PGN April 29 - May 4, 2011 edition by The Philadelphia Gay News

“The Shadow Box” is the first production by Center City Theatre Works

Family Portrait: Lauren Weil

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A 1974 law may be the death knell for the proposed Boy Scouts deal.

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Vol. 35 No. 17

LGBT-rights bill gets another shot Rep. Dan Frankel is again spearheading the House effort to ban sexual-orientation and gender-identity discrimination across the state, which a new poll found has support from 69 percent of state voters. Despite public approval, Frankel said the bill likely faces Republican opposition in the House. By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A new poll out this week found that a vast majority of Pennsylvania voters support extending the state’s nondiscrimination law to the LGBT community — an effort that has made it back to the state House. State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) submitted a bill Wednesday that would amend the state’s Human Relations Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. The bill has 63 cosponsors, which is down from the nearly 80 the measure had when it was first introduced in the last session, although a number of those lawmakers withdrew their support last session. The measure has been introduced in the House four times previously but never reached the floor for a vote. Frankel expects his bill to be assigned to the State Government Committee, chaired by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe DAN FRANKEL ( R - 1 2 t h D i s t . ) , a PGN file photo staunch antigay lawmaker who has spearheaded an effort in the past to ban same-sex marriage and unions in the state constitution. “To be frank, the outlook is bleak,” Frankel acknowledged, adding he still felt it was important to reintroduce the bill this PAGE 26 session. “I’d be very sur-

Sandy Beach out for 2012 Miss’d America By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com T h e o r g a n i z ation that stages the newly revived Miss’d America pageant in Atlantic City is planning on big changes for next year’s show, which will not include host Sandy Beach. Larry Sieg, president of the Greater SANDY BEACH Atlantic City GLBT Photo: Scott A. Drake Alliance, said in a statement Tuesday that the agency will present the show in PAGE 26 an “entirely new format”

’NET WORTH: About 150 people turned out Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of Philadelphia FIGHT’s new Computing Center. Ribbon-cutters included FIGHT executive director Jane Shull (from left), Congressman Bob Brady, Mayor Nutter, FIGHT director of education Juliet Fink and Andrew Buss, the director of public programs at the city’s Division of Technology. The center, located in FIGHT’s headquarters at 12th and Locust streets, is one of more than two-dozen computing labs the HIV/AIDS service organization will oversee as part of a program, funded by the stimulus package, expected to provide free Internet access to 15,000 city residents. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Student faces college homophobia By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com “He said the school just wasn’t ready for this change, and I was the change that was going to happen.” When gay college sophomore CJ (name changed to protect his privacy) received a

pseudo-apology from a campus bully last year, this was the excuse that accompanied it. “He said it’s not that he or anyone had a problem with me personally, but just that they weren’t ready for someone like me,” he relayed. The night before this exchange, the student had followed CJ around a PAGE 15

GOING FOR THE CROWN: Contestants in the Mr. and Miss Philadelphia Black Gay Pride turned on the charm for the judges last weekend. The event, which was held at the Gershman Y April 24, featured a series of competitions, including talent, and ended with the eventual crowning of Ms. Black Gay Pride Karen Vonsay and Mr. Black Gay Pride Shizz Elegance. The annual competition kicked off a week of events bringing together LGBTs of color from throughout the region for socials, workshops and parties. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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AWARDING AN ALLY: Former Gov. Ed Rendell accepted the Distinguished Service Award this week from Equality Forum executive director Malcolm Lazin at the kickoff event of the weeklong LGBT summit. The kickoff drew about 70 guests on April 25 to the Hotel Palomar. The summit will culminate with Saturday’s International Equality Dinner and the following day’s SundayOUT! at The Piazza. Photo: Scott A. Drake NEWS

Crime Watch Local International Media Trail News Briefing Regional

21 6 27 19 14 12

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

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

10 10 11 11 11

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1974 law could nix Scouts deal By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A 1974 law that appears to prohibit the city from using an intermediary to sell cityowned land at a discount price may be the death knell of the proposed Scouts deal. Mayor Nutter wants to sell 231-251 N. 22nd St. to the Boy Scouts of America Cradle of Liberty Council for $500,000 to settle a federal lawsuit. In return, the Scouts would agree to stop seeking some $960,000 in legal fees from the city. Both sides agree the property is worth about $1 million. The city plans to use the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development as an intermediary in the sale. Otherwise, the sale would be open to public bidding. But under Bill 1048, signed into law by then-Mayor Frank L. Rizzo, if PAID is used to sell city property, the property must be sold at fair-market value. The deed to the property also must contain a restriction against discrimination based on race, color, national origin and creed. (A link to the bill is on PGN’s website.) City eviction efforts The city has been trying to evict the Scouts for years because of their discrimination against gays and atheists on public property. But last year, a federal jury ruled the city’s eviction attempt unconstitutional because it cited the Scouts’ antigay policy as a reason for the eviction. Members of Philadelphians Against Subsidized Discrimination want the city to appeal the verdict. They contend the trial judge conducted the trial in a manner that minimized the right of the city to set antibias standards — and that overstated the right of the Scouts to discriminate on public property. But in recent appearances, Nutter said the proposed settlement is preferable to appealing the verdict. Once the land is transferred to the Scouts, the city no longer would be entangled in the Scouts’ discrimination, Nutter said. R. Duane Perry, a member of PASD, said Bill 1048 clearly forbids the city from selling the property to the Scouts if PAID is to act as an intermediary. Even if the Scouts agree to pay a fair-market price for the property, they still discriminate on the basis of “creed” because they exclude atheists and agnostics, he noted. “The city cannot transfer property to an organization that discriminates,” Perry said. “Plain and simple. That’s the plain language of the Bill 1048. What will it take for the mayor to realize that the only answer is to appeal the jury verdict?” He said using PAID as an intermediary in the proposed settlement would result in additional costly litigation for the city. “They [Nutter officials] are planning to do something that’s patently illegal,” Perry continued. “That’s a path leading to greater legal trouble. At what point will Mayor Nutter

stand up and say no to discrimination?” Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Nutter, had no comment about Bill 1048. “It seems you’re jumping ahead a bit,” McDonald said, in an email. “The administration is looking forward to City Council hearings that will provide an opportunity to review all aspects of the proposal.” City Council efforts City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, who introduced an ordinance in December to help facilitate a settlement, said he doesn’t plan to hold a public hearing until some type of solution is reached. “I haven’t scheduled a public hearing because I think there needs to be additional conversations,” Clarke said. “I’m trying to work out an amicable solution. It would be unlikely that I would have a hearing prior to that [amicable solution].” Clarke said Nutter officials are free to appeal the jury verdict if they so desire. “If they want to appeal, they can go appeal. That has nothing to do with my ordinance.” His ordinance will die in committee in December if no hearing is held by then. “I’m an optimist, and I continue to try to be a peacemaker,” Clarke said. Clarke said Bill 1048 wouldn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker. He said the Scouts may agree to pay a fair-market price for the property. He also wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Scouts agreeing not to discriminate on the property, even as owners. Kera Armstrong, a spokesperson for the Scouts, had no comment on whether the Scouts would pay a fair-market price for the property or if the Scouts would abide by a deed restriction prohibiting discrimination based on creed. William H. Ewing is an attorney for Mel Heifetz, a local philanthropist and businessperson who wants to purchase the property in question, and turn it over to a group that doesn’t discriminate. “In my opinion, the so-called settlement agreement isn’t valid because it’s contrary to city ordinance,” Ewing said. “Therefore, the city should proceed to consider my client’s offer. Mel’s offered $1.5 million outright — or $1 million plus Mel pays the Boy Scouts’ legal fees to the extent that the city is obligated to pay them.” Paul J. Deegan, a spokesperson for PAID, said the provisions of Bill 1048 wouldn’t necessarily apply to Clarke’s ordinance, because Bill 1048 isn’t specifically mentioned in the ordinance. “The ordinance introduced by the city for this transaction does not mention Bill No. 1048, so it would not be subject to that bill,” Deegan stated in an email. When asked if PAID could cite a legal opinion to support that position, Deegan noted there is no deal before PAID and that City Council has not yet passed an ordinance. “Until something is presented for PAID’s consideration, I have nothing more to say on the matter.” ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Ally attorney awarded for trans work By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Earlier this month, the Young Lawyers’ Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association honored a local attorney for the countless hours of pro-bono assistance she’s offered to low-income transpeople. Natalie Hrubos was presented with the Craig M. Perry Service Award during the YLD’s annual meeting April 14. A labor and employment attorney who recently joined firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, Hrubos has worked with more than 50 transgender clients over the past few years to help them navigate the often-complex processes for document and identification changes associated with a transition. Hrubos is an ally who first began lending her services to the trans community during her education at Temple University Law School. She carried out her clinical work during school at the LGBT Law Clinic that was then situated at Equality Advocates, and which has since been moved to Mazzoni Center, where she now sits on the legal advisory board for the legal services department. During her time interning at the clinic, Hrubos said she was struck by the high volume of requests for assistance she and other intake interns received from trans community members.

“We got a lot of calls from transgender individuals seeking help with legal name changes and correcting their identity documents,” she said. “And I was really interested in assisting in this area because it’s such an important part of someone’s life. It’s so important for people to have appropriate identity documents, and it’s often very different for a lot of transgender individuals to have access to these.” Hrubos returned for an advanced clinical the next semester in which she focused exclusively on trans clients and, when she graduated in 2009, was compelled to continue taking on such cases pro-bono. While interning at the clinic, Hrubos had worked with department director Amara Chaudhry to press the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to relax its gender-marker rules, which it eventually did last summer. “We were aggravated by how the rules on gender-marker changes were preventing our clients from accessing appropriate identity documentation, and so we reached out to PennDOT to begin the conversation about changing the rules to better reflect the realities of trans people’s lives,” Hrubos said. The rule change allowed for trans individuals to correct their genders on their state identification cards without having to have actually undergone sex-reassignment surgery, which Hrubos said has been help-

ful, although making such a change on birth certificates is still challenging. Despite the numerous obstacles the trans community must overcome in securing proper identifiNATALIE HRUBOS cation, Hrubos said there is a dearth of opportunities for legal assistance tailored to the specific needs of transgender individuals. “There’s definitely a severe lack of access to trans-competent services even here in Philadelphia, and then when you go beyond the city into other surrounding areas, there’s often really nothing for this community. The folks at Mazzoni Center do a fantastic job, but there are only two attorneys there and the law students, so it’s difficult for them to fulfill the needs. I’ve been working on the legal name changes, but there are so many other legal obstacles facing the trans community — employment issues, prisoners’ rights, health-care access, immigration, basically every aspect of the law — and the community often can’t get access to attorneys who’ve been trained to be culturally competent in this area.” Hrubos sits on the programming commit-

tee for the annual Trans-Health Conference, coming up in June, and which this year will offer a cultural-competence training for attorneys and another session that educates lawyers on how to advocate for trans and gender-variant youth. She planned and organized the conference’s first-ever legal clinic and Continuing Legal Education program, both of which will return this year. As a result of her experience with trans clients, Hrubos has begun advising employers on the issues this community faces in the workplace and how organizations can create the most diverse and accepting workforces. In that vein, Hrubos will present “Creating a Trans-Friendly Work Environment: What Every Employer Needs to Know” during this year’s THC. Hrubos said that the Craig M. Perry Award is not only a recognition of the myriad pro-bono work she’s done personally, but also of the fact that this type of work is needed and valued. “It’s an obvious honor to receive an award for putting time into something. But I’m even more excited about it because it comes from the Philadelphia Bar Association, which isn’t trans-specific or LGBT-specific. It’s an organization that represents the broader legal community, so it’s really great to know that there support for this type of work and interest in this from the broader community.” ■

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8 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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to launch in May By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com With the onset of the warm weather, LGBT youth advocates are launching a creative collaboration that seeks to offer teens a safe weekend hangout — and better inform youth providers of the myriad needs of this community. From 8 p.m.-1 a.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month, beginning May 7, LGBT youth will have the opportunity to visit Broad Street Ministry, 315 S. Broad St., for the Philly Q Spot, a multi-pronged initiative meant to offer youth resources and information, as well as entertainment and social opportunities. The four-month pilot program is being staged by the Philadelphia Q Consortium, a joint venture of the Dorothy Mann Center at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Foyer of Philadelphia, Educational Justice Coalition, the Council of Relationships and Broad Street Ministry. Noel Ramirez, health-education program coordinator at the Dorothy Mann Center, said all the participating agencies work to meet different needs of the youth community, and representatives of the organizations recently began talking about combining their efforts at a time when their assistance may be most needed. “We have a lot of great organizations out there in the city providing services but, whether it’s because of capacity or staff, services usually end by 8 in the evening, and that’s when there are a lot of young people outside without a safe place to go,” Ramirez said. “So we wanted to provide a service where we saw that there was a gap and make sure young people have a safe space to go and somewhere where they can learn about all the resources available to them during the week.” Ramirez noted youth have few nighttime social opportunities, save Woody’s over-18 Wednesday nights or the Breakfast Club parties, and the Q Spot will provide a space for them to get to know other LGBT youth, watch movies and participate in life-skills activities like cooking. While the young people may be attracted to the program as a social outlet, they can benefit from a host of vital resources, such as rapid HIV testing, STD screenings, mental-health services, tutoring and professional-development sessions. Ramirez said the offerings are based on the 2007 citywide LGBT youth needsassessment, as well as input directly from the young people with whom the cooperating agencies work. “This is all very pilot-based. We want to see what the young people want and what sorts of services are of interest and are needed,” he said. “We knew they wanted late-night programming but what exactly that consisted of, they weren’t sure and nei-

ther were we. So this is a good opportunity to see what works and what’s effective.” The service providers will pay careful attention to the housing needs of the youth. When the space closes its doors at 1 a.m., youth with nowhere to go will be referred to Foyer of Philadelphia, which works with the LGBT homeless youth population. Foyer executive director Leigh Braden said little is known about this community. “It’s a real difficult thing to hone in on because so many of the youth opt out of services. They largely don’t attend shelters and, if they do, it’s usually very temporary because they often feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in certain shelters,” Braden said, noting that many LGBT youth “couch surf” at houses of friends and relatives, a practice that keeps them from being counted as homeless by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. “It’s very difficult to get a good profile of an LGBT youth in the city who is homeless and find out what their real needs are and how we as nonprofits can meet those needs.” In addition to collecting data on the youth, Q Spot will allow Foyer to educate the young people on opportunities available to them, including the agency’s planned winter shelter, expected to launch in December at the Old First United Church of Christ. At the end of Q Spot’s four-month run, Ramirez said organizers will reconvene and decide in which direction to take the program, which is currently being funded by seed money from Broad Street Ministry. “We’re going to have to evaluate whether having this every two weeks was best, or it should be once a month, or more than one day of the week. We’ll have to look at how the young people responded to structured activities versus casual activities,” he said. “So there’s going to be a lot of questions that need to be answered so we can determine if this model works and what was effective and what wasn’t.” Ramirez said he and the other collaborators are eager for the program to get on its feet and are looking forward to a potentially more-connected network of service providers in tune with the needs of local LGBT youth. “All of the agencies are really excited, and all the feedback has been so positive,” he said. “We’ve been in touch with the Mazzoni Center, The Attic [Youth Center] and Y-HEP [Youth Health Empowerment Project] and people in AIDS service organizations and housing programs, and they’ve all been so supportive and are eager for us to be connecting these youth with them. This is all about reengaging the community and making sure young people are aware of the services that are out there. I can’t wait to find out what happens after the four months, so we can really get working together to have a positive impact on this community.” ■

LOCAL PGN

DVLF heroes swoop into town By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

is youth winner Michael Pastore, whom Moeller noted has gone above and beyond in his service to The Attic Youth Center. “There are youth who go to The Attic LGBTs and allies will gather next week to pay tribute to local and national indi- and then there are youth who are really viduals and organizations that have dem- involved with the leadership at The Attic onstrated a heroic commitment to the and that’s what Michael does,” he said. “He’s worked as an Attic intern, been on LGBT community. Big changes accompany LGBT grant- different committees and is a mentor for making agency Delaware Valley Legacy other youth as well. He’s not just someFund’s 2011 HEROES event — including one who attends The Attic but is really an active participant and a new venue, new awards works to make the youth and a new date. who come there feel supDVLF’s fundraising ported.” event will be held from For the nonprofit 7-9 p.m. May 6 at 1600 award, DVLF selected Market St., third floor. the National Adoption The event has traditionCenter, which Moeller ally been held in the fall, said makes a special but executive director effort to reach out to John Moeller said orgaprospective LGBT parnizers decided to move ents, such as with its it forward a few months recent Adoption Café for to create a more balanced the community, which fundraising calendar. brought out about 100 “Our events had been LGBTs. very heavy in the fall but The business award then there was this gap in will also go to a company the spring,” he said. “We that is committed to workhad TOY coming right ing with the community, after HEROES at the end Media Copy — which of the year, so we figured Moeller said handles the it made sense to spread printing and other needs things out a little bit.” of many LGBT nonprofIn addition to the TERRI CLARK (TOP) AND its, and “really gets the new location, HEROES MICHAEL PASTORE idea of philanthropy and will this year offer five the extreme importance awards instead of three, with nods to an outstanding youth as well the nonprofits in our community serve.” The selection process for the new as a national organization. “We really wanted to make sure we national award was a bit different, as were recognizing youth because they are board members selected four groups, making an impact. And we want to make researched their histories and reached out sure that they feel represented within our directly to the agencies for interviews. The board eventually decided to award community because they’re a very big part of the community,” Moeller said. “And the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education then, at a national level, we thought it was Network, an agency whose work Moeller important to recognize organizations that said has become increasingly relevant in are doing things for the greater good of the past year. “GLSEN’s really taken on the role of the LGBT community and are also having working with schools to make sure all a local effect here in our area.” Once the nominations for the five awards students have a safe place to learn,” he began coming in, DVLF’s outreach and said. “Especially with the number of teen grantmaking committee reviewed each suicides that have happened, making sure and made recommendations to the board, youth feel safe and are safe is extremely important work.” who voted on the final honorees. In addition to honoring the HEROES This year’s individual award will be given to Terri Clark, the prevention ser- for their efforts, the event will also allow guests to learn more about DVLF and vices coordinator at Action AIDS. Moeller noted that beyond her work its recent grantees through a streaming with Action AIDS, Clark has been instru- presentation guests can peruse as they mental in the LGBT Elder Initiative and arrive. HEROES will also include a silent auchelped organize the National Women and tion, and Moeller said event organizers Girls HIV Awareness Day events. “She really works within the commu- are anticipating a gross $13,000 in fundnity to make a difference around HIV pre- raising. General admission is $50 and VIP vention,” Moeller said. “It’s not just what she does in her professional life but also opportunities are available. A VIP recepwhat she does with her personal life to tion will precede the event from 6-7 p.m. For more information or to purchase make the community better and safer.” The other individual DVLF will honor tickets, visit www.dvlf.org. ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

10 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

EDITORIAL PGN

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Teonna Monae Brown

Editorial

Corporate, state and societal responsibility Last week, a transgender woman was beaten by two teenagers in a McDonald’s in Baltimore County, Md. Police arrested Teonna Monae Brown, 18, and a 14-year-old girl for the incident, which was videotaped on a cellphone by a McDonald’s employee and later posted on the Internet. The incident allegedly started after Chrissy Lee Polis, who turns 23 this week, attempted to use the women’s restroom. This case has caught media and public attention for several reasons. First is that it was caught on video. In the video, you can see the teens punching, kicking and dragging Polis from the restrooms to the front of the store. Second, few intervene in the situation, with many employees standing around and watching; one even tells the girls they should leave because the police are coming. Third, the incident comes just weeks after Maryland failed to pass a bill that would have added sexual orientation to its antidiscrimination law — lawmakers stripped out gender-identity protections earlier. Unfortunately, beatings of transgender individuals are not uncommon, but they are rarely documented and posted for the world to see. And it’s not uncommon for people to stand around a fight, rooting for one person or another. But this fight seems entirely one-sided. In the video, Polis cradles her head and isn’t seen fighting back. The females attacking her seem

vicious and mean-spirited. For the bystanders, it’s a sport. About 10 minutes into the attack, Polis started to have a seizure. In the video, she is lying on the floor with what appears to be little control over her limbs. Someone moves the trashcan away from her head so she doesn’t hit it. On some level, McDonald’s has a degree of responsibility here. Its employees failed to assist her — which isn’t illegal in Maryland but contributed to the atmosphere that allowed the attack to happen, and to continue for as long as it did. It has a responsibility to remedy the situation, through training and community outreach. The state certainly has a degree of responsibility here. If transgender individuals are facing violence like this, then almost certainly they are facing ongoing discrimination. Finally, society certainly has a responsibility to protect its citizens, particularly those who are marginalized. Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is unacceptable, even less so in public accommodations, employment and housing. There may be a few silver linings. One, the police took the situation seriously and quickly arrested the suspects. In their report, the police refer to Polis by female pronouns. Two, this will increase attention to the difficulties many transgender individuals face, and perhaps encourage LGBT people and allies to speak out and lawmakers to pass inclusive protections. ■

There are plenty of reasons why Chrissy Lee Polis, a 22-year-old transgender woman, should have thought twice about going to McDonald’s on April 18. Pick just about any item off the menu, really. High fat, the empty calories, the boatload of preservatives, the environmental impact of beef production. But one thing she probably didn’t consider was getting the shit beat out of her by a couple of teenage girls while store employees recorded a video and laughed. That’s exactly what happened at a Baltimore County McDonald’s in Maryland, and the horrific video has been watched thousands and thousands of times. In the video, Polis is seen being kicked and punched and slapped repeatedly by two girls who are screaming at her, though what they’re saying is unintelligible on the video (I suspect, however, that it is not nice). She screams back at times and keeps trying to walk away, but it’s no use. The girls are nothing if not tenacious. And savage. They just keep coming back with more violence to dish out. Like I said, I can’t understand anything the girls are screaming or anything that Polis says. After Polis is dragged cavemanstyle by her hair from the back to the front of the restaurant, an elderly woman stands up and tells one of the attackers to “get off of her” as she tries to break up the attack. The girls are not very receptive to this for some reason. I mean, you’d think that two people ruthlessly attacking someone in the middle of a McDonald’s would be totally reasonable and respectful of their elders. But the girls go right on slapping and kicking and punching. The manager at the store repeatedly says “stop,” trying but failing to separate the girls from Polis. No other employee attempts to help, though early in the video Polis is on the floor after being kicked and is holding what looks like a plastic shopping bag. As she scrambles to get away, something falls out of the bag and an employee in a red shirt reaches down and grabs whatever it was that fell out. And that’s the last we see or hear of the McDonald’s crew until the end of the video, when we hear someone warn the girls to get out of there because the police are coming and then say, “She’s havin’ a fuckin’ seizure, yo.”

Because Polis is, indeed, having a fucking seizure, and no attempt is made to assist her in any way. Even after someone says, “She needs help right now,” you hear the manager off-camera saying, “They’re on their way” while Polis thrashes unaided on the floor and the girls take off. The girls, by the way, have names. One of them is 18-year-old Teonna Monae Brown. The other is only 14 years old so her name has not been released as of press time. All I know about her is that she apparently has really cool older friends and that she told police that she and Brown “got into a fight with a woman over using the bathroom.” In a case of tragic irony, Maryland’s legislature recently stripped the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act of “public-accommodation protections” for transgender people and then failed to pass the damn thing anyway. The police may prosecute the beating as a hate crime. Not because Polis is trans, but because Polis is white and her attackers are black. Whether race played a role in the attack is not yet clear. That trans-phobia played a role in the attack seems pretty clear. Teonna Monae Brown clearly has some anger management issues (last year she was arrested after starting a fight at the very same McDonald’s). But it’s more than that. This was not just a couple of girls getting into a catfight. This was a sustained, directed, malicious attack on a person who was unarmed and outnumbered. Brown isn’t the first person to get it in her head that a transperson is less than human and deserving of violence. But you know what? Thanks to the dumb shit with the cell phone, thousands of people have seen what would otherwise be just another underreported attack on a transperson. This has happened before. And it will happen again. If anything good comes out of this situation, it’ll be that next time fewer people will be able to just stand by and watch. ■

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

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

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

OP-ED PGN

LGBT web and print media The king of LGBT media is your local Voice, Georgia Voice, L.A.’s Frontiers and a LGBT publication. Just like the one you’re few others, all have something in common. reading right now. That might come as a We’ve been around long enough that our surprise to those who think that websites communities know and trust us and know are where all the traffic is. This is not, by what to expect from a professional publicaany means, a negative statement tion. We are also a vibrant part on LGBT blogs. They are fun, of the community, something informative and some provide a hard to do in a virtual world. All good service. those publications mentioned But here are the facts and this have more than 10 full-time is where reality hits the road. employees apiece, which adds to Most of the blogs, like local the local economy. Some of us LGBT newspapers, were started have more full-time employees with a purpose — some politithan the national blogs comcal, some fun and some to furbined. Many of them are seather a viewpoint. But few were soned veterans. Additionally, started with actual journalists or local publications not only have writing professionals, and fewer a dedicated readership of print, with media business savvy. they also have those materials on They operate with very little the web. Therefore, savvy adverexpenses and very few employtisers know they could get the Mark Segal best of both worlds by advertisees. You would think that with low overhead and few salaries ing with their local publications. to pay, they’d make enough money to surAnd that is what they continue to do. And vive and thrive. But many of them keep national advertisers are learning that local their material fresh with volunteers or by gay publications and their respective webpumping the comments section. sites bring buyers to their doors. The real problem is that, with little staff This column comes as news of the and volunteers, what they generated for the demise of Queerty, one of my favorite sites, most part were the same stories being run breaks, and talk that two others of national by most other websites. They might have a renown are considering closing their pordifferent angle on the story, but it still was tals. That continued evolution also has print the same. The other problem was lack of attempting to find its niche on the web. The sales to allow them the time to develop to New York Times is trying one way while sustain themselves in a changing business The Wall Street Journal tries another. Web environment. It’s not easy to have a busimedia, LGBT or mainstream, is now the ness plan when your platform is constantly most competitive media there is since literchanging. ally thousands are created each day. Here’s But you cannot underestimate the impact a detail that few seem to realize: It’s a comof a lack of professional standards, which petitive world out there and the most comcan lead to legal problems. This was not petitive business environment is not print only a problem for websites: It was also but the web. There is no competition for a contributing factor in the demise of LGBT local print media from the web. The Window Media, the former parent company web competes with itself. ■ of Washington Blade and HX magazine. Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s The publication you are reading now, most-award-winning commentator in LGBT along with Bay Area Reporter in San media. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com. Francisco, OutFront Colorado, Dallas

Mark My Words

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Street Talk

Do you agree with fining Kobe Bryant for his antigay slur? “Yes, because Bryant was on the job [when uttering the slur]. It wasn’t as if he was in a bar somewhere Molly Campbell on his private communications time. There specialist Mt. Airy are ethics and standards to uphold while you’re working. Obviously he failed to do that, and he has to pay the price.”

“Totally. Cameras were on him and he should have known better. If he had a problem with the referee, Ryan Graves he could animal attendant have called Queen Village him a jerk. To call him a ‘fucking faggot’ was way over the top. It was pure hate emanating from Kobe Bryant. That’s an awful example for children.”

“Yes. If anything, he got off lightly. The fine should have been higher. As a public figure, he should have more William Macaluso self-control. student What he said Queen Village contributes to bullying, and cannot be tolerated. That kind of language is completely unacceptable.”

“No. I don’t agree with the speech in any way. But a $100,000 fine is excessive. Kobe did apologize, Mathew which Underwood means a lot. teacher Censorship Southwest Center City isn’t the solution. And I don’t agree with fines associated with censorship. The money takes the focus away from the underlying sensitivity issue.”

Letters and Feedback In response to “Congress sees two LGBTrights bills,” April 22-28: UAFA needs to pass as soon as possible. We need to join the 25 other countries already offering immigration benefits to binational couples. They have no legal means of keeping their families together. Unless the foreign partner obtains a work or student visa, only then can a partner stay in the country — and that is quite tentative. In short, we binational couples should have the same immigration benefits as our straight counterparts. Plain and simple. I have been living in exile with my partner for nine years. Immigration benefits are not offered to us in my partner’s country either. Fortunately, I have work in his country, which allows us to stay together. With that said, my career options are limited and we

do not get to see our family as often as we would like to in the States. I still maintain a home in suburban Philadelphia — with the hopes that someday we will be able to live among our family and friends in the area. Max and I, along with many other binational couples, would greatly appreciate your support. Please, contact your senators and representatives and ask them to support the UAFA. It’s imperative the U.S. government stop discriminating against its GLBT citizenry and offer the same immigration benefits to everyone. Thanks for reading. Peace. — Expat in Rusland In response to “PAC votes to subpoena Morris records,” April 22-28: Kudos to the PGN and Timothy Cwiek for diligently covering this story since day 1.

I’d also like to applaud the Police Advisory Commission for attempting to get to the murky bottom of what happened to Ms. Morris that night. The District Attorney’s Office should be ashamed for stonewalling attempts to clarify what is known about the tragic end of a woman’s life so many years ago. Shame! — spmass In response to “Respecting those still in the closet,” April 22-28: Bullpucky! Most of these closeted people are self-loathing gay people who give the rest of us a hard time. I have lost count of the sleazy closeted politicians voting against us, discriminating openly against us while cruising in secret. Those who are not politicians or decision-makers stand around and

make fag jokes to be one of the boys. I was tortured by a classmate in college and then one day I caught him red-handed (or some other body part) in the men’s room at Strawbridge’s. (Funny how that works!) The closet serves no one’s best interests in the end. As Harvey Milk said, “Come out, just come out.” Staying in the closet helps no one, especially the closeted. If you have to live a life in constraint, what sort of life is that? You only get one life. — Jimmi Shrode @Jimmi — there are respectful closeted people around. It sucks that your experiences were not with one of them. The writer is simply saying to respect one’s decision to do what’s best for them, not the community. — divabree

12 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN

Spreading STD awareness This week wraps up STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to encourage discussion of sexual health and routine screening for STDs for those who may be at risk. STDs are more common than most are aware. Every year, there are more than 19million new cases of STDs in the U.S. By age 25, an estimated one in two sexually active young people will get one. Contrary to some commonly held myths, you can get STDs through oral sex, and you may have an STD even if you don’t experience any obvious symptoms. The only way to know if you or your partner has an STD is to get screened. Our community has led the way in regard to awareness and routine screening for HIV, yet how many of us are aware of the risks and symptoms of treatable bacteriacaused STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis? How many of us are routinely screened for these infections? These infections Ron are relatively easy to get during sexual encounters (oral, anal or vaginal) with someone who has them — and they are relatively easy to treat when diagnosed early. Certain STDs such as hepatitis B (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) are caused by viruses. hepatitis B is the most common cause of liver cancer and certain strains of HPV cause genital warts while other strains of HPV are precursors for cervical or anal cancer. Vaccines are available for both hepatitis B and HPV. Vaccination for these viruses is strongly recommended for sexually active individuals — particularly men who have sex with men. So what can we do to stay sexually safe and healthy? — Use condoms! — Reduce your number of sex partners. — Get screened for STDs every three to six months — even if you’re only having oral sex. — If you test positive for an STD, get it treated right away and let your sex partners know. — If you drink or use recreational drugs, having condoms available and ready increases your chances of using them while under the

influence. — If your drinking or drug use is out of control, get help. For optimal sexual health in LGBT communities, it is strongly encouraged that we be out to our health-care providers and candid about our sexual practices so that our providers can recommend the screenings most appropriate for us. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has a userfriendly website, www.STDphilly. org, that includes a lot of helpful sexual-health information specific to different populations, age groups and sexual behaviors. The site also provides times and locations to access free STD screening and treatment. Fo r L G B T c o m m u n i t i e s , Mazzoni Center offers free, confidential STD screening services at Washington West Project, 1201 Powers Locust St., as well as at Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St., and Sansom Street Gym, 2020 Sansom St. Free, confidential and anonymous rapid HIV testing is available at these sites as well. Free, confidential STD screening available at Washington West Project: — Syphilis (blood draw) — Gonorrhea (urine sample, pharyngeal swab and/or rectal swab) — Chlamydia (urine sample, pharyngeal swab and/or rectal swab) Tuesdays, 1-5 p.m. Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. Fridays, 2-5 p.m. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

14 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

LOCAL PGN

News Briefing Social for LGBT parents, supporters LGBT family group Philadelphia Family Pride will host a fundraising happy hour from 5-8 p.m. April 30 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St., for LGBT parents and prospective parents. The social will follow PFP’s workshop at Equality Forum Saturday afternoon at Temple University’s Center City campus. Tabu will donate 10 percent of the bar tab to PFP.

Forum on religion, LGBTs The YES! Coalition will stage a free public discussion next week to address the collaboration of LGBT and faith communities in achieving social progress. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 89 Pinewood Drive in Levittown, will host “Creating Legislative Change: Faith Communities and LGBTQ Issues” from 7-9 p.m. May 2. Panelists include Jesse Salazar, special assistant to Sen. Bob Casey; Pennsylvania

Human Relations Commission chair Stephen Glassman; Doylestown Pride organizer Marlene Pray and Abington Township Commissioner Lori Schreiber. Before the panel discussion, guests can enjoy a dinner from 6-7 p.m. with a requested $5 or $10 donation. For more information, contact rsvp@yescoalitionphilly.org.

Suicide in the Gayborhood A young man jumped to his death last week from a high-rise building in the Gayborhood. Police were called to 206 S. 13th St. about 3 a.m. Friday morning for a report of a suicide. According to a police report, the 23year-old man jumped from the window of his 15th-floor residence in The Chancellor Apartments, landing on a fourth-floor roof. Police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little said the man and his girlfriend had been arguing about their relationship and the man threatened to kill himself several times. The girlfriend left the apartment for a few minutes and, when she returned, found the open window and saw the man lying below. A call to the property manager of the apartments was not returned by press time. ■

— Jen Colletta

Law firm drops DOMA defense Just a few days after an Atlanta-based law firm stepped up to take on the defense of the federal ban on same-sex marriage, the company did an about-face and backed out of the deal. Last week King & Spalding partner Paul Clement signed on to back the Defense of Marriage Act in court, but the firm this week announced it would not go ahead with the defense. Clement, a former solicitor general under President Bush, resigned following the firm’s decision. Top clients of the firm, including Coca Cola, reportedly pressured the company not to pursue the defense of DOMA, along with LGBT-advocacy groups. In a statement issued this week, firm chairman Robert D. Hays said the firm began the process to withdraw from the case last week after determining the “process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate.” The skirmish was precipitated by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision earlier this year to no longer defend DOMA in court because they found it to be unconstitutional. The decision to back the law was left up to Congress, and the Bi-Partisan House Legal Advisory Group, led by House Speaker John Boehner, voted last month to intervene.

A spokesperson for Boehner accused King & Spalding of “careless disregard for its responsibilities to the House in this constitutional matter,” while Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese praised the decision. “King & Spalding has rightly chosen to put principle above politics in dropping its involvement in the defense of this discriminatory and patently unconstitutional law. We are pleased to see the firm has decided to stand on the right side of history and remain true to its core values,” Solmonese said. The contract that had been on the table would have provided King & Spalding $520 an hour, with a cap of $500,000 that could have been negotiated higher. At least nine cases challenging Section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, are wending their way through the court system. DOMA also saw Congressional attention earlier this month, when it was the subject of a House subcommittee hearing on the subject “Defending Marriage.” The hearing was called by Republican Rep. Trent Franks (Ariz.), although the five Republicans on the panel did not attend. ■ — Jen Colletta

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Student confronts homophobia on college campus

“I didn’t care that they were drinking, but gay [CJ],” his mother said. “But it took 10 book, brandishing weapons, defined elseit was a whole different story when he started minutes before word must have spread, ‘Oh where in the guide as including knives with Halloween dance, slinging antigay epithets. a blade over 3 inches, is a type-one behavior During his first few months on campus at talking about his knives. Weapons freak me God, there’s a gay kid on campus.’” The knife incident came just a few weeks violation, “considered of the utmost gravity,” the suburban liberal-arts college, such words out,” he said, and told his friend he wanted to before the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay and could result in expulsion. leave. became commonplace. CJ chose not to report the knife incident When they got outside, CJ heard through Rutgers University student who lived near “There was a frat on campus that just wasn’t initially because he said he wanted to avoid very accepting of me being on campus, and I the open window the male students using anti- CJ’s family. “You don’t even have to be a mom but basi- any further trouble, but the student with the became very aware of that,” he said. “It’d just gay slurs and approached the screen and asked cally have a pulse to have been affected by knife contacted his RA and said CJ was the be the looks you get walking on campus, and them to repeat themselves. “I heard it a few times, and I was like, what happened with Tyler. That whole situa- one who’d slashed the window. you’d hear people whispering things, and I’d When he was contacted by administrators ‘Excuse me, what did you say?’ and he said tion just really heightened my awareness about hear myself being talked about during class.” To avoid intimidation, CJ often used pri- he didn’t say anything at first. His roommate [CJ’s] safety or lack thereof, and I called him about the accusations, he told what happened vate bathrooms in friends’ dorms and show- started getting really riled up, and I was just and he got really upset and basically told me from his own view, but no action was taken ered late at night in the women’s restroom, for like, ‘Relax, I just don’t want you to say that that stuff like that happens to gay students all against the student at the time. Once CJ’s family became aware of the inciaround me. Even if it’s not targeted toward me, the time.” which he was written up. She noticed a change in her son in the fall, dent, his mother scheduled meetings with While working outdoors on a project with it’s offensive.’ And the one boy took out one a fellow orientation leader at the beginning of his knives and held it up and slit the win- but it wasn’t until her daughter visited CJ and administrators and demanded they confiscate of his sophomore year, members of the foot- dow screen and said something like, ‘Do you he confided in her the knife threat that she the weapon. “When I met with them, they’d known ball team jogged by and peppered James with still want to know what I said?’ I saw a knife understood what he was facing. “When she came home and told us what about the weapon for 10 days to two weeks. pointing at me and was just like, no, I’m not taunts of “faggot” and “queer.” “I really tried to not let it faze me,” he said. dealing with this, and backed up and walked went on, we hopped in the car and I thought, I asked them what happened to the kid, was I’ll be damned, he’s coming home right now. he arrested, certainly expelled? And they “I’m very confident in myself and I try to keep away.” And when I saw him, he wasn’t the boy I just said, ‘No, I don’t know what you mean. an optimistic outlook.” dropped off a few weeks earlier — his shoul- Nothing’s happened,’” she said. “It blew me That outlook was dashed, however, when A mother’s perspective CJ’s mother, a caterer from Central Jersey, ders were hunched and he cried the whole way away. So I said, ‘I’m going to give you 24 the threats took on a new form. Property:said Harrah's New Orleans Project: home. LGBTIt broke Ads my ~ Come Out Job#: 51126.12 12:42 PM hours, and you’re going to search his room.’” heart.” she worried early on that he could face mother4/22/11 said school officials retrieved becauseGay of his orientation. From verbal to physical Show: Ship: 4/19/11 CJ’s Insert: Vendor: challenges Philadelphia dMax: the knife, which had a 7- or 8-inch blade, from His initial room assignment, which was School response In September, CJ and two female friends Trim: x 5.6" Live: VO: ~ x ~private college has anBleed: none the student but told him he could have it back The 2,000-student summarily changed, was with xseven football were walking through a dorm building when10.125" when he returned antiharassment policy inclusive of sexual oriplayers in a renovated student center, and CJ’s the friends stopped off at the roomDesc.: of two Philadelphia Final Mats: PDF File Art: Eva Rev:home 14 for the holidays and Gay News mother said she and her husband watched as entation and gender identity, and discrimi- not to bring it back to campus. male freshmen. She said she heard second-hand that the stuCJ waited in the doorway but decided to their son introduced himself to his new room- nation complaints are handled by its Bias leave when one of the residents, whom CJ said mates, only to have several pull their hands Incident Response Team, formed after a 2008 dent had to attend a few hours of sensitivity training, but administrators did not share any internal diversity audit. he believed was drinking alcohol, began brag- back from him. According to the college’s student hand- information with her family, since the school “He went there just wanting to be [CJ], not ging about his knife collection. from page 1

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16 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN

had found CJ’s complaint could not be substantiated. CJ’s mother said the family filed a report with the local police, but her son decided not to press charges. Intervention by Mazzoni CJ’s family sought assistance from the Mazzoni Center’s Legal Services Department, and staffers met with the family and administrators to discuss the issue. Amara Chaudhry, director of the department, said the school’s rejection of CJ’s claim of antigay violence is worrisome. “They knew there was a knife involved and they can’t deny that because they initially said [CJ] was the one who had done the damage and they eventually confiscated the knife,” Chaudhry said. “Even though they were aware there was a knife involved and there were allegations that there were homophobic epithets being used, to find that there was no threat of violence or evidence of LGBT animus seems very suspicious to me.” After follow-up discussions with the family and Mazzoni Center, CJ said the school offered to send him to the National Conference on LGBT Equality in Minneapolis in February but, days before, rescinded the offer because of finances. He said that while he believes administrators are eager to quash homophobia on campus, they’re not doing it effectively. “Their intentions were there but it wasn’t executed how it should have been. I think they’re trying but their attempts are borderline failure. It seems like their thought process now is, let’s just forget about it, no one got hurt so let’s just not make a big deal out of this.” Confronting an epidemic LGBT college association Campus Pride found in a 2010 report that 23 percent of LGBQ study participants faced harassment on their college campuses, compared with 12 percent of heterosexual counterparts. While the gay teen suicides last fall highlighted antigay classroom harassment, Carrie Jacobs, executive director of The Attic Youth Center, noted that many people incorrectly assume that bullying has subsided by the time youth reach college. “I don’t know why people think bullying doesn’t go on in colleges,” Jacobs said. “We have bullies in high school and then a lot of them are going on to college, so some of them are going to continue that same behavior.” Earlier this year, lawmakers from New Jersey introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Act in Congress, which would require anti-bullying policies at colleges. Bob Schoenberg, executive director of University of Pennsylvania’s LGBT Center, said progress has been made in terms of raising awareness about college-level bullying, although students unfortunately need to be prepared for anything. “I think there’s been considerable discussion on many college campuses about ways to prohibit bullying, to avoid bullying and how to appropriately sanction those who engage in bullying. But homophobia can rear its ugly head even on a college campus that’s largely

progressive and accepting.” Jacobs said that, just like at the high-school level, bullying in college needs a multifaceted approach that seeks to create a campuswide sentiment of acceptance. “It’s really about the climate that you set in terms of inclusiveness — which often requires training for administration, teachers and students,” she said, noting that institutions cannot rely on the fact that they ban anti-LGBT harassment on paper. “Policies are great, but we need people to work on changing practices. If you have a good policy but you don’t practice, it then it doesn’t mean anything.” Schoenberg agreed, saying the most crucial piece of anti-bullying measures is strict enforcement. “To have a policy that is empty and doesn’t have teeth is I think even more problematic than not having a policy at all.” Moving forward As the semester comes to a close, CJ said he’s hoping to transfer schools in the fall. While he said he’s been heartened by the support from his close circle of friends on campus, his history with the school makes him uncertain of the future. “I’m just afraid of what’s going to happen to spark the next person to get angry and come after me. In the back of my mind I’m just thinking, what if something went wrong, what if someone gets riled up and wants to fight me or come after me,” he said. “I think there are only four openly gay students on campus, including me, but I’m sure there are many more who are closeted because they’re afraid of the outcomes of coming out at this college.” As far as the school is concerned, Chaudhry said the family is still unsure how they’re going to proceed. “We can’t understand how they came to the conclusion. Unfortunately, the only way we can force them to open up the file — so that we can see for ourselves how they came to their conclusion — would be for us to file a lawsuit and request this information through the discovery process,” she said. “I would hope the college wouldn’t want things to get that far, but we cannot allow colleges and universities to think it’s OK to fail to protect LGBT students and to fail to offer them the same degree of safety and protection offered to other students.” CJ said his past two years at the college have forced him to confront some harsh realities about homophobia and bigotry. Those lessons hit close to home for him last fall on Spirit Day, when LGBTs and allies were encouraged to show solidarity for the LGBT youth who’d taken their lives after facing bullying. “I cried that entire day. I actually called out of work and just stayed in and was so upset thinking about how someone could go the extra mile to try to degrade someone or make them feel like garbage about themselves, to the point where they kill themselves,” he said. “Coming off that, the fact that my school wouldn’t go the extra mile or take risks to make me safe just said a lot to me. I think the world’s eyes are really just starting to open to the effects of bullying.” ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

18 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN REGIONAL

PA gets 20th LGBT-inclusive ordinance With a vote by the Conshohocken Borough Council last week, Pennsylvania is now home to 20 municipalities that ban LGBT discrimination. The council voted unanimously April 21 to approve a Human Relations Ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and education. The bill was signed into law that night. According to Council president Paul McConnell, state Rep. Mike Gerber (D148th Dist.) contacted the council earlier this year and suggested the borough take action on the ordinance to urge the state to adopt an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination measure that’s been stalled for years. McConnell, who moved to Pennsylvania from California several years ago, said he hadn’t even realized that such discrimination was still legal in the Keystone State. “I used to live in San Francisco and when

I heard this, I thought, you’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. “I just was so surprised that this is legal in Pennsylvania, and I knew we had to do what we could to fix this.” The council modeled its measure after the recently adopted legislation in Lower Merion, although it was scaled down since Conshohocken is a much smaller municipality. The bill received unanimous approval on its first reading and again on the second and final vote last week. McConnell said the only opposition to the bill came from a small group of out-oftowners who attended last week’s meeting. “They weren’t from Conshohocken and have nothing to do with Conshohocken but were sent in to speak out about how, as they said, homosexuals were going to destroy the nation. And my first thought was, where are these people from? That church in Kansas?” McConnell said, noting that one of the leaders of the group admitted during the meet-

ing that he hadn’t even read the legislation. Among actual residents and workers in Conshohocken, however, McConnell said the bill was well-received. “I was really happy with the number of people who came forward and thanked us for doing this and said they were glad that we brought this up. There’s been a lot of quiet support in Conshohocken. We’ve got a pretty lively progressive place here in Conshohocken, with great restaurants and bars, and all the people I’ve talked to had zero opposition to this.” McConnell said that during discussion on the bill, a question was posed on whether LGBT animus exists in the borough. He said that while he’s never noticed any trends of homophobia, the council decided to be proactive rather than reactive. “A few people asked if we have a problem with this in Conshohocken and the honest answer is that I don’t know. But I

don’t want to get to a point where we do,” McConnell said. An increasing number of municipalities have taken on this issue in the past several years, as efforts to pass a statewide law continued to be stymied. While Conshohocken is the 20th municipality to adopt such an ordinance, it’s also the seventh borough, typically much smaller than the cities and townships — which McConnell said is significant. “For small boroughs like ourselves to be doing something about this, that should say something,” he said. “From my perspective, this is something basic that should have been done 20 years ago. We’re way behind the times and are just trying to get to the baseline of where the rest of the country is right now. And if we have enough municipalities putting this forth, we hope that the state isn’t going to have any other choice but to make it state law.” ■

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Teonna Monae Brown, 18, was charged with first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault in the April 18 attack on Chrissy Lee Polis, 22. Brown is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Brown’s companion, a 14-year-old girl, was charged with second-degree assault. Polis called the attack a hate crime, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney said that he has not ruled out adding other charges to the case.

Media Trail Community rallies around trans victim The Baltimore Sun reports hundreds gathered April 25 at the Baltimore County McDonald’s where a violent attack against a transgender woman occurred recently. The rally drew together representatives of transgender, civil-rights and faith-based communities in a call to action to stop violence against all people.

FBI arrests pastor in custody case Yahoo News reports a Tennessee pastor who allegedly helped a woman abscond to central America with her 9-year-old daughter has been charged with aiding a kidnapping, in a long-running custody

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

dispute between former lesbian partners. Timothy David Miller, 34, of Crossville, Tenn., is accused of helping to arrange passage for Lisa Miller of Virginia and daughter Isabella Miller Jenkins, who are believed to be living in Nicaragua. Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller in 2002, and the couple broke up the following year. Miller then moved to Virginia and renounced homosexuality. She was granted custody of Isabella, but Jenkins got visitation rights. Courts in Vermont and Virginia have since ruled in favor of Jenkins on the custody issue. Miller failed to appear with the girl for a court-ordered Jan. 1, 2010, custody swap. A federal arrest warrant has since been issued for her.

Texas works to close college LGBT centers Advocate.com reports that, in an effort to end governmental support for LGBT centers on public college campuses, the Texas House of Representatives passed a budget provision requiring any school with a gay center to offer the same financial support to a “traditional values” center. The group that worked with the bill’s sponsor, Wayne Christian, is the Young Conservatives of Texas. The group’s senior vice chairman, Tony McDonald, admits he hopes all public universities in Texas will de-fund LGBT centers rather than provide equal money for conservative centers. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the Sixth Police District between April 11-23. 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). ARREST: At 1:25 a.m. April 12, 6th District officers arrested a male for a summary offense outside 209 S. 13th St. ARREST: At 7:35 p.m. April 12, 6th District plainclothes officers arrested a male for prostitution outside 300 S. 12th St. ARREST: At 10:30 p.m. April 12, 6th District officers arrested a female wanted on a bench warrant for failure to appear for court in the 1300 block of Spruce Street. When arrested, the suspect had 17 baggies containing crack cocaine. The 45-year-old woman with a South Philadelphia address was charged with contempt of court and possession of illegal narcotics. ARRESTS: On April 13 between 11 p.m.midnight, 6th District plainclothes officers arrested two males and one female for prostitution at the following locations: 1200 Locust St., 300 S. 13th St. and 200 S. 12th St.

REPORT: Between 11 p.m. April 16 and 3:30 a.m. April 17, complainant’s secured bicycle was stolen from outside 201 S. Broad St. ARRESTS: Between 9-9:30 p.m. April 20, 6th District plainclothes officers arrested two males for prostitution at 200 S. 12th St. and 300 S. 12th St. REPORT: At 12:30 a.m. April 21, complainant was assaulted inside Uncles Bar, 1220 Locust St., by a known suspect. The complainant received stitches and reported the incident on April 22. The offender was described as a transgender black male, 21 years old, 5-foot-10, 150-155 pounds with a dark complexion. Central Detectives are investigating to obtain an arrest warrant. REPORT: At 2:25 a.m. April 21, reported later to the 9th District, complainant was in the 1300 block of Walnut Street with an acquaintance who hit him with a baseball bat and took money from his wallet. Central Detective Division is investigating and will obtain an arrest warrant for the known suspect. REPORT: At 2:55 a.m. April 22, police responded to a call to 206 S. 13th St. and found a 23-year-old male had apparently committed suicide by jumping from an upper floor and landing on a fourth-floor roof. Central Detectives and the medical examiner are investigating.

ARREST: At 2:05 a.m. April 14, 6th District bicycle officers Erwin and Keenan responded to a call for a theft in progress at the parking garage at 247 S. Broad St. The officers observed a male rummaging through a 2005 Toyota that had a smashed rear window. Police arrested the 39-yearold homeless suspect, who was charged with attempted theft from motor vehicle.

REPORT: Between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 22, the license plate on complainant’s Vespa scooter, parked in the 200 block of South Eighth Street, was stolen.

ARRESTS: At 6:25 p.m. April 14, 6th District officers arrested two males for summary offenses in the 1200 block of Latimer Street.

ARREST: At 7:20 p.m. April 23, complainant was walking in the 300 block of South Ninth Street holding her iPhone when a group of young people, including five females and one male, walked past her and one of the females grabbed her phone. The group continued to walk north, then split up, some going west on Spruce, the offender and another female east on Spruce Street. The complainant followed them and flagged down a passing police car. The victim identified the suspect and police arrested her in the 800 block of Spruce. The 18-year-old suspect with a Germantown address was charged with robbery and related offenses. ■

REPORT: Between 12:25 p.m. April 8 and 7 p.m. April 14, complainant’s secured bicycle was stolen from the 200 block of South 12th Street. ARREST: At 1:10 p.m. April 15, 6th District Officer Kelly arrested a male at 1301 Locust St. on a bench warrant for failing to appear for court. He was charged with contempt of court.

ARRESTS: Between 8-9:30 p.m. April 22, 6th District plainclothes officers arrested three males for prostitution at 300 S. 12th St., 261 S. 13th St. and 1300 Locust St.

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HOST OUSTED, from page 1

in 2012, with more focus on the contestants. Sieg said the show will feature a new “celebrity host,” although he declined to disclose the name, saying organizers are still in talks with the individual’s management team. Robert Hitchen, who portrays character Sandy Beach, declined to comment. The show came back to life in 2010 after a several-year hiatus. It was originally launched in the early ’90s to parody the mainstream Miss America contest and raise money for the South Jersey AIDS Alliance. The past two shows, written and

directed by Hitchen, have raised funds for a number of HIV/AIDS and LGBT agencies in the region. Sieg said the GLBT Alliance and partner Schultz-Hill Foundation have found that the show is now “growing far beyond its local roots” and are working to present a program to match that. “It has become necessary for the organization to draw a distinction between the much smaller, local show that took place for many years on the stage of Studio 6 versus the vision of a show that will fill Boardwalk Hall and potentially have national television coverage,” he said. “We have a great opportunity at this time, by utilizing this show as a vehicle

to bring and increase awareness not only locally or regionally, but also nationally.” In keeping with that goal, Sieg said organizers are going to undertake a more extensive and in-depth contestant search. While Seig acknowledged the “tremendous contributions” of Hitchen, he said the “new format will provide the pageant greater national exposure.” “Our pageant provides a unique opportunity for these spectacular ‘ladies’ to shine brighter than ever before in one of the most historic buildings in the world. With their help, we will continue to raise desperately needed funds for local, regional and national charities.” ■

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prised if we get a hearing in committee or a vote, but we still need to show that this is a priority for many of us. I think there’s a sense of frustration when you can’t get things done, but the only way to actually achieve the result you want is through persistence and passion. Even when you’re facing a daunting challenge like this, you have to keep the issue alive.” Frankel said it may be time for the Senate, which he said is home to some more moderate Republicans than the House, to “step up” on the issue this session. Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.) introduced the nondiscrimination bill in the Senate earlier this month, and Frankel said Sen. Pat Browne (R-16th Dist.) also plans to submit the measure in the Senate, although it is unclear who will lead the Senate fight. In conjunction with the introduction of Frankel’s bill, Equality Pennsylvania released a poll Wednesday that found that 69 percent of Pennsylvania voters approve of the measure. According to the survey, which was conducted in February of 1,200 likely voters, the bill had support in each region of the state, with the most in Philadelphia and the northeast segment. The polling also found support among voters of diverse political ideologies, with 60 percent of conservatives in favor, 75 percent of moderates and 80 percent of liberals. A majority of Republicans, 61 percent, were in favor of the measure, as were those over age 60, at 67 percent — two groups that traditionally are less likely to support LGBT-rights issues. “The poll results show not only the basic fairness of Pennsylvania, but their consistency as well,” said Equality PA board president Brian Sims, noting the results are on par with polls commissioned by the agency in 2007 and 2003 that found 70 percent and 67 percent support, respectively. “Not only have people not wavered in their view that this type of discrimination is just plain wrong, they have stayed fiercely loyal to that point.” Despite the wide public support over the past few years, the bill has seen little progress. “It’s really difficult when you have a focused opposition like we do, particularly when it’s one of the major religious institutions in the commonwealth that has made preventing this a top priority,” Frankel said, referring to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, which has strongly opposed the bill for a number of years. Frankel said the LGBT and ally communities need to be just as engaged in the discussion about LGBT nondiscrimination as the opponents are. “The community needs to embrace this and make it a priority. The kind of passion and push exerted on the other side of the issue needs to be matched by the LGBT community and by those of us who support the community — families, friends, employers who’ve already incorporated these protections,” he said. “People need to say, how can we defeat the last vestige of legalized discrimination and really be passionate about it? This is about making sure people have civil rights. This shouldn’t be controversial.” ■

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International Moscow gay pride parade uncertain At press time, the decision on the Russian capital’s first gay pride march is up in the air. Well-known gay-rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev claimed that the city council had given the goahead to the proposed march on April 26, which was dismissed by Moscow’s central district head, who said he was not aware of any such event. The Moscow city government says it is “studying” a request by Alexeyev to hold the country’s first-ever gay pride march in the capital. “We are studying the proposals and will reply in due time,” Lyudmila Shvetsova, overseer of the capital’s social policy, said. The current mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, told a radio station back in February he was not in favor of the idea of a gay pride march through the city. Last October, the Strasbourg Court fined Russia for banning gay pride marches in Moscow and fined the city’s authorities $41,090 in damages and for legal fees. This ruling, Alexeyev said at the time, was “a crippling blow to Russian homophobia on all accounts.” Yury Luzkhov, the previous mayor of Moscow who was dismissed last September, had been an outspoken critic of the proposals to allow gay parades, describing them as “satanic.”

Malaysia’s gay-cure camp sparks anger A Malaysian “gay-cure” camp for effeminate teenagers should be abolished, the country’s women’s minister says. Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said that the decision, by the state of Terengganu, violates the Children’s Act and would damage the boys. “The experience of being singled out on the basis of perceived characteristics is an extremely traumatizing experience, particularly for adolescent teens,” she said. A Terengganu state official said that 66 boys, ages 13-17, were identified by teachers as having

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Ishikawa revealed his faith community by recruiting effeminate mannerisms. sexuality in his 2002 small teams in local areas across On April 18, they b o o k “ W h e r e I s M y Nigeria and Ghana to lead prayer began a four-day “selfBoyfriend?” meetings and Bible study groups. development course” in “Many of my readers Eventually, they hope the small the hope of dissuading told me they were isolated meetings can lead to forming a full them from being gay or and that my situation in church. Macaulay is also considtransgender. the book was so similar to ering applications for prayer leadH o m o s ex u a l i t y i s theirs,” he said. ers in Rwanda and Zimbabwe. illegal in Malaysia and In response, Ishikawa He said that having a gay-affirmstate education director founded a nonprofit organi- ing faith community is important Razali Daud said authorization called Peer Friends, because “religion is a backbone to ties wanted to “limit” the which hosts get-togethers life in Nigeria, so we all want to numbers of gay and transin various Japanese cities, go to church, but we don’t want to gender people. POLICE DETAIN BRITISH ACTIVIST PETER to allow young gay men lie to God about who we are.” Sexual-rights activist TATCHELL IN MOSCOW (2007) PGN file photo the opportunity to meet Pang Khee Teik said the others. move was homophobic and cess and decision-making that is would not “cure” any gay or trans both courageous and beyond the children. capacity of many to fully appreci“All the students will learn ate.” from these camps is that they are A Canadian comic has to pay expected to behave a certain way,” nearly $16,000 to a lesbian he he said. “And in order to avoid The leader of Nigeria’s only heckled during a stand-up act at a further ridicule, perhaps they will gay church plans to bring ser- Vancouver restaurant three years learn to pretend better. In the end, vices back, three years after gay ago. we are only teaching them how to Guy Earl was ordered to pay the Taiga Ishikawa, 36, won a seat witch hunts forced the House of be a hypocrite.” money to Lorna Pardy for harassin a Tokyo ward assembly in the Rainbow to shut its doors. T h e R ev. R ow l a n d J i d e ing her and her girlfriend during Japanese capital’s local elections on April 24. He is the first Macaulay, who founded the his act. The restaurant owner was openly gay person to hold office church in 2006, is orchestrating ordered to pay Pardy $7,500. its reopening, though he lives in Earle says he plans to appeal in Japan. “I hope my election victory will London through a self-imposed the ruling, saying all he did was A transgender woman from help our fellows nationwide to exile. insult audience members who Dublin, who was ordered by her have hope for tomorrow, as many After two years of operating insulted him first. He said Pardy employer to dress as a man for cli- of them cannot accept themselves, the church, Macaulay said public threw a drink in his face before he ent meetings, has been awarded feel lonely and isolated and even backlash, and brutal attacks out- insulted her, and he denied much over $57,679 by Ireland’s Equality commit suicide,” Ishikawa said. side of the hotel in Lagos where of what he was accused of saying. Tribunal. “As a ward assembly member, I the service was held, led to the ■ Louise Hannon — who worked would like to reinforce support for House of Rainbow’s demise. part-time for First Direct Logistics LGBT children in schools.” Macaulay is rebuilding his — compiled by Larry Nichols until January 2007, when she took a full-time position — said she told her employers about her gender identity in 2006. But once she legally changed her name to Louise in March 2007, she said, a pattern of discrimination began. Hannon’s boss told her “to work for another three months as a male and then she could begin �� to come to work dressed as a woman, but would have to change �� back to a man when meeting cli�� ents.” She was also asked not to �� use the women’s restroom. �� Hannon was then allegedly �� asked to work from home for a �� few months and was eventually �� told that her presence at the office �� “created a bad atmosphere.” �� Angela Kerins, chairperson �� for the Equality Tribunal, which �� ruled that Hannon had suffered �� discrimination and constructive �� dismissal, said the decision was �� groundbreaking. �� “Transsexual people are born �� into a society which is not structured to cater for their own iden�� tity,” she said. “The journey �� undertaken by transsexual people to recognize their own identity, as being different from their assigned identity, involves a pro-

Japan elects first out politician

Comic fined for Nigeria’s gay church lesbian insults attempts comeback

Irish trans woman wins payout

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AC ul t ure

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rts

PAGE 49

Bulletin Board Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

Page Page Page Page Page Page

55 37 48 51 41 50

(clockwise from upper left) James Lepone as Joe, Melissa Connell as Maggie and Isaiah Ellis as Steve in “The Shadow Box”; Marc Forget and John Schultz as partners Brian and Mark; Connell and Lepone; Forget and Kirsten Quinn as Beverly; Hilary Kayle Crist as Agnus and Mindi Ginsberg as Felicity. Photos: Scott A. Drake

New theater company brings ‘The Shadow Box’ to Philly By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

For its debut production, the newly formed Center City Theatre Works is presenting the award-winning drama “The Shadow Box” May 5-21 at Upstairs at the Adrienne. Written by Trenton-born actor, writer director Michael Cristofer, “The Shadow Box” was groundbreaking when it debuted

in 1977 as the story visits a trio of terminally ill patients, each in a separate cottage at a hospice facility, as they are interviewed about the process of dying. One of the patients is Brian, a bisexual English professor being cared for by his lover, Mark. It is believed that this is the ﬁrst stage production to feature a gay couple dealing with the issues of death and dying. The other dying characters include Joe, a

middle-aged, blue-collar family man who accepts his fate even though his wife doesn’t; and Felicity, an elderly woman suffering from dementia who is cared for by her devoted and underappreciated daughter. Center City Theatre Works founder Jeffrey Lesser, who is directing the show, has a familial link to the play: His uncle, producer Leonard Soloway, was one of the original producers of “The Shadow Box” on Broadway. When

the play opened in 1977, it was met with immediate acclaim, winning a Tony Award, a Pulitzer Prize and a Drama Desk Award. Lesser said having that link to the original production, as well as exposure to the inner workings of the theater industry, made it more comfortable for him to tackle such a highly praised work. “Thanks to him I was around it a lot,” he said about Soloway. “I had incredible opportunities

34 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Gay Philly’s Favorite Photographer Scott A. Drake • 267.736.6743

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to see tons and tons of shows on Broadway continue to ignore. In cultures like Japan, there through him. I got my training from seeing is an appreciation for the elderly, wisdom that and being around it. He’s had a tremendous comes with age and caring for aging family impact on my life. I’m so pleased that I know members. In America, we’re extremely youth[‘The Shadow Box’] so well. It’s been heaven focused and therefore the topic of death has to delve into it. I saw it when I was 15 years been at odds with this obsession with youth. old and I have seen many productions since. Therefore we don’t talk about it. So I think I know the script so well. So I feel like it’s a it will always have relevance unless one day labor of love just putting it out there so that we change the culture and that becomes part others can see it. In Philadelphia, we’ve found of the conversation that happens early in life. it’s only been done once as a reading and Until that happens, I think this will always be an important play.” one other production Forget added that the in all these years. It’s diversity among the so great to bring it to characters who are Philadelphia.” dying or dealing with Marc Forget, who death in the play adds to plays Brian, is also a its appeal, particularly longtime fan of “The with his character, Shadow Box.” Brian. “Years ago when I “The fact that he’s in the went to acting school, prime of his life in a way I did one of these [makes him relatable],” monologues to get he said. “He’s in his into school,” he said 40s. He sounds like of his experience he had a full life and with the play. “I did a monologue for Mark All cast photos: Scott A. Drake was intellectually very engaged. And suddenly and, with time having passed, I think it was time for Brian. I saw a this happens: He learns he has a fatal disease. production of it on Broadway in the 1990s. I’d I think people should be able to relate to that in a sense that, well, it can just happen to seen it and I’d read it a couple of times.” Part of the reason “The Shadow Box” has anybody. If it was only elderly characters that remained relevant since its debut is because were dying it might be harder for people who the stories of the characters aren’t set in a are younger to relate to it. Whether people particular time period, so audiences now can in their 20s and teens can relate to it, I don’t know, although there is a teen character whose relate to them. “It’s so incredibly well-written and the father is dying. But I guess I think [Brian] is a stories are so real that every person will find likable character.” Even though “The Shadow Box” is focused someone to strongly identify with in the show,” Lesser said. “It’s about dying and on the subject of death and dying, Lesser death, which obviously hasn’t changed much. said there is some humor to be found in the What’s brilliant about [Cristofer] is he never characters. This is especially true in Brian’s discussed what each person in the play is dying case. “One of the characters, the ex-wife of the of. It was before AIDS and yet there’s this story of the gay couple where one is dying and gay man in it, is just a hoot,” Lesser said. it could be AIDS now. It’s never mentioned. “She comes dressed very shockingly and she It’s kind of timeless because we’re all dealing exhibits all the different medals from all the with the exact difficulties of losing someone men she’s been with. She’s very fun and funny. and learning to live in the now. There might Then there’s the old woman who’s pretty be a woman who’s watching it that has had a crotchety and very feisty: She does a whole difficult relationship with her mother. There’s turn where she sings ‘Roll Me Over, Lay Me a relationship like that. There’s the story of Down and Do It Again.’ It’s very funny.” Forget said the dynamic between Brian, losing a lover. People can identify with that. One of the stories is having to tell a 14-year- his lover and his ex-wife does make for some old what’s happening. There’s the wife who interesting theater. “Brian has a good relationship with Mark,” absolutely won’t look at reality. There’s so many different relationships in this play and he said. “They’ve been together for a few there’s something for everyone that would years. Beverly he hasn’t seen for a long time and, clearly, when he sees her he’s quite happy touch their lives and their experiences.” Forget also appreciates how the play despite the fact that the divorce was rough doesn’t specify what diseases the characters when it happened. Individually for Brian, he suffer from, adding that his interpretation of gets along with both of them but when the the story and characters’ circumstances has three of them are together, there’s definitely a lot of tension between Beverly and Mark. changed since he first saw the play. “I saw it in the 1990s and I thought Brian Mark is a little territorial about it and Beverly had AIDS only because that was much more is not always subtle in her interactions. For part of the conversation at the time,” he said. Brian, it can be a little bit uncomfortable “Yet, as we’re doing it now, I don’t think it getting two people he loves to get along.” Center City Theatre Works presents is AIDS and I don’t think it matters. Later on if, God forbid, there is another plague of “The Shadow Box” May 5-21 at Upstairs some sort, people might think they’re dying of at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. For this disease. So there’s something that’s kind more information or tickets, visit www. of universal about the reason behind it. It’s a centercitytheatreworks.org or call 215-546topic that will never go away and it’s a topic we 6718. ■

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36 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Waffles and roller coasters: Mother’s Day reflections When I asked my 7-year-old son what he thought I should write in my parenting column about Mother’s Day, he said, “Tell them that having two moms is just like having two people of any kind take care of you, except it’s more work on Mother’s Day.” I’m a little worried, since at his current age we haven’t even asked him to make us breakfast in bed. I’m not seeing a lot of waffles in my future. His comment got me thinking, though, about what it means to be a mother. For me, motherhood began with the birth of our son. For others, it may begin with fostering, adoption or partnering with someone who has children from a previous relationDana ship. And some may choose to use the title “mother” instead of “father” as part of accepting a female gender identity (although I also know transgender parents who continue to use their

original parental titles even after transitioning). But becoming a mother is only part of what it means to be a mother (or a parent of any gender, for that matter). Raising a child involves caring, feeding, butt-wiping, guiding, motivating, listening, picking up after, teaching them to pick up after themselves and otherwise preparing these growing humans to become functioning members of society. If they learn to make waffles along the way, so much the better. As my son explained to me when I asked what more I should tell my readers, “To be a parent of a child, you have to allow your child to make some choices but to make some others. It’s especially Rudolph you important that you be nice to your child and not mean, otherwise he or she will not grow up right.” I’m not sure if that last comment is a social observa-

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tion or a threat — but I can’t disagree with his overall assessment. Parenting is indeed largely a matter of nurturing and encouraging a child’s growing independence while balancing it with a certain measure of adult wisdom and responsibility. Of course, all that talk of wisdom and responsibility can make parenting seem like quite the dull chore. To me, however, one of the best parts of parenting is that it has given me an excuse to do many of the things I haven’t done since I was a child — visit children’s museums, play on playgrounds, reread Dr. Seuss, make baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes in the kitchen. Raising a child is a reminder not just to take responsibility, but also to get out and play, to wonder anew at how the world works and to ask lots of questions. And being a parent doesn’t mean knowing all the answers — just being willing to try and find them. It also means being protective of our children. That protective instinct can manifest itself in various ways — from shooing a toddler away from the stairs to comforting a teen after heartbreak — but for me, it has also sharpened my desire for LGBT equality. I want equality not just for myself, but in order to protect my son legally and financially. I want it so that he grows up proud to be a citizen of a country that values and respects all of its people, and treats them all equally. I want policies, understanding and inclusion in our schools, camps, sports and other children’s and youth programs to make sure he never feels his family is inferior. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, however, can seem designed to underscore that our families are different. Many LGBT parents have concerns about how schools will approach the events and whether they will, even unintentionally, make our children feel uncomfortable about their families. But they may also give us an excuse to have conversations with teachers and with our children about our families, making the occasions into learning experiences rather than anxiety-producing ones. There’s also no reason we can’t repurpose one of the holidays to fit our families, or to use the entire time between the two days to celebrate each of the many people whom we call “family,” including donors, surrogates, birth parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents of donors, etc. — whatever works for you. Make it into your own tradition — hang one family member “apple” on a hand-drawn family tree each day between one holiday and the other, for example. Make a dinner at the end that celebrates the heritage or geographic locations of your family — or just their favorite foods. Being a parent can sometimes seem like trying to juggle on a roller coaster. Being an LGBT parent can sometimes seem like trying to do so without the safety belt everyone else is wearing. But the experience is really not so different for any of us. It takes balance, flexibility and nerves of steel. Sometimes you need to grab on to the people around you; sometimes they grab on to you. Sometimes you all throw your hands up into the air and yell. Mostly, though, you just enjoy the ride, even if you can’t see what’s coming around the next bend. My son’s final comment to me about the column was, “My mothers have also given me a lot of love.” Maybe someday he’ll make us waffles in return. But really, just having him say that is enough. ■ Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (www.mombian.com), a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

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Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Suzi Nash

Lauren Weil: Celebrating families in New Hope According to the U.S. Census Bureau of Household and Family Statistics in 2000, one-third of lesbian households and onefifth of gay male households have children. This week, we spoke to Lauren Weil, a board member of New Hopes Celebrates, the annual five-day celebration of the lovely little (gay) resort town just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia. She’s also a lesbian mom in charge of the family events. PGN: Where do you hail from? LW: I’m from a little North Jersey town called Secaucus. It’s exactly 3.6 miles from the Lincoln Tunnel, so I spent a lot of time in New York growing up. I went to NYU and worked in New York for many years before moving to this area in the early ’90s. PGN: Any siblings? LW: I have an older sister and a younger brother. I’m the only gay one. PGN: What did your parents do? LW: My mother was a stay-at-home mom and my father was the facilities manager at NYU. PGN: What did you want to be when you grew up? LW: You know, I always wanted to be a writer, so I was a journalism major at NYU with an English literature minor. I worked my way through college writing obituaries for the Hudson Dispatch and then I got a job working at a little newspaper called the Jersey Herald as a full-time news reporter. I graduated and was only making $150 a week. I couldn’t even pay my student loans with that so I got into advertising so I could make some money. I was writing advertising copy, so I was still writing but making decent money. PGN: Most interesting story or item you’ve written about? LW: I once wrote a story about an amazing man named Eddie Lucas. He’s a blind sports writer and broadcaster. He worked for the New York Mets and New York Yankees and has gone on to become a motivational speaker. He became blind while playing baseball when he was 12 years old. He got struck in the head with a line drive and lost his sight. While I was writing the article, I got to spend a lot of time with him at his home and in Yankee Stadium. He took me onto the field at Yankee Stadium and I met Phil Rizzuto. It was a moment I will never forget. PGN: When did you first realize you were different from the other girls? LW: Even though we were so close to Manhattan, Secaucus was very sheltered. Everyone was pretty much the same and

there were no gay people. I would go out with guys. In fact, I remember my junior year, I was dating someone on the football team and all my girlfriends were thrilled. I thought he was a nice guy, but didn’t care about it the way that they did. When I got to NYU, I was 18 in Greenwich Village and I started hanging around people in the gay student union and that was the beginning. I really felt like I fit in for the first time. PGN: What was an early sign you were gay? LW: I had a teacher I had a huge crush on. PGN: What was her name? LW: Should I say? What the heck, she’s probably dead now. Mrs. McLaughlin. At naptime, everyone would try to get as far away from the teacher as possible, but I’d put my little rug right next to her desk. [Laughs.] But it was my geometry teacher in high school that sealed the deal. Do you remember “Beatlemania”? It was a Beatles tribute band and she actually married a guy who played one of the Beatles. I was crushed!

LW: I’m an executive director at Educational Testing Service. We make standardized tests. I’ve been there since 1991. PGN: What’s one of the most interesting things about your job? LW: I really feel it’s important to give kids a good experience. Tests should help us assess what you know, but they shouldn’t have to be scary or stressful. When I was a kid, tests were terrifying to me and it shouldn’t be that way. I like helping make that happen. I get calls from parents and teachers and welcome the dialogue. PGN: I remember there was a lot of controversy when I was younger about cultural bias in tests. LW: I’m very proud that my company is founded on providing fairness. We have whole teams of people, much smarter than I am, who do a lot of research and work hard to ensure fairness and equity in the

PGN: Do you have a partner? LW: No, I had a partner but we broke up about a year ago. We were together for 13 years and we have two children who are the total lights of my life. They live with me 50 percent of the time, which is 50 percent too little. PGN: What was the scariest part of motherhood? LW: Having two kids in diapers at the same time! They’re only two years apart. They turned 9 and 11 last weekend.

have families that march in the parade, a tea dance and this year we’re doing a Zumbathon with Cornerstone Health and Fitness. We’re going to have raffle tickets and you can win weekend passes to Sesame Place and a lot of cool stuff. It’s fun for a range of kids, from toddlers to teenagers. PGN: What do your kids enjoy the most? LW: They love marching in the parade. Their friends are all lined up on the street and they get to walk by and wave and throw candy. For that half hour they walk down Main Street they feel like celebrities. They’re getting older, so this year I asked if they just wanted to watch the parade, but not participate and they adamantly were against it. They wanted to march. PGN: A proud moment? LW: The whole third grade is doing a project at my daughter’s school. They’re making a mural depicting New Hope and each kid got to design a piece. One kid did Rita’s Water Ice, another did the library another kid did the ice cream stand and you know what my kid did? She made a New Hope Celebrates tile with gay couples standing in front of a rainbow. She did it on her own and now it’s going to be part of the wall at their elementary school. I thought that was pretty cool.

PGN: What was the most exciting part? LW: I don’t know, the whole thing. My partner carried them and the whole pregnancy part was exciting and when they were born it was amazing. But every year to me is more exciting than the next. Seeing them as babies learning to walk and talk and now seeing my one kid playing the guitar and the other kid in a play, it never stops being exciting. PGN: Funny kid moment? LW: Recently they played a practical joke on me. They taped my veggie spray nozzle on so that when I turned on my sink, I got soaked! You need a sense of humor to be a mother. Hey, speaking of humor, can you write that I’m totally single and available! [Laughs.] I’ve got a good job, I’m a successful executive at my company and I own my own home. PGN: You read it, ladies! And what do you do at work?

tests. It’s huge. Making sure the test is fair for girls or different cultures or regions or family structures. It’s a different world now. PGN: Tell me about your involvement with New Hope Celebrates. LW: I’m on the board of directors and they made me secretary. [Laughs.] I think they did it because I’m the only girl! I’m also responsible for the family events. We

been an issue.

PGN: What are some of the challenges facing kids in LGBT families? LW: I don’t know, we’re very lucky, this area is very progressive, but I guess as they go out in the world it’ll be more of a challenge. When they meet new friends, deciding who to tell and at what point that they’re from a gay family. It’s almost like having to come out. But we’ve always been very open, so it hasn’t really

PGN: I’ve worked a lot with Mountain Meadow, which is a camp for kids from LGBT families, and that subject comes up a lot. The kids love it there, because they all have similar “different” families and they can share their “coming out” stories with each other. LW: Our kids are involved with COLAGE [Children of Lesbians and Gays

38 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Everywhere]. They get mentored by older kids with gay parents and it means a lot to them. PGN: Something you said you’d never do or say that you now find yourself doing as a parent? LW: Oh my God! I find myself saying, “I don’t care what your friend did. I care about what you do. If your friend jumped off a building, would you jump off a building too?” PGN: Something or someone you miss the most from childhood? LW: My dad. He died fairly young. I feel like I’m a lot like him, which is probably why I miss him. He was a very open and accepting person. PGN: What’s your family background? LW: My father’s family was from Poland and my mother’s family was from Italy. PGN: Both very family-oriented cultures. LW: Yes, my father was all about family and kids ... and food! Every Sunday, my mother would make a big pot of gravy with sausage and pasta, the works. I can’t eat like that any more, I try to be more healthconscious, but I love to eat. I like trying new restaurants, new cultures and cuisines. I balance it with a lot of fitness. I get up at 5 a.m. every day and go to the gym. PGN: Others are embarrassed when you ... LW: My kids are embarrassed when I sing really loud with the windows open on the car drop-off line at school. PGN: Any hobbies aside from working out? LW: I love to travel and take day trips all around. I also enjoy Broadway shows and musicals. PGN: Outside of New Hope, what’s a recommendation for a day trip? LW: Have you been to the High Line in New York? They took the old elevated tracks and made them into a park that runs for over a mile in the air. It’s absolutely

stunning. PGN: Someone’s diary you would love to read? LW: Madonna’s! Definitely Madonna’s! PGN: If you were a type of candy, what would you be and why? LW: I would be Sour Patch Kids because they end up being very sweet and they are low in fat. PGN: Any pets? LW: We have a little black-and-white cat named Meako. PGN: How about pet peeves? LW: People spelling “you’re” incorrectly — spelling it as one word, “your.” Like when someone writes, “Your right about that.” Wrong! Game over, try again! That drives me crazy. PGN: New Hope Pride runs May 11-15: What are some of the highlights? LW: “Freedom to Be” is the theme for our Pride parade, which is always a lot of fun. We’re also going to have a drag show, a vendor fair, seminars, art and history tours and even fireworks during the course of the event. But the thing I’m most looking forward to is the Ladies 2000 dance at Havana. The comedian Poppy Champlin is performing at 3 p.m. and she’s really funny! I saw her in P-Town and she’s a riot. If you go to Poppy’s show, the ticket is good for the Ladies Party right after the show — you don’t have to pay again for the party. We’re expecting lots of ladies! Let’s get the word out. Did I mention that I’m single? PGN: Will you be there with a red carnation on? LW: [Laughs.] No, I’ll have a T-shirt that says “I’m single.” And that I have a good job and I own my own home! I’m a single, employed homeowner with two great kids. Come on, gals! ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

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Pride in the name of love — PBGP Party: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. May 1 at My husband Mike and I had a guest vis90 Degrees, 600 Spring Garden St. iting from Washington, D.C., over Easter For more information see www.phillyweekend and when I told him how our blackpride.org. Pride Season was about to start, he got a little confused. Equality Forum I explained that in Philadelphia we’re Equality Forum began in not limited to Pride in June like other cit1993 as PrideFest Philadelphia ies. We have so many Pride and in recent years has posievents spread throughout the tioned itself as a global sumyear that it looks a little bit mit for LGBT issues. This like baseball season. It starts in year it began April 25 and runs April with Philadelphia Black through May 1, and features Gay Pride. Right after that performances, films, discuswe have Equality Forum, folsion panels, special events and lowed by June Pride with the lots of bar parties with a varibig parade and Penn’s Landing ety of Absolut drink specials: festival. The season stretches — Absolut Ruby Red Happy into October with OutFest, Hour: 5-8 p.m. April 29 at and finally wraps up in early Stir, 1705 Chancellor St., no November with Philly Leather cover. Pride Night. Absolut Mandarin Cabaret Don’t laugh, but there used Jim Kiley-Zufelt — to be an event in January called & Dance Party: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. April 29, Tavern on Camac, Winter Pride, too. 243 S. Camac St., no cover. Like our guest, you might be asking — Absolut Stimulus: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. yourself, why are there so many Pride April 29 at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., $7 events in Philadelphia? I’ve heard stories cover. and I’ve heard theories and I’ve heard — Absolut Peach Girl Fever: 8:30 p.m.-2 rumors galore, but honestly I don’t care a.m. April 30 at Sisters, 1320 Chancellor about the reason why any more. Every city should have this problem! We St., $10 cover. — Absolut Wild Tea Men’s Party: 10 have more Pride events for more people to p.m.-2 a.m. April 30 at Q Lounge, 1234 attend and have more fun at. Folks coming out in the Philly area have more opportuLocust St., $10 cover includes your first Absolut cocktail. nities to meet people and build a support — SundayOUT Absolut Tea Dance: 4-10 network of chosen family. Our city has p.m. May 1 at Tendenza, 969 N. Second enough people and businesses to support St., $10 cover. this many gay Pride events. How on earth is any of this a bad thing? For more information, see www.equaliIt’s not wabbit season, it’s not duck seatyforum.com. son, it’s Pride Season. Have fun! Bike Stop Drinking Team If all that Pride doesn’t wipe you out, Philadelphia Black Gay Pride join The Bike Stop Drinking Team on Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, or PBGP, May 3 for “Drinko de Mayo.” They’ll was first organized in 1999. Its mission is to promote unity among African Americans take bar-hopping to a new level by turnand people of African descent who are sex- ing it into a competitive sport. I’m still not sure who they’re competing against ual or gender minorities. PBGP has grown or what you have to do to “win,” but over the years and now draws approxiwhen the game is this fun, who cares? mately 15,000 people to the city. First round is at 8 p.m. at The Bike PBGP hosts a variety of events across Stop, 206 S. Quince St., then at 10 p.m. the city, including the following bar parthey head out for more fun and drink speties: cials at ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. Later, if anyone is still standing, they’ll close out — Ready, Set, Go!: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. April the night back at The Bike Stop. 29 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St., $10 cover So I guess you win if you make it back before 11 p.m., $15 afterward. This party to where you started in one piece withis co-sponsored by Fire Island Black Out out losing your wallet, your phone or too (www.fireislandblackout.com). much of your reputation. — PBGP Party: 10 p.m.-3 a.m. April 29 at For more information, follow “Bike Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St. Stop Drinking Team” on Facebook. ■ — Indulge: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. April 30 at Marathon Grill, 1818 Market St., $15 in Questions, comments or news about advance, $20 at the door upcoming events? Contact Jim at — PBGP Party: 10 p.m.-5 a.m. April 30 at Shampoo, 417 N. Eighth St. barcrawlr@gmail.com.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 04/29 Ride HARD: A benefit to end AIDS Drag performer Vanessa Stone and special guests perform 7-10 p.m. at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675. Zane Booker Dance Tribute Equality Forum hosts a tribute to the out dancer and choreographer at 7 p.m. at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case That Made History Jamie Nabozny

hosts a Q&A and screening of his documentary film chronicling his journey as the first student to successfully sue a school district for its failure to protect him from antigay harassment, at 7:30 p.m. at Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.; 215-545-4400. A Night at the Movies A silent film is screened with live music at 8 p.m. at Kimmel’s Innovation Studio, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Lucille CarrKaffashan The cabaret singer performs at 8:30 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope,

Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 215862-5225. Performing Live Opusia Studios presents a debut production starring Las Vegas entertainer Kenneth Blake, performing as Madonna, and professional dancers Daniel Thomson and Paul Pratt, 9 p.m. at Q Lounge, 1234 Locust St.; 215732-1800. Burlesque Showcase: Equality Forum Edition Louise LaTease of Swellco & Swellco, Cherry Bomb, Miss Mary Wanna, Cookie Cutter and Timaree of Sister Sirens perform from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. at Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735.

Sat. 04/30 PIFA Street Fair Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts hosts a day-long Parisian street fair with French street vendors and performers, a giant Ferris wheel and an aerial routine by La Compagnie Transe Express, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. at The Avenue of the Arts; pifa.org/ streetfair. Ward Marston and Rosemary Benson The cabaret duo performs at 8:30 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope, Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 215862-5225. Sugartown Phreak N’ Queer Festival Benefit The monthly night of women DJs and

AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK: Antigone Rising, the all-female rock band featuring out songwriter and bassist Kristen Henderson, comes back to town for a performance 7:30 p.m. April 30 at Tin Angel, 20 N. Second St. Henderson recently published a memoir titled “Times Two” with her partner, Sarah Ellis, about their efforts to start a family. For more information, visit www.antigonerising. com or call 215-928-0770.

rockers features Christ, Benni E, Electrelane Tribute Band, Glitter and DJ Lil’ Sis’ at 9 p.m. at Tritone Bar, 1508 South St.; 215-545-0475.

Sun. 05/01 Hamlet Amici Opera Company presents the classic Shakespeare tale, 2:30 p.m. at Dockwood Community Center, 275 Dock Drive; 215-2240257. Earl Levit The cabaret singer performs at 3 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope, Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 215-862-5225.

Mon. 05/02 “Chveneburebi” Festival of Georgian Music and Dance The dance tradition of the small nation near the Black Sea hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400. John Sayles The independent filmmaker and author of “A Moment in the Sun” hosts a book event at 7:30 p.m. at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215567-4341.

Tue. 05/03 Shaken, Not Stirred The National Constitution Center hosts a spy-themed cocktail party, which also includes admission to the “Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America” exhibition, 6-8 p.m., 525 Arch St.; 215-4096600

Wed. 05/04 The Medium of Deconstruction: Photographic Journeys in Gender Variance Artist Lorenzo Triburgo discusses his series of portraits, “Transportraits,” in the context of a photographic history invested in examining and undermining gender constructs, at 2:30 p.m. at University of the Arts, 211 S. Broad St.; www. uarts.edu. Girls Night Out! An Interactive Crafts Workshop Kate Payne, the author of “The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking,” hosts a workshop at 6 p.m. at Penn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St.; 215898-7595.

Francis Fukuyama The author of “The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution” hosts a book event at 7:30 p.m. at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-567-4341.

Thu. 05/05 Jennet Conant The author of “A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS” hosts a book event at 7:30 p.m. at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215567-4341. Tom Orr, Meagan Hill and Joe Flanagan The cabaret singers perform at 8 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope, Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 215-862-5225.

Fri. 05/06 Roy Ziegler The author of “The Parrys of Philadelphia and New Hope: A Quaker Family’s Lasting Impact on Two Historic Towns” hosts a reading 5:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960. Stevie Nicks The rock singer performs at 8 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way; 609-317-1000. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience The Led Zeppelin tribute group performs at 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. ■

OOOH-LA-LA: Inspired by the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts and its Parisian theme, PeekA-Boo Revue, Philadelphia’s awardwinning burlesque troupe, is pulling out all the stops for performances at 8 and 11 p.m. April 30 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information, visit www.peekaboorevue. com or call 215-222-1400.

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Opening The Bridge Club Society Hill Playhouse presents a play set on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge as two characters contemplate ending their lives, May 5-29, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-923-0211. Little Women Bristol Riverside Theatre presents the Broadway musical based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, May 3-22, 120 Radcliffe St.; 215-785-0100. My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3 hosts a salute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, May 3-June 26, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. PHILADANCO The dance company performs the Philadelphia premiere of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” May 6-8 at Kimmel’s

mier theatrical adaptation of France’s most scandalous novel, about a man who uncovers the secrets of life by peering through a mysterious hole in the wall of his boarding house, through May 15 at The German Society, 611 Spring Garden St.; www.egopo.org. The Peacock Male: Exuberance and Extremes in Masculine Dress Philadelphia Museum of Art, through June, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by Italian fashion designer and artist Roberto Capucci, through June 5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America The National Constitution Center, through May 30, 525 Arch St.; 215-4096600.

‘DINNER’ & DANCING: Philadanco puts its dance skills to the test when the renowned dance company performs Ray Mercer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” based on the controversial classic 1967 ﬁlm, May 6-8 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5800.

Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Swan Lake Ballet NJ presents the classic production starring dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet, April 30-May 8 at Voorhees Schools Theatre, 1000 Holly Oak Drive, Voorhees, N.J.; 856-768-9503. Tosca The Opera Company of Philadelphia performs the opera by Giacomo Puccini, April 29-May 8 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Continuing Depth Perception AxD Gallery presents an exhibition by graphic designer and lettering artist John Langdon, best known for his pioneering work with ambigrams, through May 14, 265 S. 10th St.; 215-627-6250. Epherman Existence Gallery 339, through May 7, 339 S. 21st St.; 215-731-1530. Hell EgoPo Theater presents the world-pre-

Tailoring Philadelphia: Tradition and Innovation in Menswear Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition focusing on Philadelphia’s tailoring industry, featuring clothing designed by Francis Toscani (1915-73), through summer, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. To Love, Honor and Obey? Stories of Italian Renaissance Marriage Chests Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the commemorative works of art, through July, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Tommy Media Theater presents the classic-rock opera through May 22, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. Unsettled: Photography and Politics in Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by nine artists who used photography to address some of the most controversial political and social issues of the late 1970s through the early ’90s, including feminism, racism, the AIDS crisis and gay activism, through summer, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Closing Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps Walnut Street Theatre presents Alfred Hitchcock’s fast-paced spy mystery through May 1, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Eiffel Tower Light Show & Plaza Activities PIFA celebrates the transformation of the Kimmel Center Plaza as an 81-foot lightbulb-filled Eiffel Tower reaches for the sky as trains and planes zoom overhead, through May 1 at Kimmel’s Commonwealth Plaza, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. Facing Out, Facing In: Figurative Works The James A. Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition exploring this temperamental and stylistic dichotomy in figurative art, and includes works by regional painters and photographers, through May 1, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800. Greek Tragedy and Mythology Philadelphia Orchestra performs two of Stravinsky’s searing mythological compositions, through April 30 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-7905800. Rites, Rhythm ... Riot Center City Opera Theater performs a new one-act, vaudeville-style opera, through April 30 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800. ■

DARLING VICKI: Emmy Awardwinning actress Vicki Lawrence performs both as herself and her famous alter ego “Mama” from “The Carol Burnette Show” and “Mama’s Family” in an evening of comedy and song at 8 p.m. May 5 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave. For more information or tickets, call 215-572-7650.

Notices

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

50 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN

Worth Watching UNHAPPY: Brad (Damon Wayans Jr., right) tries to fix up gay friend Max (Adam Pally, center) with a guy from work, but Max is anything but grateful, on the new sitcom “Happy Endings,” 10 p.m. May 4 on ABC. Photo: ABC/Peter “Hopper” Stone

NEXT AT-BAT: Oscar-winner Christian Bale fights the forces of evil in Gotham City as the iconic caped crusader in “Batman Begins,” 8 p.m. April 30 on ABC. Photo: Warner Bros./David James

BACK IN ORDER: After being written out of the show last season, Kathryn Erbe and Vincent D’Onofrio return as Dets. Alexandra Eames and Robert Goren for the final season of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” which kicks off 9 p.m. May 1 on USA. Photo: USA Network/ Marco Grob

HEARING VOICES: Catch “The Voice,” a new vocal competition series modeled after Holland’s top-rated vocal talent discovery show, hosted by Carson Daly and featuring musicians Cee Lo Green (from left), Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, 8 p.m. May 3 on NBC. Photo: NBC/ Michael Desmond

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

Q Puzzle Dancing Sovereign Across

1. He comes once a year 6. Like bounteous breasts 11. Bear upon 15. Middle name in California 16. Romeo 17. Romain de Tirtoff, familiarly 18. Costar with 53Across 20. TV Guide info 21. Michelangelo’s David and Moses 22. Uey from WSW 23. It gets spilled at wild parties 24. Mysore Mr. 25. With 42-Across, Broadway adaptation of an Aussie indie film 27. Lunch-counter order 30. Columnist

Bombeck 32. Cap for James M. Barrie 33. “Star Trek” humanoid 35. Nickname of Ron Reagan’s father 38. Nancy Botwin’s older son 42. See 25-Across 45. Shorthand user 46. Rose, e.g., to Pasolini 47. Fey of “30 Rock” 48. Old preposition 50. Vegetable fuel 52. Wet area around bushes 53. Actor who plays the title role in 25Across 58. Unwelcome ink color 60. “Spamalot” writer Eric 61. Give ___ go 62. Having a cool head

66. Oscar-winning Patricia 67. Costar with 53Across 69. Lady’s man 70. In a dominant position 71. Each’s partner 72. Whack, off, or delight 73. Makes a hole bigger 74. “Bye”

Down

1. Tools for those who cut 2. Settled down 3. Vincent Lopez theme song 4. Fouls, to the Pinball Wizard 5. Make certain 6. Blows away 7. Da. before Mardi Gras 8. Working model 9. Téa of “Fun with Dick and Jane” 10. Wilde man

11. Cock-eyed optimist’s opposite 12. “Family Matters” nerd 13. Sword, poetically 14. Drag queen ___ Lettuce 19. Queer one, to straights 25. Evita portrayer on stage 26. Lambda Legal Defense suit, e.g. 27. Backyard parties, for short 28. Ill-mannered oaf 29. It can bear fruit 31. Diving area? 34. Dancer in many a musical 36. They may get a licking 37. Gay cable network 39. Son of Eric the Red 40. Composer Thomas

41. Hindu suffix meaning “country” 43. Mother of “Brothers & Sisters” 44. Serious lack 49. Susie Bright, to erotica 51. Native American erections 53. “A League of Their Own” teams 54. Best possible 55. “Bewitched” aunt 56. Show penitence 57. Big ray 59. Dig deep 62. Biters of Caesar’s girlfriend 63. Presbyterian activist Michael 64. “Boy Meets World” boy 65. “Lord of the Rings” singer 68. Start of a holy day at Congregation Beth Simchat Torah?

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52 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

54 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

in Philadelphia CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA

• City Hall, NE Entrance • Philadelphia Family Planning Commission, 260 S. Broad St., 10th floor • Com-Har Living Room, 101 S. Broad St., 14th floor • Scorpio Books, 202 S. Juniper St. • Sisters, 1320 S. Chancellor St. • Paolo Pizza, 1336 Pine St. • Dignity/St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 330 S. 13th St. • Parker Hotel lobby, 261 S. 13th St. • Westbury Bar, 261 S. 13th St. • William Way Community Center, 1325 Spruce St. • Q, 1234 Locust St. • Voyeur, 1220 St. James St. • Club Body Center, 1220 Chancellor St. • 13th St. Pizza, 209 S. 13th St. • XIII on 13, 211 S. 13th St. • Cut Salon, 204 S. 13th St. • Woody’s Bar, 202 S. 13th St. • Danny’s Bookstore, 133 S. 13th St. • Sansom Cinema, 120 S. 13th St., basement • Robin’s Bookstore, 108 S. 13th St. • I. Goldberg, 1300 Chestnut St. • Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St. • Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St. • Salon K, 1216 Locust St. • Uncles Bar, 1220 Locust St. • Bioscript Pharmacy, 1227 Locust St. • Philadelphia Fight/AIDS Library, 1233 Locust St., fifth floor • Valanni Restaurant, 1229 Spruce St. • Planned Parenthood, 1144 Locust St. • Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. • 12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St. • Charlie Salon, 203 S. 12th St. • Brew HaHa! Coffee Shop, 212 S. 12th St. • Spruce Street Video, 252 S. 12th St. • ICandy, 254 S. 12th St. • Apt. & Townhouse Rentals, 304 S. 12th St. • Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St. • Reading Terminal Market, Central Court Rear, 12th & Filbert streets • Hampton Inn, 1301 Race St. • ASIAC, 1201 Chestnut St., fifth floor • ActionAIDS, 1216 Arch St. • Ettore Salon, 1201 Market St., in Marriott Hotel • Mazzoni Clinic, 21 S. 12th St. • Women’s Anonymous Test Site, 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 1200 • Safeguards, 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 610 • AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, 1211 Chestnut St., 12th floor • 1211 Chestnut St., lobby • Fusion Gym, 105 S. 12th St., second floor • AACO, 1101 Market St., ninth floor • Sante Fe Burrito, 212 S. 11th St. • The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. • More Than Just Ice Cream, 1119 Locust St. • Midtown II, 122 S. 11th St. • Triangle Medicine, 253 S. 10th St. • 10th St. Pour House, 252 S. 10th St. • Foodery, 10th & Pine streets • Mazzoni Clinic, 809 Locust St. • HONOR BOXES Broad & Spruce streets • Broad & Walnut streets • Broad & Chestnut streets • Juniper & Market streets • 13th & Sansom streets • 13th & Walnut streets • 13th & Locust streets • 13th & Spruce streets • 13th & Pine streets • 12th & Spruce streets • 12th & Manning streets • 12th & Locust streets • 12th & Walnut streets • 12th & Filbert streets • 11th & Arch streets • 11th & Walnut streets • 11th & Pine streets • 10th & Spruce streets • 10th & Pine streets • Ninth & Pine streets • Eighth & Walnut streets • Eighth & Market streets • Ninth & Market streets

OTHER PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS

PHILADELPHIA, OLD CITY/SOCIETY HILL ZIP CODE 19106 • Independence Visitors Center, Sixth & Market streets • Free Library, Independence Branch, 18 S. Seventh St. •

Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Curtis Center, 170 W. Independence Mall • Independence Place Condos, 241 S. Sixth St., lobby in both towers • Zeke’s Lunch, 318 S. Fifth St. • Best Western Independence Park Hotel lobby, 215 Chestnut St. • Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby, 201 S. Columbus Blvd. • Philly Paws, 100 N. Second St. • Strands Salon, 25 N. Third St. • Dane Décor, 315 Arch St. • Old City Ironworks Gym, 141 N. Second St. • Chocolate Works Condo lobby, 321 N. Third St. • Bridgeview Place Condo lobby, 315 New St. • HONOR BOXES • Seventh & Pine streets • Fifth & Pine streets • Third & Spruce streets • Fifth & Spruce streets • Sixth & Chestnut streets • Fifth & Chestnut streets • Fourth & Chestnut streets • Third & Chestnut streets • Second & Chestnut streets • Second & Walnut streets • Walnut & Dock streets, by Ritz Movies • Fifth & Market streets • Third & Arch streets • Third & Race streets • Fourth Street bet. Arch & Market streets, by Holiday Inn

PHILADELPHIA: SOUTH ST./BELLA VISTA/PASSYUNK ZIP CODE 19147 • Whole Foods Market, 929 South St. • Big Green Earth Store, 934 South St. • Bean Café, 615 South St. • Copabanana, 342 South St. • PGN offices, 505 S. Fourth St. • Famous 4th St. Deli, Fourth & Bainbridge streets • Essene, 719 S. Fourth St. • Paper Moon, 524 S. Fourth St. • Rockerhead Salon, 607 S. Third St. • Philly Bagels, 613 S. Third St. • Office of Dr. Lynne Rosenthal, 530 S. Second St., second floor • Michael’s Café, 1623 E. Passyunk Ave. • Black N Brew, 1523 E. Passyunk Ave. • Carmen’s Country Kitchen, 11th & Wharton streets • Free Library, Southwark Branch, 932 S. Seventh St. • Bethel Community Home, 933-935 S. Third St. • Hideaway, Days Inn, 2015 Penrose Ave. • HONOR BOXES • 10th & South streets • Eighth & South streets • Sixth & South streets • 505 S. Fourth St. • Fourth & Bainbridge streets • Third & South streets • Passyunk Avenue & Mifflin Street • Passyunk Avenue & Tasker Street • Passyunk Avenue, 10th & Reed streets PHILADELPHIA WEST OF BROAD ZIP CODE 19102/19103 • U Do It Laundry, 15th & Spruce streets • Touraine Building lobby, 1520 Spruce St. • The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St. • TLA Video, 1520 Locust St. • Latimer Deli, 255 S. 15th St. • Dr. Wakefield’s Office, 255 S. 17th St., Suite 2306 • Art Institute, 1622 Chestnut St. • Art Institute, 1610 Chestnut St. • Café Cret, 1301 Race St. • Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel, 17th & Race streets • Adonis Cinema, 2026 Sansom St. • Sansom St. Gym, 2020 Sansom St. • Titan Room, 22nd & Market streets • Manna, 12 S. 23rd St. • Art Institute, 2300 Market St. • Phila. Daily News/Inquirer lobby, 400 N. Broad St. • Drexel Partnership, 1427 Vine St., third floor • Main Branch Phila. Free Library, 19th & Vine streets • HONOR BOXES • 17th & Pine streets • 20th & Pine streets • 15th & Spruce streets • 17th & Spruce streets • 18th & Spruce streets • 19th & Spruce streets • 23rd & Spruce streets • 25th & Spruce streets • 18th & Locust streets • 20th & Locust streets • 21st & Walnut streets • 22nd & Walnut streets • 20th & Sansom streets • Broad & Chestnut streets • 22nd & Chestnut streets • 16th & Market streets • 18th & Market streets • 22nd & Market streets • Design Center, 2400 Block Market St. • 16th Street & JFK Boulevard • 18th Street & JFK Boulevard • 20th & Vine streets PHILADELPHIA, FAIRMOUNT, ZIP CODE 19130 • Bebashi, 1217 Spring Garden St. • Colonnade Condos lobby, 1601 Spring Garden St. • CCP Lambda, Phila. Community College, 1700 Spring Garden St. • Logan View Apts. lobby, 17th & Callowhill streets • Free Library, Main Branch, 19th & Vine streets • Whole Foods Market, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave. • Welker Real Estate, 2311 Fairmount Ave. • Beehive Hair Salon, 2319 Fairmount Ave. • Philadelphian Condos lobby, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. • 2601 Parkway Condos lobby, 2601 Pennsylvania Ave. • Crooked Frame Café, 2545 Brown St. • HONOR BOX, 23rd Street & Fairmount Avenue

PHILADELPHIA, WEST PHILLY, ZIP CODE 19104 • LGBT Center at Penn, 3907 Spruce St. • Penn Bookstore, 3610 Walnut St. • Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. • St. Mary’s Church, 3916 Locust Walk • International House, 3701 Chestnut St. • University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St. • Sheraton Hotel, 36th & Chestnut streets • Old Quaker Condos lobby, 3514 Lancaster Ave. • World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. • Bucks County Coffee, 3430 Sansom St. • Bucks County Coffee, 40th & Locust streets • Fresh Grocer, 4001 Walnut St. • Osol Hall, 510 S. 42nd St. • Wilson Hall, 708 S. 42nd St. • Goodman Hall, 710 S. 42nd St. • University of the Sciences England Library, 4200 Woodland Ave. • HONOR BOXES • 30th & Market streets, NW corner • 33rd & Market streets, SW corner • 38th & Chestnut streets • 38th & Walnut streets • 36th & Walnut streets • 34th & Walnut streets • 34th & Spruce streets • 37th & Spruce streets • 38th & Spruce streets • 38th & Walnut streets • 40th & Walnut streets • University City SEPTA Station

PHILADELPHIA, OTHER, BY ZIP CODE 19111 • Almost Paradise, 742 Frankford Ave. • Free Library, Welsh Road, 9233 Roosevelt Blvd. • Honor Box, Welsh Road & Roosevelt Boulevard • Harry’s Natural Foods, 1805 Cottman Ave. • 19114 • Today’s Videos, 9255 Roosevelt Blvd. • 19116 • GWHS Beacon Center, 10175 Bustleton Ave. • Free Library Bustleton Branch, 10199 Bustleton Ave. • 19118 • Weaver’s Way, 559 Carpenter Lane • Coffee Junction, 7210 Cresheim Road • Infusion Salon, 7133 Germantown Ave. • Newsstand, 8600 Germantown Ave. • Border’s Books, 8701 Germantown Ave. • 19119 • TLA Video, 7630 Germantown Ave. • Honor Box, Wyndmoor SEPTA Station • 19120 • Free Library, Olney Branch, 5501 N. Fifth St. • 19122 • Rainbow Eye, 1449 N. Fifth St., second ﬂoor • Free Library, Rodriguez Branch, 600 W. Girard Ave. • Barnes & Noble, 1700 N. Broad St. • Temple University Student Activity Center, 1755 N. 12th St. • 19123 • Darling’s Diner, 1033 N. Second St. • Beth Ahavah, 615 N. Broad St. • SILOAM Ministries, 1133 Spring Garden St. • Shampoo, Seventh & Willow streets • Honor Box, Fifth & Spring Garden streets • 1 Shot Coffee, 1040 N. Second St. • PYT Restaurant, 1050 N. Hancock St., at the Piazza • Northern Liberties Iron Works, 821 N. Second St. • HIV Early Intervention Clinic, St. Joseph’s Hospital, 16th Street & Girard Avenue • 19124 • Free Library Fishtown Branch, 1217 E. Montgomery Ave. • Free Library Frankford Branch, 4634 Frankford Ave. • Free Library Oak Lane Branch, 6614 N. 12th St. • 19126 • Free Library, Roxborough Branch, 6245 Ridge Ave. • 19127 • Free Library, Andorra Branch, 705 E. Cathedral Road • Honor Box, Main & Cotton streets • 19128 • Elfant Wissahickon Realty, 8962 Ridge Ave. • 19129 • Free Library Falls of Schuylkill, 3501 Midvale Ave. • 19131 • WCAU TV lobby, City Line Avenue & Monument Road • WPVI TV lobby, City Line Avenue & Monument Road • Free Library Wynneﬁeld Branch, 5325 Overbrook Ave. • Honor Box City Avenue & 63rd Street • 19132 • One Day At A Time, 2532 N. Broad St. • 19133 • Congresso De Latinos, American Street & Lehigh Avenue • Free Library Lehigh Branch, 601 W. Lehigh Ave. • Prevention Point, 166 W. Lehigh Ave. • Free Library Richmond Branch, 2987 Almond St. • 19134 • Free Library McPherson Square Branch, 601 E. Indiana Ave. • Touch of Class Books, 3342 Kensington Ave. • 19136 • Fantasy Island Books, 7363 State Road • 19139 • Free Library West Phila. Branch, 125 S. 52nd St. • 19141 • Free Library Logan Branch, 1333 Wagner Ave. • Free Library Olney Branch, 6017 Ogontz Ave. • 19143 • Free Library Blanche A. Nixon Branch, 5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway • Free Library Kingsessing Branch, 1201 S. 51st St. • Philadelphia University KANBAR Center, 4201 Henry Ave. • 19144 • Free Library Joseph E. Coleman Branch, 68 W. Chelten Ave. • Free Library Lovett Branch, 6945 Germantown Ave. • 19145 • Free Library South Phila. Branch, 1700 S. Broad St. • Free Library Passyunk Branch, 1935 Shunk St. • 19146 • South Square Market, 2221 South St. • Honor Box, 22nd & South streets • L-2 Restaurant, 22nd & South streets • Honor Box, 19th & South streets • Honor Box, 17th & Lombard streets • Marine Club Condos lobby, Broad Street & Washington Avenue • 19149 • Newsstand, Bustleton & Cottman avenues • Free Library, Northeast Regional Branch, 2228 Cottman Ave.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

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

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment hot line: 215545-2212

■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658

■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

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

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Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 166 W. Lehigh Ave.; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000.

Health

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-536-2424. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; 215-851-1822 or 866-2223871. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803.

HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 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-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups

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

tion about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370.

■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladephia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia Region, holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities; 856-8579283; popnews19@yahoo.com.

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■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 267-216-6606; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@mazzonicenter. org

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

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■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633

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■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000 ■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840

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■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

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

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

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

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

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■ 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: 3-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 3-6 p.m. Tuesday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

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

Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; 215-348-0558 ext. 65; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org

Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday through Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331

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Community Bulletin Board

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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COMMUNITY PGN

56 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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

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REAL ESTATE

SALE

HOUSE FOR SALE, W. COLLINGSWOOD Gay friendly neighborhood! Two-story colonial home with chestnut woodwork throughout. Totally updated and features 3 bedrooms, a newer bathroom, fenced in-yard, 1 1/2 car garage, newer windows, furnace, sprinkler system, composite wood porch, updated electric, gas fireplace, stamped concrete patio, and professional landscaping. Excellent school district (Haddon Township). ~1 mile from Collingswood. Approx. 6 miles from downtown Phila. Contact Lisa Wolschina at 856-261-5202. MLS#5861640. _______________________________35-16 ART MUSEUM AREA, SPRING GARDEN A must see! Elegant, awesome 1 BR condo, ultra high 14’ celings, modern, hdwd flrs thruout, built in appl., LR/DR, track lighting, fitness room & storage area. $179,000+. Qualified buyers only. Call Mac at 267-251-4689. _______________________________35-15 NYS LAND ONE TIME SALE 10ac-Salmon River Area-$19,995. 7ac w/New Cabin-$29,995. 5ac-Hickory Ridge-$12,995. 97ac Surrounding State Forest-$119,995. 7ac-Trout Stream-$29,995. 14ac-Southern Tier-$24,995. 5ac on Big River-$39,995. 7acLittle Falls-$19,995. Over 100 new properties offered! Terms or cash discounts! Call Christmas & Associates 800-229-7843. Or visit www. LandandCamps.com _______________________________35-15

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Open Houses Sunday May 1, 2011 NOON - 1:00 PM 2011 Cartharine St. Newly rehabbed large classic 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with 2 Car PARKING. There is a finished lower level, deluxe S/S and granite kitchen, spa like master bath and a bi-level deck with the best views in the city. ......................................priced at only $499,000 1109 SPRUCE ST. Units 1 & 4 1br/1ba,& Large loft studio Condo. Totally reahabbed. Between Penna. and Jefferson Hospitals in the heart of Washing Sq. West. ...................................... $185,000 and $225,000 1:30 - 2:30 PM 2155 Montrose St. Brand New, large 3BR/2.5BA corner property with rear garden, rood deck, gourmet deluxe Kitchen, hardwood floors, spa baths & finished lower level. Tax abatement ..............................$425,000 1109 SPRUCE STREET Unit 2R & 3R. Two 1br/1br,Condos. Great buys in Wash. Sq. West. Between Penna. and Jefferson Hospitals in the heart of Washing Sq. West. ................................ $180,000 $ $215,000 3:00 - 4:00 PM 540 Cypress St. New Listing. Charming, totally restored Historic Colonial in Society Hill. 2 large bedroom, 1 1/2 baths. 2 fireplaces, wood floors, a/c, exposed brick walls etc. .......................................... $419,900

Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.thephillyrealtors.com Dan Tobey

The Curtis Center 1401 Walnut St. 8th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102

215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.546.7728 Fax dtobey@cbpref.com • www.cbpref.com

Magnificent fully renovated English Tudor estate offering over 7,000 sq ft of living space on an acre of beautifully landscaped grounds. This property has no equal in the South Jersey area. Gourmet kitchen redone in 2009, grand foyer, sunroom, office or library, finished basement w/temp controlled wine room, new Pella architectural windows t/o, butler’s pantry, 2 car garage w/loft, in-ground pool. Walking distance to Haddonfield.

Kate Master Siedell • Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors 856-616-7040

•

856-287-4665 (c)

•

www.haddonﬁeldrealtor.com

REAL PGN ESTATE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN

58 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

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. _______________________________35-19 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AREA Studios & 1 Bedrooms - Call for Availability (215)735-8050. _______________________________35-31 Bella Vista nice 1 BR apt. Avail. 4/1. $850 + utils. Contact Larry at 215-687-5629. _______________________________35-16

VACATION

RENTAL AFFORDABLE FORT LAUDERDALE All Gay Resort. Apts., full kit, 10 min Gay Nightlife, beaches, attractions. Clothing opt. pool, WiFi. 877-927-0090, www.LibertySuites.com _______________________________35-15 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102 Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com _______________________________35-15 NORTH WILDWOOD, NJ- FLORENTINE FAMILY MOTEL Beach/Boardwalk Block, Heated Pools, Efﬁciency/ Motel units refrigerator, elevator. Color Brochure/ Specials 609-522-4075 DEPT.104 www.ﬂorentinemotel.com _______________________________35-15

SERVICES PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________35-19 SOUTH PHILLY 1 blk. to Broad St. Line. 12x14 pvt. BR, unfurn, full use of home. SWGM pref. W/D, C/heat/air, 12’ square roof deck. $550/mo. inclusive. Sec. dep, long term lease. Small pet OK w/deposit. Call 215-468-7776. _______________________________35-15 ROOMMATE WANTED IN LANSDALE End Unit, Pool, Tennis, Large Patio. All Utilities Included, Available now. $550 a month. 1st and security needed. Short or long term available.Furnished or Unfurnished. PLEASE be clean, responsible and laid back. Ron, (609) 495 4540. _______________________________35-15 GM looking to share 3 BR private home with roommate, close to subway, free cable, w/d, access to kitchen, located in S/Philadelphia. $500.00 a month. Call 215-350-4997. _______________________________35-17

ADOPTION UNIQUE ADOPTIONS Let us help! Personalized Adoption Plans. Financial assistance, housing relocation and more. Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us ﬁrst! 1-888-637-8200 24-hours hotline. _______________________________35-15 ADOPT Married couple wishes to adopt newborn to share our hearts/ home. Will provide lifetime of happiness, love, security. Expenses paid. Marcy/ Andrew 855-882-9477 http://sites. google.com/site/marcyandandy/home _______________________________35-15

HELP WANTED

Program Director Resource for Human Development, Inc. (RHD) (www.rhd.org) is seeking a full-time Program Director for a new Housing and Drug & Alcohol Treatment program for 18 transgender adult individuals. Ideal candidate will be a member of the transgender community, and have a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in a clinical ﬁeld, with prior drug & alcohol experience. In addition, the candidate will have 3-4 years experience providing clinical services to transgender individuals. Three to four years of experience managing and supervising others, and managing a program required. Please send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations to Debbie Kulp, by email: mgh@rhd.org, for consideration. EOE.

MECHANIC for Center City real estate ofﬁce. Must be fully experienced in all phases of building repair, recent references and live near CC. Salary and beneﬁts.

Call Mel

215-990-5800 SOUTH PHILLY DIAMOND CLUB Is sponsoring a gay Texas Hold Em tournament. Looking for a director. 2026 S. Hutchinson St., John, 267-252-4924. _______________________________35-15 **ABLE TO TRAVEL** Hiring 10 people, Free to travel all states, resort areas. No experience necessary. Paid training & Transportation. OVER 18. Start ASAP. 1-970-773-3165. _______________________________35-15 FOREMEN To lead utility field crews. Outdoor physical work, many positions, paid training, $17/hr. plus weekly performance bonuses after promotion, living allowance when traveling, company truck and benefits. Must have strong leadership skills, good driving history, and able to travel in Pennsylvania and nearby States. Email resume to Recruiter4@osmose.com or apply online at www.OsmoseUtilities.com EOE M/F/D/V. _______________________________35-15 OWNER OPERATORS 85% of Gross. 40% Advance on Loads. No Forced Dispatch. Trailer Rental Program. Low Cost Insurance Available. Flatbed, Dryvan, Specialized. JRC 866-572-7297. www. jrctransportation.com _______________________________35-15 Driver- New Trucks +Flexible Days Off +Paid Daily. Looking for Drivers who are Looking for Miles +Full Benefits. CDL-A. 3months recent experience required. 800-414-9569. www. driveknight.com _______________________________35-15 Drivers- No Experience ~No Problem. 100% Paid CDL Training. Immediate Benefits. 20/10 program. Trainers Earn up to $.49 per mile! CRST VAN EXPEDITED 800-326-2778 www. JoinCRST.com _______________________________35-15 NEW STARTING PAY JUST ANNOUNCED For Van and Flatbed Division. Plus high miles, new equipment And excellent benefits. $500 Sign-On Bonus for Flatbed. We’ve got it all! CDL-A. 6mo.OTR. 888-801-5295 _______________________________35-15 INTERMODAL Opportunities! Run trailers to/from Rail Yards. Pay: $800-$960/wk. Weekly Hometime! Prior Reefer experience plus: CDL-A & HazMat required. EEOE/AAP 866-370-4469 www. Drive4Marten.com _______________________________35-15

New Pay for Company Drivers & Contractors: Earn More Now! Regional Runs, Excellent Miles, Weekly Hometime, New Equipment. CDL-A, 6mo. Experience required. EEOE/AAP 866-322-4039 www.Drive4Marten.com _______________________________35-15 Driver - Experienced OTR Drivers. Up to $4000 BONUS. $3500 Sign-on CASH and $500 LAPTOP or GPS. Up to $.50 Per Mile. Regional Lanes/ Home Weekly 888-463-3962. 6 Mo. OTR Exp. & Current CDL www.usatruck. jobs. eoe m/f/h/v. _______________________________35-15 TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED! 2011 PAY RAISE! UP TO $.52 PER MILE! HOME WEEKENDS! EXCELLENT BENEFITS! NEW EQUIPMENT! HEARTLAND EXPRESS 1-800-441-4953 www.heartlandexpress.com _______________________________35-15 DON’T MISS A PAYCHECK! FLATBED. $750 P/WK GUARANTEED 1st 2 Wks. Employed! 1 Yr. OTR @ Class A CDL Reqd. Excellent Compensation. 888.472.3218 or www.gicc.chieﬁnd.com _______________________________35-15 Between High School and College? Over 18? Drop that entry level position. Earn what you’re worth!!! Travel w/Successful Young Business Group. Paid Training. Transportation, Lodging Provided. 1-877-646-5050. _______________________________35-15

FOR SALE SAWMILLS Band/Chainsaw -Cut lumber any dimension, anytime. Build anything from furniture to homes. IN STOCK ready to ship. From $4090.00. www.NorwoodSawmills.com/300N. 1-800-661-7747. _______________________________35-15

SERVICES Can You Dig It?” Heavy Equipment School. 3wk training program. Backhoes, Bulldozers, Trackhoes. Local job placement asst. Start digging dirt Now! 866-362-6497. _______________________________35-15

BUSINESS

OPORTUNITIES Do you earn $800 in a day? Your Own Local Candy Route! 25 Machines and Candy All for $9995. 877-915-8222 All Major Credit Cards Accepted! _______________________________35-15

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LOOKING FOR ROMANCE Attractive GWM, warm, sensitive, caring, 48 y.o. with a smooth gymnast build looking for other GWM, 30-50, who is also in good shape. I live in NE Phila. I’m looking for guys who are also sensitive, caring with a fun personality. If this sounds interesting to you feel free to call me, David, 215-698-0215. _______________________________35-19

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6’, 165 lbs., 60 year old Master, greek active, french passive requires obedient slave for training, S&M, B/D, W/S, etc. Limits respected and expanded. Assistant Master wanted. Call Dave at 215-729-6670, day or evening. _______________________________35-15 Got a big torpedo? Fire it into a white butt. Call 8-11 PM, 215-732-2108. _______________________________35-15 WM, NE Phila. If you’re looking for hot action, call 215-934-5309. No calls after 11 PM. _______________________________35-15 Nice looking, in-shape 61YO masculine bottom. Seeks MASCULINE TOP ONLY in NE 4 LTR. 215-264-1058. _______________________________35-16 GWM, good body, 64, 5’10”, 190 lbs. seeks other men with good bodies. John, 570640-8179. _______________________________35-16 SEEKING WM in 50’s seeks younger men, Latinos & Mexicans a +, for friendship & fun. Enjoy arts, travel & outdoors. 856-547-4163. No calls after 11. _______________________________35-21 Hookup at www.oceanhouseatlanticcity.com _______________________________35-21

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SPRING FLING

Saturday- April 9, 2011

TIME: 10pm-3am DJ Zathan Radix · Food Catered by Tommy D. · Go-Go Boys and more... ·

EVOLUTION: It’s Raining Men! Saturday- April 23, 2011

TIME: 10pm-3am · Dj Dutch · Food Catered by Tommy D. · HOT Dancers and more...

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Come visit us. We are under NEW MANAGEMENT!! Sansom Street Gym 2020 Sansom Street 267-330-0151 www.sansomstreetgym.com

P.A.N.G. (Philadelphia Area Naked Guys)

Sunday- April 17th, 2011 TIME: 3pm- 6pm

- Rooms are on a 1st Come, 1st Served Basis... Rooms Go Quickly! So CHECK IN EARLY :-)

*Don’t forget to visit the Adonis Cinema right next door!!

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60 Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com April 29 - May 5, 2011

PGN