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1 COVER 3 IN THIS ISSUE CALENDAR OUT ON LI: 7 THE LGBT NETWORK CENTER AT BAY SHORE HOSTS LONG ISLAND UNITY RALLY 7 HAMPTONS LGBT CENTER HOSTS YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN THE NEWS: 8 NATIONAL 10 INTERNATIONAL OUT FRONT: 12 GOOD THING COME TO THOSE WHO ARE MEGAN MULLALLY BE SCENE: 15 GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA) MIXER 17 LONG ISLAND UNITY RALLY 19 SAGE-LI VALENTINES STOPLIGHT PARTY OUT AND ABOUT: 20 Q-MUSIC: THIS WOMAN’S WORK 22 Q-MUSIC: POP POTPOURRI 24 BOOK GUIDE: YOUR WINTER 2017 READING LIST 27 INTERVIEWS: HEY MR. EITZEL 29 REVIEWS: EVEN NOW COMES TO THE CLARE ROSE PLAYHOUSE LIVING SMART: 30 HOROSCOPES: FEBRUARY 2017 POINT OF VIEW: 31 THE IRONY BEHIND TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN AND HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Center Parent’s Committee Thursday, February 23rd, 7-9 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
The Center Family Project was established in order to bring families together to share experiences and build a supportive community. We are assembling a committee to build the foundation of the new -Center Family Project. This will be a think tank for you to provide your perspective and discuss thoughts on what support and services, type of events and play dates, and how to create the environment LGBT households need and want. Would you be willing to participate in this pioneering body?
Friday Night OUT 4th Fridays, 7-9 p.m. East End: The Hamptons LGBT Center, 44 Union St., Sag Harbor
Friday Night OUT is the place to be for East End LGBT youth and their allies on the Fourth Friday of every month at the Hamptons LGBT Center. Dance, play games, and have fun! www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.899.4950
Hampton Bays Mingle 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 3-5 p.m. Hampton Bays Senior Center, 25 Ponquogue Ave., Hampton Bays SAGE-LI’s bi-monthly social for LGBT seniors
50+ on the East End. Dinner is served on the 4th OUTdoors Trip:“Hidden Thursday of the month. Bernstein” www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300 Thursday, February 23rd, 6:30-9 p.m. Museum of the City of New York, LIFE in Nassau 1220 5th Avenue at 103rd Street, 2nd Thursday, 7-9 p.m. New York, NY 10029 A pioneering figure of Broadway, Leonard Nassau: Center at Woodbury, Bernstein largely kept his homosexuality secret 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, from the public and the press. Now, a new Suite 110, Woodbury collection of letters from Bernstein’s personal archives provides a treasure trove of information on this complicated and enigmatic man. Join this conversation with singer/comedian/actress Lea DeLaria (“Big Boo” on Orange is the New Black), the Museum’s Curator of Architecture and Design Donald Albrecht, The Library of Congress music specialist Mark Horowitz, and Carol Oja, Author of Bernstein Meets Broadway: Collaborative Art in a Time of War. Senior tickets are $20. The event is expected to sell out, so please book early!
Be Proud! Be Responsible Saturday, February 25th, 11 - 5pm Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
“Be Proud! Be Responsible!” is a fun, full-day workshop at the Center at Bay Shore, dedicated to providing LGBT youth and their friends and allies with the power to make proud and responsible choices concerning their sexual health. Upon completion, all participants will receive a $20 gift card for attending the workshop! Free pizza! Prizes given for active participation! Free van transportation will be available!
David Bohnett CyberCenter Monday-Thursdays, 4-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
The David Bohnett CyberCenter at LIGALY offers hands on experience and classes in various software environments from productivity to creative design on the PC and Mac platforms. The classes range from introductory, intermediate, and advance levels. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
Drop-In HIV/STD Testing: Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore Thursdays, 5-8 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury By Appointment. East End: The Hamptons LGBT Center, 44 Union St., Sag Harbor
Free and confidential testing for HIV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Hepatitis C. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
LIFE in Nassau meets every second Thursday. Open to adults of all genders and orientations with an interest in BDSM topics.
LIGALY Advisory Board Mondays, 6-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
Youth help plan new programs and events at LIGALY. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
LITE Social and Discussion Group 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30-9 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
All Nassau County meetings are closed for transgender individuals only.
Wednesdays, 7:30-9 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
1st, 3rd, and 5th meetings are closed for transgender individuals only. 2nd and 4th meetings are for transgender individuals and partners, family, friends, or loved ones. 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m.
East End: The Hamptons LGBT Center, 44 Union St., Sag Harbor
All East End meetings are closed for transgender individuals only. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
OUTlet Fridays, 8 p.m.-Midnight Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
Friday night social program for LGBT youth and their friends ages 13-21. $2 admission, transportation available. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
Parent Support Group 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 6-7 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore 1st & 3rd Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
If you workand/or have engage Discussion group for parents of LGBT children. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
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PEP Teams – Suffolk Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
Interactive leadership program promoting sexual health for LGBT young people. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
POZ Experience 1st Monday, 2 - 3 p.m. 3rd Monday, 6:30- 7:30 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
POZ Experience is a support group for all people living with HIV/AIDS. Facilitated by an experienced social worker, this group is designed to offer support, listen and share stories of our experience, whether individuals are newly diagnosed or have been living with HIV/AIDS for years. This group is intended to foster peer support, in an LGBT affirming space, that promotes living one’s life to the fullest and healthiest For more information, call 631.665.2300 or email poz@lgbtnetwork.org
Q Center Senior Advisory Board 2nd Thurday, 12-1p.m. Q Center : 58-20 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck, NY
This group provides feedback on current Q Center Senior Programming and offers ideas for future programming. All are welcome! Contact lsmith@lgbtnetwork.org www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
Q Center Senior Mingle Thursdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Q Center - 58-20 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck, NY
Pack a lunch and join other LGBT older adults for great conversation over coffee. Contact lsmith@lgbtnetwork.org www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
Safe Schools Team Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
SAGE-LI Nassau Mingle Potluck First Tuesday, 1 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
Bring your favorite dish and enjoy lunch over light refreshments and great conversation with friends. Please let us know if you plan on joining us and what you are going to bring to share . www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
SAGE-LI Women at Nassau Wednesdays, 7:30-8:45 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
(SWAN) A social and discussion group for lesbian, bisexual, & transgender women as well as women questioning their identity. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
Senior Advocate First Monday, 11a.m.-1 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
A Senior Advocate from Suffolk County Office for the Aging is on-site each month to offer SAGE-LI members benefits and entitlement counseling. From Social Security to Food Stamps to Medicare Part D and everything in between, the Senior Advocate will be available during the Mingle to answer your questions and point you in the right direction. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
Senior Focus Discussion Group Last Monday, 12pm-1 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
Part of a monthly series of coed peer-led, issuefocused discussion groups. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
TRUE Calling Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
Youth leadership program for young people committed to creating safer schools on Long Island. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
LIGALY is offering a great opportunity for LGBT youth and their friends to show off their skills! Sing, act, dance, or perform. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
SAGE-LI Evening Mingle 3rd Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
Women 2 Women Tuesdays, 7:15-8:45 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
If you workand/or have engagements during the day that limit you from attending the fabulous SAGE-LI daytime programming, this is the program for you. All are welcome! www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
SAGE-LI Monday Mingle Mondays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
W2W is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive space for lesbians age 40+.
You Gotta Believe Mondays, 6-9 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
SAGE-LI’s weekly social for LGBT seniors 50+ at The Center at Bay Shore. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
The Long Island LGBT Community Center has partnered with You Gotta Believe, a non-profit organization that places teenagers into permanent adoptive homes, to provide Adoptive Parent Preparation Classes! If you are interested in participating, please call 631.665.2300. www.lgbtnetwork.org
SAGE-LI Nassau Mingle Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
Youth Squad Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. East End: The Hamptons LGBT Center, 44 Union St., Sag Harbor
SAGE-LI’s weekly social for LGBT seniors 50+ at The Center at Woodbury. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
All East End youth should come check out this new hot LGBT spot. Every Tuesday is a fun interactive youth group: hang out with others in the lounge. You won’t want to miss it! www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.899.4950
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THE COMMUNITY CENTERS OF THE LGBT NETWORK WILL BE CLOSED ON IN HONOR OF PRESIDENTS DAY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH
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OUT ON LI
The LGBT Network Center at Bay Shore Hosts Long Island Unity Rally On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the LGBT Network’s Center at Bay Shore hosted a diverse coalition of organizations, advocates, and over 150 community members to stand up and speak out for the rights of all, regardless of their ethnicity, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation. The event was planned to help raise awareness of the efforts being undertaken by local organizations like the LGBT Network to protect community members whose rights could come under-fire by the Trump administration, as well as to engage people in productive efforts to protect and advance equality for all. “Our community is facing difficult times ahead as the President assembles the most extreme, anti-LGBT administration in modern history. We will fight to protect all the gains we have made toward equality and we will survive and we will thrive like we always do. And we must stand united with our brothers and sisters in all marginalized communities to push back against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, bigotry and misogyny. Together we are stronger,” said David Kilmnick, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the LGBT Network.
See video from the event at youtube.com/user/liglbtnetwork
See photos from the event at the LGBT Network Flickr page
Hamptons LGBT Center Hosts Youth Leadership Program On December 15th, the LGBT Network hosted a youth leadership development program at its Hamptons LGBT Center. More than 50 students from local Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs joined together to learn how to fight anti-LGBT bullying and to design a visibility and outreach campaign to get the message out to more of their peers. Students received “upstander” training, which educates and empowers youth and adults to stop bullying when they see it, thereby serving as an upstander. In most instances of bullying, if someone steps in to help the victim within ten seconds, the bullying stops. Training youth to become upstanders becomes a critically important strategy to end the bullying of youth and adults. Students also created a comprehensive outreach campaign including a “GSA PSA,” posters, and social media hashtags to help grow the ranks of their local GSA clubs.
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See photos from the event at the LGBT Network Flickr page LIVING OUT
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IN THE NEWS
national News
By LGBT Network
Secretary of Jeff Sessions Confirmed as State John Kerry Attorney General Despite Apologizes for Racist, Anti-LGBT Views Firings of LGBT Staff
The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as U.S. attorney general after a rancorous debate and criticism of a long anti-LGBT career. Lawmakers approved Sessions as the nation’s top lawyer by a 52-47 vote along party lines. The Republican caucus, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), was unified in support of Sessions. The Democratic caucus, including lesbian Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), was largely opposed, although Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) broke ranks to vote with Republicans. Sessions, who has been a U.S. senator since 1997 and was previously Alabama’s attorney general and a federal prosecutor, was one of Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees. Sessions has opposed marriage equality, LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes laws, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the latest (and LGBT-inclusive) version of the Violence Against Women Act, and other progressive measures. He is deeply opposed to abortion rights and immigration reform, and he has come under fire for his prosecution of voting rights activists in Alabama. He has been accused of making racist statements — something that derailed his nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986, and something he has denied. As Attorney General, Sessions has stated that he will prioritize “religious freedom,” as in the proposed “First Amendment Defense Act” (FADA) which permits legalized discrimination against LGBT people.
Wife of Florida Nightclub Gunman Pleads Not Guilty to Aiding Attack Reuters-The wife of the gunman in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history pleaded not guilty to charges she assisted him ahead of the fatal shooting of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Florida and later misleading authorities. Noor Salman, 30, aided and abetted husband Omar Mateen in his attempt to provide material support to a terrorist organization, federal prosecutors said. They also accuse her of obstructing justice by lying to authorities investigating the June 2016 massacre. Salman appeared in federal court in Oakland, California, in an orange jail uniform and remained silent. An attorney entered the not guilty pleas on her behalf. Salman, the first person charged by U.S. authorities in connection with the attack, faces up to life in prison if convicted. Her husband was killed in a shootout with police after taking hostages during a three-hour standoff at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Salman was not present during the shooting, which also left dozens wounded and intensified fears about attacks by Americans inspired by Islamic State, the militant 8
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organization. A grand jury indictment accused her of criminal activity beginning as early as April, several months before the massacre, but did not give details on how she helped Mateen. Prosecutors did not disclose more information. Hearings will be held later regarding her legal representation, detention and expected transfer to Florida. Salman was arrested in California, where she was living with her mother in the San Francisco area. Mateen, 29, pledged allegiance to the leader of Islamic State during the shooting. He had been investigated twice by the FBI for possible connections with militant Islamist groups. Mateen, who lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, with Salman and their young son, was selfradicalized and acted alone without assistance or orders from abroad, according to U.S. authorities. Salman, a U.S. citizen and the daughter of parents who emigrated from the West Bank in 1985, was physically abused by Mateen, her uncle, Al Salman, told reporters. The uncle said she was innocent and had no idea of her husband's plans.
Reuters-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry apologized to hundreds of State Department employees who were fired after the start of the Cold War for being gay in what is known as the "lavender scare." "In the past - as far back as the 1940s, but continuing for decades - the Department of State was among many public and private employers that discriminated against employees and job applicants on the basis of perceived sexual orientation, forcing some employees to resign or refusing to hire certain applicants in the first place," Kerry said in a statement. "These actions were wrong then, just as they would be wrong today." He added: "On behalf of the Department, I apologize to those who were impacted by the practices of the past and reaffirm the Department's steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion for all our employees, including members of the LGBTI community." U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from Maryland, wrote Kerry in November referring to the time as a "deep stain on our national history and that of the State Department." Cardin told Kerry he intended to "remedy this injustice" by introducing legislation to acknowledge the "lavender scare" years and offer an apology on behalf of Congress.
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IN THE NEWS
national News
By LGBT Network
Poll: Most Americans Oppose So-Called “Religious Freedom” Laws That Permit Discrimination LGBTQ NATION- Americans are not on board with discrimination against the LGBTQ community under the guise of “religious freedom,” according to a new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they oppose religious based refusals of service to LGBTQ people. Only thirty percent said they agree with such exemptions, and nine percent said they did not know or refused to answer. The White House has reportedly been considering a “religious freedom” executive order that would be a license to discriminate against the LGBTQ community, as well as unmarried couples, and Congress appears eager to pass the First Amendment Defense Act, which would also allow for belief based discrimination. Trump has pledged to sign the legislation if it passes Congress, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has also recently defended it.
Boy Scouts to Begin Only Two Hollywood Films Accepting Transgender Boys get GLAAD Nominations For LGBT Stories Reuters-The Boy Scouts of America said the group would begin accepting transgender boys, bucking its more than a century-old practice of using the gender stated on a birth certificate to determine eligibility. "Starting today, we will accept and register youth in the Cub and Boy Scout programs based on the gender identity indicated on the application," Boy Scouts of America communications director Effie Delimarkos said in an emailed statement. Delimarkos cited shifting definitions of gender under state laws, which can "vary widely from state to state," in explaining the change. She said that while the organization offers programs for all youths, its Cub and Boy Scout programs are specifically for boys. The change will allow children to apply even if male is not listed on their birth certificate. In 2013, the Boy Scouts voted to lift a ban on openly gay scouts that had been in place throughout the organization's history after gay rights advocates gathered petitions with more than 1.8 million signatures in support of ending the ban.
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Reuters-Just two mainstream movies - "Moonlight" and "Star Trek Beyond" - earned nominations for the annual GLAAD awards recognizing the fair portrayal of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in film, television, music and journalism. Activist group GLAAD said the two nominations were the lowest since 2003 in its wide-release movie category and reflected the dearth of LGBT-inclusive storylines at Hollywood movie studios. "At a time when progress is at a critical juncture, it is imperative that Hollywood tell more LGBTQ stories that reflect the community's rich diversity - and build understanding that brings all communities closer together," GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "Moonlight," which is also nominated for eight Oscars, is the coming of age tale of a young black man struggling with his sexual identity in an impoverished South Miami neighborhood. Sci-fi adventure "Star Trek Beyond" portrayed USS Enterprise crew member Hikaru Sulu as a gay man to honor the gay activism of actor George Takei who originated the role but played it as a straight man some 50 years ago. Outside film, GLAAD found plenty to honor on television, including nominations for comedy series "The Real O'Neals," "Transparent" and "Grace and Frankie," as well as drama series "The OA," "Supergirl," "The Fosters" and soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." Singers Frank Ocean, Elton John, Sia and Lady Gaga were among those nominated in an expanded music category, while comic book nominations doubled to 10 this year and included "DC Comics Bombshells" and summer camp girls adventure "Lumberjanes." The GLAAD media awards were started 28 years ago to honor images and storylines that challenge misconceptions and broaden understanding and acceptance of the LGBT community. The awards will be handed out at ceremonies in Los Angeles on April 1 and in New York on May 6. LIVING OUT
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IN THE NEWS
INTernational News
By LGBT Network
Britain Pardons Thousands of Gay Men For Convictions Under Abolished Laws Reuters-Britain has pardoned thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of crimes under sexual offense laws which have now been abolished, following on from the 2013 exoneration of World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing. Homosexual acts were not decriminalized in England until 1967 and it was not until 2001 that the age of consent for homosexuals was reduced to 16, making it the same as for heterosexuals. The so-called "Turing's Law", named after the celebrated mathematician who was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 for having sex with a man, clears thousands of men of crimes of which they would be innocent today. Under the new rules, gay and bisexual men convicted of consensual same-sex acts can be pardoned as long as it can be proved that the sexual act was consensual and the partner was over the age of consent. For those still alive, the offences will be removed from any criminal record checks via a "disregard process". "This is a truly momentous day," Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said in a statement. "We can never undo the hurt caused, but we have apologized and taken action to right these wrongs." Turing, who cracked Nazi Germany's "unbreakable" Enigma code, was stripped of his job and chemically castrated after his 1952 conviction. He killed himself two years later, aged 41. After years of campaigning by supporters including physicist Stephen Hawking, Turing was granted a rare royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth in 2013. Lord John Sharkey, who had been pushing the government to issue pardons, said last year some 65,000 men had been convicted under the now-repealed laws, of which 15,000 were still alive. The pardons, promised by the government last October, came into effect recently after being signed off by Queen Elizabeth.
LGBT Refugees Endangered by Trump’s Executive Order Glamour-President Trump’s decision to sign an executive order halting all U.S. refugee admissions for 120 days, while suspending Syrians indefinitely, has thrown scores of people hoping to enter the U.S. into uncertainty. Yet for LGBT refugees in the Middle East, the order has a particularly dangerous impact, stranding them in countries where living too openly can get them arrested, beaten, or murdered. It’s a threat posed not just from Islamic State terrorists, who’ve documented horrific executions of LGBT people in Syria and Iraq, but also from those closest to the LGBT people in question: schoolmates, neighbors, family. Many of the countries in the region criminalize homosexuality and see widespread persecution of their LGBT citizens as a result—even in the more democratic and culturally progressive places like Lebanon. Thanks to Trump’s executive order, humanitarian and legal workers who assist LGBT refugees now fear for their clients’ lives. “A lot of people are going to die,” said Neil Grungras, executive director of the Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration (ORAM), an NGO that helps LGBT asylum seekers. “People are becoming really, really desperate. We’ve had awful cases in the last week with refugees who came in threatening to commit suicide or who had attempted suicide.” Of course, the executive order will also have far-reaching effects beyond the LGBT community. Refugees who spent years going through the complex U.S. screening process have already been prevented from resettling here, and according to the government, more than 100,000 visas have already been revoked because of the ban. Grungras worries the U.S.’s new policy will throw the entire resettlement system into chaos, with particularly dire consequences for LGBT refugees. It’s an especially notable slice of suffering, given that part of Trump’s justification for the policy is to bar “those who would oppress Americans of any race, gender, or sexual orientation.” “Our clients in Turkey are not allowed to move,” Grungras said. “They’re targeted by neighbors and families, and their only chance was to get out. Now we’re telling them, 'Sorry, the resettlement system is going down.' Why would you expect someone like that not to slit his wrists?” 10
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Pakistan Counts Transgender People in National Census for First Time Reuters-Pakistan will count transgender people in its national census for the first time when it surveys its population in March this year following a top court ruling. The Lahore High Court issued the order to the government, National Database and Registration Authority, and the interior ministry with a government official assuring the court that the transgender community will be part of the 2017 census. This stemmed from a petition filed by transgender person Waqar Ali last November that argued Pakistan's transgender community had been marginalized and their fundamental rights should be recognized by including them in the sixth national census. Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the order, issuing directives to enforce the transgender community's basic rights. The move was welcomed by Pakistan's transgender community. "We are glad that we will be counted as will be other people," transgender rights worker Almas Bobby told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Hope we get equal citizenship and equal status." There are no official figures on the number of transgender people living in Pakistan but advocacy group Trans Action estimates there are at least 500,000 in the country with a population of 190 million. In 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets, preceded a year earlier by the right to vote. But shunned by mainstream society, transgender individuals in Pakistan are still often forced into begging, prostitution or dancing to earn a living. However, transgender people are also sometimes venerated in the South Asian tradition of according spiritual powers to eunuchs and others who fall outside traditional gender divisions. Pakistan, estimated to be the sixth largest country by population, will conduct its national census in March following a gap of nearly 19 years. The last census was carried out in 1998 when the population was calculated at 132 million people.
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OUT FRONT
Photos Courtesy of Scott Garfield
GOOD THINGS
COME TO THOSE WHO ARE MEGAN MULLALLY WILL & GRACE STAR ON REAL-LIFE LESBIAN ADVANCES, JAMES FRANCO’S PUBES AND KAREN WALKER’S RETURN BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
T
ip one back for Megan Mullally, who’s making a move to the big screen in Why Him? after a drove of indie roles, including gayaffirming mom Mrs. Van Camp in 2013’s G.B.F., and a variety of TV stints. But when it comes to the small screen, it’s the 58-year-old actress’s eight-year role on the groundbreaking late ’90s NBC sitcom Will & Grace, as quippy, martini-swigging socialite Karen Walker, that changed Mullally’s life as much as it changed ours. So, honey, sit back and catch up on all things Mullally. She has a lot to say about that time a female coworker attempted to seduce her, crushing on “the gayest person in the world,” witnessing “100 percent” of James Franco’s butt crack and the likelihood of a Will & Grace reboot (spoiler alert: it’s very, very likely). There are a lot of gays who’d like to chat with you, so I feel very lucky. I love it.You can say, “Oh my god, she was really boring.” 12
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You’re saying he had a “why him?” moment? Yeah… and then some. Having you and James Franco in a movie together is basically a match made in gay heaven. He has quite the gay resume. That’s funny. I never thought about that! But yeah, totally.
Why Him? centers on the awkward situation of bringing home someone your parents are likely to dislike. Have you ever brought a controversial boyfriend home to your parents? My first boyfriend in college, Brad. My father was an arch-conservative and Brad subscribed to the communist newspaper, so that was not cute. (Laughs) My father wasn’t too thrilled about Brad.
I guess you didn’t have a chance to compare your queer credentials. No, but I’m familiar with straight James, gay James, all of that. I mean, I know him. We got along very well, James and I. Maybe there was something in the air… the gays brought us together. As someone I consider to be a guru of all things gay, were you able to determine what it is about James that appeals to the LGBT community?
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I think because he kind of flirts with them. (Laughs) I mean, he’s very cute. That doesn’t hurt. And in the movie, shirtless. He’s also pantsless! His butt crack was 100 percent showing – and, like, a little bit of pubes. What was it like shooting those scenes? Um, it wasn’t horrible. I was actually a little embarrassed when I walked on the set the first time and was like, “Oh my. Wow. OK.” (Sings Bing Crosby) “Getting to know youuuuu.” So yeah, that happened.
You were raised in Oklahoma City. Before you became immersed in the gay community through living in West Hollywood and starring on Will & Grace, what was your introduction to it? Oh, that’s funny. A couple of things: I did my first summer stock musical when I was 12. I also did another summer stock when I was 14, and I had the biggest crush on this guy named Tommy who was in the ensemble and played a small part. He was the cutest blonde boy in the world, and I just could not understand why he didn’t really pay very much attention to me. (Laughs) We were really good friends, always hanging out. But I was very naïve. Later I was like, “Ohh, wait. Totally the gayest person in the world.” Around that same era, there was a woman who was also somehow involved in this summer stock. She was gay, and I used to go to her apartment and she would get me high. I remember one time I fell out of the chair, I got so high. I, like, hobbled over out of the chair, and she thought it was hilarious. So yeah, she was gay and I thought,“Gosh, she really likes me,” and it
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dawned on me that she probably thought I was pretty cute, but she never made a pass at me. Even later, when I was 20 or 21, I was doing this musical in Chicago. (Screenplay writer) Pat Resnick wrote the book to the musical, and we were doing it in Woodstock before we moved it into downtown Chicago. There was one night she and the other writers in the musical were all running house together and we were having a party. They said, “Pat wants to talk to you – she’s upstairs.” I go
upstairs, and I was just wandering down the hall and there’s this open doorway, and there was nothing in the room but a mattress on the floor and a red lightbulb, and the light is on. So it’s a red light, and she’s laying on the mattress, and she wasn’t, you know, a knock-down, dragdown beauty or anything like that. She literally patted the mattress and was like, “Sit down.” She said, “Megan, have you ever kissed a woman before?” And I was like, “No.” And she said, “Do you want to?” And I said, “Nooo.”
"to have been a part of a show that actually not only helped people come out to their parents, or to come out period, or to not feel like they were alone..."
But you have kissed a woman before, right? I have. And I did like it. Maybe she tried to or something happened or I broke away. She just wasn’t the one for me. (Laughs) Later, when it happened, I thought it was quite cute. Different situation, different girl. Better.
There’s no denying the influence of Will & Grace on generations of LGBT people. For you, what does it mean to hear stories from LGBT people who saw themselves being represented on a barrier-breaking TV show that cultivated visibility? Words can’t really describe what it means to me. All you really hope to do, if you’re a performer and if you’re not an asshole, if you’re coming from a really legitimate, sincere place, is to have a positive impact. So, to have been a part of a show that actually not only helped people come out to their parents, or to come out period, or to not feel like they were alone – much less in the larger view and maybe, possibly even contributing to an awareness and an acceptance that has resulted in all the strides that have been made, especially gay marriage. I’m not saying Will & Grace is responsible for gay marriage (laughs); I’m saying that maybe there was an element that helped in some way. When accepting other roles, did you ever say to yourself, “If it’s not as good as Karen, I’m not taking it”? Yeah, and it never is, but you have to work. I feel like I’m really lucky to have gotten a lot of the things that I’ve done since Will & Grace. I have Why Him?, but I also did four other indie movies this year that I really liked. Smaller parts. And just a lot of weird TV shows I’ve done: Childrens Hospital and Party Down, and Gayle on Bob’s Burgers. Obviously, Parks and Rec. That role was sort of tailor-made specifically for me, which was great and so fun to do. I mean, rarely is (a role) at the level of a character like Karen, although I think Tammy on Parks and Rec is one of those great characters, and Gayle on Bob’s Burgers is a great character too. I mean, you don’t always get an eight-year run at it, and that makes a big difference too. How many roles came your way that were just like Karen? I got offered a few, but obviously, I didn’t take any of them.They were just a shadow of somebody trying to write something like that, but I never really took any of those parts. I’ve tried to pick things that I think are well written, basically, and hope that the people involved are really nice and good at their jobs. LIVING OUT
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In September, the Will & Grace cast reunited on-screen for the first time in 10 years for an election-themed episode that received more than six million views on YouTube. And then, recently, you tweeted a pic of yourself and fellow Will & Grace stars Sean Hayes, Eric McCormack and Debra Messing eating dessert. Is that what break looks like on the set of Will & Grace in 2016? That was actually over at Sean Hayes’ house, but, I mean... what are you asking me? (Laughs) I’m asking you if the show is coming back and if you’re working on new episodes. Well, OK. All I can say is that there is a very good chance that that might happen. It’s not happening right this second. I mean, we’re not rehearsing or anything like that. But there is a very good chance that something is going to materialize. My heart wants to jump out of my body right now. I know. Mine too! But can’t really talk about it or say anything, because you know how it is. How might a Will & Grace revival reflect the strides we’ve made in the LGBT community since the show’s original inception as well as the current political climate? So speaking theoretically, in a completely made-up world where Will & Grace is coming back to NBC for 10 episodes – just in that made-up world – it couldn’t be a better time. (Laughs) I mean, it couldn’t possibly be better timing. I think more so now than even when we started! And who would have ever – I mean, it’s heinous that it’s because Donald Trump is the president.That’s just a crazy sentence that nobody would have ever thought they’d utter. But having said that, at the same time, that just gives us carte blanche.
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I think the first rule of any show – and again, we’re speaking hypothetically – is that it be funny and entertaining. I mean, it’s comedy. If you’re doing a comedy, the first rule is that there be good comedy in that comedy show, so that’s the jumping off point. Then, from there – the show was always very topical. For eight seasons, extremely topical – so much so that (director) Jim Burrows was always telling the writers, “Honey, it’s crazy topical – it’s not gonna stand the test of time.” But I just think that’s what the show is. It’s a very topical, current show. We had a gay marriage on Will & Grace in 2000/2001. And I was like, gay marriage?! I mean, it was just really early.
I’m not saying Will & Grace is responsible for gay marriage (laughs); I’m saying that maybe there was an element that helped in some way. Are you saying it was impossible to even think of the concept of gay marriage at the time? I was like, “Oh my god, I can’t believe it. You’re having two men get married to each other – that is such a great idea.” Because it was just not happening! It wasn’t something! It wasn’t like every weekend, “Oh no, I’m sorry, I have another gay marriage to go to this weekend.” (Laughs) People just weren’t getting gay-married as much at that point. And the whole thrust of that episode was that they were gonna have a wedding even though it wasn’t recognized by any officiant. There wasn’t any paperwork involved.They were gonna get married and honor their relationship and celebrate their love for each other. It was such a beautiful episode.
People watching it must’ve been like, “Huh? Two gay people are having a wedding?” It was early! And the thing is, we had a gay marriage on the show, but it still has to be funny, and so that was one of the episodes where Jack and Karen have one of those famous slap fights. There was still a lot of funny stuff going on. You were 40 years old when you played Karen on Will & Grace. Considering the amount of flak Hollywood gets for being ageist, what does fame feel like in your 40s, when most actresses would say they’d least expect it? Oh yeah, well, I don’t know because I think I’m a little anomalous in that I’ve always been a late bloomer in everything. I didn’t meet my husband (Nick Offerman) till I was 41, and I didn’t have that kind of career success till I was about that same age: 40, 41. A lot of things have come to me late in life, and it even applies to Why Him? I have gotten an actual part in a (major, big-screen) movie at the tender young age of 57! It’s all happening so fast! Hope I don’t get into drugs. (Laughs) It’s just funny: I’ve always been a late bloomer, so that gives me eternal optimism, so I never feel like, “Oh, I’m gettin’ older; I guess everything is gonna stop.” I’m the opposite: “Oh, I’m just getting started.” I really feel like that, and also, I don’t really feel very much like a grown up, which is kind of a problem. (Laughs) I’m really starting to see the similarities between you and Karen Walker. (Laughs) That’s the thing that I really love about Karen – she has the ability to be very childlike and have a lot of joy. I think she’s a big optimist too, quite frankly.
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Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) MIXER
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2016, THE HAMPTONS LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
the Hamptons LGBT Community Center hosted an Upstander Training Workshop with students from local Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs. The students worked together to create an outreach campaign including a PSA, poster, and hashtag campaign. Students representing East Hampton High School, Southampton High School, Pierson High School, Mattituck High School, and West Hampton Beach High School were all involved in this wonderful event.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA) MIXER, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A FAMILY. WE HELP BUILD THEM EVERY DAY. At Long Island IVF, our team of fertility specialists are proud to help the LGBT community build the family of their dreams. When you are ready to start, Long Island IVF is here to help. Please contact us to learn more.
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Long island unity rally THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH, AT THE CENTER AT BAY SHORE
On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the LGBT Network’s Center at Bay Shore hosted a diverse coalition of organizations, advocates, and over 150 community members to stand up and speak out for the rights of all, regardless of their ethnicity, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation. The event was planned to help raise awareness of the efforts being undertaken by local organizations like the LGBT Network to protect community members whose rights could come under-fire by the Trump administration, as well as to engage people in productive efforts to protect and advance equality for all.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LONG ISLAND UNITY RALLY, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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long island pulse magazine
THE IRONY of
AUGUST 2009: Art and Design Issue
JOHN
McENROE OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
DESIGN MASTERS
Staying Ahead of The Curve
ZIMBABWE Adventure and Exotic Travel
lipulse.com
FASHION: MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
ANNUAL LIST OF LI
ARTIST
VIPs
Fall Fashion Preview Fishing off Montauk Neil Young, Part One
HampTon
ClassIC reFLectIonS oF tHe IconIc HorSe SHow
World Class
saIlIng tack, JIb & booM In oySter bay
Ivanka
Trump taLkIng buSIneSS
5th AnnuAl Artist ViPs Find out Who Made the Cut
IntroducIng JayMay adaM LevIne cHatS about Maroon 5 tHe LateSt In LI FIctIon and Poetry
CELEBRATING OVER 10 YEARS OF ARTS & CULTURE For over 10 years we’ve featured the best in the arts, culture, entertainment, lifestyles and people that make this island special, from the Gold Coast to the Hamptons.
Join the influential readership: lipulse.com/subscribe
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SAGE-LI Valentines Stoplight Party SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, AT THE CENTER AT BAY SHORE
SAGE-LI hosted its Valentine Stoplight Party at the LGBT Network Center at Bay Shore. Over 30 SAGE-LI members enjoyed dinner and dancing with a twist as guests wore red to indicate they were “taken,” pink to indicate “it’s complicated,” and white to indicate “single and ready to mingle!” To get connected with SAGE-LI and to hear about upcoming events, contact sageli@lgbtnetwork.org
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM SAGE-LI VALENTINES STOPLIGHT PARTY, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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OUT AND ABOUT
Q-Music
by gregg shapiro
THIS WOMAN’S WORK Remember Madonna’s 2003 “rock” album American Life? Neither does anyone else. Lady Gaga, who, let’s be honest, is essentially the Madonna of the 21st century, does her forebear one better with Joanne (Streamline/ Interscope). She rocks with a feverish fervor, takes a country detour (a la Cyndi Lauper) and still provides plenty of opportunities for her fans to dance. First and foremost, Gaga sounds great. Her voice, unfettered by the faux-disco of her first two albums, verges on chill-inducing. The modern country of the marvelous title With the exception of “Million Reasons,” Lady Gaga’s Joanne isn’t the subtlest of albums. If Gaga wants to learn from someone who understands the value and power of subtlety, she should listen to Citizen of Glass (PIAS), the exquisite and sophisticated new album by Agnes Obel. Among the many things Obel has going for her is that she doesn’t really sound like anyone else, although there are traces of late-career Kate Bush on “It’s Happening Again.” Regardless, the striking instrumentation, which includes strings, trautonium and various types of keyboards, on songs such as “Familiar,” “Stretch Your Eyes,” “Trojan Horses,” and the title tune, makes this astonishing album spellbinding from start to finish. 20
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cut, “Sinner’s Prayer” and tearjerker “Million Reasons,” all of which she cowrote with Mark Ronson (!), have the potential to extend her audience into the Red States. Retro soulful numbers such as “Come To Mama” and the Prince-ly “Hey Girl” (a duet with Florence Welch) also nicely expand her repertoire. Gaga even conjures the late Donna Summer’s early 1980s rock period on “Perfect Illusion,” while reviving the lost art of dance-rock on “John Wayne” and multifaceted opener “Diamond Heart.” The deluxe edition includes three additional tracks. Let’s face it. Subtlety isn’t Idina Menzel’s strong suit either. Menzel describes idina. (WB) as the “most personal, introspective” album she’s made. If she set out to make her version of Joni Mitchell’s Blue (she covered “River” on her 2014 holiday album), the results pale in comparison. There are certainly songs of sadness (“I See You,” “Last Time,” “Perfect Story”) and survival (“Like Lightning,” “Queen of Swords,” “Nothin’ In This World”) that Menzel delivers in her trademark style and will please her broad range of fans. But a misstep such as the rancid “Cake” almost threatens to derail the whole affair.
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Midnight. Hallelujah (Bad Dog), the new album by the inimitable Jonatha Brooke is significant for a couple of reasons. It’s Brooke’s first album of new material since My Mother Has Two Noses, which featured songs written for her one-woman show about her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Midnight. Hallelujah also arrives a few years after The Works, in which she set Woody Guthrie lyrics to music. Brooke gets things off to an attention-grabbing start with “Put The Gun Down,” a call to arms for peace and communication. “Hashtag Lullaby,” “Light Years,” “Too Much Happiness” and “Nothing Hurts Like Love Hurts” (which features an ear-pleasing clarinet) sound a lot like the Brooke we’ve come to know and love over the years. Also, in case you didn’t get it from the title, Midnight. Hallelujah is a bit of a religious experience, with a cross to bear in “Put The Gun Down,” the “Mean Looking Jesus” in the song of the same name, and the church and prayer in the title cut. But rest assured, Brooke hasn’t gone all Sandi Patty on us.
Grammy Award-winner Esperanza Spalding delved into her rockier side on the edgy song cycle Emily’s D+Evolution (Concord) and listeners will be glad she did. Not losing sight of the improvisational nature of her jazz roots, Spalding has found a place where her various influences can meet for the best results. Opener “Good Lava” is a breath of progrock air while the more accessible “Unconditional Love” is soulful folk. “Judas” is a funky workout and “One” skirts theatricality. Spalding exercises different vocal muscles on “Noble Nobles” and “I Want It Now” brings the disc to an exhilarating conclusion.
Jojo, who returns with Mad Love (Atlantic) her first studio album in 10 (!) years, might seem like an unlikely presence in this column. However, she belongs here, too. Mainly it’s because she had a hand in writing all of the songs on the disc (along with sundry other songwriters, including Justin Tranter). The best and most mature tunes bracket the disc, opener “Music” and closer “I Am,” and they are the primary reasons for listening. In between, we get the usual stabs at urban respectability, including “Fuck Apologies” (featuring Wiz Khalifa), “Vibe,” “High Heels,” and the title track, most of which are more novelties than anything else.
For KoKoro (The Control Group), her first album in four years, El Perro Del Mar (aka Swedish singer/songwriter Sarah Assbring) follows an exotic path and the results are a delight. The airy pop of opener “Endless Ways” sounds like what we’re accustomed to hearing from EPDM. But things definitely shift in exciting directions after that, beginning with the rhythmic title number. The delicious “Breadandbutter” will have you shaking your hips with such force that you won’t gain a pound. The shifting beats of “Clean Your
Angela McCluskey is no stranger to dance clubs, having provided vocals on tracks by Morgan Page and Télépopmusik. If there’s any justice, the Klezmer-disco number “Not Crying Anymore,” from McCluskey’s new album The Roxy Sessions (Bernadette) will get the remix it deserves and become a Tea Dance sensation. McCluskey, who traverses a multitude of styles on the album, including sixties pop (“Paris To Hollywood,” “Turn Out The Lights”), Billie Holiday-style blues (“Eight Stories High”), big band booty shaking (“Let’s Get Lost,” “Say Hello”), breezy Brazilian (“Insufficient Feeling”) and dance music (the bonus track “Electric Sky”), is one of the great, underrated vocalists of her generation, like a well-kept secret whose time for recognition is long overdue.
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Agnes Obel performs on March 11 in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge LIVING OUT
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OUT AND ABOUT
Q-Music
by gregg shapiro
POP POTPOURRI If you were fortunate enough to experience punk rock the first time around, via bands such as Blondie, Ramones, Talking Heads, The Clash, Television, Patti Smith and the B-52s, you probably thought that the punk revival of the early ‘90s sounded calculated and vaguely commercial. By the time the major-labels caught on to the profit potential of the first-wave punk acts they had either morphed into something else or broken up altogether. Perhaps the most successful band of the second (new) wave era, Green Day achieved a certain degree of cred based on the fact that its first two albums were released on important indie labels such as Epitaph and Lookout, respectively. Once the suits took notice and they were signed to Reprise (!) there was no looking back following the 1994 release of Dookie. Twenty-two years later, with multiple awards (including Grammys, Tonys and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) under their studded belts, Green Day is still going strong. Revolution Radio (Reprise) is no American Idiot but its angry heart is in the right place on songs such as the first single “Bang Bang,” as well as “Troubled Time,” “Say Goodbye” and the title cut. A ridiculous number of forgettable bands (remember Sum 41?) followed in Green Day’s wake. One of the most calculatedly corporate examples, Good Charlotte, led by the overly tatted Madden brothers, return to the scene of the crime with Youth Authority (MDDN). More versatile than most of their contemporaries (these guys can write power pop songs!), Good Charlotte certainly puts forth a good effort on songs such as “Keep Swingin’” (featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens), “Reason To Stay,” “The Outfield,” and the mostly acoustic “Cars Full of People.” Speaking of corporate rock, American Authors hit it big when its catchy song “Best Day of My Life” was featured in a variety of commercials around the globe. Some songs on American Authors’ new album What We Live For (Island/Dirty Canvas), including the title track and “Pocket Full of Gold ,” sound like they were also written for that purpose. The band alternately channels Jeff Buckley and Maroon 5, and that’s just in one song – “I’m Born To Run.” They go for Mumford & Sons on the faux front-porch stomp of “Nothing Better” and “Mess With Your Heart.” Only the soaring “Superman” feels like an effort to separate from the pack. There’s more to Daveed Diggs than his Tony Award-winning performance in the acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton. Diggs is also one-third of avant-garde hip-hop act clipping., along with William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. clipping.’s second album, Splendor & Misery (Sub Pop) takes the rapping, the noise and the experimentation to the next level. Trained actor that he is, Diggs spits the rhymes so clearly, even your grandmother wouldn’t have any trouble understanding what he’s saying. “Wake Up,” “True Believer,” “A Better Place,” “Baby Don’t Sleep” and the sung “Story” are not to be missed.
GREEN DAY PERFORMS ON MARCH 15 IN BROOKLYN AT BARCLAYS CENTER 22
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WHITNEY PERFORMS ON MAY 24 IN BROOKLYN AT BROOKLYN STEEL Produced (as well as influenced) by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Tell Me I’m Pretty (RCA) by Cage The Elephant sounds like it could have been released 50 years ago. Songs such as “Cold Cold Cold,” “Cry Baby,” “That’s Right,” “Punchin’ Bag” and “Portuguese Knife Fight,” conjure psychedelic light shows, vertically striped pants and iridescent lipstick. Groovy, baby. Also swimming in a psychedelic sea, Yeasayer takes a more modern and even futuristic approach on Amen & Goodbye (Mute). There’s the potential for dancing to the lightheaded beats on “Silly Me” as well as on “Dead Sea Scrolls,” where Yeasayer borrows a page from the Lady Gaga playbook. A welcome weirdness prevails on the anti-toxin “I Am Chemistry,” the anti-religious fanaticism of “Prophecy Gun,” the hazy blast of “Gerson’s Whistle” (with backing vocals by Suzzy Roche), and the unexpectedly accessible chill of “Cold Night.” Cullen Omori wasn’t the only former member of the Smith Westerns to release an album in 2016. Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek teamed up to form Whitney , along with Josiah Marshall, Malcolm Brown, Tracy Chouteau and Charles Glanders. The 10 songs on Whitney’s debut Light Upon The Lake (Secretly Canadian) expand on the Smith Western’s gradual move into sophisticated pop with grace and a little grandeur. Shimmering pop numbers such as “No Woman,” “The Falls,” “Red Moon,” “Polly,” “On My Own” and the titular song, can help to illuminate even the darkest days.
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OUT AND ABOUT
book guide
by gregg shapiro
Your winter
2017 reading list Following Groundhog Day, there are long, dark, cold nights ahead of some of us, and that’s not counting the ones since Donald Trump and Mike Pence have taken office. Books are a tried and true means of escape when the world outside is especially unwelcoming. The following are just a few suggestions to pass the time.
More words, more pictures
Edited by John Dugan, with a foreword by John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats), The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music/Friendly/ Dancing (Curbside Splendor, 2016) is a hefty tribute to the notorious Ukrainian Village rock club The Empty Bottle. In addition to a revealing interview with owner Bruce Finkelman, as well as musicians Damian Kulash (OK Go), Louise Post (Veruca Salt), Kristin Kontrol (Dum Dum Girls), Tim Kinsella (Joan of Arc), queer artists JC Brooks and Che Arthur, and rock journalist Jim DeRogatis, the book includes a large number of photographs, in addition to complete show listings from 1993 through 2015. “The epicenter of one of the country’s most vibrant punk scenes” may not be the way that most people think of Washington, DC, especially during the Reagan/Bush years of the 1980s, but it’s true. Compiled by Scott Crawford, Spoke: Images and Stories from the 1980s Washington DC Punk Scene (Akashic, 2017) features profiles of more than two dozen bands, beginning with the Bad Brains, and including Fugazi, Minor Threat, Shudder To Think, Jawbox, Government Issue, and SOA (featuring a young Henry Rollins), among others. Organized by original shock-jock Steve Dahl, and to this day, an unfortunate stain and embarrassment for the city of Chicago, the 1979 so-called Disco Demolition publicity stunt at the former Comiskey Park (where the White Sox play baseball) damaged more than some 12” disco singles and a baseball diamond. Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died (Curbside Splendor, 2016) by Steve Dahl with Dave Hoekstra and Paul Natkin spends a lot of time protesting (too much?) the racist and homophobic implications of the event (see Bob Odenkirk’s foreword), and may not 24
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change the minds of many readers, especially those for whom dance music never died. If Donald Trump could read, he would no doubt love this book. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS (Knopf, 2016) by David France may share the same title as France’s Oscar-nominated 2012 doc, but it takes a more intimate and personal tone in its telling. On par with books such as JohnManuel Andriote’s Victory Deferred and Randy Shilts’ And The Band Played On, France’s book is a necessary reminder of groundbreaking and historical events that affected the LGBT community. Adult coloring books continue to be all the rage; a relaxing and satisfying way to spend an afternoon. Chris Arnold’s The Chicago Coloring Book: Iconic Landmarks and Hidden Gems (Midway/Agate, 2016) features more than 50 pen-and-ink drawings just waiting for you and your colored pencils to make them come alive. Theater marquees, street signs, hot dogs and pizza, the Art Institute and the Picasso statue, the El and the Green Mill, are among the familiar images. Unfortunately, North Halsted Street, the main drag of the city’s colorful Boystown neighborhood (have you seen those rainbow pylons?), is completely overlooked.
Hot fiction for cold nights
There is no shortage of the titular characters to be found in Difficult Women (Grove Press, 2017), the short story collection by awardwinning bisexual Haitian-American novelist/ essayist/memoirist Roxane Gay. Set in a gated community, the dishy and dark story “Florida” features one of the married female residents exploring the erotic same-sex pleasures of the brothel being run out of the spa on the grounds. In the multi-section “How,” we learn “how” Hanna became involved with Laura. In “Baby Arm,” a woman’s relationship with a female co-worker goes in unexpected directions. Gay is as adept at short-short stories as she is at creating longer pieces that will leave readers shaken, such as the devastating “Break All The Way Down,” giving short fiction fans a reason to rejoice.
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In David Pratt’s Wallaçonia (Beautiful Dreamer Press, 2017), just as 18 year old Jim, who has begun to question his sexuality, is about to finally get around to having sex with girlfriend Liz, he discovers he might have feelings for older male neighbor Pat. Set in a small New England town, The Year of Needy Girls (Kaylie Jones/Akashic, 2017), by lesbian writer Patricia A. Smith, recalls both Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Lehane’s Mystic River in a story about murder and false accusations. Known for his groundbreaking autobiographical 1963 novel City of Night, 85 year old gay writer John Rechy returns with his new erotic novel of “psychosexual gamesmanship After The Blue Hour (Grove, 2017). Straight writer Andre Aciman has made quite a name for himself writing about queer characters in a novel such as Call Me by Your Name (now a motion picture). He continues to do so in his latest, Enigma Variations (FSG, 2017), telling the story of bisexual Paul.
Speaking the truth
LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers (The New Press, 2017) by married couple David Deschmps and Bennett Singer, with an afterword by Jennifer Finley Boylan, collects the “facts and figures that chronicle the ongoing LGBTQ revolution.” Included in the authors’ finds are statistics on timely topics such as international issues, violence and discrimination, media and public opinion and much more.
Knott’s legacy A beloved instructor at Emerson College in Boston for more than 25 years, the late poet and educator Bill Knott is celebrated in I Am Flying Into Myself: Selected Poems, 1960-2014 (FSG, 2017), edited by Thomas Lux, who also wrote an informative introduction to the collection. Emerson College classmates from the class of 1984, as well as Knott devotees, poets Denise Duhamel and Kim Roberts both have notable new books out this winter. Separated into three sections – dedicated to Shulamith Firestone, Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly – Duhamel’s Scald (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2017) utilizes form (villanelles and pantoums) to broadcast her undeniably potent feminist message. Roberts’ The Scientific Method (WordTech Communications, 2017) continues the poet’s exploration of the vast world of science (including Walt Whitman’s brain and Carl Sagan’s turtleneck sweater), as well as the experience of living in Washington, DC, and more. Kathleen Rooney, a student of Bill Knott’s while an MFA candidate at Emerson College, is the author of the novel Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk (St. Martin’s Press, 2017), which follows the octogenarian title character on a New Year’s Eve 1984 journey across Manhattan and through her life.
The photo-filled memoir The Harmony of Parts (Orange Frazer Press, 2016) by John Garabedian with Ian Aldrich, tells the story of openly gay Garabedian, a familiar face and voice to folks in the Boston area, via his work as a disc jockey on radio, as well as on television as host of Open House Party. Though he only lived to be 33, writer Denton Welch left an indelible mark with writing and painting. Good Night, Beloved Comrade: The Letters of Denton Welch to Eric Oliver (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017), edited by Daniel J. Murtaugh, compiles and annotates 51 letters written by Welch to Oliver, his “companion, comrade, lover, and caretaker,” in the final years of his all too brief life. Identity Unknown: Rediscovering Seven American Women Artists (Bloomsbury, 2017) by award-winning writer Donna Seaman introduces (and in some cases, reacquaints) readers to forgotten female artists Gertrude Abercrombie, Joan Brown, Ree Morton, Loïs Mailou Jones, Lenore Tawney, Christina Ramberg and Louise Nevelson.
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OUT AND ABOUT
INTERVIEWS
by gregg shapiro
EITZEL PERFORMS ON APRIL 9TH IN BROOKLYN AT ROUGH TRADE
HEY MR. EITZEL:
an interview Mark Eitzel It’s still early in 2017, but I don’t think it’s too soon to declare gay singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel’s new album Hey Mr Ferryman (Merge) as one of the best albums of the year. The folks at hipster music website pitchfork.com also seem to agree, awarding the album a score of 8.1 out of 10. Eitzel, who first came to prominence as the lead vocalist of American Music Club in the mid-1980s, has had a solo career warmly embraced by critics as well as his devoted followers. If ever there was a recording meant to earn him a wider fan-base, it’s this one. Hey Mr Ferryman is easily Eitzel’s most musically accessible recording, due in large part to producer Bernard Butler (of London Suede fame). I spoke with Eitzel about the album and more at the time of the disc’s release. Gregg Shapiro: Mark, your stunning new album Hey Mr Ferryman was produced by Bernard Butler, who also plays on the album. How did you come to work with Bernard? Mark Eitzel: My manager in England and Bernard take their children to the same daycare. I sent Bernard my demos and he said he liked them. As a leap of faith I thought I’d give it a shot, so I did. GS: When you title an album, Hey Mr Ferryman, and the first song, “The Last Ten Years,” opens with the line about “The ferryman/Who takes me to my rest,” you have the potential to raise a few eyebrows and get people concerned. ME: [Laughs] GS: What was the inspiration for the song? ME: I started to write the song “The Last Ten Years” about 20 years ago with (the band) American Music Club. At the time, it was “The Last Five Years.” Then 20 years passed. But 10 sounds better as a lyric than 20. It’s every late night drunk sort of thing. The ferryman takes you to your rest. You party until you pass out [laughs]. GS: Regardless of the serious tone of the lyrics, “The Last Ten Years” sounds like an irresistible pop tune. ME: That’s great! GS: Can you please say something about that juxtaposition? ME: We were originally going to make an acoustic record with Bernard. He said, “No. We’re going to do more. I don’t care!” I was like, “Yeah, great, let’s do more!” It’s his generosity that let us do more. I had arranged this song about five times with other people. I love pop music and I was hoping that I could do some pop music on this record. I’m sick of indie rock. He brought in a drummer and it was like a Steely Dan beat and I was like, “Great, let’s do it! It sounds like fuckin’ Steely Dan.” We went with it and it was really fun.
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GS: The ferryman isn’t the only mythological character on the album. In “La Llorona” you sing about the titular weeping woman. What can you tell me about that song? ME: The song tells the story pretty accurately. All I’ll say is it’s about a woman I met in Cleveland [laughs] who was kind of broken and always weeping. GS: The “merciful kitchen” reference in the song “An Answer” made me think of Leonard Cohen, one of several important musicians who passed in 2016. What role, if any, did Cohen play in your musical influences? ME: I’ll be honest with you, not much. David Bowie was more of an influence than Cohen. Punk rock was more of an influence. I only got into Cohen about 10 years ago. It changed my life. I saw him play in front of 20,000 people in Spain. I realized that if you write great songs, they’re like luxury liners that you can always float on. He was such amazing songwriter. Of course, Cohen is in my genes. He’s part of everything I do. I’ve had his Greatest Hits [laughs] for years. GS: There are songs on Hey Mr Ferryman, including “In My Role As Professional Singer and Ham” and “The Road,” dealing with musicians and music. Can you please say something about the challenges and rewards of being a musician writing about musicians and music? ME: At some point you get to a place in life where you get really nostalgic for the life you’ve lived. I think that’s what happened to me. I write songs because I can’t get things out of my mind unless I write about them. I saw this band with about five people (in the audience). I was like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve been there.” They did their job. They rocked the house. It wasn’t my kind of music but they were honorable people and they were doing an honorable task. The song “In My Role As Professional Singer and Ham” is basically about how in Ohio in the `90s at Thanksgiving I was always seated next to some asshole who would go on and on about how I don’t have a future. Of course, he’s being proven right now. It was about trying to figure out those people who believe in myths more than they do reality. GS: Are you saying that this person probably voted for Trump in the last election? ME: Oh, my God, yes! He was doing me a great big favor talking to a gay person, being very “openminded”. I wanted to slap him in the fuckin’ face. GS: How big of him. ME: Right. Thank you so much! GS: The LP version of Hey Mr Ferryman includes a download for two bonus tracks, one of which is “The Singer (For Jason Molina)”. The late Molina was
also the subject of the 2014 tribute disc Farewell Transmission. Can you please say something about how he inspired you and why you think it is that he had such an impact on others? ME: I wrote that song because there is a show he did, I believe it was in South Carolina. The whole show is on YouTube. I can’t ever stop watching it. It’s one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. The songs are perfect. I wrote the song about a show he did in Athens. Half the crowd is talking, half the crowd is rapt. This poor man – I met him a couple of times. We were never really friends. He’s a singer, he’s a believer. I really loved him. I loved what he did. The song isn’t worthy of him at all, but I had to write something. GS: What a tribute it is. You mentioned the Molina show and you make reference to performance in the song “The Road.” With that in mind, in April you are playing some concert dates. What are the challenges and rewards of playing live? ME: Touring is like 23 hours of hell. Not a big fan. Challenges for me are just money and success. I really want to have good shows. I want to have a full band, but I can only hire a pianist; that’s all I can afford to break even. That’s the challenge. I’m kind of a perfectionist. I want to do great shows and I can. GS: Finally, we’re speaking in the early days of the Trump presidency, on the day that members of the State Department resigned. As an artist and a gay man, do you have any thoughts you’d like to share? ME: No one believes in the Constitution anymore. No one believes in the myth of America, the myth of freedom. No one agrees anymore. He’s got Steve Bannon (on his team) who says he wants to destroy America. He hates America. (I think) the biggest effects will be poverty and civil war. (With) the Supreme Court, they could change the whole gay marriage thing if they wanted. They can and will do anything they want. It’s not just going backwards; it’s ending. That’s how I feel. GS: I hope saner minds will prevail. ME: I don’t know. I don’t think so. The head of Exxon as Secretary of State. Steve Bannon as a special advisor. Normalizing white nationalism? Is that what we’re doing? It’s all just there to be shock and awe to destroy this democracy. I’m sorry, but I believe that in a couple of years it’s over. GS: I hope that you are wrong. ME: I hope that I’m wrong, too. LIVING OUT
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OUT AND ABOUT
REVIEWs
by VINNY MAITA
EVEN NOW
Comes to the Clare Rose Playhouse On Saturday evening, January 21st, a packed house gathered at the Clare Rose Playhouse located on the St. Joseph’s College campus for the musical sensation “Even Now”. Musical Director Lydia Sabosto on keyboard, and her hand picked ensemble, Carol Cole on congas, Frank Hansen on upright and electric bass, JoAnn Palana-Stone on drums along with lead singer Richard Fisichello were all host to this fabulous tribute to the one and only Barry Manilow. “Even Now”, written and directed by Lydia Sabosto and Bob Maletta was performed before a sold-out theatre and with good reason. At 8p.m. with lights down the band members followed by Lydia Sabosto entered to quiet whispers of excitement and hardy applause. Suddenly, a blast of light and sound filled the stage to the triumphant tune of Manilow’s “It’s A Miracle”. In her true, casual yet elegant style, Sabosto narrated an extensive script that chronicled accounts depicting a barrage of stories about Manilow from boyhood to universal stardom. Throughout the thread, Sabosto never wavered in an attempt to inform the audience of all the little subtleties and major asides that make Barry Manilow, his words and songs so legendary. The audience enjoyed a sing along after the first number. Thunderous handclapping and enthusiastic participation were all part of a segment in the show set aside for recapping all of Barry Manilow’s TV commercial jingles he had written early on in his career. Candis Alek surprised everyone and hit a high B-flat from her seat in the audience during the sing along, shocking not only the players on stage, but also fellow spectators attending the performance. Soon after, solo artist Richard Fisichello took center stage under a hot spotlight to perform a medley of songs honing in on both grace and style the words and sounds that give way to the whole Manilow experience. Songs like, Could It Be Magic, Mandy, I Write The Songs, Weekend In New England, Starting Again, Old Songs, Ready To Take A Chance Again, I Don’t Want To Walk Without You, Day Break, Looks Like We Made It and Even Now were honestly delivered by the outstanding vocalist who performed all of Manilow’s music with sheer ease and total perfection. At the conclusion of each song, Fisichello heard the loud approval, whistles and cheers of a very supportive audience. In between, off and then back on stage, Richard Fisichello joined Lydia Sabosto in two mindful duets including I Was A Fool To Let You Go, and Slow Boat To China. Lydia Sabosto tenderly captured the audience with her own solo performance featuring a fast moving Jump Shout, Boogie, and a more thoughtful, sentimental number namely, When October Goes. Both songs were examples of the many, but only two extremes of an extraordinary, rare talent. As a special added bonus, fellow “Fanilows” were treated to Richard Fisichello, Steve Lynch and members of the Sweet Adeline’s singing Manilow’s memorable One Voice. What harmony! How Beautiful! Who could forget the last number of the evening when Lydia Sabosto on keyboard, and the rest of her band joined Richard Fisichello who jumped on stage fully clad in a very silver lame’ jacket and stylish black, silk cummerbund. We were all transfixed and transcended to a tropical, South American paradise while hearing the Latin beat heard in Fisichello’s vocal to Manilow’s Copacabana. The night drew to a close, when Lydia gave thanks to her fellow director Bob Maletta, solo artist Richard Fisichello, her band ensemble, her brother Wayne Sabosto for the loan of his drum set, Steve Lynch and the Sweet Adeline’s, production members Sr. Grace and the staff at the Clare Rose Playhouse, “Rainbow” Dee Johnson, Dee Petersen, and Marie Cortina for advertising/ticket sales, lighting director Paul Scala, sound crew 2-4-1 Christine and Robin, and a special thanks again to Dee Johnson, Eveline Marcello and Margie Luciano who happen to be dear friends that videotaped the entire production. More bows, more applause, were followed by lights down. The crowd departed for a meet and greet with the cast in the lobby of the theatre, What a night! For the many I spoke with, Even Now should be retitled Even Now and Forever!
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LIVING SMART
HOROSCOPES
February 2017
HOROSCOPES
Aries – Venus Mars Uranus Stellium - a domestic
BY PSYCHICDEB
adjustment can be very favorable. Consult other family members, make this a cooperative project. Beautification of your residence adds glamour to a family style dinner. Flowers, music, little luxuries and gourmet foods help set a romantic mood for all.
Scorpio – Pluto in your 3rd house - an aggressive, dynamic person joins forces with you in a creative project. Recreation, entertainment, theater or sports are involved. You’ll reach new heights, forge fresh paths, and can reach a large audience. Accent the humanitarianism angle. Play number 9 for luck.
Taurus – Pluto in your 9th house - money could be
Sagittarius – Jupiter in your 11th house - your
spent in a frivolous way unless you restrict yourself to a budget. A shopping trip may produce many stylish items but could be a disaster to your credit cards. Focus on travel, learning, and association with a Sagittarian type.
Gemini – Jupiter in your 5th house - your practical side is accented. Security needs will be met, but it’s up to you to review and revise and get your financial records in order. Don’t trust to luck; make sure figures are correct. Fight the temptation to make an impulse purchase. A Leo is influential.
Cancer – The lunar cycle at the end of the month tells to go slow, trust your intuition. Save forceful actions for another month. You’ll do best in a protective, nurturing role. Someone who is asking for help gets good advise from you. Pay extra attention to diet and weightwatching. Another Cancer is in the picture.
Leo – Sun in your 7th house - you’re in for a surprise where a relationship is concerned. Someone you meet in your local area turns out to be more entertaining than you expected. Romance, much talk, brief trips and a change of scenery adds to the fun. Ask questions, get answers. Trust number 5.
speech is likely to be direct, possibly too blunt, in dealing with a co-worker. Tone down restlessness, you can’t go off in more than one direction at once. An urge for travel, talk, or learning is likely to interfere with your routine. A Gemini is in the picture.
Capricorn – Saturn in your 12th house - you fare best behind the scenes, dealing with people, emotions, and service to others. A parent or parent figure is ready to give you advice that seems to solve an emotional quandary. You need a pat on the back now - accept it. The lucky number is 2.
Aquarius – Mercury in your 1st house - your personal charisma is strong this month. Affairs of the heart are favored. Express the real you in a daring way. A Leo will go along with your plans if they are dramatic enough. Now is the time for fun, parties, new friends and much attention.
Pisces – This months emphasis is on real estate, property values and the need for space in your relationships. Stay home and improve your skills; work with plants or flowers.You’ll benefit from time spent getting to know yourself and understanding yourself. Number 7 is the best!
Virgo – Mercury in your 6th house - a public relations project succeeds beyond your wildest dreams. You’ll travel, meet people, and could connect with an exciting Gemini or Virgo type with strong mutual interests. Listen more than you talk - you’ll learn a lot. Your freedom urge is strong.
Libra – Venus in your 7th house - a love relationsip intensifies. Romance is tied up with your ambition to get ahead, to prove yoruself, and make way for a more stable environment. A project connected with your home or family adds to your prestige and future income potential. Capricorn plays a major role. 30
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IF YOU KNOW YOUR RISING SIGN, CONSULT THE HOROSCOPE FOR THAT SIGN AS WELL. Psychicdeb has been a professional astrologer for over 25 yrs. Self-taught, shebegan her studies in astrology when she was 8 yrs. old learning what she could from her mother’s astrology magazines. As she got older and learned geometry, she searched for books onAstrology and taught herself how to construct a chart. She teaches Astrology for a nominal fee.Psychicdeb also uses the tarot to do psychic readings channeling her spirit guide Helen. Reiki is one of her obsessions. She is a Reiki Master and loves to teach others the benefits of Reiki. Namaste. You can find her at the Original Psychic Fairs on Sundays. A listing of the Fair dates can be found on her website at: www.astro-mate.org
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POINTS OF VIEW
op-ed
by rev. irene monroe
THE IRONY BEHIND TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN AND HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY seeping in everywhere, and in Cambridge, as we’re seeing, their power to impede the commitment to social justice in our schools, and to test the fundamental values of opportunity, diversity, respect,” she said, referencing three values that CRLS prioritizes. At best, Trump’s statement re-frames the Holocaust, highlighting the event but deflecting from the magnitude of its human carnage.
“I think we need to be realistic about the current trickle-down toxic messages seeping in everywhere. Elaine Schear, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of CRLS Trump’s public statement commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day omitted any mention of Judaism, anti-Semitism or the Nazis’ systematic program exterminating European Jewry. The omission was not only hurtful to remaining Holocaust survivors, their families, and friends, but it was dismissive of its six million victims during World War II. Ironically, Trump’s immigration ban on Muslims was issued the same day the White House released his Holocaust Remembrance Day statement, and like the many of Jews who perished in the Holocaust because the U.S. government wouldn’t grant them asylum, so will many Muslims. While the president’s generic statement on suffering was intended to be an all-inclusive acknowledgment of other groups killed by the Nazis — Gypsies, political dissidents, non-Aryans, to name a few — Elie Wiesel, at the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1995, stated it best, saying, “It is true that not all the victims were Jews. But all the Jews were victims.” In other words, eliminating Jews was the central organizing principal for the rise of the “Third Reich.” In this Trump era of “post- truth” politics and “alternative facts” that unabashedly challenges, exaggerates, lies and outright negates legitimate facts, orthodox interpretations, and overwhelming evidence, the president’s statement acknowledging the Holocaust and not mentioning Jews and anti-Semitism is like making a public statement acknowledging American slavery and not mentioning blacks and racism. We have normalized anti-Semitism in this country to the point it is not only pervasive, but sadly, it is also invisible to some. For example, during Trump’s campaign he was condemned by Jewish leaders for what appeared on his anti-Hillary poster: the Star of David layered over $100 bills. Trump barked back telling his critics the star was a sheriff’s badge. Since Trump has taken office, however, there has been a noticeable uptick of anti-Semitic assaults and sights of swastika signs across the country, even in unlikely places such as Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS), a bastion of liberalism, tolerance and multiculturalism. Early in December 2016, the school newspaper, Register Forum, reported that swastikas were drawn on two bathroom walls. The third-floor boys’ bathroom had a swastika next to the message “The power lost of this sign will be made great again with President Trump.” Elaine Schear, who is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of CRLS and the parent of two CRLS alumnae, advises people not to underestimate the influence of these messages. “I think we need to be realistic about the current trickle-down toxic messages
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Along with the six million Jews it killed, Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate gay men is a classic example of how politics informed their science. Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code differentiated between the type of persecution non-German gay men received from German gay men because of a quasiscientific and racist ideology of racial purity. “The polices of persecution carried out toward non-German homosexuals in the occupied territories differed significantly from those directed against Germans gays,” wrote Richard Plant in The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals. “The Aryan race was to be freed of contagion; the demise of degenerate subjects were to be hastened.” Although laws against lesbianism had not been codified and lesbians were not criminalized for their sexual orientation as gay men were, homosexual German women were nonetheless viewed as a threat to the Nazi state and were fair game during SS raids on lesbian bars, sentenced by the Gestapo, sent to concentration camps, and branded with a black triangle. As a matter of fact, any German woman — lesbian, heterosexual, or a prostitute — not upholding her primary gender role “to be a mother of as many Aryan babies as possible” was deemed anti-social and hostile to the German state. By not directly acknowledging the Jewish victims of the Holocaust but rather reducing them to a simple statement, “in the name of the perished,” Trump glosses over the Holocaust’s distinct historical circumstances that explain how preexisting prejudices and fears were stoked and amplified against Jews. He also conceals and denies German-Christian anti-Semitism, and erases the unique stories of survival, bravery, and resistance by Jews and their allies. “Seventy-five years ago my mother’s family was being murdered in Poland because they could not escape,” said Leora Tec, Founder and Director of Bridge to Poland, which offers tours to Poland focusing on Jewish life before and after the Nazi’s occupation. Her mother, 85 year-old Nechama Tec, survived the Holocaust by posing as a Catholic girl sheltered by a Catholic family and wrote about her rescue in her book, When Light Pierced the Darkness: Christian Rescue of Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland. Leora explains how the fate of her mother and her mother’s family may have been different had it not been for people taking them in as refugees, which is what they were considered at the time. “In 1946, after the war, people wanted to murder my grandfather in Poland so my mother’s family left. They were refugees in Germany,” she said. “Refugees are not a caricature, a uni-dimensional creation of a limited mind. What they really are are human beings. They could be you or me tomorrow, and very likely there were some in your family’s not so distant past.” Leora added “knowing that people will stand up for others even under the threat of death gives me hope in these dark times.” Her mother was fortunate to have survived, but so many others didn’t. However, it is very likely that they could have, had the U.S. opened their borders to them - which is strikingly foreshadowing of what we are seeing today with Trump’s recent immigration policies. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Failing to specifically acknowledge the Jews who suffered and perished in the Holocaust undermines the significance of the devaluation of their lives in Nazi Germany, and adds more fuel to the fire surrounding Trump’s immigration restrictions; a fire that suggests he doesn’t see the value of Muslim lives. Discover something new. LIVING OUT
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