PGN March 8-14, 2013 by The Philadelphia Gay News

Putting family and friends in the crosshairs PAGE 21

Family Portrait: Daniel Cooper

“Priscilla” cast chats with Attic youth

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March 8-14, 2013

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Vol. 37 No. 10

People to Watch: The region’s emerging LGBT leaders By PGN Staff As a community working to secure its rights, LGBTs are consistently looking towards and thinking about the future. When will Pennsylvania attain a statewide nondiscrimination law? How can we work to make sure future generations are free of homophobia? Where is the HIV/AIDS epidemic headed? In looking towards the future, it is important to recognize the emerging leaders among the seasoned network of LGBT people in the region who will continue to carry the LGBT-rights movement into the decades ahead. PGN has identified 20 LGBT people from the ri-State area whose body of work is already impressive — and whose potential is just as promising. At the end of the year, when the community looks back on the work that was accomplished in 2013, it is likely that many of these figures will be integral in those successes.

David Torres Philadelphia native Torres has delivered on his goal of serving the public.

DAVID TORRES

Torres, 28, has worked for city government for about four-anda-half years, currently serving as assistant managing director for

administration in the Managing Director’s Office. He has also been president of the board of the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative for nearly two years. After earning his bachelor’s in applied communication in 2006 from Temple University, he lobbied successfully to turn his ninemonth fellowship in the Managing Director’s Office into a full-time position. Among his city hats, Torres coordinates Global Philadelphia, the city’s language-access program. “We want to make sure that our city services, across all departments, are accessible to people who don’t speak English,” Torres said. “I feel I’ve made a solid impact through Global Philadelphia, making sure folks who need to interact with the city are able to be served in their own language.” He also manages the Managing Director’s Administrative Services Unit, a title that comes with tasks

such as writing the office’s budget. Torres joined GALAEI’s board in January 2011 and was appointed president a few months later. “We’ve seen some challenging times but it’s been great to see GALAEI grow and to be part of the renewal of an agency that is continuing to grow,” he said. “I’ve been able to help [executive director] Elicia [Gonzales] work towards our mission and reinvigorate GALAEI as an agency.” Having feet both in the nonprofit and government worlds has further diversified his understanding of public service. “I’m probably going to stay in government for a time, but I definitely see my life’s work focusing on public service, whether that’s in government or at a nonprofit,” he said. Sam Wegman Former Philly resident Wegman is back in town — and so is her popular lesbian mixer. Wegman, 47, moved back to

SAM WEGMAN

Philly, where she spent the better half of the last decade, in 2011, after a two-year hiatus in San Francisco, and in December of that year resurrected Sam’s Philly Mixer, a social outing for lesbians and allies that she previously operated for about two years. PAGE 16 She launched

PA school board says no to GSA

CDC: Most Philly HIV diagnoses are AIDS

A Central Pennsylvania school board voted against an effort to establish a highschool Gay Straight Alliance last week. In a 5-4 vote Feb. 27, the Chambersburg School Board rejected a student application to form a GSA at Chambersburg Area High School, in Franklin County, about 50 miles southwest of Harrisburg. LGBT-identified students had been meeting in an unofficial format for two years prior to the vote and had received support from a number of faculty members, who were willing to serve as advisors for the club. Students first presented a formal application to form the GSA in January, but the decision was ultimately delayed until the board’s meeting last week. The board did not respond to a request for PAGE 9 comment by PGN as of

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

BELLE OF THE BINGO BALL: Michael Byrne, as drag alter-ego Carlota Ttendant, made a grand entrance at the start of the AIDS Fund annual Black Tie GayBINGO event March 1 at the Crystal Tea Room. About 230 people attended the gala, which raised more than $20,000 for AIDS Fund, supporting HIV/AIDS organizations in the region. The agency presented awards to Byrne, Afríca Jones and former state Rep. Babette Josephs. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Nearly 50,000 Americans were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2011, and Philadelphia ranked 24th among metropolitan areas in terms of new diagnoses — the vast majority of which were classified as AIDS. Approximately 960 Philadelphians were newly diagnosed with the disease in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s HIV Surveillance Report, released every three years. The rate of infection per 100,000 people was 23.8 percent. Of the new Philadelphia diagnoses, 726 cases — or more than 75 percent — were Stage 3 AIDS, and about 12,000 people are living with AIDS in the city. The PAGE 19 P h i l a d e l p h i a r eg i o n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

LOCAL PGN

City agency will investigate antibias complaints against Cradle, if filed By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations will accept for investigation antibias complaints filed by individuals who believe they’ve been discriminated against due to the employment practices of a local Boy Scouts council. In response to questions about a jobapplication form allegedly used by the BSA Cradle of Liberty Council that forbids the hiring of atheists and gays, the PCHR issued the following statement on March 1: “The PCHR is committed to fighting discrimination and ensuring that employers provide equal opportunities for all Philadelphians. The city’s civil-rights law, the Fair Practices Ordinance, protects LGBT individuals, as well as members from many other communities, who are victims of employment discrimination. If a member of the LGBT community or the nontheist community applies for a job with the Cradle of Liberty Council and is denied employment based on his or her sexual orientation or nontheist belief, that person should file a complaint with our office. The PCHR will enforce the Fair Practices Ordinance to the fullest extent of the law.” Rue Landau, executive director of the PCHR, declined to elaborate on the state-

ment for this story. The job-application form was spotlighted recently after the national BSA announced that it might ease its antigay membership ban, but declined to state whether it would ease its antigay employment ban. According to court records, Cradle has used the job-application form in the past, but the extent of its current use remains unclear. Kera Armstrong, a Cradle spokesperson, declined to answer any questions about the job-application form. Cradle is believed to be the only employer in Philadelphia that uses such a form. Cradle is headquartered in a city-owned building on the Ben Franklin Parkway, but the city is trying to evict Cradle from the facility. That litigation remains pending in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The protected categories that cannot be discriminated against by employers in Philadelphia include: race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information and domestic or sexual-violence status. The law also makes it illegal for an employer in Philadelphia to “cause to be printed, published or circulated any notice

or advertisement relating to employment or membership indicating any preference, limitation or specification constituting discrimination.” Margaret A. Downey, president of the Freethought Society, applauded PCHR’s willingness to accept antibias complaints against Cradle for investigation. But Downey also expressed a desire for PCHR to initiate its own complaint against Cradle, since it is within the agency’s authority to do so. “There’s plenty of evidence that Cradle is breaking the law,” she said. “We have court documents indicating that Cradle uses a blatantly illegal job application. What more [evidence] does the city need to take action?” Downey also said it’s difficult for an individual to apply for a job at Cradle, let alone file a complaint against the council. “We have several members who would sincerely like to work for Cradle,” Downey said. “But how do you get your foot in the door, when Cradle is so closed off to the community? The front door is always locked. It’s like Cradle has a moat surrounding the [Parkway] building.” Downey also questioned whether city officials would let an employer use a jobapplication form that forbids the hiring of African-Americans or Jews.

“The city would put a stop to that immediately,” Downey added. “All earthly hell would break loose.” Palma M. Rasmussen, a disability-rights expert, said Cradle shouldn’t use the jobapplication form anywhere in the city, even if it vacates the Parkway building. The city’s antibias law permits fines of up to $2,000 daily for violators. “We want the law vigorously enforced, and we want Cradle fined accordingly,” Rasmussen said. “It’s clear that Cradle is violating the law. Why do we have to wait for more people to be hurt by them, before the city takes action?” Rasmussen also expressed hope that Cradle will voluntarily enroll in diversitytraining classes. “If Cradle does begin to hire people of diverse backgrounds, I would hope they take sensitivity training, to make sure the new employees are treated properly,” she added. “The Scouts have a huge history of being intolerant to the plight of human beings.” Armstrong had no comment on the possibility of Cradle enrolling in diversity-training classes. Cradle claims the city owes it about $1 million in legal fees stemming from the eviction dispute. But if the city prevails in the litigation, it won’t owe Cradle any money. ■

William Way offers innovative spring courses By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

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Get your bookbags ready and your pencils sharpened — the William Way LGBT Community Center is gearing up for its spring semester of WayGay U. This year, the center will feature 11 different life-enrichment classes, with some starting as early as March 14. Costs vary, with discounts for center members. Individuals looking to learn a new language can take Introduction to American Sign Language, 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays from March 14-May 2, taught by Michael Flynn, an interpreter for the center, Dignity Philadelphia and Beth Ahavah. IPhones are all the rage in technology, and you can learn how to navigate the sometimes-tricky devices in Mastering the iPhone, taught by IT instructor and consultant Nina Epstein, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. March 30 and April 13. Technology will also be the focus of Get Published! Amazon Kindle 101, taught by former center executive director Claire Baker. The course will cover the ins and out of the electronic-publishing industry from 6:30-8 p.m. April 9, 16 and 23. Want to saddle up your cowboy boots? The center will offer a beginner’s line-dance course, led by Woody’s line-dance instructor Michael Flynn from 7-9 p.m. Mondays from March 18-May 6. Did you enjoy William Way’s first well-

ness festival last month? Continue your path to wellness at Homorobics, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays from May 1-June 5, taught by professional dancer Craig Scull. Mental wellness is just as important as physical, which is why the center is offering courses on anger management and stress relief, 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 20 and 27 and 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 10 and 17, respectively. If you’re looking to de-stress from balancing all of your personal and professional commitments, instructor Susan Lonker will lead Time After Time: Task & Time Management Skills from 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 24 and May 1. There are also a number of classes that are one-session events. In Learning the Basics of Eating GlutenFree, students can learn healthy eating and cooking tips — and partake in samples — from 6:30-8 p.m., taught by Baker. Join Doug Hilton from 6-9 p.m. April 10 as he teaches single GBT men how to navigate the dating scene in Finding Mr. Right. Creating A Relationship That Lasts: MBTI Roadmap to Successful Relationships is geared for both couples and singles. Taught by C. Terrill Thompson and Ellen Greenberg, the class is based on the Myers Brigg Type Indicator to explore approaches to dating, love, sex and relationships. The class will be held 2-6 p.m. March 23. For more information on Way Gay U or to register, visit www.waygay.org or call 215732-2220. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

We’re all getting older. For LGBT seniors, being out in the golden years can pose a whole new set of challenges. Each month, Gettin’ On brings you insights on aging, from legal issues to sexual health.

Gettin’ On Read On Gettin’ On third Friday of the month Only in

SETTING THE BAR: Mazzoni Center Legal Services hosted its fourth annual “Open Bar” event Feb. 27 at the National Liberty Museum in Old City. About 100 people attended the reception, raising $10,000 for and awareness about the agency’s legal program, which provides direct legal services to LGBT Pennsylvanians. Mazzoni Legal Services director David Rosenblum (from left) and executive director Nurit Shein congratulated the 2013 Justice in Action Award winners, the Hon. Daniel J. Anders and the Hon. Ann M. Butchart, along with Jeffrey Boles, who accepted the first-ever Amicus Award on behalf of the law firm Dechert, LLP which has an ongoing partnership and support of Mazzoni Center’s Legal Services program. Photo: Joseph Mattera/Mattera Photography NEWS

Crime Watch Local Media Trail News Briefing Regional

6 2 9 5 5

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

Creep of the Week Editorial Op-Ed Mark My Words Street Talk

10 10 11 11 11

Daylight Savings Time starts March 10. What does that mean to you? Poll results from our online survey as of March 6:

Are you taking care of yourself? How’s your health and well-being?

On Being Well

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I get to enjoy more evening light I lose an hour of sleep Spring and summer aren’t far behind I’m getting up in the dark again Nothing

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The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.

REGIONAL PGN

Out Harrisburg mayoral candidate brings campaign to Philly By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Pennsylvania has two out lawmakers working for LGBT rights in the state capital — and the state capital could soon have its own out leader. Dan Miller is looking to become the first openly gay mayor in Pennsylvania, and only the second of a state capital in the nation, when he faces off against incumbent Harrisburg mayor Linda Thompson and other challengers May 21. Miller will be in town for a campaign fundraiser, organized by Harvey Hurdle and Rep. Brian Sims, 6-7:30 p.m. March DAN MILLER 14 at the home of Hurdle and Kevin Yoder, 241 S. Third St. Miller has served as Harrisburg city controller for the past four years and was on City Council for four years before that. He and his campaign supporters hit the ground running the first week in January, knocking on more than 3,000 doors and hosting two meet-and-greets each week for the past two months, with about 50 campaign volunteers circulating petitions and campaign information throughout the city. “We’re really organized and have gotten great support,” Miller said this week. “I frankly believe I’m the frontrunner.” Miller said his team finished out 2012 with about $85,000 in cash from more than 300 contributors; the incumbent, he said, had about $10,500 from just two donors. While Thompson has in the past made references to Miller’s orientation — once calling him a “homosexual, evil little man”

— Miller said the people he’s spoken with on the campaign trail are interested in his plans for turning around the city’s financial position and not his LGBT identity. “I’m a CPA and have a very heavy financial background, with an MBA in finance. Many of the issues I’ve dealt with in my career are around finances, and Harrisburg’s finances right now are horrendous. So when people look at me, I don’t think they think, gay, they think finances first.” Miller is endorsed by the Victory Fund. Having an out mayor of the state capital could be a boon for LGBT progress statewide, he said. “All of the state legislators are here a couple days a week. They know what’s going on in Harrisburg; our mayor and City Council get a lot of press with being in the capital. So I think electing a gay mayor here could have a huge impact on the legislators,” Miller said, noting he would also work to unite the LGBT lobby on both sides of the state. “We need an effective lobbying arm here in Harrisburg. A lot of our resources are in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and having a gay mayor in Harrisburg would be a good way to bring those resources together and put some real muscle behind legislation in Harrisburg. A gay mayor in Harrisburg could really get the ball rolling.” Miller is not the only out candidate running in the city. Ben Allatt is an out contender for City Council, and Harrisburg is already home to an openly gay treasurer, John Campbell. “If I were to win for mayor, he were to win for City Council — which I think we both have good changes of doing — and we have a gay treasurer, that would be three of us in Harrisburg, and that would really be a big landmark.” To RSVP for the local fundraiser, contact Mike@FriendsofDanMiller.com or 717827-6161. ■

Research Title: A Study for a health education program for HIV positive young men who have sex with men in Philadelphia. The Dorothy Mann Center @ St. Christopher’s Hospital/ Drexel University College of Medicine invites eligible participants to participate in a 6 week study of the effectiveness of a Health Education program in the health care of HIV positive young men who have sex with men. The study involves attending group level sessions and completing three questionnaires. Eligibility:

You must be 18 – 34 years old, a person who identiﬁes as a gay or bisexual man and have an HIV diagnosis. Compensation of $40.00 gift cards to retail stores will be provided upon completion of initial questionnaires and the 6 week series. If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact:

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

News Briefing

The ordinance extends civil-rights protections to LGBTs and other groups. Violators face a $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Paul McConnell, president of Conshohocken’s borough council, had no comment for this story. — Timothy Cwiek

Court maintains legal challenge to Conshy ordinance The state Commonwealth Court last month denied a request by Conshohocken borough officials to dismiss a legal challenge of the borough’s LGBT-inclusive antibias ordinance. The court issued its ruling Feb. 19. Anti-LGBT activist James Schneller filed the legal challenge in September 2011, but it was dismissed by a Montgomery County judge in March 2012. Schneller appealed the dismissal in Commonwealth Court, where the case remains pending. He wants the ordinance invalidated, partly on the basis that it allegedly violates protected religious freedoms. On March 4, Schneller filed a request with Commonwealth Court to broaden the scope of his legal challenge. The court hadn’t ruled on Schneller’s request at presstime.

Team Philly to take over Sugarhouse Sugarhouse Casino will honor Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group for the city’s LGBT sports clubs, and all the organizations with a reception next week. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. March 14 at the casino, 1001 N. Columbus Blvd. Free shuttles will leave at 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. from 12th and Locust streets. The party will feature free hors d’oeuvres and one complimentary cocktail per guest. The event will include performances by Brittany Lynn and the Drag Mafia and music will be provided by DJ Jimmy Jamb. Guests can get makeover tips from Andre Richard Salon, work-out advice from 12th Street Gym trainers and casino dealers will be on hand for craps demonstrations. ■

— Jen Colletta

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

LOCAL PGN

GALAEI trains Latina health workers Gayborhood Crime Watch By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com The Gay and Lesbian AIDS Education Initiative is launching a new plan to educate Latina community members. The initiative, Promotoras, is a partnership with Puentes de Salud to empower Latina sexual-health workers to provide comprehensive sex education to their constituencies. The grassroots initiative is funded by a $5,000 grant from Women’s Way. Since the fall, GALAEI has been providing training, in Spanish, to 10 Puentes workers who will be tasked with sharing the lessons. “What we propose doing is that the promotoras reach out to 10 Latinas each time and hopefully that will network out to 100,” said GALAEI executive director Elicia Gonzales. “We anticipate that they will advocate in the community and continue to have an ongoing conversation.” The program will primarily target the Mexican community in South Philadelphia. “GALAEI has had a longstanding relationship in South Philly, primarily with the Mexican Consulate. We have provided HIV testing and workshops in Spanish to the community and have wanted to work with the Mexican community for some time on this because there is such an absence of support and services,” Gonzales said.

It’s not the first time GALAEI has partnered with Puentes de Salud, an agency Gonzales considers a great resource and liaison between the community and health providers. “We had worked with them before and we trained the promotoras on HIV/AIDS. They have already gone through the HIV 101 course so that they could go out and talk to the community. Now, we are hearing from them that they need more and are hungry for more information.” Right now, the Promotoras Sexual Health Initiative is only supported by the Women’s Way grant, but Gonzales said she hopes the program will leverage additional funding to extend the curriculum. The training is conducted in part by GALAEI bilingual youth education coordinator Karla Diaz. The promotoras give Diaz feedback based on their work, which helps her tailor the curriculum, covering a plethora of sexual-health topics such as reproductive health, anatomy, HIV/AIDS, STIs, sexual orientation and gender identity and childbirth — all within a cultural framework. Gonzales said LGBT issues are woven throughout the entire curriculum and mentioned in a calculated way that does not separate the community from the various matters discussed. For more information on the initiative, email Gonzales at elicia@galaei.org. ■

The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the 6th Police District between Feb. 18-24. Information is courtesy of 6th District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www.phillypolice.com or call 215-686-TIPS (8477). INCIDENTS — Between 8 p.m. Feb. 17 and 7 a.m. Feb. 18, someone smashed the window of a 2002 Jeep that was parked in the paid garage at 1201 Walnut St. and stole a laptop. The window was replaced and the vehicle was cleaned before police were called. — Between 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Feb. 19, someone pried open the door of an apartment in the 1200 block of Walnut Street and stole laptops and a Kindle. Sixth District Officer DeLuca lifted fingerprints. — At 12:15 a.m. Feb. 21, two men, one with a handgun, accosted a male outside 122 S. 11th St. and stole his Android cell phone. The suspects were black males in their 20s. One 5-foot-9, 140 pounds, wearing a gray hoodie, and the other was 6 feet, 150 pounds, wearing a black hoodie. — Between 11 p.m. Feb. 21 and 8 a.m. Feb. 22, someone smashed the window of a 2010 Volkswagen in the 1000 block of Spruce Street and stole a GPS. Weather conditions didn’t allow for fingerprints to be lifted. — Between 9 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Feb. 23, someone entered an unlocked 2001 Ford parked in the 800 block of Spruce Street and stole a laptop, a cell phone and earrings. The report was made after the

victim drove home, and no fingerprints were lifted. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 8 p.m. Feb. 20, a valet manager was counting money outside a restaurant at 1337 Chestnut St. when a male asked for a dollar. The manager refused and the man put his hand in his pocket, simulating a weapon. The manager again refused, and the man fled. At 11:30 p.m., an officer detained a man who fit the description at 18th and Sansom streets, and the manager identified him. The 36-year-old suspect with a Southwest Philadelphia address was charged with robbery and related offenses. — At 12:45 p.m. Feb. 24, a 6th District officer observed a male in a lewd act in front of 1111 Market St. The 39-yearold homeless suspect was arrested and charged with open lewdness and related offenses. SUMMARY ARRESTS — On Feb. 19, 6th District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 8:15 p.m. outside 1300 Locust St. and at 8:30 p.m. outside 1200 Walnut St. — On Feb. 20, 6th District officers issued two citations for summary offenses at 11:05 a.m. outside 200 S. Juniper St. and a citation for a summary offense at 11 p.m. outside 1200 Locust St. — At 11 a.m. Feb. 21, 6th District officers issued a citation for a summary offense outside 1317 Walnut St. — On Feb. 23, 6th District officers issued citations for summary offenses at 2:45 a.m. outside 1229 Chestnut St., 11 a.m. outside 1317 Walnut St. and 12:35 p.m. inside 1000 Market St. — On Feb. 24, 6th District officers issued a citation for a summary offense at 1:55 a.m. outside 242 S. 13th St. ■

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

ICandy undergoes facelift By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com ICandy Nightclub is gearing up for its two-year anniversary with some renovations. The popular Gayborhood club started remodeling the historic building three weeks ago. ICandy promotions and events director Scott McFerren said the club has been ready for a new look since its March 2011 opening. “We wanted to give the tavern a fresh look after two years and create something different,” he said. Among the changes will be the opening up of the front wall to include windows, which will be bordered by its historic arch windowframes. ICandy was home to restaurant Leoncavallo from the late 19th century until 1960, when it was shuttered to become a series of clubs, including The Midway, Equus and ICandy predecessor 12th Air Command — all of which operated with a closed front. “The building hasn’t seen sunlight

Photo: Scott A. Drake

since 1960 when the restaurant closed,” McFerren said. Because of the renovations, ICandy will lift its cover charge for the month of

March. The remodel will also include the addition of six new individual restrooms and the restoration of some of the original

walls. “We have taken the building back to where it was probably since the original restaurant was here in 1920,” he said. “We found original ceilings and walls and took it back to the original base. We are not restoring the whole building, but what we can restore, we will.” According to McFerren, the renovations, which will cost approximately $250,000, will not affect day-to-day operations. “The only thing we have done is close the first floor, but the second and third floors are open. The completed project will be unveiled for our second anniversary party,” McFerren said, noting that details on the party will be announced later this month. Until renovations are done, guests will enter the building through the side entrance on Latimer Street. McFerren said the remodel has uncovered a number of artifacts from the previous businesses that operated in the building, which will be displayed on a memorabilia wall. “It has been interesting to see what we find. There is a lot of history here.” ■

CBLSL to launch 30th anniversary season By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Although you can’t tell from the weather, spring really is almost upon us — and the impending start of the City of Brotherly Love Softball League season is a telling sign. CBLSL will host a skills day next week for new players and will kick off its season with Opening Day celebrations April 21, which this year will be extra-festive to celebrate the league’s 30th season. CBLSL started with just one team and has since grown to more than 30 teams, home to more than 700 players. “It’s amazing,” said CBLSL secretary Sue Gildea. “Thirty years ago, the league was started as a safe place to play, and now we’re not only able to do that but we even welcome straight players into our league as well. We’ve certainly come very far, not only because of the strong people in the league, but also our wonderful supporters, sponsors and people in the community outside of the league who have helped us along the way.” The anniversary season will start to take shape March 16 with skills day, where new players can demonstrate their hitting, pitching, fielding and other skills, with team managers on hand to pick additions to their teams. About 45 people have already signed up, and Gildea said league officials do everything in their power to make sure no

one is turned away. Teams are divided between the women’s division, which has three classifications of skill levels, and the open coed division, which is home to competitive and recreational teams. The evening of skills day, the league will host its second-annual pub crawl through the Gayborhood, which Gildea said drew more than 100 supporters last year. The event will feature drink specials and prizes and opportunities for players, new and returning, to socialize with one another and league supporters. The league itself is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the LGBT community, Gildea said. “It is certainly a great way to meet new people,” she said. “Beyond the bar scene, it’s a place to make friends, meet new people, learn things. I’ve been involved with the league going on 20 years and I joke about how much my holiday-card list has grown because of all the new people I’ve met with the league.” Opening Day will honor the 30th anniversary milestone in a number of ways, including with an Old Timers’ game for former CBLSL players. To learn more about the Old Timers’ game, email secretary@cblsl.org. For updates on the coming season, visit www.cblsl.org, search Join CBLSL on Facebook or follow the league on Twitter at @CBLSL. ■

Philadelphia Gay News

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

LOCAL PGN

‘Priscilla’ stars meet with youth from The Attic By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com The Attic Youth Center had a day out at the theater last week, and was given a behind-the-scenes chance to interact with the stars of visiting Broadway musical, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” Two-dozen youth members of The Attic Youth Center attended Saturday’s matinee performance of the LGBT-centered show, which was followed by workshops and a talk-back session based around the content and themes of the musical. According to Attic life skills specialist Randy Growshow-Schade, the opportunity was made possible through support from The Broadway League and a partnership with The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Two-weeks prior to the show, youth from the center developed workshops surrounding the ideas of drag, race and transgender identity. According to Growshow-Schade, the workshops discussed confusion about drag identities and navigated around the conversations of three different types of drag: past, present and future. “It was a huge success,” GrowshowSchade said. “I think one of the biggest things we learned is you cannot put definitions or boundaries on drag because it is constantly evolving and pushing enve-

QUEENS ABOUT TOWN: The cast of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” was out and about during the show’s recent Philly run. On Feb. 28, about two-dozen “Priscilla” cast members, including ensemble member Alex Ringler (right) and dance captain Ralph Meitzler, led a dance class at 12th Street Gym. And after Saturday’s matinee, stars, including Wade McCollum (seated, from left), Scott Willis, Brit West and Bre Jackson, met with more than 20 youth from The Attic Youth Center to discuss topics surrounding drag and gender performance. Photos: Scott A. Drake

lopes for gender identities and performances.” The Attic Youth Center last month held its third annual “SweetHearts and RedHots” drag performance event. Growshow-Schade said the center hopes to incorporate what the youth

learned last weekend into their future events. The Attic will host a debriefing meeting with youth who attended the show, which will include input from Liberty City Kings Drag and Burlesque, who will discuss the role drag kings have in

the performance world. “In ‘Priscilla,’ there was a lot of focus on drag queens and stereotypes within drag,” Growshow-Schade said. “We wanted to reach out to LiCK to work with them and facilitate a conversation with drag kings having more visibility.” ■

NATIONAL PGN GSA from page 1

presstime. Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin said the organization has reached out to the school district superintendent and offered to hold a conversation with him about the need for a GSA at the school. But the organization may also seek legal action, Martin said. “I offered to talk with the school board as well. Next resort, we are working with the American Civil Liberties Union on a possible lawsuit,” he said. “We would certainly like to get them to reverse their decision within the next two months or as soon as possible. We will be notifying them on legal actions.” Martin said the organization could cite The Equal Access Act of 1984, which prohibits institutions of public education from denying equal access or fair opportunity to students who seek to conduct a meeting.

Two Central Pennsylvania schools voted down GSAs in 2012, but both later reversed their decisions. Martin said the Chambersburg situation could be a teaching moment for the area. “It can be a more conservative part of the state, but hopefully more work will be done to move forward,” he said. “In the end, people always come around to understand that this is what they have to do under the law.” Equality PA gave the school until March 27 to reach a resolution before it takes legal action. “I feel pretty confident,” Martin said about the possibility of an agreement. “I think once the school board weighs what it is saying and what they are facing and there is real legal consequences to what they are doing, they will realize that students having the ability to create a GSA is not worth the fight they will have.” ■

Media Trail Gay couples begin booking weddings in Maine The Boston Herald reports gay couples are booking wedding dates in Maine for the warm weather ahead, but inns and wedding venues aren’t expecting a deluge of new business like Massachusetts experienced when it became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage nearly a decade ago. Maine recorded about 150 gay marriages in the first two months of the law. About 2,360 same-sex couples married in Massachusetts in the first month of its 2004 law. While Maine’s law has given hotels, photographers, florists and

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

others a boost, they’re not anticipating an immediate bonanza and expect the gay-marriage business to slowly grow in the years ahead.

Antibullying policies take hold in Minn. The Owatonna People’s Press reports t hat, one year after Minnesota’s largest school district settled a lawsuit over bullying, life for LGBT students is getting better there. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed the suit against the AnokaHennepin School District after it got a call from Jackson Middle School teacher Ann Lindsey in 2010. Lindsey said the atmosphere for LGBT students was “toxic” but that it has since improved. Under the settlement, the district agreed to take a series of steps to track and prevent bullying. Jefferson Fietek, a district teacher and LGBT advocate, said the atmosphere hasn’t gotten better for

everyone, but the district is headed in the right direction.

Madonna to present award to Cooper According to Billboard.com, gay advocacy group GLAAD says Madonna will present CNN’s Anderson Cooper with an award for openly gay media professionals. GLAAD said March 2 that the singer has been chosen to give Cooper the Vito Russo Award at the 24th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City March 16. Cooper declined to speak publicly about his sexuality for years. But last July he gave blogger Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email in which Cooper said he was gay and “couldn’t be more happy.” Russo helped found GLAAD and wrote a book about gay people in the movies called “The Celluloid Closet.” ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Matt Barber

Editorial

Leadership on the horizon PGN this week is publishing a list of 20 emerging LGBT leaders in the Philadelphia region who are taking the lead on innovative and progressive initiatives and programs that are bringing about positive change for the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities. Last year, PGN undertook a similar effort with our Power People feature, which profiled top corporate executives who are out in the workplace. This year, we sought to highlight a different sector of the community by structuring the piece around the theme of People to Watch. There are a wealth of accomplished LGBT leaders who often serve as the faces of the community (and frequently as PGN’s go-to sources for information). However, we also wanted to recognize that great things are being done in our community thanks not only to our established leaders, but also to new generations of activists, advocates and others who may have been inspired by the examples of current leaders. Community work is often a thankless job, and PGN wanted to show this class of People to Watch that their work is appreciated — and to ideally inspire new aspiring leaders to join in their goals. PGN staffers undertook an exhaustive search for the best of the best emerging leaders — the pool of possibilities was seemingly endless, a positive signal for the years to come. We looked for individuals who were new to the Philadelphia area, launched a new initiative or assumed a new leadership role, or who were members of the under-35 crowd — all of whom were involved with causes that demonstrated the potential to effect measurable gains for our community. This was by no means a popularity contest. PGN sought to generate discussion among community members on social media about potential emerging leaders, but those suggestions were only suggestions; our staff vetted each selection fully to ensure that he or she was a true advocate for our community. The 20 men and women in this list ultimately represent the vast body of work that is moving our community forward. Some are health advocates, others are filmmakers and artists, some work with LGBT youth and others work in government. But they all embody what it means to be a true LGBT leader: They were more eager and excited to get recognition for the organizations and causes with which they’re involved than they were for their own personal gratification. That bodes well for the future of our LGBT community. While our 20 People to Watch deserve a hand for their individual community contributions, their leadership dictates that we instead look to the actual work they are doing and give them a hand with those efforts. ■

If any of my readers have daddy issues and get off on being told, “You’re a bad, bad boy,” you’ll love Matt Barber’s new slash-fiction open letter to the gays. Published Feb. 25 on the WND (WingNut Daily) website, Barber’s “An Open Letter to ‘Gay’ Teens” is a sexy romp through love-the-sinner-hate-the-sin land. That is, if you define “sexy” as demoralizing and belittling. Barber wastes no time “sticking it” to the gays. In the piece’s very title, he puts “gay” in quotation marks because he doesn’t believe in gay. “I’ve had many people ask me what I’d say to my children if one of them came to me and declared: ‘Dad, I’m gay,’” he writes. “I’d tell them exactly what I’m about to tell you. I love you. I neither judge you nor condemn you. I accept you and I would die for you. But you are not ‘gay.’” Got that? You aren’t gay. You’re, well, I’ll let Barber explain it: “You are a wonderful, beautiful, precious human being created in the image and likeness of the one righteous and Holy God of the universe.” Aww, isn’t that sweet? Especially how he considers “wonderful, beautiful, precious” and “gay” as mutually exclusive categories. The problem, Barber says, is not that you’re gay, it’s that you’re “doing gay stuff.” Knock that off and everything will be fine. “Yes, you may be physically attracted to people of the same sex, but how you act on those attractions is entirely your choice,” Barber explains. “Who you are — your identity — is not defined by your sexual feelings, temptations or behaviors. The difference between who you are and what you feel or do is as the [sic] difference between night and day.” Which leads to the question: If who you are = good, and what you do = bad, then in this scenario would night = good and day = bad? Damn it, I wish I’d paid more attention to the story problems in grade school. Is it because “gay” rhymes

with “day”? Or does it have to do with the moon and the sun? Wouldn’t that be getting into some kind of pagan shit? I am so confused. Bottom line? “You’re a sinner.” Don’t worry, he admits that he’s a sinner, too, but you’re probably worse because “homosexual behavior is always wrong — demonstrably and absolutely wrong. Period.” And you know a statement is true when even the punctuation is pronounced. So if “homosexual behavior” is wrong without exception, if you’re a teenager doing or thinking about doing gay stuff and you’re feeling kind of stressed out about the whole thing, it’s totally your fault. “If you feel such despair, know this: It is not ‘homophobia’ causing it, as adult enablers might tell you, but, rather, it is the sin itself that causes it,” Barber advises gay teens. “You are being used. Adult homosexual activists with a political agenda are using you as a pawn to achieve selfish goals in a dangerous political game.” Yes, a dangerous political game called equality. Wanting our families treated with respect. Wanting to be treated like full citizens under the law. Boo! He warns, “If you continue down this wide, empty path, make no mistake: It will not ‘get better.’ It gets much, much worse.” Is it just me, or is this a wildly callous thing to say to a group of young people particularly vulnerable to suicide? According to the Trevor Project, “LGB youth are four times more likely, and questioning youth are three times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers.” Not that Barber would ever entertain the idea that this has anything to do with “loving” people like him. A “dangerous political game” indeed. ■

“You are being used. Adult homosexual activists with a political agenda are using you as a pawn to achieve selfish goals in a dangerous political game.”

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

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

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OP-ED PGN

Why does the LGBT community eat its young? One item you will rarely see in this no scandals, then your opinion on her may column is something about New York likely be based on her political positions — simply because the mainstream media — how right or left she is or who her politiis headquartered there and believe that any- cal bedfellows are. This is one overriding thing that happens in New York is somehow issue that really should make you see that important to you and me everywhere else. your philosophical positions should be put to the side. And, of course, they want to Quinn would be the first out remind themselves that they, as mayor of one of the nation’s top they like to say, live in the best media markets. The media love city in the world. Sorry, New to broadcast almost anything York, far from it. But that is New York-related. Translation: another column. This column is about something happening in Quinn will get lots of national New York that also takes place exposure, which translates around the country. into LGBT exposure around the nation, especially in places It’s about killing our own, where they do not see LGBT or how the LGBT community issues often. And, more imporkeeps itself down. In this case, tantly, she can and will be a role it’s Christine Quinn, who happens to be the out president model for lesbian women. of the New York City Council My theory on LGBT equality has been based on media and a buddy to Mayor Michael Mark Segal since the 1970s. Yes, you read Blumberg — as well as the frontrunner in the coming maythat right. It has been my career oral election. From my friends in New to appreciate how media can help us gain York, there is much grumbling about her equality. Quinn is now part of that equation. Having a person from the LGBT comcandidacy among those not supporting her munity not at the table but at the head of — who are saying everything from she’s a the table is a major step forward, especially crony to Bloomberg, to she doesn’t know in a high-profiled media market important the issues, to she doesn’t treat our community well. for this community nationwide, similar to First, no politician is universally loved. the experience of Tammy Baldwin’s election to the U.S. Senate. But, unless you can show me something One major point of any civil-rights unethical — a campaign based on a lie or movements is that people have a place at some personality trait that would keep her the table. Those opposed to the LGBT comfrom obtaining that position — it is in the munity gaining power need to read history. LGBT community’s best interest to stand Jump onboard or stay in the ghetto. ■ tall with her. If you’ve made it to the position of headMark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s ing City Council, you most likely understand politics and know how to maneuver. most-award-winning commentator in LGBT And if, by this time in her career, there are media. He can be reached at mark@epgn.

Mark My Words

Op-Ed

The Rev. Irene Monroe

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Street Talk Should medical providers ask patients their sexual orientation and gender identity? “I wouldn’t want to be asked about my sexual orientation — not that I have anything to hide. But it’s not a Charles Bartlett necessary server bit of Queen Village information. But it’s appropriate to ask about gender identity. That’s an important piece of someone’s medical history. I wouldn’t be offended if a doctor asked me that.”

“Not sexual orientation. For some people, that would be offputting. You don’t want to scare away some people from medical John Berchtold student care. The Queen Village advantages [of asking the question] would be outweighed by the disadvantages. But gender identity should be asked, because that’s medically relevant.”

“Yes. Those aren’t terrible questions to ask. It’s fine to have those questions on a medical form for people to answer, at Rachel Boyer their option. bartender I wouldn’t Chinatown be offended. It should be a standard form that’s given to everyone — so no one feels slighted or singled out for special treatment.”

“If the patient wants to volunteer the information, fine. But those are personal issues that don’t need to Allie Karp waitress be asked by Queen Village a doctor. If a person’s status is medically relevant, they can express it to the doctor. For example, a lesbian may find the information relevant to her gynecological treatment.”

It’s time for a queer-friendly pope Just hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced his unexpected resignation, a bolt of lightning struck St. Peter’s Basilica. Many say it’s a sign from God. If so, I’m hoping it’s an Amen moment signaling the end of an oppressive era of LGBTQ-bashing as the church now moves forward. “The church has an opportunity to turn away from [Benedict’s] oppressive policies toward LGBT Catholics, and their families and friends, and develop a new understanding of the ways in which God is at work in the lives of faithful and loving people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said LGBT Catholic group Equally Blessed in a statement. This pope has used his papal authority to hold back the tides against modernity. And the early signs were there long before

Benedict became pope. The reaction by many religious progressives to the election of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in April 2005 as Pope Benedict XVI had been tempered by either their faith to keep hope alive or by an apologetic acceptance in deference to Pope John Paul II. If the Church was looking for a leader who embraces the world, as it is today, Pope Benedict XVI was not the man. Benedict used his authoritarian persona of church doctrine to maintain an ecclesiastical lockdown on the church’s progressives. Last year. he publicly bashed a group of U.S. “dissident” nuns for “focusing its work too much on poverty and economic injustice, while keeping ‘silent’ on abortion and same-sex marriage. He pushed back against the tide of progressive theologies by upholding a rigid orthodoxy of millennium-old church doctrines and creeds. Benedict suppressed the

growth of Liberation Theologies in ThirdWorld countries, the emerging face of the Catholic Church, for their supposedly Marxist leanings that exposed classism. And his venomous attacks on LGBTQ people have been unrelenting. In December, the Pontiff’s Christmas sermon denounced same-sex marriage, advocating it would destroy the “essence of the human creature.” In previous antiLGBTQ diatribes, Benedict stated that marriage equality is a “manipulation of nature,” and a threat to world peace. The Pontiff didn’t equivocate his stance on us with the theological qualifier to “love the sinner but hate the sin.” He went to a new level that invited LGBTQ-bashing justified in the name of God. On the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith web site, directed by then Cardinal Ratzinger, he wrote: “Those who would move from tolerance

to the legitimization of specific rights for cohabiting homosexual persons need to be reminded that the approval or legalization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil.” Benedict believes that evil is born into a person and that it is part of his or her ontological makeup. Evil exists in its various machinations because of systems, regimes, presidencies and, yes, the Vatican, which allow it to give birth unchecked. As a system whose wheels churn on the absence of goodness, evil reduces people to objects of sin and targets of hatred, thus denying them their basic human needs. And its strength to maintain human suffering is proportionate not only to its political and capital clout, but also to the strength of its religious ideological underpinning. The problem with evil is not only how it diminishes human life, but also how it denies the suffering it causes. ■

HEALTH PGN

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Time blows “Look at all of you with your them or need them to mitigate pretty little assholes: bopping pain. Well, that shit ain’t flyin’ around the city, crapping in anymore. It’s the reason why the random toilets, squandering an aforementioned party crashers rolled in calling my Sailormoonunprecedented joy that every human being from now to extinc- style transformation a sham. tion will eulogize in a public I’m just gonna say what’s been restroom! Do you comprehend on everyone’s minds for the past four paragraphs or so: “Whoa, your asshole’s potential?! Of back up it, girl. What’s all this course you don’t! Well I do. flapdoodle and tommyrot?” Ha! But I can’t use mine because Wale, sore asses like it’s broken. She was a ballroom beauty I mine don’t get much tell ya, bedecked in sympathy, but I also full-length sequined can’t be miserable. So, to accommodate ballroom gowns and matching tiaras. She these forces and quell a circuitous paranoia was a queen! So go about never having on now! Gadzooks, butt sex again, I’ve you make me sick!” decided to try someWow. Well. So thing novel — taking who wants cake, care of myself. huh? Nothing like a All that entails is big hunk of cake to that I see my chiropolish off a whiskeyinduced tirade. Oh, practor three times that’s right, I can’t eat a week, take warm Aaron Stella baths, read more, cry cake because it makes me constipated. Fine. more, make crass I’ll just pour myself another deli- jokes, smoke less, eat better and cious spoonful of fish oil ... yeah don my warrior spirit at the gym — all to a glorious backdrop of ... fish oil ... yay. high-tempo Japanese music. Three weeks ago, a colorectal surgeon exorcised an ulcer You’re all rational people, I that had possessed the fleshy take it. I know this is an HIV welcome mat of my rectum. column, but HIV is the least of Convalescence has been no my concerns right now. In fact, I’m not really concerned about cakewalk (oh cake), albeit not anything. Life is grand! And without recourse: I’ve realized a little comic disdain for humanity shit is majorly fucked up. But can really jazz up your recovwho cares? Do you? For Christ’s ery (exhibit A: prior tirade) and sakes, don’t. Tell me a good joke ensure that Mount Vesuvius or pretend to flirt with me. Even doesn’t blow her top off. better, disguise yourself as a But now, the time has come bush, sneak around Rittenhouse for another renaissance of Self. Square and make fart noises as people pass. My oracular orifice has expelled The sixth Chiropractic enough bluster to awaken the Principle states, “There is no sleep of the gods; my jokes and metaphors still toe the banks of healing process that does not raunchy story and frilly allegory; require time.” Pretty intuitive, and pretty easy to forget. but, as my inner family prepares for my transformation feast, Rightfully so, since time totally some fabulously unexpected yet blows, like, when you have to very much appreciated guests wait for the SEPTA trolley or, have decided to crash the party. like, when you have to wait for “Stella!” they bark, “Rise and the SEPTA trolley or, like, when become a legend, you shit!” you have to wait for the SEPTA Why’re they here? It’s why trolley. Yup. Sometimes, you need a whole lotta time and a everyone is: We must change or die; change or be miserable; whole lotta broken ass to get change or stuff ourselves with your life together. sweet stuff until we roll into the We’re all in this together, gutter like a moldy jawbreaker. folks. Now get out there and talk about it. ■ To live is to change. Resist change and you resist life itself. Many people, myself included, “Millenial Poz” has received two national awards and appears fool themselves into thinking in PGN monthly. Aaron can be they’re healthy by nibbling on a bit of zucchini, and then justify reached at millennialpoz@gmail. com. indulgences as if they earned

Millennial Poz

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

FINANCES PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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Saving in the short term Q: My partner and I think we’ve done a good job funding accounts for retirement. But we often find ourselves in shorter-term pinches for money when unexpected expenses occur. Can you offer some general guidance on how we can better plan for shorterterm needs? A: This is a terrific question ... and one I’m sure many other readers also have. Many of us tend to focus on longer-term investment and retirement planning, but neglect to also discuss shorter-term planning. Here are a few thoughts to get you started.

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savings plans designed to help. Vacation and Christmas Clubs use coupon books that provide a schedule for reluctant savers. If your bank does not offer special savings plans, you can take the lead by setting up your own automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account. The idea is to make savings a habit and to treat your monthly (or weekly) savings deposits as a fixed expense — like a rent or mortgage payment — not just an afterthought once the bills have been paid.

Out Money

Saving for short-term financial goals Most of us know we need to save for our future goals. Buying a home, providing an education for our children and investing for a secure retirement are the most common long-termsavings goals. But what about next year’s vacation, remodeling your house or buying a second car? You can always say “charge it” but that’s how Americans have amassed billions of dollars in credit-card debt. Why not try a new approach? With a little guidance, you can begin saving for these short-term needs today. Getting started The first step in any investment strategy is to develop goals. The first “must-have” goal is to ensure that you have adequate reserve funds to cover emergencies or even temporary unemployment. Many financial planners suggest you have three to six months’ salary in savings for the unexpected. Next, take a look at your spending needs over the coming 12-24 months. How much did you spend on your last vacation? How is the car running? By planning ahead for large expenditures, you can prevent anxiety and save on finance charges. Once you have determined how much you need — and when you will need it — you are ready to begin matching your goals to the investment options available to you. It sounds easy, but if you are like most people, you may lack the discipline to save. Some banks and most credit unions offer a variety of special-purpose

Key investment criteria Jeremy Whether your goals long-term or shortGussick are term, you should look at three investment factors before choosing a savings or investment vehicle: liquidity, safety and return. Liquidity: When can you get your money? If your savings are meant to pay for next year’s vacation, real estate is probably not a good investment. But even certificates of deposit (CDs) may be too restrictive.1 Be sure you understand what it might cost to turn your investment into cash. Are there penalties for early withdrawal? When you are using a time deposit, make sure the investment’s maturity matches your needs. Safety: As a general rule, return is proportional to risk. Just as liquidity concerns would rule out short-term investments in real estate, safety factors would rule out short-term investments in stocks or bonds.2 It is not that these investments are inherently unsafe, but their volatility (or fluctuation in the value) often makes them unsuitable for shortterm investing. Return: Short-term investors are restricted by safety and liquidity. You should, therefore, be realistic about how much you can expect to earn. Still, there are many investment choices available. While some investments require a minimum amount, others do not. Generally speaking, the more you have, the more you can earn. Even if you don’t have the $500 for a CD, you can still save $50 a week until you do. Keep in mind that your final return will be reduced by any fees

or taxes you incur. Savings vehicles Savings accounts: Given their convenience, availability and relative safety, banks are often the first choice for savings. Accounts at FDIC-insured banks are protected to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.3 Additional explanation provided on FDIC.gov states the following: “The FDIC insures deposits that a person holds in one insured bank separately from any deposits that the person owns in another separately chartered insured bank. For example, if a person has a certificate of deposit at Bank A and has a certificate of deposit at Bank B, the accounts would each be insured separately up to $250,000. Funds deposited in separate branches of the same insured bank are not separately insured. “The FDIC provides separate insurance coverage for funds depositors may have in different categories of legal ownership. The FDIC refers to these different categories as ‘ownership categories.’ This means a bank customer who has multiple accounts may qualify for more than $250,000 in insurance coverage if the customer’s funds are deposited in different ownership categories and the requirements for each ownership category are met.”3 Shop around for rates and fees, keeping in mind that banks will usually waive monthly fees if you maintain a minimum balance. Most banks will link your savings and checking accounts, making regular transfers between the two accounts much easier. Money market deposit accounts: These accounts generally pay a higher rate than passbook savings accounts, but the rate typically fluctuates with market conditions. You may also get the advantage of limited check writing. Time deposits: CDs are available with terms ranging from seven days to 30 years. CDs are FDIC-insured and offer a fixed rate of return if held to maturity. A fixed-rate CD may or may not be an advantage. The time to lock in is when rates are at their peak. Since it is difficult to know when rates have peaked, you can stagger maturities to limit your interest-rate risk (the likelihood that rates will rise or fall). By purchasing CDs with a variety of

FINANCES PGN

maturities, you can reinvest principal from maturing CDs if rates go up, while longer-term CDs will continue earning higher returns should rates fall. Relationship accounts: Many banks reward their best customers with relationship accounts. By consolidating your deposits and loans with one bank, you can often minimize fees, earn higher rates or get free services. Check with your bank to see if this option would benefit you. As always, I recommend speaking with a qualified professional to help you better understand your shorter and longer-term needs and how to best plan to meet them. ■

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*As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996-2012, based on total revenues. **Award details can be found at www.fivestarprofessional.com.

This article was prepared with the assistance of S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. Consult your financial advisor, or me, if you have any questions. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications 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 S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content.

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Jeremy R. Gussick is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial planning needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2012 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager by Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, the Greater Philadelphia Professional Network and the Independence Business Alliance. OutMoney appears monthly. If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him via email at jeremy.gussick@lpl.com. LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.

1 CDs are FDIC-insured and offer a fixed rate of return if held to maturity. 2 Investing in stocks involves risks, including loss of principal. Bonds are subject to market- and interest-rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Bond values will decline as interest rates rise and are subject to availability and change in price. Government bonds and Treasury bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. 3 Source: FDIC.gov, “FDIC Insurance Coverage Basics,” updated Dec. 31, 2012.

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the party at neighborhood watering hole Dark Horse, whose staff suggested the idea. “I didn’t really consider myself a partystarter, but my experience within the community wasn’t necessarily what I was looking for; I wanted a place I could go to just hang out and feel warm and welcome, not really the club environment,” she said. Wegman, a native of Columbus, Ohio, said the mixer immediately flourished, especially with the aid of social-media sites like MeetUp.com. When Wegman, who works as director of sales operations at Accenture Life Sciences in Wayne, came back to the city, the demand was still there for the event, which she said has seen remarkable growth in its second incarnation. Sam’s Philly Mixer is held the second Thursday of the month at Dark Horse and attracts a diverse group of lesbians and their friends for drinks, food and personal and professional networking. Wegman said it also gives her the opportunity to give a shout-out to and fundraise for local agencies, such as she has done for Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, whose board of directors she recently joined. The last mixer drew about 75 guests, and Wegman recently launched a similar mixer in the suburbs, is in the process of starting one in Rittenhouse Square and is in talks for a weekend event as well. “I’m very proud of it and proud of the success it’s had,” she said. “It’s the greatest compliment when people come up to me and say, ‘This is like nothing I’ve ever attended.’ I wanted this to be something different, and to have it just feel like you’re hanging out at a friend’s house. There’s no cliques. Real friendships develop. And it’s great to see.” John Dawe Dawe is using his experience in the nonprofit sector to bring enhanced LGBT leadership to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Dawe, 31, has served as executive director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance since 2004 and has vastly expanded the agency’s reach within that time. The Lehman native holds a bachelor’s in computer science and marketing from Mansfield University, is a Certified Fundraising Executive and is taking graduate classes in nonprofit administration at North Park University. NEPA Rainbow Alliance is the only fully incorporated agency dedicated to serving the LGBT community in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The organization does not have a physical headquarters but provides resources JOHN DAWE similar to a

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community center in a mobile format. Shortly after the group launched in 2004, it undertook a comprehensive-needs assessment of the local LGBT community. “We have since moved all of the identified needs off the top-10 list,” Dawe said. “And that’s given us the chance to look into the next level of needs.” For instance, Dawe said the agency previously worked to make the community aware of legal resources if they faced discrimination; now, the group, which is also undertaking a new effort to diversify its funding sources, is working closely with Equality Pennsylvania to pass local ordinances that ban LGBT discrimination. “We have an increased focus now on getting to the root of some of the problems,” he said. “We’re going to be really looking at the root causes of problems like LGBT homelessness in our region and staying heavily involved in antibullying initiatives in our schools. We’re moving from treating the symptoms to treating the cause.” Anna Aagenes Aagenes quickly made a name for herself in Philadelphia — and across the state. Aagenes, 25, is district director for Rep. Brian Sims, and serves as executive director of GO! Athletes, which works to empower LGBT student athletes.

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The Bucks County native graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a major in gender, culture and society and a minor in Hispanic studies. After graduating in 2010, Aagenes, who identifies as bisexual, worked as a clinical research assistant at the Adolescent HIV Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and joined Sims’ office in January. “I manage our Philadelphia office, overseeing constituent services, fostering and building organizational relationships and directing community outreach and engagement,” she said. “Although it’s only been a few months in this new position, I absolutely love my job, the people I work with and the constituents I am able to service each day.” She was named executive director of the GO! Athletes in April, and has since joined the GLSEN Sports Project Advisory Group and taken part in panel discussions at the 2012 Nike LGBT Sports Summit and NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Summit. Aagenes also serves on CHOP’s Connect to

Protect Housing Committee, which advocates for LGBT homeless and runaway youth. With so much under her belt already, Aagenes said she’s often asked what her next venture will be. “I am excited for future projects, challenges, opportunities that will direct me in my career plans. In the meantime, I am very happy with my life in Philadelphia and will do the best I can to make a difference right for the local and national LGBTQ community.” Jaden Remy Clayton, Del., native Remy is ready to take the trans arts scene by storm — starting with a new art gallery. Remy, 28, is the director of advertisement and design for Ly n c h P i n Creative Marketing, and has lived in the city for nearly a decade. The Moore College of Art and Design gradJADEN REMY uate is gearing up to open his own Gallery Kinetic next month. “I live in Northern Liberties and it was something I wanted to do for the community. It will offer a spotlight on LGBT emerging artists. They don’t have to pay a fee to be in a show and they will get 100percent commission in sales,” he said. Remy has also worked on trans-specific campaigns with Hollaback Philly, which fights against street harassment, and is the founder of the largest transgender-resource website, Blitztrans.org. One of his greatest accomplishments, he said, is MixTape, an event that featured live performances to raise funds for locals to undergo gender-reassignment surgery from Dr. Karen Rumer. “It is a great feeling knowing that people came out and raised $5,000 for surgeries. I helped three transgender men have top surgery in the past year,” he said. Remy, who describes himself as an artist first and a designer second, has had his artwork shown throughout the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania area, and said he ultimately hopes to have his own artist loft for LGBT artists to have an affordable place to both live and work. “I have advanced so far in my art that I want to help give others that opportunity as well,” he said. “In schools, the art programs are just dying, and if I can give them that opportunity in a space that has high traffic, then I will do that.” Travis Love Love has a background in the arts but

has dedicated the past several years to improving the health of LGBT youth. The Ventnor, N.J., resident has served as a health educator with South Jersey AIDS Alliance since 2008, where he focuses on TRAVIS LOVE HIV testing and counseling at its drop-in center, Oasis. Love, 31, also runs the organization’s MPowerment program for LGBT youth of color. “The main focus is to provide a supportive environment for these young people so that they don’t feel isolated,” he said. “We want to give them a place to go to with questions and concerns regarding everything from sexual health to their future to their self-esteem.” The Montclair University theater major came to the Alliance after living in New York City for several years, where he performed in several off-Broadway productions. He also worked on initiatives that sought to bring arts education and dance to lower-income communities. Love spearheaded MPowerment’s National Coming Out Day celebration on Steel Pier in Atlantic City in the fall, one of the capstones of his youth work, he said. “We had a great deal of support from the community and were able to host this event with a shoestring budget. People really enjoyed themselves and were able to come together in a place that’s often not very supportive of this community,” Love said. “There aren’t many places in this area if you’re looking for a community. So that made it even better, to see all these people who brought their family members and we had this huge supportive environment.” Love said he’s eager for MPowerment to continue to reach more young people in need. “I see the project growing, being a place of hope and of light for people,” he said. “I want young people to understand that there is a space for them to come and be who you are, ask questions, get information and feel safe. That’s my hope: to make this even bigger and bolder.” Paul Foster After attaining a bachelor’s degree in sociology and public health in 2011 from Boston University, Bucks County native Foster returned to the area to put his studies right into practice. F o s t e r , 2 5 , i s n ow a Philadelphia resident and a prison medical PAUL FOSTER

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case manager at ActionAIDS, a position he’s held since 2011 that allows him to work with HIV-positive inmates and those recently released from the Philadelphia Prison System. During his time in Boston, he did HIV outreach and testing and said he learned how to effectively deliver positive results to clients and help them navigate their next steps. “It was a logical fit to move into this work, working with people who’ve already been diagnosed and now working to get them into care, into housing, all the things that they need to be healthy,” Foster said. He was recently promoted to oversee a staff of care-outreach specialists. Foster’s community work began when he was a teen: He became involved as a participant in Bucks County’s Rainbow Room, and went on to volunteer for the agency at events and as a peer counselor. During a break from college, he joined Rainbow Room’s staff as an education assistant. Once he moved to Philly, Foster joined the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, where he has performed as a soloist and is a member of the select ensemble, Brotherly Love. Foster said his LGBT and HIV/AIDS work has solidified his passion for his current career track. “Every position I’ve had, when I look back on it, has led me further and further into social work,” he said. “I’m really proud of the work I’m doing now with Action AIDS. These clients who are coming out of incarceration, especially with HIV, don’t have a lot of support; some had families disown them because of their sexuality, because of their status, because of their criminal history, so having the support that we can give them is really important. And I love being able to provide that.”

people of the trans experience and all people in the LGBT community to have safe spaces on campus,” she said. She has also facilitated the TransWay group at William Way LGBT Community Center, volunteered at the center’s front desk and been involved in its peer-counseling program. Cooks has additionally served on the planning committee of the TransHealth Conference and last summer facilitated a trans-support group at The Attic Youth Center. In December, she launched her own consulting company, Making Our Lives Easier, LLC, to offer quality resources and information for underrepresented populations. Ultimately, Cooks said, she’s eager for the trans community in Philadelphia to gain streamlined access to programs that meet its needs. “A lot of things are available to gays, lesbians and bisexual people, but I really feel like the trans community needs unity and togetherness in its programs, so hopefully at some point in the future we can have something here in Philadelphia, one centralized location that caters to all of the needs of the trans community.”

Josh Schonewolf Philadelphia native Schonewolf is a selfdescribed food blogger who can’t cook. Thankfully, his success at event planning is better than his culinary skills. Schonewolf, 31, runs the blog Josh Can’t Cook, which he began in 2010 to record his ventures with food. Schonewolf graduated with a degree in communications from Temple University in 2005. SharRon Cooks He can also be seen The Community College of Philadelphia at Tavern on Camac has a new LGBT presence on campus, and Stir, where he thanks in large part to Cooks. occasionally barCooks, 35, is tends. JOSH SCHONEWOLF a native of New The blogger has Jersey who held a number of charity events for LGBT first moved to organizations in the Philadelphia region, Philadelphia including a drag ball where all proceeds at age 19 and went to The Attic Youth Center. Schonewolf returned in is also hoping to develop a concert in the 2007. She springtime for LGBT performers in the attended Pierce area. College, study“One of my biggest accomplishments has been growing and nurturing my relationing business administration, ships with the LGBT community in Philly,” for two years he said. “I hate when I find out that individbefore transuals in the LGBT community are bashing ferring to CCP, each other. We are all from the same comwhere she munity and we need to find a way to work SHARRON COOKS with each other.” majors in liberal arts with a Schonewolf said he ultimately hopes to concentration in philosophy and a minor in turn his blog into a television show and psychology. has already been approached by several A member of the academic honors list channels and filmed pilots for the Food and the Student Leadership Society, Cooks Network. launched the campus’ gay/straight alliance He is also working on developing his own in the fall. event company with another well-known “There was not a group in existence and, Philadelphia event planner. as a student and a member of the LGBT “People think we hate each other, so we community, I felt that it was important for decided to start our own company together,”

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

he said. “I want to try and have cute events for the LGBT community that are cool and are food-related.” Crystal Cheatham Cheatham has been in Philly for about three years and has already made major strides for LGBT equality both locally and beyond. Cheatham, 27, is the creator of the IDentity Kit, which offers resources and information for LGBTQ Christian youth. S h e launched the project last year as a small booklet, and it has since blossomed into a much larger print publication and a 10-week workshop series that is quickly taking off. Cheatham, CRYSTAL CHEATHAM a ghost writer who earned her master’s in creative writing from Antioch University last year, saw religion-based homophobia firsthand in her own life — and in her cross-country trip last year as a SoulForce Equality Rider. “I was raised in a very conservative household and when I came out as a lesbian, I learned a lot about LGBTQ culture and it was a very new experience. And then being in those spaces with SoulForce where we collectively were standing up for our identities in these conservative spaces was very eye-opening,” she said. The IDK Project explores those issues further. “There’s a disconnect between the LGBTQ lexicon and what exists in some religions and religious language,” she said. “So in creating the kit, I found that I have to explain those lines there. And that then morphed into the workshops, whose curriculum coincides with what’s in the kit. It’s grown tremendously.” One of the most rewarding aspects of the project, she said, has been the Kit to Teen campaign, which allows donors to sponsor the delivery of kits to youth in need. While Cheatham, who has served as a peer counselor at William Way LGBT Community Center and volunteered at Giovanni’s Room, has conducted the workshop series with The Attic Youth Center, she said she plans to expand the series and the kit to new audiences in the coming years “I’d really like to see it take off. It’s in its infancy now and I hope to write a kit for clergy and another for Jewish youth. And I want to segue that into doing workshops for public schools, who often don’t know how to treat these kids or who don’t understand what it really means to be religious and to be LGBTQ. And I’d also like to work with private Christian institutions. Many of them think they don’t need something like this,

but they definitely do.” Erica Deuso The transgender flag soared high over Drexel University on Transgender Day of Remembrance this past fall, largely a product of the work of alum Deuso. Deuso, 32, earned her bachelor’s in biological sciences and chemistry in 2003 and, last year, her master’s of business administration in pharmaceutical management from Drexel. In addition to leading the way for trans inclusion on Drexel’s campus, Deuso, who identifies as intersex, has worked as a lean deployment analyst at a local Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company for about four years, where she focuses on enhancing operational excellence by maximizing productivity and minimizing resource output. She also serves as the company’s gendertransition liaison, working with trans-identified employees to navigate their workplace transitions. She also works to advance education initiatives both in and outside the company and for two years has sat on the trans advisory committee of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. At her workplace, she spearheaded the creation of guidelines for workplace transitions, transforming a brief document into a 17-page guidebook. “It’s very comprehensive and focuses more on workERICA DEUSO ing with the other employees and management than on the trans individual themselves,” she said. She also worked with the company’s benefits group to expand its trans-related health coverage from items such as gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy to breast augmentation, laser-hair removal and facial procedures. “I think I’ve been able to help remove some of the fears and stigma that trans employees have about transitioning on the job,” she said. “Before I transitioned, there had been I think five or six employees here who were ready to come out, but nobody had the courage to. But by going through and making these new guidelines and making the changes that needed to be done, I wanted to show other people that you can transition on the job, that you can make changes without feeling stigmatized for being who you are. I think that opened a lot of doors for other people.” Karina McIntyre McIntyre, 25, is looking to revitalize the lesbian party scene in Philly. The Cherry Hill, N.J., resident and her business partner last year launched a monthly women’s party, Pulse, that has seen rapid growth. “We wanted to start Pulse Events to bring the community together and do something together and not something ordinary,” she PAGE 18 said. “We wanted to

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embrace the community.” McIntyre attended Rowan University, where she majored in political science and Spanish. She plans to attain her master’s degree and ultimately work in the criminaljustice sector of the federal government. “I speak Spanish and Portuguese fluently and would love to use those language skills in order to work with the criminal-justice system,” she s a i d . “ We are disconnected from each other in this world, so I hope to create more diversity in the future.” McIntyre said she was extremely proud of the Pulse party held in November, w h i c h KARINA MCINTYRE benefited Hurricane Sandy victims. “The DJs worked for free and the photographer worked for free. It was great to be able to do that,” she said. McIntyre said Pulse will continue to develop this year with new outreach, partnerships and fundraisers. “I would like to start getting larger and having a collaboration with another event in Philly. I would also like to expand and branch out beyond Philadelphia and have day trips or a Pulse ski weekend and bus girls from the Philly area. I definitely want to do more with what we make at Pulse and donate to things such as the It Gets Better campaign,” she said. Chris Dietz Dietz was well on his way to joining out Rep. Brian Sims in victory in November, but lost by a slim margin. However, that has not stopped him from pursuing further political outlets. Dietz, 37, is a Millersburg resident who earned his bachelor’s in mechnical engineering from Penn State University. Dietz is vice chair for the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats, and is currently organizing a Harrisburg vigil for the Supreme Court hearings on the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 later this month. He is also presiCHRIS DIETZ dent of the Borough Council in Millersburg, an unpaid elected position. “It is a huge part of my life and through that, I have some experience in writing grant requests. I try to help out where I can,” he said.

Dietz said that although he did not win against incumbent Rep. Sue Helm, his campaign for state representative was one of his most rewarding experiences. “It was one of my proudest moments to have been able to do that. It was such a wonderful experience and I met so many people along the way, and to be a gay person in rural Pennsylvania running for office at the state level and doing pretty well was wonderful,” he said, noting that several people came out to him along the campaign trail. “A lot of people said it was important that someone from Central PA was putting themselves out there and running for office and making LGBT issues a part of the conversation.” Dietz said he plans to continue pursuing a career in public service. “I am definitely still interested in running for higher office and we will see how things play out down the road,” he said. “In the meantime, I plan to continue to be active in the Millersburg nonprofit community and lend my knowledge where I can to try to continue to boost economic development in the area and basically make it a better place to live.”

Ginyard also sits on the grantmaking committee of social-justice funder Bread & Roses Community Fund and is vice president of the Alpha Nu chapter of Kappa Psi Kappa Fraternity and the organization’s Mid-Atlantic regional director. Ginyard said he’s eager to use his work at YUC to press for reforms for LGBT youth. “We talk a lot about marriage and HIV/ AIDS, which are very important of course, but we still have so many young people who are being kicked out of their homes with nowhere to go, being kicked out of school, being bullied,” he said. “We have to bring these issues to the forefront and build a society that uplifts these young people and treats LGBTQ youth like all other youth.” Tim Adams Northeast Philadelphia native Adams understands how to balance multiple projects at the same time. Adams, 26, who has worked as the director of convention and event sales for Public House Investments for four years,

Fred Ginyard After benefiting from the programs at Youth United for Change as an adolescent, Ginyard wanted to give back to the agency. Ginyard, 28, joined the staff of the youth organization in 2004 and currently serves as a youth organizer. The North Philadelphia native and South Philadelphia resident, who attended Edison High School and TIM ADAMS

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Community College of Philadelphia, got involved as a youth member when he was 13. “I wanted to come back to work here because I got so much out of it when I was young,” he said. “My passion and energy has been around building the youth voice and changing policies that hurt our youth.” Last year, he helped lead a YUC campaign to shift the school district’s student code of conduct to ensure maximum benefit for students — and to amend the code’s language on student uniforms to be cognizant of gender-nonconforming students. Seeing the individual impact of YUC on youth has been a rewarding payoff, Ginyard said. “I’ve been able to watch their growth over the last nine years and see them succeed and that’s been incredible,” he said.

co-chaired and planned the recent Human Rights Campaign Gala while working fulltime on Public House’s newest investment, Pennsylvania 6, set to be opening soon at 12th and Chestnut streets. Last year, Public House donated food to a Mazzoni Center fundraiser and is sponsoring a team in the City of Brotherly Love Softball League, initiatives Adams helped spearhead. Adams also operates his own event-planning company that specializes in off-site hospitality receptions at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “It has been a passion of mine to allow tourists to experience the city in a fun way,” he said. Adams said he hopes to stay in Philadelphia and continue to advance LGBT tourism here. “I see myself growing the tourism here in Philly and opening up new spaces. I am ultimately looking to get involved in bringing gay tourism into the city. I see myself continuing to grow the community here and be a resource for entertainment.” Adams said his LGBT work has been fueled in part by the backing he’s seen from his family and friends. “I always had support from everyone when I first came out, which gave me the motivation to get involved with HRC. So many people haven’t had the luck I have.” PAGE 20

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ranked 16th among metropolitan areas for new AIDS diagnoses. The classification into disease stages is a new introduction to the report. Stage 3 AIDS is described when a person’s CD4 count falls below a certain level and/or the person becomes infected with an AIDS-defining condition. “The fact that 700 of the new diagnoses in Philadelphia were Stage 3 is horrible,” said Action AIDS executive director Kevin Burns. “We should’ve known they were positive much sooner.” The CDC estimates it generally takes eight-10 years for untreated HIV to progress to AIDS. Previous CDC reports found nearly 70 percent of Philadelphia men who have sex with men who tested positive for HIV were unaware of their status. “It’s not surprising when you think about the difficulty we’ve had in getting people to be tested,” Burns said. “But 700 out of 900 in Stage 3 is very significant and supports what we’ve known: that people who don’t know their status early miss out on the advantage of getting into treatment earlier, before they tend to get sicker. Most of these 700 folks likely became diagnosed as positive when they had some sort of AIDS-defining illness. That’s way too late. We should be catching people in Stage 1.” Elicia Gonzales, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, noted that 34 percent of Latinos who are diagnosed with HIV receive a subsequent AIDS diagnosis within a year, higher than in other populations. “This suggests that folks are waiting to show signs of an illness or infection before they go and get tested,” she said. “This notion that you can tell if you’re HIV-positive is still pervasive in some communities.” Gonzales said GALAEI has been reaching out to community partners like Congreso and Prevention Point Philadelphia “to ensure that we have a clear outreach strategy and messages that are particular to our community around integrating HIV testing with other services we have, so that it’s a normalized part of overall health care versus something you do when you get sick.” Statewide, there were about 1,600 new HIV diagnoses in 2011, about 1,200 of which were classified as Stage 3 AIDS. Pennsylvania was ranked 10th in the nation for number of new HIV diagnoses in 2011. The Philadelphia metropoli-

tan area, which also includes Camden, N.J., and Wilmington, Del., reported 1,234 new HIV diagnoses, or 20.6 percent per 100,000 people. As of the end of 2010, about 20,450 Philadelphians had been diagnosed with the disease. There were 25,757 people in the entire region living with the disease and nearly 873,000 people in the United States. Demographic information was available for state statistics on the prevalence of HIV, but not for metropolitan areas or for new diagnoses. At the end of 2010, there were nearly 31,500 people living with HIV/AIDS in Pennsylvania. Of those cases, nearly 49 percent were among African-Americans, 32 percent among whites, 15 percent among Latinos, 3.5 percent among multi-racial people, .5 percent among Asians, .1 percent among American Indians and .07 percent of Native Hawaiians. Approximately 18,475 Pennsylvanians are living with Stage 3 AIDS, the demographic distribution of which was similar to that of the HIV prevalence. N a t i o n w i d e , A f r i c a nAmericans accounted for the majority of new HIV diagnoses, and men who have sex with men accounted for 62 percent of all diagnoses. Transmission information was not broken down by areas of residence. Gonzales said the study emphasizes that the “test and treat model” should not be the only reaction to the disease. “That model is incredibly important for folks who are HIVpositive and is one measure of preventing the spread of HIV but it’s not the only approach,” she said. “Prevention is still incredibly important, especially in vulnerable, marginalized communities. We have to continue to fund prevention efforts to prevent folks from contracting HIV to begin with. We have to ensure access to accurate, factual prevention messages and ideally couch testing and treatment in a broader, comprehensive and holistic strategy that involves health promotion and disease prevention.” Burns said the report makes the case for routine HIV testing. “We need to do better at identifying people who are HIV-positive who aren’t yet symptomatic and providing psycho-social support. People need to stay connected before they become sick, so they have good care and know their viral load and T-cell count. They need to be starting treatment at the appropriate time.” ■

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Nikki López For many LGBT youth in the city, López has become a very familiar face. The queer 25-year-old is the MPACT youth coordinator at Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, where she manages much of the agency’s youth programming and conducts one-on-one counseling and coaching with LGBT youth of color. López is a native of Puerto Rico who moved to the area about six years ago. She attained her bachelor’s in sociology in 2010 from Bryn Mawr College. She began working at GALAEI about a year-and-a-half ago and is one of the founding members of Raices Latino Pride Philadelphia, a collective launched about two years ago for LGBT Latino artists, activists and others to bring awareness of and resources to the LGBT Latino community. A poet herself, López said she plans to ultimately pursue her m a s t e r ’s i n fine arts in creative writing and enter the teaching field. Her experiences so far have shown her how gratifying youth NIKKI LÓPEZ work can be, she said. “I’ve been able to really connect with the LGBT Latino youth I’ve done a lot of my work with,” she said. “With the one-onone work, I’ve gotten to see them become empowered and celebrate who they are. I’ve seen these youth grow in their own exploration of their identities and that’s been a great opportunity for me.” Gender exploration is often a key theme in her own poetry, and López said she plans to keep that focus in her future endeavors. “I definitely think that sexuality and gender issues will always be prevalent in work that I do.” Denice Frohman Frohman is using her talents as a poet to inspire young people to find their own talents. The queer 27-year-old has lived in Philadelphia for five years and has served as program director at the Philly Youth Poetry Movement for the past three. A native of New York City, Frohman earned her master’s degree in education from Drexel University. She ranked in the top 15 at last year’s Women of the World Poetry Slam and in the top 10 at the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. Also last year, she was selected as a recipient of the Leeway Transformation Award, which honors women and trans artists striving for social change, which she

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said marked one of her proudest moments. And it is her work with PYPM that remains one of her continual sources of pride. “What drives me is working with the young people and getting them to find the value DENICE FROHMAN in their voice by exploring issues through poetry,” she said. “I get to see their confidence and their self-esteem increase as they become aware of the power of their voice. I’m bearing witness to their evolution and their growth and that’s what keeps me going and makes me feel most alive.” Frohman, who this year is publishing her first chapbook and a CD, performs at a wealth of college campuses and other educational settings, often discussing issues relating to sexuality and gender. But, she said she values the chance to bring her ideas to audiences that may need an LGBT education. “I want to continue to perform in spaces that need to be challenged,” she said. “When I’m in spaces that I know the majority of people don’t identify the way I identify, and I talk about LGBT issues, I think those are very important opportunities. A number of people have come up to me after performances and we had an exchange and a debate and I think they left with important questions to consider.” Jeremy Taylor Next month’s Philadelphia Black Gay Pride festival is themed “New Beginning,” a fitting title for the first PBGP under new president Taylor. Taylor, 31, took over as president of the agency last summer after several years on the group’s board and as a volunteer. The St. Louis, Mo., native moved to Philadelphia about 10 years ago for training as a lung specialist at University of Pennsylvania, where he was ultimately hired as a respiratory practitioner about five years ago. “I was an asthmatic child and I got to

JEREMY TAYLOR

interact with people in this field so that drew me onto this path,” he said. “I always wanted to help people. I think gay people can sometimes get jaded because we have a lot of things against us, but I think I see things different than most. I don’t look at life the same as most people.” That optimistic outlook has helped him navigate the challenges of balancing his work and his new role at the helm of PBGP. “It’s a lot of work. [PBGP] is like a fulltime job and I work at a full-time job, so it’s been difficult. And when you have someone who’s been the backbone of an organization for so long leave and someone new take over, things are going to fall through the cracks, but I’m doing my best to make sure we get everything done. And I’m having a great time doing it.” Taylor said he’s striving to make PBGP more financially stable, and to introduce new programs and focuses, in the coming years, a process that has already begun. “Sometimes things look grim in terms of money for 501(c)(3)s all over the country, but I think we’re going to be opening some new doors and some new ideas for ourselves,” he said, noting that he’s looking to incorporate a new health focus into PBGP. “There’s unfortunately still a very big need for HIV work but that’s not only it. I think we need to be talking about the other things that affect the community, like breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, obesity. I want to see PBGP being pivotal in speaking about health issues in general that are affecting the LGBTQI community.” Joe Ippolito Ippolito wears many hats — including as a counselor, psychology professor, festival organizer and filmmaker. The Florida native, 43, has lived in Philadelphia for about a dozen years and holds a master’s degree in social work and a doctorate in psychology. Ippolito is the founder of Gender Reel, a film and performance festival he started three years ago with a few others to make the transgender and gender nonconforming community more visible in the Philadelphia area. JOE IPPOLITO Ippolito, who began his transition 11 years ago, has also helped organize the Trans-Health Conference, which he cochaired. “I can’t take all the credit because it was a collaborative effort, but I would say having been involved in the Trans-Health Conference and having seen it grow has been an accomplishment in my personal life,” he said. For now, Ippolito is focusing on the 2013 Gender Reel and is ready to take the event to the next level — and to develop his own

film career, including his documentary on trans elders, which is expected out later this year. “I’m looking to turn Gender Reel into a production program. My goal is to continue to make documentaries and media programs that are pertinent to the queer community as a whole. I want to look at issues that are not looked at enough.” Jason Landau Goodman Landau Goodman’s name has become synonymous with the local LGBT youth movement. The 23-year-old Lower Merion native is founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, an undertaking while he pursues his master’s in urban spatial analytics at the University of Pennsylvania.

JASON LANDAU GOODMAN

Landau Goodman said PSEC was founded under a simple idea that youth in Pennsylvania could make a change and contribute to the LGBT community. “We had to fight for a space to have our own voice and now that we have it, we are moving forward with several very important projects including legislation and building a community of young activists,” he said. Landau Goodman, who will graduate this August, said his experiences with PSEC have affirmed his commitment to the LGBT-youth movement. “It is really hard work and it is hard speaking up for marginalized voices, and when a young person tells me that we helped them find their voice, and in that process, helped save their lives — it is those moments that make it worthwhile and make this work so important,” he said. “We are defined by the moments that help us effectively help young people.” Goodman said PSEC is continuing to grow with more affiliates and an even stronger voice in Harrisburg and across the state. His own path is not as defined, he said, although he knows he will continue to have a community focus. “I am confident that I will be involved in LGBT community advocacy and socialjustice advocacy. I think for me and for many young people, we are not just helping the LGBT community, but we are working on all issues impacting young people. I will be involved in community issues for the rest of my life.” ■

Liberty City Press MAR. 3-10, 2013

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point

Axis of Evil?

City fumbles response to AxisPhilly’s AVI report

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�� Philadelphia Inquirer��

# of Homes

% of Total

Assessed value more than 50% below sales price

177

1.3%

Assessed value 20% to 50% below sales price

1,914

14.3%

Assessed value up to 20% below sales price

4,890

36.6%

Assessed value and sales price same

0.2%

Assessed value up to 20% above sales price

2,984

22.4%

Assessed value 20% to 50% above sales price

1,482

11.1%

Assessed value more than 50% above sales price

1,868

14%

AxisPhilly collected the data from all homes sold in Philadelphia between 2011 and 2012 and compared those prices to what city assessors said the homes were worth. Information from AxisPhilly

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Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

People

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Imhotep takes Public League Title Continued from page 12

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Professor Kim Douglas and fourth-year Philadelphia University landscape and architecture students meet with Councilman Curtis Jones, SEPTA ofﬁcials, the Allegheny West Foundation, ward leaders and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission on Feb. 6. Photo courtesy of RAH/PhilaU project.

Back to Paradise Students help redesign a neighborhood

by Sheila Simmons

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MAR. 3-10, 2013

Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

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Pulse

A New Addition to Reading Terminal Keven Parker Soul Food Cafe celebrates its grand opening by HughE Dillon

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1. Keven Parker greets guests at the grand opening of Keven Parker Soul Food Cafe at Reading Terminal Market on Sunday, February 17. The eatery has been open since mid-January, but Parker wanted to celebrate with friends and family at an ofﬁcial evening cocktail party. 2. From left: Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; Paul Steinke, general manager of Reading Terminal Market; and Lisa and E. Steven Collins attended the grand opening. 3. From left: Marsha Floyd, Timika Lane and Maurice Floyd. 4. Kyree Terrell and Kristyn Aldrich of Focused Studios. HughE Dillon/Photographer

MAR. 3-10, 2013

Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

Pulse

\\\ Liberty City Press

Philly Does the Oscars

�� by HughE Dillon

In honor of the 85th annual Academy Awards show, the second Annual Red Carpet Oscar Party was held at The Ritz-Carlton of Philadelphia. The dress-to-impress party brought out a crowd of almost 600. Guests enjoyed cocktails, light fare from Chef Nathan Volz, 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton, cocktails made with Casamigos Tequila and Tito’s Handmade Vodka and treats from Whipped Bakeshop. 1. From left: Matthew Yaron, Wendy Wilhelm, Carol Drumstas, and John Curry. 2. Ricardo Maldonado, Chair of Foreign Relations at Ship Philly First, and Dey Deshayes attended the red carpet party. 3. From left: Keith and Nicole Burke with Jessiah Styles. 4. Fashion blogger Ian Michael Crumm and Priya Kothari. HughE Dillon/Photographer

MAR. 3-10, 2013

Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

Liberty City Press \\\

Students take part in a balletEXTREME class led by Beverly Holskin as part of the Taste of Philly Dance Fitness Workshop. Photo courtesy of Philly Dance Fitness

Let’s Dance

�� by Dana Ricci

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Pulse

�� MAR. 3-10, 2013

Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

play

\\\ Liberty City Press

Left to Right: Imhotep Charter boys’ basketball team celebrates its Public League championship win. Vaux’s Rysheed Jordan attempts to shoot two over Imhotep Charter’s Brandon Austin during the public league championship game. Vaux’s Rysheed Jordan in the public league championship game. Sarah J. Glover/photographer

Imhotep Takes Public League Title �� by Jeremy Treatman

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City Top 10

Our City Top 10 headed into state playoffs 1. 2. 3. 4. �� 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Imhotep Charter Roberts Vaux Neumann-Goretti Math, Civics & Sciences �� Martin Luther King Roman Catholic La Salle Communications Tech Archbishop Wood

MAR. 3-10, 2013

Liberty City Press is a collaborative publication effort of the Philadelphia Multicultural Media Network.

AC ul t ure rts

PGN FEATURE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

PAGE 26

Dining Out Family Portrait Get Out and Play Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

Page Page Page Page Page Page Page

31 25 29 34 32 23 29

JUSTIN JAIN AS KENNY, STEVE PACEK AS BENJI AND BI JEAN NGO AS EDITH IN THEATRE CONFETTI’S PRODUCTION OF A. REY PAMATMAT’S “EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM” Photos: Courtney Apple Photography

Troubled gay teens at the center of new stage production By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Theatre Confetti explores the timely issues of adolescence, homosexuality and abandonment with the Philadelphia premiere of “Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them,” a new play by A. Rey Pamatmat, running through March 24. With a farm in Middle America as the setting, the titular character, 12-year-old Edith (played by Bi Jean Ngo), along with her 16-year-old brother Kenny (played by out actor Justin Jain) and his boyfriend Benji (Steve Pacek), is learning how to grow up in a world without adult supervision. “Kenny and Edith’s mom passed away very suddenly and their father was going through a really intense grieving process, and in a way has cut off his children because they remind him of his wife and the life he used to live,” Jain said about the sit-

uation the main characters find themselves in. “When the audience enters the play, these kids have been living on their own for weeks on end. So that was the external factor pushing Kenny and Edith to have to raise themselves. For Benji’s situation, it’s also the same. He comes out to his family and gets kicked out of his house in a very violent way. The interesting thing in that story is that it’s his father that is the one trying to patch all of that up. In Kenny and Edith’s story, it’s the father that is trying to destroy everything.” Pacek said that while, on the surface, it looks like the trio is better off without the adults in their lives, they definitely long for some form of parental stability. “They are definitely kids although they are very mature for their age,” he said. “I think that is true for all three of the kids, but they definitely crave that family unit that none of them really have in the way that

they want it. I think that these kids can take care of themselves but I know that they’d love it if they could have their mom and dad and siblings as a ‘normal’ kind of family thing. They would love to experience what that would be like.” Jain said that even though the relationship between Kenny and Benji gets a lot of attention in the play, Edith remains the focal point because of her perspective. “She is in many ways a victim of all the things that are going on around her,” he said. “She’s an outside observer of the situations that are happening between her family and her father and her brother and his new boyfriend. Everything that is leftover gets passed on to her. She’s the one that processes all those things because Kenny decided to deflect all those things and is kind of cowardly in that way. So she becomes a strong character.” Jain said that while others in the play

regard Kenny as a coward, he doesn’t think the audience will view him that way. “He’s not necessarily a coward but a person that is living in fear of everything around him, and is trying his best to rise above all those things. That really affects his relationship with Edith. He very much doesn’t want to deal with anything or talk about anything going on in his life, and Edith is the one that is telling him to confront and deal with these things. At the beginning of the play, Kenny is a caretaker for Benji, who is in the process of getting kicked out of his house because he is gay and dealing with bullying at school. Then in the second act when things start to shift and Benji becomes more comfortable, he starts to take on that caretaker role for Kenny as well.” Jain added that the other main characters are somewhat deeper than they appear to be on the surface. “All three of these children PAGE 22

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

FEATURE PGN

EDITH from page 21

are dealing with very brave situations,” he noted. “Benji is often referred to by some of the other characters as weak, a nerd or less-than, but he also rises above a lot of things. Edith is a character who keeps saying she is old for her age and wants to be grown up, but at her heart she is still just a little girl. So this play is rife with contradictions and those complexities we all experience.” Pacek agreed that Benji goes through a transformation over the course of the story. “His quest is to be OK with the person he is and the person he knows he’s meant to become. He’s a cool free spirit, but his journey through most of the story is to be OK with that. His mom throws him out of the house because she finds out he is gay.” Both Jain and Pacek said the play is Pamatmat’s way of addressing issues important to the LGBT community. “This was his veiled way of addressing

gay marriage and gay rights in America,” Jain said. “It is such an environment where these things do happen. We’re liberated enough to be able to talk about these issues in the open. At the same token, they are still happening. Kids are getting kicked out of their school. They are getting beat up at school. It’s taboo for some people to be

together if they are the same sex in certain towns and areas in America. This play addresses t h o s e issues. One of the things I find interesting is JAIN AND PACEK t h e p l a y wright intentionally sets this play in the early 1990s instead of the modern day. So I’m sure there are political undertones there. As a performer in the piece, you can definitely feel and connect to a lot of those thematic things going on in the play with what’s going on in my everyday life.” Said Palek: “All three of the characters

go on major journeys for themselves, but ultimately it’s a lot about creating family and creating those special relationships with people rather than the one you’re born into, but families that you get to make in this life through friends and significant others and through people that come into your life. I think it’s a lot about the creation of family. It deals with it in many different ways, too. So I’m actually really curious to see what audiences think and get out of it. The tone of it goes from these really funny things to really sad things but, ultimately, we get to a place where the kids have to learn to be ok with the situations in life that just are. There are some things you can’t do anything about and you have to learn to embrace those things.” ■ Theatre Confetti presents “Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them” through March 24 at The Power Plant Basement, 233 N. Bread St. For more information or tickets, visit www.theatreconfetti.com.

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Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Suzi Nash

Daniel Cooper: Shutting up and taking to the stage “Shut Up & Dance” is turning 21! The annual event, which benefits the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance, takes place 8 p.m. March 23. Tickets are also available for a pre-performance party with catered food and an open bar. For those of you who don’t know, “Shut Up & Dance” was founded during the height of the AIDS epidemic. At the time, a group of dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet wanted to do something for their friends and associates who were dying of the disease. They decided on a benefit performance and choose MANNA as the beneficiary. Some of you may remember that, back then, the stigma and ignorance about AIDS meant a lot of people were without care from family, friends and even service providers. MANNA volunteers stepped in and provided love, care and regular meals. Today, MANNA is still hard at work serving men and women who are at acute nutritional risk and battling life-threatening illnesses such as AIDS and cancer. This week, we grabbed dancer Daniel Cooper between rehearsals to find out what his participation in “Shut Up & Dance” means to him.]. PGN: How did you get started in dance? DC: I took my first class when I was 9 years old. It was a tap class that I convinced my parents to let me take. Then about a year later my physical-education teacher suggested to my parents that I should audition for North Carolina School of the Arts. I’m originally from Winston Salem, N.C., and they had an after-school program for local youth. I was lucky that there was a really, really good performing-arts high school near where I lived. It really helped prepare me for a professional life in dance. PGN: Is anyone else in the family creative? DC: I have one sibling, an older brother, and he’s a graphic designer. PGN: Were you tight or did you fight? DC: We were very close. We fought on occasion, as siblings do, but for the most part we were good friends. We were both into drawing before I branched into dance. PGN: And what did your parents do? DC: My dad is an engineer — he designs connector parts for cars — and my mom is a yoga teacher. Engineering is mathematical but I think there’s a creative side to that field of work. PGN: That’s funny: I profiled Michael Busza last week and when I asked if perhaps there could be a creative side to his math-teacher dad, he said absolutely not.

Maybe his dad was the exception to the rule. I’m inclined to think that there is a creativity to numbers. DC: Definitely. PGN: Tell me a favorite memory growing up. DC: Probably going to school at NCSA. Because it was both my high school and college, I got very close to people and not just dancers — people in art programs and music and film. We all had our academic classes together before separating for our different disciplines. And when we weren’t in class, we were at rehearsal until late at night, so even though I lived off campus, I spent a lot of time there and forged some good memories. PGN: You got to go to a school of the arts for free. Considering that the arts are often the first thing to go with budget cuts, tell me what it meant for you. DC: I was very lucky because though I was interested in tap, I didn’t know how much I would enjoy ballet until I was encouraged to take that first class at NCSA. And now it’s my life. I enjoy the process and all the work that’s involved. It’s fascinating and keeps you coming back for more. PGN: What else does it do for you as a person? DC: It teaches discipline and hard work. It gives you an opportunity to travel and meet people. Dance gives you a lot. And if you’re very lucky, it gives you a career like mine. PGN: What’s a favorite place you’ve traveled doing ballet? DC: Well, before I came here, I was with Boston Ballet and we went on tour in Spain. That was amazing, we were there for six weeks and did shows all over the country, so we really got to experience a lot. PGN: I was in Barcelona for a film festival and stayed at the Axel Hotel, billed as the only exclusively gay hotel in the world. In its brochures, it assures people that it’s hetero-friendly and all the cute staff members wear black “heterofriendly” T-shirts. I sound like a commercial but it was really fun. DC: Yes, I know the place! I did a little European vacation with some friends last summer and in Barcelona we went to the bar that’s up on the roof deck of the Axel. The one with the jacuzzi. PGN: I know it too well! When did you come out? DC: My last year of school, I got to study in San Francisco and then I stayed there for an extra year of training before I got

my job in Boston. I came out right before I left home, so I got to spend my first year “out” in the gay capital of America. It was definitely better than being in Salem, N.C., though being a performingarts school, we had our own little liberal bubble inside a small Southern city. PGN: What feeling do you remember from your first time in a gay bar? DC: It was in San Francisco and I was underage, so the first feeling was, Oh my God, I can’t believe I got in! Then it was exciting and comfortable at the same time, knowing no one was going to judge you for being gay. But before going into my first gay bar, my stronger memory would be the Halloween parade in San Francisco; it starts on one side and ends in the Castro. It was really fun and kind of like Pride Day, but on Halloween and with better costumes.

PGN: What is your relationship status? DC: Single. PGN: And how long have you been in Philly? DC: This is my fifth year. PGN: What’s a favorite role? DC: I danced in William Forsythe’s “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated,” which was a ballet I always wanted to play. I also got to be the Phlegmatic in Balanchine’s “The Four Temperaments,” which was my first big role and I was really surprised to get it. PGN: Do you get nervous on stage? DC: A little. It’s more the anticipation of going on that makes me nervous. Once I’m out there it goes away.

PGN: Biggest mishap on stage? DC: When I was doing “The Nutcracker” in Boston, I was playing the role of Mother PGN: Did you wear a costume? Ginger. The role is always played by a guy DC: Yes! I was one of the characters from because you have to walk on stilts wearing a giant dress big enough to hide a gaggle of kids underneath. You’re basically a big drag queen on stilts. They try to cast someone 6 feet or over so that the stilts don’t have to be too big, but in Boston they had a few shorter people playing the role on different nights, so they had to make them tall. I’m about 5-foot-11 so when I strapped on the big stilts, I was really elevated. In rehearsal it went fine but on the first night, I took one step and fell in the wings. I never even made it on stage. They had to stop the show and bring the curtain down because I was on my hands and knees in the giant dress and couldn’t get back up. Someone had to go in and manually get the stilts off me. So technically it wasn’t my biggest mishap on stage because I didn’t even make it that far! It’s funny now but it was scary at the time. I was Photo: Alexander Iziliaev “Kill Bill,” which was out at the time. I pretty high up. Fortunately was one of the Crazy 88 ninja assassins. no kids were harmed in the falling of Mother Ginger, and from that PGN: Who was the first person you ever night on I never had a problem again. told you were gay? DC: It was my best friend Brian in North PGN: I can picture the headlines: 12 kids Carolina. He’d already come out the year smothered by giant chiffon dress in freak before. Like most people, I knew I was accident! gay before I “came out.” It’s just a matter DC: Right! After that night, everything else of getting the courage to admit it to your- has been a piece of cake. I guess that’s the self and then share it with others. We’re beauty of getting your mishaps out of the still best friends. way in such a big way. PAGE 32

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

PGN FILM

Israeli love story returns to local screens By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor Eleven years ago, filmmaker Eytan Fox’s “Yossi and Jagger” told a heartbreaking queer love story between two male soldiers in the Israeli military. Now, with “Yossi” — opening March 8 at the Ritz at the Bourse — the openly gay Fox offers a sequel to his 2002 classic. You don’t need to be familiar with the original film to see the sequel; the backstory unfolds seamlessly and makes sense to viewers who don’t know or don’t remember how the first film ended. In this new drama, Yossi (Ohad Knoller, reprising his role in an excellent performance) is a cardiologist who jerks off to porn, eats bad take-out and uses old photos of himself to pick up guys on the ’net. When he is forced by circumstances to take a vacation, Yossi unexpectedly meets Tom (Oz Zehavi), a young, handsome, gay soldier, and a potential romance develops. Fox said in a phone interview from Israel he never thought he’d make a sequel to “Yossi and Jagger,” but is pleased he did. “I’m so proud of this film — it’s so personal, and I feel so close to it,” he said. “Part of why I made this was an excuse to explore what happened to Yossi, which is what happened to me, to Israel and to the gay community over the past 10 years.”

One dramatic change in the decade since I say, ‘OK, I get it. It’s much easier now. “Yossi and Jagger,” Fox noted, was that the Tel Aviv and the world are much more Israeli army has become more accepting accepting.’ But they have problematic relaand tolerant of queer soldiers. tionships with their parents. Telling their He observed, “When I was in the Israeli parents, ‘This is who I am!’ is difficult.” army in 1982, the idea of being openly gay The relationship between the heavyset was unheard of. All the people I know who and heavyhearted Yossi and the younger, were gay in the army were completely clos- cuter Tom forms the film’s romantic second eted. That world has changed.” act, and Fox said his purpose here was, “to “Yossi” explores the idea that the main character is stuck in the past and has a closeted mindset. When Yossi meets Tom, he slowly begins to understand that there are other ways to live as a gay man. “Tom represents the idea that you can be happy with who you are,” Fox said. “You can take your clothes off, stand there naked, and say, ‘This is who I am — love OHAN KNOLLER (LEFT) AND OZ ZCHAVI IN “YOSSI” me!’” which the attractive Zehavi does in one of the show the older generation reaching out to film’s key scenes. That said, Tom is not out to his family, the younger generation to teach them how a complexity Fox found interesting about to live better.” He said he is dismayed that audiences contemporary queer youth in Israel, and question — as the bewildered Yossi does — one he incorporated into the film. “Young hipsters and actors tell me that why Tom is attracted to a sad, lonely, older being gay is a non-issue,” Fox said. “And man.

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“I’m almost offended that a young beautiful man can’t fall for a somber, sophisticated older guy. That’s the wrong way to see desire. Tom sees that Yossi can offer him more than his fun friends can. He’s a doctor who is smart and reads literature and needs saving. That’s something Tom wants to do — save someone who is in distress.” Distress in a relationship is something Fox, Knoller and the film’s screenwriter, Itay Segal, all experienced firsthand while making the film. Knoller, who is straight, went through a divorce between “Yossi” films, while Segal, who is gay, broke up with his boyfriend and was mourning his relationship. Similarly, Fox was having a crisis with his partner of 23 years, Gal Uchovsky. (The pair ended their professional relationship after the 2006 film “The Bubble”). The loneliness Fox faced during this period informed the film. “Living in an empty apartment, eating bad take-out food, watching a lot of porn, falling asleep in front of boring TV and waking up to another day of loneliness [as Yossi does] wasn’t difficult for me to relate/ connect to,” he confessed. “Ohad and I spoke a lot about the whole feeling of being alone and the fear and confusion that comes with that, and the questions of what being alone brings to your heart and mind. We shared those feelings — plus Itay and I were exposed to the new gay world of Internet dating.” One of the more interesting scenes early in the film has Yossi meeting a man online for sex, only to have the encounter go badly because of Yossi’s poor physical image and poorer self-image. Several of the characters in “Yossi” — from his hospital colleague Moti (Lior Ashkenazi) as well as Tom — suggest that Yossi would feel better if he would just get laid. It’s a facile curative for a depressed man grappling with survivor’s guilt, and being mostly closeted, but the film emphasizes Yossi finding sexual fulfillment as a means to emotional happiness. “I didn’t think of it that way,” Fox responded to the claim, “but he does need to get laid to feel better about himself and life.” The filmmaker then described the real point he wanted to make with his film. “I wanted to show a person stuck in a bad place who frees himself. Sometimes it’s connected to moving, going in a new direction or to new places. Changing new things in your life — the scenery, the city you live in, which for Yossi is claustrophobic — and going to the desert and meeting new people.” Now the question that arises is, will Fox make a sequel to “Yossi” in 10 years? The filmmaker laughed and answered, “That might be another exercise — to see what happened to Tom in 10 years!” ■ “Yossi” opens March 8 at the Ritz at the Bourse for a one-week engagement.

STAGE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Miss Richfield to let the ‘sweet’ times roll By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com TV personality and world-class entertainer Miss Richfield 1981 is returning to the area with what is sure to be an outrageously entertaining new show March 1416 at Society Hill Playhouse. “Sweet & Sour Richfield — Made In China!” finds Miss Richfield 1981, the creation and alter ego of former journalist and Minnesota native Russ King, “outsourcing” her comedic skills to the Far East for her latest batch of colorful videos, twisted singalongs and show-stopping audience interactions. When she isn’t delighting audiences, Miss Richfield is parceling out nuggets of wisdom via her weekly YouTube advice show “Q & You” on the Gwist network (youtube.com/gwist). PGN talked to Miss Richfield 1981 to give the city fair warning of the internationally sensitive new material she will unleash when her high heels touch down. PGN: What is it about China that has inspired your new show? MR1981: I was looking for someplace interesting and out of the way, and I was told that China is at least a two-and-a-halfweek ride on the Greyhound. PGN: Have your adventures at sea ever taken you to China? If so, what would you say is the biggest difference culturally between China and your home country of Minnesota? MR1981: As far as I know, I’ve never been to China, although I’ve been told it’s similar to Vietnam, where I did a few USO tours in the late ’60s. PGN: Will there be any Chinese music, fashions or product placement in your new show? MR1981: Of course! I always make my programs as authentic as possible. I wish I could reuse my cactus outfit from last year’s Mexican-themed show because it was so stunning and I look exceptional in green. But alas, I had to invest in Chinese clothing, which I’m finding is made by children, who can really do detail work with their tiny, nimble fingers. PGN: What is your favorite Chinese food? MR1981: Sushi — very well done! PGN: Are you at all afraid that your show might offend China, causing them to retaliate by collecting on the debt the U.S. owes them, thereby triggering World War III? And if so, would you contribute to the war effort by performing in USO shows for our troops? MR1981: Been there, done that (see question two). And I think the Chinese will be grateful when they see that I’m relocating to China. It actually could be that the Chinese end up owing the U.S. money

“SUPERB ACTING… IN THIS STORY OF A LONELY MAN REAWAKENED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW LOVE.” –The New York Times

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OPENING NIGHT

once they recalculate my worth — considering the shoes and outfits alone. PGN: Being such a fashion icon, do you think superstars like Lady Gaga, Honey Boo Boo and Taylor Swift owe you some form of tribute? MR1981: As you know, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and I think Boo Boo has my style down best. I want to share it all. I love to hear people copy my style. Just think how much better the world would look with big shoes and hair teased to Jesus.

PGN: Are there any performers out there you would pay to go see? MR1981: Sadly, I’m not drawn to see anyone’s show, since my beloved friends Kate Smith and Bea Arthur passed away. I just feel like I’m the only natural baritone left in the ladies’ section! ■ Miss Richfield 1981 performs her new show March 14-16 at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St. For more information or tickets, call 215-923-0210 or visit missrichfield.wordpress.com/.

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PGN: Have you ever considered taking on a protégé to carry on your legacy into the future, or at least carry your luggage on and off the boats and airplanes you often travel on? MR1981: I’ll consider anyone who’s willing to work for drink tickets. PGN: Will you be filming any segments of your advice show “Q & You” while you are in Philadelphia? MR1981: I’ll see if anyone has a question while I’m there. I think of folks in Philly as pretty self-sufficient and not needy and desperate like the folks in L.A., but who knows? Maybe someone from out of town will pop up with a concern. Let’s hope! PGN: What is the most bizarre piece of advice you have either been asked for or have given? MR1981: A woman once wrote to me asking advice about her plain, untalented, single daughter, who showed no interest in men. So I suggested that she buy the girl a pair of slacks and change her name to “Wally.” PGN: If your fans encounter you while in public, how will they know it is you and not some imposter? MR1981: Ask to see the musical saw! A lot of gals probably carry one, but I’m the only one who can play it.

Scott A. Drake Photography 267-736-6743

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

PGN

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Get Out and Play

Scott A. Drake

No wonder it’s called March Madness This column might just look like a calen- CBLSL.org for that and other information. dar of everything that’s going on in LGBT If you’re still functioning the day after sports for March except I’m sure I don’t trying out for two sports and doing a pub have everything pegged down yet. But crawl, the Gryphons RFC is having their Shamrocks & Jocks party at 9 p.m. at keeping it to roughly the next two weeks, Westbury. This is a purely social event, there’s enough here to get your spring which means you can go hang out with the fever started. ruggers even if you’re not a player. Hell, Let’s start with a party! Team Philadelphia and all Philadelphia LGBT even if you’re sports-challenged. Consider sports organizations are being honored it St. Patrick’s Day drinking practice. March 14 at Sugar House with free appeThe following week, those Gryphons tizers, drink specials, music, a craps class are firing up the grill for their season and Brittany Lynn and her Drag Mafia home opener 1 p.m. March 23 against performing. Get some workout tips (and Widener. A spring day, guys beating up hot pictures) with trainers from 12th Street on each other under the guise of rugby Gym and makeup tips from Andre Richard and free food ... how can you say no to Salon. that? The game starts at 1 p.m. at George This first-time event is from 6-8 p.m. and Pepper Middle School, 2901 S. 84th St.; promises to be tons of fun. Hop the free Philadelphiagryphons.org. Sugar House Express at either 5:30 p.m. or 5:45 p.m. from 12th and Locust streets, Gay Games 9 returning at 8 p.m. I got a minute at Winter Pride to ask Next up, Greater Johnny Weir if he was Philadelphia Flag going to attend or compete in the Gay Games Football League is in 2014. He says he holding spring registration through March would love to and I 18. Word is out that could tell by his expresthe roster is half-full sion and jubilant tone already, so don’t wait that he was sincere. and miss out. GPFFL Unfortunately, he also has a skills day March added that because he 16, another skills day is still preparing for the and the player draft 2014 Winter Olympics, March 23 and pre-seathere are constraints around participation son exhibition games and commitments. The March 30. Regular Olympics are before season begins the first the Gay Games, so you Saturday in April. know I’m looking him All GPFFL games and practices are up again a year from held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. now for another chat. JOHNNY WEIR AT WINTER PRIDE at Columbus Square Here’s hoping he is Photo: Scott A. Drake able to go! Park, 1200 Wharton St. Spectators are welcome The five Ds and encouraged! For schedules, events, Dodgeball is alive and well and dipping, registration, photos or the just flag-football curious, visit phillyflagfootball.com. diving and dodging at 12th Street Gym! If softball is your game, City of (And no, you don’t even have to be a member of the gym to participate.) Dodgeball Brotherly Love Softball League is also has gone from just a few teams playing holding its skills day March 16. This one on Thursday nights to two groups playing starts at 11 a.m. at Palumbo Rec Center, Thursdays and Mondays. Thursday night 10th and Fitzwater streets, and it’s rain or groups are mixed, but there is at least one shine, guys and gals! (Unlike during the season, when a passing threat of raindrops all-gay group on Mondays. means you get to sleep in and then have You can get involved on an existing team brunch.) during the draft or form your own team. After the CBLSL tryouts, join the pitchContact Zax Murisan on Facebook or call 609-802-6551. ■ ers and catchers for their pub crawl and drink scavenger hunt at the usual clubs. Starting point and participating bars will Countdown to Gay Games 9: 518 days. be posted on the CBLSL website by March Email me your event lists, schedules, ques15, but you can get an email with the tions and glowing tributes to scott@epgn. schedule if you register ahead of time. Visit com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Worth Watching STAR SEARCH: NBC’s reality competition series “Fashion Star,” where established designers compete to have their wares picked up by fashion retailers, launches its second season with celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos and fashion journalist and expert Louise Roe as host, 8 p.m. March 8 on NBC. Photo: NBC/Brian Bowen Smith

PIXIE DUST: Out actor and comedic firecracker Leslie Jordan guest judges on a new episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” 9 p.m. March 11 on Logo.

THE APPRENTICE: Bisexual character Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) reluctantly agrees to train a new colleague when Will and Diane hire a second investigator at the firm on a new episode of “The Good Wife,” 9 p.m. March 10 on CBS. Photo: CBS/David M. Russell

‘SYNC-RONICITY: Pop star and actor Justin Timberlake is the host and musical guest on a new episode of “Saturday Night Live,” 11:30 p.m. March 9 on NBC.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

PGN

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DINING PGNOUT

Mediterranean eatery continues to wow in Manayunk By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

moussaka ($18) and pastitsio ($18), both baked pasta dishes, the former made with eggplant, zucchini and ground beef and the latter with meat sauce and pasta. Both had a sumptuously smooth layer of savory custard atop them, in addition to comforting flavor and texture. Entrées at Zesty’s were stellar as well. The gnocchi al gorgonzola ($20) was pleasant with fluffy potato dumplings in a delicate cream sauce. The Chilean sea bass (MP) was gorgeously elegant and perfectly cooked, seasoned with olive oil, wine and capers. The shrimp glyfada ($26) was equally brilliant, with jumbo shrimp arranged around a lovely portion of rice, flavored with feta cheese, shallots and tomatoes. If you have any room left, you have to have dessert. As with all other things at Zesty’s, traditional ethnic, dishes reign supreme, as evidenced by the lovely bakalava ($6), which was pleasantly flaky on the outside and moist and sweet on the inside. Manayunk, while pleasant and river-adjacent, will never be anyone’s ideal substitute for the Greek Isles — but that isn’t anything a trip to Zesty’s can’t temporarily fix. ■

The aptly named Zesty’s is a feast for the eyes, the soul and the palate. For 20 years, chef Tom Konidaris has brought his flair for Mediterranean cuisine to Manayunk, and we can see why customers have continued to patronize Zesty’s for so long. It doesn’t hurt that Konidaris is supremely friendly and welcoming, exchanging pleasantries with the restaurant’s loyal regulars. There’s also the restaurant’s dimly lit, yet modern and classy, décor, which gives the space a romantic feel. The small details make all the difference in dishes like the Greek salad ($12), which had an excellent house-made dressing and stuffed grape leaves accenting the dish. The small-plated menu had numerous highlights, like the octapodi ($16), fire-grilled octopus that was made especially vibrant by an assortment of peppers, capers and vinegar. The saganaki ($14) on the surface looks simple, with a slab of Kefalograviera cheese flambé in ouzo and lemon juice, but the flavor is almost addictively rich and bright. Zesty’s takes on traditional Greek dishes are flawless. The spanakopita ($15) really made the spinach sing, as it more than held its own against the equally tasty feta cheese in the pleasantly crisp pie. You can either sample it on its own or as part of Lipa Apo Olla ($25), which will also allow you to try Zesty’s OCTAPODI Photo: Dallyn Pavey

If you go Zesty’s

4382 Main St. Manayunk 215-483-6226 www.zestys.com Mon.: 4-10 p.m. Sun. and Tues.Thurs.: 11 a.m.10 p.m.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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FUN PGN & GAMES

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Q Puzzle Out in the field Across 1. Package container? 4. Start of an online view 8. Addis ___, Ethiopia 13. Early AIDS play 15. Jordanian queen 16. Puts to sleep 17. Garr of _Tootsie_ 18. Adjust the guitar strings 19. Charles, who could make you a man 20. 76 in a Broadway musical 22. What the boastful blow 23. Flips 24. Emulates Dick Button 25. Threatening words 27. Adjust slightly 29. Sondheim’s staff members 30. Daughters of

Bilitis co-founder Phyllis 31. Supply-anddemand subj. 35. “Toodles” 36. Decimal dot 37. All het up 38. Shooting star, maybe 39. Right on a map 40. YMCA and others 41. Stage offering 43. Keen longing 44. Sport of Robbie Rogers 47. Stripped (of) 49. Face-to-face tests 50. Pitchout from a quarterback that swings both ways? 53. “Hollywood Squares” choice 54. Not much 55. Opera queen’s delight 56. Druid, for one 57. Face defacer

PORTRAIT from page 25

PGN: What’s the most difficult part of life as a dancer? DC: Staying healthy. Keeping your body able to do what you need it to do. It’s a day-to-day struggle. There’s always something that hurts but you want to push through it and keep going but sometimes you can only be as good as your body will let you. You don’t want to hurt yourself more. I’ve been battling a toe problem, which is common with male dancers. It’s frustrating because you can’t rush the healing and it makes you have to hold back sometimes when you really want to go all out. PGN: So speaking of unpleasant things ... Dance is so intimate. Ever have to dance with someone with really bad breath or bad hygiene? Is that part of a dancer’s life? DC: [Laughs.] Yeah, we get pretty close, but I think most dancers are pretty courteous about that sort of thing. I know I try not to eat any onions before I have to do a pas de deux or anything up close. We keep Altoids on hand! PGN: What are you doing for “Shut Up & Dance?” DC: I’m doing a few pieces. I’m helping out with the opening number, which is always fun, and a few other things we’re rehearsing. We’re still in the process of sorting it all out. PGN: Why was it important to participate? DC: When you join PA Ballet, this is one of the first things you learn about. It’s a great cause and another chance to dance, to perform for people. It’s a no-brainer. It’s fun because it’s our show: Everyone plays a part in it, which makes the process enjoyable.

58. “Sorry about that” 59. Stallion’s sound 60. Swimmer you can eat 61. One of The Three Stooges

Down 1. Colleague of Anthony 2. Person with a PC 3. Ballet spin 4. Chant 5. Pudendum 6. Start of a quote about coming out by Robbie Rogers 7. Bauxite and borax 8. State of polar bears 9. More of the quote 10. Divvy up 11. “The Pink Panther” director Edwards 12. Boobs or butts 14. End of the quote 21. Porgy’s lady

24. Really moved 25. Atop 26. Have itchy feet 28. “I ___ Grow Up” 30. Topsoil 32. Perry Mason milieu 33. Crystal balls, e.g. 34. Hatching place 36. Bartlett fruit 40. Guitarist Atkins 42. Take offense at 43. Bought and sold 44. “Desperate Housewives” and others 45. “Put roses on the piano and tulips on the ___” 46. Sailor’s load 48. Writer Dykewomon 50. Meadow sounds 51. Food on the floor, maybe 52. Give the slip to PAGE 27

PGN: Is it gayer than your typical ballet? DC: Oh, totally! It’s a looser format, the pieces are shorter and created for us by us and definitely more homocentric. PGN: As a young gay person, is the AIDS crisis something that concerns you? DC: Definitely. It’s something that I hope most young people are aware of. PGN: I seem to find mixed messages: Some who are very aware and still fighting the fight and some who have that lackadaisical, “Eh, if I get it I’ll just take a pill” attitude, and the majority who are aware but it’s not the premier concern that it once was. DC: I think the lackadaisical attitude is just ignorance. People are living longer and fuller lives with HIV/AIDS but there’s a lot of work and difficulties that come with it.

PGN: Favorite and least favorite costumes? DC: I think my favorite costume is one a lot of dancers don’t like because they’re so plain. George Balanchine choreographed a lot of dances using just black and white leotards, pretty much like what we wear to class. When I wear them for a performance, it feels special to me because they’re so iconic even though they’re so simple. My least favorite was when I was in San Francisco. I was in a school performance of “The Nutcracker,” and we had these dessert costumes that were supposed to be lords and ladies or something. It was a really big production and I played Lord Cherry. We had makeup artists doing elaborate faces and a big wig and a giant cherry-sundae-looking hat. It was really painful and silly. I looked like a walking dessert.

PGN: Have you ever been bullied? DC: Yeah; I remember when I was about 5 years old, I was hanging out with a friend from the neighborhood. We were playing video games and we were sitting side by side. We were sitting very close to each other and our shoulders were touching, but we were just kids so there was nothing sexual about it. We were just good friends playing together, but his dad saw us and came in and started screaming in my face, “We don’t do that in this house!” and other stuff. I ran home crying and told my mom what happened. She went back and yelled at him for his reaction being out of line. At the time, of course, I didn’t know it was bullying, but in hindsight I realize his reaction was completely homophobic.

PGN: Any hobbies? DC: I’m really into music. I love going to concerts and really enjoy reading about music. If I were to stop dancing, I probably wouldn’t go into teaching or anything dance-related, I’d want to go back to school to study production or music journalism.

Check out Cooper at “Shut Up & Dance,” 8 p.m. March 23 at Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St. For tickets, visit www.mannapa. org/attend-an-event/shut-up-and-dance/.

PGN: Random questions. Your least favorite chore growing up? DC: Dusting the blinds.

To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol. com.

PGN: Ever play any sports? DC: I took karate for a little bit but once I started dance, I didn’t really have time for anything else. I still don’t! ■

1976 - 2 013

Proud to serve the community for 37 years.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

PGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 03/08 Black 47 The Irish rock band performs 8 p.m. downstairs at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-2221400. Kat Edmonson The singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m. upstairs at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Deftones The hard-rock band performs 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-343-4000.

Sat. 03/09 Horton Hears a Who! The animated film

is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223. Emma’s Revolution The activist music duo performs 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-5664853. Kevin Hart The comedian performs 8 p.m. at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887. Lisa Lampanelli The comedian performs 8 p.m.

at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-3171000. Standing in the Shadows of Motown Live The music of Motown is performed by musicians and singers including Peabo Bryson, Leelah James and James Jamerson Jr., 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-572-7650.

Sun. 03/10 The Hot Rock The 1972 crime caper film is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

The Waiting Room The documentary about our healthcare system is screened 4:30 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Mon. 03/11 Free Quizzo & Board Game Night Roll the dice, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Coheed and Cambria The rock band performs 8 p.m. at Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000. Cowboy Junkies The folk-rock band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre

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MANIFEST DESTINY: Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child stars in “FELA!” the Tony Awardwinning musical about Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, directed and choreographed by out choreographer Bill T. Jones, March 12-17 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5800.

1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-257-5858. Wreck It Ralph The animated film is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888. Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 215-8622081.

Tue. 03/12 Coheed and Cambria The rock band performs 8 p.m. at Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000.

Wed. 03/13 4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians get down, 7 p.m. at

World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Stephen Lynch The musician and comedian performs 8 p.m. at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011.

forms 8 p.m. at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-9221011. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-545-4511.

Fri. 03/15 MST3K: Gamera vs. Guiron Sarcastic robots dish on a campy sci-fi film, which is screened 9:45 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Thu. 03/14 George Thorogood & The Destroyers The blues-rock group performs 7:30 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-5727650. Rihanna The pop singer performs 8 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; 215389-9543. Stephen Lynch The musician and comedian per-

SO HARD: Gaga canceled her remaining shows before she hit Philly, but luckily we have more pop divas coming through as global superstar Rihanna brings her Diamonds Tour to town 8 p.m. March 14 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-3899543.

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

Opening FELA! The Tony Award-winning show, directed and choreographed by out choreographer Bill T. Jones, explores the extravagant world of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, March 12-17 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Good People Walnut Street Theatre presents the story of people in a Boston community trying to find success, March 15-April 28, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Seminar Philadelphia Theatre Company presents a new comedy from the creators of “Smash,” March 15-April 14 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; 215-985-0420. Sweet & Sour Richfield — Made In China! Miss Richfield 1981 performs March 14-16 at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-923-0210. Viennese Masters The Philadelphia Orchestra performs March 14-16 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847. An Evening with Lennon and McCartney Peter Nero and the Philly Pops perform

Double Portrait Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works from designer Paula Scher and illustrator Seymour Chwast, through April 14, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them Theatre Confetti presents a timely play about adolescence, homosexuality and abandonment, through March 24 at The Old City Power Plant Basement, 233 N. Bread St.; 215-592-8775. Everyone and I Azuka Theatre presents the story about a man and his love for the music of Billie Holiday, through April 7, 1636 Sansom St.; 215-563-1100. The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts presents more than 150 works from the Linda Lee Alter Collection of Art by women, through April 7, 128 N. Broad St.; www. pafa.org. Forever Plaid Media Theater presents the story of The Plaids, a classic 1950s all-male singing group that returns from the Great Beyond to perform the show they never got to when they were alive, through March 31, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. REVOLUTIONARIES: Described as “Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars,” musical activist duo Emma’s Revolution is set to perform 7:30-10:30 p.m. March 9 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road in Media. For more information or tickets, call 610-5664853 or visitwww.uucdc. org/. Photo: Irene Young

songs by the iconic rock performers, March 15-17 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Continuing

Great and Mighty Things Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of outsider art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection, through June 9, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Cooking With the Calamari Sisters The all-singing, all-dancing, all-cooking hit musical comedy, through May 19 at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-923-0210.

Journeys to New Worlds Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of Spanish and Portuguese colonial art from the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection, through May 19, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Cy Twombly: Sculptures Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works from the Swiss sculptor, through March, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Pennsylvania Ballet performs Shakespeare’s comedy classic through March 17 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

The Mind’s Eye: 50 Years of Photography by Jerry Uelsmann The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition of iconic photographs from the famed photographer, through April 28, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-3409800.

Closing Beethoven’s “Eroica” The Philadelphia Orchestra performs through March 10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847. Blue Man Group The performance-art troupe is in town through March 10 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. John Oliver The comedian seen on “The Daily Show” performs through March 9 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-4969001. ReEntry The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents a docudrama about the lives of Marines getting ready for and returning from deployment, through March 9 at Harold Prince Theatre, 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-3900. Ronaldus Shamask: Form, Fashion, Reflection Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an

HEAR HER ROAR: Comedian Lisa Lampanelli, who used her appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice” to raise money for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, brings her outrageous sense of humor to the area when she performs 8 p.m. March 9 at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-3171000.

exhibition of drawings and sketches by the fashion designer, through March 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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Company Drivers: $2500 Sign-On Bonus! Super Service is hiring solo and team drivers. Great hometime options. CDL-A required. Call 888-471-7081 or apply online at www. superservicellc.com ________________________________________37-10 Driver-Daily or Weekly Pay. $0.01 increase per mile after 6 months and 12 months. $0.03 Enhanced Quarterly Bonus. Requires 3 months OTR experience. 800-414-9569 www. driveknight.com ________________________________________37-10 GORDON TRUCKING, INC. CDL-A Drivers Needed! Up to $3,000 SIGN ON BONUS. Refrigerated Fleet & Great Miles. Pay Incentive & Beneﬁts! Recruiters available 7 days/wk! EOE. TeamGTI. com 866-554-7856. ________________________________________37-10 $5,000 SIGN-ON BONUS For exp’d solo OTR drivers & O/O’s. Tuition reimbursement also available! New Student Pay & Lease Program. USA TRUCK 877-521-5775 www.GoUSATruck.com ________________________________________37-10 CRST offers the Best Lease Purchase Program! SIGN ON BONUS. No Down Payment or Credit Check. Great Pay. Class-A CDL required. Owner Operators Welcome! Call:866-403-7044. ________________________________________37-10 Class A drivers needed for OTR. 48 hrs weekly hometime. Up to $1000 sign-on bonus. Email Recruiting@veriha.com or call 800-333-9291. ________________________________________37-10 HIRING EXPERIENCED/INEXPERIENCED TANKER DRIVERS! Earn up to $.51 per Mile! New Fleet Volvo Tractors! 1 Year OTR Exp. Req.-Tanker Training Available. Call Today: 877-882-6537 www.OakleyTransport.com ________________________________________37-10 Exp. Reefer Drivers: GREAT PAY /Freight lanes from Presque Isle, ME, Boston-Lehigh, PA. 800-277-0212 or primeinc.com ________________________________________37-10 Owner Operators: $3,000 Sign-On Bonus. Excellent Rates & Paid FSC. Home Daily. 80% Drop & Hook. Great Fuel & Tire Discounts. L/P available. CDL-A with 1 year tractortrailer experience required. 888-703-3889 or apply online at www.comtrak.com ________________________________________37-10 Company Driver: Solo Regional and OTR Lanes. Competitive Pay. Great Hometime. CDL-A with 1 year OTR and Hazmat End. Sign-On Bonus. $2000 Solo & $5000 Teams. 888-705-3217 or apply online at www.drivenctrans.com ________________________________________37-10 Pyle Transportation Needs Owner Operators!! Regional Truckload- Guaranteed Weekends Home!!! Average- $1.85/ Mile!! Requires 2 Yrs. OTR exp. Call Dan @ 888-477-0020 Ext.7 Or apply: www.driveforpyle.com ________________________________________37-10 Pyle Transportation Needs Owner Operators!! Containerized Pier Operations: Jersey & Philadelphia. Average $1.85/Mile. Requires 2-Yrs. OTR Exp. Call Dan @ 888477-0020 Ext.7 or apply: www.driveforpyle.com ________________________________________37-10

Real Estate Rent 12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. ________________________________________37-11 PASSYUNK SQUARE VICINITY 1 BR, $1200/mo, all utilities & basic cable incl. Close to shops, trans. & entertainment. Call Frank Jacovini, 215-755-6700. _____________________________________________37-11

Conrad Kuhn

Broker/Sales Rep. Since 1987 NJAR Circle of Excellence Sales Award 1991- 2011 Weichert President’s & Ambassador’s Clubs

Ofﬁce: 856.227.1950 ext. 124 Cell: 609.221.1196 www.conradkuhn.com Realtor856@aol.com Washington Township Ofﬁce 5070 Route 42 Turnersville, NJ 08012

Open Houses - Sunday March 10, 2012 1:00-2:00 PM 3031 Cambridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Totally rehabbed 2BR/1.5BA home in Art Museum Area. Perfect for ﬁrst-time home buyer. REDUCED! $224,900 936 N. 30th St, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Just Listed! Beautiful 3BR/2.5BA home in Art Museum Area. $350,000

12:00-2:00 PM The Lenox Condominiums - 250 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Condos from $390,000 Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.phillyrealestateagents.com Dan Tobey

1401 Walnut St. • 8th Floor • Philadelphia, PA 19102

215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.558.1063 Fax dtobey@cbpref.com • www.cbpref.com

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

Travel and Resorts OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com ________________________________________37-10

Services EXP RELIABLE HOUSECLEANER Let me free up your valuable time by cleaning your house or apt. Weekly biweekly monthly. I have 10+ years exp. FREE estimates. Call Wayne 215-422-2654. Ref’s upon request. ________________________________________37-13 EARN COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV Certified. Call 888-220-3984. www.CenturaOnline.com ________________________________________37-10 AIRLINE CAREERS Begin here-Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified-Housing available. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-834-9715 ________________________________________37-10 CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Training! 3Wk Hands On Program. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement Asst. w/National Certs. VA Benefits Eligible866-362-6497. ________________________________________37-10 MEDICAL-BILLING-TRAINEES NEEDED! Train to become a Medical Office Assistant. NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online training gets you Job ready ASAP. HS Diploma/GED & PC/Internet needed! 1-888926-7882. ________________________________________37-09

Adoption Are you pregnant? A happily married couple seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom and devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Christa & Paul. 1-800-936-1631. ________________________________________37-10

For Sale SAWMILLS From only $3997.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1800-578-1363 Ext.300N. ________________________________________37-10 HOME CONTENTS SALE Antiques, DR set, Lenox to electronics. Lots of knickknacks. 215-850-4671, John. All proceeds go to HIV research. _____________________________________________37-11

PGN

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.

PGN

Notices

Friends Men

Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, January Term, 2013, No. 3823, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on January 31, 2013, the petition of Michael Spencer Boone was filed, praying for a decree to change her name to Monica Tiffany Rose. The Court has fixed March 22, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., in Room No. 478, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________37-10 Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, February Term, 2013, No. 1008, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 21, 2013, the petition of Oksana Leigh Paszkiewicz was filed, praying for a decree to change his name to Andrew John Paszkiewicz. The Court has fixed March 22, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., in Room No. 478, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________37-10 Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, February Term, 2013, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 14, 2013, the petition of DANIELLE MELODY RUGGLES was filed, praying for a decree to change his name to ELLIOT MELODY RUGGLES. The Court has fixed March 22, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., in Room No. 478, in Philadelphia City Hall for hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause if they have, why the prayer of the said petitioner should not be granted. ________________________________________37-10

LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. ________________________________________37-11 BM, 60 looking for British gent, 35-45 for intimate encounters. 215-763-3391, 6PM-Midnight. ________________________________________37-11 Attractive GWM, 37, friendly, sweet, caring, funny, naughtyboy, brutally attacked in prison. Every guy I ever loved has abandoned me. I’m so very lonely. ISO guys to write to me. I will reply to all. Kenneth Houck #06743-015, Federal Medical Center, PO Box 1600, Butner NC 27509. ________________________________________37-11 Senior GWM ISO male, 40+, all races for platonic friendship. Phila. area only. PO Box 302, Merion Sta., PA 19066. ________________________________________37-10 I’m looking for a large build, burly WM, big ass bruiser. 215-732-2108 8-11 PM. ________________________________________37-10 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. ________________________________________37-11 OLDER SEEKING YOUNGER Hispanic males: Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, Asian, etc. Like reading, travel, TV, outdoors. Seeks someone for friendship & good times. Habla Espanol. 856-547-4163. ________________________________________37-14

Massage David, 63, 6’, 200 lbs., educated. 215-569-4949. ________________________________________37-14 Massage in the burbs. $60/hr. 610-710-6213 for appt. ________________________________________37-11

Notices

City of Philadelphia

Notice - Cancellation of Public Hearing The Committee on Labor and Civil Service of the Council of the City of Philadelphia has cancelled the Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at 2:00 PM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item: 120956 An Ordinance amending various titles of The Philadelphia Code to increase the equality of treatment of all persons in the City of Philadelphia regardless of gender identity by expanding and modifying the definition of “Life Partnership” and “Life Partner”; further providing for protections, rights, benefits, and responsibilities of Life Partners; authorizing a tax credit as an incentive to provide health care benefits to Life Partners; providing for gender neutrality in certain City forms; and making conforming changes; all under certain terms and conditions. Michael Decker Chief Clerk

Placing Classiﬁeds Liner Ads

In Person: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, By Phone or on the Web: 24 Hours, 7 Days

Deadline for Line Advertising is Friday at 3 p.m. for the following Friday’s issue. You may place your ad via our secure voicemail system, fax or e-mail at any time, or on our Web site. Please have the following information ready to place your ad:

YOUR AD COPY • YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER • CREDIT CARD INFORMATION

PHONE: 215-625-8501 ext. 200 OR 215-451-6182 (DIRECT) • FAX: 215-925-6437 • E-MAIL: don@epgn.com

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

NOTICE OF GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 THE FOLLOWING POLITICAL PARTIES ARE ELIGIBLE TO NOMINATE THEIR CANDIDATES REPUBLICAN PARTY • DEMOCRATIC PARTY Between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. in all election districts and divisions in the City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania there will be nominated by the voters of the City and County of Philadelphia persons to fill the following offices, as certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Philadelphia County Board of Elections.

JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE OF COMMON PLEAS COURT JUDGE OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE OF TRAFFIC COURT OFFICE OF THE CITY CONTROLLER OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY JUDGE OF ELECTIONS INSPECTOR OF ELECTIONS

PHILADELPHIA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS Anthony Clark Chair, City Commissioners Al Schmidt Vice Chair, City Commissioners

Stephanie F. Singer City Commissioner Tim Dowling Acting Supervisor of Elections

AVISO DE ELECCIONES PRIMARIAS GENERALES MARTES, 21 DE MAYO DE 2013 LOS PARTIDOS POLÍTICOS SIGUIENTES SON ELEGIBLES PARA NOMINAR SUS CANDIDATOS PARTIDO REPUBLICANO • PARTIDO DEMOCRÁTA Entre las 7:00 a. m. y 8:00 p. m. en todos los distritos y las divisiones electorales en la ciudad y el condado de Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, los votantes de la ciudad y del condado de Philadelphia nominarán personas para cubrir los siguientes cargos según lo certiﬁca el Secretario de la Mancomunidad y el Consejo electoral del condado de Philadelphia.

JUEZ DEL TRIBUNAL SUPERIOR JUEZ DEL TRIBUNAL DE CAUSAS COMUNES JUEZ DEL TRIBUNAL MUNICIPAL JUEZ DEL TRIBUNAL DE TRÁNSITO OFICINA DEL CONTRALOR DE LA CIUDAD FISCALÍA DEL DISTRITO JUEZ DE ELECCIONES INSPECTOR DE ELECCIONES CONSEJO ELECTORAL DEL CONDADO DE PHILADELPHIA Anthony Clark

Stephanie F. Singer

Presidente, Comisionados Municipales

Comisionado Municipal

Al Schmidt

Tim Dowling

Vicepresidente, Comisionados

Supervisor Interino de Elecciones Municipales

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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PGN

Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St., youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250. Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-734-9350. BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-3430406. Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702. Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610-688-0664. Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321. Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128. Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267. Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park. For time and location, call 732-502-0305. Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118. Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093; dignityphila@aol.com. Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356; www.dhbaptist.com. Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org. Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445. First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m. Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215-563-3853. First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterianchurch.com.

Jersey; mccctl.com; 732-823-2193. Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Holds services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020; www. mccphiladelphia.com. Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566; www. oldfirstucc.org. Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601. Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234; www.philadelphiacathedral.org. Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at the William Way Center. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000; cpmm@afsc.org. Resurrection Lutheran Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-646-2597. Silverside Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921; silversidechurch.org. St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966; www.saintasaphs.org. St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451; www. stjohnsambler.org. St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-7321918; stlukeandtheepiphany.org. St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m. Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393; www. inclusivecatholics.org. St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org. St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-6881796; www.stpaullevittown.org. Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100; tabunited.org.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that afﬁrms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215563-3980; www.ﬁrstuu-philly.org.

Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. Sundays. First Sunday of the month, 7 p.m. Mosaic: jazz with poetry and prose; 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515; trinityphiladelphia.org.

The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-afﬁrming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays at 6001 Germantown Ave.; lunch follows; 215-438-3077. www.fumcog.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media. Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets noon the ﬁrst Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853; www. uucdc.org.

Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950. www.grace-epi.org. Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships Sundays at 9 a.m. at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sancturary; 215-567-3668; www.lc-hc.org. Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716; www.ImagoDeiMCC.org.

Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157; www.usguu.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Holds services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, also meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-667-3618; uucch.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561; www.uurestoration.us.

Living Water United Church of Christ An open and afﬁrming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays; 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081; www.lwucc.org.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-9659400; www.uucsjs.org.

Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364; www.kol-tzedek.org.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Holds services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662. www.uupottstown.org.

Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332; www.mluc.org. Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Afﬁrming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739; mapleshadeucc.org. Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New

United Christian Church Open, afﬁrming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800. Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, afﬁrming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106. University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30; 215-387-2885; www.uniphila.org.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331; atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 48:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available MondayFriday. See the Youth section for more events.

■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044; center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088 ■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377 ■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221 ■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851 ■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330 ■ District Attorney LGBT Liaison: Helen “Nellie” Fitzpatrick, 215-686-

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Youth Center 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext. 9065 rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. ■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Key numbers 9980, helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378 ■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670 ■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 1-877-pride-2000 ■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658

■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537

■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

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

Health

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215763-8870. ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088; www.actionaids.org. AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 1711 S. Broad St.; 215-629-2300; www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871; www.galaei. org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appoint-

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; 215-627-9090; www.galloplaw. org. ■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, selfemployed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a website where everyone is invited to sign up for email notices for activities and

ment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1821. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronicdisease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-noon Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups events; www.gppn.org; 215-9223377.

■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www. nlgja.org/philly; philly@nlgja.org.

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

■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www. philadelphiagaytourism.com; 215-840-2039.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com March 8-14, 2013

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