Family Portrait: Pam Grier is out to educate PAGE 23
Two new books by local authors PAGE 14
Cary Nokey writes his own musical future
IBA makes business-grant eligibility changes
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Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 9
LGBT-inclusive cyberbullying bill clears House
Cabela’s seeks partial dismissal of trans complaint
By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Cabela’s Retail Inc., which is being sued by trans woman Kate L. Blatt, filed a legal brief last week urging partial dismissal of her lawsuit. Blatt claims job discrimination by Cabela’s. The store, located in Hamburg, specializes in outdoor sports items. Blatt worked there as a seasonal stocker between September 2006 and March 2007. Blatt alleges that Cabela’s discriminated against her because of her disability — gender dysphoria — when denying her access to a female restroom. Part of Blatt’s lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the Americans wth Disabilities Act, because it excludes gender-identity disorder as a protected disability. The ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination in private employment, public accommodations and governmental services. Blatt contends that Congress acted unconstitutionally in 1989 when it excluded GID as a protected disability under the ADA. In its Feb. 17 brief, Cabela’s says it won’t take a position on the constitutionality of the ADA. But Cabela’s brief lists several reasons why the disability-discrimination portion of Blatt’s complaint should be dismissed. For example, the brief states that Blatt was offered the use of a unisex restroom, which could be considered a “reasonable accommodation.” The brief also contends that Cabela’s never perceived Blatt to be disabled. To support that assertion, Cabela’s notes that Blatt was assigned to stock items in its gifts department. In addition, it states, a coworker’s alleged concern that Blatt might rape another woman in a female restroom indicates that Blatt wasn’t perceived to be disabled. Cabela’s also stated it wasn’t aware of any documentation that verifies Blatt’s disability. “[Blatt] has failed to set forth any allegations that a record of her impairment PAGE 17 exists,” the brief states.
OUT OF HIBERNATION: Despite the snow, hundreds turned out to Underground Arts Feb. 21 for a fundraising dance party for William Way LGBT Community Center. Guest mammaDaddy (pictured) was among the partiers who packed the Indigogo dance floors and took in the music from nine DJs, drag performances, go-go dancers, aerial entertainers and more. Fundraising numbers were not available as of presstime. Photo: Scott A. Drake
LGBT inclusive anti-cyberbullying legislation cleared the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday. House Bill 229, introduced by Rep. Ron Marsico (R-105th Dist.), passed overwhelmingly, 193-5. HB 229 would amend state law to provide protection for young people online against “seriously disparaging statements or opinions about a child’s sexuality or sexual orientation,” among other provisions. Under the bill, offenders would face a third-degree misdemeanor charge. The bill takes steps to address bullying in the digital age, which now often takes place when a child is on a computer at home — a place that would normally be considered a refuge for victims. “I think that it used to be if you were
bullied, you could go home and hang out, and you had your parents to protect you,” said state Rep. Mike O’Brien (D-175th Dist.), a cosponsor. “But now with computers and all the social media, you don’t have that. Bullying is a constant factor, directed to you personally and the community at large via social media.” O’Brien said the bipartisan support for the legislation, especially in light of the LGBT-inclusive language, is notable. “There has been a real evolution with this bill,” said O’Brien. “It didn’t contain the inclusive language when it was first introduced a couple years ago. I think that reflects the growing acceptance of the [LGBT] community across Pennsylvania.” O’Brien said he is optimistic about the bill’s passage in the Senate, citing state Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) as a likely advocate for the legislation. n
Black Madam stands trial By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The trial opened last week for the transgender woman accused of giving a fatal silicone injection to a British tourist. Padge Victoria Windslowe, 43, who goes by the name Black Madam, is charged with third-degree murder and related charges in the 2011 death of Claudia Aderotimi, an exotic dancer who traveled to Philadelphia for a buttocks enhancement. Investigators say the illegal injection procedure Windslowe performed led to Aderotimi’s death. Windslowe is also charged with aggravated assault in connection with another injection that put a woman in the hospital. Jury selection began PAGE 17
OPEN-DOOR POLICY: Youth-Health Empowerment Project, a program of Philadelphia FIGHT, hosted an open house Feb. 20 to introduce community and political leaders to its new and growing health center. Guests included Eastern Tower Community Center managing director Andy Toy (from left), state Rep. Brian Sims, FIGHT deputy director Michael Marsico, City Council candidate Paul Steinke, Y-HEP director Tiffany Thompson and FIGHT manager of communications, PR and special events Chip Alfred. Y-HEP’s Family Care Clinic, at 1417 Locust St., provides primary care for at-risk young people. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
April 28 in Courtroom 243 of City Hall, with Common Pleas Judge Idee C. Fox presiding.
News Briefing
Another setback for deathrow inmate
Judge declines to dismiss cop case Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Linda A. Carpenter last week denied the city’s request to dismiss an anti-bias lawsuit filed by Officer N. Melville Jones. Jones, who’s gay, filed suit against the city in 2013, seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages. He claims that a supervisor outed him throughout the Philadelphia Police Department, and that it triggered pervasive harassment and discrimination against him. The city argued that Jones’ case lacks merit and that Jones failed to exhaust his administrative remedies prior to filing suit. Carpenter presided over oral arguments Jan. 28. Her one-page ruling allowing the case to move forward was issued Feb. 18. “We’re pleased with the outcome, and are confident going forward to trial in April,” said Barak A. Kassutto, an attorney for Jones. A non-jury trial is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Last week, the entire Third Circuit Court of Appeals declined to consider Frank R. Chester’s request to void his remaining convictions in the murder of Anthony Milano. Chester and Richard R. Laird escorted Milano out of a Bucks County tavern in December 1987 and kidnapped him to a nearby wooded area. Upon their arrival, Chester pushed and kicked Milano. Then, Laird hacked out Milano’s throat with a box cutter. Milano was gay, and prosecutors called it an antigay hate crime, though there were no hate-crime protections in place for the LGBT community. In 1988, Chester and Laird were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. But Chester’s first-degree murder conviction was voided in 2011, due to improper jury instructions by the trial judge. Chester wants his remaining convictions voided — including second-degree murder and kidnapping — on the basis that his trial attorney had a conflict of interest. The conflict-of-interest claim stems from
a pending DUI charge against the attorney in Bucks County at the time of Chester’s 1988 trial. In January, a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit rejected Chester’s request to void his convictions. Chester then asked all 13 judges on the court to review his case. On Feb. 18, it was announced that a majority of the 13 judges voted to deny Chester’s request for review. Chester has 90 days to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review. His attorneys had no comment. Stephen B. Harris, chief of appeals for Bucks County, said he was pleased with the Third Circuit’s decision. Harris said a decision on whether to retry Chester for first-degree murder hasn’t been made. “We did not think Mr. Chester’s petition for rehearing before the entire Third Circuit had a realistic chance of being granted,” Harris told PGN. “We’re pleased that the court has dismissed it. Mr. Chester will stay on death row until this is ultimately decided.”
Last month, Patterson was convicted of DUI. The only witness against Patterson was Elizabeth Skala, his arresting officer. In December 2002, Skala gave Nizah Morris a Center City “courtesy ride.” Shortly after the ride, the trans woman was found by passing motorists with a fractured skull. Her homicide remains unsolved. Municipal Judge Craig M. Washington was scheduled to sentence Patterson on Feb. 23. The new sentencing date is 10 a.m. March 13 in Courtroom 603 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. In a prior interview, defense attorney Michael L. Doyle said an appeal in Common Pleas Court is likely, and the Morris incident may be raised at that time. Patterson faces up to two years in jail, and a $5,000 fine.
DUI sentencing postponed
Two of the area’s LGBT-business organizations are teaming up again for their annual student scholarship and, thanks to a new sponsor, the award amount has more than doubled from last year. The Independent Business Alliance and the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, in partnership with PAGE 14
The DUI sentencing for Richard Patterson has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts. On May 11, 2002, around 2:30 a.m., Patterson allegedly sideswiped another vehicle on the 900 block of Walnut Street.
— Timothy Cwiek
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Weekly features
News&Opinion 2 — News Briefing 7 — Crime Watch 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Letters/Feedback Op-Ed Street Talk
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C o l u m n s
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Scene in Philly Comics Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle
8 — Work It Out: Fighting illness 9 — Mombian: Equity in the doctor’s office 15 — On Being Well: Empowering the next gen
Classifieds 33 — Real Estate 34 — Personals 35 — Bulletin Board
ActionAIDS hosts another Glamsino and the gamble pays off.
GLOBAL CITIZEN: Jessica Stern (center), executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, accepted the 2015 Justice in Action Award from Mazzoni Center legal and public-policy director Thomas Ude, Jr., and CEO Nurit Shein. The award was presented Feb. 19 at the sixth-annual Justice in Action Luncheon. The event, which began with a continuing-legal-education discussion, featuring remarks by Stern and other panelists about LGBT global rights, raised funds for Mazzoni Center’s legal-services department. Photo: Scott A. Drake
This week in PGN Arctic char is one of the stand-out entrees at Bardot in Northern Liberties.
6 — PBA gives highest award to out attorney Local students launch LGBT newsletter 14 — Two new books by local LGBT writers
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19 — Arts & Culture cover story: Cary Nokey and Matt Zarley play with pop 27 — Oscar meets Walt in a new play 29 — Michael Sam gets ready to dance
“I think the common denominator is we are raised in a society that has all these expectations of us: marriage, kids, the white picket fence. We get caught up in what society wants.” ~ Michael Testa, on why he thinks LGBT people marry into straight relationships, page 14
Next week Spring Wedding Issue
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Jen Colletta (ext. 206) jen@epgn.com Staff Writers Ryan Kasley (ext. 215) ryan@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com
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Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2015 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155 The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.
LOCAL PGN
SWEET SUCCESS: Krystal performed “I’m Every Woman” before a packed house to kick off “Sweethearts & Red Hots” at William Way LGT Community Center Feb. 20. The Attic Youth Center’s fifth-annual drag show celebrated hits from cinema, with nearly 20 musical numbers performed by about a dozen youth. The show featured a special focus on the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Photo: Scott A. Drake
IBA to award largest-ever small biz grant By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com The Philadelphia area’s LGBT chamber of commerce is giving away twice as much in its annual business grant and, thanks to some changes in the selection criteria, more LGBT and ally businesses are eligible than ever. The Independence Business Alliance, in partnership with PNC Bank, are awarding a $10,000 grant to one IBA-member business that demonstrates a well-defined plan for growth that includes innovation, sustainability and ongoing contributions to the community. Two major changes to the selection criteria will enable significantly more businesses to apply for the 2015 PNC Bank LGBT Business Award. The first shortened the required amount of time for an IBA member to have been in business from three years to one. The second eliminated the requirement that the business be LGBTowned, opening the award to all IBA members, including ally-owned businesses. “The changes open the grant up to a broader cross-section of our members, making more of them eligible,” said IBA executive administrator Tom Cavanaugh. “I think PNC recognizes that there are a great number of businesses that support the LGBT business community, and wanted to be able to include them.” “We are the LGBT chamber of commerce, but we also support allies as well,” Cavanaugh added. The grant can be a game changer for small-business owners struggling to take
their companies to the next level. “When you get in that second or third year you could be getting into crunch time from a budget standpoint,” said IBA marketing committee chair Mike Fanelle. “This could give a business a second lease on life. It really makes a difference in determining if those younger business can stay afloat.” Last year’s winner, The Gold Standard Café on 4800 Baltimore Ave. in West Philly, was able to open a second location on 20th and Fitzwater streets thanks in part to the grant, said Cavanaugh. He noted that PNC doesn’t just hand the winner the money and walk away, but takes an active interest in seeing the recipient grow and achieve business goals. “PNC wants to follow the business who won going forward, they want to see tangible results. They really see this program as a way to invest in bettering the community,” Cavanaugh said. Additionally, as part of their mission to help small business, IBA and PNC will host a business-planning workshop 5:307:30 p.m. March 25 at 1600 Market St. The event is free and geared toward IBA members applying for the 2015 PNC Bank LGBT Business Award. The workshop will provide valuable advice for developing an effective business plan and emphasize its importance in achieving long-term sustainability and profitability. For more information on IBA, the 2015 PNC Bank LGBT Business Award — including the award application — and the business-planning workshop, visit www. thinkiba.com. n
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
PGN’s March 6 Wedding Issue
With marriage equality now the law of the land in Pennsylvania, our March 6 Wedding Issue will celebrate local couples who have, or are planning to, put a ring on it.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
LOCAL PGN
Out attorney gets top PBA rating By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The Philadelphia Bar Association gave its highest recommendation to an out attorney running for a seat on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The association’s Commission on Judicial Selection deemed Chris Mallios “highly recommended” for the bench. The body will release judicial recommendations in the coming weeks but are only expected to give the top recommendation to a small number of the more-than 50 local judicial candidates. According to the commission, candidates who are “highly recommended” are “extraordinary individuals” who are “preeminent in the profession, exceptionally skilled in the law, possess a reputation for the utmost integrity and significantly will enhance or have enhanced the quality of the judiciary.” Candidates can be “not rec-
ommended,” “recommended” or “highly recommended.” Mallios is the former chief of the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. The Philadelphia native earned his law degree from Temple University. The veteran trial attorney has traveled the nation to train law enforcement and criminal-justice professionals on proper handling of cases involving rape, domestic violence, elder abuse and other offenses. He recently was hired to oversee investigations regarding sexual violence and stalking allegations at University of Pennsylvania. Mallios, who ran for the bench in 2011 and withdrew from the race in 2013, welcomed the PBA’s backing. “I am humbled and honored that my peers in the bar association have recommended me to the voters of Philadelphia as a highly qualified candidate with a reputation for integrity,” Mallios said. “I am also grateful to the bar association’s investigators who volunteered their time to look deeply into the qualifications of all judicial candidates. This is a tremendous service for voters.” n
Local LGBT student group launches newsletter By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com This month a GALAEI-sponsored LGBT student group at a local alternative high school has launched a great new quarterly newsletter featuring work by queer Latino students. The El Centro Hotspot is a publication of the Home for Queers and Allies (HQ&A), an after-school gay-straight-alliance-like program for students at El Centro de Estudiantes, an alternative high school in Northeast Philly. “GALAEI helped the students form HQ&A,” said GALAEI youth development coordinator Fransisco Zavala. “The small group very quickly thought to start a newspaper-magazine type thing and the El Centro Hotspot was born.” Topics relate to various happenings in and around the school and contain LGBTfocused articles, though the publication is not exclusively LGBT. The love-themed February issue contains: a 101-style introduction to reading sheet music, top-five artists and songs of the week, a Dear Abby-styled column, staff highlights, and — thanks to GALAEI — an article on the 10 steps to properly put on a condom. “We had several students ask us about
proper condom usage,” said Zavala. “Since the February edition was about love, and International Condom Day was the day before Valentine’s Day, we thought it would be a great fit for the Hotspot.” One student in particular, Emmanual Coreano, has taken the lead on the project, said Zavala. “It’s important for me to mention that Emmanual has really been an extraordinary leader in both HQ&A and the newsletter,” Zavala said. “As a student of El Centro, he went out of his way to seek the needs and interest of his classmates for the newsletter and wrote most of the publication.” Here’s an excerpt from Coreano’s introduction in the newsletter: “Welcome to the very first issue of the El Centro Hotspot. In this issue we are revolving around the theme of love and acceptance. It has been such a long way coming to the creation of this newsletter. We want it to go far and reach the hands of youth all around Philadelphia.” Currently, the newsletter is published quarterly, but if there is enough demand, the students will publish more often, said Zavala. For more information, visit www.galaei. org. n
Philadelphia Gay News
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
ELLIOTT ERWITT LOOKING FOR LUCK: A sold-out crowd packed the casino tables at ActionAIDS’ Glamsino Royale, Feb. 19 at Hotel Palomar, a Kimpton Hotel. The event raised more than $12,000. “We are very lucky to have Kimpton Hotels on our side and so grateful for their stellar support,” said ActionAIDS development director Michael Byrne. “They made sure that 100 percent of the proceeds benefited ActionAIDS. Stay tuned for next year — it is a party not to be missed!” Photo: Scott A. Drake
Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between Feb. 9-15. Information is courtesy of Sixth District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS (8477). NOTICE: Do you bike in or around Center City? If so, you’ll want to check out www.phillypolicebikeregistry.com, register your bike and upload a photo, to get interesting and valuable bicycle-related information.
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MARCH 7 – MAY 24, 2015 There is no love like the love of man’s best friend! Discover photographs taken around the world by photojournalist Elliott Erwitt as he recorded the relationship between humans and their canine companions.
2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 | delart.org
Elliott Ewitt: Dog Dogs is organized by art2art Circulating Exhibitions. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Left to right: New Jersey, 1971. New York City, 1946. New York, 1999. Elliott Erwitt (born 1928). Gelatin silver print. © Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos.
— At 4:50 p.m. Feb. 9, Sixth District Officers Brown and Teetz arrested a male outside 121 S. Broad St. who was wanted for failure to appear in court. The 42-yearold suspect with a South Philadelphia address was charged with contempt of court.
INCIDENTS
— At 1:15 p.m. Feb. 13, Center City District officers arrested a male inside Dunkin’ Donuts, at 1111 Market St., who was previously issued numerous citations and verbal orders from the owner banning him from the premises for harassing employees and customers. The 28-yearold suspect with a Maryland address was charged with defiant trespassing.
— Between 7:15 a.m.-6:15 p.m. Feb. 9, someone entered an apartment in the 200 block of South Juniper Street without force and stole a TV, a purse and an iPhone. Sixth District Officer Chim attempted to lift fingerprints.
— At 11:20 a.m. Feb. 14, Sixth District plainclothes Officers Grant and Ferrero observed a male steal an unattended bicycle from outside 200 S. Juniper St. The 47-year-old suspect with a Palmyra, N.J., address was charged with theft.
— At 5:55 p.m. Feb. 10, a woman was watching a shell-game scam outside 1200 Chestnut St. when a male snatched $60 from her hand and fled south on 13th Street. The suspect was described as a black male in his 40s, 5-foot-6, wearing dark pants and carrying a backpack.
SUMMARY ARRESTS
— At 3:30 a.m. Feb. 14, a person was outside 200 S. 13th St. talking on a cell phone when a male snatched the phone and fled. The victim could not provide any description of the suspect.
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— Between 2:25-4:25 p.m. Feb. 11, Sixth and Center City District officers issued four citations for summary offenses in and around the Gallery Mall, 1001 Market St. — On Feb. 12, Sixth District officers issued a citation for a summary offense at 12:40 p.m. outside 1000 Market St., and Center City District officers issued a citation at 9:20 p.m. outside 1200 Market St. n
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LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY AMY F. STEERMAN Attorney at Law
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Sick? Tips for prevention and treatment So many of you have been and are sick right now. As an expert in Ayurvedic medicine, I have found that there are various considerations that provide us both with an understanding of how sickness forms and how it can be prevented. It is the time of year where we have to be extra diligent in maintaining health. Once our immunity is compromised, we are more susceptible to other types of infections. With colds and flu/ viruses brewing this time of year, here is some food for thought to prevent or reduce your risk for sickness:
ercising and overdoing anything can deplete our adrenals, weaken immunity and dry us out. Don’t overdo it. 9. Travel: Reduce or eliminate traveling during this climate.
Other simple remedies: 1. Eat more soup, such as chicken and/or veggie. 2. Sip hot water and teas (like Tulsi, ginger and lemon) throughout the day and with meals. 3. Moisturize with a warm oil massage before bathing. 4. Increase oils such as coconut, flax and ghee in the diet. Include nuts. 1. Hydration: Are 5. Line the nasal you drinking enough passages (and this water (not cold or ice is crucial) with an water)? Ayurvedic herbalized 2. Keeping warm: oil. Perform this daily This means keeping and throughout the the body warm from day. wind and preventing Home yoga pracVishnu M. Ayu 6. the cold from gettice is excellent for ting into the body by maintaining lubricaavoiding intake of cold foods/ tion, warmth, digestion, respiraw foods and cold beverages. ration and immunity. You can 3. Staying moist: This hapenhance the benefits by knowing pens by avoiding intake of cold what the correct regimen is for foods/beverages because the your constitution, per Ayurveda. natural oils in the body dry up 7. Spices are natural digestive with anything cold, since cold is enzymes that encourage metabastringent. olism. Pungent spices increase 4. Air quality: Homes are often warmth in the belly and absorpdry because of the heat being tion of nutrients so that cells on, especially as it mixes with receive this information to keep night air, which provokes dry the body happy and healthy. sinuses, which can eventually Doing all this will strengthen bleed. Have a cool-air humidihealth. We tend to think of ill fier, especially in the bedroom health as an inconvenience when (unless there is wall-to-wall carin fact it’s a gift that at least peting). 5. Staying up late: Being awake shows us how we can live more mindfully and healthy. Good past 10 or 11 p.m. negatively health is at our finger tips — affects the liver and provokes when we aren’t making other dryness and inflammation. This also reduces the quality of sleep, choices to compromise it. n which is fundamental and necesVishnu M. Ayu (Antonio Aragona), sary to maintain optimal health. BA Psy., LMT, CSP, E-RYT, CS2, 6. Smoking: Smoking any is a licensed massage therapist product increases dryness and with more than 15 years of expecauses reactive mucus to form, which invites bacterial formation rience and has a master’s degree of Ayurveda Yoga from the Hindu and infection. Reduce or cease University of America. He is the smoking. owner of Hidden Health Center 7. Coffee: Drinking coffee is at the Camac Center in 12th drying and affects the nervous Street Gym. To learn more about system negatively. It also fuels Ayu, Ayurveda or his practice at inflammation and can thereby the Camac Center, visit 12streetweaken immunity. Reduce or gym.com or hiddenhealthcenter. eliminate coffee. 8. Stress: Overworking, over-ex- com.
Work It Out
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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Equity in the doctor’s office A news story has been circulating Ultimately, I think the Contrerases will about a Michigan pediatrician who, “after be better off with a doctor who is more much prayer,” refused to care for a newcomfortable with their family — and to born because the baby had two moms. the extent that Roi herself realized that, I It’s a story of personal discrimination and cannot blame her. Perhaps her refusal to ignorance — but also indicates systemic serve them came less from animosity and problems. more from insecurity over how Jami and Krista Contreras to interact with a type of famsaid they’d chosen Dr. Vesna ily she had never encountered Roi of Eastlake Pediatrics before. because of her holistic and If that were true, however, natural approach, reported she still could have explained the Detroit Free Press. After in person that she was quesa prenatal visit, they went to tioning whether her lack of her office last October for the experience with same-sex first appointment with their parents would make her the 6-day-old daughter. Roi was best doctor for them. She not there, however. Another could have left it up to them to pediatrician in the practice, decide. Simply avoiding them, Dr. Karam, told them Roi had speaks of deeper disDana Rudolph though, decided that, because they are comfort and bias. lesbians, she couldn’t care for To go about it the way she their baby. did is discrimination. Even worse, it’s On Feb. 9, once the story began to legal discrimination in Michigan, which spread, Roi explained in a letter to the has no law banning discrimination on the Contrerases that she “never meant to hurt basis of sexual orientation. There are also either one of you” and that, “after much no federal regulations prohibiting such prayer following your prenatal, I felt that discrimination. That must change. It is unlikely to change soon in I would not be able to develop the perMichigan, where a “religious-freedom” sonal patient-doctor relationship that I bill has passed the state House and now normally do with my patients. I felt that sits before the Senate. It would allow a you deserved that type of relationship and I knew you could get that with Dr. person to claim religious freedom even Karam.” She apologized for not notifying in the face of any antidiscrimination laws them in advance, saying she had no way that might pass. of contacting them. She also thought that Nevertheless, the fact that Roi ultiif she shared her decision during the first mately felt the need to apologize at all appointment with their child, it would is a sign of progress. She was also not “take away much of the excitement.” adverse to another doctor at her practice
Mombian
helping the family. That does not excuse her actions — but indicates a growing awareness that anti-LGBTQ bias is no longer generally acceptable. But Roi’s actions, whether from overt bias or mere insecurity, are not just a failure of her personally, but of a system that still has a long way to go in teaching medical professionals about LGBTQ cultural competence. Some organizations have taken initial steps. The American Academy of Pediatrics, of which Roi is a member (according to the Eastlake Pediatrics website), has a nondiscrimination policy that says, “The AAP is opposed to discrimination in the care of any patient on the basis of ... gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression … of the patient or patient’s parent(s) or guardian(s).” AAP policies don’t have the force of law, but should cause pediatricians to hesitate when they flout them. The larger American Medical Association has an even more-strongly worded policy: “Physicians cannot refuse to care for patients based on race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other criteria that would constitute invidious discrimination.” (Roi was a member of the AMA only between 1996-2001, however.) I wonder, though, what more could be done to reach out to medical professionals like Roi. They need to be aware of relevant laws and policies and of recent medical and social-science research on LGBTQ people and families, but also of how to make us feel welcome (e.g., with
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forms that say “Parent” and “Parent” instead of “Mother” and “Father”). They need to hear our stories and learn how we are like — and unlike — other families. Some organizations have already made inroads here. The National LGBT Cancer Network offers a cultural-competency program and a best-practices guide for health and social-service agencies on delivering such trainings. The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association offers a set of Guidelines for Care of LGBT Patients, a webinar series on LGBT cultural competence and an annual conference for medical practitioners and students. I fear practitioners like Roi, however, would never attend such a conference. Most of these materials, too, focus on the health needs of LGBT adults — important, certainly, but not complete. I would love to see more programs incorporate resources from youth and family programs like HRC’s Welcoming Schools initiative and the Family Acceptance Project. Simple things, like putting LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books in a waiting room, could go a long way towards making all families feel welcome in health-care environments. I feel for the Contrerases, and commend them for wanting to make their story known. As a community, we need to make sure that the situation they faced doesn’t happen to any more families. n Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
EDITORIAL PGN
Creep of the Week
D’Anne Witkowski
Sam Brownback
Editorial
Desperate times The state of Arkansas recently turned the clock back several decades on LGBT equality. While efforts to ban LGBT discrimination have been blossoming — from legislatures to judiciaries to workplaces to classrooms — across the nation, the state adopted a law banning municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination policies that encompass classes of people not already protected under state law (a lot of words that basically read: “LGBT”). And sadly, Arkansas is not alone, as several other states are considering following its “lead.” The whole effort is disturbing and disappointing. As LGBT people and same-sex couples are finally beginning to enjoy some of the rights they should have long-ago been guaranteed — a movement that in many places is changing hearts and minds and engendering the respect that all people deserve — states like Arkansas are digging in their heels and refusing to move forward with the rest of the country. And, this is an issue on which the vast majority of people — even those who may oppose marriage rights for same-sex couples — often agree: People should be not fired from a job, evicted from an apartment or booted from a public space solely for their sexual orientation or gender identity. To pretend otherwise is bad for business, bad for tourism, bad for the economy and simply counterintuitive to the way our country works. But the effort also reeks of desperation, which seems to be the only silver lining in this situation. This law and other similar initiatives read like last-ditch efforts by policymakers who have seen the writing on the wall. As state after state sanctions marriage equality, and LGBT people no longer hold the fear and stigma in the American mind that they once did, leaders are scrambling to rebuild the rhetoric that the LGBT community is an enemy — to freedom, to religion and to morality. Without an identifiable entity as the threat to society, these lawmakers could have to face the reality that they themselves are the impediment to American growth. Institutionalized discrimination is surely alive and well in our country, but it’s also a sinking ship. Here’s to hoping it sinks quickly. n
After an awful seven-year stretch, state employees in Kansas have finally been granted equality with the rest of the Kansas workforce. Thanks to Gov. Sam Brownback, state employees will no longer have to live with the burden of being protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Now they can be fired just like anyone else for being gay or trans. Like God intended. The trouble all started back in 2007 when then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, established protections for people Brownback personally thinks are icky and sinful. As soon as they could no longer get legally fired for doing so, pretty much all of Kansas’ state workers decided to go gay and/ or trans depending on whether it was an odd- or even-number day on the calendar. State workers soon saw a decrease in their productivity, but an increase in their fabulousness. According to a state worker who stressed that she was not a lesbian, before the protections were put in place she kept her hair long and wore skirts with heels daily. “I knew I could be fired if people even thought I wasn’t heterosexual,” she said. “I’d always wanted to cut my hair, wear pants and comfortable shoes and play softball. Sebelius made that possible.” When asked what would happen now, she said, “Well, I guess first I’ll have to trade in my Subaru Legacy and donate all of these Dansko clogs to the Salvation Army.” Another worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “I had a wife and kids at home and I had never been, like, attracted to dudes. But once Sebelius paved the way, I was like, ‘Girlfriend ... ’” The worker then snapped his fingers several times while gesticulating wildly in front of his body. “The thing is, I’m not even gay. I just wanted those sweet special rights. Thank Jesus Gov. Brownback made me remember who and what I really am. I hope my wife will let me move back in.” Workers who are actually gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender were unavailable
for comment since they can all now be legally fired for doing so. Lest you think that Brownback is being unfair, he said the following in a statement released by his office: “This executive order ensures that state employees enjoy the same civil rights as all Kansans without creating additional ‘protected classes’ as the previous order did. Any such expansion of ‘protected classes’ should be done by the legislature and not through unilateral action.” But taking protections away, however, should be done unilaterally if it means open season on LGBT state workers. Brownback has a long history of being what some might call a terrible person when it comes to LGBT issues. When he was a U.S. senator in 2003 he was totally gay for the Defense of Marriage Act, which would have amended this country’s constitution to exclude same-sex couples from ever legally marrying. As governor of Kansas, he kept the state’s antigay sodomy law on the books just for fun despite said law being invalidated by the Supreme Court in 2003. He also supported a “religious liberty” bill that would have let people discriminate against homos because Jesus. Brownback is not singling LGBT Kansans out, however. Since becoming governor, he has been hard at work slashing taxes for the rich, gutting social services and ballooning the state budget deficit, doing his best to make Kansas a terrible place for everyone who lives there.
As governor of Kansas, he kept the state’s antigay sodomy law on the books just for fun despite said law being invalidated by the Supreme Court in 2003.
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 and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.
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Op-Ed PGN
Op-Ed
Zac Shaffer
How the Philadelphia court system can help deter hate crimes Passage of statewide legislation to help protect the LGBT community from hate crimes has been painfully slow. With an unsympathetic and Republican-controlled legislature, we need to turn to alternative approaches to help provide the necessary protections for our community. The Philadelphia courts have an opportunity to implement actions that will follow the District Attorney’s Office’s success in reducing gun violence by taking similar steps to deter hate crimes. Increases to bail for gun crimes in 2012 showed a direct reduction in crime over the past few years. When someone is arrested for a crime, bail is set by a magistrate. The purpose of bail is to ensure that the accused will show up for court. The amount of bail is based on a matrix that weighs the criminal charge-seriousness score and the risk of flight. Some crimes, such as first-degree homicide, do not allow bail to be posted. Furthermore, under Article 1, Section 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the District Attorney can ask that the accused be held without bail. The likelihood of being held in custody due to not being able to post bail is seen as a deterrent to criminal activity. There’s an argument that bail shouldn’t be punitive and that it unfairly affects the poor. As long as bail is still being used in a deterrent manner, the LGBTQ community should be protected by it, just like all Philadelphians have enjoyed the decrease in gun violence through higher bail for firearm charges. Of the District Attorney’s policy changes during his first term, higher bail for gun charges was a priority that was pursued relentlessly. This continual press led to the charge-seriousness score being increased from a five to a 10 (the highest) on the bail matrix by Administrative Judge Herron in September 2012. Instead of having to post $500, individuals are now regularly posting $7,500 to be released. The police department has shown a drastic decrease in gun violence since the word got out about the bail increase. Though the attribution is credited to various methods, the massive increase in bail is cer-
tainly a major factor. We recently had our collective psyches shattered by the horrendous attack on two men simply for being gay. There was a social-media manhunt that eventually brought about the alleged attackers’ arrests. The bail set for these individuals was high, but this was after the beating became national news. If there hadn’t been the same social-media outcry, would their bail have been the same? Philadelphia City Council appropriately and immediately passed a new hate-law ordinance, 17-0, within two months of the attack. Unfortunately, they were burdened by only being able to create a summary offense, with a maximum sentence of 90 days in custody with the case being expungable after five years. While well-intentioned, this ordinance is almost toothless and sadly falls into the same category of summary offenses such as scattering rubbish, discarding a refrigerator and illegal use of a shopping cart. We have to ask ourselves if we can afford to wait for another attack before further action is taken. Having the administrative judge increase the charge seriousness for all crimes that are motivated by prejudice toward an individual’s race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability can have an immediate impact. This positive impact will not have to jump through Republican hurdles in the state legislature, just our local and sympathetic legal field. Attacks that are damaging the community will decrease because the bullying bigot will think twice before launching an assault if he knows that he will have to sit in custody pending the resolution of his case due to high bail. Those in the LGBTQ community know that a bigot’s fists need to be treated just as dangerously as a loaded gun. We simply cannot wait for the legislature to take action when we can make a positive change now. n Zac Shaffer is a judicial candidate for the Court of Common Pleas; www.phillyjudge. com.
Letters and Feedback
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Street Talk Should a bakery be required to decorate a cake with an anti-LGBT message? "If it's a large bakery, it should have to honor the request. It's there to serve the general public, the customer Irina Veliche should be waitress accommodat- Haarlem, Netherlands ed. But if it's a small family business, that's a different situation. People are entitled to their own beliefs. They can turn away the customer."
"Yes, tolerance is really important, for all points of view. I'm totally against hate speech but William even if we Kirkpatrick hate the artist message, we Glen Mills have to give people the right to express it. But having said that, I'd never eat that cake. It would give me indigestion!"
"No. A business shouldn't have to put hateful bullshit on their product. It's similar to requiring a tattoo Krystal Brackett artist to put assistant store a swastika manager South Philadelphia on someone. That's totally offensive and shouldn't be required by government."
"No. I'm in retail, and the customer is not always right. A bakery is within its right to decline Nicole Wiegand providing store manager that service. South Philadelphia If they don't want to promote bigotry, they don't have to. Especially when their name is on the line."
and it’s definitely a page-turner. It’s a memoir that also chronicles a timeline of pop and underground culture. Do yourself a favor and buy it!
able to talk all night over a cup of coffee. Nice piece, Mark. Jerry would have liked it, but probably would have suggested edits. And I think Jerry often did more pushing than pulling, but he got things done. He never stopped the struggle and we owe him our gratitude.
— Eileen Dover In response to “Borgata launches LGBT tourism initiative,” Feb. 20-26: Borgata is awesome. They were super-helpful in helping me propose to my wife. We are both poker players (met at a poker tournament in New Jersey). I had an idea of proposing at the poker table, where she was dealt the ring. But unfortunately the tournament director said the New Jersey Gaming Commission wouldn’t allow that. He said, “No problem though, we will help you any way we possibly can, just let me know what you need.” In the end, we had the Borgata poker blogger said up a fake poker interview with
me during the Borgata Winter Classic. Of course, my soon-to-be wife was with me. I had prepped Jeff (he was the blogger/ interviewer/camera guy) and he knew what questions to ask and what props to present. And, voilà, that was how I proposed. She did say yes, by the way! So, I highly recommend the Borgata. They are very LGBT-friendly. — Carey Buck
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In response to “Historical marker still sought for gay tennis legend,” Feb. 20-26: If he can be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, he is certainly entitled to a marker. What’s good nationally is good locally, despite his arrest record. — judethom
In response to “Walter Newkirk pens memoir,” Feb. 20-26:
In response to “Loss of a pioneer,” Feb. 20-26:
Great book! I have it and have read it
Ah, the Silver Dollar, where we were
— dsiple In response to “Day in the Life of: a television newscaster, Jim Donovan,” Feb. 20-26: I liked Jim Donovan before, but after reading this wonderful article, I love Jim Donovan now. I want Jim to come to my house for coffee; he seems like he would be good company. Jim, I wish you all the success. n — Susan Rhoades
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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local PGN
Equality PA exec’s new book explores leaving straight marriage to come out By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. They live happily ever after, right? But what happens when boy realizes he is gay? Such is the predicament in which eight men and women in author Michael Testa’s inspirational collection of true stories, “When Opposites No Longer Attract,” found themselves. “Opposites,” Testa’s debut book, offers a pioneering look into an increasingly common but not often discussed issue: men and women who leave straight marriages and come out as gay. “I love my spouse. I love my kids, but I’m not happy. I’m not happy because I am LGBT. Now what?” said Testa, Equality Pennsylvania vice president. “This book is about eight people who went through that.” The impetus for the book came from Testa’s own story of coming to terms
with his sexuality after being married to a woman for nine years and having two children, along with the experiences of several of his close friends, who found themselves in similar situations. “Me and five of my friends used to go to a bar in the South Side of Pittsburgh and watch ‘Will and Grace.’ One day I realized between the five us, we had 14 kids and were all divorced because we had later come out as gay,” Testa said. “That was the day I decided to write ‘Opposites.’” The book also includes the stories of several lesbians who went on to leave their husbands. “It was really interesting to see just how different the women came out, compared
to the men,” Testa said. “We didn’t realize it until we put the stories side by side. The women tended to handle the process better than the men.” Gay or lesbian, male or female, every person in “Opposites” struggles with the burden of societal norms, says Testa. “I think the common denominator is we are raised in a society that has all these expectations of us: marriage, kids, the white picket fence. We get caught up in what society wants,” Testa said. The moment when a person begins to questions these norms is often the beginning of the story for the people in “Opposites.” “At some point, in our own minds, we check those [norms] at the door,” Testa said. “We ask ourselves, ‘Why am I having these feelings?’” Testa said he hopes the book will be a resource for people who might be going through something similar, though “Opposites” appeals to straight spouses as
well. “The book is not just for LGBT people who have come out. It’s for their straight spouses as well,” said Testa. “It will hopefully give them insight, at least from our perspective, and that in turn could help them too.” Looking ahead, Testa would like to include the stories of transgender people in the next book. “In the next book, if I do such a thing, I would love to include transgender people. It just wasn’t on my radar the first time around, but I think of people like Dr. Rachel Levine, who I have gotten to know through Equality PA, would have great stories to share.” Testa lives in Pittsburgh with his two sons. He can be reached through his website, www.testapublishing.com. “Opposites” is available online and locally at Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room. n
Spring Wedding Issue — March 6, 2015 Mt. Airy author writes chilling horror novel By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Local author Victoria Brownworth’s latest work is her darkest, most compelling horror novel to date. “Ordinary Mayhem” recounts photojournalist Fay Blakemore’s harrowing journey to report on extreme violence in Afghanistan and the Congo. Equally terrifying is Blakemore’s traumatic childhood, which comes back to haunt her in ways that will change her life forever. Originally published as a short story in a 2012 anthology by her editor Greg Herren at Bold Strokes Books, “Mayhem” stood out and demanded to be made into a novel, Brownworth said. “The short story got a lot of attention. People kept mentioning it as the best in the book or the creepiest, and it won honorable mention for Best Horror [from Ellen Datlow] in 2012,” Brownworth said. “Everyone said I had to make it into a novel.” “Mayhem” was inspired by a combination of real-life stories Brownworth has covered during her career as a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and her own horrible tale as a victim of sexual violence. The fact that “Mayhem” has its origins in plausible events that actually happened, and that it’s told from a female point of view, sets it apart from other horror novels. “I have been writing for a long time. I’ve
written horror novels before about vampires and things like that. But there is something truly terrifying knowing that these things in ‘Mayhem’ could absolutely exist,” Brownworth said. “There are certainly things that are taken from my own life,” she added. “The character Blakemore and I traverse some of the same ground that a lot of women are traversing. It’s violent and real and constant.” Brownworth said one of the main points of the novel was to show that the horror, like the incidents that take place in the book, is real. She also thinks the story will jolt people who have become desensitized to violence into a heightened state of awareness. “I’ve witnessed some things I wish I had never seen,” said Brownworth of her time as a journalist. “The horror is real. I have experienced it as well. It has become ‘ordinary mayhem,’ not extraordinary at all to us. “The things that are happening in the book are reality,” she added. “In some places in the world, yes, these things that you can’t even imagine are taking place.” If you like “Mayhem,” keep your fingers crossed for a sequel. “I didn’t realize it at first, but the ending is definitely set up for a part two,” Brownworth said. “Blakemore is a very compelling character and I am still not done with her.” “Mayhem” is available online and at major booksellers. Fans of the genre can sign up for a horror-writing workshop hosted by Brownworth March 7 at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane. n
NEWS BRIEFING from page 2
LinguiSearch, Inc., will award a $2,500 academic scholarship to an LGBT or ally undergraduate student enrolled in a business-related program in the region. To be eligible, applicants must identify as LGBT or allies, be enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the greater Philadelphia region, be working towards an undergraduate degree in a business program/major and be able to demonstrate leadership roles. For more information, call DVLF executive director Samantha Giusti at 215-563-6417 ext. 117 or IBA executive administrator Tom Cavanaugh at 215557-0190. The application deadline is March 16. The winner will be announced April 8. To download the application or for more information, visit www.thinkiba.com.
Clinic helps prepare legal forms Certain legal documents can ensure that your wishes are carried out and your loved ones are taken care of after you are gone, but where do you begin? The folks at the LGBT Elder Initiative and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania can help answer that question at their free LGBT Legal Clinic March 14 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. The clinic will provide the opportunity
to meet one on one with an attorney who can help you complete a will and living will, as well as determine medical and financial powers of attorney and disposition of remains. Certain restrictions apply. Participants must register in advance if they plan to meet with an attorney. To register or for more information, contact the LGBTEI at 215-550-1460 or info@lgbtei.org.
Local synagogue hosts annual concert Enjoy and experience an eclectic variety of music from various places of faith in and around the Philadelphia area at Congregation Mishkan Shalom’s annual fundraising concert. Sounds of Justice & Peace will take place 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at 4101 Freeland Ave. Tickets for the concert are $36. Tickets to a pre-concert meet-and-greet with the musicians, which includes reserved seating at the concert, are $72. The concert will feature singers from the Masjidullah Mosque of West Oak Lane, the City Lights Church Band, Makelat Micha’el: Mishkan Community Choir, Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein, Hazzan Jack Kessler, Father Kirk Berlenbach from St. Timothy’s Church and many more. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.mishkan.org. n — Ryan Kasley
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MENTAL HEALTH PGN
Educating, empowering young leaders talk about sex and sexuality through eduA few months ago, a member of our cation and self-advocacy, as well as profes#A1PHA community at Mazzoni Center came in for assistance in writing his résumé. sional development. This is accomplished through trainings, conversations and learning In teaching him the skills to write a great how to be accountable for themselves. résumé, we had a conversation about his #A1PHA Leadership Council is also past, as well as his goals. He shared the story responsible for planning various activities of how he left his family at a young age for the community throughout the year. because they weren’t accepting of his sexLast summer, the Leadership Council put ual orientation. In order to support himself, on its first annual “#A1PHA Monologues.” he was forced to drop out of high school to take on a few part-time, under-the-table jobs. The event, held at William Way LGBT Although he was nervous about what type of Community Center, provided a platform for life he would be able to create for himself at young people to showcase and express their artistic talent. It was emceed by such a young age, he pursued his one of our leaders. The event goals of independence with resilprovided our leaders with the iency. opportunity to plan, organize and I first met this young man promote a big community event. when he attended an #A1PHA We are currently organizing retreat in May 2014. #A1PHA another “#A1PHA Monologue” Project, a program of Mazzoni event in collaboration with Center, is a group-level, eviPhilly Black Pride, as well as dence-based prevention intervenworkshops for other community tion targeting young men of color events and outreach opportunities and trans-identified persons of that will take place later this year. color between the ages of 14-24 If you ask our #A1PHAs who who sleep with men. The intertheir role models are, some will vention addresses factors that tell you I am the person they influence the decision-making up to. If you ask me who and behavior of our communiAnthony Leon look my role models are, I would ties, such as cultural, social and tell you it is the almost-200 religious norms; sexual-relationship dynamics; and racism and homophobia. #A1PHAs I’ve gotten to meet and work with at Mazzoni over the last two years. They Gay and trans youth of color don’t live come to a new space and together they supin a simple one-dimensional LGBT bubble. They navigate the world in their race, gender port each other in building community. They and social class, all of which have an impact are the ones leading the fight against the HIV epidemic that continues to plague our on HIV transmission rates. #A1PHA provides access to a culturally competent health community. #A1PHA challenges societal norms, education facilitated by members of our builds community, builds leadership and community. For many, #A1PHA is the first safe space where one is asked to think about fights to end HIV. Feb. 7 marked National what it means to be a young person of color Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a national initiative to mobilize the black commuand a young gay-/trans-identifying person. nity around HIV testing and education. In #A1PHA challenges our young people Philadelphia, our #A1PHAs are leading to break down stereotypes and misconcepthat challenge every day. Through all the tions. We tackle what racism, homophobia, obstacles, they are relentlessly persevering. transphobia, sexism and HIV stigma do to us and how we internalize them to think less #A1PHAs aren’t just surviving HIV, they are living their lives to the fullest and turning of ourselves. #A1PHAs (as participants are dreams into reality. called once they complete the four-session If you are reading this, and you’re a young program) are given the skills to change how man or trans-identified person of color who we see and think of ourselves. would like to learn more about the #A1PHA #A1PHA builds community. We bring young people from various and diverse parts program and other peer support and leadership development opportunities for young of the city together and challenge them to people at Mazzoni Center, drop me a line at step outside of their comfort zones. That aleon@mazzonicenter.org or call 215-563young #A1PHA who left his home at an early age was able to find family through the 0652 ext. 240. (And if you know someone friendships he has made from the retreat and who might be interested, please pass it on!) Make new friends and make a difference, participation in other activities. The friends he made are important to him because, as he just by being yourself. Special thanks to the Centers for says, “they are there when they need each Disease Control and Prevention and the other and it’s always good to have someAIDS Activities Coordination Office of one’s shoulder to lean on.” Philadelphia for funding this program, and #A1PHA builds leadership. Once particfor their ongoing commitment to advancing ipants complete the four sessions they are the health of our communities. ■ invited to join our #A1PHA Leadership Council. The Leadership Council, an initiative of Mazzoni Center, fosters the new Anthony Leon is an intervention specialist with leaders of tomorrow by creating a safe space Mazzoni Center’s #A1PHA program, and a member of the education and prevention team. where young people can be empowered to
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Photography Scott A. Drake 267.736.6743
On Being Well
A 90’s Party to Honor the 20th Anniversary of Y-HEP!
Join us for an evening of 90’s fun as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Y-HEP! FEATURING LEGENDARY 90’s HIP-HOP DJ SPINDERELLA!
Friday, March 20, 2015 • 7 – 11 P.M. Moore College of Art • 1916 Race Street • Philadelphia, PA Honoring Y-HEP Founding Director Jacqui Ambrosini COCKTAILS • HORS D’OEUVRES PRESENTATIONS • DANCING
Tickets are available at:
www.fight.org/yhep20
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FELIZ TACOS DE CHAPULINES
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Photos: Scott A. Drake
A rainbow of flavors for a rainbow of tastes
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MADAM from page 1
CABELA’S from page 1
last Tuesday, and the trial, before Common Pleas Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi, officially opened last Thursday. Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega told the jury that Windslowe purported to be a licensed medical professional but was instead unlicensed and using low-grade silicone. Defense attorney David Rudenstein, however, countered in his opening statement that Windslowe had performed the procedure hundreds of times, including on herself, without negative consequence, and that the woman voluntarily sought her services. Several women took the stand who had received the injections, including a friend of Aderotimi, who introduced her to Windslowe. The judge previously denied a defense request to present witnesses who had undergone the procedure and were satisfied with the results. Windslowe, who has pleaded not guilty, is expected to take the stand in her own defense. n
“Moreover, [Blatt] has failed to allege that Cabela’s relied on any record of impairment in making its employment decisions.” The brief also refutes Blatt’s claim that Cabela’s retaliated against her for opposing discrimination based on her disability. “Cabela’s respectfully submits that [Blatt] has failed to plead facts showing that she engaged in protected activity by opposing discrimination on the basis of disability,” the brief states. Instead, Cabela’s maintains, Blatt complained of retaliation due to complaints of discrimination based on her sex. According to the brief, alleged comments by Blatt’s coworkers point to sex discrimination, not disability discrimination. Those alleged comments include: “Can you believe this cross-dressing gay fruit wants a job in my department?” and “The con-
fused sicko can’t figure out that he is gay and admit it.” Additionally, the store refutes Blatt’s claim that Cabela’s retaliated against her for objecting to a lack of a reasonable accommodation for her disability. “[Blatt’s] complaint does not contain allegations showing that [Blatt] engaged in protected activity by requesting an accommodation for a disability,” the brief states. “Rather, the facts, as alleged, make it clear that [Blatt’s] complaints and requests for a female uniform, name tag and use of the female restroom were based on her gender.” In a related development, on Feb. 10 the case was reassigned to U.S. Distinct Judge Joseph F. Leeson. The case was previously assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl. The case is in the discovery phase, and a jury trial has been requested. n
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Comedic genius Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles into a murderously funny adventure. Five transformable actors will bring this spine-tingling Victorian whodunit to life with sheer inventiveness and enormous heart. Get ready for a joyful, mischievous, comedy thriller. Sponsored by THE BLANCHE AND IRVING LAURIE FOUNDATION Opening Night sponsored by Additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts/Art Works
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AC ul t ure FEATURE PGN
rts
By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Two out singers are taking the roads less traveled in the realm of pop music with their latest releases, both trying to expand the horizons of pop music. For Cary Nokey, the drag alter ego of songwriter and producer Rob Fusari, the keys to the pop kingdom were there as he produced massive hits for Destiny’s Child (“No, No, No” and “Bootylicious”), Whitney Houston (“Love That Man”) and Will Smith (“Wild Wild West”), and cowrote and produced five songs on Lady Gaga’s debut album, “The Fame,” including the hit “Paparazzi.” Rather than pursue further success under the name that is associated with so much success, Fusari remade himself into a decadent popglam rock star in the form of Nokey. Nokey said he couldn’t pursue the kind of career he wanted as Rob Fusari. “There was a point in my
career two years back where I kind of thought of it as the end of a chapter. I felt that this new chapter had to be under a different name,” he said. “It just didn’t feel like it was part of Rob Fusari’s journey, per se. It almost felt more like a relay race. This is the handoff that happens. Rob Fusari was the leader that brought it to a certain point. I kind of had to step out for this gig to breathe and live in a certain light. So it felt like a whole different chapter of the peaceful journey that had to be handed over. I progressed to a point where I wasn’t just performing in drag or a costume. It was just me. I always say something has to die for something to live. It’s almost that. Rob Fusari had to die emotionally for Cary Nokey to live.” He added that the success he had as Fusari actually created more obstacles in his new persona instead of opening doors.
NOCKY (TOP), ZARLEY (RIGHT)
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
PAGE 27
Comics Dining Out Family Portrait Get Out and Play Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly
“It’s somewhat of a deterrent,” he said. “Something I learned pretty soon in this chapter of my journey is people can think of you as one way. It’s very difficult for people to change their perception. The major players and executives at record companies were of the mindset of ‘Why would you do this?’ It was hard for people to accept and it still is. It’s not like I can go to an artist like Beyoncé a n d say
Page Page Page Page Page Page Page
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maybe I can open up for you on tour because it’s not how someone like herself thinks of me. She knows me as Rob Fusari. So I have to be an artist who starts at the bottom.” Part of Nokey’s rebirth includes the recent release of the video of his PAGE 20
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FEATURE PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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latest single, “American Dream,” on YouTube and a stint as the opening act of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Battle of The Seasons 2015 Condragulations Tour,” which hits the Trocadero Theatre March 7. “It’s a hard grind. It’s a lot of shows and a lot of writing,” he said. “That’s what I’m doing now. The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ tour came about when I was playing a show where I opened up for Adore Delano last year in New York. I got that gig from doing a lot of Lower East Side ground-up gigs in clubs that got maybe 50 or 25 people.” Nokey said he is committed to his new persona and doesn’t see himself writing for other artists again any time soon. “There’s no way I can put my heart and soul into what it takes [to write for other artists],” he said. “When I write a song for an artist, even if it’s a one-off, I really have to dive into it on a whole different level. When it works like it did for someone like Lady Gaga, the life of the artist gets inside your head, your body and your soul. So I don’t know how to put my mind, soul and creative heart into writing for other artists [as Nokey]. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it.” On the other end of the pop spectrum is out songwriter and singer Matt Zarley, who just released two versions of his latest album, “hopefulROMANTIC.” One version is the score to a movie he wrote and the other an album of more pop-oriented versions of the songs. Zarley said it made sense to create two incarnations of the record. “When the songs that were going to be used in the film were evolving, there was some reworking of the arrangements,” he said. “Every song was half the length of the original. So when I was compiling the actual albums, to me it was confusing to have them all on one album. For the listener it got kind of convoluted so I thought, to keep it clean, I’d do it separately: the regular pop album and the reworked versions for the film. The full versions of the songs in the film were too long. I started cutting
CARY NOKEY
MATT ZARLEY
my stuff and it served the film so much better that way. The soundtrack is much shorter than the pop album but it has elements that my producer and writing partner Andy composed that are not on the pop album. The soundtrack is pretty short and sweet.” Zarley said he wanted to bring his theatrical background and influences into the realm of pop music. “This particular project was unique because when I was starting to write, it became a much bigger concept than it was initially,” he said. “It became a more cohesive whole. I had a much different set of things I had to achieve, which was really challenging and really fun. This stuff fit together and worked, telling a story cohesively and cleanly. That was different for me. I was making a musical, essentially, but I think all the songs can stand on their own. That was my main mission: to make sure these songs can still sound like pop songs and not like theater songs. I wanted them to work on radio and on stage at the same time, which is kind of unusual. You really don’t hear pop music on stage and vice versa.” Zarley added that success of performers like Idina Menzel and shows like “Glee” on the pop charts have opened the door wider for artists who come from a theater background. “I think ‘Glee’ was really the one that did it,” he said. “It blurred the lines. When those songs on ‘Glee’ started charting in the top 10, I don’t think [the industry] was prepared for that, but that’s what people wanted. Which is great for people like me who come from theater but do pop music. This project is the perfect example of that. It’s not a true pop record and it’s not a true musical-theater record. It’s a true hybrid.” n Matt Zarley’s “hopefulROMANTIC” is out now. For more information, visit mattzarley.com. Carey Nokey performs at the Trocadero Theatre as part of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons Tour,” 9 p.m. March 7, 1003 Arch St. For more information, visit www.carynokey.com.
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
DINING PGNOUT
Bardot serves a feast for the senses By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com With its delicate balance of dark retro décor, quirky taste in hip pop art and a sound system bumping an eclectic mix of alt-rock, ’80s new wave and classic funk, Bardot sets a cool but laidback mood for those in Northern Liberties looking to unwind in a space that is equal parts pin-up girl-boudoir and vampire parlor. Bardot’s New American menu deliverers interesting takes on familiar concepts, making some of the dishes feel pleasantly exotic, especially the appetizer and small-plates menu. The cure Arctic char ($9), served up with crema, avocado, cucumber and toasted sourdough bread, plays on the palette like an upscale relation to lox and bagels. The rabbit crepe ($12) was a hit with those of us who usually turn up our noses at rabbit; it was light and savory with caramelized grapes and mushrooms adding an interesting depth of flavor. The
ARCTIC CHAR saffron dumpling gratin ($14) had a lot going on in flavor and texture. The rustic convergence of cauliflower, leeks and pine nuts gave the dish varying degrees of crunch that went well with the soft, cheesy textures of the dumplings and sauce, for a dish you cannot stop eating because your taste buds are working overtime. The octopus ($15) won us over the moment it hit the table; the bright and spicy aromas coming off the plate promised great flavor, which the dish delivered in spades. The salsa verde and chiles that spiced the dish made the perfectly cooked octopus and the potatoes irresistible. It might seem like a waste of fine mood-setting ambiance to order a sandwich but, rest assured, Bardot makes a damned-fine pastrami Ruben ($13), taking the high road by not overloading it with meat and giving it a balanced help-
ing of house-made Thousand Island and sauerkraut. Bardot saves its best culinary moves for the entrées. We were drawn to the spaghetti noir ($19), with its lovely black strands of squid-ink pasta and seductively smooth sauce comprised of squid, chorizo and poblano peppers. It might sound overpowering but the sauce had a
lot of finesse and only the slightest hint of aggressive heat. It definitely hit all the right spots. Bardot also has special chef-tasting menus on Mondays and brunch menus on the weekends, so if you find yourself in Northern Liberties, and in the mood to duck off the hustle and bustle of the main drag, take refuge in Bardot. n
If you go Bardot Café
447 Poplar St. 267-639-4761 www.bardocafe.com Mon.-Fri.: 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Sat.-Sun.: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
PROFILE PGN
Family Portrait
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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Suzi Nash
Pam Grier: Growing awareness through education, activism Last week I started my interview with film icon Pam Grier. We spoke about her time on “The L Word,” life in Hollywood and how her upbringing in Wyoming and Colorado inspired her love and concern for the environment. Grier is in town March 1 as a special guest for the annual LGBT Flower Show party. Once called “the baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever hit town,” Grier now spends time fielding offers and supporting the many causes she feels passionate about, including LGBT rights and Dining Out for Life. A self-described melting pot, when we left off, Grier was talking about oppression in its many forms. PG: I live right behind the site of the Sand Creek massacre, where 500 Cheyenne women and babies were slaughtered by the cavalry for their land. We’ve all been living on land that was stolen from the Native Americans and we’ve forgotten, but I have friends who still live with that pain. Just as I have Jewish friends who live with the Holocaust and we have memorials and tributes to remember, but we must carry on. I just saw “Selma” and it reminded me of family on my father’s side from North Carolina who had to constantly deal with oppression — not being able to ride the bus or go into restaurants or use a restroom — and it wasn’t that long ago. In my book, I write about it and say I don’t know how my parents didn’t go crazy at the time. And there were white people too who wanted to support them who were lynched and terrorized right alongside them for daring to help people of color. It was insanity. PGN: My great-uncle was a jazz player and they used to pretend to be Arabic when they performed down South so they could get into restaurants. PG: When I did “Something Wicked this Way Comes,” Peter Douglas and Ray Bradbury really wanted me in the film so they told Disney that I was Egyptian! [Laughs] It was a running joke on set. So many of us have faced that. Look at Maria Tallchief; she was the first prima ballerina for Balanchine — he later married her — and she was Native American and fought to keep her last name when so many told her it was too ethnic. So things come along. And as you see images on screen — whether they be black or Native American or gay or trans — it opens doors, minds and hearts. I got work because I was capable but I thank and applaud those who gave me a chance. PGN: One of those chances was when you were the first African-American woman on the cover of Ms. Magazine.
PG: Yes, people told Gloria Steinem the magazine wouldn’t sell with a black woman on the cover, but she fought for me. She is amazing: She formed the movement that gave many of us courage to talk the talk and walk the walk. She was the spirit and the vanguard. Once I was on the cover, it opened the doors for a lot of women of color. I hope everybody reads and knows about her; she’s extraordinary. And she’s still working quietly under the radar. I treasure the Gloria Steinems and the Bella Abzugs, the Barbara Jordans and Shirley Chisolms who’ve made a difference. I’ve studied hard in preparation for directing shows that I’ve written, and my screenplay is now getting a lot of attention. [Laughs] I wish I’d done it 30 years ago! But hey, hopefully I’ll get it done before I need a walker or before I’m 2 feet under. Ha, I still have a few years to go and I want to tell great human stories. PGN: Speaking of being 2 feet under, at one point you were given 18 months to live. What was your first reaction and how did it change you? PG: The first thought was, Who do I tell first, which of my family members? It didn’t change me until after I’d had two surgeries and years of treatment and going down to Chinatown to find twigs and leaves and alternative therapy. It changes the people around you too; you lose friends who don’t want to see you die or think they can catch it. You lose people who really weren’t your friends. PGN: Do you think being a cancer survivor helped propel your interest in being a spokesperson for Dining Out for Life? PG: No, not at all. [The issue of] people living with AIDS is much bigger than me and what I had. I was lucky enough to have the resources to care for myself. Dining Out for Life helps people who don’t have the care or resources that I had access to. There are people who cannot work and/or don’t have food or shelter, who have families that have ostracized and abandoned them — I didn’t have to worry about that. There are so many variables that people have to deal with. I believe that Dining Out for Life is every day. If you can’t afford to take people out for dinner, maybe you can just drop by a participating restaurant and donate $5. In Denver, we have Angel Heart where they prepare meals and serve 900 people a week and growing. They help people with HIV and AIDS and also cancer patients. When you’re sick, you can’t go shopping, and when no one comes around it’s tough. I lost a dear friend back in the ’80s. He was my hairstylist and just brilliant. I’d fly from Colorado to have him take care of my hair and he had sev-
eral other celebrity and political clients. I didn’t know he had AIDS; back then we didn’t know much about it. It was hush-hush. People would just disappear and die. I called him and he told me that he’d lost his friend and that he was closing his shop and I asked him what was going on. He didn’t say much but the next time I was in town, I called him and asked if I could come by. I had no clue what was wrong but he was very thin, the house was bare and there was nothing in the refrigerator. I was not frightened but deeply concerned about him. He had no will, the complete antithesis of what he’d been before. He told me it was just something that was going around and he gave me an ornate carved green and gold folding screen and told me he wanted me to have it. I was like, “Why are you giving me your furniture?” He told me he was going home and wouldn’t need his furniture anymore. It was sad because at the time there was no cure, no treatment. He told me that I shouldn’t stay too long,
but my thought was, I don’t know what’s going on but this is my friend. If I get it, I’ll fight it, whatever this is. I just saw my friend disappearing right before my eyes. Six months prior, he was robust and healthy and, shortly after, he was gone. It wasn’t until I read the obituary that I said, “Oh, that’s the disease they’ve been talking about.” It was several more years until we started getting valid information about it. I still have that screen and it’s precious to me to have a part of him.
PGN: You’re involved in so many causes, but since it’s Flower Show time, tell me about the Pam Grier Community Garden and Education Center. PG: It’s part of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum. We teach people about organic gardening, health and nutrition among other things. We’re just getting it off the ground. I hate the fact that people go to the store and don’t have the option to buy organic foods at reasonable prices. It just makes such a difference when you can eat cleaner foods, get more vegetables in your diet. It’s preventative, it helps keep people out of hospitals. I want to work with Langston University, which is an Historically Black University; they gave me an honorary Ph.D in science because of my work with organic gardening and farming. I believe the agricultural students will be the game changers for the future. We need to get back to the kind of farming my grandfather did before we started using DEET and other pesticides and pumping our livestock full of hormones. If we can teach the young people to reject it, to refuse to be poisoned, we can turn things around. We need to be informed. Companies will say, “We didn’t use any pesticides on the plant” but then we find they used pesticides in the soil the food was grown in! It’s all about knowledge. Don’t get me started on GMOs [genetically modified organisms] or the issues with water. You’d be shocked at how many people can’t afford water to bathe in, never mind use it to water a garden. It’s a fight, but we’re going to win. PGN: Let’s talk about a different kind of fighting. Where did you develop your athleticism and martial-arts skills? PG: On the farm. That and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of my first boyfriends and we loved going to kung-fu movies. I studied martial arts, karate and jiu jitsu, Qigong, etc. I saw them in Asian films first and it was exciting. If you’re curious about life, you want to learn from every culture. PGN: I saw the piece Oprah did on you at your farm and it looks like such a peaceful place. PG: It was a property no one wanted! It was an old ranch PAGE 28
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
PGN
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Eating Out Should Be Fun! Read PGN’s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month
- and check out our archive of past reviews on epgn.com.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Theater & Arts Allora and Calzadilla: Intervals Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of new and recent projects by Puerto Rico-based artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla through April 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. And the Word Is … The Gershman Y hosts an exhibition exploring religious texts in contemporary art through May 14, 401 S. Broad St.; 215545-4400. Ax Plays Beethoven The Philadelphia Orchestra performs March 5-7 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847. Craig Ferguson’s Hot & Grumpy Tour The comedian and talk-show host performs 8 p.m. March 4 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS
Drawn with Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Joan and Victor Johnson Collection Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of decorated Germanic documents featuring brilliant colors through April 26, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. duplicate.until response. Hooloon Art Gallery presents an exhibition of duplicates of artwork created and inspired by the act of community balloon releases through March 15, 53 N. Second St.; 215-560-8167. Field Hockey Hot 11th Hour Theatre Company presents a gender-bending musical about a girls’ high-school field-hockey team March 5-22 at Mainstage at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.; www.11thhourtheatrecompany.org. Ghost the Musical Media Theatre presents the supernatural love story March 4-29, 104
Represent: 200 Years of African American Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition highlighting their collection of African American art through April 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.
YOU’LL BE HEARING VOICES: Winners from the fifth season of “The SingOff,” along with fan-favorite groups VoicePlay (season four) and Street Corner Symphony (season two), come to the area to perform as part of “The Sing Off: Live Tour,” 8 p.m. March 1 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-572-7650.
E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Greg Fitzsimmons The comedian seen on “Chelsea Lately” performs March 6-7 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Greg Proops The comedian seen on Comedy Central performs Feb. 27-28 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Ink and Gold: Art of the Kano Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition highlighting the artistry of the
esteemed Kano painters through May 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Margaret Cho The out comedian performs March 1-4 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. Moon Cave Azuka Theatre presents the world-premiere drama by local playwright Douglas Williams March 4-22, 1636 Sansom St.; 215-563-1100. Mothers and Sons Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-nominated
play by Terrence McNally about a woman who pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of her late son’s partner, who is now married to another man and has a young son, through March 18 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-9850420. The Natural, the Material and the Physical: Landscape Through the Photographic Eye The Gershman Y hosts an exhibition of landscape images by various regional photographers through March 29,
401 S. Broad St.; 215-545-4400. Philadelphia Pride The Philadelphia Orchestra performs works by Philadelphia composers through Feb. 28 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847. Private Lives Walnut Street Theatre presents Noël Coward’s comedy about a divorced couple who ends up honeymooning with their new spouses at the same French seaside resort through March 1, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550.
Swan Lake The Pennsylvania Ballet performs the classic story March 5-15 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Under the Skin Arden Theatre Company presents the drama about a daughter struggling with the decision to donate her kidney to her estranged father through March 15, 40 N. Second St.; 215-922-1122. Vitra-Design, Architecture, Communication: A European Project with American Roots Philadelphia Museum of Art presents some of the most innovative designs from the family-owned Swiss company through April 26, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.
Music Hellyeah The hard-rock band performs 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Bush The rock band performs 7:30 p.m. March 1 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-352-2887. HMFO The Hall & Oates tribute band performs 8 p.m. March 6 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.
Nightlife East Coast All-American Goddess At-Large 2015 Pageant The preliminary rounds, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Feb. 27 at Voyeur, 1221 St. James St.; 215735-5772. Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret The hilarity ensues 8-11 p.m. Feb. 28 at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735.
Triangle Medical General Practice Progressive HIV Care Mark T. Watkins, DO Rebecca Calder PA-C
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Wilde visits Whitman in world-premiere play By Henrik Eger PGN Contributor
THROWING ‘SHADE’: With “50 Shades of Grey” being a literary and box-office juggernaut, the story of a billionaire supermodel into BDSM is ripe for satire when the parody comedy “SPANK!” comes to the stage 7:30 p.m. March 3 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-8931999.
Purim Drag Ball Brittany Lynn and her Drag Mafia host the festivities, featuring performances by Liberty City Kings Drag and Burlesque 7-10 p.m. March 5 at Tabu,
Outta Town 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. High Anxiety The Mel Brooks spoof of the Hitchcock film is screened 2 p.m. March 1 at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223. Joan Osborne The rock/folk singer performs 8 p.m. March 1 at World Cafe Live,
500 N. Market St. Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Jefferson Starship The rock band performs 8 p.m. March 5 at Harrah’s Casino Hotel, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City; 609-441-5501. Mike and the Mechanics The band performs 9 p.m. March 6 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Michael Bolton The soul singer performs 8 p.m. March 6 at Harrah’s Casino Hotel, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City; 609441-5501. n
Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
Oscar Wilde was one of the wittiest gay playwrights, poets and writers of epigrams in the English-speaking world, and the author of the groundbreaking novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Wilde, the darling of British society, was sentenced to two years hard labor at Reading Gaol for “gross indecency” — even though there was no evidence other than some love letters of his to Bosie, the young Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas, son of the homophobic John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry. Eventually, Wilde was allowed pen and paper in prison, where he composed one of the most moving letters ever written by a man to his young lover — “De Profundis (From the Depths).” To this day, people are traveling to the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to pay their respects to Wilde who, penniless and unknown, only 46, died of cerebral meningitis, in Room 16 at Hôtel d’Alsace — deserted by his lover, who did not want to be disinherited by his wealthy, albeit ruthless, father. Not everyone, though, knows about the 27-year-old Wilde, who — wealthy, intelligent and with a tremendous desire to make a big name for himself — went on a tour through the United States, giving well-attended lectures on art and literature, determined to meet as many famous American writers, including Walt Whitman, so that he could not only bask in their glory, but also learn from them. David M. Friedman, author of “Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity,” provides evidence that “Wilde didn’t travel to Camden to learn how to be a famous writer … He went to learn how to be a famous person.” America’s oldest theater with the world’s largest subscriber base, the Walnut Street Theatre just premiered “Mickle Street” by Philadelphia playwright Michael Whistler, which features the encounter between the rising, if young, Wilde (Daniel Fredrick) from Britain and America’s seasoned and much-discussed Walt Whitman (Buck Schirner), then 62, at his house on Mickle Street in Camden, N.J., on Jan. 31, 1882. Right from the beginning of the play, we see Wilde reflected through the eyes of Gilbert and Sullivan, the famous Victorian writers of operettas that had become bigbox office successes both in the United States and Britain. Mary (Sabrina Profitt), the widow who looks after Whitman, sings this musical caricature of Wilde, the upperclass dandy from the popular Gilbert and Sullivan operetta “Patience:” “Conceive me if you can/A Bombty-bomp young man/So ultra poetical/so etty-quette-tetical/Out of the way young man.” Shortly thereafter, the tall and handsome Wilde arrives at Whitman’s humble and overcrowded home, dressed to the hilt with his famous fur coat and pantaloons, looking
WHEN OSCAR MET WALT: Buck Schirner and Daniel Fredrick in “Mickle Street” at Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3. Photo: Mark Garvin like a Victorian male Madonna at a gala. Unlike the American singer, Wilde plays the poetic wild card: “I come as a poet to call upon a poet,” he proclaims at his arrival — to the delight of audiences who experience a battle royale between the poor and aging American star among poets: the wild young Wilde, who made up his lack of experience with panache, and Mary, the simple Irish-American soul with great convictions that clash with both men and their lifestyles, at least the way she sees them. She warns Wilde about Whitman’s predilection for working-class young men, including the famous Pete Doyle, a streetcar conductor whom she calls “the trolley man,” one of Whitman’s favorite companions: “He rides the trolley all day to be near him and talk — day finishes they come here and drink. Pete doesn’t leave — there’s not a liberty Pete doesn’t take about this house. There is not a liberty that Mr. Whitman doesn’t take with Pete.” Showing Wilde more photos of Whitman’s favorite young men, she exclaims, full of consternation: “Sailors, peddlers, soldiers — ah! An 18-year-old boy he gave a ring to. I thought to put [these images] aside as company was coming. It appears I needn’t have bothered. T’isn’t natural. It’s an inversion. But the man is what he is, and my hiding a few photographs won’t change that. He’ll tell you it is all a part of his ‘cosmology,’ that it is a part of a ‘new country of comrades.’” Seconds later, reflecting on Wilde’s effusive behavior toward Whitman, the old widow issues a warning: “So you be sure you know where you might end up when you start into flattering and flirting and all this ‘cosmology.’ When he’s got his rand up I can smell it on him like a perfume. With all your talk of jardinières and amarylli, yer a fancy boy yourself.”
When Whitman returns from the kitchen with a “working man’s treat — Milk punch!” (whiskey and milk), Mary stiffens her back and leaves the room, with Whitman buddying up to the young Wilde: “Well. We’ll continue, just us boys then. We two boys together clinging, one the other never leaving, up and down the roads going.” Wilde plays along and brings up the controversial “Leaves of Grass” collection that he had read in London, quoting Whitman’s references to “manly attachment,” “adhesive love,” “love of comrades” and “the life that does not exhibit itself.” Some moving discussions ensue, including one nasty review that describes the content of the poetry collection as “a sin so vile that it is not spoken by Christians.” Little did Wilde know that he would be accused of a similar crime, end up in prison and, shortly thereafter, die way before his time. Whistler’s new play, based on historical facts and imagined conversations between two famous writers (directed by Greg Wood), opens new doors, shows an insecure young Wilde who seems to hide behind “aesthetics and art” while Whitman teaches Wilde more than he might have bargained for, advising him, “Go see America. Go see the world. Find out what creature you are. And for all the frippery — be honest. With us, and with yourself.” n “Mickle Street” runs through March 8 at Independence Studio on 3 at Walnut Street Theatre. For more information, visit www.walnutstreettheatre.org. Henrik Eger, Ph.D., playwright and editor of www.DramaAroundtheGlobe.com, originally from Germany, studied and taught English in England for many years, and now resides in the Philadelphia area.
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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
Q Puzzle Sam Smith’s secret to success Across
1. Poses for Mapplethorpe 5. “Peter Pan” critter, for short 9. Job for Burr’s Mason 13. Booty 14. Locks in a salon 15. Chip in a chip 16. Start of Sam’s secret 19. Jane Spahr, for one 20. Elevator alternative 21. More of the secret 24. Greenish-yellow fruit 27. Deity identified with Diana 28. Nuts and bolts 32. A, as in Acapulco 33. Parts for Dykes on Bikes 35. Constellation
over Sydney 36. “The Lion King” king 38. Spoof 40. More of the secret 45. Zipper problem 46. Caesar’s last question 47. Film canine 48. Coat for Mary’s lamb 50. Paranormal 54. ___ Records (Etheridge label) 59. End of the secret 62. Baseball diamond cover 63. Former netman Nastase 64. Wang in fashion 65. Withdraws, with “out” 66. Songwriter Holly 67. Cruising hazard
Down
1. You don’t want to get a pink one 2. Least bit 3. Pulls behind
PORTRAIT from page 23
house that we made home. I have horses and animals … a lot of rescue animals here. Everyone wants giant mansions that they can’t heat but there are so many good properties that just need a little love. When I was in Detroit driving around I saw so many fabulous little properties, cottages, abandoned and boarded-up. I thought women could fix them up and live in these. All you need to do is watch a couple of episodes of Bob Vila’s “This Old House.” Stop buying shoes and invest in property! Fix them up and flip them and make some money. Businesses are coming back to Detroit so instead of living in an apartment, you could have your own little house with a yard for your kids. If people would just open their eyes, they could see that opportunities are abundant. Daddy Ray would always say, “Don’t always look for the green on the other side of the fence, it’s right underneath your feet.” PGN: Very true. It’s amazing what you can do with a little ingenuity and desire. PG: You can build whole communities. It’s not just about the bricks and mortar. Community is when you see a piece of paper on the ground and you pick it up. I pick up trash because I enjoy beauty. I’ve worked in some of the most beautiful gardens and in some of the most treacherous parts of Los Angeles with people trying to grow food for their families — trying to find any little square foot of space to grow good food because they can’t afford to go to the market, nor do they have the transportation to do so. When I see people doing that, being
4. Back talk, slangily 5. Laugh coined by Lewis Carroll 6. Hauled ass 7. Tin Man’s request 8. Chappell of soaps 9. Where PrideVision originated 10. Voting no 11. Direction from Rick Rodgers 12. Phallic swimmers 17. Signal that goes either way 18. Shoshonean tongue 22. IRS review 23. Composition of some chains 24. Arrests 25. Burger layer 26. Rio step 29. Sites for three men in a tub 30. Balkan native 31. He comes once a year 33. Homophobe/ attorney general Bondi of Florida 34. Lotion letters at
South Beach 37. Ask on one’s knees 39. Hollywood’s Hagen 41. He came after Gorbachev 42. Sault ___ Marie 43. Summer for Rimbaud 44. One hell of a guy? 48. Sore throat producer 49. Night school subj. 50. Sgt. Snorkel’s pooch 51. Split in the skin 52. Pre-kiss insert 53. Dave Pallone and others 55. Billie Jean King’s zip 56. Blown away 57. Uncool sort 58. Make-or-break date 60. Land in la mer, for Debussy 61. Snoop group
resourceful, I smile and say, “That’s Daddy Ray, that’s his spirit.” Out of necessity comes genius. PGN: What a life you have! PG: It’s wonderful but things are busy these days. It’s a holiday today [Presidents Day] but not for us. I have a few other interviews today and I have calls in about current projects to discuss hair and wardrobe and that kind of thing. And projects keep coming in. [Laughs] It’s to the point that I have to say, “Can you call me in a few years from now?” I have a couple of people who help me and our days are full. They’re like, “So-and-so keeps calling. What should I do about this? This needs to go out today!” and I tell them, “Go home. That’s what the three answering machines are for.” When you have people doing things for you, you want them to do things well and on time but you have to honor their time and space and families as well. I have to make them take the weekends off. I tell them, “Mama’s OK, don’t worry about me.” [Laughs] I want them to take their days off so they don’t start resenting and hating me! But I have the smartest, most dedicated people around me. I can’t ask for much more. PGN: Let’s wrap up with some random thoughts. Favorite toys? PG: My brother’s train and my first bike. But more than toys, I loved our horses. PGN: When was the last time you cried? PG: Two weeks ago when I saw “Selma.” It harkened back to my rel-
atives who were hosed and who were refused service in restaurants. I heard the song “Glory” and it reminded me of them. PGN: Best birthday? PGN: When I was born. PGN: If there was a Foxy Brown award for strong independent women, who would you give it to? PG: Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama. Those are the top three but I could name about 30 more. PGN: Will you have some time to spend in Philadelphia? PG: No, I’m in and out. I have to leave right away but I’m looking forward to the Flower Show. I’ve heard so much about it. We have a home show here and I like to take my mom but it’s hard because of the snow; she doesn’t do well in the cold weather anymore. But there’s so much to learn, I live in the mountains and we have all sorts of flora and fauna around here. I get to see how nature survives and adapts and the teacher reminds me every day not to squander. But there’s always something new to learn. Suzi’s note: There were so many more topics we didn’t get to cover. In her book, “Foxy: My Life in Three Acts,” Grier speaks about being raped at age 6: “You try to deal with it, but you never really get over it, and not just me — my family endured so much guilt and anger that something like that happened to me.” She also faced discrimination in Hollywood — including her role in Rocket Gibraltar
(1988) being cut due to fears by the film’s director, Daniel Petrie, of the “repercussions from interracial love scenes.” Her relationships with Richard Pryor and Freddie Prinze and of course her many triumphs along the way. By the way, she also has another connection to this area. Her cousin, former NFL football star Rosey Grier, attended Penn State University. The original member of the Fearsome Foursome was known for challenging gender stereotypes. He was famous for his needlepointing and authored his own book, “Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint for Men.” He also recorded the song “It’s All Right to Cry” for the children’s album from “Free to Be … You and Me.” Unfortunately, even with two columns dedicated to Grier, we still only touched the surface. Hopefully you’ll check out her book or, better yet, come to the Flower Show and meet this remarkable woman yourself. n
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Scott A. Drake
Dances with cleats ABC just announced the lineup for season 20 of “Dancing with the Stars” and one of our favorite pro football players, Michael Sam, is on tap to samba and rhumba with dancer Peta Murgatroyd. Sam is in good company. The show has a history of twinkle-toe football players, including Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. The former University of Missouri Tigers star defensive player was the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. He was drafted first by the St. Louis Rams and cut before the season and then picked up by the Cowboys. Unfortunately for him and us, he was released after several weeks. Too bad for the Cowboys — they could have used some additional defense. Of course, the initial knee-jerk (emphasis on jerk) reactions across simpleton social-media America was to disparage ABC for describing Sam as a gay NFL player. Thinly veiled homophobia at best, to be polite. But, to be fair, a number of LGBT supporters are smacking these people back down. But back to the important stuff. Sam says he is still interested in trying out for the NFL again this year and that a num-
“Dancing with the Stars” season 20 premiers 8 p.m. March 16 on ABC. Cleveland LGBTs benefit from Gay Games 9 profit
ber of teams have expressed interest. He certainly isn’t without a sense of humor or irony, either. In January, he proposed to his longtime boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, in Vatican City. I’ve never been hard-core dedicated to the show, but I’ll be watching it kick off this season to once again root for one of our own. Another of the season’s celebrity dancers is Philadelphia’s own Patti LaBelle, who will pair up with Artem Chigvintsev.
An international quadrennial games surplus? It never, ever happens with the Olympics, that’s for sure, but GG9 organizers announced it just last week. It’s not the first profit for a Gay Games, but it is the largest to date. Gay Games 9 was the most profitable in the games’ 32-year history. The money will be divided between the Gay Games LGBT Legacy Fund at the Cleveland Foundation, which will receive $120,000, and the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, which receives $27,000. Both organizations were sponsors of the games in Cleveland and Akron last year. Gay Games 10 will be held Aug. 4-12, 2018, in Paris.
Rocco
Spring is about to spring us free from the cold, gray season of death, but before that happens, we start getting our evening light back beginning 2 a.m. March 8. Our return to Daylight Saving Time is one of the turning points in seasonal shifts and that means a couple of our sports (soccer and tennis, to name two) will be returning to the outside world soon after. In two weeks, I’ll start the spring round-up of who’s moving out to where and what’s starting back up and when. Until then, put on your boots, hats, scarves, gloves, two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, three shirts and two coats and get out and play! Short stops • The next OPAL/Stonewall Sports fundraiser is 9 p.m. April 18 at Tabu. • Sports and recreation info can be found inside the back page of the PGN every fourth Friday of the month or at any time at epgn.com. n Are you having a sports spring fling wingding thing? Email scott@epgn.com.
On a stage transformed into a boxing ring with audience seating on four sides, male fighter-dancers perform a virtuosic display of close combat-choreography.
Photo by Antoinette Mooy
ICKamsterdam (Netherlands) (Emio Greco | Pieter C. Scholten)
It’s beginning to look a lot like springtime
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Legal Notice Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, February Term, 2015, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 2, 2015, the petition of LENA ANN CRUZ was filed, praying for a decree to change his name to QUENTIN ANTHONY CRUZ. The Court has fixed March 18, 2015 at 11:30 a.m., in Room No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________39-09 Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, February Term, 2015, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 4, 2015, the petition of Aram Hapet Sarkuni was filed, praying for a decree to change her name to Alexandra Hapet Sarkuni. The Court has fixed March 18, 2015 at 11:30 a.m., in Room No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________39-09
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ADONIS CINEMA
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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. ________________________________________39-10 Philly boy looking for mail correspondence with guys in Philly while I finish my incarceration. 6’3”, blond hair, hazel eyes. Lots to discuss. Will reply to every letter. Give this a try, I guarantee you’ll have fun. Kenneth Houck, #06743-015, Englewood FCE, 9595 W. Quincy Ave., Littleton CO 80123. ________________________________________39-10 BM with big tool wans to nail a bottom to the floor. BM has equipment to make a bottom wish he wants more. I’m 6 ft and 198 lbs. and have 8.5 inches and 1.25 girth and know how to use it. Call anytime 215-763-3391. All replies answered. ________________________________________39-10 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________39-10
A-B-C’s: would like to meet men from Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, and the Caribbean: Anguilla, Barbados and Costa Rica, also Puerto Rico and Mexico for friendship and more. 856-547-4163. Habla Espanol. ________________________________________39-17 FREE MED EXAM Oral inspection of lips, cheeks & rim; head with cap slid back and internal openings with tongue. Mamilia massages for fullness. Patient viewing of onanism or digital manipulation help. Office visits or we come to you. Text for appointment; call during office hours 8-11 PM only. 609-727-1619, _____________________________________________39-09
Friends Men David, 65, 6’, 200 lbs., attentive. 215-569-4949. (24/7) ________________________________________39-09 Hi, my name is Diego. I’m a black male, med. honey brown gold complexion. I’m interested in massaging guys, all different sizes, body types, ages and races. I’m 5’2”, 110, strong muscular hands. $50/hr, $80/2 hrs. 267-333-5026. ________________________________________39-08
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PLEASURE PRINCIPLE Saturday, March 14th Time: 11pm-3:30am
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HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Thursday
7am-6am
(closed an hour for cleaning)
Friday- Sunday:
Open 24hrs
ADMISSION: $12.00
WEEKLY SPECIALS:
SUNDAY RELIEF
Half Price Rooms & Lockers (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) ROOMS: Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50 LOCKERS: Members: $9.00 and Non-Members: $19.00 MONDAY thru FRIDAY: (8am to 4pm) Business Mans Locker Special 4 hour lockers Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00
LATE NIGHT CREEP
Half Price Lockers (12 Midnight- 8am/ Mon.- Thurs.) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50
TUESDAYS
Half Price Rooms (6am till 12 Midnight) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT CRUISE $12 Flat Rate for Locker Admission & Clothing Optional (4pm-12 Midnight)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT 4 Hour Lockers (8am - 4pm) Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00
Check out our website for our WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events....
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THE BIGGER, BETTER & CLEANER CLUB IN THE CITY...
PGN
Activism/Politics
ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. Mondays at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215-386-1981, www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Pennsylvania holds a volunteer night 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month, 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447, www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month, except August and December; 215-243-7103, www.gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www.libertycity.org.
Arts
Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at William Way. Men On Tap, an LGBT group that performs with choirs, organizations and at the Fringe Festival, rehearses 8 p.m. Mondays at The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St.; dale@ magicalfantasies.com. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses 7-9:30 p.m. Mondays; philadelphiafreedomband.com. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230, auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed LGBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at William Way. Reading Queerly, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.
Recreation
Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday 2-5 p.m. at William Way; reservations required. Call 215732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 5:30-10:30 p.m. at Abner’s Steaks, 38th and Chester streets; 215-382-0789. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at William Way; 215-985-1456, www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing hosts an open house and Tuesday classes in the fall at Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com, www.independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape; 267-2306750. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays at William Way. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for hikes in Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge Park; philaventures.org.
Sports
Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for practice at p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area with games on Sundays, beginning in April, at the Dairy and Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, open to LGBT and allies, practices 8-10 p.m. Mondays and 2-4 p.m. Saturdays; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, open to male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434, www. philagaybowling.com. Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League plays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at FDR Park; www.phillyflagfootball.com
Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club, open to players of all skill levels, meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531, philadelphiagryphons.org, becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages. Practice is 7 p.m. Thursdays at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games at 2:30 p.m. Sundays; 215-991-5995 (day), 301-919-1194 (evening), phillywomensbaseball. com. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936, phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region; contact the organization via Facebook. 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 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. Spartan Wrestling Club gay wrestling team meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545, www.phillyspartans.com.
Etc.
AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215587-9377, www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends; http://biunity. org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols, for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense, meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southampton; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistols.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020, delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Men and Women for Human Excellence support group meets from noon-2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month at 26th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue; 267-2733513, cmoore8300@yahoo.com. Long Yang Club Philadelphia, social organization for gay Asians and their friends, holds monthly socials; www. longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetimersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club, for leather men and women, meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at William Way; 215-732-2220. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle; 856-375-3708, wmf69@comast.net.
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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Community Bulletin Board Community centers
■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331; atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 48:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available MondayFriday. See the Youth section for more events.
■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044; center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088 ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330
■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065 rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.
Key numbers ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378 ■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Nellie Fitzpatrick, 215-6862194; helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555
■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 1-877-pride-2000 ■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288
■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658
■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537
■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833
■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670
Health
Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 1711 S. Broad St.; 215-629-2300; www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871; www.galaei. org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appoint-
■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; 215-627-9090; www.galloplaw. org. ■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, selfemployed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a website where everyone is invited to sign up for email notices for activities and
ment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. 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; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronicdisease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-noon Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.
Professional groups events; www.gppn.org; 215-9223377.
■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www. nlgja.org/philly; philly@nlgja.org.
■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370.
■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www. philadelphiagaytourism.com; 215-840-2039.
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PGN
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2015
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