q y Happy Birthda to us!
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Rhode
Island’s
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
Community Newsmagazine
www.optionsri.org
November 2012
Empowerment
Visibility
LEADERSHIP
M S Y r P In this issue:
2 Scene Around Providence 3 News Briefs 5 Op-Ed: Don’t Call it Passing 6 Calendar 9 Lesbians on the Loose 10 We are a Gentle Angry People 13 A Census of Their Own 16 This Month in RI LGBT History 18 Voices 19 Youth Pride, Inc. 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance 22 MERI 23 AIDS Community Watch 24 RI LGBT Dem Caucus 25 RI Pride 26 SAGE
q Serving the RI LGBT Communityq Since 1982 november q Visit our Resources on p. 27 options 1 2012 Section q
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Scene Around Providence Photos from RI Pride Honors, October 7 • Photography courtesy of Jack Hartwein-Sanchez Please support our LGBT community organizations!
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News Briefs Newport Church Welcomes Minister
Another Federal Court Strikes Down DOMA
Channing Memorial Church, the UU congregation that hosts the annual Born This Way alternative prom, has welcomed Rev. Dr. F. Jay Deacon to its pulpit. Deacon was a part of the creation of the “Welcoming Congregation” program used by many congregations to declare their affirmation when it comes to those who identify as LGBTQ. He was an author of the resolution by which the denomination’s General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to call for full legal recognition of same-sex marriage in 1996.
According to People for the American Way (PFAW), a conservative George H. W. Bush nominee on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals authored a strong decision on Oct. 18, declaring section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. Earlier this year, a federal district court judge in Connecticut, that one a Bush nominee, also declared the law unconstitutional. So did a unanimous panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The case before the 2nd Circuit was that of Edith Windsor, an octogenarian in New York who lost her wife in 2009; they had been together for forty years. PFAW President Michael Keegan issued the following statement: “DOMA hurts gay and lesbian married couples by denying them some of the most basic protections of marriage, and it does so for no reason but prejudice against LGBT families. “House Speaker John Boehner has wasted nearly a million and-a-half taxpayer dollars on defending this indefensible law. Most Americans don’t want to hurt their gay and lesbian neighbors, and we’ve seen over and over again that DOMA does real harm to real people. Congress must recognize the harm that DOMA has done and repeal it before it hurts more legally married Americans.”
Meningitis Spike Among NYC Gay and Bi Men There have been 12 cases of “invasive meningococcal disease” in the New York City GBT community since August of 2010, and four of those men have died. Eight of the 12 cases were known to be HIV-positive. Some reported using cocaine and/or crystal methamphetamine. Some reported using Internet sites to meet men for sex. Three cases, however, were not known to be HIV-infected, did not report using drugs, and did not report using Internet sites to meet men for sex. Meningitis is a common bacterium spread through sustained contact with infected individuals. Examples of prolonged contact include living in the same household, or intimate activities, including kissing and sexual contact. Common symptoms of meningitis are high fever, headache, stiff neck, and rash that develop rapidly within two days.
Log Cabin Endorsements Highlight GOP Challengers Log Cabin Republicans announced their slate of 2012 endorsements for House and Senate candidates, featuring challengers who value individual liberty and personal responsibility, and believe in an inclusive Republican party. Locally, they include Linda McMahon and Andrew Roraback of CT and Scott Brown and Richard Tisei of MA.
MARRIAGE AT THE BALLOT On November 6, Mainers will be asked to proactively approve the freedom to marry at the ballot by voting YES on Question 1. The ballot language reads, “Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples?”
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Christian Group Finds Gay Agenda in Anti-Bullying Day On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, schoolchildren around the country are encouraged to hang out with someone they normally might not speak to. The program, started 11 years ago by the Southern Poverty Law Center and now in more than 2,500 schools, was intended as a way to break up cliques and prevent bullying. But this year, the American Family Association, a conservative evangelical group, called the project “a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools” and urged parents to keep their children home from school on Oct. 30, the day most of the schools planned to participate this year. “The program is not about sexual orientation but rather about breaking up social cliques, which are especially evident in school cafeterias,” an official said. q
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From the Editor’s Desk I am thrilled to bring you our cover story this month, all about the Providence Youth Student Movement (PrSYM). I have been a huge fan of this organization ever since I met founders Kohei Ishihara and Sarath Suong many years ago. They were pioneers in their field, creating change and building community with the best of us, all while in high school.
the intersection of experiences facing LGBTQ Southeast Asians within a large sample and is the first study to be designed, driven, and compiled by the community itself. The data and personal stories shared within the report shed light on the dire need for culturally appropriate services targeting this community and funding to support such services.”
Today, PrYSM is a player in a national movement to recognize the needs of LGBTQ youth of Southeast Asian (SEA) descent. And the project about which I have written this month, their groundbreaking survey of SEA queer youth, is garnering much praise. According to Asian Services in Action, a national organization, “‘A Census of Our Own’ is the first report to explore
We should all be proud to claim PrYSM as one of our own community organizations. They are an inspiration, and a fine example of what today’s youth can accomplish.
Rhode Island’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Newsmagazine Since 1982
NOVEMBER 2012 q Vol. XXXI, No. 9 Managing Director Kim Stowell editor@optionsri.org Writers Thomas Bertrand, Kalene Brennan, Jessica Cinquegrana, Bradford Greer, Sally Ann Hay, Kerri Kanelos, John Kelley, Melville Petrosky, Cathy Robinson, Jennifer Stevens Copy Editors Ronan Fitzgerald, Brian Gay, Steve Kagan, Joseph Morra, Emma Garrett Nelson, Maria Phillips, Jim Seavor, Myra Shays Calendar Editor Annie Cronin-Silva calendar@optionsri.org
MAILING NIGHT IS BACK!
Resources Editor Myra Shays mshays@verizon.net
(sort of... now it’s just a distribution party. In other words, all the fun and a lot less of the work)
General Information info@optionsri.org
Plus: it’s at Deville’s!
Advertising Kyle Marnane advertising@optionsri.org
Come on down, have a glass of something, see your friends, and help us get Options out to all our distribution points around the state.
Billing Donny McKendall billing@optionsri.org
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TO: OPTIONS I want to get involved! PO. Box 6406 Please contact me at: Providence, RI 02940 email: phone: options
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www.optionsri.org © OPTIONS 2012. Options is published ten times each year. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the governing board, volunteers or staff. Listings are provided as a resource and do not imply endorsement. Submissions to Options must be signed and accompanied by a phone number, but names may be withheld on request. Submissions, ads, calendar or resource listings for the December/January issue must be delivered by November 10. Financial support is also always welcome. For a subscription, send us your name and address or subscribe online at www.optionsri.org. Moving? Send us your old address with your new address.
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Op-Ed Don’t Call it Passing Melville Petrosky Passing. For those unfamiliar with the term as used here, it relates to the ability of an individual to live as a gender different from their gender marker assigned at birth without outside question. It is what most transitions strive for: the ability to live as one identifies without the threat of invasion of privacy, violence, interference, derision, or discrimination. In other words, it is the fundamental exercise of the right to live as an individual and be left alone. This word is used by the trans community to refer to this event, or “state of being” that some seek to eventually enter, perhaps without ever exiting. But passing can imply the act of moving by without being noticed, of doing something deceptive and not being caught, of successfully presenting a fake for the real thing. The word has an innate connotation of inauthenticity. And if something is inauthentic, it is also less than some imagined ideal. This is where the problem begins. Who better to declare who I am than I? Although I can walk among strangers, use the men’s room, take off my shirt in public, and no one would question my biological or social history as a man, I refuse to refer to my daily existence as a man as “passing.” Equating the trans experience with inauthenticity arises from a fundamental misunderstanding of gender, or the philosophical question of what really makes us who we
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are. Is it our biped ways, our DNA, our chromosomes, our shape, our hormones, and our brains; are these the qualities of our individuality more than our experiences, memories, emotions, ethics, preferences, or legacy? Are we the function of our parts, our biological destinies? Is it a combination? Is it something we can never hope to definitively understand? No understanding of gender based on a physical equation can account for every exception. We also cannot limit our definition of each other to the benefits and or the function of our parts. Thus physical attributes cannot be a valid measure. And if our identity is more a product of other subjective factors, we are our own measuring sticks. I am not a pale copy of a man. I am a man. I do not qualify that with a special adjective or label. Although I have no shame regarding my history, I did not “transition” to declare my “T” to everyone into infinity. My medical history is my own business. Before I had surgery or started hormones, I thought I had no idea what “the other side” would look or feel like. Ultimately, I believed that no matter what I did to change, I’d always feel like an “other.” I was wrong. Day by day, I realized that I was not transitioning to something as much as I was realigning myself with what should have been and always was. The goal of sex confirmation surgery or any transitional measure is not to deceive or trick, but the exact opposite, to live with authenticity. I remember things about my childhood and realize how on cer-
keep in touch
Please send your letters, wedding, birth and adoption announcements, obituaries etc. to:
editor@optionsri.org or P.O. Box 6406 Providence, RI 02940 options
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tain levels, I always knew what was wrong. I can distinctly recall the moments of boyhood joy, as well as the moments of anger, anxiety, and trepidation when I sensed that something inexplicable was wrong, unfair, or changing. My internal sense of my male gender lasted until school age when survival mode kicked in of its own accord. With socialization ensued a constant effort to act a female part that I had been assigned, not one I’d have willingly chosen. If anything, I “passed” as female for 37 years. I tried to do all the right things to fit in and not arouse any suspicion to the contrary. Over the last three years, I have come to understand that women are different from men on many levels, and I am indeed residing in the men’s camp, not at some place in between. I used to think I had the inside track on women, like I’d know how they thought and felt. It seemed like pure common sense; that whole “best of both worlds” argument. But I’m not of both worlds. Although I have a different gender experience, I’m not an inauthentic man. As I have aligned my body with what it should have been both structurally and hormonally, I realized that I was no “other.” That surreal state of nonbeing that had constantly haunted me left when I corrected my body and my mind recognized itself. I realized that I had been walking around inside a sarcophagus for 37 years and one day I figured out I could and should open the lid. My passing ended there. To imply the opposite is simply inaccurate. q
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Calendar
Got a big event coming up? Let us know about it! Send your listing by the 10th of the month preceding to calendar@optionsri.org, and we’ll see that it gets into the edition. gets you an autographed calendar and a show. Doors open at 6; show at 7. Proceeds benefit AIDS Care Ocean State.
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Youth Pride Fundraiser Stepping Up, Stepping Out. 5:30 - 11 p.m., Providence Biltmore Hotel. Purchase tickets at www. youthprideri.eventbrite.com Luna’s Ladies Night. 9 p.m. - Midnight. DANCESTRAVAGANZA! Burlesque, Belly Dancing, Boas, Beauty and more with Kristen Minsky, Bettysioux Tailor, Ameena and special guests! Roots Cultural Center, 276 Westminster St., Providence. Live music, DJ, special events. 21+, $6 cover. For more information see www.lunaspvd.com.
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TransPartners of New England. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The meeting location is withheld for participant privacy. Please email partners@tginetwork.org for more information.
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PFLAG Providence Monthly Meeting 6:45 - 8:45 p.m. The Met School (Justice Building) 325 Public St., Providence. pflagprovidence@verizon.net.
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Luna’s Ladies Night: GIRLS ROCK RI! 9 p.m. - Midnight. Roots Cultural Center, 276 Westminster St. Providence Live music, DJ, special events. 21+, $6cover. For more information see www.lunaspvd. com.
Legends! 2013 Calendar Release Party at the Colloseum, 180 Pine St., Providence. This year the lovely Legends! ladies are doing it up Las Vegas style. $20 admission
Know your status.
Call AIDS Care Ocean State’s Prevention Office at 401-781-0665 to schedule an appointment for FREE anonymous and confidential HIV and HEP C testing.
Get tested. options
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PrSYM Thanksgiving dinner. Knights of Columbus Hall, Warwick. www.prysm. org. The Harvest Ball - Investitures II- presented by the Imperial Court of Rhode Island. 6:30 – 10 p.m. The Providence Biltmore Hotel’s Garden Room – Tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased at http:// monarchsball.eventbrite.com
Who wants to go shopping!! H
Join us HforH a H Holiday fete special H H at tHe fabulous H H
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Gay Bingo- Theme for November-Pilgrim Gay Bingo! 6 - 9:30 p.m. Riviera Bingo Palace - 1612 Elmwood Ave., Cranston, RI. Doors open at 6PM Bingo starts at 7PM SHARP! $20.00 to play, 18+ event. Get ready for the annual pie eating contest! YPI Lip Sync Contest 7 - 9 p.m. at the MET. This event is free and open to the public- donations will be accepted. Special guest judges and/or performers include: Haley Star, Davey Wavey, Jacqueline DiMera, Jealousy Jones and Vi’let. For more info visit https://www.facebook. com/events/466589900057774/ Luna’s Ladies Night, 9 p.m. - Midnight. BECKY CHACE BAND - Becky Chace has been named best female vocalist by Providence Phoenix readers 5 times. She returns to Luna’s with her full band! Roots Cultural Center-276 Westminister St Providence Live music, DJ, special events. 21+, $6cover. For more information see www.lunaspvd.com.
Stop in and see us on Sunday afternoon, December 9. Enjoy a glass of holiday cheer and some savory bites, and maybe buy something for yourself, for your home, or for a gift. You’ll be supporting Options Newsmagazine! Antiques and Interiors will donate a portion of all sales directly to Options. $10 ticket can be purchased at www. eventbrite.com. We will share proceeds from this with Youth Pride, Inc.
65 Ashburton
Open Tues - Sat 11am - 6
A limited number of VIP tickets are available for a private shopping session in Antiques & Interior’s exclusive upstairs showroom, prior to the public event.
Sunday December 9th, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Antiques & interiors • 65 Ashburton street • Providence, ri 02904 • www.AntiquesAndinteriors.biz
Plumbing by Paul “We do it right in your home.”
New . Old . Big . Small . We Do It . Right .
225-0561
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RI Chapter of COLAGE, The Gordon School - East Providence, 10:30 a.m. – noon. 331-9844.
Licensed, Insured, Guaranteed, Honest, Clean
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Transgender Day of Remembrance. 6:30 p.m., Sanctuary at Bell St. Chapel, 5 Bell St., Providence. Candlelight service to honor those killed because of transgender status. Panel discussion to follow.
Join us for an Open House and Ribbon Cutting at our New Office on the East Side.
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YPI Annual Thanksgiving Dinner/ Potluck. More info will be available as this event gets closer
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Luna’s Ladies Night. 9 p..m - Midnight. BLACK & BLACKER FRIDAY! Bostonbased performers Amy Black and Sarah Blacker’s Band rock your Black Friday at Luna’s! Roots Cultural Center, 276 Westminster St. Providence. Live music, DJ, special events. 21+, $6 cover. For more information see www.lunaspvd.com
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7pm - 9pm MERI Community Meeting
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144 Wayland Avenue, Providence November 16th from 4-7 pm.
Kristen Roy
real estate consultant/salesperson
401-481-9492 kristenaroy@aol.com www.kristenaroy.com Licensed in RI & MA
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due to anti-transgender bias, prejudice or hatred. All are welcome.
Wednesday, November 28th at 6:30pm
- 4th Monday of the Month. MERI Headquarters 118 North Main St., Suite 3, Providence, RI 02903
Bell Street Chapel (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
Let the Merry Bells Keep Ringing...
For more info visit:
www.YouthPrideRI.org
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9pm - 12am Luna’s Ladies Night. 9 p.m. PEOPLE I LIKE with LEIGH HENDRIX! Experience this late-night style talk show… monologue, guests, and dj live from the Luna’s stage. Roots Cultural Center, 276 Westminister St. Providence. Live music, DJ, special events. 21+, $6cover. For more information see www.lunaspvd.com
www.TGInetwork.org
December Join us for the 14th Annual International
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6:30 - 8:30 p.m. TransPartners of New England. The meeting location is withheld for participant privacy. Please email partners@tginetwork.org for more information.
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6:45 - 8:45 p.m. PFLAG Providence Monthly Meeting @ The Met School (Justice Building) 325 Public St., Providence. 751-7571.
Transgender Day of Remembrance www.provgmc.org A community event to remember those we have lost due to anti-transgender bias, prejudice or hatred. All are welcome.
Wednesday, November 28th at 6:30pm Bell Street Chapel
5, 8, 9 Happy HoliGays from the Providence Gay Men’s Chorus. Beneficent Congregational Church, 300 Weybosset St., Providence. Wednesday and Saturday shows at 7 p.m. Sunday show at 4 p.m. Tickets at www. eventbrite.com.
(5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
For more info visit:
www.YouthPrideRI.org
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Big Gay Shopping Day to benefit Options! 3 - 6 p.m. Beautiful store, tasty refreshments, holiday cheer. Antiques & Interiors, 65 Ashburton St., Providence.
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Martha Stewart Gay Bingo! 6 - 9:30pm Riviera Bingo Palace - 1612 Elmwood Ave., Cranston, RI. Doors open at 6 Bingo starts at 7 SHARP! $20.00 to play, 18+ event. q
www.TGInetwork.org
Join us for the 14th Annual International
Transgender Day of Remembrance A community event to remember those we have lost due to anti-transgender bias, prejudice or hatred. All are welcome.
Wednesday, November 28th at 6:30pm Bell Street Chapel (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
For more info visit:
www.YouthPrideRI.org
options
www.TGInetwork.org
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Lesbians on the Loose out of the closet and out on the town!
For us, Fall is all about re-connecting with old friends, and I can’t think of a better way to do this than stopping by Deville’s Café. Many of us remember the original Deville’s and feel nostalgic when we speak about it. Our recent visit to the new Deville’s Café, located at 345 South Water Street Providence, certainly reminded us of the “good ol’ days,” but Deville’s has re-invented itself for 2012. It has evolved into a place where the 30- and 40something crowd can meet up, have a drink, sing karaoke or shoot pool. Using typical “Rhode Island directions,” it is located near the old Barnsider Mile and a Quarter restaurant.
Celebrating 50 Years! ll a H Town
LANES
Home of Big Gay Al’s Bowling League 1463 Atwood Ave. Johnston • 831-6940
We heard from bartender Brad that Fridays after work, Deville’s is the place to be and that Sunday night karaoke is a big hit. Check it out -- you might just see some old friends from “back in the day” and meet some new ones! Gay Bingo is back for another fun and fabulous season! October’s theme was Halloween, and we dragged our new volunteer, Frank, along (in cowboy hat on left). Loved Miss Kitty Litter’s costume, in honor of her upcoming nuptials! The hostess with the mostess and Miss Haley Star always make the third Thursday of the month a night to remember. Lots of laughs and raising money for AIDS Care Ocean State -- a perfect combination for a good time. Check out our calendar page for the theme for Gay Bingo each month, and be sure to stop by. On a serious note, by the time this issue goes to press the election for a new president will be right around the corner. Whatever your political affiliation is, please make sure your vote is counted -- it is so important to stand up and be heard!
TAKE CHARGE! GET TESTED!
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Visit: www.aidsprojectri.org
takecharge@aidsprojectri.org Call: (401) 207-8377
XO, Annie & Melanie
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ge of Chan ess addr
401-434-1553
BRUCE J. THOMPSON, Ph.D. 410 Broadway East Providence, Rhode Island
We Are a Gentle Angry People Bradford J. Greer
PsychotherapyfgGay Men (...reconstruction... fine tuning...)
“…and we are singing for our lives.” So sang Holly Near in her anthem for peace in 1983. It was written to give a voice to building social change in the wake of the assassination of Harvey Milk. It was an appropriate hymn to begin the GALA Festival 2012 in Denver, Colorado. The trip by the Providence Gay Men’s Chorus was four years in the planning. The PGMC first represented Rhode Island at GALA 2008; it was Terry Lindsey’s last
concert as their director. Teresa Coffman had just been hired and impulsively went along. The chorus was so excited when they returned that General Manager Ray Sirico, Board President John Boudreau and Artistic Director Coffman began immediately making plans to attend the 2012 festival. After four years of very hard work and much support from families, friends, co-workers and Miss Kitty Litter, July 7 arrived and Southwest Airlines was never so gay as when the
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PGMC flew out of TF Green airport. The atmosphere in downtown Denver for the next several days was heady with homosexual love and laughter as over 6,000 gay men and lesbians mingled with the local residents. The host city was welcoming and friendly on the buses, in the restaurants, hotels and stores and on the street. When a group from the PGMC came upon a wedding party and were asked to sing, they spontaneously broke into a chorus of “Get Me to the Church On Time” to the couple’s abso-
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tuate the Positive” explored being positive about being HIV-positive; and Women In Sensible Shoes brought the house down with their odes to feminism, mother earth, and solidarity and the woes of becoming a woman of a certain age.
The PGMC performed a twentyminute program from their Spring Concert: “Out On the Bay,” which premiered the original title song by Assistant Director Kim Kuda. The chorus sang before some fifteen hundred people and enjoyed three standing ovations. Other GALA highlights included the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus musical lampoon of The Sound of Music called “Von Trapped;” the Youth Invasion choruses; original pieces from the Heartland Men’s Chorus performance called “When I Knew,” narrated
by author Dan Savage; and “Alexander’s House” performed by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC. New York’s “Accen-
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With 135 choruses doing 200 performances from all across the country and Canada, the four-and-a-half days flew by in a whirlwind of concerts, workshops, evening blockbusters, rehearsals, dinners and parties. As you can imagine, all of this did not go off without some drama. The hotel lost the PGMC rehearsal room reservation for three days. Teresa Coffman’s flight was cancelled and it took her most of the day and night to fly a circuitous route which had her arriving at her hotel at 10:00 p.m. the night before what was to be her final PGMC performance. Another member in a similar situation arrived so late the buses stopped running and he had to walk to his hotel with his luggage in the rain. The concert hall the PGMC was to perform in was hit by lightning before their tech rehearsal so all the lighting and sound instruments had to be reset. The piano was not locked in place so during the performance Kim Kuda had to gracefully inch along as the piano rolled away from her. One chorus member fell in love. The closing ceremonies brought everyone together in celebration with stories and a video wrap-up of the festival. A virtual choral project was launched called The Global Queer Quire which features virtual performances by LGBT choirs from across the world. It re-affirmed GALA’s mission to change our world through music. It reminded us to fight bigotry and bullying in all its forms, and to never, never be ashamed of we are. In the words of Lady Gaga: “We were born this way.” And this is why the Providence Gay Men’s Chorus sings.
Enjoy the PGMC’s holiday production, “Happy Holigays,” during the first week in December. Check Options calendar for details. Providence Gay Men’s Chorus www.provgmc.org q
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A Census of their Own Kim Stowell
I
f you are not familiar with seaQuel, you should be. It was the brainchild of two young men, Kohei Ishihara and Sarath Suong, when they were students at Classical High School. Seeing a need in their school community, Ishihara and Suong formed a group called Providence Youth Student Movement, or PrYSM, in 2001, seeking to empower students to take charge of – and pride in – their lives. Their focus was students of Southeast Asian descent, a group who were struggling with gang-related issues. Their first campaign focused on the deportation of Cambodian-American refugees, who were being sent back to the country, with its genocide and civil war, from which they fled. It was a powerful step, and the first experience with activism for many of the participants.
of oppression – sexism, racism, heterosexism -- and learning about the shared history of the Southeast Asian (SEA) community in the US. This consciousness-raising experience often serves as an introduction to SEA youth about the legacy of the Vietnam War, genocide and racial prejudice on their lives.
Next, they worked for equality in schools, testifying at the RI State House about, for example, the need for school notices to be translated into Southeast Asian languages. Right from the beginning, Suong and Ishihara noticed a lot of queer kids showing up at the rallies and meetings. This group had struggles that were unique to them. They were being bullied and harassed in school and on the street, and many were dealing with problems at home, where elders did not accept or understand queer youth. Many had been asked to leave Belinda Khamsomphou and Kevin Lam their homes or had run away of their own accord. Being gay themselves, Ishihara and Suong could relate to these situations. er Alliance (NQAPIA), which holds yearly And so PrSYM formed a sub-group called conferences. It has paid staff and a cavernSoutheast Asian Queers United for Empow- ous space on Elmwood Ave. in Providence. Ishihara and Suong moved on with their erment and Leadership, or seaQuel. lives a few years back, but in their places are Today, PrYSM is a 501(c)(3) organization, Executive Director Chanravy Proeung and with a youth-driven model, a forward-think- Program Director Kevin Lam. ing mission and many programs and servicIn order for a student to be involved es. It participates regularly in the programs with PrYSM today, he or she must attend of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islandan intensive orientation, studying systems
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For the past two years, PrYSM has been an active member of RI’s Coalition Against Racial Profiling, which brings together legislative, advocacy, and organizing bodies with the aim of passing the Comprehensive Racial Profiling Prevention Act in the Rhode Island State Legislature. This bill would protect Rhode Islanders from being forced to show ID as a passenger in a car that has been stopped by police; gives youth the right to say no to a police search (previously, only a parent had consent privileges); and requires Immigration & Customs Enforcement accounts to be open to the public. Last year, PrYSM youth courageously testified before Senate and House committees about their personal experiences of racial profiling, using dramatic and powerful images to reinforce their message. The bill came very close to passage; only a few votes prevented it from passing in the House. PrYSM is also a member of The Queer Southeast Asian (QSEA) Network, comprised of three different organizations: seaQuel in Providence; SOY (Shades of Yellow) in St. Paul, MN; and Freedom Inc. in Madison, WI. The three organizations banded together in 2009 to form the QSEA Network during a conference held by NQAPIA in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of the network is to boost the visibility of the QSEA community. Leaders and members of the three organizations have held numerous discussions on the mechanics of uniting LGBTQ Southeast Asians on a national level, and how to do
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that collaboratively. The first project they hit upon -- and initiated -- was the creation and launch of a survey across the nation to collect and document the experiences of QSEA individuals. The data from this survey would help take the next step in creating a QSEA report. They worked very hard to build the survey itself and then disseminate it through other Southeast Asian organizations around the country, continually keeping track of its progress and facilitating the return of the data to get the largest possible response.
sive project.
After they had collected the data, they scoured each person’s responses. It was a very large, time-consuming and labor-inten-
Once the survey results were compiled into a report, QSEA began to explore best practices for using the information. One of
The survey illustrates that the experience of LGBTQ Southeast Asian Americans are markedly different from the narratives often heard in the mainstream white LGBTQ community, and even differ from experiences of other Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQ communities. The historical connection Southeast Asian Americans have to the Vietnam War, with the majority having come from a refugee background, has greatly impacted their experiences growing up queer in the United States.
the first steps was to present it at the annual NQAPIA conference. PrSYM being a youthdriven organization, they looked to their membership, asking for volunteers to help with the presentation. One of those volunteers was Belinda Khamsomphou, who had just completed the orientation process. A student at CCRI, she had embraced the mission of PrYSM and seaQuel, and had a total immersion experience at the conference. “I had been here about three weeks,” she recalls, laughing. “The conference was completely overwhelming.” The presentation team spent hours in preparation, and had to rise above their position as the youngest group at the conference, but they were very well-received. “There were several NQAPIA Board members at our presentation,” said Program Director Kevin Lam, “and gave us lots of positive feedback for our effort and its implications.”
“For me... it was reaffirming. As a youth, I always thought I was the only one who had my experience. Even in LGBTQ spaces, there was never anyone who looked like me.”
65 Ashburton St. · Providence, RI · 02904 · 401-272-4441 Open Tues - Sat 11am - 6pm · Sun 12 pm - 5pm · or by appointment ANTIQUESANDINTERIORS.BIZ
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Next steps are to publish the report, with a bar code, and create an online presence as well. Lam believes there is much useful information contained within its pages. “For me,” he said, “it was re-affirming. As a youth, I always thought I was the only one who had my experience. Even in LGBTQ spaces, there was never anyone who looked like me.” He feels the message that young LGBTQ Southeast Asians aren’t alone, and the common experiences of living with parents and grandparents who are suffering with war-related PTSD, and who have no tolerance for different orientations or identities, would be reassuring.
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Belinda is gearing up to take a more active role in the PrYSM space, especially in providing programming. “She is very passionate about this work,” Lam stated, “and we look forward to her finishing up her schooling so she can join our staff.”
“The experience of the NQAPIA conference really opened my mind,” said Belinda. “It made me into an activist.” This month, PrYSM marks their eleventh anniversary. They will celebrate at their an-
nual Thanksgiving event on November 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Warwick. The public is invited to attend, and sponsorships and contributions are welcome. For more information, visit www.prysm.org. q
A sampling of the photos in PrYSM’s compelling campaign against racial profiling by law enforcement.
Findings of the Census: The State of Queer Southeast Asian America Coming out stories and data suggest that an alternative coming out model and culturally competent programming are needed to address the unique experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ Southeast Asians. LGBTQ Southeast Asians reported struggling to communicate with their parents in their parents’ native language about their sexual orientation and experiences. There are no positive words within the Hmong, Khmer, Lao, or Viet languages to describe a non-heterosexual orientation. Because of the generation gap, respondents turned to the younger members of their families (brothers, sisters, and cousins) for support, while finding it extremely challenging to find acceptance from the older members and generations of their families (mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, and grandmothers). Data reveals that a strict adherence to and policy of confidentiality is needed among service providers to ensure safety and garner trust. While 85% of census respondents indicated they have come out to at least one member within their family (including relatives), 90% of respondents have at least one
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member in their extended family to whom they are not out. This confirms that there is a clear need to have confidential programs and policies even when working with LGBTQ Southeast Asians who have already come out.
ported needing to make additional income by working under-the-table. These harsh realities reflect overall demographics of Southeast Asian Americans in the United States and the continuing need for programs that address education and income disparities.
LGBTQ Southeast Asian Americans are coming out at a young age. The average coming out age among LGBTQ Southeast Asians in the United States is 17.2 years, and a majority come out before the age of 18. Because the process of coming out is often accompanied with psychological and emotional stress, sexuality education and LGBTQ safe spaces should be an essential component of any program or organization working with Southeast Asian American young people.
More education, resources, and systems of support are needed to counter the debilitating effects of racism, homophobia, and genderphobia. Respondents reported incidents of discrimination, prejudice and violence based on their gender expression (39%), sexual orientation (58%), and race/ ethnicity (68%).
LGBTQ Southeast Asian Americans face harsh economic realities, pressure to contribute towards their family’s income, and limited economic opportunities. 73.6% of LGBTQ Southeast Asians reported that their family has received public assistance; 25.3% reported that one or both of their parents are unemployed; and 25.9% re-
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Mainstream LGBTQ organizations and programs are not addressing the unique ways in which LGBTQ Southeast Asians face multiple identities and multiple oppressions. More inclusive practices, including an analysis and acknowledgement of racism, class, and gender-phobia is needed. Nearly half of respondents indicated that they felt uncomfortable in LGBTQ spaces because they were the only Southeast Asian, and 22% of respondents indicated that they had experienced racism and racial prejudice directly from LGBTQ spaces. q
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This Month in Rhode Jessica Cinquegrana
November 1987 – Linda Durand, a RI Project AIDS Board member and the coordinator of the AIDS clinic at Rhode Island Hospital, was honored by the National AIDS Network (NAN) in Washington, D.C. According to NAN Executive Director, Linda was “representative of the thousands of individuals giving countless hours in our struggle to combat AIDS.”
November 1989 – The Triangle Foundation, Inc. announced its intention to award grants to organizations providing services to gay men and lesbians. To be eligible, a group must have existed for at least one year, be incorporated in Rhode Island as a nonprofit corporation, and meet tax-exemption
and other criteria. The activity to be funded must be charitable, educational, or humanitarian.
November 1990 – GAYtway Communications was proud to present Rhode Island’s first Gay/Lesbian Bulletin Board Service (BBS). It was called GAYtway. If you owned a computer with a modem, you could gain access to the gay and lesbian community right here in Rhode Island!
November 1992 – Women to Women held a T-Dance at DeVille’s on Davol Square in Providence on November 8 to raise money for a conference on sexual abuse. Women to Women was a community of lesbian and
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Island LGBT History bisexual women committed to the wellness of the mind, body and spirit.
November 1992 – RI Project/AIDS ran a social support group for gay and bisexual men called “The Social Hour.” Topics related to being gay or bisexual in the 1990’s – safer sex, meeting other men, communicating in relationships, dating across anti-body status and more.
sorship and support over the course of a decade made the passage of the gay rights bill possible.
November 1996 – The Rhode Island Gay Pageant Association (RIGPA) successfully completed their first year as a non-profit organization and drew up plans for their 1997 Miss Gay RI Pageant. Events sponsored by RIGPA raised almost $2,000 for charity.
November 1995 – The ACLU of RI hon-
November 1997 – In a press conference
ored its 1995 Civil Libertarians of the Year at its annual dinner meeting. The honorees were Sean Coffey, Francis Gaschen, Linda Kushner and Rhoda Perry. These are past and present legislators, whose active spon-
stressing his “long-standing and consistent support” of the gay and lesbian community, Providence’s Mayor Cianci named W. Fitzgerald Himmelsbach as the City’s Liaison to the Gay and Lesbian Community. q
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Voices Sexual Abuse Did Not Make Me Queer Jessica Cinquegrana I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and I also happen to be a lesbian. I was 16 when I first disclosed that I had been sexually abused by three family members for 10 years. I was 17 when I told my therapist that I was a lesbian. At that time it was suggested that I was confused as a result of the abuse I experienced as a child; my perpetrators were all male family members and my perception of men was distorted. I was told that once I began the healing process I would be able to establish a healthy relationship with males. I never questioned my sexuality until that point. At the time I was at the beginning of a judicial process to prosecute my perpetrators, and I did not have the emotional fortitude to disagree with this assumption about my sexuality. I never discussed it further, and once again I had a secret that burdened me. So I went to Vegas and got married. By the way, I would not recommend this to anyone who is queer -- marriage doesn’t turn you straight.
I was fortunate to find a therapist who has provided a therapeutic environment conducive to my growth and well-being. I had no idea how much my life would begin to change over the next several months. I will skip all the details about telling my husband and ending my marriage... that’s another story! As I finally began the process of “coming out,” I knew that I would face many challenges. What I did not expect was how many people suggested I was a man-hating lesbian because I was sexually abused. I beg to differ! I am a lesbian by nature; sexual abuse did not make me queer.
I beg to differ! I am a lesbian by nature
At 31, I recognized the need to confront my sexuality. I had been in counseling on and off for 15 years trying to work through the trauma of sexual abuse. I was constantly depressed, attempted suicide, and was taking a variety of medications to ease the emotional pain. I was married for 11 years and I had two children. My unhappiness was contagious and spilled over onto everyone I loved. For years I had blamed all of my unhappiness, my flaws, and my problems on the fact that I was sexually abused. I was too afraid to admit that my hidden sexuality contributed to my depression. I decided to seek a therapist experienced in both sexual abuse and LGBT issues who could give me the professional guidance I needed.
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For 31 years I was burdened by secrets. It took a great deal of strength, courage, and personal will to survive those years. I find it degrading to suggest that identifying as a lesbian is a “negative effect” of sexual abuse similar to the depression and post-traumatic stress that I experienced. In fact, the process of coming out as a lesbian has helped me to heal from the abuse I experienced because I am more confident and in tune with myself. I am a proud survivor and a spirited lesbian!
Life is what you make it John Kelley When I was asked to emcee the RI Pride Awards on Sunday, October 7, I was honored to be a small part of a special night for two amazing people. I noticed something very special about the two main award recipients that night, retiring State Senator Rhoda Perry and Devioune Mayim-Daviau. Aside from their substantial contributions to our community, and their desire to make our world a better place, it was that each one smiles and has a twinkle in her eye. When RI Pride President Rodney Davis introduced Senator Perry he spoke about her smiling even when things were not going well.
have the same day-to-day trials and tribulations we all do. It is what you do with the life you are given that defines you. You can choose to become a wallflower. You can sit on the sidelines of life and watch the world go by. Some people have had unfathomable tragedy in their lives. They might use this as an excuse, and who could blame them? We all have a choice: we can accept the hand we are dealt and be complacent with the life we have or we can take on a mission. People all around the world are taking on missions and giving of themselves to others. Helping others not only makes a difference in your community; it also impacts your own personal life. Helping others not only does good for those around you but also increases your sense of value as a person and your own feeling of self-accomplishment. Our two award recipients had a desire to do well and effect change for the greater good. But we do not have to be a “Senator Perry” or “Devioune.” We can take their example and use it as a guide to living our lives. We can speak up for those who cannot. We can choose to help those who do not have enough. We can make a change just by being there for a friend or stranger with a warm smile and a hug. How hard is that? We are about to enter the holiday season. It is my hope that we all find joy someplace in our lives and pass that joy on to others. Life is what you make it! q
John Kelley
Look at these two remarkable women. They
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Youth Pride Inc. By Kerri Kanelos
Holiday Needs Every year we hold a Thanksgiving dinner for our Youth Pride, Inc. (YPI) family, and also a December Yankee Swap where each YPI participant goes home with a holiday gift. We would greatly appreciate donated food (turkeys, ham, stuffing, desserts, beverages, etc.) for Thanksgiving dinner, and gifts of lotion or other basic hygiene products, candy, card games, candles, funky socks, costume jewelry, RIPTA tickets, gift cards in small denominations, etc. for youth who cannot afford to bring one. Please be in touch with us at 421-5626 if you are willing to donate.
World AIDS Day Our HIV Prevention Program, OMG, has been busy helping plan this year’s Red Ribbon Rally to show youth support of people living with HIV/AIDS, commemorate the lives of those who have died, and unite to
continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. The rally will be held at the Met School at 325 Public Street in Providence at 6:00 p.m. on November 30. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. There will be live performances and guest speakers, and we will reveal the winners of last year’s PSA/poster competition, condom package design contest and “Rip the RED” fashion show.
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Change in Friday Drop-In Center Hours
The drop-in center will now be open on Fridays from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., as well as on Monday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. Please check our calendar (on the main page of our website) or Facebook for any changes in the schedule.
CHILDREN ADOLESCENTS ADULTS
Youth Pride, Inc. 743 Westminster St., Providence 421-5626
Depression ADHD
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Anxiety Self-esteem Study Skills/ Time Management Relationships/Intimacy
John D. DaPonte, CAGS Mental Health Counselor
401.383.7647 MAJOR INSURANCES ACCEPTED
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Transgender Day of Remembrance Each year, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is commemorated around the world in November to remember transgender and trans-identified people who have been killed during the past year. Rhode Island’s statewide TDoR event will be held Wednesday, November 28th, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street in Providence. The date corresponds to the day of death of Massachusetts resident Rita Hester, which inspired the original TDoR. A candle-lighting service will honor the dead. Speakers from the two sponsoring organizations will set the tone for the evening: Youth Pride Inc. and TGI Network of Rhode Island. There will also be poetry and readings by community members. A speaker will recount her experience transitioning late in life and reflect on its cost and danger. Only a few days ago, a leading Rhode Island 3.5 took x 2.275. politician the public position that state law should not protect people like her. Following the service, a panel discussion will take place in Eddy Hall. There will be a
We Will Remember You (The names of those who lost their lives in the last year due to anti-transgender hatred and fear)
Sonia Masi; shot; November 24, 2011 Brenting Dolliole; severe head trauma; 22 years old; November 26, 2011
Brandy Martell; 37 years old; gunshot; April 29th, 2012 Unknown; gunshot; May 10, 2012
Githe Goines; strangulation; 23 years old; December 30, 2011
Anil Aayiramthengu; throat slit, abdominal injuries; May 10, 2012
Popinha; 2 gunshots to the back; 25 years old; January 1, 2012
Chrissie Azzopardi; 22 years old; unknown; June 4, 2012
Unknown; strangulation; January 17, 2012
Thapelo Makutle; throat cut, partial decapitation, genitals stuffed in mouth; June 09, 2012
Guilherme Augusto de Souza; 16 years old; 13 gunshots; January 23, 2012
Unknown; burned to death; June 27, 2012
Paola Cristiano; 28 years old; 7 gunshots to the head, neck, and back; January 30, 2012
Tracey Johnson; multiple gunshot wounds; July 5, 2012
Deoni Jones; 23 years old; gunshot; February 02, 2012
Secil Anne; throat cut, face slashed; July 10, 2012
Carla; 51 years old; gunshot; March 2, 2012
Tiffany Gooden; 19 years old; multiple stab wounds; August 14, 2012
Agnes Torres Sulca; neck wounds, burned, thrown in a ditch; March 10, 2012
Unknown; 30 years old; shot; August 15, 2012
Chiquinha; 35 years old; stoned and beaten to death; March 13, 2012 Soraya; 39 years old; gagged, had pieces of wood inserted into the anus; penis burned with alcohol; March 13, 2012 Rene “Rosita” Hidalgo; gagged, multiple stab wounds, neck slit; March 15, 2012
Unknown; 24 years old; shot; August 15, 2012 Laryssa Silveira; multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and face, dumped by the side of the road; August 17, 2012 Unknown; repeated blows to the head with a spade; August 29, 2012
David William de Oliveira Cândido; 16 years old; severe head and neck trauma; March 22, 2012
Kendall Hampton; 26 years old; shot; August 29, 2012
Coko Williams; 35 years old; shot; April 4, 2012
Kyra Cordova; gunshot wound to the head; September 3, 2012
Tyrell Jackson; 23 years old; shot; April 4, 2012
Victoria; murdered and mutilated, her genitals and an ear removed; thrown in a dumpster; September 16, 2012
Menakshiammal; burned and throat slit; April 12, 2012 Paige Clay; 23 years old; gunshot to the face; April 16, 2012
Unknown; neck injury, hands and feet tied, wrapped in a sheet, and burned; September 21, 2012
Rebekah; gunshot to the back and head; April 22, 2012
January Marie Lapuz; 26 years old; stabbing; September 29, 2012
Leandro Eduardo Campos Ferreira; 11 gunshots; April 26, 2012
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chance for people to meet and talk as well. This reflection and discussion time has also become part of our local TDoR tradition. Refreshments will be available for attendees.
Transgender people face dangers in everyday life that gender-normative people may not appreciate. Choosing the “wrong” bathroom can lead to violence or arrest, so even going to the bathroom is never routine for a transgender person. People beginning to transition might be subjected to verbal and physical abuse because they are neither who they were nor who they are becoming. Some people use this as a justification to mistreat very vulnerable people.
Transgender people face dangers in everyday life that gender-normative people may not appreciate.
Safety is a key issue whenever trans people gather. TDoR is not advertised on television or other mainstream media outlets -- if you call attention to yourself with the “wrong” people, you may pay a high price for your visibility. In this country each year, some 35 or more transgender people are murdered just for being who they are. And those are just the ones we know. There are always more. Many more. TDoR will be held on November 28th at Bell Street Chapel in Providence. Parking is available. For more information or to get involved in supporting the transgender community, contact Emma Nelson at e.hence.garrett@gmail.com q
Welcoming LGBT professionals and their friends
A membership organization focused on: • Shared Member Contact Information • Professional Networking • Philanthropic Causes • Member benefits n e t w o r k
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For more information please contact Frank Maher at (401) 453-9276, visit RI AGP on Facebook or by email at gayprofessionalnetworkofri@gmail.com.
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Your Community Newsmagazine...
Marriage Equality RI Cathy Robinson
At Your Service Since 1982
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Marriage Equality Rhode Island (MERI) is proud to introduce our new intern, Andrea El-Turkmanni, a MSW candidate at Rhode Island College. Andrea, a native of upstate New York, came to MERI because of her dedication to the LGBTQ community. In her short time with MERI she has already learned that real progress takes time and that “it has taken a lot of small victories to bring us closer to achieving our ultimate goal.” Andrea has committed to be with MERI until May 2013, and plans to stick it out even after learning that it takes “the long nights, lost weekends, and constant juggling and organizing … to advocate for marriage equality.”
November is election month, and as a community we now need to turn our focus to the 2013 legislative session. We have the opportunity to bring marriage equality to Rhode Island, but it won’t be easy. We all need to step up and pitch in. We will be holding community meetings, trainings, and information sessions as we continue to lay the groundwork for 2013. In order to help with our organizing effort across the state, we have brought new interns on board. q Marriage Equality Rhode Island 118 N. Main St., Unit 3, Providence 941-2727 www.marriageequalityri.org
For the past 29 years We’ve been handing our Clients The same old Line …
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AIDS Community Watch Adopt a Family for the Holidays
ACOS Thanks AIDS Walk Participants
Kalene Brennan The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and soon enough we will be decorating our homes for the holidays. For many, the holidays are a time to spend with loved ones to celebrate the importance of family and friendship. For others, who cannot afford presents for their families or heat to keep them warm, the holidays are an especially tough time of year. AIDS Care Ocean State’s (ACOS) annual Adopt-a-Family campaign is an easy way to support the clients of ACOS during the holiday season. Last year, we celebrated a record success with our Adopt-a-Family campaign. With the help of the community, we raised $20,000 for our clients. We hope to have the same result this year. For just $50, a family is provided with gifts, heat for their homes, and warm clothing for the winter months. “This year we’d like to focus on providing assistance… to cut the expensive heating costs for the winter,” said Stephen Hartley, Development Director at ACOS. “Fifty dollars does so much good for people who have next to nothing.”
On Sunday, September 23, hundreds of participants gathered at the Rhode Island Statehouse to show their support for the annual AIDS Walk for Life. This year, the team that raised the most money -- $13,500 – was ACOS. We would like to send a special thanks to our top donors Haley Star and David Degan. We also send a big “Thank You” to everyone who donated to Team ACOS, and to all the ACOS volunteers who helped at the AIDS Walk.
Legends! 2013 Calendar Release Party Benefits ACOS Legends! Does Las Vegas! Legends! Is back! The Legends! 2013 Calendar Release Party returns to the Colosseum at 180 Pine Street on Sunday, November 4. Each year Legends! releases a themed calendar, and this year the lovely Legends! Ladies are doing it up Las Vegas style. The Legends! calendars make great holiday gifts. Buy one for yourself too because they sell out fast.
For just $50, a family is provided with gifts, heat for their homes, and warm clothing for the winter months.
To Adopt-a-Family today, please visit our website at www. aidscareos.org and click on the “Donate Now” button. It’s that simple, and your donation is greatly appreciated. For more information about ACOS’s Adopt-a-Family campaign, please contact Stephen Hartley or Kalene Brennan at 5213603 or info@aidscareos.org. On behalf of the entire AIDS Care Ocean State staff, we wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.
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Free Exercise Program for People Living with HIV (50+) Thomas Bertrand AIDS Project Rhode Island (APRI) has launched a free exercise program for people over age 50 who are living with HIV. The program, Positive Aging and Living (PAL), is being offered in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Providence through a grant from Tufts Healthcare Foundation. The first exercise class was held in early September at the East Side YMCA on Hope St. in Providence. The class has two instructors and twelve participants who meet for two 75-minute sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons each week. The classes are structured so that all participants get a chance to engage in aerobics, strength training, and balance activities under the supervision of a YMCA fitness instructor. The classes are conducted for three months. During that time participants have a membership at the YMCA and access to the gym to exercise on their own time. The important feature of the class is that fitness programs are designed to meet the individual needs of each participant. People of all fitness levels are encouraged to participate in the PAL program.
Admission for the Legends! 2013 Calendar Release Party is $20 and includes an autographed calendar from all the ladies along with a live “legendary” show that evening. All proceeds from the Legends! 2013 calendars benefit ACOS. Doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m. If you cannot attend the calendar release party, you can always purchase your Legends! 2013 calendar at www.aidscareos. org for just $15!
Exercise can help increase muscle mass, improve appetite, and increase the number of “feel-good” neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise is an effective way to reduce stress, and chronic stress has been associated with suppression of immune function. Exercise can also play a vital role in controlling some of the long-term effects of HIV drugs.
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To learn more about the program or to enroll in an upcoming course, please contact Jim Huseman at Jim@aidsprojectri.org. AIDS Project Rhode Island 831-5522
521-3603
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The RI Democratic LGBTQ Caucus Anthony DeRose
In a matter of days, millions of voters throughout the country will take part in the most important aspect of representative democracy. In Rhode Island, Election Day will occur on a smaller scale compared to other states but will be no less important than other races across this country. The votes Rhode Islanders will cast on November 6 for the U.S. House and Senate, General Assembly, and some municipal offices will have a significant effect on the future of those cities and towns, this state, and the country.
into law.
The stakes are high in this election for our community and your vote is critical.
Those looking for proof of the importance one vote can make should look no further than the September 11 Primary Election for State Representative in Pawtucket, where the election was decided by just one vote. Members of the LGBTQ community in Rhode Island are in the position to be those deciding votes in many races across the state. Voting is just the first step for members of the LGBTQ community this election season. The next is to come out of the closet and have real conversations with your friends and family about the importance of getting to the polls and voting. The stakes are high in this election for our community and your vote is critical to ensure pro-equality Democrats are elected. Why should you vote Democrat on November 6? The Democratic Party is the only party that supports marriage equality and the only party that will continue to fight for all Americans. Earlier this year, President Obama and Vice President Biden became the first sitting president and vice president in history to endorse marriage equality. President Obama’s administration declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional as well. In September at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Democratic Party voted
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to add marriage equality as a plank in its national party platform. But this election is so much more than marriage equality. It’s about how this president has stood on a range of issues facing the LGBTQ community, such as: • Ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” so LGBT Americans can serve their country openly. This was a huge issue for a lot of people including some of our local LGBTQ activists right here in Rhode Island. • Implementing, then strengthening, hospital visitation and medical decision-making rights for LGBTQ patients and their partners. • Signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
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• Establishing guidelines to help protect transgender federal employees from workplace discrimination. We need to ensure we come out in force for the president and vice president and send leaders to Washington who will stand shoulder to shoulder with them to continue to fight for the people of Rhode Island and move our country forward. We need to support our allies like Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman James Langevin and Congressman David Cicilline. In the General Assembly, we need to ensure a victory to Speaker of the House Gordon Fox, so he can fulfill his promise of a vote on same-sex marriage early next year. And we need to also vote for those General Assembly candidates who have come out in full support of marriage equality to ensure a victory in the House and Senate. This election is more than just LGBTQ rights. It’s about what direction we want to continue to move in and the economic health of our country. Mitt Romney and the Republicans want to raise taxes on middle income families and lower taxes on millionaires and billionaires. They want to turn Medicare into a voucher system and privatize Social Security. Republicans want to cut funding for Pell Grants which would take away the opportunity of higher education for thousands of Rhode Island’s children. As you can see, the decision in November is clear. Let’s advance equality, protect the advancements we’ve already made and stand up for all Rhode Island families by reelecting President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden and all those pro-equality and progressive Democrats up and down the ballot. q
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RI Pride Jennifer Stevens
RI PRIDE Launches Sustainer Drive As LGBTQ people, we learn early how to be contingency thinkers. We learn to respond more than we learn to plan because we know that so much of our lives is subject to the winds of homophobia -- from parents, or community or politicians. We learn to make do with what we can and to make fabulous what we have. We learn to take care of ourselves. But what we aren’t always great at is sustaining institutions. We rally to the cause -- be it marriage equality or Ellen’s career -- when the alarm sounds. But what about between crises? Do we remember that a steady throb of energy is what keeps a heart beating between bouts of adrenaline, and a steady pulse of financial support can keep our institutions, including Pride, alive and strong for the fights ahead?
RI PRIDE Election Night Party Join us at the RI Pride Center as the results roll in! Come by after the polls close on Nov. 6th for food, drink, and community. No cover. Donations accepted. 1005 Main St., #1105, Pawtucket, RI in the Hope Artiste Village. RI Pride Committee 1005 Main St., #1105, Pawtucket 467-2130 www.prideri.com q
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Please visit www.prideri.com and make a safe, secure, sustaining donation through Network for Good. Sustainer donations start at just $13/month ($156/year) to ensure PrideFest 2013 is as enjoyable and successful as PrideFest 2012. All Sustainers (unless anonymous) will be listed in the 2013 Pride Guide. Please choose to be a sustainer - a steady heartbeat - to keep the blood and the Pride flowing all year long.
263 Wickenden Street • Providence • 401-421-4770
Face A Face L.A. Eyeworks Silhouette Olivier Peoples Alain Mikli Theo La Font
JDHSPHOTOS.COM 401.624.6698 JDHSPhotos@verizon.net
JDHS Photos
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat. 10-4 Closed Sunday
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SAGE/RI
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders Sally Ann Hay
At each of these events, we are looking forward to sharing information from our recent “Transforming Health Care for Lesbian Elders” project. This project generated a phenomenal amount of useful information that we are already using in our work to educate and advocate for effective health care for LGBT elders. But the information exchange won’t be stopping there…
We’re So Excited … By the time you read this issue of Options, SAGE/RI (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) will have presented a healthcare conference (“Visible Lives: Caring for LGBT Elders”), hosted a “Coming Out Party!” at Roots Cultural Center to celebrate our name and our first year, and we will have participated in the Senior Agenda Coalition’s Senior Expo. Whew!
Thanks to a second generous grant from the Women’s Fund of RI, SAGE/RI will be expanding the impact of the report. This second project, aptly named “Transforming Health Care for Lesbian Elders II,” will focus on presentations and educational events throughout Rhode Island. Another aspect of this project will be a feasibility study to create a small business providing support to LGBT elders so that they can remain in their homes as they age.
Individual & Couples • Solution-Focused Psychotherapy Meditation Instruction • Insurance Accepted
401-274-7225 | Providence lhandel@gmail.com
… And Grateful
GAY
Yo
ur The THIRD Thursday of EVERY MONTH! Miss hostess, Kitty Litter Meditation Instruction Doors open at 6pm, Bingo starts at 7pm SHARP! ! Individual • Group The Riviera Bingo Palace 1612 Elmwood Ave. Cranston, RI 02910 $20 to play, 18+ event
Official Ball Puller, Haley Star!
Linda Handel
LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Visit www.aidscareos.org for monthly themes!
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SAGE/RI wants to express deep appreciation to Mev Miller. Miller’s expertise and dedication were invaluable and a major component in the success of SAGE/RI’s lesbian health care project. She designed the questionnaires, processed all of the data and pulled the information together in a thorough, professional way. Her report exceeded our wildest expectations and drove our decision to apply for the second Women’s Fund grant. The report gives SAGE/RI an important platform, which will support and expand our work as we go forward. Thanks, Mev! SAGE/RI (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) addresses issues of concern to LGBT elders and is an organization of diverse people of all ages. For information on programs or to join SAGE/RI, drop us a line at sageriinfo@gmail. com or find us on Facebook as Sage/Rhode Island. q
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Resources Help us help you: If you come across a resource listing that is incorrect or needs updating, please let us know! Drop a line to mshays@verizon.net. NOTE: All phone numbers are in the 401 area code unless otherwise indicated.
Addiction Support Groups AA: Brothers in Sobriety, Community Church of Prov., Wayland & Lloyd Aves., Prov., 751-9328; Sat., 7:30-8:30 p.m.; Central Services, info on all groups, 438-8860; Lesbian and Gay, Anchor Recovery Center, 249 Main St., Pawtucket, Tues. 7:30 p.m.; Suburban Gay & Lesbian, Fatima Shrine, Rt. 126, Holliston, MA, Thurs. 8-9:30 p.m.
Chiropractic Services: Free for unemployed HIV+ patients, Ronald P. Marsh, DC., 11 King Charles Dr., Portsmouth, RI; 683-1941. Comprehensive Community Action Programs (CCAP) Medical, mental health, dental, social services. 311 Doric Ave., Cranston. 467-9610. Also Coventry and Warwick. Sarah Bowman, LGBT Outreach.
Alcohol/Drug Helpline. RI Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence, 24-hr., (866) 252-3784.
Crossroads RI Health Care Services: Free, confidential, anonymous HIV counseling & testing for homeless/at risk: Mon & Wed, 1-3 p.m., call Gloria, 521-2255, Ext. 325.
Gay Al-Anon: Tues. 7:30 p.m., Congregational Church, 71 Park Place, Pawtucket, 726-2800.
FACTS (Family AIDS Center for Treatment & Support): See AIDS Care Ocean State.
AIDS/Health Resources
Gabriel Care, LLC: Nursing/social worker case mgmt. & financial compensation for assistance and supervision for those living with HIV. MA Health funded for MA residents. Michael (508) 678-1002.
Afia Center for Health & Wholeness: socializing with other HIV+ individuals. Meals, food pantry, HIV support groups, recovery groups, recreational and social activities. Wed & Thurs, noon to 4 p.m., at Matthewson St. Church, 134 Matthewson St., Prov. Sponsored by AIDS Project RI; free to clients. Gordon Cooper, 331-1350 Ext. 3268 or coopergo@familyserviceofri.org. AIDS Action Hotline: (800) 235-2331, MA only. AIDS Care Ocean State (557 Broad St., Providence): case mgmt., emergency funds, mental health & nutrition support, FACTS Nursery, housing for PWAs, referrals, advocacy, ADa.m.S Clinic for adolescents, street outreach, ENCORE, education, HIV+ support groups. Sunrise Community Housing for people with HIV/AIDS. 18 Parkis Ave., Prov. 02907. 521-3603; www.aidscareos.org. AIDS Project RI Division of Family Service of RI: Case mgmt., buddies, COBRA & dental services, emergency fund, mental health counseling, nutrition support, assessment & referral, wellness prog., advocacy, strength training. Prevention Ed. 404 Wickenden St., Providence: 831-5522. AIDS Quilt RI: Displays local AIDS Memorial Quilt panels; panel-making programs, including Anna’s Workshop, HIV/AIDS education for young people; PO Box 2591, Newport, RI 02840; 4344880; www.aidsquiltri.org; admin@aidsquiltri. org; annasworkshop@aidsquiltri.org. Brown Univ. AIDS Program (BRUNAP): clinical trials, public policy, research; lectures/conferences, patient/community education. Bradford Briggs, 863-6790. brunap@brown.edu; www.brown. edu/brunap.
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HIV antibody testing, Anonymous: R.I. Dept. of Health, Prov., Newport and other locations, Free or sliding scale, call 222-2320. Home and Hospice Care of RI: Medical care mgmt. for HIV/AIDS. 24-hr. nursing staff for treatment. 782-0725. Bereavement Groups: John Charette, 727-7079.
a.m.-4 p.m. Other hours by appointment only. 1 Washington St., Taunton, MA (508) 977-8146 Project Empower: Wellness prog. for gay, bi, questioning men in So. Coast MA. Info on HIV/ STD test sites & safe sex; social/support groups, therapists & health care referrals; & more. Community Counseling of Bristol Co., MA. (508) 828-6692 or www.projectempower.com. SSTAR (Stanley St. Treatment & Resources): counseling, drug treatment, detox, domestic violence programs; Free, confidential HIV, HEP C (HCV) & STD testing, education, case mgmt. and support. 386 Stanley St., Fall River, MA 02720. (508) 679-5222. Project Aware (HIV/ HCV) (800) 937-3610, Family Healthcare center (508) 675-1054; www.sstar.org. Tranquil Mind & Wellness: Counseling, alternative healing, yoga, Pilates, meditation and more. 105 Charles Eldridge Dr, Lakeville, MA. (508) 9471683. Thundermist Health Assoc.: 450 Clinton St. Woonsocket, provides HIV/AIDS services including: medical care & treatment by an HIV specialist, dental care, behavioral health counseling, nutritional assessment & counseling, pharmacy consultation, free, confidential HIV testing. Philip Kane 767-4100 Ext. 3516.
HPV study for gay/bi men ages 18 -- 26. Receive free HPV vaccine and HIV testing. Must be HIVnegative. Call Gail at Miriam Hospital (7934335) or Email gyates@lifespan.org. House of Compassion: HIV/AIDS housing. 2510 Mendon Rd., Cumberland. 658-3992. Jewish AIDS Task Force: Programs for HIV/AIDS and Jewish communities. 421-4111, ext. 172. LGBT Caregiver Online Support Group for LGBTs caring for someone with chronic health problems, visit www.caregiver.org and click on groups. Luis E. Martinez House CHS, Inc.: Supportive, permanent housing for 10 adults living with HIV/ AIDS and/or substance abuse. New Bedford, MA. Contact Joe Taylor (508) 984-7514. Partners in Learning About AIDS (PL-AIDS) Outreach to minorities, women of color, and LGBT community at clubs and other locations, and our No. Providence office, providing free condoms and information about STIs and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. www.plaidsproject.org or www.pl-aids.org. Email info@plaidsproject.org. 305-3993. Project ACT: Free Anonymous HIV Counseling and Testing. Walk-in Hours: Mondays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays 9
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Be There and Be Queer! The Alley Cat/Dark Lady: 17 Snow St. Prov. 2730951 Downtown neighborhood bars. Sun.-Thur. 3 p.m.-1 a.m., Fri.-Sat. 3 p.m.-2 a.m. http:// thealleycat.net. Bobby’s Place, 62 Weir St., Taunton, MA (508) 8249997. Dancing, pool, video lounge, karaoke. Mon.-Thurs. 5 p.m.- 1 a.m.; Fri. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sat. 2 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sun. 2 p.m.-1 a.m. www.BobbysPlaceMA.com. Brooklyn Coffee Tea House: 209 Douglas Ave., Prov. 575-2284. Special events space. Open mike First & Third Sat. of each month. Film screenings and other public/private events. See us on Facebook and at www.BrooklynCoffeeTeaHouse.com. Club Body Center: 257 Weybosset St., Prov. 2740298 www.clubbodycenter.com. Gay men’s sauna. Membership required. One-day pass available. Open 24 hours daily. Club Gallery, 681 Valley Street., Providence. DJ, dancing. Deville’s: 345 South Water St., Prov. Lesbian, gay, straight, it’s all good. 383-8883, www.devillescafe.com.
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Girl Spot in Providence: Every Saturday night Lesbian dance party at Platforms, 165 Poe Street, Providence. www.girlspotri.com Luna’s Ladies Night, Fridays 8 p.m. -- 1a.m. Female performers and DJs. 276 Westminster St., Providence. www.lunaspvd.com. Providence Eagle: 198 Union St., Prov. 421-1447. Leather, Levi, bear cruise bar. Sun-Thurs 3 p.m.1 a.m., Fri, Sat 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Mega-Plex and Hush Providence: 257 Allens Ave., Prov. www.themega-plex.com. Gay men’s bathhouse. Open 24 hours daily. Membership required. One day pass available. The Stable: 125 Washington St., Prov. 272-6950. Newly renovated downtown bar. Pool table. Sun - Thurs noon - 1 a.m.; Fri - Sat noon - 2 a.m. Tommy’s Lounge Gay/Lesbian Night each Friday (21-plus) Doors open 8 p.m. Music from 80’s, 90’s and today’s hits on the video screen. $5.00 cover. 99 India Street, Pawtucket RI 02860 T.W.I.S.T. Program Coffee Night: Coffee, light snacks served every Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. 1287 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford. 508-672-0378. Union: 200 Union St. Prov. 831-5366. Video lounge, live entertainment. Sun. 6 p.m.-1 a.m., Mon.-Thur. 3 p.m.-1 a.m., Fri.-Sat. 6 p.m.-2 a.m.
Information/Education Feminist Voices: women’s chorus. www.feministvoices.com. Fenway Gay and Lesbian Helpline: support, info & referrals for GLBT community from Fenway Community Health Ctr., Boston; (617) 267-9001 or 888-340-4528, 6-11 p.m. seven days a week. GLBT National Help Center Hotline. Local resources nationwide provided by social services agency. 888-843-4564. www.GLBTNationalHelpcenter.org. NewportOut.com: LGBT Web site for Newport, RI. RILGBT-NEWS: Low-volume email distribution list for LGBT & AIDS news from RI. Not a discussion list. To subscribe: tinawood@cox.net. United Way of RI Referral Line: 2-1-1 Youth Pride, Inc. HIV Peer Educators: discussion, games, thought-provoking and empowerment activities. Led by trained youth educators. Free. 421-5626.
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): LGBT/HIV legal info hotline, 1:30-4:30 p.m. weekdays, (800) 455-GLAD. www.GLAD.org; 30 Winter St., Ste 800, Boston, MA 02108. Green Party of RI: PO Box 1151, Prov., RI 02901; 490-7602. Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund: 120 Wall St., Suite 1500, NY, NY 10005; (212) 8098585, Fax: (212) 809-0055. Lawyers for Equality and Diversity (LEAD): Advocates for lgbt causes. lawyersforequality@gmail. com Marriage Equality RI (MERI): Works for equal access to marriage for all. www.marriageequalityri. org or call 941-2727. 118 No. Main St., Unit 3, Providence RI 02903. The Next Thing (TNT): political and support group for queer people of color located at Brown University. Contact the Brown Queer Alliance, 8633062. RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias: hate crime awareness training program www.hatecrimeri. org. RI Human Rights Commission: Anti-discrimination law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit, 180 Westminster St., 3rd floor Prov. Phone: 222-2662. Fax: 222-2616, TDD: 2222664. RI Patient Advocacy Coalition: legalization of marijuana use for medical purposes. www.RIpatients.org. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network: Assisting active duty service members affected by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. PO Box 65301, Wash., DC, 20035; (202) 328-3244, ext. 100, sldn@sldn.org, www.sldn.org. Straight But Not Narrow Coalition: Straight support for LGBT, PO Box 2591, Newport, RI 02840; 847-7637.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): 831-7171; 128 Dorrance St., Suite 220, Prov., RI 02903. Amnesty International OUTfront: Program to campaign globally for LGBTIQ human rights. Cvohs18904@yahoo.com or 212-807-8400. Visit www.amnestyusa.org/Our Issues/LGBT Human Rights. BIGFLAG (Boston Immigration Group for Lesbians And Gays): social/support for LGBTs affected by immigration discrimination. (617) 499-9433. Brown University Queer Alliance: student advocacy
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Calvary Episcopal Church, Open and welcoming. 158 Broad St., Burrilville, RI. 568-3888. www. calvaryepiscopal.us.email, calvary125@aol.com. Calvary United Methodist Church of Middletown, 200 Turner Rd., Middletown, RI 02842. 8476181. Ask Amy about LGBTQ Early Dementia support group. Central Congregational Church (UCC), where we believe God is still speaking. Services Sunday, 10:30 a.m. An Opening & Affirming Congregation. 296 Angell St., East Side of Providence. 331-1960. www.centralchurch.us. Channing Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist, A Welcoming Congregation, 135 Pelham St., Newport. Call 846-0643 or visit www.channingchurch.org. Charter Oak Grove ADF, an open and welcoming congregation of neopagan druids in CT. www. charteroakadf.org. Email charteroakadf@gmail. com. Christ Church in Lonsdale (Episcopal), 1643 Lonsdale Ave., Lincoln. Services 8 and 10:30 a.m. www.christchurchlincoln.org. 725-1920. Church of the Epiphany, 1336 Pawtucket Ave., Rumford. 434-5012. A diverse Open & Affirming Episcopal congregation. www.epiphanyep.org Church of the Holy Paraclete, Independent Old Catholic; Mass every Sunday at 6 p.m. 155 Douglas Ave., Providence. http://holyparaclete. org; Fr. Jakob Lazarus 218-0706. Emmanuel Episcopal Church. 120 Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland RI 02864. 658-1506. First Congregational Church in Bristol, an Open and Affirming Congregation. 281 High Street, Bristol. Pastor Dan Randall, 253-7288. First Unitarian Church. A Welcoming congregation at One Benevolent St., Prov.; 421-7970. Services Sunday 10:30 a.m. First Unitarian Church. 71 8th St., New Bedford, MA 02740. (508) 994-9686.
Religious Resources
First Universalist Society, Franklin, MA: UUA Welcoming congregation. Same-gender weddings. 262 Chestnut St. (508) 528-5348. www.fusf.org. Email fusf@verizon.net
Amicable Congregational Church (UCC), 3736 Main Rd., Tiverton. Open & Affirming. Sunday worship 10:00 a.m. Pastor William Sterrett, 624-4611. Email amicablechurch@aol.com
Foxboro Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association. 6 Bird St., Foxboro, MA 02035. Pastor Katie Lawson, 508-543-4002. Welcoming congregation, marriage ceremonies. www.uufoxborough.org
Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, email: mail@WABaptists.org.
Political & Legal Groups
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and support organization. 683-3062. Email: queer@brown.edu
Barrington Congregational Church (UCC) “the white church”, 461 Old County Rd., Barrington. 246-0111.www.bccucc.org Bell Street Chapel (Unitarian Universalist), A Welcoming congregation: 5 Bell St., Prov., Rev. Ann Willever. 273-5678, www.bellstreetchapel.org. Beneficent Congregational Church (UCC), in the heart of Providence at 300 Weybosset St. An Open & Affirming congregation since 2001. Visit us Sundays at 10 a.m. or on the Web at www.beneficentchurch.org. Co-Pastors Todd & Nicole Yonkman, 331-9844.
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Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, 175 Mathewson Street, Providence. 331-3225. Immanuel Lutheran Church: A Reconciling in Christ congregation, 647 N. Main St., Attleboro, MA 02703. (508) 222-2898, www.immanuellc.org. Interweave at Channing UU Church in Newport (135 Pelham St.) A membership organization for the spiritual, political and social well-being of LGBTQ persons -- and their allies -- confronting oppression. 846-0643. Mathewson St. Church (United Methodist), 134 Mathewson St., Prov., 331-8900. Mercy of God Community: Christian, inclusive re-
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ligious order. If you feel called, please visit our Web site: www.mgc.org. Murray Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 N. Main St., Attleboro, MA, 02702 Rev. Sandra D. Fitz-Henry. Marriage & commitment ceremonies for all. (508) 222-0505 www.murrayuuchurch.org Newman Congregational Church, Open & Affirming. 100 Newman Ave., Rumford, RI. 43114742. Newport Congregational Church: UCC. Rev. Hayes & Rev. Baker. Open & Affirming. 73 Pelham St., Newport. 849-2238 or nccucc@newportcongregationalchurch.org. Park Place Congregational Church, 71 Park Pl., Pawtucket, 726-2800. The Pub Church: A church that meets in a pub! Saturdays, 5 p.m. at The Dugout, 722 Commonwealth Ave. Boston. Open & Affirming. Email thepubchurch@gmail.com. Location may change.
www.agudasma.org. Temple Beth-El: GLBT-welcoming. Rabbi Sarah E. Mack. 70 Orchard Ave., Prov., RI 02906. 3316070 Temple Emanu-El, Sessions St. & Morris Ave., Providence. A welcoming Conservative congregation. Rabbi Wayne Franklin, 331-1616. www. teprov.org Temple Habonim: a warm, Welcoming Reform congregation. Rabbi Andrew Klein, 165 New Meadow Rd., Barrington, 245-6536. www.templehabonim.org. Temple Sinai: A Welcoming Reform Temple. Rabbi Peter Stein, 30 Hagen Ave., Cranston, RI. 9428350. www.TempleSinairi.org. Unitarian Society of Fairhaven (MA): 102 Green St., Fairhaven, MA 02719; (508) 992-7081. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of So. County: 27 North Rd., Peace Dale, RI; 783-4170 or Val 789-7282. www.uusouthcountyri.org.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, an inclusive congregation: 1817 Warwick Ave., Warwick. 739-2937
United Church of Christ: Coalition for LGBT Concerns. 13 Steven Circle, S. Kingstown, RI 02883, Ray Bradley at 782-3871.
Pilgrim United Church of Christ. Open and affirming. 635 Purchase St., New Bedford. 508-9975684.
Westminster Unitarian/Universalist Church: 119 Kenyon Avenue, East Greenwich, RI 02818. 884-5933
Riverside Church (U.C.C.) 15 Oak Ave., Riverside, RI. 433-2039. www.rcc-ucc.com St. Augustine’s Church and Episcopal Center at URI: 35 Lower College Rd., Kingston. 783-2153 www.staugustineURI.com. St. Francis City Ministry at the Church of St. Mary, 535 Broadway, Prov. Office of LGBT Outreach 353-1422 St. James Church: Episcopal, 474 Fruit Hill Ave., No. Prov. 353-2079. St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 50 Orchard St. East side of Prov., 751-2141 St. Martin’s Episcopal Church: County & River Sts., New Bedford, MA. (508) 994-8972, stmartins1887@aol.com. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 50 Park Place, Pawtucket. 728-4300. www.stpaulspawtucket.org St. Paul’s Church, a Welcoming Episcopal church. 2679 E. Main St., Portsmouth. 862-1466. www. stpaulsportsmouthri.org St. Peter & St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church: 25 Pomona Ave., Prov.; 272-9649. Email.stpanda25@ verizon.net. www.stpetersandstandrews.org. Saint Therese Old Catholic Church, Open & Affirming, Sunday Mass at 10:30 p.m. at 134 Mathewson St., Providence. Fr. David Martins, 263-4296. www.saintthereseocc.org Second Congregational Church of Attleboro (UCC) Open & Affirming. 50 Park Street, Attleboro, MA. Sunday worship 10 a.m. (508) 222-4677, www.attleborosecondchurch.org Seekonk Congregational Church: 600 Fall River Ave., Seekonk, MA. 02771, (508) 336-9355, Rev. Joy Utter, www.scc-ucc.com. Temple Agudas Achim: GLBT-friendly, Reconstructionist cong. Rabbi Elyse Wechterman. 901 No. Main St., Attleboro, MA. (508) 222-2243 or
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Social Organizations Atheists/Agnostics: RI Atheist Society – “Working to keep Church and State separate” Welcoming all. Meets 3rd Monday of the month at an area restaurant for lively discussions among likeminded people. For info: www.RIatheist.net Bisexual Resource Center: 29 Stanhope St., Boston, (617) 424-9595 or www.biresource.net. Biversity Boston: Mixed-sex social network. Bimonthly brunches and other social events. http://biversity.org. Boston Bisexual Women’s Network: Social activities including monthly brunches, coming out groups, and quarterly newsletter “Bi Woman.” Subscribe at www.biwomenboston.org. Bears Ocean State (BOS): Informal e-group for gay & bisexual bear-identified and -affiliated men for friendly companionship. All welcome. http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/bearsoceanstate or bearsoceanstate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Age-restricted. Bridgewater State College GLBT Alumni Group: email Kenneth Hayes (‘91) khayesbbc@msn.com or visit www.bridgew.edu. Cape and Islands Gay & Straight Youth Alliance (CIGYA): (508) 778-7744. CORISMA: Gay and lesbian couples of RI and Southeast MA. Potluck get-togethers for couples only. For info or to be added to email list write: corismainfo@comcast.net. www.corismagroup. org Defenders/Providence: Leather/Levi club, c/o PO Box 41153, Prov., RI 02940. Third Sun at 6 p.m. Fall River’s Rainbow Girls: private, moderated welcoming group for women in the Fall River Area.
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groups.yahoo.com/group/ bow_Grrls.
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Gay Lesbian Alliance of Newport County Etc. (GLANCE): Social and entertainment events. E-mail glance1234@hotmail.com. Gay Dads Group: Meets monthly for socializing and support. E-mail serrel30@aol.com. Imperial Court of RI at Prov: Male, female, drag king & queen performers raise funds for local charities. Meetings 1st Mon. of month, all welcome. PO Box 6583, Prov., RI 02904;www. icriprov.org. Lesbian Writers Group, Rochambeau Library, Hope St., Providence. Mondays 7 -- 8:30 p.m. Writing exercises, support. No critiquing or workshopping. Free. Russian or Computer Room. Men’s Card Group: New group in formation. E-mail johninprov@gmail.com or call John 261-9715. Men’s Gay Camping: In RI, CT, MA. Gatherings organized for tents to RVs during Spring, Summer and Fall 2012. www.webspawner.com/users/gaycamping/index.html or call 277-0075 or email gaycamping@gmx.com. Mixed Borders Gardening Group: Gardening and more! Monthly meetings, all welcome! For more information: www.MixedBorders.com or E-Mail Mixedborders@cox.net Opera Club: last Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Enjoy hearing and attending. Email Dave at BrettCornellpi4@aol.com Pawtuxet Pride: GLBTQ folks & friends in Pawtuxet Village (Cranston and beyond). All welcome. Call Ed at 345-1264 or email EDZL@aol.com. Providence Gay Men’s Chorus: Mon, 7-9:30 p.m., Beneficent Church, 300 Weybosset St, Prov.. New season rehearsals begin in January and August. Singers and nonsinging volunteers welcome. www.provgmc.org. Queer Book Club. Meets 3rd Wednesday 7 p.m. at Books on the Square, 471 Angell St., Providence. Email queerbookclub@gmail.com. Raging Grannies: Women of “a certain age” working toward a more peaceful, equitable society with song, humor & passion. Will sing for rallies & events. Email jlglass53@aol.com. RI Association of Gay Professionals. Professional networking and philanthropy. gayprofessionalnetworkofri@gmail.com. 453-9276 RI Feminist Resources Network: Free, online e-community in which you are invited to share events or highlights in your organization or just find out what’s going on in our “like-minded” communities. www.rifrn.net RI Lesbian Social Club: social gatherings for women; email: heylari@yahoo.com or call 272-2962. RI Parents Pride: Gay parents socializing together with their children. Contact Melanie, 464-2288 or saphicangel120@yahoo.com RI Pride: Parade & Festival, year-round events; Box 1082, Prov. RI 02901, info@PrideRI.com; www. PrideRI.com. Office at 1005 Main St. #1105, Pawtucket. 467-2130 RI Prime Timers. Social and networking group for
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gay and bisexual men 40 and older. Meets 2nd Sundays. www.riprimetimers.org
DARTS: Beantown Soft-Tip Dart League www.bsdl. org.
RI Skeptics Society. Yearning to talk with someone rational? Meetings 4th Saturday at a Seekonk restaurant for refreshing discussion. http:// skeptics.meetup.com/133/
FLAG FOOTBALL: FLAG (For Lesbians and Gays) Football www.flagflagfootball.com, (617) 9375858 Ext. 4.
RI Women’s Association: Lesbian social group; age 21+; dances/events. www.RIWA.net SAGE/RI (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Advocacy, education and social events for RI’s LGBTQ seniors. sageriinfo@gmail.com, on Facebook: “Sage/Rhode Island.” SEMASSMEN: Social group for GBQ men of S.E. Mass and RI to foster strong friendships.Semassmen-subscribe@yahoo groups.com or email moderator rlevass @yahoo.com. Trans Queer RI: friendship, fun activities, and support for transgender, queer & like-minded people. Gatherings third Sunday of each month. Email trans.queer.ri@gmail.com. T.W.I.S.T. Project: Program for gay and bisexual men in Fall River/New Bedford area. Drop-in center, referrals, condom distribution, social groups. Coffee night Thursdays 7 – 9 p.m. (508) 672-0378; www.myspace.com/twistprogram. UNISONG: For unity through song. Non-performance monthly singing session. www.unisong. net or jlglass53@aol.com VegOut Rhode Island: Social group for LGBT vegetarians, vegans and friends. Potlucks, VegOutings to restaurants, and other fun. Visit www. meetup.com/vegout-ri WomenRIsing. Feminist Chorus. Director Nancy Rosenberg. www.womenrisingchorus.org. Email: contact@womenrisingchorus.org. Yankee Lambda Car Club: Regional club for glbt people interested in vintage & specialty cars. www.yankeelcc.com, sisherwood@aol.com.
Sports
FOOTBALL: Women’s professional team Northeastern Nitro. Members of the Women’s Football Alliance. Practices held in Bethel, CT. Contact Amy Manfred at amymanfred@yahoo.com or Carley Pesente at linebackergirl56@aol.com. RI/S.E. MA Flag Football: Sats. 10 a.m. All levels and genders. mbs1994ever@yahoo.com
Bristol Community College Gay/Straight Alliance (BCC/GSA); Steven Camara, Advisor (508)6782811 Ext. 2391, BCC-H202, 777 Elsbree St., Fall River, MA 02720. Brown University Queer Alliance: umbrella org. for groups. 863-3062. www.queer.brown.edu Brown University Grad Student - Med Student - Staff LGBTQ Association: queer-med-gradmembers@queer.brown.edu Brown University Staff LGBTQ Assn.: call LGBT Resource Center: 863-3062
GOLF: Golf4All www.golf4all.net (617) 450-8682.
Brown University LGBTQ Resource Center: 8633062, e-mail lgbtq@brown.edu
HOCKEY: Boston Pride Hockey www.bostonpridehockey.org (617) 937-5858 Ext. 7.
Bryant Pride: Bryant College Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Student Association. 232-6389.
ICE HOCKEY for WOMEN: email gwick@kersur.net.
CCRI Triangle Alliance: Informal student GLBTQ group, 400 East Ave., Warwick. Call 825-1125 or www.ccri.cc.ri.edu/triangle.
Gail Wickstrom
KICKBOXING or BOXING for WOMEN: Tues & Thurs evenings. Christina, 996-5425. www.rondeauskickboxing.com MARTIAL ARTS: Main Street Martial Arts. Nonprofit, welcoming dojo and community center. Scholarships available. 1282 No. Main St., Providence. 274-7672. www.mainstma.org. OUTDOORS: Chiltern Mountain Club, New England’s LGBT outdoor recreation club. www. chiltern.org. Email events@chiltern.org. ROWING: Boston Bay Blades www.bayblades.org/ boston (617) 937-5858 Ext. 11. RUGBY: Boston Ironsides Rugby Football Club. www.bostonironsidesrfc.org. RUNNING: Frontrunners Rhode Island: Brian 751-7643, bripm@cox.net. Frontrunners Boston www.frontrunnersboston.org (617) 937-5858 Ext. 3. SCUBA DIVING: Triangle Divers: www.triangledivers.org. SNOWBOARDING: OutRyders, www.outryders. org or email brian@outryders.org. SOCCER: Boston Strikers Soccer Club www.bostonstrikers.com (617) 937-5858 Ext. 9.
COLAGE. Support and social activities for children of LGBT Parents: meets third Saturday of the month rhodeisland@colage.org; http://www. myspace.com/colage_ri. 331-9844. Coordinator Veronica Jutras (vjutras5@gmail.com) Fitchburg State College GLBT Alliance: social support group for students. One-in-Ten and Friends, 978-665-3164, sfranzemn@fsc.edu. Peer Listening Line/Fenway Community Health Ctr.: Boston. Youth-staffed hotline for GLBT youth; support, info and referrals. (617) 2672535 or (800)-399-PEER, 5-10 p.m. all week. RIC Rainbow Alliance: GLBT students at RI College, Fridays 12:30 -- 2 p.m, in Unity Center in lower Donovan. Office in StudentUnion 425. ricrainbowalliance2007@yahoo.com. Phone 456--8121 Roger Williams University LGBTQ & Allies group: S.A.F.E (Sexual Advocacy for Everyone): Weekly meetings in Intercultural Center; speakers, social and awareness events; Pride Week in April. Email: saferwu03@gmail.com. Facebook: S.A.F.E. Salve Regina University Gay Straight Lesbian Bisexual Alliance (GSLBA), 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport. Sister Johnelle, Lucianij@salve.edu
PRIDESPORTSBOSTON: Network of twenty-plus gay sports leagues/teams in Boston area: www. pridesportsboston.com 617-937-5858
SOFTBALL: Renaissance City Softball League. New players and boosters always welcome. 2267771
Gay sports in Boston and beyond: www.gaysports. com. Email info@gaysports.com.
642 or rcsl_commish@cox.net. Visit www.providencesoftball.org
BASKETBALL: Boston Gay Basketball League: www.bgbl.com or (617) 937-5858 Ext. 2.
Beantown Softball League: (617) 937-5858, Ext. 1, www.beantownsoftball.com.
BOWLING: RI GALA: 6 p.m. Sun., East Prov. Lanes, Newport Ave., Bruce, 397-3803, or Bill, 828-5587 www.galabowling.com. Monday Night Women’s Bowling League, Pat 451-2188. Royal Court Bowling League: 9 p.m. Wed., Woonsocket Hill Bowl; 767-2110.
SQUASH: Boston Boasts www.bostonboasts.com
Big Gay Al’s Duckpin bowling league: Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Proceeds benefit AIDS causes. Town Hall Lanes, Johnston. www.BGALBowling.com. Frank Ferri 831-6940. www.townhalllanes.com.
VOLLEYBALL: Cambridge Boston Volleyball Assoc. www.GayVolleyball.net, (617) 633-2180
The Trevor Project: The only nationwide, aroundthe-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBT youth. Also offers social networks. 866-4-U-TREVOR; 866-488-7386. thetrevorproject.org.
YOGA for gays & lesbians. 9 a.m. Saturdays. All welcome. www/meetup.com/Gay-Meditation/. Fee applies.
The Next Thing (TNT): Political & support group for queer people of color at Brown Univ. Call Brown Queer Alliance, 863-3062.
WRESTLING: East Coast Wrestling Club www. eastcoastwrestlingclub.org, email ecwc@juno. com, (401) 467-6737 or (617) 937-5858 Ext. 6
University of RI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer & Questioning (LGBTIQ2) association dedicated to campus inclusiveness among staff, faculty, alumni and students. gsim-
BOWLING: BOSTON: Monday Night League, www.mnbl.net (617) 713-4832 or (617) 937-5858 Ext. 5; Beantown No. G&L Invitational, www. beantownbowling.com (617) 738-0708 or (617) 937-5858 Ext. 10; Beantown South G&L Invitational League, (617) 889-1552.
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SWIMMING: LANES (Liquid Assets New England Swim-Team); www.swim-lanes.org; (617) 9375858 Ext. 9. TENNIS: TENNIS-4-All: www.tennis4all.org.
Students & Youth november
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SeaQuel: Southeast Asian Queers United for Empowerment and Leadership. Bi-weekly Sunday meetings. 383-7450. myspace.com/seaQuel; Email SeaQuel@Prysm.us S.H.E.P.A.R.D. (Stopping Homophobia, Eliminating Prejudices and Restoring Dignity): Providence College, 1 Cunningham Sq., Prov., RI 02918, E-mail pclgbt@gmail.com. 865-1631
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onelli@advance.uri.edu. 874-5808. Youth Pride Inc./The Way Out: Support, education & advocacy for LGBTQQ young people ages 1323.Drop-in center at 743 Westminster St., Prov. 02903; Mon.---Thurs. noon--8 p.m, Fridays 4 -8 p.m., Sat. 10 -- 5. The Way Out peer support group Tues., 5 p.m. Gender Spectrum support group Tues. 5:30 p.m. Ask about the 14-andunder day. Call 421-5626 or email kerri@youthpride-ri.org Web: www.youthpride-ri.org.
Support Groups & Social Services
Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County: Support, court advocacy, counseling, safe home, info for women and men in abusive or controlling, LGBT or straight relationships. 24 hour free and confidential helpline. 7823990. Female-to-Male Support Group: Transgender peer support, information, social group. For those who identify somewhere on the trans-masculine spectrum. Regular meetings. Visit www.SNE_ FTM@yahoo.com Gay/Bi/Lesbian Coming Out support Group: Facilitated meetings, social events. TJFronczak@ aol.com. Fee applies.
Abuse Victims and Survivors: Support on phone for LGBTQ victims & survivors of partner abuse. Confidential peer-led groups. Hotline (617) 742-4911. Network/LaRed. Email office: advocate@tnir.org
Gay Fathers of Greater Boston: support: E-Mail outreach@gayfathersboston.org. www.gayfathersboston.org.
Adoption Options: Non-sectarian help for LGBT and straight adoptions. Betsy Alper, Jewish Family Service, 959 No. Main St., Providence. 331-54337.
GayLab for Healthy Relationships: Learning & practicing healthy ways to socialize in safe, nonjudgmental environment in LGBT community. www.gaylab.org. Email info@gaylab.org. James, 781-762-6629
Foster parents needed: Stipend, assistance, training provided by Family Resources Community Action. 766-0900, ext. 1213. Foster parents needed, for newborn to age six. www. childrensfriendri.org. 276-4318 Foster parents sought: Training, stipend, support provided for nurturing families. Gregary Wright, Family Service of RI, 331-1350 Ext. 3305 Behavioral health outpatient services in Fall River area, inclusive of LGBT: S.T.E.P. (508-)2351012; T.W.I.S.T. (508) 672-0378 Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center, offering resources for victims of domestic violence. 7233057. Catholic Parents Outreach: Always Our Children, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Sacred Heart Convent, 395 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA. Call Ann, (413) 736-6803. COLAGE (Children of Gays): A national movement of people with one or more LGBT parents. Social activities, education & advocacy. Meets 3rd Saturday of the month. rhodeisland@colage.org. www.myspace.com/colage_ri Coordinator Veronica Jutras (vjutras5@gmail.com) Coming Out Support Group: Monthly meetings professionally facilitated. www.meetup.com/ ComingOutRI/ Fee applies. Compass: FTM trans info, support and social group, meets in Boston First Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. www.compassftm.org, compassftm@comcast.net Crossroads RI: Hotline (Travelers Aid): (800) 3672700 Day One (Formerly Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center of RI): Counseling & legal aid for victims of sexual assault/abuse & incest. 24-hr hotline (800) 494-8100, collect calls accepted: 421-4100. Dementia and Early Alzheimer’s LGBTQ support group at Calvary United Methodist Church of Middletown, 200 Turner Rd., Middletown RI
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Gay Fathers Support Group in RI. Tom Fronczak, LICSW, 431-2953. Fee applies.
Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project: support, info, shelter. (800) 832-1901, www.gmdvp.org. Gay Men’s Life Coaching Group: Empower Your Life! 4th Friday of the month, 7 -- 8 p.m., 877 Broadway, E. Providence. 944-0723. $20 per session. Gay Men’s Meditation Group: Relax and connect! Second Wed. of the month, 7 -- 8 p.m. at Positive New Beginnings, 877 Broadway, E. Providence. Call Tim at 944-0723. $10/session. Gay Officers Action League /New England (GOAL NE), gay/lesbian/bisexual law enforcement officers, sworn & civilian. Fire, rescue and publicly employed EMS. P.O. Box 587, Boston, MA 02117; www.goalne.org; info@goalne.org; (617) 376-3612. Confidential. Gay Share. Coming Out? Gay men’s support group Wed., 7 p.m. No fee. Call Tom/Mike, 369-9448 or www.gayshare.org; Info@gayshare.org. Helpline for LGBT Youth: Trevor Helpline, call 24/7 for crisis and suicide prevention. Also social networks. 866-4-U-Trevor HIV+ Gay Men’s Support Group at AIDS Care Ocean State, 18 Parkis Ave., Prov., RI. 5213603. Refreshments served. New members should call Scott: 640-3108 Kathys’ Group: free support group for lesbians with cancer or any life-threatening illness. Meets monthly in Providence. Partners and caregivers welcome. Call 888-5KATHYS. Lesbian Moms of Southern NE: discussion, support and activity list for lesbian mothers. www. topica.com/lists/LMOSNE or ForADancer63@ aol.com.
8:30 p.m. Confidential. Drug/alcohol-free. Email mantalksouthcoast@yahoo.com Nat. Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assoc./New England: Works for fair and accurate media coverage of LGBT issues, info@nlgja.org. PFLAG: Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays: Greater Providence: First Wednesdays, 6:45p.m. at Met School, 325 Public St., Providence. 751-7571; www.pflagprovidence.org; pflagprovidence@verizon.net; South/Central RI: www.pflagscri.org, 219-0265, epbonetti@ gmail.com; Cape Cod/Falmouth: Last Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, 840 Sandwich Rd., E. Falmouth. joann@pflagcapecod.org. RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Info at 467-9940; 24-hour helpline, (800) 494-8100. RI Rainbow Support Group for people with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ. Meets last Tuesday of each month. 98 Rolfe St., Cranston, 6 - 7:30. Ken Renaud, 785-2100. RI Relay 711. Samaritans: 24-hour hotline for suicidal, lonely, despairing, depressed. (800) 365-4044 (RI only), 272-4044; www.samaritansri.org. Sexual Health Education & Advocacy Program: HIV, sexual wellness, domestic violence risk reduction. Free, confidential, LGBTQ-friendly and bilingual (Spanish). Contact Aida (amanduley@sojournerri.org) or call 861-6191, ext. 121. No caller ID is used; calls are blocked for safety. Sojourner House: Support, shelter, advocacy, info for people in abusive relationships. Call us at 861-6191 We DON’T use Caller ID; calls are blocked for safety. Straight Spouse Support: Straight spouse professional offers peer support and referrals. Jane Harris, (413) 625-6636. Email jcmalinski48@ gmail.com. Straight Spouses Group: Visit www.StraightSpouse. org. for info on groups and online support. TGI Network of R.I.: Support, advocacy for Transgender, Transsexual, Gender-varient, Genderqueer & Intersex people. www.tginetwork.org. info@tginetwork.org. Transgender Support Group: Cape Cod (508) 3624435 Trans Partners New England: Provides loved ones of transgender people with a confidential, safe space to explore the impact of a loved one’s gender identity on their relationships, and to connect with other loved ones of transgender people. Meeting location unpublished for privacy. Email partners@tginetwork.org. TransYouth Family Allies: Support for gender-variant and transgender children ages 3-18. Info@ imatyfa.org. www.imatyfa.org.
LBT Women’s Mediation: De-stress and express yourself! 4th Wednesday of the month, 7 -- 8 p.m., Positive New Beginnings, 877 Broadway, E. Providence. $10 per session. 944-0723.
Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA): Growing organization to address the concerns of fair treatment of transgender veterans and active duty service members. www. tavausa.org.
Mantalk of S.E. Mass: Social/Discussions for gay/ bi/curious men 18+. Taunton every Thursday, and New Bedford 1st Wed. of the month, 7 –
Women’s Resource Center of Newport and Bristol Counties, offering services to victims of domestic violence. 846-5263. q
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Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays You can adopt a family today by visiting
www.aidscareos.org or send a check made payable to ACOS to 18 Parkis Ave., Providence, RI 02907 For only $50.00 you can adopt a local family and ensure that they will have food, gifts for children during the holidays, along with warm clothing and heat for their homes throughout the winter months! options
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