PGN March 9 - 15, 2018 by The Philadelphia Gay News

pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

Vol. 42 No. 10 March 9-15, 2018

Family Portrait: Steve Sosna takes the heat for inclement weather PAGE 35

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

IBA announces scholarship changes PAGE 2

Thinking Queerly: Managing expectations to reduce your wedding planning stress

PAGES 12-25

Cosby to be retried next month

Killer of trans woman convicted of first-degree murder

By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com After deliberating only 28 minutes, a Philadelphia jury handed down a first-degree murder conviction for Charles N. Sargent, who brutally murdered trans woman Diamond Williams five years ago. The verdict was rendered March 6, on the seventh day of Sargent’s murder trial at the Criminal Justice Center. Common Pleas Court Judge Diana L. Anhalt sentenced Sargent, 48, to life imprisonment plus six-12 years for related crimes. “Your crime was so egregious and horrible,” Anhalt told Sargent. “Diamond Williams was an important and valuable part of the world. And you wiped her away. I hope I don’t remember you, but I will always remember her.” Sargent brought Williams to his Strawberry Mansion home in July 2013, punctured her cranium with a s c r e w d r i v e r, dismembered her corpse with an axe, then scattered her body parts in a vacant lot and in the Schuylkill River. The defendant insisted he acted in self-defense after Williams became violent during a sexual encounter inside his home, but jurors apparently rejected his story. “I’m very glad the jurors were able to give justice to Diamond and to give her a voice in death that the defendant silenced in life,” prosecutor Kristen J. Kemp told PGN. PAGE 19 Benjamin

PAGE 14

Sping Wedding Issue

SAGE ADVICE: Former Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy spoke to a crowd of about 50 at the SAGE and friends gathering March 1 at the Comcast Center. Hosted by the Montgomery County LGBT Business Council, SAGE is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults.Photo: Scott A. Drake

Protests continue to surround FIGHT By Brittany M. Wehner and Jeremy Rodriguez brittany@epgn.com, jeremy@epgn.com Representatives from Philadelphia FIGHT, an HIV/AIDS-services nonprofit, last week met with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. Members of the nonprofit’s board and staff aimed to discuss its status on PCHR’s report on Gayborhood racism. FIGHT was among the organizations named in PCHR’s January 2017 report, “Inform, Monitor, Enforce: Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Community.” This report stemmed from an October 2016 public hearing where community members spoke on their experiences with racism and discrimination in the Gayborhood. In the report, the agency mandated that FIGHT undergo racial-bias and sensitivity training. While the nonprofit complied, representatives believe FIGHT should be removed from the report, calling it “outdated,” since FIGHT “improved” one year later.

PCHR Communications Director Rachel Hooper confirmed to PGN in a statement that the agency’s leadership met with four representatives from FIGHT on March 1. “FIGHT’s initial requests were that we take down our January 2017 report on racism and discrimination in the LGBTQ community from our website, and that we tour their organization’s operations. We informed them that we stand by our report, which is a product of many community voices through our public-hearing process and other submitted testimony. The report will remain on our website, along with our subsequent October 2017 progress report, PAGE 8 which shows full

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby, who was back in court this week, is expected to return April 2 for the retrial of his sexual-assault case. Cosby, 80, was accused of sexually assaulting women after drugging them at Pennsylvania suburban home. The allegations trace back to 2004. Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill declared a mistrial in June because jurors were unable to decide on a verdict. The deliberation lasted more than 50 hours. The jury was comprised of seven men and five women. Cosby’s attorneys are fighting to set a limit on how many women can testify against him in the retrial. Attorney Tom Mesereau is defending Cosby, who was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault. Among his accusers is Andrea Constand, a former Temple University professor and an out lesbian. Constand is also a former basketball coach at the North Philadelphia university. She was at Cosby’s house in 2004 when, she has alleged, he gave her pills to relax, resulting in her becoming incapacitated. Cosby is accused of sexually assaulting her while she was incapable of moving or speaking. Constand has testified that she and Cosby had a friendship at one time but that he made “suggestive” advances, which she rebuked. She alleged that he was counseling her about changes in her career when he offered her the “herbal” pills. Constand took the stand in 2017 at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown in a trial that lasted six days. She filed charges and sued Cosby in 2005. Defense attorneys have argued that there were inconsistencies in Constand’s story. More than 50 other women also came forward with similar allegations against Cosby, but Constand’s was the only one that led to criminal charges. While Cosby’s attorneys are requesting a limit on the number of women testifying against him in the retrial, prosecutors contend it’s important to secure Constand’s credibility in the case. In the first trial, only she was permitted to testify, despite the prosecutors’ request to allow 13 women. Other allegations came from witnesses dating back to 1956, 1990 and 1996. Cosby claims any sexual encounters were consensual. Prosecutors are requesting that at least 19 accusers be permitted to take the witness stand. O’Neill denied requests to dismiss the case. Cosby has pleaded not guilty to his charges and was released on $1-million bail. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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IBA announces LGBT scholarship changes By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com The Independence Business Alliance and DVLF recently announced changes to their LGBT Business Scholarship program, including a substantial increase in funding. The IBA/DVLF 2018 LGBTQ Business Scholarship Award has been doubled to $5,000. Additionally, the scholarship is now open to fulltime graduate students in addition to full-time undergraduates. “We wanted the scholarship money to be more impactful for students and we wanted more LGBT students to have an opportunity to apply for it,” said IBA Executive Director Zach Wilcha. The scholarship is made possible by the ongoing support of the founding sponsor, LinguiSearch, as well as generous donations from several IBA members and the Balleroy Initiative, which allowed for the increase in funding. “Scholarships like the IBA really support the advancement of the LGBT community and advancement of our young people,” said Michael A. Grosberg, DVLF board treasurer. “It’s great to see the folks at IBA have really taken to heart the building of this scholarship and the support it provides to the young folks in the community.” “We wanted to make sure that this scholarship was something that would really help the way our winning students lived and studied,” Wilcha said. “What better way to do that than doubling the amount of money we give?”

Applicants of the scholarship qualify if they are a self-identified LGBT or ally student. Also, applicants must be currently enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the Greater Philadelphia region, which includes Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. This region also includes New Castle County in Delaware and Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties in New Jersey. Applicants must also be working toward an undergraduate or graduate degree in a business program or major, demonstrating leadership roles. “As the IBA advocates through the lens of business equality, it’s important for us to invest in future leaders for our community,” Wilcha said. “Scholarships, along with IBA membership and mentorship, are effective ways to assist today in the education of those who will be carrying on tomorrow’s progress as LGBT business leaders.” The $5,000 scholarship is awarded for educational expenses including tuition, books, supplies, room and board. Funds will be payable on the winning student’s behalf directly to the school. “We are always looking for donations to expand ways we can help the next generation thrive,” Wilcha said. Scholarship applications for 2018 will be accepted through March 30. n Visit http://bit.ly/2G4DKjm to apply for the IBA/ DVLF 2018 LGBTQ Business Scholarship Award.

News Briefing MACT-Philadelphia to hold meeting for Women’s History Month Men of All Colors TogetherPhiladelphia will hold a meeting 7:30 p.m. March 16 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. In honor of Women’s History Month, the meeting will feature a guest speaker, Councilwoman Helen Gym. Gym, an LGBT advocate, is the first Asian-American woman to serve on Philadelphia’s City Council. Prior to her term, she spent more than 20 years leading community organizers in areas of public education and immigrant rights. MACT is a gay, multiracial and multicultural organization committed to equality, diversity and support of the LGBT community. For more information on the meeting, call Aaron Libson at 215-455-6038.

Community center announces grant funding for LGBT trainings Officials from the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center recently announced the center would receive a new grant for training on LGBT issues for educators, health-care professionals and law-enforcement and social-service agencies. The Edwin J. & Gertrude K. Neusch Fund of the Lehigh Valley Communication Foundation provided the grant. “In order for the LGBT community throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley to thrive, the experiences we have in the world around us need to be grounded in respect and dignity,” said center executive director Adrian Shanker. “LGBT youth frequently encounter negative experiences in schools and other youth-serving organizations and, with this grant, we will get to work with training educators in Upper Bucks County to provide high-quality, culturally appropriate services for LGBT youth.” Bradbury-Sullivan provides arts, health and youth programs to strengthen and support Lehigh Valley’s LGBT community. For more information, visit www.bradburysullivancenter.org. n — Brittany M. Wehner

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News & Opinion

2 — News Briefing 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Feedback Mark My Words Street Talk

Columns

9 — Out Money: A great 2017, what’s next? 14 — Thinking Queerly: Don’t expect the perfect wedding

Arts & Culture

DISABILITY VISABILITIES: Selene Rose, a professional belly dancer, performs a traditional dance during the Disability Visibility show held March 3 at the William Way LGBT Community Center. About 20 people attended and/or participated in the event. Photo: Scott A. Drake

29 31 32 35 36 37

“Asking up front is the fastest, simplest way to keep from being blindsided by religious wackos who use their faith as a shield from acceptance and decency.” ~ On checking that your wedding businesses are LGBT-friendly, page 15

— Feature: Carson Kressley and Kristine W debut cabaret act — Scene in Philly — Out & About — Family Portrait — Q Puzzle — Comic

Engagements, weddings and a special anniversary are some of the highlights in this year’s Spring Wedding Issue. The joyous occasions begin on page 12. PGN runs announcements throughout the year. Email editor@epgn.com to be included in future issues. PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506 Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

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LOCAL PGN

Panel discussion celebrates Philly Black Trans History

Photo: Scott A. Drake

By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com In honor of Black History Month, members of the city’s black trans community hosted a panel discussion on their struggles and triumphs. The Trans Equity Project, the TransMasculine Advocacy Network (TMAN) and L’amour last week hosted “Philly Black Trans History: A Multigenerational Panel Discussion” at the William Way LGBT Community Center. The catered event featured several panelists, including Lisa Thompson, Sam Marks, Ja’Nae Taylor, Reno Wright, Bri Golphin, Cory Taylor and Tatyana Ali Woodard. Trans Equity Project co-coordinator Christian Lovehall kicked off the Feb. 26 event with spiritual drumming by Karen Smith, a local community member. “It is an opportunity for LGBTQIA individuals to learn about Philadelphia’s black trans history,” Lovehall said. “This gathering allows community members to connect with local leaders within our trans communities to better understand the life experiences of black trans individuals in our city and to challenge assumptions and stereotypes.” Prior to the discussion, Lovehall took a moment to honor ancestors and community members who are no longer present, but whose legacy inspires the community. Smith drummed along as he spoke. “Tonight is a night to call out all those who came before us. Tonight we honor our ancestors, spirits — we are honored to uplift their achievements and contributions this evening,” Lovehall said. Following the commemoration, the panelists took the microphone. Wright, a trans man, is a published author and an advocate. He spoke about being on

“The Jerry Springer Show,” what it’s like to be a proud trans man and the strength in recovery from addiction. Wright was the first African-American trans man to appear on television when he came out on Springer’s show years ago. “It was liberating and empowering. I was beaten to my chest for a very long time, but was in my early 20s and for me, I had been hiding who I was and how I really felt for over two decades, most of my life,” he said. Wright said this opportunity changed his life, allowing him to come out. But while it was liberating, coming out also created obstacles and safety fears. “Doing that was a brand-new experience for me,” Wright recalled. “I had never had anybody cheer for me like that before in my life. At the same time, on the other hand, I had exposed myself nationally. Everybody had seen me, knew who I was and I didn’t know who everybody else was. “It put me in a very vulnerable, tricky kind of position as far as safety out on the street. It really was, at times, a very crippling vulnerability. But in all honesty, I would not change that experience in my life.” Wright also talked about recovery and gave advice on the topic “Recovery is a real and serious thing for me. I am a person who is in recovery and I’m not ashamed to say I’m in recovery. I don’t believe in stigma associated with recovery. My higher power delivered me from something I couldn’t deliver myself from,” he said. Wright also addressed “owning yourself” and the importance of identity in recovery. “I believe it is important that we research our origin. Peel back the layers of our heritage, our ethnicity, to know you want to assimilate where you set your goals and go after them hard. Do you want to decide what you want PAGE 19

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

LOCAL PGN

LGBT social group to present the stories in our closets By Gary L. Day PGN Contributor Qunify is a relatively new LGBT social group, formed less than a year ago. According to group spokesperson Dredeir Roberts, the group’s purpose is “to organize events for LGBTQ people.” These events include social, informational and political gatherings. “Through our events, we want to build a holistic community that fills a social need regardless of interest or gender identification,” Roberts said. Qunify’s next event is “Our Stories — Our Closets,” a March 10 discussion at Philly AIDS Thrift. According to Roberts, “Our Stories” will “explore the issue of fashion and identity.” Qunify has pulled together a lineup of speakers who run the gamut of queer fashion consciousness and gender identity. These individuals include Token, Mese and Taz, who run a clothing line called Rejected Society. In a Qunify statement, the group described itself this way: “We are a genderless clothing line that is spreading awareness while uniting society through fashion, art and entertainment.” Then there is Ron Binary, who identifies as “a non-binary trans-masculine gender-queerdo vampire freak” and hopes to comfort those “feeling displaced and rejected by a binarist world and to bring chaos and horror to those who are complacent with the system dragging us down.” Also speaking will be Jessica, who describes herself as “everyone’s favorite lesbian pinup girl.” Jessica is a blogger who specializes in “lingerie and everything femme.”

Also included will be Mason Billie, a non-binary trans person studying industrial design at the University of the Arts, whose senior thesis is a gender-neutral clothing line to help other people express their queer identities through fashion, according to a statement. Finally, there is Brandon, a non-binary model interested in “wellness, gender-free self-expression and fitting vegan cuisine into your life.” Qunify chose to hold this event at PAT because of the special relationship between queer people and thrifting, the group stated: “Thrifting is an accessible way for [queer people] to get clothing that really fits their style and show their true self to the world.” Other Qunify events take place in a host of different venues: bars, coffeehouses and “wherever people are interested in building connections between different communities,” Roberts said. She added that Qunify’s events are intended to “gather people to foster personal connection, group community and city partnership to make additional spaces and opportunities open for all LGBTQ+ people.” Since the group is mostly comprised of young people, Qunify networks mostly through social media. The group uses Facebook and Instagram not only to announce upcoming events, but also to foster the connections and feedback that can build community online and offline. n “Our Stories—Our Closets” takes place on 1-3 p.m. March 10 at Philly AIDS Thrift, 710 S. Fifth Street. For information on this, visit the group on Facebook or Instagram at @qunifyphl. They can also be reached at qunifyphl@gmail.com.

LOCAL PGN

AUTHOR! AUTHOR! AUTHOR!: Lonely Christopher (left photo, on right) chats with fellow author Samuel R. Delany (seated, in red) prior to their joint book reading and signing event held on March 3 at Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room. The packed house heard selections from Chiristopher’s “THERE: a novel of manners” and Delany’s “The Athiest in the Attic.” Delany is the author of more than forty books ranging from science fiction to essays on sexuality and lives in Philadelphia. Alex Myers (inset, right) spoke March 6 at the first of a series of after-hours events at the Muesum of the American Revolution. Myers is a trans man who wrote “Revolutionary,” a story based on the life of Deborah Sampson. Sampson was a woman in the 18th century who dressed as a man to enlist as a soldier and fight in the Revolutionary War. Photos: Scott A. Drake

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LOCAL PGN FIGHT from page 1

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compliance by FIGHT. In the near future, Rue Landau and PCHR leadership will tour Philadelphia FIGHT, along with Amber Hikes, Director of the Office of LGBT Affairs. The PCHR is a neutral agency charged with enforcing the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance and conducting unbiased investigations on all complaints of discrimination.” A FIGHT spokesperson declined to go into details about the meeting. Meanwhile, on the corner of 13th and Locust streets, members of the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative spoke out against the nonprofit. Members alleged that there is a lack of equity, safety and fairness in the workplace and in the organization’s policies. BBWC co-founder Abdul-Aliy Muhammad spoke about the need to make changes in the nonprofits leadership. “We are standing with former and current Philadelphia FIGHT staff,” they said. “To FIGHT workers and patients who are organizing, we see you, we salute you. Most of the services at Philadelphia FIGHT centers HIV-positive communities and is overwhelmingly representative of formerly incarcerated people. As an HIV-positive organizer, I am alarmed by the actions of FIGHT senior leadership, especially Jane Shull.” Muhammad said claims that BBWC wanted to shut down FIGHT were false. “When we, the Black and Brown Workers Cooperative, and our coalition partners heard the narrative being spun by the leadership of FIGHT — that we wanted FIGHT’s doors to close, we were appalled and upset. Why would a worker’s rights organization, who works directly with black and brown populations, want to close an AIDSservice organization? That’s not true. That’s a lie. “This is fear mongering. Due to intimidation, retaliation and fear of job loss, many workers within this institution are unable to be visible in ways we can be as a coalition and we fully support workers doing what they need to do to survive within these systems.” Dominique London read a statement on behalf of West Philadelphia Community Health Workers. “We declare as workers in the field of community health that we stand in solidarity and without obstruction in support of the staff of Philadelphia FIGHT, who endure and resist institutional racism, and oppressive systems within the workplace,” London said. “We know very well that nonprofit health-care organizations that fail to empower, amplify and show respect and dignity to black and brown workers equally fail to provide quality care to the populations they serve.” Other speakers included Johanna James and Shani Akilah. Prior to the protest’s conclusion, Muhammad alleged that FIGHT’s policies impact black women. “We declare and agree that the leadership of Philadelphia FIGHT has created and enforced a violent workplace that currently disproportionately and adversely impacts black women — both cisgender and transgender women — in the following ways: excluding black frontline staff and middle-management staff from decision-making processes; black women are seen, treated and targeted as the ‘angry black woman’ for challenging racialized policies and practices [and] power-abuse nepotism,” Muhammad said. “HR is used as a tool of control and surveillance instead of existing as a neutral body to assist workers in addressing grievances,” Muhammad added. According to a press release, BBWC crafted a list of demands for the nonprofit with support from Act Up Philadelphia, The Womanist Working Collective and a group of workers from a West Philadelphia Federally Qualified Health Center. BBWC and other press conference attendees demanded the following: the immediate resignation of Shull and Medical Director Karam Mounzer, worker-led selection in the hiring process of a new executive director, and the ability to vote the executive director out and restart the hiring process if practices are in question. Additionally, they demanded training on responsibility and roles of all current and future members of the board of directors, routine evaluation and assessment of active board members, and creation of training and evaluation of materials for all staff. The group also demanded an updated employee handbook with transparency, strict execution of protocols, anti-oppression training, an audit of Philadelphia FIGHT by a third party, and mediation to avoid intimidation and lack of safety to human resources. A deadline for response to the demands was given for the end of the business day on March 14. n

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

What to do after a strong 2017? Rebalance Q: My 401k investments have done very well in the past several years. But I’m worried if the stock market goes down, I would stand to lose more money than before. How can I make sure I’m not taking on too much risk?

180 percent, the S&P 500 almost 196 percent, and the NASDAQ Composite an impressive 338 percent.2 Market analysts are at odds as to where the market will go from here. But they do agree on one thing: such a run-up is A: You’re certainly likely to leave many not alone with this portfolios heavily question. As stocks weighted in stocks. have risen dramatiFor many, it could be cally in the past several a good time to rebalyears, many people ance. will find their level A portfolio iniof stock exposure is tially composed of likely greater than it 60-percent stocks, used to be. Here are 30-percent bonds some thoughts on the and 10-percent cash concept of rebalancing at the end of 2016 to help keep your risk would have seen the Jeremy stock portion grow in check. 64 percent by the Gussick to By now, you have end of 2017, due to probably received the outperformance year-end statements for your of stocks. Portfolio drift can be investment accounts and retireeven more significant over longer ment plan. If your investments time periods. A portfolio with the include a large share of stocks same allocations and initially puror stock funds, the news was chased at the end of 2008 would probably good. In fact, 2017 was have seen the equity portion grow a banner year for stocks in gento 80 percent, and the bond and eral. The S&P 500 increased by cash portions shrink to 16 per19 percent for the year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained Portfolio Drift 20173 25 percent, and the NASDAQ Composite increased an impressive 28 percent. Growth and value stocks both did well, while large, mid and small cap indices all saw double-digit gains.1 This strong performance adds to an already solid bull run — the second longest in history. From the start of 2009 to the end of 2017, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased approximately

Out Money

DIAMOND from page 1

Cooper, an attorney for Sargent, said he would appeal the conviction. Sargent represented himself during the trial. Amber Hikes, director of the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs, attended the trial and said justice was finally served. “The news of this gruesome and horrifying crime sent shockwaves through our LGBTQ community five years ago,” Hikes told PGN after the sentencing. “Diamond Williams deserves justice and we are relieved and grateful for today’s guilty verdict.” Elizabeth Coffey Williams, a local trans advocate, echoed Hikes’ sentiments. “There’s never any joy in a conviction,” Williams said. “But there’s satisfaction in seeing a trans woman of color being treated equitably in the judicial system. The verdict yet again serves as a reminder that Philadelphia is truly a beacon of LGBT

cent and 4 percent, respectively.3 That’s why many advisors recommend rebalancing at least once a year to help restore your original asset mix or target allocation. Different Ways to Rebalance There are two ways to rebalance. The first is to direct a larger percentage of your new contributions to the asset class that’s lagging and therefore not in line with your long-term plan. In a workplace retirement plan, for instance, you could simply bump up your bond and cash portions until your target is restored. Another way is to sell investments in the asset class that’s doing well — in this case stocks — and buy investments in the classes that did not perform as well. Keep in mind that rebalancing a portfolio may create a taxable event if done outside a tax-deferred account. Although you may be reluctant to sell investments when their values are rising, remind yourself that you chose your asset allocation to reflect your risk tolerance, time horizon and investment objectives. If your current allocation is out of sync with these, then it may be time to rebalance. In fact, now may also be a good

time to revisit your target allocation. Is it still keeping with your current circumstances? If not, realign it to fit your current objectives and rebalance accordingly. Also consider your risk exposure. A portfolio too heavily weighted in equities carries greater risk and is likely to take a bigger hit should stock prices head south. How much longer the current bull-run will last is anyone’s guess. But you can take steps to make sure your portfolio stays aligned with your goals.n Jeremy R. Gussick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional affiliated with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial planning and retirement income needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2017 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager as mentioned in Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including DVLF (Delaware Valley Legacy Fund) and the Independence Business Alliance (IBA), the Philadelphia Region’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him via email at jeremy.gussick@ lpl.com. Jeremy Gussick is a Registered Representative with, and securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. 1Source: DST Systems, Inc. Growth stocks represented by the S&P 500 Growth Index, Value stocks by the S&P 500 Value Index, large-cap stocks by the S&P 500 Index, midcap stocks by the S&P 400 Midcap Index, and small-cap stocks by the S&P 600 Small Cap Index. Past performance is no indication of future returns. Your results will differ. 2Source: Yahoo Finance. Price only. 3Source: DST Systems, Inc. Stocks rep-

sensitivity and equality.” caused him to stab her in self-defense. On March 5, Sargent took the witness “I regret what I did,” Sargent added. “I’m stand and insisted he had a right to defend remorseful. [But] I think I have a right to himself in his home. He told jurors he defend myself. I think everyone has a right had nothing against the trans community to defend themselves.” but didn’t want to He denied intenhave sex with a trans “Your crime was so tionally murdering woman. Williams. egregious and horrible. He claimed he “That wasn’t a didn’t become Diamond Williams was an plan,” he testified. aware of Williams’ important and valuable “I’m a humtrans status until ble guy; I’m not a after they had anal part of the world. And you troublemaker. I can sex. be aggressive. But wiped her away. I hope I Sargent testified I don’t go around that the belated don’t remember you but I hurting people. realization came That’s not in me. It as a “shock,” and will always remember her.” never was in me.” a violent argument He told jurors his ensued. He said Williams pulled out a treatment of Williams was wrong. boxcutter from her purse and demanded “I was a slimeball. I should have been $40 pursuant to a prior agreement, which hurt, at the end of the day. It was a loss all

resented by total returns of the S&P 500. Bonds are represented by the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and Cash by Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Bill 1-3 Month Index. Past performance is no indication of future returns. Your results will differ. This article was prepared with the assistance of DST Systems Inc. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Please consult me if you have any questions. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by DST Systems Inc. or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall DST Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content. To the extent you are receiving investment advice from a separately registered independent investment advisor, please note that LPL Financial LLC is not an affiliate of and makes no representation with respect to such entity *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2017, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of 2017 Five Star Wealth Managers.

around. I lost my family. And I apologize to the community … I’m still coping with this, five years later.” Under Kemp’s intense cross-examination, Sargent insisted he had a right to protect himself in his home. At one point, he also asked the prosecutor if she ever did anything wrong. Kemp replied, “No, I’ve never chopped up a body and thrown a pelvis into a river.” Sargent repeatedly misgendered Williams during the trial, prompting the judge to order him to refer to Williams in a manner consistent with her gender identity. Outside the courtroom, LGBT advocate Frank Potopa said he wanted to honor Williams’ memory by attending the trial. “I want to give support to the spirit of Diamond Williams,” Potopa told PGN. “I also want justice served, and I’m very happy that jurors rendered a guilty verdict.” n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

EDITORIAL PGN EDITORIAL

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

William Ligon

Editorial

Justice for Diamond Common Pleas Court Judge Diana L. Anhalt gave Charles Sargent some harsh but absolutely necessary words this week. “Your crime was so egregious and horrible,” Anhalt told Sargent. “Diamond Williams was an important and valuable part of the world. And you wiped her away. I hope I don’t remember you but I will always remember her.” Anhalt sentenced Sargent to life in prison for the murder of Williams, a local trans woman. In the past week, jurors heard grisly details that involved a brutal stabbing, dismembering of Williams’ corpse and a complete lack of respect toward trans people. In July 2013, Sargent brought Williams to his Strawberry Mansion home. He then punctured her cranium with a screwdriver, dismembered her corpse with an axe and scattered her body parts in the Schuylkill River and a vacant lot. Sargent contended that he acted in self-defense after Williams became violent during a sexual encounter. Jurors obviously did not buy this statement, as it only took them 28 minutes to deliberate. We may never know Sargent’s exact thought process during that summer day in 2013, but the evidence is clear that he killed her and that he demonstrated disrespect to Williams’ gender identity. During the trial and even during the preliminary investigation, Sargent repeatedly misgendered the victim. He also previously stated that he refused to give Williams a prearranged payment of $40 for performing oral sex on him after he discovered she had male anatomy. Luckily, Williams had allies even long after her brutal death. They included Anhalt, who requested that Sargent refer to Williams with female pronouns, as well as prosecutor Kristen J. Kemp. (“No, I’ve never chopped up a body and thrown a pelvis into a river,” she told Sargent after the defendant asked her if she ever did anything wrong.) Additionally, city Director of LGBT Affairs Amber Hikes, trans advocate Elizabeth Coffey Williams and others attended the trial. It may have taken five years for Williams’ killer to be brought to justice, but the amount of community support, a quick jury decision and an overall LGBT-friendly court show we have come a long way toward acceptance. And Williams’ loved ones can rest easy knowing her killer will be behind bars for the rest of his life. n

While the nation has been grappling with the fact that we have too many guns, another thing we have too many of that gets less attention: children in the foster-care system. Interestingly, the Republican plan for dealing with these two issues couldn’t be more different. When it comes to guns, they don’t want to ban anything. In fact, the more guns, the merrier! Give every teacher a gun! Have armed guards roaming the streets! Everybody gets a tank! But when it comes to the hundreds of thousands of kids in the child-welfare system, Republicans are all about banning potential parents. Specifically, LGBTQ parents. In fact, I would not be surprised if Republicans believed children would be better off with an AR-15 as a parent than with two dads. In fact, that’s probably being written into the law advancing in Georgia that would allow adoption agencies to refuse LGBT people on “religious-freedom” grounds. The bill, called the Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act, was sponsored by Georgia Sen. William Ligon, who claims, “The goal is to open as many doors as possible for those children that are in need of homes and this bill will do that.” And how does limiting the number of families an agency will work with increase the number of homes available? Well, it doesn’t. But Ligon believes that this bill would result in religious-adoption agencies flocking to Georgia, where they can be antigay in peace. Or anti-single-parent. Or anti-Muslim. Or anti-whatever they want, so long as they say Jesus is the reason for the season. In other words, if two women want to adopt a child, this law would allow agencies to say, “Nope, Jesus thinks little Johnny would be better off without a family at all than with you. Now get out of our office before our Virgin Mary statue starts bleeding from her eyes.” “Just because you are a faith-based organization doesn’t mean you have to check your faith at the door and cannot participate in government pro-

grams,” Ligon told WRAL. com. But, funny story, actually it does. If you are “faith-based,” you don’t pay taxes. And if you don’t pay taxes then, yeah, I think it’s OK if you’re excluded from a tax-payer-funded area of civic life, especially if you want a license to discriminate. It’s important to note that Georgia isn’t the first or the only state to try to do this. Michigan, for example, is currently being sued by the ACLU over a similar law that Gov. Rick Snyder signed in 2015. The Georgia bill is getting a lot of attention, which is nice to see considering how the news cycle is so frantic that it’s hard for anything to gain much traction these days. Chelsea Clinton tweeted about the bill: “Because what we clearly need right now is … less love? Fewer loving parents?” To which some Twitter users probably screamed at her, “YOUR MOM LOST THE ELECTION SHUT UP AND GO KNIT A MAGA HAT!” because Twitter is full of monsters. People in the film industry, which does a lot of business in Georgia, also took notice. Showrunner Ben Wexler tweeted: “To my fellow showrunners: if this dumb bill becomes law, let’s be done filming television shows in Georgia.” It really does seem like economic pressure is the only thing Republicans understand (see: North Carolina’s bathroom bill fallout). So if this bill passes, you could boycott Georgia. Or you could work like hell to help get the GOP out of office there. And in Michigan. And everywhere. n

“Just because you are a faith-based organization, doesn’t mean you have to check your faith at the door and cannot participate in government programs,” Ligon told WRAL.com. But, funny story, actually it does.

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

OP-ED PGN

Dollars instead of trans equality

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Street Talk Must a political candidate support LGBT rights to get your vote?

Former City Councilman Bill Green that a payback for voting against the most announced that he’d be running for trans-inclusive legislation in the nation? Congress against incumbent Eventually, it seems, he lost his Congressman Brendon Boyle, a way there as well. major LGBT ally. I wish I had a At the time, we all agreed that way to describe how this makes he was toast in our community. me feel. I’m so glad he’s running, since Maybe I should just remind it gives us a chance to again everyone in our community unite against Bill Green. that Bill Green was the only Once again, I wish there was Democrat on City Council to a way to show you how the vote against the city’s most community felt at that time. comprehensive LGBT-equality Oh — there is. Here’s the link legislation, which included to that article from 2013, and one of the most trans-inclusive how Green, in his own words, clauses ever put into legislation put dollars ahead of our trans at that point in the nation. Thencommunity: http://bit.ly/2tCouncilman Jim Kenney introp7uog. Mark Segal Outrageous! n duced the bill before he became mayor. Green voted with two Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s mostother Republicans and opposed the 14 award-winning commentator in LGBT media. You other Democrats in favor of it. can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ He soon left City Council in disgrace MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/ and Gov. Tom Corbett appointed him to PhilaGayNews. the School Reform Commission. Was

Mark My Words

Letters and Feedback In response to “Spouse of undocumented citizen speaks out after husband is detained,” Feb. 23-March 1: Dear PGN: Your recent article on the heartache and expense of defending a green card application has moved me to comment. I hope the language in your article has not contributed to the confusion surrounding this process. It is important for spouses of U.S. citizens to understand that marriage on its own does not qualify an immigrant for a green card. For those escaping persecution (for example, asylum) the asylee must file an application for asylum within one year of entering the US. Without this valid entry, it is not possible to remain in the U.S. while applying for a green card, a process referred to in immigration law as an adjustment of status. Your article inaccurately refers to this process as a “change” in status. An undocumented spouse of a US citizen has no legal status to change from. The word “change” is not legally correct. Perhaps if these important concepts had been explained to the couple before submitting their paperwork to government officials, they may not have run afoul of immigration laws. I hope your readers understand that, if all requirements are met, there is a legal right of same-sex couples to adjust status in the US. — Dena J. Wurman, Attorney at Law In response to “Litigants in trans restroom case object to racism analogy,” Feb. 23-March 1:

"Yes. It's an important issue and an issue of humanity. A candidate must support the community, which Daniel Bowerman includes medical consultant the LGBT Queen Village community. If they don't, then they don't get my vote."

“Yes. It’s a deal-breaker if they don’t support LGBT people. It means they’re behind the times. Anyone who wants to Frank Cholminski be an elected courier official must South Philadelphia be for equality. Otherwise, they can go fly a kite.”

"Yes. LGBT people just want to be happy. If someone doesn't support their happiness, I wouldn't vote for them. Our Hassiem Cliett constitution student gives West Philadelphia everyone the right to pursue happiness. An anti-LGBT candidate has a right to run for office, but I would never vote for them."

"It would depend on the candidate. There are a lot of problems in the world. If they're good on other Rayonna Johnson issues, it's student possible West Philadelphia that I'd vote for them. But if they actively want to hurt the LGBT community, that's a no-go for me. I wouldn't vote for that candidate."

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

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

Alternative headline: “Bigots object to being called bigots.” — Janelle Annemarie Heideman In response to “12th Street Gym’s future uncertain under new owners of building,” Jan. 5-11: We love the gym and want it to stay open but why were they still opening new membership accounts if they knew they were closing. I do not wish to go to PSC. Luckily I signed up for a no-commitment month-to-month, which easily cancelled but with a $99 initiation fee. What a waste of time and money. Could’ve just signed up elsewhere. Disappointed on 12th St’s handling of the matter. — Anonymous

We want to know! If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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Engagement Lee Singletary and Nathan Bland By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com Lee Singletary and Nathan Bland refer to their love story as a “21st-century romance.” The two met online but when they connected in person, they knew it was meant to be. “I literally knew the minute I met him, which sounds really weird, but we had an instant connection. I knew this was my person,” Singletary said of his fiancé. Singletary and Bland met in 2014. The two men recalled their first date together; casual drinks at a wine bar on 11th and Spruce Streets. “When we first met, I was like, ‘Oh, I like this guy very much.’ In that first date, our connection was just something I had never experienced before,” said Bland. Bland is a ballet dancer and owns a school in Pennsylvania. He moved from New York City months before meeting Singletary, who moved to Philadelphia in 2006. Singletary was instantly attracted to Bland’s love for the arts. “The way he spoke about his commitment to the arts and education was really

attractive to me,” Singletary said. Their love story sparked and grew and the two moved in together five months later. Bland proposed to Singletary in 2016. While his original plan was to take him to Las Vegas for his birthday and propose at a Celine Dion concert, the plan changed. Bland planned a dance-themed fake photo shoot with his photographer friend. “[The photographer] was like ‘Lee, get in a few photos with Nathan.’ Prior to that, he took some [photos] by himself while I was sneakily getting the ring in my back pocket,” Bland explained. When the time came during a partnered dance, Bland went down on one knee and pulled out the ring while Singletary was looking away. Bland laughed, recalling the magical day as he talked about the ring box being upside down. For Singletary, he did not see it coming. “I literally had no idea. I’m pretty gullible already, but this was so not out of the

norm to go to a photo shoot with a friend. I had no idea. We talked about getting engaged and even talked about going to a destination,” Singletary said. “When we were there in the moment, the ring box was upside down. I didn’t see a ring and the photographer was feverishly clicking. You could hear the noise of the camera and everyone was staring. I was so confused and it dawned on me that he had been talking the whole time. I was not processing until I heard the words ‘Marry me.’ I obviously said yes, but I was in shock,” said Singletary.

The couple’s wedding is scheduled for Oct. 5 in Lancaster. The wedding will bring in their family members from various states and countries, they said. Both Singletary and Bland spoke highly about their families and believe some of their best memories were with each other’s family. Singletary and Bland traveled to Croatia, where Bland was once a soloist in a Croatian ballet, in September. “He had roots there for over a year. There was a whole other part of his life I had only heard about in stories and seen in Facebook photos. So, meeting all of his friends in extension of his family was something really cool we got to share together,” said Singletary. Bland also reflected on a Florida vacation with his fiancé and his family during a Florida vacation. “That was nice to be able to see everyone together and to be with his family,” Bland said. Family is what is important, according to the happy couple, and after they tie the knot, the two are looking to purchase property in the city, establish roots and — in the next few years — have children. n

Enjoying wedding planning … it may actually be possible even a lifetime surely must find wedding Planning a wedding is a ton of work. I’m getting married in three months planning to be absolutely paralyzing in and my partner and I are in the midst of moments. It is from this perspective that I full-on planning mode and it’s reflect on some helpful methbeen … interesting. ods to enjoy planning a wedAs someone who never fantading despite the unavoidable sized about their wedding as a moments of stress and worry. little girl and who later thought First, it is crucial that we marriage would never be an manage our expectations. I so option as a queer woman in a often hear people associate pre-marriage-equality society, I wedding days with the word never spent much time imagin“perfection.” When do we ever ing what I’d want my wedding have perfection in anything? to be like. I never considered Perfection and perfectionism that I would be discussing small is a thing that so many of us details such as what color we strive for, but almost always want our napkins to be. The fall short of. Generally, pernapkins? fection only exists in fantasy. For me, I’m apt to take on an In reality, even the most wellKristina Furia planned events will be objecattitude of “it’ll all be figured out” but even with this decidtively flawed in some way. edly casual approach, I still find myself Why? Because people are flawed, flowers caught in the throws of wedding panic sometimes lose petals, weather is unprefrom time to time. What if the food comes dictable, and food gets cold if it sits out out cold? What if the flower arrangements for too long. aren’t pretty enough? What if there isn’t Do we want any of these things to hapenough alcohol? What if there’s too much pen on our wedding day? No, of course alcohol and we get drunk too early in the not, but if we approach the day with the night? What if people are cold during our notion that some things may be imperfect, outdoor ceremony? What if, what if, what we are allowing in more joy. if? Think of it this way: If we anticipate I say all of this to say that if someone that everything goes exactly as planned, like me is experiencing stress over napwhat is likely to happen when some detail kins, flowers and hypothetical cold food, ends up straying from the plan? We get then people who have dreamt about their upset. The feeling is that something is wedding for years, decades or maybe wrong. Alternately, if we approach the

Thinking Queerly

your discussions and create a unified feelday by assessing levels of love, fun and ing between you and your partner. If you celebration, it won’t affect the gauge for measuring the wedding’s success when become adversaries in the process of cake we notice some hiccup. Imperfections selections and what song to walk down won’t ruin the day unless we allow them the aisle to, you’re losing track of what to. If you reflect the point of all of carefully on your Imperfections won’t ruin the thisAsis.someone expectations day unless we allow them actively engaged in in advance, an the wedding-planimperfection or to. If you reflect carefulning process, I can two on your wedly on your expectations in comfortably say ding day won’t that it is intense and impact much and advance, an imperfection sometimes even a will probably or two on your wedding day little bit ridiculous. make for a good story down the it’s importwon’t impact much and will Iantthink road. to acknowlAnother barrier probably make for a good edge that. It’s also to enjoying wedimportant to recogstory down the road. ding planning is nize that some anxfighting with your ieties and worries partner over details. Some disagreeing are normal and probably unavoidable, but it and even arguing is bound to occur during is most crucial that we not lose sight of the this process but, for many couples, it can fact that we get to choose how the planning become out of control, proving that it process feels. We can choose to let stress may be a good moment to get into a bit of take the lead and dictate our feelings and pre-marital counseling to get those combehaviors or we can choose excitement and munication skills in shape. When these love. In choosing the latter, we ultimately contentious times hit, it is also a good opt for the big day to be even more joyful idea to remind yourself (and your partner) than it would be otherwise. why you’re both in this stressful situation: So enjoy the process! n because you love and want to commit Kristina Furia is a psychotherapist committed to workto each other in front of the people who ing with LGBT individuals and couples and owner of know and care about you. It is an incredEmerge Wellness, an LGBT health and wellness center ibly basic concept, but simply reminding in Center City (www.emergewellnessphilly.com). yourself of the why can shift the tone of

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You are cordially invited By Scott A. Drake scott@epgn.com

Of all of the decisions you have to make, getting the right look and message through your wedding invitations is important to set the tone for your special day. Unless you’re eloping, you’ll want to send out invitations. And even if you are eloping, maybe you’ll want to tell people you got married after getting back from the honeymoon. But the sheer volume of invite varieties can be overwhelming to the point of catatonia. For starters, you have to choose the color, texture, weight and size of the paper, and that’s just a small part of the entire process. You also have to throw in the style, the fonts, imagery, photos, embossing, foil, ribbon … You get the picture. Frankly, I always assumed invites would be fairly easy until I saw the multitude of displays, samples and catalogs. Right in the heart of the Gayborhood is The Papery (1219 Locust St., thepapery.com). You’ve probably walked past it many times. (They describe their store as fabulous — how can you go wrong?) Owner Carolyn Brandhorst spent a little time educating me on the invitation process. She can help you breathe a sigh of relief at your first get-together. Brandhorst assured me that the invitation process is only as demanding as you make it. Set aside one to two hours for the initial sit-down and everything else can be done from home through emails. The Papery is LGBT-friendly and they have served many same-gender couples over the past few years. That’s important to note up front. (See sidebar.) Start with what you know Is your wedding going to have a theme? Many times, a theme that ties the entire wedding and reception together can dictate the best options to you. A travel theme might mean a passport or map background. A shared hobby or passion might be how you tie in everything. Do you have a color palette? If you’re going big and using a wedding planner, you probably will. In that case, you already have a starting point that eliminates many colors, patterns and designs. Are your signature col-

ors blush and bashful? Start there, Shelby! The size and formality of your event is a key part of your consideration. A low-key ceremony with close family and friends doesn’t require black and silver calligraphy on white cotton 110-pound stock. Perhaps something whimsical is more your style. No one says the invite must be a certain formality. It’s merely a conveyance of information. If, however, you are doing a large wedding with hundreds of guests in a castle with a massive flower budget and the whole shebang, you probably want to set the tone up front. You might consider an invitation designed with a laser-cut pattern including your initials over the front. Maybe your creative side goes toward something with ribbon or lace. One option that’s hot right now, according to Brandhorst, is rose-gold foil stamping that adds a little sparkle to your invites. Remember that invitations go out only a few months before the big day. You’ve pretty much planned the whole thing by then, so certain invitation and font styles might already be evident. Of course, if you’re planning a destination wedding or have guests coming from out of town, you’ll want to mail a save-the-date card about six months out. Figure that in.. If you’re more of a don’t-have-an-ideashow-me-stuff person, at least start checking out different looks from a variety of places online. Find stuff you don’t like. That’s right, you’re still narrowing down your choices by knowing what you don’t want. It’s also a good way to get acquainted with the terminology. Find something that catches your eye? Bookmark it. Keep a general list of the ones you do. Have you been invited to a wedding recently and like the idea that someone else used? Bring it along! Every style and option may not be available at every shop, but there’s only so many fonts and colors. Your stationer should have something close. The time you spend looking at how you want to announce your big day is worth every minute you spend on it. Make the most of that time. Most of all, make friends with the people you are hiring for whatever aspect of the wedding they are involved in. They’ll serve you better in the long run. n

Your business sounds great! But are you LGBT-friendly? The last thing you need when planning a wedding is more stress. One good way is to ask everyone from the baker and the stationer to the caterer and band if they are LGBT-friendly. Don’t assume that because you live in a high-tolerance city that everyone is going to be pleased to work with you. Recent court cases aside, who would want to give their business to a homophobe, transphobe or other biased business owner? Seriously, wouldn’t you rather support the people who support you? Asking up front is the fastest, simplest

way to keep from being blindsided by religious wackos who use their faith as a shield from acceptance and decency. One good place to start is with advertisers. It’s pretty obvious that someone who is advertising on an LGBT platform, spending and giving money to some LGBT person or persons, will be a good fit for you. Use social media and your friends to find places that are happy to be of service. Likewise, you can learn about those businesses that have not been as friendly or open as you’d like. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

WEDDING ISSUE PGN

The long hard road to planning a perfect wedding By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Woohoo! Somebody presented some symbolic jewelry, proposed to somebody and that person said “yes” or something yes-adjacent. Congratulations! Somebody is getting married. Now the real work starts. If you are really, really fortunate and lucky in love, getting married is something you only do once in your life. And you want to do it to the best of your ability (not to mention finances). And whether you are going all out with an impressive amount of pageantry or keeping it humble and simple, there are lots of plans and preparations to be made so that one of the most memorable and happiest days of your life can go off smoothly. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding — and we’re assuming you aren’t employing the talents of a wedding planner and instead are taking on most of the planning (hopefully with friends, family and assorted loved ones helping out when possible). Arrange and execute it how you see fit, but it helps to have a proper timeline of when and how things need to get done, so you won’t be scrambling and stressing out at the last minute. Thus, we scoured the hallowed halls and resources of Wedding 101 knowledge to lay out when certain aspects of the planning for your nuptials should occur. So get your day-planner out, bride/groom-zilla — it’s time to get to work. First things first: Pick a date. Some people like to plan weddings up to 16 months out, which probably is very practical and necessary if your ideal wedding hinges on a specific and highly desirable venue or location. So figuring out when the big day is going to be is the first step before all the other important steps can take place. Speaking of which … Way in advance: Who, what and where? Whether you’re giving yourself 16 or nine or even six months to prepare, figure out your budget, the location, the guest list and the venue. And since this is a gay wedding, this is when and where you need to figure out which potential venues and guests

to weed out in order for your wedding to be stress-free and as gayfriendly as possible. Send out invitations far in advance so attendees have ample notice to free up their schedules. Around this time, you’re also going to want to get your wedding professionals, like photographers, lined up and hired. Also, if you are planning a destination wedding or have a lot of people coming from out of town, this is the time to find the right hotel and make arrangements to reserve a block of rooms. Additionally, order your rings around this time, as those kinds of orders take time and you want to give yourselves a cushion. Four to six months out: details, details, details Around this time, if you haven’t already, start mapping out the theme and décor of your wedding, as well as picking out bridesmaids dresses (if applicable), your cake, food and entertainment for your reception. This is also when you want to create your invitations, pick out your wedding-party gifts, choose your music and order your flowers. Also, if you are planning to leave the country for your wedding or your honeymoon, you should have applied for or gotten your passports in order by now. One to three months out: Get your team together Start getting your stylists and photography locations lined up and meet with them to discuss your expectations. Book whatever spa and beauty treatments you are going to want or need. Get your marriage licenses. Plan and finalize details for your reception and rehearsal dinner. And, most importantly, write your vows. The final weeks: crunch time! Confirm everything with everybody involved. Blow off some steam at your bachelor or bachelorette party. Attend your final fittings. Make sure your hair and/ or makeup arrangements are set. Send your schedule to your wedding party. Pack for your honeymoon. Make any last-minute adjustments. Good luck. Don’t stress out too much and never forget that you can always hire a professional to do all this grunt work for you. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Wedding Carla Gamble and Teneshia Washington By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com Carla Gamble and Teneshia Washington had their romance blossom outside of the nowclosed XO Lounge. Gamble, 28, and a few friends were trying to hail a cab when Washington, 33, entered the scene and got a taxi for them. The two exchanged numbers on that December 2013 day, and the rest was history. The couple married on Aug. 19 at the Friends Center in a traditional Christian ceremony. Washington reflected on the wedding-planning process. “If I was to give advice to anyone, I would say to make sure that you set a budget and stick with it and don’t let anyone keep adding things to it,” she said. “By the time your wedding comes, you’re already panicking, so make sure you plan it out.” Their big day included a series of challenges, which saw Washington cooking for the entire wedding party. “I’m just so proud of her,” Gamble said before turning to Washington. “And I just love you.” “Until this day, I am like, I can’t believe my wife cooked for our entire wedding party. That’s a lot to do on your wedding day. This was her wedding too,” Gamble added with a laugh. Other experiences weren’t so funny — such as when certain family members didn’t show up to the wedding because they did not believe in same-sex marriage. “It was definitely a shock,” Washington said. “We ignored it. We just got married.” However, Washington said there were also a few surprises, particularly around Gamble’s

mother and stepfather. “They are really high up in a black Christian church and they were in front-row center and they were very supportive and walked her down the aisle,” Washington said. “So we allowed those who disagreed to feel comfortable in the fact that it’s OK for them to disagree as long as outside of all of this, you still love us as human beings. We’re not going to fault you for your beliefs, just like we hope you won’t fault us for ours. And the people [whom we] thought were the ones who wouldn’t come, they were there.” “I definitely was very thankful because my mom came and I lost my father last year, so that was hard,” Gamble added. “Having my stepfather walk me down the aisle was such a big deal because they are very high up in the church and I didn’t really expect that.” After all of the setbacks and surprises, the couple was ready to go on their honeymoon. The two stayed at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Rico and enjoyed a variety of activities on the island, including horseback riding, go-karting, tours and scuba diving. The couple said they were so relaxed, they were in bed by 8 or 9 p.m. just about every night. “We got dressed to go to San Juan one night,” Washington said. “We’re like, OK, we’re going to go party. This is going to be our party night. Then we got fully dressed and we were like … ” “Ah!” the couple sighed in unison, adding they were too relaxed to go anywhere. The two agreed that it “feels different” to be married. “We attract so many couples who want advice,” Gamble said. “I feel so honored but we’re

PANEL from page 5

to do with your life, or do you want your life to be decided for you?” Other panelists discussed overcoming struggles. Golphin, who is non-binary, spoke on experiences as an African American. “We are battling issues of racism. There’s still more work to be done. It also means to have incredible strength: For those who are not a person of color, it is not easy to walk the streets as a person of color.” Tyler, a trans woman, relayed an early life experience that impacted her forever. She was early in her transition and was looking for an apartment. “I went through the whole process, called [the landlords] and set it up. Everything was good. They were really gung-ho on giving me the apartment.” However, things changed when it came to provid-

human. We’re not perfect even though we’re married. They respect us so much more because marriage is a big deal.” Washington said the one piece of advice she would give couples is to “never stop talking” and noted the importance of compromise. “We had this huge argument because I used to fall asleep on the couch all the time. [She said] she can’t sleep without me so she used to get upset. [I didn’t] realize how frustrating it was to her and how much she just wanted to be near me, but then I had to adjust for that.” Washington said these expectations from Gamble ultimately are grooming her to be a better person. “It’s just making me a better me,” she said. Meanwhile, Gamble said she loves Washington’s work ethic and driven attitude. Additionally, she noted Washington has a 6-year-old son, Daniel, from a previous relationship and hinted at the future. “[Washington’s] parenting skills are amazing and I love that, which will prepare me for my future child. She is so loving and understanding and I just love that about her.” n

ing documentation. “My name on the paperwork wasn’t the name I had given them through the process. A week or so passed and there was no follow-up,” said Tyler. After not hearing back, she contacted a friend who knew the couple to find out what happened. “Basically, what was said was that they would not have felt comfortable renting to me because I had two different names. For me, that hurt. That was disheartening for me. I went on [and] proceeded elsewhere, but that always plays in my mind. I don’t have to disclose my life to you. It has nothing to do with renting an apartment. I was qualified and there was a bias they had.” Other panelists also shared experiences and the battles they overcame, with the aim of empowering the community. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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PGN WEDDING ISSUE

Anniversary

Wedding

Brian Eslinger and David Hertel

Joshua Ferris and Dr. Samer Badr

By Jen Colletta PGN Contributor

Brian Eslinger and David Hertel retrace the 22 years from their first date rather succinctly: “We shared an umbrella, breakfast and the rest of our lives.” Though a couple for more than two decades, they waited to tie the knot until it was legal — as such, they’ll celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary April 28. They’re also celebrating another milestone: the fifth year of The Blackberry Inn, the bed and breakfast they own and operate in Watkins Glen, N.Y., in the Finger Lakes region. Though their relationship has taken them to several corners of the country, they met in Philadelphia in 1996, the “old-fashioned” way: through a personal ad in Philadelphia Gay News. Eslinger, who originally hails from northern New Jersey, worked at the Adam’s Mark Hotel at the time, and Hertel, a Philadelphia native, recently moved to Phoenixville from the city. Both were looking to meet someone, outside the bar scene, and turned to PGN for such an opportunity. “He said he was looking for commitment, a relationship, and that really struck me,” Hertel, 48, recalled about reading Eslinger’s ad. “It’s nice to meet someone and know that you want something long-term and not just a hook-up, and that came through in Brian’s ad.” “I’m just a charming writer,” Eslinger, 58, laughed. They talked on the phone for about a month before making plans to meet up Columbus Day weekend. “At the time, there were no computers. You had to write to each other, you had to talk,” Eslinger said. “It wasn’t like today, where everything is instant, with pictures and cell phones.” Despite a serious storm almost derailing their first date, the two went through with it — and said the connection they first felt on the phone instantly deepened. “The minute I opened the door, there he was,” Eslinger said. “When you talk to someone for a month — and it wasn’t just ‘Hi, how are you?’ We would talk for a half-hour, an hour after work all the time — you’re already connected. I got to know him as a person but I had never seen him so I opened the door and there he was in an LL Bean sweatshirt and it was raining horribly, but he just looked so adorable.” The men had breakfast at a diner on Locust Street, which stretched on for two-and-a-half hours. As their relationship progressed, they figured out ways to work around distance and work schedules: Hertel would stay with Eslinger at his Philadelphia

apartment during the week, and Eslinger would spend weekends with Hertel in Phoenixville. “We joked that we had our city apartment and our country house,” Eslinger laughed. They moved in together in New Jersey and when a new job opportunity presented for Eslinger in Oklahoma, they prepared to make that move — on one condition. “I’m thinking, Oh my god, I left my job to move to New Jersey and now I’m going to have to leave that job, so I’m not doing it unless I have a ring on my finger,” Hertel recalled. It was 1998 — before the time of marriage equality, or even civil unions — so the couple traveled to Christopher Street in New York City and had a pair of Claddagh rings commissioned by a gay jeweler. “We made a commitment to one another to live our lives as one, as a married couple — no legal documents. It was just between David and I and God,” Eslinger said. “We made our commitment to never violate the integrity and dignity of who each other are.” They say this promise kept their relationship strong for the past two decades, during which time they learned how to use their differences productively. While opposites attracted in a way, the couple said, they always kept coming back to a shared dream: opening a bed and breakfast. They scouted locations in a number of states and, on a trip to New York, saw a sign for the Finger Lakes. “We came to Watkins Glen and just fell in love with the feel,” Hertel said. “Between the lake and the wineries and the racetrack and the state park, there was just so much tourism to capitalize on.” They were close to a deal on buying a house in the town but it fell through; they decide nonetheless to take an apartment in Ithaca while waiting for an opportunity — which came sooner than intended. While at the real estate agent’s office, the

agent mentioned that her mom was looking to sell her house in Watkins Glen. They went to see the property that very day and jumped at the chance. The house was a fixer-upper, but the couple was up for the challenge. “It was a magnificent 1830s Greek revival farmhouse, but it was in a bad shape,” Eslinger said. “It was a diamond in the rough,” Hertel added. As the couple built up the house, they also built a network of LGBT friends. On their first night in town, Hertel went out to get food and struck up a conversation with a woman, who introduced him to her girlfriend. The couple ended up connecting them to the wide circle of LGBT residents in the area. “We socialized with more gay people up here in Watkins Glen than we ever did in Philadelphia or outside of New York City in New Jersey,” Hertel laughed. As they readied to open The Blackberry Inn, the couple, who had previously been joined in a civil union in New Jersey, decided they should officially marry, in part to solidify their business legally. “I always said being married doesn’t change anything in terms of commitment and so forth but, I have to tell you, I was 100-percent wrong,” Eslinger said. “The feeling of being married … it was as if we were legitimate, our relationship was valued and recognized like any other person in the United States. I can’t tell you how much we felt the power of marriage equality.” The couple married at their inn, surrounded by new friends and old. Shortly after, they opened and have spent the past five years building the business: It is now the number-one-rated B&B in Watkins Glen on TripAdvisor, out of 17 properties, and is also ranked in the top-five properties in Finger Lakes on customer service out of more than 300. The couple makes it a point to build a good rapport with their guests— “They get a kick out of us,” Eslinger laughed— and each has their defined role in the business, including in the kitchen. Hertel is the baker and makes the sauces, and Eslinger cooks the French toast, eggs and meats. The couple has created eight menus, which rotate throughout the year, and they serve a three-course breakfast daily promptly at 8:30 a.m. If they encounter any challenges in the business, they approach them like they do any issues in their relationship: jointly. “Our journey has taken us on many roads, but we’ve always done it together,” Eslinger said. “We live our lives together. We support each other, we value each other’s strengths and we support each other through our weaknesses. That’s been key to our success.” n For more information about The Blackberry Inn, visit http://www.theblackberryinnbb.com/.

By Brittany M. Wehner brittany@epgn.com Joshua Ferris and his husband, Dr. Samer Badr, met in September 2011 when a casual dinner in Old City turned into a loving adventure. Ferris, from Paulding, Ohio, and Badr, of Beirut, Lebanon, met online and agreed to their first date. “We just went out and hit it off. In many ways, it’s modern, traditional. It’s definitely pre-Tinder,” said Ferris. “We had sushi in Old City, went to dinner. I am very prompt at all times and Sam is generally late. I stayed, even though he was late,” joked Ferris. That first date evolved into more dates and the two said they looked forward to the next time they would see each other. When they fell in love, it happened naturally. “[In] my experience, it was very organic. There were no major events that happened. It was my every day. I would look forward to the next day, [and] the next,” said Badr. Ferris agreed, saying it wasn’t an epiphany of “ah-ha.” “It was more, ‘I enjoy spending time with you. Our interests aligned.’ He made me laugh a lot and had a good sense of humor. That was very important to me,” said Ferris. What attracted the couple to each other on Match.com? Both men posted about their love for opera on their profiles. Badr reached out to Ferris. Eventually the couple moved in together and in June 2016, they got engaged during a trip to Peru. Badr and Ferris were at the summit of Huayna Picchu in Macchu Picchu. “It’s a special place. [My] family travels there, but then I didn’t pull it together and I didn’t buy a ring,” recalled Ferris. While on their trip, Ferris decided to sneak away and buy a ring in Peru. He then proposed to Badr. “I was really surprised. I never thought there would be a proposal, really,” said Badr. Badr and Ferris were married Nov. 21, 2016 at Philadelphia City Hall. Now, the couple wants to have a ceremony with friends and family in the near future. The date for this event has not been set but for now, the couple is enjoying life and traveling the world together. In a few weeks, they will visit Vietnam. n

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Wedding The Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch is a boutique law firm specializing in immigration and nationality law. We are proud to provide big firm service on a small firm platform. We have many years of success helping couples and families achieve their immigration goals. Since June 2013 and the end of DOMA, we are proud to have worked with many couples on applications for marriage-based permanent residence and related immigration issues. We welcome your inquiries on immigration topics and opportunities for same-sex spouses and family members. *Matthew I. Hirsch - Former INS atty., Adj. Prof. of Immigration Law, Past Chair of Phila. Chapter of AILA For more information, please contact us at info@hirschlaw1.com 150 Strafford Ave, Suite 110, Wayne PA 19087

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Dynamic Duo Carson and Kristine debut cabaret shows By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com He’s an Emmy Award-winning TV personality and style expert. She’s an international singer with an impressive string of dance hits. And they are joining forces for a unique evening of humor and music March 17 at The Rrazz Room in New Hope. “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” alum and best-selling author Carson Kressley has been a regular fixture on TV talk shows and LGBT events ever since the show that made him famous wrapped. Kristine W has been seen and heard in LGBT dance clubs around the world, and Billboard Magazine recently named her “Dance Music Artist of the Decade.” The two have been friends for a long time, but it took someone who knew both of them to suggest they pool their tal-

ents on the same stage for an intimate show called “Standup with a Twist.” “We have always enjoyed one another’s company,” Kressley said. “We share an agent who said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if you guys did something together?’ We both said, ‘Yes, let’s give it a try.’ So we’re doing two kinds of twisted cabarets, one in New York and one in New Hope.” Kristine W said audiences will be pleasantly surprised at Kressley’s range of talents. “Carson is an amazing person,” she said. “He can do so many things. So, to be able to perform with him is going to be a treat. He’s hilarious, very spontaneous and great with a crowd. He can sing. You’re going to be surprised. He has a multitude of talents. It’s going to be a fun way to show a different side of the things we can do. We love

each other, so that makes us really click together.” OK, Kressley can sing. Does that mean Kristine W has jokes? “We’ll see,” she said. “We’re going to gab on a bit of everything.” Both performers are used to big stages, and anyone who has ever been to the Rrazz Room knows the venue is decidedly cozier in size and vibe. Both performers are eager for the opportunity to get up close and personal with these upcoming performances. “You can reach out and touch them — appropriately,” Kressley said about performing in a smaller space. “It’s more a cabaret vibe, intimate and organic,” Kristine W added. “Carson and I both want people to leave the show knowing a little bit more of who we are. We can connect with them as people and just have

the face time. With intimate shows, you can bond with people and they become more than just someone that follows your music. Through that experience, they become part of your life. It’s a fun way to get ‘fams,’ which I call family.” “It’s more relaxing,” Kressley added. “With these spaces, it’s almost like having people in your house and having a conversation. I’m always much better with that than a big giant stage and a crowd. I’m looking forward to the space and really making it homey and relaxed and intimate and honest, and at the same time very fun. You can amplify those things in a small space.” “I think the audience participation will be fun,” said Kristine W. “I’ve played Vegas for some years and he’s done so many shows where he PAGE 30

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brings the audience in and tee-hees with them. That’s going to be wonderful for both of us.” Even though the two have busy and prolific careers on their own, they agreed that if these collaborative shows generate any interest from audiences in other cities and towns, they’ll find a way to perform more. “I’m not that busy and I like projects like this that are exciting, fun, new and interesting,” Kressley said. “If we were able to do shows like this across the country, then I think we would just make the time for them because it’s something we like to do.” “I totally agree,” Kristine W said. “It’s something that is so different and so much fun that it’s going to be one of those things that we look forward to between the other shows and events that we do. Lord knows we’ve done a wide variety of crazy stuff.” Kressley and Kristine W attribute their individual success to showing up with a positive attitude and outlook. “The advancement in high-definition makeup has kept me alive,” Kressley said. “I think longevity in this business is about being willing to say yes a lot as opposed to no. So if someone wants me to do a show or a cabaret or a commercial, I’ll say yes. Nine out of 10 times, it’s the right thing to do and even if it isn’t, you learn so much from doing it. I just like staying busy and engaged and out there. I think that kept me going for the last 15 years, in what can be a really hard business.”

“I second that motion,” Kristine W said. “It’s easy to back away from something that might make you feel uncomfortable or might not be your specialty, but when you put it out there and say yes and give it 100 percent, things happen.” With more than 20 years of hits to her name, Kristine W’s track record on the dance charts puts her in the same league as Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Madonna. She attributes her continued success to her fans in the LGBT community. “I just had my 17th number-one dance hit this week, so it’s kind of surreal,” she said. “When those statistics pop up you’re just like, Wow, that’s a lot of records and people that have kept dancing for a long time. I’m honored and amazed that Kristine from a little farm town who dreamed a big dream made it happen. And I made it happen in spite of a lot of difficult times. I feel blessed to get up every day and do the next thing. I think when you keep an attitude of gratitude, fabulous things can follow. “It’s been so much fun,” she added. “The thing about the accolades is that I don’t feel like it’s my victory but our victory. I’ve also been a part of the LGBT community for a long time and done some many events. I feel like we’ve done so many amazing things together.” n Carson Kressley and Kristine W perform 8 p.m. March 17 at The Rrazz Room, located in The Clarion Inn & Suites, 6426 Lower York Road. For more information or tickets, call 888-596-1027 or visit www. TheRRazzRoom.com.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Out curator speaks on ‘Queer Play’ exhibit By Gary L. Day PGN Contributor Nayland Blake is interested in how the new generation of queer people perceive themselves and the world, as well as how they present themselves to the world. So his project for Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art, entitled “Tag: Proposals on Queer Play and the Ways Forward,” proved an ideal outlet. The queer artist, writer, educator and curator, who lives and works in New York City, curated contributions from a number of cutting-edge young queer artists, including Saeborg, Dusty Shoulders and Robert Yang. The free exhibit opened last month and runs through Aug. 12. PGN spoke with Blake about the exhibit and how th185 current crop of queer people may (or may not) differ from previous generations. PGN: How would you describe the show to someone who doesn’t have an art background? What can they expect when they see the show? NB: When you come and see the show, you’re going to see a lot of video. You’re going to see documents of people dressing up in various ways. You’re going to see a big, inflated latex pig. You’re going to see some stuff that looks like you’re inside a funhouse that looks like a video game and some stuff that looks like family pictures. It’s actually a show that’s more about people’s everyday experience than you would normally see at an art museum. When putting the show together, I wanted to talk about the ways in which queer people are creating and exploring possibilities for identity and community together. I was born in 1960, so for me, many of those places where that used to happen was at bars or at protests or marches or potentially at places like gay and lesbian bookstores. These days, the places where people are doing that are online, and this is where another generation of young queer people are coming together and meeting each other. PGN: Aside from superficial differences, do you think today’s young queer people differ from those of us who lived through the Stonewall era? NB: I think there are lessons that each generation can teach each other. I would say that one of the things that the younger generation is having to grapple with right now is the fact that what they think of as a public space or a private space online can go very quickly from feeling like a safe space to being a very dangerous place. But this could be something positive that they bring to the table in that they see how it’s possible to present image and identity in a very fluid and

playful way than necessarily we thought was possible in an earlier generation. PGN: It’s been my experience that, in the gay community, the generations don’t really get along with one another. And so, often what can be learned between the generations is not learned. NB: Yeah. And one of the things I tried to do with the show is to provide a space where those things can start to overlap, in a situation that does not feel threatening. PGN: If an older person comes and sees the works in this show, will that enhance their understanding of how younger people perceive the world? NB: I think so, yes. When we look to an earlier generation of queer art, the question of representation was often paramount. Like, why don’t we see representations of gay love in paintings or in other art forms? PGN: But visibility first is a phase any community’s art has to go through to get to the next level. NB: Exactly. Here’s the thing that I think is different about this younger generation of queer artists today: There is a difference between, say, going to a movie featuring a character that somehow represents you, and playing a video game where you adopt the persona of a person — where you have character creation [and] where you get to make choices within the narrative. PGN: How does the concept of “play” work itself into the idea of identity? Does the play determine the identity, or does the identity determine the play? NB: I think play is a thing that humans do that allows them to think through ideas in a context that might otherwise be too threatening for them. So, when you think about kids playing, it’s not that they’re not doing something important. In fact, when kids play, they’re often playing about something that’s life or death. We may think back upon it nostalgically as something light-hearted, but it’s actually learning important skills. I think that humans do that throughout their lives. It establishes that identity is something that is built in concert with other people, that it is a thing that shifts. And I think queer people understand this, going from work to home to leisure; identity shifts, what and how you present changes. To go back to your original question, I would say to people, Come to the show. There are a lot of pieces in the show, some of which you’ll respond to, some of which you may not. n “Tag: Proposals on Queer Play and the Ways Forward” is on display through Aug. 12 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2CSJgSR.

YOU’LL FLIP OUT: Gravity-defying elite international dance company the Peking Acrobats makes its Annenberg Center debut with jaw-dropping feats of trickcycling, tumbling, juggling, somersaulting and gymnastics, March 9-10 at Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. For more information or tickets, call 215898-3900. Photo credit: Tom Meinhold Photography

Theater & Arts

Parkway; 215-7638100.

Alejandro Morales The Philadelphia comedian performs 8 p.m. March 11 at Good Good Comedy Theatre, 215 N. 11th St.; 215-399-1279.

The Found Footage Festival Hosts Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (“Late Show with David Letterman”) take audiences on a guided tour of their all-time favorite VHS finds 8:30 and 10 p.m. March 10 at Good Good Comedy Theatre, 215 N. 11th St.; 215-3991279.

Company WangRamirez The dance company makes its Philadelphia debut with “Monchichi,” a full-length work created and performed by Sebastian Ramirez, a French man, and Honji Wong, a Korean woman, who are a couple in real life and on stage, March 15-18 at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; 267239-2941. Design in Revolution: A 1960s Odyssey Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of pop art and psychedelia from the civilrights and antiwar movements through Sept. 9, 26th Street and the

If/Then Media Theater presents the Tony Award-winning musical March 14-April 1, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Kevin Smith at Home Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition spanning five decades of the Rochester-based artist’s mixedmedia photographs prints and books through July 8, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Magical & Real: Henriette Wyeth and Peter Hurd, A Retrospective The Michener Art Museum presents an exhibition of works by Hurd (1904-84) and Wyeth (190797), important contributors to the arts of both the Philadelphia region and the Southwest, through May 6, 138 S. Pine St.; 215-3409800. Noises Off Walnut Street Theatre presents the hit Broadway comedy about an ill-prepared theater cast trying to pull things together for opening night, March 13-April 29, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550. Ready Steady Yeti Go Azuka Theatre presents the world-

premiere drama about a romance that tries to bloom in the aftermath of a hate crime, through March 11 at Proscenium Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St.; 215-5631100. Shen Yun 2018 The traditional Chinese dance ensemble performs through March 11 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye Arden Theatre Company’s powerful adaptation explores the destructive power of racism and the strength of a community attempting to embrace an era of change, through April 1, 40 N. Second St.; 215922-1122.

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.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

SWEET SOUNDS: Out indie-rocker, former Gossip frontwoman and singer-songwriter Beth Ditto hits Philly in support of her debut solo album “Fake Sugar,” performing 8 p.m. March 11 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. For more information or tickets, call 215-232-2100.

Tony Woods The comedian performs through March 10 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215606-6555. Varujan Boghosian: Master Manipulator Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition featuring works by the artist and collector, who scours antique shops and flea markets for materials to use in his imaginative sculptures and collages, through April 18, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. Virtually Rudy: New Dimensions in Sculpture The Michener Art Museum presents an exhibition of sculptures and their digital representations by Charles Rudy through April 8, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340- 9800.

Music Steve Winwood The classic-rock singer performs

8 p.m. March 9 at Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby; 610-3522887. Nada Surf The alternativerock band performs 9 p.m. March 9 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400. The Revolution Prince’s classic backing band performs 9 p.m. March 9 at Sugar House Casino, 1001 N. Delaware Ave.; 877-4773715. Alive ‘75 The KISS tribute band performs 8 p.m. March 10 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Chaka Kahn The R&B singer performs 8 p.m. March 11 at Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby; 610-352-2887. Nightwish The symphonic metal band performs 8:30 p.m. March 16 at The Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800745-3000.

Nightlife Sister Bear Celebrate with a body-positive burlesque show 7 p.m. March 9 at L’Etage, 624 S. Sixth St.; 215-5920656. Treklesque: Star Trek Burlesque Burlesque performers beam down for the scifi-themed show, 9 p.m. March 9 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-964-9675. Mimi Imfurst Presents Drag Diva Brunch Mimi Imfurst, Bev, Vinchelle, Sutton Fearce and special guests perform 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 10 at Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555. Bianca Del Rio The musician and drag star performs 8 p.m. March 16 at The Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

Outta Town Kansas The classic-rock band performs 8 p.m. March 9 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino &

Tiffany Haddish The comedian seen on “Girls Trip” performs 9 p.m. March 9 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Flushed Away The animated film by the creators of Wallace & Grommit is screened 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. March 10 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Constantine Maroulis W The Tony Awardwinning Broadway star and “American Idol” alum performs 8 p.m. March 10 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 888-5961027. Foreigner The classic-rock band performs 8 p.m. March 10 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. The Color Purple The acclaimed drama film is screened noon March 11 at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. Lewis Black The comedian performs 9 p.m. March 16-17 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

‘Taxi zum Klo,’ still sexy and shameless By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor The late writer/director Frank Ripploh’s outstanding film “Taxi zum Klo” was a milestone in queer cinema when it was first released in 1980 and has lost none of its excitement or impact over time. The film screens 7 p.m. March 9 at the Lightbox Film Center (formerly International House). Frank (Ripploh) opens the film with pictures of Tom of Finland, Oscar Wilde and other queer icons and symbols to establish his fervent gay pride. He speaks in a voiceover, describing himself as a “normal, jaded, neurotic, polymorphously perverse” 30-year-old gay teacher. He invites the audience to go cruising with him. The first shot of Frank is a close-up of his naked ass as he rolls out of bed. To say the character — and Ripploh, himself, as “Taxi zum Klo” is semi-autobiographical — is brazen and unapologetic about sexuality is an understatement. The film features many explicit scenes, from a glory-hole sequence and a tryst involving water sports to Frank enjoying an S&M spanking, putting on a cock ring, performing and receiving fellatio, getting an ass massage and even receiving a rectal exam. The many raunchy scenes are all presented candidly, but they are actually quite tender and sweet. Ripploh’s purpose is to depict his gay life realistically and without shame. If the writer/director/star can endure these pleasurable, painful and embarrassing onscreen moments, so too should audiences. That Ripploh normalized his very-queer life on screen back in 1980 only makes “Taxi zum Klo” more significant. While the film’s unambiguous content provided homophobes with fodder for attacking irresponsible, hedonistic and stereotypical gay life at the time of its initial release, Ripploh made this romantic comedy-drama in the pre-AIDS era — and when images of non-fatal queer life on screen were especially rare. The film has an episodic quality to it. Frank keeps his professional and personal life separate as he goes from encounter to encounter. One evening, he meets Bernd (Bernd Broaderup) at a cinema and they return to Frank’s apartment for some tender sex and what becomes the foundation for cohabitation and a possibly stable relationship. However, Bernd is a homebody who wants to live in the country, and Frank is perpetually horny and restless. He sees the city as his sexual playground. Their different personalities are displayed in a scene where Frank gets up early to exercise naked in bed, literally hopping back and forth over Bernd, who is trying to sleep. Their romance expectedly suffers ups and downs, and Bernd seethes quietly whenever Frank routinely picks up guys for hot sex. “Taxi zum Klo” makes both characters sympathetic in that the film justifies Frank’s desire to have as many partners as he can (and endure the health risks that come with

it, like VD and hepatitis) and Bernd’s desire to settle down. Frank, however, becomes rather unlikable in his selfish desire for an open relationship. He is insensitive toward Bernd, admonishing him for not joining in a threesome or for finding his own lover. To his credit, Frank acknowledges that he loves Bernd, even if he can’t always stand living with him. “Taxi zum Klo” sides with Frank because Ripploh relishes depicting his sex-

ual encounters. From his flirtation with a hunky gas-station attendant, to his cruising a leather daddy outside a toilet, or his kissing and dancing with a handsome horse groomer at a drag ball, Frank is attracted to almost every handsome man he meets. His uninhibited nature in his sexual activities is refreshing. Ripploh does not shy away from presenting copious nudity and sex. Moreover, these erotic moments — and some of them are very, very erotic — reinforce Frank’s comfort in his own skin and his empowerment as a gay man. The film does include one lengthy sequence that seems a bit regrettable, perhaps being a bit too on-the-nose. It involves Frank tutoring a student, who jumps into his teacher’s lap to play “horsey” while Bernd screens a film about the dangers of pedophiles for a drag queen in the next room. A later scene, when Ripploh arrives at his classroom in full drag, is better at depicting Frank interacting with youth as he expresses a part of himself to his students and creates anarchy. Ripploh’s performance is extraordinary, not just in what he portrays on screen regarding the sexuality and nudity, but also for the tremendous emotion he generates. For him, the personal is political, and he is unabashed about it. In support, Broaderup gives a nuanced, sensitive performance in what could have been a thankless role. The various gents that Frank has trysts with are all quite sexy and shameless, adding to the film’s fun. Decades after it was made, “Taxi zum Klo” remains a remarkable achievement. Don’t miss it. n

DINING PGNOUT

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Food and Drink Directory

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Redcrest rules the roost By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The Passyunk neighborhood has plenty of fancy sit-down restaurants to lure diners and visitors out of their homes and off the streets, but the recently opened Redcrest Fried Chicken is poised to win the hearts and minds of the casual grab-and-go crowd. Chef/owner Adam Volk knows how to fry up some chicken, available in quarters ($6), halves ($10) and wholes ($18). The result is classic Southern fried chicken: perfectly crispy skin on the outside and super hot and juicy on the inside. Apparently word, as well as the alluring aroma, has spread through the neighborhood quickly: We were told that on weekends, Redcrest plans to stay open until late in the evening — but routinely sells out of chicken and has to close by mid-evening. As good as the pieces are, the sandwiches ($7) are even better, fried up into perfectly seasoned cutlets and piled high with fixings like coleslaw and spicy mayo on a fresh bun.

Photo: Scott A. Drake

If you go Redcrest Fried Chicken 1525 S. 11th St. 215-454-6951 The sides are good enough to enjoy on their own. The corn pudding, available in small and large sizes ($3/$6), is fluffy in texture with a slight sweetness. The biscuits ($1 each or $5 for 6) have a unique and crusty texture that goes well with the chicken. And

Redcrest’s barbecue sauce is so amazingly tangy, smoky and complex, we would happily buy bottles of it. So if you find yourself feeling peckish in Passyunk and you’re in a hurry, hit up Redcrest Chicken. Just make sure you leave some for us. n

Aqimero fires up weekends with brunch By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The call of brunch lured us back to the bright and elegant confines of Aqimero, 10 Avenue of the Arts, on the calming upscale ground floor of the Ritz Carlton. And we couldn’t think of a better reason to venture downtown on a weekend morning. Aqimero’s elevated menu really

knows how to play both the sweet and the savory sides of decadent brunch fare. On the lighter side, the lobster-avocado toast ($18) hits the spot, whether as an entrée or a starter. The guacamole is silky in texture and gives a nice balance to the lobster and chives. On the spicier side, the crab and shrimp enchiladas ($18) have a light, delicate filling that gives the spicy

If you go The Center City IHOP located at 1320 Walnut St. is now open 24 Hrs on FRIDAY and SATURDAY

THANKS FOR MAKING IT A IHOP DAY

http://redcrestfriedchicken.com/ Tues.-Sun.: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

If you go

LOBSTER AVOCADO TOAST Photo: Scott A. Drake

Aqimero 10 Avenue of the Arts 215-523-8200

www.aqimero.com Brunch hours: Sat. & Sun.: 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

jalico sauce some room to work. The kick of the sauce starts off subtle and slowly builds to a nice crescendo on your taste buds. The artfully presented huevos rancheros ($14) is the perfect balance of flavors and textures. A perfectly over-easy fried egg tops the dish and drizzles its yolk over the spicy chorizo, crispy corn tortilla, creamy black beans, potatoes and cotija cheese. If your sweet tooth needs to be satisfied, the French toast ($14) hits the mark. The dish is sprinkled with crispy bacon for a savory-salty counterpoint to the abundant sweetness on the plate. There’s no syrup needed, as the French toast is piled high with dulce de leche and ice cream. (And you’re never going to want to eat French toast without ice cream after you try this dish, so be forewarned.) If all of this sounds good to you and you can’t decide which one to order, you’re in luck: Aqimero offers the opportunity to sample any and all of the brunch dishes and drinks for one reasonable (for the Ritz Carlton) price. Whether you go à la carte or full-on feast, Aqimero makes brunch an impressive experience, starting your day in fine fashion. n

PGN PROFILE

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Suzi Nash

Steve Sosna, braving the most dangerous storms Oh, the weather outside is frightful. And for most of us, that means battening down the hatches, pouring a glass of wine and figuring out what shows to binge-watch. But for this week’s Portrait, Steve Sosna, inclement weather means he’s donning an extra layer and running into the heart of whatever Mother Nature has to offer. As an NBC10 weatherman, this is the kind of stuff he’s prepared for. He also happens to be married to last week’s Portrait, Jonathan D. Lovitz. PGN: Jonathan says you’re from an even smaller town than he is. SS: Yes, I was born in Sellersville, Pa. It sounds like it’s in the middle of PA but it’s actually in Bucks County. I grew up in Lansdale, which is an exit on the Northeast extension — the epitome of suburbia, strip malls and all. PGN: What’s the earliest memorable weather event you can recall? SS: It’s actually fascinating. My mom and my dad and I were in a car coming home from a funeral. We were on U.S. 202 and we were stopped at a traffic light and a bolt of lightning hit right next to our car. I saw and felt the sizzle and the explosive sound of it. And that was the moment I was hooked on exploring weather. From that time on, [during] every thunderstorm, I’d kneel by my window and watch the storm for hours. And that spawned an interest in snow and rain and anything extreme. Meteorologists don’t get into weather for the nice days. We get into it because we love the crazy stuff. PGN: What was your favorite class in school? SS: I’m a geek, so I loved geometry and trigonometry classes. I liked the way all the numbers worked because basically weather — the atmosphere — is a river, right? A river of air, and we calculate the movement of it by the numbers. So I was fascinated that everything you see going on outside is really just numbers at work. But I think my favorite class was an English literature class. I went to a Catholic school and religion is very nice if you like to color inside the lines, but my English teacher, Mr. P, always encouraged us to think deeper about life. He was also my cross-country coach. He was instrumental in molding some of my early outlooks on life and taught me to question everything, including religion. Realizing that I was gay in a Catholic high school was not an easy thing; living in a white-collar, cookie-cutter suburb and dealing with the gay guilt I felt, he helped me realize I could question faith and its teachings.

PGN: What did you study in school? SS: I joke that I knew I wanted to study meteorology from the time I came out of the womb. I think I was predestined for it. I started doing weather for the morning announcements in second grade. It was the start of my broadcasting career! In high school, I was a little on the shy side but my friends egged me on and one friend, Ed, from AV club, even built me a green screen so I could do weathercasts on our high-school station! I did a little of everything. I was on the chess team, cross country, and I worked three jobs while in school. PGN: What did the folks do? SS: They had very blue-collar jobs. My dad worked at a manufacturing plant working with pharmaceuticals. He’s one of the hardest-working people that I know. He’d go in at 6 a.m. and sometimes come home at 7 that night. My mom — what hasn’t she done?! She’s ranged the spectrum from bus driver to EMT training, a massage therapist, secretarial work … My dad had one job his entire life and my mother had the rest. PGN: Despite that, I read the family didn’t have a lot of money. How did that fuel you? SS: I don’t think it’s a mistake that a lot of famous people came from nothing. Growing up, we were poor but surrounded by people who had a lot of money. I always appreciated my dad’s work ethic, but I learned a lot of what to do as well as what not to do from them. I was an only child and very observant. I knew I wanted to do better and they wanted that for me. My mother was undiagnosed bipolar so we never knew what was wrong. My father would deal with it by shutting down and going to work and I’d be left with my mom. It instilled fear into me because I never knew which mom I was going to get. And we didn’t know why she was behaving like she did. Thank God now we do, and she’s found the right doctor and help. We’re now able to be very close but as a kid, there was distance and fear at home and weather for me was comfort. I never linked it together until after seeing a therapist several years ago but I was always trying to predict her moods, which was like predicting the weather. I knew I’d have to work hard to get out, so my first job was when I was 12. It was literally a crap job: I cleaned the floors in my neighbor’s dog-kennel business. She raised toy poodles. PGN: At least it wasn’t Great Danes! SS: [Laughing] True. Thanks for giving it perspective! She was an interesting lady who had survived the Holocaust and

married a chemist, who invented an airplane exterior to help planes fly — a fascinating couple, and they took me under their wings. From the time I was 12 until I was 20, I’d spend weekends with them cleaning cages. At the same time, I worked at a drugstore, which I would go to after my cross-country practice. They wanted to make me the manager of the store and I was like, “I’m still in high school! You can’t make me a manager!” But I was good with math and numbers and my register was the only one that always came out even at the end of the night. I also worked at a nursing home and I worked as a lifeguard and somehow managed to stay on the honor roll at school. I just knew I had to push to be the best of the best in order to escape. All I knew was work. I remember my father came into my room one night and said, “I hope you know how you’re planning to pay for college, ’cause I don’t got anything for you.” I thought to myself, Oh man, you are so screwed. You have to fig-

ure this out. So I took a semester off so I could work harder and save money for college. I knew once I got in, I’d be able to get loans and stuff. I just needed to get in. I didn’t have a car so I’d get up at 3 in the morning and walk down this truck route to the Marriott where I was the breakfast attendant. I got a car and ended up going to college in New York, where I got a job working overnights at WNBC. It was my first paid TV gig while I was still in school.

PGN: So you went from a cookie-cutter suburban area of PA to NY and managed to keep it together? SS: I loved New York. The biggest cultural difference was being with people my own age. I’d always grown up around adults and was more comfortable hanging out with 40-, 50-year-old people than with 18- or 19-year-old kids my age. The best part of being in NY was that nobody looked at you or cared who you were; as long as you worked hard and were smart, you were in. It was beautiful and natural. I didn’t have to try to be someone I wasn’t. And it was so inspirational. I was dirt poor and walking into 30 Rock every day. I felt so blessed that I got to just walk through those doors each day and belonged there. I used that NY inspiration to keep me going when I had to move to rural Minnesota for my first full-time weather gig. I used the goal of getting back to a big city as fuel. PGN: So you had to send out resumes and reels and hope someone picked you up? SS: Yeah, and you need different levels of education depending on which market you’re going for. For example, if you’re doing weather in LA — where it’s sunny every day — you can get by without having the criteria under your belt that you’d need in Oklahoma or Texas or in the Northeast. You need to know your stuff there. PGN: So it’s important to have that degree in science … SS: Yes, especially with weather like we’ve been having recently. When life-threatening situations are going on, you’d better know what you’re talking about. There are a select few weather-casters out there like Sam Champion who know how to do that without being certified. And there are AMF-certified meteorologists who don’t know how to communicate! You could be the smartest meteorologist in the world, but if you can’t talk and be pleasant and interesting, it won’t help. [Laughing] You need beauty and brains! PGN: Is it really necessary for you guys to be out there in the middle of a downpour? I always want to say, “Bring them inside!” I feel so bad for you. PAGE 36

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

PORTRAIT from page 35

SS: Don’t feel bad for us. That’s what we live for! Most of the times, we want to be out there. It’s important that meteorologists make sure it doesn’t look appealing to be out there so that people don’t try to go out themselves. Most of the network people at the big stations — CBS News, etc. — know what they’re doing and how to stay safe in those situations. So they know if you’re reporting out of a hotel, you want to be booked on a certain level floor and be in a hotel with a concrete structure. They’re not going to put somebody at a no-name motel built out of plywood next to a body of water to cover a hurricane or flood. You’d lose your crew! PGN: That’s good to know. SS: Yes, there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes to keep us safe. It is funny, though: One of my favorite tweets was from a viewer who said, “I love when Steve Sosna’s out live. Last week, he was outside and it looked like he was freezing to death in a blizzard. This week, he looks like he’s about to be kidnapped in Upper Darby.” It was a live shot and there were rowdy Eagles fans swarming me. But that’s the excitement of the job for me. It can be rough. People don’t see that when I’m reporting from a blizzard, I’m running in and out of the news truck grabbing whatever food I can get and usually doing multiple hits. I have to do a report for the news, a report for Facebook, one for our website, for Twitter and Instagram, radio clips. You don’t just go in and do the 6 and 11 o’clock news anymore. It’s about more than just TV now. PGN: Do people get angry with you when the weather’s not as predicted? SS: Yes. [Laughing] And they’re not afraid to voice their opinions out in the street. But I understand their frustration. People have wedding plans. They have travel plans and work. And if we’re not doing our job properly, it’s personal to them. They’ve put time and money into situations and they’re relying on us. Don’t think that if we do get it wrong, which we don’t a lot, that we don’t have a sense of guilt about it. On the other hand, I encourage people to listen to everything we say, because often people only hear the parts they want. For example, if I say “4-6 inches of snow,” people will hear “6” and, in their minds, make it “6-8,” or don’t listen to where we say the “4-6” is going to be. It might not be Center City. Or maybe they heard it on another station and it’s not what I predicted, but we all get lumped together! PGN: Guilt by weather association! SS: Yes, but I make my own forecasts. I can show you my forecast sheets filled with numbers and calculations. I’m not pulling in my information from some weather app. I actually make my own forecasts.

PGN

PGN: That’s cool. SS: Yes, there is a science behind it. And we’re very specific and regulated. For instance, when we say “severe thunderstorm.” We’re not just pulling that out of a hat or trying to be descriptive. It has to meet very-specific verification criteria. A severe-thunderstorm warning means the winds have to be 58 mph or greater, the hail size needs to be 1 inch or greater. If those criteria are not met, then the National Weather Service, which issues the warning and runs the verifications studies, has to face consequences from NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For instance, a few years ago, there was a bad snowstorm along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and there was no winter weather advisory in place and a bunch of people were involved in a multi-car pileup on the turnpike. They came to the Weather Service saying, “Where was the warning? Where was the advisory?” because, among other things, that’s what PennDOT relies and acts on. Commerce in all the municipalities act on that — airlines, you name it. We’re all connected to the weather, whether you know it or not. So it’s imperative that we do our jobs properly or there can be consequences. PGN: Good to know. What’s your favorite weather-related movie? SS: “Twister.” No question. My first and favorite weather is the severe stuff: hurricanes, tornados. “The Perfect Storm” is a close second. PGN: What’s the most dangerous situation you’ve been in? SS: June 17, 2010. I was in Minnesota and we were experiencing the worst tornado outbreak ever: multiple really strong tornados, two EF4s just in my viewing area and the scale only goes to five! Four is the kind that levels schools. I remember just having an uneasy feeling all that day and saying to people: “This is a day when you really need to be aware.” We were listed as a PDS watch — a Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado watch. I was the morning meteorologist and, going to the gym, I saw a green/black sky approaching. I’d never seen it like that before. I raced into work and the town 15 minutes west of us had been wiped off the map. It was so strong, bark was ripped off the trees. There was glass and debris everywhere. It was like a war zone. I was in the middle of it and people were asking me if I’d seen their children or pets. What do you say? That part — seeing the destruction and aftermath — was not fun. During Irma and Harvey, the death tolls were actually way lower because people actually listened to us and took precautions. That’s what it’s all about. n To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

Q Puzzle The Bottom Line Across

1. Queer-looking E 6. Opening noted at the office 10. Hieroglyphic serpent 13. Hometown of Brando 14. C&W singer McCoy 15. Homophone of a Broadway bio 16. Target of deep thrust? 17. Lynch of “Glee” 18. Will beneficiary 19. Jabbed with a joint 20. Bear of the night 21. Bannon and others 22. Decide not to go straight 24. Performing in the Globe, e.g. 26. Suffix with cigar 29. “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” guru Richard 31. Marvel Comics superhero

32. ___ tape (video starring Trump) 33. Tavern with naked dancers? 37. Word before “ass” 39. Org. for Jodie Foster 41. What parents may hope homosexuality is 42. Beat up on 44. “I have a headache” et al. 46. “Brothers & Sisters” producer Ken 47. Washington setting of “Frasier” 49. Strip under the futon 50. ___ People 53. Wannabe singer’s tape 55. “Spamalot” writer Eric 56. Type of bag 58. Paul Lynde, on _Bewitched_ 62. “The multitudinous ___ incarnadine” (“Macbeth”) 63. Man, as a cruising goal 64. It comes under a jockey’s shorts 65. Scots cover

their heads with them 66. Adverb in verse 67. News show of Jenna Wolfe, formerly 68. State that didn’t elect homophobe Roy Moore (abbr.) 69. Oldest of the Brady kids 70. Begins, on Broadway

Down

1. Batman word like “Pow!” and “Bam!” 2. “Move your butt!” 3. In the pink 4. Start of the “bottom line” about lesbian sex as you get older 5. Alternative to TNT 6. More of the “bottom line” 7. Kind of beer 8. 1996 Lili Taylor movie with Mel Gibson 9. She loved Franklin and Lorena 10. “Spartacus” venue 11. Filing for palimony, e.g.

12. As such 15. End of the “bottom line” 23. Gaydar, for example 25. Move the football between your legs 26. Jazz singer James 27. What you must remember, as time goes by 28. Todd Oldham designs, e.g. 30. Stood for 34. Bouncer for Amelie Mauresmo 35. China setting 36. Money from Lucy to Ethel 38. “___ yellow ribbon ...” 40. Comic Dana, source

of the “bottom line” 43. Falling behind 45. Cole Porter’s “___ America First” 48. More economical verbally 50. End of a farewell from Frida 51. Like Everett, as a movie husband 52. Wool source 54. Michael of “The Village Voice” 57. Away from the wind 59. Turn over 60. Like some meat 61. Maker of some fruity flavors

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Travel Desinations Off the Beaten Path

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

Classifieds All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any realestate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law.

Friends Men PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled substances.

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PGN’s Youth Supplement is March 30

If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community.

Email editor@epgn.com by March 16 for more information on how to contribute

Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 9-15, 2018

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