Philadelphia Gay News Woody’s owner indicted for tax fraud
PA courts to offer domesticpartner benefits
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Employees of Pennsylvania’s court system who are in same-sex relationships will now be entitled to the same benefits as their heterosexual married counterparts. The domestic-partner policy, announced Jan. 29 to all employees through a memo with their paystubs, will allow the partners of gay and lesbian staffers to be included on the medical, dental, vision and prescription-drug plans currently offered to married heterosexual couples. Art Heinz, communications coordinator at the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts, said the policy will apply only to same-sex partners of the employees and will not be offered to unmarried heterosexual couples. Support materials for those wishing to enroll in the program will be available shortly, Heinz said, and the program will officially open March 1. Heinz said the idea for the initiative originated within the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court has given this subject considerable review over a period of years and concluded that, as a matter of equity, providing these benefits was appropriate for same-sex couples,” Heinz said. “Same-sex couples are uniquely affected by their inability to obtain healthcare coverage, so this was something the court deemed to be appropriate.” Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffrey said a fellow judge first proposed the idea to him at a conference several years ago. “I thought about it and somebody in the city’s sanitation department, or any other city worker,
Vol. 34 No. 5
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2010
RAISING AWARENESS: Juliet Fink, director of education at Philadelphia FIGHT, addresses more than 120 representatives from over 30 local agencies during the AIDS Education Month — set for June — kickoff breakfast at the William Way LGBT Community Center on Jan. 26. FIGHT director Jane Shull gave the opening remarks and announced that efforts are underway to invite President Obama to speak at the AIDS Prevention Day Luncheon, the largest event of the month. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Local, national students debate marriage equality By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Dozens of students from across the country converged — in person and via videoconference — at the National Constitution Center last week for a discussion about marriage equality. The effort was the latest installment of the NCC’s Exchange, a program that allows youth to share ideas and opinions about constitutional issues. Student representatives of five schools in the Philadelphia area were onsite at the NCC for the Jan. 21 debate, with live video
feed from six other schools states including Virginia, Kentucky and California. The forum asked students: “Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?” It was met with affirmation from the majority of the students; of the 11 schools, nine were in favor of granting same-sex couples marriage rights, while two were opposed. Prior to the discussion, the students researched, debated and voted on the issue, examining the intricate constitutional questions raised by marriage-equality supporters and opponents. David Eisner, recently appointed president and CEO of the NCC,
The U.S. Attorney’s Office this week indicted Michael Weiss, the co-owner of Woody’s and the president of the board of Voyeur, on several counts of tax fraud, charging that he underreported more than $1.6 million in income from one of his other clubs. Weiss was charged with two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of aiding and abetting the preparation and filing of false tax returns and one count of corrupt endeavor to impede the due administration of the tax code, all in connection with his involvement with the Palmer Social Club, 601 Spring Garden St. If convicted, Weiss could face up to nine years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. The grand-jury indictment, filed Jan. 26, is the culmination of a five-year investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Patricia Hartman, spokesper-
son for the U.S. A t t o r n e y ’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, s a i d We i s s has not been arrested but will self-report PGN file photo for his initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in Courtroom 5A, 601 Market St., before Hon. Jan E. Dubois. Weiss did not return a call for comment. The indictment focuses on 2004 and 2005, when Weiss served as the principal operating officer and manager of the Palmer Social Club and was responsible for the club’s finances. Tom Bergstrom, an attorney for Weiss and the Palmer Social Club, said Weiss has not been directly involved with the club since 2002 or 2003, apart from supervising its books. See WEISS Page 6
See STUDENT DEBATE, Page 14
Lawmaker introduces antigay-marriage bill By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
About eight months after he pledged to introduce a bill that would institute a ban on samesex marriage in the state constitution, Pennsylvania Sen. John Eichelberger (R-30th Dist.) has See BENEFITS, Page 15 made good on his promise.
SB 707, which Eichelberger introduced Jan. 26, would add to the Pennsylvania Constitution the language: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid and recognized as marriage.” Eichelberger announced his intention to spearhead such an iniSee EICHELBERGER, Page 8
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Philadelphia FIGHT executive director Jane Shull (left) and Jeff Guaracino, vice president of communications at Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Campaign, present Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein with a $5,000 check from the Dr. Magnus Hirschfield Fund at OpenBAR, the kickoff event for Mazzoni’s legal department. The reception, held Jan. 21 at the Philadelphia Bar Association, marked the official transition of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania’s legal department to Mazzoni Center. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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News Briefing
Regional
Q hosts Haiti fundraiser
HELP FOR HAITI: Philadelphia Police Officers Marc and Joe Metellus (from left) and Jimmy Leocal, LGBT activist Jaci Adams, Officer Marc Moreau, Sgt. Rodney Poliard, Officer Ricardo Dameus, Spruce Street Video owner Franny Price and activist Fred Bostwick display some of the items that have been dropped off at the video store to benefit those injured in the earthquake in Haiti. A group of Haitian police officers initiated the donation drive in coordination with the Police Liaison Committee and is requesting crutches, canes and walkers that will be sent directly to the victims. Checks, made payable to Philadelphia Police Haitian Relief Fund, can also be left at the store. “It really was great to see all that came in, especially when you know it’s going straight to people who’ve been hurt,” Price said. The officers will stop by the store, at 252 S. 12th St., weekly to collect the donations. Photo: Scott A. Drake
City, community groups reevaluate parade costs By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Members of Philadelphia City Council met Monday with organizers of several local parades to analyze how to cut costs for the events. Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents, which stages the annual Pride parade, was not initially included in the meeting but attended anyway to prepare for any financial obstacles to this year’s event. Shortly before last summer’s parade, the city notified Price that she would not receive the parade permit until she paid more than $20,000 for police and clean-up costs. The city previously didn’t charge parade organizers such fees but, amid 2008’s budget crisis, instituted the new policy. Price agreed to augment last year’s parade route to cut down on the number of required officers, which resulted in the reduction of the fee to about $10,000. She said she heard about this week’s meeting through the news media and contacted Councilwoman Maria QuiñonesSánchez, who was facilitating the meeting on behalf of the organizers of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Her staff told Price she was welcome to attend. In addition to Quiñones-Sánchez, Councilmembers Bill Green, William Greenlee and Curtis Jones Jr. attended the meeting, which focused on the annual “ethnic” parades staged by the Irish, Italian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Greek and German communities. Maura Kennedy, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said the city hosts about 20
parades per year. This week’s discussion resulted in the city’s agreement that it would not charge parade organizers for police who were already on duty and reassigned to patrol the parade routes. According to the figures released at the briefing, the police and other city fees this year for the six ethnic parades are estimated to amount to nearly $112,000. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the most expensive: The 2010 estimate stands at $34,179.05, up from last year’s figure of $30,524.24. About half of last year’s charge went to pay 40 police officers assigned to the parade — the same number of officers the city initially said Pride needed, which Price said illustrates that the city didn’t fully evaluate its new policy before implementing it. “How does a parade like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is the second-largest parade in the city, is about 20 times the size of Pride in terms of people in the parade and at least three or four times the length, have to pay $30,000 and we were asked to pay $21,000?” Price posed. “Even if our fee this year is the same as last year, which was about half of the original, it still doesn’t add up. The city should have had surveyors at all of the parades before they started this last year to determine what people actually need instead of just throwing numbers out there.” Kennedy said there is no “standard formula” to determine the number of police required, but that the city evaluates such factors as the parade’s time, location, expected attendance and past policing needs.
Kennedy said parade organizers can make simple changes to their events to cut costs, citing last year’s Steuben Day Parade, a German-American festival held in the Northeast, as a success: The parade organizers reduced their fee after they shifted the event time up one hour so the start didn’t interfere with police-shift changes. “We are trying to work more diligently with community and parade organizers to make sure the costs are low for these events because they are important parts of the city and we want to make sure that they can still go on,” Kennedy said. Price said a representative of the Managing Director’s Office attended last year’s Pride parade to evaluate its policing and cleanup needs, and Price is planning to meet with the managing director in March to discuss the expected fee for this year. “This can’t wait until last-minute like it did last year,” she said. “Communication is really important and working well with the Managing Director’s Office is also important, so that we don’t find out a few days before the parade that we owe all this money. We need to know this up front.” Philly Pride Presents still owes the city about $5,000 for last year’s parade, according to Price. She said the organization will begin making payments toward that debt in March, once sponsorships for this year’s event begin to arrive. Pride organizers will meet in the coming months to evaluate possible fundraisers to defray the cost. This year’s Pride parade is scheduled for June 13. n Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
LGBT hot-spot Q will host “From City of Brotherly Love to Haiti,” a marathon fundraising party for the quake-ravaged country, from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Feb. 2 at the restaurant and bar, 1234 Locust St. The event will kick off with a happy hour from 6-8 p.m. with drink specials and hors d’oeuvres. The party will showcase a barrage of DJs, such as Sean Diaz, Del, Terrell Clark, Randy Flash, Venus 7, Niko and Glenn Thorton, and will also feature live performances from Tanja Dixon, Tony Enos and Mike Mesarati. There is a suggested donation of $5$10, with all proceeds from the event going to Medicine in Action, which is providing relief work to Haiti. For information, call (215) 732-1800.
Info session for Gay Games Team Philadelphia, the umbrella agency that unites local LGBT sports organizations, will host a meet-and-greet for local athletes interested in participating in this summer’s Gay Games at 1 p.m. Jan. 31 at Temple University’s McGonigle Hall, 1800 N. Broad St. Attendees can get more information about the upcoming games, which will take place July 31-Aug. 7 in Cologne, Germany, as well as mingle with Team Philadelphia members and supporters. The event will coincide with a competitive meet of Temple’s men’s gymnastics team, as well as the team’s alumni homecoming. T-shirts will be on sale to benefit the gymnastics team. For more information, e-mail info@teamphiladelphia.org.
Nominate your mom The COLOURS Organization is calling for nominations for outstanding mothers to be honored at this spring’s Philadelphia Black Gay Pride. PBGP honors one woman each year with the Mother’s Circle Award at its Legends Awards Ball, which will be held this year on April 24. The annual gala pays tribute to the “sheroes and heroes” of the local LGBT community of color. Those interested should write an essay of 500 words or less about their mother and how she has supported them as members of the LGBT community. Submissions should be e-mailed to Michael.Hinson.jr@gmail.com by noon March 8. For more information about PBGP, visit www.phillyblackpride.org. n — Jen Colletta
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Four elected to William Way board at annual meeting By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer T h e Wi l l i a m Wa y L G B T Community Center’s board held elections at its annual meeting Jan. 26 at 1315 Spruce St.
Board member Al Besse introduced three of the four candidates, Leon King 3rd, Matt O’Malley and Kristin Myers, and read their bios to the attendees. The fourth candidate, current board secretary Eric Ashton, was unable to attend
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the meeting. A Q&A session followed with the each of the candidates answering questions from the group before ballots were circulated, collected and counted. All four candidates were elected to the board for a two-year term. While ballots were being collected, the board meeting commenced with co-chair Emilie Carr reviewing the search process for a new executive. The center’s former director, ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg, left his position in November to relocate to Atlanta. Laurie Ward is serving as the center’s interim executive director. Carr announced the center has selected McCormack & Associates, a national executive search provider, to find suitable candidates for the position. Carr also cited the company’s work with organizations like Gay Men’s Health Crisis, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. In addition to Carr, Besse and King, the meeting was attended by co-chair David Michelson, treasurer Ann Butchart and atlarge members Deb Francesco, Stephanie Gross, Moira Mulroney and Christopher Pinto. Board members Joseph Dougherty, Liz
Reasey and Ted Greenberg did not attend. Director of center services Candice Thompson presented the program report, listing accomplishments in 2009 and goals for 2010. Accomplishments for last year included launching a nationally recognized archive exhibition with the United States Holocaust Museum and becoming a Service and Advocacy for LGBT Elders affiliate. Goals for the center include plans to launch a quarterly archive exhibition, create a program for organizations to borrow from the center’s permanent archive collection and expand the LGBT bookmobile services to include the Philadelphia Public School System. Butchart reported on the center’s finances. Last year’s Indigo Ball netted $115,000, which is the event’s best-ever total. Butchart attributed the figure to an anonymous donor who matched the event’s donations’ three to one. She also reported the center is still collecting money from the event’s silent auctions and solicitations. Butchart reported the occupancy at the center is about 90 percent. The center reported a total income of $80,125.34 for December, $7,269.34 over what was expected. The overage is attributed to individual giving
being higher than expected due to the William Way’s Transition Fund campaign, set up to get through the next six months while the center interviews executivedirector candidates. Expenses for December totaled $52,171, which was $7,090 less than anticipated. This was attributed to the executive-director vacancy: Personnel costs for the month were $27,133, against an anticipated $37, 073. Additionally, general operating expenses were $16,327 for December, $8,797 over budget, which includes Ward’s pay as a consultant as well as unexpected technology costs. Butchart said personnel expenses are expected to increase to $452,263 for fiscal year 2010, up from $352,283 in 2009 because of a 5-percent cost-of-living increase and because Goldenburg was underpaid as an executive director by $20,000 per year during his tenure. The center ended the month with a surplus of $27,954.03. For the year to date, the center’s income totaled $173,954, while year-to-date expenses totaled $147,045. For more information, visit www.waygay.org. n
WEISS
ment goes on to say that in 2005, Palmer had a gross income of $1,411,390.03, but only $641,409 was reported in that year’s 990, a difference of $768,981.03. Weiss signed both years’ 990s. Bergstrom said he contests the allegations that Weiss created two separate documents for both years and also took issue with the numbers included in the indictment. “We question the accuracy of the numbers that the government is alleging. We have a disagreement in terms of what they’re saying the gross receipts truly were,” he said. Bergstrom added that the more-than $1-million profit the government says the club actually brought in each year is inaccurate. “The Palmer Social Club is a nonprofit that is literally open only six hours a week — from midnight to 3 Friday and Saturday nights — so the numbers they’re reporting are just startling,” he said. “We’ll get there and work through it, but for right now, the
issue is really the accuracy of those numbers.” Voyeur also functions as a nonprofit social club under the name Mayfield Social Club, and Weiss and his brother Billy co-own the building that houses Voyeur. The brothers also co-own Woody’s, which they bought from previous owner Bill Wood in November 2006. The Weiss brothers previously owned Bump but sold the restaurant and bar — which has since been renamed Q — last summer. Bergstrom said Weiss does the “bookkeeping and banking for a number of other entities that he, his brother or his father own,” but added he has “no reason” to believe the other properties are also being investigated. Hartman said she could not comment on whether other businesses with which Weiss has been affiliated are being investigated or if other individuals could be implicated. n
From Page 1 When asked whether Weiss still oversees the club’s finances, Bergstrom said he’d “rather not go there for now.” According to the indictment, a club employee collected all bar receipts and cash generated each night and recorded the transactions on a “tally sheet,” then delivered the sheet and the money to Weiss’ home in a garbage bag. Weiss allegedly then used accounting program Quicken to create two separate documents — one with the actual gross income from that night’s business and another with an underreported figure. The indictment states that in 2004, Palmer Social Club brought in “approximately $1,411,373.55,” but the form 990, a tax form used by nonprofit organizations — which the club has been registered as since 1968 — reported a gross income of just $528,228, an understatement of $883,145.55. The indict-
Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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National
Media Trail
Congressmembers urge Obama to ‘do more’ regarding Uganda
Mich. candidate seeks fewer transgender rights
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer At a Congressional committee hearing last week on Uganda’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill, several witnesses urged President Obama to speak out against the measure, a sentiment already proffered earlier last week by dozens of Congressmembers. T h e To m L a n t o s H u m a n R i g h t s Commission heard testimony from a series of experts on African affairs and humanrights issues, all of whom enumerated the damaging consequences of the bill and offered recommendations for its defeat. “If President Obama and the First Lady can engage more with our first family, I think that would be very, very helpful,” testified the Rev. Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian priest and project director of Political Research Associates. The White House issued a statement last month that said the president was opposed to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, but Obama has yet to make a personal statement about the measure, which was introduced by Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati in October. Bahati’s bill would allow for life imprisonment for those who have consensual same-sex relations, the death penalty for sexually active HIV-positive individuals and imprisonment for up to three years for those who do not turn in LGBTs to police. Ninety members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Obama on Jan. 21, applauding his statement as well as remarks made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but stating they “strongly believe that the severity of this legislation requires that you do more,” noting that a similar initiative has also recently been undertaken in Rwanda. “We ask you to demonstrate your personal leadership, and that of our country, in seeking to deter these legislative proposals that would legalize hate in countries with which we have bilateral partnerships,” the letter read. The lawmakers urged Obama to speak out publicly against the measure, as well as to advocate for the decriminalization of homosexuality throughout the world and formulate a response should the bills in Uganda or Rwanda succeed. Local U.S. Reps. Bob Brady (D-1st Dist.), Joe Sestak (D-7th Dist.) and Mike Doyle (D-14th Dist.) signed on to the letter. A series of witnesses offered personal and professional testimony on the Uganda bill during the Jan. 22 hearing.
UGANDANS MARCH: Thousands of children demonstrated Jan. 22 against homosexuality in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The UN Special Rapporteur on Health, Anand Grover, warned last Friday that the AntiHomosexuality Bill being considered by the Ugandan Parliament is “not only a violation of the fundamental human rights of Ugandans, but will also undermine efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.” Homosexuality is already criminalized throughout Uganda. AP Photo: Stephen Wandera
Julius Kaggwa, of Uganda’s Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, testified about his own experiences with anti-LGBT sentiments in his country, describing how he was fired from his job and had his house set on fire when his orientation became public. Kaggwa said the number of anti-LGBT attacks has already begun to rise since the bill’s introduction, adding he’s confident its passage would “heighten the legislative and social harassment and persecution” of LGBT individuals. Christine Lubinski, director of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Center for Global Health Policy, spoke to the panel of legislators about the potential consequences the measure could have on the country’s efforts to fight HIV/AIDS.
She noted that Uganda, which has an HIV rate five times that of the United States, previously demonstrated “serious, high-level political leadership, a willingness to engage in straight talk about HIV-risk reduction and to mount a concerted condom-distribution campaign,” efforts she said could be fruitless if the legislation succeeds and continues to stigmatize the disease. More than 1,500 staffers at IDSA and the HIV Medicine Association signed on to a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni condemning the legislation. Last week, a dozen members of the U.S. Senate penned their own memo to Museveni, saying the passage of the measure would be a “glaring setback in Uganda’s humanrights standing.” “We understand you have recently raised concerns over the legislation and urge you to do everything within your power to block its advancement,” the senators wrote. Museveni recently cautioned the Ugandan Parliament to “go slow” on the bill, noting that it is a “foreign-policy issue.” Local U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter (D) and Bob Casey (D) did not sign the letter. Deputy Assistant Secretary Karl Wycoff, with the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, said during the hearing that the United States has been “very active” in relaying its disapproval of the bill to Ugandan leaders, but noted the administration wants to proceed cautiously so as not to break down relations between the two countries and possibly help propel the legislation forward. “Our interest is to be as effective as we can in ensuring this legislation doesn’t go anywhere,” Wycoff said. “We’re trying to calibrate what our approach is. We don’t want to do things that would be counterproductive.” Lubinski said the United States should not cut off funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda, as they function as “too much of a day-to-day lifeline for too many people. It seems like there’s significant other avenues to pursue.” Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, testified that Obama should take advantage of his reputation in Africa to enlist the support of countries surrounding Uganda in fighting against the bill. “President Obama’s stature in Africa is unparalleled,” Johnson said. “His voice carries great weight.” n Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn. com.
365gay.com reports a Michigan secretary-of-state candidate has included rolling back transgender rights on his agenda. Paul Scott, currently a Republican state representative, said in his announcement of candidacy for the position that he plans to reverse a policy that allows transgender individuals to change their gender on stateissued identification. The policy dates to 2005. At that time, the ACLU and Transgender Michigan worked with the Secretary of State’s office to ensure transgender individuals can change their gender on state ID cards.
Judge sets deadline in custody dispute The Washington Post reports a woman who vanished with her daughter has been given 30 days to resurface before a judge imposes sanctions. Rutland, Vt., Family Court Judge William Cohen found Lisa Miller in contempt of court on Jan. 22 after she failed to transfer custody of her 7-year-old daughter to Janet Jenkins, her former partner, on Jan. 1. Jenkins and Miller were joined in a civil union in 2000 in Vermont. The couple split in 2003, when Miller moved to Virginia to join an “ex-gay” ministry. Miller, the girl’s biological mother, was ordered to hand over custody to Jenkins, who is the girl’s adoptive mother, on Dec. 22. Custody was originally granted to Miller but the court granted Jenkins custody in November. Cohen said that if Miller did not appear in court by Feb. 23, he would consider harsher actions.
HRC lists best workplaces Advocate.com reports Boeing, AT&T and Harrah’s are three of the 305 companies on Human Rights Campaign’s annual list of best workplaces for LGBT people. The list, released Jan. 25, contains only businesses that scored 100 percent in the HRC’s 2010 Corporate Equality Index. “These companies’ actions constitute tangible, significant civil-rights progress,” said HRC president Joe Solmonese in a statement. “By mandating equal opportunity in hiring, ensuring equal compensation through medical and family benefits and promoting informed workforces and equal work places, these companies light the way for advances in state and federal law.” n — Larry Nichols
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
EICHELBERGER From Page 1 tiative last May, and Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) shortly thereafter introduced a measure that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage in the Keystone State. To amend the constitution, both chambers of the state legislature would have to pass the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment in two consecutive sessions before the question is posed to voters. “Pennsylvania voters have the opportunity to decide how they want marriage to be defined and not allow an activist judge to make that decision for them,” Eichelberger said in a statement Tuesday. “Thirty-one other states have already gone through a similar process and in each state, the definition of marriage was upheld.” The bill has 15 other cosponsors: Republican Sens. Gene Yaw (23rd Dist.), Joseph Scarnati (25th Dist.), Mike Folmer (48th Dist.), Robert Robbins (50th Dist.), Richard Alloway (33rd Dist.), Jake Corman (34th Dist.), John Gordner (27th Dist.), Donald White (41st Dist.), Edwin Erickson (26th Dist.), Jeffrey Piccola (15th Dist.), Bob Mensch (24th Dist.), Lloyd Smucker (13th Dist.) and Michael Brubaker (36th Dist.) and Democrats Richard Kasunic (32nd Dist.) and Raphael Musto (14th Dist.). Eichelberger said he expects the bill to be sent to the Judiciary Committee, where Leach’s measure presently sits. n
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JAN. 29 - 21 FEB. 4, 2008 2010 MARCH - 27,
Obituary
that the mayor of the Athens suburb of Kessariani has agreed to perform the ceremony. “I have no objection to celebrating this union so long as the law is respected,” Mayor Spyros Tzokas said. It is uncertain whether the government will recognize the marriage. The Greek government is preparingBy Jen to Colletta introduce civilPGN Staff Writer partnership legislation later this year, granting legal rights to unmarried couples. But, it has not said Gemencina Reed, one ifofsameThe sex couples be included. Attic Youthwould Center’s earliest sup-
PHILADELPHIA GAY GAY NEWS NEWS PHILADELPHIA Human Rights and Human Rights Watch are petitioning the Moroccan government for a fair trial for the men and to protect their right to privacy. The groups are asking supporters to show their opposition to Moroccan authorities by sending an e-mail to petitionmaroc@hrw.org.
built a cult following in Russia despite gaining just 1.9 percent of the audience share in February. MTV in Russia also shows “South Park,” but has yet to receive any criticism from the Protestant group.
mother and fatherdraw raised her and Cartoons where she married and had her Russian ire that place own son, and I think just grounded and centered her. It Protestant groupsand in she Moscow was her foundation, didn’t are trying to shut down a cartoon want to leave it.” channel claim it Friesenbecause said it wasthey that “extreme promotes homosexuality stubbornness” and strengthand of religious intolerance. character that pulled Reed through Channel 2x2 broadcasts Western several that befell her cartoons struggles like “South Park,” which family. some believe promotes “homosexual At age 30, she was diagnosed propaganda.” with Guillain-Barré Syndrome Vitaly Vlasenki, a spokesperson and was paralyzed for Council more than for The Consultative of atheyear, although she eventually Heads of Protestant Churches regained in Russia,most said movement. the group had sent “Mosttopeople who General get thatYury disa letter Prosecutor ease endonupMarch in a wheelchair Chaika 12 accusing and the network of often promoting “cruelty, eventually get pneumonia violence, homosexual propaganda, or infections and that’s the end, religious hatred and intolerance.” but Gemmy just wouldn’t put up Yekaterina head with that. She Doglosheveva, just wouldn’t accept of corporate affairs Prof-Media, that,” Friesen said.for “She just had dismissed criticism from the this fiercethe determination about religious group. her.” “The also Federal Culture and Reed witnessed the deaths Cinematography Agency may be of her husband, Charlie, and her able to control the activities of our only son, Skipper, who was in his channel, but the Protestants cannot,” 20s when he succumbed to a lifeDoglosheveva said. long heart condition. Channel 2x2, which also “Skipper “The was always on borbroadcasts Simpsons,” has rowed time and she never knew when he was going to go, but that was one of the hardest blows she was ever dealt when he died,” Friesen said. He added that Reed was determined to overcome such hardships. “She was so courageous. She fought back from Guillain-Barré, her husband died, her son died, but she never let it stop her. She never faltered,” Friesen said. “She kept going with what she believed in and that was helping others. It was an ordeal for her just to get up in the morning and put clothes on and get out the door, but she was one of the most dedicated workers in the field. She was a constant.” Friesen said Reed, who attained her bachelor’s degree from the Family Institute of Philadelphia and her master’s from Antioch University, began her community work in the early ’70s as a community liaison for a drug-treatment facility in West Philadelphia,
set forthatBerlin a position allowed her to tap
PAGE159 PAGE
Gemencina Reed, founding Attic board member, 79 Trans meeting
porters, died Jan. 9 of organ failure. She was 79. Gay jailed Reed, men an LGBT ally, was in one of the founding board members Morocco of the LGBT youth agency during itsThe inception in theAssociation mid-1990s and Moroccan for served on the board Human Rights, alonguntil with2006. Human CarrieWatch, Jacobs, has executive direc-a Rights launched tor of The Attic,thesaid she first petition following imprisonment met during college when of sixReed men for homosexuality. sheMoroccan workedpolice as anarrested internthe at men the Philadelphia in November Psychiatric 2007 after aCenter, video circulated onwas the an Internet showing where Reed employee. a Jacobs private said party Ksar-el-Kbir, sheinremained close Morocco, theafter pressshe claimed was with Reedthat and, decided a gay-marriage to launch Theceremony. Attic from what The ascountry’s penal projcode started an experimental criminalizes sexual conduct between ect during her doctoral work, she membersReed’s of the help. same sex. Despite enlisted the“She fact that video showed no was the a great ally. She evidence of sexual acts, the six men wanted to support youth, and she were convicted of committing “lewd wanted to support me,” Jacobs or unnatural acts with an individual said. to say at board of the “She same used sex” and sentenced to meetings all the time, ‘I knew between four and 10 months in Carrie prison. when The Attic was just a glimmer in her eye.’” The Moroccan Association for Reed’s longtime friend Victor Friesen said her background was a perfect match for The Attic. “She was asked to be part of The Attic when it was just starting up because they really needed somebody with strong community support and the smarts to help them along with it, and Gemmy had both of those things,” Friesen said. Reed was a native of West Philadelphia, and Friesen noted that she lived in the house in which she grew up at 42nd Street and Lancaster Avenue until the time of her death, something her friends continually pressured her about. “It was a pretty impoverished area, but she never wanted to leave it. We used to all tell her that that house was going to be the death of her, and there was going to be a fire or gas explosion or something, but it never happened. She was right and we were all wrong,” Friesen said. “That was where her
into her unwavering willfulness. It waswent announced March that “She out and just 14 browthe meeting of the European beatsecond community members into letTransgender willthere be held ting her haveCouncil programs and this year in Germany. looking for support,” Friesen said. Thewas relentless council, because comprised “She it was of Transgender Europe, something she believed in.” the Transgender Network Berlin and Reed continued to work as an TransInterQueer Berlin, will meet advocate a case May 2-4 in and Berlin. Their manager last event for various drug- in and substancewas held in Vienna 2005. abuse facilities infrom the international city for the Representatives next two decades, arriving in the activist groups and experts such as clinicalRights department city’s Human Watch of andthe Amnesty Community Behavioral in International are expectedHealth to attend 1996. Most recently, she served as the event and share their experiences a medication human rights and in the eld ofassistant-treatment liaison at CBH, a position transgender-related work. she held Thethis results the Study of her the until past of October, when Lives Transgender In failing of health preventedpeople her from Europe, working. conducted by Press for Change revealed, Jacobs(U.K.), said will The be Attic will which polled than 2,000 remember Reedmore for her “warmth transgender people. and incredibly giving and caring Berlin has a diverse transgender nature.” scene, Wigstoeckel Transgender “Sheand had such a huge personUnited is set to organize the city ality and, whether she knew it or council’s ofcial show and party for not, she was so funny,” Jacobs the event. � said. “She was a great supporter and a tremendous Larry Nichols canadvocate.” be reached at Friesen said that while Reed larry@epgn.com. might not have been considered a typical Attic supporter, her work on behalf of the agency was invaluable. “She was fearless. If she knew somebody had money, she’d go after them and try and cajole or wheedle money out of them for a certain project or program. I think she did more to raise money for The Attic than just about any other person on the board, and she was probably the least likely person to have done that. Just looking at her, she was just this really short, stout woman who would have been considered just a neighborhood oddity unless you knew her. She was a remarkable woman.” About 300 people attended a funeral for Reed on Jan. 16. Memorial contributions can be made in Reed’s name to The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. n Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Editorial Holy news Batman! Just when you think there might be a lull in LGBT news — bam! — breaking news all over the place. This week, there were three major stories that bubbled up: the indictment of businessman Michael Weiss, the introduction of a so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment” to the state constitution by Sen. John Eichelberger and the announcement of domestic-partner benefits for Pennsylvania Court employees. If the allegations against Weiss prove to be true — that he cooked the books at Palmer Social Club — the club manager/owner could spend up to nine years in prison and pay $750,000 in fines. Though it’s never a good idea to defraud Uncle Sam, it’s also unfortunate that the bad behavior of some can reflect poorly on the rest of the community. The news of the introduction of Eichelberger’s legislation, which he first threatened last May, is perturbing. The state already has a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. The federal government already has a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Eichelberger, a Republican elected in 2006, sits on the committees of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Communications and Technology; Finance; Game and Fisheries; and Local Government, of which he is chair. Interestingly, it seems that Eichelberger’s campaign was aided by Bob Guzzardi, whom you may remember as the former owner of 12th Street Gym, who divested his interest in the Gayborhood gym after LGBT activists protested his support of former Sen. Rick Santorum. Small world. Since he’s been in office, Eichelberger has signed on as cosponsor of a number of bills, such as SB 600, which provides for limited immunity for persons who sponsor farm-related tourism, e.g., hay rides and corn mazes. And he’s a cosponsor of SB 812, which seeks to limit campaign contributions by gaming employees. Both are still in committee. He’s introduced a handful of bills, including a ban on bonuses for employees of commonwealth agencies. In 2008, Eichelberger introduced a “conscientious objector” bill to allow healthcare providers to refuse to provide products, services and procedures they disagreed with, such as abortion, assisted reproduction and contraception. After these two news items, the announcement that the Pennsylvania Courts would be providing domestic-partner benefits to same-sex couples was the good news for the week. The decision to grant the benefits was unanimous, which shows progress at the state’s highest court. Thank goodness for small favors. n
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.
Glenn Lash (glennlash@yahoo.com)
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Hak-Shing William Tam You know what? If gay marriage is just a ploy to get child rape legalized, then to hell with it. Can I get an amen? No? OK, how about a WTF? This is one of the lunacy-based claims made by Hak-Shing William Tam, a defendant in the Proposition 8 lawsuit going on in California (the trial you’ve all been busy watching on television, right? Just kidding!). In a letter to Chinese-American church groups in California during the 2008 campaign, Tam wrote that once you let gay people marry each other, they’re going to go after kids next. “On their agenda list is: legalize having sex with children,” he wrote. In a Jan. 14 blog post responding to Tam’s claims, Dan Savage wrote: “Because, you see, once same-sex marriage is legal then, um, good people everywhere who oppose the rape of children ... will be too busy 1. reeling from the shock (good straight people) and 2. planning their bachelor/bachelorette parties and registering at Macy’s (good gay people) to stop those all powerful radical gay child-rape advocates from forcing the Legalize Child Rape Patriot Act through both houses of Congress.” Tam came to his bizarre conclu-
sion after reading online about a gayrights meeting from 1972 where gays supposedly set their radical agenda for world gay domination in motion. Antigay folks love to hold it up as “proof.” Granted, the majority of gays and lesbians have probably never read this document, but the contents of it are hardwired in the gay brain at birth. Or something. I don’t know, I’m not a geneticist. Personal experience also shaped Tam’s views. In his deposition, he said, “My daughter told me her classmates chose to become lesbians and experiment with it after they noticed that same-sex marriage; they think it is a cool thing.” Right. Nothing is cooler in junior high and high school than lesbianism. That’s why all the girls are dyking it out in an effort to become head cheerleader and homecoming queen. It’s just so easy to be gay in school. I feel sorry for all the straight girls who have to pretend, hanging posters of Melissa Etheridge in their lockers instead of Taylor Lautner. But that’s not all. He goes on to say, “They have some problem getting dates with boys, so same-sex marriage, since it is in the air, they
think, ‘Oh, why not try girls.’” Woah, there. First of all, girls aren’t a dish at a tapas bar, and samesex marriage isn’t H1N1. That’s just not how love, sex and relationships work. But, you know, thanks for playing. Tam also wrote in his letter that if gays could marry in California, “other states would fall into Satan’s hands.” Look, something tells me Satan doesn’t exactly have a state-by-state strategy here. He isn’t Karl Rove (or is he?). But Tam apparently wants to give a whole new meaning to the term “red state.” What’s most galling about Tam is that he’s trying to get out of the lawsuit, saying he wants to be dropped as a plaintiff because he doesn’t want his personal views to become publicized. Hmm. Something tells me he should have thought of that before sending that letter. n 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.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Mark My Words
Street Talk
Mark Segal
White teeth and presidential invitations “Law & Order,” the TV series in all its incarnations, is an enjoyable break from reality. Well done, but there is a flaw. This week, as I was sitting in the dentist’s chair waiting for my dentist, I saw a piece of equipment over in the corner called Zoom, I think, and when his assistant came in, I inquired what it was. She explained that it was a speedy way to whiten teeth. This led to a conversation on teeth whitening and I explained one of my pet peeves about TV, and even movies, which is best demonstrated by “Law & Order.” Ever notice that the street people and even the poorest characters on the show have great white teeth? In fact, everyone has bright, perfectly formed teeth. Since “Law & Order” is filmed in New York, are we to believe that the city’s residents have the best-kept teeth in the world? If so, these people have a hell of a health plan. Attention, President Obama. The point is that these are actors — should I say here, not real people? OK, all my friends who are actors are now angry with me, but hey, it wasn’t long ago that actors, when eating in a proper home, were asked to eat in the barn. I think the profession has improved over time, but again there is Paris Hilton. What is her profession, anyway?
PAGE 11
On a serious note, here’s the White House press release regarding the gay man who was on the Obamas’ guest list for Wednesday’s State of the Union address. Very interesting. Trevor Yager (Indianapolis, Ind.): Trevor Yager began his career in 1995 while in college by founding TrendyMinds, a full-service advertising/publicrelations firm. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Anderson University and went on to work with various motor sports sponsors, team owners and sanctioning bodies. Today, at TrendyMinds, Yager provides strategic planning, business development, marketing and technology guidance and support to various local, national and international clients. In 2009, the agency grew by more than 200 percent, doubled the number of employees and gained 15 new accounts. Yager credits President Obama’s welcoming climate for small businesses, including the many initiatives under the Recovery Act, for this success. He is also passionate about helping nonprofits and TrendyMinds is committed to giving back to the community by donating in-kind services to organizations throughout Indiana. Yager resides in Indianapolis with his partner of seven years, Tyler Murray. The two have recently started the process of adoption and look forward to adding a new member to their family. n Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.
Would you ever purposely out someone?
Angelo Ciurlino stock clerk Washington Square West
Jason Lyons lighting designer Manhattan
“Generally speaking, no. I can keep a secret. But if I found out about a politician who’s really giving gay people a hard time, I’d probably post the information on the Internet. I know gay people go through a lot. If I can lend a helping hand — fine.”
“No. That’s a slippery slope that I wouldn’t go down under any circumstances. It’s not my place to talk about someone else’s sexuality. I can’t think of any situation where I would make an exception.”
Gina Pierce art student South Philadelphia
Ryan Rumery sound designer Brooklyn
“No, I’m not the gossipy type. I don’t talk behind people’s backs. I prefer communicating faceto-face. If the situation involved a hypocritical politician — in that case, I might talk about it with friends. But I wouldn’t post anything on the Internet. That’s too intrusive for my style.”
“No. It would be bad karma. I would never want anyone to talk about my private life. I’d like to think I’d extend that same courtesy to others. I’m very guarded about my private life. That’s just my personality.”
Letters and Feedback In response to “Local club manager Michael Weiss indicted,” Jan. 26:
In response to “Obituary: Sterling Goode, Attic board member, 55,” Jan. 22-28:
Good! Lock him up and throw away the key!
This was my uncle, and this was a great article, and the world really lost someone special! Thanks for such a great article and taking the time to remember such a great person! Luv you always, Uncle Sterling!
— Center City Fun The Weiss brothers are a bunch of idiots. They never give back to the community, and their bars are filthy. I don’t support them and I’m glad they’re going under. — Jonathan Murphy I think we need to remember that the Weiss brothers do quite a bit for the community, they just don’t advertise it. Keep in mind the number of people in the community that they employ. Also, no matter how it looks, everyone is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. — Wilhem Francis
— Brenda25a Sterling was my classmate and good friend at Albright College. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He was fun and was liked by all. Rest well, my friend. — Regan Goldstein In response to “Local group collaborates with first online LGBT high school,” Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2009:
Dear Philadelphia, On Monday, Jan. 25, GLBTQ Online High School launches nationwide. This school has 13 highly credentialed teachers and a maximally flexible model for higher levels of user friendliness, communication and achievement. Educational Justice Coalition (EJC) has just enrolled and sponsored two students from funds donated by a local straight-identified professor. If you are interested in enrolling [or] know someone who hasn’t completed their high-school diploma, make a donation or join our other volunteer tutors with EJC’s Supportive Academic Services (SAS) program. Feel free to contact me at (215) 531-2986 or quincygreene@gmail.com. Quincy Greene, CEO Educational Justice Coalition
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 12
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On Being Well
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Robert Winn, M.D.
Hearts, flowers and good health With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this is a good time to make sure that hearts and flowers are the only “gifts” you give to your sexual partner(s) on this annual lover’s holiday. Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, if gone undetected and/or left untreated, can be the unwanted gift that keeps on giving. An STI (also referred to as an STD, or sexually transmitted disease) is any disease or infection passed from one person to another through sexual contact, such as vaginal, oral or anal sex. A few types of STDs, such as scabies and crabs, can be passed through close (skin-to-skin) contact or even prolonged exposure to infested bed linens, but for the most part, these types of infections are transmitted through sexual contact. Among some of the most common STDs are human papilloma virus (HPV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis. There are too many different
types of infections, each with their own symptoms, to go into in any depth here. Rashes, blisters, itching and redness in the genital areas can often be a sign of an infection but, depending on the particular disease, may appear early on and then go away, even though the infection itself has not. In fact, oftentimes no obvious symptoms develop, and many people who contract STDs are unaware that they, or their partners, are at risk. Lesbians in particular may be more at risk for having an STI go undetected. The reason for this can be traced to the way they access their healthcare. For many women, healthcare revolves around the need for contraception. Women frequently get their primary care through OB/GYNs or similar practitioners, who provide regular health-screening exams in addition to gynecological services. But for those women who don’t need contraception because of their sexual orientation, they may be less likely to receive recommended preventative care. Lesbians may also face other barriers accessing appropriate healthcare. For instance, they may not feel comfortable disclosing their sexuality to their doctors for fear of being judged. Many lesbians consider them-
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selves to be at low risk for sexually transmitted infections. But a higher number of female partners has been associated with increased risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV), herpes and HPV. Because they may view sex between women as a lowrisk activity, many women do not practice safer sex. While the idea of lesbian safer sex may be news to some, there are ways to improve most, if not all, sexual activity between women. The mechanics of many safer-sex acts between women are the same as those for other types of couples, including using barriers such as dental dams for oral-vaginal and oral-anal contact, using latex gloves when inserting fingers and using condoms on insertable sex toys, being sure to change condoms for each partner. Sexually active lesbians should be tested annually. This Valentine’s Day, give your sexual partner(s) — and yourself — the best gift imaginable: the gift of good health. n
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Work It Out
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
CONGREGATION BETH AHAVAH
Jared Carter
at Rodeph Shalom
A GLBT synagogue welcoming people of all gender and sexual identities since 1975
The real magic bullet: consistency Have you been as busy as I have lately? Sometimes it seems that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. You know you should exercise and you want to, yet it just never seems to get done. If you are like many of the people I know, you will exercise “when I can.” Lack of time is the biggest excuse people have for not exercising. While any exercise is better than nothing, consistent exercise will yield far greater results. I propose that you completely drop the idea of exercising “when I can” and start scheduling time for exercise. It may sound strange, but there’s infinitely more value in the phrase, “I’ll do that after my workout” rather than, “I’ll exercise if I have enough time.” First off, let’s get over the common obstacle that we all have: time. At least 90 percent of my clients have told me that the biggest reason they did not get results on their own was a lack of time. Whoever said exercise needed to take a long time? If you believe that you do not have enough time to work out, you are probably really saying, “I don’t have two hours to go to the gym and do something that I don’t like.” That’s OK. Start off with a workout that lasts about 10 minutes. That’s it, just 10 minutes. If you stop thinking that exercise has to take a long time, then you will see that the time obstacle no longer exists! We all exercise for different reasons. Some people want to lose fat, others want to get stronger and lots of people just want to be able to keep up with their kids. No matter what your goals are, they will be far better served by exercising consistently and often than by exercising every now and then. When I consult with new clients, I explain that how often they exercise will have a much larger impact on their results than how hard they work. I have developed a very basic formula to help my clients under-
stand how often they should exercise. If you exercise once per week, you will probably stay where you are and won’t see much improvement. Two exercise sessions each week will increase your fitness level, but slower than most people would want. Three times per week is ideal for most people. You can make improvements at a good pace, but you are not spending your life exercising. If you are exercising for health reasons, then working out often is even more important. Studies have shown that frequent exercise can effectively prevent and even reverse Type II diabetes. This is because exercise increases your body’s ability to utilize insulin, preventing the disease from progressing. There are many other conditions that can be improved through exercise, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and even clinical depression. While improving a medical condition is certainly a reason to exercise, it’s important to note that effects are only seen in frequent exercisers. To see an improvement, you need to exercise at least four times per week. That may seem like a lot of time to invest, but how much money are you spending every month
on medications? If your condition continues to progress as you age, what types of complications could develop? If you could pay $10,000 to avoid these situations, I’m sure you would. The good news is that you do not need to spend any money: Simply invest some of your time. Exercise may seem like a chore to you right now, but that’s OK. If you can just stick with it, you will soon develop the habit. Remember, you do not need to exercise very long for it to be beneficial. About 30 minutes at a time is good — even 10 will move you in the right direction. The key to getting the results you want is consistency. If you don’t do it, then you can’t reap the rewards. Compare exercise to your job: If you always show up late, waste time and go home early, will you get the big promotion you wanted? Of course not! Losing weight or being able to stop taking blood-pressure medication is like getting promoted at work. So stop making excuses. Find 10 minutes today and start by just going for a walk! n Jared Carter, CSCS, owner of Move Forward Fitness Personal Training, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 1508, can be reached at www. moveforwardfitness.com or at jared@moveforwardfitness.com. A Loving Family of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Catholics & our allies invites you to celebrate
Make a New Year’s Resolution “Attend Dignity Philadelphia”
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First Ba p t i st C h u r c h SERVICES: Wednesdays Noon time Sundays 11a.m.
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PAGE 13
JOIN US TWICE MONTHLY FOR SHABBAT SERVICES AT 8:00 PM Coffee, cake & conversation at the oneg following services
Winner of the 2009 Paddy and Barry Epstein Communicate! Award for innovative programming in a small congregation Friday, January 29, 7:30 PM. Beth Ahavah Tu Bishvat Seder. Please join us for this special service celebrating the New Year for the Trees. Delicious wine and fruits served to celebrate the New Year for the Trees!
Friday, February 12, 8:00 PM. Beth Ahavah Shabbat Services. Please join us for our monthly BA Shabbat Service followed by a sumptuous oneg (social hour).
Saturday, February 27, 7:30 PM. Purim Spiel and Party! Get ready to spin those groggers, down some hamen-
tashen and enjoy the BA Players’ annual Purim Spiel (play). This year it’s “Bye Bye Purim!” (based on the music of “Bye Bye Birdie!”) Party to follow afterwards! Friday, March 12, 8:00 PM. Beth Ahavah Shabbat Services. Please join us for our monthly BA Shabbat Service followed by a sumptuous oneg (social hour).
Beth Ahavah and Rodeph Shalom are affiliated in spirit and share a sacred home. In July 2007 Beth Ahavah affiliated with Rodeph Shalom. Beth Ahavah retains its congregational status within the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and proudly offers its congregation dual membership at both synagogues. 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.
Gay is our middle name.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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STUDENT DEBATE From Page 1 said the Exchange enables students to learn more about the Constitution by looking at it through the lens of realistic, everyday issues. “I think it’s incredibly important for high-school students to understand the most important issues that we’re facing in society in order that they can become full participants in a civic dialogue,” Eisner said. “The Constitution Center does not do its best when we are burnishing the halos of our founding fathers; we’re at our best when we’re talking
about the real issues that require us to focus on the Constitution today. Having to wrestle with the issues we face in the present day is a much more important part of understanding the relevance of the Constitution than simply understanding its founding.” The conversation was hosted by SuChin Pak, correspondent for MTV News and Planet Green Network, and moderated by Dr. Michael Hogan, co-director of the Center for Democratic Deliberation of Pennsylvania State University. The pair guided the students through the discussion, focusing on such topics as whether the issue should be
addressed in the legislative or judicial branch, the relevance of religion in the debate, the impact of same-sex marriage on public and private institutions and the implications of marriage equality on both heterosexual and same-sex couples. Greg Pezza, a social-studies teacher at Lower Moreland High School in Huntingdon Valley, worked with students in the school’s mentally gifted program to prepare them for the discussion and said, while most favored marriage equality, the event provided them a rare opportunity to discuss LGBT issues in an educational setting.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
“This is a touchy subject, but in high schools today, students confront this every single day. They see it every day, they have friends who are gay and lesbian,” Pezza said. “And even if they’re against it, I think this gives them the opportunity to articulate their views and understand the legalities and longterm implications of it and have an educated conversation. The more we shelter them, the more likely they are to not have a firm understanding of the issue.” Many of the students demonstrated a thorough understanding of the arguments both for and against marriage equality,
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as well as those concerning the U.S. Constitution — with some pulling out pocket copies of the document for reference during the discussion. Of the six students who represented the five local schools at the NCC, only one teen was opposed to marriage equality, which she said was based on moral obligations. Students from Menifee County High School in Frenchburg, Ky., unanimously disapproved of marriage equality, with the teens citing their religious upbringing, as well as the notion that legalizing same-sex marriage will encourage those in heterosexual marriages to divorce. Hannah Feldman, who represented Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia and advocated for marriage equality, said the forum exposed her to perspectives she rarely encounters, which she saw as a unique learning experience. “In my school, there’s not really diverse opinions about this; we’re very much urban and liberal,” Feldman said. “So it was really interesting to hear from different people, especially the school in Kentucky, on the other side of the issue. I don’t hear that point of view often at all.” Hogan noted that the school in Kentucky illustrated to the majority of the students who favored marriage equality that, while most young people share their view, it’s not universal. “One of the things we tried to do is expose students to the idea that students in other parts of the country may think very differently than them, and we definitely saw that with the kids in Kentucky,” Hogan said. “But the polls all say that in general the younger generation is much more tolerant and open to gay issues than older people, so it’s just a matter of time before these kids make up the majority.” Pak said she was impressed at how professional the students remained throughout the discussion. “I was nervous coming into it about how the students would treat one another because it’s such a controversial issue and it is mixed with religion often,” she said. “But considering the topic, they were very, very respectful. They stood firm on what they believed, but they let each other speak, and we saw a good mix of views.” n Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
BENEFITS From Page 1 has access to medical coverage for their same-sex partners, but a judge does not, and that struck me as odd,” he said. “So I went back and spoke with my colleagues about that and we embarked on about 18 months of dialogue and research and come to a unanimous decision that this was an equalrights issue that needed to be addressed immediately.” The policy will be open to all judges in the state, as well as their staffers who are on the state payroll. Heinz said there are just over 1,000 elected officials in the state, as well as nearly 1,000 staffers who’d be eligible, but said there was no estimate on how many LGBT individuals may take advantage of the policy. “We expect it to be a small number, but we’re obviously unable to
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
know definitely,” Heinz said. Although some of the judicial staffers are paid by their city governments, and not the state, city workers in Philadelphia are eligible for domestic-partner benefits. Heinz declined to predict how much implementation of the policy would cost, but one cost estimate by another court official put the price tag at less than $50,000. McCaffrey concurred that the cost should be minimal, but said finances did not play a large role in the Supreme Court’s decision. “There were some numbers thrown back and forth, but we didn’t feel it was going to be a big number,” the justice said. “We of course don’t know the number of people who are going to use this, but as I said to my colleagues, when the U.S. Supreme Court was deciding ‘Brown v. Board of Education,’ never once did the issue of money come up.
It was about equality, fairness, equal rights. And that’s what we focused on.” Employees and their partners must meet a number of criteria to qualify for the program. The couple must have lived at the same residence and been in a relationship for more than six months, be responsible for shared living expenses and pro-
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vide proof of financial interdependence. The employee and his or her partner must not be related to one another, nor in a domestic partnership or marriage with any other person. Similar policies have only been instituted in a handful of state court systems, including California and Illinois. Last May, the Pennsylvania
Employees Benefit Trust Fund instituted a domestic-partner policy, which is open to both sameand opposite-sex couples, for about 140,000 current and retired state employees, but the fund does not oversee judicial employees’ benefits. n Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
International News Malawi activists receive anonymous donation
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An unidentified gay-rights group in the Netherlands has given its Malawian counterpart $21,000 to increase visibility and activist efforts. The move comes as a Malawian couple is on trial for public indecency and holding a marriage ceremony on Dec. 26. “We want to have a powerful movement which will enable us to get settled in the country,” said an official with the Malawi Gay Movement. “We want to be recognized just as any other social group. Currently, it is threatening in the country to come out and say you are gay, just like what hap-
Larry Nichols
pens to our friends.” According to Africa News, the group will also use the money to help the couple with legal fees. “They are our friends and groundbreakers; they have done us proud and we cannot leave them,” an unnamed official from the group said. The organization is considering lobbying Malawi’s government to legalize gay marriage. However, Information Minister Leckford Thotho said the government would fight any effort for recognition of gay relationships.
Arrests made at Manila gay club A police raid on a gay bar in Manila led to the arrest of more than 20 people, including 14 male
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strippers who were taken into custody for allegedly performing sex acts on stage and for working without a permit. Police said the arrests were prompted by information they received from the producers of an investigative news program. Police Chief Inspector Marcelo Reyes said the video was secretly recorded at the club and showed male dancers performing nude. In one video, male dancers were performing sex acts on each other in front of a crowd. Police also arrested five comedy impersonators and performers, a cashier and two waiters. During the raid, police said, none of the workers were able to provide proper permits and that the club was operating without a license.
Gym owner sorry for ‘soy makes you gay’ claim The owner of a chain of gyms in New Zealand has apologized for an e-mail newsletter claiming that drinking soymilk makes men gay. The newsletter from Club Physical linked to an article by conservative American writer Jim Rutz that said use of soy products is “feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality.” Paul Richards, chief executive of Club Physical, told GayNZ.com he had hoped to drum up some rare feedback from the newsletter. He said he usually included a link to a health-food article. “I have written this newsletter every week for over five years and there is hardly ever any feedback,” he said. “I was on a tight deadline and in the back of my mind I realized it might provoke comment. I’m afraid I didn’t put enough thought into it.” Auckland gym member John Kingi, a gay man who is also the treasurer of an LGBT support group, did not find the article intriguing. Kingi has led the charge against the gym, saying its motto is hypocritical. “Although they claim the gyms are ‘A Place Where You Belong,’ this clearly doesn’t apply to GLBT people,” he said. Richards later told Radio New Zealand that anyone who canceled their membership because of the
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newsletter was small-minded.
Culture chief gets hate mail over gay Bible exhibition Glasgow’s museums and art czar says she has received harassment and hate mail after an exhibition on homosexuality and the Bible. Dr. Bridget McConnell, head of the city’s Culture and Sport Glasgow organization, said Christian groups subjected her to a “personal witch hunt” for allowing the art to be shown. Part of the July exhibition involved a Bible placed on a stand with pens for visitors to write in it. A message said: “If you feel you have been excluded from the Bible, please write your way back into it.” The work was intended to encourage visitors, especially gays and lesbians, to contribute. However, some visitors scrawled obscenities in it, forcing the museum to place it behind glass. McConnell claims she and her staff have since been subjected to a campaign of harassment and intimidation by Christians with almost 2,000 letters, e-mails and phone calls attacking her and complaining about the exhibition, along with personal visits to her office. Christian groups have been
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
picketing her office, calling her to repent, and one Web site set up by Christian Watch calls for her to be removed from her job. “What is deeply worrying is the fact that those who are protesting are not simply interested in expressing a difference of opinion — which they are entitled to — but want to silence those they do not agree with,” McConnell said. “The menace, intimidation and misogyny expressed in a great deal of the correspondence is deeply worrying.”
Pastor shows press gay porn Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa showed graphic gay porn at a press conference last week in an effort to prove why the country’s antihomosexuality bill is necessary. Ssempa “plumbed the depths of notoriety” by showing the clips, the Ugandan Daily Monitor reported. According to the newspaper, many of his audience members at Tuesday’s event chose to walk out, missing Ssempa’s planned “ex-gay” presentation. He had recruited two Ugandans, a man and a woman, to say they had once been gay but had been successfully rehabilitated. One, Paul Kagaba, is now married to a woman, while the other, 19-year-old Sandrah Baggotte, said her newborn baby is proof she
is Together no longerWe gay.Can, a discussion group people added: dealing “The with The for newspaper emotional, andwith addictive room was mental decorated colproblems, will meet at 7 p.m. at The orful antigay posters, including
one that said: ‘Bahati Bill Made Trans-Health Information in The Uganda for Ugandans.” Project holdwho a drop-in The will cleric, let hiscenter two for all trans frompress 7-11conp.m. young sonspersons attend the oor; ference, said the boys were free to make their own statements The Humboldt Society, a gay and against homosexuality. “They lesbian naturalist club, will meet represent those we need to proat 7:30 p.m. at the William Way tect ... We are giving a red card to Ties sodomy.’” That Bind Us, a 12-step The paper called Ssempa’s conduct “a profound attempt to keep the antigay debate alive after President Museveni expressed opposition to Ndorwa West MP Bahati’s proposal of death or life imprisonment for gay sex.” Ssempa said he believes homosexuality can be cured and that some gays are actively “recruiting” others to homosexuality. The anti-homosexuality bill would punish some gay offenses with execution, while others, including not informing police of homosexual activity, would lead to imprisonment. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said in recent weeks that the bill may have an effect on Uganda’s foreign relationships and the bill’s sponsor, David Bahati, suggested he may amend some parts. n Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Christopher Rice: The writing and the wall
DDetour etour A departure from the ordinary By Larry Nichols PGN Staff Writer Bestselling gay author Christopher Rice will be in town Jan. 30 to host a reading from his soon-to-be-released new novel, rub elbows with and sign autographs for his fans and, most importantly, host a benefit for Giovanni’s Room’s repair efforts for the long-established bookstore’s front wall. Since his first novel debuted in 2000, the 31-year-old son of superstar horror novelist Anne Rice has carved out a niche of his own in the literary world, developing a dedicated following with his noirish thrillers featuring gay characters. His second novel, “The Snow Garden,” even won a Lambda Literary Award for best gay men’s mystery novel in 2003. With the hotly anticipated “The Moonlit Earth,” due out in April, and a contribution to the upcoming anthology “Men to Men: New Voices in Gay Fiction” on the horizon, Rice talked to PGN about his success
and the importance of supporting LGBT bookstores and authors in an industry that grows smaller every year. PGN: How important are LGBT bookstores like Giovanni’s Room to you as an author and a consumer? CR: They’re important to me as a person. I think that [gay bookstores] are community outposts. They’re a place for dialogue in the gay community that is not explicitly about the sale and consumption of alcohol or specifically about the pursuit of sex — although any place can be that if the right people go. I think that they are a safe place for young people to go to and gather. Nothing on the Internet has replaced them in any of those capacities. It’s very painful to me that we are losing them. I was devastated by the loss of A Different Light in West Hollywood. I live in one of the most famous gay communities in the world and we do not have a gay bookstore anymore. That just boggles the mind. From a marketing perspective, I
think authors need to go and be involved in promoting themselves wherever their books are sold, but I have felt a community responsibility to these stores. One of the largest events I ever did was at Giovanni’s Room to promote my second novel, “The Snow Garden.” PGN: Many of your novels are set in high schools, colleges or within the military — places that can be difficult or hostile for LGBT individuals. Is that social commentary or just the makings of a good thriller? CR: It’s the making of a good thriller above all else. There’s a social-commentary element to it, but as a writer I’m drawn to gay characters and conflict. So I go to locations where they face the most adversity. “The Moonlit Earth” is my first book that isn’t focused on one of those environments. It is focused on characters who are struggling with their sexuality as an identity, specifically as an identity that limits their financial opportunities in life.
There’s a closeted Saudi character that is afraid of coming out of the closet because of being cut off financially by his family. The earlier books I did were focused on sexual behavior and there’s less of an emphasis now as I go on because I got a little tired of it. I‘ve always been intrigued by how gay characters try to reckon not just with life inside a gay space or “ghetto,” but how they reckon with the larger world, whether it be defined by the homophobia they experience or the unattainable straight guy they lust after. I’m interested in gay people trying to function in a larger society and sometimes not doing that well. PGN: When writing a new novel, do you feel like you have to live up to the expectations of your fans? CR: I’m very blessed because my core group of fans are very loyal. They have recognized that there has been a progression in the books. When you get published at the age of 21, what you write at 31 is
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Gay bestseller to host benefit for Giovanni’s Room going to be different and, hopefully, the quality will have improved. The themes are going to grow and evolve with the author. The scary thing is wondering whether or not the readers are going to go with you and, for the most part, they have. They post a lot of lovely comments on my Facebook page that I go and read when I’m feeling down about my own work. I think becoming too wedded to what anyone expects out of you is death for an author creatively. What’s really important to me is writing the book that I want to read, and that’s what I set out to do every time. PGN: As a bestselling author, do you ever get offers to adapt your works for television or film, and is that something that appeals to you? CR: It is something that I’m interested in but it is not something that I’m willing to devote my entire life to try and make happen. It’s a different business. It works in a different way. I live out here so I see how it works. It is not easy to break into. My attitude is, if it happens, it happens. I came out here hoping that it would happen and when it didn’t happen right away, I chose to focus on the novels. I think that the pressure comes from popular culture these days. There’s been such a devaluation of authorship and literature that there’s this presumption that your book really isn’t worth anything unless it’s made into a movie. In response to that, I would point to the really bad adaptations of good books year after year after year. It’s a tough game, and I made a decision to place the books prominently in my life and to say it was enough that I was writing this book, even if I wasn’t making half as much money as the writers for TV and
film do. PGN: Some critics described your earlier works as “gothic.” Do you think that is a fair description? CR: Sure. I think it startled me because at the time I didn’t really have a conception of what gothic meant. I knew that mom’s vampires were considered gothic and I thought that because the books were contemporary, they would not be labeled as such. So when they were, I was taken aback. But I realize that gothic has a more expansive definition than I ever gave it credit for and it’s a comment on the emotional tone of the books, a sort of heavy emphasis on seductive setting combined with a sense of constant menace. That’s what defined the first two novels. Then there was a major shift for me. I moved into more noir novels because I had moved out to L.A. and I was interested in finding what the literary voice of this part of the country was.
ity that they’ve done it because they feel the quality is rather poor. Mostly what is being put in front of them are “bodice rippers” or erotica. So it’s a fight that I don’t know how to win. What I can say with certainty is that LGBT authors who are trying to break into the market are facing the same thing everyone else is facing: an industry that is in the grip of a massive, terrifying transition. Nobody knows what is going to happen. What we know is the current model for selling books may not be working anymore. I wish I could offer a ray of light on the horizon. I think there is one, but we don’t know what it’s going to be yet. PGN: Are there any genres of writing in which you think LGBT characters and authors are underrepresented? CR: I think that LGBT characters are underrepresented in the genre that I work
in, the thriller-and-mystery genre. I think that there are a lot of us writing out there but I would like to see more of us getting some mainstream acceptance. It’s important for us to take our place at the table. What’s most interesting to me has been the developments in gay romance, the recent trend toward gay-romance novels that aren’t necessarily erotica, and watching how we take to that genre. ■ Rice will preview “The Moonlit Earth” at a cocktail party and reading from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Plastic Club, 247 S. Camac St. Space is expected to be limited. Reservations can be made at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St., or by calling (215) 923-2960. For more information on Rice, visit www.christopherricebooks.com. Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.
PGN: Having contributed to the upcoming book “Men to Men: New Voices in Gay Fiction,” what do you think are some of the biggest obstacles facing new and undiscovered LGBT authors? CR: There are the same obstacles that face everyone trying to break into this industry right now. There’s a particular prejudice, but that particular prejudice comes from the fact that the market for LGBT books isn’t what it once was. I have good friends who are writers and publishers who believe that gay people are not forming a potent segment of the book-buying public. Gay men are early adopters who are more technology driven, who for the most part are turning their backs on books. Now I have met a bunch of gay men who will say with great hostil-
AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER RICE Photo: Toky Photography
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Jewish director and film grace area theaters By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor Local filmgoers have two upcoming opportunities to see worthwhile gay-directed movies, both of which explore themes of identity and Judaism. This weekend, Theatre N in Wilmington, Del., presents the area premiere of gay filmmaker André Téchiné’s absorbing new movie, “The Girl on the Train.” Based on a true story, this drama concerns Jeanne (Emilie Dequenne), a free spirit who is out of work and in debt. While her mom (Catherine Deneuve) wants Jeanne to get a job with Jewish lawyer Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc), Jeanne prefers to work as a caretaker at an electronics store with Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle), a hunky wrestler who woos her. However, a violent incident at the store changes everything for Jeanne and Franck and prompts her to do something drastic. To reveal what Jeanne does might spoil some of the film’s drama, but Téchiné does this anyway — perhaps because the case is so well-known in France. Jeanne draws swastikas on her torso, cuts her arm, neck and face and goes to the police claiming to have been attacked by six men on the train. She explains that, although she is not Jewish, it was a hate crime — the criminals were motivated by the fact that she was carrying Samuel’s business card. She is, of course, lying, but a media uproar results and Samuel himself becomes involved in handling Jeanne’s case. “The Girl on the Train” is mes-
merizing as it depicts the circumstances and consequences of Jeanne’s act. Téchiné allows the issues of class, race/ethnicity and identity to ricochet as audiences draw their own conclusions from what’s presented to determine why Jeanne acted out in this particular way, and what she hoped to achieve from her actions. Téchiné elicits outstanding performances from his excellent ensemble cast, especially the lead actresses, who rise to the challenges of their complex, meaty roles. Deneuve is extraordinary as Louise, able to express her deep concerns and troubles through the simplest facial expression. Watch her size up Franck at a dinner one evening; she is appropriately wary of this would-be-charming man. When she makes plans to meet Samuel for a concert one evening, her face conveys her delicate emotional state beautifully as she has second thoughts. Likewise, Dequenne makes Jeanne more than just a cipher or symbol. A fragile, slightly lost young woman, she is pulled by her emotions and unable to think beyond her immediate situation. Dequenne captures her selfishness and insensitivity perfectly. Téchiné never judges his characters in “The Girl on the Train,” and this is perhaps the film’s greatest strength. He leaves audiences to decide for themselves about the issues of guilt and responsibility. On Feb. 14, the Israeli Film Festival will screen “Eyes Wide Open” at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. A thoughtful and at times potent
melodrama, “Eyes Wide Open” is distinguished for addressing the emotional and moral responses toward homosexuality within Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox community. Aaron (Zohar Strauss) is a kosher butcher and father of four who is married to Rivka (Ravit “Tinkerbell” Rozen). During a rainstorm, Ezri (Ran Danker), a Yeshiva student, enters his shop to use the phone. Soon, Aaron offers Ezri a job and a place to live. Ezri, it is revealed, is grappling with a lover rejecting him for his studies. Meanwhile, Aaron is silently struggling with his sexual identity. When Ezri coaxes Aaron to join him in a bath at an immersion spring, Aaron’s same-sex desires are awakened. And although the butcher insists that resisting lust will bring them closer to God, a few scenes later, the men are kissing and embracing passionately in the shop’s freezer. “Eyes Wide Open” shrewdly focuses its attention more on faith than sex; the men discuss sin and righteousness between erotic touches. Yet Aaron is warned by members of his religious community that “nothing good can come of this [relationship].” This point is driven home in a subplot involving an engaged woman having an affair with another man. Given the community’s reaction to this inappropriate behavior — and Aaron’s participation in admonishing her — he knows the response to his dalliance with Ezri would be worse. Furthermore, as various students threaten Aaron and his business,
EZRI (RAN DANKER, LEFT) AND AARON (ZOHAR STRAUSS) IN “EYES WIDE OPEN”
JEANNE (EMILIE DEQUENNE) AND FRANCK (NICOLAS DUVAUCHELLE) IN “THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN”
Rivka suspects her husband is up to something improper. Director Haim Tabakman has crafted a striking drama about sin and desire and is well-served by his talented cast. Strauss makes his internal conflict tangible and
Danker is terrific as the irresistible Ezri. The way these men communicate their love in a look, a touch or a gesture is as freighted with meaning as the symbolic water imagery — rain, the immersion spring and a broken pipe — that defines their relationship. In support, Rozen makes Rivka sympathetic, and her unspoken tensions with her husband are best presented in a scene where she buys some meat from Ezri. Tabakman also features stylish touches — such as the reflection of Aaron’s detractors in the panel of a passing van — that give “Eyes Wide Open” an emotional punch. The film’s appropriate, provocative and ambiguous ending also accomplishes this effect. ■ “The Girl on the Train” is screened Jan. 29-31 at Theatre N at Nemours, 1007 N. Orange St., Wilmington, Del.; www.theatren.org. “Eyes Wide Open” is screened Feb. 14 at Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; www.iffphila. com/detailpages10/eyes.html.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
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Family Portraits OK, I admit that I have made people cry (à la Barbara Walters) during the course of these interviews, but this week was a first: The interviewee made me cry like a baby. Louis Ortiz is that guy — the guy everyone comes to for advice, for help or just a shoulder to cry on. He currently works with LGBTQ youth at YHEP. PGN: What’s your official title? LO: Youth development manager for the Youth Health Empowerment Project, which is a program of Philadelphia FIGHT. I’ve been there for close to four years, but I’ve been doing this kind of work for about 17 years. PGN: What makes you good at it? LO: Like a lot of our youth who come here, I was raised in North Philadelphia under difficult circumstances. I grew up with a mother addicted to crack and a father who died of AIDS he contracted through heroin use. I was the one who raised my siblings. I was a high-school dropout with a seventh-grade education. [Laughs.] A rebel without a cause! PGN: How many siblings do you have? LO: I was the oldest of seven boys. We have an older sister, but she was raised with our maternal grandmother. She was more like a cousin to us. My mother had my sister when she was 16, and she wasn’t equipped to raise a child. She had me at 17. PGN: Seven boys in the house? LO: Yes, and we all had to fight. My mother had this gang mentality that none of us should ever come home with our butts kicked by someone. We had to be the tough ones. PGN: What’s a good memory from childhood? LO: Wow, there were so few ... OK. I would babysit my brothers and, I remember one night, I was about 13, we were home alone and I decided to have a movie night. We all picked out a movie together and we baked a cake together. It was great: There was no arguing, because we all decided together what we were going to watch. It was one of the few times that everything was peaceful in the house. [Laughs.] No struggle over power when
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Suzi Nash Mommy wasn’t home! PGN: What was one of the worst memories? LO: I was about 7 and I had a friend visiting when my mother OD’d on Valium. We were playing on the stairs and my mother came out of her room and said, “Help me, Pee Wee,” which was my nickname, and fainted. I don’t know how I knew at 7, but I told my friend to get a bucket of cold water to revive her. She woke up and was OK, but my friend was freaked out. I remember the shame of it and remember saying to him, “You can’t tell anyone about this, OK?” PGN: Did your mother ever get her act together? LO: Yeah, she struggled with crack addiction until about 1997. After my father died, I think she was just tired of the lifestyle and began to get clean. An interesting thing, I certainly wasn’t the only one on the block whose mother was a crack addict. It was epidemic. But what separated my mother was that she wasn’t a sex worker. So even through the trauma of it all, we were thankful for the little things like the fact that she didn’t do sex work to feed her habit. Our stuff wasn’t stolen from out of the house. We didn’t have a lot of food, but we had food. We didn’t have to eat sugar sandwiches like our nextdoor neighbor. PGN: Did the problem trickle down to any of your siblings? LO: Not really, but indirectly. My brother Nicholas was killed in 2001 (he was called Nicholas because he was born on Christmas Day). I was the oldest and considered more the soft one. I was the artist, the dancer and the creative caretaker. He was born after me and he was the hard one, the tough guy. I was more protected and he was given more of a free reign. I was given a curfew, while he was allowed to stand guard and look out for the cops for the drug dealers in the neighborhood. He got caught up in that mentality. He thought he was invincible, made from steel. He didn’t use but, from a very young age, he began selling drugs. In the end, it caught up to him and he was killed. But none of us boys ever used. My sister struggled with crack addiction for many years.
PGN: Interesting, since she was
the one taken out of the household. LO: Actually, I think that added to the problem. She was the only one of eight kids that my mother didn’t raise and I think she thought my mother didn’t want her. PGN: Your mother must have passed on something good, since none of you in the house succumbed to drugs. LO: She was always family-oriented. I loved that. Living in a tough neighborhood, it’s easy to feel alone and, especially being gay, it would have been easy for me to have felt isolated or unwanted. Ironically, because of her drug culture, there were always characters in the house. A lot of drag queens and gay thugs and all sorts of people came through. The types of people that most considered freaks were all welcomed at our house. So, we were exposed to different ways of being. It influenced my brothers as well, because while they are typical heterosexual, hyper-masculine Latino men, they know more about gay culture, terminology and lifestyle than a lot of gay people I meet. They have their homophobia in check better than some of the people I’ve worked with! I appreciated that my mother taught us to be accepting of different people. PGN: What was your favorite toy as a kid? LO: [Sighs.] Well, we didn’t get a lot of stuff — you had to work with what you could. So our favorite toys were the ones we got in a McDonald’s Happy Meal. When my mother got her check, she’d treat us to a Happy Meal, so I remember collecting the Muppet Babies and The Berenstain Bears series. Unfortunately, because she only got her check every other week, we could never collect the whole series — just every other one. But I treasured them; I’d play soap operas with them and have these big dramas. Miss Piggy would be pregnant at 17! Woo, it was fun. PGN: So what was Christmas like? LO: It was like any other day to us. It was a day that other people got gifts and we got to watch them open them. We learned not to care. It was like a Tuesday or a
LOUIS ORTIZ Photo: Suzi Nash
Thursday to us. PGN: Has that changed? LO: Yes, because I’m now the father of a 7-year-old. Having a child makes you confront a whole mess of things inside yourself that you’d like to avoid but now have to deal with for the sake of the child. He’s given me the motivation to change my feelings about Christmas. Now, I do the decorations and make a big hurrah out of Christmas and holidays, but it’s not instinctual for me. I have to work at it. I don’t want him to inherit my attitude because it has been a problem for me in the past, in relationships and with friends. People couldn’t understand why I didn’t celebrate things the way they thought I should have. Because of my son, I’m now the king of holiday decorating. PGN: When did you drop out of school? LO: I dropped out at the end of school in the seventh grade. I went to one day of school that whole year and the Philadelphia schools being what they are, I still graduated to eighth grade! I tried to go back to school but my mother didn’t want me to go. She was afraid her gay, Puerto Rican son was going to get killed at the predominantly black school. So high school was something that I watched from the sidelines. She was so protective of me, I never really got to go outside much. PGN: So how did you spend your time?
LO: Watching Joan Rivers’ talk show. I’d also dance around the house and make up routines to music on MTV. Mainly, I babysat the other kids when my mother went to work. PGN: So how did you go from dropout to having a master’s degree? LO: I tried to go back to school in the middle of ninth grade. I was told there was no room but if I waited a few months, there were sure to be kids dropping out and I could have one of their desks! But that day turned into a week, turned into a year and I got back into the routine of hanging out in front of the TV. I never went back. Then, in 1995, I was hanging out at Woody’s and I met someone who worked at GALAEI [Gay and Lesbian Latino Aids Education Initiative]. I started volunteering as a peer educator and, after a while, David Acosta gave me a job there. I think people could relate to me because of the things I’d been through. I eventually got my GED and, flash-forward some 15-odd years later, I now have my master’s degree in human services from Lincoln University. PGN: Tell me about YHEP. LO: We’re part of Philadelphia FIGHT [Field Initiating Group for HIV Trials], which is a comprehensive AIDS service organization. We were started in 1994 as a citywide pilot project to reduce the spread of HIV and STDs among adolescents and young adults in the Philadelphia
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
area. The Empowerment Center, where I work, is a safe space where youth can get prevention services and support; we do empowerment workshops and facilitate a number of peer-led workshops. The center is amazing. All our services are free. The youth who come here can take showers, take dance and spoken-word classes, get food, tokens, clothes or just relax. We work with some of the city’s hardest-to-reach youth. PGN: What’s the most challenging thing LGBT youth face these days? LO: I think that as young people there’s more freedom to be who you are, there are more GSAs in schools and it’s much more in the mainstream, but ... the crack addiction hit the community of color really hard when it first came on the scene. A lot of those addicts had kids who were then raised by grandparents who many times still have old-world mentality and/or very religious beliefs when it comes to homosexuality. These kids were raised with a lot of shame around their sexuality and, while it’s been like that throughout history, in this case you have kids who were abandoned by their parents and they feel shame that their parents didn’t want them and then they fear that Grandma won’t want them because there is something wrong or flawed about them, so it’s compounded. There’s a constant anxiety that they will embarrass the family in their church or community and be rejected again, so there is a multi-level sense of abandonment. Then they get absorbed into a system that assumes that it’s truly OK to be themselves. So while we have groups like YHEP and The Attic and COLOURS, I think we sometimes assume that they see us as sanctuary for them as homosexuals when they may not see it the same way. I also see a lot of homeless youth, which I didn’t see as much before. When we were young, everyone was involved; we saw ourselves as revolutionary and we were really on point as far as doing things for ourselves was concerned. I think we’ve lost some of that. I think perhaps some of our elders passed away from the epidemic
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
before they could pass the baton to the next generation, or something happened where we have a young LGBT community who doesn’t know its history or its way. PGN: It’s such a shame: They really don’t know where we came from or the power of what we can do. LO: Yeah, I was teaching a class on AIDS and I assumed that they would know the basic history — that it was first considered a “gay” disease, etc. I started talking and they had glazed expressions on their faces. They had no idea how it had affected the GBT community in the beginning. I had to stop and change the whole presentation on the spot to bring them up to speed. PGN: What’s a moment that really touched you? LO: Oh, that’s hard; there have been so many. Well, one moment that really made me proud happened during a group session. The workshop was about healthy relationships. I’d been working with kids who’d been incarcerated and were trying to transition back to the workplace or to school. A number of the kids were hanging in my office during the lunch break and talking about the first time that they had sex. There was one girl who was new and seemed very shy. When they asked her, she said that she was a virgin. Well, they couldn’t believe she was already 17 and hadn’t had sex. They started teasing her saying, “Come on, you know that’s not true, you can tell us the truth ... ” It was good-natured, but they were really ribbing her as she insisted that she was a virgin. Suddenly, she just started crying and said, “It’s true, I’m not a virgin. I was raped when I was a kid.” I was sitting there watching this unfold and trying to figure out when to step in when one of the other youths said, “Close the door.” The room fell silent and I could see them creating a safe space for her. One of the girls moved next to her and said, “Is it OK for me to put my hand on your leg?” I was watching them in awe. Sometimes, when you try to teach things, you feel that it’s falling on deaf ears, but here they all were apply-
ing the lessons they’d learned. [Tears up.] I was so humbled, I just stayed at my desk while they took over. The love and support was like, wow. Seeing these young people being the caring, compassionate people I knew they could be was just inspiring.
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Q Puzzle Honorary Lesbian Across
1. Bit of salt, for Stephen Pyles [We pause the interview so we 5. Tomb-raiding role of 55-Across can both get tissues ... ] 10. Place for pansies PGN: So what challenges do you face working in the field? 14. Chocolate sandwich LO: It’s tough working with people that you can see your- 1 5 . L i k e p i n k e r meat self in. I see people who may 16. Revolting have dropped out of school and they say it’s because they 17. Frequent award didn’t like the other kids, and I for Ellen DeGeneres 18. Statesman know it’s code for “I got tired Stevenson of being called faggot at home 19. Lid problem and at school, so I chose one.” 20. Start of a quote I also see different people who from an “honorary lesremind me of different fambian” ily members or people who I 23. TV trigram know, so it’s a challenge not 25. Land of the cut to insert myself too much or (abbr.) get too invested. I don’t want 26. Some like it hot to set it up so that I’m disap27. Delivery people, pointed in them. I want to be briefly 30. It may slip over hopeful, but I have to remind one’s head myself to meet them where 32. Say without thinkthey are, not where I want or think they should be. It’s hard ing 34. Blade brand when I see one of them just give up. But this is what I do; 35. Avant-___ 40. “That’s right!” even before I had a name for it professionally, I was always 41. End of quote 44. Bambi’s aunt the one people came to for help and advice. So while I do 45. Jim Nabors’ home state create boundaries, I have fam46. Wander (about) ily members who will call me 47. New ___ (birthplace and ask, “What’s the number of Urvashi Vaid) for Planned Parenthood?’ as if 49. Big initials in fashI am a walking resource book, ion but I’ve come to embrace that 50. Physics Nobelist I’m just “that” person. Bohr 52. Charlottesville sch. PGN: Any hobbies? 54. Heart test LO: I have a music blog and a 55. Source of the quote personal blog that I write. And in this puzzle 62. Vanilla my job is my hobby. I really 63. Rita Mae Brown’s “ love what I do, so if I’m not doing it at work, I’m working ___ Lips” 64. Atop on something at home. I do a 66. “Woe ___!” lot of creative things, like our dance group and poetry group, (“Hamlet”) 67. Silly little trick See PORTRAIT, Page 29 68. Lysol target
69. “Anything ___ “ 70. It helps a baker get it up 71. Since, to J. M. Barrie
Down
1. Deer in Maria’s song 2. Prepare to shoot off 3. Not too dressy 4. Georgetown athlete 5. Sticking points 6. Traffic cop’s tool 7. Where to get off in gay Paree 8. Regal repast 9. Nonsense 10. Passport permit 11. “Stop behaving like a child!” 12. Where to see two bears at night 13. “Queer ___ for the Straight Guy” 21. Tell a tall tale 22. Dog or work area 23. Not blown away 24. Knee-slapper 28. Pulling no punches 29. Well-hung ones beneath jockeys 31. So, in Alan Cummings’ tongue 33. Old Ford model
35. Bellows of “Ally McBeal” 36. “Off with you!” 37. Sticks up 38. Like a twosome 39. Spreading tree 42. Easily screwed 43. Restaurant chain owner Gary 48. “The Weary Blues” poet Langston 51. Homes near polar bears, perhaps 53. Set to rest 54. Tape deck button 55. As well 56. Dick, for one 57. Actress Skye 58. “This is ___ test” 59. Early AIDS play 60. Dr. Jones’s nickname 61. Alfred Douglas’ school 62. Type of top 65. Vein contents
SOLUTION
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Offline
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Bruce Yelk
LGBT family values and volumes of fun Last weekend, my partner and I rented the documentary “Outrage,” which chronicles the stories of closeted gay political leaders, strategists and staffers. Though incredibly well done, this film is equally frustrating and shocking, as many of the featured closeted, conservative leaders are the same people who work to limit equal rights for LGBT individuals on Capitol Hill and in their home states. Under every denial, refutation and lie about sexuality
captured for this film is an assertion that the LGBT community threatens family values. These individuals view the contraction of gay rights and maintenance of the status quo as a necessary defensive tactic to protect their hallowed family structure and morality. Anyone brave enough to come out of the closet understands wholeheartedly that the journey to “live your truth” requires the support of both the family you’re born with and the one you make within the LGBT community. In fact, I would argue the bonds forged with our “gay family” provide the same values as those of our straight counterparts. For
many of us, the LGBT community is our family, and the values we develop and strengthen together are just as meaningful and important as those of any other group. Keep this in mind as you socialize in the next two weeks. Use the time with your LGBT family and friends to strengthen and support those relationships. If “Outrage” taught me anything, it’s that we have a long way to go on the road to equality. We need one another more than ever, and there’s no better time to get started. Tomorrow at New Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive in Camden, the Philadelphia Family Pride Meetup Group will gather from noon-2 p.m. Adults and kids of all ages are invited, with PFP members receiving an $8 discount off the regular admission price. For questions, e-mail Stephanie@ph illyfamilypride.org. On Jan. 31, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, will host the 2010 “Miss’d America Pageant.” This night of campy fun spoofs the Miss America Pageant while raising funds for the Atlantic City GLBT Alliance, the William Way LGBT Community Center, Broadway
Cares-Equity Fight AIDS and the South Jersey AIDS Coalition. Hosted by Carson Kressley of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and Sandy Beach, the pageant will also feature parties at Trump and Caesars. Tickets are available at the Boardwalk Hall box office and Ticketmaster.com. The Media Theatre, 104 E. State St., Media, will host a special complimentary reception for the LGBT community before the performance of “Master Class” on Feb. 10. Tony-nominated actor Ann Crumb plays opera great Maria Callas in this play by Terrence McNally. Cover charge for the evening is $36. Visit www.mediatheatre.org for more information. Look for Valentine’s weekend events in my Feb. 12 column. For the women, Ladies 2000 will host its “30th Anniversary Weekend Bash” at New Hope’s Nevermore Hotel, 6426 Lower York Road. The weekend will culminate in the main event on Feb. 14 from 4-9 p.m. Ladies 2000 is offering tickets to individual parties or a weekend package including all events, hotel reservations and a Valentine’s Day brunch. This
event sold out last year, so call (215) 862-5221 to make your reservations today. Also make sure to keep your eyes peeled as momentum builds for the “Mr. Gay Philadelphia” competition. Though the main event isn’t until April 17 at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St., many LGBT businesses will hold preliminary contests to select their representatives. Here are the prelims scheduled so far: — Mr. Gay Q Lounge: Feb. 18 at Q Lounge, 1234 Locust St. — Mr. Gay Voyeur: Feb. 19 at Voyeur — Mr. Gay Woody’s: Feb. 20 at Woody’s Bar, 202 S. 13th St. — Mr. Gay Tavern on Camac: March 3 at Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St. — Mr. Gay Stir: March 19 at Stir Lounge, 1705 Chancellor St. — Mr. Gay Shampoo: March 26 at Shampoo Nightclub, 417 N. Eighth St. That’s all for this week. If you have any thoughts about this column, please e-mail me at Bruce@nightlifegay.com. ’Til next time, get offline and see what your community has to offer! ■
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Diversions
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Your guide to arts and entertainment
Theater
Becky Shaw The Wilma Theatre presents the Pulitzer Prize finalist and off-Broadway hit comedy from Gina Gionfriddo about a woman who decides to set up her best friend on a blind date with her husband’s mysterious coworker, through Jan. 31, 265 S. Broad St.; (215) 546-7824. Blue Door Arden Theatre Company presents the story of a mathematics professor experiencing a sleepless night during which a series of ancestors visits to reveal the hardships and victories that have shaped their lives, through March 21, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122. A Chorus Line The Ritz Theatre Company presents the smash Broadway musical through Feb. 13, 915 White Horse Pike, Haddon Twp., N.J.; (856) 858-5230. The Eclectic Society The Walnut Street Theatre presents the world premiere of a complex story of drama and humor set on a university campus in 1963 New England, through March 7, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550. Gagarin Way Amaryllis Theatre Company presents a story of a botched kidnapping, exploring the characters’ conflicting impulses toward apathy and outrage as dispossessed factory workers decide to make a political statement by kidnapping an executive from the factory’s multinational corporate owner, through Feb. 7, 2030 Sansom St.; (215) 564-2431. Love-Nothing The Barley Sheaf Players present an original drama by Andrea Daniels that examines the ideals of faith, hope and love as foundations
for three different comingout tales, through Jan. 30, 810 N. Whitford Road, Lionville; (610) 363-7075. Other Hands Luna Theatre Company presents an examination of love for the technological age, through Feb. 14 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550. Peter Pan An interpretation of the timeless story of Peter, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and the Lost Boys hits the stage through Jan. 31 at Arden Theatre Company’s F. Otto Haas Stage, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122. The Prince Independence Studio presents a story following a popular senator into the backroom of his politically charged court case, through Feb. 7 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 3, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550.
31 at Adrienne Theatre’s Second Stage, (215) 9238909. TRU Mauckingbird Theatre Company presents a look into the psyche of out author Truman Capote as he reels from social shunning by his elite Manhattan friends following Esquire Magazine’s publication of a gossip-filled chapter from his never-to-be finished work, “Answered Prayers,” through Jan. 31 at Adrienne Theatre’s Second Stage; (215) 923-8909.
Music classical American Composers Orchestra The Annenberg Center
PGN
presents Cuban-born composer/saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera joining Orchestra Underground in a concerto for saxophone and double bass, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Harold Prince Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; (215) 8983900.
Beethoven’s Fifth The Philadelphia Orchestra performs one of the composer’s most popular works, 8 p.m. Feb. 2 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Anniversary Concert The Philadelphia Orchestra performs with Sting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Sheherazade The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a rendering of tales from “A Thousand and One Nights,” 8 p.m. Feb. 4-6 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Soweto Gospel Choir The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble performs a program of tribal, traditional and popular African gospel, 8 p.m. Jan. 30 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; (215) 898-3900.
Richard Good and Jonathan Bliss Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents the acclaimed pianists at 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Pick
RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles The show that is the next best thing to seeing The Beatles runs Feb. 2-7 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Marc Silver & The Stonethrowers The out singer-songwriter performs a free show with his band at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Kimmel’s Commonwealth Plaza, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847. A Trick of the Tail The Genesis tribute band performs at 8 p.m. Jan. 29 and 30 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650.
Theater District Allens Lane Art Center presents a drama by the award-winning writer of “thirtysomething” and “My So-Called Life,” about a 16-year-old who moves in with his aloof father and his boyfriend, through Feb. 6, 601 W. Allens Lane; (215) 248-0546. The Threshing Floor Mauckingbird Theatre Company presents a oneman performance about an imagined encounter with out author James Baldwin and a fictional graduate student who comes to interview Baldwin at his home abroad, through Jan.
Music other
Sugar Town The monthly show of lady rockers and DJs celebrates its ninth year with Bells Bells Bells, Frisky or Trusty, Party Photographer and Maria T, 9 p.m. Jan. 30 at Tritone, 1508 South St.; (215) 545-0475.
Tony-nominated actor Ann Crumb plays opera icon Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” Feb. 3-21, 104 E. State St., Media. In this story, several students involved in sessions with Callas sing arias, hoping for motivation from the diva. But she ends up using the class as a platform for her own glory as she reminisces about her career and life, which included her romance with Aristotle Onassis. For more information or tickets, visit www.mediatheatre.org or call (610) 891-0100.
Lukas Rossi “The Rockstar: Supernova” singer performs at 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St.; (215) 928-0770.
Exhibits
American Pastime InLiquid presents an installation of new mixedmedia work by artist Katharine Kesselring, through Feb. 5 at the Painted
Bride Art Center Café Gallery, 230 Vine St.; (215) 592-1310. Arabesque Expressionism AxD Gallery presents an exhibition of paintings by Daniel Stuelpnagel and Madeline Adams, through Feb. 6, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) 627-6250. Inspiring a Nation The National Constitution Center hosts an exhibition featuring World War I posters by Philadelphia Sketch Club artists, Feb. 4-April 25, 525 Arch St.; (215) 409-6700. Isaac Lin: A Place Near Here Fleisher/Ollman Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new works from the ChineseAmerican artist, through Feb. 20, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 100; (215) 545-7562. Haitian Earthquake Victims Benefit: Jerry Garcia: A Visual Journey The nationally touring exhibition of artwork by Jerry Garcia, featuring one of the largest collections of rare original drawings, watercolors and hand-signed lithographs, and a local charity whose mission is to provide aid to worthy causes, host a sale to benefit the earthquake victims in Haiti, Jan. 29-31 at The Frame Station Gallery, 643 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn; (610) 999-5880. Step Right Up Bahdeebahdu presents the talented mixed-media work of Ryan Wilson Kelly, Melissa Stern and Ricky Boscarino, each bound by a circle of light to produce a single circus theme, through Jan. 30, 1522 N. American St.; (215) 627-5002. Supergirl! NEXUS presents an exhibition of female video artists who represent themselves as superheroes in
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
their work, through Feb. 5, 1400 N. American St., Suite 102; (215) 6841946.
7 p.m. Feb. 3, 2100 Fairmount Ave.; (267) 514-7145.
Twenty-Two Squared Twenty-Two Gallery presents an eclectic offering of affordable original art from 22 area artists, through Feb. 7, 236 S. 22nd St.; (215) 772-1911.
Sonia Sanchez The acclaimed poet and activist hosts a reading at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.
Film
Dust & Illusions: A Burning Man Film The Philadelphia Film Society screens this documentary about the annual festival, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400. Steamboat Bill, Jr. The 1928 silent film is screened at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223. Fight Club The first rule is we don’t talk about it, 8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483. Keeping the Peace Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a screening of the documentary about Delaware resident and Philadelphia native Michael Berg, who became a national media figure in 2004 when his son, Nick, was captured and killed in Iraq by Islamic militants, at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898. Sin City Mugshots Coffeeshop and Café presents the pulp-action flick as part of its “Graphic Novel Film Series,”
Books
CA Conrad, Frank Sherlock and Zoe Strauss The authors of “The City Real & Imagined” read and sign copies of their new book celebrating Philadelphia, 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St.; (215) 898-7108.
Opera
Martha Amici Opera Company presents Flotow’s opera at 3 p.m. Jan. 31 at Dock Woods Community Center, 275 Dock Drive, Lansdale; (215) 224-0257.
Cabaret
Hams Across America Pig Iron Theater Company’s annual benefit cabaret and auction kicks off at 8 p.m. Jan. 29 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483. Winter Festival — Come to the Cabaret! Lindsey Meredith Buffa will perform standards as well as Broadway showtunes at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at Harlans at The Nevermore, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; (215) 862-5225. Pretty Things Peepshow Glitter City Productions gets
THE DANGEROUS DANCE: Called the “Evel Knievel of dance,” MacArthur Genius Award fellow Elizabeth Streb blends slam dancing, extreme sports, circus arts and Hollywood stunt work into a performance that is sure to please both dance audiences and thrill-seekers alike in a show aptly titled “Brave,” Feb. 4-6 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. The performance challenges gravity and what is humanly possible as a team of daredevil performers executes harrowing feats such as free-fall dives between swinging cinderblocks. This jaw-dropping show is not to be missed. For more information, visit www.annenbergcenter.org or call (215) 898-3900.
naughty at 10 p.m. Jan. 30 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.
Etc.
Half Jewish, Half Very Jewish Comedian Elon Gold performs his one-man show about Judaism at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650.
PAGE 27 Miss’d America Pageant Proceeds from this spoof of the Miss America Pageant benefit the Atlantic City GLBT Alliance, William Way LGBT Community Center, Broadway Cares-Equity Fight AIDS and the South Jersey AIDS Alliance, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City; (609) 348-7000. ■
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Diversions, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; fax them to (215) 925-6437; or e-mail them to diversions@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
PAGE 28
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 5:30 - 7:30
$2 Domestics $3 Imports $3 Well Drinks $2 Pabst 12oz bottles all day, every day
Rainbow Award Best Bar and Bartender 2008, 2009 Fox Philly Best Gay and Lesbian Bar 2008, 2009
Happy Hour prices for all Eagles games Dinner served nightly 5:30 - 11 p.m. 255 S. Camac St., Philadelphia, Pa. (215) 545-8731
Contact your PGN ad rep to participate:
(215) 625-8501 Greg, ext. 201 Kelly, ext. 207 Morgan, ext. 212 David, ext. 219
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PORTRAIT From Page 23 so I’m always thinking. I’ll be watching a show on the Oxygen channel and think, “If we could find a way to make that cooler, it could be a workshop ... ” PGN: So if you do this as work and a hobby, how do you clear your head? LO: I watch a lot of “Golden Girls.” PGN: Any tattoos? LO: I have four stars on my left arm. I haven’t figured out what they mean yet. [Laughs.] I had them put on and then figured I’d come up with some great story to go with them that would make me look deep, but I haven’t come up with anything yet. I have “Rest in Peace Nicky” for my brother on my right arm. I also have my name on my right bicep. Just in case I ever forget my name, it’s there! PGN: Single or partnered? LO: I’ve been with a partner on and off for about 13 years. PGN: What’s something great about him? LO: He respects what I do. If I want to come out of pocket from our personal account to throw a party for someone’s birthday here, he understands what it means to me. When I take time away from us because of my work, he’s OK with it. I’ve seen people who have partners who get jealous of the dedication we show to our work here and it’s not pretty. PGN: So how did your son come about? LO: When I was young, it was normal for people to raise each other’s kids. You stepped in when needed. In our case, our son is the son of my partner’s cousin’s girlfriend. She was having some difficulties so we took him in for the weekend when he was 3 months old. Now he’s 7 years old, so it’s been a hell of a long weekend! It’s funny; in his family, it’s all the men who have stepped in to bring the kids back. And it also dispels the myth about people of color being homophobic. At his first birthday party, my partner and I were the ones taking the picture with him blowing out the candles, but the father was there with his friends and the mother was there as well. I think people expect that they wouldn’t be in the picture at all or that the father wouldn’t bring his hard-core-thug
friends around out of fear that they would give him a hard time for having two gay men raising his child, but there is none of that. Everyone from the grands to the cousins are great. We had the party at a skating rink in the heart of North Philly and everyone couldn’t have been nicer to us. Nobody questioned the two happy gay daddies. PGN: What was an early sign you were gay? LO: While all my other guy friends wanted to watch “Wonder Woman” because she looked great, I wanted to be her. And I remember in kindergarten, our teacher put us in pairs and told us to hold hands. I was partnered with this beautiful black boy and I remember all the other boys were holding hands with their palms clasped, but I made him hold my hand with our fingers interlaced. PGN: Something you enjoy doing that other people think is a chore? LO: I love, love, love managing the music on my computer. I’m meticulous about how everything is arranged. I have to make sure everything is spelled correctly and I make sure I have CD covers downloaded to go with the artists. It’s very comforting for me. PGN: What’s a song you’re embarrassed to admit you like? LO: Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.” PGN: I noticed the enthusiasm from the young people during the training you were doing when I came in. How do you keep that raw energy in check? LO: We use a model from our healthy-relationships trainings called TRICC, which stands for trust, respect, intimacy, communication and cooperation. They agree to the rules and we have them posted. This way when I have someone acting up, I can say, “Are you cooperating? Check the board, because what you’re doing is not creating a healthy relationship with the group.” That way, it’s not me personally reprimanding them; it’s them living up to the stated agreement. But I don’t mind when they get loud or passionate about a subject; if they’re excited about something, I’ve done my job. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.
PAGE 29
worth watching: FRIDAY Grease The hit film based on the musical. 8:30 p.m. on VH-1. SATURDAY The Birdcage When their son announces his engagement to the daughter of an ultra-conservative politician, gay nightclub owners Armand and Albert (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane) must put on the performance of their lives as Mr. and Mrs. Family Values. 8 p.m. on Logo. Suze Orman Show The out money expert provides financial advice. 9 p.m. on CNBC. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Two flamboyant drag queens, one testy transsexual and a lavender bus full of fabulous clothes make a journey through the Australian Outback. 10:30 p.m. on Logo. Graham Norton Show The gay Brit hosts a talk show. 10:30 p.m. on BBC America. The Wanda Sykes Show There’s going to be drinking, jokes and at least one drag-queen sidekick. 11 p.m. on Fox. Saturday Night Live Jon Hamm hosts and Michael Bublé performs. 11:30 p.m. on NBC. SUNDAY The Grammy Awards Famous musicians perform, win stuff and make long acceptance speeches. 8 p.m. on CBS. Desperate Housewives Guaranteed something campy will happen. 9 p.m. on ABC. Brothers & Sisters Look for the gay couple in this drama. 10 p.m. on ABC. MONDAY House Look for bisexual character
THE LUCKY NUMER: When Barney (played by out actor Neil Patrick Harris) is about to complete the “perfect” week — landing seven different women in seven days — his friends root him on to forget about their own miserable weeks, on “How I Met Your Mother” at 8 p.m. Feb. 1 on CBS. Photo: Eric McCandless
Thirteen. 8 p.m. on Fox. How I Met Your Mother Out actor Neil Patrick Harris stars as Barney in this repeat. 8 p.m. on CBS. RuPaul’s Drag Race Drag queens compete for prizes and glory in the second-season premiere of this reality competition. Kathy Griffin guest judges. 9 p.m. on Logo. TUESDAY American Idol Out talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres judges the hopefuls. 8 p.m. on Fox. WEDNESDAY American Idol Ellen judges and more dreams get crushed. 9 p.m. on Fox. Modern Family Watch for gay couple and
adoptive parents Mitchell and Cameron in this repeat. 9 p.m. on ABC. Ugly Betty The fashion-industry comedy/ drama. Look for gay character Marc. 10 p.m. on ABC. THURSDAY Out at the Wedding Lee Friedlander’s comedy concerns a woman named Alex who tries to hide the fact she is engaged to a bi-racial man from her judgmental family. After a series of misunderstandings, many people think Alex is a lesbian, but the issue gets complicated when Alex’s sister meets the woman she thinks is Alex’s significant other. 8 p.m. on Logo. Grey’s Anatomy The gay-friendly medical drama. 9 p.m. on ABC.
Queer TV you can always see: One Life to Live
Look for Kyle and Fish. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. on ABC.
Ellen
Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. on NBC.
The Rachel Maddow Show
Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. on MSNBC.
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 30
Meeting Place A community bulletin board of activities, facilities and organizations
Community centers ■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through 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, Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; (215) 348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; (215) 732-2220; www.waygay.org. Peer counseling: Monday through Friday, 6-9 p.m. Library hours: Mondays 3-9 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays 3-9 p.m., Thursdays 3-9 p.m., Fridays 3-9 p.m., Saturdays noon-6 p.m., Sundays noon-6 p.m. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.; Volunteer Velada, third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Health Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; (215) 763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., suite 205; (2215) 536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; (215) 851-1822 or (866) 222-3871. Spanish/English. HIV testing Free, anonymous testing and counseling is offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment at AIDS Resource, 520 W. Fourth St., suite 2A, Williamsport; (570) 322-8448.
Key numbers ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: (215) 587-9377
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, confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; (610) 586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 1201 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-0652. www. mazzonicenter.org. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; (215) 985-9206.
Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: (215) 686-2555 ■ Mazzoni Center: (215) 563-0652; www. mazzonicenter.org ■ Mazzoni Center Family and Community Medicine: (215) 563-0658
■ AIDS Library: (215) 985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: (215) 592-1513
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): (215) 572-1833
■ AIDS Treatment hot line: (215) 5452212
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: (215) 686-4670
■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: (215) 685-1633
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: (215) 772-2000
■ Equality Advocates Pennsylvania: (215) 731-1447; (866) LGBTLAW ■ Equality Forum: (215) 732-3378 ■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: (215) 732-TALK ■ Mayor’s liaison to LGBT communities: Gloria Casarez, (215) 686-2194; Gloria.
ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) Meets at 6 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and the Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; (215) 386-1981; www.critpath.org/actup. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; (856) 863-3061; www.dvau.org. Equality Advocates Philadelphia Holds a volunteer night second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; (215) 731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia Holds general meetings fourth Tuesday of each month (except April) at 6:30 p.m., 4134 Lancaster Ave.; (215) 243-7103; www.gpop.org. Log Cabin Republican Club of Philadelphia Meets at 7 p.m. third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Community Center; (215) 4655677; www.phillylogcabin.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club Meets seasonally; (215) 760-7184; www. libertycity.org.
Arts
Gay Men’s Book Discussion Group Meets at 6:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month at the Independence Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, 18 S. Seventh St.; (215) 685-1633. Library Book Club Meets to discuss a new book at 7 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus Chorus rehearses at 7:30 p.m. Mondays in Princeton, N.J.; (609) 675-1998. Open-mic night An amateur poetry, music and storytelling event sponsored by The Pride Center of New Jersey, meets at 8 p.m. every third Friday at the George Street Playhouse, 1470 Jersey Ave., North Brunswick, N.J.; (732) 846-0715. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus Chorus rehearses from 7-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays; (215) 731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club Meets to share and listen to recordings at 6:30 p.m. on last Saturday of the month; (215) 224-6995. Philadelphia Voices of Pride Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus rehearses at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; (888) 505-7464; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective Workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. on fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Women’s Book Group Meets first Thursday of the month at 6:45 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; brassygrrl@hotmail.com.
■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: (856) 933-9500 ext. 221
■ The COLOURS Organization Inc. 112 N. Broad St., 11th floor; (215) 4960330.
Activism/Politics
■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Chief Inspector James Tiano: (215) 685-3655 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: (215) 600-0627; ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: (215) 875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: (717) 920-9537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: (215) 732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
Recreation
Diversity Dancers Ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea dance and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; (215) 922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol.com. Gay Bridge Club Non-beginners group meets Monday afternoons at the William Way Center; (215) 985-4835. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club Meets from 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; (215) 382-0789.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010 taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call (267) 230-6750 for more information. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social Activities for sexual-minority seniors are held every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures Philadelphia’s GLBT outdoor group meets for a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on Sundays at 2 p.m. at Borders Books, Music and Café, 8701 Germantown Ave.; (215) 271-8822. Rainbow Room A meeting/activity night held for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their friends Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Rainbow Room of Planned Parenthood in Doylestown; (215) 348-0558.
Sports
Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club Meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at Greene Field, Howell Street and Moore Road, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League GLBT softball league serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; (215) 4622575; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners Running club meets Saturday mornings at 9:30 for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.frontrunnersphila.org. Gay and Lesbian Bowling League Bowls at 8 p.m. Thursdays in the Norristown area; call Doug Schneidig; (716) 864-4393. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club GLBT and allied soccer club; practices Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon and Wednesdays 6-8 p.m. at Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park;www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team Male and female swimmers meet at 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays in Center City; (610) 564-6661; www. philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League Meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September through April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; (856) 889-1434; www. philagaybowling.com. Philadelphia Gay Flag Football New group forming. Contact Jered at gayflagfootball@gmail.com or (214) 770-5373. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club Team seeks players; all skill levels welcome; (215) 913-7531; info@phillygryphons.org. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association Meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday at William Way Center; into@plta.us. Philadelphia Phoenix Women’s football team seeks players; (267) 6799535; www.philadelphiaphoenix.org. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; (917) 656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley Motorcycle club meets regularly; (215) 836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers Gay and lesbian bowling league meets 9 p.m. on Tuesdays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 778-7467. South Jersey Gay Bowling League Gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7 p.m. on Fridays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade, N.J.; (856) 778-7467.
Gay and Lesbian Scrabble Players in the tri-state area gather for socializing and friendly/competitive games; ScrabbleGroup@excite.com.
Spartan Wrestling Club The gay wresting team meets from 7-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; (215) 732-4545; www.phillyspartans. com.
Gay Opera Guys of Philly New group for opera appreciation meets last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/ Andorra area; (215) 483-1032.
Team Philadelphia Meets at 8 p.m. second Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center; www.teamphiladelphia.org.
Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists Meets second Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; (215) 985-1456; www. humboldtsociety.org. Indepedence Squares GLBT square dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; (215) 735-5812; www.independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group Male group forming to discuss, appreciate and
Women’s Table Tennis New group forming. Interested women are encouraged to e-mail michelesimone19144@yahoo. com.
Etc.
AIDS Law Project Provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., suite 600; (215) 587-9377; www.aidslawpa.org.
BiUnity Philadelphia area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the William Way Center; www. biunity.org. Global A political, community and social group that also works to promote Bordentown as a gayfriendly community meets on the first Saturday of the month at Firehouse Gallery, 8 Walnut St., Bordentown, N.J.; jerseyglobal@yahoo.com. Delaware Pride Meets at 7 p.m. on first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 E. Main St., Newark, Del.; (800) 292-0429. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols For LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense; meets at 2 p.m. on third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southhampton; (267) 386-8907; www. pinkpistols.org. Friday Feast and Fun Dinner hosted by St. John’s Lutheran Church at 6:30 p.m. second Friday of the month, 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; (215) 576-8008. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance Open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; (610) 896-4938. Latina/o Virtual Community Local listserv offers various information and resources; (215) 808-2493; Zorros_mail@yahoo. com; LatinPhillyLGBT@yahoogroups.com. LGBTQ and Friends Activity Group Meets at 7 p.m. on third Friday of the month to plan outings and potlucks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County. Long Yang Club Philadelphia Social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; P.O. Box 401, Philadelphia, Pa. 19105; www.longyangclub. org/philadelphia. Our Night Out A casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, allied communities, friends and colleagues meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, send email to OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; PhillyGayCalendar.com/org/OurNightOut. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice Offered from 5-8 p.m. on third Wednesday of the month; (215) 238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers Club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; (610) 344-0853; www. primetimersphiladelphia.org. Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. first and third Mondays of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; (215) 627-1662. Philly Paw Pals Gay and lesbian dog owners and their dogs meet on first Saturday of the month at a dog park; (215) 618-5290; PhillyPawPals@aol.com. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL affiliated; private; weekly HF nets, monthly newsletter, e-mail server; (302) 5392392; www.rara.org. Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party A party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts at 10 p.m. every second Wednesday at N. 3rd, Third and Brown streets; (215) 413-3666. Silver Foxes Social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older meets from 3-5 p.m. on fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center. Stonewall Model Railroad Club Meets monthly; (215) 769-4230; k3k@yahoo. com. Thirsty Third Tuesdays Collingswood Out in the Neighborhood meets at 7 p.m. on third Tuesday of the month for coffee, dessert and conversation at Three Beans, 40 N. Haddon Ave., Haddonfield N.J.; (215) 439-8337.
Meeting Place rotates listings on a four week schedule.
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 31
Classifieds With Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services and Personals
Rep. Frank: Abolish Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac By Alan Zibel The Associated Press A top lawmaker on Capitol Hill is calling for the elimination of mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the establishment of a new system to provide money for the nation’s home loans. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the openly gay chair of the House Financial Services Committee, said last Friday he supports replacing the two companies entirely. “I believe this committee will be
recommending abolishing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in their current form and coming up with a whole new system of housing finance,” Frank said at a hearing on executive-compensation issues. “That’s the approach, rather than the piecemeal one.” His comments show how much the financial crisis has upended the relationship between lawmakers and the two companies. Frank was long one of the staunchest supporters of Washington-based Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, headquartered in McLean, Va. The two companies, which
have been run by the government since they almost collapsed in September 2008, have required $111 billion in federal aid to stay afloat. Late last year, the Obama administration pledged to cover unlimited losses through 2012 for both companies, lifting an earlier cap of $400 billion. Regulators announced last month the CEOs of Fannie and Freddie could get paid as much as $6 million for 2009. That has outraged Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “We are paying these people bonuses to lose tens of billions of
dollars,” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) at the Jan. 22 hearing. “What people do with their money is their business. What they do with the taxpayer money is our business.” Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac provide vital cash to the mortgage industry by purchasing home loans from lenders and selling them to investors. Together, they own or guarantee almost 31-million home loans worth about $5.5 trillion, or about half of all mortgages in the U.S. So far, the Obama administration has been quiet about its
plans for the two companies. In an interview last Thursday on PBS, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the Obama administration will “propose a set of detailed reforms beginning this year” for Fannie and Freddie. But he said legislation will have to wait until next year “because it’s just a complicated thing to get right.” Shares of both companies sank on the news. Fannie Mae closed at 99 cents, down 7.5 percent. Shares of Freddie Mac closed at $1.17, down 10.7 percent, but added a penny in after-hours trading. ■
Location! Location! Location! This week’s featured property
Beds: 3 Baths: 2.5 Age of property: 44 years Cost: $234,900 Realtor: Conrad Kuhn Real-estate co.: Weichert Realtors Phone: 856-227-1950 x.124 Direct: 609-221-1196 E-mail: Realtor856@aol.com Web site: www.conradkuhn.com
Custom-built rancher w/in-law suite. Two separate kitchens. Full finished basement, 2-car garage. Live on one side, make $ on the other.
Check your ad
PLACING ADS Using voicemail? Please be sure to have the following information ready when you call: • Your ad copy • The type of style you want • Desired abbreviations • American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA information • Your name and mailing
Williamstown, N.J.
address • Daytime telephone number Having all this information ready will speed your order and help to avoid errors. Phone calls can only be returned during business hours. For more information, see the coupon page in this section.
Philadelphia Gay News assumes responsibility for errors in classified ads only when notified by noon the Tuesday after the ad first appears. To receive credit for errors, please notify PGN by then. Credit only will be extended in the form of additional advertising space. Any cash refunds, for any reason, are subject to a $10 service charge. PGN will publish no classified ad — in any category — that contains sexually explicit language. Obviously excluded are traditional four-letter words that relate to sexual activity. Other words may be excluded at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right to edit or rewrite any ad that, in his opinion, violates this policy or its intent.
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PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
MAY 1 - 7, 2009
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
PAGE 47
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�������� ����������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� REAL ESTATE ������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ������������������ Snowmobilers Heaven Tug Hill Region Land �������������������������������������������������������� on paved road w/power! 3 acres in Osceola������������������������� $15,995. 10 acres in Amboy $22,900. 5 acres ��������������� w/ new cabin- $25,995. Large Acreage- 42 ���������������������������������������������������� Acres $59,995. Access to snowmobile trails. ��������������������������������������������������� Cabins built on any lot startiing at $19,900. �������������������� Financing available. Christmas & Associates ��������������� 800-229-7843 www.landandcamps.com ��������������������������������������������������������� _______________________________34-05 ����������������������������������������������� Potter County- Log Cabin on 22 acres, pond,
SALE
_______________________________34-10 NATIONWIDE FORECLOSED HOME private gas well with free natural gas, water �������� AUCTION and sewer, $224,500. Field and Stream Real �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 700+ Homes. BIDS OPEN 2/8. Open House: Estate. 800-668-8679. ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1/30, 1/31, & 2/6. View Full Listings www.Auc- _______________________________34-05 ����������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� tion.com REDC/Brkr SB065259. ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� _______________________________33-05 �
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REAL ESTATE
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GREAT BUILDING IN GAYBORHOOD GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be made into condos or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment. JULIE WELKER COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE ����������� 215-235-7800 _______________________________34-10 �
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Open Houses Sunday Jan. 31, 2010 ������������������������������ Noon - 1:00 PM 927 Spruce St. Unit 2R. Unique large open NY style condo. Wood floors, ����������� skyline views, deluxe kitchen. Parking available. Low fees and taxes. ............ ...................................................................................................only $225,000
���������������������. Furness Flats. Large 2 bed, 1 bath. last
bedleft room, totally 927 Spruce St. Unit #1F. Large Jr. oneunit in one thisbath, highly desirable building. Close to all Center City rehabbed condo with low fees and taxes.Hospitals. Parking available. Low fees Low fees andand taxes ................................������������� taxes. .............................................................Reduced now only $199,900
������������������������ “George T. Sale Condo” Unique Garden entrance.. Low fees & Tax in area ........................��������.
306 - 308 Cherry St. Unit #300 New Listing. Very large 2 bd. 1ba. level 1 bd, 1 ba. unit w/ private renovated condo w/ hardwood floors, fireplace, low taxes and condo fees. A Abatement. Lowest price 1 bd. must see.............................................................................................$385,000 1:30 - 2:30 PM
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927 Spruce St. Unit 1R. One bedroom, one ba. newly rehabbed New condo.open style 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo ����������������������. Private rear garden area. Low fees and taxes. available. Priced to with Parking low taxes and condo fees. Great small pet friendly building. SELL. ..............................................................Reduced now only $199,900 .........................................................................��������
����������������� �������������������������������� ������������������������ Low association fees in Queen Village ....................��������
927 Spruce St. Unit #2F. Large one bedroom, one bath, south facing ������������������� Old Swedes Court. New Listing Large 3 unit. Total rehab with wood floors, deluxe kitchen. Super low fees and taxes. Bedroom 2.5 Bath with Garage, roof deck and hardwood floors. Parking available ......................................................................now $249,000
306 - 308 Cherry St. Unit #300 New Listing. Very large 2 bd. 1ba. renovated condo w/ hardwood floors, fireplace, low taxesNEW and condo fees. ALarge update 4 bd. 2 ba. with �������������. LISTING. must see.............................................................................................$385,000 huge garden and wonderfully roof deck with city skyline views.
������������������������ .................................................................................�������� Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.thephillyrealtors.com �������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������� Dan Tobey ������������������������������������� The Curtis Center 170 W. Independence Mall , Suite L-44 ��������� ������������������� ������������������ Philadelphia, PA 19106 215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct ������������������������������������� ������������������������������������ ���������������������� 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.546.7728 Fax ������������������������������������������� dtobey@cbpref.com �������������������� ������������������������������������ ����������������������������
PGN
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
REAL ESTATE
SALE
PAGE 33
REAL ESTATE
SALE
GREAT BUILDING GAYBORHOOD GREAT INVESTMENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
NEAR 11TH & LOCUST, $599K Come see this wonderful bldg w/2 spacious rental apartments and large commercial space on 1st floor. In the heart of Center City. Currently a doctor’s office, zoned C-1. Could be used made into condo’s or large single dwelling. Great condition, price, location. Call for appointment.
Consider Packer Park for your next home?
JULIE WELKER
PREMIER RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY Convenient to Sports Complex,International Airport, FDR Park, Walt Whitman Bridge & Much More. Safe, Beautiful, Welcoming, Convenient We have a Wide Variety of Sales & Rentals Something to fit any need
COLDWELL BANKER WELKER REAL ESTATE
215-235-7800
Suburbs in the City
215 551 5100 bc@CapozziRealEstate.com
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
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. _______________________________34-10 QUEEN VILLAGE 2 BR, ultra modern, brand new, granite and total stainless steel kitchen, tile bath, C/A, W/D, G/D, hdwd flrs, architecht’s dream! $1000/mo. Call 215-336-4629, cell: 215-687-8461. _______________________________34-06 MANAYUNK APTS 1 BR 1 BA $900 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1200 + utils 1 BR 1.5 BA $1225 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 _______________________________34-05 OLD CITY APT 1 BR 1.5 BA $ 1000 + utils EADEH.COM or 610-647-1776 _______________________________34-05 WASHINGTON SQ. WEST Heart of the Gayborhood. 2 br $1500+ utils. Trinity, quaint, (3) fireplaces, c/a, d/w, courtyard, pets neg. Pvt. courtyard. (717)572-0078. _______________________________34-06 WEST MT. AIRY Large, bright 1 BR, HW flrs, gas F/P, patio, dog run, laundry facil. $875/mo. incl. utils. Avail. immed. 215-233-5303 for appointment. _______________________________34-05 WEST MT. AIRY Sale or lease partially renovated warehouse for commercial use. 5000 SF. 215-233-5303 for appointment. _______________________________34-05 MT. AIRY BUSINESS DIST. 3500 sq. ft. corner. 215-233-5303 for appt. _______________________________34-05 QUEEN VILLAGE, 620 S. 4TH ST. STOREFRONT FOR RENT $1700. TOM REICHNER 215-627-6005 PRUDENTIAL FOX & ROACH _______________________________34-08
RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Call for Availability & Specials $795-$995 (215)735-8050. _______________________________34-08 2 BR APT. IN CC SOUTH 2 BR APT. IN CC SOUTH IN THE NEW GAYBORHOOD Two bedroom split-level apartment on second floor of row home near 20th and Christian streets. Living room, kitchen/dining area, bathroom, foyer. Perfect central location for professionals or students. Ten minute walk to Rittenhouse Square and on/near several SEPTA routes. On-street parking, pets okay, utilities separate. $875 plus two months deposit to move in. Available now, if you want to paint the walls your own colors or Feb. 1st for fresh, boring white walls. Scott 267.736.6743. _______________________________34-10
RENT
RENT
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. _______________________________34-10 FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ Share townhouse with GM. Pvt. BR. Near Riverlink rail line. Pet friendly. $500, utils. incl. Call Dave, 609-306-7846. _______________________________34-05 ROOMMATE WANTED IN LANSDALE End unit, private, pool, tennis, gym. All utilities included, furnished or un. Must be clean & reliable. $500 a month, 1st & last needed. Call Ron 215 412 9076. _______________________________34-05
VACATION
RENT
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online reservations www.holidayoc.com _______________________________34-05 Carolina Golf Getaway for Couples. Enjoy 3 days/2 nights, unlimited golf & FREE breakfasts. Luxury accommodations. Only $149. Call 866-334-3253, x 2458 or www.carolinagolfgetaway.com _______________________________34-05
SERVICES ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Computers, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 866-858-2121 www.CenturaOnline.com _______________________________34-05 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified -Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888)349-5387. _______________________________34-05 HERNIA REPAIR? DID YOU RECEIVE A COMPOSIX KUGEL MESH PATCH BETWEEN 1999-2008? If the Kugel patch was removed due to complications of bowel perforation, abdominal-wall tears, puncture of abdominal organs or intestinal fistulae, you may be entitled to compensation. Attorney Charles Johnson 1-800-535-5727. _______________________________33-05
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-800-460-4027. _______________________________34-05 Insurance Agency for Sale. Affiliated with major national carrier. A great business opportunity! Please send inquires to: agencyforsalePA@aol. com or Fax: 866-296-7535. _______________________________34-05
PETS Small Montgomery County rescue in need of fosters to care for a dog in their home until they find their forever home! For details email: homeatlastdogrescue@yahoo.com or www. homeatlastdogrescue.com _______________________________34-08
ADOPTION A devoted married couple promises your baby unconditional love & endless opportunities. EXPENSES PAID. Please call Janet & Charlie 1-800-315-3398 _______________________________34-05 ADOPTION: PREGNANT? Need adoption advice/ Financial assistance? Licensed adoption agency with compassionate counselors are here to help. Call Joy at Forever Families Through Adoption 1-866-922-3678. _______________________________33-05
RELIGIOUS
GROUPS
GAY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP OF S. J. For info write to PO Box 760, Elmer, NJ 08318. _______________________________34-05
PAGE 34
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
LEGALHEALTH & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORY
PAGE 106
CLASSIFIEDS
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
HELP WANTED REGIONAL DRIVERS NEEDED! MORE HOMETIME! TOP PAY! Up to $.43/mile company drivers! 12 months OTR required. HEARTLAND EXPRESS 1-800441-4953 www.heartlandexpress.com _______________________________34-05 Owner-operators with one ton trucks (10 years or newer) needed to deliver RVs from IN to locations across the U.S. and Canada. Contact recruiting at 1-866-764-1601 or www. qualitydriveaway.com to obtain more information and to submit an application. APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008 _______________________________33-05 Driver: One Company for All Drivers! Van & Flatbed - High Miles. Great Equipment. Variety of Runs. Class A CDL. Western Express. 888-801-5295. _______________________________34-05 STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM Seeks Local Coordinators. Passionate about your Community? Help us expand! Unpaid but monetary/travel incentives. Must be 25+. Visit: effoundation.org or call 877-216-1293. _______________________________33-05 Driver Trainees Needed. OTR, Regional, Local Companies Looking for 50 drivers. Training in your area! $600-$900/Week earning potential. Great Health Benefits. No CDL-No Problem. 800-961-4319. _______________________________33-05 Teacher Recruitment Fair Sponsored by Western Virginia Public Education Consortium. Friday, February 5, 2010 -4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, February 6, 2010 -9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. Salem Civic Center, 1001 Boulevard, Salem, VA 24153-5298. Participating School Division will solicit applications to fill fall local teaching vacancies. For a uniform job application and information visit www.wvpec. org -Job Fair, email: deena.stowers@wvpcc. org or call (540)831-6399 or (540)831-6414. Participating Virginia school divisions: Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Galax City, Giles, Henry, Martinsville City, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem City, and Wythe. Registration Fee for Job Fair is $10.00 on day of the fair. _______________________________33-05 Over 18? Between High School and College? Travel and Have Fun w/Young Successful Business Group. No Experience Necessary. 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-646-5050. _______________________________33-05 Driver: Average $800+ per week for Company Drivers. Immediate Benefits. Great Equipment. CDL-A with 1 year experience, 23 yoa. Call NFI Sunday or anytime: 877-888-8476. www. nficareers.com _______________________________33-05 Driver- Hiring Regional Van Drivers. 41.5 cpm with 2 years experience. Great Benefits. Home EVERY Week. 1 year tractor-trailer experience required. Call 888-362-8607 or apply online at www.averittcareers.com. Equal Opportunity Employer. _______________________________33-05
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-
Does Your House Need A New Coat? We’ve Got Specialists!
PGN Home Improvement Directory
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly As Little As $25.00 A Week. ach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For Little As $25.00 AWeek. Week. Call215-625-8501 215-625-8501 Today! Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly ForAs As Little For $25.00 A Call Today!
JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
SERVICES DIRECTORY
PAGE 35
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Advertising Sales Representative PGN, one of the country's most award-winning Gay and Lesbian publications, is looking for a special candidate to fill this position in our advertising sales department. Applicants should have previous advertising sales experience, preferably in a similar environment. You should have a strong work ethic, good communication skills (both written and verbal), and an aggressive desire to sell advertising in this very special niche market. Most important, you should aspire to become an integral part of our successful sales team. We offer a competitive salary plus bonus, as well as Health Insurance. Applicants should call Greg Dennis at 215-6258501, ext. 219. Email resume to greg@epgn.com or send resume to: PGN, 505 S. 4th St., Phila. PA. 19147 Attn.: Greg Dennis EOE
Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week.
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FOR SALE
For Sale: Pool Table - Contender from Brunswick 7 foot slate pool table with green felt and walnut finish. 4 pool sticks, 1 bridge and 1 short pool stick for tight spots. Pool balls included rack and extra chalk for pool sticks. Breakdown by buyer. Only used a few times. Asking $1,000.00.
Call after 6 pm at 856-415-9595 NEW NORWOOD SAWMILLS LumberMate-Pro handles logs 34” diameter, mills boards 27” wide. Automated quick-cyclesawing increases efficiency up to 40%! www. NorwoodSawmills.com/300N. 1-800-661-7746 Ext 300-N. _______________________________33-05
PGN
All PGN Classified ads are cancelable and refundable except for “FRIENDS” ads. Deadline for cancellation is 3 p.m. Friday. The balance will be credited to your credit/debit card. Checks take two weeks to process. The date of the first issue the ad appeared in, along with the classification, your name, address and daytime phone number is required to cancel your ad.
AUCTIONS RECORDED MESSAGE 24/7 1-866-888-3121. WANTED. All real estate, Houses, Commercial, Rentals & Non-Conforming properties. Any Condition. No Commissions. www.CharlesParrish.com. Since 1970 - Bonded. _______________________________33-05
Want to see something more interesting in that chair?
TERM DISCOUNTS - BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ISSUES PREPAID 4 weeks, 5% • 8 weeks, 10% • 16 weeks, 15% • 26 weeks, 20%
CANCELLATION POLICY
FOR SALE
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bility
PAGE PAGE 36 110
PAGE 110 CLASSIFIEDS APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008 CLASSIFIEDS
LEGALHEALTH & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
Social Security Disability Social Security Disability Claims Appeals Claims Appeals 215-629-0585 215-629-0585
Social Security Disability Claims Appeals
Suite 202 Suite 202 Rd. Oxford Valley Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA 19030 Fairless Hills, PA 19030
215-629-0585 Suite 202 Oxford Valley Rd. Fairless Hills, PA 19030
James M. Quesenberry, MA, CRC, CVE Disability Consultant
Social Security Disability PROVIDING DIRECT Claims Appeals LEGAL SERVICES, 215-629-0585 EDUCATION & Suite 202 Oxford Valley Rd. REFORM POLICY Fairless Hills, PA 19030 FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY.
JAN. - FEB.1,4,2008 2010 APRIL 2529 - MAY
Want to let mom, dad and all of your exs know you’re tying the knot?
FREE LEGAL HOTLINE (215) 731-1477
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JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2010
PAGE 108
of your exs know SERVICES DIRECTORY ���������������� you’re tying the knot? PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
CLASSIFIEDS
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APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2008
CLASSIFIEDS
Want to let W mom, dad m all Yourand ad dollars go further when your youof target your audience exs know e you’re tying the ty knot? this space: only $25 per week*
*when you run for a minimum of 8 weeks
Is it time to Is it time to look for a look for a new doctor? new doctor?
������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������� Send us your wedding/civil union/ commitment ceremony announcement Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As Little As $25.00 A Week. Call 215-625-8501 Today! and we’ll share it with the City of Brotherly Love. PLEASE PRINT
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C
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Send us your S wed %wedding/civil TERM DISCOUNT - union/ AD TOTAL commitment TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED ceremony CLASSIFICATION (CIRCLE ONE) Return form and payment to: Masco Communications REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • REAL ESTATE FOR RENT • ROOMMATES • SEASONAL RENTALS • SERVICES • FINANCIAL SERVICES announcement a 505 S. Fourth St., Phila., PA 19147 Reach Over 40,000 Readers Weekly For As•Little Little As $25.00 $25.00orA A Week. Reach Over Readers As As Week. HELP WANTED • JOBS WANTED •���������������������������������������������������������������� BUSINESS40,000 OPPORTUNITIES • FOR SALE •Weekly AUTOMOTIVEFor • AUCTIONS TRAVEL RESORTS ���������������������������������������������������������������� fax: 215-925-6437 don@epgn.com ADOPTION • PERSONALS • FRIENDS MEN • FRIENDS BISEXUAL • FRIENDS TV/TS • FRIENDS WOMEN andor email: we’ll share it an with the City of w Brotherly Love. B NUMBER OF WEEKS X SUBTOTAL
PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ADULT PERSONALS
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WM 60, 5’7’ 155, bottom, nice looking, discreet, fit, hot, seeks top men only for relationship in NE. 215-264-1058 LM. _______________________________33-19 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. _______________________________33-19 ������������ You: big equipment! Me: real nice white butt. 215-732-2108, 8-11 PM. _______________________________33-20
GWM seeks new friends. 610-352-1188. _______________________________33-21 ������������� Shuttle service within city limits, personal shopping, help with bags, companion service, lite cooking, dog walking & house sitting, any reasonable request. 215-205-5453. Refs. avail. Reasonable rates! _______________________________33-18 60 y.o., 5’7”, 160, 7” crossdresser looking for casual sex. Northern suburbs. 215-538-2040 ask for Zeta. _______________________________33-21
MEN
LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds ������� interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. � _______________________________34-10 GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into assplay, ������������������� toys & water sports. Bi, straight, out Attractive warm, caring, of townersGWM, welcome. Daysensitive, or night. Call Jeff48 at y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for 215-850-7900. other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. _______________________________34-05 I live in NE well Phila.endowed. I’m looking for 6’1”, guys 205, who are You: very Me: 59 also sensitive, caring with a8-11 fun PM. personality. If white butt. 215-732-2108, this sounds interesting to you feel free to call _______________________________34-09 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot me, David, 215-698-0215. action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after _______________________________33-28 11 PM. _______________________________34-06 Curious senior WM ISO WM for oral times. Must be patient as I am very new to this. Call me daylbs., or night at 856-761-7616 6’, 165 60 year old Master, greek active, _______________________________34-09 french passive requires obedient slave for training, S&M, B/D, W/S, etc. Limits respected and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. _______________________________33-48 6’, 165 lbs., 60 year oldhouse Master, greek active, Xdress sex party. CD orgy every Sat. french passive requires obedient slave for nite. GWM couple ISO GWMs 18-40 yrs. for training, S&M, B/D, W/S, etc. Limits respected 1 on 1 and group sex. Stockings, pantyhose, and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call etc. Starts 9 PM Sat. Call Sat. 7-8 PM 856Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. 910-8303, ask for Mark. _______________________________34-34 _______________________________33-24 SEEKING GWM, Italian, top or bottom, 7” cut. Also into WM in late 50’s seeks younger men, Latinos assplay, toysa&+,water sports. Bi,&straight, out & Mexicans for friendship fun. Enjoy of towners Day or night. Call JeffNo at arts, travelwelcome. & outdoors. 856-547-4163. 215-850-7900. calls after 11. _______________________________33-18 _______________________________34-09
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