PGN Jan. 6 - 12, 2012 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Sandra takes a ‘Bride’ in Philly

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Professional Portrait: Patrick McCormack

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Freeze frame! PGN’s favorite photos of 2011 ...

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Jan. 6-12, 2012

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Vol. 36 No. 1

2011

People of the Year: Ted Martin & Adrian Shanker PGN Staff Ted Martin and Adrian Shanker, the duo at the helm of Equality Pennsylvania, were at the forefront of the movement to bring LGBT nondiscrimination to Pennsylvania cities and towns in 2011. This year, eight municipalities approved LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances, and Martin, executive director, and Shanker, board president, were heavily involved in advancing each measure. Equality PA leadership was present at nearly all council hearings and meetings

2011

on the proposals and, in many instances, worked closely with local lawmakers to craft the language for the ordinances, as

well as raise awareness about the importance of such measures. “They are certainly two of the most critical players statewide that have worked on these ordinances,” said Brian Sims, former Equality PA board president. “If they weren’t leading the effort in one municipality, they were second-behind the local leaders providing support. Their imprint is on every one of the municipal nondiscrimination ordinances that were passed this year.” Fo l l ow i n g t h i s y e a r ’s v i c t o r i e s , Pennsylvania is now home to 26 municipalities that ban LGBT PAGE 5

Unsung Hero: Carrie Jacobs

Fred Comegys

LGBT olderadult survey launched By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

PGN Staff

As executive director of The Attic Youth Center, Carrie Jacobs has spearheaded efforts to make Philadelphia a safer and more welcoming environment for LGBT youth. While a spate of youth suicides at the end of 2010 drew mainstream attention to the issue of LGBT youth bullying, Jacobs has long been working to eradicate harassment of LGBT young people — through direct interventions and awareness-building efforts. This past year, she worked closely with a number of local schools to ensure that LGBT students who were facing unsafe situations were able to learn in an environment free of harassment. “Carrie is always ready to work with teachPAGE 5

FIRST TO WED IN FIRST STATE: The Rev. Patricia Downing looks on as Patricia Goodman (left) and her partner Drew Fennell prepare to kiss after becoming the first couple united under Delaware’s new civil-union law Jan. 1 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Del. Photo: AP/The Wilmington News-Journal,

CELEBRATING CULTURE: About 200 LGBTs and allies turned out for an annual Kwanzaa celebration Dec. 28 at First District Plaza, organized by The Colours Organization and other LGBT community groups since the mid-’90s. J. Mason (center, back) served as host, and Attic Youth Center member Kemar Jewel (third from right) presented elders who were honored for their contributions to the city and LGBT community, including Ricardo Bostic (from right), Helen Dow, Ingrid Abrams, Stevie and Arthur Martin-Chester and Tyrone Smith (not pictured). The evening celebrated the seven principles of Kwanzaa and featured live music and drum performances. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Organizers of a needs assessment for LGBT older adults have opened the next phase of their research and are seeking community input. The Public Health Management Corporation is spearheading the study, which is meant to uncover broad health challenges faced by LGBT older adults in the area, encompassing everything from housing needs to emotional support. In December, PHMC launched the survey, which is open through the end of January. Heather Batson, PHMC research associate, said the scope of the survey is vast. “The survey is about health and access to community resources that promote health and survival in older adults,” she said. “This means that the survey includes questions about traditional ‘health’ things, like health conditions and access to screenings, primary care and the quality of these experiences. However, due to our more holistic view of what influences health as people age, it also touches on access to food, PAGE 16

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

ANALYSIS PGN

Morris 911 transcript still an issue By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Last month, the city’s Police Advisory Commission received records in the Nizah Morris case from the District Attorney’s office, but PAC members still want to know if the D.A. has a 911 transcript. Last January, the PAC asked D.A. Seth Williams for “any and all 911 tapes, transcripts or other documents or materials that relate in any way to the matter of Nizah Morris.” Morris was a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound shortly after she received a courtesy ride from police in 2002. She died two days later due to a fractured skull; the homicide remains unsolved. Williams initially declined to provide the records, prompting the PAC to subpoena them. Williams declined to honor the subpoena, but both sides reached a compromise — resulting in the delivery of a batch of Morris records to the PAC on Dec. 19. But Williams hasn’t specifically addressed the transcript — which wasn’t included in the released records — and his spokesperson has declined to comment. The D.A.’s office referred to a 911 transcript in a 2010 legal brief filed in response to PGN’s request for Morris 911 record-

ings. PGN’s Right-to-Know Law request is pending in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. In any investigation, a 911 transcript would be a central piece of evidence. In the Morris case, a transcript could clarify if confusion about Morris’ gender discouraged the officer who gave the ride from responding to her at the post-injury scene. Additionally, it could help PAC members identify the agency or individual responsible for redactions to the police report filed about the Morris incident. And the transcript could clarify why the police report doesn’t document Morris as a crime victim or courtesy-ride recipient, though it documents her transgender status. 911-target confusion at Key West On the morning of Dec. 22, 2002, Officer Elizabeth Skala responded to a 911 call for a female “hospital case” outside Key West Bar. A woman identified only as “Anisa” made the 911 call on behalf of Morris, who was severely intoxicated and staggering in front of the bar. Upon her arrival, Skala encountered Morris, who said she didn’t want to go to a hospital, and Skala agreed to transport her

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to 15th and Walnut — where Skala thought Morris lived, according to police reports. Morris actually lived at 50th and Walnut. Minutes after the ride, Morris was found at 16th and Walnut with blunt-force trauma to her head. Skala told investigators she heard policeradio reports about a female at that location possibly hit by a car — but didn’t realize it was the same person she had just transported. According to police directives, an officer who transports a citizen to a hospital is required to write a police report. However, a report isn’t required if an officer transports a citizen somewhere other than a hospital, as long as the person isn’t a 911 target. In her 2006 PAC testimony, Skala said it wasn’t necessary for her to write a courtesy-ride report, because courtesy rides don’t require police reports. But she’s never stated publicly if she thought Morris was a 911 target when she was transporting her. Several homicide records indicate that Skala thought Morris was a male at Key West. Since the 911 calls at Key West — and, later, Walnut Street — were for a female, it’s possible that gender confusion contributed to a belief on Skala’s part that Morris wasn’t a 911 target. The partial 911 recordings released in 2003 don’t clarify the matter, nor do records contained in the police department’s homicide file. After Morris’ head injury was discovered, medics transported her to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she was placed in the intensive-care unit, close to death. Concerned that Morris was a crime victim, hospital personnel called police. Skala joined Officers Kenneth Novak and Thomas Berry at Jefferson, where it was decided that Morris probably wasn’t a crime victim. Then Berry wrote a retroactive report about Morris as a hospital case at 16th and Walnut — and the officers’ patrol logs referred to Morris as a hospital case. This approach has raised concerns that police deliberately avoided documenting the ride and subsequent crime, for whatever reason. A 911 transcript might shed light on the paperwork, particularly if the transcript contains 911 recordings made at the hospital. Gender confusion at Walnut Street Last year, PAC members learned that Berry’s report was redacted in several places prior to its release in 2003. The original report had been in the police department’s homicide file — which was lost for about eight years. Berry’s original report has conflicting

male and female terms for Morris at 16th and Walnut, and also refers to her as a “transsexual.” In the redacted version, the male references are removed. Since Berry presumably was informed at Jefferson that Morris had male sex organs, his report should have referred to Morris as a male, according to police policy. A lingering question remains: Did Berry place conflicting gender terms in his report to represent the confusion that kept Skala from going to Walnut Street and writing a report? As it turned out, medics didn’t transport Morris from Walnut Street to Jefferson for about 40 minutes and she arrived at the hospital brain-dead. Thus, a 911 transcript could be valuable in determining what went wrong at Walnut Street, and whether gender-identity issues contributed to emergency-response delays. Internal Affairs probe In 2003, the D.A.’s office announced that no criminal charges would be brought against police in the Morris case — clearing the way for the police Internal Affairs Division to investigate possible administrative violations. In 2005, IAD determined that Skala violated departmental regulations when she canceled medics at Key West, then transported Morris to a location other than a hospital. But according to IAD records, Skala was never asked if she thought Morris was a 911 target at Key West. In her 2006 PAC testimony, Skala expressed bafflement with IAD’s findings. “I’m not trying to be smart, but I’m not Internal Affairs,” Skala testified. “I didn’t make that determination. I don’t understand, really.” For Skala’s discipline, a supervisor read her a directive on the proper handling of intoxicated persons in police custody. IAD investigators didn’t have access to a 911 transcript, but they had a cassette tape of partial Morris 911 recordings — the same recordings that were released in 2003. In 2007, Lt. Thomas Fournier of IAD played the cassette for PAC staffers who visited IAD as part of the PAC’s Morris probe. A copy of the IAD cassette wasn’t included in the duplicate Morris homicide file supplied to the PAC last year. But PAC members are focusing their attention on the possibility of a 911 transcript, not the cassette. At their Dec. 19 meeting, they said an email would be sent to the D.A.’s office requesting a definitive answer about a transcript’s existence. PAC members also said they’ll report back to the community at their next public meeting, 6 p.m. Jan. 16, with location to be announced. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

PGN

OFF TO A GOOD START: Members of Philadelphia Family Pride rang in the new year at the LGBT family group’s annual New Year’s Day potluck brunch. The event, held at Mishkan Shalom in Roxborough, drew about 75 people. As the kids enjoyed face-painting, Bingo, a hula-hoop contest and Lego-building, the adults were able to bid on silent-auction items and take part in their own contest — a new mac-and-cheese competition where parents vied for the title of the cook with the tastiest vegetarian dish. Photo: Stephanie Haynes NEWS

Local Media Trail News Briefing Regional

2 17 9 9

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

Creep of the Week Editorial Letters/Feedback Mark My Words Street Talk

10 10 11 11 11

Which 2011 PGN photo was your favorite? Poll results from our online survey as of Jan. 4:

40% Giovanni’s Room historical marker 40% Mark Segal on the trapeze 10% Hurricane Irene 10% Other Go to www.epgn.com to weigh in on this week’s question:

Which GOP candidate scares you the least?

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Sarah Blazucki (ext. 206) sarah@epgn.com Staff Writers Jen Colletta (ext. 215) jen@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

Advertising Manager Greg Dennis greg@epgn.com Advertising Sales Representatives Amy Mather amy@epgn.com Brooke Lutz brooke@epgn.com Prab Sandhu prab@epgn.com National Advertising Rivendell Media: 212-242-6863 Office Manager/ Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com

Art Director/Photographer Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com Executive Assistant/ Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2012 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155 The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.

LOCAL PGN

People of the Year: Ted Martin & Adrian Shanker from page 1

discrimination. Equality PA has remained dedicated to heightening that number, offering vocal leadership to areas considering adopting their own measures, such as Cheltenham, and continuing to work with municipalities like Abington that have stalled proposals. Andy Hoover, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, said the agency’s plan to advance LGBT equality at the local level, given the long-stalled statewide LGBT nondiscrimination bill, has been a purposeful and effective one. “Ted and Adrian and all of the folks at Equality PA have been very strategic and very smart about where they’re putting their efforts,” Hoover said. “They’re finding the places that they know they can win and have been able to take it outside of Southeastern Pennsylvania to places like Susquehanna and Bethlehem. These ordinances are going to be really important to the future of LGBT equality in Pennsylvania.” Prior to taking over as board president in September, Shanker served as vice president of the Pennsylvania Diversity Network and this year helped lead the effort to pass Bethlehem’s nondiscrimination ordinance, as well as domestic-partner measures in Allentown and Easton. Martin came on as executive director in

mid-2010 after a period of instability that included the resignation of two directors and a number of board members, and later a name change and other programmatic updates. Sims said Martin successfully brought the agency through those transitions. “The state needed a statewide gayrights organization and over months and months of bringing in donors, volunteers and thought leaders, we were able to build what I thought of as the frame of a really solid ship, and a ship is only as good as its captain,” Sims said. “Ted ended up being a spectacular captain of the ship. He came in and on day one began making structural and organizational changes and really moved the organization forward. He had a unique skill set, knew all of Pennsylvania, knew gay rights and advocacy, knew how to raise money and this was the place where he could bring all of that together. I don’t think there is anyone in the state, or even the country, who would have been able to have done a better job than him.” Hoover also said the agency is in a much different place today than it was in 2010. “It’s been astounding the way Ted has taken every effort to make Equality Pennsylvania a very effective organization,” he said. “Ted, Adrian and everyone at Equality Pennsylvania have essentially rebooted the organization and they’ve been

Unsung hero: Carrie Jacobs from page 1

ers and principals if there’s a young person getting bullied,” said Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents and Attic board member. “These kids who come to The Attic know that they can call her, and they always do, if there’s a problem at their school. She’ll go right to the principals and work with them to address it. And it’s important that the kids know that she’s there for them. She’s not just going to say that she’ll get to it next week, she gets working on it right away.” Jacobs has also worked proactively to attack bullying and other challenges facing LGBT youth from an awareness and education standpoint, said Attic board president Roy Conard. This past year, Jacobs was influential in launching a new training program through The Attic’s education arm, Bryson Institute, for foster-care parents and families. The Attic also created a new publicity campaign that was carried on SEPTA vehicles and that sought to educate potential youth clients about The Attic’s mentalhealth services. For current members, The Attic this year reorganized many of its programs into Creative Action Groups — covering topics from cooking to fashion to creative writing,

so that the needs and interests of its youth were addressed. Jacobs founded The Attic in 1993, and Price asserted that Jacobs’ longstanding belief in the youth and their potential has made the agency what it is today. “This isn’t just a job to her. She had this vision years and years ago and she made it her mission. Probably 11 or 12,000 kids have passed through her doors, and I’m sure The Attic has saved many of their lives. She gives them a place to go that’s not school or home, and it gives them a sense of dignity and belonging. And what helps is that Carrie lets the youth really be involved in what goes on there and she makes sure to listen to them.” Conard said Jacobs takes the time to get to know each of the youth individually. “Carries reaches out to the youth, knows their history, knows the issues they’re going through and offers personal support and makes sure The Attic is meeting their particular needs,” he said. “She’s been on the frontline and, while she has a fantastic staff and volunteers, she is the glue that holds all of this together. It is through her sheer will, and the support of her staff, board and the community, that we’re able to deliver these services to youth who so desperately need them.” ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Picture-perfect moments of 2011 By Scott A. Drake PGN Art Director Another year of event-hopping has come to a close and we’re ready to recap some of our favorite photographic moments. Last year saw photojournalistic nods for 2010’s “The Blizzard that Broke the Record Books” and the OutFest timeline spread, and we’re hoping there is another gem or two in this batch of favorites. 1. The Unveiling (Oct. 14-20) This year, most of our favorites captured that split-second between what was about to happen and what just did happen. For instance, the photo of the unveiling of Giovanni’s

Room’s historical marker captured that instant of revelation as the plaque is unveiled and a crowd with happy expressions. Also, the great perspective nudged this photo to the top, with a nod to last year’s rainbow flag shot at City Hall. 2. Me, Myself and Irene (Sept. 2-8) Our second photo isn’t about that decisive moment, but it does have an apocalyptic feeling. Hurricane Irene wasn’t the terror it was forecast to be — nor was it a complete bust — but it was dangerous enough to warrant emergency notices and bar closings. This gem was taken in a rare moment from the middle of the empty intersection of 13th and Locust streets at midnight that Saturday.

3. Flight Fright (April 15-20) Again, it’s that moment in time and, as much as we try to stay off our own radar, “Flight Fright” just had to hit the list near the top. Several PGN staff members flew the trapeze on media day last spring, and publisher Mark Segal took to the trapeze like a Republican takes to social services. This might be where the saying “A picture is worth 1,000 words” comes alive. 4. Surprise! (Nov. 25-Dec. 1) We captured Bryan Dorsey in full OMG! mode when his name was announced as the 2012 Mr. Gay U.S. on Nov. 19. We expect to see Lancaster native Dorsey around here a lot this year, and wish him well in the Mr. Gay Internationals.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

8. It’s All About Sex (May 27-June 2) Dr. Ruth’s gleeful expression at the Mazzoni Center’s anniversary fundraiser Elixir really tickled us. And we got to talk about sex. How great is that? HONORABLE MENTIONS A. Naked Rainbows (Sept. 9-15)

Our first Naked Bike Ride. (Don’t ask, we won’t tell.) B. Dragapalooza (March 18-24) Life is a cabaret! C. Out and Proud (Jan. 28-Feb. 3) Because few things are better than outstanding young people who are positive role models. ■

�� 6 5. Welcome to the Gayborhood (March 25-31) The VIP and grand-opening parties for NKOTB ICandy was a wake-up call and jump-start for a succession of other bar remodeling efforts, some of which are being completed this year. We love us some artsy photos like this one and wish we had more opportunities to include them. 6. Queen of Queens (Jan. 21- 27) This shot of the 2011 Miss’d America being crowned made the cut partly because the moment reminds us a lot of a campy parody of a nativity. Or the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. Or the Last Supper. We’re not quite sure.

7. Out in Left Field Not every event we shoot gets its day in the sun. The second-annual Camden Riversharks Gay Day resulted in a lessthan-sterling representation by the LGBT community. Maybe because it was on July 5, we don’t know. This shot told the story just as it should, but in the end didn’t make the final cut for the July 8-14 issue.

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LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

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Schoenberg has led the LGBT community on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania for nearly three decades. Schoenberg was hired as the first employee of the university’s LGBT Center in the fall of 1982 and has led BOB SCHOENBERG the center, now as its director, through years of growth that have enabled it to become a major player on the Penn campus and in the city’s LGBT community. Jason Landau Goodman, Penn student and executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, said Schoenberg is a constant source of support for the community. “Every day he’s there to say hello and greet everyone,” Landau Goodman said. “We can bounce ideas off of him, about everything from gender-neutral housing to advocacy efforts, and he’s there to help and support students, faculty and staff on those issues. His leadership is meant to empower students and other members of the community.” Schoenberg has been influential in helping to plan and host LGBT-focused events and conventions on campus, such as PSEC’s Youth Action Conference in October. Also this year, Schoenberg was integral in bringing to campus a number of high-profile LGBTs and allies, such as British rugby player Ben Cohen, Penn alum and author Nick Krieger, LGBT researcher Dr. Kristen Renn and founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Rights Mara Kiesling. Philadelphia City Council

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COUNCILMEMBER BILL GREENLEE AT THE SIGNING OF THE BILL TO UPDATE THE FAIR PRACTICES ORDINANCE IN MARCH

Philadelphia’s governing body took several steps forward in 2011 for LGBT equality. In two separate and unanimous votes, the bipartisan Philadelphia City Council approved measures that updated and strengthened the city’s nondiscrimination law and extended domestic-partner benefits to employees of

some city contractors. The first bill, spearheaded by Councilman Bill Greenlee, who worked in partnership with the city’s Commission on Human Relations, revamped the COUNCILWOMAN Fair Practices BLONDELL Ordinance to REYNOLDS-BROWN ensure it contained uniform definitions that were in line with state and federal laws. Greenlee’s measure clarified that the definition of “familial status” extended to one’s life partner and also streamlined the process for life-partner registration. The bill, passed i n March and signed into law by Mayor Nutter that month, also heightened the penalties for those found to be in violation of the Fair Practices Ordinance. The same day Greenlee submitted his measure, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown introduced a bill that mandated city contractors with contracts over $250,000 offer domestic-partner benefits to their employees. In a November hearing on the bill, all public testimony was favorable and, the following month, all 17 councilmembers voted to approve it. Nutter signed it into law in December. Philadelphia Phillies The Phillies came out swinging for LGBT youth this year. The team joined the growing number of professional sports teams getting on board with the “It Gets Better” movement in August. The video campaign, which launched in 2010, was created to showcase messages of hope for LGBT young people and drew submissions from everyday LGBTs, celebrities, politicians and, in a trend that took off this past summer, sports figures. The Phillies put together a 30-second piece that offers words of support for young people struggling with their identities. “There’s nothing easy about being young, about being yourself, about being an individual,” the message stated. “Every day brings changes, challenges and emotions that help define who you are. But something you should never experience is being bullied, intimidated or pressured to be someone or something that you are not.” While some of the videos don’t specifically reference LGBT youth, the Phillies’ 30-second piece did: “The Philadelphia Phillies are proud to join ItGetsBetter.org to let all LGBT young people know that life gets better. We promise.” The video, which debuted at the Phillies’ Gay Community Night, was delivered by Phillies players Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Hunter Pence, John Mayberry Jr. and Mike Stutes. ■

REGIONAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Former NJ candidate to host LGBT political show By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Jim Morrison’s career has taken him from attorney to reality-show contestant to helicopter pilot to owner of a political T-shirt company — and his latest venture will place him at the forefront of the LGBT political world. “For & Against,” a political-analysis series on here!TV that will focus on the LGBT issues of the day, will debut Jan. 6, with Morrison as host. The 30-minute weekly series will feature interviews with political pundits, commentators and LGBTs of all walks of life. The goal, he said, is to present an in-depth and well-informed examination of the topics impacting the LGBT community across the nation — giving attention to subjects not adequately addressed by the mainstream media, and pursuing those who are fighting against the LGBT-rights movement. Now a resident of Brooklyn, Morrison ran for a state senate seat in New Jersey in 2003, winning a nomination through a write-in effort but eventually losing to a Republican incumbent. Before he entered the political race, Morrison, who attained his law degree from Columbia University, took a break from his legal career to become a contestant on the inaugural 2011 season of “The Mole,” finishing as runner-up. Morrison, who once spearheaded the pilot for an MTV political program, said he jumped at the chance to enter the LGBT political fray when the concept of “For & Against” was presented to him by a here!TV producer. “We were on the same page about the need for a gay and lesbian political show,” Morrison said. “From our encounters with people in general, many are misinformed about these issues and some are just totally apathetic. So we wanted to do a show that is not just educational but presents these issues with a real energy.” Targeting the apathy some members of the LGBT community hold about the political challenges the community faces will be one of the primary goals of the show, Morrison said. “In a lot of ways, we’re victims of our own successes,” he said. “Demographically, a lot of the community lives in urban areas and has good jobs and, because of that, a lot of people are really checked out and living just in their own lives. And on the flip side, we’ve been outsiders for so long, people tend to vulcanize and not pay attention to what’s going on in the outside world and how it’s affecting us.” While “For & Against” will be a primer in the ins and outs of top political issues, it is also meant as an opportunity for LGBTs to engage in open discussion about the direction of the LGBT-rights movement. For instance, Morrison said the program will explore both sides of the conversation among LGBTs about marriage equality.

News Briefing Piano concert for center

JIM MORRISON

“We’re not going to look at the debate in the sense of the right-wing arguments for so-called ‘traditional’ marriage, but we thought it would be more interesting to look at the arguments from within the gay community for and against marriage equality,” he said. “There are some powerful arguments that stem from the idea that straight people are handed this gameplan or social mores about how they should behave — and why should we want to be part of this institution that caters to the needs of straight people? I don’t personally agree with that because, as an attorney, I am wholeheartedly in favor of marriage equality from a societal and legal perspective, but ‘For & Against’ is about examining arguments and looking at all sides.” That dedication to balance is no more apparent than in the show’s pledge to invite all of the Republican contenders for president to appear on the program. Morrison said one of the first such candidates they plan to reach out to is Fred Karger, an openly gay Republican presidential candidate from California who Morrison said can provide important insight into the complexities of the politically conservative gay community. “We’re going to be doing an episode on the rise of gay Republicans, so it’ll be important to have him on. For me, I don’t know how people in the community could consider voting for Gingrich or Romney or anyone else out there fighting against us, especially if there is an openly gay candidate, but I do have some issues with the idea of a gay Republican, and that’s something we want to look at,” he said. The show is running on a two-week production schedule, which Morrison noted doesn’t always allow for the topics to be as timely as he would like. However, the show will have an online presence — with up-to-date video clips and other content posted at here!TV and The Advocate, such as immediate reactions to the upcoming Iowa caucuses. While the program is geared toward

an LGBT audience, allies — and those who are not yet allies — can also benefit, Morrison said, as they “come to see the issues affecting the LGBT community from a human perspective.” Inroads have already been made in that realm in the past few years, he asserted. During his 2003 race, Morrison’s sexual orientation was unsettling to some political leaders, he said, although the public seemed supportive of an openly LGBT candidate — an idea that has become more commonplace since that time. “It’s changed a lot,” he said. “There are certainly more gay and lesbian members of Congress and in state houses. I basically got a response from people like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ I think the general population really just doesn’t care as much as our enemies want them to care.” Despite that, Morrison said, proactive steps are still needed to stymie the flood of misinformation that threatens to inhibit future progress. “In the mainstream media, you get a very cursory one question about LGBT issues and then they move on to another category and usually the answers are maddeningly inadequate and inaccurate,” he said. “In the marriage-equality debate, a typical question comes up about sexual identity being a choice, and so many people answer it in the affirmative and they’re not being called to task for that. We have a mission to not let those issues go, to not move on to the next question until we get the answer we deserve. I think the LGBT community has gotten the short shrift from the mainstream media and we need to have a voice for our community and our issues — and being able to do that through a political lens is a powerful thing.” “For & Against” premieres at noon Jan. 6. Many cable providers carry here!TV programs through the On Demand menu, where it can be found under the Premium option. For more information, visit www.heretv. com. ■

Internationally acclaimed pianist ChingYun Hu will stage a benefit concert for the William Way LGBT Community Center at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the center, 1315 Spruce St. This will be Hu’s second engagement at the center, following last year’s inaugural benefit performance at the Ethical Society. Hu, who hails from Taiwan, has won a host of awards, including a silver medal at the Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition and the top prize at the Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Tickets are $30, or $25 for members, and will include a post-concert reception. Tickets can be purchased at www.waygay. org or by calling 215-732-2220.

Mazzoni gets 5% from Whole Foods Mazzoni Center’s food bank for those living with HIV will get a boost next week from two local grocery stores. Two Whole Foods Market locations, at 2001 Pennsylvania Ave. near the Art Museum and 929 South St., will donate 5 percent of their net profits Jan. 12 to Mazzoni Center’s Vivian’s Cupboard program, which provides free, nutritious meals for families affected by the disease. Both stores are open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Mazzoni Center staffers and volunteers will be at stores from 4-6:30 p.m. to answer questions about the program.

Funding still in flux The HIV/AIDS service community has been grappling with funding losses following last month’s announcement of Centers for Disease Control prevention awards, and Mazzoni Center, which appeared to have seen increased funding, is now reporting that it too took a hit. The agency initially saw a jump from $610,000 to about $665,000 in the funding, distributed by the city’s AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, but Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein said she learned last week that a state contract was shifted to the federal program. Mazzoni was said to have seen an increase in the testing category but Shein said that, since its previous state contract was included in the federal award, the agency was essentially level funded in three categories, and took a $70,000 hit in the comprehensiverisk counseling services category. ■ — Jen Colletta

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Amy Koch

Editorial

Honoring our own This week, PGN takes time to acknowledge who had an impact on the local LGBT community in 2011 with our annual Person of the Year. Last year, one of the biggest stories PGN covered was the (seemingly) nonstop nondiscrimination ordinances passed by local townships. Practically every other week (well, maybe once a month), a municipality held hearings and approved an antidiscrimination law. While it might not seem like a big deal to those living in Philadelphia, which has had protections for both sexual orientation and gender identity for over a decade now, for those outside Pennsylvania’s major cities, this is huge. With last year’s eight new ordinances, 30 percent of Pennsylvanians are now protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That’s up 9 percent from the prior year. And since antidiscrimination bills are stalled at the state level, it’s up to the local governments to send a message to legislators that, yes, Pennsylvanians really do back equality — and protect their citizens. Leading that charge for the past year was Equality Pennsylvania, with executive director Ted Martin and board president Adrian Shanker at the helm. The organization went through a period of transition recently, and some doubted its long-term viability. In the end, Philadelphia’s loss was the state’s gain. Kudos to Martin and Shanker for bringing the agency through and building the grassroots relationships to pass these ordinances. Here’s to more in 2012. In addition to PGN’s Person of the Year, we are also recognizing for the first time an Unsung Hero for 2011: Dr. Carrie Jacobs, executive director of The Attic Youth Center. Jacobs is a tireless advocate for LGBT youth. She’s focused and driven, doing what’s best for them, often without fanfare or recognition. Jacobs works behind the scenes and doesn’t worry about public acknowledgement. We know she’s worked on high-profile issues discreetly and directly, more concerned with initiating tough dialogues and resolving problems than publicizing them. She’s too busy fixing issues to talk about them. We, as a community, and our LGBT youth are lucky to have her. Oh, Iowa Tuesday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa may not have cleared the field much (have you left yet, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann?), but the LGBT community should be riled up about one result: former Sen. Rick Santorum’s eight-vote loss to Mitt Romney. In an interview last Friday with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Santorum said he would invalidate existing same-sex marriages and advocate an amendment to the Constitution to ban gay marriage. Later that night, Santorum was glitter-bombed by someone saying, “Stop the hate. Taste the rainbow.” If Santorum ends up as the Republican presidential candidate, it will be both horrifying and a boon to the LGBT community: As his positions are so hard-line rightwing conservative, it will likely electrify Obama supporters, both passionate and tepid. ■

It’s always sad to watch a person selfdestruct. Especially when that self-destruction is happening in that person’s pants. Minnesota Sen. Amy Koch recently stepped down as Senate Majority Leader after it was discovered that she’s been messing around with a man who is not her husband and who actually worked for her. This relationship was deemed a conflict of interest. Koch, not incidentally, is an opponent of marriage equality. She and her fellow Republicans pushed hard to put an antigay marriage amendment on the 2012 ballot. Back in May 2011, Minnesota Family Council president Tom Prichard, Koch’s political ally, told the Star Tribune about the ballot initiative: “[O]ur goal is to not make it personal. I think we can have a respectful discussion and conversation on the importance of marriage in our state, where there’s widespread support that the best environment to raise children is with a loving mother and father.” Is this where I mention that Koch and her husband have a little girl? And just what does Prichard mean about not making it “personal”? I’m not sure what’s more personal than a marriage. And campaigning to deny someone the right to make such an intimate, public commitment is, certainly, personal. And so when Koch dropped her pants for a penis she was not married to, Minnesota’s gays and lesbians can’t help but take that personally, too. Writer John Medeiros issued an open letter to Koch that has gone viral. In it, he “apologizes” on behalf of gay Minnesotans for ruining her marriage: “We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love have cheapened and degraded traditional marriage so much that we caused you to stray from your own holy union for something more cheap and tawdry.” Yes, it’s a shame. Gays are the worst. But when it all boils down, this is yet another antigay Republican caught having an extramarital affair. Yawn. Blah,

blah, blah ... I mean, sure, there’s a twist because this time it’s a female, but it’s really nothing new. Aren’t we tired of hearing this story? We shouldn’t be. Whether we’re talking about Koch, Mark Foley, George Rekers, Ted Haggard, David Vitter, Larry Craig or any of the others, it matters because repeated hypocrisy should be alarming, not numbing. We cannot and should not accept that the very people fighting against us are using a set of so-called “values” that they themselves do not truly believe in. Picking up the mantle of “marriage defender” when you’re screwing around on your wife or husband should be grounds for public humiliation and shame. Because this isn’t about the sanctity of marriage. This is about dehumanizing LGBT people so that we may be used as political scapegoats. This is about furthering a right-wing conservative agenda by any means necessary. By scaring folks with the threat of the “gay menace,” Republicans get folks to vote against their own economic, personal and societal interests. We forget that at our peril. So let’s keep calling them as we see them. And calling them out until this kind of shit doesn’t fly anymore. Koch, you’re a creep. And sadly, you’re surely only the first of many in 2012. ■

We cannot and should not accept that the very people fighting against us are using a set of socalled “values” that they themselves do not truly believe in.

D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock ’n’ roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister.

Tell us what you think Send letters and opinion column submissions to: pgn@epgn.com; PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147; fax: 215-925-6437.

Please include a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, style and space considerations.

OP-ED PGN

Let’s hear it for Chicago This is a call to look at how governness. ment funds go to the Catholic Church. One of the best examples of how Over the years, the Catholic Church or to tame the Church’s tongue is in our the men who run it have called our comnation’s capitol. You might recall that munity everything — intrinsic moral evil, Washington, D.C., has marriage equality. In the lead-up to the vote on mardysfunctional, un-family, even violent riage equality in the district, and much worse — but a low point for the Church occurred the Church took the lead in recently when Chicago attacking equality by stating it Cardinal Francis George commight have to close social serpared our community to the vices programs if it passed. But Ku Klux Klan. then, some of the elected officials who supported marriage Chicago’s LGBT community is not letting this pass, equality made the point clear unlike many other cities in this that the annoying and offensive voice of the Church might country who give the church a lead to stronger legislation. pass. Bravo to Chicago. And Translation: It could take funds if you don’t mind, I’d like to away from religious institutions offer some advice from an that the Church was saying it old activist. Change does not would voluntarily close. happen quickly, so a one-time The elected officials called demonstration won’t work. You need to keep up the presMark Segal the Church’s bluff. And in the sure. You also must have a end they are both living with stated goal. Here your choices are obvieach other in harmony. The point is clear: ous: step down, apologize or meet with If the church wishes to continue to be an LGBT leaders. But the parties must agree opponent of equality, we must go for the to treat each other with respect, somewallet. thing the Catholic Church has never done So to activists nationwide, let me share before. some information with you: One of the Note: We have no problem with key funding sources for the Catholic Catholicism, but we do have a problem Church is government programs and with its leaders tossing verbal bombs at funding. Do I have to draw a map for you? ■ our community. But a demonstration, while a great place to start, is not in itself the answer. For that you must be creative: Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the Hit the Church where it hurts, in its moral nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at pocketbook. After all, it seems at times mark@epgn.com. that’s all the Church really is — a busi-

Mark My Words

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Street Talk What’s your New Year’s resolution? “Take my vitamins regularly. My parents insist that will keep me healthy. I’m 23 years old, and my parents still tell me what Emily Afflito to do. They barrista just want me South Philadelphia to be healthy. They’re very concerned about my well-being. And [they’re] supportive emotionally.”

“Give up smoking. I’ve been smoking for six years. I work with a lot of construction workers. They smoke Jeff Boyer two packs a plumber day. I don’t Harrisburg want to get like that. I have to stop now, before it’s too late. I know I can do it, if I put my mind to it.”

“Eat more fruit. It’s good for you. Fruit has lots of antioxidants. They fight free radicals. Free radicals cause wrinkles. So Amy Chen I want to eat student more fruit College Park, Md. and postpone the aging process.”

“To be nicer to people. Because then they’ll be happy, and [they’ll] be nicer to others. It has a ripple effect. There’s too much animosity in the world. It has to stop.”

Arthur Dashan student Binghamton, N.Y.

Letters and Feedback Independent bookstores bring brick and mortar insight, expertise The article [“LGBT publishing companies try to expand their audience,” Dec. 23-29, 2011] implies that bricks-andmortar stores don’t exist on the Internet as a source of books or ebooks. Of course that is not true. Giovanni’s Room, like hundreds of other independent booksellers, offers more than 4 million books and more than 2 million ebooks online, made possible by our joining together in the American Booksellers Association. You can get virtually any book in print and ebook through Giovanni’s Room. Further, Giovanni’s Room has been classifying LGBT books online for years. Real people actually look at the books the store gets and categorize them with an insider’s perspective. Compare what you get at Giovanni’s Room when you look up “2011 lesbian

fiction” in the categories under Women’s Literature (http://queerbooks.com/2011lesbian-fiction) with the junk pile you get at Amazon when you look up “lesbian fiction 2011” (http://goo.gl/Ucgar). For at least three years, any person looking up “homosexuality” on Amazon will find the first book listed has always been “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality” by Joseph Nicolosi and Linda Ames Nicolosi (Sept. 30, 2002). Giovanni’s Room offers regular emailed announcements of books and movies in different subjects: men’s, women’s, bi and trans. You can also get monthly lists of best-sellers (check out the horror that is Amazon’s listing of, say, lesbian best-sellers) and announcements of store events. We independent booksellers have invested great resources to make us competitive in the world of the Internet. Give us a try. Nobody on the Internet does LGBT literature better. — Ed Hermance Owner, Giovanni’s Room

Burns’ passion, smile will be missed Robert Burns was an exceptional community leader, who blended his skills as a legendary DJ in the ballroom scene up and down the East Coast, while connecting youth involved in the ballroom community and the house he was head of, House of Blahnik, with culturally relevant HIV-prevention and education messages. He creatively and effectively tailored interventions to the communities, the youth and the individuals he worked with for the most effective means of successfully reaching his audience. He was a tireless, fierce advocate who you could often find well after 2 a.m. years ago when The Collective was part of Mazzoni, counseling, testing or just reassuring and doing some one-on-one education in his RV in that alley smack in the middle of the Gayborhood. Most recently, decked out in a suit and tie working long hours at Colours, going above and beyond to ensure that the public-health measures and the needs of Philadelphia’s HIV/ AIDS community were being heard and mov-

ing forward, he would still, regardless of how tired he was, give you that bright smile that lit his whole face, his whole being, and wrap you into the biggest bear hug. He never lost his sense of humor, and he never allowed the occasional setback to stop his work, his mission from moving forward. Rob and I worked together to bring Wolfgang Busch to Philadelphia in 2004 to screen a preview of his then-in-production “How Do I Look,” as well as Jennie Livingston’s “Paris is Burning,” when I was working at the William Way Community Center and that was when our friendship, our at-times subversive partnership all in the name of social justice and advocacy, began. Whatever you take away from Robert Burns, his life and his achievements, know that he was all heart, all passion, never held back and always spoke his mind, regardless of who was in the room, and he is a shining example of one of Philadelphia’s relentless forces in the field of HIV/AIDS who will be dearly missed. — Christina M. Molieri, MSS, MLSP Public health consultant, Philadelphia

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

PGN

Coping with post-holiday financial stress As the hustle and bustle of the holiday However, it is important not to let yourseason comes to an end, you may be find- self get overwhelmed by these feelings. ing more time to consider life’s greater There are many steps you can take to manage financial stress now and in the future. questions: What would I like to accomplish in the next year? How do I maintain my relationships? And perhaps most — Remember that you are not alone. Changes in the economy can be urgently, how do I rebound from all my holiday spending? scary for everyone but it is possible to get through it. The last question is a stressful one for many people. — Engage in activities that According to the American bring you joy and that don’t Psychological Foundation, have a price tag — such as money worries are a signifiexercise, hobbies and spending cant cause of stress for 74 pertime with friends and family. cent of Americans. For the — Write down worries and many who are unemployed or concerns before going to bed so underemployed, it’s a questhey don’t interfere with your sleep. tion of surviving paycheck to paycheck while searching for — Take action and make decisions in areas you can control. stable employment. Even those Doing so increases your finanof us who are employed may cial confidence and can help fear pay cuts or layoffs. The Anita R. you develop new skills. holiday season can be especially stressful when we find Try to remember the posiGooding — tive parts of your life and reinourselves stretching each dolforce your hopes for the future. lar, while also giving into the — Expand your professional skills. This consumerism of the holidays. Some people may believe gifts are the only way to can be a way to cope with financial stress show love and appreciation, while others while also working to address it. indulge in shopping to fill a void in their — Talk to someone who can provide emotional or spiritual lives. advice or is in a similar situation. This can Financial stress can cause changes include a healthcare provider, spiritual in eating patterns, high blood pressure, advisor, therapist or friend. If you’re in headaches and other physical symptoms. crisis, call the Philadelphia Crisis Hotline at 215-686-4420. The physical toll includes persistent sadness/crying, lack of sleep/constant fatigue, — Find free events in Philly by visiting excessive irritability and increased anger. www.phillyfunguide.com. There is also an increased risk of depres— Advocate for more community-based sion, anxiety, compulsive behaviors such interventions to assist those who have as gambling and overeating, and subbeen deeply affected by changes in the stance abuse. economy.

On Being Well

In addition, Philadelphia offers a host of social services, including some specific to those with little or no funds. The Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (215-769-0659) works to combat hunger and provide food resources to the city. They also help Philadelphia residents learn if they qualify for food stamps and assist in the application process. There are also numerous thrift stores in the area, including Philadelphia AIDS Thrift, where you can find low-cost used clothing while helping others. (PAT donates their proceeds to local organizations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.) Long-term financial planning The economic issues facing the country have also affected those who have made efforts to plan for retirement. Same-sex couples face an additional burden since they are not allowed to marry in the state of Pennsylvania. Therefore, those in long-term relationships must be aware of ways to remain financially secure. The American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, suggests a few ways LGBT persons can be active in their financial future. First, be sure to review your finances alone and with your partner. This allows you both to list your expenses and be aware of what might need to shift or change if one partner becomes ill or dies. Next, review and update your will and estate documents. Third, review your assets and be sure that there is a beneficiary listed. This not only makes sure the beneficiary has access to funds as soon as possible, but it halts the possibility that someone could override your requests. Fourth, consider whether or not you may

need long-term health insurance. Health insurance can help cover costs if one partner has a prolonged illness. Last, prepare your end-of-life documents so that you and those around you know about care and services before an emergency occurs. Mazzoni Center’s Legal Services department can assist low-income LGBT clients to draft the necessary legal documents to ensure that your wishes are clear. For more complicated estates, they can also refer you to an LGBT-friendly attorney who can provide you with the legal assistance you need. More information is at www.mazzonicenter.org. These tips are general suggestions; before making any financial decisions, be sure to consult with a financial advisor. You can find an LGBT-friendly financial advisor in your area through the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (www.nglcc.org). A new year does not have to mean new worries around finances. By understanding how you spend, knowing about resources in your community and planning ahead, you can devote more time to New Year’s resolutions and jumping into a great year ahead! ■ Anita R. Gooding is an intern in Mazzoni Center’s Open Door counseling department and a second-year MSW student at the University of Pennsylvania. Thanks to the following for providing useful information for this article: Julia Gottlieb, LSW, the AARP, American Psychological Foundation, The New York Times, Bloomberg and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Are you a community leader? Mark Mitchell, board president, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund Amber Hikes, co-founder, Stimulus Drew Becher, president, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Alison Lin, co-founder, HotPot! Zane Booker, founder and artistic director, Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative Wayne Knaub, commissioner, Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League

These people made the grade and were covered in PGN’s “Professional Portraits” column by Suzi Nash. Every week, Suzi talks to people making a difference in Philadelphia. Has she talked to you yet?

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Federal benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships Starting this year, same-sex domes‘child’ for purposes of federal child-care subsidies and, where appropriate, for childtic partners of federal employees have care services and clarify that, for purposes expanded access to health-care coverage. In October last year, the Department of employee assistance programs, sameof Justice and Office of Personnel sex domestic partners and their children Management announced the expanded qualify as ‘family members.’” Such an benefits, as well as an average approach deftly avoids the need 3.5-percent premium increase for any Congressional legislafor Federal Employees Health tion, and avoids the need to directly confront DOMA, while Benefits Program plans. inherently undermining it. Out of the 8 million federal government employees, Additionally, on Feb. 23, approximately 34,000 are in 2011, the Obama administration same-sex relationships through expressly stated that it would no state-recognized marriages, longer uphold the constitutionality of Section 3 of DOMA, civil unions and domestic which describes marriage for partnerships. The Defense of federal purposes as being only Marriage Act, enacted in 1996, between a man and a woman. works to exclude the recognition of same-sex relationships Attorney General Eric Holder Angela justified the administration’s for the purposes of federal benefits, rights and privileges. The Giampolo decision by stating, “[a]fter careful consideration, including passage of DOMA codifies this a review of my recommendaby first defining the term “marriage” for the purposes of federal law as tion, the president has concluded that given a legal union between one man and one a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifiwoman as husband and wife. Secondly, cations based on sexual orientation should DOMA permits states to deny marriagebe subject to a more heightened standard of type relationships for LGBT couples even scrutiny. The president has also concluded if the relationship is recognized in other states. that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to The impact of the inability to marry or legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconto have one’s marriage recognized at all stitutional.” With that said, the United levels of government is significant. There are 1,138 identified federal rights in which States is still obligated to continue with the enforcement of DOMA. marital status is a determining factor in As it stands, DOMA remains a barrier receiving them. Acknowledging this, President Obama began the effort to erode in reaching full equality in the workplace, and it will continue unless Congress acts the reach of DOMA by issuing a compelling memorandum in June 2010 addressor the courts hand down a decision rening an implementation strategy for making dering DOMA unconstitutional. Starting the basic rights given to opposite-sex cou- this year, federal employees in same-sex ples also available to same-sex couples. domestic partnerships will receive new and The memorandum described the opporexpanded benefits, but the law continues to tunity to extend benefits to same-sex prohibit the government from offering full couples under existing law, and provided domestic-partner benefits. for immediate action through the guidance Thanks to the Obama administration, a door has been opened for what should be and recommendations of OPM. Upon a pivotal and historic discussion and, at the issuance of the memorandum, certain the very least, there is momentum toward benefits were put into effect for same-sex achieving equality for LGBT individuals in partners of federal employees for coverage of travel, relocation and subsistence the federal workplace and beyond. ■ payment, as well as certain childcare and Angela D. Giampolo, principal of sick-leave benefits. Giampolo Law Group, maintains offices Obama was able to do this legally by in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and spemaking aspects of same-sex domestic cializes in LGBT law, business law, realpartnerships fit neatly within the defined estate law and civil rights. Her website is terms of who is subject to employment benefits. For example, the memo www.giampololaw.com and she maintains states, “[T]he director of OPM should two blogs, www.phillygaylawyer.com and take appropriate action to clarify that the www.lifeinhouse.com. Send Angela your children of employees’ same-sex domeslegal questions at angela@giampololaw. com. tic partners fall within the definition of

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

International New Zealand co. pulls transphobic ad Libra, a company that manufactures feminine hygiene products in Australasia, has pulled an ad after it provoked outrage in the trans community. The company said it regretted “any offense taken” to the ad, which depicted a trans woman in a nightclub bathroom appearing to compete with a gender-normative woman in the mirror. After each adjusts their mascara, lipstick and cleavage, the second woman produces a tampon from her handbag, causing the trans woman to leave the room with the implication that she has been beaten in the competition. The company issued a statement earlier this week saying: “Libra regrets any offense taken to our recent tampon advertisement. It was never intended to upset or offend anyone. Independent research was undertaken and the advertisement was viewed positively during that testing. Libra takes all feedback very seriously, and in response to this, we

PGN NEWS

will immediately review our future position with this campaign based on the feedback received. There are no further advertisements scheduled in New Zealand.” The ad had been criticized by members of the trans community. Cherise Witehira, president of Agender NZ, said: “It’s extremely offensive because it’s pretty much saying the only way you can be a woman is to get your period. That’s where a lot of the anger in the community is coming from — it’s saying you are not a woman unless you can get your period. Obviously we can’t menstruate. However, we identify as female.” The decision to pull the ad has provoked a large number of comments on the company’s Facebook page, both criticizing and supporting the ad. Some have said the character on the ad is “clearly a drag queen” and those who complained were “up in arms about nothing.”

Gays trafficked in Kenya Gay and bisexual men in Kenya are being lured into sex-trafficking rings in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to a new report in the African LGBT magazine Identity. Identity claims that the men attending Kenyatta University are particularly targeted, offered jobs as airline attendants or office workers and given visas and passports — thanks to officials who’ve been bribed to help facilitate the travel arrange-

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ments. Some of the men have reported violent and sadistic sexual abuse at the hands of their captors. Many countries, including Qatar, have no anti-trafficking legislation and remain on the U.S. Department of State watch lists for showing no progress in identifying victims of trafficking and prosecuting the perpetrators. While Kenya did approve anti-trafficking legislation last year, homosexuality is still illegal in both the Arab states as well as Kenya, so the men are unable to report abuse to police.

UK trans artist offers to play Pride events Trans singer and DJ Chrisie Edkins is offering to play any Pride event in the world in 2012 for free. If organizers can provide accommodations and transportation, she says she would like to promote the LGBT community around the world at any Pride event possible. Having performed at Las Vegas Pride in 2009 and at Alicante Pride in Spain and Exeter in the U.K. this year, the artist said she wants to play as many Pride days as possible in the next 12 months in the name of charity. Edkins, who works as a radio DJ in Southampton, England, and on SpirtfireFM. com, said: “I’d like it to be nonstop, to go from one to another on a daily basis. I would play a Pride event every day of the week if I could. I want to try to make a difference and show my support by doing what I love to do — performing.”

Priest fights to remove gay-panic defense A Catholic priest in Queensland, Australia, has started an online petition to ensure the complete removal of the “homosexual-advance defense,” which has been used to attempt to have murder charges lessened to manslaughter if the victim had propositioned the killer. Introducing the petition, the Rev. Paul Kelly said: “It is simply intolerable that

anyone can rely on a defense or an excuse that an alleged homosexual advance could somehow mitigate against violence that leads to death.” Known internationally as the “gay-panic defense,” it is invoked to attempt to show the killer acted in self-defense or under provocation. In some cases, it is alleged the accused had latent gay feelings and, as a result, reacted in an unexpectedly violent way to even a nonviolent gay proposition. While there is no heterosexual equivalent, the non-violent gay-panic defense is rarely employed successfully. Father Kelly, of St. Mary’s, Maryborough, started the Australian petition after a man was murdered on church property in 2008 and his killer attempted to invoke the defense.

Same-sex marriage legal in Cancun Cancun, Cozumèl and other resort areas in the Mexican Caribbean will soon allow same-sex couples to legally marry, thanks largely to a recently discovered quirk in the local civil code. The area is already popular with LGBT travelers from the U.S., Europe, Canada and other parts of Mexico, and several couples have already expressed interest in marrying there. Activist Patricia Novelo said the first same-sex group weddings will be held in the resort area this month. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association is working with Colectivo Diversidad, Fusion G and Gay Tours Mexico to strike up deals with airlines and hotel chains so that same-sex weddings can be held all along Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Same-sex marriages are possible in the region of Mexico known as Quintana Roo thanks to a legal gap in the civil code, which speaks only to “people interested in getting married” without specifying their gender. Mexico City already has legal same-sex marriage; over 1,200 same-sex couples have married there so far. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

CONGREGATION BETH AHAVAH

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Friday, January 20, 8:00 PM. Beth Ahavah Shabbat Services. Please join us for our monthly BA Shabbat Service followed by a sumptuous oneg (social hour). Dinner at a local restaurant at 6:00 PM precedes services. Please call or email for restaurant location and to RSVP. Visit www.bethahavah.org for additional information, programming and directions 615 North Broad Street, Phila., PA 19123-2495 Phone: 215.923.2003 E-mail: BethAhavah@rodephshalom.org Free secure parking: Cross Spring Garden at 13th St., left at next light, Mt. Vernon St. Parking lot entrance on left.

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recreation opportunities, seniorcenter programming and additional issues like these.” The survey is open to LGBTs 55 and older who live in the Philadelphia area. It takes about 20 minutes to complete. Participants can take the survey online, by mail or in person at a number of community partners. Those who turn in or complete the survey in person will receive $10. The survey follows the initial research phase — three focus groups and 15 individual interviews. Batson said the initial process uncovered that, while some LGBTs were successfully navigating older adulthood, many were grappling with challenges faced by the wider elder population. “We saw that many LGBT older adults have figured out really creative ways to thrive being older, especially those who have a lot of kinship and friendship ties in both LGBT and other communities,” she said. “However, like many other older adults, concerns about health conditions, how to afford health care and, for some, isolation, were really serious issues.” In addition to the survey, PHMC researchers will interview more subjects and could convene another focus group, Batson said. Once data is collected, researchers will begin the analysis process, which will include comparisons to heterosexual older-adult populations through information available in PHMC’s Community Health Data Base Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey “to better understand if disparities in health conditions or access exist in Philadelphia, and what their exact nature is, if so,” Batson said. To participate in the survey online, email lgbtolderadult@gmail.com and wait for a response email containing a link or, for a paper version, call 215-985-6237. Participants can also complete or drop off the paper copy of the survey Mondays from 1-4 p.m. at ASIAC, 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; Mondays from 1-8 p.m. and Fridays 1-4 p.m. at The Colours Organization, 112 N. Broad St., third floor; Tuesdays from 1:304:30 p.m. at Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; MondaysFridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at SafeGuards, 1700 Market St., 18th floor; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.; or Southwest Senior Center, 6916 Elmwood Ave., where appointments can be made by calling 215-937-1885. ■

NEWS PGN

Media Trail Former lesbian partners both given parental rights According to the Miami Herald, a Florida appellate court says two former lesbian partners both have parental rights to a daughter who was born with one mother donating the egg and the other giving birth to the baby. The Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach recently overturned a lower court decision in favor of the birth mother. The appellate court said the biological mother’s constitutional rights to equal protection and privacy were violated with the lower court decision. The Brevard County judge said in his ruling he had felt constrained by Florida law and was hoping the appellate court would reverse his decision. The appellate court has asked that the Florida Supreme Court weigh in, given the importance of the matter. Neither parent was identified in the case.

LGBT advocacy groups plan protest against cardinal Chicago Pride.com reports LGBT-advocacy groups are planning a demonstration against Cardinal Francis George following his comments that compared the gay liberation movement to the Ku Klux Klan. The protest will be held at noon Jan. 8 in front of Holy Name Cathedral, 730 N. Wabash Ave. Leading the protest are Rainbow Sash Movement and Gay Liberation Network. The action is the first scheduled demonstration against George, who is the head of the Catholic Conference of Illinois and the Archbishop of Chicago, since he made controversial comments about the LGBT community to Fox Chicago News on Dec. 21. George remains under increased pressure from LGBT-advocacy groups to step down.

Portland’s Just Out LGBT newspaper shuts doors With a short three-sentence statement on its website, Marty Davis, publisher of the 28-yearold Just Out newspaper, announced it would cease publication after its December issue.

“Effective December 26, 2011, Just Out newsmagazine, serving Portland’s LGBTQ community since 1983, is no longer in business,” the statement said. “Three years of recession have taken their toll. Thank you for your many years of readership and support.” Just Out was the region’s most recognized LGBT print publication. The paper was published free of charge twice monthly for years. Until recently, the paper was distributed in many places around Oregon. LGBT journalist Byron Beck claims to have gotten confirmation from publisher Davis that there will not be an online version of the publication in the future. The demise of the most notable LGBT newspaper in the region is a significant development for a city that has generated several major LGBT news stories over the past several years. Portland is the second-largest city in America to have elected an openly gay mayor. Sam Adams was elected in 2008 and survived two recall attempts after a high-profile scandal.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

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Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop for sale Toronto’s The Star reports the city’s Glad Day Bookshop, believed to be the oldest gay and lesbian bookstore in the world and the first of its kind in Canada, is up for sale. On Jan. 1, store owner John Scythes, who was working at the second-floor shop on Yonge Street north of Wellesley, said he planned to reach out to friends and regular clients before considering a public sale of the iconic independent bookstore. Scythes, who bought the store from founder Jearld Moldenhauer in 1991, began to look for potential buyers about a month ago, staff member Prodan Nedev said. With shelves still crammed with books and walls cluttered with posters, there were few signs of distress at the shop, save for a white sheet of paper taped to the front countertop, asking anyone interested in buying the store to contact Scythes. The store first opened in 1970 in a small apartment in the Annex and quickly became a gathering place for Toronto’s queer community. A political and cultural hub, Glad Day was a fixture in the fight for gay and lesbian rights in Canada, spending decades embroiled in costly legal battles against censorship. Scythes refused to comment further on the private listing. But in 2010, he told Inside Toronto he was forced to dip into his own pockets to keep the shop — hard hit by a drop in sales — afloat.

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— compiled by Larry Nichols

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FEATURE PGN

�� By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Comedian, actress, writer, singer and author Sandra Bernhard is a supreme badass any time she gets a microphone or pen in her hand. The camera loves her too, as she has been on an impressive number of TV shows and movies over the course of her 30-plus-year career. But it’s the stage where the out entertainer shines brightest. Bernhard has a new show and album, “I Love Being Me, Don’t You?” that she is ready to take on the road. And, lucky us, Philadelphia is one of the first cities to host the edgy new brilliance and musical interludes she has up her sleeve when she performs Jan. 1014 at Painted Bride Arts Center. PGN managed to get a few minutes of conversation out of the busy and indemand performer to find out what awaits the City of Brotherly Love when Bernhard roars into town. PGN: What can your fans expect from your new show? SB: I think it’s just a wonderful mix of music and monologue and great observa-

tions and cultural references, theatrics and great stories. You know, everything I always do but updated to the minute and, as always, very personal. PGN: If people were to catch more than one of your shows in Philadelphia, would they be the same show? SB: No. I try to ... Well ... I don’t try. It just happens. Like tonight, I usually end up improvising and adding things. So I try to do something unique every night. PGN: What is the creative process for

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�� your shows like? SB: It’s kind of just endless. I may start a new show and then, a year later, that same show with the same title could be a completely different thing. As the months go by and I add material, they end up being kind of new by the end of it all. PGN: Does having such a fluid show keep the musicians who back you on their toes? SB: The music pretty much stays the same. I’m talking more about the material. Over a certain amount

of time, I might add a song but, from night to night, the music stays the same because that’s something that has to be together. PGN: Does the current political and social climate factor into your new material at all? SB: Absolutely. How could it not? Being a sentient person who is involved in the world and deeply concerned about it, there’s no way you can’t include it. PGN: Are there any areas of pop culture that you think you are above wanting to know about? SB: It’s not about being above [it]. Intellectually, there are things I don’t want to waste my time on. A lot of the reality television and things that used to be referred to as the History Channel is now “Ice Road Truckers.” All that kind of trash doesn’t appeal to me, but I guess it appeals to somebody. PGN: Have you ever been approached to do a reality-TV show? SB: Oh sure, many times. And I’ve managed to turn them down every time.

PGN FEATURE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

PGN: What musician or artist would your fans be most surprised to find out you are a fan of? SB: Gee, I don’t know. I just added a new song into my show here by Neil Sedaka. My fans, they would be surprised to learn I’m a Neil Sedaka fan.

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PGN: What is the most exotic place being a performer has allowed you to go? SB: I don’t think it’s been in conjunction with my performance but just in general the most exotic place I go to and have been to a few times is Morocco, just because I can go there. I guess my career has afforded me to be able to go there but it’s not because I perform there. But who knows? Maybe someday I’ll perform in Morocco. PGN: How long can you go without being on stage before you are itching to get back on? SB: Probably a month or something. Six weeks. PGN: Do you keep up with the comedy scene in the United States? SB: I’m not that familiar with the comedy scene anywhere else. I think a lot of really fun new people have come up through the ranks. A lot of the ladies are really great. They are some of the best: Kristen Wiig and all the ladies from “Bridesmaids” are really funny. PGN: Do you feel that comedians are more scrutinized for what they say on stage these days and, if so, do you have a problem with it? SB: I think there’s an immediacy to it. Definitely people pick up on it because of the Internet. I think things that would have gone under the radar 10 or 15 years ago just end up places because they are filling space. So if you say something a little bit controversial, it might just show up and they might make a bigger deal out of it than was ever intended. PGN: Do you think comedians like Tracy Morgan should be taken to task for the things they say on stage? SB: Yes and no. I think a lot of times people say things on stage to a certain audience and a lot of it is a throwaway. I didn’t see it. I didn’t follow it. I’m not particularly a fan of his. So it didn’t have any impact on me. I find him kind of dull. But I’m a huge fan of Paul Mooney. He discovered me and Paul has said some very controversial stuff. Very smart. But just to say stuff to be shocking and not because it’s backed up with some real depth and dimension, you should be taken to task just because you’re not a very

good performer. PGN: How are your newer/younger fans discovering you? SB: Probably through social media, for sure. I Twitter quite a bit and a lot of people that didn’t know the range of my work have discovered it through there. PGN: Do you ever get approached by younger performers looking for advice? SB: Oh yes, all the time. It’s very nice and flattering. I tell them to get out of the business. No, I’m just kidding. I tell them you have to roll up your sleeves and just do it. The most important thing for any performer is to have your own point of view, and that’s the hardest thing to find. PGN: Does anything surprise or shock you anymore in the entertainment world? SB: Only when it’s something really good. I was surprised and delighted by Lady Gaga’s Thanksgiving special. That was cool. She did a real special and she managed to weave in all these aspects that were very surprising. When it’s a positive thing, I think it’s more surprising than when it’s a negative thing. PGN: Are you currently working on any new film or TV projects? SB: I’m writing a TV pilot for myself and Lisa Lampanelli. Hopefully that will be done this month and we go out and pitch it in California. PGN: For a project like this, are you aiming for mainstream television? SB: Yeah, it’s definitely written for network. Not that it couldn’t end up on cable but it’s written for network. We’ll see if they want it. PGN: Is that more of a sign that your writing is going toward the mainstream or is it a sign that mainstream television is looking for something more edgy? SB: It’s a combination. I can be mainstream. I’ve done all manner of TV shows. As an actress, I think I can do that. But I think as a performer, people want things that are more out there. It’s easy to write something mainstream for Lisa and me because it’s just a straight-ahead idea. ■ Sandra Bernhard performs “I Love Being Me, Don’t You?” Jan. 10-14 at Painted Bride Arts Center, 230 Vine St. For more information or tickets, visit www.sandra-bernhard. com or call 215-925-9914.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Best-sellers Information is courtesy of Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960; www.queerbooks.com. Ten-percent off most hardcover in-store sales.

star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big-league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

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1. “Fit to Serve: Reflections on a Secret Life, Private Struggle and Public Battle to Become the First Openly Gay U.S. Ambassador” by James C. Hormel (Skyhorse, 320 pp., $24.95 hb, less 10 percent in the store). One man’s gripping memoir of freedom and determination in a heterosexual world. 2. “The Stranger’s Child” by Alan Hollinghurst (Knopf, 448 pp., $27.95 hb, less 10 percent in the store). From the Man Booker Prize-winning author of “The Line of Beauty” comes a magnificent, century-spanning saga about a love triangle that spawns a myth, and a family mystery, across generations. 3. “The Unreal Life of Sergei Nabokov” by Paul Russell (Cleis, 381 pp., $16.95 pb). 4. “Mary Ann in Autumn” by Armistead Maupin (HarperCollins, 287 pp., $14.99 new in pb). Twenty years have passed since Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York. 5. “Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris (Back Bay, 176 pp., $10 pb). Sedaris’ beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces. 6. “Remembering Christmas,” three novellas by Tom Mendicino, Frank Anthony Polito and Michael Salvatore (Kensington, 250 pp., $15 pb). This wistful gay anthology explores how “home for the holidays” can take you back physically and mentally. The men in these stories have season-specific reasons to reflect on and reconnect with their pasts. 7. “Chulito” by Charles Rice-Gonzalez (Magnus, 317 pp., $14.95 pb). A coming-ofage, coming-out love story of a sexy, tough, hip-hop-loving young Latino man in the Bronx. 8. “The Mammoth Book of Gorgeous Guys” edited by Barbara Cardy (Running Press, 480 pp., $17.95 pb). This collection of erotic art features over 500 erotic portraits of male nudes, some of them tastefully explicit, from some of the world’s leading photographers. 9. “Best Gay Erotica 2012” edited by Richard LaBonte (Cleis, 228 pp., $14.95 pb). Gathering the hottest, freshest and most literary fiction for the year, “Best Gay Erotica 2012” captures the tenderness and raw energy of man-on-man desire. 10. “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach (HarperCollins, 528 pp., $25.99 hb). Baseball

1. “Eating Out 4: Drama Camp” directed by Q. Allan Brocka (2011, 90 min., $24.95). An over-the-top raunchy comedy with the innocence of summer love, as a cast of gay hotties endure a supposedly celibate stint at a theater camp in the woods. 2. “Buffering” directed by Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin (2011, 50 min., $24.99). Follows a young gay couple who find one way to get themselves out of their mounting debt problems — Internet porn! 3. “Longhorns” directed by David Lewis (2011, 90 min., $24.99). This raucous sex comedy tells the story of a “straight” Texas fratboy who realizes that maybe all his man-on-man fantasies, going down on his buddies and falling for the only openly gay student on campus means he just might be queer. 4. “Harvest” directed by Benjamin Cantu (2011, 88 min., $19.99). Breathtaking in its subtle beauty, “Harvest” is an achingly romantic tale of an innocent but everincreasingly passionate affair that develops between two simple farmhands. German with English subtitles. 5. “Queer As Folk UK: The Complete Collection” directed by Russell T. Davies (1999, 342 min., $49.95). 6. “From Beginning to End” directed by Aluizio Abranches (2009, 96 min., $19.99). A strikingly evocative romance of two men fighting against societal conventions. Portuguese with English subtitles. 7. “Hold Your Peace” directed by Wade McDonald (2011, 97 min., $24.99). A gay romantic comedy that examines how we decide who we want to spend the rest of our lives with. 8. “The Green” directed by Stephen Williford (2011, 90 min., $24.95). A teacher at a Connecticut private school thinks he can live a simple, harmonious domestic existence with his partner Daniel, a locavore caterer. 9. “Finding Me: Truth” directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr. (2011, 100 min., $17.99). Who knew Jersey City could be such a hotbed of gay drama? 10. “Finding Me” directed by Roger S. Omeus Jr. (2008, 115 min., $19.95). Can a budding romance and a few good friends keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life? PAGE 22

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

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�� The most award-winning LGBT newspaper in the country! During our 35th year, PGN staff collected a total of seven awards from Suburban Newspapers of America and the National Newspaper Association PGN Staff SNA First Place, Best Special Section World AIDS Supplement Gary M. Kramer SNA First Place, Best Arts & Entertainment Writing-Feature “John Waters Is My Role Model” Jen Colletta NNA Second Place, Best Feature Story “Kelly McGillis talks marriages, divorces and civil union” Larry Nichols SNA Second Place, Best Arts & Entertainment Writing-Feature “The Many Faces of Meshell” Mark Segal NNA Second Place, Best Serious Column “Mosque issue is an LGBT issue” Scott A. Drake SNA Honorable Mention, Best Photojournalism “Outfest” Scott A. Drake SNA Honorable Mention, Best News Photo “Historic Storm”

Congratulations to everyone on a great year! ��

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1. “A Tale of Two Mommies” by 1. “Hell’s Vanity Oelschlager, Highway” illustrated by Mike by Gerri Hill Blanc (Vanita, 40 (Bella, 229 pp., pp., $8.95 pb). A $15.95 pb). In beach conversation this sequel to �� among three chil“Devil’s Rock,” dren. One boy asks Hill pits two another boy about remarkable having two momwomen against mies. A young girl the harsh and bitlistening in asks some questions too. True to ter desert and an implacable killer. a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow. 2. “Best Lesbian 2. “Dogs Don’t Do Ballet” by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Simon & Erotica 2012” Schuster, 32 pp., $15.99 hb, less 10 percent edited by Radclyffe (Cleis, 220 pp., $14.95 pb). Erotica maestro Radclyffe has in the store). In this children’s book, meet assembled over two-dozen titillating tales Biff, an adorable little puppy who will stop at nothing to become a ballet dancer. of lesbian couples taking each other to new heights of happily bedded bliss. 3. “Sheltering Dunes” by Radclyffe Women’s DVDs (Bold Strokes, 264 pp., $16.95 pb). 1. “Circumstance” The pasts, presents and futures of three directed by Maryam women collide. 4. “Trick of the Dark” by Val McDermid Keshavarz (2011, 107 min., $24.95). (Bywater, 397 pp., $14.95 pb). Barred Two teenage girls from practice, disgraced psychiatrist navigate the wild Charlie Flint receives a mysterious sumIranian undermons to Oxford from an old professor ground scene. who wants her to look into the death of 2. “The L Word: her daughter’s husband. 5. “Fingersmith” by Sarah Waters The Complete Series” (2010, (Riverhead, 592 pp., $16 pb). Raised by 3,316 min., a loving family of thieves, orphan Sue $132.99). In this Trinder is sheltered from the worst of the Victorian underworld until it becomes her amazing new 25-disc set, 55 hours of supersexy and fun lesbian drama. turn to make the clan’s fortune. 3. “Trigger: What Happens When the Music Is Over” directed by Bruce Trans Books McDonald (2010, 83 min., $24.95). Two 1. “Take Me rockers reunite for dinner, the concert and There: Trans and the after-party, with the hope of recapturing their once-magical connection. Genderqueer 4. “Bloomington” directed by Fernanda Erotica” edited by Tristan Cardoso (2010, 83 min., $24.95). Jackie is Taormino (Cleis, instantly attracted to Catherine, a young pro291 pp., $14.95 fessor with a reputation. 5. “Purple Sea” directed by Donatella pb). “There was something about Maiorca (2011, 105 min., $24.95). A scandal the way she hidden in 19th-century Sicily between two touched me that young women. Italian with English subtitles. made it clear she 6. “Elena Undone” directed by Nicole was touching Conn (2010, 111 min., $24.95). When Elena the body I felt I had rather than the one I meets Peyton, they form an immeasurable actually had.” bond that shakes the foundation of their 2. “Delusions of Gender: How Our sheltered worlds and Elena is confronted Minds, Society and Neurosexism with intense and unexpected feelings for a Create Difference” by Cordelia Fine woman. 7. “The Kids Are All Right” directed by (Norton, 338 pp., $16.95 pb). Instead of Lisa Cholodenko (2010, 104 min., $19.95). a “male brain” and a “female brain,” Fine Lesbian moms have teenaged kids who gives us a glimpse of plastic, mutable minds that are continuously influenced by decide they want to meet their sperm donor. 8. “The Real L Word: Complete First cultural assumptions about gender. 3. “Gender Outlaws: The Next Season” (2010, 532 min., $36.95). Meet six Generation” by Kate Bornstein and S. of the most gorgeous, powerful and fascinatBear Bernstein (Seal, 302 pp., $16.95 pb). ing lesbians of L.A. Part coming-of-age story, part mind-alter- 9. “Imagine Me and You” directed by Ol Parker (2005, 103 min., $14.95). ■ ing manifesto on gender and sexuality.

PGN

PROFILE

Professional Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Suzi Nash

Patrick McCormack: Putting A.C. back on the LGBT map There was a time when the prime destination for Philadelphia partygoers was not New York, but New York Avenue in Atlantic City. I have fond memories of late nights at places like Studio Six, The Rendevous, Club Tru and Brass Rail. Traveling down to the Jersey shore for a day of fun and sun and a night of drinks and dancing was like a mini vacation (the word “staycation” hadn’t been coined yet). In an era where weekend trips to P-Town or Key West may not always be feasible, A.C. has once again emerged as an LGBT destination. This week, we spoke to Patrick McCormack, education committee chair for the Atlantic City LGBT Alliance, about the gay nightlife resurgence in A.C. and the upcoming Miss’d America Pageant, which I’m told is not to be missed. PGN: Before we get into the history of

A.C., let’s learn a little about your roots. PMC: I was born in Swissvale, Pa., a small mill town outside of Pittsburgh. I lived there until I moved to A.C. in 1986 and, 25 years later, I’m still here. This is home: I live with sand in my shoes.

PGN: What was life like in Swissvale? PMC: It was interesting. It was smalltown life where everybody knows everybody. All your siblings went to school with all your friend’s siblings. A very blue-collar, mostly Irish and Italian community. I’m one of seven: five boys, two girls. I’m next to the youngest so my teachers had all my brothers and sisters before me. [Laughs.] My parents had already heard everything, so I couldn’t get away with a lot! It wasn’t an easy place for a gay or lesbian person to be out for a number of reasons. The time period when I started realizing that I was attracted to men was about the early ’70s and it was a lot different then — especially in a small town. We still have a lot of work to do now but, back then, things were really difficult. I lived in a mill town where guys were rough and tumble and didn’t take kindly to anything different. Their perception of a gay man was effeminate and flamboyant, so I had to hide that side of me and was never a “stereotypical” gay man. I was very much in the closet and did the whole dating girls, going to the prom with a date route. All the while, feeling conflicted inside. PGN: What did the folks do? PMC: My father was a port authority bus driver and my mother was a medical secretary. PGN: And seven kids? PMC: Yeah, well, Irish Catholic: What can I say? The folks down the street had 15 kids, three bedrooms and one bathroom. That’s just how it was.

PGN: I guess you’re good at sharing. PMC: [Laughs.] Yes! A lot of hand-medown clothes and secondhand toys. But the funny thing is we never knew we were poor. Everyone else was in the same boat, so it wasn’t like we stood out. Everyone started working at a young age to help out, whether it was a paper route or something else. I’ve pretty much had a job since I was 12. PGN: What was the worst job? PMC: I worked for the borough of Swissdale for a summer in sanitation. Hanging onto the back of a garbage truck for dear life and breathing in the stench of garbage at the height of the summer was not the most fun. PGN: That’s pretty macho work ... PMC: Yeah, I was able to fake it on occasion! PGN: What did you want to be when you grew up? PMC: I always knew I’d do well at sales. As a kid, I was always selling greeting cards, you know the ones you’d order from the back of the comic books — Olympic greeting cards. I sold Handy Andy tool sets, I’d shovel snow, any number of things. I was good with people. I enjoy people. PGN: And what do you do now? PMC: I’m the director of sales at the Trump Taj Mahal, which is a 2,025-room hotel with the most meeting space in Atlantic City — it’s a big conference property. I’m responsible for bringing in $5.3 million of revenue a year. PGN: I read that you’re the best at selling the city. PMC: Well, I believe that it’s important to sell A.C. as a destination city first and then our respective properties. Some salespeople focus solely on their own properties out of fear that if they mention their competition, they might lose that piece of business, but I have the opposite mindset. We have to get people excited about A.C. first and if that means letting them know about competitors, that’s OK. PGN: [Laughs.] Kind of like Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street” sending people to Gimbels. PMC: Yeah, it just makes sense. I’m also on the board of the Atlantic City LGBT Alliance and the education chair. In doing that, I try to come up with education topics that are going to be interesting and fun and that people will want to attend. That can be a challenge, but we’ve come up with some fun programs. We had a food and wine tasting event where I had a wine

expert come in and talk about pairing food and wine. The House of Blues sponsored the event and provided the food and one of our good partners, Merrill Lynch, sponsored the entertainment, so we had a live band. It was a very successful event. We also did a veterinary event. One of our members, Dr. Newkirk, has a veterinary practice and teaches holistic health for pets, so he did a seminar on what to feed your pet and how to read nutrition labels, etc. We made it fun with a dress-as-yourpet contest. Dr. Newkirk gave his presentation dressed as Daffy Duck and I came as my dog Ellie and we raised money for the Humane Society. You have to be creative to make the educational programs fun. PGN: Are you an animal person? PMC: Yeah, my Facebook picture is of me with Ellie. I’ve had cats, but I was always too busy to have a dog. Then my partner Larry retired and we were able to

PGN: He’s going to be hosting this year as well, isn’t he? PMC: Yes, he’s on the bill, as well as Martha Wash from the Weather Girls, who will perform at the pageant and also at the after-party at Pro Bar, which is the new gay bar at Resorts. PGN: Who was your least favorite? PMC: Hands-down Sheena Easton. In the late ’80s, I worked at Bally’s and she was here for an event. She had strict instructions that no one was supposed to talk to her or even look at her. One of the security guards who’d been a fan of hers made the mistake of saying, “I just wanted to say, I love your music,” while she was escorting her down. Easton flipped out on her. She started yelling, “Get her out of here! I told you I didn’t want anybody talking to me!” and really debased the woman in front of everybody. It was awful: She had the woman in tears. She was an obnoxious diva. PGN: I guess karma got her; she’s not doing anything now. PMC: She wasn’t doing all that much back then! She just had a big ego. PGN: So changing gears, what’s a historical event you wish you could have attended? PMC: The inauguration of President Obama. I’m a strong supporter.

PGN: Me too, hopefully we can go to his re-inauguration next January! What Olympic event would you compete in? PMC: Hmmn. This is really gay, but I’d want there to be an Olympic dance competition. I like watching “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” — which is my favorite. I think the kids just have so much crazy Godgiven talent: They’re amazPhoto: Trump Entertainment Resorts ing to watch. I can’t dance, get a dog. She is absolutely my child. so I’d have to learn first before I entered the dance Olympics, but it PGN: Working at the Taj, what’s a favorite would be fun! celebrity encounter? PMC: Oh, that’s tough. I’ve met Kenny PGN: Who would you want as a partner? Rogers: He’s very personable. We’ve had PMC: Charlize Theron. She’s absolutely a lot of good hosts for the Miss’d America stunning. Pageant — Suzanne Westenhoefer and Carson Kressley. They’re both very nice, PGN: What makes you blush? but I’ll have to go with Carson as my PMC: [Laughs.] It’s usually something favorite. stupid that I’ve said. PAGE 26

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

NIGHTLIFE PGN

King for a Day What was your holiday highlight this year? Without a doubt, mine was taking my husband to the Flyers/Rangers alumni game during the NHL Winter Classic weekend. Seeing Bernie Parent and Bobby Clarke take the ice with Eric Lindros and John LeClair was beyond amazing. My husband was at Bernie’s last game in 1979 (ironically, also against the Rangers) when he suffered the eye injury that ended his career, so it was really cool for my husband to be there for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you didn’t make any special holiday memories yet, don’t worry. With one more holiday coming up right around the corner, there’s still a chance to squeeze some memories in at one of these amazing upcoming events.

next superstar DJ. It’s Arouse’s first time at Landmark Americana and you’re going to love it. The venue has two bars and two dance floors and the kitchen will be open late for the party. A $7 cover gets you in before midnight or $10 after, with proceeds going to Equality PA. For more information, check out www. stimulusphilly.com or friend the organization on Facebook.

Barcrawlr

Ladies King Holiday Party Ladies 2000 throws its annual MLK Day party 3-9 p.m. Jan. 15 at Top Dog, 2310 Marlton Pike (aka Route 70) in Cherry Hill, N.J. Cover is only $10. Get there early for the $1 Power Hour, when all well drinks and domestic beer will be only $1 from 3-4 p.m. But don’t leave early because you’ll miss the complimentary hot buffet dinner! For more details, check out www.ladies2000.com.

Vixens & Vagabonds Don’t miss the Liberty City Jim Kings’ latest show, “Glitter Resistance,” 8 p.m. Jan. 7 at Kiley-Zufelt Tabu Sports Bar & Lounge, 200 S. 12th St. The doors open at Her HRC Philadelphia 8, the show starts at 9 and the after-show dance party starts at 11. Her HRC is a program designed to The cover charge for the show is $8 if gather women together in various cities you’re in drag or kink gear, $10 if not. over one weekend to build community and After 11 p.m., the cover goes down to $5. engage in the LGBT civil-rights movement While you’re there, don’t forget to pick with the Human Rights Campaign. Events up your 2012 Liberty City Kings calendar! will feature live entertainment, dance parties, stand-up comics and more. Copies are still available for only $10. Her HRC in Philly takes place at 10 For more information, check out libertyp.m. Jan. 15 at Sisters, 1320 Chancellor citykings on Facebook or www.libertycitykings.com. St. There will be a special guest performer, drink specials and a sizzling after-dance Queers on the Avenue party, all for only $10. The first Queers on the Avenue of the For more information, see www.hrc.org new year will be held from 7-10 p.m. Jan. or www.sistersnightclub.com. 14 at The Bottle Shop, E. 1837 Passyunk “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Battle of the Ave. Seasons Queers on the Avenue, or QOTA, is Can’t wait for the premiere of “RuPaul’s our monthly night out on East Passyunk, which some have nicknamed “Gayborhood Drag Race” season four? Me neither! So get yourself to the Battle of the South.” Seasons by 9 p.m. Jan. 20 at Voyeur There will be hundreds of beers to Nightclub, 1221 St. James St. It’s sure to choose from at The Bottle Shop for about $3 each, plus wine and cocktail specials. be a knock-down drag-out, with an emphaAnd since this is all going down on Second sis on the drag. The battle will star Bebe Zahara Benet Saturday, there will be lots of nearby art and Rebecca Glasscock from season one, openings and special events, many with complimentary snacks and drinks. Sahara Davenport and Pandora Boxx from For more details, friend QOTA on season two, Mimi Imfurst and Manila Facebook. Luzon from season three and new stars Phi Phi O’Hara and Sharon Needles from season four, which premieres Jan. 30. January Arouse Tickets are $25 for standing room in Instead of sugarplums, did you have visions of being a superstar DJ dancing in advance or $50 for VIP unreserved seating. your head over the holidays? If so, don’t Tickets are available online at Eventbrite. miss the upcoming Arouse, 10 p.m. Jan. 14 com. For more information and a link to at Landmark Americana, 3333 Market St. tickets, find RuPaul’s Drag Race Battle of Along with the usual hot dancers and the Seasons on Facebook. ■ amazing drink specials, the party will Questions, comments or news about feature its first-ever DJ Battle. Contact u p c o m i n g ev e n t s ? C o n t a c t J i m a t stimulusparty@gmail.com if you’re a DJ barcrawlr@gmail.com. and want your shot at becoming Stimulus’

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PORTRAIT from page 23

PGN: Biggest mishap on the job? PMC: Going way back, I was working at an Italian restaurant and they didn’t have a back of the house — you had to take dirty dishes all the way across the hall from the restaurant. During a peak hour, I was carrying an entire rack of glasses through the dining room and I caught my foot on a divot in the floor. A few-hundred glasses flew up in the air and came down with a giant crash and the entire room broke into applause. It was terrible; I’m still not sure why people do that! PGN: I think they’re trying to make the person feel better by making light of it. PMC: [Laughs.] I guess, but I was mortified! PGN: Worst Christmas present you ever received? PMC: I owned a home in Brigantine and my boyfriend at the time would come and stay with me. I had three bedrooms and, at times, he’d sleep in a separate room just to get a good night’s sleep. For Christmas one year, he bought me a sheet set for the bed he slept on! It was a little selfish and we broke up shortly thereafter. PGN: The best? PMC: With seven kids, we didn’t have a lot of money and didn’t get much throughout the year, but my parents always made sure to have lots of presents at Christmas. So coming down on Christmas morning,

we each had a pile of our own gifts. That was the best. PGN: How did you meet your partner Larry? PMC: We met on AOL South Jersey Man for Man. It gave new meaning to “You’ve Got Mail (Male).” He was from Pa. and I was living at the shore. We went on three dates and knew that there was something special. We’ve been together now for about 16 years. PGN: I didn’t even know AOL was doing that back then. PMC: Yeah, before that it was the personals in the PGN. You would write to a person to meet them. It was a bit slower! PGN: So let’s talk about the Miss’d America Pageant. PMC: It started at Studio Six back in the day when a lot of LGBT people worked behind the scenes on the Miss America Pageant or at the casinos and weren’t able to actually see the contest. So they started the Miss’d America Pageant for those who missed it. It was a fundraiser for the South Jersey AIDS Alliance and went on for approximately 14 years until Miss America left A.C. A few years ago, the Atlantic City LGBT Alliance decided we needed a signature event so we brought back the Miss’d Pageant and it’s been getting bigger every year. It’s now being held in Boardwalk Hall, where Miss America used to be held, so we’re on the same run-

way you watched for all those years on TV. Last year we raised more than $30,000 for charity and this year we hope to do even more. In addition to Carson Kressley and Martha Wash, we’re going to have “American Idol” [contestant] Erika Schiff performing, new lavish sets and some big production numbers, as well as the Miss’d America dancers and, of course, the fabulous contestants. PGN: What was a favorite moment with the pageant? PMC: The first year we brought it back, we had a pre-party before the contest. Everyone was so excited to be doing the pageant again and to be a part of bringing the LGBT community back to A.C., there was an incredible energy and excitement in the room. It was like a homecoming. People you hadn’t seen in years were all there, so it was like a big gay family reunion. PGN: For people like me who haven’t been to A.C. in a while, why should we come back? PMC: Atlantic City is resurging as an LGBT destination. The Resorts casino just opened a new gay bar, Pro Bar, where we are holding our after-party, and the casino community is actively marketing to the LGBT community. Pro Bar is the first fulltime gay bar at any large American casino and other venues are doing new things as well. Trump Taj Mahal had a “Fun and ‘Gay’mes” weekend with Gay Bingo

After Dark and a tea dance at the Casbah Nightclub and Tropicana did a gay night at Planet Rose, and a lot of casinos have been promoting commitment ceremonies since [civil unions were] legalized in N.J. The alliance has also been partnering with a lot of the businesses to do monthly mixers at different venues. It’s all coming along. PGN: You have some incredible drag performers: What’s your favorite drag name? PMC: There are some good ones, but Hedda Lettuce always makes me laugh. PGN: And what would be your drag name? PMC: Sparky Braddock. That would be the name of my first dog and the name of the first street I lived on. PGN: The motto for A.C. is “The City That’s Always Turned On.” What turns you on? PMC: Well, I love what I do and I love being here. Atlantic City has so many amenities and there’s always something to do day or night. And I love being by the ocean. It’s both beautiful and spiritual. I also truly find that the people in Atlantic City, both gay and straight, are incredible to be around. There’s an amazing caliber of people here from all walks of life and they’re all family to me. ■ To suggest a community member for “Professional Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

Worth Watching

A SECOND HELPING OF SHAME: Cameron Monaghan stars as gay character Ian Gallagher on the premiere of the new season of “Shameless,” a dramatic comedy about a working-class family with eight kids, who pretty much have to fend for themselves and each other, 9 p.m. Jan. 8 on Showtime.

A MAGICAL NIGHT: Daniel Radcliffe, known to moviegoers as Harry Potter, hosts a new episode of “Saturday Night Live” with musical guest Lane Del Rey, 11:30 p.m. Jan. 7 on NBC.

WITH A ‘BANG’: Kaley Cuoco, star of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory,” will host “People’s Choice Awards 2012” featuring performances by Faith Hill and Demi Lovato, 9 p.m. Jan. 11 on CBS. Photo: CBS/Monty Brinton

WHERE’S THE VODKA?: Inspired by the best-selling books from actress/ comedian Chelsea Handler, “Are You There Chelsea?” (the “vodka” conspicuously missing from the title ... network TV execs are weak!) follows the exploits of the 20-something Chelsea (played by Laura Prepon, “That ’70s Show”), an opinionated and unapologetic young woman who lives life to the fullest as a cocktail waitress, friend, daughter, sister and sexually dynamic advanced drinker, debuting 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11 on NBC. Photo: NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

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Q Puzzle Work It! Across

1. Posed for Annie Leibovitz 4. President without a first lady Buchanan 9. With it 12. Uncomfortable threesome 15. Hersey’s bell town 16. Crack fighter pilot 17. Male type 18 Big Easy festival 20. Photog Mapplethorpe 22. Amelie of tennis 23. Word used in dating

24. Cuts canines 25. Big top, e.g. 27. Dave Pallone, once 30. Chef Traci ___ Jardins 31. State where once two women could be in a marriage 32. Joint problem 34. Token taker 38. Erection, in slang 39. Survivor Richard 41. ___ about 42. Hose woes for drag queens 44. Choice for Hamlet 45. Bring down 46. Eclectic family mag 48. “Men Behaving Badly” writer Simon 49. Cries of sur-

prise 50. Lightweight recorder 54. “If I Were King of the Forest” singer 56. Like a good alibi 58. “Modern Family,” e.g. 61 .Thespian Miriam 63. Horny creature 64. Saucer pilots 65. Choir closet contents 66. Brief fight 67. “Look at Me, I’m Sandra ___” 68. Used brooms 69. In the distance

Down

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3. Main comic into bottoms? 4. Fruity spread 5. Gay video directory name 6. French Revolution figure 7. Invested 8. Affairs in the evening 9. Like rough trade 10. Start of Caesar’s boast 11. Cuban coins 13. Start of the motto of “Work It!” 14. “Nuts!” 19. More of the motto 21. More of the motto 25. Rubber ducky spots 26. Thames college 28. Zoo barrier

29. More of the motto 33. Frozen dessert chain 35. Old part of town 36. Valuable vein 37. He took a bow 40. End of the motto 43. Helps in a difficult situation 47. Candle material 50. Played charades 51. Fit to be tied 52. Viking-liking 53. “We’ll see” 55. Brings to light 57. Bottomless 59. Atop 60. Show bottom 62. Atlantic crosser of old PAGE 31

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 1/06 Beethoven’s Fifth The Philadelphia Orchestra performs 2 p.m. at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Half & Half Drag Show Brittany Lynn hosts an evening starring Misses Pinklewinkle, Aida Snatchwell, Tammy Faymous and Diana Dharling 10 p.m.3 a.m. at Raven Lounge, 1718 Sansom St.; 215840-3577.

Sat. 1/07 Piano Concert & Cocktail Reception The William Way

LGBT Community Center presents internationally acclaimed pianist Ching-Yun Hu, 8 p.m., 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220. Satisfaction: A Rolling Stones Experience The Rolling Stones tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-257-5808. Vixens & Vagabonds Queer & Kinky Cabaret: Glitter Resistance Liberty City Kings Drag & Burlesque presents the outrageous performance, 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675.

Sun. 1/08 The Lovesick Expo The wedding expo features an array of local talent and handcrafted and eco-friendly goods, appealing to independentminded couples, 11 a.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400. Vinyasa Yoga & Wine Tasting Enjoy a one-hour vinyasa yoga class, then a private tasting of awardwinning wines followed by a private tour, 11:30 a.m. at Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing; 215493-6500. Fiddler on the Roof The hit musical

film is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223. Edwin McCain The rock guitarist and singer performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Mon. 1/09 Groove Night Local musicians join forces to bring the R&B, soul, jazz and funk, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. First Person StorySlam Local spoken-word artists perform 8:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Get out of town. No, really, we mean it. Find deals both near and far, along with travel tips from Philly’s own Jeff Guaracino.

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Online and in print every third Friday of the month. Only in

ROCKING DELAWARE VALLEY: Give Richard Marx a little credit: He must have been really smart with his money back in the ’80s because you never see him doing reality TV shows or any other kinds of cheese to stay in the spotlight. He just performs. You can catch the singer-songwriter 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; and closer to town 8 p.m. Jan. 12 at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville. For more information, visit www.richardmarx.com.

Tue. 1/10 Unlabeled: The Acoustic/ Electric Open Mic for Up and Comers Sign up and play, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. The 2011 WitOut.net Philadelphia Comedy Awards Local comedy’s biggest night, maybe, 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. TuesGAY Nights Lyrics Lounge and DJ June Rodrigues hosts a weekly night of music and performers for the LGBT community, 8 p.m., 6527 Roosevelt Blvd.; 215-533-5888.

Wed. 1/11 4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. The Best of Philly Rising 2011 The annual event where the Best of

Philly Rising’s Open Mic winners battle it out for the top spot on the big stage, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Richard Marx The rock singer performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Thu. 1/12 Richard Marx: A Very Special Acoustic Performance The rock singer performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5808.

International Guitar Night Brian Gore, Adrian Legg, Lulo Reinhardt and Marco Pereira perform 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5808.

Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret The Philly cabaret troupe performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St.,

Friday the 13th Part VII The slasher film is screened 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Frankie Valli The singer performs 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215545-4511.

Fri. 1/13 Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven The alt-rock bands perform 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400.

DANCING ON THE CEILING: Catch the screening of the hit musical ﬁlm “Fiddler on the Roof” 2 p.m. Jan. 8 at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville. For more information, call 610-917-0223.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening

Continuing

The Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo The northeast’s premier pet and animal exposition, Jan. 13-15 at Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks; 484-754-3976.

Body Awareness The Wilma Theater presets a heartwarming comedy about a lesbian couple dealing with issues of sexuality and identity, through Feb. 5, 265 S. Broad St.; 215-546-7824.

I Love Being Me, Don’t You? Sandra Bernhard presents the Philadelphia premiere of her new show, Jan. 10-14 at Painted Bride Arts Center, 230 Vine St.; 215-925-9914.

Gypsy Tovah Feldshuh stars in the classic musical, through Jan. 15 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215-785-6664.

Member Artists’ Group Show Twenty-Two Gallery presents a grouping of 22 local artists’ work in a variety of media including oils, acrylics, sculpture, print work, mixed media and photography, 236 S. 22nd St.; 215-722-1911.

Jersey Boys The Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons hits the stage through Jan. 14 at Forrest Theater, 1114 Walnut St.; 215-923-1515.

LOCAL ARTISTS ITCHING TO PERFORM: Philadelphia Live Arts will launch “Scratch Night,” a monthly salon showcasing new works of dance, theater and cross-genre performances. The ﬁrst event features performances by playwrights Justin Jain and Jeffrey Stanley. Jain will present brief excerpts of his in-progress work “Bedtime Stories for Special Boys,” a theatrical piece exploring gay-male identity through personal narratives, children’s fairy tales and audience interaction. Stanley will present a portion of his 2011 Philly Fringe show “Beautiful Zion: A Book of the Dead,” an autobiographical solo comedy about alcoholism, family and contacting the dead that features a supernatural element and audience participation. Catch both shows 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Live Arts Studio, 919 N. Fifth St.; 215-413-9006.

Sibelius Second Symphony The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Jan. 12-14 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. SOLUTION from page 28

Motherhood: The Musical Society Hill Playhouse presents the musical comedy from the creators of “Menopause: The Musical,” through Feb. 29, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-9230211. Sound of Music Media Theater presents the musical through Jan. 15, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100.

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Time, Light, Chance The James Oliver Gallery presents Ron Johnson’s exhibition of oil paintings, through March 2, 723 Chestnut St., fourth floor; www.jamesolivergallery. com. Tristin Lowe: Under the Influence Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition debuting works from the Philadelphia artist, through Jan. 29, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of product designs by architect Hadid, who in 2004 became the first female recipient of the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize, through March 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

JERSEY BOY: Singer Frankie Valli takes his fans on a trip through his career of hits when he performs 9 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-317-1000.

Closing The King and I The Walnut Street Theater presents Rodgers Hair The peace and love-themed musical runs & Hammerstein’s classic musical through through Jan. 8 at the Academy of Music, Jan. 8, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Shen Yun The classical Chinese dance and orchesJohn Oliver The comedian from “The Daily Show” per- tral company performs through Jan. 8 at forms through Jan. 8 at Helium Comedy Merriam Theatre, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. ■ Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

REALPGN ESTATE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-8 p.m. MondayFriday; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331 ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; 215-898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday

and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; 126 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377

Key numbers

■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221

■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 1800-662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@mazzonicenter. org ■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

Health

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-629-2300. www.asiac.org Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; 12-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. 215851-1822 or 866-222-3871. www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a Web site where everyone is invited to sign up for e-mail notices for activities and events.; www.gppn.org.

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 267-216-6606; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288

Men of Color United A discussion/support group for gay and bisexual men of color meets 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday at 112 N. Broad St., 11th ﬂoor; 215-496-0330.

Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for 12-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladephia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia Region, holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities; 856857-9283; popnews19@yahoo. com.

Trans Evolutions A drop-in support group for anyone on the transgender spectrum meets 6-7 p.m. Thursdays at 21 S. 12th St, eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652 ext. 235. Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine Primary healthcare and specialized transgender services in a safe, professional, nonjudgemental environment, 809 Locust St.; 215-5630658. T-MAN People of color support group for transmen, FTMs, butches, studs, aggressives, bois, genderqueer and all female-born individuals with gender questions meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. Mondays, second ﬂoor, 1201 Locust St.; 215-834-9063; tmanphilly.com.

Men of Standard Provides a place for gay men of color 21 and older to share issues of concern. Meets 7-9 p.m. Thursdays at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St., Camden, N.J.; 856-963-2432.

Transhealth Programming Committee Meets 5 p.m.the second and last Sundays of the month at the William Way Center.

Philly Dads An association of gay and bisexual fathers supporting each other meets 7:30 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-668-5239.

Transhealth Information Project Sponsors a weekly drop-in center from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays at 21 S. 12th St., 10th ﬂoor; 215-568-2221.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Bucks County Meets 7:30 p.m. the ﬁrst Tuesday of the month at Penns Park United Methodist Church, 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-8005.

Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658.

■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals

Men’s Coming Out Group, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at The Pride Center of New Jersey; njwarrior@aol.com.

■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org.

■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370.

Men of All Colors Together Meets 7:30 p.m. the third Friday of the month, September through June, at the William Way Center; 610-277-6595; www.MACTPhila.org.

Parents/Families

available by appointment at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Ofﬁce Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-5869077.

Professional groups

Gay Married Men’s Association Meets 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays at the William Way Center; www.gammaphilly.com.

■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St..; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000.

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; (215) 6279090; www.galloplaw.org.

■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000

Men

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Chester County Meets 7 p.m. the ﬁrst Tuesday of the month at the Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester, 501 S. High St.; 484354-2448. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/ Collingswood, N.J. Meets 6:30-9 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at the Collingswood Public Library, 771 Haddon Ave.; 609202-4622; pﬂagcollingswood@yahoo. com. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Philadelphia Meets 2-5 p.m. the third Sunday of the month at the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 3907 Spruce St.; 215-572-1833. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Princeton, N.J. Meets 7:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month in the George Thomas Room at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St.; 609683-5155. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Wilmington, Del. Meets 7-9 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th St.; 302-6542995. Philadelphia Family Pride Advocacy, support and social network for LGBT families offers play groups, monthly kids and teen talk groups, activities and outings. Planning meetings held monthly; 215-600-2864; www.phillyfamilypride.org.

Transgender Health Action Coalition Peer trans health-advocacy organization; 215-732-1207; www. critpath.org/thac. WeXist FTM support group meets 6-8 p.m. second Friday of the month at the William Way Center; ﬁrst hour is open, second hour is for people assigned female at birth who have gender issues; 267-250-1548. Young, Trans, and Uniﬁed! Support group for transgender and questioning individuals ages 13-23 meets from 7-8:30 p.m. every Thursday at The Attic Youth Center; 215-5454331.

Women Hanging Out With Lesbians A group based in central Pennsylvania that organizes activities such as concerts, camping, golf, picnics, hikes, plays, game nights in nonsmoking environments; http://groups.yahoo. com/group/howlofpa. Lesbian Community of Delaware Valley Social group holds monthly meetings and activities for gay women of all ages in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties; P.O. Box 962, Phoenixville; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LCDV/; marichikogirl@yahoo.com. Lesbian Couples Dining Group of Montgomery County Meets monthly; 215-542-2899. Mt. Airy Lesbian Social Club For lesbians in the Philadelphia area ages 35-plus; www.meetup.com/ mtairylesbiansocial/. Queer Connections Social group for women in their 20s meets weekly; queerconnect@yahoo. com. Sistah 2 Sistah A social/support group for lesbian youth of color, ages 13-24. The group offers weekly social events,

open discusson and monthly movie/ discussions, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, 112 N. Broad St. third ﬂoor; 215-496-0330. Women Coming Out Support Group Women who consider themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning and are at any stage of the coming-out process are welcome. Ages 18 and over. Meets third Thursday of every month, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Pride Center of NJ.

Youth 40 Acres of Change Discussion group for teen and young adults meets 6-8 p.m. Thursdays at The COLOURS Organization Inc., 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215-496-0330. You’re Not Alone A group for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth that meets during the school year; sponsored by AIDS Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 315, Wilmington. Call 800-810-6776 for more details. HAVEN For GLBT, intersex, questioning, queer and allied youth ages 14-20; meets 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St., Bethlehem; 610-868-2153. HiTOPS A safe-space support program for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, meets 2:30-4:30 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays at 21 Wiggins St., Princeton, N.J.; 609683-5155; hitops.org. Main Line Youth Alliance Meets from 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-6881861; info@myaonline.org. Mountain Meadow For youth with GLBTQ parents. Monthly programs for ages 8-16, family programs and parent coffee groups. Residential program offered in August, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-7721107. Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center For ages 14-21; meets 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St.; 215-957-7981; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Social X Change Social activity group for LGBT youth of color ages 13-23 meets 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; 215-496-0330. Space to be Proud, Open, and Together Open to all LGBTQ queer youth and allies, ages 14-21, the SPOT meets Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Planned Parenthood of Chester County’s West Chester office, 8 S. Wayne St.; 610692-1770. Young, Trans, and Unified A support group for transgender and questioning youth ages 12-23 meets 7:15 p.m. Thursdays at The Attic Youth Center. Youth Making a Difference For GLBTQ African-American and Latino youth ages 14-24. Meets 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday at Camden AHEC, 514 Cooper St.; 856-963-2432.

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REALPGN ESTATE

Classifieds PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled substances. All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and ﬁnancing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any real-estate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law.

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Featured property: 1315 Irving St. This is a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind carriage home originally designed by Frank Furness and completely renovated in 2006 to blend modern-day aesthetics and urban living with classic architecture. Amazing chef’s kitchen with custom cabinetry and the ﬁnest appliances. Massive living room with towering solid cherry doors decorated with custom cast iron and sophisticated and rich ﬁnishes throughout. There are 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2 dens with a two-tiered roof deck, one car garage and a tax abatement until 2018.

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PAGE 47

Realtor: Travis Rodgers

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

REAL ESTATE

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REAL ESTATE

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Tioga County- 40 Wooded Acres only a short walk from State Forest land. Perc, township road frontage, Electric, perfect for cabin. $139,000. Owner ﬁnancing. 800-668-8679. _______________________________36-01

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12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. _______________________________35-52 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Studios & 1 Bedrooms - Call for Availability (215) 735-8050. _______________________________36-03 2 BR/2 FULL BA W/ FREE PARKING $1995/month 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath with Free gated secure parking. In the heart of the gayborhood at 11th and South 1 block from Whole Foods, and near 12th Street Gym. All new stainless steel appliances, including a front loading washer/dryer. Lots of space and a small terrace for outdoor space. Central Air and lots of closet space. Available 1/1. 215-292-5678. _______________________________35-51 STUDIO APT. WITH FREE PARKING $1200/month. All new Stainless Steel appliances with a gated secure parking spot, free laundry room, Huge shared rooftop deck, located at 12th and Fitzwater. 24 hour gym located in the building. Sauna and steamroom in the building. 215-292-5678. _______________________________35-51

ROOMMATES PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________35-52 Independence Place. GM to share 1 BR furn. condo. $900 incl. utils. Call 267-519-0091. _______________________________36-06

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

PGN

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Jan. 6-12, 2012

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