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IN THIS ISSUE
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OCTOBER 2017 - VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 1 COVER
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5 WOMEN’S HEALTH: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PROACTIVE OUT ON LI: 6 LGBT NETWORK’S #WEARTHERIBBON CAMPAIGN AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS
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CALENDAR IN THE NEWS: 8 NATIONAL 11 INTERNATIONAL OUT FRONT: 14 REMEMBERING EDIE WINDSOR
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BE SCENE: 15 EDIE WINDSOR 16 HAPPY HOURS 17 LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST 19 Q-DINNER OUT AND ABOUT:
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 LIVINGOUT 20 Crossways Park Dr. N., Suite 110 Woodbury, NY 11797 516.323.0011
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DAVID KILMNICK, PUBLISHER info@livingoutli.org LYNN MURPHY, EDITOR editor@livingoutli.org MICHAEL MURPHY, ART DIRECTOR ZACH GOLDSTEIN, ADVERTISING advertising@livingoutli.org CONTRIBUTORS
20 INTERVIEW: MAGIC MICHAEL AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CARBONARO EFFECT’S MICHAEL CARBONARO 26 Q-MUSIC: NO TUNES LIKE BRO TUNES 28 REVIEWS: FALL FOR A GOOD READ
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LIVING SMART: 31 HOROSCOPES: OCTOBER 2017
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SPECIAL PRIDE GUIDE EDITION!
PRIDE 25
Long Island Pride Parade and PrideFest Celebrates 25th Anniversary on Saturday, June 13th
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Women’s Health: The Importance of Being Proactive Women may feel that they are too busy caring for their children, aging parents, spouses, and friends to properly take care of themselves. However, it’s crucial for women to be their own advocates for their healthcare. Schedule a well-visit exam with your primary care physician and your gynecologist every year. Those visits are key opportunities to ask your doctor questions about your health and medical conditions. Be proactive by asking about the types of preventive healthcare screenings you should have. Taking proactive measures can help you avoid problems such as medical injuries and errors. Unfortunately, avoidable medical errors happen every single day in hospitals and doctors’ offices across the country. Breast cancer misdiagnosis or late diagnoses are avoidable mistakes. Ask questions, speak up if you have concerns, and don’t take anyone’s word simply because they are a medical professional. Medical professionals are held to higher standards of care than other professionals, due to their advanced training and licensing. Issues such as misreading radiology scans or x-rays may give patients grounds for a lawsuit. When it comes to breast cancer, doctors who do not order necessary testing, such as a sonogram or mammogram, may be held legally liable should there be a failure to timely diagnose a woman’s breast cancer. Diagnostic errors don’t always apply to missed or late diagnoses, but also to the staging of cancers. In fact, misdiagnosis and late diagnosis can happen at different points during your medical treatments. Sometimes mammograms,
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sonograms, or digital films may not be read properly. In other cases, the results of a biopsy may not be tested appropriately and/or reported correctly leading to improper treatment. Because early treatment is so crucial for breast cancer patients, a missed diagnosis or a delayed diagnosis can result in more invasive treatments, significant quality-of-life issues, and can even lead to loss of life that may have been prevented with earlier intervention. Patients often seek the advice of doctors when they notice a serious issue. These same doctors are often in the position to diagnose the cancer early during routine check-ups. If they notice abnormalities, these trusted physicians are expected to order further testing or procedures. Failing to properly read a mammogram can be a serious mistake that may lead to delayed treatment of cancer. A recent study of medical malpractice claims found that radiologists were sued more frequently for failing to diagnose breast cancer than any other ailment. If you feel that your doctor is rushing through your appointment, or disregarding your concerns do not hesitate to shop around for a new doctor. Many medical malpractice cases are born of the doctor’s failure to diagnose a problem. Taking proactive measures for your health can help you avoid problems such as medical injuries and other forms of medical malpractice. As a patient, it is important to be proactive about your care.
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OUT ON LI
Over a Quarter Million #WEARTHERIBBON for LGBT Network’s Campaign For the 16th year, the LGBT Network marked October 11th, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) with its #WearTheRibbon NCOD campaign. It was the first time in the campaign’s history that the LGBT Network has expanded its efforts beyond schools and it was a resounding success! With nearly one quarter of a million participants from over 220 companies, schools, unions, libraries, sports groups, elected officials, colleges and universities, and other community organizations participating, it was the largest community organizing effort the LGBT Network has ever launched. The goal of the LGBT Network NCOD Campaign was simple: Engage and empower the greatest number of people to take a stand against discrimination, violence, harassment, and bullying of LGBT people by coming out for safe spaces where they LIVE, LEARN, WORK, PLAY, and PRAY. LGBT Network CEO, David Kilmnick spoke about the importance of the campaign and the safe spaces it helps to create. “We know that when we go into the workplace, we talk about our families, we talk about what we did on the weekend, where did we go, who did we go with… It’s sort of that water fountain or coffee talk that you may have in talking about your personal lives. And, for many LGBT folks, they feel that they have to keep that important part of themselves hidden. And that’s an incredible stress, to be walking around in the workplace, or in school, or in your church, or on the athletic field, to not be your true authentic self.” This year’s campaign expanded well beyond the borders of the New York Mero area, as groups from across the country participated, including eBay locations in San Jose, CA; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT, and Hartford, CT; GEICO in Arizona, a college in Canada, a church in South Carolina, a high school in Minnesota, 21 Northwell Health locations, and nearly 100 more non-school groups. “Today, the LGBT Network’s National Coming Out Day campaign is truly national.” said Kilmnick.
See photos from the event at the LGBT Network Flickr page 6
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SHOW YOUR PRIDE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS SAGE-LI Gayloween Spooktacular Saturday, October 21st, 5-9:00p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
LIGALY Advisory Board Mondays, 6-8 p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
SAGE-LI is hosting its ninth annual Halloween Youth help plan new programs and events at Dance at the Center at Bay Shore. This is a costume LIGALY. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300 party, so go wild with creativity in choosing a costume! If you don’t have a costume, you can still party with us! There is a $12 admission fee to cover the cost of dinner, dessert and drinks. RSVPs are LITE Social and required by Thursday, October 19th.
Drag Bingo with Trixie Bay Monday, October 23rd, 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. Suffolk: Center at Bay Shore, 34 Park Ave., Bay Shore
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
Trixie Bay is an upcoming star, known for her outlandish costumes. Trixie’s talent goes beyond bingo as she also sings. Many of her followers have seen Trixie perform at benefits for the Long Island 1st, 3rd, and 5th meetings are closed for Gay Men’s Chorus. Trixie looks forward to be your transgender individuals only. 2nd and 4th meetings are for transgender individuals and caller at SAGE-LI drag bingo! partners, family, friends, or loved ones.
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
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 Thursday of the month. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
LIFE in Nassau 2nd Thursday, 7-9 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
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
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
Youth leadership program for young people committed to creating safer schools on Long Island. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
SAGE-LI Evening Mingle 3rd Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
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
SAGE-LI’s weekly social for LGBT seniors 50+ at The Center at Bay Shore. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 631.665.2300
SAGE-LI Nassau Mingle Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nassau: Center at Woodbury, 20 Crossways Park Dr. North, Suite 110, Woodbury
SAGE-LI’s weekly social for LGBT seniors 50+ at The Center at Woodbury. www.lgbtnetwork.org, 516.323.0011
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
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
Women 2 Women Tuesdays, 7:15-8:45 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
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
Youth Squad Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. East End: The Hamptons LGBT Center, 44 Union St., Sag Harbor
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
LIFE in Nassau meets every second Thursday. Open to adults of all genders and orientations with an interest in BDSM topics.
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IN THE NEWS
national News
By LGBT Network
U.S. anti-bias law does not protect transgender workers: Justice Department Microsoft, Apple among companies urging U.S. Supreme Court to weigh gay workers' rights
(Reuters) - Dozens of companies including Alphabet Inc’s Google, Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, and Viacom Inc have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to address whether a law banning sex discrimination in the workplace provides protections to gay employees. A group of 76 companies submitted a brief to the court saying a split among lower courts on that question had created uncertainty for employers and gay workers. The companies asked the Supreme Court to take up the case of Jameka Evans, a former security guard at a Georgia hospital who says she was harassed and forced to quit her job because she is gay. The companies said the lack of a federal law clearly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has hindered recruitment in the 27 states that have not adopted their own such laws. And “the uncertainty and vulnerability LGBT workers face results in diminished employee health, productivity, job engagement, and satisfaction,” wrote the companies’ lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. A federal appeals court in Atlanta in March dismissed Evans’ case, saying her claims were foreclosed by prior decisions that said discrimination against gay employees is not a form of unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Supreme Court will likely decide by the end of the year whether it will take Evans’ case. Gay rights is the latest issue to cause a rift between the business community and the Trump administration.. The Trump administration says Congress did not intend for Title VII to apply to LGBT workers, and courts do not have the power to change the meaning of the law.
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(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice has reversed course on whether federal law banning sex discrimination in the workplace provides protections for transgender employees, saying in a memo that it does not. The memo sent to U.S. Attorneys’ offices on Wednesday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions says Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only prohibits discrimination on the basis of a worker’s biological sex, and not their gender identity. Sessions rescinded a Justice Department memo from 2014 that said Title VII does protect transgender people, a position also taken by several federal appeals courts in recent years. It was the Trump administration’s latest move to roll back Obama administration policies on LGBT issues. In August, President Donald Trump signed a memo directing the U.S. military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits, reversing a policy that allowed transgender people to serve openly. The Justice Department appeared before a federal appeals court in Manhattan to argue that Title VII does not provide protections to gay and lesbian workers. The Democratic National Committee criticized the memo in a statement, and urged Congress to pass a law explicitly protecting LGBT workers from discrimination. Department of Justice spokesman Devin O‘Malley said that the government could not expand the law beyond what Congress had intended. “Unfortunately, the last administration abandoned that fundamental principle, which necessitated today’s action,” he said. But Sharon McGowan of LGBT group Lambda Legal, who worked at the Justice Department during the Obama administration, said the memo “blatantly ignores” a growing body of court decisions that said discrimination against transgender people is a type of sex bias.
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IN THE NEWS
national News
By LGBT Network
Boy Scouts of America to allow girls to join, earn Eagle Scout rank (Reuters) - In a historic shift, the Boy Scouts of America will let girls enroll in Cub Scouts starting next year and allow them to eventually earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout, the organization said on Wednesday. The unanimous decision by the 100-year-old group’s board of directors came after years of requests from families and girls, it said, though the announcement prompted a largely negative reaction on social media. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children,” Boy Scouts Chief Executive Michael Surbaugh said in a statement. Starting in 2018, the Boy Scouts will allow girls to join the 7- to 10-year-old Cub Scouts. Small, community-level “dens” will be singlegender. Larger “packs,” which are comprised of dens, will decide whether to include dens of each gender or not, the BSA said. In a program to be announced next year and projected to start in 2019, girls will follow the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts, which are for ages 11-17. In January, the Boy Scouts also opted to allow transgender boys to join.
At Values Voter Summit, Trump Boasts of Homophobic, Sexist Victories (Advocate) - Donald Trump told his religious right supporters what they wanted to hear today at the Values Voter Summit — that he’s protecting religious freedom and bringing JudeoChristian values back to America. The first sitting president to address the gathering, he took the stage at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., to applause and chants of “USA!” and then praised Tony Perkins, president of the event’s sponsor, the Family Research Council, as a “tremendous guy.” Trump noted the frequent invocations of God by the nation’s founders, then said, “How times have changed. But now they’re changing back again.” He touted the “religious freedom” guidance issued by his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, last week, which gives federal employees and contractors a wide berth to claim religious objections to their duties, constituting a broad license to discriminate against LGBT people and others who might offend their religious sensibilities. He boasted of reinstating the policy of denying U.S. funds to any overseas family planning organization that so much as mentions abortion and of broadening exceptions to the contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act. (His latest action concerning the ACA is announcing an end to subsidies that help low-income Americans buy health insurance, yet he told the gathering, “We’re gonna have great health care in our country.”)
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He spoke proudly of the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, a man “in the mold of the late, great Antonin Scalia.” And he noted that with the holiday season approaching, “We’re saying Merry Christmas again,” as if anyone had been prevented from saying that. He said he hoped that Congress would pass his proposed tax cuts “as a Christmas gift to hardworking families,” although the cuts would overwhelmingly benefit the most wealthy. He bragged of his administration’s response to natural disasters, ignoring that the response to hurricane destruction in Puerto Rico is widely seen as inadequate and that relief workers treated themselves to a “spa day” there. He hit other expected points — about respecting the flag, our history, law enforcement, and military members (not mentioning, of course, that he is drumming transgender people out of the military), and that in foreign policy, he is standing up to “radical Islamic terrorism” and bad actors around the world. “Above all else, we know this,” he said. “In America we don’t worship government. We worship God. Inspired by that conviction, we are returning moral clarity to our view of the world and the many grave challenges we face.” He also said, “When America is unified, no force on earth can break us apart” — but in reality, his presidency has been extremely divisive. LIVING OUT
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IN THE NEWS
INTernational News
By LGBT Network
Activists celebrate Botswana's transgender court victory GABARONE (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Botswana transgender man has won a 10-year battle to be legally recognized as male in a landmark ruling that could boost minority rights in the conservative nation. Botswana High Court last week ordered the government to change the gender marker on the man’s identity card from female to male to respect his constitutional rights. “This is an immense relief,” the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement. “I am hopeful that other persons who find themselves in a similar situation will be dealt with in a more respectful manner when they apply for new identity cards.” Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa said in his judgment that the government had violated the plaintiff’s rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of expression, equality and freedom from discrimination and inhumane and degrading treatment. Experts say up to 1 percent of the world’s population is transgender - men and women who feel they have been born with the wrong body and the wrong gender. The 2 million-strong southern African nation has been reluctant to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. Homosexual acts are illegal in Botswana, as in many African countries, and punishable by up to seven years in jail. Members of the community are often stripped, harassed and thrown out of their homes. The ruling raises hopes that Tshepo Ricki Kgositau, a transgender woman, will also win her case to have her gender marker amended. It is due to be heard in December. “This is great victory for the transgender community because many more have been fighting the gender marker battle for years,” said Tshiamo Rantao, the man’s lawyer, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
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Indonesia police detain 51 men in Jakarta "gay spa" raid JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian police detained 51 men including several foreigners in a raid on what authorities described as a “gay spa” in Jakarta, and some could face up to six years in prison under pornography and prostitution laws. The arrests are the latest in a spate of high-profile police actions against gay clubs and parties in Indonesia this year that have called the country’s reputation for tolerance into question. With the exception of the ultra-conservative Aceh province in northern Sumatra, where Islamic law is enforced and two men were publicly flogged last month for gay sex, homosexuality is legal in Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population. “LGBT is clearly between men and men or same-sex relationships. Male prostitution,” Yuwono said, without clarifying further. He said those charged could face up to six years in prison under Indonesia’s pornography law. Activists say police targeting of consensual gay sex has shone a light on discrimination and harassment in the world’s third-largest democracy. Andreas Harsono, a Jakarta-based researcher for Human Rights Watch, referred to a pattern of discriminatory police action against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Indonesia. “If they raided (this club) because they are gay, it is abusive, it is abuse of power,” he said, adding that there is no law against homosexuality as long as relationships are consensual. “If there is no victim, there is no crime,” he said.
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IN THE NEWS
INTernational News
By LGBT Network
Rainbow raids: Egypt launches its widest anti-gay crackdown yet CAIRO (Reuters) - Sarah Hegazy has been jailed, beaten by inmates, and could face a life sentence in an Egyptian prison if found guilty of “promoting sexual deviancy” and other charges tied to her alleged crime: waving a rainbow flag at a concert. The 28-year-old denies waving the flag but is one of 57 people arrested so far in Egypt’s widest anti-gay crackdown yet, a swift zero-tolerance response to a rare show of public support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the conservative Muslim country. The crackdown comes as Egypt, a key Western ally in the Middle East, is under fire for its human rights record and the United States has withheld some of its $1.3 billion in annual military aid. Hegazy, the only woman rounded up in the three-week-old campaign, says police goaded her cellmates to abuse her during her first night in prison, where she is being detained for 15 days and interrogated by special prosecutors who usually focus on Islamist militants. “This is the game they (police) always play, especially since she is a girl. They incite the other detainees and say ‘this girl wants men and women to be gay’ so they harass her. I saw scratches on her shoulder, she looked very disheveled and exhausted. She was beaten,” said Hegazy’s lawyer Hoda Nasralla. A security official would not comment on Hegazy’s case but denied that police incite prisoners against each other or otherwise mistreat them.
Lawyers for other detainees said their clients faced similar treatment. Suspected gay male detainees are subject to forced anal exams to determine if they have had homosexual sex, a procedure human rights groups say amounts to torture. At least five such examinations have taken place, Amnesty International says. Judicial sources do not deny the examinations take place but say they are legally carried out and are not a form of abuse. Police, state-aligned media, and the religious establishment all see it as a public duty to combat the spread of homosexuality. Ten men have already gone on trial during the recent sweep and received jail sentences from one to six years. But the recent developments underscore an existing reality for gay Egyptians: they are in constant physical danger. “I don’t feel comfortable just being myself. We’re not talking about gay rights here, no one is calling for marriage equality, we face the possibility of jail and humiliation for merely existing,” said one 25-year-old gay man.
Indonesia considers ban on "destructive" LGBT-related TV content JAKARTA (Reuters) - Days after a long-running Indonesian television comedy aired, its producers got a letter from the broadcast commission warning that a male character in the show was “dressed and behaving like a woman” and could violate broadcasting standards. “We evaluated the show...we immediately reminded our staff to be careful because we are minimizing LGBT content on our network,” said Anita Wulandari Prasojo, head of marketing and public relations at Trans7, the private television station that aired the show “Opera van Java” last month. She may have to do more than that in the future. Indonesia’s parliament is considering national legislation that would ban lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) content from TV screens by the end of the year. The draft bill, which Reuters reviewed, would revise the broadcasting law to scrub content with “LGBT behavior”. Broadcasts and advertisements that show “lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender behavior” would be banned. It does not explicitly define “LGBT behavior”. It would be the latest measure targeting the LGBT community in a rising tide of hostility in the world’s third-largest democracy. “LGBT is not criminal, but if it enters the public sphere, if it’s broadcast to the public, then of course it must be regulated,” said Bobby Rizaldi, a member of parliament involved in drafting the law.
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LIVING OUT
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The New Honda
Civic Hatchback Sport
3859 Hempstead Turnpike | Levittown, NY 11756 (516) 717-4762 | HondaCityLi.com
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IN THE NEWS
INTernational News
By LGBT Network
More young people identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual: UK data LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More young people across Britain identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in 2016, in a slight increase from the year before, according to official data released on Wednesday. About 4 percent of those aged between 16 and 24 identified as LGB, a rise from about 3 percent in 2015. This age group had the highest proportion of LGB people in Britain, followed by 25 to 34 year olds. “One reason for this pattern may be that younger people could be more likely to explore their sexuality, combined with more social acceptability of sexual identities today and the ability to express these,” the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in its report. More than 1 million people, or 2 percent of the British population, identified as LGB in 2016, a statistically significant increase from 1.7 percent in 2015, the ONS said. Males and people living in London were also most likely to identify as LGB last year, ONS said. The figures did not include trangender people. Although Britain is one of a handful of countries where LGBT people have equal constitutional rights, activists say abuse and discrimination remain rife. A recent YouGov survey said that hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Britain almost doubled in the past four years, with one in five people targeted in the past 12 months.
Greek church bells ring funeral toll over sex change law ATHENS (Reuters) - Churches in a western Greek region will ring funeral bells to protest a new law that makes it easier for people to change their legally recognized gender. Greece’s parliament passed a law which allows people over 15 to change their gender on official documents with a court ruling, without requiring medical tests or sterilization as was the case until now. The bill laid bare divisions within the left-right coalition government and led to debates between the ruling leftist party and the conservative opposition. It has also angered the powerful Orthodox Church, which demanded it be withdrawn. The clerics’ decision said it was “an outrageous inspiration to allow a person to change gender with a simple application, in a few minutes, contrary to what God gave humans” and called homosexuality a “deadly sin”. “The frivolous passing of the law, which opposes human nature and biology and leads to the abominable sin of homosexuality, creates unrest and confusion.” The law was welcomed by human rights activists. Amnesty International said it was a historic step forward for transgender people in Greece.
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OUT FRONT
R EMEMBER ING
Edie Windsor
On September 12, 2017, the entire LGBT community lost a true hero, and Long Island’s LGBT community lost a dear friend. Edith Windsor was best known as the crusading activist whose landmark Supreme Court case struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, paving the way for LGBT couples to receive federal recognition of their unions for the first time in our nation’s history. On Long Island, we knew her as Edie, our friend with a heart as big as her smile, relentless in her activism, always fighting for those in need. Edie’s tireless fight for equality for LGBT people had been a common thread throughout her life, neither beginning nor ending with her victory at the Supreme Court. On Memorial Day, 2012, Edie opened her home to guests to support the work of the LGBT Network for the first time in what has become a cherished tradition kicking off summer on the East End each year.
its 20th Anniversary Gala. As Grand Marshal of the Long Island Pride Parade in 2014, Edie brought us all together to celebrate as a community, with an eye toward the important work yet to be done. Those who knew Edie will never forget her warmth, her kindness, her generosity of spirit, or her passion for helping others. By continuing to fight for those in need, and continuing the fight for full equality, we honor the life and the spirit of our friend Edie. The LGBT Network mourns the loss of Edie Windsor and commits to ensuring that her vision and hard-work continues into the future.
Following the tragic suicide of 16-year old David Hernandez Barros, Edie was instrumental in helping open the LGBT Network’s Hamptons Center in Sag Harbor – the first and only LGBT Center on the East End of Long Island. In 2013, the LGBT Network honored Edie as an LGBT Civil Rights Trailblazer at 14
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be scene EDIE WINDSOR
A look back at some of the unforgettable moments the LGBT Network has shared with Edie over the years.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF EDIE WINDSOR, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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be scene Happy Hours
The LGBT Network recently hosted several Happy Hour events to engage and strengthen the community over light fare and cocktails. Here are a few highlights from Hotel Indigo and Jewel Restaurant.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM HAPPY HOURS, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK 16
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be scene
Legislative Breakfast
On Tuesday, October 10th, 2017, the LGBT Network hosted its First Annual Legislative Breakfast, sponsored and hosted by Bethpage Federal Credit Union. Over 30 elected officials from across Long Island and every level of government came together to learn more about the LGBT community’s legislative priorities for the coming year.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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Extraordinary Events For Extraordinary People
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www.chezzam.com
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be scene Q-Dinner
On October 12th, 2017 The LGBT Network held its first annual Q-Dinner in commemoration of National Coming Out Day. The evening of mingling and dinner was capped off by a poignant ceremony honoring Michael Mallon and Bill Meehan.
TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM Q-DINNER, PLEASE VISIT FLICKR.COM/LIGLBTNETWORK
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OUT AND ABOUT
INTERVIEW
by gregg shapiro
Magic MichaEL
an interview with The Carbonaro Effect’s Michael Carbonaro
With his mesmerizing and hilarious hidden camera and practical joke series The Carbonaro Effect, now in its third season on truTV, out actor and illusionist Michael Carbonaro keeps viewers (and his unwitting subjects) guessing. A whiz of a wizard, if ever there was, Carbonaro first crossed our gaydar as sex-obsessed Andy in the 2006 rom-com Another Gay Movie. But his greatest success and exposure has occurred through his longtime love of the magical arts on The Carbonaro Effect. Carbonaro is currently on a cross-country live performance tour bringing his effect to your part of the world. I spoke with him at the beginning of his tour in September 2017. Gregg Shapiro: How did you first become interested in -- and I want to pronounce it correctly -- prestidigitation? Michael Carbonaro: Oh, that’s really well done. GS: Thank you! MC: When I first moved to Los Angeles, eight years ago, and got to perform at The Magic Castle for the first time, I was working in the Parlour of Prestidigitation. So that was one I had to learn myself [laughs]. I do love that you gave it another name other than magic or illusion. Because it is a big umbrella for me, what illusion or magic or prestidigitation is. I began with, and still have, a love of special effects. I talk about this in my live show. A huge love of Halloween, costumes and make-up. I had no doubt that when I grew up, I wanted to be a make-up artist. I would buy make-up supplies at a local magic shop in Hicksville near where I grew up on Long Island. There were guys behind the counter who were showing real (magic) tricks. I went there for the make-up and it was full of masks and puppets and gags and pranks and bloody things and zombies. It was theatrical too; there was stage make-up. It opened up this world where illusion is all of that. I became interested in magic from going to buy make-up supplies. Through magic, buying those tricks and trying them out on my friends, I noticed that I had a love for performing. If special effects brought me to magic, then magic brought me to performing. All three of those things are still just as strong as the other. I think they all tie together in the work I’m doing. I didn’t know whether I wanted to be an actor 20
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or special effects artist or magician. Well, how about if I do all three of those in the show? GS: Who are, or were, your illusionist heroes? MC: Excellent! Look at how this all comes together! My favorite illusion book of all time is by Tom Savini. It’s called Bizarro, later titled Grand Illusions. I love that it was called Bizarro! His book reads like a magic book. It’s the effect I need to make. I need it to look like this troll that’s running across the floor, so I have this trick platform and I slide it and this guy’s in a costume. First I show this, then I show that. It’s a magic book dealing with monsters, so that was it for me. Magic books and (David) Copperfield. Because he, more than anyone embodied this host of all these things that were magical. He would talk to the audience and be funny and go off into some weird fantasy illusion and come back and do a silly little gag. I love that atmosphere that he created. GS: How would you say that your sleight of hand skills worked in your favor as a gay man? MC: Whoa! I don’t know if I’ve ever considered that question. There is something sexy about secrets, isn’t there? I wasn’t out in elementary school or junior high. But I started to find the right kinds of friends in high school. The music department in my high school was really tight knit and we did plays together and were in the chorus. GS: That was often the GSA before there were GSAs. MC: Exactly. Right [laughs]? As we used to call the wonderful theater where I’m from on Long Island – it was the Creative Ministries Performing Arts Center, now the Noel S. Ruiz Theater named for the man who ran it – we used to call it the Creative Ministries Coming Out Center [laughs]. I think John Waters talks about this, too, from his generation. It was better when you had to sneak around and come up with little plots or plans or however he put it. There was something about having a secret that was cool. I guess I was better at setting up secret situations and knew how to hide my tracks the way a magician would. Before I came out!
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GS: In addition to being the title of your show, you use the catchphrase, “the Carbonaro effect”. How did that catchphrase come into being? MC: I’ll be honest with you, this was a pitch from the network. And I’ll give it to them. All projects are always a changing and developing thing. You find what it is as you’re making it. I was certain that I wanted to call the show Michael Carbonaro: Trickster. I love the trickster character, I think he embodies what I do on the show. Like Bugs Bunny, poking you in the right direction, playing along with you, making you wonder. That made sense to me. When they first pitched it to me, I was like, “Oh, no, I don’t know!” I always had this weird thing with my last name. I always thought people wouldn’t remember it. It’s confusing. When I was 17, I used to perform as Michael Christopher. GS: Is Christopher your middle name or something? MC: Nope! Made it up. If David Kotkin can be David Copperfield, I’ll be Michael Christopher! In retrospect, it did sound a little like a hair salon. Now, that title became what it was we were trying to capture. That moment when an intelligent adult mind can be brought to a state where they wonder for a second if there’s a secret trap in the universe that they didn’t know existed and they believe that for a moment. Isn’t that beautiful? That’s the Carbonaro effect. GS: The Carbonaro Effect, the show, has as much to do with hidden cameras as it does with magic. Did you ever get to meet Allen Funt, the man behind the popular Candid Camera, one of the original shows of this kind? MC: I never did, but I watched his show a lot as a kid. I watched all the reruns of that show. You’re right, there’s a magic to that. A hidden camera falls under that hidden illusion we talked about. It’s like I’m hiding a camera secretly behind a mirror that doesn’t look like it could be there. That’s a magic trick.
magic and pranks? MC: He loves them! He loves the life. Our house has a gremlin puppet in it and an alien face-hugger and Jaws posters. Peter was in love with horror as much as I was as kid. We meet on that level. Peter travels with me to do the tour. There are acts he performs with me as a magician. GS: In addition to your TV gigs, you have also appeared in films, including “Another Gay Movie”, for which you received an acting award from L.A. Outfest. Do you have plans to do more acting? MC: Absolutely! Yes, a million percent. This show is serving so many aspects of things that I like to do. That’s a huge part of it, that acting energy. I look forward to having time in my schedule, but right now I’m pretty booked up. I look forward to having a one-man Broadway show and comedic sitcom work and films. I want to direct a horror film myself. GS: You are currently doing a series of live dates. What can people expect when attending one of your shows? MC: The best part about the live show, in the way that you were talking about Candid Camera, that energy of playfulness, that same world of non-mean-spirited fun…I talk about this in the live show. I regularly get a similar letter from fans thanking me and saying that my show is the only one on television that they watch with their entire family. That’s the same energy that comes through in these big, beautiful theaters across the country where I perform. The live show is a playful, all-ages show, with the same wry wit from the TV show. I’m loving it as much as the audiences. I’m having a blast. Also, just come and check out that it’s not all camera tricks. Every diehard fan wonders if it’s camera tricks. I say, “Get yourself a ticket, come on down and watch the magic!”
GS: You appear to make good use of your everyman appeal and improvisational skills on The Carbonaro Effect. Of the two, is there one that you rely on more than the other in the scenes on the show? MC: That’s a great question. It really is a weave back and forth between those two. I think there’s meter somewhere. I would say that it depends on the moment. If someone is in that state where they need to be looking for clues as to what just happened, sometimes my best bet is just to look down and be in a state of amazement myself. That would be acting, processing the thought of something I just saw. That way I can afford them the private moment to do that themselves and react how they would. This is kind of a new thing we’re doing as the show develops over the seasons. If I think the person is going to get me first, I’ll be like, “Wait a minute! Is this like a freakin’ prank show? How did we get out here?” I will throw it out there first. Because if I’m clearly the only one who could have caused what just happened, then they start to doubt. So, there’s the acting again. The answer is it’s always a needle going back and forth between those two worlds. GS: How does your husband, (actor) Peter (Stickles), feel about
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GS: Finally, I live in Fort Lauderdale and we are speaking a few days after Hurricane Irma hit. We’ve been without power for almost a week. Do you think you might be able to work some magic on Florida Power & Light to get our electricity restored? MC: As a matter of fact, our tour is going to be giving some of the proceeds to Hurricane Irma. I have a wonderful charity, Hocus Focus, that I’ve been working with for the entire tour. It works with children with ADD and adults with learning disabilities. They use magic to help people overcome some of their hardships in focusing. The kids and the adults who do this program are inspired to learn the tricks by keeping their focus. They want to be able to learn it. It’s so beautifully successful for all parties involved. We’ve been donating strongly to them. On this tour, donations will be to them, as well as for hurricane relief. GS: How does your husband, (actor) Peter (Stickles), feel about magic and pranks? MC: He loves them! He loves the life. Our house has a gremlin puppet in it and an alien face-hugger and Jaws posters. Peter was in love with horror as much as I was as kid. We meet on that level. Peter travels with me to do the tour. There are acts he performs with me as a magician. GS: In addition to your TV gigs, you have also appeared in films, including “Another Gay Movie”, for which you received an acting award from L.A. Outfest. Do you have plans to do more acting?
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MC: Absolutely! Yes, a million percent. This show is serving so many aspects of things that I like to do. That’s a huge part of it, that acting energy. I look forward to having time in my schedule, but right now I’m pretty booked up. I look forward to having a one-man Broadway show and comedic sitcom work and films. I want to direct a horror film myself. GS: You are currently doing a series of live dates. What can people expect when attending one of your shows? MC: The best part about the live show, in the way that you were talking about Candid Camera, that energy of playfulness, that same world of non-mean-spirited fun…I talk about this in the live show. I regularly get a similar letter from fans thanking me and saying that my show is the only one on television that they watch with their entire family. That’s the same energy that comes through in these big, beautiful theaters across the country where I perform. The live show is a playful, all-ages show, with the same wry wit from the TV show. I’m loving it as much as the audiences. I’m having a blast. Also, just come and check out that it’s not all camera tricks. Every diehard fan wonders if it’s camera tricks. I say, “Get yourself a ticket, come on down and watch the magic!” GS: Finally, I live in Fort Lauderdale and we are speaking a few days after Hurricane Irma hit. We’ve been without power for almost a week. Do you think you might be able to work some magic on Florida Power & Light to get our electricity restored? MC: As a matter of fact, our tour is going to be giving some of the proceeds to Hurricane Irma. I have a wonderful charity, Hocus Focus, that I’ve been working with for the entire tour. It works with children with ADD and adults with learning disabilities. They use magic to help people overcome some of their hardships in focusing. The kids and the adults who do this program are inspired to learn the tricks by keeping their focus. They want to be able to learn it. It’s so beautifully successful for all parties involved. We’ve been donating strongly to them. On this tour, donations will be to them, as well as for hurricane relief.
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Quality Healthcare Services for Individuals with Special Needs and the Community at Large
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You are not alone, you are…FREE To BE FREE To BE is a community of men and women dedicated to socialization, advocacy, and education. We support a network that provides a safe environment to grow together. Socialization/Group Meetings FREE To BE provides an engaging space for LGBTQ individuals and friends, and we encourage all who are interested to come and join us. Meetings Include Inspirational guest speakers, workshops, open discussions, social events, and community involvement. Next Meeting Dates: October 24th, 2017 & November 28th, 2017 Time: 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm Location: FREE, 191 Bethpage-Sweet Hollow Road, Old Bethpage, NY 11804 Fundraising Conference Room To learn more about FREE To BE or to become a member, please contact us at FREEToBE@FamilyRes.org Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc.
191 Bethpage-Sweet Hollow Road l Old Bethpage, New York 11804 FamilyRes.org l 516-870-1637 • #40YearsOfFREE 24
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Thinking about becoming parents? Please join us for an educational seminar to learn about the many options Long Island IVF has to offer. Date: Thursday, October 26, 2017 Time: 6:30pm-9:30pm
BUILDING FAMILIES IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY longislandivf.com
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Where: LGBT Network 34 Park Avenue Bay Shore NY, 11706 For more Seminar information and to register go to Eventbrite: bit.ly/2uZvA8r PRESENTED BY: Dr. David Kreiner, IVF Physican Vicky Loveland, IVF Donor Egg Coordinator Amy Demma, Reproductive Law Attorney
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OUT AND ABOUT
Q-music
by gregg shapiro
No tunes like bro tunes
As unlikely musical sex symbols go, they probably don’t get more improbable than Ed Sheeran. The doughy tattooed ginger has transcended his interesting appearance via his appealing singing voice on songs such as “Thinking Out Loud” and “Sing” from his breakthrough 2014 album X, to the virtually inescapable “Shape of You” from his 2017 album Divide (Atlantic). Sheeran doesn’t veer too far from the formula that brought him mainstream success, something that comes through loud and clear on songs such as “Dive”, “Castle on the Hill”, “New Man”, “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here”, “What Do I Know?” and the heartbreaking “Supermarket Flowers”.
The Search for Everything (Columbia) is John Mayer’s best and most soulful album in years. The writing is genuinely sophisticated and Mayer’s singing is at its most compelling. In fact, it’s safe to say that there’s 26
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not a clinker on the disc. Irresistible opener “Still Feel Like Your Man” is 21st century blue-eyed-soul that neatly avoids cultural appropriation. Heartbreak is the dominant theme here as you can hear on the acoustic “Emoji of a Wave”, which is followed by the fiercely funky “Helpless”. The subtle stomp of “In The Blood” is Mayer at his most confessional and “Changing” continues the mood. “Moving On and Getting Over” puts a funky spin on the break-up song. As it turns out, Mayer really does excel at sad songs, plainly illustrated in “Never On The Day You Leave” and the Randy Newman-esque “You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me”.
On Beast Epic (Sub Pop), Sam Beam’s sixth album as Iron & Wine, the singer/songwriter himself says that “the sound” of the album “harks back to previous work”. What that means is that Beam has returned to the more acoustically driven style of his early releases. Naturally, this leads to a more intimate and organic feel throughout the 11 songs. While it’s neither beastly or epic, it does feel like a solid return to form, especially on “Bitter Truth”, “Claim Your Ghost”, “Thomas County Law”, “About A Bruise”, “Call It Dreaming”, “Last Night” and “The Truest Stars We Know”.
Iron & Wine performs on November 6th at Culture Room >>
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of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, the devastating “Like I Do”, and the beautiful ballad “Too Much Water” are all highly recommended.
Canadian singer/songwriter Mac DeMarco is the kind of cool indie artist who deserves the kind of attention heaped on Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. DeMarco’s third full-length album This Old Dog (Captured Tracks) is a giddy pleasure from start to finish. Sure, the dragging musical effect might lose its charm after the first couple of listens, but DeMarco’s distinctive sense of humor, beginning with “My Old Man” in which he admits to beginning to see more of his father in himself, serves as a distraction and sets him apart from the competition. Other standout tunes include “Baby You’re Out”, the `80s slow jams “On The Level” and “For The First Time”, the brief but memorable “Sister”, and closer “Watching Him Fade Away”.
Of the four albums Grammynominated singer/songwriter Seth Glier has recorded for the Rachael Sage’s MPress Records label, his latest, Birds (MPress) feels like the one that could connect with the most people. The wonderful title track, for instance, exhibits an appealing accessibility. Additionally, the gospel choir on “Just Because I Can”, the infectious retro-pop sensibility of “People Like Us”, the bare-bones blues rendition
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Every time a TV talent show contestant such as UK-based James Arthur releases an album, pop music dies another slow agonizing death. Arthur’s dreadful debut album Back from The Edge (Columbia) is all the evidence that is needed. That’s all there is to say about it.
Only slightly less dull than James Arthur, Jaymes Young borrows a page from the Sam Smith playbook by merging modern blue-eyed soul with electronic flourishes on his debut album Feel Something (Atlantic). This is exemplified on “Tied Down”, “Sugar Burn” and “Naked”. The rest is simply forgettable. U nfor tunately for Young, Feel Something has the potential to leave most listeners feeling nothing.
Teen singer/songwriter Declan McKenna narrowly avoids the trap that trips up Arthur and Young on his terribly titled debut album What Do You Think About the Car? (Columbia). This can probably be traced to the interesting production (credited to three different producers), more than to the songwriting. The aptly titled opener “Humongous” sounds as big as its name. “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” is as bratty as you’d expect. “Make Me Your Queen” isn’t as gay as you think and “Isombard” and “Why Do You Feel So Down” are the most dance-friendly number. The album closes with the exceptional “Listen to Your Friends”, co-written by McKenna and openly gay ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij.
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OUT AND ABOUT
reviews
by gregg shapiro
Fall for a good read Short story shelf
Novel pages
Fresh Complaint: Stories (FSG, 2017), the first short story collection by Jeffrey Eugenides, author of the groundbreaking gender identity novel Middlesex, as well as The Virgin Suicides, and features 10 stories, including “Air Mail” which was selected for the 1997 edition of The Best American Short Stories by “Brokeback Mountain” author Annie Proulx.
Set in contemporary Israel, The Book of Love and Hate (Akashic, 2017) by Lambda Literary Award-winning author Lauren Sanders follows failed Olympic speed skater Jennifer on a quest to find her missing billionaire father as she encounters “fake Orthodox Jews, queer Palestinians on the run” and a host of others.
Outside is the Ocean (University of Iowa Press, 2017) by Matthew Lansburgh, winner of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, consists of 15 linked short stories about German immigrant Heike who has been making her way in America since she left her homeland at 20. Edited by gay writer Benjamin Taylor, Debriefing: Collected Stories (FSG, 2017) compiles all of late, queer writer and intellectual Susan Sontag’s short fiction under one cover, with “Project for a Trip to China” and “Unguided Tour” included among the 11 stories.
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Lately, gay actor and vlogger Jeffery Self has been making a name for himself as the author of Y/A novels, including 2016’s Drag Teen. His new Y/A novel, A Very, Very Bad Thing (Push, 2017), is about the things that teenage boys do in the name of love and how quickly they can go wrong, especially when one is the son of a homophobic TV evangelist. An Unkindness of Ghosts (Akashic, 2017), the sci-fi debut by Rivers Solomon, takes place aboard a spaceship named Matilda and features a teased and taunted main character named Aster, described as “odd-mannered, obsessive, withdrawn” who is on a mission to discover the potential connection between the deaths of her mother and the Matilda’s potentate.
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A Y/A novel in verse, Vanilla (Push, 2017) by poet Billy Merrell, is said to be a story of “coming out, coming into your own and coming apart”, that is alternately heartbreaking and hopeful. The Off Season (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017) by author and educator Amy Hoffman is a Provincetownset “comic, romantic romp” finds artist Nora, relocated to the queer tip of Cape Cod with her partner Janelle, for some healing and inspiration, and getting more than she bargained for. In Marriage of a Thousand Lies (Soho, 2017), the debut novel by SJ Sindu, we meet Lucky and Krishna, a married Sri Lankan-American couple who are, in reality, actually a lesbian and a gay man. The pair’s sham marriage is threatened when Lucky reconnects with her first lover Nisha, who is preparing to enter an arranged marriage.
Between the non-fiction covers In the Province of the Gods (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017) follows disabled gay poet/playwright and memoirist, as well as educator and activist, Kenny Fries as he makes a return visit to Japan shortly after his HIV diagnosis.
Logical Family: A Memoir (Harper, 2017), the long-awaited memoir by Armistead Maupin, the beloved author of the Tales of the City series, is revealing chronicle of the gay writer’s personal journey from the deep South to Vietnam to San Francisco. A comprehensive history of LGBTQ music, David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music (Overlook, 2017) by Darryl Bullock begins with the tragic losses of talent in 2016 (including those who died at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and then ventures back to New Orleans in the nineteen-teens before spinning back, like a record, to the present day. Award-winning, Grammy-nominated, Guggenheim fellow and composer/pianist/activist/educator Fred Hersch has many notable achievements to his name, not the least of which is being an openly gay, HIV+ man in the world of jazz. He writes all about it in his memoir Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz (Crown Archetype, 2017). With the controversial proposed ban on transgender personnel serving in the military on everyone’s mind at the time of this writing, Tell: Love, Defiance and the Military Trial at the Tipping Point for Gay Rights (ForeEdge, 2017) by Major Margaret Witt with Tim Connor takes readers back to the 1993 passage of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and its 2011 repeal. Called “the first definitive biography” of celebrated Broadway caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, known for his distinguished New York Times drawings, the only thing missing from Ellen Stern’s Hirschfeld: The Biography (Sarah Crichton Books, 2017) are the drawings themselves.
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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
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FASHION: MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
ANNUAL LIST OF LI
ARTIST
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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
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October 2017
HOROSCOPES
Aries – RVenus opposite natal Sun - you’ll be more concerned with the problems of a partner, mate or associate than with your own. A domestic arrangment has to be worked out; you can’t continue on the same path without a collision. Be ready to make concessions; to listen more than you talk.
Scorpio – Jupiter conjunct natal Sun - you surge into a high lunar cycle. Expect variety, travel and an unexpected change in thinking. You’ll be influenced by an exciting person who is waiting to hear from you. Be ready to make the first move. Contact Gemini and Virgo people.
Taurus – Ruling planet in the 6th house - don’t keep
Sagittarius – Saturn conjunct natal Sun -
your talents to yourself; display them. Your artistic and diplomatic skills are especially needed and will win you the reocgnition you’ve been seeking. A relative has the ability to pull strings for you. Accept this offer. Contact a Libra.
someone who taught you in the past re-enters the picture. You’ll realize how much you have grown since then. A quiet relaxed time is on the agenda; don’t push matters in regard to travel. Don’t allow an emotional discussion to cause a rift now. Give logic equal time.
Gemini – Saturn opposite natal Sun - many changes take place in the greater world around you. You’ll contribute by offering your opinion in a career situation. A written message may be the best way to proceed. The status quo is swiftly changing; contribute your best efforts. Number 5 brings luck.
Cancer – Venus square natal Sun - romance is in the air. You’ll dream beautiful dreams, but could be oblivious to the reality of the situation. Understand the person you are dealing with - even if it takes much analysis. You’ll benefit by getting away by yourself to do some clear headed thinking.
Leo – Jupiter square natal Sun - thoughts of a vacation and travel absorb your thinking. You’ll want to be where the grass is greener or the sky bluer. Accept an invitation that takes you away from a mundane situation. You need the stimulation of contac twith many people. The lucky number is 3.
Virgo – Mars conjunct natal Sun - you undergo a transformation in your physical appearance. Some new item of clothing or grooming technique adds sparkle and variety. Your social life is bound to pick up. You’ll need someone who recently returned from a long trip who want to share information with you.
Libra – Uranus opposite Natal Sun - take advantage of a chance for privay. You’ll need time to think; to plan the future. A sensitive, understanding friend will listen if you want to talk out your feelings. But your romantic notions are likely to be unrealistic; revise them.
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BY PSYCHICDEB
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Capricorn – Pluto conjunct natal Sun - an aura of secrecy surrounds your romantic partner. You’ll be intrigued, puzzled, but desirous of forming closer ties. Answers will soon be provided. The best cause is to be independent and follow your own interests. A Leo brightens your day.
Aquarius – Jupiter squared natal Sun - this month’s emphasis is on health, diet and nutrition. A program you begin now will be easy to follow especially if self-discipline is involved. You settle down to business and become a better worker. Get to the heart of matters with a loved one. The right number is 4.
Pisces – Saturn squared natal Sun - recognize limitations; this is not the month to begin something new You’ll work best behind the scenes completing a large-scale project. Your fears and doubts are founded. Forget yourself and show compassion for one less fortunate. Number 9 is your best bet. 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 LIVING OUT
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