. Rainbow Alliance The Livingston County Rainbow Alliance is a collaborative effort between educators, community members of all ages, and county agencies to create safe, respectful and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students, families and communities. The Alliance meets monthly in Geneseo, facilitates SafeZone trainings and other educational programs, youth movie nights and special events. The Alliance is co-facilitated by representatives from the Livingston County Sexual Health Coalition, Chances & Changes, Inc. and RESTORE Sexual Assault Services. For more information: https:// www.facebook.com/LivingstonCountyAlliance/
Genesee Valley Gender Variants Genesee Valley Gender Variants is a meet-up group for gender variant people in the Genesee Valley area of upstate NY and our allies. We meet every Thursday at Equal=Grounds coffee shop from 7-9 p.m. You can find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ GVGenderVariants/
OCTOBER 2017
SceneMaker Mo’Shun D’Bleu a.k.a. Mother Nature Mo’Shun D’Bleu was Miss Gay Pride this summer and in November will be part of the annual Miss Gay Rochester pageant. She recently revealed her some of her Favorite Things… Your favorite color? Purple. Who is your drag inspiration? Maya Douglass, a native Rochestarian and former Miss Continental who has moved to Chicago. I was impressed by her style and her passion for creation – she makes her own clothes. She’s a trailblazer who has inspired me. I also am inspired by Tommie Ross and Moka Montrese. What would be your ideal meal? Lobster and steak and
some of those cheddar biscuits… What TV show are you addicted to? I love Judge Judy and RuPaul’s Drag Race. What’s the best pick up line you’ve heard? “Haven’t I seen you before? Don’t I know you?” What’s your ideal Halloween costume? Catwoman. What music are you listening to right now? Diana Ross medley What’s your best quality? My integrity. What’s your worst fault? Procrastination.
Where would you go for your ultimate dream vacation? Bora Bora. What super power would you like to have? The power to transform people, places and things in a positive way. What is your favorite hobby/ obsession? Arts & crafts, like sewing. I make accessories like hats with lights on them. What phrase do you over-use? Umm… What’s your favorite sport? Bowling. What’s your ideal Friday or Saturday night? A social function with friends. Motto? Respect yourself as well as others.
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You can adopt!
Adoption Information Seminar Presented by Adoption Place of Jewish Family Service of Rochester Tuesday, November 14, 6-7:30pm The Out Alliance 100 College Avenue Rochester, New York 14607 RSVP: lglasner@jfsrochester.org, 585-461-0110
NYS authorized adoption agency Made possible by
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ROC Out Youth Big changes lie ahead for Alliance Youth Program
//Ambiguous Statements// Spencer Perez//
Big changes are occurring all over the Alliance, and the Youth Program is no different. An energetic group of ten volunteers have come together to help organize and provide options for young LGBTQ+ people in the community. The youth program has run for many years, however when the drop-in center was lost and the agency needed to become leaner, attendance at youth events dropped significantly. We are happy to say with the new facility and new team there has been a resurgence in our youth program. Volunteers range from teachers, to a social worker, a therapist, a former youth housing counselor, and even past Youth Program participants, “It’s the right mix of experience and excitement to push forth an ambitious agenda for our Youth Program,” said BJ Scanlon Lead Program Volunteer. “We are constantly surveying young people to see what they want to do and we are expanding our services into three programing categories that focus on community building, social and educational engagement, and selfcare and personal development,” Scanlon went on to say. The youth program continues to offer a monthly U-DJ Dance and semi-annual lock-in, Big Queer Prom, and Gay Days at the Fair, all part of the Q-Munity initiative. This fall the team is excited to bring back a weekly after school hang-OUT day. Other offerings include the B-Out initiative that looks to connect youth with 6-8-week clubs that focus on a wide variety of subject matters. The Youth Program will have its second movie club focusing on drag in cinema, and will partner with Rochester Broadway Theatre League and Writers and Books for Out on Stage. Youth will be provided a copy of Fun Home lead them through workshops about the theater, LGBTQ+ history, and culminate with youth attending a live performance of the Tony Award winning musical. Finally, the U-Matter initiative will focus on providing supportive groups for young people. The TANGENT group our trans and gender expansive group meets at 5:30 the first Tuesday of each month at the LGBTQ Resource Center. Plan are underway for additional groups that focus on coming out and leadership. Stay tuned for all the great things happening with the youth program.
The only consistency I have had in my life is inconsistency. I have been called an enigma wrapped in a paradox. Or a paradox wrapped in an enigma. Either way, it is true. I never fit in, or out. I was always somewhere in between. I have been told that every day I look like a different person. No one style. No one label. No one meaning. This ambiguity made me into the local bête noire. A jack of all trades, just not any “good” ones. You see, imaginary reader, people often tend to dislike things they cannot understand. People often pick fights with people they deem as different. I have spent years, trying to fit myself into a perfect puzzle piece. However, no matter what I did, I always came out jagged around the edges. My inner layers didn’t match my outside folds. My core didn’t represent my exterior. I was never “right”. I don’t really understand who makes up the rules of what is “right” and what is “wrong”, because no matter what I did I never belonged. I could chose to make a statement about how harsh society’s jaded perception of reality really is. I could chose to fight every waking moment I live, defending my right to be who I am, and not what they want me to be. I could denounce who I was, rather, who they thought I was, and shock them with who I will become. I can start riots and fits all while raising my palms and making a fist. I can do all of this. I can be as fearless as my dad was when he was my age, be brave like my mother always said I was. I can become who I want to become. However, that still doesn’t make the silence any less easier to succumb. The truth is imaginary reader, over the years all this fighting has made me turn numb. Honestly I feel dumb half the time, as if my voice can never reach the amount of decibels it will take to cause an earthquake on society’s wrongful take on what makes a person a human. For a while I was filled with nothing but despair, it was like for a moment I had it all and watched my doubt sink in and my hopes slip into air. I was drowning myself in sorrow and fear from all the years that I couldn’t save anyone, let alone myself. I thought about ending things for a long time. I thought that maybe in death my words will resonate with all the people once filled with hate. Then I realized I don’t want to be another tortured artist who doesn’t get recognized until their death. While it may be okay to idolize all the strides they took in their lives, their endings don’t have to become mine. I want to stick around to see my actions make people proud. I want to be around to witness not having fear of being here, and queer; I want everyone to hear me cheer on true progress that will never digress into something less. You see, everyone feels pressured to conform the norms of the world. However, few realize, that the world that is portrayed is far more filled with hate than the world that we are truly living in. They call us minorities, filled with sins, but they are the true demons, and we cannot let their fear in. No, we must be the ones to win. We have to unite, because this is all of our fight. What gave them the right to smite what they don’t take the time to understand? That is right, they were wrong about me, and us, not being able to be understood. If they really took the time to get to know us, under our hoods, and
Alliance launches youth group: History of Drag Through Cinema Gay Alliance will be running a new youth group for ages 13-20, focusing on the history of drag and how it has changed throughout the decades. The movies will be a mixture of historical talking points, education and comedy and each movie will be followed by an analytical discussion. The group will run on every second Friday of the month beginning Oct. 13 and ending May 11, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.
OCTOBER 2017
“Use your passion.” Spencer Perez shares his poem.
out of our masks, they would see that it isn’t our faith that lacks. I may be ambiguous, I may not be anyone’s perfect definition of anything. I am not even sure I have a definition at all, but I will not let that ambiguity let me do anything but stand tall. Pride is in our souls, you can see it in our eyes, the way we laugh, the way we cry, Above all, you must remember, that every action we make leads us to the path we will take. No matter how insignificant you think your life may be, there is always something waiting for us. Even the smallest of rocks colliding with the water make an impact. Those ripples will soon turn into waves, because of this, we must all be brave. I won’t lie, storms and rough tides will come, but as longs as we stand with each other we can make sure that the only destruction that will occur, is the irrational fear and ignorance in those who have nothing better to do than fight what they do not understand. We are not the problem, in fact we are the solution to an age old plague of irrational ignorance. Every war begins because of someone’s fear of something different turning into hate. Use your passion, whatever it may be, to bring light to our cries, and guide us back to calmer seas. Use your life, as a statement, however ambiguous it may be, in the end we all mean something, and it is up to you on what that something will be. Be ambiguous. Be brave. You can be you, and I can be me; no matter how ambiguous our statements and lives may be.
OCTOBER 2017
The Out Alliance
What is Pulp Fiction…and we don’t mean the movie! By Bruce C. Woolley, Ph.D., Alliance Library and Archives Not so very long ago, homosexuality was never spoken of and anyone who felt a same sex attraction had a real challenge trying to get useful information. It was easy to believe that you were the only one around who was that way – queer! A chance personal encounter, perhaps stumbling upon a gay bar, happening to find a library book that did not terrify in condemning homosexuals, this was pre-Stonewall reality. But a different opportunity did exist. Your local soda shop or newsstand might offer a rack or two of pulp fiction. Scattered among these various inexpensive paperbacks were likely to be some lesbian and even some gay novels. Printed in reduced “pocket” size on cheap, pulp paper, many of these books featured scandalous content and even more lurid come-on cover art. A series of court decisions during the 1960s brought an end to the harshest censorship. Pulp fiction flourished and became increasingly lascivious and lubricious – true “dirty books”. Because they fuel the masturbatory fantasies of straight men, very many lesbian novels were published, most written by men under female pseudonyms. There were, however, some pulp books written by women for women whose authentic expression of lesbian experience could be insightful and instructive. These provided women in cities and even isolated geographies the opportunity to learn about same sex relationships and that many strong, like-minded women were out there. Pornography has a purpose that’s probably not suitable for an afternoon chat with grandma and gay pulp fiction offered unabashed sex, lots of sex. Horney protagonists modeled more than just libidinous activity, however. They clearly identified as
gay and displayed a range of options by which a confident gay man might live his life without question, compromise, or embarrassment. A burgeoning sense of gay community is present in pulp fiction. Also, changing customs, popular language, and a view of largely secret, underground gay life in decades now long past are all documented here and almost nowhere else. Fifty or sixty years ago, we remind ourselves, very little of any aspect of “gay” was written down, on purpose in order to avoid the condemnatory actions of a largely hostile world. The Alliance has long archived a large collection of pulp fiction. These “dirty books” are not listed in the catalog and, while we have been confident of the value of maintaining this collection as an aspect of our heritage, we haven’t been exactly loud and proud about it. But in January 2016 a lengthy article in the New York Times revealed the huge collection of every kind of pornography long held in secret at the New York Public Library – that famous urban monument with the guardian lions. In the 1960s to 1980s, the heyday of pulp fiction, librarians from New York Public made regular purchasing forays a couple of blocks away to Times Square’s notorious sleazy book stores. If these dedicated professionals were certain that all manner of pornography documented aspects of American life and the spirit of their day, we at the Alliance became all the more sure of our collection’s importance. In addition to pulp fiction, we hold sexually oriented magazines, videos, DVDs, even old film reels, and all of our materials, like the Library itself, have been gifted to us. For example, a large collection of libidinous items, including 114 volumes of pulp fiction, is the recent gift of a distinguished local nonagenarian. Long dismissed as trash, pulp fiction goes beyond the sexual to depict many different aspects of our past. From necessarily cautious beginnings in the 1950s to the eruption of sexual revolution through the 1970s and beyond, pulp fiction confirms, documents, and reveals LGBTQ community in a way not available elsewhere.
Meet Our Interns: Luna Luna has interned for the Alliance this year. Now she is working with the trans and gender-expansive youth group Tangent and training to become a Speakers Bureau member. Here is her story in her own words. After two or three months of a summer internship at the Alliance, I’m glad this is where I chose to spend my time; I have found my work beyond fulfilling. Fulfilling is something that’s worth one’s time, but this is something else entirely. This hasn’t just been time well spent, this has given me a purpose. When I first decided to work at the Alliance I was only here to satisfy a twenty-four-hour communityservice requirement for school. I was ready to put in about twenty-four
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hours of tedious, monotonous work before moving on and forgetting about the entire experience, but that changed quickly. At my first meeting with Jeff Myers, Managing Director, I was offered an internship; he mentioned the Alliance’s need for promotional materials, help with the computers, and other important tasks. When I realized that I had the opportunity to spend my summer completing these vital tasks and learning the skills to do so, I was thrilled. Thus I walked out of the office with an internship and a newfound sense of agency. Months later I finally began my new job and started contributing to the LGBTQ+ community. While I’ve met my fair share of welcoming people and environments, this was a new experience altogether. I’ve observed from day one that my contributions never go unnoticed, and it reaches beyond a thank-you and a polite smile; everyone I’ve worked with at the Alliance has been supportive and appreciative of my work to an unprecedented extent. In addition to such a great atmosphere, the Alliance has wholly demonstrated its care for its volunteers. I was able to attend a SafeZone training free of charge as my first step toward becoming a speaker for the Alliance. Facilitating Tangent, our Trans and Gender-expansive Youth group, with Mitch and Eri is my favorite activity here, especially planning meetings and coming up with seasonal programming. Tangent is truly a special thing, it’s a safe place for trans and gender-expansive youth to meet each other and just hang out; we have meetings on the first Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., each featuring seasonal activities.
The LGBTQ Academy welcomed people from all over the country to a SafeZone training SAFE ZONE: Late September saw participants from South Carolina, California, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, as well as Westchester, the Bronx, Freeville, Brockport, and Rochester, come to the LGBTQ Resource Center to engage in the intensive SafeZone Train the Trainer workshop. Led by the LGBTQ Academy, participants – representing colleges, K-12 schools, health care facilities, federal agencies, legal offices, and social service organizations – spent two days engaged in activities, discussion, and reflection to lead SafeZone trainings, become more effective facilitators, and bring compassion to hard conversations. The nationally recognized SafeZone Train the Trainer program sees the LGBTQ Academy staff travel the country year-round and is held at the LGBTQ Resource Center multiple times throughout the year.
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OCTOBER 2017
OCTOBER 2017
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Out & About
New York Ferries Get Even Better By Merle Exit Starting August 29, 2017, a ferry route started up in Astoria, Queens that connects to Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, East 34th St. in Manhattan, then on down to Wall St. at Pier 11 with the entire route taking approximately 45 minutes. What that means for travelers staying in Manhattan is an easy opportunity to visit a few areas in Queens without using an overcrowded subway system. Aside from the many Greek restaurants in Astoria there are some top attractions, two of which are in walking distance of the ferry on the border of Long Island City. Otherwise, you can utilize the MTA buses. If the fine arts are your thing, take in Noguchi Museum celebrating the works of sculptor and artist Isamu Noguchi. Opened in 1985, the Museum complex was built around a 1920s
industrial building, and features indoor-outdoor galleries and a serene outdoor sculpture garden, with two floors of interior exhibition space. There are other artists displaying exhibits as well. www.noguchi.org Socrates Sculpture Park offers another art form as well as that out-door serenity. Take in the Socrates Annual, an exhibition of emerging artists running from October 1, 2017 until March 11, 2018. www. socratessculpturepark.org. MoMA PS1 is said to be the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institution in the United States. An exhibition space rather than a collecting institution, MoMA PS1 devotes its energy and resources to displaying the most experimental art in the world. This is not the same MoMA in Manhattan. There are a few new exhibitions worth a visit that will be showing starting on October 22. www.moma.org If you love the movies, head to the Museum of the Moving Image. Permanent exhibitions include
OCTOBER 2017
Take the ferry: an easy way to explore mysterious Queens, NY.
Behind the Scene, Tut’s Fever Movie Palace and the new Jim Henson Exhibit. There are screenings and events to keep you occupied for hours. www.movingimage.us Kaufman Studios abuts MOMI and although you cannot get a tour, the site is part of the Kaufman Arts District. Founded by KAS, Museum of the Moving
Image and Queens Council on the Arts, KAD spans 24+ blocks and promote arts in the neighborhood. There is an area just outside the studios known as the Backlot where there is an Easement Art Space. Artist Marlene Tseng Yu has four of her paintings located in immediate view of the alley. Eat and drink at the near-
by Rar Bar Restaurant, a local bar and art venue located at 30-01 35th Avenue. If you would rather stay in that area, The Paper Factory Hotel is the place to be and just a few blocks from the Rar Bar. The hotel was converted from a radio manufacturing factory. www.paperfactoryhotel.com
OCTOBER 2017
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Opinion
Intimate partner violence knows no bounds By Jaime Saunders, President & CEO of Willow Domestic Violence Center, 24/7 Hotline: 222-SAFE (7233) www.WillowCenterNY.org Intimate partner violence is all around us and in all forms of relationships. It is very dangerous, as our community just witnessed with the tragic homicide of a transgender man in Gates in early September. Monroe County each year nearly 50,000 calls are made to 911 for domestic disputes. Nationally, we know one in three women and one in four men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime. As pervasive as these figures are, they are even worse for the LGBTQ population. Intimate Partner Violence is about the power and control of one person over another. The abuse comes in many forms – emotional, verbal, financial and physical – and often does not start till well into a relationship. Key tools of this power and control are isolation and fear: two things many LGBTQ individuals face on a daily basis from systemic discrimination for just being who they are. This adds to the barriers of leaving an abusive relationship.
There are a variety of reasons that LGBTQ individuals are victimized at higher rates: Many LGBTQ individuals have been subjected to abuse from a young age – perhaps rejected by their family, subjected to emotional abuse because of their identity, or been told that who they are is unacceptable. This baseline of discrimination can increase the risk of trauma later in life. Lack of family support and disproportionate rates of homelessness can increase dependence on an abusive partner for protection, housing, and income – making it even harder to leave and get out safely. Abusive partners may threaten to ‘out’ victims who are not ‘out’ to family members, employers, community members and others. Additionally, LGBTQ individuals are less likely to feel comfortable calling police or telling medical or service providers that they need help. Even well-intentioned service providers like Willow, who want to help, often miss the mark. Proud of our agency’s role at the forefront of the domestic violence and women’s movements in the 1970s, our name Alternatives for Battered Women unintentionally excluded key populations who needed us – prompting us to change our name in 2015 to the more inclusive Willow Center. We
Racism is a queer issue because it is a societal issue and queer people exist within society By Genesis Nunlee First off, we need to talk differently about racism. In that, for the sake of simplicity there are two variations; systemic (subversive and institutionalized) and individualistic (overt and incidental). Neither is lesser, but the way that both are framed dramatically changes the conversation. In a fantastic video aptly called “Moving the Conversation Forward”, Cultural commentator Jay Smooth says, “When we constantly focus only on individual stories, it distorts our sense of how racism works. It encourages us to see racism only as the product of overt intentional racist acts by individuals that can be fixed simply by shaming and correcting those individual defects.” What he is saying is that when talking about racism, we are far more likely to focus on easily identifiable and shame-able acts than micro-aggressions or systemic oppression. For example, we know that when someone uses the N-word to a black person’s face that that is “Not OK” or when someone pulls the corners of their eyelids to represent someone who is Asian that they should be told to stop. We don’t always know how to talk about or understand something as heavy as the school to prison pipeline or something seemingly as trivial as Crayola’s peach colored crayon being originally called flesh. In large part, we focus on individualistic racism because they are easy to combat and don’t require any depth or examination besides the simple correction of an action. And would that combatting racism were as simple as telling someone to stop a specific singular behavior. We need to talk about racism differently in that we also need to address the subversive institutionalized racism. If you want to be that person and abide by the “dictionary definition” of racism, for the sake of this article, I will even give you that. Sure if you really want to be reductionist, racism as a behavior can go any kind of way, but systemic
Genesis Nunlee knows Americans need to talk differently about racism.
racism is built on prevailing systems both de jure and de facto that advantage or disadvantage certain groups in a variety of socio-political manners. In 1967, Kwame Ture said it best: “ When a black family moves into a home in a white neighborhood and is stoned, burned or routed out, they are victims of an overt act of individual racism which most people will condemn. But it is institutional racism that keeps black people locked in dilapidated slum tenements, subject to the daily prey of exploitative slumlords, merchants, loan sharks and discriminatory real estate agents. The society either pretends it does not know of this latter situation, or is in fact incapable of doing anything meaningful about it.”” This goes back to de jure (by the law) segregation, which invariably turned into de facto segregation. As much as we don’t like to talk about America’s
Jaime Saunders of Willow Domestic Violence Center says, “We are here to help.”
needed to do better and we are committed to doing just that. Not just in name, but also in how we operate to ensure we are accessible and supportive as we can be for all survivors of intimate partner violence. It is important that we as a community recognize intimate partner violence can be in every type of relationship. It is important that we continue to take a stand that abuse is abuse and it is never OK. We are here to help. We believe you, without judgement. We stand with you. Willow Center’s confidential 24/7 Hotline is (585) 222-SAFE (7233).
ugly past, we simply have to. In the 1870s we had Jim Crow laws that made racial segregation legal and though those laws were forcibly ended in 1964 through the Civil Rights Act, many sentiments that had once been legally protected (de jure) where now just seen as expected societal conventions (de facto) and thereby difficult to challenge especially by marginalized groups. The ideas and belief systems of our ancestors, regardless of if they are viewed as good or bad, do not die easily. We all have an older relative who says something that is just a little off or a parent who says something objectionable that we don’t really challenge. Those belief systems came from somewhere and very often those who hold similar beliefs are in positions of power where they may unconsciously or consciously be wielding power to the detriment of POC. No one wants to believe that great grandma probably voted against integration (whether it was a typical of the time sentiment or she legitimately held those beliefs), but she probably did because she lived in a society that fostered that as an idea to be held, and ideas like that just don’t vanish. If we stop talking about racism as moral failing and talk about it just as an unfortunate facet of society, then we can start to have productive conversations. I get it, no one wants to be called racist, and when we’re called out on it the natural response is to either say, “I didn’t mean it” or “I’m a nice person”. But that is the thing -- racism, any kind of racism, doesn’t require intent and doesn’t always point to the morality of the individual. When faced with a “not all white people” response, Muhammed Ali said, “There are many white people who mean right and in their hearts wanna do right. If 10,000 snakes were coming down that aisle now, and I had a door that I could shut, and in that 10,000, 1,000 meant right, 1,000 rattlesnakes didn’t want to bite me, I knew they were good... Should I let all these rattlesnakes come down, hoping that that thousand get together and form a shield? Or should I just close the door and stay safe?” I can’t personally find commentary I agree with more.
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OCTOBER 2017
OUT in Print Queer Verse You name me a name that isn’t mine. That I won’t own today That isn’t for reclaiming I won’t stand in the parking space u gave me for it I won’t stand nicely and complacently to the side. I stand where I am. I stand next to u beside u and inside of u. Declaring a new nation. Declaring a new world with boundaries. Outside. Outside of all of us. Because we all get to be who we are Even u. Even u who rips and burn our flags. Paints swaztikas on walls. Grabs women. Kill the other as each time u kill more of urself. Each injury is a rip in ur own soul. Ur own knowledge. The Three Sisters or Three Fates were revered as the weavers of human destinies: “People have a right to know about this past.”
“As the witches teach”… Max Dashu traces suppressed histories By Susan Jordan Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religions, 700-1100 by Max Dashu. Veleda Press, 2016. 388 pp. paper. Max Dashu of the Suppressed Histories Archives is internationally known for her visual presentations, dvds and webcasts on the topic of women’s suppressed histories, and the erasure of pre-Christian religions by patriarchal censors over the past 1,500 years. What little we know of pre-Christian European/North African/Central Asian societies and spirituality indicates that for all of human history until the Iron Age, women were seen as central and powerful. Perhaps the most ancient diety known to humans was the Triple Goddess, or Three Sisters – the Birth Virgin of spring, the Midsummer Queen and the Winter Hag or Crone. The new male-centered religion needed to dehumanize and objectify women as property and demonize pre-Christian dieties. Their erasure of her-story means that few documents exist, save those which define women as inferior, weak and evil, and all non-Christian beliefs as devil worship. Dashu writes, “So a translator editorialized on an old Frankish condemnation of ‘people who bring offerings to earth-fast stone and also to trees and to wellsprings’ by adding the old English phrase ‘as the witches teach’. His comment on a Latin penitential directly contradicts the idea that witches were seen as evildoers. Instead, it intimately associates them with animist ceremonies, earth-based spiritual customs…. “At a certain point in time it was meaningful to say of a popular Germanic folk goddess, ‘A third part of the world is given over to her.’ But that meant something different to the clergy than for the people whose beliefs they were describing, especially when it came to who ‘she’ was… “In spite of everything we’ve been taught about the profoundly second-
ary status of the female, what women did in the spiritual realm mattered.” Dashu provides fascinating information about ancient veneration of springs, trees and megalithic stones, and about the benevolent websters/ spinsters, healers and midwives who would ultimately be burned to death by the misogynistic, power-seeking male clergy. The Three Sisters or Fates (Latin fata or fate becomes “fae” and then “faery”) spun human lives and destinies and were revered all over Europe, from the northern forests to ancient Greece, indicating an extremely ancient origin. Dashu writes, “…(T)he spinning Fates seem to predate the long-ago Indo European migrations… The theme extends deep into Eurasia, where it crosses language families.” This book, with its meticulously documented research, is essential for those who would understand how language, spirituality and culture influence our lives today. Patriarchal scholars dismiss feminist commentary on folklore and religion as wishful thinking and fantasy. Yet they never consider the subjective malesupremacist lens through which they themselves are looking. Objectification of women and Nature has led to destruction of the environment, endless wars of aggression and the traditional oppression of women – from the healers burned as witches in the 14th century to women and young girls dehumanized by patriarchy today. And the dehumanization of women is very much an LGBTQ issue, since the animus toward “effeminate” gay men, queens and trans women – and the stereotype erasing the existence of masculine gay men -- are directly tied to the animus against cisgender women, whether lesbian, bi/pansexual or heterosexual. Gay men and trans people were also on those witch-hunters’ pyres! Dashu concludes, “The bottom line is that people who aren’t academic specialists have a right to know about this past.”
This is our world . I won’t take u prisoner because we all get 2 b free I won’t take u prisoner U have already done that. Shackled urself to a lie to a smaller version of what u could be. To a smaller world If ur in chains. It’s not me who put u there Look in the mirror and decide when u will be free. When u will let ur hate release u When u know ur own enemy. Is in the mirror in ur soul And not in my life. U r ur persecuter ur own jailer Tell the world when u finally know ur truth when u finally find the key the last prisoners might finally b free. – Reilly Hirst
Poet Reilly Hirst declares a new nation.
OCTOBER 2017
21
Trans Action There’s new programming for the Transgender Community at the Alliance!
Singer/songwriter Melissa Grace Clark will perform in Seneca Falls on Oct. 21.
Transfusion: Melissa Grace Clark to perform in Seneca Falls, sponsored by We Exist Coalition Melissa Grace Clark, singer/songwriter/guitarist, brings an eclectic collection of original tunes dealing with self empowerment and determination. With messages in each song, she runs the gamut from personal love to feminist realization to love and concern for those around us. Using blues and ballads as her vehicles, she takes you on her path of self awareness and interaction with the larger world. This is a thought provoking presentation for everyone, sponsored by the We Exist Coalition of the Finger Lakes on Saturday October 21, at Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, 3-4:30 p.m. Free Admission!
Exciting new programming is being launched for three age groups within the Transgender Community. Tangent (Trans and Gender-expansive Youth Group) is hosted at the LGBTQ Resource Center, and run by the Alliance and Youth ROC. Participants range from ages 13-20 years old. Tangent welcomes new participants. Tangent is a safe place for Trans and Genderexpansive Youth to be their authentic selves without fear of judgement or persecution. The group is a very open and safe environment, where open discussion and honest feedback are greatly appreciated and encouraged. With monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of every month, Tangent also features seasonal programming. October 3, Perchance to Pumpkin? Come and decorate gourds with paint, glitter, and feathers! T-Minus 35 is a once a month transgender support and social group, which caters to adults ages 21 through 35. The group’s goal is to not only give members of our transgender and gen-
der-expansive community a safe space for socialization and community building, but to also provide resources for living as an adult in Rochester. Programming will include creating our own bath-bombs, designing personal stress-relief items and/or fidgets, and informational discussions on seasonal home care and living (including apartment and dorm care). For more information on TANGENT or T-Minus35 please contact EriM@gayalliance.org Trans35 Plus is for those who are Transgender and age 35 on up. Trans35Plus is going to start by having a regular social gathering starting on Oct. 17 at the Alliance and will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This social group will continue to meet at the LGBTQ Resource Center at the Alliance on the third Tuesday of the month. At this first social gathering, we are also going to present some ideas for future programming and solicit the ideas of those who come. An RSVP to shaunao@gayalliance.org, or a call to the Alliance at 585244-8640 would be appreciated. A coffee social for Trans35 Plus will be starting the first Saturday of the month at 11 a.m., Nov. 4, at Equal Grounds Coffee House. This is a purely social gathering to be with others on this unique journey to Authenticity.
Community remembrance brings hard conversation and reflection By Rowan Collins Thursday, Sept. 7 saw the Alliance host a somber evening of community reflection and bridge building. In response to Kashmire Redd’s death on Sept. 4, the Alliance opened the LGBTQ Resource Center to community members needing resources, connection, and space to process. The beginning of the conversation focused on fear. In the wake of Redd’s death at the hands of his partner and the growing number of murders of transgender people in the United States, it was an organic and truthful place to start. As the discussion continued, more around the room felt comfortable to talk about their daily realities. Personal testimonies to the power of intersections in privilege lead the discussion to meaningful discoveries. Passing privilege, racism, misogyny, domestic violence, and rates of violence against black trans people – specifically black trans women – were intentionally discussed throughout the evening. Many in attendance wore two hats as they represented their organizations – MOCHA,
Victory Alliance, Willow Domestic Violence Center, BlackCrowned Entertainment, Genesee Valley Gender Variants, and Empire Justice were present – and attended as community members. Redd’s family members joined the room as well, sharing the plans for his memorial service which was to be held the following week. The evening concluded with a moment of silence for Kashmire before a closing question – “what, after this conversation, gives you hope?” The answers varied but the theme was the same: coming together in community makes us stronger. Many in the room noted that they had not known others in attendance before showing up that evening, but that they felt closer to their community after the conversation. Having an open dialogue across generations, races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, gender expressions, experiences and histories affirmed, welcomed, and comforted those in attendance. We need to continue to show up for one another and lift each other’s voices, provide support, space, and resources – now more than ever.
War hero Admiral Mike Mullen supports trans military members & Lambda Legal Admiral Mike Mullen stated in support of Lambda Legal’s challenge to Trump’s military ban ban, “Mr. Chairman, speaking for myself and myself only, it is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity — theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.”
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OCTOBER 2017
Shoulders HIV/AIDS Treatment – Where Are We Now in 2017?
Gay Pioneers: Poet and native Rochestarian John Lawrence Ashbery
(July 28, 1927 – September 3, 2017)
Ashbery was born in Rochester, the son of Helen (née Lawrence), a biology teacher, and Chester Frederick Ashbery, a farmer. He was raised on a farm (still called Ashbery Farm) in Sodus near Lake Ontario; his brother died when they were children. Ashbery lived in New York City and Hudson, NY with his husband, David Kermani. He died of natural causes on Sept 3, 2017, at his home in Hudson, at the age of 90. John Ashbery was a well-regarded American poet. He published more than 20 volumes of poetry and won nearly every major American award for poetry, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his collection Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. Renowned for its postmodern complexity and opacity, Ashbery’s work still proves controversial. Ashbery stated that he wished his work to be accessible to as many people as possible, and not to be a private dialogue with himself. At the same time, he once joked that some critics still view him as “a harebrained, homegrown surrealist whose poetry defies even the rules and logic of Surrealism.” Langdon Hammer, chairman of the English Department at Yale University, wrote in 2008, “No figure looms so large in American poetry over the past 50 years as John Ashbery” and “No American poet has had a larger, more diverse vocabulary, not Whitman, not Pound.” Stephen Burt, a poet and Harvard professor of English, has compared Ashbery to T. S. Eliot, calling Ashbery “the last figure whom half the Englishlanguage poets alive thought a great model, and the other half thought incomprehensible”.
By Evelyn Bailey We have looked at past HIV/AIDS treatments, advances and societal issues. Improvements have been made, more are needed. Today the number of HIV positive cases is on the increase, while testing is on the decrease. HIV/AIDS is now a chronic disease. The sense of urgency is gone. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, kills or damages the cells of the body’s immune system. Because HIV compromises the immune systems, HIV-positive people are vulnerable to other infections, diseases, and complications. A person infected with HIV is diagnosed with AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection, when he or she has one or more opportunistic infections, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis, and has a dangerously low number of CD4+ T cells (less than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood). Because HIV mutates rapidly, there are countless strains of HIV circulating around the world, with the most common threats, called clades A, B and C, receiving the most focus. An effective HIV vaccine needs to protect against multiple strains. Researchers design a set of immunogens that can be given sequentially or as a cocktail to prepare the infected persons immune systems for whatever strain they come up against. The HIV/AIDS research effort in the US is led
by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). A vast network of NIAID-supported scientists, located at research centers around the globe, are exploring new ways to prevent and treat HIV infection, as well as to better understand the virus with the goal of finding a cure. Here at home we need to recognize the contributions to HIV/AIDS research made by the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at the University of Rochester Medical Center. 2013 - UR scientists (Gelbard, Dewhurst) report the development of a new MLK3 inhibitor that pro-
Dr. Mike Keefer of the Victory Alliance seeks a vaccine for HIV.
tects against HIV-induced neuronal damage in a preclinical model of neuroAIDS. - UR’s NIH-funded Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) renewed for 7 more years under the leadership of Dr. Mike Keefer and Amneris Luque - marking over 25 years of continuous participation in NIH-supported clinical research on HIV/AIDS.
2014 - UR scientists (Krysan), in collaboration with colleagues at Temple’s Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, show that breast cancer drugs can be used to inhibit a fungal pathogen that is deadly in persons with AIDS. A major goal of NIAIDsupported research on HIV treatment today is to develop long-acting therapies that—unlike current antiretrovirals, which require daily dosing—could be taken only once a week, once a month, or even less often. Such long-acting therapies might be easier for some people to stick to than daily pills, and might also be less toxic and more cost effective. The three types of agents under study are long-acting drugs, broadly neutralizing antibodies, and therapeutic vaccines. STSO is proud to recognize the contributions made by Mike Keefer, Steve Dewhurst and others at the Center For AIDS Research (CFAR). Next month we will look at current prevention strategies.
OCTOBER 2017
Columnists Pre-Mortality Cleaning My Closet By Meredith Elizabeth Reiniger
Goodbye Growing Up By Eric Bellmann
I am old. This I know. If ever I doubt my Condition of Extreme Elderliness, I can summons a computer form requiring select-your-birth-date. Scrolling down seventy-three choices until I reach 1944 assures me that I originated in the previous century. I am still alive. My postyouth point of view embraces death as a natural consequence of living. I say aloud: ‘death’ and ‘my death.’ I fearlessly study illustrated books: To Hell with Meredith Elizabeth Reiniger Dying; Cry, Heart, But Never Break; Death, Duck, and the Tulip; Drop Dead. Senior-ized, I experience inevitable short-circuits that interrupt my story-telling by fizzling away valuable nouns, astonishing adjectives, vivacious verbs, astounding adverbs. But not a problem at Elder Gatherings; we all play Guess What Words with Friends. Feeling semi-ancient is a subtle but persistent metamorphosis. My First Day of Old started when I signed my retirement papers. After 33 years I was no longer a teacher, just a Was. Thereafter, as a Was of a certain age, I faced pesky Reality Alterations. 1. Was a Miss. Too soon: “May I help you with that, mam?” 2. Face facts: movie ticket in hand, I blurted, ‘Oh dear, I forgot to request senior citizen price.’ Unwrinkled Head behind the glass, reassuringly: “That’s okay, I got it.” 3. Was a Just-Ducky Snow Bunny, skiing and snowshoeing down and across. Recently, under the guise of garage cleaning, we… I and my precarious sciatic nerve and arthritic knee-caps… boldly divorced those Toys of my Was-ness. (Except. Kept my orange kayak as trade for a pink kayak, conceived and design by Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi. Initially, as part of her project challenging societal attitudes towards female genitalia, Igarashi made a 3D model of her very own, external, visible at times, sex organs. “I thought it was just funny to decorate my [molded] pussy and make it a diorama.” Inspired by its beauty, she produced Pussy Boat, a pink kayak modeled on her manko [slang for vagina]. My nautical vagina is back-ordered.) About old. It is in the eye of the beholder. And this Beholder rarely focuses on her external Oldnesses. True, when I bathe and attire My Shape, I am privy to its inevitable degradation. Yet, once I prance forth, my eyes look out and about, ignoring their decrepit, fleshed vehicle. I feel happier blithely overlooking present particulars of my previously-enjoyed Body Electric. About prancing. Long ago I flaunted exposed thighs, unclothed arms, naked backs. Now ‘they,’ not I, have escalated Parts Nudity, revealing shoulders, interbreast creases, fanny cracks and cheeks, belly buttons, nipples. About attire. Clothing is more than propriety and shelter. It can advertize, ostracize, sexualize, politicize. It is art. Consider this. A recent collection by Berlin designers was inspired by The Indiscreet Jewels, a 1748 allegory about some sultan guy who owns a magic ring that makes women’s [family] jewels talk. “My Pussy, My Choice” offered a colorful display of garments, collars, sleeves, and shoes adorned with remarkable renderings of female genitalia. Yes. I am, still, a teacher. meredithreiniger@gmail.com
SMALL DOG CAMP
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585-530-3371 First Half-Day Free
766 Clinton Avenue S. - Within Natural Pet Food Store -
This is my last column. Many ways to leave. Ghosting is the worst. That’s when someone just cuts you off without warning or explanation. But many of you have been good friends, loyal readers and our relationship has been important. I have prospered from the support of the Empty Closet’s remarkable editor, Susan Jordan. She has encouraged me when I was troubled with doubt, encouraged me in times of criticism and been a true friend. For all that, it’s time to pack it in. The first article -- there was no idea that it would lead to a monthly column – was published in 1988. It was a reminiscence about the life and death of a childhood friend. He had moved to New York in pursuit of freedom, become ill and returned home to die. I wrote about what gay life was like for two weird teenagers when life was all about secrets. I was asked to write another article about those days: hanging out downtown, cruising the streets, public bathrooms, movie johns -- and so I did. It was all about “growing up” and then it flowed forward as a regular column. 29 years! Eleven columns a year (I missed one issue). You do the math. (318.) I’ve collected them in three bulging folders. I wrote about my childhood, my family, irritations and joys, travels overseas and at home. It was a responsibility and a privilege that I didn’t fully comprehend, a gift that I came to appreciate. And, in the long run pretty useful therapy! What it achieved for me was an integration of identity. Nothing was off limits. At one point I became pen pals with the noted writer Andrew Holleran. We corresponded for a decade and he encouraged me, told me to tell the truth and that it always was about the last sentence. I took the job seriously. Writing, OMG using an IBM Selectric typewriter, surely an antique item now, enhanced my love of language. I considered words with care, rewrote and edited. Often it seemed like hard work: what to write about, how to say it. There wasn’t a lot of feedback but the responses that did come were meaningful. For a few months I got occasional letters from a mother who loved her gay son. I got a few phone messages; one I got a kick out of was from a man who said the health club we both attended was indeed a lot gayer in the early evening, after I wrote that it seemed like a bastion of boring suburbanites when I worked out in the morning. Once, at an Image Out reception a handsome man introduced himself (my heart beat faster), introduced his partner [my heart calmed down] and said that reading my columns had made his coming out easier. A writer has a range of motives. Revenge is not unreasonable though unwise. Ego polishing is a hazard. To make a difference, that’s the goal. I’ve always been on Eric Bellmann signs off with his final the fringe of gay culture in Rochcolumn after 29 years. ester and there have been times when I suspected people judged me harshly or avoided becoming friends because of my confessions. A man I met on a blind date told me flat out: “Do not write about me!” On the other hand, MS, when I referenced him in a suitably veiled manner, jumped with joy: “I made it into a column!” Well, for all the pitfalls imagined or real, I chose to write the next column. I take satisfaction, I hope with some modesty, that I made a contribution to my culture, my community. Yet, who knows? Michael Bennett, the creator of “A Chorus Line,” said when considering his imminent death, “There are no third acts in musicals”. I am not a digital age person – you’ve been spared my comments about struggling with iPads and iPhones. I am a typist who likes hard copy and as you can observe, The Empty Closet is changing its style and content. Change is the one thing you can rely on. A long time ago I taught Art to 5 and 6 year old children in a Saturday program. My regular day job had changed in a way that allowed me weeks off and I determined that I could travel outside the country for longer periods of time. I told my boss that I would like to teach during the winter session. He said all or nothing, in effect forcing me out. I needed to travel. I feared I would suffer terribly without the easy affection those children gave me. I was wrong. The kids I taught at RIT filled the vacancy. And what I learned is that if you pay attention there is always love. Email: EricLBellmann@gmail.com
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OCTOBER 2017
Ongoing Calendar
DAILY
WEDNESDAYS
Free confidential walk-in HIV testing M/W 9am-5pm, T/Th 9am-7pm, F 9am-12:30pm Trillium Health 259 Monroe Ave. 585-545-7200
Finger Lakes Alzheimer’s Caregiver Institute LGBTQ and Allies Care Partner Support Group A new program of the Gay Alliance, 100 College Ave. Second Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30pm. No registration required but for information call Mara Kouides at 244-8400 x239 or the Alzheimer’s Association 585-760-5400.
Gay Alliance Library & Archives 9am-5pm. Tues./Wed./Thurs. 6:30-8:30pm 100 College Ave. Walk-in HIV testing At all Anthony Jordan health center sites including 82 Holland St. (See Resources)
MONDAYS LORA Coffee Social Equal Grounds Coffee House 750 South Ave. Monday evenings. 6pm. Contact: Regina Altizer: reginaaltizer@gmail.com
Identity Group LGBT identified individuals who have a developmental disability diagnosis. The group meets Wednesdays 3-4pm at ARC Health Services (2060 Brighton-Henrietta Townline Rd. 14623). The goal is to provide a safe space to discuss identity issues, share personal experiences and increase self-esteem. Facilitated by Delaina Fico. LMSW. Contact Delaina Fico at dfico@arcmonroe. org or 585-271-0661 ext. 1552.
FRIDAYS LGBT AA meeting Fridays, 7:30-8:30pm, Closed meeting. Emmanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave. ROC OUT Youth Monthly U-DJ Dance, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave., 244-8640; Ages 13-20. youth@gayalliance.org. Check Facebook.com/ GayAllianceYouth Boyz Night Out Drag king revue. First Fridays, The Firehouse Saloon, 814 S. Clinton Ave.
SATURDAYS The Repair Shop AA meeting at the LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 5:30-6:30pm, Saturdays. 244-8640.
ROCHESTER AA/NA MEETINGS
Every week there are three regularly scheduled GLBTI AA and two inclusive NA meetings in Rochester.
TUESDAYS
COAP Come Out and Play Wednesday game nights. 7-10pm. Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. coap.rochester@gmail.com
Trans Alliance of Greater Rochester Support/educational group for gender-variant people, allies. Third Saturday, 3-5:30pm, Open Arms MCC, 707 E. Main St.
Narcotics Anonymous AIDS and Recovery, 1124 Culver Road (Covenant United Methodist Church). 6-7:30pm. This is an NA meeting that is open to all addicts who have a desire to stop using. Although it is not specifically a gay-oriented meeting, it is welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as to anyone who is affected by HIV and AIDS.
Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Mondays, 6pm, George Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org.
Rochester Rams General Meeting 2nd Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave. www.rochesterrams.com
Frontrunners/Frontwalkers 9am, George Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org.
FRIDAYS
Steps Beyond Stems Crack Support Group, Mondays, 7-8pm, 289 Monroe Ave.
Positive Warriors Wednesdays, 11:30am-12:30pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave.
TUESDAYS
Positive Divas Wednesdays, 11:30am-12:30pm. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave.
Guys Night Out GNO, social group for transmen, now meets on the second Saturday of the month, 1pm, Equal Grounds, 750 South Ave.
Rochester Historical Bowling Society 7pm. Empire Lanes SAGE Monday Movie Meet-up 1:30pm Dryden Theater 900 East Ave 14607. Free to seniors. Please arrive early to sit together in right balcony. Contact Roger & Dave: rcfdjm@ gmail.com Movie Schedule: https://eastman.org/ film-series/senior-matinees
Line Dancing at 140 Alex Weekly on Wednesday, 7– 9pm. 140 Alex Bar & Grill, 140 Alexander St. Line dancing lessons upstairs. All types of music, relaxed group, beginners welcome! $2 a person suggested donation.
SAGE Senior Chair Yoga w/ Thomas Somerville 10:30-11:30am, LGBTQ Resource Center 100 College Ave 14607. $5.
Frontrunners/Frontwalkers 6pm, Eastman House parking lot. www.rochesterfrontrunners.org.
SAGE Lunch and Learn 11:30am Catered Lunch $3. donation, LGBTQ Resource Center 100 College Ave 14607
Gay Alliance Library & Archives 6:30-8:30pm (Also Tues. and Thurs.) 100 College Ave.
Alliance Yoga with Tom 5:30pm Multi level yoga for all ages. $15. LGBTQ Resource Center 100 College Ave 14607
Empire Bears Every Wednesday. 6pm dinner at various venues. See Empire Bears Inc. on Facebook.
COAP Open volleyball, Tuesdays 5pm-dusk, Cobbs Hill Park near Lake Riley Lodge. Teen Clinic at Planned Parenthood 114 University Avenue Rochester. Birth control, condoms, HIV testing, counseling. Weekly, Tuesdays 3-7pm. Adult Families of Trans Youth (AFTY) A program of the Gay Alliance. First Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30pm, Open Arms MCC Community Center, 707 E. Main St. TransParent Support group for parents of trans youth. Third Tuesdays, 6:30-8pm, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. LGBT Veterans Healthy Living Veterans support. 2nd, 4th Tuesdays, 10-11am Canandaigua VA, bldg. 9, room 8, Library conference room. 585 463-2731, 585 205-3360. Testing Tuesdays at Trillium Health FREE HIV Testing for everyone, STI/STD testing FREE for women and MSM. Trillium Health, 259 Monroe Ave, 5-8pm. 585-545-7200 Women’s Community Chorus Rehearsals each Tuesday, 6:30-9pm, Downtown United Pres. Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh Street. 2344441, www.therwcc.org Tangent Trans and Gender Expansive Youth First Tuesday. 5:30-6:30pm, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. Ages 13-20. 244-8640. SAGE Men’s Group 50+ 7pm, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 2nd, 4th Tuesdays. Topic discussion. rtony13@aol.com
THURSDAYS SAGE Senior Chair Yoga w/ Thomas Somerville 10:30am, LGBTQ Resource Center 100 College Ave 14607. $5. SAGE Seniors in Service First and third Thursdays 11:30am - 1:30pm. Call to Connect and other outreaches. Contact Anne for information annet@gayalliance.org. (585) 244-8640 x23. Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns 6:30pm. First Thursday. Ralph, 271-7649 Pride at Work & AFL CIO Meets third Thursdays, 6pm. LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. Bess Watts 426-0862. Depression Bipolar Support Alliance Youth and young adults. LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. dbsa.monroecounty@gmail.com GLOB&L (Gays & Lesbians of Bausch & Lomb) Meets every third Thursday in Area 67 conference room at the Optic Center. Voice mail: 338-8977 Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. 7-9:30pm, 423-0650 NLIST Transgender Support Group 5-6:15pm, Trillium Health. Must pre-register. HRC Second Thursdays Social/business networking, 5:30-7:30pm. Changing venues. Genesee Valley Gender Variants 7-9pm, Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. GV GenderVariants@yahoogroups.com Throw Down Euchre Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm @ LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. Join Sean (Moxie) Daniels and get together and play some Euchre. $5 includes snacks and drinks.
Rochester Rams Bar Night Third Saturdays, 8pm-2am, Bachelor Forum, 670 University Ave. 271-6930
Saturday Night Special Gay AA 6:30-7:30pm, AA Central Office, 1000 Elmwood Ave. Men and women. Open meeting. Sophia’s Supper Club First, third Saturdays, 25 Bernie Lane, 6:30pm. Men’s Cooking Group Third, fourth Saturdays. 585-355-7664, mcgofrochester@aol.com.
SUNDAYS PFLAG (Parents Families & Friends of Lesbians And Gays) At LGBTQ Resource Center, 1pm, 100 College Ave. 585 993-3297, rochesterpflag@gmail.com. LORA Women’s Brunch Third Sundays except holidays. 10am. Pixley’s Restaurant, 2235 Buffalo Rd., Gates. Contact Kerry at DressyFemme@aol.com Dignity-Integrity 1st Sunday: 5pm Episcopal Eucharist with music; 2nd Sunday: 5pm Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Word with music; 3rd Sunday: 5pm Episcopal Eucharist (quiet); 4th Sunday: 5pm Prayers to start the week, followed by potluck supper. Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church 707 E. Main St., Services at: 10:30am. 271-8478. Gay Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous St. Luke’s/St. Simon Cyrene Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. 8pm, 232-6720, Weekly. Closed meeting.
Resources page online at www.gayalliance.org
We had to ask, why have a film festival? Coming together in a dark theatre and watching together as a community – I think that’s what makes people come back. That’s the key thing that ImageOut offers the LGBTQ community. ~ Paul Allen
LGBT Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Avenue, 7:30pm. This is a round-robin discussion meeting. If you are shy about meeting people or speaking up in a group, you will find this meeting particularly warm and inviting because everyone gets their turn to speak (or pass). As a result, this meeting often runs long, so plan on more than the usual hour. Open meeting. Handicapped accessible.
SATURDAYS
The Repair Shop AA meeting at the LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. 5:30-6:30pm. 585-244-8640. Saturday Night Special AA Central Office, 1000 Elmwood Ave. 6:30-7:30pm. • Open meeting; all are welcome; “straightfriendly” • Mixed men and women • Handicapped accessible. Meetings begin with a speaker, followed by open discussion.
SUNDAYS
Step in the Right Direction 1275 Spencerport Road (Trinity Alliance Church) 7:30-9pm. This is an NA meeting that is open to all addicts who have a desire to stop using. Although it is not specifically a gay-oriented meeting, it is welcoming to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Each week features a reading from NA literature, followed by discussion. Rochester Gay Men St. Luke/St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh Street. 8pm. Bus riders use the Fitzhugh Street stop on Main Street at the County Office Building and walk south one block. • Closed meeting, restricted to alcoholics and addicts • Men’s meeting • NOT handicapped-accessible Meeting begins with a speaker, followed by open discussion. ■
OCTOBER 2017
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October SUNDAY 1
Dignity Integrity. Episcopal Liturgy, with music, healing Service. 5pm, St. Luke’ & St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St.
TUESDAY 3
Tangent (Trans and GenderExpansive Youth Group). Perchance to pumpkin? 5:30-6:30pm. Youth ages 13-20 decorate gourds with paint, glitter and feathers. LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. SAGE catered lunch 11:30am2pm $3. “Cake Day” for October birthdays, Hidden LGBTQ History: Larry Kramer.
WEDNESDAY 4
OUT in the Sticks: Batavia Meetup at Go Art! 6-8pm, Pizza & LGBTQ short films with discussion. $5. all are welcome. 201 E Main St, Batavia, NY 14020; annet@gayalliance.org
THURSDAY 5
SAGE Seniors in Service 11:30am-1:30pm volunteer activities & a light lunch. Doing “Call to Connect”, welcome mailings & sunshine cards. Contact Anne Tischer for information annet@gayalliance.org (585) 244-8640 x23. ImageOut Festival Eve Party. 7-10pm, Arbor Loft, 17 Pitkin St. Music by Frankie & the Jewels, Hunky Dory playing David Bowie dance tunes, snacks, drink specials & more. Douglas Crimp reading from his NYC art world memoir “Before Pictures.” Doors open 6:30pm. Memorial Art Gallery.
FRIDAY 6
Gallery Q First Friday opening. “Like Me,” paintings by Cristiano F. Lopes, 6-9pm, 100 College Ave. ImageOut Film Festival Opening Night. “Princess Cyd”. 6:30pm, Little Theatre 1. “God’s Own Country,” 9:30pm, Little Theatre 1.
SATURDAY 7
Lez Zeppelin LORA Meetup, German House, 315 Gregory St., 8pm (doors open 7pm). All-female trib-
The Community Events Calendar This calendar of community events is open to any organization or individual who has an event they’d like to make known to the entire LGBTQ and ally communities.
Use this QR code, or type: https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdapVq_ EtoYEDJkwsxfFopFoApoVskW8fcDoHtK-kjp3tAVsQ/viewform
ute band plays the best Zeppelin hits from “Kashmir” to “Immigrant Song” to “All of My Love.” Tickets available online at HistoricGermanHouse.com or at the bar at ButaPub, 315 Gregory Street and at the House of Guitars, 148 Titus Ave. $25. 16+ age. Benefits the Gay Alliance. Pride & Joy Families Meet-up at MuralFest 2017. Family activities. Floral Ave. Park, Johnson City NY (near Binghamton). An Edwardian Steampunk event: A Festive Harvest of Words, Music and Spirits. 8pm, Nox Cocktail Lounge, 302 N. Goodman St. Celebrating 120th anniversary of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Prizes for most creative Holmes character costumes! Hosted by SUNY Empire State College, sponsored by Alliance, Salena’s Restaurant, Dataflow, Writers & Books.
SUNDAY 8
Dignity Integrity. Catholic Liturgy, with music. 5pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Health Quest Plant-based Potluck. 4-6pm $3. Bring a dish to pass with the recipe. Learn more about vegan/vegetarian/whole foods cooking. annet@gayalliance.org
MONDAY 9
ROC Vets & SAGEVets film presentation: “Megan Leavey”, 7-9pm.at Alliance. Based on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose bond with her military combat dog saved lives during their deployment in Iraq. All are welcome. Free.
TUESDAY 10
SAGE Lunch & Learn. 11:30am2pm Catered lunch, $3. Kate Brett of Fleet Feet presents “Walk Fit”.
WEDNESDAY 11
Out Alliance Celebration Block Party. 5:30-7:30pm. LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. National Coming Out Day. Music, food trucks.
THURSDAY 12
SAGE Breakfast Club 10am12pm Denny’s Restaurant, 911 Jefferson Road, Henrietta. All are welcome! RSVP: Gerry by 10/10 at gkraus@ rochester.rr.com or (585) 730-8772
FRIDAY 13
LORA Meetup at Ambush Happy Hour, 6pm at Park Bench Pub 439 Monroe Ave, 14607. Christian Rainbow Fellowship, 7-9pm, Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4301 Mt. Read Blvd. Admission: finger food for eight, ready to serve. Info, RSVP: lindagpi8@gmail. com
SATURDAY 14
OUT in the Sticks Dansville Potluck & Bingo 5-8pm. Fearless Hook & Ladder Fire Hall, 26 Clara Barton St. 14437 $3. covers token prizes. All are welcome—bring friends & a dish to pass! annet@gayalliance.org ImageOut closing night party. 9pm, Anthology, 336 East Ave. Following “Freak Show,” closing feature at the Dryden Theatre. Snacks, cash bar, music by DJ Alykhan, Sole Rehab.
SUNDAY 15
LORA Women’s Brunch, 10am12pm, Pixleys Restaurant, 2235 Buffalo Road, Gates. All are welcome. RSVP: Kerry at DressyFemme@aol. com Celebration of Alan Davidson’s life. Noon-6pm. Bushman Cabin, Veterans’ Memorial Park, 595 Calkins Rd. in Henrietta. Potluck. If anyone has ideas for activities or entertainment, please email beachgirl92648@ yahoo.com. Dignity Integrity. Quiet Episcopal Liturgy. 5pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. Celebrating 42nd year of service to the LGBTQI community: Episcopal Mass followed by dinner at local restaurant. Reservations required by Oct. 9 for dinner. For more information or reservation, contact Pat at 385-2609 or leave message on the D-I Hotline.
MONDAY 16
Empty Closet deadline for November issue. 244-9030; susanj@ gayalliance.org
Historical Park, Seneca Falls, 3-4:30pm. Free admission. Sponsored by We Exist Coalition of the Finger Lakes.
SAGE Tuesday Lunch & Learn 11:30am-2pm. Catered lunch. $3. Leslie Alvarado of HCR presents “Health Jeopardy” game. SAGE Social Worker Support 11am-3pm. Kat Carr LCSW of Lifespan is available on-site to consult on issues around dementia, Alzheimers & care-giving. Free. Information: kcarr@lifespan-roch.org
Dignity Integrity. Prayers to start the Week followed by potluck. 5pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St. The theme for the October potluck is “Sand-Witches”. Second Annual Kaitlyn Emily Memorial Trans Youth Fundraiser. Presented by Todd Ranous and Gay Alliance at 140 Alex Bar & Grill, 2pm-? Food for sale, drag performances, raffle prizes, 50/50 drawing. DJ Mikey V.
TUESDAY 17
WEDNESDAY 18
SAGE Happy Hour at 140 Alex, 5-7pm. 140 Alexander St, 14607. Food & drink specials.
THURSDAY 19
SAGE Seniors in Service 11:30am-1:30pm volunteer activities & light lunch. “Call to Connect”, welcome mailings, sunshine cards. Information: annet@gayalliance.org (585) 244-8640 x23.
FRIDAY 20
SAGE “Pride in Aging: The Road Ahead” 2:30-4pm. Monthly professional presentations for people looking to “Age in Place”. Topic 2: Enhancing your home for function, safety & accessibility...or sale. Getting grants, finding good vendors & more. RSVP: Anne annet@gayalliance.org or (585) 244-8640x23.
SATURDAY 21
Drag Story Hour with Mrs. Kasha Davis, 10am. Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E. Main St. Free. Building Nests: assessment, treatment and support of transgender and gender expansive children, teens, young adults and their families. 9am-4pm, LGBTQ Resource Center, 100 College Ave. With Dr. Emma Forbes Jones. PhDs $150; social workers $100; students $75. Registration: https://bit. ly/2uYqwNJ Monster Mash Halloween Dance, 6-9:30pm, 21+ welcome. Tickets are $12 advance & $15 at the door. DJ Solidbear Todd Spicer, costume contest & adult refreshments. Lake Riley Lodge, 100 Norris Dr, Cobbs Hill Park. Annet@gayalliance.org. Transfusion. Melissa Grace Clark performs at Women’s Rights National
SUNDAY 22
MONDAY 23
OUT in the Sticks: Batavia Happy Hour, 5-7pm, Bourbon & Burger, 9 Jackson St, Batavia 14020 annet@gayalliance.org
TUESDAY 24
SAGE Tuesday Lunch & Learn 11:30am-2pm. Catered lunch. $3. LGBTQ short film and discussion.
WEDNESDAY 25
LORA “Winging It” Meetup at Richmond’s Tavern, 21 Richmond St. 14607 annet@gayalliance.org
FRIDAY 27
SAGE Fabulous Fish Fry 5:307pm, East End Tavern 37 Charlotte St, 14607. All are welcome! RSVP: Audet by 10/25 at (585)287-2958 or aprice002@aol.com
SATURDAY 28
SAGE Harvest Potluck at the Morgan Homestead, Lima 14485. Dress for outside if weather allows, bring chair, dish to pass. Pulled turkey sandwiches, vegan chili, hot cider provided. Miniature horses, goats, more. All welcome. John Rutkowski hosting. RSVP for directions: annet@ gayalliance.org or (585)244-8640x23
SUNDAY 29
Dignity Integrity. Catholic Liturgy, with music. 5pm at St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s Church, 17 S. Fitzhugh St.
TUESDAY 31
Halloween, Samhain. Ancient Celtic fire feast of death and rebirth. Sacred tree: Ivy. SAGE Tuesday Lunch 11:30am2pm, Catered lunch. $3. “Rocky Horror” Bingo for token prizes. Bring Halloween treat to share!
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Health honing a procedure which he has now performed on 22 trans women. Their new vaginas look, feel and secrete – that is, they get wet when aroused – like most natural vaginas. Hayley got the surgery in April, and is well into her recovery. There are more than 100 people on the waiting list for Ting’s gender affirmation surgeries who will soon join her. The procedure she helped bring into being has shown superior results so far, and has prompted Mount Sinai to launch the US’s first medical fellowship explicitly dedicated to trans surgery. -Read the full story on pinknews. co.uk
Dr. Jess Ting has invented a new vaginal surgery, inspired by his trans patient.
Trans woman gets new vaginal surgery she helped to create According to Josh Jackman on pinknews.co.uk: A transgender woman has undergone a revolutionary vaginal surgery she helped to invent. Hayley Anthony, a 30-year-old marketing consultant, has become one of the first people in the world to have a piece of tissue taken from the cavity of her abdomen and turned into a vagina. And it was her idea which sparked the groundbreaking procedure. In autumn 2015, after talking it through with her therapist, Hayley was preparing to undergo the standard procedure for trans bottom surgery. Her doctor, Jess Ting, the director of surgery at the Centre for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai, would cut open the penis and remove most of the insides. … (A)fter falling down a rabbit hole of Google searches, she discovered there could be another option. Hayley found a paper describing doctors in India who performed surgeries on women whose vaginas had grown abnormally or not at all. They started from scratch, using tissue from the peritoneum – loose tissue which surrounds the inside of your abdomen. Dr. Ting had been trying to come up with an alternative for years. “I kept thinking, there’s got to be something better,” he said. “But where were we going to find a large amount of pink, hairless, inner skin that secretes fluid?” Then Hayley showed him the paper. “At first he was like: ‘What is this girl doing?’” she laughed. “I have no medical training. I’m not a scientist. But then he looked at it and said: ‘Oh, there might be something here.’” The New York City doctor spent the next two years developing and
Peoples of color mental health conference set for Oct. 5-6 in NYC DBGM, an organization in Manhattan that is dedicated to recognizing and articulating the mental health issues of LGBT people of the Black diaspora, is hosting their third annual In My Mind: An LGBTQ Peoples of Color Mental Health Conference on Oct 5 and 6 at The Stewart Hotel. The issues that will be addressed at this conference are crucial to LGBTQ peoples of color communities. This year, the NASW-NYC Chapter is offering CEs for social workers who attend any of the 14 presentations at the conference, up to 14 credit hours. DBGM would like to invite as many social workers who require CEs for their licensing to register. More information, the tentative conference schedule, and registration are available on the Conference website.
Breast Cancer Awareness By Leslie Alvarado, LMSW HCR Home Care , Senior Medical Social Worker-LGBTQ Program Lead October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a time to acknowledge the importance of selfbreast care, celebrate those we have lost to the battle, educate, and provide on-going support to loved ones who may be newly diagnosed or continuing their journey. When people think of breast cancer, they often picture a cisgender straight woman. What they don’t realize is that a significant percentage of the LGBTQ population is affected by breast cancer and has a higher risk of the disease. Much of the LGBTQ population has experienced a lack of inclusivity when receiving medical treatment or services, such as annual breast exams. Lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people face a higher risk of breast cancer than their cisgender counter parts. This is often times attributed to a fear of medical providers not understand-
Leslie Alvarado of HCR talks about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what we should know about mammograms.
ing or discriminating against them, the idea that a screening is not necessary because they did not have children, or that they feel disconnected from their breasts. Transgender people are sometimes excluded from topics of breast cancer because it is seen as a “women’s issue,” thus creating a larger gap for inclu-
sive treatment. In some cases transmen may feel that breast exams do not apply to them. However, studies show that after chest reconstruction some breast tissue is left behind which remains susceptible to cancer, thus making it important to consider a breast tissue exam with a primary care provider (Fenwayfocus.org). How can we protect ourselves from breast cancer? Find a healthcare provider that provides LGBTQ competent care that you trust, stay informed, stay connected with your providers, and stay active in your routine care! Who should get breast exams? Transgender women over the age of 50 who have undergone HRT for five or more years should get a mammogram annually. Transgender men who have not had chest reconstructive surgery should get mammograms annually after age 50; those who have had top surgery still need annual breast tissue exams by a health care professional. Those with family risk factors may need to begin mammograms earlier. REFERENCE: A More Inclusive Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (2012, October 16). Retrieved September 18, 2017, from http://fenwayfocus.org/2012/10/bcam/
OCTOBER 2017
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Culture
Mrs. Kasha Davis, International Celebrity Housewife, will host a monthly children’s story hour at Blackfriars Theatre.
Fabulous family fun – Drag Story Hour with Mrs. Kasha Davis starts at Blackfriars By Rowan Collins Saturdays just got a little more fabulous! The Alliance has launched Drag Story Hour in partnership with RuPaul’s Drag Race star and local favorite, Mrs. Kasha Davis, and Blackfriars Theatre. Each story hour includes Mrs. Kasha Davis reading a children’s book that focuses on diversity, inclusion, love, and acceptance, followed by a dance party and craft activity for participants to take home. The story hour will provide kids with encouragement to embrace differences within themselves and others, and simultaneously serve as support for parents and family members. The free series will be held at Blackfriars Theatre (www.blackfriars.org/ dragstoryhour) and the Alliance will have a presence at each story hour to help facilitate conversation, answer questions, and provide resources to families. “As champions of LGBTQ life and culture, the Alliance is proud to partner with Blackfriars and Mrs. Kasha Davis to produce this series that will create opportunities for authenticity, conversation, and connection. We are thrilled to support inclusive programs for our youth and their families,” said Alliance Managing Director, Jeff Myers. Mrs. Kasha Davis added her excitement for the series: “Children need adults to provide them with the opportunity to express their true and authen-
tic selves and I believe we need children to remind us that no matter how complicated adults make this world, we are all seeking one common goal: TO BE LOVED.” Blackfriars’ Development Director Mary Tiballi Hoffman underscored the importance of the series: “We’re very proud to take on a project that nurtures acceptance, compassion and inclusion within the next generation – we need it now more than ever.” Drag Story Hour is presented with additional support from Get Caked and Quentin Roach. Drag Story Hour Schedule: 10/21/2017 at 10 a.m. - “Derek The Knitting Dinosaur” 12/30, 2017 at 10 a.m. - “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress” 2/17, 2018 at 10 a.m. - “Red: A Crayon’s Story” 3/24, 2018 at 10 a.m. - “Sleeping Bobby” 5/12, 2018 at 10 a.m. - “Not Every Princess” All Drag Story Hour books are also available to borrow at the Alliance Library, found at the LGBTQ Resource Center, so the read-along fun can continue at home!
“Achingly personal” Fun Home comes to Rochester at RBTL By Rowan Collins Fun Home, the Tony award-winning musical based on cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel of the same name, will make its way to Rochester this November. The show, the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist, has been touring the country since last fall. Through partnership with Rochester Broadway Theatre League and Writers and Books, the Alliance will offer our Out on Stage youth club a chance to interact with the source material and cast, see the show, and participate in a talk-back. Robert Petkoff, who plays Bruce – the patriarch of the “Fun Home” – spoke with us from the tour stop in Arizona. How has the response been across the country? It has been an incredibly gratifying response. Heading to cities across the country, there was this question of ‘how will this be received?’ but we have seen an overwhelmingly positive response. I think the show allows us to connect on a human level. You’ve been playing Bruce for over a year now. He is such a complex character; how has the role evolved on the road? The role is much richer now. Bruce is a real human and I try to bring that to every show we do. At the beginning, it felt like I was just scratching the surface – I learn something new every time. I feel so honored to have the ability to play this role. So many roles out there are not this complicated. I will never feel like I’ve got it. I see it as an unfinished work, each time we take the stage. Favorite line from the show? There’s this one line that gets repeat-
God’s Own Country
Just Charlie
120 Beats a Minute
ImageOut to screen 65 films for 25th Anniversary Festival By Susan Jordan “Every October, ImageOut gives Rochester a big present full of these amazing LGBTQ+ stories from all over the world, and this year it is tied with a silver bow! We are proudly celebrating 25 years of bringing everyone together through the magic of cinema,” said Michael Gamilla. “The LGBTQ+ narrative is ever evolving and the stories this year are rich, textured and still manage to surprise. The current political climate also inspires activism in so many ways which just underlines that our fight for equality is never over. So there are a lot of inspirations for filmmakers to draw from and our lineup showcases some of the best and highly anticipated LGBTQ+ films this year. “We are also hosting the world premiere of a fascinating documentary Speak The Truth by Kris Erickson, which presents the experiences of les-
bians who came out later in their lives. It is honest and heartfelt, and should be seen by a wide audience. We are honored to be a platform for a strong new voice in LGBTQ+ cinema.” The Festival Eve party will take place on Oct. 5 at Arbor Loft, 17 Pitkin St. It will feature music by Frankie and the Jewels, and Hunky Dory playing David Bowie dance tunes. Opening Night films on Oct. 6 are Princess Cyd and God’s Own Country. This year’s Spotlight films Tom Of Finland (Oct. 7) and A Date For Mad Mary (Oct. 13). Narrative Centerpiece is 120 Beats Per Minute (Oct. 12) and Documentary Centerpiece is Chavela (Oct. 11). The Closing Night Film on Oct. 14 is Freak Show. The screening will be followed by the Closing Night Party at 9 p.m. at Anthology, 336 East Ave., featuring DJ Alykhan and Sole Rehab.
ed in “Edges of the World” and it’s just “It’s a lot.” “It’s a lot to keep under control.” It does such a wonderful job of expressing how overwhelmed Bruce is by his shame, by his secret, by this image that is not completely him. Not that he is living a lie, but there is this part of him that is not allowed to be seen. He can’t be truly authentic. That line captures it beautifully. What would you tell Rochester audiences who are going to experience this show for the first time? You are in for a thoughtful, human show. It’s very funny in parts but there is a tragic human story of life and love. The show strives to answer the
“why” and not the “what”. I call some shows cotton candy because they’re fun, they’re light, they’re just what you want in that moment. I’d say Fun Home is more like a gourmet meal. It fills you up in a way that cotton candy can’t. Most gratifying part of being in the show? Seeing young people, especially young woman, in our audiences watch their story being told has been so gratifying. I see my story get told all the time. Seeing their faces as they see their story means so much more. Fun Home lands at the Auditorium Theatre Nov. 14-19. See rbtl.org for more details.
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Gallery Q features Like Me, portraits by Cristiano F. Lopes, opening Oct. 4 Cristiano F. Lopes’ paintings from the series Like Me will be exhibited at Gallery Q through the month of October. The gallery will host a First Friday event on Oct. 4 from 6-9 p.m. Lopes is a Brazilian visual artist living in Buffalo and Sao Paolo, Brazil. As a multicultural artist he is interested in the ways in which the Internet breaks down cultural and political borders and barriers particularly through the use of self portraiture, or “selfies,” as a form of communication. “Like the internet, my work has no nationalities and is in constant revolution leading to different connec-
Local filmmaker Tom Crane selected for 25th ImageOut Festival By Rowan Collins Tom Crane is dedicated to making LGBTQ short films that are done with a 100 percent local cast and crew and highlight the Rochester region to the worldwide LGBTQ community. “Films are the strongest form of communication. I now have the ability to extend a story that has personal meaning to me share with the world how amazing our community is.” Crane emphasizes the rich history of human rights in Rochester, from Frederick Douglas, Susan B. Anthony, and Harriet Tubman, to The Empty
Rochester film director Tom Crane’s work will be featured at ImageOut.
Closet, Tim Main’s historic election as the first openly gay elected official in NYS, among other trailblazing events, people, and organizations. This October, Crane will debut his newest short Sugar, Daddy! at the 25th ImageOut Festival, running Oct. 5-15 (see imageout.org for full festival details). “I’m proud to be the only local gay filmmaker,” Crane notes, adding that “(ImageOut Programming Director) Michael Gamilla handselects the best films worldwide … his standards are extremely high!” While Crane could coast on the success he has seen for his recent endeavors, he won’t rest on his laurels. He is currently in post-production on two news films with three scripts ready for filming. Keep an eye out for more love letters to the LGBTQ community and Rochester as Crane continues to expand his impressive body of work. See Sugar, Daddy! and hundreds of other LGBTQ films as part of the 25th annual ImageOut Film Festival.
Author and UR art history professor Douglas Crimp talks about his life in the NYC art world of the ‘60s/‘70s at the Memorial Art Gallery on Oct. 5.
Douglas Crimp to read from his memoir of the gay art world
Cristiano Lopes’ work represents the human condition.
tions,” states Lopes. While much of his work deals with gender and sexuality through appropriated imagery, his portraits aim to represent the human condition. Lopes says, “I’m a visual artist interested in people, the complexity of human existence is reflected on the multi-layered aspect of my work.” In his series Like Me he appropriates Internet selfies of icons of queer culture, such as drag performers and porn stars. He translates the digital image into a painted portrait transforming something fleeting and ephemeral into something tangible and lasting, drawing new connections between viewer and sitter. Gallery Q is part of the Alliance Resource Center, located at 100 College Ave. The gallery is open Monday and Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., as well as Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. The exhibition closes Oct. 26.
On Oct. 5 Douglas Crimp will do a reading from his book ‘Before Pictures’; a memoir of the art world and the gay world in New York from the late 1960s through the 1970s. Rachel Haidu will interview Douglas. The event takes place at the Memorial Art Gallery. Books will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Douglas Crimp is Fanny Knapp Allen Professor of Art History at the University of Rochester and the author of On the Museum’s Ruins, 1993; Melancholia and Moralism: Essays on AIDS and Queer Politics, 2002; “Our Kind of Movie”: The Films of Andy Warhol, 2012, and Before Pictures, 2016. He was the curator of the Pictures exhibition at Artists Space, New York, in 1977 and, from 1977 to 1990, an editor of the journal October, for which he edited the special issue AIDS: Cultural Analysis/Cultural Activism in 1987. With Lynne Cooke, he organized the exhibition Mixed Use, Manhattan for the Reina Sofía in Madrid in 2010, and he was on the curatorial team for the 2015 iteration of MoMA PS1’s quinquennial Greater New York. Rachel Haidu is Associate Professor Art History and Director of the Visual and Cultural Studies Program at the University of Rochester. She is the author of The Absence of Work: Marcel Broodthaers 1964-76. She writes regularly for Artforum, 4 Columns, and Text zur Kunst.
OCTOBER 2017
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OCTOBER 2017
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The Gay Alliance works to be champions for LGBTQ life and culture. We strive to ensure that all members of the LGBTQ communities, at all stages of their lives, are free to be fully participating citizens, living lives in which they are safe, stable and fully respected.
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Bed & Breakfast
Board of Trustees
Colleen Raimond, President Jennifer Matthews, Secretary Martin Murphy, Treasurer Jason Barnecut-Kearns, Paul Birkby, Chloe Corcoran, Sady Fischer, Jeff Lambert, Milo Primeaux, Luis RosarioMcCabe, David Zona Executive Director Scott Fearing Managing Director Jeffrey Myers Development Director Josh Stapf Education Director Jeannie Gainsburg Education Coordinator Rowan Collins Education Coordinator Kayden Miller SAGE Program Coordinator Anne Tischer Database Kat Wiggall Bookkeeper Christopher Hennelly Administrative Assistant Jeana Bonacci-Roth
The Empty Closet Editor Susan Jordan susanj@gayalliance.org   Phone: (585) 244-9030 Fax: (585) 244-8246 Graphic Design Jim Anderson jimandersondesign@me.com Photography Doug Meszler (585) 244-9030 Jennie Bowker jennieb@gayalliance.org. (585) 244-9030
The Gay Alliance
100 College Avenue Rochester, New York 14607 Mon. & Fri., 9am-5pm Tues., Wed., Thurs. 9am-8pm Phone: (585) 244-8640 Fax: (585) 244-8246 Email: info@gayalliance.org Internet: www.gayalliance.org
Promoting responsible pet ownership and providing a variety of pet services in the Rochester area since 1957. We are a no kill, cage-free shelter providing adoption and other pet services for cats, dogs and small animals. Call to schedule a tour of our beautiful state-of-the-art facility in Irondequoit. (585) 342-6099 www.animalserviceleagueny.org www.facebook.com/AnimalServiceLeague
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OCTOBER 2017