ISSUE 015 APR 2012 THEFIGHTMAG.COM
ROSIE’S OWN DEMISE LOVE WINS OUT A Note To My Kid ONE LAST TIME Embracing Positive Change
What Went Wrong
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 1
MAN ABOUT TOWN SOCAL SOCIAL CLUB’S
LUCIANO COSTA
4/6/12 1:02 PM
ARCH STONE
:;I?=D DESIGN I>EMHEEC SHOWROOM
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL THE FINEST INCLUDING:
UÊTRAVERTINE U GRANITE U MARBLE U CERAMICS U MOSAIC U CAESARSTONE UÊ HARDWOOD FLOORING U AND MUCH MORE!
% $PNQVUFSJ[FE %FTJHO "WBJMBCMF
FREE DELIVERY FOR 25 MILE RADIUS & WITH 1000 SQ.FT. MINIMUM PURCHASE
AT A PRICE YOU CAN AFFORD PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTOR DOES IT ALL FOR YOU License #926582
NEW, EXPANDED SHOWROOM! VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: 13736 VENTURA BLVD SHERMAN OAKS 91423 & 818-205-9600 ■ HOURS MON-SAT 9AM-6PMOaks VISIT818-670-8686 OUR SHOWROOM: 1737 Ventura Blvd Sherman www.archstonemarble.com ŭ IPVST .0/ 4BU BN QN The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 2
4/6/12 1:02 PM
GLENDALE NISSAN & GLENDALE INFINITI Proudly Join
0% DOWN! 0% FINANCING! NO PAYMENT FOR 90 DAYS! OVER 1000 NEW AND PRE-OWNED CARS TO CHOOSE FROM!
The 2012 Infiniti G Coupe
2012 Nissan GT Coupe
2012 Nissan Juke
2012 Nissan Roadster
GLENDALE NISSAN 727 S Brand Blvd. | Glendale, CA 91204 (800) 808-8292 www.nissan1.com
2012 Nissan Xterra
GLENDALE INFINITI 812 S. Brand Blvd. | Glendale, CA 91204 (866) 295-9461 www.glendaleinfiniti.com
Call WESTON at (800)-808-8292
Save Time. Save Money. Call Now For Your VIP PRICING! The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 3
4/6/12 1:02 PM
XXX FHSJGUB DPN
"DUVBM QBUJFOU MJWJOH XJUI )*7 TJODF
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 4
4/6/12 1:02 PM
YOU’VE WORKED TO CONTROL YOUR HIV. NOW, TIME TO WORK ON YOUR
HIV-RELATED EXCESS BELLY FAT. In two separate clinical trials of HIV-infected people with lipodystrophy, each lasting 6 months, EGRIFTA® (tesamorelin for injection) reduced HIV-related excess belly fat by an average of 18% in the first trial, and 14% in the NBZ WBSZ 0O BWFSBHF QBUJFOUT PO EGRIFTA® EJE OPU MPTF XFJHIU -JLF )*7 )*7 SFMBUFE FYDFTT CFMMZ GBU JT B DISPOJD DPOEJUJPO *O DMJOJDBM TUVEJFT r 1FPQMF XIP VTFE EGRIFTA® DPOUJOVPVTMZ GPS ZFBS NBJOUBJOFE UIFJS SFTVMUT PWFS UIJT UJNF QFSJPE r 1FPQMF XIP TUPQQFE UBLJOH EGRIFTA® BGUFS NPOUIT IBE UIFJS )*7 SFMBUFE FYDFTT CFMMZ GBU DPNF CBDL EGRIFTA® JT CFMJFWFE UP XPSL XJUI ZPVS PXO CPEZ UP QSPEVDF OBUVSBM HSPXUI IPSNPOF UP SFEVDF ZPVS FYDFTT CFMMZ GBU
Indication: EGRIFTA® JT B EBJMZ JOKFDUBCMF QSFTDSJQUJPO NFEJDJOF UP SFEVDF UIF FYDFTT BCEPNJOBM GBU JO )*7 JOGFDUFE QBUJFOUT XJUI MJQPEZTUSPQIZ -JNJUBUJPOT PG VTF r 5IF JNQBDU BOE TBGFUZ PG EGRIFTA® PO DBSEJPWBTDVMBS IFBMUI IBT OPU CFFO TUVEJFE r EGRIFTA® JT OPU JOEJDBUFE GPS XFJHIU MPTT NBOBHFNFOU r *U T OPU LOPXO XIFUIFS UBLJOH EGRIFTA® IFMQT JNQSPWF DPNQMJBODF XJUI BOUJSFUSPWJSBM NFEJDBUJPOT r EGRIFTA® JT OPU SFDPNNFOEFE UP CF VTFE JO DIJMESFO Important Risk Information Do not use EGRIFTA® if you: r )BWF QJUVJUBSZ HMBOE UVNPS QJUVJUBSZ HMBOE TVSHFSZ PS PUIFS QSPCMFNT SFMBUFE UP ZPVS QJUVJUBSZ HMBOE r )BWF BDUJWF DBODFS FJUIFS OFXMZ EJBHOPTFE PS SFDVSSFOU PS BSF SFDFJWJOH USFBUNFOU GPS DBODFS r "SF BMMFSHJD UP UFTBNPSFMJO PS BOZ PG UIF JOHSFEJFOUT JO EGRIFTA® JODMVEJOH NBOOJUPM PS TUFSJMF XBUFS r "SF QSFHOBOU PS CFDPNF QSFHOBOU Before using EGRIFTA,® tell your healthcare provider if you: r )BWF PS IBWF IBE DBODFS r )BWF EJBCFUFT r "SF CSFBTUGFFEJOH PS QMBO UP CSFBTUGFFE r )BWF LJEOFZ PS MJWFS QSPCMFNT r )BWF BOZ PUIFS NFEJDBM DPOEJUJPO r 5BLF QSFTDSJQUJPO PS OPO QSFTDSJQUJPO NFEJDJOFT WJUBNJOT PS IFSCBM TVQQMFNFOUT EGRIFTA® may cause serious side effects, including: r 4FSJPVT BMMFSHJD SFBDUJPO 4UPQ VTJOH EGRIFTA® BOE HFU FNFSHFODZ IFMQ SJHIU BXBZ JG ZPV IBWF BOZ PG UIF GPMMPXJOH TZNQUPNT SBTI PWFS ZPVS CPEZ IJWFT TXFMMJOH PG ZPVS GBDF PS UISPBU TIPSUOFTT PG CSFBUI PS USPVCMF CSFBUIJOH GBTU IFBSUCFBU GFFMJOH PG GBJOUOFTT PS GBJOUJOH r 4XFMMJOH áVJE SFUFOUJPO EGRIFTA® DBO DBVTF TXFMMJOH JO TPNF QBSUT PG ZPVS CPEZ $BMM ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS JG ZPV IBWF BO JODSFBTF JO KPJOU QBJO PS QBJO PS OVNCOFTT JO ZPVS IBOET PS XSJTU DBSQBM UVOOFM TZOESPNF
r *ODSFBTF JO HMVDPTF CMPPE TVHBS JOUPMFSBODF BOE EJBCFUFT
r *OKFDUJPO TJUF SFBDUJPOT TVDI BT SFEOFTT JUDIJOH QBJO JSSJUBUJPO CMFFEJOH SBTI BOE TXFMMJOH $IBOHF SPUBUF ZPVS JOKFDUJPO TJUF UP IFMQ MPXFS ZPVS SJTL GPS JOKFDUJPO TJUF SFBDUJPOT The most common side effects of EGRIFTA® include: r KPJOU QBJO r OVNCOFTT BOE QSJDLJOH r QBJO JO MFHT BOE BSNT r OBVTFB r TXFMMJOH JO ZPVS MFHT r WPNJUJOH r NVTDMF TPSFOFTT r SBTI r UJOHMJOH r JUDIJOH EGRIFTA® XJMM /05 DVSF )*7 PS MPXFS ZPVS DIBODF PG QBTTJOH )*7 UP PUIFST You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Consumer Brief Summary of EGRIFTA® on following page.
Ask your healthcare provider if EGRIFTA®, the first and only FDA-approved medicine for HIV-related excess belly fat, may be right for you. For more information, visit www.egrifta.com or call the AXIS Center at 1-877-714-AXIS (2947).
120127-102148 2/12
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 5
4/6/12 1:02 PM
Consumer Brief Summary for EGRIFTA® (tesamorelin for injection) EGRIFTA® (eh-GRIF-tuh) (tesamorelin for injection) for subcutaneous use Read the Patient Information that comes with EGRIFTA® before you start to take it and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This leaflet does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment. What is EGRIFTA®? t EGRIFTA® is an injectable prescription medicine to reduce the excess in abdominal
fat in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. EGRIFTA® contains a growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) t The impact and safety of EGRIFTA® on cardiovascular health has not been studied t EGRIFTA® is not indicated for weight-loss management t It is not known whether taking EGRIFTA® helps improve compliance with antiretroviral medications t It is not known if EGRIFTA® is safe and effective in children. EGRIFTA® is not recommended to be used in children
Who should not use EGRIFTA®? Do not use EGRIFTA® if you: t have pituitary gland tumor, pituitary gland surgery, or other problems related to your pituitary gland t have active cancer (either newly diagnosed or recurrent) or are receiving treatment for cancer t are allergic to tesamorelin or any of the ingredients in EGRIFTA®. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients in EGRIFTA® t are pregnant or become pregnant. If you become pregnant, stop using EGRIFTA® and talk with your healthcare provider. See “What should I tell my healthcare provider before using EGRIFTA®?” What should I tell my healthcare provider before using EGRIFTA®? Before using EGRIFTA®, tell your healthcare provider if you: t have or have had cancer t have diabetes t are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if EGRIFTA® passes into your breast milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that HIV-infected mothers not breastfeed to avoid the risk of passing HIV infection to your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking EGRIFTA® t have kidney or liver problems t have any other medical condition Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. EGRIFTA® may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how EGRIFTA® works. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list with you to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I use EGRIFTA®? t Read the detailed “Instructions for Use” that comes with EGRIFTA® before you start using EGRIFTA®. Your healthcare provider will show you how to inject EGRIFTA® t Use EGRIFTA® exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider t Inject EGRIFTA® under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach area (abdomen) t Change (rotate) the injection site on your stomach area (abdomen) with each dose. Do not inject EGRIFTA® into scar tissue, bruises, or your navel t Do not share needles or syringes with other people. Sharing of needles can result in the transmission of infectious diseases, such as HIV What are the possible side effects of EGRIFTA®? EGRIFTA® may cause serious side effects including: t Serious allergic reaction. Some people taking EGRIFTA® may have an allergic reaction. Stop using EGRIFTA® and get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms: – a rash over your body
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 6
– hives – swelling of your face or throat – shortness of breath or trouble breathing – fast heartbeat – feeling of faintness or fainting t Swelling (fluid retention). EGRIFTA® can cause swelling in some parts of your body. Call your healthcare provider if you have an increase in joint pain, or pain or numbness in your hands or wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome) t Increase in glucose (blood sugar) intolerance and diabetes. Your healthcare provider
will measure your blood sugar periodically t Injection-site reactions. Change (rotate) your injection site to help lower your risk for
injection-site reactions. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice if you have the following symptoms around the area of the injection site: – redness – bleeding – rash – itching – swelling – pain – irritation The most common side effects of EGRIFTA® include: – nausea – joint pain – vomiting – pain in legs and arms – rash – swelling in your legs – itching – muscle soreness – tingling, numbness, and pricking Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of EGRIFTA®. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects, contact EMD Serono toll-free at 1-800-283-8088, ext. 5563. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Keep EGRIFTA® and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information about the safe and effective use of EGRIFTA®: Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use EGRIFTA® for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give EGRIFTA® to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. Do not share your EGRIFTA® syringe with another person, even if the needle is changed. Do not share your EGRIFTA® needles with another person. This Patient Information leaflet summarizes the most important information about EGRIFTA®. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about EGRIFTA® that is written for healthcare professionals. For more information about EGRIFTA®, go to www.EGRIFTA.com or contact the AXIS Center toll-free at 1-877-714-2947. What are the ingredients in EGRIFTA®? Active ingredient: tesamorelin Inactive ingredients: mannitol and Sterile Water for Injection
© 2012 EMD Serono, Inc. 120120-161843 2/12 All rights reserved. EGRIFTA® is a registered trademark of Theratechnologies Inc. Distributed by EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA 02370
4/6/12 1:02 PM
PLANTS ¥ TREES ¥ SILK FLOWERS
DECORATIVE ACCENTS HOME DÉCOR decorate your home
LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
DESIGNERS AVAILABLE FOR FREE CONSULTATION 7651 Sepulveda Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91405
(818) 988.5970
Mon-Sat: 9-6 Sun: 11-5 www.aldikhome.com The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 7
4/6/12 1:02 PM
COVER STORIES AND FEATURES 20
ROSIE’S OWN DEMISE
22
MAN ABOUT TOWN
26
LOVE WINS OUT
28
ONE LAST TIME
30
RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE
31
BOYZ IN THE KITCHEN
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY J. HORTON, jrhphoto.com On our cover, Luciano wears SOLD OUT CLOTHING’s“The J.O. Tank” in black/black sheer Available at www. soldoutclothing.com 665, Leather Track Pants in red with black side stripes, Wide 6-Strap Gauntlet 4”wide Available at 665, 8722 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 and www.665leather.com
ISSUE 015 APR 2012 THEFIGHTMAG.COM
Oprah Cancels The Rosie Show
SoCal Social Club’s Luciano Costa
A Note To My Kid
Survival, Growth and Change
Thomas Mondragon, LMFT
Gay Couples In Business
34
WHOSE ARAB SPRING IS IT, ANYWAY?
38
THE RELIGION CARD
LGBT Community Back To The Closet
ROSIE’S OWN DEMISE LOVE WINS OUT A Note To My Kid ONE LAST TIME Embracing Positive Change
What Went Wrong
MAN ABOUT TOWN SOCAL SOCIAL CLUB’S
LUCIANO COSTA
Dealing With “Conversation Stoppers”
2028313438 THE COLUMNS 12
THE LETTERS Bearable Whiteness
14
THE STATE Voters Back Same-Sex Marriage
16
THE CITY Gay Man Attacked In Hollywood
18
THE ROSTOW REPORT Miracle On Granite
27
THE MIND Dr. Philip Pierce
32
THE FAMILY The Pop Luck Club
36
THE EPIDEMIC Wrongful Termination
40
THE CALENDAR Events, Groups, Dave Davenport
42
THE FINAL FIGHT Remembering Bayard Rustin
THEFIGHT
FOR DISPLAY ADVERTISING PLEASE CALL 323-297-4001
Editor-in-Chief STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Managing Editor MARK ARIEL Creative Direction POPTHEPIXEL.COM Marketing Consultants LISA RADAMAKER NATHAN LOONEY LARRY WOOD JOHN MICHAEL GAMBAN Contributing Writers ANN ROSTOW F.E. CORNEJO NATHAN NEUMAN, M.D. BRODIE HUBBARD FOSTER ZINNIA JONES
8
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 8
4/6/12 1:02 PM
A Caring Approach to Egg Donation Physician-recommended Beverly Hills Egg Donation continues to be one of the most highly regarded egg donor agencies in the industry. Our “one agency fee until you’re pregnant policy“, in-person donor screenings and weekly cycle updates have made us one of the most successful egg donation agencies in the world. All ethnicities Well screened donors Doctor recommended Specialized assistance for international clients
Professionals providing personal care to clients – worldwide To learn more, visit www.bhed.com or call us at US (310) 601-3132. The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 9
4/6/12 1:02 PM
Over the past year “A Note to My Kid” has been sharing the love, one letter at a time
I
n an interview in this issue (“Love Wins Out,” page 26) San Diego based “A Note to My Kid” co-founder Patrick Wallace says the idea to launch anotetomykid.com was inspired by a Facebook post. “My friend... had posted a beautiful note his mother had written to him expressing the love she has for son,” said Wallace. That note, reveals Wallace, motivated him to create a site where people could post letters expressing their unconditional love for the LGBTQ people in their lives.
you the opportunity to be more, so much more than you ever could be by yourself. I look forward to seeing the light of love shine in your eyes for your own child like I know mine shine for you. Because of you, I am more. Because of you, I chose a side with my whole heart and soul and the world and I am better for it. You were born that way and I love you for it. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love, Mom.”
THEFIGHT
PUBLISHER Third Step, Inc. DISTRIBUTION Pride in Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, Inc. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Telephone 323-297-4001 Fax 213-281-9648 Email info@thefightmag.com
For more visit: anotetomykid.com
THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS
Over the past year the site has been sharing the love, one letter at a time. Here’s an excerpt from “A Note to Justin from Mom.” “...People can wonder if I love you ‘in spite of the fact that you are gay.’ Ha! Are you kidding me? I love you and I feel like I have hit the Lotto! You are my only child, brilliant and handsome and set on a career of public service. Will I be sad that I will be the only woman in your life? I think I can live with that. I wouldn’t give up the close relationship we have for anything. I look forward to the day that you and your future husband, whoever he is, ring me up to tell me that you are planning a family and I get to remind you that children are a gift because they give
If you would like to offer The Fight at your location, please call 323-297-4001
STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief
By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and soley responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. All contents ©2011 Third Step, Inc., all rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine, and reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publisher’s discretion. www.thefightmag.com
10
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 10
4/6/12 1:02 PM
PHILIP PIERCE, PH.D.
UCLA Lecturer Free Phone Consultation Clinical Psychologist PSY23470 www.drphilippierce.com
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVE TREATMENT COUPLES/RELATIONSHIP ISSUES SEXUAL/PORN ADDICTION ANXIETY, PANIC AND DEPRESSION 9107 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 215 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 drphilippierce@gmail.com
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 11
(310) 248-2335
4/6/12 1:02 PM
BEARABLE WHITENESS (1) MAR 2012 ISSUE 014 AG.CO M THEFI GHTM
Dear Editor, I’ve been reading your N THE INVISIBLE MA magazine since the H ELLEN first copy, and I want THE PROBLEM WIT TLE to say: “CongratulaTHE SIGNATURE BAT tions!” I totally love your magazine; it’s The Many the first one I pick up Shades of to read the excellent JEFFREY SANKER articles inside. I’m BLICAN CLOSET writing in response to SECRET LIVES THE REPU the article “The Bearable Whiteness Of Being Gay,” (THE FIGHT, Issue 014) by Rob Smith. Thank you very much for printing that truthful article. It’s about time someone said it for me & others who have had similar experiences! I could absolutely relate to every point he wrote, because I have been treated that way and I’ve felt like him. Since coming out at age 16, I felt no gay brotherhood towards me, instead I felt oddly out of place and didn’t feel welcomed. I also felt “invisible.” I knew there had to be other men of African descent, who felt the way I do. Now that I’m HIV Positive, (since 2009) I truly feel invisible, ugly, and undesirable. And my therapist wonders why I sit at home alone reading. I have never felt a part of this gay community that preaches diversity. Thank you again for bringing this hurtful and painful experience to the forefront of gay issues. I will continue to be your #1 reader. ss
le Whitene The Bearab Of Being Gay es Attack Conservativ Nice Of The Queen riage What’s Mar With It Got To Do
WHITE, BLACK
& GRAY
+
Miguelito Goins Blair, Chula Vista
BEARABLE WHITENESS (2)
LA’S COMPLETE HOLISTIC
DOG CARE Day Care Boarding Grooming Training Massage & Treatments Shuttle Service Natural Supplies
2400 San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90065 t 323.222.4442 f 323.222.4448 e info@wagville.com
wagville.com
THEFIGHT
Dear Editor, Thank you for featuring Rob Smith’s excellent essay “The Bearable Whiteness Of Being Gay,” (THE FIGHT, Issue 014). I particularly identified with the part where he wrote about Grindr: “One particularly handsome man attracts my attention, until I read the ‘NO ASIANS’ typed in angry capped letters on his profile. I wonder how I would feel if I were Asian.” I am an Asian man and I could definitely relate to Rob Smith on feeling invisible in the LGBT community as a black man. He was right on the money. I would love to see more of his writing in THE FIGHT. Thank you again. Donald Nguyen, via the internet
LOVE ACTUALLY Dear Editor, Ashley Hersh’s candid article about falling in love with a transman (“Love Actually,” THE FIGHT, Issue 013) was one of the most moving and beautiful pieces I have read in a long time. I admire your editorial staff for including features that go beyond what is usually included in a typical gay publication. R. Geller, via the internet Send a letter to the editor by e-mailing: editor@thefightmag.com or faxing: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened for space requirements.
12
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 12
4/6/12 1:02 PM
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 13
4/6/12 1:02 PM
CALIFORNIA VOTERS BACK
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
A
new poll finds that six out of every 10 voters in California now support allowing same-sex couples to get married, a significant increase since the state voted to ban same-sex marriage a little more than two years ago. The Field Poll published last month found that of the 515 registered voters surveyed, 59 percent said they favored extending regular marriage rights to same-sex couples. When the state’s gay marriage ban, known as Proposition 8, passed in November 2008, the figure stood at 49 percent.
SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PAC The first LGBT super PAC launched last month in San Francisco, with plans to support the 2012 OBAMA-BIDEN ticket through the power of social media. The Pride PAC intends to lobby President Obama’s more than 36 million social media followers on Facebook and Twitter and raise $1 million, while refraining from attack campaigns against Republican candidates. “As we get closer to the election we want to show how powerful the LGBT community is,” cofounder ROSE DAWYDIAK-RAPAGNANI told San Francisco’s Edge news service.
GAY CRUISE NIGHTMARE DENNIS MAYER and JOHN HART, the two Palm Springs men who spent 19 hours in a Dominican jail for allegedly having sex on a gay cruise ship, described a humiliating experience in which hundreds of locals harassed and taunted them in jail and on the streets. Police originally charged the couple with sodomy, but that charge was reduced to indecent exposure. Advised by their lawyer, the couple pleaded guilty and paid a $4000 fine. The couple admits to being naked on their private balcony, but they say the treatment they received for breaking the local law was inhumane. Police kept the couple in a small cement cell. They say roaches were everywhere and they slept on a piece of cardboard. “The LGBT community needs to think twice about spending the gay dollar in a country that hates us so much,” said Hart.
THEFIGHT
14
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 14
4/6/12 1:02 PM
SAAB · MERCEDES · BMW · VOLVO
TOP QUALITY PRE-OWNED CARS
BAD CREDIT? NO CREDIT? NO WORRIES! Rebuild Your Credit & Re-establish Your Financial Future. WE CAN HELP! MENTION THIS AD FOR FREE INSPECTION
Factory Trained F T 5770 HOLLYWOOD BLVD, HOLLYWOOD, CA 90028 (323) 466-1688 | VDDEUDIÀ#KRWPDLO FRP
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 15
Family Owned & Operated With Over 25 Years Experience 6000 Vineland Ave. N. Hollywood, CA 91606 (818) 762-0862 laautooutlet.com email autooutlet2003@yahoo.com
Get the car you deserve today!
4/6/12 1:02 PM
GOT TICKET? GOT DUI? ® T E K C I T . R
M
$100 OFF WITH THIS AD
CALL
AMIR LAW OFFICES OF
SOLEIMANIAN
& ASSOC. A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION
STATEWIDE SERVICES ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
Driving Without License License Suspension DUI/DWI Misdemeanors All Traffic Violations DMV Hearing Clean Your DMV Record
GAY MAN ATTACKED IN HOLLYWOOD
Call Now...24 Hour
TOLL FREE
MEN STOPPED BEATING THE VICTIM WHEN A PASSERBY INTERVENED
1.866.780.1234
16633 Ventura Blvd. #503 Encino, CA 91436
THEFIGHT
www.4mrticket.com info@4mrticket.com
L
BY VICTOR MELAMED
os Angeles police are investigating an attack in Hollywood as a possible hate crime. The incident took place last month near North Cahuenga Boulevard and Yucca Street, reports CBS news. Los Angeles police Officer Gregory Baek of Media Relations says the victim - identified as a 39-year-old Hispanic male - was approached in the early hours of Sunday morning, March 18, by three suspects who asked him if he was gay. After answering in the affirmative, the man was subsequently attacked and, according to Baek, lost consciousness momentarily. Police said the men only stopped beating the victim when a passerby intervened. The victim reportedly took a cab to the hospital upon regaining consciousness, Baek said. The man was released from the hospital later that day. He is expected to make a full recovery. Resident Daniela Castro told CBS news she was shocked that something like this happened in her neighborhood. “I hate that people have to think that way. People need to be more open-minded.” Police say they only have a vague description of the attackers. In a recent interview with THE FIGHT, John Whitman, 4th degree black belt in Krav Maga, suggested that potential victims defend themselves aggressively and decisively. “Even if you don’t know any self defense techniques - attack vulnerable areas like the eyes, nose, throat, and groin. Bite. Use your fingernails,” Whitman advises. Additionally, says Whitman, “Get loud. Make as much noise as possible, even while you are fighting. Use foul language. If you yell “Help!” people might be afraid to respond; but if you shout ‘Get the f**k off me you piece of shit!’ people might actually stop to see what’s happening.” Whitman also suggests taking self-defense classes. Whitman has been teaching defensive tactics to civilians, military, and law enforcement agencies for 17 years. He teaches self-defense classes in at Krav Maga in Culver City.
16
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 16
4/6/12 1:02 PM
LAS PALMAS AVE.
McCADDEN PL.
HIGHLAND AVE..
ARENA NIGHTCLUB
STOCK LUMBER
SANTA MONICA BLVD.
6641 SANTA MONICA BLVD. (NEXT TO ARENA NIGHTCLUB) Monday - Friday: 6:30am-5pm Saturday: 8am-12noon Sunday: Closed
TEL: 323 469-1951 'SBNJOH )BSEXBSF t $PODSFUF "DDFTTPSJFT t #MBEFT t *OTVMBUJPO 1SPEVDUT t 8JOEPXT "OE %PPST t -FBE 331 4VQQMJFT t -BEEFST t 5ISFBEFE 'BTUFOFST t #VJMEJOH 1BQFST t #VML /BJMT t &MFDUSJDBM 4VQQMJFT t 'SBNJOH )BSEXBSF t 8BUFSQSPPGJOH 1SPEVDUT t 4BGFUZ 4VQQMJFT t )BOE 5PPMT t 7JOZM 4IFFU .FUBM 1SPEVDUT t ,JUDIFO $BCJOFUT t 1OFVNBUJD 5PPMT $PMMBUFE 'BTUFOFST t -VNCFS 'PVOEBUJPO 'PSNJOH 4VQQMJFT t 1PXFS 5PPMT &RVJQNFOU t "EIFTJWFT $BVMLT "OE .PSF
MENTION THIS AD FOR A 10% DISCOUNT
COCKTAIL PARTIES WEDDINGS COMPANY PARTIES & CORPORATE DELIVERY MOVIE & VIDEO PRODUCTIONS CRAFT SERVICES & COMPLETE MENUS SPECIALITY EVENTS BOYZ IN THE KITCHEN INC. 2618 WEST MAGNOLIA BLVD BURBANK, CA 91505 boyzinthekitchen@gmail.com
Phone 818-845-1200 | Fax 818-845-1209
chef owned & operated since 1995 full service catering available for parties of 2 to 2,000
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 17
4/6/12 1:02 PM
MIRACLE ON GRANITE I’m not sure how this happened, but somehow we won a fantastic victory in New Hampshire last month. New Hampshire legalized marriage equality in 2009, narrowly passing a bill to that effect and convincing the governor to go along. Fast forward a couple of years; Republicans took over both houses of the state legislature and we started hearing rumblings about repealing that law and replacing marriage rights with civil unions. After more rumbling, it appeared that very few lawmakers actually wanted to wade into the marriage swamp. And yet, the rumbling went on. Then, a few weeks back, the repeal bill was scheduled for a vote in the house, where everyone was convinced the rightwing majority would go ahead and cast their antigay votes. The repeal was also expected to pass the state senate, and while GOVERNOR JOHN LYNCH promised to veto the measure, vote counters still thought Republicans had the votes to override a veto, making New Hampshire the first state to allow marriage and then take it back by legislative action. But then to everyone’s surprise, the house voted against the repeal by a hefty 211 to 116 margin. Yay! Even the state lawmakers were surprised by the result, which was explained by New Hampshire’s “live free or die” libertarian spirit. For all you mathematicians out there, it seems as if New Hampshire has a hell of a lot of state house members, doesn’t it? I count at least 328, and the state’s no bigger than a postage stamp. If we’re ever sitting in an airplane next to someone who says they’re a New Hampshire state rep, we can be excused for yawning and attaching our ear buds.
FAST TRACKING A DOMA CASE? The OBAMA Justice Department has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to send the latest challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act directly to the full appellate court, and skip the usual step of arguing the case before a threejudge panel. Believe me that such a request is most unusual. Yet the situation is most unusual as well. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge JEFFREY WHITE not only struck DOMA, but he also tossed a major Ninth Circuit opinion into the dustbin of outdated jurisprudence in the process. That was very nice, but technically, he’s not really allowed to do that. Only the full Ninth Circuit can shoot down its own binding precedents, and hence only the full Ninth Circuit can provide definitive guidance in this case. Without going into detail, this means that the case of federal attorney KAREN GOLINSKI may well cut into line and wind up as the first gay rights case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The Prop 8 case is also facing a possible date with the full Ninth Circuit, while the Massachusetts challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act is to be argued before a three-judge panel of the First Circuit in early April. Interesting, don’t you agree? You don’t? Oh for heaven’s sake, you incurable goat.
FORGIVE ME FATHER, BUT YOU HAVE SINNED I am pleased to report that the horrible Catholic priest I wrote about last month has been suspended by his bishop for “intimidating” parishioners. The priest, MARCEL GUARNIZO, refused to allow lesbian BARBARA JOHNSON to take communion during her mother’s funeral in Maryland. Father Marcel then proceeded to skip out of the service and did not show up at the graveyard. In the course of checking up on how to spell “Guarnizo,” I discovered a video of the good father making a speech at a pro-life rally. Contrary to my mental picture of the man, he was young, thin and wearing shades. He looked like a little rodent. At any rate, he is now on forced leave and it sounds like the Johnson funeral was the last straw in a large bundle amassed by the nasty priest. I’m watching MSNBC while I write and naturally the main topic of endless conversation is the GOP primary. I’m bringing this up only because they just showed a clip of Mittens on the hustings and I was reminded of another thing that I find greatly irritating about the man. It’s his haircut. MITT ROMNEY’s stylist has deliberately crafted a little tuft of hair that comes off his forehead in an effort to give him a touch of insouciance. I can tell that the stylist used those special scissors that leave an irregular edge, so the tuft is kind of shaggy. But the thing is, this detail is obviously a product of a haircut that would put JOHN EDWARDS to shame. It’s designed to make Mitt look casual, but in fact it delivers the exact opposite impression because everyone can tell that the tuft is a result of a metrosexual salon session rather than manly indifference to perfect hair.
THEFIGHT
18
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 18
4/6/12 1:02 PM
DEPOSE THIS! Here are the things I’m sick of: The GOP primary race, TIM TEBOW, Apple, the Keystone pipeline and those dorky OREO commercials that show a bunch of adults playing with cookies in order to capture their inner child. I suppose I must have a fastidious streak, but I’ve always been repelled by fellow diners who toy with their food. My biggest pet peeve is taking a spoonful of ice cream or some other soft dessert and sliding half of it into one’s mouth while leaving half of it uneaten and still on the spoon for all to see. Likewise, licking the interior of an Oreo has also been a lifelong source of disgust, along with “dunking” things into coffee or milk. Just eat it, people. So, where were we? GLBT news, bien sur. Here’s a new marriage conflict. According to New York Law Professor ART LEONARD, a judge in Delaware was recently obliged to determine whether a man who married his husband in California in 2008 enjoys spousal privilege in the Corporate Tax Headquarters State. Delaware’s civil unions went into effect last January, providing all the benefits of marriage to gay partners, and recognizing partners and spouses from out of state. But does that mean the spousal privilege began last January? Or did it begin back in 2008, when the two men were married? After a hearing and deliberation, Judge JOSEPH SLIGHTS III decided that the privilege dates from the marriage itself. Although the husband can be deposed (in a workplace discrimination suit) he will not be required to answer any questions concerning his private conversations with the plaintiff after their wedding date.
ANTI-TRANS INMATE LAW STRUCK DOWN I was happy to see that the Supreme Court let stand a Seventh Circuit ruling that struck Wisconsin’s anti-trans inmate law. Wisconsin lawmakers had passed legislation denying hormone treatment to transmen and women in prison. In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the law amounted to cruel and unusual punishment, a decision that Wisconsin appealed to the Supreme Court. Last month, the justices declined review, settling the matter in favor of the transcons. In other news, I couldn’t help but notice that the latest British budget calls for a 20 percent tax on “Cornish pasties,” some kind of only-in-England junk food that sounds pretty disgusting. At any rate, the common folk are up in arms about the class warfare, particularly after the top finance guy said he hasn’t eaten a “pasty” in ages. Talk about a snob! Actually, I’d eat a pasty right about now if there was nothing else in the cupboard. I’m starving. I think I’ll ring for the kitchen maid.
DESPERATELY SEEKING MYRTILLE: MADONNA’S PLEDGE I’ve rung for MYRTILLE several times with no response, and finally I had to go back to the kitchen myself to see what on Earth was going on. The kitchen was empty. Cook was gone. No sign of Myrtille. I made myself a Kir Royale and found some raw almonds, but really, this is unacceptable behavior, even from a fantasy domestic staff. If they were real, I’d dismiss them on the spot with no severance--- Mitt Romney style. Meanwhile, I was going to elaborate somewhat on the recent ruling by the European Court on Human Rights that appeared to limit the right to marry. The Court has already said (in 2004) that the European Convention on Human Rights does not mandate marriage equality, although obviously it allows it. Then, a month ago, the Court said that a French lesbian who was trying to adopt her partner’s daughter was not a victim of marriage discrimination. It’s not exactly groundbreaking law, although it does seem disappointingly cautious, n’est-ce pas? I personally don’t offer benefits to my fantasy domestic staff, but I did pay for an expensive dental implant for the butler’s partner’s son. He lost a bicuspid trying to ride a bronco at last year’s rodeo, and you know what? I like the kid. I didn’t want him to go through life looking like a hillbilly and after all, it’s only money. I did dock BRANSON’s Christmas bonus. But that was also because, like Myrtille, Branson never comes when I ring for him. Oh, I was going to mention that MADONNA is going to St. Petersburg on tour this summer, and she has pledged to defy the city’s bizarre ban on any speech that promotes homosexuality. I think I’m going to revert to calling this city Leningrad for the indefinite future. ANN ROSTOW writes news analysis columns for THE FIGHT and other gay publications across the country. Rostow can be reached at: arostow@aol.com
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 19
19
4/6/12 1:02 PM
ROSIE’S OPRAH WINFREY’S OWN NETWORK CANCELLED THE ROSIE SHOW AFTER JUST FIVE MONTHS. WHAT WENT WRONG? BY
T
VICTOR MELAMED
he Rosie Show - meant to be Rosie O’Donnell’s flagship talk show on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network was cancelled last month. The Rosie Show began life last year with about half a million viewers and quickly dwindled down from there, despite O’Donnell’s big name and track record in daytime. The reasons for The Rosie Show’s demise are varied, according to Time Magazine’s TV Critic James Poniewozik. For starters, says Poniewozik, there was the time slot - 7pm, neither daytime nor latenight, and a time when much of Rosie’s audience may have been eating dinner - and the resulting implications for the format. The Rosie Show began as a hybrid, somewhere between the cheeriness of a daytime chat show and a late-night comedy show. Later, it
THEFIGHT
OWN DEMISE
was relaunched as more of a long-form studio interview show, to no avail - probably a mistake, says Poniewozik, because the most important relationship on her shows has been the one between her and her audience, not her and the interviewee. Launching a new kind of format - basically, a dusk-time talk show - might have worked on an established channel, but OWN has struggled in the ratings since it was founded, and its daytime programming gave Rosie no real lead-in. O’Donnell was uprooted from New York to Chicago to host the show, and never seemed entirely comfortable. Then there were myriad tensions behind the scenes, with Rosie, OWN and various producers pulling the show in different directions, none of them successfully. “It was such a f**king hellhole,” one former staffer told The Daily Beast last month. The reason for that, says the staffer, was O’Donnell’s frequent, temperamental clashes with The Rosie Show staff. During a taping last fall, “O’Donnell uncontrollably yelled at a publicist backstage because she didn’t like the parameters agreed upon for an interview.” Several staffers were also very upset “when O’Donnell clashed with Oprah Winfrey’s longtime director Joe Terry. People thought she humiliated him when she scolded him in front of a live audience for using the wrong camera shots.” Rosie “suggested he didn’t know what he was doing. She fired Winfrey’s stage manager because she felt he was ignoring her and not doing his job properly.” She was also unhappy with her band leader, Katreese Barnes, a two-time Emmy winner from SNL, as he couldn’t play obscure Broadway songs off the cuff. Gossip aside, O’Donnell said last month that she is feeling nothing but grateful and positive for the experience Oprah and OWN gave her. Responding to fans who protested that it was unfair for her talk show to have been canceled after only five months, O’Donnell said: “It was fair... Oprah gave me an amazing shot at doing this. She really did. She put me back on TV. She believed in me. I didn’t even know if I could do it again.” O’Donnell went on to say that she started off on the wrong foot, trying to fall back on what worked for her when she launched her syndicated talk show in 1996, “but it wasn’t really that easy. We sort of started off the wrong way. We were kind of trying to do a little bit of what we had done 15 years ago, and you can’t do it.”
There were myriad tensions behind the scenes, with Rosie, OWN and various producers pulling the show in different directions, none of them successfully.
20
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 20
4/6/12 1:02 PM
“Premium Products for the Pampered Pooch” Serving the Westside Community since 1976
9467 Charleville Blvd., Beverly Hills 310-278-0031 doggiestylesonline.com
Please call us today for a tour 310.278.8323
www.beverlyhillscarmel.com Mention this ad for a special incentive.
Proudly Serving the LGBT Community!
Lic# 786300
New Homes All Remodeling Kitchens, Baths, Doors & More Commercial / Residential Additions Copper Repiping New Drywall Paint & More!
QUALITY Q UALITY WORKMANSH WORKMANSHIP IP BONDED & INSURED
Call or Text HAMLET at
818 822-8833
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 21
office 818-9 972-2848
4/6/12 1:02 PM
C
Tank SOLD OUT CLOTHING ToF “The Roman” leather guy, black foil on red cotton T-shirt, D-Bag Cut #2 Available at www. soldoutclothing.com Pants 665 Leather Track Pants in black with white side stripes, Gauntlet Wide 6-Strap Gauntlet 4”wide Available at 665, 8722 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 and www.665leather.com
ABOUT TOWN LUCIANO COSTA, FOUNDER OF THE “SOCAL SOCIAL CLUB,” ON GAY STEREOTYPES, HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS AND FINDING ALTERNATIVES TO THE PARTY SCENE
BY
MARK ARIEL
THEFIGHT
PHOTOS
J. HORTON
22
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 22
4/6/12 1:02 PM
C
AN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF? WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE IN LOS ANGELES? I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil but grew up a few miles north of New Orleans since I was 11 years old. Soon after graduating from the University of Alabama, I moved to Orlando, Florida to work with the Walt Disney World. Six years later I moved to Miami for a short period and eventually relocated to Los Angeles in 2004.
WHAT INDUSTRIES HAVE YOU WORKED IN? I graduated with a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management, so I’ve worked mostly in the hospitality industry since high school. (My dream initially was to open a restaurant, but that dream has faded.) I have also spent some time working in fitness as a personal trainer & gym manager, in fashion as a model and in entertainment as Disney characters at the parks! The later only lasted a year but it was an unforgettable experience.
WHAT WAS THE COMING OUT PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU? It was a little tough as many coming out stories are, but it wasn’t horrible. It took my parents some time to accept the idea but they came around over time and have been very supportive. Sadly, I came out to my mom over the phone but I think it might have been good to give her the time and distance to digest the information initially. It took a few visits home for the news to really sink in though. Many tears and a few shouting matches later, I can say we’re in a good place... My parents didn’t see it coming and didn’t understand how or why. They were confused and shocked. It took some time to clear up some of the preconceived perceptions of what they expected a gay man to be like. I think it threw them off that I was athletic and not flamboyant as we’re often portrayed on TV.
HOW DID YOUR FRIENDS REACT? Well, at that time, my only friends were already out so it wasn’t an issue. I really didn’t stay in touch with my high school/college friends much so I didn’t come out to them until much, much later. Their reactions wouldn’t have affected me one way or the other because I didn’t care. I am curious to see how my other classmates will react when I go home this summer for my 20 year high school reunion. I can’t wait! Continued on next page
It took my parents some time to clear up some of the preconceived perceptions of what they expected a gay man to be like. I think it threw them off that I was athletic and not flamboyant as we’re often portrayed on TV.
Gauntlet 665 Wide 6-Strap Gauntlet 4”wide Available at 665, 8722 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 and www.665leather.com
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 23
23
4/6/12 1:02 PM
We host events at some local bars and restaurants but at the core of what we really are trying to accomplish is to offer opportunities for people to socialize and engage in more positive, meaningful ways. We’re far more then just a cocktail party.
Shirt PARKE & RONEN Sheer Tartan Shirt, Pants Green Cotton Pant, Striped Ribbon Belt with leather accents Available at Parke & Ronen, 8012 1/2 Melrose Ave, LA, CA 90046 or www.parkeandronen.com
WHEN DID YOU ESTABLISH THE SOCAL SOCIAL CLUB? SCSC was officially incorporated in the spring of 2007 and we hosted our first event, our flagship-rotating mixer, in the fall of 2007.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CREATE THE CLUB? There were three main reasons: 1, I was seeking to further myself professionally. 2, I was longing to further connect with the city of Los Angeles, and 3, I was looking to create a group of friends with whom I could explore new things. As I began to research and discuss my idea with my peers, I learned that many were looking for the same thing. Most of which repeatedly expressed the desire for higher quality, more substance and healthy alternatives in today’s gay social scene. Everyone seemed to be looking for a better way to engage with others in more meaningful ways beyond the bars. I saw an opportunity and decided that with my background in hospitality management, that this would be the perfect business for me to pursue
HOW DID PEOPLE REACT TO THE IDEA AT FIRST? I don’t think people really understood what I was trying to accomplish at first. I think most thought I was just another club promoter throwing a monthly party. Even some of my close friends were doubtful that it would go anywhere because of the competition. But as time passed
THEFIGHT
and I began to incorporate additional activities, then it really started to catch on because now we were setting ourselves apart from the norm.
DO YOUR MEMBERS VIEW THE CLUB AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE BAR SCENE? I believe so. We do host events at some local bars and restaurants but at the core of what we really are trying to accomplish is to offer opportunities for people to socialize and engage in more positive, meaningful ways. We’re far more then just a cocktail party. We are your personal social directors and concierges. In addition to our events, we are launching our brand new site on May 1st, 2012 that will allow members to network with other members online. We’re about making real life connections on - and offline.
WHAT TYPE OF FOLKS JOINS THE CLUB? SINGLES? COUPLES? We have all types of folks joining our club. It doesn’t matter if you’re single or in a relationship because we’re not a dating or hook up club. It’s about making new friends and having fun while exploring all that Southern California has to offer. We’re open to LGBT professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, freelancers and graduate students across all industries, 21 and over, who have a positive outlook on life and are looking for an alternative to the party scene. Or maybe not so much an alternative but a supplement to their recreational options.
24
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 24
4/6/12 1:02 PM
WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES DOES THE CLUB ENGAGE IN? In addition to our regular monthly mixers, we also host dinner parties; outdoor activities such as horseback riding, whitewater rafting and adventure races; cultural outings to the theater; food and wine tasting; community service; and just about anything else that we can organize a group to participate in.
Tank PARKE & RONEN Yellow Cotton Gym Shirt, Pants Navy 2” Swim Trunks Available at Parke & Ronen, 8012 1/2 Melrose Ave, LA, CA 90046 or www. parkeandronen.com
WHAT’S COMING UP FOR SCSC? I’m very excited about our partnership with Bruvion Travel who has recently launched their PRIDE division to offer luxury travel to the discerning LGBT traveler. They will be SoCal Social Club’s exclusive travel and concierge service and will provide our club with the infrastructure to plan and coordinate group travel for our members. Bruvion Travel is a luxury travel management company specializing in music tours, production and entertainment travel for celebrities and high profile clients.
DO YOU PLAN ON EXPANDING THE CLUB TO OTHER AREAS? Yes, most definitely. I would love to branch out initially in the Southern California region, then Northern California and eventually nationally. I’m often surprised by folks in other cities that hear about the club and express how there’s nothing like it where they live. Some have even offered to personally help me establish a branch in their cities when I’m ready.
HOW CAN OUR READERS BECOME MEMBERS? To join our club, readers must register and create a profile online at www.socalsocialclub.com. Once their registration is approved they’ll have full access to our website and be included in our event mailings. To learn more about the SoCal Social Club visit: SoCalSocialClub.com
ENORMOUS SELECTION AT DEEPLY DISCOUNTED HOLIDAY PRICES!
NEW & PRE-OWNED! THE BEST NEW CARS MAKE THE BEST PRE-OWNED CARS! (If We Don’t Have It - We Will Find it)
Friendly, Personal Service. Call Today!
888-633-1198 Ask for Earl Mann Proudly serving North Hollywood and the Greater LA area on Lankershim in the NoHo Arts District since 1967 4606 LANKERSHIM BLVD. NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91602
www.northhollywoodtoyota.com
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 25
25
4/6/12 1:02 PM
R
LOVE
WINS OUT SITE ENCOURAGES LGBT CHILDREN, THEIR PARENTS AND FRIENDS, TO SHARE THEIR FEELINGS WITH THE WORLD, ONE LETTER AT A TIME BY
MARK ARIEL
A
Note to My Kid (anotetomykid.com) provides the LGBTQ community, their parents, family and friends the opportunity to share their unconditional love with one another by submitting their pictures, stories and videos. The site, which launched in May of last year, is also as a means of supporting youth who are pondering ways to come out to their parents. “A Note to My Kid was initially inspired by a Facebook post I saw one morning before work,” revealed San Diego based cofounder Patrick Wallace in an interview with THE FIGHT. “My friend and colleague, Michael Volpatt, [one of the cofounders of A Note to My Kid] had posted a beautiful note his mother Sharon had written to him expressing the love she has for son,” said Wallace. “One line that really stood out: ‘I feel great about telling others that you are gay, and using it to explain the goodness that you put forth in life, and the strength you have shown while growing up in a world that can be judgmental, prejudiced, and mean to those ‘THEY’ perceive as different. Everyone is different, and thank heavens for that!’” “I called Michael with watery eyes to tell him how beautiful his mother’s note was and to talk to him about the idea of creating a site where people could post letters expressing their unconditional love for the LGBTQ people in their lives. We both felt that it could accomplish some pretty amazing things. I shared the idea with my partner, Mike Curry, who said he’d help us create the site’s identity. He quickly joined the team as our third co-founder and creative director.” “The feedback we’ve received since we launched A Note to My Kid has been more amazing than we could have ever expected,” reveals Wallace. “From supportive emails to emotional phone calls to fundraisers that have helped us get closer to our ultimate goal of launching a scholarship program for LGBTQ youth. At one of its fundraisers in San Diego, the Trevor Project recognized us for helping save young lives in the LGBTQ community. GLAAD, the It Gets Better Project and PFLAG have all helped us gain exposure on Facebook and Twitter by sharing information about our site. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) posted information about us on its popular ‘Backstory Blog’ and The Huffington Post gave me the awesome opportunity to become a guest blogger for the site where I typically write about some of the heart-wrenching notes we’ve shared on A Note to My Kid.”
THEFIGHT
“One of the notes that had the strongest impact on me was written by a 15-year-old boy named Zac who was adopted by two gay dads after a really tough upbringing,” reveals Wallace. “This past Christmas, Zac felt he had reached an age where he should write a note to his dads, Arturo and Dave (referred to as ‘Dad’ and ‘Dadio’), and his adopted brothers, Nick and Derrick, before they opened their presents. With the permission of Zac’s dads, we posted one of the sweetest notes we’ve had the good fortune to share on A Note to My Kid. Don’t be surprised if it causes you to tear up.”
A Note to His Family from a 15-year old Named Zac (Berkeley, California) anotetomykid.com
26
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 26
4/6/12 1:02 PM
R
HOW TO
THINK T HINK BETTER BETTER THE POWER OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY BY PHILIP PIERCE, PH.D.
“I’m an idiot! How could I have done that?” Roger, a 32 year-old marketing director, shook his head in frustration and annoyance. This sort of self-criticism -- that Roger does habitually -is common to many people and can lead to a chain of negative thinking that deeply affects one’s mood. Is Roger really an idiot? Of course not... but by labeling himself in such a manner, he contributes to the development of anxiety and depression. A basic principle of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a scientifically-proven treatment, is that thoughts influence your feelings. In other words, your emotional response to a situation comes from your interpretation of that situation. See if any of these common distortions negatively affect your life: ALL OR NOTHING THINKING “I’m a failure.” This is black and white thinking. “Success” is a continuum and failure is one extreme. OVERGENERALIZATION “This always happens to me!” A single negative event is not never-ending. MIND READING “I don’t matter enough for him to call me back.” There can be many benign explanations for a phone call not returned: the other party’s own anxiety, sickness, a misplaced message, an out-oftown trip, etc.
SCULPTRA TREATMENTS
MENTAL FILTER “My boss said I could do better.” Are you obsessing about one negative comment and ignoring encouraging feedback?
THE FIGHT readers receive $150 off TWO VIALS OF SCULPTRA
SHOULD STATEMENTS “I should be further along in my life.” Should statements often trigger guilt and blame. They are rarely useful. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS “I’ll never understand this.” Is that absolutely true? Or will it take time and effort? FORTUNE TELLING “This is going to get worse and worse.” You’re predicting the future and only seeing catastrophic possibilities. We often notice and remember the instances that fulfilled our negative predictions and ignore the times that things went just fine. Try to become more conscious of your own cognitive distortions. With practice, you can learn to quickly notice, interrupt and correct biased thoughts. If you learn to think better, you can feel better! *Roger’s name is a pseudonym and details have been changed to protect his identity. Dr. Philip Pierce is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Beverly Hills and a Lecturer at UCLA. For more information, go to: www.drphilippierce.com
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
SERVICES
Ultherapy CoolSculpting Sculptra ($150 Off 2 Vials) Botox/Dysport Juvederm/Restylane Fraxel Laser Radiesse
DrPersky.com
SURGERIES Mini-Facelift Rhinoplasty Blepharoplasty Neck Lift Brow Lift
DR. SARMELA SUNDER LAFacialSurgeon.com
818.501.3223
PERSKY SUNDER 16311 Ventura Blvd. #600 Encino, CA 91436
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 27
DR. MICHAEL PERSKY
THE LASKY CLINIC 201 S Lasky Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210
4/6/12 1:02 PM
ONE
LAST My life was never about going to the prom or new clothes or whatever it was that everyone else was doing. It was about emptiness and struggle and loss until I made the decision to make it about survival and growth and change. BY
THEFIGHT
JEREMY MANNING
28
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 28
4/6/12 1:02 PM
O
ne summer night, when I was 15, two friends and I decided to swing by the projects to pick up some “ingredients” for R&Rs. A “Rock-nReefer” joint comprised of one part marijuana and one part crack rock. For some reason that was the thing we were into at the time. So we drove into a neighborhood where the general, unspoken rule was that no white people were allowed after dark. Except for those in cars like the rusty blue two-door thunderbird our friend Shannon drove that night. Tommy was in the passenger seat in front of me and we paralleled each other in our level of intoxication. We’d been drinking for most of the day and smoking pot until about midnight, when someone came up with the brilliant idea to raise the steaks and pick up some crack. Somewhere in the middle of the labyrinth of tan brick apartment buildings the street corners were peppered with dark, mysterious attendants. In the center of a courtyard were three guys who kneeled to our level when we slowly approached. One of the guys ran up to the driver side window and started saying something to Shannon. I was too distracted by anxiety to hear what they were saying. Shadows and the distant sounds of gunfire had a stronger grip on my attention than their conversation. In a few minutes the deal was done and we pulled away from the curb. Before we could get out onto the main street Tommy decided, “We didn’t get enough. That’s a tiny-ass-rock” and without argument we stopped at another corner. We were still near the center of the projects where the streetlights flickered in a dirty yellow orange and I looked around to get my bearings. Through the rear window I noticed the edge of a walking bridge that I crossed to get to school during the day. Everything looked different in the dark, but I was starting to acclimate and I turned towards front to see a silhouette approaching the passenger side window. Shannon was still, “tasting” the rock offered from the dealer on his side of the car when the seat belt behind Tommy shivered and slid to the side. The barrel of a rifle slipped past Tommy’s shoulder and stopped two inches from my chest. “Holy fuck!” Tommy gasped in a low, terrified whisper. I said nothing. “You a cop?” The gunman said in a deep, calm voice as he chewed on a piece of beef jerky from his free hand. “You look like a narc that we been lookin’ for,” he continued. I hesitated to say anything but soon my hands went up and I was trying to negotiate. I could barely see his face, only his eyes as he gazed through the window, unblinking. “Dude I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about...I’m 15!” I said with a stern voice, trying to be convincing, careful not to do anything to startle the gunman. The barrel was steadily pointed at my heart. “Nah...you that mothafuckin-narc,” was the last thing I heard before the unmistakable sound of a metal firing pin, “CLICK!” “GO!!!!!” I screamed when I realized his rifle had misfired and he pulled it back to clear the chamber. Shannon slammed on the gas as we sped out of the projects and onto the main street towards our neighborhood. No one looked backed as we slowed our escape and settled into traffic. My heart was beating so fast that my fingers tingled. As I began to catch my breath Tommy started laughing and Shannon followed until the three of us were hysterical.
LEAVING FLINT At that time in my life, buying drugs in the projects and escaping brushes with death were a normal part of my routine. I had glimpses of normalcy in the houses of my friends, but to me, chaos and danger were just what I’d come to expect and I blamed society for the suffering I needed so desperately to escape. It was the governments’ fault that I was a drug addict and alcoholic before I was old enough to drive. It was the school system’s fault that I didn’t have a job and went hungry for a week out of every month. It was my mom’s fault that my brother abused me for so many years. Life was never about choices, it was about survival and escape and it was always caused by the conditions I was born into. So I did whatever I could to do both. I spent so many nights during manic episodes writing about the life I would one day live in California. It’s all I ever talked about and all I ever wanted. No matter how far from the trailer park that life seemed at the time, I knew I had to have it. I knew I had to find a way. I left Flint for the first time when I was 17 and followed many detours through the years that followed. I traveled around the country on a sales crew, enlisted in the Army and spent a few years in Colorado until I finally made it to California. Everywhere I went, my addictions followed and making it across the country
“I’ve had a lot of last times; the last time I used meth, the last time I drank or smoked pot, the last time I lost my temper or the last time I broke a promise to myself. Still, one of the pleasures of being a part of a recovery program is finding out that you don’t have to get it right the first time” didn’t change that. I brought with me all the lessons I’d learned from my abuser and was welcomed to my new life with promises of glamour in the form of crystal meth. The life of an addict is full of broken promises. I’ve made so many that I can’t even remember all the times I promised myself I wouldn’t use on weekdays, wouldn’t drink on school nights or would only drink beer instead of hard alcohol. All the rules I’ve created and broken until I’d had enough and I finally gave in to the most absolute desire of my existence, the need to survive. Along the way I’ve had a lot of last times; the last time I used meth, the last time I drank or smoked pot, the last time I lost my temper or the last time I broke a promise to myself. Still, one of the pleasures of being a part of a recovery program is finding out that you don’t have to get it right the first time.
THE FIGHTER Recovery has not been easy and it sure as hell doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken most of my life to see the depth of my desire for substance and escape. To realize that no matter where I am, I always need to be somewhere else...someone else. I’ve spent a lot of years blaming the world for my suffering, but there came a point when I realized I had choices. That the road would be hard and riddled with even greater challenges than those I’d faced growing up, but my experience could be used to find the strength to overcome. More importantly, that I already had the strength. There are days when I get lost in the memories of my childhood. Sometimes it’s hard to accept the love I have in my life today because I still see the trailer trash addict I once was. Because my life was never about going to the prom or new clothes or whatever it was that everyone else was doing. It was about Continued on next page
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 29
29
4/6/12 1:02 PM
emptiness and struggle and loss until I made the decision to make it about survival and growth and change. That’s what I have to remind myself every day. That we all face our own demons in our own way, but in that we are not alone. I am not alone. I may have come from poverty. I might have stolen from stores to eat, broken the law and did things I’ve been ashamed to even think of, much less talk about. Sins of the past cast the long shadows, but I am not my actions. I am not the conditions of my childhood. I am the fighter who refuses every-single-fucking-day to accept defeat.
SAYING GOODBYE Some days are harder than others. When I think about losing my mom before she had the chance to see my work published. When I think of the lover I lost because of my illness and alcoholism. I miss them both every day and in the past I’d choose drugs as an escape from these feelings. Today, I embrace the pain and think of how she is not further from my life, but closer to it. That even though my ex-boyfriend is right up the street from me, I know he is happy and I’m grateful for all the joy I got to share during our time together. Saying goodbye has never been easy for me. In fact, it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I used to push people away to avoid the intense goodbyes; the dregs of my addictions were during breakups and funerals. But that’s what life is. It’s about appreciating the little time that we have here. It’s about living as it is, with whatever chances and gifts we’re given. Today, it’s no longer about how bad it was, but how wonderful it is. I get tell my story. I know my mom would be proud of me and that is something I never thought I’d be able to say, much less embrace. I know that even though my heart has been broken and will be broken again it’s okay because I have so much love in my life and because I’ve learned to love myself. People will come and go and we are in possession of nothing, not even ourselves. So, I do what I can to show up for the people I love and cherish and hope the best for everyone I touch. So much time has been wasted wanting. I don’t want to spend another moment wishing for something better or be in one more place and want for somewhere else. No matter what happens, I know it will be okay. I know that the void I’ve tried to fill with drugs and alcohol for so many years can only be filled with love. That in order to receive everything I’ve ever wanted, I have to give up the fear of having it. So I continue to work my program, sometimes imperfectly and I do the best I can every day. I try to remain grateful for the suffering of my past because it’s made me who I am today. Because it’s made me a son any mother would be proud of. Most importantly, it’s made me someone I am proud of and I get to say goodbye to all the ideas I held onto that kept me imprisoned in my own tragic existence. I get to face a new day and embrace positive change, one-last-time. JEREMY MANNING is a partner at West Hollywood’s Elevation Fitness and the founder of UpLift Project, a non-profit organization providing affordable, attainable and sustainable personal training services for survivors of various types of abuse, and those living with HIV/AIDS. For more information visit: elevation-fitness.com, upliftprojectla.com
THEFIGHT
RECOVERY FROM
SUBSTANCE
ABUSE BURIED UNDER THE TRAUMA OF GROWING UP GAY IS AN UNDISCOVERED LIFEAFFIRMING POTENTIAL BY
THOMAS MONDRAGON, LMFT
You are invisible. You are defective. You are sinful. You are neglected, bullied, abused. You are alone.
A
s a gay boy, everyday walking out the door, directly or indirectly, these were the messages and experiences you might have received. And at home you got different versions of the above. Alone, the daily erasure of your gay essence and your growing wish for love with another man created a devastating trauma sourced in familial, societal, and religious homophobia and oppression. Alone, the gay boy tried to survive. Alone, the young gay boy learned to shut down painful feelings of hurt, fear, shame, rage. Alone, he struggled to numb the pain. I have seen the understandable yet destructive behavior of substance abuse creep into the lives of too many gay men. Despite willpower and the best of intentions, evidence shows that the road to recovery from substance abuse cannot be done alone. I know it can feel threatening to reach out for support because the survivalist trauma memory says you are alone, there is no reliable support and you must act on your own. The empathic knowledgeable aid of a gay-affirming therapist and various gay supportive self-help groups, such as different 12-step programs, is vital for successful recovery from the lonely entrapment of addictions. You don’t have to be alone. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. And in recovery, you can reach out and begin to imagine that buried under the trauma of growing up gay is an undiscovered life-affirming potential and possibility for a rich meaningful life and reclaim your inherent goodness as gay. West Hollywood based psychotherapist Thomas Mondragon is a professor at Antioch University Los Angeles’ LGBT Specialization in Clinical Psychology, providing students the skills needed for LGBT affirmative psychotherapeutic practice. He can be reached at: (310) 779-3113 or via email: tjmondragon@mac.com
30
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 30
4/6/12 1:02 PM
WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW DID YOU MEET? We met at a party in Northridge, in November 1993, two months before the big earthquake. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO ONE ANOTHER? Gary: When I first saw Joey I noticed he had a great smile and a great body and then when talking to him I realized we had the same interests; mountain biking, music, racquet ball, gym, etc. He also had a great sense of humor, to this day he can still make me fall over on the floor with laughter... I also love his intelligence and kindness. Joey: Body, face and smile turned me on... conversation flowed without effort. Sexy, funny, and he actually taught me a few things I did not know about sex.
BOYZ
in the
KITCHEN
GARY LACASSE (R) & JOEY ARROYO (L), TOGETHER FOR 17 YEARS, RUN BOYZ IN THE KITCHEN, A FULL SERVICE CATERER WITH A PROFESSIONAL STAFF LARGE ENOUGH TO HANDLE FUNCTIONS FROM TWO TO TWO THOUSAND. PHOTOGRAPHY J. HORTON jrhphoto.com
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO BUSINESS TOGETHER? Gary: I began cooking in the restaurant business back East at age 14, Joey was constantly experimenting with food at home. It seemed fate brought us together so naturally we started working together right away. We both loved food and loved to eat, so we had that in common. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR GAY COUPLES WHO WORK TOGETHER? Gary: Find your strengths. Support, defend and accept each other’s weaknesses, and work towards your ultimate mutual goals. Be willing to do whatever it takes to succeed professionally, control the business, not each other. One more thing: live as close as you can to your business...but do not bring it home. Have fun! WHAT MAKES BOYZ IN THE KITCHEN UNIQUE? Joey: We specialize in corporate events, weddings, movie and television productions, photo shoots, and private parties from 2 to 2000. We have our own chefs, pastry chefs, servers and bartenders to handle all types of events; we offer full service catering. What makes Boyz In The Kitchen successful is the great food, always fresh, homemade and plentiful... we make our food with passion and lots of love. For more info visit: boyzinthekitchen.com
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 31
31
4/6/12 1:02 PM
I
THE POP
LUCK CLUB AN OUTLET FOR GAY FATHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN
n August of 1998, PAUL OBERON and a small group of men in southern California began to gather on a regular basis, intending to establish an outlet for gay fathers and their children. Their mission was to create a sense of community, not only where children could interact with gay parent role models in a comfortable setting, but also where fathers (and prospective fathers) could have a forum to discuss the unique problems faced by their subculture. The hope was that these gatherings would help provide mutual support in their individual quests to become great fathers. The meetings quickly grew in size. Each gathering included a potluck meal, where families shared their favorite recipes along with their personal experiences of gay parenting. Today, The Pop Luck Club (PLC) has blossomed into the largest known gay fathers organization in the world, with hundreds of families and strong continued growth. As an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, PLC produces special community events, such as our annual “Kids’ Fun Fair,” and co-sponsors other events, such as “Families In The Desert” with The Family Equality Council. While they have retained the simple tradition of each member sharing food and stories, The Pop Luck Club has evolved into a substantial voice, helping to support the growth of our wonderfully diverse community.
BY VICTOR MELAMED For more info please visit: www.popluckclub.org
For over 20 years, HRC Fertility has been helping the community build families through surrogacy, egg donation and other reproductive procedures. Call one of our offices to set up a consultation today!
Robert Boostanfar, MD
Michael Feinman, MD
Encino Westlake Village West Los Angeles
David Tourgeman, MD
(818) 788-7288 (805) 374-1737 (310) 481-0881
(866) HRC-4IVF (472-4483) www.havingbabies.com THEFIGHT
32
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 32
4/6/12 1:02 PM
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 33
4/6/12 1:02 PM
WHOSE ARAB SPRING IS IT, More than a year into the revolution, Egypt’s LGBT community has retreated into the shadows once again. Omar Sharif Jr: “I fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself.” BY
THEFIGHT
KASEM YOUNIS
34
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 34
4/6/12 1:02 PM
T
he grandson of actor Omar Sharif told The Advocate last month that he is worried about returning to his native Egypt after coming out as being gay and half-Jewish. Omar Sharif Jr., who lived in Egypt until January 2011, just before the revolution, when he moved to the United States, says he also fears for his family following the success of Islamic parties in recent elections. He wrote in the April issue of The Advocate (www.advocate. com): “I write this article in fear. Fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself.” “My parents will be shocked to read it, surely preferring I stay in the shadows and keep silent, at least for the time being. But I can’t.” Sharif expressed his disappointment at Egypt’s recent parliamentary elections - which saw victories for several Islamic parties - saying he was now less hopeful that the revolution would lead to a more tolerant and open society. He added: “The vision for a freer, more equal Egypt - a vision that many young patriots gave their lives to see realized in Tahrir Square - has been hijacked.” “The full spectrum of equal and human rights are now wedge issues used by both the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Islamist parties, when they should be regarded as universal truths.” “With the victories of several Islamist parties in recent elections, a conversation needs to be had and certain questions need to be raised.” “I ask myself: Am I welcome in the new Egypt? Will being Egyptian, half Jewish, and gay forever remain mutually exclusive identities? Are they identities to be hidden?” “I write ... for fear that Egypt’s Arab Spring may be moving us backward, not forward.” Sharif said admitting to having a Jewish mother was “no small disclosure” for an Egyptian. The Jerusalem Post pointed out that Sharif’s mother is Jewish, which according to rabbinical tradition makes him fully Jewish. Sharif, an actor like his two-time Golden Globe winning grandfather, left Egypt in January 2011, just before the revolution. He now resides in Los Angeles.
THE NEXT IRAN? In many ways, the huge demonstrations of early 2011 that took place in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and led to the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak inspired Egypt’s gay community to join the call for a new, more democratic nation, reports The GlobalPost at www.globalpost.com But now more than a year into the revolution, Egypt’s LGBT community has stepped back out of the public eye and retreated into the shadows once again. Their high hopes for a more open, accepting society have been put on hold as the ruling military continues its firm grip on power and socially liberal revolutionaries have largely failed to
secure positions in the legislature. On a recent reporting trip to Egypt GlobalPost’s Michael Luongo met Taher Lamey, a doctor and member of the LGBT community who volunteered in the tented field hospitals of Tahrir helping victims of attacks by Egyptian security forces. “We’re still a long way from establishing any kinds of rights for gays and lesbians ... If anything, we’re going back, “ Lamey said. This was not Lamey’s first impression. In the heady days following the toppling of Mubarak, he said he had high hopes for the revolution. He said, “The best of the country is involved in this. But they won’t win. If these people were in charge you would expect a lot from this country. International connections, democracy, social justice, social welfare...” “I’m sure also that would have definitely been better because they’d have been liberals, “ he explained. But in a country whose newly elected parliament is controlled by a two Islamist parties that control more than two-thirds of the seats, that possibility for any progression regarding LGBT issues, he added, is “a long way off.” Taher said he’s thankful he also holds a Dutch passport. “I could leave. I have a fear of what happens next. I think we will be the next Iran,” he says.
IMPOSING SHARIA LAW The fear of Egypt becoming an Islamic state runs deep in the country’s LGBT community, and indeed in some corners of Egypt’s wider, secular minority that was so active in the revolution. “There was a joy and openness after the first days of the revolution,” said Azza Sultan, a Sudanese lesbian living in Egypt, and a member of Bedayaa Organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) of the Nile Valley, operating in Egypt and Sudan. “But most of them returned again to hide.” A number of gay men and lesbian women say the rise of Islamist political parties - particularly the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi al-Nour Party - could further marginalize the gay community and cause the issue of gay rights to once again fall completely off the political agenda amid the turbulence and paranoia of a country in transition. “Many believed that the collapse of the previous political system will open doors for them to live without stigma or discrimination,” Azza said. “I was very optimistic and very positive but now especially that it has been a year and none of the revolution demands have been met, I started to worry.” Azza said the Muslim Brotherhood wants to impose Sharia law on Egypt, a double bind for all women and most pointedly for lesbians. “It is very difficult for them to take any decision in their lives, or to move towards independence.” she said referring to all women. And, she added, “If it is that hard for heterosexual women it is definitely harder for a lesbian one.”
A number of gay men and lesbian women say the rise of Islamist political parties - particularly the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD’S FREEDOM and JUSTICE PARTY and the SALAFI AL-NOUR PARTY - could further marginalize the gay community and cause the issue of gay rights to once again fall completely off the political agenda amid the turbulence and paranoia of a country in transition THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 35
35
4/6/12 1:02 PM
IVY CHARGED WITH WRONGFUL TERMINATION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT FOR HIV DISCRIMINATION This column is sponsored by Edwin’s Prescription Pharmacy www.edwinsrxpharmacy.com
“The Latino workforce is the backbone of many critical industries in California, including the restaurant industry, stated MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz. He added, Latino workers deserve protection, like anyone else, from discrimination based on bias against health condition or based on any other irrational bias.” The Plaintiff was a fully qualified employee in good standing at The Ivy for five months before he was wrongfully terminated. He was diagnosed with HIV in December 2010 and in January 2011, began taking necessary prescription medications to treat his condition. Unable to finish his shift because of strong side effects from his medication, the Plaintiff went home ill to regain the strength he knew he would need to perform his duties as a busser to the best of his ability. He was subsequently asked by management not to come to work for the rest of the week. When the Plaintiff returned to work the next week, he provided notification from his doctor requesting that the restaurant please facilitate patient request on work schedule change. The
Doctors at the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, one of the nations foremost HIV/AIDS care providers, conÀrmed that the 3laintiff Zas able to perform his Mob despite his medical condition
T
he Mexican American Legal Defence and Education Fund (MALDEF) filed a lawsuit last month against the famed Robertson Boulevard restaurant, The Ivy, for violating the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and discriminating against a former employee. The suit was filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County. The lawsuit charges that the restaurant one of L.A.’s leading celebrity hangouts, wrongfully terminated its employee on the basis of his medical condition at the beginning of last year. FEHA is a California protection that prohibits employment discrimination based on medical condition; race or color; religion; national origin and many other factors.
THEFIGHT
doctor, from the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, one of the nations foremost HIV/AIDS care providers, confirmed that the Plaintiff was able to perform his job despite his medical condition. Instead of accommodating him according to state law, The Ivy terminated the Plaintiff. “The Ivy cannot target employees with HIV for discrimination. Individuals in these vulnerable situations are in particular need of their jobs, and any employer choosing to discriminate faces the possibility of a civil suit,” stated Victor Viramontes, MALDEF National Senior Counsel. The Ivy’s failure to accommodate the Plaintiff according to doctor’s orders and its decision to unfairly terminate him both violate civil rights protections. MALDEF is committed to seeking justice for all vulnerable Californians terminated by their employers in violation of state and federal laws.
Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.
36
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 36
4/6/12 1:02 PM
REAL. RAW. LIVE.
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 37
Open 8am Daily, 7 Days a week www.realrawlive.com (323) 461-4545
4/6/12 1:03 PM
THE
RELIGION
CARD ALL TOO OFTEN, THE REFERENCE TO ONE’S “DEEPLY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS” IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A CONVERSATION STOPPER
S
BY
ZINNIA JONES
uppose for the sake of argument that the general category of “religion” did not exist, and the beliefs and activities which comprise religion were considered in isolation rather than within the framework of religion. Imagine that these aspects of religion had to be described in terms other than “religious.” Without making use of the distinction between religion and that which is not religion, how might we instead distinguish beliefs currently classified as religious? Most obviously, almost all such beliefs pertain to the existence and nature of proposed supernatural entities, such as deities, spirits, souls, blessings, curses, and afterlives. These beliefs also tend to make various statements about the origins of humanity, our purpose in the world, and the general meaning of life. They frequently feature the claim that certain texts are of a divine origin and possibly free of any errors. They often allege that there are laws and moral imperatives which have been put in place by a higher power. Crucially, these beliefs are usually based in faith - a justification based on the simple fact that the person holding the belief believes it, without consideration for any evidence that may have a bearing on its actual truth. Another common feature of these beliefs is that they can be very important to the people who hold them, sometimes so important that people are afraid they’ll be tortured forever if they do something wrong or endorse an improper belief. While this is only a rough and incomplete overview of the features of beliefs considered religious, it does encompass the major aspects of religion: its claims about the supernatural, its statements of ultimate purpose, its devotion to certain writings, its rules and moral guidance, its basis in faith, and its attribution of cosmic significance to one’s beliefs and actions.
THEFIGHT
38
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 38
4/6/12 1:03 PM
When objections to the Mormon Church’s involvement in passing Proposition 8 are characterized as “bigotry,” and Catholics in Illinois claim that they’re “not being tolerated” because their state-funded adoption services are required to treat gay couples equally, the dissolution of the concept of religion helps us to see these statements for what they really are. These religions, while shielding themselves behind claims of religious discrimination, actually just want to be free from following the law and even free from criticism itself. Why? Because they believe they should be, and that’s that. Suppose now that the overarching category of religion is introduced anew, encompassing these beliefs, and manifesting as derivative concepts such as “religious bigotry,” “anti-religious prejudice,” and “respect for religion.” Because these beliefs often pertain to one’s moral responsibilities, purpose in life, and the fate one will supposedly face for all eternity, beliefs classified as religious are frequently considered to possess great significance beyond that of other beliefs. But is this special treatment unique to religion actually warranted? If someone fears that they may actually face eternal torture for not believing in God, getting a divorce, or masturbating, this is a personal issue for them to work through. It doesn’t obligate the rest of us to treat them any differently for holding this belief - aside from, perhaps, offering sympathy and counseling services. Likewise, one’s endorsement of a certain moral framework is not fundamentally different from other moral proposals merely because this particular morality is allegedly divine in origin. It doesn’t need to be seen as something above or apart from moralities that aren’t based on supernatural claims, and it merits no unique deference simply because of its incorporation of the divine. And those claims about the nature and existence of supernatural things are still only claims like any other - no extra leeway is necessary just because claims about the supernatural happen to be about the supernatural. Similarly, if someone cites faith itself as a basis for a belief, this justification should hardly be exempted from the appropriate scrutiny just because it falls under the category of religion. A belief that’s supported by nothing more than someone’s choice to hold that belief is certainly not deserving of any additional respect, and calling it religious doesn’t change that. All too often, the reference to one’s “deeply held religious beliefs” is meant to serve as a conversation stopper - they’ve played the religion card, and the rest of us have to shut up and leave them alone. It’s as though the mere fact that they believe something that’s considered religious is the only excuse they
need. But it shouldn’t matter how strongly a belief is held, and it shouldn’t matter that this belief falls under religion. There are many things both religious and non-religious that people believe very strongly, but the strength with which they believe is not a defense or a justification of the belief itself. When objections to the Mormon Church’s involvement in passing Proposition 8 are characterized as “bigotry,” and Catholics in Illinois claim that they’re “not being tolerated” because their state-funded adoption services are required to treat gay couples equally, the dissolution of the concept of religion helps us to see these statements for what they really are. These religions, while shielding themselves behind claims of religious discrimination, actually just want to be free from following the law and even free from criticism itself. Why? Because they believe they should be, and that’s that. They think that’s all they need to say - and sometimes, it is. The label of religion and the inordinate respect afforded to it has given them the opportunity to claim that they’re being discriminated against because of their religion, when in fact they’re being criticized for their bad ideas and required to follow the same laws as everyone else. In this way, accusations of prejudice against religion can function as a way of trying to silence those who have simply treated religious beliefs like any other beliefs, and found them lacking. The unwarranted belief in the supernatural or the moral authority of certain questionable books is worthy of critique whether we call this religion or not, and depicting this as some kind of discrimination against religion means demanding that such claims be granted a privileged status, protecting them from the open debate to which non-religious beliefs are subject. In reality, religion isn’t being criticized because it’s religious. It’s being criticized because it’s wrong.
Read more commentary by Zinnia Jones at www.zinniajones.com/blog
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 39
39
4/6/12 1:03 PM
GROUPS ASIAN/PACIFIC GAYS AND FRIENDS www.apgf.org GAY ASIAN PACIFIC SUPPORT NETWORKwww.gapsn.org LOS ANGELES GAY AVIATION CLUB Pilots, Flights Attendants, Mechanics. www.unusualattitudes.info CLUB NUR Gay Middle Eastern clubnur.com GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF LOS ANGELES www.gmcla.org THANK GAYS IT’S FRIDAY STANDUP COMEDY Every Friday, 8:30pm. MJ’s Bar, 2810 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles. 323-650-1503 GAY & LESBIAN SALSA Every Monday, 8pm. Little Temple Bar, 4519 Santa Monica Blvd., Silverlake, 90029. gaysalsanight@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/ gaysalsanight GAY TRAFFIC SCHOOL Third Tuesday and Wednesday of everymonth,6-10pm The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles 90038. 1-800-Gay-4-You or www.laglc.org POP LUCK CLUB Second Sunday of every month, 11am. Locations vary. Los Angeles based organization for Gay Dads, Prospective Dads, and their families. www.popluckclub.org.
COMPILED BY CHRISTOPHER PERKINS THURSDAY, APRIL 12
SUNDAY, APRIL 18
TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL
HIV MATTERS
Screenings throughout Los Angeles, for more info: tcm.com/festival
West Hollywood Park Auditorium, 647 North San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood, 6pm, for more info: apla.org/hivmatters
Held over four days in the heart of historic Hollywood, the TCM Classic Film Festival is a place where movie lovers from around the world gather to experience classic movies as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen, in some of the world’s most iconic venues, with the people who made them. Special appearances from Oscar winners LIZA MINNELLI, JOEL GREY, DEBBIE REYNOLDS and others. LAUGH OUT PROUD Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., San Diego, 8pm, for more info: martinisabovefourth.com
Comedy show geared toward the LGBT community with comedians CHET SEWELL, SARAH BURFORD, SEAN WHERLEY, KATE LEE & SCOTT SILVERMAN.
Get the latest HIV/AIDS information that matters to you at the 19th International Conference on Retroviruses & Opportunistic Infections. The event includes presentations by JUDITH CURRIER, MD and RAPHAEL LANDOVITZ, MD (UCLA CARE). SATURDAY, APRIL 21 23RD ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 4:30pm, for more info: www.glaad.org
The annual GLAAD Media Awards honors individuals and projects in the media and entertainment industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 SATURDAY, APRIL 28 GMCLA: THE VOICE AWARDS The Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 5:30pm, for more info: www.gmcla.org
28TH ANNUAL SOUTHLAND THEATRE ARTISTS’ GOODWILL EVENT (S.T.A.G.E.)
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles honors leaders who use their voice for social change and equality.
The Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, West Hollywood, 6pm, for more info: apla.org
DOWNTOWN BURBANK ARTS FESTIVAL San Fernando Boulevard between Magnolia Boulevard and Olive Avenue, April 14 and 15 from 10am to 5pm. Free, for more info: downtown-burbank.org
Streets will be filled to capacity with artists, street painters and more than 25,000 attendees, featuring some of SoCal’s most talented street painters, bringing art to life on asphalt and concrete.
THEFIGHT
S.T.A.G.E. is an all-star musical revue that has been billed as the world’s longest running AIDS benefit. Created in 1984, the event has raised over $5 million for AIDS Service organizations across Southern California.
PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, at the Gay & Lesbian Center. RSVP to Dennis@malecare.org or call 323-860-7340 GREAT AUTOS OF YESTERYEAR The largest LGBT classic car club on the West Coast. www.greatautos.org LOS ANGELES PRIME TIMERS Social group for older mature gay men and admirers www.laprimetimers.org LOS ANGELES GAY BRIDGE CLUB http://www.communityvisions.org/IAGLBC LOS ANGELES GAY/LESBIAN SCIENTISTS www.lagls.org LOS ANGELES GAY FOR GOOD Gays making a commitment to volunteer for social welfare and environmental service projects. www.gayforgood.org LOS ANGELES GAY NATURISM California Men Enjoying Naturism cmen.info BI-OSPHERE P.O.V. Every 2nd Wednesday, 8-9:30pm. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7302 M-F between 6-9pm. Topicdriven discussion for women and men who identify as, or are exploring bisexuality. MEN’S SPEAKEASY Every Tuesday at 8pm. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7302. Fun, alternative space for gay and bisexual men to meet and make new friends. LGBT BOOK CLUB First Wednesday of each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7302, M-F between 6-9pm USC LAMBDA LGBT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION alumnigroups.usc.edu/lambda/ LOS ANGELES BLACK PRIDE www.myblackpridela.com GREATER PASADENA AID FUND www.greaterpasadenaaidfund.org
EMAIL YOUR EVENT OR GROUP editor@thefightnag.com
POSITIVE IMAGES WORKSHOP Every Monday, from 7-9pm. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. If you’re looking for ways to deal with HIV, the Live Life
40
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 40
4/6/12 1:03 PM
Better Workshop can help you learn coping skills, build a support system, and work toward your health goals. An RSVP is required. For more information or to reserve your place, call 323-860-7321. The e-mail contact is positiveimages@ lagaycenter.org. TRANSGENDER PERCEPTIONS Every Friday, 8pm. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323860-7302 M-F between 6-9pm. Social networking group offers a safe and welcoming opportunity for people of any age and gender identity to learn from others and to share experiences. GET CENTERED Meditation Class, Every Saturday, 1011am, $10. Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7300 SENIORS SERVICES Ongoing, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7359. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT Ongoing, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-5806. MPOWERMENT WEEKLY WORKSHOPS Tuesdays and fridays, 6pm. Apla, 3550 wilshire blvd, suite 300, los angeles. More info: donta morrison, tel: 213.201.1561 For young gay men of color -- ages 18 thru 24 -- looking for a safe place to hang out. “Each week offers a great opportunity to vent, laugh, make friends, and simply celebrate who you are.” SUPPORT FOR HIV-POSITIVE WOMEN Second and fourth wednesdays, 7pm. The david geffen center, 611 south kingsley drive, los angeles. More info: call women at risk at 310-204-1046. SOCAL SOCIAL CLUB: For more info: www.Socalsocialclub.Com Southern california’s social & business network for lgbt professionals
12 STEP GROUPS All groups meet at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7302 M-F between 6-9pm. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Mondays, 6:10-7:10 p.m.
CRYSTAL METH ANONYMOUS Saturdays, 9:10-10:10 a.m. DEBTORS ANONYMOUS Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS Wednesdays, 8:15-9:45 p.m. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. SEXUAL COMPULSIVES ANONYMOUS Mondays, 8-9 p.m. Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. Thursdays, 8:15-9:15 p.m. Saturdays, 12:15-1:45 p.m. WOMEN’S NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Saturdays, Noon-1 p.m.
SPORTS LOS ANGELES LESBIAN SOFTBALL www.lagaysoftball.com LOS ANGELES LESBIAN TACKLE FOOTBALL www.californiaquakefootball.com LOS ANGELES LESBIAN RUGBY http://www.eaglerockrugby.com WOMEN’S SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOLF www.womensgolf.org/wscga LOS ANGELES LESBIAN POKER http://www.lalpg.com LOS ANGELES WOMEN ON A ROLL Luncheons, Comedy Nights, and Conversation Groups. www.womenonaroll.com LOS ANGELES GAY RODEO CLUB www.gsgra.org LOS ANGELES GAY FLAG FOOTBALL http://www.laflagfootball.com There’s also lesbian tackle football. WEST HOLLYWOOD GAY RUGBY www.larebellion.org LOS ANGELES POOL LEAGUE Friendly Billiard teams www.lapl8ball.com GAY & LESBIAN BOWLING LEAGUE www.tavernguildleague.com SAGA LA Gay Ski & Snowboard Club www.sagala.org V.O.I.L.A. Volleyball www.lagayvolleyball.com GREAT OUTDOORS The largest gay outdoor recreational organization in Southern California.
www.greatoutdoorsla.org GAY AND LESBIAN SIERRANS Camping, Outdoors, Hiking angeles.sierraclub.org CHEER LA Cheerleading www.cheerla.org LA ROWING www.larowing.org DIFFERENT SPOKES Cycling www.differentspokes.com Rides start in various locations in the greater Los Angeles area. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLADES Ice Hockey www.bladeshockey.com LOS ANGELES FRONTRUNNERS Running and walking club www.lafrontrunners.com WEST HOLLYWOOD SOCCER CLUB www.gaysoccer.com Comfortable, supportive environment for learning and playing the world’s most popular game. LOS ANGELES GAY SCUBA CLUB www.barnaclebusters.org LOS ANGELES GAY ROCK CLIMBING www.lalgbtclimbing.com WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS Swim and Water Polo Teams www.wh2o.org
WORSHIP METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH mccla.org 4953 Franklin Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 BETH CHAYIM CHADASHIM SYNAGOGUE bcc-la.org 6090 West Pico Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90035 KOL AMI REFORM SYNAGOGUE kol-ami.org 1200 North La Brea Avenue West Hollywood, CA 90038 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES fccla.org 540 South Commonwealth Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90020 HOLLYWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH hollywoodumc.org 6817 Franklin Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028 HOLY SPIRIT
holyspirit-la.org 4201 West Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029 UNITED UNIVERSITY CHURCH uniteduniversitychurch.org 817 West 34th St Los Angeles, CA 90089 DIGNITY CENTER dignitylosangeles.org 126 South Avenue 64 Los Angeles, CA 90042 HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH-HLYWD hopelutheranchurch.net 6720 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038 WEST HOLLYWOOD PRESBYTERIAN wehopres.org 7350 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046 MOUNT HOLLYWOOD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH mthollywood.org 4607 Prospect Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH immanuelpres.org 3300 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90010 ST. MATTHEW’S LUTHERAN CHURCH stmatthewsnoho.org 11031 Camarillo St. North Hollywood, CA 91602 CHRIST CHAPEL OF THE VALLEY christchapel.com 11050 Hartsook Street North Hollywood, CA 91601 ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH stpaulssm.org 958 Lincoln Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90403 ST. MONICA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY stmonica.net 725 California Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90403 WEHO CHURCH wehochurch.com 916 N. Formosa Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90046 ST. VICTOR’S CATHOLIC CHURCH saintvictor.org 8634 Holloway Drive West Hollywood, California 90069 ST. LUKE LUTHERAN stlukelutheran.com 5312 Comercio Way Woodland Hills, CA 91364
THEFIGHT
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 41
41
4/6/12 1:03 PM
REMEMBERING
BAYARD
RUSTIN LAST MONTH MARKED THE 100th BIRTHDAY OF GAY CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST BAYARD RUSTIN.HRC PRESIDENT JOE SOLMONESE AND WADE HENDERSON, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHTS, REFLECT ON RUSTIN’S LEGACY.
5Xstin·s philosophy personiÀes the shared goals Ze all have in oXr ZorN, Zhether Ze·re Àghting for LGBT rights, ZorNing to protect oXr coXntry·s laborers, or advocating for the civil and hXman rights of society·s most vXlnerable popXlations THEFIGHT
B
ayard Rustin’s contributions to the world far outweighed his credits - and his 100th birthday is an opportunity to appreciate how his lifelong fights for equality live on today. Rustin was the key strategist in every campaign waged by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the architect of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and a passionate advocate for pacifism, workers’ rights, and freedom for marginalized peoples around the world. There is not one American movement for social change that his leadership did not touch. Rights to vote, to join a union, or to marry the person one loves are today at the forefront of the struggle to build an America that reflects its ideals. And Rustin was reliably positioned at the vanguard of these battles from the 1930s until his passing in 1987. So it’s only appropriate that we take this opportunity to pause and reflect on where our movements have traveled over 100 years and to look ahead to our future. Today we work to stop the rollback of voting rights happening across the country - rights Rustin helped to secure through indefatigable organizing in the civil rights movement and his mentorship of Dr. King. Today we work to end discrimination and advance marriage equality for gays and lesbians - and we do so in Rustin’s footsteps as one of the first openly gay activists. Today we advance global and domestic human rights alongside civil rights - because Rustin broadened the conversation to speak out against South Africa apartheid, anti-Semitic Soviet power, and British colonial power in India. Rustin saw social change in a plan broader than political organizing. He was active in the Quaker church and in the arts. He was a prolific doodler, a vocalist, a writer, and an accomplished chef. Rustin would exhort activists to speak up from all corners, saying “we need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” His inclusive, coalition-centric approach is so effective because it wasn’t just about work - it was about finding joy in activism and ensuring that every community can reap the benefits of equality’s march forward. Rustin’s philosophy personifies the shared goals we all have in our work, whether we’re fighting for LGBT rights, working to protect our country’s laborers, or advocating for the civil and human rights of society’s most vulnerable populations.
42
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 42
4/6/12 1:03 PM
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 43
4/6/12 1:03 PM
The Fight APR LAYOUT.indd 44
4/6/12 1:03 PM